Author: Emil Lazarian

Pan Armenian News
ARMENIAN REPRESENTATIVE DELEGATION ARRIVED IN ISRAEL
13.05.2005 09:50
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ May 13 a representative delegation of Armenia left for
Israel. A reception was thereupon organized in Jerusalem. The delegation
includes Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II, Secretary of the Security
Council at the President, Defense Minister Serge Sargsian, President of the
World Armenian Congress and head of the Union of Armenians of Russia Ara
Abrahamian, Chairman of the Central Bank of Armenia Tigran Sargsian,
President of the Academy of Sciences Fadey Sargsian and other supreme
officials. The delegation totals 80 persons. Israel’s Chief Rabbi Yona
Metzger, President of the World Council of Christians and Jews rabbi David
Rosen, Knesset deputies, representatives of NGOs and others took part from
the Israeli side. As Catholicos of All Armenians stated when addressing the
reception participants, `this visit will mark the new wide dialogue between
the two religions and peoples.’ At that he announced the beginning of `a new
epoch in relations between Jews and Armenians.’ In his turn WAC leader Ara
Abrahamian noted the proximity of the national and cultural traditions of
the Armenian and Jewish peoples. At that he stated that if the civilized
community had paid attention to the Armenian Genocide, it might have been
possible to avoid the Jewish Holocaust during the World War II, Regnum news
agency reported.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

YEREVAN COGNAC FACTORY FINANCED FOREST BELT PLANTING IN ARAGATSOTN REGION
YEREVAN, MAY 13. ARMINFO. About 9.000 trees were planted on reserve
lands of Jrambar community of Armenia’s Aragatsotn region by financing
of the Yerevan Cognac Factory (YCF).
Chief of the YCF president staff Emil Stepanyan informed ARMINFO that
8.855 mln AMD were allotted for these purposes. The forest belt is
occupied a 5 hectare territory with compactness of 1.750 trees per 1
hectare. Oaks, maples, mountain ashes, bird cherry trees and birches
were planted. Local residents promised to water and look after the
young plants.
To note, the YCF contributed greatly to the development of
wine-growing in Armenia. The company has signed agreements with 4.000
Armenian farmers on grapes storage and rendering them technical
assistance in the form of consultations, agricultural tools and
pest-killers.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Pan Armenian News
KURDS APOLOGIZE FOR COMPLICITY IN ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
13.05.2005 07:41
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Ozgur Gundem Kurdish newspaper apologized to the Armenian
people for silence and complicity in the Armenian Genocide, Marmara Turkish
daily reported noting that the Kurdish newspaper placed on its website a
detailed publication on the events of the beginning of the XX century,
hardships and sufferings of the Armenian people.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE: ORANGE COUNTY’S FIRST ARMENIAN FESTIVAL
Orange County Armenian Festival – 2005
Place: Laguna Hills Community Center, 25555 Alicia Parkway, Laguna
Hills, CA
92653
Date: Saturday and Sunday, June 11 and 12
Time: Saturday, 12 noon to 10:00 PM
Sunday, 12 noon to 6:00 PM
Orange County’s flourishing Armenian community is coming together to
support a wonderful cause. We are hosting a festival to benefit the
orphan children of Armenia. Children who simply can not survive
without our help. Proceeds will provide food, shelter & medicine to
the orphanages that care for the children . Over 19 organizations,
have been invited to participate in a spectacular line up of fun and
entertainment especially planned for everyone of all backgrounds, of
all ages, and the whole family.
The musical venue includes all types of music from Armenia, including
modern popular, folk dance, and chorale music and singers throughout
the weekend. The dance program includes authentic dance ensembles
performing in traditional costumes, line folk dancing and lessons for
the brave-hearted.
Food, of course, will be plentiful with bounties of delicious
authentic and familiar favorites prepared by Armenian afficionados.
Several varieties appetizers, shish kebab, rice and wheat pilafs, and
desserts, including several varieties of baklava, will be available,
freshly prepared by premiere bakeries carefully selected by fussy
Armenian gourmets for freshness and flavor.
Activities include generous prizes for opportunity drawings, including
a fully paid week’s vacation, including airfare, to Mexico, thanks to
the generous corporate sponsorship of Mexicana Air. Other valuable
prizes include a nightâ=80=99s stay at the luxurious Ritz Carlton
Hotel and $500.00 in cash! Lucky ticket holders need not be present
to win.
Special planning has been made for children’s programs and activities
throughout the weekend including a large supervised playground with
slides and swings, clowns, balloons, face-painting, contests, prizes,
games. A choice of hamburgers, hot dogs or mini pizzas will be
available for less adventurous appetites of the younger generation. A
special quiet zone has been planned for small children and moms who
may need a respite for children’s naps,rest period or just relaxing.
Seating at covered tables on the open lawn area will accommodate
guests, with additional seating available in the surrounding
areas. Safety and security will be provided and festival organizers
have established liaisons with local fire and police authorities,
including emergency services, if needed.
Participating Armenian groups in Orange County will be present in
booths for more information about their activities and organizations.
Additional booths will be available for products and services from
providers of Armenian descent who are based in Orange County. Booth
rentals are modestly priced. For more information about booth
participation, please contact festival organizers.
Admission is a trivial fee per attendee, parking is convenient and
ample, and the facilities at the Laguna Hills Community Center are
new, spacious and accommodating. The Armenian Festival, Inc. is a
California corporation and has applied for federal and California tax
exempt status as a qualified 501(c)(3) organization.
A ribbon cutting ceremony is planned for Saturday, where local Laguna
Hills residents may meet and greet local political representatives in
a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere. Festival organizers have taken
special care to establish an environment of political and religious
diversity amongst the Armenian community so that the Festival
participants represent a full cross section of authentic Armenian
cultural heritage and history for the people of Orange County and
surrounding areas.
All are welcome. Bring your backgammon boards, munch on delicious
desserts, enjoy the music and have a great time. Remember, together we
can make a difference in child’s life.
Vsit the website for more information: _www.armenianfestival.org_
()

Armenian official, European envoys discuss rights, police work
Arminfo
13 May 05
YEREVAN
The chief of the Armenian police, Lt-Gen Ayk Arutyunyan, held a
meeting with the rapporteurs of the [Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe] PACE Monitoring Committee, Irzhi Yaskenya and
George Kolumbie, on 12 May.
The three men discussed steps taken by the law-enforcement bodies to
defend human rights and the law of the Republic of Armenia on the code
of conduct of the police and to further improve the police work
including their retraining, the press service of the Armenian Police
said.
The sides discussed other issues of mutual interest. A deputy chief of
the police, Maj-Gen Ovannes Varyan; the chief of staff, Maj-Gen Eduard
Kazaryan; and the head of the legal department, Maj Ovannes Kocharyan,
attended the meeting.

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
May 13 2005
Co-chairs, Armenian FM to meet in Krakow

Baku, May 12, AssA-Irada
Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group mediating the resolution of the
Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Upper Garabagh and Armenian foreign
minister will meet in Krakow May 14, Armenian media quoted Vardan
Oskanian as saying.
`Issues discussed as part of `Prague talks’ over the past year are on
the agenda ‘, the Armenian minister said.
Oskanian said all issues from the status of Upper Garabagh to
security issues will be discussed.
`The MG co-chairs will not present any document to the Presidents of
Azerbaijan and Armenia at this point, as we are not at this stage
yet’, Oskanian added.*
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

A1plus
| 17:03:58 | 12-05-2005 | Politics |
PILOTS FORGOTTEN
Former pilots are complaining of the indifference of the authorities.
September 2, 1997 by order of the administration of Armenian Airlines JCSC a
benefit fluctuating between $25-105 was assigned for 169 former pilots, who
left the service on their own will. However since June 8, 2003 by decree of
the chief department of the civic aviation the payments have been suspended.
During today’s conference pilot Vladimir Poghosyan noted that the
administration of the Armenian Airlines JCSC condition this step by
financial hardships. However, according to Poghosyan the profit obtained
during 1998-2002 made $28 million 392 thousand 972 USD. He also informed
that the pilots have appealed to various structures, however without any
result.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SCHOOL MEDAL TO HAVE NO SERIOUS ROLE WHEN ENTERING TO INSTITUTES OF
HIGHER EDUCATION
YEREVAN, MAY 12. ARMINFO. The school medal will have no serious
importance when entering to Armenia’s institutions of higher education
from 2005-2006 educational year, stated Minister for science and
education Sergo Yeritsyan at today’s press-conference.
In his words, medalists will be given preferences only when
determining priorities in choice of entrants having the equal
marks. Yeritsyan informed that both the order and the matter of
entrance examinations have not been changed this year.
Minister also informed that a partial change to the testing system of
entrance examination will by applied from 2006 and the full change to
knowledge testing – from 2007. In his opinion, this method corresponds
to plans of Armenian government in the change process to 12-year
secondary education system. Testing in Armenian universities will be
efficient for entering the universities of foreign countries signed
the Bologna agreement, too. Bologna agreement will come into force in
Armenia on May 19. Georgia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine and Moldova also will
be entered to Bologna agreement this day. Of CIS countries only
Byelorussia is not going to join to the agreement.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Pan Armenian News
TWO CAPTIVES RETURNED TO ARMENIA
12.05.2005 03:20
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Azeri party yesterday conveyed two captives –
servicemen Zorab Tamoyan and civilian Karlos Karapetian to the Armenian
party, reported Press Secretary of the Armenian Defense Ministry colonel
Seyran Shahsuvarian. The day before the two captives were returned to
Armenia in Bala Jafarli village of Ghazakh region of Azerbaijan. One of them
is civilian Karlos Karapetian, born in 1960 and serviceman Zorab Tamoyan,
born in 1985. As it was known, they had gone to the Azeri territory a region
next to Bala Jafarli village of Ghazakh region. Z. Tamoyan fled to
Azerbaijan from his military unit, where he had undergone physical
punishment. Representatives of the Armenian and Azeri Defense Ministries
took part in the return process, reported Regnum news agency.

p;IDC=3D44
Neues Deutschland
12. Mai 2005

Politisches Buch
Hitlers Vorbild: Enver Pascha?
Der Völkermord an den Armeniern – bis heute ungesühnt undverleugnetÂ
Von Friedemann KlugeÂ
Ein Mord am helllichten Tag auf der Berliner HardenbergstraÃþe, Ecke
FasanenstraÃþe, steht am Anfang des Buches und am Ende eines der blutrünstigsten Kapitel
der Menschheitsgeschichte, in dem zwischen 800000 und 1,4 Millionen Menschen
ihr Leben lassen mussten. Das Berliner Mordopfer hat einen Namen, Talaat
Pascha, und ist an entscheidender Stelle ‘als unumschränkter Diktator der Türkei`
(Hosfeld) mitverantwortlich für den Genozid an einem Volk, dessen vollständige
Ausrottung ein offen erklärtes und beinahe erreichtes Ziel war. Es geht um den
Massenmord der Türken an der armenischen Bevölkerung in den ersten
Jahrzehnten des vergangenen Jahrhunderts, und das Attentat auf Talaat ist ein sorgfältig
und von langer Hand vorbereiteter Fememord: Eine von mehreren Hinrichtungen
jener Täter, die der ordentlichen Gerichtsbarkeit hatten entkommen können und
deren Namen nun auf den geheimen Abschusslisten ihrer exilarmenischen Verfolger
stehen. Rolf Hosfeld erzählt die Geschichte dieser ‘Operation Nemesis`,
eingebettet in die Geschichte des Vernichtungsfeldzuges gegen die Armenier.
Eine seltsame Koalition ergab sich da: Türken und Kurden, bis auf den
heutigen Tag einander sonst eher feindlich gesinnt, machen bei der
Armeniervernichtung gemeinsame Sache. Und es erstaunt doch, dass in der Sprache der Nazis
ähnliche Wortwahl zu finden ist wie bei den türkischen Tätern. Was den Türken die
Armenier waren, waren den Nazis die Juden, meint Hosfeld. Hitler habe sich Enver
Pascha zum Vorbild erkoren.
‘Paranoia breitet sich aus, die in… präventiver Notwehr zur Rettung des
Reiches gipfelt.` Da war die Rede von der armenischen ‘Ausbeuterrasse`, die
(1908) in der Forderung gipfelte: ‘Kauft nicht bei Armeniern!` Auch andere Parolen
kommen uns ‘vertraut` vor: ‘Die Türkei den Türken!` Hier wie dort werden in
Primitivmetaphorik die Heilkräfte der Medizin bemüht: Von ‘inneren Tumoren` ist
die Rede, von denen das Land ‘gesäubert` werden müsse. Was später in
Deutschland der ‘ewige Jude`, das ist dort schon damals der »ewige Armenier`. Dort das
‘GroÃþtürkische Reich`, hier das ‘GroÃþdeutscheReich`. Das ‘Gesetz zur
Wiederherstellung des Berufsbeamtentums` von 1933, das ‘Nichtarier` vom Ã-ffentlichen
Dienst ausschloss, war ähnlich einer schon 1915 durch die Türken an den
Armeniern praktizierten Gesetzgebung, und selbst Reichspogromnacht und
Wannsee-Konferenz verfügen über modifizierte türkische Vorbilder (‘Komitee zur Lösung der
armenischen Frage`).
Geradezu bizarr ist die Vergleichbarkeit der Genozide an Armeniern und Juden
in ihrer Nachgeschichte. Denn nach getaner Untat ringt man sich zwar das
Bekenntnis ab, dass es bei den Deportationen ‘scheuÃþliche Taten` gegeben habe, dass
alles dies jedoch ‘ohne Wissen der Regierung` geschehen sei. Niemand hat von
nix gewusst – wie bei uns 1945! Erschütternd, dass der deutsche Militarismus
seine Schmutzhände auch bei diesem Völkermord schon mit im Spiel hatte: Obwohl
man sowohl durch Reiseberichte als auch durch die hochoffiziellen Depeschen
der deutschen Botschaft bestens im Bilde über das war, was sich im Innern der
damaligen Türkei abspielte, griff man nicht nur nicht ein, sondern versuchte, im
Gegenteil, mit den Mitteln der Zensur die Verbreitung der Gräuelnachrichten
zu unterdrücken. Kein Wunder: Es herrschte Krieg, und die Türkei war
Bündnispartner! Selbst der heute noch von gewissen Kreisen hoch verehrte ‘Vater des
deutschen Liberalismus`, Pastor Friedrich Naumann, entblödete sich nicht, in
Deutschlands ‘weltpolitischer Sendung` einen ‘sittlichen Grund` zu sehen, ‘weshalb
wir gegen die Leiden der christlichen Völker im türkischen Reichepolitisch
gleichgültig sein müssen`.
So nahm denn der erste Genozid des 20. Jahrhunderts seinen furchtbaren
Verlauf. Viele Einzelheiten sind bis heute nicht aufgeklärt (z.B. die Gräuel der
‘kilikischen Apokalypse` von 1909, der allein 20000 Armenier zum Opfer fielen),
nichts wurde jemals aufgearbeitet, im Gegenteil: Die Leichen der
Hauptschlächter Enver Pascha und Talaat Pascha ruhen noch heute in Ehrengräbern (!) auf dem
Freiheitshügel in Istanbul. Und wo sind die Gedenkstätten für den armenischen
Holocaust?
So beschämend die Antwort ist: Es gibt keine – oder nur jene bescheidenen,
auf Bücher beschränkten. Unter diesen aber ist das vorliegende Buch eines der
würdigsten und bedeutendsten, bei dem nur eines zu bedauern ist: dass es nicht
von einem türkischen Autor verfasst und nicht zuerst in der Türkei publiziert
wurde. Aber von solcherlei ehrlicher wie ehrenvoller Aufarbeitung der eigenen,
blutigen Geschichte ist das EU-Anwärterland wohl noch weit entfernt.
Rolf Hosfeld: Operation Nemesis. Die Türkei, Deutschland und der Völkermord
an den Armeniern. Kiepenheuer & Witsch, Köln 2005. 351S., geb., 19,90 EUR.
(NDÂ 12.05.05)
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress