Monday, 05 April 2004

U.S. REPS URGE REFORMS IN UZBEKISTAN

Published in News Digest

By empty (4/5/2004 issue of the CACI Analyst)

A U.S. congressional delegation urged the Uzbek government Monday to press ahead with democratic reforms in the wake of terror attacks that killed 47 people last week, saying it was \"the natural and correct step.
A U.S. congressional delegation urged the Uzbek government Monday to press ahead with democratic reforms in the wake of terror attacks that killed 47 people last week, saying it was \"the natural and correct step.\" Calling the attacks an attempt \"to destabilize the government of Uzbekistan,\" U.S. Rep. David Dreier, R-Calif., said the United States was willing to help determine who was behind the series of bombings and shootings. Uzbek authorities are still hunting for those suspected of carrying out the attacks. \"How many? If we knew that, then we\'d be the happiest people in the world,\" Prosecutor-General spokeswoman Svetlana Artikova said. Officials have said unspecified international terror groups were responsible for the attacks, which mainly targeted police, killing 10 officers and four civilians. Thirty-three alleged terrorists were killed in four days of explosions, suicide attacks and assaults on police that began March 28. Dreier said the attacks should prompt the Uzbek government to enact reforms. \"I happen to believe that from this tragedy, moving toward the goal of bringing about greater political freedoms and economic freedoms is the natural and correct step,\" Dreier told reporters after meeting with Uzbek Foreign Minister Sadyk Safayev. A U.S. State Department report on human rights in Uzbekistan released in February said the government was committing \"numerous serious abuses.\" At least four people died in custody last year because of mistreatment by authorities, the report said, and between 5,300 and 5,800 people were in prisons for political or religious reasons. Dreier\'s delegation was in Uzbekistan to \"conduct oversight on the U.S. regional security presence, including the ongoing operations in Afghanistan,\" the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent said in a statement. (AP)
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