Armenian National Committee of Eastern Massachusetts
47 Nichols Avenue
Watertown MA 02472
617-926-1918
[email protected]
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
June 16, 2006
FUNDRAISER HELD FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE PETER KOUTOUJIAN
Over 100 activists attend to support local leader
BELMONT, Mass. – The home of Dr. and Mrs. Mher and Elo Artinian was the venue
on Friday, June 9, for a fundraiser for State Representative Peter
Koutoujian who is running for re-election to the Massachusetts state
legislature, reported the Armenian National Committee of Eastern
Massachusetts (ANCEM).
“We are glad to have Peter in our home,” said Dr. Artinian as he welcomed
Koutoujian, his wife Elizabeth Cerda Koutoujian, and the over 100 activists
who came to support Peter’s candidacy. “He is not a stranger among us-not
only has he been influential in the Armenian-American community, he’s an
influential force in the Massachusetts legislature on Beacon Hill.”
Sharistan Ardhaldjian, chairperson of the ANCEM, thanked the Artinian family
for hosting the fundraiser, and commended the event organizing
committee-Linda Ostayan, Bella Khachatourian, Arev Dervartanian, Rita
Bejakian, Roset Atinizian, and Elo Artinian.
“We need to support Peter, because he is a remarkable leader,” said
Ardhaldjian, noting that when House Speaker George Keverian retired,
Koutoujian and fellow Representative Rachel Kaprielian took the reins to
spearhead Armenian-American issues in the State Legislature. “He has been
instrumental in supporting so many of the organizations and institutions in
which we all belong and so many of the issues important to us as residents
of Massachusetts.”
Koutoujian, 44, has spent nine years as a state legislator, and has emerged
as one of Beacon Hill’s most influential and well-respected lawmakers. He
presently serves as House Chair of the Joint Committee on Public Health, and
remains a tireless advocate for the constituents of the 10th Middlesex
District, which encompasses portions of Waltham, Newton and Watertown.
A lawyer by trade, Koutoujian served as prosecutor for Middlesex County
before being elected to the Legislature in 1996. He has focused his efforts
as a lawmaker on creating laws that better protect communities from sex
offenders. Much of his effort has a lawmaker remains focused on public
safety issues. He is working to create laws that better protect our
communities from sex offenders, advocate for victim rights, and even
prohibit convicted felons from profiting off their notoriety. He has worked
as an adjunct professor of Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, and Legal
Ethics at the Massachusetts School of Law in Andover, and a Professor of
American Government at Bentley College in Waltham. This year was appointed
as an assistant adjunct professor at Boston University School of Public
Health.
“I’m proud and honored that you have all come to support my candidacy,” said
Koutoujian, as he thanked the organizing committee for their efforts. “The
Armenian National Committee is a great organization. Without the ANCA,
Armenian-Americans would not be anywhere today. The organization is what our
people stand for: grassroots-the towns and villages that work together to
strengthen our community.” Koutoujian particularly noted the recent ANCA
Telethon, which raised more than $3 million for the organization’s Endowment
Fund, and lobbying efforts in the United States.
Koutoujian outlined some of the recent efforts that he has been working on,
including the lawsuit that was filed by the Assembly of Turkish American
Associations and several other plaintiffs against the Massachusetts Board of
Education in an attempt to compel the state to include materials in the
curriculum that deny the Armenian genocide. He also spoke about the firing
of the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Evans, for his honest discussion of
the Armenian genocide. “It was a terrible day when Ambassador Evans was
recalled. For a diplomat to be fired is a great disservice. He spoke out
from his heart and was fired. But, we will have acknowledgement of the
Armenian genocide. I know it will occur.”
He also spoke about the Armenian Heritage Park scheduled to be built on the
Greenway, commending James Kalustian, Barbara Tellalian, Don Tellalian and
Rachel Kaprielian for their “masterful” leadership in cementing the plans to
construct the memorial.
Koutoujian closed his remarks by thanking the community. “Without your
support, I can’t drive issues of importance to us, so I thank you. We have a
symbiotic relationship-you support me, and I push issues that are of
importance to the Armenian-American community.”
Guests enjoyed the remainder of the evening discussing various issues of
concern with Koutoujian.
####
Captions for attached pictures
Caption 1
Peter Koutoujian with the host committee, Bella Khachatourian, Sharistan
Ardhaldjian, Rita Bejakian, Elo Artinian, Roset Atinizian, Linda Ostayan,
and Arev Dervartanian
Caption 2
Peter and Elizabeth Koutoujian with Dr. and Mrs. Mher Artinian and their
children Areen, Harout, and Aleek

Armenian National Committee of Canada
130 Albert St., Suite 1007
Ottawa, ON
KIP 5G4
Tel. (613) 235-2622 Fax (613) 238-2622
[email protected]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 14,2006
Contact: Roupen Kouyoumjian
Tel. (613) 235-2622
Canada-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship Group Established
Ottawa – The Canada-Armenia Preliminary Friendship (CAPF) for the 39th
Parliament was established at a meeting in the House of Commons today.
House of Commons and Canadian Senate members were invited by MP Gary
Goodyear (Conservative-Cambridge) to attend the founding meeting and
elect a new executive for CAPF. So far 32 members of Parliament and
Senators have joined CAPF.
In his opening remarks Goodyear thanked MPs and Senators and said:
“Your presence demonstrates your support for the positive relationship
that exists between Armenia and Canada. As you know, our Prime
Minister recently officially recognized the Armenian Genocide of
1915 in Parliament. We believe that this was a positive step toward
healing the wounds of the past and paving the road for a peaceful
and prosperous relationship between Canada and Armenia.”
Afterwards, Goodyear called upon MP Derek Lee
(Liberal-Scarborough-Rouge River) to preside over the election of
the CAPF executive.
The following members were elected to the executive:
Gary Goodyear, Chairman
Nicole Demers (Bloc Quebecois, Laval), Vice-President
Jim Karygiannis (Liberal, Scarborough-Agincourt),
Vice-President
Alexa McDonough (NDP, Halifax), Vice-President
Raymonde Folco (Liberal, Laval-Les Iles), Secretary
The Members authorized the newly elected executive to fill in the
vacant post of Treasurer, Membership and two Directors at a later date.
In his “thank-you” remarks, Goodyear said: “Canada’ s know-how
and experience is much needed in Armenia. Canada should stand in
solidarity with Armenia and reward its people for their resolve
and commitment to the principles of democracy, free market economy,
and human rights. Furthermore, Canada should establish diplomatic
presence in Yerevan, the capital of the Republic of Armenia. Canada’s
diplomatic presence will have a pivotal role in enhancing our country’s
image in the region.”
“By forming this friendship group we send a clear message to
the Armenian people that they are not alone, that Canada and the
international community will stand by them to overcome the current
difficult transitional period,” he concluded.
Arman Agopian, the Charge d’ affairs of the Embassy of Armenia,
thanked the Canadian parliamentarians for their support and commitment
to foster and enhance strong and positive bi-lateral relationship
between Canada and Armenia. He also invited the members of CAPF to
visit Armenia to better understand and appreciate Armenia and the
Armenian people.
CAPF new president invited Aris Babikian, executive director of the
Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC), to relay the message of
the Canadian-Armenian Community. Babikian said that the establishment
of CAPF marked another milestone for ANCC and the Canadian-Armenian
community. He said that he was gratified to see “so many old friends
of ANCC accepted to join CAPF in addition to new members.”
He pledged ANCC unwavering support to CAPF to achieve its mission
and its goals.
MP Lee said that ANCC support is “highly valuable for CAPF’s
success.” He noted that many parliamentary friendship groups are
created during the lifetime of a parliament. “Most of them are
dormant and inactive. The support of the Armenian community will
insure CAPF’s productivity.”
Senator Grafstein emphasized the importance of economic incentives
to foster peace, prosperity and harmony in the region.
At the conclusion of the meeting, ANCC hosted a reception for CAPF
members and Armenian Embassy representatives. The ANCC contingent was
headed by Krikor Der Ghazarian, Jean Meguerditchian, and Paul Douzjian.
-30-
The ANCC is the largest and the most influential Canadian-Armenian
grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a
network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout Canada and
affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCC actively advances
the concerns of the Canadian-Armenian community on a broad range
of issues.
Regional Chapters
Montreal – Laval – Ottawa – Toronto – Hamilton – Cambridge –
St. Catharines – Windsor – Vancouver

California lawmakers refocus on developing foreign trade
By JUDY LIN
Sacramento Bee
16-JUN-06
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California’s foreign trade offices _
taxpayer-funded enterprises disbanded three years ago amid scandal
and budget woes _ are staging a comeback despite lingering questions
about their usefulness.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and some legislators are once again
trumpeting the value of trade promotion for the sixth-largest economy
in the world. In recent months, the governor has established an
undersecretary for international trade, while lawmakers have proposed
resurrecting outposts in Seoul, South Korea, and Johannesburg,
South Africa.
In coming weeks, the Legislature is expected to take up bills that
call for developing a comprehensive trade strategy and moving the
state back into the business of operating trade offices.
Such a move has raised eyebrows among trade experts who believe former
state offices were mismanaged. Some have questioned whether the state
should even have trade offices.
“Historically, they have not been very successful. In fact, they
have been somewhat disastrous,” said trade consultant Jock O’Connell
“There’s this feeling in the state Capitol that California needs to
be represented by the state. The real California is superbly well
represented in the form of 57,000 exporting companies.”
California’s 12 trade offices were shut down in 2003 _ along with the
rest of the Technology, Trade and Commerce Agency _ after critical
news reports and damaging audits appeared.
At the time the state had more than 90 workers spanning the globe,
from Hong Kong to London. Their charge was simple: Help California
businesses sell their products abroad while luring foreign investment
to the state. Last year, the state exported $116.8 billion worth
of goods.
But the legislative analyst’s office and the state auditor’s office
questioned the effectiveness of such offices.
The offices were accused of taking credit regardless of how much
involvement they had in facilitating a deal.
“For instance, an office may only have provided a list of foreign
companies potentially interested in a product developed by a California
business. However, the agency counted the total value of a subsequent
export agreement,” according to one legislative analyst report.
The Orange County Register quantified the overstated benefits at
$44.2 million for one year.
In the end, only one trade office survived. The California Armenia
Trade Office was subsequently transferred to the authority of the
Business, Housing and Transportation Agency, where it remains today.
Sen. Jack Scott, D-Pasadena, salvaged the trade office by requiring
that it thrive on private donations Scott’s district is home to the
largest Armenian community in America.
Scott considers the Armenia office a pilot project that could, perhaps,
become a model for future trade offices. Unlike its predecessors,
the office is funded through $75,000 in private donations, must
file evaluation reports, and will automatically close in 2008 unless
reauthorized by the Legislature.
“We’re learning from mistakes of the past,” Scott said.
But experts say accepting private donations is bad public policy.
Jeffrey Gersick, former managing director of the state’s trade offices
in London, Frankfurt, Johannesburg and Jerusalem, said the state’s
priorities can be muddled by those who “pay to play.”
Rather than putting offices where there’s growth potential, Gersick
and others say the practice could hold the state hostage to special
interests looking to leverage the state’s seal for their own cause,
creating a case of “country du jour.”
The director of the Armenian Trade Office, Arthur Khachatryan,
said he reports to the Foundation for Economic Development, a
non-profit Armenian group based in Glendale, Calif., handling the
state contract. However, the trade office keeps the state abreast of
its work through biweekly phone calls and progress reports.
“The ultimate responsibility rests with the state,” Khachatryan said.
“But on day-to-day questions, of course, we work with the foundation.”
Sen. Kevin Murray, D-Culver City, said he believes private donations
are the way to go. He is carrying two bills to install trade offices
in Seoul and Johannesburg, both of which are modeled after the Armenia
trade office.
Murray and Scott argue that the private-funding model deserves a
chance before being tossed out.
“If you can generate far more business than the cost of the trade
office, I can’t see how you’d lose,” Scott said.
Lawmakers are now trying to consolidate all trade office bills,
and they hope to develop an overall trade strategy for the state.
Assemblyman Juan Arambula, D-Fresno, chair of the jobs committee,
has written a bill that would give Schwarzenegger’s Business
Transportation and Housing Agency $140,000 to develop an overall
state policy on trade. Assembly Bill 2601 is being supported by
the Republican governor after another bill to give the agency legal
control of trade offices failed.
Concerned that there won’t be enough oversight, Sen. Gloria Romero,
D-Los Angeles, has written a bill that would also develop a strategy
for the state. However, Senate Bill 1513 allows the Legislature to
decide where to put trade offices and requires them to be funded with
through private donations.
Both bills require public disclosure of donations but Romero’s requires
them to be posted on the Internet.
Business, Transportation and Housing Secretary Sunne Wright McPeak
said the governor has made trade promotion a priority, citing his
trade missions to Baja California, Japan and China. However, she said
the agency would be reluctant to spend taxpayer dollars.
Instead, McPeak said the agency has begun coordinating with trade
associations and the U.S. Commerce Department as a cost-effective
approach to trade promotion.
Agency officials say that even if the Legislature fails to pass a bill,
the administration intends to develop a trade strategy for the state.
Howard Shatz, a research fellow at the Public Policy Institute of
California, a non-partisan think tank, said lawmakers will have to
be careful in formulating a plan with reliable performance measures.
Trade experts say the state should take advantage of existing resources
like the Commerce Department, look to countries with the most growth
potential, and assign trade offices clear mandates, then measure
their achievements accordingly.
“It needs to be done right because they are going to be scrutinized
given the history of trade offices,” Shatz said. “The last thing you
want is another scandal.”
cfm?action=detail&pk=TRADE-06-16-06 .ancfresno.org
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Division of Caucasian Region Underway
PanARMENIAN.Net
16.06.2006 15:07 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has
the change to transform in a powerful bloc if Russia plays the role
of moderator between East and West, Sergey Sargsyan, an expert of
Spectrum, the Center for Strategic Analysis stated in Yerevan. In
his words, expansion of Iran-China and Iran-Japan cooperation is
possible. “Iran has started to change its priorities in foreign policy,
somehow detaching from Russia towards West. In such geopolitical
context Armenia is interested in a constructive dialogue between
NATO and SCO. However, it may face a choice in future, since the CSTO
member states serve on the SCO as well,” the expert said.
Sargsyan considers that the region is being divided.
“The presence of several blocs different in essence and aims directly
promote this process. At the same time the West cannot comprehend
the reasons for the worsening of the Armenian-Georgian relations. As
for Azerbaijan, everything is clear – because of the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict, but what’s happening with Georgia is not understandable. As
for Russia, in Sagrsyan’s opinion, its wish to participate in the
Iran-Armenia gas pipeline construction is an attempt to maintain the
integrity of the region.

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
06/16/2006
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://WWW.ASBAREZ. COM 1) Kocharian Condemns Racially-Motivated Killings of Armenians in Russia 2) EU Feuds with Turkey over Cyprus Trade 3) Parliament Members Voice Concerns on Recent Violence in Russia 4) Armenian International Jewelers~R Association Meets in Yerevan 5) Paul Krekorian to Speak at Debut of Armenian Documentary 6) Krekorian Wins Election despite Vicious Anti-Armenian Hate Mail 7) Charges Filed by Turkish Student against UC Irvine ASA Dropped 8) More Bush BS 9) ARS Honors Outstanding Armenian Graduates from Public High Schools 10 ) An Old, Sad Story: Armenian genocide measure bottled up in Congress--again 11) SPANISH GAME DEFEATED BY ARMENIAN GAMBIT 12) Iran~Rs Andranik Teymourian Prepared to Face Portugal in World Cup 1) Kocharian Condemns Racially-Motivated Killings of Armenians in Russia (RFE/RL)Officials in Yerevan are placing timid pressure on Moscow to prevent further racist killings of ethnic Armenian residents of Russia, with President Robert Kocharian and Prime Minister Andranik Markarian raising the issue with a visiting Russian senior official on Friday. Kocharian and Markarian both told President Vladimir Putin~Rs representative to southern Russia, Dmitry Kozak, that they expect tougher action against Russian neo-Nazi groups responsible for the increasingly serious violence, indicating their dissatisfaction with measures taken by the Russian authorities so far. Kocharian said the Russian law-enforcement bodies, widely accused of inactivity and even participation in the deadly attacks, should act in a more ~Squick, steadfast and understandable~T manner. ~SThe interlocutors condemned nationalist murders committed in Russia in recent months and noted that they do not stem from the interests of Russia and the Russian people,~T his office said in a press release. Markarian, for his part, urged Moscow to take ~Sserious steps to identify and bring the guilty to justice as well as to avert more such incidents.~T At least six ethnic Armenians have been beaten, stabbed or shot to death this year in a wave of xenophobic extremism targeting dark-skinned immigrants from the Caucasus, Central Asia and Africa in Russia. The Russian authorities~R failure to solve the majority of the crimes has been increasingly raising eyebrows in Armenia, contributing to the erosion of a traditionally strong pro-Russian sentiment there. The Armenian government has been attacked by local civic groups, opposition parties and prominent intellectuals for its reluctance to bring the Kremlin to task. Kocharian~Rs and Markarian~Rs remarks were apparently Yerevan~Rs first high-level criticism of Moscow~Rs handling of the violence. They came the day after an official announcement that senior diplomats from the two countries will hold a special meeting in the Russian capital on the issue later this month. According to Markarian~Rs press service, while condemning the racist murders, Kozak said that ~Sthey are not specifically directed against Armenians~T and that ~Sthe Russian authorities are doing everything to solve and rule out such crimes.~T He also cited a ~Sgood treatment~T of hundreds of thousands of Armenians living in Russia~Rs southern regions. However, reports of vandals desecrating Armenian churches and cemeteries in the area have not been uncommon in recent years, and at least one of the local governors, Aleksandr Tkachev of the Krasnodar Region, has irked Armenian community leaders and Russian human rights activists in the past with racist statements. Kozak, who was accompanied by Russian regional officials, also discussed with the Armenian leaders economic cooperation between Armenia and southern Russia. Kocharian and Markarian pointed to the persisting high transportation costs involved in bilateral trade, with the latter urging the Russians to do more to restore rail communication between Russia and Armenia via Georgia. Kocharian was quoted by his press office as noting with satisfaction that the lack of ~Sefficient transport communication~T between the two countries does not prevent Russian companies from ~Splaying an increasingly large role~T in the Armenian economy. 2) EU Feuds with Turkey over Cyprus Trade (Combined sources)--European Union leaders feuded with Turkey over its EU entry bid, threatening to halt the Turkish government's quest for membership only days after the start of negotiations. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister, rejected demands from European leaders for it to open its borders to Greek-Cypriot shipping by the end of the year, prompting leaders such as French President Jacques Chirac to warn of a breakdown in ties. Turkey's trade embargo against EU member Cyprus ~Swill put in doubt its capacity to proceed with the enlargement process,~T Chirac said after an EU summit in Brussels on Friday. Turkey declared on Friday it was prepared to abandon EU membership negotiations rather than open its ports and airports to Cyprus. In one of his strongest statements to date, Erdogan warned that Turkey would not move until the EU ends a trade embargo on the "republic of northern Cyprus", which is recognized by no one but the Turks since their 1974 invasion. Speaking to the Chamber of Commerce in Istanbul, Erdogan said: "Don't expect anything ... not on the subject of the ports and airports." Brussels has warned Ankara that it must open its ports and airports to all EU countries - including Greek Cyprus - by the end of the year or risk a disruption of its membership negotiations. The tough stance adopted by Erdogan showed how Turkey's EU membership talks are heading for a crisis in the fall when the European Commission delivers its annual progress report. Olli Rehn, the European enlargement commissioner, has warned of a "train crash" unless Turkey opens up its ports and speeds up reforms on human rights and free speech. Negotiations got off to a bumpy start on June 12, when Turkey dropped a last-minute boycott threat after the EU persuaded Cyprus not to press for an immediate opening of Turkish ports to Cypriot shipping. ~SUnless the isolation imposed on the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is lifted, don't expect anything from us,~T Erdogan said Friday. United Nations efforts to reunify the island broke down in 2004 when Greek Cypriots rejected a UN unification plan that was supported by Turkish Cypriots and by Erdogan's government. The EU restricts trade with northern Cyprus. Turkey's refusal to allow Cypriot ships into its ports ~Swould be a problem,~T said Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel, who chaired the EU Brussels meeting. He demanded that Turkey free trade with Cyprus by the end of the year. ~SIt would be completely wrong to pretend that this is not a huge challenge,~T European Commission President Jose Barroso said of Turkey's quest for membership. The slowdown of the pace of enlargement reflects animosity in countries such as France and the Netherlands, which last year threw the EU into political disarray by vetoing a constitution designed to streamline its decision-making machinery. A series of European leaders warned Turkey that it must act unilaterally and not attempt to link the opening of ports to the lifting of the trade embargo on northern Cyprus. Jacques Chirac, the French president, said talks may have to be suspended unless Turkey acts. The spat between Ankara and the EU capped one of the worst weeks in EU-Turkish relations since membership talks opened last October. Cyprus came close to derailing the opening of the detailed stage of the talks on Monday when it demanded that Turkey recognize its half of the island. A crisis was averted after EU foreign ministers agreed to remind Ankara that it must recognize Nicosia during the membership negotiations, which could last up to 15 years. Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, will outline a detailed set of proposals in a year's time when she holds the EU's rotating presidency. A deadline for reaching a decision has been set for the second half of 2008, by which time France will hold the presidency. 3) Parliament Members Voice Concerns on Recent Violence in Russia During a briefing on Friday, parliament members voiced their concerns over the recent violence against Armenians in Russia. Head of the ARF faction Hrayr Karapetyan said the ARF has presented its deep concerns to the Russian embassy in Yerevan. He also said that the killings of Armenians in Russia have nothing to do with Russian state policy. He added, ~SWe can~Rt understand the logic of the Russian policy.~T He closed his statement by saying the foreign ministry of Armenia and the Armenian-Russian intergovernmental commission has a lot to do in this regard. Head of the Justice faction Stepan Demirchyan, head of the National Unity Artashes Geghamyan and other deputies also commented on the recent racism and violence against Armenians in Russia. Demirchyan stated that we must not tolerate the situation and expect more action taken against the Russian neo-Nazi groups responsible for the violence. 4) Armenian International Jewelers~R Association Meets in Yerevan President Robert Kocharian met with the members of the Armenian Jewelers~R International Association on Friday in Yerevan. Kocharian discussed the future plans of the association, specifically focusing on the development of the sector in the present Armenian economy. In this regard, members of the association presented their proposals and suggestions. They also revealed their plans to organize an international jewelry show and conference in Armenia in 2007. They also announced that the headquarters of the association will be moved to Yerevan. President Kocharian commended the association for their input in the Armenian economy and assured that their suggestions will be taken into consideration. 5) Paul Krekorian to Speak at Debut of Armenian Documentary State Assembly Candidate Paul Krekorian, who just won a hard-fought battle in the June 6 California Primary Election, will make his first big appearance since his victory at the debut of the newly-completed documentary, ~SThe Long Journey from the NFL to Armenia.~T As an introduction to the film, Krekorian will speak briefly about his experience visiting Armenia last year, on the 90th Anniversary of the Armenian genocide. The film he will be introducing is a story about NFL defensive lineman Rien Long, only the 4th Armenian-American in 50 years to complete three seasons in the NFL. In March 2006, the 24 year old, 6~R6,~T 300-pound Tennessee Titan who sports a tattoo of the Armenian flag on his right arm, traveled to his ancestral homeland. Long was joined on his journeyall of which was captured on film--by his mother and grandmother; three generations of Armenian Americans ~Sreturning~T to Armenia for the first time, since Rien Long~Rs great-grandparents, Toros Vartanian and Elizabeth Krekorian, fled to America right before the Ottoman Turks began systematically killing 1.5 million Armenians from 1915 to 1923. ~SThe Long Journey from the NFL to Armenia~T was shot in Karabagh; Nashville, Tennessee; Eugene, Oregon; Yuba City, Moraga, and Glendale, California; Moscow, Idaho; and in more than 10 cities and villages in Armenia. From Yerevan to Gyumri to Sevan to Karabagh, Long toured historical sites and visited with the people of Armenia. He even dropped in on Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian, where the conversation dealt more with American football than Armenian foreign policy. Among others, stops included: the Genocide Memorial, a maternity clinic in earthquake-ravaged Akhuryan, Echmiadzin, Erebuni, Garni Temple, Geghard Monastery, an after-school program for at-risk youth, and Yerablur National Cemetery, where Long met veterans of the war in Karabagh. The film will be debut at the Alex Theatre in Glendale on Father~Rs Day, Sunday, June 18 at 3:00 PM. For more information, you can visit Global Opportunity Productions at <; or call filmmaker Peter Musurlian at (818) 500-1234. 6) Krekorian Wins Election despite Vicious Anti-Armenian Hate Mail By Harut Sassounian In an unsuccessful attempt to undermine the election of an Armenian American candidate in the Democratic Primary for the 43rd Assembly District of California, the California Latino Leadership Fund (CLLF) sent an ugly mailer last week that tarnished the image of the entire Armenian American community. The 43rd District includes Glendale, Burbank, North Hollywood, Silver Lake, Los Feliz, Griffith Park, Toluca Lake, Atwater Village, and Valley Glen. Just before last Tuesday's election, tens of thousands of non-Armenian voters received postcards as well as phone calls warning them against voting for Paul Krekorian, a Burbank Board of Education Member, because he was endorsed by the Armenian National Committee (ANC). The postcards and the phone calls were clearly meant to scare off the voters by linking Krekorian and the ANC to "a suspected terrorist." While the postcard, as required by law, mentioned the name of the group (CLLF) that sent it, the phone call did not identify its sponsor, in violation of California campaign laws. The phone message unabashedly stated: "There is no place in the State Assembly for Paul Krekorian." On the eve of the primary election, pitting Krekorian against Frank Quintero, a Glendale City Councilman, the contemptible mailer and the subsequent phone call drove the local Armenian community into an absolute frenzy. Just about every local Armenian cable show devoted the final 48 hours of the campaign to denouncing this ugly attack on the Armenian community, pointing to Quintero as being behind the mailer and phone call, even though he had many Armenian supporters and contributors, had been endorsed by the ANC in the past, and had visited Armenia and the Armenian community in Lebanon. Krekorian won the primary with 14,137 votes (57%). Quintero received 10,863 votes (43%). Krekorian will face Republican Michael Agbaba in November. Given the overwhelming majority of the Democratic voters in the 43rd District, Krekorian is expected to win handily. Quintero himself denounced the CLLF'Ss mailer. In a message he posted on his campaign website, he said: "I am disgusted that this organization, which by law has no affiliation with my campaign, has sent out such a hurtful message. The mailer does not reflect anything that I believe in or stand for." Quintero wrote to the CLLF one day before the election condemning the mailer and calling it "completely out of line." He also wrote to the California Attorney General asking for an immediate investigation "to establish responsibility." When asked by this writer if he knew of the mailer in advance or had anything to do with it, Quintero said that he was told by three Armenian friends a couple of weeks before the election that they had heard talk of anti-Armenian mailers to be sent to local voters. He said he did not take the rumors seriously. This writer pointed out to him, however, that in the message he posted on his campaign website condemning the anti-Armenian mailer, he should not have blamed the Krekorian campaign for it, by describing it as "another one of the Krekorian campaign dirty tricks." After the mailers went out, no one seemed to be able to identity the California Latino Leadership Fund. The postcard mailed by the CLLF carried a non-descript address in Oakland, California. The only indirect connection between the Quintero campaign and the CLLF is found on the website of the California Secretary of State showing that the CLLF had reported spending (through May 25) $18,433 on a mailer to oppose Paul Krekorian and $31,566 on a mailer to support Quintero. These sums were paid to Polka Consulting. Sandi Polka is listed as a political consultant to California State Senate President Don Perata. The California Fair Political Practices Commission website disclosed the names of three individuals as the registered officials of CLLF. Stacy E. Owens is listed as the treasurer of the group. A further search on google indicated that Owens is also the treasurer of the Paul N. McCloskey, Jr. for Congress Campaign Committee in Northern California. The assistant treasurer of CLLF is Henry C. Levy, a CPA in Oakland, CA. Finally, the president of CLLF is Rebeca E. Barron. A google search disclosed that Barron is the "Big Cheese" of The Barron Collection Ltd., a company in Seattle, Washington that now has four showrooms that sell various home accessories. Both The Barron Collection and Ms. Barron's husband, Robert Apodaca, are listed on the California Secretary of State's website as receiving from the CLLF more than $43,000 in payments and reimbursements. The sinister nature of the mailer and the recorded phone call leave no doubt that someone intended to damage the political viability of Paul Krekorian's candidacy and the credibility of the ANC and the Armenian American community. A thorough investigation must be carried out to find out the identities of those who conceived such a plot, paid for it and carried it out. Glendale City Councilman Ara Najarian told the Daily News (Los Angeles) that he wanted the council to hold a hearing into the mailer and the phone message. He was quoted as saying: "I feel that all Armenians were under attack when that mailer was sent out." During a press conference organized by the ANC in Glendale a day after the election, a broad cross section of the leaders of local Armenian American organizations, including the Prelacy, Diocese, Armenian Evangelical Union, Armenian Catholic Exarchate of North America, ARS, AGBU, Hamazkayin, Armenian Society of Los Angeles, AYF, ANC, Homenetmen, Dr. Armine Hacopian, Vice President of Glendale Community College Board of Trustees, Vahig Zadourian of Davidian and Mariamian Educational Foundation, and Glendale City Councilmen Rafi Manoukian, Bob Youssefian, and Ara Najarian, denounced the anti-Armenian mailer. "Unfortunately, during this campaign, ugly, anti-Armenian racist acts were committed against Paul Krekorian, the ANC, and our community," said Zanku Armenian, Board Member of the ANC, Western Region. "Together, we are standing before you today to say that this is unacceptable, we are outraged and we will hold all those individuals, organizations and institutions involved in this accountable." The Armenian community should consider filing a complaint with the California Attorney General's office as well as the State Fair Political Practices Commission. If warranted a civil lawsuit should be filed against the CLLF and their internal records subpoenaed in order to uncover who funded this hate mail. Unless strict measures are taken to expose the culprits, those hiding behind the CLLF could resort to such ugly tactics in subsequent local, state, and national elections intending to compromise the careers of Armenian American candidates and harm the political credibility of the Armenian American community. However, great care must be taken not to antagonize the entire Latino community and Latino politicians who were just as incensed by this mailer. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Los Angeles City Councilman Eric Garcetti, Congressman Adam Schiff, and many other elected officials of all ethnic backgrounds soundly condemned this attack on the Armenian community. 7) Charges Filed by Turkish Student against UC Irvine ASA Dropped --ANC-OC sends letters to the Administration of UCI and CSULB regarding the Universities~R position on the Armenian genocide and in support of the UCI ASA. The Armenian Student Association (ASA) at the University of California Irvine was called before the Student Judicial Affairs Council on May 23, 2006 for an alleged violation of the University~Rs Physical Abuse policy, as claimed by a small Turkish group who protested this year~Rs Genocide Commemorations. The student council subsequently dismissed the charges and ruled that the ASA had not violated any University Policies. The alleged incident took place on April 24 at the ASA~Rs Armenian Genocide Commemoration event. While Yeghzapet Garabedyan, a 92 year old Genocide survivor was speaking, this small group of protestors began waving a Turkish flag and screaming ~Sliar,~T ~Sthe Armenians killed the Turks,~T and a barrage of other obscenities. Their chants and screams grew louder as they approached the crowd attending the commemoration event. Although their numbers were small--approximately 5 or 6--they still attempted to disrupt the solemn event. UCI Campus Police were called by attendees at the commemoration event. Yeghzapet Garabedyan continued her remarks undisturbed against the backdrop of flashing police lights once the officers had arrived. As the small Turkish group attempted to walk towards the Commemoration, the UCI Campus Police asked them to stop, where they continued to yell at those gathered to honor the memory of the 1.5 million victims of the Armenian genocide. The protestors were eventually escorted from the commemoration by UCI Campus Police. No charges were filed and no arrests were made. In a shameless act of desperation after unsuccessful efforts to disrupt the solemn Commemoration, one of the protestors chose to file a complaint against the UCI Armenian Student Association claiming that the student association had violated the University~Rs physical abuse policy. If the allegations were true, the UCI ASA would have been suspended as an accredited student organization at the university and been unable to organize any future Armenian genocide related events. The individual who filed the complaint, Vuslat Demirkoparan, is also a Teacher~Rs Aid (TA) at UCI and has close ties with the Turkish Student Association at California State University Long Beach (CSULB). Also involved was Professor Tulin Mangir from CSULB. Professor Mangir is currently the faculty advisor to the Turkish Students Association at CSULB. She has been the Vice President of the Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA) and was a winner of the 2002 Women of Distinction Award from The Daughters of Ataturk. Professor Mangir wrote an open letter to Chancellor Drake at UCI condemning the Genocide commemoration event, labeling Armenian organizations as terrorists, accusing Armenians of perpetrating a genocide against Turks, and stating that the Armenian genocide is a fabricated claim perpetuated by ~Sbought~T politicians. The Armenian National Committee of Orange County (ANC-OC) got involved immediately, met with representatives of the UCI ASA and drafted letters, including supplemental materials, to be sent to UCI and CSULB. On May 19, the letters and materials were delivered to Chancellor Drake and Vice Chancellor Gomez of UCI. Copies were also sent to Chairman Parsky of the UC Board of Regents and Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante, who is an ex-officio member of the UC Regents. The ANC-OC also asked that all baseless allegations against the UCI ASA be immediately dropped. The ANC-OC has also mailed letters to the President Alexander at CSULB, and to Chancellor Reed of the California State University System, and Dr. Edelman, the director of the Center for studies on Genocide and Holocaust in Chico. The ANC-OC asked that both Universities clarify their positions regarding the teaching of the Armenian genocide, and that disciplinary action be taken against faculty members not following the state~Rs educational guidelines and policies as outlined in the California Education Code and the Model Curriculum on Human Rights. They also asked the administration at UCI to take disciplinary action against the TA for filing false charges against the ASA and organizing an unauthorized protest at the University. ANC-OC is requesting that the administration at CSULB secure a letter of apology from Professor Mangir, or in the alternative seek disciplinary action. On May 23, the 2006 UC Irvine ASA Executive Board Members appeared before the Student Judicial Affairs Council. It was announced that the UCI ASA had not violated the University~Rs Physical Abuse Policy and that the Executive had followed all appropriate procedures in organizing the event. The ANC-OC will follow up with both universities and is awaiting a response to schedule a meeting with both administrations. For more information about ANC-OC please visit , and if you would like to get involved please send an email to [email protected]. 8) More Bush BS I love the outdoors, especially hiking, climbing and, mountain biking. So it is particularly painful to learn of the Bush regime's recent shenanigans in this realm. It's not that I didn't know about the long-term multi-administration and multi-Congress de-funding of the National Forest Service. That goes hand-in-hand with the obnoxious "fee demo" program that has now become a permanent fixture in national forests that charges us to use OUR own public property. In Southern California, this is the Adventure Pass you must display to park in any of the four area forests--Angeles, Cleveland, Los Padres, and San Bernardino. To be fair, this foolishness began during the Clinton Administration, though at the Republican controlled Congress' behest. It's not that I didn't know about the ongoing efforts of the Bushies to despoil OUR pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for a whopping six months worth of oil. It's not that I didn't know about the commencing sell-off of OUR public lands that have somehow been deemed less than useful to us by the infinite wisdom of nature's rapers. And where will these proceeds go? Why, to local development, supposedly schools and the like, in what are sparsely populated areas where many of the country's public holdings are found. Can you guess which way many of these areas tend to vote? Can you spell p-a-y-o-f-f? It's not that I didn't know about the drive by rapacious developers supported by the current lunatic fringe dominating the legal system. These yahoos seek to undermine the Clean Water Act as they proceed to raze every forest and fill every wetland--nature's water filters--they come across, all to build some grotesque, fuel wasting, residential "community" where everyone is walled off from their neighbors. Result? OUR potable water supplies are compromised. It's not that I didn't know about the games being played to circumvent the Clean Air Act in the interest of allowing longtime polluters to continue their dirty operations under grandfathering exemptions granted to then existing facilities. Remember--this act is over 30 years old, how long would you keep old technology going? Unless of course your intent is to circumvent pollution fighting laws. Meanwhile, the myth of "the market's" benevolence has been harnessed to create a trading system of what I'll call pollution vouchers. This allows some operation that has built a clean plant to sell its "right" to pollute a certain amount to a dirtier operation that does not meet standards. Ultimately we do not achieve maximum reduction of the carcinogenic and other noxious emissions cast off into the air entering OUR lungs. It's not that I didn't know about the same filth-mongers' obsession with and advocacy of coal as a rejuvenated source of energy. This one's a triple whammy. It is the most polluting of the fossil fuels. "Modern" mining techniques involve beheading whole mountains, pulling out the coal, then filling in streams and valleys with the remnants, destroying OUR plant, animal, and human communities for miles around. Presumably as part of the "sacred" project of "deregulation" or under-funding of regulatory agencies that commenced in the Reagan era, coal mining too has been impacted. Care to guess why we're seeing more and more lethal mining accidents--and I'm not referring to those happening in China! It's not that I didn't know about the whitewash being applied to the nuclear power industry. Do you know of any other industry that is barely profitable, if not outright money losing, which gets touted as a source of salvation, in this case by allegedly providing "cheap" energy? And this is after they find clever ways of charging us, the public, for dealing with incredibly dangerous waste that will remain so for hundreds of thousands of years. But somehow, two Los Angeles Times pieces, both appearing Sunday, June 11, really irked me. "Rangers Among Parks' Rarest Sights" addresses the under-funding of National Parks. These are the country's gems. People come from the world over to go to Yosemite, Yellowstone, and others. This tourism undergirds local economies. Yet the purchasing power of the funds budgeted for the National Park Service has actually decreased in recent years. And just for good measure, Shrub's budget proposal to Congress includes a $100,000,000 cut in the budget for next year. Just as with other aspects of government, the Neo-Conservatives' objective is likely the same for parks: under-fund them to the point that they fall into disrepair; argue "See, we toljaso, government is no good at nuthin.' We should privatize the parks;" then turn over OUR parks to recreation industry interests; finally, have visitors pay obscene amounts while corporate profiteers laugh all the way to the bank. The other piece "A Student's Forest Paper Sparks One Hot Debate" describes a study published in Science. This research looked at post-forest fire regrowth. It found more where the burnt trees were left standing than where they were "salvage" logged. This simple, substantiated fact has driven members of Congress to frivolous fulminations, exposed the student's university president's inappropriate behavior (a logging company funds part of the forest research there), and yielded more evidence of the increasing political pressure on scientists to produce only right-wing-politically-acceptable results, reality be damned. You see there's big money to be made by cutting the trees off OUR land. This scam costs the Forest Service around $1,000,000,000 annually because it is left holding the bag--maintaining remote roads, fighting logging induced/exacerbated fires, etc--after the loggers pay their nominal, one time, fees. So, when documented facts demonstrate that logged forests regenerate more slowly, all these money grubbing interests go berserk. All this makes me proud of the RE-forestation efforts going on in Armenia, spearheaded by Armenia Tree Project, Armenian Forests NGO, and others. These efforts are also recreating bonds between people and land, a crucial factor to sustaining our homeland. They are also showing the power and ability of people united to fight off rapacious economic interests. So let's do no less than our compatriots. Tell your member of the House and Senate what you think about the growing threats, due to their negligence, to OUR air, water, land, and ultimately--lives and future. 9) ARS Honors Outstanding Armenian Graduates from Public High Schools LOS ANGELES--It has become a tradition for the Armenian Relief Society of the Western US (ARS-WR) Regional Executive to collectively honor Armenian graduates from public high schools, in cooperation with the local chapters, which select and provide merit awards to the graduates. This year~Rs merit award night hosted by the local "Mayr" Hollywood Chapter, was held on June 5, at Saint Garabed Armenian Apostolic Church, Garabedian Hall in Los Angeles. This year, forty-two outstanding students were selected by nine Southern-California chapters. The students were a diverse group of valedictorians, honor roll and key club members; drama performers; swimmers and dancers; tennis, volleyball, and basketball players; coaches, hospital volunteers, Armenian Youth Federation members, science and Armenian club members. They were born in far away places like Tehran, London, and Montreal, or locally in Burbank and Pasadena. Some were planning on attending local universities such as the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) or traveling further to Stanford University. Along with the graduates, their parents and siblings, their public school counselors also attended the event. In May 2006, high school graduates living in the Fresno and San Francisco areas received their awards during events organized by their local ARS chapters. At the Hollywood event, ARS-WR Regional Executive Vice-chair, Karine Barikian-Setian, made the opening remarks, and Regional Executive Chair, Angela Savoian, gave the keynote message. Following receipt of their certificates from the Regional Executive, the graduates received their monetary awards from the respective chapter chairs or representatives. During her speech to the award winners, Angela Savoian said: ~SIf you really want to make a difference, no one can stop you. Because the difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of knowledge, or a lack of money, but rather lack of will.~T She added, ~SI ask you today to study hard, make a difference and never forget who you are, where you came from and to take on the mantle of service I offer to you.~T 10 ) An Old, Sad Story: Armenian genocide measure bottled up in Congress--again The Fresno Bee published an editorial Saturday, June 10, criticizing the inaction on the Armenian Genocide Legislation pending passage in Congress. (Fresno Bee)--It's as regular as clockwork: A bill comes before Congress that would recognize the massacres by Turkish authorities against Armenians in the days of World War I as what they were--a genocide. The Turkish Government objects strenuously. The White House and the State Department pass the word: Don't upset our Turkish allies. Congress caves. The Genocide remains unofficially recognized by this Government and by Turkey. It happened again this week. House leaders refused to let a measure come to the floor for a vote that it surely would have passed. It happens nearly every year, in every administration, regardless of which party controls the White House and Congress. It is an offense against the strong sense of justice that animates Armenian Americans and others. And it makes no sense. This is the same valuable Turkish ally, remember, that wouldn't let American troops cross their land during the invasion of Iraq. In hindsight, that didn't hinder the quick advance of the American-led coalition that ousted Saddam Hussein, but it could have. This is also the same valuable Turkish ally that stands as a strong bulwark against southern expansion by the dreaded Evil Empire of the Soviet Union--which no longer exists. This is the same valuable Turkish ally that wants desperately to join the European Union, but can't, because the Europeans rightly demand that Turkey acknowledge the Genocide first. This is getting very old--like the remaining survivors of the massacres who would like nothing better than some small measure of justice all these years later. 11) SPANISH GAME DEFEATED BY ARMENIAN GAMBIT In chess, one of the most common opening moves is called the Ruy Lopez, also known as the Spanish Game in countries outside of the United States. The opening is named after Ruy Lopez de Segura, a 16th century Spanish priest who studied and wrote a 150 page book about chess, which is probably what I'd also do if I was celebate. In addition to his serious examination of chess opennings, Lopez included some ridiculous strategies in his book as well such as suggesting setting up a board so the sun shines in your oponnent's eyes. A "Ruy Lopez" is an offensive move where you try to block your oponnent from moving his pawns/soldiers further up the board by attacking early and unsuspectingly. The reason I just provided abrief lesson in chess history is because although chess is merely a game of strategy, there are so many parallels between chess and life particularly in the area of politics. And last week marked significant victories for Armenians in both chess and politics. Americans don't follow chess. Maybe it's because it's too cerebral a game and requires some thought and advanced strategical planning. But that's expected from a culture where people are so mezmerized by the concept of car racing and foreign oild dependency that they make a cartoon about talking cars. If my car could talk, it would probably curse the high gas prices at the pumps! I love how Hollywood and Washington think that making a film about cars with huge cartoon eyes is going to make me forget that I paid 60 dollars for a tank of gas yesterday. But back to chess and politics and Armenians. Let's start off with the World Chess Olympiad held in Turin, Italy a few weeks ago. If you are a betting person, you should have taken Armenia to win this tournament. When the Chess Olympics began, the odds of Paris Hilton dating and then dumping another son of a Greek shipping magnate were greater than the 16 to 1 odds of Armenia beating Russia, India, China and a slew of other countries for the World Chess Championship. But a team of four talented and inspired Armenians from a landlocked country surrounded by hostile nations, rose up to the opportunity and pounded their opponents both literally and on the chess board on to victory and the first place trophy. Levon Aronian who is only 23 years old led the Fantastic Four of Chess by handing out defeat after defeat to his opponents. By the end of the tournament, Armenia was favored to win and some of the early favorites were taking in the sites and local tourist attractiosn around Italy. Armenia's a chess playing country. And to Armenians, it was no surprise that our boys won the world title. After all, how many other countries the size of Armenia have had as much success in chess? There have been two undisputed world chess champions from Armenia Tigran Petrosian during the mid-late 60s who redefined defensive offensive play and current reigning Chess Czar Gary Kasparov. Kasparov is so good that he only plays super computers! Now if only Armenia's political leaders had a bit of the chess genius in them one can never stop hoping. The victory in Italy was significant for so many reasons for Armenians and Armenia. Armenia was for many, many, many years, a vassal state of Rome. Roman armies conquered Armenia and interfered with our internal affairs playing off royal families against each other and using Armenians as sacrificial lambs against the armies of the Persians. Now, over two thousand years later a small band of Armenians returned to the Roman Empire and conquered all the other "great powers" of the world in the ultimate game of war and strategy proving once again that revenge, like yalanchi dolma, is a dish best served very cold! I doubt that the victory in chess will be a turning point in Armenia's history but I would like to think that it had some effect on the political scene in Glendale, California. Most of you followed my articles chronicling the perfect storm that was brewing in the 43rd State Assembly district of California home to Glendale and the largest Armenian population in the United States. The Democratic primary saw Glendale Councilman Frank Quintero challenge Burbank School Board Member Paul Krekorian for the party nomination. The difference between Republicans and Democrats is so great that the winner of the primary is virtually guaranteed victory in November's general election. So it's no surprise that the stakes were high and the election would become very very nasty. In the end, it turned out "nasty" would be an understatement as tens of thousands of non-Armenian homes were bombarded by a campaign mailer implying that the Armenian National Committee and Paul Krekorian had ties to terrorist. The mailer was produced and mailed out by a group called the California Latino Leadership Fund and was sent only to NON-Armenian households. Fortunately, the voters of the 43rd Assembly District rejected this racist mail piece and voted Krekorian to be the Democratic nominee by a decisive margin of 4000 votes. Most local political leaders denounced the mailer but there were still a handful of Armenian community members who had hitched their buggy to the Quintero horse and pronounced Quintero's innocense in the face of this blatantly anti-Armenian hate mail. My grandfather had a saying for folks like that. He'd say "If you're a donkey, you'll always stay a donkey." And believe me, this wasn't meant as a compliment to Democrats! Anyone who actually believes that this mail piece was not a strategic move made to prevent the Armenian American pawn from advancing on the political chess board by the Latino leadership in Sacramento is very wrong. It's true that the evidence may not be readily visible, but if you don't believe that leaders like Assemblymembers Dario Frommer, Joe Coto, and Senators Martha Escruita were behind this, then you probably also believe that O.J. is innocent and that Michael Jackson would make a great baby sitter. Publications like the LA Weekly and Capitol Weekly (Sacramento's premier political publication) are investigating the connections between the Latino Leadership Fund and the Frank Quintero/Dario Frommer political machine. They may or may not find out the truth and reveal it to us. But here's what every Armenian-American should think about. If the people who were allied with Mr. Quintero were willing to stoop to such levels, what makes us think that they won't stoop even lower or that we can relly on the genuine support of these people in the future? In chess, there are no gray squares or gray pieces. It's pretty simple. It's black and it's white. And you can try to block a smaller, less important piece from advancing but if you're smart and you play well and follow the rules even a pawn can become a knight, rook or queen. Skeptik Sinikian is not a professional chess player but is always open to playing a friendly game at Maple Park. You can find him dressed as a political pawn sitting at the table next to the old men playing backgammon. You can email him at [email protected] or visit his outdated blog at . 12) Iran~Rs Andranik Teymourian Prepared to Face Portugal in World Cup --Teymourian nominated for Christian soccer star award (IranMania/Catholic News Service)After last Sunday~Rs 3-to-1 loss to Mexico, the Iranian team and its star midfielder Andranik Teymourian are preparing to play Portugal Saturday as the 2006 FIFA World Cup continues. At a press conference Wednesday, Iran~Rs coach Branco Ivankovic said that he watched the game against Mexico four times. He said he went over the second half of that game with the entire team. ~SWe will be prepared for the game with Portugal,~T he said. Ivankovic also dismissed any talk of the Portuguese midfielders as being legendary, saying that the Iranian team~Rs midfielders are just as good as theirs. ~SThey may have Deco, Figo, and Costinha, but for each one of those players we also have a good player,~T said Ivankovic. One of Iran's midfielders, 23 year old Andranik Teymourian, is an Armenian and the only Christian on the team. ~SAlthough we lost to Mexico, the team is still in good spirits, as we don't think we deserved to lose that game, we unfortunately threw it away. I hope that we can beat Portugal and go from there to qualify,~T said Teymourian. Asked how the players were coping with life in Germany, he said: ~SWe each have our interests. The country here is very beautiful and the people have been very nice to us. We have had no problems.~T Teymourian also spoke about being only the second Christian to ever play for the Iranian team. ~SI am proud to be the second Iranian Christian after, Andranik Eskandarian, to play for Iran,~T he said. Andranik Eskandarian, also Armenian, played for the famous New York Cosmos team. As the only Christian on the team, Teymourian is also one of eleven players nominated for a contest to select a Christian soccer star during the World Cup. Referring to his religion, Teymourian said, "In terms of being a religious minority, I've got no problem, and relations are really good at the heart of the team.~T Organizers of the contest, started by a group of Catholic and Protestant educators in the Netherlands, said that they wanted ~Sto show that players who'll become superstars during this tournament are also spiritual people who believe in Christ.~T ~SYour personal religious beliefs aren't something you draw attention to at that level," said Pieter Kohnen, spokesman for the Dutch bishops' conference. "But even here in the Netherlands, players often make the sign of the cross when they step onto the pitch or score goals. Any personal feedback, explaining the gesture--why they want to thank God at such a moment--would be helpful." Other than Teymourian, the list of nominees includes three Brazilians, two South Koreans, two Dutch players, as well as two American players, Brian McBride and Tim Howard, and a Ghanaian, Sammy Kuffour. Fans can vote for their favorite at <;www.gristelijk .nl. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2006 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets.

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:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, June 16, 2006
AGBU CANADA TO REBUILD VILLAGE IN KARABAKH
Montreal – AGBU Montreal has joined forces with AGBU Toronto and other
Armenian communities in Vancouver, Ottawa and Calgary to build a new
village called Nor Jraberd in the Mardakert region of Nagorno Karabakh
(NKR) for refugees who lost their lands and homes during the war. This
is part of AGBU’s Karabakh Repopulation Project, which plans to adopt
new villages during its Centennial and beyond.
The NKR Government will provide the land for homes and farming
in Nor Jraberd, the necessary infrastructure (roads, electricity
and water), and a five-year exemption from taxes and start-up
payment per settler. AGBU Canada will build the homes and an entire
community, complete with a kindergarten, school, outdoor sports
facilities, medical centre, pharmacy, ambulance, church, museum and
more. Thirty-two families are already waiting to settle into the new
village. The cost of each home is about US$15,000, but more funds
are required to complete a viable village.
“We believe that the most valuable capital of a country is its happy
and satisfied population,” says Mego Malkhassian, the Canadian project
manager. “And it is our objective to build this new village for the
people-to give them land, homes, work and possibility to live happily.”
Nor Jraberd will be the third village built by AGBU-the first two,
Norashen and Pareshen, both located in the region of Hadrut, were
funded by AGBU France and AGBU London, respectively. Today Norashen is
home to 100 residents, 23 houses, a kindergarten, primary school and
medical centre; and the construction of homes is underway in Pareshen,
which was established at the end of last year.
“Now it is our turn to show our colours,” adds Malkhassian. “This
is a major challenge that we are undertaking, and we are convinced
that with the support of our Canadian-Armenians, we will achieve
it successfully.”
Historical background
During the war, about 150 villages and towns in NKR were
destroyed. More than 11,000 private homes and 226 multi-story
residential buildings – representing 60% of all housing in NKR –
were completely or partially ruined. NKR’s health-care system nearly
collapsed-17 clinics and 70 first-aid stations were abolished. The war
devastated NKR’s educational system, too-200 educational institutions,
121 theatres, museums and cultural centres, and more than 500 other
social or economic facilities were wiped out.
If you would like to contribute to the NKR Repopulation Project or to
learn about our upcoming events, please visit us at
Established in 1906, the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) is
the world’s largest non-profit Armenian organization. Headquartered in
New York City with an annual budget of $34 million, AGBU ()
preserves and promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through
educational, cultural and humanitarian programs, annually serving
some 400,000 Armenians in 35 countries.

Thursday, June 15, 2006
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There was a time when I would get all kinds of calls urging me to translate or review this or that book. When the phone rings these days it’s either telemarketers or wrong number, and strange as it may seem, I prefer it that way.
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According to a Yiddish saying, there is a type of individual who is such a nobody that when he goes out of a room, it feels like someone came in.
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The first line of a poem titled “Credo” by Lucien Jacques (1898-1961): “I believe in man, that piece of filth.”
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After greed for money comes search for immortality. I once had a call from one of our national benefactors (who are outnumbered only by our self-appointed pundits who pretend to know everything there is to know about Turks and Armenians simply because their last name ends in –ian) asking me to ghost his memoirs. He offered to travel all the way to my place in the middle of nowhere and to spend as much time with me as it was necessary to complete the task. Shortly thereafter I read his obituary in one of our weeklies.
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When told by an American philanthropist that he was writing his memoirs, Truman Capote (it may have been Gore Vidal) is quoted as having said: “Are you using a typewriter or a calculating machine?”
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From THE DEVIL’S DICTIONARY by Ambrose Bierce:
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“BIRTH: The first and direst of all disasters.”
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“BRAIN: An apparatus with which we think that we think.”
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“CALAMITY: Misfortune to ourselves and good fortune to others.”
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CORSAIR: A politician of the seas.”
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“FAITH: Belief without evidence in what is told by one who speaks without knowledge, of things without parallel.”
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“PATRIOT: The dupe of statesmen and the tool of conquerors.”
#
Friday, June 16, 2006
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THE USES AND ABUSES OF HISTORY
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The study of history attempts to answer two sets of questions: (one) what happened and (two) why. When one of them (the what) is emphasized at the expense of the other (the why), or vice versa, the result is bound to be more propaganda and less history.
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On the subject of the Genocide: we tend to emphasize the facts or what happened, and the Turks prefer to emphasize the why and view the facts as of secondary importance. As for the rest of the world, like us, they too stress the what, but a different kind from ours, namely, “what’s in it for us.” The result is not dialogue, compromise, and consensus, but monologues that never cross.
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There is another disadvantage in stressing the importance of what happened in the past; we neglect the present, or what’s happening today. When I see nineteen articles and commentaries on the Genocide (or “Red Massacre”) in a single issue of our weeklies and none about its “White” counterpart (assimilation in the Diaspora, exodus from the Homeland) I may be justified in suspecting there is a planned and deliberate effort on the part of our leadership and academics to manipulate, mislead, and deceive the masses into thinking we are in good hands and our past problems are more important than our present ones.
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We share this in common with dogs: we know our masters but not our masters’ master. We know what we think and feel, but not why we think and feel as we do, or what were all the factors that went into shaping our state of mind.
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Facts don’t exist in a vacuum. They are products of a long chain of conditions, circumstances and thought processes or convictions; and convictions, as we know, can be wrong, especially when they stress one aspect of reality and ignore others.
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Consider the following scenario: A house is on fire. The owner accuses his next-door neighbor of arson. They quarrel. Result: both houses burn down.
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If you think I am being too tough on our historians and their dupes, consider the following two definitions from Ambrose Bierce’s justly celebrated THE DEVIL’S DICTIONARY:
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“HISTORY: An account mostly false, of events mostly unimportant, which are brought about by rulers mostly knaves, and soldiers mostly fools.”
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“IDIOT: A member of a large and powerful tribe whose influence in human affairs has always been dominant and controlling.”
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Saturday, June 17, 2006
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The need to ask questions can be irresistible, and the temptation to believe in answers, no matter how false, can be overwhelming.
*
There are three ways of going wrong: when you don’t know, when you think you know, and when you think.
*
A conformist does not think of himself as a conformist, that is to say, as someone who has been indoctrinated to believe that subservience is a commandment from above and not to obey it is a capital offense.
*
I am single because I would never marry anyone willing to marry me. Consider my long list of liabilities: I am Armenian….
*
We inherit our parents’ fears and acquire some new ones of our own. Which may explain why most of us view subservience to our mini-sultans and neo-commissars as ordained from above.
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You don’t have to be right to be influential. Logic and common sense are less popular than that which is false, accessible, and flattering.
*
“Literature consists in making crap look like rose jam,” Jean Genet tells us. Since I have so far failed to acquire that magic skill, I have reconciled myself to being an unpopular failure.
*
In Michael and Ellen Kaplan’s CHANCES ARE (New York, 2006) I read the following: “Once you know that daisies usually have an odd number of petals, you can get anyone to love you.”
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KOCHARIAN: RUSSIAN LAW ENFORCERS SHOULD SUPPRESS XENOPHOBIA
Yerkir
16.06.2006 17:11
YEREVAN (YERKIR) – On June 16 Armenian President Robert Kocharian met
with the delegation of the South Federal Okrug of Russia led by RF
President’s plenipotentiary Dmitry Kozak, reported the RA leader’s
press office.
The interlocutors discussed the whole scope of the Armenian-Russian
relations. Noting the importance of developing ties between the
administrative units Robert Kocharian said it creates a good basis for
strengthening interstate relations. He also remarked that thanks to
the activation of business ties the Russian business tends to deeper
integration into the Armenian economy. The importance of establishment
of efficient transport communications was as well marked out.
Dmitry Kozak emphasized that numerous Armenian community residing in
the South of Russia is engaged in almost all the fields of regional
life. The parties condemned the murders through national hatred
committed recently in Russia and underscored that the situation
does not meet the interests of Russia and the Russian nation. In
Robert Kocharian’s words, the Russian law enforcers should suppress
xenophobia by sharp and precise measures.
The Russian President’s plenipotentiary also attended the Russian
military base deployed in Gyumri and thanked the Armenian authorities
for the creation of favorable conditions for the service of the
military.

TURCHIA: ASSOLTO GIORNALISTA PER QUESTIONE MASSACRO ARMENI
ANSA Notiziario Generale in Italiano
8/6/2006
Aveva Criticato Magistratura Per No A Convegno In Materia
(ANSA-AFP) – ISTANBUL, 8 GIU – Un tribunale turco ha assolto oggi,
invocando la liberta’ di espressione, un noto giornalista in una
vicenda legata alla questione storica del massacro degli armeni
all’epoca dell’Impero ottomano. Lo ha reso noto l’agenzia Anadolu.
Il tribunale ha stabilito che Murat Belge, cronista del quotidiano
‘Radikal’, non ha vilipeso l’istituzione giudiziaria criticando la
decisione di una corte che, nel settembre scorso, aveva impedito
una conferenza, molto attesa, sulla questione armena. L’argomento e’
tradizionalmente tabu’ in Turchia, dove se ne e’ appena cominciato a
parlare, soprattutto in virtu delle sollecitazioni dell’Unione europea,
cui Ankara vuole aderire.
Il giudice ha inoltre lasciato cadere, adducendo la prescrizione,
un’imputazione simile contro Belge per un secondo articolo sullo
stesso soggetto.
Se riconosciuto colpevole, il giornalista rischiava fino a dieci anni
di reclusione.
Nell’aprile scorso la magistratura aveva deciso il non luogo a
procedere, sempre per motivi di prescrizione, contro altri quattro
giornalisti incriminati assieme a Belge nell’ambito della stessa
vicenda.
La conferenza sulla questione armena si era poi tenuta, in un luogo
diverso da quello originariamente previsto. Il suo divieto era stato
chiesto da ultranazionalisti turchi che si rifiutano di riconoscere
il genocidio armeno.

IRAN-ARMENIA GAS PIPELINE PROGRESS DEPENDS ON MUTUAL AGREEMENT: IRANIAN OFFICIAL
Tehran Times, Iran
June 15 2006
YEREVAN (ARKA) – Iran-Armenia gas pipeline construction project
can be amended only under both sides’ consent, an official with the
Iranian Embassy in Yerevan Ali Akbar Jokar told journalists on Tuesday
commenting on probability of a pipeline section acquisition by Russia.
In his words, there are no amendments so far and the project
implementation runs in due course in accordance with the agreement
signed between Armenia and Iran.
He said Iran remains committed to providing gas to Armenia.
Construction of Iran-Armenia 141-km gas pipeline of 700mm diameter
has been estimated to cost 120 million dollars.
Construction of Meghri-Kajaran, the pipeline’s first Armenian
section, started on November 30, 2004. The second section
Kajaran-Sisyan-Jermuk-Ararat will be constructed by the Iranian
company Sanir. The pipeline construction project is expected to be
completed by 2007.