http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20021125/wl_nm/turkmenistan_pres ident_dc_3://http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...pres ident_dc_3://http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...pres ident_dc_3


ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan (Reuters) - A motorcade carrying Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov came under submachine gun fire on Monday in an assassination attempt on the controversial leader of the ex-Soviet republic, government officials and media said.

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I wonder what the motive was.....
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[ November 26, 2002: Message edited by: bluebird48234 ]

Turkmen protesting the corruption that has occurred since the fall of the Soviet system? Voters upset at the rigged elections? Political, commercial or ideological rivals? Insider coup plotters trying to overthrow him? The Russian government? Members of Al Qaeda? Other Islamicists trying to push for an Islamic Turkmenistan? Mafia connections? Take your pick....

From the article:

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Ashgabat, which has been largely rebuilt on a heroic scale over the last few years, is festooned with billboards and statues of Niyazov.

One, a gold statue on top of a huge tower vaguely reminiscent of the Eiffel Tower, revolves once every 24 hours so the figure of Niyazov can gaze continuously over the whole city.

One of his official titles is Saparmurat Turkmenbashi the Great. Turkmenbashi means Leader or Father of all the Turkmen.

It was under this name that he wrote his most famous book, "Ruhnama," a spiritual guide for Turkmens which he says was inspired by God and which is now compulsory in school from the age of eight, and is on the syllabus right through university.

In August, Niyazov made headlines around the world when he renamed the month of January, calling it Turkmenbashi. Another month is now named after his mother, and another is called Ruhnama.
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