The commander of US forces in Afghanistan, General David Barno, is in the Uzbek capital Tashkent to meet Uzbek government officials. The US has a military base in Uzbekistan to back up its troops in Afghanistan and sees the Uzbeks as essential allies in the war on terror. The visit comes just as Washington is due to decide whether to renew its substantial aid budget to Uzbekistan. Much of the budget goes to the police, who rights groups accuse of torture. This is General Barno\'s first trip to Tashkent since he was appointed six months ago. It is, the Americans say, a working visit to discuss Uzbek support for the war on terror. Uzbekistan plays an important role on the US military map, extending the Pentagon\'s reach to the north of Afghanistan through a base in the desert close to the Uzbek-Afghan border. It was from this base that Washington sent troops into Afghanistan in 2001. Shortly afterwards, US aid to Uzbekistan increased 10-fold to almost $90m a year. Relations between Uzbekistan and the United States are still very warm. US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was full of praise for President Karimov and his government on a recent visit. But there is also some embarrassment on the US side because of the Uzbek record on human rights. Almost half of US assistance goes to the Uzbek security forces, including the police. Human rights activists have documented many incidents of torture in Uzbek detention centres - even a case in which a man apparently died after submerging in boiling water. The State Department is shortly expected to decide whether to continue aid to Uzbekistan or whether Uzbekistan should be de-certified - meaning judged unsuitable for assistance. Were that to happen, it is not clear what would happen to the military base. (BBC)