Accusations and Insults Against the Army Before Combat Operations Are a Heavy Blow, Says Abrahamyan

MP Tigran Abrahamyan from the ‘Honorary’ faction of the National Assembly writes on his Facebook page: “Defense Minister Papikyan made a significant statement regarding Prime Minister Pashinyan's references to the 5th column in the armed forces or open traitors. In his concluding remarks about the Ministry of Defense’s performance in the National Assembly, he noted that ‘when we talk about the problems we have in the post-war period, including, unfortunately, treachery, we are defaming and disqualifying the army. I suggest that when expressing evaluations, we should not extend this to the armed forces. If there are such behaviors in the armed forces, we must eradicate them and do so together. But to endure this and say that the entire army is being called traitors, bad things are being said about the army, no one wants to become a soldier, stay away from the army with such viewpoints and mindset. Today, there are many selfless individuals serving in the armed forces.’

Indeed, if cases of state treason are recorded in the army, the stigma should not be spread to all military personnel; however, Papikyan should elaborate on this to his superior, Pashinyan, who, on one hand, speaks of a high probability of escalation, while on the other hand accuses the armed forces of treachery, being part of the 5th column, and failing to solve his problems.

Making such serious accusations and insults against the army before combat operations is undoubtedly a heavy blow to the already wounded defense system. It is clear that Papikyan’s exhortations will not lead to behavioral change in Pashinyan, because he makes these statements purposefully, attributing grave offenses to people when many cases have not even reached the courts, there are no court decisions, not to mention that it is difficult to assess their impact on any combat action in the absence of a comprehensive picture. To effectively address the issues of treachery and the search for the 5th column, the government must begin with its own ranks.”