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The Art of Turning Neighbors into Enemies

(Asharq Al-Awsat-UK) Amir Taheri - The Art of Turning Neighbors into Enemies By all accounts Azerbaijan should be Iran's closest ally. The republic on the Caspian Sea is home to nine million people with strong ethnic, historic, and religious ties to the Iranian people. In Iran, 12 million people in five provinces speak a version of Azeri. The areas that form Azerbaijan were part of the Iranian heartland for more than 25 centuries. Iran lost them in two disastrous wars with Tsarist Russia in 1824 and 1830. With Shi'ite Muslims representing 85% of the population, Azerbaijan also shares strong religious ties with Iran. Last week, Iran recalled its ambassador from Baku, the capital, and closed border passages after Azerbaijan arrested 41 people on charges of espionage for Iran. In addition, Tehran's anger rose when Baku hosted a conference on "The Future of Southern Azerbaijan," a gathering of militants, mostly U.S. citizens of Iranian origin, who regard all the peoples who speak versions of the Azeri language as Turks. Tehran sees the move as a plot hatched by the U.S., Israel, and Turkey against Iran. On Wednesday the daily Kayhan, reflecting the views of Supreme Guide Ali Khamenei, called for the "return" of Azerbaijan to Iran. Tehran's mishandling of relations with Azerbaijan is a classic example of how ideological blindness could turn a nation's potentially closest neighbor into an enemy.
2013-04-10 00:00:00
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