#11 - RW 273
Former Soviet States Determined to Contain Islamist Extremists
September 11, 2003

Moscow (CNSNews.com) - The former Soviet states are cracking down on radical Islamist groups. Authorities in Tajikistan this week arrested two members of a banned group, Hizb-ut-Tahrir al-Islami, near the capital, Dushanbe.

An interior ministry statement said Islamic propaganda leaflets were found on the two, who were identified as a Tajik and an Uzbek national.

More than 30 people linked to Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Islami (Islamic Party of Liberation) have been detained in the Central Asian republic since the beginning of the year.

Tajikistan and other former Soviet states are wary of the secretive group, which has been active since the breakup of the Soviet Union.

Analysts say the radical organization's ultimate goal is jihad (holy war) against non-Muslims, the overthrow of existing political regimes and their replacement with a caliphate - a theocratic dictatorship based on shari'a (Islamic law).

Since its inception in 1952 in Jordanian-occupied East Jerusalem, Hizb ut-Tahrir has gained a sizable following. Its expansion into Central Asia coincided with the breakup of the Soviet Union more than a decade ago.

Hizb ut-Tahrir now has an estimated 5,000-10,000 members and many supporters in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, and has reportedly extended its influence into China's Muslim Xinjiang province.

Most of its members are believed to be ethnic Uzbeks, and at least 500 are already behind bars in Uzbekistan alone.

Hizb ut-Tahrir's activities and calls to seize power have drawn the close attention of law enforcement agencies in Russia and Central Asian states.

There are concerns that radical Islamic groups in Central Asia, including Hizb ut-Tahrir, Uighur separatists in Xinjiang, and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), could begin working together.

In Kazakhstan, the KNB security services announced a clampdown on the three movements last July.

KNB head Nartai Dutbayev said three militants had been caught in possession of arms and explosives, and maintained ties with "accomplices in Afghanistan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan."

Another 10 militants, members of Hizb ut-Tahrir, had been detained in southern Kazakhstan, he said, adding that the group posed "a real threat to Kazakhstan's security."

Russia, with its Orthodox Christian majority and a 20 million-strong Muslim minority, is particularly wary of Muslim extremism, and banned Hizb ut-Tahrir last February.

Four months later, Moscow announced it had captured 121 alleged militants, including 55 suspected members of Hizb-ut-Tahrir. The suspects were accused of various plots, including the intended assassination of the leaders of several former Soviet states.

Hand grenades, explosives, ammunition and propaganda leaflets were seized.

All but two of the suspects eventually were released, however.

Human rights campaigners questioned the roundup, calling it a sham intended to show the world it was serious about fighting terrorism. In a statement, Hizb ut-Tahrir also denied the allegations.

Russian authorities' concerns about the group relate to its alleged links with militants - including local separatists and Arab mercenaries - who are fighting Russian troops in the breakaway republic of Chechnya.

Early this year, Russia's Supreme Court placed Hizb ut-Tahrir and 14 other groups on a list of banned terrorist organizations.

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