IRANIAN EMBASSY SAYS USA, ISRAEL BEHIND AZERI COUP ALLEGATIONS

Turan News Agency, Azerbaijan
December 17, 2007 Monday

Baku, 17 December: The report broadcast by the first channel of state
television [AzTV] about the exposure of a group of radical extremists
who plotted with the help of Iranian special services to seize power in
Azerbaijan has caused a harsh reaction of Tehran. To all appearances,
the Iranian authorities are seriously "offended" and are not going to
put up with the allegations. This is corroborated by today’s statement
of the Iranian embassy in Baku which describes the allegations as a
"comedy" whose scenario had been written with the involvement of the
USA and Israel.

Without hiding its irony, the embassy says it believes that
Azerbaijan’s senior leadership has nothing to do with this
provocation. "It is more likely to have been done by the low-ranking
elements in the government who wrote the scenario taking dictation
from the USA and Israel," the statement says.

The document also notes that "the documentary about Said’s group" was
broadcast on several TV channels, which points to a political order.

The purpose of the order could be attempts to divert the public
attention from the Karabakh conflict, involve Azerbaijan in the orbit
of the US policy on Iran, equate Shi’ism with terrorism, create a
psychological atmosphere corresponding to the negative attitude of
the West to Islam and prevent the simplification of border crossing
procedures for Azerbaijani and Iranian citizens.

As to the "terrorists", the Iranian embassy describes their testimonies
as "ridiculous" and "amateurish". "Allegations about a 15-member
group plotting a coup is a clear insult to the Azerbaijani state,"
the statement says. Finally, the document expresses the hope that
Azerbaijan’s state agencies will take the necessary measures to prevent
in the future actions that inflict serious damage to relations between
the two countries.

A group of 15 young men, who the National Security Ministry said had
been recruited by the Iranian military group Sepah [Islamic Revolution
Guards Corps] and plotted an armed coup in Azerbaijan, were recently
unmasked and convicted.