ARMENIAN REVOLUTIONARY FEDERATION

WESTERN U.S.A.

August 31,2008

Congressman Knollenberg Honored at ANC-PAC and USAPAC Fundraiser

 BURBANK--A reception co-hosted by the Armenian National Committee Political Action Committee (ANC-PAC), the U.S. Armenia Public Affairs Committee (USAPAC) and The California Courier newspaper, was held on Thursday to honor Congressman Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), the co-Chair of the Congressional Armenian Caucus and a staunch supporter of issues of importance to Armenian Americans.
Among the supporters attending the event, held at US-Armenia TV Headquarters, were members of the National Organization of Republican Armenians (NORA).
During his speech, Congressman Knollenberg thanked his supporters and vowed that he will continue to stand up for Armenian American issues, particularly recognition of the Armenian Genocide.  He added that the State Department must change its policy and end its complicity towards genocide denial.
The Congressman also cited that the United States should no longer provide military aid to Azerbaijan; a country that poses a great threat to the freedom loving people of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.
"The ANCPAC is proud to support a man who has been a backbone for our cause in Congress.  He is currently involved in a competitive race and we are certain that his constituents will reward his years of diligent service with another term," stated ANCPAC Representative Leonard Manoukian.
"ANCPAC would also like to congratulate NORA for its participation in this wonderful event," he added.
Congressman Knollenberg has been one of the Armenian-American community's staunchest allies in Congress, on occasion even publicly opposing both his party's President and leadership in defense of Armenian issues. He is in the political race of his life, one of the Top 5 most competitive Congressional races in the country and how our community responds will be watched closely.
Recently, Congressman Knollenberg introduced an amendment to cut all U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan due to its escalating threats of war against Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia. Although his measure was narrowly defeated in a committee vote of the U.S. House State-Foreign Operations Subcommittee, it was supported by each of his Republican colleagues on the panel as well as Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA).
Congressman Knollenberg, who represents the 9th Congressional District in Michigan, has been an outstanding leader on Armenian issues since he was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1992.
The ANC-PAC is a non-partisan federally registered political action committee established to support campaign committees for Members of Congress who share the values of the Armenian American community. The ANC-PAC is at the forefront of efforts to ensure that the voice of the Armenian American community is clearly heard in our nation's capital. The ANC-PAC continues a century old tradition of Armenian American engagement on public policy issues facing national political leaders, both in the U.S. Congress and the White House.

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Turkey's Gul Accepts Armenian Soccer Invitation

Turkish President Abdullah Gul accepted on Saturday his Armenian counterpart's invitation to travel to the Armenian capital and watch with him the first-ever game between Armenia's and Turkey's national football teams scheduled for September 6.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry said Saturday that the visit would contribute to the relations between two neighbor countries.
According to Vatan daily, Armenia has not yet been informed officially regarding the decision. The report added that an official announcement is expected within the next week by Gul.
Gul's decision follows reports by the Turkish daily “Zaman” on Thursday that the Turkish president's security detail was already preparing for his possible trip and planning to send a “forward unit” of 15 bodyguards to Yerevan. It said they would discuss with their Armenian colleagues security measures in and around the city's Hrazdan stadium where the qualifying match for the 2010 football World Cup in South Africa will be played.
A team of Turkish security officials was reportedly set to travel to Yerevan this weekend to discuss security measures that would be put in place in the event of President Abdullah Gul's historic visit to Armenia.
According to another leading Turkish newspaper, “Hurriyet,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry in Ankara is trying to arrange the security team's visit and is going to contact the Armenian government for that purpose. The paper said the Turks will either approach the Armenian embassy in Georgia or Armenia's permanent representative at the Istanbul headquarters of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation organization.
Meanwhile, in an interview with the Turkish daily “Radikal” made public on Thursday, Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian expressed hope that his Turkish counterpart would accept his invitation.
Sarkisian also stressed the importance of the visit, saying it would be the first-ever trip to Armenia by a Turkish president.
“If I did not believe in the visit's importance, I would not invite Mr. Gul in the first place,” he said. “We are neighbors. We went through difficult times in our history. But Armenia is prepared for a development of our relations and expects the same from Turkey.”
The invitation extended to Gul in June underscored a thaw in relations between the two estranged neighbors that followed Sarkisian's victory in Armenia's February 19 presidential election. The new Armenian president responded positively to Ankara's offers of a “dialogue” on problems hampering the normalization of Turkish-Armenian ties. Senior diplomats from the two countries held confidential talks in Switzerland in early July.

August 28, 2008

Vice Presidential Candidate Senator Biden to be Honored at ANC-WR Banquet

LOS ANGELES--Senator Joseph Biden will be honored with the esteemed Freedom Award at the Armenian National Committee-Western Region's annual banquet on October 12 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, announced the ANC-WR.

On August 23rd, Presidential hopeful Barack Obama announced Sen. Biden as his choice for Vice Presidential candidate.

"Senator Joseph Biden has always stood out as a leader on human rights," stated ANC-WR Executive Director Andrew Kzirian.  "The ANC-WR banquet presents a wonderful opportunity to recognize his efforts to raise awareness on the dangers of genocide," he added.

Senator Biden has provided friendship and support to the Armenian American community dating back to his first days in public office. As a United States Senator, Biden has served as an influential and consensus-building bipartisan leader.  As Chairman of the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Joseph Biden has cosponsored numerous Armenian Genocide resolutions and most recently presided over the confirmation hearing of Ambassador Marie L. Yovanovitch.  At the conclusion of the contentious confirmation proceedings, Biden, along with Senators Barbara Boxer and Robert Menendez, forced the State Department to retreat from statements calling into question the historical truth of the Armenian Genocide.  In a letter to Chairman Biden, the State Department stated that it held the Ottoman authorities responsible for crimes committed during the Armenian Genocide.
 
Senator Biden was elected to office in 1972 and has since been a powerful voice on issues of concern to the Armenian American community.

In May, 2007, Senator Biden, in response to a question from the Los Angeles Times editorial board about the Armenian Genocide Resolution (S.Res.106), said, "I support it, and the reason is simple: I have found in my experience that you cannot have a solid relationship with a country based on fiction. It occurred. It occurred."
 
Senator Biden has been a cosponsor of every resolution reaffirming the Armenian Genocide introduced in the Senate over the past 20 years. He authored a resolution (S.Res.65), which was adopted in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee by unanimous consent, to honor journalist Hrant Dink, who was assassinated in Turkey last year for writing about the Armenian Genocide.
 
In July, 2008, Sen. Biden reiterated his commitment to securing U.S. and Turkish recognition of the Armenian Genocide in connection with the nomination of U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Marie Yovanovitch. "Recognition by the United States of the Armenian Genocide is not the final goal. The real goal is the recognition of Turkey - of the Turkish Government - of the Armenian Genocide and the establishment of a common Turkish-Armenian understanding of the events and tragedy that took place," stated Sen. Biden.

The ANCA endorsed Senator Obama in the Democratic primaries.  The ANC of Iowa had endorsed Sen. Joe Biden in his presidential election bid prior to the Iowa primary earlier this year.
 
Individuals interested in attending the ANC-Western Region banquet are encouraged to contact ANC-WR Banquet Coordinator Aida Dimejian at (818) 500-1918 or visit www.itsmyseat.com to purchase tickets. The banquet is slated to begin at 5:30 p.m. Organizers of this event expect that it will be sold out well before September 15th.

The Armenian National Committee - Western Region is the largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots advocacy organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country, the ANC-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.
 

August 22, 2008

Boxer Javakhyan Wins Armenia's Sixth Medal at Beijing Olympics

BEIJING (Combined Sources)--Armenia won its 6th Olympic Medal Friday, as Hrachik Javakhyan secured for the country a bronze medal in Boxing.

Armenia's national Olympic team returned to Armenia Tuesday with a total of five bronze medals from this year's 29th Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. Their homecoming at Yerevan's Zvartnots Airport was attended by thousands of Armenian fans, cheering their team for bringing to Armenia its first Olympic victory since the last summer Games in Athens when the national team returned empty handed.

In weightlifting, receiving bronze medals in the men's 69, 77 and 85th kilogram divisions, respectively, were Tigran Gevorg Martirosyan, Gevog Davtyan and Tigran Vartan Martirosyan. Receiving a bronze in the men's 55 kilogram Greco-Roman wrestling was Roman Amoyan, while Yuri Patrikeev brought home a bronze in the Greco-Roman 120 kilogram division.

Armenia's Olympic delegation included 25 of the nation's best athletes and was headed by the President of the National Olympic Committee of Armenia Gagik Tsarukyan.

The 25 athletes competed in eight different categories.

Weightlifting: Hripsime Khurshudyan, Tigran Martirosyan, Gevorg Davtyan, Ara Khachatryan, Tigran V. Martirosyan and Edgar Georgyan.

Boxing: Hovhanes Danielyan, Hrachik Javakhyan, Edward Hambartsumyan, Andranik Hakobyan.

Free-style wrestling: Martin Berberyan, Suren Markosyan, Harutyun Yenokyan.

Greco-Roman style wrestling: Roman Amoyan, Karen Mnatsakanyan, Arman Adikyan, Arsen Julfalakyan, Denis Forov, Yuri Patrikeev.

Judo: Hovhannes Davtyan, Armen Nazaryan.

Ahletics: Melik Janoyan (archer), Ani Khachikyan (runner).

Swimming: Mikhael Koloyan.

Shooting: Norayr Bakhtamyan
 

August 21, 2008

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Foreign Affairs Legislative Aide

To: Foreign Affairs Legislative Aide

From: Aram Hamparian, Executive Director

Date: August 20, 2008

RE: Armenia’s constructive response to the Georgia crisis

Attached please find a brief outline of Armenia’s response to the recent crisis in Georgia, and the efforts the Armenian government has undertaken to help restore peace and stability to the region.

The Armenian government’s contributions have been in four key areas:

1. Safe transit for U.S. and international officials and relatives of diplomats, NGO representatives, and Georgian nationals

2. Reconstruction assistance for damaged Georgian infrastructure

3. Regional dialogue toward peace and stability

4. Alleviating the humanitarian burden on the Georgian government

Armenia’s constructive response to the crisis in Georgia

Armenia has played a balanced and constructive role in addressing the humanitarian crisis caused by the recent Russian-Georgian conflict, and is working with the nations of the region to help restore peace and stability.

1) Safe transit

Armenia provided a “humanitarian corridor” for the safe transit of:

• More than 150 U.S. officials and their family members.

• Hundreds of international personnel, including foreign embassy officials and NGO representatives.

• Thousands of Georgian nationals seeking refuge from the conflict.

(Armenia waived all airport fees and transportation taxes.)

2) Reconstruction assistance

Armenia sent a team of repair personnel to Georgia’s Gori region, along with a train of rail cars carrying construction materials, to help rebuild a key Georgian railroad bridge that was destroyed in the fighting.

3) Peace and stability

Armenia’s President has spoken to both Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili and Russian President Dimitry Medvedev to express Armenia’s condolences over the loss of life during the recent fighting, and to discuss Armenia’s hope for a timely return to peace and stability in the region.

4) Regional cooperation

Armenia helped alleviate a potential additional humanitarian burden on the Georgian government by managing the timely and orderly return to Armenia of several thousand Armenian nationals who were visiting Georgia at the time of the conflict.

________________________________________________________________     ANCA August 20, 2008

August 20, 2008

Weaver Denies Biased Comments; Fails to Apologize to Public

Community members and activists gathered at the August 12th, 2008 Glendale City Council meeting to condemn Councilmember Weaver's stereotypical comments towards the Armenian-American community as they awaited the Councilman's response.  However, Weaver failed to apologize for his biased comments published in the Pasadena Weekly. Instead, he defended his previous statement and explained that by "..one segment of the population who likes to smoke" he meant "smokers," a blatant distortion of what he really implied, but a politically correct one nonetheless.
Mayor Drayman refrained from taking a stance but conveyed that Weaver's comments, which followed his own, would make or break the concord of the Glendale community and the ability of the City Council to move on. 
"The City Council is not playing the leadership role needed in setting the proper tone for the rest of the city to follow simply because it is being tolerant of divisive comments made by Councilmember Weaver and others in the community," stated Elen Asatryan, Executive Director of ANCG. "Had they as a body, not as individuals condemned Councilmember Weaver it would have sent the proper signal to the rest of the employees and the community - that being that this city has a zero tolerance for stereotypes and discriminatory behavior," added Asatryan.  
In his short statement Councilman Dave Weaver did not address his unwillingness to take credit for his words which were attributed to Mayor Drayman during the July 29th City Council meeting or his history of disrespectful and discriminatory behavior on the dais. He instead called the allegations of racism, championed by the Armenian National Committee - Glendale Chapter "politics," and asserted that he will not be resigning from office, despite the charges of ethnic stereotyping.

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Deadline to Submit Fall 2008 Internship Applications Soon Approaching

The Armenian National Committee - Glendale Chapter announced this week that the August 22, 2008 deadline to submit applications for its Fall 2008 Internship Program is only a few days away. Interested individuals can view and download copies of the application by visiting the "For Students" section of the ANC Glendale website (www.ancglendale.org)
"The Internship at Glendale ANC gave me a solid understanding of local government politics and provided me with the organizational skills, communicational tips, and the kind of behind-the-scenes knowledge one would need to pursue a career in the political arena. The immense amount of things I learned here went above and beyond what an internship usually constitutes," stated ANCG Summer 2008 Intern, Greg Mirza-Avakyan.
In addition to networking with community leaders, candidates participate in workshops featuring a variety of guest speakers, including public officials, ANC leadership, and specialists from the community. Interns also partake in joint projects with fellow interns as well as individual sessions ranging from media relations and civic participation to grassroots advocacy.
The 2008 Fall Session of the ANCG Internship Program will begin on September 8th and run through December 19th. Applications for the internship are available on the ANC Glendale Chapter website at www.ancglendale.org and through the ANCG headquarters. Applications must be postmarked by Friday, August 22, 2008 to be considered.  Applications will be reviewed and those deemed qualified will be invited for an interview before final selections are made in early September.
For more information, or to request applications, please contact the ANCG headquarters at (818) 243-3444 or at info@ancglendale.org.

August 19, 2008

Turkey 'No Enemy' to Armenia, Says Gul

ANKARA -- President Abdullah Gul sent a reconciliatory message to neighboring Armenia on Saturday, saying Turkey is "no enemy" to any country in its region, as he mulled a possible landmark trip to Yerevan.
The conflict between Georgia and Russia shows the need for "early measures to resolve frozen problems in the region and... prevent instability in the future," said Gul in televised remarks in the central city of Nevsehir.
"This is our understanding on all problems. We are no enemy to anyone in the region," he said, reiterating a Turkish proposal to set up a regional forum for stability in the Caucasus.
Gul's conciliatory remark came in response to a question on whether he would accept an invitation by Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian to go to Yerevan in September to watch a World Cup qualifying match between Turkey and Armenia. He replied he was still evaluating the invitation.
Ankara has refused to establish diplomatic ties with Yerevan since the former Soviet republic gained independence in 1991 because of Armenian efforts to secure international recognition of Armenian massacres under the Ottoman Empire as genocide.
In 1993 Turkey shut its border with Armenia in a show of solidarity with its close ally Azerbaijan, then at war with Armenia, dealing a heavy economic blow to the impoverished nation in the strategic Caucasus region.
Diplomats from Turkey and Armenia met secretly in Switzerland in July in a fresh effort to normalize ties following three rounds of talks in 2005 and 2006. No progress is so far publicly known.
Turkish and Armenian leaders have meanwhile met on the sidelines of international gatherings, including a Black Sea regional summit in Istanbul last year.
Armenians claim up to 1.5 million of their kin were killed in orchestrated massacres during World War I as the Ottoman Empire, Turkey's predecessor, was falling apart.
Turkey rejects the genocide label and argues that 300,000 Armenians and at least as many Turks died in civil strife when Armenians took up arms for independence in eastern Anatolia and sided with invading Russian troops.

August 15, 2008

Happy 100th Anniversary!

100 years ago today, Asbarez was born in Fresno, California to serve the growing community of Armenians in California and the Western US.
In preparing for this special edition of Asbarez, we researched through countless editions of the newspaper, pulled out special publication produced for its various milestone anniversaries and spoke to former editors and staffers.
The conviction with which we begin our second century has not changed much from the days in 1908 when our predecessors set out to create an arena--an Asbarez--for the Armenian-American community. Neither have the challenges in publishing a newspaper for the Armenian community. Despite a wider audience and the latest in technological advances, Asbarez editors are always in pursuit of ensuring that the newspaper is “the people's paper” as the founding fathers struggled to do. In this edition you will read first-hand accounts of how this newspaper became what it is today, as we, on a daily basis, try to honor the legacy of those who brought forth what is now the only bi-lingual Armenian daily newspaper in the United States.
"The Armenian community in Fresno and surrounding areas is growing. The influx of Armenians in the last six to seven years--whether from the Eastern US or all over Armenia to California--has placed Fresno in a unique place."  This is how an editorial describing the birth of Asbarez began. If we look at our ever-evolving community in California and elsewhere in the US, we can see that Asbarez is truly at a unique place in the Armenian reality--and has as it has covered the most critical events that have shaped our nation.
From the dispersion that came about as a result of the 1890's massacres creating one of the oldest Armenian communities in the US, to where hundreds of thousands of Armenians call their home today--be they from Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Armenia or elsewhere around the world,--Asbarez has evolved in catering to these generations, for each and every cycle that has defined our community has done so through the pages of this newspaper. And our newspaper, too, has evolved as a result of the changes that have defined our community and our nation.
A group of survivors came together to establish a voice for our community and one hundred years later we continue to provide a forum--an arena--to all those varied backgrounds that make up the unique mosaic of our community--the people who will shape and define it for another or more centuries to come.
Yes, we have covered the Genocide and the first independent Armenian Republic.  We have also enabled and empowered a community to rise up from these events and truly lead a movement for the pursuit of our ideals.
Yes, we were there when thousands took to the streets in 1965 to demand the international recognition of the Genocide and similarly when hundreds of thousands marched in Yerevan and Stepanakert to demand the reunification of Karabakh with Armenia in 1988. We have also provided up-to-the-minute reporting from the efforts to pass Genocide recognition resolution, battlefields and the negotiating tables, which have made our readers more aware of the nuances that have shaped our reality today.
Who can forget the gripping images from Leninakan (Gumri) in the aftermath of the devastating 1988 earthquake. By the same token, who can forget the image of the little boy raising the red, blue and orange tri-color after the independence of Armenia in 1991. And, of course, who can forget the enormous victory in Nagorno-Karabakk--Artsakh.
The events and issues are too numerous to enumerate, but they have defined us as Armenians, and thus given Asbarez the opportunity to serve its readers and truly bridge our struggles, our tragedies, our victories and our aspirations.
Marking this centennial--this milestone--is a proud moment indeed.  Remaining your community newspaper--the people's paper--is powerfully humbling.
So, to our readers: Happy 100th anniversary!

August 14, 2008

Sweden's Ara Abrahamian storms off the podium after winning a bronze medal

BEIJING, Aug 14 - Swedish wrestler Ara Abrahamian threw down his greco-roman bronze medal in protest on Thursday after his bid for Olympic gold was ended by a decision denounced by the Swedish coach as “politics.”

Abrahamian took the bronze from around his neck during the medal ceremony, stepped from the podium and dropped it in the middle of the wrestling mat then walked off.

“I don’t care about this medal. I wanted gold,” he said.

A bitter Abrahamian, silver medalist at Athens 2004 who had high hopes of top honors in the 84kg competition in Beijing, announced he was quitting the sport.

“This will be my last match. I wanted to take gold, so I consider this Olympics a failure,” he said.

The Swedish wrestler had to be restrained by teammates earlier when a row erupted with judges over the decision in a semifinal bout at the Chinese Agricultural University Gym with Andrea Minguzzi of Italy, who went on the take gold.

Abrahamian shouted at the referee and judges then went over to their seats to speak to them up close. He angrily threw off the restraining arm of a team official then turned and left.

Swedish fans booed loudly as the judges filed out of the arena. Abrahamian said nothing to waiting reporters but whacked an aluminium barricade with his fist as he left the hall.

Abrahamian later said he believed his loss to the eventual gold medalist Minguzzi was “totally unjustified.” The wrestler said his friends “called me just 20 minutes before the (bronze) competition, begging me to compete.”

“I decided that I had come this far and didn’t want to let them down, so I wrestled,” he said.

Swedish coach Leo Myllari said: “It’s all politics.”

Myllari did not say if he intended to lodge a formal protest over the decision by referee Jean-Marc Petoud of Switzerland, judge Lee Ronald Mackay of Canada, and mat chairman Guillermo Orestes Molina of Cuba.

Other favourites went out in the semi-finals or earlier.

Athens 96kg gold medallist Karam Gaber of Egypt failed to make it to the quarterfinals. Aleksey Mishin of Russia, who took Athens gold in the 84kg class, was beaten by Minguzzi. Ramaz Nozazde of Georgia, who took silver in Athens, succumbed to Marek Svec of the Czech Republic, still fighting at age 35. Svec then lost to Russia’s European champion Aslanbek Kushtov, who caught him with a spectacular fall.

In the heavyweight 120kg class, Armenia’s Yuri Patrikeev and Dremiel Byers of the United States, both favored as finalists, failed to go through.

August 13, 2008

Yerevan Assures Tbilisi no Russian Attacks from Armenia

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)--Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian assured a senior Georgian diplomat on Tuesday that Russia did not and will not use Armenian territory for its ongoing military operations in Georgia.
Armenia maintains close defense links with Russia and hosts a Russian military base numbering several thousand soldiers and a dozen MiG-29 fighter jets.
The Defense Ministry in Yerevan flatly denied late last week Azerbaijani and Georgian media claims that some of the Russian warplanes involved in bomb raids on Georgia flew in from Armenian military airfields. A ministry spokesman rejected the allegations as an Azerbaijani “provocation” designed to damage Georgian-Armenian relations. He argued that the Russian military is not using MiG-29s in the air strikes.
Georgia's ambassador to Armenia, Revaz Gachechiladze, commented on the allegations at a meeting with Ohanian. A statement by the Defense Ministry quoted Gachechiladze as stating that the Russian military aircraft stationed in Armenia has not been involved in the Russian campaign.
“For his part, Ohanian assured the ambassador that Armenia's territory will not be used as a military launch pad for hostilities against Georgia, expressing hope that ways will be found to normalize the situation in Georgia,” the statement said. Ohanian also offered his sympathy for “innocent victims” of the nearly week-long fighting, it added.
The statement claimed that Gachechiladze requested the meeting in order to introduce Georgia's new military attach? in Yerevan, Colonel Murtaz Gujejiani, to the Armenian defense chief.
Armenia is treading carefully on the Russian-Georgian conflict, mindful of the two countries' importance for its national security. The Armenian Foreign Ministry expressed on Friday serious concern about the outbreak of fighting in South Ossetia but avoided blaming any of the parties for the worst regional crisis since the early 1990s. Official Yerevan has so far not reacted on Russian forces' subsequent advance deep into Georgian territory, which has been condemned by the United States and other Western powers.
The Armenian government also refuted on Tuesday other media reports saying that it allowed a planeload of U.S. military instructors bound for Georgia to land in Yerevan's Zvartnots international airport. Deputy Foreign Minister Gegham Gharibjanian said special flights to Zvartnots have been carried out only by planes that were sent by some European governments to collect their citizens evacuated from Georgia

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Armenia 'Unaffected' By Georgia Crisis

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)--Contradicting statements by Armenian diplomats and cargo firms, Transport and Communications Minister Gurgen Sargsian insisted on Tuesday that the Russian-Georgian military conflict has not disrupted Armenia's main supply lines running across Georgia.
The assurances came amid growing signs of fuel shortages in the country. Some gasoline stations in Yerevan restricted sales of petrol, while others were shut altogether. Fuel was reportedly in even shorter supply outside the capital.
Sargsian attributed this to an emerging “panic” among motorists who he said do not expect a quick end to the fighting in Georgia and are therefore anxious to stock up with fuel. “There are no grounds for panic,” he said. “We have sufficient stocks of fuel, and fuel imports are continuing. We have rail cars filled fuel which have not reached Armenia.”
Fuel and the vast majority of other commodities reach the country via the Georgian Black Sea ports of Batumi and Poti. According to some media reports, Russian planes have bombed Poti and other civilian and military targets across Georgia in recent days. The air strikes are said to have disrupted Georgia's rail-ferry services with Russia and Ukraine that process most of the goods shipped to and from Armenia.
Sargsian said, however, that both the ports and the ferry links have remained operational since last Friday's outbreak of vicious fighting in South Ossetia that spilled over into Georgia proper.
According to Sargsian, 60 rail cars laden with wheat and other basic goods rolled into Armenia overnight and 18 others are on the way. “Cargo shipments by rail are being carried out as planned,” the minister said. “
However, Armenia's ambassador to Georgia, Hrach Silvanian, painted a different picture. “As a result of the bomb raids, there have arisen difficulties in the work of the port of Poti, which have reflected negatively on cargo shipments,” he said in written answers to questions from RFE/RL.
Silvanian also reported “certain disruptions” in Batumi partly related to concerns about the safety of freight transportation. The Armenian embassy in Tbilisi is taking “all possible steps to overcome the mentioned obstacles,” he said.
Gagik Aghajanian, executive director of the cargo firm Apaven, said the Poti port has stood idle “for three or four days,” resulting in a backlog of 250 cargo containers bound for Armenia. “Normally Armenia receives 55-60 containers a day,” he explained.
That Russia's military operations in Georgia have seriously complicated Armenia's transport communication with the rest of the world was also asserted by the country's largest fuel importer, Flash. “There were disruptions in our supplies for the past four or five days as no cargos were transported from Georgia,” Mushegh Elchian, the company's deputy director, told RFE/RL.
But Elchian said the situation seems to be improving now. “We received ten rail cars of petrol overnight, while other companies imported large quantities of diesel fuel. But still we have a fairly large volume of fuel stocked in the Batumi terminal.”
Elchian blamed the difficulties for his company's extraordinary decision to introduce petrol rationing. He said Flash's filling stations across Armenia were instructed on Monday to pump petrol only into car tanks and rebuff motorists with fuel canisters.
 

August 11, 2008

Armenia Concerned About South Ossetia Fighting

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)--Armenia joined the international community on Friday in expressing serious concern about the outbreak of deadly fighting in South Ossetia that threatened to degenerate into an all-out war between neighboring Georgia and Russia.
The Armenian Foreign Ministry said official Yerevan is closely monitoring the situation and urging the conflicting parties to call a halt to military operations.
"We are certainly concerned about the situation and hope that a solution will be found very quickly," Deputy Foreign Minister Gegham Gharibjanian told RFE/RL. "We hope that the parties will make maximum efforts to quickly stop bloodshed and find peaceful solutions to contentious issues," he said.
Meanwhile, Armenia's Defense Minister, Seyran Ohanian, was in Karabakh's capital,  Stepanakert on Friday where he said that the escalating situation in South Ossetia "must rally our people. The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is independent but unrecognized as such. Official Baku maintains that it still belongs to Azerbaijan.
Ohanian's statements came in response to questions about how the recent fighting in South Ossetia would impact the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.
"The recent developments should rally our people because we cannot withstand the coming challenges unless we are united," Ohanian said.
A separate statement by the Foreign Ministry said Armenia's embassy in Tbilisi and the consulate general in Batumi have been instructed to be "in constant touch with Georgia's central and regional authorities." It said the diplomatic missions will also provide "necessary assistance" to Armenian citizens in Georgia who will wish to return home.
Georgian troops launched a major military offensive on Friday morning to regain control over South Ossetia, which had won de facto independence from Tbilisi in a 1992 war. They reportedly seized much of the regional capital Tskhinvali by early afternoon, triggering a Russian military intervention.
News reports from South Ossetia said a convoy of Russian tanks and other military vehicles was moving towards Tskhinvali from Russia's republic of North Ossetia later in the day.
Also, Georgian government officials said Russian military aircraft bombed Georgian army positions in South Ossetia and the Vaziani military airbase near Tbilisi. The airbase is less than 50 kilometers from Georgia's border with Armenia.
Observers believe that a large-scale Russian-Georgian war is a nightmare scenario for Armenia, which uses Georgia's territory as its main commercial conduit to the outside world and maintains close political and especially military ties with Russia.
The spiraling hostilities prompted the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to call a special meeting of its decision-making Permanent Council in Vienna on Friday afternoon.
Finland, the current holder of the OSCE's rotating presidency, warned that the conflict could escalate into "a full-fledged war." "War would have a devastating impact for the entire region," Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb said in a statement.
 

August 8, 2008

Weaver’s Absence Leaves Issue of Biased Comments Hanging

Glendale, CA - The controversy over the stereotyping comments made by Councilman Dave Weaver continued at the August 5th meeting of the Glendale City Council. Councilman Weaver failed to appear at the meeting, citing a family emergency. Due to his absence, Council members withheld most of their comments on the matter and Mayor John Drayman stated that the issues cannot be solved in Mr. Weaver’s absence. The Mayor stated that all of the speakers are welcome to podium at next week’s council meeting to address Dave Weaver directly.

During the Council meeting, Chairman of the Armenian National Committee – Glendale Chapter Artin Manoukian condemned the Councilman Weaver’s spiteful comments and called for a public apology.  Manoukian stated “The kinds of remarks most recently displayed by Councilman Weaver deeply damage the fabric of the Glendale community and they destroy the hope of overcoming prejudice in society.” He continued to say that “in the absence of a public apology perhaps the right thing for Councilman Weaver to do for the City of Glendale is to submit his resignation.”

Also present at the meeting were representative from Pasadena Weekly, Editor Kevin Uhrich and Publisher Jon Guynn. They profusely apologized for miss attributing Mr. Weaver’s interview to Mayor Drayman. When asked by Councilman Najarian to confirm or deny the accuracy of the quotes line by line Uhrich clearly verified and confirmed that the comments were indeed made by Councilman Weaver. He added that according to the reporter’s notes, Weaver was asked several times if those comments were in reference to the Armenian-American community and Weaver responded “yes”.

This story started to unfold during the July 29th meeting of the Glendale City Council. Mr. Barry Allen, Executive Director of the Vanguardian, a government watchdog publication, condemned John Drayman for the comments in an article published in The Pasadena Weekly. The article incorrectly attributed Councilman Weaver’s quotes to Mayor Drayman. After more than an hour of often heated and very critical discussion of the quotes Weaver hesitantly admitted that he was the one who interviewed and quoted by the newspaper, not Mayor Drayman

Councilman Dave Weaver’s comments caused outrage and disappointment amongst the council, the citizens of Glendale and most definitely in the Armenian-American community. The Armenian National Committee Glendale Chapter placed an action alert on the same week. They urged Glendale residents to logon to their website at www.ancglendale.org and send emails to the Glendale Mayor and Council members requesting them to condemn Councilman Weaver’s continuous unethical behavior on the dais and to request a public apology from him.  As of August 5th, approximately 800 e-mails were sent in response to Dave Weaver’s hurtful comments.

This was not the first time that Councilmember Weaver made spiteful comments towards the Armenian-American community. During the January 22nd, 2008 meeting of the City Council, Weaver went as far as to question the intelligence of non-English speaking voters and noted that if one does not understand English, he/she has no business voting.

The Pasadena Weekly article published on June 26, 2008, entitled “Butting In,” in which Councilmember Dave Weaver made racially charged comments about the Armenian-American residents in Glendale when referring to the smoking ban currently under consideration by the Glendale City Council may be found by visiting

http://www.pasadenaweekly.com/cms/story/detail/butting_in/6097

The Armenian National Committee-Glendale Chapter advocates for the social, economic, cultural, and political rights of the city's Armenian American community and promotes increased civic participation at the grassroots and public policy levels. It is the voice of this vibrant community, which seeks to advance and enrich Glendale.

August 7, 2008

Brad Sherman’s efforts to strengthen the U.S.-Armenia relationship

 Congressional Recognition of the Armenian Genocide

Since coming to Congress in 1997, I have cosponsored every resolution to affirm the Armenian Genocide and recognize its victims.  Most recently, I joined my colleagues in introducing the current legislation, H. Res. 106.   

On October 10th of last year, the House Foreign Affairs Committee held a historic vote on H.Res. 106.  As the only original sponsor of the resolution to serve on the Foreign Affairs Committee, it was my responsibility to manage the bill.  We succeeded in passing it by a vote of 27 to 21.  If not for the aggressive lobbing efforts by Turkey and its allies in the Bush Administration, the resolution would certainly have passed by a significantly larger margin.     
Shortly before the committee vote, the Turkish government launched a massive public affairs campaign to derail our efforts to recognize the Armenian Genocide.  The Administration joined that effort and claimed that recognizing the Armenian Genocide would harm our national security interests by ruining our relationship with Turkey.  

This position is misguided and unjust.  During World War I and its aftermath, the Ottoman Empire attempted to destroy the Armenian population of Eastern Anatolia.  It is paramount for the United States to recognize this tragic event and proclaim that the Armenian Genocide is a fact.  Turkey must not be allowed to threaten the United States for recognizing the truth.
While the Turkish lobby and the Bush Administration succeeded in pressuring some members to withdraw their support for the resolution, they could not stop the international press from covering these events.  For several days in a row, news outlets from Arkansas to Beijing openly discussed Turkey’s threatening of America for recognizing the truth regarding the Armenian Genocide.  The main purpose of the resolution was to educate the world about the first genocide of the 20th century.  While the resolution has not yet passed, we have achieved our educational goal beyond our expectations.  
Although the bill was approved by the Foreign Affairs Committee last year and we succeeded in raising international awareness of the Armenian Genocide, the resolution has yet to be voted on in the full House of Representatives.  
This past April, I spoke at the Armenian Genocide Commemoration on Capitol Hill about why it is so important to get final passage on this resolution.  “With the Armenian Genocide having happened close to a century ago, only a few survivors are still alive.  Nothing would mean more to them, especially those that found safe haven here in the United States, for the United States Congress to recognize the massacre of the Armenian population for what it undeniably is – a genocide that was committed by the government of Ottoman Turkey.”  
I will continue to work for the passage of this resolution in 2008.  I will not stop fighting until this measure of justice is achieved.  

Foreign Aid for Armenia

Since 1993, Congress has provided approximately $1.8 billion in assistance to Armenia.  The funding has helped Armenia to build democratic institutions and make the transition from a Soviet-style economy to a free market democracy.
Year after year, I join with my colleagues from the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues to fight against cuts in assistance to Armenia proposed by the Bush Administration.  
Funding for 2008 was no different. The President proposed steep cuts in assistance for Armenia, asking for only $35 million for 2008.  I am pleased to report that Congress provided $58 million in assistance in addition to almost $3 million in military aid, for Armenia this year.  
The President submitted his budget for 2009 in January and again proposed steep cuts in assistance for Armenia, this time asking for only $24 million in assistance – a 60% reduction in U.S. aid.  Secretary of State Rice came before the Foreign Affairs Committee recently to justify the President’s budget request.  At that hearing, I criticized the Bush Administration for its decision to propose cuts in aid to Armenia, while providing an increase to Azerbaijan.  I noted how especially unfair these aid proposals were in light of the Administration’s efforts to defeat Congressional efforts to recognize the Armenian Genocide.  
Congress is still working on the foreign aid budget for 2009.  That is why I joined my colleagues in sending a letter to the House Appropriations Committee asking for $70 million in economic assistance to Armenia, an additional $10 million to Nagorno-Karabakh, and $5 million in military aid.
I will fight against the Bush Administration’s proposed cuts to ensure that Armenia will receive at least as much in 2009 as it is slated to receive this year.  Assistance for Armenia should be increased, not cut.       

Opposing the Anti-Armenia Railroad 

Many in the U.S. government favor Turkey and Azerbaijan at the expense of Armenia.  I believe that we need a balanced policy that supports peace and stability in the region.  I have opposed efforts by the Bush administration to provide unequal amounts of military aid and have opposed U.S. assistance for regional projects which deliberately exclude Armenia.  
Opposing anti-Armenian Actions by Azerbaijan.   I have worked to prevent U.S. assistance for a proposed railroad that would connect cities in Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, while deliberately avoiding Armenia.  Azerbaijan has made its intentions clear with respect to this project when its president said, “we are currently working on a new project - a new railroad… If we succeed with this project, the Armenians will end in complete isolation, which would create an additional problem for their future, their already bleak future….”  The U.S. government should have nothing to do with this project, and I am working to ensure that not one dime of American taxpayer money is used to support this anti-Armenia effort.  
Supporters of this Anti-Armenia railroad could turn to either of two U.S. government agencies for funding: the Export-Import Bank or the Overseas Private Investment Corporation.  In 2006, I joined with colleagues and successfully passed into law an amendment that prohibits one of these agencies, the Export-Import Bank, from supporting the anti-Armenia railway.  I then wrote a bill to prevent the Overseas Private Investment Corporation from funding the project as well.  I was able to pass that bill through the House last year.  The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has approved the bill, and I am hopeful that the full Senate will pass bill before the end of this year.   
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.  Please do not hesitate to contact me about these or other issues.  

Sincerely,

BRAD SHERMAN
Member of Congress

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Rep. Cohen Pushes Armenian Photographer at Press Conference

Armenian-American photographer Peter Musurlian of Globalist Films, was physically pushed out of a press conference by Tennessee Congressman Steve Cohen Wednesday, after the law-maker accused him of trespassing a press conference he had called. Cohen is being opposed in the Democratic Primary Thursday by Nikki Tinker, who was recently endorsed by the Armenian National Committee-Political Action Committee. The ANC-PAC underscored Cohen's continued denial of the Genocide and Tinker's pro-Armenian stance as the reason for its endorsement.
 Below is a reprint of the Memphis Commercial Appeal news article regarding the altercation at the Cohen press conference and reaction from Musurlian on the matter:

Cohen Asks Photographer To Leave His Home, Then Pushes Him Out

By Zack McMillin
Memphis Commercial Appeal
Memphis Police were called to the home of Congressman Steve Cohen today after an an argument between Cohen and a Armenian-American cameraman in town from California ended with Cohen physically pushing him out the side door.
Peter Musurlian of Globalist Films in Glendale, Calif., followed a reporter from The Commercial Appeal into Cohen's Overton Park home, where the Congressman had invited local media to respond to a commercial from Nikki Tinker, his 9th Congressional District opponent in Thursday's Democratic Primary, that Cohen called “more mudslinging.”
When members of Cohen's staff realized who the cameraman was 's he had followed Cohen around on Tuesday night at National Night Out neighborhood events 's they told him he was not invited and asked him to leave.
Musurlian refused, saying he deserved a place in the open press conference, and continued arguing before Cohen got off his couch and angrily told Musurlian to leave, accusing him of trespassing.
Then Cohen said, “You come outside, I'm going to talk to you. I'll give you an interview.” When Musurlian retreated to the threshold, Cohen put both hands on his arms, forced him from the house and shut the door.
Cohen's staff retrieved a tripod and a bag containing audio equipment and returned it to Musurlian, who later said an expensive part had been broken. Musurlian stood across the street from the house and eventually gave statements to the media and to police.
Cohen also talked to police and said he had no intention of pressing charges. Musurlian said he intended to press charges because of the damage to his equipment.
Armenian-Americans from around the country have been enraged at Cohen for his part in stopping Congress from passing a resolution last year that would have condemned Turkey for committing genocide against Armenians when the Ottoman Empire was disintegrating during and after World War I.
Armenian-Americans have donated between $25,000 and $30,000 to Tinker's campaign and are actively working to defeat Cohen.
Cohen has often spoken of his pride in stopping the resolution, saying that during his Congressional trip to the Middle East that he specifically asked Gen. David Petraeus, commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, about the ramifications of passing a resolution that Turkey vowed would cause it to cut off all aid to the U.S. effort in Iraq.
“I'm proud of what I did,” Cohen said. “Gen. Petraeus, when I went to Baghdad, I asked him what his position was on the Armenian resolution and he said, 'I am glad you brought that up. That would be very devastating to our troops.' The Turks are our friends in NATO, they allow 8,000 trucks a day through Turkey into Iraq to serve our troops with supplies and needs. Those trucks could be stopped and the Turks are very serious about that. They allow us to use our airbase.'"
He said, "That would be really devastating to our mission.' While I am against the mission of the Iraq war, I am for protecting our troops. And to pass that resolution would have been irresponsible and the Congress saw that. President Carter and President Clinton both opposed it because they said we shouldn't be doing that to upset the Turks.
“Determining what happened in history when it is a foreign nation and something we had nothing to do with is not the job of the United States Congress. It's a job for historians. The bottom line is at this time in 2007 and 2008 and possibly in 2009 it is the last thing to throw in the face of one of our few allies in the Middle East.”
Musurlian attempted to give Memphis media a history lesson about what many historians have declared a genocide but which Turkey maintains was a much more complicated set of events unleashed by the world war and dissolution of the Ottoman Empire.
“This is a particular issue that I know maybe 50 people in Memphis are interested in but they should be interested in it,” Musurlian said. “It may sound ancient, but it's not as ancient as slavery.”
That seemed to be an allusion to the resolution Cohen did usher through Congress last week, with the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time apologizing to African-Americans for slavery and Jim Crow oppression and degradation.
Cohen had called the press conference to explain his vote in 1997, while in the State Senate, against a bill called the “Tennessee Student Religious Liberty Act” that a Tinker ad said shows that Cohen “is the only Congressman that doesn't think our kids should be allowed to pray in schools.”
Cohen said today he unequivocally does not oppose prayer in schools, but that he opposed that bill because it was meaningless pandering.
“They gave that bill a nice title to make it sound good, but I am just repulsed by people who will use religion to foster their political reputations and careers,” Cohen said. “I voted it because it was a) unnecessary, b) trying to use religion on a false manner deluding the people to make them think they were doing something when they were not doing anything.”
And Cohen sounded a theme heard often over the years in Memphis, accusing “outsiders” of meddling
“He needs to go back to California, EMILY's List needs to go back to Washington and New York, and the people who are doing these ads from Washington, they need to go home too,” Cohen said. “Memphians will determine this election. And all these outsiders who don't know Steve Cohen, they need to get out of here.”

August 4, 2008

AYF Youth Corps Builds Bridge to Homeland with Gyumri Day Camp

GYUMRI--Seven young Armenians from Southern California have decided to spend their summer as volunteers in Armenia running a day camp for underprivileged kids in the Armenia's second largest city of Gyumri.
Organized by the AYF's Youth Corps, the camp opened its doors on Monday, accepting 40 children for its first session. Word spread quickly around town and on Tuesday twice as many campers turned out, eager to sign up and meet the diasporans who dedicated their summers to fly half way around the world to open a day camp for children in Armenia.
The day camp, which operates five days a week, is managed and run solely by a team of 7 Armenian American College students--Talar Boyajian, Sahag Yedalian, Hilton Sorkazian, Ani Petrossian, Anahid Yahjian, Nina Dangourian and Vache Thomassian.
The seven Youth Corps volunteers are working as camp counselors, offering children, ages 10-15, English language courses, organized sports activities, song and dance lessons and arts and crafts classes. In addition, campers are also taken on weekly field trips, the first of which was a trip to a local museum on Thursday.
"Our mission this summer is simple," explained Thomassian, the group's leader. "We want to connect Armenians in the Diaspora with Armenians in the homeland. "Through this day camp, Youth Corps can do just that and also provide direct assistance to underprivileged youth--Armenia's most valuable and vulnerable citizens."
"It's only been a couple of days and you can already see the bond forming between our campers and the Youth Corps counselors," Boyajian added. "This really expresses a connection between Armenians despite their geographic origins."
"In the Diaspora, we have grown accustomed to the idea that Armenian youth activism starts and ends with educational lectures and protests, but that's just one small aspect of what it means to be an involved Armenian," Yedalian remarked. "When you send money to Armenia, the people only see the money. But when you come here, role up your sleeves and help, they see that Armenians in the Diaspora care."
Taking time to experience Armenia as more than just a tourist is very important, they all agreed during a 2 a.m. group interview over the phone. Quieting the others, Dangourian grabbed the phone and stressed that she joined the Youth Corps team because she wanted to experience Armenia not as a tourist but as an Armenian.
"I wanted to build connections with the people here. As a camp counselor I am doing just that," Yahjian said, echoing Dangourian's sentiments.
"You really feel that this is your homeland after spending an entire day working and playing with the campers." exclaimed Sorkazian, who is in Armenia for the first time this summer. "I am literally investing my time, energy and talents into my country and my people."
"The people here are really reaching out to us, coming up to us on the streets to talk and thank us for opening the camp," Thomassian added. "We're doing something right here."
Landing in Yerevan on July 17, the Youth Corps team spent a week exploring Armenia and Karabakh before arriving at Gyumri where they began quickly converting a local school into their camp ground. In the day's leading up to the camps opening, the seven volunteers worked around the clock to prepare the facilities where they would bring to life a day camp.
"We had spent months planning the camp, working in coordination with the AYF in Armenia to find a camp site, create a curriculum, and work out all the logistics," explained Youth Corps Chairperson Sose Thomassian. "That took a lot of work, but the most challenging part of organizing this year's Youth Corps mission was figuring out how we were going to fund the venture."
Many thought the project was too big for a committee of young volunteers to take on, she explained, but a lot of dedicated people, sacrificed their time and came together to help raise the money needed to make the camp possible.
"Funding for the camp was done the old fashioned way," explained Youth Corps alumni and committee member Veronica Siranosian at a car wash in Pasadena two weeks before the group left for Armenia. "We held car-washes at gas stations, hosted breakfasts at community centers, sold CDs and T-shirts from the trunks of our cars to friends and family at churches, community centers, the Navasartian Games and all types of community events."
When asked why she volunteered to help with this year's program, Siranosian paused momentarily and asked: "isn't it obvious?" Youth Corps changed her life, she said.  "It gave me a chance to make a difference in Armenia. Some of my best memories are from laying bricks with my friends in a Karabakh village."
The AYF Youth Corps program is open to all youth over the age of 18 who are motivated and enthusiastic about helping Armenia. The program gives dedicated individuals a unique opportunity to spend approximately six weeks in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, working with people on the ground to make a tangible contribution to the homeland.

For more information contact ayfyouthcorps@gmail.com or call 818.507.1933.

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Councilman Dave Weaver Stereotypes Armenian-American Community

GLENDALE--During the Glendale City Council meeting on Tuesday, the issue of the pending smoking ban for the City of Glendale was discussed. The smoking ban, if implemented, would have banned smoking from all public areas, including streets, sidewalks, outside dining areas, and multi-unit residences. Yet, the smoking ban was not the issue that roused controversy during the meeting. Spiteful comments made in the Pasadena Weekly by Councilman Dave Weaver were improperly attributed to Mayor John Drayman, causing accusations and rebuttals.
In a Pasadena Weekly article published on June 26, 2008, entitled "Butting In," Councilmember Dave Weaver made racially charged comments about the Armenian-American residents in Glendale when referring to the smoking ban currently under consideration by the Glendale City Council. During the interview with the editorial, Councilmember Weaver referred to the Armenian community as being the large population of Glendale that enjoys smoking and opposes the smoking ban ordinance. Without any facts to support his biased assertions, he spread false stereotypes of Glendale's Armenian-American community in an effort to build support for his proposal on the basis of inciting anti-Armenian sentiments in the community.
To make matters worse, when the issue was brought forth during discussion of the smoking ban ordinance, Councilman Dave Weaver failed to take responsibility for his statement to the Pasadena Weekly, instead hiding behind the newspaper's mistake where they incorrectly attributed the quote to Mayor Drayman and allowing his colleague to take the heat. After more than an hour of discussion where further information was being revealed before the council, Weaver hesitantly admitted that he was the one who spoke to the newspaper in that manner, not Mayor Drayman.
This was not the first time that Councilmember Weaver made spiteful comments towards the Armenian-American community. During the January 22nd, 2008 meeting of the City Council, Weaver went as far as to question the intelligence of non-English speaking voters and noted that if one does not understand English, he/she has no business voting.
To further investigate this incident, representatives from the Armenian National Committee-Glendale Chapter (ANC) met with the editor of the Pasadena Weekly, Kevin Uhrich, and reporter Carl Kozlowski on July 31, 2008 to gather further facts surrounding Mr. Weaver's statement. The ANC voiced outrage at the published article, which also made unfounded statements and cast racist stereotypes about the Armenian-American community. The Pasadena Weekly verified that the comments printed were Mr. Weaver's and that he was clearly referring to the Armenian community when discussing the matter. The editor apologized for printing the article with inadequate research. The editor also agreed to allow the ANC Glendale to correct the false impressions l eft by the original article through a full-page article that will be published in the upcoming issue.
"The Armenian National Committee- Glendale is appalled by the comments made by Councilman Dave Weaver. As an elected official, Councilman Weaver has a responsibility to serve all of his constituents and is held to higher standards. Councilman Weaver has engaged in a pattern of spewing hatred and spreading repulsive stereotypes about Glendale 's Armenian-American community," stated Elen Asatryan, Executive Director of ANC-Glendale. "His biased opinions towards the Armenian-American community are unacceptable and we expect a public apology from Councilmember. Weaver during the next Glendale City Council meeting," added Asatryan.
Interestingly enough, Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee-Glendale Chapter, Elen Asatryan, relayed the results of the survey headed by the organization during the same council meeting, which further proved Counncilmember Weaver's comments to be biased and ethnically
The survey, which was conducted over a period of 12 days, introduced the opinions of the populace of Glendale over this controversial ordinance. Of the 740 respondents of the survey, there appeared to be a divide in the peoples' support for the ordinance. 61% of the survey takers claimed to be non-smokers, 45% supported the ban on smoking on streets and sidewalks, while 70% of the survey-takers believed that the smoking ordinance s hould be placed on the ballot. The survey also found that 63% of the survey-takers believed that the banning of smoking infringes on personal freedoms and civil liberties. ANC Glendale also surveyed 38 restaurants in Glendale , 79% of which opposed the smoking ordinance. 78% of the surveyed restaurants believed that their business would be negatively affected.
The members of the City Council commended the ANC Glendale for the survey and stated that the results will be used in determining their vote. Upon reviewing the provisions and forming a consensus, the smoking ban will be voted on at a later time.
The Armenian National Committee Glendale Chapter is urging Glendale residents to log on to their website at www.ancglendale.org and send emails to the Glendale Mayor and Councilmembers requesting them to condemn Councilmember Weaver's continuous unethical behavior on the dias and to request a public apology from the Councilmember.

Those interested in viewing the July 29th meeting of the Glendale City Council meeting may do so by visiting http://www.ci.glendale.ca.us/video_archives.asp.

The original article containing Weaver's comments can be found by visiting: http://www.pasadenaweekly.com/cms/story/detail/butting_in/6097/
 

The Armenian National Committee-Glendale Chapter advocates for the social, economic, cultural, and political rights of the city's Armenian American community and promotes increased civic participation at the grassroots and public policy levels. It is the voice of this vibrant community, which seeks to advance and enrich Glendale .

August 1, 2008

SENATORS BIDEN, BOXER, MENENDEZ FORCE BUSH ADMINISTRATION TO DISTANCE UNITED STATES FROM TURKEY’S GENOCIDE DENIAL POLICY

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Approves Ambassador Nominee to Armenia After Last Minute State Department Clarification

WASHINGTON, DC -- In the midst of mounting Senate scrutiny and the prospect of a “hold” on Marie Yovanovitch’s nomination to serve as the next U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, the State Department, today, cleared the way for her approval by retreating from statements calling into question the historical record of the Ottoman Empire’s destruction of its Armenian population, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
The Department of State letter – sent in response to sustained pressure from Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joe Biden (D-DE), and Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA), and Bob Menendez (D-NJ) – was issued only hours before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was set to vote on her nomination. The Committee confirmed the nomination by voice vote, with Senator Boxer going on record against the nomination, citing the Administration’s reluctance to properly characterize the Armenian Genocide. The full Senate will likely consider her nomination prior to their August recess.
“Today’s State Department letter, although clearly falling short of America’s moral responsibility and national interest in recognizing and condemning the Armenian Genocide, did mark a step in the direction of distancing U.S. policy from the dictates of the Turkish government,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “While we, of course, remain troubled by the President’s refusal to properly characterize the Armenian Genocide – as reflected in Ambassador Yovanovitch’s responses – we were gratified to see that, as a result of pressure from Senators Biden, Boxer, and Menendez, the Department of State has retreated from its most offensive and factually unsupportable assertions calling into question the historical fact of Ottoman Turkey’s destruction of its Armenian population.”
Last month, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) delayed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s consideration of the confirmation of Ambassador Yovanovitch in response to the State Department’s late responses to the eight sets of written questions submitted to her by members of the panel. In the days leading up to today’s vote, Senators Biden, Boxer and Menendez approached the State Department for further clarification of the nominee’s statements. Facing strong pressure and the prospect of a Senate “hold,” Matthew Reynolds, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs, wrote to Chairman Biden to formally affirm that: “the Administration recognizes that the mass killings, ethnic cleansing, and forced deportations of over one and a half million Armenians were conducted by the Ottoman Empire.” The full text of the letter is provided below.
During the Committee meeting, Chairman Biden, and Senators Boxer, Menendez, and Ben Cardin (D-MD) spoke forcefully about the necessity for proper U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide, stating that while the State Department’s letter represented progress, the proper characterization of the Armenian Genocide remains a moral imperative and will bolster U.S. credibility in stopping 21st Century genocides. Excerpts from comments by Senators during the meeting are provided below.
On March 28, 2008, President Bush nominated Amb. Marie L. Yovanovitch to serve as America's next Ambassador to Armenia. The ANCA spoke to Committee members about the value of carefully questioning Amb. Yovanovitch on the many issues she would face as the U.S. envoy in Yerevan, among them the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, Turkey and Azerbaijan's ongoing blockades of Armenia, and the need for a balanced U.S. role in helping forge a democratic and peaceful resolution to the Nagorno Karabagh conflict. These efforts have been supported by extensive on-line outreach and a national postcard campaign to key Senate Foreign Relations Committee members.
During her June 19th confirmation hearing, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) sharply criticized the Bush Administration’s policy of Armenian Genocide denial, dramatically pressing the Ambassadorial nominee regarding the Administration’s refusal to properly characterize Ottoman Turkey’s systematic destruction of its Armenian population as a genocide.
President Bush's previous nominee as U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, Richard Hoagland, was subject to two legislative holds by Sen. Menendez and was ultimately withdrawn by the Administration, following the nominee's statements denying the Armenian Genocide. The ANCA led the Armenian American community campaign opposing Hoagland's nomination, stating that a genocide denier could not serve as a credible and effective U.S. spokesperson in Armenia. The last U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, John Marshall Evans, was fired by the State Department for properly characterizing the Armenian Genocide as ‘genocide.’

TEXT OF STATE DEPARTMENT LETTER TO SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE

United States Department of State
Washington DC, 20520

July 29, 2008

Dear Mr. Chairman:

I am writing in response to your concerns regarding responses to questions for the record submitted by you and Senator Menendez regarding the nomination of Marie Yovanovitch as Ambassador to Armenia.
Regarding your Question #1, Ms. Yovanovitch mentions an International Visitors Program under consideration that would bring archivists from Turkey and Armenia to the United States for professional training. Our goal is to help archivists protect the evidence of the past so that future generations will have the documentation of the mass killings and deportations of Armenians committed by Ottoman soldiers and other Ottoman officials in 1915. Our goal is not to open a debate on whether the Ottomans committed these horrendous acts; it is to help preserve the documentation that supports the truth of those events.
Regarding Ms. Yovanovitch’s response to Senator Menendez’s Question #8, the Administration recognizes that the mass killings, ethnic cleansing, and forced deportations of over one and a half million Armenians were conducted by the Ottoman Empire. We indeed hold Ottoman officials responsible for those crimes.
In her testimony, Ms. Yovanovitch tried to convey her deep empathy with the profound suffering of the Armenian people and in no way sought to cast any doubt on historical facts.
We hope this information is helpful to you. Please do not hesitate to contact us if we can be of further assistance on this or any other matter.

Sincerely,

[signed]
Matthew A. Reynolds
Acting Assistant Secretary
Legislative Affairs

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8/1/2008

Sivas Excavations Reveal Grave of Armenian Bishop

SIVAS (ANA)--Archeological excavations carried out at two historic spots in Turkey's eastern province of Sivas have been completed, uncovering relics dating back to the Ottoman and Seljuk eras together with a memorial grave that experts believe was dedicated to the bishop of Sebastia in Armenia. Sivas, a historic province of Western Armenia, has been under Turkish occupation since the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923.
Excavations were undertaken in Seljuk Park and Kent Square as part of the Sivas Municipality's urban regeneration project for the two sites, which are home to relics from some Seljuk madrasahs (religious schools), namely the Buruciye, the Sifahiye and the Cifte Minareli, relics from an Ottoman hamam (Turkish bath) and the Mosque of Kale.
A group of archeologists from the Directorate of Sivas Museum and the Archeology and Art History Center of Cumhuriyet University, or CU, performed the excavations.
A written statement by assistant professor Erdal Eser from CU said the excavations, which started on June 21 and were completed within a month, were made in compliance with rules set by the Council of Preservation for Cultural Heritage in Sivas.
Some relics were moved to the CU where they will be scientifically explored, said the statement.
"The excavations at Seljuk Park have resulted in unveiling of a number of relics that play a significant role in understanding how the city of Sivas was constructed in the Medieval times and thereafter. Relics of a ceramics workshop, a hamam, and three graves have already been preserved in the area. The newly unveiled relics that belonged to two structures, three gravestones and a gravestone with inscriptions in the Armenian language will be displayed in the area that has been re-landscaped to resemble an open air museum," said the statement by Eser.
But the most striking outcome of the excavations project was the unveiling of an ancient grave that had not been damaged and had managed to exist in the form it was set up in centuries ago.
According to Eser, the grave has a unique design and does not include any human bones but has four pieces of animal bones. "At the beginning archeologists thought that the grave could be a remnant from the Mongolian period as Sivas was also under cultural influence of the Ilkhanates, which was ruled by the Genghis Khan's grandson Hulagu Khan; but later on we have discovered that there were no human bones in it. Further scientific research showed us that it was a memorial grave that most probably belonged to the Armenian Saint Blaise of Sivas," said the statement.
Saint Blaise was a physician and bishop of Sebaste (modern day Sivas) in Armenia. It is common for historic Armenian gravesites in Turkey to be emptied of their bones, as Turkey continues to wage on institutional campaign to deny an Armenian civilization existed inside its modern borders.