Author: Badalian Vardan

COLLECTIF VAN : L’EPHEMERIDE DU 11 OCTOBRE

Publié le : 11-10-2013

Info Collectif VAN РРLa rubrique Eph̩m̩ride
est a retrouver quotidiennement sur le site du Collectif VAN. Elle
recense la liste d’événements survenus a une date donnée,
a différentes époques de l’Histoire, sur les thématiques que
l’association suit au quotidien. L’éphéméride du Collectif VAN
repose sur des informations en ligne sur de nombreux sites (les sources
sont spécifiées sous chaque entrée). Vous pouvez retrouver tous
les éphémérides du Collectif VAN dans la Rubrique Actions VAN,
en cliquant sur ces liens:

Les éphémérides du Collectif VAN (1ère partie)

Les éphémérides du Collectif VAN (2ème partie)

11 octobre 1941 — Ukraine : tous les enseignants juifs sont
arrêtés par les SS et incarcéré en prison où ils rejoignent
beaucoup d’autres juifs déja détenus. Les listes de noms et des
adresses avaient été établies par des informateurs ukrainiens et
polonais. Dans la prison, les Allemands demandent des volontaires
pour le travail. Beaucoup se portent volontaires pour échapper aux
mauvais traitements dans la prison.

Ca s’est passé un 11 octobre (les événements sont classés du plus
ancien au plus récent) :

11 octobre 1895 — Empire ottoman : Empire ottoman : une rébellion
éclate a Zeitoun contre les mauvaises pratiques administratives
turques.

American University of Armenia : This day in Armenian history

11 octobre 1914 — Empire ottoman : les autorités de Bayazid
ne cessent de distribuer des armes a des bandes de brigands. Les
Arméniens apeurés partent en Russie, craignant le massacre qu’ils
attendent de jour en jour.

© Jean-Marie Carzou, Arménie 1915, un génocide exemplaire
Calmann-Lévy (2006), Flammarion (1975) Imprescriptible : Le 24 avril
1915 : une rafle

11 octobre 1915 — Empire ottoman : Ourfa. – Interview de Mrs. J.

Vance Young, témoin oculaire des événements d’Ourfa. Publiée dans
l’ ” Egyptian Gazette ” du 28 septembre / 11 octobre, et reproduite
par le journal arménien ” Houssaper ” du Caire, le 30 septembre /
13 octobre 1915.

Mrs. J. Vance Young est la femme d’un médecin anglais de Beyrouth1,
Elle arriva en Egypte a bord du croiseur américain ” Chester ”. Elle
fut parmi les derniers arrivants d’Alexandrette en Egypte et apporta
d’horribles détails sur le martyre des Arméniens d’Ourfa. Elle avait
été un témoin oculaire des événements de cette ville de triste
mémoire, qui a été si souvent arrosée du sang des Arméniens.

Imprescriptible : Le livre bleu du gouvernement britannique concernant
le traitement des Arméniens dans l’Empire ottoman

11 octobre 1916 — Empire ottoman : une convention secrète est
convoquée a Constantinople pour l’examen de la politique envers les
Arméniens et pour décider un plan des actions futures.

Chronology of the Armenian Genocide — 1916 (July-December)

11 octobre 1941 — Ukraine : tous les enseignants juifs sont
arrêtés par les SS et incarcérés en prison où ils rejoignent
beaucoup d’autres juifs déja détenus. Les listes de noms et des
adresses avaient été établies par des informateurs ukrainiens et
polonais. Dans la prison, les Allemands demandent des volontaires
pour le travail. Beaucoup se portent volontaires pour échapper aux
mauvais traitements dans la prison.

BS Encyclopédie : Le ghetto de Kolomyja

11 octobre 1941 — Un train de juifs déportés de Suczava passe
par la gare de Czernovitz (Ukraine). Il est stoppé par les nazis et
les gardes roumains afin de décharger les cadavres des juifs morts
au cours du voyage dans des wagons glacés et bourrés de monde. Le
train reprend alors sa route vers le ghetto de Czernovitz.

-â~@¨â~@¨Les nazis fusillent 400 juifs a Belgrade.

-â~@¨â~@¨Les juifs de Czernovitz sont parqués dans un ghetto, leurs
biens confisqués. Par la suite, les internés seront déportés
en Transnistrie.

Skynet : 11 octobre, ce jour-la , n’oubliez pas

11 octobre 1942 — 11 000 juifs du ghetto et des villages environnants
d’Ostroviec (Pologne) sont rassemblés et déportés au camp
d’extermination de Treblinka, où ils périssent tous.

-â~@¨â~@¨Environ 4 200 juifs de Lubartov (du côté de Lublin) sont
déportés aux camps d’extermination de Sobibor, Belzec et Maïdanek,
où tous périssent. Parmi eux se trouvent 1 000 juifs qui, un an
auparavant, avaient été déportés de Slovaquie a Lubartov. Cette
dernière ville est déclarée ” purifiée de ses juifs “.

Р3 000 juifs de Bicheva (province de Lublin) sont d̩port̩s au camp
d’extermination de Belzec.

Skynet : 11 octobre, ce jour-la , n’oubliez pas

11 octobre 1944 — Les SS fusillent 208 jeunes juifs d’Ujvidek
(Yougoslavie), qui travaillent sur la voie ferrée. 12 juifs survivent.

-â~@¨20 malades mentaux juifs de Venise sont internés dans le camp
de concentration tristement célèbre de Risiera di San Sabba, près
de Trieste, le seul camp nazi en territoire italien. Le soir du même
jour, 5 ou 6 d’entre eux ont déja été tués par les SS gardant
le camp.

Skynet : 11 octobre, ce jour-la , n’oubliez pas

11 octobre 1962 — Les Arméniens de la diaspora commencent un
programme de rapatriement en Arménie.

American University of Armenia : This day in Armenian history

11 octobre 2006 — Turquie : atmosphère anti-francaise a Ankara
a propos du vote a Paris d’une loi sur le génocide arménien. Le
Premier ministre Erdogan menace Paris de mesures de rétorsion.

Collectif VAN : Atmosphère anti-francaise a Ankara

11 octobre 2007 — Turquie : le fils de Hrant Dink , Arat Dink,
et Serkis Seropyan, respectivement directeur de la rédaction et
responsable de l’hebdomadaire Agos, sont reconnus coupables d’avoir ”
insulté l’identité turque ” et, a ce titre, condamnés a un an de
prison avec sursis par un tribunal turc, en vertu de l’article 301
du code pénal turc, pour avoir reproduit, au cours de l’été 2007,
dans les colonnes d’Agos, une partie des propos de Hrant Dink qui
avaient valu a celui-ci les poursuites judiciaires qui ne s’étaient
interrompues qu’avec son assassinat.

Wikipédia : Hrant Dink

Compilation réalisée par le site

Retour a la rubrique

L’UE APPELLE A REGLER LES PROBLEMES IDENTIFIES PENDANT LA PRESIDENTIELLE

AZERBAÏDJAN

BRUXELLES, 10 oct 2013 (AFP) – L’Union europeenne a appele jeudi soir
l’Azerbaïdjan a regler les problèmes identifies pendant l’election
presidentielle qui a vu la victoire ecrasante du sortant Ilham Aliev,
mais dont le deroulement a ete critique par une mission d’observateurs.

Le chef de la diplomatie de l’UE, Catherine Ashton, et le commissaire
charge de l’Elargissement, Stefan Fule, ont tous deux pris note des
conclusions de la mission d’observateurs de l’Organisation pour
la securite et la cooperation en Europe (OSCE), qui a fait etat
d'”importants problèmes” et de “manquements au cours du scrutin.

Parmi ces “problèmes”, l’OSCE a notamment releve des “manipulations
des listes electorales” et des “restrictions a la liberte d’expression
et de rassemblement”.

“Les premières conclusions de l’OSCE ont montre que des problèmes
importants avaient ete observes a tous les stades du processus le
jour du scrutin”, ont indique les porte-parole des deux responsables
europeens dans un communique.

Les observateurs ont egalement “mis le doigt sur des manquements
graves (…) qui ne garantissent pas une egalite des chances pour les
candidats et qui doivent etre regles pour que l’Azerbaïdjan respecte
pleinement ses engagements internationaux”, ont-ils ajoute.

Selon les derniers resultats partiels annonces par la Commission
electorale centrale, Ilham Aliev a obtenu environ 84,6% des voix,
tandis que son principal adversaire, l’opposant Jamil Hasanli,
a totalise 5,5% des suffrages.

vendredi 11 octobre 2013, Ara ©armenews.com

TURKISH PARLIAMENT RENEWS MANDATE TO SEND TROOPS TO NORTHERN IRAQ

October 10, 2013 – 21:53 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The Turkish parliament on Thursday, Oct 10 approved
a government motion to renew a mandate to send troops to northern
Iraq for another year if the government deems it necessary, Today’s
Zaman reported.

The government submitted the motion to Parliament on Oct 4 for the
extension of the mandate, which allows the Turkish military to conduct
new cross-border operations in northern Iraq to eradicate terrorist
Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) hideouts in that country. Last year’s
resolution providing the legal basis for such operations expires on
Oct 17.

While the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), the
opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the main opposition
Republican People’s Party (CHP) voted in favor of the motion, the
pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) voted against it.

The Iraq motion was first brought to Parliament in 2007 and the
mandate has since then been extended every year, a total of six times.

The AK Party, CHP and MHP voted in favor of the bill last year as
well, and the BDP was again the only party that voted against the
motion signed by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The current text of the motion was approved by Parliament and wasn’t
changed.

The motion states that “the peace, security, national unity and
territorial integrity of Turkey are under threat of attack by PKK
terrorists.” The motion also says that Turkey “attaches importance
to the protection of the territorial integrity, national unity and
the stability of Iraq.”

PKK is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United
States, the European Union and NATO. Although insurgents have carried
out attacks in many regions of Turkey, the insurgency is mainly in
southeastern Turkey. The PKK’s military presence in Iraq’s Kurdistan
Region, which it uses as launchpad for attacks on Turkey, has resulted
in the Turkish military carrying out frequent ground incursions and
air and artillery strikes in the region, as the Kurdistan Regional
Government claimed they do not have sufficient military forces to
prevent the PKK from operating. The conflict has particularly affected
Turkey’s tourism industry and has cost Turkey an estimated $300-450
billion, claiming lives of about 40,000 people.

PHILLIPS: MOSCOW’S PROBLEM IS GEORGIA’S SOVEREIGNTY

Reflecting on recent tension in the Russian-Georgian relationship,
David L. Phillips, Director of the Program on Peace building and Rights
at Columbia University’s Institute for the Study of Human Rights,
says that relations between the two countries could have improved
when Saakashvili left power; But even after Ivanishvili became prime
minister, Russia continued to undermine Georgia. However, according to
Phillips, Georgia should avoid aggressive rhetoric and confrontation
with Moscow.

Phillips has worked as senior adviser to the United Nations
Secretariat and as a foreign affairs expert and senior adviser to
the U.S. Department of State. Georgia Today interviewed him via email.

Q: In your recent interview with Voice of America, you noted that
the 2008 ceasefire agreement has failed to bring people closer to
each other and to establish peace in the region. Can you elaborate
what the signs of failure are and why the agreement failed?

A: Russia continues to support the independence of Abkhazia and South
Ossetia. It is also encroaching on Georgian territory, erecting
barbed wire barricades and maintaining a substantial military
presence in the occupied territories. Georgia’s recent overtures
towards Russia were rudely rebuffed. No real steps have been taken to
foster reconciliation between the peoples of Russia and Georgia over
the past 5 years. The leaders of both countries are still at-odds;
Vladimir Putin’s confrontational approach is unchanged.

Q: You have advocated direct engagement with Abkhazians and South
Ossetians to help them escape Russian dominance… How achievable is
this? Can you provide any specific advice for Abkhazians and South
Ossetians and also for Georgian on how they can rebuild relations
and trust?

A: Engagement between Abkhazia and the international community must
not occur at the government level. Bilateral contact with the Abkhaz
authorities undermines the policy of non-recognition, which is widely
accepted around the world. Non-recognition of the authorities does
not, however, prevent contact, communication and cooperation between
civil society representatives, including academic exchanges involving
students and educators to help reduce negative stereotyping and
rebuild confidence.

Track two activities typically involve trade and business. However,
Prime Minister Ivanishvili’s initiative to promote commercial contact
has fallen flat, including efforts to open the Abkhaz railway. Track
two activities are not a substitute for official diplomacy. Nor can
they proceed when both Russia and the Abkhaz authorities oppose them.

Russia knows that track two activities will wean Abkhazia from its
control, revealing Russia’s insidious challenge to Abkhaz identity.

Q: How effective is the Geneva format and is there a way to make it
more successful?

A: Talking is always preferable to confrontation or violent conflict.

The Geneva format provides a venue for interaction, which can help
prevent disagreements from escalating. It could evolve into a more
pro-active forum for engagement by building on business openings,
such as Russia’s decision to allow the import of Georgian wine and
mineral water. For now, the Geneva format isn’t doing much good. Nor
is it doing any harm.

Q: When Mikheil Saakashvili’s United National Movement was in power
– before the 2012 parliamentary elections – the Russian government
demonstrated hostile rhetoric and blamed this on the Saakashvili
regime. Now we have the Georgian Dream with its Russian-friendly
messages, but still Russia is building barbed wire fences along the
administrative border in South Ossetia and moving the border deeper
into Georgian- controlled territory, which has sparked a new wave of
tension… PM Bidzina Ivanishvili has said many times that he sees
no logic in this policy… What is your impression? Why is Moscow
doing this?

A: Moscow systematically vilified Saakashvili. Its aggressive
policy towards Georgia was based on Putin’s deep personal dislike
of Saakashvili. Russia-Georgia relations could have improved when
Saakashvili left power. Turns out, however, Russia misrepresented
its intentions. Even after Ivanishvili became prime minister,
Russia continued to undermine Georgia. Moscow’s problem is Georgia’s
sovereignty, as well as the aspirations of Georgians for Western-style
freedom and democracy. Russia simply does not want Georgia to exist
as an independent sovereign state.

Q: Against the background of these developments where should Georgia
draw its red lines? What are the best ways for Georgia to protect
its sovereignty and internationally recognized borders?

A: Georgia’s best, and perhaps only, hope of protecting its sovereignty
is through closer ties with the West and integration into Euro-Atlantic
institutions. The EU’s Partnership Program can foster cooperation
between Georgia and European countries. NATO membership for Georgia
is on the distant horizon. Pledges for eventual membership made in
Bucharest five years ago are an empty promise.

Q: With Armenia having announced its consent to join the
Russian-dominated Eurasian Union, do you think that it was the outcome
of pressure from Moscow? How do you see Russia’s short and long term
plans in this region amid these developments?

A: Russia strong-armed Armenia into joining the Eurasian Union. Moscow
must have threatened Armenia’s President Sarkissian to dissuade him
from Armenia’s multi-year effort at European integration. Or maybe
Moscow offered a big prize, like recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Intimidation by Russia is more likely than a reward.

Q: PM Bidzina Ivanishvili has also said that Georgia is observing
the Eurasian Union, although he stressed that getting closer to the
European Union and NATO is paramount…Is it possible and wise for
Georgia to look at both?

A: Yes, it is possible and smart to look at both. In reality,
Georgia has already chosen the West. Regardless, Georgia should avoid
aggressive rhetoric. Confrontation with Russia is not in Georgia’s
interest.

Q: Where is and should be the United States as Georgia and other
former Soviet Union countries find themselves under continued pressure
from Russia? For instance, Carl Gershman, President of the National
Endowment for Democracy, recently published an op-ed piece in the
Washington Post describing the situation as “a reply of the classic
East-West rivalry” with the United States “conspicuously on the
sidelines.” Do you share this position and what is your reply to the
question in the headline – “Former Soviet states stand up to Russia.

Will the U.S.?”

A: The US and Georgia are allies. We have formalized a strategic
partnership, encompassing cooperation in diplomatic, security,
commercial and cultural spheres. The United States has supported
the self-determination of the Georgian people for 20 years. While
Washington will continue to support Georgia’s freedom and territorial
integrity, it should be clear on the nature and extent of its support
lest its intentions be misunderstood.

Q: And my last question – Here in Georgia, the debate whether Georgia
should participate in the Sochi Olympics is quite hot. Historically
there are numerous cases where the games were boycotted for political
reasons. How effective or important can the boycott be in Georgia’s
case? Generally speaking, what are the opportunities and limitations
when sports, politics and diplomacy come together?

A: The Olympics, to be held a stone’s throw from Georgia, are not
shaping up well for Russia. Putin’s homophobia and bigotry has sparked
anger worldwide. Georgia has already pledged to participate in the
Games and work with Russia on security, but Russia takes Georgia’s
goodwill for granted. Georgia should let others criticize Russia or
ruminate about boycotting the Games. It is wise for the Government
of Georgia to wait and see what happens.

By Maia Edilashvili

10.10.2013

EBRD HELPS ARMENIANS GAIN BETTER ACCESS TO FINANCIAL SERVICES

17:45 10.10.2013

The flow of remittances in Armenia has been dramatically rising in
recent years, mostly due to a large diaspora, with approximately 11
million Armenians living abroad. In 2012 remittances were estimated
at US$ 1.9 million – about 20 per cent of the country’s GDP, and
twice as high as foreign direct investment (FDI).

However the flow of savings to the formal financial sector remains
low. Remittances are sent via money transfer systems, and are
collected at local bank branches by family members who often do not
have an account and are unaware of the benefits they can receive from
usual banking products. Among the recipients of remittances are also
citizens living in rural areas. According to the World Bank’s Global
Index 2012, only 17 per cent of people over the age of 15 in Armenia
have an account at a financial institution, while only one per cent
of the population keep their savings in a bank.

To address this issue, and to help Armenians and the economy
fully benefit from these financial flows, the European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has launched a new initiative
– Financial Literacy to Remittance Recipients programme in Armenia –
which is funded through the EBRD’s multi-donor Early Transition Country
(ETC) Fund. The innovative financial education project aims to boost
financial inclusion in Armenia, by developing personal finance skills
and increasing the confidence of remittance recipients in opening
bank accounts.

Under the scheme, over the past year more than 24,000 people across
the country have been trained on how to better manage their finances,
with over 10,000 of them opening accounts, which attracted more than
US$ 4 million in deposits over nine months.

Five Armenian banks joined the initiative, and specially trained
financial advisors were engaged in bank branches that handle large
numbers of remittance transactions, inviting customers for free
one-on-one consultations to help them manage their finances and,
if appropriate, to open a bank account.

Mark Davis, Head of the EBRD’s Resident Office in Yerevan, believes
making better use of local banks is crucial for leveraging the impact
of remittance flows. By developing and encouraging more formal routes
for money transfers, the EBRD is able to help integrate these funds
in the wider economy.

Said Davis: “It is a question of banks using the opportunity to
attract new customers and offer specifically tailored products, while
educating people to use local banks and to open accounts. Encouraging
beneficiaries to use local banks will help to further strengthen the
banking sector, and expand credit availability and new products. It
is a win-win situation. Banks and the economy will benefit, and new
customers can benefit from products they were never aware existed,
such as interest on savings, or leveraging money for mortgages or
loans to start a small business.”

Armenak Darbinyan, Board Member of the Central Bank of Armenia, said:
“The project proved that financial education is an effective instrument
to help people change their financial behaviour and thus improve their
financial well-being. Another important aspect is that the project
is a success story and a good example for all banks to initiate or
get engaged in financial education activities.”

The ETC Fund’s financial literacy project, implemented by the
Developing Markets Associates Limited consultancy from October 2012
to September 2013, is part of a larger programme that has been carried
out in several early transition countries, including Georgia, Moldova,
Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyz Republic and, most recently, Armenia,
to strengthen the financial inclusion of remittance recipients.

Already 145,000 people have been provided with consultations, 23,000
new accounts have been opened, and a total of US$ 26 million has been
deposited in these accounts.

HEAD OF ARMENIAN DELEGATION TO PACE URGES EVERYONE TO STOP MESS AROUND ZARUHI POSTANJYAN’S QUESTION TO PRESIDENT

by Ashot Safaryan
Thursday, October 10, 18:09

Head of Armenian Delegation to PACE David Haroutiunyan urged everyone
to stop the mess around the question about casino addressed to the
president at PACE.

“Frankly speaking, I am surprised at the mess around Zaruhi
Postanjyan’s question. Most of you probably forgot that in 2011 when
President Serzh Sargsyan delivered a speech at PACE, Postanjyan asked
the president a similar unflattering question, though that question
was more correct from the viewpoint of ethics and spicier. Then she
even demanded the president to leave the country. That is why I am
surprised at the current mess,” Haroutiunyan said.

As a member of the ruling party, he said that expectations from the
opposition are quite different now and such behavior of oppositionist
parliamentarians does not meet the idea of healthy opposition in a
democratic country.

To recall, speaking at PACE Postanjyan asked the president how he
was going to pay the 70 million EUR he allegedly lost in a casino.

Postanjyan has been harshly criticized for her question also by local
political forces. Nevertheless, she enlisted the support of some
political forces, public organizations and citizens, who welcomed
her at the airport as “a national hero.”

5TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES DEBATE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN, GOVERNMENT SURVEILLANCE IN FIRST TELEVISED DEBATE

Candidates for the Massachusetts 5th District Congressional seat in the
2013 special election, left to right: State Sen. Will Brownsberger,
D-Belmont, State Sen. Katherine Clark, D-Melrose, Middlesex County
Sheriff Peter Koutoujian, of Waltham, State Rep. Carl Sciortino,
D-Medford, and State Sen. Karen Spilka, D-Ashland.

By Shira Schoenberg, The Republican on October 08, 2013 at 7:00 PM,
updated October 08, 2013 at 10:00 PM

With much agreement and a few skirmishes, five of the Democratic
candidates running for the 5th District congressional seat discussed
topics ranging from the federal government shutdown to U.S. government
surveillance in their first and only televised debate.

Tuesday’s debate, which was broadcast on New England Cable News and
moderated by NECN’s Jim Braude, came one week before voters head to
the polls for the Oct. 15 primary. The debate featured state Sens.

Karen Spilka, Katherine Clark and William Brownsberger, Middlesex
County Sheriff Peter Koutoujian and State Rep. Carl Sciortino. Several
times, Brownsberger was the odd man out, disagreeing with his opponents
on issues including negotiating with Republicans and an amendment
regarding government surveillance.

The candidates met as the federal government remained shut down for a
second week due to a budget dispute. Congressional Republicans refuse
to pass a spending bill that does not delay funding for Democratic
President Barack Obama’s health care reform law, which Senate Democrats
will not agree to.

All the candidates but Brownsberger said they would not negotiate on
any Republican demands. “We cannot give in to extremist Republicans
who are holding our economy hostage,” Clark said.

Spilka compared congressional Republicans to “a two year old having
a temper tantrum, when we tell the parents don’t cave in.” “What if
we went to Republicans and said we’re not going to do a budget unless
you pass gun safety, unless you pass immigration reform?” Spilka said.

“They would not put up with that.”

Brownsberger said he did not know the solution to a budget deal,
but he would be willing to negotiate on repealing the medical device
tax, a part of the Affordable Care Act that Brownsberger and several
Massachusetts politicians oppose, in order to prevent the country
from going over a financial cliff. “When push comes to shove, are you
going to let it go over the cliff?” Brownsberger asked his opponents.

Sciortino responded that he would support Obama if the president were
to rely on a constitutional provision to unilaterally raise the debt
ceiling – something Obama says he will not do.

Clark, Spilka, Koutoujian and Sciortino all disagreed with Obama’s
willingness to means test Medicare and adopt a new formula that lowers
Social Security cost of living adjustments. Koutoujian suggested
raising the Social Security payroll cap, so the wealthy pay more
benefits – something all five Democrats then said they support. Clark
and Koutoujian talked about the need to rein in health care costs,
while Spilka said government can negotiate better prescription drug
prices and introduce standardized coding and billing.

Brownsberger would not support means testing, saying it introduces
a “whole new bureaucracy.” He did not address Social Security, but
he has said in the past he would not necessarily oppose the use of
“chained CPI” in the context of Social Security reform.

All the candidates except Brownsberger said they would have
supported the Amash amendment, which would have stopped the National
Security Agency from blanket surveillance of Americans and allowed
the government to only collect phone records from people under
investigation. “There’s always tension between our personal privacy
and civil liberties and security, and frankly, as a country, we’ve gone
too deep into the road of violating civil liberties,” Sciortino said.

Brownsberger said the Amash amendment did not go far enough because
it only addressed collection of metadata, not collection of content
like actual emails. “We need a more comprehensive resolution,” he said.

All the candidates criticized Brownsberger for refusing to oppose the
Keystone XL oil pipeline, a controversial pipeline that would carry
oil from the tar sands of Canada to the Gulf Coast. Brownsberger has
said the focus should be on reducing carbon emissions, not targeting
projects like Keystone that can be “regionally divisive.”

Clark said Brownsberger is wrong. “The way we extract from the tar
sands is one of the dirtiest, most polluting (methods), and affects
climate change in a radical way,” Clark said.

All the candidates agreed on the need to bring down the cost of college
education. Spilka said there should be interest-free student loans so
anyone who wants to go to college can. Sciortino suggested free public
higher education for qualified students. Koutoujian and Brownsberger
said they support Obama’s plan to target federal money at colleges
that provide good value and have lower tuition. Brownsberger promoted
the use of online courses. Clark talked about the need to invest in
public education.

There were a few skirmishes. Brownsberger criticized Koutoujian for
voting for a resolution in the Massachusetts House that supported a
Supreme Court decision upholding an individual’s right to own guns
for self-defense and striking down Washington, D.C.’s handgun ban.

Koutoujian said he is “no friend of the NRA” and they “won’t like me
in Congress.”

Browsnberger criticized Sciortino for “raising three quarters of
his money outside of the state.” Sciortino attacked Brownsberger for
supporting the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, which allows
corporations to make unlimited political expenditures. Sciortino said
he is proud to have supporters around the country “who want to see
progressive leadership.”

On foreign policy, all the candidates were reluctant to back military
action if negotiations with Syria over the country’s chemical weapons
supply fall apart, though most of the candidates made clear that
their decisions would depend on circumstances.

Sciortino said military force should be “an absolute last resort,” and
the current diplomatic solution gives him hope that the U.S. avoided
all-out war in the Middle East.

Asked whether they would support military intervention to prevent
genocide, Spilka, who lost family in the Holocaust and whose father
helped liberate the Buchenwald concentration camp, said in the case
of genocide, the U.S. should build up international support “so all
the countries go in together.”

Koutoujian, the grandson of survivors of the Armenian genocide,
called genocide “an offense against humanity.” “We all have to have
a stake in that game,” Koutoujian said. “My people, Karen’s people,
suffered because the world stood by while genocide was occurring.”

OBSERVERS SAY AZERBAIJAN VOTE ‘SERIOUSLY FLAWED,’ OPPOSITION PLANS CHALLENGE

Ilham Aliyev submits his ballot

BAKU-Opponents of Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev said Thursday
they would go to court to challenge his election for a third term,
rejecting the result of a vote that international monitors said was
seriously flawed.

Aliyev, who succeeded his father a decade ago as leader of the
oil-producing nation on the Caspian Sea, won a third five-year term
with nearly 85 percent of the vote in Wednesday’s election.

Standing before a national flag on state television, he thanked
Azeris for their support and said he would ensure security in the
South Caucasus, where tensions still simmer with neighboring Armenia
over a disputed territory.

Opposition candidate Jamal Hasanli said he would seek to challenge
the official result in the country’s Constitutional Court, alleging
violations including ballot stuffing and multiple voting. “This
election was neither free nor fair,” he said.

On Wednesday, the day of the elections, the Washington Post revealed
that the Azeri authorities had inadvertently released predetermined
election results a full day before voting had even begun.

Aliyev, 51, has overseen an economic boom that has raised living
standards in the country, which pumps oil and gas to Europe, bypassing
Russia. He has allowed Washington to use it as a transit point for
sending troops to Afghanistan.

But he has faced criticism at home and abroad over his treatment
of opponents. The media is tightly controlled, protests quashed,
and one rights group said a pre-election crackdown had doubled the
number of political prisoners.

International monitors from the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe, or OSCE, said the vote was marred by a
“restrictive media environment” and allegations of intimidation of
candidates and voters.

“The limitations placed on the fundamental freedoms of assembly,
association and expression; the lack of a level playing field; the
allegations of intimidation, all came in the lead-up to an election
day that our observers found to be seriously flawed,” OSCE official
Tana de Zulueta said.

Monitors reported clear indications of ballot stuffing at 37 polling
stations, and said the counting was assessed negatively at an
unprecedented 58 percent of stations observed.

An OSCE news conference degenerated into chaos as journalists from
pro-government media drowned out the observers and shouted “The OSCE
is biased.”

Hasanly, 61, a former lawmaker who has united Azerbaijan’s fractured
opposition for the first time in a presidential election, told
journalists: “When [officials] announce the final official results of
the election and declare Ilham Aliyev as the president, we will address
the Constitutional Court with a demand to cancel the election results.”

A gaping divide between the rich and poor and allegations of
corruption, which Azeris say pervades many aspects of life, has led
to an increase in protests, and the opposition is planning a rally
Saturday.

But few expect sustained protests over a vote whose results many
saw as a foregone conclusion because of Aliyev’s tight grip over the
South Caucasus nation of 9 million.

DMITRY MEDVEDEV AND TIGRAN SARGSYAN DISCUSS EXPANSION OF COOPERATION BETWEEN ARMENIA AND THE CUSTOMS UNION

by Alexander Avanesov
Thursday, October 10, 12:10

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev spoke over the telephone with his
Armenian counterpart Tigran Sargsyan.

As official website of the Russian government reported, they discussed
further expansion of cooperation between the Republic of Armenia
and the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, as well as
bilateral ties in the trade, economic and fuel and energy spheres.

CASINO NIGHT SUPPORTS LIFE-SAVING MISSION OF ABMDR

Thursday, October 10th, 2013

Event hosted by Michael and Amy Boyadjian LOS ANGELESâ?”More than
200 supporters attended the third annual Casino Night of the Armenian
Bone Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR), held on the evening of September
27. The highly anticipated event was hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Michael
and Amy Boyadjian at their home in Glendale, California.

After being greeted by the hosts and ABMDR representatives, guests
enjoyed delectable appetizers and an open bar across the sprawling,
beautifully decorated terrace, where a profusion of flowers and candles
set the evening’s tone. Following a sumptuous dinner, Michael and
Amy Boyadjian formally welcomed the attendees and thanked them for
their enthusiastic support of the ABDMR cause. “We firmly believe in
the humanitarian mission of this wonderful organization, which helps
save the lives of so many across the globe,” said Amy Boyadjian, a
member of the ABMDR Board of Directors and the 2013 ABMDR Woman of the
Year. Subsequently she invited Dr. Frieda Jordan, president of ABMDR,
to deliver remarks. “I’d like to thank Michael and Amy Boyadjian for
their gracious hospitality and generous support,” Dr. Jordan said,
and went on to convey her gratitude to the guests for making the
Casino Night one of ABMDR’s most successful fundraising events year
after year. Dr. Jordan also spoke about some of the organization’s
recent achievements. “Our lab in Yerevan has just completed a new
harvest of bone marrow stem cells from a donor and sent them to a
transplantation center in Germany, where one of our patients will
undergo a life-saving transplant,” she said.

“At this very moment,” Dr. Jordan continued, “we have among us a
donor who has been identified as a match for a patient in Portugal,
and she is ready to donate her stem cells to make possible that
patient’s transplant.”

A scene from the evening Subsequently, as Dr. Jordan wished good luck
to players, they were invited to take their seats at the casino-style
tables, which featured a variety of games including poker, roulette,
and black jack. The high level of excitement was complemented by
the gourmet offerings of a cigar and cognac bar. Guests also had the
opportunity to purchase lottery tickets in support of ABMDR.

Elsewhere on the terrace, a dance floor set up for the occasion
filled up with revelers who danced into the night to lively music
provided by a DJ. At the conclusion of the event, lottery winners
were announced and presented with great prizes. Established in 1999,
ABMDR, a nonprofit organization, helps Armenians worldwide survive
life-threatening blood-related illnesses by recruiting and matching
donors to those requiring bone marrow stem cell transplants. To date,
the registry has recruited over 24,000 donors in 18 countries across
four continents, identified 2,135 patients, and facilitated 17 bone
marrow transplants.