EX-KARABAKH ARMY CHIEF SAYS AZERBAIJAN ‘ON A WAR FOOTING’
Sarkis Harutiunian

Liberty
nt/article/1783097.html
July 22 2009
Armenia

Armenia — Samvel Babayan at a press conference in Yerevan 22Jul2009

A former military leader of Nagorno-Karabakh has warned that renewed
hostilities in the disputed region appear a real possibility as
"Azerbaijan has been actively preparing for a new war."

Samvel Babayan, who commanded Karabakh defense forces in the 1991-1994
war with Azerbaijan and then served as the unrecognized republic’s
defense minister until 1999, called on Armenian authorities to
appreciate the reality that until today Azerbaijan has not been
bound by any international document not to resort to military force
to resolve the long-running dispute.

To back up his premonition, Babayan referred to Azerbaijan’s cool
response to the calls of international mediators to remove snipers
from the line of contact, which, he said, revealed Baku’s preparations
for military operations.

Karabakh’s former military chief also called on authorities in
Stepanakert to engage in the ongoing talks immediately, since, he
said, it will be "pointless to negotiate after the basic principles
of conflict settlement have been agreed."

"After the document is submitted, Karabakh cannot negotiate outside
its format. And this is called ratification, which will bear a formal
nature. This is unacceptable," said Babayan.

At the same time, Babayan doubted that any agreement on a Karabakh
settlement would be possible in the visible future because "Baku’s
demands do not reflect the reality."

"It is a fact that Armenia’s authorities [agree to] give up seven
districts [surrounding Karabakh] to Azerbaijan. It has been clear
for a long time. The question is whether Azerbaijan is satisfied with
that. No, it is not. It wants the whole of Karabakh," he said. "Our
society has been told that a compromise is needed and by saying a
compromise we imply territorial concessions. This is wrong."