Some times, old news is what we should look at and not ignore. The following news item is from last year.<\/p>\n
http:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/us-mideast-crisis-iraq-shishani-idUSKCN0ZU1CG<\/a><\/p>\n The Islamic State\u2019s best recruiter was a red-bearded Chechen who, some time back, fought against the Russian Army during those disruptions in the Central Asian states. Now he\u2019s dead, killed a while back per US MI, and the ISers are looking for a replacement who speaks Russian. Last July (2016) Abu Omar al-Shishani (Abu the Chechen), a close military adviser to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was killed in combat in the Iraqi district of Shirqat, south of Mosul, Amaq, as reported by a news agency that supports IS in July 2016. He was considered to be the ISers best recruiter because he spoke Russian.<\/p>\n Last Spring (2016), there was a war going on in Azerbaijan between some Armenians and local native Azers.\u00a0 How many times has Azerbaijan popped up in the news? And how many times has anyone sent military forces in there? It appears to still be underway, as a local serviceman, Fuad Gafarov, was KIA by shelling from Armenian forces on Feb. 11. However, Russia is attempting to intercede by providing a diplomat to work on conciliation between the two countries of the South Caucusus. \u00a0http:\/\/news.az\/articles\/karabakh\/118796<\/a><\/p>\n Azerbaijan is a beautiful country. The mountains of the area\u00a0are just stunning. \u00a0Hikers, photographers and birders would groove on the landscape. The Azers want stability and prosperity, not disruption and destruction.You can’t market your exotic products if shipments can’t get out. You can’t attract tourists to your local beauty spots or cuisine if they’re worried about getting shot at, can you? I did not know that Azerbaijan was famous for its cuisine, but apparently, the kabab and the sherbet and baklava should definitely be on your agenda. \u00a0The Azerbaijan government does want to expand its ties with the U.S.<\/p>\n If you look at the Google maps of the South Caucusus, the whole area is not just awash in oil and other nice things; it\u2019s also next door neighbors to\u00a0Iran. \u00a0Bound on one side by the Caspian Sea and on the other by Armenia and Georgia, Azerbaijan is kind of stuck in the middle of a squabble it didn’t start.<\/p>\n Why does this matter? Because Russia wants a stable Central Asia and South Caucusus, too. Without stability in the region, the entire area of Central Asian states will go up in smoke again, and Putin will have to deal with more than just a few disgruntled Chechens.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"