USAID support in S Caucasus does not serve peace

Abbas Ganbay

The regrouping and distribution of forces in the world has given impetus to smaller forces to choose the side of resistance. Having moved to a new phase of geopolitical reorganisation, the United States is now able to exert pressure on the weakened part of the South Caucasus to promote the ideology of peace in Armenia. Acting in the shadow, the organisations created by the United States under the guise of "humanitarian aid" for the Armenians of Garabagh, who voluntarily left, decided to destabilise the already tense situation in the region.

The American authorities are gradually moving from pressure rhetoric to practical actions in condemning and restricting Azerbaijan. This time the ball is in USAID Director Samantha Power's court for their special display of cold-bloodedness towards Azerbaijan. The director refused to see the IDPs from West Azerbaijan in order to see the Armenians who voluntarily left.

The United States, through the Agency for International Development (USAID), announced more than $4.1 million in additional humanitarian assistance to address the needs of people affected by "ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh."

Together with this additional funding, U.S. humanitarian assistance since 2020 has totaled nearly $28 million.

During the over 30-year occupation, there has not been a single visit at the USAID leadership level to learn about the plight of 10 times more Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs.

According to British expert and journalist Neil Watson, who commented for AZERNEWS, there are several reasons why USAID has shown no interest or indifference to the plight of nearly one million IDPs from Azerbaijan for almost three decades.

"Firstly, there is the overwhelming influence of the American-Armenian diaspora, which has been integrated into Azerbaijani society for over a hundred years and makes up a significant proportion of significant figures in politics, business, media, and entertainment. The US is automatically predisposed to their views.

Secondly, it is the influence of the US religious right, which is very receptive to the Armenian narrative, which is a religious conflict between Islam and Christianity, and whose voices the current leadership seeks to attract, in addition to those of the Armenian diaspora. Third, it is the Islamophobic and Turkophobic stance of the United States. Fourth, Armenia, as a mono-religious Christian country, is often seen as an American ally in the South Caucasus, and fifth, unfortunately, Azerbaijan has clearly not succeeded in politically lobbying its position and IDPs on Capitol Hill," the expert said.

The U.S. stood by the occupying Armenian state during Armenia's 30-year occupation of Azerbaijani lands, when one million Azerbaijanis were subjected to brutal and bloody ethnic cleansing. And now this policy continues in the same form.

According to the expert, the US support is dictated not out of humanitarian considerations but out of vested interests, especially in connection with Russia's transition from Armenia to Azerbaijan and the general decline of Russian influence in the South Caucasus.

"It now sees Armenia as its outpost in the region. It is also an attempt to gain votes and financial support in future elections from Armenian-Americans, the religious right, and other religiously motivated supporters.

Attempts by some extra-regional states to turn the South Caucasus into an object of geopolitical rivalry and confrontation, including arming Armenia and encouraging its hate propaganda, do not serve peace, reconciliation, and comprehensive development.

Amidst the manipulations and illusions thrown at us by the fake media around the world, it is important to take a broader view. America does not need much more from Armenia to open a passageway of access to its near neighbours, to reach Russia, and to be able to confront Iranian forces defending Israel in the Middle East.

Citing statements by U.S. officials, the USA fears Iran will provide Russia with advanced short-range ballistic missiles to wage war against Ukraine. According to US sources, Iranian-Russian military cooperation is expanding as Moscow ramps up its war in Ukraine.

Let's move on to the Aurora Award winner, Samantha Pawel, who, according to sources, teamed up with the founder of the Aurora Prize Foundation, Ruben Vardanyan, who is currently serving his prison term in Azerbaijan. He also financed separatism in Ukraine.

As journalist Neil Watson noted, this is another reason for USAID's position, where Samantha Power is inherently corrupt in seeking Vardanian's financial support in pursuit of her self-serving goals.

"Also, as I recall, Vardanian is something of a Russian puppet, so this shows that Power is putting her personal gain ahead of US interests."

In 2019, MEPs demanded sanctions against Ruben Vardanian for money laundering schemes. Ruben Vardanian, after appearing in Garabagh in October 2022, also planned a coup d'état against the US-backed political leadership of Armenia.

How does a country of power represented by America dignify itself to defend a country like Armenia, which has more terrorist organisations than any of its neighbours and countries in the world? Wasn't America the first to declare the fight against "terrorterrorism"?

"The revival of the ASALA group, which is allied with organisations recognised as terrorist in many EU and US countries, poses a threat to the countries of the West," Polish publication Dorzeczy notes.

Didn't Azerbaijan conduct an anti-terrorist operation on its territory to discredit the separatist regime and capture its leaders? Wasn't it Azerbaijan that offered the Armenian nationals of Garabagh to stay there as citizens?

Armenia has gained support from the "crusaders" and their clones around the world. Many questions remain that neither the Armenian authorities, their media, nor foreign officials want to answer. Maybe Western European countries want to help Azerbaijan through Armenia to clear kilometres of fields sown with anti-tank and anti-personnel mines?

Azerbaijani victims of Armenian mine terror accused PACE of supporting Armenia. The PACE rapporteur, in turn, refused to see the families of mine terror victims, which is regarded as a mockery of the values of the Council of Europe and disrespect for human rights and freedoms.

They called the behaviour of PACE representatives disgusting and a direct support for mine terror on the part of Armenia.

"This is, of course, a mockery of PACE principles, but not surprising at all. Lisa Christoffesen, the PACE rapporteur, merely reflects the position of some members of the Council of Europe. Many of them are clearly pro-Armenian, especially France, and we are deluded if we think she will take a balanced position and try to understand the realities of the mine problem in the liberated territories," the British pundit said in conclusion.