'High death toll' in Uzbekistan (President says 30, witnesses say 200)

(mods: I know there was an earlier story on Uzbekistan, but I think the further developments warrant another headline)

Looks like an ally in "The War on Terra®" is i trouble.

CNN) -- Human rights monitors say hundreds of people were killed by Uzbek government soldiers in the wake of Friday's violent anti-government protest in the eastern city of Andijan, Russia's Interfax news agency has reported.

An estimated 3,500 refugees fled Andijan Saturday, gathering a few miles to the south at the Kyrgyzstan border, which was finally opened to them, Interfax reported.

The unprecedented violence began early Thursday when a group of local citizens angry about the arrest of several prominent business owners stormed the prison where they were being held.

At one point, about 10,000 protesters gathered in the city center to demand the resignation of Uzbek President Islam Karimov and his authoritarian government, who are allies of the United States. The president's office described them as criminals and extremists.

Link: http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/05/14/uzbekistan/




Keith’s Barbeque Central

Something about how finally our ideals and our interests are aligned?

Can you imagine that?

:puke:

Notice, how quiet it is in Washington? Bush is very quiet about all the bombings in Iraq and elsewhere.

I think Bush has a "Saturday radio address" where he discusses how "freedom is on the march" wherever we are in the world.

I do believe it was cancelled.

Uzbek President Islam Karimov said Saturday that 10 government troops and "many more" protesters werekilled Friday in violent clashes in the eastern Uzbek city of Andijan, according to reports from Tashkent, Uzbekistan's capital.

Karimov told a press conference in Tashkent that at least 100 people were wounded in the violence blamed on Islamic extremist groups in the region.

He said no one ordered the soldiers to fire on the crowd.

The presidential press office said earlier Saturday that The situation in Andijan had been brought under full control, after days of riots plunged the Central Asian nation's fourth-largest city into chaos.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-05/14/content_2957662.htm

By BAGILA BUKHARBAYEVA, Associated Press Writer 17 minutes ago
ANDIJAN, Uzbekistan - Protesters overran government buildings Saturday in an Uzbekistan village on the border with Kyrgyzstan, torching police vehicles and beating border guards, a Kyrgyz official said. Thousands of terrified Uzbeks had fled for the border, a day after troops in Andijan fired on demonstrators demanding more freedom in this tightly controlled former Soviet republic.

Earlier, President Islam Karimov said troops were forced to shoot after demonstrators tried to break through an advancing security cordon. Witnesses said at least 200 people were killed.

The new clashes erupted in the village of Korasuv, about 30 miles east of Andijan. Korasuv is directly on the border with neighboring Kyrgyzstan, which is divided by a small river.

Uzbek police and tax police offices were set on fire, and police cars were vandalized, a Kyrgyz official said on condition of anonymity. Uzbek helicopters were seen circling the town.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050514/ap_on_re_eu/uzbekistan_revolt

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/05/14/world/main695223.shtml

Finally a good headline.