Author: Tashjian Arbi

Office of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic in the United States
1334 G Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20005
Tel: (202) 223-4330
Fax: (202) 223-4332
Email: [email protected]
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MEDIA ALERT: RADIO FREE EUROPE / RADIO LIBERTY PUBLISHES NKR LETTER

DATE: July 15, 2009
TO: Media Colleagues
RE: RFE/RL PUBLISHES NKR LETTER

Today, the Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty published NKR
Representative Robert Avetisyan’s commentary in response to a
publication on the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process. NKR
Representative said in part:

`Since 1997, Azerbaijan has been refusing to negotiate directly with
NKR, preferring to discuss the resolution with Armenia. NKR
appreciates Armenia’s role in the peace process, but it should be
understood from the onset that Karabakh’s elected officials must be
represented in the talks every step of the way. Indeed, politically
NKR is a separate state with its own democratic traditions, and, in
the long run, any serious progress towards resolving the conflict
cannot take place unless its representatives return to the
negotiating table and agree to share the responsibility for
implementing the hoped-for peace agreement’.

The full text of the letter is provided below. You can also view it
online at:
ust_No_Longer_Be_Barred_From_The_Negotiating_Table _/1776580.html

* * *
Radio Free Europe
Radio Liberty

July 14, 2009

Nagorno-Karabakh Must No Longer Be Barred From The Negotiating Table

by Robert Avetisyan

Just a month or two ago, it seemed to many observers that the
Karabakh conflict was closer than it had been for years to a
negotiated solution. But the much-trumpeted "breakthrough" never
materialized.

This is not surprising. Once an active participant in the peace
process, the central party in the dispute — the Nagorno Karabakh
republic (NKR), which in 2009 marks the 18th anniversary of its de
facto independence, but whose international status has not been
formalized — is conspicuously absent from the talks today.

Since 1997, Azerbaijan has refused to negotiate directly with the
NKR, preferring to discuss the resolution with Armenia. The NKR
appreciates Armenia’s role in the peace process, but it should be
understood from the outset that Karabakh’s elected officials must be
represented in the talks every step of the way.
Indeed, politically the NKR is a separate state with its own
democratic traditions, and, in the long run, any serious progress
towards resolving the conflict cannot take place unless its
representatives return to the negotiating table and agree to share
the responsibility for implementing the hoped-for peace agreement.

Azerbaijan: Oil-Backed Warmongering Will Not Work

Many analysts believe that the high oil prices of the past few years
gave rise to the nationalist illusion in Baku that, by channeling
millions of petrodollars into upgrading its armed forces, Azerbaijan
could launch a new offensive and thus bring the NKR under its
control by force. Azerbaijani presidential administration official
Elnur Aslanov issued an implicit warning last month that the
"leadership of Armenia must understand that it is necessary to
protect its citizens from a new war" and should therefore stop
helping Nagorno-Karabakh defend its hard-won freedom.

Despite the temporary euphoria created by the influx of
petrodollars, and because of Azerbaijan’s history of military-backed
coups d’etat, the least desirable option for the country’s ruling
family is to start a war, during which the army could again snap out
of control. But rising military expenditures and the threat to
attack Nagorno-Karabakh again should still be taken seriously,
because that rhetoric could inspire opportunistic skirmishes on the
Line of Contact that currently separates the Azerbaijani armed
forces from the troops of the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army. This
could lead to larger, possibly uncontrolled, clashes.

Azerbaijan’s zero-sum logic was visible from the very first days of
the conflict in February 1988, when Azerbaijan responded to
Nagorno-Karabakh’s peaceful and constitutional appeal to the Soviet
leadership to reconsider its status within the USSR with the
unprecedented massacre of ethnic Armenians in the Caspian city of
Sumgait, hundreds of miles away from Nagorno-Karabakh.

The events in Sumgait were the continuation of policies implemented
by Heydar Aliyev during his tenure as the first secretary of the
Communist Party of Azerbaijan in the 1970s and early 1980s. Aliyev
bragged in 2000-03 that for two decades he executed a policy of
economic and demographic discrimination against Nagorno-Karabakh in
a deliberate effort to force its majority-Armenian population to
emigrate. As a result of Aliyev’s strategy, the growth of the
Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh stopped, while the number of
ethnic Azeris increased artificially.
Following the collapse of the USSR in late 1991, Azerbaijan advanced
from pogroms to full-scale armed aggression. Reports compiled
between 1991 and 1994 by the Commission for Security and Cooperation
in Europe (CSCE, later renamed OSCE) document the openly declared
genocidal intentions of that military campaign.

Azerbaijan ignored four consecutive UN Security Council resolutions
calling for a Karabakh cease-fire, and is therefore responsible for
the continuing consequences of the war it started. Azerbaijan must
appreciate the lessons of the early 1990s: all previous such
attempts by Baku to use force against Nagorno-Karabakh proved
infinitely more costly than the perpetrators anticipated.

Self-Determination: International Law And History Do Matter

Azerbaijan’s standard approach to arguing the legitimacy of its
claims on Nagorno-Karabakh is to stress the principle of the
territorial integrity of states while downplaying the right of
peoples to self-determination.

Although the territorial-integrity principle does apply to
Azerbaijan as a general theoretical notion — as it does to NKR,
Armenia, or any other state — it does not apply to Baku’s claims on
Nagorno-Karabakh. The reason is straightforward: in contrast to,
say, Spain (with its potentially secessionist Basque country) or the
United Kingdom (with its potentially separatist Scotland), no
independent Azerbaijani state ever controlled Nagorno-Karabakh —
neither in 1918-20, nor after 1991. It was the Soviet leadership
that imposed on Nagorno-Karabakh the subordinate status of an
autonomous region within the Azerbaijani Soviet Socialist Republic.
When the USSR began to weaken in the late 1980s, this artificial
"matryoshka doll" construct collapsed immediately, with Baku losing
any measure of direct power over Stepanakert three years before
declaring sovereignty in 1991.

Importantly, the NKR’s right to self-determination also hinges on
the fact that the region has for centuries been the centerpiece of
Armenian statehood. Nagorno-Karabakh — the historic Armenian
province of Artsakh — is the only territory where the self-rule and
political institutions of a compactly residing Armenian majority
were maintained continuously from the fifth century to the present
day, with the exception of several decades in the 18th and 19th
centuries.

Artsakh is the birthplace of the earliest known Armenian
constitutional edict — the fifth-century document called "The
Canons of Aghven." It governed Nagorno-Karabakh’s Armenian kingdoms
and principalities hundreds of years before most European peoples
became nations, and 15 centuries prior to the time when the people
known today as "Azerbaijanis" were officially designated as such for
the first time in the Soviet census of 1939.

Among the dozens of Armenian medieval churches and monasteries and
hundreds of Armenian stone inscriptions (some dating from the fifth
century) on the territory of the NKR is the Monastery of Amaras. It
was founded by the foremost Armenian saint, St. Gregory the
Enlightener, shortly after he proclaimed Christianity the official
faith of the Kingdom of Armenia, which thus became in 301 A.D. the
world’s first Christian state. It was at Amaras one century later
that the inventor of the Armenian alphabet, St. Mesrob Mashtots,
founded the first-ever school where that script was taught.

The indigenous Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh is fiercely
protective of that centuries-old Christian heritage, now under
threat. The international community should continue investigating
the barbarous demolition of dozens of medieval Armenian churches and
cemeteries in the formerly Armenian-populated province of Naxcivan
and the region south of the city of Ganja.

Conflict Resolution: The Realities And The Peace Process

Azerbaijan’s and NKR’s political evolution differ fundamentally.
Defined by free and fair elections and a tradition of postelectoral
consensual coexistence of the government and the opposition,
Nagorno-Karabakh’s political system is irreversibly incompatible
with that of Azerbaijan. This is just one of the many reasons why
any attempts to propose a political future for these two countries
under the roof of one state are doomed to fail.

The negotiation process must be backed up by a commitment on the
part of all three states to confidence-building measures. Bellicose
rhetoric should be abandoned. And societies in all three states
should start preparing for reconciliation as official talks
continue. Only genuine reconciliation — achieved through official
contacts, confidence building measures and elements of second-track
diplomacy — can yield a stable peace.

The international community, for its part, should support this
approach to achieve progress.

The Karabakh dispute is a difficult one to solve, but the people of
Nagorno-Karabakh remain optimistic. We believe that reverting to the
original format of the peace talks, with the full participation of
the Nagorno-Karabakh republic, will restore the lacking balance and
provide Azerbaijan with tangible incentives to act constructively.
That would also credibly demonstrate Azerbaijan’s readiness to
co-exist peacefully with Nagorno-Karabakh, regardless of the outcome
of the negotiations.

* * *

This material is distributed by the Office of the Nagorno Karabakh
Republic in the USA (NKR Office) on behalf of the Government of the
Nagorno Karabakh Republic. The NKR Office is registered with the
U.S. Government under the Foreign Agent Registration Act. Additional
information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington,
D.C.

The Office of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic in the United States is
based in Washington, DC and works with the U.S. government, academia
and the American public representing the official policies and
interests of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, Artsakh.

NKR FOREIGN MINISTER: ANY DECISION IS INVALID IF THE WILL AND CONSENT OF THE NKR ARE NOT TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT

ArmInfo
2009-07-13 13:50:00

‘We did not take part in discussion of this document and simply we are
responsible for it. The authorities of Nagornyy Karabakh reiterated
many times that any decision is invalid if the will and consent of the
NKR are not taken into account’, – the NKR Foreign Minister Georgiy
Petrosyan said when commenting on the joint statement of the presidents
of Russia, the USA and France on settlement of the Karabakh conflict,
made by them over the G8 summit.

‘It is difficult to say what decision Armenia will take in the
present situation, but if Nagornyy Karabakh would be a fully-fledged
participant in the negotiating process, new principles and approaches
would appear, and in that case it would undoubtedly take full
responsibility for them’, – Petrosyan said.

Mediamax, Armenia
July 11 2009

Armenian minister supports published principles of Karabakh settlement

Yerevan, 11 July: US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg has
expressed hope in Yerevan today that the negotiations between the
Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents that are scheduled to be held in
Moscow on 17 July will be effective.

Asked by Mediamax news agency, the US diplomat said that his meetings
with the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents showed that the sides are
in a constructive mood and they are seeking to move ahead.

Armenian Foreign Minister Edvard Nalbandyan has commented on the
publication of the main principles of the Madrid proposals and the
OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries’ statement made at the G8 summit
in Italy. He said that the sides are continuing negotiations based on
some provisions of the given principles, but that some of them have
not been discussed yet.

The Armenian foreign minister particularly noted the provision stated
by the co-chair countries that Nagornyy Karabakh’s status should be
defined through its residents’ free expression, the result of which
will be legally binding. Nalbandyan also noted the provisions on
providing land communications between Armenia and Nagornyy Karabakh
and security guarantees.

The minister pointed out that Armenia has repeatedly stated that the
aforementioned principles should serve as the basis for a long-term
settlement.

CAN DARCHINYAN BECOME ARMENIA’S FIRST BOXING STAR IN THE U.S.?
By Doug Fischer

The Ring
_become_armenias_first_boxing_star_in_the_us/
July 10 2009

Promoter Gary Shaw hit the jackpot in many ways when he signed
then-undefeated Vic Darchinyan 3 years ago.

In that time span, the diminutive but dynamic southpaw has won four
major titles in two divisions and shown a willingness to face the
best fighters in and around his weight class that borders on obsession.

Darchinyan (32-1-1, 26 knockouts) makes for intense fights and
entertaining TV, which is the reason his title challenge against
bantamweight beltholder Joseph Agbeko on Saturday in Sunrise, Fla. (9
p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) will be his eighth appearance on Showtime.

However, there’s one thing Darchinyan hasn’t been able deliver in the
nine title bouts he’s had in the U.S. — a consistent and significant
fan base.

Some say Darchinyan’s size is a detriment to his success in the
U.S. Most of his career has been in the flyweight (112 pounds) and
junior bantamweight (115) divisions. Others wonder whether Darchinyan,
an Australian-based Armenian, would sell more tickets in the U.S. if
the had begun his career in America or if he spoke better English.

However, there have been more than a few foreign-born fighters who
at least began their careers at or below the bantamweight divisions
and were built into bonafide ticket sellers in the U.S.

In the 1970s, boxing’s biggest attractions on the West Coast were
bantamweights Ruben Olivares and Carlos Zarate. Neither 118-pound
champ from Mexico bothered to learn English.

Manny Pacquiao, who began his career at junior flyweight, debuted
as a junior featherweight in the States and is currently the sport’s
biggest star. The Filipino icon’s grip on English isn’t much better
than Darchinyan’s.

However, unlike Darchinyan, Olivares, Zarate, and Pacquiao are from
countries that have proud boxing traditions and very large populations
in the U.S.

Shaw doesn’t think it’s impossible for Darchinyan to develop into a
ticket seller but he doesn’t believe developing an Armenian fan base
for an Armenian fighter in the U.S. is a simple task.

"It can be done," Shaw said, "especially with a fighter like Vic, but
it will be more difficult than building up a Mexican or a Filipino
fighter because there aren’t as many Armenians in the U.S. as there
are Mexicans and Filipinos."

That’s an understatement.

The Armenian population in the U.S., which is believed to be between
500,000 and 2 million, pales in comparison to the number of people
of Mexican and Filipino descent.

There are over 18 million people of Mexican descent in the U.S.,
according to the 2000 U.S. Census Bureau Report. There are more than
3 million Filipinos living in the U.S., according to Census Bureau
data gathered in 2007 (a statistic that doesn’t include about 4
million Filipino-Americans).

There are large Mexican and Filipino populations scattered throughout
America, but most Armenians living in the U.S. reside in three
California cities — Los Angeles, Fresno and Glendale, where roughly
80,000 of the town’s 200,000 inhabitants are Armenian.

Shaw says it’s not just the relatively small number of Darchinyan’s
countrymen in the U.S. that impedes his fan base potential but the
small number of world-class Armenian boxers worldwide.

"There aren’t as many Armenian fighters as there are Mexican and
Filipino fighters," Shaw said. "Everybody talks about how Manny
(Pacquiao) has brought the Filipinos to boxing, but there were a
lot of Filipino fight fans before Pacquiao was on the scene because
really good Filipino fighters have been around for decades. That’s
not the case with Armenians. I can’t think of any world-class Armenian
fighters from the 1980s or the 1990s. Can you?"

Shaw has a point.

In any given month, at least 20 Mexican fighters can be found in THE
RING’s ratings (and that doesn’t include Mexican-American fighters). At
least 10 RING contenders hail from the Philippines.

There are only three fighters from Armenia who are currently ranked by
THE RING: Darchinyan, the magazine’s No. 1-rated junior bantamweight,
and middleweight contenders Arthur Abraham (No. 1) and Khoren Gevor
(No. 4).

However, Vanes Martirosyan, who may soon join his three countrymen
in THE RING’s ratings, believes the time is ripe for an Armenian star
to emerge in the U.S.

The undefeated junior middleweight prospect grew up in Glendale,
represented the U.S. in the 2004 Olympics and has fought in front of
a steadily growing number of Armenian fans since turning pro in 2005.

Top Rank signed Martirosyan because of his obvious talent but also
because of the potential to develop him into a regional attraction
in Southern California.

However, according Top Rank spokesman Lee Samuels, the promotional
company has been repeatedly surprised by the number of enthusiastic
Armenian fans that Martirosyan has attracted outside of Southern
California.

"They came out to see him in droves when he fought in Houston, and they
also supported him in the New York and New Jersey areas," said Samuels.

Martirosyan acknowledges that Armenians are a small group in comparison
to Mexican and Filipino populations, but he says Armenian fight fans
are just as loyal.

"We’re patriotic people," Martirosyan said. "If there’s an Armenian
who is good at table tennis, we’ll get behind him and we’ll cheer
for him with waving flags."

However, they’d rather get behind a boxer.

"Armenians love fighters," Martirosyan said. "We’re tough people
with a tough history full of wars and conflict, so we are attracted
to fighters. We respect fighters."

Darchinyan, who suffered a devastating knockout loss to Nonito
Donaire in 2007 but quickly rebuilt his reputation by taking on —
and beating — the best fighters in the 115-pound division, is the
quintessential Armenian fighter. The unified junior bantamweight
titleholder is fearless and fiercely proud.

"Vic is already a star in Armenia," said Martirosyan. "He’s big
there. The way Manny Pacquiao is in the Philippines, that’s how it
is with Vic in Armenia. He can’t walk down the street without being
mobbed by fans."

But in America?

"Here, I think I probably sell more tickets than Vic," Martirosyan
said. "When we both fought at the Honda Center (in Anaheim,
Calif.) in February, I sold a couple of thousand tickets, which is
a lot considering that I wasn’t even the headliner.

"But the fight was in Southern California, and I’m from Glendale. I’m
more known in America because I was on the U.S. Olympic team, and
I’ve been fighting on TV here since I turned pro. So it only makes
sense that I would sell more tickets. But I can tell that Armenians
are coming out to support Vic, too, especially recently."

Shaw supports Martirosyan’s observation.

"There was a significant group of Armenians at the Honda Center when
Vic defended his titles against Jorge Arce," said Shaw. "I expected
the Mexican fans to be louder than the Armenians, and I don’t think
they were.

"Vic is starting to catch fire with Armenian fans, especially in
Southern California. But the number is growing elsewhere. The more he
wins, the more are willing to drive in or fly in to support him. There
are some who flew in from Armenia who are staying at the host hotel
here in Sunrise. I think there’s about 10. It’s not much, but it’s a
start. If Vic continues to win, I think we can continue to build on
what we’re seeing now."

However, Shaw believes it has to be done in Southern California.

"If he beats Agbeko, his next fight has to be in the L.A. area,"
Shaw said. "There we can mix the Armenian fans with the Mexican fans
by taking on one of the many Mexican fighters in the bantamweight
and featherweight divisions. And as you know, Vic dines on Mexican
fighters."

Shaw envisions Darchinyan engaging in future showdowns with the likes
of former junior featherweight champ Israel Vazquez and bantamweight
contender Abner Mares, both of whom are L.A.-based Mexicans.

Those bouts would indeed sell tickets, but it’s debatable whether
they would transform Darchinyan into a bonafide attraction, even if
the tiny terror won both fights.

At age 33, time may have run out for Darchinyan.

However, his many fights against top contenders in America may help
pave the way for Martirosyan to become the first Armenian boxing star
in the U.S.

The 23-year-old prospect believes an Armenian fan base can be a
foundation on which a young up-and-comer like himself can build.

"I have a lot of Mexican fans," Martirosyan said. "Even when I’ve
fought Mexican fighters, Mexican fans have approached me after the
fight and told me that they like the way I fight.

"I think people who are boxing fans will support anyone who puts on
a good show and is looking to fight the best out there. That’s what
Vic has been doing for years, and that’s what I’m doing now."

AGBEKO-DARCHINYAN PRESSER!

fightnews.com
09 Jul 2009

Two of the pound-for-pound hardest hitting boxers in the world could
barely contain themselves and had to be separated during Thursday’s
press conference at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla. IBF
bantamweight champion Joseph King Kong Agbeko will defend against
four-time world champion Vic "Raging Bull" Darchinyan, but the two
fighters seemed more interested in settling matters on Thursday rather
than waiting for Saturday’s LIVE SHOWTIME telecast (9 p.m. ET/PT)
from the BankAtlantic Center.

Thursday’s press conference started as a tribute to the late Michael
Jackson, who Don King worked with promoting the historic Jacksons
Victory Tour in 1984 that reunited the Jackson 5 and brokered a
colossal endorsement deal between Jackson and Pepsi. King plans a
traditional 10-count and a video tribute to honor the King of Pop But,
once it was the fighters’ turn to speak, things turned ugly. What
began as a few, innocent verbal shots escalated into a shouting
match between the Agbeko and Darchinyan camps. While Thursday’s
press conference was tense, it proved that one thing was for certain:
Saturday’s main event is going to be a real "Thriller."

Two of the pound-for-pound hardest hitting boxers, both main event
fighters possess outrageous knockout percentages. Agbeko (26-1, 22
KOs) of Accra, Ghana, now fighting out of Bronx, N.Y., has knocked
out over 81 percent of his opponents with Darchinyan (32-1, 26 KOs),
from Sydney, Australia, by way of Armenia, is right behind him at
76 percent.

Tickets to the event, priced at $75, $40 and $25 and $10 (with a
limited number of golden circle seats available at $200), can be
purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets, charge by phone at (800)
745-3000, online at or BankAtlantic Center box
office. The event is promoted by Don King Productions in association
with BankAtlantic Center. Agbeko vs. Darchinyan and DeMarco vs. Adjaho
are co-promoted with Gary Shaw Productions.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING co-feature will pit two top-10
ranked 135-pound contenders in the biggest fight of their lives when
Antonio DeMarco (21-1-1, 15 KOs), of Tijuana, Mexico, takes on West
African native Anges "Baby Face" Adjaho (25-1, 14 KOs) in a 12-round
bout. The winner of Saturday’s scheduled 12-rounder becomes the WBC
lightweight mandatory challenger to defending champion Edwin Valero.

What the fighters and promoters had to say on Thursday: JOSEPH KING
KONG AGBEKO: "King Kong in the movie dies in New York City, but King
Kong will live in the ring on Saturday night.

"They call him ‘Raging Bull.’ After this fight, they’re going to call
him "Raging Bulls(p)it."

"I wish this fight was today. When is July 11 going to come? I’ve been
looking at this date on my calendar for weeks, months. Get ready. I’m
going to give you the worst beating of your career."

"Vic, this time you’re going to fight the king, the king of the ring,
King Kong.

"I respect you. You’re a great boxer. But, because I respect you,
I’m going to beat you real hard.

"This fight is going to give me another opportunity to show the world
how good I really am.

"On Saturday night, Vic’s fans are going to be very surprised. But
I’m not going to be surprised and neither will Vic. He knows he’ll
get beat on Saturday night.

VIC DARCHINYAN: "I thank Don King for bringing me a new belt. Don,
you’ll be sorry for your boxer in the ring on Saturday night.

"You’re going to see a very exciting fight. I always go for the
knockout. Decisions in boxing are boring, so I will knock him out.

"Don and the crowd will hear my punches and you’ll feel sorry for him
(Agbeko).

"I keep my promises. I’m going to slow him down, punish him and knock
him out.

"Your friend (Anges Adjaho) said women in Africa talk a lot. Well,
you just proved that here."

DON KING: "This event is dedicated to Michael Jackson. Michael was
the best entertainer of all time, and what better way to honor his
memory than an amazing night of boxing like this."

GARY SHAW: "I’m glad Don is dedicating this fight to Michael Jackson,
because these fights are going to be ‘Thrillers.’ You could play MJ’s
music in the background to these fights and you wouldn’t miss a beat.

"We also want to dedicate this fight to the late Alexis Arguello
(former world champion boxer who died last week). He was a great
fighter. He was a true credit to Nicaragua and a true credit to
boxing. Vic wants to dedicate this fight to the memory of Alexis."

ANTONIO DEMARCO: "First, I’d like to thank SHOWTIME for this
opportunity.

"It’s a dream to be on the same card as Vic Darchinyan again. Not
many people know this, but we have the same birthday.

"I know I’ll come out of this fight victorious. I’ve prepared well
for it and I’m going to win it for my wife and young daughter.

"I’d like to send my condolences to the families of Alexis Arguello
and Michael Jackson. " ANGES ADJAHO: "No one from my country (Benin,
in Africa) has ever fought for the WBC title. The winner of Saturday’s
fight becomes the mandatory challenger for the WBC lightweight
title. I have a huge opportunity to take a step toward history on
Saturday night.

"This is a great opportunity for me and I plan on taking advantage
of it.

"In Africa, women are known for talking a lot, so I’m going to sit
down and stop talking."

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING announcers Gus Johnson and Al Bernstein
will call the action with Jim Gray reporting from ringside. The
executive producer of SHOWTIME Sports is David Dinkins Jr., with Bob
Dunphy directing.

NEW BIOGRAPHY PROFILES HEROIC WORLD WAR I GERMAN GENERAL

Mass Media Distribution LLC

The Desert Baron: Friedrich: A Warrior for All Seasons by Conrad
Crease is a portrait of bravery and benevolence

WICHITA, Kan. (MMD Newswire) July 9,2009 — The Desert Baron:
Friedrich: A Warrior for All Seasons by Conrad Crease seeks to
illustrate the heart and heroism of one of the most decorated German
generals of World War I, Baron Friedrich Kress von Kressenstein.

According to Crease, The Desert Baron is one of the only books
on Baron Friedrich Kress von Kressenstein written in the English
language. The author discusses how von Kressenstein was ultimately
responsible for recruiting Turkey into World War I with Germany. The
Desert Baron delineates von Kressenstein’s many accomplishments which
include leading 20,000 men for over 150 miles through the Sinai Desert
in an attack on the Suez Canal, overrunning the British outpost at
Katia and leading the Turks in the famous Battle of Romani and the
multiple battles for Gaza. The book also describes von Kressenstein’s
work to save the Armenians from Turkish genocide, the Georgians from
both the invading Turks, his former allies, and the Bolsheviks of the
Russian Revolution. Highlighting many other historic moments in von
Kressenstein’s life, Crease also recounts his quashing of Hitler’s
Beer Hall Putsch in 1923 and the 21 battlefield decorations by nine
different kingdoms and countries he was awarded before his death
in 1948.

Before launching the investigative research for the book, Crease
claims he was able to confirm that he is paternally related to von
Kressenstein. "In the process, our paternal roots have been found
and their legacy will be passed on to our children and theirs so that
they will never forget where they came from," says Crease.

For more information or to request a free review copy, members of
the press can contact the author at [email protected]. The Desert
Baron is available for sale online at Amazon.com, BookSurge.com and
through additional wholesale and retail channels worldwide.

About the Author Conrad Crease, son of a World War II veteran, served
in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He is the president of a
tax consulting firm in Wichita and a lifelong student of history
and genealogy. Crease, a widower since 1998, has four children,
five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

OPPOSITION TO SPEAK FOR HOLDING SPECIAL ELECTIONS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

Noyan Tapan
July 6, 2009

YEREVAN, JULY 6, NOYAN TAPAN. The opposition is not going to wait for
regular parliamentary elections and is going to speak for holding
special elections as soon as possible. Ruzan Khachatrian, the
Spokesperson of the People’s Party of Armenia, stated on July 3. In
her words, regular elections will not differ from the previous ones:
the authorities are not ready for holding fair elections as they will
not be reelected in that way. R.

Khachatrian also considered senseless the amendments to the Electoral
Code, mentioning that only a political will is needed for holding
democratic elections. She reminded that the fairest elections in
Armenia were held in 1991, which were held by the Soviet laws.

RA National Assembly RPA faction member Sukias Avetisian said that
commission of violations in the elections started as early as when
the power belonged to political forces being opposition today. In
his words, the current authorities wish to get rid of the electoral
violations striking deep roots in 1995-1996 and to hold democratic
elections.

According to S. Avetisian, though the amnesty extended to 2000 people,
the opposition considers it its victory, and released representatives
of ANC in their speeches at the July 2 rally tried to instigate the
people with their appeals to struggle till the end.

ARMENIAN-GERMAN POLITICAL DIALOGUE BECOMES ACTIVE CONSIDERABLY IN PAST YEARS

Noyan Tapan
July 6, 2009

YEREVAN, JULY 6, NOYAN TAPAN. On July 4, RA President Serzh
Sargsyan had a farewell meeting with Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary of Germany to RA Andrea Viktorin. Thanking the
Ambassador for her active work aimed at development of Armenian-German
cooperation, S. Sargsyan said that the bilateral political dialogue
has become active considerably in the past years, not only the
financial-economic, but also educational-cultural programs have been
expanded. He emphasized with satisfaction that Germany is Armenia’s
second trade partner and one of the biggest investors.

Considering Armenian-German cooperation a success, A. Viktorin attached
importance to the sitting of the intergovernmental commission to be
held in July and expressed confidence that it will become a start
for new initiatives.

According to the report of the RA President’s Press Office, the sides
also considered satisfactory the two countries’ cooperation in security
and defence spheres.

OSCE CHAIRWOMAN-IN-OFFICE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT KARABAKH SETTLEMENT
Lena Badeyan

"Radiolur"
03.07.2009 14:58

"We support the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group and the progress
registered. We are optimistic that the possible meeting of the
Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Moscow will register progress
in the Karabakh settlement," OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Greek Foreign
Minister Dors Bakoyyanis said during the joint press conference with
Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian.

According to her, it has been stated many times that the meeting of
Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliuyev
in Saint Petersburg was constructive and the good opportunity should
not be missed.

Mrs. Bakoyannis noted that Armenia and Azerbaijan are involved in
constructive talks on the level of Presidents to resolve the Karabakh
conflict. The negotiations inspire optimism, according to her. "I’m
inspired with the political will demonstrated by all parties and
the proposals made by the Minsk Group, which could lead to positive
results," Dora Bakoyannis said, underlining that Armenia is an
important country for maintaining stability in the South Caucasus.

MELODIES FLOW WITH COOL WATER OF BOSPHORUS

Hurriyet
Saturday, July 04, 2009 01:11

ISTANBUL – World-renowned US-Armenian percussionist Arto Tuncboyacýyan,
Palestinian musician-activist Reem Kelani and the sound of Anatolia,
Kardeþ Turkuler, share the same stage Tuesday night. Peace and
friendship messages are conveyed through song and dance.

Peace and friendship messages were conveyed through songs in Istanbul,
the meeting point of Europe and Asia. The voice of the Anatolian
people, Kardeþ Turkuler, world-renowned Armenian percussionist Arto
Tuncboyacýyan, and Palestinian musician and activist Reem Kelani
shared the same stage Tuesday at Istanbul’s Turkcell Kuruceþme Arena.

The artists were accompanied on stage by more than 70
dancers. Tuncboyacýyan, Kelani and members of Kardeþ Turkuler spoke
to the Hurriyet Daily News & Economic Review.

‘Diaspora smells like mothballs’ "I am from Anatolia; I take my
heart everywhere I go. Leaving Anatolia means leaving myself," said
Tuncboyacýyan, a U.S. citizen, adding that he is an Armenian but that
humanity – not identity – was important to him.

Criticizing the current situation with the diaspora, Tuncboyacýyan
said, "The diaspora smells like mothballs; it doesn’t refresh
itself." He said that if he were given the mission, he would be able
to solve the current problem between Turks and Armenians in two weeks.

"I need two cameras, an objective observer and representatives of both
societies. The program would be broadcast live. It would continue
for two weeks, and discussions would be held for 24 hours before
the people of both countries, because we need to learn how to speak
first. As two publics, we play the game of word-of-mouth very well,"
said Tuncboyacýyan about his project.

Tuncboyacýyan, who formed an orchestra named the Armenian Navy Band in
1998 in Armenia, where there is no sea, is traveling between Turkey,
the United States and Armenia.

‘I stayed away from both Turkish, Armenian societies’ Tuncboyacýyan’s
brother, Onno Tunc, was one of the producers of legendary work in
Turkish pop music. He died in a plane accident in 1996 when the
private plane he was piloting crashed in bad weather on a mountain
near Selimiye village of Armutlu, Yalova, on his journey from Bursa
to Istanbul.

Tuncboyacýyan said that though his brother wanted to stay in Turkey,
he, not necessarily voluntarily, had left Turkey and moved to the
United States 29 years ago.

"I enlisted in the army in 1978. I served for two years, and it was a
very difficult process. My commander used to say to us that he doesn’t
want to hear Armenian and Greek names," he said. "This perception
really hurt me. Onno was more moderate, but I was not. I could not
accept it and left the country. I lived my life missing my hometown;
I was a foreigner everywhere I went."

He said that when he first moved to the United States, he stayed
away from the places of Turkish and Armenian societies. He explained
the reason, saying: "Both sides are living on an axis of race and
religion. My origin is Armenian, I am proud of it, but I am a human
and an individual first of all. My identity does not shape my life,
but my life shapes my identity."

‘I am here to express my existence’ Palestinian musician and activist
Kelani, who lives in Manchester, England, expressed her happiness with
being in Istanbul and sharing the same stage with Kardeþ Turkuler and
Tuncboyacýyan. Mentioning the conflict between Israel and Palestine,
Kelani said: "It is not possible to accept what has been done to
the people of Palestine. The rights of my people are violated. As
a Palestinian, I am here to prove my existence to the world, not to
behave like a victim."

Speaking on behalf of Kardeþ Turkuler, members Ulker Uncu and Vedat
Yýldýrým said: "This concert is one that is dedicated to peace and
brotherhood between publics. The world is a whole for us. We don’t
believe in borders."