...is neither very muslim nor very influential.
The regime there is a secular dictatorship that barely pays a lip service to Islam. Their leader Islam Karimov, former Secretary of Communist Party, is beyond atheism, much like Saddam Hussein.
They aren't powerful because they are still in the shadow of Russia, and they have to fight muslim uprisings, which they do with habitual communist cruelty.
I am more ashamed of our "friendship" with Uzbekistan than of that with the Saudis.