Deutsche Presse-Agentur
May 9, 2006 Tuesday 4:35 PM EST
German police arrest three from alleged Armenian murder gang
Rudolstadt, Germany
German police arrested Tuesday three men suspected of belonging to an
Armenian drugs-and-murder gang, bringing the number of alleged
members in custody to five.

They are alleged to have murdered four Caucasians in eastern
Germany, sometimes by administering drug overdoses, and police will
investigate whether they are linked to six murders elsewhere in
Europe. The gang operated in Germany, Belgium, Britain and Armenia.

One gang member is already serving a prison sentence in Germany
and a second is in custody in France, awaiting deportation.

The inquiry leading to Tuesday’s arrests in the cities of Gera and
Halle began three years ago with the discovery of two skeletons and
fragments of clothing in woods in the area. One victim was a
47-year-old Armenian but the other has yet to be identified, police
said.

Thai Press Reports
May 9, 2006 Tuesday
VIETNAMESE PRESIDENT LUONG OFFERS CONDOLENCES
Section: Regional News – President Tran Duc Luong sent a message of
condolences yesterday to President of the Russian Federation,
Vladimir Putin, President of the Republic of Armenia, Robert
Kocharian, and the families of the passengers and crew onboard the
Armenian airliner that crashed into the Black Sea on Wednesday. – VNS

Congressional Press Releases
May 8, 2006 Monday
PENCE MEETS WITH TURKISH OFFICIALS TO DISCUSS IRAN TEN MINUTES AFTER
IRANIANS DEPART
by MIKE PENCE, REPRESENTATIVE, HOUSE
For Immediate Release
Pence Meets With Turkish Officials To Discuss Iran Ten Minutes After
Iranians Depart
Contact: Matt Lloyd (202) 226-4379
May 8, 2006
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Mike Pence, a member of the House
International Relations Committee, on a Congressional Delegation trip
to the Middle East, met with the Foreign Minister of Turkey today.
The following is his latest blog entry on the meeting:
<; Turkey May 8, 2006 Months ago, when we planned to visit Ankara, the capitol city of Turkey, on our way back from Iraq, little did we know that our visit would take place in the midst of swirling international developments regarding Iran. I did not imagine that our meetings with the Foreign Minister of Turkey, Abdullah Gul, would take place while the UN was debating sanctions against Iran. And I never imagined that our meeting with the General Secretary of Turkey's National Security Council would take place in the same building and in the same conference room where the National Security Advisor of Iran had just concluded a meeting ten minutes earlier. But that's just what happened. Our day began with a short drive to the palatial residence of the Foreign Minister of Turkey, Abdullah Gul. A pleasant and earnest man, the Foreign Minister ushered us into a large conference room and offered a perfunctory welcome. After I thanked our host for receiving us, I opened the meeting with reference to the fact that the United States values our relationship with Turkey, despite recent differences over our policy in Iraq. I reiterated the comments expressed by Secretary of State Rice in her visit to this country just two weeks ago and invited his comments on Iraq and Iran. Others expressed our concern over the recent meeting with Hamas in Turkey and urged a just resolution of the question of Armenian genocide. The Foreign Minister leaned forward on his elbows and went to work explaining the Turkish view of each of the issues in an intense but friendly manner. On Iraq, he expressed the long-standing position of Turkey that Iraq must remain a single country. He said the new government should "concentrate on Baghdad and should not think of separating the country." He urged a long view of the challenges we face in Iraq saying, "I believe for a long time, Iraq will keep us busy." On the subject of withdrawal, he was equally blunt: "We should not give up until we se a stable and democratic Iraq....a sudden or immediate withdrawal from Iraq by the United States would be a catastrophe." Of the root causes of the insurgency: "Iran's influence is deepening." On the subject of Iran's nuclear enrichment program, the Foreign Minister alluded to a meeting later in the day with a delegation from Iran that included Iran's National Security Advisor Larijani. He said he expected the Iranians to argue that they needed nuclear power to meet their energy needs but added, "They cannot convince us. They have enough energy sources." He assured us that he would deliver a "strong message" that "nuclear program is wrong" and closed saying that on the subject of Iran's nuclear program, "our policies are the same as United States." Later in the day we met with the civilian National Security Council headed by Ambassador Yigit Alpogan. Until very recently, this agency was the center of Turkey's national security and is still housed in an opulent building of long corridors, red carpets and ceremonial military displays. We entered the conference room and sat at a long table facing our Turkish counterparts and learned, to our surprise, that the Iranian delegation left that room just ten minutes before we arrived. The topic: Iran's nuclear enrichment program. We got right down to business. I asked the Ambassador what insights he might share about the situation in Iran since Turkey had shared a border with Iran and had close dealings since about the 15th century. That was the moment that he informed us that the Iranians had just left and that he had been meeting with them for the past four hours. He said that Iran had made its case: "they have complaints; they say they have been misunderstood...that they would like the right to have peaceful uses of nuclear energy." Interestingly, he said that the Iranians "are open to inspections and transparency" saying that they assured him "they don't have nothing to hide." When we asked how he had responded, flanked by two military generals, the civilian head of Turkey's national security said, "We are disturbed that they are intending to acquire nuclear weapons technology." Much later in the discussion, he would use this same phrase, "we told them we are disturbed." When one colleague asked, "What are they really up to?", the Foreign Minister replied in a nonchalant manner, "They want to develop a nuclear weapon as soon as possible." The Iranians apparently didn't make their case. Of solutions, the Foreign Minister stated emphatically that "the only way to solve the problem is through diplomatic matters." But he said he had made it clear to Iran that Turkey stand with the UN saying, "Turkey will abide by all means to any Security Council Resolution." In all, it was an encouraging meeting with a friend who was willing to speak truth to their neighbor. As we prepared to end the meeting, I told the Foreign Minister how grateful we were to be received on such a momentous day where he met with Iranian and American officials in the same day. To lighten the moment, I said, "I won't ask you which meeting was more tedious!" Our host burst into laughter adding, "And I will not answer this question anyway!" A meeting among friends should always end in a spirit of friendship. As we fly across Europe enroute to visit soldiers at our hospital in Germany, I am certain that while we are leaving Turkey behind, the topic of our attention in these high level meetings will be front and center for some time. I leave with a sense of the seriousness of this moment in contemporary world history. I also leave with a sense that, while we may differ from time to time with the government of Turkey, we have in this ancient land a friend of freedom and of the United States. And that will be an asset as the United States responds in Iraq and to Iran in the uncertain days that lie ahead.

Environment and Energy Publishing, LLC
Greenwire
May 8, 2006 Monday
OIL AND GAS: Bush questions Russia’s willingness to use energy as
political weapon
President Bush questioned Russia’s energy policy today, rebuking
President Vladimir Putin for using oil as a political weapon.
In an interview published today in the German newspaper Bild, Bush
said: “One of our concerns is economic nationalism, to a certain
extent, where [Putin] is using his oil companies to achieve what
appears to be political objectives.” He added: “And we make our
concerns known when someone uses natural gas, for example, to send
signals to government.”
Bush also said there is full agreement between Moscow and Washington
about nuclear non-proliferation. “It is very important that the
United States and Russia work closely to make sure that nuclear
materials are stored as safely as possible,” he said (Agence
France-Presse, May 8). Russia responds to Cheney’s accusations
The comments came after Vice President Dick Cheney last week accused
Russia of betraying democracy by using oil and gas supplies to bully
its neighbors, speaking at a summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.
“No legitimate interest is served when oil and gas become tools of
intimidation or blackmail, either by supply manipulation or attempts
to monopolize transportation,” he said.
Cheney said Russia must return to democratic reform soon, rather than
trying to harness its position as an energy giant. Russia drew
worldwide criticism for turning off natural gas supplies to Ukraine
earlier this year (Greenwire, May 4).
Today, Russian officials responded to the criticism, saying it is
time the West came to terms with Russia’s progress as a market
economy.
“We are deeply puzzled by recent commentary in the West that distorts
Russian energy policies,” Russian Energy and Industry Minister Viktor
Khristenko wrote in the Financial Times. “The truth of the matter is
that Russia has moved away from Soviet-era arrangements of subsiding
the energy prices of our neighbors and turned to market-based pricing
mechanisms.”
Khristenko said Russia’s policies on energy and market and democratic
reform were “consistently misinterpreted.”
“We are aware that old impressions fade slowly, but it is time for
the West to recognize and acknowledge the maturing role and state of
progress that Russia has achieved,” he wrote. “At a time when Russia
has embarked on a speedy transition to market principles, we are
accused of politicizing the energy issue” (Agence France-Presse, May
8). Natural gas price hikes spurring efficiencies
While former Soviet republics now pay substantially more for their
natural gas after Russia started raising prices, the jolt is starting
to force fundamental change on some of the most energy-wasteful
economies in the world.
Georgia scrapped plans to build new gas-fired power stations. It is
going to build a hydroelectric plant instead. Armenia also has
ordered a plan targeting gas consumption.
Maxim Burtovy, director of an energy savings company called Energy
Alliance, is trying to put together a project to capture more waste
heat from an electricity-generating station and pump it into the
city’s heating system. He estimates that doing so could cut gas
consumption by 500 million cubic meters per year, worth about $47.5
million at the price Ukraine currently pays for gas from Gazprom, and
twice that on world gas markets (Marc Champion, Wall Street Journal
[subscription required], May 8). — LK

Anime News Network, Canada
May 9 2006
ADV Films Website Follow-Up

As previously reported, the ADV Films webiste at was
hacked on Saturday morning by a group of Turkish hackers called
Ayyildiz. Webpages on the site were defaced with the Ayyildiz logo
message. Ayyildiz commonly hacks websites and defaces them with a
propaganda message claiming that the Armenian genocide was an act of
self-defense. The message also attacks the Kurdish PKK and their
backers, and states that any country that is treacherous towards
Turkey will have its websites “erased from the Internet.”
A mirror of the original hack can be seen here.
ADV removed the hacked server on Saturday morning, no more than a few
hours after the original hack itself. Their website resumed regular
operation on Sunday evening. According to Mark Williams, CTO at ADV,
they took advantage of the downtime to implement several already
prepared expansions, including the addition of new servers. The
reparations took longer than Williams would have liked as it was the
weekend and several staff we’re out of town for the weekend. “Plus,”
adds Williams, “We liked the Turkish terrorist music.”
Williams states that the vulnerability that lead to this attack has
been corrected and that the only server affected was a front end
content-caching server, no customer data was affected in any way.
840

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
05/09/2006
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://WWW.ASBAREZ. COM 1) Armenia Marks Victory in WWII And Liberation of Shushi 2) Turkish Armed Forces Aim to Harm EU Bid 3) Kurdish Problem Must Be Solved Democratically Says Lagendijk 4) Homenetmen Kicks off 31st Annual Navasartian Games 1) Armenia Marks Victory in WWII And Liberation of Shushi YEREVAN (Combined Sources)--Thousands of people joined by senior government officials and foreign diplomats gathered at the World War II memorial in Yerevan on Tuesday, officially marking the 61st anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany and the 14th anniversary of the liberation of Shushi in Karabagh. President Robert Kocharian and other senior Armenian officials observed a minute of silence and laid wreaths by the monument's eternal fire, honoring the memory of the soldiers who lost their lives in WWII and the Karabagh war. They then joined the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Karekin II, in praying for the dead. The annual ceremony also involved a small parade of Armenian and Russian troops. In a written address to the nation, Kocharian praised Armenian contribution to the Allied victory in World War II. "Armenian soldiers, officers and generals participated in battles waged on all fronts of the war, always keeping high Armenia's honor," he said. Some 600,000 citizens of Soviet Armenia took part in the war. Nearly half of them lost their lives--a catastrophic death toll for what was then a republic of less than two million inhabitants. "May 9 is also important for us because it was the day of the liberation of Shushi. It became the symbol of the battle for Artsakh's freedom and determination of the Armenian nation," added Kocharian. As always, the celebration of Victory Day in Armenia had a particular significance for the country's dwindling ranks of the mostly octogenarian veterans. Hundreds of them again put on their wartime medals to visit Yerevan's Victory Park and remember their fallen comrades. Gurgen Martirosian was an 18-year-old Red Army conscript when Nazi Germany unleashed a massive assault on the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941. "We were awakened at five o'clock in the morning on that day and fought until April 28, 1945," he recalled. "That's when I left Berlin and returned home." Gurgen Manukian also reached Berlin after nearly three years of fierce fighting. "I was in the trenches for one thousand days," he said proudly. "We hope you won't see what he have seen," said another gray-haired veteran. "The worst thing on earth is war." 2) Turkish Armed Forces Aim to Harm EU Bid (Combined Sources)--Recent Turkish-Kurdish clashes are an attempt by Turkish forces to destroy the country's EU entry chances, said Ahmed Turk, leader of the largest Kurdish political party, the Democratic Society Party (DTP). "There are forces that do not want a modern Turkey or EU accession. Currently there are major attempts by these forces to put the government under enormous pressure," he told the German daily newspaper Die Welt. An anti-terrorist legislative crackdown has raised fears in Europe that Turkey might regress in its human rights reforms. Another concern is a case involving two Turkish military intelligence officers arrested with a Kurdish separatist turned informer, after a grenade attack, which killed a man last November. The prosecution has accused the men of being part of an execution squad targeting suspected Kurdish insurgents, fueling concerns about the army's role in the country's political system. The PKK, a terrorist Kurdish separatist group, has been blamed for a wave of recent violence, including the bombing of a school bus carrying soldiers' children last week that killed 17 people. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on the country's Kurdish population to condemn the violence; however he has also pledged justice. "We in the government will respond robustly to terrorism but also determinedly pursue our efforts towards democracy and development," Erdogan told Kurds in southeast Turkey. 3) Kurdish Problem Must Be Solved Democratically Says Lagendijk DIYARBAKIR (Turkish Press)--Joost Lagendijk, Co-chairman of the Turkey-EU Joint Parliamentary Commission, said Tuesday that democracy is the only way to solve the Kurdish problem in Turkey. In his speech at the "Civil Rights Project in Southeastern Region" meeting in Diyarbakir, Lagendijk noted that dialogue is very important in finding a solution to many of the region's problems. Lagendijk said that as long as violence persists in the region, there would not be any investment there, adding that authorities should also focus on the economic and social development of the region. He said that unless Turkey improves the conditions of people living in its southeastern region, it could not be a full member of the EU. Responding to a question about minorities, Lagendijk said that Europe's definition of minority is different than Turkey's. Lagendijk said that although Kurds do not define themselves as a minority, the EU considers Kurds a minority. He said that the rights of Turkish citizens of Kurdish origin should be improved. During his visit, Lagendijk also said that all of Europe wants to see Kurdish politicians who strongly denounce violence. "Europe needs Kurdish politicians who do not follow the PKK and reject violence," he said. In his meeting with Lagendijk, the leader of the Democratic Society Party (DTP), a pro-Kurdish social democratic party, said that the DTP will do everything possible to end violence in Turkey. "No problem, including the Kurdish one, can be resolved with guns and violence," said Ahmet Turk. DTP co-leader Aysel Tugluk stressed that Turkey must make reforms to gain the support of the Kurdish people. "The Anti-Terror Laws and mass troop deployment around the southeastern border seem to be activities that are taking Turkey back to the old days," commented Tugluk. Lagendijk said that the rights of Kurds should be defended. He pointed out that the presence of a party that represents the Kurdish people in the Turkish parliament is essential. "Therefore, the election system in Turkey needs to be changed," stated Lagendijk. During his visit, Lagendijk also met with Diyarbakir Governor Efkan Ala and Mayor Osman Baydemir. 4) Homenetmen Kicks off 31st Annual Navasartian Games Officially marking the start Homenetmen's 31st annual Navasartian Games, the Navasartian torch was lit Sunday, May 7 in front of the Khatchkar (cross-stone) at St. Mary's Apostolic Church in Glendale. Following a flag ceremony by Homenetmen's Boy Scouts, Aram Chobanian spoke on behalf of the Homenetmen Regional Executive. Chobanian said that more 3000 athletes will take part in this year's games and the tournament will include 650 basketball games alone, making it the second largest in Southern California. Homenetmen Central Executive members Mher Tavitian and Manuel Marselian, Armenian Relief Society Western Region (ARS) Chairwoman Angela Savoian and Regional Executive member Rita Hintlian, LA City Councilmember Wendy Greuel, and various Homenetmen representatives were present at the event. During the ceremony, Father Vazken Atmajian blessed the fire, after which Homenetmen Regional Chairman Raffi Ispenjian passed the torch to the athletes, symbolizing the opening of the games. 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.

Agence France Presse
9 mai 2006 mardi 12:00 PM GMT
Rappel de l’ambassadeur turc: une décision qui relève d’Ankara, selon Paris
PARIS 9 mai 2006
Paris a souligné mardi que le rappel pour consultations de
l’ambassadeur de Turquie en France, en raison d’une proposition de
loi prônant des poursuites contre toute personne niant l’existence du
génocide arménien, “relevait des autorités turques elles-mêmes”.
“C’est une décision qui relève des autorités turques elles-mêmes et
je n’ai pas de commentaire particulier à faire”, a déclaré le
porte-parole adjoint du ministère des Affaires étrangères, Denis
Simonneau.
M. Simonneau a également souligné que “les autorités turques
elles-mêmes ont indiqué que l’ambassadeur devrait regagner Paris très
prochainement”.
Interrogé sur les conséquences pour les relations franco-turques si
le texte de loi était adopté, le porte-parole M. Simonneau a déclaré:
“pour le moment difficile à dire. Le fait est que nous suivons la
situation et les réactions des autorités turques avec grand intérêt”.
La Turquie a annoncé lundi le rappel en consultations de ses
ambassadeurs en France et au Canada, en raison de désaccords sur la
portée des massacres commis contre les Arméniens du temps de l’Empire
ottoman.
Ankara avait averti la France la semaine dernière que les relations
bilatérales pourraient être gravement affectées si l’Assemblée
nationale française votait cette loi.
Les autorités turques s’étaient également déclarées “consternées” par
des propos du Premier ministre canadien Stephen Harper saluant la
commémoration du génocide arménien, reconnu par des résolutions du
Parlement canadien.
Le ministère canadien des Affaires étrangères avait réagi lundi en
estimant que “ces consultations (de l’ambassadeur turc) sont une
affaire intérieure turque” et en refusant à se “livrer à des
spéculations sur leur nature”.
Les Arméniens estiment que jusqu’à 1,5 million des leurs ont péri
dans un génocide orchestré par l’Empire ottoman entre 1915 et 1917.
Ankara soutient que 300.000 Arméniens et au moins autant de Turcs ont
été tués au cours de troubles suscités par des soulèvements
d’Arméniens et leur ralliement aux armées russes en guerre contre
l’Empire ottoman, et lors des déportations qui ont suivi.
From: Baghdasarian

Agence France Presse
9 mai 2006 mardi 11:43 AM GMT
Admettre le génocide, “élément intangible” pour adhésion turque à l’UE (PS)
PARIS
Le porte-parole du PS Julien Dray a déclaré mardi que la
reconnaissance par la Turquie du génocide arménien était “l’un des
éléments intangibles” pour l’adhésion de ce pays à l’Union
européenne.
M. Dray a commenté lors d’un point de presse “l’incident diplomatique
ouvert par la Turquie suite à la reconnaissance du génocide
arménien”, après le rappel à Ankara pour consultation de
l’ambassadeur turc en France.
Il a aussi relevé qu'”un certain nombre d’associations” tentent “de
faire pression sur les parlementaires” pour l’abandon de propositions
de loi (l’une PS, l’autre UMP) sanctionnant le non-respect de la
reconnaissance du génocide.
Selon le responsable socialiste, “derrière” la critique de
l’instauration de sanctions pour négation du génocide, “c’est le
principe de la reconnaissance du génocide arménien qui est en cause”.
“Nous sommmes fiers que la France ait reconnu ce génocide et c’est
dans cet état d’esprit que nous déposons une proposition de loi” qui
sera discutée le 18 mai “pour que ceux qui s’attaquent à cette
reconnaissance puisse être sanctionnés”, a affirmé M. Dray.
“Nous tenons à cette loi, et nous réaffirmons que c’est un des
éléments, dans la discussion avec la Turquie, qui est intangible pour
nous”, a-t-il conclu, alors que les négociations se poursuivent sur
l’adhésion de ce pays à l’UE.

Agence France Presse
9 mai 2006 mardi
Génocide arménien et emploi des jeunes au programme des “niches” PS
PARIS
Des propositions de loi sur l’emploi des jeunes et le génocide
arménien sont notamment à l’ordre du jour des séances réservées
(“niches”) au groupe PS le 16 et le 18 mai, a-t-on appris mardi à
l’issue de la conférence des présidents de l’Assemblée nationale.
La “niche” du mardi matin, 16 mai, est consacrée à deux textes du
groupe socialiste : une proposition de loi de Jean-Marc Ayrault sur
l’insertion des jeunes dans l’emploi, et une proposition de loi
constitutionnelle présentée par Paul Quilès tendant à modifier
l’article 34 de la Constitution sur le pouvoir du Parlement.
Selon l’ordre du jour rendu public mardi, la séance du jeudi matin,
18 mai, est réservée à la proposition de loi PS qui vise à compléter
le texte de janvier 2001 par laquelle l’Etat français reconnaît le
génocide arménien de 1915. La proposition de loi PS, présentée à
l’initiative de Didier Migaud, vise notamment à “sanctionner
pénalement non seulement l’apologie (…) mais aussi et surtout la
négation du génocide arménien”.

Agence France Presse
9 mai 2006 mardi
Génocide arménien: députés PS assaillis de courriels contre la nouvelle loi
Le député socialiste Bruno Le Roux, secrétaire national aux
élections, a indiqué mardi recevoir, comme ses collègues
parlementaires, de nombreux courriels le mettant en garde contre
l’adoption d’une loi visant à sanctionner la négation du génocide
arménien de 1915.
Il a précisé, dans un entretien à l’AFP, que ces messages disaient
tous la même chose, à savoir qu’il ne faut pas légiférer sur cette
question. “On a commencé à être bombardés de messages vendredi et
samedi. Je ne les ouvre même plus”, a-t-il dit, en estimant que
c’était du “domaine anecdotique”.
Le groupe socialiste à l’Assemblée nationale a déposé fin avril une
proposition de loi visant à sanctionner pénalement la négation du
génocide arménien et qui sera discutée le 18 mai.
Bruno Le Roux, député de Seine-Saint-Denis, a indiqué que lors du
vote de la loi reconnaissant le génocide arménien des mises en garde
de ce genre avaient déjà été reçues.
La proposition de loi socialiste vise à compléter le texte de janvier
2001 par laquelle l’Etat français reconnaît le génocide arménien de
1915.
L’élu socialiste a estimé que “les groupes extrémistes qui veulent à
tout prix qu’on ne légifère pas là-dessus ne rendent pas service à la
Turquie”. Lui-même est “plutôt favorable à l’intégration de la
Turquie dans l’Union européenne”.
Plusieurs historiens de renom se sont récemment déclarés
“profondément choqués” par la proposition de loi du groupe
socialiste.