South Dakota HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 1020

[Yervant1]

State of South Dakota

EIGHTY-NINTH SESSION

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY, 2014

189V0690

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 1020

Introduced by: Representatives Russell, Campbell, Cronin, Feickert, Greenfield, Haggar

(Jenna), Heinemann (Leslie), Kaiser, Kopp, Latterell, Magstadt, May, Nelson,

Olson (Betty), and Schrempp and Senators Monroe, Begalka, Jensen,

Lederman, Otten (Ernie), and Van Gerpen

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION, Recognizing the 22nd 1 anniversary of the Khojaly tragedy

2 which resulted in the loss of over six hundred lives.

3 WHEREAS, the Nagorno-Karabakh War, lasting from 1988 to 1994, was a conflict between

4 Armenia and Azerbaijan; and

5 WHEREAS, on February 25 and 26, 1992, Armenian armed forces, accompanied by Russian

6 military troops, occupied the town of Khojaly in Azerbaijan, killing over six hundred innocent

7 civilians, including many children, women, and elderly; wounding over one thousand and taking

8 over twelve hundred civilians prisoner; and

9 WHEREAS, many civilian bodies found in Khojaly after the fight were disfigured and

10 mutilated, making this one of the most inhumane and barbaric battles of the war; and

11 WHEREAS, international organizations such as Human Rights Watch documented these

12 killings; moreover, major United States and international news organizations reported the

13 killings with horror, and numerous governments around the world have condemned the attack;

14 and

- 2 - HCR 1020

1 WHEREAS, to this day, the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia continues, with

2 Armenian forces occupying twenty percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including the Nagorno-

3 Karabakh region and surrounding seven districts; and

4 WHEREAS, resolutions condemning the occupation of Azerbaijan's territory by Armenian

5 forces have been passed by the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly; and

6 WHEREAS, this tragic event is a sobering reminder of the terrible carnage that can be

7 inflicted in wartime and the enduring need for greater understanding, communication, and

8 tolerance among people the world over:

9 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the House of Representatives of the Eighty-

10 Ninth Legislature of the State of South Dakota, the Senate concurring therein, that the

Legislature recognizes February 26, 2014, as the 22nd 11 anniversary of the Khojaly Tragedy in

12 Azerbaijan.

[Yervant1]

Take Action Now http://ffs.capwiz.com/img/sc/takeaction6_top.gif Block Baku's Bid to Hijack the South Dakota Legislature

Block Baku's Bid to Hijack the South Dakota Legislature

More Info

Call and Email the House Leadership Today

You can help stop Azerbaijani dictator Ilham Aliyev's attempt to export his anti-Armenian hatred to South Dakota by opposing HCR 1020, currently under consideration in our State House. HCR 1020, a profoundly biased and factually incorrect resolution, reference events in Khojaly, Azerbaijan without any reference to the Azerbaijan's anti-Armenian pogroms in Sumgait, Baku and Kirovabad and remains silent on Azerbaijan's ongoing aggression against Armenia and Karabakh today.

HCR 1020 was introduced on Friday, February 21st - and appears to be fast-tracked by the South Dakota House Leadership, which means a full House vote can come as early as Monday, February 24th.

 

Please take a few minutes to call and email the South Dakota House Leadership and your own Representative and urge them to oppose HCR 1020. Contact information for the House Leadership is provided below, along with sample email text to copy and past into webforms and phone scripts. To learn more about corruption in Azerbaijan and the dictatorial Aliyev regime, check the additional resouces section below.

 

For additional information, please contact the ANCA Western Region at tereza@ancawr.org or haig@ancawr.org or call (818) 500-1918. For technical issues regarding this action alert please contact Elizabeth Chouldjian - elizabeth@anca.org .

Representative Email Phone Brian Gosch

Speaker of the House

Email Web Form Home 605-719-3365

Capitol 605-773-3851

Dean Wink

Speaker Pro Tempore

Email Web Form Home 605-985-5240

Capitol 605-773-3851

David Lust

Majority Leader

Email Web Form Home 605-343-8261

Capitol 605-773-3851 Business 605-342-1078

Justin Cronin

Assistant Majority Leader

Email Web Form Home 605-765-9325

Capitol 605-773-3851 Business 605-765-9110

Bernie Hunhoff

Minority Leader

Email Web Form Home 605-665-2975

Capitol 605-773-3851 Business 605-665-6655

Julie Bartling

Assistant Minority Leader

Email Web Form Home 605-835-8120

Business 605-775-2741

PHONE SCRIPT

[During regular business hours, a receptionist will answer the phone. Ask to leave a written or voice-mail message for the legislator.]

Hello. I'm [NAME], from [CITY, STATE].

I am calling to alert you to vote NO on HCR 1020 when it comes before the South Dakota legislature.

HCR 1020 is being advanced by the President of Azerbaijan, a corrupt and undemocratic country, to interfere with our democratic system here in South Dakota.

I'm talking about Ilham Aliyev, who is trying to get our legislature to join his attacks upon his Christian Armenian neighbors.

This is brazen foreign interference. Corrupt dictators don't get a vote in South Dakota and they certainly don't have a right to tell us what to do.

I am outraged by this shameful effort to hijack our state legislature. Please stand up against meddling by foreign bullies who neither respect our rights nor share our values.

Thank you for your consideration of my concerns. I would appreciate hearing about any votes or other actions you take on this matter.

SAMPLE EMAIL TEXT

Dear Rep. [Last Name]:

I want to draw your attention to the disgraceful efforts of a foreign leader, Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan (an oil-rich and corrupt one-family dictatorship), to pressure our state legislature into joining his angry and increasingly violent attacks upon his Christian Armenian neighbors by advancing HCR 1020 and urge you to vote against the measure when it comes before your legislature.

As a citizen of our state, I resent this brazen foreign interference. The undemocratic leader of an undemocratic state deserves neither a vote in our state nor any influence over the civic life of our communities.

As you may know, Azerbaijan has been run by the Aliyev family for the better part of the past half century. Its current President, the son of a KGB general, has become a billionaire on a civil service salary and is often listed as the single most undemocratic leader in the world. His personal wealth and his government’s corruption were both highlighted in this CNBC progam: The Aliyev Family of Azerbaijan.

We should have nothing to do with a man who is best known around the world for the scandal surrounding his pardon and promotion of a convicted axe-murderer, after this confessed killer happily admitted to hacking to death an Armenian student (while he slept) during a NATO peace program in Hungary. This shameful act was sharply condemned by President Obama. Azerbaijan’s human rights record, among the worst in the world, is documented annually in our State Department’s human rights reports. This one-page provides basic background about his record as President.

I'm proud, as an American, that our open democratic system allows even a regime as flagrantly corrupt as Ilham Aliyev’s is allowed to operate freely within our society. But that does not mean that we need to remain silent in the face of meddling by foreign leaders who neither respect our rights nor share our values – especially when they try to export their intolerance to our shores.

I suggest to you that we should not risk the public embarrassment that would come with being connected, in any way, with the foreign interests of a corrupt dictator. The Washington Post and Politico, among other media outlets, have reported extensively about scandalous charges of Azerbaijani influence over U.S. policymakers – past and present. In fact, a previous Presidential nominee for Ambassador to Azerbaijan was blocked by the U.S. Senate due, in large measure, to concerns regarding reports of unacceptable relationships with Azerbaijani officials. This pattern has been repeated around the world, with an Aliyev statue in Mexico City being torn down and carted away following a scandal humiliated city officials for honoring a family best known for corruption and anti-democratic crackdowns.

Please do not allow a foreign dictator hijack our state legislature in his hateful campaign against the Republic of Armenia and the free people of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic.

President Aliyev should fix his own democracy before he tries to interfere in ours!

Please vote no on HCR 1020. I very much appreciate your consideration of my concerns.

Sincerely

Additional Resources:

Read more about the corruption in Azerbaijan and the dictator, President Ilham Aliyev

WATCH: CNBC Video titled "The Aliyev Family of Azerbaijan"

 

Who is Aliyev: A One-Pager on his Record

Washington Post: For Obama’s ex-aides, it’s time to cash in on experience

POLITICO: Robert Gibbs, Jim Messina, David Plouffe headline Azerbaijan trip

SLATE: Monumental Mistakes: How Azerbaijan botched its effort to win friends and influence people in Mexico City

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Survivors of Maraghar massacre: It was truly like a contemporary Golgotha many times over

The ancient kingdom of Armenia was the first nation to embrace Christianity — in AD 301. Modern Armenia, formerly a Soviet republic, declared autonomy in September 1991 and today exists as a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States. There you find many of the oldest churches in the world, and a people who have upheld the faith for nearly 1,700 years, often at great cost.

Nowhere has the cost been greater than in the little piece of ancient Armenia called Nagorno-Karabakh, cruelly cut off from the rest of Armenia by Stalin in 1921, and isolated today as a Christian enclave within Islamic Azerbaijan. Only 100 miles north to south, 50 miles east to west, there are mountains, forests, fertile valleys, and an abundance of ancient churches, monasteries, and beautifully carved stone crosses dating from the fourth century.

This paradise became hell in 1991. Vying with Armenia for control of this enclave, Azerbaijan began a policy of ethnic cleansing of the Armenians of Karabakh, and 150,000 Armenians were forced to fight for the right to live in their historic homeland. It was a war against impossible odds: 7 million-strong Azerbaijan, helped by Turkey and, at one stage, several thousand mujahideen mercenaries.

On April 10, 1992, forces from Azerbaijan attacked the Armenian village of Maraghar in northeastern Karabakh. The villagers awoke at 7 a.m. to the sound of heavy shelling; then tanks rolled in, followed by infantry, followed by civilians with pick-up trucks to take home the pickings of the looting they knew would follow the eviction of the villagers.

Azeri soldiers sawed off the heads of 45 villagers, burnt others, took 100 women and children away as hostages, looted and set fire to all the homes, and left with all the pickings from the looting.

I, along with my team from Christian Solidarity Worldwide, arrived within hours to find homes still smoldering, decapitated corpses, charred human remains, and survivors in shock. This was truly like a contemporary Golgotha many times over.

I visited the nearby hospital and met the chief nurse. Hours before, she had seen her son's head sawn off, and she had lost 14 members of her extended family. I wept with her: there could be no words.

With the fragile cease-fire that began in May 1994, we have been able to visit survivors of the massacre at Maraghar. Unable to return to their village, which is still in Azeri hands, they are building "New Maraghar" in the devastated ruins of another village. Their "homes" are empty shells with no roofs, doors, or windows, but their priority was the building of a memorial to those who died in the massacre.

We were greeted with the traditional Armenian ceremony of gifts of bread and salt. Then a dignified elderly lady made a speech of gracious welcome, with no hint of reference to personal suffering. She seemed so serene that I thought she had been away on that terrible day of the massacre. She replied: "As you have asked, I will tell you that my four sons were killed that morning, trying to defend us — but what could they do with hunting rifles against tanks? And then we saw things no human should ever have to see: heads that were too far from their bodies; people hacked into quarters like pigs. I also lost my daughter and her husband—we only found his bloodstained cap. We still don't know what happened to them. I now bring up their children. But they have forgotten the taste of milk, as the Azeris took all our cows."

How can one respond to such suffering and such dignity? Since the cease-fire, we have undertaken a program to supply cows. On our last visit, we met this grandmother, and, smiling, she said: "Thank you. Our children now know the taste of milk."

Nagorno-Karabakh is a place where we have found miracles of grace. The day of the massacre I asked the chief nurse, whose son had been beheaded, if she would like me to take a message to the rest of the world. She nodded, and I took out my notebook.

With great dignity, she said: "I want to say, 'Thank you.' I am a nurse. I have seen how the medicines you have brought have saved many lives and eased much suffering. I just want to say, 'Thank you,' to all those who have not forgotten us in these dark days."

Baroness Caroline Cox

April 1998

See also:

"Ethnic Cleansing in Progress: War in Nagorno Karabakh"

An official permission is given by Caroline Cox for the exclusive publicaiton on Sumgait.Info

Top

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I sent the following to the Email address of South Dakota House members describing her as an Eye witness.

BARONESS COX REVEALS BAKU'S TRUE FACE DURING DEBATE ON UK-AZERI TIES


PanARMENIAN.Net - Member of the UK House of Lords, chair of the
British-Armenian All-Party Parliamentary Group Baroness Caroline Cox
delivered remarks during a debate on UK's relations with Azerbaijan
and the South Caucasus.

"I have visited the region 78 times, many during the war against
Nagorno Karabakh. I regret that my contribution to this debate will
be unpopular, because it is critical of Azerbaijan, but it is based
on first-hand evidence," Baroness Cox said.

"I begin with a brief reference to aspects of recent history relevant
to current issues. I visited Azerbaijan in 1991, when I met the
then president and political leaders. I was dismayed by the explicit
commitment to ethnic cleansing of the Armenians from Nagorno Karabakh.

I also visited Karabakh then and met Azeris living in homes which had
recently been owned by Armenians who had been evicted by Azerbaijan's
well documented policy, Operation Ring, in which Armenian villagers
were surrounded by Azeri troops who killed, tortured and drove
villagers off their land," she continued.

"The Armenians were the primary victims as they had already been
victims in the massacres in Baku and Sumgait. Then Azerbaijan unleashed
full-scale war. I witnessed 400 Grad missiles daily raining onto
Karabakh's capital city, an aerial bombardment of civilian homes
with 500 kilogram bombs. I also witnessed war crimes perpetrated by
Azerbaijan on Armenian civilians at Karabakh, such as the cold-blooded
massacre of villagers in Maragha. I was there hours afterwards and saw
corpses whose heads had been sawn off and burnt, mutilated bodies. I
visited Khojaly and can testify that the tragic events were not as
portrayed by Azerbaijan-a massacre of Azeris by Armenians. Independent
journalists and Azerbaijan's former President Mutalibov have publicly
come to the same conclusion," Baroness Cox emphasized.

She also noted that the Armenian forces' taking control over the
territories surrounding Nagorno Karabakh was not aggressive land
grabbing, but essential for survival, as they were used as bases for
constant shelling of towns and villages inside Karabakh. "I was there
when one ceasefire was broken by Azerbaijan, with renewed bombing
from Azeri bases in these lands," she said.

"This recent history is relevant to current concerns as the 1994
ceasefire is precarious. There is an urgent need for peace for the
peoples of Azerbaijan and Armenia and because the peoples of the south
Caucasus do not want another destabilizing regional war. However,
Azerbaijan's continuing hostile policies are detrimental to attempts
to reach a solution to this semi-frozen conflict. For example, the
noble Lord, Lord Laird, mentioned the case of Ramil Safarov, the Azeri
military officer who used an axe to murder an Armenian officer in his
sleep while both men were attending a NATO course in Budapest in 2004.

Safarov was arrested, convicted and sentenced to a lengthy term of
imprisonment. But, when Hungary repatriated Safarov to Azerbaijan, on
the understanding that he would continue to serve his prison sentence,
he was released from prison and welcomed as a hero. According to the
Economist in September 2012, this led to a new war of words in one
of the world's most volatile regions," she said.

"Patrick Ventrell, spokesman for the US State Department, said that
the United States was extremely troubled by the pardon of Safarov and
would be seeking an explanation from both Budapest and Baku. Russia,
involved in trying to ease relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan,
said that the actions of the Hungarian and Azeri Governments
contradicted internationally brokered efforts to bring peace to the
region. May I ask the Minister what representations have been made
by Her Majesty's Government to Azerbaijan concerning the release and
the honouring of the convicted murderer Safarov?

The Economist also raised questions about the EU's credibility when
it pledged ~@19.5 million to reform oil-rich Azerbaijan's justice
and migration systems. Since 2006, Azerbaijan's economy, with its
vast oil and gas reserves, has nearly tripled to $62 billion. May I
ask the Minister what the EU's justification was in giving ~@19.5
million to such a wealthy country? Moreover, there is widely-held
concern over Azerbaijan's massive investment in its military arsenal-a
20-fold increase in seven years. Apart from expenditure on arms,
in a nation where many still live in poverty, there is deep anxiety
over the propensity to renew war with Nagorno-Karabakh. This danger
is exacerbated by Azerbaijan's constant use of belligerent and hostile
propaganda, which is not conducive to confidence-building or effective
peace negotiations," the Baroness noted.

Finally Baroness Caroline Cox referred to Azerbaijan's disturbing
record on human rights, particularly on freedom of the press and
religious freedom.

"No country has an interest in other countries, only interests-and
we have oil interests in Azerbaijan," she concluded.

"Azerbaijan pours massive funds into propaganda, disseminating
positive images of its progress while trying to prevent access to
Karabakh by intimidating potential visitors who wish to see the
situation there for themselves. After one of my visits in recent
years, an article appeared in an Azeri newspaper, entitled "Shoot
the Cox!". Parliamentarians visiting Armenia receive letters from
Azeri authorities threatening to place them on a blacklist if they
visit Karabakh. The British Ambassador is still not allowed to visit
Karabakh, although the political and diplomatic representatives
of other nations do so. Therefore, it is hard for the Armenians of
Karabakh to have their story of Azerbaijan's policies told.

I deeply regret having had to make such a critical speech. Of course,
I can be accused of partiality, but if my contribution is partial,
it is accurate, based on first-hand evidence and corroborated by
many independent sources. I hope it is helpful to put on record some
often untold aspects of the situation, because the search for a just
and lasting peace can only be based on an understanding of historic
and contemporary reality in all its multi-faceted complexity,"
she stressed.

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[Yervant1]

ANCA URGES TO BLOCK PASSAGE OF ANTI-ARMENIAN BILL AT SOUTH DAKOTA LEGISLATURE

http://news.am/eng/news/195712.html
13:56 24.02.2014

The Armenian National Committee of America urges to help
stop Azerbaijani dictator Ilham Aliyev's attempt to export his
anti-Armenian hatred to South Dakota by opposing HCR 1020, currently
under consideration in the State House.

"HCR 1020, a profoundly biased and factually incorrect resolution,
reference events in Khojaly, Azerbaijan without any reference to the
Azerbaijan's anti-Armenian pogroms in Sumgait, Baku and Kirovabad
and remains silent on Azerbaijan's ongoing aggression against Armenia
and Karabakh today," ANCA said.

HCR 1020 was introduced on Friday, February 21st - and appears to be
fast-tracked by the South Dakota House Leadership, which means a full
House vote can come as early as Monday, February 24th.

[MosJan]

South Dakota Rejects Anti-Armenian Measure

State Legislators Defeat Anti-Armenian Measure Backed by Azerbaijani Government

PIERRE, SOUTH DAKOTA—The South Dakota House of Representatives on Tuesday tabled action on an anti-Armenian resolution initiated by Azerbaijan, effectively dealing a serious setback to a biased and historically inaccurate measure pressed aggressively by Baku’s U.S.-based lobbyists, reported Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region.

Sources from the State Capitol reported that following an extensive discussion in the House Republican Caucus on Monday morning, the sponsor of the resolution, Rep. Lance Russell, agreed to defer and ultimately officially withdrew the measure.

“It’s unfortunate this resolution made it this far in our process but the positive side of that is there are now 105 legislators in South Dakota who got a real earful on the plight of persecuted Armenian Christians,” explained Rep. Steve Hickey (R-09), Pastor of the Church at the Gate in Sioux Falls, who was among the vocal opponents to the resolution.

“We are deeply gratified that the elected leaders of yet another U.S. state have stood up to the oil-rich and corrupt President of Azerbaijan’s efforts to export his hateful anti-Armenian campaign to the American heartland,” said Elen Asatryan, ANCA-WR Executive Director. “We share our profound thanks with the proud people and principled leaders of South Dakota, a state that has shown remarkable care and compassion for the Christian nation of Armenia since the Armenian Genocide era.”

A two-page flyer used by local opponents of the Azerbaijani-backed measure is available via the following link:

http://www.anca.org/assets/pdf/No_on_HCR1020.pdf

In the days leading up toTuesday’s vote on HCR 1020, the ANCA-WR worked with local community leaders and activists to alert state legislators about Azerbaijan’s efforts to use the Khojaly issue to somehow enlist South Dakota in its increasingly virulent campaign against the landlocked and blockaded Armenian homeland. The ANCA action alert to South Dakota legislators can be viewed via the following link:

http://www.anca.org/action_alerts/action_disp.php?aaid=63108851

“Having found safety and the blessing of freedom here in South Dakota – after having been driven from my home by the Azerbaijani government’s brutality – I am deeply thankful that my state legislators, today, took a principled stand against intolerance, lies and hatred,” said Vazgen Mikhayelyan of Sioux Falls, who was among those actively opposing the measure, including Igor Avetisov and Bella Musayelyan.

The Hawaii State legislature, on February 12, also rejected a pair of Azerbaijan-initiated anti-Armenian measures, dealing a high-profile setback to Baku’s well-funded effort to enlist U.S. state legislatures in its increasingly aggressive campaign against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.

Earlier this month, ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian issued an open letter to all U.S. state legislatures earlier this week urging them to take as stand against foreign interference in American civic life by corrupt Azerbaijani dictator Ilham Aliyev. “It is truly a tribute to our great American democratic tradition that even a regime as flagrantly corrupt as Ilham Aliyev’s is allowed to operate freely within our open society, ” explained Hamparian. “But that does not mean that American citizens need to remain silent in the face of meddling by foreign leaders who neither respect our rights nor share our values –especially when they try to export their intolerance to our shores.”

[Yervant1]

These legislators that bring these resolutions to the floor could be smart con artists who see easy money from the baboons, when in fact they know it will not fly. As the article above mentions that, the truth is being told at the expanse of the baboons, you think they might learn from it.

But at the end these legislators are nothing but political whores who will do anything, if the price is right!

[Yervant1]

PSAA: AGHDAM EVENTS A SYMPTOMATIC EXAMPLE OF THE AZERBAIJANI AUTHORITIES' FALSIFICATION POLICY

14:52 25.02.2014

On February 22, 2014, an enlarged session of the Board of Political
Science Association of Armenia (PSAA) was held on the Azerbaijani
falsifications of the Aghdam events (Khojalu provocation) of February
26, 1992, at the Drastamat Kanayan Institute for National Strategic
Studies of the Ministry of Defense, RA. The Chairman of the PSAA,
Doctor of Political Science Hayk Kotanjian headed the Session. At
the session the PSAA made the following announcement on "The Aghdam
Events (Khojalu Provocation) a Symptomatic Example of the Azerbaijani
Authorities' Falsification Policy".

"On February 26, 1992, the Aghdam events took place, which are
presented by the Azerbaijani side as the "Khojalu massacre", during
which a group of inhabitants of Khojalu was cold-bloodedly shot
down by the Azerbaijani paramilitary forces in the territories under
their control.

Aiming to overthrow President Mutalibov, the oppositional Popular
Front of Azerbaijan used the Karabakh troops' forced operation to
suppress the Azerbaijani forces' Khojalu-stationed weapon emplacements
regularly shelling the Armenian-populated Stepanakert and surrounding
villages. President Mutalibov personally testified it in his interview
to the Russian "Nezavisimaya Gazeta" in 1992.

Prior to the operation, the Karabakh side abiding by the norms of
humanitarian law informed Khojalu authorities of the planned operation
and of a safe humanitarian corridor left for the evacuation of the
Azerbaijani population.

Right after the tragic events in the Azerbaijani-controlled
territories, the Azerbaijani journalist Chingiz Mustafayev photographed
and video-recorded the corpses, which were not mutilated.

Meanwhile, on the photos taken by the same Mustafayev two days later,
these people were already scalped, and their bodies were mutilated -
to demonstrate the Armenians' "cruelty and inhumanity". The existing
irrefutable facts prove that the Karabakh side did not have a physical
access to those territories where the people were killed, and later
on their corpses mutilated. It is symptomatic, that Mustafayev having
witnessed the horrific crime died a few months later in circumstances
not clarified yet in the vicinity of the same Aghdam during his
journalistic investigation of the villainous Aghdam events.

After the takeover of power in Baku in 1992, following the Aghdam
provocation, the new leadership of Azerbaijan, with Abulfaz Elchibey
at the helm, tried hard to hush up the heinous crime committed by
itself against the citizens of Khojalu, and initiated a targeted
falsification of events presenting its own provocation as a "massacre"
of civilian population organized by the Karabakh forces. The official
Azerbaijan continues this policy to this day.

By means of the vicious propaganda of the "Khojalu events" the
Azerbaijani authorities try to harm the international reputation of the
two Armenian states, as well as to impose a distorted picture of events
on the young generation, thereby favoring Armenophobia and xenophobia.

Considering the fact of the Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem's activated
propaganda, in particular, the presentation of the myth about the
"Khojalu massacre" in the run-up to the 100th Anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide, the Political Science Association of Armenia
strictly condemns the malicious policy of distorting the facts
connected with this tragedy urging the international community not
to succumb to the falsifications of Baku and Ankara authorities. The
Political Science Association of Armenia calls the international
community to prevent the distortion of the historical truth.

The Political Science Association of Armenia also appeals to the
honest Azerbaijanis to impartially assess the historical facts and
not to fall for the Aliyev regime's xenophobic policy."

http://www.armradio.am/en/2014/02/25/psaa-aghdam-events-a-symptomatic-example-of-the-azerbaijani-authorities-falsification-policy/

[Yervant1]

THE CORRIDOR FOR EXIT OF PEACEFUL POPULATION FROM KHOJALY

http://www.noravank.am/eng/articles/detail.php?ELEMENT_ID=12571
25.02.2014

I.G. Gukasov
Colonel, Adviser to the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Armenia
during the years of Artsakh War

Intentional creation of a corridor for exit of peaceful population
fr om Khojaly pursued several objectives. First, showing humanism
towards peaceful population and preventing casualties among them
would have won their sympathies and demonstrate that we do not fight
with peaceful civilians, but rather, with an armed adversary, firing
by which forced the Armenians to defend themselves. Second, it was
meant to reduce the defense potential of the town, since part of
its defenders would leave with the fleeing population, thus bringing
down the number of the defenders and creating "legal" deserters, who
would abandon the defense positions under the pretext of escorting
the peaceful population out of the town and hence, would weaken the
town defenses. In addition, with this the adversary was brought to
the question: "who are you defending, if the local people are fleeing
their homes and land in panic?" Most of the local residents were
relatives of the town's armed defenders, who would have to abandon
the defense positions to make sure that their families and relatives
had a safe passage to Agdam district of Azerbaijan.

There are known examples when Armenian population actively
participated in defense of their homes shoulder to shoulder with
defense fighters. For instance, despite having an overwhelming
advantage in troops and military equipment, Azerbaijanis were unable
to take over Karintak settlement in January 1992 and Askeran in
January-February 1992.

Had no corridor been left in Khojaly, the adversary would have to
fiercely resist together with the peaceful population and fight for
each position, street and house. The advancing Armenian defense forces
could have suffered a large number of casualties and military hardware
losses. The capture of the town could have taken a longer time, to
which our troops were not ready due to their order of battle. In
street fighting the town defenders would have had an upper hand,
since the personnel combat power ratio was 1:1.

Thus, one of the factors contributing to the capture of Khojaly
was the part of the operation plan to allow voluntary exit of the
residents and defenders of the town through an intentionally left
corridor toward Agdam district controlled by the Azerbaijani army.

Indeed, we forced the adversary to leave the town through the corridor
and this weakened their defenses. Some of the troops abandoned their
defense positions on their own, without receiving orders fr om the
command. The fear of advancing Armenian detachments was stronger than
each soldier's and resident's feeling of individual responsibility
for defense of their home and town.

In line with the Geneva Convention, the command of the Armenian
offensive group used loudspeakers and radio to request the residents
to leave the town through the corridor left, so as to avoid casualties.

And this corridor operated reliably.

Bakhtiyar Aslanov, a policeman remembers: "We, the armed people, had a
task to get the population of the town out with minimal losses. Under
the orders of Alif Hajiyev I went to and returned fr om Shelly
village of Agdam district three times. Through this "road of life"
150 people were saved. When I came back fourth time, I saw that Alif
and his small detachment still continues to fight." (Bakinsky Rabochiy
newspaper, 26.02.1997)

Sedyk Mamedov, a police captain was quoted to say: "... To save the
peaceful population we had to start their evacuation fr om the town.

The population was led towards Nakhichevanik, through the so-called
"corridor". About 40-50 people hit the road. Everyone in Khojaly who
had a weapon - the policemen, military - went ahead and fought the
enemy to stop the offensive." (AZERBAYCAN newspaper, 26.02.1997).

Elman Mamedov, Mayor of Khojaly stated: "We knew that the corridor is
for evacuation of peaceful population." He also adds: "After learning
about the operation to capture the town I requested to send helicopters
from Agdam in order to evacuate the elderly, women and children. We
were assured that "tomorrow we will launch an operation and break
the blockade." That help never came." (Megapolis-Express weekly,
No. 17, 1992)

In an interview to Czech reporter Dana Mazalova published in
Nezavisimaya Gazeta April 2, 1992 issue, ex-president of Azerbaijan A.

Mutalibov said: "Azerbaijan was informed about the operation to
seize Khojaly and during the operation the Armenians left a corridor
for evacuation of the peaceful population from Khojaly to a safe
place in Agdam district." He then asks the question: "Why would they
start shooting then? Especially on a territory close to Agdam wh ere
enough forces were concentrated to get in and help the people!" He
also stated: "As I was told by Khojaly survivors, all of this was
organized to prompt my resignation. Some forces acted to discredit
the president. I do not believe that Armenians, who are very sharp
and knowledgeable in dealing with such situations, could have let
Azerbaijanis get their hands on any evidence implicating them in
fascist-like actions. One may assume that somebody was interested in
showing that footage in the Supreme Council, then finger-pointing at
me." On March 6, 1992 A. Mutalibov resigned under the demands of the
Popular Front of Azerbaijan (PFA).

Eynulla Fatullayev, editor-in-chief of Real Azerbaijan newspaper,
wrote in his "Karabakh Diaries in 2005: "... several days before the
offensive the Armenians warned the population by loudspeakers about
the planned operation and recommended the civilians to leave the town
and escape the encirclement through the humanitarian corridor along
Gar-Gar river." He was told about this by refugees from Khojaly who
used the corridor and survived, because, quote: "the Armenian soldiers
positioned behind the corridor had not opened fire on them." He
confirms that "a free corridor had indeed been left, as otherwise
totally surrounded and isolated from the external world Khojaly
residents could not have broken through and escape the encirclement.

But after passing through the terrain beyond Gar-Gar river the crowd
of refugees was divided... It appears the battalions of the Popular
Front of Azerbaijan did not make efforts to free the Khojaly residents,
but instead, wanted a big bloodshed in order to oust A.

Mutalibov."

As reported by the Iranian Arannews information agency, this was also
stated by Ayatollah Seyyed Hasan Ameli, the representative of the
Supreme Leader, imam jum'a of Ardabil: "For a successful coup d'état
large losses were needed in the war front, a truly grave tragedy. The
Khojaly tragedy was staged under such circumstances. Mutalibov was
supported by Russians. Would Russians oust him to bring Elchibey
to power? Clearly not, and the coup d'état was against the
pro-Russian leadership... This was an evil plan to prevent Iran's
active involvement in Karabakh, implemented through the blood of
innocent people.

Ergenekon was behind all of this, but actually, it was Mossad1."

Between November 1991 and February 1992 people of Khojaly sent many
telegrams to Heydar Aliyev, leader of the Nakhichevan Republic,
requesting help to defend the town. In late 1991 Elman Mamedov wanted
to visit H. Aliyev in Nakhichevan and tell him about the problems
of the town's defense. "At that time anybody who uttered H. Aliyev's
name, faced a harsh punishment. But people of Khojaly were not afraid
of that." (Xalg gazeti newspaper, 26.02.1997). H. Aliyev could not
do anything. He only stated: "Bloodshed would be useful for us",
as he also wanted to strike a blow to A. Mutalibov.

Bahman Halilov, a Khojaly resident has been quoted to say: "A few days
before the tragedy the Armenians informed us several times that they
are going to capture the town and demanded that we abandon the town...

We knew that we could not expect help from anyone. We decided to
evacuate as many as possible women, children and elderly people. We
were promised that an urgent military operation is prepared to liberate
Askeran, so as to connect it with Khojaly. All that turned out to
be lies. Thus, Khojaly was sacrificed by the fault of the country's
leadership." (Respublika newspaper, February 26, 1997).

In the February 26, 1997 issue of Azerbaycan newspaper a story told
by police lieutenant Shahid Muradov was published. As the town was
stormed he went to his post wh ere 12 defenders made their stand.

There was shooting going on all over the town and it was necessary to
save the peaceful population. "Our group came to take positions in the
town outskirts and approached to a newly built five-storey residential
building, wh ere we saw 70-80 people hiding there. Battalion commander
Tofik Huseinov's UAZ-465 vehicle was parked near the same building.

The car was full of weapons and ammunition. After talking with
everybody we entered the building, took positions and waited for
the adversary to approach. In the morning of February 26 we saw two
attack helicopters land in Khankendi. Having found out our location
the Armenians demanded us to surrender. We refused and the Armenians
attacked. Nobody wanted to surrender and I took over the command. We
resisted for 12 hours, till the dusk. Dark of the night was what saved
us. In total darkness we went out of the building. The Armenians could
not stop us. We took the peaceful civilians with us and headed to
Agdam. Near Nakhichevanik village we encountered the Armenians. They
told us that if we put down our weapons on the ground and surrender,
they will let us go to Agdam. It was an Armenian trick though. We
knew that if we lay our weapons down they will kill us. That's why
we answered by gunfire to their offer. After that they stood out of
our path and we went to Adam together with the civilians."

It might be assumed that the defenders and residents of that building
thought that Khojaly was not captured by Armenians yet. For this
reason, they stayed in the town on the night February 26 and left
it only on the night of 27th, after realizing that no Azerbaijanis
remained in the town except for themselves.

It is clear from Lieutenant Muradov's story that the soldiers together
with 70-80 local residents left Khojaly on foot on the night of
February 27 and reached unharmed the Agdam district controlled by
Azerbaijani military detachments. They were not shot upon or attacked
by Armenians on their way, which proves that Armenian defense forces
had nothing to do with the deaths of civilians or even Khojaly armed
defenders outside the town and on the territory of Agdam district.

The humanitarian corridor was set from the eastern outskirts of Khojaly
and went along Gar-Gar river to north-east towards Agdam. The corridor
was 120 - 300 meters wide and even wider. The offensive was launched
in four directions, but the encirclement was never complete, as there
were not enough troops for that. Khojaly residents took advantage of
this to flee to Agdam district. All available Armenian defense forces
were deployed to seize Khojaly and the combat ended only by 7am on
February 26. However, some local pockets of resistance remained and
we had no extra forces to act outside the town. The local civilians
fleeing Khojaly and combatants accompanying them were not chased by
our detachments, since there were no free troops to do that and there
was no such intention anyway.

In addition, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense had an attack force
near Agdam city, which was capable of capturing Askeran in mere
hours and break the blockade of Khojaly. Dadash Rzayev, Chief of the
General Staff of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces personally told about
this to Elman Mamedov, head of the executive power and defense of
Khojaly, when he was visiting Baku to discuss strengthening of town
and district defenses. D. Rzayev informed that the operation plan to
break the Khojaly blockade and open communications with Askeran and
Agdam was ready, and in a few days a signal to start the operation
will be received in Khojaly. However, such signal was never sent.

On February 17, 1992 colonel S. Jangirov, deputy chief of the interior
for Karabakh zone presented a report during a meeting of all commanders
of Agdam garrison detachments and forces at Agdam district department
of the interior, talking about a plan for the operation to break
the blockade of Khojaly developed by D. Rzayev. It was planned to
carry out on February 21-25, but was constantly delayed and never
materialized. Under these circumstances the Armenian defense forces
stole a march on Azerbaijanis and captured Khojaly on February 26.

Not a single Armenian warrior would have risked going to the location
of Azerbaijan's Agdam grouping of forces, because it would have simply
been a death journey to him and would have provoked an offensive on
Askeran with consequent breaking of the Khojaly blockade. Armenian
military leadership anticipated that assistance might arrive to the
town defenders from Agdam, Shushi and other Azeri settlements and was
wary about it. For this reason, the Armenian detachments could have
never entered Agdam outskirts controlled by the Azeri troops to kill
peaceful civilians fleeing Khojaly through the humanitarian corridor.

The tragedy was carried out by Azeri armed detachments in outskirts
of Agdam on the territory controlled by Azerbaijan's Armed Forces, wh
ere no Armenian soldier could go, since a large offensive grouping of
forces was located there. The fact that this force was never deployed
into action points to controversies among the president's team and
that in the Azerbaijani Republic's Ministry of Defense there were
PFA supporters who would use any occasion to harm the president. A
ruthless political struggle to take the power was going on in the
country, and to achieve this objective the political opponents spared
no means, including the killing of their own compatriots. Even such
significant politician and manipulator as Heydar Aliyev welcomed
and considered necessary a bloody sacrifice of his own people in the
struggle for power.

Some foreign powers, especially Turkey and Israel were very interested
in the internal political struggle to overthrow the pro-Russian
president A. Mutalibov. For the anti-Russian forces to seize the power
in Azerbaijan it was necessary to discredit the president. This was
possible by blaming him for incompetent command of the Azerbaijani
army in the war against Armenia and for unjustified losses. There
were several scenarios for this, and one of them turned out to be
the tragic events with peaceful Khojaly civilians on the territory of
Agdam district controlled by the Azeri military. After A. Mutalibov
was ousted, the power in the Azerbaijani Republic was overtaken by
pro-Turkish and anti-Russian leaders.

Conclusions

1. Peaceful civilians of Khojaly were shot to death on the territory
of the Agdam district controlled by the Azerbaijani armed forces
and the NKR land adjacent to Agdam district. These forces are fully
responsible for the deaths of civilians.

2. Soldiers of Armenian defense forces have nothing to do with this
tragedy.

[Yervant1]

16:05 27/02/2014 » SOCIETY

Anti-Armenian event held in the Czech Republic by Azerbaijanis fails

On February 26 at one of the squares of Prague, with the support of the Azerbaijani Embassy in the Czech Republic and in the financing of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation tents entitled "Past and Present of Azerbaijan" have been set, where, according to the information, the history and culture of Azerbaijan were to be presented.

As the representative of the Armenian community fro, the Czech Republic told Panorama.am, the day was not chosen by chance, and it was logical to think that there will be an attempt to present the Azerbaijani version of Aghdam events taken place in 1992, propagandistic material of completely anti-Armenian and racist nature.

These actions caused anger among a group of locals who approached the tents and called to stop the promotion of racism in Prague. As a result of skirmishes the Azerbaijanis were forced to remove their anti-Armenian materials and were confined to treating the passers-by with free sweets and tea.

Last year the anti-Armenian event held by the Azerbaijani in the Czech Republic was also disrupted. Thus, the representatives of the Armenian community entered the tents of the Azerbaijanis and started distributing their leaflets, including the organizers of the event. They also managed to photograph it all and in the same time to collect most of the Azerbaijani propaganda materials and to remove several stands. In the tents of the Azerbaijanis the Armenian activists began to tell the truth about the Aghdam events.

On February 26, 1992, during the war in Karabakh, around 200 to 300 people (according to Human Rights Watch, and 600 according to the version propagated by Azerbaijan) were killed in unknown circumstances near the city of Aghdam. They have been deliberately withheld by the Azerbaijani authorities in the midst of the military actions. Population of the village of Khojalu, which was one of the firing points shooting at the blockaded Stepanakert (among five others) was kept in the village for months by force and was not evacuated by the authorities of Azerbaijan deliberately, in order to use them as human shields later.
Residents of Khojalu coming out through the humanitarian corridor, that the self-defense forces of NKR had left open, freely passed more than 10 km and reached the Aghdam city controlled by the Azerbaijani troops. Later, not far from the positions of Azerbaijani troops dead bodies of the villagers were found. The exact death toll remains unknown as the official Baku publishes data contradicting each other. Parliamentary Commission investigating the tragic death of the civilians at Aghdam city was dissolved by the order of Heydar Aliyev, the investigative materials are kept secret.

Documentary: Between hunger and fire: Power at the expenses of lives

Source: Panorama.am

[Yervant1]

15:46 27/02/2014 » REGION

Armenian community of Argentina prevents Azerbaijanis of holding anti-Armenian activity

On February 24 Armenian community of Argentina held a protest in front of the Azerbaijani Embassy, preventing them from holding anti-Armenian activities dedicated to the anniversary of the Aghdam events of 1992.

Representative of Armenian community of Argentina told Panorama.am, that the Azerbaijani side, in order to avoid protests of the Armenians, has decided to hold the event at the Embassy of the country, with the doors closed.

It was originally planned to hold the protest in connection with the anniversary of the Sumgait massacre in front of the Embassy of Azerbaijan on February 26, however, after learning about the plans of the Azerbaijanis, the Armenian community mobilized its forces and went to the embassy on February 24. The action lasted for half an hour - as long as the Azerbaijani event lasted.

The participants of the rally were to deliver a letter of protest to the Embassy, the latter, however, refused to accept the letter.
Moreover, the Azerbaijanis were surprised and confused with the action, as they did not expect the Armenians to appear there and were caught off-guard.

According to the representative of the Armenian community, the police did not prevent the action. Azerbaijani embassy officials tried to convince the police to take appropriate measures to prevent the action, to which the law enforcement officials noted they would not intervene until the protest is peaceful.

According to the information, the Azerbaijani event was attended by about 15 people.

Source: Panorama.am

[Yervant1]

AZERBAIJAN COMMITS DOUBLE CRIME - "SHUSHI" FOUNDATION

February 26, 2014 | 14:00

YEREVAN. - The civilized world needs to know about the tragic events
in Sumgait, Baku, Gandzak-Kirovabad, and Marag-Margushavan, which
were the continuation of the Armenian Genocide between 1915 and 1923.

"Shushi" Charitable Foundation Director Bakur Karapetyan noted the
above-said at a press conference on Wednesday.

In Karapetyan's words, as the centennial of the Armenian Genocide
draws near, the Azerbaijani-Turkish propaganda machine will begin
raising a higher uproar in connection with the Khojaly events.

He stressed, however, that the Armenian party does not talk enough
about the aforementioned tragic events, the Armenian diplomatic corps
are very passive, and they do not perform the propaganda activities
abroad very well.

Reflecting on the events that had occurred in the Azerbaijani town
of Khojaly on February 25-26, 1992, Karapetyan stressed that, by
distorting the real facts and shifting the blame on the Armenian
side,Azerbaijan commits a double crime.

Thursday, February 26, 2014 will mark the 26th anniversary of the
Armenian pogroms in the Azerbaijani city of Sumgait. The Armenian
population in the area was massacred for three consecutive days.

News from Armenia - NEWS.am

[Yervant1]

17:18 28/02/2014 » SOCIETY

Azerbaijani anti-Armenian provocation prevented in Cairo

On 26 February the Azerbaijani embassy in Egypt organized a seminar on “Legal Status of Minorities in international conflicts: analysis of the Nagorno-Karabakh status." The seminar aimed at spreading disinformation on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and Aghdam events taken place in 1992.

However, according to the Armenian community in Egypt, the presence of the chairman of the Armenian General Benevolent Union's Cairo branch Perch Terzian, attaché of Armenian embassy Vardges Hovsepyan and Egyptian expert of Genocide studies Muhammad Rifat al-Imam ruined the plans of the Azerbaijanis. At the request of the chief editor of "Al-democracy" Bashir Abdel Fattah the Armenian side was allowed to participate in the discussion.
Perch Terzian, Vardges Hovsepyan, Muhammad Rifat al-Imam took the floor, in response to the speeches of the speakers, Director of the Center of Political Science "Al-Hiwar" Imad al-Mahdi and the Azerbaijani Ambassador to Egypt Shahin Abdullayev, whose performances were full of anti-Armenian falsifications. The Armenian side criticized the falsified information presented by the speakers, proving their words by historical, legal facts.

The true causes of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict were presented to the attendees in details, as well as the constructive disposition of Armenia in the settlement process of the conflict, and the provocative policy carried out by Azerbaijan. They also presented the real events that took place in Sumgait and Aghdam, touched upon the official policy of Azerbaijan of disseminating hatred towards the Armenians. As an example they brought the murder of Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan and the glorification of his murderer, Ramil Safarov, in Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijani ambassador was accused of misleading the audience.

The atmosphere in the room changed after the speeches made by the Armenian party. Participants in the debate began to raise balanced and unbiased questions.

The community also reports that at the end of the event that was organized by the Azerbaijanis, the Armenian side, in response to a question from the audience whether there is information source opposing the Azerbaijani version, gave books with illustrations to everyone present, with photos depicting the events in Sumgait and Aghdam.

Source: Panorama.am

[Yervant1]

UC IRVINE STUDENTS COUNTER DISINFORMATION AT AZERI LECTURE

http://asbarez.com/120123/uc-irvine-students-counter-disinformation-at-azeri-lecture/
Friday, February 28th, 2014

The Azeri Consul lecturing at UC Irvine

IRVINE, Calif.--The Azeri Consul attempted to present a distorted view
of history during a presentation at University of California, Irvine,
hosted by the pro-Azeri Council on International Affairs as part of
Azerbaijan's ongoing revisionist propaganda in the West. At least
two thirds of the audience in the small hall was Armenian, primarily
students and community members, who made sure the truth was known.

UCI Armenian Students Association passed out pamphlets to attendees
describing the real Azerbaijan, including their policies of jailing
journalists, rewarding murderers such as Safarov, massacring Armenians
in Sumgait, Baku, Kirovabad, and the ongoing human rights violations of
the Aliyev regime against its own people. After the Consul's skewed
presentation where, among other things, he stated that Armenians
massacred Azeris and that the historic Armenian church in Gandzasar
was Albanian, the moderator opened the floor for questions.

A preplanned pro-Azeri group asked prewritten pro-Azeri questions
with canned responses by the Consulate. Finally, Armenian students
had a chance and clarified the record, exposed the truth and asked
about Azerbaijan's organized massacres of Armenians in Sumgait, Baku
and Kirovabad. The Azeri Consul avoided the questions and abruptly
ended the Q and A session short. The organizers then asked everyone
to leave. The Consul and organizers remained in hiding in another
room while campus Police blocked off the corridor.

[Yervant1]

http://asbarez.com/App/Asbarez/images/asbarez_01_460x101.jpg

Friday, February 28th, 2014

 

Azeri Sound, Fury, and Cynicism

http://asbarez.com/App/Asbarez/eng/2014/02/Garen-Y.13-200x300.jpg

Garen Yegparian

BY GAREN YEGPARIAN

Shakespeare, in Macbeth, writes “(Life) is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” All parts of this quote are keenly applicable to Azerbaijan and its blood-oil money fueled propaganda offensive we’ve been witnessing of late.

It’s our fault that their vile activities are getting any traction whatsoever. We have not been telling the truth forcefully and promptly enough. If we gave proper recognition to the Azeri perpetrated, officially/governmentally sanctioned (remember, the murderers had address lists), massacres of Armenians as the Soviet Union was breaking up, they would never have succeeded in passing their silly resolution in New Mexico a month ago.

But New Mexico is not alone. Based on the tally I requested and received from the ANCA, thirteen pro-Azerbaijan resolutions have been introduced in the legislatures of nine different states. Eight of these speak to addressing the Karabakh conflict. The other five address the Khojaly tragedy. Seven of these resolutions have succeeded in gaining various stages of passage in the legislative house in which they were introduced. In New Mexico, one was even signed into law! That was just so far this year. Last year, there were 21 such resolutions introduced in various state legislatures.

The states where these have been introduced (at least this year) are ones where we have very small or virtually non-existent communities. In only two of them are there ANCAs (one of these also has other community organizations). Some have a core of ANCA-connected Armenian activists, but no formal structures. Others have just a few Armenians who have been stirred to action by the toxic legislation the Azeris’ public relations firms have fed to state legislators. The choice of states is clearly no accident.

The Azeris play on the horror of mutilated bodies, some seven miles outside of Khjaly. They forget to mention that no less than an Azeri journalist in Azeri controlled territory had documented the same corpses twice. Only upon his second viewing were they mutilated. So… who would you think had committed the heinous acts? There is even reason to believe the poor victims were killed by their own, Azeri, forces. It was all part of a power play by one political faction in Azerbaijan to topple its then president, Mutalibov. Sacrificing their own people was just part of their cynical calculus.

You can see the sound and fury spewed by the Azeris, in this case, the idiots in Shakespeare’s words, truly signifies nothing. Yet, for a legislator who knows next to nothing and couldn’t distinguish an Azeri from an Armenian (or Afar or Afghan or Albanian or Algerian or Andorran or Angolan or Antiguan or Arab or Arapahoe or Aymara) and wants to do something seemingly legitimate, it’s an easy trap to fall into. It is our job to inform people holding office of what’s going in our part of the world so they can avoid embarrassing themselves and their states. The proof lies in our success in preventing some of these measures from passing, once we know about them and explain the truth to legislators. But that’s a lot harder than doing the right thing ahead of time.

We must organize our communities on the political front. It is essential to our dignity and honoring the sacrifices made by our martyrs and fighters. No matter how few, we have to activate those of our compatriots who live in far flung places such as Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Hawaii, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Tennessee—all the places where the Azeri lobby has gotten some traction. It’s easy for those of us living in places like Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, Rhode Island, Washington D.C., etc. to forget what Armenian life is like in the tiny communities.

We must extend an organizing hand to our compatriots and keep ourselves connected to one another and committed to our cause. That’s how we will pre-empt any Azeri publicity offensives.