Tweet
ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
09/29/2004
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <http://www.asbarez.com/>HTTP://WWW.ASBAREZ.COM
1) Pallone Speaks-out on Azeri War Rhetoric Against Armenia
2) Volunteers Scour Little Armenia Streets
3) Karabagh Moves to Step-up Security of Border Regions.
4) Gul Ties Armenia-Turkish Relations to Karabagh Conflict
5) Hairenik Online Radio Launched
1) Pallone Speaks-out on Azeri War Rhetoric Against Armenia
"A failure on our part to forcefully and publicly confront the Azerbaijani
government over these destabilizing threats would, in our view, send extremely
dangerous signals to Azerbaijan,"
WASHINGTON, DC (ANCA)--In a powerful statement on the House floor Tuesday
evening, Congressional Armenian Caucus Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) spoke
about the dangers of the increasing inflammatory Azeri statements against
Armenia.
As recently as in the past few months, Azeri President Ilham Aliyev and his
Cabinet Members called for a military takeover of neighboring Armenia and the
decimation of its population in the coming decades.
In his remarks, Pallone cited statements "made by officials in the government
of President Aliyev calling into question the very existence of Armenia. For
example, as reported by Radio Free Europe, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry
spokesman called for Azerbaijan's takeover of the entire territory of Armenia
and removal of the entire Armenian population from the Caucasus. He went so
far
as to say, and I quote, 'Within the next 25 years there will exist no state of
Armenia in the South Caucasus.' Given Azerbaijan's history of aggression
against Armenians, these remarks can't be dismissed as mere rhetoric."
Pallone continued to highlight Azerbaijan's refusal to allow Armenian troops
to participate in NATO exercises in Azerbaijan, despite Armenia's willingness
to allow similar participation by Azerbaijan in exercises last year.
Noting Armenia's ongoing commitment to the "peace process and the terms
agreed
to in the Key West summit," and "the crucial role that the United States plays
in the negotiations over Nagorno-Karabagh," Pallone called on the
Administration to take action. "A failure on our part to forcefully and
publicly confront the Azerbaijani government over these destabilizing threats
would, in our view, send extremely dangerous signals to Azerbaijan," explained
the Congressman.
Last week, Pallone joined his Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Joe
Knollenberg (R-MI) in urging House Colleagues to ask President Bush to
publicly
condemn Azerbaijan's war rhetoric and other increasingly bellicose remarks
against the Republic of Armenia and Mountainous Karabagh. In a "Dear
Colleague"
letter sent to the 141 Armenian Caucus members, Pallone and Knollenberg cited
the dangers of Azerbaijan's ongoing war statements. The letter to President
Bush, which currently has 35 cosigners, states:
"Efforts to reinforce stability and reduce the risk of conflict are in the
best interests of the United States and the region. The Nagorno Karabakh peace
process will achieve nothing if Azerbaijan is allowed to risk war and predict
ethnic cleansing with impunity. To this end, we urge that you condemn these
remarks and call upon the government of Azerbaijan to desist in making any
further threats against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh."
HOUSE FLOOR STATEMENT BY CONGRESSMAN FRANK PALLONE, JR. URGING US
CONDEMNATION
OF RECENT AZERI THREATS AGAINST ARMENIA
September 28, 2004
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring your attention to recent statements
made by
high-ranking government officials in Azerbaijan that directly and
significantly
threaten the security of Armenia, as well as efforts towards a peaceful
settlement over the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict.
This issue, if not compellingly addressed by the Administration, has the
potential to undermine US interests and American values in the strategically
important Caucasus region.
I refer to the recent remarks made by officials in the government of
President
Aliyev calling into question the very existence of Armenia. For example, as
reported by Radio Free Europe, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry spokesman
called for Azerbaijan's takeover of the entire territory of Armenia and
removal
of the entire Armenian population from the Caucasus. He went so far as to say,
and I quote, "Within the next 25 years there will exist no state of Armenia in
the South Caucasus." Given Azerbaijan's history of aggression against
Armenians, these remarks can't be dismissed as mere rhetoric.
Furthermore, Azerbaijan recently blocked key NATO exercises in the country,
due to their opposition towards having Armenian officers taking part in the
exercises. In fact, in June of 2003, Armenia served as the host country for
similar exercises, to which Azerbaijani military forces were invited, yet
refused to participate. This year, Armenia was one of several dozen countries
due to participate, yet the initiative was blocked by Azerbaijan, who is
continuing its efforts to undermine the prospects for peace in the Caucasus
region.
Azerbaijan's threats against Armenia's survival reinforce our commitment to
maintaining parity in US military aid to Armenia and Azerbaijan. This
arrangement means even more today than when it was first put in place,
particularly in light of Baku's increasingly aggressive posture towards
Armenia. Any tilt in military spending toward Azerbaijan could, in our view,
destabilize the region by emboldening the new Azerbaijani leadership to
continue their threats to impose a military solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict.
Just last week, the Republic of Armenia celebrated its 2nd Independence,
marking 13 years of freedom from Soviet rule. We have seen considerable
economic growth in the country. Despite the continued illegal blockade by
Turkey and Azerbaijan, a recent Wall Street Journal study found that Armenia
remains the most economically free nation in the region. Today, Armenia is
steadfast in its support of the US, as exhibited by their recent announcement
of plans to send a unit of deminers, doctors and 50 trucks, including staff
and
drivers, to assist the coalition forces in Iraq.
It is critical to note that Armenia is today, as it has always been,
committed
to the peace process and the terms agreed to in the Key West summit. Since the
beginning of the Nagorno-Karabagh and Azerbaijan conflict, Armenia has been
committed to finding a peaceful resolution. Moreover, I can't stress enough,
Mr. Speaker, the crucial role that the United States plays in the negotiations
over Nagorno-Karabakh, to help the people of this region find a lasting and
equitable peace. So, these threats by Azerbaijan undermine these efforts and
seriously complicate our diplomacy in the region. A failure on our part to
forcefully and publicly confront the Azerbaijani government over these
destabilizing threats would, in our view, send extremely dangerous signals to
Azerbaijan.
So, Mr. Speaker, I hope that the United States takes action to condemn these
remarks, and we here, in this Chamber, do everything that we can to ensure
that
all parties involved in this conflict make a genuine commitment towards peace
and stability in the region.
2) Volunteers Scour Little Armenia Streets
LITTLE ARMENIA--Hundreds of Armenian youth gathered in Little Armenia Saturday
for AYF's 2nd Annual Little Armenia Cleanup. Volunteers from throughout
Southern California and even Fresno helped remove thousands of pounds of trash
from major streets in Los Angeles known as Little Armenia. Organized by the
Armenian Youth Federation and cosponsored by Los Angeles City Councilmember
Eric Garcetti's Office, the cleanup attracted volunteers from the public at
large and community organizations such as the AYF, Homenetmen Los Angeles
Chapter, and the ARF Badanegan Organization. More in-depth coverage of the
event will be provided in the upcoming Saturday edition of Asbarez.
3) Karabagh Moves to Step-up Security of Border Regions.
STEPANAKERT (Armenpress)The government of Mountainous Karabagh Republic (MKR)
moved to increase its state budget allocation for the tightening of
security of
its border regions, with stricter regulation of the roads in the coming 2 to 3
years, and reconstruction of highways leading to its borders. These security
measures will also include equipping border villages with defense facilities.
Public facilities will also be constructed in the remote border regions in
order to improve the inhabitant's quality of life.
These projects will mostly be state-funded, and are expected to run
approximately 4 billion dram, reflecting a 2 billion increase from fiscal year
2004.
4) Gul Ties Armenia-Turkish Relations to Karabagh Conflict
NEW YORK (Armenpress)--During their meeting held on the sidelines of the
ongoing session of the UN General Assembly, Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan
Oskanian and Turkish Counterpart Abdullah Gul, officially announced that they
"explored bilateral issues as well as regional concerns." The Turkish
newspaper
Hurriyet, however, reported that Gul told Oskanian the normalization of
Turkish-Armenian relations, and its lifting of the blockade of Armenia are
tied
to a resolution of the Mountainous Karabagh conflict, and can only be
discussed
after such a resolution is found.
5) Hairenik Online Radio Launched
The Hairenik Association, Inc. has launched an online Armenian Radio Station
that not only provides a variety of Armenian music online, 24 hours a day, but
also makes available news and other interesting information about the Armenian
community in the US, Armenia, Artsakh, Javakhk, and the Armenian diaspora.
To listen to the Hairenik Online Radio go to: www.hairenikradio.com, click on
the RADIO button, then choose the player of choice.
All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier
and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and
subscription requests.
(c) 2004 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved.
ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for
academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through
mass media outlets.
TOP STORIES
09/29/2004
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <http://www.asbarez.com/>HTTP://WWW.ASBAREZ.COM
1) Pallone Speaks-out on Azeri War Rhetoric Against Armenia
2) Volunteers Scour Little Armenia Streets
3) Karabagh Moves to Step-up Security of Border Regions.
4) Gul Ties Armenia-Turkish Relations to Karabagh Conflict
5) Hairenik Online Radio Launched
1) Pallone Speaks-out on Azeri War Rhetoric Against Armenia
"A failure on our part to forcefully and publicly confront the Azerbaijani
government over these destabilizing threats would, in our view, send extremely
dangerous signals to Azerbaijan,"
WASHINGTON, DC (ANCA)--In a powerful statement on the House floor Tuesday
evening, Congressional Armenian Caucus Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) spoke
about the dangers of the increasing inflammatory Azeri statements against
Armenia.
As recently as in the past few months, Azeri President Ilham Aliyev and his
Cabinet Members called for a military takeover of neighboring Armenia and the
decimation of its population in the coming decades.
In his remarks, Pallone cited statements "made by officials in the government
of President Aliyev calling into question the very existence of Armenia. For
example, as reported by Radio Free Europe, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry
spokesman called for Azerbaijan's takeover of the entire territory of Armenia
and removal of the entire Armenian population from the Caucasus. He went so
far
as to say, and I quote, 'Within the next 25 years there will exist no state of
Armenia in the South Caucasus.' Given Azerbaijan's history of aggression
against Armenians, these remarks can't be dismissed as mere rhetoric."
Pallone continued to highlight Azerbaijan's refusal to allow Armenian troops
to participate in NATO exercises in Azerbaijan, despite Armenia's willingness
to allow similar participation by Azerbaijan in exercises last year.
Noting Armenia's ongoing commitment to the "peace process and the terms
agreed
to in the Key West summit," and "the crucial role that the United States plays
in the negotiations over Nagorno-Karabagh," Pallone called on the
Administration to take action. "A failure on our part to forcefully and
publicly confront the Azerbaijani government over these destabilizing threats
would, in our view, send extremely dangerous signals to Azerbaijan," explained
the Congressman.
Last week, Pallone joined his Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Joe
Knollenberg (R-MI) in urging House Colleagues to ask President Bush to
publicly
condemn Azerbaijan's war rhetoric and other increasingly bellicose remarks
against the Republic of Armenia and Mountainous Karabagh. In a "Dear
Colleague"
letter sent to the 141 Armenian Caucus members, Pallone and Knollenberg cited
the dangers of Azerbaijan's ongoing war statements. The letter to President
Bush, which currently has 35 cosigners, states:
"Efforts to reinforce stability and reduce the risk of conflict are in the
best interests of the United States and the region. The Nagorno Karabakh peace
process will achieve nothing if Azerbaijan is allowed to risk war and predict
ethnic cleansing with impunity. To this end, we urge that you condemn these
remarks and call upon the government of Azerbaijan to desist in making any
further threats against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh."
HOUSE FLOOR STATEMENT BY CONGRESSMAN FRANK PALLONE, JR. URGING US
CONDEMNATION
OF RECENT AZERI THREATS AGAINST ARMENIA
September 28, 2004
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring your attention to recent statements
made by
high-ranking government officials in Azerbaijan that directly and
significantly
threaten the security of Armenia, as well as efforts towards a peaceful
settlement over the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict.
This issue, if not compellingly addressed by the Administration, has the
potential to undermine US interests and American values in the strategically
important Caucasus region.
I refer to the recent remarks made by officials in the government of
President
Aliyev calling into question the very existence of Armenia. For example, as
reported by Radio Free Europe, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry spokesman
called for Azerbaijan's takeover of the entire territory of Armenia and
removal
of the entire Armenian population from the Caucasus. He went so far as to say,
and I quote, "Within the next 25 years there will exist no state of Armenia in
the South Caucasus." Given Azerbaijan's history of aggression against
Armenians, these remarks can't be dismissed as mere rhetoric.
Furthermore, Azerbaijan recently blocked key NATO exercises in the country,
due to their opposition towards having Armenian officers taking part in the
exercises. In fact, in June of 2003, Armenia served as the host country for
similar exercises, to which Azerbaijani military forces were invited, yet
refused to participate. This year, Armenia was one of several dozen countries
due to participate, yet the initiative was blocked by Azerbaijan, who is
continuing its efforts to undermine the prospects for peace in the Caucasus
region.
Azerbaijan's threats against Armenia's survival reinforce our commitment to
maintaining parity in US military aid to Armenia and Azerbaijan. This
arrangement means even more today than when it was first put in place,
particularly in light of Baku's increasingly aggressive posture towards
Armenia. Any tilt in military spending toward Azerbaijan could, in our view,
destabilize the region by emboldening the new Azerbaijani leadership to
continue their threats to impose a military solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict.
Just last week, the Republic of Armenia celebrated its 2nd Independence,
marking 13 years of freedom from Soviet rule. We have seen considerable
economic growth in the country. Despite the continued illegal blockade by
Turkey and Azerbaijan, a recent Wall Street Journal study found that Armenia
remains the most economically free nation in the region. Today, Armenia is
steadfast in its support of the US, as exhibited by their recent announcement
of plans to send a unit of deminers, doctors and 50 trucks, including staff
and
drivers, to assist the coalition forces in Iraq.
It is critical to note that Armenia is today, as it has always been,
committed
to the peace process and the terms agreed to in the Key West summit. Since the
beginning of the Nagorno-Karabagh and Azerbaijan conflict, Armenia has been
committed to finding a peaceful resolution. Moreover, I can't stress enough,
Mr. Speaker, the crucial role that the United States plays in the negotiations
over Nagorno-Karabakh, to help the people of this region find a lasting and
equitable peace. So, these threats by Azerbaijan undermine these efforts and
seriously complicate our diplomacy in the region. A failure on our part to
forcefully and publicly confront the Azerbaijani government over these
destabilizing threats would, in our view, send extremely dangerous signals to
Azerbaijan.
So, Mr. Speaker, I hope that the United States takes action to condemn these
remarks, and we here, in this Chamber, do everything that we can to ensure
that
all parties involved in this conflict make a genuine commitment towards peace
and stability in the region.
2) Volunteers Scour Little Armenia Streets
LITTLE ARMENIA--Hundreds of Armenian youth gathered in Little Armenia Saturday
for AYF's 2nd Annual Little Armenia Cleanup. Volunteers from throughout
Southern California and even Fresno helped remove thousands of pounds of trash
from major streets in Los Angeles known as Little Armenia. Organized by the
Armenian Youth Federation and cosponsored by Los Angeles City Councilmember
Eric Garcetti's Office, the cleanup attracted volunteers from the public at
large and community organizations such as the AYF, Homenetmen Los Angeles
Chapter, and the ARF Badanegan Organization. More in-depth coverage of the
event will be provided in the upcoming Saturday edition of Asbarez.
3) Karabagh Moves to Step-up Security of Border Regions.
STEPANAKERT (Armenpress)The government of Mountainous Karabagh Republic (MKR)
moved to increase its state budget allocation for the tightening of
security of
its border regions, with stricter regulation of the roads in the coming 2 to 3
years, and reconstruction of highways leading to its borders. These security
measures will also include equipping border villages with defense facilities.
Public facilities will also be constructed in the remote border regions in
order to improve the inhabitant's quality of life.
These projects will mostly be state-funded, and are expected to run
approximately 4 billion dram, reflecting a 2 billion increase from fiscal year
2004.
4) Gul Ties Armenia-Turkish Relations to Karabagh Conflict
NEW YORK (Armenpress)--During their meeting held on the sidelines of the
ongoing session of the UN General Assembly, Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan
Oskanian and Turkish Counterpart Abdullah Gul, officially announced that they
"explored bilateral issues as well as regional concerns." The Turkish
newspaper
Hurriyet, however, reported that Gul told Oskanian the normalization of
Turkish-Armenian relations, and its lifting of the blockade of Armenia are
tied
to a resolution of the Mountainous Karabagh conflict, and can only be
discussed
after such a resolution is found.
5) Hairenik Online Radio Launched
The Hairenik Association, Inc. has launched an online Armenian Radio Station
that not only provides a variety of Armenian music online, 24 hours a day, but
also makes available news and other interesting information about the Armenian
community in the US, Armenia, Artsakh, Javakhk, and the Armenian diaspora.
To listen to the Hairenik Online Radio go to: www.hairenikradio.com, click on
the RADIO button, then choose the player of choice.
All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier
and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and
subscription requests.
(c) 2004 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved.
ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for
academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through
mass media outlets.