US House of Representatives Passes Package: Azerbaijan to be Deprived of Military Aid

The US House of Representatives has approved a legislative package of amendments to the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act. The amendment proposed by Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone, concerning American military assistance, was included in the package of the National Defense Authorization Act. This was reported by "Voice of America."

The amendment proposed by Pallone stipulates that the US Department of Defense, in collaboration with the State Department, must report to Congress on foreign countries receiving American military assistance under Section 333 of the Department of Defense's "Partner Capacity Building" program that are suspected of violating international law or human rights provisions before or during the receipt of military aid. The report will also include recommendations for improving human rights that will help prevent such violations.

Congressman Pallone emphasized the importance of passing this legislation, especially as he stated that Azerbaijan poses a threat to Armenia. "We must ensure that US foreign aid aligns with our values both at home and abroad," said the Armenian Caucus co-chair in a press release from his office. According to him, this amendment serves as a basis for depriving Azerbaijan of military aid, as he noted that Baku has serious problems related to human rights and pursues a belligerent policy.

"We say that the state receiving assistance must be evaluated on its human rights record, and if any country is violating human rights— and as you know, Azerbaijan is known for human rights violations— then it should not receive funding provided under Section 333," said Congressman Pallone.

During the discussion of the package of amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act, Congressman Pallone received support for his proposal from Congressman Brad Sherman, who emphasized his endorsement of the amendment that addresses human rights violations carried out by Azerbaijani military units.

The source reports that under Section 333 of the Department of Defense’s "Partner Capacity Building" program, the US has provided over $100 million in military assistance to Azerbaijan since 2018. This decision by the administration has been criticized by the Congressional Armenian Caucus. In response to the criticism, the US State Department insists that military assistance to Azerbaijan serves US interests, helps prevent terrorism, drug trafficking, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and does not pose a threat to Armenia or the region.

Proposed amendments by Congressional Armenian Caucus members Jackie Speier and Brad Sherman related to the National Defense Authorization Act did not receive approval from the House procedural committee and were not included in the agenda.