A DIRTY GAME TO COMPROMISE ARMENIA AND RUSSIA BY DINT OF GEORGIA

Azg/arm
27 July 05

Though Punishable, Changing a ‘Terrorist’s’ Name Is Within the Game
Rules

The West, the United States in particular, have been recently playing
a dirty game of compromising Russia and Armenia through Georgia. As
the recent developments suggest, the primary task is to compromise
Russia in the SouthCaucasus and to terrify Armenia to keep it back
from military cooperation with Moscow. As a means of compromising and
terrifying they choose fighting terrorism — so loved by the Americans
— which serves a good veil to establish US authority in zones of
traditionally Russian influence.

On March 15 of the current year, the US authorities arrested a group
of 18 people on charge of an attempt to illegally import weapons of
Russian vintage to USA. The US press headed by The New York Times has
been writing that the leader of the group was Armenian citizen Artur
Solomonian, adding that the weapons were supposed to serve Al
Qaeda. Even the Russian mafia and Russian military bases in Armenia
and Georgia figured in these embellished stories.

Only a few days later, when Armenia had already its name undermined in
the world press, FBI agent Brain Parman said in Yerevan that no kind
of arms has ever left Armenia for the US. On June 23, the trial over
18 suspects in this arms deal was postponed till October as the state
prosecutor failed to present evidence against them.

27-year-old Vladimir Arutyunov charged with attempting US President’s
life on May 10 was arrested a few days ago. The first press releases
by Georgian authorities that followed his arrest made a “blunder” of
transmitting his surname in Russianised transcription, as it was in
fact. A few hours later Arutyunov turned into Harutyunian to stress
his Armenian origin.

Though punishable, changing a “terrorist’s” name in this case fitted
the rules of the game very well. The US and Georgian releases of May
11-13 though did not mention the name of the “terrorist”, they clearly
hinted that the unexploded hand grenade might well be made in Armenia
or obtained in the Russian base of Akhalkalak. Today, Georgia’s
law-enforcers suggest that Arutyunov might have had accomplices out of
Georgia.

Not long ago, when the Georgian press used to call opposition leader
Mikheil Saakashvili an Armenian, the latter published his genealogy
table to prove the contrary. But one note by late prime minister Zurab
Zhvania about his Armenian mother was enough to launch anti-Armenian
propaganda in Georgian mass media. Today, the Armenian origin of
Vladimir Arutyunov is playing into Georgian authorities’ hands. They
forget that the long-cherished European Union doesnot tolerate
discrimination; therefore it’s of no avail to point out the criminal’s
religion or nationality every now and then.

By Tatoul Hakobian