Author: Vorskanian Yeghisabet

LATEST REVIEWS: SCREAMERS

LA City Beat, CA
Dec 7 2006

Heavy metal isn’t just mindless noise. Sometimes, maybe – but, in the
hands of the band System of a Down, it is a storm of sound and ideas,
a collision of wild intelligence and genuine rage. Nothing fuels that
rage more than the Armenian Genocide, a World War I-era atrocity
committed by Turkey that entailed the slaughter of one-and-a-half
million Armenians. It is a personal matter for the L.A.-based metal
quartet, all of whom are descended from genocide survivors. Screamers
is a primer for hard-rock fans on the first genocide of the last
century, arguing how denial that it took place has contributed to
other crimes against humanity in Darfur, Iraq, Bosnia, and elsewhere.

Director Carla Garapedian presents the crime through the eyes
of the band, which has used its notoriety and success (Grammys,
platinum albums, etc.) to educate the world about an atrocity that
remains unrecognized by the U.S. government. There are stirring
firsthand accounts, concert footage, and grainy historical images
of severed heads and hangings. In Washington, D.C., charismatic
singer Serj Tankian corners House Speaker Dennis Hastert beneath the
Capitol dome, but the Republican comes off as vaguely bumbling and
uninterested. Hastert hardly seems worth the trouble. But the mission
of one hard-rock group to correct the record on a piece of modern
history is a frequently moving, high-volume journey. (Steve Appleford)
(Mann Criterion 6, Mann Chinese 6)

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ARMENIA COMMEMORATES EARTHQUAKE ANNIVERSARY

ITAR-TASS, Russia
Dec 7 2006

YEREVAN, December 7 (Itar-Tass) – Armenia is commemorating the
victims of a disastrous earthquake that hit and destroyed its northern
provinces back in 1988.

Powerful underground tremors wiped out the towns of Spitak, Leninakan,
Stepanavan, Kirovakan and dozens of villages and settlements from
the face of the earth on December 7 eighteen years ago. Hundreds of
people were wounded and crippled, thousands became homeless.

The entire Soviet Union and the whole world rushed to Armenia’s
rescue. Building equipment and construction workers from all Soviet
republics and foreign countries arrived in the republic. The apartment
buildings and neighbourhoods were later named after the names of
regions and cities from where the construction teams came from.

The residents of Spitak will on Thursday gather in the town centre
near a monument to the former Soviet Prime Minister Nikolai Ryzhkov
who supervised the rescue operation and restoration works.

Armenian leaders and public representatives will visit Spitak, Gyumri
(Leninakan), Vanadzor (Kirovakan) as well as other cities and districts
hit by the earthquake.

Churches in Armenia and other countries will hold funeral services
to commemorate the earthquake victims.

BACKING FOR GENOCIDE VOTE

The Scotsman, UK
Dec 4 2006

A DECISION made by the Capital’s councillors has been backed by the
government of Argentina.

The city council’s executive recently voted to stand by an original
motion passed last year regarding the deaths of up to 1.5 million
Armenians during the First World War, stating that "it was indeed
genocide".

The Argentinian House of Representatives came to the same verdict at
a meeting in Buenos Aires on Friday.

In Edinburgh, a motion presented by Cllr Phil Attridge proposing
that the council supported an international inquiry into the matter
was rejected.

This article: 6

FOR BROTHERS IN ARMS
by Oleg Gorupay
Translated by Pavel Pushkin

Source: Krasnaya Zvezda, December 01, 2006, p. 3
Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
December 4, 2006 Monday

COMMAND OF ODKB MET WITH STUDENTS OF MILITARY ACADEMIES OF RUSSIAN
ARMED FORCES FROM ODKB MEMBER STATES; Meeting of command of the
Collective Security Treaty Organization (ODKB) with students of
military academies of the Russian Armed Forces from ODKB member states
was held in the staff of ODKB.

Meeting of command of the Collective Security Treaty Organization
(ODKB) with students of military academies of the Russian Armed
Forces from ODKB member states was held in the staff of ODKB. There
are 65 students and 65 officer students from Armenia, 8 students and
8 officer students from Belarus, 243 students and 243 officer students
from Kazakhstan, 39 students and officer students from Kyrgyzstan and
84 students and officer students from Tajikistan currently studying
free of charge in the military educational institutions of the Russian
Armed Forces. Overall, there are about 2,500 such servicemen.

Valery Semerikov, Deputy General Secretary of ODKB, remarks that
meetings of this kind will be organized on a regular basis. Hence,
command of the staff of ODKB is going to actively attract officer
students of academies to scientific and practical work done in the
framework of everyday activity of the organization.

Among the speakers to participants in the meeting were Colonel General
Ivan Babichev, Senior Deputy Chief of the staff of ODKB, Major General
Sergei Chuvakin, director of the planning department of the staff of
ODKB, Colonel Mikhail Usachev of the main department of international
military cooperation of the Defense Ministry of Russia and Nikolai
Bychkov from the Federal Migration Service.

ADVISER TO PRESIDENT: IT WILL NOT BE A TRAGEDY IF DEFENSE MINISTER DOES NOT BECOME PRESIDENT

Lragir, Armenia
Dec 4 2006

It is commendable that Serge Sargsyan takes up almost all the
spheres. The adviser to president Garnik Isagulyan made this statement
at the Friday Club on December 4. "It is commendable that in all the
spheres where he assumes responsibility he is successful and we expect,
see and feel the results," says Garnik Isagulyan. This statement is
at least strange because its author is the adviser to the president
of Armenia. In fact, he confessed that Robert Kocharyan’s manpower
policy is not effective, and only Serge Sargsyan can reach success in
separate spheres. On the other hand, however, it is uncertain whose
adviser Garnik Isagulyan is because he speaks about Serge Sargsyan
or things that are related to him more than about the president of
Armenia. And since only one "sphere" remains which Serge Sargsyan
has not taken up, the office of the president of Armenia, it is
interesting to know what will happen in Garnik Isagulyan’s opinion
if Serge Sargsyan does not become president of Armenia.

"Well, we are always trying to create something. Yes, I expressed my
point of view and I still have it. Let us not go ahead of time and
guess what will happen if or if not. Let’s wait, when the time comes,
the corresponding processes will happen. There is no problem, and I
think it will not be a tragedy, if you said he does not become. Let’s
wait until the presidential election, then we’ll come back to this,"
Garnik Isagulyan says.

ARMENIAN-RUSSIAN TALKS UNDERWAY IN MOSCOW

Armenpress
Dec 01 2006

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS: Armenian and Russian prime ministers
Andranik Margarian and Mikhail Fradkov respectively are chairing
Russian-Armenian talks that kicked off today in Moscow.

Before the start of the talks the Russian prime minister said, "I
am happy to have this chance to meet with our Armenian partners and
discuss cooperation issues. I hope this visit will promote further
strengthening of Russo-Armenian ties."

Armenian prime minister is heading an extensive delegation that flew
to Russia yesterday to attend the closing ceremony of the Year of
Armenia in Russia.

Armenian prime minister said, "We emphasize the successful
accomplishment of the Year of Armenia in Russia. We can say now that
all events proved success.

The Year of Armenia has promoted the intensification of the political
and economic dialogue and made it possible to expand bilateral
interaction."

ARMENIA IS ASPIRING TO BRING THE RELATIONS WITH NATO TO A QUALITATIVELY HIGHER LEVEL

Public Radio, Armenia
Nov 30 2006

"We are aspiring to bring our relations with NATO to a qualitatively
higher level," declared RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan,
Mediamax reports.

"Armenia perceive the relations with NATO as an important component
of the European integration policy. The development of Armenia’s
cooperation with NATO immediately proceeds from the interests of
regional security, and Armenia will continue the joint accomplishment
of programs with the organization. We are aspiring to bring our
relations with the alliance to a qualitatively higher level," said
Andranik Margaryan.

Commenting on Georgia’s aspiration to join NATO, the Aremnain Prime
Minister said that "membership to this or that international structure
is the sovereign right of every country, and in this context we have
a comprehensive approach to Georgia’s wish to join NATO."

"It is important not to allow new divisions occur in our complex
region,, where there are a number of unresolved conflicts. Our position
proceeds from this principle," said Andranik Margaryan.

ARMENIAN OPPOSITION TO APPEAL TO CONSTITUTIONAL COURT AGAINST LAW ON ALIENATION OF PRIVATIZED LANDS FOR STATE AND PUBLIC NEEDS

ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Nov 28 2006

The Armenian opposition intends to appeal to the Constitutional
Court against the law on the order of alienation of privatized lands
for state and public needs. The law was approved by the Armenian
Parliament, Monday, said Vardan Lazarian, "Justice" faction
representative, at "Urbat" Club, Tuesday.

V. Mrktchyan mentioned that before the constitutional reform, the
reform supporters motivated their position by the fact the reform
will even more toughen the land alienation process. "Nevertheless,
it turns out that everything is done quite on the opposite," he said.

In his turn, Rafik Petrosyan, Head of Parliamentary Commission
for State and Legal Affairs, expressed hope that the law will be
considered by the Constitutional Court. He is dissatisfied with two
provisions of the law: lack of an exact definition of the "prior
importance" of the alienation of a territory for public and state;
acquisition of a territory by an organization. However, R. Petrosyan
does not intend to join the opposition appeal as he voted for the
adoption of the law. He explained that he prefers a poor law to the
lack of a law as this leads to worse consequences like it happened
to the evicted residents of Buzand street. R. Petrosyan promised to
follow the fulfillment of the law. He did not rule out preparation
of amendments to the law in future.

As regards the residents of the central streets of Yerevan, including
Buzand street, who were evicted from their homes due to the desire of
the authorities "to beautify the appearance of the city by all means
possible," V. Lazarian said that any law aiming improvement of the
citizens’ life must have a retroaction and apply to these people. R.

Petrosyan agreed with this opinion and proposed the dissatisfied
residents of Yerevan center apply to the court.

To note, before the adoption of the given law, the authorities were
guided by the land and administrative codes of Armenia in the issues
of land alienation. However, some provisions of these codes have been
recently recognized contradictory to the Constitution of Armenia.

Thus, the contracts with the above residents and the forced eviction of
some of these people was on the basis of the anti-Constitutional laws.

Lragir, Armenia
Nov 24 2006

MINISTERS ARE TRYING TO `INSURE’ THEMSELVES

The information released by the leader of the Nor Zhamanakner Party
allow concluding that the initiative of releasing the names of
criminal officials are already producing certain results. According
to Aram Karapetyan, certain ministers offered different forms of
support to the participants of the anti-criminal movement in return
for not denouncing them or not denouncing them for one more time.
They did not offer money. Aram Karapetyan said without specifying
names that he assesses the total of all the forms of support offered
by the minister at 50 thousand dollars.

PanARMENIAN.Net

3 Turks Elected to Dutch Parliament
24.11.2006 18:29 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Christian Democratic Party
maintained positions of the strongest faction of the
Dutch parliament. Prime minister Jan Peter
Balkenende’s party won the most seats in Dutch
elections, but results today showed a sharply divided
nation with no alliance winning a clear mandate to
govern. Dutch support was split between a government
coalition that has been tough on immigration and
pro-business, and socialists – led by the Labor Party
– promoting a softer approach. It was clear no
combination of left or right-wing parties will easily
muster a majority in parliament.

As PanARMENIAN.Net reporter came to know from a source
in Netherlands, 3 Turks Nebahat Albayrak, Coskun Coruz
and Sadet Karabulut were elected to the parliament. In
the words of the coordinator of the Armenian
community, Karabulut is of Kurdish nationality.

Three Turkish candidates were expelled from the party
lists for their refusal to recognize the Armenian
Genocide. The Turkish community of Netherlands
proposed 12 candidates and was even going to boycott
the election. As for Nebahat Albayrak, she once said
that recognizes the Armenian Genocide but then
renounced her statement.