Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
November 22, 2004, Monday
U.S. SOLDIERS LANDED IN AZERBAIJAN
SOURCE: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, November 16, 2004, pp. 1, 5
by Rauf Mirkadyrov
An Azerbaijani newspaper has reported lately that over 50 NATO
servicemen, mainly U.S. soldiers, have been stationed in the training
center in Chukhanly (Saliany district, Azerbaijan). According to the
newspaper, since 2005 the Americans intend to carry out a program in
Azerbaijan similar to the Train & Equip program held in Georgia.
Ilgar Verdiyev, an official of the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry
confirmed this information to journalists but said that foreign
servicemen arrive in Azerbaijan only to take part in specific
projects on the implementation of NATO-led Partnership for Peace
program. In his words, various courses in the framework of this
program are often held in the Chukhanly training center. “These are
the language courses, courses on introduction of NATO terminology,
arranging the peacekeeping activities,” Verdiyev said.
However, Ramaz Melikov, press secretary of the Azerbaijani Defense
Ministry flatly denied this report and said he has no information
that the U.S. instructors are training Azerbaijani servicemen.
At the same time, Alimamed Nuriyev, member of the standing
parliamentary defense and security commission indirectly confirmed
the rumors concerning arrival of the U.S. servicemen: “No wonder that
the Americans are training our servicemen. It is not a secret that
Americans are using our military airfields for transit purposes after
the hostilities have been launched in Afghanistan and Iraq. It is the
fact that is commonly omitted.”
Araz Azimov, deputy defense minister of Azerbaijan doesn’t rule out
that U.S. mobile forces may appear in the country. “In the future,
Azerbaijan may be involved in rapid response NATO-led operations,
since new challenges require flexible and immediate response. Under
conditions of globalization, development of any crisis requires an
immediate response,” Azimov said.
Azerbaijani analysts draw attention to the formulation “any crisis.”
In opinion of Uzeir Dzhafarov, an independent military expert and
former ranking Defense Ministry official, cooperation between Baku
and NATO has exceeded the framework of Partnership for Peace program
long ago. He told our reporter that the information concerning the
cooperation is confidential: “neither the Defense Ministry, nor NATO
officials are trying to say anything concerning this fact.” The
expert reminded that NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer
said when in Baku of late that Azerbaijan has already received its
“homework.” According to Dzhafarov, preparations for implementation
of a program similar to Train & Equip program conducted in Georgia is
underway in Azerbaijan now; the program is likely to be launched in
2005. Used for these purposes could be the “military training ground
in Garaiebat, in the vicinity of Baku, as well as the Chukhanly
training center in Saliany. They satisfy NATO standards.” Dzhafarov
says that dozens of U.S. servicemen are already in the country.
Almost all independent Azerbaijani media are discussing reports
issued by the foreign media that Baku and Washington are involved in
consultations concerning the use of Azerbaijan’s territory to deliver
a strike on Iran. Referring to military sources, some media are even
publishing scenarios of the future military operations.
According to Azer Rashidoglu, an expert at the East-West Center of
Political Studies, an assumption is possible now that all almost EU
member states will be opposed to an anti-Iranian military campaign.
Besides, Azerbaijan will unavoidably spoil its relations with Turkey,
which is its closest regional partner. “No less than Europe Turkey is
dependent of supplies of energy resources from Iran. Moreover, Ankara
is not concerned for appearance of another pesthole of the armed
Kurdish separatism by its borderline,” the expert told our newspaper.
Washington might hypothetically use the territory of Armenia, Syria,
Iraq, Afghanistan and Azerbaijan as a land bridgehead for
intervention. Armenia and Syria could be eliminated from this list
immediately. At the same time, neither Iraq, nor Afghanistan, which
are engaged in the guerrilla war, make a reliable rear.
Azerbaijani military experts conclude that the USA may only regard
Azerbaijan as a reliable bridgehead for intervention in Iran.
Independent military expert Dzhasur Mamedov told us: “Noteworthy is
the register of military objects in which the Americans have either
been stationed, or are to be stationed. These are primarily Chukhanly
and Nasosny settlements in the vicinity of Baku; both of them are
close to military airfields, which have been upgraded of late; the
airfields are prepared to deliver air strikes on Iran. Besides,
reports have emerged of late that the Americans have plans to station
TRML-3D air defense radar stations in Azerbaijan. It is clear that in
case they deliver strikes on Iran, the Americans can hardly hope to
get the required data from the Gabala radar installation,” the expert
says.
At the same time, Mamedov stressed, the Chukhanly military base has
an entrance to the Caspian Sea. The Americans have already begun
upgrading the Azerbaijani navy. According to the expert, the
Chukhanly base has a suitable location from the operative point of
view. “This base is in a stone’s throw from the Iranian border,”
Mamedov noted.
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