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The road to Baku


Agostinho Neto

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BAKU, AZERBAIJANI REPUBLIC - 2056 HOURS, DAY 1

Azerbaijani Police arrested General Hebib bey Selimov on corruption charges today, the latest in a series of moves by President Ilham Aliyev to undermine a political elite widely viewed as corrupt. Ali Kerimli's Government disqualified two political parties in the latest weeks after months of politically motivated violence in the southern provinces, and analysts say it appears determined to keep Azerbaijan's main opposition political parties from power when elections will be held in may.

General Bey Selimov, known for leading "Operation Dawn '08" in the small nation of Qalaam, was arrested at his home in the Azerbaijani capital hours after a case was filed by an anti-corruption official against his and his youngest son, Majid bey Hebib, Baku's police officials told DailyNews.Az by phone. He was brought to court later in the evening, and insisted he and his son were innocent. "This is a conspiracy to tarnish the image of my family and my soldiers. We have done nothing wrong. This case against us must be lifted," Slimov told the court before being jailed pending trial. His son was ordered held for seven days for questioning.

From the court, Selimov, escorted by hundreds of police, was taken to a makeshift prison near the Presidential building. Selimov is accused of misusing his power by awarding contracts to a local oil company, when he was in command of Operation Dawn '08 back in December 2008. His son Majid allegedly influenced his father to approve the deal. Some analysts see in their arrests an attempt by the government to keep the General from power when it holds new elections, promised for May. General Selimov was willing to leave the army to form a new political party and challenge Ali Kerimli's Government at the next General Elections.

"The arrests of the General indicate that the campaign is more politically motivated than targeting corruption," said Ethibar Mammadov, leader of the disqualified Azerbaijan National Independence Party. "It now seems that they (the government) want to weaken the opposition to prevent them from winning the next election. I think the government wants to hold the election, but a hand-picked National Assembly is what it wants," he said. With the disqualification of the two main opposition political parties, the death of the CSP leader Sabir Rustamxanli and the arrest of general Selimov, Azerbaijani Army officials announced new protest measures.

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General's son, Majid bey Hebib, taken into custody by Azerbaijani police officers

Edited by President Aliyev
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BAKU, AZERBAIJANI REPUBLIC - 2215 HOURS, DAY 1

Troops in Azerbaijan have overthrown the country's first freely-elected Prime Minister and say they have formed a state council to rule the country. President Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Ali Kerimli were held after they tried to arrest a Military top commander. Troops are out on the streets of the capital, Baku. Prime Minister Ali Kerimli came to power in free and fair polls last year, taking over from the Roman regional administration. Troops rounded up the president - along with his Prime Minister - apparently without needing to use force few minutes ago. Earlier in the evening, the president tried to dismiss an Azerbaijani Army general, who's friends in the top command responded by launching the coup.

The country has been in the grip of a political crisis since the disqualification of two political parties and the death of a political leader. "They arrested and took him to the battalion base. It's a textbook coup d'etat" the President's daughter told DailyNews.Az. Baku airport has been closed, security sources told the news agencies. People had gathered on street corners to discuss the coup - in particular the fate of the president and prime minister. Defence Secretary Safar Abiyev released a statement on TV on behalf of the coup leaders announcing the presidential decree sacking the top army officer had been "annulled legally and practically". An army statement said the president was no longer in charge. The first indications of a military coup came as state radio and television were taken off the air amid reports of unusual troop movements in Baku, Yerevan and Nakichevan.

The president's secretary, said soldiers seized the President at his house at 22.15. He raised the alarm in a phone call to an independent radio. "They came here to find him," he said. "They arrested him here and took him to the Presidential Palace. It's a textbook coup d'etat." Azerbaijan has no history of coups, with the military never involved in the government since its independence from Nova Roma in November 2008. General elections held in 2008 ended the Roman Rule - the product of a colonization. The elections were deemed to have been free and fair and appeared to herald a new era of democracy. The coup's leader is expected to release a statement later in the night.

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No incidents were reported in Baku

Edited by President Aliyev
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BAKU, AZERBAIJANI REPUBLIC - 2319 HOURS, DAY 1

The National Assembly of the Azerbaijani Republic opened a special session after generals ousted president President Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Ali Kerimli as thousands of people marched in an anti-coup rally. The session was officially called to discuss "the reasons for the blockage of democratic institutions" which is leading to what the general's supporters are calling "the change". Pro-coup deputies, who hold the majority in the National Assembly, have said they will use the session to name eight members to a special high court of justice, which could decide to put President Ilham Aliyev on trial. A minority of 25 members of parliament, which includes members of the opposition, boycotted the session which they branded illegal. In all the National Assembly has 125 seats.

Thousands of people are demonstrating against the military coup, led by General Husein Khan Turgut, and called for the return of the country's first democratically elected Government. Under heavy army surveillance the protest, which is being allowed by the new military leadership, is following Baku's main road from the central hospital to a square close to the Presidential palace. "The army have imposed an anti-constitutional regime on the Azerbaijani people and taken their civil liberties and the democracy," Heydar Aliyev, leader of the anti-coup New Azerbaijan party, said at the start of the march. He called on the military junta to reinstate president Ilham Aliyev and Ali Kerimli's Government.

Edited by President Aliyev
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***Classified***

Seeing as they were mor pre-occupied with their own affairs, slipping into the nation was not difficult. Now came the REAL challenge--finding not only what the majority of the populace thought, but the motivations and reasons behind the recent actions.

OOC: A prompt there for you to detail what there is for him to find out...or at least the security measures he'll have to penetrate to discover the truth. :D

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The UK watches the situation with growing concern and alarm. In response, the border with Azerbaijan were sealed as border guards and troops doubled and even tripled in size. We condemn the coup, and request that the coup plotters stand down and allow President Aliyev and Prime Minister Kerimli to return to power.

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BAKU, AZERBAIJAN - 0504 HOURS, DAY 2

Husein Khan Turgut, the Azerbaijani general who toppled the country's president in yesterday's coup, insisted today he had acted to save the country. In an interview with DailyNews.Az, General Khan Turgut said the coup was aimed at "avoiding a catastrophe in the country" and eliminating the regime of "an elected government who acted in an irrational manner." The 52-year-old General staged a coup yesterday, overthrowing Azerbaijan's first democratically elected Prime Minister, Ali Kerimli, after he tried to arrest a senior Army General. "I believe that the international community is not looking to destabilise Azerbaijan," he said. "When it has all the information, it will turn in a positive direction." The leader of the coup said the ousted president and other top officials were under house arrest, "for their security and the security of the country."

He added: "Justice exists in Azerbaijan and there is also a parliament which could be called on to judge them if necessary." Over the weekend Turgut said he had warned Aliyev before the coup of the consequences if he went through with plans to revamp the military. "I telephoned him (President Aliyev) personally to explain to him the gravity of his decree and suggest he postpone it to avoid the worst," Turgat said in an interview on the DailyNews.Az television channel. But the president of Azerbaijan's national assembly, Ogtay Asadov, today pledged his full support to the deposed president. In statement he said he recognised no one except President Aliyev and said he would not agree to any presidential elections staged by the coup leaders. But 100 out of 25 Azerbaijani members of Parliament later rejected his statement in a joint declaration saying he was only speaking for himself.

"The changes of yesterday's coup are the logical and indisputable result of President Ilham Aliyev's behaviour to stall the republic's institutions," their text said. Most of the international community has denounced the bloodless coup and the General Assembly suspended Azerbaijan from the Union of Transcaucasian Republics until it had restored the constitutional government. The secretary of the ousted President accused the military of acting in their own political interests. "We want to prevent Azerbaijan from falling into a vicious cycle, where the crisis deepens and the international community is led to take measures that would be unfortunate for the lives and the future of the Azerbaijani people," the secretary said earlier tidat after meeting General Turgat in the presidential palace. The 2008 elections that Ali Kerimli won were hailed as a model of democracy for the Transcaucasus, ending the "Roman-Byzantine" era of the country.

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General Husein Khan Turgut

Edited by President Aliyev
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BAKU, AZERBAIJANI REPUBLIC - 1145 HOURS, DAY 3

Azerbaijan's coup leader solidified his hold over the flourish eastern Europe Republic today as the prime minister who served under President Ilham Aliyev, Ali Kerimli, surrendered and stepped down along with dozens of other government officials. Some welcomed new military leader General Husein Khan Turgut as a break with the past. Turgat had ordered Governors and other leaders of Azerbaijan's government and armed forces to come out of hiding and turn themselves in at a military barracks within 24 hours. If they did not, he threatened to organize a nationwide search for them.

Ali Kerimli's brother in a telephone interview that his brother was no longer prime minister and that the other ministers went to the barracks to avoid being hunted down. Private radio station BigAz carried a live broadcast of him telling the coup leader: "We are at your disposal," in an apparent capitulation. The radio station reported that PM Ali Kerimli said the government leaders were then free to leave, but it was not immediately clear where they were. Later in the day, the President of the Armenian Autonomous Republic, Serzh Sargsyan, also turned himself in at the barracks, as did the head of police and the head of Main Force Patrol. The developments reflected the growing power of the coup leaders who made their move in the hours after the arrest of General Selimov. President Aliyev had not been seen in public since Turgat's group of junior officers declared a coup Friday, though some people claimed he was still in control.

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Azeri soldiers parade in the streets of Baku

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Turgat had ordered Governors and other leaders of Azerbaijan's government and armed forces to come out of hiding and turn themselves in at a military barracks within 24 hours. If they did not, he threatened to organize a nationwide search for them.

The UK Government is highly alarmed by this. Since when had a peaceful democracy turned into a violent military dictatorship? We refuse to recognize General Husein Khan Turgut as leader, and we once again request that the General and his 'Government' resign and allow the two rightful leaders to return to power. Refusal to do this will have some...interesting effects on UK-Azerbaijani relations.

***Classified***

The buildup of troops on the Azerbaijani border continued, albeit at a slower rate as to avoid alarming anybody. Although the exact number is classified, it is estimated that there are approximately 120,000 troops on the border. Plans were secretly drawn up regarding a military...operation against Azerbaijan. The name is also classified, but there are rumors that it will be codenamed Operation Aliyev...

Edited by JEDCJT
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BAKU, AZERBAIJAN - 1911 HOURS, DAY 3

Police in Azerbaijan's capital have used tear gas to disperse scores of protesters calling for the release of the president ousted in last week's coup. The demonstration came ahead of the International pressures requesting President Aliyev and Prime Minister Ali Kerimli to be freed and restored to power. The Union of Trasncaucasian Republic has already suspended Azerbaijan's membership over the coup and has warned of further sanctions.

But the army coup leader has dismissed the UTR's demand as unconstructive. General Husein Khan Turgut has appointed a transitional government to stay in power until new elections, to be organised in 2 months time. Today's protest came in defiance of a ban on demonstrations imposed by the country's military rulers. President Ilham Aliyev is being kept under house arrest. A correspondent reported that police used tear gas and bludgeons to disperse the protesters, but no arrests were made.

He says that Ali Kerimli, who became Azerbaijan's first democratically elected Prime Minister in 2008 after the declaration of independence from Nova Roma, was allowed to release a statement from his house, asking the International Community to avoid military actions against the country but rather sanction the Junta with weapons and military goods embargo. He also added the Military Junta would not surrender, but rather sacrifice thousands of innocent lifes and destroy the country's economy. He is still being kept under house arrest in a villa in the capital, Baku, the correspondent says.

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Edited by President Aliyev
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With seemingly no response from the coup plotters in Baku (there was no reference to them as a “Government”, at all), the UK Government has now decided upon a course of action: they would enact sanctions against Azerbaijan. From this time now on, all economic ties with Baku shall be severed, including trades and the like. There would be no trade with Azerbaijan “for as long as the coup remained”, as according to a UK official in Constantinople.

Through a special resolution, passed by Parliament and ratified by the Supreme Court, all Azerbaijani businesses and enterprises were immediately nationalized on a temporary basis. In response to critics, the UK Government has maintained that it was the “only way that they could deal with the situation, short of military action.” There are hopes that the sanctions would put into a series of events that would 'neutralize' the coup and put the rightful leaders back into power.

***Classified***

The buildup steadily ground to a halt; there were as many as 130,000 troops stationed at the border, as well as tens of thousands of border guards. They would be ready at a moment's notice, and yet the Military High Command in Constantinople haven't given the green light yet. They would have to wait and see.

In addition, a secret operation was formulated. Midst discussions between the Prime Minister, Emperor, and UK officials, it was decided that this operation would have to be launched. Codenamed SPLINTER, the operation would involve the infiltration of agents into Azerbaijan to rescue President Aliyev and Prime Minister Ali Kerimli from captivity in Baku...

Edited by JEDCJT
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***Classified***

The buildup steadily ground to a halt; there were as many as 130,000 troops stationed at the border, as well as tens of thousands of border guards. They would be ready at a moment's notice, and yet the Military High Command in Constantinople haven't given the green light yet. They would have to wait and see.

In addition, a secret operation was formulated. Midst discussions between the Prime Minister, Emperor, and UK officials, it was decided that this operation would have to be launched. Codenamed SPLINTER, the operation would involve the infiltration of agents into Azerbaijan to rescue President Aliyev and Prime Minister Ali Kerimli from captivity in Baku...

***Classified***

The agent was making no headway into unravelling the mystery and intrigue that surrounded this whole situation. All he could do now was provide information to any friendly agents who wished to carry out any sort of operation...whether rescue or assassination.

This information was transmitted to the Byzantine government, along with the means of contacting the agent should they wish.

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