WASHINGTON, DC – The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has called on US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to take immediate action to stop all military assistance to Azerbaijan, which invaded Armenia this week and continues to ethnically cleanse indigenous Armenians from their Artsakh homeland.
In a strongly worded letter sent on the eve of Speaker Pelosi’s visit to Armenia, ANCA chairman Raffi Hamparian explained, “A halt to U.S. aid to Azerbaijan would also meaningfully challenge our State Department’s deeply flawed policy of answering every act of Azerbaijani aggression with generic calls upon all parties to refrain from violence. This failed policy of false parity is as destructive as it is dangerous, emboldening the aggressor and abandoning their victims.” Hamparian continued, “even more broadly, cutting off aid to Azerbaijan, in addition to protecting Armenians and promoting peace, would reinforce America’s commitment to centering human rights as a core tenet of our foreign policy.”
Speaking for the Armenian community and coalition partners, Hamparian urged the Speaker to take concrete legislative action to “secure enactment of stand-alone legislation, provisions in the FY23 State-Foreign Operations bill, the FY23 National Defense Authorization Act, or other legislative measures, repealing the President’s authority to waive Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act restrictions on U.S. aid to Azerbaijan, and/or statutorily prohibiting any funds appropriated or otherwise made available by the U.S. Congress to be provided to or for the Government of Azerbaijan for U.S. military or security programs.”
On Thursday, Politico broke the news that Speaker Pelosi and Armenian American Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-CA) will be traveling to Yerevan on September 17. The visit comes just days after the Azerbaijani forces launched a heavy artillery attack using mortars and drones on Armenian military and civilian infrastructure in Sotk, Vardenis, Goris, Kapan, Artanish, Jermuk and Iskhanasar, located on Armenia’s eastern border with Azerbaijan. Over 100 Armenians have been confirmed killed and 80 injured during the ongoing Azerbaijani incursion into sovereign Armenia territory. The unprovoked attack is the largest on Armenian territory since the 2020 Turkey and Azerbaijan-led 44-day war against Artsakh and Armenia, which claimed over 5,000 Armenian lives.
Since this latest Azerbaijani incursion, over 45 US Senate and House members have condemned President Aliyev’s aggression against Armenia.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) was joined by Congressional Armenian Caucus leaders in introducing legislation (H.Res.1351) calling for an immediate end to US aid to Azerbaijan, and condemning President Aliyev’s unprovoked attack against Armenia and Artsakh. The bi-partisan resolution already has over 25 cosponsors.
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Text of ANCA Letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi
September 15, 2022
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the House
U.S. House of Representatives
U.S. Capitol, Room H-305
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Speaker Pelosi,
I am writing to ask you, in the context of your visit to the Caucasus, to immediately stop U.S. tax-payer funding to an Azerbaijani military that is, as I write this letter, killing Armenians, bombing Armenian cities, invading Armenian land, and ethnically-cleansing Armenians from their indigenous Artsakh homeland.
The urgency of our request is underscored by the brutal 44-day war and ethnic-cleansing campaign that Azerbaijan launched in 2020 against Artsakh and, more recently, by the renewed attack into the Republic of Armenia over the past week. In the wake of this aggression, Congress must stop shipping U.S. tax dollars to Azerbaijani President Aliyev’s armed forces.
A halt to U.S. aid to Azerbaijan would also meaningfully challenge our State Department’s deeply flawed policy of answering every act of Azerbaijani aggression with generic calls upon all parties to refrain from violence. This failed policy of false parity is as destructive as it is dangerous, emboldening the aggressor and abandoning their victims. Even more broadly, cutting off aid to Azerbaijan, in addition to protecting Armenians and promoting peace, would reinforce America’s commitment to centering human rights as a core tenet of our foreign policy.
The more than $164,000,000 that our U.S. government has provided to Azerbaijan, under successive Presidential waivers of Section 907, have materially strengthened and morally emboldened Azerbaijan’s anti-Armenian aggression. We regret that President Biden – despite his campaign calls for the enforcement of Section 907 – has twice waived this common sense law.
As you know, the General Accountability Office, in an assessment released earlier this year, concluded that the Department of State and Pentagon have failed to meet statutory reporting requirements regarding the impact of such aid on the peace process and regional military balance. The Executive Branch has clearly abused the authorities granted by Congress. It is now time to reclaim these rights and respect both the spirit and letter of Section 907, a longstanding law aimed simply at holding Azerbaijan accountable for its aggression.
Our community and coalition partners ask specifically that you secure enactment of stand-alone legislation, provisions in the FY23 State-Foreign Operations bill, the FY23 National Defense Authorization Act, or other legislative measures, repealing the President’s authority to waive Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act restrictions on U.S. aid to Azerbaijan, and/or statutorily prohibiting any funds appropriated or otherwise made available by the U.S. Congress to be provided to or for the Government of Azerbaijan for U.S. military or security programs. Such programs include, but are not limited to, Foreign Military Financing, International Military Education and Training, and Section 333 Capacity Building.
On behalf of Americans of Armenian heritage, I thank you for your longstanding record of friendship with our community and express our appreciation for your consideration of our request. We look forward to hearing from you on this matter.
Sincerely,
Raffi Haig Hamparian
Chairman
Cc: U.S. Representative Jackie Speier, U.S. Representative Anna Eshoo, Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, Armenian National Committee of the San Francisco Bay Area
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My point of view is strengthening the our own armed forces; equipped them with modern arms; rather than requesting American, Russian, French or UN. Are they stoped Korea war, Vietnam war or Afghan war, they have no capability to stop a war, this is reality.
From a strategic point of view, getting significant US military and economic aid ( billion dollars) to Armenia is much more important than stopping aid to Azerbaijan . Perhaps Speaker Pelosi’s visit will begin that process. Armenia needs that much more to break out of its isolation and begin to balance Russia( so called strategic senior partner) , Turkey and Iran. The US often has complicated relationships with countries on opposite sides, for example, Turkey and Greece, Israel and Saudi Arabia, and China and Taiwan. As long as each side gets most of what they want, it works. Armenians should capitalize on Pelosi’s support for democratic Armenia. PM Pashinyan has many faults, but he does deserve credit for bringing the democratic freedom movement to Armenia, which Pelosi acknowledged with her visit. We should work with speaker Pelosi to translate that into concrete aid. The alternative seems to be going back to a decrepit Russia/CSTO and become a third class protectorate.
This trip is not in support of Armenia, it’s a bipolar global power game, Armenia should think again not to use as a tools of their power game.
They will take it.
You’re wrong, Cynthia! I live on the San Francisco Peninsula, in the Districts of Jackie Speier, and Anna Eshoo, and not far from where Nancy Pelosi established her political career. I know them well, and for a very long time; that trip to Armenia was no selfish act, it was a genuine work of fact finding and compassion. The same thing applies to Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan.
The three of them always support legislation that benefits the Armenian People. They’ve established legislation that bans the sale of armaments to Azerbaijan; as does the majority of Congress; unfortunately, each successive Executive Branch (or White House) has used sneaky measures to get around the legislation, and sell the armaments.
Both Eshoo and Speier have Armenian Ancestry; this thing has a personal note for them. Speier has German & Armenian Heritage, while Eshoo has Assyrian & Armenian Heritage. The Armenian Homeland isn’t just a place to visit for them, because the Armenian People share with them the blood of the Nation.
Political illiteracy and self-destructive behavior among Armenian will never end. Armenians are once again digging their own graves.
All this, Mother Russia, CSTO, CIS crap is buncha phoney baloney. These Turkic-Mongloid DNA sharing Russians are no friend of Armenians, they are just buncha back stabbing, land grabbing, genocidal tribes. There’s an old saying, ” Scratch the Russian, and you will find Turk-Mongloid”. FYI, Russians lived under Mongolian yoke, the Golden Horde to be precise, for over 300 years, (between 12-15 century);Seventy seven percent of Russian land is located in Asia. That said, do you actually believe that,these drunkard Russians will come to Armenia’s rescue? Heck NO. All along they have been, back stabbing, two timer POSs. In 1921 they handed Armenia’s Eastern province to their Turkic cousins, Nakicevan to Azerbaboons, and just recently,In 2018, parts of Nagorno-Karabakh to The baboons again,also, they vehemtly opposed, the Wilsonian-Armenia,since powerful Armenia was a vital interest to their existence. Some ALLY they are. Just two days ago, Mr. Putin, said the following in regards to 2018 Artsakh war, ” the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan is not about Nagorno-Karabakh”. However, he didn’t say what it wasall about. Well, what was it about, Trutzky? Heck, It was about a transit route to Europe from Moscow through Armenia, since all European routes to Russia has been closed. Now , that the Ukrainians are kicking their butts, and having lost enormous casualties in terms of militarily and logistical, Mighty Russia’s days are over, and ,hopefully, soon Turkey , and Azerbaboons will join the rank. During her visit to Armenia, ” Ms. Pelosi , US House Speaker, made an interesting remark,” The United States, is listening to how it can help Armenia. We are listening to what the needs are”. On possible defense assistance to Armenia. This is a great opportunity for Armenia to snap out of Mongloid- Russian yoke, and forge alliance with the United States. Hopefully, Armenia will ask the US to establish permanent military base in Gyumri (kick the drunk Russians out) and point all their missiles towards, Moscow, Ankara, and Baku. After all, who needs Turkey, once the Russians are laid dormant once for all.
Keep dreaming buddy …
Dear Gurgen,
You forgot to mention that Armenians also suffer from cognitive dissonance (i.e. severely out of touch with reality). Reading the comment by Jay, I am reminded that we Armenians are the authors of all the black pages in our history…
Put aside everything you think you know about the situation in Armenia and watch thes two video reports. Nikol’s regime is allowing Western and Turkish interests to draw Armenia into a very dangerous game against Russia and Iran. If this continues, Armenians will face another genocide in the foreseeable future.
The New Atlas: How the US is using the Azeri-Armenian conflict to “extend” Russia.
https://youtu.be/s_B7gigTPC8
Redacted: Kevork Almassian on the latest fighting
https://youtu.be/ChQC9Lu0gV0
Comrade Mikhail,
Put aside everything about PaSHITyan and the Turks, and go read some history book. It’s been documented, in 1921 the Russians handed the Eastern province of Armenia to Turks and Nacicevan and Parts of Artsakh to Azerbaboons. No need to watch FSB videos.
Is this the apogee of your literacy after reading “some history book” to spell Nakhijevan (or Nakhichevan) as Nacicevan? Also, help us find in one history book that you’ve read such a place name as “Eastern province of Armenia”. Did you mean to say Kars, administratively an oblast (province) of the Russian Empire? Lastly, do count on your five fingers, and let us know, how many ethnic Russians there were among the Bolsheviks who handed Karabakh and Nakhichevan to the newly created state entity of Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic?
Yes let go into the arms of the devil aka USA and Pelosi … same people who gave ok for Azeris to attack us…..we need to only rely on ourselves…we have nothing to offer to anyone ….we are a pawn in a grand game and if we r go along it will be another genocide !
Isn’t Pelosi the one who in 2007 swore she’d push the genocide resolution to a vote, but then cowardly blinked when fellow Democrats withdrew their support in the face of furious reaction from Turkey? And now she’s visiting the Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex? Nice…
Jay,
It amazes me how out of touch with reality we are as a people. Had you known anything about the time period you are asking others to learn about, you would have known that western Armenia was abandoned by the newly created pro-western Armenian government back then; Karabakh was given to Azerbaijan by the British; Cilicia was given to Turkey by the French. Had you known anything about the time period, you would have known that Russians lost more lands and more lives as a result of the western financed Bolshevik revolution than any other nationality in the Russian Empire. Had you known anything about the time period, you would have also known that the Bolsheviks were in no mood to do Armenia any favors at the time because Armenia’s government at the time was virulently anti Bolshevik. Just like you and many others today, they were waiting for the Americans, British and the French to come to their rescue. The rest is history. So, please by all means crack open a serious history book and familiarize yourself with the history of the time.