Author: Tvankchian Parkev

TURKEY’S MPS BACK ATTACKS ON IRAQI KURDS

The Guardian
Thursday October 18, 2007

· PM gets blank cheque for raids on rebel bases
· Leaders in Baghdad appeal for restraint on both sides

Michael Howard in the Matin mountains, northern Iraq, and Julian Borger

The Turkish parliament yesterday gave its government the green light
for cross-border attacks into Iraq to destroy Kurdish rebel bases,
defying US calls for restraint.

The prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, quickly pointed out that the
vote did not signify an operation was imminent. But it does represent a
blank cheque for military action at any time within the next year. The
authorisation was passed by 507 votes to 19, with only a small Kurdish
party opposing it. It came just as George Bush was telling journalists
in Washington: "We are making it very clear to Turkey that we don’t
think it is in their interest to send troops into Iraq."

The president added: "Actually they have troops already stationed in
Iraq, and they’ve had troops stationed there for quite a while. We
don’t think it’s in their interest to send more troops in."

Turkish TV quoted Mr Erdogan as saying: "What’s important is the
parliament’s decision, not what people say."

The raids would be aimed at the Kurdistan Workers’ party (PKK),
which has stepped up attacks inside eastern Turkey in recent months. A
senior PKK leader told the Guardian: "If Turkey conducts any attack or
operation against Iraqi Kurdistan or Kurds anywhere we are prepared to
defend ourselves and we have prepared well for such an occasion. We
do not want a military confrontation but we will spread resistance
throughout Turkey and Kurdish areas in Iraq, Iran and Syria."

Last night Iraqi leaders sought to prevent an attack. Hours before the
vote the prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, called Mr Erdogan to ask
for more time to curb rebel activities in Iraq. "Let’s do whatever
is necessary together," Mr Maliki said, according to the Anatolian
news agency.

After the vote the Iraqi president, Jalal Talabani, an ethnic Kurd,
called on both sides for restraint. "We consider activities of PKK
against the interests of the Kurdish people first, and then against
the interests of Turkey," he said in Paris. "We have asked the PKK
to stop fighting, to end the so-called military activity."

However, there were divisions between Kurdish politicians and the
Maliki government on how to respond to any incursion. Sami al-Askari,
a senior Maliki adviser, said it was up to the Kurdish fighters
(peshmerga) and US-led coalition troops to stop the Turks. "The
Kurdistan regional government should not allow PKK fighters to
infiltrate in to Turkey from northern Iraq," he said. "The Iraqi
government will not use its army and police to stand in front of the
Turkish army because security in that region is the responsibility
of the multinational forces and the peshmerga."

But a Kurdish MP in Baghdad, Mahmoud Othman, said any invasion by a
foreign power should be treated as a violation of Iraqi sovereignty,
adding: "It is the constitutional duty of all Iraqi forces to protect
the borders."

US influence on Turkey has been hit by the Iraq war, a perceived lack
of US support for Turkey’s counter-insurgency against the PKK, and
a US bill declaring the mass killing of Armenians during the first
world war to be "genocide". The congressional resolution was losing
momentum yesterday after Democrats withdrew their support following
calls not to endanger the alliance with Turkey.

–Boundary_(ID_ZvudHNYfxsR6cNGxCWq9bg)–

ELECTION OF LEVON TER-PETROSYAN PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA WILL CREATE GREAT RESOURCE FOR KARABAKH PEACE PROCESS: REPUBLIC PARTY LEADER

ArmInfo.
2007-10-18 16:51:00

Election of the first president of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan
president of Armenia will create a great resource for negotiations
for settlement of Karabakh conflict, Leader of the opposition party
Republic Aram Sargsyan says in an interview with ArmInfo.

He says neither the international community nor President of
Azerbaijan see difference between Robert Kocharyan and his successor
Serzh Sargsyan. Thus, the incumbent president’s replacement by his
successor will just lead the negotiations to a dead end. When Levon
Ter-Petrosyan resigned in 1998, he left the necessary resource for
continuation of negotiations. The new authorities started negotiating
from their own stand, which was supported by a definite part of the
population. As a result, we have arrived at such a deadlock. Now,
Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s victory in the election can bring a new resource
to the negotiations, he says.

A. Sargsyan believes that the first president of Armenia has always
been sincere to the OSCE Minsk Group, waged exact foreign and domestic
policy, and has never protracted the fulfillment of agreements unlike
the incumbent authorities that has never expressed exact approaches
to the Karabakh conflict settlement, Republic party leaders says.

DECISION ON H.RES.106 VOTE MAY BE RECONSIDERED?

PanARMENIAN.Net
17.10.2007 18:47 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ With support for the Armenian Genocide resolution
rapidly eroding, House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer indicated that
he’s reconsidering plans to bring up the measure for a floor vote.

"I want to check [the votes] before we make a determination" about
floor action, the Maryland Democrat said Tuesday, stepping back from
comments he made earlier that the resolution would come up for a vote
by the middle of next month.

The non-binding resolution would urge the president to recognize as
genocide the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians in the former Ottoman
Empire nearly a century ago. It has drawn sharp opposition from Turkey,
and the administration has warned that House adoption of the resolution
would harm U.S. foreign policy efforts in the region.

7 cosponsors have recently withdrawn their support for the measure
(H Res 106), which the House Foreign Affairs Committee approved,
27-21, on Oct. 10.

Also, Democrats Alcee L. Hastings of Florida, who chairs the Commission
on Security and Cooperation in Europe, and John Tanner of Tennessee,
who chairs the House delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly,
asked Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to block a floor vote on the
resolution.

Most Republicans oppose the measure.

Lincoln Davis, D-Tenn., cosponsored the resolution but pulled his
support, saying the resolution is not worth losing an ally in the
Middle East. "They are the only country with a large Muslim population
that has consistently been our friend," Davis said. "I want to keep
them there."

Despite the Democratic splintering, a spokesman for Pelosi said Monday
that the Speaker still intends to bring the resolution to the floor
before the end of the session.

Pelosi has long supported genocide recognition for the Armenians,
thousands of whom make up a vocal and influential community in her
home district.

Jane Harman, D-Calif., who cosponsored the resolution, wrote Pelosi
a letter last week urging her not to bring it up. Harman said she
would not remove her name from the bill but would vote against it on
the floor.

Those who pulled their support were adamant that they still believed
that the Armenian murders were genocide, but thought the timing
was bad.

"I would normally be anti-genocide," Sanford D. Bishop Jr., D-Ga.,
said. "But the issue has to do with the support of our troops in Iraq
and Afghanistan."

Bishop also cosponsored the measure but pulled his support.

Other members who removed their names as cosponsors were Carolyn
Cheeks Kilpatrick, D-Mich.; Allen Boyd, D-Fla.; Wally Herger,
R-Calif.; Marion Berry, D-Ark.; Mike Ross, D-Ark.; Hank Johnson,
D-Ga.; and Harry E. Mitchell, D-Ariz.

"This is not the time to stick our finger in the eyes of the Turks,"
Ross said.

The Bush administration and Turkish government officials, who visited
several congressional offices last week, have put intense pressure
on Congress not to take up the measure.

The committee vote sparked huge protests in Ankara and Istanbul and
prompted Turkey’s top general Monday to threaten that ties between
the two nations would be forever changed if the House adopted the
resolution.

The Turkish parliament also is considering a request from the military
to permit military incursions against Kurdish separatists holed up in
the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan. Turkey has been shelling villages
in northern Iraq where it believes the separatists are operating,
Congressional Quarterly reports.

TURKISH CHIEF OF STAFF WARNS U.S. CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL OF ARMENIAN BILL WILL HARM MILITARY RELATIONS

Turkish Press
Oct 17 2007

ROME – Turkish Chief General Staff Gen. Yasar Buyukanit said Wednesday
that military relations between Turkey and the U.S. would remain the
same in case U.S. Congress approved a bill on Armenian allegations
regarding the incidents of 1915.

"Whether we want it or not, if the bill is approved at the Congress,
it is not possible for our military relations to be same as before,"
Buyukanit told reporters in Rome.

"I hope the bill would be turned down and our relations with the
U.S. will continue to improve," he said.

A foreign relations committee of the U.S. House of Representatives
approved the bill last week.

City of Los Angeles
City Council
200 N. Spring St.
Los Angeles, Ca 90012

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Ben Golombek (Greuel) 213-473-7002
Julie Wong (Garcetti) 213-473-7013

October 17th, 2007

COUNCILMEMBERS GREUEL, GARCETTI CALL ON CONGRESS TO
PASS ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION

LOS ANGELES* Councilmembers Wendy Greuel and Eric Garcetti filed a
motion today, to put the City of Los Angeles on record as urging the
full U.S. House of Representatives to pass H.R. 106 – a resolution
that officially recognizes the 1915 genocide of Armenians as
*Genocide*.

*It is important that we recognize this tragedy as a genocide, both to
heal the wounds of the survivors and the families of victims, but also
to help prevent future atrocities from occurring.* said Councilwoman
Greuel.

"This crime against humanity resulted in the deaths of 1.5 million
people. It’s time that Congress recognize this horrific chapter of
world history for what it was – a genocide against the Armenian
people," said City Council President Eric Garcetti.

H.R. 106 * introduced by Adam Schiff (D * CA 29th) on January 30th –
passed with a vote of 27-21 in the United States House of
Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs on Wednesday, October
10th, 2007 and is now being considered for a full House vote.

H.R. 106, calls upon the President to ensure that the foreign policy
of the United States reflects appropriate understanding and
sensitivity concerning the issues related to human rights, ethnic
cleansing, and genocide documented in the United States record
relating to the Armenian Genocide.

The Armenian Genocide occurred from 1915 to 1923, during which Ottoman
Turkey killed 1.5 million men, women and children were killed and
expelled an additional 500,000 Armenians from their native land.

The resolution is co-sponsored by Congressman*s George Radanovich
(R-CA) and Frank Pallone (D-NJ), co-chairmen of the Armenian Issues
Caucus of the US House of Representatives.

The resolution is non-binding and will not carry the weight of the
law. Rather it will simply place the House of Representatives on
record as labeling the Armenian Genocide as genocide.

###

Areen Ibranossian
Policy Analyst
Finance & Performance Management Unit
Office of Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa

[email protected]
(213) 922-9781

============================
WESTERN DIOCESE E-NEWSLETTER
===========================
Bible Readings
—————–
Gal 4.3-18
07-10-21#Gal%204.3-18

Lk 4.14-23
e07-10-21#Lk%204.14-23

Diocesan News
—————–

PRIMATES OCTOBER SCHEDULE

( ory.php?id=627)

HOUSE COMMITTEE SIDES WITH TRUTH, WHILE BUSH SIDES WITH TURKEY

The Los Angeles Times published last week a very brief, yet insightful
letter to the editor. In mere twelve words, reader Daniel P. Quinn of
St. Petersburg, Florida, summarized Pres. Bush’s position on the
Armenian Genocide resolution: "President Bush was asked to choose
between two allies: Turkey or truth." Regrettably, Pres. Bush made the
wrong choice. He chose to side with Turkey rather than the truth.
( .php?id=636)

HIS EMINENCE ARCHBISHOP HOVNAN DERDERIAN ATTENDED JUSTICE ARMAND
ARABIAN, LEADERS IN PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD

The Encino Chamber of Commerce presented the Justice Armand Arabian
Leaders in Public Service Awards Luncheon, at the Hilton Woodland
Hills, on Thursday, September 27, 2007. His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan
Derderian gave the invocation and blessed the event.
( .php?id=628)

VICAR GENERAL REPRESENTES THE PRIMATE AT ANC-WR ANNUAL BANQUET

The 2007 Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region Annual
Banquet was held on September 30, 2007 at the Universal Sheraton in
Los Angeles. More then 700 individuals were present including many
Armenian American leaders as well as public officials from California
and some members of Congress.
( ory.php?id=629)

PRIMATE CELEBRATES DIVINE LITURGY AT DIOCESAN HEADQUARTERS

On Sunday, October 7, 2007, His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian
presided over the celebration of Divine Liturgy. Rev. Fr. Hovel
Ohanyan offered the sermon of the day. He is currently continuing his
education and working at the Diocese
( y.php?id=630)

PRIMATE MEETS WITH PRIESTHOOD CANDIDATES

On Tuesday, October 8, 2007, the Primate had an especial meeting with
the priesthood candidates/graduate students.
( ory.php?id=631)

GUEST CLERGY VISIT WESTERN DIOCESE

We are pleased to inform that Rev. Fr. Karnik Garabediann, Pastor of
St. Thaddeus and St. Bartholomew Armenian Churches of Marseille in
France, will be visiting the Western Diocese. 
( m/news/story.php?id=633)

PRIMATE TO PRESIDE OVER WHITTIER 3RD ANNUAL DINNER AND DANCE

The first Sunday of each month, Whittier’s Armenian Church
parishioners gather for their monthly celebration of Divine
Liturgy. Parish Council Chairman Dr. Deacon Vahe Charkhutian has
organized the exciting 3rd annual dinner and dance.
( .php?id=634)

PRIMATE TO ATTEND AGBU ANNUAL DINNER AND DANCE

On Sunday, October 14, 2007, the Primate will attend AGBU Annual
Dinner-Dance, at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Pasadena. California
Senator Joseph Simitian and Mr. Yenovk Baligian will be the honorary
guests for the evening.
( ry.php?id=635)

3RD ANNUAL PAN NORTH AMERICAN ACYO RETREAT HELD IN TORONTO, CANADA

The 3rd annual PNAAR retreat was held September 28-30, 2007 at Wesley
Acres in Ontario, Canada.  A total of about 30 participants
representing the Western, Eastern, and Canadian dioceses attended the
retreat, 7 of which were from the Western Diocese.  The PNAAR
retreat series began in 2005 to provide a venue for the youth of the
ACYO-WD, ACYO-C, and ACYOA where they could gather to meet fellow
youth and further the mission of the Armenian Church.
( y.php?id=625)

PRIMATE ACCOMPANIES HIS HOLINESS KAREKIN II AND HIS ENTOURAGE TO EAST COAST
Primate joins His Holiness’s entourage in the 1st part of the
Pontifical Visit to the Eastern Diocese

On October 3rd His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian accompanied
his Holiness and his entourage to the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian
Church, where he was greeted by His Eminence Archbishop Khajag
Barsamian, Primate of the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of
North America.
( ry.php?id=626)

HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE VOTED YES ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION

Despite the escalating efforts by the Turkish lobby, the House Foreign
Affairs Committee, with a vote of 27 to 21, paved the way for the
Armenian Genocide Resolution to be considered at the House floor.
( .php?id=623)

CONGRESSMAN ADAM SCHIFF AND EVOLUTION OF RULE OF LAW IN ARMENIA

On Monday, October 8, 2007, Congressman Adam Schiff hosted and
presided over an informative forum that was organized in collaboration
with the Armenian National Committee, Glendale Chapter, at the
Glendale Public Library.
( ry.php?id=624)

Upcoming Events
—————–

10/27: Benefit Concert in Support of Mer Doon
( ail.php?id=70)
10/27: Benefit Concert in Support of Mer Doon
( ail.php?id=70)
10/29: Alumni & Friends of the Armenian Studies Programs
( /detail.php?id=67)
11/11: Armenian American Veterans to be honored on November 11
( l.php?id=64)

============================
The Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America, providing
spiritual guidance and leadership to the Armenian Apostolic community,
is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit, tax-exempt organization comprised of 47
churches in 16 western states. It was established in 1898 as the
Diocese of the Armenian Church encompassing the entire United States
and Canada. In 1927 the Western Diocese was formed to exclusivly serve
the western United States.

3325 North Glenoaks Blvd. Burbank, CA 91504
Tel: (818) 558-7474 Fax: (818) 558-6333
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

A LAMENT: THE BALM OF A PEACE PROCESS INFUSES THE WAR ON TERROR
By Johnny Barber

CounterPunch, CA

O ct 15 2007

Can we win the war on terror with the terror of war? Each time we
declare we will win the war on terror, we dig ourselves a deeper
hole. Each time we kill an innocent child on a city street and call it
collateral damage, each time we torture and lie that we don’t- we add
to the anger and hatred directed against us. Might as well be pointing
the gun at our own temple. Way back when, we routed the Taliban in
Afghanistan, the war lords regained control and heroin production shot
through the roofsoon we’ll be needin’ another, bigger and better war on
drugs- this war will have to be fought in the homeland the collateral
damage will be our very own kids. Not to worry, Blackwater is growing,
and looking to diversify. And now the Taliban are resurgent and vowing
a new fight. Hamid Karzai (our puppet from Unocal), bunkered down in
Kabul, offers them a place in the government if only they refrain
from killing. A Taliban spokesperson refused the offer- as long as
America interferes in their homeland, they will not negotiate, though
i am sure they were tempted by a Ministry of Agriculture position.

In Iraq we routed the Republican guard, shocked and awed ’em to kingdom
come, along with thousands of innocents- tens times the innocents lost
on Sept 11th (at least), and still, we’re counting the multitudes of
dead, (apparently they can’t build coffins quick enough), and hey,
one had absolutely nothing to do with the other, c’est la vie, or
better yet, Macht Nichts, it doesn’t matter, we kill ’em there so we
don’t need to kill ’em here- we certainly don’t like the stench of
death on our city streets, unless it’s self inflicted, oh Katrina!

We haven’t won the peace and democracy is impossible- carnage reigns
in the cradle of civilization and our leaders continually parrot
"ProgressProgressProgress". But progress is elusive- we still haven’t
gotten the Iraqi’s to sign away their oil. Now even the Democratic
frontrunners for President refuse to say they will bring the troops
home.

And what rough beast slouches toward Babylon revisited.

… Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed
upon the world, The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction,
while the worst Are full of passionate intensity…

…And what rough beast, its hour come round at last, Slouches towards
Bethlehem to be born?

(Yeats; The Second Coming)

War, War, War- talk of endless war- has there ever been anything
else? Cluster bombs litter Afghanistan, Iraq, and Lebanon. Depleted
uranium litters Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, and Iraq (and the lungs and
bodies of men, women, and children- "ours" as well as "theirs"). Now
onto Iran! Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is the new Saddam Hussein is the new
Osama bin Laden is the new Hitler is that old devil incarnate. But who
are the children of Iran? Who are the children of Iraq? Who are the
children of Afghanistan? Our smart bombs have pin point accuracy, yet
always the children die. Have you seen the pictures? Oh, Smart Bombs!

(Aside: While we denounce Iran’s attempt to develop nuclear power, we
sign a new contract with India promising delivery of nuclear material
regardless of their efforts to further develop their nuclear arsenal.

Oh, Hypocrisy! Oh, Mushroom Clouds on the Horizon!)

Ironically, the term "war on terror" was first coined in 1947 by
newspapers describing efforts by the British colonial government to
reign in terrorist attacks by Israeli gangs against Palestinians. The
reign of terror continues. While the attacks against Israeli citizens
get the media coverage, the Israeli military rains humiliation,
violence, and terror on the Palestinian civilian population with
impunity. And Ahmadinejad is the new Nasrallah is the new Arafat is
the new Hitler, you get the picture. Over 20 children dead since June
in the prison camp that is Gaza. And Israel threatens to cut off the
water and electricity next.

(Aside: Did you know that Hitler originally planned to put the Jews on
reservations in the Lubin area where their numbers would be reduced
by starvation and disease? He got the idea from reading American
history. In 1910 the US Department of Indian Affairs Superintendent
wrote about "The Final Solution to our Indian Problem". Apparently
Hitler appreciated how efficiently we dispatched our "problem".)

So Gaza is the West Bank is South Lebanon is Kabul is Baghdad is
the new Warsaw Ghetto is the new Wounded Knee. It has been one
endless Trail of Tears. Blast walls, check points, night raids and
assassination. When will state terror = terror?

Yesterday our President denied a holocaust (for political
expediency). Yet he implies the President of Iran is an international
threat because he denies a holocaust (for political expediency?). Our
democratic Congress, so concerned with a genocide from 1915 in Armenia,
will perhaps one day have the courage to recognize the genocide that
occurred right here, from sea to shining sea. In September the United
States was one of four countries that voted no on the Declaration of
Rights of Indigenous Peoples at the UN (which has been debated for
over 20 years). Why? Because it went too far in giving indigenous
peoples ownership of their traditional lands.

Representative Sherman, a Democrat of California and a sponsor of
the Armenian Genocide resolution said, "For if we hope to stop future
genocides we need to admit to those horrific acts of the past."

Forget about stopping future genocides, what about the one were are
executing right now? (Please recall: the year was 1996, the program
60 Minutes, Lesley Stahl (on U.S. sanctions against Iraq): We have
heard that a half million children have died. I mean, that’s more
children than died in Hiroshima. And, you know, is the price worth
it? Secretary of State Madeleine Albright: I think this is a very
hard choice, but the price–we think the price is worth it.) Five
hundred thousand Iraqi children are dead due to sanctions. One million
Iraqis are dead, and there are four million displaced people due to
our illegal invasion. Perhaps we should examine the blood on our own
hands, before we pick up historical stones. Oh, Repentance!

Oh, Truth!

But hold on, here it comes, what we’ve all been waiting for:
Yes, our President has called for a Peace Summit to resolve the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. What foresight, what compassion.

Usually when our president talks of peace, more bombs fall. You know,
to insure the peace. Not this time. Our very own self described "war
president" deems it necessary that the Israelis and our puppet of
the PA, "Abu Mazen" sit and talk peace, along with other undisclosed
middle-east puppets. After all, haven’t the Palestinians been pushed
about as far as they can go? What’s next, starvation? Oh, Hunger!

After all, isn’t Abu Mazen prepared to sell the Palestinian people
down the river, or in this case across the river? Oh, Treachery!

Did you see in the NY Times, (All the news that’s fit to print) Israeli
Vice Prime Minister Haim Ramon has asserted that his government will
support a partition of Jerusalem? (oh, and yes 2 Palestinians were
killed in Nablus today). Maybe so, but the NY Times didn’t see it
fit to print that on the same day they quoted Ramon, the Israeli
Army authorized the confiscation of 1100 additional dunams (nearly
300 acres) of Palestinian land- you guessed it- in East Jerusalem,
and yes, you guessed it, to expand a settlement. Up is down, freedom
is occupation, war is peace. Oh, Mendacity!

Back in the summer, when President Bush originally called for
this summit, former White House Press Secretary Tony Snow said,
"I think a lot of people are inclined to try to treat this as a big
peace conference. It’s not." Of course it’s not. If people are not
yet clear on the matter, President Bush is not at all concerned with
Peace, nor are the Israelis. Peace would require justice, would require
de-colonizing the West Bank, would require returning stolen resources,
would require self-determination for the Palestinian people, peace
would require an equitable solution to the refugee question. None of
this is forthcoming, none of this is "on the table". President Bush
is only interested in acquiesce to American power. Israel is only
interested in acquiesce to Israeli power.

(Aside: And where is the next Mandela who is the new M.L.King who is
the new Gandhi who is the new Jesus who is the new Buddha? And what
of the women, why are their names forgotten or left unsaid? The smart
bombs do not neglect them…and Hilary, i know you have the cojones
to be king, and that is exactly why you will never win my vote. Where
is the Mother’s embrace this world so desperately needs? Blessed are
the peacemakers. Oh, Love!)

So where do we go, and what do we do? Go where you can and do what
you must for justice. We must do what we can and not waiver. The
townspeople of Bi’lin are a model- they have had over one thousand
non-violent demonstrations to save their land and have been met
by ongoing Israeli army violence, yet they reject violence and
persevere. The monks and the student dissidents in Burma provide
a model as well. Though brought down by violence they have not
surrendered.

I read there is a document circulating inside Burma that reads
as follows:

Afflicted by military dictator and lackeys Shootings and beatings My
head is bloody But unbowed.

Oh, Justice!

Oh, Peace!

Oh, Revolution!

For Seven Generations.

Johnny Barber is a member of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship. He has
travelled to Iraq, Israel, Occupied Palestine and Lebanon to bear
witness and document the suffering of people who are affected by war.

He advocates for reconciliation and nonviolent strategies in the face
of violence and oppression. He can be reached at [email protected].

Turkish general warns against genocide resolution

By Molly Moore, Washington Post | October 15, 2007

ISTANBUL – The commander of Turkey’s armed forces warned that
US-Turkish military relations will be irreparably damaged if the US
House of Representatives approves a resolution accusing his country of
genocide for the mass killings of Armenians nearly a century ago,
according to an interview published yesterday.

"If this resolution passed in the committee passes the House as well,
our military ties with the US will never be the same again," General
Yasar Buyukanit told the daily newspaper Milliyet in the interview.

The admonition from the senior officer in Turkey’s politically
powerful military echoed warnings from the country’s top civilian
political leaders since the House Foreign Affairs Committee approved
the resolution Wednesday. Turkey argues that the killings and
disappearances of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians were not genocide
but the result of brutal war during the last years of the Ottoman
Empire.

"The United States is clearly an important ally," Buyukanit said. "But
an allied country does not behave in this way."

Bush administration officials and US military leaders who oppose the
resolution say they fear Turkey could limit crucial air and land
supply lines into Iraq as punishment if the measure is accepted by the
full House of Representatives.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California, reaffirmed that
the resolution would be called to the floor this week. A similar
resolution was pulled from the floor in 2000 by then-speaker Dennis
Hastert, an Illinois Republican, after he was asked to do so by
President Clinton. Pelosi said she had not heard from President Bush
about this bill.

"There’s never been a good time" for the measure, Pelosi said on ABC’s
"This Week," adding that when she entered Congress 20 years ago, "it
wasn’t the right time because of the Soviet Union. Then that fell, and
then it wasn’t the right time because of the Gulf War I. And then it
wasn’t the right time because of overflights of Iraq. And now it’s not
the right time because of Gulf War II. And, again, the survivors of
the Armenian genocide are not going to be with us."

Ross Wilson, US ambassador to Turkey, said in a telephone interview
>From Ankara, the capital, that "Turkish officials have not discussed
with us any specific measures they might take or look at taking if the
resolution passes."

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice dispatched two senior deputies to
Ankara on Saturday to assure Turkey that the Bush administration will
continue to try to defeat the resolution in Congress.

The Turkish government has recalled its ambassador from Washington and
canceled a Turkish-US Business Council conference that had been
scheduled for Tuesday in New York. Turkish State Minister Kursad
Tuzmen also canceled a trip to the United States planned for this
week, according to the Anatolian News Agency.

Turkish anger over the genocide measure has coincided with growing
frustration here over US and Iraqi failures to curtail Kurdish
separatist guerrillas who Turkish officials say are staging attacks in
Turkey from bases in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan plans to ask Parliament
this week to authorize cross-border military operations against
headquarters of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, known as PKK, training
camps, and other operational bases in northern Iraq. Officials expect
the measure to win approval easily.

As part of escalating border tensions in recent days, the Turkish
military fired a barrage of artillery shells into the northern Iraqi
village of Zakhu late Saturday and yesterday morning, according to
news service reports from the region.

(c) Copyright 2007 The New York Times Company

Source: 15/turkish_general_warns_against_genocide_resoluti on/

OSKANYAN TO TAKE PART IN 2ND CONFERENCE OF EUROPEAN ARMENIANS

Panorama.am
13:31 15/10/2007

Today Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan will participate in
2nd conference of the European Armenians in Brussels. The conference
will celebrate 20th anniversary of the recognition of the Armenian
Genocide by the European Parliament. Armenian foreign ministry press
and information department informs that Minister Oskanyan will deliver
a speech during the conference.

Deputy Chairman of the European Commission, European Commissioner for
Justice Franco Fratini, Catholicos of Cylicia House Aram the First,
former and present deputy of the European Parliament, EU Special
Representative to South Caucasus Peter Semneby and OSCE Minsk Group
Co-chairman Bernard Fassier will come up with speeches, as well.

Tomorrow, on October 16, the minister will head the Armenian
delegation participating in the annual session of Armenia-EU
Cooperation Council, which will take place in Luxemburg. The session
will be chaired by Portuguese Secretary of State for European Affairs
Manuel Lobo Antunes. Foreign Minister of Slovenia Dimitry Rupel,
Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union Javier Solana
and European Commission Foreign Relation and European Neighborhood
Policy Commissioner Benita Ferero-Valdner will also take part in the
meeting. On October 17, Minister Oskanyan will deliver a speech at
UNESCO General Conference in Paris.

The Conservative Voice
Oct 14 2007

Genocide Resolutions and Democrats
October 14, 2007 01:04 PM EST

There is only one reason to push a resolution condemning Turkey for
something that happened almost 100 years ago. The Democrats did not
get any activity at all on their countless resolutions to stab the
American military in the back by handing them another historical
defeat in the Middle East.

The Democrats could not get enough support for retreat from or
surrender to Islamic Fundamentalism so they are now attempting to
make things more difficult for our standing forces in Iraq.

Turkey is planning to invade Northern Iraq to root out terrorists
that have repeatedly attacked Turkish territory. Turkey is also
planning to close the American support base in Incirlik should the
Democrats manage to push their genocide resolution through the
American Congressional House.

This would have a massive impact on America’s ability to re-supply
the troops in Iraq and thus possibly force a withdrawal from the
battlefield.

To pluck one act of genocide from among the historical many to ensure
a black eye for America is unconscionable. If the American anti-Bush
side of Congress cared one whittle about genocide they would more
readily expend energy condemning Germany for their destruction of
millions of lives during the Holocaust, the Rwandans for the
Hutu-Tutsi purge, the current genocides occurring in the Congo and
the Sudan, Robert Mugabe’s assault on white farmers in Zimbabwe, the
Arabic attacks against all things Christian and Jewish, the Chinese
assaults in Tibet, the Myanmar massacre of Buddhist monks, the Syrian
oppression of the Lebanese or the genocidal actions within the former
Yugoslav territories. There are countless more poignant and more
current options for wasting time on genocide labels.

No. The only reason to act upon the lobbied request of the Armenians
is the politically expeditious slap it will cause against the Bush
Administration.

The Turkish are a very proud nation. The timing of the resolution is
suspect. Genocide might very well have been the case but even America
could be blamed for extreme acts of genocide against Native American
Indian tribes. How would the American Congress act against repeated
resolutions against America for the genocidal acts committed against
the Sioux or the Cheyenne or the Nes Pierce. One wonders.

Humans cannot seem to let the past lie in the graveyards of history.
Countries do not progress that remain steeped in anger about events
that happened in the great ago. Mexico is still upset that America
owns Texas. Russia is bent out of shape that their wall was torn down
and all the peoples they once had subjugated are no longer ruled by
communism. China has threatened to attack Taiwan immediately if they
dare to claim independence.

Real threats to America are not even being considered by the
democrats. Their chief desire is to run from responsibility,
especially if the responsibility involves protecting American
interests through any type of military action.

Democrats continually speak of `sticks and carrots’ giving carrots
away while putting their `sticks’ out of reach. North Korea got
nuclear reactors and Democrats wondered why they were lied to about
nuclear weapons programs North Korea promised Democrats they would
never develop.

Democrats believe with all their hearts that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is
just misunderstood and that he doesn’t really mean it when he says he
would like to see Israel `wiped off the face of the earth’, which, I
believe would be an act of genocide too.

No. This scumbag maneuver on behalf of Armenians is meant to destroy
a valuable relationship with a NATO ally that has been supporting our
re-supply efforts in Iraq. That’s the Democrat bottom line. If one
cannot get President Bush to do what one wants in retreating from the
field of battle, the democratic response is to find any way to force
that retreat that will keep them out of the spotlight of blame for
the ensuing defeat while, in fact, making them look caring and
thoughtful toward the plight of poor Armenians.

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