Month: April 2007

ARF TO LAUNCH ITS CAMPAIGN ON APRIL 9

Yerkir
06.04.2007 15:22

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – The Armenian Revolutionary Federation will launch
its National Assembly campaign at 19:00 on April 9 at the Charles
Aznavour Square near the Moscow Cinema.

ARF Bureau representative Hrant Margarian, ARF Bureau member and
NA deputy speaker Vahan Hovhannisian, ARF Supreme Body of Armenia
representative Armen Rustamian and ARF faction leader Hrayr Karapetian
will speak at the launching.

A concert featuring Armenian singers will follow, according to the
ARF Supreme Body press service.

TURKEY’S CON GAME: US OFFICIALS ON THE TAKE, FBI PROVIDES COVER
By John Stanton – Online Journal Contributing Writer

Online Journal, FL
April 6 2007

"Turkey is not as politically stable or as secular domestically
as they would have you believe," said one long time observer of
US-Turkish relations in Washington, DC. "The Turks do not have a
large community across the United States like, say, the Armenians
and the Greeks who have been here a long time. Because of this you
see a very large Turkish presence inside Washington, DC."

Lacking a legitimate national grassroots organization, Turkey has
built a notable presence inside the corridors of power in Washington,
by spreading cash around and buying direct access to key US decision
makers in and out of the US government. It all seems legitimate
enough: campaign donations and junkets for members & staff of the
US Congress (FMOCs); consulting fees to former FMOCs, US military
generals, US State Department employees; and promises of billions
of dollars in contracts to US corporate representatives operating
in Washington. With so much money chasing politicians, consultants
and contractors of all stripes, there’s bound to be some corrupt and
even criminal activity. No seasoned observer of politics anywhere is
completely surprised at the occasional and well-timed conviction of
a white collar criminal.

But Sibel Edmonds’ seems to have stumbled into the really big white
collar crime ring that ties an old George Bush I family friend,
Brent Scowcroft — and his American Turkish Council–in with former
US Ambassador to Turkey Marc Grossman; members of the Turkish Caucus
in the US Congress; Douglas Feith, (once had his security clearance
revoked and was rumored to be watched by the FBI) who once greased arms
sales to Turkey back in the 1990s, is a famed Zionist, formerly of the
Pentagon and now at Georgetown University in Washington, DC; the Bob
Livingston Group (Livingston a FMOC), who has gotten very wealthy via
Turkish business; and Joe Ralston the former USAF general whose bank
account has blossomed after joining Lockheed Martin and being put on
the Turkish payroll as a counter-Kurdish insurgency expert. Finally,
former Speaker of the US House Dennis Hastert seems a natural part of
the ring, whose claim to fame may become that he kept debate on the
Armenian Genocide Resolution off the House floor during his tenure
and was the subject of a Vanity Fair piece.

Many of us have written on Ms Edmonds’ case and after so many
years find it infuriating that the FBI continues to shut her up
behind a State Secret Privilege holding. Taking recent events at the
Department of Justice as guides, it is probably safe to say that Ms
Edmonds’ is being silenced because of some sort of State Embarrassment
Privilege. The Department of Justice, of which the FBI is a subsidiary,
is seeing its credibility quotient crushed under the weight of Attorney
General Albert Gonzales’ arrogance and the adolescent antics of his
staff. Meanwhile at the FBI, Director Mueller is under fire for the
antics of his staff and its abuse of USAPATRIOT Act provisions to
catch common criminals, not "terrorists."

A few thoughts come to mind here. First, the FBI apparently was
illegally monitoring subjects associated, somehow, with the Edmonds’
matter and, perhaps, saving a savory scandal for the right time. J
Edgar Hoover, former FBI director, was skilled at that sort of
subterfuge. If the illegal monitoring allegation is true, that’s
another damaging blow to the Justice Department and the US justice
system.

Second, Ms Edmonds must have stumbled upon the payola racket that
Turkey had been running and there were so many big US names involved
in so many high places that to air that laundry would damage US
credibility not so much abroad, as right here in the USA. Imagine on
one news day FMOCs, active members of the US Congress, US military
personnel, US State Department people, US Justice Department folks
all get nailed for being in on the Turkish gig or at least knowing
about it. And what could be worse than the FBI, DEA and CIA knowing
about it? Foreign intelligence agencies, of course.

Third, if it is true that Turkey is not as secular or as politically
stable as its proponents in Washington and Ankara say, then the whole
Turkey-as-US strategic partner and would-be European Union partner
would be one of the better smoke and mirrors acts sold to the US
public, and the world, in recent memory.

The reality is that Turkey remains a distant and unknown entity for
most Americans, although if Ms Edmonds were allowed to speak freely
it may become a well-known country. It’s a product that is difficult
to sell to citizens here in the USA as a strategic necessity, as a
wonderful vacationland, or as a dynamic society full of business
opportunity. The harsher side to the story is that Turkey has
threatened to invade Northern Iraq/Kurdistan should it declare its
independence, or if an upcoming referendum on oil-rich Kirkuk goes the
Kurds’ way; the Turks brutally repress their Kurdish population; free
speech and tolerance of government critiques are in short supply; and,
in reality, the Turkish military holds the keys to power in Ankara.

Lastly, according to the observer of US-Turkish relations, "It seems
to me that the government in Ankara, Turkey, is always working on
propaganda, on slogans. Trying too hard. If you visit Turkey, you’ll
notice everywhere you go that there is a picture of Turkey’s founder
Attaturk. It reminds me sort of like Soviet times where you’d see a
picture of Lenin everywhere. The Turks spend too much time worrying
about petty resolutions like those recognizing the Armenian Genocide."

John Stanton is a Virginia based writer specializing in political
and national security matters. Reach him at [email protected].

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MANIFESTATIONS OF INTOLERANCE

A1+
[02:34 pm] 06 April, 2007

The "United Javakhq" Democratic Union has spread the following
announcement on Misha Kiraksoyan’s assassination;

"United Javakhq" expresses its deep indignation at the impertinent
and vandal assassination of Misha Kirakosyan on Atsghur-Akhaltskha
highway on April 2.

The administration headed by President Saakashvili, that came to
power under the guise of establishing democracy in 2004, has created
an atmosphere of political intolerance throughout the whole country.

The above-mentioned intolerance is namely perceived in apparent
violations of national and civil rights and manifestations of vandal
encroachments by the police.

The Union draws the public attention to the fact that the April 2
murder of Misha Kirakosyan cannot be viewed as a tragic coincidence.

The on-going murders of Armenians in the territory of Georgia have
turned into a "tradition." They tend to suppress the will power of
the Javakhq Armenians.

The Union urges the Javakhq residents to display political and civil
vigilance and not to be subject to moral and psychological pressure
of the Georgian authorities.

We must unite under the imperative of protecting our rights and dignity
in Javakh to keep Misha Kirakosyan’s memory bright in our minds.

The Union condemns the recurrent murder of an Armenian resident in
the territory of Georgia; Misha has become an innocent victim of
anti-Armenian intolerance. We call for drastic measures to punish
the criminal.

The Union urges the international community to keep an eye on the trial
and legal procedure taking into consideration the mild verdicts of the
previous trials," the announcement reads. To note, the announcement
was spread via Javakhq Info Agency.

ISRAEL HAKOBKOKHYAN FINDS HIMSELF LEARNED

A1+
[03:27 pm] 06 April, 2007

World Box Champion Israel Hakobkokhyan doesn’t have great expectations
from the upcoming parliamentary elections. To remind, he runs for
the parliament under the majority system.

In reply to A1+’s question why he runs for the elections if he doesn’t
have great expectations, Mr. Hakobkokhyan said, "I am sick and tired
of hearing constant lies and false stories which are presented as
favorable speeches for the whole nation. This is the main reason for
my participation. Provided I am elected I shall make our officialdom
understand that they don’t care for the country through fabricated
stories."

Israel Hakobkokhyan finds himself a literate person.

"I am not that educated as other candidates might be.

I haven’t graduated from 1000 institutes, but I am learned as I
have led an interesting and meaningful life. There were numerous
geniuses who weren’t educated but made history due to their prudence
and intelligence. I advise all educated people to get life lessons
first and then start drafting laws."

Mr. Hakobkokhyan claims he has got no sponsors among the RA parties. He
gives his preference to the Heritage Party. "I greatly respect Raffi
Hovannisian, leader of the Heritage and share his ideas. He is an
inborn Armenian."

Asked whether he is content with President Kocharyan he said, "If I
were satisfied, I wouldn’t put forward my candidature. But I must be
content as no matter who rules the country I am ready to serve him
as he presents the interests of the whole country."

To note, Israel Hakobkokhyan promises to return A1+ to air provided
he comes to power.

ONE CAPTIVE SOLDIER MORE TRIED IN AZERBAIJAN

Arminfo
2007-04-06 13:46:00

One former captive soldier more is tired in Azerbaijan.

As the "Trend" reports, the investigation on a criminal case of the
soldier Viusal Garajayev has been completed. Presently, the accused
and his attorney are getting acquainted with the case materials. These
materials will be shortly submitted to the Military court on grave
crimes. V. Garajayev has been brought before the court per Articles
274 (high treason) and 338.1 (violation of the military duty rules )
of the Criminal Code. V. Garajayev had been taken prisoner on December
7 in the territory of Aghdam and was released on December 23. This is
not the first case when the Azerbaijani authorities try the captive
soldiers. As a rule, they are sentenced to a long-term of imprisonment,
charged of a high treason.

MAVERICK INVESTOR BETS AGAIN ON DETROIT
by Brian O’Connor

DetNews.com, MI
April 6 2007

Back in 1999, billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian told a newspaper
reporter about growing up as the son of Armenian emigrants.

"Our first language, although we were born here, was Armenian," he
said. "We didn’t learn the English language until we hit the streets."

Evidently, he never learned the word for "quit."

Almost exactly 12 years ago, Kirk Kerkorian used the New York Auto
Show to announce his intention to take over Chrysler. Since then,
the maverick billionaire has remained a near-constant thorn in the
auto industry’s side, back now in his third attempt to buy or control
a major automaker.

After his failed bid for Chrysler in 1995, he forced cash and
concessions out of the company, launched a years-long suit over the
merger of "equals" with Daimler-Benz, then made an abortive run at
controlling General Motors Corp. last summer.

Along the way he’s battled and sided with the same few auto executives
— often at the same time. His quest for cars would make him appear
less like the heroic "Captain Kirk" nickname Wall Street gave him,
and more like Captain Ahab.

Or maybe Captain Queeg.

Instead, he’s a smart, patient businessman. Once he focuses on an
industry or a company, he’ll come back again and again, whenever he
senses that the time — and the money — is right.

Taking another at-bat

Kerkorian’s bid Thursday for Chrysler should come as no surprise.

Alex Yemenidjian, Kerkorian’s point man during his first run at
Chrysler, predicted as much when Kerkorian’s $55-per-share bid was
withdrawn in June 1995: "We’re in it for the long haul," Yemenidjian
told a reporter. "We’re not going away, this is just the second inning
of a nine-inning game."

The first time Kerkorian took a swing at Chrysler, his interest in
an auto company came as a surprise, but it actually came just as
naturally as everything else in his portfolio: a history of accidents
leading to big bets that seem brash at best, foolhardy at worst.

These deals also reflect Kerkorian’s thirst to take big risks on even
bigger deals.

According to a lengthy and rare 1999 interview that Kerkorian gave
to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, he made his first money with
airplanes, after a promising career as a welterweight boxer —
"Rifle Right Kerkorian" — turned into a job installing furnaces in
1939. His boss, an amateur pilot, got the 22-year-old into a plane,
and Kerkorian was hooked.

Kerkorian worked his way through a combination dairy farm/flight
school, then ferried planes from Montreal to Scotland for the Royal
Air Force during World War II.

The missions were near-suicide — three of every four flights crashed,
either in the snows of Iceland and Greenland or the icy waters of
the North Atlantic. But they paid $1,000. Kerkorian made 33 of them,
taking the route that was the most dangerous — but the fastest.

He returned to L.A. after the war, started a flight school and charter
company, where he started flying Angelenos to the emerging gambling
mecca of Las Vegas. He bought a small charter line, grew the business
and had an ironic first whiff of the car business when Studebaker
Corp. purchased the airline in 1962.

Kerkorian bought the airline back, then took it public in 1965,
eventually selling it for $85 million worth of TransAmerica stock
in 1968.

Likewise, a small bit of land speculation led to his Vegas casino
empire. And similarly, he wound up in and out of the business, taking
his International Leisure company public, and building the world’s
biggest hotel — twice.

His purchases of the MGM movie studio similarly launched a wave of
purchases and attempted purchases of everything from United Artists
to Disney. At last count, he’s owned the MGM studio three times.

Along the way, he kept up his airline interest, first making a bid
for defunct Pan American Airways, then launching the short-lived
luxury airline MGM Airways in 1992.

Not going away anytime soon

It was in 1989 that Kerkorian’s airline roots brought Chrysler to
his attention, when he tried to convince then-Chrysler Chairman Lee
Iacocca to sell the Gulfstream Aerospace division, maker of sleek
corporate jets.

He didn’t get the plane maker, but Kerkorian did invest $272 million
in Chrysler stock. He upped that bid years later, after trying to
keep his friend Iacocca from being ousted from the carmaker, then
launched a bid with the same buddy to buy the company outright in 1995.

It didn’t work, but it did set the wheels in motion for the now-failing
merger with Daimler-Benz. It got Kerkorian hooked not only on the
auto business, but also with advisers such as Jerry York, the CFO of
Chrysler during Kerkorian’s first pass at the company.

York became Kerkorian’s point man in his acquisition of 10 percent of
GM stock, then in his efforts to hasten reforms at GM and engineer a
merger with Nissan-Renault. When GM’s board rejected the notion last
year and Kerkorian dumped his GM stock, Detroit thought it had seen
the last of the man often derided as a troublemaker and green mailer.

"He’s relentless," said Peter DeLorenzo, publisher of the popular
automotive Web log Autoextremist.com. "I really believe it’s all
about the game to him. He has all the money anyone could ever want
but I just feel that he has to be part of the action."

Now Kerkorian’s back to swing at Motown a third time, and the
action-craving octogenarian looks to have a lot of innings left in him.

One thing’s for sure: If he doesn’t hit a homer this time around,
he’s sure to be back.

Kirk Kerkorian

Age: 89

Title: Owner of Beverly Hills, Calif.-based Tracinda Corp., which
holds a majority stake in the casino and hotel operator MGM Mirage
Inc. Tracinda was the largest shareholder in Chrysler Corp. when the
automaker merged with Daimler-Benz AG in 1998.

Net worth: An estimated $15 billion. Forbes magazines ranked Kerkorian
No. 31 on its billionaires list last month.

Education: Barnes Air Academy, commercial pilot’s license

Career: Officer of MGM studios beginning in 1973; airline owner and
operator, 1947-69; British Royal Air Force Transport Command, 1942-44

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LOCAL AUTHOR PRESENTS ‘A GIFT IN THE SUNLIGHT: AN ARMENIAN STORY’

Valley Sun, CA
April 6 2007

Local author Kay Mouradian will discuss her novel, "A Gift in The
Sunlight: An Armenian Story" at 7 p.m. April 11 in the Donald R. Wright
Auditorium at Pasadena Central Library.

"A Gift in the Sunlight" is inspired by a true story that took place
during the Armenian Genocide nearly 100 years ago.

A young Armenian girl, Flora, and her family are deported from their
homeland in Turkey during World War I. Flora and family are among
two million Armenians forced to walk hundreds of miles through the
barren deserts of Syria. The march becomes a death sentence for more
than a million of them.

Mouradian wrote her first novel after her mother’s recovery from
serous illness prompted her to examine her ancestral past. Mouradian
visited the village in Turkey where her mother’s family along with
20,000 other Armenians was forced to leave their homes. Traveling
across the same deportation route to the deserts of Syria where more
than a million perished in the Armenian Genocide, she became acutely
aware of the suffering of her mother’s generation.

Books will be available for sale and signing immediately following
the author’s presentation. The program is free. For more information,
including parking, call (626) 744-4066, Option 7.

DON’T LEAVE THE CONSTITUENCIES!

A1+
[03:56 pm] 06 April, 2007

"Serge Sargsyan’s policy will greatly differ from that of Robert
Kocharyan," Aram Sargsyan, leader of the Democratic Party of Armenia
announced today at the Pastark Club. Mr. Sargsyan finds Serge
Sargsyan’s appointment in the Prime Minister’s post quite logical.

"The assault on the Mayor of Gyumri is a vivid illustration of
permissiveness," the leader of the Democratic Party claims.

"An atmosphere of permissiveness reigns in Armenia which allows the
acting authorities to settle their matters with public via pressure and
fear. The RA high-ranking officials must search for bandit groupings
that aren’t ordinary killers and are financed by concrete people,"
Aram Sargsyan says.

The Democratic Party of Armenia urges the CoE, the CIC countries and
the local organizations, conducting observers’ missions in Armenia,
to stay in the constituencies from the opening till ballot counting
and protocol making to secure free, fair and transparent elections
in Armenia.

Reminder; the Democratic Party of Armenia will run for the
parliamentary elections under the motto; "Let’s build fair Armenia!"

ROW WITH FRANCE PROMPTS TURKS TO HALT GAS PIPELINE TALKS
Orhan Coskun In Ankara

Scotsman, UK
April 5 2007

TURKEY has suspended talks with Gaz de France over a pipeline that
would bring Caspian gas to Europe, in protest at a French bill on
the mass killings of Armenians during Ottoman rule, Turkish energy
officials said yesterday.

Nabucco is a 4.6 billion project to transport natural gas from Turkey
to Austria, passing through Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary. The planned
pipeline – backed by the European Union and the United States – would
reduce Europe’s dependency on Russian gas, but has hit several hurdles.

France angered Ankara last year when its national assembly passed a
bill making it a crime to deny that mass killings of Armenians during
the First World War amounted to genocide.

Turkey denies claims that Ottoman Turks killed 1.5 million Armenians
during the First World War.

A senior Turkish energy ministry spokesman, who declined to be named,
said: "We will suspend partnership [with] Gaz de France until the
French presidential elections. We will decide according to policies
to be followed after the elections."

Jean-Baptiste Mattei, a spokesman for the French foreign ministry,
said no confirmation of the move had been recieved.

The four other countries involved in the project, Bulgaria, Romania,
Austria and Hungary, have already approved partnership with Gaz de
France in the project, which will transmit Caspian and Iranian gas
to Western Europe.

An EU diplomat in Ankara said the suspension may also be an attempt
by Turkey to warn the US about potential damages to bilateral ties if
a similar Armenian genocide bill, which is currently being discussed
in the US Congress, was approved.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

DRIVER’S CONDITION BETTERS

A1+
[04:12 pm] 06 April, 2007

The state of Varazdat Ghukasyan, driver of the Gyumri Mayor, gradually
betters, Suren Makaryan, head of the Reanimation Department of Armenia
medical center informed A1+ today.

Reminder; on April 2 an armed assault was made on the Mayor of Gyumri
Vardan Ghoukasyan as a result of which the driver Varazdat Ghukasyan
was wounded in the head.

Up to the present day, doctors have found his state grave. They had
little hope for his recovery. "Judging by all parameters I can assure
that Varazdat Ghoukasyan is getting better," Mr. Makaryan says.