Looking for a killer, not The Killer, sorry.

More than 40 days passed since the brutal murder of Alisher Saipov. Since then, investigations into his killing have not produced anything genuine. President Bakiev took personal oversight over the conduct of investigations, but he may be regretting that he did so, given the intricacy of the killing. The killer is known from the outset - the Uzbek government (or whichever arm of it). The Kyrgyz police has been trying by all means to 'look the other way' from the blinding light of actual killers' known-ness. They have instead tried to find the killers among Islamic extremists - the default suspects for anything you want to dump. The glaring illogic of such a suggestion is not any hindrance to the police. Never mind the fact that Alisher was actually speaking out in defense of religious freedoms, against persecution for beliefs, and certainly against demonizing Islam for anything that Islam (Karimov) was nervous about. The some holds for the Uzbek political opposition abroad, who have benefitted from Alisher's brave reporting, giving them publicity.

The New York Times carried an article about the killing of Alisher Saipov on Dec 3, where it highlighted the widespread conviction that Uzbek KGB was involved. More interestingly, after some public pressure, and perhaps because it is just so impossible to ignore it, the Kyrgyz police, too, voiced that Uzbek connection, at least one of their four alternative scenarios. Of course eventually they will do anything to dismiss this alternative... One of the four alternatives being just a criminal act, not motivated in any political way. Coudn't get any more hypocritical.

...President Karimov (and why on earth this person should end up with a first-name Islam?) has cleared his way to another term as president of another thorn. The presidency was so guaranteed, it was not worth any blood-letting, but they would do it anyway. Just how much more blood is he willing to swim in? At 70 years of age, looking much less than a 'strong and fit man', just what is the ultimate drive in this man to such extreme self-assertion? Well, as if this is the first example of such brutality. It's just that when it's closer to your time and home, it hits you harder.