In Nagorno-Karabakh, Another Manageable Crisis

Diplomatic negotiations aimed at settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict continue at a feverish pace but without much hope for progress. At a highly touted May 16 meeting in Vienna, Austria, the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan reaffirmed their countries' commitment to observing a cease-fire in the disputed region and reaching a peaceful settlement. On May 17 and May 18, however, reports of fresh cease-fire violations and casualties on both sides continued to roll in. The disconnect between operations in Nagorno-Karabakh and what was said at the meeting -- the first since April's major escalation in hostilities -- reveals the constraints preventing a lasting resolution to the conflict....