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Dictators Without Borders: Power and Money in Central Asia
A penetrating look into the unrecognized and unregulated links between autocratic regimes in Central Asia and centers of power and wealth throughout the West
Weak, corrupt, and politically unstable, the former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan are dismissed as isolated and irrelevant to the outside world. But are they? This hard-hitting book argues that Central Asia is in reality a globalization leader with extensive involvement in economics, politics and security dynamics beyond its borders. Yet Central Asia’s international activities are mostly hidden from view, with disturbing implications for world security.
Based on years of research and involvement in the region, Alexander Cooley and John Heathershaw reveal how business networks, elite bank accounts, overseas courts, third-party brokers, and Western lawyers connect Central Asia’s supposedly isolated leaders with global power centers. The authors also uncover widespread Western participation in money laundering, bribery, foreign lobbying by autocratic governments, and the exploiting of legal loopholes within Central Asia. Riveting and important, this book exposes the global connections of a troubled region that must no longer be ignored.
Weak, corrupt, and politically unstable, the former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan are dismissed as isolated and irrelevant to the outside world. But are they? This hard-hitting book argues that Central Asia is in reality a globalization leader with extensive involvement in economics, politics and security dynamics beyond its borders. Yet Central Asia’s international activities are mostly hidden from view, with disturbing implications for world security.
Based on years of research and involvement in the region, Alexander Cooley and John Heathershaw reveal how business networks, elite bank accounts, overseas courts, third-party brokers, and Western lawyers connect Central Asia’s supposedly isolated leaders with global power centers. The authors also uncover widespread Western participation in money laundering, bribery, foreign lobbying by autocratic governments, and the exploiting of legal loopholes within Central Asia. Riveting and important, this book exposes the global connections of a troubled region that must no longer be ignored.
290 pages, Hardcover
First published February 7, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
August 27, 2017
Scary account of graft, greed, corruption and the pursuit of power in the middle Asian countries in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. This book is for those without fear of tongue twisting names. This is a well written treatise on politics and finance in the world today. The principles apply globally.
This book explains about why institutions in the USA including what should be beneficial organizations like Universities and Nonprofits (Clinton Global Initiative comes to my mind) benefit from maintaining corrupt repressive regimes abroad. Deeply troubling. I also better understand now why the Bernie Sanders supporters may be justified in their deep mistrust of the big banks which grease the flow of money out of repressed nations to fuel real estate booms in more developed nations.
This book explains about why institutions in the USA including what should be beneficial organizations like Universities and Nonprofits (Clinton Global Initiative comes to my mind) benefit from maintaining corrupt repressive regimes abroad. Deeply troubling. I also better understand now why the Bernie Sanders supporters may be justified in their deep mistrust of the big banks which grease the flow of money out of repressed nations to fuel real estate booms in more developed nations.
November 22, 2021
Lots of interesting facts, but the book would have been much better with a tough editor. The writing is not impressive and the authors seem not to have decided whether they are writing an academic paper or a book for a more general audience. The result has ended up being a little bit of neither.
July 30, 2025
I thought it’s going to be another book about western moral superiority however it was quite the opposite. The author showed us how western global elites are equally corrupt to those centrial asian ones.
My only slight criticism is that the author provided a very one-sided negative view about the central asian regimes even though they have some legitimate achievements and good results. I travelled a lot across the region and for example president Karimov or Nursultan Nazarbayev was genuinely popular among some locals. Uzbekistan or Kazakhstan might be not the beacon of democracy but their country is doing much better than Afghanistan where the western model of governance utterly failed.
My only slight criticism is that the author provided a very one-sided negative view about the central asian regimes even though they have some legitimate achievements and good results. I travelled a lot across the region and for example president Karimov or Nursultan Nazarbayev was genuinely popular among some locals. Uzbekistan or Kazakhstan might be not the beacon of democracy but their country is doing much better than Afghanistan where the western model of governance utterly failed.
October 22, 2017
Covers many of the Central Asian kleptocracies in breathtaking detail. Will file this in the "speak truth to power" category right next to Tom Burgis' Looting Machine.
February 23, 2017
Intense & Relevant
January 12, 2023
An accessible, well-written, and still-relevant overview of how the world and Central Asia are closely linked in networks of power and corruption. The authors’ treatment of the subject - corruption - is largely episodic, but the examples chosen are certainly the most important and illustrative. Someone new to the region or its academic literature may struggle with the details at first, but the themes, and the stories, are well-told and universal. Highly recommend for those interested in Central Asia or how power actually works.
June 17, 2020
As a former corporate investigator and with expertise in Central Asia and the wider CIS, this book was fascinating in addressing corruption and kleptocracy in the Central Asian states. Having faced numerous “black Pr campaigns” in my work, unlike other reviewers, I think that the book is aided by its close attention to evidence and heavy referencing.
The financial schemes detailed are laid out with extraordinary precision, and can be returned to as a reference point. The chapters on Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are particularly strong; they achieve the task of putting the respective corruption schemes in the context of movements in internal politics and give good insights into the nature of the states. In Tajikistan, I would say there is too much attention on the precise intricacies of the schemes involving TAL to give a good, rounded overview of the issue at hand or workings of Tajikistan’s elite (when referring back to ch3 later on when talking of the country’s closed polity, one realises that this was not fully depicted).
The book several times tries to address Western institutions and consultancies facilitating this global corruption (which, as addressed in the epilogue, is not unique to CA). There are some riveting stories to be had here- and yet some of these these are told as an afterthought. Rather than focusing on specific offshore accounts, one could look more closely at the hundred million dollar legal fees better by a city law firm defending a central Asian government in an arbitration, the lobbying campaign on behalf of a presidential family member or the total funds to UK plc generated by servicing Central Asia etc. It could give a more rounded view of the globalisation of the propping up of the region’s elite- and also give a more nuanced conclusion to the “anti-corruption initiatives and laws should be properly enforced”, in looking at why, perhaps, they are not.
(In this vein- It would be interesting to see an update In the wake of the UK government’s “success” on the enforcement of the first “undisclosed wealth Order”- arguably the people that the NCA is targeting are those already out of favour in their home country- therefore the political capital lost is minimal..)
Overall, this is a really good read and a very rare book looking exclusively at a difficult and complex collection of countries. This is true particularly for those with a preexistent knowledge of the region. There is a huge amount of highly researched material- some of the most complex regional stories are told from start to finish in concise and informative fashion, with commendable attention to fact and details
The financial schemes detailed are laid out with extraordinary precision, and can be returned to as a reference point. The chapters on Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are particularly strong; they achieve the task of putting the respective corruption schemes in the context of movements in internal politics and give good insights into the nature of the states. In Tajikistan, I would say there is too much attention on the precise intricacies of the schemes involving TAL to give a good, rounded overview of the issue at hand or workings of Tajikistan’s elite (when referring back to ch3 later on when talking of the country’s closed polity, one realises that this was not fully depicted).
The book several times tries to address Western institutions and consultancies facilitating this global corruption (which, as addressed in the epilogue, is not unique to CA). There are some riveting stories to be had here- and yet some of these these are told as an afterthought. Rather than focusing on specific offshore accounts, one could look more closely at the hundred million dollar legal fees better by a city law firm defending a central Asian government in an arbitration, the lobbying campaign on behalf of a presidential family member or the total funds to UK plc generated by servicing Central Asia etc. It could give a more rounded view of the globalisation of the propping up of the region’s elite- and also give a more nuanced conclusion to the “anti-corruption initiatives and laws should be properly enforced”, in looking at why, perhaps, they are not.
(In this vein- It would be interesting to see an update In the wake of the UK government’s “success” on the enforcement of the first “undisclosed wealth Order”- arguably the people that the NCA is targeting are those already out of favour in their home country- therefore the political capital lost is minimal..)
Overall, this is a really good read and a very rare book looking exclusively at a difficult and complex collection of countries. This is true particularly for those with a preexistent knowledge of the region. There is a huge amount of highly researched material- some of the most complex regional stories are told from start to finish in concise and informative fashion, with commendable attention to fact and details
June 18, 2023
Central Asia is a region often overlooked and rarely mentioned in the global geopolitical sphere. Dictators Without Borders open up Central Asia and offer valuable insight into a region full of dysfunctional governments, isolated states, rampant corruption and natural resources. Cooley and Heathershaw analyzes how each of the Central Asian states are in fact very involved in foreign affairs that go beyond their borders through internal networks of wealth and power in the post-Soviet era. They highlight the complicity of global financial systems and governance institutions that have facilitated the flow of corrupt money and offered avenues for authoritarian consolidation.
An excellent example of this regarding Turkmenistan revolves around how the country is involved in a web of multinational corporations, global energy markets and the authoritatian regime's gas exports. The former President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow sought to diversify its gas export routes and reduce its dependence on Russia. An example of this is the Trans-Caspian Pipeline project - a proposed subsea pipeline from Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan, and farther to Turkey. The Turkmen elite hold offshore accounts with the aide of german companies such as Deutsche Bank, Mercedez and Siemens, using the accounts personal wealth and political purposes
When dealing with authoritatian regime like Turkmenistan, international energy companies face many challenges when seeking to invest in Turkmenistan's energy sector, including issues of corruption, lack of transparency, and political risks associated with the regime.
In relation to Uzbekistan, the book highlights the case of Gulnara Karimova, the eldest daughter of Uzbekistan's former dictator, Islam Karimov. Gulnara Karimova exploited her father's position to amass vast amounts of wealth and extend her influence across the Uzbek borders. The book examines how she leveraged her father's authoritarian rule to gain control over lucrative sectors such as telecommunications, media and natural resources, which included her demanding massive amounts in bribes from international companies seeking to operate in Uzbekistan.
In Kyrgyzstan, corruption has been running rampant with various political elites having exploited their positions to maintain a grip of power and accumulate wealth. The book discusses a recurring pattern of rigged elections in the country, where the elite manipulate the electoral process to ensure their continued dominance.
In regards to Tajikistan, the book dives into Tajik Aluminum Company, also known as TALCO, a corrupt state-owned aluminum company which plays a major role in Tajikistan's economy and has been used as a tool for political control by utilizing offshore entities. The book showcases how the Tajik elite has leveraged their positions to exploit valuable resources, maintain their grip on power and enrich themselves.
The book is backed by meticulous research and extensive analysis - instead of speculation and rumors, the book primarily uses court cases from sources with recognized rule of law traditions. While not presenting the complete picture, Dictators Without Borders paints a comprehensive picture of how dictators in Central Asia have successfully wielded power and amassed fortunes in the twenty-first century.
An excellent example of this regarding Turkmenistan revolves around how the country is involved in a web of multinational corporations, global energy markets and the authoritatian regime's gas exports. The former President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow sought to diversify its gas export routes and reduce its dependence on Russia. An example of this is the Trans-Caspian Pipeline project - a proposed subsea pipeline from Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan, and farther to Turkey. The Turkmen elite hold offshore accounts with the aide of german companies such as Deutsche Bank, Mercedez and Siemens, using the accounts personal wealth and political purposes
When dealing with authoritatian regime like Turkmenistan, international energy companies face many challenges when seeking to invest in Turkmenistan's energy sector, including issues of corruption, lack of transparency, and political risks associated with the regime.
In relation to Uzbekistan, the book highlights the case of Gulnara Karimova, the eldest daughter of Uzbekistan's former dictator, Islam Karimov. Gulnara Karimova exploited her father's position to amass vast amounts of wealth and extend her influence across the Uzbek borders. The book examines how she leveraged her father's authoritarian rule to gain control over lucrative sectors such as telecommunications, media and natural resources, which included her demanding massive amounts in bribes from international companies seeking to operate in Uzbekistan.
In Kyrgyzstan, corruption has been running rampant with various political elites having exploited their positions to maintain a grip of power and accumulate wealth. The book discusses a recurring pattern of rigged elections in the country, where the elite manipulate the electoral process to ensure their continued dominance.
In regards to Tajikistan, the book dives into Tajik Aluminum Company, also known as TALCO, a corrupt state-owned aluminum company which plays a major role in Tajikistan's economy and has been used as a tool for political control by utilizing offshore entities. The book showcases how the Tajik elite has leveraged their positions to exploit valuable resources, maintain their grip on power and enrich themselves.
The book is backed by meticulous research and extensive analysis - instead of speculation and rumors, the book primarily uses court cases from sources with recognized rule of law traditions. While not presenting the complete picture, Dictators Without Borders paints a comprehensive picture of how dictators in Central Asia have successfully wielded power and amassed fortunes in the twenty-first century.
September 13, 2019
Compare it to say, "Why Nations Fail" by Daron Acemoğlu and it's fucking phenominal.
Compare it to, off the top of my head, "American Exceptionalism and American Innocence" by Sirvent and Haiphong, and it fairs less well.
Tho, I do respect the urge not to go beyond one's facts -- this does not mean restricting the scope of those facts. The book needed to be at least twice as long, because the one side of the story it tells just doesn't work without the other half. You could frankly translate my complaint to "You can't write this book without being overtly anti-American/Imperial, and you should be!". That'd be the least charitable interpretation, but it's not actually wrong.
Compare it to, off the top of my head, "American Exceptionalism and American Innocence" by Sirvent and Haiphong, and it fairs less well.
Tho, I do respect the urge not to go beyond one's facts -- this does not mean restricting the scope of those facts. The book needed to be at least twice as long, because the one side of the story it tells just doesn't work without the other half. You could frankly translate my complaint to "You can't write this book without being overtly anti-American/Imperial, and you should be!". That'd be the least charitable interpretation, but it's not actually wrong.
February 19, 2024
The concept was intriguing: unpacking the links between dictators and their cronies in Central Asia and Western financial institutions, lawyers, and real-estate companies. Unfortunately, it read like a somewhat boring 300-page research paper. I found it hard to digest beyond “there’s a lot of corruption and the West is complicit.”
The most interesting part was reading their take on the US and China’s motivation for involvement in the region (written in 2016) and then seeing how that has played out in recent years through the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the China-Central Asia Summit this summer.
The most interesting part was reading their take on the US and China’s motivation for involvement in the region (written in 2016) and then seeing how that has played out in recent years through the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the China-Central Asia Summit this summer.
August 20, 2021
Un adiobook extrem de interesant pentru cei curiosi de mersul lucrurilor in fostele tari sovietice ale Asiei Centrale. Parca as fi ascultat o teorie a conspiratiei, de data aceasta cu afirmatii valide, verificate. Tari conduse de autocrati, care strang averi pe care apoi le curata, si cu ajutorul bancilor internationale nescrupuloase, germane, austriece , elvetiene ii inmultesc, totdata fiind aparati de legile internaționale, in conditiile in care populatia generala se afla la limita subzistentei.
June 2, 2017
Interesting topic about a region that gets very little attention. For folks who know more about the region this book may seem lite on new material; however, as someone with little knowledge about Central Asian politics and economic linkages with the world, this is a good book as introduction.
To give the professor and author credit, the topic of choice: hidden globalization through autocratic ranks is eye opening.
To give the professor and author credit, the topic of choice: hidden globalization through autocratic ranks is eye opening.
July 29, 2017
I was looking forward to this. The first chapters lay out the author's explanation of how Central Asian leaders operate - it is quite interesting, but I had had enough of the topic, which is hardly uplifting (since western governments and banks etc are part of how it continues) and returned it to the public library rather than read the more detailed chapters describing examples in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and so on.
January 4, 2019
Listened to this as an audiobook. Good and worthwhile material but found it more academic than I would have liked; would have preferred something more journalistic. Not recommended in audiobook format because authors would be Olympic champions of a run-on sentence competition. Semi-pointless policy prescriptions at the end betray academic orientation and seem to me to somewhat miss the bullseye of the truly deep structure of global corruption.
March 21, 2020
Very dense, but incredibly interesting. To see the extent to which the world is globalised even in those landlocked regions of the world that we consider far and isolated - they are far more interlinked and implicated in global financial trends that we'd like to imagine, and more. The complicity of western countries and institutions in these endeavour is clear and condemnable, starting from the Italian DIGOS allowing, unsurprisingly, to let Berlusconi do a friend a favour.
December 14, 2023
Yoooo illuminating, esp re: region that is rlly overlooked but is mayybbee get more traction cause of russia/ukraine wars. Fascinating following dictators' money and complicity of western banks/companies/loopholes that make possible transnational corruption. Reminded me abit of reading Asian Godfathers, on east asian tycoons -- details of financial bits were hard for me to follow tho, cause my brain doesn't role this way as much.
August 27, 2025
As I am nearing my second visit to the region, I was looking for something more.. contemporaneous to better understand the places I will be going to. Most books are about ancient history, the Silk Road and touristy fluff. But as this book shows, there is a darker side to the region, a darker side supported unwittingly (or not) by Western institutions and interests. Quite a dense book, but definitely worth checking out.
December 17, 2017
Dreadfully boring an depressing topic. Authors achieve a miracle by keeping me reading. Incredibly restrained - if I cared about any of this my blood would boil every other sentence and I wouldn't be able to finish a paragraph.
March 17, 2019
Only read half the book. The book at what it is: the study of the corruption of the dictators of central Asia and the networks to channel these funds to "the West". It's not what I came for (geopolitics) but that's my fault.
September 19, 2024
An investigative look at corruption in Central Asia and its global reach. The book is lacking for Central Asian voices, otherwise a good read with a strong conclusion that policy makers should reflect on.
May 13, 2025
Need a background in finance to understand most of this. Too many things glossed over. E.g. an explanation on how shell companies work would've helped a lot.
Just not what I was expecting. Not much history.
Just not what I was expecting. Not much history.
April 17, 2019
Well researched, written in a clear and comprehensible way.
It is unbelievable that such things - as described in the book- happen today and are given consent or even support from Western countries.
It is unbelievable that such things - as described in the book- happen today and are given consent or even support from Western countries.
April 18, 2019
Incredibly informative and important book about how global authoritarianism works today and the threat it poses.
July 8, 2019
Interesting book on autocrats in Central Asia and examples of those who have committed financial crimes to benefit only themselves. The last two chapters felt a little long.
April 29, 2020
Interesting read!!! Dictators are ofter evils!!
December 17, 2020
Some good insights into the Corruption, Nepotism and Central Asian autocratic Regimes.
April 1, 2022
Good book, a bit dry at times when talking about the details of central Asian oil or telecommunications companies. Other then that it's an excellent though scary book.
August 1, 2023
The book was very detailed, almost too much at times. If you're into financial scandals and details, it's for you. It does give a nice overview of the region and each nation's scandals/ history.
August 19, 2023
Too long and repetitive. Should have been a CFR article. Policy recommendations are laughably naive.
July 9, 2024
Solid, comprehensive
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews