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Why did Aliyev fear the Pentagon?
Seymur Haziyev
Azadliq
April 23 2010
Azerbaijan
What might be other reasons for the cancellation of the military
exercises with the USA?
The cancellation of the joint military exercises with the USA
by official Baku could have been an indication of severity of the
hysteria if [MP and chairman of the pro-government Motherland party]
Fazail Agamali had not issued a proposal-statement to expel Western
[oil] companies from the country.
As stated by Ilham Aliyev, the Azerbaijan authorities are continuing
their "relevant steps" against the USA. The biggest official reaction
to this end is the cancellation of the joint military exercises.
Official Baku did not proceed from a logical standpoint when making
such a decision.
One of the factors that played a key role in making this decision is
that [they] do not want to be together with officials of that country.
However, there is completely another point there; similar steps are
able to affect bilateral and multilateral relations and change the
direction of the official policy. That is to say, an irresponsible
decision does not cast a shadow on the scale of its possible results,
on the contrary, irresponsible decisions at this level further
aggravate the situation; in particular, the postponed military games
diminish Azerbaijan's arguments on a number of issues. After Ilham
Aliyev's unambiguous anti-US statement, it is hard to come up with
predictions where the processes will stop.
It is possible that Azerbaijan has a problem of the second person
and there emerged a need for a statement by Ilham Aliyev for the
government to be mobilized against the West. However, the enmity with
the USA at the level of Ilham Aliyev may lead to cracks in the highest
echelons of power. The fact is that no regimes with similar treatment
of the USA lasted long. Those in the government are familiar with
this experience. In brief, I shall attempt to comment on the essence
of the cancelled US-Azerbaijani military exercises and the latest
round of the Washington-Baku relations.
Pentagon is stepping up activities
The USA is replacing uranium intensification with intensification of
the Pentagon. Everything was obvious when [former assistant secretary
of state] David Kramer issued a statement, saying "The Pentagon has
also to work with Azerbaijan". It is an absurd performance to claim
that the cancelled military games were connected with pro-Armenian
stance of the USA in the Karabakh talks. "La commedia e Finita." The
reality is that Washington is conducting this military game to
strengthen combat readiness [of our army]. However, representatives
of the Azerbaijani authorities and its head are blaming the USA for
pro-Armenian policy.
Is the USA conducting the military games with Armenia? Why is the USA
strengthening our combat readiness if it is going to support Armenia
in a war? So, there are completely different topics there. By taking
back licences for radio frequencies, the government of Azerbaijan
openly stated that it did not want to listen to voices from the USA.
The Euro-Atlantic centre under the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry was
also rescinded. Moreover, service regulations of the Russian army
are still in force in many units of the army. Is the USA so sinful
that it should put up with all caprices?
Supposing that Ilham Aliyev is anxious for not being invited to the
USA. Why? Is it because of the Karabakh problem? The head of state
thinking of Karabakh should have resigned after the Kozheni [the Czech
businessman whose Minaret company intended to buy into SOCAR] scandal,
the Dubai disgrace, or should he continue representing the country
with such an image and aggravate the situation further? We even do
not speak about the fact that such a disgrace should not have happened.
Now Ilham Aliyev has declared a war against the USA proceeding from
own steps and wants to persuade everyone to believe in this lie.
However, an intriguing point here is that Azerbaijani officials want to
stop US troops to come to Azerbaijan. Issues are becoming more obvious
after David Kramer's "Pentagon must be active" statement...[ellipses as
published] We wonder, what are the Azerbaijani authorities cautious of?
What does the State Department want to say?
An official of the US State Department said that his country does not
back any side in the [Karabakh] conflict with regard to the resolution
of the Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict and supports the Minsk process.
That is to say, the USA has always stated its neutrality. However,
an intriguing moment is that the US official denied cold relations
between Washington and Baku.
What is behind this statement two days after Baku postponed
bilateral military exercises? Anyway, this does not back
Ilham Aliyev's decision. A point to pay attention here is that
Washington delivered a message to Azerbaijani officials, saying
"everything is over" conclusion, following a "policy that marred
the relations unilaterally", is wrong. That is to say, they would
be held responsible. Bearing in mind the statements by the Turkish
foreign minister and the prime minister that "despite all efforts,
we could not manage Ilham Aliyev's invitation to Washington", it
becomes obvious that the USA does not anymore associate the Aliyev
regime with Azerbaijan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Seymur Haziyev
Azadliq
April 23 2010
Azerbaijan
What might be other reasons for the cancellation of the military
exercises with the USA?
The cancellation of the joint military exercises with the USA
by official Baku could have been an indication of severity of the
hysteria if [MP and chairman of the pro-government Motherland party]
Fazail Agamali had not issued a proposal-statement to expel Western
[oil] companies from the country.
As stated by Ilham Aliyev, the Azerbaijan authorities are continuing
their "relevant steps" against the USA. The biggest official reaction
to this end is the cancellation of the joint military exercises.
Official Baku did not proceed from a logical standpoint when making
such a decision.
One of the factors that played a key role in making this decision is
that [they] do not want to be together with officials of that country.
However, there is completely another point there; similar steps are
able to affect bilateral and multilateral relations and change the
direction of the official policy. That is to say, an irresponsible
decision does not cast a shadow on the scale of its possible results,
on the contrary, irresponsible decisions at this level further
aggravate the situation; in particular, the postponed military games
diminish Azerbaijan's arguments on a number of issues. After Ilham
Aliyev's unambiguous anti-US statement, it is hard to come up with
predictions where the processes will stop.
It is possible that Azerbaijan has a problem of the second person
and there emerged a need for a statement by Ilham Aliyev for the
government to be mobilized against the West. However, the enmity with
the USA at the level of Ilham Aliyev may lead to cracks in the highest
echelons of power. The fact is that no regimes with similar treatment
of the USA lasted long. Those in the government are familiar with
this experience. In brief, I shall attempt to comment on the essence
of the cancelled US-Azerbaijani military exercises and the latest
round of the Washington-Baku relations.
Pentagon is stepping up activities
The USA is replacing uranium intensification with intensification of
the Pentagon. Everything was obvious when [former assistant secretary
of state] David Kramer issued a statement, saying "The Pentagon has
also to work with Azerbaijan". It is an absurd performance to claim
that the cancelled military games were connected with pro-Armenian
stance of the USA in the Karabakh talks. "La commedia e Finita." The
reality is that Washington is conducting this military game to
strengthen combat readiness [of our army]. However, representatives
of the Azerbaijani authorities and its head are blaming the USA for
pro-Armenian policy.
Is the USA conducting the military games with Armenia? Why is the USA
strengthening our combat readiness if it is going to support Armenia
in a war? So, there are completely different topics there. By taking
back licences for radio frequencies, the government of Azerbaijan
openly stated that it did not want to listen to voices from the USA.
The Euro-Atlantic centre under the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry was
also rescinded. Moreover, service regulations of the Russian army
are still in force in many units of the army. Is the USA so sinful
that it should put up with all caprices?
Supposing that Ilham Aliyev is anxious for not being invited to the
USA. Why? Is it because of the Karabakh problem? The head of state
thinking of Karabakh should have resigned after the Kozheni [the Czech
businessman whose Minaret company intended to buy into SOCAR] scandal,
the Dubai disgrace, or should he continue representing the country
with such an image and aggravate the situation further? We even do
not speak about the fact that such a disgrace should not have happened.
Now Ilham Aliyev has declared a war against the USA proceeding from
own steps and wants to persuade everyone to believe in this lie.
However, an intriguing point here is that Azerbaijani officials want to
stop US troops to come to Azerbaijan. Issues are becoming more obvious
after David Kramer's "Pentagon must be active" statement...[ellipses as
published] We wonder, what are the Azerbaijani authorities cautious of?
What does the State Department want to say?
An official of the US State Department said that his country does not
back any side in the [Karabakh] conflict with regard to the resolution
of the Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict and supports the Minsk process.
That is to say, the USA has always stated its neutrality. However,
an intriguing moment is that the US official denied cold relations
between Washington and Baku.
What is behind this statement two days after Baku postponed
bilateral military exercises? Anyway, this does not back
Ilham Aliyev's decision. A point to pay attention here is that
Washington delivered a message to Azerbaijani officials, saying
"everything is over" conclusion, following a "policy that marred
the relations unilaterally", is wrong. That is to say, they would
be held responsible. Bearing in mind the statements by the Turkish
foreign minister and the prime minister that "despite all efforts,
we could not manage Ilham Aliyev's invitation to Washington", it
becomes obvious that the USA does not anymore associate the Aliyev
regime with Azerbaijan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress