Author: Kalashian Nyrie

NKR NA DEPUTY: MARAGA HAS BECOME A MONSTROUS MANIFESTATION OF ANTI ARMENIAN POLICY PURSUED BY AZERI LEADERSHIP

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
April 10 2007

A presentation of a CD containing video and photo materials, archive
documents, publications and evidences of eye-witnesses of peaceful
population’s mass carnage committed by the Azeri armed formations
in the village of Maraga of the NKR Martakert region was held at the
Artsakh State University.

The disc was shot on the initiative of the Karabagh journalists Narineh
Aghbalian. It was arranged for the 15th anniversary of tragic events
in Maraga. The archive materials in Armenian, Russian and English
were given by the NKR MFA and other organizations.

The representatives of the Republic leadership, public and journalists
came to the presentation. Opening the measure the Chair of the NKR
Parliament’s Foreign Relations Committee Vahram Atanesian noted Maraga
had not been weapon emplacement and presented no danger for the Azeri
party, and mass crimes had been committed against peaceful citizens.

"Maraga has become a monstrous manifestation of the Azeri leadership’s
anti Armenian policy", the deputy underscored.

Comparing various lists it was ascertained that 81 peaceful inhabitants
was killed in Maraga and 67 people became hostages. The fate of many
of them has not been determined yet.

In the course of the presentation NKR National Assembly Chair Ashot
Gulian stressed slaughter in Maraga corresponded to genocide by all
the parameters.

In his words, Azerbaijan’s policy towards Armenians has not been
changed.

By the deepness of human tragedy, extent of cruelty, number of
persons subject to violence and taken hostages tragic events in the
Karabagh village of Maraga occupy peculiar place in the annals of the
Karabagh national and liberation movement, so the world public should
be informed of it. The idea ran all through the CD’s presentation,
NKR MFA Press Office reports.

SERGE SARGSYAN THINKS SERIOUS CHANGES IN GOVERNMENT UNNECESSARY AT PRESENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
06.04.2007 12:40 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "I do not think that it’s time for serious changes
in the government," newly appointed Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan
told reporters April 6.

Some 40 days remain till completion of the term of the incumbent
government and under such circumstances the most important task
is to ensure its constant work," he said. "I do not suppose any
changes in the government’s activities should be made. At least,
we should submit the program to the parliament’s consideration,"
he said adding that after the election the political force entitled
to form the government will have to elaborate a new serious program.

Serge Sargsyan, however, refrained from any forecasts on the possible
designate for the post of Defense Minister, IA Regnum reports.

Serge Sargsyan was appointed Prime Minister on April 4. By another
decree signed by President Robert Kocharian, he was dismissed from
the posts of Defense Minister and Secretary of the Security Council.

The post of Prime Minister remained vacant after the untimely death
of Andranik Margaryan, the chairman of the Republican Party of Armenia.

TURKEY BLOCKS GDF TALKS IN GENOCIDE ROW

By Reuters
April 5, 09:19 BST

Turkey has suspended talks with Gaz de France over the Nabucco natural
gas pipeline project in reaction to a French bill on the mass killings
of Armenians during Ottoman rule, senior Turkish energy officials
told Reuters on Thursday.

Nabucco is a â~B¬4.6bn ($6.14bn) project to transport natural gas from
Turkey to Austria, passing through Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary. The
planned pipeline would reduce Europe’s dependency on Russian gas.

France angered Ankara last year when its national assembly passed a
bill making it a crime to deny that the mass killings of Armenians
during the fall of the Ottoman Empire amounted to genocide. The
Turkish armed forces froze bilateral ties with its NATO ally France
due to the bill.

"We will suspend partnership by Gaz de France until the French
presidential elections. We will decide according to policies to be
followed after the elections," a senior energy minister official,
who declined to be named, said.

The four other countries involved in the project, Bulgaria, Romania
and Hungary, have already approved partnership with Gaz de France in
the project, which will transmit Caspian and Iranian gas to Europe.

Bulgargaz, Transgaz from Romania, MOL of Hungary and Austria’s OMV
Gas are partners in the project in addition to Turkey’s Botas.

Negotiations with France’s Total for a stake in Nabucco collapsed
earlier this year.

Turkey, seeking European Union membership, strongly denies claims
by Armenia and its supporters that the Ottoman Empire committed a
systematic genocide against about 1.5m Armenians during World War One.

Ankara says that figure is greatly exaggerated. It says large
numbers of both Christian Armenians and Muslim Turks died because of
inter-ethnic fighting, famine and disease.

–Boundary_(ID_Oo8KiXZpJuosAMNFxLGQCg)–

CAPTURED AZERBAIJANI SOLDIER’S PARENTS APPEAL TO PRESIDENT FOR TAKING THEIR SON BACK

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 4 2007

The parents of Azerbaijani soldier Samir Mammadov, captured by Armenian
Armed Forces ask President Ilham Aliyev to help take their son back,
the soldier’s mother Tarana Mammadova told the APA.

"We ask the president to help us take back our son. Samir is not
only our son, he is an Azerbaijani. Though we can not meet with the
president, we ask him to help us to take our son back. I believe that
Samir will return and serve his motherland honorably," she said.

The soldier’s mother refuted the reports that her son was captured
voluntarily.

"I feel very bad when I hear these reports. I would not be so shocked
if Samir had died. My son will never betray his motherland. We do
not believe Armenian agitation. Samir is a patriot. His wish was to
be servicemen and serve his country," she said.

The soldier’s father Nazim Mammadov told the APA that they last got
a letter from Samir on March 12. The parents say that Samir is kept
in Keptron detention place in Yerevan.

The soldier’s parents and his uncle Vidadi Mammadov today met with
chief of Hesret Yolu Public Union Esmira Orujova. They intend to meet
with ombudsman and State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages
and Missing Persons.

Samir Mammadov was captured on December 24.

THE DISMANTLING PROCESS
Dilip Hiro

Guardian/UK
April 3, 2007 2:00 PM

Four years after the catastrophic invasion of Iraq, Bush shows no
sign of calling off his two-year campaign to destabilise Iran.

During the build-up to the Anglo-American invasion of Iraq in 2003,
Colin Powell, United States secretary of state, reportedly told
President Bush: "If you break it, you own it." He was referring to
the multi-ethnic, multi-sectarian Iraq.

Four years after the catastrophic invasion of Iraq, the wisdom of
Powell’s aphorism contrasts sharply with the pathetic inability of
the Bush White House to make the Shias, Sunnis and Kurds of Iraq work
together in harmony.

But instead of learning from the debacle of Iraq, and desisting
from destabilising another country in a volatile region, the
Bush administration shows no sign of calling off its two-year old
clandestine campaign to destabilise Iran.

Revelations in the New Yorker and the Washington Post in
January-February 2005 showed that the Pentagon had been flying drones
over Iran since April 2004 for espionage. This had come about after
the spying network established by the Central Intelligence Agency
in Iran had been exposed and eliminated, according to James Risen,
the New York Times reporter on national security, in his book State
of War: The Secret History of the CIA and the Bush Administration.

Briefed by their experts on Iran, the American policy makers became
aware that Iran is also multi-ethnic and multi-sectarian. So they saw
an opportunity to weaken the Tehran government by funding and arming
ethnic minorities on the ground that the regime’s primary support
comes from ethnic Persians.

According to the CIA, relying on figures supplied by Iranian exiles,
Persians are only 50% of the population. So, if the ethnic minorities
can be roused to rebel against the central authority, the theocratic
regime will be endangered.

These figures are flawed, and the strategy based on them is dangerously
misconceived.

The ethnic composition of Iran is Persians, 65%; Azeris, 20%; Kurds
7%, Arabs 3%; Baluchis, 2%; Turkmen, 2.5%; and Armenian, 0.5%.

Creating disaffection among Azeris is a non-starter. Iran’s supreme
leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei is an Azeri speaker. An Azeri insurgency
cannot take off without the active cooperation of Azerbaijan. There
is no sign that the government in Baku wants to be part of this
destabilising plan.

In any case, the bond of Shia Islam that Azeris and Persians share
is much stronger than any differences arising from the different
languages the two communities speak.

It is that segment of the Iranian population that follows Sunni Islam
which provides a realistic chance of engaging in insurgency. Among them
the predominantly Sunni, yet secular, Kurds are pre-eminent. Ever since
the Islamic revolution in 1979, a section of the Kurdish community
concentrated in the area adjoining the Iraqi Kurdistan has been up
in arms against the theocratic regime in Tehran.

In recent years the Komala-e Jian Kordestan (Association of Revival
of Kurdistan; also known as Kurdistan Free Life party), has emerged
as an insurgent group. It is allied with the Kurdistan Workers party
of Turkey. Taking refuge in the mountains of the Iraqi Kurdistan,
the two factions have been engaged in violent activity against their
respective governments.

According to the Turkish sources, cited by the Guardian, the US is
funding and indirectly arming the Komala-e Jian Kordestan.

The CIA also seems to be aiding dissident groups – albeit through
proxies – in the Iranian province of Baluchistan-Sistan adjoining
Pakistan. A faction, called Sipah-e Rasul Allah (Soldiers of God’s
Messenger), and headed by Wahid Baksh, has been conducting a campaign
of bombing, shooting and kidnapping.

Baksh claims that Sunnis are being persecuted in Iran.

A more militant faction, named Jundullah (Army of God), has resorted
to car bombings and kidnapping and beheading Iranian soldiers.

According to Iranian exile sources in Pakistan, Junduallah recently
received a large consignment of arms and vehicles. "They are getting
money from somewhere," said one source. "We heard that it’s coming
from Americans."

Washington denies the allegation. But leading Iranian exile leaders
from Dubai and Britain have visited the area regularly to deliver
funds – which most likely originate from the CIA.

The ethnic Arab minority, concentrated in the oil-rich province of
Khuzistan which shares its border with Iraq, is another community which
has tempted the CIA. Acts of violence in the province are attributed
to disaffected ethnic Arabs.

Let us suppose the Bush administration’s strategy of encouraging
armed insurgencies by ethnic minorities succeeds in creating mayhem
in Iran. Do its policy makers have a plan to put Humpty Dumpty back
together?

RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: RESULTS OF CONSIDERATION OF KOSOVO SITUATION AT UN SECURITY COUNCIL ARE NOT PREDETERMINED

Regnum, Russia
April 3 2007

Ahtisaari’s plan derives unambiguously and categorically from necessity
of Kosovo independence despite Serbia’s position, and such approach
is inadmissible for the Russian side, Russia’s Minister of Foreign
Affairs Sergey Lavrov announced at a news conference in Yerevan
commenting on the question how non-granting of independence to Kosovo
can reflect upon other conflicts and, in particular, upon the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict.

As a REGNUM correspondent informs, according to Lavrov, results of
consideration of the Kosovo issue at the UN Security Council are not
pre-determined, and the Russian side repeatedly stressed that Russia
would back only the variant of conflict settlement that is admissible
for both sides of the conflict. "As for Kosovo projection to other
conflicts, it will, of course, happen," the minister noted. Speaking
on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, he noted again that the "conflict
is unique not from the point of view of the international law,
but grounding on the fact that all mediators not only practice
similar principles, but are absolutely united in certain details
of the conflict settlement scheme." In this connection, he noted,
regarding to the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the Russian side hopes that
a decision will be found in the near future on conditions acceptable
for all the conflict parties, Lavrov concluded.

In his turn, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan shared the
idea of the unique nature of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and
noted that any conflict should be considered taking into account
its peculiarities: Nagorno Karabakh has its own peculiarities,
Kosovo its own ones. "Nagorno Karabakh is moving clearly on the way
of self-determination, no matter what settlement of other conflicts
will be," Oskanyan stressed. "Of course, a precedent is important in
international relations, but we shall consider any conflict within
its context," the Armenian minister said.

AGBU to mark jubilee in Armenia and Artsakh

02-04-2007 13:31:12 – KarabakhOpen

The Armenian General Benevolent Union is one of the major
organizations of the Armenian Diaspora. It was set up in
1906. Presently the AGBU has offices in 24 countries of the
world. About 400 thousand Armenians get assistance of the union or
take part in its projects. The capital of the organization is 272
million dollars, the international budget is 36 million dollars.
Through donations and funds the Union funds in Armenia and the
Diaspora a number of educational, cultural, youth, charity programs,
sponsors organizations, which work for the prosperity of the Armenian
people.

The organization marked its 100th anniversary last year in Cairo where
the Union was set up, in Paris where the central board of directors of
the organization was based during World War II and in other cities
where a lot of Armenians live.

The final stage of celebrations will be in Armenia. The delegation of
150 member of the AGBU headed by the president of the AGBU Berge
Setrakian will be visiting Armenia on April 2-8. The delegation
includes members of the board of the Union, the central board of
directors, the council of trustees, the heads of branches and members
of the administrative staff. On April 2 the delegation will visit
Artsakh.

A conference on the centennial history of the AGBU will take place at
the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia.

On April 8 the members of the Union will visit Saint Echmiadzin for
the mess of Holy Resurrection.

The celebrations will be concluded by a ceremony and a concert at the
Opera House in Yerevan.

PRESS RELEASE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686-0710
Fax: (212) 779-3558
Web:
Email: [email protected]

HOLY WEEK AT ST. VARTAN CATHEDRAL WILL BE OBSERVED APRIL 1 THROUGH APRIL 8,
EASTER SUNDAY

St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral will observe Holy Week, April 1 through 8,
with a series of special services, culminating in the Easter Sunday
celebration on April 8, 2006.

Holy Week is the sacred commemoration of the dramatic events leading to the
Resurrection of Jesus Christ, His victory over death and the redemption of
humanity and the fallen world. The Armenian Church re-enacts these episodes
in the days leading up to Easter. What follows is a brief schedule of Holy
Week events:

PALM SUNDAY–the commemoration of Jesus’ triumphal entry into
Jerusalem–falls on April 1. Fr. Mardiros Chevian (dean of St. Vartan
Cathedral) will be the celebrant for the services, which will begin with a
Morning Service at 9:30 a.m., and will continue with the Divine Liturgy at
10:30 a.m. The Turun-Patzek or `Door-Opening’ Service will be held after
the Divine Liturgy.

April 6 is GREAT AND HOLY THURSDAY, and the day’s services memori¬alize the
Last Supper, Jesus’ vigil in the Garden of Gethsemane, His arrest and trial.
Two separate services will be celebrated on this day. In the morning, the
Divine Liturgy, beginning at 11:00 a.m. This will be followed by a
luncheon.

In the evening, the `Washing of the Feet’ ceremony will start at 7:00 p.m.,
with the Khavaroom or Vigil Service following at 8:30 p.m. Archbishop
Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese, will officiate. During the
Washing of Feet ceremony, twelve individuals will serve as surrogates for
the apostles. This year, in recognition of the Diocesan "Year of Church and
Home: One in Spirit," the twelve individuals will be made up of pairs of
fathers and sons and grandfathers and grandsons.

The crucifixion and death of Christ will be observed on April 6 –GREAT AND
HOLY FRIDAY–and again two services will occur. The Order of the
Cruci¬fixion of Christ will begin at 12:00 noon. This will be a short
service enabling working people in Manhattan to attend, and it will be
followed by a luncheon in the Diocesan Complex’s Yerevan Room.

That same evening, at 7:30 p.m., the Order of the Entombment of the Lord, or
Taghoom Service, will take place.

On GREAT AND HOLY SATURDAY, April 7, the Divine Liturgy will be preceded by
a scripture-reading ceremony at 6:00 p.m. Easter Eve Liturgy will begin at
7:00 p.m. The St. Vartan Cathedral Youth Choir, under the direction of Maro
Partamian, will sing the liturgy. (The St. Vartan Cathedral Youth Choir is
made up of students from the Diocesan Khrimian Lyceum, and Diocesan Armenian
Saturday schools of New York and New Jersey.) Students of the Diocesan
Khrimian Lyceum will also provide the Scripture readings. A reception will
follow the services.

The drama of Holy Week will culminate on EASTER SUNDAY, April 8. Easter is
the central holy day of the Christian calendar, and commemorates the
discovery of Christ’s empty tomb and the news of His glorious Resur¬rection.
Matins will begin at 9:30 a.m. The Divine Liturgy will begin at 10:30 a.m.
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church
of America, will celebrate the Liturgy and deliver the homily. The St.
Vartan Cathedral Choirs will sing the Divine Liturgy under the direction of
Maestro Khoren Mekanejian. Florence Avakian will accompany on the organ.

Immediately following the service, the traditional release of doves ceremony
will be performed on the cathedral plaza. A Home Blessing service and an
Easter reception will follow.

For more information on these observances, call the Diocese of the Armenian
Church at (212) 686-0710. St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral is located at 630
Second Avenue (corner of 34th Street) in New York City.

— 3/28/07

NTV MSNBC, Turkey
March 26 2007

US Senate committee to vote on Turkish resolution

Turkey has objected to references to the so-called Armenian genocide
in the draft text of the resolution.

WASHINGTON – The US Senate’s Committee on Foreign Relations is to
vote on Wednesday on a draft resolution condemning the killing of
Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, it was announced Monday.
Haberin devamý

The draft resolution, tabled by Senator Joseph Biden, also calls on
Turkey to remove article 301 from the country’s statute books.

The controversial article covers the crime of insulting Turkish
identity, and has been used to prosecute a number of Turkish
journalists academics and writers, including Dink, who was gunned
down in Istanbul on January 19.

Other sections of the draft resolution call on Turkey to establish
diplomatic, political and commercial relations with Armenia.

Both Ankara and the Bush Administration have spoken out against
references to the so-called Armenian genocide in the text of the
resolution.

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
March 26 2007

Iran’s chances are getting slimmer for controlling future energy markets

by Ahmet Türker

Sunday , 25 March 2007

The troubles surrounding Iran is not ending. With mass reserves of
gas and oil, the ambition to develop nuclear technology is leaving
the Iranian industry handcuffed. While Iran is following the
footsteps of North Korea, Russia is using the gas to build an energy
empire.

Iran is currently only exporting gas to Turkey. Although not
officially accepted, most of the business circles in Turkey is
claiming that Iranian gas is not the most economical one. In terms of
energy security, it is far away from being reliable.

Iran has the world’s second biggest gas reserves. But because of
years of underinvestment and growing domestic consumption only a
fraction of the gas production is to be exported. During peak
consumption periods, as in the winter times, the reliability of
supply becomes a headache for Turkey.

The importance of Iranian gas lies in its importance of being an
alternative to Russian gas. But due to international sanctions and
growing international problems, Iran is finding it hard to attract
foreign investors. With the latest sanctions and the crises resulted
with the seizure of 15 British soldiers, the road ahead for Iran is
rather dimmed.

In this doomed times, Iran may be losing its only gas customer Turkey
and future customers. Although Iran has started the construction of a
Armenia-Iran pipeline, the Armenian side which has also suffered from
lack of investment, is rumoured to have lost the full control of
pipeline after a discount from Gasprom for 2007.

Turkey on the other hand has already tighting her schedule for LNG
exportations to backup unreliable Iranian gas supply. During the
winter, Iran is diverting the gas to its domestic market. This is
harming the Turkish-Iranian relations and Turkey’s perception of Iran
as a reliable and secure supplier.

Turkey-Iran gas relations have received another blow from US Senate.
According to Turkish Daily news, during the hearings Senator Jack
Reed asked the Undersecretary of State Nick Burns whether Turkey is
`still’ buying gas directly from Iran. After Burns said he believed
so, Reed then requestioned whether US involved in an effort to
persuade `our NATO ally not to do that’

Burns also said : `A number of our allies -Turkey is a prominent one-
a partner like India is another – have long term oil and gas
relationships [with Iran] and we are trying to suggest that there are
alternatives for the future.’.

The alternative routes, Burns mentioned is either Azerbaijan or LNG
market. Last year Turkey has exported 5.7 billion cubic meters(bcm)
of gas from Iran and 4.2 billion cubic meters of gas from Algeria. In
the first two monts of 2007, Turkey has exported a total of 6.65 bcm
of gas, where Russia has the lion’s share with around 4.4 bcm where
Algeria has 0.817 bcm and Iran has 0.84 bcm.

Azerbaijan gas however will be a good but not very sufficient
alternative. Therefore Turkey is expected to increase her interest in
the southern pipeline extension from Egypt-Syria pipeline. This route
will be advantegous due to different peak periods rather than
parallel peaks as happening in Iran.

With the seizure of British soldiers, Iranian tension is expected to
continue. The Iranian politicians firm belief in the exceptionality
of Iran is harming the relations with Iran. But the road ahead is not
bright for Iran.

There are several factors affecting Turkey’s decision to undermine
Iranian gas. Iranian unreliability in gas supply every winter,
Iranian-Armenian gas pipeline and growing underinvestment coupled
with growing domestic consumption are all factors dimming Turkey’s
outlook to Iran.

After some years, Iranian will look back and see what they have lost.
It is not because American’s asked it, but due to their own
understanding of playing political games. Although Iran will still
have the same second biggest gas reserves of the world even 5 years
from now on, the diplomacy and market side might be more under the
influence of Russia and LNG exporting countries. Then, Iran’s only
option could be to leave the development and operation of her gas
fields to foreign giants to compete in an energy market of
monopolists.
Ahmet Türker, USAK Energy Review

This commentary is from USAK’s Energy Review Newsletter