UZBEK AMBASSADOR ON TERRORISM AND U.S. SUPPORT IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L BISHKEK 000914 SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/CEN E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/11/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR KG SUBJECT: UZBEK AMBASSADOR ON TERRORISM AND U.S. SUPPORT IN CENTRAL ASIA Classified By: Ambassador Tatiana Gfoeller for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) During a courtesy call on September 8 with Ziyadulla Pulathojaev, Uzbek Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, Ambassador and her counterpart discussed the Uzbek influence in southern Kyrgyzstan and the importance of ensuring stability throughout Central Asia. Pulathojaev explained that the Ferghana Valley, although divided between three nations, is predominantly ethnic Uzbek, which translates to a population steeped in tradition and more committed to their Islamic faith. He admitted that the difficult economic situation had driven many inhabitants of the valley to seek work in other countries. Those who stayed behind, he claimed, may become more susceptible to the overtures of Islamic extremist groups, such as Hizb ut-Tahrir (HT). ¶2. (C) Pulathojaev waxed very eloquent about the vital role of the West in preserving stability in the region and suppressing terrorist activity. Pulathojaev praised the sacrifice and commitment of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, noting that instability across Central Asia's southern borders creates instability in all Central Asian countries. (Comment: Pulathojaev's emphatic comments may have been subliminal criticism of the fact that the U.S. military was asked to leave the Karshi-Khanabad Airbase by Uzbek authorities. End comment.) Pulathojaev welcomed additional U.S.-Uzbek collaboration, particularly in the realm of counter-narcotics programs. ¶3. (C) The Uzbek Ambassador emphasized the importance of blocking terrorist routes winding from Tajikistan through Kyrgyzstan. When asked if HT were a true terrorist organization, Pulathojaev said that the extremist organization operated as a launching pad, preparing its members for more serious terrorist groups. He believed that HT, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, and the Islamic Jihad of Uzbekistan were focusing their efforts on Uzbekistan, as it would be the center of the caliphate. Pulathojaev acknowledged that, while these organizations were becoming more active in Kyrgyzstan, they were merely using it as a base to continue targeting the Karimov regime. ¶4. (C) Regarding many outsiders' questions about Uzbekistan's approach to Islam, Pulathojaev opined that Islam should be a large part of an individual's life but also an individual's choice. He added with some annoyance that he is often asked "when Uzbekistan will rejoin the Islamic world." In such cases he answers that Uzbekistan has always been an Islamic nation with progressive ideals, such as separation of mosque and state, and the entire Muslim world should eventually embrace this philosophy. GFOELLER