February 22, 2002 - 22:41 AMT
BAKU FEARS US STARTING ANTITERRORIST OPERATION AGAINST AZERBAIJAN
"Olaylar" Baku information agency expresses uneasiness concerning the spread of rumors that having finished the hostilities in Afghanistan the United States can continue the antiterrorist operation in Azerbaijan. As it is reported "the statement of the US Central Intelligence Agency that Usama bin Laden and other figures of Al-Qaeda made telephone calls to Azerbaijan gave cause for such hearsay." As it is known, in the records of the trial on the organizers of the explosion of the US Embassy in Kenya comprises evidence that only within 1996-1998 the terrorist number one connected to Baku by telephone 60 times and spoke with his local representatives. The inquest showed that the fax with order to blow up the American Embassy in Kenya came exactly from Baku. Moreover, after the inquiry made by the Egypt special services member of a terrorist group suspected of participation in organizing the attacks on Pentagon and WTC was caught in Baku at the end of October. "Olaylar" asked former advisor of Azeri President, political scientist Eldar Namazov to comment the spread hearsay concerning the possibility of holding an antiterrorist operation against Azerbaijan by the United States. The political scientist did not share the fear. In his opinion Washington will take into consideration the fact that Baku authorities "publicly made statements on their struggle against international terrorism and arrested a number of terrorists."