Letter to the Hon. Kay Granger, Chairwoman, Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs, and The Honorable Nita Lowey, Ranking Member, Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs - Suspend Azerbaijani Military Aid and Support Nagorno Karabakh

Letter

Dear Chairwoman Granger and Ranking Member Lowey:

We are writing as co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, in the wake of the worst Azerbaijani attacks since the 1994 Nagorno Karabakh cease-fire. We strongly reiterate our opposition to providing foreign military assistance to Azerbaijan, and we urge the suspension of military aid until its government ceases cross-border attacks, ends its threats of renewed war, and agrees to a settlement of regional conflicts through peaceful means.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has made it abundantly clear through his country's escalating aggression that Azerbaijan believes it can continue to receive American military aid no matter its actions. This belief is wrong. While the United States provides military assistance for a number of reasons, our assistance should never be taken for granted, and we should never tolerate its unacceptable misuse by foreign nations.

As you know, President Aliyev visited Washington, DC last week for the Nuclear Security Summit, during which he met with Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry. Despite American calls for peace from both of these two U.S. leaders, President Aliyev launched attacks across the entire length of the Nagorno Karabakh line-of-contact, just hours after the close of the Summit. This represents a dramatic escalation of President Aliyev's pattern of aggression that has included constant threats of violence, ongoing incitement of anti-Armenian hatred, and the military targeting of Armenian civilians in both Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia. It reflects, as well, Azerbaijan's continued objection to the Royce-Engel peace proposals - concrete, accountability-based recommendations, backed by the United States, the OSCE, Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, to pull back snipers and heavy arms from the border, add observers, and deploy gunfire locators.

In calling for a suspension of military aid to Azerbaijan, we are mindful that Azerbaijan's regional aggression both reflects and reinforces its pattern of domestic abuse, including its brutal crack-down on dissent. Rather than providing military aid to Azerbaijan we should be putting pressure on the country to cease its undemocratic policies.

Thank you for your consideration of our concerns.

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