NEWS: EU Bans Sales Of Arms To Key WoT Ally, Uzbekistan

The European Union has placed an arms embargo on Uzbekistan over its violent supression of protestors earlier this year in Andijan. The EU has also decided to deny Uzbek high officials visas to enter EU member states. The travel bans are a result of Tashkent's refusal to allow an independant enquiry into the governments violent quelling of protests. The Uzbek government claims less than 200 people died in the mainly Islamic uprising whilst human rights groups claim the government fired upon unarmed civilians and the death toll was much greater.



Good for the EU!

Its good to see that political expediency is taking a back seat to morality. I wish the Americans would revoke Uzbekistan's ally status and they should remove their base from Uzbekistan and their truly evil regime.

The only thing Karimov should be recieving from the West is a cruise missile through his office window

[edit on 3/10/05 by subz]

Where are you getting that Uzbekistan is now a key U.S. ally?

Uzbekistan is kicking the U.S. out after we made similar inquiries:

...
In July, Uzbekistan gave the United States 180 days to close its other base in Central Asia, at Karshi Khanabad in the south of the country after it and other Western countries called for an inquiry into the alleged massacre by Uzbek security forces in Andijan in May, in which human rights activists say hundreds of unarmed Uzbek civilians were killed.
...

Forbes

Doesn't sound like a key ally to me...

The reason I vote no isn't because of the story itself, but the biased assumption. I will post my reason so it is not in question.

Have they removed the US base yet, dj?

Heres a bit of a contradiction. You know Karimov's police who opened fire on those unarmed protestors? They were co-funded by your tax dollars.

The estimated $91.6 million budgeted by all U.S. Government agencies for assistance programs in Uzbekistan in Fiscal Year 2005 is allocated roughly as follows based on information available as of the date of this fact sheet:

Democracy Programs $9.3 million

Economic and Social Reform $17.0 million

Security & Law Enforcement* $63.3 million

Humanitarian Assistance $1.0 million

Cross Sectoral Initiatives $1.0 million

www.state.gov...

This is a report from August 2005, it came after the Andijan masacre. There is no mention of ceasing fiscal aid to the Karimov regime.

[edit on 3/10/05 by subz]

Originally posted by Thomas Crowne
The reason I vote no isn't because of the story itself, but the biased assumption. I will post my reason so it is not in question.

I thought you were allowed a biased assumption in the concluding paragraph? Has that changed? Was my openning paragraph biased?

So quick to cut them off, But selling arms to China results in a huge debate, and requires US / UK pressure not too? Was the supression of protestors in Tienneman Square Not violent enough for the the EU?

[edit on 10/3/05 by FredT]

I suppose it probably has something to do with Andijan occuring 5 months ago whilst Tiannamen Square was 16 years ago.

True, but what has changed fundementaly in China that would make a protest like that any different in result?

A vote no because of bias is also allowed, right?

The information is good to know, but the extra is misleading. I expect that from CNN and Fox....

Nevermind me, I rarely vote, so I'll not be a usual stumbling block.

Originally posted by subz
Heres a bit of a contradiction. You know Karimov's police who opened fire on those unarmed protestors? They were co-funded by your tax dollars.

I don't think you read the explanation:

* Approximately $38.5 million of this total is to support Cooperative Threat Reduction programs to destroy and dismantle weapons of mass destruction sources and capacity.
...
Security and nonproliferation assistance continues to focus on supporting military reform, improving Uzbekistan’s counter-proliferation capabilities, promoting regional cooperation, and improving border security to help stop the flow of illegal narcotics, weapons of mass destruction (WMD), and other illicit items through Uzbekistan. However, funding for two components of security assistance, Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and International Military Education and Training (IMET), was cut off in 2004 and 2005, and remain so, due to Uzbekistan's failure to meet its framework commitments on human rights and democratization.

With FY 2002 funds, the Aviation/Interdiction Project (A/IP) made all Uzbekistan Air Force aircraft NATO interoperable through communications upgrades. Our Export Control and Related Border Security Assistance (EXBS) program and Aviation Interdiction Project continue to work with Uzbek export control officials, including customs, border security, and export-import officials to improve their export licensing regime, support weapons proliferation prevention capabilities, and prevent other illicit trafficking. Other essential nonproliferation assistance the U.S. provides to Uzbekistan includes funding to secure biological pathogens and to conduct joint research and disease surveillance activities with biological and chemical scientists. The U.S. funds Science Centers and Bio-Chem Redirect, and BioIndustry Initiative programs and works through the multilateral Science and Technology Center in Ukraine (STCU) to engage scientists in transparent, sustainable, cooperative civilian research projects. The U.S. also provides nonproliferation assistance to the Civilian Research and Development Foundation (CRDF). The Department of Energy is helping to secure nuclear materials.

Law enforcement assistance programs seek to introduce Western methods and standards for criminal investigations and prosecutions, strengthen counternarcotics capabilities, and help reform and restructure the Prosecutor’s Office and law enforcement agencies. Assistance promotes proper treatment of prisoners through prison service training and seeks to prevent the use of torture in the course of police investigations. Training provided to law enforcement and security personnel includes human rights awareness Participants are vetted with the Department of State to ensure we do not have information that they have participated in human rights violations.

www.state.gov...

And yes, the U.S. is in the process of moving the assets at the Uzbek base.

Basically a new politburo and leader. As well as greater foreign investment in their country. Coupled with the chances of alienating Hong Kong and dashing their hopes of unifying Taiwan with the mainland. I'd say there is enough reason to believe that another Tianamen Square is completely out of the question in the PRC.

16 years is quite a long time to hold a grudge against an entire nation, regardless of what occured. What would the world be like if we held 16+year grudges against the likes of Germany and Japan following WW2? We also cant single out the EU as being hypocritical here, where was the American outrage at supplying American arms to NPT renegages such as Israel, India and Pakistan?

Originally posted by Thomas Crowne
A vote no because of bias is also allowed, right?

The information is good to know, but the extra is misleading. I expect that from CNN and Fox....

Nevermind me, I rarely vote, so I'll not be a usual stumbling block.

If the bias is in the openning paragraph, yes you can vote it down as being biased. Or if the original news source article is biased you can vote it down. But the authour is allowed to present their biased opinion on the story in the concluding paragraph.

I really think something needs to be done about the voting procedure. I hate sounding like a broken record but people are voting erroneously and its a major disincentive to authours. Maybe a stickied thread in ATSNN outline what the voting system entails?

Alientating Hong Kong? Why would they care, they have a tight grip on what is going on there. And they seem ill concerned about what Taiwan thinks and I doubt it would stop them from killing a few protestors. protestors. The only thing that foreign investement in the Middle Kingdom has done is further entrench the Communist leadership there.

Ah, I see, Subz. Ignorant voters are screwing up elections all over the place! I'm one of them!

Except the title seems a bit askew as this war seems to be predominantly ours, and it seems they have a problem with us, too.

[edit on 4-10-2005 by Thomas Crowne]

Originally posted by Thomas Crowne
Ah, I see, Subz. Ignorant voters are screwing up elections all over the place! I'm one of them!

Except the title seems a bit askew as this war seems to be predominantly ours, and it seems they have a problem with us, too.

Hey, if the voting rules are not clear enough that even Super Mods are misunderstanding it, then the misunderstanding is really widespread

Originally posted by FredT
Alientating Hong Kong? Why would they care, they have a tight grip on what is going on there.

I dont think thats accurate. Hong Kong is a special administrative region and that region grew up under British rule. They have recently (up to '97) lived under a democratic and capitalist setting. The PRC knows that if they push too hard they'll have another Taiwan on their hands and with a sympathetic Commonwealth siding with Hong Kong.

The PRC dont need to carry out another Tianamen Square masacre to get their point across to their people. The capitalist and democratic tide has already turned in China and the politburo themselves are riding that wave to prosperity. Lets not forget that the 2008 Olympics are in Beijing. Do you really think that lowly of the PRC's intellect that you think they'd unleash a can of whoop-ass on protestors now? How masochistic do you think they are?

Originally posted by FredT
And they seem ill concerned about what Taiwan thinks and I doubt it would stop them from killing a few protestors.

I disagree. They care quite abit what the Taiwanese think. The Chinese know that forcible repatriation of Taiwan is off the cards because they have the United States in the way. The current and historic method the Chinese have employed with Taiwan is to cajole the population into actually wanting to become a part of the mainland again. That aim is not best served with more Tianamen Squares, is it?

Originally posted by FredT
The only thing that foreign investement in the Middle Kingdom has done is further entrench the Communist leadership there.

So it hasnt caused explosive growth in the Chinese economy and vast increase in the average living standard of the Chinese citizen?

[edit on 4/10/05 by subz]

Well FredT a lot of it has to do with leadership.

I do believe the people incharge of Uzbekistan are the same people that took part in the massacre earlier this year, where as those in China are a completly different Government. [Although same structure.]

However, I do not think selling arms to China is a good idea they still have a long way to go in my mind till trade of such things should be O.Ked by the E.U.

The Uzbek opposition has lauded the EU sanctions brought against the Karimov regime.

Opposition groups in Uzbekistan say they are encouraged by the European Union's decision to bring sanctions against the Central Asian country.

The EU has said it will ban weapons exports to Uzbekistan, and will also refuse visas to certain officials.

The move is in response to Uzbekistan's refusal to allow an independent investigation into unrest in Andijan.

news.bbc.co.uk...

Seems to of been the correct decision, no?