Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan expands its geography

Ansdrey Gurkov, Deutsche Welle

Special service organizations of Tajikistan provide new data about famous terror group in the Central Asia.

Only over three months of 2009 special service organizations of Tajikistan detained over 10 people, suspected of belonging to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), which has relations with international terror network al-Qaeda and Taliban. The investigation in Tajikistan shows the IMU is expanding its geography. The terror organization based in Afghanistan threatens security not only the Central Asia in whole, but other regions of the world.

New data about IMU leader

IMU leader Tahir Yuldashev is alive. The militant hides in a tribe zone in the Afghan-Pakistani border. The data is provided by Tajik specials service organizations, Tajikistan State Committee for National Security deputy chairman General Abdullo Nazarov said. "Several tens of members of the organization have been detained over the past two months. According to the arrested people's testimonies, Tahir Yuldashev is alive," he stated.

Data about death of Yuldashev appeared in October 2007. The reports said the IMU political leader died as a result of American air attacks on the Paktika province in Afghanistan.

IMU breaks up

Now the Tajik special service organizations refute these rumors, announcing Yuldashev hiding in South Vaziristan with a small group. At the same time, the IMU lacks the previous unity, Nazarov assures.  "The IMU split into three parts. One of them, a bright group related to Al-Qaeda, is led by the so-called Yahya, the second group is led by Abdurahman and the third by Yuldashev. This terrorist organization still functions and carries out subversive activities," the general said

Arrest of IMU activists both in Central Asian countries and in the West testifies that an idea of fighting with political regime in Uzbekistan is gradually implicated with a global "jihad" idea.

Redirection occurs

According to political expert Abdugani Mamadazimov, thoughts of IMU members transformed most likely under the impact of their long stay in tribal zone in the Afghan-Pakistani border.

"The IMU is in Afghanistan in the foreign national sphere. There are too less ethnic Uzbeks and Tajiks. This area is mostly populated by Pushtuns. So, IMU members more probably became adhered to cosmopolitan values, rather national and ethnic ideas".

The last developments in Germany, related to detention of "Sauerland cell", makes expert think about it. For the first time legal trial of members of the largest terrorist organization in the Central Asia, not counting Al-Qaeda and Taliban, is held in the West. The Dusseldorf process is someway linked to the development in Afghanistan, Tajik analysts say.

"Why do we note the IMU's activity in Germany? Because after September 11 terror attacks Islamic groups began their struggle not in the local level, but worldwide. The considerable part of Bundeswehr troops are in the north of Afghanistan densely populated with ethnic Tajiks and Uzbeks. They receive support via Uzbekistan, Khanabad, where German troops are placed. I think given on the circumstances, the IMU decided to remove its partisan and terror fighting to Germany," Mamadazimov said.

Over the past two years special service agencies of Tajikistan arrested over 30 people on suspicion of belonging to the banned radical organization.