PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:
PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon
Armenian version:
HIS HOLINESS ARAM I RECEIVES THE CENTRAL ASSEMBLY
OF THE SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC HENCHAGIAN PARTY
His Holiness received a delegation from the central assembly of the Social
Democratic Henchakian Party in his office in Antelias on May 23. The
delegation was headed by the chairman of the assembly, Setrag Adjemian.
The delegation briefed His Holiness on the party’s approach towards issues
related to Armenia, Armenia-Diaspora relations and the Armenian Cause,
particularly in light of the party’s recently convened general assembly.
The Pontiff praised the efforts of the party to strengthen Armenia, pursue
the Armenian Cause and stimulate the Diaspora communities.
“The three Armenian parties in the Diaspora played a crucial role after the
Genocide in forming the Diaspora, preserving the Armenian identity and
pursuing the rights of the Armenian nation. The strengthening of Armenia has
now become an addition to these works. It is essential that the parties
cooperate to the maximum in the Diaspora as it is vital for the
Armenia-Diaspora cooperation to be further consolidated,” said the
Catholicos.
##
View photo here: tm#3
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of the
Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.

Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet:
PRESS RELEASE
May 24, 2006
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
REP. MARKEY LEADS CONGRESSIONAL OPPOSITION TO
WHITE HOUSE RECALL OF U.S. AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA
— Letter Signed by 60 U.S. Representatives
Sent on Eve of White House Announcement
of Ambassador’s Replacement
— ANCA Calls for Senate Foreign Relations
Committee to Hold Hearing on Firing
WASHINGTON, DC — Over 60 Members of Congress, led by Rep. Ed Markey
(D-MA), sent a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice asking
for clarification on reports of U.S. Ambassador to Armenian John
Evans’ recall over his forthright remarks about the Armenian
Genocide, reported the Armenian National Committee of America
(ANCA).
The letter was sent on the eve of a May 23rd White House
announcement nominating Richard Hoagland to serve as the new
Ambassador to Armenia. Amb. Evans will be relieved of his duties
as soon as Hoagland’s Senate confirmation process is completed.
The Administration has recalled Amb. Evans over his February 2005
statements at Armenian American community functions, during which
he properly characterized the Armenian Genocide as ‘genocide.’
Following his statements, Amb. 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 US
policy. He subsequently issued a correction to this statement,
replacing a reference to the genocide with the word “tragedy.” The
American Foreign Service Association, which had planned to honor
Amb. Evans with the “Christian A. Herter Award,” recognizing
creative thinking and intellectual courage within the Foreign
Service, reportedly rescinded the award following pressure from the
State Department a few days before Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan traveled to Washington, DC to meet with President
Bush.
“Ambassador Evans has been recalled for doing nothing more than
honoring the forsaken pledge of his president,” said ANCA Executive
Director Aram Hamparian. “We want to thank Congressman Markey and
his 59 colleagues for calling for a clarification and rejecting the
Armenian Genocide ‘gag-rule’ imposed by the Turkish government and,
sadly, enforced by our own State Department.”
“Armenian Americans truly regret that the Administration lacks the
courage to speak honestly about its reasons for firing Ambassador
Evans,” added Hamparian. “We call upon the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee – the Congressional panel constitutionally
charged with oversight of diplomatic appointments – to hold a
hearing thoroughly examining the reasons behind this firing, the
role of the Turkish government, and the broader implications for
the future of the Foreign Service that a senior American diplomat’s
career has been ended simply for speaking the truth.”
The 60 Members of Congress expressed special concern about the
destructive precedent of recalling a U.S. diplomat for speaking
truthfully on matters of historical record. They wrote that, “we
must not allow the perception to linger that he [Amb. Evans] is
being required to vacate his position early for accurately labeling
the cataclysmic events of 1915 as genocide.” The Representatives,
noting President Ronald Reagan’s references to the Armenian
Genocide, reminded Secretary Rice that Amb. Evans “did nothing more
than succinctly repeat the conclusions enunciated by those before
him.”
The Congressional signatories also expressed concern about the role
of the Government of Turkey in the impending removal of Amb. Evans
from his posting. “Were the United States to allow the views or
beliefs of a third country to interfere with our diplomatic
postings to the Republic of Armenia,” wrote the House members, “it
would establish a dangerous precedent and be injurious to the long-
standing relationship built on trust and friendship between the two
countries.”
“I am seriously concerned at the early departure of Ambassador
Evans,” stated Rep. Markey. “I hope that this sudden action by the
State Department is not related to comments made by Ambassador
Evans about the Armenian genocide. 60 members of Congress have
signed on to a letter to Secretary Rice asking questions about
whether or not Ambassador Evans was forced out of his post. I look
forward to a response from the State Department.”
On March 8th, ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian expressed grave
disappointment at reports that Amb. Evans would be penalized for
speaking the truth about the Armenian Genocide. In a letter to
Secretary Rice, Hachikian wrote that, “the prospect that a U.S.
envoy’s posting – and possibly his career – has been cut short due
to his honest and accurate description of a genocide is profoundly
offensive to American values and U.S. standing abroad –
particularly in light of President Bush’s call for moral clarity in
the conduct of our international affairs.”
Subsequently, several Members of Congress, including Congressional
Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Rep. Adam Schiff (D-
CA) and Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-CA) have each called on Secretary
Rice for a clarification of the State Department’s position on this
issue. The Los Angeles Times, in a strongly worded March 22nd
editorial, made direct reference to Amb. Evans’ impending
dismissal, calling on the Turkish Government and U.S. State
Department to end their policies of genocide denial.
Members of Congress joining Rep. Markey in cosigning the letter to
Secretary Rice were: Robert Andrews (D-NJ), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI),
Charles Bass (R-NH), Xavier Becerra (D-CA), Shelley Berkley (D-NV),
Howard Berman (D-CA), Jeb Bradley (R-NH), Sherrod Brown (D-OH),
Lois Capps (D-CA), Michael Capuano (D-MA), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO),
John Conyers (D-MI), Jim Costa (D-CA), Barney Frank (D-MA), Scott
Garrett (R-NJ), Jim Gerlach (R-PA), Charlie Gonzalez (D-TX), Raul
Grijalva (D-AZ), Stephanie Herseth (D-SD), Rush Holt (D-NJ),
Michael Honda (D-CA), Nancy Johnson (R-CT), Sue Kelly (R-NY), Joe
Knollenberg (R-MI), James Langevin (D-RI), Sander Levin (D-MI), Zoe
Lofgren (D-CA), Nita Lowey (D-NY), Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Carolyn
Maloney (D-NY), Betty McCollum (D-MN), James McGovern (D-MA),
Michael McNulty (D-NY), Martin Meehan (D-MA), Candice Miller (R-
MI), Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Richard Neal (D-MA), Devin Nunes (R-
CA), John Olver (D-MA), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Donald Payne (D-NJ),
Collin Peterson (D-MN), George Radanovich (R-CA), Mike Rogers (R-
MI), Steven Rothman (D-NJ), Bobby Rush (D-IL), Linda Sanchez (D-
CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Allyson Schwartz (D-PA), Joe Schwarz (R-
MI), Mark Souder (R-IN), Ted Strickland (D-OH), John Tierney (D-
MA), Mark Udall (D-CO), Christopher Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter
Visclosky (D-IN), Diane Watson (D-CA), Henry Waxman (D-CA), and
Anthony Weiner (D-NY).
The full text of the Congressional letter follows.
#####
Congress of the United States
Washington, DC 20515
May 22, 2006
The Honorable Condoleezza Rice
Secretary
United States Department of State
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20520
Dear Secretary Rice:
We are writing to express our concerns regarding recent information
indicating that U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Evans would be
departing early this summer from his assignment as a result of
declaring in February 2005 that “the Armenian Genocide was the
first genocide of the twentieth century,” during public exchanges
with Armenian-American communities. It is our hope that these
announcements are inaccurate given Evans’ service to his country –
in the Foreign Service and as a well-respected ambassador – in a
region of strategic importance to the United States.
Ambassador Evans issued a “clarification” and then a “correction”
of his remarks. Last June, the American Foreign Service
Association originally intended to honor the Ambassador for his
“constructive dissent” and intellectual courage and initiative with
the Christian A. Herter Award as a result of his recognition of the
Armenian Genocide, but later withdrew the distinction.
It now appears that Evans is being forced out of his post. We must
not allow the perception to linger that he is being required to
vacate his position early for accurately labeling the cataclysmic
events of 1915 as genocide.
By employing the proper term last year, the Ambassador was only
building on previous statements by our leaders in government, as
well as the repeated declarations of numerous world-renowned
scholars. In 1981, President Reagan issued a presidential
proclamation that said in part: “like the genocide of the Armenians
before it, and the genocide of the Cambodians which followed it —
and like too many other persecutions of too many other people —
the lessons of the Holocaust must never be forgotten . . .” In
effect, Ambassador Evans did nothing more than succinctly repeat
the conclusions enunciated by those before him.
We have also heard that concerns raised by the Government of Turkey
regarding Ambassador Evans’ remarks may have played a role in this
affair. We certainly hope that this was not the case. Were the
United States to allow the views or beliefs of a third country to
interfere with our diplomatic postings to the Republic of Armenia,
it would establish a dangerous precedent and be injurious to the
long-standing relationship built on trust and friendship between
the two countries. In addition, Assistant Secretary of State
Daniel Fried recently stated his friendship and support for Evans.
At this critical time in U.S. history and the South Caucasus
region, we respectfully request your clarification regarding the
current status of Ambassador John Evans. It is our hope that that
he will not be forced to prematurely end his exemplary service to
the United States and the Republic of Armenia because of his
reaffirmation of the U.S. record on the Armenian Genocide.
Sincerely,
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian Assembly of America
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:
PRESS RELEASE
May 24, 2006
CONTACT: Christine Kojoian
E-mail: [email protected]
PRESIDENT BUSH NOMINATES RICHARD HOAGLAND AS U.S. AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA
Washington, DC – President George W. Bush has nominated Richard
E. Hoagland to be the next U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Armenia.
If confirmed, Hoagland would replace Ambassador John Evans who was
rebuked by State Department officials last year after publicly
affirming the Armenian Genocide during his meetings with major
Armenian-American communities.
In those exchanges, Ambassador Evans declared that “the Armenian
Genocide was the first genocide of the twentieth century.” Following
his statements, Ambassador Evans issued a clarification of his
remarks.
Members of the House and Senate, as well as the Assembly, publicly
supported Evans’ declarations and called on President Bush to also
properly characterize the events as genocide. More recently, nearly
60 lawmakers supported a letter from Armenian Caucus Member
Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA) to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice,
expressing concern over reports that Evans is being forced out of his
post.
The congressional letter stated in part: “It is our hope that these
announcements are inaccurate given Evans’ service to his country…we
must not allow the perception to linger that he is being required to
vacate his position early for accurately labeling the cataclysmic
events of 1915 as genocide.”
Assembly Board of Trustees Chairman Hirair Hovnanian said that “If in
fact Ambassador Evans is being required to vacate his position for
employing the proper term for the Armenian Genocide, then he is being
unjustly penalized for speaking the truth. Ambassador Evans is a
well-respected career foreign service officer who has done much to
strengthen U.S.-Armenia bilateral relations.”

Hovnanian added that there is sufficient context and validation for
Evans’ use of the term, which are in keeping with contemporaneous
declarations of Presidents Ronald Reagan in 1981 and that of President
George Bush, who has employed the textbook definition of genocide in
his annual April 24 statements.
Evans’ characterization conforms to the publicly stated conclusions of
over 120 renowned Holocaust and Genocide scholars on the
“incontestable fact of the Armenian Genocide,” and that of the
International Center for Transitional Justice on the use of the term
Armenian Genocide, which stated that: “The Events, viewed
collectively, can thus be said to include all of the elements of the
crime of genocide as defined in the Convention, and legal scholars as
well as historians, politicians, journalists and other people would be
justified in continuing to so describe them.” Evans pointed to the
ICTJ findings when he made his public statements about the Armenian
Genocide.
Furthermore, the U.S. played a leading role in attempting to prevent
the genocide and helping those that survived. U.S. Ambassador to the
Ottoman Empire Henry Morgenthau helped to alert the world to these
atrocities and the U.S. national archives contain thousands of pages
documenting the killings of the Armenian people. Evans’ use of the
term is thus a continuation of this historical fact.
Last June, in an unprecedented move, the American Foreign Service
Association (AFSA) rescinded its award to Ambassador Evans for
properly characterizing the Armenian Genocide. The prestigious
Christian A. Herter Award was withdrawn just days before Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayipp Erdogan arrived in Washington for a meeting with
President Bush.
“America should not cultivate relations with Turkey by refraining from
telling the truth about this crime against humanity,” Hovnanian
continued. “Rather, the U.S. should reaffirm what we all know to be
fact and firmly and irrevocably reaffirm the Armenian Genocide.”
Ambassador Hoagland, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service,
currently serves as United States Ambassador to the Republic of
Tajikistan. Prior to this, he served as Director of the Office of
Caucasus and Central Asian Affairs at the Department of State.
Earlier in his career, he served as Director of the Office of Public
Diplomacy in the Bureau of South Asian Affairs.
Ambassador Hoagland received his bachelor’s degree from Taylor
University and two master’s degrees from the University of Virginia.
The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based
nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness
of Armenian issues. It is a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt membership
organization.
###
NR#2006-053

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
05/24/2006
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://WWW.ASBAREZ. COM 1) Bush Nominates New Ambassador to Armenia 2) Azeri Statement Does Not Correspond to Ongoing Negotiations 3) OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen to Arrive in Armenia May 25 4) Greece Condemns Turkey over Fighter Jet Crash 5) Western Prelacy Elects New Council Members And Delegates 6) Second Black Box from Crashed Armenian Airbus Recovered 1) Bush Nominates New Ambassador to Armenia (Combined Sources)--The White House announced on Tuesday that President George W. Bush will ask the US Senate to endorse his nomination of Richard E. Hoagland as the new US Ambassador to Armenia to replace outgoing Ambassador John Evans. Hoagland is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor. Currently, he is serving as the US ambassador to Tajikistan. 2) Azeri Statement Does Not Correspond to Ongoing Negotiations YEREVAN (Armenpress)--The Armenian Foreign Ministry responded Wednesday to a statement made by Azeri Foreign Affairs Minister Elmar Mamedyarov, in which he advocated a step-by-step solution to the Karabagh conflict. "We are once again surprised that the Azerbaijani side tries to present such an approach to the public, which does not correspond to the content of the negotiations over the Karabagh conflict regulation," said spokesman for the Armenian Foreign Affairs Ministry Vladimir Karapetian. Azeri media outlets reported Tuesday that Mamedyarov stated that the optimal regulation of the Karabagh conflict would be a "stage-by-stage" solution and that only after the return of the refugees it will be possible to discuss status of Karabagh. "We have stated many times that to reach a mutually acceptable agreement, Azerbaijan should first recognize the right to self-determination of Nagorno Karabagh's people," said Karapetian, adding that only then will it be possible to discuss eliminating "consequences of the war." 3) OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen to Arrive in Armenia May 25 YEREVAN (Armenpress/Yerkir)The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group co-chairmen Yuri Merzlyakov, Steven Mann, and Bernard Fassier will visit Armenia on May 25. The delegation will also include Russian Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Grigori Karasin, Director of the political affairs department at the French Foreign Affairs Ministry Stanislaus De Labouillet, and US Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried, reported the Foreign Affairs Ministry. The delegation will meet with Armenian President Robert Kocharian and Foreign Affairs Minister Vartan Oskanian to discuss the current round of the Karabagh conflict regulation process and the possibility of another meeting between the Armenian and Azeri presidents. The Russian, French, and American co-chairs also visited Baku and Karabagh prior to their visit to Yerevan. 4) Greece Condemns Turkey over Fighter Jet Crash PARIS (Reuters)The Prime Minister of Greece Costas Karamanlis condemned Turkey on Wednesday for its part in a crash involving Turkish and Greek fighter jets over the Aegean and said such incidents did not tally with Ankara's ambition to join the European Union. NATO members Greece and Turkey have blamed each other for the crash in disputed air space on Tuesday. "Yesterday's incident should be a signal... to persuade Turkey to abandon such tactics which do not tally with its European perspectives," Karamanlis told a news conference in Paris. A warming in relations between the two long-time foes has been vital to Turkey's drive to join the European Union. Athens' backing of Ankara's candidature in 1999 opened the door to negotiations now taking place with Brussels. Asked whether the incident would prompt changes in Greece's strategy regarding Turkey's EU path, Karamanlis said: "All this is taken into consideration vis-a-vis the European perspectives of Turkey. All behaviors are taken into consideration." The two countries, who came close to war as recently as 1996, have improved ties but have yet to resolve territorial disputes in the Aegean Sea and over the divided island of Cyprus. 5) Western Prelacy Elects New Council Members And Delegates The Western Prelacy held its 34th National Representative Assembly on Friday and Saturday, during which new Religious Council members and Delegates for the Catholicosate's General Assembly were elected. The Assembly, conducted under the auspices of Prelate, Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, also discussed the activities of the Religious and Executive Councils of the previous year and various other issues. The Assembly then proceeded to conduct elections. The following is the list of the newly elected members: Religious Council Members: Very Rev. Fr. Muron Aznikian, Very Rev. Fr. Barthev Gulumian, Rev. Fr. Vahan Gosdanian, Rev. Fr. Vazken Atmajian, Rev. Fr. Ardak Demirjian, Rev. Fr. Razmig Khatchadourian, and Rev. Fr. Gomidas Torossian. Executive Council Members: Dr. Garo Agopian, Dr. Hagop Der Megerdichian, Mr. Vahan Bezdikian, Mr. Boghos Sassounian, Mr. Garbis Bezdjian, Mr. Garo Avakian, Mr. Mher Der Ohanessian, Dr. Navasart Kazazian, Mr. Nerses Melkonian, Mr. Vahe Havaguimian, and Mr. Varoujan Der Simonian. General Assembly Delegates: Mr. Khajag Dikijian, Mr. Hrair Balian, Mr. Armand Keosian, Esq., Mr. Peklar Pilavjian, Dr. Hagop Der Megerdichian, Mr. Vahan Bezdikian, Mr. Garbis Bezdjian, Mr. Boghos Sassounian, Mr. Hagop Yedalian, Mr. Garo Avakian, Mr. Noubar Demirjian, Dr. Hagop Dickranian, Dr. Garo Agopian, Mr. Khatchig Yeretzian, and Deacon Mark Shirin. Substitute Delegates: Mr. Krikor Sulahian, Mr. Sarkis Kitsinian, and Mr.Vartan Minassian. 6) Second Black Box from Crashed Armenian Airbus Recovered (AP)--Russian search teams recovered Wednesday the second flight recorder from an Armenian airliner that crashed into the Black Sea three weeks ago, killing all 113 people aboard, local media reported. The flight data recorder was lifted by a diving apparatus from a depth of about 1,640 feet (500 meters) after it was separated from a thick layer of silt, said Transport Ministry spokeswoman Svetlana Kryshtanovskaya, according to the RIA-Novosti news agency. The black box was discovered within 16 meters (50 feet) from the spot where workers on Monday found the plane's cockpit voice recorder. Russian television channels showed footage of a yellow, remote-controlled apparatus lifting the red recorder from the sea surface. Investigators hope the two recorders will help determine why the Armavia Airbus A-320 plane plunged into the sea on May 3 amid heavy rain and poor visibility. The flight was en route from Yerevan to the southern Russian sea resort Sochi. All passengers and crew members on board were killed. Prosecutors almost immediately dismissed the possibility that terrorists had brought the plane down, and officials point to rough weather or pilot error as the likely cause. Armavia officials have suggested, however, that air traffic controllers were at least partly to blame. 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.

Driver charged in school festival crash that injured 13
The Detroit News
May 24, 2006
By Joe Menard
SOUTHFIELD — The Troy man accused of plowing his minivan into a
festival crowd Sunday, injuring 13 people, has been charged with 28
felonies and could spend the rest of his life in prison.
Timothy Hall Buss, 34, was arraigned Wednesday morning in 46th
District Court and faces 13 counts of felony assault with the intent
to murder, 13 counts of felony assault with a dangerous weapon, one
felony count of leaving the scene of an accident and one charge of
malicious destruction of property. His bond was set at $1.3
million. The penalties for the most serious charges range up to life
in prison.
Buss, dressed in blue jeans and an untucked red button-down shirt,
stood mute as Judge Susan M. Moiseev read the charges against him. He
requested a court-appointed attorney.
Police say nine children and four adults were injured when Buss’ 1994
Plymouth Grand Voyager drove into a crowd at around 2 p.m. Sunday at
an outdoor event at the Alex Manoogian School at St. John’s Armenian
Church.
One woman suffered a crushed pelvis and is still hospitalized, but
none of the injuries is believed to be life threatening. School
officials said five of the six students injured have returned to
school.
Buss’ preliminary exam conference has been set for 8:30 a.m. May 31,
and the preliminary exam is set for 9:30 a.m. June 2.
You can reach Joe Menard at (248) 647-7429 or [email protected].
pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060524/UPDATE/605240435

Sunday, May 21, 2006
*************************************
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
************************************
Propagandists treat the past as if it were a supermarket, picking and choosing only the items that support their interests and ignoring the rest. But reality, being one and indivisible, refuses to be sliced like baloney.
*
The belief that God created man comes with a heavy price – keep your nose clean or else! Atheism comes with a price too – you are no better than a chemical accident waiting to disintegrate.
*
The believer’s options are between heaven and hell; the unbeliever’s, between freedom and nothingness.
*
When a man kills, it’s seldom for a good reason. But when nations engage in war and massacre, nationalist historians and religious leaders combine to convince the people they are carrying out the will of God. Capitalism legitimizes greed; religion, murder.
*
When a man kills in the name of God, who is the guilty party? The killer, he who brainwashed him, or He who is the source of their driving force?
*
The best argument against nationalism and for atheism: the spectacle of two nations killing, mutilating, and raping in the name of a Being who has the power to stop them but who prefers to stand by and do nothing. (As for the concept of free will: it may apply to the killers but not to their innocent victims.)
*
The secret of popularity and success consists in flattering the collective ego of the maximum number of people by saying they are right (even when they are wrong) and God is on their side (even when there is no evidence to that effect). The secret of failure consists in exposing liars and their lies.
*
Society rewards those who deal in baloney and penalizes anyone who dares to think for himself.
#
Monday, May 22, 2006
****************************************
After identifying himself as a competent judge of character, one of my gentle readers takes it upon himself to inform me that I am a self-hating Armenian devoid of all talent.
If I have learned anything from life is that nothing can be as misleading as assessing oneself. I speak from experience. I don’t mind admitting that, once upon a time when I was young and foolish, I too assessed myself as a good judge of character and trusted in the objectivity and accuracy of my assessments until the day I met a loud-mouth inbred moron who had assessed himself as a genius.
I am more than willing to concede that I have no talent whatever, and that all my notes and comments are those of a very ordinary person who uses only his common sense. Does that mean what I say is without merit? Does that also mean only those with special talents have a right to testify or voice their opinions? If so, who among us will come forward and declare himself qualified to separate the sheep from the goats?
As for being a self-hating Armenian: if I hate anything it’s being at the mercy of self-assessed leaders (be they bosses, bishops, benefactors, or academics) who feel authorized to tell who is and is not qualified to exercise his fundamental human right of free speech.
And to suggest that only self-hating Armenians criticize their fellow Armenians is to imply that Armenians, being the Chosen People, are beyond criticism. In the words of a wise Englishman, “If you believe that, you’ll believe anything!” – including your own assessment of yourself as a connoisseur of character and talent.
#
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
*********************************************
At the center of our being there is a vacuum (Sartre’s “nothingness”) that needs to be filled. That’s one reason why man, who cannot create a single worm, has created ten thousand gods.
*
During the Soviet era there were Armenians who believed the Soviet Union, very much like Hitler’s Germany, was going to last a thousand years.
*
Believers like to speak in terms of millennia and eternity. It never even occurs to them that the most important factor that goes into defining their selection of belief system may well be the accident of geography, that is to say, real estate; that is to say, mud.
*
In his travel impressions of Soviet Armenia, OLD DREAMS, NEW REALITIES (Beirut, 1982) Antranik Zaroukian discusses at some length the conversation he once had with a faithful member of the Party who had a prefabricated argument against all his doubts, objections, and criticisms of the regime.
*
I have met several such specimens myself. One of them, also a former member of the Party and, in the words of a friend (himself an Evangelical minister), “a professor of atheism in Yerevan,” who after the collapse of the USSR, emigrated to the United States, saw the light, and became a born-again Evangelical preacher. Which may suggest that some believers let self-interest, rather than mud, handle their selection of belief system. Which may also suggest that their number one concern is neither God nor Country but taking care of number one.
#
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
*********************************************
The aim of dialogue is not to prove one side right and the other wrong but to advance towards the truth or to reach a consensus, which does not mean agreement on all points but agreement only to work together, because the alternative is Armenian history as we know it.
*
He who is consumed with the idea of asserting infallibility is sure to be wrong.
*
If he sits on his ass and does nothing on the assumption that in twenty or thirty years all our problems will solve themselves, he must be an Armenian.
*
If he is a perennial underdog but speaks with the arrogance of a top dog, he must be an Armenian.
*
If he is a loudmouth imbecile and brags about his IQ, he must be an Armenian.
*
Please note that I am talking about myself now, or rather, the way I am perceived by some of my readers who invariably ascribe my failings to my identity as an Armenian. The implication being that had I been a Patagonian or a Hottentot, I would have none of these defects. So much for Armenian self-esteem…
#

RAMKAVAR AZATAKAN BRACES UP FOR 2007 ELECTIONS
Armenpress
May 23 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 23, ARMENPRESS: Ramkavar Azatakan (Democratic Liberal )
party of Armenia said it will contest the 2007 parliamentary elections,
but added that before launching the election campaign it has developed
a chain of amendments, which it would like to be incorporated in the
draft election code.
This party that contrary to big expectations, failed to overcome the
required threshold of collected votes to win a seat in the parliament
in 2003 polls, said today its amendments call for annulment of
one-mandate constituencies election system which must be replaced
by the so-called proportional election system when all seats are
contested by parties.
Another major amendments proposed by the party refers to parliament
members immunity. “The proposed amendment calls for elimination of
parliament member immunity so that people who consider the legislative
body as a safe heaven to avoid criminal and other responsibility leave
it alone and allow people who want to move this country forward come
and do their job,” party chairman Harutyun Arakelian said to a news
conference today.
Citing a provision from the draft election code that establishes a
seven percent voter threshold for blocs made up of two parties and a
ten percent threshold for three-member alliances Arakelian said the
election code does not reflect the interests of out-of- parliament
forces, but added that despite these challenges his party will fight
for seats in the parliament and will also nominate a candidate for
2008 presidential election.
Arakelian indicated also his party was not delighted with the
activity of the World Armenian Congress, run by the Russia-based
Armenian tycoon Ara Abrahamian, saying they are very likely to quit
the organization. He said though the Ramkavar Azatakan party was
one of its cofounders it learns about its plans from newspapers. He
also slammed Ara Abrahamian’s declared campaign of suing Turkey at
the International Human Rights Court for its denial of the Armenian
genocide, saying that would be tantamount to declaring war on Turkey.
He also argued that the first country to stand trial for the Armenian
genocide is Great Britain because ‘some documents leave no doubt that
the government of Great Britain in the early 20-th century instigated
Armenian pogroms in the Ottoman empire.”

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT RECEIVES SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF NATO SECRETARY GENERAL TO SOUTH CAUCASUS
Armenpress
May 23 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 23, ARMENPRESS: Armenian President Robert Kocharian
received today Special Representative of NATO Secretary General to
the South Caucasus Robert Simmons.
Presidential press service informed Armenpress that during the meeting
the sides discussed issues on NATO-Armenia cooperation. Robert Simmons
positively assessed the pace of Armenia’s Individual Partnership
Action Plan program with NATO and noted that during the short period
of time a notable progress has been registered in the implementation
of the program. The sides particularly underscored the implementation
of reforms in the defense sphere and consolidation of democracy
in Armenia.
The president also said that for coordinating the works with different
European organizations an inter-ministerial commission has been set up
which will periodically report to the Armenian president about the pace
of works. “Our aim is not to stay behind of the planned work but to
move forward and fully implement the joint programs,” said Kocharian.
During the meeting the president also referred to the current pace
of the Karabakh conflict regulation process.

HOAGLAND NOMINATED FOR US AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA
Yerkir
24.05.2006 16:30
YEREVAN (YERKIR) – US Senate is set to consider the nomination of
Richard E. Hoagland for the United States ambassador to Armenia,
according to a US Senate press release.
Richard E. Hoagland, of the District of Columbia, is a career member
of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor. Currently,
he is serving as the US ambassador to Tajikistan.

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT RATIFIES COMPACT WITH MCC
Armenpress
May 24 2006
YEREVAN, MAY 24, ARMENPRESS: The Armenian National Assembly has
ratified today an agreement between the government of Armenia and
the Millennium Challenges Corporation (MCC), signed on March 25
in Washington by the Executive Officer of the Millennium Challenge
Corporation, Ambassador John Danilovich and Armenia’s Minister of
Finance and Economy, Vartan Khachatrian.
The $235 million Compact consists of two investments: a Rural Road
Rehabilitation Project and an Irrigated Agriculture Project. The
program will directly impact 75% of the rural population and is
expected to significantly increase the annual incomes of rural
poor. The Compact includes a $67 million project to rehabilitate
up to 943 kilometers of rural roads, more than a third of Armenia’s
proposed Lifeline road network.
The Compact also includes a $146 million project to increase the
productivity of approximately 250,000 farm households (34% of
which are headed by women) through improved water supply, higher
yields, higher-value crops, and a more competitive agricultural
sector. Administrative and monitoring and evaluation costs of the
Program are budgeted at approximately $23 million.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress