Ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh Remains Elusive

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

Wars by hot or other means aren't easy to resolve.

Post-WW II, US manufactured Cold War continued until Soviet Russia's 1991 dissolution.

US forever wars by hot and other means rage in multiple theaters with no resolution in prospect.

Armenian and Azerbaijan differences over Nagorno-Kaqabakh (NK below) are longstanding — exploding most recently in late September.

Last Friday in Moscow, Russia's Sergey Lavrov brokered a temporary ceasefire between both warring sides.

So far, it hasn't taken hold, both sides accusing the other of breaching it.

Over the weekend, Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry accused Armenian forces of shelling the city of Ganja.

Armenia denied the claim, calling it "absolutely false." 

An Azeri tweet accused Armenian forces of attacking the "Mingachevir Hydro Power Plant which is the largest hydroelectric power station in South Caucasus."

On Sunday, Stepanakert, NK was shelled.

On Monday, RT correspondent in NK Igor Zhdanov tweeted the following:

"The morning is quiet in #Stepanakert - in contrast to what's been going on all night." 

"Air raid sirens and…dozens of explosions around the city. So far the ceasefire seems to extend only to daytime."

NK leader Arayik Harutyunyan said Azeri forces failed to capture the town of Hadrut.

Armenia's Defense Ministry accused the Israeli and Turkish regimes of "sending drones to Azerbaijan disguised as a humanitarian cargo."

Both countries are involved in regional and other conflicts time and again, supporting one side over the other — notably in Syria, Libya and Lebanon.

According to Israeli military intelligence DEBKAfile, the Netanyahu regime supplied Azerbaijan with Harop combat drones.

Israel is involved militarily in the region, including weapons sales.

Azerbaijan admitted using Israeli weapons — with "devastating effect."

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Israel sold Azerbaijan around $825 million worth of weapons from 2006 to 2019.

They include drones, loitering munitions, anti-tank missiles, and surface-to-air missiles.

On September 30, Axios reported that Azerbaijan is using Israeli "kamikaze drones" in strikes against Armenian forces in NK, citing an Azeri aide to its president, adding:

Israel supplies Azerbaijan with around 60% of its weapons.

In September, an "air train" of Azeri cargo planes arrived at Israel's Ovda airbase.

Citing unnamed Israeli analysts, Axios said these "planes are (believed to be) carrying weapons from Israel to Azerbaijan, though Israeli officials refuse to confirm that."

Turkey is involved in NK fighting, reportedly selling arms and sending jihadists to the enclave in support of Azerbaijan.

Syrian President Assad called Turkey's Erdogan "the main instigator and initiator of fighting in NK," adding:

"Let's be blunt and clear. Erdogan has supported terrorists in Syria, and he's been supporting terrorists in Libya, and" now he's involved in NK. 

"I would sum up his behavior as dangerous for different reasons."

"(H)e's creating war in different areas to distract his own public opinion…from focusing on his behavior inside Turkey, especially after his scandalous relations with Daesh (ISIS) in Syria."

Its forces "used to sell Syrian oil through Turkey under the umbrella of the American Air Force."

Erdogan "used terrorists coming from different countries in Syria.

(He) used Syrian terrorists in Libya." He's doing the same thing in NK, said Assad.

Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan accused Erdogan of direct involvement in NK fighting, saying:

"(A)bout 150 high-ranking Turkish military personnel" are in direct command of Azerbaijani operations in the enclave.

Their involvement apparently is similar to Turkish combat operations in northern Syria — in cahoots with ISIS and other jihadists.

Turkey's president admitted support for Azerbaijan militarily — demanding that Armenia leave "occupied Azerbaijani territories."

On Sunday, Tass reported that  Armenia's Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan will be in Moscow through Tuesday.

He and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov will discuss ongoing fighting in NK — breaching ceasefire terms agreed on Friday by warring sides.

Lavrov said the following:

"In order to develop the agreements reached in Moscow on October 9-10 during the trilateral meeting of Foreign Ministers of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia, the dialogue will continue on de-escalation of tensions in the conflict zone and creation of conditions to renew the substantive negotiations process, including the involvement of the (US, French and Russian) co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group."

Achieving a halt in NK fighting is proving to be a daunting task — despite all-out efforts by Russia.

VISIT MY WEBSITE: stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman). Contact at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

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