OSCE Trains Domestic Observers For December Elections In Uzbekistan
Uzbek Report
Tashkent, August 13: As the parliamentary elections date in Uzbekistan draws closer, the OSCE Centre in Tashkent will launch its last training session for domestic election observers on Monday, 16 August. Since February 2004, the OSCE Centre and the non-governmental organisation (NGO) Renaissance trained 90 representatives of civil society and the media to become domestic election observers. The courses, conducted in the regions of Nukus, Namangan and Samarkand, focused on domestic election legislation and OSCE election standards. High-ranking representatives of the Central Election Commission, local trainers and lawyers completed the training programmes. In order to empower domestic election observers with practical monitoring skills, the OSCE Centre has invited an international expert from the London-based Electoral Reform International Services (ERIS).
Construction Of Senate Building To Be Completed By November
Uzbek Report
Tashkent, August 13: Construction of administrative building of the Senate - upper chamber of Oliy Majlis (parliament) of Uzbekistan is under way at Mustakillik square in Tashkent. Constitutional Court of the Republic of Uzbekistan will be dislocated in the same building, UzA reported. The building is being constructed by Yagona Buyurtmachi Hizmati Injiniring (Single contractor service engineering), general contractors - Stroytrest-12 and Stroytrest-19 joint-stock companies. It is expected that construction work at the object will be finished by November 2004.
Turkmenistan Sets In Motion Media Reforms
News Central Asia
Ashgabat, August 12: Turkmenistan decided Thursday to break up the ministry of culture and information and create two entities out of its components. The newly created ministry of culture and broadcasting will look after cultural activities and electronic media while the print media has been clustered into the freshly minted state press and printing service of Turkmenistan. This is the second major reshuffling of culture and information structures within the last twelve months. Ms. Maral Biyashimova, former governor of Abadan district, is the new head of the ministry of culture and broadcasting. No announcement was made about the new head of the new print media assemblage. National state press and printing services of Turkmenistan and the ministry of culture and broadcasting would draft their own rules of business with the help of the ministry of Adalat (Justice) of Turkmenistan. The draft rules should be submitted for consideration to the cabinet of ministers within two weeks. The state press and printing service would include all the public sector publishing institutions, publishing houses, newspapers, magazines, journals and other print media of Turkmenistan. All other media structures including the national radio and TV would remain under the ministry of culture and broadcasting.
Kyrgyzstan Unrest
The Moscow Times
Almaty, August 12: Kyrgyzstan could face serious unrest if President Askar Akayev attempts to remain in power by subverting next year`s elections, an international think tank said. `If Akayev tries to retain power, either directly or indirectly, in fraudulent elections, 2005 will mark the end of Central Asia`s democratic experiments,` Robert Templer, the International Crisis Group`s Asia Program director, said late Wednesday
Largest Mosque Of Central Asia To Open 6 Oct 04 In Turkmenistan
Kabar Agency
Ashgabat, August 12: The largest mosque of Central Asia that is under construction in Kipchak village near Ashgabat, would open for services on 6 October 2004. This would coincide with the Remembrance Day for the victims of 1948 earthquake that claimed about 200000 lives in Turkmenistan. The US $ 1000 million mosque project is in its final stages now. Last Monday the helicopters of Turkmen Civil Aviation placed domes on all the four minarets of the mosque. The domes in golden colour, are topped by crescents. Helicopters have already installed the central dome a few weeks ago. The 3-storey building of the main mosque is approximately 100 meters in length and 100 meters in breadth. Interior furnishing and fixtures have mostly been imported from Italy and Spain. Height of the building from the ground level to the central dome is 55 meters. The minarets are 91 meters high each.
New Turkmen Interior Minister Appointed
Interfax
Ashgabat, August 12: Maj. Gen. Geldymukhammed Ashirmukhammedov has been appointed Turkmen interior minister, the presidential administration told Interfax on Thursday. Ashirmukhammedov replaced Ashir Atayev, who was relieved of his duties for health reasons, the administration said. Born in 1957, Ashirmukhammedov was most recently deputy interior minister. He has also served in the Defense Ministry and the presidential security service.
Turkmen Leader Scolds Presenters On Makeup
Associated Press
Ashgabat, August 12: Turkmenistan`s authoritarian leader has scolded national television presenters for wearing too much makeup and told them to look natural. `Female presenters wear too much whitening powder. Sometimes, male presenters do the same. This cannot be allowed,` President Saparmurat Niyazov told a meeting with media and art representatives, which took place Wednesday and was televised Thursday. `Turkmens have a complexion of the color of wheat. Presenters should look natural,` he said.
OSCE Sets Up Election Observer Mission In Kazakhstan
Radio Free Europe
Astana, August 11: The OSCE announced in an 11 August press release that it has set up an election observer mission to monitor 19 September parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan. OSCE Ambassador Robert L. Barry of the United States will head the mission, which includes a 12-member team based in Astana and Almaty, as well as 16 long-term international observers throughout the country. Four-hundred short-term observers have been requested for election-day monitoring. Observers `will assess the election process against international standards agreed to by all OSCE participating states, as well as against national legislation.` The mission will issue preliminary findings the day after the elections, and a comprehensive report one month after the election process is complete.
Turkmen Leader Orders Ice Palace
BBC
Ashgabat, August 11: President Niyazov of Turkmenistan has ordered the construction of a palace made of ice in the heart of his desert country, one of the hottest on earth. It is the latest in a series of colossal building projects instigated by the all-powerful president that seem to defy the country`s environment. `Let us build a palace of ice,` said President Niyazov, `big and grand enough for 1,000 people.` The palace will stand in the mountains just outside the capital, Ashgabat. President Niyazov made the announcement in a speech broadcast on Turkmen television, which in effect made it a presidential order. Environmental challenge The idea is to build the palace in the Copa Deg Mountains outside Ashgabat, now baking in the summer heat, with a long cable-car running up from the city. `Our children can learn to ski,` Mr Niyazov enthused, `we can build cafes there, and restaurants.`
Democratic Choice Says Kazakh Party Leader Moved To Colony
Radio Free Europe
Astana, August 10: A spokesman for the opposition party Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan (DVK) announced at a 10 August news conference in Almaty that imprisoned party leader Ghalymzhan Zhaqiyanov is being transferred from prison to a `settlement colony,` `Kazakhstan Today` reported. (The `settlement colony` is a form of internal exile under house arrest that Kazakhstan inherited from the Soviet legal system.) Gulzhan Ergalieva told journalists that Zhaqiyanov became eligible for an improvement in the conditions of his incarceration after 2 August, when he passed the one-third mark in his seven-year prison term for abuse of office, a sentence his supporters describe as politically motivated. Interfax-Kazakhstan reported, however, that it was unable to confirm the information about Zhaqiyanov`s transfer with official sources.
Kazakh Leader Freed
The Moscow Times
Almaty, August 10: A Kazakh opposition leader jailed on corruption charges that his party claims were politically motivated will be released on probation, a court ruled Tuesday. Galymzhan Zhakiyanov, leader of the Democratic Choice party, was told by the court in the town of Kushmurun that he can serve the remainder of his seven-year jail term at home, said another party leader, Gulzhan Yergaliyeva.
Kazakh Commission Parliamentary Election Update
Radio Free Europe
Astana, August 10: Kazakhstan`s Central Electoral Commission announced in a 10 August press release that as of 9 August it has registered 308 of the 670 candidates who have submitted documents to run in single-mandate constituencies in the 19 September parliamentary elections, Interfax-Kazakhstan reported. The lower chamber of parliament has 77 deputies, 67 of whom are elected from single-mandate constituencies and 10 from party lists. According to the commission, the pro-presidential Otan party is the best-represented, with 64 candidates.
Preliminary Schedule Set For Kyrgyz Elections
Radio Free Europe
Bishkek, August 10: Kyrgyzstan`s Central Electoral Commission has presented a preliminary schedule for upcoming elections, akipress.org reported on 10 August. Elections to local assemblies from the village to the city level will take place on 10 October 2004; to the Legislative Assembly, or lower chamber of parliament, on 27 February 2005; and to oblast and regional assemblies on 27 February 2005. Indirect elections of heads of local self-government will take place on 3 July 2005. The presidential election is scheduled for 30 October 2005. Finally, direct elections for local leaders from the village to the city level will take place on 18 December 2005.
National Democratic Party Of Uzbekistan Holds Conference
Uzbek Report
Tashkent, August 9: Tashkent city organisation of National Democratic Party of Uzbekistan (NDPU) held its third conference on 6 August. It discussed issues of further liberalisation of public and political life, ensuring sustainable functioning of market structures, strengthening of social protection of the population, which will be priorities in the party`s election platform. According to first secretary of NDPU`s city council Latif Gulyamov, one of the most important issues is increasing public awareness of citizens and their attraction to election process. To this end, it is necessary to put into practice the stepwise explanation of programme targets of NDPU with comments of specialists. Only correct answers and clear explanation of tasks should promote further strengthening of the party`s power during the forthcoming election campaign, he said.
Nomination Of Candidates For Majilis Ends In Kazakhstan
Kabar Agency
Astana, August 9: The nomination of candidates for Majilis, the lower house of parliament has ended in Kazakhstan, a source in the republic`s central election commission told Itar-Tass on Tuesday. The election in Majilis will be held on September 19. The nomination of candidates began on July 18 and ended on August 9. The registration of candidates will be held till August 18. The Kazakh parliament consists of two chambers --- Majilis and Senate. There are 77 deputies in Majilis, and their term of office will expire next autumn. Sixty-seven deputies will be elected in one-mandate constituencies. Another ten mandates are given to political parties. Meanwhile, parties can also nominate their candidates in one-mandate constituencies. According to the central election commission, 556 people are nominated for deputies of Majilis. On average more than eight people will run for each mandate in the republic, 307 candidates are self-nominees. The greatest number of nominees in one-mandate constituencies is from the presidential party Otan. Sixty-four people are running in the election from the party. Nursultan Nazarbayev initiated the creation of the party and is its chairman.
Parliamentary Elections In Kazakhstan - Guidelines For Foreign Observers
Kabar Agency
Astana, August 8: Government of Kazakhstan has distributed guidelines for the representatives of foreign governments, international organizations and mass media members who would like to observe the parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan scheduled for 19 September 2004. The guidelines, distributed through the embassy of Kazakhstan in Turkmenistan, advise that the interested parties should apply for accreditation with the election of commission of Kazakhstan through the foreign ministry of Kazakhstan by 12 September 2004. Election commission of Kazakhstan has announced that the observers would be under the protection of the government of Kazakhstan during their stay in the country. Volunteer groups in Almaty, Astana and in the regional polling centers would be available to offer assistance to the observers. Accreditation documents would be valid up to the day of official announcement of the results for election to the Kazakh parliament. Observers or their sponsor organizations would meet the expenses of stay and travel etc. from their own resources. According to the recommendations of the OSCE and election commission of Kazakhstan, accredited observers and members of the mass media would be allowed to perform their duties without discrimination, meet the representatives of the political parties and the general public in a random-sample method and have unobstructed access to polling stations. The observers and the mass media would be expected to adhere to a code of conduct developed by the OSCE.
Kazakh Parliamentary Election Opposition Bloc Registered
Interfax
Astana, August 7: Kazakhstan`s Central Election Commission has registered an election opposition bloc formed by the Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan and the Communist Party, Commission Deputy Chairman Vladimir Foos told reporters on Saturday. The bloc, called the Opposition Popular Union of the Communists and the Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan, will take part in a September 19 election for Mazhilis, the lower house of parliament. The Communist Party is headed by Mazhilis member Serikbolsyn Abdildin.
Georgian Negotiators Agree To Ceasefire
Associated Press
Tbilisi, August 13: Negotiators agreed to a cease-fire Friday after three straight nights of gun and mortar fire in breakaway Georgian region of South Ossetia, a Georgian official said. Meanwhile, Georgia`s parliament called Friday for suspending the mandate of Russian peacekeepers in the region, accusing Russia of taking sides as tensions have threatened to erupt into open conflict. Lawmakers want Western peacekeepers to replace the Russians. South Ossetia won independence from Georgia in a war that killed hundreds in the early 1990s. The separatist region is now hoping to join Russia, while Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili has vowed to peacefully restore his government`s control over the region.
The Day Of Russian Air Forces Is Celebrating In Russian Airbase In Kant Town
Kabar Agency
Bishkek, August 12: The Russian airbase in Kant town is celebrating the Day of Air Forces of Russia. Foreign Affirs Minister of Kyrgyzstan Askar Aitmatov, Russian Ambassador in Kyrgyzstan Evgeniy Shmagin and other came to congratulate the military pilots. `The airbase in Kant became the symbol of not only military cooperation between the Russian Federation and Kyrgyzstan, but the symbol of political cooperation. The brotherhood on mode of life, on common cultural wealth connect us, E. Shmagin said. Collective rapid-deployment forces took part in the `Rubej-2004` exercises of the CSTO states-members, in the course of which the Russian pilots demonstrated professionalism and military skills. E. Shmagin told that the military pilots demonstrated accuracy of the decision taken by the Russian leadership on deployment of the airbase in boundaries of Central Asian region. Askar Aitmatov informed the attendants that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan take under its patronage the Kant airbase.
Azerbaijan Signs Military Cooperation Accord With Britain
Radio Free Europe
Baku, August 12: Azerbaijani Defense Minister Safar Abiev signed a memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation with the United Kingdom on 12 August, Turan reported. The accord, formalizing cooperation between the two countries` Defense ministries, was signed after Abiev met in Baku with British Ambassador to Azerbaijan Laurie Bristow and British Military Attache Christopher Nan. The agreement is also related to the expansion of Azerbaijani ties with the NATO Partnership for Peace program.
Kyrgyzstan Offers To Be Russia`s Central Asia Mainstay
Interfax
Bishkek, August 12: Kyrgyzstan may become the Russian military and political mainstay in Central Asia, the country`s Foreign Minister Askar Aitmatov said on Thursday. `Russia remains a true friend and the principal strategic partner of Kyrgyzstan. Long-term relations with the Russian Federation are the priority of our foreign policy,` Aitmatov said in a speech at the Russian air base in Kant during a celebration of Russian Air Force Day. `Bishkek and Moscow share the same foreign policy positions, which are aimed at more rapid integration processes within the framework of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, and the Eurasian Economic Community,` he said. `At this stage, all aspects of Kyrgyz-Russian relations are developing dynamically, evidence of which are successes in the trade, economic, military, political, cultural, and humanitarian fields. However, there still is a potential that must not fail to be used,` he said. `The opening of the Russian air base in October last year became an indication that Russian-Kyrgyz relations are relations between allies,` he said. `This event demonstrated the determination of our states to pool their efforts against common threats within the framework of the Collective Security Treaty Organization. Bishkek has always regarded this organization as the basis for security in the Central Asian region,` the minister said.
Three Killed In Shooting In Georgian-Ossetian Conflict Zone
Interfax
Tbilisi, August 12: Three people were killed and several wounded as Georgian villages in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone were fired upon from firearms last night, Tbilisi-based Rustavi-2 television reported on Thursday. Chairman of the South Ossetian Information and Press Committee Irina Gagloyeva, however, told Interfax on the phone that Tskhinvali and the Ossetian villages of Sarabuki and Dmenisi were heavily shelled all the previous night, especially after 5:00 a.m. `According to preliminary reports, at least 11 people were wounded. These are mainly civilians,` Gagloyeva said.
Ivanov Calls For Revival Of Military Ties With Georgia
Interfax
Moscow, August 11: Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov hopes for a revival of military cooperation between his country and Georgia. `I hope that military cooperation between the defense ministries of Russia and Georgia will be revived,` Ivanov said at a meeting with his Georgian counterpart Giorgi Baramidze in Moscow on Tuesday. `I hope that our meetings will result in specific steps aimed at reviving relations between our defense ministries and resuming our military cooperation,` he said.
Clashes Intensify In Georgian Region
Associated Press
Tbilisi, August 11: Georgian forces and South Ossetian separatists exchanged intense gun and mortar fire in the breakaway region, and officials said Wednesday that at least eight people were injured. The exchange of gunfire overnight Tuesday, which South Ossetian officials called especially fierce, came as Georgia`s defense minister was wrapping up three days of talks in Moscow intended to defuse tensions over South Ossetia and another Georgian rebel region, Abkhazia. Advertisement Gigi Ugulava, Georgia`s deputy security minister, accused Russian peacekeepers deployed as a buffer in South Ossetia of joining in the fighting. A Russian official, Col.-Gen. Yuri Baluyevsky, angrily dismissed the allegations.
Georgia Getting Ready For Major War
Pravda
Moscow, August 11: At night of August 11, three battalions of Georgian peacekeeping forces were on alert because of the constant exchanges of fire near the villages of Tamarasheni, Vanati and Prici in the area of conflict between Georgians and Ossetians. There was firing not only from small arms, but also from mortars, the peacekeepers` Command reported. The peacekeepers` request to cease fire was ignored. Meanwhile, Georgia stated that on Wednesday night Georgian villages of Eredvi and Tamarasheni were fired from small arms. There were no victims of the fire, but Georgian policemen had to fire back. In turn, the authorities of South Ossetia claim that the 2 citizens of this unrecognized republic were wounded by fire, and village Sarabuk was destroyed. According to Chairman of the Committee on Information and Press Irina Gagloeva, `Georgians started firing all over the territory of South Ossetia, South Ossetian towns and villages underwent massive fire`. The overall situation in the Caucasus region, and the situation in South Ossetia in particular, results from the US plans to pursue US hegemony. This plan was made public (either extreme cynicism or result of realizing the US domination), it is called `Project for New American Century`.
Georgian Troops Shelling Northern Tskhinvali
Itar-Tass
Moscow, August 10: The overnight shootout between the Georgian and South Ossetian armed formations illegally staying in the conflict zone was stopped only at 07:35, Moscow time (04:35 GMT) on Wednesday. The headquarters of the Joint Peacekeeping Force in South Ossetia told Itar-Tass, `The Georgian side fired from the villages of Tomarasheni, Vanati and Prifi using artillery, mortars and machine guns.` `South Ossetian armed groups responded with fire from automatic weapons,` the peacekeepers HQ said. During the overnight shootout, `The Georgian side five times shelled the positions of Russian peacekeepers deployed around Tskhinvali,` the peacekeepers HQ spokesman said. `The shootout between the Georgian and South Ossetian armed groups was stopped only by combined efforts of the Joint Peacekeeping Force command and the leadership of the South Ossetian Defence ministry,` the official said. According to him, `there have been neither casualties among Russian peacekeepers nor information about casualties among the conflicting sides` troops.`
NATO To Open Offices In Caucasus And Central Asia
Baku Today
Baku, August 10: Soon NATO will open Offices in Caucasus and Central Asia, Azadinform reported on Tuesday. NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer expressed his positive attitude on the issue. `Relations between the NATO and counterpart countries develops according to their individual interests and wishes,` said Scheffer. `Only they are responsible to decide the development level of the cooperation with the NATO.` The existence of NATO in Caucasus and Central Asia is very important, because of the NATO activities in Afganistan, said Scheffer. He also expressed his satisfaction on the current improvement of relations between the NATO and Georgia.
Russian, Georgian Defense Ministers Hope For Military Cooperation
Itar-Tass
Moscow, August 10: Russian defense minister Sergei Ivanov on Tuesday expressed the hope for the resumption of full-scale cooperation with Georgia in the military and military-technical fields. `I hope that we shall succeed in taking steps aimed at the revival of relations between the military departments, which are now close to zero,` Minister Ivanov said in the course of his meeting with Georgian defense minister Georgy Baramidze. The Russian minister noted that the two countries have already taken steps in this direction since the beginning of this year. However, they have failed so far to `do anything specific and to build a clear-cut system of inter-relations between the Russian and Georgian military.` He said, `No titanic efforts are needed for the purpose, it is enough to agree and do.` Sergei Ivanov noted that Georgy Baramidze`s meeting with Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Yuri Baluyevsky scheduled for Wednesday will provide an additional opportunity for the development of contacts of the military.
President Of Tajikistan Meets With Russian Division Commander
RIA Novosti
Dushanbe, August 9: Tajik President Emomali Rakhmonov met Monday with Colonel Sergei Yudin, Commander of Russia`s 201st Motorized Rifle Division, deployed in Tajikistan, presidential spokesman Abdufattokh Sharipov reports. Rakhmonov and Yudin discussed ways to develop military and military technological cooperation between their countries, including joint exercises and personnel training. The Tajik President said he was satisfied with the present level of interaction, but that he would like to see it expanded further. Yudin, only recently appointed to his current position, told reporters after the meeting that he was certain Russo-Tajik cooperation would keep being consolidated.
Russia Plans To Reinforce Kyrgyz Air Base By Year`s End
Radio Free Europe
Bishkek, August 9: A source at Russia`s Kant air base in Kyrgyzstan told Interfax-AVN on 9 August that Russia plans to reinforce the base to a strength of 650 men and 20 aircraft by the end of 2004. The information confirms a 6 August comment by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, who told reporters, `The Russian leadership has plans to further develop Kant air force base, and President Vladimir Putin has approved them.` The base was opened on 23 October 2003 to support the Collective Security Treaty Organization`s rapid deployment force.
New US Strategy: `lily Pad` Bases
The Christian Science Monitor
Manas Air Base, August 9: US forces are repositioning overseas forces, opting for smaller, transitory bases in places like Kyrgyzstan. With its tall weeds, collapsed and rusted light towers, and an aircraft graveyard that includes Soviet-era wooden biplanes, Manas International Airport lacks the aura of a pioneering US military facility. Yet its generous, 14,000-foot runway is packed with US Air Force KC-135 refueling jets and C-130 transport planes flying multiple daily missions in support of American missions in Afghanistan and beyond. A stone`s throw from the airport, the US Air Force is busy replacing the bare `tent city` it built here in late 2001 with hard-walled structures made out of metal shipping containers - a sign the US military is here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future. `It looks permanent, but it could be unbolted and unwelded if we felt like it,` says Col. Mike Sumida, vice commander of the 376th Air Expeditionary Wing here, underscoring the military`s new expeditionary mentality. Indeed, in many ways, the US air base here models the future posture of the 1.4-million-strong American active-duty forces as they prepare to undertake their biggest global repositioning since the Korean War. Under dramatic changes envisioned by the Pentagon, tens of thousands of US troops will leave sprawling, citylike cold-war bases in Germany and Korea to return home in coming years. Meanwhile, smaller numbers will shift to austere yet strategically located new bases such as Manas, expanding the military`s reach into world trouble spots. A presence near lawless zones At the heart of the strategy is the Pentagon`s desire to take the offense in a post-Sept. 11 world where future threats are unpredictable, although broadly seen as emanating from lawless or less developed regions. The goal, therefore, is the fast, flexible, and efficient projection of force - with `lily pad` bases like Manas playing crucial role as staging points. In fact, the Pentagon`s sweeping Global Posture Review, now under consideration by the Bush administration, is less focused on specific troop deployments than on extending broad military capabilities, US defense officials say. Especially vital is the `forward basing` of air and sea power able to skirt national boundaries and political sensitivities as well as the prepositioning of large, off-shore stocks of tanks, armored vehicles, weapons, and other military equipment that incoming troops can readily draw upon. `We are not focused on maintaining numbers of troops overseas,` said Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Douglas Feith at a recent House hearing. `Instead, we are focused on increasing the capabilities of our forces and those of our friends.` As part of a cold-war posture, the US has traditionally maintained about 100,000 troops including two heavy tank divisions in Western Europe and another 100,000 in Asia, including 37,000 in Korea. As part of the coming troop drawdown, forces in Korea will be consolidated and many repatriated, including a 3,600-strong Army brigade already destined for a tour in Iraq before heading home. Meanwhile, the US will substantially boost the number of ships and warplanes in Asia, defense officials say. Troop numbers in Germany are also likely to drop, while more Spartan bases are under consideration in Poland and new NATO member states such as Bulgaria and Romania. These would range from semipermanent installations such as those in Bosnia to bare-bones sites with little more than a runway, some rudimentary shelters, and possibly electricity, says Gen. James Jones, commander of US European Command. Apart from creating a network of smaller bases closer to projected hotspots, the shift into regions like southern Europe and Central Asia could also ease environmental restrictions on US forces and facilitate training with new allies. Risks also include working with repressive and less-stable regions in countries such as Uzbekistan, although the size and transitory nature of the bases mitigate these risks. Manas a model for future Pentagon officials say the timing of the changes will depend on factors such as troop demands in Iraq, the 2005 round of US domestic base closures, and ongoing talks with potential new host nations.
Uzbekistan: Two More Executions Despite UN Intervention
Amnesty International
Tashkent, August 13: Amnesty International today expressed outrage at the reported execution of two men by the Uzbekistani authorities despite calls for a stay of execution from the United Nations Human Rights Committee. Amnesty International has learnt from unofficial sources that Azizbek Karimov and Yusuf Zhumayev were executed in secret on 10 August. Such executions would contravene the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, under which the UN Committee had requested the stays of execution while considering allegations from the two men that their trials were unfair and that they were tortured and ill-treated in pre-trial detention. `If confirmed, the executions represent yet another example of the flagrant disregard for the rule of law, international obligations and human rights that characterises Uzbekistan`s flawed criminal justice system. Use of the death penalty in a country where torture is systematic and corruption unchecked is particularly irresponsible and unjustifiable,` Amnesty International said.
Georgian PM`s Motorcade Shot At In S. Ossetia, Ossetian Leader Dismisses Report
Interfax
Tbilisi, August 13: Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvaniya has confirmed reports that his motorcade came under fire on a South Ossetian road between the Georgian villages of Kurta and Eredvi. The South Ossetian leadership has dismissed the report as provocation. `Everyone knew I was in the Bolshoi Liakhvy gorge and the shooting was intentional,` Zhvaniya later told reporters in the village of Tkiavi in South Ossetia. South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity described the reports as a provocation. `The village of Eredvi is controlled by Georgian armed forces, in particular a unit of Interior Minister Irakli Okruashvili. No shooting came from the Ossetian side and we regard these reports as a provocation on the pretext of which full-scale hostilities may be launched,` he told Interfax-Military News Agency.
Tajik Prosecutor Denies Shoot-out Report
Radio Free Europe
Dushanbe, August 12: The Prosecutor-General`s Office and Interior Ministry issued a 12 August statement denying reports that two people were killed in a shoot-out during the arrest of former Drug Control Agency head Ghaffor Mirzoev, Tajik TV reported. Asia Plus had reported that at least two people -- one of Mirzoev`s bodyguards and a police officer -- were killed during the 6 August arrest (see `RFE/RL Newsline,` 11 August 2004). Officials described the report as sensationalist and stressed that no one was injured or killed in the course of Mirzoev`s apprehension.
Kyrgyz Secret Service Discover Secret Illegal Immigration Route
RIA Novosti
Bishkek, August 12: Kyrgyzstan`s secret services discovered a route for illegal immigration from Eastern and Southern Asia to Europe through the CIS. 32 Bangladeshis, who illegally stayed in the republic, were detained in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, the press center of the Kyrgyz National Security Service told RIA Novosti. They were detained by the Chuisky National Security Department during a thoroughly planned operation, the press center said. All the foreigners have been identified and they are currently giving statements. According to the preliminary dada, the illegal immigrants arrived in Kyrgyzstan using a Bangladeshi tourism firm. The firm promised them that they would be transported to Europe through Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Moscow. According to the detained, the firm has branches throughout Central Asia, Russia, and Europe. The immigrants were waiting in Bishkek for forged passports so that the could continue their trip. They paid the firm $1,500-2,000 to go to Bishkek and then several times more to be brought to Europe. The immigrants are being kept in the Bishkek interior detention center. T
Uzbekistan Tightens Security In Run Up To Independence Day
Interfax
Tashkent, August 9: The Uzbek Interior Ministry is tightening security in the run up to the September 1 Independence Day that will be officially celebrated on August 31, Deputy Interior Minister Zukhriddin Bobokalonov told Interfax on Monday. Special steps will be taken to prevent smuggling of explosives, weapons and drugs into the country, he said.
Russia To Launch Telecom Satellite For U.S.
Interfax
Baikonur, August 11: Preparations have begun to launch a U.S. telecommunications satellite from a Russian space center in mid-September, a source in the center said on Tuesday. The AMC-15 satellite will be put into space by a Proton/Breeze M launch vehicle from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. `American specialists arrived at the cosmodrome today. They are getting ready to accept the spacecraft, which will be delivered to the cosmodrome late this week,` a source in Russia`s Baikonur Federal Space Center told Interfax.
Special Focus
Uzbek Authorities Mobilise Mass Media To Counter Islamic Radical Threat
Authorities in Uzbekistan are mobilizing mass media to help counter the Islamic radical threat. The Uzbek Defense Ministry is spearheading the government effort to control media content in the aftermath of the late July suicide bombings in Tashkent.
To read more, click on the link: http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/rights/articles/eav080904.shtml
Arrest Of Tajikistan`s Drug Czar Stirs Political Tension In Dushanbe
A tense mood has settled over the Tajik capital of Dushanbe following the arrest of the country`s top anti-drug enforcer on a long list of criminal charges. Political analysts in Tajikistan believe the arrest of Drug Control Agency head Ghaffor Mirzoyev is politically motivated.
To read more, click on the link: http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav080904.shtml
Iran - Azerbaijan Relations: On A Better Footing After Khatami`s Baku Visit
A recent visit by Iranian President Mohammad Khatami to Azerbaijan seems to have put bilateral relations on a better footing. However, the Iranian leader`s trip did not succeed in resolving the fundamental issue separating the two nations: the territorial division of the Caspian Sea.
To read more, click on the link: http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav081004a.shtml
Saakashvili And The NGO Sector: Tensions Over Human Rights Related Issues
Georgia`s Rose Revolution is going through a turbulent period. President Mikheil Saakashvili`s efforts to restore Georgia`s territorial integrity have caused tension to rise in the separatist regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. At the same time, discontent over Saakashvili`s governing style is building in Tbilisi.
To read more, click on the link: http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav091104.shtml
Carving Up Turkmenistan`s Gas Pie
Blessed with vast gas reserves, Turkmenistan has been exploring for the last 13 years ways to diversify its gas-export options and to lessen its dependency on the northern export route through Russia. Scores of alternative gas-export-pipeline projects have failed before they even started. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin`s cavalry continues to exert maximum efforts to regain total control over the Turkmen gas market.
To read more, click on the link: http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/business/articles/pp091104.shtml
Rumsfeld Addresses Security Concerns On Lightning Trip To Afghanistan, Azerbaijan
US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, on a secretive and whirlwind trip to Central Asia and the Caucasus, sought to keep the Afghan election process on track and the Azerbaijani government in line.
To read more, click on the link: http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav081204.shtml
Opposition Leader In Kazakhstan Ordered Released From Prison
A leading opposition figure in Kazakhstan has been ordered released from prison, but is due to remain confined under a form of house arrest. The release terms indicate that Galymzhan Zhakiyanov, a leader of the party Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan, would be prohibited from taking an active part in politics.
To read more, click on the link: http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav081204a.shtml
As Prospect Of South Ossetian Conflict Grows, Georgia Prepares To Send Troops To Iraq
On a recent day at the Krtsanisi Army Base in Georgia, troops from 16th Battalion were up at dawn and training for combat in a desert. Georgia is known for its mountainous terrain, but the desert exercise was practical given that the battalion is scheduled to ship out for Iraq in the fall, bringing the number of Georgian troops in Iraq to around 500.
To read more, click on the link: http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav081304.shtml
Top US General Tours Central Asian Capitals, Dispenses Aid To Uzbekistan
Reacting to indicators that Central Asian leaders are disgruntled, the Pentagon`s top military official traveled to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan to re-emphasize the United States` strategic commitment to the region. During his visit, Gen. Richard Meyers, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, announced that Washington would be giving an additional $21 million in military aid to Uzbekistan - a country that the State Department recently refused to certify as adhering to acceptable human rights practices.
To read more, click on the link: http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav081304a.shtml
Report dated 13 August 2004