Author: Nahapetian Samvel

PRESS OFFICE
Department of Communications
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 160; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

February 6, 2007
___________________

DIOCESAN COUNCIL ALLOTS $35,000 TO ACYOA

At their regular bi-monthly meeting on Saturday, January 27, 2007, at the
St. Nersess Seminary in New Rochelle, New York, the Central Council of the
Armenian Church Youth Organization of America announced an unprecedented
grant of $35,000 from the Diocesan Council.

The money will be used to subsidize the Diocese’s young adult ministry
programming. Along with the funds, the Diocesan Council also expressed
appreciation for the ACYOA’s assistance with the phone calling campaign
during the 2006 Archbishop’s Annual Appeal.

"The Council is most appreciative of the role that the ACYOA and its Central
Council has played in this year’s Primate’s Appeal," wrote Diocesan Council
Treasurer James Kalustian in a letter to ACYOA Chair Greg Andonian. "The
members and leadership of the ACYOA have more than met your commitment and
it has made a big difference. Your dedication, hard work and commitment are
examples for all of us."

The youth of the church were asked to take an active part in the 2007
Archbishop’s Annual Appeal by Dr. Sam Mikaelian, who spearheaded the
campaign and had seen other organizations use young leaders to successfully
help with fundraising.

"I thought we should give it a try. So, we gathered together a few young
people from various regions, did a one-day training workshop, and the
results were wonderful," he said. "While we’re not able to isolate and
identify exactly how much was raised through the telephone campaign, we know
that we exceeded our overall goal. I have no doubt that these young people
played an important role in our success."

FUNDING ANNUAL PROJECTS

The ACYOA plans to use the money to fund three crucial annual initiatives:
the Armenia Service Program (ASP), which takes place every summer; the ACYOA
National Young Adult Leadership Conference, which takes place during Lent;
and ACYOA Regional Conferences, usually held in the fall.

The ASP is one of the most life-changing programs offered by the ACYOA.
Each summer, about 25 young adults travel to Armenia through the ASP trip.
They go not as tourists, but as Christians putting their faith into action
through service projects. This year the participants will work at a
children’s camp in Vanadzor. The result of the trip is usually the same:
The experience deepens participants’ connection to the homeland and enriches
their lives greatly.

For the past eight years, young people from throughout the Diocese have
participated in the annual Leadership Conference, a weekend which includes
leadership training, Christian education, spiritual growth, and fellowship.
The ACYOA does not charge participants for the conference, and the
additional funding will enable more young leaders to attend, especially
those who will need to travel by air.

While the Leadership Conference is critical on a national level, the ACYOA
Regional Conferences are crucial in the organization’s grass-roots
campaigns. They provide for a meaningful "think tank" setting in which
young Armenians to gather together in with others in their area to think,
talk, and delve into their faith. These conferences can be very costly, and
the grant will help relieve parishes’ expenses in sending delegates.

"Thanks in large measure to the efforts of our Primate, Archbishop Khajag
Barsamian, the quality and quantity of our programs have improved greatly.
He has listened to us, encouraged us, supported us and spent time with us —
and so has the Diocesan Council," said ACYOA Chair Andonian, who noted that
different members of the Council attended all the ACYOA meetings last year.
"That’s really something. We were glad to put our fundraising campaign on
hold to help with the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal, but we never thought we’d
receive this kind of gift. The council will ensure that this contribution
will be utilized effectively and efficiently to maximize the strengthening
of the ACYOA in the lives of it’s members."

— 2/6/06

E-mail photos available on request. Photos also viewable in the News and
Events section of the Eastern Diocese’s website,

PHOTO CAPTION (1): The ACYOA Central Council, joined by ACYOA Executive
Secretary Nancy Basmajian, following their meeting at the St. Nersess
Seminary in New Rochelle, New York, on January 27, 2007, during which it was
announced that they will receive a $35,000 grant from the Diocesan Council
to strengthen Diocesan programming for young adults.

# # #

CLAIMANT WON COURT ACTION AGAINST "PAKAGITS" NEWSPAPER’S OWNER PROTESTS AGAINST INACTIVITY OF SERVICE OF COMPULSORY EXECUTION OF JUDICIAL ACTS

Noyan Tapan
Feb 07 2007

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 7, NOYAN TAPAN. The Service of Compulsory Execution
of Judicial Acts has not implemented any action for more than a month
in the direction of confiscating the property of the "Agap-Hrat"
LTD, the owner of the "Pakagits" (bracket) newspaper, according
to the court decision. Nerses Haroutiunian, the representative,
attorney of the claimant side stated about it at the February 6
press conference. In his words, the reason of the SCEJA inactivity
is inappropriate politicisation of the case by the "Agap-Hrat" LTD.

According to the contract on services singed between the "Agap-Hrat"
LTD and Daniel Tanian in 2004, the latter was obliged to give necessary
sum of money and territory to the company during a year, to pay for
all municipal services, etc.

The "Agap-Hrat" LTD in its turn was obliged to pay about 700 thousand
drams (about 1.9 U.S. dollars) monthly for those services. The
contract was ahead of time annulled on the initiative of the LTD,
the debt of the company made 7.35 mln drams which was not paid off,
and D.Tanian addressed to the court.

During the court examination he passed his right of demandant to
Martun Ivanian.

The claim was upheld by the Court of First Instance of the communities
of Erebuni-Nubarashen on December 14, 2006, the total sum of which,
joint with penalties, made 9.48 mln drams. The decision of the
Court of First Instance was not appealed by the respondent, and
the court verdict came into force in late January of this year. In
N.Haroutiunian’s words, though the company heads attempt to give
political implication to the case, it is simply of economic character
and has no relation with any party. In his words, Agapi Manukian,
the owner of the "Agap-Hrat" LTD attempts to avoid fulfillment of her
obligations by policizing the case. N.Haroutiunian mentioned that the
claimant side either will address to the court with a claim relating
to the SCEJA inactivity or will present an appeal relating to not
implementing the court verdict to the Prosecutor’s Office.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE CHIEF FIRED IN TURKEY DURING INVESTIGATION OF HRANT DINK’S MURDER

Pravda, Russia
Feb 6 2007

Turkey’s government has removed the police intelligence chief of
Istanbul as part of an investigation into the killing of an ethnic
Armenian journalist in the city last month, for reportedly ignoring
a tip about the planned attack one year ago, newspapers said Tuesday.

The Interior Ministry suspended intelligence chief Ahmet Ilhan Guler
on Monday evening following the Jan. 19 killing of Hrant Dink. The
52-year-old journalist had angered Turkish nationalists with repeated
assertions that the mass killings of Armenians around the time of
World War I was genocide, the AP reports.

Daily Sabah newspaper reported on Tuesday reported that Guler was
suspended for not reporting a tip to his superiors which came 11
months before the deadly attack.

More than 100,000 people marched at Dink’s funeral, many of them
chanting for Turkey to abolish a repressive article in the penal code
used against many intellectuals, including Dink, who spoke openly on
controversial topics.

It is a crime to insult Turkey or the Turkish national character.

Turkey’s government pledged an investigation "at full speed" into
Dink’s killing and his government removed the governor and police chief
of Trabzon, the city on the Black Sea coast that is home to suspects
in the murder. Several other police officers were also suspended for
posing with the 17-year-old killer after his capture in the Black
Sea port city of Samsun.

DEATH-RATE GROWS IN SYUNIK REGION

Noyan Tapan
Feb 06 2007

KAPAN, FEBRUARY 6, NOYAN TAPAN. 1658 births were registered in 2006 in
Syunik marz, 602 out of them in Kapan, 527 in Goris, 367 in Sisian,
162 in Meghri regions. In 2006 as compared with 2005 the number of
births in the region increased by 2, while as compared with 2004 it
decreased by 28. As compared with the previous year, a 12% and 19%
growth of number of births was registered in 2006 in Kapan and Meghri
regions and a 16% and 13% fall in Goris and Sisian, respectively.

Death-rate grew in 2006 in Syunik marz as compared with the previous
two years and made 1339 cases (in 2005 1217, in 2004 1210).

MICHAEL WINSHIP: WHEN BUSH COMES TO SHOVE, RECESS APPOINTMENTS

BuzzFlash, IL
Feb 6 2007

A Buzzflash Guest Contribution
by Michael Winship

Warren Bell is a funny guy. He has worked on television sitcoms like
"Coach" and "According to Jim," starring Jim Belushi. Nevertheless,
Warren Bell is a funny guy.

He wrote what he thought were entertaining but decidedly politically
incorrect musings on the Web site of the conservative journal National
Review. In one, he made a crack about Nancy Pelosi leaving a stain
on his shirt, for which he has since apologized.

In another entry, he declared, "I am thoroughly conservative in ways
that strike horror into the hearts of my Hollywood colleagues… I
support a woman’s right to choose what movie we should see, but not
that other one. I am on the Right in every way." Other submissions
have a similar, poke-in-the-eye-with-a-blunt-stick attitude.

Whether this qualifies Warren Bell for membership on the board of the
Corporation for Public Broadcasting is debatable at best. No matter.

He has TV experience, gave a few thousand bucks to Republican
candidates, including George W. Bush, and the president saw fit
to appoint him to the board, even though Bell confessed he wasn’t
conversant with public broadcasting’s programming, favoring sports
radio over NPR.

National Public Radio’s understandably peevish response: "As far as
we can tell," spokeswoman Andi Sporkin said, "Mr. Bell only brings
a history of questionable comments about women, minorities, and
the media, and no discernible relevant achievement, involvement,
or commitment to public broadcasting."

Yet despite concerns that he’ll be another right-winger along the
lines of Ken Tomlinson, the former CPB chair who resigned last year
after revelations of partisan abuse of his position, Bell says he’ll
do an okay job. He told the Los Angeles Times, "I’m not an ideologue
and I’m certainly not Ken Tomlinson. I’m not on a crusade, except to
make PBS a really great network for people to watch." Okay, Warren.

We’ll be watching you, too.

But that’s not the point. Last summer, noting his lack of
qualifications, the Senate Commerce Committee opted not to consider
Bell’s nomination. So Bush waited until over the holidays, when
Congress was out of session, and named Bell to the board anyway — a
recess appointment that will be in place until the current session of
Congress ends. California Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer said, "The
American people made clear on November 7 they wanted bipartisanship
from their government, and President Bush once again chose to ignore
the concerns of the Senate instead of choosing a consensus nominee."

Presidents have been making recess appointments since George
Washington. The power’s right there in the Constitution — Article
II, Section 2 — "The President shall have Power to fill up all
Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting
Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session."

Our current president takes advantage of this perk a lot. Most of his
recess appointments have been for political and ideological advantage,
not — as was the Constitution’s intent — to fill positions essential
to the efficient running of government when there were long gaps
between sessions of Congress. Such was the case in pre-airplane and
air conditioning days, when travel was slow and the malarial heat
of DC shut down the capital for months. Today, President Bush uses
it to circumvent the balance of power, preventing the Senate from
exercising its right of advice and consent, pushing and shoving his
choices into office.

John Bolton’s tenure as ambassador to the United Nations is the
most notorious example, but how about Richard Stickler, a former
coal company executive who is head of the Mine Safety and Health
Administration? The Senate held up his appointment because, from 1989
to 1996, the injury rates at mines under his corporate management
were double the national average.

In October, the president granted Stickler a recess appointment.

According to the AFL-CIO, "Last year was the deadliest year for U.S.

coal miners since 1996, with 47 deaths — a 210 percent increase from
2005." That includes the 12 killed at the Sago Mine in West Virginia
a year ago. Stickler promises stricter enforcement and more mine
inspectors. We’re watching you as well, sir.

Then there’s Wayne Beyer, a Republican lawyer appointed to the Federal
Labor Relations Authority. The FLRA mediates management-labor disputes
involving the one million union members employed by the Federal
government (not including Postal Service employees). There are supposed
to be three members of the FLRA, two Republicans and one Democrat.

The Democratic slot is vacant but Bush refuses to name a replacement.

Meanwhile, on the same day as the Warren Bell CPB announcement,
the president recess-appointed Wayne Beyer to the FLRA. So now there
are two Republicans running the agency with no Democrat to challenge
their decision-making. It’s all legal.

There are others. Among them, Julie Myers, head of the Immigration
and Customs Enforcement Agency (successor to the Immigration and
Naturalization Service), whose lack of qualifications remains
controversial — she was assistant secretary for exports at the
Commerce Department, where she oversaw a staff of 170. Now she’s in
charge of more than 15,000.

And Ellen Sauerbrey, former U.S. representative to the UN Commission
on the Status of Women, whose right-to-life positions made her a
divisive recess appointment for the post of assistant secretary of
state for population, refugees, and migration.

The next Senate recess comes February 19, when there’s a weeklong
break for the Presidents Day holiday. Many anticipate the possibility
of at least two more controversial recess appointments.

The president may appoint Richard Hoagland ambassador to Armenia. The
nomination has been held up in the Senate by New Jersey Democratic
Senator Robert Menendez because of the administration’s and Hoagland’s
reluctance to classify the World War I-era killing of as many as one
million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire as genocide, a classification
the current Turkish government officially rejects.

President Bush may also name Susan Dudley head of the regulatory
office of the White House Office of Management and Budget, a position
described by Frank O’Donnell, president of Clean Air Watch as "one
of the most obscure yet powerful jobs in Washington."

In the online, public interest journal TomPaine.com, O’Donnell wrote,
"The person in this position can, largely without public scrutiny,
interfere with actions of agencies such as the Environmental Protection
Agency, and become a conduit for industries seeking to avoid federal
health, environmental, and safety standards.

"These industries couldn’t have picked a better champion than Dudley,
a true anti-regulatory zealot. As director of regulatory studies at the
industry-funded Mercatus Center, Dudley was like a wrecking ball out to
smash key safeguards. She opposed, for example, EPA attempts to reduce
smog, clean up gasoline, and keep arsenic out of drinking water…

"Putting Dudley in this key federal post would be like naming comedian
Michael Richards to head the U.S. Civil Rights Commission."

In other words, because of actions such as Bush administration recess
appointments, the clowns are running the circus.

++++++++ Over the last year, three great women of Texas have died:
former Governor Ann Richards, columnist Molly Ivins, and my mom.

Molly died last week and there’s nothing I can add to the justly
merited encomiums of praise. The final, brief conversation I had
with her was in the weeks just before my mother, Amanda Frances
Forrester Winship, passed. Knowing my mother hailed from the town
of Belton, Molly said, by way of benediction, I think, "Your mom —
she’s REAL Texas."

Molly Ivins was real Texas, too, and real just about everything
else; genuine in her liberal convictions, wickedly funny, vivid,
an inspiration to everyone who ascribes to Mr. Dooley’s famous
description of journalism’s purpose as afflicting the comfortable and
comforting the afflicted. All of us must act, Molly said, because,
"Politics is not a picture on a wall or a television sitcom that you
can decide you don’t much care for."

She was very much a role model for this column and if I ever get even
remotely proximate to her wisdom, generosity, patriotism, wit, and
class, I will die a happy man. God bless Molly Ivins. Raise more hell.

A BUZZFLASH GUEST CONTRIBUTION

Michael Winship, Writers Guild of America Award winner and former
writer with Bill Moyers, writes this weekly column for the Messenger
Post Newspapers in upstate New York.

ors/769

EU FINDS THE PARTICIPATION OF NKR IN THE NEGOTIATIONS IMPORTANT

A1+
[06:35 pm] 05 February, 2007

During the 9th session of the EU-Armenia Parliamentary cooperation
committee which took place in Brussels a resolution was adopted
which found the organization of the upcoming Parliamentary elections
in compliance with the European standards extremely important. In
this context the resolution also finds freedom of press important
and called on the authorities to investigate the cases of violation
against journalists.

By the same decree, "strong and sincere opposition" was mentioned as
an important precondition for the realization of democracy, said head
of the EU-Armenia Parliamentary cooperation Armen Rustamyan.

As for the settlement of the Karabakh conflict, the resolution states
that the settlement of the issue must presuppose an agreement on the
status of Karabakh, the involvement of Karabakh in the negotiation
process, and enhancement of democracy in the NKR.

"Zerkalo": Pro-Armenian US Congressmen to Gather Points by Preparing Draft Bill on Recognition of "Genocide of Armenians"

Ïðaâî Âûaîða, Azerbaijan
Democratic Azerbaijan
Feb 5 2007

US Congressmen, elected to the Congress from districts, where
Armenians make up majority of population, wish to increase their
rate by raising the issue on recognition of so-called "genocide of
Armenians" in legislative authority of the country. Head of information
policy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, Tair Tagizade,
declared it for "Trend" on commenting presentation of draft bill by
a group of pro-Armenian congressmen. US political system is built on
such initiative, diplomat holds.

Azerbaijani political scientists expressed their positions in this
respect. Political scientist, Vafa Guluzade, thinks that adoption of
draft bill on official recognition of so-called "Armenian genocide"
prepared and presented to US Congress by pro-Armenian congressmen is
unreal. Accordingly to him, USA pursues the policy of destruction of
regional states on Middle East, Iraq is destructed, and Afghanistan’s
case will be considered later on. Thus, Turkey is the only largest
Muslim state of the region, and USA is making grounds now to hit
Turkey, he declared. It is impossible to differently evaluate such
hostile act towards one of NATO member-state – its allies, political
scientist thinks.

Accordingly to V. Guluzade the issue of so-called "genocide" should
be sent to scientists, but not to American Congress for consideration
and it has nothing in common with Turkey of today.

Accordingly to political scientist, Rasim Musabekov, the probability of
adoption of draft bill on official recognition of so-called "Armenian
genocide" by US Congress is very high now, bearing in mind the fact
that administration is not represented as majority either in House
of Representatives or Senate. He didn’t rule out that this attempt
may turn to be more successful for pro-Armenian congressmen.

At the same time political scientist holds that US administration has
resources to carry out work and explain what consequences may raise
out of current situation.

–Boundary_(ID_EUj1utXGYfjrhdGrAvkFzw) —

NEXT DEMONSTRATION IN DEFENCE OF ZHIRAYR SEFILIAN AND VARDAN
MALKHASIAN HELD IN YEREVAN

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 2, NOYAN TAPAN. "The main goal of the "Armenian
Volunteers’ Unity" public initiative is to prevent the reproduction of
the present immoral, illegal and anti-national regime." Samvel
Haroutiunian, a member of the initiative made such a statement during
the February 2 demonstration of complaint organized in defence of
Zhirayr Sefilian, the organization coordinator, commander of the
Shoushi special battalion, and Vardan Malkhasian, a member of the
"Hayrenik u Pativ" (Fatherland and Honour) party political council.

As Zh.Sefilian’s brother, Toros Sefilian mentioned in the interview
with journalists, the reason for the "Armenian Volunteers’ Unity"
coordinator’s arrest are the coming parliamentary elections, control
of holding of which Zh.Sefilian intended to organize to stop their
falsification as much as possible.

RTE.ie, Ireland
Feb 2 2007

Turkey probes Dink murder suspect footage
Friday, 2 February 2007 16:26

An investigation has been launched after it emerged that the
17-year-old charged with the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist
Hrant Dink had posed for ‘souvenir pictures’ with Turkish police
officers after his arrest.

Film footage and photos, which were leaked to the media, show Ogun
Samast, who has confessed to the murder, displaying a Turkish flag
while flanked by members of Turkish security forces.

The images were taken at the anti-terrorism department in the
northern city of Samsun, where Mr Samast was being held.

AdvertisementIt apparently highlights a certain level of sympathy
within the Turkish security forces for the 17-year-old’s alleged
ultra-nationalist motives.

It is understood that eight police officers have since been
dismissed.

Opposition to genocide claims

Mr Dink, one of Turkey’s most prominent ethnic Armenians, had faced
severe opposition in Turkey for saying that the massacre of Armenians
under the Ottoman Empire amounted to genocide.

Last year, he was given a six-month suspended sentence for insulting
‘Turkishness’.

Police are already facing allegations that they had received a
tip-off last year about a plot to kill Mr Dink but did not follow it
up and failed to provide special police protection.

Mr Samast and seven others remain in custody in connection wiht the
murder.

NATO supports the activity of the OSCE Minsk Group

ArmRadio.am
01.02.2007 10:21

NATO supports the peaceful settlement of all conflicts in the South
Caucasus, NATO Special Envoy for the Caucasus and Central Asia Robert
Simmons said in an interview with APA agency.

In his words, the countries of the region should use corresponding
structures to find solutions to the existing conflicts on their
own. NATO supports the OSCE Minsk Group, and especially the efforts
the Co-Chairs are applying for the peaceful resolution of the
conflict. We welcome the progress achieved during the meetings of the
Foreign Ministers and Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan. However,
we have been always mentioning that in this case NATO does not play an
immediate role that could somehow hang up the direct talks between the
countries or the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs.