tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18123053563285718932024-03-13T04:48:08.973-07:00Policy KineticsDavid Davidianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05520897210144499373noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812305356328571893.post-62236477243326515492016-12-26T11:15:00.000-08:002016-12-26T11:51:27.224-08:00Hagop Nalbandian and the American University of ArmeniaIt was sometime in 1915, in Marash, Cilician Armenia. The Armenian death marches were being held up for unknown reasons. They were waiting for newly discovered Armenians who were hiding from Turkish authorities. Sobbing mothers, entire families, young girls in groups were being betrayed. The Turkish authorities were running around like children finding hidden toys. There was an Armenian man who was betraying his fellow Armenians. The Turks were promising him riches and anything he wanted from the newly emptied Armenian homes. When the Turks were satisfied that they had found enough Armenians hiding from certain death, or worse, the Turks took the Armenian traitor and put him prominently at the front of the deportation group. The man violently protested to his Turkish overlords, yelling, “I did what you wanted.” The Turks said, “Yes you did, but how can we ever trust you again if this is what you do to your own people.” It's not known what “his” people did to him. <p><p>
Hagop Nalbandian is not a traitor, but, wittingly or unwittingly, his statements seem identical to those that might be made by an agent provocateur. Twenty years ago he accomplished what no Turk could have. Using email and access to the Unix UseNet User Groups he single handedly killed a near decade-long effort to educate Turkish students and others on the genocide of the Armenians. At the time, it was the single longest-running debate on the internet (today those User Groups are called Google Groups). Nalbandian wanted that education done his way or no way. It ended up no way for he didn't have a way. Today, we find Nalbandian demanding education in Armenia be done his way or he will slander the Armenian higher education system. In an era of fake news, fake analysis, photoshopped images, this narcissist has found a new calling.<p><p>
Nalbandian is now spearheading a campaign against the American University of Armenia (AUA). His charges are very serious and require a response. This is not an official AUA response, by any means. It is my response based on facts and references. Nalbandian posts his hatred of this institution on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheArmenianForum">Facebook</a>. He calls the AUA a pro-CIA/US/NATO nest of spies serving a Turkish agenda. He makes such claims with no proof to an otherwise unsuspecting audience. <p><p>
Hagop Nalbandian claims, among other things:<p><p>
<b>1.</b> The AUA is a CIA/US/NATO hub. As the basis for this claim Nalbandian says the idea for an AUA was initiated by Americans as well the western funding of reports and studies by the Political Science and International Affairs (PSIA) Program of the AUA. Even if the idea of the creation of the AUA were suggested by Americans – which it was not -- so what! I would ask Nalbandian for a list of those American AUA progenitors and have them state that it was their idea and not one which was suggested to them by local prominent Armenians. The following quote is taken from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_University_of_Armenia">Wikipedia</a> and has been there long enough for it to be edited and corrected. This information can be verified by contacting Armen Der Kiureghian, the current president of the AUA.<p><p>
“<i>In 1989, Yuri Sarkissian, then rector of the Yerevan Polytechnic Institute, suggested to Armen Der Kiureghian, Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, that an Armenian technical university based on the Western model ought to be established to foster educational progress in Armenia</i>.”
Thus, Nalbandian is wrong.<p><p>
Why shouldn't the AUA accept funds for projects and studies that come from western sources? Has Nalbandian demonstrated that the AUA has rejected funding from non-western sources which could be evidence of pro-western bias? No, he has not. Nalbandian also needs to show that AUA's publications are used to influence the thinking of Armenians or the Armenian government. Nalbandian may claim the AUA has such influence, but we need to see his detailed survey data. Where is it? <p><p>
Does any of what I have written just above prove that the AUA is not a nest of western spies? No, it does not. Nor has Nalbandian demonstrated that the AUA is a nest of spies. I would ask Nalbandian to compare the number of anti-Armenian studies and reports that come out of western institutions and compare that number to what he claims the AUA has purportedly generated. Part of the AUA record can be viewed <a href="http://tcpa.aua.am/reports-and-publications/">here</a>. <p><p>
<b>2.</b> The AUA is anti-Yerevan State University (YSU) and anti-other Armenian universities. One need only review the number of professors and lecturers who teach at both the AUA and places such as YSU to begin countering this Nalbandian claim. A convenient place to start is <a href="http://cse.aua.am/faculty/">here</a>. Nalbandian should compare the cooperative record of the AUA, the Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University and the French University in Armenia before stating foolish conclusions. One can also look at an article on AUA-YSU cooperation on the <a href="http://ysu.am/news/en/oKWWKTt47fzPjj3tuIpJO8qm6H">YSU's own website</a>: Clearly, Nalbandian does not know what he is talking about.<p><p>
<b>3.</b> The AUA receives donations from American-Armenians whereas if the AUA didn't exist such donations would go to other institutions. We would need to see a double-blind survey of donor intention regarding this issue and salary spreadsheets of pay scales of the respective universities as a requirement to reach such a conclusion. Without such documents, Nalbandian's claims are again, baseless.<p><p>
<b>4.</b> The AUA receives proceeds that would have gone to the AGBU Melkonian School in Cyprus, shutdown in 2005. Again, Nalbandian offers no proof for this claim. We would need to see AGBU's accounting records. If Nalbandian has them, we need to see them. There are <a href=" http://www.agos.com.tr/en/article/16044/what-will-happen-to-90-years-old-melkonian">news reports</a> on the subject, but the conclusions made do not follow AGBU's statements made in this specific article. Nalbandian cannot base a claim on a guess and then have us assume his claim is accurate.<p><p>
<b>5.</b> The AUA is corrupt and is a reflection of the general decadence in Armenian governance. I demand Nalbandian produce an example of a bribe or similar transgression indicative of systemic corruption at the AUA. There is a reason the AUA is a western accredited institution associated with the University of California system. If one wants to see a 2004 Wikileaks document on the subject, it is <a href="https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/04YEREVAN399_a.html">here</a> or a <a href="https://globaledge.msu.edu/content/gbr/gbr3-7.pdf">study</a> by Michigan State University. Nalbandian's claims fall short, again.<p><p>
Finally, I am a lecturer at the AUA. One of the courses I teach is The Scientific Method and Critical Thinking. At less than half of Nalbandian's age, my students could easily rip Nalbandian's anti-Armenian arguments to pieces and be proud of doing so. Another self-serving Armenian, a reporter for the Kyiv Post, Armine Sahakyan, who also has nothing good or accurate to say about Armenia, was challenged to a debate by my students. She declined claiming she is not an expert. In her case, the goal is not to inform but to obfuscate and perhaps to pick up a convenient paycheck.<p><p>
I ask members and readers of Nalbandian's Facebook page to ponder his motives. Why would he do this? What could he gain from such massive misinformation? In this era of mainstream media propaganda and fake news, knowledge and thinking is required, not jumping on some bandwagon.<p><p>
I would invite Hagop Nalbandian for a debate in my class and take his place prominently at the front of the class and see what “his” people do to him.<p><p>
David Davidian<br>
Yerevan, ArmeniaDavid Davidianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05520897210144499373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812305356328571893.post-44501242636176020032016-10-05T21:40:00.000-07:002016-10-05T21:40:31.051-07:00Arsinee Khanjian: Open Letter to the Armenian DiasporaThe response below was not published by Massis Post even though it was send via their article submission page and directly to its editor. This response was in reaction to an article in Massis Post entitled<a href="https://massispost.com/2016/09/arsinee-khanjian-open-letter-to-the-armenian-diaspora/"> Arsinee Khanjian: Open Letter to the Armenian Diaspora.</a>. Freedom of expression is demanded in Armenia, but California-based Massis Post seems to have another policy.<br><br>
<center>Arsinee Khanjian: Open Letter to the Armenian Diaspora<br><br>
David Davidian<br>
September 29, 2016<br><br></center>
In 1968, John Lennon wrote in a song, “You say you got a real solution, well, you know we'd all love to see the plan”. This refrain in one form or another has been heard throughout human history. The solution to Armenia's problems as enacted by the Pre or Founding Parliament group was to attack a police station, kill Armenian policemen, and take Armenian medical and negotiator personnel hostage. This was the operational definition of their “plan”. I would not want any of these people and their “plans” governing Armenia. Not only has this group been completely discredited, they achieved nothing politically. This is worse than bad planning; it is not an expression of human rights advocacy, and, moreover, does not demonstrate a path to replacing the existing plutocracy in Armenia. To the contrary, it became the group's political suicide. <br><br>
The naive among us, especially diaspora Armenians, erroneously viewed and justified this armed action as political protest. It was not! It was a crime scene, just as it would be a crime scene if an armed group attacked a police station in downtown Toronto. At the scene, people milled around, taking photos and yelling (including at the police) in support of the armed actions. These people would be considered violators of police lines or even co-conspirators in many cities in the democratic “west”. I was in Boston when the Tsarnaev brothers were running through east Watertown, Massachusetts. I assure all readers here that any overt public expression of support for the marathon bombers would have resulted in immediate arrest. Anybody who dared leave their house would immediately be apprehended by the police in east Watertown. It was indeed a police state lock-down. Yet, when the equivalent takes place in Armenia, everybody's human rights is claimed violated, the government is faulted unequivocally for everything, and its elimination demanded. <br><br>
I am sure it was humiliating for Arsinee Khanjian to both be arrested by the Yerevan police and not be recognized as a Canadian-Armenian actress. However, this is not a movie scene, it is reality. Reality must take into account the possibility of getting what one wishes for. I, for one, do not wish for an armed group to dictate the future of the state of Armenia. One need only view how the overthrow of the Shah of Iran by secular revolutionaries was usurped by a theocracy. Yes, the Shah was overthrown, the wish granted!<br><br>
If one thinks critically about the two-week standoff, minus all the romantic notions, a leading hypothesis explaining the event is that it both enabled Armenia to suspend further negotiations with Azerbaijan and to discredit the Pre or Founding Parliament group and its supporters. We do not know if this was planned by the Armenian government or not; however, the results speak much louder than this armed group purportedly representing Armenia's salvation.<br><br>
To address those who will inevitably claim I am nothing but a lackey for the current Armenian government, I am not. This is just as incorrect as claiming that Arsinee Khanjian supports armed attacks on police stations. I doubt she advocates attacking police stations in downtown Toronto.<br><br>
Yerevan, Armenia<br><br>
David Davidian lives in Armenia, is an Adjunct Lecturer at the American University of Armenia, and a former Technical Intelligence Analyst for major international IT firms.David Davidianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05520897210144499373noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812305356328571893.post-65743015617849205072016-09-16T23:04:00.000-07:002016-09-19T06:18:26.825-07:00Nuclear facility in ArmeniaAn article appeared in the English-language Korean Times entitled, "<a href="http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/opinon/2016/09/162_213984.html">Nuclear facility in Armenia</a>". I emailed the Korean Times inquiring how to submit an Opinion or Letter to the Editor. Their web site does not provide a way to respond to Opinion pieces other than a very limited, 150 word length reader comment. The Korean Times never responded to my simple inquiry. <br><br>
I subsequently forwarded the Opinion piece below to the Korean Herald, a competitor of the Korean Times. The Korean Herald clearly provides an email address for Opinions/Letters to the Editor. The Korean Herald, also, never responded to my submission email or published my submission. While my Opinion perhaps is not as important as the Samsung S7 recall, the article I am responding to was published with massive errors. I am left with posting my response in this blog.<br><br><br>
<b>
Pyongyang is not in Armenia</b><br><br>
David Davidian*<br><br>
An English-language newspaper in Korea, that doesn't seem to respond to email, published an Opinion on 2016-09-12, entitled “Nuclear Facility in Armenia”. The author was attempting to equate the recent nuclear weapons test in North Korea with unsubstantiated claims that the country of Armenia has nuclear weapons and is a major trafficker in nuclear materials. These are baseless claims.<br><br>
Just a little research, such as a quick glance at <a href="http://www.sipri.org/research/disarmament/eu-consortium/publications/non-proliferation-paper-39">http://www.sipri.org/research/disarmament/eu-consortium/publications/non-proliferation-paper-39</a> Table 2, shows less than 1 nuclear transport incident a year associated with Armenia or Azerbaijan, 2/yr for Georgia, 4/yr for Turkey, 6/yr for Ukraine, and 15/yr for Russia. These numbers alone call into question the reason for such an Opinion piece being written with Armenia as the target and not Russia or Ukraine.<br><br>
If Armenia has somehow magically “gone nuclear” or has old soviet nuclear weapons, it would not be a secret regardless of what some disgruntled former PM said. The lack of veracity in his claim is having made it at all, and further, he has not been able to prove what he claimed. Yet the author of the Opinion uses that as a basis for his article.<br><br>
Among other things, the author claims Armenia's only nuclear plant is the source of such material, yet neglects to note that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has deemed safety at the Armenian nuclear plant as adequate. Read what the US government's RFE-RL Armenia service had to say on the subject: <a href="http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/24213743.html">http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/24213743.html</a>.<br><br>
In addition, it is claimed the Armenian nuclear reactor is a Chernobyl carbon-moderated design. It is not. It is a pressurized water nuclear reactor, the same primary technology used in the Kori, Hanul, Wolsong, and Hanbit power plants in Korea.<br><br>
The author claims that some unnamed Armenian group was attempting to sell a quantity of U-238 without noting that natural Uranium ore is composed of 99.284% Uranium-238, none of which are used in fission weapons or dirty bombs.<br><br>
Perhaps the reason the Opinion piece in The Korean Times appeared was due to a request by Azerbaijan, now in a frozen conflict with Armenia. Azerbaijan has extensive hydrocarbon and real estate dealings with Seoul.<br><br>
If the Korean media wishes to extol the benefits of trade between Korea and Azerbaijan, or any other country, that is great. However, there is no reason to engage in baseless anti-Armenia propaganda. Good Armenian-Korean relations need not suffer. <br><br>
Yerevan, Armenia<br><br>
* David Davidian is an Adjunct Lecturer at the American University of Armenia.David Davidianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05520897210144499373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812305356328571893.post-9027539085795335112016-06-17T21:24:00.000-07:002016-06-18T21:12:22.753-07:00Armenian monument to Nazi collaborator draws criticismThe Jerusalem Post declined to post my reader response, with reasonable content, while allowing other posts with nasty comments in response to <a href="http://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Armenian-monument-to-Nazi-collaborator-draws-criticism-457072">Armenian monument to Nazi collaborator draws criticism</a>. Below is what was declined by Jpost:
<b><p><p>
Perhaps the Armenians are playing catchup with Azerbaijan. One finds the face of Mahmad Amin Resulzade on the Azerbaijani 1000 manet bill, a statue of him in Baku, Baku State University is named after him as is a high school in Ankara, Turkey. Resulzade was in Berlin during WWII, encouraging Azerbaijani POWs to fight for Nazi Germany after the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin al-Hussein, approved the formation of Muslim Turkic battalions. This resulted in the formation of the Kaukasisch-Mohammedanische Legion as part of Htler's Osttürkischer Waffen-Verband der SS, which was sent to Poland where it fought the Polish Home Army during the Warsaw uprising, being attached to the SS-Regiment Dirlewanger</b>. <p><p>
Yerevan, Armenia<p><p>
<i>
Note: The Garegin Nzhdeh "event" has been posted on various Azerbaijani embassy sites, thus, the tone of my response.</i>David Davidianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05520897210144499373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812305356328571893.post-65260552047495154812016-05-26T21:43:00.000-07:002016-05-26T21:43:19.108-07:00Turkey's Islamists, nationalists both silent on Israeli weapons flow to AzerbaijanAl-Monitor continues ignore, not ban, any of my reader comments while posting trash from others. Since my attempt to comment, other posts have been approved. No problem, you can read my comment here:
<br><br>
This is my comment on: <a href="http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/05/turkey-pragmatism-triumphs-over-anti-israeli-sentiments.html#">Turkey's Islamists, nationalists both silent on Israeli weapons flow to Azerbaijan</a>
<br><br>
David Davidian • a few seconds ago Hold on, this is waiting to be approved by Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East.
<br><br>
A correction to "Israel is Azerbaijan’s main arms supplier". Israel is Azerbaijan's main high technology weapons supplier, but I believe Russian arms make up the bulk of Azerbaijan's arsenal. Indeed, EurasiaNet <a href="http://www.eurasianet.org/node/72581">http://www.eurasianet.org/node/72581</a> reported that 85% of Azerbaijan's weapons are from Russia. Of course one has to define what weapons are. Is Azerbaijan's large contract with Israel to update their T72 tank fire control systems a weapon or just an upgrade?
Yerevan, Armenia
David Davidianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05520897210144499373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812305356328571893.post-73957667360230230602016-04-07T00:07:00.000-07:002016-04-07T00:07:14.064-07:00Separatist forces lose 50 troops in four days of Nagorno-Karabakh fightingThis is yet another one of my reader comment that never passed moderation. Several hours ago I posted the only reader comment on <a href="http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/region/07-Apr-2016/separatist-forces-lose-50-troops-in-four-days-of-nagorno-karabakh-fighting">Separatist forces lose 50 troops in four days of Nagorno-Karabakh fighting</a>, published in Pakistan's Daily Times.
<p><p>
Below is that comment:
<p><p>
David Davidian • a few seconds ago Hold on, this is waiting to be approved by Daily Times.
<p>
<b>It is interesting how there is no mention at all of Azerbaijanis losses, which at a minimum are in the hundreds, and if if you believe "separatist" Armenian sources it is in the thousands (including dead, wounded or missing). At a minimum, one can count at least 50 Azerbaijanis dead in publicly available photos that have been released by the "separatist" Armenians. Curiously, Azerbaijan hasn't updated their losses in days.
<p>
Since we are talking about complete information I also note the Daily Times of Pakistan neglected to mention reports of unknown numbers of Pakistani mercenaries killed fighting against these "separatist" Armenians in the north of Nagorno-Karabakh.
<p>
Yerevan, Armenia</b>
David Davidianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05520897210144499373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812305356328571893.post-32203044677435507822015-12-04T22:28:00.000-08:002015-12-04T22:28:34.555-08:00Turkey-Russia: The inevitable clash of the titansThis is a reader comment that never made it past Al Jazeera's moderators. I attempted to post this and for two days while other comments appeared, including some with profanity, this never made it past Al Jazeera moderators. This reader comment has nothing so profound as to upset the government of Qatar, but in any case here it is. The original Opinion piece is Turkey-Russia: <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2015/12/turkey-russia-inevitable-clash-titans-151201112733785.html">The inevitable clash of the titans</a>.
<br><br>
<i>While one could conclude the current belligerence as being sourced by the personal leadership of Turkey and Russia, this is the view at 1000 feet. At 50,000 feet the situation is rather different.
<br><br>
The Su-24 shoot down was an offensive political act, with a hypothetical spectrum of outcomes ranging from declarations of war to some back room deal, each with its calculated probable outcome. The actual result: Russia upped the ante, Syrian airspace in Russian control. It was only after the ante was jacked up that London decided to start bombing ISIS.
<br><br>
Obama and the Pentagon provided somewhat better than tepid support for the Turkish downing. This was entirely expected as anything less would prove lack of resolve for Washington's allies especially coming only days before Montenegro's NATO invitation. Ultimately, these are not the designs of local titans, just as the creation and nurturing of ISIS were not parochial actions.
<br><br>
Turkey won't blink first because it has more to lose than Russia, due to the depth of its institutions as suggested by the author. The stakes are not defined by an Ottoman revival or not. Bernard Lewis's rehash of Huntington's Clash of Civilizations was not a venture in historical determinism but rather a convenient blueprint.
<br><br>
Yerevan, Armenia</i>David Davidianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05520897210144499373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812305356328571893.post-1898765411876130422015-11-09T22:10:00.001-08:002015-11-09T22:10:57.132-08:00ISIS Fighters Returning to Azerbaijan Seen Creating Serious Problems for BakuHaving submitted a reader commentary on <a href="http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.am/2015/11/isis-fighters-returning-to-azerbaijan.html">ISIS Fighters Returning to Azerbaijan Seen Creating Serious Problems for Baku</a> on
Paul Goble's blog, it soon became clear that no comments submitted are posted, even though I saw a "Your comment will be visible after approval". One need only view the scores of other postings to note the lack of comments. My comment is below:
<br><br>
An interesting overview. It seems Baku has itself a problem. Azerbaijani authorities are very good in incarcerating political and media opponents yet somehow allowed over 1500 jihadists to leave the country to destabilize Syria. This no doubt pleased their brothers in Ankara. The Baku Sultanate has to: eliminate these jihadists, face the possibility of plunging the country into an unwinnable war with Armenia or an internal conflict, prevent the formation of an insurgent alliance with other Caucasian jihadists just over its expansive northeastern border or any and all of the aforementioned. In addition, these 1500+ jihadists can easily enter the Azerbaijani-populated Marnueli and even Adjar regions of Georgia.
<br><br>
Given the amount of intensely bellicose anti-Armenian rhetoric that has been pumped into its people for almost a generation, Baku should have expected somebody might actually believe the propaganda. Perhaps Baku can ask its oft-noted strategic partner, Israel, to provide identification information on these 1500+ jihadists.
<br><br>
Azerbaijan once tried recruiting Chechen warriors and Afghan mujaheddin, among others including Ukrainians, to fight the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh. Chechen warriors walked away noting Azerbaijanis didn't want to fight. Shamil Basayev stated that he and his Chechen battalion had only been defeated once, and that came in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Armenians sent the Afghan mujaheddin back to Kabul in kafan shrouds.
<br><br>
For an ISIL cell(s) to exist in Azerbaijan, beyond the reach of its omnipotent security services, is somehow doubtful.
<br><br>
Yerevan, ArmeniaDavid Davidianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05520897210144499373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812305356328571893.post-76407057907823291822015-09-24T23:06:00.000-07:002015-09-24T23:16:23.028-07:00Gaming Out Nagorno-KarabakhI provided the following feedback on Stratfor's article,<a href="https://www.stratfor.com/analysis/gaming-out-nagorno-karabakh"> Gaming Out Nagorno-Karabakh</a>. The article ends with "Send us your thoughts on this report.". I obliged them with:
<br><br>
I don't know who wrote your Gaming Out Nagorno-Karabakh article, but while appearing to be an analytic piece, in reality it accommodates what Azerbaijan demands and assumes that Azerbaijan has some kind of upper hand in events associated with Nagorno-Karabakh. You might recall Azerbaijan lost the right of sovereignty over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, notwithstanding having more fighters, foreign fighters, armament, and the support of powerful international oil investment structures.<br><br>
While you suggest and generally state that Azerbaijan has some kind of intrinsic dominance in these affairs, I am sure you noted how yesterday Azerbaijan snipers killed three Armenian women – in Armenia proper – two of them very elderly, 84 and 90 years old. If soldiers killing old ladies at a distance is indicative of a strategic advantage I would suggest Strafor think again. What you perhaps didn't know is that the Armenian retaliation rendered the destruction of the Azerbaijani base and casualty count estimated on the order of 15:1. Perhaps Baku cares less about how many of their soldiers and civilians die, but Armenians do. This is not a “Game”. <br><br>
I would suggest, rather than pleasing George Friedman and DC's Beltway with the tone of your analytic piece, you might give a moment of thought of the reaction to the quality of the risk analysis you undoubtedly provide your hydrocarbon-centric subscribers when Azerbaijan's transport pipelines are summarily destroyed in an escalation of hostilities. Armenia's rockets can also hit Baku's oil fields. Why these simple facts are ignored is telling. Ask yourself who would gain with the destruction of Azerbaijan's oil extraction and transport capabilities, and the tone of your analysis would change. <br><br>
Yerevan, Armenia
David Davidianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05520897210144499373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812305356328571893.post-73214944358739735692015-09-24T11:05:00.000-07:002015-09-24T11:05:13.768-07:00‘To walk in an Islamic country and feel safe like I was in Tel Aviv was amazing'The article in question,‘<a href="http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Likud-MK-Hazan-visits-Azerbaijan-to-strengthen-relations-416726">To walk in an Islamic country and feel safe like I was in Tel Aviv was amazing</a>' appeared in the Jerusalem Post on September 20, 2015. The following reader comment was never posted. Even though it was posted via Disqus, and JPost states that Disqus reader comments are automatically posted, it never saw the light of day.
<br><br>
David Davidian • a few seconds ago Hold on, this is waiting to be approved by The Jerusalem Post.
<br><br>
Jpost made an interesting juxtaposition – on the same web page – of the corruption associated with MK Hazan and his visit to Azerbaijan. Maybe Hazan is looking for a new job. He would be in good company considering Azerbaijani president Aliyev was designated “Corrupt Person of the Year”. See:
http://www.rferl.org/content/a....
<br><br>
I also note with interest that in the Azerbaijani press, Hazan's Baku visit was associated with an announcement by both Oran Hazan and Mendi Safadi of coordinated action to help Azerbaiian in its PR war against Armenia and Armenians, something that Jpost didn't state. In any case, such efforts have already begun and seen in various English-language sites.
<br><br>
One would think the Israel Knesset and any associated lobbies in the US have more important issues to address than to engage in unnecessary anti-Armenian rhetoric.
<br><br>
Yerevan, Armenia
David Davidianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05520897210144499373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812305356328571893.post-47011436477457741022015-07-21T08:01:00.000-07:002015-07-25T06:34:15.426-07:00Nakhchivan: Its Splendid Architecture Reflected In Bridges And Fortresses – OpEdEven though <a href="http://www.eurasiareview.com/">EurasiaReview</a> has an area for reader comments, almost none have ever appeared, certainly none of mine. So, I don't bother to wasting keystrokes. An article, dated July 20, 2015 and posted on EurasiaReview entitled, <a href="http://www.eurasiareview.com/20072015-nakhchivan-its-splendid-architecture-reflected-in-bridges-and-fortresses-oped/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+eurasiareview%2FVsnE+%28Eurasia+Review%29">Nakhchivan: Its Splendid Architecture Reflected In Bridges And Fortresses – OpEd</a> requires a response. Its author expects his readership to assume that Nakhichevan is some natural wonder that Azerbaijani culture has created. The author tries to accomplish this by the selective deletion of facts. Let's take a look at one BIG fact missing.
<br><br>
The American Association for the Advancement of Science published a study, updated July 17, 2015, showing clear proof that Azerbaijani authorities destroy Armenian cemeteries in Nakhichevan, the last known major cultural destruction took place in December 2005. I would have my readers look at <a href="http://www.aaas.org/page/high-resolution-satellite-imagery-and-destruction-cultural-artifacts-nakhchivan-azerbaijan">High-Resolution Satellite Imagery and the Destruction of Cultural Artifacts in Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan </a>
<br><br>
If that is not good enough, perhaps a live video of Azerbaijanis destroying the Armenian culture of Nakhichevan. See: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aip3UyQiIc4">Azeri soldiers destroying Armenian Khachkars at Armenian cemetery </a> Based on clear actions directed by the government of Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani culture is typified by the elimination of the culture of others and calling what remains Azerbaijani.
<br><br>
Yerevan, Armenia
David Davidianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05520897210144499373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812305356328571893.post-64255222798441596142015-06-27T05:16:00.000-07:002015-06-27T05:38:38.370-07:00First east Ukraine, and now ArmeniaThis reader comment was not posted by Today's Zaman, June 26, 2015, regarding an article <a href="http://www.todayszaman.com/columnist/hasan-kanbolat/first-east-ukraine-and-now-armenia_391864.html">First east Ukraine, and now Armenia</a>
<br><br>
David Davidian • a minute ago Hold on, this is waiting to be approved by Today's Zaman.<br><br>
One item that never seems to be noted by reporters and analysts is that at the first sign of destabilization in Armenia, Azerbaijan will attack Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia with full fury, without waiting for Moscow's approval. Armenians know this well. This protest is over simple thievery! Even in this article there no mention of Azerbaijan or Karabakh, but the word Ukraine is mentioned 17 times! <br><br>
Yerevan, ArmeniaDavid Davidianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05520897210144499373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812305356328571893.post-39612612327896431002015-05-21T01:10:00.001-07:002015-05-21T01:18:47.094-07:00Europe’s Caspian gas dreams – a nightmare come true for human rights in AzerbaijanSeveral days ago I posted a reader comment on article, <a href="http://bankwatch.blogactiv.eu/2015/05/14/europes-caspian-gas-dreams-a-nightmare-come-true-for-human-rights-in-azerbaijan/">Europe’s Caspian gas dreams – a nightmare come true for human rights in Azerbaijan</a>. After several days the comment us still <i>under moderation</i>. Perhaps commentary was restricted due to the subject.
<br></br>
Here is that reader comment:
<br></br>
David Davidian says:
May 18, 2015 at 4:30 pm
<br></br>
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
<br></br>
If Azerbaijan is an embarrassment to the EU, what difference does it make. Nobody is holding their breath waiting for BP and others to sell their interest in the BTC pipeline simply due to HR conditions in sovereign Azerbaijan. Apparently, Azerbaijan is not as bad as Nigeria, yet.
<br></br>
Easily predicted HR and oligarchic corruption were “non- issues” when the BTC and Southern Caucasus pipelines were being proposed, built, and as hydrocarbons began flowing to key customers. Now Azerbaijan is a nightmare? Is this hypocritical, probably, but this doesn’t make any difference either. NATO, EBRD and EIB representatives still flock to Baku, some bestowing praise, others bringing loans! All carrots. Perhaps Baku’s HR issues will magically disappear when it’s time to re-negotiate energy contracts.
<br></br>
Yerevan, Armenia
<br></br>
David Davidianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05520897210144499373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812305356328571893.post-54131176279465782042015-03-14T10:19:00.001-07:002015-03-14T10:19:34.017-07:00Today's Zaman: Armenia’s oligarchy in trouble<font size="4">My comment regarding: Armenia’s oligarchy in trouble
<br><br>
David Davidian • a few seconds ago Hold on, this is waiting to be approved by Today's Zaman.<br><br>
Everything is relative -- Armenia has its oligarchs and Turkey its megalomaniacs. The level of corruption in Turkey's construction industry alone makes Erdoğan's thousand room palace look inconsequential.<br><br>
Yerevan, Armenia</font>David Davidianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05520897210144499373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812305356328571893.post-68445922842611999012015-03-14T10:15:00.000-07:002015-03-14T10:15:08.984-07:00Вестник Кавказа: Спорный геноцид. Армяне в Османской империи в XIX веке Vestnik Kavkaza: A Disputed Genocide. Armenians in the Ottoman Empire during the Nineteenth Century <font size="3">
I tried commenting on <a href="http://vestnikkavkaza.net/analysis/society/67760.html">A Disputed Genocide. Armenians in the Ottoman Empire during the Nineteenth Century</a> as posted on Vestnik Kavkaza. I discovered that the Azerbaijani-centric Vestnik Kavkaza, purposely pushes comments on "selected topics" to a totally different article in a different section. Since off-topic, it would never be approved. In my case it was to be posted under Iranian business enters Turkmenistan. What a nice trick. So, I have posted my comment here:
<br />
<br />
<br /></font>
<font size="4">
David Davidian • 5 minutes ago Hold on, this is waiting to be approved by Vestnik Kavkaza.<br />
<br />
Vestnik Kavkaza is providing a disservice to its readership by blindly posting chapters from a known genocide denier, Guenter Lewy. Clearly, the choice of posting his work was not random as his text also <a href="http://www.mfa.gov.tr/data/DISPOLITIKA/ErmeniIddialari/guenter-lewy-the-first-genocide-of-the-20th-century-_-in-_commentary-2005.pdf">appears on the Foreign Ministry of Turkey's</a> web site
<br />
<br />
Lewy also <a href="http://historynewsnetwork.org/article/7302">claims Native Americans</a> were not subject to genocide and would have us believe the only real genocide was the Holocaust.
<br />
<br />
We must conclude that Vestnik Kavkaza is not interested in the objectivity of the articles on its site.
<br />
<br />
Yerevan, Armenia</font>
David Davidianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05520897210144499373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812305356328571893.post-60524873173584228712015-03-09T10:57:00.000-07:002015-03-09T10:57:42.817-07:00Today's Zaman: Armenian Oligarchy in TroubleMy comment regarding: <a href="http://www.todayszaman.com/op-ed_armenias-oligarchy-in-trouble_374489.html"><b>Armenia’s oligarchy in trouble</b></a> <br><br> <b>was never published by Today's Zaman</b>
<b>David Davidian</b> • <b>a few seconds ago</b> Hold on, this is waiting to be approved by Today's Zaman. <br><br>
<i>Everything is relative -- Armenia has its oligarchs and Turkey its megalomaniacs. The level of corruption in Turkey's construction industry alone makes Erdoğan's thousand room palace look inconsequential.</i> <br><br>
Yerevan, ArmeniaDavid Davidianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05520897210144499373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812305356328571893.post-88954146278846567252015-03-01T01:43:00.000-08:002015-03-09T10:59:00.891-07:00Times of Israel: A Day When Peace Was BornMy comment regarding an article in the Times of Israel, <a href="http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/a-day-when-peace-was-born/ ">A Day When Peace Was Born</a>: <br><br>
<i>It is indeed sad how with Azerbaijan being Israel's largest oil supplier and Israel Azerbaijan's second largest arms supplier -- arms that will be used to kill Armenians, again – how politics trumps any regard for the truth and context. So, would a somber tribute to the massacre in Deir Yassin also be appropriate?<br><br> Yerevan, Armenia</i>
<br><br>
...was posted, then disappeared after an hour or so.
David Davidianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05520897210144499373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812305356328571893.post-8523917296682193642015-01-31T08:13:00.001-08:002015-01-31T08:13:28.041-08:00STRATFOR - Belarus and Armenia Re-Evaluate Relations with RussiaSTRATFOR claims in report, <a href="https://www.stratfor.com/analysis/belarus-and-armenia-re-evaluate-relations-russia">Belarus and Armenia Re-Evaluate Relations with Russia</a>, "<i>and on Jan. 27 Armenian Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian admitted that the helicopter that was shot down had deviated from its course and said that officials were dismissed as a result</i>." STRATFOR asks for feedback comments (internal only) in association with their reports. I submitted the following comment:
<br><br>
<i>STRATFOR wrote, "Seyran Ohanian admitted that the helicopter that was shot down had deviated from its course and said that officials were dismissed as a result." Clearly, I have not read everything that exists in print and in every language, but I would like to see a reference for this as I have not even heard even a rumor of such an admission. Is this claim from an Azerbaijani source?
<br><br>
I live in Yerevan, Armenia.</i>
<br><br>
Let's see what STRATFOR responds with, if anything.David Davidianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05520897210144499373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812305356328571893.post-79319830783348727212015-01-26T10:58:00.000-08:002015-01-26T10:58:44.285-08:00The Guardian published an article, Jewish leaders call for Europe-wide legislation outlawing antisemitismOn January 26, 2015 <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/25/jewish-leaders-europe-legislation-outlawing-antisemitism">The Guardian published an article, Jewish leaders call for Europe-wide legislation outlawing antisemitism </a>
<br><br>
In that article it stated:
<br><br>
"The yardstick, say the drafters, should be that if an international tribunal has ruled genocide has taken place, it should be accepted everywhere in Europe as criminal conduct to contest that in public. The Holocaust, the Rwanda genocide, and the mass murder of Muslims by Serbs in Srebrenica, Bosnia, in 1995 would be covered. The Turkish massacre of Armenians in 1915, for example, would not be covered."
<br><br>
This article was subsequently picked by at least two other outlets:
<a href="http://www.wpxnews.com/business/jewish-leaders-contact-for-europe-wide-legislation-outlawing-antisemitism-h6938.html">http://www.wpxnews.com/business/jewish-leaders-contact-for-europe-wide-legislation-outlawing-antisemitism-h6938.html</a> and
<a href="http://www.uniongazette.com/business/jewish-leaders-get-in-touch-with-for-europe-wide-legislation-outlawing-antisemitism-h15659.html">http://www.uniongazette.com/business/jewish-leaders-get-in-touch-with-for-europe-wide-legislation-outlawing-antisemitism-h15659.html</a>
<br><br>
I posted the same reader comment text to both sites:
<br><br>
d.davidian<br><br>
Apparently, Jewish leaders specifically reject the genocide of the Armenian as not worthy. Raphael Lemkin specifically highlighted the Turkish genocide of the Armenians when his coined the term genocide. What kind of anti-Armenian legislation is this! Frankly, it is an outrage!
<br><br>
Yerevan, Armenia
<br><br>
Later on in the day both of these non-Guardian sites pulled the article. What remains is the original Guardian article, providing no reader commentsDavid Davidianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05520897210144499373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812305356328571893.post-25006839477033348022015-01-23T21:56:00.001-08:002015-01-23T21:56:55.479-08:00Armenia can't count on Russia any moreAl Jazeera refused to post my reader comment (twice attempted, 24 hrs apart) on an Opinion piece they published. I am posting that reader comment here, using the same title as the original article: <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2015/01/armenia-can-count-russia-any-mo-201511852934497678.html">Armenia can't count on Russia any more</a>. Sending feedback to Al Jazeera asking what possible reason this comment wasn't posted resulted in a standard template reply. Below is my comment:
<br/><br/>
David Davidian<br/>
<b>Your comment is awaiting moderation</b><br/>
The title of this article is in contrast with its content. Little of the content provides evidence that Armenia cannot count on Russia. Clearly, there are issues with operations at the Gyumri base and legal jurisdiction overall, brought to the surface through the horrible murder of an entire family. None of this demonstrates to Armenia that Russia cannot live up to its agreements, which are far reaching.
<br/><br/>
It is sometimes easy to become complacent. Russia operates Armenia's nuclear plant providing almost half of the county's electrical power, it supplies gas so cheaply that the vast majority of vehicles in Armenia have converted from gasoline to gas. This list goes on. The part of this list that doesn't get much notice is that every morning Armenians wake up to another day of peace, enough so that enterprises such as the author's think tank can write these opinion pieces. This only comes from the Russian military patrolling the Turkish-Armenian border. Turkey has made direct military moves across many of its other borders, but has not threatened its Armenian border. This is no accident. If there is an equal or better replacement for this condition, we would all love to see its plan and execution.
<br/><br/>
Yerevan, ArmeniaDavid Davidianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05520897210144499373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812305356328571893.post-54402248230826207552013-03-25T07:40:00.000-07:002013-03-25T11:28:04.360-07:00B'nai B'rith Welcomes the Normalization of Relations between Israel and TurkeyIt is hypocritical of any organization devoted to <a href="http://www.bnaibrith.org/index.html">“intolerance around the world”</a> to welcome normalizing of relations of any kind with the Republic of Turkey. <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/turkey-jailing-journalists-iran-china-eritrea-watchdog-article-1.1189223">Turkey has more reporters in jail than Iran, China or Eritria</a> – so much for one of “<a href="http://www.bnaibrith.org/5/post/2013/03/bnai-brith-welcomes-the-normalization-of-relations-between-israel-and-turkey.html">the region’s only two democracies</a>”. If this weren’t enough, the foundation of the Republic of Turkey is the genocide, under guise of a world war, of a million and a half Armenian men, women, children, and further, the codified dispossession of their wealth, property, and the organized destruction of any vestiges of their 2,500 year old culture. Turkey continues to deny it murdered a nation. According to the renowned historian, scholar and expert specializing in Holocaust, Genocide studies and racism, Yair Auron , “<a href=" http://armenpress.am/eng/news/712548/israel-has-to-recognize-armenian-genocide-israeli-historian.html">Germany used the fact that committers of the Armenian Genocide remained to be unpunished, so it is necessary to recognize and condemn Armenian Genocide, in order to avoid such phenomenon in future</a>".
It should be noted that comments on this declaration were closed on B’nai B’rith’s web site. In fact, none appeared allowed.
David Davidianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05520897210144499373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812305356328571893.post-20499573739217892792012-09-24T12:11:00.000-07:002012-09-24T12:11:33.539-07:00In Facing Its Adversaries, America’s Got a Hidden Lever: ArmeniaTruman National Security Project’s, Daniel Gaynor, in <i><a href="http://trumanproject.org/doctrine-blog/in-facing-its-adversaries-americas-got-a-hidden-lever-armenia/">In Facing Its Adversaries, America’s Got a Hidden Lever: Armenia</a></i>, left his readership with a set of suggestions with no basis in logic or reality. A response is being posed here due to the lack of reader commentary on Gaynor’s blog.
<br><br>
First, there was no war between Armenians and Turks in 1915 to have resulted in the genocide of a million and half Armenians, as Gaynor claims, and further, he uses a NY Times quote as evidence of Turkey being “the historic nemesis of the Armenians”. Gaynor could have simply taken a second to research the topic, but clearly didn’t. The International Association of Genocide Scholars <a href="http://www.genocidescholars.org/sites/default/files/document%09%5Bcurrent-page%3A1%5D/documents/US%20Congress_%20Armenian%20Resolution.pdf">states</a>:
<br><br>
<i>“ In three previous statements of the International Association of Genocide Scholars—first, a unanimous resolution declaring that the Turkish massacres of Armenians in 1915-1918 constituted genocide; second, an Open Letter to Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan calling upon him to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide; and third, an Open Letter concerning scholars who deny the Armenian Genocide—we have made our position clear: the historical record on the Armenian Genocide is unambiguous and documented by overwhelming evidence. It is proven by foreign office records of the United States, France, Great Britain, Russia, and perhaps most importantly, of Turkey’s World War I allies, Germany and Austria-Hungary, as well as by the records of the Ottoman Courts-Martial of 1918-1920, and by decades of scholarship.”</i>
<br><br>
On this single issue alone Gaynor’s post should be dismissed. However, he further claims that Armenia’s geopolitical position provides a unique platform with which the US can advance its foreign policy goals. Gaynor fails to provide any evidence of how Armenia could advance US policy interests. Armenia has been in the same geographic area since declaring independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. In two decades what has the US done to persuade Armenia that much of its strategic interests coincide or at least parallel those of the US? Apparently little or the US was simply not persuasive enough. Perhaps, Armenia does not provide any <i>Hidden Lever</i> for the US at all. Gaynor never states what Armenian interests the US could promote?
<br><br>
Unfortunately, Armenia is viewed as little more than a nuisance to US foreign policy interests, even if has positioned itself at a functional median political position between Iran, Russia, and NATO. Is the US going to provide the political clout necessary to extract genocide reparations from the Republic of Turkey including the return of land (with significant borders changes) and monetary reparations? Is Armenia going to unilaterally declare itself mortal enemies of Iran, Russia or both, which might in passing, be in the temporal interest of the US? Gaynor does not tell us. What Armenian interest would be served and replaced by US influence that would not radically upset the tenable regional balance? Again, Gaynor is silent.
<br><br>
It is not clear what the Truman National Security Project is engaged in, but basing political projection on erroneous history and proposing national interest void of content does not fit the Project’s <a href="http://trumanproject.org/about/our-story/mission/">mission</a>, “to provide the skills, knowledge, and network to create an influential force of leaders across the country who advance strong progressive national security policy through advocacy initiatives, media appearances, and public service in elected and appointed office.”
David Davidianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05520897210144499373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812305356328571893.post-49918567308062989762012-06-11T19:06:00.000-07:002012-06-12T11:50:52.093-07:00The rise of genocide memorials By Clare Spencer BBC NewsThis anti-Armenian article can be viewed <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16642344">here</a>. The BBC did not mention any monuments dedicated to the Turkish genocide of the Armenians -- not a single mention! This could not possibly be an oversight based on ignorance considering even Wikipedia's entry on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genocide">Genocide</a>, states, in paragraphs two and three:
<blockquote>The preamble to the CPPCG [United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide] states that instances of genocide have taken place throughout history,[3] but it was not until Raphael Lemkin coined the term and the prosecution of perpetrators of the Holocaust at the Nuremberg trials that the United Nations agreed to the CPPCG which defined the crime of genocide under international law.
During a video interview with Raphael Lemkin, the interviewer asked him about how he came to be interested in this genocide. He replied; "I became interested in genocide because it happened so many times. First to the Armenians, then after the Armenians, Hitler took action."[4][5]</blockquote>
The BBC also didn't allow any comments in response to their article. The BBC and the <a href="http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/">British Foreign Office</a> would rather selectively delete facts than to upset the Republic of Turkey, who denies such a genocide ever occurred.
BBC's blatant disregard for clearly established facts places its editorial policy in the genocide denial camp.
There are over <a href="http://www.armenian-genocide.org/memorials.html#memorials_introduction">135 monuments</a> dedicated to the Turkish genocide of the Armenians in over 30 countries.David Davidianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05520897210144499373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812305356328571893.post-79189850885762092952011-09-28T06:22:00.000-07:002011-09-28T06:28:02.607-07:00Comment on RFE/RL Armenian Service: Azeri Drone Reported Shot Down Over KarabakhIn article, http://www.azatutyun.am/content/article/24328198.html, a response to a comment was sent in twice and apparently did not pass RFE/RL moderators. Below is the comment in question and my response.<br />
<br />
US , : US<br />
14.09.2011 20:19<br />
<br />
The UAV appears to have been down due to a malfunction. Had it been "downed" by Armenia's army, it would have fallen into smaller pieces. Here we can see it in very large chunks. Also, REGNUM reported that the price tag of this UAV is "up to $18 million" - glad to see journalism standards here higher than at REgnum, because this UAV costs under $2 million. And Azerbaijan has 100 more of them. <br />
<br />
My response (submitted 9/25/11 and 9/27/11):<br />
<br />
One cannot conclude that this UAV could not have been downed by "Armenia's army" simply because it is in large pieces. A single bullet could have damaged the UAV and it could subsequently have exhibited characteristics of an on-board malfunction. There was no mention of it being hit by a rocket or other such ordnance which could have dismembered the UAV in flight. In any case, this is a political embarrassment for Azerbaijan.<br />
<br />
Also, it is very unclear how much a single UAV costs because they are part of a much larger system. Without ground stations and supporting infrastructure, UAVs are useless, and I doubt any of us have seen the receipt given to Baku.David Davidianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05520897210144499373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812305356328571893.post-31357206603646169992011-04-17T05:53:00.000-07:002011-04-17T05:53:19.391-07:00Samatha Power and Obama's Foreign PolicyIn an article:<br />
<a href="http://asbarez.com/94959/does-samantha-wield-the-power-to-set-obama-on-the-right-course/" target="_blank">http://asbarez.com/94959/does-samantha-wield-the-power-to-set-obama-on-the-right-course/</a>, it is hoped that US foreign policy can be "corrected" and set on a "moral" path:<br />
<br />
Foreign policy decisions are not based on right or wrong, but rather on interests. [Samantha] Power herself makes that case (<i>A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide</i>. If a policy on some event happens to conveniently coincide with what is considered right, most parties are happy. When a foreign policy decision ignores what is right, many are outraged – but outrage for its own sake is not productive.<br />
<br />
How do we know that Power herself didn't use a preoccupation with genocide for her own personal gain? After all, who would counter her expose' on ignoring genocide. Power extracted as much as she could from the topic, and those intimately associated with it, and has moved on. There is a clear lesson here.<br />
<br />
David Davidian<br />
www.regionalkinetics.comDavid Davidianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05520897210144499373noreply@blogger.com0