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2005-03-24 Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Kyrgyzstan Leader Said to Flee to Russia
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Posted by Frank G 2005-03-24 9:46:16 AM|| E-Mail|| Front Page|| [11139 views since 2007-05-07]  Top

#1 MOSCOW - The plane of Kyrgyzstan's President Askar Akayev landed Thursday in neighboring Kazakhstan, the Interfax news agency reported, amid conflicting reports on the whereabouts of the Central Asian nation's veteran leader. The news agency quoted unnamed sources as saying that Akayev's plane had landed near Kazakhstan's main commercial city of Almaty.
The whereabouts of 60-year-old Akayev -- who has ruled this normally sleepy mountainous nation since 1990 and is considered the most liberal ruler in ex-Soviet Central Asia -- had been unknown since thousands of opposition supporters armed with rocks and clubs took over Kyrgyzstan's main seat of power. Previous reports said he left for Russia while his family fled to Kazakhstan.
Posted by Steve  2005-03-24 10:54:32 AM||   2005-03-24 10:54:32 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan Mar 24, 2005 — Kyrgyzstan President Askar Akayev has resigned, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported, citing an opposition leader hours after protesters stormed the presidential compound in the former Soviet republic. The Russian news agency quoted Kyrgyzstan opposition leader Felix Kulov, who was released from prison on Thursday, as saying that Akayev has resigned. The report could not immediately be confirmed.
Earlier, the Interfax news agency said Akayev had been flown to Russia and his family had been taken to Kazakhstan. The tumultuous scene was the culmination of the first major rally in the capital since opposition supporters seized control of key cities and towns in the south this week to press demands that Akayev step down amid widespread allegations of fraud during parliamentary elections in the former Soviet republic.
Posted by Steve  2005-03-24 11:01:00 AM||   2005-03-24 11:01:00 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 Rocks and clubs? Damn, they sound serious. Or poor. Or both.
Posted by Steve White  2005-03-24 11:30:34 AM||   2005-03-24 11:30:34 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 You know, this is not funny at all, my parents and brother are in Bishkek right now and there's nothing i can do to help them!!
Posted by Alina 2005-03-24 12:12:43 PM||   2005-03-24 12:12:43 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 Alina, there is either Fedex or DHL office in Bishkek, you can probably send in a pair of kalashnikovs and an ample supply of ammo.
Posted by twobyfour 2005-03-24 12:24:11 PM||   2005-03-24 12:24:11 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 Asshole
Posted by Alina 2005-03-24 12:33:55 PM||   2005-03-24 12:33:55 PM|| Front Page Top

#7 Alina, I hope your family members are OK for the forseeable future.

2x4: I'm fairly sure even if that could do some good it would get stopped in customs. Totally innocuous industrial equipment that can't be used as a weapon (except by, perhaps, an unusually large sasquatch) can get stuck in customs for three months in Moscow... and I am not sure if there are any other transshipment routes into or out of Kyrgyzstan.
Posted by Phil Fraering 2005-03-24 12:39:29 PM|| [http://newsfromthefridge.typepad.com]  2005-03-24 12:39:29 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 Alina, sorry that your family is caught in the middle of this. Generally speaking though (not related to your families situation) what do you make of what's going on there?
Posted by Damn_Proud_American 2005-03-24 12:40:06 PM||   2005-03-24 12:40:06 PM|| Front Page Top

#9 All i am worried about are my parents. We are russian and there's a lot of discrimination going on from the muslim side. I just hope i can get my parents out of that damn country.
Posted by Alina 2005-03-24 12:43:11 PM||   2005-03-24 12:43:11 PM|| Front Page Top

#10 Best wishes to your family, Alina.
Posted by Seafarious  2005-03-24 1:06:37 PM||   2005-03-24 1:06:37 PM|| Front Page Top

#11 well, I wish you luck and your family safety....
Posted by Frank G  2005-03-24 1:06:57 PM||   2005-03-24 1:06:57 PM|| Front Page Top

#12 Thank you
Posted by Alina 2005-03-24 1:18:28 PM||   2005-03-24 1:18:28 PM|| Front Page Top

#13 
Akayev.

His bio says he is a physicist...
Posted by BigEd 2005-03-24 1:30:33 PM||   2005-03-24 1:30:33 PM|| Front Page Top

#14 Alina, while twobyfour was being more than a little flippant, advising your family to "hold up" in their home with a rifle and two weeks worth of food isn't the worst idea in the world. If this revolution follows the normal, modern pattern things should calm down fairly shortly. No need for your parents to abandon their country; she will need them, afterall.
Posted by Secret Master 2005-03-24 2:01:43 PM||   2005-03-24 2:01:43 PM|| Front Page Top

#15 This would be a great time for China to make some territorial adjustments in its favor. Except that thanks to Operation Enduring Freedom, Uncle Sam is right next door in Tajikistan and Afghanistan.
Posted by Zhang Fei  2005-03-24 2:13:56 PM|| [http://timurileng.blogspot.com]  2005-03-24 2:13:56 PM|| Front Page Top

#16 What is the view by everyone regarding what this revolution means. Is the opposition serious about democracy or are they just trying to grab power for themselves?
Posted by Damn_Proud_American 2005-03-24 4:14:11 PM||   2005-03-24 4:14:11 PM|| Front Page Top

#17 T & A grabfest would be in order.
Posted by Shaiter Spoluger1654 2005-03-24 5:33:53 PM||   2005-03-24 5:33:53 PM|| Front Page Top

#18 Geography--seems mighty important.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4380899.stm
Posted by jules 2 2005-03-24 10:47:44 PM||   2005-03-24 10:47:44 PM|| Front Page Top

07:56 anon
23:59 True German Ally
23:56 3dc
23:53 mojo
23:51 AzCat
23:44 AzCat
23:40 mojo
23:33 True German Ally
23:28 True German Ally
23:26 Alaska Paul
23:25 jackal
23:24 Seafarious
23:21 Frank G
23:20 Frank G
23:18 True German Ally
23:16 mom
23:13 True German Ally
23:12 Seafarious
23:09 Frank G
23:06 AzCat
23:06 jackal
23:05 SteveS
23:04 jackal
22:50 kilowattkid
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