Rice Criticizes Uzbekistan On Human Rights

Condoleezza Rice (file photo) 2 July 2005 -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said yesterday Uzbekistan has failed to meet its human rights commitments or live up to its obligations to govern democratically.
Rice made the comments in Washington in a speech to a conference of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Rice singled Uzbekistan for failing to respect human rights -- despite Uzbekistan helping the United States in the war on terror by allowing the U.S. military to set up bases there for operations in Afghanistan.

Washington has held up some foreign aid to Uzbekistan over human rights violations by President Islam Karimov's government and has threatened to withhold more over the shooting of civilians in May.

Rice also criticized Belarus for human rights violations.

(dpa)