Author: Frangulian Shushan

Russian premier, Armenian speaker discusses relations
Arminfo
12 Apr 05
YEREVAN
The Russian prime minister and the speaker of the National Assembly of
Armenia have discussed important aspects of Russian-Armenian relations
in Moscow, the press service of the Russian government reports.
During the meeting, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov and the
speaker of the Armenian National Assembly, Artur Bagdasaryan,
discussed relations in the trade-economic and international spheres.

Pan Armenian News
ROBERT KOCHARIAN OFFERED ARMENIAN OPPOSITION NOT TO WORRY MUCH OVER FAILURE
OF ATTEMPTS TO CHANGE POWER IN REPUBLIC
11.04.2005 06:49
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The developments in Georgia, Ukraine and Kirghizia can
give cause for analysis as they had both common features and obvious
differences, Armenian President Robert Kocharian stated during the meeting
with the teaching staff and students of the Yerevan State University, IA
Regnum reports. When commenting on the common features of the `revolution
processes’, the President noted that they all took place at the period the
elections were held, i.e at the period when the `society was maximally
trained’. According to Robert Kocharian the factor of weak power, which was
not able to solve current problems, was present in all the three states.
`Under Eduard Shevarnadze the people did not get salary for 8-10 months;
pensions were delayed for over a year. The situation in Kigrhizia was no
better – with the 5-million population the state budget made $300 million.
To compare, the Armenian state budget makes $800 million with the population
less in number’, the Armenian President stated adding that in Ukraine
despite the economic growth the leadership’s control was weak, the western
and eastern parts of the state were conflicting and a number of other global
factors existed as well. At the same time, in the President’s words, people,
who earlier occupied high administrative posts and acquired the image of
young reformers, came to power. Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili and
Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli belong to this class of people. Thus, a
change of generations has taken place as it happened in Armenia in 1991 and
1998. According to Robert Kocharian, all the above mentioned factors are
absent in Armenia. `Active and constructive leaders are encouraged in our
country’, he noted. When addressing the Armenian opposition Robert Kocharian
offered them not to worry over the failure of the attempts to change power
in the republic. `It does not mean that our opposition is bad, the matter is
that our country is much better’, the President stated.

Financial Times Deutschland
11. April 2005
“Coalition and Union wants to exert pressure on Turkey; Common
resolution to Armenian question desired”
Koalition und Union wollen Druck auf Türkei ausüben;
Gemeinsamer Beschluss zu Armenierfrage angestrebt
Von Marina Zapf, Berlin
SPD und Grüne wollen gemeinsam mit der Unionsfraktion im Bundestag
Druck auf die Türkei ausüben, sich der Aufarbeitung der Massaker an
Armeniern vor 90 Jahren zu stellen. Es sei Ziel, auf der Grundlage
des Unionsantrags zu einer einheitlichen Position zu kommen, hieß es
am Wochenende aus beiden Lagern. “Unsere Erfahrung in Deutschland
zeigt, wie wichtig es für die Anerkennung der Demokratie ist, eine
kritische Position zur Vergangenheit zu beziehen”, sagte der
SPD-Außenexperte Markus Meckel, der in der Partei für die
Armenierfrage zuständig ist.
Bislang hatten die Koalitionspartner mit der Union in der
Türkeipolitik selten an einem Strang gezogen. Allerdings soll eine
Aufforderung des Bundestags an die Türkei, sich auf dem Weg in die EU
offen mit der Schuldfrage gegenüber den Armeniern auseinander zu
setzen, bis vor der Sommerpause warten.
Vorher reist Anfang Mai Bundeskanzler Gerhard Schröder nach Istanbul.
“Der Kanzler soll nicht mit schwerem Gepäck fahren”, mutmaßte ein
Diplomat. Außerdem sollten wohl die türkischstämmigen Wähler in
Nordrhein-Westfalen nicht verärgert werden.
Der türkische Präsident Ahmet Necdet Sezer bezeichnete den Druck der
“europäischen Freunde” in der Armenierfrage als “falsch und
ungerecht”. Vor der Aufnahme von Beitrittsverhandlungen mit der EU im
Oktober wird dies als Versuch gewertet, das islamische Land aus der
christlich dominierten Wertegemeinschaft auszugrenzen.
Der Antrag der Union, der am 21. April erstmals im Bundestag
debattiert werden soll, vermeidet den Vorwurf des Genozids. Er
beschreibt aber den zu Grunde liegenden Tatbestand. “Die Resolution
geht davon aus, dass die Massaker geplant und organisiert waren”,
sagte Meckel. Die Türkei streitet einen Völkermord ab. Der Befehl für
die Zwangsumsiedlung der Armenier Ostanatoliens fiel am 24. April
1915. Je nach Lesart von Regierungen und Historikern kamen bis 1917
bei Massakern und Deportationen zwischen 300 000 und 1,3 Millionen
Armenier ums Leben. Die türkische Regierung ist zu einer historischen
Neubewertung der Geschehnisse unter Einbeziehung aller
internationalen Archive bereit, lehnt eine politische Aufrechnung
aber ab.
Zu einer EU-Mitgliedschaft gehören auch nach Ansicht von SPD und
Grünen eine kritische politische Kultur und ein offener Umgang mit
der Geschichte. “Es muss aufhören, dass Menschen in der Türkei, die
beginnen, sich damit auseinander zu setzen, mit einer Anzeige rechnen
müssen”, so Meckel. Zudem müsse dabei auch die Mitschuld des
Deutschen Reiches als Verbündeter der türkischen Täter beleuchtet
werden.

Russian ex-president starts four-day visit to Azerbaijan
Trend news agency
7 Apr 05
Baku, 7 April: The former president of Russia, Boris Yeltsin, arrived
in Baku on 7 April at the invitation of Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev, Trend news agency reports.
The first Russian president said that he intends to visit districts of
Azerbaijan. “I last visited Azerbaijan a long time ago. [Azerbaijani
ex-President] Heydar Aliyev once invited me, and Ilham Aliyev has
invited me now. I have been nowhere else except for Baku and I need
to see the country,” Yeltsin told journalists at the airport.
He said that during his four-day stay in Azerbaijan he will meet
Ilham Aliyev, Prime Minister Artur Rasizada, go on a walkabout in and
around Baku and talk to people. Yeltsin will also visit Quba District
of Azerbaijan [north of the country].
Touching on the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, Yeltsin said: “I believe
that Russia’s stance is well-known and there is nothing new about it.”

ARMENIAN SPEAKER CONDOLED WITH VATICAN ON DECEASE OF POPE
05.04.2005 04:23
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In his message to the Vatican over the demise of
Pope John Paul II Armenian Parliament Speaker Artur Baghdasarian
has expressed deep condolence, the Press Service of the Armenian
National Assembly reported. According to the source, the message
specifically noted, «We got to know with deep sorrow about the decease
of the Pontiff. Memories on the Pope’s visit to Armenia during the
celebration of the 1700-th anniversary of adoption of Christianity
are still lively in Armenia. Within the 26 year of his papacy John
Paul II preached genuinely Christian values. The whole of his live
was an example of serving to the faith and the church. People in
Armenia will never forget that John Paul II was the first and the
only head of the Catholic Church, who has recognized and condemned
the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey in 1915.»
–Boundary_(ID_on+GzXsqFAGwJJCLZ9/c6w)–

What Terri Schiavo’s Death Means for Dr. Jack Kevorkian
By Jenny Kiljian
April 2, 2005
Theresa Marie `Terri’ Schiavo, 41, was in a persistent vegetative
state for 15 years in a Florida hospice. Schiavo died on March 31;
she lived 13 days after doctors disconnected her feeding tube.
Her case has prompted an international confabulation among doctors,
legal scholars, ethicists, religious leaders and politicians.
One voice that has been largely absent from the debate has been
Dr. Jack Kevorkian, both reviled and admired internationally for his
commitment to providing euthanasia to people suffering from terminal
illness.
Kevorkian, 76, is serving a 10- to 25-year sentence for second-degree
murder after being convicted of giving a fatal injection of drugs to a
Lou Gehrig’s disease patient in 1998.
The former pathologist has promised in affidavits and requests for
pardon or commutation that he will not assist in a suicide if he is
released from prison.
Kevorkian told ABC News he is “dismayed” by the Schiavo case. “What
bothers me is the bit of hypocrisy in all of this,” said Kevorkian.
“When the president and the Congress get involved because life is
sacred and must be preserved at all costs, they don’t say anything
about the men on death row, and their lives are just as precious.”
But Kevorkian does believe some good can come from the debate over
people’s end-of-life wishes. “One thing, it has raised the issue, and
many more people would be willing to face it and discuss with families
and society in general,” he said.
Although Kevorkian is not eligible for parole until 2007, his attorney
Mayer Morganroth said that he would be approaching the courts in
November for Kevorkian’s early release. Although Gov. Jennifer
Granholm has said she will not consider pardoning Kevorkian, sources
close to the case say that Schiavo’s death could have an impact on
Granholm’s decision.
`There is of course a lot of media that are promoting his release, and
calls are coming in by the score at the prison and all over the place
that he should be released,’ said Morganroth. `The public is becoming
aware that he shouldn’t be in prison. The case has raised their
awareness again.’
Kevorkian, prisoner No. 284797, lives in a 7-by-11-foot cell at the
Thumb Correctional Facility in Michigan.
While Terry Schiavo’s case could help Kevorkian from a legal
standpoint, Morganroth pointed out key differences between the two
cases.
`Dr. Kevorkian had approval both in writing and orally by the person,
and by family members. If anyone objected, the procedure wasn’t
performed,’ he said. `Dr. Kevorkian examined all the medical records
and sent the person to a psychiatrist to make sure that the person
wasn’t suffering from depression. He also made sure that the person
was in irremedial pain and suffering and was terminal. Then,
Dr. Kevorkian would film the discussion with the person, and wouldn’t
perform the procedure for a period of weeks – giving the person the
opportunity to change their mind.’
Michael Schiavo contends his wife would not want to be kept alive
artificially. But her parents, Mary and Bob Schindler, argue she had
no such death wish and believe she could get better with
rehabilitation.
Terri Schiavo did not leave anything in writing about what she would
want if she ever became incapacitated. Over the years, courts have
sided with her husband in more than a dozen cases.
`In the case of Terry Schiavo, it’s far from what Dr. Kevorkian
did. But that doesn’t change the fact that if Terry Schiavo wanted her
life to be terminated, that it should be done. That’s what the courts
decided.’
Morganroth said Kevorkian turned down `3 out of 4′ people who came to
him, some of whom testified at his trial that they had come to him and
been rejected.
Kevorkian, whose health is deteriorating, has no relatives in the
United States. He never married, and has no children.
In February, he was briefly released from prison to undergo surgery
for a double hernia. Besides the hernia, Kevorkian reportedly has
hepatitis C, high blood pressure, arthritis, a heart murmur,
circulatory problems and the beginning stages of cataracts in his
eyes.
Morganroth also mentioned plans to turn Kevorkian’s story into a major
motion picture, called `You Don’t Know Jack.’ After years of rejecting
book and movie offers, Kevorkian has given the go-ahead for projects
to begin, but he says he will not benefit financially from any project
based on his life.
Internationally acclaimed actor Ben Kingsley is being tapped to
portray Kevorkian. `We haven’t made an offer to him yet, but he’s at
the top of our list,’ said producer Steve Jones, who has taken on the
project with Oscar-winning director Barbara Kopple. `We think he’d be
the perfect fit for the role.’
The film is not about the euthanasia debate, but a character study of
Kevorkian. `I don’t intend to make a film that bolsters
euthanasia. This is a story about an extraordinary life. No matter
what you think of Kevorkian, he is a genius,’ said Jones in a recent
interview with the Free Press. `The film will look at the life of
Dr. Kevorkian and all the incredible layers of his personality, and it
will look at a man who’s given up so much for what he believes.’
Ironically, it was a videotape that got Kevorkian convicted in
1998. For a time, thanks to his work, physician-assisted suicide had
been widely accepted and legally tolerated. By his count, he helped in
more than 130 suicides between 1990 and 1998. Courts would not convict
him and, after a while, prosecutors stopped charging him. Then, in
September, 1998, he performed the euthanasia of Thomas Youk, a
middle-aged man suffering from Lou Gehrig’s disease.
When Michigan law enforcement authorities did not charge Kevorkian
with killing Youk, he took a tape of the incident to CBS Television,
which aired it in the news program `60 Minutes.’ On the program,
Kevorkian challenged prosecutors to act; three days later Kevorkian
was charged with the offense.
Jenny Kiljian is the editor of the Armenian Weekly.
This article has been reprinted from the Armenian
Weekly with permission.

Itar-Tass, Russa
TASS
March 29 2005
No military solution for Karabakh problem – Armenian FM

YEREVAN, March 29 (Itar-Tass) – Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan
Oskanyan said there can be no military solution for the Nagorno
Karabakh problem.
“It can only be settled through compromise at the negotiations
involving three parties – Armenia, Azerbaijan and Nagorno Karabakh,”
Oskanyan said at a parliamentary hearing in Yerevan on Tuesday over
the settlement of the Karabakh conflict.
Armenia’s main approach envisions the right for Karabakh Armenians
for self-determination and its international acknowledgement, the
minister noted.
A settlement — including the elimination of consequences of military
actions, i.e. the liberation of the occupied territories — is only
possible if Azerbaijan recognizes this right which then should be
committed to record.
Oskanyan reminded about Yerevan’s position on the principles of
settlement of the Karabakh problem. They foremost rule out Nagorno
Karabakh’s subordination to Azerbaijan and envision a direct
geographic link between Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia, and the
guarantied safety of the enclave.
At present, the parties have not yet reached uniform approaches to
the settlement issues under discussion, the minister said, noting
that the new meeting between the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan
– Robert Kocharyan and Ilkham Aliyev — will take place in May.

A ‘warehouse of evil’
By S. Rob Sobhani
Washington Times
March 28 2005
The recent arrest of 18 people planning to smuggle Soviet-made
grenade launchers, shoulder-fired missiles and other Russian military
weapons into the United States is a disturbing national-security
problem connecting unresolved conflicts in the former Soviet Union to
our homeland security.
According to various news reports, the participants in this
dangerous scheme included both Georgians and Armenians, citizens of
two former Soviet republics with continuous ethnic and territorial
conflicts. Georgia is embroiled in a conflict to protect its
territorial integrity from Russian-backed separatists in Abkhazia and
Ossetia. Armenia, on the other hand, is engaged in a 15-year conflict
with neighboring Azerbaijan over the territory of Nagorno-Karabagh.
While continued ethnic conflict in the territory of Georgia
should be of concern to Washington, the more important and worrisome
connection is the involvement of Armenians and that country’s
continued occupation of Azerbaijan. Left unchecked, the conflict
between Armenia and Azerbaijan presents an immediate danger to
America’s energy and homeland security.
Soviet dictator Josef Stalin decided to play the ethnic card to
consolidate power by pitting one group against the other and imposing
artificial boundaries within the Soviet empire. The lingering war
between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the territory of Nagorno-Karabagh
is a tragic result of this ethnic gerrymandering. In 1988, the
ArmeniansofNagorno-Karabagh declared their “independence” and
unification with Armenia. With substantial support from Russia,
Armenia started a full-fledged military campaign in 1991. The ensuing
war led to the occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s territory by
Armenia and forced about a million Azerbaijanis into the status of
refugee or internally displaced person.
Despite a Russian-brokered cease-fire in 1994, Moscow has
transferred $1 billion in illegal arms to its historic ally, Armenia,
between 1994 and 1997. And although the government of Armenia is
cooperating with U.S. law-enforcement agencies, it now appears that
some Armenians are turning their country into a “warehouse of evil”
and are trying to sell these Soviet missiles and other armaments to
Al Qaeda terrorists for use against the United States. The FBI has
expressed serious concern over shoulder-fired missiles that pose a
major security threat to American airlines.
Ironically, Congress has singled out Armenia for special favor
and Azerbaijan for special disfavor. Between 1992 and 2003, Armenia
received $1.336 billion in assistance from the U.S. government.
Azerbaijan, however, received only $335 million during this same
period. Despite its unjust treatment by the U.S. Congress, Azerbaijan
has remained a steadfast ally of the United States. When tragedy
struck America on Sept. 11, 2001, Azerbaijan offered immediate and
unconditional support.Today, its troops are working side-by-side with
U.S. forces in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq.
Furthermore, Azerbaijan has stood beside the United States on a
major foreign-policy priority of Washington — the uninterrupted
exploration, development and transportation of Caspian Sea oil to
international markets. The anchor of this policy has been the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline running from Baku, the capital of
Azerbaijan, to the Turkish port of Ceyhan on the Mediterranean. On
May 25, this historic pipeline will become operational. Crude oil
from the Caspian Sea — home to 10 percent of the world’s remaining
crude-oil reserves — will be on its way to the East Coast of the
United States.
Clearly, the resolution of this conflict must be of utmost
importance to President Bush, because it does indeed affect our
national security. According to the State Department’s 2005 fact
sheet, the United States does not recognize Nagorno-Karabagh as an
independent country. Washington supports the territorial integrity of
Azerbaijan.
With this in mind, the Bush administration should take a more
robust approach to a swift resolution of the Nagorno-Karabagh
conflict in a fair and balanced manner. The presidents of both
Azerbaijan and Armenia have expressed strong support for a peaceful
resolution of their conflict and Washington should seize on this
goodwill.
A summit at the White House hosted by President Bush could serve
as a catalyst to end this festering regional conflict with its direct
threat to American security. There is international consensus on the
broad outlines of a solution. Armenians must withdraw from all
occupied territories. Azerbaijan should regain full sovereignty over
Nagorno-Karabagh.
The rights of Armenians to live in peace within the territory of
Nagorno-Karabagh must be secured and guaranteed, as must the right of
Azerbaijanis to return to their ancient homeland if they so desire.
The introduction of NATO peacekeepers into the conflict zone would be
a first step towards a permanent solution, thus keeping the region
from manipulation by criminal elements whose goal is to harm America.
When Afghanistan became a “warehouse of evil” for criminals like
Osama bin Laden, Americans paid a heavy price on September 11. We
cannot afford another region of the world to fall prey to criminal
elements. The United States must act now before it is too late.
S. Rob Sobhani is president of Caspian Energy Consulting and a
member of the Committee on the Present Danger.

Armenian Priests assaulted in Jerusalem’s Old City
By ETGAR LEFKOVITS
Jerusalem Post, Israel
March 28 2005
An intoxicated Jewish man who assaulted two Armenian priests near
the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem’s Old City Sunday night
was placed under arrest, police said.
The two clergymen did not require medical treatment, and the assailant
was in police custody.
The attack on the priests, which took place during the Jewish festival
of Purim when it is customary to get drunk, was the third such incident
in the last six months.

Ottoman Archives To Be Promoted
Turkish Press
Published: 3/25/2005
ANKARA – Prime Ministry State Archives Director General Yusuf Sarinay
said on Friday that allegations of so-called Armenian genocide were
based on subjective works and evaluations like memories instead
of scientific documents, adding, “there are tens of thousands of
documents in our archives refuting these allegations.”
Stressing that Turkey had one of the most important archives in the
world with the Ottoman heritage of 700-year rich historical archives,
Sarinay said that the Ottoman Archives would be promoted at a meeting
on March 28th.
“These archives have an authentic value about history of not only
Turks, but also Middle and Near East, Balkans, Mediterranean, Northern
Africa and Arab countries,” he said.
Noting that there were more than 100 million documents about the
Ottoman era in the archives, Sarinay said, “we are aware of that any
regional or world history written without examining those documents
would be deficient. We have opened the classified documents to use of
both Turkish and foreign researches. Our efforts have been continuing
to classify the remaining documents.”
“Also, we have started publishing catalogues of documents in
our web-page in order to provide scientific circles with some
facilities and to remove obstacles in front of information. Those
who are interested in these documents can visit our web-page:
Number of foreign scientists applying
to use the Ottoman Archives have increased in recent years. More
than 3,500 researches from 80 different countries benefited from the
archives so far,” he said.
-ALLEGATIONS OF SO-CALLED ARMENIAN GENOCIDE-
Noting that allegations of so-called Armenian genocide were based on
subjective works and evaluations like memories instead of scientific
documents, Sarinay said, “there are tens of thousands of documents
in our archives refuting these allegations. Some Armenian circles
have been defaming Turkish nation by bringing such allegations from
scientific grounds to political grounds in order to maintain their
baseless allegations.”
“Scientific research of our archives will put an end to such baseless
political prejudices. Otherwise, subjective approaches which are not
based on archives, the objective sources of the history, will serve
nothing, but reviving the buried enmities and hatred among nations,”
Sarinay added.