Terrorism in Kyrgyzstan

Terrorism in Kyrgyzstan has increased since the U.S. military invaded Afghanistan and overthrew the Taliban in 2001. The governments of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan provided airbases for counter-terrorism operations. [http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/10/e127caba-2007-4b14-8744-0ffe06ab697a.html Central Asia: China brings electronics, but not Democracy] RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty] Southern Kyrgyzstan is increasingly sympathetic to terrorism and radical Islam. [http://politicom.moldova.org/stiri/eng/23730/ The future of Islamic radicalism and religious freedom in Central Asia] Moldova]

Ties between the terrorist organizations

Hizb-ut-Tahrir is banned in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan as a terrorist organization. The Kyrgyz government banned HuT after it declared a jihad against Kyrgyz police on 19 July 2006. Uzbek President Islom Karimov had twice called on the Kyrgyz government to shut down HuT activities in Kyrgyzstan before the government added it to their list of banned organizations. Kyrgyz and Uzbek government officials say there are ties between Hizb-ut-Tahrir, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, and the radical Islamic group Akromiya. [http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/07/26bd94f0-15f1-4b21-a24b-dfdd9750f5c5.html Central Asia: Tashkent And Bishkek working to combat 'terrorism'] RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty] Kazakh Prosecutor-General Rashid Tusupbekov asked the Astana City Court to ban HuT because of its terrorist activities on 16 March 2005. Press secretary Zhamkenuly said it is "very probable that Hizb ut-Tahrir has connections with the Taliban, Al-Qaeda, and other extremist groups. Therefore, under the Kazakh law banning extremism, we have every reason to outlaw Hizb ut-Tahrir's activities on Kazakh territory." [http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/03/787f50df-ca55-4f36-b54b-a1407c2c2dd8.html Kazakhstan: Government moves to add Hizb ut Tahrir to list of terror groups] RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty]

Hizb ut-Tahrir

Omurzak Mamayusupov, the head of Kyrgyzstan's State Committee on Religious Affairs, said on 12 April 2006 that the spread Hizb ut-Tahrir's ideolology is Central Asia's greatest religious problem. [http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/04/5a2c07cb-e44d-422f-8f58-631d08f7cec1.html Kyrgyz official says Hizb Ut-Tahrir key threat] RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty]

Police raided a terrorist hideout in the south on 14 July 2006. Terrorists wounded one officer before five were killed. Oitalbek Osmonov, a spokesman for Kyrgyzstan's National Security Service, said the terrorists were members of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and Hizb ut-Tahrir and had been involved in "several prominent terrorist attacks." Osmonov said they had plans for future attacks. [http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/07/8f9ea295-4285-4aaf-ad68-86006dd76c38.html Five killed in counterterrorism raid in Kyrgyzstan] RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty]

Kyrgyz police arrested a suspected leader of HuT on 17 January 2007 in Osh. The suspect possessed weapons, ammunition, and banned religious literature when police arrested him. [http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2007/1/48B24D9C-A1D2-4726-84D5-9CE1E2CE45CE.html Kyrgyz Parliament rejects Kulov's nomination as Prime Minister] RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty] [http://www.kazakhembus.com/031705.html Prosecutor General requests ban of Hizb-ut-Tahrir] Embassy of Kazakhstan to the USA and Canada]

References