[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 49 (Thursday, April 5, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E585-E586]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


ISLAMIC EXTREMISTS FIND UNWITTING ALLIES IN CENTRAL ASIAN DICTATORSHIPS

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                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 4, 2001

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am utterly appalled by the Taliban 
regime's vicious campaign to stamp out freedom and religious tolerance 
in Afghanistan. But the Taliban's zeal to propagate a warped version of 
Islam--and the support for terrorism and drug trafficking that goes 
along with it--is not limited to Afghanistan. Already, an Islamic 
movement which was designated as a terrorist group by the United States 
Department of State has taken root in the Fergana valley area where the 
borders of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan meet. This insurgency 
has the full support and assistance of the despotic Taliban regime in 
Afghanistan.
  So far, Kazakhstan has not been directly affected by this insurgency. 
However, because of its oil and mineral wealth, Kazakhstan is the crown 
jewel of the region and is thus almost certainly the ultimate target of 
the Islamic extremists. Kazakhstan's authoritarian regime has taken 
note of the alarming developments with its neighbors to the south and 
has taken steps to strengthen its defenses. That's the good news. The 
bad news, however, is that President Nursultan Nazarbayev has also 
stepped up domestic repression.
  Mr. Speaker, the people of Kazakhstan know that they inhabit a rich 
country, but they also know that very little of that wealth trickles 
down to them. They are also not blind to the questionable elections, 
the stifling of press freedom, and the jailing of opposition leaders 
that have characterized the country's political life. They are losing 
hope, and thus they are vulnerable to the siren calls of the Islamic 
extremists. The parallel to the situation under Suharto in Indonesia 
ought to be instructive. Fortunately for Indonesia, Islamic extremists 
were not the beneficiaries of Suharto's ouster, but the same could not 
be said for Kazakhstan and some of its neighbors.
  In the March 3 issue of The Economist, there is an excellent article 
on Kazakhstan's security situation. The author of the article 
concludes: ``Government repression and mismanagement help to nourish 
extremism and terrorism in Central Asia. An effort to improve social 
and economic conditions and freedom of expression might make Kazakhstan 
less fertile ground for militant zealots.''
  That, Mr. Speaker, is the crux of the issue. I submit the full text 
of this article from The Economist to be placed in the Record following 
my remarks.
  Mr. Speaker, some here in Washington may be tempted to urge U.S. 
support for President Nazarbayev and the other authoritarian regimes in 
Central Asia, because they claim to be bulwarks of defense against 
Islamic extremism. Unfortunately, however, the Central Asian domestic 
political environment is the problem, not the solution. Only a 
democratic political system, a free press and respect for human rights 
will stop Islamic extremists. And the United States must stand with 
those governments in Central Asia who share these values.

                   [From The Economist, Mar. 3, 2001]

                         Kazakhstan--In Defense

       When the Soviet Union broke up ten years ago, the leaders 
     of Central Asia's newly independent states felt safe from 
     possible attacks on their region. Their main concern was to 
     promote order, economic reform and the assertion of power for 
     themselves and their families. The were jolted out of their 
     complacency by bomb blasts in Tashkent, the capital of 
     Uzbekistan, in February 1999 and an attack by Islamic 
     militants in Kirgizstan in August. Last year Islamists again 
     attacked both countries.
       Although Kazakhstan was not directly affected by these 
     attacks, they have alerted the country to look to its 
     defences. President Nursultan Nazarbaev has set about making 
     Kazakhstan's armed forces capable of dealing with what he 
     believes are the main threats to the state: terrorism as a 
     result of religious extremism, and organised crime.
       He is strengthening defences in the south, in the 
     mountainous border regions from which an Islamic incursion 
     might come. He wants his soldiers to be more mobile. Sniper 
     groups are being formed. Villagers with local knowledge of 
     the terrain are being recruited as guides. The country's 
     defence budget has been more than doubled this year to $171m, 
     or 1% of GDP. Soldiers' pay is to go up by 30-40%.
       One difficulty is that Kazakhstan's borders were not 
     clearly defined in Soviet times, so it is difficult to decide 
     what is a ``border incursion''. Kazakhstan has 14,000km 
     (8,750 miles) of borders with neighbouring states. It has 
     agreed on its border with China, but it is still negotiating 
     with Russia, Kirgizstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Bulat

[[Page E586]]

     Sultanov, of Kazakhstan's Institute of Strategic Studies, 
     worries that ``our border troops cannot carry out any 
     operations because there is no legal basis for them.''
       Last year, Uzbek border guards entered southern Kazakhstan 
     and claimed a stretch of land. Since then, there have been 
     several brushes between Uzbeks and Kazakhs, mostly villagers 
     unclear about which country they are living in. All this is a 
     distraction from the task of making the south of Kazakhstan 
     more secure.
       Then there is Afghanistan. Although Kazakhstan is not a 
     direct neighbour, the fiercely Islamic Taliban who control 
     most of Afghanistan are a worry to all of Central Asia. They 
     are believed to provide training for extremists, among them 
     the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), which wants to set 
     up a caliphate in the Fergana valley, where Kirgizstan, 
     Tajikistan and Uzbekistan meet. The IMU was said to be behind 
     the attacks in Kirgizstan and Uzbekistan in the past two 
     years and is thought to be preparing another assault before 
     long.
       Most of Kazakhstan's military equipment dates back to the 
     Soviet period. Replacing, say, old helicopters used in the 
     border areas will be expensive, but necessary. In January a 
     Mi-8 helicopter crashed in the south, injuring the defence 
     minister, Sat Tokpakbaev, who was aboard. Another helicopter 
     crashed near the Chinese border two weeks ago, killing six 
     people.
       Kazakhstan will receive arms from Russia worth $20m this 
     year as part of its annual payment for the use of a space-
     rocket site at Baikonur. It is due to receive over $4m from 
     the United States to improve border security. The government 
     might also consider some nonmilitary measures. Government 
     repression and mismanagement help to nourish extremism and 
     terrorism in Central Asia. An effort to improve social and 
     economic conditions and freedom of expression might make 
     Kazakhstan less fertile ground for militant zealots.

     

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