VISIT OF US DEFENSE SECRETARY TO BAKU IN FOCUS OF AMERICAN MEDIA
After the 11 September events, Azerbaijan, eight million population of which are mainly the Moslems, was one of the first countries, backing the United States”, “The Washington Post” writes. “Azerbaijan permitted the military aircrafts of the US to use its space for operation in the Central Asia and in the Near East, the militaries of this country are together with the US-led forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. As a next step in the military cooperation, official representatives of Pentagon wish to see Azerbaijan, by expanding its naval and reconnaissance forces to become a state defending the region to turn by the terrorists to a possible transition territory to use for weapons, armament and drugs trafficking. Azerbaijan also meets Pentagon’s plans to replace the forces based in Germany and other European states with rapid forces in the Eastern Europe, Central Asia and Near East, the author emphasizes. It is stated that the said issue was focused in Baku, and Mr. Ramsfeld, however, noted that no particular proposals were made.
The article, quoting defense minister of Azerbaijan Safar Abiyev says that Azerbaijan stands ready to consider any proposals of the American side on quartering in its territory the American troops or regularly use its bases.
The “New York Times” writes that at the meeting with the new President Ilham Aliyev and defense minister Safar Abiyev, chief of Pentagon started new dialogue on the role of this former soviet republic in the changed global military structure of the US. However, as was noted in the article, a number of ideas have not yet become concrete proposals. Speaking of the strategic position of Azerbaijan, “New York Times” calls the Caspian not rules by enemies of the United States. Some high rank officials of Pentagon refer to intelligence data on use by terrorists of the Caspian Sea. At words of Donald Ramsfeld, cooperating with the United States, Azerbaijan will raise its ability to provide security of the territorial waters.
The “Chicago Tribune”, “San Francisco Chronicle” and other editions, referring to the foreign news agencies, disseminated information on the visit of Donald Ramsfeld to Baku and military interests of the United States in Azerbaijan.
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