Each armed conflict implies not only diplomatic and military actions but also
media activities. Media war is fought both against the enemy’s army and society and it is also
called to support one’s own country's actions in the international field. In
many conflicts, the media war has played a successful role. For example during
the Bosnia war, the use of Washington-based "Ruder-Finn Global Public Affairs"
PR-organization by Muslims and Croatians, seriously deteriorated positions of
Serbs on international arena. The Karabakh conflict is not an exception.

Although, nowadays military actions are not held in the conflict zone, the media
war around the Karabakh conflict becomes wider and wider. Armenia, Nagorno
Karabakh and Azerbaijan put all possible efforts to draw military actions in the
field of the media. Moreover, the third countries, more or less involved in the
conflict are also active in the media field.

Disinformation

The Azerbaijani side is particularly active in spreading disinformation.
Internet is the most actual mean of spreading disinformation. The information on
the web has some advantages.

Firstly, comparing printed media and scientific publications, the Internet
requires fewer expenses. In fact, the existence of one man and Internet
connection enables a person to spread information mostly through the help of
Internet-forums, chats, blogs and so on.

The second is that Internet enables one to create anonymous media materials or
enact within “some other flag.” Such cases require both sides having numerous
resources, while in the case of corresponding readiness it can make a good
reflection. Yet the incompleteness of that cannot be productive.

The Armenian side fairly uses the mean of disinformation and does not pay
specific attention to this method. Most recently, the main function of official
Yerevan and Stepanakert is the denial of Azerbaijani massages. In Azerbaijan,
while they actively use disinformation spreading it through Internet resources
and mass media. In this aspect the Armenian side basically plays the role of a
passive spectator. In addition to this, as experience shows, both Armenian and
Azerbaijani press easily get into the rival’s cobweb of disinformation. Thus,
the lessons picked up in this direction are equal to nothing.

Media Roar

The information spreading aimed at “the land issue” and public opinion is no
more being used by Armenian or Azerbaijani side but rather by moderator states
that have their far going profits in the Karabakh conflict region. During the
whole negotiating process, the third parties have always used steps that “are
concerning” the situation and other steps to pay public attention away.

During the most recent period, as a basic source for media roar the
“International Crisis Group” report was used. This group, after publishing its
report “Nagorno Karabakh – Peace Plan,” has actively become involved in the
field of mass media. Its active propaganda of the above-mentioned plan has left
no space for other media components concerning the Karabakh conflict in mass
media. At the same time OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs have become more active. On
top of that, the Crisis Group was blackmailing with the war disaster in near
future in case of the peace plan’s refusal.

It is notable that the Armenian side easily fell into the web of those traps.
Against the fact that the representatives of the Crisis Group obviously had some
bad intentions, Armenian mass media continued reprinting all the material.
Moreover, things came to a point that they were reprinting materials claimed by
Azerbaijani sources. Those sources prepared the information in advance to
benefit the Baku foreign policy vector.

Cyber-Karabakh War

The Web area is being actively used by political forces. During the past few
years, it has become an arena for the conflicting sides to continue their
rivalry actions. Hacker jobs against particular countries have already been
registered in 1999. Before Taiwan presidential elections analogous strikes were
held between Taiwanese and Chinese hackers directed against the state web sites.
In the same year during military actions Yugoslavian hackers made attempts and
as a result they “broke” NATO’s official web-site.

The first biggest case in the history of cyber wars between two countries
sponsored by official state structures is the clash of Armenian and Azeri
hackers. On January 2000 Azerbaijani Green Revenge and Hijack Team of total
amount of 187 hacker groups managed to take control over 25 domains of Armenia’s
largest Internet providers, mass media and other portals donated to the Armenian
Genocide. In response, in the month of February, the Armenian group Liazor
fulfilled a corresponding action. During this action the group took control over
Azerbaijan’s almost the whole web area. In addition to this on one of the
prestigious publications’ web site, according to official sources, there was
disinformation about Azerbaijan’s readiness for concessions. The disinformation
was repeated by Armenian media company “Snark,” after what it spread around the
whole world. This action reflected even the exchange value of Azerbaijani
currency- “manta”. Also Armenians took control over the sites of embassies and
representations of international organizations in Azerbaijan. As a result, the
Ministry of National Security of Azerbaijan had to make a statement that
Azerbaijani hackers were brought under control. Afterwards, the Armenian side
stopped “the military actions.” Baku accepted its defeat and put an end to the
war in 2000.

Though the 2000 cyber war was stopped at the official level, it was continued by
informal groups. In 2005 was remarkable in regards to the activeness. In the
spring, Armenian and Azeri hackers exchanged with analogous attacks. The first
were Azeri groups to damage several Armenian forums. Later, military actions
were held in wider range. Tens of web sites were destroyed from both sides. In
essence, the rarely used sites and not so highly professional managing
Internet-forums were the victims of those attacks. It is noteworthy to say that
Baku hurried to get rid of the conflict. It closed the entrance before hackers
to the one of the most favorite state sponsored Azerbaijani forums, where the
Azeri cyber soldiers kept advertising their victories over Armenian Internet
resources.

It is notable that at this time attacks against some big Armenian web resources
were held from the Turkish side. After a not so long tranquility, mass DDoS
attacks were held against almost all Armenian Internet-forums. In addition to
this, comparing to previous cases, at this time Azeri hackers did not take
responsibility for the action. One of the Azerbaijani forums flew out a version
to the events. As long as the attack was held during the pre-election period, it
was supposed that the action was planned and realized by Azerbaijan’s national
security structures. The attack followed one aim – to provoke Armenian’s counter
attack and destroy Azerbaijani opposition web-resources on the Internet.
However, as long as the author of the attack was not detected, the Armenian side
did not respond to what happened. It put its efforts only to strengthen
security.

The beginning of 2006 became significant with yet another phase of cyber war.
During this war Azeris temporarily managed to destroy some big resources. Taking
into account the high level of readiness, the attack did not bring significant
damages – temporary breakdown of some operations. Continuous DDoS attacks are
being held against a particular site. Today most of Azeri hackers are located on
the site’s forum where they fight a war against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.

Transfer of military actions onto the Internet is normality. Nowadays this is
the only field of battle for both the Armenian and Azerbaijani side.
Simultaneously, both sides are dislocating more and more forces within the
cyber-battle field, as long as this place is where it is possible the fate of
Karabakh conflict can be solved.

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