Ahmed Rashid examines the rise of militant Islamic movements in the newly independent states of former Soviet Central Asia. The post-Soviet regimes of the region blame this phenomenon on outside support from the Taliban, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the Muslim world. Rashid disagrees, arguing strongly that the repressive nature of these regimes, combined with their inability - even unwillingness - to foster economic development, has provided a breeding ground for militant Islamic movements. It is an argument the regimes and their supporters, including the United States, would do well to heed.