cease-fire violations by azeris

[Yervant1]

Asia Times

Turkey deploys Syrian mercenaries to Karabakh war
By Ahmad Zaza
October 7, 2020

Syrian fighters claim to have suffered dozens of deaths in
Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict even as their presence is under wraps

A month before an assault on the Armenian enclave of Nagorno Karabakh,
Turkey launched a pipeline for Syrian mercenaries to aid in the
Azerbaijani offensive, Asia Times has learned.

Word of a new Turkish-sponsored mercenary opportunity, the second
since Libya, began circulating in northern Syria on September 1. By
September 6, commanders of Turkish-sponsored militias were registering
fighters to ship off to Azerbaijan.

Khaled, a Syrian man already employed by a Turkish-backed Malik Shah
brigade, says he left for Azerbaijan two weeks before the Karabakh
assault started.

“On September 14, we left Syria to Kilis area (southern Turkey) by
bus. We were about 25 young guys,” Khaled told Asia Times, using only
his first name to shield his identity.

In southern Turkey, he says the men were screened for illness and
injuries, and those under the age of 18 or over the age of 40 were
told to return. From there, they were transferred from Kilis to
Gaziantep by car, flown to Istanbul in a civilian plane, and then to
Azerbaijan with a batch of 35 recruits.

They were some of the nearly 1,200 Syrians who have been sent by
Turkey so far to fight on behalf of Azerbaijan, according to the
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has monitored rights
violations and death tolls throughout the war in Syria.

At least 72 Syrian mercenaries have been killed so far on the front
lines, the Observatory said Sunday. Ankara and Baku have vigorously
denied the men’s presence.

The deployments, according to information obtained by Asia Times, are ongoing.

Turkey’s “full support” motivated its ally Azerbaijan to reignite
fighting in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, Armenian Prime
Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Tuesday in an interview with AFP.

“While it is true that the leadership of Azerbaijan has been actively
promoting bellicose rhetoric for the last 15 years, now the decision
to unleash a war was motivated by Turkey’s full support,” the
45-year-old premier said.


US$1,500 per month

The armed forces of Armenia and Karabakh have reported 240 fatalities
to date. Azerbaijan, which tightly controls media within its borders,
has declined to reveal any military death toll.

Many of the mercenaries are drawn from the ranks of ethnic Turkman
militias stood up by Ankara over the course of the war and now living
in no man’s land between Assad’s Syria and the closed border with
Turkey.

“I had no future. I am responsible for the family’s expenses,” said
20-year-old Khaled, originally from Homs province and living displaced
with his mother and younger siblings in a camp in the northern
countryside of Aleppo.

Khaled was initially preparing to fight in Libya, an Arabic-speaking
country where Turkey started sending Syrian mercenaries in January to
fight on behalf of the allied government in Tripoli.

“I wanted to go to Libya and I registered my name, but the brigade
leadership told me that deployments there have stopped, and that I can
go to Azerbaijan,” he told Asia Times.

The salary was US$1,500 per month – $500 less than was paid to
mercenaries fighting in Libya, but still a massive sum in Syria, where
the value of the local currency has plummeted due to the war and
crippling US sanctions.

“Qatar is not interested in the war in Azerbaijan,” Khaled said his
leadership informed him to explain the disparity in pay.

Syrians deployed to Libya in January told Asia Times they were
promised Turkish citizenship, but Khaled said his request was
rejected. Instead, he was promised his family would receive $100,000
as compensation in case of his death, and he would receive up to
$7,000 in case of injury.


Ahmad, a 42-year-old fighter with the Turkish-backed Sultan Murad
faction and a father of five children, says he was also motivated to
fight in Azerbaijan by the salary. Like Khaled, he is from an area
that rebelled against the regime in Damascus and is now living
displaced with his wife and five children in Afrin, a
Turkish-dominated area of northern Syria.

“I was drawn by the salary of $1,500, which is the same amount I would
make with the [sultan Murad] division in a year,” he told Asia Times.
“I am looking for a decent life for my children and me.”

Ahmad says he joined a group of 50 men in northern Aleppo on September
16 and left through the Al-Rai border crossing to a Turkish military
base on the outskirts of Kilis.

“They presented us to a military committee. Unfortunately, I was
excluded from going there because I am too old,” he told Asia Times.
He was promised, he added, that they would call him if he were
eventually needed.

Media blackout

The deployment of Syrians to the front lines of Nagorno-Karabakh has
been accompanied by a social media blackout in Azerbaijan and a gag on
the mercenaries themselves.

Relatives of Mohammad Shaalan, a Syrian killed in the first week of
fighting for Azerbaijan, refused to go on record in verifying his
death, explaining that they would lose the financial compensation
promised by Turkey if they spoke to the media.

Asia Times also confirmed the killing of Mohammad Khaled Shihna from
the Syrian town of Maaret al-Numaan on October 2 in Azerbaijan. The
Syrian National Army, a Turkish-backed umbrella group, refused to
respond to queries on the total number of Syrian fighters killed in
Azerbaijan so far.


But according to one Syrian fighter on the front lines, the fighting
killed well over 50 of his comrades within its first week. “Thank God
for your injury and for not being here. Your life is worth much more
than $1,500,” the fighter told his friend Louai, who was reached by
Asia Times.

Louai attempted to go to fight in Azerbaijan and says he had left on
September 18 for Kilis, Turkey, with a group of about 250 Syrian
recruits.

“Unfortunately, I was rejected because of my injury, as I cannot run;
so the committee sent me back with 60 guys for various reasons on
September 19. But my friend Mahmoud was accepted,” he told Asia Times.

He kept in contact with Mahmoud, who traveled from Gaziantep Airport
to Istanbul and then to Azerbaijan, on September 25.

“Three days later, he called and told me the situation is very bad,”
Louai said. Mahmoud said they were not getting fed enough and were
being mistreated by the Azerbaijani officers since their arrival at
the front line.

“There was no mobile phone coverage in his area, so he requested to be
transferred to another location. He was finally able, after several
attempts, to communicate with his family.”

Syrian mother Umm Mohammad says she has lost touch with her
19-year-old son, Mohammad, who ran away to become a mercenary in
Azerbaijan.

“Mohammad was working in a takeout restaurant in al-Bab city. But on
September 15, he didn’t return home and I tried to contact him but to
no avail,” she told Asia Times. She went to her son’s workplace and
found out from her son’s boss that he and two other employees failed
to show up the day before.

“He said he heard about their deployment to Azerbaijan, but he wasn’t
sure. Three days later, my son called me and told me that he was in
the Turkish city of Gaziantep, and that he’d go the next day to
Istanbul to deploy to Azerbaijan.”

She says he told her he wanted to earn a better salary to improve the
family’s financial situation. “Of course I tried to convince him to
return, but he refused,” the 47-year-old mother said.

Umm Mohammad says her son arrived in Azerbaijan on September 25 and
was then sent to a front line that was consistently being bombed.

“I used to hear the sounds of shelling around him when l was talking
to him on the phone, then one call was completely out off with him.”

She said she does not know if he is still alive.

https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://asiatimes.com/2020/10/turkey-deploys-syrian-mercenaries-to-karabakh-war/__;!!LIr3w8kk_Xxm!5YAqzAw5KFmDxI3n9KPff0kaTMfzWREvUqKGFAm11awVCnyJIRp6A2AOg_BUyA$

An image grab taken from footage released by the armed forces of the Armenia-backed breakaway region of Nagorny Karabakh on September 28, 2020, allegedly shows bodies of killed Azerbaijani soldiers. Photo: AFP/NKR Defence Army

Edited October 8, 2020 by Yervant1

[Yervant1]

The Indian Express

Oct 7 2020

Amid Nagorno-Karabakh clashes, an Indian restaurant is helping displaced Armenians Parvez Ali Khan’s restaurant in Armenia’s capital Yerevan is delivering packages of cooked food to those forced to flee their homes in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.Written by Neha Banka

Parvez Ali Khan and his family, along with restaurant employees, have been working 12-hour shifts to prepare food packages for displaced people in Yerevan, Armenia. (Photo: Aqsa Khan)

When fresh clashes erupted between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh in the South Caucasus approximately two weeks ago, Parvez Ali Khan knew that he had to do something for the country that he now calls home. Khan, a 47-year-old from Patiala, India, had moved to Armenia five years ago with his wife and two daughters, in the hope of economic prospects and now runs Indian Mehak Restaurant and Bar, a two-year-old establishment located in the heart of capital Yerevan, just minutes away from Republic Square.

Parvez Ali Khan runs Indian Mehak Restaurant and Bar in Yerevan, Armenia. (Photo credit: Aqsa Khan)

Since fighting broke out on September 27, Armenian officials have said that the total military death toll has gone up to 244 as of October 6, according to a Reuters report, making it one of the most violent clashes in the region since the 1990s. It is unclear how many people have been forced to leave Karabakh since the fighting began, but social media posts and witness reports suggest the numbers are high.

“I must have seen approximately 30,000 refugees in Yerevan,” Khan says. On October 4, on the restaurant’s Facebook page, the family announced that they were providing freshly-cooked Indian food to people who had fled the Nagorno-Karabakh region and were seeking refuge in the capital. “We are Punjabis and we help people wherever we are. We have always done it,” Khan says.

Since the clashes have intensified, Armenians across the country have stepped in to help in whatever way they can, and Khan says he wanted to do his bit. So he turned to the resources he had easy access to—his restaurant’s kitchen. People from the Nagorno-Karabakh region who were seeking refuge in Yerevan were being given dry ingredients, with no access to facilities where they could cook, Khan says.

Overnight, he turned his kitchen into a space where his staff could prepare hundreds of food packages to distribute in the capital. “I had some savings that I had kept aside to open a restaurant in Prague. That didn’t materialise due to the coronavirus outbreak. So I am using those funds for this.”

“We started on October 4, and it just blew up,” says 20-year-old Aqsa, Khan’s elder daughter. “We knew there were refugees, but we didn’t know there were so many.” Since then, Khan and his family, along with four employees, have been working 12-hour shifts to prepare boxes with rice and naan, chole-bhature, vegetable dishes with potatoes, brinjal etc., all cooked using less spice than what is customary in Punjabi cooking, to suit the preferences of Armenians.

But the family doesn’t think they are doing anything unusual. “There is a lot of unity in Armenia,” Aqsa explains, pointing to citizens who have come together to donate whatever was possible—from money to essentials. “We were thinking about how we could help. So we first posted on the Facebook page about donating proceeds from delivery and take-out orders. But then we saw that the refugees didn’t have access to fresh food and we thought this was more impactful.”

Aqsa says that the family found inspiration for the initiative when a local resident approached the restaurant asking for dry ingredients that she could use to prepare food for children to whom she was providing shelter. The family offered cooked Indian food instead. “We thought that we would be doing it for 25 to 30 people only,” says Khan. But the family soon realised that there were many more who needed their assistance.

Aqsa and her sister Alsa, 18, then took to Facebook and announced that the restaurant was offering Indian food to whoever was coming in from Artsakh, another name for Nagorno-Karabakh. “On the first day, some 400 people asked for help,” says Khan. “It grew from there,” Aqsa adds.

As their social media post has spread, the Khans’ phones haven’t stopped ringing. While some callers have been requesting for food packages, many others have reached out to the restaurant to offer assistance in any way they can. “Women are calling us to ask if we need help in the kitchen. People are bringing their cars to help distribute the food,” says Khan.

Recently, a volunteer delivered food from the restaurant all the way to Hrazdan, a town some 50 kms away, where some residents of Nagorno-Karabakh have sought refuge. Another volunteer has helped deliver food to Tsaghkadzor, a town a little further away. While the Khans are cooking the dishes, four Armenians have stepped in to help package the food and deliver it across Yerevan.

“Now refugees are calling us directly, as are organisations who are helping them. Some hotels who have been hosting refugees have also asked us to provide (food packages) for one meal a day,” says Aqsa. “I have never seen anything like this.”

Parvez Ali Khan helps load food packages into a waiting van outside his restaurant in Yerevan, Armenia. (Photo: Aqsa Khan)

Since the initiative is only a few days old, for now, Khan is making use of his restaurant’s supplies to prepare these food packages. The restaurant has found an outpouring of support from people across Armenia and even those in the diaspora. Many have left them messages of gratitude, promising to visit the restaurant when they can. “After the war, I will visit your restaurant and celebrate our victory,” says one message on their Facebook page, with hundreds of others in a similar vein.

There aren’t too many Indians in Armenia, says Khan, and his establishment is among the few prominent Indian restaurants in the country. In Yerevan alone, he believes, there must be around 100 Indian families, with approximately 4,000 Indian students studying medicine, scattered in universities across the country. Following the Indian government’s operation of Vande Bharat flights to help citizens overseas return home during the coronavirus pandemic, many have temporarily left.

The Khan family and their employees pose with the Indian and Armenian national flags in their restaurant’s kitchen in Yerevan, Armenia. (Photo credit: Indian Mehak Restaurant and Bar)

Over the past five years, Khan says his daughters have developed a fondness for Armenia. During their years at school and college in the country, they have made friends, learnt the language and the culture and have adapted well here, while holding on to their Indian citizenship. “They like the country.” The family has been working non-stop to prepare the food packages and they don’t have too much time for more questions. For Aqsa, Nagorno-Karabakh is as much a cause as it is for her Armenian friends and she is doing whatever she and her family can to assist the country that is now home.

https://indianexpress.com/article/world/nagorno-karabakh-clashes-indian-restaurant-is-helping-displaced-armenians-6705893/

[Yervant1]

 

Greek City Times

Oct 7 2020

Azerbaijani media & government repeatedly caught making fake news about war against Armeniaby Paul Antonopoulos

 

 

The Azerbaijani government and media have repeatedly been caught making fake news about progress in its invasion of the Armenian-majority region of Artsakh.

Although Turks and Azeris are linguistic and cultural kin, often saying that they constitute “one nation in two states,” it appears that this shared affinity also extends into their authoritarian and dictatorial style of governance with a heavy-handed control of the media.

Turkey is one of the lowest ranked countries for media freedoms in the world, is the second most susceptible country surveyed on the European continent to fake news, has the most journalists jailed in the whole world, and 90% of media is government controlled.

However, topping Turkey, Azerbaijan has an even lower media freedom ranking then, Turkey, placing 168 out of 180 countries, and this has only becoming increasingly evident with the spread of fake news during its invasion attempt of Artsakh.

There are many examples to highlight, but we will point out two of the most glaring obvious.

Azerbaijani media released footage where an Azerbaijani cannot decide whether he is a soldier speaking to an alleged Armenian woman that is being treated courteously by the Azerbaijani army, or a journalist hiding in fear from Armenian bombardment.

 

The Armenian Defense Ministry notes that the Azerbaijani propaganda machine is so poor that it is incapable of even finding different actors for different roles, Armen Press reported.

Ադրբեջանական քարոզչամեքենայի ողորմելի կեղծիքը

Ադրբեջանական քարոզչամեքենայի ողորմելի կեղծիքըՏեսանյութը ԶԻՆՈՒԺ MEDIA –ի

Posted by Armenpress on Wednesday, 7 October 2020

In fact, the fake news was so obvious that Armenian social media users started mocking the Azerbaijani reporter/soldier/actor.

https://twitter.com/MkrtchyanC/status/1313947320409616385

https://twitter.com/EdgarZaqare/status/1313935115219804161

On October 4, Hikmet Hajiyev, the Assistant of the Azerbaijani Dictator, Ilhem Aliyev, and Head of Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Aliyev’s Administration, was blatantly caught out lying on Twitter.

“Proof of Armenia’s delibarate and targeted attack against critical civilian infrastructure of Azerbaijan. Missile landed in close proximity of energy block in Mingachevir. But did not explode. Peace enforcement must continue to bring Armenia to its senses and responsibility,” he said on Twitter.

Proof of Armenia's delibarate and targeted attack against critical civilian infrastructure of Azerbaijan. #Missile landed in close proximity of energy block in #Mingachevir. But did not explode. Peace enforcement must continue to bring #Armenia to its senses and responsibility. pic.twitter.com/QlyVuLLnXB

— Hikmet Hajiyev (@HikmetHajiyev) October 4, 2020

One Twitter user asked Mike Mihajlovic, an engineer, defense technologies specialist, and former army officer, to analyze the claims made by Hajiyev.

Mihajlovic highlighted “Fake impact. Staged for the photo ops:

Facts:

– no debris around impact;

– asphalt drilled, not broken during the “high velocity” impact;

– piece of wood to support the missile;

rocket motor without combustion marks;

– brand new looking sign above the door.”

Yes, I can:

Fake impact. Staged for the photo ops:

Facts:

– no debris around impact;

– asphalt drilled, not broken during the "high velocity" impact;

– piece of wood to support the missile;

rocket motor without combustion marks;

– brand new looking sign above the door.

— Mike Mihajlovic (@MihajlovicMike) October 4, 2020

He then highlighted “At a first glance, the ‘impact”‘ angle is [approximately] 55 [degrees]. Unguided rocket flight trajectory is different than for artillery shells because it is propelled flight.”

At a first glance, the “impact” angle is app 55 deg. Unguided rocket flight trajectory is different than for artillery shells because it is propelled flight. pic.twitter.com/1pwTcLuOpS

— Mike Mihajlovic (@MihajlovicMike) October 4, 2020

He then highlighted that weapon that the Armenians allegedly used does not even have the range to reach where it landed even if shot at from the closest point in Armenia.

pic.twitter.com/xcOz4fgAY6

— Mike Mihajlovic (@MihajlovicMike) October 4, 2020

https://greekcitytimes.com/2020/10/08/azerbaijan-fake-news/

[MosJan]

condemn turkey or azeris don't help.. just like 100 years ago...

[Yervant1]

I have tears of joy on my cheeks, right now I'm so proud to be Armenian, next to my Artsakh brothers and sisters. Can any other country say the same! Long live Free Artsakh. The article won't let me download please read it.

 

 

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/solidarity-defiance-in-under-fire-karabakh-city/ar-BB19Pdrq?ocid=msedgntp

Edited October 8, 2020 by Yervant1

[Yervant1]

Artsakh Information Center: Azerbaijan army has over 4,069 casualties

11:45, 08.10.2020

Region:Armenia, Karabakh, Azerbaijan
Theme: Politics

3

SHARES

The Artsakh [(Nagorno-Karabakh)] Information Center has presented the Azerbaijani army’s losses ever since hostilities began on September 27.

Accordingly, the Artsakh Defense Army has so far destroyed 16 combat helicopters, 17 warplanes, 145 military drones, 496 armored vehicles—mainly tanks, four TOS-1A heavy artillery system, four Smerch rocket launcher systems of the adversary.

Also, the Azerbaijani army has over 4,069 casualties, whereas from the Armenian side, according to preliminary data, there are 331 military casualties.

Armenia News - NEWS.am

[Yervant1]

NK conflict has long received religious coloring by Azerbaijan – Syrian journalist

Save

Share7

15:58, 8 October, 2020

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 8, ARMENPRESS. Russian-Syrian journalist, expert on international studies Abbas Cuma says the Nagorno Karabakh conflict has long received a religious coloring for Azerbaijan.

Commenting on today’s attack by Azerbaijan on the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Artsakh’s Shushi, the journalist told Armenpress: “I saw how the elderly people are crying in the church, holding from walls and praying. I understood that it is not an ordinary place for them where they can pray, it is much more, a symbol, a second home, for all Armenians, not only for the residents of Karabakh, but also for those who live in Armenia or even abroad. It’s a very important church for all Armenians. I regret that this conflict is starting to receive a religious coloring. It has long received such coloring by Azerbaijanis. I see it with the rhetoric existing on social media. Many in Azerbaijan perceive this as a fight for Islam”.

The reporter stated that he has not seen such moods in Armenia. “This is not a religious war for Armenians”, he added.

The Holy Ghazanchetsots Church of Shushi has been attacked by Azerbaijan on October 8.

Ghazanchetsots is the seat of the Diocese of Artsakh of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

[Yervant1]

Armenia: Karabakh will never target Azerbaijan's cultural monuments

October 8, 2020 - 21:46 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - His comments came hours after Azerbaijan twice hit the iconic Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Shushi, Karabakh, as a result of which at least two Russian journalists were injured, one of them severely.

Hovhannisyan told a briefing Thursday, October 8 that the Armenian side has never targeted cultural centers and will never do that.

The military official reminded that the Azerbaijani army fired as many as 1000 Grad shells on Karabakh's capital Stepanakert during the war in the 1990s, which they were storing in the same Cathedral they bombed on Thursday.

"We have been living here for centuries, we know the way they think and the way they do things," Hovhannisyan said.

Azerbaijan, with help from Turkey, launched a large-scale offensive against Karabakh (Artsakh) in the morning of September 27, shelling Armenian positions and civilian settlements with large caliber weapons and rocket systems. Armenia and Karabakh have introduced martial law and total mobilization. The Armenian side has reported deaths and injuries both among the civilian population and the military. International and local journalists too have been injured in Azeri shelling of towns and villages.

Donations can be made to Hayastan All-Armenian Fund, which has launched a fundraising campaign to support Karabakh amid Azerbaijan's aggression.

[Yervant1]

Hitting religious worship sites is a war crime, Armenia tells Azerbaijan

October 8, 2020 - 20:27 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Armenian Foreign Ministry on Thursday, October 8 reminded Azerbaijan that targeting sites of religious worship and cultural monuments is a war crime under international humanitarian law.

The statement from the Armenian side comes after Azerbaijan twice hit the iconic Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Shushi, Nagorno-Karabakh, as a result of which at least two Russian journalists were injured, one of them severely.

"This is another crime of the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan, which reveals its inhuman essence. Nevertheless, this action fully fits into its policy of Armenophobia developed for decades. Azerbaijan, which has completely annihilated the Armenian cultural heritage in Nakhichevan and in other parts of the historical homeland of the Armenian people, now throughout the ongoing military aggression against Artsakh is trying to deprive Armenians of Artsakh of their homeland and historical memory," the Armenian Foreign Ministry sad.

"With these actions Azerbaijan replicates behaviour of its newly acquired allies - the infamous international terrorist organizations, who are responsible for destruction of the numerous historical-cultural monuments in the Middle East. We condemn in the strongest way this heinous crime of Azerbaijan is also a challenge to the whole civilized humanity.

"In this regard, we remind the Azerbaijani military-political authorities that targeting religious worship sites and cultural monuments is war crime as enshrined in international humanitarian law, the responsibility for which has no statute of limitations."

Azerbaijan, with help from Turkey, launched a large-scale offensive against Karabakh (Artsakh) in the morning of September 27, shelling Armenian positions and civilian settlements with large caliber weapons and rocket systems. Armenia and Karabakh have introduced martial law and total mobilization. The Armenian side has reported deaths and injuries both among the civilian population and the military. International and local journalists too have been injured in Azeri shelling of towns and villages.

Donations can be made to Hayastan All-Armenian Fund, which has launched a fundraising campaign to support Karabakh amid Azerbaijan's aggression.

[Yervant1]

Karabakh vows to restore Ghazanchetsots church after Azeri shelling

October 8, 2020 - 16:52 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Nagorno-Karabakh President Arayik Harutyunyan has vowed to restore the iconic Ghazanchetsots Cathedral which was severely damaged in Azerbaijan's shelling on Thursday, October 8

"St. Ghazanchetsots Church in Shushi was targeted by terrorists. This manifestation of vandalism is against the laws of mankind and God. We will restore it (the church - Ed.)," Harutyunyan said.

The cathedral was consecrated in 1888 but was damaged during the March 1920 massacre of Armenians of the city by Azerbaijanis and experienced a decades-long decline, well into the Soviet period. During the Nagorno-Karabakh War, Azerbaijan used the cathedral as an armory to store missiles. It was restored in the aftermath of the war and reconsecrated in 1998. A landmark of Shushi and Karabakh, it has become an icon for the Karabakh Armenian cause. Standing 35 metres high, Ghazanchetsots is one of the largest Armenian churches in the world.

Azerbaijan, with help from Turkey, launched a large-scale offensive against Karabakh (Artsakh) in the morning of September 27, shelling Armenian positions and civilian settlements with large caliber weapons and rocket systems. Armenia and Karabakh have introduced martial law and total mobilization. The Armenian side has reported deaths and injuries both among the civilian population and the military. International and local journalists too have been injured in Azeri shelling of towns and villages.

Donations can be made to Hayastan All-Armenian Fund, which has launched a fundraising campaign to support Karabakh amid Azerbaijan's aggression.

[Yervant1]

Karabakh army thwarts new Azeri attack, destroys 9 armored vehicles

October 8, 2020 - 16:25 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Azerbaijani forces is constantly attempting to launch new offensives but are failing, the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army reports.

"At around 2 p.m. today, the adversary launched an attack in two directions of the southern border, but were suppressed by the Defense Armenia forces," a message published by the Armenian Unified Infocenter said on Thursday, October 8.

"Azerbaijan suffered significant losses of military personnel. Nine Azerbaijani armored units were also destroyed."

Azerbaijan, with help from Turkey, launched a large-scale offensive against Karabakh (Artsakh) in the morning of September 27, shelling Armenian positions and civilian settlements with large caliber weapons and rocket systems. Armenia and Karabakh have introduced martial law and total mobilization. The Armenian side has reported deaths and injuries both among the civilian population and the military. International and local journalists too have been injured in Azeri shelling of towns and villages.

Donations can be made to Hayastan All-Armenian Fund, which has launched a fundraising campaign to support Karabakh amid Azerbaijan's aggression.

[Yervant1]

African-Americans, Mexicans join Armenians in Karabakh protests

October 8, 2020 - 12:16 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Crowds of Armenian demonstrators in California continue their rallies in light of the ongoing conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh to spread awareness about the Azerbaijani-Turkish aggression and military crimes against Armenia and Artsakh.

Protests were held in Los Angeles and Glendale where the Armenian Diaspora is especially large. One of the protesters, Vahagn Avoyan, told PanARMENIAN.Net that the demonstrations are becoming bigger with the involvement of the Americans, as well as the Mexican and African American communities.

“A thousands-strong demonstration took place on Sunset Boulevard in the heart of Hollywood, where we were joined by a number of African Americans, Mexicans and Americans, who expressed solidarity upon learning about our cause,” says Avoyan.

According to him, the African American community is especially active in joining forces with Armenians as a token of gratitude for the latter’s support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

“Everyone comes to the demonstrations, some even bring their children. Our gatherings are peaceful, even Los Angeles police officers are surprised. They aren’t used to such peaceful and positive protests,” says another Armenian demonstrator. Avoyan also noted that the protests will be continuous, with the residents of Los Angeles and Glendale having agreed to gather every day to draw public attention to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the Azerbajiani-Turkish aggression. Besides the demonstrations, the Armenian-American communities also provide financial and material support, sending medications, money and other necessities to Armenia.

Azerbaijan, with help from Turkey, launched a large-scale offensive against Karabakh (Artsakh) in the morning of September 27, shelling Armenian positions and civilian settlements with large caliber weapons and rocket systems. Armenia and Karabakh have introduced martial law and total mobilization. The Armenian side has reported deaths and injuries both among the civilian population and the military. International and local journalists too have been injured in Azeri shelling of towns and villages.

Donations can be made to Hayastan All-Armenian Fund, which has launched a fundraising campaign to support Karabakh amid Azerbaijan's aggression.

Photo: Edward Tovmassian

[Yervant1]

Rest in Peace.

 

Lebanese-Armenian opera singer Kevork Hadjian killed in Karabakh

October 8, 2020 - 10:54 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Lebanese-Armenian opera singer Kevork Hadjian was killed in fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh on Tuesday, October 6, Yerkir.am reports.

Hadjian was a volunteer from the Armenian Revolutionary Federation and a member of the regiment that, longside a Defense Army spec-ops team overran Azerbaijani positions on the height of Varangatagh (Lulasaz).

The singer had repatriated to Armenia after the independence.

Azerbaijan, with help from Turkey, launched a large-scale offensive against Karabakh (Artsakh) in the morning of September 27, shelling Armenian positions and civilian settlements with large caliber weapons and rocket systems. Armenia and Karabakh have introduced martial law and total mobilization. The Armenian side has reported deaths and injuries both among the civilian population and the military. International and local journalists too have been injured in Azeri shelling of towns and villages.

 

 

[MosJan]

Ադրբեջանը և Թուրքիան իրենց նյութեղեն զենքով չեն կարող ընկճել մեր ժողովրդի մնայուն հավատքը. Արամ Ա
գրված է

Մեծի Տանն Կիլիկիո Արամ Ա կաթողիկոսը տեսաուղերձ է հղել հայոց բանակի զինվորներին ու ողջ աշխարհին՝ նշելով, որ Ադրբեջանը և Թուրքիան իրենց նյութեղեն զենքով չեն կարող ընկճել մեր ժողովրդի մնայուն հավատքը: «Արմենպրես»-ի փոխանցմամբ` Արամ Ա-ն ընգծել է, որ հայ ժողովրդի հավատքն ու հայրենասիրությունն ավելի զորեղ են, քան ցանկացած
զենք:

«Թող աշխարհն իմանա, որ Ադրբեջանը և Թուրքիան իրենց նյութեղեն զենքով չեն կարող ընկճել մեր ժողովրդի մնայուն կյանքը ու հավատքը: Եթե իրենց նյութեղեն զենքը իրենց հզորության աղբյուրն է ու ապավենը, հայոց բանակի և մեր ժողովրդի հավատքի զենքը, վճռականության զենքը, հայրենասիրության զենքն ավելի զորեղ է, քան աշխարհի ամեն տեսակ զենքերը»,- ասել է Արամ Ա-ն:

Մեծի Տանն Կիլիկիո կաթողիկոսը, դիմելով հայոց բանակի զինվորներին, նշել է, որ պետք է հաղթենք և միշտ հաղթենք

[Yervant1]

Jerusalem Post

Oct 8 2020

Armenians in Israel seethe over arms sold to Azeri enemy

Diaspora warns of grave consequences over renewed fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh.

By URI COHEN/THE MEDIA LINE

Demonstrators supporting Armenia hold a sign protesting Israel's sale of arms to Azerbaijan in the military conflict over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, in Brussels, Belgium October 7, 2020

(photo credit: REUTERS/YVES HERMAN)

The heavy fighting between forces from Armenia and Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh continued on Wednesday as the flare-up over the disputed Azeri region entered its 11th day.

The Media Line spoke with members of the Armenian diaspora in Israel, as well with officials with close ties to the Caucasus state. They offered a glimpse into the community’s mindset, including their feelings about reports of Israeli arms being used on the battlefield by Azerbaijan.

“My father’s family are all there [in the Armenian capital of Yerevan]. We speak daily. The situation is extremely difficult for them,” David Galfayan, head of the Noyan Tapan Armenian Center for Culture and Education in Israel, told The Media Line.

“They hope it will be over soon,” he said.

QUOTE: “There hasn’t been a general draft yet, but many are volunteering to fight. It’s our people there [in Nagorno-Karabakh]. We must protect them,” he stated.

CONTEXT: This war-torn region of Azerbaijan, with its large Armenian majority, declared independence in 1992 following the collapse of the Soviet Union and after years of bloody struggles between Armenian secessionists and Azeri authorities.

The unilateral move, recognized by no foreign government – not even that of Armenia – sparked an all-out war that claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced thousands.

Since 1994, a tense cease-fire has been maintained in the area, population approximately 150,000, which is supported heavily by Armenia. Deadly skirmishes and clashes have erupted every few years. The past 10 days have seen hundreds killed, many of them civilians.

Tsvi Kan-Tor, chair of the Israel-Armenia Chamber of Commerce, says that trade relations between the two countries have ground to a halt.

“Relations were pretty restricted and relatively undeveloped anyway. Regular flights were established only a year ago,” he told The Media Line.

Kan-Tor notes, however, that there had been a positive trend until the coronavirus pandemic began.

“Right now, there isn’t any actual trade activity at all,” he stated.

“There is usually a lot of support [for] Israel [in Armenia]; they are very pro-Israel. But that’s disappearing now,” he said.

QUOTE: “There is a lot of anger toward Israel,” he continued. “I speak with my friends in Armenia and they all say one thing: ‘Why are you killing us?’”

CONTEXT: Israel is believed to be Azerbaijan’s largest weapons supplier, with the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute estimating that arms deals between the two countries over the past five years have totaled more than $740 million.

Last week, Azeri President Ilham Aliyev’s adviser Hikmet Hajiyev confirmed that his country’s military was employing Israeli-made “suicide drones” in battle.

Israel is estimated to import about one-fifth of its oil from Azerbaijan. It rarely comments on its arms sales to anyone.

“One of my acquaintances [in Armenia] had a son who enlisted to fight,” Kan-Tor says. “A few days ago, his [military] post was hit by a drone, which they say Israel sold to Azerbaijan. This is as personal as it gets.”

Says Galfayan: “We’re extremely angry with the Israeli government for selling weapons to Azerbaijan. It’s not only detrimental to the Armenian people, but to the Israeli people as well.”

He notes that the sales could boomerang.

QUOTE: “There are many terrorists that Turkey has imported from Syria to fight in Azerbaijan. All those weapons we’re supplying them, tomorrow will reach our borders and be turned against us,” he complained, referring to pro-Turkey Syrian rebels who have been idled due to a cease-fire in that country’s civil war.

“We’re mad not only as Armenians, but as Israelis as well,” he noted.

In the past week, repeated international efforts to stem the violence and declare a cease-fire were dismissed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as “superficial” and “not useful.” Ankara has been accused by Armenia, as well as France and Russia, of arming Azerbaijan with drones of its own and other advanced weaponry.

“We fear we’ve gone back 100 years; for us it’s the continuation of the [Armenian] holocaust,” Galfayan says, referring to the genocide of 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during the First World War.

QUOTE: “People are dying on both sides, just because of Erdogan. This is all his fault,” he said.

Last week, Yerevan announced it was recalling its ambassador to Israel over reports of increased arms sales between Israel and Azerbaijan.

On Monday, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin spoke with his Armenian counterpart, Armen Sarkissian, expressing sorrow for the escalation of hostilities. He explained that Jerusalem held a long-standing relationship with Baku but stressed that this cooperation was not aimed at harming other countries.

Kan-Tor says it remains unclear how the fighting will affect long-term Israeli-Armenian relations.

“Armenians are just now understanding that the world operates based solely on interests,” he said.

“They want to advance on the path to technological leadership, to expand their economy into hi-tech and other industries, emulating Israel in that sense,” he noted. “That way, they hope to affect global power plays and have a say in what goes on around them.”

https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/armenians-in-israel-seethe-over-arms-sold-to-azeri-enemy-644997?fbclid=IwAR0cSVJkQHZO5phRNudsnrgvRdF_ey_4ONMzfHACmCM96iz80V5PLbBf4Qk

[Yervant1]

MEDIA RELEASE

Trent Zimmerman MP in Australian Parliament: This Conflict is the Result of Azerbaijani Actions


http://www.anc.org.au/images/cms/1/news/trent-artsakh.jpg

CANBERRA: Member of North Sydney, Trent Zimmerman MP has delivered an impassioned plea in Australia's Federal Parliament for the international community "not to sit back and hope that the parties will themselves come together but to actively intervene and tell the Azerbaijanis that their actions today simply are unacceptable", reported the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU).

The co-convenor of the Australia-Armenia Inter-Parliamentary Union (Friendship Group) used an adjournment address in the Federation Chamber to deliver his assessment on Azerbaijan's Turkey-backed attacks on the Armenian Republics of Artsakh and Armenia, which began on 27th September and continue to today.

Zimmerman called out Baku's autocratic regime of Ilham Aliyev for the aggression that has led to the biggest outbreak of the Armenia-Artsakh-Azerbaijan War since the internationally-brokered ceasefire in 1994.

"The most important reason why Australians should care about this conflict in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, or Artsakh, is that we know that if the Azerbaijani government prevails, the world will witness ethnic cleansing, which will put the livelihoods and, in fact, the lives of hundreds of thousands of residents in Nagorno-Karabakh at threat," he said.

"There can be no doubt that these actions, which have been long foreshadowed by the President of Azerbaijan, have one goal in mind—that is, to see every person of Armenian heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh, or Artsakh, forced from their homes, forced from their traditional lands and forced out of that country, one way or the other."

Zimmerman added: "The international community must get involved. It must put pressure on the Azerbaijani government to stop its activities. Of course, they say in war the first loss is that of truth, but the reality is that Armenia had nothing to gain and a hell of a lot to lose by military action against Azerbaijan. So I, therefore, respectfully suggest that this conflict is the result of Azerbaijani actions. It has, as I said earlier, long been the goal of the Azerbaijani president to reclaim by force these territories."

The Chair of the Australian Parliament's House of Representatives Committee on Health, Sport & Ageing then turned his attention on the dictatorship of Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, who has assisted self-confessed "two states, one nation" partner Azerbaijan through the deployment of Ankara-backed Islamist jihadist mercenaries from Syria and air support.

"What particularly concerns me is that we have seen other players get involved, particularly the Turkish government and its allies within its community. That has seen, at best, the Turkish government provide moral support for Azerbaijani actions. At worst, there is growing evidence that we are actually seeing Turkish interests supporting the military operations that are underway, potentially including the use of mercenaries from Syria," he said.

Zimmerman also called on the international community to stop providing military equipment to Azerbaijan.

"We must also be ensuring that the international community is either directly or indirectly not providing military equipment to the Azerbaijani forces to continue to fight the Armenians in the way that they have," he said.

Zimmerman, who visited Armenia as part of ANC-AU's first delegation to Armenia, added: "We have to ensure that further loss of life is prevented and that we don't see another tragedy emerge in this very difficult part of the world. The Armenians, over the last century-and-a-half, have already suffered a great deal. We must prevent that at every cost from happening again."

Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU), Haig Kayserian thanked Zimmerman for his powerful statement.

"The Armenian-Australian community are living through traumatic, sleepless times, waiting for news of the next cluster bomb attack on our brothers and sisters in the country of our origin," Kayserian said. "Mr. Zimmerman's powerful words, calling the attackers out as Azerbaijan and Turkey out as criminal Baku's criminal sponsors, is appreciated and brings important attention to an unfolding humanitarian disaster."

Last week, a statement from Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne expressed "concern" at the "renewed fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan around the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh", which the Armenian-Australian community said was "disappointing".

"Australia should not be on the wrong side of history on this issue,” Kayserian told The Guardian on Tuesday. "Failing to call out the attack which instigated the ensuing violence emboldens the dictatorship of Ilham Aliyev in Azerbaijan to continue inciting Armenophobic war crimes against Armenia and Artsakh."

"We call upon the Australian Government to call crimes by name, and this was an attack by Azerbaijan backed by Turkey, who have supported with high-level weaponry and the deployment of Islamist jihadists previously fighting in Syria."

WATCH VIDEO HERE

[Yervant1]

https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2020/10/turkey-rekindles-armenian-genocide-raymond-ibrahim/

Turkey Rekindles the Armenian Genocide

And the U.S. unwittingly aids its NATO ally’s jihad.

Wed Oct 7, 2020

By Raymond Ibrahim

urkey’s jihadi mercenaries fight for Azerbaijan against Armenia

 

 

 

 

Raymond Ibrahim is a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center.

As it has done in other arenas where “extremists” are attacking moderates or Christians—from Syria to Libya to Nigeria—Turkey is spearheading another jihad, this time against Christian Armenia.

Context: Fighting recently erupted in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which borders Armenia and Azerbaijan. Although it is ethnically Armenian, after the dissolution of the USSR, the territory was allotted to Muslim Azerbaijan. Since then, hostilities and skirmishes have erupted, though the current one, if not quenched—an Azerbaijani drone was shot down above the Armenian capital and Azerbaijan is threatening to bomb Armenia’s unsecure nuclear power plant—can have serious consequences, including internationally.

By doing what it does best—funding, sponsoring, and transporting terrorists to troubled regions—Turkey has exacerbated if not sparked tensions. Several reports and testimonials, including by an independent French journalist, have confirmed that Turkey is funneling jihadi groups that had been operating in Syria and Libya—including the pro-Muslim Brotherhood Hamza Division, which kept naked, sex slave women in prison—to this latest theater of conflict.

The “quality” of these incoming “freedom fighters”—as the Western mainstream media, particularly during the Obama era, was wont to call them—is further evidenced by their attempts to enforce sharia, Islamic law, on some of their more secularized hosts in Azerbaijan.

After asking, “Why has Turkey returned to the South Caucasus 100 years [after the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire]?” Nikol Pashinyan, Armenia’s prime minister, answered in a statement: “To continue the Armenian Genocide.” This is a reference to the well documented massacre of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians, 750,000 Greeks and 300,000 Assyrians—a total of 2.5 million Christians—slaughtered at the hands of Turks and in the name of jihad.

While Pashinyan is correct in characterizing the latest hostilities as a reflection of Turkey’s attempt “to continue the Armenian Genocide” of the nineteenth-twentieth centuries, in fact, the continuum of Turkic attacks on Armenia stretch back more than a thousand years ago, when the Turks first cleansed the Armenians from their ancient homeland, also in accordance with jihadi ideology.

Then and now, Azerbaijanis participated. During one of the eleventh century jihads on Armenia, the great cross of an ancient church was torn down, mocked and desecrated, and then sent to adorn a mosque in Azerbaijan; more recently, after hostilities erupted, Azerbaijanis surrounded the Armenian embassy in Washington, D.C. this last summer, while chanting about jihad.

The Armenian prime minister continues:

For Turkey, however, continuing a genocidal policy is not only a means of implementing Armenophobia, but also a pragmatic task. Armenia and the Armenians of the South Caucasus are the last remaining obstacle on the way of continued Turkish expansion towards the North, the North East, and the East, and the realization of its imperialistic dream.

It is no longer merely the Karabakh issue, nor a security issue of the Armenian people. It is now an issue of international security, and today, the Armenian people are defending also international security, assuming what may be a new historic mission.

In other words, he is saying that only Christian Armenia (Georgia would be included too) stands between Turkey and some sort of unification with the many Muslim nations to its east (the “Stans,” e.g., Turkmenistan).

Certainly Turkey’s ambitions are not to be doubted. Whether by citing history’s most sadistic jihadis as paragons of virtue and emulation, or by transforming the Hagia Sophia into a mosque, or by helping to destabilize moderate Muslim governments and slaughter Christianswith its jihadi militias, Turkey’s imperialistic dreams of resuccisitating the Ottoman Empire have been increasingly on display.

The editor-in-chief of Yeni Safak, a Turkish newspaper, recently called for as much in an article partially titled “Turkey is a global power. Now it’s time for Azerbaijan to rise.” After saying that Turkey had taken “a century-long hiatus” from its “geopolitical” ambitions and its “region-builder mind that founded very powerful empires on earth,” the Turkish daily claimed that “Our aim is not to spread conflicts but to replace, reinstate what rightfully belongs to us. Our aim is to keep alive and maintain our region, our people, our resources, our identity, and belonging.”

Despite all this and as it was during Obama’s role in the “Arab Spring,” the U.S. finds itself on the side of the jihad, even if unwittingly. “The international community, especially the American society,” Pashinyan warned, “should be aware that U.S.-made F-16s are being used to kill Armenians in this conflict.” Because both the U.S. and Turkey are NATO members, Turkey is acquiring and using against Armenians weapons from the U.S.

And so history continues to repeat itself—in all ways.

[Yervant1]

IWPR - Institute for War & Peace Reporting

Oct 8 2020

Russia Remains Coy Over Karabakh

Armenia’s strategic ally is keeping quiet – but may be playing a longer game.

By Manya Israyelyan

Moscow’s relative silence over the growing Nagorny Karabakh crisis, which has seen the worst fighting since a ceasefire agreed in 1994, is worrying analysts in Yerevan.

While Azerbaijan’s staunch ally Turkey has stood by Baku and rejected the Minsk Group’s calls for a ceasefire and the restart of negotiations, Armenia’s strategic partner Russia has remained largely silent.

The day after the renewed fighting broke out on September 27, a Kremlin spokesman said that that Russia had always maintained a balanced position on the conflict and would use its cordial bilateral relations to help resolve it.

On October 5, President Vladimir Putin’s press secretary reiterated that Russia had no plans to negotiate between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Richard Giragosian, director of the Regional Studies Center think-tank, said that Russia had long attempted to balance its ties with both Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“Moscow, largely considered as the most influential and concerned international actor in the Karabakh conflict, shies away from speeding up solutions on the one hand - and sells weapons to both sides on the other hand,” he said.

Russian arms sales to Azerbaijan, Giragosian continued, exacerbated many Armenians’ view that Moscow failed to value Yerevan as a true ally. The situation in Karabakh had now become part of Russia’s broader competition for influence with Turkey.

Laurence Broers, Caucasus director at the London-based NGO Conciliation Resources, noted that it was Russia’s discounted weapons sales to Armenia enabled Yerevan to maintain a rivalry with a larger, richer adversary with a bigger defence budget.

“Simultaneous weapons sales to Azerbaijan enable Russia to argue that it is ostensibly neutral, and that weapons sales are consistent with being a mediator - as well as making money,” Broers said.

Armenia is a member state of the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) whose mandate states that “aggression against one signatory would be perceived as aggression against all”. Thus far, however, the CSTO has not signaled any readiness to get involved.

Arman Abovyan, a Prosperous Armenia lawmaker, told the Good Time Armenia website that the CSTO intervened only if asked to. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told reporters that turning to CSTO for help would be “a political decision”.

Political analyst Armen Chibukhchyan agreed that an Armenian request for the CSTO to intercede would carry a political price.

Rather than even issuing a warning statement to Azerbaijan when Armenia’s borders were violated, the organisation waited silently for Armenia to request its help, continued Chibukhchyan. This was, in effect, the Kremlin sending Armenia a message about the possibility of sending Russian peacekeepers to Karabakh or accepting massively increased Russian control “in exchange for saving us”.

“This is a precondition for support, a ransom they want,” he continued. “By not asking, Pashinyan is doing a favour to the CSTO as it will bring that entity into disrepute.”

Broers noted that the CSTO was a largely untested entity as far as active conflict prevention was concerned. This reflected the reality that, rather than constituting a conventional security alliance, the CSTO was essentially a forum for Russian power and the negotiation of bilateral relations between its members and Russia under the guise of multilateralism.

Giragosian told IWPR that the CSTO had now entered a pronounced “crisis of confidence,” with Armenian-Russian relations challenged over the asymmetry and lack of balance in the relationship.

“After years of mounting over-reliance on Russia, coupled with a steady mortgaging of Armenia’s sovereignty and independence, there is a new sense of deep frustration in Armenia with Russian arrogance,” Giragosian said.

Soon after the war broke out, allegations began to mount that Turkey had imported militants from Syria and Libya to fight in Karabakh.

Chibukchyan said that Azerbaijan and Turkey could not have arranged such a deployment without Russia’s knowledge, as it amounted to an incursion into Russia’s zone of influence.

“Russia would have made strong, even bellicose statements,” he said. “Instead Moscow followed the military developments for a few days and offered a means of salvation through its political elite and media puppets, a humiliating deal – salvation in exchange for statehood.”

These message were being made clear via avenues such as Russia’s English language state-run TV channel RT. On September 28, its editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan tweeted that “In the Moscow drawing rooms they are discussing that Armenia is either doomed to return to Russia or doomed."

Sos Avetisyan, a lawmaker with the ruling My Step faction, told IWPR that Russia’s position was “the same as in previous wars”. He said that Russia remained Armenia’s most important ally and “might not have known” about foreign fighters in the region.

Moscow blamed Ankara for “pouring oil on the fire” after the latter declared its intention of supporting Azerbaijan immediately after the war started. But by militarizing the region Russia directly or indirectly fuels the arms race itself and does little to defuse tensions that threaten to run beyond the conflict zone.

Giragosian argued that Russia’s position was one of weakness rather than strength.

“Clearly, the Karabakh conflict remains the simplest instrument for leverage over both Armenia and Azerbaijan, with Armenia as a willing recipient of Russian security promises and discounted weapons and Moscow now as the number one arms provider to Azerbaijan,” he said.

Chibukhchyan said that Russia realized that if it did not intercede at some point, other players would enter the region and this would deal a serious blow to Russia’s reputation as well its influence.

“If Russia fails to stop the bloodshed, it cannot be ruled out that the conflict’s geography will expand and turn into a larger war,” he continued. “Now it’s time for Russia to prove to the world that it still has influence in this region and can manage it. Failing to do so will undermine its influence and may cause the conflict to spread.”

https://iwpr.net/global-voices/russia-remains-coy-over-karabakh?fbclid=IwAR2POYVeBQ2gUluxITYOQPMSyMINNJQz9cHUHpZQ0rcowzx_gChgNUK2NJk

[Yervant1]

The Hill, DC

Oct 8 2020

Kardashian West uses star power to pressure US on Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict

BY LAURA KELLY - 10/08/20 06:00 AM EDT

Reality television star and criminal justice reform advocate Kim Kardashian West is pushing for President Trump to do more to support Armenia amid an outbreak of fierce fighting with its neighbor and decades-old adversary Azerbaijan.

The influential celebrity, who is of Armenian descent, is broadcasting to her hundreds of millions of social media followers to demand Congress condemn Azerbaijan as the instigator of the recent fighting and denounce Turkey for interfering in the conflict.

Kardashian West, who has a direct line to Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, has the potential to push the administration to take a more active stance.

Behind her efforts is the L.A.-based gastroenterologist, Emmy-nominated film producer and human rights advocate Eric Esrailian, who has been drafting statements for Kardashian West, her famous family members and other high-profile celebrities of Armenian descent calling for more support to Yerevan, the capital of Armenia.

“The situation currently with a lack of appropriate international attention is frustrating for a lot of people,” Esrailian, who was a producer on the 2017 film "The Promise," about the Armenian genocide, said in an interview with The Hill.

"What I’ve done with my friends, like Kim Kardashian, her family, her siblings, and other friends like Cher, Serj Tankian, Alexis Ohanian, all of us — obviously they have a bigger platform than I do, but I have the ability to pull everybody together … and I feel honored that everybody cares and they basically say, ‘what can I do?' "

Yet regional experts fear Kardashian West’s high-profile involvement could tip the scales of the U.S.’s historically neutral role in the conflict, which for 30 years has been a co-mediator along with France and Russia under the auspices of the Minsk Group, part of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

The group was formed in 1994 to quell years of devastating conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which erupted in the late 1980s in anticipation of the fall of the Soviet Union.

Yet caught in the middle and left unresolved for over three decades is the contested area of Nagorno-Karabakh, which falls within the borders of Azerbaijan but is controlled by the majority ethnic Armenian population, which refers to the area as Artsakh.

The territory has long been punctuated by outbursts of fighting. But the latest violence, which erupted on Sept. 27, is being viewed as a premeditated attack by Azeri forces, and supported by Turkey, to reclaim Nagorno-Karabakh.

While Trump and administration officials have joined in statements calling for an immediate ceasefire and National Security Council and State Department officials have spoken with their counterparts in Yerevan and Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, the international community has largely viewed the U.S. as absent from efforts to calm tensions in the region.

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Wednesday that the “Americans are withdrawing and Turkey is taking a stronger, much more assertive position.”

The Armenian American community — which numbers around 1.5 million in the U.S. — have launched a pressure campaign to push Congress to support Armenia in the face of what is being described as a belligerent attack from the autocratic government of Azerbaijan and backed by a rogue Turkey.

“I would not ask all of my friends, in all of our positions, to use the language that we’ve been using if there was even a one percent chance that Armenia had started these hostilities,” said Esrailian, who is leading the celebrity advocacy campaign.

One social media post by Kardashian West called on the public to urge Congress and the White House to pressure Baku to cease hostilities, cut off all U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan being used against Armenians and warn Turkey to stop sending arms and fighters to Baku.

Kardashian West’s position on this issue lends a highly influential voice. On Sept. 29 she shared on social media a link to the advocacy group the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), nearly overloading their systems.

“We may operate on any given day in the tens of thousands, or maybe hundreds of thousands [of web visitors],” said Aram Hamparian, the executive director of ANCA. “But she had us into the tens of hundreds of millions, it was a good problem.”

By Oct. 1, bipartisan House lawmakers had introduced a resolution condemning Azerbaijan for the aggression of hostilities and denouncing Turkey’s interference.

The resolution was accompanied by a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from House lawmakers that condemned Azerbaijan as the aggressor and called for leveraging U.S. military aid to Baku to achieve a cease-fire.

A separate letter from Senate Democrats to Pompeo called for more “senior level engagement” to bring about a cease-fire and suspend all security assistance to Azerbaijan.

Fiona Hill, senior fellow with the Brookings Institution and Trump’s former national security adviser on Russia and Europe, said the “United States is missing in action” on Nagorno-Karabakh, and warned that high profile advocacy by Kardashian West may further discredit the U.S.’s historic role as a mediator.

“Given the large Armenian diaspora here and the president’s — I’ll just say right out — the president’s personal relationship with Kim Kardashian who has been tweeting about Armenia — she’s probably one of the most famous Armenians in United States culture, Cher is another, there are more because we have such a large Armenian diaspora — that is not a good sign for playing a neutral role here in which we had previously,” she said during a virtual roundtable hosted by Brookings.

“And the United States has very close relationships in the past with Azerbaijan. So you can already see the consequences of us missing in action.”

Kardashian West’s relationship with Trump and Kushner goes back to 2018 when she successfully lobbied the president to commute the sentence of Alice Johnson, a mother and grandmother who was serving a life sentence for a first-time, nonviolent drug offense.

The effort was born out of social media advocacy. Kardashian West has said she was moved to advocate for Johnson’s freedom after viewing a viral video produced by the digital media company Mic.

Her effort to free Johnson, and her direct phone calls with Kushner, were documented on her reality show "Keeping Up with the Kardashians."

Since then, both Kardashian West and Johnson have worked with the president on criminal justice reform and have served as spokespeople for the administration’s efforts. Trump has touted his actions in an appeal to African American voters in a convergence of reality television celebrity and policy action.

Kardashian West and Johnson were most recently seen at the White House together in a March meeting with Kushner and Ivanka Trump and advocating for imprisoned women.

It’s unclear if Kardashian West has been in direct contact with the White House recently over the issue with Armenia and Azerbaijan. The White House did not respond to a request for comment from The Hill.

A representative for Kardashian West said the star would continue to post her comments and messaging about the situation in Armenia on social media.

Kardashian West has long been a public force advocating for positive relations with Armenia, highlighting her heritage on her reality show and documenting visits to the country, including meeting with Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in October 2019.

In December, she posted to her millions of followers on Instagram — she now has 189 million followers and 66.9 million followers on Twitter — urging them to support a Senate resolution recognizing the Armenian genocide, which later passed by unanimous consent.

Esrailian, who was also part of the effort to raise awareness to pressure Congress to pass the resolution, said he knows “the White House is busy,” when asked how he felt about its engagement on Nagorno-Karabakh so far.

“I’m sure it’s not the highest priority on the White House to-do list, but realistically it’s a slippery slope,” he said, pointing to reported human rights violations by Azeri forces on Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The international community has refrained from assigning blame or allegations of human rights violations against either side, but has raised concern about the targeting of populated areas and discouraged external actors.

Both France and Russia have said that Turkey has sent Syrian mercenaries to the front line on the side of Baku, a charge that Ankara denies. And the International Crisis Group has said Artsakh forces have mainly fought on the defensive.

At least 19 civilians are known to have been killed in the fighting, according to the Armenian Foreign Ministry, and officials have said that Azerbaijan is targeting civilian areas with cluster bombs and missiles.

“Allowing people to behave with impunity, particularly committing human rights violations attacking civilians, using cluster munitions, using foreign mercenaries, there’s a lot of things at play,” Esrailian said.

“We’re just getting started. If this doesn’t resolve quickly then I guarantee we’re going to make it a world story.”

— Updated at 9 a.m.

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/520073-kardashian-west-uses-star-power-to-pressure-us-on-armenia-azerbaijan?fbclid=IwAR0DhWeWSz0v1kWfsjPPEP0sZQ-UFqEKJIGUO-7wa_A2Cemj1Z1zQugTnxw#.X380fU6OSe0.facebook

[Yervant1]

Only fake Muslims do this kind of acts, just like the fake sultan aliyev and fake leader erDOGan. True believers of Islam do not bomb places of worship, do not kill innocent civilians and do not desecrate cemeteries. Above mentioned monsters did all of it, meanwhile the civilized world (media included) closes their eyes and says there is nothing to see here! They say Armenia alleges, instead of stating the facts. Who are they protecting? If Armenia had done this to a mosque, the whole world would have condemned it with plenty of warnings but azerbaijan and turkey gets a pass and their arms supplier say this is business.

KTLA.com

Oct 8 2020

Armenia says historic cathedral shelled in Nagorno-Karabakh in clashes with Azerbaijan

A hole made by shell in the roof of the Holy Savior Cathedral during a military conflict, in Shushi, outside Stepanakert, self-proclaimed Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh on Oct. 8, 2020. (AP Photo)

by: Associated Press

Armenia accused Azerbaijan on Thursday of shelling a historic cathedral in the separatist territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, where nearly two weeks of heavy fighting has killed hundreds of people.

The Holy Savior Cathedral, also known as the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral, suffered interior and exterior damage, according to the state-run Armenian Unified Infocenter.

Media reports said some children were inside the cathedral in the town of Shusha at the time of the shelling, and although they were not wounded, they suffered from stress after the attack.

Built in the 19th century, the cathedral suffered significant damage during ethnic violence in 1920. It was restored after fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces in the 1990s and is part of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry denied attacking the cathedral, saying its army “doesn’t target historical, cultural, especially religious buildings and monuments.”

The latest clashes between between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces began Sept. 27 and mark the biggest escalation of the decades-old conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. The region lies in Azerbaijan but has been under control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since the end of a separatist war in 1994.

Fighting with heavy artillery, warplanes and drones has continued despite numerous international calls for a cease-fire. Both sides accuse each other of expanding the hostilities beyond Nagorno-Karabakh and of targeting civilians.

According to the Nagorno-Karabakh military, 350 of its servicemen have been killed since Sept. 27. Azerbaijan hasn’t provided details on its military losses. Scores of civilians on both sides also have been killed.

Also on Thursday, Azerbaijani officials accused Armenian forces of attacking several of its villages and towns, and Nagorno-Karabakh forces said they were “suppressing the activity” of Azerbaijani forces along the line of contact.

Stepanakert, the capital of Nagorno-Karabakh, has been under intense shelling. Residents are staying in shelters, some of which are in the basements of apartment buildings.

A woman who is sheltering with her neighbors in Stepanakert said the fighting killed her two sons in 1992 and now her grandchildren are involved in it.

The woman, who identified herself only by her first name, Zoya, told The Associated Press that “if it is necessary, I am also ready to fight with a weapon in my hands because it is our land, the land of our ancestors,”

Azerbaijan says Armenia’s withdrawal from the region is the main condition for a cease-fire. Armenian officials allege Turkey is involved in the conflict and is sending Syrian mercenaries to fight on Azerbaijan’s side. Turkey has publicly backed Azerbaijan in the conflict but denied sending fighters to the region.

Russia, the United States and France co-chair the so-called Minsk Group, which was set up in the 1990s under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to mediate the conflict. They have called repeatedly for stopping hostilities and starting peace talks.

The group was scheduled to meet Thursday in Geneva, and Azerbaijan’s foreign minister was set to attend to give Baku’s position on the conflict.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized the Minsk group for failing to resolve the issue. He reiterated his country’s full support for Azerbaijan, which he said was determined to reclaim its territory.

“The Minsk group until now has not shown any will to solve this problem. The solution to the issue — which has turned into gangrene, so to speak, because of Armenia’s uncompromising and spoiled attitude for nearly years — is for the occupation to end,” Erdogan said in remarks via video at an economic cooperation forum in Istanbul.

“We see that Azerbaijan is extremely determined in liberating its territory. As Turkey, we support with all our heart Azerbaijan’s righteous struggle to reclaim its territory. We invite all countries who defend justice and fairness to support Azerbaijan,” he added.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://ktla.com/news/nationworld/armenia-says-historic-cathedral-shelled-in-nagorno-karabakh-in-clashes-with-azerbaijan/

 

[Yervant1]

Public Radio of Armenia

Oct 8 2020

Rep. Pallone: Attack on Armenian church deserves international condemnation

The intentional targeting of civilian targets by Azeri forces, including the historic Ghazanchetsots Cathedral, is abhorrent and deserves international condemnation, Rep. Frank Pallone said in a Twitter post.

“I am saddened by this news after having the pleasure of visiting this treasure last year,” the lawmaker said. He aloo attaches a photo in front of the cathedral.

The intentional targeting of civilian targets by Azeri forces, including the historic Ghazanchetsots Cathedral, is abhorrent and deserves international condemnation. I am saddened by this news after having the pleasure of visiting this treasure last year. https://t.co/D6aiX5hfkW pic.twitter.com/6HNS58lPAp

— Rep. Frank Pallone (@FrankPallone) October 8, 2020

The historic Armenian church was seriously damaged in airstrikes from the Azerbaijani side.

Three journalists were wounded in a repeated attack on the church. One of them is in serious condition and is undergoing a surgery.

 

https://en.armradio.am/2020/10/08/rep-pallone-attack-on-armenian-church-deserves-international-condemnation/

[Yervant1]

The Squamish Chief, British Columbia

Oct 8 2020

LETTER: Pay attention to Armenia, Squamish

I am fortunate to be Canadian and to live in Squamish and I am grateful to be alive. Please pay attention to what is happening in Armenia right now. Armenia is one of the oldest remaining civilized nations that has a continuous history back to the Stone Age. Armenia is on the edge of Eastern Europe bordering Turkey, Iran, and the former USSR, republics of Georgia and Azerbaijan.

The Armenian genocide was the systematic mass murder and expulsion of 1.5 million ethnic Armenians carried out in Turkey and adjoining regions by the Ottoman government between 1914 and 1923.

Armenia now is under fire again from Turkey and the state of Azerbaijan in a war armed by drones and state of the art weapons. This intentional action is genocide.

There is much that will be lost forever if we turn another blind eye to these crimes against humanity.

To be silent currently is to be complicit in the crime itself.

In the city where my mother’s family was born, the Turkish militia removed every single stone of the Cathedral, killed many and smashed buildings. Only broken stone blocks remain of Harput, a town of 200,000 people near the Lake Van. Done so that the territory would not be disputed and there would be no evidence.

It is so important that everyone in the world realize that this not acceptable behaviour for civilized human beings.

In the 1990s, Armenia produced jet fighter planes and telescopes for space satellites and was on the forefront of technological development, which continued until the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Now Azerbaijan, backed by Turkey, is invading the remaining territories where Armenian people have lived for thousands of years. This is another attempt at genocide while no one is paying attention.

Please realize that history is repeating itself and this is all happening now while you read this story today.

Allowing this destruction of Armenian history and artifacts to proceed could be the modern equivalent to the Roman burning of the library of Alexandria in Egypt, with artwork, stone carvings, and construction techniques that were adopted by the Roman Empire and subsequently used throughout Europe during the Renaissance period.

This is the world we live in when mass-produced weapons easily available are used today to slaughter.

No matter what religion, this disregard for life and safety is a huge concern for everyone and we need NATO to intervene immediately.

I am of Armenian descent and only alive now because my great grandparents were fortunate enough to flee to the U.S. shortly before the genocide started. My grandfather served in the Second World War as part of the U.S. military.

I just hope that we can all wake up and realize that ‘war’ is murder and that this is a crime against humanity. Just because there is an election or pandemic or something to distract people doesn’t make it OK for Turkey and Azerbaijan to be killing people while we are not paying attention.

Davin Peterson

Squamish

https://www.squamishchief.com/opinion/letters/letter-pay-attention-to-armenia-squamish-1.24217284

[Yervant1]

Greek City Times

Oct 8 2020

Azerbaijan targets Armenian Church and Cultural House in Artsakh (VIDEO)by Paul Antonopoulos

Azerbaijan has not hidden away from targeting sites of Armenian culture in Artsakh as it continues its invasion with the support of Turkey and Al-Qaeda elements imported from Syria.

Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan said on Twitter that “Shushi Holy Savior Cathedral has been deliberately bombed by savage aggressor. Azerbaijan with direct involvement of Turkey and international terrorists continue to target civilians, destroy infrastructure and reveal the depth of their barbarity by destroying holy sites. This is an affront to humanity.”

Azerbaijan also shelled the church a second time when journalists arrived to cover the event.

“Russian journalist reportedly injured as Azerbaijani rockets hit a 19th century cathedral in Karabakh for a second time today. Journalists flocked to the scene after the first attack, reporting on the aftermath. Azerbaijan chose that moment to launch another strike,” Murad Gazdiev of RT tweeted.

Aremnia has confirmed that a foreign journalist was injured, adding that he has been evacuated and hospitalized.

— Murad Gazdiev (@MuradGazdiev) October 8, 2020

 

One of the journalists is in critical condition – local authorities

— Murad Gazdiev (@MuradGazdiev) October 8, 2020

 

 

The church is the seat of the Diocese of Artsakh of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Built between 1868 and 1887, it was finally consecrated in 1888, but experienced decline during the March 1920 Azerbaijani massacre of Armenians in the city of Shushi.

The church experienced further decline during the the Soviet period and was further damaged during the First Artsakh War (1988-1994).

The church is a landmark of not only Shushi, but the entirety of Artsakh. The city of Shushi is only some 20 minutes away from the capital of Artsakh, Stepanakert.

#Azerbaijan'i armed forces targeted the Saint #Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in #Shushi from multiple rocket launcher pic.twitter.com/tgw7n7S47e

— Anna A. Naghdalyan (@naghdalyan) October 8, 2020

 

In a separate attack, the Azerbaijani military targeted the Cultural House in Shushi.

“Last year we were enjoying a concert of Patrick Fiori in one of the centers of Cultural house of Shoushi, in Artsakh. We still have many concerts and performances to attend here, so we will rebuild it very soon,” said Ashot Ghoulyan, the Adviser to the President of the Parliament of Armenia, in a tweet.

Last year we were enjoying the concert of @patrickfiorioff in one of the centers of Cultural house of Shoushi, in #Artsakh/#Karabakh. We still have many concerts and performances to attend here, so wewill rebuild it very soon.#ArtsakhStrong#StopAzerbaijaniAggression pic.twitter.com/zopbzHRIcI

— Ashot Ghoulyan (@Ghoulyan) October 6, 2020

 

Azerbaijan has a tradition of eliminating Armenian cultural sites within its territory, the most famous example being the Djulfa destruction of thousands of medieval tombstones.

According to a lengthy report published in the art journal Hyperallergic in February 2019 and disseminated by The Guardian, the Azerbaijani government has, over the past 30 years, been engaging in a systematic erasure of the country’s historic Armenian heritage.

This official, albeit covert, destruction of cultural and religious artefacts exceeds Islamic State’s self-promotional dynamiting of Palmyra, according to the report’s authors, Simon Maghakyan and Sarah Pickman.

On 15 December 2005, the prelate of northern Iran’s Armenian church, Bishop Nshan Topouzian, filmed – from across the Araxes River that serves as a natural border between Iran and Azerbaijan – the Azerbaijani military methodically laying waste with sledgehammers to all that remained of Djulfa. The soldiers loaded the debris on to truck beds and dumped it into the Araxes River.

The Final Destruction of #Djulfa, December 2005 #AzerbaijanIsGuilty for destruction of #Armenian #Khachkars #Cultural #genocide#Azerbaijan pic.twitter.com/9aqFLiGUOY

— Ruzanna_A (@avaruza) October 15, 2017

 

As Azerbaijan knowingly accepts it occupies formerly Armenian land, it engages in systematic destruction of ancient and medieval sites in an attempt to legitimize their rule in territories gifted to them by Soviet authorities.

https://greekcitytimes.com/2020/10/09/azerbaijan-targets-armenian-church-and-cultural-house-in-artsakh/

[Yervant1]

If Artsakh's parliament decides to join Armenia that would solve the obstacle.

Public Radio of Armenia

Oct 8 2020

CSTO could intervene in Karabakh conflict if Armenia gets attacked

 

 

The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) will provide military assistance to Armenia in the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh in the event of a real threat to its territorial integrity, or a direct military attack, CSTO Secretary General Stanislav Zas said.

He said the block will intervene in two cases. “The first is when real threats to security, stability, sovereignty and territorial integrity of any CSTO member state are created. Then it has the right to apply to the CSTO, the mechanism of interstate consultations, including emergency ones, is set in motion, and the necessary assistance or support is provided to this state at its request, “Zas told journalists on Thursday.

“The second such case is in the case of aggression, that is, a military attack. This is considered an aggression against all our states, and in this case, at the request of our country, the object of aggression is immediately provided with all kinds of assistance, including military,” he explained.

Zas stressed that the CSTO charter provides for adequate measures to provide assistance to its participants in case of such a need. “Any CSTO member state has the right to count on help,” said the CSTO Secretary General.

Heavy fighting in the Karabakh conflict zone has been under way since September 27.

 

https://en.armradio.am/2020/10/08/csto-could-intervene-in-karabakh-conflict-if-armenia-gets-attacked/

 

Edited October 9, 2020 by Yervant1

[Yervant1]

Armenpress.am

Geneva City Council adopts resolution condemning Azerbaijani aggression against Artsakh

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11:13, 8 October, 2020

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 8, ARMENPRESS. On October 7 the Geneva City Council passed a resolution on condemning Azerbaijan’s ongoing military aggression against the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh), recognizing the Artsakh people’s right to self-determination and demanding from the federal government to freeze the assets of the Aliyev family in Switzerland.

The resolution was passed with 49 votes in favor, 18 abstentions and 2 votes against.

It has been co-authored by Anna Barseghyan, Arnaud Moreillon, Pascal Holenweg and others.

The resolution, which has been submitted for the debate of 80 members of the City Council, is titled “Armenians in Nagorno Karabakh have a right to live and self-determination”. It provides a historical overview of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, on the massacres in Sumgait, Baku and Kirovabad, as well as on the recent July attacks of Azerbaijan on Armenia’s borders. The resolution also makes a reference to the ongoing Azerbaijani-Turkish aggression against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh launched since September 27, condemning the crimes against the civilian population, calling on the City Council to do the utmost to keep all the provisions of the international humanitarian law, the Geneva Convention.

“The City Council of the Geneva City recognizes the right of the people of Nagorno Karabakh to self-determination as the only opportunity to guarantee their security”, the resolution says.

The adoption of the resolution is symbolic as it is taking place ahead of the visit of Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov to Geneva today where he is scheduled to meet with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan

 

 

https://armenpress.am/eng/news/1030809.html?fbclid=IwAR1fHp4Siyn5LsATs8OVPcM_RrmgxGxn6quDfillalwU-t_SbvOzbgPt89g