Author: Babajanian Karo

ISRAEL- TURQUIE : LA KNESSET SE PENCHE SUR LA RECONNAISSANCE DU GENOCIDE ARMENIEN
par Misha Uzan

Israel infos
11 juin 2012

A la veille de la publication d’un rapport du contrôleur de l’Etat
concernant l’arraisonnement de la Flottille pour Gaza en mai 2010,
qui avait conduit a la mort de neuf militants islamistes turcs a bord
du Mavi Marmara en mai 2010, la Knesset devrait tenir un debat public
sur la reconnaissance du genocide du peuple armenien, perpetre par
les Turcs.

Depuis plusieurs annees le gouvernement et la Knesset s’etaient
abstenus de discuter de ce sujet, craignant de nuire aux relations
avec la Turquie.

La leader de Meretz a la Knesset, Zehava Gal-On, avait demande une
discussion de la question la semaine dernière, mais le debat avait ete
ecarte en raison du dossier brûlant de la loi sur les implantations
juives.

Pour Zahava Gal-On : “Israël a toujours considere avec interet ses
relations avec la Turquie.

Mais la question centrale de la reconnaissance du genocide armenien
n’a pas encore pris place a la Knesset d’Israël.

Les relations avec la Turquie sont très tendues, et je pense qu’il
est dans notre interet de ne pas les aggraver.

Mais le gouvernement israelien doit faire progresser les relations
independamment de la question armenienne, c’est une obligation
historique et morale”.

Pour elle, le ministère des Affaires etrangères d’Avigdor Lieberman
utilise le pretexte du rapport Lindentraus pour eviter d’avoir a
gerer la controverse sur la question du Genocide armenien, rappelant
que son parti ramène la question devant la Knesset, chaque annee,
“pour une question de morale”.

Ce n’est pas la première fois que le sujet arrive devant la Knesset :
Reuven Rivlin, le President de la Knesset qui a decide d’autorise le
debat sur le sujet du genocide armenien rappelle : ” Je suis entre a la
Knesset en 88, et un an plus tard, nous avons fait une suggestion pour
le choix d’une journee de commemoration de la tragedie armenienne. On
nous a empeches d’evoquer un genocide.

Mais en tant qu’etres humains, en tant que Juifs, en tant que citoyens
d’Israël, nous devons faire de cette question un sujet parce que nous
sommes dans l’obligation morale d’empecher le deni de cette tragedie.

Nous sommes debout devant tous les peuples du monde, pour dire que
le deni de la Shoah est quelque chose que l’humanite ne peut pas
accepter.”

Le plenum de la Knesset pourrait donc dès cette semaine entamer les
debats sur la reconnaissance du genocide. Ils prendront une tonalite
particulière avec la recente decision turque de mettre en accusation
l’ancien chef d’Etat Major, Gabi Ashkenazi, et quatre anciens officiers
superieurs, justement dans l’affaire du Mavi Marmara.

Selon des officiels israeliens, plus personne n’a interet a remettre
la discussion a plus tard dans le contexte actuel des relations entre
les deux pays.

Alors que la Turquie se livre depuis deux ans a des attaques et un
denigrement systematiques – Erdogan affirmait encore avant-hier,
contre l’avis des professionnels du tourisme, que la Turquie n’avait
nul besoin des touristes israeliens – il est largement temps de cesser
de menager ce pays qui ne sera jamais un allie fiable pour Israël,
et impose, dans son pays et ses satellites, des limites a l’exercice
de la democratie des opposants et des journalistes.

Rappelons que la Turquie occupe militairement en toute illegalite
depuis 1974, le nord de l’ile de Chypre – occupation non reconnue
par la communaute internationale, …tout en denoncant l’occupation
israelienne de territoires palestiniens disputes.

Israël entretient des relations economiques, politiques et militaires
très etroites avec la Republique de Chypre – la partie libre de l’ile

YOURI DJORKAEFF. A L’APPROCHE DU CHAMPIONNAT D’EUROPE DE FOOTBALL,

La Croix
Vendredi 8 Juin 2012
France

d’anciens internationaux racontent leurs glorieux souvenirs et
commentent le temps present. Aujourd’hui, un des champions du monde
de 1998 : ” De la joie, du panache, de l’envie “; Euro 2012. Memoires
du football (5/5)

par FOURNEL Jean-Francois

Jeudi dernier a Decines, une banlieue au sud de Lyon où est installee
la famille Djorkaeff depuis des decennies. Le rendez-vous etait
a 16 h 30. Detail rarissime dans le milieu du football souvent
peu soucieux des règles de courtoisie, Youri Djorkaeff est pile a
l’heure. Il descend tout juste du TGV qu’il a pris de Roissy après un
vol transatlantique depuis New York où il vit depuis 2004, d’abord
comme joueur au Metro Stars, le club où il a termine sa carrière,
puis comme retraite des terrains, goûtant la liberte d’une vie normale
avec sa femme et ses trois enfants. ” C’est la-bas que j’ai pris le
metro pour la première fois, raconte-t-il avec un sourire. Ici en
France c’etait impossible de vivre comme tout le monde, aux Etats-Unis
personne ne reconnaît les footballeurs dans la rue. ”

Après des annees de gloire pas toujours simples a porter en France, le
Snake (le ” Serpent “) son surnom en anglais s’est glisse facilement
dans la peau d’un Americain. ” Je tiens a rester un Francais a New
York, precise-t-il. Je ne demanderai jamais mon passeport americain,
ni ma carte verte. Je suis Francais et fier de l’etre. Ce pays a tout
donne a mes grands-parents quand ils ont quitte l’Armenie après le
genocide, a mes yeux c’est le plus beau du monde. Tenez, je viens de
passer près de trois heures le nez a la fenetre du train a admirer
le paysage. ”

Comme chaque mois, il est venu remplir ses fonctions de president
de l’UGA Decines (Union generale armenienne), un club local où ses
frères occupent egalement les premiers rôles a la suite du père, Jean
Djorkaeff, ancien international dans les annees 1960 qui a egalement
fait les beaux jours de l’Olympique lyonnais. ” Ce mois-ci, je suis
venu superviser le recrutement des joueurs pour l’annee prochaine,
rencontrer des sponsors et soutenir les benevoles qui en bavent avec
les gamins. Avant c’etait simple, ils leur apprenaient le football,
point final, maintenant il faut pratiquement les eduquer. ”

Cette fois, Youri Djorkaeff est moins presse qu’a l’habitude. Il a
pris le temps de parrainer une vente aux enchères au profit de la
Fondation du football, qui reverse une petite partie des benefices
des clubs professionnels au profit d’equipes amateurs ayant un projet
social. Ces trois dernières annees, il profitait de ses voyages
mensuels pour remplir ses obligations de consultant tele pour les
grands matchs sur Orange Sport. Mais la chaîne vient de fermer et
l’ancien milieu se retrouve au chômage, meme s’il refuse ce mot. ”
On n’a pas le droit de l’employer quand on a eu la chance que j’ai
connue dans ma carrière. Disons qu’une page se tourne et que d’autres
vont s’ecrire. ”

Les changements de cap ne font pas peur a ce globe-trotteur qui a
change huit fois de club et cinq fois de pays au cours d’une carrière
professionnelle qui a eu son apogee au Paris Saint-Germain en 1996,
avant de connaître la fortune que l’on sait avec les Bleus en finale de
la Coupe du monde 1998. Un fait d’armes qui le met en position legitime
pour donner son avis sur ses lointains successeurs qui entament lundi
leur Euro contre l’Angleterre. ” Cette equipe comporte de bons joueurs,
c’est certain. Vont-ils etre assez forts tous ensemble ? C’est la
question que je me pose comme tout le monde.

J’ajouterai une dimension qui me semble manquer a ce groupe : de la
joie, du panache, de l’envie. On a le sentiment que, a l’image du
football d’aujourd’hui, ils calculent tout. Moi je leur souhaite de
s’amuser sur le terrain. La victoire viendra (ou pas) en plus. ”

JAMES APPATHURAI: “. WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT AGGRAVATION OF SITUATION IN THE CONTACT LINE OF ARMENIAN AND AZERBAIJANI FORCES”

APA
June 11 2012
Azerbaijan

Tbilisi. Nizami Mammadzadeh – APA. “As NATO, we don’t intervene in war.

But we support the OSCE Minsk Group’s efforts in the settlement of
Nagorno Karabakh conflict. We observe attentively the recent incidents
in the conflict zone. We are concerned about aggravation of situation
in the contact line of Armenian and Azerbaijani troops”, said NATO
Secretary General’s Special Representative for the South Caucasus
and Central Asia James Appathurai at the press conference in Tbilisi
commenting on the aggravation of situation in the contact line of
Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, APA’s Georgian correspondent reports.

Appathurai said that NATO supported the peaceful solution of the
problem: “We hope that the tension will be deescalated”.

NATO CALLS FOR PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT

Trend
June 11 2012
Azerbaijan

NATO stands for relaxation of tension in connection with the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, NATO special
representative for South Caucasus and Central Asia James Appathurai
told reporters in Tbilisi on Monday.

“We are closely watching the developments and note that in recent
weeks, the confrontation between Armenia and Azerbaijan dramatically
escalated and this causes our concern,” he said.

Appathurai stressed that NATO is not involved in the settlement of
the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, but supports the Minsk process.

“We are for de-escalation of tension, which leads to new aggravation
of the situation in the region. We are for the peaceful settlement of
disputes on the basis of satisfying the requirements of both sides,”
he stressed.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France and the U.S. –
are currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.

Interfax, Russia
June 8 2012

Baku links escalation in Karabakh conflict zone with Hillary Clinton’s visit

BAKU. June 8

The latest provocations staged by the Armenian Armed Forces at the
contact line with Azerbaijan’s Army were linked with the visit to the
region by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Azeri Deputy Prime
Minister Ali Gasanov said.

“Obviously, some states patronizing Armenia were not pleased with the
U.S. state secretary’s visit and arranged for this incident to happen.
In any case, Armenians showed their real face to the whole world once
again,” Gasanov, who is also chairman of the State Committee for
Refugees and Displaced Persons, told journalists on Friday.

Commenting on Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s promise to
resolutely suppress any provocation targeting the state borders of
Armenia and the self-proclaimed Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, Gasanov
said: “The dogs bark, but the caravan goes on.”

“This proverb roughly describes the situation Armenia has found itself
in. It is not the first time the Armenian authorities have threatened
Azerbaijan,” Gasanov said.

International mediators’ calls to refrain from the use of weapons
should certainly be treated positively, he said.

“The countries co-chairing the OSCE [Organization for Security and
Co-operation in Europe] Minsk Group and other countries have been
making statements in the past 20 years, calling on the sides in the
Karabakh conflict to refrain from starting a war. However, the
question is what steps have been taken by the states making such
statements and playing an immediate role in the negotiating process in
order to find a solution to the problem and eliminate any need for a
war? If one looks at them from this perspective, they are nothing more
than empty statements,” Gasanov said.

“That is why President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has said more than
once that if Armenia refuses to change its position, the Azeri state,
its Armed Forces, acting on orders of the supreme commander-in-chief,
will be ready to liberate the occupied territories at any moment. This
statement made by the head of state more than once is still valid,” he
said.

“As for Sargsyan’s delirious remarks, he can say whatever he wants. He
is doing it out of fear. Armenia has found itself in a very difficult
situation because its patrons are refusing to help it one by one. And
we think that the Russian state, which holds the key to the settlement
of the Karabakh problem, will finally voice its objective position on
this issue,” Gasanov said.
Tensions have been running high near the contact line between the
Azeri and Armenian Armed Forces in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone
in the past few days.

The Azeri Defense Ministry claims that “Armenian sabotage groups” made
several attempts to cross the line, but their attacks were rebuffed.
Five Azeri soldiers were killed and several more were injured.
tm

Interfax, Russia
June 8 2012

Supply of Russian gas to Armenia halts because of pipeline repairs in Georgia

YEREVAN. June 8

Gas Transport Company Georgia has officially informed CJSC
Armrosgazprom about a temporary shutdown in gas supply via pipeline to
Armenia from Russia effective 4:00 pm, June 8, Armrosgazprom said.

The Georgian company plans to implement emergency response and
restoration operations at the Kazakh-Saguramo gas pipeline, which has
a diameter of 1,000 mm. The company will announce the restart of gas
supply at a later date.

Gas supply to Armenian consumers will be implemented, without
restrictions, by tapping gas in underground storage.

The sole supplier of gas to Armenia is CJSC Armrosgazprom, in which
Russian gas giant OJSC Gazprom (RTS: GAZP) owns 80%. The Armenian
government owns 20%.

Gas Transport Company Georgia is the operator of trunk gas pipelines in Georgia.
Ih

Interfax, Russia
June 8 2012

Yerevan’s unconstructive policy hampering Karabakh conflict settlement
– Azeri official (Part 2)

BAKU. June 8

Yerevan’s unconstructive policy hampering Karabakh conflict settlement
– Azeri official (Part 2)

The Armenian authorities are immediately responsible for the latest
events at the contact line, Elnur Aslanov, director of the Azeri
presidential administration’s Political Analysis and Information
Support Department, told journalists in Friday.

“Armenians have chosen to continue their unconstructive policy, thus
hampering a peaceful settlement of the conflict. All this proves once
again that Armenia, unlike Azerbaijan, is interested in maintaining
this status quo, which, for its part, poses a direct threat to
security all over the region and creates obstacles for the region’s
economic development,” he said.

Azerbaijan has said more than once that maintaining this status quo is
unacceptable for region, but the Armenian authorities have been
avoiding peace talks, Aslanov said, adding that this situation poses a
threat to the whole region.

Tensions have been running high near the contact line between the
Azeri and Armenian Armed Forces in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone
in the past few days.

The Azeri Defense Ministry claims that Armenian soldiers made several
attempts to cross the line, but their attacks were rebuffed. Five
Azeri soldiers were killed and several more were injured.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said a few days ago that Armenia
adheres to a peace settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict but
will react to every destabilization attempt along the contact line
with Azerbaijan.

“We do not want an escalation of tensions but we will react to every
provocative action against our citizens, borders and Karabakh,”
Sargsyan said.

The recent escalations of tensions make Russia concerned. “We are
alarmed by reports about escalating tension in the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict zone. We are particularly concerned over a sharp increase in
casualties among soldiers as a result of ceasefire violations in the
beginning of this month. There have been casualties among civilians
too,” Russian Foreign Ministry official spokesman Alexander
Lukashevich said.
tm ar

Kristopher Higgins poised to join Atom Egoyan’s `Devil’s Knot’ cast

June 9, 2012 – 17:03 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Kristopher Higgins is in talks to join the cast of
Devil’s Knot. Higgins, who appeared in season 3 of The Secret Life Of
The American Teenager, joins the already announced Colin Firth and
Reese Witherspoon in the drama about the West Memphis 3 that Atom
Egoyan is directing, Deadline reported.

The film tells the true tale of teens Jessie Misskelley, Damien
Echols, and Jason Baldwin, who were convicted in Arkansas of murdering
three 8-year-olds in 1993 despite no physical evidence.

Higgins will play Misskelley. The trio were finally released last year.

Scott Derrickson and Paul Boardman, the team behind The Exorcism Of
Emily Rose, originally wrote the film’s script; Egoyan is now working
with Boardman on a rewrite.

The film is based on the 2003 book Devil’s Knot: The True Story Of The
West Memphis Three by investigative reporter Mara Leveritt.

The book offered an in-depth chronicle of the satanic panic that
gripped the town and sensationalized trials that sent the three to
prison. Higgins is repped by ICM and Luber Roklin.

Iran plans to become hub for power transit to Europe: Official
Economic Desk

On Line: 09 June 2012 16:00
In Print: Sunday 10 June 2012

A senior Iranian energy official says the government plans to turn the
country into a hub for the transit of electricity to the European
countries.

Iran plans to facilitate power transit to Turkey and other European
states by importing electricity from several neighboring countries,
Mohammad Behzad, the deputy energy minister for electricity and energy
affairs, said on Friday.

The Iranian official further said that Iran seeks to emerge as a
center for electricity transactions across the Middle East, citing the
country’s strategic geographical position, wide power transmission
network and the annual electricity generation capacity of more than
66,000 megawatts (MW).

Behzad noted that Iran currently exports more than 1,500 MW of
electricity to the neighboring countries per second.

He referred to Iraq as the major importer of Iranian electricity,
receiving 1,200 MW of the energy, adding that power exports to Turkey
will hit 500 MW in the near future.

Iran is currently exchanging electricity with Afghanistan, Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Iraq, Pakistan, Nakhichevan, Turkey and Turkmenistan.

Seeking to become a major regional exporter of electricity, Iran has
attracted more than $1.1 billion in investments to build three new
power plants.

Los Angeles Times
June 10, 2012 Sunday
Home Edition

A happy reunion of note

Vahe Hayrikyan thought his cello, stolen in 1996, was gone for good

BY: STEVE LOPEZ

At 2 o’clock on the afternoon of Jan. 6, 1996, cellist Vahe Hayrikyan
of Sun Valley parked on North Martel Avenue in Hollywood and entered
an apartment building to meet with his pianist about a recital. Twenty
minutes later, he stepped back outside to find his car window smashed.

His car stereo was gone, but that was replaceable. Also gone was his
cello, a 200-year-old blond beauty, which was not. Nor were his two
bows, one of which had been given him by a dear friend and was worth
roughly as much as the cello.
“I felt as if I was having a heart attack. Everything stopped,” said
Hayrikyan, a music teacher and member of the Pasadena Orchestra.

His hands knew every inch of the cello’s fine maple features and
artfully crafted scroll. He was told that the instrument might be
Italian-made and probably worth far more than the few thousand dollars
he had paid for it.

“It becomes a part of your life, of your soul, of your body,” said
Hayrikyan. “I felt a very deep emptiness.”

It was a feeling he’d experienced once before. Hayrikyan bought the
cello in Armenia in 1986 but couldn’t get it out of the country
because the Soviet Union was restricting the flow of instruments. So
Hayrikyan had left his cello with a friend when he moved, in 1990, to
the U.S. Two years later, his friend managed to transport the cello
first to Czechoslovakia, then England, and finally to Los Angeles,
where Hayrikyan and his cello were reunited in 1992.

And then the theft. Hayrikyan kicked himself for having left the cello
in his car. But the vehicle’s windows were tinted, it was the middle
of the day and, regrettably, he was a little too trusting.

Hayrikyan immediately went to the police to file a report, then did a
little detective work on his own, to no avail.
“Do you know how many pawn shops there are in Hollywood?” he asked.

His next move was to sign up for a national stolen instrument
registry, so that if anyone tried to unload it at a music store,
they’d get flagged. But months passed, then years, and hope slowly
faded. Hayrikyan bought another cello and moved on, but he never
forgot about the one that got away.

I’ll get back to him in a moment. But first, a little detour.

Early in 2011, 15 years after Hayrikyan’s instrument went missing,
Gary Mandell, the owner of Boulevard Music in Culver City, bought a
used cello as a rental instrument. He paid $900 to a friend who had
been given the cello in lieu of payment for a house-painting job.
Mandell forgot about the cello for a few months, then saw an ad in The
Times for instrument appraisals and figured he’d find out what the
cello was really worth.

Unclear, said the appraiser. Maybe $5,000 or $10,000.

The cello instructor at Mandell’s shop, Kevan Torfeh, thought it might
be worth far more and recommended different appraisers, none of whom
could agree on the true value. Mandell eventually shipped it to
Chicago, where a nationally known appraiser was stumped about its
origins and sent it back.

Early this year, Mandell decided to try to sell it. Two people were
interested, and by chance, I’ve met both of them.

The first was Mandell’s friend Robert David Hall, an actor who lost
both legs in a highway collision many years ago and plays a coroner on
“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.” Hall introduced President Obama in
2010 at a White House celebration marking the 20th anniversary of the
Americans With Disabilities Act, and I was there along with my friend,
former Juilliard student and skid row resident Nathaniel Ayers. Ayers
performed at the same event.

Hall offered $7,500 for the cello, which he wanted to give to his wife
as a present. But Torfeh, the cello teacher, wanted it too. Torfeh,
who has played with my friend Nathaniel in concert with the African
American Chamber Music Society Orchestra, offered $8,500, but Mandell
had already agreed to the deal with Hall.

Here, I should point out that Mandell calls Torfeh “Columbo,”
apparently for an occasionally rumpled appearance and a clunky old
car. Well, Columbo was at home one night in February when it occurred
to him that there was something oddly familiar about the cello. For
one thing, the rosin in the case was a French brand favored by a
friend of his. And the same friend always went to a repairman named
Anthony Lane, whose name was on the bridge of the cello.

The friend was Vahe Hayrikyan, and “Columbo” called him immediately to
say he was almost certain he’d cracked the case of the missing cello.

Hayrikyan was elated, but also cautious. He braced himself against
disappointment as he drove to Boulevard Music. He was carrying a
folder with photos of the cello, but Mandell got all the evidence he
needed when Hayrikyan knew the name on the bridge and described a
triangle-shaped repair on the neck. Hayrikyan handed him a business
card that had a photo of the very cello on it.

Alas, Hayrikyan opened the case to find his cello, just as he’d left
it. The two bows were still there, too.

Mandell had just lost out on a $7,500 payday. But as a musician
himself, he was thrilled to reunite another musician with a prized
instrument that had been on the lam for 16 years.

Hayrikyan covered Mandell’s expenses and agreed to give a concert at
the shop later this year. To his friend Kevan “Columbo” Torfeh, he
gave one of the two bows.

On Friday morning, all three men gathered at Mandell’s shop on
Sepulveda. Hayrikyan brought the cello with him and, in the quiet of
the shop before it opened for business, delivered a beautiful
rendition of the Bach Cello Suite No. 2 in D minor.
When he was done, and the applause fell quiet, Hayrikyan smiled and said:

“I still can’t believe it.”