Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

Soviet papers preserved
by Karen Brownlee, Leader-Post
The Leader-Post (Regina, Saskatchewan)
November 23, 2004 Tuesday
Final Edition
Doukhobor ancestors will soon be able to search centuries back into
their families’ histories to their Soviet homeland thanks to the
years of work of one of their own.
“I feel fairly strongly about documenting and preserving Doukhobor
history and making it available to other Doukhobor Canadians,” said
Jon Kalmakoff, a Regina-based researcher and genealogist.
Kalmakoff had around 3,000 documents unearthed from archives in the
Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, and Armenia and sent to Canada. They were
then translated from archaic Russian script to modern English.
He is making the documents available in a series of books, the first
of which will be available in a few weeks through Kalmakoff’s Web
site
“Taken all together, they allow most people of Doukhobor ancestry
to trace their families back to the early 19th century and the late
18th centuries,” said Kalmakoff, who is also making the copies of
the original Russian documents available in a special collection at
the Saskatchewan Archives .
The documents include census lists and tax lists, which “give us
a snapshot of what any particular family looked like at that time
period”, said Kalmakoff. Family names, their villages and in some
cases, occupations, are among the details listed.
Much of early Doukhobor history is obscure. They transmitted their
history through oral stories, rather than written records. Many at
that time were illiterate.
“It comes as quite a surprise, not only to find these records,
but that so many actually exist,” said Kalmakoff, who has used the
records to track his family history back to the 1600s.
“It’s quite a feat because unlike Anglo-Saxon genealogy, there just
isn’t the same number of records.”
Kalmakoff found the records after developing contacts with employees
at the archives where the documents were found. He personally funded
the searches for the documents.
“A lot of it was taking a shotgun approach just knowing certain records
were supposed to have been taken by the Russian Tsarist officials,”
he said.
“If we did find it existed, then arrangements were made for copies
to be made to be shipped over here,” he said.
The Russian peasants were persecuted for having political beliefs
different from their government in the late 18th century. They were
allowed to emigrate in the late 19th century.
Around 7,500 came to Canada and settled in Saskatchewan. Saskatoon,
Blaine Lake, Wadena, Watson, Buchanan, Canora, Kamsack and Veregin are
modern communities that coincide with the original areas of settlement,
said Kalmakoff.
A large group of the original settlers moved to B.C. after a dispute
over homestead titles with the federal government in the early
1900’s. Today, between 30,000 and 50,000 Doukhobor ancestors live in
western Canada, he said.
From: Baghdasarian

Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th St., NW, Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet:
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 23, 2004
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
CONGRESS FINALIZES FY2005 FOREIGN AID BILL
— Reverses Administration’s Effort to Break
Military Aid Parity for Armenia and Azerbaijan
— Earmarks $75 Million in Economic, $8.75 Million
in Military Aid to Armenia; an Additional $3 Million
for Nagorno Karabagh
— Fails to Include Schiff Amendment on the Armenian Genocide
WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Congress this past weekend adopted an
Omnibus spending measure including several provisions of special
interest to Armenian Americans – including the reversal of a White
House proposal to tip the balance of U.S. military aid toward
Azerbaijan, reported the Armenian National Committee of America
(ANCA).
The Bush Administration, in the budget it submitted to Congress in
February of this year, had proposed sending four times more Foreign
Military Financing to Azerbaijan ($8 million) than to Armenia ($2
million). The final version of the foreign aid bill, adopted on
November 20th during a lame duck session of Congress, sets the
total military aid figures, including three quarters of a million
dollars in International Military Education and Training, for both
nations at $8.75 million. “It is absolutely critical that the U.S.
maintain parity in military assistance to Armenia and Azerbaijan,”
commented Armenian Caucus Co-Chairman Joe Knollenberg (R-MI).
“This is as important as ever, particularly in light of the ongoing
dangerous comments by Azeri leaders. I am fully committed to
ensuring that this policy continues.”
The Congress – at the urging of Senator Mitch McConell (R-KY) and
Rep. Knollenberg, both of whom serve as senior members of their
respective chamber’s foreign aid subcommittees – earmarked at least
$75 million in economic aid for Armenia and an additional $3
million for Nagorno Karabagh. Subcommittee member Steve Rothman
(D-NJ) welcomed the final numbers, stating “Armenia, as an emerging
democracy with a developing free market economic system, needs
continued U.S. assistance to accomplish its objectives: regional
peace and stability, a successful transition to a free market
economy and a flourishing democracy. I will continue to work with
the Administration to push Azerbaijan and Turkey to lift their
blockades against Armenia, which are placing oppressive and
unjustifiable obstacles in the path of Armenia’s continued growth
and development.”
“Armenian Americans value the foresight and vision of Congress in
restoring military aid parity, setting a $75 million earmark for
Armenia, and continuing direct aid to Nagorno Karabagh,” said ANCA
Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “Senator McConnell, Congressman
Knollenberg and all our friends deserve a great deal of credit for
their tireless efforts on this spending measure. We were, at the
same time, disappointed that Congressional leaders failed to
respect the clearly expressed will of the U.S. House in adopting
the Schiff Amendment. In failing to include this provision in the
final version of the bill, the Congress missed an opportunity to
send a clear message to Turkey that the U.S. government will not
tolerate its shameful denial of the Armenian Genocide.”
The restoration of military aid parity by the Congress was
identified by the ANCA in early 2004 as a major legislative
priority following the President’s budget request breaking the
standing agreement between the White House and the legislative
branch that military assistance to Armenia and Azerbaijan remain
equal. Following the bill’s passage Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank
Pallone (D-NJ) cited the importance of maintaining military aid
parity. “Even though the President waived Section 907 in FY 2002,
its principles and the commitments that were made at that time
still remain fundamental to U.S. policy towards the South Caucuses.
Moreover, because Azerbaijan continues its blockade of Armenia, it
is more important than ever for maintaining Foreign Military
Funding parity between these two nations.”
The House version of the foreign aid bill, adopted this July,
included a strongly worded amendment, authored by Rep. Adam Schiff,
on the Armenian Genocide. This measure, approved as an amendment
by voice vote on the House floor, aimed to restrict the government
of Turkey from using any of the aid it receives from this
appropriation to lobby against the adoption of the Congressional
Genocide Resolution. The Senate version did not include a
counterpart to the Schiff Amendment, nor did the final text that
emerged from House-Senate deliberations. Rep. Schiff commented on
the removal of the provision from the final bill stating:
“Generations of Americans have long waited for Congress to condemn
the murder of 1.5 million Armenian men, women and children. Even
though the Schiff amendment was not enacted into law, its passage
by the House in July was a seminal moment in the effort to
recognize the Armenian Genocide. While I had hoped that this would
be the year Congress would formally speak against the evil
perpetrated against the Armenian people almost ninety years ago, we
will redouble our efforts in the next year to pass the Schiff
Amendment as well as legislation recognizing and condemning all
genocides.”
#####
From: Baghdasarian

Azeri officer’s murder trial starts in Hungary
ANS Radio, Baku
23 Nov 04
The trial in the case of Ramil Safarov, an officer of the Azerbaijani armed
forces, who is charged with killing [Armenian officer] Gurgen Markaryan
[on a NATO course] in Hungary on 19 February 2004, has just opened
in the Budapest city court. The ANS correspondent in Hungary, Parviz
Sultanov, will give us the latest details.
[Correspondent, by phone] We are at the court located at No 27,
San Marco Street where Ramil Safarov’s trial is currently being
held. There are a lot of people outside the court at the moment. Ramil
Safarov was brought to the court and he entered the courtroom a
few minutes ago. There were many journalists from Hungarian and
Armenian TV stations. Gurgen Markaryan’s father was also present in
the courtroom. The trial has already started. The court will look
into Safarov’s case and pass a relevant verdict on him.
From: Baghdasarian

Karabakh defence chief dismisses Azeri reports on US troops deployment
Arminfo, Yerevan
22 Nov 04
Stepanakert , 22 November: The defence minister of the Nagornyy
Karabakh Republic NKR , Lt-Gen Seyran Oganyan, has described as
groundless recent Azerbaijani media reports that Baku was allegedly in
negotiations with Washington on deployment of US troops on territories
under the control of Nagornyy Karabakh.
Commenting on debates provoked by Azerbaijani reports in the Karabakh
media on the so-called “occupied territories”, the NKR defence minister
said that since the conflict has not been politically resolved,
the territories around Karabakh serve as a security zone.
“The Karabakh army has created a serious defence system on the
controlled territories,” Oganyan said.
Oganyan described Baku’s belligerent statements as a result of
political short-sightedness and lack of knowledge of subtleties of
the Karabakh problem.
From: Baghdasarian

Athens News Agency
November 16, 2004
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT’S FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE EXAMINES ISSUE OF
TURKEY’S EU ACCESSION
STRASBOURG (ANA/O. Tsipira) – The European Parliament’s Foreign
Affairs Committee examined the issue of Turkey’s accession to the
European Union in the framework of a discussion which took place on
Tuesday night on the report by Dutch Eurodeputy Kamiel Erlings which
will be put to the vote at the European Parliament in December
Other issues discussed were the issue of Cyprus, the genocide of the
Armenians, the Kurdish question and the situation concerning human
rights in Turkey
Ruling New Democracy party Eurodeputy Giorgos Dimitrakopoulos said
“it is unacceptable that forces of Turkey, a candidate country,
should occupy part of the territory of a member-state, while it is
also unacceptable that its military establishment should give
instructions to its forces for provocative acts against another
member-state.” Dimitrakopoulos further said that on December 17 the
European Council must decide positively on a date for the beginning
of accession negotiations
Main opposition PASOK party Eurodeputy Panos Beglitis, referring to
Turkey, said “this country has carried out an institutional
revolution. It has a European prospect. In other words, we say ‘yes’
to the beginning of negotiations, but without this being considered a
‘blank cheque’. We demand, therefore, respect for the political and
economic criteria of Copenhagen and respect for the acquis
communautaire.” Cypriot Democratic Rally Eurodeputy Ioannis
Kasoulides said on his part amendments which create the impression
that Turkey no longer has any obligations concerning a solution to
the issue of Cyprus because the majority of Greek Cypriots said ‘no’
in the referendum on the Annan plan are very negative.
From: Baghdasarian

ArmenPress
Nov 15 2004
ROBERT KOCHARIAN AND ARNOLD RUUTEL DISCUSS COOPERATION
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 15 ARMENPRESS: The president of Estonia Arnold
Ruutel arrived in Armenian 13 November at the invitation of president
Robert Kocharian. Ruutel is accompanied by his spouse.
According to president press services, the two presidents had a
face to face meeting early today after the ceremonial reception of
the guest at the presidential residence. The two leaders conferred on
different domains of Armenian-Estonian relations and prospects for
their development. They also discussed a range of issues on regional
and international significance.
The two president expressed their determination to assist
deepening of political dialogue and bilateral cooperation between the
two countries. In the words of Arnold Ruutel, Estonia hails the
inclusion of South Caucasian countries in the European Union New
Neighborhood project. Estonia devotes wider attention to developing
relations with South Caucasian state, the Estonian president said.
On Sunday, Ruutel visited the Garni Temple, the Geghard Monastery
and the Sergey Paradzhanov Museum where culture ministers of Estonia
and Armenia signed a bilateral cultural cooperation agreement.
Today Ruutel met also with the Speaker of the Armenian National
Assembly Arthur Baghdasarian and Armenian Prime Minister Andranik
Margarian. Afterwards, Ruutel visited the genocide museum and laid a
wreath at the genocide monument.
On Tuesday President Ruutel will deliver a lecture, Estonia and
Armenia in Europe, at Yerevan University, visit the old manuscripts
museum of the Matendaran Institute, see the display of the Armenian
National Museum and the Yerevan brandy distillery.
Tuesday afternoon the Estonian head of state will meet with the
head of the Armenian church, Catholicos Karekin II, and see the
Etchmiadzin Armenian Cathedral.
The official delegation accompanying the president on the visit
includes, among others, Culture Minister Urmas Paet, Regional Affairs
Minister Jaan Ounapuu, State Secretary Heiki Loot, Jarva County
Governor Ullar Vahtramae, Tartu University Rector Jaak Aaviksoo and
Mayor of Tartu Laine Janes.
Besides, the president is accompanied by a business delegation of
11, headed by board chairman of the Estonian Chamber of Commerce and
Industry Toomas Luman. Ruutel will return to Estonia on Tuesday,
November 16. President Kocharian made an official visit to Estonia in
June 2002.
From: Baghdasarian

AzerTag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
Nov 13 2004
V. LOSHININ: “INTERSTATE RELATIONS BETWEEN AZERBAIJAN AND RUSSIA
DEVELOP IN VERY GOOD DIRECTION”
[November 13, 2004, 17:11:05]
The first deputy foreign minister of the Russian Federation Valery
Loshinin informed in exclusive interview to the correspondent of
AzerTAj that interstate relations between Azerbaijan and Russia
develop in very good direction. As he said, Russia is satisfied with
current level of mutual relations, in particular, the raising level
of economy of both states. He emphasized, that commodity circulation
between two states for 8 months has grown more than for 30 percent,
and the countries have good prospects of cooperation in power and
other fields of economic activities.
The Russian diplomat also has emphasized that on international arena
the two states practically on all positions operate together, and it
is very important. “All it, we hardly probable could reach, if not
for kind relations of heads of our countries. Here, first of all, it
is necessary to give due to Heydar Aliyev, he was very wise person,
wise statesman and politician, and he has much made for Azerbaijan
and for development of the Russian – Azerbaijan relations. He has
managed to make the friend of the young Russian President, and the
difference in their age has affected these relations only in the best
sense of this word. They had excellent mutual, attractive aspiration
to be beside, to listen and understand each other. And naturally, the
relations between presidents Ilham Aliyev and Vladimir Putin became
continuation of this mutual understanding. It is enough to recollect
absolutely recent meetings in Moscow when at the Congress of the
All-Russia Azerbaijan Congress, President Vladimir Putin and Ilham
Aliyev attended, and arrival of the Azerbaijan President in the
anniversary of Moscow State Institute of International Relations
(MGIMO). It is evidence to our relations, the evidence that they are
pure, they do not bear in themselves any latent interests. These are
the open hearts, open souls which we very much appreciate”, the first
deputy foreign minister of Russia has told.
Having touched the question of settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan,
Nagorno Karabakh conflict, V. Loshinin has stated that Russia
consistently and actively works in this direction within the
framework of the Minsk Group of OSCE and is ready to act as the
guarantor of any decision adopted by the sides during negotiating
process.
Making comments on the question on situation developed in sphere of
economic integration of CIS member-states, the diplomat has noted
that priority direction of the policy of Russia is rapprochement with
the CIS states, and in particular, in economic sphere.
From: Baghdasarian

Former Burbank truck driver arrested
San Francisco Chronicle, CA
Nov 13 2004
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A former Burbank truck driver was arrested in
Armenia and returned to Southern California four years after a vicious
freeway road-rage killing in Universal City.
Shahen Keshishian, 32, one of the FBI’s most-wanted, was arrested this
week by Armenian authorities at his apartment in Yerevan, authorities
said Thursday. FBI agents and Glendale police in Armenia on unrelated
business located Keshishian.
Armenian authorities made the arrest, for overstaying his visa,
and Keshishian was immediately handed over to U.S. authorities.
“I am just so elated,” police homicide Detective Martin Pinner said
after returning Wednesday with Keshishian. “This arrest, I do believe,
came as a result of policemen talking to policemen, and massive
cooperation with other agencies in two different countries.”
The FBI said the arrest was a warning to criminals who have fled
the country.
“This arrest should send the message to individuals who flee to Armenia
and other countries that it’s not a safe haven,” FBI spokeswoman
Laura Eimiller said.
Keshishian was charged with murder for allegedly running down freelance
film editor Michael Craven, 44, of suburban Canoga Park with a black
Chevrolet Suburban on April 29, 2000. The killing came after a road
rage confrontation along the Hollywood Freeway.
Craven had been driving on the freeway after dinner with a friend
when the Suburban pulled up and eggs were thrown. One of the drivers
had apparently cut in front of the other.
Authorities say Craven pulled to the side of the freeway just south
of Barham Boulevard to confront the suspect, and the Suburban driver
stopped behind him. A passenger in the Suburban then threw a beer
bottle at Craven’s Jeep.
Craven was then run over.

Cambridge Chronicle, MA
Nov 11 2004
Student muscle-power lights bulbs
“Come on, pedal harder. We got the incandescent bulb up to 100
degrees, enough to boil water!”
Tad Sudnick encouraged his students, but try as they might, the
compact fluorescent bulb wouldn’t break 30. Using a bicycle rigged to
generate electricity and turn on a light bulb, the students used
their muscle power to experience the difference between a 60-watt
incandescent and 15-watt compact fluorescent bulb.
“A 15-watt compact fluorescent light bulb gives off the same
amount of light as a 60-watt incandescent bulb, so where does the
rest of the energy go?” explained Elke Hodson, a volunteer from MIT’s
Students for Global Sustainability group.
As the students discovered, it becomes heat. We don’t use light
bulbs to heat our homes, so this is wasted energy. “That’s why our
parents tell us to turn off the lights to stay cool in the summer,”
said Rashaad Wharton.
The bicycle-lighting experiment was part of an Energy Project
between the Tobin School and an Armenian School in Cambridge’s sister
city, Yerevan. While the United States consumes very high levels of
electricity, Armenia has been forced to conserve due to a severely
restricted supply. Eighth-grade students are exchanging questions
over the Internet, and will compare their personal consumption and
sources of energy. To learn more, visit the Project’s Web site a
More calculations were necessary to decide which bulb was
preferred because a fluorescent bulb can cost twice as much as an
incandescent. But the expense of the extra electricity to light the
incandescent far exceeded the fluorescent bulb’s initial cost.
Compact fluorescent bulbs save between $10 and $15 per year in energy
costs, and their bulbs last five to 10 times longer than standard
incandescent bulbs.
Elke also explained fluorescent bulbs currently contain mercury,
a toxin. The solution to not poisoning the landfill is to recycle
fluorescent bulbs. Cambridge accepts fluorescent light bulbs and
other mercury devices for recycling at the Public Works drop-off
center, 147 Hampshire St., Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 to 7:30 p.m.
and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
From: Baghdasarian

Reaping and Writing
By EDWARD WYATT; Compiled by Lawrence Van Gelder
The New York Times
November 10, 2004 Wednesday
Late Edition – Final
Four novelists, two poets and two writers of nonfiction have been
chosen by the Lannan Foundation of Santa Fe, N.M., to receive $925,000
in literary awards and fellowships for their work. The poet W.S. Merwin
will receive the foundation’s lifetime achievement award, carrying
a $200,000 prize. Three literary awards of $125,000 each will go to
Rikki Ducornet, a novelist in residence at the University of Denver
and author of ”Gazelle,” a novel set in Cairo in the 1950’s (Alfred
A. Knopf, 2003); Peter Reading, a British poet; and Luis Alberto Urrea,
for his nonfiction work, including ”The Devil’s Highway” (Little,
Brown, 2004), an account of a group of Mexican men who died in the
desert while crossing illegally from Mexico into the United States
in 2001. The Lannan Foundation also awarded literary fellowships to
Edwidge Danticat, above, a novelist and author of ”The Dew Breaker”
(Knopf, 2004); Thomas Frank, a social critic and author of ”What’s the
Matter With Kansas?” (Metropolitan, 2004); Mavis Gallant, the Canadian
novelist and short-story writer; Micheline Aharonian Marcom, born in
Saudi Arabia and author of ”The Daydreaming Boy” (Riverhead, 2004),
a novel about a survivor of Turkey’s Armenian massacres; and Rebecca
Seiferle, the author of three books of poetry, including ”Bitters”
(Copper Canyon Press, 2001). EDWARD WYATT
From: Baghdasarian