KARIMOV HINTS AT “IMPERIAL” HAND BEHIND TERRORIST ATTACK.

For the first time since the February 16 bomb attacks in the Uzbek capital, President Islam Karimov has mentioned a second possible force behind them. Until now, the president had only named radical Islamic groups and some political exiles as the suspects. But in his latest statement, Karimov also mentioned “imperial forces,” motivated–he said–by an interest to thwart progress in Uzbekistan. “Imperial forces” is the standard code word for Moscow in CIS countries. Karimov made the remark during a joint news conference with the visiting Czech Prime Minister Milos Zeman, broadcast live in Uzbekistan (Uzbek Television, April 20).

TURKMEN-UKRAINIAN GAS DEAL COLLAPSES.