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10/13/2004
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1) ANCA Presents Armenian American Issues in Ethnic Roundtable with Ambassador
Holbrooke
2) Armenian Archbishop Assaulted by Yeshiva Student
3) Armenian Caucus Protests Azeri Threats against Armenia
4) Iraqi Kurds Ready to Fight for Kirkuk
1) ANCA Presents Armenian American Issues in Ethnic Roundtable with Ambassador
Holbrooke
Leading advisor to Kerry-Edwards campaign welcomes dialogue with ethnic
leadership
WASHINGTON, DCANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian participated this past week, along
with fifty of America’s ethnic community leaders, in a policy roundtable
featuring Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, a senior advisor to the Kerry-Edwards
campaign and a leading candidate for Secretary of State in the event of a
Democratic victory this November.
The private policy discussion was held on Thursday, October 7 in Cleveland,
Ohio. Topics ranged from a general review of ethnic priorities to specific
issues of concern to individual communities. A consistent theme raised by each
of the groups was that the Bush Administration has failed to meaningfully
engage America’s ethnic leadership or to seek out their special insights
during
the formulation and implementation of US foreign policy.
Speaking to concerns raised by the ANCA delegation, Amb. Holbrooke stressed
that Senator Kerry’s “friendship for Armenia goes back a long way. It’s well
established. He understands the issues. He’s taken a very strong stance on
Nagorno-Karabagh, on aid, on recognition of the Genocide, ending the blockades
of Armenia. There is a very clear cut difference between the two candidates.”
More broadly, the Ambassador noted that ethnic Americans “should make a
determination as to which candidate cares more about the issues of Central
Europe, including Macedonia, Armenia, and the other issues that we discussed
today. Without exception, the Democrats are going to do more. All of you in
this room know that… It’s just not a close contest here.” He added, “You
can’t represent the United States overseas if you don’t listen to the
people of
the United States…John Kerry and anybody he appoints to senior jobsdon’t
know
who he will appointbut he will listen to you all.”
“We welcomed this opportunity to represent the concerns of the Armenian
American community in this roundtable meeting of the leaders of our nation’s
ethnic communities,” said ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian. “Speaking to this
group,
Ambassador Holbrookea veteran foreign policy expert who has served at the
highest levels of the State Departmenthighlighted Senator Kerry’s strong
support for Armenian issuesincluding the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
We were, of course, gratified by these remarks, as well as by his clearly
articulated expectation that a Kerry-Edwards Administration would pro-actively
seek the unique input and special insights of ethnic Americans on the often
complex foreign policy issues facing our nation.”
Richard Holbrooke served as US Ambassador to the United Nations in the
Clinton
Administration. He was also an Assistant Secretary of State and a special
envoy
to Bosnia and Kosovo. In this latter capacity he helped negotiate the Dayton
Peace Accords in 1995. He was introduced at the roundtable by his wife, Kati
Marton, who serves as the Chairwoman of the International Women’s Health
Coalition.
In addition to the Armenian American delegation, which included ANCA
Executive
Director Aram Hamparian and two leaders of the Ohio Armenian community, were
leaders from organizations representing Albanian Americans, Arab Americans,
Byelorussian Americans, Croatian Americans, Czech Americans, Greek Americans,
Hungarian Americans, Irish Americans, Italian Americans, Lithuanian Americans,
Muslim Americans, Polish Americans, Portuguese Americans, Romanian Americans,
Serbian Americans, Slovak Americans, Slovene Americans, Ukrainian Americans,
and Vietnamese Americans.
2) Armenian Archbishop Assaulted by Yeshiva Student
JERUSALEM (Combined Sources)An altercation that started when a yeshiva student
spat at the cross being carried by Armenian Archbishop in Israel Nourhan
Manougian during a procession near the Holy Sepulcher on Sunday, has exposed
growing tensions between traditional Christian denominations and religious
Jews
in Jerusalem’s Old City.
The student, Zvi Rosenthal, not only spat at the cross but also at Manougian
himself; Manougian reacted by slapping the yeshiva student.
The incident developed into a brawl during which Manougian’s ceremonial
medallion, which has been used by Armenian archbishops since the 17th century,
broke.
Both Archbishop Manougian and the yeshiva student were detained for
questioning.
Police are now considering whether to initiate criminal proceedings against
the Armenian archbishop and to charge him with assault. Meanwhile, the
incident
has sparked much anger among the clergy of the small Armenian community in
Jerusalem.
Religious Jews, among them yeshiva students, customarily spit on the
ground as
a sign of disgust on seeing the cross. The Armenians, who live adjacent to the
Jewish Quarter of the Old City, suffer from this phenomenon more than any of
the other Christian sects in the Old City.
Manougian says he and his colleagues have already learned to live with it. “I
no longer get worked up by people who turn around and spit when I pass them by
in the street; but to approach in the middle of a religious procession and to
spit on the cross in front of all the priests of the sect is humiliation that
we are not prepared to accept,” he notes.
A policeman is customarily posted to guard the Armenians’ religious
processions, but doesn’t generally do anything to prevent the spitting. The
Armenians took the matter up with Interior Minister Avraham Poraz some seven
months ago, but nothing has been done about until now.
“The Israeli government is anti-Christian,” Manougian charges. “It cries out
in the face of any harm done to Jews all over the world, but is simply not
interested at all when we are humiliated on an almost daily basis.”
“Incidents like these aim at ridding Jerusalem of its Christian and Muslim
populations in order to emphasize the city’s Jewish character,” emphasized
Catholicos of the Holy See of Cilicia Aram I.
Lawmaker Rabbi Michael Melchior (Labor Party) says the phenomenon should be
tackled through educational means. “I would expect prominent figures among the
religious and ultra-Orthodox sectors, such as the chief rabbis, to denounce
this phenomenon,” he says.
Yassir Arafat, leader of the Palestinian National Authority, condemned the
Israeli attack on Archbishop Manougian. Arafat held a telephone conversation
with the Archbishop inquiring about his health following the unwarranted
assault.
3) Armenian Caucus Protests Azeri Threats against Armenia
WASHINGTON, DCSeventy members of the US House of Representatives joined last
week with the Co-Chairmen of the Congressional Armenian Caucus, Frank Pallone
(D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), in calling on President George Bush to
press
Azerbaijan to back away from increasingly violent rhetoric aimed at Armenia
and
Mountainous Karabagh, reported the Armenian National Committee Of America
(ANCA).
“We share the concerns raised by this bipartisan group of US legislators
regarding the growing danger to Armeniaand to American interestsposed by the
increasingly angry threats coming from Azerbaijan’s senior leadership,” said
ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “Armenian Americans appreciate the
leadership of Armenian Caucus Co-Chairmen Joe Knollenberg and Frank Pallone on
this issue, and look forward to learning of the Administrations response to
Azerbaijan’s irresponsible and dangerous behavior.”
In the letter, dated October 8th, Members of Congress specifically asked
President Bush to publicly condemn Azerbaijan’s war rhetoric and other
increasingly bellicose remarks against the Republic of Armenia and Mountainous
Karabagh. The letter, states, in part:
“Efforts to reinforce stability and reduce the risk of conflict are in the
best interests of the United States and the region. The Nagorno Karabagh peace
process will achieve nothing if Azerbaijan is allowed to risk war and predict
ethnic cleansing with impunity. To this end, we urge that you condemn these
remarks and call upon the government of Azerbaijan to desist in making any
further threats against Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh.”
Joining Reps. Knollenberg and Pallone were: Gary Ackerman (D-NY), Robert
Andrews (D-NJ), Xavier Becerra (D-CA), Shelley Berkley (D-NV), Howard Berman
(D-CA), Michael Bilirakis (R-FL), Jeb Bradley (R-NH), Michael Capuano (D-MA),
Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), John Conyers (D-MI), Jerry Costello (D-IL), Joseph
Crowley (D-NY), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Jim DeMint (R-SC), Vernon Ehlers (R-MI),
Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Tom Feeney (R-FL), Bob Filner (D-CA), Mark Foley (R-FL),
Barney Frank (D-MA), Scott Garrett (R-NJ), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Michael
Honda (D-CA), Steve Israel (D-NY), Jesse Jackson (D-IL), Sue Kelly (R-NY),
Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Gerald Kleczka (D-WI), James
Langevin
(D-RI), Sander Levin (D-MI), Nita Lowey (D-NY), Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Carolyn
Maloney (D-NY), Edward Markey (D-MA), Karen McCarthy (D-MO), Betty McCollum
(D-MN), Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI), James McGovern (D-MA), Michael McNulty
(D-NY), Martin Meehan (D-MA), Candice Miller (R-MI), James Moran (D-VA), Grace
Napolitano (D-CA), Devin Nunes (R-CA), Collin Peterson (D-MN), Jon Porter
(R-NV), David Price (D-NC), George Radanovich (R-CA), Mike Rogers (R-MI),
Steven Rothman (D-NJ), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Bobby Rush (D-IL),
Loretta
Sanchez (D-CA), H. James Saxton (R-NJ), Adam Schiff (D-CA), E. Clay Shaw
(R-FL), Christopher Shays (R-CT), Brad Sherman (D-CA), John Shimkus (R-IL),
Mark Souder (R-IN), John Sweeney (R-NY), Stephanie Tubbs-Jones (D-OH), Fred
Upton (R-MI), Christopher Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Visclosky (D-IN), Henry
Waxman (D-CA), Anthony Weiner (D-NY), Joe Wilson (R-SC), and Albert Wynn
(D-MD).
The ANCA, in a September 28th note to Congressional offices in support of
this
letter, wrote: “If history is any guide, silence on our part will only
embolden
the leadership in Baku to escalate their rhetoric even further. Left
unchecked,
we run the risk that the Azerbaijani government will translate their angry
remarks into aggressive actions that will create a humanitarian disaster and
destabilize a region of great strategic importance to the United States.”
On September 28th, Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) spoke on the House floor about
the dangers posed by increasingly inflammatory Azerbaijani statements by
President Ilham Aliyev and his Cabinet Members, calling for a military
takeover
of neighboring Armenia and the decimation of its population in the coming
decades. In his remarks, Rep. Pallone cited statements “made by officials in
the government of President Aliyev calling into question the very existence of
Armenia. For example, as reported by Radio Free Europe, the Azerbaijani
Defense
Ministry spokesman called for Azerbaijan’s takeover of the entire territory of
Armenia and removal of the entire Armenian population from the Caucasus. He
went so far as to say, and I quote, ‘Within the next 25 years there will exist
no state of Armenia in the South Caucasus.’ Given Azerbaijan’s history of
aggression against Armenians, these remarks can’t be dismissed as mere
rhetoric.”
The text of the Congressional letter is provided below:
Dear Mr. President,
We are writing to strongly urge you to condemn the ongoing Azerbaijani war
rhetoric and other increasingly bellicose remarks made against the Republic of
Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh. These statements undermine US interests in the
region.
As you know, a cease-fire in the conflict over Nagorno Karabagh was
established in 1994 and sensitive peace negotiations to achieve a final
agreement are ongoing. However, the government of Azerbaijan continues to make
dangerous claims and threaten war against Armenia. This war rhetoric has
continued unabated and has intensified in recent months.
In July, as reported by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the Azerbaijani
Defense Ministry spokesman called for Azerbaijan’s takeover of Armenia and
removing its entire population. He said, “In the next 25-30 years there
will be
no Armenian state in the South Caucasus. This nation has been a nuisance for
its neighbors and has no right to live in this region. Present-day Armenia was
built on historical Azerbaijani lands. I believe that in 25 to 30 years these
territories will once again come under Azerbaijan’s jurisdiction.” Mr.
President, this reprehensible call for ethnic cleansing and even genocide
warrants the strongest possible reply from our country.
The President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, has repeatedly declared that
Azerbaijan could launch a new war in Karabagh. Just two months ago, he stated,
“At any moment we must be able to liberate our territories by military means.
To achieve this we have everything.” Aliyev has directly linked Azerbaijan’s
economic progress to its military “superiority.” “Under these circumstances we
cannot react positively to those calling us to compromise,” Aliyev stated.
Last year, as reported by BBC Monitoring, Azerbaijani Defense Minister
General
Safar Abiyev said that occasional violations of the cease-fire were “natural”
since Azerbaijan is still “at war.” Statements like this not only undermine
the
peace process, but can also serve to actually encourage attacks against
Armenia.
Just this month, NATO canceled its Cooperative Best Effort (CBE) 2004
exercises in Baku, Azerbaijan after the government of Azerbaijan barred
Armenia
from participating. US General James Jones, Supreme Commander of Allied Forces
in Europe, expressed regret over Azerbaijan’s refusal to honor its host
obligations to accept delegates from all interested partners. As part of its
commitment to international security in the Caucasus, Armenia welcomed both
Azerbaijan and Turkey to participate in the NATO CBE 2003 exercises in
Yerevan,
Armenia.
Efforts to reinforce stability and reduce the risk of conflict are in the
best
interests of the United States and the region. The Nagorno Karabagh peace
process will achieve nothing if Azerbaijan is allowed to risk war and predict
ethnic cleansing with impunity. To this end, we urge that you condemn these
remarks and call upon the government of Azerbaijan to desist from making any
further threats against Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh.
4) Iraqi Kurds Ready to Fight for Kirkuk
ANKARA (AFP)Iraqi Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani said that the oil-rich
city of
Kirkuk in northern Iraq had a Kurdish “identity” and vowed to fight any force
attempting to oppress its people, whether Kurds or other ethnic groups.
Barzani, head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), was speaking after
talks in Ankara with Turkish leaders, who are worried that the Iraqi Kurds are
plotting to take control of the city, which also has a large population of
Turkmens, a community with Turkish roots.
“If anyone, if any regime or system wants to continue the Arabization or
oppression of the people of Kirkuk, we will defend their rights and we are
ready to fight for them,” Barzani told AFP through an interpreter.
He said the Iraqi Kurds would defend not only the Kurdish people of Kirkuk
but
“any other group or minority” in the city.
The Iraqi Kurds say Kirkuk was overwhelmingly Kurdish in the 1950s before
Baghdad started a deliberate campaign of “Arabization,” during which thousands
of Arabs were encouraged to settle in the city.
Many also demand that Kirkuk be made the capital of an independent Kurdish
state.
The Iraqi Kurdish leadership, however, says that city should be incorporated
in an enlarged autonomous Kurdish region but reject the idea of independence,
knowing it would be unacceptable to Turkey and other neighbors.
Ankara has repeatedly warned the Iraqi Kurds against attempts to upset the
demography of the region.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul
reiterated the warning in their meetings with Barzani on Monday, Turkish
diplomats said.
In an apparent bid to placate Ankara, Barzani promised that Iraqi Kurds would
work for peaceful co-existence between the ethnic groups of Kirkuk.
“Our position is that the identity of Kirkuk is part of Kurdistan. But it is
an Iraqi city,” he said. “The promotion of co-existence and fraternity (in
Kirkuk) has to be a priority for everybody. We are working in that
direction.”
Ankara fears that Kurdish control of the area’s oil resources could further
strengthen the Iraqi Kurds whom it suspects of plotting to break away from
Baghdad.
Such a prospect, Ankara worries, could fan separatist sentiment among its own
restive Kurds in southeast Turkey.
“Kirkuk is a city where all ethnic elements can settle. It is not a place
where a certain party can claim control,” Erdogan told the Aksam daily in an
interview published on Tuesday.
“We are in favor of Iraq’s territorial integrity. We are against any ethnic
group establishing control over another,” he said.
The question of the Kurds’ return to Kirkuk has fueled tensions in the city.
The interim government in Baghdad has so far roundly rejected calls for the
expulsion of the Arab settlers.
Barzani said his talks in Ankara confirmed that Turkey and the Iraqi Kurds
continued to differ on some issues on the future of Iraq even though they
shared the same vision on many others.
“But in general I can say very happily that it was a very positive
atmosphere…We both agreed that there should be continuous contacts and
consultations between us,” he said.
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