The blog contains articles and thoughts in English, Armenian and Arabic about Armenian issues, Artsakh-Karabakh issue, Armenian Genocide as well as the life of Armenians and Christians in Iraq and the Middle East.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
How to Counter Appeals Court’s Ruling Against Insurance Claims
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
The federal Court of Appeals issued a shocking decision last week. In a unanimous ruling, it struck down a California law that had allowed heirs of Armenian Genocide victims to sue life insurance companies for unpaid claims.
Acknowledging its reliance on the "rarely invoked doctrine" of "field preemption," the Court judged the state law to be unconstitutional, claiming that it intruded into the federal government’s foreign policy prerogative.
The Appeals Court thus annulled a law passed by the California legislature in 2000, which had extended first to 2010 and then to 2016, the deadline for Armenian Genocide heirs to sue life insurance companies. On the basis of that law, California attorneys filed lawsuits against the New York Life and French AXA insurance companies. Both lawsuits were settled out of court for a total payment of $37.5 million.
In 2003, Armenian plaintiffs filed a class-action lawsuit in U.S. federal court against German life insurance companies. Rather than fulfilling their long overdue contractual obligations, these companies sought the lawsuit’s dismissal, arguing that the reference to the Armenian Genocide in the State law was an encroachment on the federal government’s foreign policy powers. After several appeals, a panel of 11 federal judges dismissed the lawsuit against the German companies on February 23, 2012. This decision, however, does not undo the settlements reached earlier with New York Life and AXA.
I believe the Appeals Court’s decision is highly flawed for the following reasons:
1) The Court took the unusual position that the State law constituted an intrusion into the federal government’s foreign policy domain, even in the absence of any conflict between the two. In fact, the State of California and the federal government are in agreement on the genocide issue, since the House of Representatives recognized the Armenian Genocide in 1975 and 1984, Pres. Reagan acknowledged it in a Presidential Proclamation in 1981, and most importantly, the U.S. Justice Department cited the Armenian case as an example of genocide in an official report submitted to the World Court in 1951.
2) The Appeals Court overstepped its judicial bounds by paying undue attention to Turkish denials, pressures, and blackmail, and charging that the California statute "imposes the politically charged label of ‘genocide’ on the actions of the Ottoman Empire (and, consequently, present-day Turkey) and expresses sympathy for ‘Armenian Genocide victims.’" This assertion is totally untrue, as the California law makes no reference to "present-day Turkey." Delving further into political arguments rather than sound legal judgments, the Appeals Court quoted from newspaper articles -- that were not part of the court record -- to illustrate Turkey’s angry reaction to the French bill on penalizing genocide denial and Ankara’s rejection of the genocide label.
3) The Court could have severed the reference to genocide from the California statute, while keeping valid the legitimate demands of life insurance claimants, since the purpose of the lawsuit was the recovery of insurance benefits, not asserting genocide.
Armenians should not be discouraged and not give up the struggle for their legitimate rights, despite this temporary legal setback. Here are some possible steps that could be taken to remedy the situation:
1) File an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, even though the High Court hears only a very small percentage of the cases submitted to it.
2) Ask the California legislature to pass a new law that would broaden the category of possible claimants, in order to overcome the Appeals Court’s objection that the existing law is "for a narrowly defined class of claims."
3) Lobby the U.S. Congress to pass similar legislation allowing lawsuits against delinquent insurance companies.
4) Launch a new Armenian political initiative at the federal level, seeking the establishment of a "Presidential Advisory Commission on Armenian Genocide Assets," similar to the existing commission on the Holocaust, which would use U.S. governmental channels rather than the courts to recover genocide-era assets.
5) Embark on a worldwide campaign to protest and boycott German insurance companies that refuse to live up to their financial and moral obligations. Stage demonstrations in front of German companies’ offices in different countries until they realize that they would lose more business by ignoring the Armenian claims than paying the amounts owed to heirs of life insurance beneficiaries. Furthermore, Armenians must demand that Germany, Turkey’s ally during World War I, passes a law mandating that German companies pay delinquent insurance claims.
Clearly, the pursuit of Armenian demands is more of a marathon than a sprint! Armenians must persist in their struggle and overcome all obstacles until their long overdue quest for justice is realized.
Monday, February 27, 2012
احداث خوجالي
تعليق
لقد أطلقت أذربيجان حملة هستيرية مناهضة للأرمن خلال
السنوات التي أعقبت أحداث خوجالو (خوجالي) أثناء حرب التحرير لجمهورية
آرتساخ-ناغورني كاراباخ الجبلية. وتهدف هذه الحملة الشرسة إلى حرف انتباه
المجتمع الدولي وإخفاء معالم المذابح
الأرمنية في سومغاييت وباكو وكيروفاباد ومدن أذربيجانية أخرى، فضلا عن إخلاء 28
قرية أرمنية من سكانها ومأساة قرية ماراغا في جمهورية
آرتساخ-ناغورني كاراباخ الجبلية، وهي أفعال تستحق الملاحقة القانونية. كما
تهدف هذه الحملة إلى الإضرار بسمعة أرمينيا
في المجتمع الدولي عن طريق تزييف الحقائق في شأن هذه الأحداث التي قضى فيها أناس
مسالمون نتيجة للدسائس والصراع على السلطة في أذربيجان.
وكان المنظم الحقيقي لأحداث خوجالو (خوجالي)
المأساوية، التي تسببت بمقتل المدنيين يومي 26 و27 شباط-فبراير 1992، هو الجبهة
القومية الأذربيجانية التي كان يرأسها أبو الفاز التشيبي الذي أصبح رئيساً
لأذربيجان بعد تلك الأحداث. لقد استغل التشيبي هذه الأحداث لكي يتوصل إلى إقالة
الرئيس مطاليبوف.
وبذلك،
تقع مسؤولية الخسارة المأساوية لحياة المدنيين في ضواحي منطقة اغدام الخاضعة
كلّياً آنذاك لسيطرة القوات الأذربيجانية، على عاتق القيادة السياسية والعسكرية لأذربيجان.
ولا
تجيب أجهزة الدعاية الأذربيجانية عن أسئلة بسيطة عن هذه الأحداث: لماذا تم اكتشاف
جثث الضحايا في محيط منظقة اغدام التي كانت تحت سيطرة القوات الأذربيجانية وفيها
قاعدة عسكرية أذربيجانية؟ وكبف أتيح للمصورين الأذربيجانيين والأتراك وغيرهم تصوير
الجثث للضحايا، إذا لم تكن هذه المنطقة تحت سيطرة القوات الأذربيجانية؟ ولماذا
كانت آثار الاطلاقات على جثث الضحايا من الأمام، وهم يتقهقرون الى اغدام عبر الممر
الانساني الذي فتحته قوات الدفاع الذاتي لكاراباخ الجبلية قبل الهجوم للخروج الآمن
للمدنيين من المدينة، وقد اعترف الرئيس الأذربيجاني في حينه والمسؤولون الأذربيجانيون
بوجود هذا الممر؟ ولماذا لم يتم سحب جميع المدنيين عبرها من المدينة، على الرغم من
التحذيرات المستمرة للقوات الأرمنية لهم عبر الراديو ومكبرات الصوت بقرب وقوع عملية
عسكرية وشيكة لتحرير المدينة؟ وكانت تقصف من خوجالو (خوجالي) باستمرار مدينة
ستيباناكيرت عاصمة جمهورية كاراباخ الجبلية والتجمعات الأرمنية الأخرى، مسببة وقوع
الخسائر الجسيمة في صفوف المدنيين، فضلا عن وجود المطار الوحيد لكاراباخ الجبلية في
خوجالي، وهو يشكل الرابط الوحيد لأرمن غاراباغ المحاصرين بالعالم الخارجي.
وفي السنوات اللاحقة، تعرض الناشطون الاجتماعيون
والصحفيون الذين حاولوا الكشف عن حقيقة هذه الأحداث إما إلى السجن بتهمة التعاون
مع الأجهزة السرية الأرمنية، أو قتلوا في ظروف غامضة. ولهذا السبب لا يتجرأ أحد في
أذربيجان في مطالبة السلطات بالكشف عن حقيقة هذه الأحداث.
ونشطت هذه الحملة مؤخرا في أعقاب تبني الجمعية الوطنية
الفرنسية في 22 كانون الأول 2011، ومجلس الشيوخ الفرنسي في 23 كانون الثاني-يناير
2012 لمشروع القانون حول التجريم لإنكار الإبادة الأرمنية، على الرغم من أن الإبادة الأرمنية في الدولة العثمانية في
عام 1915 لا علاقة لها بأذربيجان التي لم تكن آنذاك موجودة على الخريطة[1].
وينطلق ذلك من سياسة أذربيجان العدائية الدائمة ضد أرمينيا والأرمن في جميع
المجالات، بسبب خسارتها للحرب على جمهورية آرتساخ-ناغورني كاراباخ الجبلية وعوامل
سياسية داخلية، ورغبتها في مساندة "الأخ الأكبر" تركيا، وخشية
منها في فتح ملف إبادة الأرمن في أذربيجان على الصعيد الدولي، وذلك بعد عام 1918
وحتى تسعينيات القرن الماضي، عندما انتفض الأرمن في آرتساخ-ناغورني كاراباخ
الجبلية في حرب الاستقلال، ورغبة منها في الحصول على الدعم التركي في المقابل إذا
تحقق ذلك. وبذلك، يمكن تفسير ردود الفعل العنيفة لأذربيجان، التي ربما تجاوزت ردود
الفعل التركية في بعض الأحيان، ضد مشاريع القرارات التي تناولت الإبادة الأرمنية
في فرنسا وغيرها من الدول.
وتتجلى
الأسباب الحقيقية الكامنة وراء أحداث خوجالو (خوجالي) بوضوح في شهادات الأذربيجانيين
أنفسهم من المشاركين في هذه الأحداث وأولئك المطلعين على خفايا الأحداث في
باكو.
وتواصل
أذربيجان إثارة مشاعر التعصّب ومعاداة الأرمن داخل المجتمع الأذربيجاني، وهي سياسة
تعرقل المساعي المبذولة من أجل بناء جسور للتواصل بين الشعبين الأرمني والأذربيجاني،
وتقضي على فرص السلام الدائم بين أذربيجان وكاراباخ الجبلية.
[1] في عام 1918، وضع أسم أذربيجان لأول مرة كدولة على
الخريطة. بدسائس
المخابرات البريطانية لخلق حاجز يمنع وصول الروس إلى حقول النفط في باكو. ولم تكن قد ظهرت بعد تسمية (الأذربيجانيين)، بل
التتر أو أتراك القوقاز حتى عام 1930.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
مقالة تضليلية عن احداث خوجالي مع تعليق-أحمد عبده طرابيك: ما أغلي دماء الشهداء!
http://www.shorouknews.com/menbar/view.aspx?cdate=26022012&id=9d180896-3cc1-4233-8294-0fede1477f24
ملاحظة
تعليق
لقد أطلقت أذربيجان حملة هستيرية مناهضة للأرمن خلال
السنوات التي أعقبت أحداث خوجالو (خوجالي) أثناء حرب التحرير لجمهورية
آرتساخ-ناغورني كاراباخ الجبلية. وتهدف هذه الحملة الشرسة إلى حرف انتباه
المجتمع الدولي وإخفاء معالم المذابح
الأرمنية في سومغاييت وباكو وكيروفاباد ومدن أذربيجانية أخرى، فضلا عن إخلاء 28
قرية أرمنية من سكانها ومأساة قرية ماراغا في جمهورية
آرتساخ-ناغورني كاراباخ الجبلية، وهي أفعال تستحق الملاحقة القانونية. كما
تهدف هذه الحملة إلى الإضرار بسمعة أرمينيا
في المجتمع الدولي عن طريق تزييف الحقائق في شأن هذه الأحداث التي قضى فيها أناس
مسالمون نتيجة للدسائس والصراع على السلطة في أذربيجان.
وكان المنظم الحقيقي لأحداث خوجالو (خوجالي)
المأساوية هو الجبهة القومية الأذربيجانية التي كان يرأسها أبو الفاز التشيبي الذي
أصبح رئيساً لأذربيجان بعد تلك الأحداث. لقد استغل هذه الأحداث لكي يتوصل إلى
إقالة الرئيس مطاليبوف.
وفي السنوات اللاحقة، تعرض الناشطون الاجتماعيون
والصحفيون الذين حاولوا الكشف عن حقيقة هذه الأحداث إما إلى السجن بتهمة التعاون
مع الأجهزة السرية الأرمنية، أو قتلوا في ظروف غامضة. ولهذا السبب لا يتجرأ أحد في
أذربيجان في مطالبة السلطات بالكشف عن حقيقة هذه الأحداث.
ونشطت هذه الحملة
مؤخرا في أعقاب تبني الجمعية الوطنية الفرنسية في 22 كانون الأول 2011، ومجلس
الشيوخ الفرنسي في 23 كانون الثاني-يناير 2012 لمشروع القانون حول التجريم لإنكار الإبادة
الأرمنية، على الرغم من أن الإبادة الأرمنية في الدولة العثمانية في
عام 1915 لا علاقة لها بأذربيجان التي لم تكن آنذاك موجودة على الخريطة[1].
وينطلق ذلك من سياسة أذربيجان العدائية الدائمة ضد أرمينيا والأرمن في جميع
المجالات، بسبب خسارتها للحرب على جمهورية آرتساخ-ناغورني كاراباخ الجبلية وعوامل
سياسية .داخلية
لم ينشر الموقع تعليقي هذا، فكتبت تعليقا ثانيا بعنوان:
"الخشية من كلمة الحق"، مع علمي أنه لن ينشر أيضا. قلت ما نصه:
من الواضح أنكم نشرتم فقط التعليقات المؤيدة للمقالة
التضليلية وتخشون من نشر تعليقي الذي يفضح هذا التزييف.
[1] في عام 1918، وضع أسم أذربيجان لأول مرة كدولة على
الخريطة. بدسائس
المخابرات البريطانية لخلق حاجز يمنع وصول الروس إلى حقول النفط في باكو. ولم تكن قد ظهرت بعد تسمية (الأذربيجانيين)، بل
التتر أو أتراك القوقاز حتى عام 1930.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
جريدة القبس :: :: فرنسا والأرمن :: 21/02/2012 (Comment)
جريدة القبس :: :: فرنسا والأرمن :: 21/02/2012
My Comment:
Armenians thank Mr. Al-Saraf for his series of articles about the Armenians. However, in this article I note a contradiction: First he writes about the Armenian Genocide as a historical fact (والاعتراف بالإبادة، التي تشهد لها بادية الشام وعشائرها الذين آووا الأرمن عام 1915 في دير الزور والشدادية والرقة والحسكة وغيرها. ويذكر أن 22 دولة في العالم قد اعترفت بالإبادة العرقية للأرمن، منها روسيا ولبنان و41 ولاية اميركية و9 منظمات دولية)
Armenians thank Mr. Al-Saraf for his series of articles about the Armenians. However, in this article I note a contradiction: First he writes about the Armenian Genocide as a historical fact (والاعتراف بالإبادة، التي تشهد لها بادية الشام وعشائرها الذين آووا الأرمن عام 1915 في دير الزور والشدادية والرقة والحسكة وغيرها. ويذكر أن 22 دولة في العالم قد اعترفت بالإبادة العرقية للأرمن، منها روسيا ولبنان و41 ولاية اميركية و9 منظمات دولية)
Immediately after that he says: يتهم الأرمن الأتراك بقتل ما يصل إلى 1.5 مليون
which contradicts the first paragraph.
I think a writer should have a clear position: To clearly admit the historical fact of the crime against humanity, without copying denial statements from elsewhere out of eagerness to show neutrality, because the Armenian Genocide does not only concern the Armenians, but all humanity.
الإبادة الجماعية المنسية - Sanjeev Sanyal - Project Syndicate
الإبادة الجماعية المنسية - Sanjeev Sanyal - Project Syndicate
My Comment: Pakistan should admit its crimes against humanity and not follow Azerbaijani misleading information concerning Khojalu (Khojaly) events.
My Comment: Pakistan should admit its crimes against humanity and not follow Azerbaijani misleading information concerning Khojalu (Khojaly) events.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Khojalu (Khojaly) events (Update)
Dear Readers,
Once more, Azerbaijan’s state propaganda and Azeris throughout the world began a fierce campaign about what they call “Khojaly Genocide”.
In the following some articles and news stories I published in my blog (in English and Arabic), which expose Azerbaijan’s misleading information.
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2008/02/truth-about-khojalu-events-azeri.html
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2008/03/misleading-information-about-artsakh.html
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2009/10/khojalu-khojaly-case-special-dossier.html
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2008/07/internet-misleading-and-armenias.html
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2009/03/truth-about-khojalu-khojaly-slde.html
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2009/12/armenias-foreign-ministry-shows-up.html
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2009/12/documentary-on-20-years-since-armenian.html
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2010/01/20.html
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2010/01/blog-post_3032.html
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2010/01/armenian-pogroms-in-baku.html
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2010/01/blog-post_10.html
http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/95114/Expert_Armenia_must_sue_Azerbaijan_for_Khojalu#.T0T1O9qx7Uc.blogger
http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/94800/#.T0PXxfKMydU.blogger
http://armenianow.com/commentary/analysis/27275/chavushoglu_call_eynulla_fatullayev_set_free
http://budapest.sumgait.info/khojaly/main.htm
http://xocali.net/EN/QUESTIONS.html
http://www.armradio.am/eng/news/?part=pol&id=22117#.T0YHYXqCp0s.blogger
http://times.am/?l=en&p=4963
Once more, Azerbaijan’s state propaganda and Azeris throughout the world began a fierce campaign about what they call “Khojaly Genocide”.
In the following some articles and news stories I published in my blog (in English and Arabic), which expose Azerbaijan’s misleading information.
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2008/02/truth-about-khojalu-events-azeri.html
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2008/03/misleading-information-about-artsakh.html
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2009/10/khojalu-khojaly-case-special-dossier.html
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2008/07/internet-misleading-and-armenias.html
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2009/03/truth-about-khojalu-khojaly-slde.html
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2009/12/armenias-foreign-ministry-shows-up.html
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2009/12/documentary-on-20-years-since-armenian.html
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2010/01/20.html
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2010/01/blog-post_3032.html
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2010/01/armenian-pogroms-in-baku.html
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2010/01/blog-post_10.html
http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/95114/Expert_Armenia_must_sue_Azerbaijan_for_Khojalu#.T0T1O9qx7Uc.blogger
http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/94800/#.T0PXxfKMydU.blogger
http://armenianow.com/commentary/analysis/27275/chavushoglu_call_eynulla_fatullayev_set_free
http://budapest.sumgait.info/khojaly/main.htm
http://xocali.net/EN/QUESTIONS.html
http://www.armradio.am/eng/news/?part=pol&id=22117#.T0YHYXqCp0s.blogger
http://times.am/?l=en&p=4963
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Egemen Bagish: Turkey’s Minister of Genocide Denial
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
Even though all Turkish government officials routinely deny the Armenian Genocide, one particular minister has turned denial into a full-time job. Ironically, as Minister for European Union Affairs, Egemen Bagish has harmed Turkey’s prospects for EU membership more than any of its critics!
Although Bagish has been making zany statements ever since his ministerial appointment two years ago, his recent blunder in Zurich made headlines around the world. The Turkish Minister arrogantly dared Swiss authorities to arrest him after boasting that "the events of 1915 were not genocide!" Switzerland has a law that penalizes genocide denial, similar to the law now pending in France. A Swiss prosecutor is investigating Bagish’s words and his diplomatic status to see if charges could be filed against him for genocide denial.
Of course, it does not take much courage to hide behind the cover of diplomatic immunity and make Don Quixotic statements, challenging the laws of other countries. If Minister Bagish were truly a macho man, he would waive his immunity, go to Switzerland, and publicly deny the Armenian Genocide. However, it appears that the feisty Minister has chickened out! After boasting that he would gladly return to Switzerland to deny the Armenian Genocide again, he facetiously declared that he would not go to Switzerland, since he has no money in Swiss banks! The real reason for the Minister’s abrupt change of heart is his fear of getting arrested should the Swiss prosecutor rule that his diplomatic immunity does not protect him from the crime of genocide denial.
How much longer can Prime Minister Erdogan tolerate Mr. Bagish’s clownish antics that make Turkey look like a rogue state in the eyes of the world? Admiring his fluency in English, the Prime Minister had offered this 41-year-old former New York college student a top ministerial post, not realizing what a liability his loose tongue would prove to be!
Just as Pres. George W. Bush’s nonsensical statements became known as "Bushisms," the world now has a rich collection of "Bagishisms!" Here is a sampling of his preposterous remarks:
-- "What happened in 1915 can’t be classified as genocide as far as I’m concerned, but I was not around in 1915!"
-- "I’m a politician. My job is to determine the future, not the past!"
-- "In recent years, every one has seen that more Europeans are moving to Turkey than vice versa."
-- During a recent conference in Qatar, Minister Bagish became the laughing stock of the audience, when he proudly announced that "Europe" is a Turkish word! The Greek Ambassador to Qatar angrily responded: "Europa was one of the lovers of Zeus in Greek mythology, everyone knows that!"
-- Minister Bagish does not seem to realize that he is contradicting himself by asking other countries to open their archives to see if there was an Armenian genocide, while concluding that there was no genocide! The least he could do is have the decency to keep his mouth shut until the Ottoman archives are fully open. Meanwhile, the archives of other countries have been open for decades.
-- Rattling off the witty Americanisms he picked up in the streets of New York, such as "a day late and a dollar short," Bagish told Euronews: "This is execution without trial. Calling the 1915 events a genocide based solely on information we have right now comes from a lobby that nurtures malicious hatred."
-- "Germany was a strong ally of the Armenians in 1915, so the Germans should open their archives and give documents to historians for examination," Bagish told EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule, according to Hurriyet newspaper. Bagis made two factual errors in one sentence: Germany was the ally of the Ottoman Empire, not Armenians; and the German archives have been open for years!
-- "There’s no force that could bring about the arrest of any Turkish Minister," Bagish bragged to journalists. Why is he then afraid to waive his diplomatic immunity and then deny the Armenian Genocide in Switzerland?
-- Bagish keeps on repeating the falsehood that the Armenian government "did not have the courage to respond to Prime Minister Erdogan’s letter requesting the formation of a commission of historians to study the Armenian Genocide." In fact, the then Pres. Kocharian did answer, suggesting that all outstanding issues between the two countries be resolved in the larger context of government to government relations. It was the Turkish Prime Minister that did not respond to Armenia’s President.
While Minister Bagish has diplomatic immunity, the rest of Turkey’s population does not enjoy such a privilege. It may be a good idea to accord immunity to all 72 million Turks in order to shield them from prosecution, when they utter the words "Armenian Genocide" in Turkey!
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
Khojalu (Khojaly) events
Dear Readers,
Once more, Azerbaijan’s state propaganda and Azeris throughout the world began a fierce campaign about what they call “Khojaly Genocide”.
In the following some articles and news stories I published in my blog (in English and Arabic), which expose Azerbaijan’s misleading information.
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2008/02/truth-about-khojalu-events-azeri.html
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2008/03/misleading-information-about-artsakh.html
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2009/10/khojalu-khojaly-case-special-dossier.html
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2008/07/internet-misleading-and-armenias.html
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2009/03/truth-about-khojalu-khojaly-slde.html
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2009/12/armenias-foreign-ministry-shows-up.html
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2009/12/documentary-on-20-years-since-armenian.html
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2010/01/20.html
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2010/01/blog-post_3032.html
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2010/01/armenian-pogroms-in-baku.html
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2010/01/blog-post_10.html
Once more, Azerbaijan’s state propaganda and Azeris throughout the world began a fierce campaign about what they call “Khojaly Genocide”.
In the following some articles and news stories I published in my blog (in English and Arabic), which expose Azerbaijan’s misleading information.
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2008/02/truth-about-khojalu-events-azeri.html
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2008/03/misleading-information-about-artsakh.html
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2009/10/khojalu-khojaly-case-special-dossier.html
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2008/07/internet-misleading-and-armenias.html
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2009/03/truth-about-khojalu-khojaly-slde.html
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2009/12/armenias-foreign-ministry-shows-up.html
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2009/12/documentary-on-20-years-since-armenian.html
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2010/01/20.html
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2010/01/blog-post_3032.html
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2010/01/armenian-pogroms-in-baku.html
http://ara-ashjian.blogspot.com/2010/01/blog-post_10.html
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Bryza Confesses his Love for Turkey, Confirming his anti-Armenian Bias
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
It appears that my prediction about Matt Bryza leaving the State Department and working as a lobbyist is coming true. After his brief stint as Ambassador to Azerbaijan came to a premature end, Bryza disclosed to the Turkish Hurriyet newspaper last week that he will be “advising people, government, and private sector on major investment projects.”
It remains to be seen whether Bryza’s planned activities fall within the legal definition of "lobbying" and "advocacy" on behalf of third parties, such as Turkish and Azeri entities, given the restrictions imposed by U.S. law on former government officials. Depending on the specific type of activity, there is either a one or two-year ban. However, in the case of "very senior officials" such as Bryza, a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, there is a lifetime ban. He would certainly be prohibited from having contact with former State Department colleagues on behalf of other parties, regarding official matters with which he was involved as a government employee.
In his interview with Hurriyet, Bryza validates in his own words the accusation that he was biased and unprofessional, while acting as the American Co-Chair of OSCE’s Minsk Group of mediators on the Karabagh (Artsakh) conflict. At the time, he was repeatedly criticized for being anti-Armenian, pro-Azerbaijani and pro-Turkish. Senators Barbara Boxer and Robert Menendez, who placed a hold on his nomination as Ambassador to Azerbaijan, and the Armenian National Committee of America, which objected to Pres. Obama’s ill-advised decision to send Bryza to Baku without Senate confirmation, are now fully vindicated.
In the past, Bryza’s apologists used the convenient excuse that as a government official, he had no choice but to support the President’s position on the Armenian Genocide and related issues. Yet, now that he is a free man, why does he continue to parrot those same Turkish-inspired, anti-Armenian slogans? Could it be that Bryza, in and out of government, has been trying to ingratiate himself to his future paymasters? Otherwise, why would he give Hurriyet the standard Turkish line that politicians and parliaments should not get involved in acknowledging the Armenian Genocide? To score points with Turkish and Azeri officials, Bryza angrily lashes out at the ANCA: "The organization that blocked me will keep bringing up this issue forever. But it’s not up to governments but to people to make their own determination on how to characterize it…. Turkey has the ability to influence that debate in a significant way…. The radicals that blocked me hate that. They don’t want to have an open debate; an open dialogue is their enemy."
While applauding the more open attitude among some Turks toward a discussion of the Armenian Genocide, Bryza finds as "legitimate" the Turkish official view that "this should not be recognized politically as genocide. It’s not the business of any politician in any country to characterize these events as genocide or not as genocide. It has to be up to societies -- not to others -- to have a decision taken based on a political calendar. To me, that’s dishonest."
Bryza then takes his pro-Turkish bias a little too far by revealing his denialist views: "Truth is on everyone’s side, especially on Turkey’s side. The debate about this [Armenian Genocide] issue is really one-sided right now. Anybody who voices a different view is attacked as a genocide-denier, which immediately means you are against human rights. If you believe there was a genocide committed, you can equally argue looking from a narrow definition of the word that genocide was committed to many others, against Turks or Muslims in eastern Anatolia. Let’s have a dialogue of the multiple atrocities [against] many groups. Let’s talk about it all. Let’s be fair and not forget the suffering of others."
Finally, Bryza seems to have fulfilled his life-long dream of living in Istanbul. During his 2005 visit to Ankara, after a U.S. Embassy official introduced him to local journalists as "an old friend of Turkey," Bryza unabashedly declared: "I am thrilled to be back in Turkey. Turkey in many ways feels for me like a second home…. I can’t spend enough time in your beautiful country. I hope to be back soon and often." In a column I wrote at the time, I expressed the hope that "Bryza would soon realize his wish and retire in Turkey permanently." Now, his wish has come true! Hurriyet reported last week that after leaving Baku last month he had settled in Istanbul. "You can’t imagine how happy I am to be in Istanbul…. Look at me, I am married to a Turkish woman," Bryza exclaimed!
Monday, February 13, 2012
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Friday, February 10, 2012
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