Azerbaijan: Israeli Arms Sales, Greased Palms, Ethnic-Conflict | Tikun Olam |

Israel sold tens of billions in weapons to the country's corrupt dictator, permitting him to conquer Nagorno-Karabakh

Azerbaijan is ruled by a corrupt dictator, Ilham Aliyev, who has amassed enormous wealth from the country's oil and other natural resources.  He's stolen as much of it as he can to enrich himself and his interests. In 2013, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project declared him its Corrupt Person of the Year. His greed and territorial ambitions have only grown since then.

He's also built up a close relationship with Israel's weapons industry and purchased well over $10-billion [SIPRI] of the country's most advanced weapons systems. Its largest purchase has been drones, which it has used to devastating effect against Armenian soldiers.

Armenia, on the other hand, has chosen its allies poorly. Before it invaded Ukraine, Russia served as a guarantor of of Armenian territorial integrity, and as a mediator in the conflict between the two countries.

A captive ally: Why Russia isn't rushing to Armenia's aid | CFR Europe - 8 Oct. 2020 |

The ongoing war between Armenia and Azerbaijan around Nagorno-Karabakh is throwing a spotlight on a new paradox in Russian foreign policy: Russia seems to have been more outraged by the European Union signing a free trade deal with Ukraine in 2013 than by Azerbaijan and Turkey fighting Armenia, a Russian military ally and close partner.

Hasbara is a dead language