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| Central Asia |
| More Fun In The "Stans" |
| 2002-12-23 |
| The fight against international terrorism has taken a bizarre turn in Central Asia. Turkmenistan's President Saparmurat Niyazov was recently at the center of a murky assassination attempt, which led to mass arrests. It may have been a real attempt, it may have been staged Now Niyazov is blaming neighboring Uzbekistan. A squad from Turkmenistan's National Security Ministry forcibly entered the Uzbek Embassy in Asgabat last week, allegedly searching for "assassins granted refuge." Top of the search list was opposition leader Boris Shikhmuradov, whom Turkmen authorities believe was the mastermind behind the assassination attempt. The Uzbek authorities in Tashkent promptly cut the communications and power to the Turkmen embassy as a warning, and moved military units toward the border. The Uzbek media is beating war drums, blaming Turkmen woes on "the dictatorship of a discredited politician, who has deprived the country's citizens of their constitutional rights and hopes for a free life." All true Editorials ominously warn that the Uzbek military is at least three times stronger than Turkmenistan, and that many ethnic Uzbeks living in Turkmenistan's border provinces are badly treated. The question is, is anyone going to do anything if the Uzbek's invade Turkmenistan other than issue a strong letter of regret? |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #4 Anyone know why the Uzbeks, Turkmens, and others living in Afghanistan consider themselves Afghans and seem to have no desire to join the corresponding ethnic 'stan? Too much shared history as part of Afghanistan I guess but still. Realistically it seems that if Afghanitan fragmented along ethnic lines they'd have a better long term chance for peace.The rump of what remains of Afghanistan can become Pashtunstan. |
| Posted by: ruprecht 2002-12-24 09:49:16 |
| #3 The stans are just too difficult to keep track of (American high school students can't keep track of where the US is after all). We should let the Uzbeks take over Turkmenistan, Kyzerkistan and Trashcaninstan.Rename the whole thing Centerasiastan for simplicity sake. |
| Posted by: geography teacher 2002-12-24 09:45:59 |
| #2 If we're smart, we'll maintain a discreet silence. Uzbekistan has been a key supporter of our campaign in Afghanistan from the get-go, while if you give me a week or two, I might possibly be able to think of something Turkmenistan has done for us lately. |
| Posted by: Joe 2002-12-23 14:58:04 |
| #1 I'm working on the wording of my strong statement of regret right this moment... |
| Posted by: Fred 2002-12-23 11:56:47 |