The Coltan Revolution

The upheaval in Kyrgyzstan has been both violent and quick, with autocratic president Kurmanbek Bakiyev electing to flee as soon as his security forces proved themselves incompetent. It seems like just yesterday that Bakiyev came to power amidst the hope spawned by the Tulip Revolution. And now destitute Kyrgyzstan is back to square one, in terms of establishing some sort of functional government.

In the grand tradition of recent political tumult, the turnover in Kyrgyzstan will need a...