hyecory

CANADIAN SENATE PUTS ANOTHER NAIL IN THE COFFIN OF TURKISH DENIALS Canada, as the junior partner of the United States, often follows its lead on major world issues, including, regrettably, its shameful denial of the Armenian Genocide. For many decades, Canadian-Armenians, like their compatriots in the United States, have been petitioning their government unsuccessfully for the official recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Canadian politicians, as their American counterparts, made campaign promises to acknowledge the Genocide- which they did not keep. Successive Canadian Prime Ministers, in their annual commemorative statements, used every word in the English dictionary except genocide to describe "the tragic events of 1915."Finally, the Canadian wall of denial started cracking a bit when in 1980the National Assembly of Quebec and the Legislative Assembly of Ontario recognized the Armenian Genocide. The Canadian Parliament and Senate, however, continued to obstruct all attempts to commemorate the Armenian Genocide. The Armenian community of Canada finally scored a major victory last week when the overwhelming majority of the Senate adopted a motion to recognize the Armenian Genocide, despite all kinds of pressures and threats by the Turkish Embassy in Ottawa. On June 13, 2002, by a vote of 39-1, the Senators, called upon the Government of Canada: "a) to recognize the genocide of the Armenians and to condemn any attempt to deny or distort a historical truth as being anything less than a genocide, a crime against humanity; and to designate April 24th of every year hereafter through out Canada as a day of remembrance of the 1.5 million Armenians who fell victim to the first genocide of the 20th century." Significantly, the Canadian Senate not only condemned the crimes of the Ottoman Turks, but also today's "government of the Republic of Turkey" as it "distorts the historical record and denies that the Armenian Genocide took place. "The Turkish government has remained uncharacteristically silent in order to hide from the Turkish public its embarrassing defeat in the Canadian Senate. The Turkish Ambassador in Ottawa has refused to respond to questions from Canadian reporters on this subject, preferring to make his protests behind closed doors. In a few days, however, when the Turkish media discovers that the Turkish Ambassador in Canada is trying to hide his country's devastating defeat in the Canadian Senate, it will question the competence of the Ambassador and ask for his replacement. The Turkish government and the media will then issue the usual threats to boycott Canadian products. Turkish newspapers will publish a few nasty editorials. The government will send a group of Turkish demonstrators to the Canadian Embassy in Ankara to throw a few tomatoes at its windows. But within a matter of weeks, if not days, as in the case of France, the Turkish temper tantrum will die down and the Turks will realize that they cannot expect the rest of the world, particularly the major powers, to continue covering up the Turkish lies year after year! In the meantime, the struggle for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide is not yet over in Canada. The Parliament will shortly consider a similar measure as the Senate. Only then will the Canadian government go on record as having officially recognized the Armenian Genocide. When that happens, the United States will have the dubious distinction of being the only major country that continues to side with the Turkish deniers of history. But, for how long? By Harut Sassounian, California Courier Publisher © Copyright AZG

An Armenian did a hit an run on Pushkins mom ,didnt even pay the hoe, thats why Pushkin hated Armenians so much.

"The great Turk is governing in peace twenty nations from different religions. Turks have taught to Christians how to be moderate in peace and gentle in victory."Voltaire's Philosophical Dictionary The Ottoman Centuries by Lord kinross pg. 557 When the Armenians Refused to submit to this double exation, Turkish troops were called into the area, in close concert with the kurdish tribesman. Soon they were indiscriminatly sloughtering the helpless Armenians. The soldiers pursued them throughout the length and breathed of the region, hunting them "like wild beasts" up the vallys and into the mountains, respecting no surrender, bayoneting the men to death, raping the woman, dashing their children against rocks, burning to ashes the villages from which the had fled. For this operation the Turksih commander, zeki *****, was awarded an appropriate gratuity by the sultan... Meanwhile, the Armenians themselves, led by the Hanchaks staged a demostration as they marched through the city of Istanbul to present a petition to the potre. Voicing their protest and demanding for reform....the demostration got out of hand when one of them (from sasun) shouted "liberty or death!" The cry was taken up by the rest, breaking into a revolutionary song and provoking internvention by the police, who bludgeoned many of them to death on the spot. Meanwhile, the fanatical moslem elements, without police interventin, ran wild through the streets, rooting out Armenians and saughtering them with clubs... pg. 558 This heralded throughout eastern Turkey a series of organized massacres, coinciding with the Sultan pretending acceptence of a new plan from the powers for Armenian reform. A telltale feature of them began and ended, as a matter of routin, with a bugle call, like any planned military operation....Their tactics were based on the sultans principle of kindling religious fanaticism among the moslem population. abdul hamids briefed agents, whom he sent to Armenia with specific instructions as to how they should act. It became their normal routine first to assemble the moslem population in the largets mosque in a town, then to declare in the name of the sultan, that the Armenians were in general revolt with the aim of striking at islam. Their sultan enjoined them as good moslems to defend their faith against these infidel rebels. He propounded the precept that under the holey law the property of rebels might be looted by believers, encouraging moslems to enrich themselves in the name of their faith at the expense of their christian neighbours, and in the event of resisitance, to kill them. Hence, throughout Armenia "the attack of an ever increasing pack of wolves against sheeps"... page after page, it goes on and on, Armenians being slaughterd, Armenians being butcherd... Anyway, here is the Ottoman bank raid. In August, 1896, the succesion of Armenian massacre culminated in Istanbul itself. Once again, as in the Previous year, the turkish authorities were presented with a pretext for action by an Armenian revolutionary group. A small body of dashnaks was so bold as to enter the Ottoman Bank, the stronghold of European capitalists eneterprise, during lunch hour, for the ostensible purpose of changing money. Porters accompanying them carried sacks which contained, so they pretended, gold nd silver coinage. Then at the blast of a while twent-five armed men followed the into the bank, firing their guns and revealing that the sacks in fact were filled with bombs, ammunition, and dynamite. They declared that they were not bank robbers but Armenian petriots, and that the motive of their action was to bring their grievances, which they specified in two documents, to the attention of the six European embassies, putting forward demands for political reform and declaring that, in that absence of foreign intervention with in forty eight hours, they would"shrink from the sacrafice" and blow up the bank. Meanwhile, its chief director, sir Edgar Vincent, had prudantly escaped through a skylight into an adjoining building. While his colleagues were held hostages, he hence proceeded to sublime porte. He she ensured that no police attack should be made on the dashnaks while they remained in the bank. Thus he secured for them permission to nagotiate. The negotiation was the first dragoman of the Russian embassy, who after gaining for them a free pardon from the sultan a permission to leave the country, addressed them at lenght with some eloquensce. finally, with assurance of talks to come, he persuaded them to leave the bank. Retaining their arms but relinguishing their bombs, they proceeded quietly on board sir edgars Vincents yacht, later to be conveyed into exile in France. As young men of(btw, their leader was 17 years old) ideals inexperienced in the wiles of political agitation, they had failed to benefit their friends and played in the hands of their enemies. For two days the streets ran with blood as gangs of undisciplined ruffians, religiuos fanatics, and savage irregulars raged through the Armenian quarter of the capital, brandishing murderous cudgals and knives and iron bars. With out interference from the police or the soldiery, and indeed with their evident connivance and help, they bludgoaned to death every Armenian who crossed their path, breaking into houses to kill all that hid there, and leaving strewn everywhere, a total of some six thousand corpses. The Ottoman Centuries by Lord kinross http://i.walmart.com/i/p/09/78/06/88/08/0978068808093_500X500.jpg

Some behinde the scene footages, click on ARARAT watch it: http://www.citytv.com/movietv/

quote:Originally posted by Azat:A woman is having a 'little fun' with her lover during the day, while her husband is at work. Her 9 year old son comes home unexpectedly, so she puts him in the closet and shuts the door. Her husband also comes home, so she puts her lover in the closet, with the little boy. The little boy says, "Dark in here." The man says, "Yes, it is." Boy - "I have a baseball." Man - "That's nice." Boy - "Want to buy it?" Man - "No, thanks." Boy - "My dad's outside." Man - "OK, how much?" Boy - "$250" In the next few weeks, it happens again that the boy and the lover are in the closet together. Boy - "Dark in here." Man - "Yes, it is." Boy - "I have a baseball glove." The lover remembering the last time, asks the boy, "How much?" Boy - "$750" Man - "Fine." A few days later, the father says to the boy, "Grab your glove, let's go outside and have a game of catch." The boy says,"I can't, I sold my baseball and my glove." The father asks, "How much did you sell them for?" Boy - "$1,000" The father says, "That's terrible to overcharge your friends like that...that is way more than those two things cost. I'm going to take you to church and make you confess." They go to the church and the father makes the little boy sit in the confession booth and he closes the door. The boy says, "Dark in here." The priest says, "Don't start that shit again." looooooooool that was funny, sounded like something from shot ghazaryans film.

Russian Mafia RUSSIAN ORGANIZED CRIME (ROC) Introduction Russian organized crime has become a significant problem for California law enforcement agencies. During the past several years, some Russian emigres have established a growing number of loosely structured criminal networks in this state that are involved in sophisticated criminal activities. The law enforcement intelligence community has also become aware of at least four structured Russian criminal organizations operating in California. Russian organized crime includes crime groups from all the republics which comprised the former Soviet Union. These crime groups are operating in many of the major cities in California including Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento, and San Diego. Russian crime figures have been identified in cases involving extortion, prostitution, insurance and medical fraud, auto theft, counterfeiting, credit card forgery, narcotics trafficking, fuel tax fraud, money laundering, and murder. Russian organized crime networks are also operating in New York, Boston, Chicago, Miami, Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Seattle. Many of the California-based networks communicate and, in many cases, are connected with these out-of-state groups in their criminal activities. Organized Crime in the Former Soviet Union Many Russian organized crime groups in the United States have ties to organized crime groups in Russia. A report on organized crime presented to President Boris Yeltsin by Russia's Analytical Center for Social and Economic Policies, stated "The growth of organized crime threatens the political and economic development of Russia and creates conditions that could help bring the national socialists to power." An estimated 80 percent of the private enterprises and commercial banks in Russia's major cities are forced to pay a tribute of 10 to 20 percent of their profits to organized crime. On April 21, 1994, during a Senate hearing, CIA Director R. James Woolsey said, "Organized crime is so rampant in Russia that it threatens Boris Yeltsin's presidency and raises concern that syndicates will obtain and smuggle Russian nuclear weapons to terrorists or foreign agents." Wooisey revealed that organized crime syndicates from Russia, Asia, and Africa are forming alliances with traditional Italian and Latin American organizations, creating a formidable threat to international peace and stability. In recognition of this threat, the FBI recently established a Moscow office that will focus on Russian organized crime encroachment into the United States along with the potentially disastrous threat of trafficking in nuclear weapons. U.S. Aftorney General Janet Reno has named Russian organized crime groups in the United States a priority target for the U.S. Department of Justice. Law enforcement agencies throughout the U.S. now consider Russian organized crime a major threat and are developing strategies and forming task forces to counter that threat. Historical Perspective During the 1970s and 1980s, according to the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, approximately 200,000 Soviet citizens, many who were Russian-Jewish refugees, immigrated to the U.S. Although the Soviet government liberalized its Jewish immigration policy, it is believed that under this guise the KGB also emptied their prisons of hard-core criminals, much like Cuban dictator Fidel Castro did during the Mariel boatlift of 1980. Many of these criminals are believed to have continued their life of crime in the United States. The flow of Soviet refugees increased following congressional enactment of the Lautenberg Amendment in November 1989, which allows up to 50,000 Soviet refugees to enter the U.S. each year. This was followed by the adoption in May 1991, of Russia's first law granting its citizens the right to immigrate and travel freely. In 1994, according to the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, the majority of former Soviet emigres and refugees entering the U.S. declared as their intended state of residence New York, followed by California, Washington, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, and Oregon. According to an April 1986 report by the President's Commission on Organized Crime, the first indication of an organized crime element among Russian immigrants came in 1975 when a gang from the Odessa region of Russia was discovered to be involved in major fraud. The victims were other Russians living throughout the United States. The group became known as the "Potato Bag Gang" because victims believed they had bought a sack of gold coins but actually received only a bag of potatoes. Soviet criminal networks gradually expanded into other criminal activities such as extortion, theft, prostitution, and actively preyed upon newly arriving groups of Russian emigres by extorting money from them. The Brighton Beach area of New York City became the hub for Russian organized crime in this country during the mid-1970s. There, Russian criminals developed a working relationship with the La Cosa Nostra (LCN) which allowed them to establish fuel tax fraud schemes in certain areas of New York. The LCN forced the Russian criminals involved in these frauds to pay a large portion of their proceeds as a "tax" to operate. Organization and Structure Russian Organized Crime Groups and Structure in Russia - In early 1993, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs reported there were over 5,000 organized crime groups operating in Russia. These groups were comprised of an estimated 100,000 members with a leadership of 18,000. Although Russian authorities have currently identified over 5,000 criminal groups in that country, Russian officials believe that only approximately 300 of those have some identifiable structure. Organized crime groups in Russia are not nearly as structured as those in the U.S., such as the LCN. Knowledgeable sources within the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) have provided one model of the structure of groups in Russia. The principle behind this structure is to minimize contact with other cells that could lead to the identification of the entire organization. Each boss, called a "pakhan," controls four criminal cells through an intermediary called a "brigadier." The boss employs two spies that watch over the action of the brigadier to ensure loyalty and that he does not get too powerful. At the bottom of the structure are criminal cells specializing in various types of criminal activity or functions such as drugs, prostitution, political contacts, and "enforcers." A similar structure places an elite leadership on top which is buffered by support and security personnel from the street operators who are commifting the crimes. Street operators are not privy to the identity of their leadership. Strategy and planning is done only at the top echelon in order to minimize the risk of detection. According to law enforcement sources, those structures described above would fall into the old style of Soviet criminal enterprises. It is quite possible as organized crime has changed in Russia, so has the structure of these groups. Thieves' Code of Conduct - There is a traditional code of conduct within this old style of organized crime in Russia called "Vory v Zakone," or thieves in law. This group existed throughout the Soviet era and continues today throughout the republics of the former Soviet Union. In this society the thieves in law live and obey the "Vorovskoy Zakon," the thieves' code. The members are bound by 18 codes and if they are broken, the transgression is punishable by death. Law enforcement officials in the former Soviet Union indicate that most of the organized crime groups are well organized with sophisticated technical equipment, computers, transportation, financial support, and an excellent counterintelligence network. Those groups are involved in extortion, precious metal and raw material smuggling, money laundering, fraud, weapons smuggling, narcotics trafficking, and black marketing. The Thieves' Code A thief is bound by the Code to: Forsake his relatives--mother, father, brothers, sisters... Not have a family of his own -- no wife, no children; this does not however, preclude him from having a lover. Never, under any circumstances work, no mafter how much difficulty this brings-, live only on means gleaned from thievery. Help other thieves -- both by moral and material support, utilizing the commune of thieves. Keep secret information about the whereabouts of accomplices (i.e. dens, districts, hideouts, safe apartments, etc.). In unavoidable situations (if a thief is under investigation) to take the blame for someone else's crime; this buys the other person time of freedom. Demand a convocation of inquiry for the purpose of resolving disputes in the event of a conflict between oneself and other thieves, or between thieves. If necessary, participate in such inquiries. Carry out the punishment of the offending thief as decided by the convocation. Not resist carrying out the decision of punishing the offending thief who is found guilty, with punishment determined by the convocation. Have good command of the thieves'jargon ("Fehnay"). Not gamble without being abie to cover losses. Teach the trade to young beginners. Have, if possible, informants from the rank and file of thieves. Not lose your reasoning ability when using alcohol. Have nothing to do with the authorities (particularly with the ITU [Correctional Labor Authority]), not participate in public activities, nor join any community organizations. Not take weapons from the hands of authorities; not serve in the military. Make good on promises given to other thieves. Translated from: Dictionary: Prison, Camp, Blotnoi, Jargon (Speech and Graphic Portraits of Soviet Prisons) Authors-compilers: Dantsik Sergeyevich Baldaev, Vladimir Kuz'mich Belko, and Igor Mikhailovich Isupov. (Occupation of authors unknown.) Russian Organized Crime Groups in the United States Although Russian organized crime activity in the United States has been expanding for the past 20 years, its most significant growth has occurred during the past five years. In August 1993, the FBI reported there were 15 organized crime groups in the United States with former Soviet ethnic origins. There is considerable debate in the law enforcement community as to the level of organization and structure of Russian organized crime groups in the United States. Additionally, many of the Russian emigres who are involved in criminal activity in this country may be career criminals specializing in crime areas having little or nothing to do with Russian organized crime groups. Current information indicates that most Russian organized crime groups are loosely organized and do not have elaborate levels of structure. These groups are often influenced by their ethnic or regional backgrounds. They have formed networks that operate in situations of mutual interest and often shift alliances to meet particular needs. There is ample information that Russian crime groups operating on the East Coast cooperate and communicate with West Coast groups. Additionally, Russian organized crime groups in the U.S. communicate and operate with organized crime groups in Russia. FBI Director Louis Freeh stated that over 200 of Russia's 6,000-odd crime gangs operate with American counterparts in 17 U.S. cities in 14 states. According to intelligence reports, members of criminal groups in Russia are sent to reinforce and consolidate links between groups in Russia and the United States. Russian organized crime figures are also sent to this country to perform a service such as a gangland murder or extortion. The following example provides some insight into this activity. According to law enforcement sources, Vyatcheslav Ivankov ("Little Japanese") a Russian organized crime leader, was believed to have traveled to the United States to organize ROC groups in the U.S. and establish links to ROC groups in the former Soviet Union. Ivankov is considered to be a highranking organized crime leader, or thief in law, both in Russia and the U.S. Ivankov was arrested in Brooklyn, New York, on June 8, 1995, for trying to extort $3.5 million from a Wall Street investment firm. Vyatcheslav Ivankov Some descriptions of the more publicized Russian organized crime groups in the United States are as follows: According to law enforcement sources, there are approximately 300 former Soviet Union crime figures and associates in the San Francisco Bay Area, including San Jose. There are approximately 600 to 800 Russian crime figures and associates in the Los Angeles area, home to the second largest number of Russian immigrants in the United States. These figures include members of the Russian and Armenian organized crime groups. Northern California Auto Theft Group - A Northern California auto theft group came to the attention of law enforcement personnel in Sacramento and other parts of Northern California, Oregon, and Washington State in early 1993. This group is primarily made up of blue collar type workers from the Ukraine and Western Russia. Specializing in auto theft and VIN switching, younger members of this group steal vehicles while the older members operate body shops. This group utilizes Interstate 5 to travel to Oregon and Washington to sell the stolen vehicle parts to other Ukrainian and Russian criminals. Additionally, this group is becoming involved in extortion, cellular telephone fraud, prostitution, and trafficking small amounts of narcotics. Group members have been known to carry weapons and are becoming increasingly violent. This group does not appear to have any clear cut, well defined structure, though its members appear to have formed networks and cooperate with each other in their criminal endeavors. Odessa Mafia - The Odessa Mafia is considered the dominant Russian organized crime group in the United States. This group established itself in the Brighton Beach area of New York City between 1975 to 1981. In the early 1980s the Odessa Mafia sent two sub-groups to San Francisco and Los Angeles with their leadership remaining in Brighton Beach. The San Francisco Bay Area Odessa Mafia group, unlike their southern counterpart, appear to be highly structured and well organized. Secrecy surrounds their activities and the language barrier creates additional problems for law enforcement authorities. This has resulted in very liftle information concerning the hierarchy, the scope of their operations, and the number of members. This crime group is believed to be involved in extortion, money laundering, fraud, loan sharking, and homicide. Armenian Organized Crime Groups - The Hollywood area of Los Angeles and the city of Glendale are the focal points for Armenian organized crime activity. This area has the largest Armenian population outside of the Republic of Armenia. According to law enforcement sources, several Armenian organized crime groups are becoming well organized with a structured hierarchy. There are in excess of 450 members and associates of these groups. These crime groups are involved in extortion, fuel frauds, credit card fraud, murder, kidnap, and narcotics trafficking. One group is believed to have approximately 150-200 members. Several members of this organized crime group were convicted in 1994 in Los Angeles of attempted murder, kidnaping, and extortion. This group is believed to be responsible for extorting a number of victims in the Armenian community. Russian Organized Criminal Activities in California Russian organized crime in California is involved in extortion, narcotics, murder, auto theft, and loan sharking, as well as insurance, fuel, telecommunication, and credit card frauds. The following cases are examples of several different crime categories. Extortion - Five members of an Armenian organized crime group in Los Angeles were convicted in 1994 for extortion, kidnaping, and attempted murder. They forcibly detained and threatened victims and their families with great bodily harm unless they paid the suspects money. This group is believed to have extorted the Armenian community in the Los Angeles area for the last 13 years. Fuel Frauds - Fuel frauds, mostly in Los Angeles and New York, cost both the federal and state governments approximately $2 billion annually in tax revenue. The majority of the fuel frauds are committed by Russian and Armenian organized crime groups operating in Southern California. There are a variety of schemes involving the fuel fraud including falsifying state and federal tax forms, use of fictitious companies, known as a "burn" company, extending fuel by blending tax free additives such as transmix or alcohol, rigging fuel pumps, manipulating dyed fuels designated for off-road purposes, and selling lower grade fuel as a premium product. The "daisy chain" scheme is the predominate method of fuel tax fraud. The daisy chain scheme starts with a string of companies created by Russian and Armenian organized crime groups and is designed to create a massive paper trail. In the daisy chain, a "burn" company is created and exists only on paper. By the time auditors and investigators unravel the series of transactions to determine the tax liability, the "burn" company has disappeared without a trace of records or assets. These groups are pocketing up to 50 cents per gallon in federal and state taxes which enables them to sell the petroleum products below cost. Selling fuel below cost forces the legitimate operators out of business. Often these groups force legitimate businesses out of business using intimidation tactics through kidnaping, assaults, and bombings. On September 13, 1995, 13 Russian Armenian subjects were arrested and charged with racketeering, including multiple acts of mail and wire fraud, money laundering, extortion, and distribution of heroin and other narcotic controlled substances. The Russian Armenian group, called the Mikaelian Organization, after the group's leader and self professed "godfather" of the Russian Mafia, Hovsep Mikaelian, ran a black market diesel fuel network that supplied gas stations and truck stops throughout Southern California. They defrauded the Internal Revenue Service and the California Board of Equalization through various fraudulent schemes, by purchasing millions of gallons of diesel fuel and avoiding a huge tax liability. The Mikaelian Organization used wholesale permits obtained fraudulently to purchase tax-free diesel fuel that was intended to be used solely for off-road purposes such as farming and construction. The fuel was then diverted and sold at numerous independent diesel fuel stations, several of which were controlled by this organization. Up to 42 cents per gallon of the federal and state tax collected at the time of sale was pocketed by this organized crime group. This group was also involved in gaining control, through threats and extortion, of a large segment of the independent diesel fuel wholesale and retail service station and truck stop markets. Permits were also obtained by submitting fraudulent paperwork. In some cases, jet fuel, which can be purchased tax free, was added to the diesel fuel and sold at the service stations and truck stops. According to the U.S. Aftorney in Los Angeles, this group managed to avoid paying $3.6 million in taxes in just one year. The arrests culminated a two-year joint task force investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Long Beach Police Department, the California Department of Justice, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Transportation. The task force confiscated more than $2 million in cash and property, including a BMW, Jaguar, and two Rolls Royces. In order to counter the diesel tax frauds, Senate Bill 840, introduced by former Senator Robert Presley and former Assembly member Johan Klehs, was passed into law and took effect July 1, 1995. The purpose of the new law, which now parallels federal law, is to reduce diesel fuel frauds by imposing tax collection at a higher point (terminal level) in the distribution chain. Under the new law, taxes will be collected on tax exempt fuel by the terminal operator and refunded by the state (tax refund). A terminal is defined as a storage facility where fuel is stored and delivered to buyers. Fuel is delivered to the terminal directly from the refinery which is the first level in the distribution chain. Telecommunications Fraud - Russian crime figures in the Los Angeles area are extensively involved in telecommunications fraud (cloned cellular phones). Law enforcement sources indicate that the activity is spreading to Northern California. This illegal process involves stealing electronic serial numbers of customers' cellular phones and programming them into computer chips, thus making a duplicate or clone of the telephones. While cloning has been going on for some time, it has grown rapidly and become more sophisticated as the industry has expanded. One cellular station in the Hollywood area is losing approximately $2 million a month in fraudulent calls made on cloned cellular telephones. Armenian organized crime figures are believed to be responsible for the majority of this fraudulent activity. Narcotics - ROC groups are not extensively involved in narcotics distribution in California. However, there have been significant events and cases that indicate a possible future trend in this area. On March 4, 1993, a Russian emigre was arrested for pefty theft. The Burbank Police Department recovered two kilos of cocaine and $2,200 in cash from the emigre's vehicle. It was later learned the emigre was also involved in shipping stolen vehicles to Russia. On May 1, 1993, a Russian emigre was arrested for immigration violations. Information from the Immigration and Naturalization Service indicates that the emigre was involved in smuggling cocaine from the U.S. to Russia through his import/export business in Southern California. This emigre had spent 13 years in a Russian prison. In February 1995, Tracey Hill, believed to be a courier for a ROC group, was arrested in Redding, California, for possession of 18 kilos of cocaine. Hill was en route to Vancouver, B.C., from the Los Angeles area. On May 4, 1995, seven kilos of heroin was seized from a member of an Armenian organized crime group based in the Glendale area. The heroin came from the Middle East and was intended for distribution in the United States. Medical/insurance Fraud - In Los Angeles, Russian organized crime figures have been involved in various frauds that run the gamut from staged auto accidents to false billing schemes. In 1991, in a case considered the largest of its kind, the U.S. Aftorney's Office in Los Angeles charged 13 defendants in a $1 billion false medical billing scheme that was headed by two Russian emigre brothers, Michael and David Smushkevich. The Smushkevich brothers have long been suspected of being part of a loosely organized Soviet crime syndicate operating in the Los Angeles area during the late 1980s and early 1990S. .14 The 175 count indictment capped a six-year investigation by federal, state, and local agencies. Authorities reported that the brothers orchestrated a massive fraud scheme to use mobile medical laboratories to conduct unnecessary and false tests on patients. They then sent inflated and false bills to insurance companies and collected large fees. The scam eventually spread to Missouri, Illinois, and Florida. On September 20, 1994, the alleged ringleader, Michael Smushkevich was sentenced to 21 years in prison for fraud, conspiracy, racketeering, and money laundering. Smushkevich was also ordered to forfeit $50 million in assets, pay more than $41 million in restitution to government agencies and insurance companies victimized by the scheme, and pay a $2.75 million fine. David Smushkevich testified for the prosecution and received probation. It is estimated that the Smushkevich brothers pocketed between $50 and $80 million in profits. It is believed the brothers hid their money in an unknown country. Loan Sharking - In October 1991, two Russian organized crime figures were convicted in Los Angeles of extorting a Russian emigre businessman. The two Russian organized crime figures lent money to the victim at a 30 percent interest rate. The victim borrowed $125,000 and over eight years had paid back $480,000 but still owed $120,000. The suspects threatened the victim and his family if they didn't pay the rest of the money that was owed. Auto Theft - The Northern California auto theft group specializes in auto theft and operates in Sacramento, other parts of Northern California, Oregon and Washington. Younger members of this group steal vehicles while the older members operate body shops. The body shops are used as chop shops where stolen auto parts are used to reconstruct vehicles bought from salvage pools. Vehicles are also stolen, surgically stripped, and the hulls dumped where they are easily found by law enforcement personnel. These vehicles end up at salvage yards where members of this auto theft group buy the surgically stripped hull and ultimately put the vehicle back together at the chop shops. Vehicles are also bought at the salvage pools for their VIN numbers. The VIN numbers are switched to stolen vehicles. The vehicles are then taken out of state and re-registered in an attempt to conceal or clear the salvaged title. Many of the stolen vehicles are believed to be shipped out of the country through Seattle, Oakland, and other port cities. This crime group may be using Russian organized crime groups to ship the vehicles to Europe or Russia where they are sold for substantial profits. Murder - Andrey Kuznetsov and an associate, Vladimir Litvinenko, were shot to death in Kuznetsov's rented house in West Hollywood on January 26, 1992. Kuznetsov was believed to have been the leader of a Los Angeles fraud ring with ties to Russian organized crime in New York and Russia. His widow claimed he introduced her to Russian organized crime leaders and members in Los Angeles and New York. Los Angeles Sheriffs Deputies arrested two Russian emigres at the murder scene. Sergei Ivanov was drenched in blood and carrying a handgun. An accomplice, Alexander Nikolaev, was also arrested with Ivanov. Sheriffs deputies found the two suspects in the act of cufting off the victims' fingers to hinder identification. Found in the house along with the bodies were numerous boxes of electronic equipment, copiers, TV sets, fax machines, and stereo components. Authorities state most of the equipment was stolen or bought illegally through the use of fraudulent'credit cards and check kiting. Money Laundering - Russian organized crime groups in the former Soviet Union are wire transferring huge amounts of money, ranging from several thousand to millions of dollars from bank accounts located in Finland, Cayman Islands, and Europe to U.S. banks. The source of this money is believed to come from narcotics activity, illegal trade in arms and antiques, and prostitution. Money is also stolen from the Russian government. According to a Russian newspaper, upwards of 1.5 trillion rubles (worth in excess of $1 billion) were stolen from the state with forged documents in 1992 to 1993. ROC groups launder the money through a elaborate trail of fictitious companies set up in Russia. The money is wire transferred to "tax haven" countries such as those in the Caribbean Islands. Money is also reportedly wire transferred to other countries in Europe, such as Switzerland and Finland. A substantial amount of this money is ending up in U.S. banks. Most of the wire transfer activity is occurring in California's larger cities such as San Francisco and Los Angeles. It is believed that once the money has been exchanged into U.S. dollars, some of the money is sent back to Russia and is invested in lucrative financial and industrial projects, real estate, enterprises, and banks. The Russian emigres connected to the U.S. bank accounts are opening import/export businesses in the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas. These business may be set up for the sole purpose of shipping large amounts of U.S. dollars to and from Russia. Interaction With Other Organized Crime Groups In New York, the LCN and Russian organized crime figures have formed working relationships in areas of fraudulent fuel tax schemes. The LCN is believed to have forced the Russians to pay tribute on the profits they made on these schemes. There is no information indicating that the LCN is exacting tribute from Russian fuel tax fraud operations in California. Colombian cocaine distributors are believed to have formed an alliance with organized crime groups in Russia to import large quantities of cocaine into that country. These ties became evident after a 1.1 metric ton shipment of cocaine was seized in St. Petersburg, Russia in February 1993. Criminal intelligence reports indicate Russian organized crime groups are not extensively involved in narcotics distribution in California. However, the following significant case illustrates a possible future trend and the alliances that are forming. On September 8, 1993, several Russian crime figures were arrested in St. Augustine, Florida for conspiracy and intent to import 800 kilos of cocaine. These subjects were attempting to establish a drug distribution route from Florida to Detroit and New York. It is believed groups of Russian organized crime figures in Los Angeles and New York were part of this operation. The Russian group was dealing with Costa Rican drug traffickers and had plans to smuggle a large quantity of cocaine from Colombia to Italy aboard a vessel. The Russian group was dealing with the Sicilian Mafia in this venture. Although at the present time law enforcement authorities are not aware of any additional ties between Russian organized crime groups in California and other organized crime groups, it is probable that formalized alliances will occur in the future. Tattoos From the mid 1960's to the 1980's, approximately 35 million people were incarcerated in Soviet prisons. Approximately 28 to 30 million Russian inmates were tattooed. According to criminologist Arkady G. Bronnikov, who has studied taftoos of Russian prisoners for 30 years, inmates wore tattoos only after they had committed a crime. The more convictions a criminal received, and as the terms of incarceration became more severe, the more tattoos a convict would have. Taftoos spell out lives of crime and establish the hierarchy of inmates. According to Bronnikov, at the top of the hierarchy are "pakhans" or organized crime bosses. The pakhans use the second level of the echelon known as the "authorities," (also known as enforcers, fighters, or soldiers) to carry out their orders. The "men" are the hard laborers and are the third level in the hierarchy. The lowest category are the "outcasts." These individuals are basically slaves to the upper levels of the echelon. The tattoos present a picture of the inmate's criminal history. According to Bronnikov, "Tattoos are like a passport, a biography, a uniform with medals. They reflect the convict's interests, his outlook on life, his world view." A prisoner with an incorrect or unauthorized tattoo could be punished or killed by fellow inmates. Law Enforcement agencies in California and the United States can expect to see more of these tattoos as the Russian criminal element surfaces. The tattoos may be of assistance in determining the subject's criminal background and activity. Analysis Among the most significant organized crime groups to come to the aftention of law enforcement in California in recent years, are the Russian organized crime groups. These criminal organizations have the potential to become part of large international networks allowing them to launder money, smuggle goods, and narcotics, and import criminals to carry out specific crimes. According to the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, California is attracting the second largest number of Russian emigres settling in any state in this country. California is also experiencing a migration of Russian crime figures from the East Coast. This may be occurring because of the lack of strength the LCN has on the West Coast. The Russian organized crime groups would not have to pay a mob tax or tribute, thereby increasing their profits. A comparison can be drawn between Russian immigration and that of previous emigrant groups who have become organized crime powers in the United States such as the La Cosa Nostra and Triads. These new Russian emigres will be a fertile source for recruitment by existing Russian organized crime groups. Many of these groups are still in an embryonic stage such as the Northern California auto theft group. However, as immigration increases, these Russian crime groups can be expected to expand and new groups will be established. Russian organized crime groups in the United States and Russia have formed alliances with the La Cosa Nostra, the Colombian cocaine cartels, and the Sicilian Mafia. These alliances allow these groups to potentially become a dominant wholesale cocaine and heroin distribution factor in California. As Russian organized crime continues to expand in California, it is probable they will form working relationships with other criminal groups such as the LCN, white collar criminals, or other non-traditional organized crime groups. Because of their experience at "working the system" in the former Soviet Union, Russian organized crime groups can be expected to continue their involvement in sophisticated criminal schemes, such as fuel and insurance frauds in the United States. Russian organized crime groups specialize in targets of opportunity and take advantage of bureaucratic mazes to build their profit base. They bring with them knowledge and methods to operate complicated fraud schemes which allow these white collar criminals to flourish. While public and law enforcement attention is drawn to gangs and street violence, Russian organized crime groups will make inroads into California using these complex criminal schemes requiring extensive investigative efforts. Law enforcement sources directly involved in the investigation of fuel frauds indicate that SB 840 will not eliminate the fraudulent schemes. Russian and Armenian organized crime groups will continue to defraud state and federal governments out of excise fuel taxes by coming up with elaborate refund schemes. It is believed that these groups will pool their resources to purchase their own terminals. Once in possession of a terminal and using falsified federal and state tax exemption forms the criminal groups can hide the true ownership of the fuel. They will continue to blend fuels, under-report volume of fuel sold, improperly dispose and store hazardous waste, and sell lower grades of fuel as a premium product. Legitimate terminal operators may be bribed or even threatened into accepting fraudulent state and federal tax exemption forms. These criminal groups will import tax exempt fuels from other states or Mexico. Fuel will be exported out of state. Once exported out of state, the tax liability will be extremely difficult to track. These groups discriminately use violence to intimidate competing fuel distributors to force them out of business or sell their business to the criminal groups at reduced prices. These frauds also allow the criminal groups to sell fuel below market price which forces the legitimate operator out of business or into illegal activity to maintain their livelihoods. Members of Russian organized crime groups are violent but violence is usually employed for specific reasons such as eliminating competition and informants or punishing those who abscond with funds. They are much like the LCN and not like street gangs who use indiscriminate violence. Additionally, law enforcement authorities in California have had several confrontations with crime figures from the former Soviet Union. These crime figures are not afraid of American law enforcement or the criminal justice system and pose a potential threat to police officers. According to law enforcement sources, drug trafficking has not yet become a major focus for Russian organized crime groups in this state. Given the profits to be made and the experience many of these groups have with drugs in the former Soviet Union, it is highly probable that this will become a growing part of their illicit operations in California. Law enforcement agencies in California have begun to make some inroads against Russian organized crime. However, more information and resources are needed to determine the scope of their criminal operations, the structure and size of their organizations, intra and interstate networks, and their international ties to organized crime in Russia. Because there is a lack of intelligence data relating to Russian organized crime groups and their structure in this country, it is almost impossible at the present time to determine their magnitude or scope of operations. Based upon this lack of information, it is difficult to develop efficient strategies to counter them. The law enforcement community needs to work together in order to combat this new threat. In California efforts to combat Russian organized crime are underway. Three law enforcement groups meet routinely to share criminal intelligence and information on these organized crime groups. References "Mobsters Threaten the World's Nuke Safety CIA Chief Says." Boston Globe, April 1994. Arkady G. Bronnikov, "Special Dictionary of Criminal Jargon." Moscow, 1991. Myer, Joseph, "Glasnost Gangsters in Los Angeles." Los Angeles Times, April 10, 1992. "Telltale Tattoos in Russian Prisons." Natural History Magazine, November 1993. Raab, Sylvian. "Top Echelon of Mobsters Pose Threat." New York Times, August 23,1994. "The Looting of Russia." U.S. News and World Report, March 7, 1994. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- © Copyright 2000 [Gangland.Net]. All rights reserved. Revised: July 11, 2000 .

Russian Organized Criminal Activities in California Russian organized crime in California is involved in extortion, narcotics, murder, auto theft, and loan sharking, as well as insurance, fuel, telecommunication, and credit card frauds. The following cases are examples of several different crime categories. Extortion - Five members of an Armenian organized crime group in Los Angeles were convicted in 1994 for extortion, kidnaping, and attempted murder. They forcibly detained and threatened victims and their families with great bodily harm unless they paid the suspects money. This group is believed to have extorted the Armenian community in the Los Angeles area for the last 13 years. Fuel Frauds - Fuel frauds, mostly in Los Angeles and New York, cost both the federal and state governments approximately $2 billion annually in tax revenue. The majority of the fuel frauds are committed by Russian and Armenian organized crime groups operating in Southern California. There are a variety of schemes involving the fuel fraud including falsifying state and federal tax forms, use of fictitious companies, known as a "burn" company, extending fuel by blending tax free additives such as transmix or alcohol, rigging fuel pumps, manipulating dyed fuels designated for off-road purposes, and selling lower grade fuel as a premium product. The "daisy chain" scheme is the predominate method of fuel tax fraud. The daisy chain scheme starts with a string of companies created by Russian and Armenian organized crime groups and is designed to create a massive paper trail. In the daisy chain, a "burn" company is created and exists only on paper. By the time auditors and investigators unravel the series of transactions to determine the tax liability, the "burn" company has disappeared without a trace of records or assets. These groups are pocketing up to 50 cents per gallon in federal and state taxes which enables them to sell the petroleum products below cost. Selling fuel below cost forces the legitimate operators out of business. Often these groups force legitimate businesses out of business using intimidation tactics through kidnaping, assaults, and bombings. On September 13, 1995, 13 Russian Armenian subjects were arrested and charged with racketeering, including multiple acts of mail and wire fraud, money laundering, extortion, and distribution of heroin and other narcotic controlled substances. The Russian Armenian group, called the Mikaelian Organization, after the group's leader and self professed "godfather" of the Russian Mafia, Hovsep Mikaelian, ran a black market diesel fuel network that supplied gas stations and truck stops throughout Southern California. They defrauded the Internal Revenue Service and the California Board of Equalization through various fraudulent schemes, by purchasing millions of gallons of diesel fuel and avoiding a huge tax liability. The Mikaelian Organization used wholesale permits obtained fraudulently to purchase tax-free diesel fuel that was intended to be used solely for off-road purposes such as farming and construction. The fuel was then diverted and sold at numerous independent diesel fuel stations, several of which were controlled by this organization. Up to 42 cents per gallon of the federal and state tax collected at the time of sale was pocketed by this organized crime group. This group was also involved in gaining control, through threats and extortion, of a large segment of the independent diesel fuel wholesale and retail service station and truck stop markets. Permits were also obtained by submitting fraudulent paperwork. In some cases, jet fuel, which can be purchased tax free, was added to the diesel fuel and sold at the service stations and truck stops. According to the U.S. Aftorney in Los Angeles, this group managed to avoid paying $3.6 million in taxes in just one year. The arrests culminated a two-year joint task force investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Long Beach Police Department, the California Department of Justice, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Transportation. The task force confiscated more than $2 million in cash and property, including a BMW, Jaguar, and two Rolls Royces. In order to counter the diesel tax frauds, Senate Bill 840, introduced by former Senator Robert Presley and former Assembly member Johan Klehs, was passed into law and took effect July 1, 1995. The purpose of the new law, which now parallels federal law, is to reduce diesel fuel frauds by imposing tax collection at a higher point (terminal level) in the distribution chain. Under the new law, taxes will be collected on tax exempt fuel by the terminal operator and refunded by the state (tax refund). A terminal is defined as a storage facility where fuel is stored and delivered to buyers. Fuel is delivered to the terminal directly from the refinery which is the first level in the distribution chain. Telecommunications Fraud - Russian crime figures in the Los Angeles area are extensively involved in telecommunications fraud (cloned cellular phones). Law enforcement sources indicate that the activity is spreading to Northern California. This illegal process involves stealing electronic serial numbers of customers' cellular phones and programming them into computer chips, thus making a duplicate or clone of the telephones. While cloning has been going on for some time, it has grown rapidly and become more sophisticated as the industry has expanded. One cellular station in the Hollywood area is losing approximately $2 million a month in fraudulent calls made on cloned cellular telephones. Armenian organized crime figures are believed to be responsible for the majority of this fraudulent activity. Narcotics - ROC groups are not extensively involved in narcotics distribution in California. However, there have been significant events and cases that indicate a possible future trend in this area. On March 4, 1993, a Russian emigre was arrested for pefty theft. The Burbank Police Department recovered two kilos of cocaine and $2,200 in cash from the emigre's vehicle. It was later learned the emigre was also involved in shipping stolen vehicles to Russia. On May 1, 1993, a Russian emigre was arrested for immigration violations. Information from the Immigration and Naturalization Service indicates that the emigre was involved in smuggling cocaine from the U.S. to Russia through his import/export business in Southern California. This emigre had spent 13 years in a Russian prison. In February 1995, Tracey Hill, believed to be a courier for a ROC group, was arrested in Redding, California, for possession of 18 kilos of cocaine. Hill was en route to Vancouver, B.C., from the Los Angeles area. On May 4, 1995, seven kilos of heroin was seized from a member of an Armenian organized crime group based in the Glendale area. The heroin came from the Middle East and was intended for distribution in the United States. Medical/insurance Fraud - In Los Angeles, Russian organized crime figures have been involved in various frauds that run the gamut from staged auto accidents to false billing schemes. In 1991, in a case considered the largest of its kind, the U.S. Aftorney's Office in Los Angeles charged 13 defendants in a $1 billion false medical billing scheme that was headed by two Russian emigre brothers, Michael and David Smushkevich. The Smushkevich brothers have long been suspected of being part of a loosely organized Soviet crime syndicate operating in the Los Angeles area during the late 1980s and early 1990S. .14 The 175 count indictment capped a six-year investigation by federal, state, and local agencies. Authorities reported that the brothers orchestrated a massive fraud scheme to use mobile medical laboratories to conduct unnecessary and false tests on patients. They then sent inflated and false bills to insurance companies and collected large fees. The scam eventually spread to Missouri, Illinois, and Florida. On September 20, 1994, the alleged ringleader, Michael Smushkevich was sentenced to 21 years in prison for fraud, conspiracy, racketeering, and money laundering. Smushkevich was also ordered to forfeit $50 million in assets, pay more than $41 million in restitution to government agencies and insurance companies victimized by the scheme, and pay a $2.75 million fine. David Smushkevich testified for the prosecution and received probation. It is estimated that the Smushkevich brothers pocketed between $50 and $80 million in profits. It is believed the brothers hid their money in an unknown country. Loan Sharking - In October 1991, two Russian organized crime figures were convicted in Los Angeles of extorting a Russian emigre businessman. The two Russian organized crime figures lent money to the victim at a 30 percent interest rate. The victim borrowed $125,000 and over eight years had paid back $480,000 but still owed $120,000. The suspects threatened the victim and his family if they didn't pay the rest of the money that was owed. Auto Theft - The Northern California auto theft group specializes in auto theft and operates in Sacramento, other parts of Northern California, Oregon and Washington. Younger members of this group steal vehicles while the older members operate body shops. The body shops are used as chop shops where stolen auto parts are used to reconstruct vehicles bought from salvage pools. Vehicles are also stolen, surgically stripped, and the hulls dumped where they are easily found by law enforcement personnel. These vehicles end up at salvage yards where members of this auto theft group buy the surgically stripped hull and ultimately put the vehicle back together at the chop shops. Vehicles are also bought at the salvage pools for their VIN numbers. The VIN numbers are switched to stolen vehicles. The vehicles are then taken out of state and re-registered in an attempt to conceal or clear the salvaged title. Many of the stolen vehicles are believed to be shipped out of the country through Seattle, Oakland, and other port cities. This crime group may be using Russian organized crime groups to ship the vehicles to Europe or Russia where they are sold for substantial profits. Murder - Andrey Kuznetsov and an associate, Vladimir Litvinenko, were shot to death in Kuznetsov's rented house in West Hollywood on January 26, 1992. Kuznetsov was believed to have been the leader of a Los Angeles fraud ring with ties to Russian organized crime in New York and Russia. His widow claimed he introduced her to Russian organized crime leaders and members in Los Angeles and New York. Los Angeles Sheriffs Deputies arrested two Russian emigres at the murder scene. Sergei Ivanov was drenched in blood and carrying a handgun. An accomplice, Alexander Nikolaev, was also arrested with Ivanov. Sheriffs deputies found the two suspects in the act of cufting off the victims' fingers to hinder identification. Found in the house along with the bodies were numerous boxes of electronic equipment, copiers, TV sets, fax machines, and stereo components. Authorities state most of the equipment was stolen or bought illegally through the use of fraudulent'credit cards and check kiting. Money Laundering - Russian organized crime groups in the former Soviet Union are wire transferring huge amounts of money, ranging from several thousand to millions of dollars from bank accounts located in Finland, Cayman Islands, and Europe to U.S. banks. The source of this money is believed to come from narcotics activity, illegal trade in arms and antiques, and prostitution. Money is also stolen from the Russian government. According to a Russian newspaper, upwards of 1.5 trillion rubles (worth in excess of $1 billion) were stolen from the state with forged documents in 1992 to 1993. ROC groups launder the money through a elaborate trail of fictitious companies set up in Russia. The money is wire transferred to "tax haven" countries such as those in the Caribbean Islands. Money is also reportedly wire transferred to other countries in Europe, such as Switzerland and Finland. A substantial amount of this money is ending up in U.S. banks. Most of the wire transfer activity is occurring in California's larger cities such as San Francisco and Los Angeles. It is believed that once the money has been exchanged into U.S. dollars, some of the money is sent back to Russia and is invested in lucrative financial and industrial projects, real estate, enterprises, and banks. The Russian emigres connected to the U.S. bank accounts are opening import/export businesses in the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas. These business may be set up for the sole purpose of shipping large amounts of U.S. dollars to and from Russia. Interaction With Other Organized Crime Groups In New York, the LCN and Russian organized crime figures have formed working relationships in areas of fraudulent fuel tax schemes. The LCN is believed to have forced the Russians to pay tribute on the profits they made on these schemes. There is no information indicating that the LCN is exacting tribute from Russian fuel tax fraud operations in California. Colombian cocaine distributors are believed to have formed an alliance with organized crime groups in Russia to import large quantities of cocaine into that country. These ties became evident after a 1.1 metric ton shipment of cocaine was seized in St. Petersburg, Russia in February 1993. Criminal intelligence reports indicate Russian organized crime groups are not extensively involved in narcotics distribution in California. However, the following significant case illustrates a possible future trend and the alliances that are forming. On September 8, 1993, several Russian crime figures were arrested in St. Augustine, Florida for conspiracy and intent to import 800 kilos of cocaine. These subjects were attempting to establish a drug distribution route from Florida to Detroit and New York. It is believed groups of Russian organized crime figures in Los Angeles and New York were part of this operation. The Russian group was dealing with Costa Rican drug traffickers and had plans to smuggle a large quantity of cocaine from Colombia to Italy aboard a vessel. The Russian group was dealing with the Sicilian Mafia in this venture. Although at the present time law enforcement authorities are not aware of any additional ties between Russian organized crime groups in California and other organized crime groups, it is probable that formalized alliances will occur in the future. Tattoos From the mid 1960's to the 1980's, approximately 35 million people were incarcerated in Soviet prisons. Approximately 28 to 30 million Russian inmates were tattooed. According to criminologist Arkady G. Bronnikov, who has studied taftoos of Russian prisoners for 30 years, inmates wore tattoos only after they had committed a crime. The more convictions a criminal received, and as the terms of incarceration became more severe, the more tattoos a convict would have. Taftoos spell out lives of crime and establish the hierarchy of inmates. According to Bronnikov, at the top of the hierarchy are "pakhans" or organized crime bosses. The pakhans use the second level of the echelon known as the "authorities," (also known as enforcers, fighters, or soldiers) to carry out their orders. The "men" are the hard laborers and are the third level in the hierarchy. The lowest category are the "outcasts." These individuals are basically slaves to the upper levels of the echelon. The tattoos present a picture of the inmate's criminal history. According to Bronnikov, "Tattoos are like a passport, a biography, a uniform with medals. They reflect the convict's interests, his outlook on life, his world view." A prisoner with an incorrect or unauthorized tattoo could be punished or killed by fellow inmates. Law Enforcement agencies in California and the United States can expect to see more of these tattoos as the Russian criminal element surfaces. The tattoos may be of assistance in determining the subject's criminal background and activity. Analysis Among the most significant organized crime groups to come to the aftention of law enforcement in California in recent years, are the Russian organized crime groups. These criminal organizations have the potential to become part of large international networks allowing them to launder money, smuggle goods, and narcotics, and import criminals to carry out specific crimes. According to the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, California is attracting the second largest number of Russian emigres settling in any state in this country. California is also experiencing a migration of Russian crime figures from the East Coast. This may be occurring because of the lack of strength the LCN has on the West Coast. The Russian organized crime groups would not have to pay a mob tax or tribute, thereby increasing their profits. A comparison can be drawn between Russian immigration and that of previous emigrant groups who have become organized crime powers in the United States such as the La Cosa Nostra and Triads. These new Russian emigres will be a fertile source for recruitment by existing Russian organized crime groups. Many of these groups are still in an embryonic stage such as the Northern California auto theft group. However, as immigration increases, these Russian crime groups can be expected to expand and new groups will be established. Russian organized crime groups in the United States and Russia have formed alliances with the La Cosa Nostra, the Colombian cocaine cartels, and the Sicilian Mafia. These alliances allow these groups to potentially become a dominant wholesale cocaine and heroin distribution factor in California. As Russian organized crime continues to expand in California, it is probable they will form working relationships with other criminal groups such as the LCN, white collar criminals, or other non-traditional organized crime groups. Because of their experience at "working the system" in the former Soviet Union, Russian organized crime groups can be expected to continue their involvement in sophisticated criminal schemes, such as fuel and insurance frauds in the United States. Russian organized crime groups specialize in targets of opportunity and take advantage of bureaucratic mazes to build their profit base. They bring with them knowledge and methods to operate complicated fraud schemes which allow these white collar criminals to flourish. While public and law enforcement attention is drawn to gangs and street violence, Russian organized crime groups will make inroads into California using these complex criminal schemes requiring extensive investigative efforts. Law enforcement sources directly involved in the investigation of fuel frauds indicate that SB 840 will not eliminate the fraudulent schemes. Russian and Armenian organized crime groups will continue to defraud state and federal governments out of excise fuel taxes by coming up with elaborate refund schemes. It is believed that these groups will pool their resources to purchase their own terminals. Once in possession of a terminal and using falsified federal and state tax exemption forms the criminal groups can hide the true ownership of the fuel. They will continue to blend fuels, under-report volume of fuel sold, improperly dispose and store hazardous waste, and sell lower grades of fuel as a premium product. Legitimate terminal operators may be bribed or even threatened into accepting fraudulent state and federal tax exemption forms. These criminal groups will import tax exempt fuels from other states or Mexico. Fuel will be exported out of state. Once exported out of state, the tax liability will be extremely difficult to track. These groups discriminately use violence to intimidate competing fuel distributors to force them out of business or sell their business to the criminal groups at reduced prices. These frauds also allow the criminal groups to sell fuel below market price which forces the legitimate operator out of business or into illegal activity to maintain their livelihoods. Members of Russian organized crime groups are violent but violence is usually employed for specific reasons such as eliminating competition and informants or punishing those who abscond with funds. They are much like the LCN and not like street gangs who use indiscriminate violence. Additionally, law enforcement authorities in California have had several confrontations with crime figures from the former Soviet Union. These crime figures are not afraid of American law enforcement or the criminal justice system and pose a potential threat to police officers. According to law enforcement sources, drug trafficking has not yet become a major focus for Russian organized crime groups in this state. Given the profits to be made and the experience many of these groups have with drugs in the former Soviet Union, it is highly probable that this will become a growing part of their illicit operations in California. Law enforcement agencies in California have begun to make some inroads against Russian organized crime. However, more information and resources are needed to determine the scope of their criminal operations, the structure and size of their organizations, intra and interstate networks, and their international ties to organized crime in Russia. Because there is a lack of intelligence data relating to Russian organized crime groups and their structure in this country, it is almost impossible at the present time to determine their magnitude or scope of operations. Based upon this lack of information, it is difficult to develop efficient strategies to counter them. The law enforcement community needs to work together in order to combat this new threat. In California efforts to combat Russian organized crime are underway. Three law enforcement groups meet routinely to share criminal intelligence and information on these organized crime groups. References "Mobsters Threaten the World's Nuke Safety CIA Chief Says." Boston Globe, April 1994. Arkady G. Bronnikov, "Special Dictionary of Criminal Jargon." Moscow, 1991. Myer, Joseph, "Glasnost Gangsters in Los Angeles." Los Angeles Times, April 10, 1992. "Telltale Tattoos in Russian Prisons." Natural History Magazine, November 1993. Raab, Sylvian. "Top Echelon of Mobsters Pose Threat." New York Times, August 23,1994. "The Looting of Russia." U.S. News and World Report, March 7, 1994. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- © Copyright 2000 [Gangland.Net]. All rights reserved. Revised: July 11, 2000 .

Gallup Poll Exposes the Myth Of Turkish-American Friendship By Harut Sassounian California Courier Publisher After pouring billions of dollars of U.S. taxpayers' money for 50 years into the bottomless pit of the Turkish economy, one would think that most Turks would be appreciative of such massive American generosity and express an inkling of support and gratitude toward the United States. After all, as a member of NATO, Turkey is supposed to be a staunch ally of the United States. In fact, the U.S.-Turkish alliance is given such importance that the U.S. government routinely turns a blind eye to all Turkish violations of human rights both against its own citizens, be they Turks, Kurds, Greeks, Armenians, Assyrians or Jews, and against the neighboring countries of Cyprus, Greece, Iraq, Iran, Syria and Armenia. Because of this Turkish "friendship," the U.S. government undermines all attempts to recognize the Armenian Genocide, ignores the occupation of Northern Cyprus, and condones the large-scale massacres of Kurds in Iraq as well as Turkey. The prestigious Gallup Organization now comes to dispel the myth of Turkish-American friendship and reveals what the Turkish public really thinks of America. It turns out that the U.S. government has wasted not only the hundreds of billions of dollars it has given to Turkey, but also the billions more it encouraged the IMF and the World Bank to give to shore up this bankrupt country. These billions of dollars, rather than helping the Turkish people, have simply disappeared into the pockets of some corrupt Turkish officials and generals. A Gallup Poll taken last month in Turkey found that: Only 40% of the Turkish public "has a favorable opinion of the United States;" Only 46% of the Turks believe that "Arabs carried out the September 11 attacks;" Only 19% of Turks "say that U.S. military action in Afghanistan is morally justifiable;" Only 21% of the Turkish public "likes President Bush." Armenian lobbying organizations should send the results of this Poll to the American media and to every member of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. They should urge the Congress to hold a hearing in order to review the U.S. government's long-standing blind support of Turkey and reconsider providing further aid to that country. This Poll finally exposes the myth of U.S.-Turkish friendship. The American government is making in Turkey the same mistake it made in supporting the Shah of Iran and failing to win over the Iranian public. The U.S. paid a heavy price for such misguided policies in Iran and elsewhere. It is still not too late to stop the wasteful and counter-productive U.S. policy toward Turkey and save the billions of more dollars that will most certainly continue to go into the pockets of a few Turkish fat cats! A TURK WHO DARES TO QUESTION THE TURKISH LIES Zulfu Livaneli, a Turkish columnist, penned on March 1, an amazingly candid commentary in Sabah, a prominent Turkish newspaper. The writer severely criticized the members of the Turkish Parliament for engaging in bombastic declarations rather than making an attempt to discover the truth about the Armenian Genocide. Here are some excerpts from his article: "What's the easiest thing for the Turkish Parliament to do after the European Parliament's decision to recognize the Armenian Genocide? To get up and criticize the Europeans severely. This is exactly what our parliamentarians are doing. Their sole purpose is to make a tougher and a more patriotic speech than a member from another party. I understand this well because this is a custom in our country. Instead of solving the problem, we get all excited and take the easiest road by resorting to patriotic speech-making! "What's the most difficult thing to do in the Parliament? To say, 'Friends, this problem has been a headache for us for a hundred years and is now expanding to the United States, the French Senate and the European Parliament, etc. By simply yelling and screaming, we cannot silence the whole world. We are already shaking in our boots because of the soon to be released Ararat movie. Let's study this matter thoroughly and stand up against the whole world with solid documents. Otherwise, this issue will become a greater headache for us.' "Of course, not a single member of a party will dare to say such words, because they are too busy proving their patriotism to each other. U.S. Ambassador Morgenthau who served in Istanbul during the Armenian events, wrote a book that is sold worldwide. If you read the reports that this Ambassador has dispatched to his government, your blood will curdle. You will be ashamed of your humanity. What do our party leaders think of this book? Have they read it? "Enver and his colleagues who caused such terrible problems to the Empire by their mistakes, have they always been infallible? Wasn't Enver ***** the one who caused the destruction of 90,000 Turkish soldiers on the mountains of Sarikamish because of the cold and typhoid? "A government that does such things to its own soldiers, couldn't it also have made mistakes during the deportations? For how many more centuries are we going to carry on our back the sins of the Ittihadists, even though we are not guilty? Isn't that a shame for our sons and grandchildren? The answer to these questions is difficult. What's easy is to get up and make speeches!"

ACTION ALERT: Ask Your Congressman To Urge Bush To Recognize Genocide * Has your Representative Signed the Knollenberg-Pallone Letter? Situation: The Co-Chairs of the Armenian Caucus are collecting letters on a Congressional letter urging President Bush to honor his pledge to properly recognize the Armenian Genocide in his April 24th statement. The letter specifically calls on the President to use the proper term, "genocide," in describing Ottoman Turkey's systematic and deliberate campaign to destroy the Armenian people. The letter currently has over 30 co-signers. [visit anaca.org for complete text of the letter] Action: Urge your U.S. Representative to co-sign the Knollenberg-Pallone letter. 1. Send a free ANCA WebFax to your Representative. http://www.anca.org 2. Call the Capitol Operator and ask for your Representative. (If you do not know who represents you, visit the ANCA website and enter your ZIP Code http://wwww.capwiz.com/anca

Charny Attacks Israel's Genocide Denial Policy JERUSALEM—Prof. Israel Charny, a noted scholar and historian, dispatched a letter Monday to Israeli foreign minister Shimon Peres and Israel's Ambassador to Armenia Rivka Cohen, among others, saying he is "deeply ashamed" of the position taken by Cohen and the foreign ministry "to deny the gencoide of the Armenian people." Below is the text of the letter, which the Asbarez received via electronic mail: To Ministry of Foreign Affairs, State of Israel Shimon Peres, Foreign Minister Michael Melchior, Deputy Foreign Minister Rivka Cohen, Ambassador to Armenia Armenian Desk Dear Honored Minister, Deputy Minister, Ambassador, and Professional Staff at Ministry of Foreign Affairs: As a Jew and Israeli, I am deeply ashamed of the position taken by our Ambassador and Ministry to deny that the genocide of the Armenian people in 1915 was in fact genocide. This is the equivalent of denials of the Holocaust of our people. Even in these very serious days of our national history, when the support of other countries such as neighboring Turkey is of great practical importance, I do not believe that historical/moral issues of recognizing respectfully and honorably the genocidal mass extermination of any people should be bypassed by any people, and in particular by our Jewish people. I am enclosing with great concern for your attention an editorial in a leading US-Armenian newspaper calling on Armenia to expel the Israeli Ambassador. For your further information, the author of this editorial, who is the head of the Armenian United Fund in the US—comparable to our United Jewish Appeal—was for many years a delegate to the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva. I am also enclosing for you a report dated February 28 that the European Union voted a second time urging Turkey to recognize the Armenian Genocide. And I am enclosing for you a copy of a statement signed by 126 Holocaust scholars in 2000 recognizing the Armenian Genocide. Signators include a leader in Israeli Holocaust scholarship, our Prof. Yehuda Bauer; and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel. Will not the values of Zion weep at our realpolitik shaming of another people who, like us, carry everyday the grief and outrage of their memory of the mass genocidal murders of their people? With prayers for the strength of our people and country in such grave times, when we are fighting in self-defense against a deadly and even genocidal terrorism that attacks indiscriminately including unarmed youths in cafes, and families of men, women and children gathered to celebrate weddings and bar-mitzvahs, I am Respecfully yours, Prof. Israel W. Charny, Ph.D. Editor-in-Chief, Encyclopedia of Genocide Executive Director, Institute on the Holocaust & Genocide, Jerusalem

TURKS HOLY OR WHAT? Turkish sociologist, reporter and human rights activist Taner Akcam wrote an article where he referred to the denialist attitudes of the Hurriyet’s editor-in-chief Ertugrul Ozkok. Akcam was surprised at the sudden change of position of the Hurriyet’s editor-in-chief towards the Turkish-Armenian relations, for Ozkok was among those few Turks who approached the Turkish-Armenian relations with sound logic. Nevertheless in one of his last articles he manifested a clear Turkish ideology, representing Turks as the most humble and kind people in the world. In his article Ozkok explains why nothing of the alleged ‘tragedies’ (menaing Armenian Genocide) could happen in 1915. He says that although the members of ASALA (Armenian Secret Army for Liberation of Armenia) were continually killing Turkish diplomats all over the world and the radicals of PKK (Workers Party of Kurdistan) were disturbing the peace of Turkish residents for 15 years, Turks ‘never distinguished a house of an Armenian or a Kurd in the country or pointed at them with a finger, or treated them as enemies’. This was said for showing that there is no chauvinism in Turkey. Moreover, Ozkok goes on saying that if mankind ‘looks back to the history of Turkey it will see no manifestation of chauvinism in it. Then how can the allegations about horrible crimes of 1900’s be true? Simply some fanatics try to ascribe all the inhuman things to Turks’. It seems that Ozkok wants Armenians and Kurds to thank the Turkish nation for not massacring them once again for ASALA’s and PKK’s activity (although separate individuals and groups were persecuted and assassinated by Turkish authorities). Moreover he hints that if the activity of above mentioned ‘terrorist’ organizations didn’t cause the hatred and anger of Turks, then no incidents could urge the Turks to commit the 1915 ‘alleged’ genocide. Ozkok’s article would make one think that Turks are saint and follow the Christian commandments saying don’t pay back when someone slaps you on the face. So, are Turks holy or what? © Copyright AZG

quote:Originally posted by Anshnork: I found this article on the internet, and I think it's important that we all take a look at it. Read it and post your reactions. web page EDITED null [ February 21, 2002: Message edited by: Garo ]

RollingStone.com Video Interview with System Of A Down http://stream.qtv.apple.com/qtv/rollingsto.../system_ref.mov

this is one of my favorit songs, from their first album: http://www.systemofadown.com/Videos/SpidersVid.ram

so non of you guys heard of system before? i mean, before their last album came out, no body(armenians) really heard of them. i used to be the only armo here listenin to their music, ever since their first album came out(which was about two-three years ago). they have allways been pretty well known over here, alot of the white boys would listen to their music in school...