Back in the USSR, the Turkish government once protested against the Socialist republic of Armenia for having Mount Ararat on its flag. The government of Turkey protested because they claimed Mount Ararat wasn’t a part of the Armenian SSR. The People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs, Georgy Vasilyevich Chicherin, responded: ” the Turkish flag depicts a moon, however the moon is not a part of the territory of Turkey.”
Since my previous Armenia SITREP, this conflict has already been dubbed by Western pundits as the “Four Day War.” They had all been disappointed, since they expected a much longer “war,” but Russia put a fast damper on this fire.
A few things have happened recently, and I don’t want you to miss them. So, put on your favorite bebop jazz tune and get comfortable.
First, it’s been reported that since the start of 2015, about 50 oil and gas producers in the US have gone bankrupt, owing more than $17 billion, according to the law firm Haynes & Boone LLP. [source]
Second, Deutsche Bank Admits It Rigged Gold and Silver Prices and Agrees To Expose Other Manipulators. [source] [source]
The US oil and gas companies defaults is mostly interesting because every time it happens it adds they add another several hundred million in restructured liabilities to total junk bond defaults, over $14 billion as of April. It means yet another step closer to the systemic bank failure in the US and Europe. Even with the central banks buying all of the securities on the market, they won’t be able to prevent debt collapse, because “global” money has suddenly stopped working.
How is this relevant to the armed conflict that “suddenly” flared up in Nagorno-Karabakh and was extinguished very fast?
Here is an image that depicts an undercurrent situation. Imagine an island. On one side of this island live old men who have many bags stuffed with paper money. The other side of the island is populated with young healthy strong men, who don’t have those paper money, but have weapons. For a very long time, for centuries actually, old men would tell to young men that they had to fight each other in order to get some of those money. Young men would start fighting and killing each other while old men were watching and making bets between themselves on the outcome. Most of the times, those young men who would came out “winners” were getting very little, or even nothing, and they would lose what they had before the fight. The trick was, the next generation of young men wouldn’t know all these because old men owned not just money, but information also.
However, something went terribly wrong for old men sitting on bags of money. They lost control over information. First, the brightest and the best amongst young men, and then the rest started realizing that they have been fighting and killing each other for enrichment and entertainment of the old men, and that they have brought death and ruin on their own families and homes for an illusion, a lie.
And just like that, the spell has been broken, and bags of paper money just lost their power. Old men are still sitting on their bags stuffed with paper, screaming for “Moooo Waar!” but no one listens to them.
All this is taking place because a group of people led by pure faith in God and love for their great northern country has decided to put the end to this bloody spectacle.
However, some of the old men are still fighting back.
Map of Nagorno-Karabakh #Armenia #Azerbaijan pic.twitter.com/VuJO7kyv9r
— Scott's Humor (@ScottsHumor) May 3, 2016
On March 30, Azeri President Ilham Aliyev traveled to the United States for discussions with American officials over a range of issues, including Nagorno-Karabakh. The United States Department of State noted that Secretary of State John Kerry “emphasized [American] commitment to working with the sides to reach a comprehensive settlement based on the principles of international law, the UN Charter, and the Helsinki Final Act.”
On March 30, 2016 Kerry met with the president of Azerbaijan Aliev and called for an ‘ultimate resolution’ of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
On April 2, 2016 at night “the third forces,” by the Russia’s government expression, attacked positions of both and Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh border troops simultaneously.
On April 6th, the Armenian and Azeri chiefs of General Staff signed a ceasefire in Moscow.
Talking points for this instant “conflict”:
- Armenia and Azerbaijan are the Russia’s Empire territories that were occupied by the West and thus alienated from Russia;
- Russia still sees Armenian and Azerbaijan population as its own people’
- Millions of Armenians and Azerbaijanis reside in Russia;
- Armenia is a member of CIS and is a Russian ally with a defense treaty;
- Russian military base and armed forces are based in Armenia;
- Russian oil companies have major hold in Azeri oil industry and distribution;
- Azerbaijan is under constant threat of Wahabi/Salafi influence and ISIS terrorists;
- Russia sells arms to both nations;
- The peace if this region is also of interest to China and Iran. See, North-South Corridor from Russia to India to compete with Suez Canal. A new transport project under development between Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran and on to India will shorten shipping times and costs by cutting out sea routes and the Suez Canal.
On May 2nd, 2015 Armenia and Azerbaijan reported on ceasefire violations in Karabakh. Both parties to the conflict accuse each other of violating truce. Since our initial reaction might be to say that “one of them is not telling the truth” let’s just assume that both sides are sincere, and it’s someone else who come in the middle of the night like a month ago and kills troops on both side to trig hostilities. Previously, a ceasefire on the contact line was announced as of 12:00 (11:00 Moscow Time) on April 5th. Ever since, the parties occasionally report brief exchanges of fire along the contact line.
As a response to hostilities and seeming unwillingness of Azerbaijan government just to accept the status quo and to start acting as a good neighbor, on May 5th Armenian government will decide on the issue of recognizing Nagorno-Karabakh be a part of Armenia.
This drastic actions were precipitated by not just the armed skirmishes on the border, but also a terrorists’ attack in the capital of Armenia.
Following the memorial day commemorating Armenian genocide a bus explosion in Yerevan killed three and injured seven.
Three killed, seven injured in bus explosion in Yerevan
3 dead, 6 injured in a bus explosion in Yerevan
The terror attack on civilians took place at the time of Erdogan’s travel to Baku
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will arrived on April 25th for a state visit to Azerbaijan. The reason for the visit is to participate in the Summit of the Global Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilizations.
Ankara is interested in the energy resources of Azerbaijan as a transit country through which it can gain access to Central Asia.
- Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: Portrait of a Backstabbing Neoliberal Pasha
- Erdogan’s Reign continued
- New Armenian-Azerbaijani war: Cui bono?
- Turkey tries to play Azerbaijani card
Turkish president says Nagorno-Karabakh will be part of Azerbaijan someday
I can respond to Turkish president and to his unapologetic meddling in other countries’ affairs: Someday Azerbaijan and Armenia will be part of Russia, as they were for many centuries. Then and only then Nagorno-Karabakh will stop being a point of contention.
Lavrov immediately responded on April 22 saying that Turkey’s statements on Karabakh are calls for war.
Earlier Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has criticized the work of the Minsk Group (Russia, France and the US) on Nagorno-Karabakh, accusing it of “inaction”
News in brief
- At least three Armenian tanks were bombed by drones
https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=Gl7nRlU7tDE
- Azerbaijan has an Israeli made weaponized drones and it used them against personnel, by bombing a bus with volunteers, and against tanks and buildings.
- Three drones of Azerbaijan army were shot down. All of them made in Israel.
- Armenian soldiers collect bodies of Azerbaijan soldiers
- Classified maps and flight schedules found on the bodies of dead Azerbaijani pilots indicating that Azerbaijan had planned attacks on N-K
- «Armenian-Azerbaijani clashes» | Every hour | April 2016 Video maps
All of these made Russia’s parliament to make the following decision.
Agreement on procedures for formation and use of joint rapid response groups to quickly respond to border security threats at external CIS borders submitted to State Duma for ratification
Russian diplomatic intervention in an area of strategic importance to Moscow is likely to prevent escalation.
I expect the Russians explained to the Armenians and Azeris (and no doubt the NK people too) what is really going on here: the USA trying to fish in troubled waters. “Do you really want your countries to wind up like Iraq, Libya and Syria?” they would have asked. “Or shall we talk this over like adults and negotiate a reasonable settlement (and tell the Yanks to go pound sand)?”
- Nagorno-Karabakh: Suicide Drones, Ceasefire Holding, $4 Billion in Russian Arms for Azerbaijan
- Russian clout over Azerbaijan is really to the benefit of Armenia
Karabakh – Only old men go to battle
In trenches of Info-War FYI
ATTeNTION: web sites that spread disinformation about military conflicts around Russia including this new conflict
http://whois.domaintools.com/ruskombat.info
IP Address 185.18.52.61 hosted on this server in Netherlands – Flevoland – Dronten – Www.fornex.com Fornex Hosting S.l. ASN Netherlands AS44066 DE-FIRSTCOLO First Colo GmbH (registered Nov 13, 2007)
Against Armenia and Russia site haqqin.az/ http://whois.domaintools.com/haqqin.az IP Address 104.28.14.105 hosted in United States – Arizona – Phoenix – Cloudflare Inc.
http://whois.domaintools.com/middleeasteye.net IP Address 31.193.1.46 is hosted on a dedicated server in United Kingdom – England – Manchester – Ukfastnet Ltd. Registration Private
As you can see haqqin.az uses a first as its symbol. Symbols of “fists” are the symbols for the “color revolutionaries” financed by the Great Parasite. More “fists” here:
@uftiufti @MrTwisterrus @katMotja этим кулачком Межд.Прест.МышоваяГруп-ка разжигает войны и перевороты по всему миру pic.twitter.com/rfp1deEdiX
— Остин (@semargll) April 2, 2016
Thanks Scott. Good report. re: “unresolved conflicts” It is a wonder the forces of darkness have left Transniestra untouched…perhaps there is not much at stake there plus the possibility of unintended consequences is much more. Or maybe they have just been told, Don’t even think of it.
teranam13
Good point. Just what is happening there at the moment? Does anyone have some up to date information?
Siotu
link with stuff here
http://frontinfo.info/?cat=175
As for the fist image, you know, I could dismiss that as coincidence. A raised fist is a sort of time-honored symbol of dissatisfaction with the status quo.
But when you look at that collection of images, the ‘fist’ for Russia, Serbia, Egypt, Armenia, and is that Georgia? My Cyrillic skills are rudimentary. Anyway, all those fist images are identical in all the little creases and wrinkles and whatnot, they just changed the color scheme a little.
You’d think they could go to pitchforks and torches for a change, or something…
Looks like it says ‘Gruziya’ … so, Chechnya, maybe?
Amerikanski,
That’s how the US department of State saves money. Why pay to designers to come up with different logos for “opposition” in different countries, if they can use the same “fist” logo only in different colors?
They think that we are stupid and lazy to see the difference.
Scott,a few days ago you promised an article about Putin’s anger regarding the failure at the new rocket launch terminal.Thanks
Thank you for asking.
I’m writing about the sabotage in space industry, but I have to wait to publish all this.
it goes all the way to… I can’t say exactly where it goes.
It’s mostly my investigation and analytic and also, investigation done by some other people.
Most likely it’s going to be in my first book.
You see, sometimes, I have materials, but I can’t publish anything before some official announcement. I have been already accused in spreading “rumors,” even though my rumors mostly come true.
So, I am about to release a book of political “rumors.”
Hopefully, it’s going to be very entertaining.
Regards,
Scott
here it is
YEKATERINBURG, May 5. /TASS/. Director General of the Research and Production Association of Automatics (NPO Automatics) Leonid Shalimov has tendered resignation because of the postponement of the first launch of the Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket from the Vostochny spaceport, the company’s press service reported on Thursday.
“The director general has tendered resignation. Mikhail Trapeznikov, first deputy director general for science, has been appointed acting head of NPO Automatics. The special probe commission continues its work at the company today,” the press service said.
The Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket was supposed to be launched from the Vostochny cosmodrome in the morning on April 27, but the launch was canceled by the automatic system. The blastoff took place a day later – on April 28.
Head of the Roscosmos State Space Corporation Igor Komarov said that the glitch “was caused most likely by a cable malfunction.” Later, the Izvestia newspaper reported, citing a source in the Roscosmos leadership that the cable was made not by the design documentation and “lacked several required jumpers.”
It became known previously that Shalimov received a service incompetence note. Head of Roscosmos Komarov and Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, who oversees the national rocket and space industry, were reprimanded.
More:
http://tass.ru/en/science/874026
The Azerbaijani army positions located in the settlements and highland along the border between the two countries and areas near Nagorno-Karabakh came under fire from the opposite side.
Azerbaijan’s forces retaliated with 122 fire strikes on the positions of the enemy, it said.
MORE NEWS ON
NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT
© Karo Sahakyan / PAN Photo via AP
Azerbaijani Defense Ministry: Armenia violates ceasefire 120 times
Armenian Defense Ministry accuses Azerbaijan of using mortars against Nagorno-Karabakh
Azerbaijan FM says Baku never rejected talks on resolving Nagorno-Karabakh crisis
Azerbaijan reports one civilian killed, seven injured in shelling by Armenian forces
The Azerbaijani armed forces “used against Nagorno-Karabakh” small arms, mortars and multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) of the TR-107 type overnight, the Armenian Defense Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
According to the ministry, “No change in the operational situation on the contact line of the conflict sides was recorded on the night to May 5.” “The enemy continued to violate the ceasefire agreement, using firearms of various caliber, 60-mm mortars and TR-107 type rocket launchers”, the ministry said.
According to the Defense Ministry of Armenia, “Advanced units of the Defense Army of Nagorno-Karabakh mostly refrained from response actions and took the necessary measures for the organization of reliable protection of their military positions throughout the line of contact.”
The Armenian Defense Ministry also said that “overnight to May 5, the enemy fired sporadically from small arms and sniper weapons of different caliber on the border positions” of the Armenian army. “The Armed Forces of Armenia confidently control the situation on the border and take response actions adequate to the situation only if the enemy purposefully violates” the ceasefire regime, the ministry said.
The situation in Nagorno-Karabakh dramatically deteriorated on April 2, when the Karabakh conflict sides accused each other of violating truce along the front line. The claims came from defense authorities of Armenia and of Azerbaijan.
On April 5, Azerbaijan’s Chief of Staff Col. Gen. Nadjmeddin Sadykov and his Armenian counterpart Col. Gen. Yuri Khachaturov met in Moscow with Russia’s mediation. At the talks the sides reached an agreement on cessation of hostilities at the contact line between the Azerbaijani and Armenian forces. On the same day, the defense ministries of the two countries announced that the ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh would start at 12 am, local time (11:00 am, Moscow time). Since then, the sides have reported periodic short shootouts in the area of the contact line.
The highland region of Nagorno-Karabakh (Mountainous Karabakh) is a mostly Armenian-populated enclave inside the sovereign territory of Azerbaijan. It was the first zone of inter-ethnic tensions and violence to appear on the map of the former USSR.
Even almost a quarter of a century after the breakup of the Soviet Union, Karabakh remains a so-called ‘frozen conflict’ on the post-Soviet space, as the region is the subject of a dispute between Azerbaijan and the local Armenian population that draws on strong support from fellow-countrymen in neighboring Armenia.
In 1988, hostilities broke out there between the forces reporting to the government in Baku and Armenian residents, which resulted in the region’s de facto independence. In 1994 a ceasefire was reached but the relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia remain strained ever since then.
Russia, France and the United States co-chair the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which attempts to broker an end to hostilities and the conflict.
More:
http://tass.ru/en/world/874019
The bill ” On recognition of the Artsakh Republic ” (NKR – the name of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic) considered at its session the government of Armenia. After that he was sent to the Parliament, reportsRIA Novosti .
In the words of the document representing the Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan, the Government opinion on the bill due to discussions between Armenia and Karabakh “, taking into account external and internal factors.”
The authors of the bill are the head of the parliamentary faction of the opposition “Heritage” Party Zaruhi Postanjyan and a deputy from the opposition Armenian National Congress Hrant Bagratyan, RIA Novosti reported.
The parliamentary faction “Heritage” has repeatedly introduced a bill on NKR recognition to the National Assembly of Armenia. The first time – in October 2009. Since then, the document has repeatedly deflected. First of all, the efforts of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia.
The refusal to recognize the independence of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh there have explained the reluctance to harm the course of the negotiations on the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict. Armenian FM considered it premature to address this issue for the same reason.
After a sharp deterioration in the conflict zone, which occurred on April 2, the situation has changed. Although the parties to the conflict on April 5 announced a cease-fire, however occasionally accused each other in continuing attacks .”
google translate
http://www.vesti.ru/doc.html?id=2750280&cid=9
bit more
YEREVAN, May 5. / TASS /. The Armenian government approved no bill at the current stage on recognizing the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh and only made a conclusion on the legislative initiative of two opposition deputies, spokeswoman for Armenia’s premier Goar Pogosyan told TASS on Thursday.
A Cabinet meeting held on Thursday “approved the government’s conclusion on a bill on recognizing Nagorno-Karabakh,” Pogosyan said.
READ ALSO
Kremlin warns against steps that could violate fragile ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh
Armenian government approves draft law on recognizing Nagorno-Karabakh
Lavrov says Turkey’s statements on Karabakh are calls for war
Turkey pledges to back Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh issue
Turkish president says Nagorno-Karabakh will be part of Azerbaijan someday
“The document says that the adoption of a decision on recognizing Nagorno-Karabakh will be conditioned by the results of discussions between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, taking into account the further development of the situation, including by external factors,” the spokeswoman said.
“Consequently, at the current stage, the government has not approved a bill on recognizing Nagorno-Karabakh,” Pogosyan said.
The spokeswoman also said that the agenda of an extraordinary session of the Armenian parliament, which the government had proposed to hold on May 10, did not include any discussion of the initiative on recognizing Nagorno-Karabakh.
More:
http://tass.ru/en/world/874163