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Azerbaijan Aliyev's National Security Reform
In November 1993, Aliyev created the Defense Council to
provide him direct oversight of military affairs and to curtail
the loss of considerable Azerbaijani territory outside NagornoKarabakh . The new council, which reports to the president, also
strengthened Aliyev's control over military and security affairs,
which previously had been directed by Prime Minister Huseynov. At
its first meeting, the Defense Council replaced the deputy
defense ministers in charge of the Border Guards and the general
staff, and the council criticized the Council of Ministers for
neglecting urgent defense matters. At the end of 1993, Aliyev
continued his criticism of widespread draft evasion, appealing
particularly to the 10,000 Afghan war veterans in Azerbaijan to
reenlist. Penalties for draft evasion and desertion were
tightened. At the same time, Aliyev ordered most officers with
desk assignments to be deployed to the front lines.
In 1993 Aliyev attempted to establish better relations with
Russian military and political officials by rejoining the CIS and
signing CIS agreements on multilateral peacekeeping and mutual
security policy. He answered nationalist critics by citing the
hope that Russia might coax or coerce Armenia and the NagornoKarabakh Armenians into reaching a suitable settlement of the
conflict. Some APF members and others denounced these moves as
jeopardizing Azerbaijani sovereignty more seriously than did the
existing conflict.
In November 1993, the Melli-Majlis approved the Law on
Defense, ratifying Aliyev's proposed reforms. Paramilitary forces
were officially disbanded, and strenuous efforts were undertaken
to increase the size of the military. In early 1994, these
measures appeared to help Azerbaijani forces to regain some
territory that had been lost in late 1993. These successes were
attributed to several factors: Aliyev's success in wooing
veterans, including officers, back into military service;
increased enlistments and a lower desertion rate; improved
morale; a streamlined command system with Aliyev at its head; and
training assistance and volunteers from abroad.
Data as of March 1994
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