Afghanistan distrust of US endangers possibility of nearby staging area

American diplomats face an uphill battle to secure support for a staging area in Central Asia as neighboring nations voice concern over U.S. involvement in the region. 

Two decades in the region has seemingly done little to strengthen those ties: Trust of the U.S. as a long-term partner has floundered after an only partly successful war in Afghanistan and fluctuating engagement, former American diplomats said.  "I mean, I personally can see the value of an American base in Central Asia, but I’m not sure the Central Asian states see such value," said John Herbst, who helped secure military access as U.S. ambassador to Uzbekistan in 2001. "We’ve taken a hit through our failures in Afghanistan."  "Is that a mortal hit? Probably not," he added. "But it’s still a very powerful factor."