Mensoian: Open Letter to His Excellency Ilham Aliyev

Dear President Aliyev,

It has been nearly 20 years since the Karabagh Armenians of historic Armenian Artsakh declared their independence.

Ever since the Bolsheviks created your country, you, your father Heydar, and those who came before him have methodically destroyed Armenian churches, cemeteries, and other irrefutable physical evidence that these were Armenian lands ruled by Armenian kings millennia before the Republic of Azerbaijan ever existed.

President Ilham Aliyev

I’ll let that rest for now, but I would be a bit surprised if someone with a Ph.D. in history was not acutely aware of these facts.

The south Caucasus could be enjoying the peace and prosperity that all its people desire if you had accepted the legitimate right of the Karabagh Armenians to declare their independence to live on their historic lands. The basic fact that you should not ignore is that the Karabagh Armenians will protect their hard-won freedom at any and all cost if your military forces once again challenge them on the battlefield.

Having had the good fortune to visit Artsakh again, most recently a few months ago, I witnessed the tremendous economic strides the Karabagh Armenians have made since the ceasefire was established 17 years ago. Politically they have established a democratic system of government that could, quite frankly, serve as a model for your people.

But I digress. My purpose in writing this letter is to offer some useful suggestions. You are spending billions of dollars to, as we say in the United States, “supersize” your military forces. For what purpose?

You are aware that no nation, other than possibly Turkey, would favor a resumption of military operations against the Karabagh Armenians. That being said, I am not convinced that your Turkish brothers-in-arms think that the Azerbaijan military could mount a successful operation against the Karabagh Armenians. That raises the question: What do you plan to do with all the military equipment you have on hand and that, from your constant public announcements, you plan to continue purchasing? This is 2011. There are no new worlds to conquer, least of all Karabagh.

Here is a suggestion as to what could be done with all those tanks, armored personnel carriers, self-propelled artillery pieces, missile launchers, and helicopter gunships.

Never having had the opportunity to visit Azerbaijan, I don’t know if you have “service areas” or “rest areas” along your highways as we do in the United States. If you do, such locations would be ideal places for a display of combat vehicles and related military equipment. Several standard displays could be used simultaneously throughout Azerbaijan, or a set of rotating displays might be made available.

Since there would be no need for all those men in the army, some could be trained as military information specialists similar to the park rangers we have in the United States. These specialists could provide technical information as well as answer questions that travelers may have.

However, there is both an upside and a downside to these displays—a plus and a minus, as they say. These displays would remind your people of the billions of dollars you invested to create the largest military force in the south Caucasus. They might question the wisdom of this decision or, through sheer pride in your accomplishment, might accept you as the “father” of the modern Azerbaijan military. No one during the 90-year history of the Republic of Azerbaijan could be cited to challenge that distinction.

Another suggestion might be to give former service members who served with distinction in a tank platoon the older model T-72A or T-72B tank for his personal use. I understand the T-72M is the latest model being used by the Azerbaijan Army. With a tank in the family driveway, not only would the family have a means of transportation, but the designated driver could perform first-echelon maintenance on the vehicle that he was trained to do while on active duty. Active duty military teams could check the vehicle, say every three months, to see that proper maintenance had been performed, as well as provide on-site assistance. If required the vehicle could be taken to a maintenance depot for further inspection, repairs, etc. A loaner tank could be provided during this downtime.

Some retrofitting would have to be done to comply with civilian safety requirements, such as better forward vision for the driver, exterior rear-view mirrors, brake and directional lights, etc. Special rubber pads would be available to cover the tank treads to eliminate damage to the highways when the family goes for a spin.

Larger families could opt for the ubiquitous 2.5-ton truck that is used by all the world’s military forces. All families with a military vehicle could petition the government for a 1.5-ton cargo trailer as a useful accessory to bring crops to the market, carry building materials, etc.

The Pars 8-wheel armored personnel carrier could also double as a civilian transport vehicle. I understand they have a cargo capacity of eight tons if not carrying troops. A rental fleet of these vehicles operated by a government agency could fill a niche for the transport of goods in all kinds of weather and terrain.

I understand that you are increasing the number of Matador and Marauder four-wheeled armored personnel carriers. Although both are sharp looking vehicles, style-wise they don’t measure up to the Humvee used by the United States Army. However, if you could retrofit them for civilian use, they might become very popular with the young people for cross-country recreational activities. This would be a healthier alternative to their intended use on the battlefield. What a statement a modified civilian model of either one would make parked in someone’s driveway. Another suggestion would be to use them as armored transport vehicles for the movement of money, other valuables, and important people. These services are provided by companies such as Brinks, Loomis, or Dunbar in the United States

Given your oil resources, you wouldn’t have to worry about the use of these gas guzzlers. Your government could afford to subsidize the price of diesel fuel and gasoline to operate the vehicles. Since more people would have the means to travel in all kinds of weather, it would create a demand for service stations, restaurants, motels, shopping centers, amusement parks, etc. You would be responsible for an economic expansion that would surely endear you to your people and make neighboring leaders envious.

Here is a suggestion for your helicopter gunships. Some could be modified for civilian use as sightseeing helicopters. Such helicopter rides are very popular over the Grand Canyon, New York City, and other places in the United States. A quasi-public entity could be formed to provide commercial tourist flights over some interesting and beautiful landscapes throughout Azerbaijan, such as the city of Baku, the Mingachevir Reservoir, the towering Caucasus Mountains, the oil rigs in the Caspian Sea, or the farmlands on the Kura River floodplain.

No doubt you would still have a sizeable catalog of military equipment remaining. But the only problem with a sizeable military force is finding a productive use for it. Unfortunately war is not a productive use. Maintaining a supersized military establishment is a costly business. Equipment has to be constantly upgraded and replaced. Enlisted men and officers must continually undergo classroom training and participate in meaningful field exercises to remain combat ready. New recruits have to be trained and indoctrinated. It is a never-ending enterprise and costs keep escalating. I am sure you already know this. However, there is a real danger you may not have considered in having a large combat-ready military force that has little to do.

If you, supported by a coterie of privileged families, continue to rule in an imperious manner, enjoying the wealth produced by your citizens and ignoring the grinding poverty that many of your people experience, this combat-ready force may come to the realization that the only enemy that Azerbaijan has is you.

Knowing this, shouldn’t the Arab Spring give you some cause for concern?

Respectfully,
Michael G. Mensoian