aliyev Resumes War Rhetoric

[Aratta-Kingdom]

Aliyev Resumes War Rhetoric

YEREVAN (Combined Sources)-Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev Friday claimed that his country's army was the most powerful in the entire region and is prepared to "liberate its lands."

His remarks came during a visit to the frontline region of Fizuli, where he spoke to army soldiers and officers about Azerbaijan's military spending.

He told the soldiers that the government will be increasing its military spending to $2 billion, up from $175 million in 2004.

The drastic rise in spending is supported by oil revenues generated by the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline, which Western companies developed to feed oil to Europe. Since it's complete in 2006, the pipeline has helped the country increase its defense spending and has fueled threats of renewed war with Armenia by President Aliyev.

Aliyev precluded any notion of Artsax independence Friday, saying that Azerbaijan will not endure the "injustice" of the international community in respect to the Nagorno-Artsax conflict.

With Nagorno-Artsax a major election issue this year in Azerbaijan, Azeri President Ilham Aliyev, who will be running for re-election in October, has been toughening his already bellicose position on the Nagorno-Artsax Republic, threatening to re-ignite war and take back the Armenian territory by force.

He accused Armenia of preventing the settlement of the conflict and deceiving the international community. Armenia has repeatedly voiced its support for a compromise solution within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group

Since 1997, the peace talks over the Nagorno-Artsax conflict have been conducted by the American, French and Russian co-chairmen of the Minsk Group.

At the end of last year, the Minsk Group tried to persuade the two sides to accept a statement of basic principles, as a first step towards breaking the deadlock over Nagorno Artsax's future--but no agreement was reached. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan has been threatening war and making diplomatic steps to remove the conflict from the watchful eye of international mediators.

Aliyev said he is hopeful that the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan will be restored as his country's army is the most powerful in the region and threatened renewed war to take Nagorno-Artsax.

The threats follow a pattern of increasing belligerence by Azerbaijani officials and come amid increasing tensions after a string of unprecedented violations of the Artsax ceasefire line by Azeri Armed forces in early March.

Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian Wednesday said Azerbaijan must accept that the Nagorno-Artsax Republic is an independent republic that will never be returned to Azeri control.

Azerbaijan must understand the simple reality that the existence of the republic of Nagorno-Artsax's independence is irreversible," Sarkisian said. "It is impossible to even imagine that the Republic of Nagorno-Artsax could be subordinate in any way to Azerbaijan.

"The people of Nagorno-Artsax have won their right to a free and independent life. And through our efforts, that right must be recognized by the international community," he stressed.

In recent weeks Armenian authorities have begun to say they will recognize the Nagorno-Artsax Republic and sign military agreements with it if Azerbaijan continues to try and remove the conflict from the Minsk Group format.

In related news, Chairman of the Azeri Parliament Oktai Asadov met with Turkish ambassador to Azerbaijan Yulus Kylci Friday to discuss bilateral relations. During the meeting, they discussed the resolution of the Nagorno-Artsax and the prevention of the international recognition of the Armenian genocide.

"Through their actions, Azerbaijan and Turkey have proven that they are strategic partners," Asadov said, citing the BTC Pipeline and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway. Both projects circumvent Armenia, which is under a dual blockade by the two countries.

 

 

 

[Aratta-Kingdom]

Congressman Presses State Department Official On Azeri Threats to Attack Artsax

 

 

 

WASHINGTON--A senior State Department official came under intense questioning today over the Administration's unwillingness to confront Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's escalating threats to launch his nation's growing military arsenal against Nagorno Artsax "at any time," reported the Armenian National Committee of America.

Representative Chris Smith's questioning took place during a hearing called by the Congressional Commission for Security and Cooperation in Europe (US Helsinki Commission) to examine the impact of the recent Armenian elections on the Nagorno Artsax conflict and the overall state of US-Armenia relations. A leading Congressional voice on foreign policy and an energetic defender of human rights, the New Jersey legislator pressed Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matt Bryza to explain the State Department's response to threats of renewed Azerbaijani aggression, which he quoted from at length for the benefit of his colleagues, the panel of witnesses, and a standing-room only audience gathered for the hearing.

Noting that Azerbaijani "war drums are beating," he explained that it was only natural for Armenians to take a defensive position against a potential "sucker punch" from Azerbaijan. He asked, pointedly, "what clear and totally broadcast in advance penalty would Azerbaijan suffer if it initiated hostilities?"

Bryza, who devoted the bulk of his testimony to the elections and the overall state of democracy in Armenia, sidestepped Congressman Smith's question, choosing instead to speak in broad terms about US mediation efforts.

"In terms of penalty, I wouldn't want to speculate on that because all the various scenarios are so unpredictable. What I can say is that any resumption of armed hostility in and around Artsax would be tragic--tragic for everybody. Absolute disaster. Who the heck knows what the outcome would be of the fighting, but as I said before, I think any fighting would lead to the perpetuation of the current situation."

Bryza noted that Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) had on several occasions impressed upon him the importance of the US forcefully challenging Azerbaijan's war rhetoric. Calling portions of the border between Nagorno Artsax and Azerbaijan a "Caucasus Hiroshima," he noted that he shared Representative Smith's concern regarding regional tension and noted that both the Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents were scheduled to hold Nagorno Artsax talks in the near future.

Also testifying alongside Bryza, were Vigen Sargsian, a senior assistant to the President of Armenia, Serge Sarkisian, and Arman Grigorian, a spokesman for former Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrosian who teaches at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. The hearing was chaired by Congressman Alcee Hastings (D-FL) and included the participation of the Commission's Co-Chairman, Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD).

Sargsian welcomed the interest shown by Armenia's Congressional friends in the elections and, in his remarks, placed the recent difficulties in the broader context of the growing US-Armenia relationship and the steady progress of Armenia's democratic development. He updated the Commission on the steps toward reconciliation underway in Armenia and invited outside assistance for inquiries into the unrest.

"At their heart," he pointed out, "the challenges we are confronted with today have less to do with the conduct or even the outcome of the February 19th elections--which, while imperfect, reflected the will of the Armenian electorate--and more to do with efforts by an element of the opposition that, having lost at the ballot box, sought to challenge this outcome through illegal and ultimately extra-constitutional means."

Grigorian, in his remarks, offered a sweeping indictment of the Armenian government and the conduct of the elections, setting conditions for President Ter-Petrosian's willingness to engage in dialogue with four of the five major Armenian political parties that have entered into a broad-based coalition agreement.

"We understand that we will have to negotiate with the regime, even if we do not and will not accept its legitimacy... They must come to terms with the idea that the dismantling of the current kleptocratic system, in one way or another, will have to be the purpose of these negotiations, or the negotiations will have no purpose."

 

[Aratta-Kingdom]

BAKU WILL NOT WAIT ETERNALLY FOR LIBERATION OF OCCUPIED ...

 

Interfax News Agency, Russia

April 18 2008

 

Proposals of mediators in the Nagorno-Artsax settlement provide

for liberating the occupied Azeri territories, Azeri President Ilkham

Aliyev said on Friday.

 

"The current proposals by mediators in the Nagorno-Artsax settlement

provide for the liberation of all occupied Azeri territories;

however, we are not going to wait eternally until the proposals are

fulfilled," Aliyev said visiting five new camps for displaced people

in Azerbaijan's Fizuli district.

 

"The talks have been underway for 14 years. But for how long will we

participate in them and put up with the injustice?!" Aliyev said.

 

The proposals on the negotiating table provide for the unconditional

liberation of five out of seven Nagorno-Artsax districts, while

the Lachin and Kalbajar must be returned to Azerbaijan shortly after,

the president said.

 

The international community backs Azerbaijan, and a recent UN General

Assembly's resolution is proof of this, he said. But Armenia does

not attach importance to this, Aliyev said.

 

They seem to agree with co-chairmen's proposals, but in fact they

continue to illegally populate the Lachin district, the president said.

 

Aliyev also said that he visited the contact line before making the

speech. There, I was convinced once again that our army is capable of

solving any task, and the increase in military expenditures moves us

closer to this goal. The Azeri army is today the strongest one in the

region: both from the viewpoint of professional training and material

and technical provision, Aliyev said.

 

Defense expenditures are the most important item of the state budget,

which is natural for a country in war, the president said. There

will be another increase in military expenditures soon. I think that

military expenditure should be about $2 billion, Aliyev said.

 

As yet Azerbaijan continues the talks, but they have been futile over

the past 14 years, he said.

 

We are taking part in the talks, because we hope to restore the

country's territorial integrity by peaceful means. At the same time

we all must know that the talks cannot be eternal, the president said.

 

This issue should be clarified in the next several months, Aliyev

said, adding that everything will depend on whether the Armenian

position changes.

 

I would like to hope that international mediators and the Armenian

side will understand that the policy of occupation has no future,

Aliyev said.

 

[arziv]

Dogs that bark loudly, seldom bite. Aliyev is is barking like a rabid rotweiler, but is he capable of biting ? Remains to be seen.

[Ashot]

His more like a chihuahua!!! All he can do is bark...

[elle]

I hope Aliev consults with the oil companies first before he stirs up the situation.

If he was going to start a war with Armenia he had a good chance doing so on March 1st, but he did not pursue anything. The 12 attacking Azeris do not count because if Aliev wanted a real war, he would have sent 150 soldiers at once to infiltrate the Armenian controlled side. I'm sure he knows that he wasn't going to start a war by sending few soldiers to the frontline.

 

[Aratta-Kingdom]

On March 12, he was testing the Armenians to see how far we would be able to go.

[Aratta-Kingdom]

AZERI ARMY THE STRONGEST IN REGION - ALIYEV

 

Interfax, Russia

April 22 2008

 

Azerbaijan will spend more money on increasing the combat capability

of its army, while the Azeri army is today the strongest in the region,

Azeri President Ilkham Aliyev said.

 

Speaking about preparations for the upcoming military parade dedicated

to the 90th anniversary of the National Army of Azerbaijan, Aliyev

said that one of the goals of this event is to show the military

might of the country.

 

Let the whole Azeri people see this, let our friends be happy about

this and let out enemies understand that Azerbaijan has the strongest

army in the region, the Azeri president said.

 

Azerbaijan marks the National Army Day on April 26. The last military

parade took place on the day in 1992. This year the parade will take

place on the largest square in Azerbaijan - Liberty Square - in Baku,

the president said.

 

We have the largest military potential and the strongest army, both

from the point of view of training and technical provision, Aliyev

said visiting a military unit.

 

The Armenian authorities do not have the right to state that Azerbaijan

arms itself at the expense of oil incomes.

 

Primarily, we spend our own money: both oil incomes and the funds

acquired thanks to the development of non-oil industries. Unlike

Armenia, we increased military expenditures ten times in the past four

years, and we will increase them again soon. Secondly, the Armenian

authorities would rather count their own pennies. In any case we,

unlike Armenia, are not one's outpost and spend our funds as we like,

this is up to us, the president said.

 

Azerbaijan will continue to take every necessary measure to liberate

the Armenia-occupied territories, the president said, adding that the

Azeri economic development rates, incomparable to the Armenian ones,

serve for this goal.

 

We hold our economic potential in our hands, unlike Armenia, and

our borders are protected by our own soldiers, not border troops

of other countries, as is the case there, Aliyev said, according to

local TV channels.