Author: Badalian Vardan

CHOUCHI, CAPITALE HISTORIQUE FANTÔME DU HAUT-KARABAGH
Philippe Schaller

Le Monde

10 nov 2011
France

L’aire de jeux a piètre allure. Les nacelles deposees a terre
rouillent depuis des annees dans l’indifference generale. Plantee
sur un plateau, la ville de Chouchi a valeur de symbole. Capitale
historique du Haut-Karabagh, elle a a subi de graves dommages en 1992
lors du conflit entre l’Armenie et l’Azerbaïdjan. La ville representait
une position militaire cle, surplombant la plaine de la Koura.

Dans la petite ville devastee, les images du passe bousculent celles du
present. Chouchi recèle des vestiges de l’architecture russo-armenienne
du XIXe siècle. Bâtiments publics, hôtels particuliers ou residences
de notables melent la pierre et le bois.

Certaines vieilles maisons aux balcons ouvrages ont resiste aux
ravages du temps, comme le palais Natavan, surnomme le “palais de
la fille du khan”. La cathedrale Saint-Sauveur (Amènaprkitch), qui
avait servi d’entrepôt d’armes et de munitions par les Azeris, a ete
largement restauree. L’eclatante eglise blanche se dresse fièrement
au-dessus de la ville.

Les deux mosquees de Chouchi n’ont pas eu la meme chance. Très
deteriorees, videes de leurs meubles et ouvertes aux quatre vents,
elles temoignent de la mefiance des Armeniens a l’egard des Azeris,
musulmans.

Les voyageurs ont l’habitude de contourner le rocher de Chouchi pour se
diriger directement vers Stepanakert, la capitale du Nagorno-Karabakh
(“Karabagh montagneux” en russe). Mais la ville constitue un passage
oblige pour les Armeniens de la diaspora. Pomme de discorde entre
l’Armenie et l’Azerbaïdjan, le Haut-Karabagh est une republique
autoproclamee. Ce petit Etat de 11 000 km², enclave au c~ur de
l’Azerbaïdjan, n’est reconnu par personne, meme s’il entretient des
relations privilegiees avec l’Armenie, partageant la meme monnaie et
le meme peuple.

Ses paysages vallonnes, son altitude elevee, ses habitants rugueux
dans leur comportement mais d’une hospitalite comme on en connaît peu,
en font une destination hors du commun. A travers les murs delabres
de Chouchi, c’est l’histoire des Armeniens dans la region qu’il faut
voir. Ses puissants remparts du XVIIIe siècle, dont il ne reste pas
grand-chose, temoignent de son glorieux passe. Sous le giron russe au
debut du XIXe siècle, Chouchi connaît un developpement extraordinaire.

Elle s’impose meme comme l’un des principaux centres commerciaux et
culturels de Transcaucasie. Pour les Armeniens, c’est la troisième
ville phare après Istanbul et Tbilissi.

Difficile a croire, tant Chouchi n’est aujourd’hui plus que l’ombre
d’elle meme. Redevenue armenienne en 1992, elle paraît videe de
ses habitants. Une ville fantôme. Seuls 3 500 personnes y vivent
actuellement. “Chouchi a perdu 60 000 habitants en vingt ans, au
profit de la nouvelle capitale Stepanakert, toute proche et bien mieux
equipee”, raconte Armen, un Armenien de France rentre au pays. Lors
du conflit avec l’Azerbaïdjan, de nombreux residents sont partis a la
guerre. “Beaucoup y ont perdu la vie, d’autres ont prefere se tourner
vers l’Armenie, jugeant la situation au Karabagh trop difficile pour
eux”, poursuit Armen. Resultat, des dizaines de maisons abandonnees
en pleine ville s’effondrent au gre du temps. Dans le meme temps, des
projets immobiliers pharaoniques voient le jour, sans se preoccuper
de savoir qui pourrait bien habiter ces centaines de logements.

Mais des habitants reviennent, comme Armen. Il a fonde ici une sorte
de MJC où il propose, pour 5 000 AMD (environ 10~@), l’accès a une
table de ping-pong, deux ordinateurs, un billard… Non loin de la,
un centre d’art a vu le jour : les enfants peuvent s’initier a la
peinture, la danse, le theâtre ou la photographie. Dorenavant, les
habitants restent a Chouchi. Mieux, ce cadre paisible en attire de
nouveaux. Peu a peu, la ville renaît de ses cendres.

‘AZERBAIJANI INTELLIGENCE IS MORE SUPERIOR TO ARMENIAN’

news.az
Nov 10 2011
Azerbaijan

The idea behind the successful invasion of Nagorno-Karabakh by the
Armenian is fundamentally a false and misguiding notion. This response
came from the military expert Jasur Sumarinlu commenting on the
statements made by the Chief of the Department of Intelligence,
Major General Arshak Karapetyan.

According to Karapetyan, the victory of Nagorno-Karabakh by the
Armenian forces is correlated with the superior Armenian intelligence
over Azerbaijan’s.

Karapetyan even stated that the Armenian forces are so much more
superior to Azerbaijani that the military intelligence of Armenia
is aware of every step that Azerbaijan plans to take. He added that
although Azerbaijani military intelligence has had the chance to cross
over to the Armenian side, Azerbaijani military has yet to discover
and capture members of the Armenian intelligence force.

Azerbaijani military expert Sumarinlu responded to his remarks as
nothing but misinformation. Sumarinli said that the only reason why
Armenia has had any luck in the military development was only due to
the military and economic support provided to Armenia by Russia.

‘The role of Armenian intelligence in their own success is slim to
none. I know for a fact that the Azerbaijani intelligence is far
more superior, even during the Karabakh war. Last year we caught an
Armenian military intelligence officer, and by means of exchange he
was returned back to his own country. This is just one example from
dozens of stories that I have had personally heard about the captured
members of the Armenian intelligence,’ noted Sumarinlu.

Sumarinlu also considers the comments made about Turkey by the Armenian
general to be absurd.

“Turkey’s political, military, official and nonofficial circles have
repeatedly stated that the armed forces of Azerbaijan and Armenia
cannot be compared. Azerbaijan is ahead of the Armenian military
development. The superiority is based on several aspects, such
as battle tactics, logistics, human and financial resources, and
economic development. Turkey is considered Azerbaijan’s number one
supporter, and up to this day they have provided more than $200m in
military assistance. Therefore, they know exactly how much development
Azerbaijan has experienced in the past decade,” stated Sumarinlu.

US FEDERAL APPEALS COURT REVISITS ‘ARMENIAN GENOCIDE’ LAWSUIT

Today’s Zaman
Nov 8 2011
Turkey

Armenians demonstrate to remember what they call the “genocide” for
tragic events in 1915 when up to 1.5 million Armenians are claimed
to be killed at the hand of Ottomans. (Photo: Reuters)

A federal appeals court on Monday took up the thorny issue of whether
California law declaring there was an Armenian genocide in Turkey
conflicts with US foreign policy.

At issue is a state law that labels the deaths a genocide, allowing
heirs of Armenians killed in the Turkish Ottoman Empire to pursue a
lawsuit seeking life insurance payments from three German insurers.

It’s the third time in two years the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals
has confronted the politically charged question. In a rare move,
the court reversed itself last year after a judge changed her mind
and turned a 2-1 ruling rendered in 2009 in favor of insurers into
a 2-1 decision supporting the heirs’ lawsuit.

On Monday, the court’s chief justice announced in a brief statement
that a majority of judges had voted to rehear the case – a move that
wipes out the 2010 decision.

The insurers, which include Munich Re AG, argue California’s law
should be struck down because it conflicts with US foreign policy,
which they say sides with Turkey in refusing to call the Armenian
deaths genocide. Turkey describes the deaths as resulting from civil
unrest that accompanied the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.

The insurers point to decisions by former presidents Bill Clinton
and George W. Bush to defeat congressional legislation that would
have recognized an Armenian genocide.

Lawyers for the heirs argue those presidential views are not official
policy. They say the United States lacks a formal position, which
means the California law is not in conflict with any national policy.

Armenians claim that up to 1.5 million Armenians were slaughtered at
the hands of Ottoman Turks in 1915, but Turkey rejects the allegations,
saying that the number is inflated and that both sides suffered
losses. Nearly a million ethnic Armenians live in California and
constitute large portion of the electorate in the southern part of
the state.

ARMENIA SET TO PUBLISH ‘GENOCIDE’ TESTIMONIALS

Hurriyet Daily News
Nov 9 2011
Turkey

Armenians gather to mark the 94th anniversary of the mass killings
in this file photo. AP photo

The National Archives of Armenia will publish three volumes containing
eyewitness accounts of the 1915 incidents, the archival director
announced during a press conference Nov. 8, according to Los
Angeles-based Armenian daily Asbarez.

“The first volume is ready and is currently being translated
into Russian and English. The second volume is being prepared for
publication. The first volume is devoted to the province of Van, the
second to the province of Bitlis, the third to the province of Erzurum
(Garin),” said Amatuni Virabyan, adding that each volume would have
around 500 pages.

The publication is being funded by donations. Virabyan said
the initiative was a continuation of an effort begun in 1916 by
legendry author Hovaness Tumanian, who formed a commission to gather
testimonials of survivors from the 1915 incidents. These documents
have been archived in Armenia, he added.

Virabyan expressed hope that the effort would contribute to the
international recognition of the 1915 incidents as “genocide.”

The archives director also said Turkey was stepping up its efforts
to falsify history.

CONGRESSMAN ADAM SCHIFF CALLS FOR AT LEAST $10 MILLION ASSISTANCE TO NAGORNO-KARABAKH

news.am
Nov 10 2011
Armenia

Armenian Americans are joining with friends of Armenia from across
the United States in making a final push for U.S. House and Senate
conferees to include pro-Armenian provisions – including report
language mandating at least $10 million for Nagorno-Karabakh – in
the Fiscal Year 2012 foreign aid bill, reported the Armenian National
Committee of America (ANCA).

The ANCA website – – hosts an action alert, complete
with phone scripts, for community activists to use in calling on
their legislators to support Armenian American priorities in the FY12
foreign aid bill.

Last week, Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) sent a letter urging the
Chairmen and Ranking Members of the Senate and House Appropriations
Subcommittees on State-Foreign Operations, to “direct USAID and the
Department of State to focus not less than $10 million for humanitarian
and development programs in the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh.”

In a statement accompanying his letter, the California legislator,
who serves on this foreign aid panel, stressed that:

“Given the continued drumbeat of bellicose rhetoric emanating
from Azerbaijan, it is more important than ever that the United
States support the right of self-determination of the people of
Nagorno-Karabakh. Directing these resources to Nagorno-Karabakh
will not only help the people of Karabakh cope with humanitarian
crises resulting from the twin blockade by Turkey and Azerbaijan,
but it will also help to stabilize the region by demonstrating our
continued commitment to a peaceful resolution of the conflict.”

ARMENIAN MUSLIM CLERIC IN RUSSIA MURDERED. CRIMINAL CASE LAUNCHED

ArmeniaDiaspora.com

Nov 10 2011

Epress.am — In the Russian city of Yaroslavl, the second imam of the
local mosque, Artur Manukyan, 29, was found dead with four gunshot
wounds to his chest in his home on Nov. 9. A criminal case has been
launched under charges of murder.

As reported by Interfax news agency, investigators don’t rule out the
possibility that the murder was committed on ethnic grounds and that
someone was hired to kill him.

Manukyan was appointed to the position of second imam in 2010. He
received his religious education at the Ulugh Beg Madrasa in Bukhara,
Uzbekistan. Manukyan’s father is Armenia, but his mother is Tatar.

Note, this is the third murder of a Muslim cleric in the last two
months in central Russia. On the night of Sept. 18, also murdered in
his home was Abakar Kadi Magomedov, a member of the Muslim community
of Yaroslavl’s central mosque. Then on Sept. 24, acting imam of the
Ivanovski mosque Fouad Rustamhodzhaev was shot just outside his home
as he was returning from the mosque.

ARMENIA: FLYING BLIND WITH $400 MILLION DEFENSE BUDGET

EurasiaNet.org

Nov 10 2011
NY

Where does the need for state secrecy end, and the public interest in
governmental transparency begin? That’s a question posed increasingly
by Armenian civil society activists in reaction to news that Yerevan’s
defense budget is increasing by 5.6 percent.

On November 1, parliament increased Armenia’s 2012 military budget
to 150 billion drams (about $400 million) — the country’s biggest
annual defense outlay ever. But how exactly – and how efficiently
— the ministry will spend those additional funds is proving to be
anybody’s guess. Defense spending has long been considered off limits
to public scrutiny.

Few Armenians question the need for a strong military; the country
has a wobbly cease-fire with Azerbaijan over the disputed territory
of Nagorno-Karabakh. Energy-rich Azerbaijan’s military budget stands
at a massive $1.76 billion (over 1.38 billion manats) for 2012 – an
amount that makes many Armenians wonder how their government plans
to make the best use of Yerevan’s far more limited financial resources.

“In a state of frozen war with Azerbaijan, when the opponent’s budget
is six times bigger than Armenia’s military budget, a question
keeps coming up: ‘How are they [Armenian officials] spending that
small budget of ours?'” asked Emma Hunanian, a representative of a
non-governmental organization, Soldier and Right, that lobbies for
army soldiers’ interests. “Not always are we given the answer to
that question.”

Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian told parliament that the additional
funds would be spent on “increasing the number of professional soldiers
and the acquisition of new arms and armaments.”

Any other information is considered out of bounds for public debate.

The Chamber of Control, which monitors Armenia’s state budget,
periodically makes outraged statements about various government
offices’ financial wrongdoings, but it has never publicized any
information about the Defense Ministry’s spending habits. A 2010
audit of the ministry was deemed “strictly classified.”

One civil rights group’s attempt to get answers about the ministry’s
budgetary practices met with a broad roadblock. “We were asking for
data about the share of the military budget that’s spent on provisions,
stationery and household equipment, which cannot be a state secret,”
recounted Artur Sakunts, head of the Vanadzor office of the Helsinki
Citizens’ Assembly. “However, even through the courts, we were unable
to acquire information. It’s a state secret, and there is no way
around it.”

Defense Ministry spokesperson David Karaperian responded that it is
only natural for the ministry to keep information about its budget
and spending practices classified. “We work openly to the extent that
it isn’t threatening to our national security,” Karaperian said.

But the ministry risks losing public trust by operating in such a
closed system, objected Varuzhan Hoktanian, executive director of
the Anti-Corruption Center, the Armenian affiliate of anti-corruption
watchdog Transparency International. “Questions keep coming up with
each passing day, and that lack of trustworthiness can be more damaging
than working openly,” Hoktanian said.

The deaths of 23 army conscripts this year in non-combat-related
incidents have raised a major wave of general public distrust toward
Armenia’s army, as well as calls for the resignations of President
Serzh Sargsyan and Defense Minister Ohanian.

While opposition political parties have joined in the cries of outrage
over the non-combat deaths on conscripts, they routinely sidestep
discussions about the military’s budget. Opposition Heritage Party MP
Armen Martirosian, a member of parliament’s Financial and Budgetary
Committee, commented that he is convinced that “the budget is spent
mostly appropriately.”

“Risks of violations of the law and corruption are somewhere else;
for example, commanders abusing their position demand bribes, start
businesses, but the budget expenses are mostly incurred as planned,
” Martirosian asserted.

Independent military expert Artsrun Hovhannissian, a former Defense
Ministry employee, meanwhile, asserted that officials are for the most
part responsible in their procurement practices. Research that he has
carried out over the past decade shows that “although there have been
certain cases of financial abuse and administrative shortcomings”
in military spending, such abuses have not been “to an extent which
could put the country’s military effectiveness at risk.”

He conceded, however, that “[t]here certainly is a need for creating
some control mechanisms, in order for the monies to be put to their
best use.”

Sakunts scoffed at the notion that Defense Ministry officials can
be trusted, and that no oversight mechanisms are necessary. “There
are no signs of trust-inspiring [behavior] that make us believe [the
ministry] has no corruption issues,” he said. He cited a report from
one unnamed expert who alleged that the ministry was reporting an
official purchase price for “a type of military equipment” that was
more than five times the amount actually paid.

Acting out of a spirit of “ostensible patriotism” and declining to
hold the Defense Ministry publicly accountable for its expenditures
“might have irrevocable consequences for the development of our
military force,” he added.

Countered military analyst Hovhannisian: “[W]e are in a state of war
and the demands of making everything transparent are not justified
in this case.”

Editor’s note: Gayane Abrahamyan is a reporter for ArmeniaNow.com
in Yerevan.

DIYARBEKIR CONFERENCE TO HOST ARMENIAN, TURKISH SCHOLARS

hetq
22:29, November 10, 2011

A scientific meeting on the topic of the “Social and Economic History
of Diyarbakir and the Region” will be held from November 11-13 at
Sumerpark Reception Hall, Yenisehir, Diyarbakir

The conference is being jointly sponsored by International Hrant Dink
Foundation, the Diyarbakir Metropolitan Municipality Directorate for
Cultural Affairs, the Diyarbakir Chamber of Commerce and Industry
and the Diyarbakir Institute for Political and Social Research.

Esteemed academics such as David Gaunt, Herve Georgelin, Raymond
Kevorkian, Hans Lukas Kieser, Janet Klein, Barbara J. Merguerian,
Vahe Tachjian and Jelle Verheij, along with academics from Turkey will
present papers at the meeting, organised to understand and analyze
the social and economic transformations in the Diyarbakir province
between 1838 and1938 and to enlighten the social and economic history
of the area.

The event will be broadcasted live on

LAMBERTO ZANNIER: MINSK GROUP PROCESS IS THE ONLY VIABLE FORMAT

ARMENPRESS
NOVEMBER 10, 2011
YEREVAN

Italian diplomat Lamberto Zannier became OSCE Secretary General June
30, 2011, taking the place of Mark Perre deBrishambo. OSCE Secretary
General Lamberto Zannier gave an exclusive interview to Armenpress on
OSCE challenges and goals, as well as on the process of NK conflict
settlement.

The OSCE was created to ensure cooperation and security from Vancouver
to Vladivostok. What do you think has the organization been successful
in achieving this basic goal?

The situation in the OSCE area has dramatically changed since 1975
and the Helsinki Final Act. The OSCE has contributed to many of the
positive developments in our region. For example, during the Cold War
the Organization (then called the CSCE) helped to reduce military
tensions and supported civil society in fighting for human rights;
we helped and continue to help states in transition. Through our
field presences in the former Yugoslavia we have aided post-conflict
rehabilitation and democratization efforts, bringing those countries
towards their stated goal of European integration.

Many countries in our region are celebrating 20 years of independence
this year. This includes our current chair, Lithuania, whose
citizens enjoy rights, freedoms and a level of security unthinkable a
generation ago. So we can point to many improvements in security and
co-operation, not just at the state level, but also for individuals
and communities. On the other hand, there are still old challenges as
well as new threats that we must face together, if we are to achieve
our goal, agreed on by all 56 OSCE States at the Astana Summit last
year, of a genuine Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian security community.

What are the main challenges for the organization nowadays and what
new tools is the OSCE elaborating to fix them?

Security threats have changed in the 21st century. The OSCE is
increasingly focusing on transnational threats such as terrorism, human
trafficking and other forms of organized crime as well as tensions
that arise over issues such as energy security or environmental
challenges. These new threats can only be tackled by the joint
efforts of states, so co-operation is more important than ever –
through high-level political dialogue and by creating links between
different agencies and organizations at a working level.

We are also looking at ways to enhance our operational effectiveness.

This year under the Lithuanian Chairmanship of the OSCE, we have had
a series of discussions on how to better deal with conflicts and all
parts of the conflict cycle. We are looking at how to ensure that there
is action following an early warning and how we galvanize the necessary
political will to act quickly in conflict and pre-conflict situations.

The OSCE has long been working to ensure stability and peace in the
South Caucasus. In your assessment what have been the main achievements
in this region? What are the main challenges that still remain?

The OSCE has been working very hard over many years to ensure long
term stability. The South Caucasus is a region which still presents
security challenges. Confidence-building and reconciliation is a slow
and difficult process that can have setbacks. We would all want to see
quick progress, but patience, resolve and perseverance are needed to
build the trust needed to generate progress. The OSCE has put at the
disposal of all stakeholders in the region its tools and mechanisms
for conflict prevention and will continue to operate with the goal
of advancing security, stability and prosperity.

Now let’s turn to the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, as the OSCE Minsk Group
is dealing with it for so long. Azerbaijan has tried to change the
format of the negotiations. How do you assess these steps and do you
think that the Minsk Group format is still an accurate one?

It is tempting to focus on formats, but I prefer to focus on the
substance of the negotiations. We have seen steps forward before within
the framework of the Minsk Group when there has been political will,
and I firmly believe that with commitment and good faith progress
is possible.

The international community always states that status-quo around
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should change. In your opinion what
mechanisms have to be undertaken in order to achieve this objective?

There have been far too many incidents along the Line of Contact
recently – more than 20 fatalities already this year. So no, we can’t
continue like this. The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Lithuanian Foreign
Minister Audronius Ažubalis, has called on the sides to withdraw
snipers from the Line of Contact, and obviously I support that. I would
also emphasize the importance of implementing the confidence-building
measures agreed between the Presidents in Astrakhan and Sochi. The
OSCE, is ready to assist in the implementation of these measures.

The leadership of Azerbaijan is using militaristic rhetoric almost
every day. Don’t you think that in these conditions the peaceful
settlement of the conflict is becoming harder and what steps in your
opinion should be taken to avoid this kind of rhetoric?

Both sides have repeatedly agreed that a peaceful settlement is the
only long-term solution. Finding a settlement requires patience and
determination. It takes courage for leaders to speak out for peace
and to prepare their people for compromises, and I urge the leaders
of Armenia and Azerbaijan to make the public case for peace.

In 2012-2013 elections are expected not only in Armenia and Azerbaijan
but also in OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries. In your opinion
is it possible to at least achieve consensus on the Basic Principles
of the settlement before that?

There is a window of opportunity now and I urge both sides to make
every effort to seize it. The Minsk Group Co-Chairs, with the support
of the international community, are working hard to bring the sides
to agreement on the Basic Principles and I remain optimistic.

Additional Question

Recently in one of your interviews you said that Turkey can play a
positive role in the settlement of Nagorno-Kharabakh issue. In what
ways do you think it can be done taking into account the position of
Turkey in the issue showing unilateral support to one of the parties
of the conflict?

Turkey has a role as it is part of the Minsk Group, which through the
Co-chairs from France, Russia and USA leads the OSCE’s efforts to find
a political solution to this protracted conflict. The Minsk Group
process is the only viable format accepted by all: any negotiation
format has to be accepted by the parties that are in the negotiations,
and this is also the case for the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. In this,
as in any negotiation context, it is also necessary to take into
account all relevant factors, including the regional dynamics. And
if the conflict in itself has remained largely frozen, the overall
situation in the larger region has evolved. This factor needs to be
taken into account as well: in fact, overall improvements of relations
between all key actors in the region would create better conditions
for progress. If Turkey intends to play a more visible role, taking
into account its geo-strategic position, this can only happen if
it is agreed with all relevant stakeholders. This is a message I
also brought to Turkey, pointing to the fact that an improvement of
relations between Armenia and Turkey would promote reconciliation and
more open contacts between the peoples of the region, thus creating
better conditions for conflict resolution. And if this happened,
I would certainly welcome it.

IRAN IS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF BUSHEHR NPP NEW BLOCKS

ARMENPRESS
NOVEMBER 10, 2011
YEREVAN

Iran is interested in construction of new blocks of the Bushehr
nuclear power plant, and head of Rosatom Sergei Kiriyenko believes it
is possible, Armenpress reports, citing ITAR-TASS. “We are working
on it, as construction of new energy blocks does not cause doubts
from the international community and is not a sensitive issue,”
he told a presidium of Russia’s government on Thursday.

“This would require certain addendums to the intergovernmental
agreement, and we are working on this with the foreign ministry,”
he added.

Russia’s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin wanted to learn “if the Iranian
side has expressed suggestions regarding construction of new blocks.”

“Yes, it has,” Kiriyenko replied.