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Legislators press for greater scrutiny of Azerbaijan's purchase of satellite
May 14, 2011 - 09:01 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net -
Legislators, citing Azerbaijan's threats and acts of aggression
against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, continue to press for greater
scrutiny of a recent decision by the Export-Import Bank to finance a
controversial satellite purchase by the oil-rich government of Ilham
Aliyev, reported the Armenian National Committee of America.
`We want to thank Senator Kirk and Congressman Sherman for seeking to
ensure that there are safeguards in place against Azerbaijan using the
new capabilities provided by this U.S.-financed satellite to act on
their threat to shoot down Armenian civilian airliners or to re-launch
their war against Nagorno Karabakh,' said Aram Hamparian, Executive
Director of the ANCA. `With every new revelation, we grow more
convinced that this decision will undermine American interests in
promoting peace in the Caucasus.'
During a May 12th House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on `Export
Controls, Arms Sales, and Reform,' Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) urged
Under-Secretary of State Ellen Tauscher to look `carefully at this
license to see if this particular satellite gives Azerbaijan the
ability to do surveillance or jamming' and went on to ask, for the
record, `will you reject this license if the satellite in question
gives the Azeri government the capacity to jam Armenian communications
or survey Armenia or Nagorno Karabakh.'
Under-Secretary Tauscher is expected to respond in writing to this question.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
May 14, 2011 - 09:01 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net -
Legislators, citing Azerbaijan's threats and acts of aggression
against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh, continue to press for greater
scrutiny of a recent decision by the Export-Import Bank to finance a
controversial satellite purchase by the oil-rich government of Ilham
Aliyev, reported the Armenian National Committee of America.
`We want to thank Senator Kirk and Congressman Sherman for seeking to
ensure that there are safeguards in place against Azerbaijan using the
new capabilities provided by this U.S.-financed satellite to act on
their threat to shoot down Armenian civilian airliners or to re-launch
their war against Nagorno Karabakh,' said Aram Hamparian, Executive
Director of the ANCA. `With every new revelation, we grow more
convinced that this decision will undermine American interests in
promoting peace in the Caucasus.'
During a May 12th House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on `Export
Controls, Arms Sales, and Reform,' Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) urged
Under-Secretary of State Ellen Tauscher to look `carefully at this
license to see if this particular satellite gives Azerbaijan the
ability to do surveillance or jamming' and went on to ask, for the
record, `will you reject this license if the satellite in question
gives the Azeri government the capacity to jam Armenian communications
or survey Armenia or Nagorno Karabakh.'
Under-Secretary Tauscher is expected to respond in writing to this question.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress