WASHINGTON, DC – Congressional Armenian Caucus co-chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Jackie Speier (D-CA) called on the Biden administration to press Azerbaijan to end its most recent attacks on Artsakh’s Lachin corridor connecting Armenia and Artsakh – assaults that killed two Artsakh defense army soldiers and injured over 19, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
In a tweet issued just hours after Azerbaijan’s attacks, Rep. Pallone noted “This is the latest example of Aliyev threatening the people of Artsakh over absurd demands like the closing of the Lachin corridor. I urge the @StateDept and @USOSCE to condemn these actions and use every diplomatic tool available to halt Aliyev’s dangerous actions.”
Rep. Speier concurred, tweeting, “Aliyev will only stop his bloody drone strike campaign against the people of Artsakh if/when the U.S. shows leadership & strength. Pull all U.S. assistance to Azerbaijan immediately until it comes to the negotiating table.”
ANCA executive director Aram Hamparian issued a live call to action on the ANCA’s Facebook and Twitter platforms urging supporters of Artsakh freedom to call the White House and urge President Biden to enforce U.S. sanctions on Azerbaijan and stop sending U.S. military arms and aid to the brutal Aliyev regime. Hamparian argued that U.S. taxpayers should not be funding Azerbaijan’s aggression against Artsakh’s indigenous Armenian population. Hamparian also urged advocates to write their Senators and Representatives to unequivocally condemn Azerbaijan’s attack, stop military aid to Azerbaijan, and expand life-saving humanitarian assistance to Artsakh.
“To be clear, the Azerbaijani army that is today ethnically cleansing Artsakh – launching rockets and drone strikes against its indigenous Christian Armenian population – is getting U.S. military aid,” said Hamparian. “These are our tax dollars – materially strengthening Azerbaijan’s military and morally emboldening the Aliyev regime. We are committed – as Americans and Armenians – to see this reckless program ended, Azerbaijani war crimes investigated, and Ilham Aliyev and his regime held to account.”
ANC Artsakh’s Gev Iskajyan shared the latest news from Stepanakert in a live video on the ANCA’s Facebook platform.
ANCA Government Affairs director Tereza Yerimyan has been leading Congressional outreach on Capitol Hill, sharing the latest news with Congressional offices and key Senate and House leaders who are crafting the Fiscal Year 2023 foreign aid bill and National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Joined by 16 ANCA Haroutioun and Elizabeth Kasparian Summer Academy participants, Yerimyan is distributing a two-page ANCA white paper on Azerbaijan’s attacks.
ANCA Summer Academy participants issued a video call to action in support of Artsakh from Capitol Hill.
State Department Spokesman Ned Price issued a weak statement calling for the “de-escalation” tensions around Nagorno Karabakh, once again falling short of clearly and unequivocally condemning Azerbaijani aggression. “The United States is deeply concerned by and closely following reports of intensive fighting around Nagorno-Karabakh, including casualties and the loss of life. We urge immediate steps to reduce tensions and avoid further escalation. The recent increase in tensions underscores the need for a negotiated, comprehensive and sustainable settlement of all remaining issues related to or resulting from the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” stated Price.
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In 2020, I voted 3rd Party, because Trump backstabbed Armenia, during the 2020 Karabakh War, and Biden showed himself as an unreliable, during his time as Vice President for Obama. Actually, Biden was one of the foremost Senators whom proclaimed his support for Armenian American Interests, but that changed, in 2008, when he joined Obama, in the White House.
Biden surely cut a deal with Turkey & Erdogan, when he recognized the Armenian Genocide, as a genocide, back in 2021; he’s been working to increase financial aide to Azerbaijan, while at the same time, reducing financial aide to Armenia Both in 2021 and in 2022, Biden has endeavored to weasel around Congressional Prohibitions against the sale of armaments to Azerbaijan.
US to scrutinize TB2 as a Turkish military arsenal, where some NATO members such as Germany and Canada are important suppliers of Bayraktar drone-making parts. Today TB2 became Azerbaijani main military arsenal against Artsakh and Armenia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kdXAEqRLiE
If any Armenian is still believing the US and EU at this point they are foolish. EU last month signed a deal with AZ to increase energy supply anticipating Russia cutting them off. And we are asking the US to sanction them? How loud do they laugh after reading ANCA’s demands? The US *wants* escalation in Armenia/Artsakh to keep Russia busy on different fronts, and of course Israel/US is just waiting for the perfect opportunity to attack Iran and change their regime.
The US was never Armenia’s friend, considered a Soviet enemy, if they REALLY were friends they would protect Armenia since independence, but all they did was install the largest intelligence operation in the region and fund numerous NGO’s to destabilize Armenia to achieve THEIR goals. What we are witnessing today is the forced implementation of the protocols envisioned in the 2000s, and since Armenians refused, they went with plan b with the BS revolution to install a clown in power and replace important positions.
In the US, Armenians are used for political purposes, all those nice comments of support etc are to get votes. Democrat, Republican, left wing right wing, doesn’t matter, decisions are already made by the very top. Armenians need to wake up and clean out Armenia of its traitors, kick out NGO’s, make very close alliance with powerful neighbors like Russia and Iran, forget the EU/US that were proven detrimental to the Armenian Nation (less so than Russia), and eventually if Turks behave well, we can have friendly relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan. Their leaders and policies won’t remain the same forever, and Georgia will naturally follow what the Turk does. Then Armenians can live in peace with the same people we have lived with for centuries, that is if we still have an Armenia.
The Turks today are scrambling because now is the time to get as much as they want by destroying Armenia, they also know their time is running out and Armenia’s position won’t remain the same forever. Don’t lose hope, don’t listen to propaganda that Armenians are defeated. There is a lot of psychological warfare going on now, especially by them trying to divide the Diaspora. And nobody can predict the future. Should there be another world war, who knows, Russia may even take back Kars oblast and move deep into Western Armenia.
We should be friendly with the US and Europe but don’t believe they will be our saviors, it is in their interests that the Armenian is eliminated. We still didn’t comprehend that after the genocide? They don’t care we are Christian like them, have European or democratic values, whatever that means, all that nonsense. Only WE can save ourselves! I am surprised that the ANCA still hasn’t recognized this truth and still pursuing a policy of begging to the very same people that have an agenda to harm Armenia. Which Armenian organization is looking to strengthen Armenia?
Thank you Levon for a refreshingly realistic comment. I’ve been following Armenian news since during the 2020 war, and it’s utterly baffling to me that Armenians keep making the same arguments again and again and again, getting no/low results, then showing bitter disappointment, only to go back to the same arguments.
“ethnically cleansing Artsakh indigenous Christian Armenian population”
So many buzzwords… that only make me want to roll my eyes. America is nominally Christian at best; Americans couldn’t care less if Armenia was the first Christian nation, etc. We also know Armenia is basically entirely reliant on Russia – and Russia isn’t exactly beloved in America right now. I’m not trying to insult or belittle, but as a non-Armenian American, I’m attempting to explain that if I’m one of the few actually interested enough to follow along, and these arguments / buzzwords aren’t winning me over, why do Armenians expect (and keep expecting) it to work on anyone else? Same with the genocide. I firmly believe it happened, and it was horrific. And it was over 100 years ago. How many Americans have already semi-forgotten Ukraine and they’re *still* very much at war? So why is the diaspora continuing to put resources towards genocide recognition when Americans are clearly apathetic? Is *any* of it achieving goals? Couldn’t those efforts be put to better use than beating that dead horse yet again?
Feel free to call me uneducated or a Turk lover. That’s usually what happens. But if there is anyone who reads this (if they even publish it) please consider that these bombastic statements aren’t effective, the hollow chest pounding isn’t helpful, and it’s time to reconsider the driving goals and how to achieve them.
Our diaspora very naive and very far away from political reality if any armenian believe EU US NAT0 UN will support us totally delusional they have to look Serbians those organizations killed hundred thousands christians serbians also millions exiled for the create 2 islamic countries in middle of europe,there is no any single chance they will support us armenians from syria very low number of them got permission to settle in europe because arabs dominated it cause civil servants in europe whose works refugee center same arab turk albanian chechen persian lucky ones who got right settle in sweeden belgium germany now feel worse no public outside no diffierent than where they came from middle east arabs turks fulling streets most of them now wants to go australia or canada if soviet communist leftovers in armenia wouldnt stole diaspora fund money those suffered armenians could settle in armenia and serve for own state.
I basically agree with Levon, not entirely. The work of Diaspora Armenians isn’t in vain, whether in America, Russia, France, or any nation that serves the interests of liberty & freedom. The expectations of Diaspora Armenian Interest Groups don’t expect to get everything they want, but they do expect to make important changes & improvements, which serve to improve the situation, bit-by-bit.
In regards to the intelligent gentleman who calls himself “Not Armenian” you were cynically wrong to say that it wouldn’t get published, because I’m reading it. You might owe Armenian Weekly an apology. You’re Right that Armenians should endeavor to foster their long-lasting alliance with Russia, and Armenians shouldn’t expect their salvation from Western Nations. But, you’re wrong that the Armenian Genocide isn’t important, and it isn’t the work of “beating that dead horse”.
Perhaps, you’re clueless because you haven’t experienced the loss of your grandparent’s entire extended family; being, as you said, “Not Armenian”, you don’t understand how a genocide visits the descendants of the original victims. You don’t have to educate me about American Apathy, in regards to that, because I know it well, being an American by birth.
By the way, the work for the recognition of the century old genocide has been quite successful, with the USA among the most recent nations to make an unbending pledge for its recognition as an historical genocide. My maternal ancestry is Armenian, but my paternal ancestry is Germanic; my surname is Germanic; and, I don’t speak Armenian., but you can bet that I’m part of the Armenian Diaspora.
@Laurence
“Armenians should endeavor to foster their long-lasting alliance with Russia, and Armenians shouldn’t expect their salvation from Western Nations”
It astounds me how Armenians are so quick to overlook the fraud of Russia and how it has been playing Armenia for over a century – TO THE BENEFIT OF TURKS AND AZERIS. Disturbingly, you are not even a post-Soviet kremlinbot that shows up here touting “Mother Russia is the best”, but an American, and not even a youngster lefty who think that “Communism is cool” or something like that, but presumably one that has seen the Cold War.
And in regards to your claim, I disagree with you and anyone else with such outdated and previously tried and failed ideas. Ignoring all the other deplorable treatment that Russia gave Armenia over the decades, just Russian behavior regarding the 2020 “war” is enough proof that Russia is nowhere near being an ally or the knight in shining armor coming to save the day of the lazy and crooked Soviet Armenian looking for the good old days of stealing for a living from the decrepit Soviet economy. And what Russia has shown us in 2020 is that the key in Armenia’s future must be with the USA, or at the very least elevated to the same level that oppressive Russia has for no good or valid reason.
Now despite Russia’s asinine buffoonery and disgusting history against Armenia, I would be the first person who would praise Russia and want a full alliance if Russia was in fact sincere with Armenia, showing a pro-Armenia policy in the South Caucasus. It wouldn’t even need to be “pro Armenia” if at least it was anti-Azeri and anti-Turk. But what we clearly now see in the South Caucasus is the exact OPPOSITE of what Armenia and Armenians want. Only for some odd reason, a sizeable number of brainwashed Armenians don’t see it. No one in the world is going to convince me at this point that regarding the 2020 fake, might I add Russia orchestrated, “war” was one where “Russia was on the side of its ally Armenia”. Literally the reverse is true. Russia took the side of Armenia’s mortal enemy, openly and arrogantly. Now what does that make Russia?
Russia calculated that a slave-minded post-Soviet nation like Armenia will want to be an even bigger slave once Russia was through with betraying Armenia. The same old tricks from the early days of the Soviet Union. It is the patriotic duty of all Armenians to say, enough is enough with this Russian bullshit, and give Russia the opposite of what it wants, just like Russia gave Armenia the opposite of what we Armenians wanted. Will it cost us more land? Probably, but Armenia must take a firm stand, that without Artsakh, there is literally no need for Russia, provided that Armenians shape up and find proper diplomatic relations with the USA.
The fact of the matter is, if the USA had a military base in Armenia for the same reason that Russia claims that it is there, no Turk or Azeri would dare step foot in Armenia. Yet here we are with a so-called Russian “alliance”, where our “ally” is literally giving away Armenian lands to our mortal enemy.
Armenians are incapable of self-rule, especially in a violent and complicated place like the south Caucasus. This subject matter is therefore a waste of time and energy.
Armenia’s natural place in the world today is with the Russian Federation. Armenia was resurrected in the early 19th century by the Russian Bear. For the past two hundred years, as well as for the past 30 yesrs, Armenia has been able to live in a violent, Turkic/Islamic neighborhood like the south Caucasus only because of its ties to the Russian Bear. Nevertheless, the post-Soviet years have revealed beyond any doubt that Armenians are NOT ready for self-rule or independence. The reality of the matter is that Armenia’s independence from Russia will only translate to Armenia’s dependence on Turkey. If for any reason Russia decided to pull out of Armenia today, Armenia will disappear from the world map on the very next day – despite any effort by the diaspora. Armenians need to be mindful of the fact that on the global stage, the existence of an Armenia ONLY serves Russia’s and Iran’s interests and NO ONE else. Western powers, including the US, have been very detrimental to Armenia and Armenian society in general. If it is to recover from its post-Soviet ailments, Armenia must seriously limit its exposure to the toxic West.
For better or for worst, Armenia is wed to Russia. Yerevan must deepen its ties to Moscow. Armenians need to start thinking about entering into a union with Russia. For better or for worst, Armenia must also maintain good relations with Iran. Armenia neglected it’s relations with Iran for the past 30 years. Yerevan must develop better ties with Tehran. All other so-called solutions or remedies for Armenia’s many ills today are simply a waste of time and energy…
Armenia and Assyria our ancestral lands now occupied by fake states never existed in history syria and lraq and lran only we can lean back each other with arabs turks persians kurds impossible regardless they hate us when their interest over they will kill armenians just like they do in middle of 1940s when french british colonial forces leave armenians assyriacs assyrians coptic people suffered and started to go west Assyriac-Armenian Alliance against turkish arab persian kurdish occuption must be active
Laurence – they’ve chosen to not publish a number of my comments, so I rather figured they’d keep up the trend. So, thank you to the Armenian Weekly for publishing it.
I say this kindly: I’m not interested in a pissing contest with you. I am terribly sorry about your grandparents and your extended family, and if I didn’t make it clear in the comment they published, I greatly feel for suffering Armenians have endured. I wouldn’t follow this news if I didn’t. I wouldn’t take insult after insult to try to give some feedback if I didn’t want to see Armenia’s situation improved. I absolutely understand that I am not Armenian and clearly am not trying to be. I am merely trying to offer perspective of what it’s like from the outside looking in, and try to illustrate how these very passionate/angry attacks on people like me just pushes away possible sympathizers.
To respond to your point, please then show me how exactly Armenian genocide recognition now helps the crushingly obvious needs of Armenia, especially the last couple of years? Does Armenia get more monetary aid (especially from non-Armenians)? If there is a certain percentage of countries that recognize the genocide, does some other aid factor(s) kick in? Does it help them acquire weapons or other technology?
Thinking of Biden’s recognition, I remember the letdown of his added “We do this not to cast blame but to ensure that what happened is never repeated”. This seems quite toothless to me. So for all of the effort put forth, how has Armenia itself now benefited?
Thus my argument that perhaps it’s worth taking a big deep breath and re-evaluating the best use of limited resources. Best to you.
“Nut Armenian” what would be your real ethnicity? Are you one of Aliyev’s paid commentators in Armenian weekly? I wonder if I can comment on any subject in Azerbaijan or Turkey? Those brainwashed Turks have one thing in common “hate Armenians” and live happily.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Press_Freedom_Index
Russia betrayed Armenia in the 2020 war and is doing its best to humiliate Armenia now.
Russia and the CSTO have broken their defense agreements with Armenia. Russophiles don’t tell you this because it blows their arguments wide open.
The US and NATO are not friends of Armenia, but Russia is now not even an ally.
Russophiles are naïve about Russia.
Putin is now almost as pro-Turkish and pro-Azeri as the US and NATO.
Yes but I wouldn’t say the chief manlet of Russia is “almost” as pro turk and azeri. His relationship is a lot more personal than that. Him and his posse of mafiosi and oligarchs have deep rooted ties, its almost like both turks and russia regret turkey being in NATO and not allied to one another instead. After all they had one illegitimat child together and named it “baby azerbaijan”, now they are looking to have another baby together to expand their family of ghouls.
Of course, Russia is Armenia’s enemy. Putin will sell Armenian lands for one million dollars to Azerbaijan if Turkey approves the deal, like in the first world war when the other Vladimir sold Kars and Ardahan to Kemalist Turkey. Azerbaijan as “Shia Turks” joining with “Sunni Turkey” will be problematic for Turkey, and Erdoghan knows about that. Turkey will keep Armenia, check their “junior brother” away from futuristic headaches. Today Armenia has no other choice but to play political games with Turkey and Russia and have a good relationship with Iran and India and the rest of the world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vbh4f4mQ9zI