Author: Jabejian Elizabeth

RUSSIA’S ARMENIANS HELP FAMILIES OF A-320 CRASH VICTIMS
by Tamara Frolkina

ITAR-TASS News Agency
May 3, 2006 Wednesday

The Union of Armenians of Russia is lending a helping hand to the
families of those who died in the A-320 plane crash near Sochi,
southern Russia, the Union’s President, Ara Abramyan, told Itar-Tass
on Wednesday.

“The relatives are accommodated at the Moskva hotel in Sochi. There
they will get necessary medical and psychological assistance and
free meals. They will stay there until all issues connected with the
catastrophe and its effects are settled,” he said.

“Among the victims there may be many Russian citizens, as most
Armenians on board of the plane had dual citizenship. It is necessary
to wait for the results of the inquiry into the causes of the crash.

The plane is said to have been in perfect condition,” Abramyan said.

There were 113 passengers on board the A-320, including 26 Russian
citizens.

There were no survivors. Among the victims was Armenia’s former
Interior Minister, chairman of the KGB security service, Major-General
Usik Arutyunyan.

According to the latest data, 39 bodies, including that of a small
girl, have been recovered on the site of the accident.

PRESS RELEASE
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services
Address:  Vagharshapat, Republic of Armenia
Contact:  Rev. Fr. Ktrij Devejian
Tel:  (374 10) 517 163
Fax:  (374 10) 517 301
E-Mail:  [email protected]
Website: 
May 3, 2006

Condolence Message of His Holiness Karekin II
Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians

We learned of the airplane tragedy on the Yerevan-Sochi flight and the
resulting great loss of life with deep pain and sorrow.  We mourn these
unexpected and terrible losses with the family and friends of the victims of
this disaster and all of our people.

On behalf of the Brotherhood of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and the
Supreme Spiritual Council, we extend our sympathies to all affected by this
tragedy.

We offer prayers to God, that he accept the souls of the victims in the
illuminated heights of heaven and grant them blessed rest and peace.  We ask
that our Lord, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, bestow patience and
consolation to the families and relatives of those who perished, and the
strength to withstand the sorrow of their loss.

Appealing for unceasing prayers and divine blessings in memory of the
victims of this tragedy.  Amen.

Sorrowfully,

KAREKIN II
CATHOLICOS OF ALL ARMENIANS

##

–Boundary_(ID_U0mqs13/1Icbx0wnZ34b Dg)–

North Shore Sunday, MA
April 29 2006

The Turks talk back
By Barbara Taormina/ Staff Writer
Friday, April 28, 2006

When it comes to Armenia , Turkey has always told a different story.

Many Turks believe that the current push to have the world
recognize the Armenian genocide is an attempt to force Turkey to pay
reparations and to annex the eastern part of the country to
present-day Armenia.

According to Turkish literature, the estimate of 1.5 million
Armenian deaths is exaggerated. Instead the Turks claim 700,000
Armenians were killed or died of starvation and disease during World
War I in eastern Anatolia.

But Turkish histories also point out that more than 2 million
Turks and Muslims died during the same time frame. And they say many
were massacred by the Armenians, while others died during the war
fighting Armenians and Russians.

Demir Delen, a Turkish writer who now lives in Canada, has been
trying for years to counter the claim of an Armenian genocide.
According to Delen, Armenian revolutionaries joined forces with the
Russians in an attempt to take advantage of a chaotic political
situation during the final years of the Ottoman Empire.

Delan says the attempt to relocate the Armenians was an attempt
to create some order and stability inside Turkey.

Like other Turks writing about the early 20th century history,
Delen claims many of the sources and documents supporting the claim
of an Armenian genocide are fake.

“Armenians, in their attempts to convince the world opinion about
the existence of a genocide perpetrated against them during the First
World War, resort to forgeries and falsifications,” he writes.

“It is ironic that Armenians accuse anyone who opposes their
allegations of a so-called genocide by exposing the historical facts,
as ‘rewriting history,'” says Delen. “Yet Armenians are rewriting
history more than 80 years later, in parliaments of western countries
and in the legislatures of several states and provinces in the U.S.
and Canada where they have a considerable population, by lobbying,
donating to election campaigns and influencing politicians.”

From: [email protected]
Subject: Demonstration of Russian Chauvinism and Fascism

DEMONSTRATION OF RUSSIAN CHAUVINISM AND FASCISM

Aravot.am
28 April 06

The head of `Center of Right and Freedom’ organization Vardan Haroutiunian
marks in this way the attack on the Armenians in Moscow.

After murder of the Armenian young man in Tsalka our nationalists suggested
to send forces to Georgia. But how do you explain that such extreme calls
aren’t summoned when 6 Armenians have been attacked in Moscow during this year?
The last ones were the murder of Vahan Abrahamiants and beating of the
producer Michael Dovlatian.
It is very sorrowful when people are killed. Following the replies of murder
and beating in Moscow we can come to a conclusion that it is very essential
for us who and where has killed an Armenian. We are indignant, curse, make
summons of war and keeping our dignity and honor only in the case when the
Armenian is beaten, offended or killed by a Georgian, Turkish or Azerbaijani. But
if it has happened in our everlasting friend Russia the reaction is other.
Even public attempts are made to observe the cases of murder and violence of
Armenians in the context of their negative, rude and wild behavior in Russia.
It becomes clear that those affirmations that we are in war with our
neighbors except the one are right. Our malevolence and unpleasantness towards them
is so great that we consider each encroachment upon us as a hostile action
towards Armenia and Armenian people. We have created for us the character of
friend Russia that treat us as it likes and it isn’t known what profits we have
from its friendship. And today, against the background of violence and murder
in Russia we create a figure of everlasting enemy from our neighbors to pass
it to our children as a complex.
Do you exclude that these attacks are usual hooliganism?
It is excluded, that these incidents are hooliganism. These are crimes made
on national ground. These attacks are made not only on the Armenians but on
other nations, too. Russia follows the path of fascism. And the murder of the
Armenian boy, Tajik girl, Negroes should be observed in this context. The
legal proceedings on the case of Tajik girl murder and light punishments simply
prove that Russia turns into fascist country. And our malevolence and
hostility in case of Georgia is so subjective and emotional is so unfair and
groundless that can’t bear any critic. We simply don’t want to see any positive
thing in our neighbors, understand their problems. We try to interpret any
fight, any incidents with the participations of drunken Armenians as our `national
interests’ according to which the policy of Georgian authorities is
anti-Armenian. We try to use Javakq as a club against Georgia and cry about their
anti-Armenian policy. And there is no conversation about relations with
Azerbaijan in the remote future. But is there any difference between Russian
chauvinist who kill an Armenian boy in the Metro and the Azerbaijani officer who kill
the Armenian officer by ax? And compare what different replies we get about
both cases.
Our National Security Service replied to our anti0Georgian declarations and
their authors were warned that it isn’t permitted to feel animosity. What
should our state do in case of Russian incidents?
The state is obliged to defend its citizens and compatriots. Not only the
union of the Armenians of Russia but the RA Embassy to RF should make an
official declaration, and take some steps. But I don’t call to fall into agiotage
and take such steps as it is done in case of Georgia. And now, Anti-Russian. I
try to condemn any hysteria but I don’t understand why our country and
community use double standards. Whether the geographic place of murder is
important in this case.
Are the Russian incidents Anti-Armenian or attitudes towards `Caucasian
nations»?
Tatars or Tajiks aren’t Caucasian nations but encroachments are also used
upon them. These are demonstrations of Russian chauvinism and fascism, which
are addressed not only to the Caucasians but also to any nation.
Anna Israelian

Azad-Hye, Dubai, 30 April 2006: Kuwait is one of the most relaxed Arab
countries about press freedom. Journalists exercise self censorship and
avoid tackling officially unacceptable policies.

Nevertheless, Kuwait has a lively media. This is why when the Armenian
Prelacy headed by Archbishop Gorun Babian approached Kuwaiti media through
press conference on the 24th April 2006, the immediate result was the
publication on the next day of series of articles and reports on the
Armenian Genocide, in a way that formed a sort of surprise to the ordinary
reader.

Journalist Leila Al Sarraf signed the following article in “Al Qabas” daily
(25th April 2006), translated into English:

Prayer in the Armenian Orthodox Prelacy Gorun Babian: “Turkey’s blockade of
Armenia is against humanity”

Archbishop Dr. Gorun Babian, Head of the Armenian Church in Kuwait, said
that the whole world should recognize the Armenian Genocide which was
committed by the Turks 91 years ago. He described the Genocide as an act
against the whole humanity, not only against the Armenians. He made his
remarks during a press conference that took place in the Armenian Prelacy on
the occasion of the annual commemoration of the Armenian Genocide,
underlining that the Armenians demand from the world and the Turkish
government acknowledgement and condemnation of the Genocide.

Archbishop Babian added: “The Turkish government is proud of its war
criminals. It shamelessly erects monuments of those criminals in various
Turkish cities. Is it fair to reward the criminals and to deprive the
oppressed? The Christian faith urges us to forgive, but the wrong doer
should first confess his mistakes. The Turkish government has not
acknowledged the enormity of the mistake it has done by committing the
Genocide”.

Archbishop Gorun Babian demanded the recognition of the Genocide and the
right for compensation. He also called to establish good relations with the
Turkish government and the lifting of the Turkish blockade against Armenia,
which is in fact a criminal offence against humanity. On the other hand, the
Head of the Armenian Youth Organisation said that “In school we teach our
children how to demand the Armenian rights and we do not instruct any kind
of hatred against the Turkish people. 91 years have passed without the
Turkish government recognizing the Genocide, although more than 200
political, legal, governmental entities have recognized it”, he concluded.

At the end of the press conference Archbishop Gorun prayed, with the members
of the church, for the souls of the martyrs of the Armenian Genocide.

END OF THE ARTICLE

Besides “Al Qabas”, other Kuwaiti dailies covered the press conference.
Ousama Abu Al Khair from “Al Raielam” referred to the declaration of the
Ruler of Mecca in 1917 (Sherif Mecca Al Housein Bin Al Ali), in which he
officially asked all the Arab tribes and his allies to protect the refugee
Armenians and to grant them the much required peace and support. A copy of
this declaration appears in many sources.

Journalist Abu Al Khair mentions that the Armenians demand from the Turkish
government recognition of the Genocide and compensations, the way Germans
did regarding the Jewish Holocaust caused by the Nazis. Armenians also
demand the opening of the borders and the normalization of the relations
between Armenian and Turkey and the lifting of the inhumane blockade.

Journalist Boushra Mohammed of “Al Anbaa” daily refers to the gratitude of
the Armenians towards the Kuwaiti government for the policy of tolerance and
the endorsement of peaceful co-existence amongst the nations. The religious
and cultural tolerance in Kuwait allows the Armenians to lead flourishing
community life.

Journalist Rima Al Baghdadi of “Al Seyassah” daily quoted Archbishop Babian
saying that all Armenians who have survived the Genocide are living proofs
that the Genocide really took place and had many tragic faces. Every
Armenian family has a story related to the Genocide. Every one has lost
beloved ones. More than half of the Armenian population was destroyed.
Hitler made a statement before invading Poland in 1939 in which he said:
“who remembers today the destruction of the Armenians?”

“Arab Times” English language daily’s Francis A. Clifford Cardozo posted the
following report on 25 April 2006

Armenians celebrate 91st anniversary;
“Genocide committed by Turkey a crime against humanity”

KUWAIT CITY: The genocide committed by Turkey against Armenians is a crime
against humanity, says Archbishop Goriun Babian, the Armenian Prelacy of
Kuwait and Arabian Gulf countries. Armenians all over the world commemorate
genocide victims on April 24 and this year celebrate the 91st anniversary.
Addressing a press conference at the Armenian Church on Sunday, Archbishop
Babian added that “what angers the Armenians most is the fact that Turkey
has not acknowledged the crimes committed against the Armenians.

This is the main reason why we have not been able to reach a peaceful
agreement with Turkey and as result the Armenians are continuing to
struggle.” As part of the celebrations, the Armenian Youth Federation on
Sunday organized a cultural programme at the church followed by a lecture
focusing on the genocide. A high mass will be held at 11.30 am on Monday
preceded by special prayer service for the martyrs.

Archbishop Babian went on to add that Armenians are grateful to Arabs
because they took them under their wings and extended them their hospitality
when they were being targeted by the Turks, adding a decree was issued by
the Sharif of Makkah in order to safeguard the rights of Armenians. “I am a
living testimony of the Armeninian genocide. Both my parents survived the
genocide and moved to Lebanon at the age of 5. I lost many members of my
family during the genocide,” added the Archbishop.

Goriun said Turkey sentenced to death in absentia three of its top leaders
who were involved in the genocide and that other perpetrators got 15 years
in jail.

Links:

Al Qabas:

ebsite/NewspaperPublic/ArticlePage
.aspx?ArticleID =160632

Website/NewspaperBackOffice/Issues/
25-4-2006/13-l ocal.pdf

-25-april-2006.pdf

Al Raielam:

< .htm>
local.htm

Al Seyassah:

< ril/25/09.pdf>
ssah/PDF/06/April/25/09.pdf

< -april-2006.pdf>
g1/alseyassah-25-april-2006.pdf

Arab Times:

< t/view.asp?msgID=7704>
http://www.arabtimesonli ne.com/arabtimes/kuwait/view.asp?msgID=7704

< -april-2006.pdf>
g1/arab-times-25-april-2006.pdf

Photos:

1- Press conference in the Prelacy of Kuwait on 24th April 2006

2- Archbishop Gorun Babian

URL and photos: 34agf67

BUSH TO RECEIVE ALIYEV TODAY
By Hakob Chakrian

AZG Armenian Daily
28/04/2006

Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev, is in Washington this week for
meetings with US government officials, including President George
W. Bush on April 28. On April 27, Turkish Aksam newspaper touched
upon Aliyev’s visit under a headline “Aliyev Leaves For USA to Discuss
Iran.” In the meantime the paper assumes that Nagorno Karabakh issue
is also on the visit agenda.

Today president George Bush will receive his Azerbaijani counterpart
at the White House. Yesterday, Aliyev made a public appearance at
the Washington offices of the Council on Foreign Relations, a policy
research center, and took questions on a variety of issues in front
of an audience of about 200. According to Turkish NTV, Aliyev said
Azerbaijan has been an ally of the United States in Iraq from the
very start.

“We have a bilateral agreement with Iran which clearly says that the
territories of our countries cannot be used for any danger toward
each other,” Aliyev said.

“So it’s very clear, and therefore our relations are regulated by
international treaties,” he said.

Yet, observers in Washington see behind this warm reception hopes in
the US government to get Azerbaijan’s support in probable assault on
Iran. It’s obvious that Aliyev cannot avoid deployment of US troops
on his country’s territory in case of a war.

This means that Aliyev’s previous statement on keeping out of the
war aimed at hiking the price for backing the Americans. It’s hard
to say what will be the result of such speculations. But one thing
is clear: the sides have long odds, and president Aliyev’s reputation
has completely tarnished after the recent parliamentary elections in
the country.

STEVEN MANN: THE PARTIES SHOULD REFUSE FROM SIMULTANEOUS AND COMPLETE RESOLUTION OF ALL EXISTING PROBLEMS

ArmRadio.am
27.04.2006 14:27

The major principle of settlement of the Karabakh conflict is the
simultaneous and complete resolution of all existing problems.

Said US Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Steven Mann, who was present
at Azeri Presidnet Ilham Aliev’s speech at the International Relations
Council, ” Trend” Agency informs, referring to ITAR-TASS.

Mann informed that he intends to leave for Moscow to participate
in the recurrent consultations with colleagues. He is rather
optimistic and considers that “an effective ground for concessions
is perceptible.” He is confident that now it is necessary to advance
step by step, leaving some complex issues for the future.

According to the source, Ilham Aliev declared in his speech at the
International Relations Council that he considers the conflict with
Armenian over Nagorno-Karabakh the major problem of his country. He
expressed the hope that the negotiations over Nagorno-Karabakh “create
opportunities for fair and stable reconciliation, which will be based
on the principles of international law.”

“We expect that as a superpower and as an OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair
country, the US will support the settlement of the conflict,” Ilham
Aliev added.

LARISSA ALAVERDYAN PRESENTED THE WHOLE WRETCHEDNESS OF HUMAN RIGHTS

Lragir.am
26 April 06

The 2005 report on the activity of the first ombudsman of Armenia
Larissa Alaverdyan was finally presented on April 26 at the Yerevan
Hotel. Larissa Alaverdyan presented the wretchedness of human rights in
Armenia in all its splendor. This was the first show for the benefit
of the first ombudsman, which acquired the form of a 280-page report
on paper.

Listening to Larissa Alaverdyan’s speech, one could have thought that
a revolutionary tribune rather than an ombudsman was speaking.

Larissa Alaverdyan said the violation of human rights is systemic in
Armenia, which is the reason for the lengthiness of the report. The
former ombudsman says even the numerous examples cited in the report
cannot express the upsurge of protest of citizens against violation
of their rights.

“These two years of work showed that all the Armenian officials
refer to human rights as the highest value but their actions show
the opposite. It allows concluding that human rights in Armenia have
a mere declamatory character,” says Larissa Alaverdyan.

“The leadership abuses the government resource, though it claims that
it uses democratic methods,” announced Larissa Alaverdyan.

According to her, the restriction of civil freedoms, violation of the
freedom of speech, electoral fraud, the indifference of the government
towards the most vulnerable groups of the population show that the
leadership is not strong but it abuses power.

“As long as we have such a judiciary system, and as long as we cover
with gold the buildings where the unfair judges sit, we cannot have a
democratic country,” states the former ombudsman Larissa Alaverdyan
after two years of office. She draws a conclusion from her two-year
activity and 280-page-long report that the leadership in Armenia
lacks political will with regard to human rights. However, Larissa
Alaverdyan does not give up, and she advises the same to the society:
do not expect good will from the leadership, use the potential of
the society Armenia is rich in, says the former ombudsman.

THE IRAN-ARMENIA GAS PIPELINE: UNFINISHED BUT ALREADY IN GAZPROM’S SIGHTS
By M. Alkhazashvili

The Messenger, Georgia
April 26 2006

The Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vardan Oskanian is not
ruling out the sale of the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline to Russia,
he stated in Yerevan on April 20.

Although he added that, “talking of the fate of the gas pipeline is
ridiculous because it has yet to be constructed.” Oskanian thinks
that it would be more logical if there is a discussion about who
will invest in the construction of this state asset as they could
then become the owner the newspaper Rezonansi reports.

The Armenian Minister of Energy Armen Movsisian stated that the
construction of the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline has not been finished
yet and accordingly it is not a corporate enterprise of which shares
can be sold.

However the Armenian Ex-Premier Vazgen Manukian once mentioned that
a 45 kilometer part of the pipeline had already been sold, although
Armenian governmental representatives rejecting the claim that they
are planning to sell the pipeline to Russian Gazprom.

On April 6, 2006 Gazprom published information about a 25 year-term
agreement, which had been drawn up and signed between Armenia
and Gazprom. According to one of the articles of the agreement,
the Armenian side takes responsibility for the sale of the 40
kilometer-long segment of the Iran-Armenia pipeline, which is currently
under construction as well as the 5th energy unit of Hrazdan Thermal
Power Station to the joint company ArmRosgasprom, Regnum reports.

Later, however, Gazprom spread a new round of information in which
nothing was mentioned about the gas pipeline.

The total length of the Armenian section of the Iran-Armenia pipeline
is 141 kilometers. The price of the project totals some USD 120
million and the pipeline’s construction should be completed by 2007.

‘I HAVE NO WORDS TO DESCRIBE WHAT I SAW’
By Gohar Gevorgian

AZG Armenian Daily
27/04/2006

President of Lithuania at Armenian Genocide Memorial

It’s hard to express one’s feelings while seeing a man’s cruelty
towards other man. Perhaps there is no language that could offer
words justifying such acts.

These were the words of Valdas Adamkus, president of Lithuania, that
he wrote in the memory book of the Armenian Genocide Museum after
visiting it with his wife Alma Adamkine and the Lithuanian delegation.

Justice minister Davit Harutyunian and Yerevan mayor Yervand
Zakharian accompanied the Lithuanian delegation at the Armenian
genocide Memorial.

Head of the Genocide Museum Lavrenti Barseghian presented the Armenian
history at large, the atrocities by the Turkish government and lives of
some of the genocide victims. The leader of the state that recognized
the Genocide on December 15 2004 presented the museum a gift saying:
“This is simply our symbolic appreciation as we have no words to
express what we saw.”

After lying a wreath at the Memorial the Lithuanian president planted
his second tree in the area of the Museum promising to visit time
after time to see how it grows. Lavrenti Barseghian, on his part,
promised to take care of the tree.