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What Armenian Americans Think about Obama
By Khatchig Mouradian on May 15, 2009

And what needs to be done

On May 12, I wrote an article titled `Obama Alienates Armenian
Americans,’ in which I presented the reaction of Armenian leaders and
commentators to what the community views as the continuous stream of
blows from the Obama Administration in recent weeks. In the two days
following the posting of the article on the Armenian Weekly website,
many readers posted their views on Obama’s `betrayals’ and their
suggestions about the road ahead.

The comments compelled me to write a second article, this time quoting
the readers, some of whom were very insightful. After all, who are the
leaders and commentators to listen to before formulating their
policies and writing their commentaries if not the community itself?

At the end of the article, I suggest a way for the Obama
Administration to begin remedying the situation.

`I told you so’
Several readers said they had never trusted Obama in the first place
and were surprised by the full support Obama had received from the
Armenian community during his presidential campaign.

`Is anyone really surprised?’ asked one reader. `I am continually
surprised that people believed him. Obama wants everyone to think he’s
different. But he isn’t. He’s just another politician who will say
anything he has to get elected.’

Another reader agreed. `I was amazed how the Armenian community was
supporting Obama and all my friends thought I was crazy every time I
told them that Obama will change his views shortly after becoming
president. Well, I am sad to say it happened.’

`I’m not one bit surprised that Obama has turned on the Armenians,’
said a third reader. `I’m sorry to all of you fellow Armenians who
actually voted for him, believing his empty promises of standing
behind Armenians, among all of his other promises. The man is a good
`campaigner’ and that’s it.’

After criticizing those who voted for Obama as well as the Armenian
National Committee of America (ANCA) for endorsing him, one person
said, `I just feel sorry for all of you that thought Barack Obama was
a `friend’ to Armenians. I knew this was coming, and judging from some
of the previous posts here, I’m not the only Armenian with some
sense!’ `I guess there were a lot of Armenians who drank the Obama
Kool-Aid. You have been scammed. He got what he wanted: votes,’ said
yet another reader.

`Crushed’
Most Armenian Americans supported Obama during his campaign and are
now deeply disappointed.

`I am embarrassed to say that I was one of Obama’s first supporters. I
purchased books and t-shirts to support Obama the candidate. I no
longer like Obama the president,’ read one comment.

`President Obama, you systematically crushed our hopes,’ read
another. `I feel duped, foolish, broken-hearted, and disgusted, all at
the same time. I think you missed your `calling’: you should have been
an actor.’

`I have never been disappointed in anything more than President
Obama’s not using the `g-word’ on April 24th,’ wrote one reader. `On
five occasions he pledged to recognize the Armenian Genocide but
failed as a president on recognizing the truth.’

Yet another reader summarized the situation as follows: `President
Obama, you lost the love and trust of 1.5 million American Armenians
and 6 million Armenians worldwide.’

Commenting on those who said they were disappointed by Obama, one
person wrote, `I am glad you saw the light on Obama. There may be hope
for you yet.’

`Barking up the wrong tree’
A sentiment that is widely felt in the Armenian American community
(and the Armenian Diaspora in general) is that the real actor to blame
is the Armenian government, which signed a memorandum of understanding
with Turkey on the eve of April 24, the Armenian Genocide
Commemoration Day.

`I blame all this entirely on the Armenian president Serge Sarkisian,’
wrote one reader on the website. `It is entirely his fault that Obama
is breaking all his promises. He signed that so-called `road map’
agreement two days before April 24. He is a spineless man who has
caved in to foreign pressure. He is not acting on the interests of the
Armenian people and thus, he is dangerous to have as our president.’

The reader added, `By jeopardizing our national security, he and our
foreign affairs minister have committed treason against the Armenian
state. What’s worse, he is going to stay as our president for at least
another three years.’

`We American Armenians need to stop blaming Obama’s administration,’
said another, `and shift our attention to Armenia and its
government. To gain credibility, respect, and monetary help, change
Armenia’s mafia government.’

`Return the paraphernalia’
The suggestion Armenian Weekly readers made ranged from the sublime to
the ridiculously extreme. Most of them seemed to agree, however, that
there is a need to get even more active, and make the Obama
Administration feel the heat.

One person said, `It’s time to send all Democrats a message. Do not
contribute to any Congressional races; get the word out about the
other ways in which the president is systematically breaking his
promises.’

Another asked his fellow Armenians to `wake up and change the way we
do things,’ calling for `a demonstration against the president and the
State Department.’

A powerful call to action came from a reader who wrote, `There is no
question that we’ve been ditched by the Obama Administration which is
following State Department policy. I’ve just finished two letters-one
to the president and one to Speaker Pelosi on these issues. Exactly
right as stated in the article-the genocide resolution must now be
back on the table and Congress must not let parity between Azerbaijan
and Armenia be ignored. Letters, phone calls-everything.’we’ve got to
get back to work.’

A clearly disappointed Obama supporter had another idea: `I suggest we
pick a day where all Armenians that supported him send back their
Obama paraphernalia, together with it a note stating, `I hope the
Armenian issue doesn’t mark the beginning of a huge back-slide of
compromised campaign promises.”

Making sense of it all
The Obama Administration’s genocide denial, its failure to appoint any
Armenian Americans to a decent position in the administration, and its
proposal to break the military aid parity between Azerbaijan and
Armenia and decrease foreign aid to Armenia, not only alienated most
Armenian Americans but also placed the major Armenian American
organizations-all of which had supported Obama-in a very difficult
situation. After all, an entire community was mobilized to support
what was touted as the most `Armenian-friendly administration’
ever. And it was very difficult to challenge that label, with people
like Joe Biden, Samantha Power-and Barack Obama himself-on the team.

With its actions, however, it seems that the administration is trying
to become the administration that is the most unfriendly to Armenians.

Adding insult to injury, there has been no reaching out from the
administration to the Armenian American community in any shape or
form. Armenian Americans feel insulted and betrayed, and-regardless of
what the president thinks about policy issues-they deserve some
respect.

The administration has to reach out to the Armenian American
community. That is the only smart way ahead.

Courtesy-hairenik.com

DEATH TOLL IN ARMENIAN RUBBER PLANT FIRE RISES TO FOUR

RIA Novosti
11:3715/05/2009

YEREVAN, May 15 (RIA Novosti) – Four people are now reported to have
died in a fire that broke out at a rubber plant in the Armenian capital
of Yerevan, the head of the city’s ambulance service said on Friday.

According to preliminary reports, there was an explosion in the
chloroprene section at the Nairit Plant at about 18:00 local time
[13:00 GMT] on Thursday. The blast was followed by a fire. About two
and a half hours later, a second powerful explosion occurred.

The fire at the plant was extinguished at about midnight and three
people were reported to have died.

"The fourth body was found earlier tonight and taken to a morgue,"
Artem Petrosyan said, adding that all of the injured had already been
released from hospital.

A criminal case has been launched in connection with the incident,
a police spokesman said.

The Nairit Plant has produced chloroprene rubber and latex since 1940.

ATOM EGOYAN: ‘INTERESTED IN HOW FAR YOU CAN GO’
Mara Math

The San Francisco Examiner
tom-Egoyan-Interested-in-how-far-you-can-go-450504 32.html
May 15 2009

When 15-year-old Simon’s class is assigned to write a story based on
a real event — a Palestinian planting a bomb in his pregnant Irish
girlfriend’s airline luggage — the orphaned Simon casts himself as
the child born of that pregnancy, sparking intense controversy via
the Internet. The Examiner spoke with Canadian-Armenian director
Atom Egoyan:

A friend of a friend said that "Adoration" was a "very Armenian way
of telling a story." What do you think she meant?

It either means that it’s very embroidered or that there’s a tremendous
amount of obfuscation [laughs], maybe both at the same time. We are,
after all, a culture that weaves rugs, so it’s part of our fabric
to play with our materials. In Armenian literature and art there’s
often something that’s kind of withheld, something mysterious.

The first appearance of the mysterious woman in a chador rings false,
and it’s only later that we see it was meant to. Do you have any fear
of losing your audience when playing false notes on purpose?

Oh, completely. It’s a fear and it’s the biggest risk. There’s a way
in which the awkwardness could be interpreted as [bad presentation
by the director], but it’s a deliberate awkwardness.

Has Simon subliminally stumbled on a psychological truth: that in
a much lesser way, even though Simon didn’t know about it, his late
father did metaphorically blow something up, an earlier part of the
father’s life?

That is a fascinating interpretation which I hadn’t really thought
of exactly, but I do think traumas are transmitted somehow.

The fury that [someone in that earlier life] must have felt, how much
is that is transferred on to Simon?

I’m always interested in how far you can go. If people honestly think
the film was trying to make a statement about tolerance, that’s a
bad presentation.

Would you say that as a director, you are drawn to tragedy and loss?

One of the conditions of being Armenian is that you can’t help but
be drawn to that, because it’s so unresolved [the 1915-17 genocide
of Armenians, denied by the Turkish government].

New technology, such as videoconferencing, is prominent in
"Adoration." Does technology isolate us as much as it connects us?

No, it connects us. It connects us to a degree that we can’t absorb,
we’re actually saturated with intimacy that we’re not really designed
to accept.

RA GOVERNMENT APPROVES MECHANISM BANNING STATE OFFICIALS FROM RUNNING BUSINESS

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
14.05.2009 22:09 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian government approved Thursday draft
bills on introduction of amendments in the RA Criminal Code, Law
on State Service and Law on Declaration of Property and Income of
Physical Persons, which will be later brought to the NA floor.

"We are introducing an institute of divulgence of profits. The
mechanism will ban state officials from running business," RA Prime
Minister Tigran Sargsyan said.

AZERBAIJAN RAPS U.S. MEDIATOR’S STATEMENT ON N.-KARABAKH

Interfax
May 12 2009
Russia

Azerbaijan has accused international mediators of a groundlessly
positive interpretation of a recent Azeri- Armenian summit on the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and of "ongoing sympathies for Armenia –
the aggressor country."

The Co-chairmen also have a vested interest in slowing down the
conflict settlement process, which "is like a career for them," ANS
television’s website quoted Nevruz Mehmedov, head of the Azeri foreign
relations department of the president’s office, as saying on Tuesday.

The target of Mehmedov’s comments, was a statement by Matthew
Bryza, U.S. co-chairman of the Minsk Group, the mediating body
for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict appointed by the Organization
for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), that the Azeri and
Armenian presidents, Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sargsyan, had agreed
basic principles for a conflict settlement at their meeting in Prague.

"[Armenia] was unwilling to make a single step toward the resolution
of the conflict and reiterated its claims to Azeri territory.

Despite that, without [Azeri] consent and without consulting the
Azeri president, [the co-chairmen] issued a statement supporting the
position of the Armenian president, and apparently the position of
the co-chairmen themselves," Mehmedov said.

"[The co-chairmen] are misinforming the international public and the
president and secretary of state of the United States by speaking about
progress in the negotiation process, about the parties having moved
their positions closer together, etc. All this is further evidence
of ongoing sympathies for Armenia – the aggressor country – and of
defense of its interests. But, on the other hand, the co-chairmen
need the process to slow down, they need more trips and need to stay
in their jobs. It is like a career for them," Mehmedov said.

The Minsk Group’s other two co-chairmen represent Russia and France.

Armenian Assembly of America
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:

PRESS RELEASE

May 14, 2009
Contact: Michael A. Zachariades
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (202) 393-3434

CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE HOLDS HEARING ON U.S.-TURKEY RELATIONS

Expert Urges No Linkage between Armenia-Turkey relations and Genocide
Recognition or NKR

Washington, DC – Turkish Caucus Co-Chair and Chairman of the House
Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, Congressman Robert Wexler
(D-FL), held a hearing today on U.S.-Turkey relations reported the
Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly). The panel included Dr. Ian O.
Lesser with the German Marshall Fund of the United States, Dr. Stephen
J. Flanagan, Ph.D. with the Center for Strategic and International
Studies and David L. Phillips with the Atlantic Council of the United
States.

Testifying specifically about Armenia-Turkey relations, Phillips stated
that there should be no linkage with respect to normalization of
relations between Armenia and Turkey and affirmation of the Armenian
Genocide. Phillips also indicated that there should be no linkage
between Turkish-Armenian relations and the Nagorno Karabakh peace
process.

"The Armenian government has consistently and repeatedly offered to
normalize relations with Turkey without preconditions only to see such
offers rejected by Turkey," stated Assembly Executive Director Bryan
Ardouny. "Affirmation of the Armenian Genocide and combating its denial
is a fundamental human rights issue and in no uncertain terms should be
linked to normalization of relations. In addition, there should be no
linkage to Armenia-Turkey relations and the Nagorno Karabakh peace
process," added Ardouny.

Phillips noted that progress in relations will be measured by "actions
and not words" and raised concerns about contradictory statements made
by Turkish leaders. Phillips pointed to the inconsistent statements of
Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
in which Gul said that normalization would proceed "without
preconditions," while Erdogan linked it to Nagorno Karabakh.

As reported in Todays Zaman, Erdogan reassured Azerbaijan’s President
stating that "some reports said Turkey gave up on Nagorno-Karabakh in
order to normalize relations with Armenia. This is an outright lie. I
dismiss it…." Erdogan also said Turkey and Azerbaijan were "one nation
with two states" and added that their stance on Nagorno Karabakh has
never changed.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan criticized Erdogan for linking
Turkey’s lifting of its blockade and establishing diplomatic relations
to the resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. "Any Turkish attempt
to interfere in the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh problem can only
harm that process," the President’s office said in a statement today.

Phillips, who also served as Chairman of the Turkish Armenian
Reconciliation Commission from 2001 to 2004, recalled the tragic
assassination of Hrant Dink, who was prosecuted under Article 301 of the
Turkish Penal Code for speaking about the Armenian Genocide. Phillips
indicated that one way to honor the memory and legacy of Hrant Dink
would be to expand track two activities. Phillips recounted the track
two recommendations of TARC, and noted that a legal opinion by the
International Transitional Center for Justice (ICTJ) concluded that the
Armenian Genocide met the United Nations definition of genocide.

Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest
Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding
and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt
membership organization.

###

NR#2009-048

Editor’s Note: Witness Testimony Attached

David L. Phillips Testimony
df_1/Q2_2009/Phillipstestimony5_
14_09.pdf

Dr. Stephen J. Flanagan, Ph.D
Q2_2009/Flanagantestimony5_
14_09.pdf

Dr. Ian O. Lesser
1/Q2_2009/lessertestimony5_14
_09.pdf

COUPLE WITH TIES TO TITANIC TO WED AMONG ARTIFACTS
By Carrie Antlfinger

The Associated Press State & Local Wire
May 10, 2009 Sunday 4:43 PM GMT

A couple with a special connection to the Titanic plan to marry among
the ship’s artifacts at the Milwaukee Public Museum.

Melissa Vartanian, 28, and Vache Mikaelian, 31, will wed Friday at
"Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition."

Melissa Vartanian’s great-grandfather, David Vartanian, was fleeing
Turkish occupation in Armenia when he boarded the Titanic. He planned
to later send for his new bride, Mary.

When the Titanic sank on April 15, 1912 Vartanian’s 22nd birthday
he survived by hanging on the side of a lifeboat. It took him about
six years after he recovered to find his wife by searching through
newspapers, churches, orphanages and sending numerous letters to
Armenia, Melissa Vartanian said. Then it took another five or so
years for the couple to be reunited.

Melissa Vartanian said her great-grandparents died before she was
born, but she grew up hearing about their story, which she called
"the greatest love story I’ve ever known."

"This is amazing," she said. "This would be a great tribute to this
amazing love story and great tribute for my family."

Viewers picked the couple as the winners of a wedding contest run by
WTMJ-TV and its morning talk show. The television station paid for
the rehearsal dinner, =0 Areception, honeymoon, bride’s dress and
other costs.

About 1,500 people died when the so-called "unsinkable" ship sank
after striking an iceberg on its maiden voyage across the Atlantic
Ocean in 1912. The Milwaukee exhibit runs until May 25.

Visitors receive boarding passes for someone who was on the ship, along
with some biographical information, and at the end of the exhibit,
they learn whether their person survived. David Vartanian’s boarding
pass will be included in the wedding programs for their 100 guests,
Melissa Vartanian said.

The rehearsal dinner also will have a Titanic theme. A local restaurant
will provide a four-course dinner once served on the ship beef
consommé, oysters, filet mignon and Waldorf pudding.

Vartanian said she and her fiance have visited the Milwaukee exhibit
along with other Titanic exhibits in other cities. She said some people
might think it’s a bad omen to get married among Titanic memorabilia,
but she doesn’t.

"The Titanic doesn’t symbolize death and destruction," she said. "It
was a journey toward a better life, even though it had challenges."

ARMENIAN PREMIER: CONSTRUCTIVE OPPOSITION REPRESENTED BY ARFD ADVANTAGEOUS FOR GOVERNMENT OF ARMENIA

ArmInfo
2009-05-13 13:40:00

ArmInfo. Constructive opposition represented by ARFD is advantageous
for the Government of Armenia, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan said
Wednesday when introducing the newly appointed Minister of Education
and Science Armen Ashotyan, Minister of Labor and Social Affairs
Gevorg Petrosyan and Minister of Agriculture Gerasim Alaverdyan. The
ex-ministers Spartak Seyranyan, Arsen Hambartsoumyan nd Aramais
Grigoryan were members of ARF Dashnaktsutyun Party. It is noteworthy
that after the presidential election in 2008, presidential elect Serzh
Sargsyan declared an intention to form a coalition government that
involved the Republican Party of Armenia, Prosperous Armenian Party,
Orinats Yerkir Party and ARFD. Representatives of these parties became
member of the government. In April 2009 ARFD left the coalition for
political views.

‘ARFD’s withdrawal from the coalition government had political
reasons. We respect the stands of our political partners irrespective
of whether we share their stands or not. At present a new tradition is
developed in Armenia i.e. mnisters become political figures. At their
ministries they control over observation of political positions. This
implies highly qualified ministerial staff able to fulfill their
professional duties irrespective of the political force the ministry
heads. In this regards, we highlight the importance of the activity of
the ministries, the constant retraining and improvement of ministerial
staff’, the premier said. As regards the ex-ministers, Tigran
Sargsyan is sure that irrespective of their future posts, they will
make their contribution to strengthening of the country. ‘Having such
opposition representative the government will undoubtedly win since
constructive opposition makes the government activity more accurate
and makes it possible for the government to focus on issues of real
importance. Such opposition helps the government avoid many mistakes
and timely reveal gaps. In addition, public gets an opportunity to
listen to various points of view. We have got an opposition force
represented by ARFD, our former partner in the coalition. Nevertheless,
I think that the relations of the incumbent authorities and the given
opposition will become exemplary for the future. This is a new step
towards strengthening our statehood’, the premier minister said.

DAVID HARUTYUNYAN DOES NOT HAVE SERIOUS EXPECTATIONS FROM THE NEW MODEL OF FORMING CITY AUTHORITIES
Lena Badeyan

"Radiolur"
12.05.2009 16:24

Chairman of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on State-Legal
Issues David Harutyunyan touched upon two topics at today’s press
conference – the elections for the Yerevan City Council scheduled
for May 31 and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of
Europe. The Head of the Armenian delegation to PACE first commented
on the intention of the opposition to express non-confidence in the
co-rapporteurs on Armenia, John Prescott and Georges Colombier. Let
us remind that the question was raised by Zaruhi Postanjyan from the
"Heritage" Party.

"Any Deputy is entitled to raise the issue. First of all, I’d like
to note that Zaruhi Postanjyan is not a member of the Monitoring
Committee.

Besides, it is an important issue, and the Monitoring Committee has
been discussed the implementation of the principle of rotation,
i.e. appointment of rapporteurs for a certain period of time. We
have been discussing the issue at the Monitoring Committee since
2008. It’s natural for a delegate of the country to disagree with
this or that rapporteur, but it is up to the Monitoring Committee
to take a decision. Rotation is spoken about, we are discussing it,
but the issue is connected with all countries, not just Armenia,"
the Deputy said.

As for the elections, David Harutyunyan does not have great
expectations from the new system of formation of city authorities
with regard to the process of elections and democracy. However, he
considers that the model is the best one, on the whole. Unlike other
opinions, which state that the municipal elections are not politicized,
David Harutyunyan declared today: "Election of any authority is a
political process."

TRANSPORT MINISTER OF ARMENIA: OPENING OF UPPER LARS TO IMPROVE ARMENIA’S ECONOMIC INTERACTION WITH RUSSIAN REGIONAL PARTNERS

ArmInfo
2009-05-12 12:17:00

Opening of Upper Lars will more improve the economic interaction of
Armenia with the Russian regional partners, Transport and Communication
Minister of Armenia Gourgen Sarkisyan told journalists today during
the Forum of the Union of Road Transport Associations in the BSEC
Region (BSECURTA), the minister said. To recall, formal opening
of the international motor crossing point Upper Lars, situated on
Russia-Georgia border, has been scheduled for today. To also recall,
this crossing point was closed in July, 2006. Its carrying capacity
will make up 400 automobiles a day. There is yet no information about
possible opening of communication between Russia and Georgia through
Upper Lars.