Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

2012 declared Armenian book year for Diaspora worldwide

March 24, 2012 – 16:52 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Every year in early November, under the auspices of
Catholicos of the Holy See of Cilicia, His Holiness Aram I, the
catholicate hosts a three week celebration ceremony dedicated to
Armenian Book and Culture within the framework of an exhibition, press
service of the catholicosate reported.

Not only books published in Lebanon but also Armenian-language books
printed in courtiers neighboring Lebanon and presented to Catholicos
of the Holy See of Cilicia are collected on the sidelines of this
tradition of 33 years. Inspired by the possibility of expanding the
exhibition, it was resolved to declare 2012 as Year of the Armenian
Book following a visit to Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

From: Baghdasarian

Let’s do It! Armenia: Volunteers Uniting in Country Cleanup

hetq
16:24, March 24, 2012

Launched as a response to Estonian idea, `Let’s Do It 2008!’, `Let’s
Do It! Armenia’ will motivate people to become actively involved in
cleaning-up of Armenia.

`Let’s Do It 2008!’ was a civic movement that started in 2008 in
Estonia. On 3rd of May more than 50.000 volunteers picked up 10.000
tons of waste across Estonia and acted as a good example for other
countries. A year after the first cleanup in Estonia, more than 2.4
million volunteers were involved in clean-up of 15 more countries.

Now Armenia is on board of the global action called `World Cleanup
2012′ organized by `Let’s do it! World’ with the aim to pick up
illegal garbage and to raise people’s environmental awareness. In the
framework of action the Young Biologists Association NGO, in
collaboration with partners (such as WWF-Armenia, Armenian Tree
Project, Aarhus Centers, DJ Vakcina, `Kanachastan’ NGO `Tapan’
eco-club NGO, Acopian Center for the Environment, Yeghvard Youth
Environmental NGO, Life Colors environmental NGO etc.) will arrange
the largest volunteer initiative called `Armenia Without Garbage’,
which will start from 24 March to 25 September2012. Organizers call
people and organizations from very different backgrounds to come
together for a simple idea that is to clean up Armenia from garbage on
15 SEPTEMBER 2012.

Let’s clean up our country, let’s see Armenia Without Garbage!

From: Baghdasarian

Expert: territorial integrity is a principle not related to Azerbaijan

March 24, 2012 – 14:26 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenian political analyst Alexander Manasyan
pointed out self-determination and territorial integrity as the two
principles Nagorno Karabakh talks in the framework of OSCE Minsk Group
are based on, with a sign of equality put between them.

`Azerbaijan is an invader which has encroached on Karabakh’s
territory, and the principle of territorial integrity is not related
to it,’ the expert said.

Mr. Manasyan further urged Minsk Group to view Artsakh within the
framework of self-determination, recognize freedom of choice and the
independence of Karabakh.

From: Baghdasarian

GPS devices are installed in Yerevan new buses

14:38, 24 March, 2012

YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS. 249 buses named ””Higher””, present
from People”s Republic of China, will be saturated with new
technologies-GPS devices. Yerevan Municipality Information and Public
Relation department told Armenpress that those devices will enable to
control the entire system of the transport, with the help of boards
deployed in the stations the passengers can watch simultaneous
timetable. New buses will have WIFI mobile communication system as
well.

Yerevan Mayor Taron Margaryan on March 24 had a meeting with PRC
Charge d”affaires Zhao Minivan. High estimating Armenian -Chinese
relations Yerevan mayor thanked for the donation and support project,
noting it will contribute the transport system of the capital Yerevan.

Zhao Minivan, dwelling on the bilateral relations in economic and
political spheres, registered growth and reiterated China is ready to
deepen and boost already existing achievements. He assured that the
assistance programs will be underway.

From: Baghdasarian

ENVIRONMENTALISTS ORGANIZE PROTEST ACTION IN ARMENIAN VANADZOR (VIDEO)

NEWS.AM
March 23, 2012 | 21:53

VANADZOR. – Ecologists organized a protest action in Vanadzor on
Friday. At that time a public discussion on the Teghut forest issue
was being held in Vanadzor on the order of Armenia’s PM.

More than 50 activists gathered in front of Vanadzor’s Culture Center
to express their protest.

One of the activists informed that they had tried to figure out what
the aim of the governmental discussion was but they did not get a
satisfactory answer.

To note, the meeting of UN Economic Commission’s Arhus Compliance
Convention will take place on March 27-31 in Geneva and the Teghut
issue will also be discussed.

According to the activists, the Armenian government has organized the
public discussion in order to create an illusion that the government
is also worried about the issue.

From: Baghdasarian

U.S. DEFENSE CHIEF MEETS WITH ARMENIAN COUNTERPART

March 23, 2012

Armenia’s Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan inspects Armenian troops
stationed near Kunduz.xArmenia’s Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan
inspects Armenian troops stationed near Kunduz.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta has meet with his Armenian
counterpart, Seyran Ohanyan, at the Pentagon.

In a statement, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said the leaders
discussed regional security issues and bilateral defense cooperation,
including “Armenia’s efforts on defense reform and U.S. willingness to
support enhanced training of the Armenian military.”

Panetta also expressed appreciation for Yerevan’s “strong
contributions” to the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan and to the
NATO-led peacekeeping force in Kosovo.

From: Baghdasarian

HUNDREDS PROTEST AZERI AGGRESSION AGAINST ARMENIANS AT OTTAWA DEMONSTRATION

asbarez
Friday, March 23rd, 2012

Canadian-Armenians protest Azeri aggression against Armenians

OTTAWA-Hundreds of Canadian-Armenians from across the country took part
in a demonstration on Friday, March 23 at the Embassy of Azerbaijan
in Ottawa, organized by the Armenian Youth Federation of Canada.

The demonstrators voiced their concern about Azerbaijan’s ongoing
aggression, intimidation and hostility towards Armenians. They chanted
slogans targeting Azerbaijan’s continued aggression toward Armenia, the
atrocities and pogroms of Sumgait and Baku, as well as the cultural
genocide of Armenian heritage sites within Azerbaijan. They also
highlighted the current situation in the Nagorno-Karabakh region,
proclaiming that Armenians have the right to live freely without
Azerbaijani constraint and hostility.

The government of Azerbaijan has actively continued a policy of
hostility against Armenians; from exile and pogroms in the late 1980s,
to the constant war-mongering rhetoric, ever-increasing military
budget and threats to end the cease-fire with the Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic that continue until today. Moreover, the planned destruction
of Armenian Khachkars (cross-stones) in the Nakhichevan region (Julfa),
which are now declared as items of world heritage by UNESCO, proves
to the world that Azerbaijan has been taking active steps towards
erasing the memory of Armenians from their country.

Unfortunately, the Embassy of Azerbaijan refused to accept a letter
addressed to Ambassador Farid Shafiyev, written by the Armenian Youth
Federation of Canada. This lack of dialogue further proves the Republic
of Azerbaijan’s ongoing unwillingness to establish peace and stability
in the region.

The Armenian-Canadian community proved today, once again, that they
believe that the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’s independence must be
universally recognized and that a return to Azerbaijani rule would
jeopardize the lives of the Armenians living there and is therefore
unacceptable. Furthermore, they urged governments around the world
to condemn Azerbaijan for their continued display of religious
intolerance, aggression, and constant attempts to destabilize the
Caucasus.

Founded in 1934, the Armenian Youth Federation of Canada is the
largest and most influential Armenian-Canadian youth organization
in Canada, working to advance social, political, educational, and
cultural awareness among Armenian-Canadian youth.

Text of letter addressed to Ambassador Farid Shafiyev:

March 23, 2012 Ambassador Farid Shafiyev 904-275 Slater Street Ottawa,
ON K1P 5H9

Ambassador Shafiyev, We are sending you this open letter in response
to the Republic of Azerbaijan’s continued policy of cultural,
political and physical hostility against the Armenians of the
Caucasus. Armenian-Canadians have gathered at your doorstep today
to commemorate the anti-Armenian pogroms of the 1980s and 1990s; to
bring attention to the destruction of the Armenian cemetery at Julfa;
and to protest the Azerbaijan government’s continued anti-Armenian
statements and war threats against the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh,
a state whose existence you refuse to recognize.

The government of Azerbaijan has denied the people of Nagorno-Karabakh
their right to self-determination for too long. Azerbaijan disregarded
the referendum that solidified Nagorno-Karabakh’s decision for
independence and instead, launched a war against its people. Today,
the livelihood of the people of Karabakh is threatened and by imposing
a blockade, hinders the economic and social development of the country.

The culture of ethnocentric hate in Azerbaijan today can be traced back
to the years leading up to the country’s independence from the Soviet
Union twenty-one years ago. We remember the brutal and reprehensible
massacre of Armenians at the hand of violent mobs that the government
at the time refused to prevent or punish. The pogrom of Sumgait in
1988 set off similar acts of mob violence in other cities such as Baku
and Marghar, where civilians were dragged from their homes and raped,
burned alive or beheaded with blunt objects. All this was done in an
act of rage, which was fuelled by government propaganda in response
to the people of Karabakh’s democratic call for independence.

The complete destruction of the medieval Armenian cemetery at Julfa
clearly demonstrated Azerbaijan’s disposition to suppression of
ethnocultural diversity through violent and destructive campaigns.

When it fell under the control of Azerbaijan in the 1920s, this
cemetery was home to 6,000 uniquely carved Armenian tombstones.

Instead of protecting the sacred site, Azerbaijan demonstrated complete
disregard for international law and tenets of its own constitution
by proceeding to remove all traces of this historical Armenian
settlement. The cemetery – located in a region already depopulated
of its Armenian citizens – posed no threat and was of no strategic
significance to Azerbaijan. The desecration of the churches, monastic
sites and thousands of tombstones there can only be seen as a clear
policy of ethnocide on the part of the Azerbaijani government.

This sacred ground is now being used as a military training facility.

At the same time, your government continues to feign to the
international community innocence, victim-hood and a commitment to
peace. The government signals its readiness to end the conflict and
blames the Armenian side for not being able to come to a resolution.

We ask: how is Azerbaijan committed to peace when its military budget
is increased from $300 million to over $4 billion in the last 6 years?

How is it committed to peace when the country continually makes
threats of invading all of Armenia and destroying its people?

We register our indignation at the fact that just last month, the
President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, stated “…our main enemies
are Armenians of the world…” It is simply ridiculous that a head of
state can generalize an entire nation in this manner. This can only
be labelled as racist and truly troublesome. These are unfortunately
all too common within your government and must cease if indeed you
are committed to a peaceful resolution to the war.

The Armenian-Canadian community believes that Nagorno-Karabakh’s
independence must be universally recognized and that a return to
Azerbaijani rule will jeopardize the lives of its citizens. Through our
protest and this letter, we condemn the government of Azerbaijan for
its continued display of military aggression, religious intolerance and
dictatorial rule in the South Caucasus. A nation’s right to dictate
its own future is firmly enshrined in international law, and we will
continue to guarantee that this right is safeguarded for the people
of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Signed: The Armenian Youth Federation of Canada

From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN POWER MEMBER AND THREE ARMENIAN POWER ASSOCIATES CONVICTED IN LOS ANGELES FOR ROLES IN IDENTITY THEFT RING

Justice Department Documents and Publications
March 22, 2012

WASHINGTON — After a five week trial, four defendants have been
convicted for their roles in one of the largest bank fraud and identity
theft schemes in California history, with dozens of victims in four
states and millions of dollars in losses.

The convictions were announced by Assistant Attorney General Lanny A.
Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney
Andre Birotte Jr. of the Central District of California, Assistant
Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office Steven
Martinez and Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS)
Joseph Beaty.

Arman Sharopetrosian, Karen Markosian, Artush Margaryan and Kristine
Ogandzhanyan were found guilty of conspiring to commit bank fraud,
attempted bank fraud and various counts of aggravated identity theft.

Sharopetrosian, Markosian and Ogandzhanyan waived a jury trial and
consented to trial by the judge, and Margaryan proceeded with a
jury trial.

Yesterday, U.S. District Judge David O. Carter found Ogandzhanyan, 28,
of Burbank, Calif., guilty of one count of bank fraud conspiracy, two
counts of attempted bank fraud and four counts of aggravated identity
theft. On March 16, 2012, the judge found Sharopetrosian, 33, of
Burbank, guilty of one count of bank fraud conspiracy, four counts of
bank fraud and seven counts of aggravated identify theft. On March 16,
2012, the judge also found Markosian, 39, of Glendale, Calif., guilty
of one count of bank fraud conspiracy, one count of attempted bank
fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft. A jury convicted
the fourth defendant, Artush Margaryan, 28, of Van Nuys, Calif.,
on March 16, 2012, of one count of bank fraud conspiracy, one count
of attempted bank fraud and three counts of aggravated identity theft.

Evidence was presented at trial that Sharopetrosian is a member of
the Armenian Power organized crime group, and Margaryan, Markosian
and Ogandzhanyan are Armenian Power associates.

According to evidence presented at trial, Sharopetrosian directed
the massive fraud scheme along with co-defendant Angus Brown, while
the two were incarcerated at Avenal State Prison. Using cellular
telephones that were smuggled into the prison, Sharopetrosian and
Brown worked from behind bars to coordinate with others, including
Ogandzhanyn, Markosian and Margaryan, to obtain confidential bank
profile information and steal money from victim account holders. Often
targeting high-value bank accounts, the defendants used account
holders’ personal identifying information — including names, Social
Security numbers and dates of birth — to impersonate victims in
phone calls to the bank. The defendants gathered account information,
transferred funds between victims’ accounts and placed unauthorized
check orders for the accounts. They then stole the checks, obtained
the victims’ signatures from public documents and paid conspirators
to cash the forged checks. Over the course of the six-year conspiracy,
the defendants and their co-conspirators caused more than $10 million
dollars in losses to victims in Southern California, Nevada, Arizona
and Texas.

“These defendants, including two individuals who were operating from
a prison cell, perpetrated a massive fraudulent scheme on behalf of
a dangerous criminal enterprise,” said Assistant Attorney General
Breuer. “As members and associates of Armenian Power, they stole
sensitive personal and financial information from innocent consumers
and caused millions of dollars in losses. Whether organized criminal
groups traffic in drugs, commit financial fraud or wreak other havoc
to keep themselves going, they must be stopped. We are doing everything
possible to shut down dangerous gangs like Armenian Power.”

“The safety and sanctity of confidential financial information is
paramount in today’s society,” said U.S. Attorney Birotte. “Identity
theft is a fundamental invasion of consumer privacy that cannot be
tolerated. These convictions demonstrate that violators, whoever and
wherever they may be, will be caught and will be prosecuted to the
fullest extent of the federal law.”

“The defendants were convicted in a trial that uncovered a
sophisticated and lengthy scheme that targeted victims in multiple
states, and included disturbing details, such as orders made from
within prison walls and assistance from bank insiders enlisted by the
defendants,” said FBI Assistant Director Martinez. “This case is also
indicative of the growing trend of gang or organized crime-affiliated
groups now engaging in identity theft and other financial crimes in
furtherance of their enterprise.”

These defendants are four of 20 defendants who were charged with
operating the bank fraud and identity theft scheme in one of a series
of federal indictments unsealed on Feb. 16, 2011. The indictments
allege various federal crimes against members and associates of the
Armenian Power criminal organization. To date, 19 of the 20 defendants
charged in the bank fraud indictment have been convicted, including
Brown. One defendant, Faye Bell, was arrested earlier this year and
is still awaiting trial.

Sharopetrosian, Margaryan, Markosian and Ogandzhanyan face maximum
sentences of 30 years in federal prison for each count of bank
fraud, 30 years for each count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and
additional mandatory two year sentences for each count of aggravated
identity theft.

Sentencing for all four defendants is scheduled for Aug. 6, 2012,
before Judge Carter.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Martin Estrada
and Joseph McNally of the Central District of California and Trial
Attorney Cristina Moreno of the Organized Crime and Gang Section in
the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. The case was investigated
by the Eurasian Organized Crime Task Force, which includes the FBI,
the USSS, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Glendale Police
Department, the Burbank Police Department, the Internal Revenue
Service and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

From: Baghdasarian

RARE EXPLOSION IN ARMENIAN CAPITAL APPEARS TO BE ISOLATED CASE
Lilit Gevorgyan

Global Insight
March 21, 2012

On 20 March at 1:15am, a grenade explosion wounded three people, all
Iranian citizens, after bomb exploded in the Alen Elen disco club in
central Abovyan Street in the Armenian capital Yerevan. The Armenian
Police Press Service issued a statement saying that at 1.05 am they
received a call from the club saying that an individual was threatening
to detonate a grenade. Shortly after they learned that the suspect had
thrown the grenade into the second floor of the club. Six others, most
of whom were also Iranian nationals, had suffered smoke poisoning. The
medical staff treating the injured said that their injuries were not
life-threatening. The Armenian police have launched an investigation
into the explosion, and the Armenian media also reported that the
police had detained a suspect. The reports suggested that during the
suspect’s arrest, a knife with a secret valve was also found. The
Armenian authorities have not given any indication about the motives
behind the attack but media reports suggest that the explosion followed
an argument between the suspect and the management of the club.

Significance:While the investigation is ongoing it appears that the
attack had no political motivation and was an isolated case–the
high number of Iranian citizens amongst the casualties is due to the
high tourist season. Every year over 30,000 Iranians cross border to
Armenia to celebrate the holiday of Nowruz, mostly young Iranians who
enjoy the more relaxed environment in Armenia. There are a number of
Iranian businesses, including coffee houses in Armenia where Iranian
nationals prefer to gather, and the club involved is one of them. The
attack, although rare, raises questions about gun control in Armenia.

It comes ahead of parliamentary elections in May and is likely to
trigger a strong reaction from the public and the political opposition
over this sensitive issue.

From: Baghdasarian

SENATE RESOLUTION IS ANTAGONISTIC TOWARD TURKEY
by JAVID HUSEYNOV

March 23 2012

On March 8, Sens. Scott Brown, R-Mass., Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.,
and Mark Kirk, R-Ill., introduced Senate Resolution 392, “urging the
Republic of Turkey to safeguard its Christian heritage and to return
confiscated church properties.” The resolution, which is currently
referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations, constitutes another
dissolute attempt to interfere in Turkey’s religious affairs and
to unfairly single out this country under pressure from the ethnic
special interest groups.

The allegations made in S. Res. 392 conflict with the reports by
the U.S.

Commission on International Religious Freedom and by the European
Union, both of which commend the freedom of religion in Turkey. During
the past years, in cooperation with the European Court of Human
Rights and the Council of Europe, Turkey unilaterally restored several
properties to Greek and Armenian religious congregations, including
the Greek Orthodox Church at Buyukada, the Akhtamar Church in Van,
the Holy Savior Cathedral in Ani, the Sumela Monastery and others.

S. Res. 392 also contradicts our own Constitution. Specifically, the
First Amendment prohibits any federal or state establishment from
preference to any particular religion, while S. Res. 392 calls for
a privileged treatment of the Christian faith in a foreign land. In
the spirit of such prejudice, the co-sponsors of S. Res. 392 are not
interested in safeguarding mosques against the ongoing destruction
of the Turkic Muslim cultural heritage in neighboring Armenia.

S. Res. 392 is influenced by the antagonistic interests of
Armenian-American ethnic lobby, which relentlessly intimidates Congress
to harm U.S. relations with Turkey, an emerging economic power and
a faithful U.S. ally. Last year, expressing frustration over the
ethnic lobby’s attempt to push a similar anti-Turkish legislation,
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R.- Calif., noted a “terrible double standard”
exercised in singling out Turkey.

As a Turkic-American and a member of the Pax Turcica Institute,
I join to denounce S. Res. 392 as an act of pandering to limited
ethnic agenda. I call upon our senators to oppose S. Res. 392,
because it insults the very notion of religious freedom, disrespects
our Constitution and inflicts damage upon U.S. foreign policy.

Javid Huseynov is a Rochester resident.

From: Baghdasarian