NEWS INBRIEF US House Panel Tells
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JULY 30, 2011 MirTHE rARoMENr IAN -Spe ctator Volume LXXXII, NO. 3, Issue 4197 $ 2.00 NEWS IN BRIEF The First English Language Armenian Weekly in the United States Wikileaks Releases Turkish Cable on Armenian Genocide BEIRUT (Tert.am) — Wikileaks has released a cable from the US Consulate in Istanbul dated July 12, 2004, containing Turkish and foreign historians comments on the Turkish govern - ment’s policy of denying the Armenian Genocide, the Lebanon-based Al Joumhouria newspaper Armenia Wins World Chess Team Championship in China reports. According to the cable, the admission of the Armenian Genocide by Turkey is a major obsta - By Hovannes Shoghikian cle to Armenian-Turkish reconciliation. Armenian and other researchers have reason - able doubts over the preservation of archives. NINGBO, China (RFE/RL) — Armenia Prof. Halil Berktay reported at least two won the 2011 World Chess Team attempts to clear the archives of the documents Championship in China on Tuesday, July on crimes against Armenians. 26, solidifying its internationally-recog - In 1991, several high-ranking Turkish military nized status as a chess powerhouse. officials reported an attempted stealing of a The championship, held in the Chinese number of documents from 1918. city of Ningbo, was contested by the Berktay believes that the second attempt was national teams of the world’s 10 leading made when Turgut Ozal, then president of chess nations, including Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, announced his intention to open the India and Azerbaijan. archives. The Armenian team led by Levon Some historians believe that the archive is Aronian, the world’s third-highest-ranked being constantly cleared of documents on the chess player, dominated throughout the Armenian Issue, the cable says. 12-day tournament, winning five games and drawing the four others. It sealed the title with a draw against Ukraine in the Armenia vs. Ukraine Condolences Sent to final round of the competition. The team mostly consisted of players who Norway Leaders won two consecutive world Chess Olympiads Chess has been one of Armenia’s most country currently boasts one of the YEREVAN (news.am) — President of Armenia in 2006 and 2008. Those victories earned popular sports ever since Tigran largest per-capita numbers of chess grand - Serge Sargisian offered his condolences to King them domestic stardom comparable to the Petrosian, a Tbilisi-born Armenian, masters in the world. Harald V of Norway and Prime Minister Yens popularity of the world’s leading athletes. became a world champion in 1963. The see CHAMPS, page 16 Stoltenberg on the tragic assassination of more than 90 persons in Oslo and Utoya Island. Sargisian said that in this difficult hour the Armenian people stand by the people of Norway US House Panel Tells Turkey to Dink Murderer and share their pain. Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian released a statement, saying in part, “We express our con - Safeguard Christian Heritage Sentenced to dolences and support to the families of the vic - tims, the friendly people and government of WASHINGTON (RFE/RL) — In an serve, reconstruct and repair” those prop - 23 Years Norway. ” amendment to a spending bill welcomed by erties “without hindrance or restriction.” Armenian-American lobby groups but “Religious minorities are under grave ISTANBUL (BBC) — The Turkish killer opposed by Ankara, the House Foreign threat in today’s Turkey,” the AFP news of the ethnic-Armenian journalist Hrant Armenia and Spain Affairs Committee said the Turkish author - agency quoted Rep. Ed Royce, a Dink has been sentenced to nearly 23 Sign Air Travel ities should “end all forms of religious dis - Republican from California, as saying dur - years in prison. crimination” of the country’s Christian ing a committee debate. Samast, a Turkish ultra-nationalist, Agreement minorities. The Turkish government was quick to was 17 when he carried out the killing in The legislation says that they should criticize the measure. “Turkey opposes the January 2007. MADRID (Armenpress) — Agreements were “return to their rightful owners all language in the measure because it pre - A panel of judges signed this week at the Economic Development Christian churches and other places of wor - sents a biased, one-sided perspective and sentenced him to life Ministry of Spain regarding air travel between ship, monasteries, schools, hospitals, monu - wholly disregards the constructive steps imprisonment, but that nation and Armenia. ments, relics, holy sites and other religious Turkey has taken to safeguard and expand commuted the term The agreement signed between the countries properties.” It says the Armenian, Greek religious freedom and tolerance and to because he was a gives an opportunity to establish regular flights and Syriac minorities must be able to “pre - see SAFEGUARDS, page 16 minor at the time. between the capitals of the two countries. On August 4, the first Yerevan-Madrid flight Dink was the editor Hrant Dink of the bilingual news - will take place. TCA Board Meets with California Chapters paper Agos , and had been prosecuted and convicted of deni - LOS ANGELES — Tekeyan Cultural bers of Tekeyan Cultural Association Los grating “Turkishness.” Association Inc. Central Board of Directors Angeles and Pasadena/Glendale chapters, His offence was describing the mass INSI DE held numerous meetings with local chap - as well as members of Beshgetourian killing of Armenians by Ottoman forces ters’ executive committees and trustees of Caretaking Committee. in the early 20th century as a genocide. the TCA Arshag Dickranian School. Kevork Keushkerian, chairman of the He was shot dead by Samast outside On Sunday, June 26, at the Tekeyan Caretaking Committee, welcomed the mem - his office in Istanbul. Paros Brings Cultural Association’s Beshgetourian bers and invited Dr. Haroutune Several other people are also being Cultural Center in Altadena, board mem - Arzoumanian, president of the Central tried for conspiracy over Dink’s killing. Hope to bers met with executive committee mem - Board, to open the meeting. Arzoumanian Dink’s lawyer, Fethiye Cetin, said the made a brief analysis of all sentence sent a strong signal. the activities of the associa - “Ogun Samast and other suspects Armenia tion for the last year, con - were not expecting this sentence. This gratulated the California could ruin their hope of being freed page 12 chapters and the soon,” he told Reuters. “This is very Beshgetourian Caretaking important to deter this sort of crime.” Committee members for a The European Court of Human Rights job well done, especially the ruled last year that Turkey had failed to renovation of the center, protect Dink, despite being warned that INDEX and encouraged them to ultra-nationalists were plotting to kill Armenia . 2, 3 maintain the level of their him. Community News. 4 activities, despite the Editorial . 13 In June, a Turkish court gave two mil - International . 4 Participants of TCA California Chapter executive members and unprecedented litigation itary officers and four other officials jail TCA Central Board of Directors against the TCA. sentences for failing to act on the intelli - see TCA, page 16 gence. 2 S ATURDAY , JULY 30, 2011 T HE A RMENIAN M IRROR -S PECTATOR ARMENIA News From Armenia US, Armenian Militaries Plan First-Ever Joint Drills YEREVAN (RFE/RL) — The United reached a “preliminary agreement to now trained together only in multina - States and Armenia have tentatively hold joint exercises of peacekeeping tional exercises organized by NATO. agreed to hold first-ever joint military forces of the two countries in Armenia Armenia has hosted two such exercises Armenian MP Accuses exercises that will highlight their grow - in 2012-2013.” The drills will help to in recent years. Turkish Foreign Minister ing security ties, the Armenian Defense improve the interop - Ministry announced on Friday. erability of those Of Cynicism Ministry spokesman Davit Karapetian forces, he said. said that the drills will likely take place “This is very YEREVAN — Nations, not states have diasporas, next year or in 2013 and involve US and important consider - Secretary of the Republican Party of Armenia Armenian troops engaged in multina - ing the peacekeep - (RPA) Eduard Sharmazanov stated, commenting on tional “peacekeeping” operations. He ing operations car - Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet said an agreement to that effect was ried out by US and Davutoglu’s “impressive” remark that “Armenians finalized during US-Armenian “defense Armenian troops in are Turkey’s diaspora.” consultations” held in Washington this Afghanistan,” “What cynicism one must have to make claims to week. added the ministry the diaspora, which formed as a result of genocide US Assistant Secretary of Defense spokesman. and forced displacement,” Sharmazanov stressed. Alexander Vershbow and his deputy, Armenia last Celeste Wallander, held the two-day month almost Chess to Be Taught at talks with an Armenian delegation tripled its participa - headed by First Deputy Defense Davit tion in NATO’s Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian (center) and his first Tonoyan. International Schools in Armenia deputy Davit Tonoyan (right) inspect Armenian troops in Tonoyan also met separately with US Security Assistance Afghanistan, July 24. YEREVAN (Aysor.am) — The government has made Undersecretary of Defense Michele Force (ISAF) for amendments to its previous decision to provide Flournoy and Eric Rubin, the new Afghanistan and chess lessons in comprehensive schools for the deputy assistant secretary of state