Myth of Khojaly "Massacre"

[BakvitsYekatz]

Re: Myth of Khojaly "Massacre"

Anyone here live in New Jersey? Perhaps they could educate their governor a bit...

New Jersey Governor, Lt-Governor recognize Khojaly Massacre's 20th anniversary

US Azeris Network (USAN) released statement on recognition of Khojaly Massacre by New Jersey Governor and Lt-Governor.

Statement reads:

Dear USAN members and friends in US,

Every year since its establishment in 2007, USAN commemorates the Khojaly Massacre. We got several first-ever proclamations and resolutions (e.g., the citation on Khojaly Massacre from Massachusetts House of Representatives in 2010, New Jersey Assembly in 2010 and 2011, H.R. 535 and 12R448 in Texas House of Representatives in 2011 and 2012) to commemorate it, as well as countless letters of response received and articles published.

This year, just today, Governor Chris Christie and Lt.-Governor Kim Guadagno of the great state of New Jersey have co-signed a letter that formally recognized the Khojaly Massacre. This is the first letter from any U.S. Governor recognizing the Khojaly Massacre. By doing this, New Jersey became the first state that recognized Khojaly Massacre on both legislative and executive levels. This is an important victory for all Azerbaijani-Americans anywhere, but especially for the Azerbaijani-Americans in New Jersey.

We enclose the full letter below in plain text as well as the scanned original on the USAN website:

http://usazeris.org/proclamations/USAN_NJ_GovernorLetter20th_Anniversary_Khojaly_Massacre.pdf

The USAN and all Azerbaijani-Americans express their deep thanks to the New Jersey Governor and Lt-Governor for taking this courageous step. USAN will soon launch a campaign to thank Gov. Christie and Lt-Gov Guadagno for this historic recognition, and ask everyone to be ready to take part in it.

###

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

February 26, 2012

Dear Friends:

On behalf of the State of New Jersey, we extend greetings to the U.S. Azeris Network and everyone commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Khojaly Massacre, a terrible tragedy of the Nagorno-Karabakh War in which Armenian and Russian soldiers killed hundreds of ethnic Azerbaijani civilians who were attempting to flee the town of Khojaly.

The U.S. Azeris Network deserves recognition for its pivotal role in preserving the memory of this terrible event that occurred during the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Since its inception, the organization has coordinated with Azerbaijani-American communities to educate our citizens about this tragedy and other events that are crucial to the history of Azerbaijan. Through its efforts, the legacy of those who died in the name of Azerbaijani freedom will never be forgotten. The Network has also been a valuable source of support for people of Azerbaijani descent by representing their interests on both the state and federal levels. We are pleased to commend the organization for its ongoing work on behalf of the Garden State's Azerbaijani-American residents.

We join with all of you in honoring the victims of the Khojaly Massacre. Best wishes for a solemn observance and successful commemoration.

Sincerely,

[signed]

Chris Christie

Governor

[signed]

Kim Guadagno

Lt. Governor".

[Mos]

Re: Myth of Khojaly "Massacre"

A lot of Turks live in NJ.

[Mos]

Re: Myth of Khojaly "Massacre"

How the f*ck have Pakistan and Mexico recognised Khojaly as Genocide??

And Israel declared Khojaly as one of biggest tragedies in 20th century....the nerve.

There were full-page newspaper ads in New York City, films in Paris, and commemorations and marches from Argentina to Latvia. Twenty years after a massacre of ethnic Azeri residents in the Nagorno-Karabakh village of Khojaly, Azerbaijan is pressing a campaign to have the 1992 slaughter recognized as an act of genocide.

The tragedy occurred February 25-26, 1992, during the height of the armed struggle between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces for control of Karabakh. Baku maintains that Armenian armed forces, along with members of the Russian army’s 360th regiment, carried out an attack on Khojaly that left 613 ethnic Azeri civilians dead, and forced over 5,300 residents to flee. Armenian leaders steadfastly deny that civilians were targeted in Khojaly.

Azerbaijani officials have not explained why they have stepped up efforts now to have the Khojaly tragedy recognized as genocide. The driving force behind the campaign is the semi-official Heydar Aliyev Foundation, which is headed by First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, the daughter-in-law of the deceased former president.

Some Baku observers believe there is a connection between the Khojaly push and a diplomatic tussle between France and Turkey over a French bill that would have criminalized the denial of Ottoman Turkey’s 1915 slaughter of ethnic Armenians as genocide. France’s two houses of parliament approved the bill in January, but on February 28, the country’s Constitutional Council ruled that it was unconstitutional.

Turkey, with which Azerbaijan shares close cultural ties, easily ranks as Baku’s closest ally. While Baku often is willing to assist Ankara diplomatically, the timing of the Khojaly campaign has helped Baku score points of its own, some Azerbaijani observers note.

"There are many people and politicians who support the Turkish position, and it definitely helped Azerbaijan in campaigning about the Khojaly tragedy," asserted political analyst Togrul Juvarly.

Initiatives to build international awareness about the Khojaly tragedy began in 2009. But until this year, those efforts remained relatively low-key.

Measures passed by the Pakistani and Mexican parliaments in late 2011 that recognized the Khojaly events as genocide “would have been close to impossible” to secure without the international controversy over the French legislation, Juvarly said.

To mark the 20th anniversary of the Khojaly tragedy, about 80,000 people, including former US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Matthew Bryza, attended a rally in Istanbul. The Turkish parliament is soon expected to consider a draft resolution on Khojaly. Little opposition to the measure is anticipated.

In France, where the Heydar Aliyev Foundation has strong ties, Diaspora activists and several sympathetic French senators and MPs participated in a one-day Khojaly conference on February 27. Along with the handout of flyers, a film festival was also staged.

In Germany, where the Bundestag is considering a proposal similar to the French bill, a small demonstration condemning the Khojaly massacre occurred in Berlin. Meanwhile, members of the leftist MP faction Die Linke (The Left) characterized the Khojaly tragedy as a “military crime.”

Some observers say the Khojaly campaign helps Azerbaijan’s chances of regaining control of Karabkah by denting what they describe as Armenia’s international image as a “victim.”

“It strengthens the position of the Azerbaijani community of Nagorno Karabakh in the peace process . . . in terms of demanding the right to return to their lands,” commented Erkin Gadirli, co-chairperson of the Respublikaci Alternative opposition group. “Baku demonstrates that it is not going to interfere with the historical question of the 1915 events [in Turkey], but that it has its own claim against Armenia concerning the massacre of civilians.”

What direction the Khojaly campaign will take next remains open to debate. While some see the initiative as linked to the outcome of France’s genocide denial bill, Azerbaijan appears to have its own alliances in mind.

A February 22 statement by an Israeli parliamentary committee condemning the Khojali killings as “one of the biggest tragedies of the 20th century” is widely seen as the fruit of growing tensions between Israel and Iran, an Armenian ally, and Tel Aviv’s growing friendship with Azerbaijan, which recently agreed to purchase $1.6 billion worth of Israeli military equipment.

For now, government officials remain reticent when it comes to discussing the Khojaly campaign. But it’s clear it enjoys broad domestic support. Thirty-four-year-old Aybeniz Mammadli, an Internally Displaced Person from Karabakh who now works for a Baku insurance company, believes that the Khojaly campaign is one instance when the government has spent money appropriately.

“Armenians successfully promote their so-called ‘genocide’ around the world,” she said in reference to the 1915 massacre in Ottoman Turkey. “And we should be active and inform the world about what [Armenians] did with civilians in 1992.”

Editor's note: Shahin Abbasov is a freelance reporter based in Baku.

[Armanen]

Re: Myth of Khojaly "Massacre"

How the f*ck have Pakistan and Mexico recognised Khojaly as Genocide??

And Israel declared Khojaly as one of biggest tragedies in 20th century....the nerve.

The Armenian government and diaspora are the blame for letting this thing spread. I understand the dirty pakis supporting this measure, the regime there are criminals just like in baku, but for Mexico to recognize it, or for the azeris to have the amount of support they did in France, where are so many Armenians, is astonishing.

One immedate way to rub baku's face in the dirt is to show their hypocrisy on the the pogroms that occurred against Armenians and their denial of the Genocide. When it comes to countering the azeris in the information warfare realm, and countering the agents of influence sent from western nations, in Armenia, the official Yerevan seems to be asleep at the wheel. That is my number 1 complaint against them, much more so than the protection of some oligarchs or corruption.

[Federate]

Re: Myth of Khojaly "Massacre"

The Armenian government and diaspora are the blame for letting this thing spread. I understand the dirty pakis supporting this measure, the regime there are criminals just like in baku, but for Mexico to recognize it, or for the azeris to have the amount of support they did in France, where are so many Armenians, is astonishing.

One immedate way to rub baku's face in the dirt is to show their hypocrisy on the the pogroms that occurred against Armenians and their denial of the Genocide. When it comes to countering the azeris in the information warfare realm, and countering the agents of influence sent from western nations, in Armenia, the official Yerevan seems to be asleep at the wheel. That is my number 1 complaint against them, much more so than the protection of some oligarchs or corruption.

Don't forget my friend that all Azeris have to do to get people to pay attention to them is talk about oil. That distinct advantage they have is sometimes hard to fight.

[Vahram]

Re: Myth of Khojaly "Massacre"

"Don't forget my friend that all Azeris have to do to get people to pay attention to them is talk about oil. That distinct advantage they have is sometimes hard to fight."

The small small amount of Oil they have is not the only reason. The Yahoodi with their press is in full support mode, and they have been from the start! Right now Iran has 1000 times the amount of oil that the Babboon has and they are talking about bombing Iran! Who is behind this the Babboon? Say it again same Yahoodi!

Also this plays in with the questions of Genocide, just what the Dr. Yahoodi had in mind.

[Mos]

Re: Myth of Khojaly "Massacre"

The Armenian government and diaspora are the blame for letting this thing spread. I understand the dirty pakis supporting this measure, the regime there are criminals just like in baku, but for Mexico to recognize it, or for the azeris to have the amount of support they did in France, where are so many Armenians, is astonishing.

One immedate way to rub baku's face in the dirt is to show their hypocrisy on the the pogroms that occurred against Armenians and their denial of the Genocide. When it comes to countering the azeris in the information warfare realm, and countering the agents of influence sent from western nations, in Armenia, the official Yerevan seems to be asleep at the wheel. That is my number 1 complaint against them, much more so than the protection of some oligarchs or corruption.

The Aliyev Foundation is basically the hub of their propaganda. Caspian Report on Youtube is also funded by that foundation. What makes me laugh is them labelling this has genocide. That label should firstly invalidate anything they are doing. There was a very good reportage on H1 that in detail refuted the Khojaly myth. If only we put that on a larger scale.

[Vahram]

Re: Myth of Khojaly "Massacre"

Mos Hokis

"laugh is them labelling this has genocide"

If this is so laughable, why does it get traction in the western I mean Heria press?

I can laugh too but I see something more sinister in the making. This is the same game played between the toorks and Heria over and over again. What makes me want to laugh is that we keep falling for it. But I can’t laugh Mos Jan, because I’m a stinking Armenian!

I forgot who said this, but someone once said something. God left out the last testament, the testament of blood of the Armenian!

[Armanen]

Re: Myth of Khojaly "Massacre"

Don't forget my friend that all Azeris have to do to get people to pay attention to them is talk about oil. That distinct advantage they have is sometimes hard to fight.

That plays a part, of course. But even if that were the major issue, it still wouldn't explain why the officials in Yerevan allow the dissemination of negative and anti-Armenian propaganda by foreign agents within Armenia.

[Vahram]

Re: Myth of Khojaly "Massacre"

"That plays a part, of course. But even if that were the major issue, it still wouldn't explain why the officials in Yerevan allow the dissemination of negative and anti-Armenian propaganda by foreign agents within Armenia. "

OK I know why! You ready? Armenia controls the press? Or are they a victim of it? By saying them, this also makes all of us are a victim! Why are we so ready to blame the victim all the time? Armenia is going to do what rewrite the Yahoodi news?

No one with any logic can stand up to the truth of the Armenian Genocide but Sacha Baron Cohen can spill ashes for love of humanity. What ever kind of god chooses a people like this? Welcome welcome, where is my red carpet, I want to pee on it!