WASHINGTON, DC – The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has once again issued a national call to action urging President Joe Biden to enforce Section 907 restrictions and block all US arms and aid to Azerbaijan, as the Aliyev regime continues to choke off gas supplies to Artsakh’s Armenian population. The campaign also calls for $50 million in US aid to Artsakh to help families rebuild their lives and resettle in safety upon their indigenous Armenian homeland following the 2020 Turkey/Azerbaijan attacks.
Thousands of pro-Artsakh advocates have already contacted President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris through the ANCA’s online portal sharing, “We remain deeply troubled that you have waived Section 907 sanctions against Azerbaijan and call on you today to immediately end any and all US military or security aid to this oil-rich and openly racist regime.” They go on to urge the White House to condemn Azerbaijan’s aggression, hold its leaders accountable for war crimes and call upon all Americans to support the national and democratic aspirations of the Armenian people. Advocates are also calling the White House comment line – (202) 456-1111; this line is open Tuesdays to Thursdays from 11:00am to 3:00pm EST.
Once again, the ANCA has teamed up with the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) in encouraging broad-based community youth involvement and calling attention to Artsakh’s latest humanitarian crisis. During a special week-long Washington, DC ANCA-AYF collaborative effort, AYF-Western Region Central Executive member Hasmik Burushyan issued a video appeal, stressing, “Families across Artsakh – men, women and children under relentless Azerbaijani attack – need your help. Today – more than ever before – they need your voice. So, stand up. Speak out. Take action. Call on President Biden to stop arming Azerbaijan; to ban all US military aid to this dictatorship.”
The call for decisive White House action comes as Azerbaijan continues to block the natural gas supply from Armenia to Artsakh for the second time in two weeks, forcing the over 120,000 Armenian population in the republic to battle subzero temperatures with no heat and rolling blackouts. Azerbaijan had initially refused to allow the repair of the pipeline, damaged on March 8th, for over a week. Now, Artsakh officials surmise that the Aliyev regime installed a shut-off valve during the repair process, allowing Azerbaijani authorities to stop gas flow at will. The interruption in gas flow comes just days after news of ongoing Azerbaijani attacks and intimidation on Artsakh border villages, forcing the evacuation of women and children from multiple locations.
The ANCA has been joined by a diverse coalition of human rights, faith-based and ethnic groups in calling on President Biden to stop US military aid to Azerbaijan’s Aliyev regime. In a March 15th letter sent to the White House, the coalition stressed that “continuing to send US security or military aid to Azerbaijan – even assistance described as defensive or non-lethal – sends the dangerous signal to the Aliyev government that the United States is indifferent or, even worse, supportive of its violations of human rights. New military or security aid to Azerbaijan poses a serious risk of additional harm to civilians. Our nation must never be complicit in such state-sponsored violence. More broadly, this assistance undermines your Administration’s aim of centering human rights and democracy in our nation’s foreign policy.”
Coalition members include: American Friends of Kurdistan, Armenian National Committee of America, Assyrian Policy Institute, Christian Solidarity International, Code Pink, Coptic Solidarity, Hellenic American Leadership Council, Hindu American Foundation, In Defense of Christians, Israeli-American Civic Action Network, Jewish World Watch, Middle East Forum, National Council of Churches, and Women for Weapons Trade Transparency.
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I hope that the Biden administration heeds your appeal. But I would not count on Biden’s gang ever doing the right thing. It seems that Susan Rice, Jake Sullivan & Tony Blinken are all in bed with Turkey or have a crush on Erdogan. Don’t count on their help. Hope I am wrong.