Discussion on Striping American Military Aid to Azerbaijan in the U.S. Senate

Efforts by the Armenian National Committee of America led to discussions in the U.S. Senate regarding the "U.S. National Defense Authorization Act," where Senators Robert Menendez and Alex Padilla introduced three legislative amendments. One of these amendments aims to restore compliance with the requirements of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act (more commonly known as the "907 Resolution"), which prohibits American military assistance to Azerbaijan.

The other two proposals focus on the State Department and the Department of Defense, demanding information regarding the use of American technologies in Bayraktar drones, within the context of whether this use by a third country violates U.S. legislation.

The third proposed amendment, presented by Senator Alex Padilla, calls for a joint report from the State and Defense Departments on Azerbaijan's military crimes during the 2020 Artsakh War, including the use of American technologies during attacks, use of white phosphorus, cluster bombs, and other prohibited weaponry, as well as the involvement of foreign mercenaries.

These legislative proposals may be presented for a Senate vote as early as next week. The Armenian National Committee of America continues its efforts to deprive Azerbaijan of all types of American military assistance. It is worth noting that the U.S. House of Representatives had voted in favor of other legislative initiatives at the end of September, which also proposed a ban on American military assistance to Azerbaijan. In July 2021, the House had also passed legislative amendments to suspend military and military-educational assistance provided to Azerbaijan within its jurisdiction.

Regarding the proposed amendments in the Senate, the Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of America, Aram Hambaryan, stated: "We are grateful to Senators Menendez and Padilla for their principled stance on holding Azerbaijan and Turkey accountable. We are working in Washington and in every one of the fifty states to ensure the passage of these legislative amendments that guarantee the enforcement of Section 907 and investigate Azerbaijani military crimes, as well as the technologies found in Turkish drones."