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| Total inspection expected in armed forces |
13:19 27-10-2009
Amid increasing media reports about processes around the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry, Ayna newspaper specialized on army reporting says that a total inspection is expected in the national army. Quoting its sources in the Presidential Administration, the paper says the inspection targets several issues, among which - the overall situation in the army and how reforms to bring the armed forces close to NATO standards are being implemented. Experts who were asked to comment also hailed reports about the inspection as they think this is a possible way to gauge the state of affairs in the armed forces and its combat readiness. They also call for involvement of independent journalists in similar process to evaluate the situation as they may play a mediating role between the public and the army to contribute to growth of confidence in the army. The following is the text of Casur Sumarinli report by Azerbaijani newspaper Ayna on 15 August headlined "Total inspection starts in the army" and subheaded "A document to be prepared following the inspection will lay the foundation of the country"s strategic documents the Military Doctrine and Strategic Defence Review"; subheadings have been inserted editorially:
Total inspection in the army
Upon recommendations by the US Department of Defense and NATO circles, the Azerbaijani authorities are making preparations for all-out inspection in the armed forces. Within this framework, the command of the Defence Ministry has been tasked to draw up a report on the process of bringing the army into line with NATO standards and in general, about the situation in the army, Ayna has obtained this exclusive information from a source close to the Presidential Administration. The report also says that the leadership of the country is worried about the recent processes in the armed forces and wants a detailed report be drawn up about the situation.
"The country"s leadership has received a lot of appeals and complaints about the on-going processes in the armed forces. The majority of the complaints are connected with cases of corruption, illegal instructions, orders and unfounded displacement," the source said.
"For its part, the command of the Defence Ministry claims the situation is normal in the armed forces. Nevertheless, emerging facts speak the other way round. Therefore, the authorities want to find out the real state of affairs," the source said, adding that soon the inspection will be kicked off in the military units and formations. And it will not be only officers of the army to learn about the situation in the army: the inspection group will include representatives of both the Defence Ministry, the Presidential Administration, the National Security Ministry and the Defence Ministry.
Report to be basis of strategic documents
"This will be an all-out inspection operation: all the military units in the army, the personnel, logistics, the state of tactical and combat readiness of the troops, the state of the barracks, including ammunition and military hardware will be on the focus of the inspection," the source said. According to the report, the commission of the inspectors will make a report on cases to be discovered during the process and submit it to the country"s leadership. Following this, the leadership of the country would adopt a decision on the prospect of the army building. With this decision the real need of the armed forces will be taken into consideration in the country"s military budget for 2010.
Experts believe that the report to be drawn up as a result of the inspection may play a role of main basis for the preparation of Azerbaijan"s strategic documents the Military Doctrine and Strategic Defence Review. The Centre for Military Analytical Researches considers that the experience of all-out inspections in the armed forces should be traditional.
In an interview with a correspondent of Ayna, the director of the centre, Ret Col Ildirim Mammadov, said that inspections are implemented on constant basis in NATO member countries, in particular, in the armed forces of the USA and Germany, consequently, the country"s political leadership remain aware of the real state and requirements of the army.
"The military commands of these countries are interested in inspections. Because their military spending go up sharply year by year and the only way of persuading the political leadership of the needs is through inspections," Ildirim Mammadov said.
Call for public control over armed forces
The expert thinks that over the recent years, wide-ranging statements are voiced about successful reforms under way in the Azerbaijani armed forces to bring it into line with NATO standards. "On many occasions, it causes doubts to what extend these statements are realistic. The political leadership must keep the situation under control in the army. The key way of this is to carry out constant inspections," he said.
Another military expert, the chairman of the Military Journalists Public Union, Ret Lt-Col Uzeyir Cafarov, backs constant inspections in the army. He believes that this is a key way of public control over the armed forces: "I wish independent journalists also attend similar inspections in future. This would contribute to improvement of the situation in the army and progress of the reforms," he said. Uzeyir Cafarov thinks that the government should also familiarize itself with opinions of international organizations, independent bodies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and military experts while studying the real state of affairs in the army.
"Along with official facts, public opinion is also studied in NATO member countries while the situation is inspected in the armed forces. Since it is one of the important issues to remove the existing problem in the public opinion with regard to the army. This process should also be realized in Azerbaijan: the mass media outlets report about negative cases in the army and this time, the Defence Ministry blames the media of the biased stance which is an incorrect approach," Uzeyir Cafarov said.
http://www.un-az.org/undp/bulnews74/F4.php |
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