Author: Frangulian Shushan

STUDENTS AT WATERTOWN’S ST. STEPHEN’S ARMENIAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LEARN ABOUT GARDNER ART HEIST

Watertown TAB & Press
682938725/Students-at-Watertown-s-St-Stephen-s-Arm enian-Elementary-School-learn-about-Gardner-art-he ist
Nov 25 2009
MA

Photo: St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School grade five students
with Stephen Kurkjian, FBI Special Agent Geoffrey Kelly, Julia Kramer
and Principal Houry Boyamian.

WATERTOWN — .There’s been a great deal of excitement in fifth-grade
teacher Julia Kramer’s classroom at St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary
School in Watertown. It started with fifth-grade parent Rosalyn
Minassian volunteering to do the weekly current events discussion with
the class. Following her art passion, she decided to teach about the
unsolved heist at the Gardner Museum in 1990.

To cater to different intelligences and interests, the students
used their computer class to listen to the news report while seeing
the various artwork stolen from the museum. They wrote down their
observations and questions in their detective book. After a lively
discussion about the stolen artwork with Minassian, the students
then had an opportunity to speak to two investigators of the case,
retired Boston Globe journalist Stephen Kurkjian and FBI Special
Agent Geoffrey Kelly.

The students’ excitement and quest for knowledge was evident through
the hands waiving eagerly in the air. The Gardner Museum’s director
of security, Anthony Amore, has even invited the fifth-grade class
for a VIP tour of the museum.

"It’s wonderful to see the children so eagerly go in depth on a
topic as we provide them with a breadth of opportunities to learn —
from computers to art to forensic science to newspaper reporting,"
said Houry Boyamian, principal of the school.

— St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School

BORIS GRYZLOV TO VISIT ARMENIA

Aysor
Nov 24 2009
Armenia

Russia’s State Duma Chairman Boris Gryzlov will visit Armenia soon in
accordance with agreement reached at meeting with Speaker of Armenia’s
Parliament Hovhannes Abrahamyan.

Hovhannes Abrahamyan said is grateful for the support from Russia and
stressed the importance of provided by Russia loan which supported
Armenia’s economy during the global crisis.

The parties also discussed items of regional strategy and cooperation,
process of reconciliation between Armenia and Turkey, and Karabakh
settlement.

SLIPPING IN TURKEY: AN ISLAMIST GOVERNMENT’S COMMITMENT TO DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES IS LOOKING SHAKY

The Washington Post
November 23, 2009 Monday

RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN has been the protagonist of an epic liberalization
of politics in Turkey. The victory of his mildly Islamist AK Party
in a 2002 general election was itself a breakthrough; even more so
was his government’s defeat of repeated attempts by the military and
courts to remove it from power. Mr. Erdogan is pushing through historic
reforms of Turkey’s treatment of its Kurdish minority and recently
took a major step toward opening the country’s border with Armenia.

Yet, as his tenure lengthens, it is becoming evident that Mr. Erdogan’s
commitment to democratic principles and Western values is far from
complete. As Turkey’s prospects of joining the European Union have
dimmed, the government’s foreign policy has taken a nasty turn: Shrill
denunciations of Israel have been accompanied by increasing coziness
with the criminal rulers of Iran, Syria and Sudan. Mr. Erdogan recently
declared that Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, who has been
indicted for war crimes in Darfur, was welcome in Turkey because
"a Muslim can never commit genocide."

Even more concerning is Mr. Erdogan’s treatment of the Turkish media.

Frustrated by hostility toward his government by media conglomerates
that formed part of Turkey’s traditional secular establishment,
the prime minister and his allies have resorted to increasingly
heavy-handed measures. Two years ago a forced sale of the country’s
second-biggest newspaper placed it in the hands of a company headed
by Mr. Erdogan’s son-in-law. Once critical, it is now predictably
pro-government.

Now the government is threatening to destroy Turkey’s largest
media company, Dogan Yayin. The conglomerate, which controls seven
newspapers, 28 magazines and three television channels — including
Turkey’s version of CNN — has been hit with an escalating series of
tax bills based on questionable audits of past filings. The latest
one, delivered in September, now stands at some $3.3 billion —
a sum greater than the value of Dogan Yayin and its parent company.

Faced with sharp criticism by the European Union, Mr. Erdogan
and his foreign minister have insisted that the tax bills are a
"technical matter"; in one interview the prime minister compared them
to the tax case brought against gangster Al Capone. The parallel was
unintentionally revealing. Mr. Erdogan’s real problem is not with
the company’s supposed tax evasion but with its tough reporting on
his government — beginning with reports about an Islamic charity
that may have illegally funneled money to his party.

Turkish journalists say that a pall of fear has fallen across
their business. Editors practice self-censorship. Many journalists
are believed to be among the more than 100,000 people whose phones
have been tapped by the government in recent years. Some, including
the chief executive of Dogan Yayin, have been swept up in a murky
investigation of alleged coup plotting.

Mr. Erdogan and his party were once seen by many in Washington as a
model for how pious Muslims could practice democratic politics. That
image is rapidly darkening. If it is not to be extinguished, Mr.

Erdogan must stop coddling Muslim dictators — and stop following
their practice of silencing domestic opposition.

PROTEST AGAINST GEORGIAN AUTHORITIES AND GEORGIAN CHURCH KICKED OFF IN YEREVAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
24.11.2009 14:43 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Demonstrators in Yerevan have started a protest
against Georgian authorities’ failure to take actions towards
preservation of Armenian monasteries in Tbilisi. Over 500 people have
gathered in front of Georgian Embassy to Armenia to hand to Ambassador
Targamadze a letter on barbarism against Armenian churches.

Demonstrators are holding placards reading "No to Cultural Genocide",
"Georgians are not Christians". A PanARMENIAN.Net correspondent reports
that protesters intend to head towards UN House in Yerevan, to raise
international community’s awareness of situation with religious
freedom in Georgia.

According to AAC Georgian Eparchy representative Mkhitar Aloyan,
Georgian authorities constantly degrade and insult Armenian clergymen
and believers. "When we go to Jerusalem on pilgrimage, the custom
service actually searches us, whereas Georgians get out-of-turn
permission. They are not Christians, because a Christian cannot
destroy a church. Our protest is not directed against Georgian people;
we are protesting against official Tbilisi," Aloyan said.

Last Friday, Surb Gevorg Armenian church (dating from 1356) was
demolished in Georgia. Armenian Apostolic Church accused Georgian
authorities of indifference to Armenian sacred places.

HOVIK ABRAMYAN: ARMENIA HAS ALWAYS FELT RUSSIA’S SUPPORT

news.am
Nov 23 2009
Armenia

Armenia has always felt Russia’s support and appreciates it, Speaker
of the RA Parliament Hovik Abramyan stated at his meeting with his
Russian counterpart Boris Gryzlov. The meeting was held within the
framework of the 34th conference of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation
Organization (BSEC).

In this context Speaker Abramyan stressed the importance of the Russian
soft loan to Armenia, which has been great aid to the economy amid
the global economic crisis. The sides made a high appraisal of the
Parliaments’ cooperation within international organizations, as well
as the Russian-Armenian presidential dialogue.

The sides also exchanged views on regional cooperation,
Armenian-Turkish relations without any preconditions and the
Nagorno-Karabakh peace process. The Speakers of the Armenian and
Russian Parliaments reached an agreement on Gryzlov’s visit to Armenia
in the near future.

NEW MEMBERS IN ARMENIAN DELEGATION TO NATO PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY

Tert
Nov 23 2009
Armenia

The make-up of the members in the Armenian delegation participating
in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly has changed. Today, Armenia is
represented by a delegation of three people: Republican Party of
Armenian MPs Karen Avagyan and Artak Zakaryan, as well as Heritage
Party MP Stepan Safaryan.

This news was conveyed by Avagyan, who is heading the Armenian
delegation, at a press conference today. Avagyan noted that
the necessity of changes in the delegation arose after Armenian
Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) member Artur Aghabekyan
and Heritage Party founder and leader Raffi Hovannisian withdrew
their participation.

ICON COMMUNICATIONS ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF ICON ARAG UNLIMITED TRAFFIC INTERNET OFFERING

PanARMENIAN.Net
23.11.2009 13:04 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ iCON Communications announced Monday the launch of
iCON Arag, its new unlimited traffic internet offering. Under this
new program, customers can register for unlimited internet with no
activation fee or modem deposit by signing a one-year contract.

The iCON Arag program applies to all of iCON’s existing unlimited
internet service packages, starting with iCON entry at 8,000 drams per
month for up to 128 kbps download to iCON optima, which offers up to
1,024 kbps download for 33,000 drams per month. All of the technical
specifications of these tariff plans have remained the same: there are
no traffic limits or additional usage charges at the end of the month.

In addition, the same terms apply to iCON’s full range of indoor and
USB modems.

"iCON is excited about making iCON service even more attainable to
Yerevan residents," stated Adam Kablanian, Chief Executive Officer of
iCON Communications. "By removing up-front fees but keeping in place
iCON’s simple, unlimited traffic tariff plans, we offer our customers
fast, reliable and affordable internet with no modem fees or surprises
on their monthly bills. Customers get exactly what they sign up for."

New and existing iCON customers now have the flexibility to choose
between iCON’s traditional accounts (modem deposit & activation fee)
and this new one-year contract option (no modem deposit or activation
fee). Both options are available throughout iCON’s expanded network,
now covering over 70 square kilometers including the following
districts: Kentron, Arabkir, Achapnyak, Vahakni Taghamas, Kasakh
village, Zeitun, Kayaran district, Nor Norq sections 2-8, and Avan.

Residents in all of these districts can choose from a variety of
wireless internet modems, including desktop modems and convenient
USB modems that can be carried and used anywhere in iCON’s network.

Azeri President believes time is on Azerbaijan’s side
22.11.2009 16:10 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Ilham Aliyev often notes that 7 regions around
former Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Republic will be returned to
Azerbaijan, and the only questionable issue is to determine where the
former NKAR belongs. Azeri President believes time is, in any case, on
Azerbaijan’s side, RA National Neo-conservative Movement Leader Eduard
Abrahamyan believes.

According to Eduard Abrahamyan, the policy of systematic settlement of
all 7 regions will not only resolve security issue in KNR and subdue
Baku’s arrogance, but will also make the world community face the
irreversible fact, caused by Azerbaijan’s non-compliance and
revanchist policy.

The presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan made "important progress"
22.11.2009 23:08 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan made
"important progress" in talks about Nagorno-Karabakh on Sunday, but
some difficulties were identified, French OSCE mediator Bernard
Fassier said.

"Some important progress has been reached," he told reporters after
more than four hours of talks in Munich. "At the same time, we
identified some difficulties."

Fassier said he and his co-mediators from the United States and Russia
would prepare the next meeting, without specifying when it would take
place, reported Reuters.

news.am, Armenia
Nov 22 2009

`Important progress’ made in talks: Fassier

20:59 / 11/22/2009Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents achieved
significant progress in the course of the talks in Munich on November
22, stated OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair Bernard Fassier, Reuters reports.

According to the source, after the talks, Fassier said that the sides
made `important progress’ in talks. However, the Co-Chair added that
they `identified some difficulties.’ According to him, OSCE MG
Co-Chairs intend to start preparation for the nest meeting of two
Presidents but did not clarify where it would take place.

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs called on Azerbaijani President to refrain
from making warlike statements. As NEWS.am reported earlier, on the
threshold of the meeting, Ilham Aliyev made a number of warlike
statements. In particular, he stated that if the hope for talks comes
to an end `country is justified in liberating its territories by
coercive methods.’