Such a taunting.....
Posted on 10/04/2005 11:18:24 PM PDT by Lukasz
The European Union announced yesterday the embargo for the sale of weapons to Uzbekistan and said it will prohibit high ranking Uzbek officials from enter EU countries. The sanctions were imposed for "indiscriminate use of force" during the suppression of the uprising in Andijan and prevention of independent investigation of the events. In fact, it is a beginning of international process to isolate Islam Karimov regime. Russia intends to use this situation to its advantage and turn Uzbekistan in Moscow's main geopolitical partner in the region.
Regime Non Grata
Yesterday the countries of European Union lost the right to supply Uzbekistan weapons, military equipment and everything that can be used by local armed forces. The decision was made during the session in Luxemburg by the heads of the foreign ministries of EU countries. The European countries decided that Uzbek special services and army "indiscriminately used excessive force" against the demonstrations in Andijan. Because EU did not supply weapons to Tashkent anyway, the European countries attempted to make a step further. It was decided to create a list of Uzbek officials, who would not get entry visas to the EU countries. Moreover, the European Union decided to suspend the Agreement of partnership and cooperation with Uzbekistan. Brussels does not exclude a possibility to freeze later on bank accounts of those, who, according to European authorities, were participating in the shooting, if Karimov will continue to prevent an independent investigation.
It is interesting that the sanctions were imposed on Uzbekistan right after the visit in Tashkent by Daniel Freed, deputy of the US Secretary of State for Eurasia. On Friday, he was discussing with Uzbek authorities the issue of American military base Karshi-Khanabad. Uzbekistan insists on immediate withdrawal of the base. There were no agreements reached. In the same moment the US Congress received the project resolution, which demands from President George Bush " to use the voice and influence of United States" to make the UN Security Council send the Islam Karimov's case, "who is guilty in the massacre on May 13, 2005, in Andijan," to International Court. One of the document authors, Congressman William Delahunt, Democrat, said the no actions policy of the American administration toward theregime of Islam Karimov "feeds up the feeling of mistrust to America around the world" and "gives a reason to accuse the United States in double standards." If the resolution would be adopted, it will become a law. In the same time the Department of State completely froze financial aid to Tashkent (about $21 million per year).
The First Step towards Isolation
The news about the introduction of the sanctions by European Union against Uzbekistan caught Uzbek president while he was outside of the country. Right before, he made an official visit to Malaysia, which government holds harsh anti-Western positions. Nobody from the Uzbek officials had the courage to comment on the Brussels decision without the boss. Those who spoke up on the condition of anonymity, said that Uzbekistan will not suffer from the sanction. According to Kommersant source from the Uzbek Defense Ministry, the absence of the European weapons will not lower the Uzbek army combat readiness: "The weapons that are left after USSR would be enough to the end of the century. And if we have to buy new ones, than we have contracts with Russia."
Tashkent understood that sooner or later the confrontation with the West would end up with full break up. For that reason, Karimov made a earlier bet for Moscow and Beijing. The Uzbek army equipped mostly with Soviet arms and equipment. The parts and new weapons are being supplied from Russia. Moreover, within the framework of Shanghai Organization of Cooperation Tashkent can buy light arms and ammunition in China. The U.S. was also helping to supply Uzbek army before the Andijan events. Washington was delivering light weapons, uniforms and non-combat equipment. The shipment stopped when Washington started to demand from Tashkent the independent investigation of Andijan tragedy. In the same time, Uzbekistan asks to withdraw American military base in Karshi-Khanabad. Condoleezza Rice, US Secretary of State clearly warned Uzbek authorities that their actions could lead to full international isolation of Uzbekistan.
The decisions of the EU are the fist step to such isolation. The West, in a sense, brought up a guilty verdict to the regime of Islam Karimov for mass murder of civilians in Andijan.
Starting from yesterday, Uzbekistan became the only country in post-Soviet space that is facing such serious international sanctions. And the Uzbek authorities are not doing better than, let say, their Byelorussian colleagues. The Minsk leadership was just announced as "persona non grata" in Europe, but nobody demands to sue Alexander Lukashenko in International Criminal Court. Now, Karimov can just follow the example of Turkmenia's ruler and totally isolate itself from the outside world. It is clear the EU and United States will not limit themselves to these actions.
Dangerous Friendship
Several years ago Islam Karimov was trying to establish a relationship with West and create the reputation as the most pro-Western leader in all Central Asia: he participated in anti-Russian bloc GUUAM (Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Moldavia); he actively cooperated with the USA and even allowed American base on Uzbek territory. Moscow, of course, did not like all these movements. Now, when the West turned away from Uzbekistan, Russia is ready to use it for its own advantage and take Tashkent under the Kremlin wing. In exchange, Moscow would ask Tashkent to take hard pro-Russian orientation. Karimov has no way out, because he needs any allies he can find, especially giving in consideration the fact that Uzbekistan did not have too good of relationship with its neighbors.
Recently Russian Defense Minister Sergey Ivanov visited Uzbekistan, where he was present during the Russian-Uzbek maneuvers. He was the firs, who reacted on news about preparing sanctions. Ivanov said that Western embargo on weapons supply to Uzbekistan will not affect Moscow and Tashkent military-political cooperation. "This embargo does not bother us a bit. Our relationships with Uzbekistan are getting stronger in all spheres, including military technical cooperation. We will continue to develop friendly relationship with this country," the minister promised.
Moscow already is trying to make Uzbekistan, rejected by the West, as its satellite. Russia also expects to widen its economic presence in Uzbekistan. Moscow and Tashkent actively discuss new mutual trade, economic and energy projects. It is expected that some of these projects would be presented during the session of bilateral inter-government commission, which will be held on October 10-12.
Understanding that it has to earn the trust of Karimov, Moscow is actively helping to Uzbek justice to finish the process over the participants of Andijan events. For instance, Moscow holds in Ivanovo prison facility the group of citizens from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia, who are accused in the preparation of the uprising. The Kremlin already expressed readiness to extradite them to Uzbekistan, where they most likely face a death penalty.
However, the friendship with Uzbekistan might cost Moscow a lot. First of all, it might completely kill all the diplomatic and specialists' efforts to improve Russian image abroad. Second, the partnership of Russia and Uzbekistan cannot be long and stable -- it will last as long as Karimov’s presidency. Even if the Karimov successor would be a person from his surrounding, most likely he will reconsider all the agreements with Moscow and would go to the West to ask for forgiveness.
However, it is not the worst way of development for Uzbekistan. Andijan events made almost impossible to transfer the power without shedding the blood. And if Uzbekistan will explode with civil war, Russia might get involve in as well.
good
I'd say that it serves all the participants in that Shanghai Cooperation Organization right. They were made for one another. Speak of marriages made in heaven.
Such a taunting.....
Yes, much better if a "green" color revolution was to take him out and set up another pro-Iranian islamic regime....boy that would be just swell. /sarcasm
Please don’t cry, in longer run your Islam Karimov is finished. What a pity/ sarcasm
Gee, you rooting for Islamic revolutionaries...why am I not in the least surprised, especially after your stance on the Serbs.
Maybe you need to explain it to Condi and to the US State Department. Get lost troll.
Oh, the uber socialist is back, still looking for someone to bail your sunk economy out? Got your tin cup, maybe the Germans will throw you another nickle or you could donate some of that Brussels paycheck you get to the unemployed in your own nation. As for you cheerleading for Islamic revolutionaries in Central Asia and taking the side of Islamics in Yugoslavia, well, Democratic Underground will be more to your liking or any bridge you can crawl under.
Btw I know that would support any kind of fascist dictator if only he is close to colonel Putin.
Iran already has observer status in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
...an official statement issued by Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on July 15 termed those forces "non-regional," and went on to say that "such a military presence in the region must be rolled back (dolzhno byt svernuto)" (Interfax, July 15). Most English-language translations did not capture these nuances in the Russian original.The stricture against "non-regional forces" looks like a Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs borrowing from Tehran. This term has long been a fixture in Iran's official rhetoric against the Western presence in the Caspian region and Central Asia. This usage has not been a characteristic of Russian pronouncements until now. - LINK
As someone who can't go a paragraph without an insult or an article without showing her blinding hatred, you have much room to talk.
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