AZG Armenian Daily #065, 14/04/2005

Region

ALIYEV PREFERS RUMSFELD RATHER THAN MUSHARRAF

Parliamentarians Condemn Activities of Harnish

Donald Rumsfeld, US Defence Secretary, arrived in Azerbaijan from Iraq on
April 12. The Wall Street Journal wrote that the American are greatly
interested in the Caspian oil and Washington pays special attention to the
regions rich in oil.

“In the course of the coming decade the US is going to spend $100 million on
the Caspian guards, the police network and the special detachments to
repulse the attack on the oil objects,” The Wall Street Journal wrote.

The newspaper noted that the Commanders of the US Air Forces located in the
German Stuttgart city coordinates the efforts of different departments and
trains soldiers that are to protect Baku-Tbilisi-Jehyan oil pipeline.
General Michael Anderson, coordinator of political issues of the US European
Commanders, stated that in 2003 the Baku Commander’s Office will also be
included in the created Caspian guards. The Baku Commanders’ Office will
have radar systems at their disposal that will help them watch the
navigation in the Caspian Sea, as well as trafficking of the drugs and arms.

The details of Rumsfeld’s unexpected visit to Baku are not known. According
to the poor information of the Azeri press, it is envisaged that he will
meet with President Ilham Aliyev, foreign minister Elmar Mamediarov and
defense minister Safar Abiyev. It’s already obvious that Aliyev-Rumsfeld
meeting will not take place, as the Azeri President paid an official visit
to Pakistan to discuss the Azeri-Pakistani relations, as well as the Nagorno
Karabakh and Kashmir issues with Pervez Musharraf.

Azeri reporter of the Moscow Nezavisimaya Gazeta wrote that the location of
the US and NATO forces in Azerbaijan will avert any revolutions in this
South Caucasus republic. “In fact, the Azeri authorities face the
alternative to either giving consent to the location of the US and NATO
forces in Azerbaijan or to deal with another “colorful” revolution in
autumn.”

This is the third visit of Aliyev to Pakistan this year. If the Azeri
political experts as well as the pro-governmental press keep stating that
the main goal of Rumsfeld’s visit to Baku is to call for the Baku
authorities to settle the issue of locating the US forces as soon as
possible, the official Baku continues denying any possibility of the
location of the American forces in the country. The Azeri authorities state
that the regulation of the country’s national security definitely forbids
the location of foreign military bases in the territory of the republic.

Nezavisimaya Gazeta reminded that the Gaballah Radar Station is situated in
Azerbaijan, and, if it was possible to violate the regulation in the case of
Russia, why shouldn’t they do that in case of the US, particularly, if the
American are time after time threatening Baku with another “colorful”
revolution.

525 Gazet noted that Charles Wald, deputy commander of the US forces in
Europe, visited Baku. “The military-political interests of the US are not
the only reason for Rumsfeld’s visit. It is not excluded that he is carrying
out a certain political mission conditioned with the attention to the
strengthening of democracy,” the newspaper wrote, adding that in the issue
of democracy the US is most likely to exercise pressure on Baku, though it
irritates the Azeri authorities.

While Ilham Aliyev evades meeting with Rumsfeld, the Azeri parliamentarians
strictly criticize activities of Rino Harnish, US ambassador to Azerbaijan,
accusing him of interfering with the home affairs of the country. Recently,
Harnish visited the regions of the country and met with the opposition
representatives.

“Azerbaijan is no Iraq for the US, to do whatever they wish there,” Jahid
Oruj, Azeri MP said. Ali Ahmedov, deputy chairman of Yeni Azerbaijan party,
said that the Azeri officials should demand from Harnish to explain his
actions.

The explanation of Murtuz Alekserov, chairman of the Azeri parliament, was
the most interesting. Turan agency informed that he said that the
authorities will allow no power shift. “We will allow no power shift. The
“velvet” revolution took place in Azerbaijan in 1993, when Heydar Aliyev
came to power,” Alekserov said.

By Tatoul Hakobian

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress