Azerbaijan: An ally of the free world in the broader Middle East

OPINION:

As one war in the Middle East rages on between Israel and Iran’s proxy Hamas, another war in the broader Middle East was recently concluded with lessons for the free world, especially the United States.

In September, President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan was able to wrest back full control over territories that Armenia, with support from Russia and Iran, had forcibly occupied since 1990. It was a unique military campaign that defense departments across the world will study for years to come.

Like General Dwight Eisenhower, who never saw battle but was a master military strategist and planner, Ilham Aliyev has been planning his country’s rightful liberation of 20% of Azerbaijan’s territory for quite some time.

The most fundamental strategy of Mr. Aliyev’s war doctrine was the use of sophisticated drone technology to target Armenian military assets with pinpoint accuracy and minimal civilian casualties. Over the past six years, Azerbaijan has purchased over $5 billion in military technology from Israel. The deep ties between the Jewish state and Muslim Azerbaijan allowed Mr. Aliyev to execute his war of liberation with lightning speed and utmost regard for civilian lives on both sides. 
 
Winning a war with minimal civilian casualties is just one value Azerbaijan shares with the people of the free world.

Mr. Aliyev understands there is “a day after” to think about when one wins a war. Mr. Aliyev has created a situation not dissimilar to post-WWII when arch-enemies established normal economic and diplomatic ties over time. Today, Mr. Aliyev has created the conditions for a permanent peace between his nation and Armenia, who until recently, was serving as the aircraft carrier of Russia in the broader Middle East.

Luckily for Armenia, its progressive Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan understands that the only way his nation can prosper is to integrate its economy with the free world by signing a permanent peace agreement with Azerbaijan. In short, Mr. Aliyev has created the conditions for permanent peace and, thus, deserves the full support of the United States. 
 
Washington and the free world should embrace Azerbaijan for another shared value: Respect for the fundamental human right of religious freedom. This right is woven into the fabric of this Muslim nation of 10 million the size of South Carolina. For example, Azerbaijan is home to one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world. In fact, the leader of Azerbaijan’s Jewish community has made it very clear that “If any Jew wants to live in peace, they should come to Azerbaijan.”  Not surprisingly, one of the largest synagogues outside Israel is in Baku, and Azerbaijan has established full diplomatic relations with Israel.

This respect for and support of its religious minorities extends to Azerbaijan’s small but highly educated Bahai community. While the ayatollahs in Iran continue to harass, persecute, and kill Bahais, Mr. Aliyev has made it very clear that not only Bahais but Jews, Christians, and other religious minorities are all citizens of Azerbaijan and are free to practice their faith without any harassment. Indeed, Azerbaijan and its democratic-minded President can be a model for the rest of the Muslim world and, as such, should be embraced by the free world.  

A third value that Azerbaijan shares with the U.S. and the rest of the free world is Mr. Aliyev’s firm determination and commitment not to weaponize his critical energy exports. Mr. Aliyev is committed to the uninterrupted transportation of oil and gas from the energy-rich Caspian Basin to markets across the world.

In fact, as a result of Vladimir Putin’s weaponizing Russia’s energy exports with the invasion of Ukraine, the role of Azerbaijan is now even more important as a corridor for energy exports to Europe. Not surprisingly, the late American statesman Zbigniew Brzezinski labeled Azerbaijan as the “cork in the bottle of Caspian Sea energy.”  Azerbaijan is now one of the most reliable long-term energy partners of the free world. 
 
What should the United States policy be towards Azerbaijan?

First, President Biden must immediately invite Mr. Aliyev and Aremenia’s Prime Minister to the White House to sign a permanent peace agreement as a show of support to an ally of the free world. Secondly, Mr. Biden must urge the U.S. Congress to lift Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, an unjust piece of legislation against Azerbaijan that hinders a deeper alliance with a major country for global stability within the broader Middle East.

In an increasingly dangerous world where terrorist groups such as Hamas and dictators like Vladimir Putin wreak havoc on the global order, the free world is lucky to have a responsible ally in Azerbaijan.

• S. Rob Sobhani, Ph.D. is an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University