ANCA Calls on Clinton to Condemn Azeri Attacks
WASHINGTON—The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), this morning, dispatched an urgent letter urging U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to forcefully condemn a fatal Azerbaijani attack into the Tavush region of Armenia, a brazen assault launched by Baku to coincide with her arrival for a three day visit to the Caucasus.
The attack, which occurred near the Berdavan and Chinari villages of Tavush, represents the most recent in an escalating series of Azerbaijani assaults on both Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. The Armenian Ministry of Defense has reported that three Armenian soldiers were killed and another five wounded in the attack.
“Azerbaijan’s aggression, on the very day of your arrival in the Caucasus, represents, in addition, of course, to a painful human tragedy for those young men who were killed and injured, a brazen attack upon the prospects for a fair and lasting peace in this region,” said ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian in his letter to Secretary Clinton. “It is long past time that the Obama Administration abandon its practice of artificial equivalence–a failed policy whose only response to Azerbaijani aggression and threats of renewed war has been to issue generically-formulated and transparently toothless calls on all parties to refrain from violence.”
In response to a question from Yerkir Media during a press conference with Armenia Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian, Secretary Clinton refrained from properly condemning Azerbaijan’s attack. She will have an opportunity to revisit the issue in Baku on June 6.
Following her meetings with civil society leaders, Foreign Minister Nalbandyan and President Sargsyan, Secretary Clinton departed Yerevan for meetings in Batoumi, Georgia on Tuesday, June 5.
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FULL TEXT OF ANCA LETTER TO SECRETARY CLINTON
June 4, 2012
The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street N.W.
Washington, DC 20520
Dear Secretary Clinton:
I am writing today, only hours after an Azerbaijani cross-border attack into the Tavush region of Armenia killed three Armenian soldiers, to call upon you to clearly, publicly and unequivocally condemn this aggression, and, more broadly, to stake out a strong American stand against Baku’s open threats and escalating acts of belligerence against both Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.
Azerbaijan’s aggression, on the very day of your arrival in the Caucasus, represents, in addition, of course, to a painful human tragedy for those young men who were killed and injured, a brazen attack upon the prospects for a fair and lasting peace in this region.
It is long past time that the Obama Administration abandon its practice of artificial equivalence – a failed policy whose only response to Azerbaijani aggression and threats of renewed war has been to issue generically-formulated and transparently toothless calls on all parties to refrain from violence.
It is in this spirit that we call upon you to forcefully criticize Azerbaijan’s aggression during your upcoming visit with President Ilham Aliyev in Baku. We ask, as well, that you give substance to our nation’s condemnation of Baku’s march toward war by suspending all proposed, pending, or future sales or transfers to Azerbaijan of military equipment and dual-use items (including the proposed sale of advanced helicopter-based surveillance equipment – DDTC 12-002). We also request that the Administration immediately enforce Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, and decline to waive this provision of law until Azerbaijan has stopped its threats of war, ceased all acts of aggression, and demonstrated a commitment to a lasting peace with Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh through solely non-violent means.
Please accept our thanks for your urgent attention to Azerbaijan’s act of aggression and the potential it holds for even greater violence and regional instability. We remain ready to work with you on this matter, and on all the many issues of special concern to Armenian Americans, and invite you, once again, to meet with the collective leadership of our community to discuss these matters in greater detail.
Sincerely,
[signed]Kenneth V. Hachikian
Chairman
Truth be told, what Hillary Clinton would really like is for Azerbaijn to start and win a war against Armenians and thereby force open up a pan-Turkic corridor between Turkey and Azerbaijan, and force Russia out.
But she realizes that Azerbaijan might not win such a war. That makes her and the US State Department very, very nervous.
Contrary to the belief of many Armenians that Armenia and Artsakh are not important to the US, they are very important. This is why you see so many articles and conferences lately on Artsakh. The US is nervous. It does not want to see a war in which Azerbaijan loses, the West’s precious pipelines are blown up, and Baku’s oil rigs swim with the fishes.
Sadly, Armenia’s campaign to show the world why Artsakh deserves independence just plain stinks. It’s totally incompetent. In fact, it’s all but non-existent.
If I were not Armenian, from reading the international press, I would think that the Azeris were the good guys and Armenians were a bunch of separatist brutes and thugs who have victimed Azeris.
This is how absolutely lousy Armenia has done at public relations. They’re still stuck with a Soviet mindset.
In response to Dave B the Neo-cons are even worse. They totally are pro oil flowing from the Caspian unhindered to Turkey. Armenia poses an obstacle logistically and a war is really not in the best interest of Azerbaijan as it would have already launched one if it thought that it could win or even gain somehow. Also the area is on edge because of Iran being so close..What worries me is the brazenness of the Azeri’s to launch an offensive in conjunction with any action taken against Iran by either the Us or Israel..Further Armenia proper needs to respond to this hostile action and DEFEND ITS BORDERS AND ITS TROOPS. This type of action seems to be happening too frequently with no response from the ruling thugs in Armenia…..At the least a stern warning of imminent retaliation may be in order,….A letter to Clinton is a waste of time..
I agree the Armenian side seems to be a bit naive and seems to rely maybe too much upon Mother Russia for help? Also understand that the current US “news” is pro oil, pro Turkey, pro azeri and as long as Israel is supplying Arms to the Azeri’s and monitoring Iran from their soil, the news will always favor the Azeri’s.
US Secretary of State
Do not condemn any side. Just enjoy Yerevan and Baku! Be lucky and happy until US troops come back!