Author: Karakhanian Suren

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian Americans in Armenia and Friends
Yerevan, Armenia
Contact e-mail: [email protected]
19 April 2006
Yellow Ribbon Campaign to Protest
Recall of Ambassador Evans and Genocide Denial
In the end, we will remember not the words
of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.
– Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Yerevan, Armenia – In response to the imminent recall of U.S.
Ambassador to Armenia John Marshall Evans for publicly acknowledging
the Armenian Genocide, a “Yellow Ribbon Campaign” has been planned
for April 24, 2006. The campaign is also in response to a number of
recent instances in which high-ranking foreign diplomats in Armenia
have denied the Armenian Genocide.
Organized by Armenian-Americans in Armenia and Friends, a newly
created, ad-hoc group based in the Armenian Republic, the grassroots
campaign will take place at the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial to the
Armenian Genocide in Yerevan. The monument is dedicated to the 1.5
million victims of the Genocide of the Armenians perpetrated by the
Ottoman Turkish Empire between 1915 and 1923.
On April 24, 2006, when hundreds of thousands of marchers will
converge on the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial in commemoration of the
victims of the Genocide, the Yellow Ribbon Campaign will commence by
participants tying yellow ribbons on 100-meter long ropes stretched
along the walking path leading to the Genocide Monument.
“During the last number of years, we have witnessed public denials of
the Armenian Genocide by several diplomats,” said Paula Devejian, a
member of the group. “Such politically motivated actions are offensive
and insulting. By attempting to dismiss the indisputable fact of the
Armenian Genocide, those engaged in denial insult the memory of the
victims, their descendents and the Armenian nation as a whole. In
our present-day reality of a free and independent Armenian Republic,
Armenians throughout the world feel the pain of denial even more when
it’s perpetrated by representatives or leaders of countries that are
otherwise acknowledged as friends and allies of Armenia.”
According to Devejian, the Yellow Ribbon Campaign was put into motion
following what is widely regarded as the Bush Administration’s
retribution against Ambassador Evans for publicly labeling the
events in Ottoman Turkey at the beginning of the 20th century as
“genocide”. Soon after the Ambassador’s comments, (made in statements
to Armenian-American leaders in February 2005), the U.S. State
Department forced Evans to publicly retract his statements and
apologize, then coerced the American Foreign Service Association into
an unprecedented move of rescinding the prestigious “Constructive
Dissent” award he was granted, and now subsequently, the Ambassador
is being recalled from his post and forced into early “retirement”.
“It is difficult to see a great ally and friend of Armenia like the
U.S. as an objective and unbiased mediator in the Nagorno-Karabagh
peace process and Armenian-Turkish relations when our government is
subject to Turkish pressure and blackmail, and resorts to censorship.
We are amazed that the United States would allow a third country
to affect the bilateral relations between itself and Armenia.” said
Devejian.
“We believe that the American Government must be the standard bearer
of free speech and human rights, and we are concerned that its actions
against Ambassador Evans amount to less than an adequate commitment
to these principles.”
The newly formed group also cited examples of foreign diplomats
denying the Armenian Genocide while holding posts in Armenia,
including Israeli Ambassador Rivka Cohen, who in 2002 dissociated
the Armenian Genocide from the Jewish Holocaust, thereby questioning
the fact of the Genocide; and U.K. Ambassador Thorda Abbott-Watt, who
in 2004 denied the Genocide, causing outrage in Armenia and Armenian
communities throughout the world.
“Such disrespectful acts against the Armenian people and nation will
continue if we do not put an end to the complacent acceptance of such
politically motivated diplomatic denial by these countries. States
have an obligation to understand that the promotion of democratic
values, principles and true freedom come through their own actions
and examples,” Devejian explained. “The Yellow Ribbon Campaign is
an expression of protest against Genocide denial and punishment of
free speech. It is an impassioned, peaceful call by Armenians from
all walks of life for fairness and justice, in both political and
humanitarian terms.”
# # #

MARIE-ANNE ISLER BEGUIN: EFFICIENCY OF EU-ARMENIA COOPERATION IS OBVIOUS
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 18 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 18, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. “The efficiency
of the European Union-Armenia cooperation is obvious, otherwise
neither Armenia nor another two South Caucasian republics would be
our partners, as well as the Council of Ministers and the European
Union would not call us for cooperating with Armenia, particularly,
within the framework of the New Neighborhood program,” Co-chairwoman of
the EU-Armenia parliamentary cooperation commission Marie-Anne Isler
Beguin declared in her interview to Noyan Tapan correspondent during
the interval of the commission’s 8th sitting that started on April
18 in Yerevan. According to her, the bright example of efficiency of
this cooperation is also the fact that the “EU high representative is
already in the South Caucasus”. Mrs Beguin expressed willingness that
larger possibilities be given to the representative and he can have its
contribution to the Nagorno Karabakh settlement. She also mentioned
that the issue of free and fair elections will be pivotal during the
two-day sitting as democracy is impossible without it. “We are here to
accompany our Armenian friends, to be near them and to assist them in
holding free and fair elections as far as possible,” Marie-Anne Isler
Beguin declared. In response to journalists’ questions, Mrs Beguin
also touched upon the prospects of Armenia-Turley, Armenia-Azerbaijan
relations.
She, in particular, said that the European Union has always been for
opening the borders between Turkey and Armenia and from the moment
of joining the European family this issue should be raised before
Turkey, otherwise it is not possible to make part of EU and to have
closed borders with the neighbors. The second important issue to be
raised before Turkey is the recognition of the Armenian Genocide,
therefore EU calls on Turkey to raise the issue of the Genocide in
its society before joining EU. Mrs Beguin also expressed the hope that
the year 2006 can become a “window” for solving the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict as no elections are planned in both of the countries,
Armenia and Azerbaijan in 2006 and under conditions of a time-out
in home political relations it will be possible to solve interstate
issues. She stressed that only peace can bring future as it is not
possible to be on terms of hostility with neighbors for ever.

SILENT FOR TOO LONG, THE WITNESSES TO EVIL
Robert Fisk
The Independent – United Kingdom
Apr 08, 2006
A quote from the cops. I was in Oslo when I received the SMS on my
Lebanese mobile phone from the country’s Internal Security Forces,
Lebanon’s paramilitary ISF. “Dear citizen,” it began – and I have
to admit, I liked the assumption of Lebanese citizenship. “Starting
March 15th, the Internal Security Forces will be dealing strictly
with traffic contraventions. Be co-operative for your safety. The ISF.”
Now I’m sure the “for your safety” bit was just a figure of speech’
I would be safer in my car if I wore my seatbelt, wouldn’t I? Was that
why my driver Abed met me at Beirut airport strapped into his seatbelt
for the first time? Or was there a threat? That in order to be “safe”
I should be “‘co-operative”?
All the same, I like cops. They know what we journalists want to know
(along, I suppose, with criminals whose own mentality, I suspect,
has a lot in common with policemen and reporters). But in Lebanon
these past few days, we’ve been learning quite a lot about what the
cops know – or knew – about the past: like who killed the Lebanese
Druze leader Kemal Jumblatt.
Jumblatt Senior – as opposed to his mercifully still living son Walid
who is under constant threat of Syrian assassination – was murdered
on 16 March 1977, shot dead in his car as he drove near his home in
the Chouf mountains. We all suspected at the time that the Syrians
were involved’ Kemal had turned down an invitation to visit the
late President Hafez el-Assad of Syria in Damascus to discuss the
Lebanese civil war – the equivalent at that time, of refusing Henry
VIII a divorce.
But now along comes my old friend General Issam Abu Zaki, former
head of the Lebanese judicial police, to spill the beans. For General
Abu Zaki – a man so generous he once gave away his much-loved worry
beads because a female friend of mine was rash enough to admire them –
turns out to have been the cop in charge of the Jumblatt murder case.
In 1977, an American car containing drugs had been discovered at
Beirut port, the general has revealed in the Beirut daily AnNahar
newspaper. But outside the gates of the port, the vehicle was stopped
at a Syrian military checkpoint. The Lebanese judicial police later
confirmed that a Syrian intelligence officer based in the Beirut
suburb of Sin el-Fil – a major in rank – stated in writing that he
was in possession of the car.
“A short time later,” Abu Zaki writes, “the car made an appearance in
the Chouf, lying in wait for Kemal Jumblatt as he headed … to attend
a party political meeting. As Jumblatt’s car passed the American car,
the latter pulled out and tailed the Druze leader’s vehicle. The
pursuing car had four people in it, two in civilian clothes, the
other two in military uniforms. Upon leaving the town of Baaqleen,
the suspect American vehicle intercepted Jumblatt’s car.
“Kemal Jumblatt’s bodyguards were bundled into the American vehicle,
and two of the pursuers replaced them… the two cars had barely
travelled 900 metres when something happened that evidently took the
abductors by surprise, for they braked suddenly, as evidenced by the
tyre skid marks on the road left by Jumblatt’ s car. The sudden stop
led to the American car crashing into the back of Jumblatt’ s car. At
this moment the heinous crime took place.”
Jumblatt was murdered with a shot in the head – his brains splashed
over the morning news-paperhehadbeen reading when he was ambushed –
and the killers made their escape. From the knives found in Jumblatt’s
car, Abu Zaki and his cops suspected the attackers intended to take
the Druze leader to a neighbouring Christian village where they
would have cut his throat and thus provoked further atrocities in
Lebanon’s already two-year-old civil war. But Jumblatt struggled with
the Syrians who were forced to shoot him on the spot.
Or so Abu Zaki surmises. Jumblatt’s son Walid told me this week he
believes this story to be true – just as did a Beirut flower seller
called Abu Talib who reported to Abu Zaki back in 1977 that the Syrian
killers had later stopped at a Hamra Street hotel in the city.
So too, apparently, did the Lebanese judicial investigative judge,
Hassan Qawass, who survived an abduction attempt and a missile attack
on his Beirut home when he refused to drop the case. Alas, a “highly
placed legal authority” in Lebanon was later suborned to close the
Jumblatt file.
But now we know a little more about that 1977 murder and so Abu Zaki
wonders whether we will also know the truth about the assassination
last year of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri whose death
is being investigated, in ever more lacklustre a fashion, it seems,
by the UN. Yet it raises other, bigger questions.
Why, for example, don’t cops and diplomats and statesmen come out
with the facts at the time? Why do they wait till their retirement
to blurt out the truth? Why did we only know the truth from the top
about Vietnam after Robert McNamara had become a Grand Old Man of
Letters? Why did we have to wait for decades to know that General
Sir Douglas Haig lied in 1916? Why do we have to wait until 2006 to
learn that we tortured Germans in 1946?
Well, just look at what has happened to John Evans, the US ambassador
to Armenia who – while in office – told the truth about the Armenian
holocaust, the genocide by the Ottoman Turks which killed one and
a half million Armenian Christians in 1915. Before he was elected
president, George W Bush promised the Armenians of America that he
would acknowledge this genocide. Once in office, however, he caved in,
gutlessly calling it a “tragedy” so that he wouldn’t get his fingers
burned by that wonderful democratic Nato ally – and would-be EU member
– called Turkey.
But there was Ambassador Evans on 19 February this year telling
Armenians in the Bay area of San Francisco that “as someone who has
studied it, there’s no doubt in my mind what happened. I think it is
unbecoming of us, as Americans, to play word games here. I believe
in calling things by their name. I will today call it the Armenian
genocide”.
The luckless but over-truthful ambassador has since been constrained by
the State Department to remark that “although I told my audience that
United States policy on the Armenian tragedy (sic) has not changed,
I used the term ‘genocide’, speaking in what I characterised as my
personal capacity”.
Phew! But I think I get it. If you want to spill the beans while in
office, you have to tell the truth only in “a personal capacity”. The
mass rape and slaughter of tens of thousands of Armenian girls in
1915 can only be acknowledged in a “personal capacity”. The mass
murder of Turkish Armenia’s manhood in 1915 can only be conceded in a
“personal capacity”. And even then you are liable to get fired.
Well, I have a little nudge of the arm to make here. In October,
I shall be lecturing in Turkey on the Armenian genocide. I shall be
doing so as Middle East correspondent of The Independent as well as
author of a book whose Turkish edition will carry a whole chapter on
the Armenian holocaust. I don’t have to talk in a “personal capacity”
although I might like to have General Abu Zaki at my side. For what
the Lebanese ISF would no doubt call my “safety”.
If you want to spill the beans while in office, you have to do it in
‘a personal capacity’.

California Courier Online, April 20, 2006
1 – Commentary
‘We Will Remember not the Words of our
Enemies, but the Silence of our Friends’
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
2 – Dr. James Reid to Speak on Symptoms of Post-
Traumatic Stress Disorder in Survivor Writings
3 – AAAA Honors Members, Guests
At Harvest Gallery Reception
4 – Armenian Dukuk is Hot Instrument in World Music
5 – L.A. City Attorney Delgadillo Hosts Armenian
Genocide Exhibit and LAUSD Training
6 – UCLA Will Host May 6 Conference
On Sustainable Development in Armenia
7 – Ohanesian Named
To City of Hope
Board of Directors
8 – Tennessee Titans Lineman
Visits Armenia, Karabagh
9 – Armenian Martyrs’ Day Commemoration
To be Held April 24 in Fresno’s St. Paul
10 – Mesrobian Students Collect $1500 in Pocket Change for
Armenian EyeCare Project’s Adopt-a-School Program
****************************************** *******************************
1 – Commentary
‘We Will Remember not the Words of our
Enemies, but the Silence of our Friends’
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
As Armenians are commemorating the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide
this week, they should keep in mind that 91 years after the fact, a
distinguished U.S. diplomat has become its latest victim!
John Evans, the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, fortunately has not lost his
life, but has sacrificed his diplomatic career for speaking out on the
Armenian Genocide. He is being recalled by the State Department for
publicly acknowledging the facts of the Genocide during his tour of the
United States last year.
As Martin Luther King said: “At the end, we will remember not the words of
our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” This famous statement aptly
describes the regrettable situation Amb. Evans and Armenians find
themselves in. The U.S. Ambassador is a true friend of Armenia and
Armenians. But, more importantly, he is a defender of the truth. His
friends should not remain silent about his predicament.
By speaking out, Armenians would be defending not so much the Ambassador —
who deserves their full support — but their own cause. They cannot remain
silent when the State Department is indirectly trying to bury the truth
about the Armenian Genocide. A noble messenger is being eliminated in order
to silence his message!
The upcoming commemorative events of the Armenian Genocide are the perfect
opportunity for Armenians to raise their voices in defense of the
acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide, in solidarity with Amb. Evans. As
Armenians gather in various cities throughout the world during the week of
April 24, the keynote speakers at commemorative events in every city should
condemn the shameful action of the State Department against one of its
finest diplomats! They should urge their audiences to write to the State
Department expressing their outrage about its inexcusable treatment of Amb.
Evans.
A group of Armenian Americans and their friends in Yerevan are launching
this week a “Yellow Ribbon” campaign in order to shatter the wall of
silence surrounding this affair. As more than a million Armenians will be
marching in a solemn procession to the Genocide Memorial Monument in
Yerevan on April 24, volunteers will be asking each individual to tie a
yellow ribbon on a rope along the path leading toward the Monument. The
organizers have chosen the “Yellow Ribbon” campaign as a mode of silent and
respectful protest that is so familiar to Americans. This activity will be
publicized throughout Armenia as well as the Diaspora.
These actions and the ensuing publicity would add to the extensive media
coverage in recent weeks of the State Department’s shocking recall of Amb.
Evans. As the Los Angeles Times wrote in an editorial published on March
22: “Punishing an ambassador for speaking honestly about a 90-year-old
crime befits a cynical, double-dealing monarchy, not the leader of the free
world.” In a similar harshly worded editorial published on March 24, the
Fresno Bee wrote: “Shame on the State Department” for recalling Amb. Evans.
Prominent British journalist Robert Fisk wrote a scathing article in The
Independent on April 8. He castigated the State Department for recalling
Amb. Evans and took Pres. Bush to task for reneging on his campaign promise
of acknowledging the Armenian Genocide. Fisk said that after getting
elected, Pres. Bush “caved in, gutlessly calling it [the Armenian Genocide]
a ‘tragedy’ so that he wouldn’t get his fingers burned by that wonderful
democratic NATO ally – and would-be EU member – called Turkey.”
Despite extensive critical media attention and several letters of inquiry
by members of Congress to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the State
Department continues to stonewall and remain officially silent on the Evans
affair.
If Armenians worldwide react strongly on this occasion, maybe in the
future the State Department and the White House would carefully weigh the
repercussions of their actions, before contemplating important decisions on
Armenian issues. Silence and inaction are not valuable commodities in the
pursuit of any cause, let alone a noble one!
********************************************* *****************************
2 – Dr. James Reid to Speak on Symptoms of Post-
Traumatic Stress Disorder in Survivor Writings
FRESNO – Dr. James Reid, Kazan Visiting Professor in Armenian Studies at
Fresno State for the Spring 2006 semester, will be giving the final of his
three part lectures series on “The Inner Dimension of the Armenian
Genocide,” on April 25. The title of the this third lecture is “Symptoms
of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Survivor Writings.”
The lecture will begin at 7:30 PM in the Peters Auditorium of the
University Business Center at Fresno State and is free and open to the
public.
This third lecture will examine symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder
in survivor writings. The problem of attaining a complete understanding of
the individual’s post-traumatic state of mind is more difficult in memoirs
or other personal writings left by deceased persons. The effort is
immensely important, though, since much can be learned by such
investigations, both for the history of the Armenian Genocide and for the
understanding of modern patients. In order to comprehend the absolute
devastation of the Armenian genocide and accompanying events, it is
imperative to make the effort to understand the human dimensions of this
immense tragedy.
Dr. Reid holds a B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley and a
Ph.D. from UCLA and is the author of several books, including Crisis of the
Ottoman Empire: Prelude to Collapse, 1839-1878; Studies in Safavid Mind
Society and Culture and Tribalism and Society in Islamic Iran, 1500-1629.
Dr. Reid is a Tsakopoulos Hellenic Fellow, from 2001-2003 he was the
director of the Vryonis Center, and from 1991-2001 he was a senior research
fellow at the Center. He has written extensively on the Ottoman Empire and
modern Greece.
For more information on the lecture, contact the Armenian Studies Program
at 278-2669.
************************************************** ************************
3 – AAAA Honors Members, Guests
At Harvest Gallery Reception
GLENDALE – The Armenian Allied Arts Association presented an afternoon
reception at The Harvest Gallery in Glendale on March 26, from 2 to 5 p.m.,
honoring AAAA members and their guests.
In an effort to develop and expand the AAAA, the Board of Directors was
present to discuss plans and exchange ideas with the members and their
guests.
Karen Kaysing-Doty, AAAA President, welcomed the guests, introduced the
Directors in attendance, and expressed her gratitude to the Armenian
community who supports the arts. A reception followed the program where
guests were treated to an array of wine and cheese, coffee and gourmet
treats.
The Harvest Gallery, at 938 North Brand Boulevard, specializes in
exhibiting the work of Armenian artists and has a fine reputation. The art
of Vasken Brudian was on display, and he was present to discuss his work.
Twenty of his pieces were in the gallery, and many sold that day. The
guests enjoyed his presence, as it made his art come to life. In addition,
the music of Los Angeles violinist, Anne Rardin, complemented the artwork,
as she played pieces on solo violin to represent the genre of Mr. Brudian’s
work.
The 66th Annual Armenian Allied Arts Competition deadline for submissions
has now been extended. All hopefuls are encouraged to enter by contacting
the chairperson in the department of their interest.: Department
Chairpersons are:
Art – Siroon Megurian (323) 656-0261; Drama- Geraldine Chuchian, (310)
274-1694; Dance – Dr. Tina Vartanian, (323) 726-9192; Literature – Rosa
Madoyan, (909) 894-8944; Music Composition, Victoria Parian, (626)
303-2023; Music Instrumental & Vocal, Mary Agulian, (626) 791-9816.
For further information on Armenian Allied Arts events or/and competition
submissions, call (323) 654-7988 or visit
Competition forms may be downloaded on the website.
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4 – Armenian Dukuk is Hot Instrument in World Music
That’s the soulful sound of the duduk. The duduk is a kind of folk oboe
from Armenia. It’s played here by the Armenian master of the duduk, Djivan
Gasparyan. In Gasparyan’s homeland, the duduk embodies Armenian culture and
pervades folk music. But there’s no need to leave the United States to hear
it. There’s probably one playing at a theater near you. The World’s Adeline
Sire explains.
The duduk has become the stuff of Hollywood soundtracks. It’s about 2000
years old, so it’s probably the oldest and the hardest working instrument
in show business. Many blockbusters have featured it, including The Crow,
Dead Man Walking, The Siege, and even Hulk. The trend started with the 1988
film “The last temptation of Christ.” That soundtrack was composed by
British rock musician Peter Gabriel.
Venezuelan-born musician Pedro Eustache was haunted by the sound of this
mysterious instrument.
Pedro: “I said what the heck is that? It sounded like a cello meets a
voice, meets a clarinet, meets a lot of pain, incredibly expressive and it
just rocked my world.”
Eustache took up the duduk in 1994 after he was introduced to it by Armen
Anassian, of Los Angeles, who was then Yanni’s music director. He then
studied with master Djivan Gasparyan. He soon learned the secrets of this
rudimentary instrument made of Armenian apricot wood. It’s topped with a
large reed.
Eustache is a freelancer and in Hollywood, he’s very much in demand by film
composers. He plays dozens of woodwinds from around the world. But he
treasures the duduk. And likes to improvise on it.
Pedro: Duduk is such a difficult instrument, pfffff…..it kicks my butt
all the time, excuse my French–which is not French– but
duduk can express something very specific, peculiar, particular, that
nothing else can express. I would say evocative, I would say
extreme expression from sweetness to pain and they say in Armenia, the
sound of this instrument is a prayer.”
That quasi-holy sound has made the duduk a welcomed guest in religious film
epics. In 2004, 16 years after “the last temptation of Christ ” the duduk
appeared in Mel Gibson’s film “the Passion of the Christ.” And this time,
Eustache was playing.
More than an instrument, the duduk is a dramatic device. John Debney
composed the score for “the Passion of the Christ.” He says he chose the
duduk because it sounds just like a human voice. But he says that usually
when film composers use it, they aim to refer to the distant past and
distant lands.
Debney: “It does evoke something ancient. I think that most westerners are
drawn to this instrument because it is a plaintive instrument that is very
exotic and very beautiful. And I think that’s very appealing.”
Filed under “ancient times” evoked by the duduk, you find the films
“Gladiator” and “Alexander.” And as for exotic, in 2005 alone, the duduk
evoked a fictitious land in “Chronicles of Narnia,” and the middle east in
“Syriana” and “Munich.”
Pedro Eustache is the featured duduk player in Munich’s soundtrack. And
he’s played many more gigs, even in settings beyond Hollywood. He says the
duduk is quite a chameleon.
Eustache: “I’ve played this in churches, in Hispanic churches, I have
played this in huge arenas all over the world, I have played this from
Dubai to India to Japan to Venezuela, I’ve used this in Iranian pop, you
know, it’s pretty amazing.”
Eustache also performs with classical Indian music master Ravi Shankar. In
2002, Eustache performed with Shankar and his band in London. It was a
memorial concert for the Beatles’ George Harrison. Shankar had written a
duduk solo for Eustache. And that solo didn’t fall on deaf ears. Paul
McCartney was so impressed by the sound of the instrument that he inquired
about the musician who’d played it.
McCartney: “He said that he called Ravi Shankar….and said “Ravi, I want
to have that Indian musician that plays this mournful Indian instrument….
voovoovoo…. and Ravi said “No no no, he’s not Indian, he’s from Venezuela
and the instrument is from Armenia.. hahaha…”
McCartney called Eustache and invited him to play a duet on his latest
album “Chaos and creation in the garden.” The song is “Jenny Wren.”
Pedro Eustache is convinced that this folk horn from Armenia has a powerful
and limitless reach. He says it will definitely outlive its current fad.
It’s just a hunch but it’s based on experience.
Eustache: “I’m from Venezuela, South America. My parents came from Haiti
and I am a whole multicultural weird thing. My point being, there are
things that go beyond geography and chronology an the sound of the duduk is
one of them. I have played this instrument anywhere and everywhere and it
affects people, it immediately capture’s people’s sensibilities, it
connects deeply with them, I think there is something so incredibly
universal about the sound, the strength, the reality of this instrument.”
Its appeal is so universal that last November, UNESCO issued a proclamation
naming duduk music a “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of
Humanity.”
As for Eustache, he’ll next play on a couple of songs Stevie Wonder is
writing for a documentary. Eustache says the R’N’B star loves the
instrument so much he’s getting one for himself. The duduk’s next
appearance will be brought to the silver screen by composer Hans Zimmer.
Zimmer asked master Djivan Gasparyan to the play for the soundtrack of “The
Da Vinci Code,” out this May.
For information about Pedro Eustache and his latest solo CD, go to:

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5 – L.A. City Attorney Delgadillo Hosts Armenian
Genocide Exhibit and LAUSD Training
LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo hosted an exhibit
and teacher training program for Los Angeles Unified teachers about the
Armenian Genocide at Los Angeles City Hall on April 3
In attendance were over 100 guests including numerous dignitaries from the
Armenian-American community such as Raffi Momjian, Executive Director of
the Genocide Education Project, 43rd California State Assembly District
Candidate Paul Krekorian, Laurel Karabian, and numerous city employees of
Armenian descent.
Delgadillo addressed the attendees stating, “This month, we pause to mark
the 91st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. The scars from this
terrible event are still raw, and have been made even more painful by the
fact that the world has yet to heed the voices of so many senseless
deaths.”
Ara Oshagan, Levon Parian, and Raffi Momjian all had an opportunity to
address the audience with comments about their experiences commemorating
the Armenian Genocide.
The teacher-training workshop was conducted by the Genocide Education
Project, a non-profit education organization, which will ultimately train
more than 300 LAUSD teachers about the Armenian Genocide. Incorporated
into the Genocide training are elements from the iwitness exhibit.
Iwitness is an exhibit by the Genocide Project featuring the work of
photographers Ara Oshagan and Levon Parian.
The Genocide Project combines portraits of Armenian Genocide survivors with
their eyewitness accounts of their experience during the Genocide. It was
collected over a10-year period and features historical photographs and
testimonials from American and other officials present in the Ottoman
Empire before and during the Genocide.
Prior to the reception, there was a screening for the historical
documentary “Armenia: The Betrayed,” at which numerous individuals and
students from local Armenian Schools attended. After the screening,
iwitness photographers Oshagan and Parian answered questions from audience
members about their emotional experience photographing and interviewing
survivors of the Armenian Genocide. The artists related that survivors had
repressed their memories of the Genocide for years and how emotionally
straining it was for them to now relive the horrific events of their early
years.
Delgadillo thanked members of the community for attending the event and
stated, “My hope is that by co-sponsoring this exhibit with the Genocide
Education Project… we will all speak for the 1.5 million Armenian
Genocide victims — speak for millions who have died since and take another
step toward preserving memory and preserving life.” Delgadillo continues
to be a prominent supporter of the Armenian Community.
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6 – UCLA Will Host May 6 Conference
On Sustainable Development in Armenia
LOS ANGELES – “Armenia: Challenges of Sustainable Development” is the theme
of an international conference to be held at UCLA, on May 6, from 9:30 AM
to 4 PM. in the Court of Sciences 50 (Young Hall).
The conference featuring specialists in economics, finance, and governance
is dedicated to UCLA Professor Emeritus of Economics, Armen A. Alchian, a
world-renowned economist and teacher who was born in Fresno in 1914 and has
been a member of the UCLA faculty since 1946.
The conference is organized by the Armenian Educational Foundation Chair in
Modern Armenian History at UCLA, and the Armenian International Policy
Research Group (AIPRG), with support from the UCLA Von Grunebaum Center for
Near Eastern Studies and the Department of Economics.
AEF Chair Holder Richard Hovannisian will open the morning session with
introductory comments on “The Economic Factor,” followed by the
presentation of Professor Alchian and his contributions to economic theory
by a similarly distinguished Professor of Economics, Harold Demsetz.
Enrique Gelband, Deputy Division Chief and former Mission Chief to Armenia
of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), will give the keynote address on
“Growth and Poverty Reduction in Armenia: Achievements and Challenges,” the
title of his recent book published by the IMF. A panel discussion on the
subject will be moderated by UCLA Professor of Economics Michael
Intriligator and include William Ascher, McKenna Professor of Government
and Economics at Claremont McKenna College; Daniel Mazmanian, Director of
the Judith and John Bedrosian Center on Governance and the Public
Enterprise at the University of Southern California; and Ara Khanjian,
Professor of Economics at Ventura College.
The Saturday afternoon session moderated by Prof. Lee Ohanian of the UCLA
Department of Economics focuses on specific topics relating to Armenia’s
economic development. David Grigorian of the IMF will speak on “Tax
Potential versus Tax Effort: Factors behind the Stubbornly Low Tax
Collection in Armenia”; Bryan Roberts of the Department of Homeland
Security, “Remittances, Poverty, and Growth in Armenia”; and Nerses
Yeritsyan, Central Bank of Armenia, “Financial Sector Development in
Armenia: Problems and Challenges.” A discussion period will conclude the
afternoon session.
Richard Hovannisian stated: “I am pleased that after 16 wonderful
semi-annual conferences on Historic Armenian Cities and Provinces, we
shifted the focus to contemporary issues in 2005 with ‘The Enduring Legacy
of the Armenian Genocide’ and ‘Three Turkish Voices on the Armenian
Question.’ Now, for the first conference of 2006, the economic and fiscal
challenges facing the Republic of Armenia will be addressed. I am thankful
to David Grigorian for arranging much of the program, especially as Ascher,
Khanjian, Roberts, Yeritsyan, and Grigorian are also associated with AIPRG.
The subject of this conference is of critical importance to Armenia and all
those concerned with the welfare of its people.”
The conference is open to the public and free of charge. Parking is
available in Structure 2 at the Hilgard and Westholme Avenue entrance to
UCLA.
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7 – Ohanesian Named
To City of Hope
Board of Directors
LOS ANGELES – John Ohanesian, President & CEO of Bosley has been named to
the national Board of Directors of City of Hope Cancer Center.
City of Hope’s Board of Directors is comprised of 28 members, spanning a
range of industries that include finance and health care.
Ohanesian has been President fo CEO of Bosley since August 2001, at which
time he completed the orchestration of Bosley, Inc., being acquired by
Tokyo-based Aderans, Inc. Since joining Bosley in October 1990, as
President and COO, Ohanesian has led the growth from eight offices to 98
offices and from 68 employees to over 600 employees. These include
locations in Canada, Mexico, and a surgical clinic in Tokyo, performing
more surgical hair restoration procedures than any company in the world.
Previously, John was Vice President of Saint John’s Hospital and Health
Center in Santa Monica from 1984 to 1990. Prior to that, he was
Administrator of Health Services for the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing
Committee from 1982 to 1984.
>>From 1990 to 1996, he was a member of the California Citizens Compensation
Committee as an appointee of Gov. George Deukmejian.
Since September of 2001, Ohanesian has been an active member of the Los
Angeles Music Center’s Center Theater Board of Directors, the operating
company for the Ahmanson Theater, Mark Tape Forum and the Kirk Douglas
Theater.
John earned his B.A. in Political Science from California State University,
Sonoma in 1977, and his Master of Arts in Health Administration from
California State University, Long Beach in 1980. He resides in Beverly
Hills with his daughter Adona and Ava.
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8 – Tennessee Titans Lineman
Visits Armenia, Karabagh
LOS ANGELES – In January, Rien Long became only the 4th Armenian American
in 50 years to complete three seasons in the NFL. In March, the 24-year-old
6’6″, 300-pound defensive lineman for the Tennessee Titans traveled to his
ancestral homeland of Armenia.
Long was joined on his journey by his mother and grandmother: three
generations of Armenian-Americans “returning” to Armenia for the first
time, since Rien Long’s great-grandparents, Toros Vartanian and Elizabeth
Krekorian fled to America right before the Ottoman Turks began
systematically killing 1.5 million Armenians in 1915.
The entire trip was filmed for a documentary that will debut this year at
the Alex Theatre in Glendale on Father’s Day, June 18.
“The Long journey From the NFL to Armenia” was shot in Nagorno Karabagh;
Yuba City, Calif., Nashville, Tennessee; Eugene, Oregon; Moscow, Idahol;
Anacortes, Pullman and Vancouver, Washington, and in more than 10 cities in
Armenia.
>>From Yerevan to Gyumri to Sevan to Karabagh, Long toured historical sites
and visited with the people of Armenia. He even dropped in on Foreign
Minister Vartan Oskanian, where the conversation dealt more with American
football than Armenian foreign policy.
“The highlight for me was visiting Karabagh itself,” Long said. “I was
especially impressed with Father Ter Hovanes at Gandzasar Monastery. His
stories of the war with the Azeris put a lot of thing we consider struggles
in our country into whole different perspective. It was truly inspiring.”
Among others, stops included the Sartarabad Genocide Memorial, a maternity
clinic in earthquake-ravaged Akhuryan, Etchmiadzin, Erebuni, Garni Temple,
Geghard Monastery, an after-school program for at-risk youth, and Yerablur
National cemetery, where Long met veterans of the war in Karabagh.
Long, who sports a tattoo of the Armenian flag on his right arm, will be in
Glendale on June 18 for the debut of the documentary.
For more information, readers can log on to the web site of Global
Opportunity Productions @ or call filmmaker Peter Musurlian at
(818) 500-1234.
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9 – Armenian Martyrs’ Day Commemoration
To be Held April 24 in Fresno’s St. Paul
FRESNO – The Armenian Interdenominational Committee will host the Armenian
Martyrs’ Day Commemoration on April 24 at St. Paul Armenian Church.
Keynote speaker is Tom Bohigian.
The Committee is comprised of members from St. Paul, Holy Trinity Armenian
Apostolic Church, Pilgrim Armenian Congregational Church and the First
Armenian Presbyterian Church.
The program begins at 7 p.m.
Participating in the cultural portion of the program are Maria Amirkhanian,
Piano, Hermine Sahagian & Flora Mirijanian, Recitations.
At the conclusion of the Service and Program, there will be a fellowship
reception at the Social Hall.
St. Paul Armenian Church is located at 3767 North First Street, Fresno.
Admission is free.
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10 – Mesrobian Students Collect $1500 in Pocket Change for
Armenian EyeCare Project’s Adopt-a-School Program
PICO RIVERA, Calif. -Students at Yerevan School N #105 received eye
screenings and eye heath education from the Armenian EyeCare Project
medical team, courtesy of their peers around the globe at the Armenian
Mesrobian School in Pico Rivera, Calif.
For the second year in a row, the Mariam Samoniantz’s 9th grade homeroom
class at Mesrobian School participated in the EyeCare Project’s
Adopt-a-School Program, which invites AECP donors to sponsor eye screenings
and treatment of the students at a specific school in Armenia. The
Mesrobian students emptied spare change from pockets, purses, and wallets
into a large jar each day for three months. “I felt good knowing that my
small change benefited another Armenian in a significant way,” said 9th
grader Nora Gourdikian. The news of the good deed spread around the
school, and students from all grades began to participate-eventually
bringing the grand total to $1,500.
The Mesrobian School, founded in 1965, was the second Armenian Day School
in the United States. The 240 students are taught the importance of
helping others.
“My 9th grade class wanted to help their brothers and sisters in Armenia,”
remarked Samoniantz. “We choose the Armenian Eyecare Project because the
gift of sight is the most precious gift of all.”
The AECP medical team screened 320 students at Yerevan school N #105 and
found that 35 children had existing eye problems. The students with eye
problems will receive follow up treatment, which can include a detailed
examination, surgery, medications, and eyeglasses. These services will be
provided at no cost to their families.
In addition to the screenings, the younger students were treated to an
interactive educational puppet show featuring Doctor Tesunik highlighting
the importance of eye care. Third grader Silva Yemenyan liked the puppet
show very much. “Doctor Tesunik told us how to keep our eyes healthy,” she
said, “And now I want to have healthy eyes.” The older students learned
about the anatomy of the eye and created colorful eye models, one of which
will be sent to their friends at Mesrobian School as a gesture of
appreciation.
Bella Sukiasyan, Schoolmaster of N#105, was “impressed and touched” that
the Mesrobian students gave their lunch money to help others in need. She
noticed that her students became more attentive to eyecare after the AECP’s
visit, and more importantly, “they were given an example of compassion and
are ready to exercise it themselves.”
The 7th grade class at Yerevan school N #105 decided that they will gather
money to support eye screenings for orphans and the elderly in their
community.
Founded by an American-Armenian Ophthalmologist, Dr. Roger Ohanesian, the
Armenian EyeCare Project, is dedicated to the elimination of preventable
blindness. Celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2002, the EyeCare Project
launched a seven-year initiative, “Bringing Sight to Armenian Eyes,” which
includes (1) direct patient care; (2) medical education and training; (3)
public education; (4) research; and (5) strengthening the Armenian eye care
delivery system. In 2004, the AECP was awarded a three-year grant from
USAID to integrate primary and ophthalmologic health care in Armenia.
For more information about the Armenian EyeCare Project, contact the
California office at 949-675-5767 or 866-GIV-AECP (448-2327) or visit the
AECP website at To make a donation, call the AECP
toll-free number or mail a check to 518 South Bayfront, Newport Beach,
California 92662.
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*****
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AZERI YOUNGSTERS BLAME ARMENIANS FOR HUNGARIAN COURT’S UNFAIR VERDICT
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
posted April 17 2006
Baku, April 14, AssA-Irada
Azeri youngsters have come out vehemently against the Hungarian
judge’s decision to sentence officer Ramil Safarov to life in prison
for killing an Armenian serviceman during a NATO course in Budapest.
A thousand students taking to the streets convened in front of the
Azizbayov monument downtown Baku chanting “Free Ramil” slogans.
The protesters said Armenians contributed a great deal to achieve
the unfair verdict and vowed to make them pay a bill for this.
The demonstrators concluded the action with a march to the Cemetery
of Martyrs.

Members of the EU-Armenia Cooperation Commission to visit the
Armenian-Turkish border

ArmRadio.am
15.04.2006 14:10
Next week members of the EU-Armenia Cooperation Commission will visit
the Armenian-Turkish border.
The 8th sitting of the EU-Armenia Parliamentary Cooperation Commission
will be held April 18-19 in Yerevan.
In the framework of the visit members of the Commission will have
meetings with RA President Robert Kocharyan, Chairman of the National
Assembly Arthur Baghdasaryan, Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan,
Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan and Human Rights Defender Armen
Harutyunyan.
Members of the delegation will meet also representatives of
independent TV Channels, Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan Vladimir
Pryakhin and Ambassadors of EU member states.

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 15 2006
Lenkeran Aliyev: `Azerbaijan’s Armed Forces are the strongest in the
South Caucasus’
[ 15 Apr. 2006 16:29 ]
`Our officers-leading force of the Azerbaijan’s Army is ready to
fight war. However, we are training more professional officers for
the Azerbaijani Armed Forces,’ chief of Defense Ministry Training and
Education Center (TEC), Major-General Lenkeran Aliyev told
journalists (APA).
Mr. Aliyev said the Azerbaijani Armed Forces are the most trained and
the strongest in the whole South Caucasus. He stressed the hostile
Armenia’s Army is many times weaker from moral-psychological and
professionalism aspects.
`Armenians depend on the Russian military bases in the country.
Therefore, their national Army is many times weaker than ours,’ the
Ministry official underscored.
Aliyev also said youths have begun to show more interest in military
sphere recently. In his words, the young men conscripted into the
army are trained beforehand.
`We have a normal base which provides an opportunity to meet NATO
standards in military training. Our military training is many times
professional than that of Armenians. Belarusian officers also confirm
it. But I think the military training is still not in satisfactory
level. Much needs to be done and more professional officers should be
trained,’ Aliyev added.
Touching on housing of servicemen, the General said they have raised
this question at the Defense Ministry and the Supreme Commander-in-
Chief.
`Our proposals have been positively responded. The Supreme
Commander-in- Chief is interested in living conditions of out
military men. I made it urgent to provide military trainers in the
center with houses. Most of military trainers have no house to live,’
he underlined.
Lenkeran Aliyev considers it important to publicise truths on the
Army to remove negative stereotypes in the public regarding the Army.
Admitting that there are some shortfalls in the Army, Aliyev said
measures are being implemented to remove these deficiencies.
`You witness the processes in other structures. If compared, the Army
looks stronger,’ the General concluded./APA/

IN KARABAKH WHEAT IS BREAD AND VIDEO PLAYER
Lragir.am
15 April 06
After the price of wheat had dropped dramatically, experts expected a
reduction of areas under wheat. The indices of winter wheat were, in
fact,causing concern. 40 per cent less wheat was sown. However, the
National Statistics Service informed that by April 10, 2006 1867.6
hectares were put under crop.
Growing by 97.7 per cent against the same period in 2005. 53.8 per
cent or 1005.5 hectares of crops is potato, 31.8 per cent or 593.3
hectares is grain and peas and beans.
Farmers say although the price of wheat dropped and the price of
diesel soared, and wheat is not profitable any more, they had to sow
wheat again though they had not been able to sell the crop. They say
only with `free’
cultivation is it possible to generate income, that is on the expense
of the state or others.
Whereas wheat is a staple crop Karabakh, it does not require much
water (only 4 per cent of land in Karabakh is irrigated), secondly,
wheat is highly demanded. In the village of Nor Maragha, Martakert
region, for instance, where about 300 people displaced from old
Maragha live, the quality of life improved thanks to wheat
production. The English teacher of the school of Nor Maragha Magdalena
Hambardzumyan said after the harvest of 2005 new TV sets, video
players and cell phones appeared in many families. There are people
who can already afford to redecorate their houses. The farmers do not
complain of abundance of land, they need a loan. Here there is
something to complain of.

STERN WARNING FROM THE TOP
New Anatolian, Turkey
April 13 2006
Breaking sharply from his usual reticence, President Ahmet Necdet
Sezer yesterday issued a very severe warning against both Islamist
fundamentalism and separatism, both of which he warned are escalating
in Turkey.
Speaking at a conference at the Turkish Military Academy, the
president, criticized by both the media and Parliament for being
silent in the face of raging controversies, issued thinly veiled
criticism at various political groups ranging from the ruling Justice
and Development (AK) Party to the Kurdish-dominated Democratic Society
Party (DTP).
His harshest criticism was reserved for the divisive Semdinli case,
which he said the justice system had wrecked because of reckless
statements, as well as stressing that the army has become subject to
an unfair controversy.
“Attempts to defame our glorious army are irreconcilable with
rationality and patriotism. The protection of the army’s prestige is
one of the major duties of the government,” he said.
On secularism, Sezer said that it was “impermissible” that religion
would go beyond private life and individual space to become part of
the community life. “Certain limitations can be imposed to prevent
the abuse of religion and in order to protect the public life, trust
and interests of the public.”
Also implicitly criticizing the DTP, Sezer said that “certain people
who came to power through democratic means” had adopted wording that
sounded too close to the rhetoric of the terrorist group Kurdistan
Workers’ Party (PKK) . “This stands in direct conflict with the
position they hold and the essence of the system that brought them
there.”
Sezer said, on foreign policy, that nobody should expect Turkey to
accept unfair demands on issues of national interest, such as the
Armenian question and the Cyprus issue.
“We deeply regret that the Greek Cypriot side, which has created
obstacles at every step of the way to a Cyprus solution, is almost
rewarded by the European Union,” he said.
But he sounded more reconciliatory on the United States, saying that
the failure to see eye-to-eye on certain issues was not something
that would affect the overall sense of alliance. “It is our sincere
hope that the issues will be overcome,” he said, in reference to Iraq.

DEFUSING THE US-IRAN TIME BOMB
Amir Taheri, Special to Gulf News
Gulf News, United Arab Emirates
April 12, 2006 Wednesday
On more than one occasion US President George W. Bush has described
his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin as “a strategic ally” and “a
friend we can trust”. Whether or not Bush’s judgment is right may
be hard to establish. But a crucial test of it is taking shape in
relation to Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
As the diplomatic manoeuvres to pressure Iran continue, the message
one hears in policy circles in most capitals is simple: the key is
in Moscow!
The reasoning behind that suggestion is simple: Of all the powers
involved in the current showdown with Iran, only Russia is in a
position to tip the balance one way or another that is to say between
a peaceful resolution or war.
To start with Russia, which is building Iran’s first and, so far, only
nuclear power plant near Bushehr, could slow down, or even suspend,
the project pending a diplomatic resolution of the crisis.
Such a move could strengthen the hands of those within the Tehran
establishment that want a moratorium on uranium processing programme
as a means of preventing tension from further escalating.
Russia has another card to play in the shape of its proposal to set
up a special uranium enrichment project for Iran to cover the needs
of the Bushehr plant during its entire life-span of 37 years. (At
present there is a pact for Russia to provide the plant with fuel
for the first 10 years.) To make it easier for the Tehran leadership
to keep face, the Russian proposal could be modified to have part
of the enrichment process done in Iranian facilities and with the
participation of Iranian scientists and technicians.
All that, however, may lead nowhere because, as some analysts suspect,
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may actually want a military
conflict with the US as the opening shot in his promised “clash of
civilisations”.
Internal dissensions
Incredible though it may appear, Ahamadinejad seems to be convinced
that the US, plagued by bitter internal dissensions, does not have
the stomach for a serious fight with Iran and its radical allies
throughout the Middle East. Thus he may want a clash over the nuclear
issue which, thanks to the Goebbelsian presentation, is seen by many
Iranians as a matter of nationalistic pride.
But even then Russia would be in a position either to prevent a clash
or hasten it by vetoing or voting for a strong resolution in the UN
Security Council. The Russian position at the Security Council is
crucial because China, which also has a veto, would not be prepared
to isolate itself by siding with Iran if Russia sides with the US. If
Russia vetoes, so will China. If Russia does not veto, the most that
China might do to please Iran is to abstain.
The Bush administration knows all that. This is why it is beginning to
build up pressure on Russia ahead of the next G-8 summit, scheduled to
be hosted by Putin in July. The American calculation is that Putin,
having won the presidency of the G-8 for Russia for the first time,
is unlikely to start his tenure by splitting the group to please the
Iranian mullahs.
Nevertheless, it would not be easy for Putin to make an unambiguous
choice between Tehran and Washington. Russia needs Iran for a number
of reasons, including, paradoxically, as part of Moscow’s strategy
to counter and, if possible, curtail, US influence in Central Asia,
the Caspian Basin and the Middle East.
As regional allies, Tehran and Moscow have already succeeded in
containing or curtailing American influence in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan
and Turkmenistan. In Tajikistan, Tehran, which had sided with the US
against Russia a decade ago, is now switching back to Moscow.
In Trans-Caucasia, Tehran and Moscow have sided with Armenia against
Azerbaijan and Georgia both of which are in the American camp. In
Afghanistan, Tehran and Moscow have been working closely for more than
a decade and are engaged in developing a joint strategy in anticipation
of an American withdrawal once Bush leaves office in three years’ time.
Moscow also needs Tehran to prevent the US from imposing its proposed
model for the exploitation of the Caspian Sea’s immense oil and
gas resources.
The US, backed by Britain, proposes a division of the Caspian among
its littoral states so that each could conclude separate contracts
with foreign nations. Of the five littoral states of the Caspian only
two, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, are favourable to the US proposed
model. Russia and Iran are against.
They propose that the Caspian be treated as a single unit in which all
activity, including exploitation of energy resources and navigation,
would require the consent of all littoral states. (The fifth littoral
state, Turkmenistan, has tried not to take side but is closer to Iran
and Russia.)
Having lost all of its Arab friends and clients of the Soviet era,
Moscow also needs Tehran as a bridgehead to the Middle East, the
Gulf and the Indian Ocean. The current analysis in Moscow is that,
once Bush is gone, Iran will emerge as the dominant power in Iraq
and would need Russia as a strategic partner in developing such major
oilfields as Majnun which sit astride the Irano-Iraqi frontier.
It is also in conjunction with Iran, that Russia envisages making a
comeback in such places as Syria and Lebanon where Iranian influence
is already well-established.
Strategic rival
The US is not the only strategic rival that Russia has identified.
Also looming large on the horizon is China which, Putin’s recent
visit to Beijing notwithstanding, is seen by many Moscow analysts as
a potential threat to Russian interests in Asia and the Middle East.
In that context a Sino-Iranian axis could isolate Russia in Western
Asia and the Middle East and even shut it out of chunks of Central
Asia.
Another reason why Moscow needs Iran is related to the so-called
“Islamic time bomb” that is ticking in the heart of the Russian
federation. With birthrates among ethnic Russians in free fall,
the federation’s estimated 25 million Muslims, now a fifth of the
population, are slated to double by the middle of the century.
The Islamic Republic, although a Shiite power, could, nevertheless,
play a role in discouraging secessionist tendencies among Russia’s
predominantly Sunni Muslims.
Conversely, a hostile Iran could use its immense experience in
exporting terrorism to make life difficult for Russia at a time it
is dealing with demographic decline.
Add to all that Russia’s immense commercial and economic interest in
the Islamic Republic and a more complex picture will emerge. Iran is
currently the biggest market for Russian arms, including aircraft and
submarines. The loss of the Iranian orders may force entire lines of
Russian weapons industries to close down.
The two neighbours have also signed trade contracts worth $80 billion
over the next decade. And Russia hopes to build most of the seven
nuclear power plants that the Islamic Republic wants to set up in the
next 10 years. The fact that more than 30,000 Russian technicians,
both military and civilian, work in Iran adds an important human
dimension to the relationship.
Big power games, oil, Islam, trade, arms and terrorism are some of
the factors that make it hard for Putin to side with the US in the
coming confrontation with the Islamic Republic. But there is another,
and according to Russian analysts, perhaps more important, factor:
Putin can never be sure that, come the crunch, Washington will not
strike a deal with Tehran, leaving Moscow in the lurch.
Amir Taheri was the executive editor of Kayhan, the most important
Iranian newspaper during the reign of the Shah and is a member of
Benador Associates.