File:Budget and Economic Outlook - An Update (2008) - edited by Congressional Budget Office - page 50.webp

Summary

https://books.google.com.au/books?id=FKe_0F_GUHIC - page 50

Defense Minister Safar Abiyev in reference to war with Armenia:

• In 2007: "Chance of war is close to 100 percent" (RIA Novosti and AP, 11/ 26/07)

• In 2005, through spokesman Ramiz Melikov "When our hopes [for a favorable settlement] drop below 5 percent . . . we will launch war." (Zerkalo, March 17, 2005)

• In 2004, through spokesman Ramiz Melikov: "Within the next 25 years there will be no state of Armenia in the South Caucasus. These people... have no right to live in this region. Modern Armenia was built on historical Azerbaijani lands. I think that in 25-30 years its territory will again come under Azerbaijan's jurisdiction." (RFE/RL, August 4, 2004)

• In 2002, asked if the Azeri army is "ready to go to [the Armenian capital] Yerevan," Abiyev replied: "We can go even farther." (Azerbaijan News Service via BBC Monitoring, March 22, 2002)

• In 2001 "The Armenian state was created on occupied Azeri lands." (Azerbaijan News Service, December 7, 2001)

Baku Mayor Hajibala Abutalybov on Armenians;

• In 2005, at a meeting with a municipal delegation from Bavaria, Germany "Our goal is the complete elimination of Armenians. You, Nazis, already eliminated the Jews in the 1930s and 40s, right? You should be able to understand us." (Realny Azerbaijan, February 17, 2006)

WRITTEN RESPONSES FROM THE HONORABLE DANIEL FRIED, ASSISTANT SECRETARY, BUREAU OF EUROPEAN AND EURASIAN AFFAIRS, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, TO QUESTIONS SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD BY THE HONORABLE ILEANA ROSLEHTINEN, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF FLORIDA

Question:

THE NORTH CAUCASUS

(TERRITORY WITHIN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION)

Do the international terrorist group Al Qaeda and its affiliates and similar organizations consider the North Caucasus, a part of Russia, to be an important region in their global efforts?

Response:

In the first Chechen war (1994-1996) and the early years of the second Chechen war (2000-2005), there is evidence that international terrorist organizations, like alQaeda and its affiliates, considered the region to be an important area in their global efforts. There are indications that this importance has declined in recent years. Al-Qaeda and its affiliates now appear to be more interested in participating in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Question:

Please comment on the current situation in the North Caucasus region of Russia. There appears to be a brewing Islamist insurgency in Dagestan and other parts of that region. How do alleged links that Al Qaeda has with the Islamist insurgents in parts of the North Caucasus affect US relations with the Russian Government? For example, are we disregarding the tactics Russia may wish to use in dealing with that threat even if the tactics it chooses (such as brutal repression of the population) may ultimately prove to be counter-productive?

Response:

We are following the situation in the North Caucasus region closely. The level of violence, including kidnappings and killings by both government and anti-government forces, declined in Chechnya in 2007, but there has been a steady level of violence in 2008. At the same time, violence has increased in the neighboring republics of Dagestan and Ingushetiya.

The United States Government condemns terrorism, and we work together with the Government of Russia to combat international terrorism through fora such as our bilateral Counter Terrorism Working Group.

The human rights situation in the North Caucasus remains poor and is an issue of concern for the U.S. Government. Our counterterrorism cooperation with Russia does not diminish our concerns about its human rights practices. We remain deeply concerned about the human rights violations committed by the Russian government in the North Caucasus and agree that these can be counterproductive. We have