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MORE EVASIVE ANSWERS FROM BRYZA AS SENATORS CONTINUE CONSIDERATION OF U.S. AMBASSADORIAL NOMINEE
Asbarez
Tuesday, September 14th, 2010
WASHINGTON
President Obama's controversial nominee to serve as U.S.
Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Matt Bryza, in his second round of written
responses to Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Barbara
Boxer (D-CA), again fell short of addressing key concerns about his
diplomatic record, including his longstanding pattern of failing to
challenge Azerbaijan war rhetoric and outright attacks on Nagorno
Karabakh, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
"Mr. Bryza, with every new dodge, digs himself a deeper and deeper
hole, demonstrating why he is so clearly the wrong choice to be U.S.
Ambassador to Azerbaijan," said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of
the ANCA. "Our nation's interests in Baku and throughout the Caucasus
would be best served by a fresh start, with a nominee that doesn't
bring such baggage and bias to this important diplomatic posting."
In written responses, Bryza attempted to explain why he had stepped
back from a statement made at his July 22nd confirmation hearing,
during which he correctly described the June 18th Azerbaijani attack
against Nagorno Karabakh. "While I said that the Azerbaijanis moved
across the line of contact (LOC), the full details of what triggered
the June 18 incident are unknown. Unfortunately, there are a number
of LOC violations each year by both sides," noted Bryza, in a manner
consistent with his habit of blaming both sides for Azerbaijan's
mounting threats and aggression.
Sen. Boxer, who was outspoken in 2006 in calling on then U.S.
Ambassador to Azerbaijan Reno Harnish and Ambassador Designate Anne
Derse to investigate the Azerbaijani destruction of the 1300-year-old
Armenian cemetery in Djulfa, asked Bryza to clarify why it had taken
him three months to publicly condemn the desecration and only as
a result of active questioning from Armenian journalists. Bryza
sidestepped the question, though admitted that "it appears that
Azerbaijani authorities were responsible for the destruction at
Djulfa," offering no insight into any additional U.S. diplomatic
inquiry about the crime.
Bryza's responses were equally disconcerting regarding Azerbaijan's
continued blockade of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh and the U.S.
Administration's waiver of Section 907 restrictions on U.S. aid
to Azerbaijan. In his response to direct questions about whether
Azerbaijan was in compliance with Section 907, Bryza simply explained
the nature of the Section 907 waiver criteria, but made no attempt to
address the Senator's concern about Azerbaijan's blockade or threats
and attacks against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.
Sen. Boxer's questions and Bryza's complete
responses are available on the ANCA website at:
http://www.anca.org/assets/pdf/misc/Boxer_BryzaResponses2.pdf
Incomplete and evasive responses to extensive questioning by Senate
Foreign Relations Committee members Boxer, Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
and Jean Shaheen (D-NH) during his July 22nd confirmation hearing
and to subsequent written questions by Senators Boxer, Menendez,
and Russ Feingold (D-WI) led Senator Boxer to ask for a delay in the
consideration of Bryza's nomination, giving Senators additional time
to review his candidacy. No date has yet been announced for final
Committee consideration of his nomination.
A review of the ANCA's detailed 9-page review of the
shortcomings of the Bryza nomination can be found at:
http://www.anca.org/assets/pdf/misc/BryzaNomination.pdf
From: A. Papazian
Asbarez
Tuesday, September 14th, 2010
WASHINGTON
President Obama's controversial nominee to serve as U.S.
Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Matt Bryza, in his second round of written
responses to Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Barbara
Boxer (D-CA), again fell short of addressing key concerns about his
diplomatic record, including his longstanding pattern of failing to
challenge Azerbaijan war rhetoric and outright attacks on Nagorno
Karabakh, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
"Mr. Bryza, with every new dodge, digs himself a deeper and deeper
hole, demonstrating why he is so clearly the wrong choice to be U.S.
Ambassador to Azerbaijan," said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of
the ANCA. "Our nation's interests in Baku and throughout the Caucasus
would be best served by a fresh start, with a nominee that doesn't
bring such baggage and bias to this important diplomatic posting."
In written responses, Bryza attempted to explain why he had stepped
back from a statement made at his July 22nd confirmation hearing,
during which he correctly described the June 18th Azerbaijani attack
against Nagorno Karabakh. "While I said that the Azerbaijanis moved
across the line of contact (LOC), the full details of what triggered
the June 18 incident are unknown. Unfortunately, there are a number
of LOC violations each year by both sides," noted Bryza, in a manner
consistent with his habit of blaming both sides for Azerbaijan's
mounting threats and aggression.
Sen. Boxer, who was outspoken in 2006 in calling on then U.S.
Ambassador to Azerbaijan Reno Harnish and Ambassador Designate Anne
Derse to investigate the Azerbaijani destruction of the 1300-year-old
Armenian cemetery in Djulfa, asked Bryza to clarify why it had taken
him three months to publicly condemn the desecration and only as
a result of active questioning from Armenian journalists. Bryza
sidestepped the question, though admitted that "it appears that
Azerbaijani authorities were responsible for the destruction at
Djulfa," offering no insight into any additional U.S. diplomatic
inquiry about the crime.
Bryza's responses were equally disconcerting regarding Azerbaijan's
continued blockade of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh and the U.S.
Administration's waiver of Section 907 restrictions on U.S. aid
to Azerbaijan. In his response to direct questions about whether
Azerbaijan was in compliance with Section 907, Bryza simply explained
the nature of the Section 907 waiver criteria, but made no attempt to
address the Senator's concern about Azerbaijan's blockade or threats
and attacks against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.
Sen. Boxer's questions and Bryza's complete
responses are available on the ANCA website at:
http://www.anca.org/assets/pdf/misc/Boxer_BryzaResponses2.pdf
Incomplete and evasive responses to extensive questioning by Senate
Foreign Relations Committee members Boxer, Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
and Jean Shaheen (D-NH) during his July 22nd confirmation hearing
and to subsequent written questions by Senators Boxer, Menendez,
and Russ Feingold (D-WI) led Senator Boxer to ask for a delay in the
consideration of Bryza's nomination, giving Senators additional time
to review his candidacy. No date has yet been announced for final
Committee consideration of his nomination.
A review of the ANCA's detailed 9-page review of the
shortcomings of the Bryza nomination can be found at:
http://www.anca.org/assets/pdf/misc/BryzaNomination.pdf
From: A. Papazian