Author: Karapetian Hovik

67 HOUSES WERE BUILT FOR IMMIGRANTS IN 2007

KarabakhOpen
19-10-2007 12:31:44

The head of the agency of migration, refugees and resettlement
Serge Amirkhanyan said in an interview with the Azat Artsakh 67
houses were built and 23 were reconstructed for immigrants in 2007,
including 11 in Askeran, 3 in Shushi, 5 in Martuni, 33 in Martakert
(13 were reconstructed), 44 in Shahumyan (10 were reconstructed),
4 in Hadrut. The Fund for Construction, Reconstruction and Purchase
of Houses provided 800 million drams to settlers to buy houses.

2 houses were bought in Askeran and Shahumyan for invited specialists.

"When we set up the agency in 2003, our purpose was to strengthen
the border areas of Karabakh. Over 500 thousand Armenians were
displaced from Azerbaijan during the conflict. Many of them left for
the countries of the CIS. Our goal is to have these people return
to Karabakh, provide them with home and assistance. Presently 45
settlements are included in the government program where the government
builds houses every year," Serge Amirkhanyan said.

He said 20 to 30 families applied for moving to live in
Karvachar. Annually 8-10 houses are built there but the problem of
infrastructures has not been solved yet.

Serge Amirkhanyan says the appropriation for resettlement should be at
least doubled. The government annually allocates 1 billion drams. Serge
Amirkhanyan thinks it is necessary to involve private funds as well.

COURAGE AND HISTORY

Ha’aretz, Israel
Oct 19 2007

Nations are measured by their history. But we often forget that they
are also measured by the way they confront their history. This can
be a difficult task, requiring courage, vision and commitment to a
different future. It demands more honesty and less pride. It makes a
distinction between dignity and shame – and knows how to enhance the
former and address the latter. And it requires the involvement of both
the political leadership, on the one hand, and the individual citizen,
on the other.

Which brings us to the following question: What can we learn from
the German response to the Holocaust that might help Turkey alter its
attitude toward the Armenian genocide? A loaded question? Obviously.

An unfair one? Maybe. But is it a useful one? Definitely, and not
only for the Turks. If there is one lesson we must have picked up on
during the 20th century, it is that we are all "built" for genocide.

There is no culture, polity, community that is immune from this.

There are of course many ways of carrying out genocide. You can starve
your victims, parch them, march them into the desert, shoot them,
rape them, gas them, burn them, bomb them, hack them to pieces.

You do not need to be an industrial powerhouse to do it quickly,
efficiently. And by most standards, there is at least one genocide
taking place right now, in East Africa. Advertisement

Mentioning Turkey in the same sentence as the Holocaust is anathema
to all Turks – and they are right because it is a horrific stigma to
bear. "Placing the Turks in the same category as Nazis is intolerable
to us," one Turkish official was quoted as saying in The Economist
on October 4. But that is missing the point. This is not about
comparative genocide – an exercise that invariably devolves into
some form of bean counting. But when a state refuses to acknowledge
history, it affects the psyche of the nation, perpetuating stasis,
first on a moral level and then in every other aspect of life.

When World War II came to an end in Europe, in May 1945, the crimes of
Germany were exposed before the world. The horror was such that for
a while there were American officials who sought to reduce Germany
to an agrarian society so that it could never again perpetrate such
criminal aggression.

Things turned out differently, in great part because of Cold War
exigencies. But at least in West Germany, a concerted effort was
made by its political leadership – and first and foremost by Konrad
Adenauer, the country’s first chancellor – to restore Germany to the
community of nations, foremost through the acknowledgment of the
past. Not only did Germany accept responsibility, but it actively
sought to preserve that diabolical chapter in its history – in the
memory of the state and of every single German citizen.

It can be argued that the Germans were forced into accepting
responsibility. They were occupied, crushed, starving, shocked
and shamed. All true. But they did take responsibility, with the
understanding that they could not escape history and that if they
could muster the courage, they could use that experience to build a
better future.

Such a tack requires leadership. And the epitome of Adenauer’s
leadership came with the reconciliation between West Germany
and Israel, which began formally in 1952, with the signing of the
reparations agreement. This also required a great deal of courage and
leadership on the part of David Ben-Gurion, who pushed that accord
through in the face of great opposition at home. It did not mean
forgiveness by any means. But it was the start of reconciliation,
and that is what genuine leaders owe to the future generations of
their people.

Turkey’s circumstances are different from those of Germany, and so is
its historical development. But finding excuses is always easier than
doing what is right. Yes, Turkey has simultaneously struggled with
at least three massive challenges since its establishment in 1923,
the roots of which dated back to the great reforms started in 1839:
building a nation-state; modernization; and democratization. By the
time Germany perpetrated the Holocaust, it had gone through all these
stages, with greater or lesser success. Indeed, apologists are always
quick to point out that "this is not a good time" for Turkey to address
the Armenian issue. The bottom line is that it is never a good time:
There is always some crisis brewing, some hyper-sensitive general,
politician or group, too many other things going on. That is the
nature of the mix that makes Turkey what it is.

However, all too often the Turkish people are underestimated. This is
more frequently done by its own leaders than by foreigners. When Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan declares that "there was no Armenian
genocide," that is precisely what he is doing: underestimating his
people, and their ability to look forward and acknowledge mistakes. For
the leader of a party whose popularity stems from the desire of many
Turks to remove the shackles of a traditionally paternalistic state –
this is no way to usher in change. History is not solely the domain
of historians, as Erdogan and others would have us believe. Every
Turk has a role in the making of Turkish history, and a stake in the
making of Turkey’s future.

Recognizing past wrongs and calling them by name is difficult, and
may even seem insurmountable, but the Turks must find the courage to
try to do so.

Michalis Firillas is on the editorial staff of Haaretz.

00.html

LIVEDAILY INTERVIEW: SERJ TANKIAN
By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

LiveDaily.com
Oct 19 2007

In recording his debut solo effort, System of a Down frontman Serj
Tankian [ tickets ] says he felt the same energy as he did recording
his band’s first album in 1998. And both projects have the same goal:
To make people think.

Tankian said the title of his first release, "Elect the Dead,"
conjures up a multitude of thoughts.

"It means a lot of things to different people that I talk to,"
Tankian said during an interview with LiveDaily. "It’s open to
interpretation. It definitely has a lot of weight and it makes me
think about things."

Born in 1967 to Armenian parents in Beirut, Lebanon, Tankian founded
System of a Down in 1995 with three friends from the Armenian-American
community. The California-based band, which earned one Grammy
Award, scored hits with "Aerials," "B.Y.O.B.," "Hypnotize" and
"Chop Suey!" After the 2005 album "Hypnotize" was released, the band
announced it was on "indefinite hiatus."

For "Elect the Dead," Tankian played most of the instruments, save
for guest appearances on drums by System’s John Dolmayan and Primus’
Brian "Brain" Mantia, and some contributions from guitarist/bassist
Dan Monti and opera soprano Ani Maldjian.

Tankian spoke to LiveDaily about "Elect the Dead," why "Empty Walls"
was chosen as the first single and System of a Down’s future.

LiveDaily: You must be looking forward to your first solo tour.

Serj Tankian: Yeah, very much so. I’ve been rehearsing with my back-up
band. It’s going really well.

Why did you decide that now was an ideal time for your first solo
album?

I wanted it to be something that I prioritized and gave enough time and
effort to do. Between System record cycles, it’s always difficult to
find that kind of time to prioritize other projects. Now that we’re
on indefinite hiatus, it became the perfect time to launch this.

When did you find time to write songs?

I have about 400 to 500 songs. I write music all the time. I have
my own studio. I record, and some of the music is electronic, some
is jazz, some is experimental. There’s noise stuff, punk stuff, rock
stuff, classical music. I do all sorts of music–some for film, some
for licensing for video games, etc. This is what I do. I’ve always
done this.

How did you decide which songs to put on the album? It sounds like
that would be quite the task.

They just kind of popped up as ones that were classically written
on piano or acoustic guitar; things that required my voice versus a
female vocalist or some other nuance. They just kind of popped up. I
also wrote some music last year to complement the bunch. I recorded
everything in my studio pretty much between October and November of
last year.

"Empty Walls" was a good choice for a first single. What was the
thought behind that? And was it hard to choose the single?

Thanks. It’s always hard to choose singles. I’m trying to deal with
the second single now. It’s never easy. It’s a combination of some
scientific efforts and some gut feeling aspect. It was a good album
opener and everyone felt like it would definitely make a good opener
as a first single off the record.

Do you find yourself inspired by certain things that are going on in
the world, or on tour, or is everything pretty much inspirational?

I’m inspired by things that I read and conversations and emotions
and visuals, other art forms, film, music. Everything is part of the
palette that I kind of take from.

On your tour, are you going to play any System of a Down songs?

No. This is a new project, a new band. But it’s actually hard filling
in a full set for a brand new record. The record’s only 45 minutes.

The show is an hour and 15. We’ll do some covers and some bonus tracks.

What covers are you going to do? Or is it a surprise?

One of the covers I’m doing is [the Dead Kennedys’] "Holiday in
Cambodia," which I did with the Foo Fighters at the VMAs. I figured,
"Hey, if I’m going to get that down and learn it, I might as well
have the band learn it as well." For the other one, I asked the band,
"Do you guys know any songs? Any cool covers we could play?" The
pianist was like, "I could do ‘Girl’ by The Beatles." I’m like,
"All right, let’s try it." We kind of tweaked it our own way and it
came out kind of funny.

What do you see for the future of System of a Down?

We’re on indefinite hiatus. We haven’t made any plans right now.

We’re all friends. We’re all supportive of each other’s projects,
and if and when we see the need to speak together as one, you’ll know.

CHIEF OF THE HELLENIC NATIONAL DEFENSE GENERAL STAFF TO ARRIVE IN ARMENIA OCTOBER 22

armradio.am
18.10.2007 15:25

At the invitation of the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed
Forces of the Republic of Armenia, First Deputy Foreign Minister,
Colonel General Seyran Ohanyan, October 22 the delegation headed by
the Chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff, General
Dimitrios Grapsas will arrive in Armenia.

General Grapsas will have a meeting with the Defense Minister of
Armenia and the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces. Visit
to the Armenian peacekeeping division is expected.

October 23 the Chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff
and his spouse will visit Tsitsernakaberd and will lay flowers at
the memorial to the Armenian Genocide victims and will leave a note
in the Commemoration Book at the Genocide Museum-Institute.

The visit will be concluded with signing of the 2008 cooperation
program between the Defense Ministries of the two countries.

PRESS RELEASE
Date: October 16, 2007
Armenian National Committee of Ohio
8132 Camargowoods Ct., Madeira, OH 45243
Contact: David Krikorian
Tel: 513- 289-5265
Website:
Email: [email protected]

NICK CLOONEY DELIVERS POWERFUL CALL TO ACTION URGING PASSAGE OF
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION

Rep. Steve Chabot Casts Critical Committee Vote in Support of H.Res.106

CINCINNATI, OH – Cincinnati area native and veteran newsman, Nick
Clooney, delivered a riveting call to action in support of the
Armenian Genocide resolution (H.Res.106) at the Ohio premiere of
the award-winning movie "Screamers." A capacity crowd attended the
October 10th event at the famed National Underground Railroad
Freedom Center.

The venerable Clooney described the time he went to visit his
sister Rosemary Clooney for dinner in her California home back in
1952. Mr. Clooney mentioned that there were two other guests at
his sisters’ house for dinner that evening, William Saroyan and
Ross Bagdasarian who together wrote the hit song "Come On-a My
House" which Rosemary’s voice carried to the top of the charts in
1951.

Mr. Clooney somberly recalled how that night at his sister’s house
over 50 years ago he "learned what had happened to the Armenians".

The event followed a day of intense debate on Capitol Hill
resulting in the passage of the Armenian Genocide Resolution in the
House Foreign Affairs Committee by a vote of 27 ` 21. Cincinnati
Representative Steve Chabot (OH-1) cast an important vote in favor
of the resolution, which recognizes the Genocide of 1.5 million
Armenian men woman and children at the hands of the Ottoman Turks
in 1915.

Nick Clooney praised Rep Chabot for speaking truth to power in
recognizing the Armenian Genocide and for recently traveling to
Darfur and speaking out against the genocide occurring there right
now which is claiming 500 innocent people every day. House speaker
Nancy Pelosi has vowed to bring the Armenian Genocide Resolution to
a full house vote before the next congressional recess in mid
November.

"The high turnout and positive feedback from this event drive home
the point that the American people want to see a responsible US
foreign Policy that not only recognizes Genocide but that actually
does something to stop it" said David Krikorian Chairman, Armenian
National Committee of Ohio.

The Cincinnati SCREAMERS tour included three additional screenings
of the film on October 11th including campus screenings at Northern
Kentucky University (11:00 AM), and the University of Cincinnati
(4:00 PM) and a benefit screening at The Esquire Theater in Clifton
(7:30 PM). Attendance was strong at each event with a final tally
at slightly over 400.

"Screamers" is an award-winning, internationally produced
documentary that details the history of modern-day genocide
beginning with the Armenian genocide in 1915, traveling through the
Holocaust era, exploring what happened in Cambodia, Rwanda and
other countries and ends with the genocide currently happening in
Darfur.

The film was produced and directed by award-winning, humanitarian
activist Carla Garapedian. CNN’s Larry King called "Screamers", "A
brilliant film. Everyone should see it." The Village Voice, the
nation’s first and largest alternative newspaper, calls the film:
"Genius!"

"Screamers" debuted at the American Film Institute (AFI) Film
Festival in November and won the coveted AFI Audience Award.

The National Underground Freedom Center is located at 50 East
Freedom Way, Cincinnati, OH 45202. Additional Cincinnati-area
screenings will take place on October 11th with a screening at
Northern Kentucky University’s University Center (Room #11) at
10:50 a.m.; a second screening at the UC Theatre located at the
University of Cincinnati at 4 p.m. and another screening to benefit
Not On My Watch at the Esquire Theatre at 7:30 p.m.

The Cincinnati-area "Screamers" screenings are being co-sponsored
by the Armenian National Committee of Ohio, The Center for
Holocaust and Humanity Education, The Franciscan Network, The
Genocide Intervention Network, Not On Our Watch and the Just
Community Initiative at the University of Cincinnati.

####

Photo Caption:
"Screamers" producer Carla Garapedian surrounded by Nick Clooney
and ANC of Ohio Chairman David Krikorian

For more information about the humanitarian groups contact:
David Krikorian, Chairman
ANC Of Ohio
Phone: 513-289-5265
Email: [email protected]
Event website:

Press inquiries with regards to the event coverage and interview
requests contact:
Twana Burns, Director, Publicity & Promotions
Allied Advertising, Public Relations
Phone: 513-752-0702
Email: [email protected]

OVER 90% OF ENVISAGED GROUP OF POPULATION ADDITIONALLY VACCINATED AGAINST MEASLES AND GERMAN MEASLES

Noyan Tapan
Oct 16 2007

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 16, NOYAN TAPAN. Over 90% of the envisaged group
of the population has been vaccinated within the frameworks of the
additional vaccinations against measles and German measles held in
Armenia between October 1 and 13. This information was provided to
journalists by Haroutiun Kushkian, the RA Minister of Health, on
October 16. It should be mentioned that vaccinations were made among
the population aged 6-27, the total number of whom in the republic
makes 800845.

GENOCIDE VOTE WILL DAMAGE US-TURKEY RELATIONS, SAYS GENERAL
C Onur Ant in Istanbul

The Guardian
Monday October 15, 2007

Turkey’s top general has warned that military ties with the US will
be irreversibly damaged if the US Congress passes a resolution that
labels the first world war killings of Armenians a genocide.

General Yasar Buyukanit told Turkey’s Milliyet newspaper that a
congressional committee’s approval of the measure had strained ties
between the two countries.

"If this resolution passed in the committee passes the House as
well, our military ties with the US will never be the same again,"
he told Milliyet.

Turkey, which is a major cargo hub for US and allied military forces
in Iraq and Afghanistan, has recalled its ambassador to Washington for
consultations and warned that there might be a cut in the logistical
support to the US over the issue.

About 70% of US air cargo headed for Iraq goes through Turkey as does
about a third of the fuel used by the US military there. US bases also
get water and other supplies carried in overland by Turkish truckers
who cross into Iraq’s northern Kurdish region.

Despite the general’s strong words and the recalling of its ambassador,
it is not clear just how far the Turkish side can go in expressing
its dismay to Washington.

Turkey suspended its military ties with France last year after the
French parliament’s lower house adopted a bill that would have made
it a crime to deny that the Armenian killings constituted a genocide.

But there is more at stake for Nato’s only Muslim member when it comes
to Turkey-US relations. The Turkish military is heavily dependent on
the American defence industry, experts say.

However, the country’s former permanent representative to Nato, Onur
Oymen, said Turkey has limited the activities of US troops in Turkey
in the past.

When Washington imposed an arms embargo against Ankara in 1975 because
of a dispute over Cyprus, Turkey ended all its logistical support to
US troops until the embargo was lifted, Oymen said.

On Saturday US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, "urged restraint"
from Turkey and sent two high-ranking officials to Ankara in an
apparent attempt to ease fury over the measure, which could be voted
on by the House of Representatives by the end of the year.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version: nian.htm

ARMENIAN FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER VARTAN OSKANIAN VISITS
HIS HOLINESS IN BRUSSELS

Brussels – His Holiness Aram I received the Minister of Foreign Affairs of
Armenia, Vartan Oskanian on October 14 in Brussels, where both were
attending the 2nd Convention of the European Armenians. The Pontiff and the
minister discussed the action taken by the U.S. House committee and its
future stages with respect to the recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

The Catholicos and Oskanian also discussed issues related to present-day
Armenian foreign policy, the current situation in the Middle East in
general, and the upcoming presidential elections in Lebanon.

##
View the photo here:
tos/Photos46.htm
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

Journal Gazette, IN
Oct 14 2007

Historians write history, not Congress

WASHINGTON – On the one hand is righteous indignation and disputed
historical facts. On the other is geopolitical realism and a snub of
a U.S. ally in an uncertain part of the world.

Indignation won last week as the House Foreign Relations Committee
voted to condemn mass killings of Armenians in Turkey 92 years ago as
genocide. Turkey insists the Armenians died from conflicts tied to
World War I, not genocide, and contends that fewer than 600,000
people died, not the 1.5 million claimed by Armenia.

President Bush and eight former secretaries of state pleaded for the
panel to sidestep a vote on the non-binding resolution or defeat it.
`Its passage would do great harm to our relations with a key ally in
NATO and in the global war on terror,’ Bush said.

Rep. Mike Pence was one of the few committee members who were
persuaded, saying he believed genocide occurred, but `with American
troops in harm’s way, dependent on critical supply routes available
through an alliance that we enjoy with the nation of Turkey, I submit
that at this time, this is not the time for this nation to speak on
this dark chapter of history.’

Rep. Dan Burton, also a committee member, agreed with Pence’s view.
Unlike Pence, he did not have to change his position to vote against
the resolution. Burton has opposed similar bills the many times they
have been proposed in the past 20-some years.

`There’s no question that thousands and thousands of people were
killed during the time period we’re talking about,’ Burton said.
`That was over 90 years ago. And right now there’s a conflict in
Afghanistan, there’s a conflict in Iraq, there’s a conflict that’s
going on – off and on – in Lebanon and the West Bank. All over that
area it’s a tinderbox. And right next door, we’ve got Iran who’s
trying to develop a nuclear capability.

`Our strongest ally in the area, and has been for 50 years, is
Turkey. I just don’t understand why we’re going to cut our nose off,
shoot ourselves in the foot at a time that we need this ally.’

To which Rep. Mark Souder, not a committee member, says Turkey is
trying to deny an historical fact so it doesn’t have to pay
reparations to the survivors of the people who were massacred.

He also thinks the argument that Turkey is such a vital ally is bogus
because when the U.S. wanted to use the NATO base in Incirlik,
Turkey, during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Turkey said no dice.

`Why are we allowing ourselves to be bullied?’ he said, suggesting
that `Arabists’ in the State Department have exaggerated the possible
consequences of insulting Turkey.

That’s a fair enough question. But there are other questions that
also deserve to be asked: How is it in the best interests of the U.S.
to have a formal position? If Congress passes this resolution, will
it make the dead Armenians any less dead?

What happened in the former Ottoman Empire nearly a century ago is
not America’s sin to be atoned for. Deciding not to choose sides in
this lingering anguish is not the same as condoning those killings
(or whitewashing history, as Souder says) or accepting present-day
genocide in Darfur.

Here’s the U.N. definition of genocide: `Any of the following acts
committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national,
ethnical, racial or religious group, as such: killing members of the
group; causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life, calculated
to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; imposing
measures intended to prevent births within the group; forcibly
transferring children of the group to another group.’

One might well argue that European settlers committed genocide in
this country.

The U.S. government has never acknowledged it as such, and
resolutions to apologize to American Indians for `the many instances
of violence, maltreatment and neglect inflicted on native peoples by
citizens of the United States’ have never passed Congress.

Would it be appropriate for, say, Germany, Japan or Brazil to take
formal government action labeling the U.S. government’s policies and
action toward American Indians `genocide’ and demand that the current
U.S. government apologize?

I think most Americans would react rather emphatically.

The U.S. does not have an excess of good will in the world these
days. We are perceived as presumptuous, arrogant and all too eager to
demand that things be our way (thanks, Mr. President). Without at all
disrespecting the deaths of the Armenians, it might be better to sit
out this dispute.

cle?AID=/20071014/EDIT0501/710140411

Chattanooga Times Free Press (Tennessee)
October 14, 2007 Sunday

Our distracted Congress

Did Ottoman Turks kill hundreds of thousands of Armenians around the
time of World War I, roughly 90 years ago? The consensus is yes,
though modern-day Turkey denies that the killings amounted to
genocide.

At any rate, the United States neither caused nor participated in the
slaughter.

Why, then, is the U.S. House of Representatives expending so much
energy on a bill that would put the United States on record as
declaring the nearly century-old killings genocide? Debate is raging
on whether the bill would harm U.S. relations with Turkey or whether
not passing the bill would slight the memory of the slain Armenians.

Certainly there is no reason to approve of the killings. But why
needlessly wade into a distant yet emotional topic when there are far
more pressing issues for Congress to consider?

Are pronouncements on the conquests of Alexander the Great and Julius
Caesar next on Congress’ agenda?