WASHINGTON, DC – Congressmen Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) and Frank Pallone (D-NJ) this week called on their colleagues in the Armenian Caucus to ask President Bush to publicly condemn Azerbaijan’s war rhetoric and other increasingly bellicose remarks against the Republic of Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

In a “Dear Colleague” letter circulated this week, the Caucus Co-Chairs documented a series of violent threats on the part of senior Azerbaijan leaders. Citing the dangers of remaining silent in the face of such angry rhetoric, they urged their House colleagues to “join us in signing the attached letter to the President urging him and the Administration to condemn these remarks and call upon the government of Azerbaijan to desist in making any further threats against Armenia and Karabagh.” The letter to President Bush stresses that, “efforts to reinforce stability and reduce the risk of conflict are in the best interests of the United States and the region.”

The full texts of the Armenian Caucus “Dear Colleague” letter and the actual letter to be sent to President Bush are provided below.

September 22, 2004

Azerbaijan’s War Rhetoric against Armenia Threatens Stability and Undermines U.S. Interests

Sign Letter to President Bush

Dear Colleague:

As Co-Chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, we are writing to urge you to sign the attached letter to President Bush imploring him to publicly condemn the ongoing Azerbaijani war rhetoric and other increasingly bellicose remarks made against the Republic of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. Left unchecked these dangerous comments threaten stability in the region.

In July, as reported by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry spokesman called for Azerbaijan’s takeover of Armenia and removal of its entire population. He said, “In the next 25-30 years there will be no Armenian state in the South Caucasus. This nation has been a nuisance for its neighbors and has no right to live in this region. Present-day Armenia was built on historical Azerbaijani lands. I believe that in 25 to 30 years these territories will once again come under Azerbaijan’s jurisdiction.”

President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, has repeatedly declared that Azerbaijan could launch a new war in Karabakh. Just two months ago, he stated, “At any moment we must be able to liberate our territories by military means. To achieve this we have everything.” Aliyev has directly linked Azerbaijan’s economic progress to its military “superiority.” “Under these circumstances we cannot react positively to those calling us to compromise.”

Given the challenges facing the United States following the seminal events of September 11th and the war in Iraq, these irresponsible statements undermine our short- and long-term policy goals of security, conflict resolution, ensuring open borders and commercial corridors and regional cooperation for the South Caucasus. Furthermore, the Karabakh peace process will achieve nothing if Azerbaijan is allowed to risk war and predict ethnic cleansing with impunity.

To this end, we urge you to join us in signing the attached letter to the President urging him and the Administration to condemn these remarks and call upon the government of Azerbaijan to desist in making any further threats against Armenia and Karabakh. For more information or to co-sign the letter, please contact Craig Albright (5-5802) with Congressman Knollenberg.

Sincerely,

[signed]
Joe Knollenberg
Member of Congress

[signed]
Frank Pallone, Jr.
Member of Congress

September XX, 2004

President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President,

We are writing to strongly urge you to condemn the ongoing Azerbaijani war rhetoric and other increasingly bellicose remarks made against the Republic of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. These statements undermine U.S. interests in the region.

As you know, a cease-fire in the conflict over Nagorno Karabakh was established in 1994 and sensitive peace negotiations to achieve a final agreement are ongoing. However, the government of Azerbaijan continues to make dangerous claims and threaten war against Armenia. This war rhetoric has continued unabated, and has intensified in recent months.

In July, as reported by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry spokesman called for Azerbaijan’s takeover of Armenia and removing its entire population. He said, “In the next 25-30 years there will be no Armenian state in the South Caucasus. This nation has been a nuisance for its neighbors and has no right to live in this region. Present-day Armenia was built on historical Azerbaijani lands. I believe that in 25 to 30 years these territories will once again come under Azerbaijan’s jurisdiction.” Mr. President, this reprehensible call for ethnic cleansing and even genocide warrants the strongest possible reply from our country.

The President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, has repeatedly declared that Azerbaijan could launch a new war in Karabakh. Just two months ago, he stated, “At any moment we must be able to liberate our territories by military means. To achieve this we have everything.” Aliyev has directly linked Azerbaijan’s economic progress to its military “superiority.” “Under these circumstances we cannot react positively to those calling us to compromise,” Aliyev stated.

Last year, as reported by BBC Monitoring, Azerbaijani Defense Minister General Safar Abiyev said that occasional violations of the cease-fire were “natural” since Azerbaijan is still “at war.” Statements like this not only undermine the peace process, but can also serve to actually encourage attacks against Armenia.

Just this month, NATO cancelled its Cooperative Best Effort (CBE) 2004 exercises in Baku, Azerbaijan after the government of Azerbaijan barred Armenia from participating. U.S. General James Jones, Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe, expressed regret over Azerbaijan’s refusal to honor its host obligations to accept delegates from all interested partners. As part of its commitment to international security in the Caucasus, Armenia welcomed both Azerbaijan and Turkey to participate in the NATO CBE 2003 exercises in Yerevan, Armenia.

Efforts to reinforce stability and reduce the risk of conflict are in the best interests of the United States and the region. The Nagorno Karabakh peace process will achieve nothing if Azerbaijan is allowed to risk war and predict ethnic cleansing with impunity. To this end, we urge that you condemn these remarks and call upon the government of Azerbaijan to desist in making any further threats against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.

Sincerely,