PRESS RELEASE
Armenian National Committee
Eastern Region
69-23 47th Avenue
Woodside, NY 11377
Contact: Doug Geogerian
Tel: 917-428-1918
Fax: 123-456-7890
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

Boston – National Book Award winning author and professor Dr. Robert Jay
Lifton will give a public lecture on the psychology behind the atrocities at
Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, October 14, at 7:30pm, Gutman Conference Center
of Harvard University. 6 Appian Way. Dr. Lifton will look back to historical
precedents by discussing Turkish resistance to his comparison of the
Armenian Genocide and the Holocaust, while taking a critical look at the war
in Iraq. Professor Henry Theriault of Worcester State College will
introduce Dr. Lifton.

As a scholar, Dr. Lifton has spoken out against Turkish denial of the
Armenian Genocide on numerous occasions. In his book The Nazi Doctors:
Medical Killing and the Psychology of Genocide, Dr. Lifton referred to the
Turkish doctors who participated in the Armenian Genocide. This prompted
the Turkish Ambassador to send a letter criticizing Lifton for his
indictment of Turkish perpetration. Accidentally enclosed with the letter
was a memo written by Professor Heath Lowry to the Turkish Ambassador
explaining an inside strategy for denying the Armenian Genocide in general,
showing that Lowry was nothing more than an arm for the Turkish government.
Dr. Lifton with Roger Smith and Eric Markusen wrote an article analyzing the
letter and exposing how the Turkish government had exploited academic
corruption to deny the Armenian Genocide. They were key in the Armenian
National Committee’s campaign to try and get Princeton to revoke Lowry’s
position as Ataturk Chair of Turkish Studies at Princeton.

In his talk, Dr. Lifton will draw on psychological studies to explain
America’s excessive response to the apocalyptic violence of Al-Qaeda. He
will examine how America’s “Superpower Syndrome” influenced the war in Iraq
and led to the psychological environment that produced the Abu Ghraib
scandal. Finally, he will argue that a change in the Administration is
necessary for America to overcome this syndrome, resume old alliances, and
assume a more peaceful stance in the world. Dr. Lifton is the author most
recently of Superpower Syndrome: America’s Apocalyptic Confrontation with
the World, from Nation Books, which describes two competing visions –
Islamist and American – each aimed at massive destruction in the name of
global purification and renewal.

Dr. Lifton is the visiting professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical
School. From 1995 he has been conducting psychological research on the
problem of apocalyptic violence, focusing on Aum Shinrikyo, the extremist
Japanese cult that released poison gas on Tokyo subways. He is the author of
many books including Destroying the World to Save It: Aum Shinrikyo,
Apocalyptic Violence and the New Global Terrorism and The Nazi Doctors:
Medical Killing and the Psychology of Genocide. Dr. Lifton has also written
on the Armenian genocide, drawing comparisons with the Jewish holocaust.

A book signing with Dr. Lifton will follow the event. Doors open at 7 PM.
Please call to reserve camera positions and to receive media credentials.

HOMELESS PEOPLE GATHERED IN ANGRY PROTEST OUTSIDE YEREVAN CITY HALL

A1 Plus | 16:31:20 | 12-10-2004 | Social |

Yerevan mayor Yervand Zakaryan promised the people driven from their
homes because of construction of Northern Avenue in Armenia’s capital
to think over the problem and make compromising decisions by Monday.

Monday passed with no sign of imminent progress. On Tuesday, homeless
citizens once again gathered outside City Hall, demanding bigger
compensation. They said 50 families evicted from their homes had
signed a contract on a paltry compensation. The demonstrators say
they signed the contract under “red berets” pressure and were forced
to leave their homes.

The protesters are now waiting to be received by the municipality. No
response is got so far.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version:

His Holiness Aram I and Archbishop Hammar

Emphasize the Importance of Ecumenical Collaboration

Antelias, Lebanon – His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great
House of Cilicia, who was the official guest of the Church of Sweden,
had several meetings with various leaders of the Church of Sweden,
including diocesan archbishops.

Included in the high-level meetings and consultations was a
meeting with the head of the Lutheran Church of Sweden, Archbishop
K. G. Hammar. The two church leaders emphasized the current importance
of the Ecumenical Movement and inter-church dialogue.

The Catholicos also spoke candidly and in detail about the Armenian
Genocide and the rights of the Armenian people. The two church leaders
have been friends for many years and five years ago Archbishop Hammar
visited Antelias, the seat of the Cilician See.

During his visit to Sweden, His Holiness had meetings with leaders of
other church denominations, as well as with leaders of the European
Conference of churches.

In spite of his extensive and busy schedule, His Holiness granted
interviews to the media. He spoke about Christian-Moslem dialogue,
the situation in the Middle East, the Armenian Genocide, and the
Ecumenical Movement.

##

View printable pictures here:

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The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates
of the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the
Ecumenical activities 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.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version:

“Dialogue and Cooperation among Religions

Essential for the World Today”

Affirms His Holiness Aram I

Antelias, Lebanon – Hundreds of students, professors, and Swedish
citizens attended a lecture delivered by His Holiness Aram I,
Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia, at the University of Uppsala,
Sweden. Included in the large audience was Archbishop K. G. Hammar,
the head of the Lutheran Church of Sweden, as well as a number of
prominent bishops and theologians.

His Holiness’s lecture was on the inter-religious dialogue and its
implications on Ecumenical Movement. The Catholicos described the
meaning of religion in various contexts. He covered three basic points:
1. Living Together. 2. Reflecting Together. 3. Working Together. He
emphasized the importance of dialogue, as a way of life in the
world today.

At the conclusion of his lecture, His Holiness answered questions
from the audience. The lecture was followed with a reception in
the University’s large reception hall where the President of the
University praised His Holiness’s visit and expressed thanks for his
role in promotion of theological education, as well as for his efforts
to expand inter-church and inter-religious dialogue. The President
presented His Holiness with a distinguished gift from the University
in the presence of more than 100 lecturers.

##

View printable pictures here:

********

The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates
of the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the
Ecumenical activities 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.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Armenian version:

Catholicos Aram I Receives Highest Honor

from the Church of Sweden

Antelias, Lebanon – His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House
of Cilicia, received the highest award given by the Church of Sweden,
on October 2, 2004, during a dinner given in his honor in Uppsala,
Sweden. The award was presented by the head of the Church of Sweden,
Archbishop K. G. Hammar.

In presenting the award, Archbishop Hammar said, “Only three
individuals, the last being Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa,
have received this award, and you are the fourth. We decided to
present this award to you in recognition and appreciation of your
important contribution to the worldwide Ecumenical Movement”.

His Holiness expressed his thanks for this great honor. He spoke about
the Armenian Church and people, especially the will of the people to
survive in the aftermath of the Genocide and the important role played
by the Church. He also focused on the importance of the Ecumenical
Movement which he described as a means to strengthen inter-church
cooperation. He praised the role of the Church of Sweden in the
Ecumenical Movement and particularly in the WCC.

His Holiness arrived in Stockholm on October 1, where he was welcomed
by the head of the Church and a representative of the Lebanese Embassy.

The next day His Holiness attended the annual assembly of the Church
of Sweden where he delivered a lecture about Christian unity.

##

View printable pictures here:

top

********

The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates
of the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the
Ecumenical activities 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.

MONEY FOR BUILDING HIGHWAY IN KARABAKH WILL COME FROM THE U.S.

A1 plus
12-10-2004

Nagorno-Karabakh Republic PM Anushavan Danelyan flew to the United
States last week’s Friday to participate in the preparation for TV
marathon to be held by Hayastan, worldwide Armenian fund, in November
to raise money for building North-South highway in Karabakh.

In his speech, Anushavan Danelyan expressed his gratitude to Armenian
community in San-Francisco for supporting Karabakh and participation
in Hayastan fund’s programs. The premier underlined strategic and
economic importance of North-South highway.

Pointing out the considerable progress in the republic economy,
Danelyan said favorable environment for business is created in
Karabakh. He said offshore investments for the last years make 50
million USD.

The PM also answered the questions about Azerbaijan’s bellicose
statements, migration problems, mine detection in Karabakh’s
territory and development of communications.

Yerevan objects to Turkey’s role in Karabakh settlement

11 Oct 04

Yerevan. (Interfax-AVN) – Armenia objects to Turkey’s participation
in the current phase of the Karabakh settlement, Foreign Minister
Vardan Oskanian told a Monday press conference.

“We rule out Turkish participation in the current phase,” he said.

Oskanian said Ankara might play a positive role in later phases of
the Karabakh settlement.

Armenian President Robert Kocharian and Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev have not made a decision on preliminary agreements on a Karabakh
settlement, which the foreign ministers reached over recent months,
he said.

“It seems the presidents need another meeting and discussion of the
proposals,” he said. The two leaders will also determine the further
course of negotiations, he said.

Oskanian said he reached preliminary agreements with his Azerbaijani
counterpart that might serve as the core of a Karabakh settlement.

The Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents are considering the
proposals. If they are approved, negotiations on a Karabakh settlement
will enter their second phase, he said.

Azerbaijan lost control of Nagorno-Karabakh in a bloody conflict with
Armenia in the 1990s.

Armenian president names new envoy to Egypt

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
11 Oct 04

By a decree of Armenian President Robert Kocharyan, Armenian ambassador
to Egypt, Sergey Manasaryan, has been recalled.

Under another presidential decree, Ruben Karapetyan has been appointed
the ambassador to Egypt.

Los Angeles Daily News, CA
Oct 11 2004

A new gang problem

Russian-Armenian organized crime ‘like the 1930s New York mob’

By Jason Kandel
Staff Writer

GLENDALE — It wasn’t the price of cucumbers but murder that Eddy
Gyulnazaryan and his pals were talking about that day back in March
2001 in the backroom of his Atlas Pick pickle factory.

Rival Russian-Armenian gangs were at war and Gyulnazaryan, a beefy
40-year-old family man with the gift of gab, wanted some people
killed.

As he fired off several rounds into a stack of phone books,
Gyulnazaryan made an offer that couldn’t be refused — a $5,000
contract to “eliminate” a man who had gotten under his skin.

What Gyulnazaryan didn’t know was that one of the pals was wired. He
had turned and become a confidential informant working with an
organized crime task force that was able to use this information to
win convictions of the ringleader and five others on charges of
solicitation of murder.

At least 14 murders, 100 attempted killings and seven kidnappings
have been blamed on Russian-Armenian gangsters operating across the
San Fernando Valley region since 2000. The groups are fueled by
lucrative white collar frauds — including credit card, immigration,
auto insurance, cigarette tax evasion, identity theft, welfare and
health care.

“They’re very much organized criminals. They’re very violent. They’re
dangerous,” said Glendale police Sgt. Steve Davey, who heads the
Eurasian Organized Crime Task Force, comprising federal, state and
local authorities. “They’re not afraid of using violence to solve
their disputes. They shoot up homes and cars. It’s like the 1930s New
York mob.”

According to court documents and interviews, Gyulnazaryan wanted to
hire hit men to kill four unidentified men, two from Long Beach.
There also was a plan to hire jailed Latino gang members to kill two
of his rivals, Emil Airapetian 25, and Armen Sharopetrosian, 26, who
were also in jail.

Authorities said “there have been many documented shootings” between
the rival Russian-Armenian gangs in recent years.

Police said in court documents that they believed Gyulnazaryan’s
group was “heavily involved in credit card fraud, MediCal and
Medicare fraud, check fraud, drug trafficking, extortion and numerous
shootings, assaults and other violent crimes … and have access to
large sums of money obtained through their various criminal
enterprises.”

A break in the case The FBI got their break when Gyulnazaryan asked
one of his closest allies, with whom he had previously worked on auto
insurance fraud scams, if he would carry out a hit.

That man, who was not identified, had been an informant for the FBI
before. From then on, he agreed to wear a wire and secretly record
conversations among the group.

Offers of up to $20,000 were made to “eliminate” members of rival
criminal organizations. But the jailhouse killings proved too
complicated to carry out.

In March 2003, police raided the homes of Gyulnazaryan and his
associates Gayk Tadevosyan, 40; Gagik Galoyan, 55; Anthony Armenta,
25; Andranik Safaryan, 24; and Edgar Hatamian, 23. Gyulnazaryan
pleaded no contest Thursday to solicitation of murder charges and was
sentenced to 15 years in prison. The others pleaded no contest to
solicitation of murder charges and were sentenced to prison terms
ranging from three to nine years. Galoyan received a nine-year
suspended prison sentence and five years’ probation.

Galoyan had grown up with Gyulnazaryan in Armenia and went into
business with him at the pickle factory, which closed down two years
ago.

“These guys have come from Armenia. They have known each other for
years. They have grown up with each other,” said Galoyan’s attorney,
Fred Minassian. “My client is known in the Armenian community as an
elder statesman. In no way is he a mobster.”

Gyulnazaryan’s attorney, Michael Levin, said his client is not
violent and did not head up an organized crime ring.

“My client has got a big mouth. He likes to talk. But what the
(police) got on tape makes him sound like Tony Soprano,” he said.
“He’s a hard-working family man.”

Russian mob history Authorities said Russian mobs became more and
more prevalent in the United States in the 1990s as people from
former Soviet bloc countries began emigrating here. They settled in
New York, Brighton Beach, Fla., and Los Angeles. Up to 6,000 people
are connected with 15 loosely organized crime groups in the United
States that include Ukrainians, Lithuanians and, locally, Armenians.

In Glendale, where about a third of the 204,000 residents are
Armenian, police estimate that there are about 500 Armenian criminals
connected to organized crime.

Police have been challenged in trying to crack the rings because of a
lack of resources, a lack of familiarity with the culture and victims
too afraid to report the crimes.

Sukharenko Alexander, a senior fellow of the Organized Crime Study
Center of the Far East State University, said Russian-Armenian
syndicates are part of large international crime networks. They have
seemingly infinite resources and escape routes to countries with no
extradition treaties.

“This allows them to launder huge amounts of money, smuggle drugs and
stolen vehicles, and import criminals to carry out contract murders
and fraud,” Alexander said.

Los Angeles County sheriff’s Detective Alex Gilinets, who works the
Major Crimes Bureau, said the groups are not always bound by strict
rules or regulations like the old-time mobs and can be more violent.

“It’s, who can I make my next big buck with?” Gilinets said.

Sara Vinson, a criminal intelligence analyst with the state Justice
Department’s Eurasian Organized Crime unit, said victims are too
scared to come forward.

“Their fear of organized crime groups is bigger than their fear of
our criminal justice system,” Vinson said. “A lot of them have family
back home that they can’t protect, and they have that hanging over
their head.”

LAPD Detective Martin Pinner is having a hard time getting witnesses
to come forward from a murder in North Hollywood. Karapet
Ksadzhikyan, 50, was ambushed by two men in a suspected mob hit as he
walked to his bread delivery truck outside his home in the 13000
block of Archwood Street on Nov. 24.

“No one cooperates,” he said. “No one’s saying anything. No one knows
anything.”

Glendale police and city officials, including Mayor Bob Yousefian,
himself an Iranian-Armenian-American, has been pushing for more cops,
especially Armenian-speaking officers, to fight the scourge.

But they face an uphill battle. Many deny there is an organized crime
problem.

“We don’t have the manpower to dedicate officers to task forces,”
Yousefian said.

“We’re getting to the point that we have this huge elephant standing
in the middle of the room, and we all have closed our eyes. Everybody
is saying there is no elephant there. We have an issue. We need to
deal with it.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

We have to solve our problems on our own

Editorial
Yerkir/am
October 08, 2004

If you can remember any instances when the Azeri, Georgian or Turkish
media used publications in the Armenian press, statements made by
the Armani politicians or research works of the Armenian analysts in
order to criticize their countriesâ^À^Ù policies or leadership then
you can stop reading this article.

We want to speak about those Armenian â^À^Üanalystsâ^À^Ý, politicians,
journalists and media that suffer from excessive inclination towards
foreign sources, those who like referring to such sources in order to
ground their â^À^Üanalysisâ^À^Ý of the political processes in Armenia.

Not all the countries can boast that any hostile statements
(hostile and not critical) about the country and its politics can
immediately appear in the media of that country that are so obsessed
with freedom of speech. It is really absurd to see that Armenian
media refer to Azeri newspapers in their articles on the Armenian
opposition. Naturally, journalists who write such articles had to
address a Georgianâ^À^Ùs statement on the legitimacy of the Armenian
president.

We say this is natural because some of our political leaders tend
to use the foreign analystsâ^À^Ù opinions to back up their own
assessments of the political situation in the country. They are simply
not able to understand one reality that is clear for any person who
has self-respect and dignity â^À^Ó whether our state, our political
leadership or our opposition are good or bad, this is our job and
the foreigners are not in a position to teach us on this issue. If
democracy in Armenia is not on an adequate level, Azerbaijani Mili
Mejlis deputy is not the proper person to improve the situation.

And before agreeing with him, the Armenian National Assembly deputy
should realize that Armeniaâ^À^Ùs democratization is hardly the main
concern for Azerbaijan, doubtlessly an â^À^Üexemplarâ^À^Ý democratic
country. With the same logic, legitimacy in our country is not the
main concern of our other neighbor.

Let us repeat â^À^Ó this does not mean that everything in Armenia is
going smoothly in terms of democracy or that there are no reasons
for criticism. But this is our job, these are our problems and our
drawbacks, and we have to solve them ourselves.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress