"Are the USA transitioning from bias to blackmail?" - Comment from Baku

Azerbaijan-US relations

The recently published “Fact-Finding Mission” report, commissioned by the US State Department, has sparked controversy in Azerbaijan. Assistant Secretary of State James O’Brien had announced the report during Congressional hearings last November, and it was released shortly after his latest visit to the region. Analysts at the Azerbaijan Center for South Caucasus Studies have denounced the report as “yet another and even more blatant example of double standards.”

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Baku based Center for South Caucasus Studies (CSSC) has published a commentary on the release of the “Fact-Finding Mission” report commissioned by the US State Department.

“Toward a new level of double standards”

“The report represents yet another and even more flagrant example of double standards. It openly reveals the biased and Armenocentric stance of official Washington towards the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over the past 30 years:

• The document selectively and with serious distortions covers only the last three years of the 30-year conflict, portraying the occupiers as victims. The voluntary and peaceful departure of Karabakh Armenians before the eyes of the whole world is described as ethnic cleansing. At the same time, there is no mention of the expulsion of over half a million Azerbaijanis from their lands in Karabakh as a result of mass killings in the early 1990s.
• The report states that during one-day counter-terrorism operations last September, 229 Karabakh Armenians died, with only 34 identified as civilians. However, it fails to acknowledge that the remaining deceased were armed militants. The report’s authors omit the fact that these servicemen were part of the occupying forces in Azerbaijan, while international organizations, as always, avoid politically assessing Armenia’s occupation actions at the end of the last century.
• The peak of hypocrisy in the document is the accusation against Azerbaijan of crimes against humanity and war crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Firstly, the US itself does not recognize the Rome Statute. Secondly, against the backdrop of the deaths of 38,000 people and the displacement of over a million Palestinians from their homes, it is the US that threatens sanctions against members of the International Criminal Court, preventing any decision on the possible arrest of Israeli officials.”

“What do the US want?”

“The timing and biased nature of the report’s publication are not coincidental. This is primarily related to domestic agendas in the US.”

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“It’s no secret that Washington is hastening the signing of a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The current administration seeks to present a potential agreement as a foreign policy success in its upcoming election campaign. However, Baku’s persistence in demanding fair constitutional changes in Armenia disrupts these plans of the American government, leading the White House to openly blackmail Azerbaijan. The publication of the document immediately after O’Brien’s visit is linked to this.

“Azerbaijan’s restoration of sovereignty throughout its territory has made American authorities a serious target for criticism from the Armenian lobby in the US. Washington’s anti-Azerbaijani steps also aim to re-secure the support of the Armenian diaspora ahead of elections. This is evidenced by the fact that the report was prepared and presented with the support of Freedom House, whose board includes ethnic Armenians.

“Serious questions arise over the US explanation of its concern for swiftly signing a peace agreement as a necessity for opening regional communications. This is because Washington was once opposed to the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars project. Now, instead of aiding Pashinyan in accepting Baku’s fair demands, the US is pressuring Azerbaijan to facilitate the corridor project passing through Armenian territory.”

“Conclusions”

“Thus, the US, unable to move away from its Armenocentric position and traditionally biased against Azerbaijan, has resorted to blackmail once again. Just as in November last year, O’Brien is at the forefront.

“However, one might remember the outcome of his previous attempts to pressure Baku. Washington must understand that sustainable peace in the region is simply impossible without considering Azerbaijan’s interests and its fair demands.”