PRAVDA
04/13/2005

USA plans to expand military presence in Azerbaijan to strike Iran

The Pentagon wishes Russia shows no protest against the US military presence
in Asian republics of the former USSR
US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld visited Azerbaijan (an Asian republic
of the former USSR) on Tuesday, April 12th. It became Rumsfeld’s second
visit to the republic in four months – that is why it can hardly be treated
as a formal visit of no particular importance.
One may probably distinguish two major reasons, which make the US
administration develop active cooperation with the regime of the incumbent
Azeri President, Ilkham Aliyev. It is worth mentioning, though, that Mr.
Aliyev does not match the “democratic standards” of the US Department of
State. The first reason includes the transportation of the Caspian oil and
the security of the Baku-Tbilisi- Ceyhan oil pipeline, which is directly
connected with Mr. Rumsfeld’s department. Secondly, the USA is interested in
establishing mobile army bases on the territory of Azerbaijan, which is
stipulated in the plan to re-deploy US troops in Europe and Asia.
As for the oil pipeline is concerned, there has been a certain plan
elaborated for the implementation of security measures. The USA is ready to
assign not less than $100 million during the coming ten years for the
development of the so-called Caspian Guard (founded in the autumn of 2003).
Guaranteeing security to the pipeline, which is currently undergoing the
construction process, will be the prime goal of the Caspian Guard.
According to Wall Street Journal, the Caspian Guard will represent a network
of police detachments and special military units in the Caspian region.
These troops will be capable of showing efficient reaction to states of
emergency, including attacks against oil objects. The European command of
the Defense Department in Stuttgart, Germany, coordinates the efforts of
various departments and provides the training for military men to defend the
new pipeline. The pipeline system will enable the transportation of oil from
the Caspian Sea via the Caucasus to the Turkish port of Ceyhan. The system
is said to be put into operation during the current year. The radar-equipped
command center in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, will also be included in
the Caspian Guard. The center will give the Azeri government an opportunity
to monitor sea traffic in oil areas of the Caspian Sea. The Guard will also
assist in the struggle against the smuggling of arms and drugs, Colonel Mike
Anderson, the European Division Chief of the Plans and Policy Directorate
said.
Judging upon the views of the Azeri government, the second point of
Rumsfeld’s program in Azerbaijan (about the deployment of mobile army bases)
will apparently lead to no problems either. According to the Echo newspaper
(Baku), Donald Rumsfeld will coordinate certain dates for such mobile groups
to appear in Azerbaijan. Rumsfeld will settle the time issue with the
president and the defense minister of Azerbaijan. Azeri experts believe that
the question will be solved within several weeks. It is noteworthy that
spokespeople for the US Department of Defense say that the Pentagon
apparently wishes to use only runways and sea ports, at which small groups
of US military men will guard ammunition depots.
A lot of experts in Azerbaijan estimate the cooperation between Baku and
Washington against the background of intense relations between the USA and
Iran. The US government has supposedly been trying to talk the government of
Azerbaijan into close cooperation on the matter. The USA is interested is
airbases, from which it would be good to strike targets in Iran. Azerbaijan
does not have anything against such cooperation: it is afraid of the Iranian
ambition, especially when it comes to resources of the Caspian Sea.
All events, which happen in the Caspian region, touch upon Russia’s
interests directly. One has to acknowledge, though, that Moscow’s position
regarding the expanding military cooperation between the USA and Azerbaijan
remains indistinct. On the one hand, Russia has always been against the US
military presence in the Caucasus. On the other hand, such objections were
generally made about Georgia. At any rate, Russia is not showing any
vestiges of active resistance. Probably, there is nothing fatal about it.
However, if Russia were tougher as far as the protection of its interests is
concerned, US European Commande deputy commander Charles Wald would not
release such statements, which he made at the end of February. Wald said
that the Pentagon wished Russia did not protest against the US military
presence in Azerbaijan and Georgia.
Vasily Bubnov