WASHINGTON, DC – In the wake of renewed threats this week against Nagorno Karabagh by Azerbaijan’s President and yesterday’s military attack by the Azerbaijani military against defensive positions in the Mardakert region in northern Nagorno Karabagh, the Armenian National Committee (ANCA) alerted members of Congress and the broader Washington, DC foreign policy community to the growing danger that Azerbaijan represents to U.S. interests in maintaining peace and stability in the Caucasus region.
According to Reuters news agency, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, known for his inflammatory anti-Armenian rhetoric, stated yesterday that, “We have been buying military machinery, airplanes and ammunition to be ready to liberate the occupied territories and we are ready to do this.” These statements were accompanied by renewed attacks by the Azerbaijani army in the area of Levonarkh in Mardakert, leading to as many as eight deaths. The Nagorno Karabagh Foreign Ministry has asked that the “OSCE launch a comprehensive investigation of the incident, give an official political evaluation of the Azeri authorities’ actions, as well as conduct an immediate crisis-monitoring in the incident zone, in order to prevent similar violations in future.”
In letters circulated yesterday afternoon to Congressional offices, the ANCA called on Senators and Representatives to voice their support for Nagorno Karabagh’s democratic progress and development, to hold Azerbaijan accountable for its belligerent rhetoric and aggressive actions, and to promote peace by expanding the level of dialogue between the U.S. and Nagorno Karabagh. The requests submitted by the ANCA to Members of Congress in response to these latest developments are outlined in a set of four one-page briefing documents:
* Honoring Nagorno Karabagh’s Democracy Movement
https://www.anca.org/assets/pdf/misc/nk_democracy_030308.pdf
* Expanding Dialogue with Nagorno Karabagh
https://www.anca.org/assets/pdf/misc/nk_dialogue_030308.pdf
* Promoting Development in Nagorno Karabagh
https://www.anca.org/assets/pdf/misc/nk_development_030308.pdf
* Holding Azerbaijan Accountable
https://www.anca.org/assets/pdf/misc/nk_azerbaijan_030308.pdf
Supporters of Nagorno Karabagh seeking to educate their elected representatives in Washington, DC regarding these issues can send a free ANCA WebFax by visiting:
http://capwiz.com/anca/issues/alert/?alertid=11070181&type=CO
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