Author: Kajoyan Gevork

ARMEN MARTIROSYAN ABOUT THE SHOCKS. “DESTABILIZATION HAPPENS WHEN THERE IS NO PUBLIC CONFIDENCE.”

February 16 2015

Vice-President of “Heritage” assures that the people are in favor of
the opposition Aravot.am asked Vice-President of the “Heritage” party
Armen Martirosyan, who today, on February 15, attended the meeting of
the parliamentary Trio, whether he has no fear that the government
authorities will use all means to deprive the parliamentary Trio of
the resources, in that case, how they are going to involve the wide
public masses in the combat activities. “The opposition has only one
resource, it is the people’s confidence. No government authorities
can deprive the opposition of this resource. The opposition solely can
deprive itself of this resource if it does not fulfill the steps, which
RA citizens and the public demand. All other resources, basically,
are not comparable with the government, so there can be no talk about
these resources. The only powerful and the most important resource is
the people’s confidence, which is in the favor of the opposition,”
said Armen Martirosyan. We asked the Vice-President of “Heritage”
party whether shocks and destabilization are possible, especially
when the Parliamentary Trio had decided to hold a rally on February
20 and go to the end. “I cannot say anything from the government
authorities whether they will go for such moves or not, but as for
the opposition, it is excluded because destabilization can happen
only in the case when you do not public trust and support and you
are trying to implement artificial processes and steps. In our case,
I do not think that similar problem exists,” replied Armen Martirosyan.

Gohar HAKOBYAN

Read more at:

KOCHARIAN TO SARGSYAN: BACK OFF ON MOVES AGAINST TSARUKYAN

17:05, February 16, 2015

Commenting on the recent attack by Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan
on Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) leader Gagik Tsarukyan, Armenia’s
second president Robert Kocharian, in an interview with 2rd .am,
noted that he couldn’t understand why Sargsyan publicly slandered
Tsarukyan and, in any event, if Sargsyan’s goal was to weaken the BHK,
his attempt backfired.

“On the contrary, there are signs of the opposition uniting. Any
moves against the leader of the BHK will now be seen as a political
witch-hunt that lacks any justification,” Kocharian said in the
interview.

Kocharian said that given the social tension in Armenia and the
widespread support enjoyed by Tsarukyan and his party, further attempts
by the current government to cleanse the political field will only
increase unity against the regime and prospects for civic upheavels
in the country.

“It is not hard to predict how all of this will impact on the economy,
on the situation along the line of contact, and on the implementation
of upcoming events commemorating the 100th anniversary of the
Genocide,” Kocharian told 2rd.am.

Asked if he saw a way out of the current domestic political
confrontation now unfolding, Kocharian said it was incumbent on the
regime to avoid any administrative moves against Tsarukyan and to
remain within the parameters of oral debate.

“The plans broached by the ruling regime during the council session of
the Republican Party are not consistent with Armenia’s constitution
and merely serve to push the BHK and the opposition to organize mass
street actions whose consequences cannot be foreseen,” said Kocharian.

Armenia’s second president warned that arrests and repressive measures
would lead the country, already facing serious problems, into a deep
and long-term crisis.

ARMENIAN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY’S ADMINISTRATION LOOKING THROUGH RECORDS OF 2014 FALL SESSIONS TO SEE MPS’ ATTENDANCE

YEREVAN, February 16. /ARKA/. The administration of the National
Assembly of Armenia is looking through records of the 2014 fall
sessions to see the then attendance, Parliament Speaker Galust Sahakyan
was quoted by Novosti-Armenia as saying.

EX-FOREIGN MINISTER AND PARTY FELLOWS THREATEN TO START SIT-INS AND HUNGER STRIKES

YEREVAN, February 16. / ARKA /. Several parliament members from
the Prosperous Armenia Party, including ex foriegn minister Vartan
Oskanian, secretary of the party’s parliamentary faction Naira
Zohrabyan and others may start a sit-in and a hunger strike if the
party leader Gagik Tsarukyan is stripped of his parliamentary seat,
RFE/RL reported quoting a party member Vahan Babayan. Babayan said
this decision was made by the party’s governing board.

In the mealtime the Armenian parliament was to discuss the issue
on the grounds of “Tsarukyan’s chronic absenteeism” after president
Sargsyan said last week that Tsarukyan attended only four of the 145
meetings of the legislative body.

Speaking at a Thursday meeting of the executive board of the ruling
Republican Party of Armenia president Sargsyan lashed out at his
former coalition partner describing him as ‘a scourge for the country
who lacks intelligence, skills and education to govern Armenia.’

Sargsyan told prime minister Hovik Abrahamyan to instruct corresponding
bodies to thoroughly investigate the veracity of “unverified reports”
implicating Tsarukyan in large-scale tax evasion.

In retaliation to Sargsyan’s crackdown, the leader of the Prosperous
Armenia Party said the following day that the current situation in
the country requires solution and ‘the only solution is a complete
change of power through extraordinary presidential elections.’

Prosperous Armenia is the second largest force in the parliament
controlling 36 seats. It was part of coalition governments from 2007
to 2012. According to some estimates, Tsarukyan is the third-richest
person of Armenia.

On February 20, the party and its key allies, the Armenian National
Congress and Heritage, plan to hold a joint rally in Yerevan to press
for Sargsyan’s ouster.-0-

DISTRACTION?: PAP SAYS ATTACK ON TSARUKYAN TAKES FOCUS OFF BIGGER GOVERNMENT CONCERNS

POLITICS | 16.02.15 | 15:22

GOHAR ABRAHAMYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter

The President’s harsh comments and accusations toward Prosperous
Armenia Party (PAP) leader Gagik Tsarukyan have stirred unrest within
the party, while members of the “alternative” party say that the
government should be focusing on greater matters of concern rather
than trying to bring down Tsarukyan.

PAP faction MP Mikayel Melkumyan told reporters on Monday that the
party’s activities were solely oppositional; they moved along the
path with no turbulence, however, these latest events will accelerate
their activities.

“At the (Republican Party of Armenia) meeting there was not a word
about the country’s grave social state; are they trying to distract
people’s attention? Is Gagik Tsarukyan to be blamed that there are
no investments in Armenia, that there are more than a million poor
people in Armenia, is Gagik Tsarukyan to be blamed that there is
officially 20 percent of unemployment . . .”

Melkumyan said, adding that there is an exceptional chance now to
follow the people’s desire.

Christian-Democratic Renaissance party leader Sos Gimishyan spoke
about the situation saying that it is the first time he does not
agree with either side, he believes in neither the government nor
the other side and even sees a political game in this situation.

“One side said that this is the evil, the other one – the opposite,
they had the government in their hands together once, and today’s state
is the result of those years. I do not exclude the option that this is
a political game, an attempt to clarify the political field between
the two forces, and behind these political forces I can clearly see
Serzh Sargsyan and Robert Kocharyan,” Gimishyan said.

Melkumyan dismissed the statement as “nonsense”.

Gimishyan said that the two sides with their actions made the situation
in the country tense, which, on the background of current geopolitical
processes, is unnecessary for the country.

ORCHESTRATED?: OUTSIDE INFLUENCE SEEN IN ARMENIAN POLITICS AMID RPA-PAP STANDOFF

ANALYSIS | 16.02.15 | 10:37

By NAIRA HAYRUMYAN
ArmeniaNow correspondent

Armenia’s opposition trio is going to hold an “urgent all-national
rally” on February 20 to discuss further steps of its struggle with the
people. The need for such steps emerged after President Serzh Sargsyan
called Gagik Tsarukyan, the leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party,
a key member of the trio, a ‘pseudo-political phenomenon”.

Before that Tsarukyan practically put forward an ultimatum to
the authorities. And then to the statement of Sargsyan, Tsarukyan
responded with a call for a “nationwide mobilization” to oust the
current administration.

In connection with this situation there are assumptions being made
in Armenia that the current political crisis and the possible shocks
may be ‘inspired’ from outside. In particular, some think that the
current leadership of Armenia has decided to return to more active
relations with the West “to the detriment” of its relations with
Russia. And Moscow has opted for a change of government.

As an argument to substantiate this version some cite the fact
that President Sargsyan made a loud statement on the day the new US
ambassador Richard Mills arrived in Armenia. During their meeting
Sargsyan reportedly discussed the preparation of a framework trade and
investment agreement between the United States and Armenia. Armenia
cannot conclude such an agreement without the consent of the members
of the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union. At the same time, in the
economic situation like today’s only such an agreement can become a
salvation for Armenia.

Interestingly, commenting on the political situation and the tough
speech by Sargsyan Ambassador Mills noted that he himself was from
the state of Louisiana, where it is normal for politicians to use such
language. He also said that if President Sargsyan ordered a probe into
allegations of Tsarukyan’s tax evasion and possible involvement in
other crimes, then this probe must be conducted strictly in accordance
with the law.

As for ‘Moscow’s hand’, analyst Modest Kolerov, the chief editor of
the Regnum news agency who stands close to the Kremlin, answering
the question of the 168 Zham newspaper on whether Tsarukyan can get
support of the Kremlin, said: “No, he cannot. If the matter concerns
a respected politician, philanthropist, businessman, there can be no
problems. But if a person is forming an opposition, he must clearly
and specifically say what alternative he offers with his personality.

We do not have a clear answer to this question.”

A few days before Sargsyan’s speech a PAP delegation headed by
Tsarukyan was in Moscow. During the meeting with the leadership
of the State Duma committee for the Eurasian Union Tsarukyan said
that by joining the Russian-led trade bloc Armenia has made its
“civilizational choice”, and that he personally is for the development
and strengthening of relations with Russia.

If Sargsyan is really going to ask the West for help, then the
pro-Russian orientation of Tsarukyan could become an “alternative” for
Russia. And then Moscow will have some reasons to back the PAP leader.

However, media and social networks are also considering another
version of intensification of opposition groups in early 2015.

On April 24, Armenia is going to mark the 100th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide, which promises to be an important geopolitical
event. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has openly declared
that his country is doing everything to ‘neutralize’ the impact
of events in Yerevan. And some in Armenia and Karabakh considering
what is happening in Armenia in the context of the Turkish plans. In
particular, it concerns the activation of a hardline opposition group
known as Founding Parliament, which has announced protests and, in
fact, the beginning of a revolution on April 24. It is difficult to
say whether Founding Parliament is connected with the Tsarukyan party.

LE LAC A UN NIVEAU STABLE MALGRE UN HIVER TRES SEC

Sevan

Les inquietudes ont ete quelque peu apaisees ces derniers jours
avec l’arrivee de la neige et de la pluie. Les meteorologues avaient
averti que le niveau du lac Sevan aurait pu diminuer, en raison d’un
hiver exceptionnellement sec, mais Mher Mkrtoumian, chef de cabinet
du Comite d’Etat de l’economie de l’eau rattache au ministère de
l’Agriculture, a declare vendredi que des precipitations normales
dans les deux prochains mois devrait eviter les problèmes dans le
secteur agricole et le niveau des eaux du lac Sevan.

Selon les donnees de Mkrtoumian, pour le moment, le niveau de l’eau
du lac est le meme que a la meme periode l’annee dernière.

“Decembre et janvier ont ete accompagnes par des processus
meteorologiques defavorables : des conditions chaudes, des
precipitations limitees, une absence de couverture de neige, mais
les tendances et les developpements de ces derniers jours sont un
peu rassurants”, a declare Mkrtoumian.

lundi 16 fevrier 2015, Claire (c)armenews.com

EurasiaNet.org
Feb 15 2015

Azerbaijan: U.S. Doesn’t Appreciate Us

February 15, 2015 – 1:48pm, by Joshua Kucera

After a U.S. Congressional committee held a hearing critically
examining U.S.-Azerbaijan relations, Azerbaijan’s parliament responded
with a retaliatory event of its own, accusing the U.S. of ignoring
Baku’s strategic cooperation with Washington.

On February 12, the House’s Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and
Emerging Threats held a hearing, “Azerbaijan: U.S. Energy, Security,
and Human Rights Interests.” As expected, members of Congress and
American experts on Azerbaijan criticized Baku for its accelerating
crackdown on any opposing voices in the country, including the raid on
and closure of the U.S. government-funded RFE/RL office.

Baku has been increasingly vocal in its criticism of the U.S., and
this time took the step of organizing its own counter-hearing just two
days later, “Energy and Security Cooperation: Partnership Based on
Mutual Interests.” Azerbaijani opposition website contact.az noted
that government officials in Baku resent what they see as ingratitude
for the contributions that they make to U.S. security interests:

The head of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Relations Samad
Seyidov described relations between the two countries ‘strategic
partnership’. He further spoke about the support that Azerbaijan
provides to Washington and how the US does not appreciate this.

Azerbaijan and the United States cooperate closely in combating
international terrorism, through Azerbaijan there is transit for
coalition forces in Afghanistan, the Azerbaijani servicemen are in the
coalition, providing airport security in Kabul. In addition,
Azerbaijan provides energy security of Western countries.

“Therefore, we expect a fair and adequate treatment from the United
States, and especially in the Karabakh conflict,” Seyidov said,
alluding to the bias of the United States in this matter.

One of the witnesses at the Washington hearing, former ambassador to
Baku Richard Kauzlarich, was also the subject of an ad hominem
takedown in the Azerbaijani press, in which he was accused of being a
“loser” with a “weakness for alcohol.”

Interestingly, in none of Baku’s criticisms of Washington’s criticisms
was there a defense of Azerbaijan’s policies on human rights and
dissent. The focus seemed to be solely on Azerbaijan’s strategic
interest to the U.S. and Washington’s shortsightedness in not valuing
that over human rights problems. Kauzlarich, that article noted, tries
to make the case that Azerbaijan is becoming less important a partner
for the U.S., “while officials from his government say the opposite.”
As long as they are important enough strategically, officials in Baku
appear to be thinking, they can get away with whatever they want to do
internally.

Center for Research on Globalization
Feb 14 2015

How Stupid Do They Think We Are? Misleading Public Opinion on Russia and NATO

By Eric Zuesse

Newsweek magazine headlined on February 5th, “Biggest NATO
Reinforcement Since Cold War’ Sets Frontlines Against Russia,’ and
reported that, `According to general Charles Wald, former-deputy
commander of U.S. European Command, ¦ `The question for Europe is:

`is Putin creeping further and further west?”

Wald is quoted as saying that the case of Ukraine especially worries
him. This article continues:

“Is this a precursor to Russia moving into Moldova? Nagorno Karabakh
has been bubbling up, and the Georgia issue is still unresolved. NATO
has essentially set these [new military] bases in its frontline
states,’ Wald says, referring to the countries’ proximity to Russian
territory.’

So: Russia is moving too close to NATO countries, according to the
U.S. `Defense’ Department.

But it’s a blatant lie. Actually, since 1999, 11 former members of the
Warsaw Pact, countries, which had been allied with Russia during the
communist Soviet Union throughout the Cold War, have switched to the
U.S. military alliance against their former ally Russia, NATO: Czech
Republic, Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania,
Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Albania.

So: Russia hasn’t been moving at all, not an inch; but the U.S.
certainly has ‘ by surrounding Russia with its NATO missiles.

This Newsweek story is `news’ that’s published in a mainstream U.S.
`news’ source, which people pay bad money for ‘ it’s worse than a
waste, it’s their being charged for U.S.-Government propaganda.

Here is authentic news, from an authentic news source ‘ news which had
been posted just four days earlier than that Newsweek lie, on February
1st ‘ news that was posted at the Fort Russ blog, which not only is
free, but it’s the most thorough and reliably truthful news site of
all on the Ukrainian conflict:

`NATO is moving closer to Russia and blaming Russia for being close to
NATO.’ A video is shown there.

This video, which was posted to youtube on 17 October 2014, shows a
Pentagon spokesperson being asked at a press conference about
`Defense’ Secretary Chuck Hagel’s accusation, that Russia’s army is
`on NATO’s doorstep’; and the (extremely unusual, skeptical American
journalist) questioner then asks `Why is that?’

Hagel’s press spokesperson insists there that it happens because
Russia has been seizing nations and thus moving closer to NATO; he
refuses to acknowledge that NATO has instead been expanding up to
Russia’s very border, bringing U.S. weapons surrounding Russia’s
periphery. How would the U.S. react if, say, Russia had tried to
install nuclear missiles in, say, Cuba ‘ like the Soviet Union tried
in 1962?

Here’s that video:

There are lots of reader-comments to that video, many of which are
from fools who are treating Russia as being evil and dangerous, and
ignoring the insult to their own intelligence that came forth from
Chuck Hagel’s spokesperson in this video, which they had just watched.

However, Fort Russ reports this videoed statement without comment, as
being instead a self-evident lie from the U.S. Government, and it is
that; not as being (like Newsweek does) a supposed truth from the U.S.
Government, a supposed truth that’s being unchallenged by Newsweek’s
`journalist,’ though if Newsweek had been an authentic news-source it
would have reported that the U.S. Government was simply lying there ‘
since that’s the actual fact.

As regards the reader-comments to this Newsweek article, here’s a
typical sequence of these reader-comments, so that you can see how
American readers responded to this piece of sheer American propaganda:

COMMENTS:

‘-Bong Valencia · Don bosco academy pampanga

Everybody needs to stop calling Ukraine’s enemies as Russian[backed
rebels. Let’s call a spade a spade. Let’s call them Russians! They
came from and were sent by Russia.

· 24 · February 5 at 7:57pm

‘-Kevin Quinn · Top Commenter

But they LIVE in what’s called `eastern Ukraine’ and have been there
in some cases for centuries. That is Kyiv’s main point. And theirs.
Some have received military training in the Soviet forces, as well as
the UA. Some of the younger have been trained in `militia camps’ `
safe in Russia.

¢ · 3 · February 6 at 10:57am

‘-Sergy K · Top Commenter · Harvard Kennedy School

Kevin Quinn there are at most 15% of locals, 85 % came from Russia,
and the military organizers came from Moscow

¢ · 1 · February 6 at 12:54pm

‘-Ð`иÑ…аил Ð`оÑ?аÑов · Top Commenter · Ð`Ð?Ð?Ð` им. Ð’.Ð?. Ð?ÑÑ?пÑ?кой

Sergy K, Where did you take those percentage from? Maybe from The
History Of Russian State by N.M.Karamzin or Primary Chronicle Where
Did Russian Land Come From or The History Of Kiev Rus? Look these
books through in the Harvard Kennedy School Library or at least use
Google ‘Russian-speaking population in Ukraine’.

¢ · February 10 at 5:06am

‘-El D Den · Top Commenter

My hope is NATO destroys Russia once and for all.

· 9 · February 5 at 10:36pm

Noting the claim of one reader there (`Sergy K’) to be from Harvard’s
Kennedy School, the present reporter looked to see whether there is,
actually, any `Sergy K’ who has been associated with that supposedly
august and supposedly authoritative School. This is what I came up
with:

So: apparently, an `expert’ at Harvard’s Kennedy School, and even one
whose sole published work deals with Ukraine, does, indeed, actually
think that 85% of the fighters against the Kiev-based Ukrainian
Government’s invasion of Ukraine’s Donbass region are Russian
soldiers, not residents.

On that matter, here is the actual evidence (there’s lots of it, but
these are perhaps the most striking):

Furthermore, to the exact contrary of all the similar allegations by
the U.S. Government (which say that Russia wants to add to Russian
territory the land where Ukraine’s pro-Russia rebels live), the
present reporter had headlined on 19 September 2014, `Russia’s Leader
Putin Rejects Ukrainian Separatists’ Aim to Become Part of Russia,’
and reported that not only did Putin reject it verbally, but that the
Ukrainian separatist leaders took his statement as being his final
word on the subject, and so decided `We will build our own country.’

In other words: the only reason why the Obama Administration is
pushing the fraudulent line that Putin is trying to seize the Donbass
region of Ukraine away from Ukraine, is because Barack Obama needs to
portray his own sponsorship of an ethnic-cleansing operation to get
rid of the residents in Donbass (the rebellious region of Ukraine) as
being instead an `Anti Terrorist Operation’ by the Government against
rebel fighters who (as the Harvard Kennedy School `Expert’ said) `85 %
came from Russia.’

We’re supposed to be this stupid, and this misinformed, by a
propaganda-line that doesn’t even make sense ‘ the line that says the
people who are bombing the residents in Donbass and destroying the
region, are the invading Russian army, and/or the residents who live
there (the `Terrorists,’ as the Ukrainian Government calls them),
instead of being the Government forces that are trying to exterminate
the residents there, and who are actually terrorizing those residents
in order to get them to die or else to leave Ukraine.

As to the reason why Obama wants to get rid of those residents, look
at this map. It shows the results in the final nationwide Ukrainian
Presidential election, the one that was held in 2010 and which pitted
the pro-Washington Yulia Tymoshenko against the pro-neutral-Ukraine
Viktor Yanukovych. As you can see, the dark purple area is the region
that voted 90% for Yanukovych. That’s also the area which the
Ukrainian Government has been bombing. If the voters who live there,
ever again vote for a President of Ukraine, then Obama’s February 2014
coup which overthrew Yanukovych will be elected out of office: the
Obama coup-regime will end. That’s why Obama wants those voters to
either die or else leave Ukraine. He needs them gone. (And official
Washington wants this mass-murder of them to increase; and this
genocidal push is bipartisan, both Republicans and Democrats.)

No wonder why the U.S. Government keeps lying, and its
propaganda-organs (virtually the entire U.S. press) are lying. The
press are controlled by the same aristocracy that control the
Government. But, in order to do this, they are playing the American
people for suckers. Maybe enough of the American public are, but
that’s no justification for what America’s aristocracy are doing. The
people who are being slaughtered aren’t Americans at all, but are
instead the entirely innocent residents in the Donbass region of the
former Ukraine.

Prior to Obama’s February 2014 Ukrainian coup, that entire country was
a democracy, and there was no ethnic cleansing there. But Obama has
the nerve now to accuse Russia of `aggression,’ when in fact it is he
that is the aggressor. And that’s the sole basis for the economic
sanctions that Russians now suffer.

What a massive crime: a war-crime that would be worthy of being tried
as such at Nuremberg ‘ but, this time, notby Americans. Obama is
instead the anti-FDR President. An American President like this would
make Franklin Delano Roosevelt turn over in his grave.

Investigative historian Eric Zuesse is the author, most recently, of
They’re Not Even Close: The Democratic vs. Republican Economic
Records, 1910-2010, and of CHRIST’S VENTRILOQUISTS: The Event that
Created Christianity.

Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Feb 15 2015

Forward Yura Movsisyan extends his contract with Spartak Moscow FC

15 February 2015 – 8:08pm

The forward Yura Movsisyan has extended his contract with Spartak Moscow FC.

There is no information on the terms of the agreement with the
27-year-old forward of the Armenian national team. The previous
contract was due to end in 2017.

This season, Movsisyan played eight matches and scored one goal for
the the reds-and-whites. He missed the start of the Championship of
Russia due to injury.

“We are very pleased that a player of the level of Yura, so
significant for the football team, has signed a new contract with the
club,” the CEO of Spartak Roman Askhabadze said.

Movsisyan also confirmed that he wants his immediate future to be
linked only with Spartak Moscow FC.

“It is obvious that there was much gossip about a possible transition,
lots of suggestions, but none of them was true,” TASS quoted the
forward.