Author: Kalantarian Kevo

A GHOST BATTLESHIP FOR ARMENIA: YEREVAN DENIES EXISTENCE OF MILITARY CONTACTS WITH TIRANA
by Yury Simonyan, translated by Pavel Pushkin

Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
Nezavisimaya Gazeta
July 30, 2007 Monday

Armenia denies information about an attempt to buy a large batch of
armament from albania; Turkey denied the transit of a large batch of
armament and ammunition for Armenia to Albania, reported BBC Monitoring
European in IndustryWatch with reference to Albanian Gazeta Shqiptare.

Turkey denied the transit of a large batch of armament and ammunition
for Armenia to Albania, reported BBC Monitoring European in
IndustryWatch with reference to Albanian Gazeta Shqiptare.

The text published by the IndustryWatch website quotes the words of
Prime Minister of Albania, Sali Berish, that Turkey forced an Albanian
ship with armament to turn back. Berish said, "One of our ships with
60 containers filled mostly with heavy artillery and ammunition was
heading from the port of Durres to Istanbul." He pointed out that the
problematic relations of Turkey and Armenia resulted in a situation
when the ship had to return and unload the armament in Durres.

The publication also quotes a top-ranking representative of Albanian
company MEIKO specializing in armament trade as saying that Albania
does not care about the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, "All procedures
of sale were in order and complied with the law. Now we are considering
the possibility of using other routes."

According to description of the deal, a representative of the Defense
Ministry of Armenia contacted the Defense Ministry of Albania and
expressed readiness to pay for a large batch of armament including
air defense guns with calibers from 75 mm to 122 mm. However, the
operation was ruined by Turkish authorities.

Colonel Seiran Shakhsuvaryan, press secretary of the Defense Ministry
of Armenia, announced, "The Defense Ministry of Armenia did not
sign any deals for the armament purchase of Albania. We consider
the published information as another Turkish-Azerbaijani provocation
against Armenia."

Any private paramilitary organizations of Armenia could not turn to
Tirana for weapons either. Lieutenant Colonel Musheg Kroyan, deputy
director of the PR department of the police of Armenia, commented,
"All trading operations with combat weapons are conducted only through
the Defense Ministry. According to the law, private security companies
have a right to buy and use pump and pneumatic small arms that can
be bought in local stores and this is under control."

Artvin Bagramyan, official spokesperson for the national security
council of Armenia, commended laconically, "Gibberish!" A top-ranking
representative of this organization pointed at the absurd nature of
the publication, "Our strategic partner is Russia, who produces the
best armament in the world. The Armenian army is armed with Russian
weapons. Why do we need to order weapons in Muslim Albania and to
deliver it via Turkey-whose relations with our country we do not even
need to speak of–and not, say, deliver the weapons via the ports of
Russia or by a direct air flight?!"

Most likely, the Foreign Ministry of Armenia will not leave the
scandal with "Albanian armament" without comment. The Foreign Ministry
simultaneously denied other rumors regarding the instruction received
from international organizations regarding significant excess of
armament in Armenia. Officials of the Foreign Ministry of Armenia
said, "To date, not a single delegation inspecting Armenia under
the CFE registered the volumes of armament exceeding international
agreements. This information that has nothing in common with reality."

Russia leads race for North Pole oil

The Arctic’s untapped resources include huge reserves of fuel and
minerals. Now Moscow has raised tensions by dispatching an expedition
to annex a vast expanse of the ocean.

Jamie Doward, Robin McKie and Tom Parfitt
Sunday July 29, 2007
The Observer

In the darkest depths of the Arctic Ocean a new Cold War is brewing.
American and British nuclear submarines lurk in the shadows, preparing
for company.
‘Why has Britain been sending submarines into Arctic waters?’ asked Rob
Huebert, associate director of the Centre for Military and Strategic
Studies in Calgary. ‘Because it wants to retain its capability to deal
with the Russian threat.’

Such talk is redolent of a Le Carré novel. But the battle between the
West and Russia over who owns the Arctic has been building for years.
Last week it entered a new phase when Russia announced it was sending a
miniature submarine, equipped with a team of explorers, to claim a
chunk of the Arctic Ocean the size of Western Europe.

The stakes are high. The ocean is home to vast oil and mineral reserves
as well as massive shoals of fish and strategically important shipping
lanes. ‘It could get very ugly,’ Huebert said. ‘Nobody knows how much
oil and gas is down there. Shell, for example, is quite pessimistic,
but the likes of Exxon are quite gung-ho. I’ve seen some people make
the case that up to 18 per cent of the world’s oil reserves are there –
that’s getting into Saudi Arabia’s league.’
To symbolise its claim, Russia will plant its flag on the sea bed
before taking samples it believes will prove the Lomonosov Ridge, which
runs underneath the Arctic Ocean, is an extension of the Siberian
continental shelf and therefore Russian territory.

The expedition is led by Artur Chilingarov, Russia’s most famous
explorer. A sturdy 68-year-old with a sweeping salt-and-pepper beard,
last week he could be seen pacing the decks of his ship, the Akademik
Fyodorov, followed by a posse of state television journalists who filed
breathless accounts of the groundbreaking voyage.

‘The Arctic is Russian,’ Chilingarov told the media scrum. ‘We must
prove the North Pole is an extension of the Russian coastal shelf. Of
course, [the expedition] is important in terms of science, but also in
terms of geopolitics as well.’

There has never been a manned journey to the sea bed of the North Pole.
‘Who knows, we may even discover some as yet unknown organism,’ said
Valery Kuznetsov, head of the expedition’s oceanography team.

In 2001, Russia made a similar claim to the Arctic Ocean but its
evidence was disputed. An official panel of experts backed by the UN
has been established to consider claims and Russia is determined to
prove its case. A UN convention dictates that countries bordering the
Arctic Ocean can exploit resources within a 200-nautical-mile economic
zone of their territory. But this can be extended if a country can, as
the Russians are attempting, prove the continental shelf beneath the
ocean is connected to their land.

So far the US has refused to engage in the debate over extending
exploitation rights, a policy throwback to the Eighties when the Reagan
administration feared such an action would see large parts of the
Arctic handed over to the Soviets.

Meanwhile, Canada and Denmark, through its sovereignty over Greenland,
claim that the Lomonosov Ridge is connected to their territories and
therefore the ocean is effectively their property. In a sign of how
tense the situation is becoming, the Canadian government recently
placed a C$7bn (£3.25bn) order for new naval patrol vessels, a move
that Prime Minister Stephen Harper said was designed to ‘defend its
sovereignty over the Arctic’.

But the battle for the Arctic is fast becoming a global issue. Melting
ice has meant the opening up of the North West Passage to commercial
shipping is now possible in the summer months and, given rising
temperatures, a possibility all year round in the future. The opening
up of the passage can shorten the distance ships have to travel between
Europe and Asia by up to 2,000 nautical miles over the established
trade route through the Panama Canal.

Given the area’s geopolitical importance, it is no surprise Britain is
closely monitoring the situation as part of its commitment to Nato.
‘Britain has been sending Trafalgar SSN-class submarines to the Arctic
since 1986 because it wants to retain its under-ice capability,’ said
Huebert, who predicted it would not be long before their sonar
registers the presence of an old foe. ‘The Russians are rebuilding
their navy,’ Huebert said. ‘They’ve just launched a submarine for the
first time since 1987 and they’ve placed orders for three more.’

Soaring oil prices have created a new urgency among the countries
competing to make their claim. When oil prices were low it was
considered uneconomic to tap into the Arctic Ocean’s reserves. But with
China and India now desperate for energy, oil prices are spiralling.
Experts say oil prices of around $70 a barrel makes drilling in the
Arctic a viable proposition. In 2004, a joint Swedish and Russian
venture proved it was possible to drill into the ocean’s floor from a
rig secured by three ships.

Nor is oil the only resource that is ripe for exploitation in the
thawing north. There are also large mineral deposits and coal beds in
the Arctic, for example. In addition, there is the prospect of opening
up vast new fish reserves as ice cover disappears over the Arctic
Ocean. For several years, British research vessels from Dunstaffnage
Marine Research Station, near Oban, have been studying these stocks.

‘There is strong evidence that there are still good reserves of fish
such as cod and capelin in some regions of the Arctic,’ said Prof
Graham Shimmield, Dunstaffnage’s director. ‘However, these are probably
the world’s last refuges. We should restrain ourselves from catching
them on an industrial scale until we learn more about how strong they
are. It remains to be seen whether that will happen, however.’

The rush to exploit the Arctic worries other scientists. They point out
that the region is important because the effects of climate change are
more pronounced here, and arrive earlier, than in any other part of the
world. When things go wrong, they are first noticed in the Arctic. But
if oil companies and mining firms start pumping out carbon dioxide and
other waste as they open up the region, the pristine conditions that
have helped scientists make past observations will be destroyed,
obscuring our view of our dangerously warming world.

This problem is already an issue in the archipelago of Svalbard where
European scientists are studying glacier retreat, carbon emissions and
other effects of pollution, but are having their work hampered by the
emissions from coal mines dug by the Russians.

Tensions are already running high in the Arctic, it would seem.
Nevertheless, hopes remain that a diplomatic conclusion can be achieved
to resolve what has been dubbed the ‘battle for the North Pole’.

‘We must wake up to the fact that the Arctic is going to become a much
busier area,’ Huebert said. ‘And try to produce a solution that will
provide an equitable, fair and safe division of resources. We cannot
just proceed with the old unilateral approach.’

Observers point to the Antarctic Treaty, which severely limits the
exploitation of the land mass around the South Pole. No waste disposal,
no mining, no introduction of animal species and no commercial work
have been allowed on the continent for more than 40 years. Some
diplomats have suggested that a similar set of rules could be agreed
for the Arctic. Such a plan is unlikely to succeed, however. ‘Countries
agreed to the Antarctic Treaty as a way to save money,’ said a senior
UK official. ‘The South Pole is an expensive place to exploit and it
was realised that if everyone agreed not to touch it, they could all
rest easy about pouring millions into the area. This is not the issue
with the Arctic. It is becoming easier and easier to exploit. Nations
aren’t going to give up on these rich pickings.

Hence the Russian expedition – although this has not gone totally
smoothly so far. Last week the Akademik Fyodorov was forced to send out
a distress signal and then drifted for several hours because of an
engine failure. It has since made good progress towards the pole and
the first research dives from the ship are expected to take place
tomorrow.

During its journey last week a mysterious aircraft appeared above the
Akademik Fyodorov, causing a ripple of excitement among the journalists
on board. Russian media widely reported the aircraft to be a Nato spy
plane. It may have been paranoia but in the frozen waters around the
North Pole one thing is certain: the days of the Cold War are back.

ACCORDING TO CLU CHAIRMAN, OPPOSITION DOES NOT CONSOLIDATE DUE TO NOT-EXACT PRESENTATION OF DEMANDS BY SOCIETY

Noyan Tapan
Jul 27, 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 27, NOYAN TAPAN. "Armenia needs radical changes,
and the challenges existing today in the region require a serious
approach." Hrant Khachatrian, the Chairman of the Constitutional Law
Union, stated at the July 27 press conference. In his words, CLU is
going to play a serious role in the processes aimed at these changes.

Evaluating opposition’s chances in the 2008 presidential elections,
H. Khachatrian gave assurance that the problem of opposition’s common
candidate should be solved by the people, because, as experience
showed, politicians "have serious faults" in this issue. At the same
time the CLU Chairman said that the idea of opposition’s unification
fails not due to party leaders’ ambitions, but due to non-exact
presentation of demands by society.

H. Khachatrian also said that every election costs a pretty penny
both for the people and the opposition parties. "Spending almost all
their financial resources, the latters at the same time sustain cadre
losses for well-known reasons," he said.

The CLU Chairman considered improbable the nomination of the
candidature of the first RA President, Levon Ter-Petrosian for the
forthcoming presidential elections, as the latter, according to him,
has no guarantees of winning.

The Armenian Weekly On-Line

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http://www. armenianweekly.com

The Armenian Weekly; Volume 73, No. 30; July 28, 2007

Community:

1. ‘HYE Fusion’ Jazz Concert at ALMA

By Andy Turpin

2. Al Donigian Was One of a Kind
By Tom Vartabedian

3. Pontiactzis Give ‘Welcome Back, Joe’ Luncheon for Dr. Kevorkian
By Betty Apigian Kessel

4. Journalism 101: How to Survive a Day of Interviews on the Hill
By Dzovak Kazandjian

5. Midwest Junior Summer Olympics: Expectations Exceeded

***

1. ‘HYE Fusion’ Jazz Concert at ALMA

By Andy Turpin

WATERTOWN, Mass. (A.W.)-On July 20, the Armenian Library and Museum of
America (ALMA) presented a jazz concert titled "HYE Fusion." Players
included Harry Bedrossian (keyboard), Malcolm Barsamian (guitar, oud,
alto sax) and Charles Dermenjian (percussion).

An unconventional and creative detour from the musical repertoire that
usually accompanies traditional Armenian instrumental playing, many of
the songs were well-known jazz standards from the 1950s and 60s such as
"The Girl From Ipanema" (Tom Jobim; V. Moraes), made famous by singer
Astrud Gilberto; "My Funny Valentine" (R. Rodgers; L. Hart) made famous
by Chet Baker; and in particular a haunting opening version of "Black
Orpheus" (Luiz Bonfa).

"Black Orpheus" was wildly popular when it first appeared in the 1959
film of the same name that portrayed the classical story of Orpheus and
Eurydice set in favella Brazil. The song and film single handedly
catapulted the rise of samba culture in the U.S. and has become a cult
pop icon piece ever since. Played within an Armenian scheme, the
instruments and song melded to form an otherworldly mix of melancholic
sensuality the likes of which were resounding and memorable.

The most notable piece of the evening, however, was a rendition of Dave
Brubeck’s legendary hit "Take Five." Bedrossion said: "It’s the old
‘Take Five’ which was actually first played as a tune while the
musicians were on their break from normal playing, but we added four
[measures]. So it’s ‘Take Five plus Four.’"

Played on the oud, the song takes on a whole new vibrancy and direction
of its own and is almost unrecognizable to the listener if not cognizant
to the title. But it overflowed with a newfound mystique that could only
have been coaxed when fused with the oud’s elicited eastern melodies and
rifts.

Also worth mention was a song composed by the musicians themselves. The
song, titled "Bulgarian Bebop," received an enthusiastic reaction from
the audience.

————————————— ————————————————-

2. Al Donigian Was One of a Kind
By Tom Vartabedian

No, this isn’t another story about John Baronian and his passion for
Tufts University, not that he doesn’t deserve another feather in his
cap. After all, any guy who has an athletic complex named after him and
has attracted scores of Armenian-Americans to his campus deserves
continued applause. Instead, this is a piece about John’s best friend.
Wherever you saw Baronian, you would usually find Al Donigian, whether
it was some gridiron dinner, baseball reception, AYF Olympics, even
Armenia.

The two did take a trip there together last September and it couldn’t
have happened at a better time. Al Donigian recently died of heart
failure while vacationing with Baronian on Cape Cod.

While in Armenia, Donigian was able to meet the young girl he had
sponsored for years, making sure she had a good education and decent
clothes on her back. Up to this point, they had corresponded by mail.

"He made it a point to seek her out and lit up like a Christmas tree
when they met," recalled Baronian. "This was always Al’s dream."

I would catch them at a lecture or a picnic, a dance or concert. When
one coughed, the other sneezed.

Due to Baronian’s frail health, Al was always at his beckoning call.
Whenever he needed a lift, Donigian was always on stand-by, like a true
sentinel. Together, they were attached like Laurel & Hardy, Abbott &
Costello, Martin & Lewis. One without the other would usually pose an
obvious question to Baronian: Where’s Al? One would never entertain a
thought that another valet had intervened, much less a trip to the bar
for a cocktail.

"He was like a brother to me," Baronian tearfully said. "I lost my best
friend. People like Al are rare indeed. He was always full of favors and
went out of his way to make people happy in his quiet, yet humble
manner."

The two were spending a weekend at the Cape with Baronian’s sister. Al
hadn’t been feeling all that well lately and his amigo was concerned. He
invited Donigian, figuring the rest would do him good.

They shared a grand time together, just like always, engaged in their
own conversation. Plans were discussed to attend this year’s AYF
Olympics in New Jersey. As always, Al would drive and John would sit
shotgun.

No matter where they went, it was Baronian who would attract the
audience by virtue of his popularity and Donigian who usually stayed in
the background. When it came time to move elsewhere, on came Donigian to
lend a hand. When it came time to depart the Cape, the two were seated
in a car ready to roll, hoping to beat the traffic home. John told Al to
hold up a bit while he went back inside to take care of some business.

He returned a couple minutes later and told Al to start the engine.
Donigian didn’t respond, his head slumped over the back seat.

"You okay, Al? What’s wrong, Al?" His worst fear suddenly hit home and
Baronian broke down, next to his best friend. It wasn’t supposed to be
like this between permanent buddies.

They called 911, an ambulance arrived, and Donigian was pronounced dead
at the hospital as everyone gasped with disbelief.

One would hardly think that in this moment of anguish and bereavement,
there might be a glimmer of relief.

But there was-and Baronian knew exactly what his friend might be
thinking as he took God’s hand.

With all the strength this octogenarian could muster, he said, "If Al
was going to die, he couldn’t have picked a better time or place."

"What if we had left a few minutes earlier and he was driving on the
road? What if he rammed the car into another and killed someone, perhaps
a child? I could have been at death’s door, too. He had no cancer and
went peacefully."

Al Donigian’s funeral was just the way he would have requested,
surrounded by his Masonic Order and his Armenian friends, led by John
Baronian. They came to pay their last respects to a man who never made
headlines, never gave speeches, never looked for fanfare.

As the Good Book says, "Everyone has two kinds of friends, those who are
around when you need them-and those who are around when they need you."
In Al Donigian’s case, he was the best friend anyone could have-a friend
indeed. Just ask John Baronian.

————————————— ————————————————– —

3. Pontiactzis Give ‘Welcome Back, Joe’ Luncheon for Dr. Kevorkian
By Betty Apigian Kessel

A loyal band of Dr. Jack Kevorkian’s friends from the old neighborhood
in Pontiac, Mich., looked forward to July 11 with great anticipation.
Twenty-seven Armenians who lived near the eastside area of the famous
now unlicensed pathologist met at The Sign of the Beef Carver in Royal
Oak, Mich., to express their happiness at his newfound freedom and to
regale him with stories of their friendship growing up on streets with
the names of Ferry Ave., Prospect, Midway, Jessie, Sanford and Wilson
Ave.

The back room of the restaurant was like a clannish gathering of Hyes
more like a family reunion of Keghetzis, Sepastztis, Vanetzis, all first
generation Armenian-Americans born here of the survivors of the 1915
Armenian genocide. When asked if that black era in Turkish history, the
genocide, had any effect on his eventual involvement in assisted
suicide, Dr. Kevorkian responded with an emphatic, "No, and I have been
asked that question many times!"

We swarmed around him showering our old neighborhood buddy with hugs and
kisses. He was his usual self, attired in a three-piece light blue
summer suit with that same down to earth congenial personality. If you
were looking for signs of bitterness, you would be disappointed. We all
know Jack is our home grown genius, perhaps a bit eccentric, but it was
big time stuff for one of us to be the first to graduate from the
University of Michigan back in those halcyon days of youth. Who would be
the lucky Armenian girl to marry the young doctor? No one. Jack has
remained a bachelor but says he sometimes regrets not having children.

Alice Mavian piped up, "I brought you some sarma, Jack." He jokingly
replied, "How do you know I eat sarma, you know I am very finicky." I
was seated two seats from Jack and took special notice at what his
dining selections were. I spotted roast beef sandwich au jus, baked
potato, raw vegetables, and a green salad. The bread was put aside and
he commented, "I use no dressings or sauces. I eat each item one at a
time." I didn’t see anyone turn down the generous pieces of triple
chocolate cake that became dessert. Yummm.

Dr. Kevorkian on the Armenian language and press

He spoke to us openly and at length. Parole restrictions forbade him
from addressing certain subjects. One of the most interesting comments
he made was that he taught himself over a period of several months to
read the Armenian language paper. His father, Baron Levon, was an avid
subscriber to the Hairenik Daily. Dr. Kevorkian asked, "How many here
read Armenian?" Very few hands were raised. "Every Armenian household
should subscribe to at least one Armenian language newspaper in order to
preserve our nationality. What can save you? The language! Do the right
thing, learn proper Armenian. The presses must stay alive." Bravo Jack!
I felt free at that point to pipe up and say we can’t even get people to
subscribe to an English language paper! His heart and mind are in the
right place.

Dr. Kevorkian: "If you want to be Armenian, you’ve got to learn the
language otherwise you’re going to be lost."

Armenians should not be fearful

He continued, "There is nothing you cannot do. You are capable of doing
anything!" One thing an Armenian should never do is be fearful. We’re
cowards compared to what our parents went through." He talked of the
obstacles that religion has presented to mankind and how he knows
Armenians are proud of declaring they were the first to accept
Christianity as a state religion. He is for stem-cell research. He has
no regrets whatsoever over the path he followed.

He lamented that Wilson Elementary was torn down and that our old
beautiful Tudor design high school was replaced with a modern
monstrosity. "All my schools are gone." And believe me, we had the best.

He recited what the Ninth Amendment was and explained its promise to
Americans about their freedom. He warned us about what Thomas Jefferson
said, that people will become so busy chasing money, they will not
notice their freedoms being eroded and gradually removed. Jack referred
to those who do so as "tyrants and would-be kings." He wrote a book in
prison called The Ninth Amendment, available on the internet at
He considers this his most important book to date.

Everyone in this group calls him "Joe," and Rose Gerjekian explained
that when his father Baron Levon would call for Jack to come home he
would say, "Dzo, oor es?" All the odar neighbors thought he was saying
"Joe" so the nickname stuck.

Zaven Melkonian chided Jack about how as young boys they played war
games together, going as far as designing maps and emblems for the two
warring sides. And how, "He got livid if we invaded his territory and
captured him, and he always had to be the general." Dr. Kevorkian
quipped, "How is that for megalomania?" The same wonderful sense of
humor.

Other Kevorkian comments: "I tried to make a harpsichord without plans
using an aluminum frame but learned a lesson. I pulled the strings too
tight and bent the frame. So I ordered one from New York. Everything I
do is self-taught. I personally do not like opera. I once made a huge
slide rule thinking it could be more precise. That didn’t work either.
I’ve seen a lot of quacks in medicine… I told friends who to see and
who not to see. That’s good advice."

Accompanying Jack to the luncheon was good friend and ally Mrs. Ruth
Holmes, whose husband and family have remained by Jack’s side from the
beginning till now. Upon seeing the roomful of friends that day, tears
were visible in her eyes out of happiness for her friend. The group gave
her a round of applause for her loyalty and support. She is taking
memorabilia of Jack’s to the Armenian Library and Museum of America
(ALMA).

Special thanks for this event to Mrs. Margaret Stephanian and Mrs. Sally
Kabodian who stayed in touch with Mrs. Holmes and arranged the
gathering. The late Zorob Kabodian should be remembered for initiating a
letter writing campaign to the Michigan governor pleading for Jack’s
early release due to health issues. Sally provided an Armenian gift pack
of choreg, khalka, pistachios, nuts, and candies for the object of her
late husband’s efforts.

Margaret, Sally, Vannig Godoshian and I met several weeks before Jack’s
release with a film producer who spent the day interviewing them and
gathering their personal memories of the doctor. At that time, it was
decided that friends would eventually be meeting with the famous doctor,
who began his life in a small American city that gave safe harbor to our
immigrant parents. It’s a bond all Pontiactzis share forever.

Welcome home, Jack. "Dzo, oor es?" no more.

——————————————- ————————————————-

4. Journalism 101: How to Survive a Day of Interviews on the Hill
By Dzovak Kazandjian

In the last installment of Dzovak’s Journal, I wrote that week 4 had
been the most fascinating time I had spent, thus far, in Washington D.C.
The "Leo Sarkisian" interns had the opportunity to attend a roundtable
discussion with Freshman Democrats Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.) and Rep.
Zach Space (D-Ohio) and find out the typical day in the life of a Member
of Congress. The Representatives discussed their daily tasks and took
questions to better paint a picture of the challenges facing newly
elected Representatives.

As great as that was, this week turned out to be even better. I actually
had a first hand look at the typical jammed-pack agenda Members of
Congress have to constantly juggle-prime example being their ability to
make time for a quick video interview before reaching the House floor to
cast their votes.

I accompanied "Armenian Weekly" newspaper editor Khatchig Mouradian on a
series of video interviews with some of the lead sponsors of the
Armenian Genocide Resolution (H.Res.106). It was great opportunity to
find out exactly how a journalist operates on Capitol Hill, and where
media-ethnic or otherwise-fits into their schedule. I followed Mouradian
as he questioned three House Members: Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Rep.
Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) (my own Congressman) and Congressional Armenian
Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-N.J.).

The first interview with Rep. Schiff went without interruption since it
was conducted first thing in the morning, just as the Congressman
arrived to his office. I was responsible of setting up and videotaping
the interview and ensuring that we got a strong product for broadcast
purposes.

Our second interview was actually scheduled with Rep. Anna Eshoo
(D-Calif.). Here is where I got a real feel for how fluid schedules are
on Capitol Hill. We were first set to meet at 1:30 p.m. Her press
secretary called and explained that votes were scheduled for that time
and pushed the rendezvous to 2:30 p.m., only to find out that an
amendment that the Congresswoman had initiated was under attack by
Republican opponents, keeping her on the floor well late into the
afternoon. I had really wanted to meet Rep. Eshoo, who is the only
Member of Congress of Armenian descent, but it will have to be postponed
to a slower legislative day.

We arrived at Rep. Sherman’s office at 3:00pm with plenty of time to set
up a nice background for our interview, only to find that 45 minutes of
votes were called and a leisurely 15-minute interview would have to be
conducted in 5, no make that 3 minutes. The name of the game is
adaptability, with Mouradian condensing 10 questions into 4 and getting
the message out to our viewers.

The last interview ended up even more rushed, as all the day’s votes had
pushed Rep. Pallone’s schedule hopelessly late. But Rep. Pallone always
has time to discuss Armenian American concerns and at 5:45 p.m. we did a
five-minute update about the Armenian Genocide Resolution (H.Res.106).

Following Mouradian was great exposure into a line of work that I would
eventually like to get into. It also really showed how flexible you have
to be as a journalist if you are working on stories regarding Capitol
Hill. Time is your greatest enemy on the Hill, with schedules turning on
a dime based on votes and all sorts of crises. As frustrating or
difficult as it is at times, it’s also really exhilarating and
definitely something I would like to pursue.

—————————————– ————————————————– ——–

5. Midwest Junior Summer Olympics: Expectations Exceeded

One could say that the Armenian community in Racine is practiced at
throwing regional events. After all, this tiny chapter, with a mere 13
members on its combined Junior/Senior roster, executed an extremely
successful Senior Olympic games (the first in the chapter’s history) in
Milwaukee only nine short months ago. For such a small community,
nestled in a town of 85,000, the expectations were high for their
Midwest Junior Summer Olympics. Where these expectations were not met,
they were exceeded.

The weekend began on Friday night, July 13th with a surprise Junior
activity, a game of capture the flag, complete with water balloons. The
juniors were split into Red, Blue, and Orange teams, each team given a
flag of the corresponding color to defend. Their mission was to capture
the other team’s flags and to unite the yerakooyn, while avoiding being
hit by a water balloon. Nearby in the St. Hagop Armenian Church hall,
parents and Alumni enjoyed heaps of basturma, string cheese, dzyloogs,
hammous, khadayef, pakhlava and more at the Alumni Reception. The
highlight of the night was the raffling off of a bottle of Armenian
Brandy. After three rounds of capture the flag, the juniors were treated
to pizza and soda, before heading to bed to rest up for the day ahead.

The following morning, 60 athletes from the four Midwestern chapters
(Detroit, Chicago, Racine, and Granite City) converged on Hammes field
in Racine for a day of athletic competition, good food, and the family
atmosphere exemplified by the region’s close-knit Armenian community.
Juniors battled injuries and fatigue, glaring sun and stiff wind, urged
on by their coaches and the cheers from parents in the bleachers.
Running and throwing events continued until noon, when opening
ceremonies were held, with speeches by Unger Zohrab Khaligian from the
ARF "Marzbed" gomideh, Ungerouhi Sona Mikaelian from the host Racine AYF
chapter, Ungerouhi Sara Mikaelian from the ARS "Soseh" chapter, Unger
Aram Hovagimian from Central Executive, and Hayr Taniel Garabedian of
the community parish. The games concluded later that afternoon, and
after a medal ceremony, everyone returned to their houses and hotel
rooms to change for the evening’s dance.

Shaking off the weariness of the day, the juniors and their parents
danced into the night, serenaded by the music of the Mideast Band. The
Racine parents provided food, including Danish Kringle, the signature
pastry of the town (available to order online at
). The band took a break at 10pm for the
presentation of chapter specific awards by the Chicago and Detroit
chapters, and for the announcement of the final chapter standings and
the Olympic high scorers by Phil Nigon from AYF Central Junior Council.
After each chapter danced together in celebration, the crowd slowly
thinned out, with eyelids heavy after an eventful and extremely
successful day of events. With another Midwest Junior Olympics in the
books, one thing is for certain: Come next year, Chicago will have a
tough act to follow.

Individual Awards:

The Uncle Herman Award

Presented by the Detroit "Kopernik Tandourjian" chapter, this award
honors the memory of Uncle Herman Torigian, a leader in the Detroit
Armenian community. It is given each year at Junior Summer Olympics to
two juniors, one older (14-16) and one younger (10-13). This year, the
recipients were Ara Markarian and Alex Zazaian.

The Tina Peltekian Award

Presented by the Chicago "Ararat" chapter, this award was established in
memory of Tina Peltekian, who at the age of 11 decided to run in
Olympics despite being stricken with cancer. The winner is chosen based
on sportsmanship and the will to win, two characteristics exemplified by
Tamar Alexanian, who overcame injuries to her knees to run in this
year’s games and won three silver medals.

Final Chapter Standings:

1st Place: Detroit "Kopernik Tandourjian" 196 points

2nd Place: Chicago "Ararat" 163 points

3rd Place: Granite City "Antranig" 25 points

4th Place: Racine "Armen Garo" 2 points

High Scorers:

Younger Girls: Nareneh Safarian (Chicago) and Taleen Shahrigian
(Detroit) 13 points

Younger Boys: Garin Bedian (Chicago) and Haig Changelian (Detroit) 15
points

Older Girls: Sara Dilanjian (Chicago) and Christa Khatcherian (Chicago)
15 points

Older Boys: Alan Dilanjian (Chicago) 15 points

GOVERNMENT APPROVES NATIONAL PLANS OF ACTIONS TO IMPROVE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH

ARMENPRESS
Jul 26, 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 26, ARMENPRESS: Armenian government has approved
today a national plan of actions and a timetable designed to improve
reproductive health in 2007-2015. The $8.6 million worth program will
be funded by international organizations.

The plan will focus on cutting the number of cancerous diseases
affecting reproductive organs, reducing the number of sexually
transmitted diseases, infertility rate and abortions, as well as on
improving pre-natal care and control.

Deputy health minister Hayk Darbinian told after the government
session that the plan of actions is aimed also to improve demographic
indices, which declined since 1990-s. He said a special focus will
be on encouraging families to have more children.

Armenia’s chief gynecologist Razmik Abrahamian said only 1 percent
of pregnant women give birth to children at domestic conditions. He
said also maternity death rate fell drastically from 1990-s when an
average of 40 cases were reported to 3 cases this year.

He said the so-called secondary infertility rate is very high, caused
largely by abortions and sexually transmitted diseases. Next year a
massive investigation into infertility reasons will be conducted.

"VTB-ARMENIA BANK" CLOSED TWO BRANCHES; "CONVERSE BANK" OPENED A BRANCH IN "ZVARTNOTS" AIRPORT

Mediamax, Armenia
July 25 2007

Yerevan, July 25 /Mediamax/. By the decision of the Chairman of the
Central Bank (CB) of Armenia, cessation of the activities of ¹ 17
and ¹ 50 branches of "VTB – Armenia Bank" is registered.

As Mediamax was told in CB press service today, by another decision
of the CB Chairman, the "Zvartnots Airport" branch of "Converse Bank"
is registered, which will be functioning in the registration hall of
the mentioned airport.

Mediamax recalls that the owner of 95% of "Converse Bank" is the
"Advanced Global Investments" LCC, headed by Argentinean businessman
of Armenian decent Eduardo Ernekian, to whom the Yerevan International
"Zvartnots" Airport is handed over for concessive management.

–Boundary_(ID_yAgz49CUXaUOTG1QFJrDKQ )–

SPECIAL SERVICES OF ARMENIA AND RUSSIA DISCUSS ISSUES OF COMBAT AGAINST INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
July 25 2007

YEREVAN, July 25. /ARKA/. The National Security Services of Armenia
and Russia had a council on July 23-25 near Lake Sevan in Armenia.

Armenia’s NSS press service reported that during the council the
issues touching upon the safety of both countries were discussed.

Special attention was paid to the combat against international
terrorism and other challenges of the 21st century.

As a result of the council a Protocol was signed, which dealt with
the further improvement of the joint activity.

For participation in the council the Russian delegation consisting of
16 head of different structures of Russia’s Federal Security Service
arrived in Armenia. Similar bilateral meetings between Armenia’s and
Russia’s special services are held once a year.

ACCORDING TO SHAVARSH KOCHARIAN, UNIFICATION OF DIFFERENT POLITICAL FORCES OF KARABAKH AROUND ONE CANDIDATE IS EXPLAINED BY EXISTENCE OF EXTERNAL DANGER

Noyan Tapan
Jul 24, 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 24, NOYAN TAPAN. A very important precedent was created
for the first time in the presidential elections, which were held
in the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh on July 19: the President of the
country did not take advantage of the circumstance that Constitution
has been amended and did not put forward his candidature for the
third time. This statement was made by Shavarsh Kocharian, the
Chairman of the Board of the National Democratic Party, who took
part in the presidential elections held in the Republic of Nagorno
Karabakh as an observer, at the press conference, which was held on
July 24. According to the Chairman of the National Democratic Party,
one of the important peculiarities of the latest Karabakh elections
was the absence of tension.

Shavarsh Kocharian mentioned that irrespective of the fact that the
conclusions of foreign observers were mainly positive, they could
not understand the circumstance that both power and opposition forces
mainly supported the same candidate. In the opinion of the Chairman of
the National Democratic Party, the reason is that the existing external
danger consolidates the Karabakh society. He expressed conviction
that in case the world community recognizes the independence of the
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh, the opposition and the authorities will
not unite round one candidate even under an external pressure.

According to Shavarsh Kocharian, in difference to other non-recognized
republics, Karabakh is distinctly fully-fledged as a state with
all its indications: it has an efficient army, which is under civil
supervision, elections of all levels are recurrently held there, a
serious legal system has been created, the culminations of which, that
is to say Constitution, is one of the most democratic Constitutions
in the CIS region with its content.

ARMENIAN POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC ELITES SHOULD START IMPLEMENTING SECOND GENERATION REFORMS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

Noyan Tapan
Jul 23, 2007

YEREVAN, JULY 23, NOYAN TAPAN. Armenian society and, in particular,
its political and economic elites, should start implementing second
generation reforms in the country as soon as possible, for which
favorable conditions have been created thanks to the country’s
permanent economic growth and inflows of transfers. Tigran Jrbashian,
the Armenian Director of the Armenian-European Policy and Legal Advice
Center (AEPLAC), expressed such an opinion in his interview to Noyan
Tapan correspondent. In his words, the possibility to implement these
reforms emerged still two-three years ago when the above mentioned
tendencies started to be manifested.

T. Jrbashian said that the events gradually implemented, aimed at
formation of a country of European model in Armenia contain elements
of second generation reforms.

According to the AEPLAC’s Director, rules and institutions ensuring
efficient economic management in Armenia should be created by second
generation reforms. This will enable Armenia to become a country
creating a bigger surplus value.

Currently, in world economic processes, Armenia has the role of
a country releasing mainly primary processing products, copper,
molybdenum, some iron fusions, aluminium foil.

THE BIG SCREEN: EGOYAN ON SCORN AND ADORATION
by: Marcus Robinson

Playback, Canada
e/20070723/egoyan.html
July 20 2007

After a three-year hiatus from directing feature films, Atom Egoyan is
back in preproduction on Adoration, a drama set for a Sept. 17 start
date in Toronto. His eleventh movie – and seventh with producer Robert
Lantos – explores familiar thematic territory for the Oscar-nominated
auteur, exploring intimacy and the nature of our relationship to media.

The ensemble piece follows a high-school student who uses the
Internet to misrepresent himself as a figure from recent history,
drawing both students and the surrounding community into a tragedy
that never happened.

It comes on the heels of Where the Truth Lies, a $30-million drama
that was unexpectedly slapped with an NC-17 rating in the U.S.,
limiting its access to screens. That, combined with negative reviews,
led to a box-office take under $1 million in North America.

Egoyan sat down with Playback in his Toronto office to discuss
Adoration, the response to Where the Truth Lies, and his ongoing
relationship with Lantos.

Do you think people have expectations about what an Atom Egoyan film
should be?

I think films are always based on an expectation of what a director
should be doing next. It’s only long after the film is over that you
can actually appraise the work.

Independently of its maker…

Independent of a lot of things. I’ve found – especially in the last
few years – that there’s a greater sense of what people expect me
to be doing. [Points to a stack of videotapes.] These are from a
retrospective they’re doing in Paris. I was watching a movie which I’d
forgotten I’d made in my 20s to sustain my independent filmmaking. [At
the time] I was directing Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Twilight Zone
episodes, and I even did the pilot for the Friday the 13th TV series
[1987].

But the most amazing thing was realizing that at a certain period I was
doing these wildly different types of movies. And then suddenly I got
into a pattern of [concentrating] on a certain type of feature work.

There was a fork in the road?

Yes. Now it seems to me that I’m interested in genre. Where the
Truth Lies is really a film where the style is the substance. I’ll
probably always try to balance projects which are personally driven
with projects where I’m also enjoying my ability to create images.

Your inspirations range from the experimental – Michael Snow – to
narrative, with Antonioni, Bresson, and Coppola…

As a kid growing up in Victoria, the European art films were something
that I was aware of later on. But before that it was all American
cinema. Not only American, but pop cinema.

One of the strongest film experiences I have ever had was going to
see Norman [Jewison’s] Jesus Christ Superstar. I think it’s Norman’s
greatest film. What’s really exciting about it is the way he’s moving
that camera. I just thought that it was amazing that you could do
that. There’s this play between a very flamboyant approach to cinema
and this other side, which is very reserved. The idea of contrasting
the two has always been of great interest to me.

Until Ararat, your drama about the Armenian genocide, you really
didn’t have a negative response to your work.

If you were to go from The Adjuster, Calendar, Exotica, The Sweet
Hereafter, Felicia’s Journey, up to and including Krapp’s Last Tape,
I would say the ’90s were a very good ride. But the ’80s were full
of extraordinary reactions against the work, which toughened my skin.

You need to realize that these things come in certain waves, and
that there are periods where it seems you can do no wrong. Ararat
may not be the best film I’ll make, but it is without a doubt the
most important work I’ll ever do. Maybe it should have been written
as a novel first, but that wasn’t the case.

Did you feel a greater responsibility on Ararat and Where the
Truth Lies, given the bigger budgets [$12 million and $30 million,
respectively]?

I can look back and definitely say that those budgets are completely
on the screen. I was trying to take full advantage of [the budgets]
to deal with the construction of period, and to do that as faithfully
and accurately as possible.

Did you always feel in control?

I always felt in control in terms of what I set out to do, because of
the team I was working with. I felt that the huge challenge in Where
the Truth Lies – which had me up at night – was how do we actually
shoot this film in England and Toronto and make it look like New York
and Miami Beach?

Do you feel a comfort zone at a certain budget level?

This next film, Adoration, has the same sort of budget as The Sweet
Hereafter [estimated at $5 million]. But like anything else, you
have to set out with your investors and producers what it is you’re
aiming to do. With Ararat and Where the Truth Lies, there were unusual
circumstances which allowed those films to be made at those budget
levels. If you’re working on a Hollywood project and you’re looking
for studio money, then those terms are very different. That’s not
the way that independent film, from my tradition, is constructed,
but I understand that model. I’m pretty confident I could direct
one of those movies, but if it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t,
I’m quite happy with that as well.

Adoration seems to have a lot in common with your previous films.

What excites me is that the script is open enough that I can change
and modify based on what we find out as we’re shooting. That to me is
the ideal kind of structure. That was a tricky thing, to be honest,
with Where the Truth Lies. Because it’s a murder mystery, it was
written in a very specific way. It’s the first film I’ve ever made
where the edited version is almost exactly the same as the script.

Will Robert Lantos release Adoration through his new distribution
company?

Yes. [That’s] a relationship that I cherish, and it’s good that’s
it been able to survive. It’s unbelievable. I connected with
Robert after Speaking Parts [Egoyan’s 1989 feature], and it had an
unbelievable effect on my career. What was very exciting about the
’90s was the synergy between the way Alliance Atlantis was growing
[Alliance Communications and Atlantis Communications, before they
merged in 1998] and how the films were being marketed and sold.

Were there tense moments between you when you went to bigger budgets?

It gets tense when things are out of control, and I try and keep a
degree of control on set. It’s tense when you don’t know what you
want – and a lot of money is being spent for you to make decisions
that should have been made long before. So I don’t find tension
[from that perspective].

Both of you believed this would be the film that would break into
the mainstream?

Yes. You can blame the NC-17 – which is something that we were
totally not expecting. And because of how it was shot we couldn’t
really change it. [Also], the first review that came out of Cannes
from The Hollywood Reporter was this amazing, dream review. We read
it and embraced each other. We thought, ‘That’s it. We did it.’ Then
the other bad reviews started coming in.

Do you think that had an impact on box office in the U.S.?

Oh, yeah. It was huge. People had a very strong reaction against it.

How do you stay positive given the fickle nature of audience reaction?

I remember talking to David [Cronenberg] when A History of Violence
was coming out, and he said, ‘Oh, they like it this time.’ He’s seen
these cycles as well. I was talking to him the other day and I said,
‘I guess it’s lucky you didn’t end up doing Basic Instinct 2.’ That
movie was trashed, which was going to happen no matter who directed
it. So you just don’t know. You just keep making things. It’s a
privilege to be able to be making movies.