Author: Kalantarian Kevo

AZERBAIJAN SHUTS DOWN ‘GULEN-LINKED’ SCHOOLS

11:20 * 19.06.14

Azerbaijan’s government-run energy company has announced that private
schools formerly run by a movement led by U.S.-based Islamic scholar
Fethullah Gulen have been closed down, the Hurriyet Daily News reports.

>From February to April, the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan
Republic (SOCAR) took over dozens of private high schools, university
exam preparation centers and universities run by a Turkish education
company called Cað Ogretim which is allegedly linked with the Gulen
movement.

SOCAR announced June 18 that it decided to close these schools, which
had been operated by the company now known as Azerbaijan International
Education Center, due to high maintenance costs and difficulties in
project management.

Turkish government accuses Gulen-led ‘Hizmet’ (Service) movement of
forming a shadow structure within the Turkish state and of plotting
to topple the government.

In March, Azeri media reported that Azerbaijan sacked Elnur Aslanov,
head of President Ýlham Aliyev’s Political Analysis and Information
Department, accusing him of having links with the movement.

Newspapers had said Gulen’s network had also infiltrated state
institutions in Azerbaijan and found cohorts among some politicians.

Armenian News – Tert.am

45 DAYS IN HELL: SYRIAN ARMENIANS KIDNAPPED AND TORTURED BY FSA

Wednesday, June 18th, 2014

A snapshot of the ‘Balanko.’ (Photo: SyrianTube.net / 2014)

BY SARKIS BALKHIAN
>From the Armenian Weekly

In October 2013, Human Rights Watch (HRW) published a report titled
“You Can Still See Their Blood” that documented the atrocities
committed by extremist groups, such as the Islamic State of Iraq and
al-Sham (ISIS) and Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar, against civilians
in Latakia, Syria.[1]

In response to the report, the Supreme Military Council (SMC) of
the Free Syrian Army (FSA) “wholeheartedly condemned” the crimes and
reiterated its “full commitment to respecting the rule of law.” The SMC
“stressed that the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, Jabhat al-Nusra,
Ahrar al-Sham, Suqour al-Izz, and Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar are
not part of the SMC command structure and do not represent the values
of the FSA or the Syrian revolution.”[2]

Three months earlier, on July 26, 2013, the Free Syrian Army had
kidnapped seven Syrian Armenians (four men and three women) while they
were leaving Aleppo to resettle in Yerevan, Armenia. The women were
released within the first 10 hours, while the men were incarcerated
for 45 days.

This report documents the experience of those four men according to
the first-hand accounts of Carlo Hatsarkorzian and Sako Assadourian.

The conundrum: ‘good rebels’ vs ‘bad rebels’

Over the past two years, Western politicians with vested interests in
the outcome of the Syrian conflict and the ousting of the Assad regime
have asserted the notion of “good rebels” versus “bad rebels.” These
policymakers affirm that the good rebels consist of battalions fighting
under the command of the Supreme Military Council of the Free Syrian
Army to bring justice, freedom, and democracy to the Syrian people,
whereas the bad rebels are jihadists seeking the creation of an
Islamic Caliphate across the MENA region.

The primary purpose of classifying the Syrian rebels into two
principal categories–the good and bad–is to legitimize and justify
any political, military, and financial support provided by the Western
governments and their regional allies to the “good rebels” of Syria.

On Sept. 2, 2013, while the four Armenians were being tortured by the
FSA, President Barack Obama had a private meeting with U.S. Senator
John McCain to discuss the potential for an intervention in Syria
and the possibilities of arming the “good rebels”–that is, the Free
Syrian Army.[3]

“He [Obama] said that he was willing to upgrade the capabilities of
the Free Syrian Army,” McCain stated in an interview with the Daily
Beast. “For the first time we have an outline of action that could
lead to the removal of Bashar al-Assad… I’m certainly willing to
join that effort, but I need to know a lot of the details.”[4]

The rhetoric used by these policy makers has influenced the mainstream
media’s coverage of the ongoing conflict. The vast majority of media
sources have been quick to overlook the crimes of the FSA and have
instead focused on the crimes perpetrated by the Syrian government
and the “bad rebels”–the jihadists.

Moreover, international human rights groups have failed to properly
document the plight of the minority groups in Syria. Whether or not
this failure stems from the fact that the vast majority of these
groups either support Assad’s regime or fear persecution in the
absence of his secular government is up for debate. But one thing is
certain–without the adequate documentation and condemnation of the
human rights violations against all Syrians, including minorities,
the cycle of crime will continue.

Prelude In late July 2012, the armed conflict arrived in Aleppo,
changing the destiny of Syrian Armenians forever. Prior to the
beginning of the conflict, Carlo Hatsarkorzian, 21, worked as a
mechanic at his family’s workshop in the Argoub district of Aleppo, and
Sako Assadourian, 27, as a goldsmith. They both came from lower-middle
class families.

In September 2012, rebels took over the neighborhood forcing the
Hatsarkorzians to close their workshop. Carlo moved to Armenia,
where he started working as a construction worker for 3,000 AMDs
($7.50) per day.[5]

In December, Carlo booked a round-trip flight to Aleppo to visit his
family for the New Year. He never made the return flight because the
Aleppo International Airport was shut down in early January. He’d
remain in Aleppo until that life-defining journey in July 2013.[6]

In June 2013, Sako, a former Syrian Arab Army soldier, received
a notice demanding his return to the army. His mother, Siranoush,
begged Sako to leave the country and to join his brother in Yerevan.[7]

By late July, Carlo, Sako, Garo Boboghlian, and Nareg Varjabedian,
along with three Armenian women, decided to leave Aleppo for Yerevan.

What followed would haunt them for years to come.

A journey to hell

Abduction In the morning of July 26, the seven Armenians got on a
bus headed towards the Bab al-Hawa border point with Turkey. By 11
a.m., the bus had stopped at an FSA checkpoint near what is known
as the Maabar al-Mawt (the Corridor of Death) in the Bustan al-Qasr
neighborhood of Aleppo.

“At the checkpoint, the FSA soldiers requested our documentation,” Sako
told the Armenian Weekly. “When they realized that we were Armenians,
they transferred us to their headquarters.” Later that evening, at
around 6:30 p.m., the women were released and sent off to Turkey,
while the FSA comrades gave a warm “welcome” to the four Armenian men.

“They forced us to kneel down and say the Lord’s Prayer [Derounagan
aghotk in Armenian], while a dozen of their soldiers beat us up until
we all started bleeding,” said Carlo. “They hit us with their hands,
feet, and anything they could find.”

The abuse was both physical and psychological. While being tortured
physically, the four men were subject to verbal abuse, threats, and
dehumanization. “You [the Armenians] are all traitors! You are the
kafirs [infidels] who support Assad! We will kill you tomorrow!”

The headquarters In the town of Hraytan, the Free Syrian Army
headquarter consisted of a deserted liquor warehouse and a villa
positioned across the street.

Over the course of those 45 days, the four men were placed in 3
different cells.[8]

At the compound, the majority of the FSA soldiers did not use their
official names when communicating with each other; instead they
addressed one another using “Abu Ahmad” or “Abu Mohammad,” meaning
“the father of Ahmad” or “the father of Mohammad” in Arabic.[9]

The chain of command at this particular base was divided into two
branches: religious and military. The head of the religious branch was
the Sheikh, the holy leader who was vested by Sharia law and whose
verdicts were conclusive. The military command was in the hands of
“Abu Ali,” a defector from the Military Intelligence Directorate of
Syria, the “Mukhabarat.”[10]

Ironically, prior to the FSA takeover of the Hraytan region, the
buildings where the four Armenians were held captive belonged to a
Syrian-Armenian family that imported the Efes brand of Turkish beer.

Following the takeover, the Free Syrian Army upgraded the Chaprazian
family properties, investing heavily in transforming the warehouse and
villa into a high-security concentration camp from which no prisoner
could escape.

Unfortunately for the FSA, not too long after the release of the
four Armenians, the “bad rebels” of Syria–the Islamic State of Iraq
and al-Sham (ISIS)–took over the Hraytan region and, along with it,
the FSA headquarters.[11]

The snapshots included in this piece are cropped from a video prepared
by the ISIS militants and published by the pro-regime news agency
Syriantube.net. The video demonstrates the various torture methods
used by the FSA and the locations of the warehouse and villa. Both
Armenian interviewees, Sako and Carlo, confirmed that the video
recording is from the site of their captivity, and the torture
techniques demonstrated therein correspond to what they experienced.

The first 23 days After they were beaten on the first day, the four
men were taken to prison cell no. 1 in the warehouse, where they were
kept for six days.

They were subjected to numerous verbal abuses but no physical
torture.[12]

A snapshot of prison cell no. 1 at the FSA headquarters. (Photo:
SyrianTube.net / 2014)

In prison cell no. 1, they were accompanied by FSA soldiers convicted
by their own military tribunal, for crimes such as theft and “illegal
murder.” On average, the FSA soldiers were kept imprisoned for 30
days, and then released, to continue their battles against the Assad
regime. On July 27, one day after the abduction of the four Armenians,
an Arab Christian was also brought in to prison cell no. 1.[13]

During those initial six days, Abu Ali and his comrades systematically
harassed the men and blackmailed them. “Who the hell are you? Everyone
is talking about you. Everyone is pressuring us to release you,”
he said. “Unless the Syrian-Armenian community is able to convince
the Syrian Army to remove its military check-points near the Meedan
neighborhood in Aleppo, we will kill you.”[14]

“They did not understand that the Syrian-Armenian community has no
leverage over the Syrian Army,” explained Sako. “They didn’t accept
the fact that our lives were worth nothing in the grand scheme of
this conflict.”

Following the first six days, the four men were transferred to solitary
confinement–to prison cell no. 2–where they were left without water
and food for around two days.[15]

The entrance to prison cell no. 2 (Photo: SyrianTube.net / 2014)

On the third day, Abu Ali opened the gate, stepped into the underground
cell, and shouted, “Are you still alive?” The men were dehydrated. They
didn’t have the energy to respond.[16]

Abu Ali asked, “Do you want water?” They pleadingly said, “Yes.” One
of the soldiers accompanying Abu Ali went away for a few seconds
and returned with a bottle of water. After the four men finished
drinking, Abu Ali sardonically said, “That was the water from the
swimming pool!”[17]

“The swimming pool is where the FSA soldiers used to swim and urinate,”
Carlo said. “We had no choice but to drink. It was urine or death.”

Cell no. 2 was located in the basement of the villa. It was a dark
locker room consisting of two small rooms and a narrow hallway. Each
room could fit one person at a time. The four Armenians established a
rotation system, where two of them would sleep on the concrete floor
of the rooms, while the other two would sit in the narrow hallway.

This was their life for 17 dark days.[18]

On the 24th day of their journey, the four Armenians were transferred
back to the warehouse, to prison cell no. 3, also known as “the party
room.” The men thought that the worst was behind them.[19]

Interrogation (a conversation with the Sheikh) That morning, the Sheikh
summoned the four men to an interrogation session. “You Armenians
are civilians,” he told them. “We are in a war against the Alawites,
against Assad’s Army. Why did the Armenians pick up arms against us,
against the Sunnis? Why are you supporting Assad?”[20]

Entrance to prison cell no. 3 (Photo: SyrianTube.net / 2014)

As Sako recalls the conversation with the Sheikh, he subconsciously
switches to Arabic. “No. We are not supporting Assad. The Armenians
who picked up arms are stationed in their own neighborhoods to defend
the Armenian population.”

The Sheikh disagreed. “No, the Armenians are against us. The FSA
constantly tried to penetrate the Meedan neighborhood, but the
Armenians were stationed at the army’s checkpoint and fought against
us. The Armenians are like the Alawites.”

Sako reluctantly disagreed, “Honorable Sheikh. We are not like the
Alawites. After the Genocide, when the Armenians arrived to Syria,
it was the Sunnis who took us in. We lived together in peace and
harmony long before the Baath Party came to power.”

After a moment of silence, the Sheikh asked, “Are you a supporter of
Assad or are you against his regime?”

Sako responded, “I am against the regime.”

“You are a liar.”

Sako continued, “I am not lying my Sheikh. I am against the regime.

Every Syrian citizen is against the regime, against the corruption of
the government. But there is a difference between civil disobedience
and a violent destructive war. Every Syrian wanted reform, but we
don’t want the country to be destroyed in the process.”

The Sheikh angrily replied, “No. You are a liar. All of you are against
us. The Kurds, the Druze, the Christians, the Armenians, the Shiite,
and the Alawites are all against the Sunnis. We are going to teach
you all a lesson.”

Sako responded, “Dear Sheikh, the Armenians are different. The Druze
and the Shiites had weapons long before this conflict. The Armenians
are civilians. They never had weapons, they only picked up arms to
defend their own neighborhoods.”

The Sheikh disagreed. “If you didn’t want to get involved in this
conflict, you should have gone to your country, Armenia. But you
didn’t. Your archbishop is with the government. Every Armenian is with
the government. Where did the Armenians get their weapons form? Didn’t
you get them from Assad’s army? Aren’t you using it against the FSA?”

Sako replied, hopelessly, “I don’t know. I did not pick up arms. I
don’t know.”

The Sheikh opened his laptop and retrieved some files. He showed
pictures of “Armenians carrying weapons in Aleppo.” The Sheikh asked,
“Who is this guy?” The four men replied, “We don’t know.”

As he flipped through the pictures, the Sheikh furiously asked,
“Isn’t this George? Isn’t this Daron? You all know each other. You
are lying to me. Tonight you will enjoy the party.” The livid Sheikh
sent the men back to their prison cell.

The FSA had extensive records on the Syrian Armenians who they alleged
had carried arms. They had personal information including names,
addresses, and pictures.[21]

Torture That evening, a few FSA soldiers, who appeared to be under
the influence of narcotics, entered the room and asked the men to
stand up and follow them. One of the Armenians said, “Are you going
to release us?”

“No. We are taking you to the party.”[22]

When the four Armenians walked out of the prison cell, the FSA soldiers
began to attack them: striking, punching, slapping, pushing, pulling,
kneeing, and kicking. Winded and humbled, the men were hauled across
the hall and placed near the Balanko. “You will like this game,”
said one of the soldiers.[23]

The Balanko was a steel chain that hung from the ceiling with a
hook at the end. It is customarily used to offload or unload heavy
shipments. In this instance, the shipments were the four Armenians.

A snapshot of the ‘Balanko.’ (Photo: SyrianTube.net / 2014)

“They lowered the Balanko to the ground. One of the soldiers brought
a rope, tied my bare feet together, and my hands behind my back,”
Sako recalled. “After connecting the hook to the rope, they gradually
lifted me up until I was one meter above the ground. I was hanging
upside-down. They started slapping me. I swung like a pendulum.”

“After a few minutes, one of the soldiers grabbed an iron rod and
started pounding my lower body,” said Sako. “Then another soldier
grabbed an electrical wire and started hitting the bottom of my bare
feet. The pain was excruciating.”

The four Armenians took turns riding the Balanko. While they were
being tortured, the soldiers continued to hurl verbal abuses and swear
words. “The blasphemies ranged from Bashar al-Assad to the Armenians
and even the Virgin Mary,” said Carlo.

Following the Balanko, the four men had no energy to stand. They
crawled back to their prison cell, while the FSA soldiers continued
to kick them.

The next day, the process was repeated. But this time, while the men
were hanging from the Balanko, the FSA soldiers called the families
of the prisoners on the phone. “They placed a gun to my head and told
me to repeat their words in Arabic,” said Carlo. “They told me that
if I used a single Armenian word, they would shoot me.”

While Sako was hanging from the Balanko, Carlo was on the phone with
Sako’s relatives. “I told Sako’s aunt exactly what the FSA soldiers
were telling me. Initially, they asked for a ransom,” said Carlo.

“They wanted our families to hear our pleas while we were being
tortured.”

Sako ended up speaking with Carlo’s parents and asking them for a
ransom of 10,000,000 SYP (around $60,000 at the time). Garo and Nareg
spoke to their respective families. Each family was told to pay that
sum in exchange for their son’s release.[24]

Torture at the FSA headquarters (Photo: SyrianTube.net / 2014)

The next day, the Balanko ride became more violent, as the soldiers
began hitting the prisoners’ upper body. “After the ride was
completed, they brought an electric wire, connected it to our feet,
and electrocuted us,” said Sako.

While Sako was being electrocuted, one of the FSA soldiers realized
that Sako’s toenail was coming off from the extensive beating he had
received. “Let me put you out of your misery; I will remove that nail
for you,” the soldier told Sako.[25]

“He brought pliers and ordered the other soldiers to pin me down,”
said Sako. “He denailed my left toe. I actually did not feel a thing.

My body was too numb from all the beating and electric shocks.”

At the end of that day, Abu Ali informed the four men that they
should expect the torture “party” to continue until their families
paid the ransom.

Exhausted from the beatings, electric shocks, and the denailing, Sako
pleaded, “My parents are poor. They can’t pay you the ransom. If you
are not going to let me go, why don’t you just kill me?”

Abu Ali replied, “If your parents don’t pay the ransom, then you are
going to enjoy the Balanko party for a long time. Your life belongs
to us now. You are going to wish you were dead. You are going to
beg us to kill you, but we won’t. You’re going to live through this
hell forever.”

In the early hours of the next morning, a Kurdish rebel group,
likely affiliated with the Popular Protection Units (YPG), launched an
offensive on the FSA checkpoints near the compound. By the afternoon,
the FSA soldiers had captured a few Kurdish rebels and transferred
them to their headquarters. To make room for the new prisoners,
the four Armenian men were transferred back to prison cell no. 1.[26]

“Thanks to the Kurdish offensive we were spared the Balanko ride and
the electric shocks. After that point, we were mere observers. We
watched the Kurdish rebels get tortured by the hands of the FSA,”
said Carlo.

Prison labor The Kurdish offensive came on the 27th day of the
Armenians’ captivity. After that, the four men were no longer tortured
physically, although the verbal abuse continued up until their release.

The FSA implemented its prison labor policy by forcing the four
Armenians to assist with their everyday work. “We were forced to
clean the bathrooms of the soldiers, the FSA offices, and the bedrooms
located in the villa,” recalled Carlo. “We also worked as carriers,
transferring the shipments that arrived at the headquarters.”

The FSA headquarters received empty gas tanks on a regular basis. The
Armenians off loaded the tanks and transferred them to the production
room. There, the gas tanks were transformed into ammunition for the
FSA’s mortar bombs.[27]

Over the past three years, the Syrian opposition has used mortar
bombs on a consistant basis. In recent weeks, more than 80 mortar
bombs were launched against the predominantly Armenian neighborhoods
of Meedan and Sulaymaniyah in Aleppo. These assaults have resulted
in the death of numerous Armenians and the destruction of Armenian
churches, schools, and homes.

This was not lost on the FSA soldiers, who continuously reminded the
four men that they were aiding in the murder of fellow Armenians.

“Today we are going to attack the Meedan, Sulaymaniyah, and Azizieh
neighborhoods. Thank you for your assistance guys,” said Abu Ali
sarcastically.[28]

“We knew very well where the mortar bombs were heading,” said Sako.

“We were helping the FSA in its assault against the Armenian
neighborhoods. But we had no choice. It was either compliance, Balanko,
or death.”

The Quran In the last 18 days of their captivity, the four men were
forced to learn the Quran. When they were transferred to prison cell
no. 1, the Sheikh had told them, “Every day you are going to learn
verses from the Quran and every night you will be tested. If you make
a mistake you will be sent to the Balanko.”

“They forced us to pray with their soldiers,” said Carlo. “We asked
some of the Kurdish prisoners who were accompanying us in the prison
cell to teach us the Quran and the proper ways of prayer.”

“Every night, the FSA soldiers used to examine us,” said Sako. “We
were good students. We learned the verses very well. We could not
afford to make a mistake. Fearing the Balanko, we learned and prayed
with the soldiers like proper Muslims.”

The Facebook message from within On Sept. 1, 2013, the 37th day
of captivity, an FSA officer entered the prison cell and asked,
“Is there anyone who understands computers?”

Carlo volunteered. “I volunteered because I wanted to go out of the
warehouse. The officer took me to the FSA office located in the villa.

He wanted me to download some programs. Based on his demands, I
realized that he didn’t understand a thing from computers.”

A snapshot of Carlo’s Facebook post on his own timeline.

Carlo told the officer that he needed some time to surf the web in
order to locate a free-of-charge downloading option. As he was surfing
the web, the officer received a phone call, stood up, and walked out
of the office. Carlo logged onto his Facebook account, and posted a
pleading message on his wall. The message stated, in Armenian, “please
get us out of here as soon as possible… let the Prelacy give money
so we can get out of here sooner rather than later … plzzzzzzzzzzzz”
(hagetsek mezi hosge hanel vargian m arach.. arashnortarane togh tram
da vor shoudov yellenk hosge … plzzzzzzzzzzzz).

‘Freedom’ in Syria: On Sept. 9, 2013 Narek Varjabedian was released
by the FSA, after his family had managed to pay the ransom. The amount
was less than the initial sum demanded by the FSA.

As mentioned earlier, Carlo and Sako came from lower middle-class
families. Due to their family’s financial limitations, their release
was postponed. Carlo’s mother sold her jewelry to conjure up a small
amount of money for her son.

When Carlo’s father realized that Sako’s family was unable to pay for
their son’s release, he asked community members to donate. They did.

On Sept. 10, 2013 a day after Narek was released, Carlo Hatsarkorzian,
Sako Assadourian, and Garo Boboghlian were released and sent back
to Aleppo.

When Sako finally arrived at his aunt’s house, he was greeted with a
subdued welcome. “After a few minutes I realized that my father and
mother were not around,” said Sako. “Everyone was wearing black. I
asked my aunt, ‘Where is my father? Where is my mother?'”

My aunt told me to sit down. My relatives handed me a glass of water
and told me, “Fifteen days after your kidnapping, your father had a
heart attack. He passed away. I’m sorry.”

“When I heard that my father had passed away, I lost control of
myself,” Sako told the Weekly, with tears in his eyes. “I started
banging my head to the wall. I kept repeating, I wish I had died in
that prison. I wish I had not come out to hear this news.”

On the day of his release, Sako’s mother, who suffered from mental
health issues, had flown from Beirut to Yerevan. She had lost all
hope of seeing Sako again, and had gone to Yerevan to be reunited
with her younger son, Anto.[29]

In the meantime, Carlo was struggling to cope with his newfound
“freedom.” With Aleppo under heavy bombardment, he suffered from
post-traumatic stress disorder, and kept dreaming that he was still
a prisoner at the FSA headquarters. “I used to wake up in the middle
of the night and start crying,” said Carlo. “My parents told me that
I had to leave Aleppo and return to Armenia. I did.”

Not long after, Sako was offered an escape route as well. To cover
his transportation costs, Sako borrowed $200 from a friend and left.

“Initially I was hesitant to leave Aleppo. I kept thinking to myself,
‘What if I am captured again?'” recalled Sako. “But eventually,
I took a few tranquilizers and set off to Armenia.”

Life in Armenia For more than two months following his arrival in
Yerevan, Sako was unable to seek employment; his mother’s psychological
condition had deteriorated, and she was admitted to the Avan Mental
Hospital.

After her condition gradually stabilized and she returned home,
Sako started working as a construction worker. Not long after, Sako’s
younger brother decided to leave his family, saying he could no longer
withstand the depressing environment of their household.

“It’s been more than five months since my brother left us,” Sako said.

“Until today we do not know about his whereabouts. Initially I believed
him: I thought that we were depressing him. But a few weeks after his
departure, I found out that my brother had accumulated $750 worth of
phone bill debts. That was his parting gift for me.”

Siranoush (Photo: Sako Assadourian)

Now, Sako is living in a one-bedroom apartment with his mother and
cousin. He makes approximately $250 (100,000 AMD) per month and pays
$125 (50,000 AMD) in rent. Between the debt left behind by his brother,
the monthly utility fees, and the accumulated rent, Sako felt lost. His
landlord, who had been considerate enough to grant the family a grace
period on the rental payments, ultimately grew tired of waiting and
requested his money.

In recent months, the Aleppo Compatriotic Charitable Organization
(ACCO), which assists refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs)
in both Armenia and Syria, has provided rental subsidies to Sako’s
family. The ACCO also referred Sako’s case to the Caritas Foundation
in Armenia, which in turn has paid off some of the accumulated debt.

But Sako and his family continue to struggle in Armenia.

Carlo has moved back into his old apartment in the outskirts of
Yerevan. He shares the apartment with a friend from Syria. He’s
currently working as a carpenter, making $225 per month. His portion
of the housing rent is $50 per month. Carlo saves as much money as
possible and sends it to his struggling family in Aleppo.

Conclusion In its latest report, the Independent International
Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic portrayed the Free
Syrian Army–or the “good rebels”–as “Syrian moderate nationalists
organized in a conglomeration of armed groups affiliated to the
internationally backed Supreme Military Council, fighting the
Government and calling for the formation of a democratic and
pluralistic State. It also includes moderate Islamic groups and
armed groups with local agendas limited to their communities’
aspirations.”[30]

The abduction, torture, dehumanization, and the lack of due process
experienced by Carlo Hatsarkorzian, Sako Assadourian, Garo Boboghlian,
and Narek Varjabedian reflects a reality that contradicts the
international commission’s depiction of the FSA.

In fact, the experiences of these four Armenians reveal one of two
things about the Supreme Military Council: that either the SMC has
no control over the FSA battalions under its chain of command, or
that the SMC of the Free Syrian Army has no intention of creating a
democratic and pluralistic state in the Syrian Arab Republic, where
the rights of minority groups such as, the Armenians are preserved.

The independent commission’s March 18, 2014 report was based on
investigations conducted between July 15, 2013 and Jan. 20, 2014–the
same period of time that saw the kidnapping and torture of these four
Armenians. Within that same interval, Wanis (father) and Minas (son)
Levonian were abducted by ISIS and brutally executed on Jan. 8 or 9,
2014.[31] After their execution, the Aleppo Sharia Committee refused
to hand over their bodies for a proper Armenian burial.

Moreover, during this specific interlude, numerous other Armenians
were kidnapped and subjected to human rights violations. And yet,
the independent commission’s report fails to make a single reference
to human rights violations committed against the Armenian population
of Syria.

More than three years into the Syrian conflict, local and international
human rights organizations have failed to properly document the
constant violations and crimes committed against the Armenians. This
consistent negligence of the plight of the Armenians compels us to
believe that in the eyes of the international community, the Armenians
are an insignificant segment of Syrian society.

How you can help Carlo and Sako are de facto political refugees who
have endured an insurmountable amount of terror at the hands of the
Free Syrian Army.

Considering their recent experience in Syria, both men are unable and
unwilling to return to Aleppo. Their desire is to find a permanent
home in Armenia.

Recognizing the unique and urgent circumstance of these two men, the
Aleppo Compatriotic Charitable Organization NGO recently launched
an online fundraising campaign to raise funds for the purchase
of apartments for Carlo, Sako, and their respective families. The
California based non-profit, the Ani & Narod Memorial Fund, Program
on Justice & Equity for Syrian-Armenian Refugees, will match up to
$5,000 in donations, towards the purchase of these apartments.

You can donate to ACCO by visiting their website or by sending a
check to the organization’s offices in New Jersey: Aleppo Compatriotic
Charitable Organization, 2 Marvin Rd., Middletown, NJ 07748.

Please specify the purpose of your donation by writing “Carlo & Sako
Apartments” in the memo line. For further information about this case,
contact the author via email.

Notes

[1] hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/syria1013_ForUpload.pdf

[2]hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/The_Supreme_Military_Council_of_the_Free_Syrian_Army_response_to_You-can-still-see-their-blood_0.pdf

[3]
thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/09/02/obama-to-arm-syrian-rebels.html

[4] Ibid.

[5] The Armenian Weekly interview by Skype with Carlo Hatsarkorzian,
April 23, 2014

[6] Ibid.

[7] The Armenian Weekly interview with Sako Assadourian, Yerevan,
Armenia, April 11, 2014

[8] Ibid.

[9] The Armenian Weekly interviews with Sako Assadourian & Carlo
Hatsarkorzian on different days

[10] During the interview with the Armenian Weekly, both Carlo and
Sako, provided the real identity of the FSA military commander,
“Abu Ali,” but in order to protect themselves and their families,
they requested not to publish those details.

[11] emmejihad.wordpress.com/tag/hraytan/

[12] The Armenian Weekly interview by Skype with Carlo Hatsarkorzian,
April 23, 2014

[13] Ibid.

[14] The Armenian Weekly interview with Sako Assadourian, Yerevan,
Armenia, April 11, 2014

[15] Ibid.

[16] Ibid.

[17] Ibid.

[18] Ibid.

[19] Ibid.

[20] Ibid.

[21] The Armenian Weekly interview by Skype with Carlo Hatsarkorzian,
April 23, 2014

[22] Ibid.

[23] Ibid.

[24] Ibid.

[25] The Armenian Weekly interview with Sako Assadourian, Yerevan,
Armenia, April 11, 2014

[26] Ibid.

[27] Ibid.

[28] The Armenian Weekly interview by Skype with Carlo Hatsarkorzian,
April 23, 2014

[29] The Armenian Weekly interview with Sako Assadourian, Yerevan,
Armenia, April 11, 2014

[30] The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian
Arab Republic, March 18, 2014 Report

[31] english.al-akhbar.com/content/story-two-armenians-arrested-isis

FORMER EMPLOYEE OF MNS: AZERBAIJANI AUTHORITIES BUSY WITH STRUGGLE AGAINST OPPOSITION, MISS THE REAL THREAT OF TERRORISTS

19:10 18/06/2014 ” REGION

“According to our data, about 250 citizens of our country are fighting
in Syria currently,” ex-employee of MNS Colonel Ilham Ismail told
the portal “Haqqin.az”.

According to him, participation of the Azerbaijan citizen in armed
groups in Syria and Iraq is a serious threat to the security of
the country.

“Over three months, I beat the alarm, insisting that the security
services of the Republic stopped the flow of Azerbaijanis that are
rushing to the conflict areas of the Middle East,” Ismail notes.

The former employee of the Azerbaijani MNS is concerned with the fate
of the militants involved in the conflict in the Middle East. “There
is a great danger that they will arrive in Azerbaijan to destabilize
the situation at home. Now Azerbaijanis leave for Iraq to fight.

According to my information, ten young men have left for Iraq only
from the former Soviet street,” he said.

Ilham Ismail noted that the situation worsens and increasingly
becomes difficult.

“Not journalists like Rauf Mirkadirov threaten our security, but those
groups who should be immediately neutralized. The task of any special
services is to see what others do not see, and the MNS should first of
all focus its efforts on the fight against the radical extremism. In
my opinion, the powers are carried away with the struggle against
the opposition and journalists and have missed the real threat to
the state,” Ilham Ismail believes.

Note that Azerbaijani Salafis or Wahhabis are fighting in the ranks
of various terrorist groupings that operate in Syria, Afghanistan and
Pakistan. According to the Azerbaijani news agency Vesti.az the total
number of Azerbaijani terrorists in these countries equals to 300.

Whereas according to FaktHeber Azerbaijani portal over the past three
years only in Syria almost 200 Azerbaijani terrorists were killed.

The relationship between international terrorist groups and Azerbaijan
originated in the early 1990s. That time, the Azerbaijani army, having
failed in the aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR),
retreated with losses. Trying to save the situation, the Azerbaijani
leadership, headed by Heydar Aliyev attracted to the war against the
Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh international terrorists and members of
radical groups from Afghanistan (groupings of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar),
Turkey (“Grey Wolves”, etc.), Chechnya (groupings Basayev and Raduyev
etc.) and some other regions.

Despite the involvement in of thousands of foreign mercenaries and
terrorists in the Azerbaijani army during the war, the Azerbaijani
aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh Republic failed, and the Baku
authorities were forced to sign an armistice with the NKR and Armenia.

However, international terrorists found ties in Azerbaijan, and used
them in the future. Recruitment was conducted among Azerbaijanis,
who then were sent to Afghanistan and the North Caucasus, where
participated in the battles against the forces of the international
coalition and Russian organizations. In recent years, the citizens of
Azerbaijan are actively involved in terrorist and extremist activities
in Russia, Afghanistan and Syria.

Source: Panorama.am

INITIATIVE SAYS NO TO PAID PARKING BECAUSE CITY IS CONSIDERED PUBLIC PROPERTY – VIDEO

06.18.2014 17:50 epress.am

The civic initiative “Get Out of Our Pocket” will pursue the
implementation of their demands related to the fines for traffic
violations, speed sensors, and paid parking spaces, said initiative
members Armen Manvelyan and Artashes Misakyan, speaking to reporters
outside the government building today.

The initiative’s four main demands are to eliminate the newly
introduced paid public parking spaces, to lower by five times the fines
for traffic violations caught by speed sensors and CCTV cameras, to
cancel the penalties accrued for failing to make payments on previously
recorded violations, and to freeze the use of CCTV cameras and speed
sensors for fining drivers, leaving this function to the road police
until a new, acceptable procedure is adopted.

According to Manvelyan, all those decisions by the police and Yerevan
City Hall, to lower from September the fine amounts caught by speed
sensors, as well as making the previously free 5 minutes to free 15
minutes of parking, have nothing to do with their demands.

Misakyan, in turn, said such moves are a temporary illusion: the only
solution for them would be the removal of the red lines outlining
the new paid parking spaces.

“Why should we have to pay to park in our city? It is considered public
property. The ruling authorities can talk a lot, but let us agree on
this: we appointed them to serve the interests of the people,” he said.

Members of the initiative said they will present their four demands
during the vehicle procession “of civil disobedience” to take place
tomorrow.

ARMENIAN MATTEO DARMIAN PROVIDES ITALY HOPE

[ Part 2.2: “Attached Text” ]

18:24 18.06.2014
0
Italy, Matteo Darmian, World Cup 2014
[Matteo-Darmian-2-620×300.jpg]

As Matteo Darmian spoke to the Press following his World Cup finals
debut, he was as surprised as many at his inclusion in Cesare
Prandelli’s Italy squad.

“If someone had told me a few months ago that I would be here,
honestly I would have laughed,” the 24-year-old confessed,
Football Italia reports.

What the Torino man refers to is a three month period that
would be represented on a graph as a consistently ascending
line. Darmian’s World Cup selection followed an excellent season
for Giampiero Ventura’s Granatathat for the most part flew under
the radar – he played 37 games in a variety of positions including
either sides of midfield, centre-back and as either full-back.

Darmian has now turned into a crucial component of a club side that
finished seventh in Serie A last season and is now, most recently,
a starter for Italy – playing every minute of the Azzurri’s
2-1 win over England on Saturday night.

However, despite giving the impression he has simply popped out of
the ground, Matteo Darmian will enter his third season as a Serie
A regular after the World Cup. Appearing first as a 16-year-old
substitute for Milan in 2006 before a collection of loan moves –
first to Palermo and later to Torino in 2011 – cemented his status
and first attracted the attentions of the Italy Coach.

Born in the Northern Italian town of Legnano to parents of Armenian
descent, Darmian excelled at youth level for Milan, captaining the
Diavolo’s primavera side at 17.

However, in June 2012 the Rossoneri sold their stake in Darmian’s
contract to Palermo, ending an 11-year relationship with the
player. The decision has proven to be an oversight – Darmian evolving
into a consistent figure in Turin while Milan have struggled for
quality at either full-back position in recent years.

Quick and industrious, Darmian was a constant threat on the right
flank against England with overlapping runs and measured, intelligent
movements. Displaying accurate crossing and incisive, calm passing,
the former Palermo man combined well with Antonio Candreva, including
one occasion that led to the Azzurri’s winning goal in Manaus.

Darmian’s effectiveness led to many lauding the performance,
including Inter and Azzurro icon Sandro Mazzola.

“I didn’t expect Matteo Darmian to be so decisive at
these levels but he really impressed me,” the former midfielder
remarked. “England didn’t realise he was there and it
allowed us to punish them.”

Darmian’s Italy involvement is a credit to Cesare Prandelli,
who has once again trusted his instinct to value talent over
experience. The choice of the Torino prospect instead of the more
tournament tested Ignazio Abate and Christian Maggio has proven to
be a worthwhile risk so far, Darmianrepresenting another weapon that
provides much-valued tactical flexibility.

It is only one game for the Torino talent who is very much at the early
stages of a prospective Azzurro career, but the first indications are
promising. With little expectation attached to the chances of finding
a long-term solution at right-back out of either Abate or Maggio,
Darmian has a real opportunity to make the position his own. Although
if he did, it probably wouldn’t much of a surprise anymore.

hope/

SPEAKER: ONLY ARMENIA’S DETERMINATION IS NOT ENOUGH FOR PROGRESS ON KARABAKH

June 17, 2014 | 19:15

YEREVAN. – Only Armenia’s determination is not enough for progress on
Karabakh issue, Armenian parliament speaker Galust Sahkyan said during
the meeting with PACE co- rapporteurs Axel Fischer and Alan Meale.

Armenia, he said, is committed to peaceful settlement, but Azerbaijan’s
commitment is needed. Militarist rhetoric, hatred propaganda, military
buildup are causing concern, as well as the failure of projects aimed
at restoration of mutual trust. He noted the role of the Council
of Europe in addressing this problem and offered to initiate direct
contacts with Karabakh and its people.

Sahakyan said Armenia’s chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers
of the Council of Europe was successful and proceeded based on the
principle of dialogue with all Member States, unfortunately unlike
the current presidency.

Speaking of constitutional electoral reforms, parliament speaker
said that they had been launched to improve the implementation of
principles of fundamental human rights and freedoms, to ensure a
balance of power and efficiency of management. Draft reforms are
being developed with active public debate and in close cooperation
with the Venice Commission of the PACE, he added.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am

NORTH HOLLYWOOD MAN INDICTED IN ARMENIAN SMUGGLING RING CASE

Los Angeles Times
June 17 2014

Tony Perry

44-year-old North Hollywood man was indicted on a charge of being
the ringleader of a smuggling ring that brought Armenian nationals
into the U.S. through Moscow and Mexico.

Grigor Chatalyan was arrested Sunday trying to enter the U.S. from
Mexico at the San Ysidro border crossing. prosecutors said. He was
arraigned in San Diego federal court Monday and an indictment was
unsealed.

Two Glendale residents — Varduhi Avagyan, 42, and Meri Avetisyan, 40
— were arrested in November on suspicion of attempting to smuggle two
Armenian nationals into the U.S., officials said. Officials accused
them of coordinating with Chatalyan.

Prosecutors accuse the group of charging Armenian nationals up to
$18,000 to be flown to Moscow where they were given phony Russian
passports to travel to Cancun, Mexico.

Once in Cancun, they were brought to Tijuana where they received
immigration documents that had been issued to other people,
prosecutors said.

Chatalyan and the two co-defendants are charged with conspiracy and
smuggling illegal immigrants for profit. Chatalyan is also charged
with identity theft.

A VOICE FROM KASSAB

CounterCurrents.org
June 17 2014

By Judith Bello
17 June, 2014
Countercurrents.org

I was with a group of 5 Americans, 3 Canadians and an Irishman who
went to observe the Syrian election, but there were other observers
from Asia, Africa and South America. On the way there, I thought about
having a particular angle to report from, and I decided that since
there weren’t many women observers that I would talk to other women
and try to get their perspective on the election, but also on life
in Syria before and after the war. I wanted to look at the issues
from a less politicized perspective than most of what you hear and
read on the subject of the war in Syria, and Assad’s election.

I did meet and interview number of women in Syria, and I found myself
in contact with another woman when I got back, an American named
Lilly Martin living in Syria with her Syrian husband. When I heard
that Lilly had a house in the town of Kassab that had been destroyed
during the recent period of occupation by ‘rebel’ forces (actually,
al Nusra Front I think) , I wanted to know more. Kassab, an Armenian
town near the Turkish border, was occupied during March of this year
and only liberated by the Syrian Army a few days ago. I asked Lilly
via email if she would be willing to do a written interview through
email and she agreed.

Because Lilly is a middle class American and has lived much of her
life in this country, her voice is familiar. She says that she had
not considered herself an ‘activist’ since the Vietnam War. She says
she had not thought of herself as a feminist before now. But, she
says this war has changed her. Not everyone will agree with Lilly’s
perspective, but it is honest, and not unfamiliar. I am very grateful
to her for sharing her insights and experiences. What follows are my
questions and Lilly’s answers.

Judy: How did you come to live in Syria?

Lilly: I married in 1978 in California a young kid my same age who was
originally from Syria, but had migrated to USA and had left Syria in
1970. We were married and living in California from 1978 to 1994. He
was in the real estate business and I was a medical professional. We
had 2 sons born in CA, then moved to Syria to be close to his parents
and siblings. My parents had died, and my only brother was living in
Singapore teaching.

Judy: How long have you lived in Kassab and did you live in Syria
before that?

Lilly: I have lived in the city of Latakia from 1994 until present.

Latakia is a mid-size city, it is a beach resort for summer tourism
and a Port for shipping. I visited Latakia first in 1986, then in
1990, and finally moved here in 1994. The home I lost in Kassab is my
summer house, as Kassab is a high mountain village, and many people
have a summer house there. Kassab is about 2000 pop and is Armenian,
but the summer-house-people are of other sects. Kassab used to be
a frequent summer spot for Saudi and Kuwaiti families seeking cool
breezes. They would drive up from “Arabia”.

Judy: What was your life like in Kassab before the war?

Lilly : My life in Latakia from 1994 to March 2011 was wonderful. I
had a great group of friends, they were all females, some Syria and
some western women. We had regular meetings and I called them ‘The
Ladies Club’. That ‘club’ was broken up by this war, because some
of the ladies backed the ‘revolution’ and some did not. I did not,
so we have never met again, after a famous Christmas party in 2011,
where I simply stated, “My Christmas prayer is: God please stop the
terrorists”. Half the group attacked me viciously, they said that
there were no terrorists, only freedom fighters. When I said, “But,
they are making bombs and throwing them everywhere indiscriminately!”

They countered, “They have to defend themselves.” I never did get
their logic of throwing a bomb into a shopping center in order to
defend themselves.

My kids had free education, and really a good education system in both
Arabic and English, mandatory. My kids went to University for FREE,
which is the right of all Syria students, as long as the grades are
kept up. We had free medical, hospital, surgeries, etc. Medicines were
so cheap, because Syria was a large manufacturer of pharmaceuticals,
with export to over 32 countries. Free education and Free medical. What
more do you want?

Latakia is a easy-going place, there are no dress codes or restrictions
here. Everyone got along and in 1994-March 2011 there were no uprising,
no riots, no sectarian strife. The government and police were strong,
so criminal activity was very low, no one had hand guns other than
police and Army. No robberies, no car-jackings, no armed robbery,
no bank robbery. There was regular crime, like thieves coming in
when people were away, and a car theft, but nothing which involved
a gun. No one had a gun.

Judy: Did you or your loved ones ever have any problem with the
government in Syria

Lilly: I never had any problem with the government. My husband, and
all of his family members, are NOT civil servants, or connected to the
government in anyway. My husband is a self-employed businessman. We
didn’t have anyone who was in prison, or in any trouble. It was my
general impression that there was nothing to be afraid of, if you
obeyed the laws, just I would have if I was still living in USA.

Judy: What did you think was happening at the beginning of the
insurgency and where did you think it would lead?

Lilly: We all watched the revolution in Egypt. We wondered if it was
coming to Syria? We all shook our heads and guessed that it would
NOT. I had friends who were a couple of retired teachers from Canada,
who had asked to come to visit Syria in January 2011. We all debated
as to whether there could be any disturbances, and we all concluded
that there was nothing going to happen. They came and we did my famous
‘walking-tour’ of Damascus. They went home and our revolution began
March 2011.

>From our home, watching TV we watched the coverage of Deraa March 201
unfold. Deraa is a very small and insignificant town. It is so small
and remote, I would venture a guess that 90% of Syrians had never
visited it. I know that the Latakian people had no relationship to
Deraa, they were about 8 hours drive time between the 2 and there was
no exchanges between the 2 places. Deraa was famous for archeology,
and farming, and no much else.

At first, we guessed it must really be an uprising. An actual uprising
of disgruntled people . People who felt oppressed or grievances of some
sort. Then we wondered why were their so many soldiers and policemen
being killed? How could the BBC report a soldiers funeral as coming
under fire from other soldiers? That made no sense. Who were these
snipers on roofs? Once they showed the Omari Mosque was a store-room
for weapons, then we understood the true story. This was a foreign
attack, but disguised as a popular uprising.

If it was really an uprising, then we should see it come to Latakia
eventually. It did, on April 1, 2011. That was the first day. The mayor
and other dignitaries went out to the protesters and asked them “WHAT”
do you all want? They said in reply, “FREEDOM”. The mayor asked, “WHAT
does that mean?” No reply. I saw the protesters. They were drug addicts
and weird looking people, and they didn’t all look like there were even
from Latakia. Out-side agitators, bused in to create trouble. However,
there were some genuine intellectuals, how were duped into promoting
the cause, which they later dropped when it went to armed rebellion.

People would protest, they would destroy shops, they killed innocent
civilians, they killed soldiers, and police. Next came the President
on TV announcing that they would abolish the emergency law, and they
would send all police and soldiers to watch the protests, but strictly
unarmed. The President thought that the western media was showing the
Syrian police and soldiers as brutal, so by taking away the weapons,
there could be no excesses. I’ll never forget that day, the day they
were not allowed to carry a weapon, just to stand and watch.

My friend’s son in the Police force, stood and watched, and the
peaceful protesters cut him up with axes. He was buried in a plastic
garbage bag. That was April 2011, from that day on we knew this was
really awful, and had nothing to do with freedom or democracy.

Judy: Were you aware of a part of the population that was not being
well served by the government and who could be used to spearhead a
regional proxy war?

Lilly: The government in Syria was, and is secular. The President
is a minority, but most of his cabinet of ministers are Sunni,
the majority. The Defense Minister, who is directly responsible for
the Military, was a Christian, until the terrorists blew him up in
Damascus, and now he is a Sunni. The Syrian government has never
been a “Alowi Elite”, or a “Minority Rule”. Those are media mantra,
but are not fact.

My husband and all his relatives are Sunni, the majority, which is
about 60% of the country. Alowi are about 20%, Christians are about
15%, there are about 5% which are Shite. Syria is famous for having 18
sects. The first sectarian strife was instigated by the Ottoman Turks
in 1860. The second sectarian strife was 1980’s in Hama, instigated
by Muslim Brotherhood. During the years I have been here there was
no sectarian strife.

Every Syrian is the same under law. Corruption does exist, as it does
all over the middle east, but it was dispersed among all sects. The
reason for this secular government was due to the Ba’ath Party being
the sole ruling party until 2012, when the new constitution abolished
the one party rule. The Ba’ath party was strictly secular, and members
and supporters of the Ba’ath party are among all various sects. It
is still the largest and strongest party. It will take years to build
confidence in other parties.

There was no “under-served, oppressed, unrepresented” portion of
Syrian society. The western media mantra is the SUNNI majority rose
up because they had been downtrodden too long. This is the SUNNI
fantasy. My family are Sunni, and from the average types, nothing
spectacular or different. There is a self-deluded paranoia here,
among under-educated and bigoted Sunnis, who say all their problems
are because the Alowis have all the breaks. No one asks the Sunnis why
do they refuse to take advantage of the FREE education? They decided
that they will do a revolution, strip everything hard earned from
their minority neighbors, and then the yogurt maker will be appointed
Prime Minster. This is their fantasy.

There is a huge cultural difference between Sunni families and Alowi
families here on the coast, which is the Alowi highest concentration.

You find the Alowi families living on an orange farm, the mother and
father are tending to the trees, meanwhile their kids are studying
to be a Doctor, Lawyer and Engineer. Down in the city of Latakia,
you find the Sunni families complaining that their kids have to study
so much, and they have to pay for private tutors because their kids
are not self motivated, and want to drop out of school. These people
are my relatives, and have been through 36 years of marriage. They
need a lot of work, and they need to do it alone.

It was the Sunni population which fostered and participated in the
rebellion. It didn’t take much outside agitation to get them into the
streets and demanding that the country should be Sunni only, with all
Christians shipped out to Beirut, and all Alowis slaughtered. That
was the Free Syrian Army’s first banners and slogans. The Free Syrian
Army was and is exclusively Sunni. If you can find one FSA soldier who
is from any sect other than Sunni, I will give you $100.00 The FSA is
a bigoted, sectarian terrorist group, who prays upon the uneducated,
and undereducated bigoted people who want to blame all their woes on
the government and their minority neighbors.

The problem with this plan of revolution was that it had very little
support on the ground. The vast majority of Sunnis did not buy it or
accept it or support it.

Judy: What do you think is the role of the US in the current war
against Syria?

Lilly: The US is the founder, inventor and the prime driver of the
attack on the Syrian people for the purpose of regime change. The CIA
admits they started planning and funding this many years ago. I can
understand their wish for regime change, as Syria is a pro-Palestinian
resistance supporter. Those goals are not compatible with US. However,
once they started their plans, and got to the point that they could
see their was no ground support for the removal of the President,
they should have switched gears and given up on the attack, and found
another plan. But, the evil part is to continue killing innocent
unarmed civilians, only because they refuse to be traitors and
refuse to stop fighting terrorists. This is a moral low point for
USA foreign policy.

The funding comes from Saudi Arabia, who is forced to fund by
black-mail. In other words, if they don’t fund terrorism, their Royal
family would be taken out over night, in the cause of human rights,
and a new form of government instituted by USA. This could still
happen. The Saudis have to be very docile, if they act too strong,
the US will cut them down to size. The Army and military in Saudi
Arabia are all in the hands of USA.

Judy: Did the people of Kassab have much social or economic commerce
with people on the other side of the border in Turkey before the war?

Lilly : The border crossing at Kassab was very busy before the war.

Trucks of Turkish merchandise coming in, Syrian dress shop owners
going to Turkey for merchandise orders from their factories, shoes
coming in from Turkey, sugar and tea going to Turkey from Syria
(cheaper in Syria). The back and forth business exchanges were daily.

As far as tourism, the Syrians went to Turkey all summer long on bus
trips, going to shops, going to restaurants, to resorts. My own family
took our summer vacation every year in Turkey. We loved it.

Judy: Were there problems with terrorists in Kassab before they took
over the town a few months ago?

Lilly : The road from Latakia to Kassab had remained open all during
the war. People were constantly coming and going between the 2 all
during the war. Even on March 21, the day of invasion, there were
people in Kassab visiting there. There was a place to the EAST of
Kassab, towards Idlib, Qasta Maaf, Selma, Ferloq, Rabia, all those
areas to the EAST of Kassab had experienced problems with terrorists.

But, the coast and Kassab were OK and there had been no previous
attacks. It was a shock and mystery why they would burst into Kassab
on March 21, 2014. I still don’t see the military target or strategy.

>From the other side, I can’t see why they did it. Massacring 88
unarmed civilians and beheading 13. Why? For what reason? Because
they were Christians?

Judy: Were there internal divisions in or around Kassab where
people were taking divisive political or military stances within
the community?

Lilly : There was nothing whatsoever political going on in Kassab.

2,000 Armenians, Syrian citizens, who are Christian. They were all
small farmers, apples and peaches. Some owned tiny grocery shops,
some owned hand soap factories, small sized, for the production
of Olive Oil and Bay leaf hand soap bars. There were no parties,
no protests, nothing. The Syrian Christians are all of one mind,
which is in support of peace, safety, support of the government. I
have never seen any Syrian Christian say anything about supporting
any rebellion. There could be some Syrian Christians in USA who may
be supporting regime change, but not inside Syria. Christians here
see the rebellion as 100% Sunni and they have no place in it.

Judy : Were people killed when Kassab was overrun or did most people
escape before the terrorists came in?

Lilly: 6 am, March 21, 2014 the terrorists burst in, according to
survivors (I have their names and testimony) the terrorists were a
combination of foreigners, with a few Syrians included. This would
be classic Free Syrian Army. They are Syrians working with various
Al Qaeda. 88 unarmed civilians killed immediately, with 13 of those
beheaded. The survivors ran to Latakia in cars, etc. The survivors
are still sleeping here at the Armenian church in Latakia (I spoke
by cell phone to their media person this morning) 22 very elederly
survivors were kidnapped and taken by force to Turkey, were they were
treated well in a small village 23 kilometers north of Kassab. 11
of them have been brought back to Latakia, via Lebanon and we are
waiting for the other 11.

Judy: Have you been suffering other problems due to the war before
or since the terrorist invasion of Kassab? Have there been shortages
of food or gas and oil, for instance.

Lilly: Since the war began, March 2011, the prices of normal everyday
items of life have risen by 8 times. If an item had cost 100 lira,
it is now 800 lira. I am referring to everything you eat, drink, or
clothes. Many medicines are no longer available. You would have to
go to Lebanon to find them, and at US prices. Gas, food and supplies
are available, but at prices many can not bear. Syria has never
had a welfare program, like money given to the poor. So the poor
are suffering.

For example: my husband sells bulldozers. He has not sold one bulldozer
since March 2011. We have been living off savings, with no income
at all in this period. We are a typical family. Government employees
still have their paychecks, so this helps many. Self employed people
have been hit, and especially factory workers, since all the various
factories were destroyed by FSA.

At certain times we were staying inside city limits, it was too
dangerous to travel. Right now, the roads from Latakia to Homs to
Damascus are all open and OK. There is no travel from Latakia to
Aleppo, that is all terrorist lands.

Judy: What are the conditions under which refugees in Latakia live?

Lilly: The survivors of Kassab have been and still are sleeping at
the Armenian church in Latakia. The church is modern and has water,
kitchen, toilets and plenty of space. It is a church, school and
cultural center all in one. It was renovated about 5 years ago, thank
God for that, it has been put to use. The refugees are well cared
for and have funds donated and are OK for the persent, but they will
need a lot to repair and rebuild their homes in Kassab. Many homes
have been looted and destroyed. Some are burnt up, some demolished.

Judy: How have the conditions of the war affected the circumstances
of women and children in general in Syria?

Lilly: Women and children have suffered a great deal. But the
biggest suffering has been those that LEFT Syria to stay in Turkey,
Lebanon and Jordan. I will discuss the females and kids outside of
Syria later with you. The suffering of those inside Syria, internally
displaced, has been real, but not much more than males. We have many
internally displaced refugees from Aleppo here in Latakia. They have
food, shelter, medicines, and the kids are all in school. They are
suffering because they can’t go home. They can’t have a normal income.

Judy: I saw a lot of martyrs images in and around Tartous when I was
there . Are many of the men in your community engaged in the fighting
as members of the military?

Lilly: The Syrian Army was ranked #16 in the world prior to the war.

It consisted of 600,000 soldiers. I know many have died, the official
count is 25,000 soldiers dead. The Syrian Army consists of young men
18 and over, healthy and not currently enrolled in University. It is
a compulsory duty. The Syrian Army soldiers are from all 18 different
sects. They are not “Assad loyalist” any more that the US military are
“Obama regime loyalist”. Uniformed soldiers in a national Army are
fighting for their country and family, but not necessarily for their
leader or political ideology. The typical American soldier and the
typical Syrian soldier are similar. You wear and uniform and shoot
a gun and no one ever asks you for your political analysis.

The Syrian soldiers who have died in the war are from every family
in every community across Syria. Everyone has lost someone.

Judy: How did you feel about the election? What are your thoughts on
Bashar Assad’s continued Presidency?

Lilly: I was very excited about the election, I observed my local
poll and took photos and wrote a report. I had been expecting the
current President to make a big move toward free elections back
in 2007. I could tell when he came to office in 200 he wanted to
make changes. He was very slow, but I am sure he had advisors who
cautioned to go slow. Syria is so conservative, they move slow. I
know that the majority of people support him.

There are people who boycotted the election, they are mainly these
bigoted, sectarian types. If they wanted a Sunni President, they
could have all voted for Dr. Hassan al Nouri, but only 500,000 did.

If you ask any of the revolutionaries who do they want leading, they
have no candidate, no ideas, no goals. They are just dead-heads as far
as I am concerned. All they needed to do was to present a vision of
what they wanted for Syria should the regime fall. If their vision
proposed was acceptable to many, it would have happened. But they
never had a vision, or any plan. They are the blind leading the blind
and wondering why everyone voted for President Assad.

Judy: Do you feel safe going home?

Lilly: I won’t feel safe returning to Kassab, to check on my home
there, until all the Armenians go. I will tag-along with them. I
would be afraid of left over bombs, or dead bodies laying around. I
am a bit afraid really. But at some point the all clear will be given
and I will go. I have to.

Judy: Will you be given any assistance with rebuilding?

Lilly: The government has already said there will be funds provided
for rebuilding the whole of the country. The exact amounts, and how
and when, those are in the works. Syria entered into the war with
zero debts. They have paid for many weapons and various supplies,
they were not given any gifts, they paid for everything, but still
have not taken any loans from anyone. This was their goal, to be able
to spend their own money without asking for loans, which could make
you feel tied up later, beholden.

Judy: Is there anything else you would like to share with people
about what is going on in Syria right now?

Lilly: The main thing is for the various countries funding and
supporting the attack on Syria to stop. That means the London 11 group
(formerly known as the Friends of Syria) should be dissolved.

There should be no more paychecks and weapons sent to terrorists to
fight inside Syria. The Rat Line from Benghazi to Iskenderun, Turkey
should be shut. The borders along Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan
should be well guarded and terrorists should be prevented from coming
in. if the various sponsors and supporters will stop immediately,
Syrian can slowly recover, clean up and re-build. In the consideration
of humanitarian issues, I would ask that all nations formerly against
Syria cease and desist and let’s discuss ways to make Syria a better
place through the UN and other peaceful means.

Judy Bello has traveled to Iran, Iraq, Pakistan and now Syria seeking
to bridge cultural barriers to understanding and network with others
to build a more peaceful and more just society.

ARMENIAN MATTEO DARMIAN PLAYING FOR ITALY AT WORLD CUP 2014

13:28 16.06.2014

Italian defender Matteo Darmian is of Armenian descent. Of Armenian
extraction but born in the northern Italian town of Legnano, he
played his youth football for AC Milan before making his first-team
debut in a Coppa Italia match in November 2006, according to FIFA’s
official website

A maiden Serie A appearance followed the very next season against
Udinese, but like many other young Italian talents Darmian was forced
to go on his travels in search of first-team football, spending time
at Padova, Torino and Palermo but playing only 15 top-flight games
up to 2012.

His fortunes changed when Torino decided to sign him on a permanent
deal. Earning a regular starting place as the 2012/13 season got under
way, he established himself as one of the best full-backs in Serie A.

A first choice also at every age level for Italy, Darmian caught the
eye of Cesare Prandelli during another fine season with the Turin club
and was invited to a national team training camp in March 2014, the
prelude to his appearance in the coach’s 23-man list for Brazil 2014.

MESROPYAN: MAJORITY OF ARMENIANS ARE BACK IN KESSAB

13:30 17/06/2014 >> SOCIETY

Kessab was liberated by the efforts of the Syrian army and young
Armenian fighters, deputy chairman of the Social Democrat Hunchakian
Party (SDHP) Armenia office Vazgen Mesropyan told reporters Tuesday.

He said that a self-defense detachment of Kessab Armenians fought for
the liberation of Kessab. Besides, Vahan Badasyan, a member of the
Artsakh parliament and a battalion commander in Karabakh war, along
with his friends left for Kessab to participate in the liberation of
the town.

Speaking about the situation in Kessab, Mr Mesropyan noted that
Armenian schools, churches and cemeteries have been burned or sustained
big damages from the militant attacks. There is no water, electricity
and telephone communications.

“An hour ago I made a call to Kessab. All Armenian families are
returning to the town. Three families from Armenia have already gone
to Kessab. Those returning are mostly men. The army does not allow
a large number of people to enter the town since mine clearance is
still underway,” Mesropyan concluded.