Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

[Spetsnaz]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

Russia reinforces military base in Armenia

Baku – APA. Russia has reinforced its military base in Armenia with attack and transport helicopters, the Defense Ministry’s Southern Military District’s press service announced Monday.

“Six modern attack Mi-24P and transport Mi-8MT helicopters from the Army’s aviation have been delivered [to the Armenian military base] from a military airbase in the Krasnodar region,” the press service said.

http://en.apa.az/xeber_russia_reinforces_military_base_in_armen_236791.html

[Federate]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

Ադրբեջանական ոչ պաշտոնական աղբյուրները հայտնում են հերթական կորստի մասին
Posted on Դեկտեմբեր 21, 2015 by Անահիտ Չալիկյան | Leave a comment

Ռազմինֆոյի՝ բաց աղբյուրների մշտադիտարկման արդյունքում հայտնի է դարձել, որ այսօր՝ դեկտեմբերի 21-ին, Ֆիզուլիի շրջանի զորամասերից մեկում ծառայակցի կրակից սպանվել է Ադրբեջանի ԶՈւ զինծառայող, 1996-ին ծնված Սուլեյմանով Նիյազբեյ Բարադդին օղլուն (Süleymanov Niyazbəy Baraddin oğlu):


Սուլեյմանովի հուղարկավորությունը

Սպանված զինծառայողին հուղարկավորել են Ադրբեջանի Խաչմազ շրջանի Յագուբոբա գյուղում: Այլ մանրամասներ դեռ հայտնի չեն: Պաշտոնական աղբյուրներն, առհասարակ, լռում են այս դեպքի մասին:

Հավելենք, որ 2015 թ. սկզբից սա Ադրբեջանի զինված ուժերում և պաշտպանական համակարգի այլ կառույցներում կորուստների հայտնի դարձած 91-րդ դեպքն է, որն արձանագրել է Razm.info կայքը:

http://razm.info/78515

[Eddo211]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

4 reasons why Azerbaijan won’t start war: Karabakh official


A large-scale war is unlikely to break out between Armenia and Azerbaijan, David Babayan, spokesman for the President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic said, according to Tert.am.

On the other hand, he noted, it does not mean that Azerbaijan will stop its policy of provocations.

“A large-scale war won’t start for a number of reasons. To see into the motives behind Azerbaijan’s steps, we must better understand the state’s way of thinking, life style, values and domestic situation,” Babayan said.

One of the primary reasons for Azerbaijan no to unleash large-scale hostilities is politico-military balance between the conflicting parties. That is, Azerbaijan is unable to war against Armenia and Karabakh and win, the spokesperson noted.

The second reason is that “the superpowers, which currently serve as mediating countries, do not want war.”

“Starting a war is a most serious geopolitical act; unleashing the 1990s war was much easier because of a geopolitical vacuum in the Transcaucasia. The USSR collapse left a vacuum, with no global power being able to prevent the war. But the situation is different now because of global actors' interests in Azerbaijan, among them being the West, Russia and Iran.”

By starting a war Azerbaijan will isolate itself from the world, Babayan stated.

“That prevents Ilham Aliyev from taking practical steps, which would prove disastrous for Azerbaijan and the Aliyev clan, given the processes inside the country,” Babayan said.

One more reason why Azerbaijan will not start a war is the ruling clan’s weakening positions in Azerbaijan and, as a consequence, persecution of not only opposition members, but also government bodies – arrests and resignations in Azerbaijan’s foreign office and police.

Also, Babayan welcomed the very fact of the meeting between Presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev after a year’s break, “as they help maintain stability in the region.”

The official is sure, however, that Azerbaijan will continue “Turkey-backed” attacks on the border. This echoes the Azerbaijani Defense Minister’s statements in Turkey claiming to not be “afraid of anything as long as our big brother backs us."

I agree with Babayan except the following quote
" By starting a war Azerbaijan will isolate itself from the world, Babayan stated."

Well first Turkey will be with them and then you have Islamist extremist in thousands that Turkey can send to fight. Afghanistan Pakistan will back Azerbaijan.

Also we should not be in state of mind that Azeris will never attack........They could restart a war and we still must be prepared to the fullest.

[Shant03]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

I agree with Babayan except the following quote
" By starting a war Azerbaijan will isolate itself from the world, Babayan stated."

Well first Turkey will be with them and then you have Islamist extremist in thousands that Turkey can send to fight. Afghanistan Pakistan will back Azerbaijan.

Also we should not be in state of mind that Azeris will never attack........They could restart a war and we still must be prepared to the fullest.

Agreed, we can never get comfortable just because of Russia's support.

[burjuin]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

Armenian Police troops

[londontsi]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

Manat crashes from 1.04 to 1.55 in one day. Azerbaijan adopts floating currency policy (similar to that of Armenia's)

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-21/azerbaijan-moves-to-floating-exchange-rate-letting-manat-tumble

This should hit the morale of their population. Goodbye caviar bribe policy.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=933537046693355&video_source=pages_finch_main_video&theater

[armnuke]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v..._video&theater

The comments under that post show panic and low morale

[burjuin]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

Armenian army.
Military doctors. North East direction

[armnuke]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan in crisis as currency plummets

Azerbaijan’s currency has plummeted after moving to a floating exchange rate, causing a rush on dollars and shops as customers try to buy goods before prices increase.

The manat lost 32% to the dollar yesterday following the central bank’s decision to stop protecting its value in the face of falling oil prices. The bank said it had lost more than half its foreign reserves trying to defend the currency.

But opposition leaders criticised authorities for allowing the manat to fall so dramatically.

“Azerbaijan has moved to a floating exchange rate but someone forgot to teach it how to swim,” said Natiq Cafarli, an economist and member of the opposition Republican Alternative.

Residents of Baku were angry at the sudden announcement and scrambled to convert their manats into foreign currency or durable goods.

“This is such a miserable situation for the whole nation,” one said. “Everyone wants to buy dollars and only a few [banks and exchange offices will] sell … There are almost no dollars left at exchange points.”

An employee at Baku’s Bina shopping market said the shop had had to close to avoid losing money.

Others wanting to buy dollars and euros found many exchange offices shut or not selling hard currencies, while several banks put a $500 limit on exchanges.

Azerbaijan has moved to a floating exchange rate but someone forgot to teach it how to swim
Natiq Cafarli
“This is such a disaster for us,” said another resident. “How come they decided to bankrupt people in one night?”

Several exchange offices in Baku were selling the dollar for between 1.56 and 1.59 manats within hours of the announcement, already higher than the official rate of 1.55.

The bank said in a statement the decision to float the manat was made to “protect the country’s foreign reserves”.

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Baku is heavily dependent on oil and natural gas exports but prices have fallen dramatically in recent years. A barrel of Brent crude oil was selling for $36.10 on 21 December, about 33% of the price 18 months ago.

Ali Karimli, chairman of the Azerbaijan Popular Front Party, accused the government of destroying the national currency.

“It was killed by a self-centered, corrupted, and incapable government,” Karimli said. “There will be price hikes [and] the salaries, pensions, savings – everything we have in manats is now practically devalued by 55%.”

It marks the second time this year the manat has lost significant value due to government actions. In February, a devaluation caused it to lose more than a third of its value against the dollar.

Banking expert Akram Hasanov, who works at a Baku-based IJS law firm, said this earlier devaluation had compromised the currency.

“Many other countries have devalued their currencies in recent years, but nowhere has there been the serious damage to the people and entrepreneurs as [in Azerbaijan],” said Hasanov.

He said the latest devaluation would lead to the collapse of many banks. “But [the bankruptcies of the banks] will not affect the bank owners and managers, it will be ordinary depositors [who will suffer],” Hasanov said.

Just weeks before the February devaluation, the Azerbaijani president, Ilham Aliyev, called the manat “one of the most stable currencies in the world” and encouraged foreign nationals and companies to invest.

Moody’s credit rating service predicted on 21 December that Azerbaijan’s budget deficit would reach 9.2% of gross domestic product this year.

Low energy priceshave also forced Russia and Kazakhstan tofloat their currencies freely on the market. Both the Russian ruble and Kazakhstan’s tenge are at near record lows to the dollar.

[Joseph]

Re: Nagorno-Karabagh: Military Balance Between Armenia & Azerbaijan

http://armenpress.am/eng/news/830482/azerbaijan-has-taken-path-of-exhausting-its-own-special-forces-spokesperson-of-armenia-defense-minister.html