FREDERICK STARR: UNLIKE RUSSIA, U.S. HAS EVERY RIGHT TO BE A PART OF ANY PEACEKEEPING FORCE

Today.Az
54923.html
Aug 24 2009
Azerbaijan

In an interview with Day.Az, chairman of the Central Asia-Caucasus
Institute, Research Professor S. Frederick Starr said that unlike
Russia, the U.S. has every right to be a part of any peacekeeping
force.

"One of the central participants in the seizure of Karabakh and other
territories of Azerbaijan, Russia, was accepted as a legitimate "peace
keeper". This makes much sense as asking a fox to guard a hen house. By
contrast, the U.S. was neither a perpetrator nor a participant and
therefore has every right to be a part of any peacekeeping force,"
Starr said.

Starr also expressed his opinion on the possible changes which could
happen after the Minsk group co-chairs will be replaced.

"The Minsk process has so far been a farce, an international disgrace,
and changes in staff in the US representation will not alter that
reality. Any idea of the two are somehow parallel with respect to
Karabakh is simply false. But if Russia agrees to totally disengage
from all aspects of the Karabakh issue, the U.S. should be willing
to do the same. I will not hold my breath on this however," he said.

"If all five littoral countries have a veto over an
Azerbaijan-Turkmenistan pipeline in Caspian, then surely all Black
Sea states should have similar veto over present and future Russian
pipelines in that sea," Starr said commenting on the Russian foreign
ministry statement about the pipelines.