The Don Corleone of Azerbaijan-Ilham Aliyev, His Cherished “Military Trophies Park”, And The Crucial Details He Forgot To Mention
If Italy is a country where the Mafia has stretched its tentacles into every realm of the economy and the government bureaucracy, Azerbaijan is “The Mafia” owning a State. At the top echelon of the Azebaijani Mafia’s hierarchy you will find a local “Don Corleone” named Ilham Aliyev a.k.a The President of The Republic of Azerbaijan.
We are not assigning the name Don Corleone to Ilham Aliyev because we are Armenians and, generally speaking, we entertain very unflattering views about his personality. Thanks to Edward Snowden and the treasure trove of secret diplomatic documents/reports he released via WikiLeaks, it became obvious to us that many Western diplomats and heads of diplomatic missions (US in particular) stationed in Baku, truly believe that Ilham Aliyev rules Azerbaijan with dictums and decrees that are reminiscent of Don Corleone’s choking grip of his fiefdom.
One US diplomatic document (on a long list of hundreds) forwarded from Baku to The State Department points out that “...the Godfather analogy seems apt – capturing essential truths not only about Ilham Aliyev, but his father Heydar, who becomes by implication the ‘Vito Corleone’ of Azerbaijan.”
Following a serious decline in Vito Corleone/Heydar’s health,The Azerbaijani “capo di tutti i capi “ Ilham Aliyev became the fourth president of Azerbaijan on 31 October 2003. With sham elections, gradual elimination of opponents questioning the legitimacy of his rule, blackmail, bribes, and criminal endeavours, he managed to stay in power for the last eighteen years. Through a series of constitutional amendments and “Popular Referendums” Aliyev and his minions in the parliament abolished the country’s two-term presidential limit and lengthened presidential terms to seven years, virtually subjecting 10.2 million Azerbaijanis to the whim of a Petro Dictator who will sadly rule the country until natural death or a coup d’etat puts an end to his earthly journey.
To guarantee a dynastic succession, Ilham appointed his wife Mehriban Aliyeva as vice-president in 2017. Ali Kerimli, leader of one of the opposition parties in Azerbaijan commented to Reuters that "This appointment shows disrespect to the people...It's the first step to the establishment of an absolute monarchy in the country."
For academics and observers monitoring The Azerbaijani political landscape, Ilham’s appointment of his wife to a very sensitive position was not merely a sign of “disrespect” but a degrading and a contemptuous insult directed to 10.2 million Azerbaijani citizens. Symbolically Ilham was saying to his nation: “I manage a nation or retards, imbeciles, feeble-minded degenerates who do not possess an ounce of brain to understand what ruling a country necessitates. The only family in Azerbaijan that has the mental acumen to shoulder the heavy responsibilities of managing a fiefdom, is the Ilham Aliyev’s family, thus I chose my wife for the position at stake.”
Despite being declared the winner of 2012 “PERSON OF THE YEAR IN ORGANIZED CRIME AND CORRUPTION” , foreign powers contributed significantly to Aliyev’s preeminence and total concentration of absolutist authority within the Office of The Presidency. At the top of the list of foreign enablers who bestowed legitimacy to the Petro Dictator’s regime, you will find The United Kingdom or England.
With more than $40 Billion Dollars invested by The British Petroleum Company (BP) in the oil industry of Azerbaijan, successive British “Armenian Genocide” denialist governments, with an unflinching attitude, declared that “The Government acknowledges the strength of feeling about this terrible episode of history and recognizes the massacres of 1915-16 as a tragedy. However neither this Government nor previous Governments have judged that the evidence is sufficiently unequivocal to persuade us that these events should be categorized as genocide as defined by the 1948 UN Convention on Genocide.”
For British governments the equation was very simple: Azerbaijan is good for BP. What is good for BP is good for Britain. The Armenian Genocide’s recognition hurts British ties with Azerbaijan, therefore The Armenian Genocide did not happen. And yes, we know he is a dictator/gangster masquerading as the President of a regime that is a parody of democracy, nevertheless we will appease him as we appeased a long list of dictators before him.
Like all dictators who shaped the destiny of our planet, Ilham badly needed an enemy to distract his nation from the miseries they were forced to endure, during the last two decades, so that “Don Corleone” and his family remain entitled to a lavish lifestyle, while thousands of Azeris are unable to buy the basic necessities needed to feed their families.The bank robber/dictator Joseph Stalin victimized the peasants who resisted industrialization, and used it as an excuse to consolidate his power and eliminate opponents. Hitler, the supreme leader of Nazi Germany victimized the Jews of Europe to mobilize his nation and make the absurd attempt to build an empire that will last 1000 years. The “Bête Noire” of Petro Dictator Aliyev has always been Armenia and the revival of the Azerbaijani Empire that stretches from Baku to Yerevan.
The fact that Ilham hates Armenia passionately and obsessively cannot be the subject of any doubt. On many occasions during his bombastic speeches broadcasted to his countrymen during the 44-day War/Second Artsakh War, he insisted that he will chase Armenians from Artsakh like “dogs”. The word dog was so frequently associated with the demonized Armenian nation that Arzu Geybulla, an Azerbaijani journalist raised the following question: "We've dehumanized the other side almost to the point of no return...When you call a race of people[Armenians] 'dogs' how do you come back from that?"
The dictator’s hatred for the nation of dogs (Armenia) reached an unprecedented depravity with the inauguration in Baku of the “Military Trophies Park” (MTP) on April 12, 2021 supposedly to celebrate the heroic achievements of The Azerbaijani Army with the display of dozens of tanks, military vehicles, etc...captured on the battlefields of Artsakh, from The Armenian Armed Forces and Artsakh’s Self-Defense units.
On that day the dictator/Commander in Chief, dressed in Military fatigues, entered the park to declare that a brighter future is awaiting Azerbaijan, and if the nation of dogs (Armenia) does not respect the territorial sovereignty of Azerbaijan by relinquishing the totality of Artsakh, dire consequences will follow.
For most foreign observers monitoring the event, the dictator looked more like a farcical version of what a genuine Commander in Chief should be. Conventional wisdom associates the military uniform with real history of service, under one form or another, in the military establishment of a country. Yet the dictator has never joined any type of a military institution even while his fellow compatriots were fighting the First Artsakh War in 1988-1994.
Thanks to his daddy’s connection with the KGB and The Soviet Politburo, he invested a significant number of years in Moscow’s academic circles, especially Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MSIIR), where he received a PhD in history in 1985. To avoid compulsary military service, daddy made sure he gets a well cushioned position as a full time lecturer at MSIIR where he stayed until 1990. The financial rewards of his academic achievements were so great that Ilham started multiple commercial/industrial joint ventures from 1991 to 1994, and amassed an astronomical fortune by the time his father made him vice-president from 1994 to 2003.
On the inauguration date of the “Military Trophies Park” (MTP), Don Corleone was suffering from a phenomenon known as “Selective Amnesia”. He never indicated in his speech to his nation, that the questionable victory he claims, formalized by the Trilateral Agreement signed on Nov. 09, 2020, had nothing to do with the shallow “courage” of the average Azeri soldier or officer.
Since the end of The First Artsakh War in 1994, Azerbaijani Military Academies managed to mass produce the most despicable, vile, debased, degenerate type of officers who do not even have a rudimentary understanding of what courage is. The best concrete example of what we are trying to depict to our readers, is the story of Azeri Lieutenant Ramil Safarov.
While attending NATO sponsored courses in Budapest with a large contingent of officers from dozens of countries, Safarov entered the dorm of Armenian Lieutenant Gurgen Margaryan who was asleep and hacked him to death with an axe. He did not dare to confront Lt. Margaryan in the cafeteria of the Hungarian Military Institute hosting the event. He did not have the “courage” to start an altercation during smoking breaks and then kill Lt. Margaryan while he was fully awake and on guard. The only time Safarov mustered the determination to kill, was after Lt. Margaryan fell into a state of deep sleep. WOW, we are speechless for the formidable “courage” displayed by Safarov to kill a sleeping Armenian Officer.
Funeral of Lieutenant Gurgen Margaryan
In 2006 a Hungarian court condemned Safarov to life in prison. In 2012 Don Corleone, after showering Hungarian officials with lavish gifts and bribes obtained the transfer of Safarov to Azerbaijan, based on the clear understanding that he will complete the rest of his prison sentence in Azerbaijan.
Well before Safarov’s plain landed in Baku, Don Corleone issued a presidential pardon, and a red carpet “Hero’s Welcome” was extended to the “courageous” murderer. The Don (Ilham) gifted him an apartment, eight years of back pay for the time he served in a Hungarian jail, and promoted him to the rank of Major.
We all watched with horror how “courageous” Azeri soldiers killed civilian Benik Hakobyan (age73), and army recruit Yuri Adamyan (age 25), both captured in Hadrut and executed close to a park next to Mkrtchyan Street. What happened to the two unarmed Armenians was not an isolated event. Worst atrocities- beheadings of Armenian soldiers who had surrendered to Azeri forces, were common displays of Azeri “courage” during the 44-day war. Obviously Azeri officers cannot tell the difference between military chivalry and committing atrocities against unarmed enemy soldiers.
In a state of “Selective Amnesia” Don Corleone forgot to mention that it took 5 Armies (Azerbaijani, Turkish, Pakistani, Israeli, Islamist mercenaries from Syria) to neutralize the Armenian Forces defending the multiple theatres of military operations in Artsakh. Aliyev forgot to devote a section of the MTP to the glory of the following three Turkish Generals who played a vital role in securing to Azeri troops an absolute dominance of the Artsakh’s air space: Lieutenant General Sheref Ongay, Major General Bahtiyar Ersay, and Major General Goksel Kahya.
Six hundred Turkish officers/advisors were also supporting the Generals and coordinating UAV strikes, while chaperoning Azeri officers who became “busboys” and shoe shine boys complying, like obedient dogs, with every order issued by the Turkish Officers. Azeri Generals who dared to express their annoyance with the Turkish presence were dismissed from The Azeri Army, under the pretense that they were spies or incompetent fools. The most prominent example is the Azeri Colonel General Nejmeddin Sadikov.
More than two hundred Pakistani Officers were evaluating new military hardwares sold to Azerbaijan’s Armed Forces, and instructing idiots about the proper use of advanced equipments that represented a serious challenge to Azeri soldiers with pea-sized brains.
Israeli Military Satellites were securing advance intelligence about Armenian troop movements.Also passing to Baku communication intercepts, involving critical assessments of the decision making process of the political establishment in Yerevan, and the feedback relayed to the Prime Minister’s Office by Armenian field commanders in Artsakh.
Thousands of Islamist mercenaries from Syria were used as disposable cannon fodders to spearhead assaults on Armenian positions, simply because Azeri soldiers did not have the courage or the tactical skills to confront Armenian soldiers determined to defend, to the bitter end, the Fatherland.
With the overwhelming forces of so many foreign armies and mercenaries, one wonders why Don Corleone, who was so infatuated with the “courage” of his soldiers, did not finish his offensive of Sept.27, 2020 by overrunning Stepanakert, and accepted the terms of the trilateral agreement designed by President Putin. We know well from history that winning armies do not halt successful offensives mid way. Obviously, Aliyev noticed that it took the Azerbaijani Army 26 years (1994-2020) to understand the basic prerequisites of fighting in a mountanous environment. Overrunning Stepanakert requires totally new sets of skills in urban warfare, and an unprecedented level of courage which the Azeri Army lacks (needs another 26 years of training by Turks and Pakistanis). Fearing that Stepanakert may well become the Stalingrad of Azerbaijan, Aliyev accepted President Putin’s offer, and gave up the idea of a full scale assault on Stepanakert.
My dearest Azerbaijani “Don Corleone”, Yossi Cohen, the former Director of Mossad was in close contact with you during the 44-day war. He should have pointed out to you, that you can lie to your people successfully and insist that the Azeri Army lost a total of 2,783 soldiers and 1,245 servicemen were wounded between Sept.27/20 and Nov.10/20. But Mr. Cohen should have cautioned you also that you cannot feed the same lies to satellites monitoring the burial grounds of the Syrian mercenaries and the civilian and military cemeteries of Azerbaijan bursting at the seems.
Mr. Cohen should have shared with you Israel’s experience with Hezbollah since the direct involvement of the Shiit Militia in the Syrian civil war on the side of the central government of President Assad. To assess the loss of Hezbollah fighters, Israeli satellites were counting the number of new graves surfacing weekly in, what is known in Lebanon as “Makbarat Al Shouhada” (english translation: Cemetery of Martyrs).
The purpose behind the counting of graves venture was not the improvement of the math skills of Israeli Intelligence Officers. Israel wanted to know if Hezbollah’s hemorrhage in Syria was crippling the fighting capabalities of the Shiit movement. Of course the next scenario Israeli analysts wanted to consider was: Can we take advantage of the vulnerable status of Hezbollah and launch a crippling attack on Hezbollah’s military assets in Lebanon without facing the humiliating outcome of the 2006 war? The answer was NO. The number of graves was not adequate to launch a new offensive in Lebanon.
Don Corleone, many nations were counting your graves from the skies, and obviously to avoid a popular outcry against the Aliyev regime you lied to your own nation and concealed the fact that your losses are closer to 10,000 dead soldiers. As to the real number of injured soldiers, allow us, humble risk assessment analysts belonging to your abhoring nation of dogs (Armenians), to share another story from the Israeli experience.
Back in 1973 a few days before the Arab offensive that triggered the Yom Kippur War, a “Minority Report”, from dissenting Israeli Intelligence Analysts was submitted to the Office of The Prime Minister. The report argued that Egypt was ready to launch a large scale attack across the Suez Canal based on the number of hospital supplies (Ivs, Plasmas, Tourniquets, stockpiling of blood, etc..) purchased by Egypt. It was obvious for the minority of Israeli analysts, that the exceptionally high volume purchases made by Egypt of medical supplies was to cover the needs of a large number of injuries expected to affect the first Divisions leading the assault across the Suez Canal.
Don Corleone, any hospital administrator can tell you that what you stockpiled prior to Sept. 27/20 and post Nov. 10/20 was not to treat Azerbaijanis injured in car accidents. The rate, at which Azeri military and civilian hospitals exhausted their medical supplies, during the period mentioned above, is a clear indication that the serious injuries within the ranks of your army was closer to 15,000. There is a big discrepancy between the official figure of 1,245 soldiers wounded and 15,000. Could it be that a computer glitch miscalculated the numbers? Because we find it very hard to believe that an honest gangsters like you will lie to avoid the rage of an entire nation.
Don Corleone you studied history in Moscow and we hope you developed at the time the habit of reading newspapers. We also hope the name Khalid El Islambouli rings a bell. Allow us to jog your memory. Lieutenant El Islambouli jumped from a military truck during a parade celebrating the Egyptian victory of October 1973, and with the help of a group of Islamist soldiers assassinated the Egyptian President Anwar Sadat on 6 October 1981.
Don’t be surprised if in future one of your trusted lieutenants, who has been overlorded by Turkish and Pakistani Officers, before riddling your body with bullets yells: “La sayfa illa zoul fiqar, wa la fata illa Ali, wa la adla ila bi sayfi Ali”. An abbreviated English translation will be: “The sword of Imam Ali will establish justice in Azerbaijan.”
But until the just reign is established in Azerbaijan, political decision makers in Armenia should remember that Don Corleone has made big promises to the 600,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in Azerbaijan. He wants them returned to the heavily damaged seven districts he recovered from Armenia. He has a couple of billions to build new airports, roads, and finance infrastructre projects. He needs 200 billion US Dollars to resettle the IDP in new dwellings. No foreign investor is willing to pour any money in Don Corleone’s ambitious pipe dream until he signs a peace treaty with Armenia. If Armenia stalls Don Corleone’s project, the 600,000 IDP will become a powder keg attached to a defective timer. A series of social unrests may well usher an end of the Aliyev’s dynasty.
Furious at the political leadership of Armenia, and intoxicated by the “courage” of his own army, day after day Don Corleone is trying to grab more Armenian lands to force Yerevan to relinquish all claims to the entire land mass of Artsakh, a move that will restore the full territorial sovereignty of Azerbaijan, in return the Petro Dictator will pull out his army from the occupied Armenian territories to solidify the territorial sovereignty of Armenia.
Before making any concession to Don Corleone, key actors in Armenia should assess carefully all the options currently available. Alliances are shifting very quickly in the region and it may well be in the interest of Armenia to consider The India, Iran, Russia Axis, especially if Iran succeeds in forging a new agreement with The US Administration about its Nuclear Program.
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Notes & References
Azerbaijan's 'Ethnic Hatred' Theme Park Draws Ire, Imperils Reconciliation
https://www.rferl.org/a/azerbaijan-karabakh-theme-park-armenia-ethnic-hatred-aliyev/31217971.html
Azerbaijan Opens “Trophy Park” Celebrating Genocide https://www.persecution.org/2021/04/13/azerbaijan-opens-trophy-park-celebrating-genocide/
“The Turkish Generals Who Supervised The Second Artsakh War”. Documentary movie by Turkish Investigative Journalist Cevheri Guven.
IŞTE KARABAĞ SAVAŞINI YÖNETEN TSK'NIN ÜÇ GENERALİ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXnKT9lUFgU
The axe murderer who became a Facebook herohttps://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2012/9/5/the-axe-murderer-who-became-a-facebook-hero/
European Court Says Azerbaijan Wrong To Release Man Who Killed Armenian
https://www.rferl.org/a/european-court-says-azerbaijan-wrong-to-release-man-who-killed-armenian/30635414.html
Did you know that Azerbaijan is the only “Democracy” (or mockery of democracy) on this planet where election results are released 24hours before the Presidential election? For more details read:
Oops: Azerbaijan released election results before voting had even started
Corruption on the Caspian: Fueling Aliyev’s Regime”
https://freedomhouse.org/article/corruption-caspian-fueling-aliyevs-regime
More details about corruption in Azerbaijan and the major role played byIlham Aliyev’s family in fuelling corruption:
“Azerbaijani Laundromat shows how regime robs its people to feed itself”
“Azerbaijan’s Discreet Symbiosis With Israel” Diplomatic report from Wikileaks. https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/09BAKU20_a.html
Azerbaijan: WikiLeaks Cable Compares Ilham Aliyev to Movie Mafia Bosses
https://eurasianet.org/azerbaijan-wikileaks-cable-compares-ilham-aliyev-to-movie-mafia-bosses
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