Author: Andres-Papazian

OPINION: SOCIOLOGISTS THROW DUST IN PEOPLE’S EYES

12:20 pm | Today | Social

Our fellow citizens are informed about public opinion polls as much as
they are told by sociologist Aharon Adibekyan: either the incumbent
president or the pro-government candidate wins in all presidential
elections.

“They try to dazzle people making the impression that they had
conducted an inquiry,” says Ani Mejlumyan.

Part of our citizens believes that none of the sociologists possesses
the base to extort from people the name of the candidate they prefer.

“They (sociologists) think that they might harm themselves therefore
they are most cautious,” said Tatev Ohanyan.

The leader of the Democratic Party of Armenia (HDK), Aram Sargsyan,
says sociologists in Armenia tend to ‘rig’ elections before the
election day. It would be much better if a sociologist were also
a psychologist.

“Why don’t our compatriots complain of difficult and miserable
conditions? They go and vote for the same person instead,” he said.

M. Sargsyan is certain that authorities participate in polls to ensure
their leadership on the list.

“This again testifies that even surveys are controlled,” he stressed.

Vahagn Gevorgyan, a member of the opposition Armenian National Congress
(HAK) recalled that two weeks before the 2008 presidential elections
Aharon Adibekyan said [HAK Leader] Levon Ter-Petrosyan would get 11
percent of votes.

“I expect the same scenario to repeat during the 2013 presidential
race,” said the HAK representative.

There were people among our respondents who knew Aharon Adibekyan
but did not have the slightest idea about opinion polls.

From: A. Papazian

COLLECTIVE DEFENSE: RUSSIA PREPARES ITSELF FOR CONFLICTS IN POST-SOVIET ZONE

WPS Agency
October 9, 2012 Tuesday
Russia

COLLECTIVE DEFENSE

by : Vladimir Mukhin
Source: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, No 209, October 9, 2012, p. 1

RUSSIA PREPARES ITSELF FOR CONFLICTS IN THE POST-SOVIET ZONE; Countries
of the CIS Collective Security Treaty Organization run join exercises.

Exercises Clear Sky’2012 and Indestructible Brotherhood’2012 of the
CIS Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) were organized
on the territories of Russia and Kazakhstan. Official sources call
the exercises planned in advance and arranged to ensure security of
the countries that comprise the CSTO – Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan,
Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan.

If the legends of the exercises in question are any indication,
CSTO troops might be committed to battle in the near future – say,
in Nagorno-Karabakh in the Caucasus and somewhere in the Central
Asian region.

President of Armenia Serj Sargsjan recently commented on frequent
incidents on the border with Azerbaijan. In fact, Sargsjan did not even
rule out the possibility of another a new war over Nagorno-Karabakh. In
Central Asia, the matter comes down to water issues, according to
Uzbek leader Islam Karimov. Uzbekistan suspended its membership in
the CSTO this summer and vitalized contacts with the United States
and NATO (much to Russia’s chagrin).

Meeting with servicemen of the 201st Military Base in Tajikistan,
President Vladimir Putin said that “… NATO no longer performs the
function it was established to perform during the Cold War era.” The
Russian leader said as well that official Moscow would like the
Alliance to remain within the margins set by its own charter. “Its
unwillingness to do so creates threats… We cannot help formulating
our defense policy in such a manner as to neutralize these threats,”
said Putin.

Russia and its CSTO allies therefore run joint exercises and practice
neutralization of the threats in question.

[Translated from Russian]

From: A. Papazian

ONE ARMENIAN KILLED AND TWO WOUNDED BY A BALLOT OF A SNIPER IN ALEPPO

ARMENPRESS
11 October, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 11, ARMENPRESS: 55- old – Armenian Jean Tahan was
killed by Free Army sniper ballot orchestrated in Gondol Square ,
outskirt of Aleppo. In the words of Jirayr Reisyan, Aleppo National
Primacy press secretary according to a preliminary data another young
Armenian Hovik Tampalyan aged 25 was also injured by the same
bullet. According to the interlocutor the latter is under the
supervision of doctors. “The health condition is not concerning”
Reisyan noted, Armenpress reports. As Resiyan informs rumors about
35-old Gevorg Talshyan wounded by a ballot of a sniper in Aleppo New
Village district are confirmed. According to the doctors the ballot is
still in the body of the sufferer. Our Syrian compatriot is also
currently under the supervision of doctors. Fortunately his life is no
longer in danger.

From: A. Papazian

THERE SHOULD BE AN ATTEMPT ON THE PART OF AZERBAIJAN TO OVERCOME ITS PATHOLOGICAL ARROGANCE. HERALD ONLINE

ARMENPRESS
11 October, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 11, ARMENPRESS: Azerbaijan, a country with
no expatriate community or economic interests in the West US,
established a consulate in Los Angeles a few years ago to wage war
on Armenian-Americans. In order to fight this sizeable segment of
the US West Coast community, Azerbaijan employs tactics of malicious
propaganda, such as the recently placed article, “Armenia Has Lost
the War”, reports Armenpress citing Harold Online. Signed by the
Azeri Consul General, the article made its public appearance on
account of the efforts of high-priced public relation firms and
lobbyists.Armenia and Armenians have been victim to soiled campaigns
funded by Azerbaijan’s government since the breakdown of the Soviet
Union where several sovereign countries emerged-including Azerbaijan
and the Republic of Artsakh. Azerbaijan, rich in oil, attempted to
prevent the people of Artsakh from becoming independent and sent troops
and warplanes to crack down on civilians. In recent years, this has
become a familiar pattern where people take their destiny in their own
hands and defy the tyrants who ruthlessly order death squads against
school children and helpless elderly. The people of Artsakh paid a
high price for their independence, but won their right to elect their
own democratic institutions and raise their children in a free country.

The generation living, working and advancing Artsakh today is 21 years
old and has not seen Soviet- Azeri occupation. And this generation
will never tolerate living under Azerbaijan’s rule with its despotic
hereditary regime, medieval hate speech and repugnant racism. The
article mocks the international community – the OSCE’s Minsk Group,
co-chaired by France, Russia and the United States and places the
onus for the failure to achieve progress on Armenia. The mediation
has not resulted in a breakthrough solution yet – but uniquely because
of Azerbaijan. The current compromise solution presented by the Minsk
group is acceptable by Armenia, while Azerbaijan refuses it even after
several modifications to meet its intransigence. Quoting some dubious
statistics meant to testify to Armenia’s vulnerability, the Azeri
Consul fails to understand the fundamental root of Armenia’s strength.

Due to our harrowing history, we have long become a global nation with
a global footprint. Our families are scattered around the world and
have global stakes. We remain connected to our homeland with strong
bonds and solid relationships. We live with our country through
problems and successes to such an extent that Armenia’s issues,
including Artsakh’s “frozen conflict” with Azerbaijan, often become
domestic issues in third countries. There should be an attempt on
the part of Azerbaijan to overcome its pathological arrogance and
understand that in the face of threats, Armenians around the world
will mobilize and stand united-from besieged Aleppo to laidback Sao
Paolo. The Consulate of Armenia works with the community, day-in, day
out and has witnessed this strength and allegiance first hand. This
was the case 21 years ago, too, when the people of Artsakh righteously
fought for independence. The Azeri government sees the source of its
supremacy over Armenia in Azerbaijan’s oil reserves. Oil is a blessing
for any country with responsible governance and civil society. For
Azerbaijan, it is a curse! The resources are single-handedly managed
by the Aliev Dynasty and little goes into the physical and human
infrastructure of the country. Hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijani
citizens live in substandard conditions, but the government spends
tens of millions of dollars to awkwardly promote its international
prestige. The Azeri leadership’s unbridled frenzy to buy itself an
improved image invariably results in embarrassing situations. War is in
no one’s interest. The people of Azerbaijan should not be fooled by the
perceived sense of prosperity and military might. They should not be
blinded by hate speech and racism. They should not accept militaristic
actions of their government–a government that pardons and glorifies
a heinous murderer who beheaded his fellow Armenian student in his
sleep at a NATO training seminar. Armenia will continue to depend
on its grassroots and build on its only comparative advantage – its
people and its desire to build a viable and democratic state. We,
in Armenia and all around the world, only hope that Azerbaijan will
review its assessment of Armenia’s potential and actual strength,
thus sparing us all more bloodshed and destruction.

From: A. Papazian

RUSSIA TO RAISE TWO SUNKEN SUBS TO PREVENT RADIOACTIVE POLLUTION

PanARMENIAN.Net
October 11, 2012 – 16:44 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The Russian Defense Ministry is planning to raise
and scrap two sunken nuclear submarines in the northern Barents and
Kara seas in order to prevent potential radioactive pollution of the
area, RIA Novosti reported citing the Izvestia newspaper.

The ministry will announce an international tender, which may include
companies from the France, the Netherlands, South Korea and United
States, as the Russian Navy does not have the necessary equipment
to carry out deep-sea salvage operations, Izvestia said, citing a
military source.

The B-159 (K-159), a November class nuclear submarine, sank in the
Barents Sea in August 2003, 790 feet (238 m) down, with nine of her
crew and 1760 lbs (800 kg) of spent nuclear fuel, while being moved
for dismantling.

The K-27 was an experimental attack submarine built in 1962 and
decommissioned in 1979 due to its troublesome nuclear reactors. Her
reactor compartment was sealed and the submarine was scuttled in the
eastern Kara Sea in 1982 at the depth of 220 feet (75 m).

After the sinking of the Kursk nuclear submarine in 2000, Russia has
bought a number of deep-sea submersibles from the UK and Iceland,
but these vessels are designed for search-and-rescue operations rather
han salvage work.

Two Dutch companies, Mammoet and Smit International, contracted by
the Russian government, salvaged the Kursk in 2001.

Meanwhile, the wreck of another sunken submarine, the Komsomolets,
will most likely forever remain at the site where it sank in a 1989
accident, as a salvage operation would be too costly and dangerous.

The K-278 Komsomolets nuclear submarine sank in the Norwegian Sea
on April 7, 1989, south of Bear Island. The submarine sank with its
active reactor and two nuclear warheads on board, and lies at a depth
of 5,560 feet (1,685 m).
Content-Type: MESSAGE/RFC822; CHARSET=US-ASCII
Content-Description:

MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
From: Mihran Keheyian
Subject: Russia to raise two sunken subs to prevent radioactive pollution

Russia to raise two sunken subs to prevent radioactive pollution

October 11, 2012 – 16:44 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The Russian Defense Ministry is planning to raise
and scrap two sunken nuclear submarines in the northern Barents and
Kara seas in order to prevent potential radioactive pollution of the
area, RIA Novosti reported citing the Izvestia newspaper.

The ministry will announce an international tender, which may include
companies from the France, the Netherlands, South Korea and United
States, as the Russian Navy does not have the necessary equipment to
carry out deep-sea salvage operations, Izvestia said, citing a
military source.

The B-159 (K-159), a November class nuclear submarine, sank in the
Barents Sea in August 2003, 790 feet (238 m) down, with nine of her
crew and 1760 lbs (800 kg) of spent nuclear fuel, while being moved
for dismantling.

The K-27 was an experimental attack submarine built in 1962 and
decommissioned in 1979 due to its troublesome nuclear reactors. Her
reactor compartment was sealed and the submarine was scuttled in the
eastern Kara Sea in 1982 at the depth of 220 feet (75 m).

After the sinking of the Kursk nuclear submarine in 2000, Russia has
bought a number of deep-sea submersibles from the UK and Iceland, but
these vessels are designed for search-and-rescue operations rather
than salvage work.

Two Dutch companies, Mammoet and Smit International, contracted by the
Russian government, salvaged the Kursk in 2001.

Meanwhile, the wreck of another sunken submarine, the Komsomolets,
will most likely forever remain at the site where it sank in a 1989
accident, as a salvage operation would be too costly and dangerous.

The K-278 Komsomolets nuclear submarine sank in the Norwegian Sea on
April 7, 1989, south of Bear Island. The submarine sank with its
active reactor and two nuclear warheads on board, and lies at a depth
of 5,560 feet (1,685 m).

From: A. Papazian

SUPREME COURT CHAIRMAN OF SLOVAKIA VISITED ECHMIADZIN

ARMENPRESS
11 October, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 11, ARMENPRESS: His Holiness Supreme Patriarch and
Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II hosted the delegation headed
by Stefan Harabin , Slovakia’s Supreme Court Chairman accompanied
by Arman Mkrtumyan , Armenian Chairman of the Court of Cassation,
Ashot Ghahramanyan , Armavir Province Administative Union head and
Slovakia’s Armenian Community head Ashot Grigoryan.

As press service of Mother See told Armenpress, His Holiness expressed
gratification over the cooperation established between two countries’
judicial structures. In the course of the meeting His Holiness
conveyed his greetings and blessings to Slovakia’s authorities about
the friendly attitudes showed towards Armenian people habiting in
Slovakia. Karekin II also welcomed Slovakia’s authorities for the
assistance to Armenian nation and their resolute stance over Armenian
Genocide recognition and condemnation issue.

From: A. Papazian

KAVAHAN. PEOPLE LIVE HERE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE BRIGHT FUTURE

Wednesday, 10 October 2012 20:31

One of the picturesque villages of Martouni region is Kavahan that
reminds of Bakunts’s Mtnadzor plunged into luxuriant forests and
majestic cliffs. Maybe I would have never learnt of Kavahan if I had
not participated in the arrangement dedicated to the 39th anniversary
of missing soldier Merouzhan Gevorgyan.

There are only 25 families living in the village, only 14 children
attend the local school and, as the school headmaster assures, they
have no first-grade pupil in this academic year.

The reality of Kavahan is disappointing: lack of primary living
conditions, no telephone communication, impassable roads, ruined
houses, migration from the village… There are plenty of problems to
enumerate but the honest and humane inhabitants of Kavahan consider
the lack of water, transport and telephone communication superior to
the others.

The rural administration, the medical post, the local club and the
school are all situated in a squalid building. The inhabitants of the
village note with regret that recently a large family left the village,
the village lost 9 inhabitants because of the lack of high school.

How people lived in this village at the world’s end I found out in
aged couple Anya and Gourgen’s family. They are one the old families of
the village. They had a large family, their six daughters got married
and now none of them lives in the village, their son Meruzhan was
reported missing during the war.

They live in a two-storey house but the elderly inhabitants of the
village are also going to leave it. The reason is the more comfortable
house allocated to them in another village, whereas the government
could have solved the problem of this house and the old family would
never have to leave the native village.

It is impossible to avoid a sincere and sociable Kavahan inhabitant’s
hospitability while round the table you realize clearly that each
village has its traditions and its heroes who try to forget their
sufferings neglecting sorrow and looking forward to the bright future.

When we were going to bade farewell to the family, lady Anya, full of
excitement, said to us, “It is hard even to die without hope while to
live without any hope is impossible, I expect for Meruzhan to come,
endow this house with fresh life and never let his parents leave
the village…”

Mariam Sargsyan

From: A. Papazian

LITHUANIA HOSTS ARMENIAN THEATER DAYS

PanARMENIAN.Net
October 10, 2012 – 21:09 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Lithuania is currently hosting “Atspindy”
international theater festival of solo performances, with Armenia
among the participants.

As the spokesman of Theatrical Figures’ Union of Armenia Vlad Muradyan
told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, the Armenian delegation comprises
ARMMONO international theater festival director Marianne Mkhitaryan,
H. Paronyan State Theatre actress Zaruhi Khachatryan and RA Honored
artist Robert Hakobyan.

The event to run until October 14 will feature “Armenian theater days”
in Lithuanian cities of Vilnius, Kaunas and Visaginas.

Yerevan hosted ArmMono international theatre festival on February
29-March 5, 2012.

The one-actor fest featured performances by Armenian, as well as
foreign artists, with some of them holding master classes for the
students of Yerevan State Institute of Theater and Cinema.

From: A. Papazian

PROSPEROUS ARMENIA PARTY LEADER TO PRESS FOR IMPARTIAL INVESTIGATION INTO OSKANIAN CASE

/ARKA/
OCTOBER 10, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, October 10. / ARKA /. Gagik Tsarukyan, leader of the
Prosperous Armenia Party, said today he will be watching closely the
investigation into the money laundering charges brought against a
senior member of his party, former foreign minister Vartan Oskanian
as he met with U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Heffern, saying also
that the investigation must be unbiased and transparent.

On Monday, Oskanian was summoned to the National Security Service (NSS)
and was formally charged with one count of particularly large-scale
theft and one count of money laundering. Oskanian was also asked to
testify as a ‘defendant’ in the high-profile case, but he refused to
do so invoking his constitutional right.

Iveta Tonoyan, press secretary for Gagik Tsarukyan, told ARKA that Mr.

Tsarukyan hired the best lawyers to scrutinize the charges against
Oskanian, who confirmed that they are ungrounded. Tsarukyan told the
ambassador that he instructed the lawmakers from the party to make
strong statements in support of Oskanian.

The U.S. ambassador said the charges brought against Armenia’s former
foreign minister Vartan Oskanian ‘are bad for justice and democracy
in Armenia’. He stressed that the timing of these events in relation
to the election schedule is troubling.

Oskanian was stripped of his immunity last week by the National
Assembly after a majority of his fellow lawmakers allowed his
prosecution in a secret ballot boycotted by the parliamentary minority
factions, including his Prosperous Armenia Party.

Oskanian argues that his prosecution had “political implications”
saying the government’s goal is to “step up pressure” on him and
his party.

Oskanian is charged by the National Security Service with
misappropriating a $1.4-million donation that was made by U.S.

philanthropist Jon Huntsman Sr. to his Yerevan-based Civilitas
Foundation in late 2010.

From: A. Papazian

ARFD’S STANCE ON ARMENIA-TURKISH PROTOCOLS UNCHANGED – PARTY REP.

PanARMENIAN.Net
October 10, 2012 – 21:35 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenian-Turkish protocols signed three years ago
haven’t lost their legal value, ARF Dashnaktsutyun’s Armenian Cause
Political Affairs Office Director said.

“Turkey is of the same standpoint. As for the ARF Dashnaktsutyun,
its position on the issue remains the same,” Giro Manoyan told a
press conference in Yerevan.

“ARFD stood against the protocols. Armenia must withdraw signatures
from the document as it doesn’t benefit from it. Instead, Turkey gained
an opportunity to suspend the Armenia Genocide recognition campaign,”
he said.

“Armenian authorities need the signatures to be viewed as a reliable
partner in international arena,” Mr. Manoyan said, citing President
Serzh Sargyan’s statement, which claimed Armenia will withdraw
signatures from the protocols, if Turkey doesn’t ratify the document
in reasonable terms.

“Armenia’s withdrawal of signatures won’t undermine the regional
stability. It will prove that Armenia is guided by its own interests,”
he said.

On October 10, 2009 Armenian and Turkish Foreign Ministers signed
protocols expected to be ratified by parliaments of both states.

From: A. Papazian