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Karabakh | 08.05.12 | 13:54
May 9: Day of victory for Shoushi, 20 years ago
[image: May 9: Day of victory for Shoushi, 20 years ago]
Photolure
Tank in Shoushi symbolizing the great liberation of Shoushi on May 9, 1992.
By Aris Ghazinyan
ArmeniaNow reporter
On May 9 Nagorno Karabakh will celebrate with grandeur the 20th anniversary
of Shoushi's liberation, due to which Nagorno Karabakh stopped being an
enclave in 1992.
Immediately after Armenia gained control over Shoushi, the Armenian
self-defense forces entered Lachin, May 12-18 of 1992, and solved a
strategic task, which was to secure a direct land communication between
Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.
Prior to the festivities certain details are recalled that have rarely been
voiced before.
`Twenty years ago things might have turned out differently and we wouldn't
be where we are today,' says Armenian expert Garegin Gabrieyelyan, leader
of Keni Research Center.
He says in early May of 1992, then Iranian president Hashemi-Rafsanjani
invited acting head of the Azeri state Yakub Mamedov and Armenian president
Levon Ter-Petrosyan to visit Teheran for bilateral negotiations.
They met on May 7, and the following day a Joint Statement was adopted.
The sides agreed that `within a week's time as soon as a representative of
the Islamic Republic of Iran arrives and with the assistance of Azeri and
Armenian leaders ceasefire is established and simultaneously all
communication roads open to satisfy economic needs.'
Despite the attractive appearance of it, this statement made no sense.
First of all, there wasn't a single person in Azerbaijan that could have
guaranteed unblocking the communications (the Azeri Republic then didn't
even have a president), and secondly, Nagorno Karabakh was not mentioned at
all as a side in the conflict.
`God knows what would have happened to this land, and who would be
populating it now if on May 9 of 1992 the Armenian forces of self-defense
did not start the Shoushi operation taking advantage of Ter-Petrosyan's
absence,' the expert says.
On May 9 Armenians gained total control over the Shoushi fortress. This
news stirred huge clamor and indignation not only in Baku, but also among
Armenia's ruling party members: a session was held in Yerevan, during which
angry leaders of the Armenian All-National Movement condemned General
Arkady Ter-Tatevosyan's (Commandos) actions.
Shoushi's liberation became the catalyst of drastic shift in the situation
both on the frontline and in Azerbaijan.
On May 14 Milli Majlis had no way out but to bring back to the office the
resigned president of Azerbaijan (he left the office on March 6) Ayaz
Mutalibov; however, as it turned out, only for one day.
Acting president Mamedov urged `the Turanian nation to unite in the name
of
return of Shoushi'.
In the second half of May Baku was expecting a special delegation led by
Turkish Prime-Minister Suleyman Demirel.
Mutalibov's second resignation was conditioned not only by the Turkish
interference: other forces affected personnel reorganization in Azerbaijan,
not the least role of which was played by Afghan mojaheds (Muslims who
proclaim themselves warriors for the faith) and Chechens.
Right after losing Shoushi, Hassan Hattab, who had escaped from Shoushi,
met Abulfaz Elchibey and discussed the plan developed by `grey wolves'
on
how to put him into power.
But it didn't work, the fact that in May the Armenians entered Lachin put
an end to Nagorno Karabakh's being an enclave.
Vladimir Kazimirov, who during the war was the Russian president's
plenipotentiary representative on Nagorno Karabakh, recalls that the
changed situation on the frontline was now threatening to put Azerbaijan in
a blockade.
`If Armenia gained exit to Kura River it would cut off Azerbaijan's
north-western end. Baku did not put forward any preconditions and was ready
for continuous truce.'
This is what became the foundation for the ceasefire agreement.
http://armenianow.com/karabakh/37936/karabakh_war_shoushi_liberation_anniversary
From: A. Papazian
May 9: Day of victory for Shoushi, 20 years ago
[image: May 9: Day of victory for Shoushi, 20 years ago]
Photolure
Tank in Shoushi symbolizing the great liberation of Shoushi on May 9, 1992.
By Aris Ghazinyan
ArmeniaNow reporter
On May 9 Nagorno Karabakh will celebrate with grandeur the 20th anniversary
of Shoushi's liberation, due to which Nagorno Karabakh stopped being an
enclave in 1992.
Immediately after Armenia gained control over Shoushi, the Armenian
self-defense forces entered Lachin, May 12-18 of 1992, and solved a
strategic task, which was to secure a direct land communication between
Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.
Prior to the festivities certain details are recalled that have rarely been
voiced before.
`Twenty years ago things might have turned out differently and we wouldn't
be where we are today,' says Armenian expert Garegin Gabrieyelyan, leader
of Keni Research Center.
He says in early May of 1992, then Iranian president Hashemi-Rafsanjani
invited acting head of the Azeri state Yakub Mamedov and Armenian president
Levon Ter-Petrosyan to visit Teheran for bilateral negotiations.
They met on May 7, and the following day a Joint Statement was adopted.
The sides agreed that `within a week's time as soon as a representative of
the Islamic Republic of Iran arrives and with the assistance of Azeri and
Armenian leaders ceasefire is established and simultaneously all
communication roads open to satisfy economic needs.'
Despite the attractive appearance of it, this statement made no sense.
First of all, there wasn't a single person in Azerbaijan that could have
guaranteed unblocking the communications (the Azeri Republic then didn't
even have a president), and secondly, Nagorno Karabakh was not mentioned at
all as a side in the conflict.
`God knows what would have happened to this land, and who would be
populating it now if on May 9 of 1992 the Armenian forces of self-defense
did not start the Shoushi operation taking advantage of Ter-Petrosyan's
absence,' the expert says.
On May 9 Armenians gained total control over the Shoushi fortress. This
news stirred huge clamor and indignation not only in Baku, but also among
Armenia's ruling party members: a session was held in Yerevan, during which
angry leaders of the Armenian All-National Movement condemned General
Arkady Ter-Tatevosyan's (Commandos) actions.
Shoushi's liberation became the catalyst of drastic shift in the situation
both on the frontline and in Azerbaijan.
On May 14 Milli Majlis had no way out but to bring back to the office the
resigned president of Azerbaijan (he left the office on March 6) Ayaz
Mutalibov; however, as it turned out, only for one day.
Acting president Mamedov urged `the Turanian nation to unite in the name
of
return of Shoushi'.
In the second half of May Baku was expecting a special delegation led by
Turkish Prime-Minister Suleyman Demirel.
Mutalibov's second resignation was conditioned not only by the Turkish
interference: other forces affected personnel reorganization in Azerbaijan,
not the least role of which was played by Afghan mojaheds (Muslims who
proclaim themselves warriors for the faith) and Chechens.
Right after losing Shoushi, Hassan Hattab, who had escaped from Shoushi,
met Abulfaz Elchibey and discussed the plan developed by `grey wolves'
on
how to put him into power.
But it didn't work, the fact that in May the Armenians entered Lachin put
an end to Nagorno Karabakh's being an enclave.
Vladimir Kazimirov, who during the war was the Russian president's
plenipotentiary representative on Nagorno Karabakh, recalls that the
changed situation on the frontline was now threatening to put Azerbaijan in
a blockade.
`If Armenia gained exit to Kura River it would cut off Azerbaijan's
north-western end. Baku did not put forward any preconditions and was ready
for continuous truce.'
This is what became the foundation for the ceasefire agreement.
http://armenianow.com/karabakh/37936/karabakh_war_shoushi_liberation_anniversary
From: A. Papazian