Author: Karagyozian Lena

OBAMA URGES CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE TO HOLD OFF ON ARMENIAN BILL

Today’s Zaman
March 4 2010
Turkey

The Obama administration is urging a U.S. congressional committee
to hold off on a resolution declaring the Ottoman era killing of
Armenians as genocide, a White House spokesman said on Thursday.

The move comes despite a campaign promise by President Barack Obama
to brand the killings as a genocide. But such a vote could alienate
Turkey, a NATO ally with a pivotal role for US interests in the Middle
East and Afghanistan.

Spokesman Mike Hammer said Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton
had spoken with the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee,
Democratic Rep. Howard Berman, on Wednesday and indicated that passing
the resolution could jeopardize reconciliation talks between Turkey
and Armenia.

Despite the call from Clinton, Berman on Thursday urged fellow members
of the committee to pass the resolution and the committee appeared
likely to endorse it, sending it to the full House, where prospects
for passage are uncertain.

But even if the measure doesn’t go beyond the committee, Turkey
has warned it could jeopardize U.S-Turkish cooperation and set back
negotiations aimed at opening the border between Turkey and Armenia.

Hammer said Obama called President Abdullah Gul on Wednesday to
express his appreciation for Turkey’s efforts to normalize relations
with Armenia.

The Foreign Affairs Committee approved a similar "genocide" measure in
2007, but it was not brought to the House floor for a vote following
intensive pressure by then President George W. Bush. Following the
2007 committee vote, Turkey promptly recalled its ambassador, and US
officials feared the Turks might cut off American access to a Turkish
air base essential to operations in Iraq. After intensive lobbying by
top Bush administration officials, the resolution was not considered
by the full House.

On Thursday, a Turkish official suggested his country could again
recall its ambassador to the United States if the congressional panel
approves the resolution.

"All options are on the table," the government official said, speaking
on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu says the resolution could damage
Turkish-US ties and undermine reconciliation efforts with Armenia.

"If it passes, then the Obama administration should try to prevent it
from being voted by Congress," Turkey’s state-run Anatolia news agency
quoted Davutoglu as saying Thursday during a visit to Egypt. House
Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said she will wait to see the result of the
committee vote before deciding whether to bring it up for vote.

The United States still wants Turkey’s support for its operations
in Iraq and Afghanistan. It also is pressing Turkey, which holds
a rotating seat in the UN Security Council, to support sanctions
against Iran, Turkey’s neighbor.

Armenian American groups have for decades sought congressional
affirmation of the killings as genocide. Turkey denies that the
deaths constituted genocide, saying the toll has been inflated and
those killed were victims of civil war and unrest.

In October, Turkey and Armenia signed an agreement to normalize
relations, but Turkey has yet to ratify it. As progress toward a
breakthrough between the two countries appears stalled.

JEFF FLAKE: US CAN’T ACT AS A JUDGE OF HISTORIC EVENTS

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.03.2010 22:26 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ I believe, Genocide was actually committed, yet it’s
not for us to discuss the issue. US can’t act as a judge of historic
events, Congressman Jeff Flake stated.

During the hearing of U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, the
Congressman expressed his intention to vote against the resolution
on Armenian Genocide.

The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic
destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during
and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres, and
deportations involving forced marches under conditions designed to
lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths
reaching 1.5 million.

The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the
Genocide survivors.

To date, twenty countries and 44 U.S. states have officially recognized
the events of the period as genocide, and most genocide scholars and
historians accept this view.

ARMENIAN AMERICANS PROTEST AZERBAIJAN’S CONDUCT
by Emil Sanamyan

3-03-armenian-americans-protest-azerbaijan-s-condu ct-
Wednesday March 03, 2010

Washington – Several dozen protestors gathered outside Azerbaijan’s
embassy on February 26 to mark the anniversary of the start of
anti-Armenian violence in Azerbaijan and to denounce that country’s
present-day policies.

Local chapters of the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) and the
Armenian Church Youth Organization of America (ACYOA) jointly called
an hour-long protest to "commemorate the victims of Sumgait," according
to a flyer the two groups released earlier in the week.

Sumgait is Azerbaijan’s third largest town where in February 1988
local Armenian residents were subjected to unprecedented and unprovoked
attacks leaving more than 30 killed by official count.

The violent mobs were organized days after the adoption of a formal
request by Nagorno Karabakh’s legislature for the Armenian-populated
area’s reunification with Armenia.

There were more deadly attacks against Armenians inside Azerbaijan
from 1988 to 1991 with the entire community of some 400,000 expelled
ahead of Azerbaijan’s ultimately unsuccessful military aggression
against Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh.

Although immediately after the Sumgait pogrom Soviet prosecutors
rounded-up several dozen perpetrators, with several eventually
receiving death penalty on charges of murder and rape, high-level
organizers and instigators were never brought to justice opening the
way for more attacks.

Two decades later, some of the pogrom organizers are believed to be
members of the present-day Azerbaijani government.

To this day, Azerbaijani officials continue to promote intolerance
against ethnic Armenians, threaten use of force against Armenia and
oppose efforts to promote Armenian-Azerbaijani dialogue.

As the protest began on Friday, alarms on Azerbaijani embassy cars
parked around the facility began to blare in an apparent effort to
drown out the protestors. The alarms were turned off only after the
U.S. Secret Service intervened with Azerbaijani embassy staff. The
Secret Service is responsible for security of foreign embassies in U.S.

Protestors displayed American and Armenian flags and posters and
chanted "We will never forget Sumgait!" and "Karabakh is Armenia!"

At the end of the gathering, priests from Washington’s St. Mary’s
and Surb Khach Armenian churches led protestors in prayer.

Earlier in the day, a smaller group of Azerbaijanis gathered outside
Armenia’s embassy in Washington for an annual commemoration of
Azerbaijani victims of the Karabakh war.

AYF TO PROTEST AZERI CONSUL GENERAL AT WORLD AFFAIRS CONFERENCE ON MARCH 4

Asbarez
-consul-general-at-world-affairs-conference-on-mar ch-4/
Mar 3rd, 2010

GLENDALE-The Armenian Youth Federation will be protesting Azerbaijan’s
Consul General of Los Angeles, Elin Suleymanov, at the Pacific Club
(4110 Macarthur blvd. Newport Beach, CA) on Thursday, March 4 from
6-9pm. Suleymanov will be speaking about Azerbaijan’s role in the world
at an event sponsored by the World Affairs Council. The Azeri diplomat
will also be discussing Azerbaijan’s position on Nagorno-Karabakh
and Armenia.

"With this latest event, the Azerbaijani Government continues its
decades long campaign to deny self-determination to the people of
Nagorno Karabagh, undermining international peace talks with threats
of war and an ongoing blockade against neighboring Armenia," stated
protest organizer Caspar Jivalagian. "For this reason, we must stand
strong and demonstrate our resolve to stop the lies and propaganda
of the Azeri government and to support the peope of Artsakh."

The protest comes days after the 22nd anniversary of the deadly
pogroms of Sumgait on Feb. 27, 1988, which marked the beginning of
a systematic campaign by Azerbaijan’s OMON Special Forces to use
massacres and violence to forcefully uproot Armenians from Azerbaijan
and Nagorno-Karabakh.

The events in Sumgait, which came as a direct response to Armenians’
expression of their right to self-determination in 1988, were followed
by equally violent pogroms in the Azeri cities of Kirovabad, Baku and
later in the Northern Shahoumian district of Nagorno-Karabakh. The
violence against Armenians eventually escalated and Azerbaijan launched
a military invasion into Nagorno-Karabakh, sparking a devastating
war in the region that ended in 1994 with a ceasefire that left the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic free from Azeri rule.

Though a fragile state of "no peace, no war" has held over the years,
Azerbaijan has refused to cooperate in internationally mediated peace
talks with Armenia and has instead threatened to take Karabakh by
force. On February 25, Azerbaijan’s Defense Minister, Safar Abiyev,
stepped up Baku’s war rhetoric, this time threatening to launch an
inevitable "great war" against Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.

These remarks, explained Jivalagian, are part of a well-documented
pattern of threats and corresponding cease-fire violations initiated
by the Azerbaijani Government.

"Concerns regarding Azerbaijan’s destabilizing actions in the region
are compounded further when Azerbaijan’s grim human rights record is
taken into consideration," he said, adding that a country threatening
to wage war on a democratic neighbor should not be allowed a forum
in the United States. "Since Azerbaijan’s representative will be
speaking here, we feel it is our obligation as human rights activists
to inform the people attending the World Affairs Council event about
Azerbaijan’s growing war rhetoric and rampant disrespect of human
rights and democracy."

ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER MEETS WITH EGYPTIAN INVESTORS

Aysor
March 3 2010
Armenia

Armenia’s Prime Minister Tigran Sarkisian hosted Wednesday Egyptian
delegation of the ARTOK Group for Investment and Development, with
Shafik Gabr at the head, a spokesperson for Administration said.

Parties talked about bilateral cooperation and other related items.

Tigran Sarkisian stressed the importance of establishment of technology
parks and discussed items of broadband Internet and free economic
zones.

By the end of the meeting, Prime Minister invited Egyptians to guest
on the opening ceremony of the longest cableway in the world, which
is to take place in November.

GARY ACKERMAN: THE U.S. CONGRESS MUST NO LONGER DELAY RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
04.03.2010 20:15 GMT+04:00

U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs of cannot
again postpone the recognition of the Armenian Genocide , Rep. Gary
Ackerman (New York) said at a hearing of the Committee on the Armenian
Genocide recognition by the United States and the adoption of Armenian
genocide resolution 252.

"Today, witnesses to the Armenian Genocide are in the hall here, one
of them is 98-year-old, how much can they wait? Should we tell them
once again to turn to us next year? History should be recognized. This
problem should be solved here and now, " Ackerman said.

In turn, Congressman Chris Smith (New Jersey) said that Turkey
is pursuing an aggressive propaganda aimed at denying the Armenian
Genocide and the United States Congress should not remain indifferent
to this issue. He added that the Congress has experience in genocide
recognition, since in the past, he acknowledged the Holocaust. "We
must not become complicit in the denial of crimes committed by
Turkey," Chris Smith said. He noted that Armenian-Turkish relations
normalization is possible only in case of recognition of the past.

The Armenian Genocide resolution (H.Res. 106) was submitted to the
House of Representatives by Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA), on
January 30, 2007, during the 110th United States Congress. It was
a non-binding resolution calling upon the US President to ensure
that the foreign policy of the United States reflects appropriate
understanding and sensitivity concerning issues related to human
rights, ethnic cleansing, and genocide documented in the United States
record relating to the Armenian Genocide, and for other purposes. Upon
its introduction it was referred to United States House Committee
on Foreign Affairs where it passed a 27-21 vote and was sent back
for a full house vote. On October 26, 2007, in a letter addressed
to the House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, four key sponsors of the bill,
requested a debate on the bill in full House to be postponed.

JEFF FORTENBERRY: GENOCIDE RESOLUTION WILL HARM ARMENIA-TURKEY RAPPROCHEMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
04.03.2010 22:14 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The historic truth is that Armenian Genocide was
committed in Turkey, and I do not doubt it, Congressman from Texas,
Jeff Fortenberry said.

"I do not doubt the fact of Genocide; still, I believe it’s not
the right time for US to vote for the adoption of the resolution,"
he noted during the hearing of U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

"Armenia and Turkey should discuss the problem between themselves,"
Jeff Fortenberry said, adding that Genocide resolution will harm
Armenia-Turkey rapprochement.

The Armenian Genocide resolution (H.Res. 106) was submitted to the
House of Representatives by Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA), on
January 30, 2007, during the 110th United States Congress. It was
a non-binding resolution calling upon the US President to ensure
that the foreign policy of the United States reflects appropriate
understanding and sensitivity concerning issues related to human
rights, ethnic cleansing, and genocide documented in the United States
record relating to the Armenian Genocide, and for other purposes. Upon
its introduction it was referred to United States House Committee
on Foreign Affairs where it passed a 27-21 vote and was sent back
for a full house vote. On October 26, 2007, in a letter addressed
to the House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, four key sponsors of the bill,
requested a debate on the bill in full House to be postponed.

The resolution affirming the U.S. record on the Armenian
Genocide (H.Res.252) was formally introduced in the U.S. House of
Representatives by Reps. Adam Schiff (D.-CA), George Radanovich
(R.-CA), Frank Pallone, Jr. (D.-NJ), and Mark Kirk (R.-Ill) in 2009.

It currently has 137 co-sponsors.

TURKISH LAWMAKER WARNS OVER DRAFT ARMENIAN RESOLUTION

Today’s Zaman
March 4 2010
Turkey

A Turkish lawmaker has issued a firm warning that approval of a draft
Armenian resolution at the foreign relations committee of the US House
of Representatives would hurt the United States, Armenia and Turkey.

"The sole winner from all this would be the emotions and the ego of
the Armenian lobby. Approval of the draft resolution would inflict
damage to the United States, Armenia and Turkey," Murat Mercan, head
of Turkish parliament’s foreign relations committee, told reporters
on Wednesday.

The foreign relations committee of the US House of Representatives
is set to vote Thursday a draft Armenian resolution on incidents of
1915 in the Ottoman Empire.

Mercan and other Turkish lawmakers were in Washington, D.C. to head
off the approval of the resolution.

Turkish lawmakers have met several US Congress members, including House
committee head Howard Berman, Ike Sleton, William Delahunt, Joe Wilson,
Bopb Inglis, Ted Poe and Brad Sherman as well as representatives from
a number of Washington-based think-tanks.

In 2007, the committee approved a similar resolution 27-21, even
though the former US president and other key figures from the US
administration lobbied against it.

Mercan said he told Berman that the approval of the resolution would
have had a huge impact on Turkish-US relations as well as on protocols
between Turkey and Armenia that sought to resume diplomatic ties and
open a border gate between the two countries.

"Regardless of the outcome of the vote, Turkey will not be the side
that loses. The losers would be others," Mercan said.

SPANISH FOREIGN MINISTER: EU TO USE ALL OPPORTUNITIES TO RESOLVE NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT

Today
62973.html
March 3 2010
Azerbaijan

Now it is high time to use all the opportunities of the EU to resolve
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel
Moratinos, who heads the six-month presidency of the EU, said to
press conference in Baku today.

"We will do all our efforts to resolve this conflict," the Minister
said.

According to Moratinos, the European Union has taken all the important
measures to solve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. "Some people see the
conflict as a protracted, but we believe that we should consider it
as a solvable conflict," said the Minister.

He said that the EU respects the work of the OSCE Minsk Group and
supports the Madrid principles, and if both sides take a constructive
approach, the conflict can be resolved.

"Peace in Nagorno-Karabakh has become more real especially over the
last two years, we see progress and are in the final stage of the
conflict," the Minister said.

THOUSANDS ATTEND HAK RALLY IN YEREVAN; POLICE OUT IN FORCE
Ararat Davtyan

2010/03/01 | 18:02

politics

Crowds march to Myasnikyan Square to lay flowers in memory of March 1,
2008 victims

The HAK rally kicked off today at 5 pm in the vicinity of the
Matenadaran in downtown Yerevan

First to address the crowd, numbering in the tens of thousands, was
Aram Manukyan, member of the HHZh Board (Pan-Armenian Movement). He
called for one minute of silence in remembrance of those who were
killed on March 1, 2008.

Mr. Manukyan said that two years ago the Armenian authorities stole
power from the people just like a sly fox steals a chicken from
the coop.

He said that the regime was responsible for the death of at least ten
people because on that day, two years ago, the number of those dying
from heart attacks and accidents surprisingly shot up. Mr. Manukyan
asserted that the truth will be made known sooner rather than later.

Then, Alla Khachatryan, the mother of one of those killed on March
1, 2008, addressed the crowd. She had said that two years ago "our
sons walked out to defend their rights in a free Armenia", but that
the authorities turned that first day of spring into a "black day"
that destroyed our families and took away our children.

"They fired on the unarmed crowd at point blank range, in order to
have an excuse to declare a state of emergency and hold on to power,"
said Mrs. Khachatryan.

A statement from maestro Ohan Dourian, in support of the people’s
protest, was also read. HAK then told the crowd that the authorities
had once again closed off traffic to Yerevan from surrounding
communities to prevent people from attending the rally.

Aram Manukyan told the crowd that HAK was launching a competition for
the construction of a monument to commemorate the victims of March
1, 2008.

Next to address the rally was Vardan Khachatryan, former Yerevan
mayor and member of the HAK economic committee. He said that the
authorities were pursuing one goal – to enslave the people and that
they were fixed on the notion of punishing the people who didn’t vote
for them and who are struggling for their rights as citizens.

Former Prime Minister Hrant Bagratyan, before addressing the hike
in gas prices scheduled to take place on April 1, commented on the
inaction of the RoA foreign diplomatic staff in countering Azerbaijani
propaganda regarding events in Khojaly.

Mr. Bagratyan chided Armenian ambassadors as individuals "Not capable
of anything but sitting around a ‘khash’ table." He also criticized
the regime and urged them to spend a few dollars in producing films
to show the reality of Khojaly rather than sending hundreds of police
to the HAK rally.

Before Levon Ter-Petrosyan took the speaker’s podium, Aram Sargsyan,
brother of former Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsyan killed in the assault
of the parliament in October 1999, addressed the crowd of thousands.

Mr. Sargsyan said that the only result of the foreign policy, namely
negotiations with Turkey, conducted by the current regime was that it
has allowed Serzh Sargsyan to hold on to power for the past two years.

He argued that the entire process has allowed Turkish President
Abdullah Gul to break free from the worst pages of his people’s
history and that it’s allowed Serzh Sargsyan to do the same regarding
his pitiful present actions.

Mr. Sargsyan stated that "he has lit his candle in the fight against
the darkness" and that he was ready to join with anyone sincere in
that struggle. He said that the regime, on the other hand, rather
than relying on the people of Armenia, is placing its hopes on the
international community.