ASBAREZ Online [08-04-2006]

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08/04/2006
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WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://WWW.ASBAREZ. COM 1. ARS Central Executive Issues Urgent Appeal on Lebanon Crisis 2. ANC Leaders Meet with Reps. Watson, Doolittle 3. Aram I Receives St. John's University Award 4. Human Rights Watch Accuses Israel of War Crimes 5. Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry's "Walk of Life" Draws 500 1. ARS Central Executive Issues Urgent Appeal on Lebanon Crisis WATERTOWN--The Armenian Relief Society Inc. Central Executive issued an urgent appeal to Armenians around the world regarding the worsening humanitarian situation in Lebanon. Below is the text of the appeal. Urgent Need for Food and Medicine in Lebanon Since our July 20 appeal, the ruthless violence victimizing the people and cities of Lebanon continues with renewed impetus, in full view of the world community, creating an extremely precarious situation for the traumatized communities of the beleaguered country. Already, one full quarter of Lebanon's entire population has been turned into a mass of homeless refugees, in need of immediate humanitarian assistance. Faced with deteriorating conditions, in order to meet the multiplying needs of the people, an interdenominational Board of Assistance was formed in Beirut, headquartered in the offices of the Armenian Relief Cross of Lebanon. In view of the depletion of the country's indispensable provisionsparticularly those of food and medicinethe ARS Central Executive Board has already sent $20,000 to the Board of Assistance, to help cover the purchase of immediate needs. Now, we appeal to all our communities, around the world, to extend a helping hand to our brothers and sisters, the elderly and the children who find themselves on the verge of total disaster, facing an uncertain future, in a hostile environment. Fellow Armenians, since our first Appeal, the hundreds of displaced persons who had taken refuge in the Armenian school buildings and athletic fields of Bourdj Hammoud, today can be counted in the tens of thousands, creating a critical situation, getting worse by the hour. In response to this heightening tragedy, we ask you to rush your generous contributions to the offices of your local ARS office, with checks made out to ARS Lebanese Relief. 2. ANC Leaders Meet with Reps. Watson, Doolittle GLENDALELeaders of local Armenian National Committee chapters this week met with representatives Diane Watson (D-33) and John Doolittle (R-4) to discuss pertinent issues of interest to the Armenian-American community. A Hollywood ANC delegation led by its chairman Garo Ispenjian met with Rep. Diane Watson this week in her Los Angeles district office to discuss issues of concern to the local Armenian American community. During the meeting, the ANCA-WR expressed appreciation for the Congresswoman's record of support for Armenian American issues. Numerous topics were discussed including Armenian Genocide legislation, the railway projects in the Caucasus, Armenia's growing economy, and the recall of US Ambassador to Armenia, John Marshall Evans. Ispendjian, who is also a constituent of Rep. Watson, briefed the Congresswoman about the firing of Ambassador Evans and the delay of Ambassador-designate Richard Hoagland's confirmation as ambassador to Armenia. Congresswoman Watson agreed to join her colleagues in writing a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, asking the State Department to respond to a series of questions, including specific inquiries about reports that Ambassador Evans had been recalled due to accurately describing the Armenian Genocide as a genocide. "Congresswoman Diane Watson has always been a strong supporter of the Armenian American community. She is always ready to listen to the concerns of the community, understand the issues, and properly represent her constituents in Congress," said Ispendjian. Since taking office in 2002, Rep. Watson has been a member of the Armenian Caucus and has cosponsored numerous resolutions in favor of Armenian Genocide recognition, economic support of Armenia through trade, and ending Turkey's blockade of Armenia. Three of the most recent pieces of legislation that she has supported are the Armenian Genocide resolutions, H.Res. 316 and H.Con.Res. 195, and South Caucasus Integration and Open Railroads Act, H.R. 3361. ANC of Sacramento representatives Ohannes and Silva Boghossian met with Rep. John Doolittle in his Santa Barbara district office earlier this week while the Congressman was in town during the Congressional August Recess. During their meeting, the Boghossians thanked Congressman Doolittle for his support of Armenian American issues, most notably for his co-sponsorship of H. Res. 316, a resolution which calls upon the President to ensure that the foreign of the United States reflects understanding and sensitivity of issues such as the Armenian Genocide. Numerous issues of concern to the Armenian American community were discussed. Boghossian asked Representative Doolittle to urge House Speaker Dennis Hastert to bring the Armenian Genocide resolutions to a House floor vote, which he has thus far failed to do. The Congressman expressed his commitment on this issue and pledged to actively support the self-determination of Nagorno-Karabakh and expressed concern over Turkey's blockade of Armenia. "The Armenian American community is grateful for Congressman Doolittle's support," said Boghossian. "We look forward to the Congressman's leadership in advancing our issues on Capitol Hill." Congressman John Doolittle represents California's 4th district, where a large number of Armenians reside. The district stretches from the eastern Sacramento Region to Lake Tahoe on the south and runs up the Sierra Nevada range to the high desert of Modoc County on the Oregon border. He serves on the House Appropriations Committee and is a native of Glendale. The ANCA is the largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the United States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA actively advances the concerns of the Armenian-American community on a broad range of issues. 3. Aram I Receives St. John's University Award ANTELLIAS, LebanonHis Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia received the 2006 Pax Christi Award from St. John's University, Minnesota, said the Catholicosate. In a letter addressed to Aram I, Dr. Dietrich Reinhart, president of St. John's, praised the life and ministry of Aram I stating, "Particularly notable is your support for Ecumenical and Inter-religious relations, dialogue and cooperation. Through your prolific writings, public lectures and interventions, and your leadership in the World Council of Churches, you have played a significant role in promoting common values, mutual understanding, and peaceful co-existence among people of faith throughout the world." The Pax Christi Award is the highest honor bestowed by St. John's University. The conferral ceremony will take place on December 6 at a special event at St. John's University. During the recent crisis in Lebanon, Aram I has been an influential figure in coordinating efforts between Muslim and Christian leaders to respond to the needs of the country. 4. Human Rights Watch Accuses Israel of War Crimes BY JIM LOBE WASHINGTONIn systematically failing to distinguish between Hezbollah fighters and civilian population in its three-and-a-half-week-old military campaign in Lebanon, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have committed war crimes, according to a report released by Human Rights Watch Wednesday. The 50-page report, "Fatal Strikes: Israel's Indiscriminate Attacks Against Civilians in Lebanon," detailed nearly two dozen cases of IDF attacks in which a total of 153 civilians, including 63 children, were killed in homes or motor vehicles. In none of the cases did HRW researchers find evidence that there was a significant enough military objective to justify the attack, given the risks to civilian lives, while, in many cases, there was no identifiable military target. In still other cases cited in the report, Israeli forces appear to have deliberately targeted civilians. "By consistently failing to distinguish between combatants and civilians, Israel has violated one of the most fundamental tenets of the laws of war: the duty to carry out attacks on only military targets," according to the report. "The pattern of attacks during the Israeli offensive in Lebanon suggests that the failures cannot be explained or dismissed as mere accidents; the extent of the pattern and the seriousness of the consequences indicate the commission of war crimes," it concluded. The report, which was based on interviews with victims and independent witnesses of attacks, as well as investigation of the sites where the attacks occurred, called for the United States to immediately suspend transfers to Israel of arms, ammunition, and other material credibly alleged to have been used in such attacks until they cease. In addition, it called on United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan to establish a formal commission to investigate the alleged war crimes with a view to holding accountable those responsible for their commission. Such a commission should also investigate Hezbollah's rocket attacks against Israel which have been the subject of previous HRW reports. Since the onset of the latest round of fighting July 12, Hezbollah has launched some 2,000 rockets into predominantly civilian areas in Israel, killing at least 19 Israeli civilians and wounding more than 300 others. Given the inherently indiscriminate nature of the rockets, these attacks also constitute war crimes, according to the New York-based group. The report, whose main conclusions about Israel's failure to discriminate between civilian and military targets echo a statement by Amnesty International two days ago, was issued just hours after HRW released the preliminary results of its investigation of the July 30 Israeli air strike on an apartment building in Qana in southern Lebanon, which was initially reported to have killed 54 people, most of them children, who had taken refuge in the basement. HRW, which took testimony from some of the nine survivors it identified, said that it had confirmed the deaths of 28 people, including 16 children, in the building and that 13 others remained missing and were believed to be buried in the rubble. It said that at least 22 people survived the attack and escaped the basement. One of the survivors, Muhammad Mahmud Shalhub, as well as a Qana villager who helped in the rescue effort, strongly denied initial Israeli claims that any Hezbollah fighters or rocket launchers were present in or around the home when the attack took place.. HRW said its own on-site investigation, which took place July 31, as well as interviews with dozens of international journalists, rescue workers and international observers who visited Qana July 30 and 31, also yielded no evidence of any Hezbollah military presence in or around the building. "The deaths in Qana were the predictable result of Israel's indiscriminate bombing campaign in Lebanon," said Sarah Leah Whitson, director of HRW's Middle East and North Africa Division, who called for international investigation to determine what took place. Israel has insisted that it has tried hard to avoid civilian casualties, although the great majority of the more than 500 Lebanese who have reportedly been killed by Israeli fire have been civilians. Israel has claimed that Hezbollah's alleged practice of shielding its fighters and arms by locating them in civilian homes or areas and firing off missiles in populated areas allegations which HRW said are the subject of ongoing investigations has made civilian casualties unavoidable. But the rights group said its own investigations of specific Israeli attacks, which included interviews with victims and witnesses, on-site visits, as well as corroboration, where available, by accounts by independent journalists and aid workers, had failed to uncover any evidence that Hezbollah was operating in or around the area during or before each attack. "Hezbollah fighters must not hide behind civilians that's an absolute but the image that Israel has promoted of such shielding as the cause of so high a civilian death toll is wrong," according to HRW's executive director, Kenneth Roth. "In the many cases of civilian deaths examined by (us), the location of Hezbollah troops and arms had nothing to do with the deaths because there was no Hezbollah around." He cited a July 13 attack which destroyed the home of a cleric known to be a Hezbollah sympathizer but with no record of having taken part in hostilities. The strike killed the cleric's wife, their ten children, the family;s Sri Lankan maid, as well as the cleric himself, according to the report. In a July 16 attack on a home in Aitaroun, an Israeli aircraft killed 11 members of the al-Akhrass family, including seven Canadian-Lebanese dual nationals who were vacationing in the village at the time. HRW said it interviewed three villagers independently, all of whom denied that the family had any connection to Hezbollah. Among the victims were four children under the age of eight. The report also assailed statements by Israeli officials and IDF commanders that only people associated with Hezbollah remain in southern Lebanon, so all are legitimate targets of attack. Israel has dropped leaflets in the region and even telephoned residents warning them that if they do not flee, they will be subject to attack. But the report stressed that many civilians have been unable to leave because they are sick, wounded, or lack the means, such as money or gasoline, or are providing essential services to the civilian population that remains there. Still others have said they are afraid to leave because the roads have come under attack by Israeli warplanes and artillery. Indeed, the report documents 27 deaths of civilians who were trying to flee the fighting by car and notes that the actual number of killings is "surely higher". In addition, the report cites air strikes against three clearly marked humanitarian aid vehicles. "The pattern of attacks shows the Israeli military's disturbing disregard for the lives of Lebanese civilians," said Roth. "Israeli warnings of imminent attacks do not turn civilians into military targets," he added, noting that, according to the IDF's logic, "Palestinian militant groups might 'warn' Israeli settlers to leave their settlements and then feel justified in attacking those who remained." Amnesty accused Israel of trying to convert southern Lebanon into a "free-fire zone" which it said Monday was "incompatible with international humanitarian law." 5. Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry's "Walk of Life" Draws 500 LOS ANGELESArmenians and non-Armenians alike rallied together on Saturday, July 29 in the First Annual 5k/10k Walk/Run around the Pasadena Rose Bowl to help raise awareness in support of further expanding the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry's critical life-saving mission to recruit more Armenian bone marrow donors. In addition to raising needed funds and awareness through the Walk of Life, 100 new donors signed up. "We are thrilled with the spirit of giving and life expressed through the overwhelming participation in our first annual 'Walk of Life'," said Dr. Freida Jordan, President of the ABMDR based in Los Angeles. "We are also greatly appreciative of all our sponsors and the organizational and individual support that made the first Walk a resounding success and will enhance our ability to fulfill our life-saving mission." Corporate sponsors included Glendale Memorial Hospital, St. Josephs Hospital, Closet World, Next Day Color Printing, Glendale Water and Power, City of Los Angeles and GNC. A key method of treating leukemia patients or people with other life-threatening blood diseases is through bone marrow/stem cell transplants. In order to treat Armenian patients, bone marrow transplants require compatible tissue types that match the genetic makeup of the patient which is most likely to come from other Armenian donors. There are currently 630 patients throughout the Diaspora and Armenia who are desperately waiting to find a matching donor to help save their lives. On average, it takes 200 donors to find a precise match for one patient. The Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry has a goal to increase its registry from the current 11,000 donors to 126,000 in order to meet the critical need. The ABMDR partners closely with Glendale Memorial Hospital and St. Josephs Hospital in addition to being a member of global organizations such as the World Marrow Donor Association and World Marrow Donor Worldwide "By simply walking today, you are helping save a life" said Steve Artinian, chairman of the Walk of Life organizing committee. "With this Walk we hope you will spread the message that by taking the simple step of signing up with the registry every Armenian can give the most precious gift of a second chance to another fellow Armenian who is fighting for their life against these destructive diseases." Special guests included Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate of the Western Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America, Father Dajad Yardemian, representative of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America, Dr. Sevak Avagyan Executive Director of ABMDR in Armenia and Varant Melkonian, CEO of Closet World and treasurer of the ABMDR. There was also entertainment at the end of the walk. Welcoming the participants at the finish line was the band Element and singer Mariette Soujian. "The Walk of Life is a huge success today because of all the hard work and dedication of our volunteers," said master of ceremonies and director of operations for the Walk Taleen Khatchadourian at the post-Walk event. "If we join together like this for our common mission we can make a big difference in the lives of Armenian patients in need." During the short program after the Walk, the family of Biurad Moghadasian, who is an eight-year old Armenian patient currently at Los Angeles' Children's Hospital being treated for leukemia, approached organizers to stress the urgency of the ABMDR's mission using their son's plight as an example. The family made a plea to all present to recruit additional bone marrow donors which is the only way her son and others like him will have a chance at beating the disease. Biurad is currently looking for a matching donor to help save his life. The Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry encourages all Armenians to call and join the registry with the hope of saving another life. The registration process is very simple and non-intrusive and only takes a few minutes. ABMDR is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and welcomes donations of any size which are tax-deductible. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2006 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets. From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress