By empty (2/6/2003 issue of the CACI Analyst)
The former Soviet republic of Uzbekistan said Thursday it supports the United States\' call for more resolute measures to disarm Iraq. Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Komilov said that U.S.
The former Soviet republic of Uzbekistan said Thursday it supports the United States\' call for more resolute measures to disarm Iraq. Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Komilov said that U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell\'s presentation of evidence at the U.N. Security Council Wednesday provided \"convincing\" evidence that \"more resolute and cardinal steps should be used to make sure that Iraq possesses no weapons of mass destruction.\" Komilov said it was too early to talk about whether or not Uzbekistan would support possible military action against Iraq, but added that control over weapons of mass destruction was one of the most serious global issues. Uzbekistan has been a key ally in U.S.-led anti-terrorism coalition, providing airspace and bases for forces involved in operations in neighboring Afghanistan. The Central Asian nation, which is within striking distance of Iraq, has been hosting hundreds of U.S. troops since October 2001. During a visit to Tashkent last month, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Elizabeth Jones said she had had a lengthy discussion about Iraq with Uzbek President Islam Karimov. \"It\'s clear that Uzbekistan has fundamentally the same position on Iraq as the United States,\" she said. (AP)