U.S., Israel heed threats in Uzbekistan

Friday, June 3, 2005 Posted: 1213 GMT

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Citing the threat of possible terrorist attacks, the U.S. and Israeli embassies in Uzbekistan have ordered nonessential personnel to leave, the U.S. State Department and Israeli Foreign Ministry said.

On Thursday, the State Department also urged Americans in Uzbekistan to leave the central Asian nation, a former Soviet republic.

The decision resulted from an uptick in threats to U.S. interests over the past several weeks, though there was nothing specific, a senior State Department official said.

The official added that there wasn't a connection to recent clashes between protesters and the Uzbek government.

"The United States government has received information that terrorist groups are planning attacks, possibly against U.S. interests, in Uzbekistan in the very near future," according to a travel warning Thursday.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said Friday that only Ambassador Ami Mel remained in Uzbekistan.

In May, a man carrying a fake bomb was shot dead by a guard outside the Israeli Embassy.

The U.S. warning noted that supporters of terrorist groups such as the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, al Qaeda, the Islamic Jihad Union and the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement are active in the region.

A senior State Department official said the threats were "to U.S. interests in general" but noted that American facilities in Uzbekistan have been attacked in the past.

"We have received periodic indications of threats [in Uzbekistan]," the official said. "It's an ongoing situation, and we always watch the security situation. But in recent weeks we have seen renewed indications of the threat and thought this was a prudent measure."

Uzbekistan experienced a wave of violence last year.

In July, three suicide bombings rocked the capital of Tashkent, including one outside the U.S. Embassy and another outside the Israeli Embassy. The Islamic Jihad Union claimed responsibility for the embassy attacks.

Last month, armed militants stormed a prison and seized several government buildings in the eastern city of Andijan.

The militants also released prisoners, several of whom are believed to belong to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. Several hundred civilians were killed when clashes broke out between government forces and militants.

Leaders of the Andijan protest dispute the Uzbek government's contention that an Islamic terror group inspired and led the demonstrations, insisting they were in response to poor economic conditions and an oppressive regime.

Uzbekistan allowed U.S. troops to use a base near the Afghan border after the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.