Half way down the old Silk Road lies the former Soviet republic of Uzbekistan, the republic that connects all of the Central Asian states. With the passing of their long-term dictator Uzbekistan is now making big steps forward but the weights left over from their past will be hard to shake, one of those being an entire rotting island that once housed the Soviet biological warfare program now radiating out into the desert.

On the panel this week - Joanna Lillis (The Economist) - Nikita Makarenko (Uzbek Journalist) - Kristaps Andrejsons (The Eastern Border) - Bruce Pannier (Radio Free Liberty) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael in @MikeHilliardAus For more info visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com

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44 - The Geopolitics of Uzbekistan (and the Island of Anthrax)