ARMENIA EMPLOYS TACTICS TO GAIN TIME: AZERBAIJANI MILITARY EXPERT

Today
022.html
Oct 29 2009
Azerbaijan

Day.Az interview with renowned Azerbaijani military expert Uzeyir
Jafarov.

Day.Az: What are your views about the reports claiming that Armenian
Armed Forces are strengthening their positions along contact line in
the Fizuli and Khojavand regions by mining neutral zones?

Uzeyir Jafarov: In 1994, shortly before signing of the ceasefire
agreement, Armenian Armed Forces mined front area of the contact line.

Of course, term of mines expire after certain time. Hence, one of
the reasons for Armenian side’s current actions is that term of the
previously planted mines has either expired or they have exploded
due to a number of reasons. So, Armenians replace them with new ones.

However, I also believe the Armenian troops’ key objective is to
strictly follow the tactics of causing complications in process of
establishing real peace in our region through gaining time.

Mining areas on the front line they try to gain time that Azerbaijan
will need to clear territories mined by the opposite side. Current
actions of the Armenian Armed Forces are blended with the actions of
Armenia’s top leaders who also have sought to prolong just settlement
of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict for fifteen
years.

Q: Is strengthening of Armenians’ position on the front line
interrelated with Armenian President Serzh Sagsyan’s visit to
Nagorno-Karabakh?

A: This is true to a certain extent.. Because, Sezh Sargsyan, besides
being president of Armenia, is also Supreme Commander of the country.

Moreover, we must not forget that the current Armenian president came
into power whilst there was a war in Nagorno-Karabakh. Especially
because, as I noted above, the current actions of the Armenian army
consistent with the policies pursued by country’s highest political
leadership which are aimed at delaying fair settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Q: If the key objective is only to gain time, why the Armenian side
holds military exercises in Azerbaijan’s occupied territories?

A: Let’s start with the fact that probability of early full-scale
hostilities is too low. Such a scenario does not meet the tactics
of the enemy to prolong fair settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. This issue once again indicates Armenians’
skills to exaggerate. I mean Armenia portrays rather modest army
exercises as large-scale maneuvers.

The Azerbaijani army conducts larger military exercises. However,
these exercises are not advertised. Although it is quite possible
Azerbaijan could conduct military exercises involving both domestic and
foreign media to frighten the enemy. It would actually make a sense.