Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Aliyev Prefers Rumsfeld Rather Than Musharraf

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Aliyev Prefers Rumsfeld Rather Than Musharraf

    AZG Armenian Daily #065, 14/04/2005


    Region

    ALIYEV PREFERS RUMSFELD RATHER THAN MUSHARRAF

    Parliamentarians Condemn Activities of Harnish

    Donald Rumsfeld, US Defence Secretary, arrived in Azerbaijan from Iraq on
    April 12. The Wall Street Journal wrote that the American are greatly
    interested in the Caspian oil and Washington pays special attention to the
    regions rich in oil.

    "In the course of the coming decade the US is going to spend $100 million on
    the Caspian guards, the police network and the special detachments to
    repulse the attack on the oil objects," The Wall Street Journal wrote.

    The newspaper noted that the Commanders of the US Air Forces located in the
    German Stuttgart city coordinates the efforts of different departments and
    trains soldiers that are to protect Baku-Tbilisi-Jehyan oil pipeline.
    General Michael Anderson, coordinator of political issues of the US European
    Commanders, stated that in 2003 the Baku Commander's Office will also be
    included in the created Caspian guards. The Baku Commanders' Office will
    have radar systems at their disposal that will help them watch the
    navigation in the Caspian Sea, as well as trafficking of the drugs and arms.

    The details of Rumsfeld's unexpected visit to Baku are not known. According
    to the poor information of the Azeri press, it is envisaged that he will
    meet with President Ilham Aliyev, foreign minister Elmar Mamediarov and
    defense minister Safar Abiyev. It's already obvious that Aliyev-Rumsfeld
    meeting will not take place, as the Azeri President paid an official visit
    to Pakistan to discuss the Azeri-Pakistani relations, as well as the Nagorno
    Karabakh and Kashmir issues with Pervez Musharraf.

    Azeri reporter of the Moscow Nezavisimaya Gazeta wrote that the location of
    the US and NATO forces in Azerbaijan will avert any revolutions in this
    South Caucasus republic. "In fact, the Azeri authorities face the
    alternative to either giving consent to the location of the US and NATO
    forces in Azerbaijan or to deal with another "colorful" revolution in
    autumn."

    This is the third visit of Aliyev to Pakistan this year. If the Azeri
    political experts as well as the pro-governmental press keep stating that
    the main goal of Rumsfeld's visit to Baku is to call for the Baku
    authorities to settle the issue of locating the US forces as soon as
    possible, the official Baku continues denying any possibility of the
    location of the American forces in the country. The Azeri authorities state
    that the regulation of the country's national security definitely forbids
    the location of foreign military bases in the territory of the republic.

    Nezavisimaya Gazeta reminded that the Gaballah Radar Station is situated in
    Azerbaijan, and, if it was possible to violate the regulation in the case of
    Russia, why shouldn't they do that in case of the US, particularly, if the
    American are time after time threatening Baku with another "colorful"
    revolution.

    525 Gazet noted that Charles Wald, deputy commander of the US forces in
    Europe, visited Baku. "The military-political interests of the US are not
    the only reason for Rumsfeld's visit. It is not excluded that he is carrying
    out a certain political mission conditioned with the attention to the
    strengthening of democracy," the newspaper wrote, adding that in the issue
    of democracy the US is most likely to exercise pressure on Baku, though it
    irritates the Azeri authorities.

    While Ilham Aliyev evades meeting with Rumsfeld, the Azeri parliamentarians
    strictly criticize activities of Rino Harnish, US ambassador to Azerbaijan,
    accusing him of interfering with the home affairs of the country. Recently,
    Harnish visited the regions of the country and met with the opposition
    representatives.

    "Azerbaijan is no Iraq for the US, to do whatever they wish there," Jahid
    Oruj, Azeri MP said. Ali Ahmedov, deputy chairman of Yeni Azerbaijan party,
    said that the Azeri officials should demand from Harnish to explain his
    actions.

    The explanation of Murtuz Alekserov, chairman of the Azeri parliament, was
    the most interesting. Turan agency informed that he said that the
    authorities will allow no power shift. "We will allow no power shift. The
    "velvet" revolution took place in Azerbaijan in 1993, when Heydar Aliyev
    came to power," Alekserov said.

    By Tatoul Hakobian

    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Working...
X