BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 10. The visit of USAID chief Samantha Power to Yerevan has really stirred up Armenians in the US. Now, through the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), they're airing grievances against Samantha Power, questioning why she's spending more money on her trips and accompanying photographers, yet not allocating a penny to so-called "humanitarian programs" for Karabakh Armenians.
They're calling her a "bystander" in her role as head of the organization. The Armenian lobby in the US is upset that under Samantha Power's leadership, USAID hasn't provided financial support to Armenians who voluntarily left Karabakh and returned to their homeland Armenia for "help".
But this doesn't change Samantha Power's genuine pro-Armenian stance. As in her previous visits, the USAID chief delivered a passionate speech expressing her love for the Armenian people and giving "hope" to Karabakh Armenians. However, once again, Karabakh Armenians didn't receive any aid from the US. This has angered ANCA because it's their go-to argument against Azerbaijan in the US - accusing Baku of the so-called "ethnic cleansing" of Karabakh Armenians. And now, they failed to win over America's main donors. You'd think they'd be on the same side, right?
Yes, USAID and Samantha Power are honored guests and "valuable partners" in Armenia. But it's clear that for Yerevan, talking about Karabakh Armenians is just a pretext to secure support from their Western friends - financial support, of course. USAID's goal, however, seems to be turning Armenia into its puppet. In this role, the country seems to be doing well. The organization is destabilizing the region -nothing more. Meanwhile, ANCA, through its influential congressmen, continues its anti-Azerbaijani policy as usual. But it seems USAID isn't backing them this time.