Author: Emma Jilavian

TURKISH MILITARY COVERS UP MASS GRAVE OF POSSIBLE GENOCIDE VICTIMS
Asbarez
11/3/2006
MARDIN, Turkey–Turkish gendarmerie has instructed local villagers
of a southeastern region to keep silence about a recently discovered
a mass grave, discovered on October 17, that might contain remains
of Armenian Genocide victims in mass burial site that might contain
skeletons of massacred Armenians.
According to Ulkede Ozgur Gundem, a Kurdish newspaper published in
Turkish, villagers from Xirabebaba (Kuru) were digging a grave for
one of their relatives when they came across to a cave full of skulls
and bones of reportedly 40 people.
The Xirabebaba residents assumed they had uncovered a mass grave of
300 Armenian villagers massacred during the Genocide of 1915. They
informed Akarsu Gendarmerie headquarters, the local military unit,
about the discovered remains. Turkish army officers, according
to Ulkede Ozgur Gundem, instructed the villagers to block the cave
entrance and make no mention of the remains buried in it. The officers
said an investigation would take place.
The newspaper reported on the developments and the Turkish military’s
attempt to hide the news. In an October 22 article, titled Found
by Villagers: Covered up by the Military, the newspaper wrote that
soldiers from Akarsu gendarmerie headquarters came to the site,
covered the cave entrance and took photographs. Journalists, who had
arrived to obtain more information, were denied access to the cave.
Although there had been prior instances of finding mass burial sites
believed to be from the Armenian Genocide, this was the first incident
when a Turkish daily newspaper reported the discovery.
As the mass burial made news, local gendarmerie made another visit
to the villagers. The latter were pressed to report the name of
the person who leaked the mass burial discovery to the press. The
officers told the villagers that the news reported by Roj TV, an
international Kurdish satellite television, and Ulkede ozgur Gundem
were all lies. The villagers were warned not to show anyone directions
to the cave.
The victims of the mass grave, according to Sodertorn University
History Professor David Gaunt, are most likely the 150 Armenian and
120 Syrian males, heads of their families, from the nearby town of Dara
(now Oguz) killed on June 14, 1915.
The Armenian and Syrian residents were marched out of the town,
and only one person was known to have escaped to tell of what had
happened, Prof. Gaunt said. According to the Syrian survivor, his
marching neighbors were murdered and their bodies were placed in a
well. The mass burial in this cave suggests that the two groups could
have been killed in separate places, and that the Armenians were put
into this cave, while the Syrians were put in a well, concluded Prof.
Gaunt, whose book, Massacres, Resistance, Protectors: Muslim-Christian
Relations in Eastern Anatolia during World War I, is due out this
month.

TRADE BETWEEN ARMENIA AND BELARUS SHOWS GROWTH TENDENCY
Noyan Tapan
Oct 24 2006
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 24, NOYAN TAPAN. A considerable growth has been
registered in trade between Armenia and Belarus. Vahagn Movsisian,
Director General of the Armenian Development Agency (ADA), stated this
at an Armenian-Belarusian business meeting on October 24. According
to him, in 2005, exports from Armenia to Belarus made 2.5 mln USD,
while in January-August of this year – 2 mln USD. Imports from
Belarus into Armenia made 11.3 mln USD in January-August of 2006
against 12.8 mln USD in 2005. V. Movsisian said that Belarusian
businessmen consider such sectors as electronics, information and
communication technologies, and production of drinks as promising in
terms of cooperation.
“Armenia has much potential for chip production, design,
outsourcing. We’ll try to find some common edges for cooperation by
combining the existing potential,” V. Movsisian noted. The meeting
was held within the framework of the official visit of the delegation
headed by the Belarusian Prime Minister Sergei Sidorski to Armenia.

PRESS RELEASE
ARMENPAC, The Armenian-American Political Action Committee
421 E. Airport Freeway, Suite 201
Irving, Texas 75220
Contact: Jason P. Capizzi, Esq.
Tel: (972) 635-5347
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: <; ARMENIAN SUPPORTERS AND ACTIVISTS GATHER IN NEW YORK CITY TO COMMEMORATE THE 91ST ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE - Video Clips of Elected Officials' Remarks Posted at Irving, TX - On Sunday, April 23, 2006, despite the rainy weather, nearly one thousand activists gathered in New York City to commemorate the 91st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. This event, which was cosponsored by ARMENPAC, the Knights of Vartan, the Armenian Assembly of America and the Armenian General Benevolent Union, was the only pan-Armenian Genocide Commemoration program that received the full support of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues. Numerous diplomats and dignitaries attended this pan-Armenian Genocide Commemoration program in New York City, which included remarks from a number of prominent political, religious and community leaders. ARMENPAC Co-Chair Annie Totah received a standing ovation following her heartfelt remarks calling for stronger efforts to unify the Armenian-American community in order to accomplish what is in the best interests of Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh, and the worldwide Armenian Diaspora. The Executive Directors of the Armenian Assembly of America and the Armenian National Committee of America were also featured speakers during the program. Members of the United States Congress that participated in this pan-Armenian Genocide Commemoration program included Senators Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ), as well as Representatives Anthony D. Weiner (D-NY), Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Carolyn Maloney (D-NY). Also featured in this program were remarks from prominent state elected officials, including New Jersey Governor Jon S. Corzine, New Jersey Assemblywoman Joan M. Voss (D-LD 38) and New York State Comptroller Alan G. Hevesi. The speeches of these elected officials reflected a high level of dedication and support for the Armenian cause and the Armenian community. "The fact that so many elected officials supported and participated in this pan-Armenian Genocide Commemoration program outside of our nation's capitol is a testament to the growing support of the pan-Armenian-American community and its issues, as well as the clout which ARMENPAC has amassed among decision makers within and beyond the Washington, D.C. beltway," said ARMENPAC Co-Chair Edgar Hagopian. Many of the speakers' presentations highlighted the current legislative initiatives pending in the United States Congress that relate to Armenia; namely the Affirmation of the United States Record on the Armenian Genocide Resolutions (H.Res.316 and S.Res.320) and the South Caucasus Integration and Open Railroads Act (H.R.3361 and S.2461). Especially engaging were the remarks made by New Jersey Assemblywoman Joan M. Voss (D-LD 38), who is a former history teacher that taught her students about the fact of the Armenian Genocide before it was a part of the State's curriculum. Assemblywoman Voss is a leader in the New Jersey Legislature on Armenian-related issues and has continually introduced resolutions in the State Assembly to commemorate the Genocide. It is important to note that New Jersey occupies a leading "best practices" position on Genocide education nationally, which is directly attributable to Assemblywoman Voss' efforts as Vice-Chair of the Education Committee in the New Jersey State Assembly. A number of high-level elected officials who were not able to attend this pan-Armenian Genocide Commemoration program, issued letters expressing their support of the event and the genocide issue, including: Senators George Allan (R-VA), Norm Coleman (R-MN), Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Carl Levin (D-MI) and Paul Sarbanes (D-MD), as well as Representatives Scott Garrett (R-NJ), Mike Ferguson (R-NJ), Robert Andrews (D-NJ), Steven Rothman (D-NJ), Rush Holt (D-NJ) and Joseph Crowley (D-NY), in addition to former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. Proclamations in support of this pan-Armenian event and the Armenian Genocide were also issued by New Jersey Governor Jon S. Corzine, New York Governor George Pataki and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. These statements, as well as video clips of the elected officials' remarks, can be viewed on the ARMENPAC website at "The pan-Armenian Genocide Commemoration program in New York City truly highlighted the impact of the Armenian Genocide, and the importance of its recognition, not only to Armenians within the Diaspora, but also to the citizens of the United States. Unfortunately, despite foreign and domestic political initiatives supporting the Armenian Genocide, United States President George W. Bush yet again failed to honor his campaign promise to appropriately recognize the Armenian Genocide in his annual remarks on April 24," said ARMENPAC Co-Chair Annie Totah. "With time, the Armenian cause will prevail, and the governments of the United States, as well as Turkey, will appropriately recognize the Armenian Genocide. However, until that day comes, we must continue to advocate for recognition as one pan-Armenian-American community unified in strength and purpose." ARMENPAC is an independent, bipartisan political action committee with a nationwide membership. ARMENPAC raises awareness of, and advocates for, policies that help create peace, security and stability in the Caucasus region. ARMENPAC provides financial support to federal officeholders, candidates, political action committees and organizations that actively support issues of importance to Armenian-Americans. For more information and how to join ARMENPAC, please call (877) 286-1046 or visit our website. ###

“WORLD VISION” TO IMPLEMENT IN ARMENIA PROGRAM OF SURGERY OF CHILDREN
WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

YEREVAN, MAY 12, NOYAN TAPAN. The “World Vision” organization will
organize an official reception on May 17 in the “Winter Garden” hall
of the “Yerevan” hotel to present problems of children with special
needs in Armenia and to get necessary financial means for their
surgery and treatment. According to the information submitted to Noyan
Tapan by the Armenian Office of the organization, the event is
entitled “By presenting whole-heartedly, You Present the World.” A
video material presenting the preliminary stage of surgery of the
children with special needs will be shown during the event, after what
pupils of the Fund after Spivakov will show a music performance. It is
mentioned that the “World Vision” organization implemented a similar
program the last year as well, by private financial resources
allocated from Germany.

BILLBOARD MESSAGES PROMOTE PEACE
Christina Pazzanese
Boston Globe
April 6 2006
Two colorful billboards loom large over Mt. Auburn and Arsenal
streets in Watertown with a simple message: “Join US: Recognize
the Armenian Genocide.” Artist Daniel Varoujan Hejinian, the son of
genocide survivors and a former Watertown resident, said he put them
up in March through his nonprofit entity, Peace of Art, to “promote
peace and awareness” and to remind people of the Armenian Genocide
of 1915. Hejinian has been behind similar signs displayed around town
since 1996.

Life Style Extra, UK
Oct 14 2005
Pilot at centre of US terror alert jailed
LIFE STYLE EXTRA (UK) – A student pilot at the centre of a US terror
alert was today jailed for a year for using a bogus UK passport to
gain entry to America.
Zayead Hajaig, 35, remains on the FBI’s most wanted list since the law
enforcement agency discovered he had used the false passport to
continue flying lessons after he was unable to obtain a visa under his
real name.
He illegally entered the US in 1997 but fled on March 8 this year
after the FBI became suspicious and wanted to question him as security
following the September 11 attacks were tightened up.
Today at Snaresbrook Crown Court the father of three was sentenced to
12 months in prison for obtaining by deception a British passport.
However Judge David Richardson ruled out any terrorist connections
between Islamic extremists and the Nigerian-born British citizen of
Armenian parents.
The judge said: `In 1997 you applied for a UK passport and
deliberately and dishonestly adopted the identification of someone
you knew, so that you obtained a passport with his name but your
photo.
`You did this in order to gain entry into the US. Previously you had
overstayed in the US on a tourist visa and you knew you would not be
able to gain entry again.’
Judge Richardson said Hajaig had used the fake passport to flee the
US earlier this year.
He said: `After the atrocities of September 11 someone in your
position was bound to fall under suspicion.
`However I make it clear there is no evidence before the court to
suggest for a moment that you had any terrorist connections. I accept
you were genuinely training to be a pilot.’
He added: `Nevertheless to obtain a passport by deception in
circumstances like this is a very serious matter.
`To commit such an offence now when proper immigration controls is
one line in the defence against terrorism is highly culpable and
calls for a long sentence.
`In 1997, when you committed this offence, the world was a different
place. The terrorist threat did not exist in the same way and your
sentence will reflect that.’
Hajaig, of Ilford, Essex, stole the identity of colleague Barry
Felton when the pair worked as security guards at a record store in
Barking.
He then studied flying at a school in Atlanta, Georgia, where two of
the September 11 suicide hijackers also trained, triggering the alert
when he reportedly tried to have his pilot rating upgraded to fly
commercial planes – despite lacking the necessary qualifications.
The FBI launched an international hunt after he fled to Britain but
the court heard that at present there was no application before the
British courts to extradite him.
And Hajaig was placed on the `no fly list’ which essentially means no
airline would allow him to board a commercial airline.
Last month Hajaig admitted the deception charge, but denied stealing
Barry Felton’s driving licence. That charge remains on file.
Hajaig pleaded guilty to one count of obtaining a UK passport by
deception between January 29 and February 6 1997. He falsely
represented that the details of a passport photo was a true depiction
of Barry Felton, together with Barry Felton’s personal details.
He denied one charge of theft involving Mr Felton’s driving license
on January 1, 1994, which he allegedly stole between January 1, 1994
and December 31, 1996.
Chubby, clean-shaven Hajaig wiped his eyes with a white tissue as
Judge Richardson warned he faced time behind bars before being led
away.
;news_headline=pilot_at_centre_of_us_terror_alert_jailed
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

WILL JUSTICE TRIUMPH?
A1+
| 22:06:34 | 13-10-2005 | Politics |
Executive Director of Right juridical center Vahe Grigoryan was accused
of fraud and detained on October 8, 2005. During the preliminary
investigation (2 months) he will be kept in a cell.
The court session lasted 9 hours and 10 lawyers defended the
accused. To remind, Vahe Grigoryan is the defender of some families,
residents of Buzand street. He sent two cases to the European Court
of Human Rights and was going to send a third.
Vahe Grigoryan’s lawyer Tigran Atanesyan says that the officers of
the national security serving have been threatening his defendant
for already a year.
The lawyers assure that they will bring the case to all the instances
and justice will triumph.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SYSTEM FANS ANXIOUS FOR SECOND HELPING
CanWest News, Canada
Sept 22 2005
Sandra Sperounes
CanWest News Service
Photo CREDIT: The Associated Press
Daron Malakian (from left), Serj Tankian, John Dolmayan and Shavo
Odadjian share strong roots — both Armenian and otherwise.
Edmonton — Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.
If you’re a fan of System of a Down, you’ve been counting the days,
if not the seconds, until their new acrobatic metal opus, Hypnotize,
hits stores in November.
The wait wouldn’t be so excruciating if their last album, released in
April, weren’t such a powerhouse of metal, politics and groovy Armenian
folk rhythms. Appropriately, the cover of Mezmerize features a face
with a clock in the middle of its forehead, a taunting illustration
of our current plight.
“I can’t imagine what our fans feel like, but I know it’s frustrating
for me,” says drummer John Dolmayan. “Once the drums are (recorded), I
have to wait for everybody else. So I’ve had to wait for about a year.”
Mezmerize is widely considered one of the top albums of 2005 and
Hypnotize will likely make it two. Despite the attendant hype for
Hypnotize, Dolmayan, vocalist Serj Tankian, guitarist/vocalist Daron
Malakian and bassist Shavo Odadjian have been able to keep it under
lock and key.
“Not even the president of Columbia (Records) has a copy of it,”
says Dolmayan. “We’ve got a pretty strict watch on this one. It’ll
get leaked two weeks before the release, as usual. As soon as it gets
out of our hands, then it gets leaked.
“People don’t buy as many albums nowadays, so what’s the difference?
People just download them. I understand from the people’s perspective
— they don’t want to pay $12 for something they can get for free. If
the record labels weren’t so damn greedy and made the albums $8,
maybe people would buy more.
“I go out and buy albums and DVDs, but I’m in a better financial
position than a lot of people. I support the industry because if I
don’t, I believe it will disappear. As it is, less and less chances are
taken on bands. Labels can’t afford to take as many chances so you’re
losing out on a lot of music. A band like System of a Down wouldn’t
get signed today, let’s put it that way. That’s a sad commentary on
the state of affairs.”
That’s an understatement.
A world without System of a Down would be sad. Formed in 1995, the
Los Angeles rockers are one of the most vital, creative and important
bands in rock — more ambitious than Coldplay, more political than U2,
more irreverent than Franz Ferdinand.
Think of System as the musical equivalent of South Park; they both
like to satirize politicians, actors and the entire Hollywood ethos.
B.Y.O.B., the first single from Mezmerize, is a biting look at the
policies of war — “”Why don’t presidents fight the war? Why do
they always send the poor?” — set to raging, rapid-fire riffs and
a blissed-out chorus of hippies. Old School Hollywood, a dizzying
track with whirling disco beats and robo vocals, is a cutting look
at celebrities while Radio/Video takes shots at the music industry.
“South Park is a very ingenious TV program,” says Dolmayan.”They take
all the stupid s— we care about it and make it inconsequential,
which is what it really is.”
Born in Lebanon, Dolmayan and his family moved to California when he
was eight, after a four-year pit-stop in Montreal. (His grandparents
died, necessitating the move to Los Angeles, where other family
members were living.) While in Canada, Dolmayan got his first drum
kit. He was seven.
“It was destroyed on a Sunday morning,” he remembers. “My dad had
been up until five and I decided I was going to play at six, so it
was bye-bye to that drum set. I didn’t get another one until I was 15.”
In the intervening years, Dolmayan’s desire for the drums never
wavered. Nor was he able to figure out why he was so drawn to the
instrument.
“I used to mimic drummers before I knew what a drummer was,” he says.
“My dad was a musician and still is — he’s a sax player. He would
put me in the back seat of the car and you know how there was a
little divider for a hand rest? I’d sit on top of that and he’d put
Chicago’s seventh album on and I would mimic that album. I was one
or two years old.
“It was always drums. I can’t tell you — I was playing at them at
such a young age, it’s like asking ‘Why do you breathe?’ You don’t
know, you just do. Why do you drink water? ‘Cause you have to. Why
do I play drums? It’s in my nature. I have to play them. I don’t know
if I play them or they play me.”
It’s also in Dolmayan’s nature to speak his mind. Ditto for the rest
of System.
Earlier this year, Malakian dropped an F-bomb during an appearance
on NBC’s Saturday Night Live. While censors were forewarned
about B.Y.O.B.’s lyrics and bleeped out five words, the guitarist
unexpectedly slipped one in at the end of the song, much to the
consternation of the show’s executives.
Unlike Motley Crue, who claimed they were banned from NBC’s airwaves
after swearing on The Tonight Show, Dolmayan says System wasn’t
blacklisted. Nor did the U.S. censorship bureau, Federal Communications
Commission, crack down on the network or the band.
With hundreds of Iraqi citizens and U.S. soldiers getting killed
each week, Dolmayan doesn’t understand what the fuss was all about
a four-letter word.
“Luckily, the FCC didn’t go insane and do some stupid fines. It’s
12 o’clock at night, who’s watching TV? It’s not like it’s five-year
olds. Let adults be adults. I think everyone can deal with a ‘F—‘
being said here and there and not have a heart attack. Take it easy.”
Still, Dolmayan isn’t too worried about the cultural climate in
the U.S.
“It could be worse,” he says. “It could be the ’50s. We’d be thrown
in prison because we’re Communists, which we aren’t. At least we can
say something. It could be better, but it could be worse.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Most young Azeris support military solution in Karabakh
Interfax, Russia
Sept 4 2005
BAKU. Sept 4 (Interfax) – A poll conducted recently by the non-
governmental Karabakh Liberation Organization suggests that most
young people in Azerbaijan support a military solution of the Karabakh
problem.
The organization’s press service told Interfax that 49% of young
Azerbaijanis polled said that the country should opt for military
intervention to liberate Karabakh.
Thirty-five percent of respondents preferred a peaceful settlement
of the problem and 16% were undecided.
The poll involved 1,943 respondents. sd md
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

The Messenger, Georgia
Aug 22 2005
President Saakashvili on unofficial visit to Armenia
President Mikheil Saakashvili left for Armenia on Sunday for an
unofficial visit. According to the press service of the State
Chancellery of Georgia, the president will hold an unofficial meeting
with Armenian President Robert Kocharian at the presidential
residence near Lake Sevan.
Two presidents plan to discuss prospects to deepen of mutual
relations and settlement of the problems in South Caucasus, Prime
News reports.
The agency states that there is unofficial information that minister
of defence Irakli Okruashvili is visiting Armenia as well but the
ministry’s press service has denied those reports. The president of
Georgia will return Monday.