Author: Badalian Vardan

GLENDALE RESIDENT CHARGED WITH SMUGGLING ARMENIANS INTO U.S. VIA MEXICO

Glendale News Press
Sept 10 2014

by Tony Perry, Los Angeles Times
September 9, 2014 | 9:28 a.m.

Reporting from San Diego–

A fourth person has been charged with being part of what federal
prosecutors in San Diego say was an international ring devoted to
smuggling Armenian nationals into the United States without proper
documents.

Maria Yanakopulus, 57, of Glendale, was charged Monday with attempting
to bring three Armenians across the San Ysidro border with phony
green cards, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Two other Glendale residents — Varduhi Avagyan, 42, and Meri
Avetisyan, 40 — were arrested in November. Grigor Chatalyan, 44,
of North Hollywood, was arrested in June and charged with being
the ringleader.

Prosecutors accuse the group of charging Armenian nationals as much
as $18,000 each to be flown to Moscow and then to Cancun, Mexico.

Once in Cancun, they were brought to Tijuana where they received
immigration documents that had been issued to other people,
prosecutors said.

Yanakopulus is charged with conspiracy and three counts of bringing
illegal aliens into the U.S. for financial gain. If convicted on all
counts, she faces between five and 15 years in prison.

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ONLY THE PERSON SITTING IN KREMLIN DOES NOT WANT TO SEE

Igor Muradyan, Political Analyst
Comments – 10 September 2014, 19:52

Is there a real doctrine on Eurasia? Of course, there is, but Russia’s
present plans have nothing to do with this. Why?

The Eurasian doctrine is a civilization doctrine, not a badly
cooked hodgepodge, and the Eurasianism can be brought into being
as a cultural-historical bloc. Of course, one may argue what this
characteristics means but, in any case, one has to choose between a
Euro-Asian and Eastern European community.

In addition, Eurasianism in its acceptable format of a stable and
substantial community, may be set up only in the mode of close
cooperation with the Euro-Atlantic community or, at least, in the
mode of open confrontation with it.

The current invented and fully artificial “Eurasian project” is
falling apart, and only the person who sometimes sits in the Kremlin
does not want to see this. A marginal and isolated bloc, especially
in an allegedly confrontation mode, cannot come into being.

Why are Belarus and Kazakhstan increasingly demonstrating intentions
to set up new dimensions in cooperation with the West and other
global centers of power? Because A. Lukashenko and N. Nazarbayev
understand how dangerous isolation in the so-called “Russian world”
is. One can forgive such things as economic and social failures,
political failures but nobody in a normal state will forgive the loss
of national sovereignty.

The “Russian world” means loss of sovereignty for any state, whether
small or big. It is not ruled out that despite their lasting tenure A.

Lukashenko and N. Nazarbayev remain learning politicians and cannot
understand all at once.

At the same time, the U.S. administration and a number of European
countries have realized their mistakes in planning and integration of
the Western community with the countries of Eastern Europe. Mistakes
have been made but now there are sufficient signs of what stronger
centers of power in the Western community have understood that
continuing isolation and blockade of the countries of Eastern Europe
for different political-ideological and military-political problems is
meaningless, and it is time to finish with the policy of past decades.

In other words, return of “Bushism” is underway but in a different
stylistics. Not a shade of “Clintonism” has been left in the U.S.

policy. B. Obama has taken the United States so far into
pseudo-Pacifism that hardly anyone believed in such a turn but the
American establishment has demonstrated its “strategic pluralism”
once again in history.

This policy only opens up opportunities for the policy of Russia which
leads to lasting stagnation in international development. The West does
not need to recognize a completely European nation, the Byelorussians,
as a surrogate of “Eurasianism”, which is neither comprehensible,
nor specific. The problem of Belarus is that hardly anyone in the
West or Russia has a good understanding of this country.

Belarus has a lot from the typical European or rather Central European
culture. It is hard for the Russians to understand that Byelorussians
are not Russians. They are close but different ethnicities and
nations. The Kazakh and Kyrgyz people are classic Eurasian peoples
who do not fit the Anatolian Levantism or European civilization goals
or Confucian cultural-historical space or the Islamic community.

These two countries do not even fit the format of Central Asia and are,
no doubt, a unique world, closer to Russia than anyone else.

However, these countries do not demonstrate a wish to lose independence
and delegate sovereignty to Russia, even in the face of Chinese
expansion.

But only elite can think so, and such thinking is a criterion of
a national elite. Armenia has neither elite nor counter-elite or
anti-elite. The notions of independence and sovereignty of the country
mean nothing to those who are now determining the future of Armenia and
are a serious obstacle to their welfare and security of their income.

The ruling regime in Russia, pretending to historical territories
and declaring protection of rights of the Russian population, would
allegedly be able to resolve if not all, at least most of these issues
over the past 25 years. However, no serious attempts were in place.

There was demagogy and money laundering based on chauvinistic
propaganda.

In reality, the “Eurasian doctrine” means depriving states of
the rights to choice of foreign policy, i.e. sovereignty. This is
considered as a factor of security of Russia.

Vladimir Putin and someone else have been made believe that Russia
is strong, it has stood up to its feet and, this conviction continues.

The question occurs whether Russia can cope with domestic problems.

However, such formulation of the issue is dilettantism. In the modern
world, the country is first brought to the necessary “condition”
and then is left to float.

One way or another, it will become clear that the Moscow-based ruling
regime is controllable despite the criticism of conspiracy theory.

However, famous suppositions on catastrophes in Russia will not
happen. It will be saved as always. In any case, Russia’s chief and
basically official expert on conspiracy theory does not deny that
the general objective of the West is removal of the ruling regime
of Moscow.

CHORRORD ISHKHANUTYUN: ARMENIA TO HOLD CONSTITUTIONAL REFERENDUM IN 2016

11:18 10/09/2014 ” DAILY PRESS

The commission for constitutional reforms will discuss the draft
concept of constitutional reforms with the representatives of the
Venice Commission in September in Armenia and then, after getting the
approval of the Venice Commission, in October, the document will be
submitted to President Serzh Sargsyan, Chorrord Ishkhanutyun writes.

According to the calculations of the authorities, the constitutional
reforms will be put to a referendum in 2016, especially given the
fact that Armenia will hold parliamentary elections in 2017.

Source: Panorama.am

Sergey Minasyan: Chuck Hagel’s statement not to produce results

Monday, September 08, 2014

The United States continues to call on Russia to fully withdraw its
forces from Georgia’s borders, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said
during a press conference with his Georgian counterpart Irakli
Alasania, Lenta.ru reported. Chuck Hagel arrived in Tbilisi for an
official visit on September 7.

The United States continues to call on Russia to fully withdraw its
forces from Georgia’s borders, Hagel said, adding that the United
States welcomes the restraint Georgia has shown in this situation.

“Russia’s actions here and in Ukraine pose a long-term challenge that
the United States and our allies take very seriously,” Hagel said in
his speech, according to U.S. Department of Defense.

Commenting on this statement by Chuck Hagel, political scientist
Sergey Minasyan told Panorama.am: “The U.S. defense secretary’s
statement will not produce any results. Troops will not be withdrawn”.

In Minasyan’s words, political figures and diplomats sometimes make
statements while understanding clearly that nothing will come of it.

TODAY, 14:26
Aysor.am

Neither Obama, nor Putin can solve the Karabakh conflict if the sides
do not want themselves

12:51 | September 8,2014 | Politics

Today, we have an official status, but there is not a real discussion,
an analyst at the Carnegie Endowment in Washington, said on Monday
during a Yerevan-hosted discussion on the Karabakh issue.

“The [conflicting] sides are either engaged in patriotic rhetoric or
are limited to reporting news,” Thomas De Waal said during the
discussion held at the Media Centre.

The expert confesses that it is difficult for him to offer a solution
to the conflict because the situation is getting more and more
complicated. “In the given situation, I think it would be better to
create a platform for organizing meetings of the presidents of the
conflicting sides, of course, with their consent. If the parties do
not express a desire to solve the problem, believe me, neither Obama,
nor Putin can do anything for them,” he said.

Sahin Rzayev, Country Director of the Institute for War and Peace
Reporting in Azerbaijan, who also participated in the discussion, said
people in his country are convinced that the war is not over yet.

Get Religion
Sept 8 2014

As Lebanese Christians re-arm themselves, AP writes a powerful account

By Jim Davis

Finally, tragically, the jihad of the so-called Islamic State and
other groups is approaching Lebanon. And a masterful Associated Press
newsfeature captures the facts and feelings with admirable sweep.

News of conflicts and atrocities has spread almost as fast as the
jihadis themselves, filling Christians in Lebanon with “dread,” as AP
aptly terms their reaction. “If they come, they will slit our throats
for no reason,” a rifle-toting villager tells AP.

As the Christians buy guns and take defensive positions, Reporters
Bassem Mroue and Zeina Karam present intense snapshots and broad
brushstrokes alike in this indepth, which reads fast despite its
1,200+ words. Here’s an example:

Christian refugees from Iraq and Syria are now sheltering in Lebanon,
sensing safety in a pluralistic country which has the largest
percentage of Christians in the Middle East. Lebanon is also the only
Arab country with a Christian head of state.

But the fear has spread to Lebanon as well. This week, after a video
was posted online showing a group of boys burning an Islamic State
flag in a Christian neighborhood of Beirut, vandals spray-painted the
outer walls of several churches in northern Lebanon with the words:
“The Islamic State is coming.”

In Qaa and Ras Baalbek, two Christian villages in the northeast, on
the border with Syria, the anxiety is palpable. Many of the thousands
of expatriates who used to spend the summer here stayed away this
year. Restaurants and the villages’ main squares were deserted on a
recent day.

The AP story reports on increasing attacks on the borders and
propaganda even in Beirut, the Lebanese capital. The story also works
in background on Christians in Iraq and Syria as well as Lebanon, with
numbers, and assessments of strength.

The article recalls how various groups — such as Arabs, Kurds,
Assyrians, Syriacs and Armenians in the northeastern Syrian region of
Hassakeh — traditionally lived together in peace before the current
onslaught of the so-called Islamic State and other jihadi groups.

There is so much data here, in fact, that the numbers and proper names
threaten to overwhelm us readers. It would have helped to include a
regional map showing where the various groups lived, and perhaps where
they’ve had to flee. I’ve heard, for instance, that many Christians
fled Iraq for Syria, only to get caught in still more fighting — and
often direct persecution.

Backing up the facts are six quoted sources on various levels. They
include a political activist in a border town, Lebanon’s foreign
minister, a militiaman, a father and two housewives. Many people
fearfully spoke only on condition that their real names not be used,
AP reports.

Where are the Christians getting weapons? That’s an irony of recent
history, as AP notes:

The arming effort is backed by some leftist and communist Lebanese
militias who have long had weapons. The Shiite armed group Hezbollah
has also indirectly supported such efforts, seeing the communities as
a first line of defense for Shiite towns and villages in Lebanon’s
eastern Bekaa region.”

The paragraph also illustrates AP’s habit of political labeling by
western categories. Elsewhere, the story mentions the “right-wing
Phalange party” and the “right-wing Christian Free Patriotic
Movement,” without explanations. The “leftist” and “rightist” tags,
borrowed from French politics of the 18th century, don’t necessarily
fit social and political movements in the Middle East.

That’s a minor flaw in an otherwise powerful account of the jihadi war
and its Christian targets. The article is a fine example of reporting
under conditions that are difficult at best, and — as the murders of
journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff remind us — dangerous at
worst. As newspapers increasingly cut back, indepth reports like this
are needed more than ever not just to inform, but to foster
understanding.

Don’t leave the AP story without viewing the 10-photo slideshow. It
shows churches, villages, refugees and aid in food and water — a
poignant filmstrip on the Middle East Christians’ plight:

Paruyr Hayrikyan: Serzh Sargsyan failed everywhere (video)

20:20 | September 8,2014 | Politics

Serzh Sargsyan has failed in all spheres, Chairman of the Union for
Self-Determination (AIM), said on Monday outside the presidential
palace where he was holding a sit-in.

“At first he spoke in favour of the European Union, then, all of a
sudden, he changed his stance and looked for closer cooperation with
Russia’s Customs Union,” said Paruyr Hayrikyan.

He reminds that the Armenian people renounced Russian imperialism still in 1991.

The AIM leader says when taking a decision on Armenia’s accession to
the Customs Union, Serzh Sargsyan consulted only with Russian
President Vladmir Putin.

It is still unknown when Mr Hayrikyan will end his hunger strike.

Everyone left trenches after General Manvel (video)

17:39 | September 8,2014 | Politics

The Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) is hurrying to the trenches as
they were warned by Serzh Sargsyan at the HHK sitting on Saturday.

“You have hurt me. You are writing lies,” HHK member Mher Sedrakyan
told reporters on Monday.

The entire party was in the trenches, visible from all sides. Only
businessman Samvel Alexanyan was not with them. HHK MP Manvel
Grigoryan was the first to leave the trenches. After the retired
general, everyone, including members of the Prosperous Armenia Party
(BHK), Armenian National Congress (HAK) and Armenian Revolutionary
Federation – Dashnaktsutyun, began to leave the trenches.

Republican MP Arakel Movsisyan, a participant of the Artsakh war, is
not a person who will say the reasons for ‘leaving the positions.’

“Go away, leave me alone,” he said.

Nahapet Gevorgyan, another HHK lawmaker, turned out to have missed
Serzh Sargsyan’s words. He did not hide his surprise when we asked him
to comment on Serzh Sargsyan’s words. “Aren’t you ashamed of your
behaviour?” he said.

Ashot Aghababyan, another participant of the Artakh war, was the first
who attempted to define the word ‘trench.’ “Everything is like a
trench today and one should always try to be in the place.

Anyway, the MP had left the sitting hall while Serzh Sargsyan had said
in his speech that ‘if a soldier is in the trenches and does not
shoot, it does not cost a dime.’ “Whom should we shoot at? You still
believe that everything is against us, don’t you?”

Young Republican MP Karen Avagyan, who did not undergo mandatory
military service, was glad to be in the trenches at least in
parliament. “I’m glad that I perform my job.”

“At this moment, I have got out of the trenches but does it mean that
I am an irresponsible official or MP?” said Vice-Speaker Eduard
Sharmazanov.

“None of us is perfect,” the parliament official said closing the
topic of trenches.

Opposition MP Lyudmila Sargsyan says Serzh Sargsyan made a meaningless
call on Saturday as ‘those who want to leave the trenches will do it.’
“It was a call to resist the active part of the opposition.”

However, Lyudmila Sargsyan wants to disappoint the leader of the
Republican Party (Serzh Sargsyan), saying that they do not have so
many bullets to resist the attacks of the opposition. “You cannot save
your face,” she said.

Azerbaijan is losing more and more the sense of reality – Armenian FM

19:33 | September 8,2014 | Official

Address and the question and answer of the Foreign Minister of Armenia
at the joint press conference with the Foreign Minister of Austria

Good afternoon,

I am glad to welcome my Austrian counterpart Sebastian Kurz, Minister
of Foreign Affairs of Austria who is on an official visit in Armenia.

Today we had a good opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues of
bilateral agenda. We also touched upon the implementation of
agreements made during the official visit of the president of Armenia
to Austria as well as the preceding visit of the President of Austria,
Mr. Fischer to Armenia.

We exchanged views on a number of regional and international issues.
We will also have an opportunity to continue our conversation during
the working lunch.

I am pleased that Mr. Kurz has arrived to Armenia with big group of
businessmen especially from the energy sector. I think it can boost
the development of our trade and economic relations.

We had an exchange of ideas on the ways of expanding already existing
solid legal framework. There are nearly twenty agreements signed
between our countries. We spoke also about the ways to intensify
inter-parliamentary ties, and we noted that there is a great potential
for development of decentralized cooperation.

We stressed the importance of holding periodical consultations between
our Foreign Ministries. We are organizing meetings between the Foreign
Ministers, representatives of the MFA’s during different international
forums. We will continue this good tradition, established between our
two Foreign Ministries.

Now I would like to give the floor to Mr. Sebastian Kurz.

Please.

Question: Mr. Nalbandian, the Declaration adopted during the NATO
Summit seems to give a privilege to the territorial integrity. How
would you comment on this?

And a question to both Ministers: how do you assess the agreement on
establishment of ceasefire in the Southeastern Ukraine?

Edward Nalbandian: I am sure you know that NATO has declared several
times that it doesn’t deal with Nagorno-Karabakh resolution process.
Moreover, it has expressed its support to the approaches and efforts
of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, which have been expressed many
times in the famous five Statements on Presidential level and which
are in line with the Armenian position.

Two of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs are also NATO Members. Despite this
during the recent NATO Summits, with some changes from summit to
summit, also in the last one in Wales in the provision related to the
conflicts resolution in Moldova and the Southern Caucasus, there are
some expressions, which present generalized and selective approach,
which doesn’t reflect the proposals of the Co-Chairs, ideas and
approaches voiced by the Co-Chairs, as well as the numerous statements
and decisions adopted in the framework of the OSCE during the recent
years.

This of course harms the negotiation process as well as undermines
regional stability and security. It also contributes that Azerbaijan
is losing more and more the sense of reality and with its militaristic
rhetoric and policy opposes to the approach of the international
community. I would like also to note that such approach to the
principles contradicts the international law, the UN Charter and the
Helsinki Final Act.

Concerning the situation in Ukraine I can say that we welcome the
agreement on ceasefire and we hope that it will be implemented, and
they already started to be implemented, which will pave a way for
finding solutions around the negotiation table, for the lasting
resolution.

Question: How is the negotiation process on Armenia’s accession to the
Eurasian Economic Union going on? And which role Karabakh issue is
playing in that process?

Edward Nalbandian: The negotiations continue within their normal
course and I think soon there will be concrete results: And on
Karabakh: there were statements at the highest level both from Armenia
and Russia, where it is clearly said that we don’t speak about
accession of Armenia to the Eurasian Union with Nagorno-Karabakh. This
question cannot be an obstacle for our accession to the Eurasian
Union.

Question: Does the Armenia’s accession to the Eurasian Union mean that
the chance of signing the Association Agreement with the EU is finally
closed?

Edward Nalbandian: You know that during the Vilnius Summit Armenia and
the EU adopted a Joint Statement, where the mutual intention to
continue cooperation in all possible areas is expressed. This is our
approach, and this is also the EU’s approach, and we will continue our
work and efforts in this direction. Moreover, Armenian Foreign
Minister and Catherine Ashton exchanged letters on this intention,
where further steps are presented in more detailed way.

MP on anti-Armenian initiatives: I believe in adequate position of PACE

19:37, 08.09.2014

YEREVAN. – Hysterical and inadequate behavior of Azerbaijan’s
representatives in the international agencies is not a new thing,
Armenian MP Naira Zohrabyan said.

Zohrabyan, Armenia’s delegate to PACE, commented on the recent remark
by Azerbaijani delegation head who said they will try to achieve
introducing sanctions against Armenia.

“Azerbaijani side will try to use all possible means to push forward
anti-Armenian initiative. But, I do believe in adequate position of
PACE, and I am confident that none of the Azerbaijani imitative will
be a success,” she told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The Armenian delegation is well prepared for the PACE autumn session
that will open on September 29, she added.

Armenia News – NEWS.am