What if we did not have Uzbekistan?
Press release Tobias Pflüger, MEP, December 22, 2005
On December 9 and 10, 2005, the secretary of state in the Ministry of Defence, Friedbert Pflüger (CDU), negotiated a deal with the government of Uzbekistan to the effect that the Federal Armed Forced and, as a result, also all other NATO states who are part of the mission in Afghanistan, may continue to use the base of Termez, despite rightfully imposed EU sanctions for glaring human rights violations by the regime in Uzbekistan.
In the meantime, it shows that the deals by Friedbert Pflüger (CDU) obviously mean more to the German defence ministry:
The Uzbek interior minister Sakir Almatov was, until recently, treated in the German clinic “International Neuroscience Institute” (ini) (the town of origin of the state secretary Friedbert Pflüger). On grounds of the massacre of Andishan, Almatov figures in first place of quite a number of persons against whom the EU has imposed an entry interdiction. The German Federal government did not get active in spite of these sanctions and in spite of a pre-existing criminal warrant against Almatov. The lawyer Wolfgang Kaleck had handed in “an arrest warrant because of torture and crimes against humanity according to international criminal law against the Uzbek interior minister Almatov and others” with the General Federal Procurator Kay Nehm, but the investigation has not proceeded beyond a review yet. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the UN Special Envoy for Torture, Manfred Nowak, say that Almatov shares responsibility for torture in Uzbekistan. In the meantime, Almatov has escaped from Germany to Dubai without being hindered, however.
The Catholic News Agency (KNA) reported on December 21 “that the EU Commission had no objection against the entry permit issued by Germany to the controversial Uzbek interior minister Sakir Almatov”. The EU sanction as a rule always foresaw a clause, following which entry for humanitarian reasons was permissible, Commission spokesperson Emma Udwin said on Wednesday upon enquiry.
Tobias Pflüger, European deputy without party affiliation, elected on the list of the Left Party, coordinator of the GUE/NGL in the Subcommittee Security and Defence, member of the Committee on Foreign Relations and of the parliamentary delegation of the European Parliament to NATO, sharply criticises these toothless EU sanctions:
“Crocodile's tears are being shed over human rights violations, for instance by Commissar Olli Rehn in the debate on October 27, 2005 in the European Parliament; if push comes to shove, however, strategic interests are clearly more important than consequent persecution of human rights violations.”
“I shall not let this stand, and I shall bring this scandal up in the European parliament! Almatov should not remain without punishment with the toleration of the German Federal Government and of the EU Commission.”
The FAZ brought to a head the line by Federal government and EU Commission on November 25: “Is the security of Germany really being defended in Afghanistan, do we have in this mission an elementary interest that justifies risking the life of our soldiers there? If yes, then we need a supply basis, and all questions in relation to that must be solved pragmatically.”
The Federal Armed Forces have already invested quite a lot of money (since 2001 9.1 million (!) Euros at least). Apparently, a lot of military aid is accorded to the regime in Afghanistan. Neither the former, nor the present Federal Government wants to abandon that. “To promote geopolitical interests, even butchers are directly supported”, thus Tobias Pflüger, MEP, “that holds for Germany, the European Union and NATO.”
The Federal Armed Forces home page says it clearly. “If it were not for the supply base of the Federal Armed Forces in the Uzbek town of Termez, the German soldiers in Afghanistan could be obliged to pack and leave shortly.”
Pflüger in conclusion: “Well, then let them pack and leave. This makes our demand clear: retreat of the Federal Armed Forces from Afghanistan, and as a first step: immediate closing of the Federal Army base in Termez!”
Translated by Carla Krüger, December 22, 2005
On December 9 and 10, 2005, the secretary of state in the Ministry of Defence, Friedbert Pflüger (CDU), negotiated a deal with the government of Uzbekistan to the effect that the Federal Armed Forced and, as a result, also all other NATO states who are part of the mission in Afghanistan, may continue to use the base of Termez, despite rightfully imposed EU sanctions for glaring human rights violations by the regime in Uzbekistan.
In the meantime, it shows that the deals by Friedbert Pflüger (CDU) obviously mean more to the German defence ministry:
The Uzbek interior minister Sakir Almatov was, until recently, treated in the German clinic “International Neuroscience Institute” (ini) (the town of origin of the state secretary Friedbert Pflüger). On grounds of the massacre of Andishan, Almatov figures in first place of quite a number of persons against whom the EU has imposed an entry interdiction. The German Federal government did not get active in spite of these sanctions and in spite of a pre-existing criminal warrant against Almatov. The lawyer Wolfgang Kaleck had handed in “an arrest warrant because of torture and crimes against humanity according to international criminal law against the Uzbek interior minister Almatov and others” with the General Federal Procurator Kay Nehm, but the investigation has not proceeded beyond a review yet. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the UN Special Envoy for Torture, Manfred Nowak, say that Almatov shares responsibility for torture in Uzbekistan. In the meantime, Almatov has escaped from Germany to Dubai without being hindered, however.
The Catholic News Agency (KNA) reported on December 21 “that the EU Commission had no objection against the entry permit issued by Germany to the controversial Uzbek interior minister Sakir Almatov”. The EU sanction as a rule always foresaw a clause, following which entry for humanitarian reasons was permissible, Commission spokesperson Emma Udwin said on Wednesday upon enquiry.
Tobias Pflüger, European deputy without party affiliation, elected on the list of the Left Party, coordinator of the GUE/NGL in the Subcommittee Security and Defence, member of the Committee on Foreign Relations and of the parliamentary delegation of the European Parliament to NATO, sharply criticises these toothless EU sanctions:
“Crocodile's tears are being shed over human rights violations, for instance by Commissar Olli Rehn in the debate on October 27, 2005 in the European Parliament; if push comes to shove, however, strategic interests are clearly more important than consequent persecution of human rights violations.”
“I shall not let this stand, and I shall bring this scandal up in the European parliament! Almatov should not remain without punishment with the toleration of the German Federal Government and of the EU Commission.”
The FAZ brought to a head the line by Federal government and EU Commission on November 25: “Is the security of Germany really being defended in Afghanistan, do we have in this mission an elementary interest that justifies risking the life of our soldiers there? If yes, then we need a supply basis, and all questions in relation to that must be solved pragmatically.”
The Federal Armed Forces have already invested quite a lot of money (since 2001 9.1 million (!) Euros at least). Apparently, a lot of military aid is accorded to the regime in Afghanistan. Neither the former, nor the present Federal Government wants to abandon that. “To promote geopolitical interests, even butchers are directly supported”, thus Tobias Pflüger, MEP, “that holds for Germany, the European Union and NATO.”
The Federal Armed Forces home page says it clearly. “If it were not for the supply base of the Federal Armed Forces in the Uzbek town of Termez, the German soldiers in Afghanistan could be obliged to pack and leave shortly.”
Pflüger in conclusion: “Well, then let them pack and leave. This makes our demand clear: retreat of the Federal Armed Forces from Afghanistan, and as a first step: immediate closing of the Federal Army base in Termez!”
Translated by Carla Krüger, December 22, 2005
Tobias Pflüger - 2005/12/22 22:57
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