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State interests more valued than people's security, Armenian paper

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  • State interests more valued than people's security, Armenian paper

    State interests more valued than people's security, Armenian paper

    Aravot, Yerevan
    2 Oct 04

    Text of an unattributed report by Armenian newspaper Aravot on 2
    October headlined "State interests and security of community"

    Very soon the Armenian National Assembly will put a full stop to the
    question of whether it is worth sending Armenian servicemen to Iraq or
    not. Today the problem is being discussed by political scientists, who
    are arguing for and against the dispatch. Those who do not approve
    this plan worry about the fate of the large Armenian diaspora in Iraq.

    Incidentally, not waiting for the Armenian parliament to take a
    decision to this end, the Iraqi Armenians have already asked the
    Armenian government not to take such a step. It is clear that they do
    not want to become hostages in the hands of terrorists.

    We do not know what our government's reply to their request was, but
    Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Markaryan has already questioned
    whether it was expedient for the Armenian diaspora in Iraq to
    influence Armenia to tackle its problems with other countries.
    Following his logic, given that the [Iraqi] diaspora is not as
    influential to lobby the interests of Armenia as the diasporas of the
    USA and France, and also is not so rich to construct roads or
    airports, then it should understand that the Armenian authorities
    cannot take into consideration a possible danger to the Iraqi
    Armenians, after our servicemen enter Iraq.

    It is clear that those who approve the plan of sending our servicemen
    to Iraq, including the Armenian prime minister, have their own
    reasons. Recently Defence Minister Serzh Sarkisyan admitted some of
    them in a televised interview. According to him, Armenia cannot stay
    away because: a) Georgia and Azerbaijan are not staying away; b) given
    that we support the fight against world terrorism, we cannot approach
    it only as consumers; c) Iraq is very close to our borders and this
    fact does not allow us to remain observers.

    It is very likely that the Armenian parliament will adopt a decision
    to send our servicemen to Iraq. But to declare that our state
    interests are more important than the security of any Armenian
    diaspora is little bit cynical.

    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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