AZERBAIJAN HOLDS TWICE AS MANY MANOEUVRES AS ARMENIA – MILITARY EXPERT

news.az
Nov 25 2009
Azerbaijan

Uzeyir Jafarov Azerbaijani military expert Uzeyir Jafarov does not
expect a resumption of hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan,
although he believes that the Azerbaijani army is stronger.

Jafarov commented to 1news.az on remarks in Yerevan by Nikolai
Bordyuzha, secretary-general of the Collective Security Treaty
Organization. Bordyuzha hoped that talk of a possible resumption of
hostilities by Azerbaijan was no more than an attempt to encourage
agreement with Armenia on Karabakh.

Uzeyir Jafarov said that everyone realizes that Armenia is protracting
the liberation of Azerbaijani lands and Baku cannot wait for Yerevan
to make up its mind. Armenia understands that sooner or later they
will have to quit the occupied Azerbaijani land and are trying to
bargain with this, Jafarov said.

"I think there will not be a war but after the Munich meeting
Azerbaijan is toughening its position, an important component of which
is the military and political factor. I am surprised when I read in
the Armenian, and especially in our, press that ‘the Armenian army is
holding exercises on the front line’. This is ridiculous, especially
for those who know what ‘military exercises’ held by the Armenians
mean. The end of the year is approaching and the Armenian side must
report to their masters about the arms and equipment supplied, so
they hold so-called ‘exercises’ in order to write off the military
equipment and ammunition that have been stolen and sold," Jafarov said.

The Azerbaijani army holds twice as many exercises on a much larger
scale than the Armenians, who drive a couple of rusty tanks and petrol
tankers along the front line, he concluded.