Author: Nalbandian Albert

BOMB SCARE AT STATE REVENUE COMMITTEE BUILDING A HOAX

2010/02/25 | 15:17

society

Units of the National Security Service and Ministry of Defense have
declared that the bomb scare which prompted the evacuation of the
State Revenue Committee building earlier today to be a hoax.

An unidentified caller had contacted the RoA Police at 11:36 a.m.,
claiming that a bomb had been placed in the building and was timed to
go off at 1 p.m. A bomb disposal squad made a search of the premises
and came up empty-handed.

AZERBAIJANI "MYTH"

/2010/02/25/mid-nkr
07:36 pm | February 25, 2010

Official

The anti-Armenian campaign in connection with the regular anniversary
of the tragic events in the settlement of Khojaly, which has set
everybody’s teeth on edge for a long time, has gained an unprecedented
scope this year in Azerbaijan. In connection with the insinuations of
official Baku, the Press Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic considers it necessary to remind
that a military operation was organized on February 25-26, 1992
with the aim of unblocking the only airport in the Republic situated
near the settlement of Khojaly and neutralizing the fire-points of
the enemy just in Khojaly, from where, beginning from spring 1991,
the settlements of Nagorno Karabakh were regularly attacked by
the Azerbaijani OMON-members and exposed to artillery bombardment,
including from "Grad" rocket launchers – weapon of mass destruction
(WMD) prohibited by numerous international conventions.

Fulfilling a vital goal for the Karabakh people, the units of the
NKR self-defense forces, attacking Khojaly, provided a corridor
for the civilians’ safe leaving the military activities zone, about
which the Azerbaijani party was informed beforehand. This fact was
repeatedly confirmed by the Azerbaijani officials, in particular, the
then President Ayaz Mutalibov. But, the Azerbaijani authorities made
nothing for the peaceful population’s withdrawal from the military
activities area. Moreover, a column of civilians was shot down at the
approaches to the Aghdam region’s border, which was later confirmed by
Mutalibov, connecting this criminal act with the opposition’s attempts
to remove him from his position, making him responsible for the events.

The territory, where pictures of numerous corpses were made, is in a
three-kilometer distance from the town of Aghdam and in 11 kilometers
from Khojaly. Up to the summer of 1993, this territory was under
permanent control of the Azerbaijani armed forces, which excluded
any access for the units of the Karabakh self-defense forces.

"The Azerbaijani official propaganda tries to blame Armenians for
the killing of the civil population of Khojaly, but even Azerbaijani
President Mutalibov admitted that "Armenians still provided a corridor
for the civilians’ leaving the place", the Russian Nezavisimaya Gazeta
from April 2, 1992 wrote. Also, Ogonyok journal (#14-15, 1992) noted
that "…the attack of Khojaly wasn’t sudden".

Some details of that military operation are still shrouded in mystery,
which is actively speculated by the Azerbaijani state propagandistic
machine, using various falsifications, forgeries, and obvious lie.

Last year, the NKR MFA drew the public attention to the false photo
placed at some Azerbaijani websites, including the one of a generator
of false ideas – The Heydar Aliyev Fund (). In fact,
the photo related immediately to the events in Kosovo and just as
such, along with numerous others, was introduced at the Serbian,
Albanian, and one of the specialized German forums, at the site of
The New York Times authoritative journal, and others. This year,
new forgeries have been added to the noted one. Thus, about 20 false
photos used by the Azerbaijani party, in particular, those of the
victims of the Kurdish pogroms in Turkey, the victims of the massacre
in Srebrennitsa, and others, were introduced during the February
24 presentation of the project in Yerevan. Besides,
outrageous falsifications were discovered in the lists of the Aghdam
tragedy victims introduced by the Azerbaijani official structures –
embassies, the presidential library, etc. Also, the site provides
video-films about the interrogations of the Turks-Meskhetians,
which testify that despite the Armenian party’s warning of the
Khojaly attack, the Azerbaijani servicemen banned the escape of the
Turks-Meskhetians’ families, which were artificially settled there
by the Azerbaijani authorities.

The Azerbaijani propaganda tries to introduce the betrayal of the
Khojaly civilians by their high-rank compatriots as the Armenians’
revenge for the bloody orgy in Sumgait.

But, the remarks and assessments of the Khojaly events by some
Azerbaijani top officials, human rights activists, and journalists
refute flatly the false thesis of official Baku. Thus, Azerbaijani
human rights activist Arif Yunusov wrote: "The town and its citizens
were deliberately made victims of the political goal – to prevent
the Azerbaijani Popular Front’s coming to power" (Azerbaijani Zerkalo
newspaper, July 1992).

Tamerlan Karayev, in due time Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the
Azerbaijani Republic (now AR Ambassador to India), testified: "The
tragedy was implemented by the Azerbaijani authorities", specifically
"some of the top officials" (Mukhalifat Azerbaijani newspaper, April
28, 1992).

Heydar Aliyev admitted himself that "the former leadership of
Azerbaijan is also guilty" of the Khojaly events. According to
Bilik-Dunyasi Agency, still in April 1992 he expressed a cynically
monstrous idea: "The bloodshed will do good to us. We shouldn’t
interfere in the course of the events". Did the "father" of Azerbaijan
bear the responsibility for these words?

Czech journalist Yana Mazalova who, by the Azerbaijanis’ oversight,
found herself in both groups of the mass media representatives, which
were shown the "corpses defiled by Armenians", noted a sufficient
difference in the latters’ condition. Visiting the field immediately
after the events, Mazalova didn’t see any traces of barbarity on the
corpses. And two days later, the journalists were shown the disfigured
bodies already "prepared" for filming.

The Russian Megalopolis-Express newspaper wrote: "We cannot but admit
that if the Azerbaijani Popular Front had really far-reaching goals,
so it has achieved them. Mutalibov is compromised and dismissed,
the international community is shocked, the Azerbaijanis and the
friendly Turks believed in the so-called "genocide of the Azerbaijani
population in Khojaly".

As it is known, still on February 26, 47 Armenian hostages were kept
in Khojaly, which is deliberately concealed by the Azerbaijani mass
media. After liberating Khojaly, there were only 13 of them (among
them 6 women and a child), while the rest 34 were taken away in an
unknown direction by the Azerbaijanis. So far, there is no information
about there further fate. We only know that they were taken away from
the village in the operation night, but they didn’t enter Aghdam.

It is evident that those who wanted to make a semblance of the corpses’
defilement by Armenians disfigured, first of all, the bodies of the
Armenian hostages in order that they couldn’t be identified.

Just for this purpose, the majority of the corpses were undressed, and
just for this purpose, the victims’ bodies were exposed to outrages,
which changed them out of all recognition.

Proceeding from the abovementioned facts, we can confidently state
that the Azerbaijani party is guilty of the death of the civilians of
Khojaly and the Armenian hostages kept there, and that the Azerbaijani
party committed a monstrous crime against its own people for the sake
of its political intrigues and struggle for power.

It is already obvious for everybody that the "genocide" of Azerbaijanis
in Khojaly is a myth created still by Heydar Aliyev and taken up by his
throne-successor Aliyev-the-junior in order to draw the international
community’s attention away from the massacre of Armenians in Sumgait,
Baku, Kirovabad, and many other populated-by-Armenians settlements,
as well as to conceal the political, humanitarian, military, economic,
and other penal offences of the Azerbaijani leadership against Armenian
civilians and against its own people.

Statement of the NKR MFA press service.

WINTER OLYMPICS: ARMENIA’S BATTLE WITH THE HILL
By Antranig Dereyan

winter-olympics-armenias-battle-with-the-hill/
Feb ruary 25, 2010

Armenian Weekly sports correspondent Antranig Dereyan reports from
Vancouver.

The men’s alpine giant slalom kicked off from Whistler, Creekside
with only the top 30 skiers advancing for a chance at a second run
and a medal.

Austrian skier Marcel Hirscher had the honors of going first and
finished with an impressive time of 1:17.48. (He would finish the day
without a medal). It was the sixth skier, Carlo Janka from Switzerland,
who set the pace with a time of 1:17.27. But with more skiers left
to come, it was too early to crown him the fastest going into run 2
(although he would be the eventual gold medal winner).

The story of the event was the weather and snow conditions. Out of the
102-man field, 14 did not finish, most notably American Bode Miller.

The DNF list also included Armenian Arsen Nersisyan.

As the top skiers began finishing their respective runs, the
conversation on Canadian television turned to why skiers outside the
top ranked were allowed to run. The conclusion: national pride. In
the crowd, flags from non-skiing countries were waving, as spectators
waited for their skiers to go down the hill. In bib 84, Nersisyan saw
nine skiers go down on the track. Before he knew it (Erdinc Turksever
of Turkey in bib 83 fell on a hard turn), he was racing down the hill.

Nersisyan was only four seconds behind Janka coming through the first
turns. Continuing down the hill, he hit the fast part of the track
(a mix of snow and ice, with accumulating snow that made ruts the
skis could get stuck in), lost his balance, and struggled, but his
leg strength allowed him to keep on his skis.

Now eight seconds behind the pace, he went into another turn, his
right and left skis in unison. But as he turned, his skis started to
wobble. Trying to keep it together, he hit one ski on one of the many
piles of snow, and crashed to one side. His run was over.

"Even though Nersisyan crashed, it was a good effort, especially the
way he kept upright the first time," concluded the Canadian announcers.

Those in the crowd aware of the crash applauded the effort. Nersisyan,
obviously disappointed, skied to the side and exited the track.

***

In the women’s giant slalom, the track again became the story. As it
rained in Downtown Vancouver, the snow fell heavily in the mountains.

As the event’s start time neared, the snow and wind were rigorous. For
the skiers, it was like driving a car in a blizzard, with no windshield
wipers to help.

One by one the skiers did their run. It wasn’t until bib 17, with
American Lindsey Vonn’s turn, that the spectators and commentators
watching understood the treacherous conditions.

Coming down the mountain, nearing the mid-point, Vonn lost control of
her direction. Her skis parted and she skied backwards into the fence.

Though she came away with only a broken right middle finger, it was
painful to watch and her accident should have been the end of the
competition for that day-but it wasn’t.

After Vonn’s fall, the snow continued falling and track conditions
worsened. Bib wearing 28, 30, 34, 40, 47, 50, 57, 60, 64, 65, 68,
71, 75, 78, and 82 were all DNF for one reason or another, not seeing
were to turn or how far to take the turn.

Armenian Ani-Matilda Serebrakian, with bib 83, stormed out of the
gate, unafraid of what befell the other skiers before her. Going down
the hill, heading toward the mid-point, she was flawless and looked
like she would qualify for a second run. (Like the men, only the top
30 riders have a second run and a chance to medal.) With her mask,
a coat of snow across, she made her turns, the crowd cheering her on,
and she didn’t appear to have anything stopping her from finishing.

However, with her speed, she came up to a far right turn, and all of
sudden, pulled up, holding her right hand. What happened? She had come
so close to the sty that it had whacked her hand with enormous force,
knocking her out of the race. No injury report was filed from the AOC,
but one AOC official said, "She is fine."

Due to all of the DNF, the second runs were postponed until 9:30 a.m.,
Feb. 25.

This means that both Armenian athletes DNF in their respective alpine
events and only have the slalom left.

Every day is becoming a learning experience for this young team and
when the time comes for the slalom, both Nersisyan and Serebrakian
will know the course better and how to handle the conditions, speed,
turns, and their ski positioning.

The men’s slalom is scheduled to run at 10 a.m., PST time, on Feb. 27.

The women’s slalom is at 10 a.m., PST time, Feb. 26.

SERZH SARGSYAN MET WITH U.S. ASSISTANT SECRETARY PHILIP GORDON

news.am
Feb 25 2010
Armenia

Today, in the course of his visit to Kiev for inauguration ceremony of
Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, RA President Serzh Sargsyan met
with the U.S. Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs
Philip Gordon. The officials discussed issues on Armenia-Turkey
relations’ mending.

Sargsyan restated official Yerevan’s stance on the matter outlining
that Armenia is committed to the principle of reconciliation without
preconditions. Gordon reaffirmed U.S. assistance to the process.

Making a point of Armenia’s constructive stand in normalization of
relations at all stages, he emphasized that Protocols’ ratification
by both Parliaments without linking them with other issues is crucial
to succeed.

The delegation headed by Serzh Sargsyan return in Yerevan today,
Feb. 25.

AZERBAIJAN GAINS FROM TURKISH-ARMENIAN ACCORDS
Leyla Tagiyeva

news.az
Feb 25 2010
Azerbaijan

Vugar Seidov It is Azerbaijan that has gained from the Turkey-Armenia
protocols, not Armenia, according to political scientist Vugar Seidov.

Seidov, who is also the correspondent in Germany for Azerbaijan’s
state-run news agency AzerTAj, disagreed with remarks made yesterday
by Richard Giragosian, director of the Armenian Centre for National
and International Studies.

Seidov accused the Armenian political scientist of trying "to discern
victory in obvious defeat".

Giragosian said that Armenia had gained two specific victories in the
Turkey rapprochement process: the deterioration in relations between
Azerbaijan and Turkey; and the omission of any mention of Karabakh
from the protocols.

He said that Russia, the United States and Europe had told Turkey
that the normalization of relations with Armenia and resolution of
the Karabakh conflict were two separate issues, but Seidov said this
was the other way around.

"Let’s look at what we had before the signing of the protocols and what
we have today. Before the protocols, we had the closed Armenian-Turkish
border, frozen negotiations on the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict,
friendly Azerbaijani-Turkish relations without a clear picture of the
future position of Ankara on the Armenian-Turkish border issue and,
finally, low gas tariffs. Now, let’s see what we have today mostly
thanks to the protocols: the Armenian-Turkish border is still closed;
the Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations have intensified, which is
bothering Yerevan; the fraternal relations between the Azerbaijani
and Turkish people have strengthened, thanks to numerous senior
Turkish officials commenting on the impossibility of opening the
borders without progress in the Karabakh conflict, which was unheard
of before the protocols; and Baku has doubled gas tariffs, which in
turn has forced Ankara to increase its prices.

"Has Azerbaijan benefited? Certainly, it has: the border is closed,
the Karabakh process has intensified, friendship with Turkey whose
leaders started to make promises more frequently than before has
strengthened and gas revenues have grown. Has Turkey lost? It has lost
almost nothing. Moreover, it has boosted its relations with Russia
and raised its role in the South Caucasus, which can be seen in the
discussions of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict between Turkish and
world leaders in Washington, Moscow, Paris and Brussels. Has Armenia
won? I don’t see any dividend. On the contrary, the protocols have
spoiled relations with the diaspora and worsened the split inside
the country, while failing to reach the main goal of opening borders."

The United States, Russia and Europe can deny a link between the
opening of the border and Karabakh, but Turkey’s opinion carries more
weight, as it is Turkey that will open the borders, Seidov said.

IN CHASE OF SOCIAL REVOLT
Naira Hayrumyan

ahos16953.html
17:52:47 – 24/02/2010

About the fact that in Armenia a social revolt is outlined says not
only the Armenian National Congress but also the ARF Dashnaktsutyun
and representatives of other moderate parties. The idea of a social
revolt invaded even the TV air in connection with the planned gas
price growth, but it assumed greater significance "directing" people’s
dissatisfaction to concrete persons and structures.

In reality there is no social protest. There is some dissatisfaction
which various political forces started hunting. The HAK does not hide
that its policy is based on the social protest. But the fact that the
ARF started criticizing the economic policy of the government, which it
has supported so far, means that the party decided to direct the social
dissatisfaction against one person- the premier Tigran Sargsyan. This
way, several issues may be solved simultaneously- to "let" social
steam out not damaging Serge Sargsyan, to use social shocks and
perturbations in the government for a stoppage in the Armenian and
Turkish process and naturally to enhance the political capital.

As to the TV, which began to speak openly about social rebellion,
perhaps it is undoubted that such a policy is regulated by the
presidential administration. Especially if you combine it with leaks
about the emergency of the dismissal of Tigran Sargsyan. Again, a few
problems are solved: the blame for the economic catastrophe is shifted
on Tigran Sargsyan to catalyze the managed protests to prevent a more
powerful natural wave, and the third – in terms of "social rebellion"
to disown the clearly failed Turkey-Armenia and the Karabakh processes.

In higher echelons, other processes are also taking place of a bit
"personal" character: "discussion" between Gagik Tsarukyan and Ruben
Hayrapetyan, quarrel between Hayrapetyan and Sukiasyan, Alik Sargsyan
and Nerses Nazaryan, and a mass of other currents.

Evidently, not a social revolt but a governmental crisis is maturing
in the country. And during crisis, each one will strive to use social
protests in their favor.

PHOTOJOURNALIST REPORTS ANOTHER ATTACK
Ruzanna Stepanian

/1967372.html
24.02.2010

A prominent Armenian photojournalist claimed on Wednesday to have been
verbally abused and attacked by a law-enforcement official outside
of the Office of the Prosecutor-General.

The reported incident took place just before an annual meeting
of Armenia’s state prosecutors that was also attended by top
representatives of the police and other security agencies.

Shamshian told RFE/RL’s Armenian service that the official swore and
repeatedly hit him in the head with a handbag before entering the
prosecutors’ headquarters. He said he was attacked after refusing to
stop taking the man’s pictures.

"I know that individual [by face] because he was present as a
representative of an investigating body at various trials that I
covered," said Shamshian. "But I don’t know his name."

Shamshian informed Prosecutor-General Aghvan Hovsepian about the
incident at a news conference that followed the prosecutors’ meeting.

He wondered if he can formally report it to the law-enforcement agency.

"Not only you can, but I, as prosecutor-general, demand that you
present us with your photo and audio materials so that we can clear up
[the circumstances,]" replied Hovsepian.

Shamshian underwent a medical examination at a hospital in Yerevan
later in the day. Doctors there detected a bleeding injury in his ear.

Shamshian, who mainly works for two pro-opposition newspapers, has a
history of physical abuse at the hands of security officers. He was
also beaten up and hospitalized last March after a row with security
guards at a state-run university in Yerevan.

SEYRAN OHANYAN RECEIVED THE EXPERTS OF THE U.S. AND THE UK

Aysor
Feb 24 2010
Armenia

Today the RA Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan received the experts
of the US and the UK who were in Armenia in the frameworks of the
revision of the military defense processes.

Greeting the guests Seyran Ohanyan mentioned with satisfaction that
the experts have carried out a very vast work.

Touching upon the process of the revision of the military defense
the Minister mentioned that the order of settlement of the works
concerning the component of military process has been affirmed,
which will promote the implementation of the 3rd and 4th stages of
revision of the military defense.

At the end of the meeting the experts have presented the results
of the discussions and meetings, as well as their suggestions and
considerations concerning the revision process, informs the press
and public relations department of the RA Ministry of Defense.

ARMENIA HAS TO FORM NEW GOALS TO OVERCOME NEW CHALLENGES

Arminfo
2010-02-22 09:44:00

ArmInfo. Armenia could avoid drastic consequences of the crisis
due to understanding of the people, as well as supported by the
business-community and active policy of the government, Economy
Minister of Armenia Nerses Yeritsyan said.

"By its scales, this crisis can be compared to the crisis of the period
of the USSR collapse. The influence of the current crisis could have
the same consequences for Armenia as at that time, if the state of
the country’s economy over the years did not change", he said.

According to the minister, the current rates of growth of Armenia’s
economy show that we have to start fighting against new challenges
in the post-crisis period. "It means that we have to form the goals,
regarding the future, to be successful in the conditions of the new
realities of global development. So, we have to draw attention to
the opportunities unused.

ELDAR SABIROGHLU CONFIRMS HIS REPUTATION OF MISINFORMER ONCE AGAIN

ArmInfo
2010-02-19 10:14:00

ArmInfo. The Azerbaijani propaganda disseminated a regular
misinformation, since the information about February 18 skirmish in
the Karabakh conflict zone and death of the Azerbaijani soldiers does
not meet the reality, spokesman of the NKR Defense Army, Lieutenant
Colonel Senor Hasratyan told ArmInfo.

"The NKR Defense Army, unlike the Azerbaijani one, maintains the
cease-fire regime. I can also say that our armed forces did not suffer
any losses. As for the shooting from their side, it is of periodical
nature", he said. In his turn, spokesman of Armenia’s Defense Ministry,
Colonel Seyran Shahsuvaryan told ArmInfo that the Armenian servicemen
did not violate the cease-fire regime on the Armenian-Azerbaijani
border either.

On February 18, Chief of Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry’s press
service Eldar Sabiroghlu told the Azerbaijani mass media about the
alleged violations of the cease-fire regime in different directions
of the front on the initiative of the Armenian armed forces. "Three
Azerbaijani soldiers were killed, and another one was wounded as a
result of skirmish. The enemy drew back, and its losses were not less
than ours", Sabiroghlu said.