To take advantage of your Constitutional and political rights and privileges, you need to be up-to-date. The U.S. Azeris Network (USAN) is here to facilitate just that: 1) Check our website often; 2) Become a member of USAN by registering in the Action Database; 3) Subscribe to our Google groups list to receive action alerts and newsletters; 4) Register to vote; 5) Spread the word about USAN among Azerbaijani-Americans, Turkic-Americans and friends of Azerbaijan.
The U.S. Azeris Network (USAN) is a grassroots advocacy and voter education organization which is active on both National (Federal) and Local (State) level on all issues of importance to the Azerbaijani-Americans, Turkic-Americans, and U.S.-Azerbaijan strategic allied relations.
Being a genuine grassroots network, created by the masses for the masses, we need mass activism from people such as yourself. Please take part in our Action Campaign Letters and all other initiatives, such as Voter Registration.
SCROLL BELOW FOR ACTION LETTERS
The U.S. Azeris Network (USAN) is a non-profit, non-partisan, true grassroots organization which aims to educate, engage, energize, link and unite Azerbaijani-American voters across the political spectrum into the U.S. political process, on both Federal and State levels. USAN will facilitate, ease and automate the electronic delivery of letters, petitions, action alerts and major news from Azerbaijani-American voters to their State Legislators, Assemblymen, Congressmen and Senators, as well as the White House and the local media. This is especially important for the Azerbaijani-American community in the 2008 election year, when Presidential, U.S. House and Senate, and State and Local elections all are held at once on November 3.
ACTIVE ISSUES
To communicate with your elected officials, legislators and media, click on a links below and follow the instructions on the screen. All information is private and confidential - only your name, address and email are transmitted to the officials you address your letters to. If you write from your business address, your title and business name can also be transmitted if you want it. USAN is encouraging grassroots activism and is open to all positive and negative feedback as well as draft letters on subjects important to the Azerbaijani-American Diaspora and Turkic-American communities, and the strengthening of the U.S.-Azerbaijan strategic allied relations. Some of the common questions are answered in the USAN FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions.
Federal and State Issues
1) Increase US aid to Azerbaijan, reduce to Armenia, zero out to NK
I am an Azerbaijani-American, who is concerned on the matters related to Caucasus and Caspian regions. I have recently found out that the State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee is under intense pressure from pro-Armenian lobby and special interest groups to disregard the Presidential FY2009 request.
I urge to: 1) retain or increase IMET aid to Azerbaijan (currently $900,000), 2) increase FMF funding for Azerbaijan above the current $3 million, since U.S. national interests and Pentagon assessments necessitate to give several times more in FMF aid to its strategic ally in the region, 3) keep economic aid to Armenia at $24 million, since that nation already receives $236 million in MCC funds whilst recently holding exceptionally poor presidential elections during which hundreds of people were killed or wounded, and 4) keep or increase the economic and technical aid to Azerbaijan (currently at $19,5 million). Moreover, absolutely no direct aid whatsoever should given to the Armenia-occupied Nagorno-Karabakh (NK) region of Azerbaijan.
2) Immigration issues for the Azerbaijani-Americans
America’s and its citizens, such as ourselves’, trade, cultural, academic and personal relationships with the rest of the world, particularly with the former USSR, and specifically with our ancient homeland of Azerbaijan, depend a great deal on the ability of people to travel to the United States. The USAN is concerned with the reported deterioration to the issuance of visas in Azerbaijan and other post-Soviet states over the last few years. While the Department of State has made some significant improvements, much more needs to be done to better facilitate the visa process and to allow unhindered and stress-free travel by ethnic Azerbaijani students, tourists, businesspeople, spouses and artists into the US.
3) Congress should condemn Armenia's presidential elections and hold hearings
On February 19, Armenia held its controversial presidential elections. On March 1, peaceful protest demonstrations of Armenian opposition, that drew tens of thousands, have been dispersed with extreme violence and brutality by Armenian security forces which killed 8 people on the streets of Yerevan. A 20-day complete censorship and state of emergency were imposed, making all but impossible to get truthful coverage and information on casualties, which are claimed to be far higher.
The former war lord and incumbent Prime Minister, Serzh Sarkisian, assisted by state media and various manipulations and fraud (e.g., the vote count in 16% of precincts was “bad or very bad” according to international observer mission of OSCE, OSCE/PA and PACE), won 53% of the vote – just enough to deny a recount, and strikingly similar to the disputed 1996 election, in which the current second-place contender, Levon Ter-Petrossian, got almost 52%. Seems like nothing has changed in Armenia.
4) Failed democratization of Armenia – a heist worth $2,6 billion dollars to US taxpayers
When Armenia established its independence in the aftermath of the Soviet break-up, US undertook massive financial aid and assistance to that nation. From day one, Armenia became the second largest per capita recipient of US aid in the world.
Since 1992 Armenia has received over $1,777 billion in US aid, plus $236 million for 5 years in MCC funds. Incidentally, in years 1918-1920, Armenia received over $50 million in US loans, which in 2008 dollars is worth $623,121,387.28. This is for a grand total of $2,636 billion.
According to the calculations by the CRS, Armenia has received $225 million in cumulative budgeted US foreign assistance for democratization (about 13 percent of all aid to that nation) from FY92 through FY06 (RS22675, Jun 8, 2007, p. 6). These figures do not include millions in additional democratization aid budgeted in FY07 and FY08. Did the US taxpayers’ and American hopes and expectations bear fruit?
5) Concern about Mourad Topalian meeting with Members of Congress
I am concerned that Members of Congress and other U.S. officials, perhaps unwittingly, have been hosting meetings with Mourad Topalian, a convicted terrorist and felon, and former Chairman of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). Mr Topalian is now described as an “ANCA Activist.”
11) War on Georgia by South Ossetia and Abkhazia separatists
The US, UN and others’ reaction to the South Ossetia war upon Georgia by Russia-backed separatists has been disturbingly slow and disastrously lacking.
The international community and US have been weak on “frozen conflicts” of the former USSR (which in addition to two Georgia’s regions, also include Moldova’s Transdnistria and Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh), adopting watered down toothless resolutions that are barely worth the paper they are printed on, and being ignorant of the Kosovo precedent, which has emboldened the separatists, who interpreted the message in the only logical way – that territorial integrity of a state is in the eyes of US and EU less important than “self-determination” – even if the latter is achieved only by violent, sometimes terrorist, means.
Azerbaijani-Americans are concerned about the territorial integrity of sovereign Georgia. It is necessary that US leads the international community to not only express its strong disapproval of the infringement on Georgia’s territorial integrity, but offers all possible tangible assistance, including peacekeeping.
Other Issues (Media Center)
1) UN GA calls for removal of Armenian forces from NK 14 March 2008 - The General Assembly today adopted a resolution on the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan in which it called for the immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian forces "from all the occupied territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan."
With 39 votes in favour, seven against and 100 abstentions, the Assembly adopted a text that also called for "continued respect and support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan within its internationally recognized borders."
The resolution reaffirmed "the inalienable right of the population expelled from the occupied territories" of Azerbaijan to return to their homes, and to achieve that end it underlined the need for the comprehensive rehabilitation of all conflict-affected territories.
No State should recognize as lawful the current situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, nor provide aid or assistance to maintain that situation, according to the text, which also called for "normal, secure and equal conditions of life for Armenian and Azerbaijani communities in the Nagorno-Karabakh region" so that "an effective democratic system of self-governance" can be built up.
3) Azeri-Americans concerned about ongoing hostilities on the front lines
Azerbaijani-Americans express their deep concern about the reports of heavy fighting on the frontline between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. On March 4th, 2008, Armenian forces stationed along the Karabakh frontline violated an 14-year-old ceasefire and attempted an offensive against the Azerbaijani military positions in Terter district of Azerbaijan. The attack of Armenian forces was repulsed, as a result, four Azerbaijani soldiers were killed and one was wounded, the number of losses on the Armenian side is twelve soldiers and officers.
Inactive (Past) Issues
1) Black January commemoration
2) Op-ed on Sen. Obama's stance
3) Sen. Obama's Very Offensive Campaign Website Statement
4) Protest Travel Guide mistakes over NK and other Azerbaijani territories
5) Con. Michael McNulty (D-NY) Nagorno-Karabakh statement outrage
6) Khojaly Massacre commemoration (+50 States)
7) Sumgait events of February 28, 1988: setting the record straight (+50 States)
8) Thanking Congressman Ortiz and Congresswoman Foxx for Khojaly Massacre commemoration on February 25, 2008
9) Thanking Congressman Pete Sessions (R-TX) and Congresswoman Thelma Drake (R-VA) for joining the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus (CAC) in February 2008
10) Press Release: Azerbaijani-Americans commemorate the 16th anniversary of the Khojaly Massacre, call for its proper recognition
11) Nowruz Bayram is an Azerbaijani New Year, too
12) Armenia: Censors Block Printing Of Opposition Newspapers (media report)
13) March 31: Commemoration of the Day of Genocide of Azerbaijanis
14) 16th anniversary of Shusha city (Azerbaijan) occupation by Armenian military
USAN Testimony #4: "Thank you all for spending your time to participate
and sending your requests through USAN. It really makes a big difference. 'Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much'". (Ms. N.Y., San Diego, CA).
USAN Testimony #5: "I was able to register and to take action on all 4 issues that were highlited on the USAN website and was able to make a difference in less than 5 minutes!!! Thank you!" (Dr. N.G., Houston, TX).
To take advantage of your Constitutional and political rights and privileges, you need to be up-to-date. The U.S. Azeris Network (USAN) is here to facilitate just that: 1) Check our website often; 2) Become a member of USAN by registering in the Action Database; 3) Subscribe to our Google groups list to receive action alerts and newsletters; 4) Register to vote; 5) Spread the word about USAN among Azerbaijani-Americans, Turkic-Americans and friends of Azerbaijan. 
The U.S. Azeris Network (USAN) is a grassroots advocacy and voter education organization which is active on both National (Federal) and Local (State) level on all issues of importance to the Azerbaijani-Americans, Turkic-Americans, and U.S.-Azerbaijan strategic allied relations.
Register in the USAN Action Database
U.S. Azeris Network (USAN) is a non-profit, non-partisan, non-sectarian organization