Azerbaijan Diary: A Rogue Reporter’s Adventures in an Oil-rich, War-torn, Post-Soviet Republic

560 Pages·1999·30.04 MB·English

by  Thomas Goltz

6
1
0
2
r
e
b
o
t
c
O
9
1
7
1
:
0
1
t
a

]
o
c
s
i
c
n
a
r
F
n
a
S

f
o
y
t
i
s
r
e
v
i
n
U
[
y
b
d
e
d
a
o
l
n
w
o
D
6
1
0
2
r
e
b
o
t
c Azerbaijan
O
9
1
7 Diary
1
:
0
1
t
a
]
o
c
s
i
c
n
a
r
F
n
a
S
f
o
y
t
i
s
r
e
v
i
n
U
[
y
b
d
e
d
a
o
l
n
w
o
D
TTThhhiiisss pppaaagggeee iiinnnttteeennntttiiiooonnnaaallllllyyy llleeefffttt bbblllaaannnkkk
6
1
0
2
r
e
b
o
t
c
O
9
1
7
1
:
0
1
t
a
]
o
c
s
i
c
n
a
r
F
n
a
S
f
o
y
t
i
s
r
e
v
i
n
U
[
y
b
d
e
d
a
o
l
n
w
o
D
Azerbaijan
Diary
6
1
0
2
r
e
b
o A Rogue Reporter's Adventures
t
c
O
9 in an Oil-Rich, War-Torn,
1
7
1
0: Post-Soviet Republic
1
t
a
]
o
c
s
i
c
n
a
r
F
n
a
S
f
o
y Thomas Goltz
t
i
s
r
e
v
i
n
U
[
y
b
d
e
d
a
o
l
n
w
o
D
First published 1998 by M.E. Sharpe
Published 2015 by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OXI4 4RN
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017, USA
Rout/edge is an imprint of the Tay/or & Francis Group, an informa business
Copyright IC 1998 by Thomas Goltz. All rights reserved.
6
1
0
2 No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by
r any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented,
e
b including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval
o
t system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
c
O
9 Notices
1
7 No responsibility is assumed by the publisher for any injury and/or damage to
1 persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise,
:
0 or from any use of operation of any methods, products, instructions or ideas
1
t contained in the material herein.
a
]
o
c Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience and
s knowledge in evaluating and using any information, methods, compounds, or
i
c
n experiments described herein. In using such information or methods they should
a
r be mindful of their own safety and the safety of others, including parties for
F
whom they have a professional responsibility.
n
a
S Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and
f
o are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
y
t
i
s
r Library of Congress Cataloging-In-PubUcation Data
e
v
i
n
U Goltz, Thomas.
[
y Azerbaijan diary: a rogue reporter's adventures in an oil-rich, war-tom, post-Soviet
b republic by Thomas Goltz.
d
e p. cm.
d
a Revised ed. of: Requiem for a would-be republic. 1994.
o Includes index.
l
n
w ISBN 0-7656-0243-1 (c : alk. paper)
o ISBN 0-7656-0244-X (pbk. : alk. paper)
D
1. Azerbaijan-History-1991-. 2. Goltz, Thomas-Joumeys-Azerbaijan.
I. Goltz, Thomas. Requiem for a would-be republic. n. Title.
DK697.6.G65 1998
947.54 dc21 97-27981
CIP
ISBN 13: 9780765602442 (pbk)
ISBN 13: 9780765602435 (hbk)
6
1
0
2
r
e
b
o
t
c
O
9
1
7
1
0: For Hicran
1
t
a
]
o
c
s
i
c
n
a
r
F
n
a
S
f
o
y
t
i
s
r
e
v
i
n
U
[
y
b
d
e
d
a
o
l
n
w
o
D
TTThhhiiisss pppaaagggeee iiinnnttteeennntttiiiooonnnaaallllllyyy llleeefffttt bbblllaaannnkkk
6
1
0
2
r
e
b
o
t
c
O
9
1
7
1
:
0
1
t
a
]
o
c
s
i
c
n
a
r
F
n
a
S
f
o
y
t
i
s
r
e
v
i
n
U
[
y
b
d
e
d
a
o
l
n
w
o
D
Contents
6
1
0
2
r
e
b Preface IX
o
t Acknowledgments and Special Thanks xiii
c
O
Prologue xv
9
1
7 1. Getting There Fair and Square 3
1
:
0 2. A Distant Coup 37
1
t 3. Friday Evening on Freedom Square 44
a
] 4. Karabakh: The Black Garden 74
o
c 5. Home Sweet Baku 89
s
i
c 6. A Reborn Republic 106
n
ra 7. Xodjali 117
F
n 8. Slithering in the Swamp 131
Sa 9. Of Militias and Mamed the Mule 149
f 10. A Diversion Through the Islamic Republic of Iran 155
o
y 11. Riding the Roller Coaster 177
t
si 12. Coup Redux 199
r
ve 13. From Ballots to Bullets 215
i
n 14. An Army Stumbles Forward 231
U
[ 15. AlIa Turca 250
by 16. Of War-and Oil 262
d 17. Corruption in the Ranks 280
e
d 18. Rumblings of Dissent 290
a
lo 19. The Snow Job 299
n
w 20. Kelbajar 322
o
D 21. The Lull Before the Storm 348
22. The Crowbar-Or Heydar Comes Home 366
23. Meanwhile, Back at the Front ... 393
24. Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan ... 407
25. Scars on the Soul 426
Epilogue 445
Index 488
6
1
0
2
r
e
b
o
t
c
O
9
1
7
1
0: Maps appear on pages
1
t xxvi-xxx.
a
]
o
c
s
ci Photographs follow pages
n
a 116, 154, 298, and 406
r
F
n
a
S
f
o
y
t
i
s
r
e
v
i
n
U
[
y
b
d
e
d
a
o
l
n
w
o
D
Preface
6
1
0
2
r
e
b
o
t
c
O
9
1 History As Contact Journalism
7
1
0: The original intent of this book was to tell the story of the Republic of
1
t Azerbaijan from its declaration of independence from the Soviet Union in 1991
a
] to its decision to join the Commonwealth of Independent States in 1993. The
o
c working title of the draft manuscript, published obscurely in Istanbul in 1994,
s
ci was 'Requiem for a Would-be Republic.'
n
a The reason I selected that thoroughly depressing title was that it fit with
r
F
n the tenor of the times. Azerbaijan looked like it was about to fall apart, and
a not too many people seemed to care. It was being held up as a classic
S
f example of a 'failed state,' a place marked by such an appalling level of
o
y chaos, confusion, and self-destruction that it almost did not deserve to exist.
t
si It was not a pretty picture, but it was the way things were and it was from
r
e that eye-witness experience that the original 'Requiem' emerged. And, be
v
i
n cause the historical facts have not changed, it is that experience which
U
[ remains the flesh and bones of the current work, no matter how unflattering
y
b to many of the actors within it, the author included.
d The change in the title of this edition of the book, however, should
e
d speak volumes. No longer a dirge for a dead country, it is now a diary
a
o
l account of the rebirth, in blood and agony, of a post-Soviet republic with a
n
w future. No one can be happier than I am that the prediction implicit in that
o
D first title was at the very least premature, if not down-right wrong, and the
author thus wishes to be the first to express how delighted he is that
Azerbaijan still is.
Indeed, Azerbaijan has now taken its place on the map and in the
popular imagination in a way that was almost inconceivable a few short
years ago. The reason, of course, is oil. Between November 1994 and
November 1997, some $30 billion in contracts have been signed between
the government in Baku and a veritable alphabet soup of oil companies, all
ix