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09/13/2005
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1) Brent Scowcroft Attacks Armenian Genocide Legislation
2) Argentine Foreign Minister at ARF South America Center
3) Second Opposition Youth Leader Detained in Azerbaijan
4) US, Georgia Agreement Includes Repair of Javakhk Roads
5) Armenia, Russia Conclude Military Exercises
1) Brent Scowcroft Attacks Armenian Genocide Legislation
American Turkish Council Chairman Sharply Criticizes ‘Careless use of Genocide
Language’ in HRes316 and HConRes195
WASHINGTON, DC–Only days before Armenian Genocide legislation is set to come
before a key US House panel, American Turkish Council (ATC) Chairman Brent
Scowcroft has warned Speaker Dennis Hastert that even the discussion of the
Armenian Genocide on the floor of the US House would be
“counter-productive” to
the interests of the United States, reported the Armenian National
Committee of
America (ANCA).
In his September 12 letter, Scowcroft, speaking on behalf of the corporate
members of the ATC, accused Congressional supporters of Armenian genocide
legislation (HRes316 and HConRes195) of trying to “pull Turkey away from the
West. He stressed that “the careless use of genocide language provides an
excuse to do so, delivering a direct blow to American interests in the
region.”
“We are outraged that Brent Scowcroft appears to have so compromised his own
integrity in pursuit of personal business interests that he finds himself
enlisted by the Turkish government in its desperate and patently immoral
genocide denial effort,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “We are
particularly troubled by his baseless comment regarding the ‘careless use of
genocide language’–a hateful insult to the victims of this crime, a direct
offense to the Congressional authors of this legislation, and a repudiation of
the US archives, the unanimous judgment of the International Association of
Genocide Scholars, and the overwhelming evidence documenting this crime
against
humanity.”
The ATC has come under scrutiny in recent weeks as the result of a 10-page
story in Vanity Fair detailing FBI whistleblower Sibel Edmond’s reports that
its officials were involved in illegal efforts to defeat Armenian genocide
legislation in the fall of 2000. According to the article by contributing
editor David Rose, Edmonds claimed FBI wiretaps–including those of the
Turkish
Embassy and Turkish groups such as the ATC and the Assembly of Turkish
American
Associations (ATAA)–reveal that the Turkish government and its allies boasted
of bribing members of Congress as part of an alleged deal to stop
consideration
of the Armenian Genocide Resolution.
In a related effort, the Assembly of Turkish American Associations has
distributed an action alert against both Armenian genocide resolutions. Among
the factually unfounded and morally bankrupt points raised by the ATAA in the
space of its one-page alert are the following:
-The ATAA warns its members: “Inaction on the part of the Turkish American
Community will compromise U.S.-Turkish relations, encourage more acts of
harassment, violence and terrorism against people of Turkish and Turkic
descent, and could potentially lead to territorial and compensations claims
against the Republic of Turkey;”
-The ATAA urges its members to tell members of Congress that HRes316 and
HConRes195 “provide a one-sided, misinformed view of WWI Ottoman history and
would deal a great blow to the Turkish American community, and furthermore
inflict damage upon the partnership between Turkey and the United States;”
-The ATAA stresses that resolutions such as HRes316 and HConRes195 “impede
dialogue and reconciliation between Armenia and Turkey, discouraging the
Armenian side from engaging in scholarly examination of these complicated
historical events;”
-The ATAA notes that “As the Armenian American lobby acts up again, we have
only two choices: we can be passive and allow these allegations to go on,
or we
can stand up and defend ourselves, our history, and the future of our children
here in the United States;”
-The ATAA stresses that its efforts are not “anti-Armenian,” explaining that
“Armenian people are held hostage by the agenda of their country’s
ultra-nationalist government and extremists in the Armenian American, European
and Middle Eastern communities.”
Text of ATC Chairman Brent Scowcroft’s Letter to Speaker Hastert:
September 12, 2005
The Honorable J. Dennis Hastert
Speaker of the House of Representatives
The Capitol
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Mr. Speaker:
As Chairman of the American-Turkish Council, I am gravely concerned about
plans to debate in the House of Representatives HConRes195, a resolution
“Commemorating the Armenian Genocide” and urging the Government of Turkey to
acknowledge the culpability of Ottoman Turks for it, and HRes316, a resolution
recognizing claims of “genocide” of Armenians by Ottoman Turks. Together with
ATC’s members, I strongly urge opposition to these resolutions and suggest
that
floor deliberation of them would be counter-productive to the interest of the
United States.
Whatever people individually decide on the merits of these resolutions, it is
important to note the real world consequences of their adoption. When the
French Senate passed such a resolution, it cost France over $1 billion in
cancelled contracts and lost business opportunities. Enactment of genocide
language would jeopardize our ability to achieve strategic interest with
Turkey
and in the region. Furthermore, it is quite likely that the business interest
of several of our American members would be jeopardized by passage of such
prejudicial legislation.
The American-Turkish Council strongly believes that the events about which
HConRes195 and HRes316 speak are matters for historians to decide-not
politicians. Unfortunately, these resolutions express, as matters of law and
fact, issues that remain widely disputed by scholars, historians, and legal
experts. Accordingly, we strongly urge you to review the attached letter that
Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan sent Armenian President Robert Kocharian on
April 10, 2005, seeking to normalize bilateral relations as well as address
painful long-standing historical issues.
Although Armenian President Kocharian rejected his offer, we are encouraged
that Prime Minister Erdogan and his government, by reaching out to Armenia
with
an offer for an open dialogue on difficult issues involving Turks and
Armenians, are taking an historic step. Turkish-Armenian rapprochement is in
the best interests of both nations, and the ATC believes now is the time for
reconciliation. We sincerely hope that President Kocharian and his government
will take the opportunity to reciprocate the olive branch extended by Prime
Minister Erdogan.
Turkey’s strategic location at the crossroads of Europe, the Middle East, the
Caucasus, and the Balkans places it at the center of American’s current and
long term strategic interest. As Turkey stands on the threshold of accession
talks with the European Union, the US should be doing all it can to encourage
positive momentum for Turkey. HConRes195, while purporting to support Turkey’s
EU accession talks, and HRes316 do exactly the opposite. The resolutions
encourage those who would pull Turkey away from the West. The careless use of
genocide language provides an excuse to do so, delivering a direct blow to
American interests in the region.
The ATC believes that legislators should not attempt to resolve historical
issues by resolution. Historical commissions, fairly staffed, adequately
supported, and afforded full access to the archives, are better suited to
attempting the reconciliation that we all support.
On behalf of the members of the American-Turkish Council, I strongly urge you
to oppose floor deliberation and adoption of any language that would
substitute
political pronouncements for historical analysis of this highly sensitive
issue.
Sincerely,
Brent Scowcroft
Chairman of the Board
2) Argentine Foreign Minister at ARF South America Center
BUENOS AIRES–Argentina’s Foreign Minister Rafael Antonio Bielsa, who returned
from a vist to Armenia less than two weeks ago, was honored at the Armenian
Revolutionary Federation (ARF)”Armenia” center in Buenos Aires.
ARF Bureau member Mario Nalbandian, ARF South America Representative
Haroutioun Hovanessian, and other members of the party greeted Bielsa who
received applause as he entered the center’s restaurant.
During his visit to Armenia, Bielsa had meetings with President Robert
Kocharian, Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian, as well as deputy speaker of
Armenia’s parliament, Vahan Hovhannisian.
A video presentation detailed Bielsa’s trip to Armenia, and highlighted the
Foreign Minister’s readiness to help strengthen relations between the two
countries.
Armenia’s Ambassador to Argentina, Ara Ayvazian told the gathering that the
Foreign Minister’s trip to Armenia is significant when considering the
potential for developing business between the two countries. Ayvazian thanked
Bielsa for backing Armenia on a variety of political issues.
South America Armenian National Committee Representative Pedro Mouradian
pointed to the years-long relationship with Bielsa, and the foreign minister’s
lasting cooperation.
Bielsa outlined his formal meetings in Armenia, preferring to rather reflect
on the human elements and emotional impact of the visit. He recalled his
feelings when visiting the monument to the victims of the Armenian genocide,
and his brief visit with Catholicos Karekin II.
As a token of appreciation, the ARF South America presented a piece of
artwork
to Bielsa.
3) Second Opposition Youth Leader Detained in Azerbaijan
BAKU (AFP)–Authorities in Azerbaijan said Tuesday they had detained a
prominent opposition youth leader in connection to alleged anti-government
activity that received backing from a US democracy group and neighboring
Armenia.
Law enforcement officers detained Said Nuri, deputy head of the Yeni Fikir
youth movement, on Monday, a spokesman for the prosecutor general’s office
said.
“It is likely that charges will be pressed tomorrow,” he told AFP.
The spokesman said Nuri’s detention was linked to the arrest last month of
Yeni Fikir’s leader, Ruslan Bashirli, who was charged with plotting a
Ukraine-style uprising backed by the US-based National Democratic Institute
(NDI), a democracy pressure group, and money from Armenia’s government.
Another deputy leader of Yeni Fikir, Fikret Farmazoglu, said Nuri had been
detained for “preparing to overthrow the government of Azerbaijan and
receiving
funds from groups interested in doing this.”
NDI has denied training Yeni Fikir members to overthrow the government, while
Yeni Fikir claims the allegations against it are a government smear campaign
ahead of parliamentary elections in November. However, parliament speaker
Murtuz Alasgarov, along with representatives of international organizations,
realizes that the developments that happened in Georgia and Ukraine can’t
occur
in Azerbaijan, stressing that “the crisis in the Ukrainian government and the
situation in Georgia rule out the possibility of a revolution in Azerbaijan.”
Alasgarov said that during the meetings he held in the United States,
representatives of international organizations and parliament speakers
expressed confidence that Azerbaijan’s November parliament elections will be
democratic.
Alasgarov said that the officials he met with have ‘certain views’ on the
forthcoming poll, but all of them believe the elections will be free and
fair.
“The Azerbaijani people know well who they will vote for at the polls,” he
added.
4) US, Georgia Agreement Includes Repair of Javakhk Roads
TBILISI (Armenpress)–The United States signed a five-year $295.3 million
agreement with Georgia through the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC),
Georgian media reported, citing MCC.
US State Secretary Condoleezza Rice and Georgian President Mikhail
Saakashvili
signed the agreement in New York on Monday.
A portion of the funds, about $102 million, will be allocated to constructing
roads in Javakhk. Of that, 50 million will go to constructing the
Akhaltskha-Akhalkalak-Ninotsminda highway.
“MCC is proud to be Georgia’s partner in its efforts to reduce poverty in the
regions outside of Tbilisi,” MCC Vice President Charles Sethness said.
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, who was in New York for the 60th UN
General Assembly, thanked the United States for its help, saying, “this
agreement is a partnership between our two peoples who share the same values
and have the same dreams for their children and believe in the supreme
value of
liberty,” according to Reuters.
The agreement aims to reduce poverty and stimulate economic growth in regions
outside of Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi.
5) Armenia, Russia Conclude Military Exercises
YEREVAN (RIA Novosti/Armenpress)–The tenth joint Russian-Armenian military
exercises concluded Tuesday at the Marshal Bagramyan firing range in Armenia.
Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) secretary general Nikolay
Bordyuzha, Armenian president Robert Kocharian and a legion of top brass
traveled to the testing ground some 30 kilometers outside of Yerevan to watch
the exercises between the 545th Armenian motorized rifle regiment and the
128th
Russian motorized rifle regiment. About 1,037 soldiers, 294 units of military
hardware, including missile air defense complex S-300, four Su-25 assault
fighters, four MiG-29 fighters, four Mi-24 helicopters and two Mi-8
helicopters
took part in the exercise.
The 102nd Russian military base was deployed in Armenia in 1995 in accordance
with intergovernmental agreements. The base performs combat duty in the region
within the framework of the CIS joint air defense system, with S-300 missile
air defense complexes, MiG-29 fighters and some 5,000 military personnel.
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