THE POET Archibald Macleish wrote, at the beginning of the Second World War, "How shall freedom be defended? By arms when it is attacked by arms; by truth when it is attacked by lies; by democratic faith when it is attacked by authoritarian dogma. Always and in the final act, by determination and faith."

Naturally, we all wish that the defense of freedom, especially in aspiring democracies like those of Central Asia, may be accomplished through peaceful transitions, such as were seen in Spain after Franco, in the Philippines with the fall of Marcos, in South Korea, in Chile, and in such European ex-Communist states as Poland and Hungary.

But before freedom can be established, the enemies of freedom must be defeated. The fate of democracies that do not defeat the enemies of democracy is illustrated by the histories of Germany and Italy after the First World War. Democracies can grant mercy to their enemies only from a position of unchallengeable strength.

There has been much discussion of Uzbekistan, a U.S. ally in the war on terror, and the flaws in its legal standards when dealing with Islamic extremists. For example, U.S. State Department reports on human rights abuses around the world have included numerous allegations against Uzbekistan, many involving the government's struggle to suppress Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HT). A clandestine subversive movement originating among Palestinians, HT is now present in most places where Muslims are found.

Central Asia and the neighboring areas, including Pakistan and Afghanistan, along with the Sunni zones of Iraq, are on the front lines in the battle against infiltration by agents of the extremist Wahhabi sect, which is the state religion in Saudi Arabia, and its various ideological satellites. HT represents a mixture of Communist methodology, Wahhabi theology, and fascist rhetoric.

In this context, the International Crisis Group (ICG) has just issued a report titled "Radical Islam in Central Asia: Responding to Hizb Ut-Tahir." I am a former employee of ICG, but my concern about this report has nothing to do with anything personal with respect to my experiences there. Rather, ICG's report includes a number of statements that are ridiculous on their face. In the very first paragraph of the executive summary and recommendations, it is stated that HT has "been met with a heavy-handed repression that threatens to radicalize members still further."

This line comes after a description of HT as "highly radical, advocating the overthrow of governments throughout the Muslim world."

I fail to comprehend how a group described this way can then be "radicalize(d) even further." Its origins are in the most extreme wing of Palestinian neo-Wahhabism, associated with the Muslim Brotherhood, and it has had links with Hamas. President Bush has identified Hamas as "determined enemies of peace." There is no reason to describe HT in different terms.

Three paragraphs further, we find it stated that HT "admits participation in a number of failed coup attempts in the Middle East. It also has contacts with some groups much less scrupulous about violence." These comments are followed by the absurd declaration that "despite the allegations of governments, there is no proof of [HT's] involvement in terrorist activities in Central Asia or elsewhere."