cease-fire violations by azeris

[Yervant1]

Lebanese Armenians express solidarity with Artsakh - Photos

12:58, 07 Apr 2016

Siranush Ghazanchyan

The Lebanese Armenians have expressed their soldiraity with Artsakh.

http://www.groong.com/news/attachments/msg569108/pnggSG594Ufp9.png

http://www.armradio.am/en/2016/04/07/lebanese-armenians-express-solidarity-with-artsakh/

[Yervant1]

Karabakh reports ceasefire violations by Azeri side

09:28, 07 Apr 2016

Siranush Ghazanchyan

http://www.groong.com/news/attachments/msg569111/pngo6OPQwnvtB.pnghttp://www.groong.com/news/attachments/msg569111/pngvBAooCMWxE.png

The NKR Defense Ministry reports a number of cases of violation of the ceasefire agreement by the Azerbaijani side overnight.

Besides artillery weapons of different caliber and mortars, the rival undertook two infringement attempts.

The font divisions of the NKR Defense Army were quick to spot the advancement of the Azerbaijani special groups and forced them back to their initial positions.

The Defense Army also presents the pictures of the corpses of Azerbaijanis who committed crimes against the civilians.

http://www.armradio.am/en/2016/04/07/karabakh-reports-ceasefire-violations-by-azeri-side/

[Yervant1]

Azerbaijani commando unit thrown back, officer killed (updated)

10:56 • 07.04.16

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On the night of April 7, the Azerbaijani troops attempted an armed incursion in the north-eastern direction of the Line of Contact (Talish).

The advance forces of the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army spotted the Azerbaijani commandos and organized defense. During a close combat, the Azerbaijani commando unit was thrown back, leaving the body of a captain of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, Bayramov Baqif Dilqam oghlu (born 1979), on the battlefield.

“This incident is one more piece of evidence that Azerbaijan is not only dishonoring the ceasefire agreement reached yesterday, but is also seeking to destabilize the explosive situation,” reads a statement by the Defense Army of the Nagorno-Karabakh Army (NKR).

Last night, Azerbaijan committed numerous ceasefire violations on the Line of Contact.

Besides using arms of different calibers and mortars, the Azerbaijani troops attempted two incursions.

The advance forces of the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army threw the Azerbaijani commandos back to their positions.

Below are the pictures of the Azerbaijani commandos that committed crimes against civilians.

http://www.tert.am/files/images/%D0%B0%D0%B0/2016/February/26/12920346_1017730114929263_5250071702645599216_n.jpg

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http://www.tert.am/en/news/2016/04/07/Azerbaijan-ceasefire-violations/1985374

[Yervant1]

Sharmazanov informs Naryshkin about new diversion attempt

April 7, 2016 12:04

Photo: Press service of the Armenian parlament


Yerevan /Mediamax/. Armenian National Assembly Deputy Speaker Eduard Sharmazanov had a phone call today with Chairman of Russian State Duma Sergey Naryshkin.

According to Armenian National Assembly press service, the sides discussed the situation at NK-Azerbaijan Line of Contact.

Eduard Sharmazanov noted that despite the reached agreement, the rival made a diversion attempt on Northern-Eastern direction of NK-Azerbaijan troops contact line on the night of April 6.

Chairman of State Duma noticed in his turn that as a Co-Chair state of OSCE Minsk Group, Russia is interested in peaceful settlement of NK conflict in the format of Minsk Group.

Eduard Sharmazanov stressed that Azerbaijan’s actions are an evident aggression against the people of Nagorno-Karabakh. He condemned Turkey’s supportive statements regarding Azerbaijan’s terroristic policy.

Eduard Sharmazanov attached importance to necessity of addressed and condemnatory statements from international community.

- See more at: http://www.mediamax.am/en/news/karabakh/17605/#sthash.Yvg2yVWU.dpuf

[Yervant1]

Azerbaijan Destroyed Armenian Ambulance

• Lragir.am
• Country - 07 April 2016, 10:40

• Related
• http://www.lragir.am/upload/img/eng146002038644.JPG

  Azerbaijan Fired In Vardenis Direction

• Azerbaijani Captain Killed in the Result of Azerbaijani Reconnaissance-in-Force

• Update on Situation in Karabakh

• Here Is What Armenian Foreign Ministry Is Busy Doing

• Iranian President Offered Help for Peace Process

http://www.lragir.am/upload/img/eng146001122869.JPG

On April 6 the Azerbaijani side has destroyed the ambulance in Nagorno-Karabakh, the spokesman for the NKR president Davit Babayan informed Armenpress.

 

“This is evidence that we are dealing with a terrorist state. According to the Geneva Convention, an ambulance has immunity to attack. It is impossible, it contradicts all the norms of international humanitarian law. This shows that Azerbaijan does not respect any humanitarian law provision,” Davit Babayan says.

 

According to him, the crew was not endangered because its members were far from the car. According to Davit Babayan, the attack was intentional, and apparently the car was destroyed from a UAV.

 

Davit Babayan says that the enemy continued firing fragmentally. “Now we can say that we have relative calm,” Davit Babayan said.

- See more at: http://www.lragir.am/index/eng/0/country/view/35554#sthash.G5VibWFm.dpuf

[Yervant1]

60 azerbaijani ISIS members return from Syria to fight in Karabakh - report

April 7, 2016

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Southfront - 50-70 ISIS members, Azerbaijani nationals, have leaved the ISIS-controlled Syrian city of Raqqa in order to participate in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Russian TV-channel Lifenews reported on April 4 citing an anonymous military source.

The report says that the militants arrived in Azerbaijan through Turkey.

According to the Azerbaijani government, some 100 citizens of the country have died during the war in Syria.

http://www.horizonweekly.ca/news/details/83976

[Yervant1]

Abkhazian foreign minister expresses support to Nagorno Karabakh on behalf of Abkhazian leadership and people

Thursday, April 7, 14:07

On April 6, Abkhazian Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Chirikba held a phone call with Nagorno-Karabakh Foreign Minister Karen Mirzoyan. The sides discussed the situation after Azerbaijan's aggression against the NKR Defense Army on April 2 night.

The Abkhazian foreign minister expressed support to Nagorno Karabakh on behalf of the Abkhazian leadership and people, and extended condolences to the families of the killed. Chirikba expressed hope that the ceasefire arrangement of April 5 will take long.

http://www.arminfo.am/index.cfm?objectid=16039A90-FCA0-11E5-8E870EB7C0D21663

[Yervant1]

Agreements on Nagorno-Karabakh settlement ‘almost ready’ — Lavrov

14:25, 07 Apr 2016
Siranush Ghazanchyan

Almost all the agreements on the settlement in Nagorno-Karabakh are “on the table,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday after talks with his Azerbaijani and Iranian counterparts Elmar Mammadyarov and Javad Zarif, TASS reports.

“Russian President Vladimir Putin pays personal attention to this issue, we regularly meet at the level of ministers with counterparts from Azerbaijan and Armenia,” Lavrov said.

“I agree that almost all the components of agreements are already on the table,” he said, adding that “in fact, we are very close (to reaching them).”

Lavrov said the talks in Baku with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev and Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and his meeting with Armenia’s Eduard Nalbandyan on Friday focus on these efforts.

He stressed that Russia is interested more than any other foreign partner that the conflict is resolved as soon as possible. “It is in our common interest to reach settlement.”

Russia’s top diplomat also urged measures to prevent new outbreaks of violence and called for stepping up efforts for political settlement.

http://www.armradio.am/en/2016/04/07/agreements-on-nagorno-karabakh-settlement-almost-ready-lavrov/

[Yervant1]

French Senator calls on to apply to UN over ceasefire violations

http://panorama.am/news_images/520/1558785_3/f57060d37be38e_57060d37be3cc.thumb.jpg

Politics 11:33 07/04/2016

French Senator, President of the France-Armenia Friendship Group Philippe Kaltenbach has released a statement www.philippekaltenbach.com noting the unacceptability of ceasefire violations by Azerbaijani forces and expressing his support and solidarity to the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians and the entire Armenian nation.

“The OSCE Minsk Group must be actively mobilized to achieve a settlement of the conflict. I call on to apply to the United Nations to create an international commission to investigate ceasefire violations.”

The French Senator also expressed his support to the protest initiated by French Armenian organizations, to be held outside the Azerbaijani Embassy in Paris on April 9.

French Senator, Vice President of the France-Armenia Friendship Group, Mayor of Alfortville Luc Carvounas has released a press communiquépbs.twimg.com/media/CfI5Z0VWEAAx01f.jpg noting that the Azerbaijani armed forces, violating the ceasefire again, unilaterally took responsibility for the escalation. “I call on France to apply to the United Nations Security Council, without waiting for the OSCE Minsk Group, to prevent further escalation of the situation and protect civilians.”

Luc Carvounas also joined the call of French Armenians to hold a protest in Paris on April 9. Following the Mayor’s statement, a large poster calling on to participate in the protest against Azerbaijani aggression was placed on Alfortville City Hall.

http://www.panorama.am/en/news/2016/04/07/French-Senator-calls/1558785

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The Moment of Truth

Monday, 04 April 2016

When will it come for the mediators?

On the night of April 2, the Azerbaijani party launched offensive operations in the south, south-east and north-east directions of the Line of Contact between the armed forces of the NKR and Azerbaijan. Along with other types of weapons, artillery, armored vehicles and combat aircrafts were also used. In addition, the enemy shelled peaceful settlements and places of permanent deployment of a number of military units of the NKR Defense Army. Victims of the Azerbaijani aggression were also civilians, including children.

The current sharp deterioration of the situation is unprecedented since the ceasefire establishment in 1994 in the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict zone. Although the war was formally halted, however, for almost 22 years Azerbaijan has conducted the hostilities, attacking the Karabakh positions and committing sabotage actions and killing soldiers and civilians. The negotiations under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group have not led to a peace agreement for over two decades. In fact, they could not lead to the establishment of final peace, as Azerbaijan has always put forward maximalist, unilateral, unrealistic, and therefore impossible demands, at the same time blackmailing with the resumption of the hostilities. As a result, the negotiations as such were actually "killed" by Azerbaijan, and as an imperative the issue of reducing the tension and level of violence on the Line of Contact between the armed forces and along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border was included in the agenda of the international mediators.

But, was it possible to solve, at least, this issue? The current extremely dangerous situation in the conflict zone gives more than a comprehensive answer to the question. We are not going now to delve into the reasons for encouraging Azerbaijan to initiate the current large-scale armed adventure, which is originally hopeless and doomed to failure. Perhaps there are several of them. First of all, the desire of the Aliyev regime to draw the Azerbaijani society’s attention from the serious domestic social and economic problems to the external threat created by its sick imagination. It isn’t either excluded that the military provocation is initiated by Turkey, which is extremely interested in the destabilization of the situation on the southern borders of Russia. We think that in the existing situation more important is the response of the international community to the criminal actions of official Baku.

It should be noted that leaders of many countries, in particular, of the states-mediators of the OSCE Minsk Group, as well as authoritative international organizations responded to the dangerous deterioration of situation. Russian and French Presidents Vladimir Putin and Francois Hollande, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Foreign Minister of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the co-chairs of the Minsk Group and others have expressed their regret over the large-scale military activities, calling upon the parties to the conflict for immediate ceasefire and demonstration of restraint in order to prevent new casualties. All the statements have stressed that there is no alternative to an exclusively peaceful settlement of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict.

Surely, the concern of the world powers could be welcomed, if not a "but." The fact is that almost all the applications suffer from a disease, which has already become chronic – they are amorphous and untargeted. One can even confirm that it is the toothless response of the international community to the decades-old aggressive militaristic policy of Azerbaijan that has encouraged it for extremely dangerous and provocative actions and, as a natural result, has led to the current explosive situation. The paradox is that today, all the international structures dealing with the issue of the conflict settlement know very well who really violates the principles and norms of international law, as well as the agreements on peace maintenance, but they continue keeping vicious parity. Even though the Baku ruling regime does not hide that it is the initiator of the current escalation of tensions.

The situation is too serious to continue keeping silence or limiting with unimportant calls. The actions of Azerbaijan, which has grossly ignored numerous appeals by the corresponding structures to achieve a solution to the conflict only at the negotiation table, are a brazen and blatant challenge to the international community. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group have already announced their intention to convene another meeting in Vienna on 5 March, at which the sharp aggravation of the situation in the conflict zone will be discussed. But, it should be noted that due to the extreme danger of continuing the hostilities for the entire region, the efforts of the co-chairs could be not enough. An effective involvement in the situation by the leaders of the Minsk Group co-chairing states - Russia, the United States, and France, as well as influential international organizations, in particular, the United Nations, is required. They should take tough sanctions against Azerbaijan to curb its criminal ambitions. Time is short. The moment of truth has come.

Leonid MARTIROSSIAN

Editor-in-Chief of Azat Artsakh newspaper

http://artsakhtert.com/eng/component/k2/item/6484-the-moment-of-truth

[Yervant1]

The Price of Oil

Wednesday, 06 April 2016

What happened on the night of April 2 on the Line of Contact between the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan can hardly be called an incident.

Incidents were earlier. Every time when the ceasefire established in May 1994 was violated. They ended, depending on the intensity of the violations, either with minimal casualties or with no casualties. But, in all the cases, the official sources noted the number of shots fired or artillery strikes produced.

We seemed even to get used to such violations of ceasefire. I mean the Armenian party to the conflict, because the Azerbaijani party had nothing to get used to – the tension was mainly initiated by it, and the Armenians, just giving an "adequate response", paid them the same coin.

This is not doubted for a very simple logic. It is Armenia and Karabakh that immediately accepted the proposal of the international mediators to implement the mechanisms of investigating the incidents. And Azerbaijan, like in the children's game "do not say yes and no", could once again hang noodles on the ears of the mediators, who had no choice but to deal with the situation on the contact line on the "principle of uncertainty". Therefore, when the mediators are often accused of the inability to distinguish between black and white, or in other words, in the application of the notorious parity every time when "restrain" statement are to be issued, such an accusation cannot be legally considered founded. And it works. It is clear that in favor of Azerbaijan, which continues to escalate the tensions.

Although another thing is also clear. It is the fact that the mediators are well aware of who is the real violator of the ceasefire, who hinders the process of a diplomatic solution to the conflict, and who does not benefit from its peaceful resolution. It is Azerbaijan, which was clearly demonstrated by its audacious wide-scale military provocation on April 2 and the consequent events. For this, one should not seek out some mistakes and contradictions in the reports of the Azerbaijani media (in fact, shamelessly rude propaganda), about which, due to either their stupidity or cheeky arrogance, Baku's scribblers keep silence. It is enough to listen to the insolent verbiage of the former schlager singer and present Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Russia, and... it is not necessary to introduce any mechanisms.

So what's the matter? What is the unnecessarily delicate attitude towards Azerbaijan conditioned by? Azerbaijan, which is throwing its black phlegm into the face of the international community. What is the price of their patient washing off from the bare brow or - what is worse - the silent wiping as if with a divine dew? The answer is quite simple and well known. The price of such courtesy is the price of oil.

When it is high on the global markets, the incidents end with incidents. But, as soon as it sharply falls, the incident develops into a real war, what happened on April 2.

But, war is war. It isn't accepted to pull a cat's tail in a war. If one stroke a blow on a pipe, through which oil flows to the supporters of courtesy, then the price of the issue - what to do with Azerbaijan? – would cease to be the price of oil. Also, the courtesy will come to an end. What will be quite fair.

Karen ZAKARYAN

http://artsakhtert.com/eng/politics/item/6486-karen-zakaryan

[Yervant1]

“Let us not cherish vain illusions”

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11:53 | April 7 2016

If someone supports the “Azerbaijan’s sovereignty by internationally recognized borders and territorial integrity”, then irrespective of what last name he carries: Putin, Obama, Poroshenko, Merkel, Ban Ki-moon, he is in favor of the brutal murder of thousands of Armenians in Artsakh. The borders, sovereignty and territorial integrity are not a bad thing in itself. But what Azerbaijan’s leadership understand under it undoubtedly means a massacre of Armenians, bloodshed, torture of living and dead people as it had been (if we do not go too far) starting from Sumgait and ending with Talish village recently. If Azerbaijan “restores its sovereignty” (which in reality will never happen), it will behave exactly like that. The above-mentioned figures know it by heart. It is not that they are in delusion and their eyes need to be opened. The problem, therefore, is not in the fact which is the priority: the territorial integrity or the people’s self-determination but in the fact that people should not be treated like that and we, the Armenians, are obligated not to allow it. Those who are in favor of Azerbaijan’s “sovereignty and integrity” are actually in favor of the Azeris atrocities.

Politics, of course, is a cruel thing. The pro-Azerbaijani stance of Ukraine in Armenia is explained as follows: on March 14, 2014, Armenia was among those 11 rather “unpleasant” countries that were against the UN documents condemning the annexation of the Crimea by Russia. Ukrainian authorities, accordingly, is taking a political “revenge” from us. I partly agree with it, the annexation of Crimea was a reprehensible move and Armenia should not have appeared among the “outcast” who condemn this move. But the Russian soldiers have not entered the houses of Ukrainians in Crimea, killing and torturing them. Politically, the annexation of the Crimea and systematic attacks on Artsakh by Azerbaijan, perhaps, are equal. But not in moral and human sense.

In reality, the problem, of course, is deeper and has nothing to do with “keeping malice” for two years. “Let us not be engaged in self-deception and vain illusions, we do not have allies in the issue of Karabakh’s independence,” announced the first President of Armenia, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, on November 1, 1997. “I have to state that we have no illusions, we have no powerful sponsors,” said Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan, a few days ago. The presidents perhaps are right but I do not see a great tragedy in it. There are millions of intelligent Armenians in Armenia, Artsakh and abroad who are capable of solving our problems.

Incidentally. Nazarbayev as a sign of solidarity with Aliyev refused to come to Armenia to attend the meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Eurasian Economic Union and has offered to hold this event in Moscow. Maybe once we have also treated Nazarbayev wrongly?

Aram ABRAHAMYAN

http://en.aravot.am/2016/04/07/175395/

[Yervant1]

Azerbaijan’s losses over 4 days of violence in Karabakh conflict zone amount to $170 million

YEREVAN, April 7. /ARKA/. Azerbaijan’s losses over the 4 days of the unprecedented upsurge in violence in the Karabakh conflict zone amounted to $170 million, while the losses of the Armenian side are estimated at $14 million, a political observer Hovsep Khurshudyan, said today.

"It's impressive ... We have won due to the strength of spirit of our soldiers,' Khurshudyan said.
At the same time, he noted the need to pay more attention to the use of modern scientific achievements in the field of defense.

According to the defense ministry of Nagorno-Karabakh, in the course of hostilities they destroyed 2 helicopters, 24 tanks, 3 infantry fighting vehicles, multiple launch rocket system Grad, TOS heavy flamethrower system, 6 drones killing also over 300 servicemen of the enemy.

The Armenian side lost 14 tanks; 33 servicemen were killed, 121 were wounded and 25 are missing. Also four civilians, including one child, and seven volunteers were killed. On April 5 the sides reached an agreement on cessation of hostilities. -0-

http://arka.am/en/news/politics/azerbaijan_s_losses_over_4_days_of_violence_in_karabakh_conflict_zone_amount_to_170_million/

[Yervant1]

Nagorno Karabakh DA: Zakir Hasanov’s statement pinnacle of cynicism

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13:02, 7 April, 2016

YEREVAN, APRIL 7, ARMENPRESS. The Nagorno Karabakh Defense Army called Azerbaijani Defense Minister’s statement that unlike the Armenian side, they “do not fight with women and children” the “pinnacle of cynicism”. As “Armenpress” reports, this was stated by the Press Service of the Nagorno Karabakh Defense Army.

The statement reads: “Azerbaijani Defense Minister’s statement during the meeting with OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs yesterday, stating “unlike the adversary, we don’t fight with women and children”, perhaps can be considered as the pinnacle of cynicism, especially when looking at these photos…

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Elderly residents of the Talish village in Nagorno Karabakh Martakert region are shown in the photos, who were brutally executed and had their ears cut off by Azerbaijan’s “humanitarian” Minister Hasanov’s “mighty army”.

 

After this, we ask the OSCE Co-chairs to judge by the facts as to who is “fighting women and children” and honesty features Defense Minister of Azerbaijan Hasanov has.

http://armenpress.am/eng/news/842585/nagorno-karabakh-da-zakir-hasanov%E2%80%99s-statement-pinnacle-of-cynicism.html

[Yervant1]

Azerbaijani ambassador to France refuses to take part in debate with Armenian representative

17:59, 07.04.2016

Region:World News, Karabakh, Azerbaijan
Theme: Politics

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The Azerbaijani ambassador to France has at the last moment refused to take part in a debate with the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Bureau member Murad Papazian.

Papazian disseminated an announcement, noting that on Thursday evening a debate was to be held on France24 TV channel, but the station informed him that the Azerbaijani ambassador had refused to take part in it. “Having refused to participate in the debate, the Azerbaijani ambassador shows that he is afraid. I greatly condemn this coward step at the moment when the Azerbaijani army continues to violate the ceasefire,” he said.

http://news.am/eng/news/321107.html

[Yervant1]

MEP: Karabakh settlement should be in line with the right to self-determination

17:57, 07 Apr 2016

Siranush Ghazanchyan

http://www.armradio.am/en/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Eleni-Theocharous-620x300.jpg

The settlement of the Karabakh conflict should be in line with the right to self-determination, MEP Eleni Teocharous said in a statement on the incidents along the frontier of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan. The statement reads:

“The bloody incidents that erupted along the frontiers of Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabakh on April 2, 2016, constitute developments that can lead to a wider conflict and blow up the Caucasus regions.

It is obvious that the escalation of the crisis puts stability and peace at a high risk. The EU and the international community in general bear their own responsibility since, for many year, they underestimated how dangerous the dormant conflict in Nagorno Karabakh is. Therefore, the EU should take initiative and diplomatic actions with the aim of mobilizing the international community and thus prevent a further escalation of the crisis.

The current developments with many soldiers and civilians from both sides losing their lives come to prove the need for a comprehensive solution based on the right to self-determination. If international community and particularly the EU do not intensify their efforts towards a democratic solution, a new catastrophic war is to come.

Azerbaijani government should stop violating the agreed ceasefire through provocative military actions, which turn into boomerang not only for its own citizens, but also for the stability and peace within the wider Caucasus region.

The lack of EU strategy in Caucasus region is offering Russia the advantage of having the initiative moves and the diplomatic upper hand. The European Parliament cannot simply watch the parties involved play with fire. Therefore, it should ask the High Representative of the EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to play a constructive and active role and thereby avert the escalation of the crisis.

The EU and UN and the great powers through the Minsk Group Co-Chairs’ efforts could take such measures in order to consolidate stability and peace among the Azerbaijani and Armenian peoples, regardless of whether they are inhabitants of the Armenian Republic, the Azerbaijani Republic or Nagorno Karabakh. The settlement of the conflict should be in line with the right to self-determination. This is the only fair, democratic and realistic approach, which can lead to a viable settlement of the conflict.”

http://www.armradio.am/en/2016/04/07/mep-karabakh-settlement-should-be-in-line-with-the-right-to-self-determination/

[Yervant1]

West’s task is ignoring Azerbaijan’s rhetoric - Hans-Jürgen Zahorka

18:58 • 07.04.16

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Deployment of peacemakers could be one of the ways to put an end to hostilities along the Line of Contact, Hans-Jürgen Zahorka, Chief Editor of the European Union Foreign Affairs Journal, LIBERTAS European Institute, told Tert.am.

Deployment of peacemakers requires consent of all the sides – NATO will not agree to deployment of Russian peacemakers, while Nagorno-Karabakh will not agree to deployment of NATO peacemakers, who include Turks. Nevertheless, the issue will be put on the EU political agenda.

The West will not make an explicitly addressed statement on the 4-day hostilities as it proved a surprise for them: it was a weekend and they had no accurate data at their disposal.

Armenia’s Minister of Defense Seyran Ohanyan stated that an agreement on a ceasefire along the Line of Contact was reached in Moscow, with Russia’s intervention. As to whether the West is taking any steps to suppress Azerbaijan’s aggression, Mr Hans-Jürgen Zahorka said that, as a person with a knowledge of this part of the world, he believes that Russia’s official position on Armenia accounts for Moscow’s stance. However, two factors spoil the defensive role.

First, the recent period has seen worsening of Russia-Turkey relations because their societies are not open and they make decisions they want to please their societies.

The second factor is that Russia sold a great amount of weapons to Azerbaijan, and Azerbaijan has now used it against Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. This is Russia’s so-called physical position though Russia is showing more favorable attitude to the Armenian side. The problem is that former Russia took Azerbaijan’s side on several occasions, when the Nagorno-Karabakh problem was raised.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan held a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Germany has strong ties with all the members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). France is a European Union (EU) member-state that maintains ties with Armenia, and a large Armenian community in France account for that.

One of the problems that needs to be understood is how far Armenia and the EU are ready to progress.
Mr Hans-Jürgen Zahorka has no information on the Armenian president’s meeting with German FM Frank-Walter Steinmeier, but if such a meeting did take place, it would have been with this end in view.

The Armenian president’s decision to discontinue the 4-year-long negotiations with the EU and announce Armenia’s accession to the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) instead of signing an Association Agreement with the EU in September 2013 is considered a blunder – the EEU is not working at all as EEU protagonists are a half-open country without democracy or open society, but with authoritarian or semi-authoritarian regimes incapable of ensuring integration.

Elaborating on the question concerning the West’ steps in addition to condemnatory statements, Mr Hans-Jürgen Zahorka said that the West could not do much. The West’s task has been ignoring Azerbaijan’s rhetoric over this period because it is not the West’s style. The West is well aware statements by Azerbaijan or Turkey or other countries should be taken seriously. On the other hand, the Azerbaijani president and ministers are resorting to militant rhetoric, but Armenia is not responding in any way.

http://www.tert.am/en/news/2016/04/07/nkrpeace/1985438

[Yervant1]

Azerbaijani drone destroyed in Karabakh

21:12, 07 Apr 2016

Siranush Ghazanchyan

http://www.armradio.am/en/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Drone-2-620x300.jpg

The Karabakh forces have destroyed another Azerbaijani military drone today, the NKR Defense Ministry informs.

http://www.armradio.am/en/2016/04/07/azerbaijani-drone-destroyed-in-karabakh/

[Yervant1]

Nagorno Karabakh Defense Army releases new info: 36 killed, 21 missing, 122 wounded

20:49, 7 April, 2016

YEREVAN, APRIL 7, ARMENPRESS. 1 conscript of the Nagorno Karabakh Defense Army was wounded on April 7 in the northern direction of the line of contact. As “Armenpress” reports, this was announced during a press conference in Stepanakert by Head of the Operative Department of the Nagorno Karabakh Defense Army Colonel Viktor Arstamyan. On April 7, the Defense Army downed 1 adversary UAV in the Aghdam-Stepanakert direction. Colonel Arstamyan also released information about Armenian losses: 36 killed, 122 wounded, 21 missing. 26 missing were announced earlier, 1 of whom was found alive. Bodies of 4 were found.

“Search operations are underway to find the missing soldiers, and if they are located at the adversary’s side, the issue of retrieval will be negotiated. Names of the missing will be disclosed after finishing the search operations”, Arstamyan said.

The Colonel informed that information about the adversary’s losses are still being clarified, the bodies of Azerbaijani soldiers are being retrieved by relevant agencies, and the further steps will be clarified by the International Red Cross Organization.

[gamavor]

This is funny....but it is not funny! It shows what kind of monkeys we have to deal with. Aliev's fiasko is so great that they falsify left and right only to cover up the rectal pain they suffered. Here is a telephone conversation recorded by inteligence services whereby turkish woman explains to her relatives what is the situation. The recording is with russian subtitles so that everyone can hear and if needed translate what she says.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCqGaM22SOk

 

Turks, just not to fell behind provided recording of two Armenians speaking to each other. One says: What's up? and the other says: Everything is fine.

 

Now look what lies turks come up with! Pathetic really. These people are so much ***ed in the head....

 

[Yervant1]

Bako Sahakyan: Struggle not about territory, it’s about our native country

20:15, 7 April, 2016

STEPANAKERT, APRIL 7, ARMENPRESS. The Nagorno Karabakh issue is originally presented in a distorted way by Azerbaijan. This was stated by President of Nagorno Karabakh Bako Sahakyan in Stepanakert during a press conference, adding that Azerbaijan is always presenting the issue guided by hysteria, pointing out territorial issues.

“This issue was born a century ago. We struggle not for territories, but for our native country. I had the chance to present that we do not only carry out a mission for that physical security of the people of Artsakh, we struggle for our dignity, and we are the forerunners in this struggle, we have a unique mission. We will continue carrying out this mission with the same sense, putting the Motherland above anything else”, Bako Sahakyan said.

According to him, the essence of the Nagorno Karabakh issue is the national liberation movement, where the Armenian people are united in one front. “We do not differentiate our brothers and sisters of Mother Armenia and the Diaspora from the Artsakh people. We are one whole, and we will continue building out life with this sense and perception and will have achievements”, President of Artsakh said.



Along the entire length of the contact line of Nagorno Karabakh- Azerbaijani opposing forces, on April 1 and throughout the morning of April 2, the adversary undertook large-scale offensive military actions, during which the adversary shelled with missile-artillery units not only Armenian defense positions, but also civilian settlements.

According to the data of the Defense Army, the Azerbaijani armed forces fired MM-21 (Grad) multiple rocket launcher on April 2, at 08: 30 in the direction of Martuni (NKR), killing 12 year old Vaghinak Grigoryan and wounding two other children. 4 other civilians were wounded later.On April 3 the subversive group of Azerbaijan brutally killed 3 elderly and vandalized their corpses in Talish village.

The Armenian side has 32 causalities, 25 soldiers missing, 121 wounded. 5 more people including the heads of two rural communities of Syunik Marz,were killed on their way to Martakert on April 4.

Due to the timely and professional actions of the Nagorno Karabakh Defense Army, it was possible to take the situation under control, and make the enemy suffer considerable losses. On April 1-5 as a result of the crushing counterattacks by the Armenian side against the military aggressions towards the Nagorno Karabakh Azerbaijan lost 2 helicopters, 24 tanks, 3 infantry fighting vehicles, 7 UAVs, 1 21-MM multiple rocket launcher system. During military operations the Azerbaijani armed forces had more than 300 causalities, nearly 2000 wounded. On April 5 at 12:00, the fire was ceased in the line of contact between Karabakh and Azerbaijani opposing forces. The agreement of ceasing the fire was reached at the meeting of the Chiefs of General Staff of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Moscow on April 5.

Azerbaijan intensively violates the ceasefire. In the early morning of April 7, two sabotage penetration attempts were made by Azerbaijan.

The Azerbaijani armed forces fired towards civilian settlements and military units of the Armenian Vardenis city on April 6, 10:35-23:00. In particular, besides firing various caliber weapons, the Azerbaijani side fired large caliber heavy machine guns and 60mm mortars. The Armed Forces of Armenia did everything for maintaining the ceasefire agreement.

http://armenpress.am/eng/news/842686/bako-sahakyan-struggle-not-about-territory-it%E2%80%99s-about-our-native-country.html

[Yervant1]

Artsakh President: Next counterattack will follow, if Azerbaijan tries to break the ceasefire

POLITICS 23:08 07/04/2016 NKR

“The agreement to cease the fights largely holds despite different violations,” Artsakh President Bako Sahakyan said on April 7 at a press conference in Stepanakert.

According to him, the operation designed by Azerbaijan failed due to the Armed Forces of Artsakh Republic, its servicemen, commander staff, volunteers joined their Armenian brothers on call of their ancestry.

“It is thanks to their actions we halted Azerbaijani large scals military operations,” Sahakyan said, emphasizing that some measures are still underway.

“If Azerbaijan tries to violate the ceasefire, the next necessary counterattack will follow and this will be the basis for our strategy. No other approach should be adopted toward an adversary which disrespects the agreement with the conflicting side,” Sahakyan said, adding they remain committed to the option of the peaceful settlement.

http://www.panorama.am/en/news/2016/04/07/Artsakh-President-Azerbaijan/1559494

[Yervant1]

VIDEOS: HEROES ON THE ARTSAKH FRONTLINES

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBD7quLOkSg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GdqMt0bYY4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruk2EXQ9PSc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26BWdcBMhlc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-fG5qAPDeY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idmAPlTy-K4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROFV-HOwk1g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsN1WdWneAw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHmCBgcqZ74

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAuf79XncXw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEBi39L_izk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-Bq3qNT4HE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryW273Fo3d0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86MGq0a2z6M

[Yervant1]

The Rebel
April 7 2016



Armenia and Azerbaijan: The war you aren’t hearing about — and why you
should care

William Hadrian

Situated in the mountains of the Caucasus lies one of the oldest
Christian outposts on the fringes of Europe, an internationally
unrecognized Armenian enclave known as Nagorno-Karabakh.

Armenians have been living in the region of Karabakh as far back as
the stone age. Armenia is the world’s oldest Christian nation, having
converted in 301 AD (that’s 26 years before Emperor Constantine was
baptised), and is home to some of the world’s oldest and most
extravagant Christian churches.

Yet all is not well for present day Armenia and Karabakh.

To its south is the Islamic Republic of Iran, to its west is the
Republic of Turkey (the successor state of the Ottoman Empire that
slaughtered 1.5 million Armenians in the name of Islam in the last
century), and to its east is the Republic of Azerbaijan, an oil rich
Caspian dictatorship ruled by Ilham Aliyev.

Though Karabakh had been occupied by Armenians since time immemorial,
in the last century, while Armenia was under the occupation of the
Soviet Union, dictator Joseph Stalin had parceled off Karabakh and
incorporated it into the Soviet State of Azerbaijan in order to
satisfy neighbouring Turkey, with whom he was at risk of going to war.

For 65 years, Armenians lived peacefully alongside in Azerbaijan,
until in the late 1980s when the dissolution of the Soviet Union
became imminent. Armenians, who having a long and negative history of
living under Turkish rule, did not wish to live in a Azerbaijani
state, werethe Soviet Union was to collapse and grant these countries
independence. It opted to reverse the changes made by Joseph Stalin,
and in 1988 the Armenians in Karabakh voted unanimously to secede from
Azerbaijan, with the hopes of joining neighbouring Armenia.

(To put it in a Canadian context: imagine if French Canadians had
lived under a brutal regime ruled by people who in the last century
had systematically slaughtered their ancestors. Now imagine that
Quebec was separating from the rest of Canada, and then a little
pocket of French Canadian Ontarians living beside Quebec voted
unanimously to separate and join Quebec.)

This situation resulted in Azerbaijan clamping down more harshly on
Armenians in Karabakh, and in 1990 in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku, a
pogrom began against Armenians. In 1991, with the collapse of the
U.S.S.R, a war ensued in which the outnumbered and poorly armed
Armenians nevertheless achieved their independence. In 1994, a
ceasefire between the two sides was signed.

For the past 22 years, although this frozen conflict had at times
heated up, this ceasefire had remained in tact- until now.

On April 2nd, starting at roughly 3am local time, Azerbaijan began
strategic offenses against Karabakh. This full on assault included the
use of tanks, drones, helicopters, and the shelling of innocent
civilians. Though this conflict has remained virtually unnoticed by
the western media, given Karabakh's strategic location, this conflict
has the potential to spiral out of control and include much larger
regional players, such as Turkey, Iran, and even Russia.

Many in the international community, including the Canadian government
and the opposition have called for a ceasefire. However, recent
hostilities have been raised to such a degree that it is now less
likely that a diplomatic solution will resolve this conflict.

It is worth mentioning that Azerbaijan is no friend to democracy.

It commits deplorable human rights abuses daily, censors and harasses
journalists who are critical of its government, and jails its
political opposition. As is the case with Saudi Arabia, much of the
international community turns a blind eye towards these abuses on
account of Azerbaijan's vast oil reserves.

Now, to many in Canada who are wondering about why they should care
about this conflict, please keep this in mind:

In the past several years Christians have virtually gone extinct in
the Middle East. Priests are being beheaded daily, Christian women in
Syria and Iraq are being raped and sold into slavery. Churches, from
the time of Christianity’s early founding are being turned to rubble
to the point where it is a common occurrence.

Azerbaijan, a Muslim country, if successful, will not simply expel
this region's native and Christian population, it will slaughter them
en masse, as they already appear to be doing.

Like ISIS, they will burn down century-old Christian churches, in
order to deny Armenians’ historical presence there.

If Azerbaijan is successful, it will be just another circumstance, to
which we have sadly become accustomed, whereby we will see the
Crescent Moon and Star fly triumphantly over another forgotten and
neglected Christian people of the East.


https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.therebel.media_armenia-5Fand-5Fazerbaijan-5Fthe-5Fwar-5Fyou-5Faren-5Ft-5Fhearing-5Fabout&d=CwIFaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=jACgOe6d0a5D-TO5PnDzOQ87wK-MAK5Sg0dpQlXBLbw&s=ue92JZFRZEbHgCWzYC3JiGRXHKk9zpm3e0fVZtCh_1w&e=

[Yervant1]

EurasiaNet.org
April 6 2016


Karabakh Fighting Highlights Azerbaijan's New Israeli Weapons

April 6, 2016 - 7:38pm, by Joshua Kucera

The recent surge of violence in Nagorno Karabakh has brought attention
to Azerbaijan's increased reliance on arms from Israel, including two
types of drones not previously known to be in Baku's arsenal.

In one case, Azerbaijan was reported to have used a "Harop" loitering
munition, known somewhat fancifully as a "kamikaze drone" because it
is itself the bomb. According to Armenian media, on April 4 the Harop
hit a bus carrying soldiers to the front and killed five or six of
them. It was believed to be the first ever combat use of the system
anywhere, reported Jane's Defence Weekly. Azerbaijan sources claim to
have used the Harop in other attacks, as well.

In another episode, the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh released
photos of a ThunderB surveillance drone that they claimed to have shot
down on April 2.

And in a third episode, Azerbaijani sources claim that their side
destroyed "six enemy tanks" using an Israeli-made Spike missiles.

None of these weapons were previously reported to be operated by
Azerbaijan. (While it was known that Azerbaijan bought the marine
version of the Spike missiles, it's not clear whether it somehow used
those for this attack or had secretly also purchased the land forces
version, as well.)

Azerbaijan's arms purchases from Israel have gotten a lot of attention
because of their relative novelty, including a whopping $1.6 billion
deal signed in 2012.

Azerbaijan trumpets its warm relations with Israel, framing them as an
example of Azerbaijan's tolerance to other religions. But Baku has
apparently not been satisfied with the Israeli government's response
to this round of fighting: senior presidential adviser Ali Hasanov
complained to the Jerusalem Post that Israel hasn't given it enough
verbal support. "We view Israel as a strategic partner, and expect it
to comment,” he said. “Azerbaijan asks its strategic partner – the
State of Israel – to express its attitude toward the latest
developments related to the military provocation committed by Armenia
in the border of the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.” The Post
also notes that "Israel, however, is in no hurry to get involved in a
fight pitting Azerbaijan against Armenia." Strictly business,
apparently.

In any case, Azerbaijan still relies relatively little on Israeli
weaponry: The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
reported last year that Azerbaijan had acquired 85 percent of its
weaponry over the past five years from Russia.

https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.eurasianet.org_node_78181&d=CwIFaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=0StItSIly7KPqY_KUuBIH6Y-Rakq1G2Pva0k2dUOSf0&s=zIQsLJgR1GViN4uk5yZciudeTPWZ10Bgu4sO389smS0&e=