Anger as US backs brutal regime

[seemslikeadream]

Human rights concerns as troops put down uprising in Uzbekistan

Nick Paton Walsh in Moscow and Paul Harris in New York
Sunday May 15, 2005
The Observer

Heated criticism was growing last night over 'double standards' by Washington over human rights, democracy and 'freedom' as fresh evidence emerged of just how brutally Uzbekistan, a US ally in the 'war on terror', put down Friday's unrest in the east of the country.
Outrage among human rights groups followed claims by the White House on Friday that appeared designed to justify the violence of the regime of President Islam Karimov, claiming - as Karimov has - that 'terrorist groups' may have been involved in the uprising.

Critics said the US was prepared to support pro-democracy unrest in some states, but condemn it in others where such policies were inconvenient.

Witnesses and analysts familiar with the region said most protesters were complaining about government corruption and poverty, not espousing Islamic extremism.

...

Uzbekistan is believed to be one of the destination countries for the highly secretive 'renditions programme', whereby the CIA ships terrorist suspects to third-party countries where torture is used that cannot be employed in the US. Newspaper reports in America say dozens of suspects have been transferred to Uzbek jails.

The CIA has never officially commented on the programme. But flight logs obtained by the New York Times earlier this month show CIA-linked planes landing in Tashkent with the same serial numbers as jets used to transfer prisoners around the world. The logs show at least seven flights from 2002 to late 2003, originating from destinations in the Middle East and Europe.


more
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,1484251,00.html

[silverweb]

1. Excellent.

It seems that the hypocrisy and double standards of the current U.S. regime that belie their rhetoric are really starting to get out.

Another excellent article from the UK and one that needs to be spread around here at home.

[Bozita]

2. We knew this news was coming ... from the foreign press

Not from our MSM.

[baby_bear]

3. This will get attention elsewhere, even if not here

It will be interesting to see how much play this gets here - it's so important that it probably won't get much - but you can be sure the rest of the world is paying attention. It will be interesting to see what Putin makes of it.

Outrageous; typical for this administration. The domestic media should be all over it.

Thanks for the post, seemslikeadream.

b_b

[0007]

14. Tis not news one would find on CNN, MSNBC or FAUX

and yet we don't understand why the other counties on this planet have a problem with this country and its attitude.

The time is coming sooner rather than latter.

[makhno]

16. Where's the NYT coverage?

The Orange revolution was front page material for weeks. I guess they haven't received the NED marching orders for this one.

[seemslikeadream]

4. Massacre in Uzbekistan

Craig Murray told the IoS that the Government had to take some responsibility for the unfolding events because it had failed to support those trying to oppose the dictatorship of President Islam Karimov. He revealed that he visited Andizhan a year ago and met those trying to build a democratic opposition movement. In a bid to bolster their cause he asked the UK government to fund them. His requests were turned down by the Foreign Office.

"The Americans and British wouldn't do anything to help democracy in Uzbekistan," he said. Uzbekistan provides a base for US forces engaged in anti-terrorism operations in neighbouring Afghanistan.

Mr Murray added: "We didn't provide support for those who were trying to develop democratic opposition, and that includes these people in Andizhan. People are turning to violence because we ... gave them no support."

The former ambassador, who left the Foreign Office earlier this year after accusing the British Government of accepting intelligence gained under torture by Uzbek authorities, had called for the pro-democracy activists to be supported by the West, as elsewhere in the former Soviet Union. His requests to London were turned down.
more
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/story.jsp?story=638532

[hector459]

5. Hard press our MSM as why they are helping to cover this up.

I sent e-mails to CNN, MSNBC, ABC, FOX, CBS, NBC.

[struggle4progress]

6. 'I see troops fire on unarmed protesters'

Galima Bukharbaeva, project director for the Institute of War and Peace Reporting in Uzbekistan, was one of the few journalists to witness the bloody assault in Andijan

Sunday May 15, 2005
The Observer

The assault began at 5.20pm local time. At least nine people were killed in the first volley of gunfire, their fellow demonstrators carrying their blood-covered bodies inside the compound of the Andijan regional government building, which was being held by the protesters. We witnessed the first shootings, but after that we were unable to count the casualties.

The assault by government security forces was not unexpected. The protesters, who had taken control of the local government building, were anticipating that the authorities would use force and had prepared as best they could. Barricades went up, fashioned out of furniture, even safes, dragged out of the government offices. In the compound, men were making Molotov cocktails. <snip>

Then the eight-wheeled armoured personnel carriers, or APCs, appeared out of nowhere. The first column of vehicles thundered past without taking any aggressive action.

But a second column, arriving five minutes later, suddenly opened fire on the crowds, without even slowing down to take aim. <snip>

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,1484507,00.html

[LynnTheDem]

7. America's double standrads and supporting of brutal regimes has been the

US way of life for decades.

And THAT is why "they hate us".

[ozymandius]

8. These pictures got my attention.

Our lovely government officials play footsie with a tyrant who loves to torture political dissidents.






Isn't that Douglas Feith in the background?

[DoYouEverWonder]

12. These guys have never met a brutal dictator

that they couldn't do business with.

[Karenina]

9. Yup.

:kick:

[ckramer]

10. HAHA

USA always backs a brutal regime until it stops backing USA.

'Human rights', 'democracy' and 'freedom' are just for the press.

[norml]

11. CHRONOLOGY-A history of violence in Uzbekistan since 1989

CHRONOLOGY-A history of violence in Uzbekistan since 1989
15 May 2005 11:23:29 GMT

Source: Reuters

ANDIZHAN, Uzbekistan, May 15 (Reuters) - Hundreds of people are feared to have died in the Central Asian state of Uzbekistan when troops cracked down on protesters and rebels in the eastern town of Andizhan.

If casualty figures are confirmed, the Andizhan unrest would be the worst violence in Uzbekistan's post-Soviet history under the rule of autocratic President Islam Karimov.

Following is a chronology of major political events in Uzbekistan since Karimov assumed leadership of the Uzbek Communist Party in 1989:

1989 - Islam Karimov, the orphan son of a Tajik mother and Uzbek father, becomes leader of Uzbek Communist Party.




snip




http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L1543394.htm

[Spazito]

13. Here is an article on that CIA jet, Uzbekistan and torture

It is no surprise the bush cabal's response to the murder of civilians in Uzbekistan is muted, they need Karimov in order to outsource torture.


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

snip

In recent weeks, the practice has become nearly synonymous with the white, 20-seat, private Gulfstream jet, numbered N379P and registered in Massachusetts.

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.

Sightings of the plane -- at refueling stops in Ireland and in Karachi, where it reportedly picked up another suspect -- have been published in newspapers across the globe and on the Internet. Records at the US Army Aeronautical Services Agency show the civil aircraft has a permit to land at US military bases worldwide.

But in Massachusetts, little is known about the jet, apparently even by the lawyer who serves as the public face of the company that owns it.

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

[norml]

15. Uzbekistan lashes out at Straw

Uzbekistan lashes out at Straw
15/05/2005 17:06 - (SA)




Related Articles
300 bodies taken from Andijan

Uzbekistan gripped by unrest

Uzbek people 'living like dirt'




Tashkent - Uzbekistan on Sunday firmly rejected foreign criticism of its troops' bloody suppression of an uprising in the east of the country, denying that the soldiers had opened fire on demonstrators.

Witnesses said hundreds were killed on Friday when soldiers fired on protesters outside the local administration building in the city of Andijan.

The Uzbek foreign ministry issued a statement expressing surprise about critical statements by British foreign secretary Jack Straw, "who, being thousands of kilometres away from Andijan, was so well aware of the details of the clashes in that city."

"From where has Jack Straw learned that law enforcement had 'opened fire on demonstrators' if that did not take place at all,"' the ministry said.




snip




http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_1705362,00.html

[ninkasi]

17. The world now knows

that under Bush's regime, the USA has become brutal itself, and every word they utter is dripping with hypocrisy. We have no business scolding and lecturing to anybody, and the world knows it.

I am so unbearably sad at what has happened in the last 4 1/2 years. I know we were never perfect, but I like to think that sometimes we tried to do good. We don't even go through the bother of pretending anymore.

[norml]

18. Shot down, ‘like rabbits’

Shot down, ‘like rabbits’




Relatives of a victim carry his coffin in Andizhan. (Reuters)

Andizhan (Uzbekistan), May 15 (Reuters): Families of hundreds killed in Uzbekistan when troops opened fire to quell protests buried their dead today as witnesses told of bloody mayhem in which women and children were shot “like rabbits”.

In a single incident in Andizhan on Friday, witnesses said soldiers had fired on a crowd including women and children and their own police comrades who were begging them not to shoot.

Hundreds of bodies lay overnight outside the eastern town’s School No. 15 after the massacre until they were removed in the early hours yesterday, the witnesses, who did not wish to be named, said.

Islam Karimov, autocratic President of the mainly Muslim Central Asian state, said troops were given no order to fire in Andizhan. He blamed the violence on rebels belonging to the outlawed Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir. Hizb ut-Tahrir denied involvement.




snip




http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050516/asp/foreign/story_4745340.asp

[killbotfactory]

19. Freedom through blood, violence, and poverty

It's the BushCo way