Strongman Uzbek leader Karimov buried

Samarkand, Sep 3 (AFP) Uzbekistan laid strongman IslamKarimov to rest today amid tight security, after his deathtriggered the deepest period of uncertainty in the country’spost-Soviet history with no clear successor in view. Karimov, 78, was pronounced dead late yesterday aftersuffering a stroke last weekend and falling into a coma,authorities said, following days of speculation about hisrapidly failing health. An Islamic funeral for the iron-fisted leader – whodominated the ex-Soviet nation for some 27 years – was held inhis home city of Samarkand, southwestern Uzbekistan, today andthe country will begin three days of mourning. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and the presidentsof Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan were amongdignitaries attending the memorial service on the famed UNESCOWorld Heritage site of Registan Square. Uzbek state television showed footage of mournerscarrying Karimov’s coffin through a crowd in the historicsquare which is encircled by blue-domed madrassas. "Our people and Uzbekistan have suffered an irreplaceableloss," Russian news wire Interfax quoted Uzbek Prime MinisterShavkat Mirziyoyev as saying at the ceremony. "Death took from our midst the founder of the state ofUzbekistan, a great and dear son of our people." Loyalist Mirziyoyev headed the organising committee forthe funeral, in a sign that he could be the frontrunner toreplace Karimov. Russian premier Medvedev told the Uzbek leadership thatMoscow "in these sad days" is "with you, you can have nodoubt", RIA Novosti reported. An AFP journalist in Samarkand – which also houses themausoleum of feared 14th century warlord Tamerlane – saidnational flags were flying with black ribbons of mourningattached and that the road to the cemetery where Karimov wasburied next to his family was strewn with roses. Police had cordoned off most of the centre of the cityand were not letting ordinary citizens or cars through. Despite his brutal quarter-century rule, which earned hima reputation abroad as one of the region’s most savage despotswho ruthlessly stamped out opposition, people in Karimov’shome town mourned his passing and some youths wore blackclothes. "When we found out about his death, all my family – mywife, my son’s wife, the children – we were all crying, wecouldn’t believe it," one local man, 58, told AFP, refusing togive his name. "It is a great loss for every Uzbek. He made our countryfree and developed." Crowds of people had earlier reportedly lined the road towatch and throw flowers at the cortege as it drove through thecapital Tashkent. (AFP) PRGASK