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On September 27, Azerbaijan attacked Armenia over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. Reporter Terry Phillips helps us understand the conflict.Phillips is a former radio correspondent of CBS and NBC, and has traveled the region. With his Greek-Armenian heritage, he has deep knowledge of the animosity between the two former Soviet republics.
Phillips offers an overview of the conflict, which in many ways is a continuation of the fighting that killed 30,000 after the Soviet breakup. While there are many cultural and religious differences between Armenians and Azeris, he says this is primarily a turf war over the disputed enclave, Nagorno-Karabakh.
We discuss the interests of neighbors, including Turkey, Syria, Iran and Iraq, along with Russia’s interest in the Caspian oil and gas output. We talk about the military advantage of Azerbaijan, which has bulked up its arsenals with drones and other modern weapons bought from Turkey and Israel, while Armenia relies on Russia and has been outspent by a 4-1 margin.
Near the end of the interview, we talk about Phillips’ latest project, modern radio plays from the artistic collective, Imagine Art Theater. Find out more, and listen to the first two episodes, here.