Author: Takmazian

PREMIER SAYS TURKEY TO OPEN ARMENIAN BORDERS AFTER KARABAKH SOLUTION

ANS TV
May 13 2009
Azerbaijan

[Presenter] After one-to-one and expanded meetings, the Azerbaijani
president and the Turkish prime minister have given a joint news
conference. In response to an ANS correspondent’s question, the
Turkish prime minister said that the Turkish-Armenian borders will
not open as long as the Nagornyy Karabakh problem is not resolved.

[Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaking in news
conference] I believe that you would not ask me such questions if you
had listened to my statements either made in London or in talks in the
Turkish parliamentary groups. I repeatedly stated this in my group
talks in the parliament. I stated just the same in TV programmes. I
stated just the same at a conference I held after the G20 summit in
London. The point which I insist on is the following. Our borders
were closed after the occupation of Nagornyy Karabakh. We will not
open borders as long as the occupation continues. Who says this? The
prime minister of the Turkish Republic says this. Can there be any
guarantee here apart from this?

[Presenter] Assessing the Turkish prime minister’s statement,
the Azerbaijani president said that that this was the best answer
to a simple question which Azerbaijan addressed to the Turkish
authorities. The head of state reiterated that there was already no
ground for speculation in this issue.

[President Ilham Aliyev speaking at the news conference] Remarks by
esteemed prime minister [Erdogan] and my valuable brother are the
best answer to this question. I am grateful for this question and
answer. Because, there cannot be an answer clearer than this. I
want to point out that probably it is no secret for anybody that
there have recently been feelings of some concern in Azerbaijani
society. Probably, those feelings had some natural reasons. However,
I think that the most important thing [changes tack] I want to tell
the Azerbaijani people that there no grounds were left for any doubt,
any other thought or speculation. The Turkish prime minister and
president have repeatedly clarified this issue. I want to say once
again that remarks by my valuable brother Mr Prime Minister [Erdogan]
is the best answer to this.

AZERBAIJANI POLITICIANS AND POLITICAL ANALYSTS SAY ERDOGAN’S STATEMENTS IN BAKU PUT AN END TO THE DOUBTS – POLL

APA
May 14 2009
Azerbaijan

Baku. Elnur Mammadli – APA. "We are satisfied with the results of
the visit of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Baku
and consider that there should be atmosphere of dialogue between
the countries, compromise should be found, joints steps taken in the
international arena," chairman of Azerbaijan Popular Front Party Ali
Karimli told APA. He considers that if there are disputable issues
in future, heads of states and governments should immediately start
dialogue.

"There have recently been unpleasant moments between Azerbaijan and
Turkey. Mutual accusation campaign was observed both in Azerbaijani
and Turkish media. So there was a need for such a visit and Erdogan’s
visit could stop this campaign. The importance of the visit was in
Erdogan’s messages in Baku. Turkish Prime Minister made statements
that would relieve tension of the government, opposition and public
circles. He stated openly that the borders with Armenia will not open,
until the occupation of Karabakh ends," he said.

Deputy executive secretary of New Azerbaijan Party (YAP) Mubariz
Gurbanli considers that Erdogan’s visit has completely eliminated
the difficulties between the countries.

"Even though there was an intention to open the borders between
Armenia and Turkey, this visit crossed out that intention. That’s
why there was a need for this visit. The issues should have been
discussed on the level of the heads of states, and it happened during
the visit. Nuances that might damage our relations with Turkey have
been eliminated," he said.

Chairman of Azerbaijan Democratic Party Sardar Jalaloglu told APA
that there had recently been dangerous tendency between Azerbaijan
and Turkey, Turkish Prime Minister’s visit eliminated that tendency.

"On the other hand, it was a message to the world.

Some forces were satisfied with the cooling of Azerbaijan-Turkish
relations, but this visit was a message to those forces that it is
not easy to break the Azerbaijan-Turkey relations. Some issues became
clear. It was realized that if two strategic partners don’t inform
each other about their actions in foreign policy it can lead to
the harmful results. They have not to take such actions and have to
coordinate their positions of foreign policy. I consider it positive
to follow the chosen strategic course".

Chairman of Musavat Party’s Mejlis Sulheddin Akber also told APA
that Erdogan’s visit was significant. He said there was need in such
visit from the view of bilateral relations and regional situation,
as well as lifting of serious concerns among the Azerbaijani society
over the Turkey-Armenia talks. "I think that Turkey partly achieved
its goal in this visit and lifted the Azerbaijan’s concerns over the
negotiations held with Armenia". Akber said however there was need
in the discussions of some points.

Political analyst Zardusht Alizadeh considers that there was need
insuch visit because of Azerbaijan’s concern over the opening of
borders. "This visit showed that Turkey makes possible actions
toward the settlement of Nagorny Karabakh conflict. Erdogan’s visit
proved that Turkey didn’t step back from its position on the Nagorny
Karabakh issue".

MP Aydin Mirzazadeh said Azerbaijan and Turkey were friendly and
brotherly countries, they shared the grief and happiness of each other.

"I highly appreciate the visit of Turkish Prime Ministers. The
relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan were reviewed, political and
economic issues were discussed. A number of questions of Azerbaijani
society about the improvement of Turkey-Armenia relations found
answers. Erdogan’s meeting with Azerbaijani President, his statements
at the press conference, speech in the parliament showed that Turkey
would never sacrifice Azerbaijan’s interests to any short-term
interests. His open sincere speech satisfied all parliamentarians and
Azerbaijani society. This visit showed once more that it is impossible
to stir up enmity between the two peoples, two states, these two
countries will continue to solve their problems together," he said.

NO REPORTS ABOUT VICTIMS AT NAIRIT FACTORY HAS BEEN REGISTERED

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
14.05.2009 19:38 GMT+04:00

At 6.36 p.m. the emergency service has registered a report on the
explosion at Nairit Factory. Two emergency brigades have arrived at
incident site. According to City Emergency Service, no victims were
reported as yet. Erebuni Medical Center emergency brigades joined
those on duty at Nairit.

Today, around 6.40 p.m. two explosions occurred at caoutchouc
manufacturing Nairit Factory; later the fire erupted. Huge column of
smoke can be seen above the factory at the moment.

9 fire-brigades arrived at the site within 15 minutes of the incident.

Series of minor explosions continue at Nairit CJSC. Fire is no
longer seen, but the smoke is still belching. Rescuer brigades have
already arrived at the site, RA Extraordinary Situations Ministry
told PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

The territory around the factory is sealed off and traffic blocked. No
other specifics are known as yet.

NEW MINISTERS OF ARMENIA APPOINTED

Trend
May 13 2009
Azerbaijan

President Serzh Sargsyan signed a decree on releasing Aramayis
Grigoryan from the position of the Minister of Agriculture, Arsen
Hambartsumyan from the position of the Minister of Labor and Social
Affairs and Spartak Seyranyan from the position of the Minister of
Education and Science, Public Radio of Armenia reported.

According to another presidential decree, Gevorg Petrosyan was
appointed RA Minister of Labor and Social Affairs. Armen Ashotyan was
appointed RA Minister of Education and Science. Gerasim Alaverdyan
was appointed RA Minister of Agriculture.

INDONESIA AMBASSADOR PRESENTS THE COPIES OF CREDENTIALS TO ARMENIA FM

armradio.am
14.05.2009 14:24

The newly appointed Ambassador of Indonesia to Armenia, Mrs. Nining
Suningsih Rochadiat, presented the copies of her credentials to the
Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, Edward Nalbandian.

Greeting the guest, Minister Nalbandian expressed hope that the
appointment of the Ambassador would give new impetus to the development
and deepening of bilateral cooperation in different spheres.

The parties emphasized the importance of intensification of the
political dialogue, the development of trade-economic relations and
the expansion of cooperation within international organizations.

The interlocutors exchanged views on the global financial-economic
crisis and the ways to mitigate its consequences. Reference was made
to a number of regional and international issues.

TSOLAK ANANIKYAN KNOCKS HIS AUSTRALIAN RIVAL OUT

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
14.05.2009 15:15 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian boxer Tsolak Ananikyan (91 kg) knocked his
Australian rival out in his first fight in international tournament
going on in Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic.

Derenik Giljaryan (54 kg), Ara Puluzyan (60 kg) and Samvel Matevosyan
(69 kg) did not succeed in their first fight.

Today, Azat Hovhannisyan (57 kg) will fight an Indian rival. Andranik
Hakobyan (75 kg) and Hrachya Javadyan (64 kg) will take on Irish
boxers.

European champion Hovhannes Danielyan (48 kg) will fight on May 15.

INDIGENOUS GENOCIDE, CLIMATE GENOCIDE AND HOLOCAUST DENIAL BY WHITE AUSTRALIA
Dr Gideon Polya

CounterCurrents.org

Ma y 12 2009

Australia has an over 2 century history of involvement in
genocide. However this appalling genocide history is kept hidden by
a sustained process of Australian holocaust denial and genocide denial

Before going further it must be clearly stated that the term "Genocide"
used here is "Genocide" as precisely defined by Article 2 of the UN
Genocide Convention as follows: "In the present Convention, genocide
means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy,
in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group,
as such: a) Killing members of the group; b) Causing serious bodily
or mental harm to members of the group; c) Deliberately inflicting on
the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical
destruction in whole or in part; d) Imposing measures intended to
prevent births within the group; e) Forcibly transferring children
of the group to another group" (see:
/sideshow/genocide/con vention.html ).

Further, in assessing deaths from particular policies of invasion,
occupation and dispossession one notes that deaths can be violent
(from bombs and bullets) or non-violent (from deprivation and
deprivation-exacerbated disease). Both kinds of avoidable death (death
that should not have happened) are included within the term "excess
death" used below (see "Body Count. Global avoidable mortality since
1950", G.M. Polya, Melbourne, 2007:
and "Body Count. Global avoidable mortality since 1950 (2008
lecture)": 08/
body-count-global-avoidable-mortality.html ).

The following catalogue of Australian involvement in Genocide – as
defined by the UN Genocide Convention and notably in British- and
American-imposed genocides – is given below in roughly chronological
order from 1788 (the year of European Invasion and First Settlement)
to 2009. A key reference is my book "Body Count. Global avoidable
mortality since 1950"; other relevant books are Chalk, F. and
Jonassohn, K. (1990), "The History and Sociology of Genocide. Analyses
and Case Studies" (Yale University Press, New Haven & London); Tatz,
C. (2003), "With Intent to Destroy. Reflecting on Genocide" (Verso,
London); Blum, W. (2006), "Rogue State, A guide to the world’s only
superpower" (Zed Books, London); and my book "Jane Austen and the
Black Hole of British History. Colonial rapacity, holocaust denial
and the crisis in biological sustainability" (GM. Polya, Melbourne,
1998 & 2008: ). The following list
is an updated and amplified version of that originally published in
MWC News as "Australia’s secret genocide history. La Trobe, "Bundoora
Eucalyptus" and black crimes of white Australia" on MWC News, 30
April 2008: .

1. 18th-19th century Aboriginal Genocide (the Indigenous Aboriginal
population dropped from about 1 million to 0.1 million in the first
century after invasion in 1788).

2. Tasmanian Aboriginal Genocide (the "full-blood" Indigenous
population dropped from 6,000 to zero in 1803-1776; however there are
several thousand "mixed race" decendants of Tasmanian and Mainland
Aborigines still living in Tasmania today).

3. British Indian Genocide (post-invasion excess deaths 0.6 billion,
1757-1837; 0.5 billion, 1837-1901 under Queen Victoria; 0.4 billion,
1901-1947, and 1.5 billion in all – or 1.8 billion if you include
the so-called Native States of the British Raj).

4. European Chinese Genocide (10-100 million deaths in the European
imperialism-driven Tai Ping rebellion period; Australia was involved
in suppressing the Boxer rebellion).

5. Maori Genocide (the Maori population dropped from 0.1-0.2 million
in 1800 to 42,000 in 1893; Australia was involved in the 19th century
Maori wars).

6. African Genocide (scores of millions perished over 5 centuries
of European slavery and colonialism; Australians participated in the
Sudan War, 1881-1898 and the Boer War in South Africa, 1899-1902).

7. Pacific Genocide (there was a catastrophic population decline
due to introduced disease and slavery; thus 40,000 Fijians died
from measles out of a population of 150,000 in 1876; "blackbirding"
slavery was conducted by Australians in the late 19th century, with
the Melanesian slaves – "Kanakas" – being taken to sugar plantations
in the Australian state of Queensland).

8. Boer (Afrikaaner) Genocide (1899-1902; 28,000 Afrikaaner women and
children died in British concentration camps; Australians participated
in the Boer War as immortalized in the movie "Breaker Morant" ).

9. Armenian Genocide (1.5 million killed; the Australian invasion
of Gallipoli as part of an Anglo-French force in 1915 helped to
precipitate this atrocity; indeed April 24 is Armenian Genocide Day
and April 25 is the day of the Australia invasion in 1915 and also a
sacred war dead remembrance day for Australians and New Zealanders –
it is called Anzac Day after the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps
(ANZAC) which stormed ashore on that first Anzac Day at Gallipoli
in 1915).

10. Bengali Genocide (6-7 million perished in the "forgotten" man-made
Bengal Famine atrocity in Bengal and adjoining provinces in British
India, 1943-1945; Australians were there and indeed the Governor
of Bengal in 1944 was an Australian, R.G. Casey; for a recent BBC
broadcast about the WW2 Bengal Famine involving me, Nobel Laureate
Professor Amartya Sen of Harvard University, medical historian Dr
Sanjoy Bhattacharya of University College London and other scholars
see: bengalfamine_programme.html
).

11. British post-1950 Third World Genocide (1950-2005 excess deaths
in countries subject to British occupation as a major occupier in
the post-war era totalled 727 million; Australia has the same Head
of State as the UK and continues to be a loyal military ally of the
UK in Occupied Iraq and Occupied Afghanistan).

12. US post-1950 Third World Genocide (1950-2005 excess deaths in
countries subject to US occupation as a major occupier in the post-war
era totalled 82 million; Australia participated in all post-1950 US
Asian Wars in Korea, Indo-China, Iraq and Afghanistan with Indigenous
Asian excess deaths now totalling 25 million).

13. Australian Colonial Genocide (1950-2005 excess deaths in countries
subject to Australian occupation as a major occupier in the post-war
era, namely Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands totalled 2.1
million).

14. 20th century Aboriginal Genocide (total excess deaths are
clearly of the order of 1 million; 0.1 million Stolen Generations
Aboriginal children forcibly removed from their Mothers in the 19th
and 20th centuries; excess deaths in the 11 years of the Bush-ite
Howard Coalition Government totalled 90,000 for 1996-2007; currently
about 9,000 Indigenous Australians die avoidably each year out of a
population of about 0.5 million as detailed in item #18 below).

The following Australian genocide involvements in this catalogue of
horrors are ongoing.

15. Palestinian Genocide (post-1967 excess deaths 0.3 million,
post-1967 under-5 infant deaths 0.2 million and 7 million refugees;
with bi-partisan agreement Australia provides diplomatic, financial
and haven support for Israeli state terrorism – even when directed
against tens of thousands of Australian citizens as in Lebanon in
mid-2006 – and up to life imprisonment for anyone giving support
to the Hamas Party that overwhelmingly won the 2006 Occupied
Palestinian elections; Australia makes contributions to racist Zionist
colonization – i.e. to the Palestinian Genocide – tax deductible:
8562 ).

16. Iraqi Genocide (4.1 million excess deaths 1990-2009; 1.3 million
post-invasion violent excess deaths and 1.0 million post-invasion
non-violent excess deaths i.e. 2.3 million post-invasion violent and
non-violent excess deaths; 0.6 million post-invasion under-5 infant
deaths; and 5-6 million refugees; Australia has been militarily
involved in the Iraqi Genocide since 1990; for details as of
March 2008 see "Iraqi Genocide":
Messages190308.ht m#polya ).

17. Afghan Genocide (3-7 million post-invasion violent and non-violent
excess deaths, 2.3 million post-invasion under-5 infant deaths, and
4 million refugees; Australia was involved militarily in Occupied
Afghanistan from after the US invasion in 2001).

18. Ongoing Aboriginal Genocide (9,000 excess deaths annually; 90,000
excess deaths in the last 11 years of Bush-ite Coalition rule;
for details and documentation see "Aboriginal genocide. Racist
White Australian child abuse and passive mass murder":
0/42/ ).

19. Biofuel Genocide (16 million die avoidably each year but this is
increasingly biofuel-impacted as the legislatively-mandated US, UK
and EU biofuel perversion forces up global food prices; Australia is
a major sugar cane grower and sugar exporter with 60% of sugar going
to bioethanol production worldwide; Australia has biofuel-promoting
legislation and is a major canola grower, this being a major source for
biodiesel; for detailed and documented analysis see my Biofuel lecture
notes: 05/
biofuel-famine-biofuel-genocide-meat.html
and
2008/04/biof uel-famine-biofuel-genocide-and.html ).

20. Climate Genocide (16 million die avoidably each year already
from deprivation and deprivation-exacerbated disease; Professor
James Lovelock FRS says that only 1 billion will survive this
century i.e. about 10 billion (2 billion being Indians) will perish
this century due to unaddressed climate change; on a per capita
basis Australia is among the very worst greenhouse gas (GHG)
polluters – in terms of 2004 figures for "fossil fuel-derived
annual per capita CO2 pollution" Australia is about 40 times
worse than India and 160 times worse than Bangladesh if you
include Australia’s world number 1 coal exports; for details and
documentation see " "Climate Disruption, Climate Emergency, Climate
Genocide & Penultimate Bengali Holocaust through Sea Level Rise":
eyclimateactiongroup/
climate-disruption-climate-e mergency-climate-genocide-
penultimate-bengali-hol ocaust-through-sea-level-rise ).

Of these Australian-complicit genocides, the already-commenced Climate
Genocide is most likely going to be the worst – with the likelihood
of 10 billion non-Europeans perishing due to First World inaction over
First World GHG pollution. Australia is a disproportionate contributor
to this man-made holocaust that is largely confined to the non-European
World. Australia is the world’s biggest coal exporter, the OECD’s worst
per capita greenhouse gas (GHG) polluter and a remorseless world leader
in annual per capita GHG pollution. "Annual per capita greenhouse gas
(GHG) pollution" in units of "tonnes CO2-equivalent per person per
year" (2005-2008 data) is 2.2 (India), 6.7 (the World), 11 (Europe),
27 (the US) and 30 (Australia; or 54 if Australia’s huge Exported
CO2 pollution is included).

Just as Australia has made Palestinian Genocide tax deductible,
so the latest Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) of the extreme
right wing, pro-coal, pro-war Rudd Labor Government provides
massive, "business as usual" subsidies for GHG polluters (see
"Pro-coal Australian Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) devalues
Australian lives, threatens Biosphere and ignores Science ":
imateactiongroup/
latest-pro-coal-australian-emiss ions-trading-scheme-ets-devalues-
australian-lives -threatens-biosphere-and-ignores-science-
and-clim ate-emergency ).

Yet politically correct racist (PC racist) Australia steadfastly
"looks the other way" and its past and present involvements in
the above atrocities are overwhelmingly not reported by racist,
lying, holocaust-ignoring Mainstream media nor taught in Australia’s
schools and universities. PC racist White Australia just cannot see
the "elephant in the room" – its continuing involvement in over 2
centuries of horrendous genocide.

Remarkable evidence of this Australian Holocaust Denial and
Genocide Denial is obtained when one does a Search for the various
genocides, specifically for the phrases "Aboriginal Genocide",
"Indian Genocide", "Bengali Genocide", "Iraqi Genocide" etc, on
the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) search device (see:
) – the result is essentially ZERO (0) related
links found, whereas searches for these phrases on Yahoo or Google
variously reveals hundreds to tens of thousands of URLs.

The Australian ABC is generally regarded as the most "liberal"
of the Mainstream media of Australia – and indeed is regarded as
"left wing" by the generally extreme right wing journalists of the
Murdoch and Fairfax media empires that dominate "news" reporting
in holocaust-complicit and holocaust denying, "look the other
way" Australia – the Land of Flies, Lies and Slies (spin-based
untruths). It is not hard to imagine the awfulness of the other
generally pro-coal and pro-war Australian Mainstream media in relation
to holocaust commission, genocide commission, holocaust-ignoring
and genocide-ignoring.

Peace is the only way but silence kills and silence is
complicity. Decent people are obliged to (a) inform others about these
continuing atrocities and (b) ensure that they are not complicit
in these crimes of genocide commission and genocide denial through
avoidable dealings with the people, corporations and countries
responsible for these outrages.

Australians are trapped in a Mainstream media-imposed Orwellian dream
and will only conceivably stop doing Genocide when they are informed
that they are doing it. Sanctions and boycotts are urgently required
because Australia is committing these crimes for money – and money is
the only thing that amoral, wealth-obsessed Australia will understand.

Dr Gideon Polya published some 130 works in a 4 decade
scientific career, most recently a huge pharmacological reference
text "Biochemical Targets of Plant Bioactive Compounds" (CRC
Press/Taylor & Francis, New York & London, 2003). He has recently
published "Body Count. Global avoidable mortality since 1950"
(G.M. Polya, Melbourne, 2007:
and ) and an updated 2008
version of his 1998 book "Jane Austen and the Black Hole of
British History, Colonial rapacity, holocaust denial and the
crisis in biological sustainability" (G.M. Polya, Melbourne, 2008:
). He is currently teaching
Biochemistry theory and practical courses to second year university
agricultural science students at a very good Australian university.

U.S. CUTS FINANCIAL AID TO ARMENIA

Interfax
May 8 2009
Russia

The U.S. administration plans a lower volume of financial aid to
Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh for the 2010 fiscal year than the 2009
level and to give more military aid to Azerbaijan than to Armenia in
2010, the country director for Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh of the
Armenian Assembly of America Arpi Vartanian said on Friday.

The White House sets its planned financial assistance to Armenia in
the 2010 fiscal year at $30 million instead of the 2009 amount of
$48 million, Vartanian told reporters.

Moreover, the proposed 2010 budget does not include any section
about humanitarian aid to Nagorno-Karabakh whereas the 2009 budget
allocates $8 million for Azerbaijan’s disputed Armenian-speaking
enclave, she said.

Vartanian also attacked White House plans for military aid to Armenia
and Azerbaijan in 2010. She argued that this threatened to upset the
balance of power in the South Caucasus.

The Obama administration sets its proposed military assistance
to Armenia at $3 million but that to Azerbaijan at $4 million for
that year, she said. Furthermore, $450,000 would be allocated for
military training programs for Armenia but $900,000 for such programs
for Azerbaijan.

Vartanian said the Assembly, which is a Washington-based Armenian-
American advocacy organization, would seek support from the U.S. Senate
and House of Representatives for efforts to prevent the regional
balance of power from being ruined.

PURCHASING ‘NEW ARMS’ AZERBAIJAN REMOVES STUFF FROM UKRAINE
By David Stepanyan

ArmInfo
2009-05-11 13:16:00

Exlcusive interview of Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan, Major General, Karabakh
Hero, (nickname Commandos), with ArmInfo

Mr. Major General, 18 years have passed since the operation
‘Koltso’. What was the real reason of those tragic events?

Operation ‘Koltso’ was launched on April 29 in 1990 by the forces in
Moscow that tried not to prevent the collapse of the USSR by all means
in their hand. Then, three Baltic states as well as Armenia and Georgia
came out with an initiative of withdrawal from the USSR. Therefore,
an active agitation campaign was launched in the Soviet Union against
the leaderships of those states that were accused of extremism and
formation of armed gangs in their territories. Actually, enlisting the
support of the Soviet army, the Azerbaijani leadership tried to take
advantage of the general Soviet hysteria about the 5 ‘ breakaway ‘
states in the context of Karabakh people’s claims. Azerbaijanis were
crossing the border to Armenia, stealing cattle, felling. When all
this seemed insufficient to them, they began taking hostages. Operation
‘Koltso’ was conducted throughout the Armenian-Azerbaijani border from
Goris to Noyemberyan, Azerbaijani OMON backed by the Soviet army fired
at peaceful Armenian population since they were charged=2 0by Moscow
to liquidate the people arousing suspicion of involvement in armed
gangs. Thus, a bus with 13 Armenian militiamen bearing no relations
to ‘armed gangs’ was blasted. Hereby Moscow tried to repress the
liberation movement in the 5 breakaway states. For this purpose the
operation ‘Koltso’ was conducted and part of Nagorno Karabakh seized.

In Karabakh, the operation was conducted under a sly name ‘inspection
of passport regime’. People have not understood yet the essence of
that operation and its numerous victims. It seems to me that human
lives have never been valuable in the USSR either during the Great
Patriotic War or the whole history. The operation ‘Koltso’ was the
last proof of my words.

Would you tell about some details of the ceasefire signed in Bishkek
in 1994?

First of all, it were the Azerbaijanis that made us fight. At first
we had neither desire nor possibilities to fight. We got all this
later. What we learned at first was to fight back inside our country
during occupation of Nogorno Karabakh by the Soviet troops and the
Azerbaijani OMON. Later, when the USSR collapsed and the Soviet troops
were withdrawn from Azerbaijan, Azerbaijanis were no longer able to
fight against us since they could no longer fire at our soldiers backed
by Russians. We could fight them down but our leadership in 1994 was
persuaded to sign ceasefire, which I think was a big mistake. The
following took place then: Aliyev asked Yeltsin, Nazarbayev and the
remaining leaders of CIS to do their best to prevent the all-out
offensive of the Armenian forces. As a result, Levon Ter-Petrosyan
was forced to accept the persuasions by the presidents of Russia
and Kazakhstan.

Did we have enough potential in 1994 for further offensive?

To say we had potential is to say nothing. That time the Azerbaijani
army was fully paralyzed then and was simply unable to fight. We had no
problem for further attacking them. However Bishkek treaty gave time to
the Azerbaijanis to turn down. I think we had to fight the enemy down
further attacking Azerbaijan and then make the lodgment we could really
make. But we failed hereby short-selling the Talish people that are
still striving to establish Talish republic. It is quite another point
that the defense line we have today is optimal for us from the point of
view of defense. We used to speak of Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijanis,
but generally speaking there are no Azerbaijanis in that Azerbaijan.

You mean that pursuing offensive we would make it possible for the
oppressed national minorities in Azerbaijan to get self-determination
and put an end to ‘Azerbaijan existing for centuries’?

Actually, our army would put an end to oppression of the national
minorities in Azerbaijan. Of course, Aliyev would later try to unite
them at lea st in an autonomous region and would succeed since he
has always been tricky. Now, the Constitution of Azerbaijan has no
provision on autonomy.

So, the ‘high level of autonomy’ they are allegedly going to provide
to Nagorno Karabakh has no single basis even in their legislation.

Do you share the ARFD’s stand on the Armenian-Turkish relations? Do
you think it possible for Karabakh to become a map, at least a road-map
on the negotiating table?

I am non-party but has always sympathized with Dashnaktsutyun, which
is the oldest Armenian party. However, I think that at such important
historical moment for Armenia they shouldn’t leave the coalition. Serzh
Sargsyan has repeatedly declared that the Karabakh conflict cannot
be a precondition to the Armenian-Turkish relations. The president
has repeatedly said the same also about Genocide. The same did our
foreign minister. I agree with the ARFD that Turks will never make
peace with us. I don’t trust in them since they have always subjected
Armenians to oppressions and persecutions.

So, we must always be on guard in the relations with them. But it does
not mean that we should abandon normalizing relations with Turkey,
which is just one of the dangers threatening us.

What do you think about the current situation in Karabakh?

I have returned from Karabakh quite recently and I am going to visit
it for a few days again. I’d like to highlight that dramatic changes
are taking place there. The state building in the NKR has grown
so that the country is able to protect itself against any external
threats. The only negative feature of the Karabakh people is that they
do not strive for peaceful work. Instead, they just wait for a call
for war to show what they are able to. If the Karabakh people worked
as good as they fight, it would be excellent. But they are working in
this dimension and finding feed. I was in Mardakert region, in Shushi,
Stepanakert. A big work is being carried out there and something is
also being prepared for Azerbaijanis.

If nevertheless we manage to agree with Turkey and open the border
without preconditions, would it deprive Azerbaijan of the last chance
to unleash new aggression against Karabakh?

Opening of the border to Turkey has no importance or influence on
Karabakh issue. Armenia’s blockade by Azerbaijan and Turkey does not
affect our fighting efficiency. The only thing Baku can rely on in
the fight against us is the principle of territorial integrity that
is opposed by another Equivalent principle of the international law
– the people’s right to self-determination. These two rights do not
and will never meet each other.

So the format of negotiations should be changed. I do not think that
the situation may change from this point of view in the nearest future.

Nevertheless, Turkey will never betray Baku even=2 0if the border
to Armenia is opened. The processes in the relations of Armenia
and Turkey can be explained by the interest of Russia and the USA
in establishment of the diplomatic relations between Yerevan and
Ankara. And against this background Baku can be unalarmed.

Is it possible to say that the current status-quo is in favor
of everyone and no one including Azerbaijan needs new aggression
against NKR?

The point is that Azerbaijan has always bluffed and keeps on bluffing
when threatening with resumption of military actions. Let’s Aliyev
unleash new war. What will it bring to him except thousands of
new victims on both parties? It is the only circumstance that
explains our unwillingness to be involved in the new adventure of
Baku. They are well aware that we are afraid of war as much as we want
it. Azerbaijan is not ready for war today and Aliyev does not need it
either. The oil-dollars belonging to the Azerbaijani people go to his
pocket. Moreover, Aliyev receives only 10-15% of the proceeds from oil,
the remaining belong to foreign companies that have invested billions
in recovery of oil and now wait for return. From this point of view
Aliyev is bound hand and feet.

So why Aliyev buys arms and proclaims it to the whole world?

Because it remains for Aliyev just to make military rhetoric, buy
and produce arms. Azerbaijan has rather big program on purchase and
production of w eapons. Baku is even going to produce helicopters
‘Uragan’ etc.

However we should not forget that it is also business of generals. If
someone really studies out what Azerbaijan has recently purchased,
it will turn out that Azerbaijan removed the whole stuff accumulated
in Ukraine after withdrawal of Soviet troops from the GDR. Business
is business. One should not forget about defeatist syndrome that
originated in Azerbaijan after Karabakh campaign. For instance,
a similar syndrome exists in Turkey with regard to Russia.

This defeatist syndrome is one of the reasons of Aliev’s bellicose
sentiments. Aliyev tries to replace in Azerbaijan the spirit
of Karabakh army that is unbreakable. In addition, there is
also the military theory of generating combat power in the chief
direction of supposed breakthrough. In compliance with this theory,
the attacking party must prevail over the defending one three or
even four times. There is also the moral aspect requiring similar
prevalence i.e. Azerbaijan needs at least 250,000 manpower even for
theoretical breakthrough which is impossible since Azerbaijani army
does not exceed even 125,000 people and has no special reserves.

Thank you.

NKR President Sahakyan: `The main bone of contention is territorial’
2009/05/09 | 17:01

Nagorno Karabakh important politics
Anahit Danielyan

Today in Shushi, amidst celebrations marking the 17th anniversary of
the town’s liberation, NKR President Bako Sahakyan told reporters that
he had a chance to confer with President Sargsyan after his arrival
from Prague regarding the recent round of Karabakh talks and that he
saw no cause for undue concern.

`Armenia, represented by President Sargsyan, is attempting to restore
the decision of the Budapest Summit according to which the NKR must be
a full-fledged party to the negotiations process,’ stated NKR
president Bako Sahakyan to reporters at a press briefing in Shushi.

President Sahakyan noted that the NKR was also raising this point of
contention with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs during meetings between
the two sides.

`As you see, they raise the necessity of this point in their
statements. No one denied the fact and all understand that without the
participation of the NKR we cannot accept any final resolution of the
issue,’ underlined President Sahakyan.

As to the point raised by French Minsk Group Co-chair Bernard Fassier
regarding the participation of all Karabakh communities in the talks,
President Sahakyan noted that this formula was deemed as unacceptable
by the NKR government and that it had made its objection known to the
co-chairs.

As to possible principles for ongoing negotiations, President Sahakyan
stated that three underlying principles had surfaced in the process –
territorial integrity, a resolution of the conflict only by peaceful
means, and NKR self-determination, even to the degree of the
recognition of independence.

`We are not opposed to a peaceful resolution of the conflict and state
as much in all our pronouncements.

Naturally, the main bone of contention is a territorial one. There
exists a territorial integrity; the territorial integrity of the
NKR. That’s an issue between us and Azerbaijan. I believe that the
quicker the political leadership backs away from bellicose statements
the quicker we will come to a final settlement,’ stated the NKR head
of state.