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NEW WAVE OF KARABAKH CLASHES
By Lada Yevgrashina and Hasmik Lazarian
Moscow Times
March 6 2008
BAKU -- Azerbaijan and Armenia accused each other Wednesday of
triggering a shootout in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh
that killed up to 16 people, one of the biggest such clashes in
recent years.
Both countries gave different accounts of the shootouts in the disputed
enclave, seized by pro-Armenian forces from Azerbaijan in a war in
the 1990s in which an estimated 35,000 people died.
Muslim Azerbaijan said 12 Armenian fighters and four Azeri soldiers
were killed during clashes. Christian Armenia said eight Azeri soldiers
died and two Armenian soldiers were injured.
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan said Azerbaijan had started the
attack to take advantage of Armenia's tense political standoff after
protests against last month's election.
"It is possible that in Azerbaijan they thought the situation in
Armenia had distracted the authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh," said
Kocharyan, who was born in the breakaway enclave.
Azerbaijan said Armenia was trying to distract attention from protests
in Yerevan by focusing on an external enemy.
"The Armenian side resorted to provocations on the frontline in a bid
to switch the attention of the international community and its own
citizens from internal tensions to an external enemy," said Khazar
Ibrahim, an Azeri Foreign Ministry spokesman.
"Azerbaijan will never resort to provocations but will give a proper
response to them," he said.
The West and Russia are closely watching the situation after Azeri
President Ilham Aliyev said this week that his country was ready to
take back Nagorno-Karabakh by force if need be and was buying military
equipment and arms in preparation.
"We do not want a war in the region," said a U.S. diplomat in Baku.
"We are following the situation very closely, and we urge both sides
to exercise restraint and avoid any violence."
Robert Simmons, NATO's envoy for the region, said the alliance was
ready to help facilitate the peace process. "I think there is a chance
for settlement and we will work for it," he said in Moscow.
"We are closely watching the peace process."
Aliyev said Kosovo's newly declared independence had emboldened
Armenian separatists in the enclave.
By Lada Yevgrashina and Hasmik Lazarian
Moscow Times
March 6 2008
BAKU -- Azerbaijan and Armenia accused each other Wednesday of
triggering a shootout in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh
that killed up to 16 people, one of the biggest such clashes in
recent years.
Both countries gave different accounts of the shootouts in the disputed
enclave, seized by pro-Armenian forces from Azerbaijan in a war in
the 1990s in which an estimated 35,000 people died.
Muslim Azerbaijan said 12 Armenian fighters and four Azeri soldiers
were killed during clashes. Christian Armenia said eight Azeri soldiers
died and two Armenian soldiers were injured.
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan said Azerbaijan had started the
attack to take advantage of Armenia's tense political standoff after
protests against last month's election.
"It is possible that in Azerbaijan they thought the situation in
Armenia had distracted the authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh," said
Kocharyan, who was born in the breakaway enclave.
Azerbaijan said Armenia was trying to distract attention from protests
in Yerevan by focusing on an external enemy.
"The Armenian side resorted to provocations on the frontline in a bid
to switch the attention of the international community and its own
citizens from internal tensions to an external enemy," said Khazar
Ibrahim, an Azeri Foreign Ministry spokesman.
"Azerbaijan will never resort to provocations but will give a proper
response to them," he said.
The West and Russia are closely watching the situation after Azeri
President Ilham Aliyev said this week that his country was ready to
take back Nagorno-Karabakh by force if need be and was buying military
equipment and arms in preparation.
"We do not want a war in the region," said a U.S. diplomat in Baku.
"We are following the situation very closely, and we urge both sides
to exercise restraint and avoid any violence."
Robert Simmons, NATO's envoy for the region, said the alliance was
ready to help facilitate the peace process. "I think there is a chance
for settlement and we will work for it," he said in Moscow.
"We are closely watching the peace process."
Aliyev said Kosovo's newly declared independence had emboldened
Armenian separatists in the enclave.