Legislators press for greater scrutiny of Azerbaijan’s purchase of satellite

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.