By Matthew Oresman (6/4/2003 issue of the CACI Analyst)

BACKGROUND: The Shanghai Forum (as it was originally known before the addition of Uzbekistan in 2001) was founded in 1996 by China, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan to simultaneously demarcate and demilitarize the new border between China and the new post-Soviet republics, as well as to introduce confidence-building measures. Since then, the organization has attempted to move beyond its ad hoc talk shop status to address new and pressing issues, particularly the continuing terrorist threat in the region and the need for economic integration. These plans have continuously faltered, especially the creation of an SCO counterterrorism center in Bishkek in 1999.

By Hooman Peimani (6/4/2003 issue of the CACI Analyst)

BACKGROUND: Relations between Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have at times been far from friendly and tension-free since their independence in 1991. Various factors have contributed to this situation, including border disputes, a major source of tension in the bilateral relations of all the Central Asian countries. Thanks to the Soviet division of Central Asia into five ethnically-based republics without regard to the historical and ethnic realities, the two neighboring countries have disputes over certain regions.

By Mike Redman (6/4/2003 issue of the CACI Analyst)

BACKGROUND: During the first week of April 2003, Kazakh authorities detained two members of Hizb-ut-Tahrir in the South of the country for allegedly distributing extremist leaflets, which called for a jihad against the U.S. and UK.