U.S. Congressmen call on Rice challenge Azerbaijan's threats of renewed war

PanARMENIAN.Net - More than 50 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives called upon Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to challenge Azerbaijan's threats of renewed war against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, and to take concrete action to hold leaders in Baku accountable for actions that directly undermine the Administration's policy of fostering peace and stability in the South Caucasus region, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).



The letter, initiated by Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairmen Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) and Frank Pallone (D-NJ), cited specific recent threats by Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev and stressed that, "these fear tactics and threats of war go directly against the United States' goal of peace and stability in the South Caucasus region. Azerbaijan has been threatening war with Armenia for years. However, these recent public comments made by high-ranking government officials prove that their rhetoric has turned into a very real and dangerous threat."



In a related matter, the Armenian Caucus Co-Chairmen yesterday circulated a letter inviting members of the Caucus to offer public remarks honoring the 20th anniversary of the Nagorno Karabakh liberation movement. In their letter, they underscored that, "as Americans, we value and appreciate the courage shown by the people of Nagorno Karabakh in standing up for democracy and sparking the popular movements that spread throughout the Soviet Republics and the Warsaw Pact, and eventually brought down the Soviet empire. We commemorate this movement not only for the liberty it brought to the people of Nagorno Karabakh, but also for the profound contribution it made to helping to create a safer world." They added that, "in the two decades since this historic movement began on or in February of 1988, the men and women of Nagorno Karabakh - in the face of aggression, blockade, and other truly daunting challenges - have built a vibrant democracy, fostered a free market economy, and constructively engaged with the international community to advance regional peace and cooperation."