he Uzbek capital, Tashkent, police have set up a special department for combating terrorism, religious extremism and organized crime, Uzbek TV reported on 9th November.

"The world community is much concerned about such evils as terrorism and religious extremism, which are now turning their bleak faces towards independent Uzbekistan. This is why a special department has been set up under the Tashkent Main Internal Affairs Directorate to fight terrorism, religious extremism and organized crime," TV said over video of policemen snatching imaginary terrorists.

The report said that "radical" changes were taking place in the Internal Affairs Ministry structure, without specifying what was being changed, except that more than 450 police stations had been set up and equipped in Tashkent.

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he Uzbek Supreme Court today continued to hear the case of 12 alleged terrorists, Uzbek TV reported. Only three of the accused are attending the trial, the other nine are being tried in absentia. In testimony on 9th November, the three accused disclosed details of their plans to launch a jihad (holy war) against Uzbekistan, the report said.

The TV report showed one of the accused, identified as Ulughbek Mahmudov, and recounted how he took the path of subversion. It said that the accused tried to escape from the military camps, but in vain.

Ulughbek Mahmudov said: "Here I have heard much evidence from the victims. Can Muslims do such things as beheading and blood-letting? In a word, I ask you for forgiveness".

The second accused, identified as Abdulla Vohidov, was engaged in sending Uzbek Islamic Movement members to Tajikistan's Tavildara District for military training, the TV report said. He sent a total of 60 people to Tajikistan, the report added. It said that sending militants back from Tajikistan to Uzbekistan's southern Saryassiya and eastern Bostanlyk districts earlier this year was not a jihad, but was aimed at getting ready for the jihad.

Abdulla Vohidov said: "It was assumed that attacks would be launched once the order had been received. There was no order that the group of 18-20 people should fight immediately after crossing the border. Apparently, fighting broke out when they were noticed. But the boys were strictly told not to attack without the order [to do so] and that others were coming to their aid. There was a Tajik national from the town of (?Omsk) He was preparing boys for the jihad against Uzbekistan. Everything was ready. Tajik [militants] also expressed their support."

The TV also said that the third accused, Usmon Shukurov, gave evidence against the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan's leaders, Tohir Yoldosh and Juma Namongoniy, who are being tried in absentia. (Uzbek Radio, November 9)

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esidents of Uzbekistan were able to watch this major event live. For the first time, the US embassy in Uzbekistan organized the live relaying of the final stage of the US election campaign.

On Wednesday [8th November], monitors and TV sets were installed at a major hotel in the Uzbek capital, the Intercontinental, which broadcast the election process uninterruptedly. Prominent members of the public and numerous journalists were invited to come there. The new US ambassador to Uzbekistan, John Edward Herbst, initiated the proceedings, in keeping with tradition, with opening remarks in Uzbek. He said that, despite the great distance that separated Uzbekistan and America, the television link brought the two countries closer together. The ambassador thanked all those who had come to watch the major event in his country. Then he said in his native English that he took pride in his country, which he was happy to represent.

"Most US citizens, like we now in Tashkent, are watching the election process," the ambassador said. "This is further evidence of how close the countries are to each other."

The senior diplomat went on to note that the purpose of organizing the direct broadcast was to give Uzbek citizens the opportunity to watch how elections were carried out in the USA. That is why experts ready to make comments on the country's electoral system were invited there. The ambassador said that not only the presidential elections, but also the elections to the Senate and the House of Representatives, as well as the elections of governors, were also important. Speaking about mutual relations between the two countries, the ambassador stressed that, irrespective of who would be the president of the USA, the cooperation between the two countries would develop further.

The US envoy in Tashkent said that 600 US citizens were in Uzbekistan on the day of the elections. In reply to a question about how many of them had voted, he said he did not know, since it was their right to vote or not to vote.

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