http://emperors-clothes.com/cen-asia.htm

The countries in color in the center of the map are the Central Asian Republics, the so-called 'Stans', formerly part of the Soviet Union. The countries in color on the left are the independent states in the Caucasus.  To their North is the Russian Caucasus, where Chechnya is located.

Notice that Central Asia is just south of Asian Russia and just West of China.

To the South of Central Asia are Iran and Afghanistan, both of which now have Muslim extremist governments. The plan to establish an Afghan government ruled by Muslim religious law was worked out at a meeting where the US and Iran worked closely together. That meeting was not reported in the mainstream media. You can read about it on Emperor's Clothes at
http://emperors-clothes.com/news/idlo.htm