[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 30 (Monday, February 25, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E232]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           REMEMBERING THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE KHOJALY TRAGEDY

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                         HON. SOLOMON P. ORTIZ

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, February 25, 2008

  Mr. ORTIZ. Madam Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 16th anniversary 
of the Khojaly tragedy, when on February 25-26, 1992, the town of 
Khojaly in the Nagorno Karabagh region of Azerbaijan was brutally 
attacked by Armenian forces. The town of Khojaly, which was home to 
7,000 people, was completely destroyed; a total of 613 people were 
killed, of which 106 were women and 83 were children, and 56 of whom 
are purported to have been killed with extreme cruelty and torture. 
Additionally, 1275 were taken hostage, 150 went missing; 487 people 
became disabled (76 of whom are teenagers); 8 families were wiped out; 
25 children lost both of their parents, and 130 children lost one of 
their parents.
  The Khojaly massacre was not an isolated incident. In fact, the level 
of brutality and the atrocities committed at Khojaly set a pattern of 
destruction that Armenian troops would adhere to for the remainder of 
the Nagorno-Karabakh War.
  No one has been prosecuted for the crimes committed in Khojaly and, 
unfortunately, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict still remains.
  On January 21, 2008, Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov 
noted in the Wall Street Journal that it has been almost 14 years since 
the Armenia-Azerbaijan war ended in a Russian-mediated ceasefire, but 
Armenian troops remain on Azerbaijan's territory.
  Minister Mammadyarov opined: ``The so-called Minsk process, an OSCE-
led effort to find a peaceful, negotiated settlement to this conflict, 
has been helpful in providing the framework for dialogue between 
Azerbaijan and Armenia. It also gives an international dimension to 
this conflict. But we need to urgently conclude this process. 
Maintaining the status quo is just too costly.''
  Foreign Minister Mammadyarov contends that diplomacy is Azerbaijan's 
preferred solution. The resolution of this issue would not only improve 
bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, it could also 
improve Armenia's relationship with Turkey.
  The resolution of the conflict would ensure regional security and 
economic growth. As Azerbaijan looks forward, it is also important to 
look back. While not forgetting the past, Azerbaijan is ready to 
resolve the conflict and move into the future.




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