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08/25/2004
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) Armenian-Americans Deliver United Message to US House Leadership 2) Territorial Integrity Should Be Respected, Stresses Saakashvili 3) Aliyev Holds Private Meeting With German President 1) Armenian-Americans Deliver United Message to US House Leadership Grassroots Organizations Protest Congressional Opposition to Genocide Legislation WASHINGTON, DCMore than a dozen national grassroots Armenian-American organizations came together this week to communicate the "extraordinary disappointment" of the Armenian-American community over the Congressional leadership's opposition to legislation recognizing the Armenian genocide, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). "We have seen, in recent weeks, a tremendous groundswell of opposition from across the Armenian-American community to the Congressional leadership's attack on the Schiff Amendment, and their stubborn refusaldespite the strong, bipartisan support enjoyed by the Genocide Resolutionto schedule a vote on this human rights initiative," said ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian. The letter, written on behalf of the collective leadership of the Armenian-American community to House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, gives voice to the community's unequivocal opposition to the House leadership's efforts to reverse the Schiff Amendment to the fiscal year 2005 Foreign Operations bill, H.R. 4818, and expresses the community's "great dismay with your public statement against holding a vote on the Genocide Resolution, H.Res.193." The letter comes in the wake of the adoption by the US House, last month, of the Schiff Amendment, which seeks to block the use by Turkey of US foreign aid to lobby against the Genocide Resolution. It was adopted by voice vote, without any opposition, on July 15. Within hours of its passage, the Schiff Amendment came under intense attack by the Congressional leadership, with the Speaker of the House and his top deputies issuing a statementposted prominently on the first page of the Speaker of the House's websitethat they would use their influence to block its adoption as part of the final foreign aid bill. The organizations that signed the community-wide letter were the ANCA, the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic ChurchEastern and Western US, the Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic ChurchEastern and Western US, the Armenian Missionary Association of America, and the Apostolic Exarchate for Armenian Catholics, as well as the Armenian General Benevolent Union, Armenian Democratic Liberal (Ramgavar) Party, United Armenian Fund, Armenian Relief Society, Armenian Bar Association, National Organization of Republican Armenians, Armenian Youth Federation, HomenetmenArmenian General Athletic Union, and Hamazkayin Armenian Cultural and Educational Association. The signatories to the letter stressed that the Schiff Amendment, which was adopted by the US House on July 15, "simply underscores the importance of protecting American people from having their tax dollars used by the government of Turkey for a purpose they find patently offensivethe denial of the Armenian Genocide." They also noted that the adoption of the Amendment "reflected the breadth of the bipartisan opposition to Turkey's shameful campaign against H.Res.193, and, just as importantly, demonstrated the clear and overwhelming support of a majority of Members enjoyed by the underlying legislation." The Genocide Resolution, H.Res.193, was introduced last year by Congressmen George Radanovich (R-CA) and Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues Co-Chairmen Joe Knollenberg and Frank Pallone. It has been cosponsored by 110 US Representatives and was approved, without opposition, in May of last year, by the Judiciary Committee. This genocide prevention measure is supported by a diverse coalition of over one hundred religious, civic, ethnic and human rights organizations, including American Values, Union of Orthodox Rabbis, NAACP, Sons of Italy, and the National Council of La Raza. The full text of the Armenian American community letter to the Speaker of the House is provided below. Text of Community Letter to Speaker Dennis Hastert Dear Speaker Hastert: We are writing, as the collective leadership of the Armenian-American community, to voice our extraordinary disappointment with your opposition to the Schiff Amendment to the fiscal year 2005 Foreign Operations bill, H.R.4818, and to express our great dismay with your public statement against holding a vote on the Genocide Resolution, H.Res.193. The Schiff Amendment simply underscores the importance of protecting American people from having their tax dollars used by the government of Turkey for a purpose they find patently offensivethe denial of the Armenian Genocide. The adoption of this measure on July 15th by the full US House of Representatives reflected the breadth of the bipartisan opposition to Turkey's shameful campaign against H.Res.193, and, just as importantly, demonstrated the clear and overwhelming support of a majority of Members enjoyed by the underlying legislation. As you know, H.Res.193, which was introduced by Congressmen George Radanovich and Adam Schiff, and Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues Co-Chairmen Joe Knollenberg and Frank Pallone, has been cosponsored by 110 of your colleagues and was approved, without opposition, in May of last year, by the Judiciary Committee. This genocide-prevention measure is supported by a diverse coalition of over one hundred religious, civic, ethnic and human rights organizations, including American Values, Union of Orthodox Rabbis, NAACP, Sons of Italy, and the National Council of La Raza. We respectfully call upon you to reconsider your opposition to the Schiff Amendment and to immediately schedule a vote of the full US House of Representatives on the Genocide Resolution, H.Res.193. We make this request on several levels. First is that the adoption of such a resolution represents a moral imperative that we, as Americans, must take to defend human rights and protect human lives against the crime of genocide. Secondly, we should not allow a foreign nation, particularly one that so brazenly flaunts basic American values and which blocked the US-led coalition from opening a northern front in the Iraq War, to impose its dictates on the US Congress. Thirdly, the clear majority of Members who support this resolution should not be denied the opportunity to take part in an up-or-down vote on this human rights measure. Finally, by bringing this measure to the floor, you would be honoring your public pledge to our community on this subject made in October of 2000. Thank you for your consideration of our concerns. We would be pleased to meet with you personally to discuss this matter further. Sincerely, 2) Territorial Integrity Should Be Respected, Stresses Saakashvili TBILISI (Combined Sources)--Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili said that relations between Georgia and Russia should be based on mutual respect for each country's territorial integrity. "I demand that officials of the Georgian government compare Georgia with Chechnya, as we respect Russia's territorial integrity and want Russia to respect our territorial integrity," Saakashvili told a briefing on Tuesday. Saakashvili said that Russia is in fact a participant in the conflict in Tskhinvali region. "The fact that Russia is taking part in the conflict has been known to us for a long time," he said. Russian troops are gathering near South Ossetia, he said. "Our special services have had information about Russian troops and military vehicles gathering near the entrance to the Roki tunnel for a long time," Saakashvili said. Thanks to measures taken by the Georgian authorities, "large-scale military activity" was avoided, Saakashvili said. "The country has to be ready to defend itself at any moment," the president said. "We would like to negotiate with Russia, but it is not making any steps to help this," he said. The Russian Defense Ministry on Tuesday dismissed as "inventions" and "unfounded statements" allegations by Georgian politicians that Russia has moved more troops to the vicinity of the Georgian border. A current Russian army exercise, which has been interpreted in Georgia as preparations for an invasion of the country's breakaway region of South Ossetia, is a routine operation that was planned in 2003 and "has nothing to do with current events around Tskhinvali," ministry spokesman Col. Vyacheslav Sedov told Interfax. The exercise is being held at a training ground in North Ossetia, a Russian region bordering South Ossetia, he said. "Maybe it is seen in Georgia as a large-scale exercise, but for Russia it is part of daily routine," he said. Meanwhile, the chairman of the Defense and National Security Committee of the Georgian parliament, Givi Targamadze, urged his country to prepare for a Russian attack. "It appears that we cannot avoid Russian aggression, and so we must stop it, which is by no means an unfeasible task if one takes into account the Chechen experience," Targamadze told a news conference in Tbilisi. Three hours before Georgia withdrew its forces from the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict zone last week, "Russian troops in North Ossetia were readied for march and were to enter the territory of South Ossetia via the Roki Tunnel," he said. "Airborne troops and up to 40 combat helicopters were moved to a military airfield near the village of Upper Gizel, in the immediate vicinity of the Roki Tunnel," he said. There were still up to 80 armored vehicles at a Russian military base near Oktyabrskoye village that "are intended to be moved into South Ossetia," he said. Peacekeepers monitoring South Ossetia have located trip wires and US-made mines in the area, Irina Gagloyeva, head of the South Ossetian press and information committee, told Interfax by telephone on Tuesday. "More than ten trip wires were discovered in the area of the Tskhinvali bypass road, from where Georgian servicemen were withdrawn. Twenty-five US-made mines were found in Georgian villages. Apart from peacekeeping units, the monitoring operation in the area involves representatives of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, she said. The situation in the region is generally calm. No shelling has been reported so far. But people are waiting for what might happen with concern," she said. Referring to South Ossetian security agencies, Gagloyeva said that Georgian servicemen are continuing to dig trenches and to build other fortification facilities near the villages of Tamarasheni, Kekhli and Kheit. 3) Aliyev Holds Private Meeting With German President GERMANY (Azertag)--Following an official welcoming ceremony, a private meeting was held between Azeri President Ilham Aliyev and President of Germany Horst Koehler on August 25, AzerTag personal correspondent reports. During the conversation, President Koehler highly valued the Azeri leader's first official visit to Germany, stressing it would have a positive impact on the development of bilateral relations and promote economic cooperation between the two countries. Expressing satisfaction with the hospitality shown to him during the visit, Aliyev pointed out the importance of expanding cooperation between Azerbaijan and Germany, particularly in regards to international organizations and integration of Azerbaijan into European structures. Regarding the Karabagh conflict, Koehler stated that Germany completely supports the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and will adhere to this position in the future. Germany as an OSCE member will intensify its efforts concerning the problem, he said. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2004 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets.