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Azerbaijani Embassy Disinformation Campaign Targets ANCA

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  • Azerbaijani Embassy Disinformation Campaign Targets ANCA

    Armenian National Committee of America
    1711 N Street, NW
    Washington, DC 20036
    Tel. (202) 775-1918
    Fax. (202) 775-5648
    [email protected]
    Internet www.anca.org

    PRESS RELEASE

    June 15, 2009
    Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
    Tel: (202) 775-1918

    AZERBAIJANI EMBASSY DISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN
    TARGETS ARMENIAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE OF AMERICA

    WASHINGTON, DC - The Azerbaijani government responded today to the
    Armenian National Committee of America's (ANCA) reports of an
    emerging United States foreign aid policy double standard toward
    the countries of the Caucasus countries by circulating a press
    release bitterly attacking the ANCA and spreading misinformation
    about aid levels to the region.

    According to a news release placed on the PRNewswire earlier today,
    the Azerbaijani Embassy set its sights on the ANCA's recent
    criticism of the Obama Administration's proposed reduction in U.S.
    assistance to Armenia in the face of proposed increases for
    Azerbaijan and Georgia, accusing the Armenian American grassroots
    group of misrepresenting aid figures to the states of the Caucasus.

    "Either Azerbaijani Ambassador Yashar Aliyev is out spreading
    falsehoods around Capitol Hill or he really needs to brush up on
    his fourth grade math skills," said ANCA Executive Director Aram
    Hamparian. "These publicly available figures are really rather
    simple and should be easy enough for even a schoolchild to easily
    grasp: a proposed 38% reduction in U.S. assistance to Armenia in
    the face of a 20% increase to Azerbaijan, despite that country's
    ongoing blockades of Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh and President
    Aliyev's continued threats of renewed war."

    The Azerbaijani Ambassador's response was to an ANCA Memo to
    Capitol Hill, titled "Double Standards: U.S. Aid Policy in the
    Caucasus," released on June 11th, the day after the Millennium
    Challenge Corporation effectively suspended a full third of its
    $235 million grant to Armenia due to concerns over democratic
    governance. The ANCA memo compared the harsh U.S. response to
    Yerevan's actions, both rhetorically and in terms of aid levels, to
    the increased financial support that both Azerbaijan and Georgia
    are set to receive despite their serious shortcomings in the areas
    of democracy, corruption, and governance.

    To read the complete ANCA memo that prompted the Azerbaijani
    Embassy's attack, visit:
    http://www.anca.org/assets/pdf/hill_notes/0 61109.pdf

    The Obama Administration proposed assistance figures to the
    Caucasus were released by the U.S. Department of State in a
    document titled: Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Request: Summary and
    Highlights, International Affairs Function 150. A table, drawn
    from this report, highlighting the FY09 aid figures and the Obama
    Administration proposal for FY10 is provided below.

    ========================================== ======================
    Country FY 2009 Total FY 2010 Request % Difference
    ======================================= =========================
    Armenia $48 million $30 million - 38%
    Azerbaijan $18.5 million $22.12 million + 20%
    Georgia $52 million* $62.050 million + 19%

    * Georgia's FY2009 figure does not include the $242.5 million
    pending Supplemental allocation.

    To read the complete "Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Request: Summary and
    Highlights, International Affairs Function 150" visit:
    http://www.state.gov/documents/organization /122513.pdf

    The text of the Azerbaijani Embassy's press release (with
    disinformation warning)
    is located at: http://www.anca.org/assets/graphics/2009/061509_AZ EmbassyPR.pdf
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