THE AZERBAIJANI SIDE MUST DEAL A SEVERE REBUFF TO THE ENEMY
Day.Az
March 5 2008
Azerbaijan
Counter-terrorist operation
[Correspondent] What can you say about yesterday’s clash on the
contact line?
[Cafarov] If you do not hit, you will be hit. When it became known that
Kurdish militants were being deployed on the occupied territories,
Azerbaijan had to carry out a counter-terrorist operation. Today,
when the domestic politicalsituation in Armenia has reached its peak,
the Armenian authorities have provoked a military confrontation at
thecontact line in order to shift the public’s attention from domestic
political processes to the front line.
Itshould be pointed out that in yesterday’s clash the sides did not
use heavy equipment and artillery. The Armenianside used machine
guns and grenade throwers to quite a considerable extent, conducting
sustained fire on Azerbaijanipositions.
Both sides have sustained losses, but this doesn’t mean that the
enemy has been given a fitting response. TheAzerbaijani side must
deal a severe rebuff to the enemy. Moreover, the command must also
take into consideration thefact that the Armenian side usually
steps up its activities during March in connection with the Novruz
festivities. Sucha situation occurred a few years ago when the
Azerbaijani armed forces occupied several enemy heights in the
Qazaxarea.
[Correspondent] How can a counter-terrorist operation be carried out
if Armenian armed formations are deployed on theoccupied Azerbaijani
territories?
[Cafarov] Azerbaijan has sufficient power to conduct a
counter-terrorist operation. It doesn’t have to engage inan open
attack. All it had to do was to send a reconnaissance and sabotage
group to the areas where Kurdish militantbases are located. It could
also have inflicted precision strikes on militant bases because
Azerbaijan has preciseinformation about their deployment area. The
Israeli special services have provided the Azerbaijani authorities
withphotographs of the location of Kurdish militant bases.
The leading powers, in particular the US, have condemned the deployment
of terrorists in Nagornyy Karabakh. This has given Azerbaijan the
right to carry out a counter-terrorist operation.
Open confrontation "unrealistic"
[Correspondent] How realistic is an open military confrontation at
this moment in time?
[Cafarov] It is quite unrealistic. I do not believe that the
clash will continue. What happened today was aimed atpacifying the
domestic political situation in Armenia. Official Yerevan, taking
into consideration the difficultsituation, will not risk anything by
intensifying the clash. And the Azerbaijani side will not be allowed
to switch toan aggressive military operation. The most the Azerbaijani
side can do is to force the enemy to sustain losses inmanpower.
[Correspondent] Do you think the Azerbaijani armed forces will be
able to take advantage of the situation, to switch to a counter-attack
and win back the commanding positions from the enemy?
[Cafarov] There is no logic in that. Why switch to an offensive to
capture commanding heights? If only it had been a matter of liberating
occupied villages and districts. The dominating heights have for a
long time been occupied first byone side then the other.
Engineering works have been carried out to strengthen them. And there
is no point in capturing them. In recent years the positions of the
sides have been redeployed several times. Positions are being changed
all thetime.
[Correspondent] Can you say what will be the reaction of international
organizations, in particular, the Minsk group of the OSCE [Organization
of Security and Cooperation in Europe] to this incident?
[Cafarov] The personal representative of the OSCE Andrzej Kasprzyk,
who is monitoring the contact line, alwaysreports that no incidents
have been recorded. And that will be his reaction this time, too. One
cannot expect anyspecial statements from international organizations.
[Correspondent] How combat-effective is the Armenian army today?
[Cafarov] It is difficult to answer that question. An army’s combat
effectiveness is decided during combatoperations, which have not
happened for the past 14 years. In the personnel and materiel sense,
the Azerbaijani side is much superior to the Armenian armed forces.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
