Author: Chatinian Lara

NETHERLANDS MORE CRITICAL ON TURKEY THAN EUROPEAN COMMISSION

PanARMENIAN.Net
08.12.2007 14:48 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Dutch parliament agrees with Foreign Minister
Verhagen and Secretary of State for European Affairs Timmermans who
have taken a more critical position than the European Commission on
the issue of progress of reforms in Turkey. This can be stated as
the outcome of the debate today, where among others the EC Turkey
2007 Progress Report was on the agenda in preparation of the EU Top
on 14 December.

The Federation of Armenian Organizations in the Netherlands (FAON)
had previously sent a letter to the parliament, reporting on several
issues such as Article 301 of Turkish Penal Code, freedom of religion,
rights of minorities, and blatant denial of the Armenian genocide by
the Turkish authorities, FAON told PanARMENIAN.Net.

In a letter to the parliament, the Dutch government subscribed to
the critical remarks of the European Commission, but on a number of
points they chose a stricter position than the Commission. According to
the Netherlands more emphasis should be put on the juridical system;
moreover, the Netherlands has a less positive opinion on freedom of
religion, pointing to the ongoing threats towards members of religious
minorities. These obstacles should be lifted "as soon as possible."

There have been more persecutions this year, among others because of
the Armenian issue. Therefore, on freedom of speech, the Commission
states that Article 301 and others should be put in line with the
European Convention on Human Rights. The Netherlands demands the
modification of the Penal Code to be "on a short term," thus going
further than the Commission.

Several political parties referred to the recent research under Turkish
magistrates who have put the state’s interest above individual human
rights and of whom only 16% is in favor of scrapping Article 301. .

Several parties raised the Armenian Genocide, mostly in connection
with the lack of freedom to discuss it in Turkey. Most prominently,
it was the Christian Union faction that expressed its opinion
on this. The spokesperson of the Christian Union, Mrs Wiegmans,
called the denial of the Armenian Genocide one of the key problems in
Turkey. One cannot be certain of one’s life when one speaks about it,
especially for a Turkish citizen of Armenian origin. She said that it
is a disgrace for the European Union to continue negotiations under
these circumstances. Is the motion of Rouvoet of 2004, which asks to
continuously and explicitly address the recognition of the Armenian
Genocide within the negotiation process with Turkey, still being
carried out? Her signal is that the continuous denial of the Armenian
Genocide by Turkey should have consequences for the negotiations. She
also referred to the signal her party gave by initiating a law to
penalize genocide denial.

In response, Minister Verhagen indicated that the shortcomings of
Turkey in the field of the political criteria are severe, not only
for Turkey itself, but also for the public support for Turkey within
Europe.

The Minister as well as the Secretary of State stressed that reforms
and negotiations will take a very long process of which the outcome,
different from before, is not certain in advance. The Netherlands and
Europe will stick to agreements made with Turkey and Turkey should
do the same. Within this context the minister indicated that no new
criteria can be added, by which he meant the remarks made by the
Christian Union on the Armenian Genocide. What is relevant for the
negotiations is whether the issue of the Armenian Genocide can be
raised in Turkey or not, but the recognition of it is not one of the
preconditions in the process. It should however be the case, at least
according to the Minister, that if a country wants to join the EU,
it should face its history.

Secretary of State Timmermans mentioned in his speech that the
"Kemalist view of the world" in Turkey should be abandoned in order
for Turkey to become a democratic constitutional state.

PanARMENIAN.Net

Armenia commemorates Spitak earthquake victims
07.12.2007 12:18 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ 19 years have passed since the devastating Spitak
earthquake that shocked Armenia December 7, 1988. At 11.41 a.m. local
time a magnitude 10 earthquake destroyed the entire city of Spitak.
There was great damage to the nearby cities of Leninakan (now known as
Gyumri) and Kirovakan (today Vanadzor) and some 350 surrounding
villages.

The earthquake claimed lives of 25 thousand people; some 100 thousand
were wounded; over 500 thousand became homeless.

It was rated among the most crushing calamities of the world.

By Armenian President’s edict, a newly formed state committee was
charged with the task to develop a program of events till January 15,
2008. The government was instructed to finance the events dedicated to
the 20th anniversary of the earthquake.

PACKAGE OF BILLS ON LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT AND TERRITORIAL ADMINISTRATION IN CITY OF YEREVAN ADOPTED IN FIRST READING

Noyan Tapan
Dec 6, 2007

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, NOYAN TAPAN. Six bills and legislative packages
discussed the previous day were adopted at the RA National Assembly
December 6 morning sitting. With the exception of the bill On Local
Self-government and Territorial Administration in the City of Yerevan
and package of amendments and addenda to 21 laws proceeding from the
latter, the other bills were adopted in the final reading.

75 deputies voted for, 6 against and 16 abstained to the legislative
package on the city of Yerevan. It were the members of the ARFD
faction that mainly voted abstained. The Zharangutiun faction’s
members voted differently: faction head Raffi Hovannisian voted for,
Anahit Bakhshian abstained and the other members against. During the
discussion of the package the previous day the two above mentioned
factions had made a number of proposals mentioning that their future
voting will be conditioned by government’s accepting their proposals.

The bill On Railway Transport and the package envisaging an addendum to
the law On Public Services Regulatory Body proceeding from the latter,
as well as the bill On Giving Privileges to Water User Companies on
Tax and Compulsory Social Insurance Payments were adoopted in the
third reading and completely.

Bills envisaging amendments and addenda to a number of valid laws
were adopted in the second reading and completely. Amendments
and an addendum was made to the valid law On Population’s State
Register. According to it, in addition to the current sources of
accumulation of personal data in the state register, RA dual citizens
and persons permanently residing in RA, having no citizenship were
also included in the state register.

New York Daily News, NY
Dec 7 2007

Family mourns death of Albert Asriyan

by Clem Richardson

A few days before he died, Albert Asriyan got a midday conference
call from his sisters, Elza Masumova and Ruzanna Akopjan, as the
three drove through Brooklyn in separate cars.

They told him to turn his radio to CD101.9 to catch a George Benson
tune.

"Albert was going to work, and after he got there, he said he was
going to sit in the car until the song ended," Masumova recalled this
week. "He had so much love for music. It was his heart and soul."

A classically trained musician, composer and arranger educated at the
Music Academy of Baku, the capitol of Azerbaijan, part of the former
Soviet Union, Asriyan could play anything from jazz to Paganini to
Persian, Georgian, Armenian, Russian and Gypsy folk tunes, said
friend and bandmate Boris Vishneukine, who has known Asriyan since
they were both 14 and studied together.

Jazz and other Western music was dear to him when he was young, even
though at the time, both were banned by the government. His wife,
Ivetta, said Asriyan was among those Soviet youth who found Western
music underground – and they both often listened to bootleg copies of
Benson, Earth Wind and Fire and Chicago records cut into the acetate
of old X-ray photographs.

"Sometimes, you could look through the record and see a broken arm or
leg," recalled Ivetta, who is also a musician and singer.

Asriyan would become a successful artist in his native Baku. He
performed for Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev and at the Bolshoi
Theatre. One of his many musical groups, Talisman, made the first
music video in that city, 1987’s "Kuvshin," or "Vase," said his
daughter, Julie.

Asriyan duplicated that success when the family moved to Moscow in
1989, and again when he and his extended family – including his
parents and in-laws – moved to New York in 1993.

He was a popular musician in the Russian, Jewish, Gypsy and Armenian
communities here – even though he was born in Baku, Asriyan was of
Armenian descent – and worked in cities across the U.S. and Europe.

He scored a short film, "A Moment of Silence," about genocide and
persecution in Armenia.

"He said he was fighting them [the government] with his music,"
Ivetta said. "He said he tried to stop it with his music since he
could not stop it in real life."

Asriyan was shepherding the emerging musical careers of daughters
Julie and Kristina, and kept up with current musical trends. Julie
recalled her father picking out notes on the piano while watching a
Chris Brown music video on MTV.

Then he was gone.

Returning to the family’s Sheepshead Bay home on Nov. 27, Asriyan
complained that his stomach hurt – family members said he had been
receiving treatment for back pain for more than six months.

After eating, he vomited and collapsed on the living room floor. Not
long after, an ambulance delivered him to Coney Island Hospital,
where doctors said there was not much they could do. His stomach
pains were actually final-stage leukemia. He was 56.

The death was so sudden that a local Russian-language newspaper
carried both his obituary and a review of a recent Asriyan
performance.

"When he was lying down in the house before we went to the hospital,
he said, in a joking manner, ‘Just in case I die, girls, I want you
to know I love you,’" Julie recalled as the family, dressed in black,
continued to mourn his passing this week.

"He told Kristina to take the microphone. Mom saw it as him passing
his musical legacy on to her."

The death marked the end of an amazing musical odyssey of a man who
found musical success on two continents.

"He had such an open heart," said Isabelle Khanuka, a singer who
worked with Asriyan at one of his last appearances. "He was beautiful
inside and out. When he played, you felt like he was speaking through
his violin."

Lev Yelisavetsky, a keyboardist who played with Asriyan in one of his
first Baku groups, Chaika, said, "You cannot mark the size of his
talent. We’ve lost a very good musician and a very kind man. He was
one of the most talented people in our community, without question."

Asriyan started taking accordion lessons when he was 4, but switched
to the violin after the aunt who was teaching him said he had the
right fingers for the instrument. "He had a better ear for music than
anyone else," Masumova said. "He had a gift that no one else had."

When Asriyan was 14, he was the first violinist in the Baku
Philharmonic Orchestra, playing at the Kremlin for Brezhnev and
making appearances at the Bolshoi Theatre and the Palace of Lenin,
his family said.

He was also forming bands, including Sevgilim Ashugs (Power of Love)
and another that translates to Girls of Baku. Future wife Ivetta was
one of the girls.

Vishneukine said he and Asriyan would roam around Baku, playing
wherever they could find people who would listen.

"No one paid us anything," Vishneukine said. "We’d play jazz,
national folk music, anything we could. We’d go to different cities.
… But what was most important was that people liked what we did."

Mounting tensions in Baku against ethnic Armenians prompted Asriyan
to move the family to Moscow in 1988, where he created popular bands
that toured Europe and the former Soviet Union. He also arranged and
appeared in another video, "Without You," for which Ivetta wrote the
lyrics.

In July 1993, the family followed sister Ruzanna to the U.S.,
settling first in Seagate, Brooklyn, with Vishneukine, who had come
to the U.S. years earlier. Their first stateside job was playing at
Kaukas, a now-defunct Brighton Beach nightclub.

Asriyan was on his way.

The family this week vowed to continue Asriyan’s musical legacy.

7/12/07/2007-12-07_family_mourns_death_of_albert_a sriyan_.html

OSKANIAN: GLOBAL SECURITY PROBLEMS SHOULDN’T BE TRANSFERRED TO OUR REGION

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.12.2007 16:57 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Presently, I have an impression that the Gabala base
issue is not topical," Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said.

"As to U.S. plans to mount missile defense shield in Europe, we attach
importance to Russia-U.S. dialogue.

By the highest standards, global security problems shouldn’t be
transferred to our region. In my opinion, this could result in
vulnerability of regional security, which becomes dependent on
interests and mood of superpowers," the Minister said in an interview
with Kommersant daily.

The Armenian Weekly On-Line
80 Bigelow Avenue
Watertown MA 02472 USA
(617) 926-3974
[email protected]
menianweekly.com

The Armenian Weekly; Volume 73, No. 46; Nov. 17, 2007

News:

1. Karabakh President Visits East Coast, Detroit

2. Public Forum on H.Res.106 and ADL Issue

3. Beugekian Appointed ARS Executive Director

4. Bohjalian Novel Customers’ Favorite on Amazon

***

1. Karabakh President Visits East Coast, Detroit

WATERTOWN, Mass. (A.W.)-On Nov. 14, Nagorno-Karabakh president Bako Sahakyan
visited the Hairenik Association and met with ARF Eastern Region Central
Committee representatives Ivan Ardhaldjian and Garo Getsemanian, and members
of the ARS Central Executive Board and International Office. Sahakyan gave a
press conference attended by editors of the Armenian Weekly, the Hairenik
Weekly and the Armenian Mirror-Spectator.

Ardhaldjian welcomed the president and briefly described the main challenges
in the Eastern Region and the role of the ARF in confronting these
challenges. Getsemanian spoke about the work the ARF-ER has done in Armenia
and Karabakh. Sahakyan talked about the different ways in which the Armenia
diaspora has assisted and can still assist in bringing prosperity to
Karabakh and consolidating its independence. At the end of the meeting, the
Central Committee members presented a gift to the president.

The ARS, Inc. representatives offered a brief presentation to the president
of the Society’s activities in Armenia and Karabakh. They concentrated on
the 12 ARS "Soseh" kindergartens in Karabakh, and presented statistical
details about their financial situation and the present number of students
and staff.

The president and members of his delegation commended the ARS for its
activities. Sahakyan underlined, more than once, the necessity of
coordinating all projects in Karabakh with the local authorities, who have
adopted the slogan "Let us join together" in securing a decent livelihood
and acceptable social and economic conditions for Karabakh citizens.
Sahakyan then invited the ARS Central Executive Board to Stepanakert, to
report to the local population on the Society’s activities in the diaspora
and the homeland.

At the end of the meeting, ARS Central Executive Board member Mayda
Melkonian presented the Sahakyan with a gift. He, in turn, recorded the
following in the ARS International Office’s visitors’ record book: "The
people of Artsakh highly commend the participation of the diaspora and we
are interested in developing and strengthening our relations in the name of
our mutual goals."

While in Watertown, Sahakyan also visited the St. Stephen’s Armenian School,
where students from St. Stephen’s and the Armenian Sisters’ Academy
performed songs and recited poems. He was accompanied by Archbishop Barkev
Martirossian, Prelate of Artsakh; Roudig Husnoonts, the vice-chairperson of
the National Assembly of NKR; Narine Azadian, the Minister of Social
Affairs; and Vardan Barseghian, the Permanent Representative of the NKR in
the United States.

Meetings in New York

On Nov. 11, Sahakyan met with Armen Martirossian, the Permanent
Representative of Armenia to the United Nations, and Armenian Ambassador to
the U.S. Tatoul Markarian also attended the meeting.

Martirossian reviewed the recent activities of the Armenian Representation
in the UN concerning the Karabakh settlement. Sahakyan said the OSCE Minsk
Group was instrumental for achieving a resolution to the conflict, and
emphasized the need for full-fledged participation by all sides in the
negotiations.

The same day, Sahakyan met with a group of Armenian businessmen in New York,
headed by Raffi Meghrian. They discussed the prospect of various projects in
the NKR, particularly carpet weaving. Sahakyan said he appreciated Meghrian’s
contribution to that branch, and noted that NKR authorities would work on
its development.

Sahakyan also met with Prelate Oshagan Choloyan and representatives of the
Armenian community in New York. A number of economic and political issues
were discussed. Archbishop Choloyan called upon the meeting participants to
take an active part in the NKR’s prosperity and development, and emphasized
that the fate of the spiritual and cultural identity of Armenians was being
decided in Karabakh.

Sahakyan also posthumously awarded the Medal of Gratitude to the family of
well-known benefactor Sargis Hakobian later that day. He said Armenians
would always remember Hakobian’s contribution to the development of the NKR.

Meetings in Detroit

On Nov. 12, Sahakyan met with Congressman Joe Knollenberg in Detroit, who
congratulated Sahakyan on his presidency and the people of Karabakh on their
democratic and transparent elections, reported

They discussed the current socio-economic situation of the NKR, as well as
the Karabakh conflict settlement process. Congressman Knollenberg emphasized
the need to resolve the problem in a peaceful way, and the importance of
having the NKR participate in the negotiations as an equal party. Sahakyan
said he greatly appreciated the U.S. humanitarian aid to Karabakh, noting
the need for investments and development programs in the educational and
health spheres.

Sahakyan also met with representatives of the Detroit-Armenian community,
including ARF-Eastern Region Central Committee chairperson Haig Oshagan, who
pledged the region’s support to Karabakh.
—————————————-

2. Public Forum on H.Res.106 and ADL Issue

BELMONT, Mass. (A.W.)-The Holy Cross Armenian Catholic Church in Belmont was
host to a community forum on Wed., Nov. 7, which featured updates and
information about the Armenian Genocide Resolution, H.Res.106, and the ADL
issue. The audience was provided with internet access during the program to
send e-mails to their Members of Congress.

Rev. Raphael Andonian opened the gathering with words of encouragement
urging participants to become as involved as possible. Lenna Garibian then
welcomed the attendees to an informative evening and presented a short video
clip of Armenian genocide survivor Kevork Norian of Arlington.

Norian, who was taped while attending a meeting of the Arlington Board of
Selectmen, told of his survival and thanked the United States for
"accept[ing] us" and treating "us with respect and dignity." The United
States, he said, "saved us from hell."

Garibian then introduced Sharistan Melkonian, chairperson of the Armenian
National Committee of Eastern Massachusetts, and Anthony Barsamian, board
member of the Armenian Assembly, who presented a town hall-style updated on
H.Res.106 in Congress.

"Let’s be honest, we did not win the media war last month," said Melkonian.
"But this isn’t even close to over. Eight former Secretaries of State, the
current Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense and President Bush
pulled out every last stop. We all watched, partially in disbelief. Well, we
still have some punches left ourselves."

"We can absolutely pass this resolution in this Congress but only with the
help of everyone in this room," she added, and highlighted ways in which the
attendees could become more involved and help.

Barsamian said he was glad to see the Armenian community in Boston working
together on such important issues. He and Melkonian also fielded questions
>From the audience.

Garibian then introduced a brief video produced by the AYF in New York of a
demonstration in Manhattan just prior to the national meeting of the ADL
earlier this month.

Ara Nazarian of the No Place for Denial team reported that the ADL
commissioners decided to "take no further action on the issue of the
Armenian genocide" at the national meeting.

"Obviously, we are very disappointed with the direction the ADL has chosen
to move," he said. "We are also convinced that the human rights commissions
in our towns will not be satisfied with the language produced at the ADL’s
national meeting, since they were looking to the ADL for a solidified policy
on this issue," continued Nazarian. "The ADL has made it clear that it
regards the affirmation of the Armenian genocide as a political issue and
not a human rights issue."

The program ended with a lengthy question and answer period.

To view the videos mentioned, visit
———————— ————————————————– ———

3. Beugekian Appointed ARS Executive Director

The Central Executive Board of the Armenian Relief Society (ARS), Inc., has
appointed Jirayr Beugekian as its executive director, in charge of
overseeing the Society’s headquarters in Watertown, Mass., and its office in
Yerevan. The full-time appointment began on Nov. 1.

"We are happy to strengthen our operations with a person who can provide
administrative leadership and help our Society achieve its goals on the eve
of our 100th anniversary," said ARS Central Executive Board chairwoman
Hasmig Derderian. "This appointment will also allow our former executive
director, Mr. Tatul Sonentz-Papazian, to concentrate on the most important
task of writing the history of our nearly 100-year-old organization and
cataloging our rich archives."

Beugekian was born in Beirut, Lebanon. He studied at the Armenian Catholic
Zmmarian and Mesrobian Colleges and at the Hamazkayin Nishan Palandjian
College. He graduated from the Haigazian University College with a degree in
computer science. Beginning in 1983, Beugekian was a staff member at the
Aztag Daily newspaper, the ARF Press and Information Bureau, and the Droshak
bi-weekly, published in Athens, Greece. Beugekian worked in Armenia from
1989 to 1993, and in 2001 began working for the Hairenik Association, Inc.,
in Watertown. He is fluent in several languages.

"This is an exciting and important time in the life of the ARS and I look
forward to helping the Society move forward with its ever-increasing and
important international work," said Beugekian.
————————————— —

4. Bohjalian Novel Customers’ Favorite on Amazon

BOSTON, Mass. (A.W.)-Amazon.com this week released its "Best Books of 2007"
list. Chris Bohjalian’s novel The Double Bind was ranked 9th in the Customer
Favorites: Literature and Fiction category.

The ranking is based on top-selling literature and fiction books on
Amazon.com in 2007, ranked according to customer orders through October.
Only books published for the first time in 2007 are eligible.

Bohjalian is the critically acclaimed author of ten novels, including
Midwives (a Publishers Weekly Best Book and an Oprah’s Book Club selection)
and his New York Times best seller Before You know Kindness. He lives in
Vermont.

PACE MONITORING MISSION EVALUATION NON-BIASED? OPINION

Regnum, Russia
Dec 3 2007

Evaluation of parliamentary election in Russia presented by leaders
of PACE monitoring mission is politically biased, OSCE mission
representative, member of Council of the Republican Party of Armenia
Armen Ashotyan said in an interview to REGNUM. Mr. Ashotyan said he
would prefer if election in Russia was evaluated as an independent act,
outside the context of the controversy between Russia and the Council
of Europe and OSCE," the deputy observed. He added that the controversy
prevented the European officials to issue a more objective judgment.

"Despite the judgment disseminated by the PACE monitoring mission
office, the parliamentary election in Russia, to my mind, was held
in accordance with the Russian legislation, the Constitution of
the Russian Federation, and international recommendations. Although
the secretariat’s evaluation was not accepted unanimously and some
allegations caused argument and dissent not only on my behalf, but
also among parliamentarians from Greece, Finland, and Italy, our
opinions was not taken into account," accounts Armen Ashotyan. He
says that monitoring at the polling stations did not reveal serious
violations of the electoral process.

"Some statements of the evaluation are surprising: the short-term
monitoring PACE mission could not allow such a deep analysis," the
Armenian deputy argues. Mr. Ashotyan also regrets that observations
and suggestions of some deputies were not taken into account by the
PACE mission leaders, and that the statement issued by the mission
leadership did not reflect all opinions of the mission members.

On Dec 3, OSCE and PACE observers at the vote to the State Duma
of the 5th convocation announced their assessment of the election
process. PACE chairman Goran Lennmarker declared that the vote
could not meet common European electoral criteria, hence the OSCE
observation mission could not call it fair. PACE observation mission
head Luc Van den Brande uttered that the election to the State Duma
of the 5th convocation did not meet criteria "adopted in European
democratic community."

OSCE and CoE, as well as parliamentary assemblies of the organizations,
perform monitoring of elections in the post-Soviet countries from the
moment of these countries’ joining the Council of Europe. They have
issued roughly positive evaluations of elections in Ukraine in 2006
and 2007, pointing mostly to the fact that the elections had been held
largely in accord with the OSCE and CE requirements, as well as with
Ukraine’s obligations with these organizations. The bureaucracies also
generally did not mind too much parliamentary vote in Armenia in 2007.

Quite contrary was the mood of the European machines in 2003. OSCE
and CE severely criticized parliamentary election in Armenia that
year. The same year’s election in Georgia was appraised with even
harsher rhetoric.

PACE representatives claimed that they were shocked by the amount
of violations. Head of the PACE delegation lamented that the people
of Georgia deserved a much better election, and the OSCE echoed the
thesis. Straight after the accusations Mikhail Saakashvili led the
people to the assault of the parliament.

The European observers also frowned over parliamentary election in
Azerbaijan in 2005 where, they claimed, international norms were
grossly violated. Among violations listed by OSCE were: restrictions
of the freedom of meetings, confusions in voters’ registration, and
breaches in votes’ count. Failing to meet international requirements
was also announced parliamentary vote in Kazakhstan in 2007.

ZORYAN INSTITUTE OF CANADA, INC.
Suite 310
Toronto, ON, Canada M3B 3H9
Tel: 416-250-9807
Fax: 416-512-1736
E-mail: [email protected]

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Torrey Swan

Tel: 416-250-9807

DATE: November 26, 2007

The Politics of Genocide Recognition: Moralpolitik vs. Realpolitik

Toronto, Canada – "How does passage of Resolution 106 endanger the
security of Americans, as claimed by top American officials, and become
an obstacle to the War on Terror?" asked Greg Sarkissian, President
of the Zoryan Institute. He was introducing Prof. Simon Payaslian,
the Charles K. and Elisabeth M. Kenosian Professor in Modern Armenian
History and Literature at Boston University, who was invited to give
a public lecture on November 11, titled "The Politics of Genocide
Recognition in the United States: Realpolitik versus Moralpolitik."

"What has caused the US administration to take such a strong
position so obviously contrary to truth and justice?" Sarkissian
continued. "Why, according to President Bush, is this resolution not
the appropriate response and not the right time? What is an appropriate
response? When is the right time for truth and justice?

Why is the moral position on the Armenian Genocide considered to be
contrary to American national interest? Why did the House Foreign
Relations Committee pass such a resolution to begin with?"

A few weeks ago, Armenians around the world were in euphoria over
the passage of Resolution 106 by the House of Representatives’
Foreign Relations Committee, regarding official recognition of the
Armenian Genocide. The resolution passed in spite of the opposition
of the President of the United States, eight former Secretaries of
State, various major Congressional subcommittee chairpersons, former
House leaders Richard Gephardt and Robert Livingston (now both paid
lobbyists), major media like CNN, Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal,
Washington Post, etc.

Joining this opposition were the President of Israel, leaders of
the Jewish community of Turkey, and special interest groups like the
Anti-Defamation League, out of fear for the security of the Jewish
community in Turkey, and to preserve the strategic relationship
between Israel and Turkey. This is in spite of the incontestable
evidence of the Genocide, attested to by the vast majority of experts,
as represented by the International Association of Genocide Scholars
not to mention the distinguished International Center for Transitional
Justice. Within days, however, many Representatives withdrew their
support, and the vote by the full House was postponed indefinitely.

How does this happen and why so quickly?

In an effort to answer these and related questions, Prof. Payaslian,
the holder of a Ph.D. in Political Science (Wayne State University)
and another in Armenian History (UCLA), put H. Res. 106 into context.

He explained that historically, going all the way back to George
Washington, Congress has adopted some moral issue during or after
war, in an attempt to take back the special powers assumed by the
President. He cited as an example the most recent case, whereby after
the war in the former Yugoslavia, Congress tried to impeach President
Clinton over the Lewinsky Affair. In his opinion, Resolution 106 was
such a vehicle, used by the Democratic controlled Congress.

Payaslian then provided an overview of Turco-American relations
from the 18th century to the present. It began as America, a former
British colony, continued British policy of maintaining commercial
and political interests with the Ottoman Empire. He emphasized the
continuance of this policy, even during the Armenian Genocide. To
demonstrate the importance of this relationship he gave the example
of President Wilson, who in response to US Ambassador Morgenthau’s
critiques of Turkish policy towards the Armenians, contacted the
party controlling the Turkish government to inform them that the US
would remain neutral.

In the 1930s, Turkey, the inheritor of the Ottoman Empire, had enough
clout to get the US State Department to successfully stop production
of a Hollywood film, Forty Days of Musa Dagh, depicting the heroic
battle of Armenians who were facing systematic deportations and
massacres during the Genocide.

After World War II and the start of the Cold War, Turkey gained
prominence as a NATO ally and a bulwark against the Soviet Union.

More recently, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the
reemergence of fundamentalist Islam, the US, Turkey and Israel,
having seen their political, military and economic interests in the
region aligned have formed a "triple alliance."

These relations were further strengthened after September 11,
2001 by Turkey’s cooperation in the War on Terror and its strategic
provision of the Incirlik Air Base as a supply route for US forces
in Iraq. These relations are reinforced by massive consistent US
military aid being sent to Turkey (the third largest recipient,
after Israel and Egypt), and it reciprocating by purchasing 70% of its
annual military equipment from US suppliers. Furthermore, since 1999,
bi-lateral trade has doubled as economic cooperation has intensified.

These relationships are continually managed by extensive lobbying
campaigns as well as formal diplomatic missions.

However, despite Turkey’s success in developing leverages with America,
it became apparent by 2000 that its public relations campaign could not
prevent a series of Armenian Genocide affirmations being proclaimed by
numerous US states and various governments, institutions and academics
around the world. Since then, there has been a transformation in
Turkey’s tactics with less emphasis on promoting denial of the Genocide
and more emphasis on Turkey’s importance to American national security
concerns, tactics perfectly aligned with the new national security
paradigm of the Bush Administration.

In contrast with all this, the Armenians had the moral issue of the
Genocide as their main point of influence with the US government.

However, politicians, motivated by their political and personal
interests, are not always sincere in their handling of moral issues.

In his conclusion, Payaslian affirmed what many already know, that
"Realpolitik will always trump Moralpolitik in American foreign
policy." He added, however, that the way forward "is to recognize
this reality, face it, and educate our youth about it, rather than
perpetuate this common mythology that the United States has some
special love for the Armenians." The professor called on Armenians
to look for new strategies.

Following an intense question and answer period, Sarkissian,
responding to Payaslian’s call for education and new directions,
pointed out some practical steps in this respect. "Fundamental to the
process of reconciliation between Armenians and Turks," he exhorted,
"is reaching out and educating Turkish civil society about the reality
of the Genocide. This knowledge is essential for them to be able
to challenge the state-imposed narrative of the Armenian Genocide,
because its imposition, the suppression of fact, takes away from the
democratization process in Turkey. Moreover, their ability to discuss
the Armenian Genocide means discussion about their past which also is
tabooed by the Turkish state, as it opens up questions about Turkey’s
mistreatment of other minorities, especially in light of the Kurdish
question today." Sarkissian highlighted the fact that "the Genocide
is now spoken of every day in Turkey, which was not the case five
years ago, and this happened partially because of our determination
as a community in raising awareness amongst ourselves and others, and
partially because the Genocide was used by third parties for their own
political interests, such as keeping Turkey out of the European Union."

Sarkissian also referred to a project known as the Common Body of
Knowledge, stating that "with the aim of reaching civil society,
Zoryan has been involved, along with other scholars and institutes,
in creating definitive literature about the Genocide, that has
Turkish and German archival sources as a base, and disseminating it
in English and in Turkish. Another part of the project concerns the
legal proceedings of the Turkish Military Tribunals prosecuting the
organizers of the Genocide for their crimes.

Sarkissian concluded that "as Prof. Payaslian’s lecture has led us
to understand, a pragmatic approach and education of our youth is
essential for change to take place. However, real change is only
possible if Turkish society will make this happen from within. We
have seen such change in the US civil rights movement and the ending
of apartheid in South Africa. While the moral argument is a necessary
foundation to any legitimate claim for justice, it is not sufficient
for its achievement. Much is still to be done. Given the enormity
of the leverages that Turkey has, there is a responsibility on the
Armenian community, and those who stand for justice and human rights,
to support institutions, like Zoryan, that are working to affect real
change in Turkish-Armenian relations."

This lecture, was presented by the Zoryan Institute of Canada, with
the participation of the Armenian General Benevolent Union of Toronto,
the Armenian National Committee of Toronto, the Armenian Student
Association (University of Toronto), the Armenian World Alliance, the
Bolsahay Cultural Association, the Canadian Armenian Business Council
(Ontario), the Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church, the Knights of
Vartan (Alishan Lodge), St. Gregory’s Armenian Catholic Church, and
the Union of Marash Armenians of Toronto. In addition to the above
organizations, the following individuals and businesses provided
sponsorship: Arax Jewellers, Byron Hill Corp., and Mr. Vazken Terzian.

LAWYER STATES THAT CASE ON ATTEMPTED MURDER AGAINST RA DEPUTY MELIK GASPARIAN EXAMINED WITH GROSS VIOLATIONS

Noyan Tapan
Nov 27 2007

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 27, NOYAN TAPAN. The preliminary examination and
judicial enquiry on case with accusation of making an attempted
murder through blowing up RA MP Melik Gasparian’s car proceeded with
gross violations.

Karen Mezhlumian, the lawyer of Silva Asatrian, the defendant on the
case, stated at the November 27 press conference. On October 12, 2007,
a sentence was passed on the case by the court of Yerevan’s Avan and
Nor Nork communities. At present the case is being examined at the
Criminal Appeal Court, presided over by judge Samvel Uzunian.

Among "gross violations of law," the lawyer mentioned the incident when
as early as in the process of preliminary examination, Silva Asatrian,
the defendant on the case, was "kidnapped," as it was cleared up
lately, was taken to the Yerevan-Kentron penitentiary office of the
National Security Service, was illegally arrested, though Pargev
Ohanian, a judge at Yerevan Kentron and Nork-Marash communities’
first instance court, had dismissed the petition of arrest. This
was followed by a joint statement of S. Asatrian’s lawyers and human
rights activists, addressed to RA Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepian,
on instituting a criminal case on the fact.

"No decision on instituting a criminal case or dismissing its
institution was made by the RA Prosecutor General’s Office on that
written report, the statement was only attached to the case and was
sent to the court," the lawyer said.

Among violations of law, the defence party also mentioned the fact
that Silva Asatrian was prohibited to interrogate Yuri Wolfson, who
had testified against her, which is a violation of the provisions the
European Convention of Human Rights. This violation was aggravated for
even more by the circumstance that Wolfson had stated at the court
that the testimony was extorted from him as a result of tortures,
at the bidding of the preliminary examination body.

Among violations of law, the lawyer also mentioned the fact that
the sentence was provided to them only ten days after it had been
pronounced, though the law establishes a five-day term. The protocols
of court sittings were also provided to the party with a delay.

U.S. MOVES TO HELP ARMENIA BUILD NEW NUCLEAR PLANT
By Emil Danielyan

Eurasia Daily Monitor, DC
Nov 28 2007

The United States has voiced support for the ambitious idea of
building a new nuclear power station in Armenia in place of an aging
Soviet-era facility, boosting the chances of its realization in the
near future. Moreover, the U.S. government announced last week that it
will finance the first preliminary feasibility study on the project,
to be launched early next year.

The development came amid the unfolding preparations for the closure
of the nuclear plant at Metsamor, some 30 kilometers (19 miles) west
of the capital, Yerevan. The Armenian authorities have pledged to
shut down its sole functioning reactor by 2016 after years of pressure
from the United States and the European Union, which consider it to be
inherently unsafe. The EU, in particular, had classified the VVER 440
Model V230 light water-cooled reactor, which currently generates about
40% of Armenia’s electricity, into the "oldest and least reliable"
category of all 66 Soviet reactors built in Eastern Europe and the
former USSR.

Metsamor had two such reactors when it began operating at full
capacity in 1980. They both were brought to a halt shortly after the
catastrophic 1988 earthquake that devastated much of northwestern
Armenia. Dismissing Western and local environmentalists’ concerns,
the country’s first post-communist government reactivated one of the
reactors in 1995 to end a severe energy crisis caused by the war with
Azerbaijan and broader turmoil in the region. The United States and
the EU had no choice but to help Yerevan boost the plant’s safety.

They have each spent tens of millions of dollars upgrading its
equipment and financing subsequent safety measures. The plant has
also been regularly and closely inspected by the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA).

The Armenian government has said all along that Metsamor will be
decommissioned only when it finds an alternative source of inexpensive
energy. That alternative, according to Yerevan, is a new nuclear plant
meeting modern safety standards. The administration of President
Robert Kocharian underlined the seriousness of its intentions in
early 2006 when it pushed through parliament legislation allowing
foreign ownership of Armenian nuclear facilities. The move was aimed
at attracting foreign investors, as at least $1 billion is needed
for the new plant’s construction. The government acknowledges that
it is too cash-strapped to foot the bill.

The Russian government and energy companies promptly showed interest in
the project. The issue was high on the agenda of an April 2007 visit to
Yerevan by Sergei Kiriyenko, head of Russia’s Federal Agency on Atomic
Energy (Rosatom). News emerged shortly afterward that the Armenian and
Russian governments have formed a joint task force looking into the
matter. And on October 25 Russia’s state-owned Atomstroyexport company
revealed through its vice-chairman, Alexander Glukhov, that it is
also in talks with Armenian energy officials (Itar-Tass, October 25).

Significantly, the United States indicated throughout 2006 and this
year that it is ready, in principle, to assist Armenia in replacing
Metsamor with a new plant. Washington went further on November 21,
pledging to provide $2 million in funding for preliminary research
that will precede in-depth feasibility studies for a new nuclear
power generation unit as well as an assessment of its likely impact
on the environment.

In a statement issued after the signing of a relevant memorandum of
cooperation by Armenian Energy Minister Armen Movsisian and the U.S.

charge d’affaires in Yerevan, Joseph Pennington, the U.S. Agency for
International Development announced, "The results of these studies
will be used by the Armenian government to choose the best technical
solutions and project logistics. They will also serve as a basis for
negotiations with potential suppliers and international financing
institutions."

In Pennington’s words, the United States supports construction of
a new nuclear plant "not only to improve Armenia’s energy security
but also because of continuing concerns regarding the safety of the
existing nuclear plant." Furthermore, "We look forward to the rapid
replacement of the Metsamor facility with a more modern and safer
plant," the diplomat said at the signing ceremony (RFE/RL Armenia
Report, November 21).

U.S. support for the Armenian nuclear project is quite interesting,
given the murky prospects for resolution of the Karabakh conflict
and the accompanying risk of a renewed Armenian-Azerbaijani war,
which could grow in the coming years. Washington appears to have
arrived at the conclusion that landlocked and resource-poor Armenia
has little choice but to continue to heavily rely on nuclear energy.

The project should be highly beneficial for Armenia. With a planned
capacity of 1,000 megawatts, the new Armenian reactor would be more
than twice as powerful as the existing one and would fully meet
the country’s electricity needs at a considerably lower cost. That
would, in turn, ease its heavy dependence on Russian natural gas,
which accounts for another 40% of Armenian electricity production,
and reduce Iran’s significance for Armenia’s energy security. The
Islamic Republic plans to supply gas to Armenia through a pipeline
that is due to be fully constructed by the end of next year.

According to Energy Minister Movsisian, work on the new nuclear plant
will likely take five years and could be completed even before 2016
(Hayastani Hanrapetutyun, November 22). The key question of who
will finance it remains unanswered, however. While the Russians
are interested in designing and building the plant, they will by no
means make the required investments. U.S. financial support for the
construction work is even less likely. As Pennington pointed out,
the U.S. government is only ready to help the Armenians find foreign
(presumably Western) investors.