Tweet
BUSINESS OR BROTHERHOOD?: RUSSIAN ARMS SUPPLIES TO AZERBAIJAN TRIGGER ARMENIAN BACKLASH
http://www.armenianow.com/karabakh/47411/armenia_karabakh_azerbaijan_russia_arms_supply
KARABAKH | 03.07.13 | 09:41
Photo: www.president.az
By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
ArmeniaNow correspondent
The sale by Russia of offensive weapons to Azerbaijan caused a wave
of discontent in Armenia. What particularly angered many local
politicians and experts was the sale of Smerch rocket launchers,
which are considered to be one of the deadliest weapons.
First Armenian political analysts and experts loyal to Russia had
to prove that nothing bad had happened and that Russia did have the
right to sell arms to Azerbaijan, as it gives Armenia weapons almost
for free.
Then Russia's Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev and
Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization
(CSTO) Nikolai Bordyuzha had to come to Armenia to assure partners
in Yerevan that the sale of arms to Azerbaijan was pure business and
that in order to "maintain the balance" Russia was also arming Armenia.
Not all in Armenia, however, were convinced and some experts and
politicians began to even express opinions through media that Armenia
should undertake symmetrical measures by refusing to continue to
host the Russian military base, declaring about its withdrawal from
the CSTO and moving to terminate its agreement on strategic alliance
with Russia.
But the most remarkable thing is that this time around discontent
was also raised in Karabakh. Independent Karabakh MP Vahan Badasyan
made a tough statement, accusing the Armenian authorities of allowing
themselves to become too much dependent on Russia to the degree that
Moscow now determines the policy of Armenia in the Karabakh issue.
Then, in an interview with karabakh-open.info first commander of
the Karabakh Self-Defense Forces (1990-91) Arkady Karapetyan accused
Russia of preparing a 'new genocide' of Armenians in Karabakh.
Describing the combat characteristics of Smerch systems, Karapetyan
said he did not want to sit and wait until Azerbaijan uses this lethal
weapon against his family. He said that Russia must choose - either
business or brotherhood. And if it chooses business over brotherhood,
let the Russians pay for the military base in Armenia, he emphasized.
On July 2, in Yerevan, during the presentation of the revised
version of the book 'Black Garden: Armenia and Azerbaijan Between
Peace and War' an interesting polemic took place between its author,
senior associate at the Washington Carnegie Endowment specializing
in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Thomas de Waal and Director of the
Yerevan-based Caucasus Institute Alexander Iskandaryan.
"After the accumulation of a certain quantity and quality of weapons
on both sides of the conflict the resumption of hostilities becomes
unlikely. Accumulation of arms triggers the mechanism of deterrence
based on threat. In this respect, I do not agree with Thomas de Waal
that the likelihood of renewed hostilities has increased, on the
contrary, it is decreasing," said Iskandaryan.
De Waal, in his turn, stressed that along with the process of
accumulation of arms tensions are rising in the region, which at
one point will get out of control, as it happened during the First
World War.
Meanwhile, active citizens in Armenia are now discussing questions
like: will the asymmetrical armament of Azerbaijan and Armenia by
Russia lead to renewed hostilities and why the Armenian leadership
does not express a tough stance on the matter?
http://www.armenianow.com/karabakh/47411/armenia_karabakh_azerbaijan_russia_arms_supply
KARABAKH | 03.07.13 | 09:41
Photo: www.president.az
By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
ArmeniaNow correspondent
The sale by Russia of offensive weapons to Azerbaijan caused a wave
of discontent in Armenia. What particularly angered many local
politicians and experts was the sale of Smerch rocket launchers,
which are considered to be one of the deadliest weapons.
First Armenian political analysts and experts loyal to Russia had
to prove that nothing bad had happened and that Russia did have the
right to sell arms to Azerbaijan, as it gives Armenia weapons almost
for free.
Then Russia's Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev and
Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization
(CSTO) Nikolai Bordyuzha had to come to Armenia to assure partners
in Yerevan that the sale of arms to Azerbaijan was pure business and
that in order to "maintain the balance" Russia was also arming Armenia.
Not all in Armenia, however, were convinced and some experts and
politicians began to even express opinions through media that Armenia
should undertake symmetrical measures by refusing to continue to
host the Russian military base, declaring about its withdrawal from
the CSTO and moving to terminate its agreement on strategic alliance
with Russia.
But the most remarkable thing is that this time around discontent
was also raised in Karabakh. Independent Karabakh MP Vahan Badasyan
made a tough statement, accusing the Armenian authorities of allowing
themselves to become too much dependent on Russia to the degree that
Moscow now determines the policy of Armenia in the Karabakh issue.
Then, in an interview with karabakh-open.info first commander of
the Karabakh Self-Defense Forces (1990-91) Arkady Karapetyan accused
Russia of preparing a 'new genocide' of Armenians in Karabakh.
Describing the combat characteristics of Smerch systems, Karapetyan
said he did not want to sit and wait until Azerbaijan uses this lethal
weapon against his family. He said that Russia must choose - either
business or brotherhood. And if it chooses business over brotherhood,
let the Russians pay for the military base in Armenia, he emphasized.
On July 2, in Yerevan, during the presentation of the revised
version of the book 'Black Garden: Armenia and Azerbaijan Between
Peace and War' an interesting polemic took place between its author,
senior associate at the Washington Carnegie Endowment specializing
in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict Thomas de Waal and Director of the
Yerevan-based Caucasus Institute Alexander Iskandaryan.
"After the accumulation of a certain quantity and quality of weapons
on both sides of the conflict the resumption of hostilities becomes
unlikely. Accumulation of arms triggers the mechanism of deterrence
based on threat. In this respect, I do not agree with Thomas de Waal
that the likelihood of renewed hostilities has increased, on the
contrary, it is decreasing," said Iskandaryan.
De Waal, in his turn, stressed that along with the process of
accumulation of arms tensions are rising in the region, which at
one point will get out of control, as it happened during the First
World War.
Meanwhile, active citizens in Armenia are now discussing questions
like: will the asymmetrical armament of Azerbaijan and Armenia by
Russia lead to renewed hostilities and why the Armenian leadership
does not express a tough stance on the matter?