Alexander Cooley (Claire Tow Professor of Political Science, Barnard College), drawing on research for his book Dictators without Borders, is quoted by Todd Prince for his  piece on Kazakhstan targeting Nazarbayev’s wealth and the dilemma faced by the U.S.

“If Toqaev dumps a whole file of the [Nazarbaev] family’s holdings and dealings, does the U.S. government move forward, knowing that they are involving themselves in a domestic power struggle?” Alexander Cooley, the former director of Columbia University’s Harriman Institute and an expert on Central Asia, told RFE/RL.

“It points to some of the strategic difficulties, ethical dilemmas, and trade-offs that have to be made when you elevate anti-corruption to the highest levels of national security and foreign policy,” said Cooley, who authored a book focusing on corruption in Central Asia.