Azerbaijan: U.S. Forces Already on the Ground

Despite claims to the contrary, a few U.S. forces are already in Azerbaijan, completing preparation work for the arrival of major U.S. forces, aircraft and troops later this year. STRATFOR has learned which forces will be deployed and where they likely will be stationed according to the agreement between Washington and Baku. The only unresolved issue is the start date for these deployments — a matter still open because first, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev wants Washington's guarantee that he will not be overthrown in a pro-U.S. "revolution." Aliyev knows the presence of some U.S. forces in Georgia did not save its then-President Eduard Shevardnadze from being ousted.