Aliyev Risks to Be Caught by the Same Trap He Set Against His Own Society

• 07.14.2015, 13:20
• Liana Hovhannisyan
•  Region,  "Insight" Analytical Center ,  World

Recently the news on Azerbaijan’s being the main target in the Caucasus region for the Islamic State terrorist organization has again been widely circulating. In addition, the international and the Azerbaijani media sources continuously alarm of the increasing number of the Azerbaijanis, who join the Islamic State and tend to later come back and threaten the security of their own country. What are the main motives of those Azerbaijanis who join terrorist organizations in the region? Among other main reasons the following major ones are to be identified:

Continuing violations of the human rights in Azerbaijan make the Azerbaijanis more radical towards their own government. Major international organizations such as the European Union, Council of Europe, and UN as well as human right organizations as Human Right Watch, Amnesty International, and Freedom House continuously report on the increasing number of imprisoned journalists, political activists, representatives of civil society and human right defenders. The population which is continuously repressed by its own government sees no way out but to raise arms against it and to resort to military revolution. This is the reason why the Azerbaijanis, who join the Islamic State claim later to come back to Azerbaijan and fight against Aliyev clan in the country.

Second, the Azerbaijani government by its military rhetoric continuously tries to spread anti-Armenian moods in Azerbaijan, the result of which is the year by year strengthening Armeniaphobia in Azerbaijan. In addition, throughout all these years of "no war, no peace", Azerbaijani government by the same rhetoric tried to convince its society that "all mighty Azerbaijan" can declare a war and win NKR in a single day. Instead of it what the Azerbaijan society witness is the increasing military budget but no progress in the Karabakh conflict. Betrayed expectations of the Azerbaijani society make them turn to radical groups in the region to gain necessary skills as they claim later to be able to win Karabakh "from the enemy." 

Besides, the efforts of the corrupted Azerbaijani government to explain the paradox ( notwithstanding the increasing oil revenues in the country,  the Azerbaijani society continues to face economic hardships) by the necessity to save on the military budget make the Azerbaijani society to further feel deceived by its government.

If we try to generalize the above mentioned reasons, then we are to state the short-sighted policies of the present Azerbaijani government, to keep the society in its grip, do not promise happy end for the current regime. If the Azerbaijani government continues to stay loyal to its policies, sooner or later it iwill to be caught by the same trap it has set for its own society, the proof of which is increasing number of Azerbaijanis joining the terrorist organizations in the region.