Islam Karimov has died

Uzbekistan has lost its authoritarian president. Islam Karimov has died in office creating uncertainty for the future. There still is speculation on who will be a successor to President Karimov. From 1991 to 2016 he ruled Uzbekistan with an iron first, stopping any form of political opposition. He ran for president on multiple occasions and by de-facto means became a president for life. During the late 1990s his regime was threatened by the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. When the 9/11 attacks occurred Karimov found an ally in the George W. Bush administration. After the Adijan Massacre in 2005 ties were cut between the US and Uzbekistan and bases were shut down. His death comes at a precarious time of global upheaval and international terrorism. This change in regime could have negative effects on Afghanistan and the other Central Asian states. There remains the possibility of a Central Asian spring that could spread and result in the formation of terrorist safe havens. The US and EU block may attempt to adjust their foreign policy to make Uzbekistan compliant with their interests. The situation becomes more complicated when factoring in NATO- Russia tension. Whatever the case, Uzbekistan will not see political reform anytime soon.