US hardens stance on Uzbekistan

[MaineDem]

The US says it is "deeply disturbed" by reports that troops in Uzbekistan fired on unarmed civilians during a protest in the east of the country.

It called on the Uzbek government to allow the International Red Cross full access to the part of the country affected by recent protests.

...

US state department spokesman Richard Boucher said that stability in Uzbekistan depended on the government addressing human rights issues and the rule of law.

However, he also condemned violent protesters who had stormed government buildings.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4553167.stm

[merwin]

1. "On a sidenote, Bush mentioned that he found a wonderful new place

to torture... err.. interrogate prisoners"

[bullimiami]

2. o SHUT UP you dirty lying hypocrites.

they dont give a rats ass. its all political posturing again and again and again.

[pie]

3. amazing, isn't it?

the river of evil flows eternal with these bastards

[Spazito]

4. I wonder if they will demand that the Red Cross be in attendence

during the torture of prisoners the bush cabal sent to Uzbekistan via jet using 'extraordinary rendition'?

Terror suspects' torture claims have Mass. link
Secrecy shrouds transfer jet

snip

The Sunday Times of Britain reported two weeks ago that it had obtained a classified flight log of the plane that showed 300 flights from Washington, D.C., to 49 nations, including Libya, Jordan, and Uzbekistan -- three countries where the State Department has reported the use of torture. The story focused on the jet and Premier Executive Transport Services, the Massachusetts-registered company that owns it.

http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2004/11/29/terror_suspects_torture_claims_have_mass_link/

[Az_lefty]

5. Was Uzbekistan part of the coalition in Iraq?

I've lost track as to who the willing and unwilling are.

[DoYouEverWonder]

6. They let us build a base there

for the Afghan invasion. I guess that qualifies them has a coalition partner.

[Career Prole]

16. I think so. Along with Ittibittistan

and Makebelievovakia. :eyes:

[sweettater]

21. So cute!

Ittibittistan :rofl:

Makebelievovakia :rofl: :rofl:

[MountainLaurel]

23. We're rendering "suspects" there

To a country with an unfortunate history of torturing people.

In a somewhat related note, here's a discussion on the WP in which several authors get the word out about this U.S.-friendly regime.:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2005/05/12/DI2005051201048.html

[Tempest]

7. Bush gave $79 million so the military could torture and kill its people

So, far from seeking to isolate his regime, the US government has
tripled its aid to Karimov. Last year, he received $500m (£300m), of
which $79m went to the police and intelligence services, who are
responsible for most of the torture.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/comm­ent/story/0,3604,1072313,00.ht­ml

[daleo]

8. Bush is "boiling mad" at his ally

Really steamed.

[cliss]

9. Like "boiled in oil?"

Or how about "hot under the collar". It's amazing, how Washington claims to be exporting "democracy" and yet all they do is find thugs around the world to be friends with.

[daleo]

14. Yes, the hypocrisy is staggering.

From all accounts this ally of the WOT could have given lessons to the Spanish Inquisition.

[bennywhale]

22. The hypocrisy is just a standard policy since 1945

its sickening how many people have been oppressed, abused, and murdered with the complicity of the US, since the defeat of Tyranny 60 years ago

[MountainLaurel]

24. Exporting detainees as well

According to the New York Times, Uzbekistan is one of the places to which we are rendering prisoners of war.

[ztn]

10. we need the real story behind the healines to see the real causes:

from the guardian (UK):

The former British ambassador to Uzbekistan, Craig Murray, argues that the White House is attempting to characterise those killed in Andijan as terrorists rather than pro-democracy protesters. This allows them to be ignored as US firms to use Uzbekistan as a conduit for valuable oil and gas.

Rafael Behr on the Observer blog accuses the Bush administration of turning a blind eye to Karimov's brutal repression of his own people in order to benefit from Uzbekistan's help in the war on terror. A democratically elected Islamist government might not be so much use, you see.

Nathan at Registan.net has posted and linked extensively on the uprising. He waves away claims that the protests are fuelled by Islamic fundamentalism: "It’s mostly the economy and the country’s fairly secular – two things that can be divined by paying attention to what Uzbeks have to say."

for example: (a peace corps person on the ground)

It would be 'reductionist' to interpret this as a purely religious movement, or a drive for democracy. I maintain that the worsening economic situation for the general population, coupled with increased taxation, systemic corruption, and a host of other factors converge into a force of disobedience that leave no other choice, no other outlet for people who need to find a way to improve their lives, even if it means risking it. There's not much else to lose ...
-------------------------------------------------------------
In other words, it's OIL OIL OIL!! and the Uzbeks are revolting against an opressive regime that is aided and abetted and PAYED by...(guess who?!?!)

how pathetic that we never hear the real stories...

[bemildred]

11. A first person report in the Guardian:

'I don't know why they opened fire. They killed the unarmed citizens of Andijan'

They were Uzbek, as far as I know. These men attacked the prison guards and drove an Ural 130 truck into the gates. They freed everybody in the jail. About 2,000 prisoners escaped. The guards were not ready for the attack - they did not even have bullets in their magazines.

---

They shot all 52 guards, including two women operating the telephone system. One guard survived by hiding in a watchtower.

The mob then left the jail and went to the military base in the town. There was a shootout and they took over the arsenal where there are 150 AK47s, and 300 RGD-5 grenades.

---

About 350 civilians had also gathered near the college near the square. They were mostly women and children aged 10-16. The spetsnaz took aim and fired at them, the armoured vehicles shooting at everyone who was there. Maybe they had orders to chase the militants, but I don't know why they opened fire. They killed the unarmed citizens of Andijan. The scariest thing was that if someone was lying down in the road shot in the arm or leg, the soldiers would make shots to their head.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1484703,00.html

[ztn]

13. amazing what you find when get outside the MSM, huh???!!!

I always get more when I put "oil" in a news search about a certain event. The same thing is happening in Ecuador.

See my post: (from today)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=3665283&mesg_id=3665283

[bemildred]

15. The Palast piece was excellent, clarified the issues.

I didn't have a good picture of Palacio before.

I never bother with Miami.com, they just make shit up,
it's like talking to a guy who spent the afternoon taking
bong hits.

[ztn]

12. when you hear shit like this, Google (the country) and oil

and you instantly see articles that break thru the shallow layer of tainted news and begin to see what's really at work.

[NNN0LHI]

17. U.S. "disturbed" by bloodbath in ally Uzbekistan

http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=143&sid=5786464&cKey=1116276626000

ANDIZHAN, Uzbekistan (Reuters) - Washington said on Monday it was "deeply disturbed" by reports Uzbek authorities fired on protesters last week, a massacre a rights activist said could herald a new wave of repression in the U.S. ally.

Security forces put down the rebellion in Andizhan on Friday, sparked by the trial of 23 Muslim businessmen and blamed by President Islam Karimov on Islamic extremists, in the bloodiest chapter in the country's post-Soviet history.

"We are deeply disturbed by the reports that the Uzbek authorities fired on demonstrators," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher told reporters. "We certainly condemn the indiscriminate use of force against unarmed civilians and deeply regret any loss of life.

The comments were the strongest from the United States since the bloodbath, when troops killed 500 protesters according to some witnesses and activists.

[LynnTheDem]

18. "Deeply distrubed...but we won't do a damn thing about it because

the brutal dictator thug who likes to boil people to death is our friend."

[Hobarticus]

19. State Dept.'s deeply disturbed, all right...

WT? Wasn't Chimpy just in the neighborhood?

[fedsron2us]

20. US "still trying to understand what happened" in Andijan

according to Condoleeza Rice

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/uzbekistan

I think the word you are looking for Condoleeza is 'Massacre'.