Armenia Assaulted by Orange

[Armenian]

Armenia Assaulted by Orange Agents

Perhaps the empire just doesn’t get it. They need to re-examine their despicable, foolish and devious scheme to bring an orange scenario to an embattled, besieged Armenia. Under blockade by neighboring Turkey and Azerbaijan, Armenia continues to prosper despite some instances of corruption and economic isolation. Armenia is not fertile ground for any sort of orange scenario. Armenians are generally politically astute, pro-Russian and not easily swayed. They are also acutely aware of the fact that there is no future for them as vassals of the empire.

Armenian history is said to be 12,000 years old, and Mt. Ararat is the historic scene where Noah‘s Ark is said to have rested, a revered and treasured Armenian landmark. An archeologist’s dream come true, Armenia is a land of quaint churches and elaborately and meticulously carved khatchkars (Orthodox crosses). Constant and reliable, the centuries old friendship and alliance with Russia is unshakable. Most Armenians are aware of the fact that there probably would be no Armenia if not for Russia. No plots or schemes by the empire are going to change that reality.

The empire also wins no friends among Armenians for its consistent policy of Genocide denial. These policies go beyond the geo-political considerations given as an excuse, such as the US base in occupied Western Armenia, under control of Turkey and their alliances with Armenian enemies Turkey, Israel and Azerbaijan. And then there are the oil pipelines…constructed to bypass Armenia, a country in a strategic position between east and west, a crossroads as it were. As a result of the Armenian Genocide of 1894-1923, Armenians lost most of their homeland and over 1.5 million Armenians were murdered in the most horrendous and brutal fashion imaginable and unimaginable. To this day, no Nuremberg trials, no compensation or apology have occurred. Therefore, the memory of this tragedy in an ongoing issue of importance to Armenians.

In Armenia, Levon Ter-Petrosian is generally despised for his corrupt ruinous policies while President of Armenia. He is also despised for proffering the notion that the recently liberated Armenian land of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) should be returned to Azerbaijan. Artsakh is now an independent country. The US regime is financially backing Ter-Petrosian and causing trouble in the background. Ter-Petrosian had the strange idea that he had a snowball’s chance in hell of winning an election to be President. Fat chance. Now he sends agitators to do his bidding, a la Soros funding, all the best agitators money and the empire can buy.

On Public Armenian Television, Armenian Parliament Speaker Tigran Torosian told the following of his knowledge of events: “These people decided who the winner is five minutes after the election. This is their characteristic feature. I learned about my alleged resignation from journalists. Levon Ter-Petrosian and his team-mates have exhausted the sources of lies which exceed all possible borders,” the speaker said. “They spread lies about all and offense all those who are not with them. They are filled with hatred and revenge,” he said. "OK, let's say all the grenades, pistols and automatics were planted by the regime, what do you have to say about all those hooligans with rods and sticks, beating the police, throwing bricks and stones, burning cars including busses and an ambulance, looting shops and supermarkets?"

According to various local reports, 8 persons were killed in orange demonstrations as the Army was called in to restore the peace. They also report that Opera and Republican Square are swarming with army troops and military police armed to the teeth with AK-47s, belt-fed battle rifles and there are dozens of light tanks in both locations. In addition to that, there are troops scattered in posts all over the city and on all the roads into the city. One hundred and thirty-one persons were reported injured in the March 1 disturbances. An on the scene observer sent this report: "Hi, this morning I walked from the Opera House until Mashtoz Underpass. Everything was just fine. Police closed the underpass toward city hall and near the French embassy where they made a mess. My friend 8:30 at night went everywhere with the exception of closed areas and found calm...all shops are open and traffic is normal, 8 people got killed and about 30 people got arrested for looting, all young guys."

Interior troops and police officers suffered bullet wounds and injuries in the March 1 clashes with rioters in Yerevan. On his visit to the hospital, President Kocharian was accompanied by police chief Hayk Harutyunian and other officials. Kocharian went from one hospital ward to another and spoke to officers and servicemen. Hospital chief, Arthur Petrosian, said they admitted 33 wounded officers and servicemen on March 1 until 8.30 pm and 27 others after 9 pm. He said 11 received bullet wounds, eight were hospitalized with heavy symptoms of gas poisoning, 2 received knife wounds. Seven servicemen went to their quarters after receiving first aid and 11 others were operated on. The chief of the hospital said their condition is satisfactory now.

At the end of February, prior to the breakout of violence, a vehicle was apprehended trying to enter the country loaded with weapons and ammunition. On March 1, 2008, Armenia’s President Robert Kocharian declared a 2-day state of emergency in compliance of article 55.6 of the RA (Republic of Armenia) Constitution (threat to state and population security). Fortunately, anti-terrorist, anti-orange scenario joint exercises were held by Armenia and Russia in anticipation of such occurrences. Meanwhile the empire is mouthing duplicitous, hypocritical words about “excessive use of force.”

Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Terry Davis said, “The state of emergency suspends the application of several rights and freedoms protected by the European Convention on Human Rights. Under Article 15 of the Convention the Armenian Government must inform me of the measures which it has taken and the reasons therefore. I expect that they will do so without any delay,” the Council of Europe press division reports. The recent presidential elections in Armenia saw Serzh Sarksyan, Kocharian’s number two man, elected as President of Armenia. The voting result was unmistakable: Serzh Sarkisyan - 862,369 (52,82%) votes, Levon Ter-Petrosian – 351,222 (21,5%).votes.

The February 19th presidential elections were not only characterized as `free and fair' by the CIS observers, but also received the positive assessments of the Western observation missions. The observation mission of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, which stands out in terms of its strict and meticulous attitude towards the electoral processes held in former USSR territories, clearly recorded that, `The presidential elections held in Armenia on February 19 were mostly in line with the commitments to the OSCE and the Council of Europe.” But this didn’t satisfy the orange agitators. Kocharian, throughout his term as President, has had a warm, brotherly relationship with his counterpart in Russia, Vladimir Putin. Like the outgoing president, Robert Kocharian, Mr. Sarkisyan is from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). Both men were commanders in the war.

The newly elected Armenian President released this message to the people:

“Dear Compatriots, In consequence of the recent events, our people suffered great losses. There are casualties among policemen, who performed their duty, and among protesters, who fell under the influence of a group of people. Hundreds of civilians suffered from illegal acts of the radical opposition. Leaders of the co-called ‘movement’ made targets of their own supporters and policemen to suit their own ends. The initiators of disorders must answer for their deeds before the law, history and generations. With pain, I conceive that our compatriots fell victim to blind hatred of some individuals. I share your grief and wish you courage and strength to overcome this tragedy…”

As the cleanup crew mitigates the after effects of the recent lawlessness, one can only hope that the street sweepers will also sweep away the trash known as orange agent provocateurs and leave this proud, struggling nation in peace.

Source: http://english.pravda.ru/opinion/col...rmeniaorange-0

[Armenian]

Please get the above posted article concerning Levon Petrosian out to as many people as you can. All you have to do is email individuals the link to the post number of the article in question. Double click on the post number and open up the post. Copy the post's address and paste it with the title of the article in your email.

Example: Armenia Assaulted by Orange Agents: http://forum.armenianclub.com/showpo...&postcount=484

There is a relatively well organized campaign out of southern California and several English language websites that have been working towards discrediting the Armenian Government, inciting unrest in the Armenian Republic and encouraging anti-Artsakh/Nagorno Karabagh rhetoric. The harsh realities of the treasonous criminal Levon Petrosian needs to be disseminated within the Armenian public. I ask you to mail the above links to as many individuals, news papers, websites, organizations and churches as you can.

These are some the websites that have been partaking in this bloody coup attempt:

Hetq: http://www.hetq.am/arm/

Armenianow: http://www.armenianow.com/?lng=eng

A1 Plus: http://www.a1plus.am/amu/

Send these sites your messages of anger and disgust. Let's show these mother xxxxers that not all of us are deaf, dumb and blind to what they are attempting to do.

If you are upset with what's going on, get your asses active!!!

[Armenian]

Azeris have attempted to take advantage of the political turmoil in Yerevan by mounting an attack against Armenian lines in Artsakh. I was made aware of this incident the very next day after it had occurred by a friend who has a nephew serving on the front lines in Artsakh. The following is an excerpt of the email he sent me two days ago:

Im qroj txan Artsach-um e tsaraium, asum e, ais amenits ogtvel en porzel turqer@, es 2 or@ mi 30 metr dirqer@ araj en berel, 3 hogu el spanel en zorqerits. Ais ameni mexq@ ankaskats Robertinn e, vor es 10 tari HHsh-i verj@ chtvets, ev drants amboxj banak@, vor mijin oxaki pashtonnerum ein, aintex el mnatsel ein, esor irents tsuits tvetsin. Levon-in pahox Grzo anunov multimilloner@, vor asel er 1 billion talis em es sharzman@, ir poxer@ vastakel er Levoni zamanak Artsach-i krvi hamar havaqvats gumarner@ juratsnelov, u minchev hima lav aprum er, voch te bantum. Baits chvaxes, amen inch lav klini. Sra lav koxm@ na e, vor uzen te chuzen, HHShi kadrerits kazatven, ham el irents hamar das klini, mi qich zoxovrdi masin el mtatsen.

Translation:

My sister's son, currently serving in Artsakh, said that Turks (Azeris) have attempt to gain from all this. During the last two days they have brought their positions 30 meters forward and have killed three of our soldiers. Without doubt this is Kocharyan's fault because he did not eliminate the HHSH party during the last ten years... Levon's keeper, Grzo, the multimillionaire who had said I will give one billion dollars to this movement, made his money during Levon's time in office by steeling money that was being collected for the Artsakh war effort... But do not be afraid, everything is going to be well...

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Azeri armed forces attempted to seize Armenian positions

Azerbaijan made an attempt to make use of the domestic tension in Armenia to provoke a ceasefire violation in Mardakert direction, RA Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian told reporters in Yerevan. “The Azeri units tried to advance through the Armenian territory and seize a post but were rebuffed. Several Armenian servicemen were injured, 2 Azeri soldiers were killed. The skirmish is going on but not so violently. We have already sent a notice to OSCE CiO’s special representative Andrzej Kasprzyk and hope that the situation will settle down soon,” he said. “If someone in Baku hopes to gain psychological dividends, thinking that we are too concentrated on our internal affairs, he is deeply mistaken,” the Armenian Minister emphasized.

Source: http://www.panarmenian.net/news/eng/?nid=25215

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Levon and company as well as their supporters can never be forgiven.

The entire bloody fiasco in Armenia has been more-or-less a battle between Armenian whores in Armenia and Armenians from Artsakhs. If anyone does not believe me just read Levin Petrostein's speeches,or listen to his divisive rhetoric, they are all meant to divide the people into two warring segments - Armenians and Artsakhtsis. What's more, they are all mean to abandon every single national interests in the name of appeasement. This movement may be packaged as a so-called "democracy" movement but it's fully serving the interests of Washington and Ankara.

To hell with Levon. I want to see him and his team DEAD.

[Armenian]

Comrades, this is a historic time. Please, do your part. The usurpers in Armenia are well organized and they are getting their spiritual and financial support from Washington and Ankara. Get active.

I have been calling for a civil war in Armenia not because I 'wanted' it but because I knew they would initiate one sooner-or-later. The best defense is an offense. We needed to cure this cancer before it manifested itself. When our security forces kill few hundred of these low lives in the streets they will learn their lesson. All nations have had to do this at one point or another in their political evolution. Nothing bad will happen to the Armenian state if they ruthlessly crush this rebellion. If anything, Armenia will gain international respect. If anything, Azeris, Turks and Americans will realize that a revolution will 'not' work in Armenia.

Levon and his team need to be executed, there is no other ways about it. The low lives in the street need to be beaten bloody.


Western backed media outlets - Hetq, A1 Plus, Armeniannow, Radio Liberty, need to be exposed as tools of western intelligence services. Treasonous foreign filth like Onnik Krikorian and Richard Giragosian need to be finally exposed as tools for western intelligence services.

Get active. Contact the Armenian Embassy in Washington and express your support for the government. Contract the Armenian Mission at the UN in New York and express your support for the government. Contact the Armenian Council in Los Angeles and express your support for the government.

Demand the punishment of Levon Petrosian and his team. Demand the return of law and order to the Armenian state

[Armenian]

Organizers of unrest in Yerevan will be punished - presidential spokesman

The people who ordered, orchestrated and took part in recent mass unrest in Yerevan will be punished, presidential press secretary Viktor Sogomonian said at a press conference on Tuesday. "Levon Ter-Petrosian and his team, and all those who provoked and organized mass unrest and called for overthrowing the incumbent authorities will be punished," Sogomonian said. "Especially those who provoked unrest," he added. The situation in the city is returning to normal, he said. Asked about the possibility of a dialogue with the radical opposition and a possible format of such dialogue, Sogomonian said he did not see a possibility for such dialogue now. "Before those events took place, there were chances for dialogue. The opposition said more than once that it ruled out the possibility of dialogue with the authorities. I do not see such an opportunity now. Can anything really be discussed after what happened?" Sogomonian said. The unsanctioned opposition rallies had lasted for ten days, he said. There were armed people among those who incited the unrest, while police were unarmed, Sogomonian said. "International institutions should know that there was no excessive use of force. The Armenian political leadership ordered that violence be avoided as much as possible and that the use of force be minimized," he said.

Source: http://www.interfax.com/3/371334/news.aspx

[Azad]

Looking back at all of these events and trying to reason as to what happened. Something is missing in the equation ... the “western” support of Levin or the opposition AFTER these events. It almost feels like they have been used and the present government carefully is trying to barbecue Levin and his gang. Why did Levin visit Moscow few months ago?

Saddam before invading Kuwait got the approval of the American ambassador ... Levin got his approval too. Fck him he got what he deserved.
The Armenian government sent a CLEAR signal to the "west" if you continue fuking we us the war with the azerbaboun is back on and you can kiss the pipeline goodbye. It worked. Well played.

[Azad]

As long the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline is viewed by the West as an asset for future oil transport ... Armenia will have the upper hand on controlling its security IF our military will stay under the control of the ruling majority's leadership.
The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan is like having the Brit's and the American's balls hanging in the caucasus ... you just squeeze'em if they bother you.
Armenia's guarantor of security.

[aray]

Why isn’t this criminal in prison yet.

Silence on Armenia

By Levon Ter-Petrossian

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

YEREVAN, Armenia -- In Armenia's presidential election last month, I stood as the main opposition candidate against incumbent Prime Minister Serzh Sarkissian. The election followed a sadly familiar script: The regime harassed the opposition's representatives, bribed and intimidated voters, stuffed ballot boxes, and systematically miscounted votes. Indeed, the rigging of the outcome did not begin on Feb. 19. For the duration of the campaign the country's main medium of communication, television, which is tightly controlled by the regime, churned out propaganda that would have made Brezhnev-era Soviet propagandists blush in shame.

We in the opposition were angered by all of this but not surprised. What surprised and dismayed us was the deafening silence from the West. What dismayed us even more was the technical report of the observer mission from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which rubber-stamped Sarkissian's farcical claim of victory.

The people of Armenia, unlike the OSCE monitors, chose to see what happened at the polling stations. Naturally, they discounted Sarkissian's claim and gathered to demand annulment of the results. They staged a continuous protest at Opera Square that became the most wonderful celebration of freedom and one that should be studied as an example of nonviolent, lawful resistance against illegitimate rule.

Deeply concerned that the ranks of protesters were swelling by the day, the regime decided early Saturday to resort to force. Riot police were ordered to disperse the crowd, detain the opposition leaders and put me under house arrest. After several hours, citizens reassembled at another site, demanding to see their leaders, but instead they encountered more riot police, later reinforced by units of the Armenian army, which was ordered to crush the protest. At least eight people were killed this weekend, and emergency rule has been declared.

How did we come to this? Why did the regime headed by outgoing President Robert Kocharian and "president-elect" Sarkissian think it could get away with using force against its own people? Surely the two men had their reasons, but the West's signal, even if unintentional, that they did not have to worry about a strong international reaction was the most important one.

We in Armenia have been trying to understand the roots of such indifference to the rape of our democracy by the Kocharian-Sarkissian regime. The available evidence suggests two explanations: First, some influential organizations and actors in the West, and in Europe in particular, are naively wedded to the notion of positive reinforcement. They seem to think that praising small improvements, instead of criticizing major flaws, creates an incentive for good behavior. Anyone who has studied this regime closely, however, understands the absurdity of such an approach.

Second, and perhaps more important, is the oft-stated claim that the only people able to settle Armenia's long-standing conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region will be leaders who are themselves from Nagorno-Karabakh -- as Kocharian and Sarkissian are -- and who are perceived domestically as hard-liners. This is analogous to the "only Nixon could go to China" logic. The problem is that despite being in power for the past 10 years, Kocharian and Sarkissian have done little to move the negotiating process forward. More important, any leader who must make consequential and difficult choices must have the trust of his people. Sarkissian does not have that trust. After what he and Kocharian did on March 1, he will not be able to govern here, let alone make difficult choices.

So what should be done? What do the people of Armenia expect from the West, and the United States in particular? At the very least, we expect a strong and unequivocal condemnation of the violence that occurred March 1 and a recognition that the government, not the opposition, bears responsibility. This condemnation should accompany a stern warning against continued persecution of the opposition and its leaders -- mistreatment that is reaching unprecedented levels -- as well as a demand to lift the restrictions on the media and restore the people's rights to free assembly and unbiased information. We also expect a reassessment of the conduct of the election. Any serious reassessment will inevitably lead to the conclusion that a new election must be held.

If these steps are not taken, Armenians will draw two very undesirable conclusions: that peaceful and lawful means of political struggle are ineffective and pointless, and that the West cares about democracy only when it is politically expedient to do so. The West must do everything possible to dissuade Armenia's citizens from reaching those conclusions.

The writer was president of Armenia from 1991 to 1998 and was the main opposition candidate for president this year. He is under house arrest.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...030402329.html

[Azad]

Again, notice how did the PKK tell the Americano/Brits to back off their turkish dogs from northern Iraq...

"The PKK has threatened to bomb pipelines in the region in the past, including the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and the northern Iraq pipeline which takes Iraqi oil to the Turkish port of Ceyhan on the Mediterranean. Kurdish guerillas were also accused of blowing up a gas pipeline from Iran to Turkey."

http://www.metimes.com/Politics/2008..._dilemma/6134/

[crusader1492]

Azad,

By thinking outside the box, you made an astute obsevation. The senario you laid out is plausible.

[Azad]

I see these events very positively for Armenia. A clear signal was sent to ANY opposition in the future that the Georgian scenario will not work in Armenia at least for another decade. In the same time let us hope the present government will focus on cleaning some of the corruption too. I understand it will not completely disappear but it will create an environment of check and balances. It is all good. And for Levin ... israel is starting to look more appealing every day.

[Armenian]

Looking back at all of these events and trying to reason as to what happened. Something is missing in the equation ... the “western” support of Levin or the opposition AFTER these events. It almost feels like they have been used and the present government carefully is trying to barbecue Levin and his gang. Why did Levin visit Moscow few months ago? Saddam before invading Kuwait got the approval of the American ambassador ... Levin got his approval too. Fck him he got what he deserved. The Armenian government sent a CLEAR signal to the "west" if you continue fuking we us the war with the azerbaboun is back on and you can kiss the pipeline goodbye. It worked. Well played.

Two things were apparent from the beginning. One, even going back to the Clinton administration Levon was encouraged by Washington to stay put in Armenia and look to return to power. Two, when the movement of street porniks lead by the head pornik began, Washington distanced itself from it and the American news media choose to ignore it. Levon made several angry comments about this, clearly revealing his disappointment. As I stated in another post, I think the reason why Washington chose not jump on Levon's bandwagon was because it did not think Levon would be able to succeed, thus it did not want to be on the loosing side, so to speak. What's more, had Washington openly sided with Levon, the people in Armenia would have reacted negatively to the movement. There is also a real possibility that Moscow kept America out of this fiasco. Rift between Washington and Yerevan is already being felt:

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Armenia: The United States is Muted on the Armenian Political Crisis

The continuing political crisis Armenia stemming from the March 1 violence in Yerevan has unfolded with little comment from the United States, either from the US government or from influential Armenian-American lobbying groups. The root cause of the crisis is found in the disputed presidential election on February 19, in which Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian was declared the winner. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. Asserting that widespread fraud enabled Sarkisian’s victory, the main challenger Levon Ter-Petrossian mounted a permanent protest in Yerevan.

A government attempt to disperse the demonstrators during the pre-dawn hours of March 1 sparked an escalating confrontation that culminated in armed clashes. Officially, eight people died in the clashes, but witnesses believe the death toll could be substantially higher. Under state of emergency regulations imposed on March 1, the government enjoys broad powers to restrict press freedom, making verification of competing claims next to impossible. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

A statement by Karekin II, the spiritual leader of the Armenian Apostolic Church, urged that both sides compromise. "Let us practice wisdom and reasoning, refraining from fraternal hostility and actions that deepen the discord. All problems and issues which trouble us, shall be solved through peaceful means, respect for the law and the safe paths of dialogue,” Karekin II said in a statement issued March 3. "Each of us must answer for our actions before history and our generations. Let us not risk the stability of our country with further unwise actions.”

Kocharian on March 5 vigorously defended his decision to impose a state of emergency, which in addition to restricting the flow on information, also allows for the limitation of non-governmental organization activity and the roll-back of civil liberties, including freedom of assembly. The president appeared to place all blame for developments on his political opponents, and vowed to “to track down all inciters, masterminds and executors of the unrest,” according to comments distributed by the official Armenpress news agency. Kocharian also stated that he had no intention of extending the state of emergency, which is due to expire on March 20.

The government’s media blackout has silenced at least five Armenian news outlets. And in a move that is sure to create difficulties for US-Armenian relations, President Robert Kocharian’s adminsitration has also suspended broadcasts of the US-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and has blocked the RFE/RL website in Armenia. There are several reasons for the relative US silence on recent developments in Armenia, analysts say. On a geopolitical level, Armenia is not deemed of vital strategic importance by Washington, as the Caucasus country lies outside the Caspian Basin energy corridor that passes through Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey.

In addition, the Armenian crisis is not viewed in Washington as a struggle pitting democratic forces against an authoritarian regime. It is more of an internecine struggle, in which a dispute among an entrenched political elite over the division of spoils has escalated to the point where it got out of control. Ter-Petrosian and his supporters are generally not seen as being any more democratically oriented than the incumbent Kocharian-Sarkisian team. To substantiate that point, some observers point to the fact that in the 1996 presidential election, Ter-Petroisian, who was running then as an incumbent, was accused of many of the same electoral abuses that he now assails the Kocharian administration for.

Finally, Armenian-American diaspora groups, which wield significant power in Washington’s policy towards Armenia, have chosen not to call attention to the crisis there. The State Department issued a mildly worded statement on March 1, condemning the violence. The statement implied equal responsibility for both the government and the protesters. “Any unlawful actions such as violence and looting worsen the situation and must stop. We hope that the State of Emergency declared today will be lifted promptly and that political dialogue resumes,” the statement said.

But that is not enough, said Cory Welt, associate director of the Eurasian Strategy Project at Georgetown University. “The United States and the Europeans should certainly do one thing – stop pretending there is democratic progress where there is none. It’s one thing to shy away from giving the street false cause for optimism; it is another to be so patronizing about ‘baby steps’ toward democracy when there are none.”

“What makes the Armenian case so unusual is the willingness of the United States and Europe to move forward with business as usual when there is no business to be done - Armenia is neither a security nor an energy partner for the West,” Welt said.

Given the recent developments, Welt suggested that Washington should suspend aid from the Millennium Challenge Account, which is supposed to encourage Armenia to build democratic institutions. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. The flow of Millennium Challenge assistance should not resume until there is a full, independent accounting for the violence on March 1 and 2, Welt added.

There has also been a relatively muted response from Congress, including from the members who are active in pro-Armenian issues. Armenian lobby groups have not pressed Congress to get involved in the crisis in Armenia, according to one Congressional staff member, speaking on condition of anonymity. That is partly because the lobby groups have political ties with the parties in power in Armenia, but partly because they feel that focusing on Armenia’s negatives is bad public relations.

“Frankly, in terms of the Armenian-American lobby, they get really ginned up and energized about the Armenian genocide resolution, but they don't really want to look at corruption, because that doesn't put them in a very favorable light,” the staffer said. “This doesn't help them with their agenda.” [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

The Armenian National Committee of America did not release any statement on the crisis, and as of the morning of March 5 its website carried no mention of the situation unfolding in Armenia. The Armenian Assembly of America did post a statement on its website, calling on all sides to “adhere to the rule of law and to refrain from violence, as well as to ensure that the media will cover the events as they take place with fairness and balance.” Neither organization returned calls and emails by a EurasiaNet correspondent seeking comment.

“Without energy or particular strategic importance, Armenia is left in the United States with the politically quite strong Armenian diaspora,” Welt said. “In the end, it is not the lobbies that should be held responsible, but their representatives in Congress who have far greater reason to be troubled by the hypocrisy of avoiding discussion or comparison of the internal state of Armenia when shaping US policy in its confrontations with Azerbaijan and Turkey.”

Part of the diaspora groups’ ambivalence can be explained by the fact that the main opposition candidate, Ter-Petrossian, strove to weaken the political strength of the Armenian diaspora when he was in office. In addition, his willingness to negotiate with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh angered members of the diaspora groups. Ultimately, Ter-Petrosian’s willingness to negotiate on the Karabakh issue initiated a chain of events that led to his resignation in 1998. He was replaced by Kocharian.

The Karabakh contact line dividing Armenian and Azerbaijani troops was the scene of heavy fighting on March 4-5. Azerbaijani officials on March 5 claimed that Armenian forces launched an attack, in part out of a desire to distract attention from events in Yerevan. Armenian officials countered that Azerbaijani forces initiated the clash. The death toll was placed at between eight and 16. Kocharian, in commenting on the fighting, stated that officials in Baku were trying to take advantage of Armenia’s domestic difficulties. "In all likelihood Azerbaijani leaders thought that because of recent events in Yerevan, the army of Nagorno-Karabakh has lost its vigilance or communication,” Kocharian told Armenpress.

In addition, the Armenian diaspora groups tend to disengage from Armenian political issues because the corruption and authoritarianism conflict with the American values that they have acquired, said Yossi Shain, a political scientist at Georgetown University who studies the politics of diaspora groups. “One can argue that in the mind of the diaspora, Armenia as a homeland has served more as a notion, perhaps a mythical vision than as a concrete sovereign state,” Shain said. “If the [Armenian] state represents something hostile to their ideology, they will remove themselves. They will be more keen to identify with Armenia as a whole than to identify with one regime, if it violates what they consider to be the values of America.”

Source: http://www.eurasianet.org/armenia08/news/030508.shtml

[Armenian]

And notice how this piece by "Radio Liberty" attempts to tie the "Karabagh Oligarchs" to "closed borders"... They are using the peoples dissatisfaction against the Armenian state. This is all part of the plan to place a wedge between Armenia and Artsakh. Sadly, we have significant numbers of low-lives amongst us that happily and proudly go along with this agenda. I just got off the telephone with a close friend of mine in Yerevan. We were talking about the deaths over the weekend and he said that the one military death was that of a Captain who jumped on a hand granade that was thrown by the rioters to protect his young conscripts. What a sad-sad situation we are in... What did that pornik Levon and his xxxxed up followers do to us... I ask you all to please refrain from "debating" this topic with Levon supporters. These people are mentally retarded demons and low-class street porniks. xxxx them all - literally, physically and metaphorically. These people have damaged Armenia and they have pushed many of us reluctantly into the Serzh Sargsyan camp.

Armenian

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Armenia: Crisis Spotlights 'Karabakh Clan'

By Brian Whitmore

Sarkisian, Serzh; "Yes I am Karabakhian, but I am Armenian first" As Armenia's first post-Soviet president in the 1990s, Levon Ter-Petrossian brought in top officials from Nagorno-Karabakh to serve in his government. Today, as an opposition leader, Ter-Petrossian is the most outspoken critic of what he and his allies call the "Karabakh clan," lambasting his former proteges for raiding the country's treasury, strangling the economy, and stifling democracy.

The main targets of the broadside have been outgoing President Robert Kocharian and his preferred successor, Serzh Sarkisian, the current prime minister who defeated Ter-Petrossian in Armenia's February 19 presidential election. Both Kocharian and Sarkisian hail from Nagorno-Karabakh, an Armenian-controlled and populated enclave within Azerbaijan over which Baku and Yerevan fought a war in 1988-94. Speaking on the campaign trail in February, Ter-Petrossian accused Kocharian and Sarkisian of bringing their Karabakh allies to Armenia and handing them the crown xxxels of the economy.

"Because of these two persons, 15,000 people have moved from Karabakh to Armenia, mainly Yerevan, in the past 10 years," Ter-Petrossian said. "Each of them has been given a position. As if that wasn't enough, now the business sphere is also being given to them." Sarkisian's pat response to the criticism has been to say: "Yes I am Karabakhian, but I am Armenian first." Armenia's controversial election has led to allegations of fraud, government resignations, violent street protests, a deadly police crackdown, and a state of emergency. It has also exposed a deep rift in society between those born in Armenia proper and those from Nagorno-Karabakh who have resettled in the country.

Critics allege that Karabakh Armenians have benefited from government favoritism and that Kocharian and Sarkisian have dragged their feet on formally ending the conflict to advance their cronies' business interests. Yerevan-based political analyst Stepan Grigorian, who is sympathetic to Ter-Petrossian and the opposition, says having a president from Nagorno-Karabakh "who governs Armenia very badly" has fueled resentment. "Certain negative feelings exist," Grigorian says. "They do not extend to ordinary people of Karabakh, but refer to those people who came to Armenia from there. Robert Kocharian brought many people with him, and appointed them to high positions. This created more caution. So yes, certain tension exists, of course."

The Karabakh Oligarchs

Armenia had control of Karabakh when a cease-fire was reached in 1994. But the victory came with a price, as Armenia's borders with Azerbaijan and Turkey have remained sealed. Ter-Petrossian, who became Armenia's first post-independence president in 1991, brought Sarkisian -- who was a senior military official in Nagorno-Karabakh -- to Yerevan in 1993 to serve as defense minister. In 1998, he named Kocharian, who served as chairman of Nagorno-Karabakh's State Defense Committee and later as president, Armenia's prime minister.

It was a decision Ter-Petrossian soon regretted. He proposed a compromise solution to Azerbaijan on Nagorno-Karabakh that Kocharian staunchly opposed. Ter-Petrossian was forced to resign over the issue in February 1998 and Kocharian won a special election to succeed him. Under Kocharian, Sarkisian served in a number of posts including defense minister, interior minister, national-security minister, presidential chief of staff, and most recently, prime minister.

Aram Abramian, editor in chief of the Yerevan-based daily newspaper "Aravot" and who has roots in Nagorno-Karabakh, says Kocharian and Sarkisian brought in associates from the territory who took over state posts and dominated the business elite. "There are 20, 30 families -- oligarchs -- people who, thanks to the opportunities that are provided to them by the authorities, became rich, and have wide possibilities of avoiding taxes and custom fees," Abramian says, adding that well-connected moguls were able to gain "monopolies" over fuel, sugar, and other commodities.

"Others, who are less powerful, do not have this right," Abramian adds. "Not all of these people are from Karabakh. It does not matter where they come from -- the most important thing is for them to serve the authorities." Among those identified by analysts as part of the Karabakh clan are Kocharian's son, Sedrak, who reportedly controls mobile-phone imports; Barsegh Beglarian, who dominates the gas-station market; Mika Bagdasarov, who controls oil imports and heads the national airline; and Karen Karapetian, head of the Armrusgazard gas company, a joint venture with Russia's Gazprom.

Closed Borders

Abramian and other analysts say these oligarchs benefit from the lack of a final resolution to the Karabakh conflict and the closed borders with Turkey and Azerbaijan. "This is one of the reasons why these issues are not being solved, because to have open borders with Europe, Asia, and so on -- in [that] case, the flows of goods, in either direction, will be wider, and it will be more difficult to control them," Abramian says. "Now, however, when one narrow flow comes through Georgia and another, even narrower, comes via Iran, controlling these flows of goods is much easier."

Observers say such arrangements also stifle local production, hinder small business development, and ultimately harm the country's economy. And that is a major reason why one of Ter-Petrossian's main bases of support is among small and mid-level entrepreneurs. "This kind of economy -- when the high-ranking officials are importing goods -- leads to these same officials not being interested in promoting local production," Grigorian says. "And, because of this, it is in very difficult shape now. So during the elections, mid-size and big business wholly supported Ter-Petrossian."

There are slight cultural differences between native-born Armenians and those from Nagorno-Karabakh, according to analysts. Abramian says Karabakhians are more "favorably oriented toward Russia," are more likely to speak the Russian language, and are less religious than Armenians, for example. He adds, however, that it is the dominance of Kocharian and Sarkisian's allies that has fueled resentment against people from Nagorno-Karabakh, few of whom have benefited from the largesse.

"Armenian people, our compatriots who live in Karabakh -- or, like me, have roots there -- have nothing to do with this," Abramian says. "They are Armenians just like everybody else. However, two people who have kept power throughout a decade -- and plan to do so for many more decades -- they indeed provoked certain negative attitude within the Armenian population. For it was not only them, but their relatives, acquaintances -- tens, hundreds of them -- arrived here, and occupied high-ranking positions and had successful business careers. This triggers a natural reaction."

Source: http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle...F28755717.html

[Azad]

Here is the cheap come back of Washington concerning the security of the pipeline. Notice they are more concerned for the Karabagh conflict and they are threatening to bring in the riots issue IF IF IF they don't keep the "cease-fire" promise.

"Armenia, Azerbaijan promise cease-fire
By DESMOND BUTLER, Associated Press Writer
26 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - A U.S. official says that Armenia and Azerbaijan have assured him that they have returned to a cease-fire along the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh after a recent shooting.


Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza says he now plans to deliver a stern message to Armenia about its recent crackdown on protesters alleging fraud in last month's election. Bryza is on his way to Armenia after meetings with government officials in Azerbaijan. He says he hopes to mediate the election dispute in meetings with the government and opposition.

He says he will tell the Armenian government that its violent crackdown "simply can't be repeated."

Violence between police and demonstrators has left eight people dead and more than 100 injured."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080305/...a_azerbaijan_1

[Azad]

Who is this "Matthew Bryza" fcker?

"On August 23, 2007, he married Zeyno Baran in Istanbul - Turkey."
"He has a tendency of being either misquoted or his stateements being taken out of context, especially by the Armenian media."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Bryza

Who is his jeeish wife?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeyno_Baran

"Apparently, her mother Fyusu Muthlu is a xxx by origin, and that is why the turkishamericanjournal.com regards Zeyno as "shabathian", which means an apostate xxx."