Author: Taslakhchian Andranik

IRAN CAN PLAY KEY ROLE IN REGIONAL STABILITY: ARMENIA MP

Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran
Oct 29 2007

An Armenian lawmaker said on Monday that the Islamic Republic of Iran
can play a decisive role in bolstering peace and stability in the
region. Making the remark at the 15th International Seminar on the
Central Asia and Caucasus, Stepan Zackaryan referred to historical and
cultural commonalties between Iran and Armenia, saying that Tehran
has had appropriate and enhanced cooperation with Yerevan since
the independence of Armenia. Zackaryan further pointed to the NATO
performance in the Central Asia region, saying that some regional
countries have lost their trust in NATO because of discriminatory
behaviors of the western states. If international regulations give the
opportunity to certain powers to violate them easily, other nations
will definitely disagree with global treaties including NATO Treaty,
Zackaryan added. The 15th International Seminar on Central Asia and
Caucasus was held in participation of ambassadors, researchers and
thinkers from 25 countries at Iran’s Foreign Ministry Research Center.

"ARARATBANK" BECAME THE DIRECT REPRESENTATIVE OF WESTERN UNION IN ARMENIA

Mediamax Agency, Armenia
Oct 29 2007

/Mediamax/. "ARARATBANK" became the direct representative of Western
Union in Armenia. As Mediamax was told in the press service of the
bank, within the framework of the agreement concluded, "ARARATBANK"
gained the opportunity of attaching the territorial subdivisions
of banks and partner-organizations to the Western Union system. To
organize the work in the Western Union system, "ARARATBANK" will
provide the necessary program support, instructions, advertisement
and methodological materials.

"ARARATBANK" has also gained the right of organizing training for
employees of banks and partner-organizations for working with the
use of the Western Union system, providing consulting assistance and
instructions on the Western Union program system. "ARARATBANK" will
also render necessary assistance for organizing the service points
of Western Union in Armenia.

ARMENIAN-CZECH CONSULTATIONS KICKED OFF IN YEREVAN

armradio.am
29.10.2007 17:58

October 29 Armenian-Czech political consultations started in
Yerevan. The Armenian delegation was headed by RA Deputy Foreign
Minister Arman Kirakosyan. The Czech delegation was headed by First
Deputy Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic Tomas Poyar.

Welcoming the conduct of interagency consultations between the
Foreign Ministries of the two countries, the participants stressed the
importance to the discussion of issues of bilateral and multilateral
cooperation. In this respect, special importance was attached to the
forthcoming visit of the Czech Foreign Minister to Armenia.

The Armenians side reconfirmed the aspiration to bring the relations
with the EU to the highest level possible, and underlined that
Armenia anticipates Checia’s practical assistance in the process
of implementation of the Armenia-EU Action Plan and is ready to
consider the possibilities of cooperation with the Czech Republic on
the framework of the program.

Reference was made to the perspectives of cooperation within
international organizations.

At the request of the guests, Deputy FM Arman Kirakosyan presented
the current state of the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict,
as well as the Armenian-Turkish relations.

KAZIMIROV: RESUMPTION OF WAR IN KARABAKH MENACING ENTIRE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

YERKIR
29.10.2007 17:19

YEREVAN (YERKIR) – "Resumption of hostilities in Nagorno Karabakh would
cause more damage than in 1992-1994, since collisions would take place
between well-equipped armies but not guerilla troops. However, neither
of the sides will manage a victorious blitzkrieg within next 4-5 years.

Lingering hostilities will be pernicious for the initiator first of all
and this fact demands the most thorough speculation by the leaders,"
said Vladimir Kazimirov, the Russian mediator on Nagorno Karabakh
in 1992-1996.

The war menaces the entire international community as well, according
to him. "The South Caucasus is not a region deserving indifference. It
won’t be easy to justify a new carnage by Armenian occupation,
since everyone sees Yerevan and Stepanakert insisting on a compromise
solution while Baku stubbornly threatens with war if Armenians don’t
quit all lands including Nagorno Karabakh. Repetition of hostilities
will be perceived as a greater anomaly that the ugly heritage of the
previous war – the seizure of lands," the Russian diplomat said.

"The side that dares to violate the armistice will immediately draw
universal anger for breaking off the OSCE principles and commitments
to the CoE. World powers and influential international organizations,
which have worked for a peaceful resolution of the conflict, will
severely condemn the aggressor.

All will without delay quote Article 9 of the Azerbaijani Constitution
which rejects war as a means of settlement of international
conflicts. Meanwhile, Azeri leaders have already undermined the
authority of their Organic Law by bellicose statements. They don’t
fail to cite the Constitution when commenting on referendum on NK
status but seem to completely forget the above-mentioned article.

Baku will be reminded of its speeding up the armament race and boosting
the defense budget. Total neglect of the agreement on suppression
of border incidents concluded with Armenia and Karabakh by Heydar
Aliyev’s edict will also come to light.

Every day the Azeri Defense Ministry reports violation of the ceasefire
by Armenians. And here a logical discrepancy occurs. If Baku really
wants to suppress incidents, why doesn’t it follow the agreement
officially signed under the aegis of the OSCE? Meanwhile, Yerevan
and Stepanakert have numerously stated support to the agreement.

If Baku thinks this agreement imperfect, it could be amended or
replaced by another one. But Azeris prefer casualties in order to
aggravate tensions and pursue their hysterical propaganda.

Armed revenge can entail grave consequences. Daniel Fried,
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of European and
Eurasian Affairs, once said war would ruin Azerbaijan’s future,"
Vladimir Kazimirov wrote in an article "Is there is a wayout of
Karabakh deadlock?" published by Russia in Global Politics magazine.

INTERVIEW WITH ELIE WIESEL
Charles Smolover

Philadelphia Jewish Voice, PA
Oct 28 2007

Elie Wiesel is a Romanian-born French-Jewish novelist, political
activist, Nobel Laureate, Holocaust survivor and outspoken advocate
for justice. He is the author of over 40 books, the best known of
which is Night, a memoir that describes his experiences during the
Holocaust. He is attending the AIPAC Summit in Philadelphia at the
end of October and spoke recently with the Philadelphia Jewish Voice.

PJV: You will be in Philadelphia next week for the AIPAC Summit and
you are no doubt aware of The Israel Lobby, the critical book about
AIPAC by Walt and Mearsheimer. Setting aside the many factual errors
in the book, is it possible that there is a kernel of truth to their
argument, that AIPAC’s power hinders United States politicians from
offering legitimate criticisms of Israeli policies?

I have not read the book, but I have read about it and read some
excepts. The people who have criticized it are responsible people and
I have confidence in their judgment. Nevertheless, I cannot really
comment having not read it myself. As to the general question you
ask, as to AIPAC itself, I think AIPAC is a useful, important and
vocal organization. I think the Jewish community needs it and I think
Israel needs it. Does it mean that because of AIPAC some statesmen
or politicians feel threatened? I don’t believe that. We live in
a democracy. Nobody is afraid to speak up. This is not Stalinist
Russia. AIPAC is good be cause it mobilizes all those Jews who
love the Jewish state and the Jewish people, but I don’t think it
represents a threat to those who disagree with the policies of the
Israeli government.

PJV: The subject of the Armenian Genocide has been in the news. The
U.S. Congress has been debating whether to officially recognize the
events in question as genocide, and the Turks, to no one’s surprise,
are not pleased. Some in the Jewish community are reluctant to touch
this issue for fear of damaging Turkey’s relationship with Israel.

What is your take on this issue?

I have been fighting for the right of the Armenian people to remember
for years and years. How could I, who has fought all my life for Jewish
remembrance, tell the Armenians they have no right to remember? But
I understand the administration’s view. Fortunately, as a private
citizen I don’t have to worry about Turkey’s response. But I do
feel that had there been the word "genocide" in those days, what
happened to the Armenians would have been called genocide. Everyone
agrees there was mass murder, but the word came later. I believe the
Armenians are the victims and, as a Jew, I should be on their side.

PJV: If the Armenians have a right to remember, don’t the Turks have
an obligation to take some responsibility?

No one is asking for the Turks to take responsibility. All the
Armenians want is the right to remember. Seven generations separate
us from the events that happened in World War I and nobody in his
right mind would say that today’s Turks are responsible for what
happened. The Armenians don’t want reparations, they don’t even want
an apology. They want the right to remember. The Turks would gain a
lot if they simply acknowledged the reality of what happened. I have
spoke with Turkish leaders at the highest level and their attitude
about this issue is totally irrational except for one thing which I do
understand. They don’t want to be compared to Hitler. But of course,
nobody does.

PJV: Is anti-Semitism on the rise in Europe?

I am not sure I would characterize the situation in Europe in terms
of whether there is a rise in anti-Semitism there. Europe clearly
has an anti-Semitic past and there are clearly anti-Semites in Europe
today. The question is whether they are part of a growing movement. I
don’t think they are. But there is a trend, a trend of being
anti-Israel, which you also see in American in certain circles. This
anti-Israel feeling, when taken to an extreme, becomes anti-Semitic.

PJV: What about in France? And what is the impact of the election of
Nicolas Sarkozy?

This anti-Israel trend is certainly true in France. But I have a
feeling that Sarkozy and his government will take steps to contain it,
to mute it.

PJV: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will soon convene yet
another U.S.- sponsored conference to address the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict. Absent some fundamental change in the status quo, do you
expect this conference to have a different result than the many that
have preceded it?

You now how dangerous prophesy is. As a French poet once said, the
future isn’t what it used to be. But I can tell you that the current
situation in the Middle East cannot go on indefinitely. People are
tired. I organized the first meeting between Mahmoud Abbas and Ehud
Olmert. They fell into each other’s arms. It was quite moving. They
sat around the table, they ate breakfast and they discussed a range
of issues – scientific cooperation, economics, education. Everything
looked great. Three weeks later, Hamas and Hezbollah ignite new
violence and the process ground to a halt. But we cannot stop trying
to make peace. We cannot stop. Are we justified in feeling more hopeful
about these new talks? I don’t know. There is no telling how terrorism
can effect the situation. That is the evil power of terror.

PJV: Much has been written lately about Israel entering a so called
post-Zionist period that is marked by some disturbing trends,
including a rise in draft dodging, increased tension between secular
and religious Israelis and a growing disparity between the wealthiest
and poorest levels of Israeli society. As a frequent visitor to Israel,
what is your sense of the zeitgeist?

I go to Israel at least three or four times a year. I hear about these
trends and it is depressing. But I believe it is a passing phase and
that Israel’s citizenry has the resources to overcome it.

PJV: One last little question: What is the single greatest challenge
facing the Jewish people today?

Years ago when I was a journalist, David Ben-Gurion asked me to go
to America and meet with various leaders and explore the question
of who is a Jew. That was a big concern of his. Today I think the
challenge is understanding what it means to be a Jew in today’s
world. Of course, various communities of Jews have answers. Zionists
will say that being a Jew is about making aliyah. Orthodox Jews may
tell you it’s about performing mitzvot. But I think we need a deeper
understanding, especially today when we are threatened around the
world by the rise of fanaticism. It would like to see a high level
conference of intellectuals, thinkers, moralists and philosophers
convened to address this question.

aspx

PanARMENIAN.Net

Russian Defense Minister arriving in Armenia October 29
27.10.2007 15:33 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ October 29-30 Russian Defense Minister Anatoly
Serdyukov will be in Armenia on a formal visit.

As RA Defense Minister’s Spokesman, col. Seyran Shahsuvaryan told
PanARMENIAN.Net, Anatoly Serdyukov will meet with Armenian President
Robert Kocharian, Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan and Defense Minister
Mikael Harutyunyan.

Discussion will focus on the Russian-Armenian military cooperation.

The RF delegation will also attend Russian military bases deployed in
Armenia.

H.RES.106: TURKEY GAINS ITS ENDS FOR LAST TIME

PanARMENIAN.Net
26.10.2007 13:32 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Turkey has gained its ends but it happened for the
last time, Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies at the RA
Academy of Sciences, Prof. Ruben Safrastyan told a PanARMENIAN.Net
reporter when commenting on the decision by H.Res.106 leading authors
to call for a revised schedule for the House consideration.

The U.S. refused from vote on H.Res.106 in exchange for Turkey’s
promise not to launch war in Iraq, according to him.

"Nevertheless, I think that the resolution will be put on vote and
will be passed during the next Congress session in 2008. Turkey has
exhausted its tools of pressure on the United States," Prof. Safrastyan
said.

WITH BOOK, FOXMAN GRABS LEAD ROLE ‘ISRAEL LOBBY’ CRITICS
By Ami Eden

New Jersey Jewish Standard, NJ
k,-Foxman-grabs-lead-role—%91Israel-lobby%92—c ritics
Oct 26 2007

As patrons filed into Manhattan’s 92nd Street Y to catch a sold-out
appearance by Larry David, the scene outside was producing a punchline
straight out of his HBO sitcom "Curb Your Enthusiasm." David and one
of his "Curb" co-stars, Susie Essman, were the main event on that
recent evening. But protesters had gathered outside to jeer the
national director of the Anti-Defamation League, Abraham Foxman,
who was slated to speak – in another packed, albeit smaller, room
– about anti-Semitism and his new book, "The Deadliest Lies: The
Israel Lobby and The Myth of Jewish Control." The demonstrators were
voicing outrage over Foxman’s initial unwillingness to characterize
the World War I-era Turkish massacres of Armenians as genocide and his
continued opposition to a proposed congressional resolution that would
put America on record as using the g-word. "Larry David is in favor of
genocide?" one confused visitor asked. The mix-up could have served as
the basis for a good "Curb" plot, to be sure, but in real life Foxman
is the one who’s been taking it from all sides of late. And while he
certainly has suffered some self-inflicted public-relations wounds,
he’s also taken plenty of heat for things that he never said or did,
including the misdeeds of others. Legitimate or not, the barrage of
criticism has had an impact: Foxman, who has worked at the ADL since
1965 and run the organization for the past 20 years, has become an
increasingly polarizing figure for Jews and non-Jews on both sides
of the political spectrum. Despite the fact, or perhaps because,
he has become a walking flashpoint, Foxman remains the media’s
top go-to guy on Jewish affairs – a status further cemented by his
high-profile national book tour. In short, he may have never commanded
more attention or attracted as much criticism. It’s a high-stakes
dynamic as he takes the lead role in the Jewish community’s fight
against a growing list of vocal and respectable critics of Israel and
the pro-Israel lobby, most notably former President Jimmy Carter and
the academic duo of John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt. Foxman insists
he has no second thoughts about jumping into the center of the debate
over the pro-Israel lobby. "I’m not nervous. No hesitation whatsoever,"
Foxman said during an interview last month in his ADL office at the
start of his book tour. (See page 21.) [He was scheduled to speak
on Wednesday at the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades in Tenafly.] Still,
he conceded, "The one thing that haunts me is my credibility because
that’s all we got." As it turns out, Foxman has written a reasoned,
measured response to Carter’s "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid" and
the articles that evolved into Mearsheimer and Walt’s "The Israel
Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy."

Foxman’s book breaks little new ground in its bid to debunk the most
objectionable claims put forth by Carter, Mearsheimer and Walt,
et al. But for those seeking a quick and accessible road map for
understanding the weakest points in the attack on Israel and the
pro-Israel lobby, "The Deadliest Lies" does the trick – with a big
boost from the foreword by former Secretary of State George Shultz.

The question is, will it be read by anyone who isn’t already settled
on the issue? Does Foxman still command the respect and have the
credibility to make headway beyond his base, to reach, as he describes
them, "the fair-minded people who may be wondering whether there is any
truth in the claims promoted in ‘The Israel Lobby’ and are willing to
hear the other side of the story?" Foxman essentially touches on the
issue in his book during his recounting of the outrage triggered last
year by an inaccurate claim that he had pushed the Polish consulate
in New York to pull the plug on a lecture by New York University
Prof. Tony Judt. The ADL had inquired about the event, which was
being sponsored by an outside group that was renting space at the
consulate, but it turned out to be David Harris, the executive director
of the American Jewish Committee, who had asked for the event to be
canceled. Still, the furor eventually triggered a lengthy profile of
Foxman in The New York Times Magazine last January. Written by James
Traub, the piece used the flap over Judt – who caused an uproar with a
2003 essay arguing that the idea of a Jewish state was and is a mistake
– as a vehicle for examining claims that the Jewish community is
guilty of trying to shut down debate over Israel. Among other things,
Traub’s piece played into the left-wing’s negative – and often unfair –
attacks on Foxman by ignoring his efforts to line up American Jewish
support for peace moves approved by the Israeli government. Traub also
incorrectly lumped Foxman in with those who argue that the Jewish
community should steer clear of criticizing Christian conservatives
on domestic policy because of their support for Israel. In fact, one
of the biggest complaints of Foxman’s right-wing critics – Jewish and
non-Jewish – is his continued willingness to confront the religious
right. For example, they point to his speaking out against the Mel
Gibson film "The Passion of the Christ" and a 2005 speech Foxman
gave in an attempt to rally the Jewish community against efforts to
"Christianize America." And of course they steam over his support
for the Oslo process and the Gaza disengagement, which he framed
as an issue of Israel’s democratically elected government deserving
deference on issues of peace and security. In "The Deadliest Lies,"
Foxman argued that given the "preconceived notions" of his critics,
it would be "almost impossible" for them "not to assume the worst about
me." He was talking about Judt and his supporters in left-wing academic
circles, but the same applies to Jewish and Christian conservatives who
falsely claim that the ADL leader suggested "The Passion" would spark
anti-Jewish pogroms in America and tagged Gibson as an anti-Semite
during the controversy over the film. Despite his growing ability to
invite backlash from some liberal and conservative circles, Foxman
insists he has no plans to listen to those who say he needs to tone
down his approach. "We don’t have that luxury," he said during the
interview at his office. Foxman in his book seemed to make an effort
at maintaining some appearance of balance, stopping well short of
full-throated apologetics for Israeli policy: "As in most conflicts,
there have been rights and wrongs on both sides," he wrote, "and
there is plenty of room for open debate about how the blame should
be apportioned – and, more important, about the best way forward." On
the question of whether Jewish groups are in the censorship business,
Foxman is guilty to some degree of wanting it both ways. He worked
hard to clear his own name in the Judt episode, but defends the right
of the AJCommittee and other Jewish entities to protest invitations
to objectionable speakers. And if such efforts are successful, he
argues, the blame rests solely with the institutions that comply,
not the Jewish agitators. "The fundamental truth remains that it was
the Polish consulate alone that chose to cancel Tony Judt’s speech,"
Foxman wrote. "To try to place the responsibility for that ill-advised
decision on some cabal of pro-Israeli groups is fairly ludicrous." In
the interview, Foxman stood by the point: Jews who feel so inclined are
"not wrong" to move against speakers to whom they object. "It’s their
expression of freedom of speech," he said. While some segments of the
Jewish community might go too far, Foxman said, it is really the Jewish
community that is the target of a campaign of "intimidation." The
goal of Mearsheimer and Walt in arguing that the pro-Israel lobby
and Israeli officials played a vital role in the U.S. decision to
invade Iraq, Foxman said, is to scare American Jews from weighing
in for a tough stand against Iran’s nuclear ambitions. "I think
part of this is an attempt to intimidate us," Foxman said. Noting
the attacks on himself, he added: "If they can succeed in shutting
me up, then they can shut the Jewish community up." One thing is
clear, at least when it comes to Foxman: "They" aren’t getting very
far.

ARMENIAN FM HAILS AHMADINEJAD’S VISIT

PRESS TV
Oct 26 2007
Iran

Armenian Foreign Minister hails President Ahmadinejad’s recent trip
saying the visit has enhanced sustainable peace in the region. Vartan
Oskanian said in a press conference in Yerevan on Thursday that
"during President Ahmadinejad’s visit to Yerevan, initiatives to
boost bilateral ties and promote trade between the two countries were
discussed," according to IRNA. The Armenian Foreign Minister dismissed
reports by some media that not signing a free trade agreement between
the two countries was a result of the sanctions imposed against Iran
by the UN Security Council.

"The documents were not ready during President Ahmadinejad’s visit.

Some of its provisions relating to Armenia’s international undertakings
needed additional review," the minister said. "The plans that Armenia
will carry out with Iran’s support have regional importance," Oskanian
said. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived in Yerevan Monday to meet
his Armenian counterpart Robert Koucharian.

During the visit, the Islamic Republic of Iran and Armenia issued a
joint statement on strengthening sustainable peace and stability in
the region.

CANADA URGED TO TAKE ACTION ON DARFUR GENOCIDE
By Cindy Chan

Epoch Times, NY

Oct 25 2007

‘Responsibility to protect,’ has fallen by the wayside, says Dallaire

Canada is failing in its responsibility to help stop the massive
atrocities and humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of western
Sudan, said Senator Romeo Dallaire and Liberal MP Irwin Cotler at an
all-party press conference in Ottawa last Tuesday.

"[Canada] created the whole concept of ‘responsibility to protect.’
Where massive abuses of human rights are in existence, we have a
responsibility to go in and assist and protect," said Dallaire.

"However, we have sort of disappeared from the map [in Darfur] …

Literally, we have not taken that responsibility."

The "responsibility to protect" (R2P) is an international security and
human rights doctrine conceived by former Canadian foreign minister
Lloyd Axworthy in the aftermath of the horrors of Kosovo and Rwanda.

As head of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Rwanda in 1994, Dallaire
pleaded unsuccessfully to the U.N. for support to stop the threat of
large-scale atrocities in that country. The genocide that followed
claimed 800,000 lives.

Adopted by the U.N. in September 2005, R2P maintains that the
international community has a "responsibility . . . to help protect
populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes
against humanity" when countries cannot or will not protect their
own people. This includes military intervention, if necessary, as a
last resort.

Impunity amidst Atrocities Cotler, the Liberal human rights critic,
noted that more than 400,000 have died in the Darfur genocide since
2003, and due to Sudan’s north-south civil war, over 4 million
displaced people are on a "life-support system."

Yet when Prime Minister Stephen Harper gave a major foreign policy
address in New York on September 25, he did not mention Darfur, Sudan,
or Africa, said Cotler.

Meanwhile, "massive atrocities continue unabated," he said, adding
that "the most horrific thing" is the impunity given to Ahmad Harun,
Sudan’s Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs.

Harun has been indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for
war crimes and crimes against humanity. The ICC issued a warrant for
his arrest in April 2007, yet he remains in his post, and in September
the Sudanese government appointed him to lead an investigation into
human rights abuses in Sudan.

"What could be a greater injury to the people of Darfur, the rule of
law, and the peace process, than to have this kind of mocking of the
‘responsibility to protect’ doctrine and the law?" said Cotler.

Peace Process and Mission Need Support, Expertise Adding to the urgency
for action, said Cotler, is the fact that the 2005 comprehensive peace
agreement that ended the 21-year civil war in Sudan and put in place
a provisional government is in danger of unravelling.

The peace process to end the 4 ½-year conflict in Darfur is also
at risk. Cotler said that at the recent Global Conference on the
Prevention of Genocide in Montreal, the U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan,
Andrew S. Natsios, warned that the atmosphere surrounding the upcoming
peace talks between the Sudanese government and Darfur rebels is
"poisonous." The talks are scheduled to begin October 27 in Libya.

On July 31, the U.N. Security Council approved a plan to send up to
26,000 peacekeepers on a joint U.N. and African Union (A.U.) mission
to Darfur. The United Nations African Union Mission in Sudan (UNAMID)
is expected to take over from the 7,000 A.U. troops now in the region
by the end of December at the latest.

UNAMID personnel will be authorized to use force to protect civilians.

Dallaire said Canada’s responsibility is not limited to the
humanitarian side. It must also include diplomatic, security, and
technical dimensions to protect the people, assist in negotiations
and gender issues, and provide technology-based expertise.

Cotler agreed. He urged Canada to help put UNAMID in place as soon as
possible. He also relayed a suggestion from Ethiopian Prime Minister
Meles Zenawi that what’s needed from Canada is expertise in such things
as logistics, command and control, equipment, and communications –
expertise that the A.U. does not presently possess.

Justin Laku, a Sudanese Canadian and founder of Canadian Friends of
Sudan, noted that the vast majority of A.U. nation states rely on
international aid and do not have the ability to deal with a crisis
such as the one in Darfur. He likened the genocide in Darfur to the
genocides in Rwanda, Armenia, and Nazi Germany – all a result of
"indifference, silence, and lack of humanity."

If the sovereign countries within the U.N. and A.U. fail to provide
what’s necessary, then ultimately "they’re the ones who have the
blood on their hands," said Dallaire.

Hotline to PM’s Office Jonathan Laski of STAND Canada (Students Taking
Action Now: Darfur) also spoke at the press conference. STANDS has
just launched a 1-800-GENOCIDE toll-free hotline to help Canadians
press for increased government action in Darfur.

The number 1-800-436-6243 ("GENOCIDE" without the "E") allows callers
to listen to some talking points and then be directly connected to
the Prime Minister’s Office or one of five other Canadian government
officials.

STAND’s goal is 1,000 calls per month. The group recommends that
callers make three requests to the Canadian government: appoint a
Canadian envoy to Darfur and the entire northeast Africa to support the
peace process, divest all federal holdings in companies operating in
Sudan that are on STAND’s "worst offenders" list, and support UNAMID
by increasing funding, lending equipment, and pressing for a more
robust mandate.

In an interview earlier this month, Liberal MP Borys Wrzesnewskyj,
who visited Darfur in September 2005 shortly after the peace agreement
and provisional parliament came into being, said the region "had the
preconditions put in place for a genocide by attrition."

He added that the Sudanese government has a track record of
finding excuses to delay and prevent the deployment of humanitarian
peacekeeping missions and troops to Darfur.

Cotler also delivered a message to Canada from Salih Mahmoud Osman,
a Sudanese opposition MP and distinguished human rights activist
from Darfur.

Osman’s message? "Act now to save Darfur – tomorrow will be too late."

–Boundary_(ID_hbkc8Ve9xB+wlAVPrj9QdQ )–