Loussapatz_ The Dawn 951_2012_09_22

951 22,  2012

Notice

Happy Independence Day

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Thousands Attend Annual Armenian Independence Day Festival

GLENDALE, CA – To mark the 21st anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Armenia, the Nor Serount (New Generation) Cultural Association attracted thousands of attendees to Verdugo Park for its annual Armenian Independence Day Festival, on September 16, 2012. The festival was also the first of many events to be held to honor the 125th anniversary of the Social Democrat Hunchakian Party.

Community leaders and elected officials were present to join in on the festivities, as well as pay homage to the struggle, strife and resilience of the Armenian people in establishing and maintaining a free and independent Armenia.

Representing His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of Western Diocese of Armenian Church, the very Rev. Father Michael Gureghian presided over the opening ceremony with a prayer, while Armenia Consul Mr. Eghia Mansuryan expressed the Consular General’s great esteem that Armenia’s Independence is celebrated in such high fashion thousands of miles away.

Among the elected officials were California State Senator Carol Lui, California State Assemblymember Mike Gatto, California State Assemblymember Anthony Portantino and Glendale City Councilmembers Laura Friedman and Ara Najarian.

The festival featured live performances by artists in the Armenian-American community who heightened a sense of pride and unity among fellow patrons who happily danced and cheered for the performers. The joyful mood was highlighted by the co-Master of Ceremonies, Taguhi Oganyan and Vardan Amolikyan, who presented artists Samvel Sahakyan, Alfred Galstyan, Herachya Mekhitaryan (Chuko), Ruben Harutyunyan, Karen Boksyan, Roman Babakhanyan, Arman, Shiraz Yeghiazaryan, Seroj Avoyan, Ani Tamrazyan, Suro Ketchian, violinist Allen, children’s sensation Maggie, Arno Mkertichyan and the PLAN-G, DJ All Star Gilbert and magician Albert Nazaryan.

Dazzling the audience of both young and elderly community members, the Nor Serount Dance Group and Lilia Dance Group made up of children between the ages of four and 16, included both traditional Armenian and modern dance routines.

“We were very happy with the turnout of the event,” said Krikor Moloyan, Board Member of the Armenian Council of America. “This is an opportunity for everyone in the community to get together and celebrate the Independence of Armenia, as well as engage the younger generation and teach them our cultural values that have been passed down from our elders and to maintain a strong sense of national pride in our heritage.”

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EU Parliament Condemns Azerbaijan

for Freeing Axe-Killer

BRUSSELS -- The European Parliament condemned Azerbaijan late on Thursday for pardoning and giving a hero’s welcome to the Azerbaijani army officer who axed to death an Armenian colleague in Hungary more than eight years ago.

In a special resolution, the European Union’s legislative body said President Ilham Aliyev’s decision to free, promote and financially reward Ramil Safarov immediately after his extradition from Hungary “could contribute to further escalation of the tensions” between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The resolution accuses Aliyev’s government of reneging on “diplomatic assurances” that Safarov will serve out his life sentence, given by a Hungarian court in 2006, in Azerbaijan. It cites in this regard a letter sent by Azerbaijan’s Deputy Justice Minister Vilayat Zahirov, to the Hungarian government on August 15, two weeks before the convict’s repatriation.

The Azerbaijani and Hungarian governments say the handover was carried out on the basis of the European Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons.

EU lawmakers did not challenge these assertions or fault the Hungarian government for repatriating Armenian Lieutenant Gurgen Markarian’s axe-murderer, aiming their criticism only at Baku. They said that Safarov’s pardoning “complies with the letter” of the convention but “runs contrary to the spirit of that international agreement.”

Their resolution goes on to deplore “the promotion and recognition [Safarov] has received from the Azerbaijani state.” It adds that “the frustration in Azerbaijan and Armenia over the lack of any substantial progress as regards the peace process in Nagorno-Karabakh does not justify either acts of revenge or futile provocations that add further tension to an already tense and fragile situation.”

The European Parliament further called on the EU to play a “stronger role” in the Karabakh peace process by supporting confidence-building measures between the conflicting parties.

Hungarian Armenians to Sue Hungarian Government for Safarov’s Extradition

BUDAPEST -- The national council of ethnic Armenians in Hungary plans to file a legal claim against the Hungarian government’s controversial decision to transfer convicted Azeri murderer Ramil Safarov to Azerbaijan, Blikk reported. The tabloid quoted council head Szevan Sarkisian as saying the charges include abuse of power and bribery.

There are an estimated 3,500 to 30,000 ethnic Armenians living in Hungary, half of whom speak Armenian as their native language, and there are currently 31 Armenian “self-governments” operating in the country.

Ramil Safarov, the Azerbaijani army officer who was serving a life sentence in Hungary for axing to death Armenian Lt. Gurgen Margaryan, was extradited to Azerbaijan and pardoned by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

Official Yerevan reacted by suspending diplomatic ties with Hungary.

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Hungary, however, states that it had sent Safarov back to Azerbaijan after receiving assurances from the Azerbaijani Justice Ministry that Safarov's sentence, which included the possibility of parole after 25 years, would be enforced.

According to some reports, Safarov was extradited to Azerbaijan in exchange for Azeri purchase of Hungarian securities worth Euro 2-3 billion, an information official Budapest denies.

“Hungarian prime minister is “morally bankrupt” and should resign after admitting that he personally approved the transfer of the Azeri axe murderer while knowing the likely consequences,” the leader of the opposition Socialists said earlier.

Attila Mesterhazy said it was clear from Orban’s comments at a news conference on Tuesday September 11 that he had been aware that Azerbaijan would release the life-sentenced Ramil Safarov after his repatriation.

N.Y. District Court Orders $37.5 Million Judgement Against Former Environment Minister of Armenia

NEW YORK -- In a judgement dated September 5, 2012, the U.S. Southern District Court of New York ordered the U.S. Marshall of the same district to seize $37,537,978 from Vardan Ayvazyan to be paid to Global Gold Mining LLC.

Vardan Ayvazyan, a former RA Minister of the Environment, had been sued by Global Gold for exerting undue pressure on one of its subsidiaries that was the license holder for the Hankavan mine in Armenia.

In 2006, a subsidiary of the Company which was the license holder for the Hankavan property was the subject of corrupt and improper demands and threats from the now former Minister of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of Armenia, Vardan Ayvazyan. The Company reported this situation to the appropriate authorities in Armenia and in the United States; eventually, the Company lost control of the Hankavan property as a result of Ayvazyan.

The Company engaged international and local counsel to pursue prosecution of the illegal and corrupt practices directed against the subsidiary. On November 7, 2006, the Company initiated the thirty- day good faith negotiating period (which is a prerequisite to filing for international arbitration under the applicable 2003 Share Purchase Agreement) with the three named sellers/shareholders and one previously undisclosed shareholder and the principal directing the other shareholders, Ayvazyan.

The Company filed for arbitration under the rules of the International Chamber of Commerce, headquartered in Paris, France ('ICC') on December 29, 2006. On June 25, 2008, the Federal District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled that Ayvazyan was required to appear as a respondent in the ICC arbitration.

On September 5, 2008, the ICC International Court of Arbitration ruled that Ayvazyan shall be a party in accordance with the decision rendered on June 25, 2008 by the Federal District Court for the Southern District of New York. Subsequently, in December 2011 the ICC Tribunal decided to proceed only with the three named shareholders; in March 2012, GGM filed an action in Federal District Court pursuant to that Court's prior decisions for damages against Ayvazyan and/or to conform the ICC Tribunal

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to the precedents. Based on the evidence of the damages suffered as a result of Ayvazyan's actions, the final $37,537,978.02 federal court judgment in favor of GGM is comprised of $27,152,244.50 in compensatory damages plus $10,385,734.52 of interest at 9% from 2008.

The Company has notified the ICC that the pending arbitration against the other three shareholders should be terminated as moot, considering the final judgment against Ayvazyan.

This new decision will probably not impact Ayvazyan since the United State and Armenia have no treaties regarding the seizure of assets.

The only practical implication is tat Ayvazyan will be barred from entering the States. Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Global Gold Mining is Van Krikorian, a member of Armenian

Assembly of America Board of Trustees

Armenia Registers Highest Growth Rate in the IT Field in South

Caucasus

YEREVAN -- Visiting Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Dr Hamadoun Touré has stated his satisfaction with the positive changes in the telecommunications sector in Armenia.

Dr Touré noted that Armenia takes active part in the works of the Union and in the area of telecommunication Armenia has registered certain progress.

"Armenia, which possesses impressive intellectual potential, has great capabilities and prospects for the development of the telecommunication and communication areas" he said, adding he would be happy to see Armenia’s active participation in the discussions of the research and working groups of the Union, at the international conferences dedicated to the problems of telecommunication and other important events.

During a meeting with Prime MinisterTigran Sarkisian the ITU Secretary General was informed that in the recently published world report of the National Competitiveness Armenia’s IT indices of 2009 were published, despite the fact that the results of 2011 were posted on the ITU website. The Head of the Government mentioned that if the indices of 2011 were published, the level of our country’s competitiveness would have been higher.

Hamadoun Touré said that it was a matter of misunderstanding. The Secretary General of ITU stressed that in 2011 Armenia registered the highest growth rate in the IT field in South Caucasus.

CSTO Rapid Deployment Forces

‘Ready To Repel Aggression’

YEREVAN -- The secretary general of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) said on Tuesday that its recently established rapid reaction force is already capable of repelling an armed aggression against Armenia and other members of the Russian-led security pact.

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“The Collective Operational Reaction Forces (CORF) is one of the main components that can effectively react to any challenges involving the use of force,” said Nikolay Bordyuzha. “Since those forces comprise army units that means a localization of armed conflicts, that means a quick closure of borders in case the situation escalates.”

Nikolay Bordyuzha spoke to journalists at the Marshal Bagramian training ground 40 kilometers west of Yerevan where about 2,000 CORF soldiers representing Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Armenia held military exercises for the fourth consecutive day.

“We are talking about a collective security system,” Bordyuzha said. “It is built upon on a collective potential. That collective potential is now in Armenia and jointly accomplishing tasks. We are thereby learning to act together in case the situation becomes quite tense.”

The CORF forces on Monday simulated a joint operation against “irregular armed groups” that invaded a CSTO member state. The CSTO command praised the “high degree of coordination” among them.

The CSTO united commander Major General Anatoly Yakovlev told a press conference Saturday, when the drills started, that the exercises were aimed to improve CSTO member states’ administrative bodies and the participating troops would train in use of drones. In response to RFE/RL’s question whether there are any possible scenarios developed should there be aggression against any of the member- states and how rapidly CSTO can react, Yakovlev said that joint defense will be the case.

“In each such event (largely depending on the circumstances) leaders of CSTO member-states will decide on the numerical strength of the Collective Operational Reaction Forces,” he stated.

Armenia Upgrading Main

South-North Highway

YEREVAN -- A Spanish construction company launched on Thursday the first phase of a multimillion-dollar government project to upgrade Armenia’s main highways stretching more than 550 kilometers to neighboring Georgia and Iran.

The Madrid-based group Isolux Corsan inaugurated the start of work on a 53-kilometer highway connecting Yerevan to the southern town of Ararat in the presence of its senior executives and Armenian government officials.

Corsan signed last April a $280 million contract with the Armenian Ministry of Transport and Communications to rebuild and expand this and another road running northwest of Yerevan. The total length of the two roads exceeds 90 kilometers. They are due to be refurbished before 2016.

The construction will be financed from a $500 million loan which the Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) allocated to Armenia in 2009. The ADB loan is designed to support the implementation of the so-called North-South Project envisaging the reconstruction of the highways stretching from the Armenian-Iranian border to one of the three Armenian-Georgian border crossings.

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The Armenian government says the planned upgrades will facilitate the landlocked country’s access to the Georgian and Iranian ports. Another aim of the ambitious project worth at least $1 billion is to enable Iran to use Armenian and Georgian territory for large-scale freight shipments to and from Europe.

“This will give us greater economic opportunities,” Transport and Communications Minister Gagik Beglarian told journalists at the ceremony. “The fact that we are going to have a fast transit motorway will also solve a very important national issue for Armenia.”

Beglarian said the road works will also translate into 1,000 new jobs. Daniel Domingo, a senior Corsan executive, said some of the company’s local staff will undergo special training. “We will hold special courses to bring their skills into conformity with European standards,” he told RFE/RL’s Armenian service. The government has yet to indicate external sources of funding for the rest of what would be the single largest road project in Armenia’s history. Its implementation was originally due to start in 2010.

Armenian Genocide Museum: Exhibition Dedicated to

the 90th Anniversary of Smyrna Disaster

YEREVAN -- An exhibition dedicated to the 90th anniversary of Smyrna disaster opened in the Armenian Genocide Museum on Friday September 14.

The director of the Armenian Genocide Museum and Institute Hayk Demoyan gave an opening remark, where he noted: “The fire of Smyrna announced the birth of a new state, which appeared on the World map as a result of Young Turks’ genocidal policy. Thus, Smyrna Disaster became the last episode of the Armenian Genocide and the starting point of the Kemalists' "Turkey for Turks" state-building policy".

Vasiliki Dikopulu, acting Ambassador of Greece to the Republic of Armenia, gave her gratitude remark during the opening ceremony.

Documents, photos, postcards concerning the life of the Armenians of Smyrna as well as unique photos, papers from the AGMI collection which present the fire of Smyrna, one of the major sea ports of Asia Minor and Kemalist massacres of tens of thousands of Armenians and Greeks in September, 1922, are included in this exhibition.

After the opening of the temporary exhibition an academic session dedicated to Smyrna Disaster hold in the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute's Komitas hall. The director of the Armenian Genocide Museum and Institute Hayk Demoyan, Verjine Svazlyan, researchers of AGMI Tehmine Martoyan and Gevorg Vardanyan presented their papers regarding Smyrna disaster, the historical memory of the

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Armenian population, the Turkish genocidal policy as well as the particularities of the Armenian and Greek genocides.

The screening of a short literary film dedicated to the memory of the Armenian and Greek population of Smyrna concluded the academic session.

Smyrna

Smyrna was one of the main business and cultural centers of Asia Minor. The Armenians had settled there since ancient times and were living in Getezerk, Karap, Haynots Armenian districts.

The books and periodicals published in the publishing houses of Smyrna had a significant role in the cultural, public and political life of the Armenians. In Smyrna Mesropian School founded in 1799, Hripsimyan Girl’s School, and a number of private schools were working. There were four Armenian churches (the famous one was St. Stephanos church), a hospital and a theatre in Smyrna. The Armenian merchants of Smyrna had merchant's houses in Europe, Russia, India and Egypt.

Due to its multi-cultural and developed mode of life Smyrna was called "Little Paris of the East". Approximately 30 000 Armenians were living in Smyrna before 1922. In September 1922 the Kemalists forces set fire to Smyrna and massacred the Armenians and the

Greeks of the city. The premeditated fire of the city had the intention of terrifying the Christian population and making them leave the city forever. The streets were 'covered' with the corpses of the Armenians and Greeks. Many of them drowned when they were trying to set great hopes on the English, Italian and American ships.

Thus, Smyrna Catastrophe became the last episode of the Armenian Genocide and the starting point of the Kemalists' "Turkey for Turks" state-building policy. Nowadays, Smyrna is famous by the Turkish name of Izmir and the majority of the inhabitants are Turks.

By Rev. Barkev Darakjian (Translation)

Reflections Regarding

Syrian Armenians

There is no doubt many of us follow and are concerned about the continuing political crisis in Syria. There is no doubt, also, that our compatriots, who live there, are directly or indirectly subjected to the consequences of the unsafe conditions, which threaten the well being, if not the existence, of our historic community. Indeed, Syria had become a second homeland, for our compatriots who escaped the Turkish massacres. Churches, schools and Armenian institutions were established, which provided the surviving remnants of our people, not only economic development, but also definite cultural and intellectual advancement. There is no doubt that the Armenian people owe much to the hospitable Arab people and the second homeland of Syria.

The number of former Syrian-Armenians, who reside in the United States is not trivial. They are concerned for their former Diaspora community, and particularly regarding the unsafe conditions in Aleppo. There are still a large number of Armenians those who still reside in Syria, and a number of Armenian religious, educational and other institutions continue to serve them. The news that reaches us, particularly regarding their economic status, are not encouraging.

Therefore, just as the prior generation of Armenian-Americans, who reached out to help the survivors of the “Medz Chart” (Genocide), who had sought shelter in Syrian, it is also our national and humanitarian duty as old or new Armenian-Americans to lend a hand to our brothers and sisters in Syria. This was the purpose of the formation of the intra-denominational Syrian Armenian Relief Fund executive committee, to conduct community-wide fundraising.

So dear fellow citizens, we call upon your sense of patriotism and humanitarian conscience, to provide your share of financial assistance to our Syrian Armenian brothers and sisters, who are struggling in a perilous situation.

AMAA Receives $300,000 Grant

From the John Mirak Foundation

PARAMUS, NJ -- The Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA) was recently named recipient of a grant of $300,000 from the John Mirak Foundation of Arlington, MA. This contribution

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will be used to provide support for the construction of the Khoren and Shooshanig Avedisian School in Malatia-Sebastia, Yerevan, Armenia. In particular, this grant will provide the school LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) meaning that it will be constructed and operated with leading edge technology and materials that maximize sustainable energy use, efficiency and water conservation.

“We are truly blessed to receive this grant from the John Mirak Foundation,” said Levon Filian, Executive Director of the AMAA. “The Mirak Foundation’s sponsorship of the first LEED-certified building in Armenia is truly unique. LEED-certification of the School demonstrates the commitment of both the Mirak Foundation and the AMAA to a future where the buildings are designed to be environmentally sustainable, earthquake resistant and less costly to operate. ”

The award-winning Khoren and Shooshanig Avedisian School was established by Edward and Pamela Avedisian of Lexington, MA in September, 1999 as a tuition-free kindergarten with 75 students in three classes. With the anticipated completion of the Avedisian School’s new middle and high school in September 2014 and contributions such as those from the John Mirak Foundation, over 500 students from economically disadvantaged homes in Malatia-Sebastia will have an opportunity to explore and learn in a tuition-free, nurturing environment.

Founded in 1972 by Genocide survivor, John Mirak, the John Mirak Foundation is a private family foundation that has generously supported charitable and educational institutions in Arlington, MA and the global Armenian community including The Armenian Cultural Foundation, The Armenia Tree Project, The Armenian Heritage Park and many others. The Foundation has recently renewed its commitment to preserving Armenia by funding organizations that focus on issues surrounding environmental sustainability, reforestation, and education at all levels.

Prof. Richard Hovannisian to Speak on “The 90th Anniversary of the Burning of Smyrna”

FRESNO -- Dr. Richard G. Hovannisian, Professor of Armenian and Near Eastern history at UCLA, will speak on “The 90th Anniversary of the Burning of Smyrna” at 7:30 PM on Friday, October 5, 2012, in the Industrial Technology Building, Room 101 auditorium, on the Fresno State campus (corner of Barstow and Campus Drive).

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the Smyrna Catastrophe when much of the city, the second largest in the Ottoman Empire, was destroyed by fire during the final phase of the Greco-Turkish War. The calamity marked the end of a strong Christian presence in the historic Aegean coastal regions and turned hundreds of thousands of Greeks and Armenians into refugees.

In this illustrated lecture, Prof. Richard Hovannisian will discuss the important role of Smyrna (Izmir) in modern Armenian history and the inferno that engulfed the city in September 1922. Hovannisian is the editor of the recently published Armenian Smyrna/Izmir, the eleventh volume of

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proceedings from the UCLA conference series “Historic Armenian Cities and Provinces.” He also traveled to Izmir and environs in June 2012 as the historian-guide for a NAASR Armenian Heritage Tour led by Armen Aroyan.

Hovannisian is the author of Armenia on the Road to Independence, the four-volume history The Republic of Armenia, and has edited and contributed to more than twenty-five books including The Armenian Genocide in Perspective; The Armenian People from Ancient to Modern Times; Remembrance and Denial; Looking Backward, Moving Forward; and The Armenian Genocide: Cultural and Ethical Legacies. Prof. Hovannisian is Professor of Armenian and Near Eastern History at UCLA and is the Chancellor Fellow in the Department of History and the Rodgers Center for Holocaust Education at Chapman University for fall 2012.

Armenian Smyrna/Izmir as well as many other titles from the “Historic Armenian Cities and Provinces” series will be available for purchase and signing by Prof. Hovannisian.

The lecture is free and open to the public. Free parking, no permit necessary, is available in Lots K, L, and Q, adjacent to the Industrial Arts building.

For more information on the lecture please contact the Armenian Studies Program at 278-2669.

FM Edward Nalbandian to Speak

Before Los Angeles World Affairs Council

LOS ANGELES -- Edward Nalbandian, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, will speak before the Los Angeles World Affairs Council at a time of heightened tension in the southern Caucasus between Armenia and its neighbor Azerbaijan. The lecture titled "Armenia in a troubled region" will be held on Monday September 24, 2012 7.30 p, at the InterContinental Hotel, 2151 Ave. of the Stars

The conflict between land-locked Armenia and oil-rich Azerbaijan was exacerbated recently when an Azeri army officer was convicted of hacking to death an Armenian on a NATO course – and was subsequently given a hero’s welcome on his return to Azerbaijan. In addition to this immediate threat, the Foreign Minister will talk about his country’s relations with NATO, Russia and Iran, and its difficulties in normalizing relations with Turkey. And he will address Armenia's relations with the United States, and the influence Washington can bring to bear on the volatile region of the southern Caucasus.

Foreign Minister Nalbandian's career as a diplomat began in the embassy of the former Soviet Union in Lebanon in 1982. After Armenia's independence from the USSR he served as the Ambassador of Armenia to Egypt, France, Israel and the Vatican before taking up his position as Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2008.

Last week, while in Ottawa, I had two important Dear friends, meetings on Friday, Sept. 14th, 2012. The following is a summary of discussions that took place during those meetings.

In the first meeting, I met with the Hungarian Ambassador, H. E. Laszlo Pordany in his Ottawa office. The discussion lasted 45 minutes. In private conversation, we discussed the current situation between Armenia and Hungary. The Ambassador was very forthcoming and honest in his assessment of the events. I would like to thank him and share his point of view with you. I am sure you will appreciate his insight.

In the second meeting, I was accompanied by four members of the Canadian/Syrian Community Delegation. We met with the Dept. of Foreign Affairs officials and discussed the tragic events in Syria. The discussions lasted about one hour and centered around humanitarian help to the refugees and the wounded. The Delegation offered to provide a 53 ft. long truck to be used as a field hospital that could be fitted to help the wounded and the amputees. More information to follow, as I continue to stay on top of both issues. P.S. I hope, Hungarian parliamentarians will follow this case and take a new and a harder look toward their policy regarding the Turkish Genocide of the Armenians.

Best Regards, Sarkis Assadourian Member of the Canadian Parliament 1993-2004 Citizenship Judge 2005-2008

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Dear Mr. Assadourian Ottawa, Sept. 16, 2012.

I wish to thank you for coming to the Hungarian Embassy to discuss a burning issue, to seek my government’s position and my opinion. Let me express my gratitude for the candid conversation. In light of your opennes and positive approach to our discussion, I am glad to meet your request and make good my promise to reiterate in writing some of my major points, including mostly those I made in answer to your questions.

1. Contrary to some beliefs, Ramil Safarov was not released from prison, but was to be transferred from Budapest to another jail in his home country to continue his life term there.

2. No country likes to hold the citizen of another country forever. However, we took all possible precautions, given especially the hideous nature of the crime that had been committed. The negotiations, the preparations and the transfer itself took place in strict compliance with the provisions of international law.

3. As a crucial part of the „deal”, it was specifically agreed that the convict was to be held under conditions as he had been in Hungary i.e. in jail.

4. Any conjecture suggesting that there was some „shenanigan” (e.g. some secret financial deal) involved is totally wrong. It is a bizarre accusation as far as Hungary is concered, but it has been rejected by both governments.

5. Azerbaijan reneged on its word. Instead of beeing locked up in prison immediatelly, Safarov was pardoned, and was in fact received and celebrated as a national hero.

6. Hungary considers the Azeri act not only breach of law, but as abhorrent and morally unacceptable. 7. Hungary communicated this to Azerbaijan in unequivocal terms. Since, we have repeatedly voiced our grave

disappointment and disapproval. 8. It was in no way the intention of Hungary to insult Armenia and its people. It could not have been. Armenia

has for centuries a close friend of Hungary. We gave shelter to many thousands of her refugees throughout the centuries, and many of our citizens and compatriots still have a dual identity and are in other words good Armeniens and good Hungarians at the same time. This means that insulting Armenians would amount to insulting ourselves.

9. We deeply regret the suspending of diplomatic relations with our country. We will try to find and use every opportunity to re-establish and strenghten the friendly relations. One such opportunity seems to be arising with the help of Switzerland, which has offered to act as go-between in that process.

Once again, I appreciate your genuine interest in the details of this matter. Sincerely. Dr. László Pordány, Ambassador of Hungary

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Anti-American Protests Triggered by

Bad Movie or Bad Policy?

By Harut Sassounian Publisher, The California Courier

An amateurish US film mocking the Prophet Muhammad and denigrating Islam unleashed massive and

violent anti-American protests throughout the world last week.

The angry demonstrations turned deadly when unknown assailants attacked the American Consulate in

Benghazi, Libya, killing US Ambassador Chris Stevens and three staff members. Security forces in several

countries killed dozens of protesters as they burned American flags and scaled the walls of US Embassies.

Pouring more oil on the fire, initial reports falsely claimed that the movie was produced and financed by

Israelis. In fact, it was produced in Southern California by a Christian Egyptian convict whose film was severely

denounced by Bishop Serapion of the

Coptic Church in Los Angeles.

The real issue, however, goes beyond the vile movie and its reckless producer. The film simply served as a

pretext for protesters to express their pent up anti-American anger after decades of flawed and counter-productive

US foreign policies -- none of which justifies the killing of American diplomats and attacks on US Embassies.

The list of serious missteps by successive US administrations is lengthy enough to fill many volumes.

Whether it is called Arab Spring or Winter of Discontent, the down-trodden masses of third world countries have

finally erupted in anti-American rage, having long-endured oppressive tyrants backed by Washington. To achieve

short-term and shortsighted objectives, American policymakers often damage US interests in the long run.

Another regrettable US mistake is pouring billions of dollars into the pockets of corrupt foreign leaders, to prop up puppet regimes and buy their friendship. Unfortunately, very little of this US largesse has trickled down to the poor and needy. Ultimately, the masses overthrow the autocrats and take their anger on the nearest US target -- the American Embassy and the flag which symbolizes to them oppression and misery.

Lengthy congressional hearings are then held in Washington, as legislators wonder why so many foreign leaders have become anti-American and what their corrupt predecessors have done with billions of dollars in US foreign aid? Instead of taking steps to ensure that the assistance provided by the United States reaches the neediest segments of society, Congress often threatens to cut off all aid to teach the new leaders a lesson, thereby antagonizing them even more!

Most problematic is the risky role the United States plays in regional conflicts. Due to misperceived interests, American officials too often throw their weight around, rushing headlong into unnecessary wars or taking one-sided positions, whereas a more balanced approach would be more productive in peacefully mediating these conflicts.

Caution is particularly necessary during an election year, when US presidential candidates make overly partisan statements to pander to the interests of diverse constituencies. A careless remark can have far-reaching consequences, tarnishing America’s image and alienating millions of people around the world.

Most Arabs and Muslims are convinced that America has not been an honest broker in the Arab-Israeli conflict. As a result, they harbor great resentment and deep-seated anger toward the United States. Any provocation, such as burning the Koran or making anti-Muslim movies, triggers a violent reaction. While US laws protect even the vilest forms of speech, people must realize that words have consequences; and just because it is legal to say something, it may not be prudent to do so!

However, in all fairness, not every hostile act in the world should be blamed on US foreign policies. There are extremists in every race, religion, and nation motivated by hostile ideologies with the sole aim of causing indiscriminate destruction. Regrettably, Western governments and societies often mistakenly blame everyone who shares the racial and religious affiliation of few extremists, thereby antagonizing millions of peaceful citizens.

Fortunately, there is no shortage of learned scholars in academia and experts in governmental agencies who can advise and educate US leaders, many lacking basic knowledge of world affairs. A case in point is a conversation Pres. George W. Bush had with three Iraqi-Americans. When the President was informed about the existence of different Islamic sects in Iraq, he reportedly told his guests that he did not know there were Sunnis and Shias in that country. “I thought the Iraqis were Muslims,” he was quoted as saying!

While bad movies can trigger short-term outbreaks of violence, bad foreign policies can cause long-term damage to US national interests.

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