"I WOULDN’T TRUST TODAY’S GENERALS"

A1Plus.am
January 28, 2010

Today, 99% of our freedom soldiers are ready to go to war and struggle
again, but not concede the liberated territories," announced commander
of the "Arabo" detachment, Manvel Yeghiazaryan. He doesn’t consider
any mutual concession as acceptable without the final clarification
of Karabakh’s status.

"It turns out that after we hand the lands, we will have to give
Karabakh back to open the border with Turkey," says Manvel Yeghiazaryan
and adds that the Turks will want Meghri to open the border as well.

"But what will we get out of opening the border with Turkey? Our
agriculture will die. There are not even any products grown in Russia
and the territories near the Black Sea because Turkish products are
cheap. Armenia’s agriculture will completely die. Armenians will
bring tiles and such things to Armenia. But they are already doing
that. Why do they want to open the border?" said Manvel Yeghiazaryan.

On the occasion of Army Day, president of the "Union of Veteran Freedom
Fighters" Hamlet Hovsepyan and freedom fighter of the "Sasuntsi David"
regiment Ashot Abrahamyan presented the course of development for
the army from their point of view. They shared the view that the
war was won not so much through force, but through the courage and
extreme patriotism."

According to Manvel Yeghiazaryan, victory was inevitable due to the
spirit and aura. "There is no such spirit today," said the speakers.

Hamlet Hovsepyan recalled the Soviet years when there were films
about heroes, people recognized the heroes and said that today people
neither remember the dead nor do they talk about the heroes that live
among us."

Hamlet Hovsepyan says that today’s army has developed and is more
professional than it was 10-15 years ago.

How would you explain the fact that there were only 14 generals of
which 7 were from the Soviet army and 7 were "field" soldiers at
the moment of victory, whereas today there are over 100 generals? In
response to that, Manvel Yeghiazaryan said: "Well, we’re part of the
Caucasus and Asia with friends and acquaintances. I know generals
today whom I would not trust among a detachment of 10 soldiers during
the war and who simply had a lucky strike."

Manvel Yeghiazaryan also talked about social injustice and the fact
that the families of deceased freedom fighters or the injured men have
a hard time trying to make ends meet. "The army must not be hungry,"
said Yeghiazaryan.

Are today’s Armenian men ready to defend the Homeland? In response,
Yeghiazaryan said that the people would defend the Homeland, even if
they had no faith or trust.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress