Who’s pulling the strings in the US's anti-Azerbaijani crusade? Decoding State Department’s role

Behind the anti-Azerbaijani rhetoric lies another chapter in the U.S.'s cynical and provocative political manoeuvres. This time, it seems to serve as a petty form of “revenge” by Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, who is perhaps strategizing for his political future, especially if Donald Trump secures victory in the upcoming November elections.

In a coordinated effort, 60 U.S. congressmen have issued a statement just ahead of the highly anticipated COP29 summit in Baku, urging the U.S. administration to hold Azerbaijan accountable for so-called “war crimes, hostage-taking, and illegal occupation of Armenian territory.” The staggering falsehoods embedded in these accusations are truly alarming. In reality, it was Armenia that committed heinous war crimes, not Azerbaijan. One of the most notorious examples of this was the Khojaly genocide, during which Armenian forces massacred hundreds of Azerbaijani civilians. Serzh Sargsyan, Armenia's third president, even boasted about this atrocity during an interview with British journalist Thomas de Waal.

International recognition of this tragedy has been widespread. The Scottish Parliament, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Parliamentary Assembly, and the Czech Parliament’s Chamber of Deputies have all acknowledged the Khojaly massacre. Additionally, organizations such as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Turkic Council have also formally recognized the genocide. Even several U.S. state legislatures have passed resolutions acknowledging the Khojaly tragedy. However, this recognition has yet to reach the federal level in Washington.

The hypocrisy of U.S. congressmen's accusations against Azerbaijan is further highlighted by the fact that Armenia's second and third presidents, Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan, were leading figures in the Karabakh separatist movement. For American lawmakers to ignore such critical historical facts and attack Azerbaijan with these baseless claims not only undermines their credibility but makes their stance appear utterly detached from reality.

This is not the first time American congressmen have taken such a biased and unjust approach. In 1992, the U.S. Congress passed the infamous Section 907 amendment, a discriminatory law that effectively imposed sanctions on Azerbaijan while ignoring Armenia's aggressive occupation of Azerbaijani territories, including the cities of Shusha and Lachin. The timing of this amendment was particularly appalling, as it came during the same year the Khojaly genocide occurred. Instead of seeking justice and adhering to international law, U.S. lawmakers chose to enforce double standards, aligning with Armenia's narrative and ignoring the suffering of the Azerbaijani people.

Thirty-two years later, these same biased attitudes persist. The recent anti-Azerbaijani campaign orchestrated by U.S. congressmen serves as a stark reminder of how American foreign policy continues to be influenced by political interests and double standards, rather than an honest pursuit of justice and international law.

What we are witnessing now is a clear continuation of a long-standing, disgraceful American tradition. It blatantly reveals how deeply the United States has opposed the complete restoration of Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. This explains why the U.S. Ambassador to Baku delayed visiting the liberated territories of Azerbaijan, including the historic city of Shusha. His inaction was no coincidence — it was a directive straight from the U.S. State Department.

The 60 American congressmen currently making noise and barking their unfounded accusations against Azerbaijan, while defending Armenia — a country that committed countless atrocities on Azerbaijani soil — are also acting on directives from the State Department. The same State Department that sought to obstruct Azerbaijan’s rightful anti-terrorist operations in the Karabakh region.

These recent anti-Azerbaijani statements coming from Washington reaffirm the United States’ hypocritical foreign policy. Baku has faced such blatant bias for years, but now, following Azerbaijan’s successful restoration of its territorial integrity, U.S. policy has only grown more duplicitous.

We remember everything, and we see everything clearly. This includes the insincerity behind Secretary of State Blinken’s calls, urging for a quick peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The Americans don’t seek a genuine, lasting peace; rather, they aim to maintain global dominance by instigating conflicts and controlling the ensuing chaos. Time and again, they have driven countries into the abyss of turmoil for the sake of maintaining power, and now their cynical and bloody role has become all too obvious once more.

The increasing number of slanderous and blackmailing articles about Azerbaijan in Western media over the past few days is no coincidence either. These hit pieces are orchestrated by the same force that manipulates American lawmakers. The mastermind is none other than the U.S. State Department, whose influence and malicious agenda can be detected even from across the ocean.