KHANKENDI PROMISES TO "DOWN TRESPASSERS"
Translated by Pavel Pushkin

Source: Echo (Baku), April 18, 2007, p. EV
Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
April 23, 2007 Monday

What is the new surge of belligerent rhetoric connected?

Defense Ministry Of Nagorno-Karabakh Is Prepared To Stop Any Breach
Of The Airspace Of The Self-Proclaimed Republic;

In case of breaching the airspace of the Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic, the air defense forces of the republic can destroy any
trespasser. Lieutenant Colonel Senor Asratyan, director of the PR
service of the Defense Ministry of the self-proclaimed republic,
released this belligerent statement.

Asratyan stated that the combat readiness of the air defense forces
of Nagorno-Karabakh is on a high level. He emphasized: "Now, as during
the years of war, when we have destroyed about 25 Azerbaijani military
airplanes and helicopters, we are prepared for parrying any attack
of the Azerbaijani air force."

In case of breaching the airspace of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic,
the air defense forces of the republic can destroy any trespasser.

Lieutenant Colonel Senor Asratyan, director of the PR service of
the Defense Ministry of the self-proclaimed republic, released this
belligerent statement. Asratyan stated that the combat readiness of
the air defense forces of Nagorno-Karabakh is on a high level. He
emphasized: "Now, as during the years of war, when we have destroyed
about 25 Azerbaijani military airplanes and helicopters, we are
prepared for parrying any attack of the Azerbaijani air force."

Asratyan adds that Azerbaijani airplanes perform training flights at a
distance of 30-35 kilometers from the border of the Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic and this is registered by the air defense forces of the
republic.

According to the majority of experts, these loud statements of
Asratyan represent a response to demonstrations of new MiGs purchased
by Azerbaijan in the Ukraine and statements of the Azerbaijani Defense
Ministry that at 3.30 pm on April 13, airplanes of the Azerbaijani
air force performed flights above the frontline in the Agdam area
and conducted exercises above the territory controlled by Armenians,
which was observed by residents of the villages near the frontline.

Another thing is clear too. Back in the middle of the 1990s,
Nagorno-Karabakh established an air defense system with the active
assistance of Russia. It is based on the Shilka systems, missile
systems Kub, Krug and more powerful Osa. There were also Igla and
Strela portable air defense missile systems that were later dubbed
an "ideal weapon for terrorists." Air defense missile systems S-125
were added to them later. Besides, Armenia operates much more modern
systems and is waiting for supplies of Russian S-300. Since spring
of 2006, the Internet mass media started publishing the opinions of
Armenian specialists saying that in case of a war, the "efficiency
of using Azerbaijani combat aviation will be reduced dramatically
by the presence of a layered air defense system in Armenia and
Nagorno-Karabakh including long-range and medium-range air defense
missile systems (S-125, S-75, Kub), close-range air defense artillery
systems and portable air defense missile systems (Osa, SZU-23-4,
Igla, Strela). The supply of new missile systems to Armenian air
defense forces is also expected."

Against this background, the report of the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry
about training flights above the occupied territories contradicts
the former rhetoric in the style of "our sky is locked."

This circumstance raises quite understandable feelings in residents
of Nagorno-Karabakh for whom this is not a matter of prestige but
security. Besides, the self-proclaimed republic is also preparing for
the election of a new president and the boiling of political passions
there has already reached its apogee. Along with this, incumbent
leaders of separatists in Khankendi understand that security is a
political product for which there is always a demand.

One way or another, the statements of Asratyan are evidently not the
best way to calm the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh. It is possible
that after the belligerent rhetoric fails, Nagorno-Karabakh may turn
from words to deeds. This is already a step towards a war, which has
always been a method of solving internal political problems for such
military occupational regimes.