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Uzbek Islamic Leader: We Are Fighting with Bin Laden
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, Oct 13 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - The leader of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Tahir Yoldash, who lives in Afghanistan along with 2,000 to 2,500 armed elements of the movement, said earlier this week that, "We're fighting shoulder to shoulder with Osama bin Laden against the U.S. and its allies in Afghanistan."
Yoldash, better known as Tahir Jhan, considers the U.S. air strikes on Afghanistan as an attack on Islam, describing Uzbekistan's cooperation with the U.S.-led coalition as "high treason", BBC's online service reported.
Yoldash, who has sentenced to death in Uzbekistan, declared his movement would continue its
jihad (struggle) against the government in Tashkent, and that the struggle might be extended to include Tajikistan, which declared its readiness to cooperate with the U.S.
U.S. President George W. Bush has included the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan with other alleged terrorist organizations whose bank accounts have been frozen in the aftermath of September 11th attacks in New York and Washington.
Speculation has it that Uzbek President Islam Karimov struck a deal with the U.S. to destroy bases of the Uzbek opposition in Afghanistan and in return, cooperate with Washington in its attack on Afghanistan.
Karimov, who has been ruling Uzbekistan with an iron fist since independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, has gotten rid of all his opponents - Muslims, democrats and nationalists - through jailings and liquidations.
Tashkent is concerned about the Islamic opposition launching attacks inside Uzbekistan from Afghani lands along the 130 kilometer-long border it shares with Afghanistan in retaliation for Karimov's comprehensive cooperation with the U.S.
The Islamic Movement's troops are stationed near the border with Uzbekistan on the Afghanistan side, in cities such as Mazar-e-Sherif and Kandouz, which are separated from Uzbek lands only by the Gihoun River.
It is expected that Islamic Movement troops will participate in the war to the end, as they have no place to be positioned in, except in Afghanistan, which is ruled by Taliban, or else be killed by either the U.S. or Karimov's troops.
The Taliban is also speculated to threaten extending the range and scope of the war, attacking neighboring states cooperating with Washington.
The Islamic Movement has been linked to various activities in the region.
Bombings in 1998 in the capital Tashkent were then blamed on the Islamic opposition. Also, Farghana Valley - the center of the Islamic Movement - and Namingan witnessed riots and detentions.
Between 1999 and 2000, fierce fighting erupted on the borders between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzistan between their troops and those of the Islamic Movement led by Goma'a Namangani.
Tashkent then accused Tajikistan of sheltering Uzbek Muslim elements, who were expelled to Afghanistan in early 2001.
Uzbekistan tried with the Taliban through negotiations to freeze the activities of its Islamic opposition, but failed.
The Taliban, at the time, wanted to keep the Uzbek Islamic opposition in place to pressure Uzbekistan in return for its sheltering of Uzbek leader Rashid Dostum's troops, who oppose the Taliban.
The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan brought international attention to itself when it kidnapped four Japanese nationals in Kyrgkzistan in 1999, who were then released after Tokyo paid a large amount of ransom money to the movement.
Observers believe Uzbekistan plays a vitally important role in the U.S. war against Afghanistan, especially when it comes to supporting the Northern Alliance and offering bases for U.S. special and land forces that may head from there to engage in ground battles against the Taliban.
Reports are that more than 1,000 U.S. special forces have arrived at Khanabad airport, Uzbekistan, so far.
Tashkent, for its part, has enjoyed strong ties with the U.S. and Israel since its independence.
Karimov has resisted Russian domination over the area. However, his fear of the Islamic Movement has pushed him to reconsider coordination with Moscow lately within the security and military fields.
A few months ago, Uzbekistan joined the Shanghai Group, comprising Russia and China, along with other Central Asian countries.
With additional reporting by Mutiallah Tayeb
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