Is Bush Creating Another Frankenstein?
 

Uzbekistan may not crop up in everyday conversation and may not even have a contestant in the Miss Universe contest, but it may soon figure prominently in our security. Independent now, it was once part of the Soviet Union. It's president, Islam Karimov, has recently received $500 million from G W Bush and a license from Tony Blair to be able to import any weapons he wants from Great Britain. Why are Bush and Blair cultivating the friendship of President Karimov? Uzbekistan sits in the middle of central Asia's gas and oil fields. That shouldn't raise any alarms except for one little fact. Karamov imprisons Muslims for practicing their religion if they don't praise him in their prayers or if they worship privately.

Our State Dept. is quick to point out the progress Uzbekistan has made in human rights. It now imposes sentences of only 7-12 years for its religious prisoners instead of 12-19 years. They leave out the fact that many don't live long enough to serve out the longer sentence. They usually die from the harsh and horrific tortures they are subjected to under the Karamov regime.

The bodies of two Muslim religious prisoners were returned to their families for burial in August. The body of one, had burns over 60-70% of his body that doctors who examined it said could only have come from being immersed in boiling water. He also had several large bruises and no fingernails on his hands. Uzbekistan authorities refused to allow anyone to see the second body. It's almost impossible for a civilized mind to conceive of what tortures that second body could possibly have been subjected to for it to have been hidden. How much more sadistic torture could they have devised that could be worse than being beaten, having fingernails pulled out and being boiled alive?

What effect will our support of yet another country that persecutes Muslims have on our nation's security? The Bush/Blair policies seem to be deliberate attempts to inflame the passions of fundamentalist Islamists and provoke more attacks. These "Coalition" partners are well aware of the religious persecution and human rights atrocities being carried out in Uzbekistan, yet they are determined to secure the gas and oil deposits before securing the safety of the citizens of their countries. Where are their priorities? In a democracy, should a leader who endangers the people be allowed to remain in a position of power? If this doesn't indicate a total lack of concern, the best that can be said is that it shows a total lack of good judgment.

U.S. Special Forces are training Uzbekistan's military. With money from Bush and unlimited purchase of weapons from Blair are we creating another monster, another enemy to be? Historically, our record is not a shining example of success. We supported the Taliban in Afghanistan, Saddam Hussein in Iraq and the Wahhabi regime in Saudi Arabia in the same way and look what it has gotten us. The friendships were short-lived and each resulted in American deaths. The Taliban supported binLaden, we've had two wars with Iraq and Saudi Arabia financed al Qaeda. Our interference in bringing governments to power to promote our self interests have all turned out to be disasters. What will this new Frankenstein we're creating bring?

10-30-03