ONE MORE QUAKE IN ARMENIA
Yerevan, January 13. ArmInfo. A 2.8-point earthquake took place in
Armenia 13 km south-west of Gavar, Gegarkunik region, today 8:12 AM.
The National Seismic Protection Service of Armenia reports that in the
epicenter the magnitude was 4 points on MSK-64 scale.
To remind, yesterday too there was an earthquake with three
aftershocks.
Mediamax News Agency, Armenia
Jan 12 2007
The economic and social consequences of re-opening the
Turkish-Armenian border will be considered January 13-14 in Yerevan
Yerevan, January 12 /Mediamax/. A scientific conference will take
place in Yerevan on January 13-14, during which the economic and
social consequences of re-opening of the Turkish-Armenian border will
be considered.
The conference will take place on the initiative of the Armenian
International Policy Research Group (AIPRG). As the economist of the
Group Bryan Roberts stated, the economic research of the consequences
of the Turkish-Armenian border opening consists of several stages of
activities: visiting Gyumri and holding a survey of public opinion,
preparing an economic analysis, holding a conference and publishing
materials in the magazine of the Group.
According to the U.S. Charge d’Affaires in Armenia Anthony Godfrey,
`the sides will be interested to know how much the blockade of the
border costs them’. He stressed that the conference does not have any
political aims, as the political issues should be discussed by the
Armenian and Turkish governments.
During the conference, Anthony Godfrey stated, a factual assessment
will be given to the existing situation and the potential
possibilities in case the border is opened.
Specialists from Turkey will take part in the conference.
ARMENIA SHOULD BE READY FOR POSSIBLE OPENING OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH
BORDER
Yerevan, January 13. ArmInfo. Armenia should be ready for the possible
opening of the Armenian-Turkish border, the member of the ARF
Dashnaktsoutyun party Kiro Manoyan said during the international
scientific conference on the opening the Armenian-Turkish border. The
event is being held in Yerevan today with the support of USAID,
Eurasia Foundation and the British Embassy in Armenia.
Manoyan said that to be ready means to study ways to prevent possible
shocks and to preserve economic growth. He noted that the conference
is a political action under a non-political cover. One can’t discuss
economic problems without considering political ones. In Manoyan’s
opinion, the content of the conference suggests that it was Armenia
who closed the border and it is Armenia who must be convinced to open
it. In reality, it is Turkey who keeps the border close and this
blockade hampers Armenia’s economic growth. Manoyan noted that the
absence of Turkish journalists proves that this event has received no
approrpiate response from the Turkish mass media.
Manoyan said that any normal country should have open borders with its
neighbors.
The conference suggests that the opening of the Armenian-Turkish
border will lead to peace and stability in the region and the border
should be opened before the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict. "Hence, the organizers of the conference hint that the
border will be opened if the conflict is resolved. This is not true,
this problem, just like economic problems, will be solved within just
two weeks after the opening of the border," Manoyan said.
Meanwhile, during a Jan 12 press-conference US Charge D’Affaires to
Armenia Anthony Godfrey pointed out that the studies carried out in
the framework of the conference reflect the views of their authors and
may not coincide with the position of the US Government.
International Herald Tribune, France
Jan 11 2007
Berlin seeks to bar Holocaust denial in EU
By Dan Bilefsky Published: January 12, 2007
BERLIN: Germany wants to use its European Union presidency to push
through legislation that would make denying the Holocaust punishable
by stiff jail sentences in all 27 EU member states.
The country’s justice minister, Brigitte Zypries, said Thursday night
that Germany’s commitment to combating racism and xenophobia – and
keeping the memory of the Holocaust alive – was both an enduring
historical obligation and a present-day political necessity.
"We have always said that it can’t be the case that it should still
be acceptable in Europe to say the Holocaust never existed and that
six million Jews were never killed," she said. Under the German
proposal, she said, those who deny the Nazi slaughter of Jews during
World War II could face up to three years in prison.
Zypries said the proposal, which will be debated by the bloc’s
justice ministers in the next six months, would also seek to
criminalize racist declarations that are an incitement to violence
against a specific person or group. The aim, she said, was to
harmonize national legal systems in their approach to combating
racism and xenophobia.
Unifying hate crime rules in countries with vastly different legal
cultures could prove difficult, analysts said. European leaders have
been unanimous in condemning those who deny the Holocaust, and have
sharply criticized the Iranian government for sponsoring a recent
conference that cast doubt on it.
But the question of whether to criminalize such acts has divided
Europe between countries like Germany that view a common EU law as a
moral imperative and other countries, like Britain, Italy and
Denmark, that have resisted common rules as infringing on free speech
and civil liberties.
Two years ago, Luxembourg tried to use its EU presidency to push
through legislation to unify legal standards for Holocaust denial,
but was blocked by Italy on the grounds that the legislation breached
freedom of speech. At the time, several countries rejected attempts
to ban Nazi symbols, which gained force after the release of photos
of Prince Harry of Britain wearing a swastika armband at a costume
party.
Zypries said she was confident Germany could now succeed in
overcoming such resistance since Italy, under a left- of-center prime
minister, Romano Prodi, had dropped its opposition. But she cautioned
that the legislation would need to be sufficiently narrow in scope if
it were to gain support.
The Luxembourg proposal, which Germany is studying with a view toward
emulating it, states that racist declarations or Holocaust denial
will not be prosecuted if they are expressed in a way that does not
incite hatred against an individual or group of people.
Laws against denying the Holocaust already exist in Austria, Belgium,
France, Germany and Spain. In a recent high-profile case, the British
historian David Irving spent 13 months in jail in Austria for
challenging the Holocaust before being released last month.
The debate about how to reconcile freedom of speech with the fight
against racism gained added momentum recently when the French
National Assembly passed a law making it a criminal offense to deny
that the massacre of Armenians by Turks during World War I was a case
of genocide. While the Armenian community applauded the law, Turkey
accused France of restricting the freedom of expression and rewriting
history for political ends.
The publication last year of Danish cartoons satirizing the Prophet
Muhammad, which provoked fury in the Muslim world, has prompted some
Muslims to accuse the EU of double standards in its fight against
racism.
Abdullah Gul, the Turkish foreign minister, last March called on
European nations to review laws to ensure they outlaw defamation of
all religions. He told a meeting of EU foreign ministers that many
Muslims believed European laws protected established Christian
religions, and banned anti- Semitism, while doing nothing to defend
Muslims who felt offended.
Emine Bozkurt, a Dutch socialist of Turkish descent, who is president
of a European Parliament working group aimed at combating racism,
said the scope of the German proposal should be expanded. But she
acknowledged that this could prove difficult. "We have seen
increasing xenophobia and racism in Europe, so the German proposal is
a good idea," she said. "But member states have different legal
cultures and different laws, and this is a difficult issue."
ARMENIAN ICE HOCKEY TEAM LOSES TWO GAMES IN ANKARA
Armenpress
Jan 11 2006
ANKARA, JANUARY 11, ARMENPRESS: Armenia’s national ice hockey team
under 20 lost 5:6 to New Zealanders in the world youth C Group
championship in the Turkish capital Ankara. New Zealanders succeeded
in scoring a goal only in the additional time after the main time
ended 5:5.
Armenians lost the second game as well to Denmark 4:7. The Danes had
destroyed the host team 11:0.
Armenians are playing today evening versus Chinese.
The winner of the tournament will be allowed to move to the higher
B Group.
SO-CALLED ARMENIAN ‘GENOCIDE’ DISCUSSION AT THE SOVIET-POLIT-BUREAU
Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
Jan 10 2006
* "These subjects never were on our agenda in Lenin times"
In the meeting of 21 Feb. 1985 of the Politbureau under the presidency
of Gorbachov, the genocide charges were discussed.
However, since there was not a similar example in history, and it
would damage the relations with Turkey to the benefit of USA, the
proposition to announce April 24 as Genocide Day, was rejected.
It has been discovered that during the meeting of the Soviet Union
Communist Party’s Polit Bureau held on Feb.21,1985, the subject
of genocide was discussed. An Azerbaijan congressman and scholar
Prof.Dr. Cemil Hasanli, during his research studies in the USA National
Security Archives, found the minutes relative to this meeting which
were brought from Russian state archives. The subject was discussed in
the meeting, under the heading of "Matters to be done, in connection
with the 70th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide" of the meeting
agenda and was brought in the agenda by Gorbachov.
K. Demircian, first secretary of the Armenian Communist Party,
had sent a letter to the Central Committee of the Soviet Communist
Party; the subject was talked over in the Central Committee and later
transferred to the agenda of the meeting of the Polit Bureau.
Those present in the meeting, were M.S. Gorbachov, H.A.Aliyev,
V.I.Vorotnikov, V.V.Grisin, A.A. Gromiko, G.V. Romanov, M.S.
Solomontsev, N. Tihonov, P.N. Demircev, V.I. Dolgih, V.V. Kuznetsov,
B.N. Ponomaryov, V.M. Cebrikov, M.M. Zimyanin, I.V. Kapitonov, Y.K.
Ligacev and N.I. Rijkov. Despite the serious efforts of Gorbachov and
Demircian, the Politbureau did not approve to announce April 24th,
as the Memorial Day of Genocide victims. Experienced members of the
Poliutbureau such as N. Tihonov, A. Gromiko, V. Grisin, stood against
this attempt.
We are releasing for the first time an explicit summary of this meeting
statement, stamped "Top Secret". Translation of the contents from
Russian, has been made by Dr. Mayis Alizade. (Note: This translation
into English is made from the article in Turkish and hence any probable
unintended differences should be excused. SSA)
21st February 1985
GORBACHOV: This subject has been discussed in the Secretariat of the
Central Committee. As you are aware, there were no activities in our
country relating to the 50th anniversary of the genocide. Some time
ago, the subject of the 60th year of genocide was discussed with
Leonid Ilic Brejnev and Mihail Andreyevic Suslov. At that time it
was decided to take some actions which were approved. And now in the
year 1985, in the 70th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide which
was organized by Sultan’s Turkey h,as been put on our agenda for
additional action. According to the organs of the Armenian Party,
these suggestions are brought to ell iminate the accusations of the
of the enemies of the people, to secure the position of the people
classes of the Soviet Union relative to this issue and drop them from
the agenda. There is a large fanfare in the bourgeoisie press. The
USA Congress has taken a decision acknowledging 24th April, as a
"Day of Inhumanity and Armenian Genocide". In France and other
countries, the surroundings of administrative parties, are working
actively. The Armenian Communist Party Central Committee, based on
their experience in the 60th anniversary, requests that that the
24th April is acknowledged by the Soviet Socialist Congress Board as
"Remembrance day of genocide victims" and that the Armenian Communist
Party First Secretary makes a speech on the radio and TV and that
these texts are released in the Armenian press.
To be more open, the Secretariat and ourselves, have decided to put
this matter on the agenda for discussion in the Politbureau, in order
to see the plusses and minuses to be created by such a decision of
the Armenian Parliament
* CIA Heats up this Matter
DEMIRCIAN: It has been spoken here that the 70th anniversary of
genocide is being strongly heated up by CIA and other harming
organizations. There is a large campaign to distort history,
conferences are being arranged (also at international level), books
and magazines are being printed and TV programs are aired. Some of
them, approve that the Turks which had passed on the side of Russia,
have been also suppressed. The Dashnaks are strengthening their own
position against the Soviet. The information contained in several
channels, show that these present new dangers and that the ideological
situation may deteriorate more. Therefore, we are asked to take the
necessary counter measures, inclusive of the "Genocide memorial day".
I wish to underline again, that our suggestions, are connected
to the large campaigns carried overseas. With instructions of USA
information organizations and to spread the anti-Soviet animosity,
they are trying to accuse our country and republic for remaining
uninterested in the 1915 incidents. These ideas are spread around,
through the students being educated in our country and Armenians
placed in our country who infiltrate into Armenia. But I trust that
you will support our suggestions so that we are perfectly organized
not to permit usage of the 70th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide
for purposes against the Soviets.
* "Wouldn’t this increase animosity?"
TIHONOV: What is your opinion, wouldn’t the TV and radio speeches
increase the animosity between Turks and Armenians?
DEMIRCIAN: In this speech we generally speak of the success of the
Soviet Armenia and that the genocide was organized by the powers in
the administration of, Turkey of the Sultans.
GRISIN: On this subject, we have concluded 70 years, without need
of a decision of the Armenian Republic High Committee. Now, we are
asked to take a decision. Why is this necessary?
GROMIKO: We have to discuss this matter objectively, without
sentiments. Of course this was an arrogant murder of Sultan’s Turkey
and Tsarist Russia. But as you know, during the period of Lenin who
presided oure state for six years, these subjects were never brought
on the agenda.
POMAROV: But at that time, a revolution had taken place in Turkey.
* "Tasnak’s tunes, cannot be taken as a basis for us"
GROMIKO: That was a bourgeois revolution. Therefore we are faced with
such a question: Is it necessary for us to make such an accusation
for Turkey? To my opinion, Tashnaks hate the Soviet Rule, more than
they hate the Turks. Hence, they and their tunes cannot be taken an
as a basis by us. And all this, is being done out of our borders,
during the race of winning votes of the Armenians. Therefore, it does
not look convincing to me, to depend on all types of actions such as
this, in other countries. Yet, of course we should find a way out for
expression of feelings of the people. But is it necessary to do this
with the decision of the Armenian Parliament? As you know, we do not
have any ceremonies even on the date of death of Lenin. Therefore,
I am much hesitant on the subject of the decision to be taken by the
Armenian Parliament.
In the report of the Central Committee of the Armenian Communist
Party they suggest that articles are printed in the Soviet Press
relating to genocide. To my opinion, it is necessary that we do not
involve our "heavy cannons" in this matter. Something must be done
in Armenia and the speech of the first secretary of the Central
Committee can be printed as well, but it is not possible that we
approve the rest. If Turks were to build nuclear rockets in their
country, this will form a larger threat. At the end of my comments,
I want to underline the following: Suggestions that have been made,
should be reconsidered, and additional steps to be taken by us should
be reduced to the minimum, after evaluating how dire they are for us.
* "The decision, will form a document of animosity against Turkey"
ZIMYANIN: Such ceremonies, must be made at the level of civilian
organizations, and not the State. It is clear for me that the
decision of the Armenian Parliament will be a document of animosity
against Turkey. This, undoubtedly will strain the Turkish-Russian
relations. We will profit nothing from this. Therefore, Comrade
Demircian and Armenian Communist Party Central Committee should take
the initiative and act according to the classification position of the
people. And all ceremonies must be carried in Armenia, at civilian
level, without any type of attack on Turkey. In general, relating
to the 70th anniversary of the genocide, I support the opinion of
activities at civilian-historical level.
* "Americans will profit from this"
TIHONOV: I am not kidding. When reading the suggestions of the
Armenian Communist party, I am stressed. We are just beginning to put
our relations with Turkey in order. During my visit to this country,
Turkish leaders have named the Soviet Union as a friendly country and
assured that they will not permit installation of rockets in their
country pointed to us. It is clear that the decision of the Armenian
Parliament, will strain the Turkish-Russian relations and will pull
Moscow into the matter, whether we want it or not. I am asking,
who will profit from this ? It is clear that the Americans will profit.
During my last visit to Turkey, the President and Prime Minister of
Turkey, gave examples of the speeches of Armenian authorities, and
complained for 40 minutes for the Turkish antagonism in this country.
We should not permit this. In general sense, we should always remember
that Turkey holds Istanbul and Canakkale straits, and according
to a suitable article of the Montreux treaty, they can always lock
the passages.
On this subject, I read the article printed in "Pravda" in 1975. In
that article, there are only five lines about the genocide. And
this is correct because our country has lived through much greater
calamities. For example, in White Russia, the fascists have killed
one of every four persons.
Our putting relations into order with the Finns, Greeks and Turks,
causes extreme anger of the Americans, and they want to harm
our relations with neighboring countries, using this genocide
anniversary. It would be desirable that in Armenia, the workers
would tirelessly cooperate with party organization at all groups
without tiring, and the matter of international conduct is organized
and controlled better. Therefore, we should think deeper on this
subject and find a solution at lower levels, without effecting the
international relations.
* "For 70 years, we did not take such a decision, and we shouldn’t:
GRISIN: We understand the feelings of our Armenian comrades and
their initiative for genocide anniversary. But I also think that the
international situation , dictates us to act with extreme prudence.
This is because, all decisions taken by American Congress, do not
suit the interests of the Soviet Union and the Soviet Armenia.
Therefore, we should not depend on those decisions. In a general
sense, I have serious doubts regarding the necessity of the Armenian
Parliament’s taking a decision about the genocide day. For 70
years, such a decision has not be taken and we should not take this
decision. May be we can print some articles in the central press,
and breakdown the ambitions of the imperialist powers to foment
nationalistic ambitions. There is one clear matter. We have to
unite the Soviet citizens better, and mobilize the Armenian party
organization to inspire them with an international spirit.
CEBRIKOV: Of course. We have to preserve our previous actions, without
hampering our relations with Turkey. We cannot give up the ceremonies
to which the people is used to.
TIHONOV: But, we never had any such thing at the time of Lenin!
GORBACOV: If we did not have hesitations, the Secretariat would not
have had it included in the agenda of the Politbureau of the Central
Committee. In principle, we should not permit new activities.
KUZNETSOZ: This is correct.
GORBACOV: We could have permitted only an article in "Pravda" reminding
the genocide. As regards the ceremonies in Armenia, in principle, we
should maintaoin our people’s class position and keep their success
in the Soviet Armenia, above the duties, which must be executed by
the communists in Armenia.
Particularly, we as the Communist Party Central Committee, have a
plan for the future development of Erivan, May be such a decision
can be taken on this subject prior to the genocide anniversary.
MEMBERS of the POLITBUREAU: This is correct.
Decision taken and approved.
— WHO is WHO:
M.S. Gorbachov: 1980 -Elected to Politbureau ; 1985- became Party’s
General Secretary when Cermenko died He became President of the State
in 1988
K. Demircian – First Secretary of Armenian Communist Party
N.A. Tihonov: Prime Minister at that time
V.V. Grisin : Soviet Communist Party First Secretary, 1967-1985,
member of Politbureau since 1971
A.A. Gromiko : Elected to Politburea in 1973. Minister of Foreign
Affairs period of 1957 – 1985
B.N. Ponomaryov: Soviet Communist Party Secretary
M.V. Zimyanin: Pravda Newspaper editor in chief
V.M. Cebrikov : Head of KGB
Translated from Turkish "AYDINLIK" weekly, dt. 7.01.07 No.2016
DEUTSCHE WELLE REPORTS ON NAGORNO KARABAKH
Yerevan, January 9. ArmInfo. "The constitutional referendum in Nagorno
Karabakh Republic (NKR) is a crucial moment for consolidation of
democracy in the self acknowledged republic. Authorities of Azerbaijan
can’t deny that", this is a preamble of one of the reports of Andrew
Brenner, Bonn journalist and a prominent editor of Russian service
of Deutsche Welle.
Brenner’s materials on Nagorno Karabakh’s attempts
to self-determination, youth of Nagorno Karabakh and the war,
agriculture, and other, went on air on 2, 3 and 4 January 2007. The
journalist tells stories of the present life and problems of NKR’s
population. He said that the negative resonance of international
community and organizations on constitutional referendum in NKR was
quite expected by majority of the population.
Masis Mailyan, Deputy Head of Foreign Ministry of NKR, said – "Frankly
speaking, expectations were a bit different. We thought the reaction
would be a silence. The thing is that when we held elections into
the parliament the only Azerbaijan and Turkey demonstrated negative
reaction. European entities revealed no reaction then. We accepted
it all right."
As per Mr. Mailyan, the very fact of denial of the referendum
is a negative reaction. His approach to this point coincides to
that of Gegham Baghdassaryan, Co-Chair of ‘Movement 88’. "Does the
international community want to make NKR a caserne? I don’t see how
democratization of one of the sides to the conflict would negatively
influence the negotiation process".
A.I. BEZZERIDES, 98; NOVELIST BECAME A SCREENWRITER KNOWN FOR FILM NOIR CLASSICS
By Dennis McLellan, Times Staff Writer
Los Angeles Times, CA
Jan 9 2007
A.I. Bezzerides, a novelist and short-story writer who became a
Hollywood screenwriter best known for the post-World War II film
noir classics "Kiss Me Deadly," "On Dangerous Ground" and "Thieves’
Highway," has died. He was 98.
Bezzerides died Jan. 1 at the Motion Picture & Television Hospital
in Woodland Hills after a brief illness, said his daughter, Zoe Ohl.
Bezzerides was working as a communications engineer for the Los
Angeles Department of Water and Power when his 1938 novel "Long Haul"
was turned into "They Drive by Night," a 1940 melodrama with George
Raft and Humphrey Bogart as struggling trucker brothers hauling
California produce.
It was only after Warner Bros. paid him $2,000 for the rights to his
novel and put him under contract as a $300-a-week screenwriter that
Bezzerides discovered that a script based on his book already had
been written.
"I had no idea whether it was guilt or conscience, or greed to swindle
more stories out of me, for peanuts, that motivated Warner Bros. to
offer me a seven-year contract, with options to be exercised every
six months," Bezzerides wrote in the afterword to the 1997 University
of California Press republication of his 1949 novel "Thieves’ Market."
"Whatever their reason, I grabbed their offer so I could quit my
putrid career as a communications engineer by becoming a writer,
writing scripts in an entirely new world."
Known to his friends as Buzz, Bezzerides’ first film credit was "Juke
Girl," a 1942 story of migrant farmworkers starring Ann Sheridan and
Ronald Reagan.
While under contract to Warner Bros. during World War II, he did
uncredited polishing of the scripts for the 1943 wartime drama
"Action in the North Atlantic," starring Bogart, and for other films.
"There Is a Happy Land," the second of his three novels, was published
in 1942.
After leaving Warner Bros., Bezzerides wrote or co-wrote films such
as "Beneath the 12-Mile Reef," "Desert Fury," "Sirocco" and "Track
of the Cat."
He segued into television in the 1950s, writing for such series as
"Bonanza," "DuPont Theater," "Rawhide," "77 Sunset Strip" and "The
Virginian."
He also was the co-creator of "The Big Valley," the popular 1960s
western series starring Barbara Stanwyck.
To film buffs, Bezzerides was best known for "Thieves’ Highway,"
director Jules Dassin’s thriller based on Bezzerides’ 1949 novel;
"On Dangerous Ground," Nicholas Ray’s 1952 crime drama; and "Kiss Me
Deadly," Robert Aldrich’s 1955 crime thriller loosely based on the
Mickey Spillane novel.
"Buzz was more of a pivotal figure in the development of American
film noir than he has been given credit for," said writer-publisher
Garrett White, who interviewed Bezzerides for the foreword White
wrote for the reprint of "Thieves’ Market."
In an interview with White, Bezzerides said Aldrich called him shortly
before he died in 1983.
"He wanted to tell me that he had just reread my script for ‘Kiss Me
Deadly,’ " Bezzerides recalled. When he asked why, Aldrich told him,
"I wanted to see how I could’ve shot it in three weeks. You know
what? It was all there" in the script.
White said a common thread runs through all of Bezzerides’ work, "and
that has to do with his constant meditation on human – and particularly
male – destructiveness. He thought long and hard about why people
do what they do to nature, to each other and to themselves. Hence,
he was able to write about violence, which is often key to the crime
stories that film noir tended to revolve around."
White, who knew Bezzerides for 20 years, said that "for all of his
toughness and for writing about the dark side of human nature, he
was simply one of the most gentle, big-hearted and generous people
I’ve ever known. He gave away a lot of his money trying to help drug
addicts and just people in need."
During his time at Warner Bros., Bezzerides was a close friend with
another contract writer at the studio: William Faulkner.
"Faulkner actually stayed with Buzz and his first wife [Yvonne]
in Brentwood from time to time," White said.
He said Bezzerides is quoted "in most of the Faulkner biographies,"
and he wrote the documentary "William Faulkner: A Life on Paper,"
which aired on PBS in the late 1970s.
The son of an Armenian mother and a Turkish-speaking Greek father,
Albert Isaac Bezzerides was born Aug. 9, 1908, in Samsun, Turkey. He
moved to America with his parents before he was 2, and they settled
in Fresno, where his father worked in the fields before becoming a
produce-hauling trucker.
Bezzerides, who grew up with young William Saroyan, began writing
short stories while studying at UC Berkeley. His first published story,
"Passage Into Eternity," appeared in a 1935 issue of Story magazine.
Three of his Fresno-set short stories from the 1930s will appear in
the anthology "Forgotten Bread: Armenian American Writers of the First
Generation," to be published in the fall by Heyday Books in Berkeley.
Bezzerides was the subject of two recent documentaries, "The Long
Haul of A.I. Bezzerides" (2005) and "Buzz" (2006).
A longtime Woodland Hills resident whose first marriage ended in
divorce, Bezzerides was married to film and television writer Silvia
Richards until her death in 1999.
In addition to his daughter Zoe, he is survived by a son, Peter;
daughter Rachel Morgan; a granddaughter; and four great-grandchildren.
THE MORE TURKS TRY TO DENY ARMENIAN GENOCIDE THE GREATER NUMBER OF STATES RECOGNIZE IT
PanARMENIAN.Net
08.01.2007 15:02 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On the New Year’s eve Harut Sassounian, the editor
of The California Courier, commented on the brightest events and
publications of the year 2006 on the Armenian Genocide issue. "The
Foreign Minister of Turkey, Abdullah Gul, announced this week that the
Turkish government is planning to launch in 2007 a new comprehensive
propaganda campaign to deny the Armenian Genocide. All previous Turkish
government attempts to bury the facts of the Armenian Genocide have
ended in failure, after wasting millions of dollars on lobbying firms
and books by phony "scholars." Ironically, the more the Turks try
to deny the crime committed by Ottoman Turkey in 1915, the greater
the number of countries, international organizations and individuals
that recognize it. In recent weeks, after the Argentinean Parliament
recognized the Armenian Genocide, Ankara warned that country’s Senate
not to follow suit. Despite the Turkish warning, and maybe because of
it, the Argentinean Senate adopted the Armenian Genocide resolution
unanimously! A couple of months ago, when the French Parliament adopted
a bill that would make it a crime to deny the Armenian Genocide, the
Turkish government gave a similar warning to the French Senate," he
says. " Several Turkish newspapers reported last week that the Armenian
American lobby scored a major victory when Pres. Bush could not get
the Senate to confirm Richard Hoagland, the Ambassador-designate
for Armenia. The Turkish press quoted an analyst as saying that the
blocking of Hoagland’s nomination was a major success for Armenians:
"The Armenian lobby has never been this strong," he continues.
"The Turkish Culture Minister announced last week that the official
opening ceremonies for the renovated Aghtamar Armenian Church would
take place on April 24.
The Patriarch of Constantinople, Archbishop Mesrob Moutafian,
issued an uncharacteristically bold statement, saying that holding
the ceremony on that date would be exploiting Armenian people’s
suffering for political gain. He said that neither he nor any other
Armenian would participate in such a ceremony on April 24. It has
been obvious to me from the very beginning that Turkish officials were
planning to exploit the renovation of Aghtamar for political purposes,
independently of the date of the ceremony.
Maybe the Patriarch, instead of objecting, should have accepted that
date and turned the ceremony planned for April 24 into a commemoration
of the Armenian Genocide — which would have been a first in Turkey
since 1915," Sassounian says.
"Sylvester Stallone announced last week that he is interested in
making Franz Werfel’s famous novel, "The Forty Days of Musa Dagh,"
into a blockbuster movie.
Turks went into total panic and organized a worldwide e-mail
campaign urging Stallone not to be "an instrument of Armenian
lobbies." Armenians on the other hand were so excited that they
started celebrating as if the movie was already made.
Surprisingly, neither Turks nor Armenians seem to remember that
Stallone has made this same announcement several times in the past
with nothing to show for.
However, should Stallone end up making this movie someday, he can
count on the Turks to provide a lot of free publicity, ensuring its
success!" he goes on.
"Turkey’s Prime Minister, Recep Erdogan, told the editors of the New
York Times last week that they had become "a tool in the hands of
the Armenians." He was unhappy that the N.Y. Times had decided that
the newspaper would refer to the Armenian Genocide as a historical
fact. This is the second time that the Turkish Prime Minister has
personally complained to the N.Y. Times on this issue in the past
couple of years. Maybe it’s about time that Erdogan realized that
the N.Y. Times, true to its noble calling, is a tool for the truth
and not a tool for Turkish denialism," Sassounian remarks.
RECONSTRUCTION OF MARTAKERT REGIONAL HOSPITAL TO FINISH IN AUGUST
Noyan Tapan
Jan 08 2007
YEREVAN, JANUARY 8, NOYAN TAPAN. The "Hayastan" (Armenia) All-Armenian
Fund, within the framework of the "Re-Birth of Artsakh" program,
started the program of reconstruction of the Martakert regional
hospital. As the Noyan Tapan correspondent was informed by the fund’s
Public Relations Department, it is envisaged to finish the construction
works on August 25.
It was mentioned that the building of the hospital built in 1971
was seriously damaged during the years of the Artsakh war. After
the reconstruction, the population of both city of Martakert and
neighboring villages will make use of the hospital services. Besides,
the fund bought 4 ambulances for the hospital. It is also envisaged
within the framework of the program to provide the hospital with
medical equipment and furniture.