The recent threats of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un about attacks against the U.S. and its ally South Korea continues to be a source of global concern. A new wave of aggressive rhetoric elevated tensions to a high level in the South Asian region, including a risk of nuclear strikes. Regardless how serious those threats may be, they do threaten stability and regional security, leading to escalation and increasing possibility of war.
The irresponsible and unpredictable North Korean totalitarian regime continuously uses escalating rhetoric as a political instrument blackmailing the world. The aggressive rhetoric and threats of new war have become more pronounced since the young dictator of North Korea, Kim Jong Un, came to power after the death of his father in 2012.
American and international figures have reacted. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called Pyongyang’s threats of military action against South Korea and the United States “provocative, dangerous and reckless.” U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (originally from South Korea) described the North Korean behavior as being on a “collision course with the international community”. Condemnations came from many other countries as well.
At the other side of Asia, in Azerbaijan, another dictator who also inherited power from his father, Ilham Aliev, continuously uses bellicose rhetoric and threatening to restart a war against its neighboring Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. Aliyev and his regime are known as one of the most corrupted in the world.[1] Fueled by revenues from oil production, Aliyev and family have stashed their cash in the offshore zones.[2]
Like North Korea’s, Azerbaijan’s warmongering should not be ignored since a new war in the South Caucasus could also turn quite catastrophic. Taking into consideration the arms build-up launched by Azerbaijan and its continuing weapons accumulation, a new war could devastate a whole region and cause dire humanitarian consequences for all sides of the conflict.
If the international community desires peace and stability in the South Caucasus, it should take Azerbaijan to task for North Korean style rhetoric. Azerbaijan’s Aliev should as also stop his hate rhetoric, and prepare his country for peace by ruling out military solutions and refraining from threats to use force as urged by the United States and the rest of international community.[3] Otherwise, while brandishing their arms, dictators of all kinds will continue to blackmail the world while seeking to keep their compatriots captive in their dictatorial systems.
Notes
[1] Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), “OCCRP Names Aliyev “Person Of The Year”, December 31, 2012: https://reportingproject.net/occrp/index.php/en/ccwatch/cc-watch-indepth/1772-occrp-names-aliyev-qperson-of-the-year-q-
[2] “Offshore Companies Link Corporate Mogul, Azerbaijan’s President”, RFR/RL, April 04, 2013: http://www.rferl.org/content/azerbaijan-aliyev-family-offshore-businesses/24947900.html?fb_action_ids=508187335906797&fb_action_types=og.recommends&fb_source=timeline_og&action_object_map=%7B%22508187335906797%22%3A481670968554894%7D&action_type_map=%7B%22508187335906797%22%3A%22og.recommends%22%7D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D ; See also “Pricey real estate deals in Dubai raise questions about Azerbaijan’s president”, The Washington Post, March 5, 2010: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/04/AR2010030405390.html
[3] U.S. State Department, April 8, 2013: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2013/04/207193.htm#AZERBAIJAN See also: OSCE Minsk Group, Statement by the Heads of Delegation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair countries, December 6, 2012: http://www.osce.org/mg/97882
I like the article. Very interesting comparison of aggressive policy in different regions. I hate war. Stop dictators all over the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dictatorship is not a good path, but the lie provided in the article is not better!!!
Perfect comparison… Dictator is a dictator regardless you are from Azerbaijan, North Korea or other state. Do not see anything incorrect in the article. Author compared both regimes which threaten to restart a war. Good job!!!
I suppose your knowledge of Azerbaijan and Northern Korea doesn’t go any further than in this article. I advise you to read more on this subject, not only prejudiced articles, but also independent sources.
I have been doing a research on comparative analysis of dictatorships and their foreign policy language. This seems like a good comparison, which I may consider for my research. Thanks.
There is more to it, Justin. If You will have a time and read the book of Jacque Kayaloff “The fall of Baku”, it’s about some 20 pages brochure, really, by the defendant of Baku in 1918, You will realize, how azeris are blackmailing all world with oil and gas deposits and their explosion. It is ongoing story for last, almost 95 years.
Of course, this is not discussed “in public” in nova days, but this “argument’ is always in their reserve. BP knows it, US also does and all the interested parties, including Turkey and Russia…
Regards
Also, Luigi Villari’s “Fire and Sword in Caucasus” http://books.google.com/books/about/Fire_and_sword_in_the_Caucasus.html?id=IrgNAAAAIAAJ can be helpful to understand the ruths of the conflict.
There is so much written and said, just “google it” – Armenians don’t even have to “defend” themselves if the public is adequate and does not fall into oil-caviar-propaganda.
Regards
I also advise you to read a book of a brother of a famous Armenian terrorist Monte Melkonian, Markar Melkonian “My Brother’s Road: An American’s Fateful Journey to Armenia”.
There he describes in detail how the Armenian armed gangs committed massacres of the Azerbaijani population including human sacrifices. As to the events of 1918, there are also many articles on the subject, for instance, you can check the related one on Wikipedia. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_Days).
I ope You read the book of Monte Melkonian’s brother yourself. I think the referral to this book is very interesting “move” but it is, at least irrelevant, if not to say more.
As far as wikipedia articles – listen, are we in the solid publication here in the “Foreign Policy”? Or on the city-market in the middle of “kolkhoz-bazaar” in Baku… Just say, if You want to use so low grade publications, made by propagandistic reasons in the last 10-15 years, then OK – show your knowledge of the problem, based on those publications and their very “interesting” interpretations…
Just, very low graded mantality and ‘defence system’ built on complete falcification of the facts…
Bakhshi Ishxanian “The artrocities in Baku”, statistical and khronological book, used by british army after they entered baku in 1918 (end of the year – Nov.- Dec.).
I am Armenian born in Baku – so don’t even try to use this propaganda against me – I live by that story every single day in the last 25 years. And know it first hand from my grandparents(the massacres of 1918, for instance). I know what and where to look for. Wikipedia – is just not solid (apologize to the founders of the web.site, but it’s a fact: some “authors” are not using it in the best interests of reading public).
You are so much carried away by your own propaganda and promotion of your myths that sometimes you do not notice the obvious things. Well, perhaps, you may have got the knowledge on the “kolkhoz-bazaar” in Baku, but it has nothing to do with everyone.
As for Melkonian’s book, the events and facts described there have not been rebutted so far, therefore; all sorts of objections on the content is just speculation aimed to distract from the point. As for Wikipedia, if you did not know, the Wikipedia articles are written on the basis of certain sources, not just out of nowhere.
Regarding the book by Ishkhanian ( the original title “Великие Ужасы Баку”), do you really think that anyone would believe “facts” set out in this low grade propaganda work? You either talk about non-credibility of other sources or slip propaganda literature, passing it as an authoritative source. I feel as if you have a completely peculiar idea of the reliability of sources.
As to your grandparents, then you’d better to ask them about what happened in Baku and in the surrounding towns and villages in March and early April, I guess they have a lot to tell you ….
Dear “Ulrika”, unfortunately I cann’t ask from my grandparents any more questions and can’t even find their graves anymore, after Armenian Cemetery in Montino (Baku), was destroyed and business-center, highway and whatever else was build on top of their bonnes. Destroyed by “azeri” government.
The validity of Bakhshi Ishkhanian’s book was proven long before we were born, it is an academic source. The book of Monte Melkonian’s brother -Markar does not support any of the words, You wrote, because, I don’t even believe that You read the book at all.
“I feel as if you have a completely peculiar idea of the reliability of sources” – what is that suppose to mean? There is reliable sources or not – You are using non-reliable sources or trying to forge the sources to work to “azeri” favor (Markar Melkonian’s book is a great example of this).
As far as speculations – this is exactly what You do: forging the documents, books, facts.
To the public: read and compare Treaty of Sevres, Moscow Treaty (Lenin-Ataturk) of March 1921, Treaty of Kars(also – 1921). You will understand much more than “explanations” and “interpretations’ of the history by either side. I guess, those are the more reliable and valid sources. Just “google it”, my friends.
I would also suggest to read Taner Akçam’s books (all of them)- would be very and very helpful too.
http://press.princeton.edu/titles/9678.html
and in general for this name:
https://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=&oq=taner+akcam&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4ADFA_enUS473US474&q=taner+akcam+books&gs_l=hp..3.0l4.0.0.0.20795………..0.Tl8-JgX5dsw&pbx=1
Great article. I have been following Azerbaijan’s warmongering and other crimes for a while now.
Interesting insight. Didn’t think about comparing dictators. Would be interesting to look into this also through domestic scope: the nature of alliances, challenges, domestic behavior, etc. Thanks.
Irresponsible behavior by war hungry dictator could devastate the region. Thank you for your insight.
it makes me sad as an American to see our foreign policy show favoritism when there is “oil” or some other benefit to us involved. We were the moral beacon of the world at some point….. but since WWII, out foreign policy has been more akin to a worldwide mafia.
A very interesting insight! Indeed, the authoritarian regimes in Baku and Pyongyang are not that different (with the exception of natural resource reserves *hint-hint*)and thus both should be equally as well as forcefully condemned by the international community for their provocative statements geared to destabilize the region.
You have apparently forgotten that two presidents in your country participated in ethnic cleansing and mass murder of civilians as well as in the shooting of their own parliament, haven’t you? Even Kim Jong Un did not dream that, what on earth are you talking about?
Sumgait, Kirovabad, Baku, Maragha, Mingechaur, Northern Artsakh, Shahumyan, Operation Ring, Getashen/Martunashen… Do you want me to continue a list of ethnic clean sings and murder of Armenians organized by Azerbaijan? Or probably you need to be reminded about Coward ramil safarov, or recent oppressions against Akram Aylisli in Azerbaijan for his work Stone Dreams? You probably forgot that in Azerbaijan there was a financial award to those who cut his ear…. Azeri propaganda went so far that it starts glorifying safarov who cowardly axed Armenian officer when he was sleeping… Now compare your heros with ours… Open your eyes. Your government feed you with cheap propaganda about “strong” azerbaijan army…. I wonder who is in charge of Azeri army today… Safar Abiev, defense minister of azerbaijan since 1993. “Great” military leader whose army run away from battle field during Karabakh war… Are you gonna win with him???? Do not make people laugh at you? Open your eyes and stop making cheap propaganda
Very “interesting” and “forceful” arguments, however, they may convince an outsider, but not me.
Speaking about ethnic cleansing, why don’t you mention that the murder and expulsion of Azerbaijanis from Armenia began long before the Sumgait events occurred? Regarding the latter, I want to remind you that during those events, 26 Armenians were killed, 6 of them murdered by an Armenian named Grigoryan posing as Azerbaijani. For some reason, you prefer to keep silent and hush up about the massacres of villagers of Garadaghly and the massacre in Khojaly …
As for Ramil Safarov and heroes, then you should think of yours such as Gourgen Yanikian who killed two unarmed men, Monte Melkonian and Varuzhan Karapetyan who are guilty of committing many acts of terrorism including those at Orly airport in Paris. And also do not forget to remember the Nazi criminal and servant Garegin Nzhdeh. I can go on listing. Safarov did not even dream of the atrocities the above-mentioned persons committed!
As for the state of the Azerbaijani army,here your position is absolutely absurd- if our army is so weak as you assure, then why are you so afraid of it?))
Afraid of you???:))))) afraid of Azeri army is like afraid of ghost or smth which is not exist. American expert Wayne Merry stressed that difference between Armenian and Azeri armies is that armenian is Army, Azerbaijani is military forses. Your description of Sumgait tragedy is a simple way to avoid responsibility which is a very common for Azerbaijan’s policy. The myth and reality are mixed in today’s Azeri propaganda. You went so far that started believing in myths you created and feed and brainwash your compatriots who can naively believe that there is a serious “Azeri army” on the ground, that all Armenians are “terrorists” or Sumgait was organized by Armenians and many other myths. Armenia and Artsakh are against a war because we know price of war, we do not want new casualties. While defending our homeland from your country’s aggression and from radical islamists and terrorists hired by Azerbaijan back in 1993 to fight against Armenia and Artsakh, we witnessed a destruction nature of war. You probably forget that during Karabakh war Azerbaiajan hired around 5000 mujaheddin fighters to fight against Nagorno Karabakh Republic and Armenia. It is also worthy to remind that well known Chechen terrorist Shamil Basaev also fought for Azerbaijan during Karabakh war. They all run away and could not help Azerbaijan because we fought for our homeland, when Azerbaijan and terrorists hired by Azeri government fought for money and power. Karabakh has never been part of Azerbaijan except Soviet times when Bolsheviks illegally placed it within Soviet Aerbaijan.
The article repeats primitive and ungrounded theses of the Armenian propaganda word by word. First of all, Azerbaijan is a country that has undergone the military aggression by Armenia, and Nagorny Karabakh is internationally recognized as an integral part of Azerbaijan. And like every other state in the world, Azerbaijan has the right to self-defense. It has the right to take measures including military ones in order to protect its citizens, as well as the territorial integrity and sovereignty. All the speculation around the right of Azerbaijan of self-defense are doomed. The authors of the article had better to inquire about ethnic cleansing and mass murder of civilians in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.
I wonder if you honestly believe that “Azerbaijan is a country that has undergone the military aggression by Armenia”.
Google for map of the NKAO in 1990, when your “tolerant” police and Soviet troops enforced “passport regime” aimed at deportation and killing of Armenians from Shahumyan.
Look at the map of hostilities in 1992, when your compatriots were pouring 200 missiles per day on Stepanakert, Askeran, Martuni etc, and the circle around Stepanakert was tight.
Ask the glorious Abiyev, Aliyev and the rest of the family who punished the Azerbaijani aggressor; how come they were delegating people to hold negotiations with the leadership of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic (http://www.panorama.am/en/region/2012/01/12/alieve-recognize-nkr/).
We continue to hope that you are much more clever that you often pretend for various reasons. Don’t waste your lives.
The war was not our choice, yet Artsakh proved that even if surrounded, under siege, outnumbered and outgunned, we still pull the Adam’s apple of any aggressor.
You’d better to study the international law, and a whole number of documents and reports, instead of heating rhetoric over “invincible Artsakh” and so on. As for the “NKR” , the issue was precisely characterized by a European researcher Dov Lynch in his book «Engaging Eurasia’s separatist states: unresolved conflicts and de facto states».
He writes as follows:
“In the case of Nagorny Karabakh, independence is merely a stratagem poorly concealing the reality that this region is under the control of Armenia”.
Extremely tendentious article. The Armenian author conveniently forgets to mention that Armenia militarily occupies around 20% of Azerbaijan’s territory, and Azerbaijan provides shelter to 800,000 refuges and IDPs, who were ethnically cleansed by Armenians from Armenia and occupied Azerbajani territories. Obviously, until the occupied territories of Azerbaijan are liberated, Azerbaijan cannot rule out a military solution to the conflict. In addition, the author forgets to mention that Armenia is an ally of Russia and Iran, and hosts the only Russian military base in the region, while Azerbaijan is a staunch western ally, which actively cooperates with the West on the issues of security and energy. What is really needed is a more active involvement of the international community into the resolution of the conflict, to enforce implementation of 4 UN SC resolutions, calling for withdrawal of Armenian occupying forces from Azerbaijani territories.
Azerbaijan can’t really be a *staunch* Western ally. Russia considers the entire South Caucasus its near abroad and Aliyev is trying to balance relations between the U.S. and Russia (especially after the Georgia/Russia conflict in 2008). The Azerbaijani intelligentsia (and a lot of the population) are still Russian-speaking, though this is slowly starting to change.
The international community will also have to take into account that the Armenian majority population of the Nagorno-Karabagh Republic voted to secede from Azerbaijan. The only reason this isn’t being seriously considered is because Azerbaijan holds strategic global assets and resources and because Armenia is, due to its unenviable geopolitical location, allied with Russia. This is why the West will call for self-determination in some places (Kosovo/Yugoslavia, Eritrea/Ethiopia) and territorial integrity in others (Nagorno-Karabagh/Azerbaijan, Abkhazia and South Ossetia/Georgia).
The thing is, North Korea is threatening the United States. Azerbaijan is making bellicose threats against Armenia (and to a lesser degree, Iran). The West (especially the U.S.) finds these threats to be mostly acceptable and in the case of Iran, desirable.
As I said before, Azerbaijan just uses its right to self-defense, and no one can ever deprive it of the latter!
Only very naive or prejudiced person could compare Azerbaijan with North Korea, it`s ridiculously even to read this fruit “journalistic” idea…
Observer, you may need to observe that at the war Azerbaijan attempted capturing not only NK but also the territory of Armenia. RA’s borders were constantly attacked by Azeris. What we have now is the outcome of the war. You attacked and then you lost.
And dont forget that Azerbaijan has even closer energetic and economic relations with Iran than Armenia. Your soldier killed a sleeping Armenian military at the NATO conference in Budapest. What kind of NATO ally are you then?