Uzbekistan : Trapped in a perpetual cycle of violence.

Abstract

Uzbekistan gained independence following the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991. Islam Karimov then emerged as the new nation's founding father. He championed a revival of ancient Uzbek culture while engineering a modern "Uzbek path" which would steer Uzbekistan into the prosperous future. Karimov early defended a strong leadership as a necessity in the fragile nation-building process.