[MarioPro]

Fraudulent Embassy Report Being Distributed

A document attempting to imitate a report of the Embassy of
the United States of America in Bishkek is being disseminated
via the internet and circulated by government supporters at
demonstrations, bazaars, bus stations and in mail boxes.
[URL=http://fairuse.1accesshost.com/news4/kabar1.html]Made to appear on U.S. Embassy letterhead and dated
December 30, 2004[/URL], the document slanderously misrepresents
U.S. policy toward Kyrgyzstan and its election process.
It forges the signature of Ambassador Young.
This report is a crude fabrication by an individual or individuals
who have no association with the United States Government.

The document in no way represents the views of the U.S. Embassy
in Bishkek. Our support for democratic development here has been
clearly documented in public, and is designed to support the efforts
of the people and government of Kyrgyzstan to strengthen democratic
institutions in this country. The creation and distribution of this fraudulent
document is a disservice to the citizens of Kyrgyzstan and threatens to
damage the good relations between the United States and the Kyrgyz
Republic. We urge the Kyrgyz authorities to denounce this forgery and
take effective steps to disassociate the government from any efforts to
distribute it.

Source: [URL=http://bishkek.usembassy.gov/fraudulent_report_new_eng.htm]
U.S. Embassy in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic
Press Release (in English)[/URL][URL=http://bishkek.usembassy.gov/fraudulent_report_new_rus.htm]
Press Release (in Russian)[/URL]
March 25, 2005

[Euric]

In an excellent study of the folly of the National Endowment for
Democracy, Barbara Conry notes that:
"NED, which also has a history of corruption and financial
mismanagement, is superfluous at best and often destructive.
Through the endowment, the American taxpayer has paid for
special-interest groups to harass the duly elected governments
of friendly countries, interfere in foreign elections, and foster
the corruption of democratic movements...

I doubt the American taxpayer pays for the activities of the NED. American taxes are very low compared to elsewhere in the world because of the US government's relying on the petro-dollar subsidy. In other words, the US is getting the victims of the NED to pay for their own abuse. Like the victim of an execution being made to pay for the bullet used to kill him. Just keep selling those treasuries.

[Euric]

OOPs! Did a sensitive document get leaked to the pubic and now the US must enact damage control?

Fraudulent Embassy Report Being Distributed

A document attempting to imitate a report of the Embassy of
the United States of America in Bishkek is being disseminated
via the internet and circulated by government supporters at
demonstrations, bazaars, bus stations and in mail boxes.
[URL=http://fairuse.1accesshost.com/news4/kabar1.html]Made to appear on U.S. Embassy letterhead and dated
December 30, 2004[/URL], the document slanderously misrepresents
U.S. policy toward Kyrgyzstan and its election process.
It forges the signature of Ambassador Young.
This report is a crude fabrication by an individual or individuals
who have no association with the United States Government.

The document in no way represents the views of the U.S. Embassy
in Bishkek. Our support for democratic development here has been
clearly documented in public, and is designed to support the efforts
of the people and government of Kyrgyzstan to strengthen democratic
institutions in this country. The creation and distribution of this fraudulent
document is a disservice to the citizens of Kyrgyzstan and threatens to
damage the good relations between the United States and the Kyrgyz
Republic. We urge the Kyrgyz authorities to denounce this forgery and
take effective steps to disassociate the government from any efforts to
distribute it.

Source: [URL=http://bishkek.usembassy.gov/fraudulent_report_new_eng.htm]
U.S. Embassy in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic
Press Release (in English)[/URL][URL=http://bishkek.usembassy.gov/fraudulent_report_new_rus.htm]
Press Release (in Russian)[/URL]
March 25, 2005

[MarioPro]

We have two questions here (both claimed in
the U.S. Embassy Press Release)
one should consider separately:

[1] Was this "secret report" itself a fraudulent one;
[2] Does it (no matter fraudulent or not) misrepresents U.S. policy
toward Kyrgyzstan and its election process.

Aside the discussion whether the document (mis)represents
U.S. policy toward Kyrgyzstan and its election process, the
"Report" in question could be a fraudulent one too.
But if forged, it wasn't done amateurish, although the signature
(the autograph) of the U.S. Ambassador Steven. M. Young
could be found on internet and recycled for this purpose
(e.g. see his signature at this letter, when Steven. M. Young was
the Director of the Office of Chinese and Mongolian Affairs).
But, of course, even personal autographs might undergo certain
changes as time goes by, and "individual or individuals" would
know that a recent document must have the latest version of
the Ambassador's autograph. The samples of recent documents
signed by Steven. M. Young could be in the possession of unknown
number of Kyrgyz Republic officials as well as of diplomats and other
officials of the embassies in the Kyrgyz Republic, not to mention
the domestic and/or foreign intelligence agencies...

So, as I said above, aside the discussion whether the document
(mis)represents U.S. policy toward Kyrgyzstan and its election
process, remember that the old Cold War is still yet very lively one.

MarioPro

[savethehumans]

Indeed, methinks they protest too much....

That's one heck of a fraud, if a fraud it is. Perfect diplomat-speak in the thing. And puts the U.S. in a "we will overcome the forces of evil" position. Without interfering, of course....

This document is the real think, IMHO. And they'll see to it that we can NEVER prove it!

[stu]

KYRGYZ, RUSSIAN OFFICIALS MULL MILITARY BASE POSSIBILITY IN SOUTHERN KYRGYZSTAN

Russia may raise its strategic profile in Central Asia following the recent unrest in Uzbekistan. Speculation has mounted over the last week that Moscow could establish a base in Kyrgyzstan’s southern capital at Osh, situated at the eastern end of the Ferghana Valley.

Kyrgyzstan is already home to two foreign air bases ?a Russian facility at Kant and an American installation at Manas, both outside the capital Bishkek

China May Consider Sending Troops to Kyrgyzstan — Paper

China may “seriously consider” sending its troops to Kyrgyzstan, the Huaxia Shibao newspaper reported on Tuesday, citing Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao.

Kyrgyz acting president Kurmanbek Bakiyev said earlier this month that he would authorize the deployment of troops of the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization, and those of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in his country, Chinese media have reported

[stu]

LAWLESSNESS GROWS IN KYRGYZSTAN AS PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION LOOMS

Lawlessness and political confusion are building in Kyrgyzstan as the Central Asian nation prepares for a special presidential election.

In the latest spasm of violence, a riot in the southern city of Osh left at least two people injured on June 13. The trouble began when a group of several hundred men armed with clubs and other weapons gathered outside a hotel, located in central Osh, belonging to Bayaman Erkinbayev, a local businessman who is also a member of parliament. When the mob tried to storm the hotel, security guards opened fire. Local authorities were still trying to firmly establish the motive for the attack. Political analysts in Bishkek say Erkinbayev is widely suspected of involvement in illicit business activity in southern Kyrgyzstan, adding that the incident could have criminal connections. Erkinbayev was slightly wounded during a late April assassination attempt.

Seven candidates registered in Kyrgyzstan for pres elections

Registration of candidates for the presidential elections due on July 10 ended in Kyrgyzstan on Monday.

The registered candidates are current Prime Minister and Acting President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, human rights commissioner Tursunbai Bakir uulu, ex-governor of the Issyk-Kul and Dzhalal-Abad regions Dzhusupbek Sharipov, leader of the Justice public association and former interior minister Keneshbek Dushebayev, leader of the political party Democratic Movement of Kyrgyzstan Zhapar Dzheksheyev, leader of the Association of Non-Government and Non-Commercial Organisations Toktoim Umetaliyev and President of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Akbaraly Aitikeyev.

[stu]

U.S. to help build democratic society in Kyrgyzstan

The United States will continue to support Kyrgyzstan's steps aimed at building a democratic society, the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry press service told Interfax on Wednesday.

Uzbek refugees in Kyrgyzstan incite a conflict

Seventy or so representative of general public including aksakals (elders) and deputies of the Suzak local Kenesh (council) visited the camp of Uzbek refugees on May 14. The Suzak district is located on the territory of the Dzhalalabad region of Kyrgyzstan, the camp in the Sho-Bulak area (Bazakorgon district of the same region).

The enraged aksakals told refugee leaders to vacate the camp and leave Kyrgyzstan altogether in three days, threatening to bring thousands with them and oust refugees by sheer strength of numbers otherwise. Blows were exchanged. Executive of the international organization who tried to stop the locals and asked them to leave was assaulted and beaten.

[stu]

Tulip Revolution Will Keep Kyrgyzstan Democratic, Foreign Minister Says

Kyrgyzstan's acting foreign minister, Roza Otunbayeva, compared her country's March 24 Tulip Revolution to those of other former Soviet republics and said the country remains a democracy.

Align With Democrats in Central Asia

Just a few months ago the United States seemed to have few choices in the strategically important Muslim countries of Central Asia. All were ruled by undemocratic regimes, placing them at odds with President Bush's freedom policy, but several nevertheless were emerging as key partners of the Pentagon, both in support of operations in nearby Afghanistan and as potential locations for long-term U.S. bases. The administration's response to this dilemma was to embrace schizophrenia: The State Department criticized the Central Asian despots even as the Defense Department embraced them.

[stu]

Kyrgyzstan Struggles to Maintain Stability Ahead of Key Elections

Moscow (CNSNews.com) - Tensions are running high in Kyrgyzstan ahead of the July 10 presidential election, with recent riots in the capital, Bishkek, showing the fragility of the democratic process in the Central Asian nation.

A former speaker of Kyrgyzstan's parliament, Mukar Cholponbayev, has been arrested for his alleged role in last week's riots

Kyrgyzstan to question ex-president

Kyrgyzstani investigators are visiting Moscow today, hoping to extract information from the former president of Kyrgyzstan about whether he played a role in an uprising that the government is calling an attempted counter-revolution

ETHNIC CONFLICT SIMMERS IN SOUTHERN KYRGYZSTAN

Southern Kyrgyzstan is a potentially explosive region. About one-third of the population is comprised of ethnic Uzbeks. So far, resident Uzbeks have generally stayed away from the Kyrgyz political revolution. Almost all the protesters who took part in the March disturbances in southern Kyrgyzstan were ethnic Kyrgyz. However, many poorly educated local Uzbeks suspect that the opposition is also driven by nationalism. According to the fergana.ru website, participants in the Jalalabad demonstration shouted insults against Uzbeks and Kyrgyz. The Uzbeks accused the Kyrgyz of destabilizing the situation in Kyrgyzstan, while the protesters blamed the Uzbeks for supporting the regime of President Akayev

[stu]

Kyrgyz Presidential Candidate Drops Out Of Race

Businessman Jusupbek Sharipov issued a statement today saying he was withdrawing his candidacy for the 10 July election.

Sharipov said he made his decision after acting President Kurmanbek Bakiev and former security chief Feliks Kulov recently announced a cooperation deal.

Kyrgyzstan Plans to Extradite Uzbek Refugees

Kyrgyzstan's top prosecutor said Thursday that authorities intend to extradite quickly 29 detained Uzbek refugees who fled a violent crackdown by government troops in the eastern Uzbek city of Andijan last month. United Nations officials and human rights groups condemned any forcible return of the men, saying they face the risk of torture or execution and are still entitled to a review of their asylum applications.

[stu]

Refugee Crisis Escalates Between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan

Discord has arisen between the two Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan over the fate of Uzbek refugees who fled to Kyrgyzstan after the incidents in May in the city of Andican.

While Uzbekistan presses for the extradition of the refugees, the Kyrgyz government is unwilling to hand them over

[stu]

UNHCR official urges Bishkek to honour refugee commitments

The UN's Assistant High Commissioner for Refugees, Kamel Morjane, expressed concern about Kyrgyz threats to repatriate Uzbek refugees fleeing mass killings in the eastern Uzbek city of Andijan last month. He was speaking in the capital, Bishkek on Monday.

"We are especially concerned that 29 people who are today in detention in [the southern Kyrgyz city of] Osh. They were taken from the [Uzbek] refugee camp in Jalal-Abad after official requests from Uzbekistan", Morjane said at a press conferenc

[stu]

KYRGYZ OFFICIAL SAYS CSTO CONSIDERS NEW BASE IN KYRGYZSTAN

Acting Kyrgyz Defense Minister Ismail Isakov told journalists in Moscow on 23 June that the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) will consider the possibility of opening another military base in Kyrgyzstan, Interfax-AVN reported

Uzbek Asylum Seekers Fear Potential Trap

Hundreds of Uzbeks who fled a brutal government crackdown in their hometown last month have found themselves in a new potential trap, threatened with deportation by their host country, Kyrgyzstan.

Alexander Petrov, deputy head of Human Rights Watch's Moscow bureau, said the real goal behind Karimov's seeking the return of the refugees is ``to eliminate a source of information for the international community on the Andijan events.''

[stu]

U.S. Rejects Setting Central Asia Withdrawal Date

The United States has rejected a call by the six-country Shanghai Cooperation Organization to set a date for the withdrawal of American and coalition forces from bases in Central Asia.


U.S.-led military forces were deployed to air bases in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan after the 11 September 2001 attacks to support antiterrorist military operations in Afghanistan. French air force personnel have been based in Tajikistan.

Kyrgyzstan to halt repatriations

Kyrgyzstan has called a partial halt to the repatriation of refugees who fled Uzbekistan in May, after a bloody crackdown in the Uzbek city of Andijan.
Foreign Minister Rosa Otunbayeva said no Uzbeks would be returned unless the country's situation changed

TENSIONS RISING AHEAD OF KYRGYZ PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

June 17 marked the peak of Kyrgyzstan's counter-revolutionary movement, which is apparently organized by Urmat Baryktabasov, a politician allied with ex-president Askar Akayev. The three months since Akayev's ouster in the March 24 Tulip Revolution have been very intense for Kyrgyzstan. There were two contract murders, several riots against and in favor of parliament members, hunger strikes by civic workers, and numerous political figures have faced accusations or lawsuits on corruption charges.

[stu]

KYRGYZSTAN’S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: WILL IT GIVE BAKIYEV A MANDATE THAT PROMOTES STABILIZATION?

The winner of Kyrgyzstan’s special presidential election on July 10 seems pre-determined. Kurmanbek Bakiyev, the country’s interim chief executive, is expected to easily out-poll the five other candidates in the race. The big question surrounding the election is whether or not it will confer upon Bakiyev’s administration the legitimacy needed to promote stabilization.

Kyrgyzstan Prepares for Election

Meder Usenov led anti-government protests in this southern city three months ago, throwing punches at police officers and urging crowds of demonstrators not to back off.

The protests — triggered by flawed parliamentary elections — spread to the rest of the south and to the capital Bishkek, where protesters stormed the presidential headquarters, forcing Soviet-era leader Askar Akayev to flee the country.

Many hope Sunday's election to replace him will bring stability to the central Asian nation of 5 million, unsettled by continuing protests and attacks against political figures.

[stu]

In Kyrgyzstan, some fear another revolution awaits

Moments after frenzied Kyrgyz demonstrators seized control of their country's presidential headquarters March 24, Askat Tukenbayev strode through the looted building's hallways and soaked in the euphoric chaos of revolution.

"I remember thinking it was as if we had stormed the Bastille," said the slight, soft-spoken former teacher during a recent interview at a Bishkek cafe. "I grabbed a Turkish radio journalist's cell phone and yelled into it, `All power belongs to the people!' We were so full of hope."

Parliament ratifies airbase agreement with Kyrgyzstan

The State Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, ratified an agreement on the status and deployment terms of Russia's airbase in Kant, Kyrgyzstan.

The agreement was signed in Moscow in September 2003.

The base is to ensure Russia and Kyrgyzstan's sovereignty and security in cooperation with the Kyrgyz armed forces. The base will be used for military purposes in line with decisions made by both countries.

Kyrgyzstan to deport Uzbek refugees

Kyrgyzstan is set to deport refugees accused of taking part in an insurrection in the Uzbek city of Andijan, the country's prosecutor-general said yesterday, rejecting assertions they face torture once in Uzbekistan.

"After July 9 we will begin to extradite the criminals to Uzbekistan," he said, referring to 13 of the 29 Uzbeks who fled the repression in Andijan and are currently in detention in Kyrgyzstan.

[stu]

Kyrgyz poll hailed as 'progress'

Kyrgyzstan's presidential poll showed "tangible progress" in democratic standards, foreign monitors concluded.
A statement by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said Sunday's election was rated either "good" or "very good".

U.S. Troops to Leave Kyrgyzstan Gradually — Envoy

The U.S. military base in Kyrgyzstan will eventually be withdrawn, Kyrgyz ambassador to Russia Apas Jumagulov told a news conference in Moscow.

“It will not happen any day now, but eventually it will,” the envoy said when asked on the prospects of the U.S. base’s withdrawal from Kyrgyz territory.

Bakiyev questions U.S. presence in Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan's newly-elected president Kurmanbek Bakiyev on Monday questioned the continued presence of U.S. troops on a military base they have used since the 2001 war to oust the Taliban in Afghanistan.

[stu]

No comment from U.S. on base withdrawal timeframe from Kyrgyzstan

A senior U.S. State Department official has declined to comment on acting President Kurmanbek Bakiyev statement that a deadline for the U.S. airbase's withdrawal from Kyrgyzstan had to be determined, deferring the question to the Pentagon.

Tom Casey, a State Department spokesman, said Tuesday the United States appreciated the support provided by the Central Asian republics, including Kyrgyzstan, for U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

Expert: Kyrgyzstan made its choice between secular and Islamic government

The people of Kyrgyzstan made their choice Sunday between a secular and an Islamic government by voting for Acting President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, regional expert Arkady Dubnov told a news conference.

Bakiyev won more than 88.5% of votes, and the republic's ombudsman Tursuntai Bakir-uulu garnered 3.9%, placing him second.

UN chief welcomes presidential elections in Kyrgyzstan

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan welcomed on Monday the peaceful conduct of Sunday's presidential elections in Kyrgyzstan, which had been organized in just three months, with help from UN Development Program (UNDP), following the resignation of former President Askar Akaev in April.

"Preliminary reports indicate that the elections took place in a credible manner with strength and commitment to upholding international standards," said a UN spokesman in a statement issued in New York.

[stu]

BAKIYEV WINS PRESIDENCY IN ONE ROUND -- HOW LONG WILL THE HONEYMOON LAST?

Not all of those who voted for Bakiyev genuinely supported his candidacy. Many voted for stability in the country, fearing the fragile situation could unravel if a national leader was not clearly defined. The Bakiyev-Kulov partnership was a key factor in Bakiyev gaining nation-wide approval. The Kyrgyz capital was especially skeptical about the elections, as looting and numerous demonstrations have plagued the city since March 24. Indeed, about 3% of Bishkek's registered voters voted "against all" candidates: "None of the candidates deserves the presidency. I voted against all, although this is not the way out," said one 32-year old entrepreneur from Bishkek. For some Kyrgyz the presidential race represented a choice between the lesser of two evils -- Bakiyev was regarded as the best possible figure among a field of rather unfamiliar candidates. His wide support is, therefore, susceptible to sharp decline.

Who is behind the change of power in Kyrgyzstan?

The events in Kyrgyzstan suggest that either Russia or China was behind the change of power in the Central Asian republic rather than the U.S., a leading daily Nezavisimaya Gazeta reported Wednesday.

Under President Askar Akayev, an American military base was set up in Kyrgyzstan as part of the anti-terrorist operation in Afghanistan.

Russian parliament ratifies treaty on airbase in Kyrgyzstan

Parliament's upper house, the Federation Council, approved a treaty on Russia's airbase in Kyrgyzstan Wednesday after parliament's lower house, the State Duma, had ratified the document.

"The agreement creates a legal base for the operation of the Russian military base in Kyrgyzstan and meets Russia's long-term interests," deputy chairman of the Federation Council's committee for CIS affairs Andrei Ishchuk told reporters.