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03/13/2006
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://WWW.ASBAREZ. COM 1) Armenians in Georgia Rally against Attack on Armenian Youths 2) Pallone And Radanovich Rally Colleagues in Support of Pro-Armenian Provisions in Foreign Aid Bill 3) ANCA Endowment Fund Purchases New Washington, DC Headquarters 4) ANC Endorses Leland Yee for State Senate 5) Levon Aronian Wins Linares Chess Tournament 6) Pallone Extremely Disappointed over Reports of Evans' Withdrawal 1) Armenians in Georgia Rally against Attack on Armenian Youths YEREVAN (Yerkir/Armenpress)Thousands of Armenians attended a rally Saturday in the Georgian town of Akhalkalak to protest an attack in the southern Georigan town of Tsalka, in which 23 year old Gevorg Gevorgyan was stabbed to death and two other Armenian men wounded. Organized by the Javakhk Council of Armenian Public Organizations, the rally denounced the crime, saying that it is a result of Georgia's policy toward ethnic minorities. Speakers discussed the security of the local Armenian population and urged the public to remain cautious and restrained in the face of Georgian provocation. At the end of the rally, an appeal was presented to the Georgian authorities which demanded that they guarantee the security of the local Armenian population and stop aggravating ethnic tensions by repatriating non-Armenians to Armenian regions of Georgia. They also appealed for a democratic solution to Javakhk's problems and to allow Armenian to be used as an official language in Javakhk. The Human Rights Defender of Georgia, Sozar Subari, held a press conference Saturday addressing the incident that took place on the evening of March 9. Representatives from the Human Rights Defender's Office arrived in the southern town of Tsalka to investigate the incident in which about 15 ethnic Georgians attacked three Armenian men as they were getting into their car. After studying the preliminary report, Subari denied widespread allegations that this crime was ethnically motivated. "Our representatives traveled there and probed into the case. We can say that this dispute has nothing to do with ethnic confrontation," Subari said. He called on the people to let government officials finish the investigation of Tsalka events without any pressure or hindrance. According to official data, five suspects have been detained by Georgian police and the search for others continues. Karen Elchyan, President of the Armenian Center of Cooperation of Georgia (ACCG) said that victims believe the attack was motivated by ethnic hatred. Representatives from the office of the Ombudsman and leaders of the ACCG visited Karen Baloyan, one of the victims, in a Tbilisi hospital where he was taken after the attack. When asked about the incident, Baloyan said that neither he nor any of his friends were previously acquainted with their attackers. Clashes between Armenians and Georgians have occurred occasionally in recent years in the predominantly Armenian populated Tsalka. 2) Pallone And Radanovich Rally Colleagues in Support of Pro-Armenian Provisions in Foreign Aid Bill WASHINGTON, DC--Congressmen Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and George Radanovich (R-CA) called on their US House colleagues Saturday to join them in cosigning a letter calling on the leadership of the House Foreign Operations Subcommittee to support pro-Armenian provisions in the fiscal year 2007 foreign aid bill, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). This bipartisan expression of support, addressed to the panel's Chairman Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) and Ranking Member Nita Lowey (D-NY), strengthens the hand of pro-Armenian members of the Subcommittee, most notably Armenian Caucus Co-Chairman Joe Knollenberg, Steve Rothman (D-NJ), Mark Kirk (R-IL), and John Sweeney (R-NY). Representative Sweeney, who joined the panel last year, is one of only two Members of Congress of Armenian heritage. The letter notes that members of Congress are "deeply troubled" that the Administration's request for military aid for Azerbaijan is considerably higher than the request for Armenia. By signing the letter, legislators will add their voice to the effort to ensure that the agreement struck in 2001 between the White House and Congress to keep aid levels to these two countries equal is fully respected. In addition, the letter calls for a hard earmark of at least $75 million for Armenia, a one-year $5 million allocation for Karabagh, and the preservation of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act. "We want to thank Congressmen Radanovich and Pallone in urging the Foreign Operations Subcommittee to support provisions in the fiscal year 2007 foreign aid bill of special importance to Armenian Americans," said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. "We also value the advocacy for pro-Armenian issues from within this panel by Armenian Caucus Co-Chairman Joe Knollenberg, the leadership of Chairman Jim Kolbe and Ranking Democrat Nita Lowey, and the support of Representatives Steve Rothman, John Sweeney, Mark Kirk, Jesse Jackson, Jr., Carolyn Kilpatrick, Chaka Fattah, and our other friends." 3) ANCA Endowment Fund Purchases New Washington, DC Headquarters WASHINGTON, DC--The ANCA Endowment Fund announced Friday the purchase of a new national headquarters, cementing the grassroots organization's presence in the nation's capital and creating a platform for the continued growth of the political power and influence of the Armenian American community. "At its heart, this purchase speaks to our respect for our roots--our enduring historic roots as a people, our grassroots communities around the country, and the deep roots that we have planted here in the nation's capital," said ANCA Endowment Fund President Ken Hachikian. "Roots represent our identity--and our strength. Grassroots advocacy is in our very soul. Our roots have been the wellspring that has nourished us from our fledgling days, through decades of struggle, and to our status today as a world-class organization, recognized internationally as the principled, forceful, and effective voice of the Armenian American community." The four-story building, formerly owned by AOL founder Steve Case, is located near prestigious Embassy Row, blocks from the White House and the nation's leading think tanks, including the Carnegie Foundation and the Brookings Institution. The newly renovated structure features the latest in computer, communications, and networking technology. "Now is the time to build on our successes," added Hachikian. "We look confidently to the future--forging new paths and embracing new technologies--to generate the political power, influence and respect that the Armenian American community deserves--and that the Armenian homeland needs." With a proven track record of results and a rock-solid base of support to build on, the leadership of the ANCA Endowment is currently in the planning stages of a campaign to cover the full cost of this state-of-the-art building, expand a variety of advocacy programs, and enlarge the organization's life sustaining endowment fund. These efforts will cement the long-term stability and continuing success of Armenian American advocacy, substantially reinforce the Armenian presence in Washington DC, and create an even more powerful voice for Armenian Americans--in short, provide a sound footing for the future and a permanent home for the Armenian Cause in the United States. 4) ANC Endorses Leland Yee for State Senate SAN FRANCISCO--The Armenian National Committee - Political Action Committee (ANC-PAC) urged all Armenian Americans to support Leland Yee for State Senate and those living in District 8 to vote for him in the June Democratic Party Primary. Senate District 8 includes San Francisco and San Mateo County. "Assemblymember Yee has been a long-time friend and advocate for the Armenian American community," said ANC-PAC Chairman Leonard Manoukian. "Whether it is authoring legislation to add the Armenian genocide into the school curriculum or casting a critical vote to establish a California trade office in Yerevan, Leland Yee has always fought to protect and preserve our culture and interests." "It is an honor to be endorsed by the Armenian National Committee," said Yee. "I take great pride in representing such a strong and active Armenian American community, and with the support of the ANC, I look forward to continuing my public service in the State Senate." In addition to Yee's advocacy in the State Legislature, he supported the sale of Mt. Davidson Cross to the Armenian community and stood firm as the Turkish lobby tried to disrupt the process. He hosted a reception in San Francisco for the President of Mountainous Karabagh Republic, Arkady Ghoukasian, and his delegation. Yee has always been a vocal proponent of the recognition of the Armenian genocide, regularly attending rallies and community memorial events to show his support. Sevag Sarkissian, Yee's Senior Field Representative and native San Franciscan, has also been continuously involved in Armenian community life. Leland Yee is seeking the 8th District State Senate seat, which will be vacated by Senator Jackie Speier as she seeks the position of Lieutenant Governor. The hotly-contested Democratic Primary will be held on Tuesday, June 6. The ANC-PAC (a non-partisan organization) seeks to elevate the level of political participation of Armenian American voters. Working in coordination with a network of supporters throughout the State of California, the ANC-PAC actively advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues. 5) Levon Aronian Wins Linares Chess Tournament (Combined Sources)--Armenian grandmaster Levon Aronian won the 23rd Linares Super Grandmaster chess tournament in Spain on Saturday, after Hungary's Peter Leko faltered and lost the last two games. The final standings in Linares were: Aronian 8 1/2 points in 14 games; Veselin Topalov and Teimur Radjabov 8 points; Leko 7 1/2 points; Peter Svidler and Vassily Ivanchuk 6 1/2 points; Etienne Bacrot 6 points; Francisco Vallejo Pons 5 points. Aronian will now travel to Monaco to participate in the 5th Amber Rapid and Blindfold Chess Tournament at the Fairmont Monte Carlo Hotel from March 18-30. The 23-year-old Aronian, winner of the world cup, is ranked fifth in the world. 6) Pallone Extremely Disappointed over Reports of Evans' Withdrawal WASHINGTON, DC--Congressman Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Co-Chairman of the Armenian Issues Caucus, expressed his extreme disappointment to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice over reports that the US Ambassador to Armenia, John Marshall Evans, is being forced from office based on truthful and forthright statements last year about the Armenian genocide. In a March 10 letter, Pallone shared with the Secretary that he is "outraged that the State Department is recalling Ambassador Evans as retaliation for statements he made in recognition of the Armenian genocide." He added that, "it is simply wrong for the State Department to punish Ambassador Evans for statements he made that are factually correct. Accordingly, I am asking you for an explanation as to why Ambassador Evans was removed from his post. This is the wrong message to send to the world. I look forward to a timely response from your office." Speaking last year to an Armenian American gathering at the University of California at Berkeley, Ambassador Evans said, "I will today call it the Armenian genocide... I informed myself in depth about it. I think we, the US government, owe you, our fellow citizens, a more frank and honest way of discussing this problem. Today, as someone who has studied it... there's no doubt in my mind [as to] what happened . . . I think it is unbecoming of us, as Americans, to play word games here. I believe in calling things by their name." Referring to the Armenian genocide as "the first genocide of the 20th century," he said: "I pledge to you, we are going to do a better job at addressing this issue." Evans also disclosed that he had consulted with a legal advisor at the State Department who had confirmed that the events of 1915 were "genocide by definition." Within days after his remarks and the conclusion of a speaking tour of Armenian American communities, Ambassador Evans was apparently forced to issue a statement clarifying that his references to the Armenian genocide were his personal views and did not represent a change in US policy. He subsequently issued a correction to this statement, replacing a reference to the Genocide with the word "tragedy." Later last year, the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), in recognition of his honesty and commitment to principle, decided to honor Ambassador Evans with the "Christian A. Herter Award," recognizing creative thinking and intellectual courage within the Foreign Service. Sadly, as Washington Post staff writer Glenn Kessler revealed on June 9, AFSA withdrew its award following pressure from "very serious people from the State Department." ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian, in a letter sent to Secretary Rice earlier this week, wrote that, "the prospect that a US envoy's posting--and possibly his career--has been cut short due to his honest and accurate description of a genocide is profoundly offensive to American values and US standing abroad--particularly in light of President Bush's call for moral clarity in the conduct of our international affairs." The ANCA letter also urged Secretary Rice to respond in a timely manner to the series of written questions on this matter submitted on February 16 by Congressman Adam Schiff during her testimony before the House International Relations Committee. Among these questions was a specific request that the Secretary assure the Committee that the Department of State has not taken--and will not take--any punitive action against Ambassador Evans for speaking out about the Armenian genocide. 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