Uzbek militants carve north Afghan niche

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http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/MF11Df05.html

Northern Afghanistan, for years seen as a bedrock of stability amid the chaos of war, is being pushed further into turmoil with every kill and every capture.

A deadly attack on the offices of the governor of northern Takhar province on May 28 provided a window into the transformation that is taking place in the north. Killed in the attack were the Afghan national police commander, General Mohammad Daud Daud, and the province's police chief. Takhar's governor and a German general were wounded.

When Afghan and Western forces claimed to have captured an Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) recruit this month, a


worrying trend was exposed when international forces linked him to the Takhar attack.

Rising violence, the recruitment of locals and the adoption of sophisticated techniques all showcase the extent to which the IMU has made inroads into ethnic Uzbek communities - an important minority in the multicultural region. With the entrance of the IMU comes the arrival of the Taliban-led insurgency, highlighting the groups' strengthening alliances.