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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| Azerbaijan readies for war with Armenia |
| 2006-06-23 |
| INTERNATIONAL mediation over the disputed Nagorno Karabakh enclave is "hopeless," oil-rich Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev said today, vowing to retake it by "peaceful means or by war" in a speech to the military. Mr Aliyev, whose country fought its neighbour and fellow former Soviet republic Armenia over control of the majority-Armenian enclave in Azerbaijani territory from 1988 to 1994, also said he would use oil revenues to beef up the military. Oil will bring Azerbaijan $US140 billion over the next two decades, Mr Aliyev said and there was no doubt the country would use the money to strengthen the army "so that it can return our lands at any moment". The President said international efforts to mediate the conflict were "hopeless" and Azerbaijan was willing only to negotiate the restoration of its full control over Karabakh. Mr Aliyev was speaking at a graduation ceremony of cadets at Azerbaijan's highest military academy, named in honor of his father Heydar Aliyev whom the younger Aliyev succeeded as president in 2003. Azerbaijan's first major oil pipeline, which is operated by energy giant BP and is backed by the United States, goes online on July 13 and will give the landlocked Caspian Sea an important export route to Western markets. In his speech, which was followed by a military parade with the participation of troops, Russian-built helicopters and fighter jets, Mr Aliyev said "we will restore our territorial integrity by peaceful means or by war." Military spending in this predominantly Shiite Muslim country of eight million has quadrupled to 700 million dollars in 2006 over the past four years he said, adding that yesterday he ordered servicemen's wages to be increased by 100 per cent. "We are buying modern armaments," he said without elaborating. "Our expenses in the military sphere will grow even more." Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan in the late 1980s, sparking a six-year conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan that claimed 25,000 lives and displaced hundreds of thousands of people. Despite a 1994 ceasefire, tensions remain high in the mountainous region – one of the world's most militarized zones. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #3 I've been to Armenia and their hatred for Muslims is unimaginable. Must have something to do with being the one of the world's oldest Christian cultures and being repeatedly overrun by Muslims. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-06-23 22:32 |
| #2 A high profile move in Armenia and Kurdistan (say - military liason and basing detachments) may do a world of good in focusing the Turks attention. Follow it up with nominal troop deployments - supply depots, rear garrisons, and the neighbors may reconsider their positions. Of course, NATO member Georgia will be useful in setting this all up. |
| Posted by: Speger Angeager9145 2006-06-23 20:11 |
| #1 Not good! |
| Posted by: 3dc 2006-06-23 14:00 |