Author: Kalashian Nyrie

IT COULD BE WRITTEN DOWN BUT EVERYONE KNOWS IT

Lragir.am
12-07-2007 13:52:09

If we have a closer look, we will see that Robert Kocharyan and Serge
Sargsyan did not invent anything new. This idea belongs to Vazgen
Manukyan, leader of the National Democratic Union, who gave his
evaluation of the political situation in the country and forecast
development in a news conference on July 12 at the National Press
Club. "It is a tendency in Armenia that power and financial and
economic possibilities are little by little accruing with 5, 6, 7
families, 40-50 families have emerged which serve them and are fed
by them, and the society has no influence on the government. At the
same time, they can make consistent efforts not to hold elections
either but perhaps it is necessary to become adjusted with the West,
after all the track for a democratic state was taken. This track is
followed, in other words, nothing new happens in Armenia, it is the
continuation of the previous line," says the leader of the NDU. He also
says he has the same approach towards this National Assembly. Vazgen
Manukyan thinks the consequence of the process that is underway would
be the parliament that we have now. The leader of the NDU views the
closure of Radio Liberty in the same line, which he describes as
another effort for total control on TV companies.

"What could be done in this situation? The presidential election is
coming up. Will it be possible to make a change to the presidential
election to shift from this model to another model? We may
discuss this issue. It is possible to live in this model but it
is not a new model. The world has passed this way, there were
similar models in different countries. Life showed that it does
not guarantee development, does not guarantee progress, therefore
it is not necessary to become adjusted to this model but to change
this model. The presidential election must favor it. Therefore, the
government makes efforts to conserve this situation, and most people,
as well as different wings of power want a change, the opposition is
broke, especially after the election of 2007," Vazgen Manukyan says,
whose party did not run in the parliamentary election.

The leader of the NDU thinks everything depends on whether the
opposition will be strong enough to bring together the society,
and offer a new model of change. "Life will show. At least, I will
try to do it and assume responsibility like I did in 1988, in 1990,
and during the war," Vazgen Manukyan says and adds that one person
or one party cannot solve the problems, the society can solve it. "I
nevertheless believe that in 2008 we will succeed." He does not fear
impossibility of consolidating the society because he disagrees that
the society is hopeless. Vazgen Manukyan says it often seems that
people are frustrated but they never lose hope for change and become
active during the elections.

In answer to the question if by assuming responsibility Vazgen
Manukyan will offer a new model of change, the leader of the NDU says
it is rather easy to put down plans on paper but people evaluate
what is done. "I think what we declared, the declaration of 1990,
the fulfillment of this declaration will be a major move ahead,
towards building a modern state. The rest is a matter of psychology,
philosophy and technology," Vazgen Manukyan says.

He thinks it is necessary to have a basic state, a national democratic
state, "which also provides progress of our element, our thinking,
our team in world competition, in cooperation." Vazgen Manukyan thinks
it could be put down but everyone realizes that this is the way. The
leader of the NDU thinks if a country moves along this track, which
is opposite the vector of development of the world, the state will
eventually fail, just like the Soviet Union.

WILL RESOLUTION 106 HAVE THE SAME DESTINY AS THE PREVIOUS RESOLUTIONS?

PanARMENIAN.Net
Analytical Department
07.07.2007 GMT+04:00

The previous statements of the Turkish Prime-Minister about the USA
make it quite clear that if the Resolution is passed by the House of
Representatives, it will have a serious impact on the American-Turkish
relations.

The Armenian Community has nearly achieved what seemed almost
impossible. The 218 members of the House of Representatives support
Resolution 106 about the Armenian Genocide and the US President’s
commitment of using the term "Genocide" in his annual massage on April
24. Thus, the needed number is provided to vote on the Resolution.

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "We encourage all the 218 Congressmen supporting
the Resolution and express our appreciation to the Congressman Adam
Schiff and his colleagues, who helped us to achieve such results. We do
hope that the works carried out by our affiliates will give efficient
outcomes too," announced the Chief Executive of the Armenian National
Committee of America (ANCA) Aram Ambaryan.

In his turn, the initiator of the Resolution Congressman from
California State Adam Schiff mentioned that the 218 Congressmen
proved that the majority of the House of Representatives recognize the
Armenian Genocide. "By the time the Genocide survivors are still alive,
we can’t exclude the necessity of drawing the attention to the attempt
of annihilation of a whole nation. Our rejection of recognizing the
dark pages of the history will impede the more efficient measures
taken against continuing Genocide in Darfur," said Schiff.

Since January 30, 2007 Congressman Adam Schiff together with
Congressman George Radanovich and Co-Chairs of the Armenian Support
Group of the US Congress Frank Palone and Joe Nollenberg proposed
Resolution 106 to the House of Representatives, ANCA did a good
job. Numerous meetings with the Congressmen were organized, two
campaigns "Click for Justice" and "Call for Justice" in support of the
Resolution about the Armenian Genocide to be passed in the US House
of the Representatives were held. In one word everything seems to be
moving successfully and after the Turkish Parliamentary Elections the
Resolution may be put forward for voting. However everything cannot go
as smoothly as the Armenian Community of America would love to. The
first and most important factor is Turkey. The previous statements
of the Turkish Prime-Minister about the USA make it quite clear that
if the Resolution is passed by the House of Representatives, it will
have a serious impact on the American-Turkish relations. Secondly, the
Congress takes a vacation till September, and it is most likely that
while the Congress is on holiday the Ambassador Richard Hoagland, whose
appointment on this position is not encouraged by the Armenians of
the USA, but is welcomed by the RA Government, will arrive in Yerevan.

On the other hand in the opinion of the RA Deputy Minister of Foreign
Affairs Arman Kirakosyan, the possible recognition of the Armenian
Genocide by the USA, if it is ever possible to happen, doesn’t mean
that Turkey will also automatically recognize the Genocide. "I think
that at the very last minute a call from the White House will cancel
the Resolution N 106 about the Armenian Genocide, and this will
happen in spite of all the 218 votes. If the White House decides
that Resolution 106 puts the National Security of the country under
question, no one will ever vote for it.

This already happened in 2000. It should not be forgotten that Turkey
has remained the only loyal ally of the USA in the region. In this
matter there is no diversity between the Democrats and Republicans,"
said the RA Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.

"WE DON’T NEED NATO"
Gennady Savransky (Kiev), Oleg Zorin

Kommersant, Russia
july 10 2007

Ukraine-US Exercises Begin With Clashes
Yesterday in Odessa the US andUkraine began their "Sea Breeze 2007"
joint exercises, the most extensive exercises this year to be carried
out on Ukrainian territory. The beginning of the exercises was
marred by clashes between law enforcement and opponents of Ukraine’s
increasingly close relationship with NATO.

In actuality, the Sea Breeze 2007 exercises are multinational. The
Ukrainian and American sailors in Odessa are working together with
officers, observers, and naval divisions from eleven countries:
Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Greece, Canada, Latvia, Macedonia,
Moldova, Germany, Romania, and Turkey. In total, 2,500 people are
participating in the exercises, which will last until July 22 and
are taking place in the southwestern quadrant of the Black Sea and
on the territory of the Odessa and Nikolaev regions. Sea Breeze 2007
also includes 22 ships and numerous airplanes.

"The exercises have great significance for all sides; during this
joint work we plan to acquire useful practical experience," said first
vice-admiral of the Ukrainian Navy Viktor Maksimov, the leader of the
exercises. "The exercises are aimed at organizing the cooperation of
forces on the Black Sea and are exclusively peacekeeping in character,"
clarified Rear Admiral Robert Clark, the director of the US Navy’s
Maritime Partnership program in Europe.

Nevertheless, the organization of the exercises has so far been fraught
with difficulties. After the ceremonial opening and press conference,
the officers were met at the exit of the building by a demonstration
organized by representatives of the Progressive Socialist Party of
Ukraine (PSPU), who shouted slogans such as "We don’t need NATO"
and "NATO, get lost" and carried signs denouncing the North Atlantic
alliance.

Once the participants in the exercises had managed to get to the port
of Odessa and shut the port’s gate behind themselves, several PSPU
demonstrators appeared outside the gates anyway. A short distance
away, several hundred members of the Communist Party of Ukraine (KPU),
led by the party’s leader Pyotr Simonenko, were also gathered for a
demonstration. "These exercises will bring nothing useful for Ukraine,"
said Mr. Simonenko confidently at the picket, which lasted for a
little over an hour. The Communists were joined in their opposition
by a picket organized by Black Sea Cossacks and members of the social
organization United Fatherland. "We oppose the deployment of foreign
troops on our soil, because that could lead to war between Slavic
peoples," said Black Sea Cossack leader Oleg Dryanin.

After an hour, the epicenter of events had moved to near the
entrance to the port’s military harbor, where a crowd of several
hundred demonstrators, including representatives of the KPU, United
Fatherland, a Russian organization called Proryv ("Breakthrough"),
the PSPU, and the Black Sea Cossacks. Half an hour after the start of
the demonstration, several dozen sailors came out of the gates and
cordoned off the entrance to the harbor. After speaking with them,
Ukrainian Communist leader Pyotr Simonenko was allowed inside, where
he disappeared for more than thirty minutes. After the journalists had
left, the demonstrations swiftly packed up their signs and dispersed
as well.

The demonstrations did not pass without any physical clashes,
however. Yesterday around a hundred supporters of the PSPU who had
set up tents in the town of Odessa refused to obey a court order to
take them down and resisted violently when the police came to clear
them away. A scuffle ensued between the protestors and the police.

Odessa City Hall called the actions of the opponents of the naval
exercises "a gross violation of a court decision from July 5 that
forbade any protest actions while the Sea Breeze 2007 exercises are
being conducted." Undaunted, PSPU leader Natalia Vitrenko promised
to employ "bolder methods of struggle" if "the authorities attempt
to ban events directed against the NATO exercises."

ISSUES REFERRING TO REALIZATION OF HAYASTAN FUND’S PROGRAMS IN NKR DISCUSSED IN STEPANAKERT

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
July 9 2007

Nagorno-Karabagh Republic President Arkady Ghoukassian received a
newly appointed executive director of Hayastan All-Armenian Fund
Vahe Aghabekiants.

According to the information DE FACTO got at NKR President’s
Press Office, in the course of the meeting held last Saturday the
interlocutors had discussed the course of realization of Hayastan
Fund’s programs and the perspectives of cooperation.

ARMENIA PARTICIPATES IN "SEA BREEZE-2007" NAVAL MANEUVERS AS AN OBSERVER

PanARMENIAN.Net
09.07.2007 13:36 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia participates in "Sea Breeze-2007" naval
maneuvers as an observer, Spokesman for the RA Defense Ministry colonel
Seyran Shahsuvaryan told the PanARMENIAN.Net. "Elaboration of common
actions by multinational forces is planned during the exercises due
to be held 9-22 July.

Participants of these maneuvers will also try to increase the level
of joint efforts during peacekeeping and anti-terrorist operations,"
he underlined.

"Sea Breeze-2007" exercises will be held 9-22 July in the Black
Sea. Armed forces of 10 countries participate in maneuvers, including
Ukraine, USA, Austria, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Canada, Germany, Moldavia
and Turkey.

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
July 4, 2007 Wednesday 06:15 AM EST

Armenia’s priority – social integration of migrants – Kocharyan

Armenia’s authorities see social integration of migrants as their
priority, Armenian President Robert Kocharyan said on Wednesday
receiving a new special envoy of the UN High Commissioner for
Refugees.

“In parallel with the country’s development and economic growth we
from year to year expand our opportunities to resolve problems of
refugees,” Kocharyan said.

He expressed confidence that Armenia and the UNHCR will maintain
their effective cooperation in the future.

The UNHCR office has been working in Armenia since 1992.

Armenian migration agency chief Gagik Yeganyan said at present,
300,000 refugees from Azerbaijan reside in Armenia, including 80,000
people, who were granted the Armenian citizenship.

NEWLY-ELECTED PRIMATE OF FRENCH DIOCESE VISITS RA AMBASSADOR TO FRANCE

PARIS, JULY 4, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Archbishop Norvan
Zakarian, the newly-appointed primate of the French diocese of the
Armenian Apostolic Church, paid an official visit to Edward Nalbandian,
the Armenian Ambassador to France. Karpis Jrbashian, the Chairman of
the Diocesan Parliamentarian conference, Grigor Phaphazian, the
Chairman of the Diocesan Council, secretaries Zhak Phanosian and Monk
Grigor Khachatrian, as well as cashier Gegham Torosian were included in
the retinue of His Holiness.

According to the infomation provided by the Secretariat of the French
Diocesan Council, the aim of the visit was to introduce the
newly-elected primate and the forthcoming plans and tasks of the
newly-composed diocese to His Holiness.

The Chairman of the Diocesan Council gave assurance that the Diocesan
Council will make every effort so as the Armenian community in France
will unite round the church and display its capacities in the
church-national life in the best way.

Therefore, Edward Nalbandian, the Armenian Ambassador, welcomed
everybody. He congratulated the newly-elected primate and expressed his
happiness with the fact of his election, as well as mentioned that his
deeds already speak about his individuality. The Ambassador also said
that he is ready to support the Armenian Apostolic Church and the
newly-composed French diocese, in particular.

American Chronicle, CA
July 5 2007

Aramean – Armenian Massacres of the Ottoman Times: a Kurdish Responsibility

Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis
July 5, 2007

In the last part of his interview, Mr. Gabriel Sengo, Chairman of
the Aram Nahrin Organization, unveils what remained hidden for too
long, due to French and English Colonial trickery, duplicity and
machinations.

The Aramean and Armenian massacres of the end of the Ottoman times
are mainly, preponderantly and predominantly a Kurdish
responsibility. Thousands of articles and pages of Western
bibliography do not offer a presentation as clear and insightful as
the brief answer of Mr. Gabriel Sengo.

Interview with Mr. Gabriel Sengo, Chairman of the Aram Nahrin
Organization – Part VI

– More recently, people discuss historical issues pertaining to the
Armenian massacres occurred during the last years of the Ottoman
Empire. How was it with the Aramaeans at those days, and to what
extent did they suffer in this regard?

– First, we wish to make one remark in advance. As we already have
noted, the Aramean mentality has always been characterized by respect
and love towards others. When we talk about genocide or massacres, we
always involve all the groups that suffered. That is why we talk
about Aramean – Armenian – Greek massacres, without distinctions.

Unfortunately, we have missed this mutual respect and dignity on the
side of the Greeks and Armenians.

What is even worse is that both, the Greeks and the Armenians,
approve publicly of the Aramean colonial spiritual genocide, that is
to say the identification of the Aramean Nation with the criminal,
Western, spiritual, colonial product `Assyrians’. They falsely talk
about `Assyrian genocide’, `Assyrian nation’, while they are quite
aware of this fallacies.

The Hellenic Electronic Centre: a racist organization to be denounced
globally

There is a racist Greek organisation called `Hellenic Electronic
Centre’ (HEC), who together with Armenian Organisations (for example
ANCA) in the United States, have been committing spiritual genocide
against the Aramean nation, by promoting, glorifying and maintaining
all the cliches of the Western Spiritual Colonialism.

However, as far as we are concerned, we will continue respecting them
and mentioning them by their real name; we will not call Greeks as
`Albanians’ or `Macedonians’ and Armenians as `Azeris’ or
`Mongolians’. Perhaps they are not mature enough or they don’t know
how to respect other nations, in particular those who suffered
through the same horrible acts in history as them. We will give them
enough time to learn how to respect.

As far as the massacres are concerned, the Arameans suffered as much
as the Armenians, and lost around 600.000 people. Regarding the way
in which it happened, we believe that the contribution of the Kurds
was decisive in the slaughtering.

The ominous role of the Kurdish death squads in the extermination of
the Christians

We know that the Ottomans gave the order to exterminate the
Christians of the Ottoman Empire. However, there is a very important
issue, which has been very vaguely discussed, as it is almost a
taboo.

The subject is this: without participation of the Kurdish death
squads and gangs, it would be impossible for the Ottomans to carry
out their plans as effectively as they did. The Kurds were the
neighbours of the Arameans (and also many Armenians), they ate with
them, they talked and drank with them, they called each other
`Kriew’, that is `my neighbour’ and in a deeper sense it meant `My
brother’, they knew every cavern and underground secret places where
Aramean and Armenians were hiding, they knew the family structure,
the structures within individual villages, for the Kurds mostly were
the `Aghas’ of those villages.

Without the cooperation of the Kurds, it would have been very
difficult – not to say impossible – for the Ottomans to carry out
their plan as effectively as they did!

In the whole discussion, I have not heard anything of the
contribution of the Kurds to these massacres. Some of the present-day
Kurds say, `The Turks have forced our forefathers to kill
Christians’.

Well, this is a bold fallacy.

There are hundreds of examples where the Kurds exterminated complete
Aramean villages, under supervision of the Ottomans.

If the Kurds had refused to kill the Christians, the Ottomans could
not have been so effective.

In fact, there have been some examples of noble Kurds who, risking
their own life (respecting their `kriew’ relation to their Christian
friends), gave shelter and protected Christians.

Why could not the Ottoman Empire prevent these noble Kurds doing so?

Why could not the Ottoman Empire do anything against the noble
Kurdish Sheikh Fathallah of Ankaf who passed through the Aramean
villages and cursed every Muslim who would harm Christians?

The vast majority of the Kurds participated in these horrible acts
for personal benefit!

After slaughtering the men, in many cases they took the young
Christian girls and honourable mothers to satisfy their low desires.

Now, we see something strange happening in Turkey, which is this:
Many Christian girls and women who were dishonoured and forced to
accept Islam informed their children about these horrible events and
their children passed them secret on to theirs.

What we now see is that many of these `Muslims’ are rediscovering
their Christian roots and converting back to Christianity. And that
is the reason that many people in Turkey have become so `nervous’ of
the activities of the missionaries (18-4-2007: Three Christians
killed in Malatya).

The point is this: the real matter is not the missionaries; it is the
people who are re-discovering their roots. You can oppress to a
certain extent, but you cannot erase a people’s awareness or
memories!

Challenges and targets for today’s Aramaeans

– What are the social, educational and cultural challenges and
targets for today’s Aramaeans? What are the political challenges and
targets for today’s Aramaeans?

– We could enumerate the following:

1. One of the greatest challenges for the Arameans is unification. In
these uncertain times, it is desirable for the Arameans to organise
themselves and get rid of the immoral criminal colonial heritage
(`Assyrians’ or `Chaldeans’) which has caused unprecedented damage to
the Aramean Cause. It is this Western colonial heritage which
prevents their social, cultural and political development. Nobody
will take you seriously (either a friend or an enemy) when you attach
yourself to an identity which is effectively not yours.

2. United under one Aramean voice and flag, Arameans would be taken
more seriously at the international level, and they would therefore
be able to have their fundamental, cultural, political and social,
Human Rights more effectively respected, not only in the Middle-East
but in the entire world.

3. Once they are unified under the Aramean flag, Arameans can make a
start, with the help of the international community, to prepare the
Diaspora communities for their return to the lands of their Aramean
fathers.

4. In this entire unification process of the Aramean nation, the
United States and Europe – in particular France and Great Britain –
could play an important role for they have brought this damage to the
Aramean nation, by planting unbridgeable mutual hatred within this
ancient nation which has given so much to the development of the
Mankind!

5. One of the fruits of unification of the Aramean nation could be
the establishment of an academic Department of Aramaeology in order
to strengthen Aramean culture and enlighten the world with it. This
we believe could contribute peacefully to outmanoeuvre terrorism. The
best place for a Department of Arameology would be Lebanon, in the
West – Aramean Maronite University in Beirut. There is already a
department of Aramaic (Syriac) and Antiochian studies in Beirut. A
second department of Arameology could also be set up in the West, of
course.

6. In the Middle-East, the family is more protected, while in most
Western countries the family ties are freer and exposed to dangers,
involving sexual immorality, drugs, lawlessness, etc. It is therefore
of crucial importance for Arameans to educate their children within
the context of the genuine Aramean heritage, the Aramaic language,
the Aramean customs and traditions, including the genuine Christian
moral and standards.

7. For the Diaspora Arameans, it is also important not to let them
get carried away by the more luxurious life in the West, and not to
be blindfolded and led astray by the many alluring distractions.

8. It is also seminal to setup social institutions and structures
(according to Aramean Christian values) in order to meet the needs of
the modern youth, and guide them in a correct way, for many of them
are losing their children to the lawlessness and the immorality of
the West, available at every street corner!

Note

The Mardin fortress in the heart of the Aramean land – SE Turkey

viewArticle.asp?articleID=31317

ARMENIA-FRANCE ECONOMIC RELATIONS DO NOT REACH THE LEVEL OF POLITICAL ONES

PanARMENIAN.Net
02.07.2007 13:50 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Economic relations do not reach the level of
political ones, French Ambassador to Armenia, Mr Serge Smessov said
in an interview with PanARMENIAN.Net. "However, there is real hope
that the trade and economic relations will activate in the coming
years. Investments of French companies in Armenia’s economy, namely
energy, gas, water supply, food industry, do prove the interest of
French minor and middle business in cooperation with Armenia.

Exchange programs have also been launched. The recent forum on high
technologies can open good opportunities for Armenia and her young
talents," he said.

RICHARD GIRAGOSIAN: STATUS OF NAGORNO KARABAKH IS THE ACTUAL STATE OF NKR

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.07.2007 14:00 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ As times goes by chances of Azerbaijan to return
Nagorno Karabakh are decreasing.

The status of Nagorno Karabakh is the actual state of NKR,
expert-analyst from the Jane’s Research Center Richard Giragosian
stated to the PanARMENIAN.Net journalist. He said, the settlement
of the Kosovo conflict is very important in this regard. "Kosovo
may become a precedent for Nagorno Karabakh, since that province
will acquire independence based on the right of nations to
self-determination. Moscow and Washington have differences on
Kosovo, however their differences do not lie in the issue to
grant independence to Kosovo but in the mechanisms around it,"
he said. R. Giragosian underlined that Kosovo’s independence is an
accomplished fact. "Moscow uses his veto power in the UN Security
Council over the draft resolution, which grants Kosovo independence.

Meanwhile Washington declares that he recognizes the independence of
Kosovo even in case of Moscow’s veto.

If the principle of self-determination is applicable to Kosovo, why
it cannot be used in case of NK? Here the fact that Kosovo problem is
being settled via self-determination is very important and it gives
a subject for negotiations if the world likes it or no.

I don’t think that anyone has a ready formula, however it is necessary
to accept the realities, including the OSCE MG. And the reality is
the fact that Karabakh cannot ever become a part of Azerbaijan. I
am sure that politicians in Moscow, Washington and Paris perfectly
realize it," Richard Giragosian underscored.