The News And Times

Pope Francis appeals for peace in Nagorno-Karabakh: ‘Silence the weapons’ posted at 15:05:47 UTC   via   catholicworldreport.com Pope Francis speaks at his general audience on Sept. 20, 2023. / Daniel Ibanez/CNA Vatican City, Sep 20, 2023 / 05:50 am (CNA). One day after Azerbaijan launched a new military operation against Nagorno-Karabakh, Pope Francis made a public appeal for both sides to “silence the weapons.” Speaking to more than 15,000 people in St. Peter’s Square on Sept. 20, the pope said that he was troubled by the news he received Tuesday from Nagorno Karabakh, where “the already critical humanitarian situation is now aggravated by further armed clashes.” “I make my heartfelt appeal to all the parties involved and to the international community to silence the weapons and make every effort to find peaceful solutions for the good of the people and respect for human dignity,” Pope Francis said at the end of his Wednesday general audience. Nagorno-Karabakh is a disputed region in

The Nagorno-Karabakh One day War of September 19, 2023: Impressions and Observations  At this point, Azerbaijan is allied with Russia closer than Armenia is allied with Russia. The outcome of the recent conflict was decided by the big powers: the US and Russia, and this will continue to be the trend. Pashinyan firmly placed the responsibility for NK security on Putin. The US appears to be ready to upgrade its involvement in the region, building on the improvement of relations with Armenia. One of the areas of concern is the peculiar activity of the Azerbaijani Foreign Intelligence Service, very likely involved in the anti-Menendez campaign and other occurrences.  The social media pages (e.g. #Armenia on X) associated with these issues suggest that Azery IS may employ the members of the so called "Internet Research Agency" which was "disbanded", as Prigozhin claimed. The role and place of Wagner Group in Azeri Military Forces is the related issue and question. 

  South Caucasus News

  Azerbaijan launches 'anti-terrorist' operation in Nagorno-Karabakh | DW News   Marcel Rothig made two good points:  1. The Nagorno-Karabakh hostilities started during UN session (to distract from the Ukraine war?), and  2. "There was an agreement probably, between Azerbaijan, Russia, and Turkey to launch the specific operation right now..."  At this point, Russia appears to be allied with Azerbaijan more than with Armenia, although less obviously. And probably, it always was.  M.N. | 4:14 AM 9/20/2023 - Post Link

Azerbaijan launches operation against Armenian forces in Nagorno-Karabakh posted at 17:03:33 UTC   via   edition.cnn.com Azerbaijan’s defense ministry said Tuesday it had begun an “anti-terrorist” campaign in the disputed  Nagorno-Karabakh  region, as Armenian media and local authorities reported heavy bombardment of the regional capital of Stepanakert. Two civilians, including a child, were killed, and 11 people were injured, amid shelling by the Azerbaijan military, according to Gegham Stepanyan, the Ombudsman in Nagorno-Karabakh. Nagorno-Karabakh, an ethnic Armenian enclave that is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, has been the cause of two wars between the neighbors in the past three decades, most recently in 2020. Tensions have been simmering around the region for months, after Azerbaijani troops blockaded the Lachin corridor in December, cutting off the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia and preventing the import of food to its roughly 120,000 inhabi