U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman 
September 15, 2000

STATEMENT BY RICHARD BOUCHER, SPOKESMAN

INTENT TO DESIGNATE AS FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION THE ISLAMIC
MOVEMENT OF UZBEKISTAN

The Department of State is notifying Congress of its intention to
designate the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan as a Foreign Terrorist
Organization under U.S. law. Formal designation will occur seven days
following Congressional notification.

The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan has threatened the lives of
civilians and regional security and undermined the rule of law. It is
responsible for criminal acts of terrorism against the citizens of
Uzbekistan and has also kidnapped foreigners, including four American
mountain climbers who were held hostage last month before being able
to escape. In 1999, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan took a group of
Japanese geologists hostage. We also believe the Islamic Movement of
Uzbekistan was involved in explosions in Tashkent that killed 16
people and a bus hijacking in 1999, in which 2 passengers and several
police were killed.

The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan has also publicly called for the
violent overthrow of the Government of Uzbekistan and has claimed
responsibility for ongoing armed incursions into the territory of
Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. These actions have resulted in the deaths
of a number of civilian Uzbek security personnel.

This designation, pursuant to U.S. law, adds the Islamic Movement of
Uzbekistan to the current list of 28 Foreign Terrorist Organizations.
Groups designated must be reviewed every two years. The Secretary is
authorized to make new designations at any time, or to remove a group
from the list of U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations at
any time if the facts warrant that action.

The Foreign Terrorist Organization designation makes it illegal for
persons within U.S. jurisdiction to provide funding or material
support to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, and gives the
Department of the Treasury the authority to block any Islamic Movement
of Uzbekistan assets within U.S. jurisdiction. In certain cases,
Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan members or representatives can be
denied visas or excluded from the United States.

Additional information about the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan is
contained in the fact sheet on the group's activities released today
by the Press Office.