Abstract
Not only did Washington not officially recognize the government of East Turkestan headed by Yusuf Turani, but the United States Congress also included the ETIM on its list of terrorist organizations in August 2002. At the time, the administration of President George W. Bush needed China’s cooperation on issues of strategic importance because of the war in Afghanistan. But China’s Ministry of Security identified several other terrorist organizations linked to the ETIM, such as the East Turkestan Liberation Organization (ETLO), the East Turkestan Information Center (ETIC), and the World Uyghur Youth Congress (WUYC), based in Munich and presided by Rebiya Kadeer, who also was president of the Uyghur American Association, which was headquartered in the United States. In 2007, Beijing’s troops destroyed the training camps maintained by the ETIM in Xinjiang.
Rebiya Kadeer was accused of organizing the uprising that flared up in the first days of July 2009, when 140 to 200 people were killed and over 800 injured in the city of Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang. Both her organizations—the World Uyghur Youth Congress (WUYC) and Uyghur American Association—were receiving funds from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), which was also funding a chain of governmental and non-governmental organizations to train groups in “political warfare”, i.e., rebellions, in the Balkans and in the countries of the Caucasus.
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Notes
- 1.
“Sibel Edmonds on Mike Malloy”, partial transcript from an interview Sibel gave to Brad Friedman, guest-hosting the Mike Malloy Show (audio), July 31, 2009.
- 2.
There are also Uyghurs in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, as well as in Turkey itself.
- 3.
Edward Wong, “China Warns of Executions as Riots Ebb”, The New York Times, July 9, 2009. Holly Fletcher e Jayshree Bajoria, “The East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM)”, Council on Foreign Relations, July 31, 2008. Shirley A. Kan, “U.S.-China Counterterrorism Cooperation: Issues for U.S. Policy”, July 15, 2010, Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RL33001. The Uyghurs speak Uyghur, a language similar to Turkish.
- 4.
Conboy and Morrison (2011, pp. 4–5 e 101–102).
- 5.
It is estimated that China harbored 20 million Muslims in 2008.
- 6.
On this region, see also Graham E. Fuller and S. Frederick Starr, The Xinjiang Problem, Central Asia-Caucasus Institute, Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced Studies, the Johns Hopkins University, pp. 4–8.
- 7.
Starr (2004, pp. 28–29).
- 8.
Die Seidenstrasse (Silk Road), so called in the nineteenth century by the German geographer Baron Ferdinand von Richthofen (1833–1905). See a figure of the Silk Road in: http://www.mitchellteachers.org/ChinaTour/SilkRoadProject/pdf/physicalmapofasiaroutes.pdf. Accessed: 02.05.2015.
- 9.
“Bombshell: Bin Laden Worked for US till 9/11”, Information Clearing House, July 31, 2009, Daily Kos, “Former FBI translator Sibel Edmonds dropped a bombshell on the Mike Malloy radio show, guest-hosted by Brad Friedman” (audio, partial transcript).
- 10.
The ETIM belonged to a chain of terrorist groups in Central Asia, including the Central Asian Uygur Hizballah (Kazakhstan), the East Turkistan Liberation Organization (ETLO), the Eastern Turkistan International Committee, the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (Afghanistan), the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Resistance Movement (Turkey), the Eastern Turkistan Youth League (Switzerland), the Turkistan Party (Pakistan) and the United Committee of Uygurs’ Organizations (Central Asia).
- 11.
Edmonds (2012, pp. 97–98).
- 12.
Ibid., p. 97.
- 13.
Ibid., p. 250. “Sibel Edmonds on Mike Malloy”, partial transcript from an interview Sibel gave to Brad Friedman, guest-hosting the Mike Malloy Show (audio), July 31, 2009.
- 14.
Holly Fletcher and Jayshree Bajoria, “The East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM)”, Council on Foreign Relations, July 31, 2008.
- 15.
When the United States invaded Afghanistan, they captured 22 Uyghurs who were imprisoned in the concentration camp in Guantanamo (Cuba). Five were subsequently released and sent to Albania, but not returned to China. Holly Fletcher e Jayshree Bajoria, “The East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM)”, Council on Foreign Relations, July 31, 2008.
- 16.
- 17.
Reed e Rashke (2010, pp. 33–35).
- 18.
“China seeks int’l support in counter-terrorism”, People’s Daily Online, December 16, 2003.
- 19.
Elizabeth Van Wie Davis, “Uyghur Muslim Ethnic Separatism in Xinjiang, China”, Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, January 2008.
- 20.
“CIA and riot in Xinjiang”, China Daily Forum. Tania Branigan and Jonathan Watts, “Muslim Uighurs riot as ethnic tensions rise in western China”, The Guardian, July 5, 2009.
- 21.
Erik Eckholm, “China Points to Another Leader in Exile”, The New York Times, July 7, 2009.
- 22.
Tania Branigan and Jonathan Watts, “Muslim Uighurs riot as ethnic tensions rise in western China”, The Guardian, July 5, 2009.
- 23.
National Endowment for Democracy—2011 Annual Report—China (Xinjiang/East Turkistan), http://www.ned.org/publications/annual-reports/2011--annual-report/asia/china-xinjiang/east-turkistan
- 24.
“The Uighurs, Central Asia and Turkey. Troubles across Turkestan”, The Economist, July 16, 2009.
- 25.
“Don’t twist facts”, China.org.cn
- 26.
Julia Famularo, “Erdogan Visits Xinjiang”, The Diplomat, April 14, 2012.
- 27.
Elizabeth Van Wie Davis, “Uyghur Muslim Ethnic Separatism in Xinjiang, China”, Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, January 2008.
- 28.
Canada Tibet Committee, “The Allied Committee of Eastern Turkestan, Inner Mongolia and Tibet meets in New York”, World Tibet Network News, October 18, 1994.
- 29.
B. Raman, “Us & Terrorism in Xinjiang”, South Asia Analysis Group, Paper No. 499, 24/7/2002.
- 30.
June Teufel Dreyer, “China’s Vulnerability to Minority Separatism”, Asian Affairs, Summer 2005, pp. 80–84.
- 31.
Ibid.
- 32.
Susan V. Lawrence, “U.S.-China Relations: Policy Issues”, June 14, 2013, Congressional Research Service, 7-5700, www.crs.gov—R41108.
- 33.
Shirley A. Kan, “U.S.-China Counterterrorism Cooperation: Issues for U.S. Policy”, July 15, 2010, Congressional Research Service, 7-5700, http://fas.org/sgp/crs/terror/RL33001.pdf. Accessed 11.10.2014.
- 34.
U.S. Department of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012 : China (includes Tibet, Hong Kong, and Macau), April 19, 2012. See also: The Strategic Location of Xinjiang. In: http://www.wsws.org/en/media/photos/legacy/2009jul/j09-xinj-340.jpg. Accessed 16.03.2015.
- 35.
Philip Iglauer, “Beijing blames Syrians for Xinjiang carnage”, The Korea Herald, 3/7/2013, Asia News Network.
- 36.
“Situation Report—Xinjiang Oil Industry Development”, Center for Energy and Global Development, Report produced by Chen Shi China Research Group and with the assistance of the government of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. “Xinjiang to build largest oil, gas base over 10 years”, People’s Daily Online, August 16, 2010.
- 37.
“Xinjiang to build largest oil, gas base over 10 years”, People’s Daily Online, August 16, 2010.
- 38.
Starr (2004).
- 39.
Michael Smolander, “The Preeminence of Pakistan’s Gwadar Port”, International Policy Digest, May 27, 2013. Amitav Ranjan, “As China offers funds to Iran, India set to fast-track Chabahar pact”, Indian Express, New Delhi, July 1, 2013. See: The port of Gwadar in the Arabian Sea. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9a/Gwadar.jpg. Accessed 16.03.2015.
- 40.
Jephraim Gundzik, “The ties that bind China, Russia and Iran”, Asia Times, June 4, 2005.
- 41.
Lawrence Spinetta, “‘The Malacca Dilemma’ Countering China’s ‘String Of Pearls’ with Land-Based Airpower”, a thesis presented to the Faculty of the School of Advanced Air And Space Studies for Completion of Graduation Requirements, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, June 2006. See also the figure: China’s sea routes and bases: http://www.verkehrsrundschau.de/fm/3576/grafik1_stuetzpunkte_der_pe.jpg. Accessed 16.03.2015, also: http://www.china-briefing.com/news/2009/03/18/china%E2%80%99s-string-of-pearls-strategy.html. Accessed 16.03.2015.
- 42.
Christopher J. Pehrson, “String of Pearls: meeting the challenge of china’s rising power across the Asian litoral”, Strategic Studies Institute (SSI), U.S. Army War College, July 2006.
- 43.
“China’s String of Pearls Strategy”, China Briefing, March 18, 2009. http://www.china-briefing.com/news/2009/03/18/china%E2%80%99s-string-of-pearls-strategy.html. Accessed 12.10.2014.
- 44.
Graham E. Fuller e S. Frederick Starr, The Xinjiang Problem, Central Asia—Caucasus Institute, Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced Studies, The Johns Hopkins University. http://www.silkroadstudies.org/docs/publications/OLD/xinjiang_final.pdf
- 45.
“Gyalo Thondup: Interview Excerpts”, Asia News/The Wall Street Journal, February 20, 2009.
- 46.
Andreas Lorenz, “CIA-Ausbilder in Tibet: Dilemma auf dem Dach der Welt”, Der Spiegel, 9/6/2012. Jamyang Norbu, “Remembering Tibet’s Freedom Fighters”, TheHuffingtonPost.com , October 20, 2010. Scott N. Miller, “Celebrating freedom at Camp Hale”, Vail Daily, September 10, 2010. Tim Mcgirk, “Angry Spirit”, Dalai Lama Sur Envoyé Spécial—Part 3 of 3, April 6, 2012.
- 47.
Knaus (2012, p. 98). John Kenneth Knaus was the CIA agent who headed the operation between 1958 and 1965.
- 48.
Tibet [China]: Information on Chushi Gangdruk [Gangdrug], United States Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, Resource Information Center, January 22, 2003. CHN03002.NYC. http://www.uscis.gov/tools/asylum-resources/ric-query-tibet-china-22-january-2003. Accessed 13.10.2014. Richard M Bennett, “Tibet, the ‘great game’ and the CIA”, Global Research, Asia Times, March 25, 2008.
- 49.
337. Memorandum for the Special Group/1/Washington, January 9, 1964/1/Source: Department of State, INR Historical Files, Special Group Files, S.G. 112, February 20, 1964. Secret; Eyes Only. The source text bears no drafting information. Memoranda for the record by Peter Jessup of February 14 and 24 state that the paper was considered at a Special Group meeting on February 13 and approved by the Special Group on February 20. [Central Intelligence Agency, DCI (McCone) Files, Job 80-B01285A, Box 1, 303 Committee Meetings (1964)]. SUBJECT Review of Tibetan Operations 1. Summary—The CIA Tibetan Activity consists of political action, propaganda, and paramilitary activity. The purpose of the program at this stage is to keep the political concept of an autonomous Tibet alive within Tibet and among foreign nations, principally India, and to build a capability for resistance against possible political developments inside Communist China. Accessed https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1964-68v30/d337
- 50.
Ibid.
- 51.
Pereira (2009, p. 52).
- 52.
Claudia Dreifus, “The Dalai Lama”, The New York Times, November 28, 1993.
- 53.
Norm Dixon, “The Dalai Lama’s hidden past”, RevLeft, November 6, 2005.
- 54.
Ibid.
- 55.
Ibid.
- 56.
337.Memorandum for the Special Group/1/ Washington, January 9, 1964/1/Source: Department of State, INR Historical Files, Special Group Files, S.G. 112, February 20, 1964. Secret; Eyes Only. The source text bears no drafting information. Memoranda for the record by Peter Jessup of February 14 and 24 state that the paper was considered at a Special Group meeting on February 13 and approved by the Special Group on February 20. [Central Intelligence Agency, DCI (McCone) Files, Job 80-B01285A, Box 1, 303 Committee Meetings (1964)]. Subject—Review of Tibetan Operations. Foreign Relations of the United States—1964–1968—Volume XXX—China. Department of State, Washington, DC, http://www.state.gov/www/about_state/history/vol_xxx/337_343.html. Andreas Lorenz, “CIA-Ausbilder in Tibet: Dilemma auf dem Dach der Welt”, Der Spiegel, 9/6/2012.
- 57.
Kissinger (2011, p. 447).
- 58.
King Birendra, 55 years-old and considered to be the reincarnation of the god Vishnu, Queen Aishwarya, Prince Nirajan and 12 other members of the royal family were assassinated on June 1, 2001, by prince Dipendra, heir to the crown, in Narayanhity palace in Kathmandu. There is great controversy around this massacre. Some testimonies state that prince Dipendra, who is said to have tried to commit suicide and who was in a coma until June 4th, died before his father and other family members. Prince Gyanendra, brother of King Birendra, was the one who actually took over the throne. Everything points to a cover-up.
- 59.
Pereira (2009, pp. 52–53).
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Moniz Bandeira, L.A. (2017). The Xinjiang Issue and Washington’s China Strategy. In: The Second Cold War. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-54888-3_6
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