Author: Zakarian Garnik

SANA – Syrian Arab News Agency, Syria
Sept 30 2007

Syrian Arab Musician Sulhi al-Wadi Passes Away

Sunday, September 30, 2007 – 09:05 PM

Damascus, (SANA) – Famous Arab musician Sulhi al-Wadi passed away on
Sunday at the age of 73 at al-Chami hospital.

Sulhi al-Wadi was born in Baghdad in 1934, finishing his primary
school in Damascus then continuing his studies at Victoria Academy in
Alexandria, where he developed his love of music and enrolled at the
Alexandria Conservatoire to study music. In 1953 he was accepted at
the Royal Academy of Music in London where he studied conducting.

After his graduation with honors in 1960, he returned to Damascus to
establish the Arab Music Institute, which opened in 1962.

In 1990, he was appointed dean of the High Institute of Music which
was opened the same year. He formed the Syrian National Symphony in
1993, which he conducted until he fell ill in 2002.

In 1995, Late President Hafez al-Assad awarded Sulhi al-Wadi the
Medal of Merit of excellent degree for his efforts in the promotion
of music in Syria and abroad.

He was awarded an honorary doctorate in 1999 by the Komitas
Conservatoire in Yerevan, Armenia. He was also awarded an honorary
doctorate by the Russian Academy for Sciences and Arts in 2000.

Pope John Paul II also awarded him the Saint Peter and Saint Paul
Medals during his visit to Syria in 2001.

The works of Sulhi al-Wadi included orchestral scores, chamber music,
movie sound tracks and theatrical music. He presented his first opera
in cooperation with London Opera House. He also held concerts in
Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Tunisia, Germany, Spain,
Turkey, the United States and the United Kingdom.

H.Sabbagh, Mazen

PanARMENIAN.Net

Peter Semneby won’t go to Karabakh
28.09.2007 17:07 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Authoritarian regimes often appear more capable to
resolve conflicts than democratic states. However, the problem here
lies in `stability’ of the decision, EU Envoy for the South Caucasus,
Mr Peter Semneby said when commenting on prospects of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict settlement. He reminded that Freedom House included
Azerbaijan in the list of states with authoritarian regime.

Mr Semneby noted that the forthcoming electoral processes in Armenia
and Azerbaijan will slow down the talks but maintenance of agreements
achieved during the years of OSCE MG activities is extremely
important.

When commenting on the possible consequences of consideration GUAM’s
initiatives in the UN, Mr Semneby said the EU recognizes the OSCE MG
as the main structure seeking for resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict.

By this reason, he said, he will not visit Nagorno Karabakh.

`The EU supports the OSCE MG activities and we should prevent any
negative consequences of our acts,’ he noted.

When commenting on Baku’s militant statements Semneby reminded that
resumption of hostilities cannot be viewed as a possibility to resolve
the conflict. `Military rhetoric is non-constructive, since it
doesn’t promote settlement, undermines hopes and creates atmosphere of
fear and distrust,’ he said, IA Regnum reports.

IT WILL BE THE BEGINNING OF THE END IF THEY WASTE THOSE 8 BILLION AS WELL

Lragir, Armenia
Sept 28 2007

The Armenian government reached agreement with the West on an
eight-billion investment in Armenia. The leader of the People’s Party
Tigran Karapetyan shared this sensation with reporters on September
28. "We have learned that they agreed on an investment of 8 billion
dollars. If they divide it among themselves, I don’t know, maybe we
should do a revolution," Tigran Karapetyan says.

He said this with regard to the future government. Tigran Karapetyan
says independent from the persons, the government has already
reached its limit and has to think about the public. "I believe that
anyone should offer solutions to people. Otherwise it is impossible,"
Tigran Karapetyan says. On the other hand, he says the moves that the
government makes have only a negative impact on the society. "Look what
we have now. As soon as they make them pay taxes, the supermarkets
boost prices. In fact, the budget is accrued at the expense of
people, not the oligarchs or the rich people," Tigran Karapetyan
says. However, he is convinced that the government has only one way –
a public-friendly policy.

"I think it is time that we work together. Well, they were weak,
they were afraid, they kept to the safe side. Now the situation
may get worse. Now they have become stronger, they have started
thinking. If they don’t think, it will be the beginning of the end,"
Tigran Karapetyan says.

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Phone: 212.319.6383, x118
Fax: 212.319.6507
Email: [email protected]
Website:

PRESS RELEASE

Thursday, September 27, 2007

AGBU New York Summer Intern Program: A Successful 20th Year

Celebrating its 20th anniversary, AGBU’s New York Summer Intern Program
(NYSIP) continues to make a lasting impact on the lives of Armenian
college students from around the world. This year, 36 students from
Argentina, Australia, England, France, Lebanon, Syria, and the United
States came together to rediscover their heritage, explore the human
jungle of New York City, and gain invaluable experience and insight into
their future careers. AGBU’s New York Summer Intern Program allows
interns to get a head start on their future field of employment by
working at top companies, which happily accept students year after year
based on the positive performance of AGBU interns from years past.

"AGBU’s New York Summer Intern Program is an ideal opportunity for an
employer to secure solid professional talent and, in exchange, provide
valuable experience and mentorship to a matriculated college student.
Over the past four years of participating in this program, my experience
has been outstanding, with each AGBU intern having made a significant
contribution to the work product of the office," said Karen Berliner,
Director of Planning and Business Initiatives at the New York University
School of Medicine.

This year’s AGBU Interns were employed by some of New York’s top
organizations, such as Merrill Lynch, the New York District Attorney’s
Office, Columbia University Hospital, the BBC Bureau to the United
Nations, and Entertainment Weekly Magazine, among others. What truly
makes NYSIP so unforgettable are the lifelong friendships which result
>From staying in shared housing with fellow interns for a period of eight
weeks each summer.

Along with the 34 interns chosen by AGBU for the 2007 session, for the
first time ever, this year AGBU partnered with the Diocese of the
Armenian Church of America, allowing two of their interns to take part
in the AGBU New York Summer Intern Program. In addition to the
internships, the Program hosted a number of educational and cultural
experiences, including traditional Armenian dance lessons given by the
AGBU Antranig Dance Ensemble; a lecture by Dr. Ara Tekian about his
experience climbing Mount Ararat; an eye-opening session on contemporary
Armenian art by Neery Melkonian; a briefing on how to become an
entrepreneur by NYSIP alumnus Patrick Sarkissian; a lecture by sports
marketing veteran, Paul Kayaian, on the values and importance of
professional networking; a presentation by Dr. Lucy Der Manuelian on the
history of Armenian architecture. The interns also attended AGBU’s
spectacular biennial FOCUS Gala, which was dedicated to the 20th
anniversary of NYSIP.

Two very special and touching events that took place this summer were
Sunshine for Seniors, a community service project where interns
performed for Armenian seniors at the Armenian Home for the Aged in
Queens, and AGBU’s interactive Mentoring Night, where the AGBU Young
Professionals of Greater New York teamed up to help guide and advise the
interns on their current career paths. NYSIP began as the dream of
Vartkess and Rita Balian, Co-Founders of NYSIP and Co-Chairs of AGBU
President’s Club, who for the past 20 years, have provided, on a daily
basis, training and advice to manage the Program. The proof of NYSIP’s
success comes from a 20-year track record of successful alumni, many of
whom have achieved leadership positions in their fields. Grateful to the
Program, alumni continue to contribute to NYSIP through various means,
by placing interns at their organizations, contributing to the Program,
and facilitating cultural and professional lectures.

The culmination of this year’s Program came with the annual NYSIP
Supervisor’s Reception organized specially to pay tribute to the
selfless individuals who shared their time, knowledge and expertise with
the interns. NYSIP’s Associate Program Director Michael Hovsepian served
as Master of Ceremonies. Four of the 2007 NYSIP interns also took to the
podium, including Michael Manavdjian from Michigan, Guy Markarian from
Lebanon, Lauren Sarkesian from Michigan, and Lori Tomassian from
California, who detailed their experiences with NYSIP and the impact of
the Program on their long-term career plans.

"Our unique program has been designed to empower young Armenian adults
through a clear path of education, opportunity and leadership by
providing them with the professional foundation and practical skills to
‘make it’ in one of the most challenging cities in the world, New York,"
said Rita Balian during her tribute remarks. "Our vision remains today a
steadfast commitment to opening doors and creating exciting
opportunities for new generations of Armenian youth, who will then
continue this tradition of ‘giving’ for generations to come."

Another distinguished speaker was Paul Najarian, an alumnus of NYSIP and
one of this year’s supervisors, who spoke on behalf of the 2007
supervisors. The keynote speaker was Raffi Balian, another alumnus of
the Program, who is currently serving as Foreign Service Officer for the
U.S. Department of State, "One of the most rewarding aspects from the
Internship program is the opportunity we have to work with and learn
>From mentors. That experience not only helps guide us in our careers,
but also helps us to serve as mentors in the future," said Raffi during
his speech.

The Program concluded with closing remarks from AGBU President, Berge
Setrakian, who applauded the Program’s achievements throughout the past
20 years. "Without doubt, the New York Summer Intern Program is one of
AGBU’s most outstanding and successful initiatives. We are indebted to
Vartkess and Rita Balian, who had the foresight to establish this
program and act as the co-chairs for the past twenty years. Through
their relentless efforts and investment of time and dedication, a new
generation of leaders has been prepared, who are proud of their Armenian
heritage and who are taking active roles in their communities across the
world," Setrakian said.

In its 20th year of existence, with over 580 intern alumni from
Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria,
Canada, Cyprus, Egypt, England, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Lebanon,
South Africa, Syria, Switzerland, Turkey, Uruguay, and the United
States, NYSIP has succeeded in setting a powerful foundation upon which
students can actualize a bright and successful future in their chosen
field. Now that the 2007 session of NYSIP has come to a close, AGBU’s
New York Summer Intern Program is already gearing up for a successful
twenty-first year, opening doors for a new generation of young Armenian
college students.

For more information on the AGBU New York Summer Intern Program, please
visit For more information on AGBU and its worldwide
program, please visit

Panorama.am

12:09 22/09/2007

WHETHER HE WILL NOMINATE HIS CANDIDACY BUT `WILL DO
EVERYTHING TO BRING THE STATE OUT OF THIS SITUATION’

After backlashing the authorities in power and the
whole power system, First President of Armenia Levon
Ter-Petrossyan spoke about himself. `I know what you
are expecting from this evening. I don’t want to hide
and I can’t behave in false modesty. I am following
the processes that are developing. We all understand
that the situation is crucial and we all understand
that we must get out of the situation…. The only way
to get rid of these authorities is to consolidate all
political, healthy, public, intellectual and spiritual
forces around a single common candidate. The
experience of these ten years has shown that
alternative methods do not bring success and that
there is no way out. I would welcome anybody who could
aspire to the role of the common candidate now and I
would put into force all my influence to contribute to
the process. As far as me is concerned, I will tell
you: today I have no decision yet. I am still
investigating, I am still calculating and I am still
examining. My attitude is purely political. I cannot
be guided with emotions. Adventurism is strange to my
character. Unless I know the effectiveness of my
steps, I will not take a step,’ Levon Ter-Petrossyan
announced.

Ter-Petrossyan reiterated several time that he has not
taken any decision yet and when he has `yes’ or `no’
answers, he will make it public. `However, do not
doubt in one thing. If I see that I can play a useful
role for this nation and for our country in order to
bring this state out of the situation, I will not save
efforts,’ Ter-Petrossyan closed his speech.

First persons of opposition parties were present at
this festive event organized by Pan Armenian National
Movement (HHSh) dedicated to the 16th anniversary of
Independence. Present were Stepan Demirchyan of
Armenian People’s Party (HJK), Raffi Hovannisyan of
Zharagutiun, Aram Z. Sargsyan of Republic party and
others. The leaders of National Unity, Orinats Yerkir
and National Unity did not attend the event.

Source: Panorama.am

Role player

By Shauna Staveley
GateHouse News Service
Thu Sep 20, 2007, 12:03 PM EDT

Arlington, Mass. –

There hasn’t been an official No Place for Hate committee since Aug.
20, when the steering committee decided to suspend its involvement
with the Anti-Defamation League.

But hate takes no holiday and in the wake of several incidents, the No
Place for Hate steering committee held a meeting with the Human Rights
Commission and other community groups, trying to map a future for the
organization.

"People felt strongly they wanted to continue," chairwoman Cindy
Friedman said. "People really liked idea that we were this umbrella
group … Part of this spurred on that we know this kind of stuff exists
in Arlington. There is a real commitment on part of the committee…we
didn’t decide to keep going just because of what had happened."

Joe Curro, chairman of the Arlington Human Rights Commission, outlined
a series of incidents in a column published Sept. 13:

"The defacing of an elementary school playground with swastikas,
calls for racially-motivated violence, and demands to ‘ship those
niggers back,’ racist death threats posted on the bulletin board of a
public park, swastikas painted along the Minuteman Bikeway, violent
altercations attended by aggressive racial insults, anti-gay taunting
shouted between neighbors, (and) graffiti in a school restroom
targeting specific individuals on the basis of their race."

School Superintendent Nate Levenson was also a target, receiving a
phone call laced with anti-Semitism.

The vandalism and phones calls are being investigated by Arlington police.

According to Friedman, the No Place for Hate program can continue in
Arlington if the Anti-Defamation league, which sponsors the program,
"truly acknowledges" the massacre of more than 1 million Armenians
from 1915-1918 as genocide, and supports House Resolution 106
currently in Congress.
"I think we would go back to the program," she said.

Resolution 106, introduced on Jan. 30, 2007, states it is "Calling
upon the President to ensure that the foreign policy of the United
States reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity concerning
issues related to human rights, ethnic cleansing, and genocide
documented in the United States record relating to the Armenian
Genocide, and for other purposes."

Even if the program remains suspended, the values espoused by the No
Place for Hate Committee won’t vanish.

"One of the things we’re doing is to look at what other programs
around other communities do," Friedman said. "People like the
structure of No Place For Hate grants and the connection with other
communities. First we’ll see if the ADL will move on their stance on
the agenda site so we could come back…if not, we’ll figure out what
else is out there that we could align ourselves with so we can get
that support and structure. No Place For Hate is still a great
program, so that’s what we’re going to go off and do within the next
month, amongst other things."

Curro believes rapid change is driving the recent surge in
hate-related graffiti.

"Frankly, what might be going on is Arlington is changing very
quickly demographically," Curro said. "We’ve had an influx of people
from all over the world who have chosen to live in our town. We have
so much to attract people that I think maybe sometimes folks see so
much influx of newcomers, some people might feel threatened and might
try to mistakenly respond to this anxiety in this way…It’s a complex
situation because I think we are a very welcoming community but by the
same token we shouldn’t fool ourselves and think that we have no
problems in this area."

Curro said community events that are both informational and fun could
be considered more "accessible" to groups that may not have attended a
meeting about the community’s diversity before. He specifically
mentioned families, as they typically have not attended Human Resource
Committee dialogues or the Vision 20/20 Diversity Task group events in
the past, but such a combination might be appealing to them.

There are other ways Curro said Arlington has worked and will continue
to work on embracing differences.

"Arlington High School does a big push in the area of diversity. They
do a big day where they bring in members of the community to run
workshops together with the kids. And I think that’s a very effective
way…The Human Right Commission itself is organizing a diversity
training session for some of our town and schools staff and elected
appointed officials, to map out a strategy for serving all corners of
the community better."

Curro also mentioned that there was "some talk" and "a lot of energy"
around bringing a potential multicultural festival or event during the
spring.

With all of the possible efforts to increase the respect of diversity,
it seems that NPFH’s structure was still considered crucial to the
efforts of the Arlington community.

"There were a lot of large informational sessions throughout this past
spring where a lot of communities came together and shared ideas.
(We’d) hate to have that energy derailed on Anti-Defamation League
issue," Curro said.

Source: 923159

Azeri Press Agency

Culture and Tourism Ministry sends protest letter to ORT

[ 21 Sep 2007 13:22 ]

Culture and Tourism Ministry sent a protest letter to ORT’s
leadership, as `Ice age’ program in the framework of the project
`Stars on Ice’ presented the song `Sene de galmaz’ composed by Tofig
Guliyev as an Armenian song on September 15, spokesman for Culture and
Tourism Ministry Intigam Humbatov told APA.

The letter demands the channel to officially refute the incorrect
information and to prevent such cases. Sovelyeva – Sakhnovski pair
danced to the song `Sene de galmaz’ by Tofig Guliyev.

Their trainer, Julin and presenters, figure skaters Marat Basharov and
Irina Slutskaya presented the song as an Armenian song. /APA/

HACKER DECRIES U.S., ISRAEL ON VIETNAM MEMORIAL SITE
By Josh White, Washington Post Staff Writer

Washington Post
Thursday, September 20, 2007; Page A03
United States

A computer hacker promoting Turkish nationalism posted a video and
message on a U.S. Vietnam memorial Web site in recent days, blocking
one of the site’s search functions while defacing the site with a
statement against the United States and Israel.

Users of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial site — at
who searched for U.S. casualties by
date were sent to an all-red Web page adorned with a symbol from the
Turkish flag, a short video, and messages in Turkish and English. The
English messages attacked Kurds, the United States, Israel and Armenia.

According to translations, the Turkish message read: "Is there any
equal or likeness to our martyrs at Gallipoli?" It is an apparent
reference to the Battle of Gallipoli in 1915 during World War I,
during which soldiers from the Ottoman Empire repelled an Allied
operation to capture Istanbul, suffering heavy casualties of more
than 250,000. The video called it a "story written in blood."

A "Turk Defacer" took credit for the hack, which users reported
yesterday to the FBI, the National Park Service and the 4/9 Infantry
Manchu (Vietnam) Association, which maintains the site. The message
was removed and the search function restored by last night.

Jim Olberding of Ames, Iowa, said he found the message yesterday
while researching Vietnam casualties.

Olberding — a Vietnam War veteran whose son is an Army captain
with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan — said the message offended
him. "They’re attacking American veterans," he said.

The site — a memorial to veterans and a historical repository
that gets heavy traffic around Memorial Day and Veterans Day —
was attacked days after the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington
was defaced with an oily substance. Officials with the 4/9 Infantry
Association said they received 200 e-mails from users alerting them
to the hack. The group’s leaders were in Memphis over the weekend to
celebrate the association’s 10th anniversary and did not know when
the hack took place. The nonprofit bought the Web site about eight
years ago to ensure that it would endure.

"These kinds of groups are opportunistic and are going to do whatever
they think they have to do to get their message out," said Cheryl
Criteser, the association’s secretary-treasurer. "I’ve gotten
death threats, I’ve gotten all kinds of negative stuff from other
countries. I just figure they’re wackos."

A spokesman for the Turkish Embassy in Washington said yesterday that
the hack did not seem to be part of an organized group.

Staff writer Jill F. Bartscht and staff researcher Julie Tate
contributed to this report.

OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS VISIT NAGORNO KARABAKH

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
[ 17 Sep 2007 12:18 ]

The co-chairs of OSCE Minsk Group, mediating in the process of
settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict, are visiting the region. The
co-chairs visited Azerbaijani lands under Armenian occupation and
met with new "president" of the so-called Nagorno Karabakh Republic
Bako Saakyan.

The co-chairs’ visit to Nagorno Karabakh aims at familiarizing with
the new leadership of the separatist regime. The co-chairs will today
return to Armenia and negotiate with the country’s leadership.

OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs are planned to visit Azerbaijan
tomorrow.

NUMBER OF INCIDENTS AT NKR-AZERI FRONTLINE REDUCED WITH 40%

PanARMENIAN.Net
14.09.2007 17:48 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "The purpose of this exercise is to raise the
efficiency of the NKR Defense Army and the capability to strike a
counterblow on the enemy in case of aggression," said Armenian Defense
Minister Mikael Harutyunyan, who observed the regular military exercise
in Nagorno Karabakh.

"Azeri media’s announcements that Iranians serve in the NKR Defense
Army are absolutely false. The same refers to allegedly growing
frequency of ceasefire violations," he said adding that the number
of incidents at the frontline has reduced with 40%.

"Everything is as usual. There is no tension," he said.

Artillery, armored cars, aviation and missile defense assets are
enabled in the NKR military exercise, which consists of 4 stages:
preparation for defensive battle; defensive battle; preparation for
attack; attack, IA Regnum reports.