Uzbek TV
October 31

Uzbek Interior Minister Zohirjon Almatov has said that terrorism poses a threat to the Central Asian region and to Uzbekistan in particular. He said that the fight against it should be merciless. "Only then will our ideology win," Almatov said. He made his remarks at a meeting with representatives of public and neighbourhood activists broadcast on Uzbek TV on 31 October.

Presenter Quddus Azamov: Good evening. We all know that in October alone international terrorists committed various bloody crimes against people and carried out subversive activities in various parts of the world. For example, on the Indonesian island of Bali several cars full of explosives were blown up on 12 October, as a result of which over 200 innocent people were killed and more than 300 were seriously injured. Similar bloody incidents took place in the Philippines and in other parts of the world. Recently, on 23 October, at the Nord-Ost concert hall in Moscow a group of armed international terrorists took hostage about 800 people who had came to a concert. When talks with them brought no results the Russian government had to carry out a special operation against them. Almost all of the terrorists were killed, and unfortunately, according to the latest reports, about 120 hostages died. In short, international terrorism is committing bloody crimes in various parts of the world.

Terrorism threat to Central Asia

Almatov: Terrorist acts committed in recent times in various parts of the world have caused grievances to many families. Hundreds of people died, some children lost their parents, some parents lost their children, many families experienced great sufferings. Terrorism and sabotage in recent times have been threatening, we may say, all countries of the world. That threat reached both the USA, various countries in Europe, Turkey and the Philippines, and even Indonesia. Over several years it has been posing a threat to people living Central Asia as well. There is a threat.

We have gathered together today with members of our public and we should speak openly. Is there any threat of terrorism in Uzbekistan, to our dear land? If yes, what should we do against it? What should we do to prevent it? I think we must dwell on these issues and openly explain them to our people. Terrorist acts and subversive activities are still threatening our people. This is true. Why? Our people, I think, will never forget the events of 16 February 1999 bomb explosions in Tashkent, the 2002 infiltration of terrorist groups from neighbouring countries into our country, including the Yangiobod and Angren mountains and the Bostonliq mountainous areas of Tashkent Region , the mountainous areas of the Saryassiya and Uzun Districts in southern Surkhandarya Region, and all these events may confirm the existing threat.

Militants hiding in Tajikistan, Pakistan, Afghanistan

I would like to be frank and say one thing. Dozens of our lads are currently hiding in the mountains of neighbouring Tajikistan, in Tajik districts such as Gharm and Tavildara, and in border areas between Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as in Afghanistan itself and in other regions. Although they are badly disorganized now, they have not given up their plans. We should know about this. Regarding a question as to whether acts of terrorism or sabotage are possible in our country, no-one can guarantee that such acts will not happen in our country. But these kinds of acts can be prevented. To do this, all our people, the public, our neighbourhoods, neighbourhood leaders and voluntary Neighbourhood Watch groups should cooperate with the law-enforcement agencies, and thus strengthen our weak link. By weak points we mean the work that is not yet being done in localities, the lack of control over those who are living in our neighbourhood without registration, coming from somewhere else with an unknown aim. We can prevent such acts by sorting out the existing issues together, by building a strong obstacle to terrorist acts or sabotage. So, you are right, there is a threat, and it is up to us to avert it.

Azamov: Today the issue is delicate because international terrorism is not directly attacking an army, Interior Ministry officers, but civilians. They are taking hostage peaceful and unarmed people, blowing them up, killing them, and so I would like to address you the audience : what conclusions should the public draw? What should the tasks of the public be on this issue?

International terrorism threat to Uzbekistan

Azamov: It has become clear from our talk so far that the first major conclusion is that terrorism has no boundaries. We must be ready to prevent that threat. The second conclusion is that international terrorism poses a threat to Uzbekistan. That threat existed in the past as well, no-one can guarantee that it will not be there tomorrow. Because, even if America has no such guarantee, Russia has no such guarantee, Australia has no such guarantee, not a single state can say: we are free from terrorism, we have no such threat. What should the public, in particular, the neighbourhoods do to prevent that threat of terrorism, or in other words, frankly speaking, to prevent innocent people from becoming their victims?

Azamov: A few years ago, and even now, there are some women, unfortunately, among us, who come back from a foreign country, be it the Middle East, or the South, they are representatives of such a great nation, dressed in black. They bring their ideas to our country. Yesterday we saw it in Moscow: first they dress women in black, then give them pistols, then tie explosives on them, and from a distance they order them to kill themselves, to cause damage to their own people. We have hundreds of organizations, women's committees, activists, should our women draw conclusions from all that?

Sharifa Egamberdiyeva, the head of the women's committee of Shaykhantohur neighbourhood: Yes, I agree with you. In his book, the National Independence Ideology, our president Islam Karimov uses the term "ideological testing ground".

Moscow women hostage-takers victims of ideology

Now about recent events in Moscow. All women, mothers would never want their children to serve evil forces. Those women among the hostage takers also have mothers. Unfortunately they were led astray. They were dressed in black with "Allahu Akbar" Allah is great written on their foreheads, and by writing the name of God they did bad things. Those women do not have morals. They do not have any kind of knowledge, neither religious nor scientific. I consider them to be victims of an ideological testing ground. We are discussing these issues in neighbourhoods and drawing the necessary conclusions.

Terrorism should be mentioned at Friday prayers

A neighbourhood activist There are big prayers every Friday. Thousands of people from the neighbourhoods attend. I would like to ask the respected Mufti to give 10 minutes to imams at mosques every day and every Friday to speak about terrorism, traitors and the damage that they are causing, about how they are joining militant groups. It would be better if they speak on these topics in more detail for 5-10 minutes and then continue their prayers. I think we would be protecting our country, motherland and ourselves.

Terrorism should be fought mercilessly

Almatov: Our president said that we should fight for peace. If we do not organize the fight we will not have good results. We must fight mercilessly, we should fight against them presumably religious extremists and terrorists mercilessly. Only then will our ideology win.

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