Author: Andres-Papazian

ALEKSANDAR DEDOVIC : “WE BELIEVE THAT EXPERIENCE OF AZERBAIJAN CAN BE OF GREAT IMPORTANCE OF OUR COUNTRY AT ROAD TO NATO” – EXECLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Milaz.info
Dec 27 2011
Azerbaijan

“Azerbaijan is more developed country than Montenegro with stronger
contribution in defense budget”.

“I am sure that Azerbaijan’s road towards NATO will improve tools
and mechanisms for its security as well as the security all over the
South Caucasus region”.

Execlusive interview Milaz.info with Executive Director ALPHA Centre
in Montenegro Aleksandar Dedovic.

– Please inform Azerbaijan society about your organization, what are
you doing and plan to do in future.

– “ALPHA Centre was established in Niksic in 2006. The basic goals of
this Organization are: Promoting and advocating the stance that all
citizens are entitled to peaceful, safe and dignified life, regardless
of their sex, age, nation, or political affiliation, educational
background, sexual orientation, profession or other dispositions;

The main areas of interest of our organization are : – Fostering
the participation of citizens in preventing terrorism and the related
activities that endanger their safety and lives; – Fostering Montenegro
membership into NATO; – Researching and analyzing civil-military
relationships fostering democratic control of armed forces

Since has been established, ALPHA Centre had realized a large number
of projects in the area of security, safety, prevention of terrorism,
civil-military relationships, promoting Montenegro membership into
NATO and EU and regional coordination. More information you can gather
at and

Regarding the fact that public support for NATO accession in Montenegro
is too low (36% supporting this process – survey, June 2011) and 38%
(survey – December 2011). We intend to give our contribution to the
education of citizens about the concept, importance and the advantages
of the accession to the Partnership for Peace, as well as about the
importance of regional states membership to NATO.

We would like to invite Azerbaijan’s students to express their interest
about participation at Fifth REACT 2012 ()
REACT 2012 will be larger and gather participants from South Caucasus.

– What do you think about security condition and policy in Europe
and role and activity Montenegro in this field?

– Since 2006, as independent country Montenegro is a member of
the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE),
United Nations (UN) which is an integral part of all Montenegro’s
achievements and reforms.

Montenegro’s cooperation with these security organizations is in
line with the country’s key domestic and foreign policy priorities,
especially at the moment when Montenegro is making extensive efforts to
meet EU and NATO targets, hoping to launch of the accession talks soon.

All the reforms Montenegro has been pursuing as part of meeting the EU
and NATO recommendations directly correspond with the other projects
on reforms in police, defense, education, fight against corruption
and organized crime.

Montenegro has active role in the region, in particular bearing in
mind the adopted some Declarations and Memorandums regarding regional
cooperation in fighting corruption and organized crime, as well as
regarding regional defense and security.

– How does NATO play important role in security issues in Europe?

Could you inform us about relations between NATO and Montenegro?

– Cooperation between Montenegro and NATO through the program
Partnership for Peace, showing Montenegro’s statement that NATO is
the most important political and security organization, as well as
the organization which has the strongest role in European security.

Initiative of the Alliance aimed at cooperation of member states
and other Euro-Atlantic countries in order to strengthen safety and
stability and that represents for Montenegro a way to achieve the
final objective – preservation and improvement of democratic values
and membership in NATO.

Montenegro realized the first contractual relation with NATO by signing
the Framework document of Partnership for Peace, which represented
significant progress in the field of Euro-Atlantic integration. After
development of the Presentation Document and signing of the Security
Information Agreement, Mission to NATO in Brussels was opened, and
Montenegro continued to fulfill obligations stemming from membership
in the program Partnership for Peace.

Planning and Review Process (PARP) has been completed, and NATO
has accepted thirty two partnership objectives. At the same time,
Individual Partnership Program (IPP) has been adopted.

In the closing declaration of the recent NATO Summit in Strasbourg
and Kehl, strong support was given to Montenegro, and the message was
communicated that the Allies will soon discuss Montenegro’s request
for the Membership Action Plan (MAP).

Montenegro received an official invitation to become a full-fledged
member of the Charter at the meeting of the Ministers of Foreign
Affairs of the Adriatic Charter countries in New York on September 25,
2008. The status within the Adriatic Charter was formalized at the
MFA meeting on the margins of the ministerial meeting of the OSCE in
Helsinki on December 4, 2008.

At the meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Alliance on
December 3-4, 2009 in Brussels, Montenegro was admitted to the MAP,
on the basis of good results in internal reforms and fulfilling the
obligations under PfP, in particular the implementation of PARP, IPP,
IPAP, and ID.

The Government of Montenegro adopted on September 16, 2010 the first
Annual National Program (ANP) under the first cycle of MAP, which
was presented to NATO on October 28, 2010.

Government of Montenegro was (29.09.2011) adopted the second Annual
National Program (ANP) in the second cycle of Membership Action Plan
(MAP). After the presentation of second ANP, which was estimated
as good and comprehensive, started the second cycle of MAP for the
period 2011-2012.

– Azerbaijan and Montenegro are partner countries. What do you think
about present and future cooperation between these two countries? Is
there necessity to increase relations between two these countries? And
which field is essential for future collaboration?

– Cooperation between Montenegro and Azerbaijan has been established
in the best way. Republic of Azerbaijan is one of the first countries
which have recognized Montenegro as an independent country in
2006 and a diplomatic relations were established in 2008. Also
the first official visit of our President Vujanovic, in September
played an important role in bilateral relations between these two
countries. I think that there is a plenty of spheres where our
two countries can coordinate and strengthen and intensify in the
political and economic spheres economics, exchange of experiences
when it comes to Euro-atlantic integrations, security, tourism and
industry development. This will be a great step forward for the
benefits for Azerbaijan’s and Montenegrin society. The essential
field for future cooperation is euro-atlantic integrations and we
believe that experience of Azerbaijan can be of great importance of
our country at road to NATO. These two countries have same goals and
priorities in the field of global safety and security. Regarding the
fact that Azerbaijan has the similar approach and relations toward
NATO organization, having in mind that Azerbaijan is more developed
country than Montenegro with stronger contribution in defense budget.

Both countries are engaged in ISAF mission contributing the global
peace. Regarding the fact that public support for NATO accession in
Montenegro is too low (about few reasons, mostly emotional) we assume
that Azerbaijan’s experience as well as other PfP countries could
be useful. The most important target group of ALPHA centre is youth
of Montenegro. Could be that experience of NATO International School
of Azerbaijan (NISA) which is a unique initiative be good example to
inform and educate students about NATO membership.

– What do you think about frozen conflicts in South Caucasus?

Specially Nagorniy Karabakh conflict. How these conflicts can be
solved?

– Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict is the key obstacle for closer
cooperation amongst South Caucasus countries. Of course, I am
supporting the position of UN and European organizations in Nagorno
Karabakh conflict. I hope that the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group
(Russia, France, and the US) which are currently holding peaceful
negotiations will establish the preconditions for the sustainable
solutions taking care about sovereignty and integrity both sides in
conflict. I am sure that Azerbaijan’s road towards NATO will improve
tools and mechanisms for its security as well as the security all
over the South Caucasus region. This frozen conflict could be at
least three years long depends on the geopolitical situation (NATO
and EU enlargement and political situation in Russia, which could be
changed in next two years).

From: A. Papazian

LOI/GENOCIDE : AZNAVOUR EXPRIME SA RECONNAISSANCE DANS UNE LETTRE A SARKOZY
Stephane

armenews.com
mardi 27 decembre 2011

Charles Aznavour fait part dans une lettre adressee a Nicolas
Sarkozy de ses “sentiments de fierte, de reconnaissance et de justice
rendue” après l’adoption par l’Assemblee nationale de la loi sur la
penalisation de la negation des genocides, dont celui des Armeniens.

“Vous vous etes exprime a plusieurs reprises pour la condamnation du
negationnisme par la loi en rappelant a juste titre que la liberte
d’expression, ce n’est pas celle de manipuler l’Histoire ni celle
de nier les evidences historiques”, ecrit le chanteur d’origine
armenienne dans ce courrier adresse au president de la Republique,
dont l’AFP a obtenu copie.

“Il y a dix ans, la France avait inspire des sentiments de fierte aux
500.000 Francais d’origine armenienne, en devenant le premier Etat au
monde a donner force de loi a la reconnaissance du genocide armenien”,
affirme Charles Aznavour. “Aujourd’hui, nous sommes fiers que notre
Assemblee nationale preconise la penalisation du negationnisme”,
ajoute-t-il.

“A Erevan, lors de votre visite d’Etat exceptionnelle en octobre
dernier, en vous rendant au Memorial du Genocide armenien, vous avez
appele la Turquie a revisiter son histoire, ecrit encore Charles
Aznavour, et vous avez redit tout votre engagement en faveur de
I’adoption d’une loi francaise sur la condamnation du Genocide armenien
et de leurs descendants”.

Le chanteur a ete nomme en 2009 ambassadeur d’Armenie en Suisse et
representant du pays auprès du bureau europeen des Nations unies.

L’Assemblee nationale a adopte jeudi une proposition de loi UMP
reprimant la negation de tout genocide, suscitant la colère des
autorites turques. Le texte doit desormais etre inscrit a l’ordre du
jour du Senat.

From: A. Papazian

TURKISH HACKERS AVENGE FRANCE’S ‘GENOCIDE BILL’

Latest update: 27/12/2011 – cyber crime – France – Turkey

The websites of the French Senate a National Assembly lawmaker who
introduced a bill that would outlaw the denial of the 1915 Turkish
‘genocide’ of Armenians have been attacked by Turkish hackers. By Tony
Todd (text) Turkish hackers have launched revenge attacks against
the French government after the country’s lower house of parliament
approved a bill that would outlaw the denial of the 1915 massacre of
Armenians in Turkey as a crime of genocide.

The website of the Senate, France’s upper house of parliament which
will have to approve the bill before it can become law, was down for
two days over the Christmas weekend.

On the evening of December 24, the site showed a black screen signed
by Iskorpit, an infamous Turkish hacker who claims to have hijacked
some half a million websites during his “career.”

A source at the Senate said the site came under a Distributed Denial
of Service (DDoS) attack, in which thousands of hijacked computers
bombard a website with demands for information, swamping it and
effectively shutting it down.

On the same day the website of Valerie Boyer, parliamentarian from the
ruling UMP party in the lower National Assembly and primary sponsor
of the “genocide bill”, was hijacked, this time showing a black screen
with a Turkish flag.

Messages in Turkish and English called the National Assembly’s
approval of the genocide bill “pathetic and pitiful” and accused
France of committing a genocide in Algeria.

The hackers’ message to Valerie Boyer

The message was signed by a group calling itself “GrayHatz”, which
according to French news site Nouvelobs.com includes members of
“Akincilar”, the group that launched the attacks on satirical weekly
newspaper Charlie Hebdo after it published an edition “guest-edited
by the Prophet Mohammed” titled “Charia Hebdo” last November.

Charlie Hebdo’s offices were also firebombed on the day the
controversial issue went to press, although one purported member of
Akincilar calling himself “Ekber” told Sunday newspaper Journal du
Dimanche that the cyber group had nothing to do with the firebombing.

Immediately after the dual Christmas Eve attacks, Akincilar announced
its intention to “hack the websites of every single French lawmaker”,
nouvelobs.com reported, quoting one of its members saying the group
would publish a list of all its attacks made in France with their
GrayHatz “friends”.

On Tuesday, blogger Guillaume Perrier , writing in the left-leaning
French daily Le Monde, accused the Turkish government of failing to
investigate Akincilar for its criminal activities.

“These hackers are acting with impunity in Turkey,” said the blogger.

“Not one of them was questioned after attacking Charlie Hebdo’s site,
or for their many attacks on other sites.”

“If these people had targeted [Turkish Prime Minister] Recep Erdogan’s
site, they would already have been locked up and would be facing
terrorism charges.”

Meanwhile, Valerie Boyer’s site remained down on Tuesday as she told
reporters that she was filing a criminal complaint for harassment. On
Monday, she told BFM radio that she had also received “threats of
death, of rape, of destruction of property and of physical assault”
and that her parents and children had also been threatened.

As for the Senate’s website, it was quickly restored and went back
on line.

From: A. Papazian

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN : LA KNESSET DECIDE DE NE PAS IRRITER LA TURQUIE !

Israel 7

27 dec 2011

Flots de declarations anti-israeliennes, films antisemites diffuses
a la TV turque avec la bienveillance voire les encouragements
des autorites, activisme judiciaire international contre Israël,
exigences arrogantes, autant d’affronts faits a Israël et aux juifs
depuis quelques annees par Erdogan et ses acolytes, et qui resteront
sans reponse de la part d’Israël au nom d’une realpolitik dont on ne
comprend plus la logique.

La Commission parlementaire de l’Education etait reunie lundi pour
debattre de l’epineuse question de la reconnaissance du genocide
armenien par les armees musulmanes turques durant la 1ère Guerre
mondiale. Les historiens et specialistes de la question, tout comme
les representants de la communaute armenienne en Israël pressaient les
deputes a ” franchir le pas ” alors qu’une partie des parlementaires
et le ministère des Affaires etrangères appelaient ” a ne pas prendre
de decision inconsideree au vu de la conjoncture actuelle avec la
Turquie ” ! Il faut dire que cette question traversait les partis,
les initiateurs de la motion etant deux farouches ennemis politiques :
Zehava Gal-On (Meretz) et Prof. Aryeh Eldad (Ihoud Leoumi).

Les partisans invoquaient ” la posture morale qui s’imposait ” et le
fait ” que l’Etat juif devrait etre a la tete de ceux qui reconnaissent
un genocide “, alors que les opposants ou hesitants estimaient ”
que ce n’etait pas le moment d’aggraver les choses avec Ankara ” et
” que ce serait une erreur strategique de prendre une telle decision
actuellement “.

Finalement, et probablement sur pressions du ministère des Affaires
etrangères, il a ete decide…de ne pas decider.

Conclusion amère et juste du Prof. Aryeh Eldad : ” Au temps de l’idylle
entre Israël et la Turquie, on nous disait que ce n’etait pas le
moment de reconnaître le genocide armenien. Et maintenant que nos
relations sont au plus bas, on nous sert le meme argument au motif
qu’il ne faut pas aggraver les choses “…

A force de vouloir toujours etre plus ” intelligent ” que ” juste “,
on perd toute respectabilite.

From: A. Papazian

ISRAE’L DOIT RECONNAîTRE “L’AUTRE HOLOCAUSTE”

Courrier International

27 dec 2011
France

Après la France, ce sont des députés israéliens qui discutent de
la reconnaissance éventuelle du génocide arménien. Pour Ha’Aretz,
l’Etat hébreu aurait dÔ depuis longtemps statuer au sujet de
cette question, sans chercher a l’utiliser comme moyen de pression
sur Ankara.

Il y a des années qu’IsraÔl hésite quant a la question de
la reconnaissance du génocide arménien, d’une part au nom de
l’intérêt de l’Etat hébreu dans ses relations avec la Turquie,
d’autre part par crainte de voir se diluer le concept de l’Holocauste
en tant que “propriété” exclusivement juive. La nécessité morale
ou l’identification avec l’holocauste arménien ont été traitées
de manière accessoire, ne trouvant que rarement leur place dans le
débat public.

Aujourd’hui encore, le cabinet du Premier ministre est intervenu a
ce sujet dans les travaux de la commission sur l’Enseignement, la
Culture et les Sports de la Knesset [le Parlement], sous prétexte
du risque du résultat des délibérations de saborder les relations
israélo-turques.

Dans ce contexte, il est utile de rappeler qu’a l’issue de l’incident
de la “flottille de la liberté” pour Gaza [neuf Turcs avaient été
tués lors du raid israélien], plusieurs députés de la Knesset
et membres du gouvernement avaient menac̩ Рpour r̩pliquer aux
invectives du Premier ministre turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan contre
IsraÔl – d’inscrire le génocide arménien a l’ordre du jour.

En fait, les députés qui ont emboîté le pas a la nouvelle
législation francaise qui fait de la négation du génocide
arménien un délit semblent davantage motivés par un désir de
vengeance politique que par le souhait sincère de réparer un tort
historique. IsraÔl a eu maintes fois l’occasion de démontrer sa
solidarité avec le peuple arménien quand les relations étaient au
beau fixe entre Jérusalem et Ankara.

Mais, a l’époque, l’Etat hébreu avait choisi de garder le silence, et
avait même utilisé ses amis au Congrès américain pour l’empêcher
de reconnaître le génocide arménien.

IsraÔl, l’un des derniers pays au monde a occuper une autre
nation et a nier la Nakba [catastrophe, terme arabe évoquant la
création de l’Etat d’IsraÔl en 1948 et qui véhicule l’idée de
son illégitimité], ne peut plus s’envelopper dans le drapeau de la
morale, alors qu’au-dessous couvent les braises d’un règlement de
compte politique.

Il n’y a pas besoin de délibérations particulières a la Knesset
pour pouvoir parler du g̩nocide arm̩nien Рou de la Nakba Рdans
les écoles israéliennes. Le ministre de l’Education dispose de
l’autorité nécessaire pour prendre ces décisions sans déclencher
une mascarade vide de sens.

Les un million et demi d’Arméniens qui ont été arrachés a
leurs foyers, assassinés et tués sur les routes en 1915 méritent
que l’holocauste dont ils ont été victimes soit reconnu par la
communauté internationale. Par-dessus tout, ils méritent que la
Turquie reconnaisse ce chapitre terrible de l’Histoire. En revanche,
le fait qu’IsraÔl le reconnaisse a un moment qui lui convient sur
le plan politique, en guise de représailles et pour provoquer la
Turquie, est a des années-lumière de ce que le peuple arménien
est en droit d’attendre.

From: A. Papazian

TURKEY DOES NOT NEED FRENCH FM’S ADVICE

Trend News Agency
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News
December 26, 2011 Monday
Baku, Azerbaijan

Dec. 26–Turkey does not need the advice of the French foreign
minister, deputy of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Mustafa
Kabakchi told Trend.

“Turkey is a country that knows what steps need to be taken and when.

Ankara doesn’t need the advice of the French Minister of Foreign
Affairs,” Mr Kabanchi said.

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe asked Turkey to be patient on
Friday. Mr Juppe was speaking in response to the reaction of Ankara
to the French Parliament’s adoption of the bill criminalising denial
of so-called “Armenian genocide” as being is too harsh.

On Thursday, the French parliament passed a bill criminalising denial
of the so-called “Armenian genocide”.

Some 45 out of 577 French MPs voted, 38 of which voted for, while
seven went against the adoption of the bill.

The bill demands a one year imprisonment and 45,000 euros fine for
denial of the so-called “Armenian genocide”.

Turkey announced that it is freezing all diplomatic relations with
France in response to the decision by the French Parliament.

MPs from the French President’s “Union for Popular Movement” (UMP)
party which has the parliamentary majority, proposed the bill which
aims at criminalising denial of the so-called “Armenian genocide” to
the legislative committee of the National Assembly in early December.

The Armenia and the Armenian lobby claim that the predecessor of the
Turkey — Ottoman Empire had committed the 1915 genocide against
the Armenians living in Anadolu, and achieved recognition of the
“Armenian Genocide” by the parliaments of several countries.

From: A. Papazian

BEING ANGRY IS NOT A STRATEGY
JOOST LAGENDIJK

Today’s Zaman
Dec 27 2011
Turkey

It seems as if the decision by the French parliament to criminalize
the denial of the Armenian genocide has had a liberating and at the
same time alarming effect on members of the Turkish government. It
has removed all constraints that are normally imposed on responsible
politicians by dignity, reason or coolheaded calculation.

Don’t get me wrong. As I wrote last week, there are several good
reasons to be unhappy and frustrated about last week’s decision:
Politicians acted like historians and put restrictions on freedom
of expression that every democrat should oppose. But the reactions
that came bursting out of Ankara immediately after the vote went far
beyond those appropriate points of criticism.

Let me give you three examples. In an effort to give France a taste
of its own medicine, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the
French state of being guilty of genocide on the Algerians during the
last decades of French colonial rule in North Africa. I could not
believe my eyes when I read about this allegation. Not because the
French are innocent. They are not. Horrible crimes were committed
by the French army in Algeria in the 1950s and early 1960s. But why
didn’t any of Erdogan’s advisers tell the prime minister that by
coming up with this charge, he was doing exactly the same thing that
the French parliament had just done: instrumentalizing the history
of another country for domestic political purposes.

A second example of the implausible reactions by the Turkish Cabinet
was given by Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. He set his academic
professionalism and logic thinking aside when he tried to explain
French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s support for the genocide denial
bill by saying that the French president is envious of the Turkish
successes in North Africa. According to the foreign minister, acting
as an amateur psychologist, Sarkozy is probably sorry for the support
he gave to the Tunisian and Egyptian autocratic leaders in the past,
and that is why he is so frustrated about Turkey’s newfound appeal
in the region. I wish Davutoglu was right about the presumed French
remorse. But it does not convince anybody outside of Ankara if the
analysis comes from the representative of a government that, until very
recently, had no problem whatsoever in maintaining cordial relations
with Libyan dictator Col. Muammar Gaddafi and Syrian mass murderer
Bashar al-Assad. Of course, there may have been good reasons to do
so, for instance, to promote Turkish trade and investments, or to
gradually moderate the extremist policies of Turkey’s counterparts.

But being so keen yourself on defending the interests of the Turkish
state abroad, it sounds slightly insincere to accuse your French
colleagues of having done the same somewhere else, doesn’t it?

Finally, there was Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan, usually
an example of level-headedness and honest analysis. He linked the
decision of the French parliament to the further economic decline of
Europe. According to Turkey’s economy supremo, the mentality behind
last week’s vote was the same as the reasoning behind the recent
efforts to save the euro. According to Babacan, both are doomed to
fail. Excuse me? One can criticize the outcome of the last EU summit
in Brussels on many points, for instance, of being too little and too
late. But I fail to understand how the complicated process of trying
to assure skeptical financial markets and European citizens that
one European currency does make sense is in any way connected to the
petty provincial political games that were played out in the French
national assembly. Such a comparison simply does not make sense at all.

All three reactions are examples of lashing out based on sheer
frustration. Not a foreign policy that befits a country that aspires
to be a regional model and a global player. I am afraid Turkey is in
the process of burning bridges that it might need one day. To mention
only one: Does refusing French cooperation in solving the Syrian crisis
really benefit Turkey? Or does it make things even more complicated
than they already are? More than any other European country, France
still has a lot of contacts and interest in Syria and is willing to
cooperate with Turkey to get rid of Assad. Eliminating that option
because you are angry and because you think you can do it all by
yourself is not even a risky strategy. It is no strategy.

From: A. Papazian

BOYER CIBLE DES HACKERS DE CHARLIE HEBDO

Le Figaro

26 dec 2011
France

La deputee UMP Valerie Boyer, dont le site internet a ete pirate
par des militants pro-Turquie, a ete victime d’anciens membres du
groupe turc Akincilar, qui s’etait attaque debut novembre au site
de l’hebdomadaire Charlie Hebdo, a affirme le nouvelobs.com. Durant
le week-end, le site de la deputee qui a defendu le texte de loi
reprimant la negation des genocides, dont celui des Armeniens,
renvoyait automatiquement a un ecran noir affichant le drapeau de
la Turquie et un message en turc et en anglais, s’en prenant au
gouvernement francais.

Selon le nouvelobs.com, le groupe “GrayHatz”, qui signe ce piratage
sur la page de la deputee, est constitue “d’anciens du groupe turc
Akincilar, hackers auteurs de l’attaque contre le site de Charlie
Hebdo debut novembre”. D’ailleurs, “peu après l’attaque du site de
Valerie Boyer, le 24 decembre au soir”, Akincilar a declare avoir
l’intention de “pirater tous les sites web des deputes francais” et
preparer “un nouveau site web” où ils entendent compiler l’ensemble de
leurs attaques et revendications en lien avec leurs “amis” de GrayHatz,
selon le nouvelobs.com, qui cite des propos du groupe Akincilar.

Le site de Charlie avait ete pirate et ses locaux detruits dans un
incendie le 2 novembre, le jour où a il publie un numero avec en
Une le prophète Mahomet “redacteur en chef” d’un journal rebaptise
“Charia Hebdo”.

Akincilar se presente comme un groupe de “cybers-guerriers” defendant
les valeurs de l’islam et de la Turquie. Il a revendique de nombreuses
attaques contre des site israeliens, armeniens ou kurdes. L’un de ses
membres, interviewe debut novembre par le JDD sous le nom de Ekber,
avait toutefois tenu a se desolidariser de l’attaque au cocktail
molotov qui avait ravage les locaux de l’hebdomadaire.

Plusieurs sites victimes de pirates turcs

La deputee des Bouches-du-Rhône, qui a egalement recu des menaces sur
ses comptes de reseaux sociaux, a porte plainte a Marseille. D’après un
site specialise turc, une centaine de sites internet lies a la diaspora
armenienne de France ont ete victimes de pirates informatiques turcs,
après le piratage du site de la deputee, auteur de la proposition de
loi francaise reprimant la negation du genocide armenien.

Le groupe de pirates nationalistes turcs Millikuvvetler.net a
revendique sur le site turc cyberhaber.com le piratage “ce jour”
(lundi) d’environ 100 sites en France lies aux activites des Armeniens
de France et aussi de politiques, notamment le depute UMP Bernard
Depierre. Les messages en turc sur les ecrans des sites pirates
s’en prenaient a la politique francaise concernant la Turquie et
accusaient la France d’avoir orchestre “le genocide des Algeriens”,
selon cyberhaber.com. “Les soldats francais ont massacre les Algeriens
et viole les femmes”, disaient ces messages.

From: A. Papazian

LE PARLEMENT ISRAELIEN SE PENCHE SUR LA RECONNAISSANCE DU GENOCIDE ARMENIEN

RFi

26 dec 2011
France

Les deputes israeliens ont debattu ce lundi 26 decembre de la
reconnaissance du genocide armenien par l’empire ottoman en 1915. Si
par le passe cette question a deja ete soulevee, elle intervient
neanmoins dans un contexte de relations tendues entre Israël et
la Turquie.

Avec notre correspondant a Jerusalem, Michel Paul

C’est la première fois qu’un tel debat se deroule publiquement a la
Knesset. Jusqu’a present la question du genocide armenien etait evoquee
uniquement par la commission parlementaire des Affaires etrangères
et de la Defense, a huis clos. Cette fois, ce sont les membres d’une
autre commission, celle de l’Education, qui se sont penches sur le
sujet a la demande de deux deputes opposes politiquement et très
differemment motives.

Quoiqu’il en soit le debat a provoque une certaine irritation a
la presidence du conseil israelienne et au ministère des Affaires
etrangères qui voulaient eviter d’envenimer les relations avec la
Turquie. Un proche conseiller du Premier ministre israelien a demande
au president de la Knesset, Reuven Rivlin, le report de la reunion
mais ce dernier a rejete la requete. ” Ce n’est pas un acte politique,
a-t-il affirme, mais en tant qu’etre humain, en tant que juif, nous
ne pouvons nier un fait historique : le genocide du peuple armenien. ”

Finalement, les deputes ont entendu des professeurs d’universites. La
proposition de loi faisant du 24 avril une journee de commemoration
du massacre du peuple armenien – un texte rejete dans le passe -,
n’a meme pas ete evoquee. Et le president de la commission, le depute
Alex Miller, a lui aussi tente de calmer le jeu : ” ce debat, a-t-il
souligne, a ete programme de longue date pour sa valeur educative. Il
n’a pas a etre rapproche de la decision prise la semaine passee par
le Parlement francais. ”

From: A. Papazian

‘CHRISTMAS ONSLAUGHT BY ETHNIC INTEREST GROUPS IN FRANCE AND US’

news.az
Dec 26 2011
Azerbaijan

News.Az interviews Javid J. Huseynov, Ph.D., General Director of
Azerbaijani-American Council (AAC) and the co-founder of the Pax
Turcica Institute (PTI).

What do you think of the recent law criminalizing the denial of
so-called “Armenian genocide”, which passed the lower house of French
National Assembly?

The adoption of the law by 50 out of 577 deputies constitutes
an unlawful attack on the freedom of speech. The World War I era
atrocities in Eastern Anatolia were never tried under any legitimate
international tribunal. No judgment was ever issued to describe these
events as a genocide per the relevant 1948 United Nations’ Convention.

This is not the case with the Holocaust and Rwanda Genocide, the two
cases identified in France as the crimes against humanity. Both crimes
were determined by international courts to constitute the acts of
genocide before France recognized them so. Thus, in the case of the
so-called “Armenian genocide”, French legislators would essentially
impose the definition of genocide and criminalize its denial by
circumventing a proper international legal process.

What should be Azerbaijan’s reaction if the law is adopted?

Azerbaijan would have to react in a unified front with Turkey,
and not only due to fraternal bonds. Ever since October 2009,
when Turkey and Armenia signed protocols to restore bilateral
relations, there developed two school of thought with regards to
reconciliation. The first approach, advocated by the US, EU and
Armenia, seeks to separate Turkish-Armenian rapprochement from the
resolution of Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The
second school of thought, advocated by Azerbaijan and Turkey, views
the two issues as inseparable. As an ardent supporter of the second
approach, Azerbaijan would have to take the most stern position
against France on the new law.

More specifically, would this affect France’s role as a co-chair of
the OSCE Minsk Group on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution?

Based on the logic I just described above, if the law is adopted,
Azerbaijan would have to question France’s position as the OSCE
Minsk Group co-chair country. That is, since Azerbaijan views the
Turkish-Armenian issue as a part of a broader reconciliation process,
after the passage of the law, France would become a non-neutral party
in the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict resolution. Not to mention that
France has already been a non-neutral arbiter ever since adopting the
2006 law recognizing the World War I atrocities in Eastern Anatolia as
“Armenian genocide”.

Recently, the Armenian news agencies, citing the Armenian National
Committee of America, announced that the US Congress allocated
$40 million in foreign aid to Armenia and maintained the aid to
Nagorno-Karabakh at $2 million.

I would like to bring clarification in regards to US assistance to the
occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, especially in light of
misinformation distributed recently by Armenian agencies. On December
17, 2011, the US Senate approved FY 2012 Consolidated Appropriations
Act (Conference Report on HR 2055), including the FY 2012 State,
Foreign Operations and Related Programs (SFOPS) Appropriations Bill
().

Unless otherwise specifically amended (to my knowledge,
it was not), the approved legislation is based on
July 26th SFOPS draft by the House Subcommittee
().

The only place, where Nagorno-Karabakh is mentioned in that document
is: “That funds made available for the Southern Caucasus region
may be used for confidence-building measures and other activities
in furtherance of the peaceful resolution of conflicts, including
in Nagorno-Karabakh.”

Furthermore, the amounts of US aid approved for Armenia and Azerbaijan
are based on the request and justification by the Department of State
( ), which,
unless otherwise amended, shows the aid of $40 million to Armenia
(as opposed to $41 million allocated in FY 2011) and $16.6 million to
Azerbaijan (as opposed to $22 million allocated in FY 2011). Again
no specific aid amounts to Nagorno-Karabakh are indicated in these
reports either.

Therefore, unlike suggested by some Armenian agencies, there is no $2
million in US aid to Nagorno-Karabakh allegedly being maintained, there
was no specific aid amount allocation for Nagorno-Karabakh in the final
FY2012 Appropriations. US legislators’ realization that allocation
of direct US aid to Nagorno-Karabakh is a waste of American taxpayer
dollars in the times of economic peril is a first major success for
Azerbaijani- and Turkic-American communities. Through the Pax Turcica
Capwiz legislative and media campaigns and Congressional testimonies,
they remained at the forefront of opposition to any direct US aid
to the puppet regime on the occupied Azerbaijani territories. The
Pax Turcica letters raising concern about the US aid to Armenia and
Nagorno-Karabakh were also published in the local newspapers in the
states of Washington and Iowa.

As you know Ambassador Bryza’s term expires at the end of this year
without the confirmation from the US Senate. How do you think this
would affect US-Azerbaijani relations?

As I mentioned in one of my interviews last year, the US foreign policy
is defined in Washington and not in Baku. Therefore, the personality
of US Ambassador serving in Azerbaijan is of little relevance to the
conduct of that policy. Unfortunately, this was not well understood
by Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA), both of
which acted to please ethnocentric Armenian-American special interest
by blocking Mr. Bryza’s confirmation in the Senate.

>>From the rhetoric used by Senator Menendez on the issue, it is clear
that the Turkish ethnicity of Matthew Bryza’s wife was a consideration
in his blocking decision.

The departure of Ambassador Bryza would negatively affect
US-Azerbaijani relations because it is influenced by Armenian-American
special interest. It clearly demonstrates that US foreign policy
towards Azerbaijan and the region is not conducted independently,
but biased under pressure of an antagonistic ethnic lobby. This
certainly stains the US image as an impartial arbiter in resolution
of regional conflicts.

The Pyrrhic victory by Armenian-American lobby on Bryza confirmation
case may also have a boomerang effect. It will now become a
priority for Azerbaijani and Turkish advocacy groups to question US
ambassadorial nominees to Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey on issues
of interest to Azerbaijani- and Turkish-Americans. For example,
the nominated US diplomats would have to be questioned about their
views on Azerbaijani Genocide, Turkish suffering during World War I,
the 1992 Khojaly Massacre, unfair allocation of US aid to the South
Caucasus, and other issues of concern.

This month, the US Congress also adopted House Resolution 306 demanding
Turkey to protect its Christian heritage and to return confiscated
church property. What is the position of Azerbaijani-Americans?

Along with four other anti-Turkish resolutions introduced in US
Congress this year, H.Res. 306 is yet another assault of ethnic
special interest groups against Turkey. This resolution is an unhealthy
attempt to accuse Turkey of religious discrimination, while numerous
US and European reports uphold the freedom of religion in Turkey. If
Congress had freedom of faith in mind while passing H.Res.

306, then why not ask Armenia, to restore Azerbaijani mosques in
Yerevan or to stop erasing Muslim heritage on its territory? How about
questioning why Athens remains the only European capital without a
single mosque?

But most importantly, H.Res. 306, introduced by Republican Congressman
Ed Royce of California, is a severe insult to the US Constitution. The
establishment clause of the First Amendment prohibits any federal or
state government from preference to any particular religion, including
Christian. Meanwhile, the US Congress passes a law asking the US
government to demand a privileged treatment of Christian religion
in Turkey.

Azerbaijani-Americans joined their Turkish counter
parts in the Pax Turcica actions against H.Res. 306
throughout the year. Pax Turcica letters denouncing this
resolution were published by the Providence Journal-Bulletin
(Rhode-Island), Staten Island Advance (New York), Sun Herald
(Mississippi) and most recently by prominent St. Louis Post-Dispatch
()
and by The Troy Record (New York). Our objective is to tell American
voters how US foreign policy and its image is being tarnished by
a limited ethnic interest through Congressional lobbying. This is
certainly a major concern that should be brought to attention in the
upcoming elections.

From: A. Papazian