[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 27 (Friday, February 17, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E224]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       COMMEMORATING THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE KHOJALY TRAGEDY

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. DAN BOREN

                              of oklahoma

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, February 17, 2012

  Mr. BOREN. Mr. Speaker, as the Co-Chairman of the House Azerbaijan 
Caucus, I rise today to bring attention to the tragedy that took place 
in Khojaly, Azerbaijan, a town and townspeople that were destroyed on 
February 26, 1992.
  Sadly, today there is little attention or interest paid to the plight 
of Khojaly outside of Azerbaijan. However, one of our greatest 
strengths as elected officials is the opportunity to bring to light 
truths that are little known and command recognition. As a friend of 
Azerbaijan, I am proud to remind my colleagues that we must never 
forget the tragedy that took place at Khojaly.
  At the time, the Khojaly tragedy was widely covered by the 
international media, including the Boston Globe, Washington Post, New 
York Times, Financial Times, and many other European and Russian news 
agencies.
  Khojaly, a town in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, now 
under the control of Armenian forces, was the site of the largest 
killing of ethnic Azerbaijani civilians. With a population of 
approximately 7,000, Khojaly was one of the largest urban settlements 
of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan and was destroyed after 
the attack. Hundreds were killed or injured.
  Twenty years later, the cause of this conflict has not yet been 
resolved. As the Presidents of the United States, Russia and France 
underlined in their statement at the Deauville Summit in May 26, 2011, 
the current status quo is unacceptable.
  Azerbaijan has been a strong strategic partner and friend of the 
United States. The tragedy of Khojaly was a crime against humanity and 
I urge my colleagues to join me in standing with Azerbaijanis as they 
commemorate this tragedy.

                          ____________________