Author: Baghdasarian Karlen

L’ARMENIE ANNONCE UNE RECRUDESCENCE DE SES ACQUISITIONS D’ARMEMENT

ARMENIE

L’Armenie a annonce une augmentation spectaculaire de ses acquisitions
d’armes au cours des dernières annees, en disant qu’ils visent a
compenser la poursuite du rearmement militaire massif de l’Azerbaïdjan.

” Au cours des trois dernières annees, nous avons acquis autant
d’armes que nous l’avions fait au cours des 20 annees precedentes
” a declare le Premier ministre Tigran Sarkissian lors d’une visite
dans une unite de l’armee dans le Haut-Karabagh.

” En ce sens, soyez assure que nous ne permettrons jamais que
l’equilibre militaire soit perturbe. Nous allons maintenir cet
equilibre ” a-t-il declare aux soldats selon le site Web du
gouvernement armenien.

Tigran Sarkissian a donne peu de details sur ces acquisitions. Il a
dit que, dans une reference apparente a la Russie, des ” partenaires
strategiques ” aident l’Armenie a rester dans la course aux armements
avec l’Azerbaïdjan riche en petrole dans le cadre de l’Organisation
du Traite de securite collective.

Il y a eu d’autres indications de livraisons d’armes russes a
l’Armenie, pour la plupart realisees gratuitement, qui se seraient
intensifiees dernièrement. Un parlementaire armenien pro-gouvernement
a revendique en mai que pas moins de 120 avions russes ont transporte
des armes a l’Armenie au cours de la dernière annee seulement.

Le commandant de l’armee armenienne du Karabagh, le general Movses
Hakobian, a de meme parle d’acquisitions de grande envergure d’armes
a la fin de juillet. Movses Hakobian a declare que les livraisons
d’armes ont ete si vastes que l’armee du Karabagh a du mal a memoriser
les nouvelles armes et a du construire un nouveau depôt a cet effet.

En particulier, les Armeniens du Karabagh sont connus pour avoir cree
une nouvelle brigade de chars l’annee dernière. Certains analystes
de la defense a Erevan croient qu’elle est armee d’environ 100 chars.

L’Azerbaïdjan aurait commence a recevoir en juin un nombre similaire
de tanks ainsi que de nombreuses autres armes offensives de fabrication
russe d’une valeur estimee a 1 milliard de dollars. Le President Ilham
Aliyev a declare le mois dernier que ” le volume de la cooperation
technico-militaire entre la Russie et l’Azerbaïdjan est evalue a 4
milliards de dollars et cela a tendance a augmenter “.

Selon le quotidien moscovite “Vedomosti”, le chiffre cite par Aliyev
est ” la somme de tous les contrats conclus et en partie executes
depuis 2010 “.

samedi 7 septembre 2013, Stephane ©armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

WILL U.S. AMBASSADOR BE RECALLED?

After his affirmation as ambassador John Heffern announced that his
goal is to achieve diversification. A country cannot have one partners,
Heffern said in an interview with Lragir.am.

Armenia has recently refused diversification, transferring its powers
with Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.

In this regard, Heffern stated that “Armenia places itself in a
position to succeed when it maintains a range of options in the
political, economic and security spheres.”

Now no options are left. Should we expect John Heffern’s recall who
has actually failed his task of diversification at the moment?

The option of Armenia’s joining to the Customs Union was hardly ruled
out by the United States and the EU. Otherwise, Armenia would enjoy
American investments, and the EU would have held the donor conference,
raising 1.5 billion dollars for Armenia. However, everyone was waiting
till the end of November to see whether Serzh Sargsyan would hold on
or would let them down.

Tigran Sargsyan will have somehow to handle the loss of some European
programs supporting reforms which actually helped maintain some
government agencies, as well as American investments in IT. In fact,
Tigran Sargsyan should also be “recalled”.

Only one thing can keep John Heffern in his current position – the
unserious attitude of the United States to the Customs Union and
its future. Many believe that the Customs Union and especially the
Eurasian Union will soon be called a bluff. Time will show whether it
is true or not but obviously the awaiting policy of the United States
and Europe was not effective. “The investment expansion” would incur
big risks but its lack was another premise for “Armenia’s choice”.

It is true that Armenia’s diversification took place at the
psychological level and it will be reflected in the government policy.

Naira Hayrumyan 11:28 07/09/2013 Story from Lragir.am News:

From: Baghdasarian

44 % DES CITOYENS D’ARMENIE CONNECTES A INTERNET CONTRE 35 % EN GEORGIE ET 19 % EN AZERBAIDJAN

ARMENIE-MEDIAS

L’Armenie est avec 44 % des citoyens connectes a internet, le leader
des pays du Sud Caucase en matière d’utilisation du net selon une
etude du ” Centre d’etudes des ressources caucasiennes “. Ainsi près
d’un citoyen sur deux de la Republique d’Armenie avaient un accès
au moins une fois par semaine. En 2010 ils etaient a peine 28 % de
citoyens d’Armenie a etre connectes a internet. L’Armenie est loin
devant la Georgie dont seuls 35 % des citoyens sont connectes chaque
semaine et où 6% de la population declare n’avoir jamais entendu parler
d’internet. L’Azerbaïdjan n’est guère mieux lotie puisqu’a peine 19%
de la population utilise internet et 12 % declarent ne pas connaître
internet. 25 % des Armeniens lisent en priorite des informations sur
internet contre 22 % des Georgiens et 16 % des Azeris. Facebook et
MySpace sont les reseaux sociaux qui sont egalement très utilises en
Georgie, en Armenie et en Azerbaïdjan.

Krikor Amirzayan

samedi 7 septembre 2013, Krikor Amirzayan ©armenews.com

From: Baghdasarian

EP COMMITTEE CHAIR IN VILNIUS CALLS RUSSIA’S ACTIONS AGAINST ARMENIA “BLACKMAIL”

Baltic News Service / – BNS
September 5, 2013 Thursday 11:00 AM EET

VILNIUS, Sep 05, BNS – Elmar Brok, chairman of the European
Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, on Thursday called Russia’s
pressure on Armenia to join the Customs Union “blackmail.”

“What Russia has done in recent weeks in terms of trade measures was
pure blackmail against Armenia, and that runs counter to international
requirements,” Brok told the Inter-Parliamentary Conference for the
Common Foreign and Security Policy and the Common Security and Defense
Policy at the Lithuanian Seimas on Thursday.

Following a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier
this week, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan announced the country’s
decision to join the Customs Union. It had been hoped that an
association and free trade agreement between Armenia and the EU would
be initialed at the upcoming Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius
in late November.

Talking about the Eastern Partnership countries, the EP committee
chairman underlined that Eastern Partnership countries should make
up their minds on their future themselves and not under external
influence.

“Every country should make individual decisions. These are not
decisions that should be made in Moscow or Brussels. These are
individual decisions that should be made by, let’s say, Kiev. These
are independent countries that need to make their own decisions as
Lithuania did when fighting for its independence,” Brok said.

In his speech, the German politician also stressed the need to
ensure that an association agreement with Ukraine is signed during
the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius. “I hope that the Eastern
Partnership Summit will be historically significant for the whole of
Europe. (…) The doors are open to Eastern Partnership countries.

They just need to meet certain conditions,” Brok said.

Russia has taken measures in recent weeks against Eastern Partnership
countries seeking closer ties with the European Union. Russian
officials have warned Ukraine recently about potential import
restrictions, if Ukraine signs the association agreement with the
EU and does not join the Russian-led Customs Union instead. Moscow
has also pledged cheaper gas to Ukraine, if the latter chooses the
Customs Union over closer ties with the EU.

Russian officials have also warned Moldova that its closer ties with
the EU would hamper the resolution of the Transnistrian problem and
also mentioned potential wine imports restrictions.

From: Baghdasarian

KAUZLARICH, CALLED AZERBAIJAN’S ‘FRIEND’ EXPOSES HIS TRUE FACE

Yeni Azarbaycan, Azerbaijan
Aug 31 2013

by Hulya Mammadli

True to their tradition, those who cannot abide Azerbaijan’s
development and true sovereignty wish to capitalize on the increased
international attention to the country on the eve of the elections and
expand their smear campaign. The former US ambassador to Azerbaijan,
Richard Kauzlarich, has recently been observed to be at the fore of
this campaign. Some time ago in an interview full of accusations
against Azerbaijan Kauzlarich described himself as Azerbaijan’s
“friend”. Recently, he co-authored a report published in The New
York Times, where his anti-Azerbaijani and pro-Armenian position is
more pronounced.

Kauzlarich exposes pro-Armenian bias

Although the report was shaped as an evaluation of the geostrategic
significance of the South Caucasus countries, one look at the gist of
it shows that this is yet another report written in order to carry on
the campaign of pressure on Azerbaijan and smearing its image in the
run-up to the election. The part of the report concerning Azerbaijan
is far from being objectively analytical and reads like an accusation.

What is more, the distortion of realities concerning Azerbaijan
and the biased attitude to the country make it clear what are the
true goals and objectives of the report that openly expresses a
pro-Armenian position.

First of all, in contrast to other South Caucasus republics,
discrimination against Azerbaijan is obvious in the report. The report
explicitly says that Abkhazia and South Ossetia are Georgia’s occupied
regions. However, there is a biased approach to the realities in
Azerbaijan. As you know, Armenia has invaded Azerbaijan’s Nagornyy
Karabakh and seven adjacent districts, hundreds of thousands of
Azerbaijanis were displaced from their native land, material and
cultural traces of Azerbaijanis in the region are being destroyed
with the hands of the puppet Armenian regime, natural resources
are plundered.

The report turns a blind eye to all these factors and downplays the
Armenian-Azerbaijan, Nagornyy Karabakh conflict as mere “military
stand-off”: “A two-decade military stand-off persists around
Nagorno-Karabakh, populated by ethnic Armenians but lying within
Azerbaijan”. You can see that the report does not mention the fact
of occupation. “Forgetting” the local Azerbaijani population reduced
to displaced persons from Nagornyy Karabakh is done to deny the fact
that the region belongs to the Azerbaijani people.

Another aspect that shows the pro-Armenian position of the report is
that the closed state of the Turkish-Armenian border is portrayed as
detrimental to the security climate. Quite the opposite, the main
factor that worsens the security climate in the South Caucasus is
that instead of applying necessary international pressure on Armenia
some countries lend it political, economic and military support. As
if this was not enough, the co-authors attempt to put the blame for
the failure to achieve peace on the Azerbaijani leadership. Let us
reiterate, the reason why the conflict remains unresolved for 20 years,
UN Security Council resolutions remain unfulfilled and the threat of
war remains high in the region is the lack of necessary international
pressure on Armenia.

Kauzlarich, as one of the co-authors of the report, has thus exposed
his pro-Armenian bias. On what grounds can this person be considered
“Azerbaijan’s friend” if he doubts the fact that Nagornyy Karabakh
belongs to the Azerbaijani people and has been occupied?

Reason for former ambassador’s officiousness is known: elections
draw near

The report talks about the developments that preceded the 2013
presidential election in Armenia and the attempt on the life of
one of the candidates is mentioned as an ordinary fact. If such an
event had taken place in Azerbaijan, we would likely see a completely
different treatment. While the objective of the report is to criticize
Azerbaijan, the author suffers from the shortage of arguments and
uses false claims from the radical opposition press about violations
of political and human rights in Azerbaijan.

The report also alleges that the national leadership is preventing the
arrival of [joint candidate of the opposition’s National Council]
Rustam Ibrahimbayov to the country. But everybody knows that
Ibrahimbayov himself impedes his return and despite numerous promises
about returning on different dates, he does not do so without providing
any serious grounds. It is obvious that Ibrahimbayov himself and those
in the “National Council” are well aware that he cannot compete in
the election. Therefore, they are purposely impeding his participation
in the election, while blaming it on the government.

[Passage omitted: Opposition press distorts report]

Kauzlarich as “friend” who wishes ill

On the other hand, the possibility of a “political overthrow” discussed
in the report speaks more about the exposed wishes of the author,
rather than the reality. Anybody who knows Azerbaijan is aware that
even compared with a number of developed countries the social and
political situation in the country is more stable. When somebody who
says they are knowledgeable about Azerbaijan assesses the situation
in the country in a non-objective way, this stems from bad intentions.

As you can see, this report co-authored by Kauzlarich is slander dreamt
up abroad and designed to deal a blow to Azerbaijan’s image and confuse
the public opinion in the run-up to the election. With this report he
showed that despite his claims he is not a friend of Azerbaijan. On
the contrary, he showed his expressly pro-Armenian and biased
position. The good will and sincerity of such a person’s “advice”
and “recommendations” concerning the country are rather dubious.

Many such campaigns have been waged against Azerbaijan and each of
them failed. Despite sabotage our country’s international standing
is on the rise. Attempts to deceive the public opinion in Azerbaijan
are also doomed to fail.

[Translated from Azeri]

From: Baghdasarian

MANAS AND DONALEE BOUJIKIAN DONATE $15,000 TO ASBAREZ

Friday, September 6th, 2013

Manas and Donalee Boujikian with Western Prelate Archbishop Moushegh
Mardirossian

TORRANCE-Longtime community activists and benefactors to various
important community projects, Manas and Donalee Boujikian announced
a donation of $15,000 to Asbarez on the occasion of the newspaper’s
105th anniversary.

The Boujikians’ generous donations kicks off Asbarez’s anniversary
project to raise $105,000 to be allocated for the digitization of
the paper’s 105-year-old archives and make it available to the public
and the academic community.

Asbarez has already begun exploring the process and the steps it
will take to professionally digitize its vast archives and make it
available to the public at-large.

This project will also greatly enhance efforts by scholars and
historians to conduct research on Armenian issues, especially the
mirror that Asbarez has held to the Armenian-American community during
its 105-year history.

Asbarez is inviting interested community members to become an
integral part of this project by donating $1,000 to the effort. This
tax-deductible donation will enable Asbarez to expedite this process
and to provide the public access to our archives and bring to life
critical turning points and moments in our history.

The digitization project is a critical aspect of Asbarez’s longevity
and its mission to serve the public and the community, by extending
the arena-the Asbarez-to future generations.

The management and editorial board of Asbarez expresses its gratitude
to Manas and Donalee Boujikian for their contribution.

From: Baghdasarian

WARMONGER CONG. SCHIFF MISREPRESENTS ANTI-WAR DISTRICT; ATTRACTS WIDESPREAD PROTEST

Appo K. Jabarian
Executive Publisher / Managing Editor
USA Armenian Life Magazine (English-language edition)
Hye Kiank Armenian Weekly (Armenian-language edition)

Literally dozens of media outlets around the world are flooded with
news accounts illustrating Syrian rebels’ acknowledgement of using
weapons of mass destruction.

However, CA Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) chooses to uphold lies
promoted by warmongers inside Obama administration and GOP, falsely
claiming “convincing evidence that the Syrian regime has used chemical
weapons against its citizens.”

Apparently Mr. Schiff prefers Secretary of State John Kerry’s attitude:
Don’t bother me with facts about WMD’s in-Syria, I have already made
up my mind.

While an official UN report about the use of chemical weapons in
Syria is in preparation, Dale Gavlak, a MintPress News Middle East
correspondent who has been freelancing for the AP in Amman, Jordan for
nearly a decade, filed a report refuting Obama administration’s false
claims: “Ghouta, Syria – As the machinery for a U.S.-led military
intervention in Syria gathers pace following last week’s chemical
weapons attack, the U.S. and its allies may be targeting the wrong
culprit. Interviews with people in Damascus and Ghouta, a suburb of the
Syrian capital, where the humanitarian agency Doctors Without Borders
said at least 355 people had died last week from what it believed to
be a neurotoxic agent, appear to indicate as much. … The U.S. and
others are not interested in examining any contrary evidence, with
U.S Secretary of State John Kerry saying Monday that Assad’s guilt was
‘a judgment … already clear to the world.'”

Gavlak went on to underline: “However, from numerous interviews
with doctors, Ghouta residents, rebel fighters and their families, a
different picture emerges. Many believe that certain rebels received
chemical weapons via the Saudi intelligence chief, Prince Bandar bin
Sultan, and were responsible for carrying out the deadly gas attack.”

On Wednesday, the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA),
citing the community’s profound concern for the fate of Syria’s
Armenian population and the welfare of all of Syria’s citizens,
circulated letters across Capitol Hill calling on Members of the U.S.

House and Senate to oppose legislation authorizing U.S. strikes
against Syria.

“As our nation’s elected representatives gather this week to consider
potential U.S. actions against Syrian targets, we wish to add our
voice, as Americans of Armenian heritage, to those of our fellow
citizens who oppose American military strikes and are against any
escalation of violence. Such an escalation would very likely create
further challenges and lead to serious additional harm to Christian
communities, including Syria’s Armenian minority,” said ANCA Chairman
Ken Hachikian in letters to U.S. legislators. “We take this stand
mindful of the horrific human suffering that armed conflict has
already visited across Syria, including the death and destruction
being endured, to this day, by Armenians and other Christian
communities. There has already been too much bloodshed, too much
brutality, and too much suffering. An escalation in aggression can
neither save lives nor help bring about peace.”

Brittany Levine and Veronica Rocha of Glendale New Press reported
last week: “Leaders in local Syrian-Armenian community oppose U.S.

military actions. While President Barack Obama announced Friday that
any military action responding to chemical attacks in Syria would be
limited in scope, leaders in the Syrian-Armenian community in Glendale
said they oppose any armed response from the United States.”

As a result of Cong. Schiff’s unjustified belligerence against
Syria, several activists in his district have unleashed criticism
and announced a unified front to protest his misguided anti-Syria
actions in U.S. Congress.

Local activists and residents have joined nationally coordinated
actions starting immediately and lasting through Saturday, Sunday and
even Monday to tell individual members of Congress “NO NEW WAR! HANDS
OFF SYRIA! … We must stop them from yet another murderous military
attack justified by lies!”

Organizers include Arab Americans for Syria, BAYAN-USA, Global Women’s
Strike, International League for Peoples’ Struggle, Martin Luther
King Coalition, ANSWER-LA, United National Antiwar Coalition-LA, SOA
Watch-LA, Antiracist Action, International Action Center, Workers World
Party, Union del Barrio, Union of Progressive Iranians, Puerto Rican
Alliance, Los Angeles Peace Council, Southern California Immigration
Coalition, Los Angeles Chapter of National Lawyers Guild, Interfaith
Communities United for Justice and Peace, Full Rights for Immigrants
Coalition, KmB Pro-People Youth, Veterans For Peace, Association
of Filipinas, Feminists Fighting Imperialism, Re-feudalization,
and Marginalization (AF3IRM), March Forward!

Veterans, Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), Alliance for Just
and Lasting Peace in the Philippines, Frente Unido de los Pueblos
Americanos (FUPA), Women Organized to Resist and Defend (WORD),
Asociacion Simon Bolivar de Los Angeles, Danza Mexica Cuauhtemoc,
and Minjok.com.

A group of activists representing various areas of Mr. Schiff s
district have cancelled their scheduled Sept 6 meeting with their
congressman and declared the same day and time as an impromptu protest
rendezvous condemning Congressman Schiff’s misrepresentations against
Syria.

On Sept. 3, several activists were alarmed when Mr. Schiff on
national TV made false claims about Syrian regime’s purported chemical
weapons’ use when in fact several Syrian rebels acknowledged using
Saudi-provided chemical weapons against innocent Syrian civilians.

Despite Mr. Schiff’s insistence that his constituents “understand the
importance of drawing a line against the use of chemical weapons”
against Syria, many firmly believe that western war hawks have
manufactured a new kind of WMD’s – Words of Mass Distraction that
deserve to be unmasked.

His constituents have signaled that they will not “tolerate his
support of unjust mass murder of innocent people in Syria.”

Instead of going after the real culprits, Obama and company are going
after the wrong party simply because their economic and political
agenda requires ‘punishment’ of secular and popular Syrian President
Bashar al-Assad’s regime for daring to pursue a pan-Arab political line
that is more aligned with the East (Russia, China, Iran) rather that
the West (Wall Street, western oil companies and military-industrial
complex).

Back in the sixties when the East-West cold war was in full swing,
most people were clueless about the underlying economic interests
pursued by western oil companies and other entities. With the advent of
post-cold-war era, the international community began to see through the
smokescreens under which western financial oligarchy pursued their own
interests to the detriment of Americans and other western democracies.

It’s amazing how anti-war candidate Barack Obama after becoming
President aligned himself with warmongers propagating an unjust war
against Syria.

Residents of California’s 28th congressional district are called
upon to:

– Participate in a mass call to oppose war on Syria by dialing
1-818-450-2900 to reach Mr. Schiff’s district office in CA;

– Participate in a protest rally this Friday 10 a.m. in front
of Mr. Schiff’s district office located at 245 E. Olive , Burbank
Ca 91502.

– Participate in a mass protest fax to his district office at
1-818-450-2928.

From: Baghdasarian

SECURITY COUNCIL CHIEF HAILS ABKHAZIA RAILWAY DEAL, GEORGIAN MP SURPRISED

September 6, 2013 – 18:56 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Russia, Georgia and Abkhazia reached an agreement
to open Abkhaz railway, National Security Council Secretary Artur
Baghdasaryan said in interview with Novosti Armenia.

“We have consent from the Georgian party, Russia and Abkhazia also
agree. But this is an ongoing process and we have to understand
that there are conflicting parties. The most important thing is that
there’s political will to open the railway”, Baghdasaryan said.

As he noted, development of railway communication was discussed at the
September 3 meeting between Presidents of Russia and Armenia Vladimir
Putin and Serzh Sargsyan, where Russia expressed readiness to carry
out large-scale financial investments in Armenia’s railway.

Meanwhile, a Georgian parliamentarian Victor Dolidze stated that
through the opening of the railway was discussed in Georgia, no
decision was passed.

He further ruled out the possibility of the decision above at the
governmental level.

Restoration of a railway between Georgia and Russia through Abkhazia
will benefit everybody, however, some time is necessary for the
process to launch, Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili said
in early 2013.

“Nothing will be done to the detriment of the country. Restoration
of the railroad will benefit everyone. The impact will be positive,
but things will take quite some time. The process will be implemented
in stages in order to prevent complications,” he said.

From: Baghdasarian

PREPARLIAMENT MEMBER CONCERNED OVER SYRIAN-ARMENIANS’ FATE

15:32 06.09.13

Due to the Armenian ruling regime’s criminal passivity and treacherous
conduct, Syrian-Armenians are in a situation of abandoned hostages,
the Parliament member Garegin Chukaszyan told journalists in front
of the Syrian Embassy in Armenia on Friday.

In contrast to the previous stages of the Syria conflict, the United
States’ possible strike poses a threat to the Armenian community’s
physical existence.

“On the threshold of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide,
the physical existence of thousands of Armenians is endangered again,”
The only way out of the situation is mass evacuation of Armenians
from Syria. And it is desirable that they be evacuated to Armenia,”
Chukaszyan said.

Armenia must do its utmost to evacuate Syrian Armenians.

“If the process is fairly successful, Syrian Armenians will have
refugee status in Armenia, which means that the relevant international
standards must be applied to them,” he said.

Armenian News – Tert.am

From: Baghdasarian

HAYKAKAN ZHAMANAK DAILY: NATIONAL SECURITY SERVICE OFFICERS MONITOR TELEPHONE CONVERSATIONS ON REQUEST OF ARMENIAN OLIGARCH

by David Stepanyan

Friday, September 6, 13:10

Some former and current officers of the National Security Service of
Armenia monitored telephone conversations on request of an Armenian
oligarch, a local Haykakan Zhamanak Daily writes.

Reportedly, an illegal structure not subordinate to the National
Security Service has been exposed recently. The structure was
engaged in criminal activity and in some way possessed the expensive
professional equipment acquired on demand of the National Security
Service.

Three representatives of the criminal structure have been detained
and are currently giving testimonies at the correctional facility
Yerevan-Kentron. Nevertheless, no criminal proceedings have been
launched. The fact of arrests has not been registered either.

Materials of the case are ready and criminal proceedings may be
launched at any moment.

From: Baghdasarian