NKR MFA: AZERBAIJAN KEEPS ON GAMBLING THE "KHODJALU" TOPIC

armradio.am
16.02.2009 14:23

"The traditional anti-Armenian campaign connected with the events of
1992 in Khodjalu settlement begins in Azerbaijan. At that, the official
Azerbaijani propaganda does not disdain to use any methods and means
to display the Armenian side as a party responsible for the tragedy
and to inject another portion of poison of Armenian phobia into the
consciousness of the international community and the consciousness
of its own people.

Moreover, Baku goes on circulating the already unmasked frauds,"
reads the statement released by the Press Office of the NKA Ministry
of Foreign Affairs.

"Thus, last year the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic drew the public’s attention to a forged
photograph exposed in a number of Azerbaijani websites, including
the website of "Heydar Aliyev Foundation," which is very respectable
in Azerbaijan. It has been mentioned that the propaganda machine
of the neighboring republic tries to use the fact that besides
a great number of corpses of civilians in the foreground of the
photograph, outskirts of a settlement are seen in the background,
which, in principle, should add verisimilitude to Baku’s version on
mass killings of Azerbaijanis in Khodjalu. Meanwhile, color version
of the above-mentioned photograph absolutely refutes it, namely the
faces of th e deceased, their garments, etc. In fact, this photograph
is directly connected with the events in Kosovo. Namely as that the
photograph along with a great number of the others was exhibited
in one Serbian, one Albanian, and in one specialized German forum,
in internet-page of reputable edition "New York Times" etc.

However, the mentioned undisguised fraud still remains in a number
of Azerbaijani sites, thus deluding those uninformed. Booklets with
similar fraud are circulating all over the world," the statement reads.

The NKR MFA Information Department reminds that on February 25-26,
1992, the Karabakhi side launched a military operation to release
the only airport of the republic, situated near Khodjalu settlement
and to neutralize the weapon emplacements of the enemy in Khodjalu,
from where since summer of 1991 the populated areas of Nagorno
Karabakh have been regularly exposed to attacks of the Azerbaijani
special police squads (OMON), artillery bombardments from "Alazan",
"Crystal" and rocket facility of volley fire "Grad".

"The release of the airport and neutralization of weapon emplacements
of enemy in Khodjalu was of vital importance for the NKR people. The
subunits of the NKR Defense Army granted a corridor to the peaceful
population for safe and timely leaving the battle zone and the
Azerbaijani side was informed of it beforehand. It is well-known that
the N KR authorities informed the Azerbaijani side of preparation for
the neutralization of the Khojalu weapon emplacements two months prior
to the operation and that was repeatedly confirmed by the officials
of Azerbaijan, in particular, by the then president Ayaz Mutalibov.

However, the leadership of Azerbaijan did not undertake anything
to help the peaceful population to leave the battle zone. Moreover,
a column of peaceful population was shot near the border of Aghdam
region, which was later on confirmed by Mutalibov, who connected the
crime with the opposition’s efforts to remove him from the office by
making him responsible for everything.

The territory where subsequently many corpses were filmed is 3 km
far from Aghdam and 11 km from Khojalu. Up to the fall of Aghdam
(summer 1993) this area was under permanent control of the Azerbaijani
units, which excluded the access of the Karabakhi self -defense units
there. Some details of this military operation are so far shrouded
in mystery and namely using this circumstance official Baku tries to
profit from it to gain its political goals.

It is noteworthy, that all the propaganda is being carried out with
pronounced anti-Armenian insinuations and is used for forcing ethnic
intolerance and hatred towards Armenians among Azerbaijanis.

Unfortunately, the topic of "Khodjalu" remains one of the cornerstones
of the Azerbaijani domestic and foreign information or rather

misinformation policy within the context of the Karabakh problem
in general."