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ANCA ASKS NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL TO INVESTIGATE AZERI MANIPULATION OF WHITE HOUSE PETITIONS
http://www.armradio.am/en/2013/02/22/anca-asks-national-security-council-to-investigate-azeri-manipulation-of-white-house-petitions/
10:22 22.02.2013
The Armenian National Committee of America has called upon President
Obama's National Security Staff to first investigate and publicly
assure the integrity of the White House's "We the People" petition
system against foreign manipulation, before answering Baku-initiated
petitions attacking Armenia and Artsakh.
In a letter to Special Assistant to the President Elizabeth
Sherwood-Randall, ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian asked the
National Security Staff to "to perform due diligence in investigating
the prospect of foreign fraud in relation to a public, Baku-based
effort to manipulate the White House's 'We the People' petitions,
a vital avenue for civic discourse with our President." Hamparian
stressed that, "In the interest of safeguarding the integrity of
American civic dialogue and the public standing of this important
initiative, this matter should be publicly resolved by the White House
in a serious and satisfactory manner prior to any petition response."
Copies of this letter have been shared with Congressional offices.
The ANCA made specific reference to a February 1, 2013, Russian
language interview with Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry Spokesman Elman
Abdullayev stating "Any Azerbaijani can connect this petition because,
regardless of nationality, social origin, people have the right to
raise his voice in order to finally triumphed justice. . .This step
is a positive tendency of the Azerbaijan Republic and the Azerbaijani
people."
Last week the ANCA formally asked the White House for information about
the types of safeguards that the Administration had put in place to
protect its popular "We the People" on-line petition system against
foreign attempts at fraudulent manipulation of American civil society
discourse. The White House has yet to issue a response. In a letter
to White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, the ANCA referenced
the Armenian American community's concern regarding "a number of
petitions addressing Armenian topics, including one that echoes,
nearly word for word, the message of Azerbaijani dictator Ilham
Aliyev's well-funded, unfounded and hateful campaign to misrepresent
Azerbaijan's well-documented history of aggression against Armenia
and the independent Republic of Nagorno Karabakh." Hamparian went on
to ask for greater clarity regarding rules related to international
participation, and an explanation about any safeguards that have been
put in place against "against fraud and to protect this important
arena for dialogue with our government from being abused by foreign
entities."
Several petitions echoing Azerbaijani government attacks on Karabakh
rapidly collected tens of thousands of on-line signatures in recent
days. The text of one in particular, titled "pay close attention
on The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. 20% of Azerbaijan territory was
occupied by Armenian military," has a direct link to the Heydar
Aliyev Foundation, a project headed by Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev's multi-billionaire wife, Mehriban Aliyeva. Unlike other
"We the People" petitions, where the city and state of a majority of
signers is typically posted, the anti-Armenian petitions, by and large,
do not have any geographic identification.
News of Azerbaijani government manipulation of online metrics and
social media statistics to boost the image of authoritarian dictator
Ilham Aliyev came out earlier this month in Azadlyg newpaper, with
reports of pressure on government employees to "like" President
Aliyev's Facebook page in the run-up to his 2013 election.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
http://www.armradio.am/en/2013/02/22/anca-asks-national-security-council-to-investigate-azeri-manipulation-of-white-house-petitions/
10:22 22.02.2013
The Armenian National Committee of America has called upon President
Obama's National Security Staff to first investigate and publicly
assure the integrity of the White House's "We the People" petition
system against foreign manipulation, before answering Baku-initiated
petitions attacking Armenia and Artsakh.
In a letter to Special Assistant to the President Elizabeth
Sherwood-Randall, ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian asked the
National Security Staff to "to perform due diligence in investigating
the prospect of foreign fraud in relation to a public, Baku-based
effort to manipulate the White House's 'We the People' petitions,
a vital avenue for civic discourse with our President." Hamparian
stressed that, "In the interest of safeguarding the integrity of
American civic dialogue and the public standing of this important
initiative, this matter should be publicly resolved by the White House
in a serious and satisfactory manner prior to any petition response."
Copies of this letter have been shared with Congressional offices.
The ANCA made specific reference to a February 1, 2013, Russian
language interview with Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry Spokesman Elman
Abdullayev stating "Any Azerbaijani can connect this petition because,
regardless of nationality, social origin, people have the right to
raise his voice in order to finally triumphed justice. . .This step
is a positive tendency of the Azerbaijan Republic and the Azerbaijani
people."
Last week the ANCA formally asked the White House for information about
the types of safeguards that the Administration had put in place to
protect its popular "We the People" on-line petition system against
foreign attempts at fraudulent manipulation of American civil society
discourse. The White House has yet to issue a response. In a letter
to White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, the ANCA referenced
the Armenian American community's concern regarding "a number of
petitions addressing Armenian topics, including one that echoes,
nearly word for word, the message of Azerbaijani dictator Ilham
Aliyev's well-funded, unfounded and hateful campaign to misrepresent
Azerbaijan's well-documented history of aggression against Armenia
and the independent Republic of Nagorno Karabakh." Hamparian went on
to ask for greater clarity regarding rules related to international
participation, and an explanation about any safeguards that have been
put in place against "against fraud and to protect this important
arena for dialogue with our government from being abused by foreign
entities."
Several petitions echoing Azerbaijani government attacks on Karabakh
rapidly collected tens of thousands of on-line signatures in recent
days. The text of one in particular, titled "pay close attention
on The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. 20% of Azerbaijan territory was
occupied by Armenian military," has a direct link to the Heydar
Aliyev Foundation, a project headed by Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev's multi-billionaire wife, Mehriban Aliyeva. Unlike other
"We the People" petitions, where the city and state of a majority of
signers is typically posted, the anti-Armenian petitions, by and large,
do not have any geographic identification.
News of Azerbaijani government manipulation of online metrics and
social media statistics to boost the image of authoritarian dictator
Ilham Aliyev came out earlier this month in Azadlyg newpaper, with
reports of pressure on government employees to "like" President
Aliyev's Facebook page in the run-up to his 2013 election.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress