From: Abraham Rein (ARein@sorosny.org)
Date: Thu Aug 31 2000 - 10:26:59 EDT
UZBEK PRESIDENT SAYS RUSSIAN AID NOT NECESSARY. Addressing
the Uzbek parliament in Tashkent on 30 August, Islam Karimov
said that Uzbek troops on 28 August killed eight members of
the banned Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), Reuters
reported. "I can say with confidence that within two or three
days the entire group of bandits will be wiped out," he
added. Last week Karimov had warned that the campaign against
the militants would be both difficult and protracted (see
"RFE/RL Newsline,"23 August 2000). Karimov again denied that
he has asked Moscow for any assistance in combating the
guerrillas. He said that if he had considered such help was
needed, he would have raised the subject with Russian
Security Council Secretary Sergei Ivanov during the Bishkek
meeting of Central Asian presidents on 20 August. Karimov
also appealed for greater cooperation from Tajikistan in
combating the IMU militants, according to Interfax. An
Interfax commentator on 30 August cited unnamed military
experts as noting "good teamwork" between Kyrgyz and Uzbek
government forces fighting the militants. LF
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