SEPT. 6 2010 (The Conway Bulletin) — Commentators warned that Tajikistan could be struggling to contain Islamic extremism after two bomb attacks in three days, 2010. NATO wants a stable Tajikistan, a vital part of its supply chain for its forces in neighbouring Afghanistan.
A previously unknown group called Jamaat Ansarullah in Tajikistan claimed the first suicide bomb attack on the police station. Reuters said this was the first suicide bomb in Tajikistan for 5 years.
The Tajik authorities originally blamed the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), a well-known radical group in Central Asia with links to Afghanistan and al Qaeda. However, Jamaat Ansarullah in Tajikistan claimed responsibility for the attack on the website Kavkaz Center which publishes statements by radical groups fighting Russian forces in the north Caucasus.
No group has claimed responsibility for the second bomb in the Dushanbe disco. The authorities initially blamed hooliganism before arresting two men linked to Islamist groups.
The Tajik authorities frequently jail members of Islamic groups not endorsed by the government. They say their harsh line is needed to contain the threat. Opposition members say the authorities use this as an excuse to jail people critical of President Emomali Rkahmon.
The bomb blasts followed a breakout by 25 Islamist militants with links to Al Qaeda and radical groups in the north Caucasus from a jail in central Dushanbe (Aug. 23).
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(News report from Issue No. 6, published on Sept. 9 2010)
