On the recordFebruary 26, 2015
Mr. Speaker, I rise to remember the 23rd anniversary of the Khojaly tragedy, which took place on February 25-26, 1992. On this evening, 23 years ago, it was the site of a cowardly massacre of 613 unarmed Azerbaijani citizens, which included 106 women, 63 children, and 70 elderly. Despite the attempts to minimize this tragedy, I stand in memory with the Azerbaijani Caucus to remember the loss. The United States and Azerbaijan share a bipartisan and a strong relationship. As a former commander in the Navy SEALs, I know firsthand the importance of Azerbaijan's commitment. Aside from deploying troops and equipment to Afghanistan, over one- third of nonlethal aid that was used by our troops in Afghanistan flowed through Azerbaijan. President Kennedy once said that America would pay any price and bear any burden in the defense of liberty. I am proud that Azerbaijan and America share the same commitment to freedom and liberty. It is important today that we take this moment to join our Azerbaijani allies in liberty in recognizing the Khojaly tragedy. ____________________
