ANCA Calls on State Department to Oppose Iron Dome Sale to Azerbaijan

 

Files a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request to Secure Records Related to Controversial Arms Sale

WASHINGTON—Citing concerns about risks to U.S. regional interests and the danger of weapons proliferation, the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has called upon the Department of State to oppose the third-party transfer of sensitive U.S. equipment and technology as part of a reported Israeli Iron Dome anti-missile system sale to Azerbaijan.

The ANCA has called upon the Department of State to oppose the third-party transfer of sensitive U.S. equipment and technology as part of a reported Israeli Iron Dome anti-missile system sale to Azerbaijan.

 

In a Feb. 13 letter sent to the State Department Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, the ANCA asked for formal U.S. opposition to the Iron Dome Sale on the grounds that it would: “undermine U.S. interests by raising the risks of regional conflict, setting back the cause of peace, and potentially allowing advanced weapons technology to fall into the hands of anti-American powers.”  Separately, the ANCA has, under the Freedom of Information Act, requested any official records related to the Iron Dome sale to Azerbaijan.

“In Ilham Aliyev’s hands, Iron Dome is a first strike weapon,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian, “one that will only embolden him to escalate his aggression.”  He added: “Green-lighting this sale would undermine all that America and our OSCE partners have done to promote peace and prevent weapons proliferation, raising the very real risk that advanced technology that will both destabilize the Caucasus and potentially end up in the hands of anti-U.S. countries – from Belarus to North Korea.”

Individuals wishing to raise this matter with their U.S. legislators can do so by visiting: www.anca.org/IronDome.

Reports began to surface regarding an impending sale of the Iron Dome anti-missile system to Azerbaijan shortly following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meetings with President Aliyev in Dec. 2016.  Developed by Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems with funding and technology from the United States, the system is designed to intercept and destroy short-range rockets and artillery shells fired from distances of 2.5 to 43 miles away and whose trajectory would take them to a populated area.  In 2014, U.S. defense firm Raytheon won a $149.3 million co-production contract to supply Tamir missiles for the Iron Dome system.  Under the terms of the May 3, 2014, U.S.-Israel Iron Dome Procurement Agreement as well as relevant provisions of the Foreign Assistance Act, the Arms Export Control Act, and other U.S. laws, the U.S. has the right to block the third-party transfer of U.S. equipment and information included in the Iron Dome system.

Individuals wishing to raise this matter with their U.S. legislators can do so by visiting www.anca.org/IronDome.

Guest Contributor

Guest Contributor

Guest contributions to the Armenian Weekly are informative articles or press releases written and submitted by members of the community.

9 Comments

  1. Dont kid yourself. Great effort by ANCA but when it comes to Israel the US State Department will sell all others out before going counter to anything Israel. Its the lie that the Zionist State Department peddles for 30 plus years. Hopefully Trump can purge them. Ironically Iron Dome was a complete USA tax dollar gift to Israel whether anyone wanted to give or not. An ISraeli TAX nothing more, to then allows Israel sell to third parties for profit. What a USA screw job.

  2. ALWAYS shocked , that Israel, who experienced the 2nd Genocide would align itself with
    the likes sic Azerbaijan…Benjamin Netanyahu is and hasn’t been a well man for quite
    some time.

  3. Bravo! Opposing a defense weapon, that cannot be used in offense or attack. Moreover, it is designed specifically to protect populated areas. To PROTECT CIVILIANS. How is that a threat to peace and security? With that logic, you can also oppose fire alarms, security cameras and door locks in kindergartens. Complete nonesense!

  4. It is Israel and its agents in the American government that dictate the US foreign policy in the region and NOT the other way around. This is a morally-bankrupt country, and a fake democracy, that not only and still to this day refuses to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide but it has been actively helping the fascist state of Turkey, the perpetrators of the Armenian Genocide, to get away with mass murder.

    How ironic that a nation whose people were subjected to similar acts about a quarter century later is the one helping Turkey stop Armenian Genocide recognition by the United States and I personally believe it is because, in some sick fashion, they don’t want competition and are bent on establishing monopoly on victimhood so they can continue being subsidized at tax-payer expense to build deadly weapons to sell to countries in conflict in the region to make profit at the expense of other people’s miseries.

    The way you stop Israelis from selling weapons and defense mechanisms to our enemies is to give them a big dose and a bitter taste of their own medicines. Call it doing business for the sake of business. Sell weapons in billions of dollars to countries in the region, specially countries hostile to Israel, and help facilitate the full development of Iran’s nuclear power plan. They are pretty big on Bible commandments so remind them of the golden rule or law of reciprocity which is the principle of treating others as one would wish to be treated: Do unto them as they do unto you!

  5. Israel trying to test American made arsenal against Russian made armaments in the future! if they fail, this will be a big blow to their arsenal superiority over Iran, where defending Axerbaijanai oil wells is a life line for them!

  6. It is Israel and its agents in the American government that dictate the US foreign policy in the region and NOT the other way around. This is a morally-bankrupt country, and a fake democracy, that not only and still to this day refuses to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide but it has been actively helping the fascist state of Turkey, the perpetrators of the Armenian Genocide, to get away with mass murder.

    How ironic that a nation whose people were subjected to similar acts about a quarter century later is the one helping Turkey stop Armenian Genocide recognition by the United States and I personally believe it is because, in some sick fashion, they don’t want competition and are bent on establishing monopoly on victimhood so they can continue being subsidized at tax-payer expense to build deadly weapons to sell to countries in conflict in the region to make profit at the expense of other people’s miseries.

    The way you stop Israelis from selling weapons and defense mechanisms to our enemies is to give them a big dose and a bitter taste of their own medicines. Call it doing business for the sake of business. Sell weapons in billions of dollars to countries in the region, specially countries hostile to Israel, and help facilitate the full development of Iran’s nuclear power plan. They are pretty big on Bible commandments so remind them of the golden rule or law of reciprocity which is the principle of treating others as one would wish to be treated: Do unto them as they do unto you!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*