Azeri president's young children acquire huge Dubai properties
March 9, 2010 – 10:00am EST
Dubai, the tiny shaikhdom on the western shores of the Persian Gulf, has crafted an image for itself as a huge shopping mall. Upon landing at Dubai's sprawling new airport, visitors are immediately confronted by this spectacle. Dubai also holds an annual fest where people from all over the world come to buy goods. Dubai has been aptly named, "Do Buy".
Some people have taken this literally to heart. Take the case of Heydar Aliyev, the 12-year-old son of President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan. According to Dubai Land Department, 12-year-old Heydar Aliyev is the proud owner of nine waterfront mansions, worth a cool $44 million, according to the Washington Post (March 5).
The Post had some other interesting revelations. "His name, according to Dubai Land Department records, is Heydar Aliyev, which just happens to be the same name as that of the son of Azerbaijan's president, Ilham Aliyev. The owner's date of birth, listed in property records, is also the same as that of the president's son."
President Ilham Aliyev's annual salary is about $228,000, far short of what is needed to buy even the smallest Palm property in expensive Dubai. Heydar Aliyev, the 12-year-old schoolboy, is not alone in this shopping spree. "Dubai's Land Department also has files in the names of Leyla and Arzu Aliyeva. President Aliyev has two daughters with the same names and roughly the same ages,” according the the Post.
Interestingly, such revelations have not come as a shock to the people of Azerbaijan. Corruption is so pervasive that people have come to accept it as a routine part of life. What is surprising is how the so called “opposition” parties have attempted to safeguard Ilham Aliyev and spin the story. Yeni Musavat, newspaper of the main “opposition” party, printed the story with its own twist.
Yeni Musavat claimed that Washington Post was "ordered" to publish these accusations against Ilham Aliyev because he had not been so cooperative with the US. This claim is obviously useful to Ilham Aliyev, but it cannot pass a reality check.
Ever since Ilham Aliyev usurped power in 2003 and falsified election results, the US has accepted him as the legitimate president. Even when Ilham Aliyev falsified the referendum results in March 2009 and opened the way for himself to rule Azerbaijan for life, the US immediately accepted the results of the “referendum.”
Aliyev also supports the US occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq. Azerbaijan has sent troops to Iraq to legitimize the so called “coalition of the willing” and provide an “international” backing to the US colonization of Iraq.
The embarrassing facts leaked to Washington Post could be a PR ploy by Dubai. Over the last year or so, Dubai has faced much negative publicity tarnishing its image as an island of political stability and investment haven. If the president of a country, or his children, invest $44 million in the Dubai property market, it is a big boost for Dubai. This sends a message that Dubai’s investment climate is sound and even presidents are willing to invest there.
Regrettably, Aliyev’s misuse of public funds has not been given the kind of publicity by the Islamic media as it deserves. Instead of using such revelations to demand greater freedom and justice for the people of Azerbaijan, Islamic media outlets have bought into the explanation given by the secular “opposition.”
END
Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites
