Could the fastest way to Washington's heart lead through its stomach? After a recent cool-down in US-Azerbaijani ties, US Chargé d’Affaires in Azerbaijan Donald Lu announced on May 14 that the US plans to buy food supplies -- along with building materials and other non-military equipment -- for its Afghanistan campaign from Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani news services reported.

"We believe that Azerbaijan has quality products for sale . . . " an upbeat Lu told participants at a US-Azerbaijan security seminar in Baku. "Quality" searches for other products are apparently planned for Georgia and Armenia as well.

The scale of the American purchases in Azerbaijan will depend on the quality of the products, commented one US foreign policy advisor.