VZCZCXRO4739
RR RUEHAST RUEHDBU
DE RUEHNT #0227/01 0581233
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 271234Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY TASHKENT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0539
INFO RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT 0065
RUEHAST/USOFFICE ASTANA 0001
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 0017
RUEHEK/AMEMBASSY BISHKEK 0077
RUEHNT/AMEMBASSY TASHKENT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TASHKENT 000227 
 
SIPDIS 
DEPT FOR SCA/PPD 
SCA/CEN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL SCUL KPAO UZ
SUBJECT: UZBEKISTAN:  MEDIA REACTION TO GENERAL PETRAEUS'S VISIT 
 
TASHKENT 00000227  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶1. (U) Summary: CENTCOM Commander General David Petraeus's February 
16-17 visit to Tashkent received broad media coverage in the local, 
state-run press, the international media and wire services, and on 
GOU-controlled and independent news websites. There was much 
speculation that his trip was linked to the Manas Air Base closure in 
 
Kyrgyzstan, and potential transit routes in support of operations in 
Afghanistan. End summary. 
Official Media Leads with General's Visit 
¶2. (U) President Karimov's meeting with General Petraeus led the GOU- 
controlled Uzbek Television First Channel's evening news program 
"Axborot" (Report) in both the Uzbek and Russian language broadcasts. 
 
The identical report also opened Yoshlar's (Uzbek Channel 2) "Davr" 
news program.  Each segment featured President Karimov saying: "We 
consider your visit to Uzbekistan as a visit of the first 
representative of the new administration of the USA, of President 
[Barack] Obama, and as the USA's aspiration to establishing closer, 
mutually beneficial relations with Uzbekistan. Therefore we attach 
great significance to our talks." 
¶3. (U) The Uzbekistan National News Agency's (UzA) press release on 
the General's visit was widely reprinted in state media, adding that 
they discussed "issues of mutual interesting (sic) including 
strengthening of regional security, stabilization of the situation in 
 
Afghanistan, fighting against international terrorism, drug 
trafficking, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction."  This 
release, coupled with large photos, appeared on the front pages of 
leading government-dailies Halq Sozi, Narodnoye Slovo, Toshkent 
Haqiqati, Tashkentskaya Pravda, and Toshkent Oqshomi, and weeklies 
Uzbekistan Today, Hurriyat, Mahalla, Ma'rifat, and Turkiston. 
International Wires Link Visit to Afghan Supply Routes 
¶4. (U) Reuters claimed that General Petraeus came "to secure 
alternative supply routes for forces fighting in Afghanistan" yet 
quoted the Embassy spokesperson that "he is here in Tashkent to 
listen to Uzbekistan's perspective...on the situation in Afghanistan" 
 
and added that the spokesperson "declined to say whether a supply 
agreement might be signed during the visit."  The Agence France 
Presse's (AFP) local stringer echoed that the General visited "in 
search of new supply routes into war-wracked Afghanistan," but also 
quoted the Embassy and the UzA release which made no mention of 
transit talks.  AFP reported that "Washington has been seeking 
agreements with ex-Soviet states in Central Asia to host supply 
routes, and Uzbekistan is considered a prime candidate due to its 
extensive railway links with Afghanistan," yet quoted the State 
Department spokesperson in a separate article that General Petraeus's 
 
visit was "not about supply routes or...the Manas air base in 
Kyrgyzstan."  Associated Press (AP) stories focused on developments 
in Kyrgyzstan, noting that General Petraeus was in Uzbekistan. (Note: 
 
AP journalists can work in Kyrgyzstan.  Multiple attempts to accredit 
 
AP stringers in Uzbekistan have been unsuccessful.) 
¶5. (U) Russian ITAR-TASS and Interfax stated that the CENTCOM 
Commander was on a working visit to Uzbekistan, adding that "Russia 
and Kazakhstan have already approved the ground transit of non- 
military cargoes for the coalition forces" in Afghanistan and 
"according to the Russian Foreign Ministry, a load of uniforms and 
food" would soon depart Latvia.  Kazakh AKIPress and Canadian Canwest 
 
News Service released short factual pieces on the visit. Trend News 
Agency from Azerbaijan quoted a Russian analyst saying that 
"Petraeus's visit to Tashkent is key to securing oneself if the 
negotiations on Manas fail, because this base is too important for 
the United States."  Another Trend News Agency Report quoted an 
International Crisis Group analyst stating that "political resonance 
in America regarding opening of this base in Uzbekistan will be very 
negative because of the poor reputation of Uzbekistan in the sphere 
of human rights." 
Independent Websites Speculate on Future U.S. Basing Rights 
¶6. (U) Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Uzbek service ("Ozodolik") 
posted a brief factual report on the visit, and two opinion pieces 
entitled: "The U.S. is Dreaming of Khanabad Again" and "The Good and 
Bad Sides of Becoming Close to Tashkent."  The latter articles quoted 
 
Embassy sources (with mixed accuracy) and speculated that "though 
U.S. officials deny and the Uzbek officials keep silent on this, the 
majority of the political scientists believe that the focal point of 
discussion between Washington and Tashkent today is [the] Khanabad 
base."  Ozodolik added that "it is impossible to continue operations 
in Afghanistan without the creation of a new base in the region, if 
Manas is closed.  On the other hand, it is not good for Obama's 
 
TASHKENT 00000227  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 
reputation to come near to one of the world's most authoritarian 
president, Islam Karimov."  Numerous GOU-controlled websites posted 
the UzA press release verbatim.  Independent ferghana.ru drew from 
RIA Novosti wire reports for its "Uzbekistan: President Karimov Hopes 
 
for Cooperation with the New U.S. Administration" article.  The BBC's 
 
Uzbek service, The Financial Times, independent uzmetronom.com and 
uznews.net posted short, factual updates.  Uznews.net added that 
"rumors that the USA will search for a new base for its troops in 
Central Asia - in Uzbekistan or Tajikistan - spread after neighboring 
 
Kyrgyzstan announces (sic)on 3 February that it intended to stop U.S. 
 
troops from leasing the military base at Bishkek's Manas airport, 
needed for supporting U.S. troops deployed in Afghanistan." 
¶7. (U) Comment: While not yet final during the General's visit, the 
then pending Kyrgyz parliamentary vote to close the U.S. Airbase in 
Manas added urgency, importance, and great international media 
speculation to General Petraeus's meetings in Uzbekistan.  The local, 
 
state-controlled media gave front-page, lead-story billing to the 
visit, demonstrating top GOU support for a deepening of U.S.-Uzbek 
relations, particularly in the area of security cooperation.  Indeed, 
 
at a February 25 press conference with visiting Turkmen President 
Berdymukhamedov, President Karimov publicly confirmed that Uzbekistan 
 
will support commercial transit of non-lethal equipment to U.S. 
forces in Afghanistan.  End comment. 
NORLAND 
 
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