Author: Kanayan Tamar

THE “JURASSIC PARK” OF ARMENIAN POLITICS
Hayk Khalatyan

PanARMENIAN News
March 19, 2012

Appearance of “political dinosaurs” like Gehamyan, Harutyunyan and
Babukhanyan on RPA list stirs huge interest.

The Council of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) approved
on March 18 its electoral lists comprising 250 candidates standing
for the parliamentary elections due on May 6. The list is quite
interesting, to say the least. For instance, the ex-speaker of the
National Assembly and head of RPA election office Hovik Abrahamyan
is placed the second while Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan comes the
third. However, the main surprise of the list is the abundance of
“strangers”, representatives of other parties or new members of RPA.

PanARMENIAN.Net – “We are heading for the elections with a larger list
involving people who support policy of President Serzh Sargsyan and
are committed to contribute to implementation of these programs,”
vice-speaker of the National Assembly Eduard Sharmazanov told the
journalists. He also reminded that RPA’s previous lists as well
included people who were not RPA members, particularly, during
elections in 2003 and 2007.Still, the most surprising circumstance in
relation to the list is the emergence of “political dinosaurs” like
Artashes Gehamyan, Khosrov Harutyunyan and Hayk Babukhanyan. Steven
Spielberg is going to shoot a fourth sequel of the “Jurassic Park”
shortly, but Armenia seems to be taking the lead, with its next
parliament intending to catch up with the Jurassic Park already in
May with regard to the number of fossil characters.

Rumours about the above-mentioned figures’ joining the parliament have
been circulating for quite a while; still, one wanted to believe RPA
will not go for it. The thing is not even the names these opposition
politicians used to call each other and the authorities, including the
current president Serzh Sargsyan. The question is, how the powerful
RPA can benefit from these figures who have failed in their political
careers over the past years, who once headed rather influential
political forces and now cannot even secure a parliamentary seat
without RPA’s assistance.

The politicians explain their joining the RPA list by a wish to unite
efforts of the national-conservative forces. “Platforms of the RPA and
the Constitutional Right Union (CRU) are very similar, the ideology
basing on the national-conservative concept we present. That’s why
I believe it is absolutely natural than CRU is standing for the
elections jointly with the RPA, with its list. I think this is clear
with regard to both ideological and political criteria,” CRU head
Hayk Babukhanyan declared.

After this, the only question that emerges is how RPA members will see
parliamentary mandates gone to others who enter the National Assembly
instead of them, but due to their efforts. Many experts think that
Geghamyan and others will rather be lumber for RPA instead of providing
real support at upcoming elections.

“They will be a problem for the Republican Party of Armenia because
they are virtual people already. I realize that these people are
running for the parliament just to oppose the Armenian National
Congress (ANC). This means these people will be used against the ANC
on the parliament arena. But the RPA itself should weigh all pros
and contras. I believe their inclusion in the list will bring much
more contras than pros,” Armenian political expert Karen Kocharyan
once said on the issue.

Finally, the political forecast for the potential heirs to “good
business” of Geghamyan, Harutyunyan and Babukhanyan during elections
in 2017 is as follows: if current trends are maintained, leader of
Orinats Yerkir party Artur Baghdasaryan is likely to complement or
even replace them.

IRAN’S POSITION ON KARABAKH ISSUE UNCHANGED: THE CONFLICT SHOULD BE SOLVED THROUGH DIALOGUE

armradio.am
19.03.2012 11:53

Iran’s position on Nagorno Karabakh issue remains unchanged: the
settlement of the conflict is possible only through dialogue, the
Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Armenia said in a statement.

Iran’s policy on resolution of all conflicts has always been based on
contribution to mediatory efforts towards establishment of a dialogue
between the conflicting parties, establishment of sustainable peace
and stability in the region, the statement said.

“As the only country sharing a border with the conflict zone,
the Islamic Republic of Iran expresses concern over escalation of
regional tensions and continuous incidents at the line of contact,”
the Embassy said, Regnum reports.

ATP PLANS TO ESTABLISH NEW FORESTS IN COMMUNITIES OF SARATOVKA AND SVERDLOV

hetq
16:08, March 20, 2012

In recognition of Armenia Tree Project’s successful record in tree
planting, environmental education, and sustainable development,
the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has awarded a $1.2 million
grant to ATP. The funding will help to underwrite a portion of ATP’s
core programs through 2014.

“One of the primary objectives of our partnership with the Norwegian
government is to mitigate the impacts of climate change,” says SEEDS
Program Manager Vardan Melikyan, “and we plan to do this through
raising awareness about conservation issues, planting trees to promote
sustainable development in Armenia, and fostering a sense of personal
commitment about the importance of environmental stewardship.”

ATP launched an exciting new program in 2011 known as SEEDS, or
“Social, Economic, and Environmental Development for Sustainability.”

It has allowed ATP to build capacity in its reforestation programs
while improving results through new methods of program delivery. These
include a greater emphasis on community development and investing in
social capital in the areas where ATP is planting trees.

The Norway funding will provide partial support for some of ATP’s core
programs including tree planting initiatives in towns and villages
throughout Armenia, an expansion of reforestation programs in northern
Armenia, maintenance of recently planted forests, environmental
education programs that train teachers and inspire youth, and community
trainings for sustainable forest management.

In 2011, ATP’s SEEDS Program planted 186,785 tree seedlings on
community lands in Fioletovo, Jrashen, Katnajur, Spitak, and Tsakhkaber
in the Lori region. The SEEDS team also maintained previously planted
sites to improve survival rates by clearing grass around thousands
of seedlings that survived their first growing season.

“ATP plans to establish new forests in partnership with the communities
of Saratovka and Sverdlov, which have already provided nearly 80
hectares of land for tree planting. ATP has been working with local
partners to create small community forests. Towns and villages that
are located far from forested areas are given special attention in
this program, since they are desperately in need of green spaces,”
says Forestry Manager Ani Haykuni.

The seedlings for ATP’s reforestation programs are grown in the Mirak
Family Nursery in Margahovit Village and in backyard nurseries in
the Getik River Valley. These newly planted forests are established
with oak, pine, ash, apple, and pear seedlings which are native to
the region.

“ATP’s SEEDS Program also addresses community development and
socio-economic issues in order to mitigate some of the root causes
of deforestation and unsustainable land use. This includes providing
jobs for hundreds of workers in the Lori region for seasonal tree
planting, and partnering with other organizations who can bring
their development expertise to communities where we are working,”
concludes Vardan Melikyan. “These jobs mean people can work in their
communities and don’t have to emigrate to Russia to earn a living.”

SIPRI: AZERBAIJAN RANKS 38TH IN THE WORLD BY PURCHASE OF ARMS

arminfo
Tuesday, March 20, 16:37

The volume of Azerbaijan’s imports of major conventional weapons
increased by 164% between 2002-2006 and 2007-2011, making it the 38th
largest recipient of weapons, according to new data on international
arms transfers published on Mar. 19 by Stockholm International Peace
Research Institute (SIPRI).

According to the report, “Although Armenia dropped from being the
71st largest recipient to 84th place between 2007-2011 and 2002-2006,
the Armenian Government has declared that it will procure arms in
response to Azerbaijan’s arms acquisitions.”

Russia is the main supplier of arms to both states: in 2007-2011
it provided 55% of Azerbaijan’s arms imports and a whopping 96%
of Armenia’s arms imports, SIPRI reports.

The SIPRI Arms Transfers Database now contains information on all
international transfers of major conventional weapons from 1950 to
the end of 2011. It is the only publicly available resource providing
consistent data on international arms transfers for this length of
time. This Fact Sheet describes the trends in international arms
transfers that are revealed by the new data. It lists the main
suppliers and recipients for the period 2007-11 and describes the
changes in regional trends. Azerbaijan’s defense budget for 2012
is 1.381 million mantas or 1.770mln dollars, which is by some 1.2
percent more than in 2011. Defense expenditure for 2012 make up 14.8%
of total expenditures.

Over the last years Azerbaijan’s military budget grew 20fold. In
2011 Azerbaijani state budget approved 2630 million manats to the
military budget (around 3287 mln dollars), while Armenia’s military
budget for 2011 did not exceed 350 mln dollars. The military budget
for 2012 will total around 400 million dollars.

ARF APPOINTS DAY OF PUBLICATION OF PROPORTIONAL LIST, PROSPEROUS ARMENIA STILL HESITATES

ARMENPRESS
MARCH 20, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, MARCH 20, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Revolutionary Federation
will publish its proportional list on March 21, member of the ARF
Supreme Body Spartak Seyranyan told Armenpress. On the same day, he
said, the documents will be handed to the Central Electoral Commission.

Khachik Galstyan, spokesman for the leader of the Prosperous Armenia
Party, told Armenpress that all the issues connected with the list
will be specified by March 22 and be handed to the CEC.

Republican Party of Armenia and the Rule of Law stated that they will
present the proportional list to the CEC on March 21.

PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA PARTICIPATES IN EURASEC SITTING

ARMENPRESS
MARCH 19, 2012
MOSCOW

MOSCOW, MARCH 19, ARMENPRESS. The sitting of the EurAsEC inter-state
council is ongoing in the capital of Russia, Moscow. Citing RIA
Novosti, Armenpress reports that President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev,
applying to the present, offered to discuss the issue of reformation
of EurAsEC, stressing that the process must be of a civilized nature.

“The main point of our agenda refers to the implementation of the
arrangements reached at the 2011 December 19 sitting relating to the
reformation of EurAsEC,” Medvedev said, adding that at that time a
suggestion was even voiced to immediately dissolve EurAsEC but after
a discussion a decision was made that a civil solution must be given
to the issue within certain legal norms.

Presidents of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan
as well as of Armenia, Moldova and Ukraine, having status of observers,
are participating in the sitting.

The agreement on establishment of EurAsEC has been signed on October
10, 2010 and entered into force on May 30, 2011 after all the states
ratified it.

Azerbaijani official stresses expansion of relations with Iran

Baku, March 18, IRNA – Azerbaijani Presidential Administration Social
and Political Department Chief Ali Hasanov stressed Saturday on
expansion of relations with Iran, adding that nothing can hurt good
relations between the two neighboring countries.

`Iran and Azerbaijan are neighboring countries with common history and
culture,’ he told reporters.

The information publicized by the Azerbaijani Ministry of National
Security is absolutely not an action directed against the Iranian
state, Azerbaijani presidential administration social and political
department chief noted.

He was expressing his attitude toward detention in Azerbaijan of a
group of people accused of espionage activity against an Iranian
revolutionary organization.

The official believes it will not have a negative impact on the
Iranian-Azerbaijani inter-state relations.

‘Azerbijan Republic would try to keep good relations with Iran and
prevent the use of its territory against other states including Iran’
he noted.

At the same time Hasanov stressed that sometimes, both in Iran and
Azerbaijan, the various circles, some members of society take steps
affecting the relations between the two countries. He called materials
of some journalists as an example of such activities.

Following a statement released by Azerbaijan Republic Security
Ministry in which an Iranian revolutionary organization has been
accused, the ambassador of that country was summoned to Foreign
Ministry.

Azerbaijan Republic Ambassador to Tehran Javanshir Akhundov received
Iran’s protest to his government.

In the meeting, the accusations were rejected and it was said that the
Azerbaijan Republic action was in contradiction with agreement between
foreign ministers of both countries on the sidelines of Nakhchivan
meeting, around 10 days ago, as well as last week agreement between
Defense Ministers of the two countries.

It was also said that the Zionist regime is trying to charge similar
accusations against Iran in different countries.

The ambassador was also told that Iranian officials are strongly
dissatisfied that Azerbaijan Republic has entered into this Zionist
game.

Akhundov declared his country’s political intention to expand ties
with Iran and said that he will convey Iran’s reaction to his
government.

This week as a result of a special operation conducted by the
Azerbaijani Ministry of National Security, a group of 22 individuals
was revealed and detained. It is accused of espionage activity against
Azerbaijan on the instructions of an Iranian revolutionary
organization.

Iran has an embassy in Baku and a consulate-general in the autonomous
republic of Nakhichevan. Azerbaijan has an embassy in Tehran and a
consulate-general in Tabriz.

Iran and Azerbaijan have had diplomatic relations since the latter’s
independence from the former Soviet Union. The two countries have a
majority Shia population and share many cultural commonalities.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has made extensive mediation efforts to
settle the dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Karabakh.

9191**1771

Islamic Republic News Agency/IRNA NewsCode: 80044506

Khaleej Times (United Arab Emirates)
March 16, 2012 Friday

A window to history

After years of excavation, Sharjah’s Jebel Fayah opens a new window to
the history of the mankind through the more than 30,000 artifacts
unearthed from an 85,000-year-old ancient city.

More than just sand dune bashing and desert trips, tourists and
archaeology enthusiasts now have some interesting new findings in the
area.

Jebel Fayah has been the focus of years of excavation, yielding
thousands of human tools that expose migration to the site
characterised by its various cultural periods and historic phases
extending from Middle Paleolithic to the 18th century A.D.
Archaeologists have also dated the stone tools back to the Neolithic
Period, which belong to the fourth millennium and third millennium
B.C.

Currently, excavation work is being carried out as part of a joint
programme by the Directorate of Antiquities at the Culture and
Information Department in Sharjah and the Institute of Prehistoric
Studies and Research at the German University of Tubingen ¨since 2004.

German archaeologist Knut Bretzke of Tubingen University, head of
Jebel Fayah excavation team, says that tools from the Stone Age dated
back to 120,000 years have traced the presence of mobile herders from
Africa in this ancient city through Egypt. “This is the oldest human
remains outside Africa. We have discovered four different layers of
human activities in this site suggesting four waves of migration. Only
the first one came from Africa, and the remaining three from different
regions, but still under further study.”

He says that the site is the only one in Arabia with four different
layers starting from Stone Age and that makes it very interesting.
“The site finds dating back to 120,000 years of human existence has
made us understand how and where human beings came here from, how they
lived here, and where they were going.”

Bretzke explains that only Africans, among human species, used to modify tools.

“If they had stones, they polished the edges to make them sharper and
retouched them to give shapes. Africans used different methods to
modify and this kind of technology is only typical to them. This kind
of tools we found here makes us conclude that Africans were the first
wave of migration to ancient Sharjah 120,000 years ago.”

Robert Ghukasyan, Armenian excavation assistant, makes sure that all
daily find will be measured and labeled by finding the coordinates
using a computer installed at the site.

“I am measuring the exact position of the artifacts in the excavation
grid so we will know horizontally and vertically the coordinates or
the Y and X axis, clean the find and label them with Bretzke.”

Part of the tools discovered coincides with the time when man left
Africa and reached Australia around 50,000 years ago. In collaboration
with earlier finds, the archaeologists found that man moved from east
Africa to the south of the Arabian Peninsula and then to the northern
coasts of the Indian Ocean and South Asia.

They crossed the seas when the sea level was low, to the islands now
known as Indonesia, a proof that they knew navigation that allowed
them to sail to Australia.

It could also be assumed that some of the ancestors of Australia’s
first residents stayed in the rocky shelters on the foot of Jebel
Fayah mountain before proceeding to Australia.

The global significance of the Jebel Fayah finds has put it in the
limelight that also lures international tourists and many scientists
and archaeologists to the area.

>From their sand dune experience nearby the excavation site, tourists,
mostly Italians, British, French and Germans catch glimpses of date
plantations and camel tracks as the sun’s rays flood the deserts
sands. Jeremy Sands of Britain says: “I love this nature tour. It is
amazing to see hordes of camels spread around the area. I wonder how
they survived all these years when you can hardly find green desert
vegetation around?,” he says.

French Angelique Marseille feels too glad to discover this significant
find as part of the nature tour.

“It is great. At least, I know something new in this trip.”

Azerbaijan: Mafia State

by Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich

Global Research , March 17, 2012

A 2009 U.S. embassy political dispatch
compared Azerbaijani President
Ilham Aliyev to a mafia crime boss. An apt comparison given that
Aliyev and the Azeri political elite have been living under the
protection of the Capo Crimini
– Israel . The protection
does not come cheap; and the manufacture of the recent lie — the
arrest of 22 Azerbaijani citizens

allegedly `trained in Iran ‘ to carry out terrorist acts against the
U.S. and Israel , is the latest protection payment.

Capo Crimini’s protection is noteworthy. Aliyev, a corrupt dictator
who came to power through election fraud in 2003, managed to make his
rounds in Washington in 2006, including a private meeting with
President Bush, thanks to the full weight
of the
Israeli lobby in Washington . The promotion of the Azeri cause in
Washington by the Israeli lobby (which included lobbying against
Armenians), reinforced the notion that `the way to Washington leads
through Jerusalem ‘1 while benefitting various players – to the
detriment of some others.

Although much of Israel ‘s oil comes from Azerbaijan , Israel was more
interested in the control of the oil. With this in mind, despite the
fact that oil companies in the Caspian region favored the much shorter
and cheaper oil pipeline that would transit Iran, Israel relentlessly
pushed for the alternate, more expensive and impractical
Baku-Tblisi-Cehan pipeline which pipeline had over 1000 miles of it
going through mountainous territory bypassing Russia and Armenia.
This expensive venture also served to send the message to Turkey that
alliance with Israel pays off.

Lord Browne, former chief executive of BP, was quoted as saying that
the whole scheme was launched in the interest of Israel.2 Brenda
Shafffer who was
instrumental in promoting the pipeline, put it this way: `There’s
growing demand in Asia . If Israel is clever about it, it could market
this not only commercially but also politically in a way that could
improve regional security
and
stability.” ( JTA, NY , Oct 21, 2005). Shaffer is also of the opinion
that Caspian oil (specifically non-OPEC members Azerbaijan and
Kazakhstan ) makes Saudi Arabia and the OPEC cartel nervous because
they do not coordinate their policies with the cartel.

These plans were made possible thanks to the aftermath of September
11. 9/11 changed everything – as a leading Azeri foreign policy
specialist opined: “But the situation changed after Sept. 11, with
American presence in Central Asia, Georgia and Azerbaijan ,” he
explains. “Our being under the shadow of America means Russia and Iran
will not meddle. We are able to be more courageous.” (Greene, Richard
Allen. Jewish Telegraphic Agency. New
York
:Apr 29, 2002. p. 4)

More courageous, perhaps but the newfound courage lacks rationale and
the needs of the people of Azerbaijan have been neglected. Asim
Mollazadeh, first Chairperson of the Party for Democratic Reforms
prominent Azeri opposition candidate, states that Azerbaijan receives
only 10 percent of oil loyalties. He argues that with 42 percent of
the country living below poverty lines, the oil income
does
not trickle down.3 A heavy price to pay for Washington to feign
welcome to the Azeri dictator.

In 2002, JTA reported that Israel ‘s ambassador to Azerbaijan had a
favorite local joke: “Are you Jewish? No, I just look intelligent.”
(JTA Apr 29, 2002). Insulting as the joke may be, inarguably, actions
which alienate the Russians, compete with Saudis, and magically pull
`22 Iran-linked terrorists’ out of a hat do not `look intelligent’.

Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich has a Master’s degree in Public Diplomacy from
USC Annenberg for Communication and Journalism and USC School of
International Relations. She is an independent researcher and writer
with a focus on U.S. foreign policy and the role of lobby groups in
influencing US foreign policy.

Notes

1 Netty C. Gross; `The Azeri Triangle’, The Jerusalem Post, July 10,
2006, p. 24

2 Cited by Andrew l. Killgore, `Ideology Trumps Economic Efficiency, as The
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline Opens’, The Washington Report on Middle East
Affair, Aug 2005, Vol. 24, iss. 6, p.32

3 Netty C. Gross; `The Azeri Triangle’

Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich is a frequent contributor to Global Research.
Global Research Articles by Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich

Gagik Tsarukyan’s Tough Remarks

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 16:57:45 – 17/03/2012

The leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party made a tough speech in the
congress of the party today. His speech sounded like an accusation of
the government.

`Today we must ask the question why our compatriots working outside
Armenia have considerable success, in foreign countries the Armenians
find their way quickly, find jobs, create jobs but in their own
country they cannot do the same things. The answer is one – the lack
of a corresponding environment,’ he said.

According to Gagik Tsarukyan, the country is facing a goal of
paramount importance. It must create opportunities not to have people
think about leaving and to enable them to support their families.

`A working man must not be poor, and if we cannot resolve the problem
of unemployment, we will have to fight poverty. If the problem of
employment is not resolved soon, we will face a higher percentage of
emigration,’ he stated.

The leader of the PAP is worried about the lack of the business
climate. `We must do everything we can to change the economic and
social situation in the country and improve the business climate,
create jobs. Armenians will never leave their homeland unless they
have jobs, they can support their family,’ he says, adding that small
and medium-sized businesses must enjoy preferences.

One of the important issues is not to hinder a working person.
According to Gagik Tsarukyan, it will lead to economic growth.

`The strongest weapon of our country is the dignified life and welfare
of people. The Armenian people must be the main hero of the country
and not the officials,’ he underlined.

Gagik Tsarukyan says the PAP has included all the resolutions of these
problems in its program for the upcoming 5 years.

The slogan of the PAP will be, `Peace in the country, peace at the
borders.’ There cannot be hostility in the country.

The upcoming parliamentary elections must be conducted peacefully and
honestly, says the PAP leader. `We don’t need hostility, we need fair
competition. We will do everything we can to protect the votes and the
right to vote,’ he said, adding that their ally will be the forces
which are ready for a fair competition.