explosion in chorsu market in tashkent. there aren't many details but it's very freaky. i feel like i was just there (even though it was 6 months ago). if it's an al-qaeda type bomb designed to retaliate against a close ally of the bush administration, the chorsu is an odd choice--when i was there the market was crowded with locals and farmers coming from the fergana valley. meanwhile a mile or two southeast is "broadway" the tourist strip that is often frequented by u.s. soldiers on break from afghanistan.
i am sure this will immediately be blamed on the islamic movement of turkistan (formerly the islamic movement of uzbekistan) and hizb-ut-tahir (an islamist political party that claims to be non-violent but always suffers when the government moves against the IMU/IMT). expect one of our "close allies in the war against terra" to get even more oppressive.
UPDATE: ever so slightly more information here.
UPDATE2: now it looks like a suicide bomb. or rather, bombs. it seems there was another (and more deadly) explosion in bukhara provence (but not bukhara city?).
