Terrorism in Tajikistan
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Terrorism in Tajikistan stems largely from the forces of political opposition who did not support an end to the Tajik Civil War of 1992 to 1997.
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[edit] Banned terrorist organizations
Prosecutor-General Bobojon Bobokhonov announced on 15 January 2007 that the Tajik Supreme Court added ten entities to the Tajik government's list list of banned terrorist organizations at the end of 2006. Groups the Supreme Court added include the Islamic Party of Turkestan and Tochikistoni Ozod.[1]
[edit] Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan
Mahmadsaid Juraqulov, head of the anti-organized crime department in the Interior Ministry of Tajikistan, told reporters in Dushanbe on 16 October 2006 that the "[Islamic Movement of Turkmenistan] is the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan," and that Uzbek secret services manufactured the change in name. Juraqulov also said that the IMT is not a major security threat to Tajikistan or Kyrgyzstan. "Everyone knows that it is in Uzbekistan that [the IMU] wants to create problems. For them, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are just regrouping bases they're trying to reach."[2]
Six members of the IMU and Hizb ut-Tahrir allegedly attacked Kyrgyz and Tajik border posts in Batken on 12 May 2005, killing several border guards. Their hearings on 29 August 2006 were brief because lawyers for two of the defendants and some witnesses did not go to court. One of the defendants is a woman and one is a Tajik citizen.[3]
[edit] Hizb ut-Tahrir
The Tajik government arrested 99 members of Hizb ut-Tahrir in 2005, sixteen of whom were women.[4]
The Khujand city court sentenced ten men, who had called for the government to be overthrown, to jail terms ranging from 9 to 16 years for membership in HuT on 19 May 2006.[5] Two members of HuT in Khujand were sentenced on 7 June to 10 and 13 years in prison and were barred from engaging in public religious activities for five years following their release.[6] Makhmadsaid Jurakulov, Chief of Police in Soghd, announced on 31 July 2006 that police had detained Moghadam Madaliyeva, the suspected leader of Hizb ut-Tahrir's female organization in the north.[4] Tajik police arrested 92 terrorists in 2006, 58 of whom were members of HuT.[7]
On 26 January 2007 a Tajik court found HuT member Makhmudzhon Shokirov guilty of "publicly calling for violent change of the constitutional order in Tajikistan" and "inciting ethnic, racial, and religious enmity," sentencing him to ten and a half years imprisonment.[7]
[edit] Sughd bunkers
In late 2006 Tajik police found an underground bunker used by militants in the Sughd region. The police found banned terrorist literature, audio and video tapes advocating terrorism, instructions on bomb manufacture, instructions on the use of Kalashnikov and other arms, and a map of Sughd. Tajik security forces found another bunker, 15 meters long, along with explosives near Isfara, on 29 January 2007. The Sughd region's Prosecutor General office said it believed Militant members of HT, the IMU, and possibly other terrorist organizations targeting the governments of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan used the bunker. Police are interrogating suspects.[8][9]
[edit] Border cooperation
[edit] Marzbon-2006
Border guards and officials from the defense, interior, and emergencies ministries, migration officials, and counternarcotics officials of the governments of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Russia held joint counterterrorism and counternarcotics exercises entitled "Marzbon-2006" on 7-8 August 2006.[10]
[edit] Xinjiang terror threat
The Chinese and Kyrgyz governments increased security along their borders with each other and Tajikistan on 11 January 2007 after Chinese government officials expressed concern that "international terrorists" were traveling through Xinjiang and Central Asia to carry out attacks. The warning followed a high profile raid on a training camp in Akto County, Xinjiang run by East Turkestan Islamic Movement members. General Sadyrbek Dubanayev, deputy chief of Kyrgyzstan's border guards, said, "After the announcement of the special operation by the Chinese side, we briefed everyone [security authorities on the Kyrgyz side] and then Kyrgyzstan and China decided to increase security along the border."[11]
[edit] Cooperation with China
[edit] Cooperation-2006 drill
The Tajik Defense Ministry held their first joint counterterrorism drill with China, entitled "Cooperation-2006," from 21-23 September 2006 on the Mumirak training grounds, in Khatlon region, Tajikistan. Defense Ministry spokesman Faridun Muhammadaliev said Chinese special forces worked with Tajik air and land forces with the Tajik army "contributing ground forces artillery, one special forces company of its rapid-reaction-force brigade, and one air forces company." The drill took place under the auspices of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.[12]
[edit] Cooperation with France
First Deputy Foreign Minister Saimumin Yatimov said the Tajik government does not have an agreement on the "NATO contingent's presence at the airport of Dushanbe, and the length of their deployment will depend on the stabilization of the situation in Afghanistan. We are part of the Anti-Terrorism Coalition, and stability in Afghanistan is in our country's best interest." There are 200 French troops involved in NATO-counter-terrorism operations in Afghanistan. The Tajik government is considering letting the Indian and Russian governments open a second base mutually accessible, in Aini military airfield. An agreement is expected to be reached "with Tajikistan's national and international interests in mind."[13]
[edit] Cooperation with Russia
Russia's Federal Security Service arrested Rustam Muminov, a member of Hizb ut-Tahrir who fought against the Tajik government in the civil war, on 17 October 2006. The FSB deported Muminov to Tashkent, Uzbekistan on 27 October. The FSB said Muminov "participated in military operations and punitive expeditions against supporters of the Tajik president and took part in the smuggling of weapons, narcotics, and gold into Tajikistan from Afghanistan" during the civil war. The Uzbek government wanted him extradited for his alleged involvement in the 2005 civil unrest in Uzbekistan.[14]
[edit] Cooperation with the United States
The governments of Tajikistan and the United States plan to hold their first join counter-terrorism drill from 28 January to 9 March 2007 at the military range in Fakhrabad military training center. United States Marines will train Tajik border guards and Special Forces in counter-terrorism operations.[15]
[edit] References
- ^ Tajik Supreme Court updates terror list RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty
- ^ Tajik Official Says Uzbeks Invented Regional Terror Group RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty
- ^ Alleged Islamic militants' trial adjourns in Kyrgyzstan RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty
- ^ a b Tajik authorities say female leader of banned Islamist group arrested RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty
- ^ Tajik court jails Hizb Ut-Tahrir members RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty
- ^ Tajikistan jails two alleged Hizb ut-Tahrir members RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty
- ^ a b Hizb-ut-Tahrir activist convicted in Tajikistan Interfax
- ^ Tajik forces 'Find bunker likely used by militants' RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty
- ^ Terrorist base found in Tajikistan ITAR-TASS
- ^ Security, drugs exercise under way in Central Asia RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty
- ^ China: Border security tightened amid 'terrorist infiltration' warning RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty
- ^ Tajik, Chinese Begin Counterterrorism Drill RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty
- ^ Tajikistan says NATO to stay until Afghanistan stable RIA Novosti
- ^ Russia says expelled Uzbek member Of terrorist group RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty
- ^ U.S. Marines to assist Tajikistan in anti-terrorism training RIA NOVOSTI
| Terrorism in Central Asia |
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Kazakhstan | Kyrgyzstan | Tajikistan | Turkmenistan | Uzbekistan |
