Russia backs Uzbekistan leaders



Russia is to conduct joint military exercises with Uzbekistan, in a show of support for Tashkent after a bloody government crackdown.

Russia backs Uzbekistan leaders

Russia backs Uzbekistan leaders

Caption: Russia's President Vladimir Putin (R) and Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov shake hands as they meet at the presidential residence Novo-Ogaryovo outside Moscow, June 28, 2005. Picture taken June 28, 2005. REUTERS/Maxim Marmur/Pool

Russia is to conduct joint military exercises with Uzbekistan, in a show of support for Tashkent after a bloody government crackdown.

Russia's defence minister said the joint manoeuvres would be the first since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Sergei Ivanov also defended the actions of the Uzbek government in suppressing an uprising in Andijan in May, in which up to 500 people are said to have died.

Mr Ivanov said protesters were armed and had attacked buildings in the city.

The Uzbek government said 173 people were killed, most of them Islamic militants and "terrorists" receiving instructions from outside the country.

Witnesses dispute this, saying that troops opened fire on a rally, killing up to 500 people, among them women and children.

Foreign involvement

Speaking at a meeting in Moscow with Uzbek President Islam Karimov, Mr Ivanov said Russia agreed with Uzbekistan that the uprising was not spontaneous.

"We actually knew how it was prepared, or at least knew certain elements," he said.

Mr Ivanov said foreigners had been involved, adding that it was absurd to say troops had opened fire on peaceful demonstrators

He said the protesters "attacked the police, then they attacked a military unit and seized its weapons and arsenal, then there was the prison, then the torched cinemas and cultural buildings".

The joint Russian-Uzbek military exercises would be held in central Uzbekistan over the summer, Mr Ivanov said.

Russian news agency RIA-Novosti reported him as saying the manoeuvres would be of a special nature in light of the events in Andijan.

When this story was posted in June 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:



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American Taboo: A Peace Corps Tragedy Returned Volunteers met with author Philip Weiss in Baltimore on June 18 to discuss the murder of Peace Corps Volunteer Deborah Gardner. Weiss was a member of a panel that included three psychiatrists and a criminal attorney. Meanwhile, the Seattle U.S. Attorney's office announced that Dennis Priven cannot be retried for the murder. "We do not believe this case can be prosecuted by anyone, not only us, but in any other jurisdiction in the United States." Read background on the case here.

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June 16, 2005: Special Events Philip Weiss, PCV murder writer, speaks in Baltimore June 18 "Rainforests and Refugees" showing in Portland, Maine until June 25 "Iowa in Ghana" on exhibit in Waterloo through June 30 NPCA to hold Virtual Leaders Forum on July 29 RPCV's "Taking the Early Bus" at Cal State until Aug 15 "Artists and Patrons in Traditional African Cultures" in NY thru Sept 30 RPCVs: Post your stories or press releases here for inclusion next week.

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June 14: Peace Corps suspends Haiti program After Uzbekistan, the Peace Corps has announced the suspension of a second program this month - this time in Haiti. Background: The suspension comes after a US Embassy warning, a request from Tom Lantos' office, and the program suspension last year. For the record: PCOL supports Peace Corps' decision to suspend the two programs and commends the agency for the efficient way PCVs were evacuated safely. Our only concern now is with the placement of evacuated PCVs and the support they receive after interrupted service.

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June 6: PC suspends Uzbekistan program Peace Corps has announced that it is suspending the Uzbekistan program after the visas of 52 Peace Corps volunteers who arrived in January were not renewed. The suspension comes after a State Department warning that terrorist groups may be planning attacks in Uzbekistan and after the killings in Andizhan earlier in May. Background: PCOL published a report on April 23 that Peace Corps volunteers who arrived in January were having visa difficulties and reported on safety and visa issues in Uzbekistan as they developed.

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June 6, 2005: This Week's Top Stories Kinky Friedman will "sign anything except bad legislation" 6 Jun Niels Marquardt Makes Chimpanzee Protection a Priority 6 Jun Laurence Leamer needs approval for "Today" appearance 6 Jun Desperate Housewives' Ricardo Chavira is son of RPCVs 6 Jun Anthony Sandberg runs Berkeley sailing school 5 Jun Amy Smith field-tests sugarcane charcoal 5 Jun Mary Johnson organizes workshop on genocide 3 Jun Jonathan Lash in 100 most Influential Business Leaders 3 Jun Hastert jump-starts Chris Shays' Campaign 3 Jun John Coyne says 41 RPCVs applied for scholarships 3 Jun James Rupert writes on bombing in Kandahar mosque 1 Jun John McCain says to expand opportunities for service 1 Jun Jay Rockefeller's relationships with Japanese go way back 1 Jun Anat Shenker met her husband during service in Honduras 31 May Ryan Clancy punished without hearing for visiting Iraq 30 May Melissa Mosvick remembered as a fallen American hero 29 May Kurt Carlson played basketball against Togo's national team 29 May Helen Thomas's favorite president remains JFK 24 May

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