Author: Nargizian David

April 18. 2008 12:16AM
Telegram & Gazette

Clara Barton would have cried at today’s stance on genocide
AS I SEE IT

By Harry N. Mazadoorian

One of the greatest ironies involving the Armenian Genocide almost a
century ago is the radically different reaction it brought forth from
the United States then and now.

April 24 marks the 93rd anniversary of what would be the first
genocide perpetrated in the 20th century: the death of more than 1.5
million Armenians by murder, starvation and deportation at the hands
of the Ottoman Empire. This barbarity served as the blueprint for
expanded atrocities toward the middle of the century and emboldened
Adolph Hitler to conclude that such horrors could be conducted in full
view of the world community with impunity. Continuing programs by the
Strassler Family Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Clark
University and, on Tuesday, a program there by Professor Richard
Hovannisian of UCLA highlights the importance of never forgetting such
inhumanity.

At the time of the Armenian Genocide, and its preceding massacres of
the 1890s, a seemingly endless torrent of American humanitarian
efforts poured across the oceans to assist those Armenians who had
miraculously survived the savagery and brutality. American newspapers
carried report after report of the brutality and sparked a previously
unheard-of generosity and concern.

Peter Balakian’s best-selling book, `The Burning Tigris,’ reports that
America’s and Massachusetts’ own angel of mercy, Clara Barton,
personally went to Constantinople in 1896 to oversee the humanitarian
efforts. Professor Balakian, of Colgate University, chronicles
numerous other pro-Armenian relief initiatives from America at that
time and then again after the unprecedented Genocide of 1915. Indeed,
he reports that one of the earliest efforts began at a rally by
indignant Boston luminaries, including the governor of Massachusetts,
at Faneuil Hall.

Herculean efforts such as those of the Near East Relief organization
provided food and shelter for thousands of helpless children, my late
mother being one of them. Comments of congressional leaders and
elected officials – including Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson –
as well as almost daily headlines in the leading American newspapers
left no doubt as to what was going on – and that the United States was
meeting its moral obligation to not only protest but to provide
assistance.

Regrettably, today the zealous passion of the greatest country in the
history of civilization has cooled, and successive administrations and
congresses find excuse after excuse to keep from passing a mere
resolution recognizing and deploring the genocide.

Despite a mountain of uncontroverted evidence documenting the
Genocide, the government of Turkey continues a charade of denial and
stands essentially alone challenging the findings of eyewitnesses,
statesmen and legitimate scholars of genocide. In addition, it expends
massive funds to lobby the government of the United States to prevent
recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

Recently, Congress finally seemed poised to enact the commemorating
resolution, but a last-minute bullying effort by Turkey derailed the
effort – at least temporarily. Turkey pulled out all the stops,
frantically threatening that the United States would lose its best
Muslim ally in the Middle East with a litany of speculative
ramifications.

Turkey refers to the Armenian Genocide as an `internal, civil or
political matter,’ as though the countless unarmed children who were
slaughtered were even capable of having a single `political’ thought
in their starving bodies.

Many congressmen privately recognize the atrocities but refuse to act
because of an expressed fear of `offending’ the current Turkish
government – a government not even in place at the time of the
killings – and losing them as an ally in the volatile Middle
East. Some, wishing to avoid taking a stand, claim it is something to
be left to historians and not governments to judge.

While it is, of course, essential that our country be ever mindful of
its national interests, history has demonstrated time and time again
that placating and ignoring injustice can lead to no other consequence
than greater future injustice. Cambodia, Rwanda, the list goes on and
on.

If Clara Barton were still here, she’d be truly saddened. First, for
the indelible memories of the atrocities which she saw. Saddened even
more that after 93 years, American leaders forget their moral
obligation and delude themselves into thinking that some good could
possibly come by placating an ally and avoiding the recognition of a
well-documented historical atrocity.

If Clara Barton were here today, she’d be weeping.

Harry N. Mazadoorian, a lawyer in Kensington, Conn., is Distinguished
Senior Fellow at Quinnipiac University Law School’s Center on Dispute
Resolution. His parents were survivors of the Armenian Genocide.

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INSTIGATORS OF YEREVAN DISORDERS MISINFORM INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

PanARMENIAN.Net
14.04.2008 19:16 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ None of the suspects in organization of Yerevan
disorders in early March was charged over political beliefs. They are
all accused of committing criminal offences, head of the investigation
group Vahagn Harutyunyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

"Criminal cases were initiated in compliance with the following
articles of the RA Penal Code: article 300 (overthrow of the
authorities), article 225 (organization of disorders that claimed
human lives), article 235 (illegal keeping of weapon)," he said. "78
people are kept in custody. In all, 113 were charged.

We work not to arrest but to disclose crimes. It specifically refers
to the instigators of the riots, who likewise the authorities are
responsible for the tragic events. Now, politicizing the events, they
attempt to avoid responsibility and to misinform the international
community. This is inadmissible for us."

He refuted Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s statement on 150 political prisoners
in Armenia. "The opposition aims to dishonor our country. Such
statements have nothing to do with the truth," he said.

OSCE MG CO-CHAIRS TO MEET IN VIENNA APRIL 16

PanARMENIAN.Net
15.04.2008 13:56 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group on the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict settlement will meet in Vienna on April 16, RA MFA
acting spokesman Tigran Balayan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

Ambassadors Matthew Bryza, Bernard Fassier and Yuri Merlzyakov will
exchange information and discuss further plans.

The meeting will be presided by OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Finnish
Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb.

THE UNITED STATES AND THE CONFLICT OVER NAGORNO-KARABAKH

US Department of State

April 15 2008
DC

The U.S. remains actively engaged in advancing a peaceful settlement
of the conflict. Cooperation among the U.S., Russian, and French
mediators is excellent. The United States does not recognize
Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent country, and its leadership is not
recognized internationally or by the United States. The United States
supports the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and holds that the
future status of Nagorno-Karabakh is a matter of negotiation between
the parties with the aim of achieving a lasting and comprehensive
political resolution of the conflict. The United States remains
committed to finding a peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict through the Minsk Group process.

Background

The armed conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh (N-K) lasted from 1990 to
1994. By the time a cease-fire went into effect in 1994, Armenian
forces controlled most of the N-K region of Azerbaijan, as well as a
considerable amount of adjacent Azerbaijani territory. The fighting,
plus the expulsion of Armenians from Azerbaijan and Azerbaijanis
from Armenia, produced more than a million refugees and internally
displaced persons (IDPs). Approximately 100,000 Azerbaijanis remain
in refugee camps today, where they face desperate living conditions.

Turkey closed its land border with Armenia during the conflict to show
solidarity with Azerbaijan and has not reopened it. The United States
provides humanitarian assistance to the victims of the conflict, which
includes support for housing and school repairs, primary health care,
irrigation, potable water and sanitation, subsistence agriculture,
micro-finance, and demining.

The parties have observed a cease-fire agreement since 1994. Although
cease-fire violations and cross-border sniping occur, all sides
insist on their continued commitment to a peaceful settlement reached
through negotiation.

Peace Process

In 1992, the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe
(CSCE)–now the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
(OSCE)–created the Minsk Group, a coalition of member states dedicated
to facilitating a peaceful resolution of the conflict. The Co-Chairs
of the Minsk Group (Russia, France, and the U.S.) serve as mediators,
working in close and effective cooperation with the parties. In
1997-98, Co-Chair shuttle diplomacy generated three separate peace
proposals. Each of these proposals was rejected by one or another of
the parties.

Beginning in 1999, Presidents Heydar Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Robert
Kocharian of Armenia began a direct dialogue through a series of
bilateral meetings. Positive developments during a March 2001 Paris
meeting among Presidents Aliyev, Kocharian, and Chirac inspired
then Secretary of State Colin L. Powell to invite both Presidents to
continue their dialogue in the United States. Aliyev and Kocharian
met with the Co-Chairs in Key West in April 2001. The sides made
significant progress but failed to reach a comprehensive settlement.

Presidents Aliyev and Kocharian met on the margins of multilateral
meetings in late 2001 and on the border between the two countries in
August 2002 but failed to narrow their differences. President Heydar
Aliyev died in 2003, and negotiations slowed as both countries held
presidential elections that year.

In 2004, the Co-Chairs initiated a series of meetings in Prague between
the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan. The "Prague Process"
was designed to reinvigorate dialogue between the sides.

Following an initial series of meetings between the Foreign
Ministers, Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Robert Kocharian began meeting
more regularly, with a focus on advancing negotiations towards a
settlement. During this period, the Co-Chairs introduced a proposed
set of Basic Principles for the Peaceful Settlement of the N-K
Conflict to serve as the basis for the conclusion of an eventual
peace agreement. Negotiations over the Basic Principles continued
throughout 2005 and 2006. On the margins of the OSCE Ministerial
Council in Madrid in November 2007, the ministerial representatives
of the three Co-Chair countries – Under Secretary of State Nicholas
Burns, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, and Russian Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov – formally presented a refined set of Basic
Principles to the Azerbaijani and Armenian Foreign Ministers, for
direct transmission to their presidents, and urged them to endorse the
proposal and proceed on this basis with drafting a peace agreement. The
Madrid document was archived on a confidential basis with the Secretary
General of the OSCE.

The Co-Chairs have stated their intention to continue the negotiations
on the Basic Principles in 2008 and to secure an endorsement from
both Presidents as soon as possible.

ARMENIAN CENTRAL BANK’S BOARD, COMMERCIAL BANKS DISCUSS FIRST QUARTERLY ECONOMIC INDICATORS OF 2008

ARKA
April 15, 2008

YEREVAN, April 15. /ARKA/. The Board of the Central Bank of Armenia
(CBA) and presidents of local commercial banks discussed this week
the country’s economic indicators for the fist quarterly period (Q1)
in 2008.

The participants to the discussion also touched upon Q2 program
points. The monetary policy for 2008 is available on the CBA official
website ().

THE MOSCOW POST: KOCHARIAN APPOINTMENT ON GAZPROM AGENDA

PanARMENIAN.Net
14.04.2008 15:53 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Appointment of Robert Kocharian Vice President of
Gazprom has been already put on the Board’s agenda, The Moscow Post
quoted a source in the gas giant.

Meanwhile, Gazprom’s representative Sergei Kupriyanov denied offering
Armenia’s ex-President the post of Vice President. "Robert Kocharian
wasn’t offered a leading position in Gazprom," he said.

According to Timur Khayrullin, a senior expert at Antanta Capital
investment company, "the position of Gazprom’s Vice President is not
as responsible as it seems to be." "He doesn’t make key decisions. On
the other hand, the person in the office should be matured in the
field. Unfortunately, Mr Kocharian is not the one. To all appearance,
it will be a political post responsible for CIS affairs," he said.

Earlier, an informed source in Moscow told PanARMENIAN.Net that Robert
Kocharian was proposed the post of Gazprom’s Vice President.

Boston Herald, MA
April 13 2008

When it came to giving, Tufts’ Baronian was Jumbo indeed

By Tony Massarotti

To New England baseball fans, Johnny Pesky forever will be known as
`Mr. Red Sox [team stats].’ To graduates of Tufts University, John
Baronian forever will be known as `Mr. Tufts.’

And to some, he will be remembered as much more than that.

In 1989, when yours truly was a senior at Tufts University, Baronian
was gracious enough to invest in someone who deserved it no more than
anyone else. That someone was me. Baronian introduced me to his
fellow Tufts alum, longtime and distinguished Herald sports columnist
Tim Horgan, who chose to wager his professional reputation on a
21-year-old who thought he had all the answers (and still does).

Last week, at age 87, Baronian passed away, much to the sadness of
those in the Tufts community. As a longtime benefactor of Tufts,
Baronian was a man who truly gave back. And while contributions in
Baronian’s memory may be made to either St. Stephen’s Armenian Church
or St. Stephen’s Elementary School in Watertown, those whom Baronian
invested in might also want to do what Baronian so often did.

Take the time to invest in someone else.

OPPOSITION HUNGER STRIKERS RELEASED IN ARMENIAN REGION

Aravot
April 10 2008
Armenia

"Hunger strikers released"

Eight out of the nine hunger strikers in the Vanatur quarter of Hrazdan
[town in Kotayk Region], who were taken to a police station on the
night leading to 8 April, were released yesterday [9 April].

However, the hunger strikers, except for Jivan Hovhannisyan who has
serious health problems, are continuing theprotest in support of Sasun
Mikaelyan. A protest in support of [arrested MP] Myasnik Malkhasyan
was held yesterday inAparan town [of Aragatsotn Region].

[MP Sasun Mikaelyan was arrested on charges of illegal possession of
weapons and attempt to seize power].

MUNICIPALITY DEMANDS REPAYMENT FOR DAMAGES

AZG Armenian Daily
09/04/2008

Post-election

Corresponding application is filed to the General Procurator’s office
on damages to Yerevan economy because of March 1-2 mass disorder.

According to "Armenpress" agency, Yerevan Mayor Ervand Zakharian
mentioned that in the framework of the case repayment for damages to
the city economy will be carried out.

To recall, March 1-2 mass disorder caused 68 mln drams of damage.

MEGHRI KIRAKOSIAN BECOMES CHAMPION OF LEBANON AMONG CHESS PLAYERS AGED 16 AND BELOW

Noyan Tapan
April 8, 2008

BEIRUT, APRIL 8, ARMENIANS TODAY – NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian General
Sport-lovers’ Union with 18 representatives took part in the 2008 Chess
Championship of Lebanon, which started on April 2 in Beirut. According
to Azdak’s report, the game of the eight "masters," who performed in
the age group of 10 and below, was especially noteworthy.

Knarik Muradian’s younger pupils became winners almost in all
competitions of the age group and took the first three places.

Gaining 4 out of 6 possible points at the end of the tournament,
Alek Elibekian took the 3rd place and Avo Martirosian and Hrak
Glpozian shared the 1-2nd places with 5.5 points each. They will
again compete with each other at the end of the current week, after
which the winner’s name will become clear.

Karo Khavluchian (3.5 points), Varag Sapunjian, Hovik Berberian (3
points each), Nazo Keshishian and Narek Heybelian (2.5 points each)
also performed successfully in the tournament.

>From the Armenian General Sport-lovers’ Union Meghri Kirakosian was
the first to become a champion. She won the title of champion in the
tournament of girls aged 16 and below.