Iran on war alert over "US and Israeli concentrations" in Azerbaijan

[Large Sarge]

http://www.debka.com/article/8868/
Iran on war alert over "US and Israeli concentrations" in Azerbaijan
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report June 23, 2010, 1:23 PM (GMT+02:00)Tags: Azerbaijan Iranian war preparations US-Israel

Iran's land forces on the readyIn a rare move, Iran has declared a state of war on its northwestern border, debkafile's military and Iranian sources report. Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps men and equipment units are being massed in the Caspian Sea region against what Tehran claims are US and Israeli forces concentrated on army and air bases in Azerbaijan ready to strike Iran's nuclear facilities.
The announcement came on Tuesday, June 22 from Brig.-Gen Mehdi Moini of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), commander of the forces tasked with "repelling" this American-Israeli offensive. He said: "The mobilization is due to the presence of American and Israeli forces on the western border," adding, "Reinforcements are being dispatched to West Azerbaijan Province because some western countries are fueling ethnic conflicts to destabilize the situation in the region."

In the past, Iranian officials have spoken of US and Israel attacks in general terms. debkafile's Iranian sources note that this is the first time that a specific location was mentioned and large reinforcements dispatched to give the threat substance.

Other Iranian sources report that in the last few days, Israel has secretly transferred a large number of bomber jets to bases in Azerbaijan, via Georgia, and that American special forces are also concentrated in Azerbaijan in preparation for a strike.

No comment has come from Azerbaijan about any of these reports. Iranian Azerbaijan, the destination of the Revolutionary Guards forces reinforcements, borders on Turkey, Iraq and Armenia. Witnesses say long IRGC convoys of tanks, artillery, anti-aircraft units and infantry are seen heading up the main highways to Azerbaijan and then further north to the Caspian Sea.

On Tuesday, June 22, Dr. Uzi Arad, head of Israel's National Security Council and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's closest adviser, said "The latest round of UN Security Council sanctions on Iran is inadequate for thwarting its nuclear progress. A preemptive military strike might eventually be necessary."

debkafile's intelligence and Iranian sources point to three other developments as setting off Iran's war alert:
1. A certain (limited) reinforcement of American and Israeli forces has taken place in Azerbaijan. Neither Washington nor Jerusalem has ever acknowledged a military presence in this country that borders on Iran, but Western intelligence sources say that both keep a wary eye on the goings-on inside Iran from electronic surveillance bases in that country.
2. Iran feels moved to respond to certain US steps: The arrival of the USS Harry S. Truman Strike Group in the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea and its war games with France and Israel, which included live-fire bombing practices against targets in Iran.
3. The execution of Abdolmalek Rigi, head of the Sunni Baluchi rebel organization (including the Iranian Baluchis), on June 20 was intended as a deterrent for Iran's other minorities. Instead, they are more restive than ever. Several Azeri breakaway movements operate in Iranian Azerbaijan in combination with their brethren across the border. Tehran decided a substantial buildup in the province would serve as a timely measure against possible upheavals.

[Bullfrog]

Gotta go cut some weeds now, will look for more info from another source when I get back. I did pull up press.tv.ir real quick, didn't see anything there.

[Plastic]

Take the story with a whole truckload of salt as it comes from DEBKA....

[BrewTech]

More dubious "info" from the "by-way-of-deception" folks.

[Bullfrog]

Went back to presstv.ir and did find an article. Something doesn't feel right about this tho. Either the Iranian general exaggerates a bit or the person writing the article didn't get something right.

click (http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=130682)


A senior Iranian commander says the presence of American and Israeli forces along the western borders of Iran has prompted the Islamic Revolution's Guards Corps (IRGC) to mobilize its troops in the area.

Brigadier-General Mehdi Moini, who is the commander of IRGC in West Azarbaijan Province, told reporters on Tuesday that certain Western countries sought to overstate the issue of ethnic conflict in the region.

"Through magnifying the ethnic, religious strife in the region and inciting terrorist groups, they seek to destabilize our province," Brig. Gen. Moini said.

The official, however, explained that the strong presence of IRGC forces in the region has thwarted all enemy attempts to destabilize the western Iranian province.

"The presence of US and Israeli forces along Iranian borders is the reason behind Iran's military movements in the region," he said.

The IRGC commander went on to explain that while the enemy has suffered much damage in the course of such movements, no Iranian base has suffered damage.

West Azarbaijan Province is located in northwest Iran. It shares a 900-kilometer (560-mile) border with Iraq, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Armenia.

[Bullfrog]

The previous presstv.ir article was from 16 Jun. This one is 05 May. If the previous article is correct, and if I was an Iranian, I wouldn't be trusting Safar very much.

Baku will never help Iran's enemies (http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=125580)

Azerbaijani Defense Minister Safar Abiyev says Baku will never allow the country to be used as a launch pad for a military strike on neighboring Iran.

“No threat will be made against Iran from Azerbaijan's territory and we will not help the enemies of the Islamic Republic of Iran under any circumstances,” the Fars new agency quoted Abiyev as saying in a meeting with Iranian Interior Minister Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar in Baku on Tuesday.

Mohammad-Najjar said that Iran regards Azerbaijan's security as its own security and is ready to share its defense expertise with Azerbaijan.

He went on to say that the Zionists are trying to foment discord between Muslim nations.

And thus, the leaders and peoples of Iran and Azerbaijan should work together to establish peace in the region, he added.

Iran's interior minister arrived in Baku on Monday to hold talks with high-ranking Azerbaijani officials in order to enhance cooperation between the two countries.

[Ponce]

By trying to have discord between the Arab nations all that the Israelis and the US are doing is for the Arabs to unite against a common enemy.

"The enemy of my enemy...........?"

[Bullfrog]

Hope you don't mind Large Sarge, gonna run some stuff on Azerbaijan for a bit.
It looks like Baku is the main U.S. installation, but it's a supply depot for the war against the stans.

So, is this place big enough to pre-stage troops prior to an invasion of Iran?
If not, why did the Iranian general activate the Revolutionary Guard in that area?
Got a thought in the back of my head about the US buying off Iraqi generals who disappeared just as Iraq was invaded.

BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 6, 2010 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates (http://www.militaryavenue.com/Articles/AzerbaijanVisitHighlightsAfghanistanContributions-34044.aspx)


Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates arrived here today to express U.S. gratitude to this former Soviet republic on the western shore of the Caspian Sea for its contributions to the coalition’s efforts in Afghanistan.

Azerbaijani servicemembers are part of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, and the country is a key part of the global air and ground network that resupplies ISAF and Afghan forces and brings in supplies for reconstruction of the war-torn nation.

Speaking with reporters today while en route here from Singapore, where he attended an Asia security summit, Gates noted the value of Azerbaijan’s participation in the war effort.

“Clearly, the ability to overfly Azerbaijan [and] the ability to use ground transportation through Azerbaijan – as with Russia, and as with Kyrgyzstan – is obviously important,” he said. “These are the most effective, the most cost-efficient ways to get supplies to the international coalition in Afghanistan, as well as the Afghan forces themselves.”

Azerbaijan and the other participating countries aren’t just doing the United States a favor, the secretary said.

“These transit systems are an important contribution to an international effort involving dozens and dozens of countries,” he explained.

This is the secretary’s first visit to Azerbaijan and the first visit by a U.S. Cabinet member in five years. He is meeting tonight with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and with Defense Minister Col. Gen. Safar Abiyev tomorrow, and he’s delivering a letter to Aliyev from President Barack Obama.

Part of the reason for his visit, Gates said, is a perception on the part of the Azerbaijani government – expressed during a recent visit here by Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Michele Fournoy -- that the United States is not paying enough attention to the country, given the importance of its contributions.

“I wanted to come through and meet with President Aliyev and reassure him that’s not the case,” Gates said. “I think there’s going to be other visits [between U.S. and Azerbaijani officials] in the future. … It’s important to touch base and let them know that, in fact, they do play an important role in this international coalition.”

About 25 percent of the coalition’s supplies bound for Afghanistan pass through what’s known as the Caucasus Spur, which includes Azerbaijan. Since 2001, tens of thousands of flights for the war effort in Afghanistan have passed through Azerbaijan’s airspace, a senior Defense Department official speaking on background told reporters, and about 100,000 troops have flown through Azerbaijani airspace in the past year en route to Afghanistan.

[Serpo]

The countries that want to attack Iran for making nuclear weapons as we all know
allready have nuclear weapons and so all their arguments are therefore a load of.,,,,,,,,,,,

[Bullfrog]

2005 - http://prismwebcastnews.com/2008/05/18/planned-us-israeli-attack-on-iran-will-there-be-a-war-against-iran/

“since Iranian nuclear objects are scattered all over the country, Israel will need a mass strike with different fly-in and fly-out approaches"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerbaijan%E2%80%93Israel_relations
That Safar dude from my previous post is blowing smoke at the Iranians.

I don't know where to look for more info.

[DMac]

The Iran War Theater's "Northern Front": Azerbaijan and the US Sponsored War on Iran (http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=5322)