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SEYRAN OHANYAN'S AMERICAN CHANCE
HAKOB BADALYAN
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/comments25508.html
Published: 12:58:47 - 20/03/2012
Minister of defense Seyran Ohanyan left for the United States on March
19 where he will meet with the leaders of security agencies of this
country, in particular, defense minister Leon Panetta and CIA head
David Petraeus. Other high-ranking meetings are scheduled.
The American visit of the Armenian defense minister is interesting in
terms of chronology for it has been long since the Armenian defense
minister has not been on such a presentable visit to the United
States. In general, the Armenian and American military contacts have
been usually limited to the low-ranking command meetings, while the
upcoming meeting of the defense ministers is unprecedented.
It is noteworthy that the U.S. Defense Minister visited Armenia and
Azerbaijan back in 2001 spending in Yerevan a few hours.
In this sense, after such a long pause, essential growth in the
contacts of the Armenian and American cooperation can be noticed. This
is not a surprise considering the U.S. statements that the
Armenian-American relations are now at the highest ever level.
It would hardly be logical if the relations with the first power in
the world were at the highest level and it did not impact military
cooperation.
Here, not only the status aspect but also its chronological expression
is essential. The point is that it is a difficult period for the
Armenian armed forces. The demands of the information century require
disclosure of the army to the society, on the other hand, forcing
faster modernization of the army and effective management since with
the open flow of information the society will have access to it to
control the situation and consequently the shortcomings and vices
become more evident.
Though the Armenian defense ministry answers public inquiries keeping
loyal to the best traditions of Soviet Russian propaganda,
nevertheless, the top leadership of the army and the defense minister
extremely need to overcome this situation and improve management to
handle the plight and stop being the target of public discussions. In
the end, Seyran Ohanyan understands that it is impossible to keep
defending oneself with the help of the Russian propaganda technologies
which only deepens the issues and brings the collapse closer rather
than resolves the issues.
For the solution of the issues, the leadership of the Armenian army
needs to introduce the Western practice since it is the system which
has achieved most success in the management of the armed forces in
terms of the security of soldiers.
The Armenian military leadership needs to understand that issues can
be solved only through study and application of the Western experience
in Armenia.
In this sense, contacts with the American military leadership as an
absolute leader in effectiveness, development and combat readiness in
the world armed forces have a vital importance for Armenia if there is
enough will to translate these contacts into practical policy.
However, the Armenian defense minister will certainly commit the
biggest mistake if he uses the American contacts for the Armenian
government and to diversify the protection of his ministerial
positions in this context instead of using them for the modernization
of the management of armed forces. In this case, Seyran Ohanyan will
not only endanger his own and the government's position, causing the
chain of army tragedies to continue, but he will also torpedo the
military-political mission of Armenia in the South Caucasus now when
Armenia has a good chance to restore the loss of potential for the
fulfillment of this mission.
In this sense, Seyran Ohanyan has a historic chance to regain this
chance through the contacts with the U.S. military leadership.
It would be naïve to think that the minister who has meetings with the
U.S. military leadership will ignore his own office and worries,
promoting first of all the issues of Armenia's armed forces. For
Ohanyan, perhaps the most important thing will be his personal
position in the government, and official Yerevan has perhaps
calculated Ohanyan's preference to this issue by how his visit will
promote protection of the general position of the Armenian government.
But, both for Ohanyan and the government, it will be more effective to
understand that it is time to use the effective military contacts,
confrontation of interests and change the methodology of keeping
governmental position and build the government not on the general
commandership but on the military staff and immunity of health.
From: Baghdasarian
HAKOB BADALYAN
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/comments25508.html
Published: 12:58:47 - 20/03/2012
Minister of defense Seyran Ohanyan left for the United States on March
19 where he will meet with the leaders of security agencies of this
country, in particular, defense minister Leon Panetta and CIA head
David Petraeus. Other high-ranking meetings are scheduled.
The American visit of the Armenian defense minister is interesting in
terms of chronology for it has been long since the Armenian defense
minister has not been on such a presentable visit to the United
States. In general, the Armenian and American military contacts have
been usually limited to the low-ranking command meetings, while the
upcoming meeting of the defense ministers is unprecedented.
It is noteworthy that the U.S. Defense Minister visited Armenia and
Azerbaijan back in 2001 spending in Yerevan a few hours.
In this sense, after such a long pause, essential growth in the
contacts of the Armenian and American cooperation can be noticed. This
is not a surprise considering the U.S. statements that the
Armenian-American relations are now at the highest ever level.
It would hardly be logical if the relations with the first power in
the world were at the highest level and it did not impact military
cooperation.
Here, not only the status aspect but also its chronological expression
is essential. The point is that it is a difficult period for the
Armenian armed forces. The demands of the information century require
disclosure of the army to the society, on the other hand, forcing
faster modernization of the army and effective management since with
the open flow of information the society will have access to it to
control the situation and consequently the shortcomings and vices
become more evident.
Though the Armenian defense ministry answers public inquiries keeping
loyal to the best traditions of Soviet Russian propaganda,
nevertheless, the top leadership of the army and the defense minister
extremely need to overcome this situation and improve management to
handle the plight and stop being the target of public discussions. In
the end, Seyran Ohanyan understands that it is impossible to keep
defending oneself with the help of the Russian propaganda technologies
which only deepens the issues and brings the collapse closer rather
than resolves the issues.
For the solution of the issues, the leadership of the Armenian army
needs to introduce the Western practice since it is the system which
has achieved most success in the management of the armed forces in
terms of the security of soldiers.
The Armenian military leadership needs to understand that issues can
be solved only through study and application of the Western experience
in Armenia.
In this sense, contacts with the American military leadership as an
absolute leader in effectiveness, development and combat readiness in
the world armed forces have a vital importance for Armenia if there is
enough will to translate these contacts into practical policy.
However, the Armenian defense minister will certainly commit the
biggest mistake if he uses the American contacts for the Armenian
government and to diversify the protection of his ministerial
positions in this context instead of using them for the modernization
of the management of armed forces. In this case, Seyran Ohanyan will
not only endanger his own and the government's position, causing the
chain of army tragedies to continue, but he will also torpedo the
military-political mission of Armenia in the South Caucasus now when
Armenia has a good chance to restore the loss of potential for the
fulfillment of this mission.
In this sense, Seyran Ohanyan has a historic chance to regain this
chance through the contacts with the U.S. military leadership.
It would be naïve to think that the minister who has meetings with the
U.S. military leadership will ignore his own office and worries,
promoting first of all the issues of Armenia's armed forces. For
Ohanyan, perhaps the most important thing will be his personal
position in the government, and official Yerevan has perhaps
calculated Ohanyan's preference to this issue by how his visit will
promote protection of the general position of the Armenian government.
But, both for Ohanyan and the government, it will be more effective to
understand that it is time to use the effective military contacts,
confrontation of interests and change the methodology of keeping
governmental position and build the government not on the general
commandership but on the military staff and immunity of health.
From: Baghdasarian