ARMISTICE BREACH IN ARMENIAN-AZERI FRONTLINE
Author: S.Ilhamgizi

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
March 15 2006

On 14-15 March the units of the Armenian armed forces dislocated in
0.4km south of Mazamli village of Gazakh District fired at 22:20pm
the positions of the Azerbaijan National Army in the opposite, The
Defense Ministry told Trend.

On 15 March the units of the Armenian armed forces dislocated in 1.5km
of north of Sofulu village of Gazakh District fired the positions of
the Azerbaijan National Army in Jafarli village of Gazakh district
from 03:36 to 03:46.

No causalities were reported.

US STATE DEPARTMENT AGAIN REFUSES TO DIRECTLY COMMENT ON REPORTS OF AMB. EVANS

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
March 15 2006

— Spokesperson Continues to Evade Journalists’ Questions; Issues
Non-Responsive Answer to Repeated Inquiries WASHINGTON, DC – For
the fourth time in the last week, the State Department’s official
spokesperson has failed to directly respond to questions raised by
journalists during the Department’s daily press briefing about reports
that the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, John Marshall Evans, has been
recalled due to his truthful statements on the Armenian Genocide,
reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

“It’s certainly disappointing seeing State Department officials
hiding behind their spokesperson to avoid directly answering questions
about whether Ambassador Evans is being recalled because he had the
courage to stand up against what effectively amounts to a ‘gag-rule’
preventing our nation’s diplomats from speaking truthfully about the
Armenian Genocide,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.

ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian, in a March 8th letter to Secretary Rice,
wrote that, “If, in fact, the State Department has taken punitive
steps against Ambassador Evans, you should fully and openly explain
your policies and actions to the American people.

If, on the other hand, the Department has not taken any such steps,
you owe it to the American people to affirm that it is not the policy
of the United States of America to punish its diplomats for speaking
the truth about the Armenian Genocide.” Questions concerning Ambassador
Evans were raised on March 8th and March 10th and again on March 13th
and 14th. Each time journalists asked for official comments about
Ambassador Evans’ reported recall. Reflecting the growing frustration
among journalists over the lack of a clear response to their inquiries,
a member of the State Department press corps publicly described the
answers provided by the official spokesperson as “a bit of a dodge.”

The growing controversy surrounding reports of Amb. Evans’ recal
has resulted in separate letters being sent to Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice from ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian and Rep. Frank
Pallone (D-NJ), the Co-Chairman of the Armenian Issues Caucus, as
well as formal Congressional inquiries by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA)
and Grace Napolitano (D-CA).

Speaking last year to an Armenian American gathering at the University
of California at Berkeley, Amb. Evans said, “I will today call it
the Armenian Genocide. . . I informed myself in depth about it. I
think we, the U.S. government, owe you, our fellow citizens, a more
frank and honest way of discussing this problem. Today, as someone
who has studied it. there’s no doubt in my mind [as to] what happened
. . . I think it is unbecoming of us, as Americans, to play word games
here. I believe in calling things by their name.” Referring to the
Armenian Genocide as “the first genocide of the 20th century,” he said:
“I pledge to you, we are going to do a better job at addressing this
issue.” Amb. Evans also disclosed that he had consulted with a legal
advisor at the State Department who had confirmed that the events of
1915 were “genocide by definition.”

Within days after his remarks and the conclusion of a speaking tour
of Armenian American communities, Ambassador Evans was apparently
forced to issue a statement clarifying that his references to the
Armenian Genocide were his personal views and did not represent
a change in U.S. policy. He subsequently issued a correction to
this statement, replacing a reference to the Genocide with the word
“tragedy.” Later last year, the American Foreign Service Association
(AFSA), in recognition of his honesty and commitment to principle,
decided to honor Ambassador Evans with the “Christian A. Herter
Award,” recognizing creative thinking and intellectual courage within
the Foreign Service. AFSA states, “The purpose of the [award] is
to encourage Foreign Service career employees to speak out frankly
and honestly.” Sadly, as Washington Post staff writer Glenn Kessler
revealed on June 9th, AFSA withdrew its award following pressure from
“very serious people from the State Department” just days before
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan traveled to Washington,
D.C. to meet with President George W. Bush.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

A SHORT VISIT IN VAN
Nursun Erel

The New Anatolian, Turkey
March 15 2006

If one day you have to go to Van for any reason, try to spare some
time, to get to know the different faces of this 5,000-year-old city.

Van is really one of the rarest places in the world, as it has been
a home for dozens of civilizations.

So, with my colleague Ceren Bayar, I spent some time in Van. Mostly we
were busy at the Van Courthouse. But we managed to take long walks on
our way to the courthouse from our hotel. The famous Cumhuriyet Bulvari
was our route, so it could give you meaningful impressions of Van.

Let me share them with you.

Some politics

Of the cities in eastern Anatolia, Van has perhaps felt the impact of
terrorism the hardest. We felt it too, on our second day in Van. A
bomb which exploded on Ferit Melen Caddesi killed three people and
injured over a dozen. It was a tragedy, and it also brought almost
all social and economic activity in the city to a halt. Because of
terror, the city loses many of its locals to immigration towards the
western cities. Terror had caused a great recession in the city.

That’s why there’s an enormous unemployment problem.

On Cumhuriyet Bulvari, you can see dozens of shoe shiners side by
side every day. They hopelessly wait for customers all day long.

Unique Van silverware

One controversy about the city is the number of jewelers. They have
very crowded showcases. You really wonder who the customers are for
such a variety of ambitious and expensive style of jewelry, but a
local told us:

“Don’t you know that Van is the home for many important tribes in
Anatolia? Don’t you remember the pictures taken during the tribal
wedding ceremonies? You almost see kilos of gold hanging on the
brides. So it’s a must for these people to give such gifts on any
occasion, that’s why we have so many jewelers here.”

Now let’s move on from these gaudy jewels to take a look at the
famous unique silverware of Van, which is called Savatli (a decorative
technique done with a special alloy). There are incredibly beautiful
bracelets, earrings and other kinds of ornaments done by this
technique. Metin Binici, who has a silverware shop in Van, told us:

“This is the art of our ancestors, developed centuries ago. During
the Ottoman period, in Istanbul if ordinary silverware was sold for
1 TL, the Savatli Silverware of Van was sold for 2 TL. It was very
precious and very desirable. For years art was almost asleep in Van,
but by the time Yucel Askin (Van Yuzuncu Yil University rector) came
to office, we started a revitalization of that beautiful art. These
bracelets and earrings look so bright at the start, but with the
passage of time they get darker and become more and more beautiful.”

Russian Bazaar

In the heart of the city, you can find almost every kind of market;
one example is the cheese market. Dozens of local cheeses produced
around Van can be found there. But once you’re in Van, you must
definitely try the special Otlu Peynir (a kind of cheese done with
a special kind of local herb). One another interesting place is the
Russian Bazaar. All kind of goods from fabric to wooden furniture can
be found there with very cheap prices. If you’re lucky, you can even
stumble upon a beautiful Iranian-made antique teapot, for example.

But don’t forget to bargain with the shopkeeper:

“You say 20 YTL for this teapot, but I can pay only 10 YTL, is
that okay?”

“Oh sister, since this morning I haven’t sold even a single item. You
heard the bomb explosion, didn’t you? You are so cruel to offer such
a low price, but okay I’ll give it to you.”

Visiting Akdamar Island

Van locals get angry when you call Lake Van a “lake,” they say:

“No. Don’t say it’s a lake. If you take the ferry from here to Tatvan
(a remote town on the Iranian border, beyond the lake’s far shore)
it takes four hours. So this is a sea. When the weather is rough,
it’s an ocean, it can be that wavy in bad weather.”

So we rent the boat of Recep Avci. The boat takes us from Gevas harbor,
and it takes us only 20 minutes to arrive at Akdamar Island.

Even though it’s a rainy day, Ceren and I feel almost in heaven looking
around us. What about those mountains covered with snow, just by the
lakeside? Ceren can’t keep herself from taking hundreds of pictures.

So we arrive at the island. The historical Armenian Church is in
front of us, and we read the historical marker:

“This church was built between 915 and 921 A.D., by the architect
Keshis Manauel. It was controlled by King Gagik I, who come from the
Armenian Vaspurakan dynasty.”

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is said to have ordered renovation
work on the church to be completed soon, but on the island we saw
only silence. Officials tell us the renovation has been temporarily
halted due to harsh winter conditions.

Personal barbecue table

So we returned from Gevas to Van in 50 minutes. We were both hungry,
so Ceren and I decided to try the Kebap House of our hotel (the
Tamara). It was surprising to see the personal barbecue tables. We
sat down and ordered our meal:

Meatballs, lamb chops and a half piece of sucuk (spicy Turkish salami).

Our waiter brought us the meat and with the fire tongs in his hand,
he lit the fire on our table. He said:

“We burn nut shells for fire. When you cover them with ashes, you
can keep the fire at least for three days, and besides you don’t get
any smoke.”

So we enjoyed our meat.

Our evening appointment is at Yucel Askin’s home. You know his views
about Van (published in Monday’s TNA), but their home is a different
world. His wife Oya Askin leads us through their home and shows us
their beautiful art collections. What admirable painting of Fikret
Mualla (famous Turkish oil painter) is this? What about those ancient
Canakkale ceramics?

And that corner is specially designed for Ataturk. One of his rare
shots is framed and the clock is stopped at the time (9:05 a.m.) he
died. We admire the fine art taste of the Askins. But there is only
one thing that breaks my heart, the empty shelves of the rector’s
confiscated antiquities collection.

Breakfast salon

Late that night we get back to our hotel and have a rest. The next
day we have to get up early and try a Van breakfast salon. These
breakfast spots are special to Van. They open very early in the
morning and serve until noon. Let me tell you what we had on our table:

Cream of buffalo milk served with local honey, fried sucuk, olives,
local cheeses and unique dishes as Kavut and Murtuva (made with
grilled wheat and egg). We also sip aromatic tea.

So this is the end of our visit to Van. It’s a shame we didn’t see
any of the famous Van cats.

Next time, maybe.

ARMENIAN-AMERICAN HEADS DOCTORS
By Alex Dobuzinskis, Staff Writer

Los Angeles Daily News, CA
March 15 2006

Kamajian takes special care of homeless, poor

GLENDALE – Dr. Steven Kamajian brings a long history of volunteerism
to his new job as chief of staff at Glendale Adventist Medical Center,
the first Armenian-American to hold the position.

For years, Kamajian has run three health clinics at churches in
Glendale, Westlake Village and Thousand Oaks, where the homeless and
the uninsured come for free medical care. Doctors, nurses, dentists,
chiropractors, students and other volunteers pitch in.

The biggest clinic, at a Thousand Oaks Methodist church, has 17
doctors volunteering. The Glendale clinic has several doctors,
including specialists who see indigent patients in their offices.

“As people have become progressively less insured, it became apparent
to me that I should try to do something to help the less fortunate
people in society,” Kamajian said.

Kamajian, 53, is also an osteopath rather than a medical doctor,
the first time a physician from that branch of medicine has held the
top spot. Osteopathic medicine originated 130 years ago and is based
on physical therapy and the inter-relationship of the body’s nerves,
muscles, bones and organs.

“I have a different interpretation of things that I think is
wonderful,” he said. “And adding that to my unique American background
and my unique ethnic background, I think that I have been truly
blessed by this opportunity.”

At least 70,000 of Glendale’s more than 200,000 residents are Armenian,
according to an estimate from the western region of the Armenian
National Committee of America.

Glendale City Councilman Bob Yousefian said having an Armenian-American
as chief of staff at Glendale Adventist is meaningful.

“It’s important for the younger generation to see that there are
no glass ceilings in this country and you are elevated to positions
based on your merits,” he said.

Kamajian is a native of Waco, Texas, who grew up in Philadelphia and
now lives in Glendale. He has worked at Glendale Adventist since 1981,
and was elected four years ago by the hospital’s 700 physicians to
serve as chief of staff.

After the election, he went through the standard rotation of
secretary-treasurer to vice chief of staff, and on Jan. 1, started
his first year as the head of the hospital’s physicians.

“He’s a very caring physician,” said Scott Reiner, the hospital’s
CEO. “He’s creative and he thinks of new ways to do things to take
care of his patients. He’s very into supporting the homeless and
patients who don’t have financial resources.”

CONFERENCE ON TURKISH-ARMENIAN RELATIONS OPENS TODAY AT ISTANBUL U.

Hurriyet, Turkey
March 15 2006

A conference on Armenians which has been in the works for a year
is opening today at Istanbul University. The “New Approaches to
Turkish-Armenian Relations” conference will include 70 academics from
Turkey and abroad, and is expected to witness sharp clashes between
people of varying viewpoints.

The opening of the conference will be marked by a 45 minute concert
given by the Kadikoy Surp Takavor Armenian Church Choir. Speaking about
the aim of the conference, Istanbul University Professor Safak Ural,
who also helped organize the conference, said “If we can’t explain
the problem in Turkish-Armenian relations to our own people, then we
won’t be able to explain it to anyone. And in order to explain it,
we have to discuss every angle of the matter. This is possible only
by gathering differing viewpoints on one platform, and approaching
the discussion within the framework of certian objective criteria.”

SOUTH CAUCASIAN CONFEDERATION: PRO AND CONTRA. VIEWS OF REGIONAL EXPERTS

Regnum, Russia
March 15 2006

After a series of provocations that could well break out into a
large-scale war, there is again a fragile peace in South Ossetia. Is
it for long? How can the South Caucasian nations solve their existing
conflicts when at stake are their state interests, territorial claims,
let alone the feelings of national dignity and revenge? Where can
Abkhazians, Ossetians and Georgians, Armenians and Azeris – nations
that have lived in one common house for centuries in the past – find
common grounds now in the present? More and more authors have recently
been appearing with the idea of a South Caucasian confederation or
federation as a way to resolve the local conflicts.

The article “Deja vu: The Third Attempt of South Caucasian Federation”
by REGNUM examines the two past failures to form such an organism
and hypothesizes about the third attempt. But the objective of the
article is not a theoretical research with a question mark in the end,
but a practical monitoring of views by political experts from Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Georgia, Nagorno Karabakh. Bellow are the results of the
monitoring giving a true picture of the process.

Political expert from Yerevan Armenak Hovhannisyan tends to think that
the optimal scenario is not a confederation of the South Caucasian
states but a regional organization of the South Caucasian nations. “Our
region is multi-religious and multi-national, and I suppose that the
regional South Caucasian organization will represent the interests of
those nations,” says Hovhannisyan. He notes that conflicts will be
easily resolved if resolved from inside. “Solutions to all existing
conflicts are inside, and the three South Caucasian states should act
as one,” says Hovhannisyan. He doubts that a South Caucasian state can
be formed now. “To form just an organization is already a hard job.”

“I believe that today there is no single prerequisite for a united
South Caucasian state and will not be in the next 20-30-40 years. One
obstacle is continuing wars. But we should get started anyway. For
the beginning we can form a regional organization – not obligatorily
in one day and not obligatorily with agreements and legal rules. At
first, it might pass just recommendations that will take legal force
if the peace process goes on, says Hovhannisyan. He notes that such
organizations are also influenced by time. “No structure is insured
against disintegration – and confederations are no exception. In
their case, they either grow into federations or fall into pieces,”
says Hovhannisyan.

Another Armenian political expert Hrachya Galstyan says that a united
federative institution in the South Caucasus is a far-off prospect.

“Today we better consider forming a corporate – super-state or
extra-state – institution. This can be done, even more, this has
already been done – one vivid example is PACE,” says Galstyan. He notes
that the Caucasus will inevitably unite – for it is common political
and economic space. Galstyan is sure that super-state institution may
also include unrecognized Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Nagorno Karabakh,
who will be represented by their local authorities and cultural
societies. “This process is already underway,” says Galstyan. He
believes that this is the very “aegis” for resolving the conflicts
in the South Caucasus. “The conflicts in Kosovo and Macedonia have
been resolved under the EU ‘aegis’. We should also form one. This is
the only prospect for resolving our conflicts,” says Galstyan.

“The formation of a united state in the South Caucasus can be a result
of the resolution of conflicts rather than a way to resolve them,”
says the president of the Peaceful Development of the Caucasus union
(Tbilisi), expert Nugzar Gogorishvili. At the same time, “Georgians,
Armenians and Azeris should understand and say what they want –
to form our state or to be fully controlled by the north and the
west. Unfortunately, we are so weak and so afraid of responsibility
that we are looking for someone to shift it onto. The idea is no
news – there was a South Caucasian Federation in the past, but it
fell apart because we were not ready for it, we didn’t understand
what we formed. We, the nations of the South Caucasus, were yet weak,
we were outsiders to such an institution and sought support outside,”
says Gogorishvili.

“There is no sense in copying the past, we should form something the
public will accept. But it is a fact that we must form something,
especially as the US still regards us as a region rather than
individual countries. The West has its own interest in us: we are a
transport-communication corridor for them. But not to minimize our
role and not to marginalize ourselves as a state, all of us, all the
nations of the South Caucasus, need to sit down together and discuss
our interests,” says Gogorishvili. “The last events have shown that
we are still dependent and obedient – because we mostly seek to
preserve our status. The last Aliyev-Kocharyan meeting is a vivid
example. The blow-ups of gas pipelines in the Northern Caucasus and
the following energy crisis have shown that the South Caucasus is a
united region, united space, and we need a united regional structure,”
says Gogorishvili.

For Ossetians and Abkhazians it is better to integrate with the South
rather than North Caucasus. “The key goal of the national-liberation
struggle of small nations – is to preserve their languages, to form
independent states. But if Ossetians and Abkhazians fear assimilation
in Georgia, imagine what percentage they will constitute if part of
Russia. I think they better integrate with the space they are already
naturally integrated with,” says Gogorishvili.

Georgian analyst, representative of International Crisis Group
Georgy Gogia calls the project a utopia. “Integration – yes, but it
is better for Georgia to integrate with Europe rather than with the
South Caucasus,” says Gogia. He does not agree with the view that the
West regards the Caucasus as a region. “This is not quite right. If
one country moves quicker, it is forced to look back and wait for the
rest. With its current democratic processes Georgia should integrate
into the European structures rather than the South Caucasus,” says
Gogia. “I think that Georgia will inevitably integrate with the South
Caucasus – but why confederation? It will give Georgia no privileges,
while the Euro-integration, with its big promises, certainly will,”
says Gogia.

Leader of the Multi-National Georgia movement, Director of the Armenian
community in Tbilisi Arnold Stepanyan shares the opinion that it
is impossible. “It is impossible but indispensable for early peace
process. Everything depends on what relations the member states will
have, how they will coordinate their foreign policies. If the author
is from a foreign country and seeks to achieve non-democratic goals,
nothing will happen. The idea should come from inside, such a structure
should have wide public support,” says Stepanyan. At the same time,
Stepanyan says that the South Caucasus may unite in economy. “This
will happen earlier than the conflicts will be resolved. ‘

‘Tell me who in Azerbaijan is seriously thinking about South
Caucasian federation?” says the political reviewer of Zerkalo daily
Rauf Mirkadyrov (Azerbaijan). “Especially as there already was a
federation in 1918-1920. Though seemingly attractive, it lived for
several months,” says Mirkadyrov. “If one goes back into the history
of united Europe, he will come across a very interesting detail: the
idea of united Europe first appeared in XIX, while the EU was formed
after the WWII – that is, one cannot put the cart before the horse,”
says Mirkadyrov.

He is sure that the first and foremost precondition is to resolve
the conflicts. “We first need to settle the conflicts. Until the
conflicts are over, the sides will show no interest in integration –
and no integration is possible without mutual interest. Regional union
is a better project, but all depends on where we are moving. If we are
moving towards Europe, this should be taken as a fact. If we seek to
join the EU, we should integrate altogether rather than one by one,”
says Mirkadyrov.

His colleague from Azerbaijan Imran Veliyev, Director of Legal Support
Center, also thinks that a united regional institution is possible only
after the resolution of the regional conflicts. “We have studied the
history of such units in XX. Then the three South Caucasian republics
got together for springing from a simple structure to a more complex
one – the common Soviet space. If viewed like that, confederation can
also be a stage for attaining a stronger result. I support the idea
but think that it is unreal for the moment. It is unreal to form a
united structure when conflicts are still alive. It is impossible to
unite two quarrelling neighbors. ”

Veliyev notes that confederation is not an instrument for resolving
conflicts. Confederation is better for solving energy and economic
problems. “So, one better speak about it in some 10-15 years,” says
Veliyev. At the same time he is sure that conflicts must be settled
by nations. “To give Karabakh to Armenia or to give it independence
in no way means an end to the conflict. This is a dead-end, and one
can expect some new territorial claims shortly… The nations should
sit down and decide how to live further,” says Veliyev.

The assistant to the NK president David Babayan says that South
Caucasian state structure can be formed only if all the three
unrecognized republics are recognized. “At first glance, one might
think that a confederation of Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and the
three unrecognized republics is a solution. But a deeper insight
suggests a very important factor – all the three unrecognized
republics must be recognized. They must be given an equal status with
the three South Caucasian states. Then why expect unification? – we
can first recognize and only then consider forming confederation or
even federation. This is more or less logical, while to try to form a
federation and only then to resolve the conflicts is not a prospect,”
says Babayan.

Babayan is convinced that it is for the South Caucasian nations to
decide if they need such an institution. “They can do this through
a referendum or in some other way. But one can’t drive everybody
into a structure they know nothing about or see no meaning in. For
example, if South Ossetia wants to join North Ossetia, why should
it join Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Karabakh? The same is for
Abkhazia, who has definite interests with the Abkhazo-Adyg nations
of the Northern Caucasus. The federation must not be formed by force.

Otherwise, it will give nothing good,” says Babayan.

Nagorno Karabakh representative Edgar Azrumanyan says that it is very
difficult to form such a unit today. “Our antagonism is too strong and
insurmountable yet to make such a unit a possibility,” says Azrumanyan.

First of all, it is necessary to decide how many members the South
Caucasian confederation will have, says independent South Ossetian
expert Gennady Kokoyev. “We’ll not accept a structure of only Georgia,
Armenia and Azerbaijan. I am sure they in Abkhazia and Nagorno Karabakh
think the same. Each of the three republics has its own orientation
it won’t renounce. Karabakh is oriented to Armenia, South Ossetia is
people wanting to reunify with their brothers in the North. Besides,
one should not forget that Abkhazians are relatives to Adygs living
in the Northern Caucasus.

This all makes confederation hardly possible,” says Kokoyev. At the
same time, he says that if formed, the South Caucasian structure will
be an analogue to the European Union. “In the EU each country has
equal functions. This will hardly be the case in the South Caucasian
confederation even if it is represented by three recognized and
three unrecognized states,” says Kokoyev. “Neither South Ossetia, nor
Abkhazia or Nagorno Karabakh are going to renounce their priorities,
while a united South Caucasian state will only ignore and freeze
their existing problems,” says Kokoyev.

Vice Speaker of the South Ossetian Parliament Yuri Dzitsoity says
that a 3-lateral South Caucasian state will not suit South Ossetia,
Abkhazia and Nagorno Karabakh, while the 3+3 format will not suit
Georgia and Azerbaijan. Dzitsoity says that if South Ossetia becomes
a member of such a state, it will have to give up its orientation.

“We seek to reunify with North Ossetia. And not only won’t the South
Caucasian confederation solve our problems, but it will make things
even worse: we’ll have to forget the reunification of the separated
Ossetian people,” says Dzitsoity.

As you may see, a united South Caucasian state is not a solution
to the regional conflicts, while a regional organization – a South
Caucasian parliamentary assembly or something else – might well be.

A CAR, TWO GUYS AND A BAG OF BULLETS
Joe Fiorito

Toronto Star, Canada
March 15 2006

There is a 1992 Lincoln Town Car on a hoist in a garage up on Sheppard
near Kennedy. There are two guys standing around, talking.

The car is British racing green. The tires have been kicked. The
mileage is low. The seats are white leather and the car is fully
loaded; power this and that.

The one guy has good hair, nice manners and some dummy bullets in
a baggy. He wants to buy the car. The bullets in the baggy are a
red herring.

The other guy has a Goodyear vest and a trim moustache. He wants to
sell the car. The bullets in the baggy make no difference to him.

The bullets are .22 calibre, with plastic-covered, cotton-wadded
tips. They do not figure in the story, except as an aside.

The car does not get sold, not today. But the guy with the good hair
wants to buy, and the Goodyear guy wants to sell, and it’s a pretty
good deal, all things considered.

What’s the holdup?

A bit about Roland: He is a man of a certain age. He was in the London
cast of Cats a long time ago. He doesn’t dance any more. He writes
music instead. It’s easier on the knees.

It’s also why he is short of cash. Nobody in the arts is money-rich.

If you are money-rich in the arts, you are in some other kind of
business.

Roland needed wheels six years or so ago. He was on a tight budget,
so he went to the city auction. The car he liked had been used hard
– it was an old cop car, a ’92 Lumina – but he figured it had been
well-maintained. For twelve-hundred bucks he got himself a deal
on wheels.

You buy a used car, you have to get it certified. Roland asked around
and somebody said he should go see Sarko Ghazarian, who was reckoned
to be an honest garage man and a good guy; also vice versa.

A bit about Sarko: He is an Armenian from Lebanon who studied political
science at university in Beirut. If you know anything about Armenia,
you know why he grew up in Beirut. If you know anything about Beirut,
you know why he came here.

It’s all political science.

The old cop car checked out fine, and this was the start of the
friendship. Roland took to dropping in on Sarko now and then, whenever
he was in the neighbourhood. He’d bring coffee. The bullets?

They are irrelevant. Roland is a shooter of the breeze, and nothing but
the breeze. And Sarko? I never met an Armenian who didn’t like talk.

Roland drove that old cop car for a year or so.

One summer day he took his father for a ride in the country. His
father was 92 at the time. Roland figured a drive in the country
would be nice, because you know what this town is like in the summer.

Somewhere around Milton in the middle of the day, the air conditioning
gave out. The old cop car got hot. Roland’s father felt a tightness
in his chest. He rolled down the window. He had trouble getting air.

Roland took him to a hospital.

After his father died, Roland got rid of the old cop car for scrap.

That’s when he found the bullets; training rounds, a couple of them
in the trunk. He put them in a baggy. He kept them as a souvenir.

He got around town for a time in his mother’s car. But his mother
is getting on in years and she no longer drives, and her car is nice
and new.

She told Roland to sell it recently.

He can’t afford to buy it from his mum, so now he needs another set
of wheels. There was a time when he walked horses at the track. You
can’t get a racehorse as a loaner and ride it around town while you
raise enough cash to do a deal.

Roland dropped in to see Sarko a while ago. He said if you ever hear
of a good used car for a price …

Sarko said it was funny you should say that. He’d had a call from a
woman in the neighbourhood. She wanted to get rid of her car, a 1992
Lincoln Town Car, in good shape.

Roland said great, that would be really great, but he had no money
at the moment.

Sarko said the money was not a problem. He said he’d buy the car from
the lady and Roland could buy it from him whenever he got the cash.

Sarko feels good when he does good things.

The Lincoln is still on the hoist. Roland hasn’t raised the money
yet. The bullets are still in the baggy. They are a conversation piece.

I never heard of such a thing in a garage.

IN SEVENTH HEAVEN
By Joyce Rudolph, The Leader

Burbank Leader, CA
March 15 2006

Seven dance companies come together at the Alex Theatre to celebrate
their art.

Jamie Nichols has jumped to the next level in dance performance.

The Glendale native was artistic director of her own contemporary dance
company, Fast Feet, for 23 years, but after retiring the company,
she switched to the role of executive producer and will bring seven
companies together for the “Celebrate Dance 2006” March 25 at the
Alex Theatre.

Nichols has raised the funds to produce the show and has chosen
award-winning companies for the performance, which will become an
annual event, she said.

“It has always been my dream to produce other people’s work,” she said.

It’s much more than just creating a show or making money, Nichols
said, it’s seeing other people’s work come to fruition. She wants to
give dance companies the chance to perform premieres of their work
in a world-class venue that will entertain a diverse audience at an
affordable price so that all ages can attend.

“They all have created Los Angeles premieres for this event and two
of the companies are from San Francisco. That means, I’m not only
supporting companies from the Los Angeles area, but companies from
outside Los Angeles,” said Nichols, who now lives in Pasadena.

The Alex performance will feature such genres as ballet, jazz,
modern and contemporary dance exhibited by companies with varied
ethnic backgrounds, she said.

Spicing up the event with a Latin flavor is Backhausdance, a company
that won three Lester Horton Dance Awards in 2004. The Horton Awards
are the premier awards recognizing excellence in professional concert
dance in Southern California, Nichols said.

JazzAntiqua Dance & Music Ensemble, directed by Pat Taylor, celebrates
the African-American roots of the jazz tradition with visceral jazz
dance and the Djanbazian Dance Company, led by artistic director Anna
Djanbazian of Glendale, brings an Armenian touch to the event, while
blending ballet and modern skills with traditional dance, she said.

The Djanbazian Dance Company is based out of the Djanbazian Dance
Academy in La Crescenta, which draws students from Glendale, Burbank
and the foothills, Djanbazian said.

It won four Horton Awards in 2004, Nichols said.

“I adore Anna’s work,” she said. “Her work has a beauty and lightness
that’s stunning.”

For the Alex performance, Djanbazian has choreographed the dance
“Ser,” which means love. It is based a work of contemporary Armenian
poet Grish Davadian, Djanbazian said.

“This dance is about the love of an innocent boy and girl,” she said.

“Without knowing each other, they are wishing to find love. They
go to a sacred place in the village, in the garden of a monastery,
and pray for love. They see each other and hold each other’s hand
and that sparks love in their hearts.”

Arsineh Ananian, 19, of Glendale who has been with the company for
14 years, will dance the female lead, she said.

“She’s a very strong dancer, very emotional and energetic,” Djanbazian
said.

Arsen Serobian of Hollywood is dancing the male lead. He is not
with the company but he and Djanbazian have worked together in other
performances twice before, she said.

“He is a wonderful guy and a very emotional dancer,” she said.

“The most important thing is, we understand each other very well. A
performer must have a direct connection with you. It’s easy to work
with him.”

Nichols is also enthusiastic about seeing Serobian perform.

Formerly with the Bolshoi Ballet in Russia, Serobian also studied
acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Hollywood,
Nichols said.

He does both professionally, and the acting helps his dancing ability,
she added.

Serobian received the Horton Award for Outstanding Achievement
Performance Male in 2004 with the Djanbazian Dance Company, she said.

“I think the beauty of Arsen’s performance is not just his technical
ability, but his tremendous ability to embody the characters that he
dances,” Nichols said.

story/40514p-60510c.html

POLICE ARREST MAN IN CEMETERY PLOT SCAM
By Fred Ortega, The Leader

Burbank Leader, CA
March 15 2006

Burbank man is accused of cheating 10 local residents out of $65,000
by selling them phony plots at Forest Lawn Glendale.

DOWNTOWN — A Burbank resident who fled to Armenia after allegedly
bilking 10 area victims out of $65,000 by selling them fake plots
at Forest Lawn Glendale is back in the Southland and in custody,
authorities said Sunday.

Robert Ovsepyan, 35, was taken into custody by Armenian law enforcement
authorities on March 8 , said Det. Tigran Topadzhikyan of the Glendale
Police Department. Two members of the FBI’s Fugitive Task Force,
which worked with Glendale detectives in tracking Ovsepyan down,
flew to Armenia’s capital of Yerevan over the weekend and brought
the suspect back to the Southland Saturday night, officials said.

Ovsepyan arrived Saturday night at LAX, and was interviewed Sunday by
Glendale Police detectives, Officer John Balian of the Glendale Police
Department said. The investigation into Ovsepyan, who began working
for Forest Lawn Glendale in 2004, began in October when Forest Lawn
officials contacted Glendale Police after receiving several calls
from residents inquiring about their plots, Topadzhikyan said.

“Starting in November 2004 he sold plots to 10 families,” Topadzhikyan
said. “He received payment in cash from the families and provided
them with contracts and receipts, but he never turned the money over
to Forest Lawn.

When the families did not receive paperwork back from Forest Lawn
they contacted Forest Lawn and were told that there was no record of
those purchases.

The fraudulent plot sales allegedly made by Ovsepyan, a naturalized
U.S. citizen born in Armenia, totaled $65,000, Topadzhikyan said.

By the time investigators tried to find Ovsepyan to question him
about the sales, he had already left the country, Topadzhikyan said.

The Glendale Police then began working with the FBI and State
Department to try to track him down. After forwarding their leads to
Armenian authorities, police in that country easily found the fugitive,
Topadzhikyan said.

“He had overstayed his visa, so he was there illegally,” he said,
adding that in addition to the Glendale charges, Ovsepyan was wanted
on a federal warrant for unlawful flight from prosecution.

Ovsepyan was booked at Glendale City Jail at 8 p.m. Saturday on nine
counts of grand theft, one count of theft from an elder and one count
of embezzlement, Topadzhikyan said. He is being held on $300,000 bail
and is scheduled to appear in Burbank Superior Court on Tuesday.

While there are some ways for people to protect themselves from
scammers, this situation was different because Ovsepyan worked for
a reputable mortuary firm, Balian said.

“He took advantage of the situation and in one case, the victim was
more than 70 years old and she gave him all of her savings,” he said.

“He was actually an employee and got these people to trust him.

Forest Lawn has been around for many years and when you go to buy a
plot from them, you don’t think you are going to get scammed.”

Most victims, all of them Armenian, also knew Ovsepyan through
family and friends back in Armenia, which added to the trust factor,
Topadzhikyan said.

Efforts to reach Forest Lawn representatives on Sunday were
unsuccessful. Ovsepyan’s arrest could not have happened without
the seamless cooperation of law enforcement agencies at the local,
federal and international level, Topadzhikyan said.

“This sends a message that if you commit a crime in one jurisdiction,
you can’t just flee somewhere else and hope to not get caught,”
he said. “You can run, but you can’t hide.”

NATURAL GENIUS?
By Frederica Saylor

Science & Theology News, MA
March 15 2006

Anthropologist Henry Harpending says intelligence may be genetically
predetermined by cultural background.

Sidestepping political correctness, Henry Harpending says intelligence
may be genetically predetermined by cultural background.

The Thomas Chair Distinguished Professor of Anthropology at the
University of Utah, he and two colleagues say they believe central
and northern European Ashkenazi Jews until the 17th century may have
been naturally selected for enhanced intellect. Their hypothesis
was published in the November 2005 issue of the Journal of Biosocial
Science.

Though admitting more research needs to be done to substantiate their
argument, Harpending explained the premise of their theory to Science &
Theology News’ Frederica Saylor.

Q: Will you give an overview of your theory on the influence of
Ashkenazic genes on intelligence?

A: With a couple of colleagues, we started chatting a few years ago
about the biology of Northern European Jews. They’re one of the more
interesting populations in the world from the viewpoint of human
biology for two reasons. First is their high intelligence, and the
second is the high prevalence of inherited disorders in the population.

I think Greg Cochran, the lead author of the paper, threw out the
idea one day that the two might be related, and we started looking
into that hypothesis. The more we looked, the better the idea seemed.

We found that several of the disorders were intelligence boosters,
so when we’d done about as much as we could just doing mathematics
and going to the library, we published this paper saying, “Here’s a
good-looking hypothesis, somebody ought to test it.” There’s a lot
of substance in the paper, and everything we found supported that
hypothesis, but it’s still a hypothesis.

Q: Can you outline this hypothesis a little more specifically?

A: If you look at the history of Northern European Jews, they first
show up around the year 800. They are traders and financiers – almost
all of them are in these professions of trade and finance. They were,
for whatever reason, pushed into these occupations that require a high
IQ, and they were confined to these occupations for about 800 to 900
years. It’s well known from the history that those who did better –
the wealthier ones – had a lot more children. So it looks like a
situation where there’s strong selection for IQ.

Q: What does this mean in terms of natural selection?

A: We know from studies of domestic animals and studies in the
laboratory that when you have a strong natural selection of the
population, strong selection for something new, what selection often
picks up first is advantageous heterozygotes.

We thought an interesting hypothesis was that these Ashkenazi Jewish
diseases were advantageous in heterozygotes and in particular that
they boosted intelligence. We know that seems to have been the strong
selective force under history. We know that whatever favors these
Ashkenazi mutations must have been social. It wasn’t a disease because
it never happened to the people who lived literally across the street
from them: the Lithuanians, Poles. It only happened to the Ashkenazi.

Q: Why do you suggest this link may be found only in the Ashkenazi
Jews and not in the Sephardic Jews?

A: Northern European Jews were surrounded by zealous Christian
politics, where there were two things that a male could do that
were approved: He could be a warrior and kill people, or he could be
celibate. Nobody wanted these jobs, and management, finance, trade were
kind of sneered at among the Christian aristocracy. The Sephardic, they
were in Islamic regions where they had a lot of competition: Armenians,
Greeks, Arabs who were quite happy to take high-intelligence jobs. The
Sephardic had competition and the Ashkenazi really didn’t. There wasn’t
anyone else trying to get into finance, at least in Eastern Europe.

Q: What do you think is true today in Ashkenazi genes?

A: Today, two things are going on, at least in North America. One is
Ashkenazi Jews aren’t having very many children, and two, there’s a
lot of marriage with non-Jews. So, I doubt that this process is going
on today.

Q: Are there any ramifications today based on your hypothesis?

A: I think there are none, except they continue to have this high
intelligence.

Q: What kind of data do you think needs to be selected for further
research?

A: If we’re right, then in a family where some siblings are carriers,
say of Tay-Sachs, and some aren’t, the prediction is that the
Tay-Sachs carriers would have higher SAT scores than their brothers
and sisters. If carriers do seem to have an increased IQ, it’s worth
looking further into our theory. If they don’t, then we’re wrong,
and we try something else.

Q: Have you encountered roadblocks in terms of people arguing on the
other side of your hypothesis?

A: I’ve had lots of nice, interesting commentary and comments from
people. We’ve had delightful, helpful correspondence with lots of
different people.

Northern European Jews have kind of an origin myth that the reason
they’re smart is that the prettiest girls always wanted to marry the
best scholars, so that smart boys got the prettiest girls. There’s been
a lot of cordial, usable discussion about that with people. It’s not
politically correct these days to talk about one group being smarter
than another. We thought we’d get a lot of hostile reaction, and we
haven’t had a trace of it.

Q: Do you think religion is something to consider when looking at
evolutionary patterns?

A: Religion certainly affects behavior, affects human society,
and human society is the context for human evolution. The one thing
we point out in this paper is that people make history, but history
makes people, and religion is part of history. I don’t think you can
study human biology without considering religion, but I don’t think
we have any very good evolutionary theory of religion.

Q: What are your specific research interests?

A: My interest has always been human evolution, specifically human
social evolution and human population genetics. I’ve done a lot of
fieldwork in southern Africa with several different tribes there. And
I’ve written a lot about human genetics, modern human origins and
human social evolution.

Frederica Saylor is health editor at Science & Theology News.