EU integration is way to keep Balkan-style warring at bay

EU integration is way to keep Balkan-style warring at bay
Irish Times; Mar 18, 2006
Paul Gillespie
WorldView: The death of Slobodan Milosevic is a sharp reminder of a
dark period in European history after the end of the Cold War.
Such a geopolitical transformation could have led to a generalised
conflict throughout the former Soviet sphere, where minority
populations were left stranded in newly independent states, similar
to the situation in disintegrating Yugoslavia. In fact this happened
only in the Balkans. The reasons remain highly relevant for the future
of Europe.
Milosevic created a lethal combination of Stalinism and Serb
nationalism to maintain his hold on power as Yugoslavia fell apart.
His strategy involved mobilising the Serb minorities in Croatia,
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo and Montenegro towards a greater Serbia by
war and ethnic cleansing. Psychologically, he relied on a combination
of victimhood and blame, making him simultaneously a pyromaniac and
a fireman.
It could have worked had he stopped in 1992 after applying the formula
in Croatia and Bosnia; but the dynamics of the wars already in train
and of the international response prevented that. Thereafter, he was
effectively kept in power by the international standoff over Bosnia, in
which Britain resolutely opposed military action to relieve Sarajevo;
and then by the 1995 Dayton accord which held until Nato’s intervention
in Kosovo in 1999, which precipitated his downfall the following year.
His 13 years in power coincided with huge change elsewhere in
Europe. In the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, in
Ukraine, Georgia and Armenia, and in Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia,
Czechoslovakia and Hungary, there was a similar mix of minorities
and majorities which could have triggered conflicts comparable to
those in the western Balkans during the 1990s. National minorities,
newly nationalising states and external national homelands such as
Russia or Hungary could have been prey to a Milosevic-type logic.
That this was not so requires explanation and understanding in equal
measure. The American journalist Elizabeth Pond put it well in her
study published in 1999, The Rebirth of Europe: “The new paradigm is
not, after all, the atrocities of former Yugoslavia, or even the old
nineteenth century balance-of-power jostling. It is an unaccustomed
reconciliation in the heart of Europe, between France and Germany,
Germany and Poland, Poland and Ukraine, Romania and Hungary, Germany
and The Netherlands.”
Seven years on, one can add, tentatively, to this list a gradual
normalisation of relations between Russia and the former Soviet
states. And one can see much more clearly that the precedent set by
Slovenia, which escaped Yugoslavia nearly unscathed in 1991 and is
now a member of the European Union, is the one the other successor
states wish to follow. Croatia is likely to join the EU by 2009,
shortly after Bulgaria and Romania. And by 2020, Bosnia-Herzegovina,
Serbia, Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo and Macedonia may have brought
it to a membership of 34. If Turkey joins then too, the existing 25
member-states would have grown to 35 in 16 years.
The EU’s enlargement from 15 to 25 between 1995 and 2004 – with the
exception of Cyprus and Malta, all of them from the heart of central
and eastern Europe – is justifiably seen as an outstanding foreign
policy success. By laying down norms and values, providing aid and
investment and imposing them in prolonged membership negotiations,
the EU created a new hegemony over other European institutions which
contributed immeasurably to that reconciliation.
The notions of rejoining or returning to Europe were powerful
instruments encouraging elites to reform and reconcile rather
than plan for war or ethnic cleansing. And the eventual reward of
EU membership is what now drives similar movements of reform in
the western Balkans. This perspective has made Milosevic’s formula
redundant there. Should the commitment to EU enlargement be slackened,
the Balkan region could revert to other methods.
A large question facing the EU now is whether that point has been
reached after the constitutional treaty fell in the French and
Dutch referendums last year. The treaty deepened the EU the better
to enlarge it, but did it fall on enlargement or deepening? Can an
enlarged EU function without the structural and procedural changes
contained in the treaty? Could many of them be introduced without
treaty change? Or will the constitution need to be amended?
The current Austrian EU presidency is orchestrating a debate and
decision on these issues. Following the autumn pause for reflection, in
which little was done at political level, there are calls for a further
pause – this time to digest the latest members – in both France and The
Netherlands. The French have always been sceptical about enlargement.
French voters complained during the referendum they had not been
consulted about the 2004 enlargement. A poll that year found 70
per cent of them thought the EU was unprepared for it, 55 per cent
opposed it altogether (compared to 35 per cent in the then EU15) and
only one in 50 could name all 10 of the new member states. The mood
against Turkey is emphatic, and sceptical about Romania, Bulgaria and
the Balkans. Turkey is seen by most French people as a non-European
Muslim state, which would set disturbing precedents for the entry of
other Mediterranean ones. In The Netherlands, there is a similar mood
in government.
Geopolitical arguments about European stability or the need to
engage the Muslim world and the Middle East in dialogue to pre-empt
civilisational clashes do not resonate with such attitudes. But
these arguments remain central to the debate about enlargement and
are intimately bound up with the case for having an EU constitution
to regulate it.
It would be premature to conclude the issue, or the treaty, is dead.
[email protected]

ANKARA: Turkey says offer still open to set up historians’ committee

Turkey says offer still open to set up historians’ committee with Armenia
Anatolia news agency
18 Mar 06
Ankara, 18 March: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) personnel who
were killed in armed attacks while serving abroad were commemorated
in a ceremony held in their special graveyard on Thursday [16 March].
Speaking in the commemoration, MFA Undersecretary Ali Tuygan said
that MFA personnel were killed by Armenian terrorism, 17 November
militants and other terrorist organizations since 1973. Tuygan noted
that totally 39 ministry personnel, including five security guards
who were killed in Mosul on 17 December 2004, were buried in the
graveyard assigned to “MFA martyrs”.
Tuygan said that the belief of Turkish people in peace and Turkey’s
initiatives in that context were sincere, stressing that the historic
proposal made to Armenia last year was still valid.
Turkey had proposed to Armenia to set up a joint commission composed
of historians from Turkey and Armenia to open without any restriction
their national archives, and to disclose the findings of their
research (which will also cover the archives of related countries)
to international public.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Pleite fur Demo zu Armenier-Volkermord

Pleite fur Demo zu Armenier-Volkermord
Die TagesZeitung
.1/text
Vor einem Protestmarsch gegen die Verurteilung des Volkermords an
Armeniern seilen sich immer mehr Turken ab BERLIN taz “Nimm deine
Fahne, komm nach Berlin” – mit diesem Schlachtruf fordert die turkische
Bewegung “Großes Projekt 2006 – Die Luge zum Volkermord an Armeniern”
dazu auf, Schluss zu machen mit der “armenischen Genozid-Luge”
und “die Periode der Demut” zu beenden. Doch nun nehmen immer mehr
Organisatoren Abstand zu der Veranstaltung.
1915/1916 ermordeten turkische Soldaten bis zu eine Millionen
Armenier. Bis heute erkennt die Turkei die Tat nicht als Volkermord
an. “Großes Projekt 2006” will am Samstag gegen die internationale
Verurteilung des Massakers protestieren und zugleich an den Tod Talat
Paschas vor 85 Jahren erinnern.
Er gehorte als turkischer Innenminister zu den Organisatoren des
Massakers und wurde 1921 von einem Armenier in Berlin erschossen.
Die Turkische Gemeinde zu Berlin, die die Demonstration ursprunglich
beantragt hatte, distanzierte sich jetzt von der Veranstaltung. Obwohl
Celal Altun, Generalsekretar der Gemeinde, viele Ansichten der
Organisatoren teilt. “Der Vorwurf des Volkermordes wird von der
armenischen Diaspora in die Welt gesetzt, um Propaganda gegen die
Turkei zu machen”, sagt Altun. Der angebliche Genozid sei bis heute
nicht bewiesen. “Wir wollen keine ideologische Diskussion, sondern
eine sachliche Auseinandersetzung.”
Zu den Organisatoren gehort neben dem “Verband der Vereine zur
Forderung der Ideen Ataturks” auch die nationalistische turkische
Arbeiterpartei. Deren Vorsitzender drohte den Europaern, sie sollten
aufhoren, die Turkei des Genozids zu bezichtigen, “wenn sie nicht
wollen, dass ihre Stadte in Flammen stehen”.
Wegen dieser Hetze seilten sich nach und nach weitere Vereine
ab. Mahmut Askar von der Union der Turkisch-Islamischen Kulturvereine
in Europa (Atib), wird ebenfalls nicht mitmarschieren. “Wir befurchten,
dass die Veranstaltung instrumentalisiert wird”, sagt er. Denn die
turkischen Nationalisten fordern, dass die Turkei nicht mehr des
Volkermords an den Armeniern bezichtigt wird.
Der Atib sind eigenen Angaben zufolge uber 120 Vereine
angeschlossen. Der Dachverband ist wegen seines turkischen
Nationalismus bekannt, daher ist es umso verwunderlicher, dass er
sich von der Demonstration lossagt. “Wir wissen, dass es damals zu
menschlichen Verlusten kam”, sagt Askar. “Aber auch auf turkischer
Seite gab es Tote.”
Die Forderung nach der Rucknahme einer Bundestags-Resolution
unterstutzt Askar. Im letzten Jahr hatte der Bundestag die Turkei
zum offenen Dialog uber die Massaker an den Armeniern aufgefordert.
Dem von der Berliner Polizei geforderten Verbot der Demonstration gab
gestern das Oberverwaltungsgericht Berlin nicht statt. Allerdings
durfen die Nationalisten nur mit Einschrankungen demonstrieren:
Weder auf Transparenten oder anderen Wort- oder Schriftbeitragen
durfen sie den Volkermord an den Armeniern eine Luge nennen.
CIGDEM AKYOL taz Nr. 7925 vom 18.3.2006, Seite 6, 98 TAZ-Bericht
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Democratic Party Of Armenia Mourns For Milosevic

DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF ARMENIA MOURNS FOR MILOSEVIC
YEREVAN, MARCH 18. ARMINFO. “We had serious cooperation with Yugoslavia
and President Milosevic and it could bring fruits were it not for
the bloody final of the Yugoslavian state,” says the leader of the
opposition Democratic Party Aram Sargsyan.
In 1986 “representatives of one Armenian organization” attempted the
last vengeance against Turkish diplomats that ended in their arrest.
In 1989 when Milosevic was elected Yugoslavian President, he met with
an Armenian delegation who told him about the conflict and demanded
that the Armenians be set free. Milosevic showed them the door saying
that one can’t tell a president what he should do. But a week later
he ordered to set the prisoners free.
Sargsyan learned this story from Milosevic himself during a Belgrade
meeting of the Eurasian Socialist Congress, an organization set up
by the Socialist Party of Russia and uniting the Socialist parties
of Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Yugoslavia and the Democratic
party of Armenia and later Socialist parties from a number of Eastern
European countries and Spain. In 1997 Milosevic was elected to lead
the congress.
The very fact that he understood the problem shows what a person,
what a patriot he was, says Sargsyan. He witnessed a lot of injustice
against his people. The NATO operation against Yugoslavia claimed more
lives than all the previous conflicts in the Yugoslavian territory
did. Hundreds of thousands of Serbs from Bosnia and Kosovo became
refugees.
We were opponents of Levon Ter-Petrossyan, now we are in opposition
to Robert Kocharyan, but we must never act like Zoran Djindjic and
Vaislav Kostunica who handed over Milosevic to a foreign court,
says Sargsyan. Only people can decide if their leader is hero or tyrant

Azeris won’t resume hostilities, US official reportedly says in Arme

Azeris won’t resume hostilities, US official reportedly says in Armenia
Aykakan Zhamanak website, Yerevan
17 Mar 06
Excerpt from report by Armenian newspaper Aykakan Zhamanak website
on 17 March
US Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried organized a reception at
Armenia Marriott Hotel in Yerevan yesterday [16 March]. The Armenian
political elite was invited to it as well. At the beginning of the
reception, Fried asked the participants to keep their conversation
confidential. But in reality he said nothing secret.
This is what one of the participants said [in an interview with the
newspaper]: “He spoke about a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev, and said that he was sure Aliyev will not resume hostilities
because he is the most balanced politician unlike other Azerbaijani
politicians. Fried said that Aliyev’s bellicose statements were aimed
at domestic use. What Aliyev says during meetings with co-chairmen
[of the OSCE Minsk Group] is different from the statements he makes
in Azerbaijan, Fried pointed out.”
However, both Fried and [US co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group] Steven
Mann were trying to explain to the participants that the preservation
of a status-quo is not favourable for Armenia because of the growth
of Azerbaijan’s economy and budget, our interlocutor said.
Asked by [former head of the Armenian presidential administration]
Artashes Tumanyan whether Nagornyy Karabakh’s subordination [presumably
to the USA] is possible in the light of problems existing between
the USA and Iran, i.e. whether it is possible that the USA deploy
peacekeepers in close proximity to the Iranian border, Fried was
confused and said that it would be good, if Armenia had a good
neighbour [as published].
[Passage omitted: Armenian politicians were happy with organization
of the reception]

TEHRAN: Envoy rejects anti-Iran remarks voiced at Azeris conference

Envoy rejects anti-Iran remarks voiced at Azeris conference
IRNA website, Tehran
18 Mar 06
Baku, 18 March: Iran’s Ambassador to Baku Afshar Soleymani said here
Saturday [18 March] that the remarks of some anti-Iran individuals
at the second conference of the world Azeris is not to the interest
of bilateral relations.
Speaking to reporters, he dismissed the comments voiced against Iran
in an official meeting.
The Iranian diplomat said, “Such measures are not to the interest of
Azerbaijan, and will be detrimental to mutual ties.”
Warning against the irreparable losses which will be inflicted by
such moves if they are not prevented, he noted that such conferences,
during which comments against Iran are made, cannot be officially
recognized by the Iranian government.
He regretted that such remarks were voiced at an official conference in
Azerbaijan, despite the recent visit of President Mahmud Ahmadinezhad
to Naxcivan and his meeting with President Ilham Aliyev, which resulted
in signing several cooperation agreements and the beginning of gas
transfer from Iran to the Naxcivan Autonomous Republic.
“This is while since Azerbaijan’s independence Iran has always helped
it to strengthen its sovereignty. Besides the 70-million Iranian
nation and government have always supported this country,” he added.
He pointed to the historical, cultural and spiritual commonalties of
the two states as a good asset to be used to strengthen mutual ties.
Soleymani urged that Iran and Azerbaijan should use their spiritual
and religious commonalties to bolster mutual ties in various domains
without interfering in each other’s internal affairs.
Turning to Iran’s assistance to Azerbaijan in solving its problems
such as the difficulties facing the homeless and needy Azeri people,
setting up tents and refugee camps for the war victims during the
Karabakh conflict, he said that such approaches are unjustified.
In response to a question whether the US and Israel’s security services
took part in such measures, he said that they attempt overtly to
damage Iran-Azerbaijan relations in every possible way from.
Stressing that their hostile measures cannot be effective, he said
that mutual relations will further broaden according to the will of
the government and people of both states.
In an official meeting in Azerbaijan on Thursday, some hostile parties
brought up false and baseless issues against Iran leading to objections
by Iran’s embassy in Baku.

Huge crowds march in France against youth jobs law

Huge crowds march in France against youth jobs law
By Matthew Bigg and Kerstin Gehmlich
Reuters, UK
March 18 2006
PARIS (Reuters) – Huge crowds of students, trade unionists and
left-wing politicians took to the streets across France on Saturday
to press the conservative government to scrap a new law they fear
will erode job security for young workers.
Hundreds of thousands turned out in Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse,
Rennes and over 150 other cities and towns in a growing protest
movement that has created a serious crisis for Prime Minister Dominique
de Villepin.
The marches were mostly peaceful, but a few dozen youths overturned
and set fire to a car at the end of the main protest in Paris and
pelted police with missiles. Scattered violence was also reported in
Marseille and Rennes.
Organisers estimated the turnout nationwide at 1.3 to 1.4 million,
with up to 400,000 of them in Paris. The Interior Ministry counted
503,000 nationwide, with 80,000 in Paris.
The protesters demanded that Villepin withdraw a new youth job
contract, known as the CPE, which lets firms fire workers under 26
without explanation in their first two years on the job. He launched
it to spur reluctant employers to take on new staff.
In the western city of Rennes, students wore plastic garbage bags
with signs declaring: “I am disposable.”
“I risk working for two years for nothing, just to be fired at any
moment,” said Paris student Coralie Huvet, 20, who had “No to the CPE”
written on her forehead. Pointing to painted-on tears, she added:
“That’s depressing, that’s why I’m crying.”
Organisers, who decry the CPE as a “Kleenex contract” that lets young
workers be “thrown away like a paper tissue,” said they hoped to have
up to 1.5 million people out marching in the third national protest
in six weeks.
The Paris march began with students in front and workers behind,
but turned into a multi-generational mix including many parents who
accompanied their teenage children. Banners declared “No to throw-away
youths” and “Tired Of Being Squeezed Lemons.”
Opposition Socialist and Communist politicians also joined the protest,
only the third time in almost four decades — after 1968 and 1994 —
that students and workers marched together.
UNION LEADERS LOOK AHEAD
Union leaders, due to meet after the march to discuss future strategy,
threatened to keep up the pressure on the government with further
action next week.
“If they don’t listen to us we are going to have to think about moving
to a general strike across the whole country,” said Bernard Thibault,
head of the pro-Communist CGT union.
“We can’t hold back because the student movement will continue
and there could be some risks,” said teachers’ union head Gerard
Aschieri. “There should be a strike next week.”
Villepin, whose gamble on this unpopular contract could cost him his
chance to run for president next year, has pledged not to give in to
street pressure. At the same time, he hinted on Friday evening that
he could make some adjustments to the law.
Unemployment is the top political issue in France, where the national
average is 9.6 percent and youth joblessness is double that. The rate
rises to 40-50 percent in some of the poor suburbs hit by several
weeks of youth rioting last autumn.
In a bid to defuse the crisis, President Jacques Chirac said on Friday
the government was “ready for dialogue” on the law that critics say
must be withdrawn before any talks can start.
But the government has little room for manoeuvre without making major
concessions. An opinion poll published on Friday showed 68 percent of
French people oppose the law, a rise of 13 percentage points in a week.
The crisis has isolated Villepin politically at a time when his patron
Chirac is himself badly weakened. Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy,
Villepin’s main rival on the right, has stood back discreetly as the
prime minister’s troubles mount.
His only consolation is that the opposition Socialists are so split
that they hardly seem able to profit from the crisis.
In an opinion poll to be published on Sunday, Villepin dropped six
points to 37 percent popularity.
Violence broke out in Lyon when a march of about 2,500 Turks protesting
against a memorial to Armenian victims of a 1915 massacre in the then
Ottoman Empire crossed paths with the anti-CPE demonstrations.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

BAKU: Armenians instructed Azeri prisoner to blow up President’s rou

Armenians instructed Azeri prisoner to blow up President’s route
Today, Azerbaijan
March 18 2006
18 March 2006 [21:10] – Today.Az
As a result of counter-intelligence measures, it was proved that
junior sergeant of a military unit of Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry,
resident of Shamkir region Bakirov Ruslan Khagani, who has been in
Armenian captive from February 15 till May 7, 2005, had a secret
cooperation with Armenian intelligence services.
National Security Ministry informed APA that Ruslan Bakirov, who was
a team commander in the same military unit, was deceived by Armenians
and passed the enemy side together with soldiers under his command –
Abdullayev Khayal and Taghiyev Hikmat while they were standing guard
on February 15, 2005.
So, they deliberately deserted to the enemy acting against Azerbaijan’s
sovereignty, territorial integrity, state security as well as defense
ability.
Immediately after releasing from captive through mediation of the
International Committee of the Red Cross Bakirov acknowledges that
he acted in concert with Armenians.
However, the investigation found out that Bakirov’s initial testimony
was the part of the action preplanned by Armenia’s intelligence
service officers.
As a result of additional counter-intelligence measures, Bakirov
acknowledged the truth.
It turned out that, Armenian intelligence services bribed the
Azerbaijani prisoners Bakirov, Abdullayev and Taghiyev for secret
cooperation.
The Armenian intelligence services met with Bakirov for 7 times during
this period, and his involvement in secret cooperation was confirmed
by his own statement and video films. He was codenamed “Ramin” and
was promised to be given US $3000-4000 for going on each errand in
future by the Armenians.
An officer of Armenian intelligence service, who introduced himself
as Rudik, gave special instructions to Bakirov to blow up Azerbaijani
President’s route, Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Main Export Oil Pipeline,
gas pipelines, the Heydar Aliyev International Airport as well as
take photos of military-strategic establishments and send to Armenia
after returning to Azerbaijan.
Under October 7, 2005 decision of Azerbaijan’s Court Martial on Grave
Crimes, Bakirov and Abdullayev being accused under articles 274 (high
treason), 334.3 (deserting during war or in battle), 338.1(breaching
rules of standing guard in battle), 341.3 (abuse of powers during
war or in battle) of Criminal Code sentenced for 12 years in jail,
and Taghiyev being accused under articles 274, 334.3, 338.1 sentenced
for 11 years in jail.
URL:

French and Turkish protesters clash in demo crash

French and Turkish protesters clash in demo crash
Reuters AlertNet, UK
March 18 2006
Source: Reuters
LYON, France, March 18 (Reuters) – French youths protesting against
a new employment law ended up in an unexpected clash with Turks
demonstrating against an Armenian memorial when their separate marches
crossed paths in this eastern city on Saturday.
Riot police used water cannon to separate the two groups after
about 2,500 Turks opposed to the construction of a memorial in the
city centre to Armenian victims of a 1915 massacre attacked the
demonstrating youths, police said.
The Turks, waving Turkish flags and holding up posters saying “There
was no Armenian genocide,” reacted after youths denounced them as
“fascists” and yelled “go home!”, police said.
Both sides pelted each other with missiles and engaged in fist fights,
they said, adding that some youths protesting the employment law were
apparently of Armenian origin.
Turkey rejects charges that it massacred 1.5 million Armenians living
in the then Ottoman Empire in 1915.
Many of the survivors fled to France, which now has an influential
Armenian minority of about 300,000. After a long campaign by them,
the French parliament passed a bill in 1998 officially recognising
the killing as genocide.
The protest against the new employment law was one of many marches
across France on Saturday aimed at putting pressure on the Paris
government to withdraw the measure that allows employers to fire
workers under 26 more easily.
The conservative government introduced the law to encourage reluctant
employers to take on new staff and help combat unemployment, which
among young people is double the national average of 9.6 percent.

BAKU: Sergeant Cooperated with Armenian Intelligence Services to Blo

Sergeant Cooperated with Armenian Intelligence Services to Blow up Strategic Objects in Azerbaijan
Baku Today, Azerbaijan
March 18 2006
As a result of counter-intelligence measures, it was proved that
junior sergeant of a military unit of Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry,
resident of Shamkir region Bakirov Ruslan Khagani (born on 1985),
who has been in Armenian captive from February 15 till May 7, 2005,
had a secret cooperation with Armenian intelligence services.
The Azerbaijan’s National Security Ministry informed APA that
Ruslan Bakirov, who was a team commander in the same military unit,
was deceived by Armenians and passed the enemy side together with
soldiers under his command -Abdullayev Khayal Idris (born in 1986)
and Taghiyev Hikmat Adem (born in 1983) while they were standing
guard on February 15, 2005. So, they deliberately deserted to the
enemy acting against Azerbaijan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity,
state security as well as defense ability.
Immediately after releasing from captive through mediation of the
International Committee of the Red Cross Bakirov acknowledges that he
cooperated with Armenians. However, the investigation found out that
Bakirov’s initial testimony was the part of the action preplanned by
Armenia’s intelligence service officers. As a result of additional
counter-intelligence measures, Bakirov acknowledged the truth. It
turned out that, Armenian intelligence services bribed the Azerbaijani
prisoners Bakirov, Abdullayev and Taghiyev for secret cooperation. The
Armenian intelligence services met with Bakirov for 7 times during
this period, and his involvement in secret cooperation was confirmed
by his own statement and video films. He was nicknamed “Ramin” and
was promised to be given US $3000-4000 for going on each errand in
future by the Armenians.
An officer of Armenian intelligence service, who introduced himself
as Rudik, gave special instructions to Bakirov to blow up Azerbaijani
President’s route, Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Main Export Oil Pipeline,
gas pipelines, the Heydar Aliyev International Airport as well as
take photos of military-strategic establishments and send to Armenia
after returning to Azerbaijan.
Under October 7, 2005 decision of Azerbaijan’s Court Martial on Grave
Crimes, Bakirov and Abdullayev being accused under articles 274 (high
treason), 334.3 (deserting during war or in battle), 338.1(breaching
rules of standing guard in battle), 341.3 (abuse of powers during
war or in battle) of Criminal Code sentenced for 12 years in jail,
and Taghiyev being accused under articles 274, 334.3, 338.1 sentenced
for 11 years in jail.