Uzbeks worry what awaits them as U.S. soldiers come for fight against terrorism

By Burt Herman

Associated Press

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan – With U.S. soldiers on their way to Uzbekistan, a base for the war on terrorism, Uzbeks are wary of what will happen when the Americans depart and they are left alone to deal with what remains in neighboring Afghanistan.

Trying to convince a wary public, the government launched a media campaign Friday to persuade the country’s 24 million people that offering an air base is the right thing to do.

The main evening news led with President Islam Karimov’s Friday meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, airing the president’s comments at length. And in a commentary, the head of a government-run polling institute also claimed that a majority of Uzbeks supported playing host to U.S. soldiers.

“We should help America because our country is near the center of international terrorism,” said Oman Otamirzayev, who runs the Center for the Study of Public Opinion.

Still, getting an accurate indication of public opinion is no easy task in a country where opposition parties are virtually nonexistent after years of crackdowns and intimidation.

Even the sole candidate running against Karimov in national elections in 1999 admitted he didn’t vote for himself – but instead for Karimov, who has run Uzbekistan with Soviet-style heavy-handedness since even before its 1991 independence.

Signs of U.S. cultural influence aren’t hard to spot in Tashkent, where the main pedestrian drag is called “Broadway” and restaurants boast of “real American flavor.” But U.S. soldiers are an entirely different thing – and many people are wary of getting drawn into a conflict they’ve been trying desperately to avoid.

“I’m afraid for my family, but I understand that they need us,” said army Maj. Ruslan Tadjebayev, 35, strolling down Broadway to buy videotapes with his wife Oxana and 8-year-old daughter Alina.

“We have very bad neighbors,” he said. “If we had Sweden, Switzerland and France as neighbors, then I wouldn’t be afraid.”

Uzbekistan shares a 85-mile border to the south with Afghanistan, which it has kept tightly closed since 1997, after the Taliban took power just across the frontier.

Nonetheless, the country has also been fighting its own terrorist group, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan – which also has bases in Afghanistan and is connected to Osama bin Laden. A series of bombings in February 1999 in the capital that killed 13 and injured about 120 were blamed on the group.

“If America doesn’t destroy the bandits’ bases in Afghanistan, all of Central Asia will burst into flame,” said Sergei Yezhkov, a political analyst for the state-run newspaper Pravda Vostok.

Ruling out the possibility of all-out war, Yezhkov said the narrowly focused U.S. campaign against terrorism wouldn’t leave Uzbekistan with a lingering conflict.

“The American operation won’t change the political situation in Uzbekistan,” he said. “It’s not a war against all of Afghanistan, it’s only the liquidation of bases and bandits.”

Even before Karimov’s announcement Friday, another state-run newspaper, Narodnoe Slovo, wrote that the “government will do everything necessary for the stability and tranquility of the people.”

The rhetoric still wasn’t convincing to people on Broadway. Selling an assortment of sunglasses, batteries and film, Yelena Shishkina, 23, said she’d prefer that her country not put up the U.S. soldiers – even for humanitarian missions.

“American troops will go back to their homeland and the Uzbek people will remain face-to-face with the Afghan problem,” she said.

Copyright ©2001 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Customers enter and exit the Costco on Dec. 2, 2022, in Lake Stevens. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Costco stores could be impacted by looming truck driver strike threat

Truck drivers who deliver groceries and produce to Costco warehouses… Continue reading

Two Washington State ferries pass along the route between Mukilteo and Clinton as scuba divers swim near the shore Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, in Mukilteo, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Ferry system increases ridership by a half million in 2024

Edmonds-Kingston route remains second-busiest route in the system.

New Greater Everett Chamber of Commerce CEO CEO Wendy Poischbeg speaks at a kick off event on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
‘Everett Rising’: Wednesday’s chamber luncheon to showcase a new era of growth.

The Greater Everett Chamber of Commerce is beginning its efforts… Continue reading

The Edmonds School District building on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025 in Lynnwood, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Edmonds School District faces estimated $8.5 million deficit

The shortfall is lower than previous years, but the effects are “cumulative,” Superintendent Rebecca Miner said.

Hundreds rally against Trump on Presidents Day in Everett

People lined Broadway with signs and flags, similar to other protests across the country

Robin Cain with 50 of her marathon medals hanging on a display board she made with her father on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Running a marathon is hard. She ran one in every state.

Robin Cain, of Lake Stevens, is one of only a few thousand people to ever achieve the feat.

People line up to grab food at the Everett Recovery Cafe on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Coffee, meals and compassion are free at the Everett Recovery Cafe

The free, membership-based day center offers free coffee and meals and more importantly, camaraderie and recovery support.

Alina Langbehn, 6, center, and Vera A., 6, right, sit on a swing together at Drew Nielsen Neighborhood Park after school on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett council votes to renovate Drew Nielsen Park

Construction on the $345,000 upgrade could start as early as this fall.

The Everett Wastewater Treatment Plant along the Snohomish River on Thursday, June 16, 2022 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett water, sewer rates could jump 43% by 2028

The rate hikes would pay for improvements to the city’s sewer infrastructure.

The bond funded new track and field at Northshore Middle School on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024 in Bothell, Washington. (Courtesy of Northshore School District)
Northshore School District bond improvements underway

The $425 million bond is funding new track and field complexes, playgrounds and phase one of two school replacements.

Northshore School District bus driver Stewart O’Leary pictured next to his buses shattered drivers side windshield on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025 in Bothell, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
‘Put me in, coach’: Bus driver back at work after struck by metal bar

Stewart O’Leary, a Northshore employee, has received national attention for his composure during a frightening bus trip.

Lynnwood councilor Joshua Binda speaks during a Lynnwood City Council meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Does the Lynnwood Council VP live in Lynnwood? It’s hard to say.

Josh Binda’s residency has been called into question following an eviction and FEC filings listing an Everett address. He insists he lives in Lynnwood.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.