Author: Kalantarian Kevo

SETTLEMENT OF SYRIAN ARMENIANS INTO AZERBAIJANI OCCUPIED TERRITORIES CONTRADICTS INT’L LAW

Trend, Azerbaijan
May 13 2014

Baku, Azerbaijan, May 13
Trend:

The settlement of Syrian Armenians into the occupied territories of
Azerbaijan is illegal under international law and must be stopped
immediately, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said on
May 13.

The minister made the remarks while speaking at the first session
of the Arab Cooperation and Economic Forum with Central Asia and
Azerbaijan in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The foreign minister’s speech has been posted on the website of
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry.

Mammadyarov pointed out that Armenia continues to use force to sustain
military occupation of the Azerbaijani territories and to prevent one
million Azerbaijani refugees and IDP’s from returning to their homes.

He underscored that the majority of Azerbaijan’s historical and
cultural monuments were destroyed and desecrated.

“It is a matter of yet another serious concern that Armenia expands
settlement of Syrian Armenians into the occupied territories of
Azerbaijan to change the demography on the ground. Such activity is
illegal under international law and must be stopped immediately,”
the minister stressed.

He also expressed gratitude to the Islamic world for condemning the
Armenian aggression and for supporting Azerbaijan.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in
1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a
result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied
20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and
seven surrounding districts.

The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs
of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the U.S. are currently
holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council’s four
resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the
surrounding regions.

POST-SOVIET REFERENDA: THE DREAM OF IDEALISTS

Al-Jazeera, Qatar
May 13 2014

Can the international community apply a blanket policy supporting
the territorial integrity of all states?

Last updated: 13 May 2014 10:35 Vartan Oskanian, a member of Armenia’s
National Assembly, a former foreign minister and the founder of
Yerevan’s Civilitas Foundation.

Self-determination is an elusive concept. It means different things
to different people. A referendum is a potent instrument to enable
democratic decision-making and actions based on the will of the
majority. The controversy is over who has the legal and legitimate
right to decide to conduct a referendum.

Now put the two together – a referendum to practice self-determination
– and you get the confusion and chaos that has been created throughout
the world over the so-called parade of sovereignties. In addition to
legal discrepancies and political bickering, the situation is further
exacerbated because of the lack of clear international rules on the
legitimate timing and choice of referenda. To top it all off, there
is the matter of the double standards of the major powers in pursuit
of their geopolitical interests.

Most governments in the West recognise Kosovo as an independent
state; Russia does not. Russia and just a handful of other countries
recognise South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent. The US and
most Europeans do not. In both cases, one side accuses the other of
violating international law.

When Kosovo conducted a referendum for independence in 2007, the West
determined that Serbia’s consent was not required. Yet the absence
of Kiev’s consent has led the same Western countries to consider
Crimea’s referendum illegal.

Indeed, the line between the legality and non-legality of a people’s
right to determine their own fate and destiny through a referendum
has been irrevocably blurred.

Fate and destiny

On May 11, this confusion was taken to a whole new level when the
Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk voted on self-rule. Clearly,
these referenda, and before that Crimea’s secession from Ukraine,
were geopolitically motivated moves in response to Ukraine’s decision
to align itself with the West.

Such expedient actions should not in any way detract from and discredit
the more legitimate self-determination claims where whole ethnic
groups have been striving to gain or regain their rights.

There are 192 United Nations member states, more than 1,000 ethnic
groups and a few dozen simmering, frozen or dormant self-determination
movements in the world. If the world of nation-states resembles an
onion, and each layer represents a new wave of self-determination
movements, one may say that the onion is barely peeled.

US President Woodrow Wilson was the first in modern times to
embrace the right of self-determination. It was right after
World War I, at the Versailles peace talks, that the principle of
self-determination assumed its two distinct meanings. One is (external)
self-determination seeking full sovereignty, and the second is for
(internal) self-determination – to secure the right to meaningful
participation in a domestic political process.

When Wilson said, “No people must be forced under sovereignty
under which it does not wish to live”, even then Secretary of State
Robert Lansing was highly critical of this categorical embrace of the
principle of self-determination. In his notes at the Peace Conference,
he wrote: “The more I think about the president’s declaration as
to the right of self-determination, the more convinced I am of the
danger of putting such ideas into the minds of certain races…The
phrase is simply loaded with dynamite. It will raise hopes, which
can never be realised. It will, I fear, cost thousands of lives. In
the end, it is bound to be discredited, to be called the dream of
an idealist who failed to realise the danger until too late to check
those who attempt to put the principle in force. What a calamity that
the phrase was ever uttered! What misery it will cause!”

Lansing was half right. Since his days, a great many peoples have
realised their dreams of statehood, some indeed paying a high price
and experiencing painful calamities. There were 51 states when the
United Nations was created in 1945, today there are more than 190. The
newest joined just a couple of years ago. The process has not ended.

Dreams of statehood

Just as the world was not prepared to address and peacefully resolve
the self-determination claims at the Paris Peace Conference, so was
it not ready to address the wave of self-determination claims that
came right after the end of Cold War. It was a given that with the
collapse of the mother state, the individual Soviet republics and
the constituent parts of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia would
emerge as independent states. The problem for the international
community was the autonomous regions within those new states, with
the exception of Crimea and Montenegro, immediately opted to exercise
their own self-determination.

In our time, we have witnessed East Timor’s independence made
legitimate through a referendum; we witnessed the independence of
South Sudan, too, on the basis of a referendum. We witnessed the
growing number of countries that recognised Kosovo’s independence
after its referendum. Among the political, legal, academic experts
working in and around those places, there is a growing awareness of the
possibility and reality of recognising the right of self-determination
in certain circumstances.

The UN’s growing membership is evidence that self-determination
through referendum is a mechanism that works.

The challenge is to have the right criteria to transcend the seemingly
contradictory principles of international order: territorial
integrity and self-determination. The key is to judge existing
self-determination struggles each on their own merit, each in terms
of their own historical, legal circumstances, as well as the realities
on the ground.

Certainly, we need to make a distinction between stability and
forced maintenance of status quo. A status quo in political life is
never inherently permanent. A viable policy of stability requires
the mechanisms to pursue a dynamic process of managing change. The
international community has to be ready to adopt a policy where it
can manage change in this quickly changing and dynamic international
environment. This is where the focus should be, instead of simply
applying a blanket policy supporting the territorial integrity of
states. Such a standard approach cannot be applied to every case
of self-determination.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not
necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial policy.

ISRAEL MPS PAY TRIBUTE TO JOHN XXIII AHEAD OF PAPAL VISIT & MARK THE MASS KILLINGS OF ARMENIANS IN 1915

NaharNet, Lebanon
May 13 2014

The Israeli parliament paid tribute to recently canonized pope John
XXIII on Tuesday, less than two weeks before a visit to the Holy Land
by Pope Francis.

Lawmakers also marked the Turkish mass killings of Armenians in 1915,
even as the Jewish state and Ankara seek to patch up ties.

“John XXIII is the one who led to the most significant changes” in
the Vatican’s attitude towards Jews, speaker Yuli Edelstein said at
the opening of a plenary session.

“I hope that in the spirit of John XXIII, the current pope will also
know how to bridge over the rivers of hatred and pain between the
religions”, Edelstein said.

Two parliamentary committees also held meetings on John XXIII,
focusing on his actions to save Jews during World War II and his
efforts to eradicate prejudice towards Jews from Catholic doctrine.

John XXIII (1958-1963) was proclaimed a saint last month by Pope
Francis, who is due visit the Holy Land from May 24 to 26.

Zehava Galon of the opposition Meretz party opened the debate
commemorating the “killing of the Armenian nation” in 1915.

“As victims of the Nazi Holocaust who are aware of the dangers of its
denial, the Jewish people have the moral obligation to be sensitive
to the disasters of other peoples,” she said.

Reuven Rivlin of the ruling rightwing Likud party said commemoration
of the Armenian “genocide” should not be seen as act of spite against
Turkey, “but a human and moral obligation.”

Armenians say up to 1.5 million of their kinsmen died in orchestrated
killings during the final years of the Ottoman Empire.

Turkey strongly denies this, saying 300,000 Armenians and as many
Turks were killed in civil conflict when the Christian Armenians,
backed by Russia, rose up against the Ottomans.

Israel and Turkey are seeking to finalize a deal mending ties broken
in 2010 when Israeli commandos raided a Gaza-bound aid flotilla,
leaving nine Turkish activists dead.

CALIFORNIA MEDIA OUTLETS EXPRESS OUTRAGE OVER THE PRO-ARMENIAN RESOLUTION

Trend, Azerbaijan
May 12 2014

Baku, Azerbaijan, May 12
By Sabina Ahmadova – Trend:

The resolution AJR 32 regarding the so-called “independence” of
Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh region – currently under illegal
occupation by Armenia -, discussed on May 5 and passed on May 8 by
the California State Assembly under the huge pressure by the Armenian
lobby, was received with outrage by various California media outlets.

Stressing that Nagorno-Karabakh is recognized as part of Azerbaijan
both by U.S. Government and the whole international community, the
media outlets characterized the resolution as a noxious interference
by the California Assembly in U.S. foreign policy, the Consulate
General of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles told Trend.

Dan Walters, a renowned reporter for the newspaper “Sacramento Bee”,
which is the most widely read political newspaper in California, said
in a video-blog that the California State Legislature is involving
Californians’ time and money into dabbling in foreign affairs. “Why
should the Legislature be passing resolutions on this or that side of
an international conflict,” he asks. Referring to AJR 32, Mr. Walters
says that “according to U.S. official policy, the Nagorno-Karabakh
region belongs to Azerbaijan, which means that this resolution
contradicts American foreign policy.” Noting that this resolution
will anyway have no effect on the conflict situation on the ground,
Walters mentions that the Armenian lobby in California is putting
much pressure on the Legislature to pass the resolution. “And the
Legislature doesn’t have the capacity to say “NO” to these people. It
should say “NO” and stay out of these things and pay attention to
the business of the people of California, and not to the people of
the Caucasus many thousands of miles away,” he concludes.

Even a newspaper published in the district of the resolution’s main
author Mike Gatto has expressed unease with the resolution. In an
article published by “Crescenta Valley Weekly” the article’s author
mentions that both the U.S. Government and four resolutions passed
by the UN Security Council recognize Nagorno-Karabakh belonging to
Azerbaijan. The author also highlights the mass expulsion of hundreds
of thousands of Azerbaijanis from Armenia as well as from the occupied
regions of Azerbaijan by Armenia, and mentions the war crimes committed
by Armenian forces against Azerbaijani civilians.

Referring to Azerbaijan’s Consul General in Los Angeles Nasimi
Aghayev, the author notes that this very divisive resolution is
pitting the Azerbaijani and Armenian communities of California
against each other, “stirring ethnic tension and animosity in such a
diverse and multicultural state as California.” The article ends by
stressing that other U.S. “states have taken the opposite course of
California, instead affirming the foreign policy views of the federal
government,” and mentions in this regard the resolutions passed by
Arizona Legislature on January 30, 2014 recognizing Azerbaijan’s
territorial integrity.

An analytical blog widely read in California’s political circles
named “California Political News & Views” also published an article
on the issue. Titled “Sacramento Democtrats want foreign policy
instead of Jobs” the article says: “The State of California is in a
Depression-our real unemployment is in the 15% raise, taxes are high,
businesses leaving the State, the pension system is collapsing. We
have a $16.7 billion cash deficit… But Assemblyman Gatto has
time to create a resolution giving California a foreign policy in
re: Armenia and Azerbaijan!” The same blog has also published an
article by Azerbaijan’s Consul General in Los Angeles Aghayev entitled
“California Legislature should not allow Armenian lobby to manipulate
it into harming US foreign policy and national interests.”

Two articles published by “Los Angeles Times” also highlight
the issue. The articles’ author Melanie Mason stresses that
Nagorno-Karabakh is considered as part of Azerbaijan by the U.S.

Government, “therefore the resolution diverges from the State
Department at a particularly sensitive time, given the upheaval in
eastern Ukraine.” Placing comments under both articles, the LA Times
readers have also expressed indignaton with the resolution suggesting
to the California legislators to pay more attention to solving
California’s urgent problems instead of dealing with foreign policy.

The political blog specializing on ethnic separatism and conflicts
“Springtime of Nations” also highlighted the biasedness of the
resolution. An article published on the blog titled “California
Assembly Passes Resolution Approving Ethnic Cleansing” lambasts the
resolution. Informing the readers on the illegal military occupation
and ethnic cleansing of Azerbaijan’s lands by Armenia, as well as
war crimes committed against Azerbaijanis civilians such as the
Khojaly Massacre of 1992, the author notes that by passing this
pro-Armenian resolution the California Assembly has only approved
all these horrible crimes.

THE LIBERATION OF HOMS, BEGINNING OF THE END OF THE AGGRESSION AGAINST SYRIA

Voltaire Network
May 12 2014

by Thierry Meyssan

The liberation of Homs, the third largest city of the Syrian Arab
Republic, is not just an event among others in the war waged by NATO
and the GCC on Syria. For Thierry Meyssan, the agreement reached
between the Republic and its attackers suggests a quick exit from
the war. It will probably be accompanied by a redistribution of
regional roles.

Events follow and contradict each other in Syria. While at the
beginning of the year, a smiling Washington sponsored the organization
of the Geneva 2 Peace Conference, it sabotaged it from behind and
yielded to all Saudi requests. The war seemed to be destined to last as
long as the states of NATO and the GCC would finance it. Yet secretly,
for two months, peace negotiations moved forward on the initiative of
Iran. They bore their first fruit with the liberation of Homs which
could mark the beginning of the end of the war of aggression.

To understand, one must remember the official discourse and replace
the signs in the chronology of the negotiations that were taking place
at the time. This is also an opportunity for me to correct previous
statements that could not have been complete because of the secrecy
of the talks.

Four Months of War Against Syria

In early January, Washington had determined its strategy for Syria.

President Obama secretly met Congress to hold a vote for war funding
until the end of the fiscal year, that is to say until September. This
unusual procedure, unworthy of a supposedly democratic state, was
hidden from the American public and became known only because of a
dispatch from Reuters UK [1]. Parliamentarians authorized the shipment
of arms to “moderate opposition” groups, without identifying these
famous groups as, in the field, all armed opposition groups, without
exception, engaged in atrocities in the name of their vision of Islam.

[2]

At the same time, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, undisputed leader of Al
Qaeda since the summer of 2001 and Saudi national security adviser,
was hospitalized in the United States. The rumor spread that King
Abdullah would place him in disgrace at the end of the six months he
had been given to overthrow Bashar al-Assad.

In Turkey, the judiciary tried to establish how Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan was diverting money to Al-Qaeda. It jeopardized the
Muslim Brotherhood IHH Humanitarian Association. [3]

Then the United States sabotaged the peace conference in Geneva that
they were sponsoring jointly with Russia. John Kerry had Iran’s
invitation cancelled by Ban Ki-moon the day before the meeting,
though the invitation had already been duly addressed to Iran. He
presented a delegation called “Syrian Opposition” that was restricted
to members of the National Coalition, which is to say exclusively to
employees of Saudi Arabia. During his keynote speech, he kept going
over the worst war propaganda, describing the onset of a “revolution”
after the torture allegedly inflicted on teenagers in Deraa or citing
“horrific reports” on torture and thousands of executions. [4]

The Geneva conference was thus a dialogue of the deaf between, on the
one hand, a Syrian national delegation requiring prior condemnation
of terrorism in accordance with UN resolutions and on the other hand,
a pro-Saudi delegation overwhelming it with fanciful accusations.

Strangely, debates clenched around a seemingly very minor point :
the fate of the inhabitants of old Homs. Several locations in the
country and several places in Homs were besieged by the national army,
but the pro-Saudis were anxious that humanitarian organizations should
enter only old Homs.

On February 15th, the Special Representative of Ban Ki -moon and of
Nabil el-Arabi, Lakhdar Brahimi, noting that the Syrian Arab Republic
would not bend because the balance of power on the ground was largely
in its favour, suspended sine die the negotiations [5].

During the three weeks of the conference, the United States had also
taken the initiative to engage with their Saudi friends, followed by
Poland with its European allies, to encourage them to take steps to
protect themselves from the return of the jihadists. On February 6th,
the Secretary of Homeland Security , Jeh Johnson, told his counterparts
that peace was at hand and that the parties to the Western Jihad
in Syria would come back, inebriated with blood, to commit crimes in
Europe and the USA [6]. The first state to obey was Saudi Arabia, which
by decree forbade participation in jihad under penalty of 4-20 years in
prison, then it was France’s turn, which adopted a vast, comprehensive
anti-jihadist plan on April 23. On this occasion, false statistics were
distributed to the press announcing that about 10,000 Westerners and
5000 Arabs fought in Syria, while Lakhdar Brahimi spoke the preceding
year of 40,000 foreign fighters and the Syrian military evoked 120 000.

Shortly after the launch of this campaign, the European Union
confiscated the Syrian assets it had frozen, supposedly to finance the
destruction of chemical weapons, contrary to a resolution of the OPCW
which specified Syria’s financial inability to pay such destruction
and created a special international fund to act in its place. [7]

All these maneuvers were discussed by Washington and its allies at
a secret meeting of the Board of U.S. national security and heads of
European intelligence services at the White House as revealed by the
Washington Post. [8]

Militarily, Saudi Arabia brokered a cease-fire between armed groups
waging amongst themselves a terrible war of competition [9]. This
agreement did not last long and the fighting resumed quickly and
with greater gusto. However, its existence confirmed that the Saudi
Kingdom had become the only entity capable of being obeyed by the
“armed opposition”. In addition, we learned in passing that Ã~IIIL
was directly controlled by Prince Abdul Rahman al-Faisa , brother of
the Minister of Foreign Affairs. [10]

On February 22nd, Westerners had a resolution adopted by the UN
Security Council on humanitarian aid to Syria. As pointed out by
Ambassador Churkin, it came after many attempts to use this aid to
overthrow the regime. In fact only 7% of funds were gathered for
this aid, three-quarters of which was distributed by the Syrian Arab
Republic and only a quarter by UN agencies. However, in practice,
this resolution, not being respected by the armed opposition groups,
amounts only to prohibiting the Republic from besieging the areas
they control. [11]

On February 27, the tone rises between Saudi Arabia and Qatar about
the Muslim Brotherhood. Riyadh imposes requirements and sponsors a
bombing in Doha. [12]

It was then that began secret contacts on the liberation of old Homs.

In mid- March, the new U.S. ambassador to Syria, Daniel Rubinstein,
ordered the closure of the Syrian consular offices in the country.

[13] Then, on the occasion of the visit to the White House of the
President of the National Coalition, he announced the diplomatic
recognition of this group of pro-Saudi opposition, without putting an
end to diplomatic relations in international bodies with the Syrian
Arab Republic . [14]

On March 21st, the Turkish army, a NATO member, entered Syrian
territory to support a new jihadist takeover of the town of Kassab
[15]. While the Syrian army tried to save the Armenian population of
the city and bombarded the jihadists, the Turks shot down a Syrian
plane [16] . Armenia and all OTCS Member States protested in vain
against what looked like a continuation of the massacre of Armenians
by the Young Turks in 1915. Challenged by the Russian delegation to
the Security Council, Westerners refused to condemn the violation of
Syrian sovereignty by a NATO [17] member State.

At the end of March, Saudi Arabia and Qatar concluded an agreement.

Doha would gently cease its support for the Muslim Brotherhood whose
foreign leaders are asked one by one to leave the Emirate. Their
representatives would be excluded from the Syrian National Coalition.

To restore its image, Qatar plans to create a new television channel
that will soften the image of Al-Jazeera.

On April 3 , the 11 surviving members of the Friends of Syria argue
against the principle of a presidential election in Syria. They
reaffirm that it is they, through negotiations, not the Syrians
democratically, who must choose their future. [18]

On April 16, Prince Bandar bin Sultan was officially relieved of his
duties as national security adviser as well as Saudi intelligence
chief. [19] To oust him, King Abdullah was supported by John Kerry who
punished thusly the prince’s reactions to the chemical weapons case.

The Sudeiris Clan of whom Bandar is the leader, was forced to bow. The
kingdom then tidied up its operations. On the one hand, the king
ordered the release of French hostages and secondly he adopted jihad
legislation. Now, participation is prohibited, however the returning
Saudis will not be imprisoned but rather welcomed as prodigal sons.

On April 20th, a faction of Al-Qaeda in Syria, Ã~IIIL, freed four
French hostages and handed them to the Turkish police. Officially,
the four men were journalists held by Saudi Arabia (it is known that
the Ã~IIIL is controlled by Prince Abdul Rahman al-Faisal ). They
were released without compensation. [20] However one of the four
hostages would have been a member of the French secret services and,
according to the German magazine, Focus, their release was accompanied
by a funding of $ 18 million to Ã~IIIL.

On May 6th, Saudi Arabia arrested 62 members of Al- Qaeda accused of
plotting against the officials of the regime . [21]

The Liberation of Homs

Negotiations on the liberation of Homs began in early March. That was
two months ago. It was implemented from May 7 to 9. Combatants and
civilians who supported them, a total of 2,250 people, were allowed
to leave the city on buses. They could take with them small arms and
personal belongings. The document states that the windows of the bus
should be tinted or covered by curtains. An Iranian representative
was on board each vehicle. The convoy was escorted by police to a
rebel area twenty kilometers to the north.

Homs, described by NATO and GCC propaganda as the “heart of the
revolution”, is returned to the authority of the Republic, without
blood being shed. Its liberation marks the end of the takfisriste
project in Syria. Upon entering the old town, Syrian soldiers
discovered several mass graves in which the jihadists threw their
victims.

Curtains hid fighters from news reporters. We do not know how many
were foreign officers. The only thing certain is that they are French
and Saudis, with some Americans. They abandoned their heavy weapons.

They were to continue their journey and be exfiltrated by Turkey. The
Syrian government is committed not to speak publicly about the presence
of foreign officers, but it is an open secret for journalists who
approached civilians.

If the presence of Saudis is not surprising, that of the French and
Americans is. Paris had formally severed contacts with jihadists in
Syria since its intervention in Mali, in January 2013 , against other
jihadists. So much for severing, although these contacts were more
discreet. As for the Americans, they have a reputation for leaving the
ship to their allies when the weather turns bad. Yet there they were.

Henceforth, the question is what is the intention of NATO and the GCC.

It seems that the Nicaraguan style war is over. Perhaps because
the Republic resisted, perhaps because it was becoming increasingly
difficult to find candidates for jihad. Washington would fall back
on simple support for its Syrian employees. From this point of
view, the liberation of Homs corresponds to an escalation against
Damascus. For the past week, rockets rain down on the capital, causing
many casualties. Given the balance of power within the population,
the outcome of the war leaves no doubt and will be speedy. Bashar
Assad should be democratically elected by a large majority of his
fellow citizens on June 3, and the war should slowly end, its funding
being provided only until September.

The campaign led by Washington to dissuade jihadists from going back
to NATO countries suggests that a new purpose will be found for them.

For over a year, the Russian Federation has been convinced that it
will be the next target of Westerners. So, it prepares for a new shock,
even if it does not know where it will happen exactly.

Moreover, the liberation of Homs turns the page on the project of
domination of Arab countries by the Muslim Brotherhood. While they
were, since 2007, the privileged interlocutors of the State Department,
and Washington had placed them in power in Turkey, Qatar, Tunisia,
Libya, Egypt and elsewhere, they are now in reflux. Those who the
academic, Robert S. Leiken, described in 2005 as moderates capable
of governing an Islamized Arab world on behalf of the United States,
have been or are being rejected or dismissed from all countries where
they hold power.

Finally, the victory of Homs hints at the possibility of a future
rivalry between Iran and Russia. It is clear that if Washington had
confidence in Tehran in this case, it is because the two states have
previously entered into a comprehensive agreement. It seems that
the United States is remaking Iran Constable of the area, as it was
at the time of the Shah. In this perspective, military assistance
to Hezbollah, the Syrian Arab Republic and the Palestinians should
decrease slightly. Tehran should push its allies toward compromise. In
exchange, Washington could give it free rein in Iraq, Syria and even
Lebanon. It would follow that Shiism which, since Ayatollah Khomeini,
was an anti-imperialist force would become once again just a way
for Iran to assert its identity and its influence. This development
would ruin Russian-US projects in the region. But can they still be
envisaged after the Ukrainian crisis ?

Thierry Meyssan

Translation Roger Lagassé

Your e-mail address Recipient Text of your message:

[1] “Congress Approves U.S. secretly weapons flow to ‘moderate’
Syrian rebels” by Mark Hosenball , Reuters , 27 January 2014.

[2] “The United States, the first global terrorism financiers” , by
Thierry Meyssan, Al -Watan (Syria) , Voltaire Network, February 3,
2014 .

[3] “Turkish Justice accuses IHH of links with Al- Qaeda” , Voltaire
Network, 15 January 2014.

[4] “John Kerry’s opening speech at the Geneva 2 Conference” by John
F. Kerry, Voltaire Network , 22 January 2014.

[5] “Briefing on Syria by Lakhdar Brahimi to the UN General Assembly ,”
by Lakhdar Brahimi, Voltaire Network, 14 March 2014.

[6] “Syria now a “matter of homeland security” for US and EU”,
Translation Alizée Ville, Voltaire Network, 10 February 2014.

[7] “European Commission seizes frozen Syrian assets”, Translation
Alizée Ville, Voltaire Network, 16 February 2014.

[8] “Spymasters gather to discuss Syria” by David Ignatius , Washington
Post, February 19, 2014 . “U.S. coordinating secret war against Syria”,
Voltaire Network, 21 February 2014.

[9] “Riyadh concludes cease-fire agreement among terrorist
organizations in Syria”, Voltaire Network, 30 January 2014.

[10] “Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant led by Prince Abdul Rahman”,
Translation Alizée Ville, Voltaire Network, 4 February 2014.

[11] “Resolution 2139 dealing with Humanitarian aid in Syria”,
Voltaire Network, 22 February 2014.

[12] “Secret war between Qatar and Saudi Arabia”, Voltaire Network,
13 March 2014.

[13] “Washington expels all Syrian diplomats”, Voltaire Network,
18 March 2014.

[14] “Washington grants diplomatic status to Syrian National
Coalition”, Voltaire Network, 7 May 2014.

[15] “Turkey helps foreign mercenaries slip into Syria”, Voltaire
Network, 22 March 2014.

[16] “Turkish army downs Syrian combat aircraft”, Voltaire Network,
23 March 2014.

[17] “UN Security Council refuses to condemn Turkey-backed attack on
Kassab”, Voltaire Network, 5 April 2014.

[18] “11 Countries Joint Statement on Syria” , Voltaire Network,
3 April 2014.

[19] “Prince Bandar steps down”, Voltaire Network, 17 April 2014.

[20] “Release of French hostages held by France’s allies in Syria”,
Voltaire Network, 20 April 2014.

[21] “Saudi Arabia detains 62 Al-Qaeda members”, Voltaire Network,
9 May 2014.

ANSA Notiziario Generale in Italiano
April 29, 2014 Tuesday 5:59 PM CET

Turchia: Erdogan, massacro armeni 1915 non e’ genocidio

ANKARA

(ANSA) – 29 APR – Il premier turco Recep Tayyip Erdogan ha nuovamente
negato in dichiarazioni ad una tv Usa riprese dalla stampa di Ankara
che i massacri degli armeni nel 1915 durante l’ultima fase dell’Impero
Ottomano siano stati un “genocidio”. La settimana scorsa alla vigilia
del 99mo anniversario dell’ inizio delle deportazioni di centinaia di
migliaia di armeni di Turchia, Erdogan aveva per la prima volta
presentato le proprie “condoglianze” ai nipoti delle vittime dei
massacri. Il ‘gesto’ del premier turco era stato pero’ ritenuto
insufficiente dagli armeni. L’Armenia, che non ha rapporti diplomatici
con la Turchia, aveva invece nuovamente denunciato il negazionismo
“assoluto” di Ankara. Il governo turco non ha mai riconosciuto il
“genocidio” armeno, aprendo frequenti crisi con i numerosi paesi che
lo hanno fatto.

Nelle dichiarazioni alla tv Usa Pbs, il premier turco ha detto che “se
fosse stato un genocidio, come potrebbero esserci ancora armeni nel
nostro paese?”. Secondo diversi storici circa un milione e mezzo di
armeni sono stati massacrati fra il 1915 e il 1917. Il genocidio
armeno ha preceduto di pochi anni lo sterminio degli ebrei da parte
della Germania nazista.

Wicked Local North Andover, MA
May 11 2014

Carrying forward the memory

By Sally Applegate

[email protected]

The large screen in the North Andover High School auditorium fills
with the image of a beautiful young woman. Watching this image from
the front row is that same woman, Nellie Nazarian of Haverhill. Now
102 and the only remaining local survivor of the Armenian Genocide,
Nellie is being honored at a memorial musical performance at North
Andover High School on the 99th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

This human rights atrocity resulted in the death of 1.5 million
Armenians at the hands of the Ottoman Empire. From the years
1915-1923, Armenians died on forced death marches across deserts
without food or water, and many others were killed in massacres during
World War 1.

The commemoration ceremony, hosted by the Armenian Genocide
Commemorative Committee of the Merrimack Valley, took place on Sunday,
April 27. The afternoon not only included somber remembrances, but
live music performed by The Arev Armenian Folk Ensemble celebrating
life in the aftermath.

This impressive group creates magic on Armenian folk instruments and
their two vocalists have stunning voices. Soloist Ani Zargarian’s
expressive voice and face mirrors the passion of each song’s message
and the addition of Tamar Melkonian brings a ringing strength to the
music. The audience claps along to some of the numbers and cheers
loudly for the song “Getashen.”

Nellie no longer has survivors left to sit with, so she is surrounded
by her large and loving family. Nellie had four children, 15
grandchildren and 37 great grandchildren. Her husband Stephen and her
son Ara have both passed on, but her daughter Marlene, son Raymond,
and grandson Ken are there with dozens of other relatives.

Her son Raymond is happy to see his mother honored.

“It is a great feeling – look at her!” Raymond says. “I’m proud of
her. She was a great mother. She was the smartest one of all of us.”

In the aisle near Nellie, her great granddaughter, three-year-old
Brianna, is beaming and dancing along with the music in that
unself-conscious way that only children can. Her father Ken reaches
out an arm to help her do a twirl. As her mother Lois smiles,
six-year-old Gabriella joins her sister in the dance, and Brianna
tries to get their 10-year-old sister Natasha to join them.

A requiem service at the beginning of the afternoon was followed by
readings from the student winners of this year’s essay contest – on
the significance of the Armenian Genocide monument, “A Mother’s
Hands,” that will be placed at Lowell City Hall Plaza on May 10. The
memorial pictures a mother’s hands crocheting a doily and was created
by world-renowned artist Daniel Varoujan Hejinian.

Armenian Genocide Committee Chairlady Sossy Jeknavorian announced the
young essay winners, 12th grader Matthew Kochakian, 8th grader Anna
Shahtanian, and 9th grader Isabelle
Kapoian.

Shahtanian read her essay, a challenge to today’s Armenians to
recognize the importance of this monument being placed in Lowell. Here
is some of Shatanian’s essay, asking what people think when they hear
the words “the Armenian Genocide” beyond the thousands of bodies
scattered across deserts and all the Armenians being starved to death.

“Do you know what people don’t think of? They don’t think of the
mothers that held their children who trembled with fear … a mother
trying to fight off Turkish generals with her bare hands in order to
protect her family … after the genocide, women had to work rigorously
to create a new life for themselves and what was left of their
families…

“Even Armenians don’t see that mothers were the people most
traumatized by the genocide. They had to watch their children and
husbands rot to death in the deserts. For that, we forever remember
their courage by putting up this monument.”

Kapoian read her essay, recounting how her mother kept the doilies her
grandmother crocheted tucked away protectively in a dining room drawer
– to be used only on special occasions.

“The recognition of the Armenian Genocide was the same – always hidden
from sight and only clearly visible to the families of those who were
killed or had survived, making our fragile past almost nonexistent to
others. ”

Kapoian’s essay describes the importance of placing this monument on
government land, as it depicts not only the strength of the Armenian
people during and since the Genocide, but the promise of the future –
“a mother’s hands crocheting a doily that will surely be passed on for
generations to come, no longer hidden, but laid upon the table for
everyone to see.”

Also honored during the evening was WWII Veteran Albert Movsesian, who
spread the message of Armenian culture, spent 55 years serving the
Apostolic Church at Hye Pointe, worked with Northern Essex Elder
Transport and spent 44 years as a Big Brother, among many other
accomplishments.

The Armenian Genocide Commemorative Committee of the Merrimack Valley
presented Sunday’s program and continues to remind all Americans that
despite brutal attempts to exterminate the Armenian people, the
Armenian language, culture and love of liberty persist, and they will
continue to pursue justice against Turkey.

This large committee, from every sector of Armenian life, has a common
cause based on the theme “Remembrance, Renewal, Resolve – We Shall
Survive.”

Since its founding in 1990, the committee has raised $73,000 for
distribution to orphanages, hospitals, nursing centers, health care
centers and much more in Armenia.

After the 2013 memorial ceremony last year, Nellie offered some advice
to upcoming generations.

“Do not be so cruel, learn the lesson of history, and appreciate what
you have,” advised Nellie.

US ambassador to Armenia congratulates Aram MP3

14:08 ¢ 11.05.14

Armenian Ambassador to Armenia John Heffern has congratulated Aram
MP3, who represented Armenia at the Eurovision Song Contest in
Denmark’s capital, Copenhagen.

He left the following message on his Twitter page:

`Morning after Eurovision. Aram MP3 you had the Armenian nation and
many friends and partners behind you. Thanks and congratulations!’

AZERBAIDJAN
Azerbaïdjan/France : Le président Hollande devrait mettre l’accent sur
les droits humains

Le président français François Hollande devrait aborder les graves
préoccupations suscitées par la situation des droits humains en
Azerbaïdjan lors de sa visite à Bakou le 11 mai 2014. Le chef d’État
français doit rencontrer le président azerbaïdjanais Ilham Aliyev pour
discuter de diverses questions, y compris dans le domaine de
l’énergie. Il sera accompagné par plusieurs représentants
d’entreprises françaises.

Au cours des deux dernières années, les autorités azerbaïdjanaises ont
arrêté et emprisonné des dizaines de de personnes ayant critiqué le
gouvernement, dont des membres en vue de l’opposition politique, des
journalistes et des militants actifs sur les réseaux sociaux, et ont
dispersé par la force des manifestations publiques pacifiques. Le pays
a adopté des lois qui imposent de nouvelles restrictions à l’exercice
des libertés fondamentales.

« La visite du présidentHollande sera un événement important en
Azerbaïdjan, et présente donc une opportunité cruciale pour mettre
l’accent sur les questions relatives aux droits humains », a déclaré
Rachel Denber, directrice adjointe de la division Europe et Asie
centrale à Human Rights Watch. « Le président Hollande ne devrait pas
laisser passer cette occasion d’exhorter les dirigeants de
l’Azerbaïdjan, en privé et en public, Ã remettre en liberté les
personnes qui ont été emprisonnées à tort. »

Human Rights Watch a appelé le président Hollande à insister pour
pouvoir rencontrer une éminente militante des droits humains, Leyla
Yunus, et son mari, lors de sa visite à Bakou. Le 28 avril, le couple
Yunus a été empêché par la police de l’aéroport de Bakou de quitter le
pays pour participer à une conférence. Ils ont été soumis à une
épreuve de 24 heures avec détention et interrogatoire, liée à une
enquête pour trahison ouverte pour des motifs politiques contre un de
leurs collègues, Rauf Mirgadirov. Mirgadirov, qui est journaliste a
été arrêté par la police à son arrivée à l’aéroport de Bakou le 19
avril, après avoir été illégalement expulsé de force de Turquie.

« Le président Hollande devrait indiquer clairement au président
Aliyev que la liberté du couple Yunus, ainsi que celle de Mirgadirov,
revêt une grande importance pour lui, et pour les relations
franco-azerbaïdjanaises », a ajouté Rachel Denber.

Dans une lettrerécemment adressée au président Hollande, Human Rights
Watch a rappelé qu’au cours de la seule année 2013, les autorités
azerbaïdjanaises ont porté de fausses accusations telles que la
possession de stupéfiants ou d’armes, des actes de hooliganisme,
d’incitation à la violence, voire de trahison, contre au moins trente
militants politiques, journalistes, blogueurs ou défenseurs des droits
humains, tous critiques à l’encontre du gouvernement.

Human Rights Watch a décrit plusieurs de ces affaires dans un rapport
paru en 2013. Vingt-trois personnes dont les cas sont documentés dans
ce rapport purgent actuellement des peines d’emprisonnement allant de
deux à dix ans pour divers chefs d’accusation infondés. Parmi eux, se
trouvent Ilgar Mammadov, analyste politique influent et président d’un
groupe d’opposition, qui a été condamné Ã sept ans de prison en 2013,
et Tofig Yagublu, vice-président du parti d’opposition Musavat,
condamné Ã cinq ans de prison, également en 2013. Tous les deux ont
été condamnés sur la base de fausses accusations liées à des émeutes.
Le ministère français des Affaires étrangères a exprimé ses regrets au
sujet de la condamnation de Mammadov.

« Le cas de Mammadov étant d’ores et déjà une priorité pour le
gouvernement français, c’est une raison de plus pour que le président
Hollande l’évoque lors de ses rencontres aux plus hauts niveaux Ã
Bakou », a affirmé Rachel Denber.

Parmi les 23 personnes incarcérées figurent également huit jeunes
militants pro-démocratie, condamnés le 6 mai 2014 Ã des peines de
prison allant de six à huit ans, sur la base d’accusations montées de
toutes pièces, selon lesquelles ils auraient planifié des actes de
violence à l’occasion d’une manifestation en mars 2013.

Au moins sept autres personnes emprisonnées sont toujours dans
l’attente de leur procès.

La répression par le gouvernement azerbaïdjanais de ses détracteurs
est en totale contradiction avec ses obligations en matière de droits
humains en tant qu’État membre du Conseil de l’Europe. L’Azerbaïdjan
doit assumer pour six mois la présidence tournante du Comité des
Ministres de cette organisation à partir du 15 mai.

« Nous espérons que le président Hollande exprimera clairement les
préoccupations que suscite l’absence d’adhésion de l’Azerbaïdjan aux
valeurs partagées qu’implique l’appartenance au Conseil de l’Europe,
en particulier au moment où l’Azerbaïdjan s’apprête à en prendre la
présidence tournante », a conclu Rachel Denber.

dimanche 11 mai 2014,
Stéphane ©armenews.com

ARMENIE
Les experts du WWF révèlent la présence de trois léopards caucasiens
dans le sud de l’Arménie

Le WWF de Septembre 2013 Ã Avril 2014 a piégé via des caméras les 14
photos de léopards caucasiens. Les analyses des photos montrent qu’au
moins un mle et deux femelles ont vécu dans la région pendant environ
un an.

Cela donne de l’espoir qu’en 2014 les femmes seront en mesure de
fournir des petits, ce qui nécessite plus d’attention et un travail
difficile à faire respecter la protection de ces animaux dans la
région. Selon la caméra et les données de surveillance sur le terrain,
le nombre d’espèces de proies (chèvre, mouflon arménien) pour le
léopard a considérablement augmenté.

Ces résultats sont le fruit d’un travail de longue haleine menée par
le WWF depuis 2002. Elle comprenait l’application des zones protégées
existantes (réserves de Khosrov et Shikahogh), la création de
nouvelles aires protégées (Parc national Arevik, sanctuaires
Zanguézour et Khustup) dans la région des principaux habitats de
léopard grce à un partenariat avec le ministère de la Protection de
la Nature, le PNUD, l’Inspection nationale de l’environnement, les
aires protégées, les communautés et les ONG partenaires.

dimanche 11 mai 2014,
Stéphane ©armenews.com