MosJan

http://www.armenianow.com/sites/default/files/img/imagecache/600x400/gandzasar-church-karabakh-renovation.jpg

please pay attention to the date 2011 Armenia now has published this article.. and only now it's getting attention???

12.07.11 | 12:33 Gandzasar facelift: Vandalism or restoration as tiling continues at Karabakh medieval church’s fence? http://www.armenianow.com/arts_and_culture/31002/gandzasar_karabakh_church_fence_tiling_controversy The recently initiated tiling of the wall of a medieval church in Karabakh has stirred a great controversy among the public, especially after some images of the re-facing work were posted online. Gandzasar or Surb Hovhannes Mkrtich (St. John the Baptist) Church is a 13th century monastic complex situated in the village of Vank of Nagorno-Karabakh’s Martakert district. http://www.armenianow.com/sites/default/files/img/imagecache/150x90/gandzasar-church-karabakh-renovation.jpgEnlarge Photo http://www.armenianow.com/sites/all/themes/armenianow/images/enlarg_image.gif For centuries it was considered to be a major religious center of Armenia’s eastern provinces. Today, the wall of the church is being tiled at the initiative of and with funding from Russia-based businessman and well-known benefactor Levon Hayrapetyan, who is a native of Karabakh. The businessman has invested millions of dollars in the rebuilding of war-torn Karabakh and that also included the restoration of the monastic compound and the road leading there years ago. But young activists of a Facebook group called “We Won’t Keep Silent” claim the tiling of the monastic complex walls is tantamount to destroying a historical and cultural value. Some even call it vandalism. State bodies in Karabakh, in particular head of the Monuments Preservation and Study Division at the NKR Government-affiliated Tourism Department Slava Sargsyan earlier announced that they were, too, against the initiative because the work would harm the monastic complex’s appearance and would result it its failure to comply with UNESCO standards -- in other words the renovations would hamper the complex’s inclusion in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list. However, the pastor of the St. John the Baptist Church in Gandzasar, Fr. Grigor Markosyan, downplays such concerns, saying that the church will incur no harm as a historical and cultural value. “I believe UNESCO attaches importance to the church where under the altar there are so many sacred objects rather than to the wall, because here the cultural value is the church,” the priest explained. Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan, the primate of the Artsakh Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, says that at the advise of His Holiness, he had written a letter to the Artsakh Monuments Department and the agency got in touch with Armenia and made a negative decision about the tiling of the church walls. However, according to the archbishop, the wall runs the risk of collapsing, so they were pressed for time and the kind of work was a necessity and only means to save the wall. “In fact, the church walls are not of the thirteenth century, but were constructed later. But they were periodically dismantled and repaired. The fence needs repairing today as well, because grass keeps growing inside the walls, which weakens the construction and adds to the danger of a collapse,” says Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan, adding that no particular architecture is needed for tiling and that’s why no professional group had been called in. The executive director of the Ata Vank Les company that is carrying out the project is Vladimir Hayrapetyan, who is a younger brother of Levon Hayrapetyan. He insists that unless the wall that was built in 1980-84 is fortified it will collapse soon. “When cement is mixed with sand it becomes concrete and in the 13th century there was no cement. But here everything is made of cement, simply there was so little cement that the concrete is getting ruined. I even found the person who worked on this wall, he is still alive and lives in Stepanakert,” says Hayrapetyan, adding that the controversy around the issue was stirred on purpose by those who would want to do the work themselves. According to Hayrapetyan, a special workshop was set up on the site to process the Gandzasar wall stones. He said four people were currently involved in the wall restoration work, but added that another 13 people would join when they got permission so that the work could be finished more quickly. The estimated cost of the total wall tiling work is $1 million. Meanwhile, many in the Vank village also oppose the tiling of the Church’s walls. “This wall has been there for ages and I’m against its tiling. Today we need antiquities, we want to prove that it is Armenian, but the Turks will see this and say that we built it only recently,” one elderly resident in the village told ArmeniaNow. Nevertheless, despite different opinions, the work at the St. John the Baptist Church walls in Gandzasar continues and the project is expected to be completed by autumn.

Հանրային խորհուրդը պահանջում է վերականգնել Գանձասարի պարսպի պատմական տեսքը http://hetq.am/static/news/b/2013/08/28940.jpg10:18, 28 օգոստոսի, 2013 ՀՀ Հանրային խորհրդի պատմական-ազգային արժեքների, հուշարձանների պահպանության, պատկանելության և օգտագործման խնդիրների ենթահանձնաժողը երեկ՝ օգոստոսի 27-ին, քննարկել է Գանձասարի վանքային համալիրի շրջապարսպի երեսպատված սալիկների ապամոնտաժման հարցը: Նիստին մասնակցել են ենթահանձնաժողովի անդամներ, անվանի ճարտարապետներ: Ենթահանձնաժողովի նախագահ Ժասմեն Ասրյանը, ներկայացնելով խնդիրը, ևս մեկ անգամ շեշտել է համալիրի պարսպի պատմական տեսքը պահպանելու անհրաժեշտությունն ու առանց համապատասխան նախագծի և մասնագիտական քննարկման այն ձևափոխելու անթույլատրելիությունը: Մասնակիցներն իրենց դժգոհությունն են արտահայտել սալիկապատման գործընթացի նկատմամբ պատկան մարմինների ոչ համարժեք գնահատականի և քայլերի վերաբերյալ: Ենթահանձնաժողովի նիստում որոշում է կայացվել Գանձասարի վանքային համալիրի շրջապարսպի երեսպատված մասի սալիկները հեռացնելու առաջարկով ՀՀ և ԼՂՀ նախագահներին ու Ամենայն Հայոց Կաթողիկոսին ուղղված մտավորականների բաց նամակի վերաբերյալ: Այն ներկայացվում է ստորեւ: «Ենթահանձնաժողովը կարծում է, որ 350 ստորագրությամբ բաց նամակը և Գանձասարի պարսպի պատմությունը ենթակա չեն քննարկման, քանի որ հստակ է, որ. 1. Պատմամշակութային բարձր արժեք հանդիսացող Գանձասարի վանքային համալիր-հուշարձանի նկատմամբ տարվում է աղավաղումների և պատմական կեղծիքների իրականացման գործընթաց, որի կասեցման պահանջով հանդես է եկել Հայաստանի մտավորականությունը` պաշտպանելու իր ազգային- պատմական հուշարձանը, ժառանգություն ստացած իր սրբավայրն ու իր պատմությունը: 2. 13-րդ դարում (կամ ավելի վաղ) կառուցված Գանձասարի շրջապարիսպը մշտապես մնացել է կանգուն` մինչև այժմ: Կառուցումից հետո վերանորոգվել է մի քանի անգամ, այն էլ միայն վերին շերտերը` պահպանելով նախկին` միջնադարյան պատմական տեսքը: Վերջին «վերանորոգման» ժամանակ աղավաղվել է պարսպի թե´ որակը, թե´տեսքը, թե´ միջնադարյան ճարտարապետական կառուցվածքը, դրանով իսկ աղավաղվել ու կեղծվել է վանքային համալիրի ամբողջականության պատմությունը, որոնք փաստեր են, և որի մասին հայ մտավորականությունը ներկայացրել է «Բաց նամակում»: 3. Մասնագիտական ուսումնասիրությունները, եզրակացությունները, առաջարկություններն ու պահանջները ենթակա չեն այլոց (ոչ մասնագետ ղեկավար, բարերար, մեծահարուստ, հոգևորական և այլն) կողմից ուսումնասիրման կամ վերլուծության (քննարկման), իսկ բաց նամակը գրված և ստորագրված է բացառապեսմասնագետների մեծամասնությամբ (220-ից ավելի). 70 ճարտարապետ և հնագետ, 50 պատմաբան, 25 աստվածաբան, վիմագրագետ, ազգագրագետ, 75 արվեստի գործիչներ (մշակութաբաններ, նկարիչներ, քանդակագործներ...), Մատենադարանի, ակադեմիայի (և այլ) գիտաշխատողներ, ինչպես նաև`55 գրողներ, բանաստեղծներ, բանասերներ, 32 հասարակական-քաղաքական կազմակերպություններ: Բաց նամակը ստորագրողներից 60-ից ավելին ակադեմիկոսներ և դոկտոր – պրոֆեսորներ են: 4. Քանի որ 350 ստորագրությամբ նամակն ուղղված է ՀՀ և ԼՂՀ նախագահներին ու Ամենայն Հայոց կաթողիկոսին`հաշվի առնելով իրավիճակի լրջությունն ու խնդրի անհապաղ լուծման կարևորությունը, ուստի նամակի պատասխանն էլ ենթահանձնաժողովն ակնկալում է ստանալ ՀՀ նախագահ Սերժ Սարգսյանից, ԼՂՀ նախագահ Բակո Սահակյանից և Ամենայն Հայոց կաթողիկոս Գարեգին Երկրորդից: Ենթահանձնաժողովն անընդունելի է համարում ԼՂՀ ԿԱ Զբոսաշրջության և պատմականմիջավայրի պահպանության վարչության պետ Ս. Շահվերդյանի 2013 թ. հուլիսի10-ի գրությունը, որն ընկալվում է իբրև ձևական և հասարակությանն ապակողմնորոշելու միտում ունեցող, քանի որ նույն վարչությունը նույնաբովանդակ գրություն հրապարակել է դեռևս 2012 թ. դեկտեմբերի 14-ին` Գանձասարի պարսպի երեսպատումը Լևոն Հայրապետյանի կողմից վերսկսելուց երեք շաբաթ անց` մասնագետների և հասարակայնության պահանջով և կրկնվել է դեկտեմբերի 26-ին, երբ երեսպատումը շարունակվում էր և դադարեցվել էր մարտ-ապրիլ ամիսներին` մասնագետների և հասարակայնության պահանջով: Ենթահանձնաժողովը գտնում է, որ նշված գրության մեջ նկատելի է արհամարհանք մտավորականության նկատմամբ` 350 մտավորականներին անվանելով «մի խումբ», իսկ երեսպատման գործընթացն արդարացնող անտրամաբանական պատճառաբանությունները հաստատում են, որ եզակի կառույցը գտնվում է կա՛մ մշակույթից, ազգային արժեքներից, հուշարձանից, պատմությունից ու պատմական ժառանգությունից, առավել ևս` քաղաքականությունից հեռու մարդկանց տնօրինության տակ, կա՛մ միջնադարյան հայկականճարտարապետությունն ու սրբավայրի պատմությունն աղավաղելու, խեղաթյուրելու գիտակցված գործընթաց է սկսված: Ուստի, կարևորելով Գանձասարի վանքային համալիրի ամբողջականությունը կեղծարարությունից զերծ պահելու հանգամանքը, ինչպես նաև բարձր գնահատելով հայ մտավորականության դերը և արտահայտած հստակ դիրքորոշումն այս հարցում` ենթահանձնաժողովը որոշում է. Դիմել ՀՀ Նախագահ Սերժ Սարգսյանին, ԼՂՀ Նախագահ Բակո Սահակյանին և Ամենայն Հայոց կաթողիկոս Գարեգին Բ-ին` հետևյալ խնդրանքով. Ընդունել «Բաց նամակ»-ի պահանջները և բարձր հսկողության ներքո. ա) պարտավորեցնել կառավարությանը (կառավարություններին)` անհապաղ կայացնել Գանձասարի շրջապարսպի երեսպատված մասը ապամոնտաժելու և պատմական իմաստին, ոճին ու որակին համապատասխան լիարժեք վերականգնելու որոշում: բ) պարտավորեցնել կառավարությանը (կառավարություններին)`անմիջապես հրավիրել մասնագետ-հնագետների, գեոֆիզիկների, սեյսմոլոգների, վերականգնող ճարտարապետների ու շինարարների, պատմաբանների և հուշարձանագետների` մասնագիտորեն կազմակերպելու և սկսելու շրջապարսպի երեսպատված մասի սրբատաշ քարե սալիկների հեռացման աշխատանքները` ապահովելով մասնագիտական խիստ հսկողություն, որից հետո կվերացվեն համալիրում գոյություն ունեցողթերությունները, կկատարվեն վերանորոգման աշխատանքներ, և հուշարձանին կվերադարձվի իր պատմականորեն անաղարտ տեսքն ու խորհուրդը` որպես Հայոցպատմական-ազգային-հոգևոր արժեք»: ՀԽ ազգային արժեքների պահպանման ենթահանձնաժողովն իր պատրաստակամությունն է հայտնել նշված բոլոր աշխատանքներում ապահովել բարձրակարգ մասնագետների մասնակցությունը` ապամոնտաժման գործընթացը պահելով իր ուշադրության ներքո, անհրաժեշտության դեպքում հրավիրելով նիստեր և անցկացնելով հանրային քննարկումներ:

The Gandzasar Monastery is located in the Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR), an independent state that emerged as a result of the break-up of the USSR’s Azerbaijani Soviet Socialist Republic into two entities: the Azerbaijani Republic and NKR. Azerbaijan is controlled by a brand of Muslim Turks known today as “Azerbaijanis” or “Azeris.” Nagorno Karabakh Republic is populated by Armenian Christians. NKR was organized in 1991, on the basis of the Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Region, which was an ethnic Armenian autonomy subordinated to Soviet Azerbaijan in the Soviet times. Armenians have traditionally called their country Artsakh, a term that refers to one of the 15 provinces of the ancient Kingdom of Armenia. Although “Karabakh,” a geographical concept associated with the legacy of Nagorno Karabakh’s Soviet-era autonomy, is still in use, it is being gradually replaced with the region’s more relevant historical name — “Artsakh.” Nagorno Karabakh is a small presidential republic, with a population of about 144,000 (2008). It maintains close economic and military ties to its neighbor and ally, the Republic of Armenia. The National Assembly is NKR’s highest legislative and representative body. The frontiers of the republic are guarded by the Nagorno Karabakh Defense Army, whose units are internationally recognized as the most efficient in the post-Soviet space. The country is led by President Bako Sahakyan who was elected in the June 2007 poll. He is the third President of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic. President Sahakyan replaced the outgoing President Arkadiy Ghukasyan (1997-2006). The Foreign Ministry of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic maintains diplomatic representation offices in Armenia, Russia, United States, France, Germany, Lebanon, and Australia. http://www.gandzasar.com/assets/nagorno-karabakh/gandzasar-wedding.jpg http://www.gandzasar.com/assets/nagorno-karabakh/gandzasar-wedding.jpg

How the West is Helping to Destroy Christianity in Syria August 26, 2013 11:18 PM Source: Alfred the Great Society | Robin Phillips Syrian Christianity goes back to the earliest days of the Christian faith, with language, traditions and practices that have remained largely unchanged since the time of Christ. Despite popular misconceptions, the nation of Syria is not an Islamic state. The Christian population living in Syria has enjoyed a measure of stability under the dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad. This tenuous stability is now being undermined by Islamic rebels who, supported by Western powers, are attempting to overthrow the government and destroy the native Christian population. Christianity in SyriaNot long after Christ’s ascension, the church at Jerusalem was scattered following Stephen’s martyrdom (Acts 11:19). Many Christians fled to Antioch in modern day Turkey, where Barnabas was later sent to check on the church (Acts 11:22-27). Barnabas found that the gospel had taken deep root in Antioch, as evidenced by the fact that it was here that the disciples were first called Christians (Acts 11:26). The city of Antioch became a thriving centre of Mediterranean Christianity and one of the five major Apostolic sees (the others being Jerusalem, Constantinople, Rome and Alexandria). As a centre of apostolic Christianity, the Antiochian church sent missionaries throughout all of Asia Minor. It was from these missionaries that the gospel was reinforced in Syria. Partly because of this, the largest grouping Christians living in Syria call themselves Antiochian (the official title of their church is the ‘Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch’). Christianity flourished so much in Syria that when the Ottomans invaded Antioch in the 14th century, the Antiochian church moved its headquarters from Antioch to Damascus in Syria. Damascus was also a stronghold of ancient Christianity since the earliest days. In fact, it was because the church at Damascus was thriving that Saul, later the Apostle Paul, decided to travel there to persecute the Christians of the city, prior to his miraculous conversion experience on the Damascus road. The Damascus-based Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch (or the ‘Antiochian Orthodox church’ for short) has one million members in Syria, with worship and practice that has remained relatively unchanged since the early days of the Apostle’s successors. An interesting testament to this is the fact that it is only among Christian communities in Syria that Aramaic, the language in which Jesus spoke, still survives as a living tongue. More recently, missionaries and immigrants from the Middle East have spread the traditions and practices of the Antiochian church throughout the world, giving millions of Christians a chance to connect with some of the oldest Christian prayers and practices. The church in Syria is thus responsible for 2 million Christians worldwide, including many in America. (My own family attends the Damascus-based Antiochian Orthodox Church, which was planted in our village by a missionary priest.) Syria also has a strong presence of Christians from other traditions, including the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, the Oriental Syriac Orthodox Church, the Assyrian church of the East, the Chaldean Catholic Church and a minority of various Protestant groups. Back in the 1920s Christians made up as much as 30% of Syria’s population, but throughout the 20th century they were subject to fierce persecution. The Christian population in Syria now amounts to about 10% of the total population. The church in Syria came to enjoy relative stability under the dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad’s family, who have ruled Syria since 1971. al-Assad has never insisted that Islam be the nation’s state religion, although the constitution requires the President to be a Muslim. For many years Syria has been looked upon as a safe haven for Christians, and thousands of Iraqi Christians recently fled to Syria to escape the persecution in their homeland in the wake of Western intervention. Recent ChallengesThe equilibrium in Syria began to be disrupted after the, so called, ‘Arab Spring’ hit the country in 2011. Rebel groups, many of whom have links to Al-Qaeda, began seeking to overthrow the government. Syria’s Christian population became engulfed in the crossfire of this civil war. Because most Christians in Syria have remained neutral in the two-year civil war and some have supported the government, the insurgents with the ‘Free Syrian Army’ perceive Christians as enemies. Consequently, they have begun systematically confiscating land belonging to Christians, in addition raping women and killing children. Dozens of churches have also been desecrated or completely destroyed, mainly around Homs and Aleppo. Astoundingly, the anti-government ‘Free Syrian Army’ is considered moderate by the West and is supported by the David Cameron, the Obama administration, NATO and the EU. In March the New York Times reported that the America’s Central Intelligence Agency had expanded an airlift of arms and equipment to insurgent militants that had been occurring since early 2012, totalling around 3,500 tons of military equipment in total. This coincided with a series of rebel victories. America has kept up the momentum, and last month Ben Rhodes, U.S. deputy national security adviser, revealed that America was stepping up the assistance it was giving to rebel groups, hoping to finally tip the balance to help the insurgents overthrow al-Assad’s government. The announcement coincided with the emergence of new lethal weapons in the hands of rebel forces. If the rebels do succeed in overthrowing the government, the worst case scenario could be a repeat of what happened in Yugoslavia during the late 90s, after Western troops supported Islamic Albanian rebel groups seeking to overthrow the government. Once the Muslim rebel groups had successfully separated from the lawful Yugoslavian government based on Serbia, they formed the, so called, Republic of Kosovo. Christians living in Kosovo were then targeted for destruction and sacred monasteries that were hundreds of years old were levelled to the ground. This pattern is being repeated in Syria as Muslim rebel groups seek both to overthrow the lawful government as well as to eliminate the native Christian population. Consequently, Christians in Syria are frightened to worship publicly and many have had to flee to refugee camps in neighbouring countries ‘Disproportionate Violence and abuse’A special ‘Vulnerability Assessment’ report conducted by the World Watch unit of Open Doors International from June 2013 warned that Syrian Christians are the victims of “disproportionate violence and abuse.” They warned further that Christian women in Syria are particularly vulnerable to sexual abuse. There is a sad irony here. The intervention of American and Britain in Iraq resulted in a hard-line Islamic takeover and the eviction or extermination of the native Christians living in Iraq. Many Iraqi Christians died, while countless others fled to Syria where they thought they would be safe. And now Western powers are seeking to empower the very forces that are persecuting the Christian population in Syria. Metropolitan Hilarion, the chairman of the Department of External Church Relations of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Moscow, lamented that “in those places where the authorities are replaced by the rebel groups, Christianity is being exterminated to the last man: Christians are expelled, or physically destroyed. He recalled that “Syria has taken more than two million Iraqi refugees, thousands of whom are Christians.” But now the Metroplitain says “thousands of militant extremists under the guise of opposition forces unleashed a civil war in this country. Extremist groups armed and trained by means of foreign powers are deliberately killing Christians.” Rebel Groups Kidnap Archbishophttp://www.aoiusa.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/pic-2.pngThe situation in Syria reached crisis proportions last April when insurgents groups kidnapped two Archbishops who were on their way back to Aleppo after accomplishing a humanitarian mission. The two church leaders (Yohanna Ibrahim, archbishop of the Syriac Orthodox church and Paul Yazigi, Metropolitan of the Antiochian Orthodox church) had been traveling outside the besieged northern city of Aleppo in an effort to provide aid and comfort to war-torn regions and to negotiate the release of two priests. Their driver, a church deacon, was shot dead and the two archbishops were abducted at gunpoint. As of writing this article, the whereabouts and condition of the clerics remain unknown. Unfortunately, this high-profile kidnapping is only the tip of the iceberg. Writing in The Huffington Post this April, Hieromonk Peter Preble observed that “Since the war began in March of 2011, more than 70,000 people have died. A February estimate places the internally displaced at 3.6 million, and an additional 1.3 million have been forced to flee Syria for neighboring countries as refugees, all the while the government of the United States continues to support the very people responsible for the killing.” Rebels target monasteriesAncient Christian monasteries are being regularly plundered in Syria by anti-government forces. In May of this year, rebels attacked the 1500-year-old monastery of the Prophet Elijah near the city of Al-Qusayr. They stole the sacramental vessels, destroyed the altar and the baptismal font, blew up the bell tower, and knocked down the sacred statue of Elijah. On June 23, a Syrian Catholic priest was murdered in a monastery in Gassanieh, Idlib. François Murad, 49, was a member of the Franciscans and lived a life of prayer at the monastery. Gunmen entered the monastery, plundered it, burned the building and executed Murad. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the head of all Franciscans in the Holy Land, told the Vatican News Agency that “The world must know that the support of gunmen by the west is helping extremists in killing Syrians.” Christian Villages Completely DestroyedOn 27 May this year, the ‘Free Syrian Army’ raided the Christian-populated village of al-Duvair in Syria’s Western province of Homs. Arriving in the village they proceeded to massacre all its civilian residents, including women and children. The army of the Syrian government intervened to protect the Christians, but only after most of the population had been slaughtered. On 11 June, a massacre was reported in the town of Hatlah, close to Deir el-Zour city. An organisation of armed militants converged on the town to ‘cleanse’ it. At least 60 people were slaughtered. In other Christian villages, rebels have suddenly appeared and declared, “Flee or be killed.” With nowhere to go and little hope of finding employment, thousands of Christian families face little prospect of a hopeful future. Many have fled to refugee camps, though conditions there are little better since they make “soft targets” for criminals and Islamic thugs. London Mayor Warns of ‘ a terrifying Islamic state’http://www.aoiusa.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/pic-3.png Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, warned that Cameron is supporting ‘hate-filled thugs. The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, issued a stinging rebuke to David Cameron’s naïve support of Syrian rebels. He warned that as Britain supplies rebels with weaponry, they will have no means of preventing those weapons ending up in the hands of “al Qaida-affliated thugs” associated with government opposition. As an example of the radical Islam of the rebels, Mr Johnson described an incident in Aleppo where a 15-year-old boy was taken away and beaten and then summarily executed by Islamist rebels for making a joking reference to the Prophet Mohammed.In an article for the Daily Telegraph, Mr Johnson joined other prominent spokespeople, including the Archbishop of York, in warning the British Government not to meddle in the Syrian crisis. “Odious, twisted, hate-filled thugs; arrogant and inadequate creeps, intoxicated by the pathetic illusion of power that comes with guns; poisoned by a perversion of religion into a contempt for all norms of civilised behaviour,” the London Mayor wrote. He continued “They are fighting not for freedom but for a terrifying Islamic state in which they would have the whip hand – and yet there is no dodging or fudging the matter: these are among the Syrian rebels who are hoping now to benefit from the flow of Western arms. “How is it supposed to work? How are we meant to furnish machine guns and anti-tank weapons to one set of opposition forces, without them ending up in the hands of men like the al Qaida-affiliated thugs who executed a child for telling a joke? “This is not the moment to send more arms. This is the moment for a total ceasefire, an end to the madness. “We can’t use Syria as an arena for geopolitical point-scoring or muscle-flexing, and we won’t get a ceasefire by pressing weapons into the hands of maniacs.” Boris Johnson is not alone. Tory backbencher Julian Lewis said that Britain’s involvement could be “suicidal” leading to extremist elements among the rebels gaining control of the regime’s arsenal of chemical weapons. The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, has also warned that arming the rebels is “very, very naïve.” Supporting the Wrong SideA problem with American and Britain involving itself in Syria’s conflict, apart from the fact that it is none of their business, is the simple fact the Western powers have chosen to support the wrong side. No one is claiming that al-Assad’s authoritarian government has been godly; however, the prospect of what might emerge if his government is overthrown is almost unthinkable. Yonadam Kanna, a member of the Iraqi National Assembly and Secretary General for the Assyrian Democratic Movement warned that the collapse of the Syrian state would be a jihadist triumph and endanger Christians throughout the entire Middle East. We must pray that this does not happen and that the Lord would grant special protection to Christians living in Syria. We must also pray for those Syrian Christians who have had to flee to refugee camps in Turkey and Lebanon. Even those Syrian Christians who have not had to flee are suffering acutely from the conditions of the civil war. There is a shortage of basic supplies, including gas, electricity, food and many basic supermarket products. Moreover, dangerous criminals are always too ready to take advantage of the chaos and plunder the houses and shops of innocent people. This article originally appeared in the monthly magazine of Christian Voice, a UK ministry whose website is http://www.christianvoice.org.uk/. The article is published here with permission of Christian Voice.

UK gathers warplanes, military hardware in Cyprus base near Syria – report Published time: August 27, 2013 00:27Edited time: August 27, 2013 16:28 Get short URL “Warplanes and military transporters” have reportedly been moved to Britain’s Akrotiri airbase in Cyprus in the latest sign of the allied forces’ preparations for a military strike on Syria amid bellicose rhetoric against the Syrian government. Two commercial pilots who regularly fly from Larnaca, Cyprus, claim to have spotted C-130 transport planes from their own aircraft and small formations of possibly European fighter jets from their radar screens, according to the Guardian. Akrotiri airbase is less than 100 miles from Syria, making it a likely hub for a bombing campaign. Residents near the airfield confirmed to the Guardian that “activity there has been much higher than normal over the past 48 hours.” The upsurge in flight activity has been denied by a spokesman for Britain's airbases in Cyprus, Reuters reported, also citing Cyprus’s Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides as saying that he doubted the airbases would be used if Western powers did take action against Syria. “I have the impression that the British bases won't play any primary role... because they are not needed, but we will have to see," Kasoulides told Cypriot state radio. Downing Street says armed forces are drawing up contingency plans for military action in Syria, Reuters reported. UK Prime Minister David Cameron on Tuesday recalled members of parliament from their summer break for an urgent discussion. The session is due to be held on Thursday to vote on a possible military response to the alleged chemical attack in Syria. The Prime Minister said no decision has yet been taken on possible responses to the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria. Cameron has also called for “specific” military action against Syria, saying the UK is not considering getting involved in a Middle East war. Meanwhile, top military officials from ten Western and Middle Eastern nations – led by US Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey and his Jordanian counterpart – met in Amman, Jordan, to discuss potential military action in Syria. This follows reports that Dempsey presented potential military options to the White House over the weekend. On Friday, Reuters revealed the US Navy was expanding its Mediterranean presence with a fourth ship capable launching long-range, subsonic cruise missiles to reach land targets in Syria. http://rt.com/files/news/20/3b/b0/00/01.jpgThe guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely (DDG 107) (AFP Photo) British military assets already near Syria include four warships, the Navy's flagship HMS Bulwark, a helicopter carrier and two frigates near Albania. Meanwhile France – another key player in the possible conflict – has its jet fighters stationed in the United Arab Emirates if needed. On Tuesday French President Francoise Hollande vowed to increase military support to the Syrian opposition. He said France is “ready to punish” those behind the “chemical massacre” in Syria, adding that his government believes Damascus carried out the attack. The Obama administration has little doubt the regime of Assad deployed chemical weapons on the outskirts of Damascus last week, killing hundreds, US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday. Reports from Syria of chemical warfare “should shock the conscience of the world,” Kerry said, adding that the indiscriminate slaughter of women and children carried out by the Assad regime constitutes a “moral obscenity.” President Barack Obama has yet to make a determination about how the US will respond, Kerry said, but a decision would be forthcoming. US officials told the Washington Post late Monday such an attack would likely be limited to no more than a couple of days. According to the sources, determining when the attack would take place depends on an intelligence report on Syria’s culpability for the chemical attack, consultation with allies and the US Congress and a determination that an attack by US and its allies follows international law. “While investigators are gathering additional information on the ground, our understanding of what has already happened in Syria is grounded in facts, informed by conscious and guided by common sense,” Sec. Kerry said. “The reported number of victims, the reported symptoms of those who were killed or injured, the first-hand accounts from the humanitarian organizations on the ground . . . these all strongly indicate that everything these images are already screaming at us are real: that chemical weapons were used in Syria.” While top US officials hint at some unequivocal evidence implicating the Syrian government in the chemical attack, anonymous sources told NBC News late Monday the US is planning to release evidence as soon as Tuesday “to prepare the public for a possible military response.” Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday during a phone call with British Prime Minister David Cameron that there is no evidence such an attack had occurred. “President Putin said that they did not have evidence of whether a chemical weapons attack had taken place or who was responsible,” a British government spokesperson said after the meeting. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed during an emergency press conference in Moscow that the US, Britain and other countries have assembled a “powerful force” and are “readying their ships and planes” for a possible invasion in Syria. http://rt.com/files/news/20/3b/b0/00/2.jpgRussia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (RIA Novosti / Maxim Blinov) “Official Washington, London and Paris say they have incontrovertible evidence that the Syrian government is behind the chemical attack in Damascus, but they have not yet presented this evidence,” Lavrov said, expressing particular outrage with the newly introduced possibility of NATO staging a strike on Syria without a United Nations mandate. UN investigators were in the Damascus area Monday, taking samples from the site of Wednesday’s alleged chemical attack in an eastern suburb. The UN team was quickly forced to return to the government checkpoint to replace their car, which “was deliberately shot at multiple times by unidentified snipers in the buffer zone area," a spokesman for the UN secretary-general, Martin Nesirky, said. The United Nations assured that it was still possible for the team of experts to gather necessary evidence despite the time elapsed since the alleged attack. Ban Ki-moon added that the UN will “register a strong complaint” to both the Syrian government and opposition forces as a result of the attack in an effort to stem future aggression against investigation teams. Back in Washington, White House press Secretary Jay Carney weighed in with a statement of his own Monday, saying use of chemical weapons on a widespread scale outside of Damascus on August 21 was "undeniable." “As Ban Ki-moon said last week, the UN investigation will not determine who used these chemical weapons, only whether such weapons were used – a judgment that is already clear to the world," Carney said, adding that it is “profoundly in the interest of the United States and the international community that that violation of an international norm be responded to.” Further, neither Sec. Kerry nor Carney stated what countries agree or disagree with the American narrative of Assad’s alleged chemical attack. Carney did say the president is seeking guidance from members of the US Congress on using force against Syria. http://rt.com/files/news/20/3b/b0/00/3.jpgIn this image made available by the Syrian News Agency (SANA) on March 19, 2013, medics and other masked people attend to a man at a hospital in Khan al-Assal in the northern Aleppo province, as Syria's government accused rebel forces of using chemical weapons for the first time (AFP Photo) Pursuant to the War Powers Resolution, passed in the US in 1973, use of military force is limited to instances when a formal declaration of war has been declared, specific statutory authorization is granted or during a national emergency. Without immediate congressional approval, the President can commit troops without a declaration of war. In that case, the President must submit a report to Congress on the details of that action. Then after the 60-day period, Congress must approve further action, though the War Powers Resolution has been violated by US presidents in the past. The White House posited in 2011 that US military action without congressional approval in Libya did not violate the War Powers Resolution based on US forces’ supposed limited role in the NATO-led campaign. While western forces appear ready for possible military action against Syria, Obama said in an interview Friday the United States should be wary of “being drawn into very expensive, difficult, costly interventions that actually breed more resentment in the region.” Obama went on to express reservations for becoming involved in the 30-month Syrian conflict due to a lack of international consensus. "If the US goes in and attacks another country without a UN mandate and without clear evidence that can be presented, then there are questions in terms of whether international law supports it, [and] do we have the coalition to make it work?” said Obama. US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel confirmed late last week that US military forces are preparing for the possibility that President Obama would order a strike. "The Defense Department has a responsibility to provide the president with options for contingencies, and that requires positioning our forces, positioning our assets, to be able to carry out different options — whatever options the president might choose," Hagel said Friday, adding a decision must be made quickly given “there may be another (chemical) attack.”

http://rt.com/news/syria-crisis-live-updates-047/

14:06 GMT: The Arab League said the perpetrators of last week’s attack in Syria should face international justice, and urged the UN to act. The League said in a statement it holds Syrian President Bashar Assad responsible for the alleged chemical attack near Damascus. The statement, which was issued after a meeting in Cairo, was pushed through with strong backing from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, diplomatic sources told Reuters. 13:46 GMT: A Russian cargo plane carrying humanitarian aid has landed in Syria, the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry said. The plane, which delivered some 20 tons of food aid to the Mediterranean port city of Latakia, will also evacuate 180 citizens of former Soviet countries “who have made clear a desire to leave the country,” including 100 Russians, the ministry added.

14:39 GMT: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel is not involved in Syrian conflict, but would respond with force to any attacks coming from Syria. “We are not a party to this civil war in Syria but if we identify any attempt to attack us we will respond and we will respond forcefully,” Netanyahu said after holding security consultations in Tel Aviv, adding that Israel is “prepared for any scenario.” 14:34 GMT: France's government believes that there is “no doubt” a chemical attack took place in Syria, and that President Assad’s forces were behind it, a diplomatic source told Reuters.

17:35 GMT: US President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper have agreed that the use of chemical weapons in Syria deserved a “firm response” from the international community, a spokesman for Harper said in a statement. “Both leaders agreed that significant use of chemical weapons merits a firm response from the international community in an effective and timely manner,” the statement read. 17:17 GMT: The US will release a public version of an intelligence report on chemical weapons use in Syria “in the coming days,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said. He added that the options the US government is considering “are not about regime change” in Syria, but will come as a response to the “violation of an international norm.” “A decision about the use of military force has not been made. The president is reviewing his options, plural,” the White House spokesman said. 16:33 GMT: French President Francoise Hollande has announced he will hold a defense council meeting on Wednesday, and that he will brief the French parliament about it. 16:23 GMT: UK Prime Minister David Cameron has called for “specific” military action against Syria, saying the UK is not considering getting involved in a Middle East war. Cameron said no decision has yet been taken on possible responses to the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria. However, he added that the world “should not stay idly by,” following what he said was a chemical weapons attack by the Assad regime. 16:04 GMT: Britain “is not seeking to topple Assad,” UK Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg was quoted as saying by AFP. “What we're considering is a serious response... What we're not considering is regime change, trying to topple the Assad regime,” Clegg said 15:57 GMT: Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin has criticized the actions of Western countries in the Islamic world, amid reports of pressure building for a military strike against the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad. “The West is behaving toward the Islamic world like a monkey with a grenade,” Rogozin wrote on his Twitter page, using a farcical Russian expression that describes something unpredictable and dangerous. Rogozin is known for using colorful impromptu language on his Twitter account, which he started tweeting from when he was Russia’s ambassador to NATO in Brussels. 15:31 GMT: French President Francoise Hollande said France is “ready to punish” those behind the “chemical massacre” in Syria, and said that his government believes Damascus carried out the attack. http://rt.com/files/news/20/3c/f0/00/000_arp3628432.jpgFrance's president Francois Hollande delivers a speech during the Conference of French ambassadors abroad, on August 27, 2013 at the Elysee palace in Paris. (AFP Photo / Kenzo Trebouillard) France is going to increase military support to the Syrian opposition, the president said, addressing foreign ambassadors in Paris. “International law must evolve with the times... I recognize the responsibility to protect civilians,” Hollande was quoted as saying by France 24. 14:56 GMT: NATO supports the ongoing investigation of the UN inspectors, but will continue to closely monitor developments and review the evidence that is presented both by the UN and from “other sources,” a NATO official said in an e-mail statement to RT. NATO member countries are “deeply concerned by mounting evidence of the use of chemical weapons in Syria,” the official said, adding that NATO “has consistently expressed its grave concern about Syria’s chemical stockpiles and any possible use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime.” 14:44 GMT: US President Barack Obama has not yet made the decision to take military action against the Syrian government in response to the alleged chemical weapons attack, a senior White House administration official told Reuters.

International pressure has been building for a military strike on Syria in the wake of an alleged chemical weapons attack in a Damascus suburb. The West has laid the blame at the feet of President Assad, as UN inspectors probe the site of the attack. Tuesday, August 2719:58 GMT: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry have discussed in detail the situation in Syria. The phone conversation was initiated by the American side, the Foreign Ministry said in statement published on its website. Kerry voiced his stance about the alleged chemical attack, which, he stated, was based on information from reliable sources. He blamed the Assad government for the incidents where chemical weapons were used. Lavrov reiterated Moscow’s position that conclusions should be based only on expert analysis. He underlined that the work of the group of UN investigators in Syria should get “maximum support.” 19:48 GMT: A top UN official visiting Iran for the past two days has urged it to help bring the warring sides of the Syrian conflict to the negotiating table in Geneva, said the UN. Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman “shared the U.N. position that Iran, given its influence and leadership in the region, has an important role to play and a responsibility in helping to bring the Syrian parties to the negotiating table," said U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq. Feltman discussed with Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, "the worsening situation on the ground in Syria, including the U.N.'s grave concerns about the potential use of chemical weapons and how the U.N. can work together with Iran and other states to end the bloodshed and suffering of the Syrian people." 18:28 GMT: French President Francois Hollande will meet with the head of Syria's main opposition group Ahmad al-Jarba on Thursday, said the presidency, AFP reported. 17:38 GMT:

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Այծեմնիկ 26.Օգոստոս.2013 - 13:04 Այս արիասիրտ հայ կնոջ՝ Այծեմնիկի անունը կապուած է 1126 թուականին Անի քաղաքի պաշտպանութեան համար մղուած հերոսական կռիւներուն:Այս շրջանին Փատլուն ամիրան մեծ զօրքով եկաւ եւ պաշարման ենթարկեց Անին, որուն հայ բնակչութիւնը ոտքի ելաւ իր սիրելի քաղաքը պաշտպանելու համար:Ըստ Սամուէլ Անեցի պատմիչին տեւած է ամբողջ տարի մը եւ մահ ու աւեր սփռած՝ ամբողջ Շիրակ գաւառին մէջ: Մայրաքաղաքի բնակչութիւնը եւս ահաւոր սովի մատնուած է: Սամուէլ Անեցի պատմիչին վկայութեամբ այդ կռիւներուն մէջ աչքի զարկած է հայուհի մը «Այծեամ անուն» որ արիասիրտ կանգնած պարիսպին վրայ կը պատերազմէր:Ի վերջոյ երկարատեւ պատերազմը մեծ աւեր կը գործէ թէ Անի քաղաքի բնակչութեան եւ թէ շրջակայքի անպաշտպան ժողովուրդին: Անիի պաշտպանութեան համար մղուած կռիւներու ընթացքին հերոսուհիի մահով զոհուած է Այծեմնիկը: Հ.Գ. Փոքր ժամանակ' դպրոցական տարիներիս, ես մեծ հպարտությամբ նկարել էի Այծեմնիկին իր ղեկավարած հայ կանանց ջոկատով... նետաձիգների ջոկատ, որով նրանք օգնության էին հասել իրենց տղամարդկանց և, հերոսաբար կռվելով, հերոսի մահով անմահացել Անի քաղաքի պարիսպների մոտ' իրենց Հայրենիքն ու տեսակը պաշտպանելով: Դժվար է հիմա նկարագրելն այն ապրումները, որ ունեի այդ նկարը նկարելիս... Երբ եկա Երևան ուսումս շարունակելու ԲՈՒՀ-ում, շատ զարմացա, երբ էստեղ մարդիկ չէին լսել Այծեմնիկի մասին: Ցավոք հետո շատ ափսոսացի, երբ էստեղ սկսեցին խոսել Այծեմնիկի մասին, որովհետև Այծեմնիկ անունը էստեղ սկսեցին ճանաչել' "Կարգին հաղորդման" շնորհիվ, որն այդ անունը կապել էր "Սուլեյման բռնաբար"-ի հետ... Այ այսպես են արժեզրկվում մեր հերոսները: Այսպես հումորներով արժեզրկվում են ազգային արժեքները և հպարտանալու' ազգային դիմագիծ ներկայացնող կերպարները: Այսօր այդ կերպարներն արժեզրկողները ճոռոմ-ճոռոմ ազգային արժեքներից են խոսում: Մեզնից շատերը լսել են և մեծ հպարտությամբ կպատմեն Ժաննա Դ'Արկի մասին: Բայց քանի՞սը գիտեն Այծեմնիկի մասին, Սոսե Մայրիկի մասին, Մոկաց Միրզայի կնոջ մասին, ով լուծեց Միրզայի վրեժը, Արցախյան պատերազմում 18 ամյա բուժքրոջ մասին ով կռվի դաշտ էր մտնում հայ տղամարդկանց կողքին' հավասար կռիվ մղում ու ...զոհվեց հերոսուհու մահով.... և քանի՞ քանիսն են էսպես... հարյուրավոր, հազարավոր հայ կանայք, կանայք, որոնցից շատերը ոչ միայն կռվի ելք են փոխել, այլև ազգի ճակատագիր ու պատմություն են ձևավորել: Հերոսական պատմություն... Պատմություն, որով պիտի սերունդները հպարտանային, բայց... ցավոք սերունդներին այդ անունները կամ չեն ներկայացվում, կամ արժեզրկված են մատուցվում... այսպես կոչված հումորային մշակութային գործիչների կողմից, որոնց պատկերացրած միակ մշակույթը' ղժժալն է... ղժժալ ամեն ինչի վրա... անտեսելով ազգային արժեքներ, ազգային կերպարներ, սրբություններ... Ճանաչենք, հպարտանանք Մեր Ազգի պայծառ անուններով... Այծեմնիկ... Շարունակելի... Զաքար ԽՈՋԱԲԱՂՅԱՆ

Ադրբեջանի պետհանձնաժողովը հերթական անգամ հայտնել է Հակոբ Ինջիղուլյանին հայրենիք վերադարձնելու պատրաստակամության մասին Օգոստոս 26, 2013 | 13:57 Ադրբեջանի գերիների, անհետ կորածների և պատանդների հարցերով պետական հանձնաժողովը հերթական անգամ հայտնել է Հակոբ Ինջիղուլյանին հայրենիք վերադարձնելու պատրաստակամության մասին: ԱՊԱ-ի հետ հարցազրույցում Պետական հանձնաժողովի քարտուղար Շահին Սայիլովը հայտնել է, թե «վճիռ կայացնելը բացառապես Հակոբի իրավունքն է: Եթե նա որոշի հայրենիք վերադառնալ, Ադրբեջանի Հանրապետությունը նրան կօգնի այդ հարցում: Ընդհանրապես, պետական հանձնաժողովը գերիներին եւ պատանդներին երկար ժամանակով պահելու կողմնակից չէ»: Ըստ Շահին Սայիլովի` Հակոբ Ինջիղուլյանի գերի ընկնելու մասին ԿԽՄԿ-ն արագ տեղեկացվել էր, եւ նրան միջազգային կանոններին համապատասխան պայմաններ էին ապահովել: «Ինչպես Ձեզ հայտնի է, օգոստոսի 20-ին կոմիտեի աշխատակիցներն այցելել են նրան: Ինջիղուլյանի առողջական վիճակը եւ պայմանները լավ են», - հայտնել է կոմիտեի քարտուղարը: Հիշեցնենք, որ օգոստոսի 8-ի գիշերը զինվոր Հակոբ Ինջիղուլյանը մոլորվել էր եւ հայտնվել Ադրբեջանի ԶՈՒ-ի տարածքում: Մեկ օր անց նա Բաքու էր տեղափոխվել: 12 օր Ադրբեջանի իշխանությունները գերու մոտ թույլ չէին տալիս ԿԽՄԿ-ի ներկայացուցիչներին` չնայած որ այդ ընթացքում նրանից «հարցազրույց» էին վերցրել: Պատասխանելով Ֆիրուզ Ֆարաջեւին Ադրբեջան վերադարձնելու մասին հարցին` Շահին Սայիլովը հայտնել է, որ «չեզոք միջնորդ ԿԽՄԿ-ի կողմից դեռ ոչ մի պաշտոնական տեղեկություն չի ստացվել: Եթե հանձնաժողովը նման տեղեկություն ունենա, մենք կարճ ժամանակահատվածում անհրաժեշտ աշխատանք կիրականացնենք Ֆարաջեւին ազատելու համար»: 2012թ. հուլիսի լույս 26-ի գիշերը Հայաստանի եւ Ադրբեջանի ԶՈՒ հյուսիսարեւելյան շփման գծում Ադրբեջանի բանակի զինվոր Ֆիրուզ Ֆարաջեւը հատել էր Հայաստանի սահմանը եւ հանձնվել: Մինչեւ վերջերս գերին հրաժարվում էր հայրենիք վերադառնալուց։ Սակայն օրերս գերին հայրենիք վերադառնալու ցանկություն էր հայտնել:

Putin to Cameron: No evidence Syria chemical weapons attack took place Published time: August 26, 2013 18:30Edited time: August 26, 2013 19:27 Get short URLRussia has no evidence of whether a chemical weapons attack has taken place in Syria or who is responsible, Russian President Vladimir Putin told British Prime Minister David Cameron in a telephone call, according to Cameron’s official website. The two leaders had an urgent phone call on Monday afternoon regarding the Syrian crisis in the wake of a sniper attack on UN chemical inspectors outside Damascus. Following the call the British government spokesperson said: “President Putin said that they did not have evidence of whether a chemical weapons attack had taken place or who was responsible.” Cameron stated that he was sure the alleged attack was instigated by the Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government forces, saying that he believed the opposition did not have the capacity to carry out such a strike. “The regime had also prevented UN access in the immediate aftermath, suggesting they had something to hide,” he told Putin, according to the British government’s website. Both national leaders reaffirmed the stance that all G8 attendees took in June: “No-one should use chemical weapons and any use would merit a serious response from the international community.” The UN mission stated on Monday that it was still possible for the team of experts to gather necessary evidence despite the time elapsed since the alleged attack. The alleged attack took place last Wednesday in an eastern suburb of Syria’s capital, Damascus. Between ‘dozens’ and over 1,300 people allegedly died, according to conflicting reports. NGO the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Doctors Without Borders (MSF) placed the figures at 322 and 355 dead respectively. On Monday, both Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his British counterpart, William Hague, made statements about the alleged attack. "The Prime Minister and President Obama… have agreed that there should be a strong response from the international community," Hague told BBC Radio 4's Today program. Questioned whether military intervention was a possible route, he said "this may be the choice." Cameron is cutting short his holiday to return to London in order to chair a National Security Council meeting, it emerged on Monday. In his turn, Lavrov stated that the fallout from the alleged chemical attack is aimed at sabotaging discussions in Geneva while the West tries to substitute inspectors' work with their own statements. “Those involved with the incident wanted to sabotage the upcoming Geneva peace talks. Maybe that was the motivation of those who created this story. The opposition obviously does not want to negotiate peacefully,” Lavrov told an urgently convened press conference in Moscow. He mentioned that the timing of the alleged attack “suited” the opposition. A UN mission is in the country and spent Monday taking samples from and speaking to victims of the alleged neurotoxic assault. They will continue their investigation on Tuesday, despite their car having been “deliberately shot at multiple times by unidentified snipers in the buffer zone area,” according to spokesman for the UN secretary-general, Martin Nesirky. Syrian state TV issued a statement accusing rebel fighters of carrying out the sniper attack, quoting sources in the Syrian Information Ministry, while the Syrian opposition placed the blame with the government.

Following the attack on the mission, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated the incident "does not inspire optimism." He remarked the shooting took place on the territory controlled by the opposition forces and called for a proper investigation of the alleged chemical attack in Ghouta. “Officially Washington, London and Paris say they have incontrovertible evidence that the Syrian government is behind the chemical attack in Damascus, but they have not yet presented this evidence. Yet, they keep saying that the ‘red line’ has been crossed,” Lavrov said during an emergency press conference in Moscow. Political leaders from the countries mentioned have all released strong condemnations over the weekend, seemingly in favor of military intervention. "The Prime Minister and President Obama... have agreed that there should be a strong response from the international community, " said UK Foreign Secretary William Hague on Monday in an interview with BBC Radio 4's Today program. Questioned whether military intervention was a possible route, he said "this may be the choice." Lavrov stated that the fallout from the alleged chemical attack is aimed at sabotaging discussions in Geneva while the West tries to substitute inspectors' work with their own statements. “Those involved with the incident wanted to sabotage the upcoming Geneva peace talks. Maybe that was the motivation of those who created this story. The opposition obviously does not want to negotiate peacefully,” Lavrov commented.

UN inspectors visit site of alleged Syria chemical attack despite sniper fire Published time: August 26, 2013 10:54 Edited time: August 26, 2013 17:24 A UN inspection team has returned to a hotel in Damascus after taking samples from the site of Wednesday’s alleged chemical attack in an eastern suburb, despite a sniper assault on the mission’s vehicle. Just in the beginning of their journey, the UN team was forced to return to the government checkpoint to replace their car, which “was deliberately shot at multiple times by unidentified snipers in the buffer zone area," the spokesman for the UN secretary-general, Martin Nesirky, said. Despite earlier reports that the mission would be suspended, the team continued with their investigation. "They visited two hospitals, they interviewed witnesses, survivors and doctors, they also collected some samples," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said adding the investigation will be continued. Inspectors were reportedly satisfied with their first day of work on Monday. The United Nations assured that it was still possible for the team of experts to gather necessary evidence despite the time elapsed since the alleged attack. Ban Ki-moon added that the UN will complain to both the Syrian government and opposition forces as a result of the attack. "I have instructed Angela Kane to register a strong complaint to the Syrian government and authorities of opposition forces so that this will never happen and the safety and security of the investigation teams will be secured from tomorrow," he said. By this time, Syrian state TV had already issued a statement accusing rebel fighters of carrying out the attack, quoting sources in the Syrian Information Ministry. The Syrian opposition in their turn laid the blame with the government. Monday morning's convoy included at least six cars and was accompanied by a vehicle of security forces and an ambulance, Reuters reported. On Sunday, the Assad government had given the green light to the mission to allow the investigators access to the suburb of Ghouta. The site was the home "dozens" to 1,300 fatalities, according to various sources.

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Արթուր Աբրահամը հաղթեց Վիլբեֆորս ՇիհեպոյինԱյսօր - 02:01 Ավարտվեց հայ պրոֆեսիոնալ բռնցքամարտիկ, գերմիջին քաշային կարգում աշխարհի նախկին չեմպիոն Արթուր Աբրահամի և 30-ամյա նամբիացի Վիլբեֆորս Շիհեպոյի մենամարտը: Մենամարտն ավարտվեց Արթուրի Աբրահամի հաղթանակով: Մրցավարները 16:113 // 116:112 // 117:111 գնահատականներով առավելությունը տվեցին հայ բռնցքամարտիկին

Boxing Abraham vs Shihepo full fight coverage, Stream, video on 24th August 2013

US readies possible missile strike against Syria - report Published time: August 24, 2013 00:08Edited time: August 24, 2013 16:16 Get short URLConflict, Military, Paula Slier, Politics, USA, Yulia ShapovalovaDespite President Obama cautioning against intervention in Syria, the Pentagon is making “initial preparations” for a cruise missile attack on Syrian government forces, according to a new report. Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey is expected to present options for such a strike at a White House meeting on Saturday, CBS News reported on Friday. US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel suggested Friday naval forces are moving in position closer to Syria in case Obama chooses action. "The Defense Department has a responsibility to provide the president with options for contingencies, and that requires positioning our forces, positioning our assets, to be able to carry out different options — whatever options the president might choose," Hagel said, adding a decision must be made quickly given “there may be another (chemical) attack.” Meanwhile, a defense official, cited by Reuters, said on Friday the US Navy was expanding its Mediterranean presence with a fourth cruise-missile ship, the USS Mahan. Though the source stressed to Reuters the Navy did not have orders to prepare for military operations against Syria. The ship was due to head back to the United States, but the commander of the US Sixth Fleet decided to maintain the ship in the region. All four ships are capable of launching long-range, subsonic cruise missiles to reach land targets. President Barack Obama is under renewed pressure to take action following the emergence of footage of what appears to be the aftermath of a toxic agent attack in a Damascus suburb on Wednesday. The forces of President Bashar Assad were assaulting a rebel stronghold in the district at the time, but deny responsibility. Moscow, which has maintained close ties with the regime, called the incident a rebel “provocation” possibly designed to derail upcoming Geneva peace talks. Though the Pentagon will present plans for potential action on Saturday, as CBS reported, President Obama has final say on any further developments. Questioned on the continuing upheaval in Syria and Egypt during a CNN interview Friday, Obama said the United States should be wary of “being drawn into very expensive, difficult, costly interventions that actually breed more resentment in the region.” Obama went on to express reservations for becoming involved in the 30-month Syrian conflict due to a lack of international consensus. "If the US goes in and attacks another country without a UN mandate and without clear evidence that can be presented, then there are questions in terms of whether international law supports it, [and] do we have the coalition to make it work?” said Obama. Despite his cautious tone, Obama’s national security adviser Susan Rice said via Twitter, “What is Bashar al Assad hiding? The world is demanding an independent investigation of Wednesday’s apparent CW attack. Immediately.” Adding to the rhetoric in Washington, Sen. John McCain said that if the administration was to “let this go on,” it was “writing a blank check to other brutal dictators around the world if they want to use chemical weapons." The top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee also spoke out in support of a strike in Syria, writing to Obama of the need to respond to the latest alleged outrage. "If we, in concert with our allies, do not respond to Assad's murderous uses of weapons of mass destruction, malevolent countries and bad actors around the world will see a green light where one was never intended," Rep. Eliot Engel wrote on Friday. Engel has been a proponent of a more aggressive approach to Assad’s government. "And, we can do this with no boots on the ground, from stand-off distances," he added in the letter. "I know that your Administration is wrestling with these very complex issues, but I believe that we, as Americans, have a moral obligation to step in without delay and stop the slaughter." Obama insisted to CNN that while the United States remains “the one indispensable nation” in international diplomacy, he suggested that perhaps this was one conflict where the world should not look to Washington for a definitive answer. "The notion that the US can somehow solve what is a sectarian complex problem inside of Syria sometimes is overstated," said the president. The White House later released a statement confirming Obama’s words, and emphasizing that the US has no plans to put “boots on the ground.”

3,600 patients with neurotoxic symptoms in Damascus hospitals on Wednesday – Doctors Without Borders Published time: August 24, 2013 15:23Edited time: August 24, 2013 18:52 Get short URLhttp://rt.com/files/news/20/36/b0/00/32.si.jpgPeople, affected by what activists say was a gas attack, are treated at a medical center in the Damascus suburb of Saqba, August 21, 2013.(Reuters / Bassam Khabieh) Share on tumblrTrends Syria unrestTags Military, Syria, WarNearly 3,600 patients with neurotoxic symptoms were treated in three Damascus hospitals on the day a toxic gas attack was reported, say Doctors Without Borders (MSF). 355 patients were reportedly pronounced dead. The international medical humanitarian organization said it received information from hospitals it has been supporting in Syria. “Medical staff working in these facilities provided detailed information to MSF doctors regarding large numbers of patients arriving with symptoms including convulsions, excess saliva, pinpoint pupils, blurred vision and respiratory distress,” MSF director of operations, Dr. Bart Janssens said in a press-release published on the organization’s webpage. However, MSF could not “scientifically confirm the cause of these symptoms”. “The reported symptoms of the patients, in addition to the epidemiological pattern of the events—characterized by the massive influx of patients in a short period of time, the origin of the patients, and the contamination of medical and first aid workers—strongly indicate mass exposure to a neurotoxic agent,” Janssens says in the report. At the same time, he says they are unable to “establish who is responsible for the attack”. Hospitals have been reportedly treating patients with atropine, an antidote drug used to cure nerve gas poisoning that MSF supply to the facilities. It follows from the report that MSF will now replenish “empty stocks” and deliver additional medical supplies. “In addition to 1,600 vials of atropine supplied over recent months, MSF has now dispatched 7,000 additional vials to facilities in the area. Treatment of neurotoxic patients is now being fully integrated into MSF’s medical strategies in all its programs in Syria,” stated Janssens. The revelation by MSF happened within a week of a UN investigative team entering the country to examine three different sites of alleged chemical weapons usage. It was also just hours after UN disarmament chief Angela Kane arrived in the Syrian capital of Damascus to apply pressure on the Syrian government to grant access to the site of the reported attack in the Damascus suburbs on Wednesday. Syria is yet to give its assent to the UN inspectors currently in the country, who have not yet visited the sites of the alleged assault. However, the Syrian government said on Thursday that in light of the event it was ready to engage in “maximum” cooperation with UN experts, according to Russia’s foreign ministry. Both the US and France have joined the chorus of accusations that Bashar al-Assad's forces carried out the attack in the eastern suburbs of Damascus on Wednesday, with the US cautiously mulling military intervention. Obama said that he was weighing his options and has described it as “a big event of grave concern.” A report released on Saturday indicated that the Pentagon was already making “initial preparations” for a cruise missile attack on Syrian government forces. Moscow has commented that it was monitoring events surrounding the alleged attack. “We’re getting more new evidence that this criminal act was of a provocative nature,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Aleksandr Lukashevich, said in a statement on Friday. “In particular, there are reports circulating on the Internet that the materials of the incident and accusations against government troops had been posted for several hours before the so-called attack. Thus, it was a pre-planned action,” he said. On Saturday the Syrian opposition denied that they that rebel forces had employed chemical weapons, making allegations that the government was employing diversionary tactics. “The National Coalition totally rejects the lies from the [President Bashar] Assad regime and considers them a desperate bid to divert attention from its repeated crimes and methods against Syrian civilians,” said a statement released by the main opposition bloc. The “international community knows full well that the Assad regime is the only party in Syria which possesses the means to produce, use and stock chemical weapons,” the statement said. Syria-based political activist Ayssar Midani disagreed. “The usage of these chemical weapons is coming to help them…to make more investigations, to let them [the rebels] recover and gain more places, and just relax from their defeat. This is a very tactical problem in this war which is delivered against Syria by all these occidental countries,” she told RT.

Syrian rebels use toxic chemicals against govt troops near Damascus - state media http://on.rt.com/i3ha5r Syrian rebels have used chemical weapons against regime forces in the Damascus suburb of Jobar, where soldiers discovered stockpiles of toxic poisoning antidotes, state media reports. According to SANA citing “an official source” suffocation cases among army soldiers have been reported. The source told the agency that army unit pushed into the area, where soldiers were attacked, and seized a warehouse containing material labeled 'Made in KSA' as well as a large number of protective masks. In addition, the army discovered a stockpile of chemical poisoning antidotes with 'The Qatari-German Company for Pharmaceutical Industries' label on them. Clashes have been reported between rebels and regime forces in Jobar. Rebels fighting to oust President Bashar Assad accuse government forces of attacking people in the Damascus suburbs with toxic gas on Wednesday. The ruling regime has dismissed the accusations. However, some Western powers suspect Assad’s forces to be behind the attack that the opposition claims killed anywhere between ‘dozens’ to ‘1,300’. http://rt.com/files/news/20/36/40/00/21.jpgPhoto from SANA.sy by M. Ismael/Mazen France says all indications show that Syrian army troops are responsible for what it called a "chemical massacre". "All the information at our disposal converges to indicate that there was a chemical massacre near Damascus and that the Bashar regime is responsible," French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Saturday. UK Foreign Secretary William Hague has suggested that "the Assad regime has something to hide" as the UN team, which is “20 minutes away” from the site of the recent attack, “have not been able to” go there and investigate. “Why else have they not allowed the UN team to go there?” Hague said. The US and European security sources have made a preliminary assessment that the Syrian government used chemical weapon, but still said they are seeking conclusive proof, which could take days, weeks or longer to gather. The White House said on Saturday that a ‘range of options’ is available on Syria if it’s proven that Assad’s forces used chemical weapons. http://rt.com/files/news/20/36/40/00/22.jpgPhoto from SANA.sy by M. Ismael/Mazen "We have a range of options available, and we are going to act very deliberately so that we're making decisions consistent with our national interest, as well as our assessment of what can advance our objectives in Syria," the White House official said. "Once we ascertain the facts, the President will make an informed decision about how to respond," the official added. President Obama is set to meet with his national security team later on in the day to discuss possible options. In response, Iran has warned the US against possible military intervention in Syria, saying it will fuel tension across the region. "Iran has announced several times that there is no military solution to the Syrian crisis, these provocative measures and moves make regional issues more complicated and fuel tensions," Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Araqchi said. http://rt.com/files/news/20/36/40/00/33.jpgAFP Photo / SANA "The Syrian problem could be resolved only through a peaceful solution and there is no international permit for military meddling in Syria," he added. FM said there is evidence showing that terrorist groups and rebels have been using chemical weapons against Syrian civilians. http://rt.com/files/news/20/36/40/00/24.jpgPhoto from SANA.sy by M. Ismael/Mazen UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Angela Kane arrived in Syria to try to get access for the team of international inspectors to work at the site in the Damascus suburbs. The UN investigative team entered the country last Sunday to examine and investigate the alleged use of chemical weapons in three different locations, as it was agreed with President Bashar Assad’s government. Following Wednesday attack, UN inspectors requested access to the site “without delays”. The Syrian government said that it was ready to engage in “maximum” cooperation with UN experts, according to Russia’s foreign ministry. On Friday the Syrian opposition said they will ensure the safety of UN chemical weapons experts as they pass through rebel-controlled areas, adding that their successful arrival at the site of an alleged gas attack near Damascus within 48 hours was "critical." On Saturday the Syrian opposition denied that they that rebel forces had employed chemical weapons, making allegations that the government was employing diversionary tactics. “The National Coalition totally rejects the lies from the [President Bashar] Assad regime and considers them a desperate bid to divert attention from its repeated crimes and methods against Syrian civilians,” said a statement released by the main opposition bloc. The “international community knows full well that the Assad regime is the only party in Syria which possesses the means to produce, use and stock chemical weapons,” the statement said.