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AZERBAIJAN SAYS IRAN STRIKES 'IMPOSSIBLE' FROM ITS TERRITORY
BusinessWeek
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-03-12/azerbaijan-says-strikes-on-iran-impossible-from-its-territory
March 12 2012
Azerbaijan, which shares a 756- kilometer (470-mile) border with Iran,
vowed to prevent the use of its territory to carry out attacks against
its southern neighbor, President Ilham Aliyev's aide said.
"Can we allow ourselves to bomb Iran or allow anyone to carry our air
strikes against Iran?" Ali Hasanov, head of the social and political
department of the presidential office, said in remarks broadcast
on the private ANS television channel. "It's absolutely impossible
because our brothers live there."
Azeri officials also sought to ease Iranian concerns about plans to
buy Israeli drones and missile-defense systems valued at $1.6 billion,
with Hasanov saying the weapons are intended to strengthen the former
Soviet republic's defense capability because of its ongoing conflict
with Armenia over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Defense Minister Safar Abiyev reiterated Azerbaijan won't be used to
stage attacks against Iran at a meeting with his Iranian counterpart,
Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi, in Tehran today, state-run Press
TV reported.
Almost a quarter of Iran's 75 million people are ethnic Azeri, while
the Persian Gulf state's Shiite religion is shared by two-thirds of
Azerbaijan's 9-million population.
BusinessWeek
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-03-12/azerbaijan-says-strikes-on-iran-impossible-from-its-territory
March 12 2012
Azerbaijan, which shares a 756- kilometer (470-mile) border with Iran,
vowed to prevent the use of its territory to carry out attacks against
its southern neighbor, President Ilham Aliyev's aide said.
"Can we allow ourselves to bomb Iran or allow anyone to carry our air
strikes against Iran?" Ali Hasanov, head of the social and political
department of the presidential office, said in remarks broadcast
on the private ANS television channel. "It's absolutely impossible
because our brothers live there."
Azeri officials also sought to ease Iranian concerns about plans to
buy Israeli drones and missile-defense systems valued at $1.6 billion,
with Hasanov saying the weapons are intended to strengthen the former
Soviet republic's defense capability because of its ongoing conflict
with Armenia over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Defense Minister Safar Abiyev reiterated Azerbaijan won't be used to
stage attacks against Iran at a meeting with his Iranian counterpart,
Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi, in Tehran today, state-run Press
TV reported.
Almost a quarter of Iran's 75 million people are ethnic Azeri, while
the Persian Gulf state's Shiite religion is shared by two-thirds of
Azerbaijan's 9-million population.