Thursday, October 1 2020 10:46

ArmInfo. Today, the Armenian  Assembly of America (Assembly) welcomed news that Representative  Jackie Speier (D-CA), a senior member of the House Permanent Select  Committee on Intelligence, plans to introduce a bipartisan resolution  "condemning Azerbaijan's coordinated offensive in Nagorno- Karabakh  and denouncing Turkish interference in the conflict," reported the  Assembly.  Joining Rep. Speier are Reps. Adam Schiff (D-CA), Frank  Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Brad Sherman (D-CA), and  Anna Eshoo (D-CA).

As the press service of the Assembly informs, the resolution, for  which Representative Speier is currently seeking original cosponsors,  states in part: "Whereas, this attack follows increasingly aggressive  rhetoric and destabilizing actions on the part of Azerbaijan  President Ilham Aliyev's government towards Nagorno Karabakh and  Armenia, including a July 2020 Defense Ministry threat to bomb  Armenia's Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant;" and "Whereas, according to  multiple reports, including by the Washington Post, Reuters, and The  Guardian, in the weeks prior to Azerbaijan's military operation,  Turkey recruited mercenaries from Syria and as of September 29, 2020  has facilitated their deployment to Azerbaijan." "We applaud  Representative Speier's swift action to bring forward this resolution  condemning Azerbaijan's attack against the Armenian people and  denouncing Turkey's role as well," stated Assembly Executive Director  Bryan Ardouny. "The targeting and shelling of civilians is  outrageous, and reports that Turkey recruited mercenaries from Syria  and provided F-16s to Azerbaijan are deeply troubling. This  resolution sends a powerful message to Turkey and Azerbaijan to cease  their hostile actions immediately," Ardouny continued. "We urge its  passage without delay," Ardouny concluded.  The resolution further  stated: "Whereas, the BBC, New York Times, and Washington Post have  reported on the Armenian Foreign Ministry's claim that Turkey is  operating F- 16 fighter jets in the region and the claim that on  September 29, 2020 Turkey shot down an Armenian Su-25 fighter jet in  Armenian airspace, killing the pilot," and calls for "an immediate  return to the cease-fire agreement along the line of contact between  Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan and a peaceful solution which  protects all parties' human rights and joins with other countries  supporting the same goals," and further "reaffirms U.S. support of  the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Minsk Group  efforts to secure an agreement from Azerbaijan to cease offensive  military operations against Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia and to  accept independent third- party monitoring along the line of  contact."