(for Online) Tajik radio broadcast a commentary on Saturday (7th Nov) describing the uprising which erupted in northern Tajikistan last week as an "act of aggression" against the republic and accusing the UN, the USA, Uzbekistan and other foreign countries of having had prior knowledge of the revolt.

Revolt "aimed at territorial integrity" The radio quoted unnamed experts as saying that far from being merely a local phenomenon, the events of the past few days were "an act of aggression, the organizers of which are from a wide system, very organized and aimed against the territorial integrity of Tajikistan and the unity of its people" .

"If we imagine all the events which have taken place in the past three to four months in the political life of Tajikistan, we will once again believe in the rightness of this idea and will see that even distant foreign countries were involved in the conflicts and were already aware of the plan for the latest events in Tajikistan," it said.

"We recall that the US embassy stopped its activity in Dushanbe a month earlier for fabricated and false reasons, when neither a foreign member of the Taleban nor any resident of Tajikistan threatened the security of this embassy.

We remember that about two months ago, Switzerland removed its experts and nationals from Tajikistan to a foreign country.

"We recall that the government of Uzbekistan refused to hold cultural days in Dushanbe contrary to an agreement signed by the heads of the two governments.

And further evidence, we remember that the UN mission recalled its personnel and officials from the town of Khujand to Dushanbe some time before ." "Criminal plans" by enemies of Tajikistan "Look at this circle of events - not clear at first glance, but if all these developments are analysed in the light of the latest events in Tajikistan then it becomes clear that all of these events were not without reason or result.

It appears that many people and states were aware beforehand of the criminal plans of the enemies of the government of Tajikistan," the radio said.

It said that certain unnamed media sources were deliberately portraying the events as an internal Tajik affair in order to conceal the wider involvement of foreign countries and to provide support for a "third force" , a reference to the rebels led by Col Mahmud Khudoyberdiyev.

"If the clashes in northern Tajikistan are evaluated, according to their thoughts, as a local and domestic event, they will claim that this was an internal affair of Tajikistan and say that this country should find a solution with its opposition.

In this case, the aim is the same - to support the so-called third force which they want to change into a regional force.

"If the latest developments in Tajikistan are assessed, by the wish of these media sources, as a regional and a group operation they will surely come up with such a pretext that Tajikistan should itself take measures to establish order and strengthen the power of the government," it said.

"In this case, according to their view, Tajikistan has no right to ask for help from outside countries as a member of the collective security agreement for the protection of its independence and integrity." Government has "evidence" of foreign hand The radio said that the events represented an act of aggression against Tajikistan as a sovereign state and had been planned in unnamed neighbouring countries.

"It is true that the people in Tajikistan realize very well all these nuances and many other political and international aspects of the matter, that is why we are of the opinion that an act of aggression, designed by the enemies of the Tajik people, was carried out against Tajikistan, as a full member of the United Nations, against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Tajikistan," it said.

"Tajikistan has all the documents and evidence to prove that these plans were drawn up in neighbouring countries.

The criminal groups underwent military training there and broke through into Tajikistan from a foreign country," the radio commentary concluded.