WASHINGTON—Despite sustained congressional efforts to statutorily prohibit U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan, the FY25 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) — that was adopted by the U.S. Senate today and is expected to be signed into law by President Biden — failed to include multiple provisions to hold Azerbaijan accountable for its ethnic cleansing of Artsakh, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
“In the wake of Azerbaijan’s genocide of Artsakh, and amid its ongoing occupation of sovereign Armenian territory, this year’s defense spending bill grants Baku’s repressive Aliyev regime a free pass for its crimes against humanity,” stated ANCA National Board Chair Raffi Hamparian. “Despite considerable bipartisan and bicameral support for efforts led by Congressional Armenian Caucus members to hold Azerbaijan accountable, the final version of the NDAA reflects continued indifference and complicity by the United States in the face of Azerbaijan’s genocidal aggression against Armenia and Artsakh.”
The ANCA worked with congressional allies to propose multiple amendments aimed at holding Azerbaijan accountable for its actions against Armenians and strengthening U.S.-Armenia relations:
— Amendment 396, introduced by Representatives Mike Lawler (R-NY) and Frank Pallone (D-NJ), aims to temporarily repeal the waiver authority that allows the U.S. to provide military assistance and other aid to Azerbaijan while its government continues to target, abuse and displace Armenians. The amendment mirrored the language of H.R.7288, the House companion to S.3000, introduced by Senator Gary Peters and passed unanimously by the Senate in November 2023.
— Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) introduced two amendments addressing Azerbaijan’s aggression against Armenians. Amendment 568 calls for the immediate release of all Armenian prisoners of war and detained civilians, while Amendment 570 prohibits new export licenses for offensive security equipment to Azerbaijan, limiting its ability to continue military hostilities.
— Representative Anna Eshoo (D-CA) introduced Amendment 1048, which directs the Department of Defense to develop a strategy to strengthen U.S.-Armenia security cooperation and deter further Azerbaijani aggression. In a related effort to address regional stability, Representative Katie Porter (D-CA) introduced Amendment 1110, commissioning a report on Azerbaijan’s energy partnerships with Russian and Iranian companies under international sanctions.
Despite strong bipartisan support, the House Rules Committee rejected all of these proposed amendments.
In the Senate, Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), a long-time advocate for the Armenian-American community, secured a provision in the Senate version of the NDAA encouraging the Department of Defense to enhance engagement with Armenia, including bilateral training and other security cooperation activities. However, this provision was stripped from the bill’s final version.
“We are deeply grateful to our congressional allies for their efforts to ensure the security and sovereignty of Armenia amid the existential threat posed by Azerbaijan,” continued Hamparian. “In this rapidly changing political landscape, we look forward to collaborating with our allies and building new partnerships to push the incoming administration and Congress to end the reckless appeasement of Azerbaijan. We must pursue meaningful action to support a just, durable and dignified peace predicated on accountability for war crimes and the collective right of Artsakh’s Armenians to return in safety to their ancestral homeland.”
The ANCA remains committed to working with Congress and the administration to advance a U.S.-Armenia policy that prioritizes a strategic partnership and ensures the security of Armenia’s borders.
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As an American of Armenian descent I would like to know why these measures to eliminate (or even limit) military support to Azerbaijain were not acted upon. The representatives who voted to continue support of Azerbaijan must have there reasons why they disregard the clear human rights violations by the Azeri dictatorship in favor of American interests. I believe Americans of Armenian descent should be informed of the specific reasons. Documented specifics for these anti-Armenian votes by the committee members reported by the Weekly (or ANCA) would be appreciated.
As an American of Armenian descent I believe we should know the specific reasons why the Senate and Congressional committees have elected to continue providing aid to the dictatorship of Azerbaijan. Reporting of the specific anti-Armenian or pro-Azeri positions taken by the Congressional representatives by the Weekly or ANCA will be appreciated.
If Armenians converted to Judaism or to Evangelical Protestantism en masse, might that improve their chances and the prospects of Armenia?
The Armenian lobby has unfortunately not the influence, clout and success of the Israeli lobby in U.S. Congress, likely because Armenian-Americans are a much smaller demographic group than American Jews. And Armenia unfortunately doesn’t generate the interest for the very large and influental Evangelical Protestant demographic group, like Israel – the “Holy Land”, does for them.
I admire the idealism, dedication, hard work and relentless efforts of ANCA and other Armenian groups, but sadly almost all the amendments concerning Armenia, are rejected by the House Rules Committee, before they can make it even to U.S. Congress for a vote.
The reason why the Armenian Genocide resolution passed in U.S. Congress and was not vetoed by Biden, which his predecessors did the past four decades, is because Turkey angered the U.S. so much when it clashed with U.S. interests in the Middle East and supported Hamas against Israel, that the Jewish lobby, which prevented the passing of previous Armenian Genocide resolutions, when relations between Israel and Turkey were good, withdrew its objections, after Israel and Turkey fell out.
This is the harsh reality of Realpolitik.
I would say the answer to both your questions in your first paragraph is a resounding YES in my opinion and here is why:
1. Purely for the sake of discussion, if Armenians converted to Judaism they would have full access to American armed forces and could use them as their expeditionary force to remove any and all threat to their homeland like they have been doing over the years. The removal and execution of Iraq’s Saddam Hussein comes to mind as an example.
2. If Armenians converted to Evangelical Protestantism, Armenia would be flooded with tens of billions of dollars in annual donations from multi-billion dollar US religious institutions alone, probably no less than two to three times Armenia’s annual state budget, for collaborating with American Evangelicals to keep the Holy Lands in the hands of the Jews, as opposed to leaving them in the hands of Muslims, for the return of their Messiah who will then convert all the Jews to Christianity!
Steve M whilst a theoretical hypothesis it’s very true and why Israel who has gone out of its way to be Turkish jackal about the genocide whilst demanding and for the most part getting full sympathy of the Nazi 1942 -45 murder program of its own kith and kin. As you stated it was only due to Turkish friction with Israel that it’s allied lobby in the USA looked the other way and dropped opposition to the ottoman killings being recognised as a genocide by the US government NOT any fraternity towards Armenia and it’s people, it was purely incidental.. Although it should be stated that more liberal Jews in Israel and elsewhere had been more sympathetic to the Armenians and a sense of had Turkey not got away with it then perhaps the Nazis would have been more wary and a sense of hypocrisy that demanding sympathy for what happened to their own yet showing contempt for what was done to others..
As for Israel the Hamas attack exposed how as liberal Jews had warned for years that the holocaust won’t save us forever , and it’s ability to serve as a national unifier was declining after all it was barely living memory decades later and generation and demographic shift was eroding Europe’s guilt which had been such a boon to Israel has now become obvious. After all for many people in Europe and globally there is the sentiment of can’t justify actions now upon what had happened decades ago in another part of the world by another people especially as they (Germany) have been masochists about it and the influx of Africans and Asians who certainly won’t be guilt tripped over the issue. Also relevant is the decline of the numbers ratio of Anglo evangelicals in the USA due to lower birth rate and immigration from south America and Asia who such messianic rapture seeking via Israel doesn’t have the same appeal.
The limited physical support for Hamas from the majority of the worlds Muslims shows once again the notion of them coalescence into a jihad against Israel is a persistent fantasy despite Hamas showing that Israel could be beaten in battle and the closest chance of bringing Israel to heel was squandered by indecision and division and relative ineptitude.