The Power of Pressure Groups: 3 California Lawmakers Advocate Nagorno-Karabakh Independence

In California, two United States legislators, addressing an Armenian-American pressure group, advocated diplomatic recognition of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (N.K.R.), also known as the Artsakh Republic, an Armenian puppet state which Armenian and Russian troops brutally carved out of the Republic of Azerbaijan’s territory in the 1990s.

Rep. Brad Sherman said, “I think Nagorno-Karabakh is an independent state, period.  It’s time to put an embassy in Stepanakert.”

Rep. Howard Berman was more equivocal, saying, “The people of Los Angeles don’t get to decide for Nagorno-Karabakh, the people of Nagorno-Karabakh get to decide.  ...  I have no doubt that they want independence and that’s where I’d like to see the process headed, but we are in a negotiation process that the government of Armenia and the government of Azerbaijan have agreed to.”

Reps. Howard Berman and Brad Sherman

They spoke at an event this week sponsored by the Armenian National Committee of America (A.N.C.A.).  Sherman and Berman, both Democrats, represent different parts of Los Angeles County’s San Fernando Valley.  California is home to a large number of Armenian-Americans, and in fact has more Armenian residents than anywhere outside the Republic of Armenia itself.

Later, Armenian-American media quoted a third San Fernando Valley Democrat, U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, chiming in, “The people of Artsakh—overwhelmingly Armenian and overwhelmingly Christian—cannot be allowed to fall into the hands of Aliyev”—referring to Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan’s president.

Rep. Adam Schiff

Meanwhile, the Armenian National Committee of America (A.N.C.A.) has announced that it is supporting neither Barack Obama nor Mitt Romney for the U.S. presidency since neither candidate has accepted A.N.C.A. invitations to speak out on the Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenian-genocide, and Javakhk issues.  Boy, that’s a real game-changer in the election, eh?  Hear that, folks?  Forget soccer moms, forget NASCAR dads—Armenian-American single-issue-Nagorno-Karabakh-voters are up for grabs!

[Also, for those who are wondering, yes, this blog is tied in with a forthcoming book, a sort of encyclopedic atlas to be published by Auslander and Fox under the title Let’s Split! A Complete Guide to Separatist Movements, Independence Struggles, Breakaway Republics, Rebel Provinces, Pseudostates, Puppet States, Tribal Fiefdoms, Micronations, and Do-It-Yourself Countries, from Chiapas to Chechnya and Tibet to Texas.  Look for it in spring 2013.  I will be keeping readers posted of further publication news.]