U.S. adds Chinese Muslim group to terror list

Chicago Tribune ^ | Aug 27 2002 | Michael A. Lev

[iav2]

The United States has added a Muslim separatist group to a State Department list of terrorist organizations, overriding human-rights concerns about China's repression of Muslim religious and political freedoms in the far west region of the country.

The U.S. has criticized China's treatment of the Muslim ethnic Uighur people, but relations with Beijing have improved dramatically because of China's support for the U.S.-led war on terrorism, and Washington has acknowledged that China has suffered several small-scale terrorist attacks at the hands of Uighur militants. The decision to place the East Turkistan Islamic Movement on list of groups subject to financial sanctions came "after careful study," said deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, who met with Chinese officials Monday in Beijing.

[Dog Gone]

Sounds fair. If that's all it takes to prevent a Chinese veto at the UN over a resolution supporting our right to kick some Saddam boohiney, it's a bargain.

[Cobra Scott]

I think its wonderful in other ways too; no matter what the granola-turds in New Zealand say, the rest of the world DOES need our permission to act. Not only that, but being a capitalist, I am all in favor of introducing competition to the moslem-slaughtering industry. It can only synergize the whole operation.

[B4Ranch]

I have come to the belief that these Muslim groups are going to become a substantial problem down the road. The mosques seem to be great place for their terror groups to meet under the cover of religous gatherings.