The Hindu, India
Aug 2 2004

Russia, allies hold anti-terror war games in Central Asia
Moscow, Aug. 2 (PTI): Russia and its allies today began five-days of
anti-terror military war games to foil possible attempts by
terrorists to destabilise the situation in Central Asia.

The first stage of the ‘Rubezh 2004’ joint exercise involving the
armed forces from the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO)
of Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrghyzistan and Tajikistan began in
Kazakhstan to evolve the procedure of adopting necessary documents
for carrying out anti-terror operations on the territory of one of
the member countries. Armenia and Belarus, which are also members of
the CSTO, are sending their observers.

“This procedure will focus, in particular, on the preparation of
documents for a joint operation to localise and destroy militant
formations in Central Asia, which could attempt to overrun Ferghana
Valley (Uzbekistan) and adjoining areas of neighbouring countries to
establish an Islamic Caliphate ” an unnamed source in the CSTO
Command was quoted as saying by ITAR-TASS.

In the second ‘active’ phase the exercise will be held in
Kyrghyzistan from August 4 to 6 with the involvement of over 2,000
troops and assault aircraft drawn from Russia, Kazakhstan,
Kyrghyzistan and Tajikistan.

President Askar Akayev of Kyrghyzistan, the Defence Ministers of
Russia and other CSTO member states will watch the ‘hot’ phase of the
war games at the training ground near the city of Balykchi.

Officials of other CIS states and Shanghai Cooperation Organisations
have also been invited as observers to monitor the war games.