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Karabakh willing to accept on its territory Yezidis refugees

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Davit Babayan, spokesman of President Bako Sahakian Karabakh, yesterday expressed its willingness to grant asylum to Yezidis who were forced to flee their homes in parts of arton102548-268x151northern Iraq controlled by the Islamic state.

Davit Babayan mentioned the Yezidis as “brothers” faced genocide at the hands of Sunni insurgent groups.

“The Armenian people can not be indifferent to what is currently done for Yazidis,” said Babayan. “The Yezidis are the only people who have become an integral part of the Armenian people.”

Nagorno-Karabakh is ready for Yazidi refugees. “Artsakh has many socio-economic problems,” he said, using the traditional name of Karabakh. “But if there are such requests we, as a state committed to democratic and humanitarian standards, we try to help as many people as we can.”

Asked whether the Karabakh Armenians are willing to resettle Iraqi Yezidis in the territories under their control, Babayan said: “If such requests, we will see how we can give them.”

Officials in Armenia, home to a large community of Yezidis were more cautious. According to the Armenian Foreign Ministry, no Iraqi Yezidi have fled or have sought asylum in the country so far.

Boris Murazi, a Yezidi activist, confirmed that. He argued that going in Armenia is not easy for his family because they can not receive Armenian visas at the border and have to make a long journey through Turkey and Iran and Georgia. In the words of Murazi, Iraqi Yazidis stayed away from Armenia so far also because of the “delay” of the reaction from the Armenian government to their suffering.

It was only on Monday that President Serzh Sargsyan expressed deep concern about the massacres and deportations of Iraqi Yezidis.

“Better late than never,” said Murazi. “It is good that the authorities have realized that they can not be indifferent to the fate not only of the Yazidi, but also citizens of Armenia who demanded that authorities cease to be indifferent.”

Indeed, a growing number of Armenians and the media asking Yerevan to take a more proactive civic activists. Several activists have set up a Facebook group to raise funds for loans to spend Iraqi Yezidis in Armenia.

“Armenia should open its borders to refugees and Yezidis accept the largest possible number of them,” said Bayandur Poghosian, member of the “Help your brothers Yezidis.” Poghosian acknowledged that the Armenian government is short of money to be able to help them financially. That is why, he says, activists are asking for private donations.

Wednesday, August 20, 2014,

US congresswoman condemns Azerbaijani aggression against Karabakh

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US Congresswoman Katherine Clarke has condemned Azerbaijan’s growing military aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh.

katherine-clark“I am deeply concerned by the recent military aggression by Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh, including reports of sniper fire against a Red Cross envoy and Armenian civilians. For too long, the people of Nagorno-Karabakh have lived under constant threat of Azeri aggression.

“This campaign of violence violates a long-standing ceasefire and will only lead to additional loss of life.

“The Armenian people of Nagorno-Karabakh have succeeded in creating a vibrant democratic society against long odds, and I stand with them in condemnation of Azerbaijan’s aggression,” she says in a statement.

I await war every day – Karabakh defense minister

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Even though a ceasefire was reached twenty years ago at the request of Azerbaijan, the adversary’s most recent acts of sabotage on the Line of Contact showed yet again that its NKR-Defenseobjective is to occupy the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) and establish control over Karabakh’s entire area.

NKR Defense Minister and Defense Army Commander Movses Hakobyan stated the aforesaid to reporters.

As per Hakobyan, Azerbaijan still hopes to occupy Karabakh by blackmailing the OSCE Minsk Group.

“The last twenty years have shown that the Azerbaijani side always grows distant from the OSCE Minsk Group-proposed possible avenues for the pacific settlement of the Karabakh issue,” the NKR defense minister said.

The minister also noted that, in recent years, Azerbaijan has invested large sums in the country’s armed forces, and on the account of its oil, thus proving its intention to resolve the Karabakh issue by force.

“[But] the NKR Defense Army expects a resumption of military operations by Azerbaijan. I wait for war every day, and the [NKR] army’s goal is to be ready for war,” the minister stressed.

Movses Hakobyan added that in response to the arming of the Azerbaijani armed forces, NKR is engaged in the training of soldiers and the modernization of its arsenal.

Nagorno-Karabakh Republic ready to help Yazidis – Davit Babayan

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The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) is ready to help Yazidi refugees within the limits of the possible, NKR Presidential babayanSpokesman Davit Babayan told Tert.am.

He pointed out the need for a political assessment of the events in northern Iraq.

“The Armenian people cannot remain indifferent to what is happening to the Yazidi people now. Yazidis are the only people that are inseparable part of our people – despite their being a different people with a different religion. We are peoples sharing the same fate, which have for centuries struggled against their common enemy,” Mr Babayan said.

And it is the Armenian people’s duty to help the friendly Yazidi people as much as they can.

“If any of them want to come to Artsakh or receive any support from Artsakh, we are ready,” he said.

source: Tert.am

Armenian commanders, soldier always ready to defend homeland – Rafael Gzoyan

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In an interview with Tert.am, one of the Armenian commanders in the Arstakh liberation war, Major General Rafael (Felix) Gzoyan spoke of the situation commanderson the Line of Contact and of his view of a settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

He also spoke of Armenia’s military potential and people’s willingness to defend their homeland.

“If a war breaks out, I will take anyone. If I go to war and they are not with me, I will force them regardless of whose sons they are,” Mr Gzoyan said.

“By escalating tension on the threshold of political meetings Azerbaijan aimed at escalating tension inside Armenia and demonstrating its influence not only on Armenia, but also on the international community, raising its troops’ morale. But all the attempts failed, because our armed forces are much more efficient and they have been able to thwart all the acts of sabotage by Azerbaijan. This is evidence that our commanders and soldiers are ready to win victory in any military operations. And this small victory inspires our freedom-fighters and young people. I am sure that they are willing to defend the homeland if a war breaks out.”

As regards the probability of war, Mr Gzoyan said:

“I do not think long-lasting peace will be established after the Sochi meeting, so we must be ready to rebuff the enemy. I cannot say how long the ceasefire will be. Our priority task is to improve our troops’ morale and efficiency.”
source: tert.am

“Soldiers Armenians have given a lesson to the leaders of Azerbaijan,” said Mardiros Jamgotchian, a former member of ASALA

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In a statement to our colleagues from News.am, Mardiros Jamgotchian former member of the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA) claims that the arton102437-300x186Armenian Army is ready to face any challenge without the help of a third party or force. Mardiros Jamgotchian also asserts that the Armenian people yearn for peace but it is ready for war if it were taxed him. According to former member of ASALA, the Armenian diaspora is ready to come to reinforce the strength of the Armenian army and support the defense of the territory of Armenia. But according to Mr. Jamgotchian, the recovery of a new war is unlikely. “What is taking place today at the borders is led by Baku towards its domestic public opinion. Azeri authorities tried to prove to the people that they master the situation. But they never imagined that the young soldiers Armenians would give them a scathing reply! “Said the former member of ASALA.

Krikor Amirzayan

Violations of the cease-fire down from the Armenian-Azeri summit

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Violations of the cease-fire around Nagorno-Karabakh has declined significantly since Sunday’s meeting of the Armenian and arton102427-480x320Azerbaijani Presidents held court sponsored by their Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Thursday said a senior official in Stepanakert.

“The easing of tension is visible. The situation is generally stable now, “said Davit Babayan, spokesman of President Bako Sahakian Karabakh. “While there was an average of 400 violations per day Azerbaijan before the meeting in Sochi, they are now descended at about 30-40. They were reduced by more than ten times, “said Babayan Armenian service RFE / RL (Azatutyun.am).

The defense ministries of Armenia and Azerbaijan have also reported a steady decline in skirmishes along the “line of contact” in Karabakh and the Armenian-Azerbaijani border in recent days. None of the parties to the conflict in Karabakh has reported losses in battle after discussions Sunday between Presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliyev in the presence of Vladimir Putin.

Putin welcomed the talks after a sharp escalation of tensions in the conflict zone that caused the death of more than 20 soldiers on both sides. Aliyev and Sarkisian have not announced any concrete agreement or joint statement afterwards. But they both affirmed their commitment to a peaceful settlement of the conflict. Sarkisian predicted Sunday that the violations of the truce will be less frequent in the coming days. Many in Armenia and Karabakh believe Aliyev decided to defuse the situation due to heavy losses incurred by the Azerbaijani army of July 31 to August 2. Some experts believe that the Armenian position Putin was also an important factor.

The unilateral move by Putin was welcomed by the United States, James Warlick, American co-chair of the Minsk Group of the OSCE, which has called the Sochi summit encouraging. “Presidents can rely on their discussion in Sochi when they meet again in the fall to advance negotiations on a peaceful” settlement, Warlick said the Azerbaijani APA news agency Wednesday.

Warlick announced that he and the other two co-chairs of the Minsk Group representing Russia and France are planning to visit the area again soon.
Friday, August 15, 2014,
Ara © armenews.com

Congressional opposition to Baku’s escalating aggression grows

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The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), amid growing Congressional opposition to Baku’s escalating aggression, is calling directly upon the Obama stopaliyevAdministration for U.S. leadership in stopping Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s march toward war.

The ANCA’s Aram Hamparian and Kate Nahapetian, on Aug 8, held a discussion with ambassador James Warlick, the U.S. Co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group dealing with resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, to press the U.S. government to meaningfully challenge and materially constrain ‪Azerbaijan’s reckless march toward war.

During this meeting, the ambassador was given a letter from ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian, which noted that “President Aliyev’s most recent wave of fatal cross-border attacks against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh has cost dozens of lives and seriously undermined the vital work of the OSCE Minsk Group.” ‬

Hachikian warned that: “All indications are that, unless stopped, this undemocratic and unaccountable dictator will act on his threats to start a full-scale Caucasus war, one that will visit vast death and destruction upon all the peoples of the region, likely leading to a wider and even more dangerous conflict.”

He closed by stressing that: “With sufficiently strong American leadership, the Minsk Group can get the peace process back on track, by unequivocally condemning Azerbaijan’s military attacks and then by leading an international campaign to secure Baku acceptance of OSCE proposals, already backed by Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, to pull-back snipers and add observers.” The full letter is available online.

“We join with Armenian Americans and all those around the world who seek peace in thanking Members of Congress for seeking to restrain President Aliyev’s aggression and reverse Azerbaijan’s march toward war,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.

Among the recent Congressional expressions of concern on this topic are the following:

Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA): “I am deeply saddened by the recent reports of escalated violence on the Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia border and the deaths of several Armenian and Azeri soldiers. I am taken aback by Azerbaijan’s attacks on Red Cross staff in a border village in Armenia and Baku’s decision to use sniper rifles in this conflict after several years of respecting the decision by both sides to refrain from doing so. It is my sincere hope that Azerbaijan will abstain from further sniper attacks and instead engage in meaningful resolution talks with Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.”

Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI): “I am deeply troubled by the resurgence of fighting in Nagorno Karabakh and hope Armenia and Azerbaijan can find a resolution to restore peace. I strongly condemn the use of sniper attacks by the Azerbaijani government, which is in direct violation of the cease-fire agreement and international law, and am appalled by reports that Azerbaijan forces attacked a Red Cross envoy. This continued aggression will only bring unrest and risks jeopardizing a cease-fire agreement that was put in place over 20 years ago. As both Presidents Sargsyan and Aliyev prepare to travel to Russia, I hope Azerbaijan will agree to stop these attacks to defuse the escalating violence and prevent the further loss of life.”

Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) [Tweet]: “I’m deeply concerned about incidents of violence against Nagorno-#Karabakh by #Azerbaijan. A long-term solution requires peace & diplomacy.”

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA): “For two decades, the people of Nagorno Karabakh have lived with constant threats and sniper fire from Azerbaijan, which seeks to reassert control over the overwhelmingly Armenian population of the region. Last week, Azeri forces again attacked across the Line of Contact, resulting in casualties on both sides. This latest resort to violence must be condemned in the strongest terms, and America should call upon the Azeri government to withdraw its forces and renounce the use of snipers, especially against civilians, and all American military assistance should be suspended until Azerbaijan does so.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Azeri President Ilham Aliyev plan to meet starting tomorrow, but if their talks are to have any chance of bearing fruit, President Aliyev is going to adopt a sharply different tone from his remarks of late, when he asserted that Azerbaijan had the means to destroy ‘any facility in Nagorno Karabakh’ and again trumpeted his country’s military prowess.

Since breaking free of a regime that encouraged violence and pogroms against its Armenian Christian citizens, the people of Nagorno Karabakh have sought to build democracy and a market economy at home. Baku has responded with an oil-boom funded military build-up and a campaign of bellicose rhetoric and has so imbued its citizens with blood lust against Armenians, that an Azeri army captain who beheaded a sleeping Armenian colleague during a NATO Partnership for Peace exercise was treated as a hero and promoted to major after his transfer from a Hungarian prison in 2012. Now is the time for the Minsk Group to assert itself in this long-running and increasingly dangerous dispute. The people of Nagorno-Karabakh have the right to determine their own future, free from Azeri threats and violence, and they also have the right to go about their lives without fear of being shot in the back by a sniper.”

Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA): “The increased military aggression by Azerbaijan toward Armenians and its use of snipers to shoot at Armenian civilians and even the International Committee of the Red Cross in Armenia must be condemned. These actions by Azerbaijan are violations of international law and a long-standing ceasefire. Against all odds, the Armenian people of Nagorno Karabakh have succeeded in creating a democratic society that upholds peace and justice. They have fought back against attacks to their society and for their very right to exist. The international community must stand with them to stop Azerbaijan’s march toward war.”

Rep. Tony Cardenas (D-CA) [Tweet]: “Saddened by deaths of Armenian & Azeri troops & attacks on RedCross staff. I hope for no further violence & for peace & diplomacy in future.”

The ANCA has organized a #StopAliyev social media campaign that has attracted widespread interest and support.

Customs checkpoint between Armenia and Karabakh out of question

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YEREVAN. – None of the documents on Armenia’s accession to Customs Union mentions customs checkpoint between Armenia and Karabakh, Economy Minister Karen karabakh-customeChshmarityan said during a press conference on Thursday.

Asked whether this means Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh are the same country, Chshmarityan said: “No, this does not. The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is a separate state, while the Republic of Armenia is a guarantor of its security”.

He noted that the process of Armenia’s accession to the Eurasian Economic Union continues according to the set schedule.

Armenophobia is a jinn which can ‘bite’ Aliyev: expert

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The recent tensions at the line of contact between the Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) Republic and Azerbaijani armed forces and the Armenian-Azeri border can be explained by 181477two factors, a Russian expert said.

“On the one hand, Azerbaijan’s aggression is an order from outside aiming to destabilize the South Caucasus. The Aliyev clan is integrated into the conditional ‘western colony club’ and has accounts, projects and other affairs abroad. That’s why some hints are enough to start escalation,” Denis Dvornikov told PanARMENIAN.Net

The second factor, according to him, is that Aliyev has become a hostage to his own bellicose rhetoric. “Armenophobia is a jinn which can ‘bite’ Aliyev if he stop demonstrating his intolerance towards Armenia,” Dvornikov said.

“The meeting in Sochi proved that the nonsense Aliyev usually tells his public doesn’t bear repeating. Getting ready for the trilateral meeting, the Azerbaijani leader knew that in the presence of the Russian and Armenian Presidents as well as numerous journalists and international observers he had better position himself as a peace-loving and law-abiding politician. Such an image, although quite comfortable for himself, is not acceptable for his voters, who are stuffed with hatred. That’s why the bloody incidents at the line of contact are a kind of sacrifice to gain domestic approval,” he added.

According to the expert, the situation will stabilize little by little. “Aliyev will have to show that he is not dancing to Moscow’s tune. That’s why provocations will continue for some more time and then subside,” he explained.

Dvornikov believes that there will be no large-scale hostilities. “First, Aliyev is clever enough to understand that his western partners can involve him in a slaughter and then step aside. He also understands that as long as he is tolerated by Moscow, his regime is safe. Besides, with launching a new war he risks leaving all of his expensive weaponry to Karabakh while the damaged infrastructure will bring Azerbaijan back to its beginnings,” he said.