US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is wrapping up a tour of Central Asia, during which he offered a vigorous defense of the status quo

US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is wrapping up a tour of Central Asia, during which he offered a vigorous defense of the status quo. In particular, Rumsfeld glossed over international criticism of Uzbekistan’s repressive behavior, instead reiterating the Bush administration’s "appreciation" for Tashkent’s "stalwart support" in the ongoing War on Terrorism. On February 26, Rumsfeld was in Afghanistan, where he observed reconstruction efforts in the southern city of Kandahar. He later traveled to Kabul for talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. After the meeting, Rumsfeld tried to downplay expectations that US forces would capture terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden in the near future. With a US presidential election looming in November, American troops in Afghanistan have reportedly stepped up efforts to hunt down bin Laden. Rumsfeld and Karzai both sought to portray Afghanistan’s security environment as improving, despite ample evidence to the contrary. One February 25, for example, five Afghan non-governmental organization workers were killed by Taliban militants, who have increased operations inside Afghanistan in recent months. Over 550 individuals have died in political-related violence since August, including scores of Islamic militants killed in clashes with US troops and Afghan security forces. Many Afghan officials and aid workers have said the country’s tenuous security condition warrants a postponement of elections scheduled for June. The Bush administration has pushed to maintain the existing election timetable.