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03/28/2005
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1) Congressional Letter to Bush on Armenian Genocide Gaining Momentum
2) Lebanese President, Catholicos Aram I Meet Amid Growing Tensions
3) Arab Tribal Leaders Arrive in Yerevan
4) Novorossiisk Armenians Fear Continued Persecution
5) Poll Shows Distrust Between Armenians, Turks
6) Armenia Garners First-ever World Cup Win

1) Congressional Letter to Bush on Armenian Genocide Gaining Momentum

WASHINGTON, DC–Bipartisan efforts to urge President Bush to keep his 2000
campaign pledge to properly characterize the Armenian Genocide as “genocide”
continued to grow this week, with over 90 US Representatives having cosigned a
Congressional letter to the White House, reported the Armenian National
Committee of America (ANCA).
Initiated by Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and
Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), the letter calls on President Bush to join House
members “in reaffirming the United States record on the Armenian Genocide” in
his annual April 24th commemorative statement. “By properly recognizing the
terrible atrocities committed against the Armenian people as ‘genocide’ in
your
statement, you will honor the many Americans who helped launch the
unprecedented US diplomatic, political and humanitarian campaign to end the
carnage and protect the survivors.”
Members of Congress joining Representatives Pallone and Knollenberg as
co-signers of the letter, as of Friday, March 25th, include:
Neil Abercrombie (D-HI), Gary Ackerman (D-NY), Tom Allen (D-ME), Robert
Andrews (D-NJ), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Charles Bass (R-NH), Melissa Bean
(D-IL),
Xavier Becerra (D-CA), Howard Berman (D-CA), Michael Bilirakis (R-FL), Sanford
Bishop (D-GA), Tim Bishop (D-NY), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Mary Bono (R-CA),
Jeb
Bradley (R-NH), Ken Calvert (R-CA), Lois Capps (D-CA), Michael Capuano (D-MA),
Benjamin Cardin (D-MD), Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), John Conyers (D-MI), Jim Costa
(D-CA), Jerry Costello (D-IL), Joseph Crowley (D-NY), Susan Davis (D-CA),
William Delahunt (D-MA), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), David Dreier (R-CA), Eliot Engel
(D-NY), Bob Filner (D-CA), Mark Foley (R-FL), Barney Frank (D-MA), Rodney
Frelinghuysen (R-NJ), Scott Garrett (R-NJ), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Maurice
Hinchey (D-NY), Rush Holt (D-NJ), Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Steve Israel (D-NY),
Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Sue Kelly (R-NY), Dale
Kildee (D-MI), Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), James Langevin
(D-RI), John Larson (D-CT), Sander Levin (D-MI), John Lewis (D-GA), Frank
LoBiondo (R-NJ), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Carolyn Maloney
(D-NY), Edward Markey (D-MA), Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), Thaddeus McCotter
(R-MI), Jim McDermott (D-WA), James McGovern (D-MA), Michael McNulty (D-NY),
Martin Meehan (D-MA), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Candice Miller (R-MI), George
Miller (D-CA), Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Devin
Nunes (R-CA), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Collin Peterson (D-MN), George Radanovich
(R-CA), Steven Rothman (D-NJ), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Edward Royce
(R-CA), Linda Sanchez (D-CA), Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), H. James Saxton (R-NJ),
Adam Schiff (D-CA), Joe Schwarz (R-MI), E. Clay Shaw (R-FL), Christopher Shays
(R-CT), Brad Sherman (D-CA), John Shimkus (R-IL), Christopher Smith (R-NJ),
Mark Souder (R-IN), John Sweeney (R-NY), Edolphus Towns (D-NY), Mark Udall
(D-CO), Christopher Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Visclosky (D-IN), Maxine Waters
(D-CA), Diane Watson (D-CA), Henry Waxman (D-CA), Anthony Weiner (D-NY), Joe
Wilson (R-SC), and Lynn Woolsey (D-CA).
Over the past weeks, in statements on the House floor, a number of House
Members have already spoken out about the importance clear and unambiguous US
reaffirmation of the Armenian Genocide, including Armenian Caucus Co-Chair
Frank Pallone and Reps. Michael Bilirakis, Barney Frank, Patrick Kennedy,
James
Langevin, and George Radanovich.
Support for the letter is expected to grow considerably, as the Armenian
American community continues its grassroots campaign to urge legislators to
become signatories. The ANCA launched a WebFax campaign last week, which, in
addition to calling on House Members to cosign this letter, urges activists to
appeal directly to President Bush on this key issue.

2) Lebanese President, Catholicos Aram I Meet Amid Growing Tensions

ANTELIAS (Combined Sources)–On the evening of March 25, His Holiness Aram I
held a lengthy met with President Emile Lahoud to discuss a line of issues
concerning Lebanon’s volatile state.
During the past week, Holiness has also met with France’s Ambassador to
Lebanon Bernard Emie, representatives of the countries opposition, as well as
Prime Minister Omar Karame’s representative Sebouh Hovnanian.
In his meeting with Hovnanian, His Holiness stressed the importance of
stabilizing the political situation of the country and organizing the upcoming
parliamentary elections.
“Accordingly, if it would be difficult to form a national unity government
presently, our proposal is that a government comprised of people trusted by
the
Lebanese communities be quickly established, in order for the political
life in
the country to normalize,” he stressed.
A blast on Saturday ripped through an industrial property in the mainly
Christian northeastern suburb of Bouchrieh injuring five people and setting at
least six factories ablaze. The attack followed bombings on March 19 and March
23 that targeted two Christian strongholds, killing three people and wounding
at least 10.
There was swift reaction to the blast from the international community.
Following a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in Tokyo,
French President Jacques Chirac said: “All those who try and create chaos in
Lebanon will be caught and severely punished.”
In a joint statement, Chirac and Koizumi insisted that “UN Security Council
Resolution 1559 be fully implemented.”
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, in his condemnation of the latest violence,
said that the people of the Lebanon must be allowed to decide their nation’s
future without intimidation.
The Secretary-General was “especially saddened that this latest attack, the
third in Lebanon in only a week, was carried out on the eve of Easter, just as
many of the nation’s Christians were preparing to attend mass,” a spokesman of
Annan said in a statement released on Sunday.
He called on the Government of Lebanon “to act rapidly to prevent the
security
situation from deteriorating” and urged all concerned parties “to do their
utmost to safeguard Lebanon’s stability and national unity.”
Meanwhile, US State Department Deputy Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern
Affairs Elizabeth Dibble reiterated US condemnation of the blast, saying
Lebanon is under the international “microscope.”
In an interview with Radio SAWA in Washington, Dibble said: “The
international
community is watching Lebanon very closely. The [Lebanese] population deserves
to live free of fear in a non-violent atmosphere. We hope no other attacks
will
take place.”
On Monday Lebanese opposition politicians continued to point the finger at
the
Lebanese security services controlled by the Syrian-backed government,
accusing
them of seeking to foment confessional unrest as Syria withdraws its troops
from the country.
About 2,000 Syrian troops have pulled out of eastern Lebanon over the past
week, a senior Lebanese security source said on Monday, bringing Syria a step
closer to ending its 29-year military domination of Lebanon.
The source said small units in the eastern Bekaa Valley were going home,
leaving behind a division of the Syrian army as well as scores of intelligence
agents.
A Syrian-Lebanese military committee is due to meet next week to set a
timeline for withdrawing the 8,000 remaining forces.
Facing immense international pressure and popular Lebanese protest, Syria has
promised to withdraw all military personnel, intelligence agents and equipment
it poured into Lebanon early in the country’s 1975-1990 civil war.
Damascus has completed the first stage of a two-phase withdrawal plan,
pulling
back to the Bekaa Valley and withdrawing more than a third of the 14,000
troops
it kept in its tiny neighbor.
It pulled troops out of about a dozen positions in the Bekaa last week. On
Sunday, it left its two largest and last anti-aircraft positions, the sources
said.
Witnesses said soldiers in Mashghara and nearby areas on the southwestern
edge
of the Bekaa were packing up equipment on Monday. Trucks were being brought in
to load the hardware.

3) Arab Tribal Leaders Arrive in Yerevan

YEREVAN (ARF Press Service)–A delegation of 12 Arab tribal leaders from
northeastern Syria, arrived in Yerevan on Monday, accompanied by
representatives of the Armenian Church’s Beria Prelacy.
Armenian National Assembly’s ARF faction secretary Hrair Karapetian and ARF
Bureau’s Political Affairs Office director Giro Manoyan greeted the guests at
Yerevan’s Zvartnotz airport.
The influential tribal leaders, some of whom reside in Saudi Arabia, Jordan,
Iraq, and Qatar, are in Armenia to take part in the events commemorating the
90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, to pay tribute to the Genocide
victims, and remind the world of the unpunished vicious crime.
Their hospitable ancestors gave refuge to the fragments of Armenians who
miraculously survived in the Genocide; today, many of those Armenians and
their
heirs still live side-to-side with the friendly Arab people and enjoy equal
rights.
The delegation will meet with Catholicos Karekin II, National Assembly’s
leadership, Armenia’s prime minister, government ministers, politicians, and
Yerevan State University professors. Their trip is organized by the Armenian
community of Aleppo.
Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian received the guests on March 28,
after which they met with the mayor of Yerevan Yervant Zakharian. Their
itinerary includes a visit to the Dzidzernagapert Memorial to Armenian
genocide
victims and the Madenataran that houses Armenian manuscripts.
The delegation is composed of tribal leaders Udey al Ghasi of Al Shumar
tribe;
Fayez el Ghubein of Al Anaze tribe; Abdel Uahab Isa Suleiman of Bakard el
Jabal
tribe; Muhammad al Tai bin Abdel Razak of Al Tay tribe’s second branch; Hlu el
Hlu of Aduan tribe; Hasan Obeid el Khalil of Harp tribe; Abdel Karim Obeid of
Harp tribe’s second branch; Khalil Abud Zhdghan of Ogeidad tribe and a member
of the Syrian parliament; Muhammad Mslad of Chbur tribe and a member of the
Syrian parliament.

4) Novorossiisk Armenians Fear Continued Persecution

NOVOROSSIISK (Armenpress)–A representative of the Armenian cultural society
“Luys” in the Russian Black Sea city of Novorossiisk, said that following the
March 22 rampage against Armenians there, parents now fear sending their
children to school.
Describing those events as “a pogrom,” Alla Partsikian of “Luys” confirmed
previous reports that the clash was caused by a squabble at a local cafe when
Cossacks, led by their community leader Vladimir Petrushin, attacked a
group of
Armenians and Greeks during a birthday party. In a subsequent fight, Petrushin
was injured and was rushed to a hospital where doctors operated on him, and
local law-enforcement bodies launched a criminal investigation.
Later, Armenian-owned cars, cafes, and shops were destroyed in the town’s
quarter. Although the local mayor appealed to Armenians, Greeks, as well as
Cossacks to observe the law, around 200 Cossacks continued the attack against
Armenians and Greeks that evening.
According to the local Armenian daily Yerkramas, Armenian and Cossacks
representatives were due to meet with city authorities on Monday.

5) Poll Shows Distrust Between Armenians, Turks

(AFP)–The majority of Turks and Armenians distrust and dislike each other,
with both describing the World War I massacre of Armenians as a major obstacle
to normalizing ties, according to a poll published Monday.
The survey was carried out by an Istanbul-based think tank and an Armenian
research center, among 1,219 Turks and 1,000 Armenians.
More than 51 percent of Armenian respondents and 33 percent of Turks
interviewed said the two peoples “generally did not like each other.” Just
under one percent of Armenians and 14 percent of Turks expressed a wish to get
on well with one another.
Almost 69 percent of Armenians associated negative words with Turks–among
them “bloodthirsty,” “barbarian,” and “enemy”–while 34 percent of Turks had a
negative view of Armenians, some describing them as “enemy” and “prejudiced.”
Only nine percent of Armenians and 11 percent of Turks had a positive view of
each other.
Seventy-nine percent of Armenians described bilateral ties as “very bad” or
“bad” while 45 percent of Turks described them as “neither bad nor good.” Only
37 percent of Turks described bilateral relations as “very bad” or “bad”
An overwhelming 95.5 percent of Armenians saw huge obstacles to normalizing
ties and 82 percent listed genocide [Turkish denial of the Armenian Genocide]
as the biggest hurdle. Some 37 percent of Turks agreed that there were major
hurdles, but only 19 percent saw the genocide claims as the core of the
problem.
Almost 88 percent of Armenians and 65 percent of Turks said they were in
favor
of establishing diplomatic ties, while 63 percent of Armenians and 51 percent
of Turks supported the re-opening of border crossings.

6) Armenia Garners First-ever World Cup Win

YEREVAN (Reuters)–Armenia recorded their first victory in their 2006 World
Cup qualifying campaign, beating fellow outsiders Andorra 2-1 in a Group One
match on Saturday.
Midfielder Romik Khachatryan, who plays for Greek first division side OFI
Crete, scored the winner from close range seven minutes from time to send the
home crowd wild.
Ara Hakobyan put the Armenians 1-0 up with a cracking shot after 32 minutes
but Fernando Silva equalized for the visitors shortly after the break.
The win allowed bottom-of-the-table Armenia to draw level with Andorra on
four
points from six matches and one point behind fifth-placed Macedonia, who were
not playing on Saturday.
None of those teams have a chance of reaching the finals, but all want to
avoid finishing bottom of the group when it ends in October.

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