Tweet
LAWRENCE SHEETS: ANY FURTHER ESCALATION IN KARABAKH CONFLICT ZONE RISKS SPILLOVER TO NEIGHBORING STATES
by Nana Martirosyan
http://www.arminfo.am/index.cfm?objectid=B88968A0-21F3-11E4-B51D0EB7C0D21663
Tuesday, August 12, 11:38
"Any further escalation risks spillover to neighboring states such
as Georgia and would threaten to drag in Russia, Turkey and possibly
Iran," Bloomberg writes citing Lawrence Sheets, an analyst on the
Caucasus region and the author of "8 Pieces of Empire," a memoir that
deals with the post-Soviet wars in the region.
"The nature of the clashes is totally unprecedented," said Lawrence
Sheets. "What has changed is that over the past weeks, we have seen
the first instances of the use of high-caliber weapons, not just small
arms as had previously often been the case. The verbal threats have
also hit an unprecedented peak."
"With all the current violent upheavals in the world, from Ukraine
to Iraq and beyond, unfortunately some are not taking the current
major escalation between Azerbaijan and Armenia seriously enough,"
Sheets said. "This is a war, and we are now only a step away from any
of the sides deciding to resort to the use of highly destructive and
sophisticated missile systems they have acquired, capable of causing
massive casualties and destruction."
For his part, Thomas de Waal, senior associate at the Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace in Washington, said by e-mail
yesterday: "No way do they need a war in Karabakh. "Russia has a strong
incentive in preventing a new conflict, as it would cause massive
instability in its southern tier. It also has treaty obligations
to defend Armenia militarily and would therefore also destroy its
carefully developed relationship with Azerbaijan."
by Nana Martirosyan
http://www.arminfo.am/index.cfm?objectid=B88968A0-21F3-11E4-B51D0EB7C0D21663
Tuesday, August 12, 11:38
"Any further escalation risks spillover to neighboring states such
as Georgia and would threaten to drag in Russia, Turkey and possibly
Iran," Bloomberg writes citing Lawrence Sheets, an analyst on the
Caucasus region and the author of "8 Pieces of Empire," a memoir that
deals with the post-Soviet wars in the region.
"The nature of the clashes is totally unprecedented," said Lawrence
Sheets. "What has changed is that over the past weeks, we have seen
the first instances of the use of high-caliber weapons, not just small
arms as had previously often been the case. The verbal threats have
also hit an unprecedented peak."
"With all the current violent upheavals in the world, from Ukraine
to Iraq and beyond, unfortunately some are not taking the current
major escalation between Azerbaijan and Armenia seriously enough,"
Sheets said. "This is a war, and we are now only a step away from any
of the sides deciding to resort to the use of highly destructive and
sophisticated missile systems they have acquired, capable of causing
massive casualties and destruction."
For his part, Thomas de Waal, senior associate at the Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace in Washington, said by e-mail
yesterday: "No way do they need a war in Karabakh. "Russia has a strong
incentive in preventing a new conflict, as it would cause massive
instability in its southern tier. It also has treaty obligations
to defend Armenia militarily and would therefore also destroy its
carefully developed relationship with Azerbaijan."