From: Abraham Rein (ARein@sorosny.org)
Date: Tue Aug 15 2000 - 11:11:02 EDT
KYRGYZ, TAJIK, UZBEK OFFICIALS DISCUSS MEASURES TO COUNTER
ISLAMISTS... Kyrgyz, Tajik, and Uzbek government
representatives have discussed the possible use of air
strikes against the Islamist militants who invaded Uzbekistan
and Kyrgyzstan last week, Kyrgyz presidential spokesman
Osmonakun Ibraimov told journalists in Bishkek on 14 August.
He said Uzbekistan had offered to make its airforce available
for that purpose, but he noted that the three countries have
not yet taken a decision on whether to use air strikes,
Reuters reported. General Bolot Djanuzakov, who is the Kyrgyz
Security Council secretary, said in Bishkek on 15 August that
Kyrgyz troops have split the invaders into three groups and
driven them back to within 1.5 kilometers of the Kyrgyz-Tajik
border, ITAR-TASS reported. On 14 August, the news agency
quoted an unidentified Kyrgyz Defense Ministry official as
saying that another 500-700 gunmen are gathered at the Tajik-
Kyrgyz border ready to enter Kyrgyzstan. The same day,
General Amirqul Azimov, the secretary of the Tajik Security
Council, and other Tajik government officials flew to the
northern town of Khudjand, which has been selected as the
joint headquarters for forces from all three countries to
coordinate measures against the militants. LF
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