UK government under fire over aid to Uzbekistan

[struggle4progress]

JAMES KIRKUP
POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT

MINISTERS have come under fire for increasing financial aid payments to Uzbekistan despite the massacre of pro-democracy protesters by government forces in the Central Asian republic last month.

Forces loyal to Islam Karimov, the autocratic Uzbek president, last month shot and killed more than 200 civilian demonstrators in the Uzbek city of Andizhan. The killings have been condemned by human-rights groups and Western governments, including Britain's.

Yet despite that condemnation, and the Uzbek regime's refusal to allow an inquiry into the killings, the UK government appears to be stepping up development work in the region.

The aid spending revelation follows The Scotsman's report last week that 150 British soldiers last year travelled to Uzbekistan to train alongside Uzbek forces. <snip>

http://news.scotsman.com/politics.cfm?id=705972005

[Gloria]

1. Related: Intelligence Brief: Uzbekistan....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3955493

Read about Rummy's "lilypads"....

[struggle4progress]

2. Thanks! eom

[LynnTheDem]

3. Wonder what 911-style blowback will result from this

Gee can't wait to find out. :scared:

[mom cat]

4. Similiar to the US and Columbia.

Yet despite that condemnation, and the Uzbek regime's refusal to allow an inquiry into the killings, the UK government appears to be stepping up development work in the region.