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Welcome
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This Travel Warning was issued on July 3, 2008, to remind U.S. citizens that the potential for a terrorist attack or localized civil disturbance still exists, despite the fact that there have been no violent incidents in Uzbekistan since May 2005. The Department of State continues to urge Americans in Uzbekistan to exercise caution when traveling in the region. This supersedes the Travel Warning dated October 25, 2007.
The U.S. Government continues to receive
information that indicates terrorist groups may be planning attacks,
possibly against U.S. interests, in Uzbekistan. Supporters of terrorist
groups such as the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Al-Qaida, the Islamic
Jihad Union, and the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement are active in the
region. Members of these groups have expressed anti-U.S. sentiments and have
attacked U.S. Government interests in the past, including the U.S. Embassy
in Tashkent, and may attempt to target U.S. Government or private American
interests in Uzbekistan. In the past, these groups have conducted
kidnappings, assassinations, and suicide bombings, though no instances have
been documented in recent years.
Increased security at official U.S.
facilities over the past year may lead terrorists and their sympathizers to
seek softer targets. These may include facilities where Americans and other
foreigners congregate or visit, such as residential areas, clubs,
restaurants, places of worship, schools, hotels, outdoor recreation events,
and resorts. The U.S. Embassy in Tashkent continues to employ heightened
security precautions. U.S. citizens should report any unusual activity to
local authorities and then inform the Embassy.
Uzbekistan experienced a wave of terrorist violence in 2004. In July 2004 there were three suicide bombings in Tashkent, including one outside the U.S. Embassy. The Islamic Jihad Union (IJU) claimed responsibility for the attacks. The IJU also used suicide bombers in multiple attacks focused on police and Uzbek private and commercial facilities in Tashkent and Bukhara in late March and early April 2004. In May 2005, armed militants stormed a prison in Andijon, released its prisoners, and then took control of the regional administration and other government buildings in Andijon Province. Fighting broke out between government forces and the militants, and reports indicated that several hundred civilians died in the ensuing violence. While there were no reports of U.S. citizens affected by these events, U.S. citizens and other foreigners in Uzbekistan frequently have experienced harassment from authorities and local residents since the 2005 violence.
The U.S. Embassy in Tashkent continues to employ heightened security precautions. U.S. citizens should report any unusual activity to local authorities and then inform the Embassy. The Uzbek Government maintains travel restrictions on large parts of the Surkhandarya province bordering Afghanistan, including the border city of Termez. American citizens intending to travel to this region must obtain a special permission card from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Internal Affairs or Uzbek embassies and consulates abroad. Americans traveling to or remaining in Uzbekistan despite this Travel Warning are strongly urged to register with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate through the State Department's travel registration website, <https://travelregistration.state.gov>, and to obtain updated information on travel and security within Uzbekistan. Americans without Internet access may register directly with the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent. The U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan is located at # 3, Moyqorghon Street, 5th Block, Yunusobod District, Tashkent-700093, Uzbekistan. The telephone number is 998-71-120-5450. The fax number is 998-71-120-6335. The website is <http://uzbekistan.usembassy.gov>. Travelers should also consult the Department of State's latest Consular Information Sheet for Uzbekistan, the Public Announcement for Central Asia, and the Worldwide Caution Public Announcement at <http://travel.state.gov>. American citizens may also obtain up-to-date information on security conditions by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States or Canada, and 202-501-4444 from overseas.
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