Crossfire War: Caucasus; Armenia/Azerbaijan Exchange Fire

By Willard Payne

Night Watch: BAKU - According to the press service of the Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan, Armenian military units, located near the occupied village of Kuropatklino in Khojavend region, subjected positions of Azerbaijan armed forces on the opposite side to machine-gun fire and that they were silenced by counter-fire.

This is why the Caucasus is more of a flashpoint than even the Balkans. Azerbaijan has excellent relations with Iran and could easily receive military support from Iran, which could use the next war between the two to have more control over an area that not only borders Iran but also the oil rich Caspian.

Though Armenia does have working relations with Iran they are not as substantial as the military agreements Azerbaijan has signed with Tehran. Yerevan still has hostile and mutually suspicious relations concerning Ankara so their only hope of international assistance is most likely Moscow-Berlin.