Author: Babajanian Karo

PRESS RELEASE
ARMENIAN ENGINEERS AND SCIENTISTS OF AMERICA
Contact: Vazgen Ghoogassian
117 S. Louise St #306
Glendale, CA 91205
USA
Email: [email protected]
AESA Office: (818) 547-3372
Web:

`From Earth to Mars and Beyond’ Presented by Richard Ohanian, Garen
Khanoyan, and Alfred Khashaki of JPL

(Pasadena, CA) – On July 8, 2014, the Armenian Engineers and
Scientists of America hosted an interesting and informative lecture on
NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory mission at the Parson Engineering
lecture room in Pasadena, presented by three scientists from Jet
Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Richard Ohanian, Garen Khanoyan, and
Alfred Khashaki.

The lecture was so popular on this particular day that there was
standing room only in the lecture hall where the audience which was
made up with people of different ages watched the presentation on
large television screens. The three speakers gave an captivating
lecture with full of animation and real videos on how the Curiosity
Rover landed on Mars on August 6, 2012, where it captured the world’s
attention. They talked on all the challenges to build and land the
Rover safely on Mars and the future missions to Mars and what the
Curiosity rover has been up to since it landed on the red planet.

`We were very pleased to have these three esteemed scientists from JPL
who presented difficult science to the public in a simple way to
understand like storytelling method’ stated AESA President Vasken
Yardemian. `AESA has planned a series of lectures during this year
featuring Armenian engineers and scientists who will share their
knowledge, experience, opinions and accomplishments, discussing timely
topics.’

Richard Ohanian holds a BS in Applied Physics from Azad University,
Tehran, Iran, and a BS and MS in Electrical and Computer Engineering
from California Institute of Technology. As adjunct faculty at
Glendale Community College, Richard has helped establishing GCC’s
Robotics Academy where he has developed and is currently teaching
courses in Electronics and Robotics.

Alfred Khashaki received a BS in Electrical Engineering from Cal Poly
Pomona. Currently he is a member of the Flight Electronics and
Software Systems Group and has contributed to several major projects
such as Deep Space 1 and Microwave Limb Sounder. He has spent almost a
decade either directly or indirectly contributing to the MSL and was
the lead on the MSL’s Telecom Interface FPGA.

Garen Khanoyan joined JPL in 1998 and holds a BS in Electrical
Engineering and an MS in Computer Sciences from University of Southern
California is a member of the Advanced Computer Systems & Technologies
Group at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He is currently involved with
the development of several next generation landing technologies,
including Lander Vision System and Low Density Supersonic
Decelerators.

The lecture series presented by the Armenian Engineers and Scientists
of America are open to the public and free of admission charge.
Established in 1983 in Glendale, California, AESA is a non-partisan
and non-sectarian philanthropic organization focused primarily on
addressing the professional, technical and scientific needs of fellow
Armenian engineers, scientists, industrialists, and architects
throughout the world. For more information, check AESA’s website at
, or contact them by phone (818) 547-3372, or e-mail:
[email protected].

XXXXXXXX
AESA Council members with the three speakers
>From left to right: Mardy Kazarians, Talin Petrosian, Marina
Guevrekian, Richard Ohanian, Garen Khanoyan, Alfred Khashaki, Vasken
Yardemian, Sasoon Petrosian, Razmik Garakanian, Vazgen Ghoogassian

PAYING TRIBUTE TO RAOUL WALLENBERG AND HIS LEGACY

NEWS | AUGUST 8, 2014 2:40 PM

WASHINGTON — Raoul Wallenberg was born into an aristocratic Swedish
banking family on August 4, 1912, and his father died when Raoul was
three months old. Raised by his mother and grandfather, he studied
architecture, then joined his family s banking business, and gained
experience in a branch of the Holland Bank in Haifa, Palestine,
where he first came in contact with Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany.

Returning to Sweden, where he continued his banking and business
career, in 1944, he learned that the Swedish government was looking
for an appropriate candidate to work in its embassy in Budapest,
Hungary, as a cover for the US-based War Refugee Board. The purpose
was to save the remnants of Hungarian Jewry, which at the time was
being systematically decimated by the Germans, who had occupied
Hungary on March 19, 1944, and their Hungarian collaborators.

On July 9, 2014, Wallenberg was awarded the Congressional Gold
Medal during a ceremony in the US Congress. The International
Raoul Wallenberg Foundation (IRWF) was the driving force behind the
initiative to present the prestigious award to the Swedish hero.

According to Eduardo Eurnekian, the chairman of the IRWF, “We hope
that this well-merited recognition by the US Congress will raise the
awareness to Wallenberg’s legacy and personal fate, and will serve as
a catalyst to resolve the mystery of his disappearance in the hands
of the Soviets.”

The Wallenberg Foundation bestowed upon Nina Lagergren a silver medal
specially coined by renowned silversmith Carlos Pallarols. Moreover,
the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation received public
recognition by members of the US Congress for his relentless efforts
in promoting the deeds of Wallenberg as well as of other thousands
of Holocaust Saviors.

In 2012, the centennial year of the birth of Wallenberg, President
Barack Obama, himself born on August 4, addressed a video message
exclusively dedicated to the “Hero without a Grave” for the first time
ever in US history. Wallenberg is one of the few Honorary Citizens
of the United States.

Regarding the fate of Wallenberg we consider that he is alive until
proven otherwise. The central archives of Russia s Federal Security
Service (FSB) should allow unfettered access to documentation that
could shed light into the fate of Wallenberg. The fact that almost 70
years after Wallenberg s abduction and disappearance the Russians are
still reluctant to offer access to vital information is absolutely
baffling.

For many years now, the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation has
stood by Prof. Guy von Dardel, a champion of the cause, as well as by
other relatives of Wallenberg in their just quest to secure reliable
answers to this tragic affair. Their noble perseverance is a source
of inspiration for us.

To this end the Wallenberg Foundation, a global-reach NGO devoted to
research, preserve and divulge the legacy of Raoul Wallenberg and of
many other saviors, has instituted a $500,000 reward to any person
or entity coming forward with reliable information concerning the
whereabouts of Wallenberg and his driver, Vilmos Langfelder.

– See more at:

AZERBAIJANI DEFENSE MINISTRY: “OUR ARMY, TARGETING ARMENIA WITH MISSILES, IS READY TO FULFILL EVEN THE ORDER OF DESTROYING YEREVAN”

APA, Azerbaijan
Aug 8 2014

[ 08 August 2014 14:50 ]

“The Armenian people should know that the response to any sabotage
attempts against Mingachevir Hydro Power Plant from the Armenian side
will be more miserable”

Baku. Hafiz Heydarov – APA. Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defense has
responded to the allegations of Armenian Defense Minister Seyran
Ohanyan, the Defense Ministry’s press service told APA.

“In response to Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan’s statement on
committing sabotage against Mingachevir Hydro Power Plant, we want to
state that in case of such an attempt our Army will give an immediate
and decent response. Our Armed Forces have any opportunity to strike
at all the military installations of the enemy located in our occupied
regions and Armenia. The Armenian people should know that the response
to any sabotage attempts against Mingachevir Hydro Power Plant from
the Armenian side will be more miserable,” says the statement.

The Ministry also stated that our Army, targeting Armenia with
missiles, is ready to fulfill even the order of destroying Armenia’s
capital, Yerevan.

AZERBAIJAN IN MISSILE WARNING TO ARMENIA AMID TENSIONS

World Bulletin, Turkey
Aug 8 2014

The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said it would give a very sharp and
adequate to defend the Mingachevir Hydroelectric Power Plant after
Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan recently said that Armenian
armed forces were going to sabotage it.

Azerbaijan has warned Armenia against any attempts to sabotage its
Mingachevir Hydroelectric Power Plant, following days of unrest
along the border, with shoot-outs between soldiers claiming a number
of lives.

The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said it would give a very sharp
and adequate to defend the facility, after Armenian Defense Minister
Seyran Ohanyan recently said that Armenian armed forces were going
to sabotage it.

“The Azerbaijani Armed Forces are capable of striking any military
facility located in the territories occupied by the enemy or in Armenia
itself. The people of Armenia should know that such provocations
will lead to more severe consequences for them,” the ministry said
in a statement.

According to Azernews, the ministry also said it was capable of
fulfilling the order to wipe the Armenian capital city Yerevan off
the face of the earth with missiles.

Sporadic fighting has continued along the border since July 31, a flare
up of tensions that have existed since Armenia made territorial claims
on the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region in 1988, which culminated in
all-out war between the two south Caucasus nations in 1992.

Despite a ceasefire signed in 1994, the two neighbors are still
technically at war as negotiations continue 20 years on. However,
Armenia’s refusal to implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region makes
lasting peace appear unlikely to take shape in the near future.

TURKISH OPPOSITION ATTACKS FM DAVUTOGLU FOR ‘DESTRUCTIVE REGIONAL POLICY’

Journal of Turkish Weekly
Aug 8 2014

8 August 2014

Both the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the
Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) have increased their condemnation
of Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoðlu over to his approach toward the
Islamic State (IS).

“Davutoðlu’s sectarian politics have brought destruction to
our region. Yazidis, Armenians, Turkmens and Christians who are
fundamental elements of our region are being agonized in the hands
of fundamentalist organizations. Davutoðlu, about whom five censure
motions have been filed, should urgently resign from office.

Davutoðlu, who accuses people who criticize him of treason, should know
solely being unable to fulfil the requirement of being a successful
minister should resign.” CHP Deputy Chair Faruk Loðoðlu said in a
written statement released on Aug. 8.

Loðoðlu’s statement was an apparent response to Davutoðlu’s remarks in
a recent interview. The minister suggested the opposition parties who
are accusing the government of cooperating with the IS, formerly known
as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), were committing
“treason.”

Loðoðlu, a veteran retired diplomat who also served as the
undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry in the early 2000s, recalled how
Sunni fighters from the IS, an al-Qaeda offshoot bent on establishing
a caliphate and eradicating unbelievers, have been sweeping through
northern Iraq and parts of Syria since June. Hundreds of thousands
of Iraqi Christians and other minorities have fled from IS fighters,
who have beheaded and crucified some of their captives and broadcast
the killings on the Internet.

Loðoðlu argued that “While these are happening in our neighboring
country Iraq, the government has acted out of greed and set its eyes
on Iraq’s oil by excluding the Baghdad administration. The government
has a great responsibility in the collapse of Iraq’s unity.”

Earlier this week, the CHP filed a censure motion against Davutoðlu due
to the government’s handling of a hostage crisis in Iraq. It accused
him of mismanaging the crisis which erupted when jihadist militants
seized 49 people, including children, from the Turkish consulate in
Mosul in June.

HDP deputy Ertuðrul Kurkcu, meanwhile, argued Turkey has not been
doing its part in regard to the humanitarian tragedy in the neighboring
country.

“The foreign minister whose Mosul consulate staff is being kept
hostage in the hands of ISIL is not able to call this organization
‘terrorist,’ is not able to condemn the murders and massacre, but is
busy creating excuses for them,” Kurkcu said at a press conference
at Parliament on Aug. 8.

“Like it did during the Israeli attack on Gaza, Parliament should
gather and raise a joint voice against the ISIL attacks in Syria and
Iraq. The dimensions of the massacre in Sinjar have grown larger than
Gaza. Turkey is taking sides between murderers,” Kurkcu added.

8 August 2014

PM TRIES TO WIN OVER NATIONALIST VOTERS AS EXPAT TURNOUT REMAINS LOW

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Aug 8 2014

The lower-than-expected voter turnout for the presidential election on
Aug. 10 among Turkish citizens living abroad has driven Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan to try to obtain greater support from voters
who embrace a nationalist ideology, the Taraf daily reported on Friday.

Claims of a low turnout among Turkish expatriates has suggested
that Erdogan has little chance of being elected in the first round
of Sunday’s presidential election, causing him to begin using harsh,
insulting rhetoric against racial and ethnic minorities in an effort to
gain more support from voters highly sensitive to nationalist ideals,
according to the news report.

However, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), which is well-known
for the highly nationalist orientation of its policies and for
criticizing Erdogan due to the settlement process being conducted
between government officials and the imprisoned leader of the outlawed
terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in an effort to find a
solution to the country’s decades-old Kurdish problem, lashed out at
Erdogan’s attempt to lure nationalist voters ahead of the election.

In an address to the public on a TV channel on Tuesday, Erdogan, the
presidential candidate of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party),
emphasized the religious and ethnic backgrounds of his political
rivals — Ekmeleddin Ä°hsanoglu and Selahattin DemirtaÃ…~_ — and made
offensive remarks concerning people of Georgian and Armenian descent.

During his speech, Erdogan repeated previous statements he had made
about the backgrounds of Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader
Kemal Kılıcdaroglu and Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) leader and
presidential candidate Selahattin DemirtaÃ…~_. Erdogan had earlier said:
“Kılıcdaroglu, you are an Alevi and I am Sunni. You should state this
openly. DemirtaÃ…~_, you are Zaza. Don’t be worried about speaking
out about this.” In response to a question posed during a joint
broadcast of Star TV and NTV regarding the negative reaction these
words have drawn, Erdogan said: “Let all Turks in Turkey say they are
Turks and all Kurds say they are Kurds. What is wrong with that? You
wouldn’t believe the things they have said about me. They have said
I am Georgian…they have said even uglier things — they have called
me Armenian, but I am Turkish.” Erdogan’s statement describing being
Armenian as “uglier” than being Georgian has resulted in a rapid,
angry backlash among broad segments of society.

As to the reasons for the low turnout among Turkish citizens living
abroad, the online appointment requirement set by the Supreme
Election Board (YSK) and the inadequate numbers of voting locations
are reportedly the greatest reasons for the reluctance of expats to
cast votes, affecting elderly voters who are not computer-literate and
those who live far from the cities where Turkish diplomatic missions
are located.

According to YSK data, there are 2.7 million eligible voters who were
allowed to vote between July 31 and August 3 at the polling centers in
the Turkish missions; however, the turnout fell short of expectations.

Media outlets reported that just eight percent of those eligible
voters took part in the election, which Erdogan apparently believes
he will win.

Taraf argued that Erdogan had been hoping to draw strong support from
expatriates, corresponding to two percent of the total amount of the
vote and seen a very important margin for Erdogan to be elected in
the first round of the election. However, the low turnout has changed
the course of Erdogan’s election campaign, driving the prime minister
to pursue the nationalist voters, the daily reported.

If none of the candidates garners more than 50 percent of the vote
in the first round, the second round of voting for Turkish citizens
abroad will take place between Aug. 17 and 20, while it will be held
on Aug. 24 at home.

The low turnout abroad seems to indicate that the victor will emerge
after a second round of voting, urging Erdogan to target those who
have favored the nationalist parties in previous elections.

MHP reacts harshly to Erdogan’s new tactic to lure nationalist votes

On Friday, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Parliamentary Group
Deputy Chairman Oktay Vural slammed Erdogan saying, “How can you say
‘my brother’ to the supporters of the MHP? How can a person [Erdogan]
who earlier defined nationalists as ‘animals, divisive and racist
people appeal for their support today?”

Vural strongly reacted to what he described as the prime minister’s
“political tactic” at rallies during the presidential election campaign
to lure nationalist voters, adding, “It is obvious that while Erdogan
previously trampled on all nationalist values and ideals, today he
thinks otherwise. But everyone knows his words praising nationalist
ideals are a fake sympathy designed to lure our brothers’ support in
the upcoming presidential election.”

Continuing his criticism, Vural went on to say, “As it suits his
purposes, Erdogan announces being an Armenian, a person who embraces
Kemalist ideology [shaped around Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s ideals,
founder of the modern Turkish Republic in 1923] and sometimes a
Georgian. Such a crooked man cannot be the brother of the nationalist
people.”

TURKEY TO MAKE A DIFFICULT CHOICE AT A CRITICAL TIME

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Aug 9 2014

More than 52 million Turkish voters are to make their choice for
their next president for the first time in country’s political history.

Before a political crisis in 2007 between the government and the
military, it was Parliament that used to elect the president.

Following that crisis, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had decided
to go for a referendum over popular vote that was approved by nearly
70 percent.

Now, people will vote through a two-round election for a president to
serve for a five-year term who could be a candidate for a second time.

In another words, the 12th President if he (since there are no female
candidates) is elected as the 13th, as well will have his term until
2024 and will celebrate the 100th year of the Turkish Republic as
the head of the state, something having symbolic value for Turkish
citizens.

Will Turkey mark its 100th year under the current political regime,
or will it shift from a parliamentary system to a strong-presidential
system? That is a valid question, as PM Erdogan, as the leading
candidate for replacing the incumbent President Abdullah Gul has
structured his propaganda on the latter. He is for a stronger
president to having a say on the government’s daily politics, but
subject to lesser checks-and-balances, which triggered the question,
inside and outside of Turkey, as to whether he has started developing
an authoritarian attitude. Erdogan denies that and defends himself by
saying neither the judiciary, nor legislation and bureaucracy should
obscure the capacity of executive power sourcing from people.

If the power from the people exceeds 50 percent, even with just one
vote, Erdogan would be elected in the first round on Aug. 10; if not
he and the seemingly closest candidate Ekmeleddin Ä°hsanoglu will
compete in the second round Aug. 24 for simple majority in order to
assume the post on Aug. 28.

The third candidate, Selahattin DemirtaÃ…~_, who is the candidate
mainly addressing the Kurdish problem, but receiving support from
the Turkish left as well, is trying to get at least 10 percent of the
votes; not enough for the second round – if there is one – but would
be enough to carry the issue to a more legalistic political platform.

Ä°hsanoglu’s propaganda, as supported by a number of political
parties, but especially the two major ones, is the president should
have symbolic value and oversee the harmony of the state in general,
but leave state affairs to the government and Parliament, as it has
been the case in Turkey so far.

That is why does Erdogan use his “Old Turkey, New Turkey” metaphor. He
is right in a way: That is the choice Turkey will make; either for a
stronger presidential rule or a stronger parliamentary/government rule.

That choice is going to be made at a very critical time, when extremely
critical cracks are observed in the political geography surrounding
Turkey, from the extremely explosive situation in Syria and Iraq,
to the Ukraine-Russia crisis and to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,
as well as reactivated tension between Azerbaijan and Armenia. That’s
why Turkey’s choice will have reflections on regional politics as well.

August/09/2014

PARDON HIM, HE IS AN ARMENIAN

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Aug 9 2014

YILMAZ OZDÄ°L

It is the beginning of the 1990s.

He is a doctor and a sculptor. On his way to holidays, he makes
a stopover in Afyon and comes across a huge crowd of people. Their
conditions look poor, torn clothes, eyes swollen from crying… “What
is wrong?” he asks. They are local farmers conducting a fallen
soldier’s funeral.

The man looks at his three-year-old daughter, jumping up and down
with joy and then takes a look at the villagers… On one hand,
there is his daughter who he wouldn’t even exchange a single strand
of her hair for anything, and on the other, there is a father who let
go of his son in order for him to fight for his country… He feels
ashamed. He thinks to himself, “I need to do something, make these
kids immortal.” He prepares a “Ã…~^ehit Agacı” (Martyr Tree) project.

He plans on writing the names of the victims of terror on tags and
hang those tags on a tree, thus enabling the souls of these heroes
to teeter on the trees forever.

He only had the chance to put his plan into action in 2003. He decides
to join the contest opened by the State Art and Sculptor Museum. He
comes to Istanbul. He then goes to the neighborhood of Tahtakale to
get the tags, asking where to find them and everybody points in the
direction of an Armenian craftsman.

He finds this little store in the backstreets of the Egyptian Bazaar
(Mısır carÅ~_ısı), goes in and starts telling him about his
plan. The Armenian craftsman listens and he points out one detail the
man had not thought about, “The tags should never rust; our children
should shine until eternity.”

The tags shouldn’t rust indeed; however, the shiny tags the
craftsman mentioned are the most expensive kind; 1 Turkish Lira,
25 kuruÃ…~_… “This is not trade, don’t bother about the money,
this is our duty for our country,” says the Armenian craftsman.

He gives the tags for 25 kuruÃ…~_, one fifth of the actual price,
thus having a loss, rather than making a profit. 3,000 tags… He
promises to send them by next week and does as he promises.

However, the sculptor ends up not being able to join the contest due
to some errands. He takes the tags to the basement in his house and
they remain there until the sculptor achieves his goal in 2009.

At that time, Ankara’s Kızılcahamam municipality was constructing
a park under the name “Martyr Fatih Duru.” He applies and the mayor
accepts his application immediately. A cedar tree is going to be used.

However, there is a problem. Since the 1990s, the number of deaths
has reached over 6,000 and the number of tags is 3,000.

He needs to get more tags in time for the park’s opening ceremony and
because of this he prefers to arrange things from Ankara; however,
the bad news is that he doesn’t have the Armenian craftsman’s contact
details. He goes on the Internet and in order to complete the number
of tags, he contacts merchandizers who sell military materials. He
requests tags that don’t rust and gets guaranteed by the merchandizers
that the tags they are selling are the king of all tags. There is
limited time… He buys the new tags for 1 Lira, which he had gotten
for 25 kuruÃ…~_ from the Armenian craftsman at the time.

He writes down the names of the fallen soldiers, one by one, on the
tags and hangs them on the cedar’s leaves… They do the opening
ceremony on Republic Day. Our media rushes to the event, Turkey
watches with outpouring emotions and then it is forgotten.

Then comes winter time. When the rain hits the cedar’s leaves, 3,000
of the tags shine, while the rest rust!

The sculptor remembers the Armenian craftsman’s words, “This is our
duty for our country, our children should shine until eternity.”

Crying, the sculptor changes the tags, the tags that were guaranteed
to not rust by a Turkish merchandizer.

You need to learn to be a human first.

It is not origins that matters, it is knowing who robbed the whole
nation that matters!

August/09/2014

AGDAM PROCEEDINGS OF ALIYEV

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Aug 8 2014

8 August 2014 – 12:25pm

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev visited the Agdam District on the
frontline on the eve of the trilateral meeting of the Azerbaijani,
Armenian and Russian presidents dedicated to the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict.

At the meeting with soldiers and officers located at the military base,
the president assured that Azerbaijan was capable of destroying any
facility in Nagorno-Karabakh and was armed accordingly. But only the
policy of Baku has been keeping the region stable.

The Azerbaijani army has totally dominated, mostly due to
professionalism and combat readiness, high-level technical support.

Azerbaijan has recently been producing modern weapons and vehicles,
purchasing air defenses, powerful artillery systems, high-precision
missile systems, combat and transport helicopters, armed vehicles,
tanks. “We will continue building up our combat potential,” promised
Aliyev.

In his opinion, “if the Azerbaijani army starts acting, the enemy’s
position will be very complicated. We know it, our enemy knows it
and our mediators know it.” Ilham Aliyev emphasized the role of
mediators at the meeting with the population of the Agdam District,
believing that complication of the situation in the conflict zone would
activate and encourage Armenia to end occupation. “The war is not over,
only the first stage has ended. The second one may start,” assumes
the Azerbaijani leader. Azerbaijan does not want war but it wants
its lands back. Yerevan, on the other hand, prefers the status quo,
neither war nor peace. Mediators seem to be fine with the situation.

“I hope that the strikes our enemy suffered recently will be a signal
to it. In the near future, the Armenian side will understand that the
issue cannot be dragged out,” said Aliyev. In his words, Armenia is an
independent state that cannot survive on its own. In such situation,
the international community can put pressure on Yerevan and demand
withdrawal from Azerbaijani lands.

The last escalation of tensions on the contact line resulted in
losses for Azerbaijan and Armenia. The world was convinced that the
Karabakh conflict was not frozen. “The sponsors of Armenia, groups
in foreign states and the Armenian diaspora, should understand that
Armenia may encounter big problems if it fails to comply with its
obligations, if it does not follow the decisions of international
organizations and does not free our lands, their end will be bad,”
said the Azerbaijani leader.

Maybe this is a position that will gain support for the Azerbaijani
president at the Sochi summit. And the declarations in Agdam could
resemble a prologue to it. How will Moscow react to the position of
Baku? It seems the Russian capital is taking the Azerbaijani side. At
least in the expert community. Many understand today that the first
step towards settlement of the Karabakh conflict is de-occupation of
the territories that are not part of Nagorno-Karabakh and the return
of refugees. Russia needs stability on its borders and we can hope
that a constructive agenda will be formed at the Sochi summit.

IS PUTIN’S NEXT MOVE AGAINST AZERBAIJAN?

Commentary Magazine
Aug 8 2014

Michael Rubin | @mrubin1971 08.08.2014 – 1:20 PM

Azerbaijan is a key American ally. The only country to border both
Iran and Russia, it has angered both with its consistent efforts to
orient itself to the United States. While many Americans point out
Azerbaijan’s democratic deficit, President Ilham Aliyev’s strategy of
building up the middle class first has merit: To force reforms prior
to establishing a strong, stable middle class would play into the hands
of both Iran and Russia, neither of which care an iota about democracy.

As much as Azerbaijan orients itself toward the West, neighboring
Armenia has planted itself firmly in Russia’s orbit. Indeed, Armenians
are perhaps the only people who would willingly vote to embrace Russia
rather than the West even if Russia did not lift a finger to influence
or force them. Culturally, Russians and Armenians have much in common,
and Russia remains Armenia’s chief patron.

The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh
erupted into hot conflict almost immediately upon the dissolution of
the Soviet Union and the regaining of independence by both states. In
December 1991, Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh declared their
own republic, one of those fictional states that the Kremlin has
helped prop up with increasing frequency–for example, Transnistria
in Moldova, Abkhazia and South Ossetia in Georgia, and more recently
Crimea and Donetsk in the Ukraine.

Visiting Georgetown University Professor Brenda Shaffer is right when
she writes in the Wall Street Journal that “Freezing lawless regions
invites conflicts.” Nagorno-Karabakh has become a center for money
laundering, weapons trafficking, and general instability. In sum,
it has become the typical Putin proxy.

With the West distracted by events in Iraq, it seems Armenian forces
in Nagorno-Karabakh sought to make their move against a pro-Western
ally which has moved to become an energy hub outside Russia’s orbit.

Clashes began last week, and have escalated over subsequent days.

When it comes to the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, there’s
a tendency by American policymakers to engage in moral equivalence
or simply to seek quiet, regardless of principle. This is wrong on
four counts:

First, while Western policymakers see diplomacy as a means to conflict
resolution, Russian Present Putin sees international relations as
a zero-sum game in which for Russia and its client states to win,
the United States and its allies must lose.

Second, whatever the emotional commitment many in the Armenian
Diaspora in the United States have toward Armenia and their desire
to seek acknowledgement for the events of a century ago, the fact of
the matter is that the Armenian government has repeatedly undercut U.S.

interests, even going so far as ship Iranian weaponry to be used to
kill American soldiers in Iraq.

Third, it’s time the White House recognize that friendship and alliance
go two ways. We cannot expect Azerbaijan to so continuously align
itself with the United States and promote American interests if we
turn our back on its friendship in its hour of need.

And fourth, there is no longer any excuse to not see Putin for what
he is. No more Bush-era soul gazing, or Obama-era reset. That Bush
and Obama hardly reacted when Russian forces invaded Georgia surely
contributed to Putin’s willingness to invade Ukraine. That Obama
fiddled and German Chancellor Angela Merkel sought to appease in the
aftermath of that crisis only encouraged Putin to move once again to
destabilize the South Caucasus, and its most consistent pro-Western
republic. If the United States does not stand up for Azerbaijan, then
Putin will understand that we are neither serious about freedom or
liberty, friendship or alliance. In such a case, beware Kazakhstan,
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and even Poland.