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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| A look at the Uzbek Islamists and their goals |
| 2005-05-18 |
| As Uzbek President Islam Karimov attempts to convince the world the violence in the eastern cities of Andijan and Pakhtabad is the work of Islamic fundamentalists, a rebel leader has called for the establishment of an Uzbek Islamic republic. Karimov, Western governments and Russia are all faced with a political outcome they dread. Western diplomats and journalists were granted a "controlled visit" to Andijan Wednesday where more than 700 people might have been killed by government forces in violence that erupted last Friday. By all accounts, the visitors, with a heavy security escort, saw what Uzbek authorities had choreographed in advance. Contact with city residents was forbidden, with the exception of those who repeated the government's version of events. Last Friday, thousands of protesters Andijan, some of them apparently armed, seized control of a prison and freed thousands of inmates, including 23 businessman who were being tried for links to the Islamic group Akramia, which authorities say is connected to the outlawed militant Hizb-ut-Tahrir organization. Angered by the imprisonment and believed political persecutions of 23 businessmen, protestors later took to the streets. Local reports say troops indiscriminately opened fire on civilians, a charge the government denies. It is unclear how many of the prisoners freed were being detained on charges related to Islamic militancy. On Wednesday, rebel leader Bakhtior Rakhimov in the eastern city of Korasuv said the town's 20,000 residents would take charge of local government, adding they were ready to fight any government troops that came to crush the uprising. Authorities have dismissed Rakhimov as a marginal figure. Little is known of Rakhimov other than he is a farmer from a prominent local clan and a person widely respected in Korasuv, located near the border with Kyrgyzstan. He is believed to have many supporters though the exact nature of his group is uncertain other than that it supports the establishment of an Islamic administration based on the Koran. Calls for Islamic rule have often been voiced in Uzbekistan, at times backed by violence. In March 2004, Islamic radicals were blamed for bomb attacks, including one that killed nearly 50 people. Explosions at the U.S. and Israeli embassies in Tashkent killed three people last July. The government says the outlawed Hizb-ut-Tahrir is behind the attacks, but the group, which wants to set up an Islamic republic, says it rejects violence. Karimov, once a Soviet-era communist boss, has headed Uzbekistan as a private autocratic fiefdom since 1991. The West backs him with lavish financial support and training, but critics accuse the international community of turning a blind eye to human rights abuse in Uzbekistan since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. Karimov is a strong U.S. ally in the war on terror. International human rights activists have broadly condemned Karimov's rule and say he has crushed any form of dissent. Uzbek authorities only allow a state-sponsored form of Islam and have, according to most estimates, detained 6,000 political prisoners. Experts say Karimov's style of rule has only encouraged what he dreads most -- the formation of underground Islamic extremism. These groups came into existence in the late 1990s, receiving aid and training from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, the Taliban and al-Qaida. The best-known, homegrown Islamic group is the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, which was almost eliminated in 2001 during the anti-terrorism offensive in Afghanistan. Those who survived are now believed to be based in Pakistan's tribal areas and have, over the past four years, re-established contact with militants in Uzbekistan. There are reports extremists in Uzbekistan, hoping to take advantage of the recent unrest, killed Uzbek soldiers last Sunday on the Kyrgyz border. There is no evidence that those who freed the 23 Muslim businessmen Friday have links to terrorist groups. It is also unclear whether Rakhimov has links to established terrorist organizations. What is clear is that Karimov's rule -- denying even a loyal opposition and imposing state-controlled Islam -- has emboldened radical groups. Western governments and Russia, the leaders in the war against international terrorism, must consider if Karimov and his regime are a disease worse than the cure in this struggle. In a worst-case scenario, one is left to consider if Karimov's rule will be the true inspiration to establish an Islamic Republic of Uzbekistan. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |