Russian head of ex-Soviet military pact warns of radical Islamic threat

AP Worldstream
Mar 29, 2005

The Russian head of an ex-Soviet military pact that includes three
Central Asian nations warned Tuesday that the organization’s members
must act urgently to combat the threat of radical Islamic groups.

In the wake of the ousting of Kyrgyz leader Askar Akayev, observers
have said that such groups could step up activity as Krygyzstan’s new
leaders try to restore order, and suggest that religious militants in
Central Asia could find inspiration in the swift and almost effortless
overthrow.

Nikolai Bordyuzha, secretary general of the six-nation Collective
Security Treaty _ a pact that links Russia with Armenia, Belarus,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan _ said in an interview with the
Izvestia daily that coordinated action was essential to stop the
threat from spreading further.

“We should take coordinated steps to counter the attempt of Islamic
extremists in all member states of the organization. I stress that the
efforts should be coordinated because these networks are like mercury
that flows from one country to another,” he said.

The radical group Hizb-ut-Tahrir, which advocates the creation of an
Islamic state in the Central Asian region, is a particular worry, he
said.

“Hizb-ut-Tahrir is very active throughout Central Asia, damaging the
consciousness especially of young people, importing religious dogmas
in a bid to form a social base.

“We have to prevent this trend. Otherwise we will face a lot of
problems,” he said, warning of a “struggle based on religion that has
no peaceful resolution.”

Authorities in the Central Asian state of Uzbekistan _ which is not a
member of the Moscow-led security pact _ blame Hizb-ut-Tahrir for
attacks there last year that killed more than 50 people. The group,
which is banned in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and in Russia,
claims to reject violence.

Radical Islamic groups emerged in predominantly Muslim Central Asia
after the 1991 Soviet collapse. Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have both
seen bombings and incursions blamed on extremist groups.