Blaine D. Holt argues that rebuilding Kyrgyzstan's crumbling infrastructure with U.S. aid and manpower will lead to the development of programs and institutions from which a democracy can evolve.

The displacement of Kyrgyzstan's Uzbeks raises problems of legitimacy for Sunday's constitutional referendum, as well as concerns about the U.S.-leased airbase at Manas, says Kyrgyzstan expert Michele Commercio.

Russia's inaction in response to Kyrgyzstan's ethnic violence reflects a deeper problem with international cooperation, writes CFR's Stephen Sestanovich.

Amid Kyrgyzstan's domestic upheaval, the status of an important U.S. military base could become shakier, says expert Alexander Cooley of Columbia University.

Walter Russell Mead says the violence in Kyrgyzstan is shaping up to be "a typical modern horror story."

After a spasm of violent protests that caused Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev to flee the capital, the international community must push the new transitional government to set the country back on a democratic path, says CFR Central Asia expert Evan Feigenbaum.

S. Frederick Starr, a longtime expert on the Caucasus and Central Asia, says Russia is using a "carrot and stick" approach to attempt to force the United States out of a crucial air base in Kyrgyzstan, showing its determination to reclaim its traditional influence in the so-called near abroad.

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