Author: Kanayan Tamar

LARISA ALAVERDYAN IS ASHAMED

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 12:38:09 – 02/03/2012

Larisa Alaverdyan, MP from Heritage parliamentary group, says what
happened during the NA spring session is worrying.

“When we stand and count how many people there are in the hall and
how many people vote, we do it to save the honor of our parliament”,
says Larisa Alaverdyan.

She said ashamed of what is happening in the NA. “NA Speaker managed
to keep the panel, but not the MPs who said while leaving that they
will do whatever they want”, the MP noted.

LA NUMERISATION DES ARCHIVES ARMENIENNES NE POURRA FAIRE LA LUMIERE SUR 1915
Stephane

armenews.com
vendredi 2 mars 2012

Les Archives Nationales d’Armenie ont commence a poster des centaines
de milliers de documents en ligne depuis le mois dernier mais certains
chercheurs ont averti les optimistes que ces sources primaires ne
pourront faire la lumière sur les evenements de 1915 a annonce le
quotidien turc Hurriyet.

” L’Armenie n’etait le centre de rien en 1915 ” a declare l’historien
Ara Sarafian, directeur de l’Institut Gomidas base a Londres. ” Le
centre administratif des gouvernements militaires et civils russes
etait a Tbilisi. C’est le lieu pour chercher des documents originaux.

L’Armenie dispose de pièces mais je doute que les membres de la
Societe Turque d’Histoire savent meme où commencer a regarder “.

Neanmoins, Amatuni Virabyan, directeur des Archives Nationales
d’Armenie, a dit que les documents parleront de 1915.

” La principale raison du transfert de nos archives vers le
format numerique est de le presenter a l’attention des chercheurs
internationaux ; la collection complète sera en ligne en 2015 ” a dit
Virabyan, ajoutant que les archives etaient deja ouvertes a chacun
dont quelques chercheurs qui sont deja venus en provenance de Turquie.

Kemal Cicek, un expert du Bureau Armenien de la Societe Turque
d’Histoire, a dit que les historiens turcs travaillaient sur les
archives armeniennes, mais a ajoute que les documents contiennent
peu d’information sur 1915.

” Ce n’est pas important que l’Armenie ait ouvert ses archives. Les
documents qu’ils ont ne sont pas des originaux, mais des copies
rapportees de Russie. Il faut faire ouvrir les archives du parti
Tashnak au patriarcat de Jerusalem et de Boston. Les archives
mentionnees reveleront la cooperation que les Tashnaks avaient avec la
Grande-Bretagne, les Etats-Unis et d’autres allies [pendant la Première
guerre mondiale] ” a-t-il dit en reference a ces revendications que
les Armeniens Ottomans etaient de mèche avec les ennemis de l’empire.

Ara Sarafian a aussi suggere que des archives se trouvent a Jerusalem.

” Les archives armeniennes liees a la question du genocide sont
a Jerusalem. C’est le lieu où beaucoup de documents du patriarcat
d’Istanbul peuvent aussi etre trouves aujourd’hui quant a la question
du genocide. Ces materiaux ont ete cites par quelques historiens
armeniens qui ont eu un accès privilegie a ces documents dans le
passe. Ils sont donc appropries a cause de leur contenu reel et le
fait qu’ils ont deja ete cites par quelques auteurs “.

Ara Sarafian a aussi suggere de faire des recherches sur des archives
importantes en Turquie comme les archives militaires ou les Archives
du Premier ministre Ottoman.

” Qui en Armenie [a travaille sur] ces archives ? Je ne suis conscient
que personne d’Armenie travaille en Turquie. Si vous voulez voir une
bonne recherche sur la question du genocide basee sur les archives
du Premier Ministre regarder le travail d’Hilmar Kaiser, Fuat Dundar
ou Ugur Ungor. Franchement, le niveau des bourses sur le genocide
armenien est très pauvre en Armenie ” a dit Ara Sarafian qui vient
de travaille sur les Archives du Premier Ministre.

Mais Ara Sarafian a aussi discute de l’affirmation de Cicek comme quoi
les archives de Boston pourraient faire la lumière sur le genocide.

” Les materiaux de Boston sont les archives de la Federation
Revolutionnaire Armenienne ou FRA. Les historiens turcs qui
revendiquent qu’ils concernent 1915 se trompent ” a-t-il dit. ”
Ils ne savent pas ce qu’elles comprennent mais cela leur convient
pour faire de telles revendications. Les archives de la FRA a Boston
sont limitees en termes d’information sur 1915. Leur organisation
dans l’Empire Ottoman a ete paralysee par le gouvernement Ottoman qui
avait aussi des informateurs dans les rangs armeniens. Cependant il
serait bon de voir ce que ces archives possèdent “.

L’Institut de Zoryan a rassemble des papiers prives de gens lies aux
evenements de 1915 a Boston dans les annees 1980, a dit Ara Sarafian.

” Beaucoup de gens ont donne leurs papiers prives a Zoryan mais ils
sont sous cles. Comme historien et armenien, j’ai toujours regrette
l’inaccessibilite de ces documents d’autant plus qu’ils ont ete
rassembles par des individus prives, ceci est un deshonneur ”
a-t-il dit.

U.S. MILITARY HAS “DETAILED PLANS” ON SYRIA OPTIONS

AP

February 29, 2012 “AP” — BEIRUT: Detailed plans developed to carry
out military action against Syria have been drawn up by the Pentagon
and could be implemented upon orders by President Barack Obama, CNN,
quoting a senior U.S. official, has reported.

The crucial progress in military planning comes after several weeks
of initial analysis by the Pentagon of what the official says are a
“full range of options,” CNN said.

“The detailed plans for each option include more precise concepts of
how a variety of operations could be carried out, as well as estimates
of the numbers of personnel, types of units and military equipment
and weapons that could potentially be needed,” the report published
Tuesday said.

Despite the planning, Pentagon officials from across the board
highlighted that it would be highly problematic to involve the U.S.
army in any scenario as long as the violence in Syria remained
unchecked.

“There are lots of ideas floating around,” the official told the
American cable network.

“But all of them require heavy lifting.”

The official noted that both at the political and military levels,
involvement of U.S. troops would be difficult in such a sensitive
part of the world.

However, he added, administration and military commanders are still
actively considering what to do.

“We want to understand what is the art of the possible,” the official
said.

Should the American president consider to order any type of action,
more planning and deployment orders would be some of the further steps
taken, the report said, adding that several officials noted the Obama
administration was considering whether there was anything the U.S.
military can or should do to facilitate humanitarian assistance.

Syria, headed by President Bashar Assad since 2000, has been shaken
since mid-March 2011, when a brutal crackdown was launched against
protesters calling for reforms in the tightly controlled state.

TURKISH FM WARNS FRENCH PRESIDENT NOT TO REPEAT DENIAL LAW

Anadolu Agency
Feb 29 2012
Turkey

ANKARA (A.A) -February 29, 2012 -Turkish foreign minister has urged
French president not to try to pass another legislation similar to one
which was annulled by France’s top constitutional watchdog on Tuesday.

“Sarkozy had already pushed his chances too hard and if he tries that
again he would have started a war on French culture and the French
rule of law. It would be most unfortunate for him to challenge a ruling
passed by such a high level authority like the Constitutional Council,”
Ahmet Davutoglu told a televised interview on state-run broadcaster
TRT hours after the French Constitutional Council cancelled a law that
makes it a crime to deny Armenian allegations that the incidents of
1915 in the Ottoman Empire amounted to a “genocide.”

The French council ruled that the law violated freedom of expression
and communication upon an appeal by a large number of French
senators and MPs for the annulment of the legislation. The law made
it punishable to deny the Armenian allegations with a prison term of
one-year and a fine of 45 thousand euros.

Davutoglu said relations between the two countries had weathered
“a turbulence,” adding that Turkey needed to review the position
France would assume before lifting a series of measures Ankara had
taken after the approval of the denial law by the lower house of the
French parliament.

“We need to keep our channels open in the name of sharing a common
history [with Armenia]. And our common history should not be sacrificed
to the political ambitions of this or that leader,” Davutoglu said.

TURKISH FM WELCOMES FRENCH COURT’S MOVE TO OVERTURN GENOCIDE DENIAL LAW

Anadolu Agency
Feb 28 2012
Turkey

Ankara: 28 February: The Turkish Foreign Ministry said Tuesday [28
February] that the French Constitutional Council “corrected a grave
error” by annulling a law that makes it a crime to deny Armenian
allegations on the incidents of 1915 in the Ottoman Empire.

“We are glad to note that a grave error was corrected by the most
competent judicial authority in France. We consider the annulment of
the law as a step in line with freedom of expression and research,
rule of law and the principles of international law and against the
politicisation of history in France,” the ministry said in a statement.

The statement said the law was a one-sided initiative aiming to
prohibit any challenge of the Armenian views concerning a painful
period in Turkish and Armenian common history.

“It is preferable that, on controversial historical issues, third
countries adopt an impartial approach encouraging dialogue and
resolution between the concerned parties, rather than make imprudent
and prejudicial interventions.

“We hope that, from now on, France will adopt a constructive approach
so that this controversy between Turkey and Armenia is addressed on a
just and scholarly basis and she will provide contributions supporting
the resolution of the issue, rather than deepening it. Such an approach
will contribute to the development of the Turkish-French relationship
in the direction it deserves and in all fields,” the statement said.

The French Constitutional Council ruled on Tuesday that the law was
a violation the freedom of expression and communication.

The law, which penalizes denial of the Armenian allegations with
one-year prison term and fine of 45 thousand euros, had brought
relations between Turkey and France to a standstill and it had drawn
fierce criticisms from French historians and intellectuals as well.

“LIVELY” CAMPAIGN FOR MAJLIS SEATS REPRESENTING MINORITIES

Islamic Republic News Agency
Feb 28 2012
Iran

Candidates for seats representing religious minorities in Iran’s
Majlis are engaged in a “lively” campaign. Candidates were actively
posting posters and distributing booklets about their plans. Armenian
candidates have printed flyers in the Armenian language.

According to Article 64 of Iran’s Constitution, religious minorities
are allotted a total of five seats in the Majlis: one representing
Zoroastrians, one for Jews, one for Assyrians and two for Armenians
(one for the north of the country and one for the south).

[translated from Persian]

AZTAG EDITOR: FRANCE IS BASING ON POLITICAL CENSORSHIP

PanARMENIAN.Net
March 1, 2012 – 14:16 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Turkey needed a rally condemning Khojalu events which
escalated the hostile attitude towards Armenians to an unprecedented
level, Shahan Kandaharian, editor-in-chief of Beirut-based “Aztag
paper said.

A rally aiming to show Turkey’s power to Armenians was organized
in Taksim square in Istanbul on the eve of consideration of the bill
criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial in the French Constitutional
Council. The topic of Khojalu was picked for intimidation, he told
a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

“The propaganda Ankara-Baku link organized a rally in Istanbul and
Baku targeting not only Khojalu. A black wreath was laid at the French
embassy, and Azeris living in Turkey called to equate Khojalu events to
the Armenian Genocide, focus being namely on Khojalu,” the editor said.

As to the ruling of the French Constitutional Council, Kandaharian
believes denial of the Armenian Genocide and recognition of
Khojalu events is the policy pursued by official Ankara in favour
of Azerbaijan. “Contradictions within domestic policy in France
revealed by the political decision of the Constitutional Council
on the issue, must be mentioned again. Why the denial of Holocaust
should be criminalized, being in line with the constitution of France,
while the Genocide bill is unconstitutional?”

“All this is enough to understand that the decision was based not on
the constitution of the country but the political censorship. It is
painful for Armenians to realize that the Armenian Genocide became
another card in political games. This game implies revision of the
bill, its adoption and submittal to the Constitutional Council, i.e.

the same path will be repeated. The Armenian side should not yield to
emotions; it must pursue its policy in line with political realities.

Again, it became clear that legal judgments in France are being
passed by the Constitutional Council basing on current political
considerations,” he emphasized.

The French Constitutional Council on Feb 28 ruled the bill
criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial adopted earlier by the
Senate of France as unconstitutional. The Council justified it by
the fact that the law “contradicts Article 33 of the Constitution of
France and the freedom of speech”.

On January 23, the French Senate passed the bill with 127 votes for
and 86 against. If signed into law by the President, the bill would
impose a 45,000 euro fine and a year in prison for anyone in France
who denies this crime against humanity committed by the Ottoman Empire.

Turkey reacted furiously when the Senate approved the law. Ankara
halted political and military cooperation with France and was
threatening to cut off economic and cultural ties if the law took
effect.

WEAPON FOR NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Hayk Aramyan

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 10:54:35 – 01/03/2012

Today is March 1. Amazingly, the National Assembly of Armenia will
vote to the draft law on the legislative framework for state of
emergency. Four years ago this day, a state of emergency was imposed
in Yerevan which lasted for 20 days. At that time there was no law and
the declaration of the state of emergency was an anti-constitutional
act. In an effort to justify his decision, Robert Kocharyan later
stated that he had consulted the NA speaker and the prime minister.

None of them confirmed this.

10 people were killed in the result of the events of March 1 and
2 in 2008. The murders have not been investigated yet. Perhaps,
nothing will be investigated unless Armenia becomes a strong country,
as a high-ranking officials said once, dwelling on the status of
investigation of a number of scandalous events.

But no matter how often they say the page of March 1 is closed, it
is evident that this page plays an important role in the relations
of Armenia with the world, just like in the domestic developments of
Armenia. For example, if the Council of Europe stated that the chapter
of March 1 is closed, welcoming the actions of the authorities, release
of political prisoners and the exercising of the freedom of rallies,
it thus hinted that Armenia should continue the democratic reform. The
international community brings up this issue from time to time, as if
“reminding” the Armenian government to mind the reforms.

The Armenian National Congress was going to apply to the European Court
of Human Rights against Robert Kocharyan. The authorities did not seem
to disagree with such a turn of events. For his part, Robert Kocharyan
said in an interview that the scene where the murders happened was
not controlled either by the government or the opposition forces. So,
Kocharyan hinted the existence of a “third force” to kill those people.

But these statements, even if they are true, do not clear anyone of
responsibility. Kocharyan and others should specify what the “third
force” in Yerevan was and what it was doing there. It is necessary
to speak clearly about it without waiting for Armenia to become an
“independent and strong country”.

Anyway, yesterday evening, a large amount of weapon was found in
Yerevan which came as a hint to the members of parliament that there
is always threat of terrorism and it is necessary to pass the law on
the state of emergency.

ARMENIA’S FOREIGN NATIONAL DEBT AMOUNTS TO $3.57 BILLION

news.am
March 01, 2012 | 01:59

As of January 1, 2012, Armenia’s foreign national debt amounts to
$3.57 billion.

As the press service of Armenian National Statistics’ Service
informed Armenian News-NEWS.am, in 2011 Armenia’s foreign national
debt increased by 8.2 percent or $270 million.

Armenia’s highest creditor remains the World Bank, as Armenia owes
$1.33 billion to the WB (37.5 percent of the total foreign debt).

TURKISH FM WARNS FRENCH PRESIDENT AGAINST NEW ARMENIA LAW

armradio.am
29.02.2012 13:58

The Turkish foreign minister has urged French president not to try to
pass a new bill on the criminalization of the Armenian Genocide denial.

The comment comes after French President Nicolas Sarkozy asked his
government on Tuesday to draft a new version of the Armenia law.

“Sarkozy had already pushed his chances too hard and if he tries that
again he would have started a war on French culture and the French
rule of law. It would be most unfortunate for him to challenge a ruling
passed by such a high level authority like the Constitutional Council,”
Ahmet Davutoglu told a televised interview on state-run broadcaster
TRT hours after the French ruling.

Davutoglu said relations between the two countries had weathered
“a turbulence,” adding that Turkey needed to review the position
France would assume before lifting a series of measures Ankara had
taken after the approval of the denial law by the lower house of the
French parliament.

“We need to keep our channels open in the name of sharing a common
history with Armenia. And our common history should not be sacrificed
to the political ambitions of this or that leader,” Davutoglu said.