Armenian claims targeting US presidential candidates Debunking Dashnaktsutyun

None of the candidates for the US presidency have garnered the support of Hai Tahd America, as stated in a message from Aram Ghambaryan, the head of the Washington Office of Hai Tahd, directed at the Armenian community in the United States. This situation resembles a desperate attempt to justify an embarrassing predicament, where the sudden change in circumstances undermines previous narratives.

Specifically, the Central Office of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Dashnaktsutyun asserts that "both sides bear responsibility for arming Azerbaijan, aiding Baku in committing genocide, and the deportation from Karabakh." These accusations are akin to throwing stones into the political arena, aimed at US presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.

However, the claims from Dashnaktsutyun reflect a significant disconnect from reality. The idea that the US armed Azerbaijan is misleading and easily refuted. In truth, Azerbaijan has procured weapons from Türkiye, Israel, Russia, and various other countries, but not from the United States. The statements made demonstrate a tendency to distort the truth and oversimplify a complex geopolitical situation.

As for the term "genocide," the Armenian side might consider refraining from its use, as they have effectively diluted its meaning by politicizing the events of 1915 in the Ottoman Empire for propaganda purposes. Furthermore, the international recognition of the so-called "Armenian genocide" is no longer a top priority for Armenia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan made this clear during a joint session of parliamentary committees while discussing the draft state budget for 2025 in the National Assembly. He indicated that the responsibility for promoting this narrative now largely rests with the Armenian diaspora, particularly in the US.

This is why Hai Tahd employs the term "genocide" when it serves their agenda, conveniently overlooking some crucial facts. For example, relatives of the victims of the Khojaly genocide can still recount in vivid detail the atrocities committed by Armenian forces against Azerbaijani civilians, including the elderly, women, and children.

Azerbaijanis who were victims of deportation from Armenia are still alive today. This process unfolded in several stages, beginning even during the Soviet era when Azerbaijanis were forcibly expelled from their historical lands. The final wave of these deportations occurred just before the collapse of the Soviet Union, forcing many Azerbaijanis to flee Armenia under perilous conditions. Many crossed mountain passes during harsh winter weather, resulting in numerous fatalities and disabilities due to frostbite.

Moreover, Armenian military aggression against Azerbaijan led to the occupation of 20 per cent of its territory, displacing hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis who became internally displaced persons. The same Hai Tahd organization encouraged Armenians worldwide to engage in aggressive actions against Azerbaijan, including violence against peaceful residents. The global Armenian community and the Dashnaks actively raised funds to support the occupiers in the temporarily seized territories of Azerbaijan.

These actions were not perpetrated by Kamala Harris or Donald Trump; they were carried out by Armenian occupiers, notably Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan, who both served as presidents of Armenia. The global Armenian community applauded and supported their actions, working to secure the loyalty of American congressmen and senators in order to obtain annual financial aid for the Karabakh junta.

At the same time, these biased American lawmakers enacted the shameful Section 907 amendment in 1992, during a period when Shusha was occupied and the genocide in Khojaly occurred. This amendment effectively sanctioned the country that was a victim of occupation. If anyone is to blame the US in this context, it is Azerbaijan, particularly since no sanctions were imposed against Armenia throughout its occupation of its lands.

Nevertheless, Azerbaijan's historical victory is significant in that the country successfully restored its sovereignty and territorial integrity, regardless of the positions and plans of the co-chair countries of the OSCE Minsk Group. Azerbaijan achieved victory in the 44-day war while Donald Trump was president of the United States. Furthermore, the meticulously planned and executed one-day anti-terrorist operation in the Karabakh region took place during Joe Biden's presidency.

But this is a sign of Azerbaijan's strength, not America's weakness. Azerbaijan acted in strict accordance with international law, implementing the four well-known United Nations General Assembly resolutions that Armenia ignored for over a quarter of a century. And no one, including the US presidents, had the right to prevent this. Yet the Dashnaks tend to avoid mentioning this.

Meanwhile, the Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia, Alen Simonyan, recently made a significant admission. "Azerbaijan conducted an operation in Karabakh and acted according to the UN Charter!" he stated last week in an interview with the Armenian service of Radio Free Europe. In light of these words, any insinuations from American Armenians appear just absurd. The reality is that Azerbaijan is capable of achieving any of its objectives, regardless of the surname or political affiliation of the President of the United States.