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AMERICAN ANALYST: SNIPERS ALONG THE LINE-OF-CONTACT BETWEEN AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIA ARE THREATENING A COMPROMISE SOLUTION OVER THE NK CONFLICT
APA
Feb 21 2012
Azerbaijan
Washington. Isabel Levine - APA. Mark Dietzen, a prominent American
analyst and specialist on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, believes that
snipers along the Line-of-Contact between Azerbaijan and Armenia are
threatening a compromise solution over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
APA's correspondent reports.
"Since 1994's Ceasefire Agreement, sharpshooters have claimed about
30 victims annually on both the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides",
he says, adding, "but as tensions mount over Nagorno-Karabakh,
sniping's tit-for-tat bloodletting is slowly claiming another victim-
compromise".
Mr. Dietzen, who has researched the conflict for many years, reminds
that, the OSCE's Minsk Group has proposed the Madrid Document,
"a gradational peace plan".
"Regrettably, the increasingly militarized nature of the conflict-
most notably through snipers' habitual ceasefire violations- are
preventing the development of the mutual trust needed as a prerequisite
for compromise", he adds, underlining, that as a result, the prospect
that the territories will be returned is becoming more and more remote.
The analyst also mentioned that, if implemented, the Madrid Principles
would seek to address the security concern through its provision for
"international security guarantees that would include a peacekeeping
operation." However, he adds, with every new sniper attack, however,
this "if" becomes less likely.
"The Line-of-Contact no longer risks becoming a Line-of-Death: it
already is", he says, adding that absent change, the final hopes for
a peaceful compromise to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will be buried
beneath it.
APA
Feb 21 2012
Azerbaijan
Washington. Isabel Levine - APA. Mark Dietzen, a prominent American
analyst and specialist on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, believes that
snipers along the Line-of-Contact between Azerbaijan and Armenia are
threatening a compromise solution over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
APA's correspondent reports.
"Since 1994's Ceasefire Agreement, sharpshooters have claimed about
30 victims annually on both the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides",
he says, adding, "but as tensions mount over Nagorno-Karabakh,
sniping's tit-for-tat bloodletting is slowly claiming another victim-
compromise".
Mr. Dietzen, who has researched the conflict for many years, reminds
that, the OSCE's Minsk Group has proposed the Madrid Document,
"a gradational peace plan".
"Regrettably, the increasingly militarized nature of the conflict-
most notably through snipers' habitual ceasefire violations- are
preventing the development of the mutual trust needed as a prerequisite
for compromise", he adds, underlining, that as a result, the prospect
that the territories will be returned is becoming more and more remote.
The analyst also mentioned that, if implemented, the Madrid Principles
would seek to address the security concern through its provision for
"international security guarantees that would include a peacekeeping
operation." However, he adds, with every new sniper attack, however,
this "if" becomes less likely.
"The Line-of-Contact no longer risks becoming a Line-of-Death: it
already is", he says, adding that absent change, the final hopes for
a peaceful compromise to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will be buried
beneath it.