Author: Nanijanian Alex

The Macomb Daily
Editorial Page

Still waiting for resolution on genocide

By:Mitch Kehetian, Macomb Daily Editorial Page Editor May 02, 2004

For four years, President Bush has ignored calls to honor his campaign
pledge of properly recognizing the Armenian genocide, says Macomb
Daily Editorial Page Editor Mitch Kehetian.

When President Bush talks about his vision for America in Monday’s
speech at Freedom Hill, he’ll focus on his resolve in meeting the
tests of our time and, no doubt, on how the United States will solve
the conflict in Iraq.

We can also expect the president to inform the gathering in Sterling
Heights about the nation’s stronger economy and how he will improve
our communities and keep America safe.

The last time I talked with Bush was during the Michigan Republican
presidential primary. It was a telephone conversation arranged by
then-Gov. John Engler that proved to be enlightening for both of us,
as we shared equal concerns about the nation and its role in a safer,
more just world.

While Bush will certainly take his share of hard-line questions
following the Freedom Hill rally, there’s one I would ask if given the
opportunity. It’s a subject that members of the president’s press
corps know very little about, and, besides, Bush is faced with more
pressing issues than the Armenian genocide.

The growing division within the United States over the war in Iraq is
a genuine concern, and there are the problems of national security and
the steady loss of jobs to outsourcing, so one would have every right
to question why the 1915-23 genocide of the Armenian people by the
Ottoman Turkish Empire remains such an issue after 89 years?

There are several good reasons. Today’s Turkish regime denies the fact
that a genocide even took place, claiming the deaths of 1.5 million
Armenians were the result of a civil war in the closing days of the
collapsing Ottoman government.

During Bush’s campaign for the presidency, he sent signed letters to
prominent Armenian-Americans who were supporting his run against Al
Gore. In a Feb. 19, 2000, letter, he said that if he were elected
president, he “would ensure that our nation properly recognizes that
the Armenians were subjected to a genocidal campaign that defies
comprehension and commands all decent people to remember and
acknowledge the facts of an awful crime in a century of bloody crimes
against humanity.”

For four years, Bush has ignored calls to honor his campaign pledge of
properly recognizing the Armenian genocide.

His 2004 statement about the carnage inflicted on the Armenian people
refers to the brutal slaughter as “one of the most horrible tragedies
of the 20th century,” but he doesn’t mention the word “genocide.”

The president refuses to acknowledge his pledge, forcing me to ask,
when will he uphold his commitment and stop Turkey from blackmailing
American presidents on the issue?

When the French parliament referred to the Armenian genocide in a
government directive last year, Turkey, in retaliation, threatened to
cancel lucrative contracts it had with French companies. The threats
turned out to be bluffs.

Last month, the Canadian parliament formally recognized the Armenian
genocide, and immediately its action was denounced by the Turkish
government with the same blackmailing threats.

I know there was a genocide. I don’t need the president to tell me
that. I grew up without grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins
because they died in the genocide of 1915-23. But the Turks still say
the genocide never happened.

While campaigning for president, Bush was adamant in declaring it was
a genocide. Now he can’t find the words to say it.

Mr. President, it’s time to summon truth as our ally.

Mitch Kehetian is Editorial Page editor of The Macomb Daily.

The Macomb Daily. ;BRD=988&PAG=461&dept_id=141266&rfi=6

ABC News, Reuters
May 3 2004

Bush Set to Announce Nations Eligible for New Aid

May 3 – By Adam Entous
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Bush is expected to announce next
week the countries that qualify for U.S. aid under a new government
program that provides cash in exchange for reforms, congressional
officials and aid groups said on Monday.

The so-called Millennium Challenge Account, proposed by Bush two
years ago in Monterrey, Mexico, was set up to funnel aid directly to
poor nations that embrace civil rights, root out corruption, open up
their markets and adopt other policies favored by Washington.

The board that administers the money — $1 billion in the current
fiscal year — will meet on Thursday, and is expected to approve the
list of qualified countries, clearing the way for Bush’s announcement
next week, the officials said.

Seventeen countries are likely to qualify, according to an analysis
by the Center for Global Development.

The countries are Benin, Cape Verde, Ghana, Lesotho, Madagascar,
Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, Armenia, Bhutan, Mongolia, Sri Lanka,
Vanuatu, Vietnam, Guyana, Honduras and Nicaragua, according to the
center’s Steve Radelet, who used the Bush administration’s own data
and eligibility requirements to come up with the list.

Radelet said flaws in data collections and other factors could result
in some changes in the countries that qualify.

Under the program, 90 percent of this year’s $1 billion in aid would
go to the countries that qualify. The remaining 10 percent would go
to the runners’ up to improve their chances of making the cut next
year.

Bush has asked Congress to provide $2.5 billion for the program in
fiscal year 2005, which begins Oct. 1.

The number of eligible countries would expand as program resources
grow to a total of $5 billion annually.

But lawmakers have warned that U.S. aid to poor countries is at risk
as Congress looks for ways to keep election-year spending under
control.

To win a share of the new resources, countries are ranked based on 16
“performance indicators,” from civil rights to spending on public
health and education.

A country’s “economic freedom” would be judged on its credit rating,
inflation, budget deficits, openness to trade and quality of
regulatory policies.

Bush drew the line at corruption. “Corruption is pass-fail,” an
official said.

Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
April 27, 2004

DIFFICULT TO CONFUSE THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

In the recently published report of the US State Department on
strategic control of international circulation of drugs for the first
time there is no information on production and circulation of drugs in
Nagorni Karabakh and its adjacent regions. In his interview to the
news agency “Mediamax” the NKR vice minister of foreign affairs Masis
Mayilian mentioned that “since 1996 for the first time in the report
of the US State Department there were no accusations made by
Azerbaijan in address to Karabakh.” According to him, it was
facilitated by the open policy of the Karabakh authorities who have
for a number of times applied to the corresponding international
organizations, particularly the OSCE and the PACE, as well as the US
State Department with the request of forming an independent monitoring
group to observe the situation and confirm facts. Masis Mayilian
reminded that in order to prevent the access of such a group to
Karabakh the Azerbaijani party has set forth unacceptable conditions
which enabled them to confuse the international community freely. The
vice foreign minister of NKR said that hopefully the USA State
Department and the international organizations will from now on refuse
to use unverified information in their reports. “We are sure that the
activity of the groups of independent experts will enable to put an
end to the false accusations of Azerbaijan and prevent the circulation
of misinformation on the international arena,” said Masis Mayilian.

AA

Albuquerque Journal (New Mexico)
April 22, 2004 Thursday

50 years and a 90th birthday party

Inside Retail Charlotte Balcomb Lane Of the Journal

A landmark Downtown store is celebrating an unusual milestone —
Knadjian’s Oriental Rugs is celebrating 50 years in business at the
same time as its owner, Bill Knadjian, celebrates his 90th birthday.

Knadjian’s birthday was April 16, which he celebrated in Las Vegas,
Nev., with family.

The business is celebrating its anniversary with a sale lasting
through April.

In 1954, Knadjian and his older brother, Jack Knadjian, opened the
store at 1418 E. Central, selling carpets, draperies and Oriental
rugs. The brothers, who had emigrated from Armenia, had sold rugs in
New Mexico for about 20 years before settling down in the location
east of Downtown near Presbyterian Hospital.

After Jack died in 1976, Knadjian’s dropped draperies and carpets to
concentrate on Oriental rugs. The store also repairs and cleans
Oriental rugs.

Knadjian is still active in the business. He recently told the
Journal he chooses every rug for the store. He buys only
hand-knotted, all-wool rugs. He said that, after 70 years in the
business, he can easily tell good merchandise from bad.

When asked recently if he wanted to retire, Knadjian said he would
stay in the business as long as his health remained good.

“There’s so much skulduggery in this business, I’d like to stay in it
and take care of my customers,” said Knadjian.

The telephone number of Knadjian’s Oriental Rugs is 247-0195.

OFFICE DEPOT ON CUTLER: A new neighborhood-size Office Depot is under
construction at 5001 Cutler NE, near the San Mateo Pavilions. It
should be open for business by early September, said the property
owner, Carolyn Mason of Carroll Ventures.

This office supply store will be about 13,046 square feet and is
being built on just one acre of land for about $920,000. The average
Office Depot is about 20,000 square feet, a company spokeswoman said.

The land was left over from the construction of the Home Office
Plaza, which was developed in the 1970s. Carolyn Mason and her
husband, architect Stan Mason, bought the Home Office Plaza complex
and excess land in 1983. They worked with Anthony Johnson, vice
president of Sedberry & Associates, to lease the property to Office
Depot.

Jaynes Corp. is the contractor and the architect is Gould, Evans,
Goodman of Kansas City, Mo.

Carroll Ventures specializes in urban infill development. The company
is also developing a 45,000-square-foot distribution warehouse in the
1000 block of First Street Downtown.

Carroll Ventures was founded in 1949 by Carolyn Mason’s father, Bill
Carroll, who is still chairman and semi-retired.

MORE AUTO SERVICES ON JUAN TABO: A new Meineke Car Care Center opened
early this week on Juan Tabo, in an area flush with car care and tire
businesses.

The new Meineke is at 1812 Juan Tabo NE and is the second location
belonging to John Rastegari, who also operates the Meineke Car Care
Center at 5705 N. Fourth. He has owned that franchise for 15 years,
he said.

The 4,120-square-foot building was built by Albuquerque Building &
Development Co.

Meineke does many types of automobile repairs, including exhaust
work, oil changes and tire rotation, brake and suspension work. The
business will employ three, said Rastegari.

NEW HOME FOR CHILI PEPPER: After 21 years in Winrock Center, The
Chili Pepper Emporium is moving to the Rio Grande Plaza.

The new address is 901 Rio Grande NW, next door to Starbucks.

The store, which specializes in products and gifts with a chile
theme, is closing in the mall Saturday and reopening in its new
location on May 1.

“We’re doubling our square footage and reducing our rent,” said Pat
Tenorio, who owns the store with his wife, Sherrie Tenorio.

The Tenorios bought the business in 1998.

Jane Pilger, Tim With and John Ransom of Grubb & Ellis New Mexico
handled the lease.

Know of a new store or restaurant or are you opening a business? Call
Charlotte Balcomb Lane at 823-3820 or e-mail
mailto:[email protected].

GRAPHIC: PHOTO BY:MARLA BROSE/JOURNAL PHOTO: Color Bill Knadjian,
owner of Knadjian’s Oriental Rugs, celebrated his 90th birthday last
week and is celebrating the business’ 50th anniversary this month.

Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
April 23, 2004, Friday

THE GENERAL PUT TO TRIAL FOR BOOTS

SOURCE: Kommersant, April 21, 2004, p. 5

by Arman Vaneskegyan

On April 20, court martial of the Russian Group of Forces in the
North Caucasus opened consideration of the case of Vyacheslav
Aboimov, former commander of the Russian Border Troops in Armenia.
Major general is indicted for large embezzlement and misconduct in
office which entailed grave consequences.

Over 30 years of service, Vyacheslav Aboimov managed to visit nearly
all border districts of the Soviet Union, hot spots of Afghanistan
and Tajikistan, for which he has been awarded the Red Banner Order
and the Order for Military Services. In 1993 he started his service
in Armenia, in 1999 became head of the local group of the Border
Troops. The criminal proceedings against the general were initiated
in late August 2003. An audit of the Main Military Prosecutor’s
Office then discovered a misuse of funding to the amount of about 3.5
million rubles. Colonel Vasily Filonov, Aboimov’s deputy for
logistical services was nearly imprisoned together with his superior.
However, by the start of 2004 the investigation acquitted Colonel
Filonov saying that he had only been fulfilling General Aboimov’s
orders. The deputy commander is now testifying at the trial.

According to our sources, the general proved to be under trial due to
a bargain concluded in early 2004 with Simeron Enterprises of Cyprus
– a long-standing partner of the military, which has its subsidiary
in Armenia and is controlled by entrepreneur Ashot Boyadzhyan. The
company committed itself to supplying construction materials, fuel
and footwear for the Russian border guards to the amount of 900
million Drams (approximately 45 million rubles). The supplies were to
be repaid from the targeted fund: the Armenian government allocated
the money for construction materials and the footwear (Armenia has
entitled itself to purveying for the Russian group of the joint
Armenian-Russian border troops), while Russia paid for the footwear.
However, when the border guards received the major part of the fuel
and construction materials it turned out that the Armenian budget
delayed the money transfer for the Russian group of forces. To avoid
the penalties, General Aboimov ordered to at least partially settle
the debts to Simeron Enterprises with the funding allocated for
repayment of footwear. The investigation regarded the transfer of 3.5
million rubles to be a sufficient plea for initiation of criminal
proceedings against the commander. The border guards have never
received the footwear for which the money was allocated. In opinion
of Major General Sergei Bondarev, acting commander of the Federal
Border Service Department to Armenia, his predecessor and his
partners caused damage both to Russia and Armenia. The thing is that
Simeron Enterprises didn’t pay taxes into the Armenian budget –
respectively, the local national security service wants to ask
General Aboimov and his business partner Boyadzhyan a number of
questions.

The meeting ceased on April 20 hardly after it started: the trial was
postponed “for several days” due to the procedural subtleties, which
the garrison court martial refused to announce. (…) A source close
to the military grouping said that the amount of financial losses
incriminated to General Aboimov could “rise considerably” during the
trial.

Translated by Andrei Ryabochkin

Armenian leader calls on people to pay no heed to opposition protests

Arminfo
20 Apr 04

YEREVAN

“We should not allow 1 per cent of the population to mislead entire
Armenian society and to make the authorities take popular steps which
are catastrophic for the country’s destiny,” Armenian President Robert
Kocharyan told a news conference today, commenting on the opposition’s
[protest] actions.

The head of state said that the fight was being held not against the
president but to define the single leader of the Armenian opposition,
which is a profitable status, and that the objectives of this fight
have nothing to do with the constitutional order. The president called
on the public not to pay any attention to the number of people who
attend the rallies. He said that 23,000 people made up 1 per cent of
the electorate and that the rallies did not attract so many people.

He said that at one time, the nuclear power station and the chemical
giant of the country, the Nairit plant, had been mothballed at the
demand of 30,000 protesters, as a result of which the country incurred
significant damage, and its negative consequences have not yet been
eliminated. “If the two enterprises had not been put in mothballs, we
would have been at a higher stage of economic development,” Robert
Kocharyan said.

Smuggler Caught with Over 2 Kilos of Diamonds
Created: 22.04.2004 11:00 MSK (GMT +3), Updated: 11:33 MSK
MosNews

Police in Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport detained an Armenian citizen
who was trying to smuggle over 2.6 kg of uncut diamonds into Russia,
ITAR-TASS reported, citing the airport police press service.

The suspect, 39, was detained at about 10:30 p.m. Moscow time
Wednesday. During a passenger security check on a flight from
Yerevan, guards discovered that the suspect was wearing a fabric belt
under his jumper. The belt contained 12 plastic bags filled with
precious stones – each diamond’s value was up to two carats. The
overall weight of the stones was 2.65 kilograms.

Specialists are currently establishing the value of the confiscated
diamonds, ITAR-TASS reported.

A criminal investigation has been launched into the illegal
circulation of precious stones and smuggling.

PRESS RELEASE
Office of Sarkis Assadourian M.P.
120 Confederation
House of Commons, Ottawa, Canada
Contact: Daniel Kennedy
Tel: 613 995 4843

Breaking News.

Canadian Parliament passes historic recognition of the Armenian
Genocide by a massive margin of 153 to 68.

Motion M-380 seconded by Sarkis Assadourian, M.P. Brampton Centre won
the resounding approval of the House of Commons. The successful
motion called on the House of Commons to acknowledge the Armenian
Genocide of 1915 and condemn this act as crime against humanity.

PRESS RELEASE
Office of Sarkis Assadourian M.P.
120 Confederation
House of Commons, Ottawa, Canada
Contact: Daniel Kennedy
Tel: 613 995 4843

Press Release
Ottawa April 21, 2004

M.P. Sarkis Assadourian, Hosts Reception Honouring Sara Corning
Saviour of Smyrna’s Orphans

Mr. Sarkis Assadourian (Brampton Centre, Lib.): Chairman of the
Canada-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship Group today hosted a reception
on Parliament Hill, to honour the memory of Sara Corning.

Sara Corning a native of Nova Scotia was responsible for the rescue of
thousands of, Armenian children, from the port of Smyrna in the summer
of 1922. The orphans, survivors of the Genocide at the hands of the
Ottoman Turks were evacuated to Greece with Corning’s assistance.

Guests at the event had the opportunity to view photographs and
documents from The Yarmouth County Museum in Nova Scotia illustrating
the valiant efforts of Sara Corning on behalf of the Armenian orphans.
The photographs evoked the terrible suffering of the children but also
spoke of their tremendous courage and strength of spirit as they
played with rag dolls or learned sewing and weaving skills at the
orphanage.

The highlight of the event saw the relatives of Sarah Corning receive
an enunciate from His Holiness Karikian ll, Catholocos of All Armenia,
honouring the efforts of their ancestor on behalf of the Armenian
orphans the eunnciate presented by His Emminence Bishop Kalestian
Bagrat Primate Armenian Apostolic Church Canadian Diocese

Greg Sarkissian Chairperson of the Zorian Institute announced that the
institute will soon publish a history of the life of Sara Corning

“I am thrilled to be able to share in this wonderful celebration of
Sara Corning an unsung hero of Armenians everywhere. A Canadian who’s
efforts on behalf of the orphans of Smyrna are a remarkable chapter of
history”, said Assadourian.
-30-
For further information contact: Daniel Kennedy 613-995-4843

Metropolitan News-Enterprise
Monday, March 29, 2004

Page 3

National Group to Honor Former Justice Arabian At Ellis Island in May

By a MetNews Staff Writer

Former California Supreme Court Justice Armand Arabian will be among those
honored by a national umbrella group for ethnic organizations at a gala
event in New York City in May, the group said.

In a release last week, the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations, Inc.
said it would extend to Arabian its Ellis Island Medal of Honor at a black
tie reception to be held May 15 in the historic Great Hall on Ellis Island.

The medal is given, according to NECO, “to Americans of diverse origins for
their outstanding contributions to their own ethnic groups and to American
society.”

Honorees typically include U.S. presidents, Nobel Prize winners, leaders of
industry, and gifted artists, performers, and athletes.

Arabian, the first Armenian American to serve on California’s highest court,
has won a number of honors, including the Mesrob Mashdots Medal. That honor,
named for the creator of the Armenian alphabet and among the highest in the
Armenian church, was presented by the head of the church at a ceremony in
Lebanon in 1999.

Arabian retired in 1996 after 20 years in the state judiciary. He is now an
attorney and private judge in Van Nuys.