Author: Khondkarian Raffi

CONGRESSIONAL RESOLUTION TO RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IS TABLED
Joshua Kucera

EurasiaNet, NY
Oct 29 2007

A bill that would have recognized the massacre of 1.5 million Armenians
in Ottoman-era Turkey as genocide has been tabled after the White
House, the US military and the Turkish government convinced many
original supporters of the measure that it would irreparably damage
US-Turkish relations.

The bill appeared to be on track for approval after it passed the
House Foreign Affairs Committee on October 10. [For background see the
Eurasia Insight archive]. The Armenian community and their lobbying
groups in Washington have been pushing for such a resolution for
years without success. This year, though, all the pieces seemed to be
in place: The new speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, is a longtime
supporter of Armenian-American causes, and Democrats, who generally
are more supportive of genocide recognition, are in the majority. At
one point, 227 of the 435 members of the House of Representatives
had signed on as cosponsors, suggesting that the resolution would
pass if it came to a vote.

But the closer the resolution came to success, the more Turkey and
the Bush administration fought against it. All eight living former
secretaries of state came out against the measure and President
George W. Bush spoke publicly against it. The day after it passed the
committee, Turkey recalled its ambassador to Washington, and Turkish
officials threatened to cut off cooperation in Iraq. Gen. David
Petraeus, the commander of US forces in Iraq, met privately with
several members of Congress to try to convince them to withdraw
their support.

In the days after it passed the committee, 11 of the bill’s original
co-sponsors removed their support from the bill and other cosponsors
publicly said they would not vote for it. On October 24, four of the
measure’s most vocal supporters wrote to Pelosi, asking her not to
bring the measure to a full vote. "We believe that a large majority of
our colleagues want to support a resolution recognizing the genocide
on the House floor and that they will do so, provided the timing is
more favorable."

The forcefulness of the opposition to the genocide recognition turned
the tide against the measure, said one Congressional staffer, speaking
on condition of anonymity. "The [Democratic House] leadership said
‘we are going to bring this to the floor by Nov. 6,’ and they were
very adamant about it," the staffer said. "Then you saw the Turkish
community, the Turkish lobby started to get very active about it. The
Armenian community is very well organized and the Turkish community has
not been. When it passed committee and Pelosi and Hoyer said that it’s
coming to the floor, then they said, ‘now we’ve got to step it up.’"

Many members of Congress signed on to the resolution without
recognizing the extent to which it offended Turkey. "When they recalled
their ambassador, members realized they weren’t joking," the staffer
said. "I talked to the chief of staff of one of the members who got
off the bill and I said ‘I saw your boss got off the bill.’ He said
‘Yeah, I don’t even know why we got on the thing in the first place.’ I
think people sponsored it without thinking very much about it."

Armenian lobbying groups put a brave face on the latest developments,
refusing to admit defeat. "This is a retooling of the timeline," said
Elizabeth Chouldjian, a spokeswoman for the Armenian National Committee
of America. "We’re confident it will come up again during this term,"
she said. The term of this Congress ends at the end of next year.

"The administration reinforcing these threats as opposed to standing
firm to them, as well as the Turkish government’s multimillion-dollar
lobbying efforts definitely had an impact," said Bryan Ardouny, the
executive director of the Armenian Assembly of America. "But this is
not a defeat. It’s an uphill battle."

The defeat of the resolution will likely help President Bush in early
November when Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan comes to
Washington. One of the key issues on the agenda will be a spike in
attacks by the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which uses rear bases
in northern Iraq to attack targets in Turkey. US officials have
urged Turkey to not use its military to pursue the PKK inside Iraq,
and a top Turkish general said recently that Turkey would hold off
on a decision until Bush and Erdogan meet on Nov. 5. [For background
see the Eurasia Insight archive].

The resolution’s defeat will help Bush’s hand in negotiating, said
Hugh Pope, an Istanbul-based senior analyst for the International
Crisis Group. "It will help some. But there’s a level of nationalist
backlash here that will make managing the situation very hard for the
United States, if they don’t offer something that will limit the PKK,"
he said.

That "something" could include US attacks on the PKK, permission
to send Turkish fighter-bombers into Iraq to attack PKK targets,
or other sorts of military access. "Of course, this puts the United
States into a very tough corner, but words aren’t going to satisfy
the Turks," Pope said.

Overall, however, the defeat of the Armenian resolution has helped
temporarily shore up US-Turkish relations, which have been rocky over
the past several years. "Lots of countries have passed bills. This is
the first time that a country has decided not to go ahead so publicly,"
Pope said.

Editor’s Note: Joshua Kucera is a Washington, DC,-based freelance
writer who specializes in security issues in Central Asia, the Caucasus
and the Middle East.

Public TV, Armenia
Oct 26 2007

Armenian premier, French leader discuss bilateral cooperation

[Presenter] Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan’s visit to France
ended with a meeting with French students of Armenian origin at
Armenia’s embassy in France. Prior to this, the Armenian prime
minister met French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Bilateral cooperation
in various spheres, including cultural, education, military and
nuclear power spheres, was discussed at the meeting. The prime
minister’s visit was also marked with a meeting with Charles Aznavour
[a French singer of Armenian origin].

[Correspondent reporting from Paris over the video] Sargsyan met
Aznavour in a restaurant today. After the dinner, Sargsyan headed for
the French president’s residence to continue the main part of his
visit. French President Nicolas Sarkozy met the Armenian primer
minister at the threshold of the presidential residence. The meeting
between the French president and the Armenian prime minister lasted
about 30 minutes. They discussed prospects for relations between
Armenia and France and noted the importance of expanding education,
cultural and military cooperation between the two countries.

[Sargsyan] The French president said that he wants Armenian-French
relations to continue at their own pace. He also said that France is
interested in developing nuclear power and added that France is ready
to cooperate with Armenia in the military sphere. He also said that
France is interested in developing higher education in Armenia and
they are satisfied that the French University is normally functioning
in Armenia. He is pleased with the Armenian community in France and
the success of ongoing Armenian-French relations. I thanked the
French president and asked him to order the setting up of an Armenian
culture house in Paris and a French culture house in Yerevan.

ticle3101947.ece

The Independent, UK
Survivors protest at Israel’s stance on Armenian genocide
By Donald Macintyre in Jerusalem
Published: 27 October 2007

She has no memory of her father or mother. She was abandoned as an
infant -it almost certainly saved her life because she was found on
the side of the road by an American missionary – on one of the death
marches in 1915 from Gurun, in central Anatolia. Even her name was
given to her by the Near East Relief orphanage in Lebanon where she
grew up. Sadly, she says, most of her fellow survivors in Jerusalem of
the Armenian genocide have died.

But Mary Kevorkian, a sprightly widow of 93, is proud of the
independent life she leads – including the daily shopping and cleaning
of her home in Jerusalem’s Old City. "I do all my own work," she says
cheerfully. "I don’t need anybody."

This week she joined more than 100 other, rather younger,
demonstrators -about 10 per cent of a once much larger Jerusalem
Armenian community dating back to Roman times – outside the Foreign
Ministry. They were protesting against what they believe is the
Israeli government’s use of its considerable lobbying influence on
Capitol Hill to try to thwart the bill which would mean US recognition
of the genocide in which 1.5 million Armenians, including Mrs
Kevorkian’s parents, died.

Turkey, which is infuriated by the Democrat-sponsored bill and which
enjoys better relations with Israel than any other Muslim country, has
made it clear it expects its ally to help halt its progress. Israel,
like Britain, has in the past expressed sympathy for what it accepts
were massacres but stopped short of calling them genocide.

Mrs Kevorkian, who has lived in Jerusalem since 1939, came to the
protest on a hot October day even though she dislikes thinking about
the subject. She says that when she sees banners commemorating the
terrible events between 1915 and 1923, "I remember why I did not have
my father and mother. When I read about the genocide I start to cry."

This week, however, the banners were focused on Turkey’s concerted
efforts to ensure the bill, having been approved this month by the US
Congress Foreign Affairs Committee, is not passed by the full House of
Representatives. As protesters, including a choir of uniformed
schoolgirls, sang the Armenian national anthem and the Lord’s Prayer
in Armenian they brandished placards aimed at the Israeli public,
including: "Today’s denial is tomorrow’s genocide/holocaust".

On Thursday, the bill’s sponsors, led by the California congressman
Adam Schiff, agreed to postpone the debate, bowing to fears that it
could precipitate a full-blown crisis in US-Turkish relations at
exactly the time when the US is trying to persuade Turkey not to
launch an invasion of northern Iraq against the Kurdish PKK.

Turkey, a main conduit of supplies to American forces in Iraq, has
also warned passage of the bill could hamper the US war effort. But Mr
Schiff, who is Jewish and has a significant Armenian constituency, and
his co-sponsors have made it clear they will bring it back for debate
in the coming months.

The organisers of this week’s demonstration here accuse the Israeli
government of having already twice – in 1989 and 2000 – "openly
interfered" in similar Congressional votes despite opinion polls
suggesting that most Israelis favour the recognition sought in the
bill. In urging it not to do so again, the demonstrators were joined
by two prominent Israeli politicians, the Meretz Party Knesset member
Haim Oron and a former minister in the government of Yizthak Rabin,
Yair Tsaban.

Mr Oron said there was a natural Knesset majority for recognition,
including the right-wing Likud, but it needed to overcome pressure
from a government determined to maintain close ties with Turkey.

Mr Tsaban said he was supporting the protest "as a member of humanity
born in the 20th century which witnessed all kinds of genocides, of
which the worst was the Holocaust, and of course as a Jew". Mr Tsaban,
two of whose grandparents were exterminated in Auschwitz, added: "I
feel that is their will that I should support this campaign against
denial of the genocide."

George Hintlian, an Armenian community spokesman, said the refusal of
a modern country such as Turkey to take responsibility for the
genocide was unique, as it was that a "nation that has gone through
the Holocaust should be helping the denial".

Mark Regev, the Foreign Ministry spokesman, said the Congressional
bill was an "internal US affair" and the Israeli view of the "tragic
events" that engulfed the Armenians at the end of the Ottoman Empire
was well known.

Hayots Ashkharh Daily, Armenia
Oct 27 2007

TER-PETROSYAN’S OCTOBER THESES

The 1.5-hour’s lecture-speech delivered by Levon Ter-Petrosyan on
October 26 in Azatutyun Square was outwardly the summery of the
famous regular accusations of the radical pro-opposition powers in
the address of the government in power.
But the academic style and the habit of long reasoning have always
been characteristic to the former President, who has already
nominated his candidacy for presidency during the previous elections.
But in his yesterday’s lecture-speech all this was mixed with brand
new revolutionary emphases. And no doubt those were the real
motivations of L. Ter-Petrosyan’s speech delivered yesterday. All the
other assessments linked with the country’s political system,
economy, social relations and Karabakh issue were old stories.
In reality by thoroughly summarizing the statements made by the
opposition, Levon Ter-Petrosyan has set a task to evaluate them on
the new plane, as he called, `on the prism of the `symbol of the day’
– `October 27′ tragedy’.
Here Levon Ter-Petrosyan revealed his actual goal – that is to
give political assessments to the accomplished legal process,
directing them against the authorities, in order to impose a certain
behavior upon them in future. That is – to resign without resistance
and not to hinder Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s nomination solemnly announced
during yesterday’s meeting.
To bring similar political goal to life Ter-Petrosyan has built
the part of his speech devoted to `October 27′ in such a way that on
the one hand he could intensify the baseless suspicions addressed to
the government in power but on the other hand to keep his evaluations
on the political and legal borderline, not to appear in the role of a
slanderer.
Thus, by means of similar flexible assessments given to `October
27′ trial, in essence Levon Ter-Petrosyan tried to impose his
personal scenario of the forthcoming elections upon the government in
power.
By starting his presidential campaign Levon Ter-Petrosyan is well
aware that in the existing ratio of forces he doesn’t have any real
chances to win the 2008 presidential elections. Consequently it is
necessary to dissolve the existing pro-government system by means of
blackmail, before the elections. And in case of failure anyway the
aureole of the persecuted and the claimant of `October 27′ are
guaranteed for him.
Or they can make people completely forget about all that happened
during Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s power and explain his personal failure
by the firmness of the `criminal regime’.
To accomplish the adopted policy Ter-Petrosyan promised to create
a black list where he will include the names of some policeman who
are `disobedient’ to him, representatives of local self governmental
bodies, etc. Here instead of political blackmail we deal with the
threatening directed to the state apparatus, which tend to
disorganize their activity. By declaring some names Ter-Petrosyan
tried to `inspire’ the idea of his unavoidable return to some high
and low ranking officials.
Moreover former representative of power Levon Ter-Petrosyan acted
as a person who is on a higher position than the President and other
high-ranking officials, as a `papa’ who is waging his finger on his
children and threatening to punish them if they disobey him.
This testifies to the fact that Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s yesterday’s
speech was aimed at dissolving the existing political and economic
system and especially the government system.
But in general it is Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s October theses that was
hidden under the veil of the before mentioned boring lecture, many
times repeated.

ARMEN TSATURYAN

BROUGHT TO THE POLICE

Hayots Ashkharh Daily
Oct 23 2007
Armenia

Yesterday there was a bustle between "Aylyntrank" activists and
policemen at the intersection of Abovyan and Koryun streets of Yerevan.

As a result, Nikol Pashinyan and Shogher Matevosyan, Editors-in-Chief
of "Haykakan Zhamanakner" and "Tchorrord Ishkhanoutyun" newspapers,
as well as David Matevosyan, Petros Makeyan and Michael Hayrapetyan
(leaders of "Democratic Motherland" and Conservative Parties
respectively) were brought to the Police station of Kentron district.

The activists of "Aylyntrank" were appealing to the citizens through
microphones to participate in the demonstration to be held on the
Theatrical Square.

As informed by Ararat Zourabyan, Head of the Administration of the
Armenian pan-National Movement, some activists belonging to their party
were brought to the Police for posting leaflets in Yerevan yesterday.

40th ANNIVERSARY OF PUBLIC TV AND RADIO COMPANY’S VARIETY SYMPHONIC ORCHESTRA AND 60th ANNIVERSARY OF COMPOSER YERVAND YERZNKIAN TO BE MARKED ON OCTOBER 25

Noyan Tapan
Oct 24, 2007

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 24, NOYAN TAPAN. The 40th anniversary of the Public
TV and Radio Company’s Variety Symphonic Orchestra and 60th anniversary
of composer Yervand Yerznkian will be marked on October 25 at the Aram
Khachatrian concert hall. RA People’s Artists Raisa Mkrtchian, Ruben
Matevosian, RA Honored Artists Suzan Margarian, Shushan Petrosian,
Hayko, as well as singers of the young generation will take part in
the concert under the title "We are a hundred years old."

"For me, it is a great honor to head this orchestra. I have been trying
to present only high-class music with my musicians for 21 years,"
Y. Yerznkian said in his interview to Noyan Tapan correspondent.

Touching upon the activity of the orchestra widely known in the former
Soviet countries, Y. Yerznkian said that though today the orchestra
receives financial support from the state, nevertheless, it is not
enough for organizing concerts, as well as going on tours. In his
opinion, this is the orchestra, which needs a special attitude by
the state. Nevertheless, the composer is sure that in spite of the
difficulties, they will be able to create for many years. "If the
orchestra managed to survive in the difficult years, it means that we
should move forward with much force today as well, as our spectators
are waiting for real presentation of variety music, which has become
classical and which is done by our orchestra," Y. Yerznkian emphasized.

CHRISTIANS FLEE NORTHERN IRAQ

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.10.2007 17:18 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Christian population flees northern Iraq,
where the Turkish troops fight Kurdish rebels.

As a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter came to know from the Iraqi Diocese of
the Armenian Apostolic Church, Christians leave the zone of hostilities
but there are not Armenians among them. "The Armenian community of
Iraq lives its usual life, everything is quiet," the source said.

As reported earlier, the Turkish warplanes flew as deep as 20 km
into Iraqi territory and some 300 ground troops advanced about 10 km,
killing 34 PKK rebels.

ARMENIAN SOCIETY IS NOT READY FOR FORTHCOMING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS YET, SOCIOLOGIST AHARON ADIBEKIAN CONSIDERS

Noyan Tapan
Oct 24, 2007

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 24, NOYAN TAPAN. Today Armenian society is not
ready for the forthcoming presidential elections. Sociologist Aharon
Adibekian stated at the October 24 press conference. According to
him, "the people is not so interested in politics yet due to being
engaged in getting winter provisions." Besides, according to him, no
activization of political moods is expected among people yet, as the
New Year is ahead. "But for the New Year, the political field would
be more active and eventful in the months preceding the elections,"
A. Adibekian said.

According to the sociologist’s observation, it is still early to speak
about the ratings of the possible candidates for presidency. However,
according to his calculations, Serge Sargsian’s rating makes the half
of RPA’s rating, and Levon Ter-Petrosian’s rating made nearly 3.9%
as far back as 10 months ago.

RICE: MIDEAST PEACE IN JEOPARDY
By Anne Flaherty

Associated Press
Wednesday October 24, 2007 6:31 PM

WASHINGTON (AP) – Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday
that a "two-state solution" in the Middle East was in jeopardy,
and described a narrow window of opportunity to push Israel and the
Palestinians toward peace.

In a House hearing interrupted by anti-war protesters, Rice said an
upcoming peace conference in Annapolis, Md., is needed to give hope
to moderate Palestinian forces. She blamed Iran for fanning flames
in the region, including what she called "troubling" new support for
Hamas militants.

"Our concern is growing that without a serious political prospect for
the Palestinians that gives to moderate leaders a horizon that they
can show to their people that indeed there is a two-state solution
that is possible, we will lose the window for a two-state solution,"
Rice told the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Rice’s testimony was punctuated by Iraq war protesters, including one
female who rushed Rice as she entered the room and waved her hands –
painted red to look like blood – in front of the secretary’s face. She
shouted that Rice was a "war criminal" and should be taken to the
Hague, a reference to international war tribunals.

Rice was stoic and proceeded with business as normal as the protester
was immediately spirited from the room. Other protesters were likewise
escorted away at the behest of committee chairman Tom Lantos, D-Calif.

Despite the protesters’ effort to focus on the war, the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Iran dominated much of the
hearing. Sharp questions included ones from Lantos on whether the
Bush administration was doing enough to pressure Egypt to crack down
on Hamas sympathizers and whether Bush was calling for the peace
conference to salvage his political legacy.

Rice dismissed suggestions that the conference was a political ploy.

"There are probably easier foreign policy tasks to take on than the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict," she said. "The timing comes down to
what it is we need to do to give moderate forces in the region a
boost and to deal a blow to forces of extremism."

The conference has not been scheduled, but should happen by the end
of the year, she said.

She also said the U.S. will ask Congress for more money to support
the Palestinian government. She did not disclose the amount.

On a separate issue, Rice said an emergency State Department review
found serious problems with the way private security guards operate
in Iraq and that more changes to government policy for contractors
may be needed.

Rice said she and Defense Secretary Robert Gates have told their No. 2
officials to study the situation further. Rice has already ordered
two rounds of changes to the rules for security contractors intended
to provide greater oversight from Washington.

On Iran, Rice said the administration shares Congress’ goal of imposing
tougher sanctions. But, she said, a multilateral approach is necessary
and urged lawmakers to work with the administration.

Last month, the House passed, by a 397-16 vote, legislation aimed
at blocking foreign investment in Iran, in particular its lucrative
energy sector. The bill, sponsored by Lantos, would specifically bar
the president from waiving U.S. sanctions.

When asked whether the administration is considering a military strike
in Iran and if Vice President Dick Cheney was leading the charge,
Rice said the administration – including Cheney – is committed to
a diplomatic approach but would not take any of its options off
the table.

Rice said sanctions imposed by the international community, and
companies voluntarily refusing to invest in Iran is the best bet.

"Frankly, the international community has to get a lot tougher if
it’s going to get resolved diplomatically," she said. "The Iranians
are not a state, I don’t think, that will change their behavior just
through talking to them."

On Iranian ties to Hamas, Rice said it was a disturbing new trend.

"To see Iranian actual penetration now of these more radical elements
of the Palestinian terrorist groups is really quite troubling,"
she said.

On other issues:

– Rice said the Iraqis are taking steps to crack down on PKK
fighters in Turkey, including closing PKK offices, stopping the
movement of party members and dispatching a senior delegation to
Turkey. The U.S. has told Turkey that retaliatory attacks would have a
"destabilizing effect," she said.

– Rice cited delicate relations with Turkey as she urged lawmakers
not to pursue a resolution that would label as genocide the killings
of Armenians by Ottoman Turks a century ago. "This is something
that was a horrible event, in the mass killings that took place,
but at the time of the Ottoman Empire. These are not the Ottomans,"
she said of Turkey’s current regime.

– Rice said the U.S. embassy in Iraq will be completed within budget,
at a price tag of $592 million, and that construction delays were
being addressed. She declined to estimate when it would be finished.

CCTV, China
Oct 19 2007

Armenian massacre resolution faltering

WATCH VIDEO
Source: CCTV.com | 10-19-2007 12:58

Support is falling for a US House of Representatives resolution
condemning the 1915 Armenian massacre. Its backers continue to
withdraw support even as Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sarksyan
visits Washington to meet Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.

The resolution was approved by a House committee last week. However,
both Republicans and Democrats are worried about its impact on
relations with Turkey, which provides major logistic support to U.S.
troops in Iraq. Turkey has warned it would damage relations with the
United States. Voting on the resolution is expected in mid-November
when it goes to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.