Associated Press
December 6
zbek President Islam Karimov told parliament Thursday that his government intends to reopen the only bridge across the river border into Afghanistan , potentially opening the way for bigger humanitarian aid deliveries.
The Friendship Bridge spans the Amu Darya River and joins Termez, in Uzbekistan, to the Afghan town of Hairaton, about 40 miles from Mazar-e-Sharif, the largest city in northern Afghanistan.
The Soviet army built the bridge for its war in the Afghanistan, and used it to withdraw after its defeat against U.S.-backed Afghan fighters 12 years ago. It has been closed since 1997, when the Taliban took power on the other side.
Uzbekistan has balked at opening the bridge to let humanitarian aid flow faster into Afghanistan, citing security concerns. Aid groups say the refusal has severely hampered efforts to get food and other aid in, and governments including the United States have pressed for it to be opened.
``We are prepared to open the Termez bridge, but to do so we must provide for the security of the city of Termez. This bridge is being opened not for political games, but to restore the friendly ties between our two peoples,'' Karimov said.
He told reporters the citizens of Termez must be protected from ``an unforeseen situation.''
Karimov did not say when the bridge would be opened, but he said specialists who examined indicated ``it has been well enough preserved that the scheduled for reopening it can be accelerated.''
Karimov also said he doubted reports that Juma Namangani, an Uzbek militant leader with alleged ties to Osama bin Laden 's al-Qaida network, was killed in combat last month in northern Afghanistan.
``These are all guesses and suppositions,'' Karimov said. ``There is no documentary or visual confirmation. So if you ask me whether I believe it, I'll say I do not.''
Namangani, the military leader of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, was sentenced to death after being convicted in absentia of involvement in deadly 1999 bombing attacks the government claims targeted Karimov.
Karimov, the authoritarian leader has ruled Uzbekistan since the Soviet era, spoke to parliament the same day that it scheduled a referendum next month to extend the five-year term he won in January 2000 by another two years.
In 1995, parliament extended Karimov's first presidential term by five yeas, and he was easily re-elected last year in a vote criticized by the U.S. State Department, which said the government refused to register truly independent opposition parties or permit their members to run.
Karimov also publicly stated for the first time that U.S. troops are in Uzbekistan, where the Pentagon has said there are about 1,000 U.S. servicemen stationed.
Fewer than 1,500 U.S. troops are in Uzbekistan, he said, adding that ``not one of them has cross the Uzbek-Afghan border, that is they are mostly carrying out functions of a humanitarian character.''
He said they were being used solely for search-and-rescue operations. The Pentagon has said that some members of the 10th Mountain Division deployed in Uzbekistan have been sent to Afghanistan.
Uzbekistan in September offered the United States use of its airspace and bases for humanitarian and search-and-rescue operations in the war in Afghanistan, but said they could not be used for combat.
In Kyrgyzstan, another former Soviet republic in Central Asia, the lower house of parliament on Thursday approved use of the main international airport to base U.S. planes.
Deputy Foreign Minister Asanbek Osmonaliyev told lawmakers the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek had requested use of the Manas airport Tuesday, and that the government had approved the request. He said the airport could be used for both humanitarian and military flights.