An opinion piece published by a California-based Armenian daily asks to turn Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, into “a radioactive wasteland”
An Armenian newspaper published in the United States has sown controversy by publishing an opinion piece openly advocating the use of weapons of mass destruction and nuclear weapons against Azerbaijan in the wake of the recent conflict with Armenia over the Nagorno Karabakh region.
As reported by the Anatolia news agency, the article, signed by Stepan Altounian, one of the leaders of the so-called Armenian Revolutionary Federation (a left-wing Armenian party present in Armenia and in other countries with Armenian diaspora), defends the use by Yerevan of any kind of nuclear weapon to turn the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, into “a barren wasteland for the next 5,000 years.”
“I, like probably all Armenians, was devastated but not necessarily surprised by the news that Armenia lost to the Azeris,” wrote Altounian referring to the peace agreement signed on November 10 by Armenia, which was a de facto capitulation before Azerbaijan and meant the cession of practically all the territories occupied in the 90s in Karabakh, completely redrawing the map of the South Caucasus.
“Where was the nuclear option?” Asked Altounian in the article when talking about the defeat of Armenia in the conflict. “Why not take the nuclear waste from Metsamor (the Armenian nuclear power plant) and make dirty bombs?”, he insists in his opinion, supported and published by the bilingual newspaper Asbarez, which is published in English and Armenian in Los Angeles (California, USA).
“We could turn Baku into a radioactive wasteland for 5,000 years”
“Please don’t tell me anything about weapons of mass destruction while the Turks and Azeris have used them against civilians without suffering any repercussions from anyone… Two can play the same game, and we should. It would make them think twice if we could turn Baku into a radioactive wasteland for the next 5,000 years,” writes Altounian without specifying when Turks or Azeris have used such type of weapons.
The Azerbaijani consulate general in Los Angeles immediately reacted to the publication of such an opinion in this well-known Armenian newspaper, which has been published since 1908 in California, asking the US prosecutor’s office to launch an immediate investigation. “Unfortunately, this is not the first time that we have witnessed such terrorist threats against Azerbaijan,” said Azerbaijani consul in Los Angeles, Nasimi Aghayev.
Referring to the publication by the Armenian daily defending the use of nuclear weapons against Azerbaijan, Aghayev noted that “it is the result of a sick mentality, marked by a deeply rooted hatred towards Azeris, by Azerbaijaniphobia, which promotes violence and destruction. I hope that the US authorities will remain vigilant on these types of threats and carry out a proper investigation against this intolerable promotion of violence.“
VOTE
EDITORIAL TEAM
🧿 About us
.
Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
…
📣 Your ADVERTISING on Hispanatolia
.
🤗 HELP US WITH A DONATION:
💗 Paypal
