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INFO RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT 0149
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 0112
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RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY ASTANA 0150

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TASHKENT 000310 
 
SIPDIS 
DEPT FOR SCA/PPD, SCA/CEN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL SCUL KPAO UZ
SUBJECT: UZBEKISTAN: MEDIA REACTION TO SRAP HOLBROOKE VISIT 
 
REF: ASTANA 260 
 
¶1. (U) Summary: Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan 
(SRAP) Holbrooke's February 19th visit to Tashkent received 
prominent and concise coverage in the local media. One official 
article on the visit was published and then republished in several 
state media outlets. The visit was the lead story on Axborot, the 
country's flagship television news program. Axborot's coverage was 
positive in tone. Independent media offered little coverage of the 
visit. Local media devoted the most attention to the question of a 
U.S. military base in Uzbekistan. Coverage of the issue intensified 
after SRAP Holbrooke's comments on this issue on February 21st in 
Astana (reftel). End Summary. 
 
State Newspaper Reports on Visit Limited and Neutral 
 
¶2. (U) One article on SRAP Holbooke's visit was published in state 
media outlets. This article was first posted online by the National 
News Agency of Uzbekistan (UzA) and was then republished verbatim 
in several state media outlets. The story, along with photos, was 
carried on the front pages of the Uzbek-language daily Halq Sozi 
(People's Word), and its Russian-language sister publication, 
Narodnoye Slova (People's Word). (Note: Halq Sozi and Narodnoye 
Slova are Uzbekistan's two papers of records. Halq Sozi has a 
nationwide circulation of 50,500. Narodnoye Slovo's circulation is 
approximately 14,500 and tends to be more popular in the capital 
than in the regions. End Note.) The article and photos were also 
republished on the front page of Pravda Vostoka (Truth of the 
Orient). (Note: Pravda Vostoka is owned by the Cabinet of Ministers 
and has a circulation of approximately 16,100. End Note) 
 
¶3. (U) UzA's article was concise and neutral in tone. One quarter 
of the article was devoted to describing the ways in which 
Uzbekistan is assisting in Afghanistan. The article highlighted 
that SRAP Holbrooke stressed Uzbekistan's importance in 
Afghanistan. The article's analysis of the meeting between 
President Karimov and SRAP Holbrooke was limited. The article 
stated that during his meeting with SRAP Holbrooke, President 
Karimov "expressed the attitude of the country towards the further 
development of Uzbek-American relations on a constructive basis." 
It did not, however, describe that "attitude."  It also stated that 
"prospects of bilateral cooperation development...were discussed at 
the meeting," but did not describe those "prospects." 
 
State Television Coverage of Visit Prominent and Positive 
 
¶4. (U) Coverage of the visit was the lead story on Uzbek Television 
First Channel's evening news show Axborot (Report) on the evening 
of the visit, Friday February 19th. (Note: Government-owned, First 
Channel is the country's major source for information about 
government news, policies, and programs. Its flagship news show 
Axborot is widely considered to be among the best reflections of 
government policies. The show is broadcast in Uzbek and Russian, 
and has a viewership of over 10 million. End Note.) The station's 
coverage of the visit continued on Sunday February 21st with 
identical reporting on the visit. Coverage of the visit was the 
second story in the broadcast on the 21st. 
 
¶5. (U) Axborot's coverage of the visit was more explicitly positive 
than that of UzA. In its coverage, Axborot's correspondent stated 
that President Karimov "expressed Uzbekistan's firm commitment to 
further development of Uzbek-American relations on a constructive 
basis in the course of establishing durable peace and stability in 
Afghanistan." The coverage also included direct footage of 
President Karimov's welcoming SRAP Holbrooke to Uzbekistan. 
 
Reporting and Speculation on a U.S. Military Base 
 
¶6. (U) Several media reports on the visit focused on the question 
of a U.S. military base in Uzbekistan. (Note: On Sunday February 
21st, SRAP Holbrooke was asked by a Reuters reporter in Astana 
whether the U.S. is planning to open a military base in Uzbekistan. 
SRAP Holbrooke replied: "Uzbekistan does provide us valuable 
opportunities to transit material to Afghanistan, and that's 
important. But a military base? No." SRAP Holbrooke's stop in 
Astana came two days after his visit to Tashkent. End Note.) 
Following SRAP Holbrooke's stop in Astana, Uzbekistan's 
pro-government website 12.uz published a short article entitled 
"The U.S. Will Not Place Its Military Base in Uzbekistan." The 
article quoted SRAP Holbrooke's above-noted comments on the 
questions of a base, and included his comments on the importance of 
the Manas Transit Center. The independent website Ferghana.ru 
similarly reported that the U.S. does not plan to reinstate a 
military base in Uzbekistan and quoted SRAP Holbrooke's comments on 
 
TASHKENT 00000310  002 OF 002 
 
 
the issue.  However, in an article published on February 19th, 
RFE/RL Uzbek Service suggested that the question of a base is still 
open. It asked whether SRAP Holbrooke's visit to Uzbekistan is the 
first step in a plan to reinstate a U.S. base. It also suggested 
that SRAP Holbrooke and President Karimov may have discussed the 
possibility of a base. 
 
Independent Media Reaction to Visit 
 
¶7. (U) Besides the articles on a U.S. base in Uzbekistan, there 
were only a few short reports on SRAP Holbrooke's visit by 
Uzbekistan's independent media. Uzmetronom.com, one of the most 
popular independent websites in Uzbekistan, offered a three 
sentence description of the visit, noting that the two sides 
discussed the situation in Afghanistan. Uznews.net, a website which 
describes itself as the "independent news service of Uzbekistan," 
posted only a one line story on the visit. Turanzamin.org, the 
blocked website of the Congress of Democratic Uzbekistan, posted an 
Uzbek-language translation of Embassy Tashkent's press release on 
the visit. 
 
Comment 
 
¶8. (U) Uzbek Television First Channel's rebroadcasting of its 
coverage of SRAP Holbrooke's visit was unusual. The rebroadcasting 
suggests that the GoU wanted to highlight the positive portrayal of 
the visit and emphasize President Karimov's "commitment to further 
development of Uzbek-American relations on a constructive basis." 
End Comment. 
 
Norland 
NORLAND