Conflict Archives

ANCA: OSCE MUST CHALLENGE AZERBAIJANI AGGRESSION

August 2, 2014 By administrator

WASHINGTON, DC — Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Executive Director Aram Hamparian issued the following statement regarding Azerbaijan’s most recent attacks against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.

“The Azerbaijani government’s July 31st and August 1st cross-border attacks against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh are the latest examples of its reckless military aggression in the face of international efforts to stabilize the region and set the groundwork for a fair and enduring peace.”

“The OSCE Minsk Group’s unwillingness to clearly condemn Azerbaijani military strikes has fostered a dangerous atmosphere of impunity that has clearly contributed to this recent escalation of violence. It is time for peace negotiators to break their bad habit of answering Aliyev’s every assault with artificial even-handedness and diplomatic double-talk. Only by unequivocally denouncing Azerbaijan’s attacks can they hope to constrain Aliyev’s march toward a renewed Caucasus war. An important first step would be an OSCE-lead international campaign demanding that Baku lift its opposition to the withdrawal of all snipers, a life-saving proposal that Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh have supported for over 3 years.”

On July 31st and August 1st, Azerbaijani attacks on the lines of contact with Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh have resulted in over 10 deaths. U.S. State Department Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf issued a statement on August 1st expressing United States “concern about the escalation of violence,” but stopped short of clearly condemning Azerbaijani aggression. The statement went on to call “the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan to meet at the earliest opportunity to resume dialogue on key issues.”

Ms. Harf’s complete statement is available at:
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2014/230150.htm

Earlier in the day, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group CoChair, Ambassador James Warlick tweeted “We are seriously concerned about the recent upsurge in violence along the Line Of Contact. The ceasefire needs to be respected. #NKpeace”

Armenia’s Defense Ministry urges Azerbaijan to stabilize situation on border

August 2, 2014 By administrator

YEREVAN. – Armenia’s Defense Ministry has issued a statement in connection with the recent escalation in Karabakh conflict zone.

The statement said over two recent days the situation along the line of contact has deteriorated sharply. Azerbaijani Armed Forces do not stop the attempts of provocations and infiltration into Armenian territories.

Positions of Karabakh are fired from small arms and artillery: grenade launchers, mortars, anti-aircraft guns, thermobaric grenades.

The shelling of border settlements has become frequent. Day by day the number of losses of the parties is increasing. Armenia’s Ministry of Defence declares that these actions of Azerbaijani Armed Forces are entirely contrary to the spirit and logic of talks held under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group and are fraught with a real threat of large-scale hostilities.

Armenia’s Defense Ministry calls on the Azerbaijani side to refrain from taking steps for further aggravation of the situation, and to make efforts to stabilize the situation in Karabakh-Azerbaijani contact line.

In case Azerbaijan continues actions aimed at escalating the situation, the Armenian armed forces will be forced to tighten sanctions against illogical and senseless revenge attempts by the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry leadership.

Moscow urges UNSC to discuss Syrian rebels’ siege of Christian town of Kessab

April 2, 2014 By administrator

April 01, 2014

RT Russia urged the UN Security Council to discuss the situation in Syria’s Christian majority town of Kessab, after Al-Qaeda-linked militants reportedly attacked the town, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated.

“The UN Security Council should discuss the situation in Kessab and give it a principled evaluation,” it stated. “We condemn extremists’ actions in Syria. We believe that the Syrian government and the opposition should join efforts to eradicate terrorism on the Syrian land.”

On March 21, jihadists reportedly crossed into Syria from Turkey and seized the town in Latakia province, home to over 2,000 ethnic Armenians. The attack caused hundreds of local families, mainly Armenian, to flee their homes and seek shelter in the city of Latakia.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry noted that there were no military objects on the attacked territory and added that the only fault of the families, who were forced to flee, was their loyalty to Syria’s government.

Syria’s permanent representative to the UN, Bashar Jaafari, told RT Arabic that Syria is hoping the UN will help resolve the situation in Kessab. In the past week, Syria sent five letters to the UN Security Council and the General Secretary. “These letters contain detailed information about Turkish direct involvement in the crisis by providing protection to terrorist groups that are operating in the Kessab area,” Jaafari said.

He further added that military groups managed to get to Kessab under the cover of Turkish artillery strikes, Turkish aviation, and tanks, which were all used as a distraction.

“This allowed the terrorists to avoid direct clashes with the Syrian army…unleashed [the terrorists’] hands to carry out their heinous, unspeakable crimes.”

Earlier, the Armenian government also called on the UN to protect Kessab, evoked the Armenian genocide of 1915, and accused Turkey of allowing jihadists cross its border to attack Kessab. In turn, Ankara slammed the accusations and condemned the charge as “confrontational political propaganda.”

The attack on Kessab was reportedly carried out by fighters from the Al-Nusra Front, an Al-Qaeda-linked jihadist group in Syria, and the Islamist Ahrar al-Sham brigade, part of the Islamic Front alliance.

Earlier this week, the Syrian army launched an operation to force the militants out of the town.

The situation escalated on March 23 when Turkey shot down a Syrian Air Force jet at the Kessab crossing. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the plane was intercepted after it violated his country’s airspace.

In response, Damascus accused Ankara of “blatant aggression,” saying the fighter jet had been over Syria. The Syrian pilot said a Turksih aircraft fired a missile at him while he was pursuing terrorists within Syrian territories, SANA news agency reported.