Thomas de Waal

The British expert – Tom de Vaal, the author of the sensational book "Black Garden" devoted to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict recognized that the numerous victims at a capture of the settlement of Khojaly became a result of "spontaneous", but not of "deliberate" actions "approved by the directorship” of Armenia". In particular, the video testifying to it is laid out on Youtube video hosting.

Answering to the question of the journalist, whether he considers operation on Khojaly's capture as a deliberate action directed on intimidation of the Azerbaijani party, the British expert issued absolutely unexpected answer which is actually disavowing its assessment stated in the book and similar comments of the Azerbaijani experts and politicians. "I don't think that it was purposely. I think that in any war events occur very quickly and spontaneously. But, after all, it is interesting how it was interpreted. Of course, it is necessary to look once again at the text, but I don't consider that it was the deliberate action approved from headship, I think that it was war, it was very chaotic situation," he declared in particular.

Meanwhile, in the book "Black Garden" de Vaal writes: "It isn't excluded that this massacre was, let at least partly, a deliberate act of intimidation".

By the way, in the book the citation of the current president of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan is included, who at that time was among the military leaders leading the Armenian army. The latter actually confirms the thesis about chaos and the uncontrolled submission of the certain armed groups which are taking part in military operations. "The weapons and war first of all attracted guys with criminal tendency. It was inadmissible," Sargsyan notes.

Regarding the events in Khojaly, president Sargsyan, as it is approved in the book by Vaal, speaks analyzing the event post factum: "A lot of things were exaggerated and the escaping Azerbaijanis showed armed resistance. But I think the thing is in another matter. Before the Khojaly events the Azerbaijanis didn’t treat us seriously and they thought that Armenians aren't capable to raise a hand against the civilian population. We managed to break this [stereotype]. And here it occurred. Also it is necessary to note that among those boys there were people who had run from Baku and Sumgait".

In the same work Tom De Vaal writes: “There are different estimates of number of the killed Azerbaijanis in Khojaly or in its vicinities. Perhaps, the most plausible figure was that which was received during the official investigation undertaken by the Azerbaijani parliament. According to these data, the death toll was 485 people…” He notes that the ex-president of Azerbaijan Ayaz Mutalibov, in attempt to diminish his role in the failure of protection of the city, puts all the blame for a slaughter in Khojaly on the headship of the National Front of (Azerbaijan). Mutalibov in various interviews has also noted that Armenians, nevertheless, have left a corridor for the withdrawal of the peaceful civilians from Khojaly.

Meanwhile, on the site xocali.net recently was released an interview of Ramiz Fataliyev, the chairman of the commission of Majlis investigating the events of Khojaly, given to the radio "Azadlyg". He, in particular, says: "There were 4 days left to the events in Khojaly. On February 22 in the presence of the president, the prime minister, the chairman of CSS (Committee for State Security) and others National Security council meeting took place. Till today nobody knows where the mistake was and who made it. During the meeting was made a decision not to bring the people out of Khojaly."

Source: REGNUM

Related:

Ramiz Fataliev's interview

Azerbaijani's Evidence

Ayaz Mutalibov was expatriated for truth about Khojaly .

"By order of the authorities we had to inform that Khojaly is not captured by Armenians"

That is not Khojaly

Karabakh knot fell into the hands of the surgeon

Khojaly: The chronicle of unseen forgery and falsification