Uzbeks Rise Up

Ok here's a blogosphere research project. What is really going on in Uzbekistan today? Is there a democracy movement storming the streets? Or is there a group of Islamic fundamentalists rising up to take over the country?

Let's look at a group of blogs: First guy says the conservatives are being too quiet.

This report comes from Moscow and is a reporters take translated and posted this evening.

It appears that Nathan from registan.net is the blogs favorite for news from the front on central asia. His site has a bunch to digest so try this first.

So what really happened in Uzbekistan last night? Well it looks like 23 men were arrested over the last couple weeks. They were allied or connected to Islamic group that may be terror. Their families wanted them sprung. As many as 4,000 people were in the streets protesting. They may have even taken over a prison and let prisoners out. The government opened fire and hostages and civilians were killed.

Is this a democracy movement. Yes, for some of the "economic" protestors. But it also appears that the Islamacists are using the real democrats as pawns to get their people in place to cause carnage.

Watch closely and read all the blogs, we may never get the story from the media. This is too much work for them to try and keep track.

Good work from Scraps of Moscow putting the leading website in perspective and getting some on-location reports from real journalists.

So whats the latest?
Some pictures of the carnage

Nathan from registan.net continues to have key posts and reviews that help put things in perspective.

Question: What position will the US take? Can they afford to be allied with a government that is seen as oppressive just for the sake of the "war on terror?"