Author: Chaltikian Arsine

AZERBAIJANI AMBASSADOR TO TURKEY DESCRIBES INFORMATION OF ARMENIAN MEDIA AS "RUMOUR"

Trend
Sept 1 2009
Azerbaijan

Azerbaijani ambassador to Turkey Zakir Hashimov called "rumour" the
publication of the Armenian media that as though he was urgently called
to Baku after information on the beginning of political consultations
between the foreign ministries of Turkey and Armenia for the resumption
of diplomatic relations.

"I’m in my workplace, I do not intend to leave it and no-one called
me to anywhere, and the information of the Armenian media was just
another "rumour",Hashimov told Trend News by telephone from Ankara.

During negotiations under the mediation of Switzerland, Turkey
and Armenia reached an agreement to begin "internal political
consultations" regarding the signing of Protocol on establishing
diplomatic relations" and "Protocol on development of bilateral
relations, RIA Novosti reported with reference to the Turkish Foreign
Ministry.

Armenian mass media disseminated information today that as though
Azerbaijan called back its ambassador to Ankara in order to protest
against Turkey’s decision to begin consultations with Armenia on the
resumption of diplomatic relations with this country.

"In their information, Armenians refer to the Turkish media, but
there is no word about it in the Turkish media," said the ambassador.

Opening of Armenian-Turkish border without the solution of
Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh issue is contrary to national
interests of Azerbaijan, according to official Baku.

"Azerbaijan’s position on this issue is based on numerous statements
by senior officials of the Turkish Republic. Thus, making a speech
on May 14 this year in the Parliament of Azerbaijan, Turkish Prime
Minister Rajap Tayyib Erdogan said: "Turkey closed its borders with
Armenia after Armenia occupied Azerbaijani lands. The borders can be
opened after the occupied lands are returned. We will not give up
this position unless our Azerbaijani brothers agree. All these are
connected with each other, and can not be divided," Foreign Ministry
said in statement distributed on Tuesday.

"At the same time, the Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Azerbaijan
once again informed that defining relations with other states, in
principle, is the sovereign right of any State. However, taking into
account that this issue directly affects the national interests of
Azerbaijan, opening of Armenian-Turkish border without the solution
of Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is contrary to the
national interests of Azerbaijan," Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed
forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including
the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts. Azerbaijan
and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of
the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. – are currently
holding the peace negotiations.

BLOGGERS IMPRISONED FOR POSTING DONKEY VIDEO ON YOUTUBE
By Emma Hartley

Daily Telegraph
3:52PM BST 01 Sep 2009
UK

Mild spoof of their government and media lands two twenty-something
Azerbaijanis in jail

Two Azerbaijani bloggers face up to five years in prison for posting
a video on YouTube of a donkey giving a press conference.

Adnan, Hajizade, 26, and Emin Milli, 29, posted the satirical video,
which has English subtitles, in a send-up of Azerbaijani government
and media.

The video is tame by Western standards. Yet shortly after the video
was released Mr Hajizade and Mr Milli were arrested after a scuffle
at a restaurant in Baku, the Azerbaijani capital, and are being held
under a two-month pre-trial detention order.

Isakhan Ashurov, the pair’s lawyer, said: "This incident is definitely
politically motivated. My clients did not beat anybody. Quite the
opposite."

According to Amnesty International’s website, the two young men were
discussing online activism when two well-built men were said to have
approached their group, demanded that they stop talking about politics,
and assaulted Mr Milli and Mr Hajizade.

The assault reportedly resulted in injuries to them, including the
breaking of Mr Hajizade’s nose and injury to Mr Milli’s leg.

They went to the police to lodge a complaint. However, rather than
allowing them to do so, the police detained fir st Mr Hajizade and
then Mr Milli when the latter reportedly refused to leave the police
station without his fellow activist.

Both are said to have been charged with "hooliganism carried out by
a group of people", which carries up to five years’ imprisonment.

The alleged assailants were reportedly discharged.

Azerbaijan is a secular presidential republic, which got its
independence from the former USSR in 1991.

It is it is bounded by the Caspian sea to the east, Russia to the
north, Georgia to the north-west, Armenia to the west, and Iran to
the south.

Reporters without Borders, a Paris-based organisation, released
a statement saying that the decision to hold the bloggers was
"disproportionate" and "typical of arbitrary judicial decisions taken
with government opponents".

The UN’s human rights committee also raised concerns about the arrests
and issued a statement condemning "extensive limitations to the right
to freedom of expression in Azerbaijan".

Although Azerbaijan is nominally a representative democracy and is
a member of the UN’s Human Rights Council, recent elections were
contested and abuses of civil rights and freedom of the press are
frequently reported.

The 2008 Freedom in the World report by US-based Freedom House, which
tries to measure democracy and political freedom, labeled Azerbaijan a
"not free country". Freedom House w as founded by Eleanor Roosevelt
in 1941.

WASHINGTON BRIEFING : SENATOR KENNEDY’S LEADERSHIP ON ARMENIAN ISSUES RECALLED
by Emil Sanamyan

d=D348765A-93C7-11DE-8CE10003FF3452C2
Friday August 28, 2009

Washington – Armenian-Americans this week remembered the longstanding
leadership and support of Senator Edward Kennedy (D.-Mass.). Senator
Kennedy died on August 26 after months of battling with cancer. He
was 77 years old.

Throughout more than four decades in the U.S. Congress, Senator
Kennedy actively supported Armenian-American concerns, including
U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide and independent Armenia’s
security and development, the Armenian National Committee of
Massachusetts recalled in a press statement.

These efforts included securing the Senate Judiciary Committee’s
passage in 1989 of an Armenian Genocide resolution; Senator Kennedy
worked together with, among others, Vice President Joe Biden, who at
the time was a senator and chairperson of the committee.

Senator Kennedy championed the 1991 passage of a resolution that
condemned Azerbaijan’s anti-Armenian pogroms that resulted in
the expulsion of more than 300,000 Armenians and was followed by
Azerbaijan’s aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh.

In later years, Senator Kennedy played a key role in the passage and
maintenance of U.S. sanctions against Azerbaijan, known as Section
907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, as well as the 1994 passage of the
Humanitarian Aid Corridor Act, which came in response to Turkey’s
closure of its border with Armenia. [The same year, he hosted
a reception for the president of Armenia at the John F. Kennedy
Presidential Library and Museum in Boston.]

Speaking on April 21, 1999, at the annual commemoration of the
Armenian Genocide held on Capitol Hill, Senator Kennedy argued that
"if people here in the United States had paid attention to the
Genocide in the early part of this century, we would not have had,
perhaps, the tragedies in World War II" and later genocidal campaigns
in former Yugoslavia and Africa.

During the April 24, 2000, commemoration at Trinity Church in Boston,
Senator Kennedy stressed that while "the persecution of the Armenian
people and the atrocities committed against them will never be
forgotten . . . the continuing leadership of the Armenian people
throughout the world today, and the birth of the Armenian republic
provide an example to us all of what the human spirit at its best
can achieve."

In a June 5, 2006, letter, signed together with Senator John
Kerry (D.-Mass.), Senator Kennedy raised concerns with the Bush
administration’s early recall of Ambassador John M. Evans from Armenia
over the ambassador’s comments on the Armenian Genocide; the letter
demanded an explanation for the move.

A member of America’s most prominent political family, Edward
Kennedy will be remembered as a strong and effective champion of
liberal values. In the 2008 presidential campaign, Senator Kennedy’s
endorsement of Barack Obama came at pivotal moment in a tough
primary race.

Senator Kennedy will be buried beside his brothers at the Arlington
National Cemetery on August 29.

AHMET DAVUTOGLU: TURKEY AND ARMENIA AT THE BEGINNING OF A "LONG PROCESS"

armradio.am
01.09.2009 17:17

Turkey and Armenia are at the beginning of a "long process" toward
normalizing relations, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu
said Tuesday.

"It is a long process," Davutoglu said in an interview with Turkey’s
NTV television during a visit to northern Cyprus. "But every long
process has a beginning."

"We have lived through some bitter experiences but we have to also
remember the beautiful episodes of our joint history," he said.

Davutoglu said the rapprochement with Yerevan is part of Turkey’s
wider policy of "zero problems" with neighbors.

"Tsarukyan has no connection"

9/08/28/gagik-tsarukyan
05:34 pm | August 28, 2009 | Politics

The press service of the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) states that
none of BHK Leader Gagik Tsarukyan’s acquaintances had any connection
with last year’s unrest in Yerevan City.

Members of the disbanded fact-finding group Andranik Kocharyan and
Seda Safaryan announced that during the March 1 events some
high-ranking officials and MPs had been given military uniforms and
clear orders to incite arsons and plunder in the capital. Gagik
Tsarukyan’s name was among the aforesaid high-ranking officials.

BHK’s press service denies the rumours and says they do not correspond
to reality.

"None of Gagik Tsarukyan’s acquaintances was engaged in the March 1
disturbance. The authors of the rumours try to divert public attention
from the real perpetrators of the March 1 tragedy and defame Gagik
Tsarukyan," says a BHK release.

TIME DEPOSITS IN ARMENIAN AMERIABANK GROW 185% IN JANUARY-JULY

ARKA
Aug 27, 2009

YEREVAN, August 27. /ARKA/. Total amount of time deposits in Ameriabank
of Armenia grew by 185% in January-July and by 34% in July only,
the bank’s press service reported.

82% of the deposits were from organizations in the period.

Deposits from individuals grew by 316%, says the press release.

By the end of the first half, time deposits from legal entities
totaled 26 billion drams making Ameriabank the leader in terms of
time deposits among Armenian banks.

Time deposits from organizations grew by 35% in July only and reached
35 billion drams over January-July.

Ameriabank closed joint stock company is an investment bank offering
corporate, investment and particular retail services in a complex
package.

Ruben Vardanyan is the Chairman of the bank’s Board of Directors and
Artak Anesyan is the Chairman of Directorate and the General Director.

"Troyka Dialogue", a biggest Russian investment-banking company,
is a strategic partner of Ameriabank. ($1=371.49Drams).

Currently Ameriabank is offering time deposit services both for
physical and legal entities.

TO TURN AN ORTHODOX CHURCH INTO A MOSQUE

Aysor
Aug 27 2009
Armenia

The Turkish authorities intend to turn St. Dmitri Orthodox Church
into a mosque, informs the "Milliyet".

The church was built in the first half of the 19th century in the
suburbs of Silivri, not far from Istanbul. The constructions near
the church have already begun.

Oktay Ekinci, the architect and the scholar of the Academy of Fine
Arts, criticized this decision and called it "not righteous and
anti-aesthetic from the scientific point of view".

The church was built in 1931 by Orthodox Greeks, whose offsprings
were exiled from Silivri, and their houses were occupied by Moslems
who had come from Greece. Before building a new mosque they held
their religious rituals in the church, near which they had built a
wooden minaret.

Speculating this historical fact the authorities hold activities under
the heading "Preservation of a mosque". Not only the architects and
the art critics, but also the Orthodox society stood against this fact.

According to the data of Costandnupolis patriarchate there were two
Orthodox churches in Silivri in the 20t century, but most of the
historical documents about the churches were either abolished or lost
after the Greeks exile.

RA PRESIDENT EXPRESSES READINESS TO PROMOTE PROGRAMS OF MIASIN MOVEMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
27.08.2009 18:09 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today the President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan visited
the Learning Forum Camp of the All-Armenian youth movement Miasin
(Together) on the shore of Lake Sevan. The movement is devoted to
reforms and modernization of the country.

As the president mentioned, that he was glad to see hundreds of
young people who lived together in the camp, and according to him,
that experience would be very useful for them in future.

President of Armenia wished success to the movement and expressed
readiness to promote their programs and initiatives.

TURKIC-SPEAKING COUNTRIES’ PA TO LIKELY DEBATE NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT

Today.Az
Aug 26 2009
Azerbaijan

The first session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Turkic-speaking
Countries (PATC) to be held in Baku in September may debate the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

"The agenda and issues to be discussed in the session will be
determined at the first meeting of the General Assembly. The
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict may also be included on the agenda,"
Azerbaijani Parliamentarian and Member of the Azerbaijani Delegation
to the PATC Nizami Jafarov said.

Jafarov said Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan refused to join the
PATC. "These countries have not yet made a final decision on this
issue. There is a hope that Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan will also
join the organization," the parliamentarian said.

An agreement was reached at the last year’s meeting of heads of
the Turkish-countries’ parliaments held in Istanbul to form the
Parliamentary Assembly which included Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan and Turkey. Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan refused to join it.

Baku will host the first session of the PATC in late September.

Jafarov said the Association of the Parliamentary Journalists will
be soon established under the PATC.

"If even the Turkmen and Uzbek parliamentarians do not attend the Baku
session of the PA, journalists of these countries can be invited to
this event. At present we are working over these issues," he said.

NINTH CIRCUIT PROVES THAT THERE WAS NO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Examiner.com
rs-Examiner~y2009m8d25-Ninth-Circuit-proves-that-t here-was-no-Armenian-genocide
Aug 25 2009

The most important component of a good legal education is learning
to think like a lawyer. However, you can save a lot in student loans
if you check yourself into a mental hospital instead. In Movsesian
v. Versicherung AG, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals provides more
proof of the benefits of a good legal education.

Movsesian is a lawsuit about an interesting California law that allows
the heirs of people killed during the Armenian genocide to sue the
debauched opportunistic life insurance companies who have still not
paid policy benefits to any of the victims’ families.

Here is that interesting law in its full glory:

(a) The following definitions govern the construction of this section:
(1) "Armenian Genocide victim" means any person of Armenian or
other ancestry living in the Ottoman Empire during the period of
1915 to 1923, inclusive. Who died, was deported, or escaped to avoid
persecution during that period.

(2) "Insurer" means an insurance provider doing business in the
state, or whose contacts in the state satisfy the constitutional
requirements for jurisdiction, that sold life, property, liability,
health, annuities, dowry, educational, casualty or any other insurance
covering persons or property to persons in Europe or Asia at any time
between 1875 and 1923.

(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any Armenian Genocide
victom. Or heir or beneficiary of an Armenian Genocide victim, who
resides in this state and has a claim arising out of an insurance
policy or policies purchased or in effect in Europe or Asia between
1875 and 1923 from an insurer described in paragraph (2) of subdivision
(a), may bring a legal action or may continue a pending legal action
to recover on that claim in any court of competent jurisdiction
in this state, which court shall be deemed the proper forum for
that action until its completion or resolution, (c) Any action,
including any pending action brought by an Armenian Genocide victim
or the heir or beneficiary of any Armenian Genocide victim, whether
a resident or nonresident of this state, seeking benefits under the
insurance policies issued or in effect between 1875 and 1923 shall
not be dismissed for failure to comply with the applicable statute
of limitation, provided the action is filed on or before December
31, 2010.

(d) The provisions of this section are severable. If any provision
of this section or its application is held invalid, that invalidity
shall not affect other provisions or applications that can be given
effect without the invalid provision or application."

The California legislature knows how to write a law, don’t you
agree? Can’t you just read stuff like this all day? It certainly
compares favorably to a James Fenimore Cooper novel.

But, enough with this statutes as literature diversion. Back we go
to the 9t Circuit Court of Appeal and its decision.

Movsesian is a class action lawsuit by heirs of those who perished
during the genocide. Brought under California’s Armenian genocide
insurance law, the action seeks the money that the shameless defendant
insurance company has still has not paid the families of the victims.

The issue before the court in Movsevsian was not whether or not the
plaintiffs’ forbearers are really still alive or whether they can prove
that their forbearers paid their premiums before they were murdered in
1915. The issue is whether the law is preempted and therefore invalid.

How’s that? How, why, who and what can invalidate California insurance
law in such a way?

Now, you will begin to observe the sophistication and nuanced thinking
that comes with a good legal education.

Why of course state law can be preempted. Although we have a federal
form of government with a federal government with limited power, our
federal government with limited powers has become all but unlimited
in power and easily able to bully the states.

Moreover, what is more important than US foreign policy? That’s right,
nothing. And who is the dominate voice in US foreign policy? You’re
right again, our president. So, can you imagine the situation
in which presidential foreign policy is contradicted by a state’s
insurance law? Such a situation is untenable. We cannot allow a state
to have an insurance law that is contrary to presidential foreign
policy. Therefore, if this California law contradicts US presidential
foreign policy, then this law is void.

Is this law contrary to US presidential foreign policy? Here again,
the court’s unerring and sophisticated logic will astound you.

US foreign policy is to promote human rights and oppose genocide. But,
the court in its wisdom ignored this policy and instead determined
that an important plank of President Obama’s foreign policy is to
oppose th recognition of the Armenian genocide. It found that that
this was an important part of President Obama’s foreign policy not
by asking him, but because the presidents before him were against
acknowledging that there was an Armenian genocide.

But the court’s cognitive acrobatics do not end here. We still need to
get to that part of the court’s complex legal reasoning on preemption:
How can this California insurance law contradict President Obama’s
foreign policy?

According to the court, it contradicts President Obama’s foreign policy
because if he opposes recognizing the Armenian genocide, then by law,
it is factually determined that this genocide never happened. Because
California’s insurance law could not exist if there was no Armenian
genocide, it is contrary to presidential foreign policy and, therefore,
preempted.

Indeed, this is thinking like a lawyer at its finest.

But, how is fine analysis different from Catholic Church’s decision
to excommunicate Galileo or Josef Stalin’s decision to promote the
fraudulent biological theories of Trofim Lysenko? Both the Church
and Stalin also made their factual determinations based on policy.

In Movsesian, the court elevates policy over fact. Instead of
undertaking an investigation into whether there was an Armenian
genocide, the court resolved the factual question by a policy analysis,
which is always a superior way to determine facts.

I am not exactly an expert on the Armenian genocide, but I have read
the dispatches from US ambassador Henry Morgenthau. But, I guess his
reports cannot be factually correct because they too are contrary to
President Obama’s foreign policy and therefore are preempted.

Next week, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeal will issue its long awaited
decision on whether our foreign policy requires college professors
to teach that the moon is made out of cheese and that Saddam Hussein
has weapons of mass destruction.