Iron Fist In Andijan

Some leaders sneak out of their country during an uprising; others become paralyzed by mass demonstrations. But when Uzbek oppositionists rose up in the eastern city of Andijan last week, Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov sent in the armor. Communications with Andijan were cut; foreign TV news broadcasts to Uzbekistan, including from Russia, were replaced with light entertainment.

The insurrection started when a group of armed men raided a local military base for weapons, then hit the local jail. There they freed inmates, including 23 well-known local businessmen accused of belonging to Akromiya, an offshoot of the banned Islamist...