November 26, 2002

Turkmenistan police arrested 16 people as suspects in the attempted assassination of president Niyazov yesterday. Niyazov is a former communist leader who got himself elected president of independent Turkmenistan. Niyazov has since turned himself into a dictator who is very intolerant of any opposition or criticism. Niyazov is accusing political exiles, with the support of Russia, for the assassination attempt. In fact, there are many Turkmen who have been burned by Niyazov and would like to see him dead.