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The Meghrouni Family and UCI School of Humanities

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Meghrouni Family PhotoFor Armine and me the university experience profoundly shaped our lives. It revealed vistas of knowledge unknown to us. With an agenda of rigorous study and learning, it gave us proficiency for acquiring an education, and it allowed epiphanies not to be had by any other means.
A university provides an arena where truth is the ideal and bias is anathema. The Humanities are particularly suited to provide just such a forum.
Being in an imperfect world, we, born in America of Armenian parents, in our formal education never could find or learn anything about our heritage, that of a people with a continuous history for three millennia!!
Thus, we are indebted to Dean Van Dan Abbeele and the School of Humanities of UC Irvine for their vision for a comprehensive course in Armenian Studies, and we are honored to have the privilege to secure its establishment by lending our philanthropic support to the program.
-Dr. Vahe Meghrouni
Source: UCI Irvine

 

Central Asia Fears ISIS, Boosts Ties with Saudi Arabia & Qatar

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By Christoph Germann

At the beginning of this month, the first Chinese ISIS fighter was captured in Iraq and a few days later four Uyghurs were arrested in Indonesia on suspicion of being ISIS members. 0929_GGR3It is unclear how many Uyghurs have joined Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi & Co. but even if they survive their trip to the Middle East, they will have a hard time “liberating East Turkestan.” Nevertheless, China is concerned about the growing popularity of ISIS in the region. As previously discussed, the pledge of the former leader of the Red Mosque, Maulana Abdul Aziz, to support al-Baghdadi’s Caliphate does not bode well for China and some insurgents in Afghanistan and Pakistan are also eager to join forces with ISIS:

Islamic State expanding activities in Ghazni province

Local officials in southeastern Ghanzi province of Afghanistan have warned that militants linked with Islamic State are expanding their activities in parts of this province.

Deputy provincial governor, Mohammad Ali Ahmadi has said that the Taliban militants linked with the Islamic State have raised the flags of the group in various districts.

He said the militants are campaigning in favour of the Islamic State and have closed numerous routes to Ghazni province since they are busy with planning their activities.

…

A few days ago, Taliban fighters seized control of a strategic district in Ghazni province, which is an important gateway to Kabul from the south-east. Meanwhile, the situation in northern Afghanistan is equally alarming. Turkmenistan was even forced to send troops across the border to drive back Taliban forces that had settled on the border between the two countries. The comeback of the Taliban in Afghanistan and the rise of ISIS have caused a serious problem in the jihadist universe but this does not affect the ISIS fearmongering, which has now reached Central Asia: 

Islamic State will come to Central Asia

The catastrophic wave of violence at the hands of the Islamic State will repeat itself in Afghanistan and then move on to Central Asia, forecasts the president of the Russian Institute for the Middle East Studies.

Speaking recently about the emergence of the new wave of extremism in the Middle East, Erlan Karin, a Middle East expert from Kazakhstan, reported on the creation of an Uzbek unit of militants called Imam Bukhari Jamaat.

Additionally, according to his findings there are about 250 Kazakh citizens, 100 Kyrgyz, 190 Tajiks, 500 Uzbeks, and about 360 Turkmens fighting alongside ISIS extremists.

…

The Central Asian states are happy to promote ISIS as a serious threat but they would not dream of cutting their ties to Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the terrorist group’s biggest bankrollers. This week, Tajikistan’s top Muslim cleric issued a fatwa against the participation of Tajiks in conflicts in Syria and Iraq (he also issued a fatwa against government critics) never mind that the Saudis have reportedly been recruiting Tajiks for ISIS with impunity for quite some time. Only a few days earlier, Tajikistan and Qatar had agreed to step up their cooperation. The House of Thani will also give neighboring Kyrgyzstan a hand, for example in the field of education. And while a famous Kazakh political analyst is warning that ISIS poses a serious threat to Kazakhstan, the Kazakh government is boosting cooperation with the House of Saud:

Kazakhstan ready for further cooperation with Saudi Arabia

Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has met with Abdullah ibn Muhammad Al ash-Sheikh, the chairman of the Majlis ash-Shura (Consultative Assembly) of Saudi Arabia.

“Kazakhstan is ready to develop the cooperation with Saudi Arabia in various spheres, including in the trade and economic field,” the president said.

The president said that a number of buildings were constructed in Astana with the assistance of Saudi Arabia, which is a proof of the friendly relations between the two countries.

Christoph Germann is an independent analyst and researcher based in Germany, where he is currently studying political science. His work focuses on the New Great Game in Central Asia and the Caucasus region. You can visit his website 

Turkey, Former police intel chief testifies as suspect in Dink murder case

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193802_newsdetailRamazan Akyürek, a former police chief who also served as the head of the National Police Department’s intelligence unit, has testified as a suspect in an investigation into the 2007 killing of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, news reports said on Thursday.

Akyürek, who was the head of police intelligence at the time of the murder, was suspended from duty in March following accusations of negligence in preventing the killing.

Akyürek’s name frequently came up during the trial of the suspects accused of having plotted to kill Dink, who was shot and killed in 2007 by Ogün Samast, an ultranationalist teenager. Akyürek has been accused of having links to Erhan Tuncel, a suspect accused of soliciting Samast to murder Dink.

Akyürek testified to Prosecutor Yusuf Doğan for four hours, the private Doğan news agency said. He was released following his testimony.

CPJ: Turkey has fearful journalism climate

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193748_newsdetailTurkish journalists gather to protest attacks on journalists and media freedom in Ankara on May 3. (Photo: AP)

October 02, 2014, Thursday/ AP / ISTANBUL

An international media freedom watchdog said that while Turkey has released many journalists from prison recently, the government is creating a more fearful climate for critical media.

The chairman of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Sandy Rowe, and counterparts from the International Press Institute (IPI) are meeting Turkish officials on Thursday, including President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The CPJ has previously cited Turkey as being the world’s worst offender for imprisoning journalists. But Rowe said all but 10 journalists have been released, though some only conditionally.

Still, after discussions with journalists in Turkey, she said the government has failed to stop intimidating journalists who have published critical material.

“What we have heard from them consistently is that the overall conditions and climate of fear and intimidation that many journalists feel has increased,” she said.

She noted that journalists who come under government criticism are often threatened by its supporters on social media.

“It, of course, tracks immediately to social media and it is going way beyond name calling on criticism and it includes threats of harm — threats of real bodily harm or murder,” she said. “That’s very troubling; it shouldn’t happen and in the case of Turkey we wish the government would speak out against it.”

Rowe also criticized the government for restrictions on the Internet and social media, noting the temporary blocks on Twitter and YouTube by the government this year. Turkey’s high court later overturned the blocks, calling them unconstitutional.

CPJ and IPI were expected to issue a statement following their meetings in Ankara.

Turkish Intellectuals Who Have Recognized The Armenian Genocide 33- Eren Keskin

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By: Hambersom Aghbashian

Eren-Keskin-1Eren Keskin (born 24 April 1959, Bursa, Turkey) is a lawyer and human rights activist. She is the vice-president of the Turkish Human Rights Association (İHD) and a former president of its Istanbul branch. She co-founded the project “Legal Aid For Women Who Were Raped Or Otherwise Sexually Abused by National Security Forces”, to expose abuses happening to women in Turkish prisons. In 1995 she was imprisoned for her activities and was adopted as a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International . In 2002 she was accused by Turkey’s State Security of “aiding and abetting” the PKK because of her advocacy for Kurds to use their native language in Turkey. In 2004 she received the Aachen Peace Award “for her courageous efforts and activities for human rights”. In 2005 she was awarded the Esslingen (Germany) – based Theodor Haecker Prize for Civic Courage and Political Integrity. In March 2006 a Turkish court sentenced her to 10 months imprisonment for insulting the country’s military. The sentence was then converted to a fine of 6000 Turkish Liras, which Keskin refused to pay.(1)

                       In her article ” We Are All Guilty”, (The Armenian weekly- Oct.20, 2009), Eren Keskin wrote, “In my view, the only thing that should be normal is accepting the fact of the genocide, with all its consequences, and apologizing to the Armenian nation”. And about all being guilty she wrote, “It’s been 94 years!, Those who believe in the lies, Those who don’t question the lies, Those who remain silent even if they don’t believe in the lies, Those, by their silence, approve of the lies, We are all guilty. And we owe thousands  millions of apologies.(2)

                       In an interview with Eren Keskin (June 27, 2007), She was asked about Ankara’s policy of denial towards the annihilation of an estimated a million and a half Armenians by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP)  under the cover of World War I. Keskin replied that  “The Turkish official thesis regarding the Armenian genocide is still very influential in the street and in academia, although there are efforts to overcome this domination”.(3)

                       Sara Whyatt also interviewed Eren Keskin (7 March 2014) . One of her questions was “How do you see the future”? Keskin replied saying,”I don’t think there will be significant improvements in the short run because the current government, as was the case with previous governments, will not cross the red line on sensitive issues like the Armenian genocide, human rights abuses by the army, and violence against women. They do have their own ideas for solutions to these issues, but I don’t think there will be significant improvements, so of course the fight goes on.”(4)

                       On March 16, 2014, a group of Turkish journalists, lawyers and human rights defenders organized a conference entitled “One Less than 2015: Our Past and Future” ahead of the Armenian Genocide Centennial at the hall of Ismayil Beshikchi Foundation in Istanbul. The second session was quite heated. The lawyers touched upon the genocide from the legal angle and drew parallels between the genocides that have been committed to this day. The speakers mentioned that the Turks deny the genocide at the state level and the level of associations “by the instinct of defending the homeland”. According to the speakers, the society must put pressure on the government. Summing up, coordinator Eren Keskin said the following: “We have our share of the blame by keeping silent. We didn’t even raise the issue of famous anti-Armenian Dogu Perincek’s* release and preferred to keep silent”.(5)

                       In her book titled “Armenian Genocide, Yesterday and Today”, Eren Keskin wrote “Armenian people have argued for decades that when the Ottoman Empire, current day Turkey, moved onto their land and forced people from their homes, this was the first genocide known by the modern world”.(6)

———————————————————————————————————————

* Doğu Perinçek (born June 17, 1942 in Gaziantep) is a Turkish politician. Since 1992, he is the   chairman of the socialist Workers’ Party (Turkish: İşçi Partisi). In August 2013 he was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment as part of the Ergenekon trials.

1- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eren_Keskin

2- http://www.armenianweekly.com/2009/10/20/eren-keskin-we-are-all-guilty

3- http://headoverhat.blogspot.com/2007/06/interview-with-eren-keskin.html

4- https://www.ifex.org/turkey/2014/03/07/erenkeskin_interview/

5- http://en.hayernaysor.am/2015

6- http://internationallawstudies.blogspot.com/2014/02/genocide-cannot-be-just-another-crime.html

also published on Nor Or, Oct. 2, 2014

BREAKING NEWS: JPMorgan Chase Says More Than 76 Million Accounts Were Compromised in Cyberattack

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Thursday, October 2, 2014 5:26 PM EDT

A cyberattack this summer on JPMorgan Chase compromised more than 76 million household accounts and 7 million small-business accounts, making it among the largest corporate hacks ever discovered.
The latest revelations, which were disclosed in a regulatory filing on Thursday, vastly dwarf earlier estimates that hackers had gained access to roughly 1 million customer accounts.
The new details about the extent of the hack — which began in June but was not discovered until July — sent JPMorgan scrambling for the second time in just three months to contain the fallout.

READ MORE »

Senior Kurdistan Official: IS Was at Erbil’s Gates; Turkey Did Not Help (Interview)

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(Why Barzani  Allow Turkey to have Military base with about 3000 Turkish soldiers in Kurdistan city of Duhok)???  ask gagrule.net

By HEVIDAR AHMED  RUDAW

Fuad Hussein: “The IS has its own map, which spans from India to Europe.”

Fuad-HusseinIn an important interview Fuad Hussein, chief of staff to the Kurdistan Region presidency, revealed just how dangerously close the Islamic State (IS) armies came to overrunning Erbil in attacks last month. He said that the United States “played in important role” with airstrikes, and that Washington’s swift response was key to winning global support in the war against the group formerly known as ISIS.  In this interview with Rudaw that offers rare insights into the war and behind-the-scenes workings of developments, Hussein expressed Erbil’s huge dissatisfaction at Turkey for offering words at a time of imminent danger when the Kurds needed more.   “Turkey consistently reiterated that if the security of the Kurdistan Region is threatened they would intervene. Well, our security was under threat, but still we did not receive any support from Turkey,” Hussein said. Here is an edited transcript of his interview:

Rudaw: What roles are different countries playing in the assistance given to the Kurdistan Region, such as the United States, France and others?

Fuad Hussein: The US is leading the international community, and had it not been for the US’s swift support for the Kurdistan Region, we might not have received such a level of backing from the international community. The US was quick to support us. Then, Europe supported us and that was due to France’s efforts. The role of France is very important and the US and European countries are coordinating together in supporting Kurdistan.

Rudaw: It is believed that, had it not been for US airstrikes, IS militants would have entered Erbil.

Fuad Hussein: This is a military assessment. But in reality they reached Makhmour, Gwer and Khazir, which are the entry points to Erbil. In fact, when they reached Gwer they were not that far from Erbil International Airport. Therefore, it is fair to say that the US played an important role and inflicted huge damages upon IS. IS did not only wage a military war. They were also inciting fear among people through social media by beheading people, which led to some people fleeing their cities. It was a huge problem.

Rudaw: The night that the IS entered Makhmour, Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani was on the telephone with Washington. How was the US persuaded to attack the IS?

Fuad Hussein: There were lots of phone calls to Washington on the night of August 6. The phone calls were a preparation for the call between Barzani and US Vice President Joe Biden. That was arranged, and Barzani clearly explained the situation, saying that the IS was using advanced military weapons and their fight was different from conventional fighting. After the authorization of airstrikes, President Barack Obama delivered a speech to the American public. President Barzani was informed of the content of the speech before President Obama delivered it. Following the speech, the US started attacking IS militants on August 8.  The first US attack was an airstrike on an armored artillery that could hit targets as far as 30 kilometers. It was an American armored artillery that was taken by the IS from the Iraqi army.

Rudaw: Why did the IS attack Kurdistan?

Fuad Hussein: The IS was interested in Shingal and Tel Afar because of their geographic locations and religious and ethnic issues. The IS has its own map, which spans from India to Europe. In their map, Saudi Arabia is called Hijaz, Ethiopia is named Habasha and Spain is known as Andalus. They intend to take all these areas. They were interested in Kurdistan because of its oil and mountains. It would have been very dangerous if they had reached the mountains of Kurdistan. But I don’t know why they attacked Kurdistan. You should ask them, because we don’t know what is going on in their heads. What is clear is that their ideology is different from that of the Kurds, and they consider the Kurds infidels.

Rudaw: Does Kurdistan have any direct or indirect dialogue with IS?

Fuad Hussein: The IS is the enemy of the Kurds and Kurdistan. In the past we used to negotiate with different Iraqi governments (despite our war with Baghdad) after a period of fighting. But the IS is against humanity; how can we build ties with them?

Rudaw: There are several American oil companies in Kurdistan. Is it true that they had a role in mobilizing American support for Kurdistan?

Fuad Hussein: No, they did not do anything. It is true that before the war the oil companies had lobbied for US support for Kurdistan’s oil policy, for the betterment of ties between Washington and Erbil and to put pressure on former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki. But for this war, no company intervened.

Rudaw: Have you called for an American force to be based in Kurdistan?

Fuad Hussein: In reality, when America withdrew its forces from Iraq Maliki told the whole world that the security of Iraq was under control. But it was not true. President Barzani had warned about the withdrawal of American forces. We saw that after the withdrawal of US forces the security situation in Iraq got worse over time, until it reached the current situation. Iraq needs America’s support in fighting terrorism. Kurdistan is part of Iraq and Baghdad should accept such a demand.

Rudaw: Were the US airstrikes for the sake of Iraq or the Kurdistan Region?

Fuad Hussein: The Syria crisis started three years ago and all Arab countries, Gulf States and Turkey called for US intervention. But the US didn’t do that. IS reached Baghdad, Mosul, Anbar, Diyala and Tikrit, and nothing happened. But as soon as they changed the direction of their attacks to Kurdistan, the international community came forward in support of Kurdistan. Historians should record this and people should carefully analyze that the US did not let IS advance into Kurdistan. Barzani has built an extensive network of relations with the international community and we have seen its results. The decision of the West and the US is not only the decision of their governments, but also the decision of the public. The American and European nations were in favor of protecting the Kurds. This is the first time that Germany decides on military support for a region that is at war. Therefore, the policy of the Kurds is not only engaged with the governments of those states but also with their people.

Rudaw: Kurdistan considered Turkey as its closest ally, but Turkey has not assisted Kurdistan in this fight. Why?

Fuad Hussein: We were in a very tough situation. In a tough situation even a glass of water matters. But when you are offered a glass of water when not thirsty it is not bad, but not effective. We were in need of help in the beginning. The US, France and Europe came to our rescue but our neighbor refused to do so, even after we asked for help.

Rudaw: What was Turkey’s response?

Fuad Hussein: They did not say they would not help. They said they would do so after Turkey’s presidential election. But we were in a very difficult situation. We had no choice but to wait until after the elections, yet they have not helped us. Turkey did not meet our expectation.

Rudaw: Are you upset with Turkey?

Fuad Hussein: There are extensive economic, trade and political ties between Turkey and the Kurdistan Region. If you analyze the extent of our relations with Turkey you would assume that Turkey would be heavily involved in this issue. Turkey consistently reiterated that if the security of the Kurdistan Region is threatened they would intervene. Well, our security was under threat, but still we did not receive any support from Turkey.

Rudaw: Would this situation cause a reassessment of relations with Turkey?

Fuad Hussein: It is in Turkey’s benefit to continue energy cooperation with Kurdistan. The US announced that it would protect Kurdistan to preserve its interests. Turkey says it has 49 of its diplomats taken hostage by IS. But Turkey has a consulate in Erbil, and what would happen had IS taken Erbil? Thousands of Turkey’s workers are working in Erbil and the Kurdistan Region. What about them? Does Turkey want to save the 49 diplomats at the expense of thousands of Turks in Kurdistan?

Rudaw: Have you decided to reassess your ties with Turkey?

Fuad Hussein: We have to be very clear with Turkey. How can we have such relations? It is in the benefit of Turkey to stand against the IS. The IS is not a friend to any country. Turkey, at least, could help us through some of its military bases in Duhok.

Rudaw: Turkey is worried that some of the weapons offered to Kurdistan might fall into the hands of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Can you guarantee this will not happen?

Fuad Hussein: The government, parliament, and the presidency of the Kurdistan Region receive the weapons and it is sent to the battlefields. The PKK does not rule Kurdistan. It is ironic that they make such a demand. This is the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. If true, then the economy and politics of Kurdistan are run by the PKK. Turkey should come forward. Then we can talk.

Rudaw: Is President Barzani upset about this?

Fuad Hussein: Barzani is the president of the Kurdistan Region. Every single Kurd is upset with Turkey’s position. How would President Barzani not be upset about it? We are upset, because they did not help us when we needed them.

Rudaw: What is the difference between Maliki and Haider al-Abadi?

Fuad Hussein: Every individual is different, but they are from the same school of thought and political party. Personality matters and our role in Baghdad to work as a team matters as well —  because we did not have a team in Baghdad. Abadi contacted President Barzani before and after his appointment as prime minister and announced his intention to cooperate and work together.

Turkey 49 hostages swapped for 180 ISIL terrorists, report claims

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193762_newsdetail

The report also stated that the state’s key bodies, the MİT, the Prime Ministry Office and the President’s Office, competed against each other in an effort to give the impression that the hostage release was the result of their diplomatic attempts. In order to create this perception, the three agencies used certain media outlets affiliated with each other to claim the result as its own success. This prompted rumors that an internal power struggle was taking place over the hostages.

The terrorist group the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) released 49 hostages who were abducted from the Turkish Consulate General in Mosul in June in exchange for Turkey’s release of 180 key figures from the jihadist group, the Taraf daily reported on Thursday.

Forty-nine members of the consulate staff were held hostage by ISIL for 101 days before being released on Sept. 20, but speculation as to how they were freed continues to occupy the country’s agenda. Taraf claimed that a number of key ISIL figures were traded for the hostages.

Giving a detailed report on the hostage release, Taraf claimed that US air strikes on ISIL militants in Iraq in August resulted in wounded terrorists being sent to Turkey for treatment. The US then warned Turkey not to release those militants. But, ISIL said they would kill the hostages if those ISIL fighters were not allowed to return to Iraq and Syria. The Turkish government then developed a swap plan for the release of the hostages, simultaneously ridding Turkey of the ISIL elements and releasing the hostages.

Local tribes mediated for swap deal

Local tribal figures who are providing support to the US’s campaign against ISIL in Iraq acted as mediators in the exchange process. With their help a deal was reached and the logistics were finalized. The ISIL militants would bring the hostages to the Turkish border and inform the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) of the hostages’ location, the report said.

In the wake of the hostages’ return, the government, in accordance with the deal, gathered ISIL militants who had been detained during medical treatment in Turkish hospitals. One hundred eighty fighters were then taken to a military post in Van. Whether the ISIL terrorists who killed a police officer, a military officer and a Turkish citizen in Niğde province in March were included in the swap deal is not clear. However, rumors circulating in government circles indicate that these terrorists were meant to be among the terrorists to be exchanged; however, the decision was abandoned, Taraf reported.

As part of the deal, the returned militants were given an undisclosed amount of money before they were handed over to ISIL.

 

Turkey, opposition the AKP government Motion is struggle against Syria, not ISIL

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ANKARA

n_72470_1The motion brought to the Parliament by the government is not aiming at broadening the struggle against terror, but Syria, according to main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.

“We would support a motion on the struggle against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant [ISIL] or the Kurdistan Workers’ Party [PKK], in short, terrorist organizations. This was also what the Western coalition was looking for: A struggle against the terrorist organization of ISIL,” he said during an Ankara meeting Oct. 2 with journalists from the International Press Institute (IPI) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

“This is not the motion that came to the Parliament. On the contrary, it is to struggle against Syria,” he said.

Many items were put into the bill, he also said.

The opposition leader said there was a perception in the west that Turkey was backing ISIL.

“This perception is correct. ISIL has offices in Turkey. They have units that gather members in Turkey.
All of these are known things,” he said, adding he was against sending Turkish soldiers to another country.

“Turkey should take an open stance if it wants to fight against ISIL.”

The opposition leader was speaking before the motion was voted on at Parliament.

October/02/2014