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Not all Armenian opinion favours sending contingent to Iraq, paper says
Haykakan Zhamanak, Yerevan
18 Jan 05
Text of report by Avetis Babadzanyan entitled "People in the streets"
published in the Armenian newspaper Haykakan Zhamanak on 18 January
When it was announced that during his visit to Poland Armenian
President Robert Kocharyan had signed an agreement about sending an
Armenian contingent to Iraq, many public organizations in Armenia saw
this as an anti-Armenian and anti-national step, promising not to let
it happen. Today [18 January] when the contingent goes to Iraq, these
organizations have got nothing to say or do. The Intelligentsia Forum
that was making the most threatening statements and promised to draw
people onto the streets, is silent today. A member of the political
board of the Intelligentsia Forum Garnik Markaryan does not rule out
that nevertheless they can draw people onto the streets, but a
question arises, what is the sense of going onto the streets when the
contingent is already in Iraq ?
The Armenian people should show to the Arab world that the contingent
was sent to Iraq by the decision of one or two people who ignore a
view of the Armenian people and who are not supported by the Armenian
people. It turns out we are playing a double game: on one hand the
authorities send a contingent to Iraq, on the other we are trying to
persuade the Arab world that the Armenian people condemn those who
made the decision to send the troops. And the Arab world forgives the
Armenian people, understanding that they should punish not the local
Armenian communities but blame the authorities.
One more thing. The leader of the Armenian Aryan Union Armen
Avetisyan, who earlier formed the volunteer team for supporting the
people of Iraq in their fight against occupation, today is just sorry
that quite the contrary event is taking place and a military
contingent is going to Iraq to support the occupants.
"We warned that carrying out such a decision would be understood
negatively in the Arab world and not only local Armenians will feel
its consequences but Armenia as well. When terror actions happen in
Armenia, when we have the first victims in Iraq, then everybody will
understand that the authorities are responsible for this. Then the
people, without being urged, will go onto the streets, forcing the
authorities to bring the contingent back," he predicts.
The head of the Gnchakyan Party Lyudmila Sarkisyan also confirms that
sending the Armenian contingent to Iraq will have some influence on
the Armenian communities of the Middle East. In December of last year
she signed a statement with the leader of the Social-Democratic Party
A. Martirosyan threatening that in the event that such a decision was
adopted, they would start the impeachment process against Robert
Kocharyan.
"We receive many telephone calls from our compatriots from Syria and
Lebanon, that the Armenian communities of these countries have a short
life. They say that if before this decision Armenians were regarded as
a friendly and entrepreneurial people, today they are seen as
ungrateful traitors. Today a variety of obstacles are being set up,
especially in Syria, preventing them from carrying out their
business," Sarkisyan says. She said Armenians were looking for ways to
emigrate to the USA, Europe and some to Armenia.
As for the Liberated Territories Protection public initiative, this is
also silent, although its secretary Armen Agayan described the
decision to send a contingent to Iraq as a national betrayal.
Haykakan Zhamanak, Yerevan
18 Jan 05
Text of report by Avetis Babadzanyan entitled "People in the streets"
published in the Armenian newspaper Haykakan Zhamanak on 18 January
When it was announced that during his visit to Poland Armenian
President Robert Kocharyan had signed an agreement about sending an
Armenian contingent to Iraq, many public organizations in Armenia saw
this as an anti-Armenian and anti-national step, promising not to let
it happen. Today [18 January] when the contingent goes to Iraq, these
organizations have got nothing to say or do. The Intelligentsia Forum
that was making the most threatening statements and promised to draw
people onto the streets, is silent today. A member of the political
board of the Intelligentsia Forum Garnik Markaryan does not rule out
that nevertheless they can draw people onto the streets, but a
question arises, what is the sense of going onto the streets when the
contingent is already in Iraq ?
The Armenian people should show to the Arab world that the contingent
was sent to Iraq by the decision of one or two people who ignore a
view of the Armenian people and who are not supported by the Armenian
people. It turns out we are playing a double game: on one hand the
authorities send a contingent to Iraq, on the other we are trying to
persuade the Arab world that the Armenian people condemn those who
made the decision to send the troops. And the Arab world forgives the
Armenian people, understanding that they should punish not the local
Armenian communities but blame the authorities.
One more thing. The leader of the Armenian Aryan Union Armen
Avetisyan, who earlier formed the volunteer team for supporting the
people of Iraq in their fight against occupation, today is just sorry
that quite the contrary event is taking place and a military
contingent is going to Iraq to support the occupants.
"We warned that carrying out such a decision would be understood
negatively in the Arab world and not only local Armenians will feel
its consequences but Armenia as well. When terror actions happen in
Armenia, when we have the first victims in Iraq, then everybody will
understand that the authorities are responsible for this. Then the
people, without being urged, will go onto the streets, forcing the
authorities to bring the contingent back," he predicts.
The head of the Gnchakyan Party Lyudmila Sarkisyan also confirms that
sending the Armenian contingent to Iraq will have some influence on
the Armenian communities of the Middle East. In December of last year
she signed a statement with the leader of the Social-Democratic Party
A. Martirosyan threatening that in the event that such a decision was
adopted, they would start the impeachment process against Robert
Kocharyan.
"We receive many telephone calls from our compatriots from Syria and
Lebanon, that the Armenian communities of these countries have a short
life. They say that if before this decision Armenians were regarded as
a friendly and entrepreneurial people, today they are seen as
ungrateful traitors. Today a variety of obstacles are being set up,
especially in Syria, preventing them from carrying out their
business," Sarkisyan says. She said Armenians were looking for ways to
emigrate to the USA, Europe and some to Armenia.
As for the Liberated Territories Protection public initiative, this is
also silent, although its secretary Armen Agayan described the
decision to send a contingent to Iraq as a national betrayal.