Author: Tambiyan Samvel

Assyrian International News Agency
April 28 2006
European Parliament Meets Assyrian Politician on Assyrian Question
An official meeting of European Parliamentarians headed by Mr A.J.
Maat, representative of the European Human Rights Commission, and Ms
Attiya Gamri (Dutch Provincial Parliamentarian) and other members of
the European Parliament took place on 18-19 April 2006 in Europe’s
capital Brussels, Belgium. The meeting dealt particularly with the
situation of the Assyrian (also known as Chaldean and Syriac) people
in Iraq. After her visit at the beginning of April, Ms Gamri was able
to highlight in detail the obstacles and oppressive circumstances
that limit the freedom of the Iraqi Assyrians’ ethnic and political
rights. This is happening especially in northern Iraq, where there is
relative peace. However, the Kurdish political parties — by means of
Kurdish soldiers and militiamen — are manipulating the political
climate very aggressively, especially in regards to the Christian
Assyrians who have always been peaceful and have been seeking for
political and ethnic rights without the use of violence.
Mr A.J. Maat will present and discuss the fieldwork report made by
the Assyrian Delegation who visited the Assyrian regions of northern
Iraq this April at the upcoming European Parliament meeting. Mr A.J.
Maat asked about the percentage of money that has been donated to for
the reconstruction of Iraq by the European Community that’s has
directly reached the Assyrian minority. Ms Gamri promised to present
him the facts on this as soon as possible.
Besides the Iraqi issue also the worrying situation within Syria was
on the agenda of this two-day meeting. Of particular interest was the
issue of Mr Yacoub Hanna Shamoun, an Assyrian detainee in Syria for
more than 20 years without trial (in violation of all international
human rights conventions signed by Syria). On this case in the near
future an official request by the European Parliament will be sent to
the Syrian government. Ms Gamri discussed the situation of the
Assyrian people in Syria in general. She gave a brief report on the
past decades and the worrying future of the Assyrian presence in
Syria. The third main point that was on the agenda of this meeting
between the European Parliament and the Assyrian politician is the
Turkey File and the European Union. Mr C. Eurling has been requested
officially to include the recognition of the Assyrian Genocide next
to the Armenian Genocide whenever the debates mention this critical
point regarding the Human Rights Situation of Turkey and their
eventual succession to the European Union. This request was
immediately accepted by the European Parliament members.
Foundation Assyria Netherlands

THE NUMBER OF HEART DISEASES INCREASED BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER
A1+
[12:30 pm] 27 April, 2006
The number of heart diseases abruptly increased in Shirak
marz. According to the regional Cardio-Rheumatic Department chief
Arthur Stepanyan the number of patients within the 3 months of the
current year increased by 80 in comparison with the previous year data.
There have been about 280 in-patients in the regional hospital
since January. Their number has abruptly increased in the recent
days. According to the specialists this increase is determined by
the abrupt weather changes. Most of the patients are in complicated
hypertonic crisis; they have heart problems, attacks and violations
of heart rhythm.
The cardiologists state one important fact; the heart diseases prevail
among women recently. If only one out of 6 patients suffering heart
problems was a woman in the previous years now their number has also
increased. Men suffer from the illness more rarely.
There were 5 cases of death within the recent 3 months, and 2 of the
patients died because of chronical heart insufficiency.
“Tsayg” TV of Gyumri

LEBANESE ARMENIAN STUDENTS IN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
National Assembly of RA, Armenia
April 27 2006
On April 27 in the National Assembly Hranush Hakobyan, Chairwoman
of the NA Standing Committee on Science, Culture and Youth Affairs
received a group of students from Lebanon who are in Armenia on
introductory and cognitive visit, presented the structure of the
parliament, legislative activities, the perspectives of economic,
political and cultural development. They sincerely talked about
strengthening the Diaspora-Motherland multilateral ties, effective
use of the existing opportunities.
The Lebanese Armenian students presented with inspiration their
impressions about the days spent in Armenia, confessing that the
Motherland gave them strength, faith and resolve. In their opinion,
every Armenian from Diaspora should visit Armenia at least once for
feeling a full Armenian.

DO AS I SAY, PLEASE
Matthew Swibel, 04.26.06, 3:00 PM ET
Forbes
April 26 2006
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The president of Azerbaijan, home to the world’s
fastest-growing economy and $10 billion in investments from leading
oil companies, including BP, worries that a military confrontation
between its southern neighbor, Iran, and the U.S. will destabilize
his country’s fast-growing energy sector.
Marking his first official visit to Washington D.C., on Wednesday,
Ilham Aliyev, an ally who has sent soldiers to assist the U.S. in Iraq,
is warning the White House in blunt terms that escalating rhetoric with
Iran will lead to “hurtful consequences” for the Caspian Sea region, an
increasingly important oil source for Europe and other Western markets.
Rather tough talk from a guy in charge of a place with only 8 million
people and a military that has yet to overcome its painful loss
in battle to tiny Armenia. Here’s why Aliyev can get away with it:
The twin pressures of $72 per barrel oil prices and Iran’s unabashed
nuclear ambitions make him a key player in high-stakes energy and
security policy issues.
Aliyev’s comments during his maiden voyage inside the Beltway as a
head of state also underscore an uncomfortable truth within U.S.
foreign policy. The U.S. faces an uphill battle in rallying support
against Iran’s nuclear plans so long as Azerbaijan and other
often-ignored countries nearby currently developing their natural
resources–and in the process adding to the coffers of U.S. oil
firms–transform into proverbial Slurpee cups quenching America’s
insatiable thirst for oil.
Azerbaijan’s world-record 25% gross domestic product growth last
year will be matched again this year, predict government officials
and World Bank economists (this rate of growth is a multiple of the
performance of even such notables as China and Dubai). Bordering
Russia to the north and Iran to the south and with an energy sector
developed by American and European companies, Aliyev jokes that his
country is a model of “energy internationalism.”
Azerbaijan oil revenues will hit $42 billion by 2010, ushering vast
wealth into an economy ranked No. 137 out of 158 countries listed in
Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index.
A bevy of well-known companies have taken the plunge into this murky
market, which is dominated by state monopolies and the president’s
well-placed friends. Aside from BP (nyse: BP – news – people ), which
owns a 30% stake in the newly opened Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline that
sends up to 1 million barrels of oil per day to the Mediterranean port
of Ceyhan, Turkey, Chevron (nyse: CVX – news – people ) and ExxonMobil
(nyse: XOM – news – people ) both own minority stakes in Azerbaijan’s
largest single oil production site, the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli field,
or ACG. Even Citigroup (nyse: C – news – people ) got a piece of
the action, helping arrange a $56 million, 12-month loan for the
International Bank of Azerbaijan, last summer.
The American people are investors too through taxpayer-funded USAID
programs in Azerbaijan’s energy and food processing sectors, notes Reno
Harnish, who steps down as U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan on April 24.
Aliyev, keenly aware of the business interests in his country, told
an audience at the Council on Foreign Relations this morning that his
administration will spend hundreds of millions of dollars on new roads,
power stations, schools and hospitals.
But Aliyev rejected the notion that his country’s air bases could
be used for U.S. surveillance or combat missions against Iran. Nor
does he envision his government, based in Baku, cooperating with
intelligence-gathering efforts against Iran.
“Azerbaijan will become a prosperous economy,” Aliyev said. “It’s
better to be friends with us than not.”
Spot on, if you’ve visited a gas station recently.

EUROPEAN WESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS
AP Worldstream
Apr 26, 2006
Results Wednesday from the European Wrestling Championships at the
Olympic Indoor Stadium:
Women
48 kilograms
Bronze Medals
Francine De Paola, Italy, def. Maryna Markevich, Belarus, 0-1,
2-0, 1-0.
Fani Psatha, Greece, def. Cristina Croitoru, Romania, 3-1, 3-0.
Final
Mariya Stadnyk, Ukraine, def. Lilya Kaskarakova, Russia, 0-3, 1-0, 1-0.
55 kilograms
Bronze Medals
Johanna Mattsson, Sweden, def. Jessica Bechtel, Germany, 4-0, 1-0.
Anna Gomis, France, def. Mariya Egorova, Belarus, 4-0, 0-2, 4-2.
Final
Natalya Golts, Russia, def. Ludmila Cristiya, Moldova, 2-1, 5-4.
63 kilograms
Bronze Medals
Nikola Hartmann-Duenser, Austria, def. Monika Szerencse, Hungary,
1-0, By Fall.
Agoro Papavasileiou, Greece, def, Mihaela Sadoveanu, Romania, 1-0, 2-0.
Final
Alena Kartashova, Russia, def. Monika Michalik-Rogien, Poland,
4-0, 1-0.
72 kilograms
Bronze Medals
Karine Shadoyan, Armenia, def. Ana Maria Paic, Romania, 1-0, 1-0.
Anita Schaetzle, Germany, def. Maria Louiza Vryoni, Greece, 1-0, 1-0.
Final
Stanka Zlateva-Hristova, Bulgaria, def. Svetlana Sayenko, Ukraine,
2-0, 3-1.

STUDENTS REMEMBER ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Kaelyn Forde Eckenrode
Media Credit: Steevens Alconcel | Daily Trojan
Daily Trojan Online, CA
University of Southern California
April 25 2006
Monday events also focused on the Holocaust and other genocides
throughout history.
Remembrance. USC students (left to right) Nazanin Yaghoobian, Sam
Yebri, Julia Levy Boeken and Raisa Shvartsman light candles Monday
night during the 24-hour vigil in honor of the victims of the Armenian
Genocide.
Believing that those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it,
the Armenian Students’ Association joined forces with USC Hillel and
the Jewish Law Students’ Association for the first time to promote
awareness, recognition and understanding of the Armenian genocide,
the Holocaust and other genocides in two ceremonies and a candlelight
vigil held at Tommy Trojan Monday and today.
The Armenian genocide claimed the lives of 1.5 million Armenians from
its beginning on April 24, 1915, to its end in 1923.
The Turkish government does not recognize these deaths as genocide.
It says that disease and famine complicated the conflict between
Christian and Muslim forces and that the Armenians’ violent political
aims rather than their race, ethnicity or religion led to their
relocation, according to the Turkish embassy’s Web site.
?”The ASA decided to collaborate with USC Hillel and the Jewish Law
Students’ Association this year to show solidarity against genocide,”
said Mercedes Aline Arslanian, a sophomore majoring in business
administration and a member of the ASA.
“Because we share a common, tragic cause, we decided to pool our
resources and broaden our scope to educate people about all crimes
against humanity – whether in Armenia, during the Holocaust or in
Darfur,” ?she said.
Sam Yebri, a third-year law student, co-organized the event on behalf
of USC Hillel and the JLSA.
“The goal of the vigil is to raise awareness about current genocides
by commemorating the tragedies of the Holocaust and the Armenian
genocide together,” Yebri said.
“By doing so, not only do we honor and pay tribute to the millions
of innocent victims who perished, but we begin to take a role as
responsible global citizens,” Yebri said. “History has taught us that
absolute evil reappears when apathy runs rampant.”
The two remembrance days fell next to each other this year, Arslanian
said. Armenian Genocide Commemoration Day is April 24, and Holocaust
Remembrance Day, which is set by the Jewish lunar calendar, fell on
April 25.
The ASA began the commemoration with its own ceremony at noon.
Two guest speakers, Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, primate of the
Western Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, and Steven J.
Dadaian, chairman of the Armenian National Committee of America,
Western Region, addressed students.
“We should always have the undying hope, the perseverance and the
courage to give our message about fighting genocide to our youth,”
Derderian said. “We are freedom fighters who seek justice, and it
would be a failure for us to not pass on our history to our youth.
This day shows our continuity in educating students and preventing
genocides across the world.”?
The ASA also circulated petitions calling for the federal recognition
of the Armenian genocide by the U.S. government. The U.S. government
still does not recognize the mass murders of Armenians as an official
“genocide,” although more than 30 American states do. ?
“We want students to understand that recognition of the Armenian
genocide is important in recognizing future genocides,” said Nerses
Ohanyan, a senior majoring in aerospace engineering and mathematics,
and the vice president of the ASA. “Recognition of past genocides is
essential to stopping governments across the world from committing
genocide against their own people in the future.”?
Ohanyan said he believes that U.S. business and political interests
in Turkey have prevented full recognition of the genocide by the U.S.
government.
?”President (Bush) uses the word ‘massacres’ instead of genocide,”
Ohanyan said. “If he recognized the Armenian genocide, he knows Turkey
would have to be penalized. The U.S. has political and economic
interests in Turkey, and so this issue has been put on hold for 91
years. In a country dedicated to freedom, justice and human rights,
we can’t let that go.” ?
ASA members said it was important for them to share their history
with other members of the USC community. ?
“Out of my family, only my great-uncle and my grandfather made
it out of Armenia alive,” said Serje Martus, a senior majoring
in biochemistry, political science and music. “It is my duty to my
family to make people understand and recognize the genocide. I will
never stop until I accomplish that.”
Other students agreed and said that it helped unite the more than
200 Armenians on campus.
“This event brings people together,” said Shushan Barsegyan, a
sophomore majoring in business administration. “By recognizing other
cultures that are here, we also form a stronger USC community.”
Alpha Epsilon Omega, the Armenian fraternity on campus, collected
donations for its Never-Again campaign at the event. Last year,
it raised $10,000 for genocide education organizations.
“This is our second year raising funds to educate people about and
get recognition for the Armenian genocide,” said Michael Kiaman,
a junior majoring in political science and the Never-Again chairman
for the fraternity. “This year, we hope to double that amount through
donations by people here today, and our members.”
The Armenian genocide and Holocaust Candlelight Vigil began at 6 p.m.
on Monday and will end at 6 p.m. today. Organizers read the names
of victims of both genocides, and members of the ASA, JLSA and USC
Hillel held vigil for the full 24 hours.
“Reading all 6 million names is very important for me,” said Ron
Rothstain, a doctoral candidate majoring in education and member of
USC Hillel.?”My grandparents – as well as the grandparents of many of
the people here – were victims of the Holocaust, and it is important
for us to remember and respect them 60 years later.”
The Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony, which begins at noon today,
features guest speakers professor Richard Dekmejian, adjunct professor
Sharon Gillerman, USC Hillel Rabbi Jonathan Klein, ASA member Gary
Prudian and President Emily Eyerman of Students Taking Action Now:
Darfur.
ASA, JLSA and USC Hillel organizers hoped to involve all members of
the community in recognizing and taking action against genocide today,
Yebri said.
“When people look at our generation and say, ‘What did you do about
the genocide in Darfur?’ I want to be able to look back at them and
say ‘I did what I could,'” ?he said.
Arslanian agreed.
“Before beginning the Holocaust, Hitler assured his advisers that
they would get away with it, saying: ‘After all, who remembers the
annihilation of the Armenians today?’ We want people to know that we
remember, and that we are committed to ending genocide everywhere.”

ARAM KARAPETYAN APPLIED TO AMBASSADORS AND ATTORNEY GENERAL
Lragir.am
25 April 06
On April 25 the leader of the political party Nor Zhamanakner (New
Times) Aram Karapetyan informed the ambassadors of the United States,
Russia, Iran, Great Britain and the OSCE office to Armenia about the
April 21 incident. On the same day Attorney General Aghvan Hovsepyan,
the head of the National Security Service Gorik Hakobyan, and the
president of the Council of Public TV and Radio Alexan Harutiunyan
received letters from the same person. On April 21 12 armed men
wearing masks attacked Aram Karapetyan and the cars accompanying him.
The driver and three bodyguards of the leader of the Nor Zhamanakner
Party were injured, one of the cars was badly damaged. Later it became
known that it was an operation of the National Security Service for
illegal weapon.
In his letter to the ambassadors Aram Karapetyan draws their attention
to “cases of political banditry, and indignant with increasingly rough
intervention of force agencies in political processes, anticipates
an adequate assessment of similar actions, which contradict to
democracy.” A CD with photos of people and cars after the operation
of the National Security Service was attached to the letter.
As for Gorik Hakobyan and Alexan Harutiunyan, Aram Karapetyan suggests
that they give him the tape of the operation (four cameras had filmed
the operation) to publish it. The TV company Alexan Harutiunyan heads
announced about the incident and promised to broadcast the tape,
but it has not been shown on television yet.
Aram Karapetyan suggested that Aghvan Hovsepyan suit an action
“against the organizers of this political banditry.”
According to the leader of Nor Zhamanakner, the operation was ordered
by the head of the National Security Service Gorik Hakobyan and his
assistant Hrach Harutiunyan and assisted by the head of the General
Anti-Terrorist and Constitution Department Nanyan and the head of
the Constitutional Department Yepiskoposyan. Aram Karapetyan has
information that the second round of the operation was going to be
a similar attack on the office of the political party, which did not
take place, however.
By the way, besides the CD Aram Karapetyan wanted to attach the
conclusion of a forensic expert. However, the District Attorney of
the community of Erebuni (the incident took place in Erebuni), as
well as the City Attorney and the General Attorney refused a forensic
examination. “Without any reason. This is unlawful. Yeltsin shot at
the White House but never used “Alpha” for intervention in political
processes,” said Aram Karapetyan to our news reporter.
Aram Karapetyan says the incident was ordered by the country’s
leadership, and the statement of the National Security Service that
there was resistance is false. “I told them not to resist, otherwise
there would be more casualties. There were over 300 people over the
place and they, the National Security Service, could have shot. They
admit making a lot of mistakes after having analyzed the incident. The
National Security Service spread other false information that my
drivers and bodyguards are not members of our political party.”

HAMLET GASPARIAN: THEY IN AZERBAIJAN AGAIN CHERISH ILLUSIONS
Noyan Tapan
Apr 22 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 22, NOYAN TAPAN. Instead of seeing reality and
perceiving what they have heard, they in Azerbaijan again cherish
illusions. The RA MFA spokesman Hamlet Gasparian stated this when
commenting, at the request of the mass media, on the response of the
Azerbaijani MFA spokesman Tair Taghizade to the statement of the RA
Foreign Minister Vartan Osaknian that “if Azerbaijan recognizes the
right of the people of Nagorno Karabakh to determine independently its
future status, Armenia is prepared to discuss seriously the issues
of eliminating the war consequences.” The Azerbaijani MFA spokesman
positively assessed V. Oskanian’s statement, noting at the same time
that they understand “self-determination” of Nagorno Karabakh as the
“highest autonomy” within Azerbaijan. In the words of Gasparian,
recently the Armenian foreign minister has had several occasions to
clearly express Armenia’s position, according to which reaching a
mutual agreement presupposes the recognition of the Nagorno Karabakh
people’s right of self-determination by Azerbaijan, which will be
followed by discussion of the issues related to the war consequences
elimination. “We would have been content with the precedence if the
Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs had positively responded to
the statement of the Armenian foreign minister by considering it as
constructive. It would really promote positive developments regarding
this issue. However, it became clear from the comments that the cart
has not moved from its place at all. As soon as someone speaks about
the right of self-determination of the Nagorno Karabakh people, they
in Azerbaijan start to wallow in the Soviet nostalgia, cherishing
the dream of “highest autonomy,” Hamlet Gasparian underlined.

Armenpress
ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER TO VISIT FRANCE AND RUSSIA

YEREVAN, APRIL 21, ARMENPRESS: An Armenian
parliamentary delegation headed by its speaker Arthur
Baghdasarian is flying on April 22 to Paris, France.
Invited by Claude Godin, the deputy president of the
French Senate, the Armenian delegation will be in
France until April 25.
In Paris and Marseille Armenian MPs are slated to
meet with Christian Poncelet, the president of the
Senate, Jean Claude Godin, the mayor of Marseille,
Pier Leluch, the chairman of the NATO Parliamentary
Assembly, the director general of UNESCO and members
of the Armenian community.
In Marseille on April 24 the Armenian delegation
will participate in the opening of a memorial honoring
the victims of the 1915 Armenian genocide. From France
the delegation will fly to Russian Saint Petersburg to
participate April 26-27 in events marking the 100-th
anniversary of Russia’s State Duma (parliament).
In Russia Baghdasarian will have a series of
meetings, including a meeting with his Azeri
counterpart Oktay Asadov.

ARF “NIKOL AGHBALIAN” STUDENT’S UNION ORGANIZES EXHIBITION DEDICATED TO ARMENIAN MONUMENTS IN NEIGHBORING STATES
Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 19 2006
YEREVAN, APRIL 19, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The ARF
Dashnaktsutiun “Nikol Aghbalian” students’ union organizes three-days
exhibition dedicated to the historical-cultural monuments which are in
the structure of neighboring states at present. The former and present
state of the Armenian monuments in Azerbaijan, Nakhijevan, Georgia
and Western Armenia as well as steadfast monuments in neighboring Iran
which are under special control and protection were presented at the
exhibition which took place on April 18 in the yard of the central
subsidiary building of the Yerevan State University. The ARF “Nikol
Aghbalian” students’ union emphasizes in its message that it is more
than important today to draw the mankind’s attention to importance of
protection and valuation of cultural values. “Let’s support with our
vigilance and succession the duration of our material cultural values
and the affair of their passing to the world heritage” the “Nikol
Aghbalian” union calls on. The event is of countinuous character:
a similar exhibition was organized in 2005 as well.