ANCA urges Tulsi Gabbard to investigate into US intelligence failures that contributed to ethnic cleansing in Artsakh

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) congratulated Rep. Tulsi Gabbard on her confirmation as the US Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and urgently called on her to lead a DNI community-wide investigation into US intelligence, policy and foreign aid failures that contributed either directly or indirectly to Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing of indigenous Armenians from their ancient Artsakh homeland.

“As you know, Americans of Armenian heritage in Hawai’i and across the United States have long supported your leadership on atrocities prevention, human rights, and other issues of special concern to our community and coalition partners. We remain deeply grateful for your support on U.S. remembrance of the Armenian Genocide and, of course, the democratic aspirations of the indigenous Armenian Christians of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh). We attach particular importance to your landmark 2017 trip to Artsakh, where you witnessed firsthand the human cost of Azerbaijan’s aggression and the remarkable resilience of Artsakh’s citizens. For all these reasons, and more, we have been proud to support your nomination and are extremely pleased by your confirmation.

We stand ready to assist with an investigation into U.S. failings of omission and commission that aided, abetted, or emboldened Azerbaijan to pursue its genocidal designs against the peaceful Armenian civilian population of Artsakh. Unless our government’s reckless policies, flawed decisions, and destructive actions are properly understood and acknowledged, then condemned and corrected, we run the risk that these same errors will be repeated, at the cost of U.S. interests and yet more Armenian lives and land,” ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian said in a letter.