The Uzbek President has been a key US ally

When the news came through that General Dostam was in Mazar-e-Sharif it was followed quickly by word that Alliance forces had taken Hairaton on the river Amu.

Hairaton is important, because it lies just a few minutes' drive from Uzbekistan, across a bridge from the city of Termez.

Border concerns

Uzbekistan once poured aid of various kinds through Hairaton to General Dostam, in the hope of maintaining a friendly buffer zone to keep its frontier safe - always a key factor in Uzbek policy.

The fact that Russia also played a role was masked to an extent by the openness of the Uzbek contribution, from wheat to electricity, to - according to General Dostam's people - guns and aircraft.

It was even possible to watch Uzbek television in parts of Mazar-e-Sharif.

General Dostam has close contacts with Tashkent

When General Dostam fell from power in 1997 and fled Afghanistan, Tashkent shut the bridge behind him. Now General Dostam is strong again, many people believe that Uzbekistan will naturally take up its former role, if that has not happened already.

Yet it would be rash to make assumptions. President Islam Karimov has played a subtle political role since the 11 September.

He has gone further than any other central Asian leader in offering support for the United States. But he says, there are provisos.

He says he wants guarantees for instance, from the United Nations, that Uzbek borders will be protected should the need arise.

And the Russians for the moment seem to be focusing on other parts of the Alliance.

For the time being at least the bridge and the border remain closed, at least as far as the public eye can see.