The Uncertain Situation Around the Army Will Create New Threats for the Armed Forces: Abrahamyan

One should not constantly search for political calculations in the actions of the General Staff; it is nonexistent, and you won't find it. This was stated by Tigran Abrahamyan, the head of the "Henaket" analytical center, in a post on his Facebook page.

“Just as the General Staff publicly expressed its position without political consultations with political forces, it has now moved in a known direction without consultations with key political actors. Onik Gasparyan is one of the least political figures I know, with whom discussions about any process concerning the Armed Forces can be long—ranging from combat duty to new modeling of the army, and so on; yet he is a ‘boring’ interlocutor in political processes. I am convinced that he does not even fully understand why his actions from yesterday led to such a public reaction, but I repeat: like the overwhelming majority of military personnel I know, Onik Gasparyan does not grasp public sentiments or the informational or political processes; I am not even talking about behavioral changes regarding those factors.

However, alongside all this, one thing must be noted as a fact. Regardless of the staged scenario by Pashinyan, participating independently, as I mean the meeting at the General Staff yesterday, the opinions of the military have not changed and will not change. Because this was not a position taken at the moment due to political weather, but a deep-rooted belief formed over the last 2-3 years.

I know I am saying something that is highly unpopular, but do not judge the military too harshly. Regardless of everything, they are non-political figures. Even highly experienced political and state figures face dangerous pitfalls and slip-ups—something we have witnessed many times over the last 2-3 decades; how can we expect people who have lived in trenches, on military roads, and in formations not to make mistakes in political processes?

In any case, the military and personally Onik Gasparyan must realize that their actions remain unperceived, perhaps unfinished, and the biggest issue is that this uncertain situation surrounding the army will create new threats for an already ‘heavily wounded’ army,” he wrote.