http://www.sott.net/…
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HN/RA
Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:41 EDT

Azerbaijan and Israel enjoy broad cooperation aimed at averting the threat posed by Iran, an institute at the Washington University claims.

“The Israeli intelligence service, Mossad does whatever within its power to protect Azerbaijan from the threats posed by (the Islamic Republic of) Iran,” Azeri daily Yeni Musavat quoted the political analyst at the University of Washington’s institute for Middle East Studies, Alexander Morinson as saying.

He pointed out to what he called “extensive covert and overt preemptive cooperation in security, intelligence and military areas between Azerbaijan and the Israeli intelligence services, Mossad against the Iranian influence” in the ex-Soviet republic.

Morinson also referred to installation of “highly-advanced satellite espionage equipment on the Azeri soil, wiretapping centers in frontier areas, eavesdropping centers in the Caspian Sea and continuous training of Azeri intelligence and security agents in Israel” as instances of the collaboration.

As part of an agreement between the two sides, Mossad had also assumed responsibility for the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s safety during his overseas visits, he added.

The analyst noted that, despite the extensive proportions of the cooperation, only a fraction of Mossad’s intelligence against Iran fell in the hands of Azeri officials.

The daily concluded that “Azerbaijan does not disclose its entrenched security, intelligence and military relations with Israel for fear of endangering the spirit of apparent amity around its ties with Iran. It, however, remains undeniably true that the republic has entrusted its security with Mossad in order to stay safe from the Iranian influence and the threat posed by the Islamic Republic”.

A number of earlier reports had also been indicatory of the clandestine cooperation. Yeni Musavat’s publication of the report in the run-up Azerbaijan’s presidential elections also remains debatable.