Tweet
AZERBAIJAN MAKES MASSIVE ISRAELI WEAPONS PURCHASE - BUT NOT BECAUSE OF IRAN
eurasianet.org
22:57 27-02-2012
Azerbaijan has agreed to buy $1.6 billion in weapons from Israel, a
massive deal that is likely Azerbaijan"s largest single arms purchase
ever. The deal will include drones, anti-aircraft and missile defense
systems, Israeli officials have told news agencies. The deal would
be almost equal to Azerbaijan"s stated 2012 defense budget of $1.7
billion (though will certainly be spread out over many years).
The timing of the deal is misleading: regardless of the ongoing
ratcheting up of tension between Israel and Iran, and increasing
attention to Israel"s intelligence activities in Azerbaijan,
these weapons are destined to be used not against Iran, but against
Armenia, which controls the breakaway Azerbaijani territory of Nagorno
Karabakh. Though it"s tempting to think otherwise. The AP reports:
Israeli defense officials Sunday confirmed 1.6 billion dolars in
deals to sell drones as well as anti-aircraft and missile-defense
systems to Azerbaijan, bringing sophisticated Israeli technology to
the doorstep of archenemy Iran.
The sales by state-run Israel Aerospace Industries come at a delicate
time. Israel has been laboring hard to form diplomatic alliances
in a region that seems to be growing increasingly hostile to the
Jewish state.
Its most pressing concern is Iran"s nuclear program, and Israeli
leaders have hinted broadly they would be prepared to attack Iranian
nuclear facilities if they see no other way to keep Iran from building
bombs...
As Iran"s nuclear showdown with the West deepens, the Islamic Republic
sees the Azeri frontier as a weak point, even though both countries
are mostly Shiite Muslim.
Are Azerbaijan and Israel sharing intelligence about Iran? Certainly.
Is Azerbaijan going to use Israeli weapons against Iran? No chance.
Azerbaijan has nothing to gain by attacking Iran, or even by
cooperating with an Israeli attack except in the most discreet
possible way. As much as Azerbaijan has been building up its
military, it"s nowhere close to being able to deal with the Iranian
military, and would be essentially helpless in the face of an Iranian
retaliation. Azerbaijan"s government doesn"t trust Iran, but it"s fear
isn"t of Iran"s nuclear program, but of Iran"s meddling in Azerbaijan"s
internal affairs. So it has little interest in stirring up the hornet"s
nest that would result from an attack on Iran"s nuclear facilities.
Israel is a valuable arms partner for Azerbaijan not because of
anything related to Iran. Rather, Azerbaijan has a lot of money, and
Israel has top-quality defense manufacturers. And Baku is restricted
in what it can buy from the U.S. because of opposition by pro-Armenia
members of Congress, plus the U.S."s general desire not to inflame
the situation in Karabakh. And it"s limited in what it can buy from
Russia because of Russia"s alliance with Armenia (occasional missile
defense sales notwithstanding). Israel has no such concerns.
An excellent Wikileaked U.S. diplomatic cable lays out the strong,
but mostly quiet, alliance between Tel Aviv and Baku, including in
the defense sphere:
Through its close relations with Israel, Azerbaijan gets a level of
access to the quality weapon systems it needs to develop its army
that it can not obtain from the U.S. and Europe due to various legal
limitations, nor from its ex-Soviet suppliers, Belarus and Ukraine.
Where other Western nations are reluctant to sell ground combat
systems to the Azerbaijanis for fear of encouraging Azerbaijan to
resort to war to regain NK and the occupied territories, Israel
is free to make substantial arms sales and benefits greatly from
deals with its well-heeled client. In September 2008 ) again in a
little-publicized affair ) the GOAJ signed an extensive agreement with
the Israeli Defense Ministry providing for three Israeli companies to
provide mortars, ammunition, rocket artillery and radio equipment. The
company "Soltam" got the contract to provide mortars and ammunition,
"Tadiran Communications" will provide radio gear, and Israeli
Military Industries will provide the rockets. IMI sells a range of
rocket artillery and accessories ranging from upgrade kits for Soviet
vintage BM-21 &Grad8 122mm systems, guidance packages for 122mm-300mm
rockets and launch vehicles for up to 300mm rockets. It was not clear
what exactly the Azerbaijanis bought, as the deal was simply described
as being worth "hundreds of millions of dollars." Azerbaijan already
operates IMI"s 122mm "Lynx" multiple-launch rocket system, which it
mounts on a KAMAZ 63502 heavy truck.
Israel and Azerbaijan also have been cooperating extensively on drones
-- like the one that was shot down or crashed in Nagorno Karabakh
in September.
But this would be a big jump from previous levels of weapons sales.
And it"s Armenia, not Iran, that should be afraid.
From: A. Papazian
eurasianet.org
22:57 27-02-2012
Azerbaijan has agreed to buy $1.6 billion in weapons from Israel, a
massive deal that is likely Azerbaijan"s largest single arms purchase
ever. The deal will include drones, anti-aircraft and missile defense
systems, Israeli officials have told news agencies. The deal would
be almost equal to Azerbaijan"s stated 2012 defense budget of $1.7
billion (though will certainly be spread out over many years).
The timing of the deal is misleading: regardless of the ongoing
ratcheting up of tension between Israel and Iran, and increasing
attention to Israel"s intelligence activities in Azerbaijan,
these weapons are destined to be used not against Iran, but against
Armenia, which controls the breakaway Azerbaijani territory of Nagorno
Karabakh. Though it"s tempting to think otherwise. The AP reports:
Israeli defense officials Sunday confirmed 1.6 billion dolars in
deals to sell drones as well as anti-aircraft and missile-defense
systems to Azerbaijan, bringing sophisticated Israeli technology to
the doorstep of archenemy Iran.
The sales by state-run Israel Aerospace Industries come at a delicate
time. Israel has been laboring hard to form diplomatic alliances
in a region that seems to be growing increasingly hostile to the
Jewish state.
Its most pressing concern is Iran"s nuclear program, and Israeli
leaders have hinted broadly they would be prepared to attack Iranian
nuclear facilities if they see no other way to keep Iran from building
bombs...
As Iran"s nuclear showdown with the West deepens, the Islamic Republic
sees the Azeri frontier as a weak point, even though both countries
are mostly Shiite Muslim.
Are Azerbaijan and Israel sharing intelligence about Iran? Certainly.
Is Azerbaijan going to use Israeli weapons against Iran? No chance.
Azerbaijan has nothing to gain by attacking Iran, or even by
cooperating with an Israeli attack except in the most discreet
possible way. As much as Azerbaijan has been building up its
military, it"s nowhere close to being able to deal with the Iranian
military, and would be essentially helpless in the face of an Iranian
retaliation. Azerbaijan"s government doesn"t trust Iran, but it"s fear
isn"t of Iran"s nuclear program, but of Iran"s meddling in Azerbaijan"s
internal affairs. So it has little interest in stirring up the hornet"s
nest that would result from an attack on Iran"s nuclear facilities.
Israel is a valuable arms partner for Azerbaijan not because of
anything related to Iran. Rather, Azerbaijan has a lot of money, and
Israel has top-quality defense manufacturers. And Baku is restricted
in what it can buy from the U.S. because of opposition by pro-Armenia
members of Congress, plus the U.S."s general desire not to inflame
the situation in Karabakh. And it"s limited in what it can buy from
Russia because of Russia"s alliance with Armenia (occasional missile
defense sales notwithstanding). Israel has no such concerns.
An excellent Wikileaked U.S. diplomatic cable lays out the strong,
but mostly quiet, alliance between Tel Aviv and Baku, including in
the defense sphere:
Through its close relations with Israel, Azerbaijan gets a level of
access to the quality weapon systems it needs to develop its army
that it can not obtain from the U.S. and Europe due to various legal
limitations, nor from its ex-Soviet suppliers, Belarus and Ukraine.
Where other Western nations are reluctant to sell ground combat
systems to the Azerbaijanis for fear of encouraging Azerbaijan to
resort to war to regain NK and the occupied territories, Israel
is free to make substantial arms sales and benefits greatly from
deals with its well-heeled client. In September 2008 ) again in a
little-publicized affair ) the GOAJ signed an extensive agreement with
the Israeli Defense Ministry providing for three Israeli companies to
provide mortars, ammunition, rocket artillery and radio equipment. The
company "Soltam" got the contract to provide mortars and ammunition,
"Tadiran Communications" will provide radio gear, and Israeli
Military Industries will provide the rockets. IMI sells a range of
rocket artillery and accessories ranging from upgrade kits for Soviet
vintage BM-21 &Grad8 122mm systems, guidance packages for 122mm-300mm
rockets and launch vehicles for up to 300mm rockets. It was not clear
what exactly the Azerbaijanis bought, as the deal was simply described
as being worth "hundreds of millions of dollars." Azerbaijan already
operates IMI"s 122mm "Lynx" multiple-launch rocket system, which it
mounts on a KAMAZ 63502 heavy truck.
Israel and Azerbaijan also have been cooperating extensively on drones
-- like the one that was shot down or crashed in Nagorno Karabakh
in September.
But this would be a big jump from previous levels of weapons sales.
And it"s Armenia, not Iran, that should be afraid.
From: A. Papazian