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Uzbek force seizes rebel chief
By BURT HERMAN, Associated Press First published: Friday, May 20, 2005
KORASUV, Uzbekistan -- Breaking through a wooden gate and firing only a single warning shot, Uzbek troops on Thursday captured a rebel leader who had proclaimed plans for an Islamic state in this border town.
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The arrest and takeover of the town of 20,000 quelled the last open bastion of resistance to the government in the Fergana Valley. The crackdown in Korasuv came as the Uzbek foreign ministry condemned Kyrgyzstan for letting more than 500 Uzbeks cross the border, saying weak border controls had led to "serious riots" and actions staged by religious groups. "The situation may spin out of control if they (Kyrgyz border authorities) continue to take unnecessary steps," the ministry said in a note given to the Kyrgyz ambassador and made public Thursday. Followers of Bakhtiyor Rakhimov, a farmer turned rebel leader, had claimed control of Korasuv on Saturday during the chaos that followed last Friday's uprising 20 miles away in the city of Andijan, where witnesses said Uzbek forces killed hundreds of protesters -- most of whom were complaining about economic conditions. Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov said Thursday that he opposes an international investigation, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said, after speaking with Karimov on the phone. "He said he had the situation under control and was taking every measure to bring those responsibe to account and didn't need an international team to establish the facts," Annan said. The government says 169 people died in the city of Andijan, but opposition activists say more than 700 were killed -- more than 500 in Andijan and about 200 in nearby Pakhtabad -- most of them civilians. Karimov's government has denied that troops fired at civilians, and Karimov blamed Islamic militants for the unrest. Korasuv residents rioted Saturday and forced authorities to open the border to Kyrgyzstan. Rakhimov claimed to have 5,000 supporters in the town, who he said were prepared to defend themselves with knives. But there was apparently no resistance when government forces moved in before sunrise Thursday. At Rakhimov's home, 30 special forces broke down the gate, said his sister, Yulduz Rakhimova. They arrested about 20 people, including Rakhimov's 14-year-old son and three men who had been acting as unarmed guards at the home, Rakhimova said. Rakhimov had said on Wednesday that he would be "building an Islamic state here in accordance with the Quran." Meanwhile, Gen. John Abizaid, head of the U.S. Central Command, said the U.S. military has scaled back its operations from Uzbekistan since last Friday. American forces operate out of an air base in the country in support of operations in Afghanistan. Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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