Voice Community Resolve in Defense of Artsakh’s Rights and Security
WASHINGTON—The Chairmen of the Eastern and Western U.S. Central Committees of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF), Dr. Hayg Oshagan and Daron Der-Khachadourian, joined Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Chairman Raffi Hamparian and Government Relations Director Kate Nahapetian at a meeting with Ambassador James Warlick, the U.S. State Department’s representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) Minsk Group’s Nagorno-Karabagh (NKR/Artsakh) talks.
The meeting, held in the wake of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s major April 2 offensive, afforded Armenian American community leaders the opportunity to forcefully restate their calls for a forthright U.S. condemnation of Baku’s attacks, atrocities, and threats of renewed war. They also demanded a robust Leahy Law investigation of gross human rights violations against Artsakh’s citizens and soldiers, and pressed the State Department to end its silence on Azerbaijani Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov’s public threat to bomb the civilian population of Stepanakert, Artsakh’s capital city.
The Armenian American delegation voiced disappointment regarding the U.S. government’s lack of leadership in overcoming Azerbaijan’s obstruction of the implementation of the Royce-Engel proposals—peacekeeping measures designed to ensure accountability and deter renewed violence. These proposals—backed by more than 90 U.S. Representatives on a bipartisan basis—call for an agreement on the non-deployment of snipers, heavy arms, or new weaponry, 2) the addition of OSCE observers, and 3) the deployment of gunfire locator systems along the line of contact and possibly also the international Armenian-Azerbaijani borders.
During the 90-minute meeting, they stressed that the Armenian American community, in the weeks since Aliyev’s attack, has redoubled its resolve to support and strengthen Nagorno-Karabagh, underscoring that Armenians worldwide are united in support of the security and independence of Artsakh within its constitutionally-defined borders. The delegation forcefully rejected the idea that there could be any negotiations held under threat of repeated Azerbaijani attacks. A suspension of Azerbaijan’s hostilities and sustained peace along the line of contact, they explained, must precede any meaningful talks. And, any talks, to be meaningful, must, of course, include the full participation of the Nagorno-Karabagh Republic.
Guest Contributor
The US may want Azerbaijan to overrun Artsakh and possibly even punch through Armenia into Turkey.
Russia does not care whether Armenians lose Artsakh. It’s nothing to Russia. Russia would not only please Azerbaijan in that way, but also Russia figures Armenians have no place else to turn anyway and will always stick with Russia.
How to get their attention?
Armenians should shell the Western and Azeri-owned pipelines north of Artsakh. Then destroy Azerbaijan’s Mingachevir Reservoir and flood the entire north of the country.
For a long while now, Warlick has been part of the problem and not part of the solution. Armenians and peace loving people need to ask for his removal.
Keep up the pressure ! For the State Department, Aliyev and Erdoghan, two autocrat/ dictators who have no morals are two good US allies. The two feed on their hate for all Armenians….and they are US’s best allies; give me a break!
What laws are for, to Rule According to Law or to use them in double standard, is Amercia ruled by rule of law or is a country ruled like a banana republic, America’s credibility has already in geopardy worldwide.
US and Russia have no specific interest in the welfate of either the Armenian or Azeri people. Their interest is only in the political domination of the region. Just like any other previous empire, in its persuit of world domination and self preservation, US is trying to encircle and isoate Rusia, China etc and reduce their influence in world affairs. An Azeri win and coalition with Turkey will serve this purpose, taking into account all the other Turkic nations of the area. For this reason it is in Russia’s interest to preserve Armenia and Artsakh but not to the extent where Azeris are driven to closer ties with the West. Russia also needs the Azeri dollars, especially with the existing sanctions imposed on her. The Azeri criminal actions amount to a war of attrition where they try to gradually reduce our resolve and determination to survive, in an attempt to take from us what is and has always been ours, legally and rightfully. We should not let this happen. All we need to do is to stand our ground and punish the Azeris harshly every time they break the peace. We can either make made to measure weapons ourselves or buy the necessary in the world market. Russia, Iran, France, Israel etc will sell us all we need. All we need is the cash. Where are the rich Armenians? There must be many millionaires patriotic enough to help.
It’s all a political game and the resultinbg factor with all these BIG powers with little regard to human sufferings. Arms and more arms and nothing more but even mercenaries to fight for the azeri’s – money unfortunately counts and speaks louder than words. The final answr is does america care “NO”, does Russia care “maybe”, does britain care “NO”, does israel care? “are you kidding”. Does that make sense? It is a real tragedy. Wait until the oil runs out in azerbaijan and Armenia hits some LUCK with OIL, GOLD and other minerals – wonder what america will do, wonder what those other countries will do?