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U.S. INVESTIGATES IRANIAN ACTIVITY IN SOUTH CAUCASIA AND ASSESSES REGIONAL GEOPOLITICS
http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/146565/u-s-investigates-iranian-activity-in-south-caucasia-and-assesses-regional-geopolitics.html
Friday, 18 January 2013
In one of its final hearings of the 2012 calendar year and one of
the final hearings of several of its most distinguished members, the
Foreign Affairs Committee of the lower house of the U.S. Congress
(House of Representatives) invited experts to speak on Iranian
activities and influence in South Caucasia.
Presently, all is calm on the ground in South Caucasia. Development
in Azerbaijan, recent democratic elections in Georgia and quiet in
Armenia indicate a thaw in this region of frozen conflicts after
a harsh blizzard of violence and social disarray that touched
three decades. However the tone of this hearing was all but calm,
as one would expect a hearing on Iranian influence in a critical
hydrocarbon transit corridor at the U.S. Congress in modern times to
be. Dan Burton, retiring Chairman of the Committee's Subcommittee on
Europe and Eurasia, who just returned from the region, conveyed his
observation from abroad that Washington is not the only World capitol
in which such uneasy discussion of Iran can be heard.
One of the few cheery talking points that could be heard echoing off of
the hearing room's wooden paneling that day was Burton's relay of the
words of Azerbaijani President, Ilham Aliyev calling for stronger bonds
between Georgia and Azerbaijan, the U.S. and Georgia and the U.S. and
Azerbaijan. Although these comments may sound like routine diplomatic
banter, they were not. Burton stated that regional leaders, especially
in Azerbaijan are bothered by growing levels of now suffocating Iranian
influence (both subversive and innocuous) in the region. Although
Azerbaijan, which is home to Israeli air bases, shares the longest
border in the region with Iran, the country's heightened volume on the
issue may stem from its conflict with Armenia. According to the panel,
Iranian military assistance was behind Armenia's successful capture
and continued occupation of pro-Western Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh
and seven nearby districts.
Furthermore, Iranian entities have been using organizations in
Armenia, Armenian occupied Azerbaijani Nagorno Karabakh and other
regional "black hole" frozen conflict zones to discreetly circumvent
Western sanctions and conduct illicit activity. According to panelist
Dr. Brenda Schaffer, past president of the foreign policy section
of the American Political Science Association, this phenomenon runs
especially rampant in the South Caucasian financial services sector.
However, Iran does not always follow the money and stick to the banks
when trying to extend its reach, breach sanctions and make much needed
cash; Iranian NGOs and educational organizations (especially those
religious in nature) have also been employed as fronts.
Nefarious Iranian activity in the region is not limited to sanction
skirting; Iran has been accused of sponsoring eclectic violence
including terrorism and drug smuggling in the South Caucasus. Tehran
backed drug smugglers are moving increased quantities of Afghan opium
through the region and they frequently sneak various methamphetamines
into Azerbaijan via speed boat and the porous land border.
All the talk of state sponsored drug smuggling, covert proxy war and
terrorism gave the hearing a surreal if not unbelievable and biased
feel. If hearing attendees were not wondering if they were in the
opening scenes of a George Clooney movie, they were likely wondering
why Iran would exert so much energy on destabilizing countries that it
neighbors and shares porous borders with. Much like why some children
bully others on the playground, the answer lies in self insecurity.
Dr. Schaffer theorizes that the fact that Iran is barely 50% ethnically
Persian inspires it to commit acts that paint the titular homelands
of many of Iran's minority groups (such as Azerbaijan) in a negative
light. This is done to discourage minority emigration and separatist
sentiment, the latter is already a problem Iran is already facing in
its South East. To Iran's relief, Schaffer went on to cite research
that indicated most Iranian minorities wish to remain subjects of
the Islamic republic but want more linguistic and cultural autonomy
within it.
Despite international sanctions and the trouble that Iran is causing
leaders in the South Caucasus, Iranian influence there is still often
seen by many as benign and even as something economically beneficial.
Although all members of the panel and all members of the U.S. Congress
presiding over the hearing took blatantly anti-Iranian stances, no
criticism was dealt to regional powers for having good relations with
Tehran. Due to conflict on both its Eastern and Western flanks, small,
landlocked and resource devoid Armenia only has two open borders;
one being with Iran. Georgia, a great and loyal US ally and Iranian
neighbor also stricken with regional geopolitical isolation has good
ties with Iran that have only improved following the abolition of
the two countries bilateral visa regime and the release of their last
year's trade figures. The recipient of the most criticism that day was
the West. The panel concluded that the West could help ameliorate some
of the isolation that regional powers feel and squeeze out/provide an
alternative to Iranian power by expanding the presence and dominion
of Euro-Atlantic institutions such as the EU and NATO. The panel also
felt that Western intelligence and security services should commit more
resources to assisting South Caucasian states roll up Iranian fronts
and other illicit organizations. The perhaps easiest to implement
strategy suggestion given that day was the panel's cry for the United
States to discontinue one of the few activities that it and Iran share,
the "illegal" funding of the Armenian occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The United States and its allies have a world of work ahead of them
if they are to try to counter Iranian influence in South Caucasia
let alone the entire world, something that the cash strapped US and
Eurozone may not be up to at this point. However, Iran has a world of
work to do just to keep it from simply collapsing into economic and
social ruin. The coming years will bring an intense, interesting and
dirty war of attrition for power and puppet strings in the Caucasus
with a winner that will prevail through the use of wit, willpower
and attitude.
By Sam Storey
Friday, 18 January 2013
Ferghana News
http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/146565/u-s-investigates-iranian-activity-in-south-caucasia-and-assesses-regional-geopolitics.html
Friday, 18 January 2013
In one of its final hearings of the 2012 calendar year and one of
the final hearings of several of its most distinguished members, the
Foreign Affairs Committee of the lower house of the U.S. Congress
(House of Representatives) invited experts to speak on Iranian
activities and influence in South Caucasia.
Presently, all is calm on the ground in South Caucasia. Development
in Azerbaijan, recent democratic elections in Georgia and quiet in
Armenia indicate a thaw in this region of frozen conflicts after
a harsh blizzard of violence and social disarray that touched
three decades. However the tone of this hearing was all but calm,
as one would expect a hearing on Iranian influence in a critical
hydrocarbon transit corridor at the U.S. Congress in modern times to
be. Dan Burton, retiring Chairman of the Committee's Subcommittee on
Europe and Eurasia, who just returned from the region, conveyed his
observation from abroad that Washington is not the only World capitol
in which such uneasy discussion of Iran can be heard.
One of the few cheery talking points that could be heard echoing off of
the hearing room's wooden paneling that day was Burton's relay of the
words of Azerbaijani President, Ilham Aliyev calling for stronger bonds
between Georgia and Azerbaijan, the U.S. and Georgia and the U.S. and
Azerbaijan. Although these comments may sound like routine diplomatic
banter, they were not. Burton stated that regional leaders, especially
in Azerbaijan are bothered by growing levels of now suffocating Iranian
influence (both subversive and innocuous) in the region. Although
Azerbaijan, which is home to Israeli air bases, shares the longest
border in the region with Iran, the country's heightened volume on the
issue may stem from its conflict with Armenia. According to the panel,
Iranian military assistance was behind Armenia's successful capture
and continued occupation of pro-Western Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh
and seven nearby districts.
Furthermore, Iranian entities have been using organizations in
Armenia, Armenian occupied Azerbaijani Nagorno Karabakh and other
regional "black hole" frozen conflict zones to discreetly circumvent
Western sanctions and conduct illicit activity. According to panelist
Dr. Brenda Schaffer, past president of the foreign policy section
of the American Political Science Association, this phenomenon runs
especially rampant in the South Caucasian financial services sector.
However, Iran does not always follow the money and stick to the banks
when trying to extend its reach, breach sanctions and make much needed
cash; Iranian NGOs and educational organizations (especially those
religious in nature) have also been employed as fronts.
Nefarious Iranian activity in the region is not limited to sanction
skirting; Iran has been accused of sponsoring eclectic violence
including terrorism and drug smuggling in the South Caucasus. Tehran
backed drug smugglers are moving increased quantities of Afghan opium
through the region and they frequently sneak various methamphetamines
into Azerbaijan via speed boat and the porous land border.
All the talk of state sponsored drug smuggling, covert proxy war and
terrorism gave the hearing a surreal if not unbelievable and biased
feel. If hearing attendees were not wondering if they were in the
opening scenes of a George Clooney movie, they were likely wondering
why Iran would exert so much energy on destabilizing countries that it
neighbors and shares porous borders with. Much like why some children
bully others on the playground, the answer lies in self insecurity.
Dr. Schaffer theorizes that the fact that Iran is barely 50% ethnically
Persian inspires it to commit acts that paint the titular homelands
of many of Iran's minority groups (such as Azerbaijan) in a negative
light. This is done to discourage minority emigration and separatist
sentiment, the latter is already a problem Iran is already facing in
its South East. To Iran's relief, Schaffer went on to cite research
that indicated most Iranian minorities wish to remain subjects of
the Islamic republic but want more linguistic and cultural autonomy
within it.
Despite international sanctions and the trouble that Iran is causing
leaders in the South Caucasus, Iranian influence there is still often
seen by many as benign and even as something economically beneficial.
Although all members of the panel and all members of the U.S. Congress
presiding over the hearing took blatantly anti-Iranian stances, no
criticism was dealt to regional powers for having good relations with
Tehran. Due to conflict on both its Eastern and Western flanks, small,
landlocked and resource devoid Armenia only has two open borders;
one being with Iran. Georgia, a great and loyal US ally and Iranian
neighbor also stricken with regional geopolitical isolation has good
ties with Iran that have only improved following the abolition of
the two countries bilateral visa regime and the release of their last
year's trade figures. The recipient of the most criticism that day was
the West. The panel concluded that the West could help ameliorate some
of the isolation that regional powers feel and squeeze out/provide an
alternative to Iranian power by expanding the presence and dominion
of Euro-Atlantic institutions such as the EU and NATO. The panel also
felt that Western intelligence and security services should commit more
resources to assisting South Caucasian states roll up Iranian fronts
and other illicit organizations. The perhaps easiest to implement
strategy suggestion given that day was the panel's cry for the United
States to discontinue one of the few activities that it and Iran share,
the "illegal" funding of the Armenian occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The United States and its allies have a world of work ahead of them
if they are to try to counter Iranian influence in South Caucasia
let alone the entire world, something that the cash strapped US and
Eurozone may not be up to at this point. However, Iran has a world of
work to do just to keep it from simply collapsing into economic and
social ruin. The coming years will bring an intense, interesting and
dirty war of attrition for power and puppet strings in the Caucasus
with a winner that will prevail through the use of wit, willpower
and attitude.
By Sam Storey
Friday, 18 January 2013
Ferghana News