DOESN’T AZERBAIJAN POSSESS BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS?
News from Armenia and Diaspora – Noyan Tapan
11-05-2012
Azerbaijan
BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS IN AZERBAIJAN
Artsrun Khanjyan
“Center for Public Relations and Information”
Availability of distinct information about enemy’s armed forces and
particularly about weapons of mass destruction is very important
in military and political conflicts. This research aims to clarify
issues of disposal of biological weapons1 by Azerbaijan and their
possible use.
1. Soviet heritage and current situation
Over the Soviet period Azerbaijan’s anti-plague infrastructures
constituted a part of the anti-plague system of the USSR. This
all-Union system included 6 institutes, 29 regional anti-plague
stations and 53 field anti-plague stations. The term “plague” in the
aforementioned system is used in its broad sense and includes even
more dangerous contagious diseases such as anthrax, brucellosis,
bubonic plague, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever and tularemia.
According to “Jane’s Information Group” – organization working in
the US2 – since 1960 separate units of the Soviet anti-plague system
had collaborated with the Ministry of Defence of the USSR within the
programmes on elaboration of biological weapons.
According to the same Jane’s center the vaccine manufacturing
facilities that were constructed as part of the Soviet anti-plague
system in Azerbaijan had dual-use capabilities (peaceful and
military). After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan
restructured its anti-plague system which had been working since
1963. Currently it is composed of three units – the Laboratory
Department, the Epidemiological Department, and the Zooparasitological
Department. As of July 2010, the Azerbaijani anti-plague system had
some 400 employees, including about an equal number of physicians,
laboratory technicians, and auxiliary personnel3.
In September 2005 the American “Chicago Tribune” published article
“U.S. gets pathogens from ex-Soviet republic” by Jeff Zeleny. “BAKU,
Azerbaijan — More than 60 dangerous and deadly bacterial strains that
are a legacy of the former Soviet Union’s elaborate biological weapons
program were transferred Friday to the United States from Azerbaijan as
part of the two countries’ joint fight against the threat of biological
terrorism. Copies of the strains, including bacteria that cause plague
and anthrax, left Baku aboard a U.S. military aircraft in a mission
cloaked in secrecy. The pathogens were scheduled to arrive at Dover
Air Force Base in Delaware by Saturday, officials said, and government
scientists will begin their analysis next week in Washington” 4.
Form the publication of “The Nuclear Threat Initiative”5 organization
it becomes clear that in September 2005, 124 samples of 62 unique
strains of causative agents of plague, anthrax, cholera, and other
dangerous diseases were transported from Baku to the U.S. Armed Forces
Institute of Pathology in Washington, DC, where the strains will be
studied jointly by U.S. DOD and Azerbaijan medical researchers.
There are some additional details in the publication of Azerbaijani
“Ekho” newspaper6. The newspaper, partially referring to “Chicago
Tribune”, informed that the Azerbaijani authorities transferred more
than 60 strains of causative agents of bacteriological weapons to
the US.
Transferring of those strains became possible due to the visit of
the US senator Richard Lugar to Azerbaijan. Lugar stated that the
results of the researches would be important in the war on terrorism
and protection from biological attacks. It is underlined that the
strains received from Azerbaijan can help in clarifying the details of
the biological attack in the US four years ago. The causative agents
from Azerbaijan were secretly delivered to the airport were they were
passed to the representative of the U.S. Armed Forces Institute of
Pathology for its transportation to the United States. The strains
were firstly taken to US Air Base in Germany and after that they were
transported to the US.
The representatives of the security agencies of Azerbaijan considered
the facts revealed rather suspicious, stating that they knew
nothing about it7. After that Azerbaijani “Turan” agency applied
to the US Embassy in Azerbaijan to clarify situation. In reply the
representative of the embassy confirmed the fact of transferring
strains and stated that the transfer was carried out within the
framework of the Agreement on Preventing Proliferation of Biological
Weapons. The embassy representative also found it necessary to add
that the US government confirmed that Azerbaijan had no biological
weapons. The causative agents passed to the US were obtained from
natural, diseased carriers. But those causative agents could be used
for the creation of biological weapons.
According to the International Social and Ecological Union8 Richard
Lugar told the journalists that the agreement on transferring strains
from Azerbaijan to the US was reached as a result of negotiations
with Ilham Aliyev. Lugar called it a systematized example directed
against proliferation of biological weapons. Within the framework of
that cooperation the US will support Azerbaijan in improving security
of the Central Laboratory of Infections. Alongside, the Azerbaijani
specialists will be given an opportunity to undergo a study course
in the United States.
A serious question concerning the issue of Azerbaijan’s possession of
biological weapons is asked in the publication of the International
Social and Ecological Union9: “Independent Azerbaijan in principle
cannot have biological weapons. But for one “but” – the partition
of the USSR property, including military property, between Russia
and Azerbaijan took place in troublesome times. And transferring
of 124 strains to the US, in fact, might mean betraying Russian
military-biological secrets…
Isn’t this an example of behind-the-scene political trade?”
According to anther publication10 of 2005 “the strains from Azerbaijan,
along with the agreement reached late last year with the government
of nearby Georgia, allows U.S. scientists to learn more about the
Soviet-era biological weapons program”.
2. Doesn’t Azerbaijan possess biological weapons?
Various official statements underline – “Azerbaijan has no biological
weapons” (representative of the US embassy to Azerbaijan)11, “There
are no proofs that Baku has biological weapons” or “is pursuing
biological weapons capabilities” (“Nuclear threat initiative”)12.
Sometimes, alongside with the aforementioned, it is stated that the
deadly microorganisms which are possessed by Azerbaijan “may be used
for the production of the biological weapons” (representative of the
US embassy in Azerbaijan)13. At the same time it is accepted that
over the Soviet period Azerbaijan’s anti-plague system laboratories
had dual-use capabilities (Jane’s Information Group)14. This should
be supplemented by the fact that the Azerbaijani specialists have
recently been undergoing study courses in the American high-class
virology institutions.
Some people also take into consideration the fact that “the partition
of the USSR property, including military property, between Russia and
Azerbaijan took place in troublesome times” (International Social and
Ecological Union)15 and that under such conditions it was actually
possible to obtain or preserve everything, including weapons of
mass destruction.
Anyway, the fact that today Azerbaijan has at its disposal strains of
at least 62 deadly pathogens is unchallengeable. Now, let us try to
understand people who say that Azerbaijan possesses microorganisms,
which are the basis of the biological weapons, but it does not have
the biological weapons. The logic, most probably, is the following:
biological weapons are spread by means of missiles with special war
heads, artillery shells and air bombs and they have not been found
in Azerbaijan, and correspondingly, Azerbaijan does not possess
biological weapons. But the adherents of such a classical approach to
the means used in armed conflicts leave out the fact that the usage
of the biological weapons is not restricted to the aforementioned
means. There are also other means16 such as envelopes, parcels,
containers with causative agents, releasing infected insects from the
planes, sabotage, etc. Let us bring some example presented on the
web: “In some cases the enemy may leave infected everyday objects,
such as cloths, food, cigarettes, etc. with a purpose to spread the
disease. In this case people may get infected after direct contact
with these objects. It is also possible to deliberately leave infected
people during the retreat so that they would turn into a source of
infection for the army and population” 17.
Hence, rather absurd situation is formed – Azerbaijan does not possess
biological weapons judicially, but in fact it is capable of using it
without any special military devices (missiles with special war heads,
artillery shell and air bombs).
The following information presented by BBC on October 30, 2001,
which is presented here according to the material of “Azg” daily is
also interesting in the light of the issue considered: “Yesterday BBC
broadcast that the emissaries of Bin Laden – world number one terrorist
and the leader of “Al Quaida” which organized terrorist attacks in
New York and Washington in 2001 – tried to buy from Heidar Aliyev
chemical and biological weapons. BBC does not clarified whether Bin
Laden managed to buy chemical and biological weapons or not”18. As
you can see the parties of the deal and the subjects are known but
not the result.
The following fact which was made public by other source can also
be remarkable: “Following the 1998 embassy bombings, Azerbaijan came
under increased U.S. pressure to curtail radical lslamist activity on
its territory. However, Azerbaijan refused to hand over suspected
terrorists to the U.S., so as not to “earn the ire of Islamist
fundamentalists,” extraditing them instead to their native countries.
One of the extradited terrorism suspects, Ahmad Salam Mabrouk, who
at the time headed the local branch of AI Qaeda, was detained while
trying to acquire chemical and biological weapons in Azerbaijan”19.
It would be appropriate to remember the observation-caution of
the head the strategic planning service of the Association for
Cross-Border Cooperation Aleksandr Sobyanin: “In bi-polar world there
were psychological obstacles not only in regard of nuclear but also
biological weapons”. According to him these obstacles are “broken”:
a number of countries have initiated development of the biological
weapons. “The mechanisms of control do not work; nation states simply
disregard them”20.
Sometimes international community becomes aware of separate
items of information about separate cases of interstate trade of
non-conventional arms. Though the governments of the western countries
are very cautious in selling new types of weapons to other states,
nevertheless, such obstacles are not insurmountable for possible
buyers. In this regard a cable from U.S. Ambassador in Azerbaijan
published by WikiLeaks which particularly states: “Through its close
relations with Israel, Azerbaijan gets a level of access to the quality
weapon systems it needs to develop its army that it can not obtain
from the U.S. and Europe due to various legal limitations, nor from
its ex-Soviet suppliers, Belarus and Ukraine”21. According to the same
source Azerbaijan buys from Israel artillery, munitions, communication
equipment as well as different types of rocket artillery. This is
just a separate piece of information about import of weapons by
Azerbaijan and it is not suffice for getting a comprehensive idea
of the range of the weapons bought by Azerbaijan but it is suffice
enough to understand the logics of the process.
In our opinion, the information on biological weapons in Azerbaijan can
be partially supplemented by drawing parallels with near-by Georgia,
as the latter is also a heir to the same Soviet stores.
There is some information about Georgia which was presented to the
world and which we will try to present here briefly.
According to the publication of “Noratert” from August 11, 2011
“Georgia is creating biological weapons: Why?” “It became known to
the French journalists that International Veterinarian Office has
information, according to which Georgia is involved in the creation
of various viruses on its territory under cover of preventing
proliferation of biological weapons program. Bulgarian News Network
(BNN) website informs that causative agents of cholera and their
identification methods are researched by the US (U.S. Army Medical
Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, USAMRIID, Fort Detrik)
and Georgian (Tbilisi bacterium carrier, microbiology and virology
Institute) microbiologists and virologists: U.S. and Georgian
scientists’ cooperation gives an opportunity not only for investigation
of certain strains, but also creates conditions for developing of
genetic transformation methods for the most pathogenic bacterias for
their later use as a biological weapon… It is notable that within
the framework of the joint research discussion Georgian side’s general
partner is USAMRIID – an institution, which particularly studies the
possibilities of using microorganisms as biological weapons… As
a rule, the major powers avoid creation of dangerous laboratories
on their territory and prefer to use the third countries for that
purpose. The experts say that this project could serve for purely
military purposes as well”22.
The similar information is contained in the “Biological weapons
against Javakhq?” article placed on “Armenia-Artsakh” website on May
31, 201123.
In connection with discussed issues it is necessary to take into
account that international and bilateral agreements on non-using of
biological weapons signed by Azerbaijan cannot serve as a sufficient
guarantee for neighboring countries.
It would not be justified within the framework of the issues
discussed to rely on a country that has constantly violated all
possible international norms and obligations from its nationalist
and invasive positions. It is also impossible to ignore the genocide
culture, psychology and traditions which are historically dominant
for that country’s population. The fact that Azerbaijan has not used
weapons of mass destruction can only be explained by purely practical
reasons, such as fear of receiving a response, negative attitude of
superpowers towards the facts of such weapons’ use by other states,
threat of international sanctions, etc. In other words, the situation
is not favorable for taking extraordinary steps. However, the situation
is not frozen and it is not always predictable.
3. “Big brother” factor
Taking into account current situation of military and political fusion
of Azerbaijan and Turkey, military capabilities of these countries
just can not be separated from each other in the discussion of the
military issues concerning Armenia (i.e. the Republic of Armenia and
Republic of Artsakh). For these reasons let’s make a short review of
Turkey’s possession of weapons of mass destruction.
Many sources have repeatedly referred to the existence of weapons of
mass destruction in Turkey and the facts of their certain types’ use.
Thus, the web site of the Center for the Study of Globalization24
reports that former NATO Secretary General George Robertson confirmed
that Turkey has at its disposal nuclear weapons produced in the
United States. Turkey, which is in the U.S. coalition against Iran,
has some 90 B61 thermonuclear bombs at its military base at Incirlik
as well as capacities of delivering them to target.
At the same time, explicit calls are heard in Turkey for the necessity
of starting to produce its own nuclear weapons. For example, according
to the Turkish Parliament (Grand National Assembly) deputy Haluk
Ozdalga Turkey must initiate a thoughtful and comprehensive plan for
nuclear technology. This plan, according to the deputy, should be
directed to the development of skills necessary for production of
nuclear weapons of their own. According to the same public figure
Turkey should expand the radius of action of its guided missiles25.
Besides the fact of nuclear weapons’ possession by Turkey and obvious
plans for their further development, there is also threat that
Turkey may spread these weapons. Canadian “Coalition for Nuclear
Responsibility” company reveals26 the facts that Turkey delivered
materials necessary for the creation of nuclear bomb to Pakistan.
Different media have also reported about the fact of chemical weapons’
use against Kurds in Turkey27. There is also remarkable information
that chemical and biological weapons brought to Turkey by smuggling
can possibly be used for terrorist actions against Russian and U.S
embassies28.
The presented situation of anarchy concerning the problem of
possession, use and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in
Turkey causes concerns about the prospects of further Turkey-Azerbaijan
joint actions (openly or concealed).
4. Anti-Armenian propaganda
Under the conditions when there is information and actual facts
concerning possession of biological weapons by Azerbaijan, it
is not surprising that Azerbaijan constantly accuses Armenia in
having and using biological weapons. It is not surprising, as it
is Turkish-Azerbaijani traditional style of action, which can be
witnessed in all areas (historical and cultural awareness, Khojalu
“genocide”, the cease-fire violations, etc.).
For example, in 1992 Azerbaijan complained to the UN Security Council
Secretary, stating that the Armenians used chemical weapons against
them29. On June 19, 1992 the Secretary General sent the international
team of experts: the investigation resulted in denial of Azerbaijani
allegations.
Other examples: “the Armenians have plans to turn large Azerbaijani
territories in the direction of Nakhchivan and Ganja into cemeteries
by using bacteriological weapons containing anthrax in the case of an
outbreak of hostilities”30. A certain Rovshan Navruzoglu Yunus Oguz
accuses Republic of Artsakh in all possible crimes including terrorism,
drug production and transportation, burning of nuclear waste, having of
children and women prisoners trade centers, ecological and spiritual
terrorism, terrorists trianing camps, being an intermediate link for
transition of weapons of mass destruction, and, of course, biological
and chemical research centers for military purposes31.
It is clear that Azerbaijan regularly participates in various
international events against the possession, use and proliferation of
biological weapons, where it presents its “great efforts” for proper
fulfillment of the international and bilateral obligations undertaken
by Azerbaijan .
5. Conclusion
In formal and legal sense Azerbaijan does not have biological weapons,
but in practice it possesses necessary facilities to carry out a mass
infection of people by pathogenic microorganisms.
1 The damage effect of biological weapons is based on the pathogen
peculiarities of causative agents – microorganisms of human, animal
and vegetative diseases (bacteria, viruses, fungi, etc.).
Alongside with the term “biological weapons” as a synonym
“bacteriological weapons” term is often used. But biological weapons
have a broader sense, because besides bacteria the viruses, fungi,
etc. can be used. In modern sources “biological weapons” term prevails.
2
zerbaijan.html
3 Ibid.
4″U.S. gets pathogens from ex-Soviet republic”
by Jeff Zeleny, “Chicago Tribune”, September 03,2005,
t-republics-pathogens-strains,
baijan.html
5The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI)
6
7 Ibid
apons-to-us/
8
9 Ibid
10″Secret Flight Brings Deadly Ex-Soviet Germs To
US”, By Jeff Zeleny,Chicago Tribune correspondent
11
12
13
14
Azerbaijan.html
15
16
%F0%F3%E6%E8%E5
17 Ibid
18″Azg” daily, issue 198, 31.10.2001. “Bin Laden tried to
get chemical and biological weapons from Heidar Aliyev” (in
Armenian)
19(“Aviation Week & Space Technology” 10/12/98; Agence “France Presse”
3/18/99; London’s “Sunday Times” 7/18/99; “Zerkalo” 7/22/00; “Ekho”
8/29/01).
“Azerbaijan and International Terrorist Networks”
Note: The investigation of bombings of US embassies
in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998 traced to Baku (see,
e.g. ):
20
21
22
23
24″Europe’s Five “Undeclared Nuclear Weapons States”, by Prof.
MichelChossudovsky
,
25″Yoday’s Zaman”, “Nuclear weapons” by Haluk Ozdalga, 29 January2012,
a*.html
26Turkey and Nuclear Weapons Proliferation,
27″Turkey: A long history of chemical weapons use against theKurds”
g-history-of-chemical-weapons-use-against-the-kurds/
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химиÑ~GеÑ~AкогооÑ~@Ñ~CжиÑ~O”
rciej_khimicheskogo_oruzhija/2011-08-30-780
“German military and secret service expert Erich
Schmidt-Eenboom says chemical weapons could have been used”,
9.11.2011
Dr. Jan van Aken, Member of the German Bundestag, Berlin, 30.11.2011.
“On the possible use of chemical weapons by
theTurkishmilitary”.
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29
30Office of Communication of Azerbaijan
l
31Rovshan Novruzoglu Yunus Oguz, “Karabakh: uncontrolled
zone.”
“Globus” analytical journal, # 4, 2012