Author: Kanayan Tamar

168 HOURS: NEW LAWSUIT ON PENSION LAW BEING PREPARED

11:31 21/08/2014 >> DAILY PRESS

Armenian MP, member of ARF Dashnaktsutyun faction Artsvik Minasyan has
told 168 Hours that a new lawsuit is being prepared to challenge the
constitutionality of several provisions of the law on accumulative
pension system adopted in May.

He noted that the lawsuit has to be discussed and agreed on by members
of the non-government parliamentary factions. “The document is likely
to be submitted to the Constitutional Court by late September,” Mr
Minasyan added.

Source: Panorama.am

JOIN THE PETITION TO INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND HELP RETURN KAREN PETROSYAN’S BODY HOME

18:34 20/08/2014 >> SOCIETY

On the occasion of death of 31-year-old resident of RA Tavush region
Karen Petrosyan, the first Ombudsman of Armenia, the representative
of Against the Violation of Law non-governmental organization
Larisa Alaverdyan and the head of the Ordinary Genocide project
Marina Grigoryan have launched a campaign for signing a petition
to international organizations with a call to conduct a thorough
investigation on the reasons of the death of the hostage.

The letter namely expresses concern over the death of Karen Petrosyan
under Azerbaijani captivity. From the outset, his detention was marred
by violations of basic humanitarian norms.

The letter highlights that this tragic case is not an isolated
incident. Several innocent civilians taken captive by Azerbaijan
over recent years have suffered a similar pattern of abuse, public
humiliation, and even death. The cases of captives Manvel Saribekyan
and Mamikon Khojoyan are brought as an example.

“We turn to you to ensure that a proper autopsy and investigation into
credible allegations of violations is carried out. The autopsy should
be witnessed and verified by international experts and the subsequent
information and documentation of the investigation should be made
available in a timely manner to the authorities of the Republic of
Armenia,” reads the letter.

The authors of the letter also urge the international organizations
to use their good offices to ensure that Petrosyan’s remains are
immediately returned to Armenia in compliance with international law.

You can join the campaign by sending an e-mail from your mailbox
using the letter form posted on this website.

On August 8, the Azerbaijani media reported, referring to the
Azerbaijani Defense Ministry, about the death of 31-year-old resident
of Chinari village of Tavush region Karen Petrosyan who was found
in Azerbaijan. He allegedly died in Baku from “heart failure.” It
was noted that “the causes of death are being investigated in Ganja
regional center of forensic and pathological anatomy.”

Related: State Department comments on killing of Karen Petrosyan MFA:
Evidence of Karen Petrosyan’s murder to be presented to international
organizations

ZHAMANAK: AZERBAIJAN WILL CEDE ANOTHER 7 REGIONS IN CASE OF WAR, SUREN KHACHATRYAN SAYS

11:30 20/08/2014 >> DAILY PRESS

Azerbaijan will cede another seven regions in case of resumption of
hostilities in Karabakh, former governor of Syunik province Suren
Khachatryan has told Zhamanak.

“You have nothing to worry about. It is Azerbaijanis that should worry
because if something happens they will cede another seven regions,”
Khachatryan noted.

Source: Panorama.am

AUSTRALIANS HELPED THE YAZIDIS IN THE 1920S – AND CAN DO SO AGAIN

Some eight decades ago, Australian relief workers helped the Yazidi
community. We now have to send a clear message: we will still not
turn our backs on the suffering and the displaced

Judith Crispin and Vicken Babkenian theguardian.com, Wednesday 20
August 2014 03.02 BST

Displaced families from Iraq’s Yazidi minority settle in a refugee
camp. Photograph: Cihan/Barcroft Media

A humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in Iraq. The United Nations
estimates that more than half a million Yazidi and Christian
refugeeshave fled the crisis at Mount Sinjar to seek refuge in
Kurdistan’s capital.

Despite recent American claims that the siege of Mount Sinjar in
northern Iraq has been broken, Yazidi leaders and UN humanitarian
officials have confirmed today that tens of thousands of Yazidis remain
stranded on the southern side of the mountain – where US helicopters
cannot land. Iraqi MP Ms Dakhil estimates the number of Yazidis still
trapped in the vicinity of Mount Sinjar at around 40,000.

American planes have dropped enough food on Mount Sinjar for around
8,000 people. “The crisis on Mount Sinjar is by no means over,” said
David Swanson, the spokesman for the UN co-ordinator of humanitarian
affairs in northern Iraq, interviewed by telephone from Dohuk, in
northern Iraq. “Although many people managed to escape from the north
side, there are still thousands of others up there, under conditions of
extreme heat, dehydration and imminent threat of attack. The situation
is far from solved.”

Although airdrops have provided some desperately needed medical
supplies and food, much of the promised international humanitarian
aid has failed to materialise. Without immediate help hundreds, if
not thousands, of people will die on Mount Sinjar and as refugees en
route to Kurdistan.

In the wake of Australia’s response to the 2004 Tsunami, defence
force chief general (now governor general) Peter Cosgrove remarked
that values such as “compassion and generosity” are part of our
“nation’s national character”.

Indeed, Australia’s first world war experience in the Middle East was
not just defined by military heroism but of humanitarianism. In early
1918, Anzac light horsemen and cameelers helped rescue thousands
of destitute Armenian refugees when they captured Palestine. In a
touching display of humanity amid the horrors of war, lieutenant
colonel Arthur J Mills of the 4th (Anzac) Battalion, Imperial Camel
Corps, carried a four year old Armenian girl sleeping in his arms,
on his camel, to safety.

Another spectacular rescue effort was spearheaded by Australian Colonel
Stanley G Savige. As a member of the elite Dunsterforce, Savige and
his colleagues defended a column of some 80,000 Armenian and Assyrian
refugees fleeing the invading Ottoman Army in Mesopotamia during the
summer of 1918. Savige was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
for his role in the rescue effort.

Back home, with the support of many prominent Australian political,
civic, religious and business leaders an Armenian relief fund was
established in 1915. The relief effort culminated in an Australian
run orphanage in Lebanon for 1,700 Armenian orphan victims of the
great war. The institution was described at the time as “thoroughly
Australian as if it stood in one of the streets of Melbourne
or Sydney”, and one “which the people of this country may feel
justifiable pride”.

Many prominent Australian women were at the forefront of the relief
effort. They included Australian Red Cross leader, Eleanor Mackinnon,
and Sydney feminist Edith Glanville. During the great war, Glanville
was involved in patriotic duty as secretary of the Australian soldier’s
comforts fund. Her son Leigh of the 1st Battalion of the AIF was
killed at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915, and it was because of this
tragic event she became interested in humanitarianism and world peace.

In the late 1920s, Glanville travelled several times to the Middle
East as a relief worker. During her travels, she became perhaps the
first Australian woman to visit the Yazide community of Iraq. In
a welcoming message to her, the leader of the Yazidis stated “The
English are our friends”, for they had “stopped the persecution of my
people”. Edith found the Yazidis to be “very hospitable, and apparently
peaceful and industrious, and as they certainly are amongst the most
picturesque figures in this land of ancient faiths and forgotten
beginnings”. Glanville visited their holiest site, Lalesh temple,
situated in a valley in Nineveh Province. She was told that only one
other western woman had visited it.

Glanville returned to the Middle East again in the early 1930s to
provide relief to the Christian Assyrians who had fled persecution from
Iraq into Syria. Her work on their behalf won her many privileges. The
French high commissioner in Syria gave her special permission to
aid the Assyrian refugees in getting settled, the only “Britisher”
allowed to do so. She attended meetings at the League of Nations four
times pleading for assistance on their behalf.

Some eight decades later, the Middle East continues to be the scene of
a major humanitarian disaster. Between Mount Sinjar and Kurdistan,
families who have already witnessed atrocities beyond all human
comprehension are in desperate need of food, shelter and medical
supplies. With world newspapers now claiming the crisis is over,
it is increasingly unlikely that governments will provide the help
they need. It falls, then, to the community to act where governments
will not – to send a clear message that the Australian people will
not turn their backs on the suffering and the displaced.

Manning Clark House is calling for urgent funds to buy food and
medical supplies to keep Yazidi families alive while they are rescued
from Mount Sinjar and make their way to Kurdistan. Support is also
needed for refugees in Erbil and other Kurdish centres. Genocide is
looming for minority populations in the Middle East, particularly
the Yazidis. Their call for help needs to be answered.

While Australia celebrates 100 years since Anzac, we would do well
to remember that part of our nation’s legacy is to help victims of war.

If you would like to support the Yazidi Relief Fund, please visit
theManning Clark House’s website

Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Aug 18 2014

Loss of empire halts Turkish marking of WWI: Historian

Barçın YÄ°NANÇISTANBUL ` Hürriyet Daily News

The end of the Ottoman Empire might have ushered in the birth of the
republic, but the disappearance of the former is nothing to be
commemorated, according to historian Orhan KoroÄ?lu. We need to accept
that the Ottoman Empire had come to an end but there is nothing to be
proud of in it, historian says

Countries around the world are marking the start of World War I, but
the anniversary is passing in silence in one of its key belligerents,
Turkey. The war represented the end of the Ottoman Empire, an event
that cannot be a source of pride, according to historian Orhan
KoroÄ?lu.

`We need to accept the fact that the Ottoman era had come to an end.
But it is not possible to commemorate it. There is nothing to be proud
of,’ he said. `We can have conferences and panels [about the end of
the empire]. But how can we commemorate the end of a glorious empire?

What does World War I represent for Turkey?

First of all, let’s not use the term Turkey. Interestingly, Europeans
didn’t use the term Turk a long time ago [before the foundation of the
republic]; the term used was Ottoman. Professor Kemal Karpat says the
Ottoman state blended 60 communities. The Ottomans came to rule the
world but then collapsed. It’s that simple.

Interestingly the British, which saved the Ottomans at least five
times in the 19th century, sided with Russia. Russia wanted to reach
the Mediterranean via the Turkish straits. There was chaos but also a
brand-new world with the rising importance of oil in Iraq and Iran.
The Ottomans were completely ignorant of these developments.

There is some speculation that the Ottoman state could have survived.
This would not have been possible; all empires in history have
collapsed. The Ottomans were at their last breath at the start of
World War I.

There are also questions about who pulled the Ottomans into the war,
and whether the Committee of Union and Progress [which ruled at the
time] was guilty or not. But let me also tell you that the state went
bankrupt as well. There was no industry, no production ` just peasants
and some agricultural production. There was Istanbul and the Istanbul
intelligentsia, but it was completely disconnected from the peasants.

And the Ottoman state was caught in the midst of a war under these
circumstances.

Let me tell you about a point that affected World War I. Abdülhamid II
[r. 1876-1909] pulled a trick actually. In his eyes, the Brits,
French, Italians and Austro-Hungarians were all thieves. Then he saw
Germany, a new power. The Union and Progress comes from the German
school.

In the meantime, internal power struggles between 1908 and 1914
further weakened the Ottomans ahead of World War I. These struggles
came on top of all the separatist movements in the Middle East and the
Balkans.

Another reason that led the Ottomans to side with Germany was the
emptiness of the safes. The Ottomans needed money; they asked for it
from the French and the British but were turned down. Germans provided
money to a state that was bankrupt.

All this shows us that the state and society was at the end of the road.

And the Ottomans got dragged into the war.

There was also another dream. You know that when Turkishness started
to appear, we first lost Libya and the Balkans, and then the Arabs
started to rebel. The emphasis on Turkishness started at the beginning
of the 20th century. And the Germans turned this into pan-Turanism
[pan-Turkism]. But the Ottoman state would have collapsed whether it
entered the war or not. Perhaps the Ottoman dynasty would have
survived, but the state could not have survived as an independent
entity.

World War I led to tremendous human tragedy in Turkey. The war in
Gallipoli is said to have annihilated a whole generation.

The Ottomans were not ready for war. There were 300,000 desertions.
There was no energy left for waging war. But Germany [fostered]
Turanist policies; it aimed at hitting at Russia via Central Asia and
India further away. So at the beginning of the war, there were two
huge operations; one toward Egypt in the Middle East and the other
toward SarıkamıÅ? in the east. Both were big failures right at the
beginning of the war.

Yet the big success that changed the direction of World War I and in
fact world developments were the battles at Gallipoli. If they had
been able to pass the straits, they would have reached Russia, the
Bolshevik revolution would not have taken place,
French-British-Russian cooperation would have continued and the war
would have been terminated much more quickly. We changed the direction
of the world.

At the end of the war, Turkey was forced to sign Sèvres, a humiliating
treaty. Don’t you think this has had an effect on the psyche of the
Turks to this day? There is something called the Sèvres Syndrome in
Turkey, the belief that all Western powers want to divide and rule
Turkey.

Only one-third or one-fourth of Anatolia would have been left to
Turkey. The British wanted Iraqi oil via Mosul, the Russians wanted
eastern Anatolia together with the Armenians.

To this day Turks believe non-Muslim minorities in Turkey like
Armenians and Greeks stabbed the Ottomans in the back.

Everyone is aware that the Ottomans had come to the end of the road
and that there was a decision to share those lands. So it was natural
for colonialist powers to provoke them. They [non-Muslim] minorities
were used [by foreign powers]. But now Turks are accused of
slaughtering them. Some 8 million to 10 million Turks had to migrate
from the Balkans and the Caucasus. Half of them perished on the road.
No one talks about them but everyone talks about the death of 1.5
million Armenians. This figure is exaggerated, and I am sorry for the
loss of 300,000 to 400,000 Armenians. But it was not a genocide.
Armenians cooperated with Russians and started attacking Turkish
villages. No one talks about that. Armenians were deported.

Sèvres was imposed but at the end of the day, it was not implemented.

The games at Sèvres were disrupted by the War of Liberation. This was
an incredible endeavor.

And then Sèvres was replaced by Lausanne, a peace treaty that Turkey
could live with, in contrast to other losing parties which became
revisionist.

The Lausanne Treaty came, and though Turkey had lost, it was not
crushed. We emerged at a greater advantage. The termination of
capitulations is the most important accomplishment. We could not get
back Mosul. It would not have been possible to get Mosul. But ending
capitulations despite giving up Mosul was very important.

The Lausanne Treaty was internationally recognized as a big success
and it surprised the whole world. And the important thing is that
despite all the victories that had been gained [during the War of
Liberation], there was no such desire to be maximalist and challenging
in the negotiations. [Mustafa Kemal] Atatürk’s principle of `peace at
home, peace in the world’ is truly impressive. He realized that first
he had to save the nation. He therefore made peace with his
neighborhood. He was aware that the country was devastated from
within.

Why is Turkey not commemorating the outbreak of World War I?

We need to accept the fact that the Ottoman era had come to an end.
But it is not possible to commemorate it. There is nothing to be proud
of.

Does commemoration for Turks mean only remembering our victories?

Of course. We can discuss it. We can have conferences and panels. But
how can we commemorate the end of a glorious empire?

It was the end of the Ottomans, but it gave birth to the republic.

The two are different things. On one you are finished off, you totally
surrender. I dont think it would be correct to commemorate the end of
a huge empire.

Who is Orhan KoloÄ?lu ?

Orhan KoloÄ?lu was born in 1929 in the Central Anatolian province of
Konya. He graduated from Istanbul’s Galatasaray High School, and
studied at Istanbul University’s Journalism Institute before going to
Strasbourg for post-graduate degrees.

He started his journalism career in 1947, working as a reporter and
editor in a number of newspapers. In the 1960s he worked as a press
attaché in the Turkish embassies in Rome, Karachi, Paris, London and
Beirut. He served as the director of Turkey’s Press and Information
Department in 1974-75 and 1978-79, and from 1978 taught courses in
history and communication in many different universities.

He is the author of 52 books on history and social sciences, including
`The History of the Press from the Ottomans to the 21st Century,’
`1918: The Year of the Crisis of Our Enlightenment,’ `Who is This
Mustafa Kemal,’ `Spy Wars in Holy Lands’ and `Abdülhamit In the Grip
of the Europeans’

The Nation, Pakistan
Aug 17 2014

Back to the Ottomans?

August 18, 2014
Abdul Majeed Abid

History used to be a genre of literature till the nineteenth century.
In the sub continental tradition of history, revisionist writers such
as Nasim Hijazi and Allama Iqbal employed the tools of literature to
glorify history in pursuit of a new form of nationalism. In recent
times, different writers have used this technique in a much better
way, exploring the history of regions in the guise of fiction. Manto’s
short stories on partition are considered more representative of
prevalent conditions during the partition of India than the
traditional accounts found in the history books. Octavio Paz and
Gabriel Garcia Marquez discussed Latin American history and politics
in a way that is simply not possible for non-fiction writers. In the
same way, it is necessary to read Charles Dickens to understand
Victorian era England. Tariq Ali’s `Islam Quintet’ belongs to the
historical fiction genre, taking place in five different settings in
Muslim history. In the third book of the quintet, `The Stone Woman,’
Tariq Ali focused on the decline of the Ottoman Empire during the
nineteenth century.

The Ottoman Empire stretched from modern day Algeria to Iran on one
side and from modern day Romania to Egypt and Ethiopia in the year
1800. The sentiments of the Turkish elite during the time of the
upheaval are best summarized in the words of a character in Tariq
Ali’s book:

`We are living in uncertain times. The old order as we have known it
all our lives is dying. The Sultan is no longer powerful and the
Empire has itself become a fairytale now. Everything is being taken
away and nothing is ready to take its place.’

The decline continued throughout the nineteenth century, culminating
in the disastrous decision by Sultan Mehmed V to participate in the
First World War alongside German and Austro-Hungarian Empires
(collectively known as the central powers). Turkish forces, aided and
in many cases led by German soldiers were heavily defeated by the
opposition forces composed of the armies of the British Empire,
Russian Empire, France and Arab Rebels. The Turkish army was able to
defend Istanbul by the skin of their teeth at Gallipoli under the
guidance of a charismatic Lieutenant Colonel named Mustafa Kemal.
After the defeat of the Ottoman Empire, its constituent parts were
divided amongst the victors. Mustafa Kemal took over the reins of
government, abolished the derelict institution of the Caliphate and
proclaimed the establishment of a Turkish Republic in 1923.
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (Father of the Turks) embarked upon an ambitious
project to carve out a new Turkish nation, changing the Arabic script
to Latin, banning the use of Fez and forced the modernization of
society. Amidst this nation-building project, he inflicted misery upon
people who were not compatible (in his eyes) with the Turkish nation,
including the Kurds and Armenians. His policies were continued in one
way or the other till the 1980s.

In the year 1983, Turgut Ã-zal became the Prime Minister of Turkey. A
strong proponent of liberal capitalism, Ã-zal is credited with opening
up and modernizing the Turkish economy during his tenure as prime
minister. He continued his program of free-market expansion and
regional trade as president, laying the groundwork for strong economic
growth in the 1990s. It was during his tenure that the concept
`neo-Ottomanism’ gained credence and Turkey tried to renew its
influence in the geopolitical scenario. In 1992, he proclaimed that
the twenty-first century would be the `century of the Turks.’ He paved
the way for improved relations with the former Soviet republics which
had historical and cultural ties with Turkey. He also realized that
Kurds and Armenians will have to be taken into the folds of Turkey if
this project has to succeed. In the early 1990s, he opened
negotiations with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Turkey’s main
Kurdish rebel group, leading to a ceasefire in 1993.

Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an arose from humble beginnings and was a talented
amateur soccer player before becoming active in the Islamist Welfare
Party. He was elected Mayor of Istanbul in March 1994. After a short
stint in prison, he established the Justice and Development Party
(known as AK party), along with Abdullah Gul. The new party swept
national elections in 2002 and has held power since then. Turkey
progressed at an incredible pace under the control of AK party, with
its focus on free market capitalism and keeping the country stable to
attract foreign investment. The major accomplishment of the party was
to put the intervention-happy military in its rightful place, sealing
the doors shut for any future coups. Due to tremendous growth in the
last decade, Turkey is considered one of the top twenty economies in
the world.

Due to its healthy economy and relative stability, Turkey has
attempted to portray itself as a regional superpower in the Middle
East. Along with traditional means of diplomacy, Turkish cultural
exports (especially the Ottoman-era soap operas) have weaved their
spell on audiences in the Middle East, South Asia and Balkan states,
boosting Turkey’s soft power. Turkey has voiced its support for the
East Turkestan movement, helped Palestinian citizens by sending an aid
Flotilla (alongside recent denunciations of Israel by Mr. ErdoÄ?an),
paved the way for the Kurdish Regional Authority to sell oil to other
countries, and aided Sunni militants in Syria. Additionally, trouble
in Ukraine has opened up the prospect of the southern corridor for
Energy Supply to Europe, which would undoubtedly increase Turkey’s
importance for EU countries.

Within the country itself, there is widespread nostalgia for Ottoman
era glory and it is reflected in Turkey’s foreign policy outlook. This
policy is not advancing as well as would be expected. Turkey’s
overtures towards Central Asia are overshadowed by Russia, its
`adventure’ in Syria backfired and its posturing towards Israel has
caused a warming of relations between Israel and Turkey’s nemesis:
Greece. With ErdoÄ?an winning the recently held Presidential election,
neo-Ottomanism is expected to remain in vogue, despite temporary
setbacks.

The writer is a freelance columnist.

Sky News
Aug 17 2014

Russian tanks battle it out in biathlon

Published: 8:46 am, Monday, 18 August 2014

Russia scored a direct hit on Saturday after finishing first and
second in a tank biathlon world championship at a training centre near
Moscow.

Teams from 12 countries took part in the competition at the military
base in Alabino, including Angola, Armenia, Belarus, Venezuela, India,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Kuwait, Mongolia, Russia and Serbia.

All the crews used T-72 tanks, apart from China which used a T-96.

The tanks tackled obstacle courses and tests of shooting accuracy at
targets using machine guns and their main weapons.

Russian teams finished in first and Armenia second place, with
Kazakhstan in third.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said: ‘I send my special
gratitude to the representatives of all the nations who have found a
way to come to the championship despite the challenging international
situation.’

Old State House Lion and Unicorn: An Unfolding Story

By Contributor on August 16, 2014
By Donald J. Tellalian

The restoration process of a historic landmark so often yields
surprising discoveries. Old newspapers and handwritten notes buried in
walls, and names and initials of workmen carved into timbers are some
of the delights of discovery. This August, the anticipated restoration
of the copper Lion and Unicorn, iconic figures gracing the top of the
East Façade of Boston’s Old State House, may prompt such discovery.

Boston’s Old State House

The Old State House, at the head of State Street, has offered us a
veritable odyssey of reincarnation. The Old State House dates from
1713. Yet, as with so many long lasting structures, over 300 years it
has lent itself to changes in use and appearance: site of colonial
government, then town hall, then state house, then physical
reconfigurations to house commercial offices and retail
establishments.

Since 2006, restoration/rehabilitation and retrofit efforts,
commissioned by The Bostonian Society, have been ongoing. This year a
key element of these initiatives will be the removal, inspection and
restoration of the copper Lion and Unicorn. The originals, in
polychrome wood, symbols of British rule, were removed and burned
during the passion of the American Revolution. In 1882, when the
building was restored to its “colonial appearance”, replacements were
carved and installed. Again during a period of restoration/renovation,
those two rotting wood figures were removed and a Boston coppersmith,
Movses H. Gulesian, was commissioned in 1900 by the State to replace
the wooden Lion and Unicorn with copper ones.

Movses Gulesian? And here the story unfolds!

Motivated by an almost utopian vision of America and fearful of the
repression and dangers of late 19th Century Ottoman Turkey, this 17
year old Armenian left his family and Armenian Christian community of
Marash for a long and dangerous passage by way of Smyrna and Palermo,
arriving in New York City in May 1883. He survived with a few Turkish
coins in his pocket and slept on a park bench. After many days,
without knowing English, he managed to connect with a fellow
countryman who took him in to wind bobbins in a carpet shop. After
seven months, somewhat overwhelmed by the pace of New York City, but
with a growing proficiency of his new language and a sense of security
in his newfound country, he left seeking continuation of his
apprenticeship with copper and sheet ironwork in Worcester.

Ultimately, this penniless, yet hardworking immigrant, would acquire
citizenship, thrive and achieve fortune in late 19th century Boston.

While personal security, substantial fortune and entrepreneurial
opportunities were realized in Gulesian’s adopted country, his
commitment to good work ethics and philanthropy was not forgotten. He
not only sponsored the immigration of his extended family, but
sponsored, during the late 1890’s, scores of refugees from the “old
country,” giving many employment and transitional lodging in his
Waltham factory building. His efforts in this regard encouraged a
longstanding relationship with Mrs. Samuel Barrows, Clara Barton,
Frances E. Willard, Wm. Lloyd Garrison and aid organizations,
including the United Friends of Armenia, the Red Cross, and the World
Christian Temperance Union.

To most who have heard of Movses Gulesian, he is remembered as the one
who saved the old frigate Constitution, Old Ironsides. In December
1908, he had read in the daily paper that Charles J. Bonaparte, U.S.
Secretary of the Navy, considered the deteriorating Constitution no
longer needed and might possibly be towed out of Boston Harbor, to be
used as target practice, and ultimately scrapped.

Gulesian, grateful for the opportunities available in his adopted
country, became a passionate student of U.S. history. To him, Old
Ironsides was an icon, launched in Boston in 1797, built with the
timbers of a Boston shipwright, gun carriages built in South Boston,
sails made in Boston and copper bolts and spikes made by non-other
than Paul Revere.

His offer of ten thousand dollars, via telegram to Secretary
Bonaparte, drew a prompt response that the U.S. Navy had no authority
to sell the ship, a move that required Congressional action. The
telegram was made public by the Navy Department through the Associated
Press and thus an article in the Boston Evening Transcript. With that
publicity, citizen and government petitions forced Congress to act.
Old Ironsides would be saved.

Publicity and controversy were also to emerge regarding the authorized
copper fabrication of the Lion and Unicorn. The Pilot, June 28, 1902,
referenced them as “Relics of Royalty,” reminding its readers that one
hundred twenty-five years ago, in celebration of the National
Birthday, the patriotic citizens of Boston tore down those reminders
of British rule, “burning them, along with every sign that belonged to
a Tory.” Yet in 1882, the Common Council of Boston had those “emblems
of royalty” replaced. At “the dawn of another Fourth of July in Rebel
Town,” The Pilotargued for their permanent removal.

In contrast, the Boston Transcript viewed the Lion and Unicorn as
merely “orphaned emblems of British Sovereignty”. The Transcript’s
position was that the replacement of the Lion and Unicorn was
appropriate to the “completion of the old building as an antiquity”.
Despite this degree of opinion and passion concerning another
“replacement” with Gulesian’s new copper Lion and Unicorn, they were
ultimately installed.

As footnote, the Superintendent of Public Buildings informed the
Common Council as to what articles were deposited in a box placed
inside the head of the Lion. So, we look forward not only to the
restoration of the Lion and the Unicorn, but, as with that process of
historic restoration often yielding surprising discoveries, to a
search for that box!

First appeared in On King Street, The Official Blog of the Bostonian
Society, July 2014. Guest author Donald J. Tellalian, AIA, founding
Principal of Tellalian Associates Architects & Planners, LLC has led
the preservation projects at the Old State House with the Bostonian
Society since 2005.

PRESS REVIEW
Caucasian deal: oil against Nagorno-Karabakh?

By The Voice of Russia | On the night of August 1, a shootout was five
dead on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border twelve Azerbaijanis and three
Armenian soldiers. Yerevan speaks of an incursion of Azerbaijan, while
Baku evokes provocations of the Armenian army.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the tripartite talks held in
Sochi, “As long as there’s good will there is a way out of any
difficult situation. I think that goodwill exists both on the side of
the Azerbaijani people, and as regards the Armenian people. ”

The Karabakh conflict broke out in 1988, after the Armenians living in
Nagorno-Karabakh reported to secede from Azerbaijan. In 1991, a
referendum was held in Nagorno-Karabakh and 99.89% of the votes
supported the independence of the region. Military operations of large
scale then launched by Azerbaijan led to a loss of control over not
only Nagorno-Karabakh but also seven adjacent regions or nearly 20% of
Azerbaijani territory. Since May 1994, following the entry into force
of the tripartite agreement on a cease-fire in the conflict zone,
military operations have ended. But the conflict has caused each side
about 25 to 30 000 deaths and the displacement of nearly one million
people. The cease-fire has since followed. From 1992 to today, the
negotiations for a peaceful settlement of the conflict is conducted
within the Minsk Group of the OSCE co-chaired by the United States,
Russia and France.

Now the war is against both the “victorious” Armenia, Karabakh, as
Iran, Russia or the European Union. Nevertheless, the American
co-chair of the Minsk Group, James Warlick, in an interview with Voice
of America acknowledged: “Unfortunately, the confrontation in the
region indicate that the conflict is not frozen.” He added: “Russia
now has big problems on its borders, and has nothing to gain from the
emergence of new conflicts.”

In the context of a new cold war with Russia, the United States is
trying to put pressure on Russia with the possibility of opening a
second front. But to the extent that Azerbaijan is the only one
opposed to the current situation in Karabakh State, Baku could well
use the Ukrainian crisis and European demand for Azerbaijani gas, to
try to turn the situation in his favor.

Azerbaijan is one of the countries with the highest level of world
economic development. Over the past ten years, more than $ 100 billion
was invested in the country. Pipeline projects linking Italy as
transanatolien pipeline (TANAP) passing through Turkey and the
Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) through Greece and Albania were
presented in Baku as vectors for solving the set of its regional
problems, strengthening the presence of the United States and the
European Union in the South Caucasus. However, Baku, taking
responsibility for the funding of projects and most of the risk, would
like to have the assurance of the United States and the European Union
about the safety of Azerbaijan on all potential risks, including
“Armenian terrorist threats” by the restoration of Azerbaijan’s
territorial integrity. It was therefore necessary to convince the EU
that the present status quo in the Karabakh conflict “creates risks
for the implementation of the Southern Gas Corridor.”

For now, both parties have only to threaten each other. Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev said:

“Nagorno-Karabakh is an Azerbaijani territory. Historically, it is the
homeland of Azerbaijan. International law is on our side. The world
recognizes Nagorno-Karabakh as a territory of Azerbaijan. We will
never allow to be created in Azerbaijan land a second “Armenian state”
puppet and will restore our territorial integrity peacefully or
militarily. ”

What the Defence Minister of Karabakh Movses Hakobyan General, replied:

“After the recent events, the Azerbaijani people must understand the
possible consequences of any adventurous operation of their state, it
will only increase the number of victims but will not lead to any
redefinition of borders. Or if it did, it would be at the expense of
Azerbaijan. ”

Yet it is unlikely that the current conflict creates a new war in
Karabakh.Armenia will not be the initiator of a restart of the
conflict since it controls the area. Azerbaijan has tried to play on a
worsening situation and observe the reaction of Armenia and external
forces. It was soon clear that it was futile to rely on prompt
capitulation of Armenia. The inclusion of Armenia in the Organization
of the Collective Security Treaty (CSTO) and Russian support in its
defense remain in force. Azerbaijan can not count on military support
from other states. Of course, Turkey can bring him a military and
technical assistance, but Armenia will also send arms to the front of
Karabakh and Russia provide arms to Armenia as provided CSTO and
bilateral agreements .

So we are at an impasse. Under the current circumstances, if
resumption of military hostilities on the territory of Azerbaijan,
pipelines could play a role, the West has an interest in protecting
its energy supplies, the risk of destruction of Armenian military
forces has greatly increased . In Europe, there are very powerful
business lobbies, having invested in the Azerbaijani oil and gas
industry, and for them the conflict is damaging. Just look who are the
members of the Consultative Group on transporting Azerbaijani gas to
Europe: the former German foreign minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher, the
president of the American investment bank Goldman Sachs, Peter
Sutherland, and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Money
appreciates peace …

Read more:

Sunday, August 17, 2014,
Stéphane © armenews.com

REVUE DE PRESSE
Le deal caucasien : pétrole contre Haut-Karabakh ?

Par La Voix de la Russie | Dans la nuit du 1er août, une fusillade a
fait quinze morts sur la frontière arméno-azerbaïdjanaise : douze
Azerbaïdjanais et trois soldats arméniens. Erevan parle d’une
incursion de l’Azerbaïdjan, tandis que Bakou évoque des provocations
de l’armée arménienne.

Le Président russe, Vladimir Poutine, a déclaré lors des négociations
tripartites qui se sont tenues à Sotchi : par la restauration de
l’intégrité territoriale azerbaïdjanaise. Il était pour cela
nécessaire de convaincre l’UE que l’actuel statu quo dans le conflit
du Karabakh >.

Pour le moment, les deux parties n’ont fait que se menacer
mutuellement. Le Président azerbaïdjanais, Ilham Aliev, a déclaré :

fantoche et
rétablirons notre intégrité territoriale pacifiquement ou
militairement. >>

Ce à quoi le ministre de la Défense du Karabakh, le général Movses
Hakobian, a répondu :