Is the United States, in its fight against terror and pursuit of Osama Bin Laden, recklessly creating conditions in Central Asia to produce the next Bin Laden? Matthew Crosston studies this controversial argument in his political analysis of US foreign policy on Central Asia. He looks specifically at the 'no-man's land nexus' connecting Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan and the heart of Central Asian Islamic radicalism - the Fergana Valley. This book breaks new ground by examining in unflinching detail the unwitting role US foreign policy plays in fomenting that 'hot zone' and extremism,...

Originally published in 2004. Examining autonomy in the Russian Federation, Matthew Crosston ascertains how the regional use of bilateral autonomy treaties has influenced the long-term stability, legitimacy and efficacy of the state. The study challenges some long-accepted conclusions about democratization and the devolution of power, advancing into new international arenas Riker and Dahl's relatively-ignored theoretical concerns that decentralized federations are ineffective and disintegrative while centralized federations are consolidating. Scholars of Russian politics, democratization,...