VAHAGN DADRIAN AND STEPHEN FEINSTEIN REBUT GENOCIDE DENIAL IN TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT

Azg/arm
27 Nov 04

The following letter was published in the November 19, 2004 issue of the
Times Literary Supplement

Armenia in history

Sir, – The seemingly persistent attempts of Norman Stone from Ankara’s
Bilkent University to question the historical reality of the Armenian
genocide during the First World War are dismaying indeed (Letters,
October 15, November 5). A cursory examination of his use of source
materials may in part explain the nature of the problem. Professor
Stone insists, for example, that the provinces of Ardahan, Kars
and Batum “were not ceded to Turkey”. In the text of the Treaty of
Brest-Litovsk, however, Article Four, paragraph iii, reads: “Russia
will do all within her power to insure the immediate evacuation of
the provinces of eastern Anatolia . . . . The districts of Ardahan,
Kars, and Batum will without delay be cleared of Russian troops
. . . “. This can be interpreted only as Russia ceding control over
these areas (Jane Degras, ed, Soviet Documents on Foreign Policy,
Volume One, 1917â~@~S24; 1951, p53).

Stone likewise keeps insisting that, according to “the transcript
of the German court case”, the Naim-Andonian documents were
“discarded”. But on more careful reading he may recognize the critical
difference between a conscious decision not to question the central
message of the documents, on the one hand, and a decision to “discard”
them, on the other. (Tessa Hofmann, Der Völkermord an den Armeniern
vor Gericht: Der Prozess Talaat Pasha, 1985).

Moreover, Robert Kempner, a prominent German jurist who served as
Deputy to Justice Jackson – the chief American prosecutor at the
Nuremberg Trials, and who as a young law student had attended the
Talaat Pasha murder trial in Berlin, in a noted law journal identified
the jury’s verdict as a recognition and condemnation of the “gross
human rights violations caused by a government, especially genocide
perpetrated against the Armenians” (“Sixty Years Ago – A German Jury
Trial: The Genocide of the Armenians” [in German], Recht und Politik,
Volume Three, 1980, p167).

Professor Stone persists in questioning the veracity of the 1939
statement, “Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the
Armenians?”, attributed to Hitler, by discounting evidence that is
compelling. After some meticulous research, the author Edouard Calic
established the fact that, already eight years earlier, Hitler twice
had spoken in the same sense (Unmasked: Two confidential interviews
with Hitler in 1931, 1971, p154).

Perhaps the most authoritative validation in this respect issues
from University of North Carolina’s Gerhard L. Weinberg. Following
his extensive research in the archives of the British Foreign Office
and the Institute for Contemporary History in Munich in 1968 and
1971, Professor Weinberg, in his book The Foreign Policy of Hitler’s
Germany, and subsequently in the New York Times (“Hitler’s Remark
on Armenians Reported in 1939”, June 18, 1985), gave credence to
the authenticity of the document containing Hitler’s statement. He
found it in the secret notes Admiral Canaris, the head of German
counter-intelligence, had taken during Hitler’s August 22, 1939,
speech, delivered to the German generals in Obersalzberg. As to
Professor Heath Lowry, Stone’s principal source for disputing
much of the Armenian genocide, he, Lowry, characterizes American
Ambassador Morgenthau’s “wartime dispatches and written reports . . .
submitted to the US State Department” as “the real”, i.e. authentic
material – as compared to his subsequently published book (The Story
behind Ambassador Morgenthau’s Story, Istanbul, 1990, p. 91).

Well, here is then “a proper account” Stone stipulated as a condition
for conceding the Armenian genocide. In a nine-page “Private and
Confidential” letter Morgenthau sent to the US Secretary of State
Robert Lansing on November 18, 1915, he wrote, “I am firmly convinced
that this is the greatest crime of all ages . . . . The war was
a great opportunity to put into effect their long cherished plan
of exterminating the Armenian race . . . ” (US National Archives,
R.G.59.876.00/798 1/2, pp7…8).

All this casts in stark relief Norman Stone’s purported “neutrality”
on the subject. Should he need to overcome this, he might obtain
special inspiration from the 126 Holocaust scholars, including the
Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel, who at the thirtieth anniversary of
the Scholars’ Conference on the Holocaust and the Churches held
in Philadelphia, issued a declaration. That statement, published
in the June 8, 2000, issue of the New York Times, and subsequently
in the Jerusalem Post, declared that: “The Armenian genocide is an
Incontestable historical Fact”.

By Vahagn Dadrian and Stephen Feinstein, Center for Holocaust and
Genocide Studies, University of Minnesota

–Boundary_(ID_zmDSdxqjNtncQnBL+tKp/A)–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

IRAN’S JEWS, ARMENIANS CRITICISE “INSULTING” TV PROGRAMMES

Shargh web site, Tehran
24 Nov 04

The Jewish Community of Tehran and the Armenian Apostolic Bishopric
of Tehran have both sent open letters to Zarghami, head of the Voice
and Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRIB) in protest at what
they describe as the ignoring of the rights of the minorities. The
Armenian Apostolic Bishopric of Tehran protests against one of the
programmes aired on Id al-Fitr on IRIB’s Channel Three in which a
person who said that he was Armenian claimed that he was unable to
pay the heavy cost demanded by Armenian Apostolic Bishopric of Tehran
for his father’s burial and asks for help. The Armenian Apostolic
Bishopric of Tehran clarifies that charges for burial at the Armenian
cemeteries are much lower than the amount stated on Channel Three,
adding that destitute people are not asked to pay at all. The Council
expresses surprise that IRIB aired these remarks without following
up the matter to ascertain whether the allegations were true.

In its open letter, the Jewish Community of Tehran protests against
two television series–one called “Conspiracy” and the other “Blood
in Unleavened Bread”–and writes: “In the IRIB’S programmes, Jewish
clerics and the Jews’ monotheistic religion are thoughtlessly and
repeatedly ridiculed, insulted, and denigrated without the least bit
of attention being paid to protests by the Jewish Community. It is
surprising how the Jewish clerics’ anti-Zionist demonstrations and
their condemnation of the massacring of Palestinians are repeatedly
broadcast on IRIB while, at the same time, Jewish clerics and what
they represent are ridiculed.”

The letters by both the Jews and the Armenians conclude by expressing
hopes that IRIB will adopt a serious stance against the officials
of the organization and will prevent topics and programmes that are
insulting to the minorities from being broadcast.

ABSENCE FROM NATO EVENT DUE TO BAKU’S FAILURE TO GUARANTEE SECURITY, ARMENIAN MP

Ayots Ashkhar, Yerevan
26 Nov 04

Excerpt from Vaan Vardanyan report by Armenian newspaper Ayots Ashkhar
on 26 November headlined “The most important thing is to achieve the
goal, not the means”

The participation of two Armenian deputies in the NATO Parliamentary
Assembly seminar that will take place in Baku is becoming almost
impossible. Azerbaijan is not giving any security guarantees. The
chairman of the defence, national security and interior affairs
commission of the National Assembly, Mger Shakhgeldyan, comments on
the current situation.

(Ayots Ashkhar correspondent) How significant is the participation
of Armenian representatives in the seminar?

(Mger Shakhgeldyan) This seminar was initiated by the NATO
Parliamentary Assembly. There will be discussions on the regional
developments and it would be desirable to express the views of the
Armenian party there.

(Correspondent) Does Azerbaijan not agree to your visit?

(Shakhgeldyan) Azerbaijan gave its general consent to the holding of
the seminar, taking account of all participants. But our situation
is different, there are a number of negative precedents connected
with our servicemen’s visit to Baku.

(Passage omitted: Shakhgeldyan said the hotel in Baku where
Armenian servicemen lived was attacked, they were denied visas at
the Azerbaijani embassy in Georgia and an Armenian journalist from
Bulgaria was arrested in Baku and then deported)

(Correspondent) The chairman of the National Assembly sent a letter
to his Azerbaijani counterpart in this connection. Has he replied?

(Shakhgeldyan) Artur Bagdasaryan (National Assembly chairman) really
sent a letter in which he suggested that the Azerbaijani party provide
security guarantees. There is no reply, although we have booked two
Moscow-Baku air tickets for me and MP Aleksan Karapetyan. Incidentally,
the seminar has already started and will last for three days. So if
we do not get an answer today, there will be no point in going to
Baku as the seminar will have ended.

(Correspondent) The Azerbaijani party has disseminated information
in the Internet that Aleksan Karapetyan and you participated in
the Karabakh war and have Red Cross awards. Is this an attempt to
substantiate the refusal?

(Shakhgeldyan) I do not rule this out. Incidentally, I served in the
Soviet army and did not take part in the Karabakh war, and I have no
such award, although I would be very proud to have it. Thus, this is
not the reason. We expect an official reply.

(Passage omitted: The Karabakh conflict should be settled on the
basis of the Karabakh people’s right to self-determination)

UN resolution on Right of Peoples to Self-determination

Daily News – Lk
27 Nov 04

The United Nations General Assembly’s Third Committee, dealing
with social and humanitarian issues, adopted by consensus a draft
resolution on the “Universal Realization of the Right of Peoples
to Self-determination.”

The resolution has consistently been adopted by the General Assembly
since 1981. Pakistan has always been the lead sponsor of the
resolution. Pakistan also makes a statement in the Third Committee’s
General Debate on this item, states the High Commission of Pakistan,
Colombo.

The resolution reaffirms the universal right of peoples to
self-determination as enshrined in the UN Charter and international
covenants on human rights. It welcomes the progressive exercise of
this right by peoples under colonial, foreign or alien occupation
and their emergence into sovereign statehood and independence.

In its operative part, the resolution calls upon those States
responsible to cease immediately their military intervention in
and occupation of foreign countries and territories and all acts
of repression, discrimination, exploitation and maltreatment, in
particular the brutal and inhuman methods reportedly employed for
the execution of those acts against the peoples concerned.

The resolution was co-sponsored by a large number of countries from
Asia and Africa. Besides Pakistan, the co-sponsors included: Algeria,
Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Brunei,
Darussalam, Cameroon, Egypt, Eritrea, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya,
Malaysia, Niger, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Somalia,
Thailand and the United Arab Emirates.

The resolution requests the Commission on Human Rights to continue to
give special attention to the violation of human rights, especially
the right to self-determination, resulting from foreign military
intervention, aggression or occupation. It also requests the Secretary
General to report to the 60th Session of the General Assembly on
this question.

The resolution will now go to the Plenary of the General Assembly
for adoption before end of the current session.

Armenia Fund, Inc
111 Jackson Street
Glendale, CA 91205
818.243.6222

Contact: Sarkis Kotanjian
[email protected]

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 26, 2004

Armenia Fund’s Annual Thanksgiving Day Telethon Raises Over $11Million

Glendale, CA (November 26) – Armenia Fund, Inc. (AFI) set a fundraising
record on Thanksgiving Day by raising over $11 million (final total
pending) during its live, 12-hour international broadcast event –
Telethon 2004 Make It Happen.

Airing Thursday, November 25 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 pm, the telethon
raised funds to complete the crucial North-South “Backbone” Highway and
provide for vital infrastructure projects in Armenia and Karabakh. “We
are truly grateful for the support and commitment the international
Armenian community has shown. Telethon 2004 was a grassroots,
world-wide community effort that will help secure a prosperous future
for Armenia and Karabakh,” said Maria Mehranian, chairperson, AFI.

Telethon 2004 was broadcast to over 45 million households in 24
cities throughout the United States and Canada, as well as to major
capitols and cities in Europe, South America, the Middle East, the
CIS and Armenia.

Detailed information/photos/interviews about Telethon 2004 will
be released. For more information call 818.243.6222 or visit

Armenia Fund, Inc., a non-profit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporation,
is the US West coast affiliate of the “Hayastan” All-Armenia Fund
(HAAF). Established in 1994 to facilitate humanitarian assistance
to Armenia and Karabakh, HAAF has administered over $100 million in
humanitarian, rehabilitation and construction aid through the united
efforts of Armenian communities internationally.

###

POLITICAL FIGURES COMMENTING ON KARABAKHI CONFLICT

A1+
26-11-2004

“Karabakhi issue is politicized so much that it reached a deadlock”,
Aram Gaspari Sargssyan, Chairman of “Democratic Party of Armenia”,
said at the discussions on Karabakhi conflict. He supports the idea
of changing the political line – Karabakh returns to the negotiation
table.

“Justice” Bloc member Shavarsh Kocharyan is sure that the territories
where the Armenian Forces are located are considered occupied just
because of moving Karabakh out of the negotiation process.

Political figure Albert Baghdasaryan wondered whether Armenia and
Karabakh adopt the policy to support NK independence or NKR joining
Armenia. He answered his own question – “No”.

He doesn’t believe that the issue is settled inside Armenia. “It is
necessary to invite Russian Chairman of Minsk Group, to listen to
him and to find out at what price our ‘strategic partner’ will sell
our historical land”, he says.

Khosrov Harutyunyan, Chairman of Christian and Democratic Union
wondered if we want to solve the problem. “We must do everything
possible that the conflict is viewed as the Azerbaijani-Karabakhi
one. We must be guarantors of arrangements”, he announced.

However, Khosrov Harutyunyan, Shavarsh Kocharyan and Aram Gaspari
Sargssyan are sure that a legitimate power is necessary for the
country to settle the NK conflict.

AZERI LEADER TELLS OSCE ENVOY ARMENIA TRYING TO DELAY KARABAKH SOLUTION

Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
26 Nov 04

Armenia is trying to delay the Karabakh peace process again,
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev told the visiting OSCE Parliamentary
Assembly rapporteur on Nagornyy Karabakh, Goran Lennmarker, today.

Saying that Armenia is not taking serious steps towards resolving the
conflict, the head of state added that this was why the negotiations
between the two countries’ presidents and foreign ministers are
yielding no fruit.

Ilham Aliyev said the Council of Europe and other international
organizations are closely involved in the process of settling the
conflict and expressed the hope that the OSCE Minsk Group would step
up its effort as well.

Azeri paper slams OSCE mediators for not condemning Armenia as aggressor

Zerkalo, Baku
25 Nov 04

Excerpt from R. Mirgadirov and M. Yasaroglu report by Azerbaijani
newspaper Zerkalo on 25 November headlined “The stances of Armenia
and the co-chairs coincide” and subheaded “Both are against discussing
the Karabakh problem outside the OSCE Minsk Group”

The 59th session of the UN General Assembly in New York discussed
the situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan on 24 November.

[Passage omitted: debates in the UN on Azerbaijan’s draft proposal
on the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict]

In essence, Armenian officials do not even try to hide their concern
regarding the discussion of the Karabakh issue outside the OSCE Minsk
Group. The vice-speaker of the Armenian parliament, Tigran Torosyan,
was rather outspoken on this issue when he presented the outcomes of
the 17 November Paris session of the PACE [Parliamentary Assembly of
the Council of Europe] political committee. He said that there are
no obstacles to including the Karabakh issue in the agenda of the
PACE winter session.

He said that the Nagornyy Karabakh resolution which was passed at
the emergency session of the PACE political committee contained some
points which were unfavourable and had to be changed. In particular,
they include a sentence which turns the previous call to the
Azerbaijani authorities to establish ties with Nagornyy Karabakh’s
political leadership into a call to establish ties between the two
communities. In this connection, the head of Armenia’s PACE delegation
said it is important to conduct active work in this regard.

So, it is time to answer the question why Armenia would lose out if the
Karabakh conflict is discussed outside the framework of the OSCE Minsk
Group. It is very simple. The OSCE, including the Minsk Group which it
has created, is tackling the practical aspects of settling the Karabakh
conflict on the basis of the mandate, or more precisely, the four UN
Security Council resolutions on the issue. The co-chairs of the OSCE,
namely Russia, America and France, have long and well forgotten about
the basic demands of those resolutions and are in effect engaged in
“creative activities” by proposing various solutions to the conflict.

But the most important point is that since the Minsk Group is a
temporarily created OSCE structure to act as a mediator to resolve the
Karabakh conflict, it is unable to give an internationally recognized
political and legal assessment of the actions of the sides to the
conflict.

This situation absolutely suits Armenia. When proposing various
solutions to the conflict, the OSCE co-chairs always hint that
Azerbaijan will at any rate have to make major concessions, considering
the “current realities”, that is to put it simply, the occupation of
a chunk of Azerbaijani territory by Armenia. They did not even hold
the fact of the occupation of an independent state against Armenia.

Now, with a cease-fire regime which is more than 10 years old, when
the Karabakh conflict is discussed in organizations outside the reach
of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, it becomes necessary to answer the
foremost question: who has occupied 16 per cent of Azerbaijan, which
is in itself a flagrant violation of international legal norms? And
every time, regardless of sympathies or antipathies, the international
community has to unequivocally reply – Armenia! Consequently, this
results in the condemnation by the international community – be it the
UN or PACE – of the fact of aggression against a sovereign state and of
the occupation of its territories with all the ensuing ramifications.

Incidentally, such a course of events does not suit the interests of
the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs. A clear definition by the international
community of the fact of aggression and occupation of territories
by Armenia deprives the co-chairs, who have their own geopolitical
interests in the region, of the room for manoeuvre. Because in
this case it will become difficult to “pressure” the victim of the
aggression and demand that in order to resolve the conflict it make
concessions that would go against its sovereignty.

Solidarity hero joins the men trying to organise a peaceful revolution
By Arnold Krushelnycky in Kiev

Belfast Telegraph
Nov 26, 2004

Yuriy Kostenko’ dark Toyota limousine slid along the sometimes steep,
snow-covered streets of the Ukrainian capital. His driver, Volodya,
relegated to the back seat, grumbled.

Mr Kostenko is in a rush these days and often jumps into the driver’s
seat before Volodya can stop him. Mr Kostenko, 50, is leader of
the People’s Party, and one of the closest political allies of the
pro-democracy opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko, the man at the
centre of the political storm gripping Ukraine that has even drawn
in that old political warhorse Lech Walesa.

As Mr Yushchenko leading ally, Mr Kostenko’s days have been manic as
he stokes the mood of thousands of protesters. Their camp is preparing
for power and a possible revolution.

Sometimes, Volodya doesn’t even make the back seat of Mr Kostenko’s
limo. Yesterday, his boss left without him. “I know it annoys him a
bit but, right now, driving myself is the only way I have to relax
for a few minutes,” Mr Kostenko said.

He talked in measured tones, sometimes raising his eyebrows and
grinning as his mobile phone brought yet another call. The drive took
him to his office in parliament where he looked through a pile of
faxes and took note of a long list of messages logged by his secretary.

The office is lined with photographs of mountains and climbers. Mr
Kostenko is an accomplished mountaineer, having tackled the Alps,
the Andes and the Caucasus. He is also a potholer and in 1988 he
volunteered to rescue victims of an earthquake that had hit Armenia. He
remembers fondly some of the British rescue teams he met there.

The fitness that climbing demands probably gives him the reserves of
energy to keep going on the less than four hours’ sleep he has had
each night since Saturday.

The next stop was one of the buildings the opposition uses for its
meetings in the old city near one of Europe’s first universities, the
Kiev Mohyla Academy. Here the atmosphere crackled as young volunteers
worked furiously.

Clad in orange sweaters, dresses, hats, boots, ribbons, scarves ­ some
of the women also had orange nails ­ they rushed around, focused but
quick to smile for Mr Kostenko who greeted them all with affection.

Next, he made for a meeting with the Polish Solidarity leader Mr
Walesa, who was in Kiev to lend support. With Mr Yushcehnko and other
close aides, the small group discussed the unfolding drama which Mr
Walesa said he hoped would lead to Ukrainian democracy. He was sped
to Kiev’s main street where he made a pledge of support in front of
a cheering crowd of 200,000.

Moving on, Mr Kostenko fielded calls from all around Ukraine as local
organisers of the opposition movement looked for news. Government-run
television channels and newspapers were saying little about the
political turmoil. Mr Yanukovych himself has said “nothing unusual
is happening”.

The election commission proclaimed Mr Yanukovych the winner on
Wednesday by a slim margin. Mr Kostenko said: “That was ominous
because it meant that they were ready to use violence. Perhaps it
will come to that, but I am still optimistic we can overturn

the results and get true democracy for Ukraine without bloodshed.”

Mr Kostenko, who studied engineering, was a prominent member of
Ukraine’s independence movement in the 1980s. He became a minister
a decade ago in a government run by the outgoing President, Leonid
Kuchma, who nominated Mr Yanukovych as his successor.

He was responsible for talks to rid Ukraine of the nuclear arsenal it
inherited from the Soviet Union and also for getting help in handling
the effects of the Chernobyl reactor explosion. Eventually he could
no longer bear to work for Mr Kuchma; he was one of the few ministers
who resigned rather than being fir ed.

He drove on and smiled as a phone call confirmed that another local
administration had declared it would only recognise Mr Yushchenko
as president.

“You can see that the people, all ages, all walks of life, are with
us,” he said. “Ukraine has been waiting for this moment for a long
time and they are not going to lose the opportunity for real freedom
and real dignity.”

As he got out of the car at one stop a young man, one of the hundreds
of thousands of opposition supporters occupying the centre of Kiev,
ran towards him. He recognised Mr Kostenko and asked him to sign the
Ukrainian flag draped around his shoulders. Mr Kostenko asked his
name and signed the flag, adding “Glory to Ukraine”.

Next stop was at a former union building on Khreschatyk Street,
surrounded by a growing crowd of opposition supporters. The political
council chaired by Mr Yushchenko was meeting, incorporating the
Committee for National Salvation formed on Wednesday. It was held
behind closed doors.

After several hours Mr Yushchenko emerged to reveal: “Ukraine’s
intelligence agency is coming over to our side and the Supreme Court
has cast doubt on the election results.” Then, flanked by Mr Walesa
and Mr Kostenko, he said: “We’re creating a national guard. We’ve
had hundreds of soldiers and militiamen asking who they should report
to. They want Yushchenko as commander-in-chief.”

Soon, officers of the militia came on stage to declare their allegiance
to Mr Yushchenko. The crowd cheered. Afterwards, Mr Kostenko, who is
married with a son, said he needed a break: “I think I can meet my
wife for 15 minutes.”

–Boundary_(ID_7Ah3mv47NPuYIMeAkviEaQ)–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FACTIONS LEADERS DISAGREE ON SENDING ARMENIAN CONTINGENT TO IRAQ

25.11.2004 18:36

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ G. Sahakian, the head of the Republican Party
of Armenia forming the ruling coalition, stated during today’s
press conference that not only he, but also all Armenian people
are against sending Armenian servicemen to Iraq. Representatives of
Justice and National Unity opposition blocs were also against the
sending while members of Dashnaktsutyun and Orinats Yerkir factions
refrained from expressing their opinion. To remind, on September 6,
2004 Armenian and Polish Presidents Robert Kocharian and Alexander
Kwasniewski signed an agreement on security cooperation according to
which Armenian contingent consisting of 50 medical officers, combat
engineers and drivers are to be sent to Iraq early next year to
join the coalition forced under the Polish command. Both Armenia and
Diaspora are seriously concerned over the issue since this measure
can jeopardize the security of the Armenian communities numbering
many thousands of people in Iraq and other Islamic counties.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress