Terrorism in Central Asia
Encyclopedia
Terrorism in Central Asia is largely a cross-border phenomenon. The source of most terrorists and terrorist organizations that operate in Central Asia
is Afghanistan
due to the former presence of the Taliban, and the Ferghana Valley due to the Tajik Civil War.1
and Kyrgyz
governments increased security along their borders with each other and Tajikistan
on 11 January 2007 after Chinese government officials expressed concern that "international terrorists" were traveling through Xinjiang
and Central Asia to carry out attacks. The warning followed a high profile raid on a training camp in Akto County
, Xinjiang
run by East Turkestan Islamic Movement
members. General Sadyrbek Dubanayev, deputy chief of Kyrgyzstan's border guards, said, "After the announcement of the special operation by the Chinese side, we briefed everyone [security authorities on the Kyrgyz side] and then Kyrgyzstan and China decided to increase security along the border."
, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for Europe and Eurasia, testified on the threat of terrorism
in Central Asia before the U.S. House of Representatives' subcommittee on the Middle East and Central Asia on 29 October 2003. Jones said the greatest threats to the Central Asia
n states are the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan
, which she described as an Islamic terrorist organization, and Hizb ut-Tahrir
, which praises attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq
. She said that despite the death of IMU leader Juma Namangani, the "IMU is still active in the region – particularly in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan – and it represents a serious threat to the region and therefore to our interests."
, the United States Director of National Intelligence
, testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee in an annual review of security threats on 11 January 2007 that the "repression, leadership stasis and corruption that tend to characterize these regimes [in Central Asia] provide fertile soil for the development of radical Islamic sentiment and movements, and raise the questions about the Central Asian states' reliability as energy and counterterrorism partners."
said on 24 June 2005 that members of the Taliban, IMU, and other terrorist organizations trained in Pakistan and Afghanistan for carrying out attacks in Central Asia and Russia. Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Jalil Abbas Jilani denied that terrorists trained in Pakistan, citing the appreciation of the United States for the Pakistani government's support in the War on Terror
.
, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Iran
participated in an anti-terrorism conference on 14 July 2005 focusing on preventing attacks against oil and natural gas pipelines in the Caspian Sea
. Russian President Vladimir Putin
attended.
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
is Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
due to the former presence of the Taliban, and the Ferghana Valley due to the Tajik Civil War.1
China
The ChineseGovernment of the People's Republic of China
All power within the government of the People's Republic of China is divided among three bodies: the People's Republic of China, State Council, and the People's Liberation Army . This article is concerned with the formal structure of the state, its departments and their responsibilities...
and Kyrgyz
Politics of Kyrgyzstan
The Politics of Kyrgyzstan takes place in the framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the President is head of state and the Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan is head of government. Executive power is exercised by the government...
governments increased security along their borders with each other and Tajikistan
Tajikistan
Tajikistan , officially the Republic of Tajikistan , is a mountainous landlocked country in Central Asia. Afghanistan borders it to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and China to the east....
on 11 January 2007 after Chinese government officials expressed concern that "international terrorists" were traveling through Xinjiang
Xinjiang
Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...
and Central Asia to carry out attacks. The warning followed a high profile raid on a training camp in Akto County
Akto County
The Akto County is a county in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and is under the administration of the Kizilsu Kirghiz Autonomous Prefecture. It contains an area of 24,107 km2...
, Xinjiang
Xinjiang
Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...
run by East Turkestan Islamic Movement
East Turkestan Islamic Movement
The East Turkestan Islamic Movement The East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) The East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) (also known as the Turkistan Islamic Movement (TIM), and other names; is a Waziri based mujahideen organization. Its stated goals are the independence of East Turkestan and the...
members. General Sadyrbek Dubanayev, deputy chief of Kyrgyzstan's border guards, said, "After the announcement of the special operation by the Chinese side, we briefed everyone [security authorities on the Kyrgyz side] and then Kyrgyzstan and China decided to increase security along the border."
Jones testimony
A. Elizabeth JonesA. Elizabeth Jones
A. Elizabeth Jones served as the U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan, from 1995 to 1997. She served as the U.S. assistant secretary of state for Europe and Eurasia in 2003. She was promoted to the rank of Career Ambassador in 2004....
, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for Europe and Eurasia, testified on the threat of terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
in Central Asia before the U.S. House of Representatives' subcommittee on the Middle East and Central Asia on 29 October 2003. Jones said the greatest threats to the Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
n states are the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan
Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan
The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan is a militant Islamist group formed in 1991 by the Islamic ideologue Tahir Yuldashev, and former Soviet paratrooper Juma Namangani—both ethnic Uzbeks from the Fergana Valley...
, which she described as an Islamic terrorist organization, and Hizb ut-Tahrir
Hizb ut-Tahrir
Hizb ut-Tahrir is an international Sunni. pan-Islamic political organisation but keeps it open for all including shias,some of its beliefs are against sunni school of thought, whose goal is for all Muslim countries to unify as an Islamic state or caliphate ruled by Islamic law and with a caliph...
, which praises attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. She said that despite the death of IMU leader Juma Namangani, the "IMU is still active in the region – particularly in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan – and it represents a serious threat to the region and therefore to our interests."
Negroponte testimony
John NegroponteJohn Negroponte
John Dimitri Negroponte is an American diplomat. He is currently a research fellow and lecturer in international affairs at Yale University's Jackson Institute for Global Affairs...
, the United States Director of National Intelligence
United States Director of National Intelligence
The Director of National Intelligence , is the United States government official subject to the authority, direction and control of the President, who is responsible under the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 for:...
, testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee in an annual review of security threats on 11 January 2007 that the "repression, leadership stasis and corruption that tend to characterize these regimes [in Central Asia] provide fertile soil for the development of radical Islamic sentiment and movements, and raise the questions about the Central Asian states' reliability as energy and counterterrorism partners."
Afghanistan and Pakistan terrorist training
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey LavrovSergey Lavrov
Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov is the Foreign Minister of Russia. Prior to that, Lavrov was a Soviet diplomat and Russia's ambassador to the United Nations from 1994 to 2004. Lavrov speaks Russian, English, French and Sinhala....
said on 24 June 2005 that members of the Taliban, IMU, and other terrorist organizations trained in Pakistan and Afghanistan for carrying out attacks in Central Asia and Russia. Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Jalil Abbas Jilani denied that terrorists trained in Pakistan, citing the appreciation of the United States for the Pakistani government's support in the War on Terror
War on Terror
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
.
Regional cooperation
The governments of Russia, AzerbaijanAzerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
participated in an anti-terrorism conference on 14 July 2005 focusing on preventing attacks against oil and natural gas pipelines in the Caspian Sea
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...
. Russian President Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
attended.