AZERI MP ACCUSES ARMENIAN LEADERS OF ACTING LIKE "TERRORISTS"
Day.az website, Baku
26 Jun 07
The Azerbaijani Milli Maclis [parliament] MP Anar Mammadxanov has
accused the Armenian leaders of behaving like "common terrorists"
and backed Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s call for political,
economic and diplomatic attacks against Armenia. In an interview
published on a web site he also poured scorn on Armenian Foreign
Minister Vardan Oskanyan, describing him as a "buffoon" for
his "illogical" remarks about resolving the Nagornyy Karabakh
dispute. Further criticism was heaped on the Minsk Group of the
OSCE which had proved incapable of finding a solution to the Karabakh
issue. The following is the text of his interview with Day.az entitled:
"Anar Mammadxanov: ‘We are now much closer to war than peace’",
published on the Day.az website on 26 June; subheadings have been
inserted editorially:
[Correspondent] Anar muallim [mode of address], would you like to
comment on the recent statement by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev
who said that we must attack Armenia in all directions economic,
political, diplomatic and propaganda?
Azeri president’s statement
[Mammadxanov] Of course, I totally agree with what President Aliyev
says.
There is no doubt that the Armenian leadership is not just
demonstrating an unconstructive position at the talks on a settlement
to the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagornyy Karabakh, but has
now switched to a policy of lies and ridiculous statements. Believe
me, when we listened to statements in the past by the Armenian Foreign
Minister Vardan Oskanyan we realized that we were faced by an enemy,
but one who was smart and intelligent and had his own views on how
to resolve the conflict. Now there has been a transformation and
Oskanyan has turned into a political buffoon who merely amuses us
with his funny, illogical and at times simply false statements. One
only has to recall his ridiculous and false claim that Armenia will
extract hydrocarbons from an Azerbaijani pipeline. I would like,
therefore, to propose a minute’s silence in memory of the passing of
a once intelligent man.
One could even hold a memorial service to the whole of the Armenian
leadership who, having forgotten about elementary political culture
and that we live at a time of high technology where the truth simply
cannot be suppressed, continues to make a fool of its own people by
making populist statements and demonstrating its political nakedness
to the whole world.
They have simply nothing with which to cover up their shame. The world
is beginning to understand this more and more and this is leading to
a strengthening in Azerbaijan’s position. And we must strengthen our
positions and attack Armenia in all directions, as President Aliyev
said in his speech.
[Correspondent] Are you happy with the position of the Minsk Group
of the OSCE [Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe]
which has set itself up as an intermediary to settle the Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict, but is more and more often declaring its inability
to find a just settlement?
Criticism of Minsk Group
[Mammadxanov] Of course, I am not at all happy at the position
of the Minsk group. It seems to me that a great many political
experts and diplomats in our country could come out with similar
statements. Indeed, one is surprised to say the least by the position
of these political barnstormers, who instead of doing something
positive to put pressure on Armenia and its destructive position
are making intelligent facial expressions forgetting that [?French
film-maker Jean-Pierre] Gorin once said that an intelligent facial
expression is not a sign of intelligence and the most stupid things
in the world have been done wearing precisely this facial expression.
The exhortations of the co-chairmen of the Minsk group who are
proposing that Armenia and Azerbaijan should resolve the Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict by themselves sound particularly strange. In that
case what was the point of setting up a structure which at the end
of the day admits its own powerlessness in carrying out the duties
which they themselves bestowed upon them?!
And here’s another thing. The people of Azerbaijan have never seen a
specific plan for a settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict
around Nagornyy Karabakh from the Minsk Group. All we hear about are
some mythical "new ideas and initiatives" from this organization.
In this connection, I am personally starting to come to the conclusion
that the co-chairmen of the Minsk Group say one thing in Baku and
another in Yerevan, putting out arguments in both countries which suit
whichever side they are in at the time, playing a dirty political game.
Also illogical, in my view, are the arguments of the co-chairmen of
the Minsk Group when they say it is impossible to put pressure on
the Armenian leaders with presidential elections coming up in that
country. Even someone who knows nothing at all about geopolitics
can see that it is precisely during the period of an election,
i.e. a period when the leadership of a country is prepared to make
concessions for the sake of staying in power, that pressure should be
put on the Armenian leadership to force it to restore justice in the
question of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict around Nagornyy Karabakh.
Besides, as far as I recall, the Minsk Group is not a body that
is responsible for internal and external stability in Armenia, and
therefore to hear such talk is, to say the least, surprising.
[Correspondent] Let’s go back to our Armenians. It was precisely
a combination of political, economic, diplomatic and propaganda
pressure from the US which led to the collapse of the USSR. Why does
the Armenian leadership not learn the lessons of history?
"Terrorists" in Armenian leadership
[Mammadxanov] I would start by saying that this would be the time
to recall the words of [Secretary General of Council of Europe]
Terry Davis, who said that the Armenian leadership, which takes
up such a destructive position over a settlement to the Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict, should start to think about the future of its
children and grandchildren. Why does it not think about its future
generations? The answer to this question is simple and sad for the
Armenian people who have become hostage to the situation and their own
impotence. The point is that right now there are common terrorists
in the Armenian leadership and not people who advocate a political
methodology of running the country and solving conflict situations
with neighbouring states.
You only have to recall how those terrorists who try to get money
and a safe flight from the scene of their crime in exchange for
hostages operate. It is precisely to this kind of blackmail that
the Armenian leadership is resorting, and instead of discussing
specific proposals by the Azerbaijani leadership and listening to the
persistent advice of influential organizations and their leaders,
it is gambling on the primordial Azerbaijani territories that are
under Armenian occupation. Terrorism, as an ideology of the present
Armenian leadership, was also seen in the events of October 1999
when members of the Armenian parliament, headed by Karen Demirchyan
and Vazgen Sarkisyan, were shot. This is [Armenian President] Robert
Kocharyan’s political philosophy. He makes it perfectly clear that
Armenian politicians who do not agree with the views of the Armenian
terrorists who have fought their way into power, await death in the
Poplavok restaurant [in Yerevan]. And it is a tragedy of the Armenian
people that they are in submission to these terrorists.
[Correspondent] Let me put the question another way. What counter
measures can Armenia offer in response to Azerbaijan’s growing
economic influence?
[Mammadxanov] If we are talking about legal methods proceeding from
the generally accepted political-economic philosophy of waging war and
negotiations, then the Armenian leadership has not been left with any
mechanisms of countering Azerbaijan’s growing influence in the world.
Only one thing is left either to continue with the philosophy of the
terrorists which consists of trying to get concessions out of official
Baku over the question of the status of Nagornyy Karabakh by gambling
on the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, or to switch to specific
terrorist activities through sabotage, terrorist acts and other inhuman
activities which are normal for the present Armenian leadership.
But they will achieve neither one nor the other: Azerbaijan will
never agree to losing Nagornyy Karabakh, and our National Security
Ministry is prepared for any terrorist acts from the Armenians.
[Correspondent] You have mentioned more than once that there are
currently terrorists in the Armenian leadership. Of course, the
world community is also aware of this, just as it knows that there
is a well-known terrorist organization called ASALA [Armenian Secret
Army for the Liberation of Armenia] in Armenia and that there are
memorials to such well-known terrorists as Monte Melkonyan being set
up in Armenia. Why does it stay silent and not put proper pressure
on that country?
World should be told truth about Armenian leaders
[Mammadxanov] This would be a good time to return to the appeal
mentioned earlier by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev who called
for Armenia to be attacked in all directions. And it is very important
to make the world public and the world media aware of the whole truth
about who is currently running Armenia and with whom they are proposing
that the Azerbaijani leadership should reach agreement.
All of us should use every opportunity to tell the whole world the
truth and to remind the world about how dear a price it once paid
when it allowed the Nazis and the terrorists led by Adolf Hitler to
come to power and strengthen their positions. We must tell the world
the truth about the genocide of the Azerbaijanis at Xocali [in 1992]
and to point out that the present Armenian leadership was involved
in this inhuman act. Azerbaijan’s prestige and respect in the world
is growing from day to day and the links of our political experts,
representatives of non-governmental organizations, MPs and journalists
are broadening.
If we pool our efforts this will undoubtedly lead to a situation
where the world will be able to see with horror the true face of
Armenian terrorism.
And this will become another victory for Azerbaijan which will draw
all of us closer to the return of our own Nagornyy Karabakh.
[Correspondent] To sum up what we have been talking about, can we
expect that Azerbaijan’s superiority over Armenia, which still exists
and is increasing every year in the economic, diplomatic, propaganda
and military spheres will in the near future lead to the liberation
of our country’s territory now under enemy occupation?
[Mammadxanov] I will begin by saying that we are now much closer to
war than peace. And the reason for that is the destructive position
of the Armenian leadership. Undoubtedly, Azerbaijan’s superiority
over Armenia, which still exists and is increasing every year, is
definitely being transformed into the overwhelming superiority of
our army over the Armenian army.
We must understand that war is a very real thing and to prepare for
it. No, it will not be an easy stroll, but there is no way that Armenia
can stand up to Azerbaijan. Things will be even more distressing
for them in the future and I am sure that all these advantages over
Armenia will lead Azerbaijan to a successful anti-terrorist operation
to restore our territorial integrity and one which will be met with
understanding all over the world.