Official Says Radicals Plotting Against Azerbaijan Government
Security forces earlier this month arrested the leader of the opposition Yeni Fikir (New Thinking) youth movement, on charges of plotting against the government with the help of foreign money.
Washington is behind Yeni Fikir or so it seems.
Background:
What color will the Azeri revolution take? #msg-6998038
Not surprisingly, that speech was read as a "go" signal for opposition groups across the Caucasus. In Azerbaijan four youth groups - Yokh! (No!), Yeni Fikir (New Thinking), Magam (It's Time) and the Orange Movement of Azerbaijan - comprise the emerging opposition, an echo of Georgia, Ukraine and Serbia, where the US Embassy and specially trained non-governmental organizations operatives orchestrated the US-friendly regime changes with help of the US National Endowment for Democracy, Freedom House and the Soros Foundations.
According to Baku journalists, Ukraine's Pora (It's Time), Georgia's Kmara (Enough) and Serbia's Otpor (Resistance) are cited by all four Azeri opposition organizations as role models. The opposition groups also consider Bush's February meeting in Bratislava with Pora leader Vladislav Kaskiv as a sign that Washington supports their cause.
It seems the same team of Washington regime-change experts are preparing for a "color revolution" for the upcoming November elections in Azerbaijan as were behind other recent color revolutions. #msg-6825938
see also: Azerbaijan is the Key to Understanding the Region #msg-6273501.
Moscow is following Azeri events closely. On May 26, the Moscow daily Kommersant wrote, "While the pipeline will carry oil from the East to West, the spirit of 'color revolutions' will flow in the reverse direction." The commentary went on to suggest that Western governments wanted to promote democratization in Azerbaijan out of a desire to protect the considerable investment made in the pipeline. That is only a part of the strategic game, however. The other part is what Pentagon strategists term "strategic denial".
Until recently the US had supported the corrupt ruthless dictatorship of the Aliyev's as the family had played ball with US geopolitical designs in the area, even though Haider Aliyev had been a career top KGB officer in the Soviet Mikhail Gorbachev era. Then on April 12, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld went to Baku, his second visit in four months, to discuss demands to create a US military base in Azerbaijan, as part of the US global force redeployment involving Europe, the Mideast and Asia.
The Pentagon already de facto runs the Georgia military, with its US Special Forces officers, and Georgia has asked to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Now Washington wants to have direct bases in Azerbaijan proximate to Russia as well as to Iran. #msg-6825938
-Am
Official Says Radicals Plotting Against Azerbaijan Government
Anti-government protests earlier this month in Baku (RFE/RL) 15 August 2005 (RFE/RL) -- Azerbaijani Prosecutor-General Zakir Qaralov today accused unspecified political groupings of plotting to forcibly come to power.
Addressing reporters in Baku, Qaralov said his office had collected evidence showing that some "radical forces" were contemplating seizing power through unconstitutional means.
Qaralov gave no further details, but warned that any attempt at toppling President Ilham Aliyev's government would be met "adequately."
Tensions are running high in Azerbaijan ahead of the 6 November legislative elections.
Security forces earlier this month arrested the leader of the opposition Yeni Fikir (New Thinking) youth movement, on charges of plotting against the government with the help of foreign money.
The arrest of Ruslan Basirli triggered a wave of pro-government rallies against the opposition Azerbaijan's Popular Front Party, which is suspected of links with Yeni Fikir. The opposition has denounced a provocation to call off the elections.
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