About The Bug Pit In 1839, Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Stoddart
of the British Army went to Bukhara, in what is now Uzbekistan,
to convince its emir to ally with Britain against Russia in that
strategic borderland between the two empires. The emir instead
threw Stoddart into a dungeon known as "The Bug Pit," a dank
manure- and vermin-filled hole. When another officer, Captain
Arthur Conolly, went to win Stoddart's release, he, too, was
thrown into the Bug Pit. In 1842, both men were beheaded before
a cheering crowd. Today, foreign militaries are again trying to
create alliances and gain influence in Eurasia, building
airbases and selling weapons, while conflict threatens to spill
over from Afghanistan and to reignite in the Caucasus. And while
the perils are not as baroque as in the 19th century, military
affairs in Eurasia remain tempting, risky and eventful. The Bug
Pit will cover it all. About The Author Joshua Kucera covers
Washington, D.C. for EurasiaNet We would like to hear your
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