ANCA Calls On Bush To Keep 907

[MosJan]

ANCA Calls On Bush To Keep 907

Asbarez printed an article in the October 4th edition about the ANCA's and Ken Hachikian's, Chairman of the ANC Chicago, efforts to prevent the repeal of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act. The following is the text of the letter addressed to President Bush written by Ken Hachikian.

 

Dear Mr. President:

 

In the weeks and months ahead, as you lead our nation's response to the September 11th terrorist attacks upon our nation and our freedoms, please know that you have the prayers and full support of the Armenian-American community. We join with you in mourning those lost in this terrible tragedy and in your efforts to ensure that they did not die in vain, but rather in the first battle of a comprehensive campaign to end the scourge of terrorism upon the people of the United States and the world.

 

As a community, we are keenly aware of the consequences of failing to stand up against violence, intolerance, and intimidation. The failure, based on short-sighted political considerations, to hold the perpetrators of the Armenian Genocide accountable paved the way for a century of additional atrocities, including the Holocaust, Cambodia, Rwanda, and the Balkans.

 

In this regard, I would like to address the matter of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, which, as you know, was adopted by Congress and signed into law in 1992. This law represents a concrete manifestation of our nation's enduring belief in open borders, free trade, and the peaceful resolution of regional conflicts in the face of ethnic intolerance and violence. For close to a decade, it has stood as our government's most powerful instrument to end Azerbaijan's crippling blockades of Armenia and Nagorno-Artsax, which, for all intents and purposes, is the equivalent of economic terrorism.

 

It is our understanding that the Administration has in recent days supported efforts by members of Congress to repeal Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act. We understand, as well, that the Department of State has indicated that, in the event that the Congress does not take this action, the State Department will recommend that you waive this provision of law.

 

Mr. President, the current statute requires that any presidential waiver of Section 907 be supported by your certification assuring Congress that Azerbaijan has indeed taken demonstrable steps to cease all blockades against Armenia and Nagorno Artsax. Unfortunately, the government of Azerbaijan has given no evidence whatsoever that it is prepared to fulfill this vital condition. On the contrary, Azerbaijan and Turkey have maintained a brutal, coordinated stranglehold over the Armenian economy.

 

Nor are there any grounds for Congress to repeal Section 907. It has been suggested by the State Department that, in the present circumstances, the US government needs Section 907 to be repealed by Congress to ensure that Azerbaijan's cooperation is secured in our war against terrorism. We, as a nation, have a right to expect that all our friends will offer us their unconditional cooperation in this critical effort - as Armenia has done - without trying to bargain for advantage against US law. Indeed, in these circumstances, Azerbaijan must demonstrate that it is a responsible member of the international community by lifting its blockades, consistent with the fundamental premise of Section 907. There can be no gray areas in dealing with this principle.

 

While the State Department may well be arguing for the inclusion of Azerbaijan in the international coalition the US is assembling in the battle against terrorism, we are troubled that, in the process, we appear to be overlooking the responsibilities of "friends" such as Azerbaijan, which, according to Yossef Bodansky director of the US Congressional Task Force on Terrorism and an acknowledged expert on Osama bin Laden, harbors and supports international terrorists trained by bin Laden and which accepts "large quantities of cash from diverse [terrorist] sources…" A better solution would be to ask Azerbaijan to turn over these terrorists to the US, close down their bases of operation, and end the economic blockade of Armenia.

 

We look forward to an ongoing dialogue with the Administration over this and other issues of critical importance to the 1.5 million Armenian-Americans in our country.

 

Respectfully,

 

Kenneth V. Hachikian, Chairman

[Paul bunyan]

did anyone watch the webcast on the

ANCAA website about the debate in congress about Sanator Brownback's bill to remove the 907# amendment?

[MosJan]

MOST US SENATE SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS ARE AGAINST THE 907 SECTION LIFTING

11.10.2001

 

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Most members of the subcommittee for the questions of Central Asia and the Caucasus on international relations of US Senate are against the lifting of the 907 Section that restricts the aid to Azerbaijan. As «Arminfo» agency informs, congressmen have noted the necessity of involving of Armenia in the region energy projects. According to Joseph Crowley the construction of Baku-Tbilisi-Jeykhan oil pipeline through Armenia territory will be much more reasonable for investors. The subcommittee members have gotten to know with the document, introduced by Armenian Assembly where it was emphasized that the 907 Section lifting might not only break the stability in the South Caucasus region but also might damage the US interests. It was also mentioned in the document that El-Quaide terrorist organization units acted in Azerbaijan territory. «907 Section can be lifted if Azerbaijan lifts the blockade against Armenia and Nagorno-Artsax», claim Armenian Assembly representatives.

 

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[MosJan]

ROBERT KOCHARYAN HAS ALERTED US PRESIDENT TO SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES OF 907 SECTION LIFTING

11.10.2001

 

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia President Robert Kocharyan has sent a letter to US President George Bush where he alerts the President to dangerous consequences of lifting of the Freedom Support Act, 907 Section that restricts the US administration's aid to Azerbaijan until it lifts the blockade against Armenia and Nagorno-Artsax. It is noted in the letter that the 907 Section lifting will negatively effect the Artsax conflict settlement and will bring to the disturbance of the present balance.

 

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[MosJan]

Brownback Bill Escalates Attack On Section 907

WASHINGTON DC—In the latest of a series of legislative initiatives designed to lift the restrictions on US aid to Azerbaijan enacted by Congress in response to Azerbaijan's blockades of Armenia and Nagorno Artsax, Sen. Sam Brownback today introduced stand-alone legislation that would broaden the president's authority to waive Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

 

In a short speech this evening on the Senate floor, Sen. Brownback acknowledged that it would be a "tough issue" to pressure Congress into retreating from the law it enacted in 1992 in response to Azerbaijan's aggression and blockades against Armenia and Nagorno Artsax. Under current law, the President can only lift Section 907 by formally reporting to Congress that Azerbaijan has taken demonstrable steps to lifts its blockades and cease all offensive uses of force against Armenia and Nagorno Artsax.

 

He stressed that his legislation would not eliminate Section 907, but rather allow the President to waive this provision if he determines that it is in the national security interest to do so. Encouraging his Senate colleagues to co-sponsor his legislation, he explained that, "this is providing the President with waiver authority, national security waiver authority...there has to be a national security interest. If it is not needed, if it is not there, the President does not have the authority to exercise it...But we should provide him that authority."

 

"Recognizing the lack of support in Congress for his earlier attempts to secure the outright repeal of Section 907, Senator Brownback has now apparently turned to a second strategy to accomplish his goal of ensuring the free flow of US taxpayer funding into the government of Azerbaijan," said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA. "In light of the State Department's recent escalation of its anti-Section 907 campaign, it is clear that this legislation represents a focused and coordinated attempt to effectively eliminate this law, against the express will of Congress."

 

Armenian President Robert Kocharian, in a letter today to President George W. Bush, stressed that "Section 907 and the Turkish-Azerbaijani blockade of Armenia have been interlinked through the life of this conflict, and are part of the overall package of issues which require resolution. Removing one element, dealing with it independently, will irreparably damage the peace process."

 

Bipartisan Congressional support for Section 907 was reaffirmed in Senate and House floor votes in June of 1999 and September of 1998, respectively.

 

Local ANC chapters and activists have worked with Armenian Americans from throughout the United States in educating members of Congress about the dangers of facilitating the weakening, repeal, or waiver of Section 907. Any such moves, they have explained, would:

 

*Reward Azerbaijan for its illegal blockades and destabilize the region by encouraging Azerbaijan to maintain its blockades and other offensive uses of force, secure in the knowledge that such aggressive actions will not meet any meaningful opposition on the part of the US government.

 

*Allow Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev to exploit the terrorist attacks against the United States to force the repeal of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act as a condition of his cooperation in the war on terrorism.

 

*Tilt the military balance in the region in favor of Azerbaijan and threaten the seven-year cease-fire in the Nagorno Artsax conflict

[MosJan]

PEOPLE IN AZERBAIJAN THINK THE ANTHRAX PREVENTS 907 SECTION REPEAL

19.10.2001

 

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The American-Azerbaijani council head Jeykhun Mollazade has stated that there are some grounds for the hope that the 907 Section of the Freedom Support Act, restricting the US administration aid to Azerbaijan until it lifts the blockade against Armenian and Nagorno-Artsax, will be repealed. As "Zerkalo" Baku newspaper informs, the question on restriction lifting might be included in the Senate agenda even yesterday if anthrax carriers had not been found in the office of the Senate majority leader. Because of this, information that the hearing of "Azerbaijani question" would be postponed for indefinite period appeared. At the same time there is information that the Senate decided not to stop its work. This let Baku commentators hope that the discussion of the question of restriction lifting or granting the president with authority to veto the 907 Section validity will not be postponed.

 

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[MosJan]

US SENATE RESOLUTION ON SECTION 907 TO COME INTO EFFECT AT END OF NEXT WEEK

26.10.2001

 

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The US Senate resolution authorizing the President to waive Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act has not come onto effect yet. According to the regulations, the conciliation of this document in the conciliatory committee of the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Congress must take place. Then the discussion regarding the document must be held at the general meeting of the committee. And only after the bill approval by the Congress Houses it will be signed by the President of the country and will come into effect. It is planned that all this procedures will be completed by the end of the next week.

After this President Bush will have the right for temporal veto on Section 907, restricting the direct aid to Azerbaijan until it lifts the blockade against Armenia and Nagorno Artsax. This right is conferred for the period till December 31, 2002. If he considers there is a necessity to extend this term, he will have to address the Senate, which will study the issue and have corresponding decisions.

It should be reminded that this document stipulates four terms, in the availability of which the head of the country may waive the Section. The restrictions can be lifted if: 1. it is necessary for the fight against the terrorism, 2. there is a necessity to support the armed force alertness of the US and its antiterrorist coalition partners, 3. if this helps to secure Azerbaijan's boarders, 4. it does not hamper the attempts for the Artsax conflict peaceful settlement and is not used for aggression against Armenia by Azerbaijan.

 

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