Mass riots have rocked the city of Khokand located in Uzbekistan's Fergana Valley. The riots started after a government decree on toughening trade regulations, which was issued in August, went into effect on November 1, 2004. The new regulations make it mandatory for every merchant... MORE

The removal of Craig Murray, the United Kingdom's ambassador to Uzbekistan, has emerged as the culmination of a series of events linked to his critique of the government of Uzbekistan. The actual causes belli centered upon allegations Murray made in an internal memo circulated within... MORE

Uzbekistan has implemented a series of practical measures in Namangan Region (Eastern Uzbekistan, bordering Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan), aimed at raising public confidence in the ability of the local authorities to cope with the threat posed by terrorism. The regional law-enforcement bodies have established close cooperation... MORE

Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov, speaking during an unscheduled press conference in Tashkent on August 26, revealed key aspects of Uzbekistan's position on responding to terrorism within its borders and illustrated how the Uzbek leader perceives international support for his attempts to counter the terrorist threat... MORE

Anti-terrorist exercises are currently underway in Central Asia, witnessed by observers from non-CIS States including China, Iran, and Pakistan, within the framework of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). These annual exercises, rehearsing military operations against terrorists and insurgents, are designed to showcase the Collective... MORE

Two days before the July 30 bomb blasts in Tashkent, Astana hosted the security service chiefs of Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, and Turkey in discussions on ways of fighting terrorism. Russia and Ukraine, demonstrating their growing concern with security issues, sent observers to the meeting. Most importantly,... MORE

Reliable sources in Uzbekistan's Ministry of Internal Affairs are claiming that two of the three suicide bombers who committed detonated explosions in Tashkent on July 30 were Kazakhstani citizens of Uzbek descent. In a related development, the Supreme Court of Uzbekistan has begun the trial... MORE

At 5:00 pm on Friday, July 30, suicide bombers detonated explosives near the Embassies of the United States and Israel and in the vicinity of the building housing Uzbekistan's Prosecutor General's Office. The bombings claimed the lives of one local police officer and one employee... MORE

On July 19, 2004, the Russian newspaper Moskovsky komsomolets published a sensational article entitled, "200 Days of Jihad." The author of the article, Svetlana Meteleva, is a special correspondent who claimed to be sharing her "insider" observations regarding the activities of Hizb-ut-Tahrir, the Islamic Party... MORE

On July 15 Elizabeth Jones, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian affairs, officially concluded her two-day visit to Uzbekistan, where she had met with the country's leadership and local representatives of several human rights organizations. On July 13, on the eve... MORE