Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept.19
Trend:
Puzzling is Washington's reluctance to engage with actual allies and one example is Azerbaijan, the key player in the fragile geopolitical equilibrium in Eurasia, said the article by Jason Katz, the principal of TSG, LLC, consultancy that advises foreign governments, posted on the website of The Hill newspaper.
"This fiercely independent country's choice of partners in the currently fluid situation may determine the future of the region. Squeezed by Iran and Russia, Azerbaijan is the nation Georgia depends upon economically, the main westward energy transit route for energy-rich Central Asia and an imperative political partner to all," Katz wrote.
Seemingly having learned nothing from the debauchery of the "Arab Spring," Washington is too eager to criticize Azerbaijan, according to the author.
"Azerbaijan is scolded more than others much faultier. A good portion of this stems from Armenian activists, who are eager to emphasize Azerbaijan's flaws rather than the spectacular failure of Armenia's statehood."
It is hard to see how Armenia can be characterized as an independent state when it is clear that it has evolved to become a vassal state of the Russia and a close ally of Iran, according to Katz.
Negativity gets ratings, according to the author.
"From personal attacks to constant and bitter criticism, U.S. tax payer-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFERL) is the champion," Katz wrote.
"Journalists pursuing an agenda may be understandable. Why this should transpire at tax payer expense to the detriment of U.S. interests is not understandable."
Katz says RFERL purposefully undermines America's relations with other nations.
"One may argue that an independent media is a pillar of democracy. Of course, and media freedom throughout Eurasia remains a problem. But the paradox is that neither RFERL nor Russia Today are independent."
"Perhaps, we should break the recent habit of tactical superficiality and conveniently myopic vision, which is harming America's prestige and costing lives worldwide, and return to what has made the U.S. the world's only superpower - strategic and responsible global leadership," Katz wrote.