Category: Harut Sassounian

(Second and Final Part)

Israel’s international TV station, i24NEWS, aired on January 27 a program that sang the praises of Azerbaijan-Israel military relations and denigrated Armenia and Iran. Last week, we published part 1 of the program. Here is the second and final part. My comments are in brackets:

Henrique Cymerman, an Israeli journalist, narrated the program: “Military relations between Azerbaijan and Israel are getting closer by the minute. Between 2016 and 2020, 69% of Baku’s weapons, drones and electronic systems were purchased from Israel. Almost one-fifth of Israeli war materials were exported and sent to Pres. Aliyev’s country. Roman Gurevich is an Israeli political analyst born in Baku. He focuses on relations between the two countries: ‘In the State of Israel, we are taking 40% of our fuels from Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan uses our technology and we have very important strategic issues in common.’ At the beginning of the 20th Century, Baku was already the world capital of oil production. A century ago, half of the world’s oil was produced in Azerbaijan. In addition, during the Communist era in the 1930’s, the dictator Joseph Stalin decided to increase production to the maximum level. After the break of the Second World War, Hitler’s birthday cake did not leave room for doubt [‘Caspian Sea’ was written on his cake]. The goal: to conquer the Caspian Sea, and the cherry on the cake, the City of Baku. The Nazis didn’t succeed. That also contributed to the victory of the allies, since 75% of all the oil of the Red Army during the war was from Azerbaijan.”

The Israeli journalist continued: “Baku’s government claims its coalition with Israel is not directed against anyone. But for the regime of the Ayatollah, it is very hard to see how a country with a Muslim majority, and totally Shia, maintains such deep ties with the Jewish State, Iran’s most hated enemy.” Former Israeli Minister Efraim Sneh added: “We are in favor of a strong independent, secular Azerbaijan. And this is the basis of why we are together. In that way, this is very important: oil from Azerbaijan to Israel, defense equipment from us to them. Very important. And we are more involved, people to people, cultural relations. But the basis is energy and defense.”

The narrator then said: “The first President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev [Heydar was not the first President], father of the current president, decided on his alliance with Israel which remains to this day, and has Tehran as a common rival. In 2016, Israeli arms sales were estimated to be worth $2.85 billion. Pres. Aliyev decided that the former Soviet Republic would become the first Shiite Muslim state to open a diplomatic mission in Israel. In recent weeks, Baku’s Secret Services have managed to dismantle an Iranian spy network in the capital. Three agents from Tehran received information from several local citizens with whom they met with a clandestine phone. The Iranian side regularly paid for their services. Azerbaijan’s Security Services claimed that the ultimate goal of this network is to radicalize the country and contribute to the creation of an Islamic State, following the model of the Ayatollah. The President of Azerbaijan declared that religion is like an iceberg — much of it is hidden under water.” Gurevich added: “The second war took place two years ago in 2020 after Armenian soldiers killed two senior officers of the Azerbaijani army [11th lie]. The result is that Azerbaijan reacted and liberated almost all of the occupied territories. When Armenians occupied Azerbaijan, the Iranians didn’t threaten Armenia. They chose to threaten Azerbaijan now [12th lie], after liberating the territory. It’s a very strange thing and a very strange alliance. …Azerbaijan is stronger after this victory with the rapprochement between Israel and Turkey. Iranians are under pressure. Instead of building good ties between neighbors, Iran is creating problems for the whole world.”

The narrator continued: “In the destroyed areas of Karabagh, the Baku government is trying to resettle thousands of refugees. That’s why they are building the first smart cities which are still pilot projects. Refugees resulting from the war with Armenia are settled in areas that were completely destroyed. One of the problems is that the border areas are completely mined. Special army units and civilian companies try to clear the land from booby-traps, but this is a never-ending job….”

The narrator concluded: “The two armed conflicts between Azerbaijan and Armenia exist in a delicate ceasefire. And there are those who say that there aren’t two without a third. But this tense situation is further complicated by Iran’s nuclear race which is closer than ever to having enough uranium to build a nuclear bomb. For Iran to have Israeli agents on its border as allies of Azerbaijan is like having a knife to its throat. On the other hand, the Jewish State will do anything to prevent the Ayatollahs from carrying out their apocalyptic threats. It is like a three-person billiard game, if not more.”

The documentary ended here. The narrator, Israel journalist Henrique Cymerman, was then interviewed live on the Israeli channel. Cymerman said: “I think that Iran is really the reason for this alliance between Israel and Azerbaijan, which is huge. It’s really important. It’s strategic for both countries. I think this opening of [Azerbaijan’s] Embassy [in Israel] is the result of a very long process. It’s also a way of saying to Tehran, ‘guys, we have a new ally. We have a new friend in the last years, but we want to go all the way….’ And in a way, it’s a message for the Iranians, but it’s also a way of saying to Israel that they want more. They want more relations. I think they improved their strategic situation in their area of the world which is quite problematic. I was in the 700 hundred kilometers of the border between Azerbaijan and Iran, and I saw many things on the Iranian side. There were exercises and maneuvers — I tell about in the report — that are quite threatening for Azerbaijan. So they want Israel as a friend. And that’s exactly what’s happening now.”

When asked if Azerbaijan is concerned about the “powerful enemy, Iran,” Cymerman replied: “Absolutely. They are very concerned. And I think there were also these two wars they had against Armenia in the last 30 years that contributed to this alliance with Israel. Because 30 years ago they had a war when the Russians supported the Armenians [13th lie], and they lost. They lost 20% of their territory [it was much less than 20%], which is incredible, because it’s like 10,000 square kilometers, it’s like the Lebanese territory — half of Israel. So they lost it and one million Azeri people [it was much less than a million], they say, became refugees. So, now two years ago, in the second Karabagh War, they won because of Israeli technology. I think the Israeli military technology helped them to defeat their enemies, in this case, Armenia. But they also have the Iranian threat. So, they sent a message to Iran saying, ‘now we have new technologies, we have Israel.’ The Azeri President even had an Israeli drone in the picture. In a way, it’s a kind of psychological war, showing that this alliance is really deep and important. They mean business in this relation with Israel.”

On January 27, Israel’s international TV station, i24NEWS, aired a half-hour program full of falsehoods to glorify Azerbaijan’s relations with Israel and vilify Armenia, Iran and Russia. This scandalous program had nothing to do with journalism, and everything to do with Azerbaijan’s notorious ‘caviar diplomacy.’

Here are excerpts from the TV program which I have transcribed. My comments are in brackets:

The narrator, Israeli journalist Henrique Cymerman, said: “Azerbaijan has problematic neighbors, especially Vladimir Putin’s Russia in the North and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s Iran in the South. Yet, its main historical enemy is another neighbor, Armenia, a country with a Christian majority that has clashed with Azerbaijan in two major wars, causing thousands of victims. In the first war of Nagorno-Karabagh in 1991, Armenia, backed by Russia, [first lie] managed to conquer 10,000 square kilometers in the border zone, a region the size of Lebanon. The official objective was to create a buffer zone. For Azerbaijan, 2020 was the year of victory in the second Karabagh war. Pres. Ilham Aliyev’s army reconquered all areas [second lie] occupied by the Armenians only to find dozens of villages and small towns completely destroyed and booby-trapped. [Third lie]. Such was the case in Khodaafarin area, just a few meters from the Iranian border on the banks of Arax River. In this scenario, Iran supported Armenia [fourth lie] and Israel supported Azerbaijan.”

The reporter interviewed Mubarak Qurbanli, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Religious Affairs, who said: “Armenia seized our lands. [Fifth lie]. It took a huge heroic effort for our army to win them back in the last war. The Azerbaijani people know that during this war, Iran was on the side of Armenia. [Sixth lie]. So you can understand these unpleasant feelings, not towards the people, but towards the Iranian regime…. Iran reproaches Israel it seems from the point of view of Orthodox Islam. But, where was Iran for 30 years when Armenia, violating all international laws [seventh lie], occupied Azerbaijani lands, including the Iranian border. Why did Iran remain silent then?” [Eighth lie].

The narrator continued: “The ceasefire was finally achieved by Vladimir Putin. At the liberation celebration in Baku, the army viewed the offensive drones it had acquired from Israel and which caused many casualties among Armenian forces [shameful boast about killing Armenians]. One of the strong men in the Baku government is Hikmet Hajiyev, Pres. Aliyev’s top advisor and his foreign policy strategist. He claims that Israel is one of the first countries that recognized Azerbaijan’s independence in 1991 and delivered news that angered Tehran.” Hajiyev said: “The President of Azerbaijan and National Parliament made a decision to open a full-fledged Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the State of Israel, and with the opening of the Azerbaijan Embassy in Israel we will be able to manage to bring to a quantitatively new level the Israel-Azerbaijan strategic partnership.” [Hajiyev did not mention that due to Pres. Aliyev’s fear of a backlash from Islamic States, Azerbaijan opened an Embassy in Tel Aviv only in 2022 — almost 30 years after Israel opened its Embassy in Baku in 1993. And then, to soften the negative reaction of Islamic states, Azerbaijan opened a representative office in Ramallah, the West Bank].

The reporter then added: “The closer the strategic relation between Baku and Jerusalem is, the more Tehran threatens both countries. In a video broadcast by the Islamic Republic of Iran, it clearly defined that the path to the Holy Mosque of Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem passes through the capital of Azerbaijan. It is the first time that Tehran has threatened the two countries, saying ‘you are digging your graves. Anyone who defies Iran will be destroyed.’ Tehran also attacks Israel’s new Arab partners that support the Abraham Accords: the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and even Saudi Arabia…. This is one of the most explosive borders in the world. On this side, we are in Azerbaijan which is a secular Muslim country, a strategic ally of Israel, and there we can see the flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran which defines the U.S. and Israel as ‘the big Satan and the little Satan.’ According to Iran, the road through Jerusalem passes through Baku, the Capital of Azerbaijan. In October 2022, the Iranian army decided to launch an act of intimidation against Azerbaijan accusing its Northern neighbor of being agents of Israel. Thousands of Iranian soldiers crossed the Arax River on the border between the two states with tanks, planes, helicopters and military trucks. The Iranian army also dropped hundreds of paratroopers over the border area. There were dozens of videos of military maneuvers which showed time and time again, the target of their missiles: The Jewish State’s Star of David. Tehran points to the growing ties between Baku and Jerusalem.” Then a video is shown of an Iranian General saying: “We are turning at the crossing of the Arax River on the border with Azerbaijan so that they will take us seriously. We do not accept the presence of Zionists next door.”

The i24NEWS program continued: “Many of the military drills took place on the Iranian side of the river, but at times, there were air and ground infiltrations within Azerbaijani territory. Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev responded to Iranian Generals with a tweet that enraged Tehran: A photo of the leader of Azerbaijan embracing the Israeli Harop type kamikaze drone. Azerbaijan bought the SkyStriker and LORA drones from Israeli companies Elbit and Israel Aerospace Industries.”

The journalist then interviewed Efraim Sneh, a former Israeli Minister, who is described as “the architect of the alliance between Israel and Azerbaijan.” He said: “I recognized the importance of friendly Azerbaijan, given its very close proximity to Iran and the fact that a big part of Iran is Azeri. [Ninth lie]. I thought this is a case for us to establish a strong, sound bridge between Israel and Azerbaijan…. The Azeri people took a major role in the combat against Nazi Germany. Hundreds of thousands of Azeris who went to the war against Hitler during the ‘Great Patriotic War,’ didn’t return home. They fell in the battlefield in Europe and Germany. And this is something that a Jew can never forget. We remain always grateful for the contribution of Azerbaijan to the defeat of the Nazis.” [Tenth lie. The Israeli Minister seems unaware that fighting for Nazi Germany were 70,000 Azeris who participated in the suppression of the Warsaw Uprising. Hitler called these Azeris his reliable allies].

The narrator continued: “During our journey along the 700-kilometer border, we saw other Israeli technologies being used to surveil the Iranian side, for example, high-precision cameras and very sophisticated electronic sensors. According to several sources, these systems support operations conducted by special units and Israeli secret agents who infiltrate Iran to fight against its nuclear projects. It’s a delicate surgical fight, according to the international press. Israel permanently maintains pilots of its Air Force in Azerbaijan as well as several [U.S.] F-35 fighter jets, the fifth generation of combat aircraft considered to be the most sophisticated on the planet. Following the Iranian drills, an F-35 apparently infiltrated Iranian airspace to assess the efficiency of its anti-aircraft system.” [If true, this is a clear admission that Israel has violated its agreement with the U.S. not to transfer the F-35’s to another country].

[Part 1: To be continued next week]

120,000 Armenians in Artsakh are trying to survive in sub-zero temperatures without heat, food and medicines due to the blockade of the Lachin Corridor by Azeri eco-terrorists who are masquerading as environmentalists. However, Azerbaijan is not going to get away with its grave human rights violations without paying a steep price.

Azerbaijan has become the laughing stock of the world. Just about every government, except for Erdogan’s dictatorship, has condemned the inhuman blockade of Artsakh.

International organizations, such as the United Nations Security Council, European Parliament, Council of Europe, European Union, and European Court of Human Rights have criticized the government of Azerbaijan for blockading the population of the Republic of Artsakh.

Thousands of newspapers and television stations around the world have harshly attacked Azerbaijan.

Many politicians, prominent individuals and parliaments have urged Azerbaijan to immediately unblock the Lachin Corridor.

Thus, the billions of dollars Azerbaijan has paid in bribes to officials in Europe and around the world to gain positive PR have been wasted.

After countless violations of international law, everyone has become aware of the dictatorial regime of Azerbaijan.

From now on, no country will urge Armenia to sign a peace treaty with Azerbaijan given its genocidal actions. Besides the outright murder of a people, the UN also defines genocide as: “deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part.”

Both sides of any conflict must be desirous of seeking peace. When Azerbaijan is hell-bent on destroying Artsakh and Armenia, how can anyone expect a peaceful co-habitation with such a murderous neighbor?

Pres. Aliyev has undermined his own claim that Artsakh Armenians can live happily under Azeri rule, just like all other citizens of Azerbaijan. Since the Azeris themselves are deprived of their basic rights, how would Artsakh Armenians enjoy any rights? It is inconceivable for Artsakh Armenians to live in Azerbaijan, a government that is starving its ‘future’ citizens.

Pres. Aliyev does not hide his mischievous intent. He regularly makes Armenophobic statements, claiming that in addition to Artsakh, the entire Republic of Armenia was historic Azerbaijan. Of course, this is a ridiculous statement. Whereas Armenia has existed for thousands of years, Azerbaijan is barely over one hundred years old.

The fake Azeri environmentalists have never protested the severe air pollution in their own country. They also ignored the Azeri military’s use of internationally-banned white phosphorus during the 2020 War which destroyed forests, humans and other creatures in Artsakh.

Many of the so-called Azeri protesters who have blocked the Lachin Corridor are members of the Azeri military. No Azeri is allowed to enter the occupied territories of Artsakh without the permission of Azerbaijan’s government. Particularly ridiculous is the female Azeri protester who was wearing a mink coat and acting as if she was an environmentalist!

Meanwhile, the government of Azerbaijan kept denying that Azeris were blocking the Lachin Corridor by showing videos of a handful of International Red Cross cars and Russian Peacekeepers’ trucks crossing the Corridor. The small amount of supplies they are allowed to bring to Artsakh is a tiny percentage of the 400 tons of supplies previously delivered daily to Artsakh from Armenia.

Artsakh’s inexperienced leaders made inexcusable mistakes which undermined their own interests. The Artsakh government unwisely decided to shut down their mines in response to Azeri demands to inspect them. Thus, the Artsakh government was deprived of the large amount of tax revenues it received from these mines and left hundreds of Artsakh miners unemployed and without income. Furthermore, instead of telling Azerbaijan that the Artsakh mines are none of its business, the Artsakh government announced that it would allow international inspectors to come and inspect the mines.

The other mistake made by a high-ranking Artsakh official was his announcement that Armenian bandits were making money by using side roads that bypassed the Lachin Corridor to smuggle people and supplies in and out of Artsakh. This inappropriate announcement was immediately publicized by the Azeri media which published a map of the alternate route to reach Artsakh, threatening to bomb that route and telling the world that there is no blockade of Artsakh.

Besides Azerbaijan, Russia is to be blamed for the blockade of the Lachin Corridor as it is its responsibility to keep the Corridor open, according to the agreement signed by Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia at the end of the 2020 War. The Russian Peacekeepers should not have allowed the Azeri mob to reach the Corridor, let alone block it. Furthermore, 120,000 Artsakh Armenians, instead of slowly starving to death, should have forcefully removed the Azeri mob and opened the Corridor.

The Armenian government has its own share of responsibility for the blockade. By telling Artsakh’s leaders to deal directly with Azerbaijan to solve their dispute, Armenia’s leaders have washed their hands from Artsakh, leaving Artsakh to face alone the powerful Azeri enemy, even though Armenia had repeatedly declared that it is the guarantor of Artsakh’s security.

Finally, the Diaspora Armenian communities, instead of holding peaceful protests, should surround Azerbaijan’s Consulates and Embassies around the world, not allowing Azeris to go in or out of these buildings, the way they have blocked access to the Lachin Corridor.

The Corrupt Despot of Azerbaijan

Journalist Fin Depencier wrote a lengthy exposé in the San Francisco-based Palladium Magazine, titled: “Ilham Aliyev and the Making of Azerbaijan.”

The article starts with Ilham Aliyev’s early years in Moscow when his father, Heydar Aliyev, was a member of the ruling Politburo of the Soviet Union.

At the young age of 16, Ilham Aliyev “was admitted into Russia’s most prestigious university, the Moscow Institute of International Relations,” through his father’s KGB connections. He graduated with a PhD in history and taught at the university from 1985 to 1990. He learned fluent English and specialized in British history.

In 1987, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev dismissed Heydar Aliyev from the Politburo. His son, Ilham, was fired from the University after “Heydar criticized Gorbachev’s government for the killing of Azerbaijani civilians in Baku.” Ilham was blacklisted and could not get a job. “He ended up in the clothing business, purchasing a factory on the outskirts of Moscow…. He then briefly relocated to Istanbul.”

In 1993, after Heydar became the president of the Republic of Azerbaijan, he recalled his son to Baku and appointed him vice president of SOCAR, Azerbaijan’s state oil company. When Heydar was involved in a dispute with Western oil companies over Caspian oil rights, he spoke with the newly-inaugurated Pres. Bill Clinton who pressured the companies to accept Aliyev’s conditions. Ilham flew to Houston and signed the agreement which gave SOCAR 20% share in the new oil consortium. The remainder was divided among British Petroleum, Aramco, Russia’s Lukoil, Pennzoil, and others.

After his father’s death, Ilham became President of Azerbaijan in a controversial election in 2003. He purged the old guard of oligarchs and officials and jailed “hundreds of functionaries belonging to the main opposition party, the Popular Front of Azerbaijan.” Among those jailed were “hundreds of journalists, activists, and other opponents of the government from the last two decades. As of 2015, Azerbaijan had more than twice the number of political prisoners as Belarus and Russia combined.” Nevertheless, “Aliyev expected most corruption to flow through him and his family.”

In 1983, “Ilham married Mehriban Pashayeva, whose grandfather was a famous Azerbaijani writer that already had amassed enormous wealth. He expanded the already-large Pashayev fortune by giving family members positions in government, which they have exploited for personal gain.” Here are several examples: “Nargiz Pashayeva, Aliyev’s sister-in-law, is the rector of Moscow State University’s Baku branch. His father-in-law, Arif Pashayev, runs the national aviation academy. Arif’s brother, Hafiz Pashayev, is a deputy minister of foreign affairs and served as U.S. ambassador for over 13 years. And so on it goes — the Pashayevs are now Azerbaijan’s most wealthy family by far. Their conglomerate, PASHA Holdings, owns seven of the ten largest banks in Azerbaijan, along with interests in tourism and insurance.” In 2017, Pres. Aliyev appointed his wife as vice president of Azerbaijan to be his successor.

Aliyev has successfully silenced his foreign detractors “through intimidation and bribery. Azerbaijan manages a network of institutions whose purpose is to distribute funds throughout the West and ensure positive coverage in the media, allies in the business world, and defenders in politics. The network has been most active in Europe: in 2012, the European Sustainability Initiative used the term “caviar diplomacy” to describe Azerbaijan’s practice of bribing EU politicians. Doing state business in Azerbaijan is comfortable. The regime spends lavishly on hotel suites and dinners for its guests. Friendly journalists are offered access to Nagorno-Karabakh and other select locations. In 2017, Aliyev decided to give 255 loyal Azerbaijani journalists free apartments for their service to the regime.”

In 2017, the Global Anti-Corruption Consortium “revealed a scheme in which the Azerbaijani government laundered $2.9 billion through four shell companies in the UK…. According to the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, other recipients included “at least three European politicians, a journalist who wrote stories friendly to the regime, and businessmen who praised the government…. In some cases, these prominent individuals were able to mobilize important international organizations, such as UNESCO and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, to score [public relations] victories for the regime.” The European Sustainability Initiative described the scheme as the ‘biggest corruption scandal in the history of the Council of Europe.’”

Journalist Depencier reported that British Petroleum “won the contract to operate the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. British mining giant Anglo American PLC has large investments in Azerbaijan and has benefited enormously from Azerbaijan’s victory in Nagorno-Karabakh, as mining sites were seized from the Armenians…. In 2021, it was revealed that Aliyev and his family had a secret real estate portfolio in London worth an astounding $694 million.” British politicians were also coopted. “British Member of Parliament Bob Blackman has taken seven free trips to Azerbaijan since 2011 worth tens of thousands of pounds.”

Azerbaijan has also cultivated a close relationship with Israel. “A 2012 Wikileaks report showed that Israel has secret bases in southern Azerbaijan near the Iranian border. The strengthening of ties between Israel and Azerbaijan was encouraged by the United States.” U.S. officials theorized that “the Israel-Turkey-Georgia-Azerbaijan axis, supported by the U.S., would be a counterweight to the Syria-Iran-Armenia-Russia axis. Israel supplies Azerbaijan with 69% of its imported weaponry, and Azerbaijan supplies Israel with 40% of its energy needs in return.”

Depencier concluded: “Aliyev rules like a de-facto monarch with unquestionable power. He “isn’t afraid of being called corrupt, tyrannical, or malevolent.”

Despite its military alliance with Armenia, Russia did not defend Armenia from Azerbaijan’s repeated attacks. Meanwhile, the West, seduced by Azerbaijan’s oil and gas, turned a deaf ear to Armenia’s plight.

Journalist Till Bruckner wrote a lengthy investigative article regarding Azerbaijan handing some of its vast petrodollars to politicians, businessmen, and universities around the world. Even prominent individuals and institutions prostitute themselves when a huge amount of money is thrown at them. Bruckner’s article, “Corruptistan Azerbaijan: How to Build Yourself a Stealth Lobbyist, Azerbaijani style,” was posted on the website of “Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project.”

The article states: “The rise of Brenda Shaffer, a scholar and oft-quoted expert in the field of energy politics illustrates just how vulnerable the American foreign policy establishment is to manipulation by foreign agents. Supported by an overseas regime and an assorted network of overt and undercover lobbyists, she used oil money to build her academic credentials, then in turn used those credentials to promote Azerbaijan’s agendas through Congressional testimony, dozens of newspaper op-eds and media appearances, countless think tank events, and even scholarly publications. She’s still doing it.”

When testifying before the House of Representatives’ Committee on International Relations in 2001, Shaffer was introduced as “the director of the Caspian Studies Program and a post-doctoral fellow in the international security program at the Belfort [Belfer] Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.”

In her remarks, Shaffer asked Congress to repeal Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act that barred direct US aid to the government of Azerbaijan. Members of Congress did not know that “the Caspian Studies Program she headed at Harvard was set up in 1999 through a $1 million grant from the US Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce and a consortium of oil and gas companies led by Exxon, Mobil, and Chevron, all of which had commercial interests in the region. The chamber of commerce is a pro-Azerbaijan pressure group whose Board of Directors includes a vice president of SOCAR, the Azerbaijan state-owned energy company, and top lobbyists for BP and Chevron.”

The chamber issued a press release in 1999, stating that the Caspian Studies Program’s aim was to “help shape informed policy,” regarding Azerbaijan. The Kennedy School of Government, in its own press release, announced that Graham T. Allison, Director of Harvard’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, and Pres. Ilham Aliyev, then first vice president of Azerbaijan’s oil company, SOCAR, would speak at its inaugural conference.

In 2000, then-President Heydar Aliyev attended an Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce event, telling the guests: “I cheer the opening of a new chair at Harvard University relating to Azerbaijan and [the] Caspian area. I am thankful for the assistance of American-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce rendered for it.” Allison, a former Assistant Secretary of Defense and Dean of Harvard’s Kennedy School, was removed from the chamber’s Board of Trustees after OCCRP pointed out his name.

OCCRP repeatedly asked the chamber for a copy of its financial statements, however, the chamber did not provide them, which is illegal.

The chamber listed such prominent individuals as “Henry Kissinger, Zbigniew Brzezinski, James A. Baker III, Brent Scowcroft and John Sununu” as members of its “Honorary Council of Advisors.”

Shaffer “led the Caspian Studies Program until 2005. During her tenure, she wrote 14 op-eds for leading US and Israeli newspapers including the International Herald Tribune and the Jerusalem Post. Most called on American policy makers to pay more attention to the region. One exhorted the US to stop funding for the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh.” In May 2006, journalist and lobbying expert Ken Silverstein wrote an article titled, “Academics for Hire,” in Harper’s Magazine, accusing prominent academics of performing “intellectual acrobatics on behalf of the [Caspian] region’s rulers.” He singled out Shaffer for especially harsh criticism.

Silverstein accused Harvard’s Caspian Studies Program of lacking “intellectual integrity,” highlighting its connection with Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce and specifically pointed out “Shaffer’s 2001 plea to Congress to repeal sanctions against Azerbaijan.”

Silverstein cautioned in his article: “Caspian watchers beware: the next time you see or hear an ‘independent’ American expert talking about how the region’s rulers are implementing bold reforms, check the expert’s credentials to see just how independent he or she truly is.”

Bruckner wrote: The following month, “the International Herald Tribune ran its third Shaffer op-ed, about ethnic Azerbaijanis and other minorities in Iran.” Since then, Silverstein outed her as an “academic for hire whose career was fueled by Azerbaijani lobbying outfits and Western oil companies invested in Azerbaijan.”

Bruckner complained to the editors of the New York Times, Washington Post, Reuters, Bloomberg, Foreign Affairs Journal, and Wall Street Journal for publishing Shaffer’s op-ed articles without disclosing her connections to Azerbaijan.

Shaffer also frequently participated in think tank panel discussions. Two days after Azerbaijan’s 2013 fraudulent presidential election, Shaffer spoke at Carnegie Endowment for International Affairs, praising the repressive country’s “vibrant press,” its fierce political debates, and its “realistic” voters!

“During December 2014 alone, Shaffer appeared on TV screens via Fox Business and Al Jazeera America, and commented on energy issues in print via the Jerusalem Post, London Times, The Australian, NPR, and Foreign Policy magazine. (Only weeks earlier, Foreign Policy itself had run a piece on Azerbaijan’s lobbying efforts by a different author that mentioned Shaffer’s SOCAR connection),” wrote Bruckner.

It is shameful that think tanks, universities, and politicians eagerly take the money offered to them by Azerbaijan, thereby encouraging the repressive regime to continue giving large sums to cover up its human rights violations.

Once again Armenians heard supportive words from the international community; this time from the United Nations Security Council.
The discussion in the UN Security Council served to influence world public opinion and internationalize the Artsakh issue, thus pressuring Azerbaijan to allow 120,000 Artsakh Armenians to have access to food, medical aid, and travel to Armenia through the Lachin Corridor.
Here are excerpts from the 2-hour long speeches by all 15 UN Security Council members on December 20, 2022:
The first speaker was Miroslav Jenča, UN’s Assistant Secretary-General. He stated that “Armenia and Azerbaijan have provided widely differing accounts of the situation and accused each other of violating the November 9, 2020 trilateral statement.”
The Deputy Representative of France, Nathalie Estival-Broadhurst, made a powerful statement saying that “restrictions on the free movement through the Corridor between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh are unacceptable. The direct consequence of blocking the Lachin Corridor is the isolation of the NK population. It has humanitarian consequences that are getting worse every day. France calls for the unconditional restoration of traffic along the Corridor and of supplies to Nagorno-Karabakh, while respecting the rights of the populations residing there.… France also notes that, as the Republic of Azerbaijan has undertaken, the safety of the movement of people, vehicles and goods along the Lachin Corridor in both directions be guaranteed.”
Mohamed Issa Abushahab, the Representative of the United Arab Emirates, urged both sides “to resolve their differences through peaceful and diplomatic means.”
Ferit Hoxha, the Representative of Albania, noted “the importance of ensuring freedom and security of movement along the Corridor.”
Geng Shuang, the Representative of China, stated that “the disputes surrounding the Lachin Corridor should be resolved through dialog and consultation.”
Robert A. Wood, the Alternate Representative of the United States, strongly urged “the government of Azerbaijan and others responsible for the Corridor’s security to restore free movement, including for humanitarian and commercial use, as soon as possible…. Any attempt to cut off services essential to the civilian population of Nagorno-Karabakh is unacceptable.”
Anna M. Evstigneeva, the Deputy Representative of the Russian Federation, stated that “the Corridor ensures a link between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia.” She admitted that “it is under the control of a Russian peacekeeping contingent, which remains a guarantor of stability in the region and is carrying out its objectives effectively.” She promised that a full transport Corridor will be restored “in the very near future.”
James Kariuki, the Deputy Representative of the United Kingdom, strongly urged “the immediate reopening of the Corridor. The Lachin Corridor is the only means by which daily necessities can be delivered to the region. The closure of the Corridor for over a week raises the potential for severe humanitarian consequences, especially in the winter. We also note with concern the civilians who have been stranded by the closure and urge that their unimpeded return is urgently prioritized.”
Ronaldo Costa Filho, the Representative of Brazil, expressed his serious concern that “any obstruction jeopardizes the well-being of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh.”
Jayne Jepkorir Toroitich, the Representative of Kenya, voiced concern about “the ongoing blockade along the Lachin Corridor.” She called on both sides “to de-escalate current tensions and cooperate in ensuring freedom and security of movement along the Corridor.”
Juan Gomez Robledo Verduzco, the Representative of Mexico, stated that his country “is following with concern the tensions surrounding the situation in the Lachin Corridor and the potential humanitarian implications of traffic blockages.”
Mona Juul, the Representative of Norway, stated that “the blockage of the Corridor has already had severe humanitarian implications. Medical supplies and medical evacuations have been interrupted. As any disruptions to the supply of essential goods and services harm the most vulnerable groups first. This can and must be avoided.”
Khalilah Hackman, the Representative of Ghana, emphasized “the need to prioritize the humanitarian interests of civilian populations. Any real or perceived blockage of the Lachin Corridor must be addressed as a matter of urgency to ensure the interrupted and safe movement of all persons.”
Martin Gallagher, the Deputy Representative of Ireland, warned that “without the free movement of people, goods, food and medical supplies through this vital Corridor, the people of Nagorno Karabakh will surely face a humanitarian crisis this winter. As a Council we must do everything we can to avoid this and prevent another man-made catastrophe emerging on our watch. Ireland therefore calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to immediately and unconditionally restore freedom and security of movement along the Lachin Corridor…. Ireland supports a negotiated, comprehensive and sustainable settlement of the conflict, including on the long-term status of Nagorno-Karabakh.”
Edwige Koumby Missambo, the Representative of Gabon, expressed concern regarding “the closure of the Lachin Corridor, which could result in a humanitarian crisis. The right to move through the Corridor must be guaranteed.”
Ravindra Raguttahalli, the Deputy Representative of India, stated: “the reports regarding blockade of the Lachin Corridor indicate adverse implications on the supply of essential items such as food and medicine to Nagorno Karabakh. This is a matter of deep concern and has the potential to precipitate a humanitarian crisis.”
Mher Margaryan, the Representative of Armenia, warned that the blockade is “another demonstration of systematic violence used by the Azerbaijani authorities to subject the people of Nagorno-Karabakh to ethnic cleansing.” He urged the UN to apply “sanctions” against Azerbaijan.
The final speaker was Yashar T. Aliyev, the Representative of Azerbaijan. He repeated the usual lies of the government of Azerbaijan, denying that the Lachin Corridor is blocked.