A top Uzbek diplomat suggested that Central Asian states should explore the formulation of a regional migration management framework as part of a comprehensive approach in addressing concerns about the rising threat of terrorism. The most serious terrorist incident to date occurred in the Uzbek capital Tashkent on February 16, when a series of bomb explosions caused significant death and destruction. Speaking at the Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC, Safayev broadly hinted that Islamic fundamentalists were the perpetrators of the February 16 events. He added that population displacements in Central Asia, in particular in neighboring Tajikistan and Afghanistan, helped foster the growth of terrorism in the region.
Population displacements help fuels the discontent that leads to fundamentalist terrorism.
Meanwhile, a few political observers expressed concern that possible Uzbek government reprisals against radical Islamic elements inside Uzbekistan could create circumstances that might give rise to population displacement.