Azerbaijan has been Out of the News And it's Going to Stay There

The Azerbaijani government, and U.S. and British embassies in Azerbaijan, aren't major news items today. That's because Azerbaijan's National Security Ministry raided a radical Islamic group.

The National Security Ministry says one suspect was killed, several others were caught in a village outside Baku, and that some got away: temporarily. The fanatic Muslims included an army lieutenant, who stole 20 hand grenades, a machine gun, four assault rifles and ammunition for the attack. Adding insult to injury, the lieutenant stole the weapons from his own unit.

That raid "prevented a large-scale, horrifying terror attack that was being prepared by members of this group against several state structures in Baku and embassies and missions of the countries which are members of the international anti-terror coalition," according to the Azerbaijani ministry.

The U.S. Embassy told American citizens to keep their heads down. Not in those exact words, of course. the embassy said that, because of a security threat, its consular office was closed indefinitely, and that Americans should "maintain a high level of vigilance."

The British Embassy is in the Landmark building in Baku. The embassy, and several other offices in the building, were closed today. The Landmark receptionist there said that Norway's StatoilHydro ASA and BP Azerbaijan, were also taking the day off.

My biases and beliefs being what they are, I'm generally impressed with people in the rear guard: the Horatios of this world, last to abandon a position.

That's why my hat's of to the Landmark building's receptionist. Terrorists may keep tenants away, but not that receptionist.