Author: Emil Lazarian

BY THE END OF THE YEAR DIRECT FLIGHTS FROM TBILISI TO YEREVAN WILL BE OFFERED

The Messenger, Georgia
Dec 14 2006

According to the newspaper Rezonansi the Armenian air company Armavia
will introduce flights in Georgia. By the end of December Armavia
will conduct regular Tbilisi-Yerevan-Tbilisi flights. According to
the news agency Novosti-Armenia the tickets price will be USD 50.

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Georgia has not had direct
flights to Armenia. According to the Armenian Civil Aviation press
secretary Jasmen Vilian the resumption of flights is a result of
business partnerships between Armenians and Georgians. It is said in
Armenia that after Russia closed its air space to Georgia, Georgians
may visit its northern neighbour via Armenia.

The Armenian side sent a statement about introducing the flights to
Georgia to the Georgian Civil Aviation Administration in the summer.

The flights should have started in May but the process was postponed
to the end of the year.

During his interview with Rezonansi the head of the Georgian Civil
Aviation Administration Giorgi Mzhavanadze said that Armenian’s
interest in operating flights to Georgia was a result of large
numbers of Armenians visiting Georgia’s resorts last year. After the
rehabilitation of the Batumi international airport Armenians might
begin direct flights from Yerevan-Batumi as well.

By the end of the year the Air Company Armavia also plans to open
flights to Yerevan-Ashkhabadi-Yerevan direction.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FRANCE TRYING TO COVER UP ITS ROLE IN GENOCIDE
Alfred Ndahiro

New Vision, Uganda
Dec 14 2006

Rwanda’s decision to sever diplomatic relations with France continues
to be a subject of animated discussion among those who have an interest
in the political evolution of Rwanda, and the proxy war that France has
waged since the defeat of the Interahamwe extremists who masterminded
the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

The recently published report by Judge Jean-Louis Bruguière, now
discredited by most legal experts and even those he claims to be his
informers, can only be construed as a facet of that proxy war.

>>From the time of the downing of the plane carrying Habyarimana
and his Burundian counterpart, credible commentators and analysts
concluded that extremists in the Habyarimana government, with the
help of the French army, brought down the plane.

Yet, Judge Bruguière brushes this aside and instead indicts the
leadership of Rwanda and senior aides of the Rwandan president. In
so doing, Bruguière aims to cover the role of the French government,
by intimidating Rwandans and attempting to divert them from their
effort to unearth the truth about French involvement in Rwanda.

The following are but a few of the facts that Judge Bruguière knows
but chooses to ignore: At the time of the plane crash, the entire
airport and the surroundings were under the control of the French
soldiers and the then Rwandan presidential guard.

When soldiers of the United Nations peace-keeping force in Rwanda
attempted to reach the scene of the plane crash, they were blocked
and prevented from accessing it by those same forces. That is how
the whereabouts of the black box have remained a mystery to-date,
although French officials admitted having it, at some stage.

France trained, armed, and fought alongside the former Rwandan forces
before, during, and after the 1994 genocide, just as its soldiers
trained the Interahamwe militias.

The Rwandan Patriotic Army fought and single-handedly stopped the
genocide.

France continues to harbour and give sanctuary to the architects
of the Rwandan genocide, including Agathe Habyarimana, Fr Wenceslas
Munyeshyaka, and others, who masterminded the carnage.

Judge Bruguiere’s so-called evidence is based on false testimonies
provided by genocide fugitives and Rwandan dissidents who aim to
use it either to deny the occurrence of the Rwandan genocide or to
advance their misguided goals and justify their applications for
political asylum.

The French government has never come to terms with the regime change
in Rwanda and have worked ceaselessly towards achieving their hope
that some day, their former proteges would be reinstated.

In ignoring the above facts, Judge Bruguière’s injudicious project
serves to advance the broader political enterprise and hidden agenda
of the French government.

All this, however, is beginning to crumble, and many legal experts
and his alleged informers are distancing themselves from his findings.

One such alleged informer, quoted in his report, is Emmanuel
Ruzigana. In a letter addressed to Bruguière on November 30, Ruzigaza
draws the attention of the judge to the fact that he was forcefully
picked from the airport in Paris and taken to Bruguière’s office by
his members of staff on March 29, 2004.

In Bruguière’s office, Ruzigana was questioned as to whether he
belonged to the "Network Commando" and whether he knew the person
who shot down the Habyarimana plane. In spite of having denied both
allegations, Ruzigana appears in the judge’s report as having confirmed
the allegations.

Another of his principle informers by the name of Abdul Ruzibiza was
a nursing assistant in the north-west of Rwanda, far away from the
scene of the plane crash. How such a fellow can claim to be privy to
the plans of an operation of such sensitivity boggles the mind.

Besides, he is a convicted criminal, having stolen soldiers’ allowances
before his escape.

A third key witness, a certain Innocent Marara, claims he was privy
to RPA planning to assassinate Habyarimana in 1993. Yet Marara joined
the RPA in 1994, and not 1990 as Bruguiere claims.

The missiles Judge Bruguiere claims shot down Habyarimana’s plane
were found to have been a hoax, foisted upon the world by a French
Parliamentary mission of information. One of the launchers allegedly
used to down the plane still had its missile unfired when it was
allegedly photographed after the event.

Finally, Judge Bruguiere, without a shred of evidence, accuses key
regional leaders, including President Museveni, of being complicit
in the killing of Habyarimana, a thinly veiled political attack on
what the French call their "Anglo-saxon" enemies.

There is no doubt that France can do a lot of good for itself by
coming clean. It cannot blame Turkey for refusing to acknowledge the
genocide of the Armenians in 1915 and at the same time withhold its
own ‘mea culpa’.

In any case, France, even in its might, should have understood that the
Rwandans are a people with a proud legacy of a rich culture, history
and values. They will not allow France to subdue and subjugate them.

France should also learn that people who uphold the truth, and who
have the right cause, will always triumph. It was so when Rwandans
fought the genocidaires on the battlefield, it will be so on the
‘diplomacy-field’!

The writer is the advisor in communication and public relations in
the office of the President of Rwanda

–Boundary_(ID_6yF3HBKPO+9gDo3qzWBL6A)–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

OUR SINGERS ARE THE LAST IN ARMENIA, THE FIRST IN THE WORLD

Lragir, Armenia
Dec 14 2006

Silva Hakobyan, 18, won the BBC World Service’s Next Big Thing
competition. Earlier in April she took the last (23rd place) in a
song contest held in Armenia. The judges of the contest were Armenian
pop singers, including Shushan Petrosyan, Haiko, Arminka. "I could
not overcome the stress for two or three months," Silva Hakobyan
says. However, she did not wait long for success, and Silva Hakobyan
won the BBC competition. The singer took part in the competition
thanks to her producer Aram Avagyan, who is a singer too and lives
in the United States.

2000 singers from different countries participated in the song contest,
20 were chosen by online voting, then 6. Silva was chosen ahead of 6
in the final. The singer from England was the second, Brazil was the
third. Silva Hakobyan sang "I Like" composed by her sister. There is
no video yet but it will have soon. The judges of the music contest
were famous musicians, including Peter Gabriel, one of Madonna’s
producers. Silva’s sponsors are two Armenian American businessmen,
the Performers to Children and MIO Musical companies.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SENATE OF ARGENTINA UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED A LAW RECOGNIZING AND CONDEMNING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN OTTOMAN TURKEY IN THE BEGINNING OF 20TH CENTURY

Yerevan, December 14. ArmInfo. The Senate of Argentina has unanimously
adopted a law on recognition and condemnation of the Armenian Genocide
in Ottoman Turkey in the beginning of the 20th century.

In this connection, Armenian Ambassador to Argentina Vladimir
Kramirshalyan said that by this decision Argentina once again proved
its adherence to human values and its understanding of the Armenian
nation’s aspiration. The law will be soon signed by the President
of Argentina.

At the same time, the memorial to the Genocide victims has been
profaned in the city of Lyublyana, Poland. Blue paint has been spilt
on the memorial. To note, 16 countries have already recognized the
Armenian Genocide.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FORMS OF ARREST WERE UNACCEPTABLE

Lragir, Armenia
Dec 14 2006

Mekhak Mkhitaryan, the secretary of the Businessman Parliamentary
Group, stated December 14 at the Friday Club with regard to the arrest
of Jirair Sefilyan that arrest is not a pleasant thing, "especially
when it concerns a participant of the war in Karabakh, who had an
important role and a considerable contribution in this war." However,
Mekhak Mkhitaryan declines to give an evaluation because the only
information is that released by the National Security Service.

18 members of parliament have signed the statement for Jirair
Sefilyan. Mekhak Mkhitaryan hopes that this question will be raised
during the extraordinary meeting of the National Assembly and it
will become clear "what is hiding in the message of the National
Security Service."

It is known that Jirair Sefilyan was arrested in a restaurant by
masked law enforcers. Vardan Malkhasyan was arrested in the presence
of his sick mother. Mekhak Mkhitaryan condemns these forms of arrest.

"I think it is immoral to isolate these kind of people from the
society," stated Mekhak Mkhitaryan, who has no reason to disbelieve
the National Security Service.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

KEY OBSTACLES TO SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH CONFLICT ELIMINATED: ARMENIAN EXPERT

Yerevan, December 14. ArmInfo. "The key obstacles to the settlement
of Karabakh problems have been neutralized," said the expert Stephan
Safaryan, Research Director of Armenian Center of National and
International Studies at political discussions at the Center.

He believes that the confidence of the parties in their military
prevalence, a higher level of democratic development in Armenia as
compared to Azerbaijan, existence of a strong opposition in our
country, which the authorities use to justify their intolerance,
could be obstacles to the settlement process at the previous stage
of the negotiations.

"However, during the last years, the situation in Armenia has sharply
changed. The country has actually come down to the democratic level
of Azerbaijan. The opposition has weakened, the freedom of speech is
limited, especially on the television, the power has become absolutely
monolith and comes out with a consolidated position on the Karabakh
problem. Summing up all this, one can state that the parties have
almost had no internal resources left to protract their participation
in the negotiations process," S. Safaryan said.

At the same time, he said the international mediators are becoming more
and more intolerant to the protraction of the negotiations. "If in
the course of the pre- election campaigns in 2003, OSCE MG Co-chairs
allowed suspension of the meetings of the presidents and foreign
minister of the two states, now the U.S. Co-chair Matthew Bryza openly
stresses the necessity of continuing the negotiations also in the
course of elections both in Armenia and Azerbaijan," the expert said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ZHIRAYR SEFILIAN’S DEFENDERS TO APPEAL AGAINST FIRST INSTANCE COURT’S DECISION ONE OF THESE DAYS

Noyan Tapan
Dec 13 2006

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 13, NOYAN TAPAN. The defenders of the Defence
of Liberated Territories public initiative’s Coordinator Zhirayr
Sefilian will appeal against the decision of Yerevan Kentron and
Nork-Marash communities’ first instance court on choosing arrest as
a preventive punishment to him. NT correspondent ws informed about
it by lawyer Vahe Grigorian. To recap, lawyer Ara Zakarian together
with the latter defends Zh.Sefilian.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

KARABAKH ANNOUNCES REFERENDUM RESULTS

Public TV, Armenia
Dec 12 2006

[Presenter] The final official results of the Nagornyy Karabakh
constitutional referendum was made public in Stepanakert today. A
total of 99.03 per cent of those who took part in the referendum
[on 10 December] voted for and 0.7 per cent against the constitution.

Some 77,800 people, or 87 per cent of the voters, turned out to vote
in the referendum.

[Correspondent reports from Stepanakert over video of the head of the
Central Electoral Commission, Sergey Nasibyan] The Nagornyy Karabakh
republic [NKR] is an independent, democratic and legal state. The
people of Artsakh have confirmed 15 years of independence by voting
for the constitution. A total of 77,279 people [as heard] voted to
adopt the constitution on 10 December.

[Arkadiy Gukasyan, captioned as Nagornyy Karabakh president] I cannot
see any other way for Nagornyy Karabakh. I am absolutely sure that
the international community wants is peace in the region. The way to
peace is Karabakh’s independence. Any other way is the path to war.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN PARTY LEADER LINKS EX-COMMANDER’S ARREST TO FORTHCOMING POLLS
by Margarit Yesayan

Aravot, Armenia
Dec 12 2006

"’Terrorists’ are always found before elections"

Members of the opposition comment on Zhirayr Sefilyan’s arrest.

Yesterday [11 December] the press centre of the National Security
Service [NSS] issued a statement saying that Lebanese national Zhirayr
Sefilyan and a number of his supporters arrested on 10 December
"planned a forcible interference in future political processes in
Armenia".

The statement says: "As a result of a search we obtained evidence
that Lebanese national Zhirayr Sefilyan and the Union of Volunteers
of Armenia, which was established by a number of his supporters but
has not been registered as stipulated by the Armenian law, planned to
take illegal and forcible actions during future political processes
in Armenia, in particular to commit terrorist attacks during the
forthcoming parliamentary election in 2007."

The NSS said that at a closed sitting on 2 December some leaders of
the structure made public statements calling for an armed struggle in
order to replace the incumbent authorities and "presented their action
plans". It also said that the leaders of the Union of Volunteers of
Armenia planed to incite the opposition to civil disobedience.

Yesterday opposition members gathered in Armenia-Marriot Hotel to
defend Karabakh war commander Zhirayr Sefilyan and the leader of
the Ashtarak branch of the Motherland and Honour party, war veteran
Vardan Malkhasyan.

The former foreign minister, Aleksandr Arzumanyan, said that the
previous night employees of the NSS also "visited" activists of the
Civil Disobedience movement. The secretary of the Armenian Democratic
Party, MP Grigor Arutyunyan, said that the same night activists
of the party in Goris were searched. The commander of the Artsakh
regiment, Mikael Apresyan, said addressing the political forces that
were present at the meeting: "We should unite, otherwise we will lose
this state…" [ellipses as published]

MP Mayak Ovanesyan said that he was present at the meeting of the Union
of Volunteers of Armenia and that he fully shared responsibility:
"At the beginning of the emergency session of the parliament I am
going to ask the prosecutor-general to arrest me too.

I was present at the meeting and there was no call for a coup d’etat
or a forcible seizure of power. True, the atmosphere was emotional
as people were present at the meeting who paid a high price for their
victory [in the Karabakh war] and who worry about its destiny."

[Passage omitted: the leader of the New Times party, Aram Karapetyan,
gave details of Sefilyan’s arrest]

Yesterday representatives of political forces thought that they should
demand that the authorities release the arrested people. The leader of
the New Times party, Aram Karapetyan, said: "The Armenian political
field is aware of these kinds of actions when before elections or
some processes the authorities, especially security agencies and
criminals operating in Armenia, take steps to terrorize the political
field and the public. This time two important circumstances coincided:
one is the forthcoming [parliamentary] election and the other is the
processes connected with the NKR [Nagornyy Karabakh republic]. As
you see, it were the soldier-liberators who received the blow."

The deputy chairman of the public initiative For the Protection of
Liberated Territories, Armen Egyan, said that 32 of their friends
had already been searched and had given a written undertaking not to
leave the city.

[Zhirayr Sefilyan heads the organization For the Protection of
Liberated Territories.]

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

IN VARTAN OSKANIAN’S WORDS, TURKEY CASTS DOUBT ON TREATY OF KARS WITH ITS ACTIONS

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Dec 13 2006

ISTANBUL, DECEMBER 13, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. RA Foreign
Minister Vartan Oskanian characterizes the current relations between
Armenia and Turkey as a "misfortune." According to Marmara, in his
interview to the Jumhurriet Turkish newspaper the Minister considers
as a misfortune the fact that Turkey has stopped its diplomatic
relations with Armenia for 15 years. 15 years passed in vain and each
day continues to be vain, he said adding that if Turkey opened the
borders everything would develop another way. In Oskanian’s words,
Armenia’s position in this issue is exact: "Yes, there are the
issues of the Genocide and Karabakh, there are also other issues,"
Armenia says. "But show us two countries in the world that have no
such problems with each other. But none of these countries closes
its borders with another one before discussing these issues." In
the Minister’s words, if some relations were established between the
two countries, it would be possible to form commissions by the way
proposed by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan (a commission
on study of the issue of Armenian Genocide: NT), but this commission
should consist of not historians, but of politicians. He said that
historians representing Turkey will not even wish to pronounce the word
"genocide." "How can they speak with the Armenian historians? There
are prohibiting laws in Turkey and this is like leaving a bird out of
the cage by breaking its wing," V.Oskanian said. In response to the
question, "does Armenia recognize the Treaty of Kars," Vartan Oskanian
said: Armenia has never made a problem of validity of the Treaty of
Kars, as Armenia remains loyal to all agreements inherited from the
Soviet Union. Besides, in Oskanian’s words, the point is that Turkey
itself does not put in practice a number of articles of the Treaty of
Kars. For instance, according to this agreement, Turkey was to open a
consulate in its three eastern neighboring countries. Turkey violated
this article. A question emerges: how much is the Treaty of Kars valid?

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress