Washington, DC – Rep. Howard Berman, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today issued the following statement regarding a reported attack by Azerbaijani forces:

“I am deeply disturbed by press reports about a brazen, unwarranted cross-border attack by Azerbaijan that resulted in the tragic deaths of three Armenian soldiers and the wounding of five others. This outrageous action underscores the critical importance of preventing the recently proposed sale of U.S. military equipment to the Government of Azerbaijan – a sale I recently requested Secretary Clinton to halt. Aside from the possible military application of this equipment against Armenia, such asale would send entirely the wrong message to Azerbaijan, particularly in light of this horrifying incident. I offer deepest condolences to the families of the slain Armenians and my best wishes for a speedy recovery to the others. ”

Last week, Rep. Berman wrote a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, urging the Secretary to reconsider the proposed sale of military equipment to Azerbaijan. Reports on the letter by Asbarez.com can be found here.

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