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RUSSIA IS CONCERNED OVER JIHADIST ATTACKS AGAINST SIRYAN ARMENIANS IN KESSAB
The Voice of Russia
March 31 2014
On March 21 al-Qaeda-linked extremist groups launched attacks on the
Armenian-populated town of Kessab in Syria, near the Turkish border.
An estimated 2,000 Armenians from the town of Kessab, on Syria's
border with Turkey, have taken refuge in the coastal city Latakia
following the occupation of their town by jihadist forces.
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) reported on a number of
eye-witness accounts of the looting and seizure of Armenian homes,
stores, and churches in Kessab. More than 600 ethnic Armenian families
had to flee their homes in the town situated in the northwest of Syria
after armed bands reportedly affiliated with al-Qaeda penetrated
from nearby Turkish territory and seized the place after clashes
with Syrian government troops.The armed incursion began March 21,
as rebels associated with the Nusra Front, Sham al-Islam and Ansar
al-Sham crossed from the Turkish side border. Snipers targeted the
civilian population and launched mortar attacks on the town and the
surrounding villages. Syrian government troops reportedly tried to
push the attackers back.
The Armenian National Committee-International (ANC-I) in a written
statement condemned the attacks and Turkey's active role in aiding
and abetting extremist groups in their targeted attacks against the
Christian and minority populations in Syria. "For months, we have
warned the international community of the imminent threat posed by
extremist foreign fighters against the Christian minority population
in Syria," noted the ANC-I statement. "These vicious and unprompted
attacks against the Armenian-populated town and villages of Kessab
are the latest examples of this violence, actively encouraged by
neighboring Turkey."
Armenia's premier Tigran Sargsyan stressed the importance of measures
to help ethnic Armenians in Syria, after the situation aggravated at
Syria-Turkey border recently. The premier said the society should be
informed about the government's measures to help solve problems of
ethnic Armenian in Syria.
"I think that everyone should realize that the parallels that come to
one's mind should be sobering to all the sides," he said. Sargisian
thanked the Syrian government for its steps taken in this difficult
time to protect the Armenians of Kessab.
"I have already instructed the diplomatic missions of the Republic of
Armenia to the UN in New York and Geneva offices to ask corresponding
international agencies dealing with human rights and minority issues
to address the issue of security of Armenians in Kessab and guarantee
their safe return to their homes," said Sargisian.
Touching upon the historic events, Sargisian recalled another date
in history -- the year 1915. The Armenians of Kessab were deported
in two directions, to Deir ez-Zor and Jordan. Thousands of them died,
most of them in the deserts of Deir ez-Zor.
"Today's deportation of Kessab Armenians -- the third in history --
is a most serious challenge to the mechanisms of the 21st century
targeted at the protection of national minorities. I think everyone
should realize that these parallels should be sobering for all
parties," Sarigisian said.
Russia condemns the terrorist acts and crimes committed against
peaceful population of Syria, particularly Armenians. The Ministry
of Foreign Affairs of Russia also disseminated a statement on Friday
expressing concern over the attacks against the Armenian-populated
town of Kessab conducted with the support of artillery and heavy
materiel. It strongly condemned the acts of terrorism and other crimes
against civilians, clearly stating that tank guns were applied from
the territory of Turkey. The Ministry released a statement saying
that the confrontation between the Syrian government forces and
illegal armed groups has intensified in recent days. It believes
that the intensification of extremist actions also aims to disrupt
the process of Syria's chemical demilitarization.
"The seizure by extremists of the town of Kessab elicited a
broad response in Armenian communities throughout the world. A
demonstration took place in front of the UN office in Yerevan with
the demand for the persecution against ethno-confessional minorities
by illegal armed units to be put an end to in Syria. Simultaneously,
the leadership of the Republic of Armenia expressed its gratitude to
the Syrian government for the defense of the Armenian population,"
the statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
"The impression is that more vigorous activities by extremists are
aimed at preventing the resumption of intra-Syrian negotiations,
depriving the Syrians of the possibility of a political and
diplomatic settlement, thwarting the process of Syria's chemical
demilitarization. Such a scenario is inadmissible," it added.
The President of Syria, Bashar al-Assad denounced before the United
Nations Turkey's support for terrorists--even as some European leaders,
such as Denmark's Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, were praising
Turkey for its supposedly increased democracy and human rights, and
supporting the Islamic nation's inclusion into the European Union,
indifferent to the fact that Erdogan banned Twitter in Turkey after
tweets exposed his government's corruptions.
Earlier this week a delegation of Armenian-American organizations,
including the Armenian National Committee of America, and religious
representatives held meetings at the U.S. Department of State,
urging the U.S. government to take immediate action "to end the
vicious onslaught on the historically Armenian town of Kessab."
The delegation said "the United States has a unique responsibility to
protect the citizens of Kessab especially since a large proportion of
them have American families desperately seeking to provide protection
and refuge for them." It submitted a series of requests for prompt
U.S. action.
A number of pro-Armenian senators and congressmen also sent letters
with similar contents to the U.S. Department of State and President
Obama.
http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_03_31/Russia-is-concerned-over-jihadist-attacks-against-Siryan-Armenians-in-Kessab-7472/
From: Baghdasarian
The Voice of Russia
March 31 2014
On March 21 al-Qaeda-linked extremist groups launched attacks on the
Armenian-populated town of Kessab in Syria, near the Turkish border.
An estimated 2,000 Armenians from the town of Kessab, on Syria's
border with Turkey, have taken refuge in the coastal city Latakia
following the occupation of their town by jihadist forces.
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) reported on a number of
eye-witness accounts of the looting and seizure of Armenian homes,
stores, and churches in Kessab. More than 600 ethnic Armenian families
had to flee their homes in the town situated in the northwest of Syria
after armed bands reportedly affiliated with al-Qaeda penetrated
from nearby Turkish territory and seized the place after clashes
with Syrian government troops.The armed incursion began March 21,
as rebels associated with the Nusra Front, Sham al-Islam and Ansar
al-Sham crossed from the Turkish side border. Snipers targeted the
civilian population and launched mortar attacks on the town and the
surrounding villages. Syrian government troops reportedly tried to
push the attackers back.
The Armenian National Committee-International (ANC-I) in a written
statement condemned the attacks and Turkey's active role in aiding
and abetting extremist groups in their targeted attacks against the
Christian and minority populations in Syria. "For months, we have
warned the international community of the imminent threat posed by
extremist foreign fighters against the Christian minority population
in Syria," noted the ANC-I statement. "These vicious and unprompted
attacks against the Armenian-populated town and villages of Kessab
are the latest examples of this violence, actively encouraged by
neighboring Turkey."
Armenia's premier Tigran Sargsyan stressed the importance of measures
to help ethnic Armenians in Syria, after the situation aggravated at
Syria-Turkey border recently. The premier said the society should be
informed about the government's measures to help solve problems of
ethnic Armenian in Syria.
"I think that everyone should realize that the parallels that come to
one's mind should be sobering to all the sides," he said. Sargisian
thanked the Syrian government for its steps taken in this difficult
time to protect the Armenians of Kessab.
"I have already instructed the diplomatic missions of the Republic of
Armenia to the UN in New York and Geneva offices to ask corresponding
international agencies dealing with human rights and minority issues
to address the issue of security of Armenians in Kessab and guarantee
their safe return to their homes," said Sargisian.
Touching upon the historic events, Sargisian recalled another date
in history -- the year 1915. The Armenians of Kessab were deported
in two directions, to Deir ez-Zor and Jordan. Thousands of them died,
most of them in the deserts of Deir ez-Zor.
"Today's deportation of Kessab Armenians -- the third in history --
is a most serious challenge to the mechanisms of the 21st century
targeted at the protection of national minorities. I think everyone
should realize that these parallels should be sobering for all
parties," Sarigisian said.
Russia condemns the terrorist acts and crimes committed against
peaceful population of Syria, particularly Armenians. The Ministry
of Foreign Affairs of Russia also disseminated a statement on Friday
expressing concern over the attacks against the Armenian-populated
town of Kessab conducted with the support of artillery and heavy
materiel. It strongly condemned the acts of terrorism and other crimes
against civilians, clearly stating that tank guns were applied from
the territory of Turkey. The Ministry released a statement saying
that the confrontation between the Syrian government forces and
illegal armed groups has intensified in recent days. It believes
that the intensification of extremist actions also aims to disrupt
the process of Syria's chemical demilitarization.
"The seizure by extremists of the town of Kessab elicited a
broad response in Armenian communities throughout the world. A
demonstration took place in front of the UN office in Yerevan with
the demand for the persecution against ethno-confessional minorities
by illegal armed units to be put an end to in Syria. Simultaneously,
the leadership of the Republic of Armenia expressed its gratitude to
the Syrian government for the defense of the Armenian population,"
the statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
"The impression is that more vigorous activities by extremists are
aimed at preventing the resumption of intra-Syrian negotiations,
depriving the Syrians of the possibility of a political and
diplomatic settlement, thwarting the process of Syria's chemical
demilitarization. Such a scenario is inadmissible," it added.
The President of Syria, Bashar al-Assad denounced before the United
Nations Turkey's support for terrorists--even as some European leaders,
such as Denmark's Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, were praising
Turkey for its supposedly increased democracy and human rights, and
supporting the Islamic nation's inclusion into the European Union,
indifferent to the fact that Erdogan banned Twitter in Turkey after
tweets exposed his government's corruptions.
Earlier this week a delegation of Armenian-American organizations,
including the Armenian National Committee of America, and religious
representatives held meetings at the U.S. Department of State,
urging the U.S. government to take immediate action "to end the
vicious onslaught on the historically Armenian town of Kessab."
The delegation said "the United States has a unique responsibility to
protect the citizens of Kessab especially since a large proportion of
them have American families desperately seeking to provide protection
and refuge for them." It submitted a series of requests for prompt
U.S. action.
A number of pro-Armenian senators and congressmen also sent letters
with similar contents to the U.S. Department of State and President
Obama.
http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_03_31/Russia-is-concerned-over-jihadist-attacks-against-Siryan-Armenians-in-Kessab-7472/
From: Baghdasarian