World News 19-05-2005 Uzbek Troops Crush Rebellion who: President Islam Karimov what: Denies ordering slaughter of civilians to suppress Islamic uprising where: Uzbekistan when: This week snippet: "Uzbek troops have retaken the border town of Korasuv, where locals threw out their leaders last week in a popular protest," says the BBC. "A number of explosions and some gunfire was heard, but the takeover seems to have been largely peaceful with no reports of loss of life." "They appear to have done a deal to avoid bloodshed," says Jeremy Page of The Times, reporting from the Kyrgyz side of a border crossing. "Speaking to Uzbeks coming across the border, it became clear that the police and military moved in overnight and retook the city without any fighting." Only the day before, Associated Press writer Bagil Bukharbayeva had spoken of rebels "cherishing the prospect of a strict Islamic state" who were "firmly in control" of the border town, "throwing up a new challenge to the government as it tried to prove to skeptical diplomats that its troops didn`t fire on innocent civilians." Despite similar claims earlier this week, last weekend`s uprising in the nearby city of Andijan was reportedly met with a "cold-blooded killing spree by security forces," says The Independent`s Peter Boehm. Official government figures aside, there is no agreement on the numbers involved, but it seems at least 500 people were slaughtered. "One eyewitness, who would not be named for fear of reprisals, told The Independent that he saw death squads killing civilians after the army opened fire on protesters in the eastern Uzbek city on Friday." "It was a massacre," says a 31-year-old cobbler, quoted in Tuesday`s Scotsman. "This sickening smell of blood, smashed brains, guts, and blood, blood, everywhere. I could not put my feet on a dry spot. I saw soldiers killing several wounded with single shots to the head after asking `are there any wounded around?`." Such claims were dismissed by president Islam Karimov. He says security forces were explicitly banned from firing on women, children and the elderly and claims that only militants supporting outlawed Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir were killed following a jailbreak by 23 prisoners accused of Islamic extremism. Foreign diplomats and journalists were taken on an official tour of Andijan on Wednesday, but remained unconvinced by the official view. Britain`s foreign secretary Jack Straw, on a visit to Washington DC, called for foreign inspectors to be less "fettered" and US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice said the political system in Uzbekistan was "too closed". "The violence puts the United States in a difficult position because it relies on Mr Karimov`s authoritarian government for an air base in the country and anti-terrorism support," says Chris Johnston of The Times. The State Department said it was "deeply disturbed" by reports of violence against civilians but also condemned protesters for taking up arms. "America justifies its stance by saying that the uprising is led by Islamic fundamentalists," said The Daily Mail`s leader writer on Tuesday. "Even if that is the case, such an argument is rich coming from a Government whose misbegotten invasion of Iraq has opened up a new front for terrorism." [... more]

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