Author: Kalantarian Kevo

ARMENIAN POLITICAL EXPERT: ISRAEL JUST BLACKMAILS INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY BY THREATENING TO DELIVER A BLOW ON IRAN

arminfo
Thursday, August 2, 19:35

The statements by the former or present Israeli military servicemen,
officials, heads of special services saying that the war against
Iran may start in the near future are just attempts to blackmail the
international community, Armenian political expert Sergey Shakaryants
told ArmInfo when commenting on the statement of former Mossad Chief
Ephraim Halevy.

Shakaryants said that the Israeli premiers, Mossad chiefs, heads of
the General Staff have been making similar statements for 20 years,
and their statements were not only on the Iranian problem.

To note, former Mossad chief and national security adviser Ephraim
Halevy was quoted by the New York Times on Thursday saying that if
he were Iranian he “would be very fearful of the next 12 weeks”.

Shakaryants thinks that one shouldn’t take seriously Israel’s threats
against Tehran given the regularity of these threats. In fact, Mossad
and Israel’s army perfectly realize all the risks and dangers of the
military operation against Iran, but they prefer not to talk about that
for obvious reasons and are just pulling the international community’s
leg concerning the hypothetic nuclear threat by Iran, the expert said.

MEDVEDEV CONGRATULATES OLYMPIC JUDO GOLD MEDAL WINNER GALSTYAN

ITAR-TASS
July 28 2012
Russia

LONDON, July 28 (Itar-Tass) -~W Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev
has congratulated Arsen Galstyan, the first Russian gold medal winner
at the Olympic Games in London.

“We have the first gold. Judo. Arsen Galstyan. Well done,” the premier
wrote on Twitter.

Galstyan won the first gold medal for the Russian team on the first
day of the Olympics in the 60kg judo competition, beating Hiroaki
Hiraoka (Japan) in the final.

The Head of the Republic of Adygeya, Aslan Tkhakushinov, also
congratulated Galstyan, who started his sport career in the republic.

It is worth mentioning that in the summer of 2000 in Sydney shooter
Sergei Alifirenko from Adygeya won the first Olympic gold for the
Russian team. The two sportsmen were born in Armenia and achieved
their Olympic victories after training in Adygeya and the Krasnodar
Territory.

HENRIK MKHITARYAN THE BEST FOOTBALLER OF JULY

ARMENPRESS
AUGUST 1, 2012
YEREVAN

Yerevan, August 1, ARMENPRESS: The Armenian National Football team
midfielder Henrik Mkhitaryan is the best footballer of Donetsk
“Shakhtar” in July.

As “Armenpress” reports calling “minors” official website, according
to the results of the survey conducted among fans Mkhitaryan received
71.43% of the votes. Fernandinyo is in the second place with 5.71%
and Andrey Pyotov is in the third place with 5.49%.

Mkitaryan will get his award in solemn conditions during the event
to be organized in the “Shakhtar” Fan Cafe.

TASHJIAN LEADS FORENSIC TEAM AT U.S. CUSTOMS
Lori Cinar

August 1, 2012

Television shows like CSI or NCIS have are increasingly popular because
of their ability to captivate us with the combined use of science,
crime, and the law. Although often loosely based on real scenarios
and proceedings, they sometimes leave us with the feeling that these
things only happen on TV-but not for Elizabeth Tashjian.

Elizabeth Tashjian Tashjian, who is the forensic team leader at the
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Laboratory in New Jersey gets
to experience those types of situations on a smaller scale almost
every day.

Born in Queens, N.Y., Tashjian and her family moved to New Jersey
by the time she started school. As a teenager, she attended Rutgers
University, earning a degree in biochemistry, and began working as a
color chemist soon afterward. Yet, Tashjian admits she was interested
in finding a more satisfying and challenging career, which is why
she began working for the U.S. government at the Customs and Border
Protection at Newark Airport.

When asked what her job description covers, she produces an interesting
list of tasks: “I analyze unknown substances, controlled substances,
and pharmaceuticals for identification. I develop and lift fingerprints
on evidence, and sometimes we process crime scenes. I also work with
digital forensics, which is the analysis of digital media evidence
such as cell phones, hard drives, thumb drives, and memory cards.”

I immediately imagine some scenes in a dimly lit lab on a popular
crime investigation show. However, Tashjian doesn’t seem like one of
those dramatic cops bent on catching the criminal. “Fortunately our
laboratory does not have to respond to gruesome or tragic types of
scenes,” she explains.

Her dedication to her career and excitement over science are what
really stand out. “I really enjoy digital forensics,” she says. “I
was fortunate enough to be one of the few people selected to receive
the training when it first began. So far, my greatest achievement at
work has been my promotion to team leader last year.”

One of her biggest motivations has been her family and the way her
parents have regarded her success. “Growing up, my parents were very
traditional and very strict,” she explains (something we can all relate
to). “I studied very hard in school and I was driven by the fact that
Armenian parents are hard to please! It has definitely affected my
life.” She even cites “honor” as one of her motivations, interpreting
her success as a chemist as her personal way of honoring her ancestors.

Sifting through the novelty of this unique line of work, it’s obvious
that Tashjian is just a hard-working woman, a wife and mother of
three, who takes pride in what she does. She admits that balancing
motherhood and her career are very difficult, but she gets by with the
help of her family. “[My mother] is an expert, being that she had five
[children] of her own!” she adds.

It’s important that her kids attend Armenian school at their church
and speak Armenian at home. Like most mothers, she often finds that
“sticking to the routine” becomes a habit, but she plans to one day
travel to Beirut with her family to visit relatives.

>From running around as a busy New Jersey mom, to analyzing fingerprints
and computer hardware in a lab, it’s clear that Elizabeth Tashjian is
finding a winning balance between her Armenian roots and her exciting,
successful career.

ANOTHER DEATH RECORDED IN AZERI ARMED FORCES

PanARMENIAN.Net
August 1, 2012 – 17:15 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Another death has been recorded in Azerbaijani
Defense Ministry’s “N” military unit located in Goranboy region.

Soldier Mehdi Bahadir Sultanov “died as a result of fire opened from
his service submachine gun”, Azerbaijan Press Agency (APA) reported.

Investigation is underway.

Serviceman of Azerbaijani armed forces Abbasov Orkhan Gahraman (born
in 1992) died as a result of co-serviceman’s careless handling of
weapon on July 30.

The fact was confirmed by Azeri Defense Ministry spokesman Major
Teymur Abdullayev. Investigation is underway.

ASA JOURNALISM INTERNSHIP AT THE WEEKLY A GREAT SUCCESS

Armenian Weekly
August 1, 2012

WATERTOWN, Mass.-This summer, the Armenian Students’ Association of
America, Inc. (ASA) sponsored an internship at the Armenian Weekly
for one undergraduate student in journalism.

The first ASA journalism intern Lilly Torosyan For a six-week period,
Lilly Torosyan, the first intern accepted into the program, wrote
articles for the Weekly, receiving a stipend of $150 a week. Torosyan’s
internship was later extended for another six-week period and will
conclude in late August.

>From West Hartford, Conn., Torosyan is an active member in her
church’s ACYOA and in Boston University’s ASA. A junior at Boston
University, she is studying international relations and political
science. Torosyan’s articles for the Weekly are available here.

“I was thrilled to find out that I received this internship. It
has been a great opportunity to advance my writing and interviewing
skills, as well as to make connections with other Armenian communities
throughout the country,” she said. “[Editors] Khatchig and Nanore
are the best bosses anyone could ask for. They were really patient
with me-even when I lacked ideas,” she added.

“We are grateful to the ASA for sponsoring this internship. It has
given us an opportunity to engage a greater number of Armenian-American
university students in journalism,” said Armenian Weekly editor
Khatchig Mouradian. “Lilly Torosyan, our first ASA journalism intern,
has been a great asset for our newspaper. We wish her continued success
in her studies at BU, and we are confident we’ll see her byline in the
Weekly even after her internship concludes later this month,” he added.

Dr Michael G. Mensoian, a member of the ASA Board of Trustees,
originally formulated the idea of the internship. “We were fortunate
in placing the first recipient of the Armenian Students’ Association
of America, Inc. Journalism Internship with the Armenian Weekly,”
Mensoian said. “Her successful completion of the internship is an
important milestone for the ASA, Inc. as the Board of Trustees seeks
to provide professional-level experiences for our young men and women.

The ASA, Inc. Board of Trustees believes it is important that more
of our undergraduate and graduate students are encouraged to enter
the important field of journalism. This new program will augment
the successful Scholarship Grant Program that has been the hall-
mark of the ASA since its founding in 1910.” Mensoian said he hopes
to continue the internship program next year, as well.

The Armenian Students’ Association, Inc. has provided financial
assistance for Armenian-American college students in the form of
scholarships and internships for the past 100 years. The journalism
internship will be continued next summer.

To learn more about the ASA or participate in one of their educational
opportunities, visit

SCR CARRIES OUT RESTORATION WORK ON CHILDREN’S RAILWAY IN YEREVAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
August 1, 2012 – 19:17 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – On the initiative of South Caucasus Railway (SCR)
CJSC, restoration work is carried out on the Children’s Railway
in Yerevan. Thus SCR as a socially-oriented company has assumed
responsibility for providing safe and comfortable leisure and
rehabilitating such a popular animation area for children.

Reconstruction is a way to support the development of urban
infrastructure of the Armenian capital carried out in the framework
of the agreement signed in 2011 on the socio-economic cooperation
between SCR and Yerevan Municipality.

Reconstruction on the Children’s Railway is conducted in two phases.

The first stage envisages rehabilitation and modernization of the
station units, rolling stock and tracks.

In particular, SCR specialists repaired diesel and engine locomotives,
as well as three summer cars of the Children’s Railway. They also
repaired 1.2 km of track of the CR and improved nearby areas.

The first stage of reconstruction will be completed by the day of
the Rail Worker on August 5.

The second stage stipulates reconstruction of the station building
by the owner. Currently a initiative is being developed to set up
an educational center for children enabling them to learn the main
railway professions, technologies of transfer processes, etc., SCR
press service reported.

EXTREMIST FORCES’ COMING TO POWER IN SYRIA COULD MAKE SITUATION EVEN WORSE, SAYS EXPERT

Panorama.am
01/08/2012

If extremist forces come to power in Syria, all national minorities,
including Armenians, will appear in even worse situation, Arabic
Studies expert Sargis Grigoryan told reporters in Yerevan.

According to him, first of all, Syrian events target Iran which may
lose Syria, its ally in the Middle East, in the aftermath of the
Syrian developments.

The position of the medium stratum of Syria’s population will be
decisive, and if they become more active, they can change the outcome
of events, said the expert.

Mr. Grigoryan said that it’s hardly probable that a separate state
of Alevins will be created in Syria, with Latakia as the capital.

The expert found it difficult to predict who will come to power in
Syria after Assad, noting that Syrian opposition is represented by
various groups and forces.

WAR IN IRAN TO WORSEN TIES BETWEEN MOSCOW AND BAKU

News.Az
Wed 01 August 2012 05:07 GMT | 6:07 Local Time

News.Az interviews Maxim Minayev, leading expert of the Russian
Political Center.

How real do you think the war over Iranian problem is?

I think the military script won’t come true this year for the only
mere reason that the United States is the only country that can
sanction military intervention but they are in anticipation of their
elections. And I do not think that before elections the US president
can sanction the start of a serious offensive. Especially that the
military intervention in Iran is doomed to serious implications. On
the other hand, the current situation allows the Russian political
elite to strengthen dialogue with Turkey for the political reducing
of tensions in the situation. Turkey is also cautious about the
Iran issue. This means that Russia will likely think of expansion of
diplomatic activity for the peaceful settlement of this problem.

What changes can the Russian policy in the South Caucasus experience
in case of the West’s military campaign against Iran?

I think everything depends on the stage of the conflict between Iran
and the West, that is whether the matter will be limited to expansion
of economic sanctions or the issue of military intervention will
be raised. Certainly, this will have an indirect impact to Russia’s
policy in the Caucasus, overall, because such a script will likely
cause changes in the balance of powers in the region, can change
configuration of interaction between the leading superpowers.

Russia’s relations with some Caucasus states, in particular, with
Azerbaijan that will likely join the coalition led by the United
States and Israel may worsen in case of war. In addition, Russia
will lose the current format of ties with Iran, which in case of the
success of anti-Iranian campaign may return to the times before 1979
that is to Shah’s period loyal to the United States and Great Britain.

You suppose the support of anti-Iranian campaign by Azerbaijan. But
no one has ever cancelled the Azerbaijani-Iranian agreement not to
use their territories against each others fort he interests of the
third parties.

Yes, it will clearly be the most extreme script but nonetheless it
has been discussed for already a few months and will be discussed in
the future and it cannot be ignored. By means of its companies engaged
in production of hydrocarbons in Azerbaijan, the west influences the
country’s capacities and can influence it for Baku to at least listen
to Washington’s opinion.

The second moment is that much will depend on the geopolitical balance
of powers in the region and the interests of the United States and
other western countries. I think that most countries that border on
Iran will at least take the position of hidden support to US. Even
Iraq will unlikely hamper the implementation of US plans.

Can the potential change in the Russian line of conduct in the South
Caucasus in case of a war in Iran soften Moscow’s position in the
talks with Baku on Gabala radar for preservation of military presence
in Azerbaijan?

I think that the script of reducing Russia’s presence in Azerbaijan
will likely take place. Because in this case the Russian military
presence in Azerbaijan, the potential place for dislocation of
anti-Iranian coalition, will be completely inappropriate.

And what about Armenia? Can Russia raise its military grouping in
this country?

As for Armenia, here Russia does not have a need for expansion of
military presence and raise the military grouping there in conditions
of worsening situation in adjacent countries. On the other hand,
the North Caucasus, where such growing of a military potential is
possible but will be quite local and limited since there will be no
such clearly obvious threats to Russian interests.

NO THREAT OF SYRIAN ARMENIANS SETTLEMENT IN KARABAKH

News.Az
Wed 01 August 2012 07:32 GMT | 8:32 Local Time

News.Az interviews Heydar Mirza, MBA, research fellow in Foreign
Policy Analysis Department at Azerbaijani president’s Center for
Strategic Studies.

Armenian government has decided to ease the issue of Armenian
citizenship to countrymen from Syria and Lebanon. Do you this the
Armenian authorities really took this step because their care for
their countrymen or they thus seek to settle the demographic problem
in their country?

Yes, there is such information. I think that the second factor here
plays a more weighty role than the first one. Though the Armenian
leadership will undoubtedly play on this by presenting their actions
as a care of ‘watchmen of world Armenians’ for their countrymen.

How many Armenians from Syria and Lebanon can make use of this proposal
considering the disastrous economic situation in Armenia?

Armenian media are the main source of information on the issue.

Reports on this issue are full of vague formulations that do not allow
specifying the number of Armenians of Syria who are willing to move to
Armenia. In addition, few would move for permanent residence without
prior familiarization. The current passenger flow in direction of
Aleppo-Yerevan should be viewed in this very context. In the short-term
perspective, Armenia will likely become a temporary residence for the
Armenians of Syria. In my previous materials, I have already written
about the contrasts that the Diaspora Armenians notice in their first
visit to Armenia. Please, read the material ‘Armenia and Diaspora:
how pandukhts did their homeland in’.

Is there a threat that these Armenian migrants will be settled in
the occupied lands of Azerbaijan?

There is such a possibility and nothing more. It cannot reach the
degree of threat for several reasons. First, socioeconomic situation
in occupied Karabakh is worse than even in impoverished Armenia.

Meanwhile, compared to the Syria of Assad’s best times this is a
completely ‘cold shower’ for the Dashnak-Emigrant romanticism. If
the Armenian state had at least the reasonable tools of attracting
representatives of Middle East Armenians for permanent residence to
Armenia and Karabakh, this would have been done long before. There is
no threat of settlement of Syrian Armenians in Karabakh, when people
abandon Armenia for Russia? Second, do you imagine the reaction
of those Karabakh Armenians to the appearance of those fifth wheel
Armenians from Syria in conditions when the occupied Karabakh almost
has no opportunities for self-realization except for in agriculture?

Candidates stand in a queue for every potential work place there in
six month before an employer commissions his facility. I think that
the number of Syrian Armenians that will take this step won’t exceed
100-150 families.

How will the mass migration of Armenians of Armenia evidenced by the
statistical data of Yerevan affect the situation in the region?

Mass migration of Armenians from Armenia has already affected at least
the balance of powers influencing the situation if not the situation
in the region already in the perspective of three to five years. What
figure did Naira Zoghrabyan specify on people who leave the country
for at least long-400 people, isn’t it? This is a small village in
terms of the same Karabakh.

At the recent session in the government President Aliyev especially
noted Azerbaijan’s superiority over Armenia in the sphere of
demography. What can be the role of the demographic factor in the
resolution of the Karabakh conflict?

The fact that the president noted this factor in his appeal to members
of the government, there is additional evidence to the fact that the
rule of transition from quantity to quality is known to the supreme
military and political leadership of the country. Relevant measures in
the sphere of military and industrial construction, the structure and
volumes of arms import, as well as accents of Azerbaijani diplomacy
on the ineffective negotiation process as part of the OSCE Minsk
Group prove that Azerbaijani side realizes its strong and weak sides.

However, the problem of occupation is too complex and demands the due
complex approach and, by the way, I have to note that the president
never mentions the fact of demographic superiority of Azerbaijan over
Armenia separate from other factors. If you want to hear from me that
for the resolution of the problem of occupation it would be enough to
have what we have now and we are better prepared, it would be a great
mistake. There are numerous military and political factors in favor
of both Azerbaijani and Armenian parties and each of these factors
have several provisos. Thus, it is primarily necessary to be better
on the whole specter of comparisons and then to me more.