Author: Badalian Vardan

SORRY APOLOGIES
By: Garen Yegparian

Armenian Weekly
Fri, Aug 19 2011

It seems we’re living in a time of apologies-some meaningful, some
irrelevant; some asked or demanded, others received or refused;
some for current and others historical offenses. Everyone seems to
want to get into the act. And, apologies, when given, are often of
questionable worth.

The pundit-ocracy was abuzz with President Clinton’s apology for
slavery in 1998. The House of Representatives followed suit, a mere
decade later. What good did this do the descendants of the slaves?

Similarly, the Turkish apology campaign of 2008, while a welcome sign
of (miniscule) progress, didn’t get us anything.

But apologies are being demanded more often than given, lately,
it seems.

We have President Sarkissian challenging President Aliyev to issue an
apology for saying that “something is missing from the Armenian brain”
with no remorseful outcome.

We have P.M. Erdogan demanding an apology from Sarkissian over his
comments to a child about the restoration of Western Armenia to its
rightful owners.

We have Turkey demanding apologies from Israel for the flotilla fiasco
of a year ago.

We have Israel wondering when Turkey will apologize for Cyprus.

Of course, the last of these is the closest one to relevance, and
points out Turkey’s perfidy. After committing genocide, massacring
people, and occupying others’ lands (Armenians, Assyrians, Cypriots,
Greeks, Kurds, Zazas, etc.), anyone in Turkey should be utterly
ashamed, totally cowed, and nowhere near the mindset that currently
exists-that asks others to apologize. Yet, the egomaniacal Erdogan
and his minions go about shamelessly doing just that!

We should be filling the letters pages of newspapers with missives
of ridicule at this situation. Don’t wait! The next time some Turkish
leader (of Turkey or Azerbaijan) comes up with one of these ridiculous
demands, let loose with your keyboard, and hound your local newspaper
until they publish your outrage.

MISSING RUSSIAN SATELLITE FOUND OFF THE DESIGNATED ORBIT

PanARMENIAN.Net
August 19, 2011 – 17:26 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The Russian Express-AM4 communication satellite,
missing after the August 18 launch, could not separate from the booster
and was found off the designated orbit, a source in the Russian space
program said on Friday, August 19.

Experts said the satellite is useless unless separation from the
Briz-M booster rocket is performed, RIA Novosti reported.

“If separation from the booster fails, the spacecraft is done for,
it won’t be able to perform the designated tasks,” an expert said on
the condition of anonymity.

Another expert said the satellite was designed to operate at a
geostationary orbit at a fixed station-keeping point which it was
unable to reach.

“The booster creates a huge additional burden and the satellite’s
propulsion engine, which is not designed for maneuvering with
additional weight, won’t be able to take the satellite into the
assigned geostationary orbit and station-keep it in the orbital
position,” the expert said.

The satellite’s launch and orbital operation has been fully insured
for 7.5 billion rubles ($259 million).

Russia’s Proton-M rocket with the Express-AM4 satellite was launched
from the Baikonur Space Center in Kazakhstan early on Thursday but
mission control failed to establish communication with it.

RUSSIAN-ARMENIAN GUNNED IN MOSCOW

Tert.am
19.08.11

Unknown men attacked a Russian-Armenian in Moscow at 4am on Friday,
the Russian Lifenews reported.

Karen Harutyunyan, 30, was with his girlfriend Yulia Pererva, 23,
when the unidentified men opened fire on them from a traumatic gun.

The perpetrators shot three times at Harutyunyan’s head, arms and
chest.

His girlfriend received wounds from shots at her head, uterus and
thighs.

Both were hospitalized and are now at the rehabilitation department
at a hospital in Sklifosovski.

The motives of the crime are unknown.

CIVIC GROUPS RAISE “URANIUM SCARE” IN OPEN LETTER TO PRIME MINISTER

hetq
16:35, August 19, 2011

Following is an open letter sent to RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan

Dear Mr. Prime Minister

We have been informed through unofficial sources that studies ordered
by the government have unearthed uranium at the Hrazdan iron mine.

This news has naturally raised the concern of local residents.

Thus, we request that the government issue an official statement
either confirming or denying such information.

Hrazdan Aarhaus Center

Forests for the Next Generation, NGO

Children’s Support Foundation

Kotayk Advocacy and Assistance Center

Hrazdan Television

OSHEEN KESHISHIAN: NO NEW POSITIVE SIGNS

Noyan Tapan

19.08.2011

(Noyan Tapan – 19.08.2011) By Prof. Osheen Keshishian

Despite efforts by the international mediators, the European Union
members and particularly Russia, the Nagorno Karabakh settlement
issue does not seem to be imminent.

The OSCE Minsk Group as well as Armenia and Azerbaijan got ready
for the Kazan Meeting (June of this year), but nothing tangible was
accomplished, except it became evident that Azerbaijan put a monkey
wrench during the discussions, as Armenia’s Foreign Minister stated.

Now, Azeri officials, publicly and approvingly are referring to the
10-points that Azerbaijan introduced during the meeting, thus creating
more problems for the future negotiations.

It is interesting that the international mediators are aware of
Azerbaijan’s new proposals, and are not bringing them up. It is
very clear now that even the Azeri media is bringing that to the
front burner.

While Nagorno Karabakh, according to the then existing Constitution’s
self-determination clause declared independence, yet Azeri President
Ilham Aliyev several times stressed that Nagorno Karabakh is part
of Azerbaijan and Azerbaijan will not relinquish an inch of land
to NKR and will give Nagorno Karabakh an autonomous status… As if
that was not enough, he even stated that Nagorno Karabakh was under
Azerbaijani rule for the past 600 years (sic). No one asked him as
to when did Azerbaijan get established? Was there an Azerbaijan 600
years ago? I think that the Armenian government or historians should
react to this statement and put the record straight, because the more
the unaware people read it, the more they start believing in it.

Similarly, Aliyev made a militaristic statement at a press conference
in Baku on July 29 that “there will come a time when Azerbaijan will
restore its sovereignty over Nagorno-Karabakh through peaceful or
military means.” Reaction?

One Azeri political analyst even went so far to say that the United
States is supporting Karabakh so that it can use the Karabakh’s
Stepanakert airport to attack the countries nearby….

Armenia’s President has kept his cool and countenance. Following the
diatribe by Aliyev, who had mentioned that “something is missing in
the heads” of Armenian leaders, clearly and simply responded at a
press conference “Is that a statement by a normal individual, let
alone a leader of a country”.

Similarly, following the Medvedev-Aliyev meeting in Sochi on August 9,
when options were to be discussed to resolve the matter, no progress
was recorded and everything remained on the same level.

In their analyses, Azeri observers go so far, to mention that Russian
President Dmitry Medvedev’s efforts to assist in the resolution of
the conflict in the Caucasus is related to the upcoming elections in
Russia because if he is able to achieve some improvement, it will be
for his benefit and a chance to improve his image with the Russian
people. And, because Armenia and Azerbaijan are small countries,
the West is not very interested in resolving the issue. That’s a view.

Probably the situation will not change for a while as new means are
not being developed by the mediators.

GEORGIAN ACTORS, OPPOSITION FIGURES BACK SACKED DIRECTOR

Tert.am
19.08.11

Several Georgian actors and directors launched a rally on Thursday
to support Robert Sturua, a stage director sacked recently from the
Tbilisi Drama Theatre.

According to the Georgian news agency Gruzia Online, around 200 people,
including prominent opposition figures Nino Burdhanadze, Kakha Kukava
and Eka Beselia ,had gathered outside the Ministry of Culture.

Actor Beso Zanguri, an organizers of the rally, said they were
voicing their protest against what he called an illogical step by
the Georgian authorities.

“The authorities will receive complaints from other Georgian theatres
too. Today, we will decide what steps to take. But we will definitely
give reasonable answers to the authorities’ illogical steps,” he said.

Director Zaza Svanidze, another protester, said there are no real
reasons for sacking the director.

Referring to Sturua’s statement that Saakashvili was an Armenian by
his father’s side, he said the it did not imply anything that could
be considered xenophobia.

ON AUGUST 19 “MASHTOTS” EXPEDITION LED BY ZORI BALAYAN IS BACK HOME FROM ITS WORLD JOURNEY

armradio.am
19.08.2011 17:27

At the “international” airport the expedition was welcomed by the
Minister of Diaspora Hakobyan, other officials, NGO representatives,
expedition members, relatives, friends and compatriots.

May 28 2009. – Valencia started the “Mashtots” expedition traveling
over the world and ending their journey on 20 th anniversary of the
Republic of Armenia.

On the ceremony dedicated to the end of boating in Cypriot port
city Limasol head of the expedition “Mashtots” Zori Balayan said,
that the expedition of St. Mesrop Mashtots started the journey from
the Mediterranean waters, sailing trough the Gibraltar Strait, in
the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. The head of expedition’s
staff members in all the five continents where Armenians has lived
for centuries and there are millions of our compatriots have carried
out all their tasks.

UN CELEBRE METTEUR EN SCENE GEORGIEN LIMOGE POUR XENOPHOBIE
Stephane

armenews.com
vendredi 19 aout 2011

Le celèbre metteur en scène georgien Robert Stouroua, connu pour ses
prises de position contre le president Mikheïl Saakachvili, a ete
limoge par le ministère de la Culture pour des commentaires juges
“xenophobes”, a-t-on appris mercredi auprès du ministère.

Le ministre de la Culture Nika Rouroua a decide de “relever Robert
Stouroua de ses fonctions de directeur artistique du Theâtre national
Chota Roustaveli”, selon un decret consultable sur la page du ministre
sur Facebook.

“Nous ne financerons pas la xenophobie. La Georgie est un pays
multiculturel”, a declare M. Rouroua en expliquant sa decision a la
television georgienne.

Le ministre faisait reference a une interview du metteur en scène le
20 mai a l’agence de presse Sakinformi dans laquelle Robert Stouroua
a declare que le president Saakachvili ne connaissait “pas les besoins
des Georgiens parce qu’il est armenien”.

“Je ne veux pas que la Georgie soit dirigee par un representant d’une
autre ethnie”, a-t-il ajoute dans cette interview.

Le metteur en scène n’a pas commente les raisons de son limogeage.

“Je fais la fete, je dors, je mange des fruits. Je suis libre”,
ecrit-il sur sa page de Facebook où plusieurs messages de soutien
lui ont ete envoyes.

Robert Stouroua, 73 ans, est l’un des metteurs en scènes les plus
connus de l’ex-URSS pour ses mises en scène de pièces de Brecht,
Shakespeare, Tchekhov ainsi que de classiques georgiens.

La construction du theâtre Roustaveli, le plus grand et le plus
celèbre de la georgie, a ete financee par un mecène armenien, Alexandre
Mantachev, en 1901.

CESARIA EVORA TO GIVE CONCERT IN ARMENIA

news.am
Aug 18, 2011
Armenia

YEREVAN. – “Barefoot diva”, world famous Cesaria Evora will give a
concert in Armenian capital on September 29.

According to press reports, her concert will be held within Yerevan
Perspectives project. No details have been disclosed.

Cesaria Evora was born in 1941 in Cape Verde. She has been singing
since she was 17 but managed to record her first album at 43.

JORDAN SUPPORTS AZERBAIJAN’S POSITION IN RESOLUTION OF KARABAKH CONFLICT

news.az
Aug 18, 2011
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijani ambassador to Jordan Elman Arasli met with chairman of
the Chamber of Deputies of the parliament Faisal Faiz.

Azerbaijan’s ambassador to Jordan Elman Arasli said the meeting
participants discussed mechanisms of development of cooperation between
the parliaments of Azerbaijan and Jordan, mutual visits of the chairmen
of parliaments, as well as representatives of the interparliamentary
group of friendship.

During the meeting Elman Arasli provided information about the reforms
in the country, as well as the current state of Armenian-Azerbaijani
conflict over Nagorno Karabakh.

In turn, Faisal Faiz said that his country supports Azerbaijan’s fair
position in the resolution of the conflict in Nagorno Karabakh.

The chairman of the deputies chamber stressed importance of
strengthening interparliamentary ties between the two countries.