Author: Hambik Zargarian

SERIOUS, SILLY, SPELLBINDING: BAND KNOWS HOW TO ‘MEZMERIZE’ ITS FANS
By Gene Stout P-I Pop Music Critic
THE SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
September 30, 2005, Friday FINAL
System of a Down – a high-decibel foursome with a devilish sense of
humor and an unlikely blend of musical styles – may be one of today’s
most successful arena-rock bands. But the Armenian American group
hasn’t forgotten its roots.
“There’s a commonality there, a common denominator culturally,”
singer Serj Tankian said by phone en route to a show in Minneapolis.
“That’s been a strength in some ways, but it’s also an understanding
of the dynamics of music and the different beats and melodies that
wouldn’t be common to a non-Armenian.”
Tankian never planned to be in an Armenian American rock band, it just
turned out that way. He started playing with singer and guitarist Daron
Malakian in high school, and they later hooked up with drummer John
Dolmayan and bassist Shavo Odadjian. The group signed a recording
contract with Rick Rubin’s American Recordings label in the late
’90s, and Rubin has produced their records every since.
The group’s 2001 album, “Toxicity,” arrived just before the Sept. 11
terrorist attacks and served as a kind of soundtrack for the national
trauma.
“It was kind of luck or destiny that it ended up this way,” Tankian
said.
Currently on its first major North American tour in three years,
the band Newsweek magazine dubbed “L.A.’s Armenian Idols” performs
Wednesday night at KeyArena with The Mars Volta and Hella.
Tankian and his bandmates took time out from the tour on Tuesday to
lead a rally for the Armenian National Committee of America at the
Batavia, Ill., office of House Speaker Dennis Hastert to urge his
support of Armenian genocide legislation.
If passed, the legislation will officially recognize the genocide of
1.5 million Armenians in Turkey from 1915 to 1923.
“We want to encourage him to do the right thing and bring it to the
floor for a vote,” Tankian said. “(Hastert) has had the opportunity
to do it twice before and has not for different reasons. It’s been
five years and everyone is tired of waiting.”
The tour supports the release of the platinum-selling album,
“Mezmerize,” the first CD in a two-part set that includes a companion
album, “Hypnotize,” due in stores Nov. 17.
“Mezmerize” is a schizophrenic album that blends howling vocals and
blistering guitars with traditional Middle Eastern instrumentation
(as well as violins, cellos and violas) and barbed social commentary.
The album explores politics, Hollywood phoniness, and life and death.
It may sound like an impossible mix, but it’s provocative and
entertaining – serious and silly at the same time.
“Why don’t presidents fight the war?/ Why do they always send the
poor?” Tankian screams on the anti-war song “B.Y.O.B. (Bring Your
Own Bombs).”
For Tankian, who grew up in Lebanon, strong anti-war feelings come
naturally.
“I always say that if you come from a place where you hear bombs
dropped on a city, you’d be reluctant to drop bombs on any city,”
he said.
Pornography comes under fire in “Violent Pornography”: “It’s a violent
pornography/ Choking chicks and sodomy.” “Cigaro” is an X-rated song
that has Tankian and Malakian in a hilariously operatic vocal duel
that recalls Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
“It’s probably a combination of personal and non-personal matters
that have led us to where we are musically,” Tankian said.
“I’m not comfortable with just entertaining. Although I like
entertaining, I also like bringing forward the truth of our times as
minstrels used to in the old days.”
“Mezmerize” and “Hypnotize” were recorded and mixed at the same time,
but scheduled for release six months apart.
“The packaging is designed so that when people buy the second
record, they can attach it to the first, making it a double record,”
Tankian said.
The band decided to release two discs instead of one because they
had so much good material from recording sessions.
“That doesn’t sound very modest, but that’s what it is. As we were
writing and recording, we realized that there was no way we could
decide what songs were going to be on the record,” he said.
“And we’re not fans of long, long records.”
Tankian described Rubin, a superproducer who has worked with everyone
from the Beastie Boys to Johnny Cash, as a nurturing presence in
the studio.
“He brings a lot out of you, but he doesn’t try to completely change
things. He tries to let the beast be the beast.”
P-I pop music critic Gene Stout can be reached at 206-448-8383 or
genestout§seattlepi.com.
NOTES: NIGHTLIFE COVER STORY COMING UP SYSTEM OF A DOWN, THE MARS
VOLTA AND HELLA WHAT: Rock concert WHEN: Wednesday night at 7 WHERE:
KeyArena TICKETS: $31.50-$44 at Ticketmaster
–Boundary_(ID_hvmq596lkgp0tgJPm9IZWg)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Iranian envoy in Azerbaijan blames West for ignoring UN Karabakh
resolutions
ITV, Baku
29 Sep 05
Iranian ambassador to Azerbaijan Afshar Soleymani has said that great
powers have no interest in implementing four UN resolutions on
Karabakh demanding the withdrawal of Armenian forces from Azerbaijani
occupied districts.
In an interview with the “Real Truth” programme of the Azerbaijani
Public TV on 28 September, the ambassador said: “Let them have the
resolutions implemented. Why do not they do this? They would have
them implemented, if they wanted. Moreover, there are a lot of
resolutions. They are not being implemented. The UN still has a
problem, i.e. great powers do not allow the UN to work effectively.”
The ambassador praised the current level of Iranian-Azeri ties.
“Our ties are very good and are developing in the political,
economic, cultural and security spheres. We have agreements on
military cooperation and they are working,” the ambassador said.
Soleymani said that ties would further develop during Mahmud
Ahmadinezhad’s presidency.
Commenting on some forces’ criticism of Iran for cooperation with
Armenia, the ambassador said that the level of Iran’s relations with
Armenia was very low compared to those with Azerbaijan. He said Iran
always supported Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and helped
refugees and displaced persons.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Pan Armenian News
ARMENIA PARTICIPATING IN MILITARY EXERCISE IN BATUMI
09.09.2005 03:57
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Multinational military exercise is taking place in Batumi.
The purpose of the exercise is to train quick-response forces for emergency
situations overland and at sea. Servicemen from Albania, Armenia, Bulgaria,
Estonia, Macedonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania,
Romania, Slovakia, the U.S. and Ukraine are participating in the maneuvers,
Voice of Russia reported.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE
ARMENIAN COMMUNITY IN DENMARK
Contact: Karekin Dickran
Hans Broges Gade 45,
8000 Aarhus C. DK
Denmark
Telephone: 45 + 86 13 90 54
e-mail: [email protected]
Nothing is forgotten!
This weekend the Armenian community in Denmark are having the honor to
receive 30 former students of Karen Jeppe Armenian College of Aleppo. They
are arriving from various parts of the world to express their gratitude to
the memory of Karen Jeppe. They will be traveling to Denmark for this
occasion from the United States, France, Austria, Syria, Sweden and other
parts of the world to express their thanks to the memory of Karen Jeppe for
the dedication of her life to helping save thousands of Armenians during the
first Genocide of the last century in Ourfa, Turkey, and then in Aleppo, and
the Syrian countryside in the aftermath of that terribly inhuman event.
The members of the group will be attending a church service on 10:30 AM,
Sunday, September 11, 2005, at Gylling, in the very church where Karen Jeppe
prayed as a young girl in making her decision to go to a far away land to
alleviate their pain, and help save Armenian lives. This trip is to
emphasize the group’s commitment and strong efforts to help support the
school, which was founded to perpetuate Karen Jeppe’s name and memory.
After the church service, the group will lay a wreath at Karen Jeppe’s
memorial stone in front of the church, sing the Hyre Mehr (Our Father) in
Armenian. It will then proceed to the local Community Hall with the
participation of local Armenians, where they will view important items from
the museum, all lovingly collected and managed by a Danish friend of
Armenians Mr. Ejnar Pedersen over the last 50 years. Mr. Ejnar will be
presented a certificate of appreciation by the leader of the group Zareh
Misserlian written and decorated by an artist from Yerevan, Armenia, in old
Armenian script during the ensuing luncheon as well as a similar memorial,
stating the groups visit to place at the local museum.
By reviving and celebrating the important and exemplary life and work of
Karen Jeppe at the turn of the century, the group will propose that a
humanitarian award be established by the Danish Government in Karen Jeppe’s
name to recognize men and women who distinguish themselves by devoting their
lives to protecting people in similar difficult situations. The Republic of
Armenia has already the Fridjorf Nansen Prize, the famous Arctic explorer,
athlete, author, statesman and humanist whom in 1925 the League of Nations
appointed Nansen to organize the settling of the Armenian refugees as well
as Karen Jeppe.
The luncheon will be attended also by many local officials and dignitaries
among them the mayor of the district, Henning Lehman the former Rector of
Aarhus University who has arranged an exhibition about Armenian architecture
and stones in 1974, Mr. Lehman is a good friend of Armenians and has
published books about Armenia and Armenians in Danish. A press release will
be sent to the Danish media emphasizing different points about the
importance of reminding the current generations about similar situations,
specially point of the good Samaritans among the Danish people as well as
K.M.A (Woman’s Missionary Workers) including Maria Jacobsen founder of
Danish Birds Nest in Djoubeil Lebanon and by mentioning the benefit to the
Armenian people from the warm friendship of the Danish people and the
Armenians for 9 decades.

“NO” TO THE CONSTITUTION
A1+
| 16:04:43 | 05-09-2005 | Politics |
Following the process of discussions of the Constitutional reforms
in the NA for 4 days, the party “New Times” has decided to express
their opinion about the Constitutional reforms with an announcement.
The party informs, that “they are sure that the Constitutional
referendum to be organized is an unsuccessful attempt of the present
powers to prolong their authorizations.
The party calls the people to say “No” to the Constitutional during
the referendum. It looks upon the “No” of the people as a vote of
non-confidence to the powers which must be followed but the change
of authorities.
The party offers all the powers in Armenia to join together to carry
out the change of authorities. It is sure that after the change
as a result of pan-national discussions a full Constitution will
be adopted”.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESENTATION OF BOOK “INTELLIGENCE AND COUNTERINTELLIGENCE: THE
ARMENIAN FOOTSTEP” TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN ON AUGUST 3, 2005
ARKA News Agency
Aug 1 2005
YEREVAN, August 1. /ARKA/. Presentation of the book “Intelligence
and Counterintelligence: The Armenian Footstep” by Arkadi Sargsyan,
will be held in Yerevan on August 3, 2005, Press-Secretary of the RA
Ministry of Defense Seyran Shakhsuvaryan told journalists. The book
for the first time tells about Armenians who tied their life with
the Soviet intelligence and counterintelligence services in the 20th
century. The biographies of all individuals holding the top posts at
the security (from 1920) and internal affairs services (from 1918)
in Armenia will be presented in this publication. It also, for the
first time, will be illustrated with unique photos. A.A. -0–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

DRAFT AGREEMENT RECOGNIZING NKR PARTIAL TO NEGOTIATIONS SIGNED AT
MEETING OF REPRESENTATIVES OF RA, NKR AND AZERBAIJANI COMMUNITIES
YEREVAN, JULY 4, NOYAN TAPAN. “The sides accept that peace will be
possible only in the case if all parties of the process work for
stopping the present hostile relations among them.” The circular draft
agreement on peaceful process of the settlement of the Karabakh
conflict adopted lately at the meeting of representatives of the
communities of Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan in Moscow
reads this. The meeting was held on the initiative of the working
group on regional conflicts of the Dartmouth Conference, with the
participation of the American and Russian members of the working
group. It is mentioned in the draft agreement that the goal of the
peaceful process is to exchange the opposing relations with peaceful
and constructive relations. According to the document, the
participation of the authorizied representatives of Nagorno Karabakh
in the negotiations as a side signing the agreement, which undertakes
the fullfilment of the agreement, the obligations on creation normal
relations with its neighbours, will create conditions which will be
considered as intermediate status of Nagorno Karabakh. It is also
mentioned in the text of the draft that agreements reached and being
fullfilled by Nagorno Karabakh will present factual recognation of
that status. The representatives of the community of Armenia, Nagorno
Karabakh and Azerbaijan came to agreement to continue the negotiations
at the level of “democratic diplomacy.” According to the draft
agreement, issues of re-establishment of communications, the issue of
territories and borders with possible discussion of armies’ withdrawal
from the territories under control, their dimilitarization will be
dicussed during the negotiations. It is supposed to discuss issues of
refugees and those displaced, the issue of the final status of Nagorno
Karabakh fixed legaly and of the peace agreement.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

UEFA

June 23 2005

Football Europe: Pyunik set punishing pace

/noticias.info/ FC Pyunik are pulling clear of the chasing pack in
Armenia having dropped just four points in their opening nine Premier
League games.
Reinforcements due
However, they are keen to make reinforcements ahead of their UEFA
Champions League qualifying campaign. Pyunik missed a host of chances
in their 1-0 win at FC Dinamo-Zenit Yerevan on 12 June, but were more
convincing in beating FC Lernayin Artsakh 3-1 at home four days
later.
Coaching change
FC Banants are in second place, four points behind, and this week
parted company with coach Hovhannes Zanazanyan after some
disappointing displays. The board accepted Zanazanyan’s resignation
and his former assistant Ashot Barsegyan has taken charge.
MIKA signing
One point adrift of Banants, FC MIKA have boosted their hopes of a
European finish by signing striker Armen Shahgeldyan who had been
playing league football in Lebanon. One of MIKA’s leading scorers
last season, he celebrated his return with a winning goal against FC
Ararat Yerevan on 15 June.
Ararat stranded
Ararat are stranded at the foot of the table after a difficult start.
Financial problems have dogged the club and they look insipid going
forward. They managed to score in their opening UEFA Intertoto Cup
game against Neuchtel Xamax FC but could not prevent the Swiss team
winning 3-1.
Relegation group
With the bottom three sides entering a relegation play-off group at
the midway point of the season, the three clubs above Ararat – FC
Shirak, Dinamo-Zenit and Lernayin Artsakh – will be keen to improve.
As yet, there has been little to separate them in terms of quality.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PENTAGON ELABORATES PLAN ON SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH
CONFLICT: AMERICAN POLITOLOGIST
YEREVAN, JUNE 18. ARMINFO. The US Military Command in Europe
has elaborated a plan on settlement of Karabakh conflict on the
instruction of Pentagon. According to the “Kavkazskiy Uzel,” Chairman
of the American Center for Strategic Research Marco Pren made this
statement to the newspaper Express. According to the source, the
document provides for attraction of mobile forces for the problem’s
resolution, which may be dislocated in the territory of the South
Caucasus. In connection with the plan, during the last two months,
military experts held a number of negotiations in Baku. He says that
one of the scenarios of using the mobile forces of the USA in the
South Caucasus is their involvement into the conflict’s settlement.
Although Marco Pren has no information of the authors of the plan,
he hopes that the initiative belongs to more mature representatives of
Pentagon. Thus, execution of the new plan is the duty of the military
forces of the USA in Europe.
Alongside with this, referring to the sources in Pentagon, Marco
Pren says that the USA’s desire is to dislocate mobile force in the
territory of the South Caucasus by all means possible. Pentagon
does not support dramatization of the issue and does not aspire
for creation of any base in the territory of the given region.
predetermination of the mission and the mandate of the named forces
is important. However, the press-service of the Azerbaijani Defense
Ministry considers impossible attraction of mobile forces of the
USA for settlement of the conflict. At the same time, Deputy Foreign
Minister of Azerbaijan Araz Azimov says that at the definite stage of
the conflict’s settlement, attraction of foreign troops is inevitable.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
June 12 2005
Armenia wants US help with Turkey border dispute
Armenia’s foreign minister urged the United States to become more
involved in settling his country’s dispute with Turkey, especially in
persuading Turkey to reopen its border and resume normal trade with
its landlocked northern neighbor.
The Turks closed the border in 1993 during Christian Armenia’s
six-year war with another Muslim neighbor, Azerbaijan.
“The United States is active in this, but we would like to see them
more engaged,” Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said Friday after a
meeting with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
“I believe the United States can be more assertive on the border
matter. Not other matters, but on the border.”
Turkey closed the border after Armenian-backed troops from
Nagorno-Karabakh, a mainly Christian Armenian enclave ruled by
Azerbaijan when Armenia and Azerbaijan were Soviet republics, moved
into other parts of Azerbaijan, seized towns and approached the
Iranian and Turkish borders. A 1994 truce largely ended hostilities,
but a final settlement has not been reached.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress