Author: Chmshkian Vicken

IMF SUPPORTED PROGRAMS HELP COUNTRIES WEATHER THE WORST OF THE GLOBAL CRISIS SAYS INTERNAL REVIEW

FinFacts Ireland
Sep 28, 2009 – 5:31:37 AM

Section of the G-20 family gathering in Pittsburgh on Friday, Sept 25,
2009 – – British Prime Minister Gordon Brown making what he seems to
believe is a serious point to a non-plussed Chancellor Angela Merkel
as Sweden’s PM Fredrik Reinfeldt, current president of the European
Council, on Merkel’s right, looks puzzled. Behind Reinfeldt, is IMF
Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn earwigging; on his left
is the Director-General of the International Labour Organisation
(ILO) Juan Somavia, looking bored; on his left, is United Nations
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, looking into the distance and possibly
wondering if the leaders of the big countries present, will give him
the nod for a second term, after an unremarkable first one.

The IMF said on Monday that a mix of increased resources, policy
flexibility, and more focused conditionality has resulted in better
support for emerging market countries hit by the recent global
financial crisis. In an analysis of 15 countries1, Review of Recent
Crisis Programs, the IMF said that the Fund-supported programs are
delivering the kind of policy response and financing needed to help
cushion the blow from the worst crisis since the 1930s.

"What this study tells us is that, with IMF support, many of the
severe disruptions characteristic of past crises have so far been
either avoided or sharply reduced,"IMF Managing Director Dominique
Strauss-Kahn said. "Serious challenges remain, especially restoring
sustained growth in output and employment, but there are encouraging
signs of stabilization. The governments and peoples of the countries
concerned deserve the credit for these efforts."

In the past, the IMF earned a bad name in the developing world for
its harsh reform programs that were often perceived as inflicting
too much pain on the poor, in particular.

Today’s published study describes the typical econo ng, sharp current
account contractions, and systemic banking crises — and examines why
these outcomes have so far been avoided in most cases. Key factors
this time include rapid provision, large-scale, and front-loaded
IMF financing channeled to sectors facing the tightest financing
constraints; accommodative macroeconomic policies; emphasis on
protecting the financial sector from liquidity squeezes; more focused
conditionality; and stronger country ownership. The study notes that
outcomes and policies in program countries are broadly similar to
those of non-program emerging market countries, once controlling for
pre-existing vulnerabilities, such as current account deficits and
credit booms.

"It is clear that this new generation of programs incorporate the
lessons of the past," IMF Director of Strategy, Policy, and Review
Reza Moghadam said, "While it is certainly too early to draw firm
conclusions, this assessment is useful in providing real-time
feedback to country authorities, IMF staff, partner institutions
and policymakers elsewhere, so that we can continue to learn and
improve further."

Among the factors that have helped avoid past problems are:

Large and timely financing: The Fund was able to quickly mobilise large
financing packages for countries hit by the financial turbulence of
late 2008. Almost all have entailed exceptional access — beyond
the normal limits — to Fund resources, with more front-loaded
disbursements. Financing packages have included support from other
official creditors, enabling risk sharing. Private sector involvement
has also been sought in a number of European programs. Importantly,
official financing has been used more to meet actual funding
constraints of the private and public sectors, less to replenish
central banks reserves.

More focused conditionality: recent programs carry fewer structural
conditions than previous arrangements. The study found a sharp fall
in measures outside the key areas of Fund competency and a marked
increase in the share of financial sect s at the root of the current
crisis. However, structural conditions typically rise over time as
crises deepen and vulnerabilities shift–so this aspect will require
continued close monitoring.

Stronger Country Ownership: the programs show differences in
design across countries (with respect, for example, to the choice
of currency regimes), reflecting the need to tailor support to each
country’s particular reform agenda–the failure to do this has been
a criticism of past IMF support. Compliance has been better and
completion of program reviews timely, suggesting strong country
ownership of programs supported by the Fund.

Policy responses tailored to country circumstances, including:

* Accommodative fiscal policy: fiscal policy in most cases has been
accommodative and adjusted to evolving conditions. Deficits were
allowed to rise in response to falling revenues and, in cases where
domestic and external financing was lacking, this was facilitated
by channeling Fund resources directly to the budget. Going forward,
countries with heavier debt burdens will need to redouble fiscal
efforts to secure sustainability.

* Avoidance of abrupt monetary policy tightening: sharp spikes
in interest and exchange rates have been avoided, minimising the
negative dynamics from balance sheet effects, particularly in countries
where a high share of borrowing is in foreign currency. As a result,
the real exchange rate adjustment needed to support lower current
account deficits can hopefully be achieved in a more gradual and less
stressed environment.

* Pre-emptive steps to address banking problems: the general avoidance
of banking crises in program countries thus far is remarkable,
given that in many cases, especially in Central and Eastern Europe,
banking systems entered the crisis after an externally-financed credit
boom. The study argues that various factors–strengthened financial
sector regulation in advance, avoidance of currency and interest rate
overshooting, and emergency program measures including liquidity p
urance–have contributed to this result.

* Commitments to sustain or expand social safety nets: these have
been undertaken by authorities in all program countries, with some
shifting from higher spending to better targeting over time. Given
the importance of protecting the most vulnerable groups, this is
another aspect requiring continued close monitoring.

While concluding that the worst outcomes have so far been avoided
in most cases and that early stabilization has been achieved, the
study cautions that major challenges remain, including the timely
unwinding of fiscal and monetary stimulus, adjustment to external
competitiveness factors, and fixing bank balance sheets.

1Armenia, Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Costa Rica, El Salvador,
Georgia, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Mongolia, Pakistan,
Romania, Serbia, and Ukraine.

On Friday, leaders of the Group of Twenty (G-20) industrialised
and emerging market economies at their summit in Pittsburgh
pledged to sustain the strong policy response to counter the global
economic crisis and provided political support for a shift in country
representation at the IMF of at least 5 percent toward dynamic emerging
market and developing countries.

In a communiqué, the leaders said the forceful policy response
to the crisis had helped stop a dangerous, sharp decline in global
activity and stabilise financial markets. Industrial output is now
rising in nearly all economies and international trade is starting to
recover. The leaders quoted IMF analysis showing the global economy
expected to grow at nearly 3 percent by the end of next year.

The leaders, meeting on September 25, said they decided to designate
the G-20 as the "premier forum for our international economic
cooperation." The G-20 leaders also agreed to continue strengthening
regulation of the international financial system; protect consumers,
depositors, and investors from abusive market practices; and encourage
the resumption of lending to households and businesses. They asked
the IMF to help the th its analysis of how national or regional policy
frameworks fit together.

At the same time, they stressed their commitment to the world’s
poorest countries, saying "steps to reduce the development gap can
be a potent driver of global growth."

IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn welcomed the G-20’s
continuing support of the IMF and noted the leaders’ reaffirmation
of their London Summit initiative to reach agreement on IMF quotas by
January 2011. "The April 2008 quota and voice reforms were a first step
to enhance the voice and representation of the world’s emerging and
developing countries. Today’s G-20’s commitment to a shift in quota
share to dynamic emerging market and developing countries of at least
five percent from over-represented to under-represented countries, and
to protect the voting share of the poorest in the IMF, is a decisive
move. This historic decision, and the emergence of the G-20 as a key
forum for international economic cooperation, will lay the foundation
for a deeper partnership in global economic policy between emerging and
developing countries and the advanced economies," Strauss-Kahn said.

While the G-20 will have responsibility for global economic
coordination, it will only have a role of influencing members as it
will have no power of sanction.

The G-20 agreed in Pittsburgh that bonus payments for financial
managers will in future be linked to long-term financial performance,
worldwide. Banks will be required to increase their capital reserves
to cover high-risk ventures so that the current financial crisis is
not repeated. At the same time the major industrialised countries
and emerging economies (G-20) have resolved to put in place a common
global framework for the world economy, which is in future to be
managed sustainably.

In response to European, and particularly Franco-German pressure,
major progress was made in Pittsburgh on drawing up a new financial
market constitution.

In future all states will ensure that bonus payments for bank
execut e. If their company does badly they may even see their pay
cut. Performance-linked pay is more often to take the form of shares
rather than cash payments, which should be a further incentive for
the recipient to ensure that the company does well.

By 2011 banks will be required to build significantly higher capital
reserves to cover high-risk products. The stricter regulations already
in place in Europe will then also apply to US banks. Accounting
regulations will be harmonised at international level.

A system will be put in place to ensure that banks can never again
blackmail states and government. The Financial Stability Forum is to
draw up proposals to this end, also by 2011. The plan is to create
a legal framework to regulate the rehabilitation or winding up of
ailing banks.

The G-20 nations will consider a financial transaction or speculation
tax, as proposed by Germany and France but the issue is at an early
stage of discussion.

In addition to regulating financial markets the G-20 in future aims to
deal with other urgent economic issues that require an international
response. In Pittsburgh they already looked at ways of eliminating
imbalances in global trade, in particular making good the deficits
suffered by poorer countries as compared to the industrialised nations.

To revive the world economy, the G-20 states said they intend to
work to further liberalise world trade. The Doha Round of trade
talks of the World Trade Organization (WTO) is to be brought to a
successful conclusion at the start of next year, after eight years
of negotiations.

The G-20 comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France,
Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia,
South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United
States, plus the European Union. To ensure global economic fora and
institutions work together, the Managing Director of the International
Monetary Fund and the President of the World Bank, plus the chairs
of the International Monetary and Financial Comm of the IMF and World
Bank, also participate in G-20 meetings on an ex-officio basis.

Together, member countries represent around 90 percent of global
gross national product as well as two-thirds of the world’s population.

Director General of ArmenTel: Two different state bodies should not
qualify ArmenTel as the dominating market participant by applying
different methods

2009-09-25 16:08:00

ArmInfo. Two different state bodies should not qualify ArmenTel as the
dominating market participant by applying different methods, Director
General of ArmenTel igor Klimko told journalists, Friday, when
commenting the Sept 24 decision of the Armenian State Commission for
Protection of Economic Competition. According to the decision,
ArmenTel and Fibernet Communication are acknowledged the dominating
companies in the market of international transit of data transmission
for ensuring an access to internet. The companies’ shares in the
market (53,9% and 46,1%) are calculated on the basis of the total
value of services provided by these companies in the first half year
of 2009.

"The international practice shows that it is more correct to determine
the dominating entities by the volume of their services, and not by
their value as it is possible to buy the same goods (internet
communication) from different providers at different prices. As a
result, the prime cost of the same service may range from 1.5 to 2
times. We hope that in settling this problem we’ll manage to come to a
mutually acceptable motivated solution with the State Commission",-
Klimko said.

To recall, in September 2008 ArmenTel was acknowledged the dominating
operator of fixed telephone communication in Armenia by the decision
of the Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC) of Armenia. In
February 2009, by PSRC decision, a number of telecommunication
companies of the country received numbering capacities of fixed
communication without geographic codes.

Diaspora Dilemma – The Time for Hard Choices Has Come and Gone!

2009/09/2 5 | 00:44

important politics

A reader from Cyprus sent us the following commentary on the diaspora,
its relationship with the RoA and the current rift over the recent
Armenian-Turkish protocols – Hetq.

How ironic and sad that this pretentious flare-up between the Diaspora
and the RoA remains one of the farce that took place at the Paris
Peace Conference when there were two competing delegations vying for
scraps at the negotiations table – one lead by Boghos Nubar Pasha, for
the diaspora/western Armenia, and the other lead by Avetis Aharonian
for the first RoA.

It was a farce then and low and behold some 90 years later the
Armenian nation finds itself in the same predicament. We, as a people,
haven’t advanced one iota.

It is high time that all Armenians, whether they consider themselves
western or eastern, diasporan or citizens of the RoA, realize that the
current political entity called the RoA is the amalgam of both
geographical sphere of historic Armenia and as such it remains the
sole official representative of the entire nation and its interests.

The Diaspora, or certain elements within it, might think differently
but that is the cold reality.
This issue isn’t new and has deep roots, but the Diaspora must face
facts. It cannot directly negotiate with the Turkish state; it lacks
both the institutions to do so and remains disparate collections of
petty organizations and spheres of interest.

The Diaspora and those forces within it who now lambast the protocols
and the foreign policy of the current RoA regime need to question
their own actions in the matter.

What exactly does the Diaspora want? Who speaks for the Diaspora?
These questions remain unanswered and sadly will remain so.

If the Diaspora was sincere about its present outcry and criticism of
the protocols, it would need to confess that its arguments against the
document are flimsy and superficial at best.

Genocide recognition; fine. Then what? Even if Turkey were to one day
recognize the historical truth; then what? Will this lead to the
descendants of Genocide survivors to move back to western Armenia and
pick up the pieces of their interrupted historical development? Surely
NOT!

The Diaspora laments the actions of the current RoA regime but takes
little if no interest in changing it. On the contrary, where were the
so-called leaders of the Diaspora after the fraudulent 2008
presidential elections in Armenia that ushered in the Sargsyan
government?

Most diasporan organizations argued back then that it was better to
remain silent rather than to destabilize the country. Dear
compatriots, this is unprincipled politics. You can’t have it both
ways!
Let the sons and daughters of the Diaspora, led by their leaders, show
that they are serious about their convictions.

They should either move to Armenia or actively participate in the
political process or they should create a government in exile and send
its diplomats knocking on the doors of the European powers.
The ARF once again attempts to deceive the uninitiated that it is the
protector of the nation’s interests and declares a hunger-strike in
downtown Yerevan.

Does the ARF forget the infamous Treaty of Alexandropol that it signed
or the fact that they requested Turkish military help during the 1921
February Uprising to battle the advancing Bolshevik forces?

Where was the Diaspora and the rhetorical nationalists of today when
ASALA was taking the fight to the Turkish heartland 25-30 years ago?
Back then all one heard was `Amot, Amot’ (Shame, Shame).

Let’s get real folks. All this sudden bluster over the protocols is
just that – empty rhetoric.

People like former Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian wax eloquently
about some imaginary injury to Armenian `self-dignity’ if the
protocols are signed and that we’d be depriving ourselves of future
possibilities vis-a-vis territorial compensation. UTTER RUBBISH!

Let the sons and daughters of the Diaspora take up arms and fight
alongside the PKK, that way they might have some moral justification
to make territorial demands on eastern Anatolia.

BUT NO! Oskanian lives in a fairy-land of dreams just like the ARF who
continue to spout nationalist rhetoric but does piss-all when it comes
to real revolutionary work. They call themselves the Armenian
`Revolutionary’ Federation but don’t have the guts to call for
President Sargsyan’s resignation. What utter nonsense.

At least, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, for all his faults, had the pragmatic
nerve to say that the Genocide issue had no place in Armenia’s foreign
policy agenda. Basically, he told the diaspora to take the lead.

Ponder this as a final thought. When was the last time, prior to these
recent protocols, did you hear any discussion or debate regarding the
Treaty of Kars? The voices of dissent are so vociferous in Yerevan,
Beirut and Los Angeles that one would assume that Armenians for the
past 88 years spoke nothing but Kars around the dinner table or at the
local coffee shop.

Now however, when there is a real document on the table with real
consequences and requiring real decisions to be made, people have
literally come out of the woodwork with a variety of opinions. It’s
this definition of the issue, of how to proceed into the unknown,
which has so many at their wit’s end. Why? Because they have nothing
concrete to offer as a viable substitute and haven’t seen the need to
for lo these many years.

This is what really is at issue. Better to continue along the path of
inaction and indecisiveness than actually sit down and hammer out a
plan of action. That, however, requires time and effort, and a real
set of national values.

Not one Armenian government in power since 1991, the year of
independence from the Soviet Union, has ever said that Armenian has
territorial claims of Turkey. This seemed palatable to the vast
majority, in Armenia and the diaspora. So what has changed now to make
so many predict doom and gloom if the protocols are enacted? Mostly
it’s the fear of the unknown and the understanding that they have
nothing to offer as a substitute. They have been living a lie and are
too ashamed to admit it.

I’ve come to the sad realization that as a people we should better
concentrate on the here and now rather than continually living a lie
and wallow in the dead-end of self-deception.

Historical experience proves we are competent to do no more.

YEZIDIS OF ARMENIA SUPPORT OPENING OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH BORDER WITHOUT PRECONDITIONS

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
23.09.2009 16:07 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Normalization of the Armenian-Turkish relations is
important., Aziz Tamoyan , the chairman of the World National Union
of Yezidis told a news conference in Yerevan today. "Normalization
of relations plays an important role, but I am much more concerned
with the political situation in Armenia created after the Protocols
on normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations have been publisized,"
Aziz Tamoyan said, calling on all political forces in Armenia to reach
a consensus over the protocols and do not aggravate the situation in
the country.

Although being not familiar with the protocols, Aziz Tamoyan
however stressed that Armenia should never give up the struggle for
international recognition of the Armenian Genocide. According to Aziz
Tamoyan , Armenia must not recognize the territorial integrity of
Turkey, since the Western Armenia is the homeland of Armenians. "I
am advocating for open border with Turkey, but this should happen
without any preconditions. In this respect, I am very concerned about
the statements made by the Turkish Prime Minister that the border
will open only after Armenian forces leave Karabakh. Both Armenians
and Turks must benefit from opening of the Armenian-Turkish border,
" he concluded.

ARMENIAN POLITICAL ANALYST PROSECUTED FOR ‘ARMENIAN GENOCIDE DENIAL’

Tert
Sept 23 2009
Armenia

ARARAT Center for Strategic Research NGO has brought forth a case
against Caucasus Institute Foundation for denial of the Armenian
Genocide, Director of ARARAT Center for Strategic Research Aybars
Gyorgulu said during a press conference today.

Alexander Iskandaryan, a political analyst and head of the Caucasus
Institute Foundation located in Armenia, is the editor of a book
called Caucasus Neighborhood: Turkey and the South Caucasus. The book,
published after a conference organized by the Caucasus Institute
in Istanbul, included a reprint of an article denying the Armenian
Genocide.

The article, titled "Turkish-Armenian relations: an eternal
deadlock?" by Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation colleague
Aybars Gyorgulu, thus became the basis for the legal suit. In his
report presented during the conference in Istanbul, the Turkish
figure denies the Armenian Genocide. Furthermore, in his article,
Gyorgulu uses the word "genocide" in quotation marks.

"The act of Genocide denial has also begun in Armenia, this is not
an exceptional case," Ayvazian stated. Referring to the Caucasus
Institute’s publication, the director of the ARARAT Center stated,
"This is a case of simple classic denial."

According to Ayvazian, intitial hearings will take place in the first
half of October.

Tert.am tried to get in touch with Alexander Iskandaryan, but was
advised by the Caucasus Institute that he is out of town, and no
comments will be made during the politician’s absence.

ERDOGAN IN NEW YORK

Information-Analytic Agency NEWS.am
Sept 22 2009
Armenia

September 21, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived
in New York to participate in the UN General Assembly Session and
G-20 Summit. The Premier met with U.S. Jewish organizations’
representatives, including Abraham Foxman, the President
of Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Turkish Anadolu news agency
reports. During the meeting Erdogan made a point of OSCE Minsk Group
assistance in Armenia-Turkey relations’ normalization and called OSCE
MG to further efforts in the process. In the course of the series
meetings Israeli-Turkish relations were also discussed.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu met with EU Presiding
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt and the upcoming EU President,
Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos.

The Turkish Delegation also consisted of the State Minister Ali
Babacan, Egemen Bagis, State Minister and EU chief negotiator as well
as Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek.

NEWS.am recalls in 2007 Anti-Defamation League recognized the World
War I events as Armenian Genocide having American Jewish Committee
(AJC) joining them on August 22, 2007. However, AJC stated they would
not support Armenian Genocide bill submitted in U.S. Congress as it
would not contribute to Armenian-Turkish reconciliation.

DMITRY MEDVEDEV CONGRATULATED PRESIDENT OF ARMENIA SERZH SARGSYAN ON COUNTRY’S NATIONAL HOLIDAY – INDEPENDENCE DAY.

States News Service
September 21, 2009 Monday

The following information was released by the office of the President
of Russia:

The congratulatory message reads, in part:

"I am happy to see that the close and friendly relations between Russia
and Armenia, characterised by mutual understanding, respect and trust,
continue their steady development.

I am sure that by deepening the strategic partnership between our
countries we will foster social and economic progress in Russia
and Armenia and serve the cause of peace and stability in the
Trans-Caucasus.

We will take all steps necessary to continue developing our bilateral
political dialogue and our business and humanitarian cooperation."

SARGSYAN, CLINTON DISCUSS ARMENIA-TURKEY RELATIONS

armradio.am
21.09.2009 11:44

The President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, had a phone conversation
with US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, President’s Press Office
reported.

During the conversation the interlocutors discussed issues related
to the current stage of normalization of the Armenian-turkey relations.

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
sept 20 2009

Relations with Azerbaijan is one of the priorities of Turkish foreign
policy – FM
20.09.2009 11:26

Azerbaijan, Baku, September 20 /Trend News, A. Akhundov/

Relations with Azerbaijan is one of the priorities of Turkish foreign
policy and any step of Turkey contrary to the interests of Azerbaijan
is out of the question, the Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu
said Saturday in an interview with CNN Turk television.

"Armenia’s occupation of Azerbaijani territories is contrary to all
standards of international law. Something must be done about it. And
Turkey takes the initiative in the issue of normalization of relations
with Armenia to speed up the process of resolving this conflict ", –
he said.

Davutoglu hoped that opening the border with Armenia will happen in
the near future.

"All parties, including the OSCE Minsk Group, are active and if we can
combine our efforts, not only the Turkish-Armenian border, but the
border between Azerbaijan and Armenia can be opened too", – he said.

According to Turkish Foreign Minister, the status quo in the Caucasus
is not profitable for any country in the region.

"In this situation it becomes necessary that a new player emerge, who
can change the situation in the Caucasus for the better. OSCE Minsk
Group did not succeed for 17 years", – said Davutoglu.

"It would be wrong to link the recent advances in the process of
normalizing Turkish-Armenian relations with the statement by US
President Barack Obama in the Turkish Parliament. These steps are made
solely by the will of Turkey to fully normalize the situation in the
region ", – said the Foreign Minister of Turkey.

La Tribune, France
Mercredi 16 Septembre 2009

la résistance de Guédiguian

par Yasmine Youssi

cinémaPour cette fois, Jean-Pierre Darrousin et Ariane Ascaride jouent
les seconds rôles au profit d’une escouade de jeunes acteurs emmenés
par Simon Abkarian et Robinson Stevenin, les rues de Paris remplacent
celles de Marseille. Le XIe arrondissement a pris le pas sur l’Estaque
et Robert Guédiguian a délaissé l’?uvre intimiste pour une fresque
historique.

Et pourtant. « l’Armée du crime » est peut-être l’un des films les
plus personnels du réalisateur, fils d’une mère allemande et d’un père
arménien et communiste. Comme le héros de son long-métrage, le poète
ouvrier Missak Manouchian, qui devait prendre la tête d’un important
réseau de résistance ? membre des fameux Francs-tireurs et partisans –
Main-d’?uvre immigrée (FTP-MOI) ? en 1943 avant de tomber aux mains de
la police française et d’être fusillé avec 22 de ses camarades. Ceux
de la célèbre « Affiche rouge ».Rien ne prédestinait Manouchian à
prendre les armes. Orphelin dès son plus jeune ge (son père a
probablement été massacré à l’occasion du génocide arménien en Turquie
en 1915 avant que sa mère ne meure de famine), le poète a débarqué en
France en 1925. Menuisier, man?uvre chez Citroën, adhérent du PC dès
1934, il suit par ailleurs des cours à la Sorbonne, traduit Baudelaire
et Verlaine en arménien, s’occupe de revues de littérature et écrit
ses propres poèmes. l’me humaine au scapelAmoureux de la France autant
que de la liberté, récalcitrant à l’idée de faire couler du sang, il
accepte néanmoins de diriger un groupe de résistants. Hongrois,
Arméniens, Italiens, Polonais, Roumains ou exilés espagnols, ouvriers
et juifs pour la plupart, beaucoup n’ont pas 20 ans. Mais tous se
lancent dans la bataille avec un courage sans faille, multipliant les
exécutions ou les sabotages, prêts à mourir pour un pays qui n’est pas
le leur mais qui a su les accueillir.Pour raconter cette « Armée du
crime », comme la qualifiait la police et l’occupant, Guédiguian
s’attache davantage à la vie de ces résistants qu’à leurs actions. Et
c’est ce qui fait la force du film. Le réalisateur ravive le Paris
populaire de cette époque, rappelle la solidarité qui régnait au sein
de ces quartiers d’immigrés bientôt décimés par la Shoah. Il fouille
l’me humaine dans ce qu’elle a de plus beau comme de plus
abjecte. Avec d’un côté Missak Manouchian, impeccablement campé par
Simon Abkarian, revenant avec dégoût sur le lieu de son premier
attentat, conscient d’avoir franchi à jamais la frontière séparant les
combattants du reste des hommes. Et de l’autre, Monique Stern, qui
donne le réseau auquel appartient son amoureux et prend goût aux
cadeaux du commissaire collabo qui l’a retournée. Mais c’est aussi une
certaine idée de la France que convoque Guédiguian. De ce pays de
liberté, d’égalité et de fraternité, hier encore perçu comme un phare
pour tous les damnés de la terre. n