18TH ANNIVERSARY OF BLOODY JANUARY TRAGEDY MARKED IN USA
The United States Congress has commemorated the 18th anniversary of the 20 January tragedy, Azerbaijan`s Embassy said.
Joe Wilson, member of Congress representing South Carolina, member of working group on Azerbaijan, called congressmen to revere memory of the 20 January victims, who sacrificed their lives for freedom and democracy.
He said 18 years ago, Moscow ordered 26,000 Soviet troops to invade Azerbaijan`s capital Baku.
In the early morning hours and into the day of January 20, 1990, the Soviet troops attacked innocent civilians, slaughtering 130 people and wounding approximately 700.
He stressed the use of force by the Soviet regime was an attempt to suppress Azerbaijani people`s demand for independence.
However, the invasion of Soviet troops aimed at strangling people`s dreams of freedom, ignited the spirit of struggle for freedom even more.
The Congressman also said today Azerbaijan is considered a rapidly developing country thanks to its freely elected President, parliament, as well as thanks to reforms to establish free market economy and for not allowing presence of foreign troops in its territory.
Afterwards, documentary film about the tragedy “The way leading to Bloody January” produced by Lider TV of Azerbaijan was shown.
Americans, for the first time, saw the killer image of Mikhail Gorbachev, who was named “hero” in the West for ending the Cold War.
In his letter to the Azerbaijani Community in Houston, Bill White, Mayor of Houston, expressed his condolences on the 18th anniversary of the Black January.
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