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### Viewing cable 09BAKU20, azerbaijan's discreet symbiosis with israel

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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
09BAKU20 | 2009-01-13 12:12 | 2011-02-12 21:09 | SECRET//NOFORN | Embassy Baku
Appears in these articles: www.spiegel.de

`

    VZCZCXRO5638
    PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDIR RUEHKUK
    DE RUEHKB #0020/01 0131243
    ZNY SSSSS ZZH
    P 131243Z JAN 09
    FM AMEMBASSY BAKU
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0592
    INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
    RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
    RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV PRIORITY 0059
    RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
    RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 0864
    RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
    RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 1238
    RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
    RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0329
    RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY

` `

    S e c r e t section 01 of 02 baku 000020

    Noforn
    sipdis

    Dept for eur/carc

    E.o. 12958: decl: 01/13/2029
    Tags: pgov, prl, pter, aj, is, ir
    Subject: azerbaijan's discreet symbiosis with israel

    Ref: a. Iir 6 941 0165 09//usdao baku//061207zjan09
    (notal)
    b. 08 baku 1119
    c. Baku 17

    Classified By: POL/ECON COUNSELOR ROB GARVERICK, REASONS 1.4 B AND D

    1.(C) Summary. Azerbaijan,s relations with Israel are
    discreet but close. Each country finds it easy to identify
    with the other,s geopolitical difficulties and both rank
    Iran as an existential security threat. Israel,s
    world-class defense industry with its relaxed attitude about
    its customer base is a perfect match for Azerbaijan,s
    substantial defense needs that are largely left unmet by the
    United States, Europe and Russia for various reasons tied to
    Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. Aptly described by Azerbaijani
    President Aliyev as being &like an iceberg, nine-tenths of
    it is below the surface,8 this relationship is also marked
    by a pragmatic recognition by Israel of Azerbaijan,s
    political need to hew publicly and in international forums to
    the OIC,s general line. End Summary.

    ¶2. (U) This cable is based on Embassy interactions with
    Israeli colleagues in Baku and with Azerbaijani MFA officials
    whom we have demarched on Israeli issues.

    Common Threat, Quiet Cooperation
    --------------------------------

    ¶3. (C) Much like Israel, Azerbaijan perceives Iran as a
    major, even existential security threat, and the two
    countries, cooperation flows from this shared recognition.
    xxxxxxxxxxxx
    often conveys his country,s empathy by remarking with dark
    humor that if he &had the chance to exchange
    neighborhoods, with Azerbaijan, I wouldn,t do it.8 Even
    open sources have identified an extensive relationship
    between the countries, intelligence services that even
    predated the presidency of Heydar Aliyev and it only stands
    to reason that this remains a major area of cooperation which
    both sides naturally seek to downplay.

    ¶4. (C) The Azerbaijani authorities assiduously protect
    Israeli interests in Baku. For example,xxxxxxxxxxxx
     told Emboff that the GOAJ had noticeably improved
    local security at the Israeli Embassy when the most recent
    operations began in Gaza. When authorities got word of a
    planned demonstration on January 2, they dispatched buses to
    the place where the protesters were preparing to set off for
    the Embassy and arrested them on the spot. Police detained
    25 of the 150 demonstrators rounded up, and 20 of them were
    sentenced to 10 or 15 days, detention. In sharp contrast,
    the GOAJ allows demonstrators to picket the Iranian Embassy,
    so long as the subject of the protest is the treatment of
    Azeris in Iran. In connection with the December 2
    demonstration, the Israeli Embassy told us that they &never
    even saw8 the demonstrators and made no requests before or
    after that anyone be held in custody.

    Symbiosis on Weapons
    --------------------

    ¶5. (C) Through its close relations with Israel, Azerbaijan
    gets a level of access to the quality weapon systems it needs
    to develop its army that it can not obtain from the U.S. and
    Europe due to various legal limitations, nor from its
    ex-Soviet suppliers, Belarus and Ukraine. Where other
    Wastern nations are reluctant to sell ground combat systems
    to the Azerbaijanis for fear of encouraging Azerbaijan to
    resort to war to regain NK and the occupied territories,
    Israel is free to make substantial arms sales and benefits
    greatly from deals with its well-heeled client. In September
    2008 ) again in a little-publicized affair ) the GOAJ
    signed an extensive agreement with the Israeli Defense
    Ministry providing for three Israeli companies to provide
    mortars, ammunition, rocket artillery and radio equipment.
    The company &Soltam8 got the contract to provide mortars
    and ammunition, &Tadiran Communications8 will provide radio
    gear, and Israeli Military Industries will provide the
    rockets. IMI sells a range of rocket artillery and

    Baku 00000020 002 of 002

    accessories ranging from upgrade kits for Soviet vintage
    BM-21 &Grad8 122mm systems, guidance packages for
    122mm-300mm rockets and launch vehicles for up to 300mm
    rockets. It was not clear what exactly the Azerbaijanis
    bought, as the deal was simply described as being worth
    &hundreds of millions of dollars.8 Azerbaijan already
    operates IMI,s 122mm &Lynx8 multiple-launch rocket system,
    which it mounts on a KAMAZ 63502 heavy truck.

    ¶6. (S/NF) Recent USDAO reporting also indicates that the GOAJ
    through its Ministry of Defense Industries has created a
    joint venture with an Israeli entity to produce unmanned
    aerial vehicles (UAVs). This venture will have 51 per cent
    GOAJ ownership and is distinct from the arrangements reported
    in para. 5 above.

    The &Iceberg8 - Political Pragmatism
    ------------------------------------

    7.(C) Israeli contacts tell us that President Aliyev aptly
    described the bilateral relationship as &an iceberg;
    nine-tenths of it is below the surface8 during the May 2008
    visit of Agriculture Minister Shalom Simhon. The sentiment
    is accurate because Baku balances its cordial relations with
    the Jewish state with its perceived responsibilities in to
    the OIC. Therefore Azerbaijan does not maintain an embassy
    in Israel, it dutifully (although weakly) criticizes Israeli
    military operations in the Palestinian territories and
    Lebanon, and in international organizations supports the OIC
    line and avoids any chance of angering Iran. When Emboff
    delivered demarches on the UNGA Israel resolutions recently
    (Reftel A), our MFA contact explained that Azerbaijan would
    follow the OIC line and that there was &an understanding8
    with Israel about Azerbaijan,s voting behavior. Our Israeli
    contacts do not use the same word but acknowledge that they
    do not attempt to pressure Azerbaijan on these questions.
    The relationship also affects U.S. policy insofar as
    Azerbaijan tries, often successfully, to convince the U.S.
    pro-Israel lobby to advocate on its behalf.

    ¶7. (C) The relationship does have its limits; it does not
    translate into any preferential treatment for Israeli
    investors or capital in Azerbaijan (Note: this hardly sets
    Israel apart among countries whose citizens invest here. End
    note.) With some humor, xxxxxxxxxxxx told us that Israeli
    businessmen expressed xxxxxxxxxxxx that they prefer corruption in
    Kazakhstan to that of Azerbaijan because in Kazakhstan one
    can expect to pay exorbitant &fees8 to do business but
    those are generally collected at once, up front, whereas in
    Azerbaijan the demands for bribes never cease.

    Comment
    -------

    ¶8. (C) Israel,s relations with Azerbaijan are based strongly
    on pragmatism and a keen appreciation of priorities.
    Israel,s main goal is to preserve Azerbaijan as an ally
    against Iran, a platform for reconnaissance of that country
    and as a market for military hardware. In order to ensure
    those goals, the Israelis have keenly attuned themselves to
    the GOAJ,s needs as an OIC member and a state ) like Israel
    ) wedged between large, powerful and unfriendly neighbors.
    They forgo the option of pressuring the GOAJ on secondary
    issues to secure the primary ones. It is apparent to us that
    for now both sides are well satisfied with the bilateral
    state of affairs.
    Lu

`