U.S. Mayors Rescind False Proclamations They Had Issued at Azerbaijan’s Urging

By Harut Sassounian

The Azeri government does not seem to understand that you can’t always
get what you want by bribing and paying politicians. There is a limit
to what money can buy. Sometimes, the truth matters more.
This is an important lesson that Azeri leaders have not learned. They
have wasted tens of millions of dollars in paying lobbying companies
and corrupt politicians.
An example of such useless activity is the Azeri obsession with trying
to exploit the controversial incident of the killing of a few hundred
Azeris in the town of Khojalu during the 1992 Artsakh War. There are
various versions of what exactly took place in Khojalu. Nevertheless,
Azerbaijan has gone to great lengths to falsely convince the world
that Armenians committed “genocide” in Khojalu!
The usual Azeri approach in the United States and around the world is
to bribe politicians to issue proclamations to commemorate the
anniversary of the Khojalu killings. Ayaz Mutalibov, the first
president of Azerbaijan, told Czech journalist Dana Mazalova in a 1992
interview that his Azeri political opponents exploited this incident
to topple him from power. He said that Armenian fighters had urged the
Azeri populations of Khojalu to flee through a passage left open, but
the Azerbaijani National Front obstructed their exodus.
Azerbaijan’s petrodollars have succeeded in getting 23 U.S. states to
commemorate the deaths in Khojalu as a “massacre.” Despite
Azerbaijan’s persistent lobbying efforts, none of these states
accepted Azerbaijan’s alleged term of “genocide” to describe the
deaths of a few hundred Azeris in Khojalu. Azerbaijan also used its
deep pockets to obtain the recognition of these killings by the
parliaments of eight countries: Azerbaijan (naturally), Peru, Panama,
Honduras, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Djibouti and Paraguay. In
addition, the Foreign Relations Committees of seven Parliaments:
Turkey, Pakistan, Mexico, Colombia, Czech Republic, Sudan and
Guatemala commemorated the Khojalu killings.
Azerbaijan used these commemorative resolutions to tarnish Armenia’s
reputation and counter the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by
over 30 countries and 49 U.S. states.
While sometimes money can get you what you want, it can at other times
get you embarrassed when those who had earlier commemorated Khojalu,
issue a retraction, apologize and cancel their recognition when they
realize that they were duped.
The latest such embarrassing example is what took place in San Diego,
the second largest city in California. The Azeri media and the Consul
General of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles, Nasimi Aghayev, boastfully
publicized on October 14 that San Diego Mayor Todd Garcia had issued a
proclamation designating Oct. 18, 2021 as “Azerbaijan’s Restoration of
Independence Day.”
The proclamation falsely claimed that “Azerbaijan is internationally
regarded as a successful model for the peaceful and harmonious
coexistence of Muslims, Christians, and Jews.” Consul General Aghayev
reminded everyone that 2021 “marks the 10th anniversary of the
Baku-San Diego partnership.” Aghayev also noted that “for the first
time since 1991, the Azerbaijani people will celebrate this date as
victorious people who restored the territorial integrity of their
country.”
However, the Consul General’s excitement lasted just one day. On
October 15, the Armenian National Committee – Western Region issued a
press release urging the Mayor of San Diego to rescind his
proclamation which “whitewashed Azerbaijan’s human rights abuses.”
That same day, the Mayor of San Diego rescinded his earlier
pro-Azerbaijan proclamation. The Mayor wrote: “It is with regret that
I share this proclamation was issued as an oversight and should have
been more thoroughly vetted by staff as it did not account for the
relationship, history and current events between Azerbaijan and
Armenia.” More importantly, he stated: “while the city of San Diego
has issued proclamations for Azerbaijan Independence Day and similar
occasions in previous administrations, my office will no longer be
granting these requests. To that end, I am rescinding this
proclamation and the City of San Diego will not recognize it on
October 18. Please accept my deepest apologies for this oversight and
I appreciate you bringing this issue to my attention.”
That is the end of “the Baku-San Diego partnership.” Not surprisingly,
the Consul General of Azerbaijan has turned into a mouse since the
Mayor rescinded his proclamation. He has not uttered a single word!
The chain of rescinded pro-Azerbaijan proclamations does not end with
San Diego. On February 26, 2021, Boston Mayor Martin Walsh issued a
proclamation to commemorate “Khojali Day.” However, on March 10, 2021,
the Mayor reversed himself and wrote: “I would like to extend my
apologies to the Armenian-American community…. Following conversations
with leaders of the Armenian-American community, we realize that this
proclamation has been hurtful to many of you…. I have decided to
rescind this proclamation.” Mayor Walsh, now US Secretary of Labor,
included high praise for the local Armenian community and made a
reference to the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide. What started
as an Azeri propaganda effort, ended up as a great public relations
victory for Armenia and Armenians.The same scenario repeated itself in
Portland, Maine. Mayor Kathleen Snyder initially issued a proclamation
on February 17, 2021 to commemorate “Khojaly Remembrance Day.”
However, on April 1, 2021, the Mayor wrote: “I have decided to rescind
the Mayoral Proclamation.” She added: “I once again apologize for the
pain and harm that the issuance of this proclamation has caused….”
Similarly, the city of Torrance, California, issued a proclamation on
October 15, 2021 to celebrate “Azerbaijan Day.” It is a carbon copy of
the proclamation issued by San Diego. Later that day, Torrance Mayor
Patrick Furey stated that the city “issued a proclamation in error. On
past occasions, the City has proclaimed Azerbaijan National Day in the
City of Torrance on the effective date. In light of recent events in
the associated region, the City has respectfully requested that the
Consulate General of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles remove the proclamation
from all media.” Nevertheless, the rescinded proclamations of San
Diego and Torrance are still on Consul General Aghayev’s Facebook
page.
This is yet another example of the failed propaganda efforts of the
Consul General of Azerbaijan. Armenians in California are fortunate
that Azerbaijan has sent such an incompetent Consul General to Los
Angeles. No one should be surprised if he is recalled shortly back to
Baku.
There are many other examples of failed Azeri propaganda attempts. On
February 25, 2021, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz issued a proclamation
on “Azerbaijani Day,” but refused to include a reference to “Khojaly.”
Nevertheless, the Azeri media falsely reported that the Governor had
signed a proclamation to commemorate “the Khojaly Genocide.”
Rather than trying to undo the proclamations that are falsely issued
at the urging of Azerbaijan’s lobbyists, the Armenian-American
community should take preemptive steps so that false pro-Azerbaijan
declarations never see the light of day in the first place.

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