Azerbaijan ready for war with Armenia

TDN
Saturday, June 24, 2006

BAKU – AFP — International mediation over the disputed Nagorno
Karabakh enclave is "hopeless," oil-rich Azerbaijan’s President
Ilham Aliyev said, vowing to retake it by "peaceful means or by war,"
in a speech to the military on Friday.

Aliyev, who’s country fought its neighbour and fellow former Soviet
republic Armenia over control of the majority-Armenian enclave in
Azerbaijani territory from 1988 to 1994, also said he would use oil
revenues to beef up the military.

Oil will bring Azerbaijan 140 billion dollars over the next two
decades, Aliyev said and "there is no doubt we will use this money
to strengthen the army so that it can return our lands at any moment."

The president said international efforts to mediate the conflict were
"hopeless" and Azerbaijan was willing only to negotiate the restoration
of its full control over Karabakh.

Aliyev was speaking at a graduation ceremony of cadets at Azerbaijan’s
highest military academy, named in honor of his father Haydar Aliyev
whom the younger Aliyev succeeded as president in 2003.