A July 6, 1997 Washington Post article, written by staff writers David B. Ottoway and 
Dan Morgan, entitled, "Ex-Top Aides Seek Caspian Gusher," tends to paint a stark and 
ominous picture of former U.S. Government officials who have been trying desperately to 
reverse our government’s neutral position on the Karabagh conflict.  Reason?  An 
estimated four trillion dollar’s worth of oil reserve in Central Asia’s Caspian Sea region 
which Azerbajian is flaunting in front of the world powers who show the least sign of 
sympathy for Karabagh’s God-given right to remain free and independent.  


The players involved in our body of U.S. foreign policy bunglers reads like a Who’s 
Who, and I would venture to say that most of them, if not all of them, have appeared on 
the cover of "Time" on one or more issues, and all have been involved in making major 
U.S. policy decisions in the past.  However, judging by their greedy, self-serving motives 
in the Azerbajian oil reserve issue, I would have to say that the most crowning 
achievement regarding their former involvement in U.S. foreign policy is that we have 
managed to survive in spite of them.


Included in this formidable bunch are former security advisors Brent Snowcroft and 
Zbigniew Brzezinski, former White House Chief of Staff and T.V. personality John N. 
Sununu, former Defense Secretary of Desert-Storm fame Richard C. Cheney, former 
Secretary of State James A. Baker, and President Clinton’s former Treasury Secretary 
Lloyd Benson.  This does not include the powerful oil lobbies that have been directly 
supporting and motivating these men, including a direct and powerful body of Azerbajian 
representatives. 


According to the article, "U.S. oil companies and other potential investors also contend 
that without U.S. government-backed loans and other support now forbidden under 
restrictions imposed by Congress, non-U.S. oil companies backed by their home 
governments will have an advantage."   And irrespective of rising prices at the pump, all 
this means is that the U.S. is not the only nation that generates whorehouse tactics when 
there is a potential opportunity to cash in on a windfall.


To add further momentum to their corrupt intentions, the article also states:  "American 
oil company executives say Azerbajian officials have hinted that as long as official U.S. 
policy continues to regard their country as something of a pariah, they might favor 
Norwegian, British, Russian, French, and Iranian oil companies in granting the next batch 
of drilling concessions, which will cover the largest reserves of gas and petroleum."  
Well!  Looking at it that way, I suppose everyone with influence, without conscience, and 
who have aspirations of getting filthy rich, would consider the sacrificing of Karabagh’s 
Armenians an insignificant price to pay. Wasn’t it Hitler who once said, "Who 
remembers the Armenians?"


In the meantime, while these vultures are trying to pick the bones of Karabagh and 
Armenia clean, how united are we, as a people?  Can the interests of our people be served 
best by the present inter-rivalry that exists between our Diaspora and homeland politicals, 
or from the continuing disunity of our Armenian Apostolic churches and communities in 
North America, or with the mounting rivalry between our Mother See of Etchmiadzin and 
The Great House of Cilicia?  I really don’t know, but from where I’m sitting, all I can say 
is that if we don’t get our act together and start speaking and acting as one, we may find 
ourselves commemorating another genocide in the not too distant future.


As I’ve said before, "During times of conflict, it isn’t the opposing ideologies that suffer 
most; it’s the people that are caught between them."   


Joseph Vosbikian