11 03 2008 - Azerbaijan Tries to Exploit Armenia’s Internal Turmoil by Military Aggression

(Jabarian's Mar. 7 column)

1. Azerbaijan Tries to Exploit Armenia’s Internal Turmoil by Military Aggression

2. AN ONLINE PETITION on the March 1st Riots in Yerevan, Armenia
http://www.petitiononline.com/yerevan/petition-sign.html?

3. People in Yerevan, Armenia on riots organized by Levon Ter-Petrosyan.
Click and see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGLZj_KtjG4&feature=related
Azerbaijan Tries to Exploit Armenia’s
Internal Turmoil by Military Aggression

By APPO JABARIAN
Executive Publisher/Managing Editor
USA ARMENIAN LIFE Magazine

appojabarian@gmail.com

The post election period in Armenia ushered in two major developments:

- The mass rallies of Feb. 19-29 and the subsequent mass disorders of March 1 causing internal turmoil;

- Azerbaijan’s March 3 military aggressions against the Armenian defense forces stationed on the Artsakh (Nagorno Karabagh) border in a clear violation of the internationally brokered cease-fire agreement with Armenia.
Armenia held its fiercely fought presidential elections on February 19. Even though notable international observers such as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) gave them a passing mark, a segment of Armenia’s opposition contested the final results. That segment’s leaders, spearheaded by Armenia’s first president Levon Ter-Petrossyan, took to the streets of Yerevan. Initially, the Ter-Petrossyan flank held mostly peaceful rallies for several days. Although the rallies had not been authorized, the current government initially tolerated them. With the passing of ten consecutive days of rallies, came the final order by the Armenian authorities to discontinue such unauthorized mass gatherings. The great majority of the protesters peacefully complied. But a sizeable circle of participants defied the authorities by resorting to organized violence.

Basing his statement on ample evidence, the Attorney General of the Republic of Armenia Aghvan Hovsepian stated on March 4: "All of the March 1 illegal activities illustrated the fact that they were managed from one center. That has become obvious through the gathered evidence. There is testimony that one thing has been said from the rally podium, but internally, the elements were told ‘we must confiscate power no matter what the cost is.’ According to Hovsepian, individuals were recruited who are now testifying that they were instructed to loot. Promises were given that the participants were going to receive shops in Yerevan. Several others were promised ministerial positions in the government.

Hovsepian has noted that during the course of the massive disorder, 8 individuals were killed, 48 civilians and 117 peace officers were injured. 63 automobiles were burned, 7 shops were vandalized and looted. 1055 lethal pieces of sharp metals were hauled from the scene of the disorder among other weapons.

Referring to the neo-Cons in Washington and elsewhere, Lisa Karpova wrote in a March 3 article in Pravda: "Perhaps the empire just doesn’t get it. They need to re-examine their despicable, foolish and devious scheme to bring an orange scenario to an embattled, besieged Armenia. Under blockade by neighboring Turkey and Azerbaijan, Armenia continues to prosper despite some instances of corruption and economic isolation. Armenia is not fertile ground for any sort of orange scenario. Armenians are generally politically astute, pro-Russian and not easily swayed. They are also acutely aware of the fact that there is no future for them as vassals of the empire."

Speaking of the belligerent segment of the opposition, Karpova quoted the Armenian Parliament Speaker Tigran Torosian as saying: "These people decided who the winner is five minutes after the election. This is their characteristic feature. I learned about my alleged resignation from journalists. Levon Ter-Petrossyan and his teammates have exhausted the sources of lies, which exceed all possible borders. They spread lies about all and offend all those who are not with them. They are filled with hatred and revenge."

As Armenia struggled to bring stability, Azerbaijan exploited the internal turmoil by launching a major military attack and occupied an important Armenian position. When international negotiations failed to convince Azerbaijan to recede, the Armenian defense forces counter-attacked and liberated that position.

Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian accused Baku of "striking at a moment when Yerevan is particularly vulnerable with the state of emergency in place, since government troops and police forcibly dispersed opposition protesters in clashes on March 1 that left at least eight people dead. We condemn this challenge, and we think that this is an attempt by the Azerbaijani side to exploit the current situation in Armenia," Oskanian said. "Perhaps they thought we had focused all of our attention on our internal situation, and that this could provide them with a psychological advantage, but this hasn’t proved the case."

Armenia should lodge formal complaints against Azerbaijan at the United Nations and the European Union. She should also mount worldwide condemnation of Azerbaijan’s breach of the 1994 cease-fire agreement with Armenia and hold Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliev accountable for warmongering.

The elements that attempt to attain "power at all cost" should refrain from becoming accessory to further destabilization of the Caucasus by way of undermining Armenia’s own stability.

Rather than fostering a spirit of cooperation between the East and West, the so-called Armenian "Orange Agents" may be attempting to thrive on awakening or further developing the worst instincts in the West, mainly the neo-Cons in Washington, toward the East, mainly Russia.

Today’s international political climate is already tense because of the wrong war in Iraq. The international community can be better off without an additional deadly conflict, and without another country – Armenia -- in Caucasus being subjected to the so-called "Orange Revolution."

===

AN ONLINE PETITION on the March 1st Riots in Yerevan, Armenia

You are urged to read and sign an online petition on
"March 1st Riots in Yerevan, Armenia."

To: Whom It May Concern
We, the undersigned citizens of Armenia not affiliated with any government bodies or with the marginal opposition groups, state the following:
The events of March 1, 2008 in Yerevan, Armenia are an attempt of a rebellion, which had nothing to do with peaceful opposition actions. Witnesses confirm that the police and the authorities in general refrained from resorting to force as long as possible. The state authorities patiently waited for 9 days for the unauthorized demonstration to end, but the marginalized part of the opposition led by Levon Ter-Petrosyan continued illegal activities with calls to overthrow government with revolutionary means. This was a Gandhi on surface, Bolshevist in essence "singing and dancing revolution" to quote Ter-Petrosyan himself. The actions of Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s supporters ended in deaths (both among the protesters and police forces), burning and looting — something unseen even during the protests of 1988, when hundreds of thousands of Armenians were taking part in the demonstrations for the freedom of Nagorno Karabakh.
We strongly believe that now Levon Ter-Petrosyan is a direct threat to the statehood of Armenia.
The feeling of revenge, personal business interests and affiliations are the motives behind Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s scandalous comeback. While we criticize our government for many weaknesses and faults we strongly believe that Levon Ter-Petrosyan is the last person in the world to be interested in strengthening democracy in Armenia. The reasons for us to think so are:
1. Ter-Petrosyan was the first leader of the Republic of Armenia to practice large scale electoral fraud (elections of 1996, Vazgen Manukian being the real winner).
2. Ter-Petrosyan was the first one to use army against the protesters (after falsifying the results of presidential elections in 1996).
3. Ter-Petrosyan was the first to suppress free speech, by closing newspapers (some of us remember quite well policemen throwing computers out of the office windows of the "Yerkir" daily).
4. Ter-Petrosyan was the first leader in the Republic of Armenia to shut down a political party and throw its members into jail (the infamous "Dro" case).
5. Ter-Petrosyan was the very person under whose wing the oligarchic families were born. Actually all the current Armenian oligarchs became rich during Ter-Petrosyan’s rule. Moreover, while his supporters criticize oligarchs, the major donor for the Ter-Petrosyan’s campaign is another oligarch.
6. Ter-Petrosyan was the person who brought to power current Armenian authorities — who are now being called criminals and bandits by the supporters of the ex-president.
7. Yet the most important... Ter-Petrosyan is the very person who killed Armenians’ belief in justice, law and freedom of speech.
With everything said above, we urge our compatriots to stay sober and do not fall for the disinformation and PR-campaign started by Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s supporters.
We call on the government of Armenia to conduct thorough investigation and bring to fair trial all instigators of disturbances and civil unrest. With enough evidence of complicity immunity should be lifted from Ter Petrosyan himself. In true democracy no one can be above the law.
Sincerely,

The Undersigned
To sign the petition, click on the following link:
http://www.petitiononline.com/yerevan/petition-sign.html?

People in Yerevan, Armenia on riots organized by Levon Ter-Petrosyan.
Click and see:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGLZj_KtjG4&feature=related
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