Uzbek Official Welcomes U.S. Forces

[DuctapeFatwa]

Uzbekistan will allow the United States to keep military forces here as long as needed for operations in Afghanistan, and would consider a permanent U.S. outpost if Washington wanted one, the Uzbek foreign minister said in an interview Saturday.

Speaking before Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld visits Tuesday, Sadyk Safayev also told The Associated Press that Uzbekistan is improving its much-criticized human rights record. He said two people convicted in recent high-profile cases likely would receive amnesty soon.

Rumsfeld's visit will be his third here in two years, meeting with Uzbek President Islam Karimov before heading to neighboring Kazakhstan and Afghanistan, the Uzbek Foreign Ministry said Saturday.

Hundreds of U.S. troops remain stationed there, and the two countries signed a strategic partnership agreement in 2002....Previously, Karimov had ruled out a long-term U.S. military presence, but Safayev said the government will make a decision after the Pentagon completes its assessment of U.S. military deployments...

http://www.muslimuzbekistan.com/eng/ennews/2004/02/ennews22022004_1.html

[Darranar]

1. Another great step towards spreading democracy!

[loudnclear]

2. Hey, everybody wants our money. I don't blame them.

The military oligarchies rule the world. Just live in it and keep quiet!

[Poiuyt]

3. U.S embraces another brutal dictator

This one boils people to death.

http://www.khilafah.com/home/category.php?DocumentID=8578&TagID=2

[saigon68]

4. Nothing new here

They have to be anti-communist and pro-capitalist. After all what is a little murder among friends or Coalition members.

Diem, Sadam, and Ho Chi Minh were once our friends.