STATE DEPARTMENT AGAIN REFUSES TO DIRECTLY COMMENT ON REPORTS OF AMB. EVANS’ RECALL
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 15, 2006
YEREVAN, March 15. /ARKA/. 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’ recall 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.

RISE IN GAS PRICES TO BE COMPENSATED FOR IN ARMENIA
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 15, 2006
YEREVAN, March 15. /ARKA/. The rise in the price for Russian gas
supplied to Armenia will be compensated for, Chairman of the National
Civil Council for International Affairs, Director of the Institute of
political Research Sergey Markov told reporters in Moscow. According
to him, compensations will be paid in any cases independently of the
rise in gas prices.
“We have a lost of means of compensation. For example, Armenian
students can receive free educations in Russian higher schools, and
Armenian businessmen will have certain tax privileges in Russia,”
Markov said.
He also reported that in discussing the gas prices the sides should
consider the fact that the rise will tell on all the consumers,
including Russian ones. “The task of raising the gas prices is bringing
gas prices to the international level, and no discrimination should
be seen in this,” Markov said.
>>From April 1, 2006, the Russian “Gasprom” company plans to raise the
price for gas supplied to Armenia up to $110 for 1,000 cubic meters.
The negotiations over the “gas issue” with the participation of
Director General of the Armenian-Russian “ArmRosgasprom” CJSC JV
Karen Karapetyan are still under way in Moscow.

ARMENIAN JEWISH COMMUNITY BRINGS PURIM TO YOUNG, OLD AND HOMEBOUND
Federation of Jewish Communitites of CIS, Russia
March 16, 2006
YEREVAN, Armenia -In the Armenian capital of Yerevan, local Jews
felt the joy of this holiday, leaving behind their personal problems
and gathering at the ‘Mordechai Navi’ Jewish Community Center for a
good party.
Plenty of rattles for use during the reading of the ‘Megilat Esther’
were waiting for participants in this Purim festivity. On the eve of
the holiday, Chief Rabbi of Armenia Gersh Meir Burshtein read out
this exciting story, which happened many years ago in the Persian
Empire. The kids did their best to make as much noise as possible,
which was heard even outside the JCC.
After reading the ‘Megilat Esther’, the organizers had prepared a
wonderful kosher feast for everybody, featuring the traditional food
of Purim, with homentaschen and wine.
For homebound Jews, who are either sick or else frail and elderly,
community workers brought the merriment of Purim right to their
homes, by paying home visits and bringing them ‘mishloach manot’ –
traditional Purim treats.
A separate Purim festivity for children also occurred. Held in a
local cafe, the youngsters enjoyed a delicious kosher meal and a
lively Purimspiel. These youngest community members wore carnival
masks and costumes, playing the characters of the Purim story.
Following this, Rabbi Burshtein announced a contest for the best Jewish
dance, which involved both children and their parents, the winners
taking home various prizes. As the party wrapped up and community
members headed home, they took with them the joy of being part of
the amazing history of the Jewish people.
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PUBLIC HEARINGS ON “WHAT ARMENIAN CITIZENS GAINED AND LOST IN 2005” TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN ON MARCH 16TH
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 15, 2006
YEREVAN, March 15. /ARKA/. Public hearings on “What Armenian citizens
gained and lost in 2005” will be held in Yerevan on March 16th. The
National Civil Initiative reported that a special report of the
Armenian Ombudsman Larisa Alaverdyan on “The Situation with Human
Rights in Armenia in 2005” will be presented during the discussions.
The political secretary of “Legacy” party Vardan Khachatryan also
plans to have a talk concerning the evaluations “for” and “against”
the referendum on constitutional amendments held on November 27th,
2005.

“SUPREME COUNCIL” DEPUTY CLUB MARKS 10TH ANNIVERSARY
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 15, 2006
YEREVAN, March 15. /ARKA/. The “Supreme Council” deputy club has
marked its 10th anniversary, says a statement of Chairman of the club
Ruben Torosyan.
The “Supreme Council” deputy club was founded by 22 deputies of
the Supreme Council of Armenia on March 15, 1996. The Presidium was
comprised of Kim Balayan, Vardan Zurnachyan, Ruben Torosyan, Tigran
Kyuregyan, Ferdinand Ghazaryan, Aram Mailyan, Arshak Sadoyan. Ruben
Torosyan was elected Chairman.
In 1997, the club, in association with 11 public organizations,
founded the first human rights organization in Armenia, “Human
Rights 96”. In 2000-2002, the organization held a number of seminars
“Armenia in the 21st century”. A scientific paper entitled “Outlines
of Armenia’s development” was published as a result of the seminars.
During the 2003 parliamentary and presidential elections, the club
formed the Public Commission to supervise the election process. To
supervise the constitutional referendum, the “Supreme Council” club,
in association with 18 political parties and a number of public
organizations, established the Public Commission to supervise the
legality of referendum. The Commission is still working.
In 2005, the “Supreme Council” club, in association with members
of parliaments of different convocations founded the “Center of
Parliamentarianism of Armenia” NGO.

TIME TO CONFRONT REALITY OF LTTE ACTIONS IN CANADA
The Star Phoenix (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan)
March 16, 2006 Thursday
Final Edition
Among the most disturbing aspects of the bungled Air India case was
that Canadian taxpayers and innocent citizens helped fund the worst
terrorist attack in this country’s history.
It is equally disturbing to learn that 21 years after that attack,
inept politicians, security and law-enforcement officials continue
to be complicit in the funding of a known terrorist group that has
a record at least as bloody as that of the International Sikh Youth
Federation and the Babbar Khalsa — the groups linked to the airplane
bombings that claimed 331 lives.
According to a report released Wednesday by the New Yorkbased Human
Rights Watch, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam — among the
bloodiest of terrorist organizations despite Canada’s apparent and
nearly unique inability to identify it as such — has been threatening
and abusing lawful Canadians to extort money for what it calls a
“final war” to gain independence from Sri Lanka.
Canada’s reluctance to recognize the LTTE as a terrorist group has its
roots in the former Liberal government’s willingness to sign a pact
with anyone, as long as it brought it votes. In a similar vein, federal
and provincial Liberal leaders, and even those from other parties,
attended rallies and fundraisers, and met on political stages with
those who were openly suspected of masterminding the Air India attacks.
Although Public Security Minister Stockwell Day was most vocal in
condemning the LTTE while campaigning in the last couple of elections,
he has yet to list the Tigers as a terrorist group.
Canada’s major allies, including the United States and Great Britain,
have proscribed the LTTE, and thus have more weapons in trying to
stem the flow of money that funds its bloody campaign.
And there can be little doubt the LTTE meets all the criteria of
a terrorist group. It virtually invented the conscription of child
soldiers and use of suicide bombers. In 1991 Thenmuli Rajaratnam,
a 17-year-old Tamil with connections to and support from the LTTE,
strapped a bomb on her back and used it to kill herself along with
17 others including Rajiv Gandhi, a leading candidate in India’s
federal election.
Canadians should find it chilling that 15 years after this attack, and
almost 21 years after the Air India bombings, this country continues
to dither when it comes to acting against this terrorist organization.
This is especially worrisome since Canada was a leading member of
the OECD task force that looked into ways to combat the financing of
terrorists. In 2002 — just months after terror attacks brought down
the World Trade Centre in New York — this group released a report
that detailed how terrorists are funded (typically through legal
entities such as charities), how they transfer money and what the
world had to do to shut them down.
Chief among its recommendations was the need for international
co-operation and solid police work.
Canada, rather than being the leader it should have on this front
given its experience with violent attacks from Armenian and Sikh
terrorist groups, continues to be considered the weakest link in the
G7, and has among the poorest records in the developed world.
According to Human Rights Watch, that record is so bad in large part
because Ottawa and Canadians continue to see these domestic acts of
terror as foreign problems. It was the same mindset that caused former
prime minister Brian Mulroney to send a letter of condolence to India
when Canadians were blown up in the Air India jet off Ireland’s coast.
In his book, Cold Terror, Stewart Bell details how Canada nurtures and
exports terrorism around the world. He notes it continues even after
the World Trade Centre attacks, and Canada’s loud proclamations of
participating in the “war on terror.” Bell suggests Canada has the
law-enforcement and security forces to help shut down these links,
but lacks the political will.
In the wake of his highly successful trip to visit front-line troops
battling the spread of terrorism in Afghanistan, Prime Minister Stephen
Harper should use the Human Rights Watch report as incentive finally
to shut down at least this wing of the war on our own turf.
As Air India should have taught us, the status quo is not an option.

AZERI DELEGATION VISITED STYRIA
Austria Today
March 15, 2006 Wednesday 8:05 PM (Central European Time)
A delegation led by Azerbaijan’s ambassador to Austria Fuad Ismayilov
has been visiting the federal province of Styria, Austria, the press
service of Foreign Ministry said. In the meeting with President of the
Styrian Chamber of Economy, Peter Muhlbacher, discussed were questions
of the development of economic ties between Azerbaijan and Styria,
and focused on cooperation in the field of tourism and construction.
The sides stressed necessity of expansion of links between businessmen
of two countries, in this connection, touched was the questions of
their participation in fairs and exhibitions conducted in Azerbaijan
and Styria. Training of young Azerbaijani specialists in Styria was
also in spotlight. In the meeting with Governor of the Province Franz
Voves, the Azeri Ambassador updated on the current situation in the
country, informed in detail on the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh
conflict, as well as on the Austria-Azerbaijan relations. The parties
expressed readiness for cooperation in the political, economic and
cultural fields. Also was underlined the necessity of the strengthening
of cultural and education relations between Azerbaijan and Styria,
and mutual cultural actions. In the meeting with vice-president of
the Austria-Azerbaijan Association Farhad Abdin in Graz, capital of
the Province, discussed was the Diaspora’s activity in this country,
creation of coordination council, as well as protection of investment
of the Styrian businessmen in Azerbaijan.

CONTEST FOR BEST MEDIA COVERAGE OF DISABLEMENT PROBLEM ANNOUNCED IN ARMENIA
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 15, 2006
YEREVAN, March 15. /ARKA/. The Armenian NGO “Bridge of Hope” has
announced a contest for the best mass media coverage of the problem
of disablement in Armenia, Chairwoman of the organization Susanna
Tadevosyan told reporters. She pointed out that the contest among
journalists will be started on April 2, 2006. Tadevosyan stressed
that journalists will help reveal and raise problems of disabled
people among the state’s priority problems.

WEIGHT: AUSSIE LIFTER NEVER TOO OLD FOR ANOTHER GOLD
by Sam Lienert
Australian Associated Press Pty. Ltd.
March 16, 2006 Thursday 12:01 PM AEST
The old man of Australia’s weightlifting team – Yourik Sarkisian –
is ready to prove the doubters wrong yet again.
Sarkisian, 44, has been competing at the top level since he won an
Olympic silver medal for the Soviet Union as an 18-year-old in 1980.
It is a career he believes is far from over, with ambitions to compete
at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
And he is confident of tomorrow adding another Commonwealth Games
gold to his enormous collection of championship medals, which already
includes three Commonwealth Games gold medals – from Manchester in
2002 – and three silver – from Kuala Lumpur in 1998.
“I am steeling myself only for the gold,” he said.
Sarkisian, who immigrated to Australia from Armenia in 1994, said
much of his motivation to win the 62kg division tomorrow stemmed from
gratitude to his adopted country and hometown Melbourne.
“Melbourne, I love it, Australia,” he said.
“It’s a big difference to when I was in the Olympic Games in 1980
(representing the Soviet Union) in Moscow.
“There is a different pressure, your coach says you must take gold
or silver, if you take bronze, you’re finished, they put the gun to
your head and shoot you.
“Here it’s a different atmosphere, the people are very nice.”
Indian Arun Murugesan has the best recent form of the contestants.
But there are up to five realistic gold medal contenders in what
Australian coach Luke Borreggine said will be the best battle of the
Games weightlifting program.
He expects Sarkisian’s peerless experience to win out.
“I think we will shock a few people,” he said.
“That gold medal’s going to be very tough, but in saying that he’s
got one thing over all these guys – experience, and experience is
worth 20 per cent.
“He is tough, he’ll break an arm if he has to.”

AZERBAIJAN: SLIM CHANCE FOR PEACE?
Fariz Ismailzade
A EurasiaNet Commentary
EurasiaNet, NY
March 16 2006
Both Azerbaijan and Armenia could not hide their disappointment
following the failure of a presidential summit in France in February
to achieve a breakthrough in Nagorno-Karabakh peace talks. With
discussions stalled and cease-fire violations by both sides
increasingly frequent, Azerbaijan has stepped up threats to use
military force to regain the territory.
Following his February 10-11 summit with Armenian President Robert
Kocharian, Azerbaijani chief executive Ilham Aliyev resorted to
bellicose rhetoric, telling local journalists that “[i]t is time
that Azerbaijan re-considers the negotiation course and views other
options.” He also paid a visit to the cease-fire line in the Ter-Ter
region, wearing a military uniform while touring the trenches. The
uniform was taken as a sign of support for Azerbaijanis’ increasingly
widespread pro-military sentiments.
President Kocharian responded in kind, declaring that “if the peace
process does not produce any results, Armenia will recognize the
independence of Nagorno-Karabakh,” various media outlets reported.
Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian, meanwhile, stated that
Azerbaijan’s threats will not change Armenia’s position on Karabakh.
“Azerbaijan will not dare to start a war,” Oskanian told Armenia’s
Shant TV recently. “Azerbaijan is not ready for a war.”
Even so, it appears that Azerbaijan is embarking on a military
build-up. On March 16, Aliyev called for Azerbaijan’s military budget
within the next few years to equal “the total budget of Armenia,”
the Russian news agency ITAR-TASS reported.
Some Azerbaijani media outlets, however, argue that both sides are
posturing to gain an advantage at the negotiation table. “Armenia and
Azerbaijan’s military officials continue to shoot militaristic threats
into the air,” commented Baku’s pro-opposition Russian-language
daily Zerkalo on March 11. For all the militant rhetoric, Baku’s
desire to negotiate does not appear at an end. At a conference of
the Azerbaijani Diaspora in Baku on March 16, Aliyev affirmed that
Azerbaijan would continue with Karabakh peace talks “as long as we
feel that there is a chance for a political settlement . .
. But if we see that the process turns into a simulation, we shall
quit [them],” ITAR-TASS reported. Aliyev went on to add that granting
Nagorno-Karabakh autonomous status within the confines of Azerbaijan
is “possible,” but stressed that “we shall never agree to the loss
of our territories.”
International mediators appear to be increasingly concerned that time
is running out for a peaceful settlement of the 18-year-conflict. On
March 7, the Russian, French and American co-chairs of the Organization
for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Minsk Group, which facilitates
Karabakh negotiations, reassembled in Washington to assess the peace
process. The group has urged the Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders to
not give up on negotiations. The Minsk Group meeting coincided with
a summit between US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Russian
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Washington that also reportedly
included discussion of a resolution for the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Local observers believe Washington is employing a carrots-and-stick
strategy to keep Azerbaijan at the negotiating table. The stick, they
say, comes in the form of the US State Department’s annual report
on human rights, a document that harshly criticized Azerbaijan’s
observance of voting rights in the 2005 parliamentary elections, as
well as law enforcement officers’ use of torture and arbitrary arrest.
Rumors are also swirling in Baku that President Aliyev could be invited
to Washington to meet with US President George W. Bush in late spring,
provided a breakthrough in Karabakh talks occurs by then. “It is not
excluded that the United States may use an invitation to Washington
as an incentive to get certain concessions from Ilham Aliyev,”
commented Tabib Huseynov, an independent expert on Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. The US government has not given any indication that such
a visit is under consideration, however.
The present aim of US diplomacy seems to be keeping the channels of
communication open. Speaking at a March 14 press conference in Baku,
US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs
Daniel Fried acknowledged that Washington was “disappointed with
the results of the Rambouillet [France] talks,” but added that “the
negotiation process is going on and we hope that the conflict will
be solved in 2006.” Steven Mann, the US co-chair of the Minsk Group,
who arrived in Baku a day earlier, stated that “the spring of 2006
is an important period for the Nagorno-Karabakh talks.”
US officials have clearly intimated that Azerbaijan’s economic
interests would be best served by a negotiated Karabakh settlement.
“The sides who want war should first ask what would Azerbaijan’s
strategic borders be if war starts?” ANS TV reported Mann as saying.
“What will be the situation in the energy sphere and the investment
flow? I know the Azerbaijani people very well and don’t believe that
the Azerbaijani people would want war again.”
Fried held talks in Yerevan on March 15-16 and was scheduled to travel
to Ankara, Turkey, on March 16 for further discussions on the Karabakh
peace process.
Editor’s Note: Fariz Ismailzade is a freelance analyst on Caucasus
politics and economics. He has received his master’s degree from
Washington University in St. Louis and is a regular correspondent
for various international media outlets.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress