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APA, Azerbaijan
Aug 4 2012
One more American politician calls US administration to protect
Azerbaijan from Iran's threats
[ 04 Aug 2012 14:02 ]
Baku-APA. Former member of Congress Michael McMahon called the White
House administration to protect Azerbaijan from Iran's threats, says
the article of former congressman published in `The Hill', APA
reports:
Most of us agree that Iran, and its nuclear and missile programs,
poses an existential threat to the US, Israel, Europe and Arab states.
This fact seems clear, given the research, intelligence and reporting.
However, most of the information focuses on the West, but conveniently
negates Iran's neighbors...many major U.S. and Western allies. The focus
outside of the West and Israel is largely on Saudi Arabia and other
Arab states that are jockeying to keep Iran in check and begging for
U.S. assistance.
Case in point is Iran's neighbor is the Republic of Azerbaijan, an oil
and gas producing nation that also happens to be majority Shiite
Muslim, yet staunchly secular, Western-oriented and progressive.
Azerbaijan was, in fact, the first parliamentary democracy in the
Islamic world and has a centuries-long tradition of religious, ethnic
and gender freedom and tolerance.
Azerbaijan is `bothersome' to the Mullahs and president of Iran given
the fact that there live roughly 25 million ethnic Azerbaijanis in
Northern Iran, who look across the border to see their brethren living
in a modern and Western nation. In Azerbaijan, most women do not cover
themselves, the average person frequents restaurants and bars, and men
and women walk hand in hand down the wide boulevards, squares and
beach fronts of the capital, Baku, as well as throughout the
nation...all anathema to the tenets and rule of the Mullahs and
president of Iran.
In addition, Iran is crazed by the fact that two of Azerbaijan's
closest allies are the United States and Israel. Azerbaijan has close
diplomatic, security, military and economic ties to both nations. The
fact that Israel is Iran's admitted mortal enemy exacerbates Iran's
ire.
Recently Azerbaijan purchased nearly $2 billion worth of arms from
Israel, an act that Iran handled by recalling their ambassador and
blasting Azerbaijan in its official media. The fact that last year
they signed deals to build armored personnel carriers and advanced
unmanned aerial vehicles caused such uproar from the Iranians that
even the Azerbaijanis were surprised. This is not to mention the
continued consternation and threats from Teheran each time there is a
state visit from an Israeli official.
It is important to note that Azerbaijan does not buy and build these
arms with the aim of attacking a much larger and militarily stronger
Iran, but to protect itself from an Iranian ally, Armenia, which
illegally occupies about 24% of internationally recognized Azerbaijani
territory. This ongoing situation in Nagorno-Karabakh is one of the
most dangerous frozen conflicts today.
To combat this perceived heresy, Iran has embarked on a wide ranging
effort to attack Azerbaijan's leaders personally, agitate Azerbaijani
citizens in Iranian sponsored mosques, task their proxy Hezbollah to
launch terror attacks and assassinations in Azerbaijan and generally
meddle in Azerbaijani society, all for the express purpose of bringing
Azerbaijan into the Iranian sphere.
Azerbaijan is necessarily hyper-vigilant in monitoring Iranian
sponsored mosques; on occasion closing them when the rhetoric and
recruitment of would be terrorists becomes too dangerous. It is
interesting and quite tragic to note that the biggest critic of this
policy is not Iran, but U.S. tax payer funded Radio Free Europe/Radio
Liberty (RFE/RL). Go figure. In addition, Azerbaijani security forces
have foiled plots by Iran's Revolutionary Guard and Hezbollah to blow
up the embassies of Israel, the UK and the U.S., among other terrorist
acts. This, while Iranian television and radio consistently beams
anti-Azerbaijani rhetoric across the border with the aim of
destabilizing the government and recruiting militants.
Azerbaijan's star is on the rise. The nation is increasingly important
to the energy security and diversity of global markets, as it builds
more pipelines to pump their oil and gas to Western markets while
importantly bypassing Russia. In fact, Azerbaijan and Turkey just
inked an agreement to build the Trans-Anatolian Pipeline, a major
regional project to bring the Caspian natural gas closer to Europe. In
addition, Azerbaijan's importance has steadily increased, as transit
routes in Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan for American and NATO troops and
material headed for Afghanistan are unreliable. Presently, roughly 40%
of this material transits through Baku's International Airport.
Perhaps most importantly, given what now seems like a deeply troubled
Arab Spring, Azerbaijan is one of our few reliable, stable and normal
Muslim friends and allies.
If I could offer my former colleagues in Congress some advice...remember
that although you represent constituencies in your respective states,
Congress has a dual role. Congress must also represent the best
interests on the U.S. In other words pay more attention to Iran's U.S.
friendly neighbors and support them. It behooves us and is the right
thing to do.
McMahon is a former Democratic member of Congress from New York who
served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, subcommittee on Europe.
He is a noted lecturer on Turkey and the Caucuses. In October he will
be presenting at the Baku Humanitarian Forum in Azerbaijan. He is
currently co-chair of the public policy practice at the New York based
law firm Herrick Feinstein.
Before it, US Congressman Dane Rorabaher called support the struggle
of the South Azerbaijanis for their independence. In his message to
the United States Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, the Congressman
said about the need to support the struggle for independence of
southern Azerbaijan from Iran. `For the United States it is important
to support this cooperation, because tyrannical regime in Tehran is
our common enemy. `The people of Azerbaijan was geographically divided
into two parts two hundred years ago, and many Azerbaijanis are
calling for the reunification of the motherland,' the letter reads.
The Congressman also said that the number of ethnic Azerbaijanis in
Iran more than twice in the Republic of Azerbaijan. `This country
gained independence in 1991, after the collapse of the Soviet Union,
now came the hour of Azerbaijanis of Iran also win their freedom,' the
Congressman wrote. `Support for the legitimate aspirations of the
people of Azerbaijan in the struggle for independence-a noble cause in
and of itself. At the same time, for the Tehran regime is the biggest
danger, than the threat to bomb its underground nuclear bunkers, `the
prison Epistles
Aug 4 2012
One more American politician calls US administration to protect
Azerbaijan from Iran's threats
[ 04 Aug 2012 14:02 ]
Baku-APA. Former member of Congress Michael McMahon called the White
House administration to protect Azerbaijan from Iran's threats, says
the article of former congressman published in `The Hill', APA
reports:
Most of us agree that Iran, and its nuclear and missile programs,
poses an existential threat to the US, Israel, Europe and Arab states.
This fact seems clear, given the research, intelligence and reporting.
However, most of the information focuses on the West, but conveniently
negates Iran's neighbors...many major U.S. and Western allies. The focus
outside of the West and Israel is largely on Saudi Arabia and other
Arab states that are jockeying to keep Iran in check and begging for
U.S. assistance.
Case in point is Iran's neighbor is the Republic of Azerbaijan, an oil
and gas producing nation that also happens to be majority Shiite
Muslim, yet staunchly secular, Western-oriented and progressive.
Azerbaijan was, in fact, the first parliamentary democracy in the
Islamic world and has a centuries-long tradition of religious, ethnic
and gender freedom and tolerance.
Azerbaijan is `bothersome' to the Mullahs and president of Iran given
the fact that there live roughly 25 million ethnic Azerbaijanis in
Northern Iran, who look across the border to see their brethren living
in a modern and Western nation. In Azerbaijan, most women do not cover
themselves, the average person frequents restaurants and bars, and men
and women walk hand in hand down the wide boulevards, squares and
beach fronts of the capital, Baku, as well as throughout the
nation...all anathema to the tenets and rule of the Mullahs and
president of Iran.
In addition, Iran is crazed by the fact that two of Azerbaijan's
closest allies are the United States and Israel. Azerbaijan has close
diplomatic, security, military and economic ties to both nations. The
fact that Israel is Iran's admitted mortal enemy exacerbates Iran's
ire.
Recently Azerbaijan purchased nearly $2 billion worth of arms from
Israel, an act that Iran handled by recalling their ambassador and
blasting Azerbaijan in its official media. The fact that last year
they signed deals to build armored personnel carriers and advanced
unmanned aerial vehicles caused such uproar from the Iranians that
even the Azerbaijanis were surprised. This is not to mention the
continued consternation and threats from Teheran each time there is a
state visit from an Israeli official.
It is important to note that Azerbaijan does not buy and build these
arms with the aim of attacking a much larger and militarily stronger
Iran, but to protect itself from an Iranian ally, Armenia, which
illegally occupies about 24% of internationally recognized Azerbaijani
territory. This ongoing situation in Nagorno-Karabakh is one of the
most dangerous frozen conflicts today.
To combat this perceived heresy, Iran has embarked on a wide ranging
effort to attack Azerbaijan's leaders personally, agitate Azerbaijani
citizens in Iranian sponsored mosques, task their proxy Hezbollah to
launch terror attacks and assassinations in Azerbaijan and generally
meddle in Azerbaijani society, all for the express purpose of bringing
Azerbaijan into the Iranian sphere.
Azerbaijan is necessarily hyper-vigilant in monitoring Iranian
sponsored mosques; on occasion closing them when the rhetoric and
recruitment of would be terrorists becomes too dangerous. It is
interesting and quite tragic to note that the biggest critic of this
policy is not Iran, but U.S. tax payer funded Radio Free Europe/Radio
Liberty (RFE/RL). Go figure. In addition, Azerbaijani security forces
have foiled plots by Iran's Revolutionary Guard and Hezbollah to blow
up the embassies of Israel, the UK and the U.S., among other terrorist
acts. This, while Iranian television and radio consistently beams
anti-Azerbaijani rhetoric across the border with the aim of
destabilizing the government and recruiting militants.
Azerbaijan's star is on the rise. The nation is increasingly important
to the energy security and diversity of global markets, as it builds
more pipelines to pump their oil and gas to Western markets while
importantly bypassing Russia. In fact, Azerbaijan and Turkey just
inked an agreement to build the Trans-Anatolian Pipeline, a major
regional project to bring the Caspian natural gas closer to Europe. In
addition, Azerbaijan's importance has steadily increased, as transit
routes in Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan for American and NATO troops and
material headed for Afghanistan are unreliable. Presently, roughly 40%
of this material transits through Baku's International Airport.
Perhaps most importantly, given what now seems like a deeply troubled
Arab Spring, Azerbaijan is one of our few reliable, stable and normal
Muslim friends and allies.
If I could offer my former colleagues in Congress some advice...remember
that although you represent constituencies in your respective states,
Congress has a dual role. Congress must also represent the best
interests on the U.S. In other words pay more attention to Iran's U.S.
friendly neighbors and support them. It behooves us and is the right
thing to do.
McMahon is a former Democratic member of Congress from New York who
served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, subcommittee on Europe.
He is a noted lecturer on Turkey and the Caucuses. In October he will
be presenting at the Baku Humanitarian Forum in Azerbaijan. He is
currently co-chair of the public policy practice at the New York based
law firm Herrick Feinstein.
Before it, US Congressman Dane Rorabaher called support the struggle
of the South Azerbaijanis for their independence. In his message to
the United States Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, the Congressman
said about the need to support the struggle for independence of
southern Azerbaijan from Iran. `For the United States it is important
to support this cooperation, because tyrannical regime in Tehran is
our common enemy. `The people of Azerbaijan was geographically divided
into two parts two hundred years ago, and many Azerbaijanis are
calling for the reunification of the motherland,' the letter reads.
The Congressman also said that the number of ethnic Azerbaijanis in
Iran more than twice in the Republic of Azerbaijan. `This country
gained independence in 1991, after the collapse of the Soviet Union,
now came the hour of Azerbaijanis of Iran also win their freedom,' the
Congressman wrote. `Support for the legitimate aspirations of the
people of Azerbaijan in the struggle for independence-a noble cause in
and of itself. At the same time, for the Tehran regime is the biggest
danger, than the threat to bomb its underground nuclear bunkers, `the
prison Epistles