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AZERBAIJAN, ARMENIA COULD CAUSE A WORLD WAR
The Daily Utah Chronicle: University of Utah
January 13, 2014 Monday
By Rose Jones on January 13, 2014.
The current battle stage between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the
small enclave Nagorno-Karabakh was set after the collapse of the
Soviet Union. They both declared independence in 1991, keeping the
geographical structure of their previous Socialist Republics.
Currently the two war-ready countries, which have diverse religions,
cultures and languages, also have the potential to trigger another
world war.
Empires have bounced Armenia around for centuries. Armenians as an
ethnic culture date themselves back tens of thousands of years and
still use their time-honored language.
Azerbaijan, historically ancient Albanian, was populated in the 11th
century by ethnic Turks who, unlike their Sunni brothers in Turkey,
are majority Shi'a Muslims. Azerbaijan, Nakhchivan and Armenia
were seized from the Ottoman Empire by the Russians in the 1828 and
1877 Russo-Turkishwars. Nakhchivan is geographically separate from
Azerbaijan but shares Azeri culture and language.
Following the Bolshevik revolution, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia
fell under control of the Soviet Union as the Transcaucasian Soviet
Socialist Republic. In 1922, they became separate Socialist Republics.
Soviet leader Joseph Stalin later designated Nagorno-Karabakh - known
by Armenians as Artsahk - and Nakhchivan to be governed by Azerbaijan,
which is still recognized internationally. Stalin's dictate planted
the seeds of war between the two countries, generating a simmering
pot that is ready to boil.
Nagorno-Karabakh is over 80 percent ethnic Armenian, completely
surrounded by Azeri Turks. It covers seven rayons, or "districts,"
in the southwest quadrant of Azerbaijan.
In September 1991, Armenia claimed independence and included
Nagorno-Karabakh in their referendum. Three months later,
Azerbaijan, with Nakhchivan, claimed independence and also included
Nagorno-Karabakh, as it is inside of their national borders. The
battle over Nagorno-Karabakh immediately ensued. By 1994, 30,000 from
both sides had been killed, before a fragile ceasefire was put into
place. Conditions have risen to near-war status several times since,
inflamed by actions from one side or the other.
With decades of talks between the countries going nowhere and deadly
battles flaring from time to time, Nagorno-Karabakh has been in a state
of limbo. The citizens of Nagorno-Karabakh are fed up with both sides
and are calling for their own independent state. Armenia is cautiously
supportive of that notion. However, Azerbaijan rejects the idea because
it would leave a large foreign-governed island within their state.
The geography is multi-dimensional and complex, confused more by the
positions of allies and the allies' security agreements with outside
interests. Armenia is landlocked between Azerbaijan to the east,
Georgia to the North, Iran to the south and Turkey to the West.
Azerbaijan's capital, Baku, and its eastern shoreline on the Caspian
Sea are rich with oil and natural gas reserves, affording Azerbaijan
political clout and wealth for their military. Armenia has the tactical
advantage of mountain ranges, which are more defensible than offensive,
and they have weapons availability from their allies Russia and Iran.
As a recipient of United States foreign aid, Azerbaijan allied with
Israel against Iran, regardless of their common Shi'a majorities.
Turkey, with its massive military, is also allied with Azerbaijan,
pitting Russia - an ally of Armenia - and Turkey against each other.
Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon welcomed millions of Armenians fleeing
the Ottoman Empire during World War I, so they ally against Turkey,
which also allies Iran with Russia. Armenians served in both the
Russian and Iranian armed forces. The U.S. attempts to ally with both
countries, but U.S. partnership with NATO Turkey and the perceived
war against Islam causes neither country to trust U.S. policy.
In 2012 things were especially tense when Hungary released convicted
Azeri officer Ramil Safarov back to Azerbaijan. He had killed Armenian
officer Gurgen Markarian in a training camp in Budapest.
And the situation just keeps getting hotter. Both the Armenian and the
Azerbaijani presidents have exchanged military action-laced barbs and
threatening comments.Nagorno-Karabakh is about the size of Sarajevo
and is situated among similar nationalist warring cultures. If a
21st century Archduke Franz Ferdinand happens by at the right time,
we could repeat the events of one century ago this year - only this
time we have weapons of mass destruction.
http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/index.php/azerbaijan-armenia-could-cause-a-world-war/
The Daily Utah Chronicle: University of Utah
January 13, 2014 Monday
By Rose Jones on January 13, 2014.
The current battle stage between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the
small enclave Nagorno-Karabakh was set after the collapse of the
Soviet Union. They both declared independence in 1991, keeping the
geographical structure of their previous Socialist Republics.
Currently the two war-ready countries, which have diverse religions,
cultures and languages, also have the potential to trigger another
world war.
Empires have bounced Armenia around for centuries. Armenians as an
ethnic culture date themselves back tens of thousands of years and
still use their time-honored language.
Azerbaijan, historically ancient Albanian, was populated in the 11th
century by ethnic Turks who, unlike their Sunni brothers in Turkey,
are majority Shi'a Muslims. Azerbaijan, Nakhchivan and Armenia
were seized from the Ottoman Empire by the Russians in the 1828 and
1877 Russo-Turkishwars. Nakhchivan is geographically separate from
Azerbaijan but shares Azeri culture and language.
Following the Bolshevik revolution, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia
fell under control of the Soviet Union as the Transcaucasian Soviet
Socialist Republic. In 1922, they became separate Socialist Republics.
Soviet leader Joseph Stalin later designated Nagorno-Karabakh - known
by Armenians as Artsahk - and Nakhchivan to be governed by Azerbaijan,
which is still recognized internationally. Stalin's dictate planted
the seeds of war between the two countries, generating a simmering
pot that is ready to boil.
Nagorno-Karabakh is over 80 percent ethnic Armenian, completely
surrounded by Azeri Turks. It covers seven rayons, or "districts,"
in the southwest quadrant of Azerbaijan.
In September 1991, Armenia claimed independence and included
Nagorno-Karabakh in their referendum. Three months later,
Azerbaijan, with Nakhchivan, claimed independence and also included
Nagorno-Karabakh, as it is inside of their national borders. The
battle over Nagorno-Karabakh immediately ensued. By 1994, 30,000 from
both sides had been killed, before a fragile ceasefire was put into
place. Conditions have risen to near-war status several times since,
inflamed by actions from one side or the other.
With decades of talks between the countries going nowhere and deadly
battles flaring from time to time, Nagorno-Karabakh has been in a state
of limbo. The citizens of Nagorno-Karabakh are fed up with both sides
and are calling for their own independent state. Armenia is cautiously
supportive of that notion. However, Azerbaijan rejects the idea because
it would leave a large foreign-governed island within their state.
The geography is multi-dimensional and complex, confused more by the
positions of allies and the allies' security agreements with outside
interests. Armenia is landlocked between Azerbaijan to the east,
Georgia to the North, Iran to the south and Turkey to the West.
Azerbaijan's capital, Baku, and its eastern shoreline on the Caspian
Sea are rich with oil and natural gas reserves, affording Azerbaijan
political clout and wealth for their military. Armenia has the tactical
advantage of mountain ranges, which are more defensible than offensive,
and they have weapons availability from their allies Russia and Iran.
As a recipient of United States foreign aid, Azerbaijan allied with
Israel against Iran, regardless of their common Shi'a majorities.
Turkey, with its massive military, is also allied with Azerbaijan,
pitting Russia - an ally of Armenia - and Turkey against each other.
Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon welcomed millions of Armenians fleeing
the Ottoman Empire during World War I, so they ally against Turkey,
which also allies Iran with Russia. Armenians served in both the
Russian and Iranian armed forces. The U.S. attempts to ally with both
countries, but U.S. partnership with NATO Turkey and the perceived
war against Islam causes neither country to trust U.S. policy.
In 2012 things were especially tense when Hungary released convicted
Azeri officer Ramil Safarov back to Azerbaijan. He had killed Armenian
officer Gurgen Markarian in a training camp in Budapest.
And the situation just keeps getting hotter. Both the Armenian and the
Azerbaijani presidents have exchanged military action-laced barbs and
threatening comments.Nagorno-Karabakh is about the size of Sarajevo
and is situated among similar nationalist warring cultures. If a
21st century Archduke Franz Ferdinand happens by at the right time,
we could repeat the events of one century ago this year - only this
time we have weapons of mass destruction.
http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/index.php/azerbaijan-armenia-could-cause-a-world-war/