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Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
December 29, 2006 Friday
CAMOUFLAGED WAR;
Of Iran against Azerbaijan
by Nurani
IRAN'S UNDECLARED WAR ON AZERBAIJAN; Iran's behavior with regard to
Azerbaijan is anything but amiable.
Spymania is sweeping over Iran. Azerbaijan is the enemy this time.
Iranian journalists discovered a "clandestine US spy center"
operating in Baku. As a matter of fact, Iranian media's
anti-Azerbaijani bias is nothing new. Even a fleeting glance at the
pro-government Iranian media (there are no independent or
oppositionist media outlets in this country) shows that Azerbaijan is
smeared and denigrated with frightening regularity. The Azerbaijan
authorities (branded as the Baku State, by the way) are accused of
encouragement of separatism, abandonment of Islam, advancement of
contacts with the West (too close, in the eyes of Tehran) and
particularly with the United States and Israel.
Baztab news agency made a report titled "US Spy Mission In Baku" on
November 29, 2006. Author of the report Mohammad Horrami stunned
readers with the conclusion drawn from the article The New York Times
featured on November 19 that the US was establishing some spy centers
in Dubai and Baku to operate against Iran. A search in The New York
Times archives failed to uncover any such story.
According to Horrami, the authorities of Turkey denied Washington the
permission to use the territory of this country in subversive
activities against Iran, but the United Arab Emirates and Azerbaijan
had no objections. The journalist then proceeded to concentrate on
Azerbaijan and the alleged spy center in it (neither the name of the
establishment nor its location were given). "With the opening of the
center, we see activization of the anti-Iranian policy in Baku
promoted by non-governmental organizations and the State Committee
for Contacts with Azerbaijanis Abroad," he wrote.
Horrami stated in the report that a forum titled the II Azerbaijani
World Congress allegedly took place in Baku this March, attended by
"the persons trained in incitement of separatism and clashes at US
bases", "representatives of separatist TV networks", etc.
No names are given (but of course). It does not take a genius to
guess in the meantime that the term "separatist" is applied to
satellite networks in Europe and North America broadcasting in the
Azerbaijani language. These broadcasts are mostly aimed at people
from South Azerbaijan. "These individuals helped provoke disturbances
in Iranian cities in May 2006," Horrami wrote referring to the brutal
suppression of a peace demonstration in Tebriz by Iranian security
structures. As far as Baztab is concerned, the disturbances were
"orchestrated" by "separatist TV networks" broadcasting from the
United States, the ones whose representatives visited Baku.
It goes without saying that Tehran lacks any facts or evidence
corroborating "subversive activities" of Azerbaijan against Iran or
even any such activities directed from the territory of Azerbaijan.
Iranian counterintelligence has never bagged a single spy, American
or Israeli, who penetrated Iran from Azerbaijan. An Iranian agent in
Azerbaijan in the meantime was exposed, tried, and sentenced to 11
years behind the bars. It is the only episode leaked to the media. It
is clear that the intelligence gathering network is actually much
broader. It is just that secret services know how to solve their
problems without making a fuss and that facts of this sort become
public knowledge only in emergencies.
One could talk long about Iran's own subversive activities. The
number of people going to Iran "to study" swelled. What they study
there and what they are trained at is anybody guess. According to
official information, they study theology at Kuma and Meshkheda
medreses. When they come back, however, these people remain in the
focus of the Iranians' attention. Iranian foundations pay for their
apartments and find them jobs. These people are even entitled to
interest free loans. In return, they are supposed to indoctrinate the
Azerbaijani. Their teaching is 1. pro-Iranian, and 2. incites hatred
between Sunni and Shi'ah.
Few care to remember that The Islamic Party that once operated in
Azerbaijan was eventually exposed as an organization of Iranian
agents. Export of the Iranian revolution is not off the agenda even
now, and Azerbaijan is a likely target. Particularly since Iran has
its own plans for Azerbaijan. Iranian media outlets close to he
government are openly aggressive with regard to Azerbaijan.
The newspaper Jumhurije Islami, for example, this Iranian equivalent
of the Pravda in the late USSR, featured an article titled "Shimali
Iran" in its November 27 issue. "Shimali Iran" stands for North Iran,
a term authors of the article applied to Azerbaijan. They maintain
that Azerbaijan nowadays is the territory of Iran and that all lands
that comprised Iran during the Kanjar Dynasty rule should be returned
to Iran. According to the newspaper, the Iranian people is prepared
to take measures to this end.
This provocation of an article is an element of the Iranian policy.
It seems that Israel is not the only country Iran would like to erase
from the map of the world.
In the meantime, Iran understands that just sending the regular army
to Azerbaijan won't do. Iran makes preparations for the time being,
inventing "PR grounds" for actions against Azerbaijan on the one hand
and doing what it can to transform Azerbaijan into a "soft target".
At least 50 pro-Iranian "religious societies", cultural centers, and
non-governmental organizations operate in Azerbaijan nowadays. Their
activities worry the powers-that-be, and justly so. Iran wouldn't
even balk at using drugs as a weapon against Azerbaijan.
It is common knowledge that "stuff" is mostly smuggled into our
country from Iran. It is, however, precisely the case when quantity
gives way to quality. It does not even matter that Iran is a logical
transit country for traffic from poppy fields in Afghanistan. Iran is
a special case, and so is its society. Secret police controls
everything in Iran and it is capital sentence for drugs. Given the
situation, it is hard to believe that traffic into Azerbaijan on such
a scale is possible without the connivance and therefore outright
encouragement of the official authorities.
What really counts, however, is close Iran's close friendship with
Armenia. Foreign Minister of Armenia Vardan Oskanjan made yet another
visit to Iran last week. Iran and Armenia even plan construction of a
hydroelectric power plant on the occupied Azerbaijani lands. Armenia
is importing gas, oil, and oil products from Iran. Shortly speaking,
all of that clearly comes down to more than what may be attributed to
"actions of the Armenian diaspora" as the Iranian officials usually
do.
Azerbaijan has been doing its best not to aggravate relations with
Iran. This is a neighbor country which with we have a lengthy border
and active bilateral contacts in many spheres. It seems, however,
that Iran either does not see or does not want to see a difference
between peace-loving disposition and fear.
Source: Ekho (Baku), December 23, 2006, EV
Translated by A. Ignatkin
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
December 29, 2006 Friday
CAMOUFLAGED WAR;
Of Iran against Azerbaijan
by Nurani
IRAN'S UNDECLARED WAR ON AZERBAIJAN; Iran's behavior with regard to
Azerbaijan is anything but amiable.
Spymania is sweeping over Iran. Azerbaijan is the enemy this time.
Iranian journalists discovered a "clandestine US spy center"
operating in Baku. As a matter of fact, Iranian media's
anti-Azerbaijani bias is nothing new. Even a fleeting glance at the
pro-government Iranian media (there are no independent or
oppositionist media outlets in this country) shows that Azerbaijan is
smeared and denigrated with frightening regularity. The Azerbaijan
authorities (branded as the Baku State, by the way) are accused of
encouragement of separatism, abandonment of Islam, advancement of
contacts with the West (too close, in the eyes of Tehran) and
particularly with the United States and Israel.
Baztab news agency made a report titled "US Spy Mission In Baku" on
November 29, 2006. Author of the report Mohammad Horrami stunned
readers with the conclusion drawn from the article The New York Times
featured on November 19 that the US was establishing some spy centers
in Dubai and Baku to operate against Iran. A search in The New York
Times archives failed to uncover any such story.
According to Horrami, the authorities of Turkey denied Washington the
permission to use the territory of this country in subversive
activities against Iran, but the United Arab Emirates and Azerbaijan
had no objections. The journalist then proceeded to concentrate on
Azerbaijan and the alleged spy center in it (neither the name of the
establishment nor its location were given). "With the opening of the
center, we see activization of the anti-Iranian policy in Baku
promoted by non-governmental organizations and the State Committee
for Contacts with Azerbaijanis Abroad," he wrote.
Horrami stated in the report that a forum titled the II Azerbaijani
World Congress allegedly took place in Baku this March, attended by
"the persons trained in incitement of separatism and clashes at US
bases", "representatives of separatist TV networks", etc.
No names are given (but of course). It does not take a genius to
guess in the meantime that the term "separatist" is applied to
satellite networks in Europe and North America broadcasting in the
Azerbaijani language. These broadcasts are mostly aimed at people
from South Azerbaijan. "These individuals helped provoke disturbances
in Iranian cities in May 2006," Horrami wrote referring to the brutal
suppression of a peace demonstration in Tebriz by Iranian security
structures. As far as Baztab is concerned, the disturbances were
"orchestrated" by "separatist TV networks" broadcasting from the
United States, the ones whose representatives visited Baku.
It goes without saying that Tehran lacks any facts or evidence
corroborating "subversive activities" of Azerbaijan against Iran or
even any such activities directed from the territory of Azerbaijan.
Iranian counterintelligence has never bagged a single spy, American
or Israeli, who penetrated Iran from Azerbaijan. An Iranian agent in
Azerbaijan in the meantime was exposed, tried, and sentenced to 11
years behind the bars. It is the only episode leaked to the media. It
is clear that the intelligence gathering network is actually much
broader. It is just that secret services know how to solve their
problems without making a fuss and that facts of this sort become
public knowledge only in emergencies.
One could talk long about Iran's own subversive activities. The
number of people going to Iran "to study" swelled. What they study
there and what they are trained at is anybody guess. According to
official information, they study theology at Kuma and Meshkheda
medreses. When they come back, however, these people remain in the
focus of the Iranians' attention. Iranian foundations pay for their
apartments and find them jobs. These people are even entitled to
interest free loans. In return, they are supposed to indoctrinate the
Azerbaijani. Their teaching is 1. pro-Iranian, and 2. incites hatred
between Sunni and Shi'ah.
Few care to remember that The Islamic Party that once operated in
Azerbaijan was eventually exposed as an organization of Iranian
agents. Export of the Iranian revolution is not off the agenda even
now, and Azerbaijan is a likely target. Particularly since Iran has
its own plans for Azerbaijan. Iranian media outlets close to he
government are openly aggressive with regard to Azerbaijan.
The newspaper Jumhurije Islami, for example, this Iranian equivalent
of the Pravda in the late USSR, featured an article titled "Shimali
Iran" in its November 27 issue. "Shimali Iran" stands for North Iran,
a term authors of the article applied to Azerbaijan. They maintain
that Azerbaijan nowadays is the territory of Iran and that all lands
that comprised Iran during the Kanjar Dynasty rule should be returned
to Iran. According to the newspaper, the Iranian people is prepared
to take measures to this end.
This provocation of an article is an element of the Iranian policy.
It seems that Israel is not the only country Iran would like to erase
from the map of the world.
In the meantime, Iran understands that just sending the regular army
to Azerbaijan won't do. Iran makes preparations for the time being,
inventing "PR grounds" for actions against Azerbaijan on the one hand
and doing what it can to transform Azerbaijan into a "soft target".
At least 50 pro-Iranian "religious societies", cultural centers, and
non-governmental organizations operate in Azerbaijan nowadays. Their
activities worry the powers-that-be, and justly so. Iran wouldn't
even balk at using drugs as a weapon against Azerbaijan.
It is common knowledge that "stuff" is mostly smuggled into our
country from Iran. It is, however, precisely the case when quantity
gives way to quality. It does not even matter that Iran is a logical
transit country for traffic from poppy fields in Afghanistan. Iran is
a special case, and so is its society. Secret police controls
everything in Iran and it is capital sentence for drugs. Given the
situation, it is hard to believe that traffic into Azerbaijan on such
a scale is possible without the connivance and therefore outright
encouragement of the official authorities.
What really counts, however, is close Iran's close friendship with
Armenia. Foreign Minister of Armenia Vardan Oskanjan made yet another
visit to Iran last week. Iran and Armenia even plan construction of a
hydroelectric power plant on the occupied Azerbaijani lands. Armenia
is importing gas, oil, and oil products from Iran. Shortly speaking,
all of that clearly comes down to more than what may be attributed to
"actions of the Armenian diaspora" as the Iranian officials usually
do.
Azerbaijan has been doing its best not to aggravate relations with
Iran. This is a neighbor country which with we have a lengthy border
and active bilateral contacts in many spheres. It seems, however,
that Iran either does not see or does not want to see a difference
between peace-loving disposition and fear.
Source: Ekho (Baku), December 23, 2006, EV
Translated by A. Ignatkin