The omnipresent yellow and black Western Union signs in Khujand, Tajikistan's second largest city, say it all. Tajikistan's most valuable export is its manual labor. And as the world economic crisis sets in, the worth of that commodity appears to be declining rapidly, putting additional social pressures on this remote, impoverished nation of some seven million.
In this interview, RFE/RL speaks with US Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasian Affairs Daniel Fried about U.S. Policy toward Central Asia. Fried recently made a tour of Central Asia. During the tour he gave voice to increasing U.S.