Author: Kajoyan Gevork

Islam Online, Qatar
July 27 2005

Palestinians Slam New Jewish Homes in Al-Quds

A Palestinian woman reacts after her family house was demolished by
Israeli authorities in Al-Quds. (Reuters)

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, July 27, 2005 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) –
Palestinians lambasted Wednesday, July 27, an Israeli decision to
build 21 homes and a synagogue for Jews in the heart of the Muslim
Quarter in Al-Quds’s Old City, saying it is a part of an Israeli
scheme to judaize the entire city.

`This is pouring fuel on the fire. We ask the international community
to intervene immediately and stop such actions,’ senior Palestinian
negotiator Saeb Erekat told Reuters.

He said the plan would spark new friction between Jews and Arabs in
the historical city.

The Old City is surrounded by walls and consists of four quarters:
Jewish, Christian, Armenian, and Muslim, which is the largest part.

There are around 230,000 Palestinians living in Al-Quds, home to
Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest shrine in Islam.

The status of the holy city has long been one of the thorniest issues
of the Arab-Israeli conflict as Jews claim that their alleged Haykal
(Temple of Solomon) exists underneath Al-Haram Al-Sharif used to be
the first qiblah (direction Muslims take during prayers).

Israel captured and occupied Al-Quds in the six-day 1967 war, then
declared its annexation, in a move not recognized by the world
community or UN resolutions.

Approval

The Israeli municipality in the occupied city gave Tuesday
preliminary approval for the construction, according to Israeli
Maariv daily.

The project, however, needs to be approved by the Interior and
Housing Ministries before construction can begin.

A spokeswoman for the Israeli Housing Ministry said the plan was
initiated by the previous housing minister and was not in the
ministry’s budget for 2005.

An ultranationalist Jewish organisation has been buying property in
the Muslim Quarter in recent years for Jewish families, according to
Reuters.

The Israeli cabinet approved Sunday, July 10, a revised route of the
controversial West Bank separation wall, leaving around a quarter of
the Palestinian residents in Al-Quds cut off from the rest of the
holy city.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the United Nation’s highest
legal body, has ruled that the 700-kilometer (435-mile) barrier
violated international law.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has made no secret of his
intention to cement control over parts of the occupied West Bank ,
especially on the outskirts of Al-Quds.

Most Palestinians say they welcome any Israeli withdrawal from their
homeland, but understandably express fears Sharon was trying to trade
tiny Gaza for much of the occupied West Bank , where 240,000 settlers
live surrounded by 2.4 million Palestinians.

Jenin Raid

Yussef Haseef, a 15-year-old bystander, was killed during the Israeli
raid in Jenin. (Reuters)

Meanwhile, a Palestinian teenager was killed and nine people wounded,
two of them Israeli soldiers, when Israeli occupation troops stormed
the northern West Bank city of Jenin earlier Wednesday.

Around 30 armored vehicles and four bulldozers entered Jenin as
troops surrounded the home of a leading member of the Islamic Jihad
resistance movement, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Yussef Haseef, a 15-year-old bystander, was shot during the clashes
and rushed to hospital in the nearby city of Nablus where he died,
medics said.

Medical sources had said two of eight wounded Palestinians were in a
serious condition.

Israeli troops launched the operation to detain Hamzi Sami, a leading
member of Jihad’s armed wing, the Al-Quds Brigades.

Haseef’s death brought the total toll to 4,809 since the Palestinian
Intifada began in September 2000, according to an AFP count. The vast
majority of the casualties have been Palestinians.

Kathimerini, Greece
July 25 2005

Turkish politician quizzed by Swiss over genocide remarks

ANKARA (AFP) – Swiss authorities questioned the leader of a minor
left-wing Turkish party for saying that the killings of Armenians
during World War I could not be classified as genocide, the Anatolia
news agency reported yesterday. Dogu Perincek, the chairman of the
Workers’ Party (IP), was briefly detained late Saturday in the Swiss
town of Winterthur where he was taking part in activities to mark the
82nd anniversary of the Lausanne Treaty, the founding accord of
modern-day Turkey, the agency said. He was questioned by the city
prosecutor for three-and-a-half hours before being released.
Winterthur police spokesman Werner Benz was quoted by the agency as
telling reporters that Perincek was questioned for saying «the
Armenian genocide is an international lie,» a remark deemed to be
racist under Swiss law.

Attacks on Christians Intensify in Turkey

Christian Post, CA
July 20 2005

Francis Helguero

In what could be growing into a trend, over the past six months,
vigilante groups have threatened Protestant church worshippers and
have attacked their places of worship.

Wednesday, Jul. 20, 2005 Posted: 5:02:13PM EST

In what could be growing into a trend in Turkey, individuals
belonging to vigilante groups in the last six months have threatened
Protestants and have attacked their places of worship.

The media has also been increasingly critical of missionary activity,
according to a recent report by Compass News. Also, some government
ministers have accused missionaries of being politically motivated to
“damaging the social peace and unity” of the nation.

In a government-approved sermon at Friday prayers in Islamic mosques
in March, the government warned that Christian missionaries were
“pursuing political agendas” to “deceive and convert” people.

The report cited several other attacks, including “sound bombs”
equivalent to 150 firecrackers placed in front of doors of a
Gaziantep church in April, and acts of vandalism at a protestant
congregation in the Black Sea city of Samsun where numberous eggs
were thrown at the building.

In April a firebomb caused $10,000 in damage to the International
Protestant Church in the capital of Ankara.

After the attack, the U.S. Embassy in Ankara issued a warning noting
an “up tick in threats and vandalism … occurring during a period of
increased focus by the Turkish media and government on “missionary
activity in Turkey.”

None of the cases ended with death, but a near miss was cited when
three young men bound an American named Wilbur Miller and his family,
threatening to kill them, before the family was spared and told to
leave the country immediately. It was not clear if investigations by
local police and the U.S. Embassy resulted charges or conctions, the
report states.

Christians are in a position where they fear to report the attacks,
according to Compass.

Pastor Ihsan Ozbek, chair of the Alliance of Protestant Churches in
Turkey told Compass that it was necessary to bring those issues to
the attention of officials, so that those who threaten could be
caught.

In Turkey, the Protestant community is tiny, estimated to be about
3,500 Christians, in 55 locations of worship and 40 known house
fellowships, according to Compass. Non Muslims in Turkey represent
just 0.2 percent of a total population of about 70 million. Other
Christian groups include members of the Greek and Armenian churches.

‘NAGORNO KARABAKH ISSUE HAS TO BE SETTLED’
By Hakob Chakrian

Azg/arm
20 July 05

Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a press conference
in Sochi that he discussed the Nagorno Karabakh issue with president
Vladimir Putin of Russia. He was pleased with president Putin’s opinion
on conflict regulation and expressed hope that the work of Minsk
group co-chair states, Russia, USA and France, will be more productive.

Erdogan added at the end, “We want a world where friendship will
reign, nor enmity”. He emphasized the need to settle the issue on the
principles of justice and praised the sides’ willingness to do that.

R. AUSHEV ON KARABAKH PROBLEM: NO MILITARY AID SHOULD BE RENDERED TO CONFLICTING PARTIES

PanArmenian News Network
July 20 2005

20.07.2005 04:20

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Chairman of the Committee for Veteran Issues, former
President of Ingushetia Ruslan Aushev, who is in Baku at present,
highlighted Russia’s role as the assignee of the USSR in Karabakh
conflict settlement. When touching upon the transportation of the
Russian military equipment to Armenia, R. Aushev said, “How can the
problem be settled if the conflicting parties are arming? If there
is a conflict between two states no military aid should be rendered
to them. The problem should be resolved peacefully.”

Armenian Assembly of America
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:
 
MEDIA ALERT
July 20, 2005
CONTACT: Christine Kojoian
Email: [email protected]

RE: Assembly Great Lakes Regional Council Hosts Annual Summer Picnic

Farmington Hills, MI – More than 100 supporters of the Assembly’s Great
Lakes Regional Council came together for the third annual community
picnic at Heritage Park on July 10. Assembly Grassroots Director
Nancy Yerian Hiteshue was on hand to provide a legislative update
and answer questions about the Terjenian-Thomas Assembly Internship
Program in Washington, DC. Anahid Derbabian, a 1982 alumni of the
program, discussed her experiences as an Assembly intern. The picnic
also featured an Armenian rug auction with items donated by Suzanne
Hagopian, as well as psychic readings by Ilene Hagopian Blackman.
The Assembly congratulated Council members including Robert and
Margaret Benian, Edgar Hagopian, Paul Kulhanjian, Natalie Mosher,
Shirley Sarkisian, David Terzibashian, Madeline Thomasian and Robert
Thomasian for organizing another successful summer picnic.

In related news, Assembly Board of Directors Chairman Anthony Barsamian
and State Chair for Maine Gerard Kiladjian attended a picnic with
more 250 community supporters including Congressman Tom Allen (D-ME)
in Freeport, Maine. The annual event was organized by Kiladjian and
local activists.

Photographs available on the Assembly’s Web site at the following link:

CAPTION: Clockwise from top left: David Terzibashian, Madeline and
Robert Thomasian, Assembly Grassroots Director Nancy Yerian Hiteshue,
Edgar Hagopian, Shirley Sarkisian and Paul Kulhanjian.

CAPTION: Congressman Tim Allen (D-ME), a member of the Congressional
Caucus on Armenian Issues, flanked by Assembly Board of Directors
Chairman Anthony Barsamian, right, and Assembly State Chair for Maine
Gerard Kiladjian during a community picnic in Freeport, Maine.

The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based
nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness
of Armenian issues. It is a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt membership
organization.

NR#2005-080

–Boundary_(ID_d5ehq4Qd22uQnBBggkxNlA)–

Armenian Assembly of America
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:
 
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 20, 2005
CONTACT: Christine Kojoian
Email: [email protected]

SENATE APPROVES $75 MILLION FOR ARMENIA IN 2006
Assembly Commends Senate Majority Whip McConnell

Washington, DC – The U.S. Senate today voted 98 to 1 to approve the Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill which recommends $75 million in assistance to Armenia and an additional $3 million in humanitarian aid to Nagorno Karabakh. The Senate action supports without changes the Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh provisions passed last month by the Senate State, Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee and the full Appropriations Committee.

“Given the consistent downward trend in U.S. assistance to the former Soviet States, the Assembly welcomes today’s vote and applauds the continued leadership of Majority Whip Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Operations Subcommittee, as well as members of the Subcommittee, for maintaining robust aid levels to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh,” said Assembly Board of Trustees Chairman Hirair Hovnanian. “As long as Turkey and Azerbaijan continue their immoral blockade of Armenia, U.S. assistance is needed to offset the damaging impact of these actions.”

The level of funding, equivalent to the amount Armenia received in 2005, reflects a $20 million increase over the Administration request to Congress made earlier this year. The overall funding level to the former Soviet States was also increased to $565 million, a 17 percent jump over the Administration’s request for the region.

Today’s vote also allocated $5 million in Foreign Military Financing and $750,000 for International Military Education and Training to Armenia as requested by the Administration. These funds will improve inter-operability between Armenia’s military and its Western partners, upgrade Armenia’s communication systems and better its personnel training. The spending measure also includes $700,000 in Nonproliferation, Antiterrorism, Demining and Related Projects (NADR) funding for Armenia.

Armenia’s neighbors, Georgia and Azerbaijan, are set to receive $70.5 million and $38 million respectively.

The next step in the legislative process is for the House and Senate to reconcile the differences in a conference committee.

The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.

NR#2005-083

–Boundary_(ID_2612dk+U6JIVj5oKYL9IjA)–

Les choix de la Croix. Charles Aznavour, au fil de la mémoire.

La Croix
19 juillet 2005

MIGLIORINI Robert

À VOIX NUE. Jusqu’au vendredi 22 juillet. France-Culture, 17 h 00 à
17 h 30.

À 80 ans passés, Charles Aznavour cultive une liberté de ton
réjouissante. Dégagé des contraintes d’une carrière internationale
menée sans fausse note, il se raconte, au fil de la mémoire, stimulé
par Hélène Hazera, incollable en matière de chanson. Avec un brin de
nostalgie touchante pour ses années de jeunesse dans une étonnante
famille d’artistes aux habitudes bohèmes. “J’ai le regret de ce
ghetto de gaieté”, assure l’enfant de survivants du génocide
arménien. “Il y a dans ma voix et mon écriture des influences très
orientales, confie encore ce globe-trotter. À la maison, on parlait
six langues. Et les voisins et amis étaient toujours les bienvenus.”

C’est le résistant Mischak Manouchian, par exemple, qui lui apprend à
jouer aux échecs. Le jeune Charles parcourt les rues de Paris en
patins à roulettes. Élève dans les coulisses du spectacle, il fait
ses débuts sur scène dès ses 9 ans et rêve d’être comédien, comme son
père. La chanson viendra plus tard, au music-hall, où il écoute Tino
Rossi, Maurice Chevalier, Yvonne Printemps. “Je voulais faire du
théâtre”, rappelle l’acteur qui a tourné dans une soixantaine de
films.

À l’heure des bilans, l’auteur de centaines de chansons (1), amateur
de littérature, avoue que si le succès était venu plus vite, il
aurait pu prendre davantage de risques artistiques et tenter d’autres
“aventures”. Il garde une certaine amertume de cette reconnaissance
tardive, y compris envers la presse. Il estime que l’on délaisse ses
chansons récentes, les radios limitant les années Aznavour à ses
chansons d’amour. “Je suis un peu écorché”, reconnaît-il. Ces six
émissions dressent le portrait attachant d’un grand monsieur qui
prétend ne pas avoir d’imagination et aime répondre à des commandes.
Il voudrait écrire pour des chanteuses. Jamais blasé, Charles
Aznavour n’a pas fini de nous étonner.

–Boundary_(ID_CJcIwVpmiyWBd+mi5Fs/FQ)–

US envoy warns against election fraud in Armenia

Mediamax news agency, Yerevan
18 Jul 05

The next presidential and parliamentary elections in Armenia must
be free and fair since any attempt to falsify election results is
“fraught with great risks”, the US ambassador to Armenia, John
Evans, has said. In an exclusive interview with Mediamax news agency
the envoy said that the United States was not in the business of
exporting revolutions between former Soviet countries and that
it backed the change of government through regularly scheduled
democratic elections. John Evans declined to comment on possible
progress in the Nagornyy Karabakh peace talks between Armenia and
Azerbaijan. The following is the text of the interview in English
by Armenian news agency Mediamax on 18 July headlined “Any attempt
to falsify election results will create a big problem, fraught with
great risks”; subheadings have been inserted editorially:

[Mediamax] Which direction of US-Armenian cooperation is of top
priority for Washington today? How true are the impressions that the
military and security issues have come to the fore?

[John Evans] The United States cooperates with the Republic of Armenia
in many different ways, and I would not want to list them in any
particular order, as immediate priorities can change from week to
week. Of course, the United States basically wants to see Armenia
develop successfully into a country characterized by a thriving
free-enterprise system, the rule of law, and strong democratic
institutions. If defence and security issues loom large at the present
time, it is only because the global war on terrorism demands it.

Elections must be free and fair

[Mediamax] Your predecessor at this post, John Ordway, said in an
interview with our agency last July that his biggest disappointments
during his work in Armenia were the presidential and parliamentary
elections, or rather the way they were carried out. What can the
United States do in order for the parliamentary and the presidential
elections in Armenia in 2007 and 2008 to meet international standards?

[Evans] The United States believes that the elections scheduled for
2007 and 2008 in Armenia must be free and fair, and perceived as such
by the Armenian electorate, as well as by international observers.

This is really a simple truth: democracies choose their new leaders
via the ballot box. The lesson of some other elections in this region
ought to be clear to anyone tempted to falsify election results:
the people are not stupid, and they will figure it out, and that will
create a big problem, fraught with great risks.

We are working to increase the likelihood of the next set of elections
being above reproach.

[Mediamax] Does the United States see any long-term role for Armenia
in their plans on the democratization of the so called Greater
Middle East?

[Evans] Democracy has to develop in each country according to its own
history, culture and circumstances. But a robustly democratic Armenia
would indeed be a beacon to those in this region who are themselves
trying to establish democracy in their own countries.

[Mediamax] Today, there are many speculations concerning the United
States’ so-called interest in the “export of revolutions” from the
former Soviet republics, Georgia and Ukraine, in particular, to
Armenia. What can you say concerning this? How reliable as a partner
does Washington find the current Armenian leadership?

[Evans] The United States is not in the business of exporting
revolutions to the former Soviet republics or between them. We do
support the development of democratic institutions and the holding
of regularly scheduled free and fair elections as the established
and normal way to renew the leadership of those institutions.

We do not play favourites among candidates. We will work with anyone
who comes into office through free and fair elections. As for the
current leadership of the Republic of Armenia, we enjoy relations
characterized by a growing degree of trust and mutual support.

Karabakh talks

[Mediamax] A number of optimistic statements were made recently
concerning the beginning of the second stage of the Prague negotiating
process between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Do you share this optimism
and are there any guarantees that the situation of four years ago
when the Azerbaijani leader rejected the agreements reached in Key
West with the USA’s active participation won’t repeat?

[Evans] You know, it is my friend and colleague Steve Mann who is
the US co-chairman of the Minsk Group that works on the question of
Nagornyy Karabakh, and I would prefer to leave such assessments to
him and the other co-chairs.

[Mediamax] The United States has maintained that the Nagornyy Karabakh
conflict is unique in its characteristics and requires an approach
that is substantially different from settlement efforts in Georgia
or Moldova. Is that indeed the case?

[Evans] The Minsk Group is charged with working on the Nagornyy
Karabakh issue precisely for this reason.

PRAVDA< Russia
July 18 2005

NATO: too much fuss and petty achievements
07/18/2005 10:26

Now it is becoming clear that cooperation between Russia and NATO in
the fight against terrorism is fruitless

North Atlantic Treaty Organization has to change its tactics
following the political demarche by the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization during the summit in the Kazakh capital Astana earlier
this July. The member states and observers of the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization supported Uzbekistan’s proposal and demanded
that NATO pull out its military bases from Central Asia. Moreover,
the Shanghai Cooperation Organization requested that NATO set a
deadline for the removal of troops. The statement actually threatens
the implementation of decisions taken at last year’s NATO summit in
Istanbul which declared a larger part of Central Asia (along with the
Caucasus) a zone of strategic interests of the Alliance.

NATO is likely to shift its efforts to the Caucasus. According to
vice president of the Academy of Geopolitical Studies Col. Gen.
Leonid Ivashov, NATO’s rapid deployment military installations will
be set up in Georgia and Armenia when the Russian military bases are
finally squeezed out of those countries. The installations will be
properly equipped and manned by personnel capable of conducting a
large-scale troop and equipment deployment within several hours. The
Alliance is trying to build a new bloc of states comprising Turkey,
Georgia, and Azerbaijan. Col. Gen. Ivashov believes that Azeri
President Ilham Aliev has come under pressure because the Americans
want his go-ahead on the lease of three air fields in Azerbaijan.

More importantly, NATO is going to focus on Ukraine whose political
elite have eyes for Europe. Back in 2002 Ukrainian Parliament passed
a bill allowing NATO to use the whole territory of Ukraine for
deploying its troops including units with heavy equipment. The NATO
Big Black Sea Zone program specifically says that naval bases,
onshore facilities etc. should be developed. Patriotism-conscious
Russian politicians and political scientists are very much concerned
about the above situation. They believe that Ukraine may end up
dismembered into three states at the very least should it continue
following the present political course. The borders of those states
would be defined by confrontation between the west and the east and
instability of the Crimea. “They can only allow parts of Ukraine to
join Europe if they ever agree to let it in,” has been saying Col.
Gen. Ivashov to his opponents. The Russian naval base on the Crimean
coast may be shut down due to the developments in Ukraine. Despite
the fact that the Russian Navy is to use the base up to 2017 in
compliance with the bilateral agreement, Ukraine will never integrate
into NATO as long as the Russian Black Sea Navy is based in Ukraine.

After the West was accused of instigating the “color revolutions” and
the recent demands by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization with
respect to the withdrawal of NATO military bases from Central Asia,
Russia tends to recall its previous experiences of dealing with NATO,
the experiences characterizing NATO as an inconsistent organization
which can not keep its promises. Russia insisted that the Russia-NATO
Basic Act should contain a clause effectively banning the deployment
of nuclear weapons in the newly integrated member states of the
Alliance. However, NATO’s stance on the issue eventually prevailed
and the clause vaguely stipulated something like “the parties have no
intentions.” Now it is becoming clear that cooperation between Russia
and NATO in the fight against terrorism is fruitless. “Can you show
me any bandit captured by a joint effort?” asks Col. Gen Ivashov.
“There is none and we should not expect any results since 85% of the
NATO activities boil down to “improving combat readiness, conducting
defensive and offensive operations on land and by air,” adds he.

Col. Gen. Ivashov believes that cooperation between Russia and NATO
is a waste of time.

The Alliance is accused of “concept aggressiveness.” Analysts cite
the NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer who made a statement
prior to his visit to Moscow in June this year. In the statement he
said that protection of democracy by taking appropriate steps
including military operations, should the latter be deemed necessary,
was the main objective of the Alliance. Analysts also call into
question the worthiness of joint military exercises. Historical
parallels are drawn yet again in proof of the point of view. The NATO
leadership was convincing the Russian government in 1998-1999 that
military exercises in the vicinity of Yugoslavia would not evolve
into hostilities. Eventually, the story unfolded in a different way.
The NATO forces were ordered to detect and destroy a terrorist
submarine during the military exercises code-named Baltops. Can you
imagine any other subs but the Russian ones that could be detected in
the Baltic Sea?

Incidentally, Russia is not taking part in the military exercises
Peace Shield 2005 that went under way yesterday in Ukraine. The first
stage of the exercises involves about 750 servicemen from 22
countries conducting computer-simulated combats based on a real
military and political situation in Iraq. The international
contingent will move from Kiev to the Crimea on July 25th. The
maritime stage of the exercises will take place from August 3rd to
August 13th.

At times the political orientation and scenario of Peace Shield
exercises were apparently anti-Russian. Here is an example of the
scenario. Riots break out in the Crimea and one of the countries
provides help to the Russian-speaking part of the population. It is
clear that Russia is the only country which could rise to the
occasion. The present exercises also include “missions relating to an
international peacekeeping operation aimed at making peace.” That is
possibly why Russia refused to take part in the exercises.

On the other hand, there are people in Russia who have a different
opinion on “alliance between Russia and the Alliance.” President of
the Institute of Strategic Analysis Alexander Konovalov believes that
the most terrible thing conceivable has happened to NATO. The
Alliance lost its mission and its enemy. These days NATO is on a
frantic search for new forms of identity. However, the Alliance is
not scoring great success in the fight against the proliferation of
weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, drugs trafficking, and
illegal immigration. The U.S. does not conceal its discontent because
NATO is making too much fuss while making too little progress. Mr.
Konovalov is confident that the NATO member states are not ready to
join forces and defend the Baltic countries. Even though the
relocation of NATO military bases to Eastern Europe looks like a
clear threat to Russia, it is mostly a matter of cost effectiveness.
It is a lot cheaper to keep the bases in Poland and Bulgaria than in
Germany. Alexander Konovalov arrives at the conclusion that NATO
poses not threat to Russia.