U.S. Policy in Central Asia

I am applying for the Fall State Department internship since I only made alternate for the Summer. Since the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs isn't offering overseas internships in the Fall, I have been looking at other regions that might interest me. Right now, I am leaning towards South and Central Asia.

As I was doing research into what that Bureau is up to, I came across a good topic to think about. A little while back Secretary Clinton announced and idea/initiative called the "New Silk Road." The idea is to develop Central Asia as a way to allow freer trade from Afghanistan (and the rest of Central Asia) to South Asia. In theory, this would benefit both regions and provide a conduit of trade around Iran. It would bridge the gap between East and West. To say this is ambitious is an understatement.

Robert O. Blake, Jr. (Assistant Secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs) stated:

Our hope is to encourage all of the countries of the region and beyond to help build a network of roads, bridges, pipelines, and rail lines to facilitate the goal of embedding Afghanistan more firmly into its neighborhood and helping Afghanistan realize its goal of creating an economy based more on trade than aid. We must also seek to reduce barriers to the efficient exchange of goods across borders, open markets, and promote private sector investment in the region.

This is something that many Americans miss. Our interests in Afghanistan go beyond just controlling the Taliban (or the al-qaeda threat). In terms of freeing international trade and economic security, one of the major road blocks has been Central Asia. Many of the reasons for this are no fault of their own. I know this because it is extremely difficult to travel over land from Europe to Asia without going through Russia or Iran. Trust me, I have looked into this (:p) With oil and other resources in the area, the US Government knows the benefit of this area loosening its ties to Russia and to provide a overland trade conduit around Iran.

Can it be done with the current budget constraints? I have no idea but I will never say Hillary Clinton didn't have grand ideas.

The Atlantic's opinion
The Diplomat's take