KARABAKH/GENOCIDE – THE FINAL COUNTDOWN
By Bruce Tasker

http://ww w.armeniaforeignministry.am/pr_08/081111_turk.html
Nov 11, 2008
Armenia

Armenia’s President Sargsyan has committed to a "Final Treaty" on
Karabakh, declaring there will be" Public Discussions" within Armenian
society, which he would go into with ‘Great Pleasure’. He assured
Jose Manuel Barroso, his European Commission President counterpart
in Brussels, that there would be no delays.

The Armenian public now has the chance to enter into a public debate
on the Karabakh issue, based on the infamous ‘Madrid Principles’. The
first stage in this process; the Armenian public must presumably have
a copy of the ‘Madrid Principles’ and other documentation associated
with the agreement President Sargsyan is preparing to sign – including
the agreement itself.

The ‘Public Discussion’ statement by Armenia’s President might be
plausible fodder for the European Commission and the international
media, but the Armenian public knows all too well they will not have
a part in this process. Sargsyan will instruct his recently installed
Speaker of Parliament to organize a debate, which will be voted on by
his personally selected members of Parliament, and they will decide on
behalf of the Armenian ‘Public’ how he will proceed with the ‘sell-out’
of Karabakh. Sargsyan will explain that this was the only way in which
he could facilitate a speedy approval process, to satisfy his newfound
friends in the European Union; the very people who not long ago had
rebuked him for his abuses of civil rights; for holding political
prisoners in jail without charge; for scorning European demands for an
international commission on the 1st March state killings of Armenians,
and for ridiculing their 1609 / 1620 threats to remove Armenia’s voting
rights in the Parliament. Sargsyan is playing his ‘flying Karabakh ace’
to legitimize his forcefully imposed and illegitimate presidency, and
to make a long-awaited and not inconsiderable fortune on the side –
and the "Sell-Out of Genocide" is back on the agenda.

Dick Cheney is chaffing at the bit in Washington, pen in hand,
awaiting the pre-festive season arrival of Armenia’s highly esteemed
President, for him to add a modicum of Karabakh resolution prestige to
an otherwise similarly reprehensible and impeachment-worthy outgoing
American President.

Turkey has delayed its decision on Nabucco, ready to welcome Armenia on
board the multi-billion dollar Azerbaijan Gas Pipeline Project. That
has re-introduced the need to open the Turkish border. So Eduard
Nalbandian continues his efforts to establish Turkey’s Long-Awaited
Independent Commission and Derides those Countries which have already
recognized Genocide, with complete contempt to the Armenian cause,
to reach the more profitable conclusion for the Sargsyan / Kocharian
Money-Grabbing Regime, that the Turkish Genocide of one and a half
million Armenians never actually happened. More amazingly, this is
happening at a time when America’s President elect Barack Obama has
in no uncertain terms acknowledged Armenian Genocide, and has promised
that, as president, the US will do so also.

At the same time, Russia is teasing the Karabakh clan with a new
atomic power station for Armenia, and together with Iran, and now
the European Union, it is fighting for the privilege of financing
and building the ‘On-today-Off-tomorrow’ railway link between Armenia
and Iran, which only a week ago it said was a non-starter.

These are just three examples of the compensation Armenia’s regime
will be receiving for capitulating on Karabakh, in accordance to the
‘Madrid Principles’, whatever they may be. Add to that the goods and
materials Turkey has promised as humanitarian assistance through the
soon to be opened Turkish border, in appreciation for the ‘Sell-Out’ of
Armenian Genocide, then an impressive multi-billion Dollar compensation
package begins to take shape; a handsome payment to the regime for
their ‘Betrayal’ of the Armenian and Karabakhi peoples.

The regime will of course argue that the Armenian economy will
benefit substantially, as the foreign investments (FDI) will be
considerable. And it should be noted that Georgia receives up to
one hundred million Dollars each year in oil transit tariffs from
Azerbaijan.

But Armenia is a far cry from Georgia; there has never been a time
when a state-backed organization in Armenia has been a financial
benefit to the Republic; they ALL lose money; they do not pay taxes
of any kind; and they are often subsidized by multi-million dollar
state budget bailouts. They are however very profitable for their
owners -Kocharian / Sargsyan International Inc.

The regime will make their fortunes from construction of the Nabucco
pipeline and the Iranian railway, and as all gas installations in
Armenia are owned by HaiRusGasArt, and as the railway system is a
Russian monopoly, they will both become Russian property. The owners
of those ‘Russian Companies’ are predominantly Armenian state cronies,
notably Robert Kocharian and a hand-picked selection his cronies, who
are major shareholders in subsidiaries of the Russian parent companies.

These major investments in Armenia will come on stream after a number
of months, so Serzh is looking for additional and substantial cash
remuneration, to re-vitalize his already ‘bankrupt’ construction
sector; to finish off the dozens of apartment buildings which have
been under construction through the past ten years, in preparation for
the tens of thousands who will soon be driven from Karabakh and the
surrounding territories. The European Union is overly bureaucratic and
cumbersome to facilitate an appropriate sum, and Russia has already
dished out too much in response to Kocharian’s unfulfilled promises
to resolve the Karabakh issue. But a few hundred million dollars
will not be a problem for America, already writing off trillions of
Wall Street losses, and dishing out as many billions as it can write
checks for in the fading weeks of the Bush presidency.

The public debate is now in full swing; but Armenia don’t blink,
before you know it, the Karabakh Deal will soon be well and truly
signed, sealed and delivered and the Genocide Commission will be
Selling-Out Armenia’s Genocide.

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian’s answer to the question of
"Novosti-Armenia" News Agency

11 November 2008

Question: Mr. Minister, recently several Turkish media published
reports Armenia’s policy for international recognition of Armenian
Genocide? What would be your reaction?

Answer: Turkish media reports on Armenian officials’ would be
declarations are distorted and presented upside down. I have already
said and I’d like to repeat that Armenian officials have not spoken and
would never speak against the process of International recognition of
Armenian Genocide. Moreover, Armenia can not tolerate any expression
of Armenian Genocide denial.