Month: May 2008

CHRISTIAN PARTIES MAY REALIGN AHEAD OF 2009 VOTE
Mona Alami

The Daily Star, Lebanon
May 1 2008

Murr’s rift with Aoun could usher in power shift in upcoming
parliamentary elections

BEIRUT: The ongoing political crisis gripping Lebanon has chipped away
at what has been viewed by most since the 2005 parliamentary elections
as an unlikely alignment of two political heavyweights. The recent
falling out between Michel Aoun, head of the Christian Free Patriotic
Movement (FPM) and Michel Murr, the Greek Orthodox former vice Prime
Minister, heralds a change that will undoubtedly affect the 2009
electoral landscape in the predominantly Christian region of the Metn.

Inexplicable alliances have long been a tradition of Lebanese politics,
defined by short-sighted tactical partnerships rooted in the intense
rivalry of opposing parties, communities and political families. Such
alliances have played a key role in the struggle for power among the
various Christian factions.

The Christian Phalange Party and the Lebanese Forces – led by former
President Amine Gemayel and Samir Geagea respectively – joined forces
in the 2005 elections with the largely Sunni Future Movement (headed
by Saad Hariri, son of slain former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri)
and the Progressive Socialist Party headed by Druze leader Walid
Jumblatt. To strengthen their position at the ballot box, these four
parties, along with other smaller factions, joined forces with two
political heavyweights, the predominantly Shiite groups Hizbullah
(headed by Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah) and Amal (headed by Parliament
Speaker Nabih Berri). The coalition, known as the Quadripartite
alliance, ran on the same electoral list during the 2005 vote, and
triumphed at the polls. The alliance later unravelled.

What now remains of the electoral coalition is a loose alliance diverse
parties known as the March 14 Movement. The March 14 alliance currently
holds a majority in Parliament, with 67 out 128 seats.

After resigning from the government in November of 2006, Hizbullah
and Amal joined the opposition, which includes the FPM. Since the
ministers’ resignation, the two sides have failed to reach a compromise
on the balance of power in government. The power struggle intensified
in November of 2007, when President Emile Lahoud stepped down at the
end of his term. The presidential seat, traditionally occupied by a
Maronite Christian, has remained empty since then.

In fact, the postponement of presidential elections 19 times thus
far has incited Murr to warn Christian MPs who abstained from voting
that they might not be re-elected. "Christians should not be lied to;
under the false pretence of defending the rights of their community,
presidential elections are being blocked," he said.

"Murr believes presidential elections should take place as soon as
possible, while the FPM links elections to a basket of measures, such
as agreement on the future cabinet composition and the replacement
of the inequitable 2001 parliamentary law," said Armenian MP Hagop
Pakradounian.

So, what does the growing rift between Murr and Aoun over the
appointment of a president mean for the 2009 elections? The battle
for power in the Metn pits the Phalange party and LF against the FPM,
which is joined by a few independents, including Murr. The impact of
Murr’s defection from the opposition can be measured by his political
weight in the area, which affects the outcome of eight parliamentary
seats: four Maronite positions, two Greek Orthodox, one Catholic and
one Armenian.

Research shows that participation of voters has been customarily low
in the area, as is the case with the rest of the country. According
to statistician Kamal Feghali, 51.2 percent of registered voters
participated in the 2005 elections, in which Murr gained 20,000
votes. In the 2007 by-elections (prompted by the assassination of
Phalange MP Pierre Gemayel), 47.2 percent of voters participated,
with 15,600 votes for Murr.

"There are currently four independent members of Parliament, of
which three are allied with the FPM – Pakradounian, Selim Salhab
and Ghassan Moukheiber – while the fourth is Michel Murr. Four other
seats are occupied by FPM deputies," explained Alain Aoun from the
opposition FPM.

According to Alain Aoun, Murr’s new position will be restricted to
the Metn and will not affect national elections. "It is too early
to measure the exact repercussions of this new realignment on the
political landscape. The disagreement between Mr. Murr and the FPM
might dissipate before the 2009 elections, as long as the political
discourse remains toned down," he pointed out, adding that the
political context in 2009 will ultimately define the outcome of the
next parliamentary elections.

Another factor that could disrupt the balance of power in the Metn is
the Armenian vote. "Armenian voters represent some 12,000 votes in the
Metn, of which our party, Tashnag, traditionally garners 80 percent,"
explained Pakradounian.

"Murr’s recent change of heart does guarantee his realignment with the
majority," said Pakradounian. "I think his main objective is to exert
enough pressure to resolve the deadlock and accelerate presidential
elections. My belief is that he is still trying to find a common
denominator between the opposition and majority.

"We maintain excellent relations with both Gen. Aoun and President
Murr, who are our allies, and their disagreement may be short-lived,"
he added.

While Tashnag’s alliance with Michel Murr is more than 44 years old,
Pakradounian said that General Aoun has also frequently proven his
loyalty to the Armenian party by refusing to participate in the
cabinet in the absence of the Tashnag. – with The Daily Star

MEMBER OF EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT CONDEMNS ARMENIA’S AGGRESSIVE POLICY

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
May 1 2008

Azerbaijan, Baku, 1 April / Trend News corr S. Ilhamgizi/ On 30 April,
the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov met with Adrian
Severin, the Romanian member of the European Parliament, Azerbaijani
Foreign Ministry reported.

The European MP noted the importance of Azerbaijan’s special position
in the European Neighbouring Policy to establish strategic cooperation
between the organization and the country and said that Azerbaijan
has the potential. He added that not only is the oil and gas policy
of Azerbaijan important for the European Union, but its geopolitical
situation as well, dynamic development of economy and the contribution
which Azerbaijan can make in cooperating between EU and Middle Asia.

Mammadyarov informed Severin that the first report on the fulfilment
of Azerbaijan’s Action Plan on EU Neighbouring Policy had already
been developed and that integration with Europe resulted in progress
in a range of fields in the country. He suggested researching the
opportunities to establish the GUAM Friendship Group at the European
Parliament.

Regarding the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, Mammadyarov and Severin
condemned the occupation of Azerbaijan’s territory and said ethnic
cleansing carried out by Armenia on the principle of ‘determination
of its future’ are intolerable.

The Romanian representative said not national minorities but nations
may ‘determine its future’ and the Armenians have already determined
themselves within Armenia.

They noted the necessity to improve the knowledge about Azerbaijan
at the European Parliament, to organize visits of MPs to Azerbaijan
and also discussed lobby activities.

ARMENIA ON SHAKY GROUND WITH NUCLEAR PLANT: EU

Russia Today, Russia
May 1 2008

Armenia is facing a power crisis as it is due to replace its only
nuclear power station by 2016. Metsamor nuclear plant is vital to
the country’s power needs. EU officials, though, consider it not
only obsolete, but also dangerous due to its location in an active
earthquake zone.

Built in 1979, the plant provides more than 40 per cent of Armenia’s
electricity. But, situated as it is in a highly active earthquake zone,
some say the it casts an ominous shadow over the fertile Ararat valley.

Following a devastating earthquake in 1988, the plant was closed,
but a massive energy shortage in the 1990s saw Metsamor re-opened in
1995. Ever since then, Armenian environmentalists have hoped to see
it decommissioned for good.

"The Armenian nuclear plant is located at the intersection of several
major fault lines. According to some data, the main fault is just 500
metres away from the reactor. This is extremely dangerous and totally
goes against all the norms of nuclear power plant construction,"
environmentalist campaigner Hakob Sanasaryan explained.

The European Union is also deeply opposed to the continued operation
of the plant. Not only do EU officials consider all nuclear reactors
of this vintage to be obsolete and dangerous, but they also say
that any nuclear facility in such an active earthquake zone is an
unnecessary risk.

Armenian officials brush off these concerns. They point out that, not
only does the plant have certification from the IAEA, but that much
has been done to improve safety since it was built in the late 1970s.

Gagik Markosyan, General Director of Metsamor, says that even in 1988,
at the time of the Spital earthquake, the nuclear power plant continued
to work well.

The current reactor at Metsamor will finally come to the end of its
life in 2016. Though the EU has offered Armenia 200 million euros to
look for alternative sources of energy, the country has no natural
resources of its own.

Experts say that in a world of rising fuel costs nuclear energy is
the only way Armenia can meet its power needs.

The country’s energy ministry is now looking for foreign companies
to assist them with the construction of the new plant. They insist
the new station will satisfy both Armenia’s demand for electricity
and the safety concerns of sceptics at home and abroad.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

UZEIR JAFAROV: "THE ARMENIAN MINISTRY OF DEFENSE HAS ALREADY SET INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING THE NEED TO CAPTURE AZERBAIJANI SOLDIERS"

Today.Az, Azerbaijan
.html
May 1 2008

Day.Az interview with famous military expert Uzeir Jafarov.

-How would you comment on the neutralization of special forces of
Armenian armed troops attempting to commit diversion in Azerbaijan?

-After Azerbaijani army serviceman Vusal Eybatov was captured by
Armenians, a serious conversation occurred in the Defense Ministry
of Azerbaijan. Resentment was expressed by the fact that Azerbaijan
servicemen are captured by Armenians and over the unsatisfactory work
for capturing Armenian servicemen.

In the result, instructions were set to increase vigilance along
the front line and our intelligence has started to explore trends,
perspective for the occupation of the enemy’s servicemen.

I think, this resulted in the capture of Armenian servicemen.

-You speak about Armenian servicemen. Do you doubt that captured
Armenians are members of special forces?

-I would not state that they are the members of special forces,
as they did not have any guns with them, which makes diversion
impossible. Though, anyway, I consider that our due structures should
conduct comprehensive work to reveal causes of Armenians’ capture.

-Practice shows that within several days after Armenians are captured
by Azerbaijanis, the enemy capture our compatriots, who are sometimes
servicemen and sometimes civilians. Does it mean that Armenians will
soon try to capture out citizens?

-Thank you for a timely question. As far as we know, the Armenian
Defense Ministry and the "Forces of Self-Defense" of unrecognized
Nagorno Karabakh have already set instructions regarding the need to
capture Azerbaijani soldiers, who could be returned in exchange to
4 captured Armenians.

Moreover, as far as I know, Armenians have already made an attempt
to enter our territory in Aghdere and Fizuli but failed. But I am
sure that they will repeat the attempt in the future.

Naturally, this will lead to the raised tensions in the front line.

-Can it grow into full military actions between Azerbaijani and
Armenian armed forces?

-I rule out any possibility of such developments. Azerbaijan is
preparing for presidential elections and there is no need for our
country to focus on the attempt of the forced way of the settlement
of Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

As for Armenia, the next provocation on the front line does not meet
its interests. We have seen the end of the previous provocation by
Armenia, whose leadership tried to distract attention of the world
society from great problems within Armenia, which became the property
of the world society following the scandalous and bloody presidential
elections in this country.

Moreover, as is known, several senior generals of Armenia have resigned
recently. These people, who were important for the Armenian armed
forces, could have intention to revenge due to this decision. In such
complex conditions inside Armenia, I do not think that the leadership
of this country will be so unwise to initiate large scale hostilities
between the Azerbaijani and Armenian armed forces.

ROMANIAN REPRESENTATIVE IN EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: "ARMENIAN PEOPLE ARE SELF-DETERMINED WITHIN ARMENIA"

Today.Az, Azerbaijan
.html
May 1 2008

Foreign minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov met with Romanian
member of the European Parliament Adrian Severin on Wednesday.

The press-service for the foreign ministry told APA that the guest
said Azerbaijan was not only oil and gas producer, it was an important
country for the European Union for its geopolitical location, dynamic
economic development and as a possible contributor for the EU-Central
Asian cooperation.

Mammadyarov has agreed with that and said first report on Azerbaijan
fulfilling the Action Plan for European Neighborhood Policy has been
already prepared and integration process into Europe caused positive
progress in a number of fields in the country.

He urged to research opportunities for the establishing of GUAM
friendship group in the European parliament.

Then the sides exchanged views on the Nagorno Karabakh problem
and condemned occupation of Azerbaijani lands and said that
veiling of Armenian ethnic cleansing policy with the principle of
self-determination was unacceptable.

Romanian parliamentarian said that self-determination principle covered
the peoples, but not the ethnic minorities and Armenian people are
self-determined within Armenia.

The sides stressed need to increase knowledge of members of the
European Parliament about Azerbaijan, to organize their visits to
Azerbaijan and to provide Lobbyist activity.

GIVING VOICE TO THE VOICELESS

Montreal Gazette
May 1 2008
Canada

Oratorio Terezin puts human faces on the holocaust, using a massive
choir to convey the emotions of children who perished in a nazi
concentration camp

And yet with its scriptural subtext, Fazal’s piece attempts to come
to terms with the question of God’s presence in the midst of any
faith-testing horror.

"The work starts off with I Remember," Phare said, referring to an
opening passage from the Book of Jeremiah. "And it’s God’s voice. It’s
about saying ‘I have not forgotten you.’ And that message is for
everybody. There’s tenderness and compassion."

In the end, the oratorio’s larger message is also about education
and remembering the individual, Phare said.

"It’s not just about the Holocaust," she said. "It’s about Darfur. And
it’s about Rwanda. And it’s about the Armenian genocide."

The three young choristers all agreed that they had been deeply
affected by Fazal’s piece. "It really brought a face to suffering in
general," Ayoup said. "It opened my eyes to the world – everything
in the Middle East, the genocides all over."

"I’m Jewish, and it’s given me permission to grieve for the Holocaust,"
Pearson said. "And that is huge. I’ve never connected with the tragedy
on anything more than an intellectual level. This piece has allowed me
to say, ‘I’m allowed to cry about this, to be devastated by this. And
that’s okay.’ "

Oratorio Terezin will be performed Sunday at 3 p.m. at Salle
Wilfrid Pelletier of Place des Arts. Tickets cost $7.82 to
$111.82. Call 514-790-1245 or go to Also see
For a video of choir rehearsals for the work,
go to www.vanier

SMYRNA, 1922: END OF AN ERA

Economist
May 1 2008
UK

WHEN Smyrna–modern Izmir–fell to the Turkish army in 1922, and
much of it was destroyed by fire, the city’s role as a bastion of
Greek and Christian culture, going back nearly 2,000 years, came to
an abrupt end. Before that, the port had been home to a diverse and
cosmopolitan population; by the standards of the region, it was a
beacon of tolerance and prosperity.

In addition to the Greeks, Armenians, Jews and Turks, there were also
Americans and Britons and what Giles Milton calls the "Levantines",
rich families of European descent, who spoke half a dozen languages and
occupied vast villas. Their dynasties dominated the trade and industry
of the region. Some (like the Whittalls) retained British nationality
over generations of Ottoman life, and it is their English-language
diaries, letters and documents that provide Mr Milton with his best
material. Although this slant is unrepresentatively British and
privileged–lots of parties and picnics–it allows the author to be
fair towards the Greeks and the Turks, who still blame one another
entirely for the disaster.

The city’s destruction–still known in Greece as "the catastrophe"–had
its roots in the first world war and the effort by the great powers
to grab pieces of the disintegrating Ottoman empire.

Britain, America and France backed Greece’s charismatic leader,
Eleftherios Venizelos, in his pursuit of the megali idea ("great
idea"), the dream of creating a greater Greece by occupying Smyrna
and swathes of Anatolia. Having licensed a war by proxy, the allies
in varying degrees turned cool on it. They looked on passively as
Mustafa Kemal (later Ataturk, republican Turkey’s founder) and his
troops routed the Greeks from Anatolia and reoccupied Smyrna, bent
on revenge for Greek atrocities in the city and further east.

The port was ransacked and looted for days. Women were raped and
mutilated, children were beheaded and more than 100,000 people
killed. Meanwhile, 21 allied warships sat in the harbour. Hundreds
of thousands of refugees were trapped on the city’s quayside, yet
officers on the ships still dressed for dinner and ordered louder
music to drown out the screams. "Paradise Lost" is a timely reminder
of the appalling cost of expansionist political ambitions; it tells
a fascinating story with clarity and insight.

APPEASEMENT NOT LEARNED
Jeff Leieritz

Daily Aztec, CA
May 1 2008

Genocide should be a clear-cut issue. Genocide is defined by Encarta
as: "the systematic killing of all the people from a national, ethnic,
or religious group, or an attempt to do this." It seems pretty obvious
that this is something that should not be condoned, right?

Not always.

>From 1915 to 1923 the Ottoman Empire murdered 1.5 million Armenians
and forced another 500,000 from their homes, virtually eliminating
the Armenian population in what is now Turkey. The genocide was
recognized by France, Switzerland, Sweden, Germany and Russia, but
the United States has essentially no comment.

Last year, House Resolution 106 was introduced to acknowledge the
genocide of Armenians. The bill was passed by the Foreign Affairs
Committee to the floor of the House but was never voted by the full
House of Representatives.

Turkey is an important strategic ally in the war in Iraq. Fearing
a strain in relations with Turkey, President George W. Bush made it
clear that his administration does not support the resolution. Both
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Defense Robert
Gates urged members of Congress to vote against the bill.

Not recognizing the slaughter of 1.5 million people is
ridiculous. During World War II when Hitler first began his mass
murdering, the world took a similar stance. The name given to
our initial ignorance of the Holocaust was appeasement. Neville
Chamberlain, former prime minister of Great Britain, was a proponent
of the attitude that allowed Hitler to forcibly annex Austria and
part of Czechoslovakia without opposition. Chamberlain believed that
conceding seemingly small things to Hitler would quench his thirst
for power. This obviously proved untrue. While the first concentration
camps opened in 1933, war was not declared on Germany until it invaded
Poland in 1939. Politics were placed in front of morally correct
action, resulting in the slaughter of millions of innocent people.

While the genocide of the Armenians happened nearly a century ago,
is it not another form of appeasement to act as if it did not happen
for the sake of current political gain? It is. While it will not save
lives, it is still imperative that we acknowledge the past actions
of Turkey. Congressman Ed Royce, a member of the Foreign Affairs
Committee, expressed this sentiment exactly: "To the critics who say
that we should not dwell on history, I say it’s much harder to get
tomorrow right if we get yesterday wrong."

Genocide remains a very real issue today. In my lifetime, there has
been genocide in Africa, Iraq and Eastern Europe. If we are to fight
against genocide today or hope to eradicate it from the future, it’s
essential that we recognize when and why it has happened in the past.

We cannot hope for an end to ethnic violence if we refuse to
recognize or condemn it. We must acknowledge shortcomings of the
past so that they do not occur in the future. Edmund Burke said
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do
nothing." If we refuse to recognize and oppose the evil of genocide,
we are cooperating with it.

-Jeff Leieritz is a political science and business management junior
and a contributing columnist.

-This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Daily
Aztec. Send e-mail to [email protected]. Anonymous letters
will not be printed – include your full name, major and year in school.

GANIRA PASHAYEVA: "AZERBAIJANI DIASPORA SHOULD TAKE STEPS TO PREVENT ARMENIANS’ EVENTS ENTITLED "20TH ANNIVERSARY OF LIBERATION OF ARTSAKH"

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 1 2008

Baku. Mahbuba Gasimbayli -APA. "20th anniversary of liberation of
Artsakh" will be held in Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los-Angeles on
May 2. Armenian Cultural Fund will organize it. Cinema festival on
the liberation of Shusha will be organized by Armenians on May 9.

MP Ganira Pashayeva told APA that other festivals, events on the
occupation of Azerbaijani lands by Armenians will be held. To her,
Elin Suleymanov, Azerbaijani Consul General to Los-Angeles has
started taking a number of measures in this regard. He appealed
to leadership of Theatre and noted that Armenians’ action was of
diversion character. The letter says that Nagorno Karabakh is an
integral part of Azerbaijan and Armenians have occupied it.

"After measures taken by Elin Suleymanov, Armenians began to hold
protest actions", she said. Pashayeva added that Armenians would not
hold events only in Los-Angels, but in other countries of the world.

"Azerbaijani Diaspora should take adequate steps on the prevention
of such events. We should appeal to official bodies of cities to
prevent such events. On the other hand, Azerbaijani Diaspora should
hold protest action and deliver realities in the cities, where such
events are held", she said.

ARMENIAN COMMEMORATION AT BINGHAMTON SOUTHSIDE PARK
Ed Arzouian

Press & Sun-Bulletin, NY
May 1 2008

On Sunday, April 27, 2008 St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church
of Binghamton along with the Armenian Community of Broome County
commemorated the 93nd Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

Pictured is the Southside monument to the those 1,500,000 Armenians who
died in the Genocide from 1915-1923 at the hands of the Ottoman Turks..

Statements were read from: US Senator Hillary Clinton, NYS Senator
Thomas Libous, Congressmen Maurice Hinchey & Arcuri. Present were:
Kevin McCabe, representative from NY Governor David Paterson to read a
resolution, Bob Messinger as representative of US Congressman Michael
Arcuri, Broome County Executive Barbara Fiala, and City of Binghamton
Mayor Matt Ryan.