Author: nina hovnanian

The rescuers and relatives prevented the suicide of the mother and a
7-year-old child

2013-01-01 23:58:59

Today, on January 1, around 17:00 the Operational Control Center
Rescue Service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Armenia
received a signal that in the village Arinj a woman was trying to
commit a suicide.

As the photographer Gagik Shamshyan informs the operative group of
Crisis Management Center of the RA Ministry of Emergency Situations
with the employees of the fire squad of Avan and the relatives were
able to prevent a suicide attempt.

The neighbors told that 53-year-old woman who was trying to commit a
suicide or inflicted self-immolation with a knife, had a 7-year-old
son. And the reason for suicide was that the police of Kotayk region
wrongly took her son to the police, and a woman with no other choice,
chose the extreme step

Lyudmila Sargsyan: “Our country lacks kindness, and the need of this
is more noticeable.”

2013-01-02 10:18:55

Parliamentarian MP of the Armenian National Congress, Lyudmila
Sargsyan, summing up 2012 in an interview with Lurer.com, said that,
unfortunately, nothing good can be said in relation to the previous
year, since no progress has been registered. Moreover, the economic
crisis deepened in our country, the social status of the people became
worse, the emigration deepened.

“Unfortunately there is no hope, that in 2013, they will find a
solution, but I hope that, in any case, our people will continue to
stay at home and try to oblige their own, so that our country will
change for the better.

I wish our people faith, hope and great mutual love. Our country lacks
kindness, and the need for kindness is more than evident, as no
activity can not give definitive results without kindness. I wish our
people goodness, patience and faith.”

While the deep state waits¦

02 January 2013, Wednesday

MARKAR ESAYAN
[email protected]

2013 will certainly be a year of major developments, overshadowed by
the coming year of 2014. It is no secret that in 2014, the
presidential election will be held and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
ErdoÄ?an intends to run for president. He wants to be a president who
can rule the country. Therefore, a proposal to turn the country’s
regime into a presidential one has become part of the work on the new
constitution. The intention is to introduce a semi-presidential system
or, if that is not possible, a system with the president maintaining
his party affiliation before the 2014 presidential system and which
will allow ErdoÄ?an to become president for two successive terms. This
means that he will be in office until 2024, and this fits like a glove
the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) targets for
2023, i.e., the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Turkish
Republic.
Of course, it is quite natural for a political leader to harbor such
goals. ErdoÄ?an has been one of the most popular leaders in recent
years. The public loves him. He has implemented noteworthy reforms.
The economic situation of the poor has improved considerably. ErdoÄ?an
has managed to save the country from an economic crisis and made the
country’s economy a stable one. The fight against the deep state
network found political backing during the AK Party’s terms in
government. Although it has been in office for the last three terms,
the AK Party does not have any challenging rival. But this does not
mean that the risk of anti-democratic methods being employed against
democratically elected governments has been completely deflected.

The coup plan found in hard drives that were sent by the General Staff
to the court hearing the criminal case against Ergenekon — a
clandestine organization nested within the state trying to overthrow
or manipulate the democratically elected government — acknowledges
that the ruling AK Party cannot be overthrown via a conventional coup
and argues that the army should change its strategies of fighting
against the government. These hard drives contain about 3 million
documents prepared between 2005 and 2009 and reveal updated
psychological warfare plans. Given the fact that these documents were
prepared in the very recent past, it is clear that those who argue
that Turkey has fought off the deep state and coups are utterly wrong.

For instance, in a memo prepared for the Operations Department on Aug.
30, 2007, it was noted that the conditions for meddling with the
government are not ripe. For this reason, the memo asserts, political
instability and economic regression are needed for a potential coup
and in the current setting, an intervention with violent or
non-violent methods is not possible. `For a potential coup, we need to
wait for the country’s economy to worsen and instability to rule over
the country,’ it says. The memo was prepared just one-and-a-half
months after the AK Party was re-elected to office for the third time
by securing 47 percent of the general vote on July 22, 2007, and it
advises that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) should, for the time
being, refrain from direct confrontation with the government. It
indicates that the TSK should wait for the AK Party to lose its social
support. `Any intervention that would be conducted without
coordination with the central powers will obviously create a heavy
price for the TSK,’ it cautions. In sum, the document says:

`The AK Party acts in harmony with the central powers which are
influential over Turkey [global capitalists, the US state and
government, the EU and Germany and France as the EU’s driving forces]
and each central power lends support voluntarily or involuntarily
according to their global interests. [¦] Under these conditions, the
best psychological warfare strategy for the coming period is to wait
for the disruption of the AK Party’s harmony with the central powers
and the weakening of global capital in parallel with the worldwide
regression. (When this happens, the AK Party’s social support will
automatically diminish.) The strategy for this transition period is to
maintain the existing power and structure of the TSK.’

In a nutshell, given the fact that the deep state has been active for
so many years in Turkey and its intention to overthrow the government
is evident as seen in the abovementioned documents, the ruling AK
Party will sign its own death warrant if it fails to maintain its
resolve to fight the deep state. This applies to the government’s
increased unwillingness to promote the country’s EU bid.

It would be best for the government to take into consideration such
big risks in making plans for 2023.

What disabled people lack in Armenia?

news.am
January 03, 2013 | 22:46

YEREVAN. – Armenian Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs had no
opportunity to surprise the 182,379 Armenian citizens with
disabilities for the New Year, as the state budget had no allocations
on this purpose, the Ministry representative on the people with
disabilities Arthur Kesoyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am. Armenia’s
Pyunik information system counting the people with disabilities states
the number of 182,379 people, out of which 84,981 are women.

According to him, the key problems for those people include the lack
of accessibility of environment, employment and rehabilitation
centers.

Kesoyan also added that diseases linked to blood circulation occupy
the first place among disabled people, second is mental disorders,
while diseases linked to nervous system occupy the third place.

Apigian-Kessel: Helen (Nazarian) Pompeian (1925-2012)
by Betty Apigian-Kessel

January 3, 2013

It was with shock and sadness that those of us who knew and loved
Helen Pompeian received news of her passing so close to Christmas.

The news of her death prompted me to reach into my desk for a silver
coin of Queen Zabel and King Hetoum (1226-70 A.D.) standing side by
side, sent to me by coin collector Gary Setian. For some reason, that
ancient queen reminded me of Helen, regal and lovely.

She was born Helen Nazarian on Feb. 25, 1925 in Pontiac, Mich., and
went through that city’s school system with other children born to
survivors of the Armenian Genocide. She grew up in a close-knit
neighborhood made up of many Armenian families who always spoke their
native language at home. In our frequent phone conversations, she
absolutely delighted in speaking Armenian and would exclaim, `I love
it when you speak Armenian with me.’

She married Edward Pompeian in 1945 and together they had daughter
Sharon and son Edward.

She was one of the charter members of the Pontiac `Ani’ Chapter of the
Armenian Relief Society (ARS), until her permanent move to Rochester,
Minn.

This move in 1972 was prompted following local medical misdiagnoses of
her teen son Edward, whose health was not improving. Helen was advised
by neighborhood friend Dr. Jack Kevorkian to take the youngster to the
Mayo Clinic, a decision she never regretted.

There she eventually became a kidney donor to her son; in a past
interview, she said to me, `I thank God and the hands of the doctors
of the Mayo Clinic. With His help they saved Edward’s life.’

It was because of this experience that Edward Pompeian, now a
successful businessman, decided to start the first-ever facility to
house transplant patients, giving them a place where they can share
their experiences of a life-threatening disease and the recuperation
following transplant. That was the beginning of Gift of Life
Transplant House (on whose board Edward sits), which has grown to
impressive proportions and served as a model for others around the
world.

No mother could be prouder than Helen was of her son and his wanting
to give back, through a magnanimous gesture, inexpensive housing for
those who otherwise could not afford regular accommodations while
under treatment.

Helen’s book Gifts of Love and Life describes everything she and her
family went through during Edward’s illness.

She became a leader in fundraising for the National Kidney Foundation.
One of her most successful endeavors was an accepted invitation by
actor Mike Connors, or Krikor Ohanian of `Mannix’ fame, to be a guest
speaker at a major fundraiser (where, as she fondly recalled, he was
seated next to her).

`I was deeply impressed with Mike’s heartfelt interest in Armenian
history and his acute knowledge of the Armenian massacres. His
grandfather had been a victim of those terrible days,’ she once said.

While in Pontiac, she worked in sales at the upscale Arthur’s Women’s
Apparel shop. Her warm, outgoing personality, coupled with her keen
fashion sense, made her a sought-after sales expert.

One of our mutual joys was the fact that Helen, General Antranik,
Sonny Gavoor, and I all shared the same birthday.

Even through the advancing years, Helen remained a very attractive,
shapely blond still wearing those wonderful three -inch heels and
putting the rest of us to shame.

On one of her visits to our area to lunch with a group of old friends,
she still sparkled and took over the room with her vivacious laughter
and story telling. She had charm galore. Those qualities must have
helped in getting her through life’s difficulties, which she faced
with strength and bravery.

In Minnesota, she joined the Armenian Cultural Organization. She loved
to entertain and, while doing so, showcased her expertise in cooking
traditional Armenian food specialties.

She was always surrounded by a supportive family who realized what a
remarkable, nurturing woman she was.

Edward and wife Jayne presented Helen with four loving grandchildren,
Edward, Aaron, Nicholas, and Adrienne.

Daughter Sharon, a registered nurse, and Michael Maraian presented
Helen with her other grandson, Paul, who became an attorney and major
with the Air Force serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Helen was elated
when Paul married Arous, presenting Helen with great-granddaughter
Araxie Helen, her namesake and, according to Helen, an extremely
intelligent toddler.

Helen worked as a secretary in her son’s real estate firm and later as
an administrative assistant at the Gift of Life Transplant House,
where she spent hours consoling patients and their parents, and
offering an understanding heart to them during a time of great
concern. She was perfect for the role.

Her notes to me were frequent, her penmanship exquisite. She was so
appreciative of the columns I wrote in the Armenian Weekly about her
son’s illness, and about her, the nurturing mother who saw her family
through life’s problems. She was an angel on earth, and now she will
fittingly be among God’s angels. That extra bright star you see
shining will be our Helen.

She will be missed very much.

4000 Greeks reside in Armenia

news.am
January 03, 2013 | 12:24

YEREVAN.- The recent official reports show 1,247 Greeks are residing
in Armenia. However, according to information received by Greek
community, about 4,000 Greeks live in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.

Head of the Union of Greek NGO Arkady Mkhitarov told Armenian
News-NEWS.am that three organizations are functioning in Yerevan and
the rest in the regions. All the regions where Greeks reside, except
of Hrazdan, have Sunday schools where children learn Greek language.
The teachers participate in trainings in Greece. The textbooks are
provided by the Greek government, he added.

Speaking about the Greeks’ role in political life of Armenia,
Mkhitarov said there is a representative in the Armenian parliament
and the community is always ready to support him.

Turkey must review its policy on protocols – Armenia’s ruling party

January 03, 2013 | 14:58

YEREVAN.- In terms of Armenia-Turkey rapprochement, 2012 can be
characterized as a year of waiting, head of Armenian parliament’s
standing committee on foreign affairs Artak Zakaryan told Armenian
News-NEWS.am.

Although no efficient moves were made, Armenia repeatedly confirmed
its position on the issue.

`Armenia states its readiness under condition that ball is in Turkey’s
court and Ankara has to take efforts to restore confidence. Turkey
must respect the signature under the protocols and review its
position,’ he said.

As to Armenia’s stance, Zakaryan said refusal from drastic steps is
explained by calls of the international community.

Turkey furthering US-Israeli agenda in Mideast: Gordon Duff

Fri Dec 28, 2012 7:12PM GMT

By Gordon Duff

Now, Israel uses America. We are seeing it in Syria, we saw it in Iraq
and Afghanistan, we are seeing it in Turkey and, we are now told, we
will see the war `re-expand’ to Iraq, then to Armenia and points
beyond. A plan is afoot, Israel, America and Turkey.

Related Interviews:

`NRA purposely targeted black people’
‘US using NATO as terror tool in Mideast’

America’s policy has been clear, keep Israel flanked with phony
`Islamist’ states, shackled by corrupt governments, fully penetrated
by a military that is fully integrated with Israel and making all the
right noises meant to maintain sectarian divides across the Islamic
world.

The wars Israel never fought

Who could blame them. Recent revelations, documents `leaked’ which put
history in real perspective now show that, not only was the 1973 war
fought by American planes, and American pilots, carefully repainted to
seem `Israeli’ but the majority of sorties flown during the 1967 war
were also American pilots flying American planes.

When America calls Israel its `aircraft carrier in the Middle East,’
it isn’t kidding. The only thing that has changed is that America used
to actually use Israel to attack others.

A plane is afoot

Now, Israel uses America. We are seeing it in Syria, we saw it in Iraq
and Afghanistan, we are seeing it in Turkey and, we are now told, we
will see the war `re-expand’ to Iraq, then to Armenia and points
beyond.
A plan is afoot, Israel, America and Turkey.

America is involved in a multi-faceted plan to maintain regional
hegemony across the Caspian Basin. To do so, it is necessary for it to
destabilize the current government in Iraq, bring about the collapse
of Syria, destabilize and collapse Armenia and build Azerbaijan as the
Israeli/American outpost against Iran and to help support drug
trafficking from a continued occupation of Afghanistan.

Azerbaijan has long been chosen to be the new strategic `American
aircraft carrier’ in Central Asia, not just another layover stop for
drug pilots as it has been for the past ten years.

The UN, designed to fail

Key to the process is the avoidance of any durable settlement of any
kind in the Middle East. This means that Washington has `green
lighted’ Israel’s settlements in the West Bank, despite UN, EU and
even ICC condemnations as being inexorable.

The permanent `toothless’ United Nations, crippled by a Security
Council, which was, at one time, actually subject to veto by the
island of Formosa (Republic of China), is not just a sign of
anachronism but one of permanent colonial overlordship.

US policy is not just dependent on settlements but continued
bombardment of the civilian population of Gaza and by permanent
political upheaval in Egypt as well.

Sandy Hook

Keeping the people of the world focused on horror, the bodies of dead
children, is a key component to the kind of psychological warfare that
makes a permanent state of conflict an unquestioned reality.

Both the Norway and Sandy Hook murders may well be a part of this
plan. Thus far, accusations made that `hit teams’ were involved in
Sandy Hook have been fully substantiated and wild conspiracies by
Mossad press assets have failed miserably.

The American people know they have been under a terror attack and have
proven immune to idiotic conspiracy theories out of Tel Aviv.

Turkey on the move

With Turkey revealed now in its Ottoman glory, the robotic stooge of
Zionist Israel, basking in the delusional belief that the machinations
of the Washington/Tel Aviv axis will restore their greatness, allowing
them to occupy Syria, attack Armenia and dismember Iraq, Erdogan will
be able to play Sultan.

Turkey, as a regional power in the Middle East, sitting astride the
oil and gas pipelines, descending on the Kirkuk oil fields and, with
its Israeli masters, assisted by US Ambassador to Baku, Matt Bryza of
Istanbul based Turco Petroleum, will overshadow the economically
broken states of the European Union that have so often rejected
membership of their `filthy little Islamic cousins.’

Turkey and Egypt with their fleets of `half modernized’ F 16 fighters,
carefully engineered to be significantly inferior to those flown by
Israel, prove themselves easily bought with counterfeit currency.

Moreover, Turkey’s empire, including the offshore Syrian oil and gas
fields carefully hidden from world attention through altered
geological reports, are more prizes to be won.

The Gaza terror distraction

Again, none of this is possible if there is any hope of meaningful
dialog or settlement, if there is any move forward toward recognition
of Iran’s rights to nuclear power.

Thus, we will not only continue to see bombing of Gaza and attacks on
Palestinians and even Christians, not just in Israel but across Syria
as well, but we may expect attack against Lebanon while the US has to
`unrepair’ the improved relationship between the IAEA (International
Atomic Energy Commission) and Iran.

The Sultan returns

As Turkey prepares to exercise its role as `protector of Syria’ under
the watchful eye of Israeli/American regional hegemony, plans are
afoot to move against Iraq, under the guise of `defense against PKK
rebels attacking Turkey.’

During the US occupation of Iraq, I remember sitting in Erbil, more
than once hearing Turkish artillery as their incursions into Iraq and
their violation of Iraq sovereignty was `rubber stamped’ in both
Washington and Baghdad.

This was when Turkey could still pretend to be a victim. This was
`poor Turkey,’ the defending of the Palestinian people, promising
military convoys to protect peace activists, Erdogan’s promise of
action against Israel in reprisal for the murder of Turkish citizens
on the Mavi Marmara while, behind the scenes, ordering more military
supplies from Israel.

Now it is the scheming of Erdogan, now made transparent, an Erdogan
quite probably an ally of Tel Aviv and Washington, a flawed individual
hoping to put his mark on the map of the world, unaware how
humiliating his foolishness seems to others.

I remember Erdogan, his Air Force training with Israeli pilots. How
far would Turkey go?

Syria besieged

As we look at Syria today, the Russian Iskandar missiles offsetting
the American Patriot III batteries, the Russian S 300 Air Defense
system offsetting the new US jets waiting to attack Syria.

Three of them have been shot down already, `accidents’ we are told.

Now we find rumors of a renewed US presence in Northern Iraq. Forward
units have arrived the last few days. Are more to follow, are these
humanitarian missions or are they supporting rebel forces?

Similarly, we are seeing more movements, intelligence teams scouting,
not just Iran, drones, special operations troops, not just Iran but
Armenia as well, and not just from Turkey but Azerbaijan.

Then I remember, the US Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Matt Bryza, is a
Turkish oil executive.

The “great game”

Perhaps this is a new type of diplomat, not really representing the US
at all but in place waiting, waiting for some change in the
geopolitical balance, a readjustment of power, a permanent
colonialization of Central Asia, drugs, gas and oil, permanent war,
permanent sectarian strife and a Middle East permanently aflame.

To keep the flames stoked and the hatreds alive, the Palestinian
people must be ground into the dirt in the most heinous and brutal way
possible, at the hands of the most despicable and snarling whelps the
earth has yet to endure.

All of it is being done for money; it does not take a genius to see it.

How can it be described?

Is it like, perhaps, a bank robbery, the same robbers day after day,
the same hostages killed and the police never come?

Erdogan learned from this and wants his share.

Thus far, he may well get it unless someone starts playing the game a
bit better.

2013. A Year of Dismantlement of Oligarchy

Haik Aramyan
19:08 31/12/2012
Story from Lragir.am News:

In 2011, on New Year’s eve Lragir.am published an article entitled The
Next Armenian Revolution in which we expressed the opinion that 2012
will be a revolutionary year because the criminal-oligarchic system is
cracking and the legal-constitutional awareness and the civic values
are growing in the society.

2012 lived up to these expectations. There were two key developments
in the passing year which marked the collapse of the
anti-Constitutional criminal-oligarchic system and the establishment
of the basis for the Armenian constitutional state. The first was the
victory of the civil society in Mashtots Park. The civic groups were
able to achieve a brilliant victory by means of the legal ad civic
mechanism when the system had to retreat and return the public park to
the society. Later the civic groups achieved several more brilliant
victories in the protection of public rights.

In this context, the behavior of the Armenian political parties, both
government and opposition, was notable. These parties came together
against the civic society, trying to belittle the importance of this
event. The behavior of the forces referred to as opposition was
especially `valuable’ for the society in the sense that the society
lost illusions about the nature and motivation of these forces.

The second important event was the inglorious political death of these
forces which escaped from the political fight one after the other on
the eve of the presidential election. A lot of reasons and assumptions
are suggested but the deeper reason was the nature and motivation of
these forces.

The political forces of Armenia are authoritarian and commercial in
nature, they have transformed to a political sign and roof for the
criminal oligarchy, being in financial and other kinds of dependence
on it. They have acted as a `buffer’ between the public and the
criminal oligarchy which had usurped the public administration
institutions and opportunities with the help of which the oligarchy
infringed and ignored the rights of the society. In other words, the
oligarchy shortened the society of the society with the help of the
political parties, getting away with the crimes it commits.

The parliamentary election shed a light on this situation. An attempt
was made to prolong the life of the oligarchy. And this situation
dispelled the last illusions, while the death of the political forces
became a matter of time and a fact. The excuses are mere efforts not
to let the political veil drop down and to cover up their complicity.

People cannot be cheated, even if they can do it for twenty years.

Now the oligarchy has lost its political veil and buffer and is
standing in front of the society, naked and helpless. In 2013 the
society will dismantle this peril which has wasted all the resource of
the country and people’s faith in their future and dreams. Then the
society will establish new political forces which will fulfill their
main function – establishment and strengthening of constitutional
norms and mechanisms.

Happy New Year!

Aram Manukyan: “70,000 Armenians will celebrate the New Year away from home”

2012-12-31 19:02:32

In an interview with Lurer.com parliamentarian of the Armenian
National Congress (ANC) Aram Manukyan, totaling 2012, noted that the
most negative phenomenon of the year was emigration.

“The most significant, the most negative and the most influential
phenomenon in 2012 was emigration. This year, 70,000 people will
celebrate the New Year away from home. This is a tragedy,” said Aram
Manukyan.

The MP said that no doubt that next year will repeat the same thing,
and added that the people should have the will to stand up to all
this, as playing with his fate, they are deprived of the right to live
in their homeland.

“I would like to see emigration over in2013. People should manage
their own destiny, and not anyone else. I wish that the Armenians were
firmly, aware of their rights and were the head of their own destiny.