Author: Chmshkian Vicken

DEFENCE MINISTRY CONFIRMS ARREST OF ARMENIAN SPECIAL FORCES ATTEMPTING TO COMMIT SUBVERSION IN AZERBAIJAN

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 29 2008

Baku. Rashad Suleymanov-APA. The Defence Ministry has confirmed the
arrest of Special Forces of Armenian armed forces attempting to commit
subversion in Azerbaijan.

Spokesman for Defense Ministry, Colonel-Lieutenant Eldar Sabiroglu
told APA that the Ministry’s military unit soldiers had detained
the Armenian servicemen, who attempted to commit subversion in
Azerbaijan. The case is under investigation.

"Armenian Defence Ministry reports that they went to meet a
friend, coming back lost their way and were captured. This is false
information. Those persons were the members of the military group
composed of Special Forces. The preliminary investigations have already
proved the fact and detainees have confessed a number of issues",
he said.

APA had first reported about the detention of the military group
composed of Special Forces of Armenian armed forces. Following this,
spokesman for Armenian Defence Ministry Seyran Shahsuvaryan told the
local media that Armenian citizens arrested in Azerbaijan were Vanik
Chmboyan, Artem Zohrabyan, Karen Torosyan and Aghasi Yenokyan. Seyran
Shahsuvaryan said they had gone to meet a friend, lost their way and
had been captured in Nakhchivan. He said Armenia had appealed to the
International Committee of the Red Cross.

GREGORY STANTON: "UNITED STATES AGAIN SURRENDERED TO NINETY-YEAR CAMPAIGN OF DENIAL BY TURKISH GOVERNMENT

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
April 29 2008

YEREVAN, 29.04.08. DE FACTO. On April 23rd, International Association
of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) and Genocide Watch President, Dr. Greg
Stanton, gave keynote remarks at the Capitol Hill Observance of the
Armenian Genocide, organized by the Congressional Caucus on Armenian
Issues, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

Citing the House Foreign Affairs Committee passage last year of the
Armenian Genocide resolution, Stanton explained that by postponing
a full House vote, "Again the United States surrendered to the
ninety-year campaign of denial by the government of Turkey. The State
Department and the White House have continued the cowardly policies
of every Secretary of State since Lansing who have considered it
more important to placate the Turkish government than to be truthful
about history."

Dr. Stanton went on to explain the eight stages of genocide and
the dangerous cost of genocide denial both to the victims and the
perpetrators. He described the benefits of genocide recognition,
stating that "telling the truth would ultimately be good for
U.S.-Turkish relations, because they would no longer be based on
diplomatic lies." Passage of the Armenian Genocide Resolution,
he noted, would also "pay tribute to America’s first international
human rights movement. The Foreign Service Officers and prominent
individuals such as Theodore Roosevelt, Ambassador Henry Morgenthau,
and Cleveland Dodge, who did so much to help the Armenians, exemplify
America’s legacy of moral leadership".

A MEMORANDUM HAS BEEN SIGNED

Azat Artsakh Daily
Published on April 28, 2008
NKR Republic

Today a memorandum has been signed between NKR government and
"Karabakh Telekom" company. This document about collaboration was
signed by the prime minister Ara Harutyunyan and the chief of the
company Ralf Eirikyan.

By the memorandum "Karabakh Telekom" is obliged to realize in
2008 in Artsakh a charitable program of 500 million drams, which
will be directly done by NKR government. The foreseen sum will be
directed to the health system of the republic. The Prime Minister
interpreted, that by the allocated means in Stepanakert a medical
research laboratory sated with modern equipments would be created,
reanimobile would be acquired and the regional hospital of Martakert
would be constructed. Expressing gratitude to the management of
"Karabakh Telekom", A.Harutyunyan emphasized, that the allocated
assistance would have a favourable influence on the development
of Artsakh’s health system, would stimulate the improvement of
demographical situation. After signing the memorandum, the Prime
Minister A.Harutyunyan answered journalists’ questions. They,
particularly, refered to participation of "Hayastan" Fund in health
system of Artsakh, possible change of tariffs, water supply problem of
Stepanakert in summer months and so on. At the same time he informed,
that preliminary stage of realization of water supply’s general program
had begun, the program would be completely finished during some years.

ARMENIA REMEMBERS VICTIMS OF GENOCIDE IN OTTOMAN EMPIRE

Interfax News Agency, Russia
April 24 2008

Armenia remembered victims of the genocide in the Ottoman Empire in
1915 on Thursday.

President Serzh Sargsyan, Speaker Tigran Torosian, Prime Minister
Tigran Sargsyan and other officials visited the Armenian Genocide
Memorial Tsitserkaberd in the morning. They laid wreaths at the
eternal flame.

Church hierarchs, officers, opposition members, foreign ambassadors
and guests, and citizens also took part in the remembrance ceremony.

Twenty-three countries and 40 states of the U.S. recognized the
Armenian genocide. More than 1.5 million Armenians were killed in the
Ottoman Empire in 1915. Turkey denies the responsibility for the first
case of genocide in the 20th century. Ankara also refuses to establish
diplomatic relations with Yerevan until the latter stops trying to
achieve the international recognition of the Armenian genocide and
resolves the Karabakh conflict with Azerbaijan.

‘GENOCIDE`PROTEST ANGERS ANKARA

Euronews.net, France
April 24 2008

Thousands of Armenians have taken to the streets of the capital
Yeravan to commemorate the deaths of one and a half million people
killed during the fall of the Ottoman empire.

Turkey refutes Armenian claims the massacres, carried out during the
First World War, amounted to systematic genocide. But the issue is
casting a shadow over Turkey`s bid to join the European Union and
it`s become a source of tension complicating Ankara`s relations with
the United States.

March organiser Fatul Aratunyan vowed to carry on fighting, pledging
he said, "to go on with this march until the whole world learns about
this tragedy and we get our historic land back."

The protesters, marching by torch and candle-light, demonstrated
outside foreign consular buildings chanting "recognise genocide"
before burning a Turkish flag.

In the morning thousands laid wreaths of carnations and tulips at
a memorial for those who perished in the killings which took place
between 1915 and 1923.

Ankara says large numbers of both Christian Armenians and Muslim
Turks were killed during the violent and chaotic break-up of the
Ottoman Empire.

The tiny ex-Soviet republic is sandwiched between Turkey and
Azerbaijan.

A law in Turkey makes it illegal to refer to the killings as genocide
although the Turkish President recently called for new dialogue to
normalise ties.

Until this day the land border between Armenia and Turkey remains
closed.

ARPI VARDANYAN: WE MUST STRUGGLE AGAINST ALL GENOCIDES

armradio.am
24.04.2008 15:30

Over the past 20-30 years the work in the direction of recognition of
the Armenian Genocide has experienced considerable progress. Paying
tribute to the victims of the Genocide of 1915, Armenian Assembly
of America’s Regional Director for Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh
Arpi Vardanyan said: "If 30 years ago no one knew about Armenia,
the Armenian people, then today thanks to the activity in Armenia and
Diaspora, it is spoken about not only in the West, but also in Turkey."

"As a result of the work done during the past 5-10 years,
representatives of different countries are discussing the issue. We
must remember that right now genocide is being carried out in Darfur
and we must struggle against all genocides. We must have all the
countries including Turley recognize the Armenian Genocide," Arpi
Vardanyan said.

HASAN AMKA: "WHO KILLED THOUSANDS OF ARMENIANS?"

Panorama.am
23:22 24/04/2008

"Are the words annihilation and extermination synonyms or not? Your
Excellency does not authorize the usage of those two words. Use them
as you wish as the expression will not change the practical image of
it," these e are the very first words of "Who has killed thousands of
Armenians?" article written by Turkish Hasan Amka which quite matches
with our days.

"Just ignore "annihilation" and announce that that was the decision
to exterminate the Armenians," he states.

The current article could be a real message for the Turkish
authorities. Hasan Amka has written quite many notes on the Armenian
Genocide which is considered lost today. After the World War I the
politician wrote articles about the Genocide and its organizers. "Let’s
continue keeping silence. But God is single for all of us, for
Armenians, Turkish and others and whether he will not ask "Who has
killed thousands of Armenians?"," said Hasan Amka’s article.

AZERBAIJANI SOLDIER WAS RETURNED

KarabakhOpen
24-04-2008 12:55:44

The NKR state committee of POWs and the missing reports that the
NKR government, displaying good faith and commitment to the Geneva
convention, returned Vyusal Shirsultan oghli Eibatov, a serviceman of
the Azerbaijani army, born 1989 in the village of Khilmani, Shamakhi
region of Azerbaijan.

Vyusal Eibatov had been seized by the NKR Defense Army troops on April
11 near the village of Yusifjani, who was trying to cross the border
to Karabakh. The NKR state committee of POWs and the missing notified
the offices of the OSCE and the International Committee of the Red
Cross accredited to Nagorno-Karabakh. The workers of the office of
the Red Cross had unrestricted access to Vyusal Eibatov all through
his stay in NKR.

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian American Cultural Society of Las Vegas
P. O. Box 94406, Las Vegas, NV
Contact: Andy Armenian
Tel: 702 580 0807
Fax: 702 456 8849
E-mail: [email protected]

NEVADA ARMENIANS HONOR CONGRESSWOMAN BERKLEY DURING 93RD GENOCIDE
COMMEMORATION

Las Vegas, Nevada – April 20: During the commemoration of the 93rd
Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, the Las Vegas Armenian community
honored Congresswoman Shelly Berkley with a plaque for her relentless
efforts for congressional recognition of the Armenian Genocide of 1915. The
packed audience at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) applauded
Congresswoman Berkley’s strong position on the issue. After accepting the
plaque from the event chair, Hriyr John Dadaian, Congresswoman Berkley
noted, "as a Jew, it is a shame to deny somebody else’s genocide and that it
is why I cannot deny what happened to the Armenians and I will continue to
support recognition."

The commemoration also featured as keynote speaker Mr. Armen Liloyan, Consul
General of the Republic of Armenia in Los Angeles, on his first official
visit to Las Vegas, Nevada. Mr. Liloyan spoke passionately about the need
for the current Turkish government to recognize the Genocide of the previous
Ottoman Empire and to come to terms with its past so that the regional
neighbors may move toward a prosperous future.

Additionally, staff members representing Senator Reid, Senator Ensign,
Congressman Porter, and Congressman Heller delivered strong statements
joining the community’s commemoration and recognizing the Armenian Genocide.

Mr. Adroushan Andy Armenian, Treasurer of the Armenian-American Cultural
Society of Las Vegas and Board Member of the Genocide Memorial Committee,
presented plans to erect a Monument at a dedicated Memorial Park in Las
Vegas. The UNLV Armenian Students Association presented a slide show
depicting various Genocide Monuments throughout the world. Mr. Armenian
also noted several recent donations and pledges for the project.
Congresswoman Berkley also pledged her personal donation for the memorial.

"With support from our elected officials and representatives of the Armenian
Republic, the Las Vegas Armenian-American community recommitted itself to
the recognition of the Armenian Genocide of 1915, so that we can work to
prevent similar human rights tragedies from recurring," stated Hriyr John
Dadaian in closing the program.

Participants for the commemoration also included the Armenian Relief Society
"Shoushi" Chapter Saturday School students; the Homenetmen "Artsakh" Chapter
Scouts; the Armenian Evangelical Church Choir; Herman Brumm performing
violin and piano solos.

RA FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS WITH SENIOR FRENCH OFFICIALS

armradio.am
23.04.2008 12:56

In the framework of his working visit to Paris RA Foreign Minister
Edward Nalbandian met with senior officials and politicians of France.

During the meeting with the Diplomatic Adviser to the President of
France Jean-David Levitte Edward Nalbandian presented the programs
of the new Armenian leadership in the foreign and domestic fields,
Armenia’s approaches on a number of issues of mutual interest, as
well as regional developments.

Issues related to the current state of the negotiation process on
the Karabakh conflict settlement were discussed during the meeting
with the French Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Bernard Fassier.

Questions connected with the expansion of government contacts and
the deepening of cooperation with France on the decentralized level
were discussed during the meeting with Secretary of State on Issues
of State Service André Santini.

Today Edward Nalbandian met with the Secretary General of the Union for
Popular Movement Party Patrick Devejian. The interlocutors appreciated
the dynamically developing Armenian-French relations and expressed
confidence that the cooperation will continue to deepen.

–Boundary_(ID_uyASxvsPQjhH6ZlJyFSd0A)–