The Armenian Cause Committee Calls for Investigation into U.S. Complicity in Ethnic Cleansing in Artsakh

The Armenian Cause Committee of America congratulated former U.S. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard on her confirmation as director of national intelligence and called for a comprehensive investigation into the intelligence, policy, and foreign aid failures that contributed to Azerbaijan's genocidal ethnic cleansing of the native Armenian population of Artsakh. This was reported by the Central Office of the Armenian Cause Bureau of the ARF.

“The Armenian Cause Committee of America welcomes Gabbard’s confirmation today and calls for the United States to fully assess its role in Azerbaijan's genocidal campaign against the Armenian population of Artsakh, whether through failures or directives that have assisted, encouraged, or emboldened Azerbaijan,” stated Aram Hambaryan, Executive Director of the Armenian Cause Committee of America.

In their congratulatory letter to Gabbard, the committee also emphasized the importance of a formal reassessment of intelligence policy to understand how U.S. policy, such as military aid to Azerbaijan, contributes to its war crimes. “As you know, Armenian Americans across the Hawaiian Islands and throughout the United States have long supported your efforts to prevent atrocities, advocate for human rights, and address other issues of particular concern to our community and coalition partners. We are deeply grateful for the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide by the U.S. and, of course, for your support of the democratic aspirations of the indigenous Armenian Christians of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh),” the letter noted. “We are ready to support the investigation into the failures and shortcomings of the U.S. that aided, abetted, or encouraged Azerbaijan in pursuing its genocidal plans against the peaceful Armenian population of Artsakh.”

Gabbard’s steadfastness on Armenian issues has been unwavering. As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, she sponsored a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide and visited Artsakh in 2017, where she witnessed firsthand the resilience of the local population in the face of Azerbaijani aggression. In 2020, she condemned Turkey's role in instigating the war against Artsakh, stating, “Turkey is sending individuals associated with Al-Qaeda to annihilate the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh.”

The Armenian Cause Committee continues to call on the Trump administration to apply Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, which prohibits U.S. military assistance to Azerbaijan, as well as to implement Magnitsky sanctions against Azerbaijani officials responsible for war crimes. Additionally, the committee urges the U.S. government to pressure Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian prisoners of war and to lift the current freeze on foreign aid funding so that survivors of the genocide in Artsakh can receive appropriate assistance.