Dan Burton

“ But according to the information that I have been receiving, it is the Nazarbayev regime itself that will likely fuel the growth of Islamic extremism. Democracy, a free press, and respect for human rights are the keys to protecting a country like Kazakhstan from the influence of Islamic extremists groups. The United States must stand with regimes in Central Asia who share these key democratic values, not those regimes and leaders who subvert them. ”

“ They can easily see that they inhabit a rich country, and they are justifiably beginning to ask why so little of their country's great wealth seems to be trickling down to them. The people are also not blind to sham elections, the stifling of press freedom, and the jailing of opposition leaders that have come to characterize the country's political life. I have been told that more and more people in Kazakhstan are losing hope, and are more willing to give Islamic extremists groups, who claim that they will eliminate the corruption of the current regime, a chance to govern. ”

“ Speaker, those of us who follow events in Central Asia are alarmed by the growing influence of Islamic extremism in Central Asia. As my colleagues are aware, an Islamic insurgency has taken root in the Fergana valley area where the borders of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan meet. Reports indicate that this insurgency is being supported and fueled by the fiercely Islamic Taliban in Afghanistan. ”