Azerbajani Officer Hacks an Armenian to Death at Partnership for Peace

[rodbarnett]

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) - An Armenian military officer attending a NATO Partnership for Peace program was hacked to death on Thursday morning with an ax and a knife by an Azerbaijani participant, police officials said.

"We suspect Ramil S. of having committed murder with unusual cruelty," Budapest Police Maj. Valter Fulop told reporters. "We say 'unusual cruelty' because beside a number of knife wounds on his chest, the victim's head was practically severed from his body."

The Armenian Defense Ministry identified the suspect as Lt. Ramil Safarov of Azerbaijan and the victim as Lt. Gurgen Markarian of Armenia.

The officers were attending an English language course within the framework of the Partnership for Peace program, which is aimed at increasing cooperation between neutral and former Soviet bloc nations and NATO in peacekeeping and other areas

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAFWDW0VQD.html

[xchrom]

1. it's hard to get a partner for peace

if you hack them to death isn't it?
well of course they are peaceful after the fact.

[AlecBGreen]

2. if i remember my history...

azerbaijan and armenia have always been at each others throats. I think Armenia is more european/christian and azerbaijan is more muslim/oriental. Just a thought

[DinahMoeHum]

3. It's about an old territorial dispute called Karabagh. . .

and the problem goes way back to Josef Stalin's time.


:evilfrown:

[0007]

4. Wow!! What do they do to their enemies?

[alfredo]

5. make them watch American Idol, over and over again.

[DrWeird]

6. But would anybody notice if it wasn't funny?

nt

[Nlighten1]

7. Anyone know the story on this?

What would make an Azerbaijan hate an Armenian so?

[Sufi Marmot]

9. Because of Nagorno-Karabakh

(All of the following has to be put in the historical context of Armenians not liking Turks because of the massacre of Armenians at the hands of the Ottomans at the beginning of the 20th Century. Azeris are a Muslim, Turkic people).

In short - there was an enclave of Armenians (but with many Azeris, often living side by side in the same village) in Azerbaijan - as the Soviet Union was breaking up, NK Armenians wanted to reunite with Armenia, NK Azeris didn't. There was anti-Azeri violence in Armenia/NK and anti-Armenian violence in Baku (the Sumgait riots). When both Armenia and Azerbaijan became independent after the breakup of the Soviet Union, the situation deteriorated, and violence broke out in the NK, with Armenian militias (backed by Russia) invading Azerbaijan and "cleansing" most of the NK of Azeris, who became refugees.

Depending on whose version you believe (Azeri or Armenian), there were atrocities on both sides (and I have no doubt this is true...), but the bottom line is that Armenia now controls the NK and the neighboring parts of Azerbaijan. It's my understanding that the shooting has stopped for now (there aren't any Azeris in NK left to shoot), and Armenia has established a corridor (complete with a new highway) into the NK.

Azerbaijan Diary is a really interesting read, although the Armenians claim it's biased against them. Goltz's account of what happened at Xodjali and Shusha are particularly compelling...

-SM

On edit: I wonder if there are personal reasons that the Azeri officer lost it - friends or relatives killed in the conflict?

[renegade000]

8. some peace conference

heh

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

10. Gentlemen, Gentlemen! No fighting in the War Room!

What would these fruitcakes do at a war conference?

[scarface2004]

11. i ll show you...

some god damn peace my leeetle friend!!