THE FACTS AND FORCES THAT DRIVE SYRIA
Canberra Times – Australasia
Apr 17, 2006
Full Name: Syrian Arab Republic Capital: Damascus Location: Syria is
in the Middle East, bordering Lebanon and Turkey Border countries:
Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey Area: 185,180sqkm Highest
point: Mount Hermon, 2814m Oceans: The western coastline meets the
Mediterranean Sea Coastlines: 193km Population: 18,881,361 Population
growth rate: 2.3 per cent Life expectancy: Total population: 70.32
years.
Male: 69.01 years, female: 71.7 years Natural resources: Petroleum,
phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt,
marble, gypsum, hydropower Languages: Arabic (official); Kurdish,
Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian, and French and English is understood
Ethnicity: Arab 90.3 per cent, Kurds, Armenians, and other 9.7 per
cent Religion: Sunni Muslim, Alawite, Druze, Christian and Jewish
Labor force: Agriculture 30 per cent, industry 27 per cent, services
43 per cent Unemployment rate: 12.3 per cent Industries: Petroleum,
textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate rock mining
Crops: Wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas, olives, sugar beets
Livestock: Beef, mutton, eggs, poultry, milk Exports: Crude oil,
petroleum products, fruits and vegetables, cotton fiber, clothing,
meat and live animals Currency: Syrian pound.

A PBS DOCUMENTARY MAKES ITS CASE FOR THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE, WITH OR WITHOUT A DEBATE
New York Times
April 17 2006
TV Review
It is impossible to debate a subject like genocide without giving
offense. PBS is supposed to give offense responsibly.
Photo: Two Cats Productions
A scene from “The Armenian Genocide” on PBS; a follow-up panel will
not be shown on many PBS stations.
Readers’ Opinions
Forum: Television
And that was the idea behind a panel discussion that PBS planned
to show after tonight’s broadcast of “The Armenian Genocide,”
a documentary about the extermination of more than one million
Armenians by the Turkish Ottoman Empire during World War I.
The powerful hourlong film will be shown on most of the 348 PBS
affiliate stations. But nearly a third of those stations decided to
cancel the follow-up discussion after an intense lobbying campaign
by Armenian groups and some members of Congress.
The protesters complained that the panel of four experts, moderated
by Scott Simon, host of “Weekend Edition Saturday” on NPR, included
two scholars who defend the Turkish government’s claim that a genocide
never took place. The outrage over their inclusion was an indication
of how passionately Armenians feel about the issue; they have battled
for decades to draw attention to the genocide.
But the fact that so many stations caved is a measure of something
else: PBS’s growing vulnerability to pressure and, perhaps accordingly,
the erosion of viewers’ trust in public television.
The camera lends legitimacy, but as Senator Joseph R. McCarthy’s
performance on Edward R. Murrow’s “See It Now” famously showed, it
also can undermine credibility. Panel discussions in particular give
people with outlandish views a hearing – and also an opportunity to
expose the flaws in their arguments.
That is certainly the case with the discussion program “Armenian
Genocide: Exploring the Issues.” It turns out that there is only one
articulate voice arguing that Armenians died not in a genocide but
in a civil war between Christians and Muslims – that of Justin A.
McCarthy, a history professor at the University of Louisville. His
Turkish counterpart, Omer Turan, an associate professor at the Middle
East Technical University in Ankara, tries ardently to back him up,
but his English is not good enough to make a dent. And the two other
experts, Peter Balakian, a humanities professor at Colgate University,
and Taner Akcam, a visiting professor of history at the University
of Minnesota and a well-known defender of human rights in Turkey,
lucidly pick Mr. McCarthy’s points apart.
Mr. Balakian, who is one of the experts cited in the documentary,
gets the last word. “If we are going to pretend that a stateless
Christian minority population, unarmed, is somehow in a capacity to
kill people in an aggressive way that is tantamount to war, or civil
war,” Mr. Balakian says, “we’re living in the realm of the absurd.”
Tone and appearance on television can be as persuasive as
talk. Mr. McCarthy mostly sounds condescending and defensive, while
Mr. Balakian is smooth and keeps his cool.
“The Armenian Genocide ” which was made by Andrew Goldberg in
association with Oregon Public Broadcasting, does not ignore the
Turkish government’s denial, or its repression of dissidents in Turkey
who try to expound another point of view. One of the film’s merits
is that it tries to explain both the circumstances that led to the
atrocities of 1915 and the reasons why Turkish officials are still
so determined to keep that period unexplored. “There is a feeling
that Turkey would be putting itself permanently in the company
of Adolf Hitler,” Samantha Power, the author of “A Problem >>From
Hell: America and the Age of Genocide,” says. “That same stain would
envelop Turkey as it seeks, of course, to be a major player on the
international stage.”
Several of the experts in the film, including Turkish scholars,
argue that because Turkey is seeking admission to the European Union,
its leaders will eventually have to bend to international will and
acknowledge responsibility. But official Turkish denial remains fierce,
and intellectuals and even well-known writers like Orhan Pamuk can
still be brought to trial for mentioning the treatment of Armenians
and Kurds.
The documentary, which is partly narrated by Julianna Margulies,
Ed Harris and others, includes rare clips of Turkish scholars
acknowledging the anti-Armenian campaign as genocide as well as Turkish
villagers recounting their ancestors’ stories about participating in
the killings. “They caught Armenians and put them in a barn and burned
them,” a man in a town in eastern Turkey says to an interviewer. There
are also shots of ordinary Turks who insist their ancestors were
incapable of that level of barbarity.
Mostly, however, the film painstakingly makes the case that a genocide
did take place, relying on archival photographs, victims’ memoirs
and the horrified first-hand accounts of diplomats, missionaries and
reporters. The forced deportations and killings did not take place
unnoticed – public figures like Theodore Roosevelt and H. L. Mencken
spoke out about the horrors. In 1915, The New York Times published
145 stories about the systematic slaughter of Armenians.
Even after World War II, the fate of Turkey’s Armenian population was
high on the list of crimes against humanity. The film includes a clip
from a 1949 CBS interview with Raphael Lemkin, a law professor who
in 1943 coined the term genocide. “I became interested in genocide
because it happened so many times,” he tells the CBS commentator
Quincy Howe. “First to the Armenians, then after the Armenians,
Hitler took action.”
The documentary honors the victims of the Armenian genocide and also
pays tribute to dissidents in Turkey who are brave enough to speak
out despite government censorship. And that makes it all the odder
that so many public television stations here censored the follow-up
program as soon as a few lobby groups complained.
The Armenian Genocide
PBS, tonight at 10 Eastern and Pacific times; 9 p.m., Central time.
Written, directed and produced by Andrew Goldberg. Produced by Two
Cats Productions in association with Oregon Public Broadcasting.
Narrated by Julianna Margulies, Ed Harris, Natalie Portman, Laura
Linney and Orlando Bloom.
evision/17stan.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx= 1145253012-5IP/u2P2UMOiY01zgtOe0A&oref=login

CPTV SHOWS GENOCIDE DOCUMENTARY
Hartford Courant,
April 17 2006
The Turkish government still denies the overwhelming evidence of the
first genocide of the 20th century: more than 1 million Armenians
killed by Ottoman Turks during World War I.
A new documentary, “The Armenian Genocide” (CPTV, 10 p.m.), lays
out the record in a way that should allay any doubts. But a planned
panel discussion that was to have accompanied the film was scotched,
in part because it was to include a denier.
[parts omitted]

PALESTINIAN CONFERENCE CONCLUDES ITS WORK IN TEHRAN
IRNA website
16 Apr 06
Tehran, 16 April: The Third International Conference on Qods and
Support for the Rights of Palestinian People concluded its work here
on Sunday [16 April].
The final declaration of the conference was read by MP from Tehran and
head of the committee in charge of codification of the declaration,
Hoseyn Sheykholeslam.
The conference kicked off here Friday evening with a keynote speech
by the supreme leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed
Ali Khamene’i.
President Mahmud Ahmadinezhad, Majlis Speaker Gholamali Haddad-Adel,
judiciary chief Mahmud Hashemi-Shahrudi as well as domestic and foreign
political and cultural figures participated in the opening ceremony
of the conference, organized upon the initiative of the supreme leader.
The conference was attended by 600 foreign officials including 20
parliament speakers from Syria, Lebanon, Algeria, Sudan, Indonesia,
Uganda, Cameroon, Congo, Zimbabwe, Sierra Leon, Cuba, Comoros,
Madagascar, Malaysia, Qatar, Mauritania, Mauritius, the Seychelles,
Sri Lanka and Guinea.
Eleven parliament vice-Speakers from Libya, Palestine, Jordan,
Morocco, Bahrain, Oman, Tunisia, the Philippines, Gambia, Togo and
Senegal were also present in the conference.
Representatives from parliaments of South Africa, Kuwait, Russia,
Mexico, Kenya, Somalia, Benin, Mali, Bosnia, Armenia and Albania were
among other participants in the conference.
Political figures, personalities, intellectuals discussed Palestine
issues from different points of view as the most basic issue of the
Islamic world.
Over 200 foreign reporters residing in Tehran along with 50 foreign
and 200 domestic reporters covered the conference.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NAGORNO KARABAKH IS NOT A TRANSIT ROUTE OF DRUG TRAFFICKING
Azat Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
17 April 2006
Recently NKR Foreign Minister Georgy Petrosyan and NKR Police Chief
Armen Isagulov sent a letter to U.S. Assistant Secretary of State
Anne Petersson, the head of the Bureau of International Narcotics
and Law Enforcement Affairs. ” Highly appreciating and commending the
contribution of the United States to the establishment of democratic
values in international relations, as well as the consistent efforts
of the American co-chairmanship of the OSCE Minsk Group for the
settlement of the Karabakh conflict, we would like to draw your
attention to an issue, which is of utter importance for Nagorno
Karabakh Republic. Unlike the previous years when the elucidation
of the Karabakh government helped to reach a mutual understanding,
in the International Narcotics Control Strategy Report 2006 Nagorno
Karabakh and the territories it controls were defined as transit
route of drug trafficking. Being convinced that these invented data
were extended by Azerbaijan, which has adopted falsification and
slander against the Armenian party to the level of state policy, we
disagree with the inaccurate information used in such a authoritative
report, especially that the government of Karabakh have applied to
relevant international organizations for a number of times to send
an independent monitoring group to Nagorno Karabakh to monitor the
situation on the spot. Obviously, by such false accusations Azerbaijan
want to have the international community admit Nagorno Karabakh as an
outlawed and uncontrollable territory. Thereby we assume responsibility
to assure you that Nagorno Karabakh is not a transit route for drug
trafficking not only because of a lack of a developed transport system
but also primarily due to the effective preventive activity of the law
enforcement agencies of NKR.” The letter contains facts proving the
abovementioned arguments. “First of all, we consider it necessary to
remind that since May 1994 the government of NKR has guaranteed the
ceasefire without any peacemaking forces, completely controlling the
front line between the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan
and the border area. The letter of the NKR Foreign Minister and Chief
of the Police states that the Office of the Personal Representative of
the OSCE Chairman-in-Office will also deny criminal facts or actions,
which regularly and fully monitors the front line, hence exercising
international control over the conflict area of NKR. It is mentioned
in the letter that in late February and late March 2005 the OSCE
fact-finding mission, including over 30 diplomats and experts from
different countries, visited Karabakh with the OSCE Minsk Group
co-chairs. “The OSCE fact-finding mission prepared a significant
report, based on a meticulous monitoring of the areas controlled
by NKR, which contains no such negative facts. With regard to this
we emphasize the commitment of the government of Nagorno Karabakh
Republic to promoting democratic values and a peace settlement
of the conflict over Nagorno Karabakh, pursuing the international
recognition of NKR and fulfilling their function of government and
guaranteeing the security of their citizens for about 20 years,”
states the letter of NKR Foreign Minister Georgy Petrosyan and
Police Chief Armen Isagulov. A copy of the letter was sent to the
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair
Stephen Mann, Director of the White House Office of National Drug
Control Policy (ONDCP) John Walters.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AVETIK ISAHAKYAN’S MONUMENT TO BE ERECTED IN BEIRUT
ArmRadio.am
17.04.2006 16:22
April 6-9 the second all-Armenian forum of writers, featuring 51
authors from Armenia, was held in Beirut.
According to the President of the Union of Writers of Armenia Levon
Ananyan, one of the important outcomes of the forum is that Avetik
Isahakyan’s monument will be erected in the center of Beirut in the
nearest future. A youth literary fund will be founded to publish
textbooks for Diaspora- Armenian educational establishments.
The whole revenue for the exhibition-sale held in the framework of
the forum will go to the all-Armenian literary fund.
At the end of the forum Aram A Catholicos of the Great House of
Cilikia awarded Levon Ananyan with a “Saint Mesrop Mashtots” order.

LEVON ANANYAN: THE DAY THE BUILDING OF THE UNION OF WRITERS IS DEMOLISHED, I WILL RESIGN
ArmRadio.am
17.04.2006 16:10
“The day the building of the Union of Writers is demolished, I
will resign,” declared President of the Union of Writers of Armenia
Levon Ananyan in response to the recent publications in the press,
according to which the building of the Union of Writers is going to
be destroyed and a new elite building will be constructed in its place.
Where did this news come from? As it is said, there is no smoke
without fire. In 2005, when Levon Ananyan was reelected President
of the Union of Writers, the building was also talked about. It was
concluded that the building was small.
Levon Ananyan opposes the idea of constructing a multistory
building. However, this issue is still in the stage of discussion.
Another publication that irritated Levon Ananyan says that only old
writers let for Lebanon to participate in the all-Armenian forum
of writers.

MINISTERS RATTLED BY GAZPROM’S ADVANCES
Lragir.am
17 April 06
The Financial Times published information April 16 that the UK
considered changing its merger control regime this year to block a
potential takeover of Centrica, the UK’s biggest gas supplier, by
Gazprom of Russia, a move that remains an option to thwart any bid
that threatens energy security. Alan Johnson, the trade and industry
secretary who has been a vocal critic of protectionism in the US and
Europe, was briefed with other ministers in February on the legal
changes required to allow them to block a rumoured bid by Gazprom
for Centrica, the Financial Times has learnt.
The problem was no policy had been formulated to deal with a move by
Gazprom into the UK market.
The standard policy on potential takeovers was clear – the government
removed itself from mergers in 2003, when the Enterprise Act came
into force, delegating decisions on almost all deals to independent
competition authorities.
The UK has made a virtue of this lack of political interference,
which has allowed several utilities to be taken over by European
Union companies with no political discussion and barely a murmur of
public dissent.
Alan Johnson, trade and industry secretary, used a speech to the
British Chambers of Commerce this month to boast of Britain’s open
energy market. “Downing Street’s electricity is supplied by a French
company, the water is supplied by a German company and there is
a choice of four gas suppliers, three of whom are foreign owned,”
he said.
But should this laissez faire approach to foreign takeovers extend to
Gazprom? A takeover of Centrica, which owns British Gas, or Scottish
Power, another rumoured potential target, could have competition
implications.
Malcolm Wicks, the energy minister, warned this year that the UK’s
liberalised market was “not about creating a big oligopoly”. It would
look “a bit odd if, in a few years’ time, this market resembles a
monolithic oligopoly with a few companies state-owned but not by
Britain,” he told The Observer.
Ministers’ concern focused instead on the implications of a Gazprom
takeover for security of supply. The gas company’s decision earlier
this year temporarily to cut off supplies to Ukraine was seen by some
as politically motivated. The prospect – however seemingly remote
– of Russia using ownership of a UK gas supplier to try to exert
political influence rang alarm bells in Whitehall.
The UK’s increasing dependence on gas imports has moved such
geopolitical threats to energy supplies sharply up the political agenda
since 2003, when the government’s energy review largely ignored the
issue. The review of energy policy now under way has put security of
supply centre stage. Asked by MPs this year about central issues for
the review, Mr Johnson cited “this geopolitical question”. “Where are
the oil reserves? Where are the gas reserves? Can we be sanguine about
the future if…? A large amount of our gas will come from countries
which are perfectly stable … but these are issues which have grown
in importance,” he said.
P.S. It is the right moment to recall our reality. Our energy suppliers
are part by part taken over by Gazprom, and each time defining the
takeover as the century’s deal, the RA government did not even utter
a word about the energy security of Armenia. If a developed country
such as U.K. is cautious in relations with Gazprom, it is already a
forceful argument.

ARAB REPUBLIC OF SYRIA CELEBRATES THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF ITS INDEPENDENCE (ANALYSIS)
Armen Manvelyan
“Radiolur”
17.04.2006 15:30
Today the Arab Republic of Syria is celebrating the 60th anniversary
of its independence. To note, this historic fact was preceded by a
long national-liberation war, which came to and end on April 17, 1946
with complete withdrawal of French troops from Syria. Before that,
for 25 years Syria was under political and military control of France.
It should be reminded that in 1920 the League of Nations decided
to give the mandate of Syria to France. However, discontent with
this decision, the people of Syria stirred up a number of rebellions
against the invaders, the most powerful of which was the 1925 revolt,
when the rebels even managed to enter capital Damascus. However,
the revolt was viciously pressure by French troops.
Nevertheless, the powerful national-liberation movement forced France
to recognize in 1941 the independence of Syria. Notwithstanding all
this, 5 more years of struggle were necessary to reach complete
withdrawal of French troops from the country. It is the day of
withdrawal of the French troops that Syrians celebrate as Independence
Day.
Generally, turning to Armenian-Arab ties, we should note that
the relations with the Arab Republic of Syria are of particular
importance for the Armenian nation. During the 1915 massacres in
Osman Turkey thousands of Armenians survived thanks to our Syrian
friends. The role of Syria is invaluable also in the further formation
and development of the Armenian community in the country. Armenians
became citizens of Syria, enjoying all the rights the native people
of the country had. Perhaps, this is the reason that explains the
fact of establishment of warm friendly relations between independent
Armenia and Syria. We can say that the centuries-long Armenian-Arab
ties and friendly relations were best expressed just in the sphere of
Armenian-Syrian relations. In needs to me mentioned that Syria was one
of the first countries to recognize and establish diplomatic relations
with Armenia. In the future Armenian-Syrian relations continued to
develop dynamically both in political and economic spheres. Today we
can state that despite the existing good relations, official Yerevan
and Damascus have still much to do to raise the relations between
the two countries to the level of friendly relations between the
two peoples.
There is still a great unused potential of political and economic
development between the Republic of Armenia and the Arab Republic
of Syria.

RALLY IN ATHENS DEDICATED TO THE 91ST ANNIVERSARY OF TEH ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
ArmRadio.am
17.04.2006 14:35
April 15, several hundreds of people held a rally dated to the 91st
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. The action participants demanded
the Genocide recognition from Turkey.
They marched from the central square of Athens towards the Turkish
Embassy.
At the end the demonstrators burnt a Turkish flag.