Press Review September 1-22

THE TAJIK ARMY IS STRONGEST IN CENTRAL ASIA?
The Secretary of the Security Council of Tajikistan Amirqul Azimov said in his interview with Asia-Plus # 36 that at present, the Tajik authorities controlled completely the situation in the whole territory of Tajikistan. A. Azimov repudiated flatly allegations of some mass media that in the territory of the Tavil Dara district and in separate areas of the Karategin zone there were unaffiliated groups and terrorist training bases. He has also stated that that a special operation of the power structures of Uzbekistan on annihilation of armed formations of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) having penetrated into the Surkhnadarya region has been completed successfully. He says that they have been proposing repeatedly to the representatives of the Kirgyz power structures to fly to any area mentioned in the reports as the center of the IMU. According to him the Kirgyz colleagues always turn down the proposal because they know that there are no the IMU militants in Tajikistan. He has also advanced an opinion that the Taliban will not dare to attack Tajikistan. The Secretary of the Security Council of Tajikistan considers that today, the Tajik army is the most mobile and efficient in Central Asia.

THE SITUATION IN RASHT AND TAVIL DARA IS STABLE
Newspapers have informed about a trip of President Rahmonov to districts of the Rasht (Karategin) Valley, Tavil Dara and Saghir Dasht zone of the Kalai Khumb districts (Gorno Badakhshan). During his trip President Rahmonov familiarized himself with concrete results of realization of the post conflict rehabilitation program and took part at ceremonies of putting into operation of a number of restored and reconstructed units of economy and social and cultural sphere. During the meetings with communities of the districts a great attention was paid to the issues maintaining law and order and ensuring national security. President Rahmonov speaking at a meeting with community of the Tajikabad district stated that he would not allow to tun Tajikistan into the bridgehead of international terrorism. He stated that no one district of Tajikistan would turn into the second Afghanistan. Residents of the districts, in turn, expressed their support for the peaceable policy of the President. Residents of the Rasht Valley have applied to the President for removing armed checkpoints on the road linking that area with the capital city of the country. The trip showed that situation in all districts of the area was stable and calm and the legitimate organs of authorities were functioning under normal conditions. A group of foreign and local journalists, which accompanied President Rahmonov on this trip, might see for themselves that there were no any terrorist training bases in that territory.

PRESIDENT CHARGED TO REMOVE ILLEGAL CHECKPOINTS ON THE ROADS
The newspaper "Vostochny Express"¦35 informs that the President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emamali Rahmonov has signed an order on removing all illegal checkpoints on the roads Dushanbe-Khorog and Dushanbe-Jirgital. This measure has been taken to secure security of passengers and uninterrupted transportation of agrarian produce and other consumer goods. This order has also to regulate the activities of the official checkpoints of the Traffic Police of the Ministry of Interior of Tajikistan. The President has also charged the heads of power ministries and the Committee on Frontier Protection and Presidential Guard to inform the President of carrying out the order within ten-day period.

TAJIK MFA INFORMS...
September 16, the program of the Russian TV Channel RTR "Mezhdunarodnaya Panorama" was saying again about existence of bases of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) in the territory of Tajikistan. The Minister of Defense of Kirgyzstan E. Topoyev stated that he had information about new armed groups of terrorists, which were making preparations for attacking the territory of Kirgyzstan from contiguous districts of Tajikistan. In this connection Asia-Plus puts the question if the Dushanbe regime is weak as much as it can't control its territory, why the IMU's militants prefer attacking the "more stronger" Uzbekistan and Kirgyzstan? The newspaper has informed that the Tajik side has responded to those allegations immediately. On the same day, September 16, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan spread a statement. The statement runs that all those allegations are not based on any good reason. Tajikistan is true to all its obligation resulting from multilateral agreements and treaties, having been signed with Central Asia's countries on a joint combating international terrorism, and making very effort to fulfil these obligations precisely and indisputably.

THE TALIBAN ARE APPROACHING THE TAJIK FRONTIER
Newspapers have informed that the armed formations of the Taliban Movement captured the Afghan port Sherkhan Bandar and came right up to the Afghan-Tajik frontier. Asia-Plus # 36 notes that the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Taliban's Administration has hastened to assure the leaders of Central Asia's countries that the Taliban Movement doesn't threaten their interests and is interested in development of neighborly relations with them. As confirmation of his opinion he has given an example of relationship between the Taliban and Turkmenistan. He noted the Taliban approached the boundaries of Turkmenistan two years already. Asia-Plus considers, that taking into account that the Taliban still have many problems with their internal enemies they will hardly want to fight on tow fronts, that is the possibility of encroachment of the Taliban on Tajikistan may be still withdrawn from the agenda. At least, until the full defeat of the anti-Taliban movement in Afghanistan. In the near future, an inflow of the Afghan refugees may create more serious problem to Tajikistan. About 1,500 families (8-9 thousand people) of residents of settlements to the north of Talukan, Imam Sahib and Dasht-i Archi have concentrated in the Afghan border areas, mostly in Yangi Qal'a, Choh-i Ob and Rustak districts. It is to be noted that in spite of the hostilities that are going on already for several weeks no one family has, so far, sought asylum in Tajikistan and has tried to cross the River Pyanj. A total number of people, who have been forces to leave their homes because of hostilities in Takhor and Kundus, has reached 200,000. Now, the refugees have found temporary shelter mainly in Badakhshan, the Kishm vulusvoli (lowest administrative division) and the Farkhor Gorge. They are in a very sorry state. According to assessments of international organizations because of cold and foods, medicines and housing shortages hundreds, if not thousands of people may die there. If their state is not improved in the near future, they may seek saving in the Tajik territory. Escalation of the hostilities in areas bordering upon Badakhshan may speed up this process and increase considerably the number of refugees.

MINES LAID ON THE TAJIK-UZBEK FRONTIER
Newspapers inform that lately, several citizens of Tajikistan were blown up by mines, which had been laid by the Uzbek border guards. Thus, on August 29, 6 persons were blown by mine on the Khanabad section of the Tajik-Uzbek frontier in the Isfara districts. As a result of the explosion, four of them were killed. On September 14, in the Panjakent district two citizens of Tajikistan were blown up by a mine on one of sections of the Tajik-Uzbek frontier. As a result the explosion they were seriously injured. Two girls from Asht district twenty-year Odina Hakimova and sixteen-year Mavsima Erkayeva were blown up by a mine, as a result one of them was killed and the other one was seriously injured. Such incidents have also occurred on other sections of the Tajik-Uzbek frontier. Thus, in mid September of the current year one officer and one private soldiers were blown up by a mine in the Tursunzade district of Tajikistan. According to newspapers, the Uzbek border guards fearing the militants' penetration of their territory have mine approaches to the frontier. All the killed are practically children, women and old men. The point is that there are no any boundary posts on the Tajik-Uzbek frontier. In his interview with "Biznes i Politika" # 38 the Chairman of the Committee on Frontier Protection of Tajikistan Sadianvar Kamolov has strongly condemned the actions of the Uzbek border guards. He stated that mine-laying was contrary to all international legal norms, including the Geneva Convention banning the use of mine-snares and anti-personnel mines. According to S. Kamolov, at present the joint Tajik-Uzbek commission is working on delimitation of boundaries between the two countries.

WFP WILL PROVIDE SUPPORT TO TAJIKISTAN
Asia-Plus # 36 informs that the United Nations World Food Program announced a major emergency operation to help more than one million people in Tajikistan who are threatened with famine because of one of the worst droughts in decades. As Asia-Plus was informed on September 28 at the Country Office of the WFP in Dushanbe, under the new operation, WFP will bring about 126,000 tons of food aid into Tajikistan over the next nine months at a cost of $ 62million.

THE CASE OF SUPPORTERS OF MAHMUD KHUDOYBERDYYEV HAS COME UP FOR TRIAL
Newspapers inform that one of these days, the Supreme Court of Tajikistan has completed the court examination of criminal cases of 66 persons, which have been involved in a mutiny under the head of Colonel Mahmud Khudoyberdyyev. It is to be noted that in 1997, the Brigade of Colonel Khudoyberdyyev was charged with attempt of armed coup in the country and after hardened hostilities the Brigade left the territory of Tajikistan. The investigation has established that the accused have had military training in the Islamic State of Afghanistan. On November 4, 1998 the mutineers made a new attempt - that time, in the Leninabad region. As a result of attack, more than 60 persons were killed, 180 other persons were injured. This invasion has caused serious damage to the region's economy. The Military Board of the Supreme Court has been considering this criminal case since January of the current year. The Court will pass sentence on the accused within the next few days.

WELL-KNOWN TAJIK JOURNALIST KILLED IN MOSCOW
Newspapers inform on September 22, that gifted journalist and poet, correspondent of Radio Liberty for Moscow Iskandar Khatloni was killed in Moscow. Unknown criminals attacked him at his Moscow apartment and struck him with axe or any other heavy sharp object. Iskandar Khatloni was taken to the Botkin Hospital with serious wounds, where in spite of all efforts of doctors he died.