ARMENIA CLAIMS READY FOR AN OFFENSIVE
AzerNews Weekly
Sept 1 2009
Azerbaijan
Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian has warned that his country`s
armed forces are unperturbed by what he called Azerbaijan`s militarist
statements and are ready to withstand any onslaught.
Novosti Armenii news agency quoted Ohanian as saying in an interview
with the public TV channel that the Armenian military is ready to
not only defend itself, but to also carry out preventive measures,
if necessary.
Asked about the possibility of Armenia`s launching an offensive,
Ohanian maintained: "Why not? An attack, a counter-offensive. We are
ready even for an attack to protect civilians from the horrors of war."
Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing
of a cease-fire in 1994, but Armenia continues to occupy part of
Azerbaijani territory, including the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh region,
in defiance of international law. The OSCE-brokered peace talks have
been fruitless so far.
Meanwhile, Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian alleged his country
relies on its military in the ongoing talks on Garabagh conflict
settlement. In a recent meeting with top Defense Ministry officials,
he said that the armed forces play a special role in peace talks and
inspire Yerevan`s confidence in the negotiating process. Sarkisian
issued orders to increase the combat readiness of the Armenian
military, saying the country`s defense capabilities should comply
with present-day requirements and be continuously modernized.
These statements came as Armenian armed forces staged military
exercises in the occupied Azerbaijani territories. The drills,
conducted in the occupied areas of the Aghdam district last Wednesday
night, involved only infantry units, according to the Baku-based
Lider TV channel.
The Armenian military began using powerful fireworks in the area after
sunset, eyewitnesses said. Following the entire area being lit up,
troops began the non-stop firing of small-caliber weapons. The bright
light from the fireworks enveloped even the frontline villages of
Aghdam that are not occupied by Armenia.
Armenia conducted the exercises in response to the flight of Azeri
fighter jets over frontline regions earlier in the day, commentators
say. Five fighter aircraft from the Azerbaijan Air Force carried out
maneuvers on the contact line with Armenian troops. The fighter jets
flew over the Fizuli, Beylagan, Khojavand, Aghdam and Terter districts.
Defense Ministry spokesman Eldar Sabiroghlu described the maneuvers
as regular exercise flights.