  U.S. Rep. Berman urges to block Azeri participation in NATO program September 28, 2012 - 10:44 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Democrat Howard Berman (D-CA) urged the State Department to rally a joint protest of NATO allies against Azerbaijan and to block that country’s participation in NATO Partnership for Peace initiatives in response to the Aliyev government’s recent pardon and promotion of convicted axe-murderer Ramil Safarov, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). In a strongly worded letter sent to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Rep. Berman acknowledged the strong Obama administration condemnation of Azerbaijan’s release of Safarov, but added, “in my view, however, the abhorrent nature of this pardon, as well as the gruesome nature of the original crime and the context in which it occurred, demands something more. It demands a strong and meaningful response.” Berman went on to outline concrete actions that the State Department can undertake including: arranging for a joint protest to President Aliyev by all members of NATO; calling on NATO to suspend Azerbaijan from all participation in PfP events unless and until Aliyev rescinds the pardon and promotion and re-incarcerates the killer, or returns him to Hungary, to serve the remainder of his life sentence; immediately halting all military assistance and arms transfers to Azerbaijan. Partner news  Top stories Alexander Lukashenko “hates mediating roles” but can assume one to promote resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. “What’s really dangerous and ridiculous is Azeri blacklist which includes all those who travel to Artsakh,” David Babayan said. Azerbaijan fired over 1500 shots from various caliber weapons towards Karabakh positions, NKR defense army said. Presidents of Russia, U.S., and France are planning to sign a joint statement on Nagorno Karabakh problem.   Partner news |  Latest news Turkish police detain 13 more demonstrators over violence  Human rights groups say more than 3,000 people have been detained, then released, since anti-government rallies began.Pirate Bay co-founder sentenced to two years in prison Gottfrid Svartholm Warg was found guilty of hacking into computers at a company that manages data for the Swedish tax authority.Syrian rebels reportedly get first heavy weapons A handful of the missiles were already in use and in high demand after opposition forces looted them from captured bases.UNESCO adds six ancient sites in Syria to World Heritage list Members also supported a French proposal calling for a special fund to help conserve World Heritage properties in Syria. |
