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07/19/2004
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1-Schiff Critical of Speaker Hastert’s Opposition to Armenian Genocide
Amendment
2-Armenian Editor Murdered in Moscow
3-ARS Convention Adjourns, Elects Western Region Executive
4-New Clashes on Ossetia Border
5-NEWS BRIEFS
1-Schiff Critical of Speaker Hastert’s Opposition to Armenian Genocide
Amendment
House leadership vow to take Schiff Amendment out of final bill, block
Armenian
genocide resolution
WASHINGTON, DC–California Congressman Adam Schiff responded on Friday, to a
joint statement by House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, Majority Leader Tom DeLay,
and Majority Whip Roy Blunt, opposing the Schiff amendment on the Armenian
Genocide.
In their statement, the House Majority Leadership conveyed their
determination
to drop the Schiff amendment from the final version of the FY 2005 Foreign
Operations Appropriations bill (HR 4818), and intend to block the
consideration
of HR 193–a resolution officially recognizing the Armenian Genocide–for the
remainder of the 108th Congress.
“These are completely unacceptable positions of the House Majority
Leadership,” Congressman Schiff said. “To stand in the way of acknowledging
the
Armenian Genocide is to deny the memory of 1.5 million victims.”
On Thursday, the House of Representatives voted to adopt an amendment
sponsored by Congressman Schiff to the House version of the Foreign Operations
spending bill. The amendment prohibits the government of Turkey from using US
foreign aid to lobby against HR 193, a resolution that officially recognizes
the Armenian Genocide and marks the 15th anniversary of President Ronald
Reagan
signing the 1987 Genocide Convention Implementation Act (Also known as the
Proxmire Actthis put the United States on record as being strongly opposed to
the heinous crime of genocide).
HR 193 passed the House Judiciary Committee on May 22, 2003, shortly after
its
introduction on April 10, 2003. Since then, the resolution has languished on
the House calendar for over a year.
Congressman Schiff, who has consistently fought for official US
recognition of
the Armenian genocide, said he firmly believes in the appropriate and accurate
commemoration of the event.
“Our relationship with Turkey is important,” Congressman Schiff wrote, “but
that relationship must not compel us to acquiesce in a shameful unwillingness
by Turkey to confront the actions of its Ottoman forbears…
“I am deeply troubled by your assertion that you will not schedule HR 193 for
consideration by the House of Representatives. Your refusal to allow the
genocide resolution to be brought up for a vote directly contradicts your
promise, made in a meeting with Armenian-American community leaders in my
congressional district in 2000, that you would bring the Armenian Genocide
Resolution to a floor vote in the United States House of Representatives.
“Mr. Speaker, we are still waiting and the world is watching. You may not
attach great importance to memorializing the 1.5 million victims of the
Armenian Genocide. Yesterday evening, the House said otherwise.”
Congressman Schiff is a Member of the Congressional Armenian Caucus, a
co-founder of the Democratic Study Group on National Security and a member of
both the House Judiciary and International Relations committees. He represents
California’s 29th Congressional District, which includes the communities of
Alhambra, Altadena, Burbank, East Pasadena, East San Gabriel, Glendale,
Monterey Park, Pasadena, San Gabriel, South Pasadena and Temple City.
2-Armenian Editor Murdered in Moscow
MOSCOW (The Independent)–The Armenian editor of the Russian-language monthly
Armyansky Pereulok (Armenian Lane), magazine focusing on Armenian issues was
beaten and stabbed to death Saturday, and his body dumped on the outskirts of
Moscow, police said.
The killing of Pailag Peloyan, comes barely a week after Paul Klebnikov, the
US editor of the Russian version of Forbes magazine, was gunned down in cold
blood. Nobody has been arrested for his murder.
Peloyan’s body was found dumped by the side of the city’s outer ring road or
MKAD far from the city center on Saturday morning.
He had multiple stab wounds in the chest and had been savagely beaten; his
skull was cracked and his face covered in blood and bruises.
Information about his last movements is sketchy, though he is known to have
died between two and three o’clock on Saturday morning and his body lay
undiscovered for at least four hours.
Investigators say they have scanned the crime scene in order to gain clues
about the act and prosecutors have opened a criminal case into the killing.
They are not ruling out the possibility that Peloyan was murdered because of
his professional activity.
In contrast to the late Klebnikov, however, Peloyan’s work appears relatively
uncontroversial. While the dead American journalist made waves by publicizing
the names of Russia’s wealthiest people and delving into their often
insalubrious financial affairs, Peloyan’s magazine was an arts publication.
Peloyan’s magazine carried features about literature, the arts and history and
included prose and poetry from Armenian writers. Nobody was answering the
phones at the magazine’s Moscow office yesterday.
Klebnikov was killed in a drive-by shooting by at least two gunmen and
died in
a hail of bullets just yards from his office. His murder had all the hallmarks
of a contract killing.
An online news site, the Russia Journal, spoke yesterday of “an undeclared
war
against media representatives” and claimed that Russian and foreign
journalists
had become an endangered species in Moscow.
It said: “These two senseless killings have once again put the issue of
journalists’ safety in Russia back on the agenda and raised well-founded
concerns among representatives of the fourth estate.
“This is not because killing journalists is a rarity in Moscow or in
Russia at
large but two murders of journalists in less than 10 days in a city that is
not
at war is something unusual, even by Russian standards.” The Russian media
itself made far less of Peloyan’s murder, possibly because as an Armenian
hailing from a part of the former Soviet Union once ruled by the Russians, he
would not be considered a bona fide foreigner like Klebnikov.
It is estimated that two million Armenians live in Russia and the two
countries have a close relationship going back hundreds of years. Officials at
the Armenian Embassy in Moscow said that they were profoundly shocked by
Peloyan’s murder. “Naturally we learned of this information with great
regret,”
Armen Gevondyan, the embassy press secretary, told Interfax news agency.
“We are taking all the measures we can together with Russia’s law enforcement
authorities to ascertain the circumstances of Peloyan’s death.” Peloyan is the
16th journalist to be murdered in Russia since 2000. The US-based Committee to
Protect Journalists says the country is one of the deadliest places to be a
reporter. It addressed an open letter to Putin after Klebnikov’s killing,
complaining about “the climate of lawlessness and impunity.”
“Cases [of journalists being killed] have not been properly investigated or
prosecuted, a testament to the ongoing lawlessness in Russia and your failure
to reform the country’s weak and politicized criminal justice system,” it
said.
3-ARS Convention Adjourns, Elects Western Region Executive
GLENDALE (ARS)–After three days of reviewing fiscal year activities, and
targeting new projects and goals for the coming year, the 84th convention of
the Armenian Relief Society, Western Region ended on July 18. As its last
order
of business, the convention elected four new members to its executive body:
Angela Savoian, Nanig Kupelian, Rita Hintlian and Maral Nashalian, to replace
Nova Hindoyan, Asdghik Tejirian, Gitarig Kocharian and Nora Sherikian whose
terms have ended.
At the conclusion of the convention, the new ARS Regional Executive body,
along with convention co-chairs Maro Chalian-Reed and Nairi Derderian, ARC
Central Executive representative Hasmig Derderian, and Regional Executive
members still serving terms, held its first meeting to elect members to
executive posts.
The body elected Angela Savoian (chair), Sona Madarian (vice chair), Rita
Hintlian (secretary), Knar Avedisian (treasurer), and Alice Yeghiayan,
Serpouhi
Meserlian, Vickie Marashlian, Maral Nshanian, Nanig Kupelian (advisors).
The ARS operates in 24 countries throughout Africa, Australia, Europe, the
Middle East, North America, and South America to provide aid and support to
the
educational, social, health and welfare needs of Armenian people through
schools and health and social service centers. Its volunteer force of 18,000
active members throughout the world function according to local governmental
regulations applicable to charitable organizations.
4-New Clashes on Ossetia Border
(BBC)–Clashes have been reported between Georgian troops and separatist
forces
in Georgia’s breakaway South Ossetia region.
Georgian television reported intense shooting near the front line on Sunday.
The territory has seen growing tension recently, with fears of a return to the
civil war of the early 1990s.
But earlier this month Russia, Georgia and South Ossetia agreed not to use
force to try to end their simmering territorial conflict.
Tensions were raised earlier this month when Georgian troops detained a
convoy
of Russian peacekeeping vehicles they claimed were smuggling arms to the
region, while separatists held a group of Georgian soldiers hostage for 24
hours.
South Ossetia split from the rest of Georgia during a civil war at the end of
the Soviet era and now wants to join Russia.
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili has pledged to reunite his fractured
country, by bringing South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another breakaway region,
back
under central authority.
5-NEWS BRIEFS
Saakashvili Visits South Ossetia Conflict Zone
TBILISI (ARMENPRESS)Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili made an
unannounced
visit to the South Ossetian village of Eredvi early on July 19. `I came
here to
observe the situation in the conflict zone. We are capable of dealing with the
forces of breakaway South Ossetia, but now it is important to maintain peace,’
Saakashvili told reporters.
A special center that seeks to coordinate the Georgian government’s
activities
in the breakaway region was recently established in Eredvi. `The President
arrived here to encourage our soldiers,’ Interior Minister Irakli Okruashvili,
who also chairs the special center in Eredvi, told reporters.
Speaking about the Georgian troops, President Saakashvili said, `despite
shots
fired from the South Ossetian side, our soldiers keep patience and did not
respond by opening fire.’
Court of Appeals Upholds Spy Verdicts
YEREVAN (ARMENPRESS)On Monday, an Armenian court of appeals upheld a lower
court’s verdict, which found four Armenian citizens of Russian descent guilty
of espionage. The court determined that the four, who were arrested in August
2002, had served as spies for Azerbaijan since 1993. Nina Shilina, who
prosecutors targeted as the group’s leader, was sentenced to a 15 years prison
term. Shilina’s husband, Edgar Filkov, received a 13 year sentence. Filkov’s
brother, Aleskandar Gasparian, and cousin, Ivetta Filkova, each received 10
year terms. In addition, the courts also found Shilina guilty for the
attempted
bombing of a Yerevan hotel in 1993an incident that security forces managed to
avert. Another man, a former Armenian army officer, Arthur Oganezov, was
sentenced to 18 months.
900 Karabagh High School Graduates Seek University Education
STEPANAKERT (ARMENPRESS)Approximately 900 high school graduates from
throughout Mountainous Karabagh will take Stepanakert University’s entrance
examination on July 20. The country houses only one university.
The university, which has also received applications from students in
Armenia,
Russia, Turkmenistan, Belarus and Ukraine, provides full scholarships to two
hundred of its incoming students. Students at Stepanakert University can
choose
from the thirty areas of concentration the school offers.
Two Expeditions to Seek Noah’s Ark
MOSCOW (ARMENPRESS)A Russian group began an expedition of Mount Ararat last
Saturday. The organizers hope to prove that an object nestled amid the snow
and
ice is Noah’s Ark. The group will present the Turkish authorities an icon of
George the Triumphant, who is thought to be the protector of Caucasian
Mountains. The expedition marks Andrey Polyakov’s second attempt at locating
the ark.
A joint US-Turkish team of 10 explorers also plan to tackle the mountain this
summer in an attempt to uncover a mammoth structure of some 45 feet high, 75
feet wide and about 450 feet long that was partly exposed during last summer’s
European heat wave.
Explorers have long searched for an ark on the high slopes of Mount Ararat,
where the biblical account of the Great Flood places it. In 1957, Turkish air
force pilots spotted a boat-shaped formation in the Agri province. The
government did not pursue the sighting, however. The entire area, including
Mount Ararat, was placed off limits to explorers, after the USSR accused them
of serving as US spies.
Armenia Takes Part in Rescuer/Medceur International Exercises
VILNIUS (ARMENPRESS)Armenian rescuers joined some 400 military and civil
agencies from 13 countries for the Rescuer/Medceur 2004 that began in the
Lithuanian port city of Klaipeda on Monday. The exercises are organized under
NATO’s Partnership for Peace (PfP) program and financed by the US armed forces
in Europe. The program, which focuses on proper responses to human calamities,
natural disasters and acts of terrorism, will come to an end on July 30.
Crimea Authorities Promise to Restore Spendiarov’s Museum
YEREVAN (ARMENPRESS)The Armenian Foreign Ministry said that the ambassador to
Ukraine, Armen Khachatrian, recently paid a visit to the Crimean Autonomous
Republic to discuss the possible development of economic, agricultural, health
and education cooperation with Armenia. The sides also arranged for the
restoration of both Armenian composer Alexander Spendiarov’s house museum and
Yevpatoria’s Armenian church.
German Ambassador Bids Farewell to Karekin II
ETCHMIADZIN (ARMENPRESS)The outgoing German ambassador to Armenia, Hans Wulf
Bartels, visited Etchmiadzin on Monday to bid farewell to Catholicos Karekin
II. In his remarks, Karekin II discussed the positive relations between
Germany
and Armenia and commended the ambassador for his contributions to their
development.
Armenian Nuclear Power Plant to Shut Down for Repairs
METSAMOR (RFE-RL)The Metsamor Nuclear power plant will be shut down
temporarily on August 1. The plant, which produces 35 percent of Armenia’s
energy, will be restarted on October 4. Metsamor is temporarily shut down once
a year for prophylactic work. This time the reactor will be checked, a
procedure that is conducted every four years.
Gagik Markosian, the director of the plant, said that the state of the metal
casing of the reactor will be checked. `The reactor will be unloaded and we
will check the casing of the reactor’ The operation will be performed by the
Czech company, `Skoda.’ `The International Atomic Energy Agency helped us
evaluate the technical needs. And we invited bids [from international
companies] according to those needs,’ Markosian said.
Armenian Tennis Players Shine at Davis Cup
CHISINAU (ARMENPRESS)Last week, eight nations participated in the Davis
CupBNP
Paribas Europe/Africa Zone Group IVthat was held in Chisinau, Moldova. The
tennis players representing Armenia defeated their competitors from Botswana,
Malta, Mauritius, moving on to place the country first in its subgroup.
Three Armenians Eligible to Compete for World Chess Cup
YEREVAN (ARMENPRESS)At least three Armenian chess playersVladimir Hakobian,
Levon Aronian and Karen Asrianwill be eligible to compete for the World Chess
Cup. The Cup, expected to begin in 2005, is a newly designed contest organized
by the World Chess Federation (FIDE). Depending on their rankings at next
year’s European chess championship, additional Armenian chess players may be
included in the World Chess Cup.
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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress