Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec.19
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
There is no future for Armenia without the settlement of Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Raoul Lowery Contreras, author of the book titled “Murder in the Mountains: War Crime in Khojaly and the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict”, told Trend Dec.19.
The book by Contreras, who works closely with FOX News Latino and The Hill, and who is also an analyst at some leading US TV channels, is the first book about Khojaly genocide published and put up for sale in the US.
On February 25-26, 1992, the Armenian armed forces, together with the 366th infantry regiment of Soviet troops, stationed in Khankendi, committed an act of genocide against the population of the Azerbaijani town of Khojaly.
As many as 613 people, including 63 children, 106 women and 70 old people were killed as a result of the massacre. Eight families were totally exterminated, 130 children lost one parent and 25 children lost both. A total of 487 civilians became disabled as a result of the onslaught. Some 1,275 innocent residents were taken hostage, while the fate of 150 people still remains unknown.
“I had no idea that there was going on a war in 1992, because in 1992 we were in the middle of the presidential campaign. We were doing normally what we are doing in America and didn’t know what’s going on in the world. I learned about the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict after reading an article about frozen conflicts published in New York Times,’ said the author.
Contreras noted that he got books that were written about the whole conflict and interviewed two women who were captured by Armenians during those years.
“I built the book around the two stories of those two women. The first woman’s story was so emotional that I cried. Icould imagine what she went through,” he added.
The author pointed out that a lot of children were killed in this massacre.
“I do not approve in any way, shape or form the killing of innocent men, women or children in war time, peace time, any time, but particularly children,” said Contreras.
Asked about which steps the US should take as one of the co-chairing countries of the OSCE Minsk Group to facilitate the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, he said that the US should put sanctions on Armenia.
“It is in the US best interest that the conflict be resolved. It is in US best interest that Armenian armed forces withdraw from Azerbaijan’s occupied lands. Nagorno-Karabakh is an integral part of Azerbaijan and the world recognizes that. The US should put sanctions on Armenia to make sure that no single American dime goes to Armenia. That would cut them off. Armenia is very poor and they need every dime they can get from the US. That would force them I think, because they are so poor that they would have to do it. It is like “carrot and stick” method,” said the author.
Contreras noted that currently, due to its occupation policy, Armenia has been isolated from many important energy projects.
“Armenia would benefit greatly if they withdrew from Azerbaijan’s occupied lands. Armenia could join the projects which are now bypassing it and get fees as a transit country,” he said, adding that there is no future for Armenia in the current situation.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
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