Author: Hambardsumian Paul

OSCE MG US CO-CHAIR ARRIVES IN YEREVAN
Yerevan, July 29. ArmInfo. OSCE MG US co-chair Matthew Bryza has
arrived in Yerevan today, reports US Embassy in Armenia.
During the visit Bryza will meet with Armenian President Robert
Kocharyan and Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan.
Today he will go to the capital Nagorno-Karabkh, Stepanakert, to meet
with NK President Arkady Ghoukassyan. July 30 Bryza will come back to
Yerevan and July 31 he will go to Baku.
This is the first visit of Bryza to Yerevan and Baku as new US
co-chair. Ghoukassyan believes that Bryza’s visit to Nagorno-Karabakh
is very topical as it is impossible to resolve the Karabakh conflict
without restoring the trilateral negotiating format or establishing
direct talks between Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan. Ghoukassyan says
that everybody understands that NK cannot be part of Azerbaijan any
more and that any solution other than providing NK with de jure
independence is a sure way to war.-0-

WHAT WE WANT FROM BRAYZA
Aram Abrahamian
Aravot.am
28 July 06

OSCE Minsk Group co-chairman Matthew Brayza is leaving for Armenia on
July 29. He will meet with the leadership and diplomats of Armenia on
NK conflict settlement theme. But according to lragir.am, our public
organizations also want to meet M. Brayza on domestic
issues. According to that same source, those PO-s are going to hold a
meeting on the day of Brayza’s visit. `PO-s want
to remind the American diplomat those declarations which the American
officials have often made that the problem of constituting democracy
and lawfulness is the problem of the public. PO-s tries to express
public position on democratic processes by holding meetings of
protest. The U.S., which speaks about importance of the public
position prefer to work with the representatives of administrative
criminal system instead of working with the public. PO-s intend to
show Brayza that the public has its clear position both in democratic
and legal issues’, – Lragir.am informs.

Irrespective of the influence and number of public organizations, that
position causes a lot of questions. PO-s think that the Americans
right declaring that legality and democracy are the problem of our
society. If they aren’t right, the PO-s should say whose problem it
is. Brayza’s or U.S, Department of State? How does the PO-s imagine
U.S. state officials’ work with the public? Whom do they mean, saying
public? And the most important: does the Armenian public have a clear
position in democratic and legal issues. I myself have doubts: it is
just the opposite, our public opinion is sure at least during last 30
days that those who don’t steal and cheat, they are fool. But if I’m
wrong and our public can’t live without democracy and legality, we
should show that position not to Brayza but to our authorities.

In this case the Americans will have to contact honest and generous
persons.

UN Resident Coordinator at National Assembly
National Assembly of RA, Armenia
July 27, 2006
On July 26 the RA NA President Tigran Torosyan received Ms. Consuelo
Vidal, UN Resident Coordinator and newly appointed UNDP Resident
Representative in Armenia.
The issues on the cooperation between the NA and the UN organization
were on the pivot of the meeting. Ms. Consuelo Vidal expressed
readiness to promote the organization of the upcoming election
processes through development programs to ensure free and fair
elections. In this regard the NA President Tigran Torosyan highlighted
both: reform of the Electoral Code and the establishment of necessary
atmosphere among political forces. The agreement on debates of
introducing clarity into cooperation programs in the election processes
was reached.
Ms. Consuelo Vidal, UN Resident Coordinator and newly appointed
UNDP Resident Representative in Armenia wished to clarify from the NA
President the fate of the draft on Lobbying in the development of which
the UN has participated as well. And in this regard they referred to
the support of international organizations to law creation works. It
was noted that some cases of non-effective use of allocated sources
were registered in the work with international organizations. The
agreement was reached to debate steps directed to the increase
of effectiveness of the support of international organizations in
legislative works.
The other issues of mutual interest were debated during the meeting.

Azerbaijan in Its Time Violated USSR Territorial Integrity
PanARMENIAN.Net
27.07.2006 15:57 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The thesis that the self-determination principle
does not mean violation of territorial integrity, announced by Azeri
FM Elmar Mammadyarov is not serious at all, political scientist Levon
Melik-Shahnazaryan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. In his opinion,
actually there are many examples of the kind in the world, however
this only means that self-determining people either cannot or do not
want to build their own sovereign state. “It is more comfortable to
it to remain part of the mother country state, like Komi. Opposite
examples, when self-determining peoples left the mother country
and built their own state, are not less in number. By the way,
Azerbaijan’s self-determination followed that way. It announced
sovereignty by breaking the international and soviet law, violating
the territorial integrity of the USSR. However, this is all theory,”
Levon Melik-Shahnazaryan stressed.

NKR PRESIDENT: REFERENDUM FOR NKR SELF-DETERMINATION WAS HELD ALREADY
AND ITS RESULTS ARE KNOWN TO ALL
Stepanakert, July 25. ArmInfo. “I do not think the mediators have new
proposals, but in any case, the visit of the American cochairman is a
good possibility for us to present our position both to Mathew Bryza
and to other cochairmen”, the NKR President Arkadiy Ghukassyan said,
commenting on the coming visit of Mathew Bryza, the OSCE MG cochairman
from the USA, to the conflict region and to Stepanakert.
A. Ghukassyan noted that participation of Karabakh is necessary
not only to NKR itself but to the whole settlement process. “NKR
will participate in the process sooner or later, since the problem
resolution is impossible without participation of the NKR people.
When will it be? I do not think that Azerbaijan is ready today
to hold negotiations with us as its position is destructive”, A.
Ghukassyan said.
Asked about the repeated referendum for the Karabakh status, A.
Ghukassyan answered that the referendum was already held in Karabakh
and its results are known to all. “If there was a guarantee today
that the International community recognizes the tomorrow’s referendum,
we should think over it”, NKR President said.

LILIT MKRTCHIAN ENDS GAME WITH MAYA CHIBURDANIDZE IN A DRAW
KRASNOTURINSK, JULY 24, NOYAN TAPAN. A women chess supper tournament
has started in the city of Krasnoturinsk, Russian Federation. 10
participants, from who 9 are grand masters, compete for the Northern
Ural Cup. The first tour was held on July 23. Lilit Mkrtchian,
representative of Armenia shared the point with former world champion
Maya Chiburdanidze, representative of Georgia.
The tournament will finish on August 1.

California Courier Online, July 27, 2006
1 – Commentary
Israel Asks U.S. Jews to Lobby
For Azerbaijan, Against Armenia
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
2 – San Diego’s St. John
Armenian Church Hosts
Grape Blessing Picnic
3 – Valley PBS-TV Channel 18 Will Air
Chookasian Armenian Concert, Aug. 6
4 – USC Institute of Armenian Studies Appoints
Vatche Mankerian as Program Manager
5 – Publisher Announces New Travel Guide for Armenia
6 – ARS of Western
USA Elects New
Executive Members
****************************************** ********************************
1 – Commentary
Israel Asks U.S. Jews to Lobby
For Azerbaijan, Against Armenia
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
It is common knowledge that Azerbaijan, following Turkey’s footsteps, tries
to use the political clout of Israel and American-Jewish organizations in
Washington, D.C. to counter Armenian interests. Israel obliges the Azeri demands
out of an interest in importing oil and gas from Azerbaijan and exporting
various products, possibly including weapons. Israel also needs access to
Azerbaijan in order to collect intelligence on neighboring Iran.
The details of this close cooperation, more aptly described as “mutual
exploitation,” are not usually made public. The July 10, 2006 issue of The
Jerusalem Report, however, published a 13-page article by Netty C. Gross disclosing
some of the ties between Azerbaijan, Israel and American Jewish organizations.
The Report covered the visit to Baku of “a delegation of Israeli dignitaries
and Russian Jewish functionaries” in mid-May. The article titled, “The Azeri
Triangle,” started with a straightforward statement: “Israel and Diaspora Jewry
are deepening their own links with oil-rich Muslim Azerbaijan and helping the
Azeri regime win friends in Washington.”
Describing “a strong Azerbaijani-American-Israel-Jewish connection=80¦[that]
benefits everyone,” Gross wrote that Israel “is deeply interested in
consolidating its relations” with Azerbaijan. “Israel has seen it in its interest to
encourage U.S. Jews to take up the Azeri cause in the Washington corridors of
power, at the same time reinforcing the notion held by many Azeris and others in
the Third World that the way to Washington leads through Jerusalem.” It is
noteworthy that Gross implicated “U.S. Jews” in carrying out the instructions of
Israel — a foreign power — in the United States to serve the interests of
Azerbaijan.
In addition to its connections in Washington, Gross reported that Israel is
using the services of “rich and influential Russian Jewish businessmen, some
of whom have powerful contacts from the old Soviet days — and who proudly
point out to me that [Pres.] Ilham [Aliyev]’s son-in-law has a Jewish mother and a
Muslim father.”
Gross provided the list of visits made to Azerbaijan earlier this year by
various Jewish individuals and groups: “In recent months, a parade of several
high-level Israeli and Jewish delegations, who have been mobilized to help
Azerbaijani interests in the U.S., passed through Baku=80¦. In early February, a
50-strong delegation from the Conference of Presidents of Major American
Organizations was received by Aliyev. In April, the Azeri president welcomed Israeli
tycoon Lev Leviev=80¦. And in early June, Israeli National Infrastructures Minister
Binyamin Ben-Eliezer arrived in Baku, to explore the idea of purchasing Azeri
oil or gas at some time in the future.=80¦ Underscoring the close tiesbetween the
Russian Jewish machers and the locals, EAJC [Euro-Asian Jewish Congress]
operatives move about Baku’s corridors of power like kings, freely initiating
press conferences and government meetings=80¦.”
Gross gave the details of some of the links between the two countries as
relayed to him by Israel’s ambassador to Azerbaijan, Arthur Lenk, a native of New
Jersey: “The weekly Azerbaijani Airlines flights between Tel Aviv and Baku
are packed, and there are Jewish studies programs, with local and Israeli
students and some Israeli faculty, at Baku State University=80¦. Israeli
agro-businesses recently visited Baku for a bilateral trade forum and Israeli technology in
telecommunications and waste management is being used in Azerbaijan. (In the
past, Israelis have had financial interests in, among other things,
Azerbaijan’s second-largest cell phone firm, a hospital project and a turkey farm).”
Gross then disclosed the political connections between Azerbaijan, Israel and
American Jews regarding Armenian issues: “Israel’s main selling point with
Azerbaijan is not Israeli. Rather, it’s the American Jewish lobby, which,
encouraged by Israel, has helped Azerbaijan in Congress. The background to the story
is the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict=80¦. A particularly painful sore point is
Section 907, a U.S. congressional amendment to the 1992 Soviet [sic] Freedom
Support Act, aimed at boosting economic and humanitarian aid to all of the 15
emerging former Soviet republics except Azerbaijan. Passed at the urging ofthe
Armenian-American lobby in 1993, when the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was flaring,
907 barred the U.S. from military or other cooperation with Azerbaijan=80¦.
Encouraged by Israel, influential American Jewish groups have since acted on behalf
of Baku as a bulwark against the powerful American-Armenian lobby in Congress
and have tried to get 907 repealed. Since
2002, when the U.S. needed Azeri airspace to reach Afghanistan, the U.S. has
agreed to annual presidential waivers of 907, which lift restrictions.”
Gross then specifically cited Mark Levin, the executive director of the
National Conference on Soviet Jewry, a Washington-based organization that is “a
member of the coalition of Jewish groups that have worked on behalf of
Azerbaijan’s interests on Capitol Hill.” Levin, who traveled to Baku with the
Conference of Presidents in February, told Gross that the organized Jewish community
has “worked closely with the administration to implement the presidential waiver
of 907 in 2002,” and that the coalition “continues to express support on a
regular basis for the waiver.”
Gross quoted Levin as stating that the American-Armenian lobby in Washington
“is very strong and organized, and speaks in a unified voice. On other
political issues, we have partnered with [the Armenians], but when it comesto
Azerbaijan, we are on different sides of the fence.” Levin acknowledged that, on the
whole, American Jewish policymakers feel comfortable in their strong support
of Azerbaijan on the Hill and take their cue from the U.S. and Israel.
Various Azeri officials confirm the value of the Jewish lobby in countering
Armenians: “American Jews have helped us lobby in Washington against the
Armenians and their help is very important. We are very appreciative,” Azerbaijan’s
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov told Gross. Sheikh Alla Shukur Pasha Zade,
the Spiritual leader of Azerbaijan, is also quoted telling the gathered Jewish
delegation in Baku: “I know that Jewish groups have played a role against the
Armenian lobby in trying to find a positive alternative to the conflict. I
would like to express my gratitude to these groups for lobbying on Azerbaijan’s
behalf.”
Regrettably, Gross misleads his readers by not pointing out that not all
Jews sell out their souls to Azerbaijan or Turkey. As it has been repeatedly
documented in previous columns, many Jewish individuals and organizations in both
Israel and the United States are strong supporters of Armenian issues, despite
the pressures from the government of Israel!
Gross balanced the effusive pro-Azeri comments in his article by including
statements that accuse Azerbaijan’s leaders of “corruption and political
repression.” He referred to critics who said that the cozy relationship between
Israel and Azerbaijan “will unravel just as Israel’s romance with Iran did.” He
quoted Dr. Asim Mollazade, the chairman of an Azeri opposition party, as saying
that the United States, Israel and Jewish Americans would someday be “deeply
disappointed” for supporting the undemocratic and corrupt regime in Azerbaijan.
Gross also pointed out the double standards practiced by Azeri leaders who
present themselves to Jews as being pro-Israeli while distancing themselvesfrom
Israel in front of the Muslim world. He mentioned, for example, the fact that
Israel opened its Embassy in Baku in 1993, and yet Azerbaijan has not opened
its Embassy in Israel in order to appease fellow Muslims. Last month,
Azerbaijan assumed the chairmanship of the Organization of Islamic Countries which
held its annual conference in Baku.
Furthermore, Gross reported that the Jewish community in Azerbaijan has
dwindled from 80,000 to around 10,000 during the past decade. He also pointed out
another telltale sign of potential trouble in “paradise” when he revealed that
“all the Jewish institutions in Baku appear to be protected by armed guards.”
Obviously, Israel is free to establish economic and political ties with any
country, including Turkey and Azerbaijan. American Jewish organizations are
likewise free to send delegations to various countries. But when they agreeto
place their considerable political clout at the services of Azerbaijan or Turkey
against Armenia’s interests, Armenians worldwide then have the perfect right
to expose their sinister arrangements and counter their every move.
******************************************** ******************************
2 – San Diego’s St. John
Armenian Church Hosts
Grape Blessing Picnic
SAN DIEGO – On Sunday, August 20, St. John Garabed Armenian Church of San
Diego will host its Annual Grape Blessing Picnic. Parish Priest Reverend Father
Datev Avak Kahana Tatoulian and the Parish Council invite the public to join
the picnic in the cool atmosphere of Mission Bay.
Enjoy a day of fun and fellowship with delicious Armenian food, music, tavloo
tournament, and games for the children. The picnic will begin at 10 am, the
Blessing of Grapes Service at 11:30 am, and lunch to follow. Lunch Includes:
Lamb Shish Kebab or Chicken Kebab, Pilaf, Salad, Grilled Vegetables, Soft
Drinks, Paklava and Watermelon, all for $15. Kids meal for $5. For more information
call St. John Garabed Armenian Church at (619) 284-7179.
Directions from San Diego: take I-5 North, exit and go left on Sea World
Drive, right on Ingraham, left on Vacation Road… Look for Armenian Church
Picnic Signs!
Directions from Los Angeles and North San Diego County to the picnic grounds
at Vacation Village in East Mission Bay: take I-5 South, exit and go right on
Sea World Drive, right on Ingraham, left on Vacation Road…Look for Armenian
Church Picnic Signs.
************************************************** ***********************
3 – Valley PBS-TV Channel 18 Will Air
Chookasian Armenian Concert, Aug. 6
FRESNO – For the first time, Valley PBS-TV, Channel 18 will broadcast a
two-hour special program on Armenian music, folk dancing, and culture featuring the
“Chookasian Armenian Concert Ensemble” and the “Zvartnots Armenian Folk Dance
Ensemble from Los Angeles, on Aug. 6, at 5 p.m. The concert was filmed Feb.
24 at California State University, Fresno.
This artistic cultural film will be added to the Fresno PBS film library. A
future project is to have this unique Armenian music and dance film distributed
to all of the major PBS station across California and eventually, the USA.
The Chookasian Armenian Concert Ensemble, multiple award winners including
the prestigious “National Gold Medal Award” of Armenia, was featured in a unique
concert on the Satellite Union Stage of C.S.U.F., where the master musicians
performed traditional songs and dances of Armenia. The Chookasian Concert
provided ensemble and solo performances on traditional Armenian folk instruments
used for many centuries.
Composed of the finest conservatory graduate musicians from Armenia and the
United States, the Ensemble is known for their stunning showcase performances
encompassing the full spectrum of Armenian classical and troubadour folk song &
folk dance music. Both the Eastern and Western Armenian musical traditions
are featured in the Ensemble’s authoritative performances of songs dating from
the 16th to the 20th centuries, and Armenian folk dance tunes from as far back
as two millennia.
The PBS film will feature Fresno’s John Chookasian, celebrated Ensemble
director and premier clarinetist, performing in union with musical masters:Barbara
Chookasian, principal vocalist; Vergine Alemian, ‘kanun'(72 stringed lap
harp); Hendrick “Hindo” Avoyan, ‘d’hol, (cylindrical hand drum); Vladimir
Gregorian, ‘kemenche’ (folk violin); Andranik Mouradian, accordion & keyboard; Haig
Nalbandian, ‘dumbeg’ (hour-glass shaped hand drum) & ‘deff’ (large frame drum);
Sarkis Petrossyan, ‘santur’ (126 stringed hammered-dulcimer); Surik on ‘tarr’
& ‘saz’ (lutes); Garen Sarkissian, ‘shvi’ (high-pitched flute); Albert
Vardayan, ‘duduk’ & ‘zurna’ (flutes); and Peter Dorian, guest performer on the ‘oud’
(fretless lute).
Also, the evening’s concert line-up features the award-winning, high-energy
“Zvartnots” Armenian Dance Troupe from Los Angeles, under the direction of
Vartan and Armine Aghajanyan. This spirited folk dance troupe mesmerizes audiences
with their beautiful costuming and their incomparable, high energy
performances of traditional and Armenian folk dances, and contemporary dances using
traditional Armenian dance application.
Over the years, the Ensemble has been the recipient of numerous honors, city
proclamations government proclamations and awards.
The CSUF concert program was partially funded by the Bertha and John
Garabedian Charitable Foundation, Dr. & Mrs. Varouj Altebarmakian, Kaiser Permanente
Medical Center, Educational Employees Credit Union, Bruce Barnett and many
other supportive individuals from Fresno, Los Angeles and New Mexico.
For further information, refer to Channel 18 TV (559) 266-1800, the
Chookasian Ensemble website at: <; www.chookasian. com, or call (559) 449-1777. **************************************** ********************************** 4 - USC Institute of Armenian Studies Appoints Vatche Mankerian as Program Manager LOS ANGELES - The USC Institute of Armenian Studies has appointed Vatche Mankerian as the Program Manager of the Institute. He will be in charge of operations of the Institute and will be reporting to the Director of the Institute, Professor R. Hrair Dekmejian. For the past two decades, Mankerian has actively contributed to the cultural life of Los Angeles and its Armenian community. A multifaceted and distinguished artist, pedagogue, lecturer, and author he has performed and lectured on Armenian culture and music in countries around the world. Mankerian earned his Bachelor and Master's degrees from the University of Southern California. A member of the Music Teachers' Association of California, he has been a music educator at some of the leading music schools in Southern California, including the Pasadena Conservatory of Music and Los Angeles Valley College. Mankerian has taught Armenian language, literature and culture for the past several years at various academic institutions such as Glendale Community College and AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School. Most recently, he chaired the Armenian Department at Sahag-Mesrob School, and authored three volumes of textbooks titled Armenian Culture. The books are the first Armenian textbooks on the different aspects of Armenian culture, written in Armenian and published inthe United States. These textbooks have been adopted by several Armenian schools in the Los Angeles area because of their conceptual uniqueness and originalityof content. Housed in the USC College of Letters, Arts & Sciences, the USC Institute of Armenian Studies serves as a non-partisan center around which the entire Armenian community can rally, regardless of political or religious affiliation. The Institute is a resource center and repository to help preserve the Armenian heritage in America, while providing a home to approximately 1,000 Armenian-American students who attend USC each year. In addition, the Institute will host, coordinate and collaborate on a wide range of academic and professional endeavors concerning Armenia and Armenians in the fields of education, business, technology, science, medicine, history, law, politics, religion, literature, music, dance, arts, architecture, media, theater, cinema and others. Some of the goals of the Institute include establishing endowed scholarships, fellowships, research programs, publication series and lecture series. Upcoming events of the USC Institute of Armenian Studies include an Armenian-American Federal Judges' Forum, which will feature Federal Judges Dickran Tevrizian, Samuel Der-Yeghiayan, and Jacqueline Chooljian. The program is presented in cooperation with the Armenian Bar Association. The Forum will take place on August 13, from 2 to 4 p.m. at USC Davidson Conference Center. For further information regarding USC Institute of Armenian Studies' events please contact by phone at 213-821-3943, or e-mail at [email protected]. ********'*************** ************************************************** 5 - Publisher Announces New Travel Guide for Armenia LOS ANGELES - The publisher of Armenia's best-selling travel guide, The Stone Garden Guide: Armenia and Karabagh, announced this week that it will release an all-new Second Edition on September 1st. The new 304-page book will contain updated and expanded information for the 2007-08 tourist seasons and will feature 27 color maps and 135 color photographs-nearly twice as many images as in the current edition. The Stone Garden Guide is the most trusted, comprehensive, and up-to-date source of travel information available for Armenia and Karabagh. The highly acclaimed current edition was Award Finalist for Best Travel Guide by the Independent Publishers Association and was the best-selling guide to Armenia for two consecutive years according to independent booksellers in the US and Armenia. Co-authors Matthew Karanian and Robert Kurkjian have each spent more than a decade living and working in Armenia while researching and writing this and previous editions of the book. Karanian is an attorney. Kurkjian is a scientist. They are both professional photographers and writers, as well. The book is available for pre-order directly from the publisher, for $24.95 plus $4.95 shipping. Free shipping is offered on pre-orders that are postmarked before September 1. California residents please add $2.05 sales tax. Check to: Stone Garden Productions; PO Box 7758; Northridge, CA 91327. For larger orders call 1-888-266-7331. ********************************** **************************************** 6 - ARS of Western USA Elects New Executive Members GLENDALE - The Armenian Relief Society of Western USA's 86th Regional Convention took place at the Radisson Hotel in Whittier, Calif., from July 13 to 16. The Convention elected the following member for a two-year term on the Regional Executive: Sonia Peltekian, Seda Khojayan, Sona Bostanian and Nvart Mooradian. The Regional Executive members whose two-year term ended were: Angela Savoian, Rita Hintlian, Nanik Kupelian and Maral Nashalian-Arsenian. Regional Executive members who will continue to serve for another year are: Karine Barikian-Setian, Rose Altounian, Kristine Keshishian, Hourig Aintablian and Adrine Postoyan. **************************************** ********************************** The California Courier On-Line is a service provided by the California Courier. Subscriptions or changes of address should not be transmitted through this service. Information in that regard should be telephoned to (818) 409-0949; faxed to: (818) 409-9207, or e-mailed to: [email protected]. Letters to the editor concerning issues addressed in the Courier may be e-mailed, provided it is signed by the author. Phone and/or E-mail address is also required tover

REPUBLICAN PARTY TO SHELTER MAYOR
Lragir.am
24 July 06
The mayor of Yerevan Yervand Zakharyan is one of the new Republicans.
He was even elected member of the Council of the Republican Party.
Our source informed that Yervand Zakharyan was “invited” to the
Republican Party to get protection. The point is that the Audit
Service of the President audited privatization of land in Yerevan
and revealed serious breaches and a damage of millions of dollars
to the state budget. The procuracy suited an action. And now Serge
Sargsyan and the Republican elite have told him that he can be safe
only in the Republican Party. Subsequently, Yervand Zakharyan found
a devotee of the Nzhdehist ideology in him.

Iran leader’s warning to Israel
BBC NEWS:
2006/07/23 15:49:10 GMT
Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has warned Israel that it has
“pushed the button of its own destruction” because of its actions
in Lebanon.
He also said Israel should “pack up” and move elsewhere, repeating
comments made last year.
Israel has accused Iran of involvement in the capture of the two
Israeli soldiers, which sparked the current crisis, claims Iran denies.
Iran has also been accused of supplying Hezbollah with money and arms.
“Israel pushed the button of its own destruction by attacking Lebanon,”
Mr Ahmadinejad said while addressing an education conference.
I advise them to pack up and move out of the region before being
caught in the fire they have started in Lebanon Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Iranian president
He did not give further information but suggested Islamic nations
and others could isolate Israel and its supporters, AP news agency
reported.
He also repeated last year’s calls for Israel to move out of the
Middle East, comments which sparked widespread condemnation.
“I advise them to pack up and move out of the region before being
caught in the fire they have started in Lebanon,” he said.
Iran helped found the Lebanese-based Hezbollah in 1982, but says it
only gives spiritual and political support to the group, not financial
aid, training or weapons.
It has also rejected Israeli claims it was involved in the capture
by Hezbollah of two Israeli soldiers two weeks ago, which led to the
Israeli strikes on Lebanon.

PRESS RELEASE
The Heritage Party
Yerevan 0033, Armenia
Tel.: (+374 – 10) 58.08.77, 52.22.38
Fax: (+374 – 10) 54.38.97
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Website:
July 20, 2006
Heritage Calls News Conference: Headquarters Reopened?
Yerevan–Today the Heritage Party held its first press conference in its
offices since their being put under illegal lock on March 4, 2006, by the
management of the Paronian Theater. After months of disrupted office
operations, political persecutions, and judicial hassles–and accepting as a
legal basis the June 26 verdict of the Court of First Instance of Yerevan’s
Central and Nork-Marash communities, which went into effect on July 12–the
party’s board members, in the presence of several media representatives,
opened the office doors at noon and then proceeded inside. These doors had
been sealed for unsubstantiated reasons by marshals from the Service for
Mandatory Execution of Judicial Acts (SMEJA) on May 30, only one day after
the office’s reopening pursuant to the Court’s injunction. SMEJA and the
theater’s representatives refused to be present at the reopening of the
office. When entering the premises, the Heritage officials and the
accompanying participants in the press conference noticed that the seal
placed on the door of the office’s fifth floor had been broken and one of
the windows was open.
The opening remarks of the news conference were made by the Heritage’s
political secretary Vardan Khachatrian. “All that which the party has gone
through recently is for us merely one in a long series of phases of our
political quest for liberty, democracy, and the rule of law. This clearly
proves that the coming together of noble, ethical, and untainted forces has
no viable alternative,” Khachatrian stated.
Responding to questions posed by the members of the media, Khachatrian also
gave details about the party’s main priorities and concerns as well as the
courses of action it plans to take. In his words, the Heritage Party has
already initiated multi-level consultations to consolidate the political
field and civil society, the results of which should become more tangible by
autumn.
The press conference also touched upon the Heritage Party’s position on the
regulation of the Mountainous Karabagh conflict. In this respect, Vardan
Khachatrian underscored the imperatives of Mountainous Karabagh’s
participation in the peace negotiations and the resolution of the conflict
within the context of the supremacy of human rights. Khachatrian also
revealed that, in addition to its ten-point plan as detailed on its website,
the party will soon prepare a comprehensive analysis of the Karabagh issue
and convene a special round-table policy discussion devoted to it, “since a
just settlement on Artsakh is the most crucial challenge facing the Armenian
nation and its future,” Khachatrian concluded.
Founded in 2002, Heritage has regional divisions throughout the land. Its
central headquarters are located at 7 Vazgen Sargsian Street, Yerevan 0010,
Armenia, with telephone contact at (374-10) 580.877, fax at (374-10)
543.897, email at [email protected], and website at