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Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict |
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1. Historical aspect
2. Features of terrorism
3. Armenian terrorism
3.1. Roots
3.2. Armenian terrorism as
a part of the international terrorism
3.3. The support of
international terrorism by the Republic of
Armenia
3.4. Armenian terrorism
against Azerbaijan
Conclusion
Annex 1. Chronology of
terrorist acts against Azerbaijan
Annex 2. Bibliography on
Armenian terrorism
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Terrorism has always been a threat to human
life, but nowadays its threat has even
increased. Nevertheless, until recently the
international community did not act jointly
against terrorism. More often it were individual
states that led the fight against terrorism on
their own. Terrorist acts of September 11, 2001
in New York and Washington D.C., unprecedented
by their scale, attracted the attention of the
whole world community and resulted in the
understanding of the necessity of a joint fight
against this international evil. Since
Azerbaijan has been the target of the Armenian
terrorism, we deemed it necessary to touch upon
this issue as a contribution to the joint fight.
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1. Historical Aspect
History of terrorism dates back to the 1st
century A.D., when the organization of zealots-sikaris
began to function in Judea. At first members of
the organization killed their victims with
knives and swords, and then they openly declared
a war. Their aim was to wage an uprising against
the Greek and Roman rule in Judea. Uprisings
instigated by zealots-sikaris resulted in the
extermination of the Jews in Egypt and Cyprus,
almost total exodus of the Judea population and
the exile, which determined the fate of the
Jewish people for the subsequent 2 millennia.
Ishmaelites-nazarites acted since 1090 to
1275. Their aim was to spread the ideology of a
"pure Islam". They considered their own lives to
be a sacrifice. Their terror targeted leading
political or religious personalities, whom they
stabbed in a broad daylight.
Robbers-stranglers were active in India
from the XIII to the XIX century. Their main aim
was to make sacrifices to goddess Kali. They
strangled, dismembered, buried their victims and
tried to prolong their death agony since they
believed that goddess Kali was enjoying the
sight of the sufferings.
At the end of the XIX century terrorism
moved to Europe where a wave of political
murders took place. In 1878 terrorists attacked
Kaiser of Germany, King of Spain and King of
Italy. In 1894 the President of France, in 1897
- the Prime Minister of Spain, in 1898 - the
Empress of Austria, in 1900 - the King of Spain
and in 1901 - the President of the USA were
assassinated.
At the end of the XIX century a part of
intellectual elite in Russia considered terror
as the only effective way to modernize the
Russian society. Members of the group "Zemlya i
Volya" ("The Earth and the Freedom") created a
terrorist group "Narodnaya Volya" ("People's
Freedom"), the assassination of the Emperor
Alexander the Second being the culmination of
its activities.
Terrorism came to the USA with the Civil
war. The organization named "Ku-Klux-Klan" was
established in the South in order to resist the
reconstruction of the South by means of terror.
The anarchists led an active struggle in 1880s,
especially in Chicago.
Since the 70s of the XX century the people,
who had no direct links to claims and demands of
terrorists, became their targets. The end of the
XX and the beginning of the XXI century was
marked by the intensification of terrorism.
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2. Features of
Terrorism
The term "terror" means "fear", "horror" in
Latin. At present there's no generally accepted
international definition of terrorism both
theoretically and conceptually, and at the
international legal level, although it is
important for the understanding of the gist of
this issue and for the struggle against it. In
one case, the term "terrorism" is characterized
as the use or threat of use of violence on a
systematic basis for the achievement of
political goals. To cause fear is considered to
be essential at that. Negligence of the accepted
humanitarian values and striving for openness
are also characteristic of this(1).
In another case, terrorism is defined as a
threat or use of violence often against civilian
population. It is used for political, but not
military, purposes by groups too weak to mount
open assaults. Its psychological impact on the
public has increased because of extensive
coverage by the media(2).
According to the Resolution on measures to
eliminate international terrorism, adopted at
the 45th session of the UN General Assembly on
December 9, 1994, "criminal acts intended or
calculated to provoke a state of terror in the
general public, a group of persons or particular
persons for political purposes are in any
circumstance unjustifiable, whatever the
considerations of a political, philosophical,
ideological, racial, ethnic, religious or any
other nature that may be invoked to justify
them."(3)
In the legislation of the Republic of
Azerbaijan the notion of terrorism means the
commitment of actions or the threat of
committing similar actions, which cause mass
extermination of people, corporal injuries, or
any other damage to their health, or the
destruction (damage) of their property or other
heavy injuries with the aim of violation of the
public security, spreading panic among the
population or achievement of the adoption by the
state bodies of decisions that meet the
interests of terrorists(4).
According to the Criminal Code of the Republic
of Azerbaijan, terrorism, i.e. explosion, arson
or other actions, representing deadly danger to
people, causing a considerable damage to
property, or any other heavy consequences, if
these are committed with the aim of the
violation of public security, frightening of the
population, or influencing the decision-making
of the authorities in accordance with demands of
the guilty, as well as the threat of committing
the mentioned acts for the same purposes is the
crime against public security(5).
Being violence (as military activities or a
common crime), terrorism is a crime, and at the
same time it differs both from the military
activities, and from usual crime. Terrorism has
the following features, inherent only in it:
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It targets peaceful civilians and therefore
it differs from military activities during
the war;
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Violence or its threat is applied with the
aim of causing fear among the population and
the government. Thus, it differs it from
ordinary murder;
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Complete disregard of the moral values,
since the victims, as a rule, cannot be the
immediate cause of a terrorist act.
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Terrorism is committed by individuals or by
groups;
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It pursues political goals.
Terrorists act within their own state,
outside the state borders and in several states.
They act on their own and/or with the support of
a state. Their actions are directed against the
citizens of one or several states. Today one can
single out the following main types of
terrorism:
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Terrorism, not supported by states.
Terrorist groupings, which act autonomously
without any essential support of any
government;
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Intrastate terrorism. Terrorist activities
of citizens of a certain country against
compatriots. These are acts against citizens
of another country, if they are at the
terrorists' native land and are not main or
selected objects;
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State-sponsored terrorism. Terrorist
groupings, which usually act independently,
but enjoy the support of one or several
governments;
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Terrorism directed by states. Terrorist
groupings, which act as government agents,
permanently receiving information, material
and technical supply and legal support from
sponsor-government;
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International (or transnational) terrorism.
It is terrorism when planning and
implementation of a terrorist act is
accompanied by the state border crossing.
When defining international terrorism one
takes into account the goal of a terrorist
act, nationality of victims and the place of
terrorist act. Commitment of such acts is
usually planned aiming at the attraction of
the attention of international community to
the existence, motives for actions and
demands of terrorists.
Terrorists use the following methods:
murders, arsons, bomb explosions,
hostage-taking, kidnapping, capture and
hijacking of the vehicles, capture of objects,
attacks and armed assaults, commercial or
industrial sabotage, use of specific highly
technical weapons and technology of high
complexity, ecological terrorism.
3. Armenian Terrorism
Terrorism as a means of achievement of
political goals is actively used by separatist
groupings and countries, supporting them. One of
these countries is the Republic of Armenia,
which, using the situation of the Armenian
minority as a pretext for the realization of its
territorial claims to a number of states of the
region (Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia) supports
terrorist organizations all over the world,
activities of which are directed against these
countries.
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3.1 Roots
The history of the Armenian terrorism dates
back to the end of the XIX century. In 1887 the
first Armenian party "Hnchak" ("Bell") was
organized in Geneva on the basis of Marxist
principles. The members of that party were
exclusively the Armenians of Russia, who brought
in it the militant revolutionary spirit. In 1890
the Federation of Armenian Revolutionaries" -
the "Dashnaktsutyun" party was established in
Tiflis with the aim of uniting all small
terrorist groups and revolutionary circles.
"Both of these groups wanted an independent
Turkish Armenia in the six eastern provinces so
it would become a national socialist state"(6).
But it was an intermediary aim.
The programme of the "Hnchak" party stated
that "the first goal of the party is to obtain
the political and national independence of
Turkish Armenia. …The methods to be used to
reach this goal are propaganda, provocation,
terror, organization, and the peasants and
worker movement. …A special branch will be
formed to organize these terrorist activities.
…After independence of Armenia of Turkey, the
revolution will be extended to the Armenia of
Russia, and Iran, and a Federative of Armenia
will be established."
The programme of the "Dashnaktsutyun" party
envisaged the establishment of fighter groups
and carrying out of organizational and political
terror(7).
At the beginning of the century the party formed
a terrorist system "Nemesis", the
representatives of which committed a number of
assassinations of the former members of the
government of the Young Turks(8).
The programme of the "Dashnaktsutyun" set forth
the task "to stimulate fighting and to terrorize
the government officials, informers, traitors,
usurers, and every kind of exploiter. …The
Revolutionary Armenian Federation was a
terrorist organization from day one. This would
be the organization that would take control of
Armenia after the end of World War I; they have
continued state-sponsored terrorism to the
present day"(9).
In the 90s of the XIX century the dashnaks
carried out terrorist acts in the Ottoman Empire
to achieve their political goals. It was the
objective to stir the Christian Armenians and to
inflame the Muslim Turks to react, so Christian
European powers would become involved and
establish an Armenian state. Armenian terrorists
would provoke Muslims by ongoing acts of
violence. Where the Muslims would respond,
Armenians would cry out that "the barbarous
Muslim Turks were massacring the innocent
Christian Armenians"(10).
In the first two decades of the XX century
the Armenian terrorism outraged in Azerbaijan.
The next stage was in the 70s-80s, when the
Armenian terrorism acted on an international
scale(11).
Since the end of the 80s the Armenian terrorism
has moved back to Azerbaijan.
S.Weems is quite right when he notes that
"terror and violence have been official policy
of Armenians since the beginning of their
nationalistic movement"(12).
3.2. Armenian Terrorism as a
Part of International Terrorism
The end of the XX century was marked by the
highest degree of activity of the Armenian
terrorist organizations, such as the "Armenian
Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia" (ASALA,
established in 1975 in Beirut), "Avengers for
Armenian Genocide" (established in 1973), "Group
of June 9" (established in 1991 in Switzerland),
"Suicide Squadron" (established in 1981 in
France), terrorist activities of which was
directed at the implementation of goals and
demands of the Armenian political parties "Dashnaktsutyun",
"Hnchak", "Ramkavar", namely:
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The recognition
by Turkey, as a successor state to the
Ottoman Empire, of the "genocide" of
Armenians.
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The return by
Turkey to the Armenian people of their
"historic motherland".
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Reimbursement
by the government of Turkey of the material
compensation for the "genocide".
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The recognition of the
"genocide" and territorial rights of the
Armenians by governments of all countries of
the world(13).
In order to draw the attention of the
international public to the so-called problem of
the "genocide of Armenians", the Armenian
terrorist organizations tried to justify their
terrorist activities by the struggle for the
liberation of the motherland. "If we describe
our goal as the recognition of the genocide,
then it's quite natural that our movements will
be conceived as an act of revenge. But if we
clearly declare that our main goal is the
liberation of our motherland, then the public
opinion will not conceive our cause as an
attempt to take revenge"(14).
The "liberation of the motherland" was
supposed to be achieved by means of terror
against innocent people all over the world. In
his letter to Thomas O'Neil, the former Speaker
of the House of Representatives of the US
Congress, the former US Secretary of State
George Schultz noted that "more than 50 Turkish
diplomats and US citizens were killed by
terrorists seeking the adoption of the
accusation of the Turkish people in the
organization of the genocide. These terrorists
killed those Americans who cast doubts on the
accusations in genocide"(15).
Armenian terrorist organizations act in
cooperation with other terrorist and criminal
groupings. The following facts could be treated
as an example:
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Involvement of the
Armenian terrorist Hagop Hagopian in the
massacre of the Israeli athletes during 1972
Munich Olympics, committed by the Palestine
Liberation Organization (PLO) terrorists;(16)
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A declaration on the
cooperation between PKK and ASALA in fight
against Turkey was adopted on April 6, 1980
in Lebanon;(17)
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Support by ASALA to
the actions of the organization "Jihade-Islami",
which blew up the barracks of the US marines
in Beirut;(18)
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Ties with the drugs
baron Carlos, who in an interview to the
Spanish TV said: "We have connections to the
Armenian terrorist organizations. We help
each other and closely cooperate".(19)
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Armenian terrorist
Monte Melkonian maintained contacts with the
representative of the organization "Fatah"
Abu-Nabil, whose mission consisted of the
conduct of terrorist acts in Beirut with the
attraction of the Armenians. Abu-Nabil's
activities were to recruit and to use the
Armenians in favour of the organization "Fatah"
under the personal guidance by Yasser
Arafat. Regardless of their party
membership, Armenians cooperated with the "Fatah";(20)
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In 1981 the Swedish
police arrested a group of Armenian drug
smugglers connected with the Armenian
terrorists. "ASALA" repeatedly threatened
the Swedish government demanding the release
of the smugglers;(21)
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Explosions organized
in 1986 in Paris with the help of Abu Nidal
with the aim to compel French authorities to
release two Middle Eastern terrorists
together with the Armenian terrorist
Garabedian;(22)
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At the Second
International Conference of solidarity with
the Armenian people, which was held on April
20, 1986 in Greece Bassam abu-Salim on
behalf of the Popular Front for the
Liberation of Palestine, headed by Georges
Habash, made a public statement: "Doors of
our camps are always open to the Armenian
freedom fighters";(23)
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Joint exercises of PKK
and ASALA fighters in Trodos mountains,
Cyprus, with the assistance of military
advisers of Abu Nidal;(24)
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Referring to the "Mossad",
the BBC broadcast that Georges Habash, the
leader of the Popular Front for the
Liberation of Palestine, characterized
operations conducted by ASALA and PKK as
"extremely racist, extremely nationalist and
fascist ones". Habash expelled from his camp
those ASALA terrorists who were involved in
drug trafficking;(25)
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A meeting of ASALA and
PKK representatives was held in northern
Iraq, during which ASALA representatives
preconditioned the continuation of the
support to PKK by toughening the activities
of the latter;(26)
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Identification by the
terrorist organization "Hezbollah" of Stefan
Nicolian, the pilot of the "Cessna"
airplane, who violated Israeli air space and
was shot down by the Israeli Air Forces(27).
It should be mentioned that as far back as
in 1987 the Israeli Intelligence Service "Mossad"
advised the Turkish Secret Police to
carefully follow the developments in
connection with the establishment of a close
cooperation between ASALA and "Hezbollah";(28)
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The fact that the
occupied territories of Azerbaijan are used
by international terrorists and narco-mafia
for production of narcotics, as well as a
transit route for drug-trafficking are
proved by the clash of interests of the
international terrorist Monte Melkonian and
those of the local Mafia bosses, as a result
of which M.Melkonian ordered to burn
cannabis plants;(29)
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PKK and ASALA finance
their activities by transporting Anatolian
and Central Asian opium in collaboration
with Afghan drug barons in Afghanistan and
Pakistan.(30)
Armenian terrorist organisations,
cooperating with militant terrorist groups, were
indiscriminate in the selection of their
victims, not confining their violence to the
Turks. The Americans, the Portuguese, the
Swedish, the Canadians, the French, the
Australians, and hundreds of representatives of
other nationalities, who didn't favour their
appeals, also became their victims.
A special attention should be paid to the
connections with the terrorist organization "Al-Qaida"
headed by Ussama bin Laden. These ties have been
studied in detail by R.Novruzoglu and Y.Oguz.
They note, in particular, that Lella Bagdasarian,
a native of Armenia, fought in Karabakh in the
women's sniper group of ASALA. In 1994 she moved
to France. In 1999 she converted to Islam and
headed the French branch of "Al-Qaida". Argun
Israelian from Khankendi participated in the
massacre of Azerbaijanis in Khojaly. In 1995 he
moved to Syria where he was elected deputy
chairman of the Washington branch of the "Al-Qaida"
at the meeting with the ASALA participation.
Michel Sarkissian, a native of Sumgayit, headed
the "Sassun" branch and took part in the
killings of Azerbaijanis in Karabakh. Since 1999
he headed the Cyprus branch of the ASALA. Since
2002 he has been working in the analytical
office of the "Al-Qaida".(31)
On May 4, 2000 the branch of the "Vadi al-Qaid"
company, belonging to Ibrahim bin Laden, opened
in Yerevan. The company paid for the study of 9
Afghan students at the Yerevan University in
1994-2000, who were given the membership cards
of the military brigade 005. The brigade has its
branches in London, Yerevan, Paris, Washington,
Teheran, Cologne, Russia, Argentina, Brazil,
Georgia and is directly financed by Ussama bin
Laden.(32)
At first glance sufficiently close ties of
the Armenian terrorism with radical Islamic
terrorist organizations can cause astonishment
and raise questions. But the article published
in the Paris-based Armenian newspaper "GAMK"
contains a rather open answer, which deserved to
be thought over:(33)
"There are American and NATO bases in
Turkish Armenia. Therefore, the United States
will oppose and fight any force that tries to
upset the stability of that region and to change
the status quo. In other words, to liberate the
Armenian lands we will have to deal not only
with the Turkish government but also the
Atlantic Alliance and the United States.… A
weakened NATO and a weakened United States would
make it easier to liberate the Armenian lands…
and would help free the Third World from the
yoke of American imperialism".
Thus, the above-mentioned facts confirm
that the Armenian terrorism is an integral part
of international terrorism and transnational
organized crime.
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3.3.
The Support of International Terrorism by the
Republic of Armenia
Armenian terrorist organizations are
powerful structures with respective units,
equipment and information data. It is impossible
to have and use all this on criminal purposes
without state support. Armenian terrorist
organizations enjoy a full support of the
Republic of Armenia. The following facts could
be used to prove it:
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The former President
of Armenia L.Ter-Petrossian interceded with
the President of France for review of the
sentence passed on Varuzhan Karapetian, one
of the terrorists responsible for the
terrorist act at the Paris Airport "Orly",
where six people died, including a US
citizen. After being discharged,
V.Karapetian was received as a national hero
in his homeland. Prime Minister of Armenia
Andranik Markarian and a number of other
officials of the Republic of Armenia
characterized the activities of the
terrorist as "patriotic ones";(34)
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Despite the efforts of
the former President of Armenia
L.Ter-Petrossian to suspend the activities
of the "Dashnaktsutyun", having accused it
of maintaining within this Party a secret
terrorist service "DRO", involved in
international drug business and illegal
economic activities;(35)today
members of this party are represented in the
Government of Armenia. In particular, the
minister of education and science Levon
Mkrtchian and minister of culture, youth and
sports Roland Sharoyan, who are members of
the "ARF-Dashnaktsutyun" party. If one takes
into account that one of the advisors to
president is the ARFD leader Vahan
Ohanessian, and another member of this party
Hrayr Karapetian became the governor of the
Aragatsotn marz (district), then one can
claim that the organization, which under the
previous leadership was in disfavour, "came
to power";(36)
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In July 1998 Abdulla
Ocalan, the leader of the Kurdish terrorist
organization PKK, demanded that the
leadership of the Republic of Armenia place
at his organization's disposal a camp on the
territory of Armenia;(37)
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Downstream of the PKK,
the Kurdistan Popular Liberation Army (ARGK),
under the command of Cemil Bayik, leads the
armed struggle in Turkey. ARGK, which the
PKK developed during the course of the war,
has now, according to A.Ocalan, 15000
fighters, including 4000 women. The
militants are rather young and little or not
educated: workers, peasants, unemployed.
They are recruited sometimes voluntarily,
sometimes not and trained at the guerilla in
the Party's camps abroad, namely, in the
uncontrolled zone, north of Iraq, in Iran or
at the confines of Armenia and Azerbaijan.(38)
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In 2000-2001 according
to court decision 16 PKK members, who tried
to go from Iran through Azerbaijan to
Armenia and back, were imprisoned.(39)
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on May 9, 2002 the
government of the United States of America
charged some enterprises of Armenia for the
fine because of the sale of equipment and
technology to Iran, what violates Act of
2000 on Iran about non-proliferation.(40)
It is hard to believe that these
enterprises acted without the knowledge of the
Armenian government.
All this is by no means a complete list of
facts confirming the support of the Republic of
Armenia to international terrorism.
There are a lot of states in the world,
which pursue the policy of granting asylum and
justifying terrorism, create all conditions for
terrorists to have a rest and receive medical
treatment, provide them political cover after
they commit terrorist acts in other states,
encourage dirty information campaigns aimed at
justifying terrorism. Still more dangerous are
the attempts to create an image of "national
heroes", "fighters for the just cause" for
terrorists, favouring the upbringing of the
younger generation in the spirit of terrorist
struggle traditions. One of such states is the
Republic of Armenia which pursues the state
policy for the rehabilitation of the
international Armenian terrorist group
activists, who have committed explosions in the
70s-80s at the "Orly" airport and at the Moscow
underground, assassinations of Turkish diplomats
in Switzerland and Greece, seizure of Turkish
embassy in Paris and a number of other crimes.(41)
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3.4. Armenian Terrorism against
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan became an object of Armenia
terrorism already since the beginning of XX
century. The terror acts reached their strong
swing during first Russian revolution in
1905-1907 and in 1918-1920. Armenian scapegraces
acted with special cruelty. They spare neither
olds nor women and children, leaving burned and
destroyed villages.(42)
Since the end of the 80s of the XX century
Azerbaijan has again become the main target of
the Armenian terrorism. Terrorist acts were
carried out against the civilian population both
on the territory of Azerbaijan and out of it. As
a result of crimes committed by the Armenian
terrorists from 1989 to 1994 over 2 thousand
civilians of the Republic of Azerbaijan, mainly
women, the elderly people, and the children,
died; tens of thousands were wounded and became
invalids. (See Annex I).
Armenia stood behind these crime and these
terrorist acts were organized for the
realization of political goal - the seizure of
the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. After
having been occupied by Armenia, this region of
Azerbaijan together with Armenia and the Middle
East became the place of deployment of terrorist
organizations.(43)
The documents prepared by the International
Research Institute in Washington mentioned the
existence of 21 training centers for PKK
fighters in Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh
region of Azerbaijan. About 660 Kurdish
terrorists were trained in the armed forces of
the Republic of Armenia.(44)
According to R.Novruzoglu and Y.Oguz,
Ibrahim bin Laden, whom we have already
mentioned, elaborated a plan on the
establishment of training camps in the occupied
territories of Azerbaijan, in particular in
Jabrayil, Zangilan and Gubadly. He invested 320
thousand USD for these purposes. Mark Sarkissian,
head of a terrorist organization "Chegakron"
situated in Khankendi since 1999, with the
identity card, given by bin Laden, became the
member of a radical organization "Armed Islam"
(Algeria) and is a coordinator between the two
organizations.(45)
The involvement of Armenia, to be more
accurate, of its state bodies into the terrorist
acts against Azerbaijan has been proved by
numerous judicial evidences. Thus, for example,
as a result of cooperation between the
Azerbaijani Ministry for National Security and
the Russian Federal Security Service a terrorist
group of Armenian separatists headed by the
chief of division of the Main Directorate of the
National Security of Armenia, colonel Jan
Ohanessian, his deputy, major Ashot Galoyan and
the senior officer of the department for
counter-terrorism of the Russian Federal
Security Service, major Boris Simonian that
acted on the territory of the Russian
Federation, was called to account. This group,
which was financed by the association "TIRR"
stationed in Moscow and headed by V.Petrossian,
organized explosions in several trains on the
territory of Russia and Azerbaijan. All these
persons were sentenced to various terms of
imprisonment by the courts of the Russian
Federation and the Republic of Azerbaijan. The
fact of organization by the secret services of
Armenia of the electric train explosion at the
Baku underground on March 19, 1994 (14 persons
died, 42 persons were wounded), which was
executed by members of a terrorist and
separatist organization "Sadval" that functions
in Dagestan was proved during the court
examinations. Numerous testimonial and material
evidence directly indicate that the fighters of
this organization were trained for military and
subversive activities at the bases of special
services of Armenia at the Lukoser settlement of
the Nairi district and in the Arzni district of
Armenia, as well as in camps specially built in
the Maharramkend district of Dagestan. It were
special services of Armenia that financed and
provided all necessary explosive materials and
technical means for the terrorist act.
Azerbaijani special service found out 43
organizers and performers of that crime. 30 of
them were sentenced by the Supreme Court of
Azerbaijan; as concerns other persons, who are
in hiding out of Azerbaijan, the search for them
has been going on. The unusual character of this
terrorist act is that the special services of a
state, neighbouring Azerbaijan (i.e. Armenia),
which occupied territories and sponsors the
separatist regime in the western part of
Azerbaijan (in Nagorno-Karabakh), organized
training of terrorists on the territory of the
other contiguous country (Russia) from
separatists who claim a number of northern
regions of Azerbaijan. This is a convincing
evidence that the interaction of separatists of
different ethnic origin is one of the most
important constituent elements of international
terrorism.(46)
Above we spoke of the policy aimed at
providing asylum and justifying terrorism.
Armenia pursues this policy with regard to
terrorist organizations and terrorists, who were
also involved in the act of violence against the
peaceful population on the territories of
Azerbaijan occupied by the armed forces of
Armenia. This is proved by the fact that in 1993
the Iranian, Lebanese and Syrian "colleagues" of
Monte Melkonian, the US citizen, who served his
term in the French prison for the terrorist acts
committed in Paris, who was involved in
atrocities carried out by Armenians on the
territory of the Nagorno-Karabakh and other
regions of Azerbaijan and who was proclaimed a
national hero of Armenia, attended his funerals
together with Armenian officials, including
President of the country.(47)
Another example. A well-known terrorist
Grant Narkarian and Vazgen Sislian, one of
organizers of the seizure of the Turkish embassy
in Paris in 1981, were honored with the title of
heroes of the Karabakh war.(48)
As a result of the cease-fire established
in May 1984 and the measures taken by special
services of Azerbaijan since mid-1995 the
Armenian terrorist activity against the civilian
population of Azerbaijan began to decline. But
at the same time state organs of Armenia and the
puppet regime in Nagorno-Karabakh made attempts
to organize, to finance and realize this
activity by means of using citizens of the third
countries, the representatives of small nations
of Azerbaijan, prisoners-of-war and hostages.
Thus, in training bases of the Armenian
terrorists terrorist groups from separatist
organizations of Lezghins, Avars, Kurds were set
up, talks on the preparation of terrorist acts
were held with the representatives of these
groups and they were rendered every assistance.
As a result of the examination of the persons
put to investigation in connection with
terrorist acts committed in September 2001 in
the Zagatala region of Azerbaijan it became
known that "defense minister" and other "top
officials" of Nagorno-Karabakh took part in the
preparation of the armed actions aimed at the
unification of the northern parts of Azerbaijan
with the Dagestan Republic of Russia and in the
arms supply to the Lezghin and Avar separatists.
Terrorists who committed these crimes visited
repeatedly Yerevan and Nagorno-Karabakh,
received a special training here; they were
given weapons and money for the beginning of the
actions on the establishment of a separatist
Avar state.(49)
Magammad Ojagverdiyev, who was released
from the Armenian captivity on November 3, 2001,
said at the press conference held on November
23, 2001 that when he was in Armenia he was
offered to commit terrorist acts against
prominent public figures and politicians. In
exchange he was offered a flat in any country
and the money. When he refused he was tortured
in the investigatory isolation ward of the
ministry of national security of Armenia.
Terrorism is closely connected to
transnational organized crime, illegal drug
trafficking, money laundering, illegal arms
trafficking and illegal transportation of
nuclear, chemical, biological and other
potentially lethal materials. This connection
was referred to in the UN Security resolution
1373 of September 28, 2001.(50)
This activity is especially seen in territories
uncontrolled by states and widely used as
transit corridors. Terrorist and separatist
organizations carry out this kind of illegal
activity for self-financing aims.
Armenia, as well as the puppet regime in
Nagorno-Karabakh, continues to use the occupied
territories of Azerbaijan as a transit corridor
for the activities of transnational organized
crime. They use these territories in the
interests of the drug business, for illegal arms
and human trade, money laundering and other
illegal activities, the obtained profit being
spent for the financing terrorism,(51)
which is in its turn one of means of alienation
of the Azerbaijani territory. In the
"International Narcotics Control Strategy
Report" of the US State Department of 2003 it is
noted that the occupied Azerbaijani territories
are used for drug trafficking. In 2001 in the
Nagorno-Karabakh region 3,677 kg of hemp were
seized.(52)
Moreover, the terrorists began to act in
Armenia proper. The events of October 1999 in
the Parliament of Armenia could be named as an
example, when terrorists killed the speaker and
a number of members of parliament, as well as
the prime minister.
These facts let S.Weems come to a
conclusion that "political assassinations are
commonplace in Armenia today. The mayor of
Yerevan, capital city, complained about
corruption within the state government, and was
murdered. Many individuals, who have attempted
to object and speak out about state government
abuse have been assassinated".(53)
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Conclusion
As a form of extremism and violence,
terrorism is a means in the hands of the
groupings connected with separatism,
destabilization, religious fundamentalism and
political radicalism for the implementation of
political goals. Terrorism, incompatible with
the norms of international and domestic law, is
especially brutal in carrying out its actions.
Terrorism and those who commit terrorist acts
undermine the very basics of morality and
legality.
Terrorism was a means for the achievement
by the Armenian nationalists of their political
goals. It has become now an integral part of
state politics of the Republic of Armenia.
S.Weems noted that "since 1918 until today the
two major exports of Armenia have been its own
people, fleeing the "historic state" and
terrorism. Since 1918 number one import of
Armenia has been, and continues to be, foreign
aid from other nations".(54)
All characteristic features and all type of
terrorism pertain to Armenian terrorism, which
uses practically all methods used by terrorist
organizations. Armenian terrorism is closely
connected to international terrorism and
organized crime; it is their integral part. In
1973-2001 only in Western European countries
Armenian terrorist organizations committed 235
terrorist acts, 70 murders, 41 assassination
attempts. As a result of these terrorist acts
524 persons were wounded and 105 civilians were
taken hostage.(55)
Armenian terrorism is supported by the Republic
of Armenia and is a part of its state policy.
Unfortunately, the Armenian myth based on
the concepts of "Greater Armenia" and "Armenian
genocide" fabricated by the Armenian
ideologists, continues to serve, today as well,
the instigation of hatred, evil and intolerance.
Direct military aggression and terrorism with
regard to the civilian population and civil
installations are elements of common state
policy of Armenia with regard to Azerbaijan. The
Armenian terrorists committed the terrorist acts
against Azerbaijan at the territories of the
third states as well. The artificial
prolongation by the Armenian side of the process
of settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani
conflict is aimed at the aggravation of
situation in the region. Armenia uses terror as
a component of its state policy. All this
creates serious threat to regional security. One
thing is undoubted: the present-day Armenia,
being the aggressor-state and the state,
supporting and sponsoring terrorism and
separatism, will act until the international
community condemns and ceases to support its
unlawful claims.
In conclusion we would like to remind of
the statement by the UN Secretary-General Kofi
Annan that "...Terrorism threatens every
society. As the world takes action against it,
we have all been reminded of the need to address
the conditions that permit the growth of such
hatred and depravity. We must confront violence,
bigotry and hatred even more resolutely…".(56)
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Annex 1
Chronology of the
terrorist acts in Azerbaijan (1989-1994)
September 16, 1989
Passenger bus, moving on the Tbilisi-Baku
itinerary was blown up. As a result, 5 men died
and 25 got wounded.
October 7, 1989
On the southern outskirt of the Khankendi
town of the Republic of Azerbaijan the Armenian
terrorists blew up a car bridge on the
Khelfalichay River. A criminal A.A.Abramian was
sentenced by the Supreme Court of the Republic
of Azerbaijan to 15 years of imprisonment with
expropriation.
February 18, 1990
On the 105th kilometer of the Yevlax-Lachin
highway a line bus moving from Shusha to Baku
was blown up. As a result of this terrorist act
13 persons were wounded.
July 11, 1990
A car caravan loaded with the goods of
national economy escorted by detachment was
attacked between the settlements of Oktavan and
Jiraktar in the Agdere district of the
Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. 3 persons
were killed, 23 wounded. Criminal A.Ayrian was
sentenced to extreme penalty with expropriation
by the Supreme Court of the Republic of
Azerbaijan on July 12, 1992.
August 10, 1990
As a result of explosion of a passenger bus
moving on the itinerary of Tbilisi-Aghdam 20
persons were killed, 30 wounded. This criminal
group also planned to organize explosion on the
bus Aghdam-Tbilisi. On June 17, 1991 the group
was arrested, its leader A.Avanesian was
sentenced to extreme penalty, a member of the
group M.Tatevosian - to 15 years of
imprisonment.
December 15, 1990
Terrorist group, headed by S.Babayan and
A.Ayrumanyan, killed 3 persons on a span between
the Jamilli and Kosalar stations of the Asgeran
district of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of
Azerbaijan.
September 15, 1990
The Armenian terrorists blew up the
broadcasting center in Khankendi. No victims
were recorded.
January 9, 1991
A reporter of the newspaper "Molodyoj
Azerbaydjana" ("Azerbaijani Youth") S.Askerova,
militaries - lieutenant colonel S.Larionov,
major I.Ivanov, sergant I.Goek were killed on
the 15th kilometer of the road from Lachin to
Shusha. The Supreme Court of the Republic of
Azerbaijan sentenced criminals A.Mkrtchian,
G.Petrosian, A.Mangasarian, G.G.Arutyunian and
G.M.Arutyunian to be shot and other members of
the terrorist group to different periods of
imprisonment.
January 19, 1991
In Khankendi V.Bagmanian, A.Antonian and
S.Bagmanian made an attempt upon life of
major-general V.Kovalyov, chief of the Office of
Internal Affairs of the Nagorno-Karabakh
Autonomous Region.
January, 1991
Near the Drmbon settlement of the Agdere
district of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of
Azerbaijan a group of terrorists, leaded by
V.Galayan, committed an armed attack on autocade,
moving to Kelbadjar. A driver of gasoline truck
was killed.
Early in 1991
A.Bagmanian, S.Babayan, A.Abramyan and
others killed head of the "Khodjali" airport.
April 8, 1991
A terrorist act was committed against
deputy head of the office of internal forces on
the Northern and Southern Caucasus colonel
V.Blakhotin in Rostov-on-Don, Russia. The Court
Board of the Rostov region sentenced criminals
to different terms of imprisonment: A.Bagmanian
and A.Antonian - to 15 years, S.Bagmanian - 12
years, K.Akopyan - 4 years, K.Yegityan - 2 years
and 9 months.
April 18, 1991
As a result of an armed attack on motor-car
the Armenian terrorists headed by G.Sarkisian in
the Khojavend district of the Nagorno-Karabakh
region of Azerbaijan, near the Amaras Church 3
police officers were killed. The same group blew
up the bridge between Askeran and Aghdam.
May 9, 1991
The Armenian militants made an attempt upon
Vladimir Polyanichko, one of the members of the
Organizational Committee of the Republic of
Azerbaijan on the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous
Region. In August 1, 1993 he was murdered as a
result of terrorist act in the Northern Ossetia.
May 30, 1991
The Moscow-Baku passenger train was blown
up near the railway station of Khasavyurt,
Dagestan, Russia. 11 people were killed and 22
wounded.
June 28, 1991
A group of the Armenian terrorists made an
attack on the Garadaghli settlement of the
Martuni district of the Nagorno-Karabakh region
of Azerbaijan. 6 people out of the peaceful
population were killed.
July 31, 1991
On the territory of Dagestan the Armenian
militants blew up the Moscow-Baku train, as a
result of which 16 people were killed and 20
wounded.
Summer of 1991
Khomich, major of the internal forces of
the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR was
murdered on the highway Khankendi-Shusha.
November 20, 1991
"Mi-8" helicopter, with a group of eminent
statesmen, political and military figures of
Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, as well as other
officials and journalists on the board, was shot
down by the Armenian terrorists over the
Garakend settlement of the Khodjavend district
of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.
All passengers and crew died.
January 8, 1992
The Krasnovodsk (Turkmenbashi)-Baku
passenger see ferry was blown up. 25 persons
died and 88 were wounded.
January 28, 1992
A civilian helicopter, flying on the
itinerary of Aghdam-Shusha, was shot down by the
Armenian terrorists near Shusha. From 41
passengers on the board, mainly consisted of
women and children, 3 were killed.
February 28, 1993
The Kislovodsk-Baku passenger train was
blew up not far from the Gudermes station,
Chechnya, Russia. 11 were killed, 18 wounded.
June 2, 1993
A passenger railroad car, standing on
sidings, was blown up in the railway station in
Baku. No victims were recorded. Criminal
I.Khatkovskiy was sentenced to 8 years of
imprisonment by the decision of the Supreme
Court of the Republic of Azerbaijan in July 22
1994.
February 1, 1994
The Kislovodsk-Baku passenger train was
blown up in the railway station in Baku. As a
result, 3 people died and more than 20 were
wounded.
February 24, 1994
A railroad car was blown up in the Khudat
station. No victims were recorded.
March 18, 1994
The Armenian terrorists shot down the
"Hercules" aircraft of the Iranian Air Forces,
with diplomats and their families on the board.
As a result of the terrorist act 34 people lost
their lives.
March 19, 1994
An electric train was blown up in the
subway station of "the 20th of January" in Baku.
14 people were killed and 42 wounded.
April 13, 1994
The Moscow-Baku passenger train was blown
up in the railway station of "The lights of
Dagestan" (Russia). As a result of the terrorist
act 6 people were killed and 3 wounded.
July 3, 1994
An electric train was blown up between the
"The 28th of May" and "Gandjlik" stations of the
Baku subway. As a result, 14 people died and 54
were wounded. |
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