US does not rule out Uzbekistan sanctions

Reuters October 27 The United States has not yet decided whether to impose sanctions on Uzbekistan over human rights abuses including the bloody suppression of an uprising in May, a State Department official said on Thursday. Daniel Fried, assistant secretary of state for Europe and Eurasia, told lawmakers the United States "will consult with our European friends and evaluate whether what we are doing is sufficient. I can't answer your questions about decisions that haven't been made, but this is something we are actively reviewing." The European Union in September imposed an arms embargo and visa bans on Uzbek officials because of what it said was disproportionate and indiscriminate use of force in Andizhan, where witnesses said soldiers killed as many as 500 people during the May uprising. Fried told lawmakers he went to Uzbekistan four weeks ago in the first high level meeting since the May uprising. "My message was we want to have better relations with you but there is a serious problem." He said the Bush administration was waiting to see how Uzbek President Islam Karimov responded. After the House of Representatives International Relations subcommittee hearing, Fried said his response "doesn't mean we are, it doesn't mean we're not" weighing sanctions. "I don't want to go further right now." Rep. William Delahunt, a Massachusetts Democrat, blasted the administration for what he called hypocritical treatment of Uzbekistan as it condemns other countries for human rights abuses. Delahunt blamed it on the Pentagon's use of the Karshi-Khanabad Air Base, called K-2, for U.S. operations in Afghanistan. Uzbekistan in July gave the United States 180 days to leave the Soviet-era base after Washington criticized its violent suppression of the uprising. "If we're going to preach about democracy we're going to have to make difficult decisions. We're not going to sell our values out for basing rights, particularly when (Defense) Secretary (Donald) Rumsfeld himself noted that there were options to the base in Uzbekistan," said Delahunt.