Azerbaijan’s attacks on Armenia’s sovereign territory, and its efforts to invade our country this week reinforce the fact that our enemies will stop at nothing to advance their aggressive agenda against the Armenian people and our homeland.
This week’s attack against military and civilian targets in Armenia’s Gegharkunik, Syunik and Vayots Dzor provinces, once again, came at a high cost as more than 135 soldiers have been reported killed and dozens of others have been injured and thousands have been displaced from their homes.
We bow our heads to the heroic soldiers who lost their lives in defense of our homeland and pledge our unwavering commitment to assist those who have been affected by this latest breach of international laws. We will continue to defend the sovereignty and inviolability of Armenia, Artsakh and their borders.
We have witnessed the international community’s response to this latest aggression and assess that the public statements by world leaders, as well as testimony offered at the United Nations Security Council seem to signal a more sober approach toward a crisis that has fallen on deaf ears for more than three decades.
As Americans, we would like to see our government take more stern and decisive steps in curtailing Azerbaijan’s violent and aggressive approach by cutting and eliminating the military aid it has been providing the murderous regime for decades. We also call on the Biden Administration to immediately walk back its waiver of Section 907—a measure put in place to ensure that Baku could not use American dollars and weapons against Armenians, be they in Artsakh or in Armenia proper.
The glaring disparity in military and economic resources between Armenia and Azerbaijan have been a constant in this conflict. Also, throughout the last three decades, and especially since the end of the 44-Day War, we have seen that ceasefire agreements do not mean much for our enemies—Azerbaijan and Turkey.
In the past we have expressed our strong objections and outrage for the actions of Armenia’s government and have even called for its resignation. The time has come for our country’s leaders to stop their partisan politics and act like a government at war, which means to expand its capabilities and harness the resources of the Armenian Nation—especially the Diaspora—in order to quash the enemy.
As we have said before, all political forces in Armenia and all factions in the Diaspora must come together to advance our sacred mission of preserving, protecting and strengthening our homeland and to ensure that the people of Armenia and Artsakh are protected.
Our enemies will not stop and our so-called allies will only take action if it suits their own agenda and purpose.
It is up to us—as a Nation—to fight for and defend our historic homeland. We remain unwavering in our conviction to spare nothing and do our utmost to ensure that our homeland is protected and perseveres through the difficult challenges and obstacles.
ARF-D Western U.S. Central Committee
September 16, 2022
