Azadliq, Baku in Azeri
11 Mar 04, p 1
Armenian raid causes reshuffle of Azeri top brass - paper
Text of an unattributed report by Azerbaijani newspaper Azadliq on 11 March headlined "The generals failed to defend" and subheaded "Was it possible to prevent the Armenian raid on the village of Alxanli? Two generals of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces have been sacked"
There have been no official reports as to why two high-ranking officials of the Defence Ministry have been dismissed, but Azadliq newspaper has managed to obtain some information on that.
It was reported yesterday [10 March] that [Azerbaijani President] Ilham Aliyev relieved of their posts National Hero Lt-Gen Talib Mammadov, the chief of a key department at the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry, and Maj-Gen Qabil Mammadov, the commander of a unit of the armed forces. We found out that Talib Mammadov was the head of the counterintelligence unit, and Qabil Mammadov was in charge of the army corps.
We learnt from reliable sources that these people were accused of being irresponsible and dismissed in the wake of the Armenian raid on Fuzuli District [part of which is controlled by the Armenian forces]. Azadliq was the only paper to carry a report about that raid quoting reliable sources. The report said that the Azerbaijani armed forces sustained losses during the raid and the Defence Ministry dispatched additional forces to the place. We learnt yesterday that the Armenians raided Alxanli village in Fuzuli District. We contacted villagers who confirmed the report.
The source said that Talib Mammadov was dismissed over his failure to report the attack in time, and Qabil Mammadov for taking inadequate measures to defend the place.
