phantom22

Dave, The restoration of the stones is slip-shod restoration, not a pre-conceived determination by the Turks to destroy the character of Ani. The British and the French have the best experts in this field. I am VERY concerned that the Armenian authorities will also botch any restorations in the ROA. As for trying to present Ani as a Turkish city, what else is new? When have the achievements of their Armenian citizens ever been recognized by the Republic of Turkey? Only the successful madam and the high government officials under the Sultans (used for propaganda purposes). The Turks conveniently forget what happened to these men and their families in 1915. I reiterate about the hysteria in Turkey when it was revealed that a loved and respected aviator, adopted by Ataturk, was an Armenian.

What other rational option is there but to join with Europe? Mass conversion to Islam? Turkifying ourselves to satisfy the Pan-Turanists who want to see a Turkish state from the Bosphorus to the outskirts of Beijing?

There is more to the Israeli-Turkey alliance than meets the eye. The facts are presently unravelling, thanks to a young Turk. Israel is NOT supporting Turkey. Israel IS Turkey in terms of intelligence and foreign policy.

Anna Queen (English version of Anahid Takouhi), you should organize a group at your church or Armenian youth group to open dialogue between young women and men of Armenian heritage.

Mainly most women's approach to shopping, excessve posessiveness and control of their men.

Sip, I agree with you that this group of males is very progressive toward women, but it still irks me when some stupid comment is made. Mind you the typical woman's approach to the world also drives me nuts.

Hey Sip, I have been around here long enough to KNOW that Armen's comments are the thoughts felt by some others. Do you not remember Artur who was a notorious male chauvinist? How about Accelerated? etc. etc. I feel no shame because I have been around Armenians since I was 18. It was mainly the American Armenians who uniformly respected women. With the others-Libanahyes, Barskayes, Hyastancis it was "hit and miss."

You are welcome, Anahid Takouhi. Here is some more advice for these guys. Educated and sensitive men look at the whole woman, and I don't mean only her body or her looks. They look at the woman's intelligence and ability to instill education in any prospective children. They respect the woman for any knowledge she has gained through education. It is called chanelling part of the cave-man inside us all, otherwise we end up like the Taliban. Armenians should look to Europe and not the lands to their south for guidance in their affairs with women.

Shame on you Armenian guys! Anahid Takouhi makes a serious point and you treat it like a joke. Where is your respect for the thoughts of women? So you think that they are here on the face of this earth only to wear mini-skirts so that your ------gets aroused?

Is this your doctor's prognosis?

Aaron, I think that it is best that the leadership emerge from the diaspora. The governmental apparatus in the ROA is too much a leftover from Soviet days. Greece, Georgia, Latvia, Israel have all had excellent leaders from their diaspora. When Kocharian retires, a diaspora Armenian is waiting in the wings. More like him should emerge and pull the ROA toward the West. I can not envision the ROA drifting toward the Islamic world, which is increasingly becoming a series of theocracies, or remaining as a province of Russia.

Now I know why the Israeli security forces detained me at Ben Gurion Airport. While I have been a supporter of Israel, I did not realize that they are ONE with Turkey. My brother and I with my overseas cousins legitimately own a critical part of Turkey. Please see link to Sibel Edmonds interview below. http://www.libertypost.org/cgi-bin/readart...2&Disp=Refresh&

There has been no correspondence as of this date August 18, 2005. From what I understand, the committee will be first be sending out letters of acknowledgement of claim along with a request for additional information if deemed necessary. They have received numerous claims and have to ascertain who had policies and who did not, which were paid and which were not. It is a long process. Perhaps something will be heard by the end of the year.

Aaron, I have sent money to Armenian causes in Armenia, and have luckily seen positive results of my donations. I have also visited Armenia and have spent tourist dollars there. As for going there and making a personal contribution toward improving the country, it just won't happen. I have worked in a career similar to Monte's and could make a contribution, but I can not re-enter Armenia until a Western European type Armenian leader emerges. I wait for that day.

The key here is to look at the timing involved in this case - 1919. Zohrab saved Talaat's life BEFORE what the Turks call "the events of 1915." This gave him no protection as it was the Triumvirate that ordered his execution. My ancestors illustrious service to the Ottoman state also meant nothing, as they were also brutally executed in the most barbarous way. To have done this in 1919 is unconscionable. Head of the Ottoman Bank? What role did he have in the confiscation of his fellow Armenian's assets?

Persons such as these are TRULY traitors to our national cause. Others who some of you consider traitors because they have married an odar, become Pochcagans or have beliefs or feelings different that yours are not traitors unless they have been traitors to the national cause. Interesting that some of you would place a person such as myself in the same class as this Berch.

Krikor Zohrab saved Talaat's life and was murdered anyway. That should have been a lesson for this Berj (Berch). 1919? After so many of his fellow Armenians, including my ancestors, who had served the Ottomans so well and upon whom they had lavished very expensive gifts, were annihilated.

Arpa, Your point about the Turks getting the cold shoulder from their so-called ethnic kin in Central Asia is well taken. These nations feel more brotherhood with Armenia, another post-Soviet state than they feel with Turkey. Now Turkey may be rejected by Europe. They may not get full EU membership. Where will they go? Will the Arab world open their arms to the Turks? I doubt it. I guess they have Israel and the US. Can you run an adequate foreign policy with only two real allies on this earth?

Is the judicial system in Armenia based upon historical precepts or is it a SOVIET system?

I think that you wrote just enough for them to re-assess what they wrote. They can reflect on this.

Arpa, Your observations are VERY astute. Armenia is FOR SALE. Parkland is commandeered so that friends of the President can build luxury hotels on the land. A historic structure in Yerevan housing a scientific institute is razed so that an in-town residence can be constructed for the Catholicos. The AGBU builds factories in Armenia and then the adminstration sells them to the highest bidder. The books have probably been stolen from the Matenadaran or some other public library. Most "abush" American Armenians would not try to pull off this kind of stuff, but for Hayastancis it is a common practice. I was recently in court. The opposing attorney was successful in making it look like I was a crook. How did he accompish this you may ask? He asked me on the stand the reason that my physician, attorneys and associations were with Armenians. I do not have an Armenian name and do not look particularly Armenian. Despite the protestations of my attorney and the request of the judge that this line of questioning cease, in an odar court the jury was very swayed by these revelations. What the Hyastancis have done is create problems for us American Armenians. It is not their fault, for in the Soviet Union one had to deal in the "black market" to survive. Now they have put all the Armenian treasures, parks, AGBU factories donated to help the working class, cultural buildings and EVEN books from the Matenadaran up for sale.

Gams, Aboush chenk! We have been raised in a nation where to survive and succeed requires a different value system than that in the part of the world where Armenia is. America has taught us how to prosper here under the laws of the United States. It is only the present administration in Washington and the Nixon administration that considered themselves above the law. Nowhere in the US Constitution does it state that the President can not have an extra-marital affair (Clinton). Now it has been revealed that Hastert made Clinton the fall-guy re: the Genocide Resolution in 2000. Raffi Hovanissian would make a great Armenian President. He would do for Armenia what other Americans, Golda Meir of Israel, the President of Georgia, Papandreou of Greece and the current American President of Estonia have done- IMPROVE THEIR NATIONS.

hytga, An obscure Duke University graduate student now has the most imminent scholars in Armenia, Turkey and the US clamoring for his release. The 1996 Republican nominee for President of the USA has written on is behalf. His name is plastered in newspapers around the world. Even Peter Balakian doesn't have this kind of media coverage. Even if the Armenian authorities convict him, he has made his mark. I guess he is reveling in all the publicity. If the Armenian authorities want to make fools of themselves, it is their fault not his.

Mosjan, Perhaps this can be achieved by close monitoring of the next election by international monitors. Then we can have a change of regime peacefully. Armenia seems to be taking lessons from Israel. The Israelis detained me at Ben Gurion Airport. I do not know to this day what I did wrong. Was it the tour excursion I took into the Palestinian territories? Was it because I refused to eat anything prepared in the Palestinian areas? Was it because I had spent all my tourist dollars in Israeli restaurants? Was it because I went to Yad Vashem to see the names of my relatives who had saved Jews ? Was it because I had purchased books there to learn about the culture of the people my relatives had married into? Was it because I was trying to solve the riddle of my great-grandfather's Jewish heritage? Perhaps it was because a trip to Armenia was stamped in my passport. Why is Armenia holding Turkyilmaz, who is a friend of the Armenian cause? Is it because he is a Turkish Kurd? Does the NSS have anything more on this Turkish scholar? If nothing else than removing books without permission, fine him a punishment commensurate with his transgression and put an end to this kangaroo-court. Then get on the international media and let the world know that Armenia will not emulate Turkey where an Armenian editor and a Kurdish attorney have been put on trial for telling the truth.

The Najarian fiasco, public lands in the ROA being commandeered by close associates of the current administration, the beating death of Poghosyan by security forces, etc. etc. Now this Turkyilmaz fiasco which is jeopardizing the long and hard efforts toward Genocide recognition and some thawing of relations with Turkey. Rose and Orange we have seen come to pass. Forces for an apricot revolution are rising. If the ROA authorities lose the diaspora 's support, holding on to power will become more difficult. The situation is coming to a "critical mass."