Author: Khoyetsian Rose

AMERICAN GENERAL HIGHLY ESTIMATES PROFESSIONALISM OF ARMENIAN
SIGNALLERS

YEREVAN, MAY 7, NOYAN TAPAN. Day of Press was organized on May 7
within the framework of Combined Endeavour – 2007 exercises being held
in Yerevan. As Major-General Armen Baburian, Head of
Intercommunication and Automatic Management Systems Department of
General Headquarters of RA Armed Forces, said in his interview to
journalists, new intercommunication equipment was also tested during
the exercises. In particular, devices of video intercommunication,
which are already used in Armenian military units, were tested from
point of view of compatibility with intercommunication means of
various countries during the exercises. As A. Baburian estimated,
Armenian participants of exercises showed high skills and achieved
good results.

Dennis Wai, Commander of Intercommunication Troops of U.S. Land Forces
in Europe, said that he is very impressed by joint work of all
participants of exercises. As regards Armenian signallers, the
latters, in his words, are very professional and are able to quickly
accustom themselves to changes connected with development of
technologies in the sphere of intercommunication.

D. Wai said that the number of participants of Combined Endeavour –
2007 exercises held 13 years running within the framework of
Partnership for Peace NATO program increases year by year:
representatives of 42 countries take part in the exercises. He
attached importance to the circumstance that this time the Armenian
side has expressed willingness to hold in its territory the main part
of exercises.

To recap, the exercises are simultaneously held in the German city of
Baumholder and in Yerevan. 130 signallers from Croatia, France,
Russia, Georgia, U.S. and Armenia take part in Armenian exercises.

CBA PUTS INTO CIRCULATION NEW GOLD COMMEMORATIVE COIN "15th
ANNIVERSARY OF LIBERATION OF SHUSHI"

YEREVAN, MAY 7, NOYAN TAPAN. The Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) on May
7 put into circulation a new gold commemorative coin "15th Anniversary
of Liberation of Shushi" dedicated to the 15th anniversary of
liberation of the city of Shush, NT was informed from the CBA press
service.

An eagle flying against the background of the sign of eternity is
depicted on the coin’s obverse. Below the eagle, the nominal value is
inscribed in two lines: 10000 and DRAMS in Armenian. Near the coin’s
edge is an inscription in Armenian: Central Bank of Armenia 2007.

The reverse of the coin depicts the medal for liberation of Shushi, to
the right of which the coat of arms of the Republic of Armenia is
shown. Near the edge is an inscription in Armenian: 15th Anniversary
of Liberation of Shushi.

The commemorative coin has a convex edge.

The coin with its transparent cover and authenticity certificate is
placed in a case.

The author of design is Harutyun Samuelian, member of the Union of
Artists of Armenia. The commemorative coin was minted at Poland’s
Mint.

Its nominal value is 10,000 drams, made of 9000-alloy gold, weight –
8.6 grams, diameter – 22.0 mm.

DAVID ENDERS ON IRAQ, HARUT SASSOUNIAN ON LAT AND ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

FAIR – Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting

May 4 2007

This week on CounterSpin: the domestic debate over Iraq is dominating
the headlines, usually characterized as a "showdown" between Congress
and the White House over Democratic calls to withdraw U.S. troops.

The stalemate leaves many reporters asking the question, "What’s
next?" But in the midst of the partisan scrum on Capitol Hill, what’s
actually happening in Iraq? Freelance journalist David Enders will
join us to share his thoughts.

Also this week: the genocide by Turks against Armenians in 1915 is
still making news. A dispute erupted recently at the Los Angeles
Times when managing editor Douglas Frantz spiked a report by veteran
Times reporter Mark Arax. Claiming Arax had a conflict of interest,
Frantz killed the Armenian American journalist’s report about pending
congressional legislation that officially designate the 1915 massacres
of Armenians as "genocide." Harut Sassounian, the publisher of the
California Courier, an Armenian American newspaper on the West Coast,
will join us with the latest on that.

US MEDIATOR REVEALS KEY GARABAGH SETTLEMENT PRINCIPLES

AssA-Irada
Published: May 02, 2007

US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and co-chair of the OSCE Minsk
Group brokering settlement to the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Nagorno)
Garabagh conflict Matthew Bryza has elaborated on the main principles
of the conflict resolution proposed by the mediators. Bryza told Voice
of America Radio that the sides are very close to reaching agreement
on the key principles put forth by the co-chairs last year that will
be the basis of a future agreement.We hope that the presidents will
approve of these principles in the coming months, to be followed by a
stage of intense negotiations on a final peace accord.Bryza said the
basic principles cover the following issues: the immediate withdrawal
of the Armenian armed forces from the five occupied districts and
their speedy return to Azerbaijan, stationing of peacekeepers in
the conflict zone and the return of refugees home, Bryza said.The
US co-chairman said talks are still underway on the conditions for
the liberation of the strategic Kalbajar and Lachin districts. The
parties are very close to striking a common ground on these issues
as well. The Lachin corridor is a road connecting the occupied Upper
Garabagh region with the Armenian territory.Bryza said the key conflict
settlement principles include ensuring a corridor that will be used
for civil purposes and trade. This is to be followed by the conduct
of a nationwide poll to determine the status of Upper Garabagh at a
certain stage in the peace process. Bryza emphasized that Azerbaijan
is opposed to using the referendum term, as thus runs counter to the
countrys Constitution. We are therefore in talks on holding a vote
at some point.The diplomat noted that peace talks are currently at a
very promising stage and the Garabagh status is the key issue on the
negotiating table. At the same time, he reiterated that Azerbaijans
territorial integrity has never been questioned. We have never denied
that Upper Garabagh is a part of Azerbaijan. But its status should
be determined through peace talks, with the participation of [both]
Azerbaijan and Armenia, Bryza added.Azerbaijan and Armenia fought
a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a cease-fire in 1994,
but Armenia continues to occupy Upper Garabagh and seven adjacent
Azerbaijani districts.

A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION ON A MEMOIR OF HER MOTHER
By James Barron
Maureen Seaberg contributed reporting.

New York Times
May 3 2007

As a first-time author, Margaret Ajemian Ahnert had hoped that her
appearance at a Barnes & Noble store on the Upper East Side would
draw attention to her just-published book, "The Knock at the Door,"
which deals with the Armenian genocide.

Her reading and question-and-answer session on Tuesday evening drew
attention, to be sure, but not the kind she expected.

A man in the audience was arrested after he and several other people
disrupted Ms. Ahnert’s reading, shouting and passing out leaflets
denying that the genocide occurred. Ms. Ahnert’s 209-page book tells,
among other things, how her mother survived the genocide as a teenager
during World War I and eventually came to the United States.

Ms. Ahnert said yesterday she did not mean "The Knock at the Door"
to be a political narrative.

"Here I was trying to tell the story of my mother, not making a
political statement," she said. "It’s a mother-daughter story, it’s
how it affected my life. It’s not just about the Armenian genocide,
it’s about my mother growing up, my life, and events in her life
that affected me. It’s a mother-daughter memoir. I’m not making any
historical statements."

Most historians say the Ottoman Empire was responsible for the death
of more than one million people around 1915 in a campaign intended
to eliminate the Armenian population throughout what is now Turkey.

Ms. Ahnert said the disruption came as she answered a question from
the crowd at the Barnes & Noble, at 240 East 86th Street near Second
Avenue. Some of those who attended her talk were her friends, including
former Gov. Hugh L. Carey and the Manhattan district attorney, Robert
M. Morgenthau, whose grandfather, Henry Morgenthau, was the ambassador
to the Ottoman Empire from 1913 to 1916.

"Someone in the middle of the back of the room stood up and said,
‘That’s not so,’ " Ms. Ahnert said. "Five or six men started to pass
out fliers of denial. I thought, oh, my goodness sakes, it’s like
Holocaust deniers. I was completely taken aback."

Mary Occhino, who was in the audience, said some of the people were
shouting, "This is a lie, this is a lie, this never happened."

"I got up and said, ‘Enough,’ " said Ms. Occhino, the host of a
call-in program on Sirius satellite radio. "Her mother lived through
the genocide – that’s all she said. They said, ‘That’s a lie, that’s
a lie, that never happened.’ But this story is not about genocide,
it’s about a mother’s love for her daughter."

The man who was arrested, identified by the police as Erdem Sahin,
41, a Turkish immigrant who lives on Staten Island, was charged with
resisting arrest, a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail,
and faces lesser charges including disorderly conduct.

At a hearing yesterday in Manhattan Criminal Court, Judge Rita Mella
adjourned the charges in contemplation of dismissal, meaning that the
case will be dropped in six months if Mr. Sahin is not arrested again.

Mr. Sahin said later yesterday that he and the other protesters were
angry that France had "made it illegal to say there was no genocide."

The French National Assembly approved such legislation last fall.

"We realize that if we don’t do something, we will soon have no
rights," he said. "We are fighting for freedom of speech."

When asked about his views on the Armenian genocide, he said,
"Honestly, I’m not a historian, but historians say there is no
genocide."

The subject is taboo in Turkey, and in recent years, Turkish
writers who have referred to the genocide have faced reprisal. A
legal claim against the novelist Elif Shafak was dropped last fall,
but she cut short a six-city American tour promoting her sixth novel,
"The Bastard of Istanbul." Orhan Pamuk, who won the 2006 Nobel Prize
in literature, was also sued by a nationalist group for referring
to the genocide in a Swiss interview, and in January, Hrant Dink,
a newspaper editor who had challenged the official Turkish version
of the genocide, was fatally shot as he left his office in Istanbul.

A spokeswoman for the Barnes & Noble chain said it was unusual for a
reading to be disrupted. Passing out pamphlets violated the company’s
no-solicitation policy, she said, adding: "They were asked to stop
passing out leaflets. They refused. They were jeering the author.

They were asked to sit down and they refused." That was when the
police were called, she said.

Ms. Ahnert said she had appeared on college campuses and at a literary
festival in Florida without any problems. "This is something I hope
I don’t have to look forward to," she said.

LACK OF INVESTMENTS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SECTOR CONDITIONED BY HIGH RISKINESS OF ARMENIA

Noyan Tapan
May 02 2007

YEREVAN, MAY 2, NOYAN TAPAN. The first Armenian high-tech congress
"Armtech 2007" to be held in San Francisco on July 4-7 provides an
exceptional chance to present Armenia’s IT opportunities in the famous
Silicon Valley, as well as to promote investments and exports of IT
production and services.

Director of the Armenian Development Agency (ADA) Vahagn Movsisian
stated this at the May 2 meeting.

According to him, in addition to the major speeches and business
meetings, an exhibition with the participation of about 50 Armenian
companies will be organized during the congress. V. Movsisian expressed
confidence that organization of such congresses will have a continuous
character.

Speaking about the current problems in Armenia’s high-tech sector,
Tony Moroyan – Chairman of Viasphere International company, the main
US initiator-organizer of Armtech 2007, noted that the lack of private
investments in this sector is mainly conditioned by high reskiness
of Armenia. "Achievements in the IT sector would be more tangible in
case of solving the problem of training qualified IT experts in line
with market requirements," he said.

ELDAR MAHMUDOV REQUESTS UN OFFICE TO HELP RELEASE ARMENIAN-CAPTURED AZERBAIJANI SOLDIER

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
May 2 2007

Azerbaijan’s National Security Minister, chairman of the State
Committee for Prisoners of War, Hostages, and Missing Persons Eldar
Mahmudov raised an issue at UN office in Azerbaijan on release of
Azerbaijani soldier Samir Mammadov, who has been captured by Armenians.

The State Committee told the APA Mr. Mahmudov at the meeting with UN
Resident Coordinator for Azerbaijan Bruno Pouezat yesterday asked to
help release of the captured Azeri soldier.

Yesterday Samir Mammadov’s parents have met with the minister and
asked him to help release their son.

THE BASKET OF GOODS IS AN INDEX OF LIVING STANDARD …

Press Service of the Government of NKR
02-05-2007 11:00:46 – KarabakhOpen

Though pension rates grew from year to year and allotments to social
sphere from the state budget are reflected in impressive figures,
nevertheless a pensioner, burdened with cares, can hardly notice
changes for the best in his status because of the parallel market
price growth. "This reality, naturally, can’t stay out of authorities’
sight and up today remains troubling and of paramount importance,"-
Vasili Atajanyan the Social Welfare Minister expressed his view point,
during the conversation calling things by their proper names.

In the Minister’s conviction it does not matter how impressive
the means of the state budget assigned to the sphere are, yet some
definite time is needed for the problem to be fully settled as "the
number of pensioners in the Republic is large" (it varies about 30-32
thousand persons). At the same time V.Atajanyan considers that in
case the tempo of the state budget as well as the tempo of social
development is preserved, then in 2-3 years preconditions for the
minimum basket of goods creating will be provided and the living
standards of pensioners and other privileged groups of population.

Some social assignments are increased by 25 %. The sum allocated from
the state budget to our Ministry, pension fund and the department
for migration, refugees and resettlement forms 6 milliard 200 million
drams, which makes up 15% of the Republic’s state budget.

In connection with the holidays the disabled veterans of Artsakh war
receive 10.000 drams instead of 7.000. Three times a year financial
aid is allocated to the families of participants of Patriotic war
perished soldiers.

Alongside with financial aid they also get other state assignments.

>>From the current year the inhabitants of the repopulated Shahoumian
and Kahsatagh regions are recompensed against the used electricity
(60 kwh per person monthly) and firewood (1.5 cubic meters per year).

In Shahoumian region the process is already in progress, but in
Kashatagh region it is a little bit delayed because of belated lists,
which is conditioned by the community’s remoteness and population size.

The Government has a special developed program, according to which in
"Artsakhbank" a purposeful deposit is opened i.e. a 700 $ deposit is
opened for the third child and for the 10 th and more children 3.000
$. For the families having 6 under age children the Government builds
a house and every year 25 such families celebrate house-warming.

By the Government resolution orphan children over 18 year of age are
rendered a one-room flat. Alongside with the changes for the better
the Minister considers it negative that for the birth of the third
and the following child one time grant is paid in Armenia but in
the NKR the previous size of the sum still remains unchangeable. Mr
Atajanyan expressed confidence that the cash benefit size will be
soon increased and the number of births in young families will grow.

Assyrian International News Agency
Investigator Accuses Turkey of Tampering With Assyrian Mass Grave
Posted GMT 4-27-2007 14:55:34

Istanbul — An investigation to clarify conflicting claims about the origins
of a mass grave found near the city of Mardin last year in Turkey’s
southeast ended in disappointment this week as historians traded accusations
and a Swedish expert denounced the excavation as an "expensive picnic."
The grave first came to light last October when villagers in the district of
Nusaybin reported that they had found a mass grave near the village of Kuru.
Turkish historians insisted that the grave dated back to Roman times while
some Westerners claimed it could be a mass burial site of Armenians, killed
around 1915 in a series of massacres that remain the subject of red hot
controversy today.
After the weekly news magazine Nokta published photos of the site and
international news agencies picked up the story, Sweden’s Soderton
University demanded an investigation.
Refusing collaboration:
Professor David Gaunt of Soderton, accompanied by Yusuf Halaçoglu, the
President of the Turkish Association of Historians (TTK), arrived at the
burial site together last Tuesday, April 24. The date is a symbolic day for
Armenians who commemorate "genocide" on that day, a characterization
disputed by most Turkish and many international scholars.
On examining the grave, Gaunt refused to collaborate with the Turkish
historians. It had been tampered with since it was first uncovered, making
it impossible to conclusively establish its origins or the circumstances of
the human remains.
"I have some photos of the grave, dating back to October, when it was first
found," Gaunt told the Turkish Daily News yesterday. "But the place I saw
was totally different from the photos."If proving that the grave is not
evidence of Armenian claims, it should have had serious protection, he said.
However, it is "full of mud.""My impression is that this grave is one in
which no scientific research can be carried out. The grave has undergone
numerous changes so it is unrecognizable," he said.
Soil sample conflict:
The Turkish Association’s Halaçoglu, however, said in response that no bones
were removed from the place and that the change was due to natural factors
such as rain. Gaunt in turn rejected that explanation, saying if indeed
scientific standards of protection were used "then it could not have been
affected by rain or anything else."The aim of this visit was to make a
preliminary survey to establish whether the site is suitable for
interdisciplinary investigations in the future by forensic medical experts,
archaeologists, physical anthropologists and historians. If such a decision
was taken, forensic experts would be engaged to assist the Turkish
Historical Society and the Institute for Historical Justice and
Reconciliation in their work.Noting that Roman pantheons have their own
entrance, which was closed in the grave, Halaçoglu emphasized that the grave
represents a typical Roman burial site.
It could not be a site, in his view, of alleged Armenian victims at the
hands of the Ottoman Empire. He also chastised Gaunt for flippancy, saying
if he is sincere about investigating genocide claims, he should have taken
soil samples that could prove the history of the bones. He also recalled
that Turkey has made an official proposal to Armenia to set up a joint
commission of historians to study such disputed events and all sides should
conduct their work impartially.Such impartiality is now impossible, an angry
Gaunt argued: "They gave me a shovel to dig and get some soil and some
little bones, which were impossible to work on and reach any scientific
conclusion. It is an archeological site. The process should continue slowly
and gently," he said "That was when I realized it was impossible to reach
any scientific conclusion. Why should I get soil samples? What happened to
those bones that are the real source for forensic research?"It could well be
a Roman grave, he said, but the point was to examine the remains of 38
bodies there and that is now difficult if not impossible."Our intention was
to understand how they got there, but I have heard that they were removed. I
cannot accept the claim that mud filled the grave naturally," Gaunt
explained.
Understanding the exact date:
David Gaunt also said it is scientifically impossible to understand the
exact date from the bones. "It is not possible to say the exact date with
scientific and chemical examinations. One can only merge the scientific
outcomes with the stories of the local people. Then maybe one may have an
answer close to reality."
Sait Yildiz, a Syriac local of Mardin, said Halaçoglu accused him of
manipulating reality and misinforming the media. Yildiz was at the site with
Gaunt and Halaçoglu the first time they went into the grave. "I was carrying
the photographs taken at that time," Yildiz said. "A villager came to me,
looked at the photos and confirmed that the grave looked like this the first
time he discovered it," he added, explaining that villager was the one who
first found the grave and reported it to the authorities.
The Swedish professor expressed his disillusionment, describing what
happened as "childish."
"This is the most expensive picnic I have ever attended," concluded the
professor.
By Onur Burçak Belli
Turkish Daily News
Emre Çaliskan contributed to this story.

Members of Congress mark 92nd anniversary of Armenian Genocide in floor
speeches

Arminfo
2007-04-28 13:19:00

Senators and Representatives joined Armenians around the world this
week in commemorating the 92nd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide
in statements on the floors of their respective chambers of Congress,
reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)

A major theme in their remarks was the importance of helping to
end U.S. complicity in Turkey’s continued campaign of Genocide
denial by passing the Armenian Genocide Resolution (S.Res.106
and H.Res.106). Several called specifically for decisive U.S. and
international action to end the genocide currently taking place in
Darfur, noting that Turkey’s ability to commit genocide with impunity
has set a dangerous precedent that has encouraged other genocides.

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) "In order for democracy and human rights to
flourish, we must not support efforts to rewrite and deny history. In
the United States, we strive to make human rights a fundamental
component of our democracy. It is long overdue for our nation to demand
that the truth be told. We must recognize the Armenian genocide in
the name of democracy, fairness and human rights … It is important
that we recognize the Armenian genocide while its survivors are still
with us to tell their stories. We must recognize the genocide for the
survivors. We must recognize the genocide because it is the right
thing to do. We must recognize the Armenian genocide to help shed
light on the darkness and move toward a more humane world."

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) "California is home to many of the
descendants of the genocide’s survivors, who immigrated to the United
States and, over the course of a few decades, built strong and vibrant
communities. Working closely with the Armenian – American community
over my many years in public service, I know how alive and painful this
issue continues to be for many Armenian Americans… Let there be no
mistake. The ongoing genocide in Darfur, carried out by the Government
of Sudan and its Janjaweed militias, traces its roots to the silence
and quiescence of the international community during previous episodes
of genocide and ethnic cleansing, including the Armenian genocide."

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) "Because I believe we cannot prevent
future genocide unless we recognize past genocide, I am a sponsor of
Senate Resolution 106, which calls upon the President to ensure that
this Nation’s foreign policy reflects appropriate understanding and
sensitivity concerning human rights, ethnic cleansing, and genocide
documented in the U.S. record relating to the Armenian genocide… As
many as one and a half million Armenians lost their lives during this
systematic campaign of ethnic cleansing conducted in Turkey while the
world was preoccupied by the First World War and its aftermath. That
the major powers, including the United States, did not prevent
or intervene at any point to stop this killing represents one of
twentieth century’s ugliest stains on humanity." Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI)
"Today, as a proud supporter of S. Res 106, legislation officially
recognizing the Armenian genocide , I urge the President to ensure
that the foreign policy of the United States reflects appropriate
understanding and sensitivity concerning issues related to human
rights, ethnic cleansing, and genocide documented in the U.S. record
relating to the Armenian genocide . Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., stated
over 50 years after the Armenian genocide that: ‘Injustice anywhere
is a threat to justice everywhere… Whatever affects one directly,
affects all indirectly.’ The time has come to officially recognize the
Armenian genocide… Menk panav chenk mornar. We will never forget."