BAKU (Associated Press)—Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev announced a sharp hike in military spending and again warned Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Aliyev said in remarks published Wednesday in state newspapers that this year’s defense budget will rise to $3.7 billion, up from $3 billion last year.
Annual military spending increases have taken place amid persisting tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Border skirmishes are relatively common, but there has been no return to the full-out conflict of the 1990s.
Hundreds of people gathered Saturday in Baku, in protest at the death this month of an 18-year old conscript. Demonstrators said he died as a result of abuse.
In remarks addressed at the domestic opposition, Aliyev warned against smearing Azerbaijan’s army.
Next time if they attack let’s go take Baku then u see how respectful we get all will be our friends USA uk Europe so let them know any second attempt it’s bye bye Baku and we arrest aliev throw him in jail throw the key away anyone who thinks I’m harsh just think back what they did to our farmers in karabakh
It seems that this criminal aliyev did not learn a lesson from his defeat at the Artsakh war . Your coward and mercenary troops will again lose the war if ever you decide to attack again Our Artsakh , and we’ll teach you another lesson of humuliation and we’ll defending our lands with our Brave and Courageous Army as we did during the previous war.Long Live Artsakh Free Independent & Souvereign State.
Dictator Aliyev and his corrupt family are here to stay as long as the West is making money, and ignorant population of Azerbaijan does not have enough education to produce Spring like the Arab Spring.
There is an opposition in Azerbaijan: It is called the Musavat party, look it up before you make any outlandish statements like those.
“An opposition” under the watchful eye of aliyev which has been created for the purposes of entertainment. Nothing in azerbaijan happens without aliyev’s consent.
The usual barking of Aliyev… but scared to bite.
Aliyev is good for Armenia. Better a rabid dog with the brainpower of an ox ( like alyev) , than an educated, intelligent, virtuous , dedicated chief of state ruling Azeirbaijan. If there is a war, Armenia will have to pack a first punch of a knock out blow. A drive to capture the oil fields or blast them to smitherins . We can not have a protracted, war of attrition. We must not underestimate them. 3.7 billion military budget is serious enough to raise serious concern. What makes the Azeris the darling of other countries ? The oilfields. These oil fields must be taken out of their hands or render them useless .
Agreed, I think the chief Clown of Azerbaijan is more of a blessing than a curse for Armenia.
Thank you for being honest by stating “Aliyev is good for Armenia”. That means you respect the fact that he is an ineffective leader and since he is like that, you can pursue your warmongering expansionalist agenda against your neighbor of Azerbaijan. Wait till the opposition government topples Aliyev. If Gaddafi, Mubarak or Ben Ali can fall, so can Aliyev.
Good news for Israel and Jewish population of the land of Sultan. It means another 1.6 billion out of poor Axerbaijani peoples pocket, for toy guns!! One will go next will be appointed by White House as a new oil man of Sultanate. In the meanwhile those Kemalist Turks in Turkey, will milk Axerbaijan on behalf of Armenians!!
Azerbeycan is spending billions for arms(drones,multiple rocket launchers,etc) what would you think if you were Armenian living with your family in Karabag?You would want your adversary to have a corrupt and ineffective leader. Aliyev and his family are robbing Azerbeycan’s oil revenues and getting billions in kickbacks from business dealings.And this is ideal for Armenia and nightmare for Azerbeycan.Aliyev and his family have very tight political control of Azeri goverment. Aliyev puts down all serious opposition very quicklly before it harms his financial interest.
aliyev’s bark is worst than his bite. In 1991, the azeri turks were 100 times better armed than the Armenians. In fact, the Armenian side almost had no guns to fight with. The azeris, on the other hand, also had the soviet army generals on their side. 3 years later, these bloody bastards were begging for a cease fire.
Begging for a cease fire, yes, but
Yeltsin also thought we can be satisfied whatever we conquered and he prefered we stop our progress.
This was also the reason that our guys did not progress more.
Next time may be different. Next step is Kantsag, to the Gour river.
Vahan Vanagan
Beautiful what we see,
Like a modern art museum. With all these billions invested, since years, Azerbaidjan has become an Open Air huge museum of Arms Collection. These arms will never be used, or get rusted or obsolete before they get used.
An idea,
They can make buisness by organising tourist visits to their military fields to show their big collection of modern and beautiful arms.
But in case of war, before all these arms get into action, their background at Baku and Gaspian Sea will be in flames.
For Baku it will be better the Arms Collection Museums than to see the Flames of their Oil & Gas Platforms.
Vahan Vanagan
How many weapons Azerbaijan bought since 1994 that have became obsolet by than? let them threw away their money uselessly, if there will be a war we will take not only their weapons but also their oil, and liberated Baku, let us not forget Baku was the second Armenian populated city in 1900 and the oil fields there were owned by Armenians.We should send this aliens from the caucasus back to where they came from, Turkey and northern Iran. Israel is selling weapons to Azerbaijan what will Tell Aviv feel if Armenia had done the same to Gaza Palestinians or to Hizbullah? even if these do not need us, we rather need them to understand how to deal with Israeli weapons espescially Hizbullah has a huge experience in this matter.
Second war may not be as easy, however; if war breaks ARMENIA should blow up as many oil fields as she can then the AZERI will have no money to buy arms. THE US and the WEST are only interested in AZERI oil money and to destabilize RUSSIA and they would support AZERI because they know.ARMENIA is the ally of RUSSIA.
I have read these comments and it is very funny. The oilfields and energy resources belong to the West and US.
If the second war starts Armenia and her closest ally Russia will not be allowed to do anything to the West’s investments and oilfields.
Secondly, Armenians are so cocky about their first victory but they shouldn’t forget that Russians fought in nagorny karabakh.
If Russians leave their procterate Armenia then Armenians will return nagorny karabakh and 7 surrounding districts to Azerbaijan without any single fire.
Thirdly, Armenians must be thankful that current president of Azerbaijan is a corrupted person. Without corruption Azerbaijan and his population (including Armenian origin Azerbaijani citizens living in Nagorny Karabakh) would be 50 times wealthier than Armenian citizens.
Yes, the Nagorny Karabakh can be resolved without the second war and disaster as long as nationailists take their hands out in both countries, how? Very simple.
1. Both countries must get rid of corruption;
2. Armenia must get rid of the Greater Armenia and genocide syndrome
3. Both countries reduce their dependence (politically and economically) from Russia, Turkey and Iran instead all three South Caucasian countries cooperate together and build up economic interdependence using the Caspian energy resources.
4. Nagorny Karabakh stays within Azerbaijan but people in Nagorny Karabakh get the highest autonomy;
5 finally three countries (Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaiajn) creat a Union similar to the European Union.
Consequently in 10 years, all three South Caucasian countries become the prosperous, well respected and independent countries and will never fell victim of the imperialistic ideas from Russia, Persia or Ottomans!
VIVA LA CAUCASIANS! ( I don’t mean race :-))
We were willing to do that in 1920 and you stabed the Armenians in our backs…why would we let Georgia and Azerbaijan stab the same spot 100 years later?
Also I don’t see what bussiness Azeri’s have with the Armenian genocide…that’s like me saying to you give up those natural gas fields to Iran and Turkmenistan because there was never such a thing as an Azeri until the Jews got power over the Russians. Will you agree?
It seems to me your stomach is full and waiting for a nice cold Turkish Raki…Armenian Genocide will live in the heart of every human been, regardless if they are Armenians or not!!
Armenia will never engage with Turkic tribes, and Artsakh will never go back to Axerbaijan, where their shaky Sheikhdom foundation built on lose Caspian water…we had enough of Islamized Turks for the last 1000 years!!