Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07TASHKENT2022
2007-11-23 13:44:00
SECRET//NOFORN
Embassy Tashkent
Cable title:  

NATIONAL SECURITY SERVICE CHAIRMAN WELCOMES

Tags:  PREL PHUM UZ 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO3911
RR RUEHDBU
DE RUEHNT #2022/01 3271344
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
R 231344Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY TASHKENT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8816
INFO RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT 3478
RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY ASTANA 9691
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 3957
RUEHEK/AMEMBASSY BISHKEK 4094
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 7214
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1060
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 1990
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 1664
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 2151
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0854
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 TASHKENT 002022 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
NOFORN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/23/2027
TAGS: PREL PHUM UZ
SUBJECT: NATIONAL SECURITY SERVICE CHAIRMAN WELCOMES
RENEWED COOPERATION

Classified By: P/E Chief Ted Burkhalter; reasons 1.4 (b, d).

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 TASHKENT 002022

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
NOFORN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/23/2027
TAGS: PREL PHUM UZ
SUBJECT: NATIONAL SECURITY SERVICE CHAIRMAN WELCOMES
RENEWED COOPERATION

Classified By: P/E Chief Ted Burkhalter; reasons 1.4 (b, d).


1. (S/NF) Summary: Ambassador met November 23 with National
Security Service (NSS) Chairman Rustam Inoyatov, who welcomed
renewed U.S.-Uzbek cooperation. Inoyatov stressed that we
share mutual interests in a stable Afghanistan and in
fighting terrorism, extremism and narcotics. He stressed his
desire to avoid complicating the intelligence mission with
the day-to-day of politics, and he repeated his long-standing
grudge that Uzbekistan has been, as he sees it, kicked in the
teeth on human rights. Inoyatov was downbeat in his
assessment of Aghanistan, saying that Karzai lacked authority
and was not a leader, and noting that security had
deteriorated in the north. End summary.

NSS welcomes renewed "normalization"
--------------


2. (S/NF) Ambassador met November 23 with National Security
Service Chairman Rustam Inoyatov, who welcomed the renewed
step-by-step "normalization" of U.S.-Uzbek relations and
noted that he had enjoyed warm relations with all but the
previous U.S. Ambassador. Inoyatov said that he wished to
focus on intelligence and leave foreign policy to others.
The U.S. and Uzbekistan share a mutual interest in fighting
terrorism, extremism and narcotics trafficking, he said, and
he preferred to focus on these issues. He stressed that he
would do whatever he thought in the best interests of
Uzbekistan and that he would take his decisions independently
of day-to-day politics.


3. (S/NF) Inoyatov made clear that human rights generally
fell into the policy arena. However, when Ambassador raised
the issue of torture, Inoyatov defended NSS's record and
reminded Ambassador that NSS had in past taken steps against
officers from the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) who have
committed abuses. (Note: NSS has also in years past taken
displinary and legal action against some of its own officers.
End note.) He registered his feeling that Uzbekistan had
provided Washington with invaluable assistance since the 9/11
terror attacks (and before that) and that in return they had
gotten "kicked in the teeth" by human rights complaints,
especially after the Andijon events of May 2005. He noted,
too, that Uzbekistan had allowed UN Special Rapporteur for
Torture Theo van Boven to visit in 2002 and that, in return,
again Uzbekistan had been criticized. He asked rethorically
what other countries had allowed van Boven to visit.

Afghanistan not going well
--------------


4. (S/NF) Inoyatov repeated the Uzbek assessment - which came
up as well in Ambassador's November 22 meeting with President
Karimov (septel) - that Afghanistan policy was going poorly.
He laid the blame largely at the feet of Afghan President
Karzai, saying that he was not a leader and that his
government was corrupt and his brother a narco-trafficker.
Inoyatov, who served as a KGB officer in Afghanistan before
and during the Soviet occupation, was distressed that
security in the north had begun to deteriorate. He repeated
that his service is ready to cooperate with us and said that
the Uzbek NSS has a wealth of information to share.


5. (S/NF) Ambassador argued that the ISAF mission was
intended to buy Karzai the time to expand his government's
control throughout the country. He agreed that corruption
and narcotics were a problem and that many Afghans were
losing patience. On the other hand, most Afghans remained
opposed to the Taliban and were eager for NATO to remain, and
this gave us hope. The big problem, Ambassador said, was
control of the tribal areas in the border region between
Afghanistan and Pakistan, from which so many attacks were
planned and launched. Inoyatov noted that the NSS has
information on this and related problems. He questioned how
much longer ethnic Uzbek General Dostum and others in the
Northern Alliance would continue to support Karzai. (Note:

TASHKENT 00002022 002 OF 002


The GOU has had an on-again, off-again relationship with
Dostum, but Inoyatov seemed positive on him just now. End
note.)


6. (S/NF) Inoyatov repeated that he welcomed the renewed
normalization of relations and that he was happy with the
increased level of intelligence cooperation. He opined that
the U.S. and Uzbekistan share a mutual interest in fighting
extremism, terrorism and narcotics, and noted that Uzbekistan
has a vital interest in a secure Afghanistan - and preferably
one that will provide a southern transit route through which
trade can flow.

Comment
--------------


7. (S/NF) Much of Inoyatov's thinking on human rights and on
Afghanistan is evident in President Karimov's own statements
on these issues; it is clear that Inoyatov either influences
Karimov to a significant extent, or has mastered the art of
echoing his leader -- or, more likely, a combination of both.
NORLAND