USA BUILDING RADAR STATION IN ARMENIAN CAPITAL – AZERI DAILY
Yeni Musavat, Baku
13 Mar 06
Excerpt from report by Kanan in Azerbaijani newspaper Yeni Musavat
on 13 March headlined “Armenia’s military and political line remains
unchanged” and subheaded “An expert says this country is not expected
to become pro-Western in the near future”
A radar station is being built on the territory of the US embassy
in Armenia. Reports on the matter say that the construction is
already under way on the six-hectare area which has been allocated
for the US embassy in the capital Yerevan. The reports also say that
Russia has got angry at the Armenian leadership’s consent to this
construction. Considering this facility to be a threat to itself,
the Russian leadership has been exerting pressure on the [Armenian
President Robert] Kocharyan government.
The construction of the military facility in the Armenian capital
by the USA is a demonstration of this country’s increased pressure
on Armenia. At the same time, this fact can be described as another
stage in the policy of freeing Armenia from Russia’s claws. We wonder
whether the political orientation of Armenia, Russia’s outpost in
the Caucasus, can change.
Political scientist Rasim Musabayov believes that the US government
does not rely on the Armenian defence systems, and that is why,
it may create a minor defence system to defend its embassy in
Armenia. But this system is unlikely to have major capacity:
“The construction of the radar station on the territory of the US
embassy may have some intelligence purposes. But it cannot be for air
defence purposes. Even if they get this capacity, this [air defence]
is possible only locally. Probably, the US embassy does not rely on
Russians’ air defence of the Armenian territory and builds this station
to defend the embassy. But this does not mean that the station that
will be built on the territory of the embassy can replace Russia’s
air defence facilities.”
[Passage omitted: Musabayov says Armenia’s foreign policy unlikely
to change]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress