Author: Emil Lazarian

FRENSO: NEVER TO FORGET: AN ARMENIAN HERO IS HONORED, AND THE 1915 GENOCIDE IS COMMEMORATED.
By Vanessa Colon / The Fresno Bee
Fresno Bee, CA
April 24 2006
Dozens of Armenian-Americans gathered Sunday to remember their one
true hero: Soghomon Tehlirian.
Many Valley residents, wearing black, gray or dark blue, stopped by the
Masis Ararat Cemetery, where solemn music played, to honor Tehlirian
and commemorate the 91st anniversary of the Armenian genocide.
Tehlirian became a hero for many Armenians on March 15, 1921, when
he assassinated Talaat Pasha, a Turkish official who played a role
in carrying out the genocide between 1915 and 1923.
During that time period, 1.5million Armenians were slaughtered under
the Ottoman Empire. The modern-day republic of Turkey spun out of
the empire.
The Turkish government doesn’t refer to the massive killings as a
genocide. Turkish officials repeatedly have said that thousands of
Turks as well as Armenians died during World WarI.
“Nearly 91 years ago today our parents and grandparents were
slaughtered. … It was not a civil war,” said Ara Kassabian, board
member of the Armenian Cultural Foundation.
Today, Martyrs Day, is a secular holiday that recalls the start of
the killings of Armenians who were arrested and taken from their
homes in Constantinople before dawn on April 24, 1915.
Many families of Armenian heritage will reflect on their past and
take part in activities remembering their ancestors.
Black and white photos of Armenian families, for instance, were
displayed Sunday around Tehlirian’s monument. The memorial features
a golden eagle gripping a snake with its claws.
A few people sat under a blue tent as they watched a group of Boy and
Girl Scouts carry the American and Armenian flags at the beginning
of the ceremony.
Armen S. Martin, an attorney in Los Angeles, said having Turkey and
the United States recognize the genocide remains a struggle.
A patch signifying the Armenian genocide is worn by Nayiri Moumdjian,
18, of Fresno, a member of the Armenian scouting group Fresno
Homenetmen Sassoon Chapter, Troop 12.
Craig Kohlruss / The Fresno Bee Martin said U.S. Ambassador to Armenia
John Evans got into trouble after using the term genocide and believes
Evans could lose his position because of his remarks.
“As Americans we are outraged by this. As Armenians, we are insulted
by this,” Martin said.
Before the ceremony, a priest conducted a service accompanied with
smoky incense and a chorus.
Some of the visitors walked on the grassy grounds reading the stone
slates a few feet away from the monument. Many of them came to the
ceremony to pay their respects to their ancestors who didn’t escape.
“We don’t want our kids to forget,” said 48-year-old Ana Shahinian,
whose grandparents survived the genocide.
Dirouhi Kupelian said her uncles were beheaded during the massive
killings: “Just my father survived. He was 6 or 7 years old.”
Twenty-three-year-old Raffi Birindjian said the youth will keep the
tragic event alive and never forget: “We owe it to their memory
to do whatever we can in our power to bring recognition of the
Armenian genocide. There’s a lot of people out there who don’t know
it occurred.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA NOT TO JOIN NATO, EU: PRESIDENT
Xinhua, China
2006-04-24 18:24:13
April 24 2006
MOSCOW, April 24 (Xinhua) — Armenia is not going to join NATO and
the European Union (EU), Armenian President Robert Kocharyan said
Monday in an interview with local newspaper Golos Armenii.
“The membership in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)
and the high level of military-technical cooperation with Russia solve
the task of ensuring the country’s security in a sufficient degree,”
Kocharyan said.
Therefore, Armenia will not join NATO, the Armehian president said. The
member states of the CSTO include Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
Kocharyan said that the “whole law base of the Armenian-Russian
relations in the military-technical sphere has been ratified by the
republic’s parliament.”
“Within the framework of the individual partnership program, Armenia is
actively broadening the cooperation with the North Atlantic alliance
as a key European security organization. We hope for fruitful
cooperation, especially in the reform of Armenia’s armed forces,
and in the peacekeeping activity,” Kocharyan said.
The president said, “at present, Armenia is preparing for closer
cooperation with the European Union within the framework of the New
Neighborhood Policy, but we do not formulate the task of joining the
European Union.”
“Euro-Atlantic ambitions of Armenia are weighed, realistic, positively
seen by European structures, and do not create problems in the
relations with Russia,” he said.
“We equally articulate our stance in Moscow, Brussels and Washington,”
the president said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

INTERNATIONAL 04.24.2006 Monday – ISTANBUL 17:15
‘If Armenian Genocide Bill Accepted, US may Apply to Hague’
By Ali H. Aslan, Washington
Published: Sunday, April 23, 2006
zaman.com
The specialist lawyer, Gunay Evinch, spoke to Zaman about the possible
legal implications of Washington Armenian lobby’s activities for
Turkey.
Evinch believes the bills presented to the US Congress will not be
accepted easily.
He says Armenians failed to make the House of Representatives accept
their allegations; so they are pressuring members of the Senate.
`What will be its legal implications, if the so-called Armenian
genocide is approved by the House of Representatives or the Senate,
though it is a rare possibility?’ is question much in the air
nowadays.
According to Evinch, in such a case, the US Foreign Secretary might
have to apply to the Hague Tribunal as required by the United Nations
genocide agreement article number 9 because it is difficult for the
government to ignore such a decision by the Senate, though the bill is
not `binding’ for the government.
The executive wing of the government might be pressured on the ground
`why it is not taking initiatives for human rights.’
If the issue appears at the Hague Tribunal, the US and Turkey will
have to launch a legal debate whether the issue comes within the
purview of the court.
The US might initiate a detailed case or request a `recommendation,’
if the court accepts the case.
Observers say since the US does not want to confront a strategic
partner like Turkey, it will continue to pressure the Congress to not
approve pro-genocide bills.
Evinch believes that Armenians try to `politicize’ the issue since
they can only provide Hague Tribunal with `secondary’ evidences and
their chance of winning the case is low.
If the issues dating back to World War I are re-debated and the
Pandora box is opened, Turkey may also bring to the fore the unjust
treatments committed against the Turkish and Muslim people during that
period.
al&alt=&trh060424&hn=32363

From: Assembly
Subject: AAA: Assembly Mourns Loss of Armenian Genocide Survivor
Armenian Assembly of America
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:
PRESS RELEASE
April 24, 2006
CONTACT: Christine Kojoian
E-mail: [email protected]
ASSEMBLY MOURNS LOSS OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE SURVIVOR
Armine Dedekian Remembered for Her Activism, Community Support
Watertown, MA – As Armenians everywhere mark the 91st anniversary of
the Armenian Genocide, the Assembly was saddened to learn that Armine
Dedekian, a survivor of those horrific crimes, passed away April 19 in
her Watertown, Massachusetts home. Dedekian was 93 years old.
“The Armenian Assembly mourns the loss of Armine Dedekian and wishes
to express its sincere condolences to her family members and loved
ones,” said Assembly Board of Trustees Counselor and Vice Chair Robert
A. Kaloosdian. “In her memory, we reaffirm our commitment to educate
the world about the Armenian Genocide and help create a better future
for all humanity.”
Armine Dedekian, née Kailian, was born in Banderma, in the province of
Bursa, Western Turkey. That same year, her father was murdered and
Dedekian and her young mother fled to Tekirdagh, near Constantinople.
Unfortunately, the family was not safe there as the Turks soon forced
them from their homes and onto an arduous journey through the Syrian
Desert. Dedekian and her mother reached Sham, Syria but were
separated soon after and Dedekian was raised by family members. In
1929, Dedekian, at the age of 14, reunited with her mother in Ellis
Island and later settled with her in Massachusetts. She married
Sarkis Dedekian and together they raised two children.
During her lifetime, Dedekian helped raise awareness of the attempted
annihilation of the Armenians by the Ottoman Turkish government. She
discussed her family’s tragic experiences with the national media,
including the Boston Globe, in an effort to draw national attention to
the crimes. She was also actively involved with the Armenian Relief
Society, the Armenian Renaissance Association and Saint Stephen’s
Armenian Apostolic Church.
Recently Dedekian became an amicus curiae (“friend of the court”)
along with the Armenian Assembly of America and seven other
individuals in the case of Griswold, et al., vs. Driscoll et. al.,
filed in the United States District Court for the District of
Massachusetts. She participated in the amicus curiae brief for she
felt that the case was a denialist tactic by the plaintiffs which
included the Assembly of Turkish American Association and others who
referred to the Armenian Genocide as controversial in their Complaint.
Kaloosdian says that Dedekian was among the last remaining genocide
survivors in the greater Boston community. He recalled her excitement
to take part in the federal case and added that her passing, at this
time, has created renewed focus on her extraordinary life and memory.
The Armenian Assembly is the largest Washington-based nationwide
organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian
issue. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.
###
NR#2006-038
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th St. NW Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet:
PRESS RELEASE
April 24, 2006
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
PRESIDENT BUSH AGAIN FAILS TO HONOR
PLEDGE TO RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
“It is truly a sad day when it is left to a lone
diplomat, our Ambassador to Armenia, John Evans,
to honor the forsaken pledge of his President.”
— Aram Hamparian, ANCA
WASHINGTON, DC – Despite the call for moral clarity from over two
hundred U.S. legislators, President Bush failed, once again, to
honor his pledge to properly characterize the Armenian Genocide as
a “genocide” in his annual April 24th remarks, reported the
Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
In a statement issued today, on April 24th, the annual day of
remembrance for the Armenian Genocide, the President again resorted
to the use of evasive and euphemistic terminology to obscure the
full moral, historical, and contemporary legal implications of
Turkey’s genocide against the Armenian people between 1915-1923.
In retreating from his promise, the President ignored the counsel
of the one hundred and seventy-eight Representatives and thirty
Senators who had written letters urging him to properly
characterize the Armenian Genocide.
“Armenian Americans appreciate President Bush’s willingness to join
with Armenians around the world by speaking out on this solemn
occasion, but – sadly, remain deeply troubled by his failure to
honor his campaign pledge – and his own promise of moral clarity –
by properly recognizing the Armenian Genocide, ” said Aram
Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA. “It is truly a sad day
when it is left to a lone diplomat, our Ambassador to Armenia, John
Evans, to honor the forsaken pledge of his President – to speak as
the moral conscience of our nation in the face of official White
House complicity in the denial of this crime against all humanity.”
As in the past, the ANCA has also expressed concern that the
Administration’s refusal to recognize the Armenian Genocide
reflects a broader unwillingness to confront genocide – as
evidenced by the White House’s failure to take decisive steps to
bring an end to the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. The
ANCA is working with a broad coalition of organizations to pressure
the Administration to respond in a timely and meaningful way to the
worsening crisis in Darfur. “If we are to end the cycle of
genocide, we must, as a nation, generate the resolve to forcefully
intervene to stop genocide when it takes place, to unequivocally
reject its denial, to hold the guilty accountable, and to secure
for the victims the justice they deserve,” added Hamparian.
In February of 2000, then presidential candidate George W. Bush,
campaigning for votes among Armenian voters in the Michigan
Republican primary, pledged to properly characterize the genocidal
campaign against the Armenian people. In his statements as
President, he has consistently avoided any clear reference to the
Armenian Genocide, and his Administration has consistently opposed
legislation marking this crime against humanity.
The text of the President’s remarks is provided below.
#####
The White House
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Presidential Message
April 24, 2006
Today, we remember one of the horrible tragedies of the 20th
century — the mass killings and forced exile of as many as 1.5
million Armenians in the final days of the Ottoman Empire in 1915.
This was a tragedy for all humanity and one that we and the world
must never forget.
We mourn this terrible chapter of history and recognize that it
remains a source of pain for people in Armenia and for all those
who believe in freedom, tolerance, and the dignity and value of
every human life. It is a credit to the human spirit and
generations of Armenians who live in Armenia, America, and around
the globe that they have overcome this suffering and proudly
preserved their centuries-old culture, traditions, and religion.
We praise the individuals in Armenia and Turkey who have sought to
examine the historical events of this time with honesty and
sensitivity. The analysis by the International Center for
Transitional Justice, while not the final word, has made a
significant contribution toward deepening our understanding of
these events. We encourage dialogues, including through joint
commissions, that strive for a shared understanding of these tragic
events and move Armenia and Turkey towards normalized relations.
Today, we look with hope to a bright future for Armenia. Armenia’s
Millennium Challenge Compact reflects our confidence and the
importance we place in Armenia making progress on democratic reform
and advancement of free markets. We seek to help Armenia bolster
its security and deepen its inclusion in the Euro-Atlantic family.
We remain committed to securing a peaceful and lasting settlement
of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and hope the leaders of Armenia
and Azerbaijan will take bold steps to achieve this goal.
On this solemn day of remembrance, Laura and I express our deepest
condolences to the Armenian people. Our nations stand together,
determined to create a future of peace, prosperity, and freedom for
the citizens of our countries and the world.
GEORGE W. BUSH
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
April 22 2006
It is difficult to expect any new offers on Armenian-Azeri conflict
in Washington – Foreign Minister

Source: Trend
Author: E.Guseynov

22.04.2006

New proposals are unlikely to sound during Washington’s conversations
on resolution of Armenian-Azeri conflict, Trend reports quoting Azeri
Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov, who was speaking in Moscow
commenting the forthcoming official visit of Azeri President to the
USA.
«Positions Azerbaijan was standing on last 15 years remain the same.
We always stated and keep stating that the problem shall be resolved
in compliance with international legislation and resolutions issued
by UN Security Council and OSCE. There is no doubt that if we want to
resolve the conflict once and for all, the resolution shall be based
on legislation alone. Arbitrators are trying to find contact points
to get us closer», – minister said.
Speaking on «self-determination» of Nagorno-Karabakh population,
Mamedyarov said it didn’t imply any breach of territorial integrity
of Azerbaijan. «Self-determination of nation or a national minority
is performed under the territorial integrity, and Azerbaijan, in
turn, is eager to provide the highest level of autonomy to Armenian
minority within Nagorno-Karabakh. This practice is well-known and is
utilized worldwide», – Foreign Minister said.
Mamedyarov said also of a broad range of issues regarding mutual
cooperation, as well as international and regional development, to be
spoken of during the forthcoming visit of Azeri president Ilham
Aliyev to the USA. The minister said one of the main topics would be
conflict resolution on Caucasus. During the visit presidents will
also speak of power security, fight against international terrorism
and Azerbaijan’s participation in anti-terrorist coalition.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
April 21, 2006 Friday
DEFENSE MINISTER SERZH SARKISJAN: OUR RELATIONS ARE 1,000 YEARS OLD
by Aleksei Ventslovsky
An interview with Defense Minister of Armenia Serzh Sarkisjan.
Question: Successful development of military and military-technical
cooperation between our countries is common knowledge. Could you
please say a few words on the subject?
Serzh Sarkisjan: I’d like to emphasize that the level of relations
between us is fairly high. This cooperation encompasses a broad
spectrum of issues. My Russian colleague Sergei Ivanov visited us in
January. We discussed prospects of the Armenian-Russian relations
that are viewed in both countries as extremely promising.
The 102nd Russian Military Base established in Armenia on our
suggestion is playing a special part in the relations.
Question: Where development of contacts between the national armies
is concerned… Do you think trainees from Russian military colleges
may ever come to Armenia for field training at mountainous testing
sites and shooting ranges of the Armenian Defense Ministry?
Serzh Sarkisjan: Why not? Russia only has to ask, and we will be glad
to receive them here. Hundreds of Armenian servicemen including
officers and generals are trained in Russia and this sort of
cooperation is like a two-way street, you know.
Question: The Armenian national army is being reorganized. What are
these reforms about? What problems does the Defense Ministry
encounter?
Serzh Sarkisjan: The Armenian Armed Forces consist of motorized
infantry and Air Force now. We do not have branches or high commands
as such. There is only one headquarters running all of the Armed
Forces that comprise five corps formations, artillery unit, and
antiaircraft defense brigades. All in all, 45,000 men or so. All of
the population of Armenia amounts to 3 million only, and the army we
have is somewhat larger than we would prefer. In the meantime, we are
compelled to keep an army of this size because of the lack of
stability in the southern part of the Caucasus and because of
conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh. Generally speaking,
our Armed Forces have a lot of problems – just like armies of other
countries I presume.
We’ve set the task to have an army by 2015, that will meet world
standards. I’d like to emphasize that because Russian media outlets
report every now and then that Armenia is after an army by NATO
standards. Not NATO, world standards.
Question: What effect may escalation of conflicts in Abkhazia and
South Ossetia have on the situation in Armenia?
Serzh Sarkisjan: The southern part of the Caucasus is actually a
small region where every country depends on everyone else. The
hostilities will create extremely negative consequences, and Armenia
cannot hope to remain unaffected by them. Armenia does not need any
instability in Georgia because this country is our only connection to
the world. Besides, the hostilities may tempt other countries to
meddle in the conflict.
Question: Reports in the Russian media indicate that a peacekeeping
operation for Nagorno-Karabakh under the OSCE is being charted in
Brussels. Your Russian opposite number Ivanov also said once that
Russian peacekeepers could be deployed in Nagorno-Karabakh, in
theory…
Serzh Sarkisjan: I doubt that someone is really working on a
peacekeeping operation. The warring sides’ consent is needed for it
or at least some contours of the future accord. It will become a
possibility only when the sides in the conflict reached an agreement.
That’s when peacekeepers may come in handy. Unfortunately, we do not
have an agreement with Azerbaijan. Peacekeepers are not on the agenda
therefore.
Question: And what is the situation around Nagorno-Karabakh nowadays?
Serzh Sarkisjan: The matter is constantly brought up in Azerbaijan in
attempts to solve other domestic problems in this manner. You
probably know that the president of Azerbaijan and his defense
minister regularly say that a military solution will be forced on
Baku unless Armenia accepted their terms. Azerbaijan doubled its
military budget. The president of Azerbaijan said he had boosted it
to $1 billion not long ago. That smacks of blackmail, if you ask me.
We do not want a war but we are not frightened by its prospect. An
end was put to hostilities in 1994, with Russia’s help. Our troops
have an advantage nowadays. We’ve fortified the positions this last
12 years. Not even billions of dollars will help Azerbaijan.
Source: Krasnaya Zvezda, April 19, 2006, p. 1
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Russian of Armenian origin murdered in metro
Agence France Presse — English
April 22, 2006 Saturday 6:31 PM GMT
MOSCOW, April 22 2006 — A Russian teenager of Armenian origin was
stabbed to death in the Moscow metro on Saturday in what police said
could be a racist killing, local media reported.
“During an argument one of those involved drew a knife and stabbed a
17-year-old youth of Armenian origin,” Itar-Tass news agency quoted
a police spokesman as saying.
“The attack was fatal. He died on the spot.”
Interfax news agency quoted an anonymous police source as saying
the attacker looked like a skinhead, dressed in black and with a
shaved head.
The incident took place on a platform of the Pushkinshaya metro
station in the centre of Moscow. Those involved escaped, police said.
They said they were examining all possibilities, including that of
a racist crime.
But the head of the union of Armenians in Russia Ara Abramian told
a radio station he doubted the authorities were serious in tackling
racism.
“If extremism and nationalism exist here, we ought to call things by
their name, and it is only when that happens that they’ll stop.”
Racist attacks are often treated by Russian police and courts as
simple acts of hooliganism, punishable by light sentences, and there
is a reluctance to describe them as racist.
There has been a rise in the number of such attacks, often fatal,
on foreigners in recent years and the pace has quickened in recent
months. They are often carried out by gangs of skinheads and usually
target Asians, Africans and people from the Caucasus — such as
Armenians — or Central Asia.
Four Chinese students were beaten up on Friday in Kostroma, 370
kilometres (230 miles) northeast of Moscow, Interfax quoted local
police as saying. The attacks was described as racist and those
carrying it out arrested.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Moscow’s Armenian community worried by Armenian’s murder
ITAR-TASS News Agency
April 22, 2006 Saturday 01:27 PM EST
Moscow’s Armenian community said it would not neglect the murder of
an Armenian man in the centre of the city on Saturday.
“We will certainly convene on Monday. We gathered each time an
ethnic-motivated murder occurred and thought about mechanisms
that could prevent such incidents,” the president of the Union of
Armenians of Russia and the president of the World Armenian Congress,
Ara Abramyan, told Ekho Moskvy radio.
In his view such crimes can be possible only because authorities and
society do not respond properly to the manifestations of nationalism
and because they are left unpunished.
“The ethnicity of the killed man does not matter because this concerns
everybody. This is a problem for the whole of Russia. If there is
extremism and nationalism, we must call things by their proper names
and then such incidents may not occur again,” he said.
Earlier in the day, a young Amernian-born man was killed by a group of
youngsters in a fight at Moscow’s central Pushkinskaya metro station.
Seven young people, including the Armenian, started fighting each other
on the station’s platform. “During the tussle one of its participants
drew up a knife and hit a 17-year-old young man from Armenia with it
once,” a police officer told Itar-Tass.
He said, “The injury was deadly and the young man died at the
scene.” All other young people involved in the fight escaped. No one
was detained.
Police have so far refrained from comments on the possible motives
of the incident. But they did not rule out ethnic motives.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian man stabbed to death in Moscow
Interfax news agency
22 Apr 06
Moscow, 22 April: An Armenian man was killed on the platform of the
Pushkinskaya underground station in central Moscow today.
The murder was committed at about 1750 [Moscow time, 1350 gmt], a
source in the interior directorate in charge of security on the
Moscow underground has told Interfax. An unidentified man with a
shaven head who was dressed in black and was wearing high boots
stabbed an Armenian national living in Moscow several times with a
knife for no reason and disappeared.
The wounds proved to be lethal and the man died right on the
platform.
A search for the criminal according to the description is in
progress.
The source did not rule out that the crime had been committed out of
national hatred.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress