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The West and Karimov’s Anti-Terrorism Charade

posted by janrinok on Monday September 05 2016, @06:08PM   
from the getting-it-wrong dept.

n1 writes:

Craig Murray has some thoughts on Uzbekistan's anti-terrorism policies in the wake of Islam Karmimov's death.

Hillary Clinton and John Kerry courted Islam Karimov, Uzbekistan's brutal dictator, every bit as assiduously as George Bush and Donald Rumsfeld.

The west is interested in gas, gold and uranium, but is still more entranced by the allure of the false gold of Uzbekistan's "successful" anti-terrorism strategy. Karimov was courted as the strong man who held Central Asia against Islamic fundamentalism. His methods – imprisoning, torturing and killing anybody who appeared religious – were viewed as admirable. That all reputable sources acknowledge that 10,000 people are imprisoned solely for their political and religious beliefs did not matter. That young men can be imprisoned or "disappeared" solely for growing a beard, or for praying five times a day, was viewed as "effective".

The truth is that western governments wished they could do the same thing. The very first words Karimov ever spoke to me were to congratulate me on the fact that Blair had just instituted detention without charge for terrorism suspects – a prime example of the effect abroad of western abandonment of civil liberties.

But of course banning legitimate religious expression does not halt extremism, it creates extremism through frustration. That is why there are so many Uzbeks fighting with ISIS or the IMU in Afghanistan, why it was Uzbeks who blew up Istanbul airport. Unreasonable repression creates terrorism, which is just the effect of the Prevent programme in the UK – or banning the burkini in France.

Western politicians' idealisation of Karimov shows the attraction to politicians of the idea of absolute power, and the simplicity of their approach to the complex issues being faced across the globe. The destruction of liberty is not the answer.

Craig Murray is an author, broadcaster and human rights activist. He was British Ambassador to Uzbekistan from August 2002 to October 2004 and Rector of the University of Dundee from 2007 to 2010.

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Original Submission

• More from Craig Murray More from Craig Murray (Score: 5, Informative) by n1 on Monday September 05 2016, @06:29PM

  by n1 (993) on Monday September 05 2016, @06:29PM (#397864) Journal

  With convenient timing I just checked Craig Murray's website as this story went live....

  I have been refused entry clearance to the USA to chair the presentation of the Sam Adams Award to CIA torture whistleblower John Kiriakou and to speak at the World Beyond War conference in Washington DC. Like millions of British passport holders I have frequently visited the USA before and never been refused entry clearance under the visa waiver programme.

  I shall apply for a visa via the State Department as suggested but I must be on a list to be refused under the ESTA system, and in any event it is most unlikely to be completed before the conference.

  [...]I have a passport from a visa waiver country and have visited the USA frquently before during 38 years and never overstayed. The only possible grounds for this refusal of entry clearance are things I have written against neo-liberalism, attacks on civil liberties and neo-conservative foreign policy. People at the conference in Washington will now not be able to hear me speak.

  https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2016/09/thought-dangerous-usa/ [craigmurray.org.uk]

  Starting Score:	1		point
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• Re:More from Craig Murray (Score: 3, Interesting) by fustakrakich on Monday September 05 2016, @07:27PM

  by fustakrakich (6150) on Monday September 05 2016, @07:27PM (#397877) Journal

  Can't they set up a remote connection? It would be interesting to see the government try to block that signal.

  --
  La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..

  Parent