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You agree, through your use of this service, that you will not use this forum to post any material which is:
- abusive
- vulgar
- hateful
- harassing
- personal attacks
- obscene
You also may not:
- post images that are too large (max is 500*500px)
- post any copyrighted material unless the copyright is owned by you or cited properly.
- post in UPPER CASE, which is considered yelling
- post messages which insult the Armenians, Armenian culture, traditions, etc
- post racist or other intentionally insensitive material that insults or attacks another culture (including Turks)
The Ankap thread is excluded from the strict rules because that place is more relaxed and you can vent and engage in light insults and humor. Notice it's not a blank ticket, but just a place to vent. If you go into the Ankap thread, you enter at your own risk of being clowned on.
What you PROBABLY SHOULD NOT post...
Do not post information that you will regret putting out in public. This site comes up on Google, is cached, and all of that, so be aware of that as you post. Do not ask the staff to go through and delete things that you regret making available on the web for all to see because we will not do it. Think before you post!
2] Use descriptive subject lines & research your post. This means use the SEARCH.
This reduces the chances of double-posting and it also makes it easier for people to see what they do/don't want to read. Using the search function will identify existing threads on the topic so we do not have multiple threads on the same topic.
3] Keep the focus.
Each forum has a focus on a certain topic. Questions outside the scope of a certain forum will either be moved to the appropriate forum, closed, or simply be deleted. Please post your topic in the most appropriate forum. Users that keep doing this will be warned, then banned.
4] Behave as you would in a public location.
This forum is no different than a public place. Behave yourself and act like a decent human being (i.e. be respectful). If you're unable to do so, you're not welcome here and will be made to leave.
5] Respect the authority of moderators/admins.
Public discussions of moderator/admin actions are not allowed on the forum. It is also prohibited to protest moderator actions in titles, avatars, and signatures. If you don't like something that a moderator did, PM or email the moderator and try your best to resolve the problem or difference in private.
6] Promotion of sites or products is not permitted.
Advertisements are not allowed in this venue. No blatant advertising or solicitations of or for business is prohibited.
This includes, but not limited to, personal resumes and links to products or
services with which the poster is affiliated, whether or not a fee is charged
for the product or service. Spamming, in which a user posts the same message repeatedly, is also prohibited.
7] We retain the right to remove any posts and/or Members for any reason, without prior notice.
- PLEASE READ -
Members are welcome to read posts and though we encourage your active participation in the forum, it is not required. If you do participate by posting, however, we expect that on the whole you contribute something to the forum. This means that the bulk of your posts should not be in "fun" threads (e.g. Ankap, Keep & Kill, This or That, etc.). Further, while occasionally it is appropriate to simply voice your agreement or approval, not all of your posts should be of this variety: "LOL Member213!" "I agree."
If it is evident that a member is simply posting for the sake of posting, they will be removed.
8] These Rules & Guidelines may be amended at any time. (last update September 17, 2009)
If you believe an individual is repeatedly breaking the rules, please report to admin/moderator.
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Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan
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Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan
Originally posted by burjuin View Post
Thanks
.Politics is not about the pursuit of morality nor what's right or wrong
Its about self interest at personal and national level often at odds with the above.
Great politicians pursue the National interest and small politicians personal interests
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Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan
Former Obama advisers cashing in on White House résumés
By Jake Tapper, CNN Chief Washington Correspondent
President Barack Obama banned former aides from directly lobbying the government for two years after they leave the White House, but there are other ways to influence beyond direct lobbying.
The vague "consulting" loophole, for instance.
Even less publicized are junkets to foreign lands, often ones with abysmal records when it comes to human rights and democracy.
There was a conference in Azerbaijan this past Tuesday and Wednesday, an event attended by former top Obama aides, all of whom were well-compensated for their time and travel.
The country is regarded by human rights activists as repressive and backward.
"Azerbaijan is a highly authoritarian government," said Rachel Denber, of Human Rights Watch. "It's a government that doesn't look very kindly upon dissent. In the recent crackdown there has been dozens of protesters, political activists, dissidents, bloggers, arrested mostly on bogus charges and thrown in jail."
The country exercises excessive restrictions on freedom of expression and religion, they say.
Yet this week, former government officials were treated to luxury travel and accommodations in a city where the Azerbaijani government's "beautification" campaign has meant the forcible eviction of thousands of families and illegal demolition of their homes, according to Human Rights Watch.
Former top Obama White House advisers David Plouffe, Jim Messina, and Robert Gibbs spoke at the conference.
When such high-profile former government officials speak, they are handsomely compensated, usually tens of thousands of dollars.
Others in attendance, according to the program online, included former top officials such Paul Wolfowitz, former deputy secretary of defense under former President George W. Bush, and former Republican Sen. xxxx Lugar.
"It raises questions about whether the public interest is always the Number One interest when these folks are going abroad and collecting five figure checks," said Stephen Spaulding of Common Cause.
Current members of Congress were also listed as attending, though they would not have been paid.
Azerbaijan produces 1 million barrels of oil through a relatively new pipeline from its oil field under the Caspian Sea every day. This week's conference was sponsored by a coterie of oil and gas companies, including BP, Conoco Phillips, Chevron, and the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic.
"Former high level officials convening for an event that brings the country prestige shows how important the country is," said Denber.
In addition to prestige, advice, and help becoming an energy giant, the government of Azerbaijan also wants the administration to support its efforts to reclaim a breakaway republic from Armenian and separatist control.
In an e-mail, a former government official who attended, but asked not to be named, tells CNN that there is another angle here.
"One thing all these stories fail to mention is the alliance we have with Azerbaijan on energy, counterterrorism, and most importantly Afghanistan. Without their logistical and supply routes we couldn't do what we do. Especially when we've had Pakistan shut things down," wrote the official.
"This can encourage dialogue. This could encourage progress," said Spaulding. "We would expect our highest public servants to be good ambassadors abroad, but at the same time we don't want at all the appearance of selling access."
The former government official also told CNN that for context, it is not uncommon for "people like us, in fact former presidents speak in Russia, China, and many other countries with democracy and human rights progress to make, and far less cooperation in other areas than Azerbaijan."
Plouffe, Messina, and Gibbs declined to speak on the record, but they told CNN that former White House counsel Bob Bauer checked out the invitation and payment and said there was nothing inappropriate about the trip.
They also say they brought up Azerbaijan's human rights record in their speeches.
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