Under the Cover of the Ukraine War, Azerbaijani Forces Cut Off Gas to Artsakh Residents: Armenian Assembly of America

On March 9, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a Comprehensive Appropriations Bill that includes a section on the Freedom Support Act's Section 907, as well as a requirement for a report on the likelihood of military operations against Artsakh.

The Armenian Assembly of America informed Armenpress about this development, stating: "On the evening of March 9, the U.S. House of Representatives adopted a Comprehensive Appropriations Bill summarizing the expenses of the fiscal year 2022, which calls for no less than $45 million in aid to Armenia and $2 million for humanitarian demining in Artsakh."

The bill also mandates that "prior to any initial obligation of funds appropriated for assistance to Armenia and Azerbaijan under Section IV of the Act, the Secretary of State shall consult with the Appropriations Committees regarding the proposed uses of those funds."

The inclusion of this aid follows a letter led by the Co-Chair of the Congressional Armenian Caucus, Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA), supported by fellow members including Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ) and Jackie Speier (D-CA), as well as members Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and Jim Costa (D-CA), urging the leadership of the House and Senate Appropriations State and Foreign Operations and Related Programs Subcommittees to provide an additional $50 million in humanitarian assistance to Artsakh.

The bill itself includes a section on the Freedom Support Act's Section 907 and requires a report on the likelihood of military operations against Artsakh "no later than 90 days after this Act enters into force," the statement reads.

According to sources, there have been numerous reports of continuous violations of the November 2020 ceasefire conditions by the Aliyev regime, including the killing of Armenians due to border shootings. "Just this week, Azerbaijani forces have obstructed the repair of a severely damaged gas pipeline leading to Nagorno-Karabakh, while reports indicate that it was they who cut the pipeline under the cover of the war in Ukraine. Just on the 8th, an Armenian soldier was killed, and another wounded, due to a ceasefire violation on the border between Armenia and the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhichevan. Additionally, on March 9, Artsakh officials reported that the Azerbaijani army was 'actively' using large-caliber mortars and automatic weapons to target rural communities in Artsakh, forcing farmers to stop 'all types of agricultural work.' Furthermore, for the past two days (with no indication of how long it will continue), the people of Artsakh have been cut off from their vital gas supply, while Azerbaijani forces refuse to allow anyone to approach to ascertain or fix the damage. Meanwhile, recently, Artsakh has sent more than 14 tons of humanitarian aid to assist the people of Ukraine.

Last week, the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), released a report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) regarding the Freedom Support Act's Section 907, stating that, according to Menendez, 'the State Department has failed to meet accountability requirements for the review of U.S. assistance to the government of Azerbaijan.'

Moreover, according to the committee chairman, the GAO report 'revealed that for several years, the Departments of State and Defense did not meet the reporting requirements to Congress regarding the impact of U.S. assistance on the military balance between Armenia and Azerbaijan,' the Armenian Assembly of America recalled.

It is noted that other key findings of the report included that the State Department's reports to Congress for the fiscal years 2014-2021 did not address required elements, including the impact of proposed assistance on the military balance between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and that the State Department's rationale memoranda contained limited or no details related to the amount of assistance, the state of the military balance between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the impact of U.S. assistance on that military balance, or the impact of assistance on the peace negotiations. The 2021 guidance from the State Department did not provide detailed instructions to agencies regarding reporting requirements to Congress, and that the State Department and the Department of Defense did not document their consideration of suspension requirements for the fiscal years 2014-2020, including how they determined that aid would not be used for offensive purposes against Armenia.

"While the world watches the ongoing devastation in Ukraine, we urge continued vigilance in holding Azerbaijan accountable for its ongoing assaults against the Armenian people," said Mariam Khaloyan, Director of Congressional Relations for the Assembly.