Terrorism in authoritarian regimes : defining the cycle of repression and violence in Uzbekistan

As terrorism continues to grow in importance for national and global security, it is imperative to understand both the positive and the negative implications of anti-terrorism efforts. This study explores the impact that the introduction of terrorism-oriented legislation has on state-society relations in authoritarian countries. I examine changes in the definition of terrorism, the use of associated terms and the occurrence of terrorist incidents along a timeline of terrorism in Uzbekistan dating from 1 January 1999 to 31 December 2005. The example of Uzbekistan’s struggle against terrorism, under the leadership of President Karimov, allows for an examination of the conceptualization of terrorism prior and subsequent to the events of 11 September 2001. Through a content analysis of English and Russian language newspaper reports, in addition to the relevant laws and Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan, I reveal that state-society relations in Uzbekistan were not clarified by the introduction of terrorism-oriented legislation in 2001. This analysis has important implications for future anti-terrorism efforts, such as the introduction of terrorism-oriented legislation, in authoritarian countries and suggests that anti-terrorism efforts may not decrease terrorist activities.