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YEGPARIAN: SMIRKS II
By Garen Chiloyan on July 10, 2014 in Garen Yegparian
This week, let's go for some schadenfreude shall we? It's getting
close to five years since this kind of "fun" was so broadly available
that I could write a piece, and this time, all the raw material is
provided by Turks.
Azeri oil money has been flowing into the coffers of highly paid
lobbyist hacks. What's juicy about that is...they don't have much
to show for it, particularly on a "new" front they've opened. Much
Azeri effort has been expended on trying to pass resolutions in state
legislatures. Other than a success in New Mexico, they've met largely
with failure. There are two states, Louisiana and Mississippi,
with "split personalities." In the former, both pro-Azeri and
pro-Armenian resolutions were passed. In the latter, the two houses
of the legislature voted in opposite directions. We've stopped their
lies in at least half-a-dozen states. And, somewhat as a reaction,
California's legislature (along with some smaller jurisdictions)
has passed a resolution recognizing Artsakh's independence! SMIRK.
No doubt you heard about the lambasting Ilham Aliyev received from
British Member of Parliament (MP) Paul Flynn. Flynn put a tough
question to Aliyev, who was speaking at a Council of Europe (CoE)
meeting. He was there because it is Azerbaijan's turn as president
of that body. Human rights organizations have said that Azerbaijan is
not qualified to hold the position because it so flagrantly violates
the high standards of the CoE. But this bitter pill became a little
easier to swallow when Aliyev's huge ego led him to lose his temper
in response to a question from the MP. Instead of being able to bask
in the glow of his undeserved position, Aliyev ended up showing the
world that he was a "braggart and a bully," in Flynn's words. SMIRK.
Since the "hero" of Baku, "President" Aliyev, and his criminal cronies
continue their bellicose, chest-thumping threats against Armenia
and Artzakh, it is delicious irony that three positions adopted
by the OSCE summit--held in Baku--can be described as beneficial
to Armenian concerns. The first reconfirmed the right of people
to self-determination. The second spoke to the needs of Christians
in Syria. The third faulted member states that allowed militants to
cross their borders into Syria (I can't think of any state other than
Turkey that fits this bill, can you?). SMIRK.
Ill-spent money, legislative setbacks, baseless bravado... Perfect
for a transition to Turkey's displeasure. Imagine how irritated Ankara
must be to blast the U.S. because the House of Representatives Foreign
Affairs Committee passed a strong measure urging Turkey to return
stolen church properties to their rightful owners. Now, couple that
with the fact that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed an
Armenian Genocide resolution three months ago. SMIRK.
Perhaps the saddest bit of blowback for Turkey comes from its support
of extremist Islamists. Ankara allowed those murderous crazies to use
Turkey as a jumping-off point and haven for their destabilization of
Syria. This led not only to many Armenian deaths (mostly in Aleppo) and
the temporary exodus from Kessab, but to millions of Syrian refugees
and tens of thousands dead. It's too bad innocent civilians are
paying the price for Davutoglu's foreign policy machinations. Now, the
same extremist group, known as ISIS, has managed to make significant
progress in Iraq, and along the way taken the Turkish Consul General
in Mosul and more than 80 other Turks hostage. SMIRK.
Misery afflicts those who cause it to others.
By Garen Chiloyan on July 10, 2014 in Garen Yegparian
This week, let's go for some schadenfreude shall we? It's getting
close to five years since this kind of "fun" was so broadly available
that I could write a piece, and this time, all the raw material is
provided by Turks.
Azeri oil money has been flowing into the coffers of highly paid
lobbyist hacks. What's juicy about that is...they don't have much
to show for it, particularly on a "new" front they've opened. Much
Azeri effort has been expended on trying to pass resolutions in state
legislatures. Other than a success in New Mexico, they've met largely
with failure. There are two states, Louisiana and Mississippi,
with "split personalities." In the former, both pro-Azeri and
pro-Armenian resolutions were passed. In the latter, the two houses
of the legislature voted in opposite directions. We've stopped their
lies in at least half-a-dozen states. And, somewhat as a reaction,
California's legislature (along with some smaller jurisdictions)
has passed a resolution recognizing Artsakh's independence! SMIRK.
No doubt you heard about the lambasting Ilham Aliyev received from
British Member of Parliament (MP) Paul Flynn. Flynn put a tough
question to Aliyev, who was speaking at a Council of Europe (CoE)
meeting. He was there because it is Azerbaijan's turn as president
of that body. Human rights organizations have said that Azerbaijan is
not qualified to hold the position because it so flagrantly violates
the high standards of the CoE. But this bitter pill became a little
easier to swallow when Aliyev's huge ego led him to lose his temper
in response to a question from the MP. Instead of being able to bask
in the glow of his undeserved position, Aliyev ended up showing the
world that he was a "braggart and a bully," in Flynn's words. SMIRK.
Since the "hero" of Baku, "President" Aliyev, and his criminal cronies
continue their bellicose, chest-thumping threats against Armenia
and Artzakh, it is delicious irony that three positions adopted
by the OSCE summit--held in Baku--can be described as beneficial
to Armenian concerns. The first reconfirmed the right of people
to self-determination. The second spoke to the needs of Christians
in Syria. The third faulted member states that allowed militants to
cross their borders into Syria (I can't think of any state other than
Turkey that fits this bill, can you?). SMIRK.
Ill-spent money, legislative setbacks, baseless bravado... Perfect
for a transition to Turkey's displeasure. Imagine how irritated Ankara
must be to blast the U.S. because the House of Representatives Foreign
Affairs Committee passed a strong measure urging Turkey to return
stolen church properties to their rightful owners. Now, couple that
with the fact that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed an
Armenian Genocide resolution three months ago. SMIRK.
Perhaps the saddest bit of blowback for Turkey comes from its support
of extremist Islamists. Ankara allowed those murderous crazies to use
Turkey as a jumping-off point and haven for their destabilization of
Syria. This led not only to many Armenian deaths (mostly in Aleppo) and
the temporary exodus from Kessab, but to millions of Syrian refugees
and tens of thousands dead. It's too bad innocent civilians are
paying the price for Davutoglu's foreign policy machinations. Now, the
same extremist group, known as ISIS, has managed to make significant
progress in Iraq, and along the way taken the Turkish Consul General
in Mosul and more than 80 other Turks hostage. SMIRK.
Misery afflicts those who cause it to others.