Azerbaijan Must be Punished For its Unprovoked Aggression Against Armenia
Posted on September. 16. 2022
BY APPO JABARIAN
On Tuesday Sept. 13, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale unprovoked attack against the Republic of Armenia. The Ministry of Defense and other reliable sources stated that the shelling took place in Armenia’s Sotk, Vardenis, Goris, Kapan, Jermuk, Artanish and Ishkhanasar border cities and towns targeting Armenian military as well as civilian infrastructure. An image taken from a YouTube footage released by Armenian Defense Ministry via Associated Press, shows Azerbaijanian servicemen crossing the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and approaching the Armenian positions. According to Armenian officials, 49 soldiers have been killed in nighttime attacks by Azerbaijan. An American defense official described the meeting between Armenia’s Minister of Defense and the U.S. Department of Defense high-level leadership as “great progress.” Below is readout of Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Dr. Colin Kahl’s Sept. 8 meeting with Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan of Armenia. Department of Defense Spokesman Lt. Col. David Herndon provided the following readout: “Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Dr. Colin Kahl hosted Minister of Defense Suren Papikyan of Armenia at the Pentagon today to discuss ways to strengthen the U.S.-Armenian defense relationship. Dr. Kahl emphasized the U.S. commitment to peace and stability in the South Caucasus. In addition, the two leaders discussed the war in Ukraine and possible areas of mutually-beneficial cooperation.” It’s interesting that the Sept. 13 Azerbaijani multi-front attacks came after U.S.-Armenia defense officials’ most cordial meeting at the Pentagon. Some observers believe that the genocidal twins Turkish Pres. Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Azerbaijani despotic dictator Ilham Aliyev are frustrated that their main objectives could not be achieved during the Azerbaijan-Turkey-ISIS terrorists’ 44-day anti-Armenian aggression in Artsakh in Fall 2020. Right before the unprecedented Azerbaijani aggression, Aliyev and Erdogan boasted that in “three days they would be able to occupy Artsakh/ Nagorno Karabakh, and in another four days occupy all of Armenia.” Azerbaijan and Turkey have long been pursuing their pan-Turkish imperial ‘dreams.’ However, unexpected strong Armenian resistance derailed those pan-Turkish ‘dreams.’ And now Baku and Ankara are doing everything in their capacity to force Armenia PM Nikol Pashinyan into capitulation in order to a) ‘surrender’ Artsakh/Nagorno Karabakh completely to Azerbaijan. It is no secret that Azerbaijanand Turkey are hellbent on carrying out the “2nd and Final Genocide against Armenians.” b) allow Azerbaijan-Turkey-Russia to carve out sovereign territory of Armenia and create a Turkish corridor through the southern Armenian region of Syunik blocking the Iran-Armenia border effectively squeezing the belt of near-total blockade of Armenia. Furthermore, Azerbaijan and Turkey are intent on destroying the Armenia Army which is the number one symbol and guarantor institution of Armenian sovereignty, independence and defense.
What can the Armenian Diaspora do?! The Armenian Diaspora can do exponentially more than it has ever done for Armenia/Artsakh: 1) Global mobilization for sustainable and large-scale political activism in America, Europe and much of the world; 2) While Armenians march on the streets they should also walk in the corridors of power. And they can. They don’t lack human and other resources in order to achieve the number one national priority: Support Armenia and Artsakh Republics’ Sovereignty, Independence and Defense. Positive signs for Armenia: On both counts, world Armenians should feel empowered by the fact that in the aftermath of 44-Day Anti-Armenian aggression by Azerbaijan-Turkey-ISIS, Armenians in America and elsewhere have been very proactive: Aside from supporting the several lobbying organizations such Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), The Armenian Assembly of America (AAA), The Armenian Council of America (ACA), ij early 2021, several visionary American Armenians joined forces with visionary leaders such U.S. Army Major General Mark MacCarley in establishing a visionary organization – The American Armenian National Security Institute (AANSI). AANSI’s mission is groundbreaking: “AANSI is dedicated to educating Congressional, military and civilian national security decision-makers on American and Armenian defense and strategic interests, the cornerstone of which is robust U.S.-Armenia security cooperation. AANSI believes that a strong American and Armenian military and national security posture is the best guarantor of peace and the survival of our values and civilization.” Since August 2021, AANSI has already accomplished two highly successful educational and journalistic missions to Armenia and Artsakh. AANSI became an important contributing factor to several positive developments in further strengthening U.S.-Armenia strategic relations. Very recently, in response to ongoing existential threats facing Armenia and Artsakh, a group of concerned American Armenians joined forces to lay the foundation to a local and global non-partisan advocacy and activism organization called Pan-Armenian National Emergency Committee – USA Committee (PANEC USA). PANEC USA has already organized the August 23-24 24-hour hunger strike carried out by well-known Los Angeles area American Armenian medical doctor Vagharshak Pilossyan. The Pan-Armenian National Emergency Committee – USA also organized the Sunday Sept. 18 protest rally against Azerbaijan’s unprovoked aggression against the Republic of Armenia. The rally will take place in front of Azerbaijani Consulate in Los Angeles located at 11766 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025. It will start at 3PM. (More details on page 24) Aside from marching on the streets and walking in the corridors of power, Diaspora Armenian have many options. One of them is to urgently organize and swiftly carry out a series of Solidarity and Humanitarian Pilgrimages to Armenia and Artsakh to show that in these most turbulent times, Armenia and Artsakh/Nagorno Karabakh are not abandoned to their fate. In times of war, while some people run away from their homeland, Armenians rush to their homeland.