Author: Khondkarian Raffi

Armenian Assembly of America
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
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PRESS RELEASE

December 17, 2008
Contact: Michael A Zachariades
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (202) 393-3434

CONGRESSMAN KIRK NAMED CO-CHAIR OF THE ARMENIAN CAUCUS

Washington, DC – The Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) echoed
Representatives Frank Pallone’s (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg’s (R-MI)
welcome of the selection of Congressman Mark Kirk (R-IL) as the incoming
Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues. Congressman
Kirk succeeds Co-Chair Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), who will be retiring at
the end of the 110th Congress.

"After 20 years of working with the Armenian-American community to
advance U.S.-Armenia issues, I am honored and excited to serve alongside
Congressman Pallone as co-chair of the Caucus on Armenia Issues," Kirk
said. "The Caucus on Armenian Issues is well-known for its work to
strengthen the U.S.-Armenia relationship and recognize the Armenian
Genocide. I look forward to working with Congressman Pallone and all
members of the Caucus to advance the U.S.-Armenia relationship in the
111th Congress."

First elected to the House of Representatives in 2000, Congressman Kirk
succeeded John Porter (R-IL), who served as the first Republican
Co-Chair of the Caucus. Rep. Kirk represents the 10th district of
Illinois, which is located north of Chicago, along Lake Michigan and is
home to St. George Armenian Apostolic Church. Congressman Kirk serves on
the Appropriations Committee and sits on the State, Foreign Operations,
and Related Programs Subcommittee, responsible for determining crucial
funding to Armenia, and Financial Services.

During his tenure in Congress, Rep. Kirk has co-sponsored numerous
Armenian Genocide resolutions and made several statements in support of
reaffirmation. In addition, he has supported resolutions calling for
Permanent Normal Trade Relations with Armenia, and was a cosponsor of
H.Res. 3361, which prevented tax-payer funding of a rail bypass of
Armenia.

Jim Keledjian, ARAMAC Illinois State Chair said, "We are extremely happy
to have Rep. Kirk Co-Chair the Armenian Caucus. He has been a strong
advocate of Armenian interests throughout his tenure in the House of
Representatives and even prior as staff of former Caucus Co-chair, Rep.
Porter."

"The Assembly congratulates Congressman Kirk on this new role and
extends its sincere appreciation to outgoing Caucus Co-Chair
Knollenberg," said Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. "Nearly 90
percent of the Caucus is returning in the 111th Congress and we look
forward to working with Representative Kirk and the entire Caucus. The
Assembly’s 2009 Advocacy Conference and Banquet in Washington, DC next
March will help ensure continued success in the 111th Congress."

An Illinois native, Representative Kirk attended the Universidad
Nacional Autonoma de Mexico before graduating cum laude in History from
Cornell. He holds a Masters Degree from the London School of Economics
and a Juris Doctor from Georgetown.

Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest
Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding
and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt
membership organization.

###

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NAGORNO-KARABAKH PRESIDENT HELD A CONSULTATION WITH SUPREME COMMAND STAFF OF NKR DEFENSE ARMY

De Facto
Dec 16, 2008

STEPANAKERT, 16.12.08. DE FACTO. On December 15 NKR President Bako
Sahakian held a consultation with the supreme command staff of the
NKR Defense Army at the head of defense minister Movses Hakobian.

According to the information DE FACTO received at the Central
Department of Information of the Office of the NKR President,
the issues related to army building, situation along the line of
contact between Nagorno Karabagh and Azerbaijan armed forces and
amelioration of social conditions of the servicemen had been discussed
at consultation.

Monument to William Saroyan unveiled in Yerevan

2008-12-13 22:59:00

ArmInfo. A monument to prominent Armenian-American writer William
Saroyan was unveiled in Yerevan, Saturday. Armenian President Serzh
Sargsyan, Culture Minister Hasmik Poghosyan, US Ambassador to Armenia
Marie Yovanovitch, and other officials attended the unveiling ceremony.

Sculptor David Yerevantsi, the author of the monument, said that with
his work he strove to embody Saroyan’s light and humanness. The
sculptor knew Saroyan personally. "He never forgot his roots, and
though he lived and created in the United States, he remained a real
Armenian in his heart and soul",- Yerevantsi said.

The work at the monument lasted two years. The gypsum model, which is
3.2 meters high, was made at the Prague Academy of Fine Arts. The
monument was cast in bronze in Vrchlabi, Czech Republic. The unveiling
of the monument became a worthy completion of events timed to the 100th
anniversary of Saroyan. The writer’s 100th anniversary was included in
the UNESCO honorary list of anniversaries for 2008-2009. The "festive
year" started in Fresno, the writer’s native town, and continued in
Armenia.

ISSUES ON EXPANSION OF COOPERATION BETWEEN ARMENIA’S CONSTITUTIONAL COURT AND KARABAKH’S SUPREME COURT DISCUSSED

ARMENPRESS
Dec 12, 2008

STEPANAKERT, DECEMBER 12, ARMENPRESS: On 9 December NKR President Bako
Sahakyan received head of the Constitutional Court of the Republic
of Armenia Gagik Harutyunyan.

Central Information Department of the office of Karabakh President
told Armenpress that during the meeting the discussed issues on
enlarging cooperation between the Constitutional Court of the Republic
of Armenia and the Supreme Court of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic,
increasing effectiveness of the work of judicial bodies as well as
the reforms carried out in the system.

Head of the Office of the NKR President, secretary of the Security
Council Marat Mousayelyan and chairman of the NKR Supreme Court Ararat
Danielyan were also present at the meeting.

ENVOY OFFERS IRAN’S MEDIATION TO SOLVE NAGORNO-KARABAKH PROBLEM

Fars News Agency
Dec 12 2008
Iran

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan Naser Hamidi Zare voiced
Tehran’s preparedness to help resolve a longstanding conflict between
Azerbaijan and Armenia.

"Azerbaijan and Armenia make efforts to resolve the conflict. Iran
can also use its potential in this respect," the envoy said about
Iran’s intention to mediate in the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, reminding that Iran has made great proposals to Azerbaijan
on this issue.

Speaking to reporters during a press conference, Hadimi Zare
further viewed future of Iran-Azerbaijan relations as very clear
and prosperous.

Asked about Iran’s view over Turkey’s "Caucasus Stability and Security
Platform" initiative, Hamidi Zareh said the world is tired of Marxist
and capitalist systems.

"It is time to create a new clean and honest system. The world needs
a fair system," he said.

Elsewhere, the diplomat said Muslim countries, as well as independent
and free countries of the world must take effective steps toward
prevention of genocide in Palestine and ending of blockade of Gaza
Strip.

Responding to a question about possibility of war between Iran and
Israel, Hamidi Zare reminded that Tehran does not recognize any such
country as Israel, and called possibility of war as tattles.

Israel and its close ally the United States accuse Iran of seeking
a nuclear weapon, while they have never presented any corroborative
document to substantiate their allegations. Both Washington and Tel
Aviv possess advanced weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear
warheads.

Iran vehemently denies the charges, insisting that its nuclear program
is for peaceful purposes only. Tehran stresses that the country has
always pursued a civilian path to provide power to the growing number
of Iranian population, whose fossil fuel would eventually run dry.

Speculation that Israel could bomb Iran has mounted since a big
Israeli air drill in June. In the first week of June, 100 Israeli
F-16 and F-15 fighters reportedly took part in an exercise over the
eastern Mediterranean and Greece, which was interpreted as a dress
rehearsal for a possible attack on Iran’s nuclear installations.

Iran has, in return, warned that it would target Israel and its
worldwide interests in case it comes under attack by the Tel Aviv.

A US attack on the Syrian village of Sukkariyah on October 26, has
also raised speculation about the likelihood of a US unilateral strike
on the Islamic Republic.

The United States has also always stressed that military action is
a main option for the White House to deter Iran’s progress in the
field of nuclear technology.

Iran has warned it could close the strategic Strait of Hormoz if it
became the target of a military attack over its nuclear program.

Strait of Hormoz, the entrance to the strategic Persian Gulf waterway,
is a major oil shipping route.

Meantime, a recent study by the Institute for Science and International
Security (ISIS), a prestigious American think tank, has found that a
military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities "is unlikely" to delay
the country’s program.

The ISIS study also cautioned that an attack against Iran would
backfire by compelling the country to acquire nuclear weaponry.

Intensified threats by Tel Aviv and Washington of military action
against Iran contradict a recent report by 16 US intelligence
bodies which endorsed the civilian nature of Iran’s nuclear plans
and activities.

Following the US National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) and similar
reports by the IAEA head – one in November and the other one in
February – which praised Iran’s truthfulness about key aspects of
its past nuclear activities and announced settlement of outstanding
issues with Tehran, any effort to impose further sanctions or launch
military attack on Iran seems to be completely irrational.

The February report by the UN nuclear watchdog, the International
Atomic Energy Agency, praised Iran’s cooperation in clearing up all
of the past questions over its nuclear program, vindicating Iran’s
nuclear program and leaving no justification for any new UN sanctions.

The UN nuclear watchdog has also carried out at least 14 surprise
inspections of Iran’s nuclear sites so far, but found nothing to
support West’s allegations.

Following the said reports by the US and international bodies, many
world states have called the UN Security Council pressure against
Tehran unjustified, demanding that Iran’s case be normalized and
returned from the UNSC to the IAEA.

WORLD BANK FORECASTS GLOBAL ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN

ARKA
Dec 10, 2008

YEREVAN, December 10. /ARKA/. The world financial crisis has dimmed
short-term prospects for developing countries and the volume of world
trade is likely to contract for the first time since 1982, the World
Bank (WB) said in the Global Economic Prospects (GEP) 2009.

GEP 2009 projects that world GDP growth will be 2.5 percent in 2008
and 0.9 percent for 2009. Developing countries will likely grow by
4.5 percent next year, down from 7.9 percent in 2007, while growth
in high-income countries will turn negative.

"People in the developing world have had to deal with two major
external shocks– the upward spiral in food and fuel prices followed by
the financial crisis, which has eased tensions in commodity markets,
but is testing banking systems and threatening job losses around the
world," said Justin Lin, WB chief economist and senior vice president.

"Urgent steps are needed to help reduce fallout from the crisis on
the real economy and on the poorest, including through projects that
build better roads, railways, schools, and health care systems."

In light of the crisis, the World Bank Group is increasing its support
for developing countries, including through new IBRD commitments of up
to $100 billion over the next three years as well as via its private
sector arm, the IFC, in the form of facilities for trade finance,
banking recapitalization, and fo r privately-funded infrastructure
projects facing financial distress.

ARMENIA THANKS FRANCE FOR 1988 EARTHQUAKE RELIEF EFFORTS

PanARMENIAN.Net
09.12.2008 15:08 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan met Monday
with members of the National Assembly of France, Chairman of the
France-Armenia Friendship Group Francois Rochebloine and Vice-Chairman
Rene Rouquet, who have arrived in Armenia to attend commemoration
events dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the 1988 earthquake,
the RA leader’s press office told PanARMENIAN.Net.

Thanking France for the earthquake relief efforts, President Sargsyan
hailed the activities of the French parliamentarians and informed that
he has signed a decree to award Francois Rochebloine and Rene Rouquet
with the Order of Honor for the aid they rendered to Armenia after
the devastating earthquake of 1988 and for their continued efforts
for strengthening friendly relations between the peoples of Armenia
and France.

Receiving the award Mr. Rochebloine said it encourages him for greater
efforts while Mr. Rouquet described the award as acknowledgment of
his twenty-year long activities.

The parties also referred to the prospects of bilateral economic and
political relations and cooperation within international organizations.

ARMENIAN TAX SERVICE TO COLLECT "EXTRA" MONEY FOR BUDGET – OPPOSITION PAPER

Haykakan Zhamanak
Dec 6 2008
Armenia

The head of the investigation department of Armenia’s State Income
Committee, Ashot Giziryan, has received a strict instruction to bring
an extra 1bn dram [about 3.2m dollars] in the state budget in December
by means of tax inspection acts.

According to well-informed sources, he must carry out inspections
at businesses and prepare acts for extra money totalling one billion
drams. The list of the businesses subject to inspections is long that,
according to assessments, no longer than 10 minutes can be spent on
each inspection.

The "inspection" will have the following mechanism: employees of the
tax service will call a businessman to their office and prepare,
let’s say a 5m-dram [about 16m dollars] act against him. If the
businessman does not agree, they will prepare a 10m-dram act [about
33m dollars]. "So go to court," the tax service will suggest the
businessman. Courts have also received the same strict instruction
not to satisfy businessmen’s claims against the State Income Committee.

60 YEARS ON, GENOCIDE CONVENTION STILL PROMPTS DEBATE
Kerstin Schweighofer

Deutsche Welle
,,3858014 ,00.html
Dec 8 2008
Germany

The genocide in Rwanda set legal precedents with life sentences for
many perpetrators

Sixty years ago, the UN adopted the Convention on the Prevention and
Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. This week, historians, lawyers
and politicians discussed the convention’s future at a conference in
The Hague.

Why is it that a massacre, as horrific as it may be, is not considered
genocide? At what point can we begin using the word genocide to
describe the worst crime committed human beings can perpetrate
on each other? These were the types of questions being posed at a
conference in the Hague on Monday to mark 60 years since the United
Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 260, better known as the
convention on genocide.

Among the guest speakers was Chief Prosecutor of the International
Criminal Court, Luis Moreno Ocampo. And it’s no coincidence that
the conference is being held in The Hague, which, due to its many
international courts, has developed into the "legal capital of the
world," former UN General Secretary, Boutros Gali, once said.

Among the program points was a discussion about the definition of
genocide as it was laid down in the UN Convention on December 9,
1948. The most important criterion is the intention to completely
obliterate an entire race. That’s why genocide doesn’t always involve
massacres — a single murder will do. Even if all the women of a
certain population are to be made infertile, or all the children are
to be kidnapped, it can still be genocide if the purpose is to wipe
out that population. It’s the most decisive criterion, and for the
prosecutors, the hardest to prove.

The Polish-Jewish lawyer Raphael Lemkin — a pioneer in the field of
international justice — coined the term genocide. He was responding
to the mass murder of Armenians at the hands of the Turks in 1915 —
a massacre that even today, is not legally classified as genocide.

This also applies to the Holocaust. It was never explicitly defined
as genocide before a court, and not a single defendant has ever been
found guilty of genocide towards the Jews. The usual verdict was
"crimes against humanity."

Rwanda, Yugoslavia set legal precedents

Only in the last 15 years have courts ever found defendants guilty
of genocide, in two cases — Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia. In
the judges’ opinions, the mass murder of the Tutsis and the murder
of thousands of Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica were clear cases of
genocide. At the Rwanda tribunal, a large number of political leaders
were given life sentences in prison.

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift:
Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic faces charges of
genocide Whether the same will happen at the Yugoslavia tribunal
with war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic remains to be seen. Former
Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic died in prison before he could be
sentenced, and Karadzic’s wartime military leader, Ratko Mladic, still
remains at large. Then there’s the new international criminal court,
the ICC. Last summer, Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo indicted
Sundanese President Omar el Bashir on charges of genocide in Darfur.

Because of the small number of convictions, recently, the voices of
those who would loosen the criteria for genocide have been growing
louder. It’s a subject that was up for debate at the conference in
The Hague, but for Dutch historian and director of the Amsterdam
Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Wichert ten Have, it’s
out of the question.

"I don’t think this is the right way to go," he said. "It was hard
enough to get all the countries to accept the current definition
60 years ago. Just because jurisprudence has to be created and the
world is waiting for verdicts is no reason to start revising this
definition."

Not a word to be used lightly

Another topic for discussion at the conference was misuse of the word
"genocide." The prominent indictments against Karadzic and El Bashir
have had the effect of popularizing the term, to the extent that it’s
now even being used by animal activists describing the suffering of
animals. Politicians also more frequently use the term in order to
justify violence and military engagement.

"The bloody conflict between Russia and Georgia is a perfect example,"
said Ten Have. "Both sides deliberately spoke of genocide, even though
in this case, it really wasn’t applicable. We have to keep the term
pure — both legally and politically speaking. And we have to accept
that it shouldn’t be used lightly."

–Boundary_(ID_EbTOv9VWcvBbTnYMK17 hvw)–

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

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY DISCUSSES RELIGIOUS
AND ARMENIAN EDUCATION AND THE ARMENIAN CAUSE

Launched on December 2, the General Assembly of the Catholicosate of Cilicia
continued its sessions for a third day in the Catholicosate’s Antelias
headquarters, listening to reports on various priority issues affecting the
Armenian nation and church from the representatives of the people
themselves.

Miss. Houry Azezian and Mrs. Janine Markarian presented reports on religious
education. This important field needs to undergo a re-evaluation coupled
with a review of the curricula of Sunday schools and the incorporation of
modern instruction methods.

Two reports were presented on Armenian education by Mr. Sarkis Giragossian
and Mr. Jirayr Reyissian, who underlined the importance of identity
preservation and the key role of the Armenian school and Armenians teachers
in this highly important task.

The Assembly confirmed that it is not possible to separate religious
education from Armenian education. The participants proposed the adoption of
an education policy based on local environment. The need for preparing human
resources, particularly the training of teachers, was emphasized. The
Assembly also pointed to the need to raise the standards of living of
teachers in this field with a view to making this career option attractive.

Dr. Garo Hovsepian and Mr. Hagop Der Khatchadourian delivered talks on the
Armenian Cause. Focusing on the efforts of His Holiness in the past years,
they expressed great appreciation for the significant steps taken in this
respect. The Assembly reaffirmed the leading role of the Catholicosate of
Cilicia in this area, stating that our Holy See will persistently pursue the
rights of the Armenian nation. Furthermore, the Catholicosate of Cilicia
will also continue its mission to preserve, particularly the cultural and
religious monuments in Western Armenia, Nakhetchevan and occupied part of
Cyprus.

Speaking about the Catholicosate of Cilicia’s efforts in this field, His
Holiness unveiled future plans to pursue and promote the violated rights of
the Armenians at an international level.

In the evening, the Assembly participants attended the concert of the
Catholicosate’s "Shenorhali" Choir held in the "Siran Manoukian" hall of the
Yegishe Manoukian College.

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View the photos here:
tos/Photos345.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.