This thesis analyzes the U.S. foreign policy in Central Asia from 1991 until 2003. The U.S. has been involved in the process of democratization and economic reforms in the Central Asian countries since the collapse of the Soviet Union. However, prior to September 11, 2001 events, the U.S. policies toward the five newly independent states, had not been as assertive as in the aftermath of the tragic events. The thesis will argue that the U.S. foreign policy toward Central Asia has steadily developed over time due to geopolitical and geo-economic factors. The U.S. policy culminated in the new strategic cooperation between the U.S. and the Central Asian states on the issue of terrorism. The thesis will demonstrate how the U.S. moved away from being almost a benign observer in the mid-1990s, to an assertive state interested in exercising its influence in the region after 2000.