LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Uzbekistan: United States
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Uzbekistan is a newly independent nation in the midst of profound political and economic change. Tourist facilities are not highly developed and many of the goods and services taken for granted in other countries are not yet available. Internal travel and travel to other New Independent States (NIS), including both air and land routes, can be erratic and disrupted by fuel shortages, overcrowding and other problems.
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According to the State Department's 2000 Human Rights report, "Uzbekistan is an authoritarian state with limited civil rights. There were credible reports that security force mistreatment resulted in the deaths of several citizens in custody. Police and NSS forces tortured, beat, and harassed persons. The security forces arbitrarily arrested or detained pious Muslims and other citizens on false charges, frequently planting narcotics, weapons, or forbidden literature on them."
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The toughest thing about Uzbekistan is understanding why your tour guide is so reluctant to giving the clients a simple price quote. In truth, the Uzbek currency has a state-determined value and a black market value. Uzbek people cannot explain this to you over the internet, phone, fax or otherwise for fear of the tax authorities showing up for an impromptu inspection and accessment. Travelling in Uzbekistan is cheap, but only if you show up withdollars in hand and pay cash. Previously travel agents could book your flights at the local rate. This is no longer the case and foreigners must pay first world prices.
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Through the Jewish Agency and other organizations, Uzbek Jews have been leaving at a steady rate (more than 70,000) since Uzbekistan gained its independence in 1991. Most head to Israel and the United States; there is a sizeable Bukharian population in Jerusalem and Queens, New York. Life in Uzbekistan is among the most difficult in the world. Recent inflation ravaged the economy; the average person makes $10-15 per month. Unemployment is high and government corruption scares away foreign investment, all of contributes to a bleak outlook for Uzbeks–Jew or gentile.
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Uzbekistan's export/import policy is based on import substitution. The highly regulated trade regime has led to both import and export declines since 1996, although imports have declined more than exports, as the government squeezed imports to maintain hard currency reserves. Draconian tariffs and sporadic border closures and crossing "fees" decrease legal imports of both consumer products and capital equipment. Uzbekistan's traditional trade partners are from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), notably Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan. Non-CIS partners have been increasing in importance in recent years, with the European Union, South Korea, Germany, Japan, and Turkey being the most active.
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Uzbekistan lies just north of Afghanistan. US bases located there support the assaults on Afghanistan in the wake of the Saudi refusal to cooperate with the US war effort. There is an active jihad, as well as a severe repression of Islam itself - 5 years for practicing Islam in unauthorized mosques, extrajudicial killings. Over 7,000 are said to be jailed for unauthorized islamic activities. See " Uzbekistan is One of the Most Repressive New Independent States ,"citing Helsinki Commission Chairman Smith, Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe news release, 10/18/99
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