Armenian paper looks at reasons for US backing of incumbent leader

Aykakan Zhamanak, Yerevan
14 Apr 06

Text of unattributed report by Armenian newspaper Aykakan Zhamanak on
14 April headlined “The double outpost”

Australia’s the Australian newspaper has carried a report which said
that the American Armenians determined the US policy towards
Armenia. This provides answers to many questions. In particular, it
explains why the American authorities are so kind to the incumbent
government of Armenia which is authoritarian by nature.

The USA is not just kind to the Armenian authorities, but it has
itself become an accessory to their illegal acts and fraud. Many
people do not yet realize the reason for this. And it cannot be ruled
out that there is only one reason – the Armenian lobby of the USA has
persuaded the Washington administration that this is necessary. In
fact, the Armenian lobby advocates committing even more illegal acts
in Armenia to prolong Robert Kocharyan’s stay in office. But why are
American Armenians so much concerned about perpetuating the current
situation in Armenia?

The point is that our compatriots from the Armenian diaspora do not
mean Yerevan, Sevan, Echmiadzin or Dilizhan [towns in Armenia] when
they say Armenia – they mean Mus, Van, Agahan and Adana [towns in
Turkey claimed by Armenia]. They have only one problem connected with
Armenia: the Armenian genocide. That is to say, for the Armenian lobby
in the USA, Armenia is more of an outpost against Turkey, a
springboard towards their country [eastern part of Turkey claimed by
Armenia], rather than a motherland or an independent state.

The problem is that Robert Kocharyan is the perfect president for
turning Armenia into such an outpost and the incumbent Armenian
government is the perfect one to turn our country into a regional
aggressor. They are ready to fulfil all the orders of the diaspora at
any price. And the immoral constitutional referendum on double
citizenship is evidence of this. Thus, the American diaspora and
Robert Kocharyan have a rich potential for cooperation and for
implementing their plans. They will do everything possible in order
not to leave any independently thinking people in Armenia, so that
when our American brothers give a directive to cross the Araz River
[separating Armenia and Turkey] there would be no person in Armenia
who would dare to object at the wisdom of such a move. Representatives
of the diaspora will watch the event on their computers monitors and
will gamble our lives.

This is the reason why American Armenians who have lived there for
many years hate those who emigrated from Armenia to the USA over the
past decade, as they had to stay in Armenia and act as their
pawns. This also explains the uproar among the American Armenians in
the wake of reports about possible recall of the US ambassador to
Armenia, John Evans. Now it becomes clear that Evans is not only a US
ambassador, but also an ambassador of the Armenian lobby of the
USA. We should finally understand and recognize the realities and
challenges because without surmounting these challenges Armenia faces
inevitable destruction.