Uyghurs are Muslims in western China 's Xinjiang province . They have been living there for centuries, and the government has tried to suppress their culture by force of arms. Tension between Uyghurs and majority Han Chinese erupted into riots in July . And he vowed that China will suffer the same fate that the former Soviet Union did when it invaded Afghanistan in the 1980s -- only to be thwarted by Islamist fighters . Al-Libi considered one of al Qaeda 's top strategists and most vocal leaders .
Uyghurs are Muslims in western China 's Xinjiang province . They have been living there for centuries, and the government has tried to suppress their culture by force of arms. Tension between Uyghurs and majority Han Chinese erupted into riots in July . Al-Libi considered one of al Qaeda 's top strategists and most vocal leaders .