Author: Kanayan Tamar

REP. SCHIFF: U.S. SHOULD SUPPORT NAGORNO-KARABAKH PEOPLE’S RIGHT OF SELF-DETERMINATION

PanARMENIAN.Net
November 4, 2011 – 17:12 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) sent a letter to the
Chairmen and Ranking Members of the Senate and House Appropriations
Subcommittees on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs,
Sens. Patrick Leahy and Lindsey Graham, and Reps. Kay Granger and
Nita Lowey, urging them to direct USAID and the Department of State
to focus not less than $10 million for humanitarian and development
programs in the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh.

As Rep. Schiff said, “it is more important than ever that the United
States support the right of self-determination of the people of
Nagorno-Karabakh.” “Directing these resources to Nagorno-Karabakh will
not only help the people of the Karabakh cope with humanitarian crises
resulting from the twin blockade by Turkey and Azerbaijan, but it
will also help to stabilize the region by demonstrating our continued
commitment to a peaceful resolution of the conflict,” he said.

The full text of the letter is as follows:

“Dear Chairman Leahy, Chairman Granger and Ranking Members Graham
and Lowey:

As you begin work on a final version of the FY 2012 State, Foreign
Operations, and Related Programs bill, I urge you to include stronger
report language directing USAID and the Department of State to focus
more resources on the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh.

U.S. policy toward the South Caucasus states has included promoting
the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Given the continued
drumbeat of bellicose rhetoric emanating from Azerbaijan, it is more
important than ever that the United States maintain a principled stand
for peace in this region and support Nagorno-Karabakh and I request
that the conference report include language directing USAID to spend
not less than $10 million in Fiscal Year 2012 for humanitarian and
development programs in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Unfortunately, the State Department has failed to follow Congressional
intent to deliver funds to Nagorno-Karabakh. From 2004 to 2010, the
State Department expended less than $13 million, while Congressional
intent expressed through conference reports and public law called for
$46 million for humanitarian and, as of 2010, development assistance.

It is therefore vital that the Congress include language requiring
that not less than $10 million be expended in Fiscal Year 2012.

I appreciate the inclusion of language regarding Nagorno-Karabakh in
the draft House Report that has been circulating since late July, but I
believe that given past practice, the State Department will interpret
anything less than an explicit directive as continued acquiescence by
the Congress of the under-funding of programs in this overwhelmingly
Armenian region. I share the belief that American aid must be matched
by the capacity of the recipient authority to absorb the assistance,
but that caveat should not be used as an excuse to shortchange friends
and allies that are considered of vital importance to significant
numbers of Americans as well as many Members of Congress in both
chambers and from both parties.

These are challenging times for America and the world. I am confident,
however, that directing additional resources to Nagorno-Karabakh
will not only help the people of the Karabakh people to advance their
own economy in the face of a twin blockade by Turkey and Azerbaijan,
but it will also help to stabilize the region by demonstrating our
continued commitment to a peaceful resolution of the conflict.”

IRAVUNK.COM JOINS FIRST ARMENIAN NEWS AGGREGATOR

/ARKA/
November 4, 2011
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, November 4. /ARKA/. The online version of a popular Armenian
weekly “Iravunk» (Law) () got connected to the first
Armenian national news aggregator at , launched by
All Media cjsc last November 30.

“With this connection the number of participants of the system has
reached 20, and applications of another dozen media outlets are in
the process of consideration,” Armen Martirosyan, the project manager
told ARKA.

“We welcome the initiative to create the news aggregator, which helps
get quick and impartial picture of information environment of the
country. We are pleased to join the system, which not only facilitates
navigation in a constantly changing stream of information, but also
allows consumers to receive the latest economic, political and other
news,” Hayk Babukhanian, the chairman of the editorial board of the
newspaper said.

Iravunk.com is the electronic version of the weekly newspaper Iravunk,
published since 1989.

MediaGid is a system of automated processing and systemization of news
where the received data are analyzed by special program combining news
close by their content into group-stories. The main principles of the
system are efficiency, urgency, accessibility and impartiality. At
present, 1200 pieces of information are received on the wesite of news
aggregator in Armenian, Russian and English languages.

Information is updated on daily basis.

MediaGid has developed a special partner program for mass media which
allows them to increase attendance and expansion of its auditorium.

Information agencies, electronic versions of printed mass media,
websites of TV and radio channels, network and thematic publications
can participate in the partner program.

All Media cjsc was established in 2010 with the purpose of
implementation of venture investments in Internet projects in Armenia.

All Media cjsc deals with Internet marketing, Internet advertisement,
PR in Internet, development and advancement of the sites, context
advertisement, audit of the sites and consulting.

TURKISH PUBLISHER’S GENOCIDE BOOK CONFISCATED AS EVIDENCE

Tert.am
04.11.11

Turkish publisher Ragip Zarakolu is currently kept at the Metris
high-security prison while his son Deniz Zarakolu, an editor of
the Belge Publishing House, is under arrest at the Edirne Prison,
Asbarez.com reported, citing Info-Turk.be.

In his first letter sent from prison through his lawyer Ozcan Kilic,
Ragip Zarakolu said: “My arrest and the accusation of membership to an
illegal organization are parts of a campaign that aims to intimidate
all intellectuals and democrats of Turkey and, particularly, to
deprive the Kurds of support.”

Zarakolu said that during the raid to his house the police confiscated
only few books as “evidence of crime” and found nothing about his
so-called relations with any organization.

The confiscated books are: Vol 2 of Vatansiz Gazeteci (Stateless
Journalist) by Dogan Ozguden, chief editor of Info-Turk; Habiba by
Ender Ondes; Peace Process by Yuksel Genc; and manuscripts of three
books about the Armenian Genocide and Armenian History.

He added that at the police headquarters, his credit and debit cards
were confiscated.

Reminding that he is invited to speak at a conference next week in
Berlin and then at other conferences and events in the US, Zarakolu
said, “The government should provide them [the organizers] with an
explanation for my arrest.”

Zarakolu concluded his letter with the following appeal:

“During my interrogation, they did not ask any question about the
organization to which I was accused of being a member. They questioned
me only about the books I wrote or edited for publication, and the
public meetings I attended or spoke at. I think that everybody should
jointly react against these arrests that have turned into a mass
lynching campaign. These illegal practices should be stopped.”

CONCERNS IN ARMENIA’S NEIGHBORHOOD: PROSPECT OF IRAN WAR AGAIN LOOMS LARGE AS TEL AVIV AND TEHRAN EXCHANGE THREATS
By Naira Hayrumyan

ArmeniaNow
04.11.11 | 15:32

Map by Laura Canali /temi.repubblica.it

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is expected to pay a visit to
Armenia by year’s end according to media reports, quoting official
sources in Tehran. The news comes against the backdrop of what seems
to be a “preparatory information campaign” revealing Israel’s intention
to launch a strike against Iran.

Various publications have reported that the Armenian side holds
that the serious crisis in Israeli-Turkish relations has created
preconditions for reviving ties between Yerevan and Tel Aviv.

Enlarge Photo Artyusha Shahbazyan

If Israel attempts to develop closer relations with Armenia, it may be
due to Israel’s relationship with Turkey. This opinion was expressed
by secretary of the parliamentary faction of the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) Artyusha Shahbazyan. “It isn’t a secret to
anyone that the relations between Israel and Azerbaijan are getting
worse. Even more things are known about the level of relations [of
Israel] with Turkey. This is what conditions the statement of the
Knesset chairman concerning efforts toward recognition of the Armenian
Genocide. In general, I see nothing wrong with the current situation
becoming a stimulus for the development of relations between Israel
and Armenia,” said the Armenian lawmaker.

Still, more active relations between Armenia and Israel may also
be conditioned by Yerevan’s ties with Iran, and most importantly,
Armenia’s possible position in the event of military operations
launched against Iran.

Meanwhile, Iran has stated its readiness for war with Israel through
its Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi. “Israel threatens Iran all the
time, this is nothing new,” said the Islamic Republic’s top diplomat,
stressing that Iran will fiercely retaliate any aggression.

NATO does not intend to intervene in the situation with Iran, said
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Thursday. According
to Rasmussen, NATO supports the efforts of the international community
in finding solutions to the Iranian nuclear problem through political
and diplomatic means. “I urge the Iranian government to implement
the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and to stop its uranium
enrichment program,” Rasmussen said.

Meanwhile, the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday
approved new, tougher sanctions against Iran. It is expected that
punitive measures will be applied to the central bank of the Islamic
Republic as a response of the U.S. administration to the plot to
assassinate the Saudi ambassador in Washington, DC.

International media have quoted U.S. President Barack Obama as saying
that he had discussed his concerns about Iran and its nuclear program
with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and that both had agreed that
“international pressure must be maintained on Iran.”

“The IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) is scheduled to release
a report on Iran’s nuclear program next week and President Sarkozy
and I agree on the need to maintain the unprecedented pressure on
Iran to meet its obligations,” Obama told reporters on Thursday after
negotiations with his French counterpart ahead of the G20 summit in
Cannes, France.

ELECTIONS OF THE MAYOR OF YEREVAN TO TAKE PLACE ON NOVEMBER 15
Karen Ghazaryan

“Radiolur”
04.11.2011 15:12

The elections of the Mayor of Yerevan will take place on November 15.

The decision was made during today’s sitting of the City Council.

The Mayor’s position has been vacant after Karen Karapetyan filed
his resignation on October 28. He declared on November 2nd he was
refusing from the seat in the City Council, as well.

The Republican Party of Armenia has nominated First Deputy Mayor of
Yerevan Taron Margaryan for the Mayo’s position.

NO PROGRESS IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT RESOLUTION IN NEXT TWO YEARS: SABINE FREIZER

epress.am
11.04.2011

Before the Jun. 25 Kazan meeting of the presidents of Armenia,
Azerbaijan and Russia, there were hopes that both sides would agree
at least on the general principles of resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, said the International Crisis Group’s Europe Program Director
Sabine Freizer to the Baku-based APA news agency.

“Unfortunately, the international community, as well as the Azerbaijani
society, was dissatisfied with the results of the Kazan meeting,”
she said.

Weighing in on Turkey’s role in the talks, Freizer said Ankara had
“very interesting ideas” concerning the resolution of the conflict.

“But Turkey has a border issue with Armenia; thus, there are
difficulties. If Turkey wishes to make any contribution to the
negotiations on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, it should, first of all,
normalize the relations with Armenia,” she said.

Freizer asserted that no major shifts were expected in the resolution
of the conflict in the next two years.

“Elections will be held in the co-chairing countries, Russia, US and
France, in the coming two years. Therefore, I think it is unlikely
that there will be any recovery in the negotiations,” he said.

U.S. CALLS FOR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IN TURKEY

PanARMENIAN.Net
November 4, 2011 – 11:53 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The United States is a strong defender of freedom of
expression in Turkey and in all countries around the world, a State
Department spokesperson said.

“We do not want to comment at this time on specific cases before the
courts,” Victoria Nuland told a daily briefing in Washington when asked
to comment on the recent arrest of Turkish and Kurdish intellectuals,
specifically the case of Ragip Zarakolu.

“We urge that the prosecution proceed transparently, and that all
defendants be assured due process and a fair hearing in a timely
manner,” she said.

DISMISSALS OF NO BENEFIT TO ARMENIA’S SOCIETY – ETHNOGRAPHER

Tert.am
14:51 03.11.11

The ethnographer Hranush Haratyan does not think that the recent
resignations will bring about any radical changes.

“Society will neither benefit nor lose,” she said.

“It should be noted that the dismissals are the result of developments
over the recent 12 to 18 months. The public has not so far received
an answer to its question concerning the reasons for dismissals.

Moreover, we do not know if particular parties are responsible for
resignations of particular ministers or the coalition. For example,
the Rule of Law party, which is a coalition party, has not made any
comments for society,” she said.

“The coalition has a task of reproducing itself. I think it will
successfully accomplish this task. The coalition will have about
60% of seats in Parliament, the Armenian National Congress 10 to 11
percent. The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsutyun and
the Heritage party will have the same number of seats,” Kharatyan said.

EXPERT BOARD ON PROBLEMS OF JAVAKHK
Igor Muradyan

Lragir.am News

12:17:43 – 03/11/2011

The positions of the United States and the European community on
the problems of Javakheti, including communication with experts and
policy makers of Western countries, leads to conclusions on efforts
to ignore serious ethnic, political, social and economic problems in
the South Caucasus.

These experts and policy makers working for programs and orders of
the U.S. administration and the Senate state that their evaluations
and papers are left without attention on behalf of the political
instances. At the same time, in the past few weeks new moods are
felt in the West which are connected with great concern regarding
the destiny of the ruling regime in Georgia.

Trying to transform Georgia into a “key state” in the region
in terms of military, political and communication projects, the
Western politicians do not get response on behalf of the Georgian
political government to proposals and initiatives besides meaningless
declarations.

There are convincing signs that the U.S. administration is already
viewing Saakashvilis’s political team as interim in the implementation
of medium-term goals of the United States in Georgia. This relationship
is supported by the relevant committees of the Senate and the
House. Both liberal and rightist conservative analytic centers in the
United States are warning the administration on the possible failure of
the ruling regime in Georgia. In certain analytic and reconnaissance
communities of the United States the idea of inadequate assistance
and support to Georgia, the geopolitical and economic functions which
this country must perform, has occurred. It is thought that increased
attention paid to Georgia leads to unbalancing of the U.S. policy
in the region, in the race of weapons and unjustified escalation
of tensions.

These ideas still do not influence the drafting of official documents
and decision making but expectations are there and are intensifying.

It is not ruled out that the U.S. policy on methods of ruling
the Georgian government will have a more critical character which
is indirectly confirmed by the failure of Saakashvili’s visit to
Washington and escalation of tensions in the U.S.-Georgian relations.

At the same time, critical moods are intensifying in the European
structures towards Georgia which may be expressed more tangibly. No
doubt, it has a goal to ensure conditions for constant misinformation
of the European Community. Therefore, the necessity occurs to create a
public structure for constant monitoring of the public and political
processes in South Georgia and development of qualified assessments,
namely on the results of implementation of assumed programs and
implementation of Georgia’s commitments to the European Community.

Now this public structure – the Expert Board on the problems of Javakhk
(Samtskhe Javakheti) with five long-term experts in Armenia and one
invited expert from Javakheti. In its activities, it is necessary to
involve experts from Georgia, the European community and the United
States. People who are well-aware of the problems of Javakheti by
virtue of their professional experience could be permanent members of
the Council. The activities of the Council must be aimed at getting
information, evaluation of events and development of proposals. On
the basis of the results it will be possible to come up with definite
initiatives on the European and international arena, as well as
conduct a meaningful propaganda.

It should be taken into account that so far no structure in Armenia has
implemented this goal in the necessary format. The Armenian society
still lacks objective information on the situation in Javakhk,
other regions of South Georgia. Besides, the Armenian lobby in
the United States and the European community could organize their
activities more effectively if there were worked out materials and
proposals. Considering the intention of the government to create an
Institute of Political Studies, it is expedient to agree the activities
of the institute with the activities of the expert board.

However, it will be expedient that the Council organizes its activities
independently, otherwise the meaning of this structure as a public
initiative will be lost.

This initiative needs the support of the government and political
parties. (In addition, it is necessary to understand that joint work of
experts is required rather than politicians or civil society activists
who who refer to themselves as experts.)

WHY DON’T RECENT DISMISSALS RAISE QUESTIONS FOR ARMENIA TV STATIONS?

epress.am
11.02.2011 20:08

Armenian TV stations have trouble digesting the news — any news. The
TV news reporter is not the face of the news she presents.

A parade of resignations has begun: ArmNews continues to broadcast the
president welcoming the new police chief the day after the fact —
even during its 3 pm broadcast. Furthermore, no questions arose for
any TV reporters regarding any of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s
statements on the matter — why is Police Chief Alik Sargsyan being
dismissed from his post if he has resolved all the issues put before
him? What does it mean that with this appointment “our people will
feel themselves more protected”?

The issue is that Armenian TV stations have not yet decided where the
boundary between TV and online news media lies. It’s obvious that no
one from the TV stations stood on guard outside the Republican Party
of Armenia’s central office. But it’s also a fact that the TV station
cannot be satisfied with information acquired by telephone.

The third problem is that at the time of his dismissal, a state
official presents a greater interest for opposition or online news
outlets and is more accessible to them as he has nothing to lose. This
is why the reporter from local opposition daily Haykakan Jamanak
(“Armenian Times”) can more easily get in touch with National Assembly
Chair Hovik Abrahamyan than any TV station.

The TV station knows that it is outside of the imperative of urgent
information. Armenia TV’s Zham (“Hour”) news program differs in many
ways from its website. Zham’s webpage was the first to report on Alik
Sargsyan’s dismissal; however, the news ppeared on the televised news
program only the next day.

Shant TV began its Horizon news program with Hovik Abrahamyan’s
resignation. However, none of the Horizon reporters were outside the
Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) office. That is, the journalist’s
work is absent in the news; the news is served after the already
established fact.

Suppose local daily Joghovurd (“People” or “Nation”) was the first to
find out that Yerevan mayor Karen Karapetyan was going to resign. The
news, which wasn’t yet fact, was already known two days beforehand.

Clearly the paper has its sources among government circles, but the
news wasn’t solely about the resignation; the news was also about why
is he resigning and where is he going? Who did he have problems with
and what sort of problems were they?

Instead, H1â~@²s Tesankyun (“Point of View”) is active in this
sense. The commentator watched the former mayor’s interview with
ArmNews and, in his words, approximately figured out why Karen
Karapetyan is going to Gazprom.

If knowing that is urgent, then you, commentator, who also work at
Haylur, you should’ve tried to figure it out as a Haylur reporter.

That is to say, get a hold of Karen Karapetyan through your “channels”
and personally find out why he’s moving to Gazprom.

And the already out-of-office mayor shouldn’t be ridiculed on H1
(Armenia’s Public TV), that “he’s leaving on a mission.” You are
authorized to understand a person’s decision, but a journalist
differs from a TV viewer in that, to put it this way, he strips
bare a person’s decision. Since you haven’t yet uncovered the facts,
don’t laugh at him.

After all, he responded to those questions that he was asked. Are you
not satisfied with what was said? Did you have any other questions for
the former mayor? Ask him. Remember, without giving details so far, H1
doesn’t have the right to ridicule even a citizen of Armenia murderer.

The entire country wants to know what’s happening with the ruling
administration. Online news media and newspaper write of nearly
nothing else.

Vladimir Gasparyan, in the presence of the president and former police
chief, says, “It’s probably the time to move from words to action.”

This sentence was broadcast by all the TV stations. And no one was
curious where the newly appointed police chief’s sense of ethics were?

what are the words that have to be turned into action? whose words
are they — his, Serzh Sargsyan’s or the former police chief’s who
have built the state administration system only with words?

I understand that Haylur cannot ask too many questions, but why don’t
these dismissals raise questions for the other local TV stations?

And, by the way, doesn’t the fact that high-ranking officials are
giving their reasons for being dismissed through private news outlets
give Armenia’s Public Television, purely as a provider of information,
a cause for concern?

If it doesn’t see a problem, allow me to observe that you shouldn’t
ridicule those from whom you haven’t personally “wrung out” the
reasons for their resignation.

This article was written by Mher Arshakyan and originally published
on Media.am.