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BONDS FOR BLOOD
By Vilen KHLGATYAN
http://times.am/?l=0&p=12117
On September 6th, the Secretary General of NATO, Anders Fogh Rasmussen
paid a working visit to Yerevan. When the visit was originally planned
the topics of discussion were to include Armenia's participation
in the ISAF in Afghanistan as well as the overall "benefits" that
Armenia receives from the NATO Partnership for Peace program.
However, the extradition of axe-murderer, Ramil Safarov, by Hungary
has caused an international fiasco. While Rasmussen stopped short of
criticizing NATO member Hungary, he did criticize the Azerbaijan's
decision to pardon the killer. It may be that NATO is asking the tough
questions behind the scenes via diplomatic channels and therefore did
not want to publicly embarrass a member state. However, as President
Sargsyan said in his August 31st address to foreign diplomats in
Yerevan, the time for empty rhetoric and unclear statements are over;
Armenia is expecting clear actions from the international community,
particularly from the Minsk Group co-chair nations, and NATO. If
the latter organization values its relationship with Yerevan then it
should take the proper measures to address the dim-witted actions of
a member state, and curtail or cut relations with Azerbaijan. NATO
must unequivocally condemn Azerbaijan. The next stop on Rasmussen's
tour is Baku, where he has promised to raise this issue with the
Azerbaijani regime.
As we Armenians watched in disgust, the murderer's deplorable action
was celebrated by Azerbaijani state officials and the Azerbaijani
people. The mirth of the Azerbaijani's at such an act are not
surprising when one closely examines the state sponsored anti-Armenian
propaganda that has been disseminated virtually on a daily basis by
the Azerbaijani government and its pseudo-intelligentsia in recent
years. In fact, their anti-Armenian hysteria is eerily similar to what
the global community witnessed in Nazi Germany during the 1930s. One
only needs to read Azerbaijani commentaries about Armenia and Armenians
to get a good sense of how deep and how widespread the Azerbaijani
hate is toward Armenians today. Therefore, when the international
community observes a convicted murderer being adored as a hero by
his countrymen for having axed to death an Armenian in his sleep,
it should not come as a shock to anyone. In fact, this action by
Baku clearly reveals why Armenians can not and will not live under
Azerbaijani subjugation ever again.
Ironically, this one event has done more to advance the case
of Artsakh's independence and eventual de jure re-unification with
Armenia than several years of negotiations under the auspices of the
OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship. The primary goal of official Yerevan
should now be to lobby harder for the international recognition of
Artsakh; showcasing the barbaric salutations of joy and praise for
a killer that was on display in Azerbaijan last week. The small
amount of mutual respect that existed prior to this event has all
but evaporated, and it is hard to see how the Armenian leadership
can continue to convince the Armenian people that a credible and
mutually beneficial deal can be struck with Azerbaijan. Clearly,
one side is interested in peace and prosperity, while the other is
intent on winning what they see as a zero sum game, regardless of
the damage done to the other party. Therefore, the current situation
is not conducive to achieving a breakthrough neither in negotiations
nor toward establishing a lasting peace in the region.
Although some analysts of the Caucasus have warned that a new war is
more likely now than before, this is unrealistic. Armenian policymakers
know better than to launch a war and disrupt a status quo that in
fact favors Armenia and Artsakh. The cold blooded murder of a soldier
and the celebration of the act by the enemy are not grounds for war,
irrespective of how abhorrent the crime is to civilized persons. For
his part, Aliyev Jr. knows that his despotic regime can not survive
without a total victory, and a victory against Armenia is something
that he knows is not very likely. Had Aliyev been confident of a
military victory over Armenia he would have launched a war many years
ago. As far as Baku is concerned, it's far better to use the 'Armenian
threat' in order to distract their disgruntled masses than to deal
with the urgent social and psychological problems of their people,
and the rampant corruption of the Azerbaijani government. This is
essentially why the extradition of the axe-murderer was so important
to the Aliyev regime. Despite their bombastic claims that Azerbaijan
is superior to Armenia, they have had so very little to show. Not to
mention the repeated call to 'liberate Qarabag', which has begun to
fall on deaf ears in recent years. Therefore this tiny token of an
"Azerbaijani victory" was sorely needed to appease the bloodlust of
the Azerbaijani populace.
As for Hungary, I believe Karl Marx's statement that "money turns
everything into a commodity that can be bought and sold: government,
honor, morality, the writing of history, legality" is apt. Indeed,
the action of official Budapest, which was expecting Azerbaijan to
buy ~@2-3 billion worth of Hungarian government bonds, has been
the latest example of the maxim that everyone and everything has
a price. It is now up to the Hungarian people to either punish or
praise the disgraced government of Viktor Orban, and judging from the
recent online petitions and demonstrations taking place in Budapest,
punishment seems more likely... and rightly deserved.
Vilen Khlgatyan is the Vice-Chairman of Political Developments Research
Center (PDRC)
07.09.12, 16:46
From: Baghdasarian
By Vilen KHLGATYAN
http://times.am/?l=0&p=12117
On September 6th, the Secretary General of NATO, Anders Fogh Rasmussen
paid a working visit to Yerevan. When the visit was originally planned
the topics of discussion were to include Armenia's participation
in the ISAF in Afghanistan as well as the overall "benefits" that
Armenia receives from the NATO Partnership for Peace program.
However, the extradition of axe-murderer, Ramil Safarov, by Hungary
has caused an international fiasco. While Rasmussen stopped short of
criticizing NATO member Hungary, he did criticize the Azerbaijan's
decision to pardon the killer. It may be that NATO is asking the tough
questions behind the scenes via diplomatic channels and therefore did
not want to publicly embarrass a member state. However, as President
Sargsyan said in his August 31st address to foreign diplomats in
Yerevan, the time for empty rhetoric and unclear statements are over;
Armenia is expecting clear actions from the international community,
particularly from the Minsk Group co-chair nations, and NATO. If
the latter organization values its relationship with Yerevan then it
should take the proper measures to address the dim-witted actions of
a member state, and curtail or cut relations with Azerbaijan. NATO
must unequivocally condemn Azerbaijan. The next stop on Rasmussen's
tour is Baku, where he has promised to raise this issue with the
Azerbaijani regime.
As we Armenians watched in disgust, the murderer's deplorable action
was celebrated by Azerbaijani state officials and the Azerbaijani
people. The mirth of the Azerbaijani's at such an act are not
surprising when one closely examines the state sponsored anti-Armenian
propaganda that has been disseminated virtually on a daily basis by
the Azerbaijani government and its pseudo-intelligentsia in recent
years. In fact, their anti-Armenian hysteria is eerily similar to what
the global community witnessed in Nazi Germany during the 1930s. One
only needs to read Azerbaijani commentaries about Armenia and Armenians
to get a good sense of how deep and how widespread the Azerbaijani
hate is toward Armenians today. Therefore, when the international
community observes a convicted murderer being adored as a hero by
his countrymen for having axed to death an Armenian in his sleep,
it should not come as a shock to anyone. In fact, this action by
Baku clearly reveals why Armenians can not and will not live under
Azerbaijani subjugation ever again.
Ironically, this one event has done more to advance the case
of Artsakh's independence and eventual de jure re-unification with
Armenia than several years of negotiations under the auspices of the
OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship. The primary goal of official Yerevan
should now be to lobby harder for the international recognition of
Artsakh; showcasing the barbaric salutations of joy and praise for
a killer that was on display in Azerbaijan last week. The small
amount of mutual respect that existed prior to this event has all
but evaporated, and it is hard to see how the Armenian leadership
can continue to convince the Armenian people that a credible and
mutually beneficial deal can be struck with Azerbaijan. Clearly,
one side is interested in peace and prosperity, while the other is
intent on winning what they see as a zero sum game, regardless of
the damage done to the other party. Therefore, the current situation
is not conducive to achieving a breakthrough neither in negotiations
nor toward establishing a lasting peace in the region.
Although some analysts of the Caucasus have warned that a new war is
more likely now than before, this is unrealistic. Armenian policymakers
know better than to launch a war and disrupt a status quo that in
fact favors Armenia and Artsakh. The cold blooded murder of a soldier
and the celebration of the act by the enemy are not grounds for war,
irrespective of how abhorrent the crime is to civilized persons. For
his part, Aliyev Jr. knows that his despotic regime can not survive
without a total victory, and a victory against Armenia is something
that he knows is not very likely. Had Aliyev been confident of a
military victory over Armenia he would have launched a war many years
ago. As far as Baku is concerned, it's far better to use the 'Armenian
threat' in order to distract their disgruntled masses than to deal
with the urgent social and psychological problems of their people,
and the rampant corruption of the Azerbaijani government. This is
essentially why the extradition of the axe-murderer was so important
to the Aliyev regime. Despite their bombastic claims that Azerbaijan
is superior to Armenia, they have had so very little to show. Not to
mention the repeated call to 'liberate Qarabag', which has begun to
fall on deaf ears in recent years. Therefore this tiny token of an
"Azerbaijani victory" was sorely needed to appease the bloodlust of
the Azerbaijani populace.
As for Hungary, I believe Karl Marx's statement that "money turns
everything into a commodity that can be bought and sold: government,
honor, morality, the writing of history, legality" is apt. Indeed,
the action of official Budapest, which was expecting Azerbaijan to
buy ~@2-3 billion worth of Hungarian government bonds, has been
the latest example of the maxim that everyone and everything has
a price. It is now up to the Hungarian people to either punish or
praise the disgraced government of Viktor Orban, and judging from the
recent online petitions and demonstrations taking place in Budapest,
punishment seems more likely... and rightly deserved.
Vilen Khlgatyan is the Vice-Chairman of Political Developments Research
Center (PDRC)
07.09.12, 16:46
From: Baghdasarian