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Holy Trinity Armenian Church Hosts CNN's Peter Bergen
http://www.mirrorspectator.com/2013/05/14/holy-trinity-armenian-church-hosts-cnns-peter-bergen/
INTERNATIONAL NEWS, NEWS | MAY 14, 2013 4:53 PM
CAMBRIDGE - As part of its Dr. Michael and Joyce Kolligian
Distinguished Speaker Series, Holy Trinity Armenian Church of Greater
Boston hosted a May 7 lecture by CNN national security analyst and
journalist, Peter Bergen, who shared his first-hand experience of
meeting al-Qaeda leader, Osama Bin Laden.
Bergen, best-selling author of Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for Osama
Bin Laden - From 9/11 to Abbottabad, gave a talk titled `The
Awakening: The Remaking of the Middle East' to an audience of more
than 120 people in the church's Charles and Nevart Talanian Cultural
Hall.
Bergen's previous books include, Holy War, Inc.: Inside the Secret
World of Osama Bin Laden (2001), The Osama bin Laden I Know (2006) and
The Longest War: The Enduring Conflict Between America and al-Qaeda
(2011).
Fr. Vasken A. Kouzouian, pastor, provided opening remarks and thanked
Bergen for his presence. `Through his work he [Bergen] brings about
truth and awareness from places far removed from our everyday life.'
Kouzouian then welcomed the daughter of Dr. Michael and Joyce
Kolligian, Valerie Kolligian Thayer, to the podium to welcome Bergen.
Thayer noted the unexpectedly timely nature of Bergen's visit to
Cambridge, given the recent Boston Marathon bombings and subsequent
police chase and manhunt in Cambridge and Watertown. She then
introduced Bergen as `one of the few westerners to ever interview
Osama Bin Laden.'
Bergen began by recounting his 1997 meeting with Bin Laden in
Afghanistan after a long process of negotiations, during which he
described Bin Laden as `intelligent' and revered as a cleric by those
around him.
Bergen then discussed the inherent weaknesses of al-Qaeda groups,
stating that, `Coded in their DNA are the seeds of their own
destruction.' These inherent flaws include their willingness to kill
Muslim civilians during their terrorist attacks, a tendency to make
enemies over allies, a desire to restore a Taliban empire severely
restrictive on individual liberties and their unwillingness to engage
in politics or elections. Bergen cautioned that although these flaws
should reassure the public to a degree, he believed the real legacy of
Bin Laden is one of ideas - ideas that occasionally inspire others.
Specifically referencing the recent Boston Marathon bombings, Bergen
said, `His [Bin Laden's ] ideas can live on. His ideas can be very
deadly [...] Bin Laden's most toxic legacy is that he supplied an
ideology.' Bergen said Bin Laden's fundamental philosophy was, `Islam
is under attack by the West, an attack led by the US.' By this logic,
Bergen said, Bin Laden could argue that all wars were `wars against
Islam.' Bergen also stated that according to the media, one of the
Boston Marathon bombing suspects, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, said that one of
his principal motivations for the attacks was `the wars in Iraq and in
Afghanistan.' He further noted that many of the violent ideologies
found in these regions were `created in authoritarian prison systems
in the Middle East.'
Given the magnitude of the 9/11 attacks, Bergen argued that the Boston
Bombings should be contextualized and that US citizens should be
encouraged by the decrease in frequency and magnitude of terrorist
attacks on its people. He also called the `absence of Bin Laden's
ideology' from most of the Arab Spring `good news.'
Bergen explained the decrease in attacks as partially a result of
several factors, including the US's highly-integrated and educated
Muslim population, the effectiveness of US Task Forces, the increase
since 9/11 in CIA/FBI collaboration and information-sharing, other
precautions such as the 20,000 names on the `no-fly list' at US
airports and finally, improvements in public understanding and
awareness which have prevented several attacks on US soil.
As for ongoing military actions in Afghanistan, Bergen said, `I am
optimistic about the future of Afghanistan.'
The discussion was followed by a brief question-and-answer period.
During the questions, there were a few observable moments of tension
in the audience, particularly when Bergen was asked about possible
ties between Ruslan Tsarni, the uncle of the Boston Marathon Bombing
suspects, and former top CIA official and acquaintance of Bergen,
Graham Fuller, whose daughter was previously married to Tsarni. Bergen
quickly dismissed the question, saying he did not understand the
reason for the question, which sparked a verbal outcry of disapproval
by an audience member.
Bergen also fielded questions on subjects such as Sunni-Shiite
relations, inaction by the US in Syria, the 2012 Benghazi attack and
the effectiveness of modern media journalists as `watchdogs' of the
world.
The discussion concluded with closing remarks by Kouzouian during
which he once again thanked Bergen and the Kolligian family for making
the event possible. Copies of Bergen's book were available for
purchase and signing, and refreshments were served to those who
attended the event.
This was the fourth lecture in the Dr. Michael and Joyce Kolligian
Distinguished Speaker Series, which was established in 2000 by Joyce
Kolligian and her family in memory of her husband, Dr. Michael
Kolligian, with the purpose of `providing high-quality, educational
and cultural programs to enhance knowledge and provide enjoyment to
the members of Holy Trinity Armenian Church, as well as the community
at large.' Previous speakers have included Dr. Bob Arnot in 2004;
Immaculée Ilibagiza, survivor and author of Left to Tell, Discovering
God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust, in 2007; and Mia Farrow speaking on
the Darfur
http://www.mirrorspectator.com/2013/05/14/holy-trinity-armenian-church-hosts-cnns-peter-bergen/
INTERNATIONAL NEWS, NEWS | MAY 14, 2013 4:53 PM
CAMBRIDGE - As part of its Dr. Michael and Joyce Kolligian
Distinguished Speaker Series, Holy Trinity Armenian Church of Greater
Boston hosted a May 7 lecture by CNN national security analyst and
journalist, Peter Bergen, who shared his first-hand experience of
meeting al-Qaeda leader, Osama Bin Laden.
Bergen, best-selling author of Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for Osama
Bin Laden - From 9/11 to Abbottabad, gave a talk titled `The
Awakening: The Remaking of the Middle East' to an audience of more
than 120 people in the church's Charles and Nevart Talanian Cultural
Hall.
Bergen's previous books include, Holy War, Inc.: Inside the Secret
World of Osama Bin Laden (2001), The Osama bin Laden I Know (2006) and
The Longest War: The Enduring Conflict Between America and al-Qaeda
(2011).
Fr. Vasken A. Kouzouian, pastor, provided opening remarks and thanked
Bergen for his presence. `Through his work he [Bergen] brings about
truth and awareness from places far removed from our everyday life.'
Kouzouian then welcomed the daughter of Dr. Michael and Joyce
Kolligian, Valerie Kolligian Thayer, to the podium to welcome Bergen.
Thayer noted the unexpectedly timely nature of Bergen's visit to
Cambridge, given the recent Boston Marathon bombings and subsequent
police chase and manhunt in Cambridge and Watertown. She then
introduced Bergen as `one of the few westerners to ever interview
Osama Bin Laden.'
Bergen began by recounting his 1997 meeting with Bin Laden in
Afghanistan after a long process of negotiations, during which he
described Bin Laden as `intelligent' and revered as a cleric by those
around him.
Bergen then discussed the inherent weaknesses of al-Qaeda groups,
stating that, `Coded in their DNA are the seeds of their own
destruction.' These inherent flaws include their willingness to kill
Muslim civilians during their terrorist attacks, a tendency to make
enemies over allies, a desire to restore a Taliban empire severely
restrictive on individual liberties and their unwillingness to engage
in politics or elections. Bergen cautioned that although these flaws
should reassure the public to a degree, he believed the real legacy of
Bin Laden is one of ideas - ideas that occasionally inspire others.
Specifically referencing the recent Boston Marathon bombings, Bergen
said, `His [Bin Laden's ] ideas can live on. His ideas can be very
deadly [...] Bin Laden's most toxic legacy is that he supplied an
ideology.' Bergen said Bin Laden's fundamental philosophy was, `Islam
is under attack by the West, an attack led by the US.' By this logic,
Bergen said, Bin Laden could argue that all wars were `wars against
Islam.' Bergen also stated that according to the media, one of the
Boston Marathon bombing suspects, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, said that one of
his principal motivations for the attacks was `the wars in Iraq and in
Afghanistan.' He further noted that many of the violent ideologies
found in these regions were `created in authoritarian prison systems
in the Middle East.'
Given the magnitude of the 9/11 attacks, Bergen argued that the Boston
Bombings should be contextualized and that US citizens should be
encouraged by the decrease in frequency and magnitude of terrorist
attacks on its people. He also called the `absence of Bin Laden's
ideology' from most of the Arab Spring `good news.'
Bergen explained the decrease in attacks as partially a result of
several factors, including the US's highly-integrated and educated
Muslim population, the effectiveness of US Task Forces, the increase
since 9/11 in CIA/FBI collaboration and information-sharing, other
precautions such as the 20,000 names on the `no-fly list' at US
airports and finally, improvements in public understanding and
awareness which have prevented several attacks on US soil.
As for ongoing military actions in Afghanistan, Bergen said, `I am
optimistic about the future of Afghanistan.'
The discussion was followed by a brief question-and-answer period.
During the questions, there were a few observable moments of tension
in the audience, particularly when Bergen was asked about possible
ties between Ruslan Tsarni, the uncle of the Boston Marathon Bombing
suspects, and former top CIA official and acquaintance of Bergen,
Graham Fuller, whose daughter was previously married to Tsarni. Bergen
quickly dismissed the question, saying he did not understand the
reason for the question, which sparked a verbal outcry of disapproval
by an audience member.
Bergen also fielded questions on subjects such as Sunni-Shiite
relations, inaction by the US in Syria, the 2012 Benghazi attack and
the effectiveness of modern media journalists as `watchdogs' of the
world.
The discussion concluded with closing remarks by Kouzouian during
which he once again thanked Bergen and the Kolligian family for making
the event possible. Copies of Bergen's book were available for
purchase and signing, and refreshments were served to those who
attended the event.
This was the fourth lecture in the Dr. Michael and Joyce Kolligian
Distinguished Speaker Series, which was established in 2000 by Joyce
Kolligian and her family in memory of her husband, Dr. Michael
Kolligian, with the purpose of `providing high-quality, educational
and cultural programs to enhance knowledge and provide enjoyment to
the members of Holy Trinity Armenian Church, as well as the community
at large.' Previous speakers have included Dr. Bob Arnot in 2004;
Immaculée Ilibagiza, survivor and author of Left to Tell, Discovering
God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust, in 2007; and Mia Farrow speaking on
the Darfur