WASHINGTON—The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) joined a delegation of Armenian American community and religious representatives to forcefully urge the U.S. government to take immediate action to end the vicious onslaught on the historically Armenian town of Kessab, Syria, which was overrun by al-Qaeda affiliated terrorists in an attack launched from Turkey on March 21.
During a meeting with State Department officials earlier today, community representatives stressed, in urgent and frank terms, that “the United States has a unique responsibility to protect the citizens of Kessab especially since a large proportion of them have American families desperately seeking to provide protection and refuge for them.” The delegation submitted a series of requests for prompt U.S. action including:
—Publicly condemn both the vicious attack on an Armenian civilian town by Al Qaeda-linked terrorists and Turkey’s assistance for and cooperation in the attack.
—Demand an immediate withdrawal of the extremists, so that civilians can return to their homes.
—Provide assurances of ongoing protection for the civilian population and call the reinstatement of a demilitarized zone around Kessab and the Turkish border.
—Provide targeted and need-based humanitarian assistance for the displaced civilians from Kessab, who have found refuge in Latakia.
—Demand Turkey secure its border and not allow militants in Kessab to be reinforced with supplies or be able to return to Turkey.
—Investigate Turkey’s assistance to US designated terrorist groups such as Al Nusra and publish its findings.
—Facilitate the return of Armenians back to their homes.
—Assist Americans with missing family members to locate their relatives and bring them to safety.
Earlier this week, ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian sent a strongly worded letter to calling on President Obama to direct his Secretary of State, the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, and his Ambassador to the United Nations to demand that Turkey halt the cross-border attacks on Kessab that have forced the immediate civilian evacuation of the area and led to the looting of properties and the desecration of churches.
Located in the northwestern corner of Syria, near the border with Turkey, Kessab had, until very recently, evaded major battles in the Syrian conflict. The local Armenian population had increased in recently years with the city serving as safe-haven for those fleeing from the war-torn cities of Yacubiye, Rakka and Aleppo. On the morning of March 21st, extremist foreign fighters launched a vicious attack on Kessab civilians, forcing them to flee neighboring Latakia and Bassit.
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The Neocon State Department probably knew all along what was about to transpire in the Armenian town of Kessab, because this was apparently being planned many months in advance by Turkey and Al-Qaeda. So I don’t have any hope this will do anything positive. Ironically, the man who is “butchering his own people” (according to these Neocon rats) is the one that is now protecting Armenians.
We as Armenians now have reason to expose these dirty Neocon warmongers intent on destroying Syria by highlighting a simple truth: Syria protects Christians while the US headed by Neocons and its “allies” like Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar wants to see them destroyed.
It’s the same old story: Western nations are not going to come to the aid of Armenians, ever.
The US State Department is nothing more than a Turkish proxy and utterly worthless.
Please have faith… I pray for the US to make the right call to be honorable and to do the right thing…
Since Erdogan is on the outs with the USA they could do anything who knows. There is a war with Erdogan and the crazy Imam that has a movement called Gulen Movement. They have infiltrated the USA in charter school management and lobbying for Azerbaijan and Turkey.
I expect this will come to a head real soon like a bad zit.
Amy… your prayers will go unanswered just as the people’s prayers in Kessab went and IS going unanswered… America isn’t saving us… God isn’t helping either…
Why do intelligent people like Armenians, live in muslim countries, in the first place. This is not the first time they are under attack and slaughtered. Why don’t they move to other Christian countries or Armenia. Armenia’s government should send aids to rescue these people and give them a place in Armenia. Instead, he is sitting back and thanking Syria’s government for protecting his people! If our government is doing nothing useful, what are we expecting from others!!?? Petitions should be addressed to our president not others.
Don’t blame the State Department. The fish stinks from the head. It’s the democrat party leader’s feckless foreign policy that has brought us to this horrific point.
This must be a wakeup call for all Christians and humanitarians to come together and stop this insane barbaric behavior. The truth about what is going on in Kessab and the whole middle east is shocking and totally disgusting. All people of good will and civil society must pay careful attention to what is happening and get involved. Stop the killing!
Evanoush