Author: Kalantarian Kevo

CONGRESS OBLIGES OBAMA TO ESTABLISH CLOSER U.S.-GEORGIA MILITARY COOPERATION

PanARMENIAN.Net
December 17, 2011 – 13:22 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The U.S. Congress has voted for the establishment
of closer military relations with Georgia, involving the sale of U.S.
arms to Tbilisi. The relevant provision is included in the Pentagon
budget bill for the 2012 fiscal year, approved by the Senate on
Thursday, December 15. Previously it had been approved by the House of
Representatives. The document has been sent for signature to President
Barack Obama.

As it is stated in Article 1244 of the bill, no later than 90 days
after the signing the president should develop and submit to Congress
a plan for the normalization of military cooperation between the U.S.

and Georgia, including the sale of defensive weapons.

According to the lawmakers, among the tasks the implementation of
that plan should aim at is support for the Georgian government in
protecting its people and the sovereign territory with regard to the
obligations not to use force, made by the government of Georgia,
and in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter; arrangements
for the United States’ sales of military equipment and property,
as well as provision of military services to support the efforts of
the government of Georgia for ensuring self-defense.

In addition, the members of the US Congress would like the Obama
Administration to persuade other NATO members and countries seeking
accession to the alliance to restore and increase the sales of military
equipment and property and the provision of military services to
Georgia as part of broader efforts to deepen NATO military relations
and cooperation with Georgia.

The required plan must contain an assessment of Georgia’s defense
requirements, which the Pentagon will be required to prepare, as
well as the a list of all requests from the Georgian government for
purchases of military equipment and property and the provision of
military services over the past two years.

In the Senate this provision was included in the bill by Republican
Senator John McCain, who has repeatedly stated publicly that Georgia
needs U.S. weapons to defend itself. In the lower house of Congress
he was actively supported, in particular, by Republican Michael
Turner, who kept wondering why shouldn’t defensive weapons be sold
to a country whose soldiers are fighting shoulder to shoulder with
the Americans in Afghanistan, Itar-Tass reported.

ARMENIAN MOTHER ASKS HELP TO BRING BACK HER SONS FROM RUSSIA (VIDEO)

Tert.am
17.12.11

Shirak Centre, a Gyumri-based non-governmental organization, has
released a video footage which portrays a mother, who claims together
with her sons, has been abused by employers in Russia.

In the video, the woman named Gohar Khachatryan, 43, makes an appeal
to law-enforcements to help return her two sons who, she claims, still
remain in Russia and are abused by the same employer.

Below is the video released by the Shirak Center.

‘REGIONAL AND GLOBAL PROCESSES WORK AGAINST ARMENIA’

news.az
Dec 16 2011
Azerbaijan

Armenia has driven itself to a deadlock.

The statement came from chairman of the Turan Youth Ogranization Onur
Gungor in Holland, Gun.Az reports.

“Azerbaijan can liberate its lands any time and simply the
geopolitical processes ongoing in the world make Azerbaijan rely on
peace principles. However, Armenian politicians should not be happy
that they have occupied Karabakh and can sit freely there. This is
not true! In a short period of time, the wonderful land of the Turkic
world and integral part of Azerbaijan will be liberated”, Gungor said.

The organization chairman said in case Armenia does not return
Karabakh, it will have to face the whole Turkic world.

“Because, the Turkic influence in the region is growing and Armenia
cannot ignore this fact. Additionally, the regional and global
geopolitical processes work against Armenia”, Gungor said.

US ANALYST: “AS LONG AS ARMENIA IS RECEIVING FULL ECONOMIC, POLITICAL AND MILITARY SUPPORT FROM A MAJOR POWER WHILE STILL OCCUPYING NAGORNO-KARABAKH, THERE IS NO ROLE FOR THE WEST”

MilAz.info
Dec 16 2011
Azerbaijan

“If Russia completes the modernization plans in Azerbaijan’s Gabala
radar it has announced, then it would make sense for the United
States to reconsider joint use of the base-if that offer were to be
renewed by the Russians”, James J. Coyle, former director of Middle
East studies at the US Army War College, who currently serves as a
Director of Global Education at the Chapman University, told in an
interview with APA’s correspondent.

The analyst reminded that when Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin
was a president in 2007, he offered the US joint use of the Azerbaijani
radar station instead of the building an independent station in the
Czech Republic. The US eventually rejected this proposal, however,
because the base would have required extensive modernization.

In the meanwhile, the analyst says, “President Medvedev’s latest
statement that Gabala radar will not take part in a European missile
defense program would indicate such an offer is no longer on the table.

Speaking about the main differences between the Russian and Western
approaches to South Caucasus, Mr. Coyle mentioned that in general,
the Russians seem more attuned to the geo-political importance of
the countries in the Caucasus while the West seems more interested
in economics.

“Russia is interested in friendship treaties, while the West is
interested in pipeline routes. Russia is also interested in pipelines,
but only to the extent that pipelines can be used to further their
geo-political interests. The West is more concerned with energy
supplies for Europe”.

The analyst also pointed out, the fact that Azerbaijan has huge swaths
of its territory occupied by a neighboring state is a major threat
to the regional stability. “Stability can only be assured when all
countries in a region live in peace with borders that are recognized
by the other countries in the region”.

As for the possible Western role on resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh
issue, Mr. Coyle said, “As long as Armenia is receiving full economic,
political and military support from a major power while still occupying
Nagorno-Karabakh, there is no role for the West”.

TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS REPRESENTATIVES OF FRENCH COMPANIES

Anadolu Agency
Dec 16 2011
Turkey

Ankara: Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu met representatives
of French companies in Ankara on Friday.

Davutoglu conveyed his views to the representatives about a French
resolution criminalizing rejection of Armenian allegations pertaining
to the incidents of 1915.

Diplomatic sources said that Davutoglu warned the executives of French
companies – which invest or work in Turkey – that the relations between
Turkey and France would be harmed, if the resolution was adopted.

Davutoglu said that it was unfortunate to bring such a resolution
onto the agenda while there was an ongoing economic crisis in Europe.

Meanwhile, a delegation of Turkish businessmen will visit Paris next
week to prevent the resolution being adopted at French parliament.

In a former warning, Turkey had told the French Parliament that
history could not be written by the parliaments.

Turkey had asked the French Parliament to implement a report that
was prepared by an investigation committee at the French parliament
in 2008.

In a statement posted on their web site, the Turkish embassy in Paris
said that “the investigation committee was chaired by parliament
speaker Bernard Accoyer and the committee in its report had said that
the parliaments’ role was not to write history nor to make legislation
that would require penalties”.

In their statement, the Turkish Embassy said that they hoped French
authorities would leave history to historians.

A draft law on the same issue had come up at the Senate in May but
was not accepted by a majority. We were astonished to see an identical
draft law get approved at the French parliamentary committee on laws
at a time when France was getting ready for elections, the Turkish
Embassy said.

Earlier on Friday, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent
a letter to French President Nicolas Sarkozy in order to warn the
country about Armenian allegations regarding the incidents of 1915.

The French parliament will vote on the draft law that criminalizes
rejection of Armenian allegations pertaining to the incidents of 1915
on 22 December.

The draft law will make it possible to penalize individuals who
reject Armenian allegations by a prison term of one year and a fine
of 45,000 euros.

IS IT REALLY ALL THAT GREAT THAT WE ARE NOT YET IN THE EU?
by Huseyin Gulerce

Today’s Zaman
Dec 16 2011
Turkey

We have entered a problematic period as far as our relations with the
European Union are concerned. The success that Turkey has seen with
its economy and its general development has sparked in some circles
an air of “we no longer have a need for the EU”.

This atmosphere is being boosted even more by the fact that the
European Union is still going through one of the greatest crises in
its history. This unforeseen crisis is shaking the very structure of
the EU, most palpably in Greece, Italy and Spain. Last week, on 8-9
December, there was a summit in Brussels with decisions made about
all sorts of new precautions. In short, they are trying to transcend
this crisis.

We know about all the negative reactions both in Turkey and in Europe
to our prospective membership, based not only on understandable
nationalistic emotions but also cultural and religious differences.

There are very strong “no to Turkish EU membership” lobbies on
both sides.

Some powerful groups in Europe resist our prospective membership,
pointing to Turkey’s majority Muslim population as a reason. We see at
the same time that hostility towards Islam and Turks is being incited.

The neo-Nazi murders and increased racism in Germany of late need
not be brushed aside lightly. At the same time, the reality that
Turkey will in the near future possess Europe’s largest and most
dynamic population, as well as the fact that it is becoming stronger
and stronger in its region, are making certain European circles
uncomfortable.

But perhaps the most important factor is the resistance and attempts
to prevent Turkey’s EU membership by members of the guardian
regime in Turkey. The guardian regime wants to see Turkey led by a
more inward-looking government. After all, this is where all their
opportunities, influence, and powerful positions derive from. Let me
try and explain what I am really trying to say by borrowing from some
statements made recently by EU Minister Egeman Bagis in an interview
with the Hurriyet daily. In response to the question, “If there were
no EU accession process going on, what would Turkey lack?” Bagis
answered, “Were there no EU accession process, there would still
be state security courts. It used to be required that the boards
of both the TRT [Turkish Radio and Television Corporation] and YOK
[Higher Education Board] would have at least one general. That has
changed. If there are 24-hour broadcasts in Kurdish, if a president
has visited an Alevi ‘cemevi’ [house of worship] for the first time
since Ataturk, if there is a prime minister who has shown the grace
to apologize for the Dersim massacre, if our Armenian and Greek
citizens can now attend masses at both Akdamar and Sumela after 112
and 88 years respectively, if we no longer worry about the safety of
the toys our children play with and if the very food we eat is more
hygienic, the EU plays a part in all of the above.”

Let me add this: If civilian supervision of the military has increased,
if cases like the Ergenekon and Balyoz are being held not in military
but rather civilian courts, these are occurrences that derive from
warnings offered up in EU Progress reports, as well as the fact that
these reports follow-up on the issues at hand. And, it should be
mentioned, there is a lot further still to go…

In order for Turkey to rid itself of this guardian system, it needs
support from the European Union. The greatest barrier that lies before
the guardian status quo is in fact the EU itself. Membership in the
EU is the greatest guarantee Turkey has of democratization.

Anyone who believes that the military guardian regime is over is
wrong. Very recently, one of the most important suspects, a general,
in the “Internet Memorandum” case involving the military escaped
abroad. In other words, he was ferried out. We are actually engulfed
in the most critical period yet in terms of getting rid of this
military guardian regime and of making the transfer to democracy. If
constitutional, permanent, and fundamental precautions are not taken
– and may God protect us from this – those waiting in ambush for a
period of revenge filled with hatred and enmity will surely return.

Turkey’s EU membership is actually a strategic decision. It represents
an important milestone for Turkey in terms of global peace and
integrating with the world, all while remaining true to ourselves. In
fact, the most important stage in the United Nations Alliance of
Civilizations project is Turkey’s prospective EU membership.

This most recent large crisis experienced by the EU is, instead
providing a reason for Turkey to back down, actually a historical
opportunity for us. Influential circles in Europe have now begun to
better understand Turkey’s importance. There is talk now of how an
EU without Turkey can not really hope to be a global player. This
should make us neither arrogant nor tense.

Let us not become enslaved to the fluctuations of national politics;
let us not lose sight of the wider vistas before us…

ARMENIA HOLDS MINESWEEPER ROBOTS’ COMPETITION

news.am
Armenia
Dec 16 2011

YEREVAN. – Armenia’s Open Competition on Robots (ArmRobotics) will
hold final round on Minesweeper robots competition on Saturday, the
Union of Information Technology Enterprises (UITE) informs Armenian
News-NEWS.am.

The minesweeper robots search the territory, find the mines, fix
their position and create an electronic map of the examined area.

Winners of the tournament will receive AMD 400,000 ($1080), 300,000
($800) and 200,000 ($550) award respectively for the first, second
and third places.

The competition is organized by the UITE, supported by the Armenian
MOD, Tumo center for creative technologies and Microsoft Innovation
center.

APIGIAN-KESSEL: DETROIT ‘HYE’ AT ARAX DANCE PERFORMANCE
By: Betty Apigian-Kessel

Fri, Dec 16 2011

The word “Hye,” meaning Armenian, has been pressed into service
numerous times to describe the heights, the good times, to which one
becomes elevated while attending Hye events.

In a city that has its share of successful functions, some stand
out more than others. The annual Hamazkayin Arax Dance Ensemble’s
performance has always-deservedly-received community-wide support.

On Saturday evening, Nov. 19, a sold-out crowd of 400 gathered around
the mezza-laden tables at the Armenian Community Center in Dearborn
to be entertained by a finely tuned youth group that danced its feet
and hearts out.

Hamazkayin chairlady, Hermine Manoogian, always proves herself to be
worthy of her leadership role. She welcomed the attending Yeretsgins,
clergy, and guests. Trained as a teacher, Manoogian’s remarks were
eloquent in both Armenian and English as she explained the birth
and final polishing of the dancers, and stressed the Hamazkayin’s
appreciation for the community’s financial and moral support.

When former Chicago native Nayiri Karapetian married and moved to the
Detroit area, she brought her immense dance experience and teaching
talent with her. Over six years ago, she allied with Manoogian
to establish the Hamazkayin Arax Dance Ensemble. Through rigorous
Saturday rehearsals, the dance group was born.

A registered ICU nurse and the mother of two very young daughters, the
dance director finally had to temporarily take time away from training
the dancers. Step in university student and dancer Lara Zanazanian
who willingly replaced Nayiri’s position as director. She was assisted
by Dikran Callan and Nayiri Kaissarian, themselves dancers. The show
must go on and it did in grand style, not missing a beat.

The evening exceeded the audience’s expectations as they watched the
artistic endeavors of this third-generation following the survivors
of the genocide. They carry on the dance tradition of their ancient
ancestors with unabashed enthusiasm and pride.

With an eye-catching backdrop replicating the Republic of Armenia’s
tricolor flag with white drapery, the large stage hosted the 29 Arax
dancers. Outfitted in different costumes for each dance, the burgundy,
gold, and emerald greens of the clothing only added to the excitement
of the performance.

The ensemble is comprised of youth from all elements of the Armenian
community, whose hearts are no doubt in the Highlands. One couple met
and married and another has become engaged through the dance troupe.

That deserves more applause.

While the high-flying young men’s boots vigorously stomped the floor,
it was the traditional graceful hand and body movements of the women
that added to the romance of the dance. And the audience responded
with rounds of applause eliciting many shouts of “Bravo!”

The 14 dances included a tribute to Armenian soldiers of yesterday
and today: “Vernashounch” (Rebirth), a solo performance by Nayiri
Kaissarian, “Playful Dance” by Lara Zanazanian and Paul Tavitian,
the popular “Kochari,” and dances representing the Zankezur, Shirak,
and Moush regions, and other villages.

Something special happened when “Vaspouragan” (Van) and “Varaka Lerneri
Bar” were performed. As soon as the music started all I could envision
was the image of Vanetsi native Vostanik Manuk Adoyan (Arshile Gorky),
the famous American abstract expressionist. His life ended tragically
and too soon. Oddly it was just that day that Christie’s Auction House
announced that one of Gorky’s untitled paintings had sold for $902,500.

Gorky loved Armenian music and dance, and was quick to raise his 6’5″
frame, waving his arms about with joy and laughter while dancing
to the village melodies in his New York studio. Surely he, too, was
with us that day, up on his feet and dancing. They could never take
Van and that part of being Armenian out of his soul. The mountains,
fields, and Lake Van colored his paintings and were interpreted in
exaggerated shapes put on canvas, for which he became famous.

The Hamazkayin dancers’ souls, too, are filled with the music of
ancient and modern Armenia. The evening was heaven on earth for
Vostanik and Detroiters alike, thanks to those marvelous youth.

PROJET DE LOI FRANCAIS SUR LA RECONNAISSANCE DU GENOCIDE ARMENIEN: ERDOGAN MENACE SARKOZY

Radio Chine Internationale

16 dec 2011

Le Premier ministre turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan a mis en garde vendredi
le president francais Nicolas Sarkozy contre un projet de loi francais
reconnaissant la mort des Armeniens en 1915 comme “genocide”, declarant
que ce projet de loi aura “de graves consequences” sur les relations
bilaterales, a rapporte l’agence de presse semi-officielle Anatolie.

“Je veux exprimer cela clairement”, a declare M. Erdogan, dans une
lettre envoyee a M. Sarkozy, poursuivant: “Ces mesures conduiront a
des consequences graves pour les relations culturelles, economiques
et politiques entre la France et la Turquie, et la responsabilite de
ces consequences retombera sur ceux qui ont initie ces mesures”.

L’Assemblee nationale francaise devrait voter la semaine prochaine
sur ce projet de loi, qui reconnait le caractère de ” genocide”
et prevoit des amendes pour ceux qui le nient publiquement.

Les officiels turcs ont indique jeudi que si le projet de loi
francais etait adopte, Ankara rappellerait son ambassadeur en France
et procèderait au gel des relations bilaterales.

La Turquie et l’Armenie n’entretiennent aucune relation diplomatique
ni economique depuis que l’Armenie a declare son independance en 1991.

Les deux pays sont coinces dans une querelle sur la mort d’Armeniens
pendant la 1ère Guerre mondiale, sous le règne Ottoman. Pour l’Armenie,
ces Armeniens ont fait l’objet d’un “genocide”, alors que la Turquie
nie cette accusation et affirme qu’ils ont ete victimes d’un chaos
generalise et d’une vaste operation gouvernementale car l’Empire
Ottoman s’est effondre avant que la Turquie moderne ne soit creee.

La Turquie et l’Armenie ont signe des protocoles pour normaliser
leurs relations et ouvrir les frontières l’annee dernière, mais ces
accords doivent etre approuves par les parlements des deux pays avant
d’entrer en vigueur.

GENOCIDE ARMENIEN : LA TURQUIE MET EN GARDE LA FRANCE

Francetv info

16 dec 2011

Un projet de loi envenime de nouveau les relations entre la France et
la Turquie vendredi 16 decembre. Le Premier ministre turc Recep Tayyip
Erdogan a menace le president francais Nicolas Sarkozy de consequences
“graves et irreparables” si la France adopte un texte reprimant la
negation du genocide armenien.

“Ce projet de loi vise directement la republique de Turquie, la nation
turque et la communaute turque de France, et nous le considerons
comme hostile”, a justifie Erdogan. Le projet de loi, examine jeudi
15 decembre a l’Assemblee, propose de sanctionner d’une peine de
prison et d’une amende la negation du genocide armenien de 1915,
que la Turquie refuse de reconnaître.

Devant les associations armeniennes, Nicolas Sarkozy, avant son
election en 2007, s’etait engage a soutenir un tel texte au Parlement.

En visite en octobre a Erevan, la capitale armenienne, il avait a
nouveau juge la negation du genocide armenien inacceptable et appele
la Turquie a “revisiter son histoire”, declenchant les foudres
d’Ankara. La France a reconnu en 2001 l’existence de ce genocide.