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SOME PEOPLE NEVER CHANGE: A TRUE STORY OF HOW AZERBAIJAN WAS TRYING TO HELP ARMENIA DURING THE KARABAKH WAR
Today
http://www.today.az/news/society/77769.html
Dec 7 2010
Azerbaijan
In 1988, on the 7th of December, a catastrophic earthquake occured
in Armenia. The magnitude of the earthquake which shook northwestern
Armenia was 6.9 (some claim 7.2) and this was followed by another
earthquake four minutes later, measuring 5.8 on Richter scale. Swarms
of aftershocks of the Earthquake of 1988 in Armenia having a magnitude
of 5.0, continued for months in the area around Spitak, which was
completely destroyed.
Armenia Earthquakes hit an area of approx 80 km that included the towns
of Leninakan, Spitak, Stepanavan, and Kirovakan in the Armenian Soviet
Socialist Republic. The epicenter of Armenia Earthquake was located in
the Lesser Caucasus highlands, an area which has experienced damaging
earthquakes in the past. Other damaging earthquakes of 1899 and 1940
occurred within 100 km of the 1988 epicenter. Armenia Earthquake
recorded largest death and property damages since the earthquake of
1976 of Tangshan, China that killed more than 240,000 people. 45,000
people were killed, fifteen thousand were injured and 517,000 people
became homeless in 1988 Earthquake of Armenia.
Natually, in the first days after the earthquake, regiments of the
Civil Defense, as well as volunteers from all over the USSR began
arriving to Armenia for help. Azerbaijan reacted as well. Despite the
fact, that the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan was already being
torn apart by the raging Armenian separatism (and about 210 000 Azeris
were forced to leave Armenia itself), Azerbaijanis were the first to
offer a helping hand to the victims of the neighboring country.
Azerbaijan sent a IL-76 plane, loaded with humanitarian aid and
volunteers into the disaster zone. However, the plane crashed, while
approaching the Leninakan. The plane carried two trucks with various
medicine, and supplies. As a result of the disaster, a 9-men crew,
along with 69 passengers was killed.
One of those, who was among the volunteers from the Azerbaijani
side was a Sumgayit city resident, Haleddin Ibrahimkhalilov, who is
retired nowadays.
Tell us, how did you end up in Armenia?
>>From the firs days after the quake, Azerbaijan organized a trip
for the rescuers from the Army of the Civil Defense to Armenia. I was
among them, as a reserve officer. I was assigned as a platoon leader.
I'll be honest here: even that the war was going on, we didnt even
think of this, because there were usual people who needed our help. We
went to Ganja, from Sumgayit. There were two IL-76 planes ready. Some
people from my platoon wanted to get onto the first plane, however it
was already full, and I advised them to go along with me on the second
plane. Then, it turned out to be that I saved their lives and mine
as well, since the first sent IL-76 crashed. Later on, we found out,
that it was shot down with a rocket launcher from the ground. The next
day we arrived in Leninakan via the second plane. We were stunned:
The city was a complete mess, everything was in ruins, there was no
high building visible anywhere. Whole Leninakan was in ruins.
How did Armenians treat the Azerbaijani rescuers?
They were quite negative towards us, I might even say agressive. They
would not let us raise our flag on our base there. We thought that at
this time, they can forget about their nationalism... didnt happen
however. They threatened us, abused, and used to tell us: "We dont
need you here, go back to your Azerbaijan, we dont need no help from
you". There were no direct conflicts and clashes between us though.
They even did not provide us with food. Thankfully to Soviet army
soldiers, we did not starve to death. And what did we do - just tried
to help out, and this is how Armenians paid us back. I, personally,
took out 10 dead bodies under the ruins, but Armenians did not allow
us to go near the rescue operations.
How else did Azerbaijan assist Armenia at that time?
Cranes, bulldozers, excavators, huge amout of fuel, lubricants,
medicine - all of this was sent out to them. At least, this is what
I've personally seen.
How many days have you spent in Armenia?
17 days. All of that time our team did not even shave, according
to the Muslim traditions, we kept in mourning for the dead. When we
understood, that Armenians simply will not let us go near the rescue
works, we decided to leave it as it is, and go back home. The Armenian
side did not even provide us with transport to get back. They did
not lead us to the border. You know, its like: "We did not ask you to
come, you arrived on your own, and thats how you're going back". So
we had to go back on our own. This is how they paid us back for what
we tried to do for them despite the war.
From: A. Papazian
Today
http://www.today.az/news/society/77769.html
Dec 7 2010
Azerbaijan
In 1988, on the 7th of December, a catastrophic earthquake occured
in Armenia. The magnitude of the earthquake which shook northwestern
Armenia was 6.9 (some claim 7.2) and this was followed by another
earthquake four minutes later, measuring 5.8 on Richter scale. Swarms
of aftershocks of the Earthquake of 1988 in Armenia having a magnitude
of 5.0, continued for months in the area around Spitak, which was
completely destroyed.
Armenia Earthquakes hit an area of approx 80 km that included the towns
of Leninakan, Spitak, Stepanavan, and Kirovakan in the Armenian Soviet
Socialist Republic. The epicenter of Armenia Earthquake was located in
the Lesser Caucasus highlands, an area which has experienced damaging
earthquakes in the past. Other damaging earthquakes of 1899 and 1940
occurred within 100 km of the 1988 epicenter. Armenia Earthquake
recorded largest death and property damages since the earthquake of
1976 of Tangshan, China that killed more than 240,000 people. 45,000
people were killed, fifteen thousand were injured and 517,000 people
became homeless in 1988 Earthquake of Armenia.
Natually, in the first days after the earthquake, regiments of the
Civil Defense, as well as volunteers from all over the USSR began
arriving to Armenia for help. Azerbaijan reacted as well. Despite the
fact, that the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan was already being
torn apart by the raging Armenian separatism (and about 210 000 Azeris
were forced to leave Armenia itself), Azerbaijanis were the first to
offer a helping hand to the victims of the neighboring country.
Azerbaijan sent a IL-76 plane, loaded with humanitarian aid and
volunteers into the disaster zone. However, the plane crashed, while
approaching the Leninakan. The plane carried two trucks with various
medicine, and supplies. As a result of the disaster, a 9-men crew,
along with 69 passengers was killed.
One of those, who was among the volunteers from the Azerbaijani
side was a Sumgayit city resident, Haleddin Ibrahimkhalilov, who is
retired nowadays.
Tell us, how did you end up in Armenia?
>>From the firs days after the quake, Azerbaijan organized a trip
for the rescuers from the Army of the Civil Defense to Armenia. I was
among them, as a reserve officer. I was assigned as a platoon leader.
I'll be honest here: even that the war was going on, we didnt even
think of this, because there were usual people who needed our help. We
went to Ganja, from Sumgayit. There were two IL-76 planes ready. Some
people from my platoon wanted to get onto the first plane, however it
was already full, and I advised them to go along with me on the second
plane. Then, it turned out to be that I saved their lives and mine
as well, since the first sent IL-76 crashed. Later on, we found out,
that it was shot down with a rocket launcher from the ground. The next
day we arrived in Leninakan via the second plane. We were stunned:
The city was a complete mess, everything was in ruins, there was no
high building visible anywhere. Whole Leninakan was in ruins.
How did Armenians treat the Azerbaijani rescuers?
They were quite negative towards us, I might even say agressive. They
would not let us raise our flag on our base there. We thought that at
this time, they can forget about their nationalism... didnt happen
however. They threatened us, abused, and used to tell us: "We dont
need you here, go back to your Azerbaijan, we dont need no help from
you". There were no direct conflicts and clashes between us though.
They even did not provide us with food. Thankfully to Soviet army
soldiers, we did not starve to death. And what did we do - just tried
to help out, and this is how Armenians paid us back. I, personally,
took out 10 dead bodies under the ruins, but Armenians did not allow
us to go near the rescue operations.
How else did Azerbaijan assist Armenia at that time?
Cranes, bulldozers, excavators, huge amout of fuel, lubricants,
medicine - all of this was sent out to them. At least, this is what
I've personally seen.
How many days have you spent in Armenia?
17 days. All of that time our team did not even shave, according
to the Muslim traditions, we kept in mourning for the dead. When we
understood, that Armenians simply will not let us go near the rescue
works, we decided to leave it as it is, and go back home. The Armenian
side did not even provide us with transport to get back. They did
not lead us to the border. You know, its like: "We did not ask you to
come, you arrived on your own, and thats how you're going back". So
we had to go back on our own. This is how they paid us back for what
we tried to do for them despite the war.
From: A. Papazian