Azerbaijan president feels 'well' day after collapse

BAKU, Azerbaijan -- Azerbaijan's president appeared on television Tuesday and said he was feeling fine, a day after collapsing during a televised speech.

Geidar Aliev met with U.S. Ambassador Ross Wilson to discuss sending 150 Azerbaijani peacekeepers to Iraq to guard Muslim holy sites, museums and other cultural objects, and said the troops were expected to arrive there by May 12.

"I feel well. Everything is normal," he told Wilson. He then turned to the camera operators and waved, saying, "I'm alive, healthy and here."

The appearance came after Aliev, 79, stumbled and later collapsed Monday during a speech at a military academy, twice interrupting a live, national broadcast.

During the first episode, Aliev clutched his chest, complained of pain and said, "Something has struck me."

Witnesses said Aliev stumbled backward and looked as if he were about to fall, and aides rushed to support him. People surrounding him called for a doctor before he was led away.

About 15 minutes later, Aliev reappeared, looking pale but in control. His office later said he experienced a sudden loss in blood pressure.

Within a few minutes, though, Aliev fell backward and hit his head on the floor, a witness said.

Before Aliev appeared on television Tuesday, an official in the Azerbaijani government, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Prime Minister Artur Rasizade flew to the United States.

Rasizade, whose trip was not planned in advance, left Monday night, the official said. The destination and purpose of the visit were unclear.

If Aliev was incapacitated, Rasizade would assume power until new elections were held, according to Azerbaijan law.

Aliev has been rumored to be in poor health for years. He had a heart attack in 1987 and underwent bypass surgery in Cleveland in 1999. He underwent prostate surgery at the same clinic last year and had a hernia operation there earlier this year.

The former KGB general and Communist Party chief, who twice won elections criticized as fraudulent, has brought stability to Azerbaijan, which endured political unrest and war over the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh from the late 1980s until the mid-1990s.

Dissent and independent media have not been tolerated under Aliev, who has played a major role in economic reform and developing the country's oil resources.

He has announced his intention to run again in October presidential elections, but many critics say he eventually will turn over power to his son, Ilkham.