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By David Boyajian<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Hard to believe but true:<\/span><\/p>\n A greenhouse-gas-spewing, polluting, corrupt, repressive, genocidal, international-terrorism-supporting regime is hosting the UN\u2019s annual Climate Change\/Global Warming<\/i> (CCGW) conference in mid-November.<\/span><\/p>\n The regime\u2019s head is President Ilham Aliyev<\/span><\/a>, Azerbaijan\u2019s blood-soaked despot.<\/span><\/p>\n About 32,000 persons and perhaps 150 countries will reportedly attend the 12-day event, dubbed COP29.\u00a0 <\/span>COP refers to the UN\u2019s Conference of the Parties<\/i> for climate change.<\/span><\/p>\n Secretary of State Antony Blinken \u2014 <\/b>a huge CCGW booster \u2014 <\/b>has, naturally, hopped on the COP29 bandwagon.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe strongly support\u201d Aliyev\u2019s \u201cleadership of COP29,\u201d declared Blinken (with a straight face).<\/span><\/p>\n Pres. Biden\u2019s Climate Change Envoy and ex-Envoy \u2014 <\/b>John Podesta<\/span><\/a> and John Kerry<\/span><\/a> \u2014 <\/b>will be jetting off to the conference, undoubtedly to sing the corrupt Aliyev\u2019s praises.<\/span><\/p>\n They\u2019re among the numerous Climate Change devotees who\u2019ve undermined CCGW\u2019s credibility by not condemning the bloody autocracy\u2019s hosting COP29.<\/span><\/p>\n Similarly, few Climate Change critics<\/span><\/a> have rebuked COP29\u2019s host.\u00a0 <\/span>They\u2019ve squandered a golden opportunity to embarrass the CCGW movement.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Fossil fuels constitute about 90% of Azerbaijan\u2019s exports and 60% of its budget.<\/span><\/p>\n Frankly, Azerbaijan\u2019s CCGW record stinks, literally too.<\/span><\/p>\n Spewing Greenhouse Gases\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Azerbaijan, says<\/span> Climate Action Tracker, \u201c<\/span>is among a tiny group of countries that has actually weakened<\/span><\/a> its climate target.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Its<\/span> greenhouse gases \u201care projected to continue rising by around 20%.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>The country\u2019s going \u201cbackward instead of forward.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Moreover, Azerbaijan\u2019s \u201crenewable energy targets remain weak.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n And Baku, with Turkey\u2019s help<\/span><\/a>, has been violating<\/span><\/a> EU sanctions by selling Russian fossil fuels to the West.<\/span><\/p>\n Gas flaring<\/a><\/span> at Azerbaijan\u2019s Sangachal oil\/gas terminal has triggered breathing<\/span><\/a> and other severe health problems, even in faraway residents.<\/span><\/p>\n Not surprisingly, Azerbaijan\u2019s made a mess<\/span><\/a> of its environment.<\/span><\/p>\n Spewing Pollutants and Cracking Heads<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Notes the CIA: The \u201cApsheron Peninsula (including Baku) and the Caspian Sea\u201d are the \u201cecologically most devastated area in the world<\/span><\/a> \u2026 severe air, soil, and water pollution,\u201d oil spills, and \u201cuntreated municipal and industrial wastewater.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Aliyev\u2019s daughters\u2019<\/span><\/a> offshore companies own major shares<\/span><\/a> in Azerbaijan\u2019s gold mines. \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Police have beaten and arrested Azeris protesting<\/span><\/a> the mines\u2019 byproducts: cyanide and other toxic waste. \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Already notorious for suppressing media and imprisoning dissidents, Aliyev\u2019s been cracking down<\/span><\/a> ahead<\/span><\/a> of COP29.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s \u201cembarrassing<\/span><\/a>,\u201d states Human Rights Watch, that a \u201crights-abusing petro-autocracy\u201d is hosting a COP.<\/span><\/p>\n Baku\u2019s \u201crepression of <\/span>activists, journalists and opposition leaders, at home and abroad,\u201d<\/span> said the EU Parliament<\/span><\/a> in October, <\/span>is \u201cincompatible\u201d with COP29.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Furthermore, \u201c<\/b><\/span>Europe\u2019s gas dependency on Azerbaijan must end\u201d and \u201cAzerbaijan must withdraw [its] troops from Armenia.\u201d<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n In October, 58 members of Congress urged<\/span><\/a> Sec. Blinken to press Aliyev to release \u201call political prisoners\u201d and Armenian \u201chostages and POWs\u201d ahead of COP29.<\/span><\/p>\n The Norway-based <\/span>Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative<\/i> suspended<\/span><\/a><\/span> Azerbaijan seven years ago because its<\/span> environmentalists couldn\u2019t honestly voice their concerns.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cDemocracy and human rights are simply foreign<\/span><\/a> to\u201d Aliyev\u2019s regime.<\/span><\/p>\n The Council of Europe Parliament has expelled<\/span><\/a> Azerbaijan\u2019s members over Baku\u2019s lack of \u201c<\/span>free and fair elections\u201d and its <\/span>blockade and ethnic cleansing of 120,000 Armenians from their ancient homeland of Artsakh\/Nagorno-Karabagh.<\/span><\/p>\n Flaunting its environmental irresponsibility and genocidal intent, Azerbaijan has threatened to bomb<\/span><\/a> Armenia\u2019s Metsamor nuclear power plant and launch a nuclear attack on its capital.<\/span><\/p>\n Aliyev\u2019s Defense Ministry once declared that Armenians are a <\/span>\u201cnuisance [who have] no right to live in this region.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Laundering Azerbaijan\u2019s Image<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Aliyev is employing COP29 as a vehicle to \u201cgreenwash<\/i><\/span><\/a>\u201d its decidedly non-green<\/i> record. \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n His government has been trying to clean up<\/span><\/a> its dirty image in other ways too:\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSongwashing<\/span><\/a>\u00a0(Celebrity\u00a0performers<\/span><\/a>), Sportswashing<\/span><\/a>\u00a0(EuroCup soccer), Carwashing<\/span><\/a>\u00a0(Formula 1 racing),\u00a0Clotheswashing<\/span><\/a>\u00a0(Fashion Week) and Brainwashing<\/span><\/a>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Aliyev has even dragged in the Vatican<\/span><\/a> and His Holiness<\/span><\/a> <\/span>to sanitize the country\u2019s image.<\/span><\/p>\n Then there\u2019s the Azerbaijani Laundromat<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n It shelled out billions in payoffs and bribes to European<\/span><\/a> politicians<\/span><\/a> and institutions.<\/span><\/p>\n Among the ethically-challenged Americans<\/i> lured by Azerbaijani goodies:<\/span><\/p>\n Meanwhile, Aliyev\u2019s family & cronies are raking in<\/span><\/a> COP29 contracts.<\/span><\/p>\n And fake<\/span><\/a> Azeri \u201csocial media accounts\u201d are working overtime to<\/span> \u201c<\/span>drown out criticism\u201d before COP29.<\/span><\/p>\n That many<\/span><\/a> individuals<\/span><\/a> and Climate Change organizations<\/span><\/a> have<\/i> criticized Azerbaijan\u2019s hosting COP29 on both CCGW and human rights grounds must be acknowledged.<\/span><\/p>\n Luis Moreno Ocampo is the International Criminal Court\u2019s first prosecutor.\u00a0 <\/span>He\u2019s called on Azerbaijan to release<\/span><\/a> over 100 Armenian hostages<\/span><\/a> before COP29.\u00a0 <\/span>The latter are being mistreated and tortured<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Ocampo has also called the Aliyev regime\u2019s 2022-2023 blockade of Artsakh\u2019s Armenians \u201cgenocide<\/span><\/a>.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n We must mention Baku\u2019s long-running support<\/span><\/a> of international terrorists.<\/span><\/p>\n\n
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![His Holiness<\/span><\/a> <\/span>to sanitize the country\u2019s image.<\/span><\/p>\nThen there\u2019s the Azerbaijani Laundromat<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\nIt shelled out billions in payoffs and bribes to European<\/span><\/a> politicians<\/span><\/a> and institutions.<\/span><\/p>\nAmong the ethically-challenged Americans<\/i> lured by Azerbaijani goodies:<\/span><\/p>\n\nU.S. House<\/span><\/a> members<\/span><\/a> and staff<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\nCong<\/span><\/a><\/span>. Henry Cuellar<\/span><\/a> (D-TX) and his wife<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\nMeanwhile, Aliyev\u2019s family & cronies are raking in<\/span><\/a> COP29 contracts.<\/span><\/p>\nAnd fake<\/span><\/a> Azeri \u201csocial media accounts\u201d are working overtime to<\/span> \u201c<\/span>drown out criticism\u201d before COP29.<\/span><\/p>\nThat many<\/span><\/a> individuals<\/span><\/a> and Climate Change organizations<\/span><\/a> have<\/i> criticized Azerbaijan\u2019s hosting COP29 on both CCGW and human rights grounds must be acknowledged.<\/span><\/p>\nLuis Moreno Ocampo is the International Criminal Court\u2019s first prosecutor.\u00a0 <\/span>He\u2019s called on Azerbaijan to release<\/span><\/a> over 100 Armenian hostages<\/span><\/a> before COP29.\u00a0 <\/span>The latter are being mistreated and tortured<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\nOcampo has also called the Aliyev regime\u2019s 2022-2023 blockade of Artsakh\u2019s Armenians \u201cgenocide<\/span><\/a>.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nWe must mention Baku\u2019s long-running support<\/span><\/a> of international terrorists.<\/span><\/p>\nEven the US, allegedly<\/span><\/a> engaged in a Global War on Terrorism, has barely remarked on Azeri terrorism.<\/span><\/p>\nThat an outright terrorist country could host any<\/i> summit indicates how low the international community has stooped.<\/span><\/p>\n](\"https:\/\/eurasianet.org\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/article\/public\/images\/100316-b_0.jpg\"){kind=link}