When geopolitical power, malignant governance, military might and petroleum wealth determine the political pecking order, being a landlocked country on the right side of history is a minor detail. It is through this lens that global citizens may observe the tiny besieged Republic of Armenia fighting for its survival alone against neighboring aggressors, ISIS, civilian bombings, foreign actors provoking instability in a bid for regional dominance, and world powers which gang up like hyenas before an uncaring world.
If this illustration of force ratio were not enough, media gatekeepers serving the interests of the powerful are working overtime to impose a false or at least misleading if not vilifying narrative about the Armenians in news coverage about the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) War which exploded on the de facto Armenian state on September 27 after a nominal, 30-year truce with Azerbaijan.
From peddling false equivalence, to selectively reporting the facts, to committing sins of omission, to cherry-picking so-called experts to support a desired argument, to concluding news coverage with biased policy recommendations, these actions taken by mainstream media about the facts on the ground reveal the handiwork of master purveyors of fake news.
Let’s review the top myths perpetuated by mainstream media in their coverage of the Artsakh War:
1) The Azeri claim that Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) belongs to Azerbaijan. FALSE.Artsakh has been continuously inhabited by a majority Armenian population for the last 2500 years. This is testified by ancient Greek historian Strabo and Roman historian Pliny the Elder (69 B.C.). Following Soviet law, Armenians of the Autonomous Oblast of Nagorno-Karabakh voted in a 1991 referendum to secede from the Soviet Union and rejoin Armenia. This was a fully legal step that did not require the permission or approval of Azerbaijan. After Artsakh declared its independence, Azerbaijani mobs, supported by their government apparatchiks, attacked Armenian communities in Baku, Sumgait, Kirovabad (Ganja) and Artsakh. Mass murders, pogroms, and property confiscations forced the Armenians of Artsakh to either flee or physically defend themselves from obliteration. The Artsakh Armenians successfully drove back invading Azeris in 1994, won the war, and have run a de facto state for nearly 30 years.
When Armenian Artsakh was an Autonomous Oblast under Azerbaijan, the Azeri leadership made sure to economically disempower the region. It also settled Azeris to tamper with the demographic, forbade the production of Armenian-language textbooks and committed other actions to drive Armenians out of the region. For Azerbaijan, there is no interest in nonviolent coexistence with Armenians, who simply desire to live on their ancestral homeland in peace. The Turkish and Azeri plan is to seize Artsakh and empty it of its native Armenian population through ethnic cleansing. After Artsakh, Armenians believe that the Azerbaijanis and Turks will invade Armenia’s Syunik province to form an unhindered border between Turkey and Azerbaijan proper. Their intention is land and conquest. This has already been apparent from the land grabs in Western Armenia (now Eastern Turkey) during and after the Armenian Genocide of 1915, the encroachment on Nakhichevan after native Armenians had been liquidated, and similar actions.
When journalists – lazily or deliberately — call Armenians “occupiers,” they fail to mention that Armenians have been continuously “occupying” Artsakh for the last 2500 years. When labeling Armenians “separatists,” journalists fail to mention that Armenians are the opposite: anti-separatists seeking to once again rejoin with Armenia. When describing Azeris who seek to “liberate” the territories of Artsakh, writers fail to mention that it was the indigenous, majority Armenians who liberated themselves from brutal Azeri rule.
From superficial reporting or deliberate omissions, consumers of news will almost never learn that Azerbaijan as a country did not exist prior to 1918. Any map (and primary sources of history) produced before that date will verify this.
2) That there is no precedent for the genocidal markers unfolding today in Armenia and Artsakh.FALSE. Armenians have been repeatedly subjected to ethnic cleansing in historically Armenian-populated lands in Western Armenia, Cilicia, Nakhichevan (a historically Armenian territory also gifted to the Azeris by Stalin), Baku, Sumgait,Kirovabad, and, Artsakh. Following Artsakh’s declaration of independence, Azerbaijan violently persecuted the Armenians, who then rose up to avoid their annihilation. Armenians and global observers know that Turkey and Azerbaijan have genocide in mind once again. The sheer number of civilians, civilian infrastructure, cultural and historical monuments targeted by aerial shelling should leave no doubt. This is a continuation of the Armenian Genocide.
3) That when hostilities broke out on September 27, Armenians attacked the Azeris first. That both sides “blame the other” for violating the brokered humanitarian ceasefire agreements. FALSE. While surrounded by hostile forces blockading them, Armenians have nevertheless lived peacefully on their historic homeland and have been maintaining a defensive posture. Armenia and Artsakh are outnumbered and out-gunned by Turkey to the west and Azerbaijan to the east. There is proof that Turkey, Azerbaijan and Israel had been cooperating and planning an unprovoked military incursion into Artsakh and Armenia. This reached a peak when, in August, Turkey and Azerbaijan launched joint military air drills and ground exercises in Baku, Nakhichevan, Ganja and elsewhere. Turkish military personnel never left. In fact, Azeri President Ilham Aliyev inadvertently confessed to initiating the attack on Artakh. Although media outlets claim that both sides blame one another for the resumption of hostilities, there is a clear aggressor and defender. Rather than truthfully state that Azerbaijan violated ceasefire agreements, mainstream media prefer to report, without performing adequate research, that each side blames the other for the violations. Media outlets also neglect to mention that for years, Armenia and Artsakh have requested the placement of electronic monitors to identify ceasefire violators while Azerbaijan has adamantly rejected this constructive idea.
4) That Turkey is not managing this war. FALSE. Turkey is not only providing guidance to Azerbaijan but has taken over their entire military command. Turkey is also managing all airstrikes on Armenian military and civilian targets.Moreover, Turkey has closed its airspace to humanitarian flights heading to Armenia. Contrary to the projections of Erdogan’s psyche, Armenia is not “the greatest threat to peace in the region.”
While every country of the world walks on eggshells to avoid provoking volatile Turkey and Azerbaijan, little Armenia and Artsakh are fighting like blazes. Why are mainstream media not reporting about the fearless, heroic Armenians fighting alone for their very existence and standing up to the global bullies whom everyone else appeases?
5) That the countries at war are evenly matched. FALSE. Turkey and Azerbaijan have a combined population of 92 million. Armenia and Artsakh have a combined population of 3.1 million. Turkey and Azerbaijan’s combined GDP is $818 billion, while Armenia/Artsakh’s combined GDP is about $12 billion. Turkey and Azerbaijan encompass 870.162 km2 territory, combined. Armenia and Artsakh encompass 41.201 km2 territory, combined. The employment of sophisticated drones and aerial weaponry utilized by Turkey are decimating the native civilian population. This is a proverbial David and Goliath struggle.
While mainstream media report that some world powers and so-called neutral observers are urging a ceasefire and a return to the negotiation table, why aren’t the same media identifying Armenia’s willingness to seek peaceful solutions and specifying that Turkey, Azerbaijan and Israel continue to agitate for war?
6) That this is not a NATO battle against Russia, using Turkey as its proxy, with Armenia as sacrificial lamb. That Armenia and Artsakh are “backwaters” of civilization, of no geopolitical or cultural importance. FALSE. Currently, NATO encroachment of Russia and the Caucasus is nearly complete. The political situation that arose from the secession of Artsakh is being used by Washington, London and Berlin to attack and destabilize Russia through their Ankara and Baku proxies. This region is the stage for WWIII between Russia, Iran, Turkey and its proxies – the US, Israel and NATO. Moreover, NATO, the UN, the CSTO and the Minsk Group are invested in seeing Azerbaijan and Turkey prevail.
As for Armenia’s cultural significance, it will be a cold day in hell before any mainstream media outlet quotes Heinrich Schliemann, archaeologist and excavator of Troy, Mycenae, and Tiryns, who said, “The whole European culture considers itself the heir to the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations, not realizing that both of them, in their turn, originate from the ancient Armenian civilization.”
7) That Turkey and Azerbaijan are not buying media and government personnel to whitewash this crime against humanity. FALSE. Several U.S. PR companies are lobbying on Baku’s behalf. This public relations blitz does not include the apathy of world governments compromised by caviar diplomacy, petro-lobbying and the widely-reported Azeri money laundromat scheme in Europe. According to The American Conservative, Azerbaijan ramped up its public relations campaigning, employing some of K Street’s heavy-hitting firms, including Stellar Jay Communications, BGR, and the Podesta Group. Last year the country spent $1.3 million to camouflage its disgraceful human rights abuses and present Azerbaijan as a victim of Armenian aggression. Until mid-October, two other PR heavyweights, The Livingston Group and DLA Piper also threw their weight behind Azerbaijan, which had hired them.
Rather than mention this detail, why do mainstream media instead point out that a purportedly aggressive Armenian Diaspora (largely and ironically in existence because of prior Turkish [1915] and Azeri genocides [1998-1992]) is giving Armenia an “unfair” advantage in this “Battle for Evermore?”
8) That Azerbaijan observes international rules of warfare. FALSE: Turkey and Azerbaijan import jihadists and mercenaries to the Artsakh front – flouting the rules of warfare. Weapons such as Smerch multiple rocket launchers and Israeli-made cluster bombs — prohibited by all international organizations — are being used against the Armenian civilian populations throughout Artsakh and even Armenia. Since September 27 and as of October 18, more than 6000 residential, cultural and religious objects have been damaged and/or destroyed in the Artsakh Republic, according to the Armenian Unified Infocenter. This includes the deliberate pulverization of Armenian churches, homes, hospitals and kindergartens. Azerbaijan is also ignoring codes of wartime conduct by murdering elderly civilians and beheading Armenian prisoners of war – gross war crimes.
In addition to blurring the above facts by suggesting that they are partisan ravings or unverifiable, why do mainstream media not report about a particularly stark contrast: the Armenians’ humane treatment of Azeri prisoners of war in Artsakh military hospitals and elsewhere?
9) That Pakistan is not helping Azerbaijan. FALSE. Pakistan has sent its troops to fight alongside Turkish, Azeri and mercenary combatants attacking Artsakh.
On October 7, Armenian Defense Ministry spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan said, “Unlike the Turks, Armenians fight for their land by shedding their own blood, not the blood of mercenaries.” Why don’t mainstream media convey that the losses sustained by Artsakh are its own young Armenian men protecting their families and borders? Or that Turkey is implementing a bait- and-switch upon their imported soldiers of fortune? Ample video footage has surfaced detailing that mercenaries are lured to Azerbaijan to “guard pipelines,” after which they are sent directly to the battlefield as cannon fodder, their passports and stipends withheld to prevent desertion.
10) That Russia does not favor Azerbaijan. FALSE.Russia has long sought to sustain the stalemated, frozen-conflict status quo between Azerbaijan and Armenia in order to maintain its dominant role in the Caucasus. As Azerbaijan is tightly aligned with Turkey and Israel while being courted by NATO, Russia often sacrifices Armenian interests in order to placate Azerbaijan and keep it in its sphere of influence.
In light of this, why do mainstream media insist that Armenia has the fearsome patronage of the Russian bogeyman, when this so-called ally has yet to come to Armenia’s aid?
11) That Georgia is not giving Azerbaijan an advantage. FALSE. Georgia prevented Armenians of its Akhalkalaki region from sending used tires into Armenia to insulate military posts, yet allows the Turkish military free access over its sovereign territory by air and land.
12) That foreign actors are not working hand-in-hand with Iranian citizens of Azerbaijani descent to destabilize Iran, foment a secessionist movement, or at least cause chaos. FALSE.There is a concerted effort to drag Iran into a confrontation with Turkey and neighboring states. In fact, on October 7, hundreds of Azerbaijani troops purposely placed themselves in a position where Armenian artillery would violate the Iranian frontier, even though the Armenians avoided it.
13) That Azerbaijan is a bastion of interfaith and cultural tolerance. FALSE. Along with 9 other nations, Azerbaijan and Turkey are both on the US State Department’s Special Watch List (SWL) for engaging in or tolerating severe violations of religious freedom pursuant of the International Religion and Freedom Act, according to the 2020 Annual Report of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom. Why have mainstream media neglected to mention that both Turkish and Azeri educational systems mandate discrimination and hatred against Armenians which spill over into every aspect of Turkish and Azeri culture?
Why have mainstream media not brought up that the brilliant Armenian culture, pre-dating both countries, was repugnant to Turkey and Azerbaijan when it was clearly a product of the Armenians, but that once Turkey and Azerbaijan appropriated and claimed parts of it as their own, they trumpeted their pride over the products of the very culture they once scorned?
14) That Azerbaijan has invaded and conquered several Armenian towns and villages within Artsakh. FALSE. Just one example is the yellow journalism about the takeover of the town of Hadrut. We know that at least two civilians were slain by the Azeris who violated the ceasefire just minutes after it went into effect on October 10. But before the murders, 200 “special operations” mercenaries invaded Hadrut specifically to hoist the Azeri flag up the town hall’s flagpole. This action was taken to back up President Aliyev’s earlier, boastful but false claim that Azeri forces had taken the town. The mayor of Hadrut, with 23 men, held back the storm troopers until Armenian forces arrived and drove out the mercenaries. On their way out, in their humiliation, the Azeri forces massacred a woman and her disabled son. Somehow, these acts of Armenian heroism and Azeri cowardice also escaped the notice of mainstream media outlets.
15) That Azerbaijan is democratic and honors free speech and assembly. FALSE. Freedom House’s “Freedom in the World” (FIW) 2020 Report describes those countries who have had the worst declines in freedom in the last 10 years. Azerbaijan received a “not free” country designation with a -10 decline in freedoms. Turkey also received a “not free” country designation with a -31 decline in freedom. Armenia is not listed among those objectionable countries, though did receive a mention as a promising, democratically-elected government.
Why has mainstream media not pointed out that in the past 30 years, Armenia and Artsakh have had four presidents each, per their constitutions, while Turkey and Azerbaijan continue to endure the same dictatorial, dynastic regimes under Erdogan and Aliyev Senior who then passed the sword to Aliyev Junior?
Foreign journalists have free access to information and complete freedom of movement in Armenia and Artsakh. If Azerbaijan were the honest broker it is portrayed to be in mainstream media, why are foreign journalists suppressed,forbidden from freely interviewing Azeri citizens, and prevented from visiting the war zone from the Azeri side?
Why don’t mainstream media mention that the Azerbaijani government maintains tight control over the Internet, harasses social media activists, bloggers and online journalists? Or that even before this war, Azerbaijan blocked nearly all social media except for Twitter so that the Azeri government could control war propaganda?
Why do mainstream media not mention that the Artsakh Defense Ministry issues daily bulletins from the front while announcing military and civilian casualties whereas Azerbaijan does not?
An entire global media orchestra working in concert persuaded the world to stand up, denounce the death of George Floyd, and shout “Black Lives Matter.” And yet, when the annihilation of an entire race of people – the Armenians – is once again unfolding before our eyes, the media — and the public guided by them — are conspicuously silent.
The mainstream media’s failure to report the truth demands that we ask ourselves who is responsible for this mismanagement of information. This discrepancy would explain why the truth-telling alternative media universe has a populist following, why it is constantly under threat of annihilation, and why we must protect its precious existence.
The same may be said of the Armenians.
May the example of the endangered, deserted yet valiant Armenians be a warning to all that one day, the dark forces will come for other innocents of this world and that by then, there will be no one left to protect global citizens persisting to safeguard life and liberty on the face of this earth.
Lucine Kasbarian is a journalist, publicist and editorial cartoonist. Today’s events comprise a déjà vu as she has spent the greater portion of her life discrediting media bias and Turkish denial of the Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic Genocide of 1915 which drove her grandparents from their ancestral Western Armenia, since usurped by Turkey. Many of her articles are archived at:
TURKISH press: Erdoğan slams US over sanctions threats
“Some Americans call my brother Ilham (Aliyev) and tell him that if Turkey stands by Azerbaijan, they will impose sanctions on Turkey,” President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Sunday. The comments were in regard to Turkey’s support of Azerbaijan amid clashes over Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenian separatists and the acquisition of Russian S-400 missile defense systems, both reasons the president said the U.S. is using as a pretext to impose sanctions on Turkey.
“The U.S. does not know who they are dealing with. Impose the sanctions already, whatever they may be,” he said during a local congress of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in eastern Turkey’s Malatya province.
“The U.S. wants us to send the Russian S-400 missile systems back. We are not a tribal society; we are the (sovereign) nation of Turkey,” Erdoğan further stated.
Ties between NATO allies Turkey and the United States were badly strained last year over Ankara’s acquisition of the advanced S-400 Russian air defense system, prompting Washington to remove Turkey from its F-35 Lightning II jet program.
The U.S. argued that the system could be used by Russia to covertly obtain classified details on the Lockheed Martin F-35 jets and is incompatible with NATO systems. Turkey, however, insists that the S-400 would not be integrated into NATO systems and would not pose a threat to the alliance.
Turkey and Azerbaijan sustain a strong diplomatic relationship, based on the “one nation, two states” principle.
Many Turkish officials including Erdoğan have vowed full solidarity with Azerbaijan as Yerevan continues its illegal occupation of Azerbaijani lands.
Vice President Fuat Oktay said last week that Turkey would not hesitate to send troops and provide military support for Azerbaijan if Baku were to request it.
The disputed Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as Azerbaijani territory.
Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of Armenian separatists, backed by Armenia, since a war there ended in 1994. The current fighting that started on Sept. 27 marks the biggest escalation in the conflict since then.
Two Russia-brokered cease-fires were violated immediately after coming into effect, and the warring parties have continued to trade blows using heavy artillery, rockets and drones.
According to Armenian separatists, 834 of their troops have been killed, while Azerbaijan has reported 63 civilian deaths and 292 injuries.
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has said in order to end hostilities, Armenian forces must withdraw from the illegally occupied Nagorno-Karabakh.
Montebello Education Board Reaffirms April as Armenian Genocide Commemoration Month
October 26, 2020
Montebello Unified School District
The Montebello Unified School District Board of Education at its regularly scheduled meeting on October 21, approved resolution No. 5 (2020-2021). This resolution recognizes the Month of April as Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide of 1915.
With this action the District seeks to ensure that the Armenian Genocide is properly taught to its faculty, student body, and the community at large. Also reiterating the Districts ongoing commitment to working with different community groups, non-profit organizations, and school personnel to ensure that genocide studies remain an important part of the high school social science curriculum.
“As the governing body of the Montebello Unified School District we felt it important that our students are exposed to factual events in history,” said Board President Marisol Madrigal Uribe. “Giving our students the opportunity to learn about the Armenian Genocide of 1915 and other events in History is critical to making sure that that we don’t repeat mistakes of the past.”
Resolution No. 5 (2020-2021) specifically states that the District will commit to engaging teachers in robust discussions about best practices around teaching the subject of genocide and the most effective ways of communicating the important societal themes that run through the continuum of genocides of modern history.
“I am thankful to our Board for taking action and adopting Resolution No. 5 (2020-2021). Our District will continue to make sure that we are teaching our students historical events like the Armenian Genocide of 1915. By having these conversations our hope is that we provide our communities with a better understating of history and protect against the repetition of such atrocious acts,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Anthony J. Martinez.
The Montebello Unified School District is the third-largest school district in Los Angeles County. The District serves approximately 29,978 Pre-K thru Adult students from the culturally-diverse communities of Bell Gardens, Montebello, Commerce, Monterey Park, San Gabriel, East Los Angeles and Pico Rivera.
Asbarez: A Fantastic Development
October 26, 2020
Garen Yegparian
BY GAREN YEGPARIAN
By now you’ve seen the news about Mercury Public Affairs terminating its registration as a foreign agent of the Republic of Turkey, and how this came about.
For me, this is an Armeni-verse achievement that ranks up there with (in our times) the re-independence of Armenia/Artsakh, the two HUGE Los Angeles demonstrations – Genocide centennial and protesting Azerbaijan’s latest aggression, and passage of Genocide by both the House of Representatives and Senate simultaneously.
This may seem like an overstatement. And, on a substantive level, it would be. But the WAY Mercury bailing-out on Turkey was achieved is on a par with the above successes.
What makes it such a great achievement is that multiple levers of power were used to deprive Ankara of a mouthpiece in the United States.
The political realm came into play. The relationships developed with elected officials led to them pressuring Mercury.
The economic/financial/dollars realm came into play. Some of Mercury’s clients threatened to stop using its services. This angle is one which has not been fully appreciated by our community and leadership despite the very cynical, follow-the-money, mindset expressed by many in our midst.
Old, established, relationships came into play. A partner in Mercury’s hierarchy is someone with whom we have worked in the past.
The “streets” angle came into play. Our protesting in front of Mercury’s office no doubt embarrassed them to some degree (though, this may be hard to believe about a firm that would hire itself out to the likes of Turkey).
Our efforts at building power in various realms are finally bearing fruit.
We still have to better engage our compatriots who have attained high corporate or other business positions. The same applies to those of us in the media, a field in which we lack sufficient representation. Even our very large number of attorneys is underutilized. But, we are clearly getter better at the games required to exert power.
This is an example of how every one of us has the potential to contribute to our cause through her/his circles and connections.
Everyone, keep engaged and be ready to flex your (figurative) muscles!
Artsakh’s Foreign Minister Meets with French Lawmakers
October 26, 2020
15 French lawmakers visited Artsakh and met with the country’s foreign minister Masis Mayilyan
Artsakh Foreign Minister Masis Mayilyan on Monday welcomed a delegation of 15 lawmakers from France, who are in Stepanakert to gain first-hand knowledge of Azerbaijan’s aggression against Artsakh.
The delegation arrived in Yerevan later Saturday evening. The French lawmakers spent Sunday in Yerevan, where they visited the Dzidzernagapert Armenian Genocide memorial and met with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who extensively briefed them on the current military, political and humanitarian situation in Artsakh.
In his remarks, Mayilyan expressed Artsakh’s gratitude to the lawmakers for their solidarity with the Republic of Artsakh, which has been subjected to armed aggression by Azerbaijan with direct involvement of Turkey and international terrorists from the Middle East deployed by Turkey to the conflict zone. The Artsakh foreign minister also praised French President Emanuel Macron for his efforts to negotiate a ceasefire agreement and restore peace and stability in the region.
Artsakh Foreign Minister Masis Mayilyan was presented a copy of proposed legislation in the French Parliament to recognize Artsakh
Mayilyan stressed that during the past 30 years the armed aggression unleashed on September 27 is the third attempt by Azerbaijan to suppress the right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination by force, noting, however, that the current situation differed from the previous ones both in scale and the types of weapons used.
According to the foreign minister, the armed aggression by Azerbaijan was accompanied by numerous cases of war crimes, documented also by international organizations.
Mayilian noted that as a result of the military aggression about 60 percent of the republic’s population was forced to leave their homes, most of the civilian infrastructures have been destroyed causing a grave humanitarian crisis in Artsakh. To this end, the foreign minister stressed the need for the involvement of specialized international humanitarian organizations in addressing the situation.
A 15-member delegation of French lawmakers visited Dzidzernagapert on Oct. 25
Mayilian also emphasized that international recognition of the independence of the Republic of Artsakh is the most effective way to stop the Azerbaijani aggression, as this process would apply international political and diplomatic mechanisms to curb the aggression and force Azerbaijan to peace.
He further noted that given Baku’s illusions that Artsakh belongs to Azerbaijan, its government was attempting to exert and extend its sovereignty with the use of force. Therefore, he said, the international recognition of the independence of the Republic of Artsakh would be a clear signal to Azerbaijan that it has no rights to Artsakh.
The head of the French delegation thanked the Mayilyan for providing detailed information about the Azerbaijani aggression and its consequences and offered condolences for the victims of the attacks.
Members of the French parliament presented to the Artsakh Foreign Minister a copy of the draft resolution on recognition of the Republic of Artsakh, which was submitted to the French parliament and co-signed by more than 50 lawmakers.
Dr. Sepilian Discusses Impact of War, Covid on Armenia’s Healthcare System
October 26, 2020
Armenian Medical International Conference President Dr. Vicken Sepilian on Monday discussed the impact of the Artsakh war, as well as a surge in COVID-19 cases in Armenia on the country’s healthcare system.
Sepilian told Asbarez Editor Ara Khachatourian during a Zoom interview on Monday, that the current war in Artsakh is exacerbating Armenia’s healthcare system, which, until Azerbaijan attacked on Artsakh on September 27, had made strides in flattening the curve.
Armenia’s Health Minister on Sunday said that 2,314 Covid cases were registered in a 24-hour period, with 25,412 people currently are infected with the virus. This recent surge is overwhelming hospitals in Armenia, which are also being used to treat wounded soldiers.
International Efforts to Establish Ceasefire Have Failed, Says Pashinyan
October 26, 2020
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan
Pashinyan says Baku Does Not Want to Settle Conflict; Artsakh President Echoes Concern
After Azerbaijan violated a third ceasefire agreement, this time brokered by the United States, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Monday said that international efforts to end the military attacks on Artsakh have failed.
“I would like to state that the efforts of the international community, this time brokered by the United States, to establish a ceasefire, have failed,” the Prime Minister said in a Twitter post, in which tagged President Trump. “As a result of continuous shelling by Azerbaijan, civilians were killed and wounded in Artsakh today.”
The ceasefire agreement announced Sunday by the State Department went into effect at 8 a.m. local time. At 8:45, Azerbaijani forces began shelling Artsakh’s northern front. Baku’s intention to, once again, disregard a ceasefire to which it had agreed was laid bare when well before 8 a.m. Azerbaijani government social media posts declared that Artsakh forces had violated the ceasefire. Those posts were quickly removed when they realized that had accused the Artsakh forces before the ceasefire went into effect.
Pashinyan said that he expects the U.S. to react to Azerbaijan’s violation of the agreement, which was hailed by Trump in a tweet congratulating Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Sunday.
“It’s already clear that this time again it was impossible to respect the ceasefire. All should know that the Armenian side made all efforts for the preservation of the ceasefire. The Defense Army was extremely restrained from the morning, but the ceasefire failed to be implemented. We don’t know what will be the reaction of the U.S. President to the failure of the ceasefire, but I had a telephone conversation after midnight with Secretary of State Pompeo, and told him that this is the first ceasefire for them, but for us it’s the third and I can predict what will happen tomorrow. I said that with the utmost probability the ceasefire will not be respected and with the utmost probability Azerbaijan will blame Armenia,” Pashinyan explained in a Facebook Live address on Monday.
On Monday, when asked by a reporter about the ceasefire agreement, Trump said “it’s holding.”
The prime minister explained that he had asked Pompeo to how it would be determined which side had violated the ceasefire and what consequences would there be for not adhering to the agreement reached by his mediation efforts.
“It would not be proper for me to reveal how Mr. Popmeo responded,” said Pashinyan. “I hope U.S. officials will answer the question if they have clarified whose actions led to the violation of the ceasefire and if they have done so, what will be the consequences for the violator.”
Pashinyan expressed hope that efforts of the OSCE Minks Group co-chairing countries—the U.S., Russia and France—will still give results.
“If Russia, the U.S. and France are unable to establish a ceasefire in this conflict zone, it means we are living in entirely another world and we have to understand the logic of this world. We still hope that the efforts of the three presidents will give concrete results, but for now it is what it is,” Pashinyan said.
He said that Armenia has demonstrated maximum flexibility since Azerbaijan, with the help of Turkey, began attacking Artsakh on September 27. However, he said, it can be concluded that Azerbaijan does not want a settlement to the conflict.
“Whenever we have agreed to something, it was unacceptable for Azerbaijan, because they wanted more. We have to clearly register that Azerbaijan at the very least wants the capitulation of Karabakh now more than ever,’’ said Pashinyan.
The prime minister said that the Armenian people are ready for mutual concessions, even painful compromises, but the Armenian people will never agree to the idea of capitulation.
”Azerbaijan has never been and now is not ready for mutual concessions. This is the key point that did not allow a settlement to be reached,’’ said Pashinyan.
Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan
Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan on Monday also pointed to Azerbaijan’s unwillingness to adhere to agreements, saying in a Facebook post that the security and rights of Artsakh’s people cannot be compromised.
“Like the previous times, the agreement reached with the mediation of the U.S. and participation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs, that reaffirmed the commitment of the sides to reach and observe a humanitarian ceasefire, assumed on October 10 in Moscow and October 17 in Paris under the initiative of the Russian and French Presidents, today was again grossly violated by official Baku. Particularly after midday, when Azerbaijan resumed offensive operations with the use of artillery and rockets along the entire frontline,” said Harutyunyan.
“This confirms that Azerbaijan, enjoying the unconditional sponsorship of the Turkish authorities and mercenary-terrorists, has no plans to resume peaceful dialogue and overtly show that they will continue their military efforts for the final eviction of Armenians from Artsakh. Therefore, our national task is to fight for the sake of the safe and dignified existence of the Armenians of Artsakh in their own Homeland. The security and rights of our people are not a subject to compromises,” added Harutyunyan.
Commander of Armenia’s NSS border troops sacked in Armenia
Armenia’s President Armen Sarkissian signed a new decree dismissing Vaghinak Sargsyan from position of commander of National Security Service border troops.
The decree was signed at the proposal of Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
Despite Ceasefire, Fate Of The Nagorno-Karabakh May Turn On The Lachin Corridor
On Sunday, the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan signed on to a U.S. State Department-brokered humanitarian ceasefire that took effect at 8 a.m. local time this Monday.
In theory, the ceasefire should bring a temporary halt to nearly a month of fighting over control of the mountainous Nagorno-Karabakh region that Russian President Putin claims has already cost over 5,000 lives.
An hour later, Armenia reported shelling by Azerbaijani forces. There have since been more reports on major fighting in multiple sectors and military aviation activity near the Armenia/Azerbaijan border.
Azerbaijan’s Pres. Ilham Aliyev also gave a speech today objecting to international interference in the conflict, asserting that “in the current situation, we see there is a military solution.” He also warned in the speech that Turkish F-16 fighters based in Azerbaijan would be used to retaliate in the event of foreign intervention, likely referring to Russia in particular.
Given that two prior ceasefires almost immediately fell apart, the odds of the current one lasting are tenuous unless the belligerents are genuinely willing to make a serious and sustained diplomatic effort. A meeting involving the Minsk Group (France, Russia and the United States) is set to convene on Thursday.
Without diplomatic progress, the ceasefire may merely give both sides a brief breather as they prepare for an even more intense round of fighting focusing on the so-called Lachin Corridor.
That’s because the corridor contains the only major highway connecting the de-facto Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (also called Artsakh) to the country of Armenia.
The Lachin corridor refers to the loan road running through Lachin that connects Stepanakert, … [+]
Author, using Google Maps Imagery
After capturing most of the southern border with Iran, on October 22, Azerbaijani forces appeared to turn northwest. A cellphone video posted on the internet showed an Azerbaijani mechanized column temporarily delayed by a vehicle immobilized by a mine.
If Lachin were seized by Azerbaijani forces, not only would it cut of the NKR capital of Stepanakert from receiving fuel, ammunitions and reinforcements; it would also cut off the only the route by which refugees in Nagorno-Karabakh could flee to Armenia.
Last Saturday, Armenian forces apparently mounted a counterattack against the forward Azerbaijani elements. An NKR official claimed in a recorded briefing that it had repelled these forces southward down the highway.
Armenian and Azerbaijani authorities have frequently released contradictory claims as to territorial control. But a conservative interpretation suggest that the advance in this sector was at least temporarily stalled short of the coveted corridor.
Armenian forces also began a counter-offensive near the far southwestern border of Armenia and Azerbaijan. Possibly staged from Armenian territory, the offensive may be aimed at diverting pressure away from Lachin. An Armenian video showing seven captured Azerbaijani BTR-70 armored personnel carriers has been geolocated to that sector.
The Pass Running Through Decades of War
Lachin, which means “hawk” in Azerbaijani, is itself is emblematic of the contradictions that have made the war so bitter. It is one of seven rayons (districts) outside of Nagorno-Karabakh occupied by Artsakh, which are a particular source of grievance to Azerbaijanis.
A truck drives on the so-called Lanchin corridor in 2007 in Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan. The Lachin … [+]
Getty Images
Soviet-era survey show that Armenians were generally the majority population of the Nagorno-Karabakh autonomous region. But surveys also showed the Lachin rayon, situated in between Nagorno-Karabakh and the Soviet republic of Armenia, as being 80% to 94% Azerbaijani.
Nonetheless, when Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh fought to secede from Azerbaijan in 1992, they seized Lachin to create a land corridor between Armenia and the NKR. Most of Lachin’s Azerbaijani population were forced to flee, becoming refugees in their own country.
Azerbaijan. Nagorno-Karabakh, Lachin City was captured by Armenian military units. Photo ITAR-TASS / … [+]
TASS via Getty Images
The NKR renamed Lachin town by the Armenian name of Berdzor. Later, as civil war ravaged Syria, Syrian Armenians fled to Armenia and were resettled in this sector of the NKR.
Azerbaijan. Lachin is captured by Armenian military units. Photo ITAR-TASS / Andrei Solovyov; … [+]
TASS via Getty Images
The NKR’s occupation of Lachin was premised on strategic reasons: if Azerbaijani forces succeed in closing the corridor, they could completely isolate the NKR from external support. If the logistical link is severed, NKR forces would be cut off from the flow of fuel, munitions and reinforcements.
The town of Lachin/Berdzor in 2010 and the critical road running through it.
User Lyonking, released for public use under CC3.0 BY-SA license.
Even seizing terrain affording a good view of the road could render daytime transit on it impossible as convoys would be exposed to observed indirect fire from mortars and artillery, or even direct-fire from armored vehicles and anti-tank guided missiles. Even night travel would be perilous due to the prevalence of infrared sensors on armored vehicles and drones.
With supply lines severed, civilians in Nagorno-Karabakh could be cut off from food, running water and heat during the forthcoming Caucus winter. Furthermore, they may be denied a route by which to flee to Armenia. The result could be a humanitarian disaster in which casualties of trapped civilians spike due to lack of food and medical supplies, exposure to cold, and non-stop artillery bombardment.
A medical worker talks to a sick woman in a bomb shelter in Stepanakert, the separatist region of … [+]
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The extent of Azerbaijani President Aliyev’s objectives in the current conflict remain unclear. If he hopes to recapture all or most of Nagorno-Karabakh, he might see isolating it to be a means to weaken its heavily fortified defenders. However, the humanitarian disaster that could ensue would cause international pressure to mount on Baku, and increase pressure on Russia to intervene.
Azerbaijan might instead see capture of the highway as a way to gain leverage when seeking to secure less absolute objectives, notably regaining control of the Azerbaijani rayons outside of Nagorno-Karabakh held by Armenian forces.
GORIS, ARMENIA – OCTOBER 24: Refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh board a coach as they flee to safety in … [+]
Getty Images
However, Lachin’s pivotal geographic position as one of those rayons underscores why Armenians fear compromise could render Nagorno-Karabakh difficult to defend in future conflicts.
For example, Aliyev has identified regaining control of the NKR-controlled town of Shusha/Shushi as a priority. Formerly a mixed-ethnicity community of cultural and religious importance to both Armenians and Azerbaijanis, its Armenian population was driven out in a pogrom in 1920; Azerbaijanis were forced out in May 1992. That town is not only situated a short distance away from the capital of Stepanakert, but lies in between it and Armenia.
View from a broken window of a building near the Shushi cathedral, Ghazanchetsots Cathedral, after … [+]
NurPhoto via Getty Images
Border War Risks
Prior to the ceasefire, Armenian troops appear to have been committed to containing the Azerbaijani advance towards Lachin. Because the Azerbaijani advance units approaching Lachin themselves likely depended on narrow, extended lines of communication, they too may have been vulnerable to having their supply lines cutoff.
Observers have also noticed a trend in recent combat footage suggesting that Armenian troops may have fallen back from fortifications on relatively open ground to forested positions.
Not only would forested terrain inhibit observation and attack from drones, but the short lines of sight on the ground limit their exposure to observed artillery fire and make it easier to ambush enemy forces piecemeal.
However, forces confined to the woods may be less effective in interdicting the movement of Azerbaijani forces beyond, which could pose problems when it comes to defending Lachin.
Furthermore, a battle for Lachin would intrinsically take place next to the border with Armenia and Armenian town of Goris. And that carries significant risks for both sides.
Both Yerevan and Baku lean on Artsakh’s status as a de facto secessionist republic in what is internationally recognized as Azerbaijani territory to manage escalation risks. Officially, Armenia is not at war with Azerbaijan and vice versa, and the fighting is ostensibly between Azerbaijan and the NKR.
This dubious technicality provides a legal rationale for both sides to avoid waging more unrestricted warfare. While some cross-border attacks appear to have been mounted, they have been limited in scale and cloaked in ambiguity.
For example, there appear to have been some limited missile and/or drone attacks on targets in Armenia which Azerbaijan has not taken credit for. Armenian troops have launched Scud and Tochka ballistic missiles at Azerbaijani cities—but truthfully or not, Yerevan denies they were fired from inside the country of Armenia.
One risk for Baku is that an attack on target in Armenia could inadvertently strike, or come close to hitting, Russian military units in Armenia. That could compel Moscow to intervene in the war. If inclined, Putin might also position Russian units in the country to shield Armenian formations. Indeed, Russian formations reportedly have been stationed directly adjacent to Lachin.
In an intense fight for Lachin, Armenian commanders may be tempted to provide artillery support from across the border. But doing so too extensively might incite Azerbaijani escalation, or upset Moscow if it feels that Yerevan is trying to exploit its alliance.
Ultimately, the Lachin corridor seems destined to become a major flashpoint unless diplomatic efforts can capitalize on the ceasefire to explore a new status quo for the region. That might require finding ways to decouple the role that military force wielded by both sides has historically played in determining which ethnicity is permitted to dwell within a community, and which are compelled to flee.
Updated 10:45 a.m. EST with details on the fraying of the ceasefire, new comments made by Pres. Ilham Aliyev, and mention of Russian deployment near Lachin.
Russia shoots down at least nine Turkish drones over Armenia
Russia has deployed an electronic jamming system in Armenia that has downed at least nine Turkish-made Bayraktar TB-2 combat drones used by Azerbaijan in fighting over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, the Asia Times reported on Monday, citing Russian news reports.
The “Krasukha” is a Russian-made broadband multifunctional jamming system, dubbed “Belladonna” in English, which Russia is operating out of its military base in Gyumri, Armenia, the Hong Kong-based news website said. The base is near the Turkish border and about 487 kilometres from the nearest major Azeri base in Ganja, it said.
The system was designed primarily to protect areas in and around Russia’s military bases where its powerful transmitter can blank out airborne radars, although it has also been found useful in counteracting armed drones, the Asia Times said.
The Krakushka was used successfully in defending Russia’s Hmeimim air base in Syria from swarming drones, it said. Those drones, also known as ‘loitering munitions’ or ‘suicide drones’, are designed to overwhelm air defence systems and crash into a target, setting off armed explosives in the process.
Russian news media said that at least nine Bayraktar drones were shot down on or around Oct. 19, according to the Asia Times. It said neither the Russian, Azeri nor Turkish governments have made a statement on the issue.
Turkey has heavily advertised the success of the Bayraktar in various theatres of conflict: in neighbouring Syria and Iraq, where the country is conducting military operations fighting Kurdish armed groups; in Libya, pushing back a 14-month rebel offensive to take the capital Tripoli; and in clashes over Nagorno-Karabakh, where they are used by the Azeri armed forces.
The fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh erupted on Sept. 27 and has since reportedly killed hundreds. It marked the biggest escalation of a decades-old dispute over the region that lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia.
The violence – involving heavy artillery, rockets and drones – has continued to rage despite Russia’s attempts to broker a lasting truce.
Russia is the dominant player in the Caucasus region and maintains a security pact with Armenia, a close ally. The agreement does not however cover Nagorno-Karabakh. Moscow has also cultivated warmer relations with Azerbaijan in recent years. It sells weapons to both sides.