Using the Kardashian prostitution cartel to bring about "awareness" to the Armenian Genocide or to Armenia itself is like rubbing excrement on ones face to get attention from the public. The Kardashian whore cartel and how Armenian politicians, clergy and people in general put them on a pedestal is actually very symbolic of our people's civilizational decline.
Speaking of heroes of the North American Armenian Diaspora, there is also Adam Schiff. Although not nearly as sexy as Kim, Schiff is nevertheless revered by many Armenians. After all, the Neoliberal warmonger gives Armenians lip-service and he did play a role in the destruction of Syria and its Armenian community. Of course Armenians would love him. Actually, there is also the real possibility that Adam Schiff's not-too-distant relative was none-other-than Jacob Schiff, the Zionist financier from New York City. Jacob Schiff was instrumental in the rise of Bolshevism in the Russian Empire, which as we all know led to the utter destruction of Russia and the Turkish occupation of Western Armenia. In any case, Adam Schiff and his kin are NOT friends of Armenia or Armenians. The man is simply pandering to the significantly large American-Armenian community on the west coast purely for self-serving political gain. I have no doubt at all that had Adam Schiff been in power in the White House, he'd be among the first to veto or reject any effort to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide.
Let's please stop fooling ourselves because this is not funny anymore. The House and Senate Resolutions that were passed on October 29 and December 12 respectively are "nonbinding" documents (i.e not government policy). They are merely "expressions" of sentiment. Therefore, it's political fluff. Yes, it is better than nothing. My point however is, we should not make it into something that it is not. And let's not give any credit to a criminal system that does not deserve it. Most of the reptilians that supported these supposedly "pro-Armenian" Resolutions also support aggression against Syria, Iran and Russia. Our "supporters" in Washington D.C. destroyed the Armenian community of Syria. Our "supporters" in Washington D.C. are - by intent, by action and in deed - anti-Armenian. What was done was done because it was politically expedient for them. What was done will also not benefit Armenia or Armenians in any actual/tangible way. Simply put: They exploited the memory of 1.5 million genocide victims to advance a political agenda that in reality has little to do with Armenia or Armenians.
In other words: Washingtonians are using us, "recognition" hungry Armenians as disposable pawns simply to put political pressure on Ankara over its dealing with Russia.
The two Resolutions were passed for reasons that had nothing to do with justice, moral obligation, democratic considerations or righting the wrongs of history. They also had little to do with the influence of Armenian lobbying groups. Speaking of lobbying groups, in my opinion, there is only one worthy of respect - the ANCA. The ANCA worked very hard for many years. Many decades of hard work by them however yielded no results. Then, suddenly, Turkey's one misdeed, purchasing Russian-made air defense systems despite Western objections, changed the calculus. This goes to show that everything we see in Washington D.C. is essentially a political circus put on by cunning populists clamoring for votes, that is until geopolitical factors (and powerful special interests) come into play and things begin to get serious. This is not an attempt to belittle the overall great work the ANCA does, although I am not always happy with the reptiles they promote (but I do understand the political reasoning/calculus behind such decisions). The ANCA does indeed deserve praise. In the big picture, however, they/we were simply in the right place at the right time. There basically were two fundamental reasons behind the Resolutions: Put pressure on Turkey over Russia (which was the main Republican motivation) and make President Trump look bad (which was one of the Democrat's motivation). I don't even think we will be seeing high-ranking delegations from the United States paying official visits to the Armenian Genocide memorial.
For what it's worth, and again it's not worth much in real political terms, it's the Russian Federation that officially recognizes the Armenian Genocide.
It's the Russian Federation that has very lucrative relations with Ankara (annual bilateral trade between the two states are nearly 1oo billion dollars and growing), it's the Russian Federation that is doing its best to maintain good relations with Ankara over the situation in Syria, and it's the Russian Federation that trying very hard to pry Turkey away from NATO's grip. Yet, it's the Russian Federation that officially recognizes the Armenian Genocide, it's President Putin that attended the 100-th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide (despite strong objections from Ankara nonetheless), and it's Russian officials that regularly pay their respects to Armenian Genocide victims -
So, if Russians can officially recognize the Armenian Genocide despite their very important and lucrative relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan, so can the United States - the world's "moral authority", "champion of freedom" and "beacon of light". The main point here being is this: Russia has NOTHING to gain by recognizing the Armenian Genocide. Armenia is already desperately dependent on Russia for survival and Yerevan has no real alternatives to Moscow. But, Moscow does recognize the Armenian Genocide. The United States has NOTHING to lose by recognizing the Armenian Genocide. It's recognition will neither speed-up or slow-down Turkey's departure from the West, if that is indeed what is happening today. But, Washington D.C. does not recognize the Armenian Genocide.
As of today, despite the political show/circus in Washington D.C., the United States has NOT officially recognized the Armenian Genocide. And it most likely will not in the foreseeable future. As long as the highest office on the land, the U.S. Presidency and powerful imperial entities such as Organized Jewry, Official London, Western Intelligence agencies, the Pentagon and the U.S. State Department does not want the Anglo-American-Jewish political/economic establishment to recognize the Armenian Genocide, the House's and Senate's expressed recognition are, in real political terms, both useless and worthless. As long as there is even the slightest hope of salvaging their alliance with Ankara, Anglo-American-Jews will not risk losing Turkey. Unless Ankara attempts to moves even closer to the Russian Federation by taking additional drastic steps, the House and Senate Resolutions will eventually be forgotten. I want to again remind the reader that President Erdogan is a mere mortal. He will eventually be out of the picture and Turkey will fall back in-line. That's where we are today.
Another bad side-effect of the recent Resolutions will be their exploitation by our professional Russophobes and neo-Trotskyites. They will use these Resolutions essentially as psy-ops to convince our politically illiterate and self-destructive peasantry that the United States is superpower that actually care about Armenians. Politically naive and emotional Armenians will of course believe every word of it. Large numbers of Armenians will therefore continue remaining vulnerable to Western manipulation and exploitation, because of the created perception that the United States is pro-Armenian and anti-Turkish. We seriously need to put a stop to this nonsense. We need to stop making the same mistakes over-and-over again. We need to understand that the political/financial entity that is the United States today is not Armenia's friend in any way, and will probably never be.
Regarding friendships and alliances, Uncle Sam has only two in this world - Anglos and Jews. Americans, Anglos and Jews are three separate persons that dwell in one unified, unholy essence. Think of the Anglo-American-Jewish alliance therefore as an EVIL TRINITY. Anything major or strategic in the life of the aforementioned evil empire has to more-or-less be agreed to by the three elements of this unholy union. If a nation is not an integral part of this evil trinity, it is treated as a cheep and disposable pawn, something to be used and abused. Whether we Armenians realize it or not, we are being used and abused by this evil trinity.
The Armenian Genocide has been turned into a cheap and disposable political tool. And we have been down this road on more than one occasion before. I know the Western alliance well. I know Organized Jewry well. I know therefore that this recognition matter will never get too far in that imperial den of vipers called Washington D.C. I know that this matter is being used by Republican's to put pressure on Turkey's president (to force him to stop his flirtations with Russia) and by Democrats to similarly put pressure on Turkey over Russia but also to make President Trump (their archenemy) look bad. Both sides also know that their Resolutions are nonbinding (i.e. not government policy) and the highest office in the country will not reciprocate by recognizing the Armenian Genocide either. So, both the Senate and the House knows they basically have the freedom to play games and put on shows. More importantly, both sides know that Turkey will never be made to pay reparations, be it land, be it money, to the ancestors of genocide survivors.
It's a political show. It's not government policy. It's a politically motivated move that signifies absolutely nothing. Again, if land and money reparations are not part of the equation, then what good is it?
Armenians are like troubled little children who rather dwell in fantasy and feel-good rhetoric, than deal with unpleasant reality and listen to blunt honesty. Nobody in the Armenian community therefore wants me to ruin their orgasmic euphoria by hearing my criticism, pessimism and cynicism. Yet, it always happens exactly as I know it would. The latest example: The Turkish leader was in Washington D.C. soon after the House vote in October and President Trump (and I don't really blame him for doing it) was eagerly kissing President Erdogan's behind. As expected, the Trump administration almost immediately rejected any move to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide, and I don't blame it for doing so because any U.S. presidency would have done the same. Geostrategic considerations always, pardon the expression, trumps everything else -
US State Department: Trump admin still does NOT recognize Armenian genocide despite Senate resolution: https://www.rt.com/usa/476114-trump-admin-rejects-armenian-genocide/
Graham blocks Armenian genocide resolution upon request from White House: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/471856-graham-blocked-armenian-genocide-resolution-upon-request-from-white-house
Trump's Total Capitulation to Turkey's Erdogan: https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/.premium-trump-s-total-capitulation-to-turkey-s-erdogan-1.8124420
Turkey's behavior is 'deeply concerning,' but we need 'strategic patience' with them, ex-CIA chief says: https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2019/11/14/david-petraeus-erdogan-and-turkeys-behavior-deeply-concerning.html
How Erdogan Played Trump (Again): https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/11/13/erdogan-played-trump-turkey-syria/
The U.S. Alliance With Turkey Is Worth Preserving: https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/03/19/the-u-s-alliance-with-turkey-is-worth-preserving
Despite loveless marriage, NATO to keep Turkey close: https://mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKBN1X41N9
Armenian genocide resolution reaffirms the ‘g-word’ is a tool for U.S. interests: https://countercurrents.org/2019/11/armenian-genocide-resolution-reaffirms-the-g-word-is-a-tool-for-u-s-interests
Rejection from the highest office is not all. Although not on the same level as their love-affair
with Turkey, Azerbaijan also plays a significantly big role in the
Anglo-American-Jewish geopolitical playbook. In a nutshell: Azerbaijan is seen by Anglo-Americans, Israelis, Europeans and Turks as a conduit of Central Asian energy that by-passes Russia and Iran. As long as Anglo-American-Jews and their allies have problems with Russia and Iran, Azerbaijan will figure greatly in their geopolitical formulations of the region. Needless to say, Anglo-American-Jews will continue having problems with Russia and Iran for well into the foreseeable future. Turkey and Azerbaijan will therefore continue play big roles in the West's geopolitical playbook. It is therefore not a
surprise that Zionist activists again took their Shabbos Goyim from the large and
influential "Christian Zionist" population in the United States to
Azerbaijan to again spread anti-Armenian propaganda -
Jewish leaders applaud Azerbaijani multiculturalism at World Religious Leaders Summit: https://www.jns.org/jewish-leaders-applaud-azerbaijani-multiculturalism-at-world-religious-leaders-summit/
Why the West Needs Azerbaijan: https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/05/28/why-the-west-needs-azerbaijan/
Vladimir Pozner: It's all political games; in fact, the [Armenian Genocide] is not interesting to [American officials] at all: https://news.am/eng/news/545295.html
Yet,
Diasporan Armenians are going wild. Armenian news agencies, social media and the blogosphere is virtually exploding with excitement. Self-styled Democrat Armenians are attacking self-styled Republican
Armenians, who are in-turn attacking Democrat Armenians and making excuses for their beloved
Trump. Both sides are cherry-picking information, playing verbal gymnastics and engaging in wishful
thinking. Both sides are putting under a microscope words uttered by
American officials. Both sides are trying to decipher intentions and
meaning are behind such words. They are all
feverishly and breathlessly scrambling to find explanations and hidden messages behind what has been happening. They are all firm believers in the "Democratic Process" and Uncle Sam's "moral authority", especially now that the "G" word was uttered in the imperial viper's nest. As such, the American empire gets a pass for all its crimes against humanity around the world, including against us Armenians.
American officials are given the benefit of doubt - "American officials don't understand what they are doing, we Armenians therefore need to lobby and explain things to them" - even when their policies
are blatantly anti-Armenian in nature. There are even Armenians today who are delirious enough to think that President Trump defeated ISIS in Syria.
As usual, Armenians are fighting each other, chasing their tails, falling prey to war criminals and making excuses for a rabid empire. No one wants to see that the American empire could careless about Armenians or Armenia. No
one wants to admit to themselves that the U.S. did not officially recognize the Armenian Genocide. The thought of their favorite country in the world not recognizing the Armenian Genocide is simply too painful of a thought. So, why think it?
As it seems, Armenians wholeheartedly and unequivocally believe in the none-existent Democratic process in the United States. As always, Armenians are proving to be more Catholic than the Pope. As always, it's to our detriment as a people.
All I keep hearing is a growing chorus of excited voices saying: "This is it"... "America will kick Turkey out of NATO"... "Trump is now going to destroy the Turkish economy"... "Turkey will now be crushed by the United States"... These are all absurd political fantasies on the level of mental masturbation. I am often ridiculed for daring to say that the memory of 1.5 million Armenian genocide victims was/is being shamelessly exploited by Washingtonian reptiles for short-term political expediency and nothing more. No one seems to fully grasp it when I say these types of matters are geostrategic in nature and such matters therefore always supersede moral and/or democratic considerations. Stuck in their political illiteracy, victim mentality and debilitating emotions, no one wants to admit that Uncle Sam in reality is NOT going to unfriend the Incredible Turk anytime in the foreseeable future.
Incidentally, the "Incredible Turk" was produced in the United States less than three years after this -
Will Armenians ever get around to finally understanding what geopolitics is all about and how realpolitik works? For a people that constantly boasts about being so intelligent, why are we Armenians so damn stupid when it comes to political matters? After all that we have been through, how can we Armenians not know that international law is written by the powerful to control the weak? How can we Armenians not know that there is no such things as democracy, morality or justice in politics, especially when you are a small and weak nation? How can Armenians after all these years not know that might makes right? After all we have been through, especially during the past one hundred-plus years, how do we Armenians not know any of this? When will Armenians begin learning from other people's examples? When will we Armenians learn from OUR history? -
Incidentally, what exactly are the "Iron Ladles" Khrimyan Hayrik was referring to? Here are a few examples: A large and
powerful military. A large and self-sufficient economy. A
large, stable, united, patriotic and political aware population. Control
of strategic lands and natural resources. Stable political landscape. Complacent citizenry. Professional diplomatic corps. A record of military victories and
political successes. Et cetera. I know Khrimyan Hayrik meant well, but the reality is that we as a people did not have any Iron Ladles to exploit on the international arena back then. This should have been obvious to
our national leaders back in the 19-th century, back in the 20-th century, and this should be obvious to our
national leaders today. We don't have Iron Ladles essentially because we have not
worked on developing one, nor have we had the time and stability to develop one. Turks on the other hand do have Iron Ladles. In fact, they have
many. The following is what we politically illiterate
and overly-emotional Armenians need to understand: Unlike Armenia,
Turkey is a major political power, with a major economy and a major
military. Unlike Armenia, Turkey is geographically very large and it
controls strategic territories and passages. Unlike Armenians, Turkish society is
stable, disciplined, patriotic and religious. Unlike Armenians, Turks have centuries of political/diplomatic tradition and experience. More importantly, unlike Armenians, Turks are unconditionally faithful to their state (i.e. always ready to defend their country). These Turkish traits are the fundamental reasons behind how Turks controlled a massive empire for many
centuries, and why 2o-th century Turks survived the total collapse of their
empire one hundred years ago and went on to gradually develop one of the world's largest economies and militaries.
The aforementioned is why Turkey is a major political, economic and military power today that Anglo-American-Jews will do their best not to lose.
At the end of the day, Western powers need Turkey more than Turkey needs Western powers. Westerners know this. Turks know this. As long as Western powers are in competition with Russia and Iran, and as long as Organized Jewry wants leverage against the Shiite Arc, prevent the rise of pan-Arab nationalism and secure oil/gas from non-Arab and non-Iranian sources - Western powers will never risk losing a useful monster and an Iron Ladle like Turkey from their arsenal. This love affair with Turks among Western powers is deep, and it's not new. Western powers have enabled the Turkish monster for centuries. Western powers were the main reason why the Russian Empire and Soviet Union were not able to defeat the Ottoman Empire in the 18-th century and the modern republic of Turkey in the 19-th century -
Had Western powers - Britain and France in particular - not come to their aid, the Ottoman Empire, which was under constant military pressure by the Russian Empire, could have collapsed in the second half of the 19-th century. The Russian Empire at the time was eagerly seeking to expand south to the warm-waters of the Mediterranean Sea basin. The plight of all Christians under Ottoman rule (generally speaking Armenians and Greeks) was being used as a legitimate excuse by the Imperial court in Saint Petersburg to realize this geostrategic agenda. Stalin's Soviet Union also wanted to expand its holdings down to the Mediterranean Sea basin at the end of the Second World War. Unlike the Russian Empire, however, Stalin did not need any religious, humanitarian or even ideological excuses to pursue geostrategic goals; he only needed an opportunity. End of the Second World War was such an opportunity.
I had an uncle who was a soldier in the Red Army during the Second World War. It was through him that I first learned that in the summer of 1946 the Red Army was mobilized in Armenia and Georgia and was getting ready to invade Turkey. I remember my relative telling me, "we went to sleep after having our last supper before the planned military invasion of Turkey. We were woken up in the middle of the night and told that the operation was canceled." My relative did not know it back then, but the invasion was cancelled by Moscow because the President Truman of the United States had threatened the Soviet Union. It was rumored that the threat in question involved the use of an atomic bomb which the Soviet Union did not possess at the time. These is very limited information in the West on this topic -
Historically, the Western rush to save Turkey from Stalin's Red Army set the foundations of NATO. And the moral of this story is basically this: As the above mentioned two historic events, one in the middle of the 19-th century and one in the middle of the 20-th century, reveal to us, had Western powers not directly come to their aid, the Ottoman Empire and its successor the Turkish state would not have existed today. Although this is pure speculation, it would nevertheless also be fair to conclude that had the Russian Empire in the 19-th century been allowed to defeat the Ottoman Empire and expand down to the Mediterranean Sea basin, there would not have been an Armenian Genocide. Without a genocide, many millions of Armenians would have continued living on their native lands in the Armenian Highlands, even if as Russian subjects. No matter how one looks at it, the Western world has in fact been Armenia's number one enemy on the world stage and a reason for many of its sorrows. We as a people continue suffering political repercussions/consequences not only because we do not yet fully comprehend this but we as a people continue blindly looking to the West for sustenance, guidance and salvation.
Western powers pose an existential threat to Armenia. This threat is political, financial, military and, perhaps more importantly, cultural.
This threat to Armenia as well as the disdain with which Western powers actually look at Armenians is nothing new. Anglo-American-Jews have been looking down at Armenians for a very long time. For a better understanding of where the Western establishment's mindset/attitude regarding Armenians was one hundred years ago (and where in my opinion it remains to this day) ignore all the feel-good fluff we are periodically shown to convince us how benevolent and humanitarian Western powers have been towards Armenians and instead read the following two articles that first appeared more than one hundred years ago. These are not the feel-good fluff meant to warm hearts-and-minds and win electoral votes for imperial officials. What they are is a candid, honest and a genuine look at Armenians by representatives of the Anglo-American-Jewish establishment a century ago -
If you
carefully read between-the-lines of what they have to say, you can
clearly see that the authors of the two articles I
posted above (both early servants of the today's political/financial
establishment in the Western world) knew all along that Armenia was to
be abandoned at the end of the First World War. The
fact is Armenia did not
have any genuine friends in the Western world at the time, nor does it now. With the
Russian Empire destroyed,
Armenia was essentially left to die by the victors of the Great War.
Trust me, not much has changed in their mentality towards us. After reading Hester Donaldson Jenkins' comments about how "oriental", "swarthy" and "Jewish-like" Armenians are and how Armenians don't deserve sovereignty in their homeland because giving Armenians land is tantamount to giving it to Russia, please examine in particular "Laurence of Arabia's" scathing insults against Armenians. His comments are actually rabidly racist and even genocidal in nature. So, isn't it therefore strange that when Armenians produce films and documentaries about Westerners and the Armenian Genocide, they somehow omit these kinds of documents? As I said, disregard the "benevolent American or European" nonsense. Instead, read articles like the ones presented above to better understand where the political mindset in the West was at the time regarding Armenia and Armenians - and everything that happened to Armenians during and after the First World War will make better sense. And realize that other than the general tone of the rhetoric, which is much more sophisticated, manipulative and racially sensitive today towards Third Worlders like us Armenians, not much has changed. We also need to disregard the writings of individuals like Henry Morganthau. Simply put, Morganthau was an official of a nation that was in-effect at war with Ottoman Turkey. He therefore had no choice but to be highly critical of Ottoman-Turkish officials. The Armenian plight was therefore used as a geopolitical tool against Istanbul. To assume a genuine, pro-Armenian or pro-Armenia bent in Washington D.C. or even on Morganthau's part because of his writings would be foolish to say the least.
Moreover, we also need to disregard the silly fairytale known as "Wilsonian Armenia".
Our beloved "Wilsonian Armenia", which was in discussion during the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 and the Treaty of Sèvres in 1920, was most likely a contingency plan or even perhaps a clever ploy prepared by American officials in case there was a geopolitical necessity/need to create an Armenia. For a number of geopolitical reasons that need never materialized. The so-called "Wilsonian Armenia" was not accepted by the main governing apparatus at the time which were France and Britain. It was therefore not ratified. In other words, Wilsonian Armenia was a stillborn concept. In my opinion, similar to what the West has been doing with the Armenian Genocide vis-à-vis Turkey in recent years, Wilsonian Armenia was most likely was a ploy at the time to convince post-Ottoman Turks to ally with Western powers instead of Bolshevik-occupied Moscow. Interestingly, a Christmas day New York Times article briefly touched upon this very subject matter. The article however requires some reading between-the-lines as it is quite whitewashed and sterile -
Instead
of helping Armenian arms themselves to fight genocidal Turks and Kurds
at the time and win the right to remain on their lands, the only thing the British,
French and Americans were willing to do for Armenia was evacuate
Armenians to countries around the world. This action in-effect depopulated historic
Armenia of its aboriginal inhabitants and, as Jenkins admits, help develop Western businesses. In any case, just imagine, fledgling Armenia's
inexperienced leadership - before and during the time when the First Republic existed - was
eagerly expecting to see the Western cavalry come to Armenia's aid.
None of course would arrived. Expecting imminent Western help (which our national
leaders thought was inevitable because Armenians were faithful
allies of the Entente during the war) is one of the
fundamental reasons why at the time they didn't make peace with
the Bolshevik leadership that had just come to power in Russia. In my opinion, this
political rigidity and shortsightedness was at least one of the underlying factors behind the harsh treatment Armenia got from the
early Bolsheviks.
Just imagine, even today, a vast majority of Armenians in the world, particularly those living in the United States, naively think that if they can just somehow "convince" American officials that a genocide did happen, as if they don't already know, it will be officially recognized by Washington D.C. Many Armenians actually think Uncle Sam's refusal to recognize the genocide is simply due to the lack of "knowledge" in Washington D.C. Just imagine, American missionaries who were in the Ottoman Empire to essentially convert Armenians to foreign faiths and in-effect help empty historic Armenia of its native sons and daughters (with the official approval of Turkish authorities nonetheless, for why else would Ottoman leaders allow American missionaries freedom of operation in the Armenian provinces) are celebrated and revered heroes, and of course enthusiastically applauded by our idiots in all genocide related events. Armenians are not only politically illiterate, they are also delirious.
Armenians at the time were mobilized and ready to fight for independence on their native lands. Armenians knew the terrain well. Armenians had very competent military leaders. Armenians had proven to be able to defeat Turks on the battlefield. Armenians had even successfully participated in British and French battles against Ottoman Turks. All Armenians needed at the time was a little bit of military support and some political backing. Armenians were in fact begging for Western military assistance at the time to better defend themselves against genocidal Turks and Kurds. Military aid never arrived. What arrived instead were missionaries to convert Armenians to Protestantism and Catholicism, and of course evacuate Armenians to other lands. Instead of evacuating our people to other lands and opening orphanages for genocide survivors, if they really cared about the plight of Armenians, Western powers could have easily helped Armenians at the time defeat an already defeated Turkey - as they had done with other nations during the First World War - so that Armenians could have instead remained on their lands. As the sadomasochistic/homosexual British agent "Laurence of Arabia's" words clearly suggests, the creation of an Armenia was obviously not in their plans.
Politically, the main point of Western activity within the Ottoman Empire, which Ottoman officials obviously allowed, seems to have been the evacuation Armenians (and Greeks) from their historic homeland. I reiterate: Had Ottoman Turks refused to allow them in, not a single American or any other European would be able to step foot in Ottoman Turkey at the time, let alone roam unsupervised the eastern regions of the country in search of Armenians to help. The point here begin is that Turks were more than happy to allow Westerners evacuate Armenians from the Armenian Vilayets and elsewhere. After all, Armenia without Armenians was their ultimate plan. Western relief agencies like the Near East Relief, the U.S. agency Armenians swoon over, were essentially serving this genocidal plan. The time, money and effort Western powers spent on helping Armenians evacuate historic Armenia could have easily been spent on helping Armenians remain on Armenian lands. Western powers at the time could have easily created an Armenia on the ashes of the Ottoman Empire by taking direct control over at least some portions of Armenian populated territories, similar to what France and Britain did for Arabs in Syria and Lebanon for example. It was not done and in my opinion it was not done intentionally.
Incidentally, we see Westerners doing something very similar in Syria today. As we all know, Anglo-American-Jews used proxies (like Al Qaeda, ISIS and a number of other violent Islamist groups) to completely destroy Syria. And now, the same people who ordered the destruction of Syria are crying about the "tragic plight of Syrian refugees". Therefore, ask yourselves this question: Should Syrians praise "Western relief organizations" (like the pro-terrorist "White Helmets" group) that are for the most part run by Western intelligence services for saving Syrian lives by sending war refugees to Europe and the United States, or should they be blaming Western powers for destroying Syria in the first place? Should Syrians thank Western powers for collaborating with terrorists to destroy Syria, who then cry reptilian tears over the destruction that was caused? -
Similarly, "humanitarian aid" for people in need of help around the world is also weaponized and used as a tool of propaganda, manipulation and meddling. Perhaps it's not so ironic that "refugees" and "people in need of help" around the world are generally speaking those that were made homeless and destitute by Western powers.
We Armenians need to wake-up from our sill fantasies and begin seeing things as they really are.
In reality, the political displays and shows we periodically witness by bloodthirsty reptiles in Washington D.C. do us Armenian no real service. At best, these provide us with some degree of emotional and psychological satisfaction as well as some closure. That in itself is good, but that's all that it does. Therefore, it's superficial. Putting this much hope, this much effort and this much emphasis on a worthless "recognition" by Uncle Sam tells me that the Armenians, the traditional Diaspora in particular, suffers from collective psychosis and seriously misplaced priorities. The Diaspora also famously suffers from cognitive dissonance. To me, this entire ordeal reveals how out-of-touch the Diaspora continues to be with the Armenian homeland. This ordeal also reveals how misplaced the Diaspora's priorities continue to be. Armenia today is in a decline, yet the only thing the Armenian Diaspora (the North American Diaspora in particular) is concerned about is "recognition". Where are our ethnic/national priorities in the Diaspora? What happened to the Diaspora's calls to "repatriate" to the Armenian homeland? What happened to nation-building? What happened to curbing the flood of Western toxins in Armenia? What happened to not allowing foreign-backed traitors to come to power in Yerevan? What happened to doing our best to preserve our ethnic/national identity? It's as if the Diaspora does not care if all Armenians assimilated and Armenia burned to ashes. The Diaspora is in fact largely assimilated and the homeland is in fact on the verge of burning.
As it seems, Armenians wholeheartedly and unequivocally believe in the none-existent Democratic process in the United States. As always, Armenians are proving to be more Catholic than the Pope. As always, it's to our detriment as a people.
All I keep hearing is a growing chorus of excited voices saying: "This is it"... "America will kick Turkey out of NATO"... "Trump is now going to destroy the Turkish economy"... "Turkey will now be crushed by the United States"... These are all absurd political fantasies on the level of mental masturbation. I am often ridiculed for daring to say that the memory of 1.5 million Armenian genocide victims was/is being shamelessly exploited by Washingtonian reptiles for short-term political expediency and nothing more. No one seems to fully grasp it when I say these types of matters are geostrategic in nature and such matters therefore always supersede moral and/or democratic considerations. Stuck in their political illiteracy, victim mentality and debilitating emotions, no one wants to admit that Uncle Sam in reality is NOT going to unfriend the Incredible Turk anytime in the foreseeable future.
Incredible Turk (1958): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9EkewZea3k
Trust me folks, at the end of the day, Western powers will appease Turks once again because they need Turkey more than Turkey needs them. As a result, Anglo-American-Jews will allow Turkey to get away with murder once again. United States will not officially recognize the Armenian Genocide. But Armenians will continue getting hopeful every April 24. I reiterate: In the eyes of Anglo-American-Jews (as well as every other major power for that matter) strategic interests always outweighs ethical or even democratic or domestic considerations. Geopolitically, Turkey is simply too important to abandon, and Armenians are a nobody to embrace.Turkey’s Kristallnacht: https://armenianweekly.com/2014/09/30/turkeys-kristallnacht/
Will Armenians ever get around to finally understanding what geopolitics is all about and how realpolitik works? For a people that constantly boasts about being so intelligent, why are we Armenians so damn stupid when it comes to political matters? After all that we have been through, how can we Armenians not know that international law is written by the powerful to control the weak? How can we Armenians not know that there is no such things as democracy, morality or justice in politics, especially when you are a small and weak nation? How can Armenians after all these years not know that might makes right? After all we have been through, especially during the past one hundred-plus years, how do we Armenians not know any of this? When will Armenians begin learning from other people's examples? When will we Armenians learn from OUR history? -
Iron Ladle by Khrimyan Hayrig: https://thearmenite.com/2014/03/iron-ladle-khrimyan-hayrig/
The aforementioned is why Turkey is a major political, economic and military power today that Anglo-American-Jews will do their best not to lose.
At the end of the day, Western powers need Turkey more than Turkey needs Western powers. Westerners know this. Turks know this. As long as Western powers are in competition with Russia and Iran, and as long as Organized Jewry wants leverage against the Shiite Arc, prevent the rise of pan-Arab nationalism and secure oil/gas from non-Arab and non-Iranian sources - Western powers will never risk losing a useful monster and an Iron Ladle like Turkey from their arsenal. This love affair with Turks among Western powers is deep, and it's not new. Western powers have enabled the Turkish monster for centuries. Western powers were the main reason why the Russian Empire and Soviet Union were not able to defeat the Ottoman Empire in the 18-th century and the modern republic of Turkey in the 19-th century -
Russian Expansion into the Crimea: http://www.fsmitha.com/h3/h47-crimea1.htm
Caucasus Campaign: https://en.historylapse.org/caucasus-campaign
Turkish Straits crisis: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_Straits_crisis
I had an uncle who was a soldier in the Red Army during the Second World War. It was through him that I first learned that in the summer of 1946 the Red Army was mobilized in Armenia and Georgia and was getting ready to invade Turkey. I remember my relative telling me, "we went to sleep after having our last supper before the planned military invasion of Turkey. We were woken up in the middle of the night and told that the operation was canceled." My relative did not know it back then, but the invasion was cancelled by Moscow because the President Truman of the United States had threatened the Soviet Union. It was rumored that the threat in question involved the use of an atomic bomb which the Soviet Union did not possess at the time. These is very limited information in the West on this topic -
Conclusion: Truman and the Beginning of the Cold War: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-ushistory/chapter/conclusion-truman-and-the-beginning-of-the-cold-war/
Western powers pose an existential threat to Armenia. This threat is political, financial, military and, perhaps more importantly, cultural.
This threat to Armenia as well as the disdain with which Western powers actually look at Armenians is nothing new. Anglo-American-Jews have been looking down at Armenians for a very long time. For a better understanding of where the Western establishment's mindset/attitude regarding Armenians was one hundred years ago (and where in my opinion it remains to this day) ignore all the feel-good fluff we are periodically shown to convince us how benevolent and humanitarian Western powers have been towards Armenians and instead read the following two articles that first appeared more than one hundred years ago. These are not the feel-good fluff meant to warm hearts-and-minds and win electoral votes for imperial officials. What they are is a candid, honest and a genuine look at Armenians by representatives of the Anglo-American-Jewish establishment a century ago -
Armenians Are Impossible: Interview with Lawrence of Arabia in 1919: http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com/2008/05/2471-armenians-are-impossible-interview.html
A Word About the Armenians a pre-genocide report: https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2972&context=ocj
Trust me, not much has changed in their mentality towards us. After reading Hester Donaldson Jenkins' comments about how "oriental", "swarthy" and "Jewish-like" Armenians are and how Armenians don't deserve sovereignty in their homeland because giving Armenians land is tantamount to giving it to Russia, please examine in particular "Laurence of Arabia's" scathing insults against Armenians. His comments are actually rabidly racist and even genocidal in nature. So, isn't it therefore strange that when Armenians produce films and documentaries about Westerners and the Armenian Genocide, they somehow omit these kinds of documents? As I said, disregard the "benevolent American or European" nonsense. Instead, read articles like the ones presented above to better understand where the political mindset in the West was at the time regarding Armenia and Armenians - and everything that happened to Armenians during and after the First World War will make better sense. And realize that other than the general tone of the rhetoric, which is much more sophisticated, manipulative and racially sensitive today towards Third Worlders like us Armenians, not much has changed. We also need to disregard the writings of individuals like Henry Morganthau. Simply put, Morganthau was an official of a nation that was in-effect at war with Ottoman Turkey. He therefore had no choice but to be highly critical of Ottoman-Turkish officials. The Armenian plight was therefore used as a geopolitical tool against Istanbul. To assume a genuine, pro-Armenian or pro-Armenia bent in Washington D.C. or even on Morganthau's part because of his writings would be foolish to say the least.
Moreover, we also need to disregard the silly fairytale known as "Wilsonian Armenia".
Our beloved "Wilsonian Armenia", which was in discussion during the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 and the Treaty of Sèvres in 1920, was most likely a contingency plan or even perhaps a clever ploy prepared by American officials in case there was a geopolitical necessity/need to create an Armenia. For a number of geopolitical reasons that need never materialized. The so-called "Wilsonian Armenia" was not accepted by the main governing apparatus at the time which were France and Britain. It was therefore not ratified. In other words, Wilsonian Armenia was a stillborn concept. In my opinion, similar to what the West has been doing with the Armenian Genocide vis-à-vis Turkey in recent years, Wilsonian Armenia was most likely was a ploy at the time to convince post-Ottoman Turks to ally with Western powers instead of Bolshevik-occupied Moscow. Interestingly, a Christmas day New York Times article briefly touched upon this very subject matter. The article however requires some reading between-the-lines as it is quite whitewashed and sterile -
Despite the best face these types of articles like to put on the Anglo-American-Jewish system, the sad/tragic reality of the matter is that their "Little Ally", as Armenia was called by Entente during the First World War, was left for dead not only by Anglo-American-Jews but also by the French, our people's favorite Western people. Despite what President Wilson may or may not have thought about Armenia, traditionally, Westerners have felt much more affinity and respect towards Turks -A Century Ago, the Modern Middle East Was Born: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/25/opinion/middle-east-world-war-i.html
The story of the Armenian Legion is finally being told – and it is a dark tale of anger and revenge: https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/armenian-legion-genocide-first-world-war-susan-paul-pattie-new-book-a8590236.html
The ‘Stolen Province’: Why Turkey Was Given A Corner Of Syria By France 80 Years Ago: https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/202002291078432455-the-stolen-province-why-turkey-was-given-a-corner-of-syria-by-france-80-years-ago/
British War Time Pledges, 1917-18: The Armenian Case: https://www.jstor.org/stable/260207?seq=1
Just imagine, even today, a vast majority of Armenians in the world, particularly those living in the United States, naively think that if they can just somehow "convince" American officials that a genocide did happen, as if they don't already know, it will be officially recognized by Washington D.C. Many Armenians actually think Uncle Sam's refusal to recognize the genocide is simply due to the lack of "knowledge" in Washington D.C. Just imagine, American missionaries who were in the Ottoman Empire to essentially convert Armenians to foreign faiths and in-effect help empty historic Armenia of its native sons and daughters (with the official approval of Turkish authorities nonetheless, for why else would Ottoman leaders allow American missionaries freedom of operation in the Armenian provinces) are celebrated and revered heroes, and of course enthusiastically applauded by our idiots in all genocide related events. Armenians are not only politically illiterate, they are also delirious.
Armenians at the time were mobilized and ready to fight for independence on their native lands. Armenians knew the terrain well. Armenians had very competent military leaders. Armenians had proven to be able to defeat Turks on the battlefield. Armenians had even successfully participated in British and French battles against Ottoman Turks. All Armenians needed at the time was a little bit of military support and some political backing. Armenians were in fact begging for Western military assistance at the time to better defend themselves against genocidal Turks and Kurds. Military aid never arrived. What arrived instead were missionaries to convert Armenians to Protestantism and Catholicism, and of course evacuate Armenians to other lands. Instead of evacuating our people to other lands and opening orphanages for genocide survivors, if they really cared about the plight of Armenians, Western powers could have easily helped Armenians at the time defeat an already defeated Turkey - as they had done with other nations during the First World War - so that Armenians could have instead remained on their lands. As the sadomasochistic/homosexual British agent "Laurence of Arabia's" words clearly suggests, the creation of an Armenia was obviously not in their plans.
Politically, the main point of Western activity within the Ottoman Empire, which Ottoman officials obviously allowed, seems to have been the evacuation Armenians (and Greeks) from their historic homeland. I reiterate: Had Ottoman Turks refused to allow them in, not a single American or any other European would be able to step foot in Ottoman Turkey at the time, let alone roam unsupervised the eastern regions of the country in search of Armenians to help. The point here begin is that Turks were more than happy to allow Westerners evacuate Armenians from the Armenian Vilayets and elsewhere. After all, Armenia without Armenians was their ultimate plan. Western relief agencies like the Near East Relief, the U.S. agency Armenians swoon over, were essentially serving this genocidal plan. The time, money and effort Western powers spent on helping Armenians evacuate historic Armenia could have easily been spent on helping Armenians remain on Armenian lands. Western powers at the time could have easily created an Armenia on the ashes of the Ottoman Empire by taking direct control over at least some portions of Armenian populated territories, similar to what France and Britain did for Arabs in Syria and Lebanon for example. It was not done and in my opinion it was not done intentionally.
Incidentally, we see Westerners doing something very similar in Syria today. As we all know, Anglo-American-Jews used proxies (like Al Qaeda, ISIS and a number of other violent Islamist groups) to completely destroy Syria. And now, the same people who ordered the destruction of Syria are crying about the "tragic plight of Syrian refugees". Therefore, ask yourselves this question: Should Syrians praise "Western relief organizations" (like the pro-terrorist "White Helmets" group) that are for the most part run by Western intelligence services for saving Syrian lives by sending war refugees to Europe and the United States, or should they be blaming Western powers for destroying Syria in the first place? Should Syrians thank Western powers for collaborating with terrorists to destroy Syria, who then cry reptilian tears over the destruction that was caused? -
Seymour Hersh report on Syria: White House knew US was arming Islamic State: https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2015/12/27/Seymour-Hersh-report-on-Syria-White-House-knew-US-was-arming-Islamic-State/6951451232210/
The White Helmets: How the U.S. Has Sponsored Terrorists in Syria: https://www.globalresearch.ca/how-u-s-has-sponsored-terrorists-syria/5695886
Behind the Sudden Death of a $1 Billion Secret C.I.A. War in Syria: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/02/world/middleeast/cia-syria-rebel-arm-train-trump.html
The following is the ultimate geostrategic goal of sponsoring Islamic radicalism around the world, in the words of a well-known CIA operative -Al-Qaeda a Joint Product of US-Saudi Geopolitical Ambitions in Middle East?: https://sputniknews.com/politics/201512161031843576-alqaeda-joint-product-us-saudi-geopolitical-ambitions-middle-east-north-africa-asia/
"The policy of guiding the evolution of Islam and of helping them against our adversaries worked marvelously well in Afghanistan against [the Russians]. The same doctrines can still be used to destabilize what remains of Russian power, and especially to counter the Chinese influence in Central Asia" - Graham FullerWhat Graham Fuller said is essentially why Uighurs have an office in Washington D.C. This is why through their intelligence agencies, Anglo-American-Jews support Islamic terror groups like Al Qaeda and ISIS. It's an inherent part of the Western world's hybrid war against rising powers and troublesome/nonconforming governments. It's all about undermining geopolitical competitors around the world by using an easily manipulated yet powerful tool like Islamic extremism. Periodic attacks by the said extremists against Western targets is seen as a price well worth paying to keep nations like Serbia, Syria, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Iran, China and Russia embroiled in problems. Let's for once recognize that everything in the West today is weaponized: Language, culture, banking, trade, industry, journalism, sexuality, medicine, academia, religious cults, television, entertainment... the same applies to Islamic terrorism. These are seen as weapons and tools of manipulation, exploitation and meddling.
Similarly, "humanitarian aid" for people in need of help around the world is also weaponized and used as a tool of propaganda, manipulation and meddling. Perhaps it's not so ironic that "refugees" and "people in need of help" around the world are generally speaking those that were made homeless and destitute by Western powers.
We Armenians need to wake-up from our sill fantasies and begin seeing things as they really are.
In reality, the political displays and shows we periodically witness by bloodthirsty reptiles in Washington D.C. do us Armenian no real service. At best, these provide us with some degree of emotional and psychological satisfaction as well as some closure. That in itself is good, but that's all that it does. Therefore, it's superficial. Putting this much hope, this much effort and this much emphasis on a worthless "recognition" by Uncle Sam tells me that the Armenians, the traditional Diaspora in particular, suffers from collective psychosis and seriously misplaced priorities. The Diaspora also famously suffers from cognitive dissonance. To me, this entire ordeal reveals how out-of-touch the Diaspora continues to be with the Armenian homeland. This ordeal also reveals how misplaced the Diaspora's priorities continue to be. Armenia today is in a decline, yet the only thing the Armenian Diaspora (the North American Diaspora in particular) is concerned about is "recognition". Where are our ethnic/national priorities in the Diaspora? What happened to the Diaspora's calls to "repatriate" to the Armenian homeland? What happened to nation-building? What happened to curbing the flood of Western toxins in Armenia? What happened to not allowing foreign-backed traitors to come to power in Yerevan? What happened to doing our best to preserve our ethnic/national identity? It's as if the Diaspora does not care if all Armenians assimilated and Armenia burned to ashes. The Diaspora is in fact largely assimilated and the homeland is in fact on the verge of burning.
As Armenia declines, the Diaspora is making films about its undying love affair with European powers (the love affair that time-and-again destroyed Armenia). As Armenia declines, the Diaspora is concerned about raising $250,000 for a stupid parade float. As Armenia declines, the Diaspora is spending $100,000,000 on a movie non-Armenians could careless to watch. As Armenia declines, the Diaspora is treating a Neo-Bolshevik agent as a national hero. As Armenia declines, the Diaspora is championing non-Armenian causes. As Armenia declines, the Diaspora is concerned about the plight of homosexuals in Armenia. As Armenia declines and the Diaspora grows at its expense, the Diaspora is closing even more schools.
The millions strong Armenian Diaspora, the million-plus North American Diaspora in particular, continues to prove that it is for the most part worthless and hopeless, and its very existence may in fact be having a destructive/negative net influence on Armenia. Other than obsessively, and for the most part exclusively, pursuing genocide recognition in Washington D.C. and importing Western toxins into Armenia - what good is our Diaspora? It's built a road here and renovated some schools there? That's very nice. But, compared to what the Diaspora is actually capable of doing, what it has done is not essentially nothing. Forget 10%, imagine the rapid economic growth Armenia would enjoy even if a measly 1% of the Diaspora repatriated to their homeland and put a little bit of their money in Armenian banks. Worst yet, the Armenian Diaspora, the North American Diaspora in particular, has also become a willing pack-animal for Anglo-American-Jews. Armenia can ultimately survive the lack of good roads or renovated schools and hospitals, but it wont survive the Western toxicity and mercenaries being imported into the country by the "proud" Diaspora. Western powers are using our largely assimilated, English-speaking North American Diaspora in particular as a stepping stone to invade Armenia. The leverage Western powers have in Armenia today was in large-part installed by Diasporans. The destructive/toxic Western fetish Armenians in Armenia have today is also in-large part a by-product of the traditional Diaspora.
This pursuit of genocide recognition by the Diaspora (which has really become a form of collective hysteria and obsession among decedents of Ottoman-Armenian genocide survivors) has done more harm to our people's collective subconscious/psyche than good. Our Diaspora's unhealthy obsession with "Genocide Recognition" has produced generations of insecure individuals with victim mentalities who look to the Western world for justice. It has programmed us as a people to constantly cry and beg at the feet of Western officials - which is exactly what the ladder want. The only thing our obsession with recognition has been good for is to keep the North American and Western European Diasporas somewhat alive. The said Diasporas are actually barely alive and if we begin calculating the damaging effect/influence it has actually had on Armenia (the North American and European Diasporas in particular have been acting as pack-animals and catalysts for various Western agendas in Armenia), perhaps the homeland would have been better off if the said dying Diaspora was already dead. In the big picture, wealthy/influential Diasporan families like the Hovnanians, the Manoogians, the Hovhannisians, the Kardashians; individuals like Richard Giragosian, Serj Tankian, Van Krikorian, Ara Manoogian, Vartan Oskanian, Laura Aharonyan, Jirayr Sefilian; and organizations like the Gulbenkian Foundation, the AGBU, Policy Forum Armenia, Armenian Bar Association, Armenian Assembly of America, Armenian Missionary Association of America - and all of the followers, supporters and sympathizers of the aforementioned - have done more harm to post-Soviet Armenia than good. The aforementioned have been in various degrees acting as catalysts and pack-animals for various Western social engineering projects in Armenia. Such organizations and individuals can clearly be seen behind various toxic agendas in-play in Armenia today. It is in fact through such individuals and organizations that we today see in Armenia the unprecedented spread of Russophobia, Turcophilia, Western cults, Western agents, Turkish/Azerbaijani agents, Open Society social engineering projects, Gay propaganda, Street culture, Monsanto, American vaccinations, IMF loans/debts, Liberalism, Globalism, mob rule and of course exploitation of natural resources.
But as long as the Diaspora gets to hear Western officials say the magical words "we recognize" all is deemed well in the Armenian world.
My one and only concern is the health and longevity of the Armenian state, not empty words from Western war criminals or the worthless pursuits of the Diaspora. I reiterate: Even if the planets miraculously lined-up in perfect order someday and the Diaspora's wet-dream became reality (i.e. Washington D.C. did officially recognize the Armenian Genocide), what good would it really do for us? Has anyone really thought about that? What good is any recognition if it is not going to bring back our lands and put considerable wealth, as reparation, into Armenian coffers? Who today is foolish enough to think that Western powers will force Ankara to give up large tracts of territory and large sums of money for us Armenians? Even if Turkey was destroyed in a major war today, Anglo-American-Jews would make sure Armenians were not the beneficiary of it. Western powers would quicker back Kurdish land claims in such a situation.
Allow me to also add this: If Turks were not as politically rigid and fanatically patriotic as they are, they would officially recognize the Armenian Genocide; throw a few billions dollars at Armenians as reparation; open their border with Armenia to flood the country with their economy; and do some other symbolic gestures like giving descendants of Ottoman-Armenian subjects Turkish citizenship and perhaps turn-over some territory, like the sparsely populated and arid region of Ani and/or Ararat. Other than some hardcore Dashnaks, most Diasporans will literally swoon if Turks ever did any of this. Afterwards Turks can just sit back and watch the traditional Diaspora disappear in a generation or two, and turn Armenia itself into an exclusive Turkish economic zone.
But don't worry folks, Turks will not do any of this because they are after-all "Anatolians" for the most part. And just like aboriginals of Asia Minor, Armenians and Greeks, Turks are also stubborn and proud and not very flexible. There is another reason why Turks won't open up to Armenia with the intent of swallowing it (which it can easily do) and it is this: In my opinion, there is sort of a gentlemen's agreement between Ankara and Moscow that Armenia is, pardon my expression, Russia's bitch. As long as Russia remains strong, Turks will honor this agreement. If Russia falls weak, however, Turks will surely make a move on Armenia. They do in fact have contingency plans for such situations. It's normal, especially for a nation that espouses both pan-Turkish and pan-Islamic political ideology. In fact, this is all basically the very nature of geopolitics and Realpolitik. Nevertheless, Armenians are once again ignoring Uncle Sam's true nature and character and are once again singing Uncle Sam's praise, simply because they are getting smoke blown up their behinds once more. After-all, who today remembers the Kurds?
Uncle Sam abandoned Kurds and threatens Iran with a war, are Armenians paying attention?
President Trump may be a pompous asshole, but he is not a fool. He must have known that his recent move vis-à-vis Syrian Kurds and Iran would be attacked by both friend and foe alike. His reluctance to start a full-scale war against Iran has been frustrating his Right Wing, Zionist supporters. His decision to abandon Syria's Kurds and pull American forces out of northern Syria was not only extremely unpopular among Democrats and Republicans, but also among Right Wing, Zionist supporters. Western and Israeli intelligence agencies and special forces have been working very closely with Kurds throughout the region for around 20 years. Kurds are seen by them as yet another convenient tool in their now century long effort to keep the Middle East divided and conquered. With American troops now effectively out of the picture in the Syrian conflict, Uncle Sam no longer has a significant military presence in the war-torn country and therefore can no longer directly impact political events on the ground. This frustrates the imperial designs of Anglo-American-Jews. President Trump withdrawal from Syria will allow Damascus, Moscow and Tehran more room to maneuver in Syria. And that is a good thing, as far as I'm concerned. Nevertheless, Kurds were abandoned by Uncle Sam yet again -
Trump Has a ‘Peace Plan,’ but His Mideast Policies May Be Bad News for Israel: https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-has-a-peace-plan-but-his-mideast-policies-may-be-bad-news-for-israel
The U.S. Is Now Betraying the Kurds for the Eighth Time: https://theintercept.com/2019/10/07/kurds-syria-turkey-trump-betrayal/
Is the Trump administration trying to drive a wedge between Russia, China and Iran? (2017): https://theriseofrussia.blogspot.com/2017/02/trump-administration-trying-to-drive.html
During his time in power, however, President Trump showed that he is indeed serious about decreasing U.S. military presence in the Middle East. As noted above, he did pull U.S. troops out of Syria against the wishes of not only his political foes but also of friends. Moreover, he did stop U.S. funding for Islamic terror groups in Syria. He did stand-down when Iran destroyed one of the U.S. military's most expensive war toys, the $200,000,000 spy drone. He also famously fired John Bolton, the Zionist warmonger that has been relentless in his effort to draw the United States into a major military confrontation with Iran. These were all good signs. Nevertheless, knowing the kind of people President Trump continuous to be surrounded with - and knowing how manipulative and cunning they are - I still have concerns. I still fear that a major war with Iran is inevitable. It's only a matter of time. Such concerns came to the forefront very recently when on January 02, 2020, the Trump administration ordered the assassination of General Qassem Soleimani, Iran's legendary military leader -
I feared that the assassination of Iran's top general, which also killed a couple of other important Shiite officials from Iraq, was carried-out by the Trump administration to set the stage for a full-scale war against Iran. However, events that followed soon after the assassinations suggested that the killings may have been carried-out not to start a war with Iran (at least for now) but to merely appease President Trump's war-hungry Zionists handlers and to scare Tehran.
General Qassem Soleimani had caused much grief to Anglo-American-Jewish imperial designs throughout the region for decades. He was instrumental in convincing Moscow to militarily intervene in Syria. And he may have also been involved in the 2012 assassination of a top CIA operative in Libya that was transferring arms to Islamic terrorists in Syria. General Soleimani was a threat not only to U.S. interests but also to Israeli and Saudi Arabian. I suspect the thinking in the Trump administration was therefore this: General Soleimani would be killed because he was a major obstacle to U.S. plans and because doing so would also appease President Trump's Zionist backers and Saudi friends. However, by carrying-out the said assassination in Iraq, it would not be seen as a direct assault on Iranian soil. Moreover, immediately after the assassination, Tehran would be threatened with a major war if it retaliated in any way. The Trump administration's reckless gamble or hope seems to have been this: Facing a major war, Tehran would not retaliate in any way to the killing of its famous general and the Trump administration would come out victorious on several fronts. The timing of the assassination was such that it may have also been an attempt to divert attention from President Trump's political troubles at home and boosted his ratings among his support base. There may therefore have been a convergence of interests. Time will tell the real reason or reasons. But, as events following the assassination showed, the no-war alternative seems to be the one most favored by President Trump. Tehran did not allow President Trump's reckless gamble and adventurism go unanswered -
And in a brilliant, if I may "Trumpian" move, Tehran also threatened to attack Haifa, Israel and
Dubai, UAE if President Trump responded to Iran's retaliatory missile strike -
Although the Trump administration and Main Stream News Media organizations (both sides of the political divide) initially did their best to make Iran's retaliatory strikes look like they had missed their targets and that there were no U.S. military casualties, it soon because obvious that not only were the missile strikes highly accurate, they also caused extensive damage. There were also several dozen casualties among U.S. military personnel. There would have been many deaths had the U.S. not been warned of the attack more than two hours before it occurred. There is the possibility that there were also a couple of deaths that were covered up -
So, did President Trump order the killing of General Soleimani to set the stage for an eventual war? Perhaps. Perhaps not. President Trump took embarrassing hits on two major U.S. military bases which caused extensive damage as well as casualties but stood-down. The Trump administration stood-down perhaps because they in reality do not want a war with Iran. Or, they stood-down simply because they realize they are not yet ready for a war with an opponent as capable as Iran. Similarly, did President Trump order the troop pull-out from Syria in preparation of a war against Iran? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Perhaps, the Trump administration is actually serious about down-sizing the U.S. military presence in the Middle East. Perhaps not. Thus far, arguments can be made to support both theories. Nevertheless, and regardless of everything else, the killing of General Soleimani set a terrible precedent that U.S. officials will yet come to regret, and it showed the world just how reckless and dangerous Western powers can be. In any case, for whatever reasons, President Trump decided to pull-out of northern Syria (thereby reneging on all the assurances and promises Kurds had gotten from Washington D.C.) and decided to not retaliate to Iran's retaliatory missile strikes on two U.S. bases in Iraq (which as noted above caused extensive damage as well as U.S. casualties). These moves by the Trump administration basically gave Syria back to the Syrians, Russians and Iranians, and showed the world that Iran is a formidable power. Tehran has stood-up to the combined might of Anglo-American-Jews and Saudis and has thrown their plans into disarray.
The decision to abandon Syria's Kurds was obviously a concession to Ankara as well. President Trump's troop withdrawal came at the worst possible time - in face of an imminent Turkish incursion. The move therefore also made the U.S. look weak, incompetent, unreliable and duplicitous. Yet, President Trump's move also seemed very deliberate and calculated. Again, assuming of course that his move is not connected to a tactical redeployment of forces in preparation of a larger war against Iran - I would even call what he did wise. Knowing President Trump, however, it would be fair to assume that he is indeed serious about decreasing the U.S. military presence in the Middle East one way or another. President Trump had been signalling his desire to pull U.S. troops out from Syria and even Iraq. In fact, before he abandoned Syria's Kurds, he abandoned the Western-backed Islamic terror groups fighting in Syria -
None of this however means President trump is not interested in starting a war with Iran to placate his "Christian-Zionist" voting base, Right Wing Jewish supporters and Saudi friends. It simply means that war planners in Washington D.C., London and Tel Aviv are still looking for the right time to start it. And it also means that the war in question will most likely be an aerial and naval assault.
Iran Quds Force commander killed in strike on convoy at Baghdad Airport: https://www.rt.com/news/477353-iran-quds-commander-killed-strike/
General Qassem Soleimani had caused much grief to Anglo-American-Jewish imperial designs throughout the region for decades. He was instrumental in convincing Moscow to militarily intervene in Syria. And he may have also been involved in the 2012 assassination of a top CIA operative in Libya that was transferring arms to Islamic terrorists in Syria. General Soleimani was a threat not only to U.S. interests but also to Israeli and Saudi Arabian. I suspect the thinking in the Trump administration was therefore this: General Soleimani would be killed because he was a major obstacle to U.S. plans and because doing so would also appease President Trump's Zionist backers and Saudi friends. However, by carrying-out the said assassination in Iraq, it would not be seen as a direct assault on Iranian soil. Moreover, immediately after the assassination, Tehran would be threatened with a major war if it retaliated in any way. The Trump administration's reckless gamble or hope seems to have been this: Facing a major war, Tehran would not retaliate in any way to the killing of its famous general and the Trump administration would come out victorious on several fronts. The timing of the assassination was such that it may have also been an attempt to divert attention from President Trump's political troubles at home and boosted his ratings among his support base. There may therefore have been a convergence of interests. Time will tell the real reason or reasons. But, as events following the assassination showed, the no-war alternative seems to be the one most favored by President Trump. Tehran did not allow President Trump's reckless gamble and adventurism go unanswered -
Iran Fires on U.S. Forces at 2 Bases in Iraq, Calling It ‘Fierce Revenge’: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/07/world/middleeast/iran-fires-missiles-us.html
Iran claims Al-Asad missile strike as revenge for Soleimani, demands US withdrawal from Iraq: https://www.rt.com/news/477678-iran-irgc-soleimani-revenge/
Second Wave of Missile Attacks Fired Against US Targets in Iraq - Iranian Media: https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/202001081077971707-second-wave-of-missile-attacks-fired-against-us-targets-in-iraq---iranian-media/
Satellite images show minor but pinpoint damage to US-Iraqi bases from Iranian missile attack, suggesting limited show of force: https://www.rt.com/news/477773-satellite-iran-attack-damage/
US troops knew Al-Asad air base would be attacked and sheltered in bunkers, exclusive tour reveals: https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/11/middleeast/iran-strike-al-asad-air-base-exclusive-intl/index.html
US troops in Iraq knew of Iranian attack 2.5 hours ahead of time – report: https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-troops-in-iraq-knew-of-iranian-attack-2-5-hours-ahead-of-time-report/
34 troops suffered traumatic brain injuries in Iranian rocket attack according to Pentagon update: https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2020/01/24/34-troops-suffered-traumatic-brain-injuries-in-iranian-rocket-attack-according-to-pentagon-update/
Iranian media: Russia stood by Iran in showdown with US: https://iranian.com/2020/01/27/russia-stood-by-iran-in-showdown-with-us/
Iran threatens to 'unleash Hezbollah' in Israel and Dubai: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/iran-threatens-to-unleash-hezbollah-in-israel-and-dubai
Operation Kayfabe: How Trump and Iran avoided war while both claiming victory: https://www.rt.com/op-ed/477763-trump-iran-wrestling-kayfabe/
With ballistic missiles hitting targets with pinpoint accuracy, Tehran's retaliation was calibrated to look like a spectacular show of force. But, by sounding a warning more than two hours before the attack and by not directly targeting U.S. military personnel, the Iranian missile strike also gave the Trump administration a face-saving way out of a very volatile situation. In other words, it can be said that both the U.S. assassination of General Soleimani and Tehran's retaliation were calibrated to essentially be a show of force. Both succeeded, in my opinion. That said, I have no doubt that the ballistic missile strikes on the two U.S. military bases will not be the end of Tehran's retaliation. The attack was planned as a quick retaliation and a show of force. Its main intent was to simply scare its foes with its accurate missile strikes on high-value military targets - as well as of course placate its citizenry. Tehran will no doubt seek further revenge for the assassination. But it will happen at a time and place of its choosing. The recent rocket attack on the US embassy in Baghdad and the downing of a CIA command aircraft in Afghanistan may very well be part of the process -Air Force IDs airmen found dead in Spangdahlem dorm; no word on cause of death: https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2020/01/13/air-force-ids-airmen-found-dead-in-spangdahlem-dorm-no-word-on-cause-of-death/
Top CIA Officer Behind Soleimani Assassination Died In E-11A Crash In Afghanistan: Media: https://southfront.org/top-cia-officer-behind-soleimani-assassination-died-in-e-11a-crash-in-afghanistan-media/
Tehran is proving to be a very capable opponent. By hijacking oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, by shooting down one of the most sophisticated spy drones in U.S. arsenal, by bombing of Saudi Arabian oil refineries with cruise missiles, by bringing the fight to Israel's borders, and now by hitting U.S. air bases with ballistic missiles and by assassinating high ranking CIA officials, Tehran, may have actually prevented a major war against it for a long time to come. Unlike what Anglo-American-Jews and their Paper Tiger militaries have been used to in recent decades, Iran is not a country that can be pushed around easily. Unlike what Uncle Sam's Paper Tiger military is used to, Iran can actually hit back hard. Finally, for once in a very long time, U.S. military personnel were on the receiving end of U.S. style shock-and-awe and CIA operatives are rotting in hell.Rockets hit US Embassy compound in Baghdad: https://thehill.com/policy/international/middle-east-north-africa/480044-rockets-hit-us-embassy-compound-in-baghdad
So, did President Trump order the killing of General Soleimani to set the stage for an eventual war? Perhaps. Perhaps not. President Trump took embarrassing hits on two major U.S. military bases which caused extensive damage as well as casualties but stood-down. The Trump administration stood-down perhaps because they in reality do not want a war with Iran. Or, they stood-down simply because they realize they are not yet ready for a war with an opponent as capable as Iran. Similarly, did President Trump order the troop pull-out from Syria in preparation of a war against Iran? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Perhaps, the Trump administration is actually serious about down-sizing the U.S. military presence in the Middle East. Perhaps not. Thus far, arguments can be made to support both theories. Nevertheless, and regardless of everything else, the killing of General Soleimani set a terrible precedent that U.S. officials will yet come to regret, and it showed the world just how reckless and dangerous Western powers can be. In any case, for whatever reasons, President Trump decided to pull-out of northern Syria (thereby reneging on all the assurances and promises Kurds had gotten from Washington D.C.) and decided to not retaliate to Iran's retaliatory missile strikes on two U.S. bases in Iraq (which as noted above caused extensive damage as well as U.S. casualties). These moves by the Trump administration basically gave Syria back to the Syrians, Russians and Iranians, and showed the world that Iran is a formidable power. Tehran has stood-up to the combined might of Anglo-American-Jews and Saudis and has thrown their plans into disarray.
The decision to abandon Syria's Kurds was obviously a concession to Ankara as well. President Trump's troop withdrawal came at the worst possible time - in face of an imminent Turkish incursion. The move therefore also made the U.S. look weak, incompetent, unreliable and duplicitous. Yet, President Trump's move also seemed very deliberate and calculated. Again, assuming of course that his move is not connected to a tactical redeployment of forces in preparation of a larger war against Iran - I would even call what he did wise. Knowing President Trump, however, it would be fair to assume that he is indeed serious about decreasing the U.S. military presence in the Middle East one way or another. President Trump had been signalling his desire to pull U.S. troops out from Syria and even Iraq. In fact, before he abandoned Syria's Kurds, he abandoned the Western-backed Islamic terror groups fighting in Syria -
Trump Ends Covert Aid to Syrian Rebels Trying to Topple Assad: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/19/world/middleeast/cia-arming-syrian-rebels.html
Nevertheless, with the U.S. troop withdrawal from northern Syria, the Syrian tragedy may be nearing its final stages. Despite protests from Washington D.C. and Ankara, Idlib, the last major hotbed of Islamic/Turkic terrorism in Syria, is about to fall to Syrian, Russian and Iranian forces. After so many years of severe destruction and loss of lives, the
country however will never be the same again. Most likely the country will be
partitioned in some form. I don't think Ankara will claim any lands in Syria. Syria
will
not allow it. Iran will not allow it. Russia will not allow it. And
now, abandoned by Anglo-American-Jews, Kurds themselves will make sure
that Russia, Syria and Iran will not allow Turkey to remain inside
Syria. Moscow is already taking steps to make sure that Ankara is contained. Despite Moscow's warm ties with Ankara, Moscow is pressing forward with the agenda to destroy Turkish-backed terror groups in Syria.
All in all, I am glad that President Trump's decision to move U.S. troops out of northern Syria has given legitimate players on the ground there more freedom of movement. And by assassinating General Soliemani, the Trump administration has played right into the hands of Moscow. By doing what he did, President Trump elevated Moscow to a position where it is now being seen as the main power-broker in the Middle East. Therefore, thank you President Trump -
All in all, I am glad that President Trump's decision to move U.S. troops out of northern Syria has given legitimate players on the ground there more freedom of movement. And by assassinating General Soliemani, the Trump administration has played right into the hands of Moscow. By doing what he did, President Trump elevated Moscow to a position where it is now being seen as the main power-broker in the Middle East. Therefore, thank you President Trump -
Amid Iran Crisis, Russia’s Mideast Presence Just Keeps Growing: https://www.thedailybeast.com/amid-iran-crisis-russias-mideast-presence-just-keeps-growing
US hit on Soleimani plays into Kremlin’s hands: https://www.asiatimes.com/2020/01/article/us-hit-on-soleimani-plays-into-kremlins-hands/
Putin’s Good Year Keeps Getting Better: https://www.wsj.com/articles/putins-good-year-keeps-getting-better-11574696041
US Withdraws From Syria With Tail Between Legs! Russian Troops Move In to Keep the Peace! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3MmXcMlNOw
Turkey seizes key highway in Syria, complicating U.S. troop withdrawal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFRnOOz2MoA
Turkey's Syria offensive: Russia steps into void left by US - DW News: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpoabnN-OXw
Kurdish commander: Trump OK'd deal with Moscow, Damascus: https://www.yahoo.com/news/kurdish-commander-trump-approved-deal-075554398.html
In Syria, Russia Is Pleased to Fill an American Void: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/15/world/middleeast/kurds-syria-turkey.html
VESTi: Alliance Between SAA and Kurds Prevents Turkish Invasion! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qcozz_e3Piw
Russia and Turkey strike deal to take control of part of Syrian border - ITV News: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNIX6ygJjws
Russian and Syrian forces to deploy to northeastern Syria outside Turkey operation zone: https://www.rt.com/news/471529-putin-erdogan-sochi-talks/
'Trump betrayed us': Fleeing Kurds condemn U.S. decision to leave Syria: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hz-WKu881Yc
The Kurds’ commander in chief explains why his forces are finally ready to partner with Assad and Putin: https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/10/13/kurds-assad-syria-russia-putin-turkey-genocide/
Pax Russica: as Trump abandons Syria’s Kurds, Russia is ready to expand its empire - The Spectator: https://www.spectator.co.uk/2019/10/pax-russica-as-trump-abandons-syrias-kurds-russia-is-ready-to-expand-its-empire/
Turkey’s Syria Gamble May Be a Losing Game: https://www.fairobserver.com/region/middle_east_north_africa/putin-erdogan-deal-turkey-russia-kurds-sdf-syria-news-51421/amp/
Russia’s new base in Qamishli is a message. But for whom?: https://www.arabnews.com/node/1584731/middle-east
With parks, saunas and churches, Russian soldiers in Syria to stay: https://www.yahoo.com/news/parks-saunas-churches-russian-soldiers-syria-stay-000352917.html
And of course who can forget these memorable ones -Here's why the Russian Orthodox Church is deeply connected to the Syrian War: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTElnqJNtIk
'Thank you, Russia, Thank you, Putin' - BBC News
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNTgL82D4Xo
Военная приемка. Авиация в Сирии. Самолеты. Часть 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZEqC6gax3M
Военная приемка. Авиация в Сирии. Самолеты. Часть 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnB0hZfE-Go
It’s Finally Over: What Do The Russians Who Saved Syria Have to Say About the War Now?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWivIcQltyo
The Western and Israeli backed Kurdistan experiment in Syria is now officially dead. Similar to what the French did to Cilician Armenians in the same region of the world almost exactly 100 hundred years ago, American troops unexpectedly (although not the first time) abandoned
their Kurdish "allies" and basically fled in the middle of the night. Russians,
Syrians and Turks have now of course quickly filled the void created by
the American withdraw. Moscow, in particular, has come out as the main
beneficiary in all this. The Kremlin's execution of statecraft has been
absolutely brilliant. I don't think there currently exists a nation on
earth that can rival Russia politically, diplomatically or militarily.
Yes, I said militarily. Look at it this way: Several thousand Russian troops in Syria have
done more in several years than hundreds-of-thousands of American troops
(not to mention trillions of US dollars) have done in the past 18 years
in places like Afghanistan and Iraq. Nevertheless, what we saw in Syria
recently is, in essence, yet another example of how realpolitik works among the major
powers of this world.
In a nutshell: Big powers made a deal and politically incompetent peoples (like Kurds, similar to us Armenians) got trampled in the process. In other words, Kurds got played again, just like how Armenia will get played as soon as we Armenians lose our Russian protection. I don't however expect Armenians to draw any lessons from any of this. Armenians are like overly emotional, hyperactive children - not only do they not learn from other people's mistakes, they also do not learn from their past mistakes.
We Armenians love ignoring reality and we love pursuing fantasy, and the Armenian heart and mind remains fixated on the Western world. Armenians are therefore easily manipulated and led astray. This is why many in Armenian society
were not too
long ago praising the budding American-Israeli-Kurdish alliance in Syria. Many were saying: "Look everybody, such an alliance with the U.S. can also happen to Armenia!" I fully agree! What happened to the Kurds can
and WILL
happen to Armenia the very moment our peasantry - of course goaded by our CIA agents, Sorosites,
Democratizer and Westernizers - manage to "free" Armenia from
Russian "control". In fact, the damage to our tiny and landlocked
homeland in such a case would be incomparably worst than what Kurds are
suffering today. Speaking of Armenians not drawing lessons from history and pursuing fantasy, I'd like to say a few word s
about the so-called "Government of Western Armenia" founded by former
ASALA members:
This organization, which is based in France (and clearly seems to be led by French Intelligence services) had been collaborating with Syrian Kurds with the intention of establishing a joint, Kurdish/Armenian state in north-western Syria since 2011. It obviously was a Western-led or supported project because "Government of Western Armenia" members were easily going in-and-out of the Kurdish regions in Syria and Iraq under the very noses of Anglo-American-Jews, Turks and of course the French. The organization's Armenian head wanted to establish, in his words, a new Western-backed "Cilician" republic for Western Armenians (Ottoman-Armenian descendants) and what he described as "hundreds-of-thousands of Kurdified Armenians". This so-called Western-backed "Kurdo-Armenian" state was to have it's own government, national anthem, flag and it was to carry itself totally independent of the Armenian Republic in the south Caucasus. The man in question actually had a deep hatred for Russians, "Russified" Armenians of Armenia and the ARF organization. This so-called "Kurdo-Armenian" state was obviously envisioned to be yet another tool of destabilization in the Middle East in the arsenal of Westerners and Jews. Thank God and President Putin of Russia of course, the Russian involvement in Syria basically put an end to this absurd wet-dream of former ASALA members.
In any case, it may be obvious by now that I am not a big fan of Kurds. In my opinion, Kurds are not any better
than Turks. As far as I'm concerned, Turks and Kurds are the same excrement. On the human evolutionary ladder, Turks can be placed a bit
higher than Kurds. Kurds have the Turkic barbarity without the Turkish
sophistication. The only good thing about some Kurds is their hostility towards
the Turkish state. So, as President Trump said in a recent interview: "let them fight". I also say let them fight, let them kill each-other. In any case, American-Israel backed Kurdish
insurgency in northern Syria had to be crushed - not for Turkey but
primarily for Syria and Iran. This is why all the legitimate players on the ground in Syria - Russia, Iran and of course Syria - gave Ankara the
green-light to do the dirty work for them. And it worked. Americans are out
of the way and the Western/Israel backed Kurdistan experiment in Syria
is now dead. Good. When it comes to politics we Armenians somehow
need to learn to stop thinking with our emotions. Just because Turks are
bad, that does not mean Kurds must be good. And the adage, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" does not work in this case either because both Kurds and Turks claim Western Armenia as theirs. In fact, the region in question is mainly populated by Kurds, not Turks. We all know Kurds were instrumental in robbing and killing Armenians during the genocide years.
Kurds were in fact the main beneficiaries of the genocide. Their "apologies" today therefore ring hollow. They have also not paid the price for their crimes against Armenians. So, as far as I'm concerned, Turkey
is bad, Kurdistan is bad. Therefore, let Turks and Kurds fight
and kill each-other.
Nevertheless, the Western and Israeli backed Kurdistan experiment had to be crushed. One more time: A Kurdistan in
Syria or Iran is not in Syrian, Iranian, Russian or even Armenian
interests. Let's not forget that Turkey has a Kurdistan in northern Iraq to contend with, as well as many
millions of disgruntled Kurds inside Turkey itself. Therefore, there is no need to worry, Ankara's problem
with Kurds is far from over. In fact, it may have gotten worst
because Kurds are also a very spiteful and vengeful people. Again, Armenians need to stop looking at this subject
from an emotional or even an ethical angle. The only place a Kurdistan can or should exist is
northern Iraq and south-eastern Turkey, and only so that it causes
internal problems for Turkey.
At the end of the day, the main take-way from all this for us Armenians is this: We need to wake-up and finally
admit to ourselves that Western powers have never been and can never be
reliable allies or partners.
Armenians also need to understand that the Ottoman Empire of yesteryear and Turkey of today exists primarily because of Western powers. Armenians need to understand that if you are not part of the Anglo-American-Jewish world, you are nothing to them, especially when you are a small, poor, remote and landlocked nation without energy reserves. In the eyes of the West, Turkey is a useful giant, whereas Armenia is a useless midget. The West's problem is not with Turkey per se but with the belligerent government of President Erdogan. Anglo-American-Jews will therefore do what they can to put pressure on the Turkish president without ever risking the loss of Turkey as a geopolitical hedge against Russians, Persians and Arabs. We Armenians need to end our day dreaming and simply recognize that Anglo-American-Jews are strategic allies of Turkey and will remain so - and that's not going to change because of bunch of disorganized and backward Kurds or Armenians. The Anglo-Americans desperately need Turkey. Jews and Israel desperately need Turkey. That's why Russians have been trying to pull Turkey in the opposite direction. While Anglo-American-Jews are not going to stop their limited support for Kurds, at the same time, however, they are not going to seriously oppose Turkey either because doing so would only push Turkey into Russia's arms.
I have been saying the following for over ten years now, repeating it one more time would not hurt: Distant Western powers are in the south Caucasus region purely for political adventurism and energy exploitation. Nearby Russia, on the other hand, is in the south Caucasus to protect the Russian homeland from regional dangers (e.g. pan-Turkism, Western expansionism and Islamic fanaticism). So, ask yourselves: Who would be the more reliable and invested player in the region, especially from an Armenian perspective?
If things get difficult in the region or if the political climate in the U.S. changes for some reason, as it does from time-to-time, Westerners will leave immediately without suffering any serious repercussions as a result. Due to the region's very proximity to the Russian nation itself, Russia, unlike the West, has no choice but to remain and FIGHT in the region. The only way Russia will leave the south Caucasus is if it is defeated, as in 1917. Other than that, Armenia can count on a very strong Russian presence. After Armenians, Russia is the ONLY nation on earth that would willingly fight and die for Armenia. For the far-way West, Armenia is a pawn to be used/exploited against Russia and Iran. For Russia, Armenia is a vitally/crucially important piece of real-estate that she is willing to spill the blood of her sons over. This is the fundamental difference between Russia and the West. Even Stalin's Soviet Union was rational/sober enough to recognize that an Armenia was needed in the region. The point here is, after 1921 Armenia could have been easily erased from the map but it wasn't because even early Communism understood the strategic value of an Armenia.
In any case, let's look at what Russians have done for Syria, a country far from Russia's borders, and imagine what it would be willing to do for Armenia.
Again, all this is a moot point for Armenians. When it comes to Western powers, Armenian memory is very short. I have no doubt our sheeple will quickly forget about this latest American-style backstabbing because the American Empire always gets the benefit of the doubt. In the eyes of our self-destructive peasantry, the American Empire never commits crimes, it only sometimes makes "mistakes", for which it of course "apologizes" much later and asks for "forgiveness". Armenians today who are outraged at what Washington D.C. has done with the Kurds or with their genocide recognition efforts will enthusiastically start kissing American buttocks again as soon as American officials start blowing smoke up their buttocks again. It's only Russian "crimes and aggression" (never mistakes, mind you) that the world's peasantry, especially our very own, holds a grudge against and does so for hundreds of years. In fact, to this day, Russia and Russians are directly blamed for crimes committed by the Bolshevik regime that destroyed the Russian Empire from within... for that is the power of Anglo-American-Jewish propaganda, mental conditioning and social engineering that permeates the world today.
In any case, as noted above, the Russians were the main beneficiaries of President Trump's wise decision to abandon Syria's Kurds and move U.S. troops eastward to Iraq. President Trump's move vis-à-vis Syrian Kurds effectively made Russia the only major power with boots on the ground in Syria. Not only are Arab nations now increasingly recognizing this, many are also openly welcoming it. Having waged numerous wars of aggression throughout the region and its unabashed and aggressive support for Israel, the United States squandered its political legitimacy and moral leadership in the Middle East a very long time ago. Uncle Same long lost his legitimacy in the region. Russia is therefore merely filling the void. Having garnered respect - as well as fear - throughout the region in recent years, Moscow today is increasingly looking like the ideal power-broker in the Middle East.
Armenians also need to understand that the Ottoman Empire of yesteryear and Turkey of today exists primarily because of Western powers. Armenians need to understand that if you are not part of the Anglo-American-Jewish world, you are nothing to them, especially when you are a small, poor, remote and landlocked nation without energy reserves. In the eyes of the West, Turkey is a useful giant, whereas Armenia is a useless midget. The West's problem is not with Turkey per se but with the belligerent government of President Erdogan. Anglo-American-Jews will therefore do what they can to put pressure on the Turkish president without ever risking the loss of Turkey as a geopolitical hedge against Russians, Persians and Arabs. We Armenians need to end our day dreaming and simply recognize that Anglo-American-Jews are strategic allies of Turkey and will remain so - and that's not going to change because of bunch of disorganized and backward Kurds or Armenians. The Anglo-Americans desperately need Turkey. Jews and Israel desperately need Turkey. That's why Russians have been trying to pull Turkey in the opposite direction. While Anglo-American-Jews are not going to stop their limited support for Kurds, at the same time, however, they are not going to seriously oppose Turkey either because doing so would only push Turkey into Russia's arms.
I have been saying the following for over ten years now, repeating it one more time would not hurt: Distant Western powers are in the south Caucasus region purely for political adventurism and energy exploitation. Nearby Russia, on the other hand, is in the south Caucasus to protect the Russian homeland from regional dangers (e.g. pan-Turkism, Western expansionism and Islamic fanaticism). So, ask yourselves: Who would be the more reliable and invested player in the region, especially from an Armenian perspective?
If things get difficult in the region or if the political climate in the U.S. changes for some reason, as it does from time-to-time, Westerners will leave immediately without suffering any serious repercussions as a result. Due to the region's very proximity to the Russian nation itself, Russia, unlike the West, has no choice but to remain and FIGHT in the region. The only way Russia will leave the south Caucasus is if it is defeated, as in 1917. Other than that, Armenia can count on a very strong Russian presence. After Armenians, Russia is the ONLY nation on earth that would willingly fight and die for Armenia. For the far-way West, Armenia is a pawn to be used/exploited against Russia and Iran. For Russia, Armenia is a vitally/crucially important piece of real-estate that she is willing to spill the blood of her sons over. This is the fundamental difference between Russia and the West. Even Stalin's Soviet Union was rational/sober enough to recognize that an Armenia was needed in the region. The point here is, after 1921 Armenia could have been easily erased from the map but it wasn't because even early Communism understood the strategic value of an Armenia.
In any case, let's look at what Russians have done for Syria, a country far from Russia's borders, and imagine what it would be willing to do for Armenia.
Again, all this is a moot point for Armenians. When it comes to Western powers, Armenian memory is very short. I have no doubt our sheeple will quickly forget about this latest American-style backstabbing because the American Empire always gets the benefit of the doubt. In the eyes of our self-destructive peasantry, the American Empire never commits crimes, it only sometimes makes "mistakes", for which it of course "apologizes" much later and asks for "forgiveness". Armenians today who are outraged at what Washington D.C. has done with the Kurds or with their genocide recognition efforts will enthusiastically start kissing American buttocks again as soon as American officials start blowing smoke up their buttocks again. It's only Russian "crimes and aggression" (never mistakes, mind you) that the world's peasantry, especially our very own, holds a grudge against and does so for hundreds of years. In fact, to this day, Russia and Russians are directly blamed for crimes committed by the Bolshevik regime that destroyed the Russian Empire from within... for that is the power of Anglo-American-Jewish propaganda, mental conditioning and social engineering that permeates the world today.
In any case, as noted above, the Russians were the main beneficiaries of President Trump's wise decision to abandon Syria's Kurds and move U.S. troops eastward to Iraq. President Trump's move vis-à-vis Syrian Kurds effectively made Russia the only major power with boots on the ground in Syria. Not only are Arab nations now increasingly recognizing this, many are also openly welcoming it. Having waged numerous wars of aggression throughout the region and its unabashed and aggressive support for Israel, the United States squandered its political legitimacy and moral leadership in the Middle East a very long time ago. Uncle Same long lost his legitimacy in the region. Russia is therefore merely filling the void. Having garnered respect - as well as fear - throughout the region in recent years, Moscow today is increasingly looking like the ideal power-broker in the Middle East.
Russia steps into world leadership role
With its historic military intervention in Syria (which saved Syria's Alawite and Christian populations from total annihilation) and the political patience it showed in the face of a number of very serious provocations against it as a result (incidents that could have easily triggered a much larger war in the region), Moscow proved to the world that it is a rational power, a reliable partner and a competent leader on the global stage. This is why President Putin's recent visit to the Arabian peninsula was truly historic -
Putin Secures 2 Billion Dollar Saudi Investment Into Russian Economy in Exchange For a Bird!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZCd01VMeSg
Putin Brings Home the Bacon! UAE Crown Prince Promises 1.5 Billion in Investments Into Russia!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuShRMZL-74
Moscow Feels Coordination With Riyadh Necessary Element to Ensure Security In Middle East, North Africa: https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201910141077046006-russian-president-putin-meets-saudi-king-crown-prince-in-riyadh/
Russia’s balanced diplomacy in Middle East on rise as US policy crashes: https://www.rt.com/op-ed/470991-diplomacy-russia-middle-east-putin/
Thankfully, Official Moscow proved to the world that unlike Uncle Sam, Russia does not suffer from imperial hubris. The Russian Federation and President Putin took these very embarrassing and very painful hits but remained steadfast and focused on the ultimate prize. The prize of course was victory in Syria. Moscow's cunning, patience, perseverance, strength, resilience, farsightedness, political maturity, sober-mindedness, diplomatic agility and a masterful execution of statecraft, as well as warcraft, has now begun paying dividends for the Russian Federation.
Not only is Russia today the main power-broker in the Middle East and not only has Russia won the war against terrorism in Syria, President Putin has also masterfully maneuvered an important NATO member like Turkey and put it on a collision course with the Anglo-American-Jewish world. With the United States long discredited, and now under President Trump increasingly disinterested in the region, Russia today is practically the only superpower of note in the Middle East. President Putin has done an amazing job and done so in face of great adversity. All in all, what an amazing leader, what an amazing country. Russia has indeed stepped into a global leadership role. Even desert Bedouins are now beginning to notice the writing on the wall.
Let's therefore compare how the great leader of the Russian Federation was treated by Arabs with how our self-destructive peasants regularly greet him during his visitations to Armenia -
Allow
me to remind the reader that despite the empty (and suicidal) bravado seen by the character named Babgen Ter-Grigorian in
the photo above, our tiny, impoverished and landlocked country
surrounded by enemies in the south Caucasus is DESPERATELY dependent on
Russia - and President Putin - for its very survival.
Allow me to recap once more for those who have not given this subject much thought: Russia today is Armenia's only reliable provider of affordable (and sometimes free) modern weaponry, military training and military intelligence. Russia is Armenia's only reliable provider of affordable energy. Russia is the only country that willingly helps Armenia operate its strategic atomic power plant. Russia provides hundreds of thousands of Armenians good paying work opportunities annually throughout the Russian Federation, from where the migrant work force sends back to Armenia over one billion dollars worth of remittances annually. Russia is by-far Armenia largest trade partner, largest investor and largest importer of Armenian goods. In fact, Armenian goods, which are all but rejected by Western/European markets, are very well received in Russian markets. Russia is by-far Armenia's largest source for tourism. Russia is home to the largest and most successful Armenian Diaspora in the world. In fact, not only are Russian-Armenians are very affluent, they also have a disproportionately large representation in virtually all layers of high society in the Russian Federation. Most importantly, the Russian military's presence inside Armenia keeps western Turks on their side of the border, allowing Armenia's small military to concentrate its limited resources on keeping eastern Turks on their side of the border.
As the reader can (or should) clearly see, Armenia lives as a nation-state in a very bad neighborhood like the south Caucasus today NOT because of Armenians per se or the big talking and always underperforming Diaspora but precisely because of Yerevan's close ties to the Russian Federation. Armenia lives because of Russia. Moreover, despite Western efforts to stop it, Russian power and influence continues to grow throughout the world.
Yet, as we can see clearly from the photo posted above, Armenia today has a politically illiterate and self-destructive population. For this situation we all can thank the many dozens of Western financed NGOs and institutions - as well as an army of activists from North America and Western Europe - operating freely throughout the small and impoverished country. These have been working for decades to westernize and dumb-down us Armenians, and convince us that our only lifeline in the world, Russia, is our enemy. It's been working to a discernible degree. Incidentally, Babgen Ter-Grigorian, the London "educated" idiot holding the anti-Putin sign above is an "official" in Nikol's government today. I guess generally speaking this is what happens when Armenians get an American/English education.
Allow me to recap once more for those who have not given this subject much thought: Russia today is Armenia's only reliable provider of affordable (and sometimes free) modern weaponry, military training and military intelligence. Russia is Armenia's only reliable provider of affordable energy. Russia is the only country that willingly helps Armenia operate its strategic atomic power plant. Russia provides hundreds of thousands of Armenians good paying work opportunities annually throughout the Russian Federation, from where the migrant work force sends back to Armenia over one billion dollars worth of remittances annually. Russia is by-far Armenia largest trade partner, largest investor and largest importer of Armenian goods. In fact, Armenian goods, which are all but rejected by Western/European markets, are very well received in Russian markets. Russia is by-far Armenia's largest source for tourism. Russia is home to the largest and most successful Armenian Diaspora in the world. In fact, not only are Russian-Armenians are very affluent, they also have a disproportionately large representation in virtually all layers of high society in the Russian Federation. Most importantly, the Russian military's presence inside Armenia keeps western Turks on their side of the border, allowing Armenia's small military to concentrate its limited resources on keeping eastern Turks on their side of the border.
As the reader can (or should) clearly see, Armenia lives as a nation-state in a very bad neighborhood like the south Caucasus today NOT because of Armenians per se or the big talking and always underperforming Diaspora but precisely because of Yerevan's close ties to the Russian Federation. Armenia lives because of Russia. Moreover, despite Western efforts to stop it, Russian power and influence continues to grow throughout the world.
Yet, as we can see clearly from the photo posted above, Armenia today has a politically illiterate and self-destructive population. For this situation we all can thank the many dozens of Western financed NGOs and institutions - as well as an army of activists from North America and Western Europe - operating freely throughout the small and impoverished country. These have been working for decades to westernize and dumb-down us Armenians, and convince us that our only lifeline in the world, Russia, is our enemy. It's been working to a discernible degree. Incidentally, Babgen Ter-Grigorian, the London "educated" idiot holding the anti-Putin sign above is an "official" in Nikol's government today. I guess generally speaking this is what happens when Armenians get an American/English education.
On that note, stuff like this is essentially what the American University of Armenia (AUA) exists for. The "learning" institution in question is in-fact partially funded by the USAID (i.e. CIA). The reasons for this should be obvious. The AUA is being actively encouraged in Armenia because it is a nest of anti-Russian, pro-Turkish, pro-West, pro-Liberal and pro-Globalist toxicity. The institution is ultimately a tool of Western propaganda and social engineering, and it only helps in the country's brain-drain to the West. All in all, it's a cancerous cell in the country. The AUA should be shutdown and replaced with an Armenian or Russian alternative. Even an Iranian institution in its place would be far better for the country. In any case, as we can clearly see, we Armenians continue being Armenia's number one enemy on the world stage and the main reason for many of the black pages in our history. As we can clearly see, our burning desire to live like Westerners has us again turning our backs to our only natural ally.
Politics is an exact science, a high
form of art, a master-level game of chess and martial arts fight to the death all rolled in one, and it takes hundreds of years to develop it and master it. Those who
understand the game and play it well thrive, those that don't die or
just barely survive. This is ultimately why we Armenians are survivors not thrivers. This is ultimately why despite great adversities Russia has continued to thrive as a major power for many centuries.
Moscow today is showing the world how the game of politics is played. Armenians need to stop and try to learn. Armenians somehow need to learn that politics is not a
domestic dispute or a bar fight. Armenians somehow need to learn that in
politics there is no right or
wrong and there are no friends or foes. There is no room in politics for
mistakes, inexperience, emotions, pride, egos, arrogance, stubbornness, vendettas or maximalism. This is why Armenia is where it is today. This is also why Russia is thriving despite serious adversity.
Russia is thriving because Russians, as a collective group of people, are deeply patriotic,
unconditionally faithful to their state, disciplined, politically literate, culturally aggressive
and they exhibit a distinct attraction/penchant for war.
As the great German Field Marshal Helmuth von Moltke the Elder once said, and as the Anglo-American-Jewish alliance found out much to their chagrin in Syria, "no plan of operations extends with any certainty beyond the first contact with the main hostile force."
In other words, the Field Marshal was saying that many years can be spent on meticulously planning a war, but once the first bullet is fired anything can happen afterwards. Western powers (as well as Israel, Turkey and Saudi Arabia) had very ambitious plans for Syria. Moscow basically ruined their plans when it unexpectedly entered the war in late 2015. The same can be said about Ukraine. The Western-led effort to drive a wedge between Kiev and Moscow saw Russia doing the unthinkable - annexing Crimea. Another unintended development or rather consequence of the Western-led destruction of Syria has been the warming of relations between Russia and Turkey. Needless to say, this particular matter is being hijacked and of course exploited by professional Russophobes throughout Armenian society.
As the great German Field Marshal Helmuth von Moltke the Elder once said, and as the Anglo-American-Jewish alliance found out much to their chagrin in Syria, "no plan of operations extends with any certainty beyond the first contact with the main hostile force."
In other words, the Field Marshal was saying that many years can be spent on meticulously planning a war, but once the first bullet is fired anything can happen afterwards. Western powers (as well as Israel, Turkey and Saudi Arabia) had very ambitious plans for Syria. Moscow basically ruined their plans when it unexpectedly entered the war in late 2015. The same can be said about Ukraine. The Western-led effort to drive a wedge between Kiev and Moscow saw Russia doing the unthinkable - annexing Crimea. Another unintended development or rather consequence of the Western-led destruction of Syria has been the warming of relations between Russia and Turkey. Needless to say, this particular matter is being hijacked and of course exploited by professional Russophobes throughout Armenian society.
Better Russia-Turkish-Azerbaijan relations does not mean the demise of Armenia or Artsakh
Armenian society's Western-funded political activists always do their utmost best to try to convince Armenians that Russia will abandon Armenia one day and that Moscow's deepening relations with Ankara in recent years spelt doom for Armenia and/or Artsakh. We are also told by them that Russians and Turks somehow are a "brotherly people". However, those of us who understand politics, history and the nation of Russia, know that Russia and Turks have always been enemies and the "friendship" that exists between Moscow and Ankara is superficial and temporary at best. Armenians who have a healthy understanding of history and politics also understand that the Kremlin would protect Armenia from all regional dangers (i.e. Turkic peoples and Wahhabi Islamists, and potentially Iran) as it would protect Russia itself. Regardless of how close they may seem at times, Russians and Turkic peoples are natural enemies and competitors and nothing will change that. Starting as far back as the 15th century, the two Eurasian giants have fought each-other dozens of times. Rivalry and competition between Russians and Turks can therefore be said is coded in their genetic/cultural makeup. They are destined to be opponents. Moreover, it's always Western powers that have stepped in to save Turkey from Russia's anger, essentially because Western powers have long recognized Turks as an effective buffer and hedge against Russians, Arabs and Iranians. This recognition is more-or-less why Britain and France joined forces with Ottoman Turks in the mid 19th century to stop the Russian Empire from conquering Ottoman Empire and did so again in mid 20th century when the Soviet Union was getting ready to invade Turkey. Not much has changed. The Western world still has a great affinity towards Turks, even if they are extremely frustrated with Erdogan, and they see still Turkey as a key strategic partner and ally -
Turkey and Russia: History Fuels Rancor: https://eurasianet.org/turkey-and-russia-history-fuels-rancor
How the rivalry between Russians and Turks shaped the world: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/10/09/how-the-rivalry-between-russians-and-turks-shaped-the-world/
Idlib Escalation Is Slowly Pushing Turkey Towards Open Conflict With Russia: https://southfront.org/idlib-escalation-is-slowly-pushing-turkey-to-open-conflict-with-russia/
Why NATO should grit its teeth and help Turkey in Idlib: https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/03/07/why-nato-should-grit-its-teeth-and-help-turkey-in-idlib
The Syrian theater, the situation in and around the city of Idlib in particular, where Turkish-backed terrorist forces were defeated by Russian-backed Syrian forces, is an excellent showcase revealing the actual nature and character of Russian-Turkish relations. We Armenians in particular should closely watch the interaction between Moscow and Ankara in Syria, and realize that despite Russia's desire for better political and trade relations with Turkey, Moscow is not willing to "sell" or "backstab" its Syrian ally. In fact, Moscow has sacrificed quite a bit to help the Assad government rebound and prevent another genocide of Christians in the Middle East.Erdogan has made terrible mistakes, but it’s time for the West to help Turkey in Syria: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/03/04/erdogan-has-made-terrible-mistakes-its-time-west-help-turkey-syria/
Because there is a severe lack of understanding when it comes to matters pertaining to geopolitics and warfare, I would like to express additional thoughts about recent events in Syria: Foremost, Russians are NOT going to fight the war for the Assad government. Syrians - and Hezbollah and Iraqi Shiites and Iranians - have to fight this war. Russia is not in Syria to start a war with Turkey or Israel, nor should rational people want it to. Russia has a relatively small force stationed in Syria. Because Russian forces lack defensive depth in Syria, they are very vulnerable to attack from all sides. The primary task of Russians forces in Syria to protect Russian troops and bases in the country, ensure the Assad government's survival and militarily ASSIST Syrians and Iranians in their fight against Western-Turkish-Saudi backed Islamic terrorism. The key point here being is ASSIST. Nonetheless, Russian assistance starting late 2015 has been the difference between life and death for Syria. The following map says it all -
At the end of the day, however, we need to realize that Syria is not absolutely vital to Russia's national security, for example, as Armenia is. At the end of the day, Syria is just a strategic piece of territory for Russia. This is why Russia is doing all it can to avoid direct confrontation with Turkey - and Israel. Turkey is a powerful nation and it has proxies throughout the Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asia. Moreover, bilateral trade between Russia and Turkey is nearing 100 billion annually. Engaging Turkey in a direct military confrontation over Syria would be a very-very stupid mistake by the Kremlin on MANY levels. Moreover, doing such a thing would undoubtedly make the situation much worst for Damascus. I admit this is indirectly helping Turks and Israelis by giving them some freedom of operation inside Syria but Moscow does not have a choice in this matter. As long as Turks and Israelis are not deliberately targeting Russians troops inside Syria, Russians will not directly oppose them. What Russians will do instead is use their political and military capabilities (financial aid, diplomatic cover, military intelligence and air strikes) to help Damascus. Nevertheless, all sides in this conflict (including Turks and Israelis) realize they need to tread carefully, lest they ignite a larger war that will also consume them all. Right now the path forward in Syria is exactly what Russia, Syria and Iran have been doing: Slowly and gradually move forward and avoid serious international confrontations be it with Turkey, be it with Israel. Moscow is playing the long game to avoid an international crisis. Ankara is slowly being guided by Moscow's sticks and carrots. Russian patience, resilience, wisdom, statecraft and military prowess made Erdogan's Turkey, host to NATO's second most powerful military, kneel in from of President Putin -Map Comparison: Military Situation In Syria In 2015 And 2020: https://southfront.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/23feb_Syria-.jpg
In Moscow, Erdogan kneels to Putin: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/in-moscow-erdogan-kneels-to-putin
Ceasefire in Syria's Idlib comes at a cost for Turkey's Erdogan: https://www.yahoo.com/news/ceasefire-syrias-idlib-comes-cost-165923893.html
Erdogan’s dance with Putin: Humiliating, but face-saving: https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/03/turkey-russia-syria-idlib-deal-erdogan-accepts-regimes-gains.html
Ceasefire in Syria's Idlib comes at a cost for Turkey's Erdogan: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-syria-security-turkey-ceasefire-idUSKBN20T2DJ
Erdogan’s Syria Deal With Putin Leaves Turkey Bases Besieged: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/erdogan-e2-80-99s-syria-deal-with-putin-leaves-turkish-military-besieged/ar-BB10PtzO?ocid=opal0003
Erdoğan is reaping what he sowed: Turkey is on the brink of disaster in Syria: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/mar/02/erdogan-turkey-syria-assad?CMP=share_btn_fb
What we are seeing take place in Syria is actually the very parameters of what Russian-Turkish relations has always been like and will always be like.
Those well versed in Eurasian history know that Russians and various Turkic nations have been historic rivals for many centuries. Due to their respective cultures, sizes and locations, Russia and Turkey are natural competitors in Eurasia. As noted above, the Libyan and Syrian theaters are actually very good showcases of the nature/character of Russian-Turkish relations. Russians and Turks will never be genuine allies. During the past two hundreds years, Russians and Turks fought around a dozen major wars. Virtually all of the wars in question were won by Russians. More recently, Turkish volunteers and special forces fought alongside Islamic insurgents against Russians in southern Russia, and were again defeated by Russia. Russia today continues to contain Turkish interests in the Crimea, the Black Sea region, the south Caucasus, the Levant and more recently in North Africa. Despite the growing economic and political cooperation between Moscow and Ankara in recent years, Moscow and Ankara continue to conspire against each-other.
All Armenians need to do is look at the sacrifices Russia has made in Syria, a friendly nation far from Russia's borders, and imagine what Russia would be willing to do for Armenia, an allied nation that is practically on its southern border. As long as Russia remains in the hands of Russians, Moscow will never sacrifice Armenia for any political and/or financial gain. It just won't happen. Armenians must therefore understand that Russians and Turks are natural enemies, not friends. This has always been the case -
Russia and Turkey: a long history of turbulent relations: http://theconversation.com/russia-and-turkey-a-long-history-of-turbulent-relations-51424
Turkey and Russia are Bitter Frenemies: https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/05/28/turkey-and-russia-are-bitter-frenemies/
Fyodor Lukyanov deems Russia-Tukey-Azerbaijan alliance as ‘impossible’: http://www.panorama.am/en/news/2017/03/13/Lukyanov-Russia-Tukey-Azerbaijan-alliance/1743484
Shifting Geopolitics- The Rise of Russia and Turkey: http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article9509.html
Putin Tells Turkey To Drop Karabakh Linkage: http://asbarez.com/76049/russia-tells-turkey-to-drop-karabakh-linkage/
Lavrov: Armenia doesn’t need to fear Russian-Turkish rapprochement: http://www.mediamax.am/en/news/foreignpolicy/22632/
Moscow Sees War Threat if Outsiders Act in Karabakh: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-05-21-mn-337-story.html
Consequently, Western and Turkish and Azerbaijani intelligence services and their lackeys embedded throughout Armenian society are on the constant lookout to hijack complex geopolitical matters, like the issue of Russian arms sales to Turkey and Azerbaijan and events in recent history like the Treaty of Moscow. The intent is to fit such political issues into their political narratives. That narrative, a poisonous cocktail of misinformation, half-truths and outright lies about Russia, is then fed to Armenian society through a well-financed and well-organized network of Western NGOs, social activists, "Peace Corps" volunteers, internet activists, politicians, "political experts", historians, "freelance journalists" and of course news media outlets. We as a people need to therefore always keep reminding ourselves that there is an active agenda and full-scale campaign to undermine Russian-Armenian relation, and it is not being done for Armenia's benefit.
With that in mind, let's recognize that all
the rhetoric we keep hearing from our professional Russophobes about
Russians selling weapon systems to Ankara and Baku and recognizing Turkey's and Azerbaijan's borders in the south
Caucasus as
some kind of hateful conspiracy against Armenians - is nothing but pure and
unadulterated
bullshit. Let's also recognize that the sources for such kind of
disinformation and propaganda is Washington D.C., London, Tel Aviv,
Ankara and Baku. The intent is to mislead Armenians and drive a wedge
between Russia and Armenia.
The ultimate intent is to make Armenia dependent on Turkey. Have no
doubt that Armenia's "independence" from the Russian
Federation, which is what our professional Russophobes are relentlessly
striving for, will by-default make Armenia dependent on Turkey.
From
a political, military and geostrategic standpoint, Armenia has been one
of Russia's (as well as the Soviet Union's) most vital strategic strongholds for the past two hundred years. As
long as
a Russian state remains alive and Armenia remains allied to it,
Armenia's
importance to Moscow is simply not going to change for any foreseeable
reason. I am therefore not too concerned about better
Russian-Turkish relations. In fact, I think a lot of good (primarily
better regional economic cooperation and lesser threat of war in the
region) can come out
of it. But seeing that many Armenians today, misinformed, misled and incited by
professional Russophobes, are once again terror-struck at the prospect
of better
Russian-Turkish relations, I'll make a renewed effort to once again
provide my assessment on this most contentious of matters for us
Armenians.
Despite
the wildest fantasies of our professional Russophobe's Moscow is not
about to "sell" Armenia or Artsakh to Turks/Azeris. Moscow is not about to sell anything in the Caucasus (let alone Armenia) to anyone (let alone Turks).
Actually, Russia is still not done reversing the major geostrategic
setbacks it suffered as a result of the Soviet collapse thirty years
ago. It is well known that the Caucasus region is one of Russia's most vital strategic areas of concern.
Accordingly, no Russian leadership will tolerate a foreign political
presence anywhere in the Caucasus - let alone a Turkic-Islamic one. It
is also well known that Russia's strategic alliance with Armenia is one
of the major pillars of Russia's national security and one that
transcends money matters and, as we have seen, ruling regimes.
Consider this: Russian-Turkish annual bilateral trade may soon reach 100 billion dollars. Russian-Armenian annual bilateral trade currently is something around 2 billion dollars. Therefore,
had it really been money matters at stake here, Moscow would have sold
Armenia and/or Artsakh to Turks many-many years ago and our
"nationalists" would not be able to do anything about it. Finally, also consider this: Despite very lucrative relations with the large and powerful Turkish world, not only does Moscow make sure the south Caucasus remains Turk-free via it's military presence in Armenia, Moscow officially recognizes the Armenian Genocide as well.
Think about that for a moment. And tell that to the "powerful Armenian
lobby in the United States". We Armenians have two fundamental problems
today: One, an abundance of traitors and hired mercenaries in our
society. Two, a dumbed-down and an easily mislead and politically illiterate
population. It's a very bad combination and it is why post-Soviet
Armenia is in the shape that it is today.
Better
Russian-Turkish relations, while it lasts, can potentially benefit the
region. Ankara will be less likely to politically and militarily meddle
in the south Caucasus and better regional economic cooperation can be
realized. Better Russian-Azerbaijani relations can pacify the south Caucasus.
A bigger role for Moscow in the south Caucasus will eventually
translate into a Pax Russica. Pax Russica in the south Caucasus is what
Armenia needs to develop its economy and grow its population. Moreover,
warmer relations between Russia and Turkey would inevitably mean a
lesser pan-Turkic threat for the greater region in question. The
Kremlin's
ultimate desire is to place all nations of the south Caucasus - Armenia,
Azerbaijan and Georgia - into its political, economic and military
orbit (i.e. CSTO and EEU). And, unlike mentally challenged characters
like Saakashvili and Hayrikyan, I fully support the policy -
Saakashvili: Russia wants to annex Georgia, Armenia, other countries and create the USSR: https://news.am/eng/news/535829.html
Hairikyan believes that Putin wants to restore the Russian empire: https://www.aravot-en.am/2013/09/18/161688/
This however may potentially pose some problems for Artsakh, because such a Moscow-led union would naturally envision bringing Baku back fully into the Russian orbit. For such a thing to occur, Baku will inevitably have certain conditions. And we all know what those conditions would more-or-less be. Therefore, as I see it, the only danger, albeit a significant one, that can at least theoretically come about as a result of sustained/long-term closer and warmer relations between Russia and Azerbaijan and Turkey would be Moscow putting too much pressure on Yerevan and Stepanakert over the Armenian controlled territories outside of the internationally recognized borders of Artsakh. The Kremlin will do its best however to keep internationally recognized borders of Armenia and Artsakh intact and alive. Let's recognize that for Russians (and Iranians for that matter) the "territories" in question (be it 5 or 7) are merely technical issues, as well as bargaining chips to be used in final negotiations.
Let's also recognize that we as a people have failed miserably to lobby Armenian interests - both in Moscow and Tehran - because our "չտես" peasantry's attention has been too fixated on the razzle/dazzle of the Western world for the past 30-plus years.
As noted above, for major powers, including our allies, it's just territory. For us, those territories are a matter of survival. Russia (and Iran) don't want Armenia defeated but they do want to control/manage the entire region under their terms. If Baku agrees to enter the EEU and CSTO, Moscow can be expected to pressure Armenia. That's just the nature of Realpolitik. Again, which territories and how much of it will be ceded will ultimately depend on our people's political/diplomatic abilities. In all honesty can't blame Russians, who for centuries have had more land than they could possibly use/need, for being insensitive and not fully understanding what "territory" means for us Armenians on so many levels. That said, it is ultimately our fault for not putting all our resources together to lobby Armenian interests/causes in the deepest, most secretive chambers of the Kremlin.
With the help of our self-destructive peasantry, Nikol was put into power by individuals behind-the-scenes to do the bidding of the "international community". In my opinion, Nikol now has three problems to solve: 1) Settle the Artsakh dispute 2) Allow the looting of Armenia's gold 3) Turn Armenia into an Americanized/Westernized cesspool. My hunch is, Moscow is allowing/tolerating all this because it may be seeing some strategic opportunities in it. Nevertheless, my thoughts on the dispute over Artsakh are plastered all over this blog.
At the risk of upsetting our brave nationalists, most of whom reside in the Diaspora of course, I have made my feelings on this topic well known.
Under right conditions (i.e. Moscow stations troops in the region and Baku officially recognizes Artsakh's independence or its union with Armenia) some of the Armenian controlled territories outside of Artsakh's internationally recognized borders can be given back in exchange for peace. Details such as what is given back and how much of it is given back will ultimately depend on our people's unity and political/diplomatic skills. With that said, however, seeing who is running the political show in Yerevan today, we unfortunately can't get too hopeful in this regard and therefore need to do what we can to maintain the status quo in Artsakh. In any case, difficult times may be coming. In my opinion, the current regime is in power today to oversee a settlement deal that will work best not for Armenia or Artsakh but for the international community. As Baku arms for a major war, Nikol's government is thinking of innovative ways to downsize Armenia's already minuscule military -
Nevertheless, even with a Western financed/inspired "internationally minded" Globalist government in power in Yerevan, Moscow will continue ensuring Armenia's and Artsakh's survival in a complex and hostile place like the south Caucasus. Even if Saakashvili came to power in Yerevan, not much would change in this regard. Armenia continues to be recognized by senior level policymakers in Moscow as Russia's only natural ally, as well as a strategic buffer in the largely Turkic, largely Islamic and largely Russophobic region. As long as Armenia is in an alliance with the Russian Federation, Moscow will never endanger the life of Armenia or Artsakh - because by doing so Moscow would be endangering itself. Russians know this well. It's a good thing that Russians have sober-minded political experts and a professional diplomatic corps that genuinely understand Armenia's situation -Bill Would Allow Military Draftees to Pay $21,000 and Serve One Month Instead of Two Years: https://hetq.am/en/article/110668
CSTO mechanism will be launched in the event of Armenia coming under attack, says Russian senior MP: https://artsakhpress.am/eng/news/116379/
Head of Russia’s Institute of Oriental Studies: Russia won’t allow anyone to attack Armenia: https://www.armenpress.am/eng/news/882120/russia
Russian defense adviser 'urges for Armenia’s vigilance' as he comments upon US report: https://www.tert.am/en/news/2019/05/29/ilnitsky/3011194
Fyodor Lukyanov deems Russia-Tukey-Azerbaijan alliance as ‘impossible’: http://www.panorama.am/en/news/2017/03/13/Lukyanov-Russia-Tukey-Azerbaijan-alliance/1743484
Lavrov: No Peace Agreement Possible Without Consent of Karabakh: http://asbarez.com/188073/no-peace-agreement-possible-without-consent-of-karabakh-says-lavrov/
Moscow Sees War Threat if Outsiders Act in Karabakh: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-05-21-mn-337-story.html
Ռուսաստանը երբեք թույլ չի տա, որ Արցախի խնդիրը ուժով լուծվի. Վլադիմիր Սոլովյով: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr_0q9Tcvkw
Հայ-ռուսական համատեղ մարտավարական զորավարժությունը «Ալագյազ» զորավարժարանում: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1qU3_acLno&list=UU4lSkT4s1RJ8EK4nZ7pPgqA
I understand that all this is a moot point for a vast majority of Armenians today. The thing that Armenians generally speaking have a very hard time understanding is geopolitics and realpolitik. It does not matter how wealthy or how educated an Armenian is, when it comes to serious political matters, the Armenian acts like overly emotional and irrational adolescent. An Armenian can be brilliant in science, medicine, literature, art, business, sports, finance, etc. Somehow, when it comes to political matters, the Armenian suddenly turns into a self-destructive peasant, regardless of his or her social status. I personally think this very serious matter has its roots in culture (parenting, up-bringing) and genetics (racial makeup, breeding). I'm afraid that on a deep genetic/cultural/spiritual level we Armenians do not know how to achieve and/or handle victory. I'm afraid that we only know how to weep, complain and beg - and of course commemorate defeat and tragedy. Said otherwise, we as a people are excellent protestors but terrible nation-builders. I don't expect many of you reading this to understand or agree with any of what I am saying. Some of you will come to this sobering conclusion eventually. The rest of you however will go on, as usual, blaming others (primarily Russians) for all our failure.Սերգեյ Մարկեդոնով. Հայաստանի կախվածությունը Ռուսաստանից ավելի կմեծանա: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pipV3ZLAz5I&feature=youtu.be
For now, what we all need to understand is that there is an active agenda to undermine Russian-Armenian relations, and it is not being done for Armenia's benefit. Increasing numbers of Armenians today, whether they realize it or not, are falling victim to this anti-Russian campaign that is designed not only by Western powers but also by Turkey. We as a people therefore have the serious need today to better understand history and politics, differentiate between patriotism and irrationality.
There is an active agenda in Armenian society to undermine Russian-Armenian relations
We are living in times of lies, disinformation and deception. When it comes to the general public, perception is more important than
reality. In fact, perception IS reality for the masses. When a lie is
repeated often by many mouths, it eventually becomes accepted as truth. To
convince the general public of something that is entirely untrue, just
keep repeating a lie over and over and over again, and make sure
history books, cinema, literature, television programming and news reports also reflect the
lie being promoted. Regardless of where the truth lies, if a lie is
perceived by the general public to be the truth, the actual truth is
rendered irrelevant. Speaking about lies put forth by the British
government during the Second World War, Germany's Joseph Goebbels is
said to have made the following comment -
We are seeing our professional Russophobes fully engaged in this process of deception today. Having seeded Armenian society with their paid assets, Western
(most probably as well as Turkish and Azeri) interests are able to create
perception, manipulate the public's mood and determine the tone of
political discourse throughout Armenian society. They are able to make Armenians of Armenia, who are generally speaking pro-Russian, look at a natural ally like Russia and see an enemy, and look at a natural enemy like Western powers and see a friend. After decades of anti-Russian propaganda, the lies, the disinformation and the half-truths disseminated by our professional Russophobes are slowly beginning to be accepted by increasing numbers of Armenians as reality.
But, just as light remains the greatest enemy of darkness, truth still remains the greatest enemy of the lie. Just like an effort needs to be made to turn the light on in a dark room, an effort also has to be made to dethrone deception and empower truth. Ironically, we are at a point now when truth also has to be repeated over and over again to finally be re-accepted for what it is.
With that in mind, understand that the influence our professional Russophobes have on the Armenian population's ability to see or perceive reality is so powerful and so pervasive that the most popular and most trusted news organization in Armenia today (since Soviet times in fact) is none-other-than the CIA-founded Radio Liberty operating out of Prague. And, according to some polls more than half of Armenians in Armenia today think that Russia, the country that actually keeps Armenia alive in a hostile environment like the south Caucasus, is not an actual ally but an enemy to stand up against. And an increasing number of Armenians today are also being made to think that Russians were responsible for the genocide of Armenians during the First World War -
But, just as light remains the greatest enemy of darkness, truth still remains the greatest enemy of the lie. Just like an effort needs to be made to turn the light on in a dark room, an effort also has to be made to dethrone deception and empower truth. Ironically, we are at a point now when truth also has to be repeated over and over again to finally be re-accepted for what it is.
With that in mind, understand that the influence our professional Russophobes have on the Armenian population's ability to see or perceive reality is so powerful and so pervasive that the most popular and most trusted news organization in Armenia today (since Soviet times in fact) is none-other-than the CIA-founded Radio Liberty operating out of Prague. And, according to some polls more than half of Armenians in Armenia today think that Russia, the country that actually keeps Armenia alive in a hostile environment like the south Caucasus, is not an actual ally but an enemy to stand up against. And an increasing number of Armenians today are also being made to think that Russians were responsible for the genocide of Armenians during the First World War -
Poll Shows RFE/RL Most Trusted Online Media Resource In Armenia: https://www.azatutyun.am/a/30269624.html
Less than half of polled Armenians consider Russia an ally
27.6% of Armenians would gravitate towards Russia, while 36.1% of Armenians would gravitate towards European Union and United States: https://jam-news.net/survey-in-armenia-reveals-most-pressing-public-concerns-popular-officials-and-sources-of-discontent/
Lragir: Russia and The Armenian Genocide
http://www.lragir.am/index/eng/0/politics/view/35244
The
list of professional Russophobes and Trotskyites is
actually very large and seems to be growing, and this for a very small country that is dependent on Russia for survival. It's a very dangerous trend. I expose some of them further below in this section. Keep in mind that the individuals I expose are only a small sampling. Armenian society today is replete with anti-Russian activists. All this I guess
is inevitable for a nation full politically illiterate, materialistic,
egotistical and yet poor, unemployed, օտարամոլ and չտես people. In any
case, as I keep noting, their goal in all this is to drive a wedge between
Armenia and Russia by convincing Armenians that Russia is Armenia's
enemy and has been from the beginning. As crazy as it may sound,
increasing numbers of Armenians are actually beginning to believe this lie of
biblical proportions. The lies are now so ubiquitous that the general public, even intelligent people, simply accept them as truth. Not many Armenians know that the brother of the famous war
hero Monte Melkonian wrote a stinging article several years ago
addressing this very troubling matter -
Placing
our trust in our enemies and distrusting our friends: This is the power
of Western-style propaganda, social engineering, brainwashing and
mental conditioning - coupled with of course Armenian-style Western
fetish, political illiteracy, shortsightedness, emotions, tribalism, maximalism, rigidity and
naivete. In essence, Anglo-American-Jews control the volume, flow
and nature of information we Armenians are exposed to and consume these days, whether we realize it or not. This information is
naturally filtered and distilled through an Anglo-American-Jewish
political and cultural prism. Their political spin, their half-truth, their lie thus becomes common knowledge for the sheeple. Consequently, anti-Russian hysteria
and general Russophobia become normal disorders in a society that is not only generally speaking pro-Russian but also desperately dependent on Russia for survival. All in all, this is why we see great noise being made in Armenian society today over complex geopolitical issues like treaties signed between Bolsheviks and Turkey one hundred years ago
and Russian weapons sales to Turkey and Azerbaijan today. Disinformation, half-truths and lies about these very complex geopolitical matters is saturating the
Armenian atmosphere today. Consequently, there is a reoccurring fear
among Armenians that Russia cannot be trusted because Moscow is once again going to "sell" Armenia and/or
Artsakh for better relations and trade deals with Ankara and/or Baku.
The following are a sampling of professional smut-peddlers (financed by Anglo-American-Jews and most likely Turks as well) trying to muddy the water, mislead the citizenry and drive a wedge between Russia and Armenia -
Markar Melkonian: Return of the Russophobes: https://hetq.am/en/article/72236
The following are a sampling of professional smut-peddlers (financed by Anglo-American-Jews and most likely Turks as well) trying to muddy the water, mislead the citizenry and drive a wedge between Russia and Armenia -
Jirair Sefilian calls for the armed liberation of Western Armenia, the ouster of Russian troops from Armenia and a revolution in Artsakh: https://www.1tv.am/hy/video/
Decolonization (Armexit) or the Beginning of the Life Road: https://pfarmenia.wordpress.com/2017/12/30/decolonization
Why Russia Needs Armenia and Vice Versa: https://massispost.com/2019/02/why-russia-needs-armenia-and-vice-versa/
Richard Giragosian: Russia to betray Armenia: https://news.am/eng/news/1249.html
Paul Goble: Russia will betray Armenians, if needed: http://news.am/eng/news/290706.html
Armenia is under Russian occupation - Tigran Khzmalyan: https://www.turan.az/ext/news/2019/2/free/Interview/en/78760.htm
Garegin Chugaszyan: Armenia should review presence of Russian military base in the country: https://www.aysor.am/en/news/2018/09/29/garegin-chugaszyan/1471394
Newspaper: Armenia authorities try to test public mood over Russian military base: https://news.am/eng/news/543467.html
Hairikyan believes that Putin wants to restore the Russian empire: https://www.aravot-en.am/2013/09/18/161688/
Lragir: Russia and The Armenian Genocide: http://www.lragir.am/index/eng/0/politics/view/35244
«Ռուսները եղել են ու կմնան նույն սպիտակ թուրքերը». Մկրտիչ Իսրայելյան : https://newstime.am/?p=20474
Հատուկ հսկողության տակ առնել 102-րդ ռուսական ռազմաբազան. բողոքի ակցիա Գյումրիում: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzCm_uSFcQ0
«Ռուսական բանակ, դո՛ւրս ՀՀ-ից». Տիգրան Խզմալյանը Գյումրու ցույցին: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osSB9N0vbPk
Այդ բազան թողնելու են մեզ նվեր ու հեռանան. մեզ անակնկալ է սպասվում: https://www.lragir.am/2019/11/06/491550/
Կրեմլը կորցրել է Հայաստանը և մեծ էներգիա է ծախսում Արցախը մեր երկրից պոկելու համար․ Ժիրայր Սեֆիլյան: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOHBTNIRQy8
Արկադի Վարդանյան․ Պուտինն ու Քոչարյանը ոչ թե ընկերներ են, այլ հանցակիցներ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LokJHjg9vag
Ռուսաստանը մեզնից կախված է, կարող ենք բարձրացնել Գյումրիի ռազմաբազայի հարցը. Լևոն Շիրինյան: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzfiNBNvii8
Ռուսաստանի հետ մենք ռազմավարական գործընկեր լինել չենք կարող. Վարուժան Ավետիսյան: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQWYp_XvYhM
Ռուսական ռազմաբազայի հզորացումն ընդդեմ Հայաստանի․ «Այլ երկրների համար դառնում ենք թիրախ»: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OG0LscBdG5E
The gaggle of individuals featured above, regardless of who they say or think they are, they are today's Trotskyites. As with Trotskyites of yesteryear, they suffer from virulent forms of anti-Russian hysteria and delirium. These individuals and their well-organized/well-funded network of supporters from around the world are responsible for the unprecedented and dangerous spread of anti-Russian sentiment inside Armenian society today. For the politically ignorant common folk, a lot of what they say sounds/seems convincing. That said, any Armenian today that wants "independence" from Russia or wants to shutdown Russia's military bases in Armenia is a traitor to Armenia regardless of his or her intentions. Russia's military presence in Armenia is the single most important factor contributing to Armenia's existence as a nation state in the south Caucasus, and the only deterrence Armenia's has against regional predators like Turkey. Intelligent people understand this -
In order to not fall victim to their propaganda we
as a people simply need to constantly keep reminding ourselves that there is a full-scale campaign to undermine Russian-Armenian relation, and it is obviously not being done for Armenia's benefit. The anti-Russian disinformation and Russophobia seen in the links above are sourced from a common source (e.g. Western think tanks and intelligence agencies), they therefore have similar/common rhetorical threads
running through them. The three most common messages we are exposed to are these: 1)
Russia is actually an enemy of Armenia. 2) Russia needs
Armenia just as much, if not more, than Armenia needs Russia. 3)
Armenians, if united, are a powerful nation that can stand-up to Russian aggression and bullying.
The obvious intent here is to convince our politically illiterate and emotionally charged population that they are an "independent people" and a "powerful people" and that Armenia accordingly needs to "play tough with Russia". I don't know if all of those involved in this kind of anti-Russian messaging are doing so deliberately, intentionally or maliciously, what they are doing nevertheless is extremely dangerous to Armenia's well being and longevity. In the case of some commentators and journalists engaged in anti-Russian rhetoric, I suspect it may simply be a matter of political illiteracy, an overall lack of critical thinking/perception and of course a means of making a living. However, in the case of others - like Sasna Dzrer foreign funded mercenaries, Open Society social engineers, Civilnet pseudo-journalists and Lragir propagandists - I believe it's ideological, intentional and, in the big picture, very malicious.
In any case, regardless of why it's being done and who is doing it, what's being done poses a great danger to Armenia. As a result of all this, we today are standing on the verge of losing our centuries old survival instinct. The very survival instinct that made Armenians look north for salvation and set the foundations of Armenia's rebirth in modern times is being gradually eroded.
Foremost, it should not take a rocket scientist to realize that Russia, a massive nation with a very powerful military, highly skilled diplomatic corps and a virtually limitless reserves/supplies of natural resources will survive losing a tiny, landlocked and impoverished nation that is surrounded by enemies - even if it has to set fire to all of the south Caucasus to do so. It also should not take a great genius to realize that Armenia today survives as a nation-state in a neighborhood full of hungry predators because of its close ties to the Russian Federation. Therefore, it also should not take a great genius to realize that severing Armenia’s umbilical cord with Russia will by-default put the country at the mercy of Turks, Azeris, Georgians, Wahhabi Islamists and Western energy interests. Moreover, regarding the silly question of whether Russia is a friend or foe?
If Russia was really Armenia's enemy, as our professional Russophobes want us all to believe, Armenia would have disappeared from the political map a very-very long time ago.
It's actually quite funny listening to "concerned voices" and "nationalists" demanding the ouster of Russian forces from Armenia, knowing full well that such characters will be nowhere in sight when the Turkish army crosses the Arax River. If the dreams of our professional Russophobes come true and Russia for some reason retreats from the south Caucasus and the region descends into another major war, Armenia - as tiny, poor, remote and depopulated as it is - will, inevitably finds itself faced with a war on two fronts. Then, we will quickly see that all of our professional Russophobes are suddenly nowhere to be seen and our "nationalists" are either lying dead on the battlefield, seeking shelter in "LA", falling at the feet of Western officials or begging Russians for help. At the end of the day, if Russia for some reason decided to listen to the demands of our Captain Americas, Westernizers and Russophobes and pulled its military presence out of Armenia (lucky for us it won't happen but that is exactly what many of our proud "nationalists" want these days), Armenia would not survive the inevitable Turkish onslaught. Turks are always ready to pounce. The moment Russia retreats from the south Caucasus, they will make their move -
Do
our idiots masquerading as nationalists, activists, political experts
and historians and journalists seriously think
that Russians do not properly understand what’s going on in the south
Caucasus? Do our idiots seriously think that Russia needs Armenia as
much
as Armenia needs Russia?! This is an attempt to dangerously mislead
people. If
these professional Russophobes in our midst were really worried about
Armenia's security and well-being, they would stop lying to our
overly boastful, very reactionary, highly emotional and politically
illiterate population and they would stop giving them false hope. Because
our peasantry is easily manipulated and therefore easily misled, our
society's professional Russophobes are the reason why Armenia today is
hopelessly stuck in the middle of a
geopolitical tug-of-war between Russia and the West, and why Armenia is
becoming a center for Western and Globalist operations. As noted
above, the dissemination of nationalistic propaganda throughout Armenian
society, as well as covert support for extremist groups like the
so-called "Sasna Dzrer" is being done by Western/Globalist/Internationalist interests,
and it is being done to encourage Armenians to break-free from Moscow. The
following is one such lunatic from Lebanon who thinks Armenians can
force Russia out of Armenia and then go on to liberate all of historic
Armenia, with Western support nevertheless -Ռազամաբազան պետք է լրացնի անվտանգության համակարգը. Վահան Շիրխանյան (տեսանյութ): http://www.panorama.am/am/news/2015/01/24/v-shirkhanyan/126807
The obvious intent here is to convince our politically illiterate and emotionally charged population that they are an "independent people" and a "powerful people" and that Armenia accordingly needs to "play tough with Russia". I don't know if all of those involved in this kind of anti-Russian messaging are doing so deliberately, intentionally or maliciously, what they are doing nevertheless is extremely dangerous to Armenia's well being and longevity. In the case of some commentators and journalists engaged in anti-Russian rhetoric, I suspect it may simply be a matter of political illiteracy, an overall lack of critical thinking/perception and of course a means of making a living. However, in the case of others - like Sasna Dzrer foreign funded mercenaries, Open Society social engineers, Civilnet pseudo-journalists and Lragir propagandists - I believe it's ideological, intentional and, in the big picture, very malicious.
In any case, regardless of why it's being done and who is doing it, what's being done poses a great danger to Armenia. As a result of all this, we today are standing on the verge of losing our centuries old survival instinct. The very survival instinct that made Armenians look north for salvation and set the foundations of Armenia's rebirth in modern times is being gradually eroded.
Foremost, it should not take a rocket scientist to realize that Russia, a massive nation with a very powerful military, highly skilled diplomatic corps and a virtually limitless reserves/supplies of natural resources will survive losing a tiny, landlocked and impoverished nation that is surrounded by enemies - even if it has to set fire to all of the south Caucasus to do so. It also should not take a great genius to realize that Armenia today survives as a nation-state in a neighborhood full of hungry predators because of its close ties to the Russian Federation. Therefore, it also should not take a great genius to realize that severing Armenia’s umbilical cord with Russia will by-default put the country at the mercy of Turks, Azeris, Georgians, Wahhabi Islamists and Western energy interests. Moreover, regarding the silly question of whether Russia is a friend or foe?
If Russia was really Armenia's enemy, as our professional Russophobes want us all to believe, Armenia would have disappeared from the political map a very-very long time ago.
It's actually quite funny listening to "concerned voices" and "nationalists" demanding the ouster of Russian forces from Armenia, knowing full well that such characters will be nowhere in sight when the Turkish army crosses the Arax River. If the dreams of our professional Russophobes come true and Russia for some reason retreats from the south Caucasus and the region descends into another major war, Armenia - as tiny, poor, remote and depopulated as it is - will, inevitably finds itself faced with a war on two fronts. Then, we will quickly see that all of our professional Russophobes are suddenly nowhere to be seen and our "nationalists" are either lying dead on the battlefield, seeking shelter in "LA", falling at the feet of Western officials or begging Russians for help. At the end of the day, if Russia for some reason decided to listen to the demands of our Captain Americas, Westernizers and Russophobes and pulled its military presence out of Armenia (lucky for us it won't happen but that is exactly what many of our proud "nationalists" want these days), Armenia would not survive the inevitable Turkish onslaught. Turks are always ready to pounce. The moment Russia retreats from the south Caucasus, they will make their move -
Leaked memo reveals Turkish military operation plan against Armenia: https://armenpress.am/eng/news/996991
Turks threaten to commit a new genocide against Armenians: https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2019/12/11/Erdoga-genocide-Armenia/2209471#.XfCpi5q1Ihg.facebook
Moscow Sees War Threat if Outsiders Act in Karabakh: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-05-21-mn-337-story.html
Կրեմլը կորցրել է Հայաստանը և մեծ էներգիա է ծախսում Արցախը մեր երկրից պոկելու համար․ Ժիրայր Սեֆիլյա: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOHBTNIRQy8
If
the strange character seen in the link above is an accurate reflection
of Armenian nationalism, I rather renounce by nationality. What
we see here however is not nationalism, it's suicidal madness being
encouraged from abroad. The intent is obviously anti-Russian in nature,
but it is also ultimately anti-Armenian as well. If left unchecked,
these "nationalists" may again be the cause of Armenia's demise. This kind of manipulation of Armenian emotions/sentiments is essentially why the
Armenian house cat is seeing a reflection of wild lion in the mirror.
This cat better not go out to play in the wild, where packs of grey
wolves roam, without the accompaniment of the bear - lest it gets
devoured alive.
Tiny,
poor, landlocked and blockaded, with a small population that continues
to get smaller every year, Armenia may or may not have a fighting chance
against an oil rich Azerbaijan. Against enemy like Turkey, however,
without direct Russian support, Armenia will be defeated in
less than a week at most. Against Baku and Ankara together, Armenia ,
on its own, will be erased from the map in very short order. At the end
of the day, there is only ONE reason why Baku has not made a serious
move on Artsakh, and that reason is called RUSSIA. At the end of the
day, there is only ONE reason why Ankara has not made a serious move on
Armenia, and that reason is also called RUSSIA. Weaken the Russian
factor in the south Caucasus (what many of our "independence" minded
"nationalists" want today) and we'll be saying goodbye to Artsakh, if
not also to Armenia. Therefore, instead
of spewing dangerous nonsense and misleading our population, if our
"nationalists" were really concerned about Armenia's well-being and
longevity, they would sober-up and begin preaching better
Russian-Armenian relations, as well the strategic importance of lobbying
inside Moscow in order to fix any flaws that may exist in
Russia-Armenia relations. Some have been warning us about the lack of political activism in Moscow among Armenians. Ara Abrahamyan, the representative of perhaps the largest body of Armenians on earth, Russia's two-three million Armenians and a very prominent player in Russian politics, but also one who is unsurprisingly shunned by Armenians around the world, made stinging comments during the recent Eursian Economic Union's (EEU) annual Summit held this year in Yerevan -
Union of Armenians of Russia President: Armenia is passive: https://news.am/eng/news/536531.html
Ara
Abrahamyan's comments about the lack of Armenian activity in Moscow is not new. He has for many years been
warning about the lack of Armenian
lobbying efforts in the Russian Federation. He has for many years been
warning that it's Turks and Azeris that are doing all the lobbying in
Moscow -
In fact, even Russians have been complaining about the lack of
Armenian political presence inside Moscow -
Ara Abrahamyan (watch from 18:25): http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=rpf0iLdCJmU&feature= youtube_gdata_player
Ո՞վ է Ռուսաստանում Հայաստանի դեսպանը, ես չգիտեմ․ Սոլովյով: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03mJkpA3I4MArmenian political lobbyists and delegations of businessmen are absent not only in Moscow but also in Tehran -
Azerbaijan is ahead of Armenia in Iran: http://www.panorama.am/en/news/2016/04/23/Vardan-Voskanyan/1567871
Alexander Gusyev: “Iran is building a road through Azerbaijan because of Armenian leadership’s indifference”: http://rusarminfo.ru/alexander-gusyev-iran-is-building-a-road-through-azerbaijan-because-of-armenian-leaderships-indifference/
Iranologist: Armenia has no plan for development of relations with Iran: https://news.am/eng/news/516853.html
Armenian authorities 'too preoccupied’ with maintaining power to address foreign policy concerns: https://www.tert.am/en/news/2019/08/24/Hambaryan/3077400
Armenia needs to step up efforts to bridge 'deficit of trust' with Russia - analyst: https://www.tert.am/en/news/2020/01/04/hrant-meliq-shahnazaryan/3178621
Tevan Poghosyan: Not the friendship and genetics but interests matter in international politics: https://www.panorama.am/en/news/2019/05/25/Tevan-Poghosyan/2119740
In real terms, nothing
is getting done by the Armenian side in this regard essentially because Nikol and his cohorts are too
busy taking selfies with whores. With this year's EEU summit in Yerevan,
we saw Russia again providing Armenia with an international platform to build on, and the following picture is what more-or-less came out of it, thanks to the sheeple's choice -
Instead
of concentrating resources on building on the economic and political
opportunities provided by Moscow, what have we been doing instead is
inviting more Western agents into the country, as well as
tens-of-thousands of Indians, but that's another story. We
as a people do not understand politics nor do we know how to
nation-build. As a collective, we also don't have political wisdom,
foresight or vision. It's cultural as well as genetic, in my opinion.
Like typical "չտես" merchants, peasants and gypsies, Armenians are
stunned and mesmerized by the glimmer of Western lights. Since ancient times,
our people's collective attention has been drawn to the Western world
(Hellenism, Rome, Crusaders, Europe, U.S.A. etc.), while our survival as a nation has generally depended on the Eastern world (Persia, Russia, Soviet Union, Iran, etc). When it comes to Russia (and Iran) we remain passive, we remain indifferent, we remain politically illiterate. And then we don't understand why we are in the situation we are in. We Armenians have mastered the art of
sitting back and complaining about things we don't
like, as we ignore important, strategic matters that are very crucial to the health and longevity of our state, essentially
because our attention as a people is always drawn to the bells and
whistles and the razzle-dazzle of the Western world. This is why we
as a people remain vulnerable to Western machinations and their agents
of influence.
Russian arms sales to Azerbaijan or Turkey is not an anti-Armenian move
Getting back to what our professional Russophobes, Trotskyites and shoemakers are saying about Russian arms sales to Turkey and Azerbaijan: I have lost count of how many times I have reflected on the very topic. I guess one more time won't hurt. Throughout the years I have learned that repetition helps when trying to explain things to Armenians. So, allow me to remind all once again that our anti-Russian activists search for complicated political matters in which Russia can be made to look bad and exploit it to its fullest. The very sensitive geopolitical matter of selling arms to Baku and Ankara is therefore being hijacked by our anti-Russian activists and presented to the "Armenian Street" as proof that Moscow is indeed Armenia's enemy. In the following articles, we see genuinely concerned Armenian patriots trying to put pressure on Moscow over its weapons sales to Baku and attempts by professional Russophobes using the same matter to convince Armenians that Russia is Armenia's enemy -
Sleeping with Our Enemy: Russia Sells Weapons to Azerbaijan: http://hetq.am/eng/news/58661/sleeping-with-our-enemy-russia-sells-weapons-to-azerbaijan.html
Why Russia Needs Armenia and Vice Versa: https://massispost.com/2019/02/why-russia-needs-armenia-and-vice-versa/
Is Russia a Friend or Foe?: http://www.mirrorspectator.com/2013/06/25/friend-or-foe/#sthash.2kjO7B8l.dpu
Is Russia Really Armenia’s Ally?: http://armenianweekly.com/2016/04/19/boyajian-russia/
Armenia: Feeling Betrayed by Russia?: http://www.eurasianet.org/node/71031
Armenia's Fair-Weather Allies: https://www.stratfor.com/geopolitical-diary/armenias-fair-weather-allies
With Friends Like Russia, Who Needs Enemies: http://www.eurasianet.org/node/72616
Russia’s Double Dealing in Armenia and Azerbaijan: https://intpolicydigest.org/2016/12/07/russia-s-double-dealing-armenia-azerbaijan/
In
response to the anti-Russian hysteria constantly being whipped-up by
our professional Russophobes and our well-meaning but politically naive patriots,
the Russian Prime Minister commented about this most contentious of
matters for us Armenians some time ago. It's worth taking another look
at what he said -
The Russian prime minister basically said this: Once Moscow breaks its ties with Baku,
Western, Israeli, Chinese, Pakistani, Turkish and/or Islamist interests
will inevitably fill the void left in Azerbaijan. In the end, the
region will not be any less militarized and Armenia's safety will still not be guaranteed because a wealthy Azerbaijan
has the money to purchase what it wants from other powers around the
world. In such a case, Moscow will lose control of the
situation in the region.
It's
actually quite
simple to understand why Russian officials: Arms sales to Baku is one of
the things that the Kremlin uses to keep Baku from drifting too far
away from the Russian camp/orbit. It gives Moscow leverage over Baku, and it also makes large sums of money in the process. It makes perfect sense to me. From
an emotional perspective, I also would not like to see our "strategic
ally" selling weapons to our historic enemies. However, from a
level-headed, political
perspective, I fully agree with the comments made by the
Russian prime minister. I think the overall situation in the south
Caucasus, including in Artsakh, would have been much worst had Russia
not been in the picture in Azerbaijan. Moscow primary concern is to keep Baku within its political orbit while concurrently ensuring Armenia's and Artsakh's security. In essence, Moscow
is executing a very sophisticated political approach
to a very complex land dispute between very problematic nations in a
very volatile region of the world. And our Western-financed activists
and politicians, like
the filthy, opportunistic smut-peddlers that they are, are exploiting
Moscow's
geopolitical predicament in the south Caucasus to incite Russophobia
inside
Armenian society.
Let's be rational and recognize the fact that Baku has the petrodollars to purchase whatever it wants from whoever it wants. If Russia does not sell it the weaponry it is seeking, there are a number of nations that are more than willing to do so. Moscow would be foolish not to use the opportunity to gain leverage over Baku and make a lot of money in the process.
Western powers, China, Turkey, Ukraine, Belarus and Israel
have been providing Baku with billions-of-dollars in arms and
training. The US and Britain even train Azeri sharpshooters and special forces, those responsible for killing
Armenian border guards. Russian arms sales to Baku is therefore not directed
against Armenia. Military specialists and political analysts agree that
Russian arms sales to Baku and Yerevan are designed to maintain the balance of power
between Armenia and Azerbaijan. It may of course also be a pressure tactic by the Kremlin to
ensure Yerevan's allegiance to Moscow as well as allow
Russia a greater role inside Armenia and/or Artsakh. This
is somewhat similar to how
Washington D.C. tries to keep its influence over Turks and Greeks and
Israelis
and Arabs by selling the conflicted parties U.S. made weaponry and
mediating between them when problems occur. This was why Azerbaijani
forces did not used any of their newly acquired modern weapons systems
against Armenian defense forces in Artsakh during the four day war in
April of 2016.
While Russia sells weaponry to Turkey and Azerbaijan at market prices, it gives weaponry to Armenia at domestic (insider) prices, and sometimes for free. Azeris have had the luxury - the petrodollars - to purchase whatever they want from whomever they want. Armenia on the other hand does not have the resources for maintaining military parity with Azerbaijan. Russia is therefore giving Armenia whatever arms it needs to counter the Azerbaijani threat. The recent provision of the Iskander ballistic missile system to Armenia is proof of this. We also know that Armenia has a tiny military (so tiny that yearly recruitment quotas aren't even being met). By militarily covering the entire length of Armenia's vulnerable border with Turkey, Russia is giving Armenia the ability to concentrate its meager resources on its more manageable border with Azerbaijan. This is how Russia's military presence in Armenia is the single most strategic factor contributing to Armenia's existence as a nation-state in the south Caucasus. And this cannot be stressed enough.
We also need to recognize that Russia has normal relations with Azerbaijan. Moscow is also trying hard to lure Azerbaijan into its orbit and by selling it the weaponry that Baku wants, Moscow realizes it gains leverage over Baku - which is good for Armenia. Russia will therefore do its best to maintain good relations with Baku while making sure Armenia is protected from Baku. I should also add this: Even though Armenia is allied to Russia and Armenians in general are very pro-Russian, Kremlin officials know very well that Armenians in positions of power can be easily bought by Western money and that Armenia and Armenian society in general is rife with Western operatives. A quick look at Armenian society these days is enough to show one that Russians cannot trust Armenians, even if there was a thing called “trust” in politics. Therefore, Russia will protect its only strategic ally in the south Caucasus but it will also make sure to also have some leverage over Yerevan by arming Baku, just in case. Russia is thus managing the situation on the ground between Yerevan and Baku by making sure that the current status quo, that which benefits the Armenian side, is maintained.
At the end of the day, for Moscow, there is also something called realpolitik: The necessity to keep both Yerevan and Baku dependent on Russia. In any case, Baku seems more rational in this regard -
President Aliyev: No allergy in Azerbaijan for Russia's selling arms to Armenia: http://en.trend.az/azerbaijan/politics/2543191.html
Russian
arms sales to Baku is not a serious threat to Armenia because, as
already noted, Moscow provides Armenia with countermeasures to such
arms, and also because most of the weapons systems Moscow sells to Baku,
such as warships and anti-aircraft missiles, are in fact not directed
against Armenia. Russians have gone out of their way to explains these things to us -
Russian MP considers military balance a guarantee for peaceful settlement of NK conflict: https://armenpress.am/eng/news/999297.html
Moscow’s arming Azeris beneficial to Armenia: Russian news agency chief: http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/234333
Moscow maintains parity in arms trade with Yerevan, Baku: http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/news/217213/
Russian expert: Armenia should be interested in Russian-Azeri arms deals: https://arminfo.info/index.cfm?objectid=DC40C210-47E2-11E4-980E0EB7C0D21663
Analyst: Amount of Russian arms sold to Azerbaijan provides balance of weapons in region
http://arka.am/en/news/politics/amount_of_russian_arms_sold_to_azerbaijan_provides_balance
Most of Baku's recent arms purchases from
Russia are by nature defensive weapons meant for their air and sea warfare. One also finds quite a bit of
Chinese, Western and Israeli made weaponry in Azerbaijan's arsenal. In fact, most of the damage inflicted on the Armenian side during the "four day" war came as a result of Israeli made weapons. More importantly,
as noted above, for every weapons system Russia sells to Baku it gives
Armenia weapons that can counter it on the battlefield. This is show
Moscow maintains the balance of power between Yerevan and Baku, as it
makes sure to keep control over both Yerevan and Baku. Simply put, what Moscow is doing is a careful execution of
realpolitik and conflict management.
Basically, Moscow is macro-managing the situation on the ground by keeping
leverage over both nations and making sure neither nation slips away
from its political influence.
At the end of the day, the big bad Russian Bear is Armenia’s one and
only ally and thank God for that because without Russia, all of the
south Caucasus has the potential to be overrun by Turks and Muslims.
What Armenians need to be worried about instead is the military support
Anglo-American-Jews are giving to Turks and Azeris -
Azerbaijan Deepens and Expands Its Partnerships With International Arms Suppliers: https://jamestown.org/program/azerbaijan-deepens-and-expands-its-partnerships-with-international-arms-suppliers/
Azerbaijani lieutenant colonel killed in Karabakh was trained in USA: https://horizonweekly.ca/am/86300-2/
American military contractors MPRI Inc is training Azeri marksmen: http://www.militaryindustrialcomplex.com/contract_detail.asp?contract_id=81
US Naval Special Ops Demos Training in Azerbaijan: http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=26294
The Sunday Times: British special forces carried out secret trainings in Azerbaijan: http://www.panorama.am/en/society/2013/10/21/sunday-times/
Is a US-Financed Azeri Satellite A Threat to Armenia’s Security?: http://asbarez.com/94756/is-a-us-financed-azeri-satellite-a-threat-to-armenia%E2%80%99s-security/
Azerbaijan Has Advantage Over Armenia In U.S. Military Aid: http://www.eurasianet.org/node/78831
Azerbaijan Makes Massive Israeli Weapons: http://www.eurasianet.org/node/65053
Israel Signs $1.6 Billion Arms Deal With Azerbaijan: http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israel-signs-1-6-billion-arms-deal-with-azerbaijan-1.414916
Israel’s Role In The Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict: http://www.mintpressnews.com/israels-role-nagorno-karabakh-conflict/215684/
Israeli Drone Maker Signs $13 Million Deal with Azerbaijan
Karabakh Fighting Highlights Azerbaijan's New Israeli Weapons: http://www.eurasianet.org/node/78181
Azerbaijan and Israel’s Aerospace Industry. A Worrying Concern for Armenia or Iran?: https://www.bellingcat.com/news/rest-of-world/2015/05/04
Revealed: how UK technology fuelled Turkey's rise to global drone power: https://www.theguardian.com/news/2019/nov/27/revealed-uk-technology-turkey-rise-global-drone-power
Turkish Jets to Deliver American Nuclear Warheads: http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-given-possession-of-nuclear-warheads
The above is what we Armenians really need to worry about. These powers are supplying Baku with massive amounts of armaments WITHOUT also helping the Armenian side maintain a military balance of power that currently exists between Yerevan and Baku. So, it's not so much about weapons supplies per se, as it is about maintaining the balance of power that exists between the two conflicting parties. This is the main difference between what Russia does (maintain the peace through maintaining military parity between Yerevan and Baku) and what the rest are doing. Again, if Russia stopped it arms deals with Baku, others (Western powers, Israel, Turkey, Pakistan, China, Ukraine, etc.) would quickly fill the void and Moscow would quickly lose control over the situation.
To recap: Russian arms sales to Ankara and Baku does not mean Russia is abandoning Armenia. Moscow would sooner occupy Armenia than abandon it to Turks or anybody else for that matter.
Russia is not taking sides against Armenia. Had Russia taken sides against Armenia, we would not have an Armenia. Remember that we are talking about a tiny, impoverished and blockaded nation that would not be able to defend itself against any of its predatory neighbors had it not been for the military and economic support it receives from Russia. The same actually applies to Artsakh. Had Russia actually been against Artsakh being under Armenian control, the situation there would have been a whole lot different today. Russia has been the only reason why an impoverished, landlocked and blockaded Armenia has been able to survive economically and maintain military parity with an oil rich Azerbaijan. Moreover, Russia is the only factor keeping western Turks on their side of the border, thereby allowing us Armenians to concentrate our limited resources on eastern Turks. This cannot be stressed enough.
To recap: Russian arms sales to Ankara and Baku does not mean Russia is abandoning Armenia. Moscow would sooner occupy Armenia than abandon it to Turks or anybody else for that matter.
Russia is not taking sides against Armenia. Had Russia taken sides against Armenia, we would not have an Armenia. Remember that we are talking about a tiny, impoverished and blockaded nation that would not be able to defend itself against any of its predatory neighbors had it not been for the military and economic support it receives from Russia. The same actually applies to Artsakh. Had Russia actually been against Artsakh being under Armenian control, the situation there would have been a whole lot different today. Russia has been the only reason why an impoverished, landlocked and blockaded Armenia has been able to survive economically and maintain military parity with an oil rich Azerbaijan. Moreover, Russia is the only factor keeping western Turks on their side of the border, thereby allowing us Armenians to concentrate our limited resources on eastern Turks. This cannot be stressed enough.
This
is the bottom line: Oil rich Baku has the money to purchase whatever it
wants, from whoever it wants. As we all know, Armenia does not have
that luxury. Russia therefore sells to Baku what its military wants to
purchase and Moscow more-or-less gives to Yerevan what Armenia's
military needs in order to counter what Baku has purchased. And, in
doing so, Moscow maintains control levers over both parties and can
therefore have a say for the situation on the ground. It's conflict management. It's realpolitik. It's that simple. Alienating
Baku will only result in Azerbaijan getting closer to Turkey, Israel
and Western powers. Russia can't allow that, nor should it. In fact,
an Azerbaijan in a Turkish, Israeli and/or Western orbit is more of a
threat to Armenia and Artsakh than an Azerbaijan in the Russian orbit.
I fully understand the fear and emotions-based argument against Moscow supplying modern weapons systems to Turkey
and/or Azerbaijan. However, I also fully understand the
sound geopolitical calculations and formulations behind such Russian
policies. Simply put: With regards to Turkey, it's merely a Russian attempt to
drive a wedge between Ankara and Anglo-American-Jews. The net result can potentially be a much weaker Turkey. It can work.
Remember the Wall Street saying: Past performances do not guarantee
future results. The failed attempt by the Bolshevik government to draw Turkey into its orbit one hundred years ago does not mean Moscow today is cursed to fail in all
its policies vis-à-vis Turkey. That was a different time period with
different geopolitical players and factors. All of Eurasia was in chaos
at the time. Empires were falling and nations were rising. Politics were in
a flux. Turkey at the time, which had a substantial Marxist movement of its own,
could have realistically gone into the Bolshevik camp. However, through the efforts of
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, it instead joined the Anglo-American-Jewish camp. In any case, that was then, this is now.
If Moscow today is able to cause a rift between Turkey and the West through megalomaniacs like President Erdogan, Turkey can run the real risk of collapse in the process because much in Turkey today is still controlled by Anglo-American-Jews. Moreover, closer Russian-Turkey relations would inevitably mean less Turkish ambitions in Russian spheres of influence like in the south Caucasus. At the end of the day, however, we must all understand that Russians and Turks are natural competitors, not friends.
During the past two
hundreds years, Russians and Turks fought around a dozen major wars.
Virtually all of the wars in question were won by Russians. The last
major war between the two powers was the Caucasus Campaign
during the First World War. This was when the Czar's Imperial army, with the help
of Caucasian Armenians, totally decimated the Ottoman Army at Sarikamish. Imperial Russian forces eventually reached as far west as
the Western Armenian cities of Erzinjan and Bitlis. Russian-Armenian forces had in fact liberated virtually all of Western Armenia
as late as autumn, 1917. The Bolshevik revolution in Moscow suddenly and
drastically reversed the situation practically overnight. Russians were forced to retreat back to Russia. The rest is history as we say. Increasing numbers of people, including Russians, are beginning to understand the negative impact the rise of Bolshevism (which was in fact primarily an anti-Russian movement) had on the entire region. More
recently, Turkish volunteers and special forces fought alongside
Islamic insurgents against Russians in southern Russia, and were again defeated by
Russia. Russia today continues to contain Turkish interests in the Crimea, the Black Sea, the
south Caucasus, the Levant and more recently in North Africa. Despite the growing economic and political
cooperation between Moscow
and Ankara these days, it is inevitable that Russia and Turkey
will sooner-or-later clash again. As long as Russia remains in the hands of Russians, Moscow will never sacrifice Armenia for short-term political and/or financial gains. It just won't happen.
So,
don't mind the nonsense about Russians "selling Armenia to Turks again", supposedly like what they did one hundred years ago. Just realize
that it is pure and utter nonsense meant to sow anti-Russian sentiments
inside Armenia's pro-Russian society. Armenia's enemies are doing this via
individuals and organizations - Sasna Dzrer, Lragir, Gala TV, Civilnet, Stepan Grigoryan, Tigran Khzmalyan, Levon Barseghyan, Levon Shirinyan, Paruyr Hayrikyan, Ara Papyan, Arkadi Vartanyan, Artur Sahakyan, Vahan Badasyan,
Azat Arshakyan - to name only a few. The aforementioned come across as
patriotic Armenians, but in reality their work directly and indirectly
serves the interests of the West and Turkey. After
30-plus years of being subjected to a persistent and relentless
disinformation campaign and Western propaganda, there are many misled
and brainwashed people throughout Armenian society today. Russophobia in
the traditionally pro-Russian country is therefore on the rise -
2011 - Global Poll Finds Strong Pro-Russian Sentiment In Armenia: https://www.rferl.org/a/pro_russia_sentiment_in_armenia/24291052.html
2017 - Majorities in Orthodox countries look to Russia to counter the West: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/05/10/9-key-findings-about-religion-and-politics-in-central-and-eastern-europe
2019 - Less than half of polled Armenians consider Russia an ally: https://www.mediamax.am/en/news/foreignpolicy/32095/
2019 - 27.6% of Armenians would gravitate towards Russia, while 36.1% of Armenians would gravitate towards European Union and United States: https://jam-news.net/survey-in-armenia-reveals-most-pressing-public-concerns-popular-officials-and-sources-of-discontent/
Armenia: Return of the Russophobes: https://hetq.am/en/article/72236
Lragir: Russia and The Armenian Genocide: http://www.lragir.am/index/eng/0/politics/view/35244
I personally don't trust what polls say as they are also tools of manipulation and
disinformation. Poll can indeed be tweaked so-to-speak to say whatever the sponsor of the poll wants it to say. However, anti-Russian sentiments, especially among
Armenia's younger and more under-educated populations, is indeed rising today.
It's rise is clearly discernible. We now hear a chorus of
complaints about the Russian Federation, as well as insults directed
towards Russian officials. Many of Armenia's problems, past and current,
are being blamed on Russia. The chorus conductors are of course
Western agents and organizations operating inside Armenia today. We as a
people have become too accustomed to blaming others
for all our problems, flaws, setbacks, defeats and mistakes. What we need to do is to better understand who we are, who our friends are and who are our enemies are. We need self-reflection and self-scrutiny. What we also need to do is to better understand the political world we live in. More importantly, we need to better understand Russian society, Russian culture, Russian mentality - as well as the inner workings of Russian politics.
We need to rally our assets in the Russian Federation and get active
in Moscow's political life. Turks and Azeris are the ones doing this, not us.
We need to become an important part of the political and cultural landscape in Russia. We supposedly are the intelligent ones and Turks/Azeris are the stupid ones,
but they are the ones acting intelligent and we are the ones acting
stupid. By concentrating our collective efforts on kissing Western
behinds - to make few dollars and supposedly show Russia that
Armenia has "options" which in reality Armenia does not, who are we therefore fooling(?) - we are in-effect not improving our alliance with our strategic partner to the north, as well as Iran.
By
neglecting to deepen our relationship with the Russian Bear, we are
in-effect making matters worst for ourselves.
With all that said, as in any relationship, there obviously are some flaws in the relationship between Russia and Armenia. The following in my opinion are some of the reasons why we have such flaws: As noted above, Armenians as a collective body have failed to become a noticeable presence within Moscow's political power-centers. Perhaps we foolishly/naively assumed that lobbying efforts in Moscow was not necessary since the Russian Federation is a strategic ally. Perhaps because Russia, underdeveloped compared to the Western world, is not as attractive for our Chobans-in-Armani suits and Neo-Bolsheviks. The ladder is in my opinion why our idiots have mostly concentrated on establishing closer relations with the Western world. It's about personal enrichment, materialism and "shopping". Russians, for their part, have also somewhat neglected their little ally in the south Caucasus. Perhaps because Russians assume that Armenia is a very dependent ally and will therefore remain an ally no matter what Moscow does. Perhaps also because Russia has so many other serious problems to contend with that they are not giving priority to their alliance with Armenia. Essentially, both sides may be sure of each others fidelity, both sides may therefore be neglecting each other as a result. Therefore, both sides are fundamentally wrong in my opinion. That said, I think Armenians are more at fault because the Armenian side is the much smaller and much weaker side that cannot afford to make such mistakes. Armenia must place all its emphasis and its limited resources on establishing an effective and permanent presence inside the walls of the Kremlin. We as a people need the foresight and wisdom to fix these flaws that exists between our peoples instead of aggravating them and making them worst.
With all that said, as in any relationship, there obviously are some flaws in the relationship between Russia and Armenia. The following in my opinion are some of the reasons why we have such flaws: As noted above, Armenians as a collective body have failed to become a noticeable presence within Moscow's political power-centers. Perhaps we foolishly/naively assumed that lobbying efforts in Moscow was not necessary since the Russian Federation is a strategic ally. Perhaps because Russia, underdeveloped compared to the Western world, is not as attractive for our Chobans-in-Armani suits and Neo-Bolsheviks. The ladder is in my opinion why our idiots have mostly concentrated on establishing closer relations with the Western world. It's about personal enrichment, materialism and "shopping". Russians, for their part, have also somewhat neglected their little ally in the south Caucasus. Perhaps because Russians assume that Armenia is a very dependent ally and will therefore remain an ally no matter what Moscow does. Perhaps also because Russia has so many other serious problems to contend with that they are not giving priority to their alliance with Armenia. Essentially, both sides may be sure of each others fidelity, both sides may therefore be neglecting each other as a result. Therefore, both sides are fundamentally wrong in my opinion. That said, I think Armenians are more at fault because the Armenian side is the much smaller and much weaker side that cannot afford to make such mistakes. Armenia must place all its emphasis and its limited resources on establishing an effective and permanent presence inside the walls of the Kremlin. We as a people need the foresight and wisdom to fix these flaws that exists between our peoples instead of aggravating them and making them worst.
While Armenia's military is Yerevan's
tactical advantage on the battlefield, Armenia's alliance with the
Russian Bear has to be made Yerevan's strategic advantage on the world stage. Russians for their part must
realize that Armenia's internal problems are being exploited by
Western and Turkish interests and are being used against Russia's presence in
Armenia. Russian officials must realize that the situation in Armenia
may get worst in the future because Western propaganda machine is
targeting
Armenia's "independence" generation (i.e. its Westernized youth).
Yes, there are flaws in the relationship between Russia and Armenia as there are flaws in any
relationship. But instead of complaining, panicking and fear-mongering and running to Western powers for protection - which is
becoming a popular pass-time in Armenian society today -
Armenians should
embark on a pan-national effort to fix whatever flaws that exist between
Moscow
and Yerevan. Instead
of getting emotional or hysterical or hateful or fearful, Armenians should instead
seek to embark on a pan-national lobbying agenda in Moscow designed to
offset any potential
negative outcomes that may result because of, say, better Russian-Turkish
or Russian-Azeri relations. We Armenians have the intelligence as well as the human assets on the ground in the Russian Federation to do this. It's simply not being done. It's simply not in our DNA. Knowing our people, Armenians will just sit back and panic and complain and of course fall victim to Western manipulation. Knowing our people, Armenians will wake-up and get serious when it's too late. And speaking of waking up too late, Cold War relics like the Mirror Spectator's Edmond Azadian seems to have just woken-up. For a long time Azadian's weekly newspaper regularly fear-mongered about Russians and
Russia. Now, after the unexpected rise of Western-backed Russophobes in Yerevan, Azadian is finally recognizing that it may not actually be a good idea to
piss-off Russians -
"Armenia Could Be Left in the Cold with Growing Turkish, Russian Ties": https://mirrorspectator.com/2019/01/31/armenia-could-be-left-in-the-cold-with-growing-turkish-russian-ties/
Azadian,
and many others like him, are living proof that Armenians wake-up when it's too
late. Like a troubled child that does not want to
listen to advice from elders about the dangers of putting one's hand
into fire, Armenians will play with fire until the fire burns them. Like
the Armenian saying goes - Հայերը արթնանում են երբ դանակը ոսկորին է
հասնում (translated: Armenians wake up when the knife reaches the bone).
Generally speaking, Armenians
(regardless of education and/or wealth) can't see past their hate, jealousy
and/or egos... that is until they hit rock bottom. Our people's general lack of political literacy, farsighted and pragmatism is why we as a people will remain at the mercy of
historical circumstances and tendencies. We will not therefore have
the country that we want, we will have a county that will be given to
us. The only thing that will keep
our nation-state alive for the foreseeable future in a nasty place like
the south Caucasus is Armenia's geostrategic importance to the Kremlin
(i.e. how Russians assess Armenia's alliance). Once we as a people lose
Russia's interest or favor (i.e. once Armenia's Western
fetish becomes a serious problem for Russia) we will lose our statehood once
again. Not saying this to upset anyone. This is simply our reality.
Let's fully understand it. Let's accept it. Let us as a people work on
making the best of it.
Many
of my readers mistakenly think that when I talk about deepening or improving Armenia's ties
with Russia, I am talking about total appeasement and servitude to Russians. No, I'm
literally talking about deepening, improving, developing, nurturing Armenia's ties to Russia. I am talking about creating a situation in Moscow where Armenia's
prosperity and strength will be seen to also benefit Russia. Unfortunately,
very few Armenians alive today seem to actually understand this. When
it comes to Russian-Armenian relations, there are two fundamental types
of Armenians today: Servants, who sit back and wait for orders from
the Kremlin and Western agents, who are doing their best to drive a
wedge between Moscow and Yerevan and destroy Armenia. We today do
not have a society that is rational, farsighted, pragmatic and genuinely
nationalistic. And our pathetic state officials - all of them from
1991 to today - are a close reflection of this 30 year old post-Soviet civilizational decay.
In any case, the Russian Federation today is intentionally, by actual design, making sure Armenia survives in a dangerous place like the south Caucasus. This Russian factor in the south Caucasus is the fundamental reason why we have an Armenia today. This is the fundamental reason why we have had a significant Armenian presence in the south Caucasus during the past two hundred years. The aforementioned cannot be stressed enough. Once we begin suffering serious political setbacks and defeats on the battlefield, we will see our self-destructive peasantry again start crying and complaining that things are not going our way. We will go on, as usual, blaming others (primarily Russians) for all our failures. In fact, Nikol has already started blaming Russia for any future setbacks in Artsakh. On more than one occasion Nikol has insinuated that any major military attack against Armenia by Azerbaijan will ultimately be Russia's fault -
Russia Can Prevent Karabakh War, Says Pashinian: https://www.azatutyun.am/a/29378782.html
And then, he suddenly turns around and basically tries to provoke a war -
Armenia’s prime minister controversially declared that “Karabakh is Armenia - period”: https://eurasianet.org/azerbaijan-escalates-punctuation-war-with-armenia
In
American idiom, Nikol is basically preparing his field of play and
covering his ass. Nikol may in fact be meticulously preparing Armenians for setbacks
in Artsakh, which he will then of course put the blame on Russia. I
think his recent comment "Artsakh is Armenia, period", which surprised
many, may somehow be connected to such a plan.
This so-called Prime Minister of Armenia is either an imbecile (which
is very dangerous for Armenia) or something sinister is in the works
(which is equally dangerous for Armenia). Nevertheless,
Nikol's comment about Artsakh which expectedly titillated many of our
politically illiterate and hopelessly emotional patriotic peasantry was both
politically irresponsible and dangerous. We all know that Artsakh is
Armenia, so do Westerners, so do Russians, so do Turks, so do Azeris. But that is not how it works in international politics, negotiations or
diplomacy. By publicly claiming Artsakh, Nikol is basically
validating Baku's claims that Armenia has designs on Azerbaijan's
internationally recognized territory. By doing so, Nikol is undermining
Official Yerevan's twenty-plus year effort to maintain the current
status quo which, in the big picture, is favorable for Armenia.
In
any case, to see where his heart and mind really were, Nikol should
have been asked the following question right after he made that
populistic yet politically risky statement about Artsakh: "Mr. Prime Minister, are the Armenian
controlled territories outside of the internationally recognized borders
of Artsakh also part of Armenia?" That, folks, would have been an
answer to behold. In any case, let's recall that Nikol has also made
many contradictory and downright confusing statements regarding Artsakh.
Therefore, anything this man says about Artsakh should be taken with a
significant amount of suspicion and skepticism.
Let's also never forget that the “Russian presence in Armenia is bad for Turkey”
Until very recently, it was quite common to hear from our professional Russophobes and neo-Trotskyites (e,g, Gary Kasparov, Igor Muradyan, Tigran Khzmalyan, Garegin Chukazyan, Paruyr Hayrikyan, Arkadi Vardanyan, Stepan Grigoryan, Hakob Badalyan and others) that serious geopolitical changes would be taking place in the world in the next ten years or so and that Russia will be defeated in the end. Incidentally, I believe that those behind clowns like Gary Kasparov, who is associated with the Council on Foreign Relations, are more-or-less the same Western/Globalist/Internationalist interests that are also behind all of our professional Russophobes and Trotskyites today. Like spiritually dead members of an utterly evil cult that has tentacles all around the world, our Trotskyites (many of whom are of course Russian speaking) are convinced that the Russian Federation, which under President Putin broke from the Western-backed Globalists that had come back to power in the 1990s, will be defeated once again. To neo-Bolshevik/Trotskyites of the world today, President Putin is the reincarnation of Joseph Stalin. This is why it is common to hear them say their problem is not with the Russian nation per se, which they claim to love, but with President Vladimir Putin and his Russian imperialism. These neo-Bolshevik agents therefore claim to want to save Armenia by making Yerevan break its ties with Moscow. Incidentally, many of these anti-Russian neo-Trotskyites are also very critical of Nikol's government. The reason for this is quite obvious. Although Russian-Armenian relations are at a low point today, not only has he not even attempted to breakaway from Moscow, Nikol has in-effect made Armenia even more dependent on Russia. There would naturally be some push-back -
Although there are a shitload of Western and Turkish agents running around Armenia today, there is nothing in Official Yerevan to even remotely suggest that there will be any changes in Armenia's pro-Russian geopolitical vector/orientation in the foreseeable future. As we can see with the link above, Yerevan's inability to break with Moscow is the reason why our Western and Turkish agents, as well as some of our neo-Trotskyites, dislike Nikol. Nikol's inability to break with Moscow has also given rise to a number of rumors and conspiracy theories suggesting that Nikol may be a Russian agent. Personally, I remain open to such suggestions. Time will tell who or what Nikol really is. We don't need time however to know exactly who our professional Russophobes are and what they really want. We know exactly who our anti-Russian activists are. And what they are advancing is basically a Western and Turkish backed agenda that is at its very core an anti-Armenian agenda.Sasna Tserer Party to Seek Fresh Elections: https://mirrorspectator.com/2020/01/02/sasna-tserer-party-to-seek-fresh-elections/
That Anglo-American-Jews and their servants are steering the world toward uncharted territory and that we are in the midst of a hybrid world war today is well known to many political observers. What's obviously not known however is whether Russia (or Western powers for that matter) will be destroyed in the end. Call me biased, call me a Russophile, call me a Russian imperialist, but I am pretty confident that Russia won't be the one destroyed in the end. Signs on the ground validate my claims -
Putin’s Good Year Keeps Getting Better: https://www.wsj.com/articles/putins-good-year-keeps-getting-better-11574696041
Amid Iran Crisis, Russia’s Mideast Presence Just Keeps Growing: https://www.thedailybeast.com/amid-iran-crisis-russias-mideast-presence-just-keeps-growing
Russia Is the Only Winner in Syria: https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/10/30/russia-is-the-only-winner-in-syria
In any case, all this talk about "Russia will be defeated","Russia will be destroyed" is a moot point anyway because Armenia does not have choice in the matter. Surrounded by Turkic and Islamic predators, Armenia has no choice but to firmly remain within Russia's political. economic and military orbit, for better or for worst. Armenians would do well to recognize that if Russia was somehow forced to retreat out of the south Caucasus, the area will turn back into a Turkic/Islamic cesspool overnight regardless of how close or warm Armenia's relations are the Western world. No Western official is going to lift a finger to save Armenia from any of the region's predators. That's a fact. After Armenians, Russia is the ONLY country on earth that will willingly shed the blood of its young men and women to protect Armenia from regional predators. Let me put this another way: Look at all the military, political and financial sacrifices Russia has made for a relatively faraway country like Syria and imagine how much more it would do for an allied Armenia that is practically right on its vulnerable southern border.Oliver Stone: United States is ‘the Evil Empire’: https://sputniknews.com/us/202001311078189951-oliver-stone-united-states-is-the-evil-empire/
As it has been for the past two hundred years, it is today: The Russian factor in Armenia helps the country survive in one of the most complex and hostile political environments in the world. At the end of the day, not the Diaspora but Russia is the single most important factor in Armenia's life today. This cannot be stressed enough. This should be recognized by all Armenians, including Diasporans and this should be worked on. In other words, we need organized lobbying efforts in Moscow to deepen the alliance. Yet, all we hear from the "Armenian Street" in recent years is calls to oust the Russian military presence from within Armenia. Such suicidal calls has gained momentum since Nikol's NED and Soros funded rise to power. Here are some of the professional smut-peddlers (some of whom are often quoted in the Turkish/Azeri news media) preaching virtues of Russophobia to Armenians -
Tigran Khzmalyan: Armenia is under Russian occupation: https://www.turan.az/ext/news/2019/2/free/Interview/en/78760.htm
Jirair Sefilian calls the ouster of Russian troops from Armenia and a revolution in Artsakh: http://www.1tv.am/hy/vide
Garegin Chugaszyan: Armenia should review presence of Russian military base in the country: https://www.aysor.am/en/news/2018/09/29/garegin-chugaszyan/1471394
Լևոն Շիրինյան. Ռուսաստանը մեզնից կախված է, կարող ենք բարձրացնել Գյումրիի ռազմաբազայի հարցը: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzfiNBNvii8
Արա Պապյան. Ռուսական ռազմաբազայի հզորացումն ընդդեմ Հայաստանի․ «Այլ երկրների համար դառնում ենք թիրախ»: https://www.newsinfo.am/arm/article/view/4kxOE97SqP
George Friedman: “Russian presence in Armenia is bad for Turkey”: http://theriseofrussia. blogspot.com/2010/11/arye-gut- israeli-jewish-expert-in.html
Turkish Advice: Armenian diaspora, focus on Russia rather than Turkey! http://www.hurriyetdailynews. com/armenian-diaspora-focus- on-russia-rather-than-turkey
Stratfor: buffer zone against Russia should be created in Caucasus: http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/world/news/57183/STRATFOR_buffer_zone_against_Russia_should_be_created_in_Caucasus
Time for change in Turkish-Armenian relations: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/analysis/time-for-change-in-turkish-armenian-relations/1462750
US Ads: Growing alliance between Russia, Armenia troubling: http://www.dailysabah.com/politics/2016/04/20/growing-alliance-between-russia-armenia-troubling-us-ads
Paul Goble: ‘Russia has De Facto Occupied Armenia,’ Yerevan Expert Says: http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2015/10/russia-has-de-facto-occupied-armenia.html
Richard Giragosian: My work with the Turkish government is in support of normalizing relations: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2cz9vw_adnan-oktar-s-live-discussion-on-a9-tv-with-richard-giragosian-director-of-the-armenian-think-tank-r_news
Kenneth Yalowitz: Expanding NATO-Armenia cooperation to boost Armenia's security: https://armenpress.am/eng/news/853610/expanding-nato-armenia-cooperation-to-boost-armenia’s-security---kenneth-yalowitz.html
Leaked memo reveals Turkish military operation plan against Armenia: https://armenpress.am/eng/news/996991
As Stratfor's George Friedman candidly says: "Russian presence in Armenia is bad for Turkey". And as the Hürriyet's Barcin Yinanc slyly advises: "Focus on Russia rather than Turkey!"
They can't make it any clearer. They want Armenians to expel the Russian presence from Armenia. Why would Turks and their supporters in the Anglo-American-Jewish world want to see this? Is it not obvious? Pushing Russians out of Armenia will inevitably make Yerevan subservient to Ankara. Amazingly, many Armenians today do not seem to comprehend this. While Western officials keep our peasantry preoccupied with silly things like "gay rights", "war on corruption", "civil society" and "free elections", driving Russia out of Armenia and keeping Armenia politically and economically isolated has been their ultimate goal. Therefore, it would be wise to look past the lofty rhetoric of Western-financed Russophobes in Armenia and realize that their main goal is and has always been to pull Armenia out of the Russian orbit and make Yerevan subservient to Anglo-American-Jewish and Turkish interests. Listening closely to Armenia's professional Russophobes one immediately recognizes this Turco-Western agenda. Keep this in mind for the next time you hear similar nonsense.
They can't make it any clearer. They want Armenians to expel the Russian presence from Armenia. Why would Turks and their supporters in the Anglo-American-Jewish world want to see this? Is it not obvious? Pushing Russians out of Armenia will inevitably make Yerevan subservient to Ankara. Amazingly, many Armenians today do not seem to comprehend this. While Western officials keep our peasantry preoccupied with silly things like "gay rights", "war on corruption", "civil society" and "free elections", driving Russia out of Armenia and keeping Armenia politically and economically isolated has been their ultimate goal. Therefore, it would be wise to look past the lofty rhetoric of Western-financed Russophobes in Armenia and realize that their main goal is and has always been to pull Armenia out of the Russian orbit and make Yerevan subservient to Anglo-American-Jewish and Turkish interests. Listening closely to Armenia's professional Russophobes one immediately recognizes this Turco-Western agenda. Keep this in mind for the next time you hear similar nonsense.
Westerners and Turks know (obviously a lot better than Armenians today) that Armenia simply can't survive without Russia. They know that once Russia is forced out of Armenia, Armenia will be at their mercy. They also know that Armenia's "independence" from Russia will mean Armenia's dependence on Turkey. Russians have been warning us in this regard -
NGOs, mass media “fed” by West are trying to destroy age-long Russian-Armenian relations: Russian embassy: https://www.aysor.am/en/news/2019/10/31/russian-embassy/1623746
Russian General Leonid Ivashov: Turkey Seeks Separation Between Russia and Armenia: http://news.am/eng/news/36696.html
If however Armenians insist on acting psychotic and self-destructive and continue recklessly playing with the health and well-being of the Armenian republic - in a Turkic-Islamic environment nonetheless - I would much rather Armenia become a province within the Russian Federation instead.
In closing this topic of discussion, I'd like to say that the current warming of Russian-Turkish relations is definitely something for us Armenians to monitor closely but nothing to fear. It will not last long. It will remain superficial while it lasts. In the meanwhile, the more dependent Ankara becomes on Moscow, less likely will it have a Pan-Turkic or Pan-Islamic appetite in the Caucasus. There are a few Armenians that understand this. The more dependent Ankara becomes on Moscow, the less threatening will it be, at least in former Soviet territory. The more dependent Ankara becomes to Moscow, less likely will it pose a direct threat to Armenia itself. This topic of Russian-Turkish relations should also help Armenians realize/recognize the fundamental need to embark on a pan-national lobbying effort within the halls of the Kremlin on behalf of Armenia's national interests - instead of simply hoping or praying that things go our way. Instead of fear-mongering and sowing panic over warming Russian-Turkish relations, we should be attempting to exploit our human assets throughout the Russian Federation for the benefit of the Armenian state.
Armenians are disproportionately represented in the highest and most important sectors of Russian society today. There are nearly three million Armenians living in Russia. Russian-Armenians are by-far the most affluent Armenian Diaspora and they have direct ties/links to the Armenian homeland. We need to tap into this. We can become in Russia what Jews are in the United States.
At the end of the day, while we as a people need to recognize that Russia is our natural ally as well as the civilizational orbit we need to be a part of, we also need to recognize that technical details such as the "territories" outside of the internationally recognized borders of Artsakh and nation-building in Armenia is OUR responsibility and not that of Russians or anybody else's. Similarly, while Russia protects our border against a large and powerful enemy like Turkey, it is OUR responsibility as a people to create a professional and powerful military to protect Armenia and Artsakh at least against Azerbaijan. As I see it, when it comes to such matters, we are being incompetent. And speaking of political incompetence, the Foreign Minister appointed by Nikol recently had an embarrassing appearance on the world stage.
F.M. Mnatsakanyan's embarrassing appearance on BBC ultimately because of "complimentary politics"
We Armenians have been whoring ourselves to the Anglo-American-Jewish world for nearly 30 years, and all we have been getting in return is insults and rejection and an occasional bribe thrown our way (of course packaged as aid/grant) to make us keep coming back for more insults and rejections. Official Yerevan's "Complimentary Politics" - the stupid idea that a tiny, landlocked and impoverished Armenia located in a traditionally Russian sphere can somehow serve two rival superpowers, Russia and Western powers, at the same time - has essentially pushed Armenia into a position of a desperate prostitute torn between two competing pimps. The following is little parable for those who have difficulty understanding geopolitics and international relations:
There once lived a little, ambitious prostitute called Armenia. She was a petite girl, who would constantly daydream about living the good life. She was also a bit emotionally unstable. Being that she lived in a very poor and violent town, she naturally had a pimp to watch over her and manage her services. Her pimp was a strong, burly guy named Rusa. They two had known each other their entire lives. In fact, they had practically grown up together. Armenia felt confident that Rusa was strong enough and well connected enough to protect her from all the criminals and thugs in the poor town that they lived in. Armenia also knew that Rusa had feelings towards her. Rusa had actually wanted a relationship with her. He even told her this on more than one occasion. Armenia however preferred to keep Rusa at an arms length. Why? Because Armenia was not very satisfied or impressed with Rusa's demeanor, looks and wealth. Rusa basically looked and acted like a redneck. He was not very wealthy, liked to drink, drove around in a used SUV and he was at times a bit rough with her. However, she knew that he truly cared for her. As time passed, Armenia eventually ran into another pimp that was visiting her neighborhood from a far way town while Rusa was away because of some problems he had gotten into. The new pimp's name was Amero. He was very wealthy, cunning, flamboyant, lived life lavishly and he gave out a new type of drug for free. Armenia loved it. Unlike Rusa, Amero also drove a fancy car, dressed well and acted very sophisticated around the ladies. Armenia soon found herself increasingly enamored with Amero. She also soon got hooked on the new drug Amero had brought to town. She really wanted to work for him, and even dreamed of being his lover. Amero however didn't care much about Armenia. For Amero, Armenia was just another street girl he could exploit to make a little extra money and push out his competition, which in Armenia's poor neighborhood was Rusa. Commitments or special treatment towards Armenia were out of the question as far as Amero was concerned. In other words, Amero was in town strictly for business. Moreover, Amero had a large number of other whores at his disposal that were much more attractive than Armenia. Why should he have chosen a little whore with mediocre looks, emotional issues and a drug addition to be his lover? Amero therefore rejected all of Armenia's sexual advances. Armenia thus found herself torn between what she had, a friendly but rough pimp who lived inside her dangerous neighborhood and really cared for her and what she desired, a wealthy pimp with a fancy car and sophisticated mannerisms that lived far away but had no intentions of taking her seriously. More importantly, Armenia refused to admit to herself that Amero could not protect her from the criminals and thugs that lived in her neighborhood not only because he lived far away but also because he actually had business relations with the criminal elements in her town. In other words, Armenia was literally a nobody for Amero. Yet, she still tried to gain his favor. And Amero rejected every attempt. Immediately after returning to town, Rusa found out what was happening between Armenia and Amero. Needless to say, he was very upset and felt deeply betrayed. He had after all known Armenia his entire life, and on several occasions he had saved her life. However, with Armenia's constant antics, temper tantrums, complaining, materialism, and her emotional instability in general, Rusa grew increasingly angry and disillusioned, and eventually lost his interest in the little prostitute called Armenia. The end...
Interview of Armenia’s Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan to BBC HardTalk’s Stephen Sackur: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJTGRiBCRkw
Exactly!!!
This is exactly what I have been telling our idiots for over 10 years now. You can't serve two masters, especially when the masters in question are competing against each-other. You can't stand in the middle of the road, especially when you are a small, weak, inexperienced, poor, remote and landlocked nation surrounded by enemies. All in all, our Foreign Minister should have understood that rejection and ridicule is what you get when you stand in the middle of the road and try to serve two competing masters. All in all, it was a well deserved public relations disaster for Nikol's government. I'll let others talk in detail about technical/tactical issues regarding Mnatsakanyan's very embarrassing performance -
I will approach this matter my way. As we now keep seeing over-and-over
again, Yerevan's so-called "Complimentary Politics" is NOT working. In
reality, it was doomed to failure from the very beginning. A small and weak
nation cannot serve two, competing superpowers at the same time. It will
NOT work. It is in fact anti-Armenian in nature. We need to chose a
side, and we know exactly what side we need to chose. By foolishly
opening up Armenia to the Anglo-American-Jewish alliance, as a way to
"counterbalance Russian influence" in Armenia, Official Yerevan is
allowing armies of Western financed activists and agents to pour into
Armenia and set deep roots in the country. This is a serious long-term
threat to the very existence of Armenia as a nation-state. These
Western
assets now deeply embedded in the country are already starting to bare
toxic fruit. This overexposure to
Western powers is ultimately why Armenia's strategic ally Russia, most
probably Iran as well, are developing serious apprehension towards
Armenian officials. Opening Armenia up to Western interests has also
resulted in the decline of Armenian culture.
This is exactly what I have been telling our idiots for over 10 years now. You can't serve two masters, especially when the masters in question are competing against each-other. You can't stand in the middle of the road, especially when you are a small, weak, inexperienced, poor, remote and landlocked nation surrounded by enemies. All in all, our Foreign Minister should have understood that rejection and ridicule is what you get when you stand in the middle of the road and try to serve two competing masters. All in all, it was a well deserved public relations disaster for Nikol's government. I'll let others talk in detail about technical/tactical issues regarding Mnatsakanyan's very embarrassing performance -
BBC-ի հարցազրույցում նախարարն ի ցույց դրեց ՀՀ արտաքին քաղաքականության սնանկությունը. Արմեն Այվազյան
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbLvMlxpL4w
Մնացականյանը պարտավոր է վերադիտել իր հարցազրույցը և հրաժարական տալ, այսպիսի ԱԳ նախարարի շռայլություն թույլ տալու իրավունք չունի Հայաստանը. Հայկ Մարտիրոսյան (տեսանյութ)
https://www.tert.am/am/news/2019/10/26/martirosyan/3126462
Մնացականյանը ոչ թե Փաշինյանի, այլ Ալիևի արտգործանախարարն էhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zAvtKDhVqU
Equally concerning is the significant rise in anti-Russian attitudes - in a country nonetheless that is DESPERATELY dependent on Russia for survival. Although Nikol is doing his best to appease the Russian Bear through lip-service, he has allowed the country to actually be overrun with professional Russophobes, including George Soros agents. Since Nikol's rise to power, a persistent and ubiquitous anti-Russian disinformation campaign can be heard throughout Armenian society. Russian officials have been warning us about this -
NGOs, mass media “fed” by West are trying to destroy age-long Russian-Armenian relations: Russian embassy: https://www.aysor.am/en/news/2019/10/31/russian-embassy/1623746
Russian Embassy in Armenia comments on desecration of Griboyedov's statue: https://news.am/eng/news/547754.html
Russia Wants to Curtail Western Military Presence In Armenia: http://asbarez.com/176801/russia-wants-to-curtail-western-military-presence-in-armenia/
Revolution is the new black: How Western money funds overthrow-your-government classes: https://www.rt.com/news/451372-camp-yerevan-protests-us-money/
Russia concerned that pro-Westerners will dominate next Armenia parliament: https://news.am/eng/news/483700.html
Armenia: Return of the Russophobes: https://hetq.am/en/article/72236
Lragir: Russia and The Armenian Genocide: http://www.lragir.am/index/eng/0/politics/view/35244
The U.S. Alliance With Turkey Is Worth Preserving: https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/03/19/the-u-s-alliance-with-turkey-is-worth-preserving/
Why the West Needs Azerbaijan: https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/05/28/why-the-west-needs-azerbaijan/
For me, the tragedy we have been watching take place in Armenia in the post-Soviet period is related to our age old desire to establish close relations with Rome (i.e. the Western world). As was Rome in its time, Western powers today are a toxic entity and they remain far away from the Armenian highlands. In all reality, the Western world could careless if Armenia disappeared from the world map today. This burning desire among Armenians however to "join the Western world" is seriously hindering our ability as a nation to build closer, deeper, more meaningful and more efficient relations with the two most important countries for Armenia today - Russia and Iran. Russia and Iran are two friendly countries right within Armenia's neighborhood. Russia and Iran are two friendly countries that actually have a vested interest in Armenia's survival in the south Caucasus. Armenian-Iranian relations go back thousands of years. Relations between the two neighbors have generally been warm and friendly. More importantly, Iran's border with Armenia is one of merely two routes Armenia has to the outside world. Russian-Armenian relations go back over two hundred years. Russia today is Armenia's only real lifeline, politically, militarily and economically. Russia in fact one of the few countries on earth actually interested in Armenia made products -
Footwear, textile, food products: demand for Armenian goods remains high in Russian market: https://armenpress.am/eng/news/998597/
So, yes, Artsakh is Armenia. Period. But without Russia there is no Armenia or Artsakh. Period.
Russia and Iran provide Armenia with a historic opportunity to protect Armenia's borders from regional predators, insulate it's culture from Westernization/Globalization as well as develop and grow Armenia minuscule economy at the same time. Despite all this, Armenians as a people/nation continue looking to the West for guidance, inspiration and sustenance. I guess for Armenians the appearance of Kim Kardashian's big shiny ass at the genocide memorial is too alluring, the prospect of hosting a McDonald in Yerevan is too fascinating and enjoying the sights of large numbers of Indians and homosexuals on the streets of Yerevan is too important to actually secure Armenia's future by distancing Armenia from Western toxicity and deepening Armenia's ties to Russia and Iran. Someone please remind me, what does the West have that Armenia actually needs or vice-versa? Whatever it is - and I really can't think of anything important - is it really worth not properly developing Armenia's ties with Russia and Iran for it? Our fetish with the Western world is distracting us from securing Armenia's future. Armenia is a nation of very limited resources.
Our efforts to establish closer relations with the Western world is diluting our abilities as a people to deepen relations with strategic partners such as Russia and Iran.
The south Caucasus is a Russian sphere of control. No Russia in the
south Caucasus means no Armenia in the south Caucasus. Period. Armenians
would do well to look at the plight of Kurds and draw some conclusions. "Kurdistan's" existence in Syria ended overnight. Their Western allies
abandoned them in the middle of the night. Why? Essentially because
Kurds are a group that also does not
understand geopolitics. I'm afraid we Armenians are not much better. The
reason
why we Armenians have a republic and a national cultural to speak of
today, and Kurds, Yezdis and Assyrians for example don't, is because we
Armenians were lucky enough to have lived closer to Russian borders than the aforementioned and because over two hundred years ago some Armenians were smart enough to look to Russia for help.
Simply put: Our proximity to the
Russian nation during the past two hundred years gave us the opportunity
and the ability to reestablish ourselves as a nation after hundreds of years of
living as second class subjects in Islamic lands. Had we lived a little
further way from Russia, we today would most likely be in the same
situation as
Assyrians and Kurds, that is if we still existed.
The fundamental/elemental problem we have today is this: We are being torn apart essentially because we are a country that lives because of its ties with Russia but we are also a country that is enthusiastically allowing Western interests to establish a firm foothold in the country. Armenian officials need to understand that one CANNOT serve two masters at the same time. We today are sowing the seeds of Armenia's eventual defeat on the world stage. At the end of the day, my concern is Armenia. As I have said in the past, I am pro-Russian because I am pro-Armenian. Period.
Memorial to Garegin Nzhdeh has no place in Russia, and thank God for Russian chauvinism
We recently saw a very good example of how politically immature, illiterate and irrational we Armenians can be as a people. There is a memorial plaque honoring two famous Armenian military leaders, Andranik Ozanyan and Garegin Nzhdeh, in the Russian city of Armavir where large numbers of Armenians live. Perhaps goaded by Azeris, Garegin Nzhdeh, the great military leader and nationalistic philosopher caught the attention of local Russian nationalists. And this is the problem: While Garegin Nzhdeh is one of our great nationalistic figures in Armenian history and a man solely responsible for saving the strategic Armenian province of Syunik from the Bolshevik cutting board, he would nevertheless also be considered a very controversial figure in Russian society because he (along with other exiled leaders like General Drastamat Kanayan) openly collaborated with Nazi Germany during the Second World War. They collaborated with Nazi Germany for one fundamental purpose, to free Armenia from Soviet rule. It was a very risky move, but Garegin Nzhdeh and his exiled comrades hoped to be given charge of Armenian affairs in case Nazi Germany succeeded in driving the Soviets out of the south Caucasus. Until early 1943, this was a very real possibility. The well known Battle of Stalingrad however turned the tide of the war and by 1945 Nazi Germany was totally destroyed.
That being said, it is totally understandable that the actions of men like Garegin Nzhdeh and Drastamat Kanayan would NEVER be appreciated, accepted or justified by any self-respecting segment of Russian society, a society that suffered years of utter deprivation and tens-of-millions of killed due to the Nazi invasion. Therefore, it is the very height of stupidity to put up a memorial to Garegin Nzhdeh in Russia and expect Russians to accept it, especially since similar characters and vandalism of Soviet monuments are constantly being used by Western interests to stoke tensions between eastern Europeans and Russians. Therefore, it came as no surprise that a local Russian official recently vandalized the memorial to Garegin Nzhdeh. It should also be noted that the adjacent memorial to General Andranik Ozanyan was left untouched. See articles below for details. The local official apparently did what he did after the municipality wanted the memorial to Garegin Nzhdeh removed and the Armenian community responsible for the memorial seemed to be ignoring them. Needless to say, Azeris have been very happy about all this -
Russian MP Vandalizes Garegin Njdeh’s Memorial In Russia: https://zartonkmedia.com/2019/11/14/russian-mp-vandalizes-garegin-njdehs-memorial-in-russia/
Мемориальная доска Гарегина Нжде в Армавире временно демонтирована: https://arcakh24.info/memorialnaja-doska-garegina-nzhde-v-armavire-vremenno-demontirovana
As if all this was not enough, a memorial in Yerevan to a very famous Russian was vandalized in response by a self-proclaimed "nationalist" -
Son of Armenian nationalist party head dumps paint on Griboyedov monument in response to act of vandalism in Russia: https://jam-news.net/son-of-armenian-nationalist-party-head-dumps-paint-on-griboyedov-monument-in-response-to-act-of-vandalism-in-russia/amp/
Russian Embassy in Armenia comments on desecration of Griboyedov's statue: https://news.am/eng/news/547754.html
The
memorial statue that this idiot in Yerevan vandalized was none-other
than the great Russian composer, playwright, poet and statesmen who in
1829 was killed by a Persian mob because he was trying to protect two
Armenian women who had just escaped from a Persian harem and were being
sheltered in the Russian Embassy in Tehran -
Incidentally, a memorable scene from a well known Russian film depicts the time when the Persian Shah sent an official delegation to Saint Petersburg to apologize for the murder of the Russian ambassador by the Persian mob -In 1829, Alexander Griboyedov became the first Russian ambassador to be assassinated when he sheltered Armenian women who had escaped from the Shah’s harem: https://www.thevintagenews.com/2016/12/23/in-1829-alexander-griboyedov-became-the-first-russian-ambassador-to-be-assassinated-when-he-sheltered-armenian-women-who-had-escaped-from-the-shahs-harem/
In any case, if any of this is what "Armenian nationalism" is all about, I rather renounce my nationality. The "nationalists" we have running around the country today are generally speaking either Western mercenaries or simply a disgusting bunch of self-destructive peasants. These two kinds of "nationalism" poses a greater threat to the health and longevity of Armenia than the standing armies of Turkey and Azerbaijan combined. And regardless of what they now have to say about this incident involving the monument to Ambassador Alexander Griboyedov (Nikol for his credit did speak well about the matter), Nikol and company are ultimately at fault here. Ultimately, mentally disturbed Russophobes and Western mercenaries are growing in number throughout Armenian society and are now beginning to feel emboldened because of today's government and because Armenia has been turned into a playground for Western interests. This is not so much about Nikol himself (he may as some have theorized yet prove to be a Russian asset), this is ultimately about the multitude of professional Russophobes that Nikol and company have brought into government and the freehand they have given Western activists and agents operating inside Armenia.A Monumental Scene from Russian Ark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04oFN8D6IO0
Nevertheless, this is my question: Why are we erecting monuments to OUR national heroes who for whatever reason collaborated with NAZI Germany and doing so IN RUSSIA of all places?!
This makes absolutely no sense. And when Russians object these kinds of Armenian excesses, as they should, as they have the right to do in their country, we Armenians quickly act indignant and insulted. And some, as usual, begin shouting, "with friends like Russians we don't need enemies". And of course the other popular slogan, "Russians are white Turks". I'm just wondering as an Armenian. Would we Armenians want non-Armenians in Armenia erecting monuments, say, for an individuals (regardless of what that individual means to those non-Armenians living in Armenia) who at one time or another fought for Turks and/or Azeris?! Would we? Of course not! Then why should Russians? How can we expect Russians to accept an individual that fought alongside Nazi Germany regardless of why and regardless of what that individual means to us Armenians?! It should however be mentioned that some Russians out of largess have publicly sympathize with the Armenian community in this matter -
Нжде - безупречный офицер, герой Армении и Русской Кавказской армии: Васьков: http://russia-artsakh.ru/node/3482
Գնացեք գրադարան, կարդացեք ու իմացեք, թե ով է եղել Նժդեհը. ռուս պատգամավորը հոդված է հրապարակել: https://www.iravunk.com/news/100050
Armenian Nazi collaborator stirs Russian society: https://www.azernews.az/region/158512.html
Is “friendship” between the Russian people and Armenian Nazi executioners possible: http://en.kavkazplus.com/news.php?id=2281
Why is Nzhdeh cult so dangerous?: http://vestnikkavkaza.net/analysis/Why-is-Nzhdeh-cult-so-dangerous.html
Armenians desecrated great Griboyedov’s statue in Yerevan: https://azeridaily.com/reality/52447
Сын Дмитрия Медведева встречается с армянкой: СМИ: https://rusarminfo.ru/2019/11/11/syn-dmitriya-medvedeva-vstrechaetsya-s-armyankoj-smi/
We have the numbers in Russia. We have the wealth in Russia. We have the experts in Russia. We have the well placed individuals in Russia. Armenians can be in Russia what Jews are in North America. Armenians in Russia need to be collaborating with governing elements in Russian society. Armenians need to be manipulating Russian nationalism (i.e. helping Russians see our enemies as theirs and vice versa) by embracing them. We however are not doing any of this. It's simply not in us to do so. We simply don't have the genetic and cultural refinement to do so. We are in fact doing the opposite. We are taking steps to actually hurt Russian-Armenian relations. We see our compatriots even in Russia - the largest and most affluent Armenia Diaspora in the world - doing their best to alienate Russians. And for what, to have the right of planting a little memorial to a controversial figure on Russian soil?! What we are doing is incitement and provocation against our ONLY ally on earth. What we are doing is utter stupidity. And what we are doing is being fully exploited by Azeris and other enemies of the Armenian people.
Some Armenians are even crazy enough to lament/complain that Russians in general are racists and chauvinists and therefore not sensitive to the feelings of others living in the Russian Federation. First of all, why should Russians be sensitive to other nationalities living in their country, especially when those nationalities refuse to assimilate into Russian society? It's their country. They decide. Some Armenians are even crazy enough to complain that Russia is not "Democratic" enough. I am actually hearing about the need for Russia to be more "Democratic" a lot lately. Folks, let's be serious about this. Do we REALLY want a Russia that is "democratic", "liberal" or "open"?! Do we really want "softer" Russians?! Have we really given this any thought? Do we Armenians understand that a softer, more liberal and a more Democratic Russia would inevitably turn into a more Turkic and a more Muslim Russia?! Do we realize that some twenty million Russian citizens today identify as Turkic or Islamic?
Are we Armenians really sure that we need "Liberalism", "Democracy" and "Multiculturalism" in Russia?!
I have a news flash for our idiots: Russia did not become the largest county in the world, in perhaps the most difficult geographic location on earth, by being soft or nice. And Russia is not maintaining that status-quo today in a highly volatile place like Eurasia by being soft or nice. A little history lessen: About one thousand years ago Russia started off as a relatively small principality around the city of fortress city of Kiev. Within a few centuries, Russians became the largest and one of the most powerful nations in the world. This did not happen by chance nor did it happen by hugs, kisses and flowers. Russians conquered the land they own today by continually defeating enemies larger and more powerful than them. Barely one hundred million ethnic Russians today control a bountiful land that stretches from the Baltic Sea in Europe in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east, and from the Arctic Circle in the north to the Caucasus in the south. And they are still surrounded by powerful enemies on all sides, and they still have a significant Turkic/Islamic factor inside their country to contend with. Simply put, Russians cannot let their guard down. They would be devoured if they did. In his most recent marathon press conference, President Putin touched upon this subject -
Russia is a massive landmass encompassing hundreds of diffrent ethnicities. Bolsheviks essentially created a massive mess. It's now a monumental task to keep the peace and order. Neverthleess, for centuries Russians have been able to maintain their superiority over their enemies both inside and outside their country not by being Democratic or Liberal but by being patriotic, chauvinistic, religious and warlike. These national traits are essentially why the Russian nation produces a higher rate of alpha males today than perhaps any other people. This is why despite immense hardships and tragedies of biblical proportions, Russia continues to be a global superpower. When Russian society loses these powerful and unique traits by adopting Western "values", they will lose everything, and we Armenians will lose Armenia. Love them or hate them, Russians are the last great European nation -Putin: Russia has over 2,000 sore points regarding ethnic and territorial issues that sprung up back during the Soviet era: https://tass.com/politics/1101279/amp
Russian Counter Terror Confidence Drill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rI01qKAqYts
Выступление группы экспертов Концерна «Калашников» по случаю дня оружейника: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xObykrVBGD0
How Putin’s killing machine is in overdrive after vowing to hunt ‘traitors’: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/10460427/putin-critic-mystery-death-vlads-killing-machine-overdrive/amp/
Putin's Little Soldiers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0D1zZKby3I
You're in the army now или Mortal fight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kLWOjfHm_4
Spectacular drone footage shows Battle of Borodino reenacted: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMtyxJDthX0
British campaigner's assault ignored by police: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gP9I04MFgDw
Russian hooligans in Marseille fight English hooligans: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oliYYfQwLoI
Russian hooligan back from Marseille riot: 'English are girls': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cx4bAh173Gk
Putin and the 'triumph of Christianity' in Russia: https://www.aljazeera.com/blogs/europe/2017/10/putin-triumph-christianity-russia-171018073916624.html
Russian Paratrooper Priests Jump with Mobile Cathedral: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YydsERpie-4
Russian military to build 3rd tallest Orthodox Church in the world near Moscow: https://www.rbth.com/lifestyle/329083-russian-military-orthodox-church
Giant Russian church to feature Putin and Stalin mosaics: https://www.yahoo.com/news/giant-russian-church-feature-putin-stalin-mosaics-114459798.html
Slap Off Contest KO Full Video 2019 HD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5h0ehc0P7oE
Ойся ты ойся. Кубанский казачий хор. Казачья лезгинка: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFjlYyYEGx0
Praying for Palmyra: Russian orchestra performs concert honoring victims of Syria war: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9b0hFIf4Zaw&feature=emb_title
Here's why the Russian Orthodox Church is deeply connected to the Syrian War: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTElnqJNtIk
''Stand up for faith, Russian land'' - Kuban Cossack Choir: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rxLFtOYzfY
The letter Cossacks wrote to the Ottoman Sultan in 1676: https://labrujulaverde.com/en/2019/05/the-irreverent-letter-the-cossacks-wrote-to-the-ottoman-sultan-in-1676/
The Armenian genocide: https://www.theguardian.com/news/2015/apr/16/the-armenian-genocide-the-guardian-briefing
Строительство Главного храма ВС РФ завершено: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_lDNvwTx6Q
Again: The day Russians lose their warlike traits, they will lose everything, and we Armenians will lose Armenia.
It's that simple. So, as an Armenian, I say thank God for
Russian racism and chauvinism. Russian racism and chauvinism and
aggressiveness is the ONLY thing standing between Turks and their
Pan-Turkism. One more time: What
business do we Armenians have erecting monuments to our national
heroes, regardless of who they are and what they did for Armenians, in
other nations? Unless we are ready to admit that we are indeed a bunch
of restless gypsies, where
is the greatness in that? We Armenians
have a serious need to grow up finally and start acting like a real nation instead of like a
bunch of hyperactive gypsies.
There was a similar situation some eight years ago with a monument to General Andranik Ozanyan in Sochi. Do our idiots who call themselves "community leaders" in Russia and elsewhere realize that there are many millions Turkic/Muslims in Russia and that they should be refraining from provoking/inciting them and essentially giving them ammunition to use against us? Do our idiots realize that Russians make special effort, painstaking effort, to keep the peace among Christians, Muslims, Slavs and Turkic peoples that live in the territory of the Russian Federation? Instead of wasting time and effort in putting up such memorials, our idiots who call themselves "community leaders" in the Russian Federation (and elsewhere for that matter) should instead be building Armenian schools, community centers (inside which they can enjoy whatever memorial they want), organizing lobbying groups and embracing political elements in regions they live in.
This whole situation is really indicative of how politically illiterate, irrational, arrogant, unscrupulous, troublesome and immature we are as a people. As I have been saying, Armenians resemble spoiled children who must have their way with everything or else they will throw temper-tantrums. Armenians are so "nationalistic" that they proudly and stubbornly erect monuments to Nazi collaborators IN RUSSIA... and Armenians are so greedy, so unethical and so unscrupulous that they illegally import Turkish products into Armenia and export prostitutes and cheap labor to Turkey -
Armenians once resembled the great nations of the Caucasus and the Armenian Highlands. In antiquity, Armenians were knows as warriors, nobles and priests. Today, however, scratch the surface of an Armenian (regardless of education or wealth) and you'll find either a petty merchant, a backward peasant or a wondering gypsy. We as a people today are a product of one thousand years of cultural and genetic decline. This decline is reflected in the way we handle ourselves and, by extension, our national issues. We as a people, as a collective, are far from rational thought when it comes to politics and nation building. We Armenians admire Jews... We Armenians are jealous of Jews... We Armenians always compare ourselves to Jews... We Armenians are always complaining that we are not successful like Jews... But, when the time comes for Armenians to actually learn something from Jews and begin acting like Jews, we Armenians instead resort to acting like a bunch of Kurds and Arabs. Go figure.
If Russia survived the Bolshevik revolution and the Nazi invasion - and came out even stronger as a result every time - today's nuclear armed Russia, a Russia that is also becoming increasingly self-reliant and self-sufficient with each passing year, will no doubt survive current hardships. Unlike Armenians, Russians are unconditionally patriotic towards their motherland, more religious and have the ca they learn from their past mistakes. I actually expect Russia to flourish in the coming years. As I have said on numerous previous occasions: Russia will be in the driver's seat in the twenty-first century, I want to see Armenia at the very least on its passenger seat. The matter regarding the monument in Armavir reminded me of the urgent need to revisit history and relearn some basic truths that we have forgotten for a number of reasons not the least of wish Western propaganda.
In the early stages of the Bolshevism takeover of the Russian Empire it is estimated that some ninety percent of the Bolshevik leadership were not ethnic Russians. A vast majority of these were Jews. In fact, there may have been more Armenians in Bolshevik leadership than ethnic Russians. Vladimir Lenin, the Jewish leader of the movement, even seemed to have a deep disdain for ethnic Russians. It should nevertheless be stressed that not only were Bolsheviks responsible for killing millions of ethnic Russians, utterly decimating the Russian Orthodox Church, virtually eradicating Russia's Romanov aristocracy and thoroughly looting the empire’s massive wealth, they were also responsible for ceding lands populated by ethnic Russians. It therefore was not only Armenian lands that were given away, which is what our professional Russophobes want us Armenians to believe. In fact, the Bolsheviks leadership at the time was even discussing doing away with the Russian Cyrillic alphabet. Had it been left up to the early, mostly Jewish, Lenin-led Bolshevik hierarchy to decide, Russia would have been broken-up into smaller pieces and God knows what would have happened to Armenia.
Although it is not generally speaking voiced in public, essentially because Organized Jewry still yields great influence in the country, this knowledge about Stalin is more-or-less why Russians remain faithful to his memory to this day, and why Vladimir Putin enjoys great popularity throughout Russian society. Naturally, until very recently this kind of information on the man we know as a brutal killer was totally absent in the West. The Western/Jewish narrative, that which is relentlessly fed to the sheeple around the world, is that Stalin was simply a madman bent on destruction and bloodshed. Truth, as always, is much more nuanced and complicated, to say the least. Stalin ruthlessly crushed the anti-Russian agenda of the early Bolsheviks, as well as various independence movements (including Armenian ones) that had begun to manifest themselves on the territory of the former Russian Empire and saved the Russian nation - and Armenia - from total annihilation.
In the big picture, by preserving Russian hegemony in Eurasia, Stalin also saved Armenia from a very uncertain fate. As noted above, early Bolsheviks had ceded Armenian lands to Turks and Caucasian Tatars and fused the remaining territories of Armenia to Georgia and Azerbaijan. An Armenia therefore did not exist after 1921. Soviet Republic of Armenia came into existence with Stalin's approval in 1936. Several years ago, Vladimir Zhirinovsky said that had it not been for Lenin, there would not have been a Turkey and Armenia would have been a powerful nation today -
Communism
acquired a "Russian" face and the Soviet Union turned into a renewed
form of the Russian Empire only as a consequence of Stalin's
political purges (which decimated the foreign-controlled Jewish
hierarchy in Bolshevism) and also as a result of the patriotic fervor brought
upon Russian society as a result of the German invasion of Russian lands during the Second World War. In his most recent marathon press conference, President Putin very interestingly touched upon this very sensitive subject. The president even hinted about the ideological struggle that came forth after the Bolshevik revolution between Joseph Stalin (who espoused Russian Imperialism under the cloak of Communism) and Lenin (an avowed Marxist-Internationalist) who desired to break-apart the Russian Empire. President Putin's comments were a not so subtle attack on early Bolshevism -
The Russian Federation and the territories it controlled for hundreds of years is a massive landmass encompassing hundreds of different ethnicities, most of whom are natives of the land they live in. Bolsheviks essentially made a massive, bloody mess of it, a mess Russians (and us Armenians actually) are still grappling with today. As noted above, until very recently, very little was written in the Western world about this subject matter. Strangely, the following book review came out within days after I initially posted this blog commentary. It's a rare English-language look at what in my opinion was Stalin's monumental struggle to preserve Russian hegemony in Eurasia from an anti-Russian, Marxist-Internationalist Bolshevik agenda -
Despite it all, post-Soviet Armenia has again fallen victim to Bolsheviks. What Stalin's Soviet Union shielded us against is now gone. Armenia is today fully exposed and vulnerable to the agendas of todays "Cultural Marxists". Armenia today is in fact run them.
This is the bigger point we are missing: Had it not been the Bolshevik government in 1921 that recognized Turkey's eastern borders with the Treaty of Kars and the Treaty of Moscow, I have NO DOUBT that it would have been an Armenian delegation (as we saw with the Treaty of Alexandropol) that would have done the same thing, if not something much worst. In other words, if it wasn't the "Treaty of Moscow", it might very well have been the "Treaty of Yerevan" and Official Yerevan would STILL be recognizing it today.
Let's please we wise enough to disregard the political show taking place in Washington D.C. Yes, I know it feels good at some superficial level, but such games played by corrupt imperial officials will only do us Armenians harm in the end. Let's keep in mind that Uncle Sam will NOT recogize the Armenian Genocide if there is even the slightest chance of salvaging the West's alliance with Turkey. Let's keep in mind that the West's problem is with Turkey's president, not Turkey itself. Let's also keep in mind that President Erdogan will be gone some day. We cannot allow our professional Russophobes to use these kinds of events to convince our political naive/illiterate sheeple that American officials are Armenia's friends. We as a people can never trust or rely on Anglo-American-Jews. The same applies to European powers. Not only are their civilizations not compatible with ours, they are also physically distant from Armenia. Western interests are in the south Caucasus currently only out of political expediency; they are looking for energy exploitation and they are looking to undermine Armenia's only friends in the region, Russia and Iran. Being in the south Caucasus is not vital for their national security. Once things get too difficult for them they will leave. The situation Syria's Kurds found themselves in very recently should be a vivid reminder to us all that one can never trust Western powers.
What happened to Syria's Kurds will happen to Armenians - but much worst - if Armenians are stupid enough to distence themselves from the Russian Bear. Can anyone in their right mind imagine the existence of an Armenia in the south Caucasus without the protection of Russia? No rational person who cares about Armenia can. Yet, that is exactly what our professional Russophobes are trying to convince us of doing.
Let's not forget that there is a well-financed and well-organized campaign inside Armenian society to spread anti-Russian disinformation in order to undermine Armenia's crucially important ties with the Russian Federation. Nikol's government has flooded Armenia with Western operatives. Our professional Russophobes and traitors used to be on the very fringes of Armenian society during previous administrations. Today, they are every where; including in the Armenian Parliament, including on public television. The artificially orchestrated anti-Russian hysteria is so prevelent in Armenia today that the country's tradtionally pro-Russian citizens are beginning to exhibit signs of Russophobia. It is true what they say about repeating a lie over-and-over again. Our professional Russophobes are indeed beginning to have a negative impact on the mindset of our general pubic, even among those who generally speaking are pro-Russian. Even those who do not think they are immune to Western propaganda are regurgitating information that has arrived to them through an Anglo-American-Jewsh political prism. This is a very dangerous trend for a people and for a ccountry that is desperately dependent on Russia for survival.
The "complimentary" route Armenians have chozen for Armenia is a road to hell. We stand the risk of losing our national culture. Westernization, Americanization and Globalization poses a threat to Armenia that is actually much greater than Communism. Armenia has already begun suffering serious cultural and civilizational ailments as a result of its 30-plus year exposure to the Western world. Post-Soviet Armenia pales in comparison to Soviet Armenia. Alas, I came late to this realization but Soviet Armenia was a nation-state we all could be proud of. Soviet Armenia produced an abundance of world-class scientists, academisions, writers and artists. Post-Soviet Armenia is producing an abundance of trash, both literally and figuratively. If Armenia continues on its current route indefinitely, the country will stand the risk of being devoured by regional predators.
In all fairness, I should add here that Armenia's cultural decline is beyond political parties and invdividual politicians. It is also beyond corruption and Oligarchs, beyond Russia and Western powers, beyond Turkey and Azerbaijan. Therefore, this matter is not about Nikol. It is not about Serge, nor is it really about Levon. Armenia's cultural decline is about us as a people. The fault lies within all of us. This is a cultural and civilizational matter, and it is ultimately related to the genetic/cultural makeup of us Armenians. It's about who we are by nature. Armenia is what it is today (with its good and its bad) because of the collective body called Armenians. In looking for people to blame for our miserable state today, we therefore need look no futher than ourselves. In my next blog commentary I will delve further into addressing Armenia's civilizational/cultural decline in the post-Soviet/Russian period. I have come to the sobering realization that what Armenia needs today is not independence but closer, more efficient relations with Russia, not only politically, economically and militarily but also culturally.
I say let Russians come back and establish a larger presence inside Armenia. Under current circumstances, that would be the safest choice for the country.
The south Caucassus is too violent and too complicated and we as a people are too self-destructive and too politically illiterate for full sovereignty. Some 30 years ago we inherited world-class industry and top-notch institutions in education, academia, medicine and science, and in 30 years we turned it all into rust and dust. We more-or-less gutted and dismantled everything and sold it all at scrap metal prices. Iran was one of the main beneficiaries of our people's barbarity. The country's Soviet/Russian inheritance - and in a sense its future - was essentially town-down sold for chewing-gum and cigarettes from Iran. Yesterday, we produced world-class artists, composers, scientists, professors, actors, physicians, academicians, intellectuals... as well as rockets, computers, heavy machinary, lasers, electronic devices, textiles, chemicals, construction materials, aircraft parts, submarine parts, generators and automobiles. Yesterday, our population was well-fed, well-educated and growing. Today, we are allowing "street culture" to represent Armenian culture. Today, we are selling our children to foreigners, our women are prostituting themselves in Turkey and the UAE, and families are selectively aborting female fetuses. Today, majority of Armenians are either unemployed or underemployed, and crime rates are rising. Today, our population is rapidly shrinking, our economy is comatose and transvestites are discussing gay-rights in the national parliament. Today, our independence generation speaks better English than Russian, Armenian television is a showcase for Western-style stupidity, imorality, criminality and Afro-American song and dance. Today, Armenians are abandoning their homeland en masse, as masses of Indians fill the void they leave behind. Today, neo-Bolsheviks are in power in Yerevan -
This is NOT the independence I dreamed about Armenia having in my youth. Post-Soviet Armenia is a filthy mess, and the stinking mess is for the most part being created by none-other than us Armenians. The post-Soviet situation in the south Caucasus (blockade and war) has of course not been helpful to say the least, but we Armenians were the ones that systematically and barbarically dismantled our entire Soviet/Russian inheritance and sold it all, at scap metal prices nonetheless, to Iranians. It was also us Armenians that enthusiastically lifted our Street culture to national prominence. It was also Armenian society as a whole that engaged in severe corruption and lawlessness. It is also us Armenians that opened-wide the country's doors to Western interests. We therefore can't blame anyone for Armenia's civilizational decline today except ourselves. Our seemingly inherent inability as a people to nation-build and recognize what is good for the long-term health and well-being of our homeland (and what is not) is why post-Soviet Armenia is in a political and civilizational decline today. It's more than obvious that Armenians are not ready for independence. Yes, I fully understand that we have been a people without a state for hundreds of years. I therefore fully understand that we as a people need time to develop a collective mindset (a cognitive culture) that is actually conducive to nation-building. I also understand that Armenia needs to develop national institutions as well as a national political/financial elite that is educated, established, experienced, professional, pragmatic and patriotic. All this requires peace, stability and a lot of time. My fear is that we just DON'T have the time to hone such skills without risking serious irreparable damage or collapse.
I want to remind the reader that Armenia is located in a very violent and unforgiving region of the world. The south Caucasus is by nature Turkic and Islamic. Armenia will therefore not have the peace or the stability to develop proper national institutions and/or elite either. This is why I say the secret to Armenia's longevity lies in Moscow.
In front of our very eyes, post-Soviet Armenia is gradually turning into a Third World cesspool and a dangerous playground for all kinds of Anglo-American-Jewish social engineering agendas. Time is therefore working against us. The current so-called independence generation is already heavily inoculated by Western toxins. Time will only make matters worst. This toxic process needs to be stopped and reversed before it's too late. Our people's political illiteracy and self-destructive behavior is essentially why a great man like Karen Karapetyan, who needed to become Armenia's leader, is instead providing his professional services to the Russian state, and why a Western-financed street scoundrel like Nikol is Armenia's Prime Minister. My next blog commentary will concentrate its attention on Armenia's civilizational decline in the post-Soviet period and the need our homeland has for a bigger Russian presence in Armenia before it's too late; that is before we as a people and civilization reach the point of no return. I believe dark and difficult times lie ahead. God bless Armenia. God bless Mother Russia. May God help us preserve and strengthen our centuries old friendship with our Russian allies.
Arevordi
Autumn/Winter, 2019
There was a similar situation some eight years ago with a monument to General Andranik Ozanyan in Sochi. Do our idiots who call themselves "community leaders" in Russia and elsewhere realize that there are many millions Turkic/Muslims in Russia and that they should be refraining from provoking/inciting them and essentially giving them ammunition to use against us? Do our idiots realize that Russians make special effort, painstaking effort, to keep the peace among Christians, Muslims, Slavs and Turkic peoples that live in the territory of the Russian Federation? Instead of wasting time and effort in putting up such memorials, our idiots who call themselves "community leaders" in the Russian Federation (and elsewhere for that matter) should instead be building Armenian schools, community centers (inside which they can enjoy whatever memorial they want), organizing lobbying groups and embracing political elements in regions they live in.
This whole situation is really indicative of how politically illiterate, irrational, arrogant, unscrupulous, troublesome and immature we are as a people. As I have been saying, Armenians resemble spoiled children who must have their way with everything or else they will throw temper-tantrums. Armenians are so "nationalistic" that they proudly and stubbornly erect monuments to Nazi collaborators IN RUSSIA... and Armenians are so greedy, so unethical and so unscrupulous that they illegally import Turkish products into Armenia and export prostitutes and cheap labor to Turkey -
Increasing amounts of Turkish and Pakistani tomatoes, cucumbers and potatoes appear in Armenian markets: https://news.am/eng/news/545162.html
Armenian Prostitutes in Turkey: https://hetq.am/en/article/9518Personally, I am a big fan of Garegin Nzhdeh. I think he was one of our greatest figures in history. But, I also have a rational mind and I fully understand that if I was a Russian I would not accept a memorial to him in my country. Even if I was a Russian-Armenian, I would support taking down the monument and place it somewhere in Armenia where it naturally belongs.
Armenians once resembled the great nations of the Caucasus and the Armenian Highlands. In antiquity, Armenians were knows as warriors, nobles and priests. Today, however, scratch the surface of an Armenian (regardless of education or wealth) and you'll find either a petty merchant, a backward peasant or a wondering gypsy. We as a people today are a product of one thousand years of cultural and genetic decline. This decline is reflected in the way we handle ourselves and, by extension, our national issues. We as a people, as a collective, are far from rational thought when it comes to politics and nation building. We Armenians admire Jews... We Armenians are jealous of Jews... We Armenians always compare ourselves to Jews... We Armenians are always complaining that we are not successful like Jews... But, when the time comes for Armenians to actually learn something from Jews and begin acting like Jews, we Armenians instead resort to acting like a bunch of Kurds and Arabs. Go figure.
In final thought, the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union brought
devastation of biblical proportions to Russian lands. What every
self-respecting Russian knows and remembers is that they lost tens-of-millions of souls as a result. Hatred of Nazis and all those who
collaborated with them is in their blood and in their culture.
Let me put it another way for the reader to better understand the psychology
behind this: Russians hate the Nazis more than they love the Bolsheviks. And no one is going change that overnight, especially not by shoving it in their faces, as in the case of this monument.
Russia is gradually reverting back to its classical Czarist, Orthodox
and imperial ways. Most Russians today are fully aware of the foreign
and Jewish factor in the rise of Bolshevism. But, we must understand
that several generations of Russians were bred under the Soviet system
and positive sentiments regarding the Soviet system (post-war communism
to be precise) is very strong in Russia.
Every Russian alive today remembers that they were part of massive
global superpower where the most important things in life (education and
medical care) were free, virtually everyone was employed and the cost
of living was very low. Positive attitudes towards the Soviet Union will not change overnight,
and it certainly will not change by our Chobans erecting monuments to
Nazi collaborators on Russian soil.
I want to see Russians one day rejecting their Bolshevik past. I want to see Russians differentiating between pre-war Bolshevism and post-war Communism. I want to see Russians going back to their Czarist and Christian Orthodox roots. I am glad that the process has begun. In fact, a well known Russian monarchist is one an Armenian compatriot -
Instead of erecting silly monuments, I want to see Armenians living in the Russian Federation get serious about politics and begin trying to figure out a way of collaborating Russian nationalism. I want Armenians to begin fully recognizing that Russia is the world's last front against pan-Turkism, Islamic extremism and Globalism. I want Armenians to start understanding that Armenia's well being and longevity starts with Russia's well being and longevity. I therefore want to see Moscow victorious in eastern Europe, in Central Asia, in the Middle East and, of course, most of all in the greater Caucasus region. I want to remind all that a Russian defeat will spell disaster for Armenia. We Armenians went through such a disaster almost exactly one hundred years ago. Another Russia retreated from the south Caucasus will again result in chaos, destruction and serious bloodshed. Our statehood in the south Caucasus is in no position today to survive such a calamity. I also want to remind the reader that no amount of ass kissing in the West will save Armenia in such a scenario. This is why I always ask Armenians, our proud and arrogant "nationalists" in particular, to say a prayer every night for the health and well-being of Mother Russia. That being said, I don't expect to see any kind of Russian defeat in the foreseeable future. Thank God, there is absolutely nothing on the horizon to even suggest or hint that Russia will be or can be defeated.
I want to see Russians one day rejecting their Bolshevik past. I want to see Russians differentiating between pre-war Bolshevism and post-war Communism. I want to see Russians going back to their Czarist and Christian Orthodox roots. I am glad that the process has begun. In fact, a well known Russian monarchist is one an Armenian compatriot -
Will Russia ever revert back to a monarchy?: https://www.rbth.com/lifestyle/330680-russian-accept-return-tsar
How Putin Uses Russian Orthodoxy to Grow His Empire: https://www.heritage.org/europe/commentary/how-putin-uses-russian-orthodoxy-grow-his-empire
Czar Vladimir? Putin Acolytes Want to Bring Back the Monarchy: https://www.wsj.com/articles/czar-vladimir-putin-acolytes-want-to-bring-back-the-monarchy-11544732680
Russia’s ‘Orthodox Tycoon’ Is Bankrolling a Monarchist Movement: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2019/11/25/russias-orthodox-tycoon-is-bankrolling-a-monarchist-movement-but-where-does-he-get-his-money-a68301
Putin and the 'triumph of Christianity' in Russia: https://www.aljazeera.com/blogs/europe/2017/10/putin-triumph-christianity-russia-171018073916624.html
Don’t underestimate importance of religion for understanding Russia’s actions in Crimea: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2014/03/13/dont-underestimate-importance-of-religion-for-understanding-russias-actions-in-crimea/
Why Putin Won’t Be Marking the Hundredth Anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution: https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/why-putin-wont-be-marking-the-hundredth-anniversary-of-the-bolshevik-revolution
Russia inherited myriad of ethnic ‘sore points’ after USSR collapsed, says Putin: https://tass.com/politics/1101279/amp
These
process to return to Russia's past glory has begun. However, it will take time and it won't be an easy
journey. Let's recognize the fact that Organized Jewry is still very
influential in Russia, although no way near how influential and in control they are in
the Western world. In any case, breaking the Russian mindset from
Communism will be a slow,
evolutionary process. We need to be cognizant of this. What we Chobans-Gone-Wild are doing
instead is agitating Russian
society by toying with their emotions and feelings, and rubbing salt on
their still open wounds. Ultimately, we need to understand that the
Second World War was as
very traumatic (even if ultimately victorious) experience for Russians
as the Armenian Genocide was for Armenians during the First World
War. What we are doing with this monument is irrational, inconsiderate, insensitive, counter-productive and
just plain ol' stupid. We need to
come out of our tunnel vision, emotions, rigidity, arrogance and
self-righteousness.
Instead of erecting silly monuments, I want to see Armenians living in the Russian Federation get serious about politics and begin trying to figure out a way of collaborating Russian nationalism. I want Armenians to begin fully recognizing that Russia is the world's last front against pan-Turkism, Islamic extremism and Globalism. I want Armenians to start understanding that Armenia's well being and longevity starts with Russia's well being and longevity. I therefore want to see Moscow victorious in eastern Europe, in Central Asia, in the Middle East and, of course, most of all in the greater Caucasus region. I want to remind all that a Russian defeat will spell disaster for Armenia. We Armenians went through such a disaster almost exactly one hundred years ago. Another Russia retreated from the south Caucasus will again result in chaos, destruction and serious bloodshed. Our statehood in the south Caucasus is in no position today to survive such a calamity. I also want to remind the reader that no amount of ass kissing in the West will save Armenia in such a scenario. This is why I always ask Armenians, our proud and arrogant "nationalists" in particular, to say a prayer every night for the health and well-being of Mother Russia. That being said, I don't expect to see any kind of Russian defeat in the foreseeable future. Thank God, there is absolutely nothing on the horizon to even suggest or hint that Russia will be or can be defeated.
If Russia survived the Bolshevik revolution and the Nazi invasion - and came out even stronger as a result every time - today's nuclear armed Russia, a Russia that is also becoming increasingly self-reliant and self-sufficient with each passing year, will no doubt survive current hardships. Unlike Armenians, Russians are unconditionally patriotic towards their motherland, more religious and have the ca they learn from their past mistakes. I actually expect Russia to flourish in the coming years. As I have said on numerous previous occasions: Russia will be in the driver's seat in the twenty-first century, I want to see Armenia at the very least on its passenger seat. The matter regarding the monument in Armavir reminded me of the urgent need to revisit history and relearn some basic truths that we have forgotten for a number of reasons not the least of wish Western propaganda.
We need to revisit our history books with an open mind and devoid of Western conditioning
Ever
since Nikol's rise to power in the spring of 2018, anti-Russian
activists have been very active throughout Armenian society. It sometime
feels as if they are everywhere, especially on social media. Professional Russophobes are
saturating the landscape with anti-Russian rhetoric. Essentially, an ati-Russian narrative is devised in power-centers in the Anglo-American-Jewish world (usually by major think tanks staffed by neo-Trotskyites)
and this Russophobic fable is then passed on to their assets (e.g.
think tank members and their "visiting fellows", intelligence operatives
and their network of activists, "political experts", "nationalists", "freelance
journalists", "historians", etc.) who then disseminate such propaganda throughout Armenian
society using mass media. This is essentially why we see a lot of similarities in the anti-Russian rhetoric we are exposed to.
The roots of their anti-Russian propaganda and scare-tactics actually
go back well-over one hundred years. The historic turmoil in the world
at the time that led to the tragic collapse of the Russian Empire in 1917 and the rise
of Marxism and Bolshevism, and the horrible devastation it brought upon Russian
and Armenian lands, is being shamelessly exploited by our
professional Russophobes with the specific intent of undermining
Armenia's historic ties with Russia. In a nutshell: Bolshevik crimes are being blamed on ethnic Russians. As a result, Russophobia is gaining strength throughout Armenian society. As a result, Armenians are increasingly becoming worrying about Russian betrayal and backstabbing. Let's therefore take a another look at the dark time period in question.
In
the big picture, I am therefore not talking about the ignorant foot-soldier or the lowly peasant,
those that overthrew the Russian Czar and put an end to the Russian
Empire one hundred
years ago were not ethnic Russians.
The Marxist/Bolshevik movement was imported into the Russian Empire by Western powers and Organized Jewry with the primary intention of destroying Russia's Christian Orthodox society, which was seen by them as a major threat for a long time. The Russian Empire at the time was already in decline and after is suffered a terrible military defeat at the hands of Germany in the opening stages of the First World War, the Czar's empire suddenly fell very vulnerable. Marxist-Bolsheviks used the increasingly weak empire's growing internal turmoil to foment sociopolitical unrest. By late 1917, they succeeded and the the Russian Empire succumbed. Soon afterwards, the Czar and his entire family were murdered in cold blood. What ensued afterwards was one of the darkest periods in human history. Russia and Russians suffered by-far the most as a result of the Bolshevik revolution. Armenia and Armenians also suffered terribly.
Most of Western Armenia, which as a result of the successful Caucasus campaign was under the Czar's protection until late 1917, was completely lost after Russian troops were forced to retreat from the area after the Bolshevik revolution. The following map shows how much of Western Armenia had been liberated from Ottoman Turkey as late as 1917 -
The Marxist/Bolshevik movement was imported into the Russian Empire by Western powers and Organized Jewry with the primary intention of destroying Russia's Christian Orthodox society, which was seen by them as a major threat for a long time. The Russian Empire at the time was already in decline and after is suffered a terrible military defeat at the hands of Germany in the opening stages of the First World War, the Czar's empire suddenly fell very vulnerable. Marxist-Bolsheviks used the increasingly weak empire's growing internal turmoil to foment sociopolitical unrest. By late 1917, they succeeded and the the Russian Empire succumbed. Soon afterwards, the Czar and his entire family were murdered in cold blood. What ensued afterwards was one of the darkest periods in human history. Russia and Russians suffered by-far the most as a result of the Bolshevik revolution. Armenia and Armenians also suffered terribly.
Most of Western Armenia, which as a result of the successful Caucasus campaign was under the Czar's protection until late 1917, was completely lost after Russian troops were forced to retreat from the area after the Bolshevik revolution. The following map shows how much of Western Armenia had been liberated from Ottoman Turkey as late as 1917 -
In the early stages of the Bolshevism takeover of the Russian Empire it is estimated that some ninety percent of the Bolshevik leadership were not ethnic Russians. A vast majority of these were Jews. In fact, there may have been more Armenians in Bolshevik leadership than ethnic Russians. Vladimir Lenin, the Jewish leader of the movement, even seemed to have a deep disdain for ethnic Russians. It should nevertheless be stressed that not only were Bolsheviks responsible for killing millions of ethnic Russians, utterly decimating the Russian Orthodox Church, virtually eradicating Russia's Romanov aristocracy and thoroughly looting the empire’s massive wealth, they were also responsible for ceding lands populated by ethnic Russians. It therefore was not only Armenian lands that were given away, which is what our professional Russophobes want us Armenians to believe. In fact, the Bolsheviks leadership at the time was even discussing doing away with the Russian Cyrillic alphabet. Had it been left up to the early, mostly Jewish, Lenin-led Bolshevik hierarchy to decide, Russia would have been broken-up into smaller pieces and God knows what would have happened to Armenia.
Blaming Russians for the evils of Bolshevism is the same as blaming the murder victim for the actions of the murderer. Armenians
that bring-up early Bolshevism to discredit Russians are
either idiots or agents of Western influence. Under Lenin's and Trotsky's Bolshevism, territories of the former Russian Empire were ceded to various powers. Religion, Christianity in particular, was to be altogether destroyed. Nation-states were to be dissolved. Nationalities and cultures erased. Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan were fused into one Marxist entity. The
following map shows the extent to which lands throughout the Russian
Empire were mutilated and ceded as a result of the Bolshevik revolution -
Ghost nations of Russia's civil war: https://bigthink.com/strange-maps/ghost-nations-of-russias-civil-warIt was Stalin that saved Russia (and Armenia) by rejecting the Marxist Internationalism that the Jewish led Bolshevik movement wanted and "Russified" Communism after the death of Vladimir Lenin. It was Stalin that also dissolved the so-called Transcaucasian Socialist Federated Soviet Republics in 1936 and made Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan into seperate republics. It could be said that Stalin saved the Russian Empire by putting it under new management, and in doing so helped preserve an Armenian state in the south Caucasus. Despite his brutality, Stalin was instrumental not only in saving Russia but Armenia as well. Armenians that bring up Stalin's purges to disredit the Soviet Union are either themselves supporters of neo-Bolshevik-Trotsyites or simply mindless victims of their propaganda.
Although it is not generally speaking voiced in public, essentially because Organized Jewry still yields great influence in the country, this knowledge about Stalin is more-or-less why Russians remain faithful to his memory to this day, and why Vladimir Putin enjoys great popularity throughout Russian society. Naturally, until very recently this kind of information on the man we know as a brutal killer was totally absent in the West. The Western/Jewish narrative, that which is relentlessly fed to the sheeple around the world, is that Stalin was simply a madman bent on destruction and bloodshed. Truth, as always, is much more nuanced and complicated, to say the least. Stalin ruthlessly crushed the anti-Russian agenda of the early Bolsheviks, as well as various independence movements (including Armenian ones) that had begun to manifest themselves on the territory of the former Russian Empire and saved the Russian nation - and Armenia - from total annihilation.
In the big picture, by preserving Russian hegemony in Eurasia, Stalin also saved Armenia from a very uncertain fate. As noted above, early Bolsheviks had ceded Armenian lands to Turks and Caucasian Tatars and fused the remaining territories of Armenia to Georgia and Azerbaijan. An Armenia therefore did not exist after 1921. Soviet Republic of Armenia came into existence with Stalin's approval in 1936. Several years ago, Vladimir Zhirinovsky said that had it not been for Lenin, there would not have been a Turkey and Armenia would have been a powerful nation today -
Չլիներ Լենինի սխալը, այսօր չէր լինի Թուրքիան, իսկ Հայաստանը կլիներ հզոր պետություն: http://asekose.am/am/post/cliner-lenini-sxale-aysor-cer-lini-tourqian-isk-hayastane-kliner-hzor-petoutyoun
Error “Lenin”: how the Soviet Union lost the mountains of Ararat: http://www.globaldomainsnews.com/error-lenin-how-the-soviet-union-lost-the-mountains-of-ararat
Russia inherited myriad of ethnic ‘sore points’ after USSR collapsed, says Putin: https://tass.com/politics/1101279/amp
A magnificent account of Stalin’s opponents in the USSR: https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/21/rogo-d21.html
As far as I am aware, the following is perhaps the only other English-language book that looks into Stalin's brutal war against early Bolshevism and Trotskyites -
Stalin: The Enduring Legacy: https://www.counter-currents.com/2013/03/stalin-the-enduring-legacy/
Some years ago I came to
the sobering realization that we have been taught from
childhood to hate Stalin NOT because his security services, the NKVD, were
responsible for the deaths of countless people throughout the Soviet Union but because he was responsible for single-handedly, albeit
brutally, ruining the Western-backed, Marxist-Internationalist plan to smash the Russian
Empire into small pieces. Stalin's fault was the brutality with which he
used his security services to crush all opposition to him, both real and imagined. He was ruthless against all those who opposed his effort to
keep the territories of the former Russian Empire as intact as
possible. In hindsight, knowing who and what he was up against, I now realize that he had no choice but to be extremely violent. In a nutshell: Stalin was feared and hated by the Anglo-American-Jewish world because he used harsh methods to save what had remained of the
Russian Empire after the Bolshevik revolution. He was feared and hated because he brutally persecuted Marxist-Internationalists and Trotskyites. He was feared and hated because he Russified Communism, began expanding the Soviet Union and preserved Russia's national traditions -
This is why when Russian forces entered Georgia in the summer of 2008, they made sure to pay a visit to Joseph Stalin's birthtown of Gori. The symbolism was inescapable -
This is also why governments under Anglo-American-Jewish control are taught, encouraged, bribed and/or forced to hate Joseph Stalin -
It should be emphasised here that after their brutal/bloody rejection from the Soviet Union by Stalin and his henchmen, Marxist-Internationalist-Trotskyites - with their sacred tenets of sexual liberation, promotion of sexual perversions like homosexuality, promotion of modern art, encouragement of abortions, promotion of atheism, discouragement of marriages, internationalism, multiculturalism, militant feminism, militant class warfare and open borders, to name only a few - gradually came to infest Western Europe and North America. After their defeat in Russia at the hands of Stalin, Marxist-Trotskyites turned their attention to the United States. The cultural/sexual revolution that took place in the United States in the 1960s is their progeny, so Western Liberalism, so is Multiculturalism, so is Neoconservatism, so is Neoliberalism. The following links contain information pertaining to the ideological movement Stalin brutally fought to crush in Russia for most of his adult life -
Did Hiroshima Save Japan From Soviet Occupation?: https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/08/05/stalin_japan_hiroshima_occupation_hokkaido
Why did Stalin rehabilitate the Russian Orthodox Church?: https://www.rbth.com/history/331371-stalin-orthodox-church
All this is why Stalin was a major target not only for Anglo-American-Jewish propagandists but also for assassins -
After Joseph Stalin's death in 1953, Marxist-Internationlaist-Trotskyite influence once again began growing in the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union was eventually imploded in 1991. It could be said that Western-backed Globalists were back in power in Russia during the 1990s. It could also be said that President Putin put an ubrupt end to it. Hence why the man is hated today by Anglo-American-Jewish world. Similar to how President Vladimir Putin saved Russia from the toxicity of Western-backed Globalism in the 1990s, the General Secretary of the Communist Party, Joseph Stalin saved Russia from Western-backed Marxist-Internationalists in the 1920s and 1930s. By rejecting their ultra-liberal tenets and waging a ruthless war against Trotsky's supporters, Stalin not only in-effect Russified Communism, he also "nationalized" it. Although
the Soviet Union did indeed suffer from many of the Bolshevik poisons it had been infected with during the early 20-th century, it was nevertheless spared the worst of it due to Stalin's ruthless purges. In the 30 years he was in power, Stalin not only single-handedly reject their ultra-liberalism, he also preserved Russian hegemony in Eurasia and even expanded it. This is why Russians to this day respect the man.New Study Supports Idea Stalin Was Poisoned: https://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/05/world/new-study-supports-idea-stalin-was-poisoned.html
This is why when Russian forces entered Georgia in the summer of 2008, they made sure to pay a visit to Joseph Stalin's birthtown of Gori. The symbolism was inescapable -
Russian Soldiers Occupying Stalin’s Birth City Are Buoyed by Battle With Georgia: https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/14/world/europe/14gori.html
The above, in a nutshell, is Stalin's real legacy. And this is why the Anglo-American-Jewish world hates Stalin to this day, and why the same also fear and hate President Putin. From a historical/political perspective, the above is what the reader needs to know about the man called Stalin. Everything else we are told about the man is more-or-less the by-product of Anglo-American-Jewish psyops, propaganda and bullshit.In Joseph Stalin's birthplace, tyrant is finally toppled: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jun/25/georgia-gori-topples-joseph-stalin-statue
It should be emphasised here that after their brutal/bloody rejection from the Soviet Union by Stalin and his henchmen, Marxist-Internationalist-Trotskyites - with their sacred tenets of sexual liberation, promotion of sexual perversions like homosexuality, promotion of modern art, encouragement of abortions, promotion of atheism, discouragement of marriages, internationalism, multiculturalism, militant feminism, militant class warfare and open borders, to name only a few - gradually came to infest Western Europe and North America. After their defeat in Russia at the hands of Stalin, Marxist-Trotskyites turned their attention to the United States. The cultural/sexual revolution that took place in the United States in the 1960s is their progeny, so Western Liberalism, so is Multiculturalism, so is Neoconservatism, so is Neoliberalism. The following links contain information pertaining to the ideological movement Stalin brutally fought to crush in Russia for most of his adult life -
Neoconservatism - Where Trotsky Meets Stalin and Hitler: https://www.chroniclesmagazine.org/neoconservatism-where-trotsky-meets-stalin-and-hitler/
Globalization or Finance Capitalist Trotskyism? https://www.geopolitica.ru/en/1306-globalization-or-finance-capitalist-trotskyism.html
Neo-Trotskyism: Globalism in All Countries: https://www.unz.com/isteve/globalism-in-all-countries/
One World Governance and the Council on Foreign Relations.“We Shall have World Government… by Conquest or Consent”: https://www.globalresearch.ca/one-world-governance-and-the-council-on-foreign-relations-we-shall-have-world-government-by-conquest-or-consent/5541363
Trotsky the Jew: https://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-arts-and-culture/books/80739/trotsky-the-jew
Why the Brookings Institution and the Washington Establishment Love Wars: https://www.globalresearch.ca/why-the-brookings-institution-and-the-washington-establishment-love-wars/5552624
The old-style Marxists knew all about transnational capitalism: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/08/the-old-style-marxists-knew-all-about-transnational-capitalism
A merger between Anglo-American imperial interests and Judeo-Marxist-Globalist interests began to gradually emerge after the Second World War. Since then, this unholy union of Anglo-American-Jews and Western European elites have been using each-other to advance their Imperial/Globalist agendas worldwide. For over 70 years now they have sown the seeds of cultural destruction worldwide. They
first kill the spirit (the nation's culture, beliefs, traditions, family values) through
a cultural invasion and propaganda, they then kill the body (the state and its
national institutions) through either an internal uprising, a coup, economic warfare or military invasion. The plan was and continues to be the mixing of races and nations, erasing national borders, killing conservative religions and more recently, blurring the lines of gender identity - all this of course under Anglo-American-Jewish supervision. Their ultimate intent seems to be the creation of an easily controlled society of hybrid humans that are intentionally dumbed-down, racially mixed, nationless, familyless, borderless, genderless, Godless, apolitical, violent, nihilistic, individualistic, materialistic, morally ambiguous and addicted to entertainment, drugs, pornography and of course shopping. Their intent is to also create a global society that communicates exclusively in English, works for Western mega-corporations, consumes Western products and trades in Western currency. Men like George Soros are essentially cogs-in-the-wheel of Global Marxism, he is merely one of the more visible ones. When Moscow banned George Soros from working in Russia, it was essentially exacting revenge on Marxist-Internationalists of today -
Why are we in Decline: Cultural Marxism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VggFao85vTs
Mainely Unspoken "Dumbing Down of Schools" with Charlotte Iserbyt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jcz9Eune7BY&feature=youtu.be
The Dumbing Down of America – By Design: https://www.globalresearch.ca/the-dumbing-down-of-america-by-design/5395928
The dumbing down of America: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/op-ed-the-dumbing-down-of-america/article_61f64000-f181-11e8-a22e-6bd70b62cd6c.html
Europe is finished. Nothing can save it now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yA8fgaBSDUw
34 years ago, a KGB defector chillingly predicted modern America: https://bigthink.com/paul-ratner/34-years-ago-a-kgb-defector-described-america-today
How the New World Order “Globalists” Are Dividing Americans: https://www.globalresearch.ca/how-the-new-world-order-globalists-are-dividing-americans/5483941
SOROS: 'The dominant ideology in the world now is nationalism': https://www.businessinsider.com/billionaire-george-soros-liberal-agenda-2018-1
Russia’s war on George Soros goes global: http://khpg.org/en/index.php?id=1491771331
Soros Foundation in Armenia - Independent Study of the Country’s System of External Governance: https://www.stalkerzone.org/soros-foundation-in-armenia-independent-study-of-the-countrys-system-of-external-governance/
Cardi B - WAP feat. Megan Thee Stallion [Official Lyric Video]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohD6cyB8RI4
\All this should reveal to the reader that when it comes to history, politics and very complex time periods like the period after the Bolshevik revolution, we the sheeple all too often have tunnel-vision and a shallow, even twisted understanding of it. This is naturally due to Armenian traits
(emotional, rigid, maximalistic, arrogant, proud, shortsighted, naive,
politically illiterate, reactionary, etc.) coupled of course with the
Anglo-American-Jewish mental conditioning we have all been exposed to
throughout our lives. Consequently, when it comes to history and
political matters, we can’t see past our emotions, our arrogance, our
biases, our illiteracy and our mental
conditioning. Consequently, Armenians to this day
continue blaming ethnic Russians for the evils of Bolshevism. And a
reoccurring topic of discussion among our professional
Russophobes is of course the "Treaty of Moscow",
the official document signed in 1921 between the Bolshevik government in Moscow
and Mustafa Kemal Ataturk's Turkey.
This historic event is naturally portrayed by our anti-Russian activists as Russians once again backstabbing Armenians and ceding Armenian lands to Turks. Hence the popular slogan among our professional Russophobes, "Ռուսնները սպիտակ Թուրքեր են" (Russians are white Turks).
This historic event is naturally portrayed by our anti-Russian activists as Russians once again backstabbing Armenians and ceding Armenian lands to Turks. Hence the popular slogan among our professional Russophobes, "Ռուսնները սպիտակ Թուրքեր են" (Russians are white Turks).
We
are also increasingly hearing from our professional Russophobes today
that the Treaty of Moscow is legally not valid because "Armenians were not present
at its signing". And what's legally valid according to the same is "Wilsonian Armenia", the fairytale constantly brought-up by Western financed "political experts" like Ara Papyan. These kinds of empty rhetoric by agents of Western influence are primarily meant to distract, misinform and mislead the Armenian
nation.
This
so-called "Wilsonian Armenia" was never accepted by the U.S. government, it was therefore never ratified. In my opinion, it's not even worth the paper it's written on. It was
in my opinion a contingency plan and a ploy to convince Turks to
ally with Western powers instead of Bolsheviks in Moscow. Similar to the never-coming "Armenian Genocide recognition" in the United States, "Wilsonian
Armenia" is yet another red herring, another distraction for the
Armenian community today to perennially chase after. But,
our Western financed agents still bring it up to keep us political
naive Armenians excited and hopeful about Western powers. And it's working to a discernible degree. We are now lucky to have two fairytales we can perennially chase our tails around with.
To
briefly address the time period in question: Armenians
were a comprehensively defeated people. Armenia's national leadership at
the time actually wanted to remain with Georgians and
Tatars/Azerbaijanis in the so-called Transcaucasian Federation which was hastily put together towards the end of the First World War.
After Georgians and Azerbaijanis broke-away from this federation and
declared independence, Armenians had no choice but to also proclaim
Armenia's independence. In other words, the First Armenian
Republic was reluctantly founded by Armenian leaders in late May
1918. The motivation/reasoning behind the Armenian reluctance was
obviously the realization that without allies an independent Armenia
would have for all intents and
purposes been a stillborn child. Armenia had no hope for survival.
The
much heralded "Battle of Sardarapat", which our naive and ignorant
sheeple constantly points out to prove Armenian unity and military
prowess, was in the
big picture a small skirmish that went our way at the time for a number
of reasons none of which had to do with "Armenian prowess" or "unity"
or "miracle" or anything like that. Purely from a military perspective,
the Turkish invasion of Armenia in May of 1918 was very limited in size and scope. As a
general rule in military operations, to be successful attacking forces
need to be several times larger than defending forces and be backed up with reserves. In this case , however,
forces on both sides were more-or-less evenly matched. The
Turkish force was therefore not large enough to forcibly take and hold
land in a hostile territory that was also mountainous. Moreover, let's also factor in the fact that Armenians were
desperately fighting for their very survival, whereas war-exhausted
Turks were not. For whatever
reason, the Turkish military incursion into Armenia was ill prepared and it also did not seem to
have full political backing by Ataturk's government. Perhaps it was a political ploy. In
my humble opinion, winning the battle for Sardarapat was indeed a major
historic event for us Armenians, but it was no great military victory
nor was it a miracle from above. Ultimately, had Bolsheviks not
stepped into the political void in the south Caucasus after the Russian
retreat, the entire region would have eventually been annexed by Turkey
and/or Persia, and the newly created Armenian republic would have
disappeared from the map. Since we Armenians are a defeated people, we
love bringing up ethical/moral questions as well as "international law"
to validate our claims and feel ourselves secure in this ruthless world.
What we need to understand however is that ethics/morals have never had
a place in politics, nor will it ever. And the thing we call
"international law" only works for the world's majors powers who created
it.
This is the bigger point we are missing: Had it not been the Bolshevik government in 1921 that recognized Turkey's eastern borders with the Treaty of Kars and the Treaty of Moscow, I have NO DOUBT that it would have been an Armenian delegation (as we saw with the Treaty of Alexandropol) that would have done the same thing, if not something much worst. In other words, if it wasn't the "Treaty of Moscow", it might very well have been the "Treaty of Yerevan" and Official Yerevan would STILL be recognizing it today.
With the Russian Empire totally destroyed and having been abandoned by the
English, French and Americans at the end of the First World War,
we all
know that Armenia at the time was in NO POSITION to demand anything from
anyone. This
is why when Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (who since 1919 was embarked on a
military campaign to preserve what he could of Turkish populated lands
in Asia Minor) rejected the terms and conditions of the
European treaties and turned his army's attention to Armenia in the
autumn of 1920, Armenia was in no shape to fight. This is why when the Turkish military offensive began an
Armenian delegation quickly signed the Treaty of Alexandropol with Ataturk's military in the
winter of 1920. This treaty basically agreed to cede to Ataturk's
Turkey much of what little had remained of Armenia. In a
strange yet very lucky twist of fate (maybe it was by design, maybe it
was just a result of
incompetence and disarray among Armenia's governmental structures at the
time that coincidentally worked in Armenia's favor) the day before the
Armenian delegation signed the Treaty of
Alexandropol, the Armenian
government in Yerevan had already agreed to officially transfer
political power in the country over to the Bolshevik government in
Moscow.
With Armenia officially ceded to the Bolsheviks government by the
embattled leadership in Yerevan, the Treaty of Alexandropol (signed
merely a day later) was
therefore legally null and void. With Bolsheviks claiming full ownership
of
Armenia, Ataturk inevitably took a step back.
Was the Treaty of Alexandropol a case of Armenian incompetence or was it clever ploy to
stop the Turkish invasion of Armenia? I don't know the answer to this
question, and, to be honest, it really does not even matter. The point here being,
Armenia was a thoroughly defeated and an utterly impotent state between 1918 and 1920. A
tiny, landlocked,
remote, abandoned, desolate, poverty-stricken and a war-ravaged nation
hosting hundreds-of-thousands of sick and hungry genocide survivors from
Western
Armenia, Caucasian Armenia was generally speaking a stillborn state in 1918. Close
examination of historical record plainly reveals that the Armenian
leadership at the time were not only not ready for independence, they
did not even want it. Geopolitical circumstances during the late stages
of the First World War basically forced independence onto Armenia in
1918, and geopolitical circumstances during the post-war period took it
away in 1921.
The Armenian republic''s founding was indeed a major historic milestone
for the Armenian people who had not had a state of their own in
historic Armenia since 1045 A.D. But, it was obvious the country would not survive on its own under those conditions at the time despite our
people's best efforts. In the big picture, after what had transpired in
the region in several years prior, it was better for the country to fall
under Bolshevik rule than Turkish rule. In other words, better Red than dead.
In
any case, I'll be the first to say thank God Armenians were not present
at the signing of the infamous Moscow Treaty. Had Armenians been there, we
wouldn't be blaming Bolsheviks or Russians for signing the damn
thing, we would be blaming ourselves instead. Let's look at it this
way: At the very least, we now have a Bolshevik/Russian punching bag to
make our
people's Քաջ Նազար-s feel good about themselves. Besides which, although
Bolsheviks were not very sensitive to Armenian interests to say the
least (nor were they sensitive to Russian interests for that matter),
they did nonetheless in-effect help Armenians preserve a significant
piece of territory that eventually became a highly advanced Soviet
republic.
Bolshevik Armenia, which was initially incorporated in a Transcaucasian Socialist Federated along with Georgia and Azerbaijan, eventually became a full-fledged Soviet Republic with Turkish-occupied Mount Ararat on its in 1936 - thanks to none-other-than Stalin.
Not only do Armenians these days are quick to blame ethnic Russians for wantonly ceding Armenian lands to Turks and Caucasian Tatars one hundred years ago, they also blame ethnic Russians for helping Azerbaijan's war effort against Artsakh some thirty years ago. Allow me to therefore shed some light on this topic as well.
Bolshevik Armenia, which was initially incorporated in a Transcaucasian Socialist Federated along with Georgia and Azerbaijan, eventually became a full-fledged Soviet Republic with Turkish-occupied Mount Ararat on its in 1936 - thanks to none-other-than Stalin.
Not only do Armenians these days are quick to blame ethnic Russians for wantonly ceding Armenian lands to Turks and Caucasian Tatars one hundred years ago, they also blame ethnic Russians for helping Azerbaijan's war effort against Artsakh some thirty years ago. Allow me to therefore shed some light on this topic as well.
In
the late 1980s, when Mikhail Gorbachev's attempted deep reforms had
quickly begun backfiring and the Soviet Union suddenly feel terminally
ill, the Politburo in Moscow was doing its best to preserve the borders
of the Soviet Union in various theaters that had descended into
inter-ethnic conflict. The multi-ethnic south Caucasus was one such
location and Artsakh was one such flashpoint. Until the official
collapse of the Soviet Union in late 1991, the Soviet Politburo could
not be expected to support the Armenian liberation effort in Artsakh
because as noted above the Soviet Politburo was trying to preserve
borders of the Soviet Union as it existed at the time. This is
basically why the Soviet Union's political and military leadership at
times assisted Azerbaijan's war effort against Armenians of Artsakh. It
had nothing to do with the mythical "anti-Armenian sentiments of the
Russian nation" that our professional Russophobes want us to believe. It
was merely realpolitik. It should be noted that the geostrategic
calculus in the south Caucasus changed drastically by early 1992 because
the Soviet Union by then had officially ceased to exist and a newly
formed Russian Federation with a new, evolving set of geopolitical
formulations and national interests had come into existence. It was
no coincidence therefore that Armenia's war effort in Artsakh only began
gaining momentum after 1991, that is when post-Soviet Moscow gradually
began supplying Armenia with heavy weaponry as well as military
trainers. It is also no coincidence that a tiny, impoverished, landlocked and blockaded Armenia - with a tiny and still shrinking population nonetheless - has been able to maintain military parity against an oil rich and much larger Azerbaijan.
Imperial
Russia as well as the Soviet Union intentionally and deliberately
preserved and maintained a territory, however small and/or mutilated, for
Armenians in the south Caucasus. If for instance, Stalin
hated Armenians so much, as we Armenians are thought to believe from
childhood, why then did he not displace Armenians en-masse and erase
Armenia
all-together from the Soviet map, like what he did to so man other
groups of
people in the Soviet Union? Why did he approve the creation in 1936 of
the Soviet Social Republic of Armenia (which also included Turkish-occupied Mount Ararat on its state emblem) when he could have easily dissolved
Armenia into Georgia or Azerbaijan -
So, ask yourselves: Could
there be two sides to every story? Of course there could. Could it be
that we Armenians have a very limited (even twisted/warped I would say)
understanding of our history? Of course we do. Could the presence of
men like the Mikoyan brothers and Ivan Baghramyan in the Soviet Union have a net positive
effect on Soviet Armenia? Of course it could have. Did the West write the history books that created
the general public's understanding/perception of history? Of course it did. Do
authors, historians, political experts, journalists, professors,
intellectuals, etc., incert their personal biases into the works they
produce? Of course they do. Were Bolsheviks bad? Of course they were.
Were they "anti-Armenian" to a exceptional degree? Of course they were not. Was Stalin responsible for the murder of many Armenians? Of course he was... but Stalin also helped create the Soviet
Armenian Republic. Stalin had also planned to invade Turkey at the end of the Second World War but was stopped by Western powers. Anyway, the point here being is this: Nothing in
politics or in history is ever black and white. Every dispute has two sides.
Every story, every historic event has more than one explanation.
Those were extremely difficult and complex times. The world was in
turmoil. Powerful empires were falling. New nations were being born.
There was a lot of bloodshed. There were stories
within stories, governments within governments, conspiracies within
conspiracies, deals within deals, nuances within nuances... We as a people need to be mature enough to understand this.
Transcaucasian Federation (April - May 1918):https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcaucasian_Democratic_Federative_Republic
Soviet Transcaucasia (1922 - 1936): https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/russian-federation/1936-04-01/soviet-transcaucasia
Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (1922 - 1991): http://www.armeniapedia.org/wiki/Armenian_Soviet_Socialist_Republic
Each historical event, each political system and each
time period needs to be looked at and assessed thoroughly and approached
separately. So,
with all this
in mind, we need to understand that Russia today is not the Soviet
Union of
yesterday. The Soviet Union of yesterday is not the Russian Empire of
the day before. Each historical event, each political system and each
geopolitical landscape had a
unique political climate along with a unique set of geopolitical calculus. We as a people need to have the
collective wisdom, the clarity of vision and the foresight to look at and assess each
time period separately and derive the necessary lessons from them. Our
understanding of politics and certain historical periods however is
often twisted and warped, not only because of our bad traits and the fog
of time but also because of the persistent and ubiquitous anti-Russian
disinformation campaign being waged by Anglo-American-Jews.
Closing thoughts
Closing thoughts
Let's please we wise enough to disregard the political show taking place in Washington D.C. Yes, I know it feels good at some superficial level, but such games played by corrupt imperial officials will only do us Armenians harm in the end. Let's keep in mind that Uncle Sam will NOT recogize the Armenian Genocide if there is even the slightest chance of salvaging the West's alliance with Turkey. Let's keep in mind that the West's problem is with Turkey's president, not Turkey itself. Let's also keep in mind that President Erdogan will be gone some day. We cannot allow our professional Russophobes to use these kinds of events to convince our political naive/illiterate sheeple that American officials are Armenia's friends. We as a people can never trust or rely on Anglo-American-Jews. The same applies to European powers. Not only are their civilizations not compatible with ours, they are also physically distant from Armenia. Western interests are in the south Caucasus currently only out of political expediency; they are looking for energy exploitation and they are looking to undermine Armenia's only friends in the region, Russia and Iran. Being in the south Caucasus is not vital for their national security. Once things get too difficult for them they will leave. The situation Syria's Kurds found themselves in very recently should be a vivid reminder to us all that one can never trust Western powers.
What happened to Syria's Kurds will happen to Armenians - but much worst - if Armenians are stupid enough to distence themselves from the Russian Bear. Can anyone in their right mind imagine the existence of an Armenia in the south Caucasus without the protection of Russia? No rational person who cares about Armenia can. Yet, that is exactly what our professional Russophobes are trying to convince us of doing.
Let's not forget that there is a well-financed and well-organized campaign inside Armenian society to spread anti-Russian disinformation in order to undermine Armenia's crucially important ties with the Russian Federation. Nikol's government has flooded Armenia with Western operatives. Our professional Russophobes and traitors used to be on the very fringes of Armenian society during previous administrations. Today, they are every where; including in the Armenian Parliament, including on public television. The artificially orchestrated anti-Russian hysteria is so prevelent in Armenia today that the country's tradtionally pro-Russian citizens are beginning to exhibit signs of Russophobia. It is true what they say about repeating a lie over-and-over again. Our professional Russophobes are indeed beginning to have a negative impact on the mindset of our general pubic, even among those who generally speaking are pro-Russian. Even those who do not think they are immune to Western propaganda are regurgitating information that has arrived to them through an Anglo-American-Jewsh political prism. This is a very dangerous trend for a people and for a ccountry that is desperately dependent on Russia for survival.
The "complimentary" route Armenians have chozen for Armenia is a road to hell. We stand the risk of losing our national culture. Westernization, Americanization and Globalization poses a threat to Armenia that is actually much greater than Communism. Armenia has already begun suffering serious cultural and civilizational ailments as a result of its 30-plus year exposure to the Western world. Post-Soviet Armenia pales in comparison to Soviet Armenia. Alas, I came late to this realization but Soviet Armenia was a nation-state we all could be proud of. Soviet Armenia produced an abundance of world-class scientists, academisions, writers and artists. Post-Soviet Armenia is producing an abundance of trash, both literally and figuratively. If Armenia continues on its current route indefinitely, the country will stand the risk of being devoured by regional predators.
In all fairness, I should add here that Armenia's cultural decline is beyond political parties and invdividual politicians. It is also beyond corruption and Oligarchs, beyond Russia and Western powers, beyond Turkey and Azerbaijan. Therefore, this matter is not about Nikol. It is not about Serge, nor is it really about Levon. Armenia's cultural decline is about us as a people. The fault lies within all of us. This is a cultural and civilizational matter, and it is ultimately related to the genetic/cultural makeup of us Armenians. It's about who we are by nature. Armenia is what it is today (with its good and its bad) because of the collective body called Armenians. In looking for people to blame for our miserable state today, we therefore need look no futher than ourselves. In my next blog commentary I will delve further into addressing Armenia's civilizational/cultural decline in the post-Soviet/Russian period. I have come to the sobering realization that what Armenia needs today is not independence but closer, more efficient relations with Russia, not only politically, economically and militarily but also culturally.
I say let Russians come back and establish a larger presence inside Armenia. Under current circumstances, that would be the safest choice for the country.
The south Caucassus is too violent and too complicated and we as a people are too self-destructive and too politically illiterate for full sovereignty. Some 30 years ago we inherited world-class industry and top-notch institutions in education, academia, medicine and science, and in 30 years we turned it all into rust and dust. We more-or-less gutted and dismantled everything and sold it all at scrap metal prices. Iran was one of the main beneficiaries of our people's barbarity. The country's Soviet/Russian inheritance - and in a sense its future - was essentially town-down sold for chewing-gum and cigarettes from Iran. Yesterday, we produced world-class artists, composers, scientists, professors, actors, physicians, academicians, intellectuals... as well as rockets, computers, heavy machinary, lasers, electronic devices, textiles, chemicals, construction materials, aircraft parts, submarine parts, generators and automobiles. Yesterday, our population was well-fed, well-educated and growing. Today, we are allowing "street culture" to represent Armenian culture. Today, we are selling our children to foreigners, our women are prostituting themselves in Turkey and the UAE, and families are selectively aborting female fetuses. Today, majority of Armenians are either unemployed or underemployed, and crime rates are rising. Today, our population is rapidly shrinking, our economy is comatose and transvestites are discussing gay-rights in the national parliament. Today, our independence generation speaks better English than Russian, Armenian television is a showcase for Western-style stupidity, imorality, criminality and Afro-American song and dance. Today, Armenians are abandoning their homeland en masse, as masses of Indians fill the void they leave behind. Today, neo-Bolsheviks are in power in Yerevan -
Soros Foundation in Armenia - Independent Study of the Country’s System of External Governance: https://www.stalkerzone.org/soros-foundation-in-armenia-independent-study-of-the-countrys-system-of-external-governance/
The ruins of the industrial Armenian city of Kirovakan-Vanadzor: https://jam-news.net/industrial-kirovakan-vanadzors-ruins/
'Babies-for-sale' scheme shocks Armenia: https://amp.france24.com/en/20191226-babies-for-sale-scheme-shocks-armenia
Increasing amounts of Turkish and Pakistani vegetables appear in Armenian markets: https://news.am/eng/news/545162.html
Seventy Armenian women charged with prostitution in Turkey: https://news.am/eng/news/506208.html
The Armenian network in the Dubai sex trade: https://hetq.am/en/article/8940
Armenian immigrants look for a better life in Turkey: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/04/armenian-immigrants-life-turkey-150420070803126.html
‘We lose 1,400 girls a year. Who will our boys marry?’: Armenia's quandary: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/feb/22/sex-selection-armenia-quandary
Why is Armenia facing a demographic crisis?: https://jam-news.net/why-is-armenia-facing-a-demographic-crisis/
Gallup Poll: 40% of Armenians Desire to Leave Armenia: http://www.gallup.com/poll/161591/desire-leave-fsu-ranges-widely-across-countries
Indians In Armenia: https://armeniadiscovery.com/en/articles/indians-in-armenia
Armenia’s Crime Rate Keeps Rising: https://www.azatutyun.am/a/30073616.html
Cancer rate soars by 70% in Armenia in 20 years - chief oncologist: https://www.tert.am/en/news/2018/04/09/tananyan/2658026
Armenia roiled by transgender woman’s speech in parliament: https://eurasianet.org/armenia-roiled-by-transgender-womans-speech-in-parliament
Armenia needs to step up efforts to bridge 'deficit of trust' with Russia - analyst: https://www.tert.am/en/news/2020/01/04/hrant-meliq-shahnazaryan/3178621
I want to remind the reader that Armenia is located in a very violent and unforgiving region of the world. The south Caucasus is by nature Turkic and Islamic. Armenia will therefore not have the peace or the stability to develop proper national institutions and/or elite either. This is why I say the secret to Armenia's longevity lies in Moscow.
In front of our very eyes, post-Soviet Armenia is gradually turning into a Third World cesspool and a dangerous playground for all kinds of Anglo-American-Jewish social engineering agendas. Time is therefore working against us. The current so-called independence generation is already heavily inoculated by Western toxins. Time will only make matters worst. This toxic process needs to be stopped and reversed before it's too late. Our people's political illiteracy and self-destructive behavior is essentially why a great man like Karen Karapetyan, who needed to become Armenia's leader, is instead providing his professional services to the Russian state, and why a Western-financed street scoundrel like Nikol is Armenia's Prime Minister. My next blog commentary will concentrate its attention on Armenia's civilizational decline in the post-Soviet period and the need our homeland has for a bigger Russian presence in Armenia before it's too late; that is before we as a people and civilization reach the point of no return. I believe dark and difficult times lie ahead. God bless Armenia. God bless Mother Russia. May God help us preserve and strengthen our centuries old friendship with our Russian allies.
Arevordi
Autumn/Winter, 2019
***
Armenian Genocide Resolution Reaffirms the ‘G-word’ is a Rool for U.S. Interests
Last month, the U.S. House of Representatives voted in an overwhelming bipartisan majority to officially recognize the Armenian genocide more than a century after the atrocities were committed. The motion was a departure from decades of U.S. government refusal because of its ‘realpolitik’ considerations of regional ally and fellow NATO member, the Republic of Turkey. The Ottoman Empire’s successor state and the Turkic state of Azerbaijan remain the sole nations in the world that explicitly deny the mass extermination and expulsion of 1.5 million Ottoman Armenians constitutes “genocide.” While the U.S. had previously acknowledged that war crimes were committed beginning in 1915, Washington refrained from using the ‘g-word’ to avoid fallout with Ankara despite the international community consensus. President Donald Trump would be the first commander-in-chief to utter the term if he follows suit, but that scenario is unlikely as the proposal came in reaction to his green-lighting a Turkish invasion of Kurdish-held Northeastern Syria with a U.S. troop withdrawal that was unpopular with lawmakers.
In 2015, WikiLeaks revealed Trump’s
opponent Hillary Clinton’s email exchanges on the issue with her
foreign policy adviser, Jake Sullivan, during the 100th anniversary. The
disclosure gave a rare look inside the suspected cynical reasoning
behind Washington’s longstanding lack of formal acknowledgement.
Sullivan wrote:
“Friday is the 100th Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day. I presume the Armenian groups will be looking for a statement or a signal from the campaign on whether she will call it a “genocide” if she is elected president. As a Senator and candidate, she was unequivocal in recognizing the genocide. As Secretary of State, she did not use the term genocide but rather focused on future reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia. The White House has studiously avoided using “genocide” so far. There is an internal debate now about whether to change that posture given that it is the 100th anniversary. But in all likelihood they won’t change. Two questions: Do you all agree that she should embrace the position she took as Senator and candidate, even though she did not take it as SecState? Do you all agree that we should just wait until we are asked as opposed to doing something proactive? Sorry to bother with this, but as you all know this matters enormously to Armenian-Americans.”
Campaign manager John Podesta replied, “quote the Pope.” Just two years into his papacy, Francis had described the mass killing of Armenians as the “first genocide of the twentieth century”
which drew Turkey’s ire, but Clinton would never recite the Argentine
holy father’s words despite her team’s encouragement. Her decision
speaks to the power of the Turkish and Azeri lobbies which have spent
millions bribing and extorting U.S. politicians for decades to prevent
recognition of the Ottoman crimes against humanity by the legislature
and any such proclamation by an American head of state. What an insult
to the Armenian-American community which waited generations only to see
the step finally taken under such dishonest circumstances. The measure
has since been blocked in
the Senate by neocon warmonger Lindsey Graham of South Carolina shortly
after his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, but the
changes that brought about the ill-fated resolution should not go
unexamined.
Turkey is often said to be the ‘bridge between East and West’, as its
transcontinental territory extends across both southeastern Europe and
western Asia. An ally during the Cold War with NATO’s second largest
army, it was the U.S. placement of Jupiter ballistic missiles in Izmir
which sparked the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 after Soviet Premier
Nikita Khrushchev retaliated by deploying intermediate-range nuclear
missiles to Havana in an effort to thwart Washington from gaining the
upper hand. Turkey has remained vital to geo-strategic interests as the
point connecting Europe and the Middle East, but the rise of Moscow
under Putin on the world stage has threatened to throw the Atlanticist
alliance into disarray along with Washington’s reckless disregard for
Ankara with its incorporation of the Kurds into the Syrian Democratic
Forces (SDF) coalition in the Syrian war. The U.S.’s arrogance that it
could maintain an alliance while supporting Kurdish militants regarded
as terrorists by Ankara marked a turning point in their relations with
the prospect of Turkey exiting NATO suddenly no longer an impossibility.
When the neo-Ottoman sultan Erdoğan signed on with the
U.S.-Saudi-Israeli attempt to oust the secular Syrian government of
Bashar al-Assad, he did not anticipate it facilitating a potential
Kurdish state on Turkey’s doorstep. The likelihood of U.S. involvement
in the failed 2016 coup d’etat attempt against him and Washington’s
harboring of rival Islamic cleric Fethullah Gülen did not help matters,
nor did Turkey’s retaliation by purchasing Moscow’s S-400 missile
defense system in noncompliance with its NATO commitments. It is ironic
that it took Trump’s throwing the Kurds under the bus queueing the
Turkish offensive to result in the house finally acknowledging the
‘other holocaust’, as many Kurds themselves were participants in the
slaughter of the Armenians a century ago. Nevertheless, the resolution
is further sign of the geopolitical alignment shifting and the
inevitable decline of U.S. hegemony with its plans to redraw the Middle
East derailed by Moscow. No one should be fooled into believing that
Congress is motivated by anything other than a desire to punish Turkey
for making the U.S. look bad while rebuking Trump for deviating from the
bipartisan consensus of endless war.
Coincidentally, just as the row between the traditional allies of
Washington and Ankara resulted in U.S. legislators affirming the
Armenian genocide, the Nobel Prize in Literature has been mired in
controversy for having awarded an accused “denier” of such atrocities in
the Balkans. The Austrian-born playwright and novelist Peter Handke,
perhaps best known for penning the screenplay to Wim Wenders’s art house
classic film Wings of Desire, was the recipient of the 2019
prize for his body of work. Despite such career achievements, Handke has
been plagued by scandal for his political activism, namely opposition
to the NATO intervention in Yugoslavia during the 1990s. An Orthodox
Christian convert, Handke was a member of the International Committee to
Defend Slobodan Milošević when the former Serbian president was held
for war crimes in the Hague Tribunal and even spoke at his funeral after
he mysteriously died while in custody in 2006.
Long before the U.S. opportunistically declared what was done by the
Young Turks to the Ottoman Armenians to be genocide, they were using the
label to mischaracterize the Yugoslav wars as the basis for NATO’s
Orwellian-styled ‘humanitarian intervention’ against Serbia. Even though
ethnic cleansing was committed on all sides in what was fundamentally a
civil war, the heroes and villains were preselected based on the
Serbian alliance with Moscow and the time-honored anti-Russian strategy
of aligning with Islamists designed by Zbigniew Brzezinski that began
with the arming of the Afghan mujahideen against the Soviets. After
instigating the ‘USSR’s Vietnam’ in Afghanistan, the Atlanticists
applied this same strategy to the Balkans and the North Caucasus to
undermine post-Soviet Russia.
Winston
Churchill famously referred to the Balkans as the “soft
underbelly” of Europe during WWII when it was under Axis occupation.
During the Yugoslav Wars, it once again become Europe’s ‘weak spot’ as
the West supported the al-Qaeda elements in Bosnia and Kosovo against
the Serbs. Mass media would never report the war crimes by the Bosnian
mujahideen and Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) nor the ethnic cleansing of
thousands of Serbs from Krajina in Croatia. When the Srebrenica massacre
of military-age Bosniaks made international headlines in 1995, it
became a PR-managed event designed to fixate world attention exclusively
on one of many such killings that took place in the enclave by both
sides in order to give grounds for NATO intervention without approval
from the UN Security Council. The late, great media critic Edward S.
Herman, who proved to be more principled on the matter than his Manufacturing Consent co-author Noam Chomsky, summed it up in his final column before his death in 2017:
“Milošević had nothing to do with the July 1995 Srebrenica massacre, in which Bosnian Serbs took revenge on Bosnian Muslim soldiers who had been ravaging nearby Bosnian Serb villages from their base in Srebrenica under NATO protection. The several thousand Serb civilian deaths were essentially unreported in the mainstream media, while the numbers of Srebrenica’s executed victims were correspondingly inflated.”
In the years since, the inter-ethnic war has been widely referred to
in the West as the “Bosnian genocide”, with Srebrenica a microcosm to
misleadingly summarize the entire conflict. Thankfully, Moscow has
vetoed efforts by the UN Security Council to condemn it as such. The
truth is that the dice were loaded from the very beginning, as NATO’s
kangaroo court, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former
Yugoslavia (ICTY), was initiated as a U.S. policy option to
disproportionately prosecute Serbs for war crimes with a clear bias
against them, as revealed in a declassified CIA document from 1993 which states:
“11. Establish a War Crimes Tribunal. Serb paramilitary leaders charged with war crimes might attempt terrorist operations in the West. The Serbian, Croatian, and Bosnian Governments might harbor some high-ranking war criminals while turning over those considered expendable. They may even rid themselves of war criminals to cover up war crimes. Most West Europeans — with the exception of Greece — probably woigld support this option. Muslim states would approve a War Crimes Tribunal and publicizing Serbian atrocities. Even treatment of Bosnian transgressions, however, would be regarded as tilting in Belgrade’s favor.”
This would explain why a Bosnian war criminal like Naser Orić, who
commanded the assaults on Serb villages that resulted in the retaliatory
killings of Bosniaks in Srebrenica, was acquitted while Bosnian Serb
General Ratko Mladić received a life sentence. Meanwhile, the Bush
administration made it clear that the U.S. would respond with military force if
the Hague ever attempted to charge U.S. personnel with war crimes in
the American Servicemembers Protection Act of 2002, also known as the
‘Hague Invasion Act’, an astonishing display of bullying of the
international community even for U.S. imperialism. The ICTY would be one
of two rigged judicial organs created by the UN Security Council before
the establishment of the International Criminal Court (ICC), the other
being the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in 1994.
Although NATO did not directly intervene in the small African country’s civil war, it spun a similar one-sided account where the Tutsi heroes and Hutu villains were predetermined even as mass slaughter was committed by both factions. Rwanda had been a Belgian colonial territory following WWII where the favored Tutsi minority ruled the landlocked country under a monarchy that subjugated the ethnic Hutu majority until they revolted in 1959 and expelled more than 300,000 Tutsis to neighboring countries. Decades later, Tutsi refugees based in Uganda seeking to repatriate formed the Rwandan Patriotic Front army led by Paul Kagame and in 1990, the RPF invaded the small nation in a guerrilla campaign. The assault came following the assassination of Rwanda’s Hutu President, Juvénal Habyarimana, after his plane was shot down in a probable ‘false flag’ operation that was pinned on Hutu extremists. Despite the fact that the RPF started the armed conflict, the West transposed reality and painted the Hutus as pure villains in the violence that would follow.
No one disputes that anywhere from 800,000 to 1 million Rwandans were killed in the ensuing bloodshed. However, the figures of a “genocide” of Tutsis debunks itself, given that there were significantly less than a million of them in the country at the time with the highest estimate at 600,000. The simple fact is that the majority of the victims could only have Hutu, considering there were at least 400,000 surviving Tutsis in the country after the war was over, thus the remaining number of victims in all probability were Hutu. Since the war began with an offensive by the RPF, that the lion’s share of victims would be their opponents is only to be expected except perhaps to Western propagandists and their newspeak that Kagame was conquering the country to “stop a genocide” while committing one himself. Even though the Kagame regime would go on to commit further atrocities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire), this would not prevent the media from maintaining its portrayal of him as a hero. However, the BBC of all news organizations would produce a must-see documentary, Rwanda: The Untold Story, that challenged the official story in 2014 but not without stirring controversy.
Historically, the politicization of “genocide” began from its earliest implementations. Coined by Polish-Jewish lawyer Raphael Lemkin, he devised the term from the Greek word “génos” (group or race)and the Latin append “-cide” (killing), supposedly with the Armenians in mind. It was said that if the Genocide Convention of 1948 been ratified during the inter-war period following the annihilation of the Armenians, it could have prevented future atrocities against European Jews in WWII, citing a reputed quote by Adolf Hitler, “who after all, remembers the Armenians?” from a speech just prior to the invasion of Poland in 1939. Of course, for the Zionists this was at the exclusion of other, inferior groups victimized by the Germans whose sins the Palestinians are still paying for many decades later.
From the get-go, the g-word was a political football during the Cold War in order to legislate history with a pro-Western bias. In spite of having survived Nazi persecution himself, Lemkin argued in his writings that the Soviet Ukrainian famine of the 1930s qualified despite the myth of deliberate starvation having been concocted by their Ukrainian nationalist collaborators who fled to Western Europe and North America in order to escape penalty for their war crimes. Stories of the “man-made” hunger were then publicized in the pages of American sensationalist newspapers owned by media tycoon William Randolph Hearst, a Nazi sympathizer who ran columns by Hermann Göring and Adolf Hitler himself, as well as the yellow press of his UK equivalent, Lord Viscount Rothermere, an open supporter of Nazi Germany and British fascist Oswald Mosley. Nevermind that Moscow had liberated both the European Jews and Armenians in both world wars, respectively. The post-war attempt to classify the Holodomor hoax as “genocide” instead of the mass destruction of indigenous peoples across the world by European settler colonialism was the beginning of the West’s conflation of Nazi Germany with the USSR in order to separate the former from its own legacy.
Ultimately, the Genocide Convention is as politicized with a pro-Western partiality as institutions like the Nobel Foundation. While its literature award is accustomed to controversy, so too is its peace laureate which has repeatedly bestowed its honor to questionable choices, if not outright war criminals. In 1973, it infamously awarded then-Secretary of State Henry Kissinger for negotiating a cease-fire between the U.S. and North Vietnam, even though he was by all accounts responsible for prolonging the Vietnam War, along with a laundry list of other destructive policies in his tenure that many feel warrant prosecution for crimes against humanity. This includes the secret U.S. bombing of Cambodia during the Vietnam War which facilitated the CIA-backed Khmer Rouge’s rise to power. The tens of thousands of deaths from Operation Freedom Deal would not be included with those attributed to the “genocide” by Pol Pot whose regime would be used to demonize communism, despite his Western support and that Phnom Penh was liberated by Vietnam. Later in 2009, just a year into his first presidential term Barack Obama became the Peace Prize recipient not for anything he had actually done but in a vacuous gesture as “a call to action.” The first African-American to hold the office would go on to drop hundreds of thousands of bombs on seven different nations. Then again, the accolade itself is inherently paradoxical considering that among Alfred Nobel’s list of accomplishments was success in arms manufacturing.
When Slobodan Milošević was being slowly murdered in custody in the Netherlands, Peter Handke was one of the few public figures brave enough to come to the former Serbian president’s defense, but he was not alone even amongst his fellow Nobel Laureates. The late British playwright Harold Pinter, one of the most influential dramatists of the 20th century, also lent his name as a signatory to the Slobodan Milošević International Committee. During a five decade career, Pinter was a dedicated anti-war activist in his private life and used the occasion of his accepting the literary honor in 2005 while still in poor health to deliver a powerful, scathing indictment of U.S. foreign policy in his Nobel Lecture. Since his name was announced, Mr. Handke has been the subject of relentless, unjustified attacks as a “genocide denier” and should be granted the same relative level of respect Pinter was paid when he was its honoree. It is likely geopolitical factors at play making Handke the subject of a smear campaign, with the restart of the Cold War and the need to demonize all things Russia-related with whom with the Serbs share a brotherhood. Be it the case of Mr. Handke or the congressional exploitation of the Armenians, it is clear “genocide” is nothing more than a political construct earmarked for the usage of empire.
Source: https://countercurrents.org/2019/11/armenian-genocide-resolution-reaffirms-the-g-word-is-a-tool-for-u-s-interests
Graham blocks House resolution recognizing Armenian genocide after Erdoğan meeting
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) blocked a resolution on Wednesday that would have formally recognized the Ottoman Empire's genocide against the Armenian people. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) asked for consent to pass the resolution that would have provided "official recognition and remembrance" of the Armenian genocide. "The United States foreign policy must reflect an honest accounting of human rights abuses, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing and genocide. We cannot turn our backs on the Armenian victims of genocide," he said. Menendez noted that he listened to President Trump's press conference Wednesday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The Turkish president scolded a House-passed resolution recognizing the genocide and instead promised to "establish a history commission." Graham objected to passing the resolution in the Senate, saying senators shouldn't "sugarcoat history or try to rewrite it." Under the Senate's rules, any one senator can ask for consent to pass a bill or resolution, but any one senator can block it. Graham's objection came hours after he took part in a White House meeting with Trump, Erdoğan and a group of GOP senators. "I just met with President Erdoğan and President Trump about the problems we face in Syria by the military incursion by Turkey. I do hope that Turkey and Armenia can come together and deal with this problem," he added on the Senate floor. Graham added that he was objecting "not because of the past but because of the future." The resolution passed the House in a 405-11 vote. Turkey does not recognize the killing of 1.5 million Armenians as genocide. The House vote came in the wake of Ankara's military incursion into northern Syria after the Trump administration pulled troops from the area.
Source: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/470386-graham-blocks-resolution-recognizing-armenian-genocide-after-erdogan-meeting?amp
US State Department: Trump admin still does NOT recognize Armenian genocide despite Senate resolution
The White House has not changed its position on the Armenian Genocide despite the Senate resolution on the Ottoman Empire killings, the State Department said. President Donald Trump will keep using terms like “mass atrocities.”
"The position of the administration has not changed. Our views are reflected in the President’s definitive statement on this issue from last April," State Department spokesperson, Morgan Ortagus, said on Tuesday. While Trump did not explicitly refer to the 1915-1923 events as a “genocide” in his April statement, he used the Armenian phrase “Meds Yeghem,” meaning “big massacres,” and publicly honored the memory of some 1.5 million Armenians “who suffered in one of the worst mass atrocities of the 20th century.”
Ortagus’ statement poured cold water on the possibility that Trump would follow along with the unanimous resolution, passed by the House in November and by the Senate on December 12, which said that “it is the policy of the United States to commemorate the Armenian Genocide through official recognition and remembrance.”
The Senate’s vote came just a day after its Foreign Relations Committee approved sanctions against Turkey over its purchase of Russian-made S-400 missile defense system and its military actions in northeast Syria, and the bill’s sponsors acknowledged it is intended to “change behavior” of the Turkish government.
Trump has previously stated he opposed the resolution because it would strain already-distressed relations with Ankara, which has called the vote “a political show” with “no validity whatsoever.” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hinted they could retaliate with their own resolution recognizing the Native American genocide, while threatening to shut down the strategic US/NATO bases of Incirlik and Kurecik should more sanctions from Washington follow.
Trump's Total Capitulation to Turkey's Erdogan
After a day of meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan proved what a shrewd politician he is. He
entered the eye of a hurricane of hostility directed against his
domestic repression and international adventurism – and came out not
only untouched, but a victor. He was hailed by Trump as "highly
respected" and his "good friend," and protected by the U.S. president from any media questions that might discomfit him. Erdogan manipulated Trump - and Trump was more than willing to be manipulated. These
days in the United States, it is hard to imagine a more despised and
reviled international leader than Erdogan – except, perhaps Iran’s
Ayatollah Khameini and Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman.
From nightly comedy shows, to scathing editorials, America’s right and left have reached a general consensus: Erdogan is the bad guy who manipulated a seemingly willing Trump to withdraw U.S. forces in order to facilitate Turkey’s invasion of northern Syria and to attack the U.S.’s staunch ally, the Kurds. In the lead-up to his arrival in the U.S., Republican and Democrat members of Congress, led by House Foreign Affairs Chairman Eliot Engel issued a joint letter to President Trump urging him to rescind his invitation to Erdogan. The lawmakers stated that:
"President Erdogan’s decision to invade northern Syria on October 9 has had disastrous consequences for U.S. national security." It continued: "Turkish forces have killed civilians and members of the Syrian Democratic Forces, a critical U.S. partner in the fight against ISIS." There is rare bipartisan agreement, save for well-known outliers like Ilhan Omar and Rand Paul: Erdogan needs to be stopped. And the only one that can do that, yet refuses to do so, is Trump. (Let’s put aside the fact that up until two months ago, few Americans ever thought much about the Kurds, let alone felt so strongly about their well-being - or of any of the victimized groups within Syria).
With Congress’s hands tied, unable to hit at Trump - who had already basically gave Erdogan a free hand to do as he wanted in Syria - the House of Representatives pulled outs its biggest guns to hit at Turkey: an Armenian Genocide recognition bill. It passed almost unanimously: 405 for, just 11 against.
Americans have held formally recognizing the Armenian genocide hostage for decades, always caving into demands from Turkey to drop it: recognition, it was widely assumed, would bring relations between the two countries to a standstill. That didn’t happen. Erdogan made do with summoning the U.S. ambassador to Turkey for a dressing down. The Turkish president accused Congress of using the genocide bill to take "vengeance" for Turkey’s actions in Syria. Sadly and ironically, there is a ring of truth to this, though not in the spirit that Erdogan intended (after all, Turkey categorically refutes the framing of the 1915 mass deportations and killings as genocide. During Wednesday’s White House, press conference, Erdogan again suggested establishing a "historical commission" to find out what ‘really’ happened.)
The U.S. legislative body has had over 100 years to recognize the genocide. That they finally did so to use it as ammunition in a geopolitical slanging match with Erdogan trivializes the atrocity as just another tool of politics. In fact, what perturbed Erdogan and his political allies was far more the other House bill that had passed the same day calling for sanctions against Turkey. That bill called to end the sale of arms to Turkey for use in Syria, for sanctions on senior Turkish officials involved in the military offensive against the Kurds, and for further sanctions in response to Turkey’s purchase of surface-to-air missile systems from Russia. It too passed by an enormous majority: 403-16, with Republicans supporting the measure 176-15.
Before Turkey’s incursion into Syria, U.S.-Turkish tensions spiked this summer when Turkey announced its decision to purchase the Russian S-400 anti-aircraft system. Officially, this should have been automatic grounds to boot Turkey out of its partnership in the F-35 fighter jet program. To add insult to injury, Erdogan then visited Putin to check out the possibility of purchasing Russian fighter jets – and for some well-publicized bonhomie.
Rather than slapping Turkey with the automatic sanctions that, by U.S. law, kick in for countries buying the Russian missile system, Trump outraged fellow Republicans when he stated that he frankly agreed with Erdogan’s decision: "I don’t blame Turkey because there are a lot of circumstances and a lot of - a lot of problems that occurred during the Obama administration. This dates back to the Obama administration, which was a disaster, okay?"
After the Trump-Erdogan presser, the White House put out a mostly enthusiastic summary which did, though include this one nonchalant line hidden half-way through: "In order to achieve progress on other fronts, it is vital that we resolve the issues involving Turkey’s purchase of the Russian S-400 air defense system, strengthening our defense partnership." No specific pathway to do that was mentioned.
But with Trump so wedded to finding workarounds for his increasingly close pal Erdogan, the actual imposition of sanctions, whether in the wake of Turkey’s Syria invasion or its S-400 purchase, will stall at the president’s door. He still has to sign off on them. And if Wednesday’s performance tells us anything, then it’s that a self-declared "big fan" of Erdogan won’t be signing anything. The two key Republicans leading the anti-Erdogan, pro-Kurdish push, Lindsey Graham and Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell, have also both realized there was no point taking the House bills to the GOP-dominated Senate, because of the domestic damage it would do to the president.
Whereas Senator Graham stayed on the warpath – pushing a bill for more punitive sanctions that include cutting off U.S. military assistance to Turkey - and even banning Erdogan from entering the U.S., McConnell has cycled back a bit. After the House vote, he declared: "We need to think extremely carefully before we employ the same tools against a democratic NATO ally that we would against the worst rogue states." The highly unusual tete-a-tete that Trump stage-managed Wednesday, for Erdogan to meet a core group of Republican senators, was perhaps intended to lower the temperature and even find common ground.
But Sen Graham did not hide his disgust: sitting with his back partially towards Erdogan he stated, pointedly, that the meeting’s purpose was "to have an American civics lesson for our friends in Turkey." He followed up with a veiled insult: the punchline from Ronald Reagan’s favorite joke: "There’s a pony in there somewhere." It refers to an optimistic farmboy searching for a pony in a pile of manure. But no matter senior GOP politicians’ repulsion, it wasn’t Trump who read the lesson to Turkey’s president, it was Erdogan who schooled Trump. And Trump completely capitulated.
There was not one single moment in front of the cameras where the U.S. president even whispered a comment critical of Erdogan. He wholeheartedly accepted Erdogan’s statement that "[W]e [in Turkey] have no problems with the Kurds, we have problems with terrorists," then making the strikingly naïve statement that Erdogan "has a greatly relationship with the Kurds." Trump completely bought into Erdogan’s plan to repatriate two million Syrians into a buffer zone on Syrian territory in a Kurdish-majority area - part of the ethnic cleansing his critics claim he is executing - without recognizing that the U.S. no longer has the last word there, but Syria and Russia.
Trump didn’t blink when Erdogan launched a tirade against the “terrorist” Gulen movement and its leader, Fethullah Gulen,self-exiled in the U.S., and warned he would be sending Trump incriminating materials on them - part of a long campaign for the U.S. to extradite Gulen, in which there has already been considerable under-the-table involvement by Trump administration officials and advisors. There was no mention of an uncomfortable issue for Erdogan: the fate of Halkbank, the Turkish state bank, currently under U.S. indictment for violating sanctions against Iran.
Erdogan got what he wanted. He shored up relations with the U.S. president without giving anything up at all. The two applauded each other on their joint aspiration to increase bilateral trade from $20 billion to $100 billion. Erdogan is probably hoping he can duplicate the two-track relationship he has with Israel: to let money be money, and politics be politics. Bombastic political relations, but uninterrupted trade. But what was most ironic, painfully so, was when Trump actually paid tribute to Erdogan’s own authoritarian playbook - in his presence, in the White House.
When Trump chose a Turkish reporter to ask a question, he demanded that it be "a friendly reporter from Turkey, only a friendly reporter please." As Sen Graham remarked dryly to a reporter, "There aren’t any others left." Unsurprisingly, he picked a staunchly pro-Erdogan reporter. Jokingly, he commented to her after her all-too-friendly question: "Are you sure you don’t work for Turkey?" After today’s unedifying and indiscriminate love-in, the question we should perhaps be asking is whether the U.S. president himself is working for Turkey. And if so, why.
Source: https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/.premium-trump-s-total-capitulation-to-turkey-s-erdogan-1.8124420
Despite loveless marriage, NATO to keep Turkey close
The U.S.-led NATO alliance has resolved to maintain military support for its ally Turkey despite anger over its operation in Syria and its ensuing border deal with Russia, five senior diplomats said. Spain had threatened to withdraw its Patriot missiles from Turkey in protest at Turkey's cross-border offensive that NATO allies say risked jeopardizing the fight against Islamic State militants but which Ankara said was to fight terrorism.
At a NATO defense ministers meeting on Thursday, the first high-level alliance meeting since President Tayyip Erdogan launched his operation in Syria on Oct. 9, Spain's Margarita Robles said Madrid would not withdraw. It would offer Ankara another six-month extension of the batteries, if requested. The shift was part of a change in tone that underscores how, despite alarm at Turkey's behavior in Syria, NATO is determined to keep Turkey close, diplomats said. In NATO's inner sanctum, the North Atlantic Council, Turkey's Hulusi Akar maintained a defiant tone on Thursday evening, maintaining his country had the same right to strike deals with Russia as it did with the United States. Yet only a small group of countries led by France were fiercely critical.
"There's a concerted effort not to make things worse," one NATO diplomat told Reuters. "Turkey, after (U.S. President Donald) Trump, has put a renewed strain on the alliance. But Turkey is too important to lose."
Host to U.S. nuclear warheads at its Incirlik air base and with the second-largest military in the alliance, Turkey gives the alliance a strategic presence, notably on the Black and Mediterranean seas. NATO is also seeking an image of unity when it holds a summit in London on Dec. 4 to celebrate 70 years since its founding in Washington, hoping to shore up confidence shaken by Trump's portrayal of the alliance in crisis, diplomats said.
Once seen by some as a Cold War relic until Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea, NATO needs Turkey on side as it confronts militant attacks in Europe and seeks to defend against the threat of ballistic missiles from Iran to North Korea. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance had overcome differences in the past, notably during the U.S.-led Iraq War in 2003, which France and Germany opposed. "It's not the first time we have different views in NATO," he told reporters.
Still, Ankara's offensive against Kurdish forces, which once fought along side the United States against Islamic State, and an ensuing deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to patrol northern Syria, brought to a head a host of disputes.
"KEEPING THE FAMILY TOGETHER"
A purge of Western-educated Turkish military officers after a 2016 coup attempt, Ankara's purchase of a Russian air-defense system and authoritarianism under Erdogan mean Turkey would not meet alliance's membership standards if joining today. Erdogan's comments in September that it was unacceptable for Turkey not to have its own nuclear weapons also made allied diplomats uneasy. Turkey has signed two treaties that ban all nuclear detonations for any purpose.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper told the amphitheatre-like North Atlantic Council chamber that Turkey's operation was "unwarranted" and the latest sign that the Ankara was heading in the wrong direction. However, in its 1949 founding treaty, NATO has no mechanism to expel an allied member. Turkey joined NATO in 1952. Some allied diplomats have lamented privately there is nothing that allows a suspension or sanctions against an offending member.
There is also a degree of confidence in the alliance that Russia, which Western leaders accuse of a covert campaign to destabilize the West, could never offer Turkey the kind of collective security guarantees that NATO can. Ultimately, allies agree that Turkey is crucial to the alliance, given its strategic position between Europe and Asia. "At NATO, you play the long game, you keep the family together. Historically that has worked," said Jamie Shea, a former NATO official now at the Friends of Europe think-tank.
At a NATO defense ministers meeting on Thursday, the first high-level alliance meeting since President Tayyip Erdogan launched his operation in Syria on Oct. 9, Spain's Margarita Robles said Madrid would not withdraw. It would offer Ankara another six-month extension of the batteries, if requested. The shift was part of a change in tone that underscores how, despite alarm at Turkey's behavior in Syria, NATO is determined to keep Turkey close, diplomats said. In NATO's inner sanctum, the North Atlantic Council, Turkey's Hulusi Akar maintained a defiant tone on Thursday evening, maintaining his country had the same right to strike deals with Russia as it did with the United States. Yet only a small group of countries led by France were fiercely critical.
"There's a concerted effort not to make things worse," one NATO diplomat told Reuters. "Turkey, after (U.S. President Donald) Trump, has put a renewed strain on the alliance. But Turkey is too important to lose."
Host to U.S. nuclear warheads at its Incirlik air base and with the second-largest military in the alliance, Turkey gives the alliance a strategic presence, notably on the Black and Mediterranean seas. NATO is also seeking an image of unity when it holds a summit in London on Dec. 4 to celebrate 70 years since its founding in Washington, hoping to shore up confidence shaken by Trump's portrayal of the alliance in crisis, diplomats said.
Once seen by some as a Cold War relic until Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea, NATO needs Turkey on side as it confronts militant attacks in Europe and seeks to defend against the threat of ballistic missiles from Iran to North Korea. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance had overcome differences in the past, notably during the U.S.-led Iraq War in 2003, which France and Germany opposed. "It's not the first time we have different views in NATO," he told reporters.
Still, Ankara's offensive against Kurdish forces, which once fought along side the United States against Islamic State, and an ensuing deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to patrol northern Syria, brought to a head a host of disputes.
"KEEPING THE FAMILY TOGETHER"
A purge of Western-educated Turkish military officers after a 2016 coup attempt, Ankara's purchase of a Russian air-defense system and authoritarianism under Erdogan mean Turkey would not meet alliance's membership standards if joining today. Erdogan's comments in September that it was unacceptable for Turkey not to have its own nuclear weapons also made allied diplomats uneasy. Turkey has signed two treaties that ban all nuclear detonations for any purpose.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper told the amphitheatre-like North Atlantic Council chamber that Turkey's operation was "unwarranted" and the latest sign that the Ankara was heading in the wrong direction. However, in its 1949 founding treaty, NATO has no mechanism to expel an allied member. Turkey joined NATO in 1952. Some allied diplomats have lamented privately there is nothing that allows a suspension or sanctions against an offending member.
There is also a degree of confidence in the alliance that Russia, which Western leaders accuse of a covert campaign to destabilize the West, could never offer Turkey the kind of collective security guarantees that NATO can. Ultimately, allies agree that Turkey is crucial to the alliance, given its strategic position between Europe and Asia. "At NATO, you play the long game, you keep the family together. Historically that has worked," said Jamie Shea, a former NATO official now at the Friends of Europe think-tank.
Source: https://mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKBN1X41N9
Turkey's behavior is 'deeply concerning,' but we need 'strategic patience' with them, ex-CIA chief says
- "This is a sensitive time in the relationship not just between Turkey and the U.S. but Turkey and its NATO partners writ large," General David Petraeus told CNBC.
- Turkey's Incirlik airbase houses an estimated 50 U.S. nuclear bombs and 5,000 American military personnel.
- Petraeus' comments come as Trump hosts Turkish President Recep Erdogan in Washington, a visit many U.S. lawmakers have called "shameful" in the wake of Turkey's invasion of Northeastern Syria.
David Petraeus, the four-star U.S. Army general and former CIA director who oversaw years of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, has been direct in his criticism of Turkey, calling the NATO ally's recent behavior "deeply concerning." But he still believes Washington needs Ankara as an ally, and must put in the work to mend strained relations, Gen. Petraeus, who is currently chair of the KKR Global Institute, told CNBC on Thursday. Asked by CNBC's Hadley Gamble how he felt about the Turkish government's foreign policy of late, he replied, "It is deeply concerning and we have to be very forthright with our Turkish allies about that."
"This is a sensitive time in the relationship not just between Turkey and the U.S. but Turkey and its NATO partners writ large," Petraeus said while attending the annual Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition & Conference (ADIPEC). "The introduction of a Russian air defense system that will preclude Turkey from receiving the F-35 is obviously not welcome."
A major thorn in U.S.-Turkey relations has been Ankara's purchase of the Russian-made S-400 missile defense system, deemed an operational security risk if used alongside the American F-35 fighter jet. The supersonic jets — which can fly for hundreds of miles undetected by radar and of which 110 were slated for Turkey's military — were withheld from the Turks after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made clear his forces would buy the S-400 against U.S. wishes.
"I'm sure that some of the discussions that they've had have been to try and find a path forward where something could be done so that that system is not operating at the same time as the F-35, if it is allowed to be sold to Turkey now, having been halted. That could go forward," Petraeus said.
"Turkey is a very, very important country to NATO, it is very geo-strategically important in its positioning and a variety of different ways. It played an important role as a base for our aircraft and other assets in the region, so again I hope this can be resolved."
Turkey joined NATO in 1953, three years after its formation, and now has the second-largest military in the 70-year old alliance after the U.S. Its massive Incirlik airbase houses an estimated 50 U.S. nuclear bombs and 5,000 American military personnel, and is a vital launch point for NATO operations in the Middle East. Recent reports reveal that the U.S. military is reviewing evacuating its tactical nuclear weapons stored there as a result of the growing tensions between the two countries.
Alongside NATO concerns over Erdogan's warming ties with Russia's Vladimir Putin, U.S. lawmakers and security experts have widely condemned Turkey's invasion of Northeastern Syria and its offensive against U.S.-allied Kurds governing the area that Ankara views as terrorists. Lawmakers have put forth bipartisan sanctions bills against Erdogan's government, accusing Trump of giving the Turkish leader a free hand in massacring the Kurdish militias who proved vital in the fight against ISIS. Petraeus previously described President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. troops from the area and abandon the Kurdish fighters as a "betrayal" and a serious strategic mistake.
"I agreed very strongly with Senator (Majority Leader Mitch) McConnell at the time who judged that this was a grave strategic mistake," Petraeus said. "It was equal parts abandoning the Kurds, handing a victory to Iran and Russia who are not our friends, rendering a large population essentially homeless, possibly refugees, a degree of ethnic displacement if not ethnic cleansing, and perhaps most importantly of all, taking our eye off the Islamic State."
Petraeus stressed that the current U.S. mission is to achieve the "enduring defeat" of ISIS, not merely the destruction of the physical caliphate in Iraq and Syria, warning that some 20,000 to 25,000 fighters still remained in the region and that "we need to keep an eye on them." He also emphasized the need for a clear demarcation of Turkey's buffer zone in Syria, "so we can determine where our forces will be located in support of the Syrian Kurds, who are going to continue to get the proceeds from the oil production that is in Northeastern Syria."
"This is a sensitive time in the relationship not just between Turkey and the U.S. but Turkey and its NATO partners writ large," Petraeus said while attending the annual Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition & Conference (ADIPEC). "The introduction of a Russian air defense system that will preclude Turkey from receiving the F-35 is obviously not welcome."
A major thorn in U.S.-Turkey relations has been Ankara's purchase of the Russian-made S-400 missile defense system, deemed an operational security risk if used alongside the American F-35 fighter jet. The supersonic jets — which can fly for hundreds of miles undetected by radar and of which 110 were slated for Turkey's military — were withheld from the Turks after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made clear his forces would buy the S-400 against U.S. wishes.
"I'm sure that some of the discussions that they've had have been to try and find a path forward where something could be done so that that system is not operating at the same time as the F-35, if it is allowed to be sold to Turkey now, having been halted. That could go forward," Petraeus said.
"Turkey is a very, very important country to NATO, it is very geo-strategically important in its positioning and a variety of different ways. It played an important role as a base for our aircraft and other assets in the region, so again I hope this can be resolved."
Turkey joined NATO in 1953, three years after its formation, and now has the second-largest military in the 70-year old alliance after the U.S. Its massive Incirlik airbase houses an estimated 50 U.S. nuclear bombs and 5,000 American military personnel, and is a vital launch point for NATO operations in the Middle East. Recent reports reveal that the U.S. military is reviewing evacuating its tactical nuclear weapons stored there as a result of the growing tensions between the two countries.
Alongside NATO concerns over Erdogan's warming ties with Russia's Vladimir Putin, U.S. lawmakers and security experts have widely condemned Turkey's invasion of Northeastern Syria and its offensive against U.S.-allied Kurds governing the area that Ankara views as terrorists. Lawmakers have put forth bipartisan sanctions bills against Erdogan's government, accusing Trump of giving the Turkish leader a free hand in massacring the Kurdish militias who proved vital in the fight against ISIS. Petraeus previously described President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. troops from the area and abandon the Kurdish fighters as a "betrayal" and a serious strategic mistake.
"I agreed very strongly with Senator (Majority Leader Mitch) McConnell at the time who judged that this was a grave strategic mistake," Petraeus said. "It was equal parts abandoning the Kurds, handing a victory to Iran and Russia who are not our friends, rendering a large population essentially homeless, possibly refugees, a degree of ethnic displacement if not ethnic cleansing, and perhaps most importantly of all, taking our eye off the Islamic State."
Petraeus stressed that the current U.S. mission is to achieve the "enduring defeat" of ISIS, not merely the destruction of the physical caliphate in Iraq and Syria, warning that some 20,000 to 25,000 fighters still remained in the region and that "we need to keep an eye on them." He also emphasized the need for a clear demarcation of Turkey's buffer zone in Syria, "so we can determine where our forces will be located in support of the Syrian Kurds, who are going to continue to get the proceeds from the oil production that is in Northeastern Syria."
Source: https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2019/11/14/david-petraeus-erdogan-and-turkeys-behavior-deeply-concerning.html
The U.S. Alliance With Turkey Is Worth Preserving
If the United States didn’t already face enough troubles in Syria, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently threatened American troops with an “Ottoman slap” if they interfered with Turkey’s military incursion into northwestern Syria. The threat, coming two days before a visit to Turkey by then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, underscored just how contentious relations between Ankara and Washington have become, and how close this historic alliance is to crumbling altogether — to the detriment of both states.
The list of issues dividing the United States and Turkey is a long one. U.S. and other Western officials look with alarm on Erdogan’s Putinesque consolidation of power and disregard for human rights, and have protested the arrest of U.S. citizens and Turks employed by American diplomatic missions. Turkish officials, for their part, accuse the United States of instigating a July 2016 coup attempt against Erdogan and harboring the man most Turks believe was its mastermind: the spiritual leader, erstwhile Erdogan ally, and Pennsylvania resident Fethullah Gulen.
Even more sharply dividing Washington and Ankara are the divergent paths they have tread in Syria for the better part of a decade. Erdogan was furious at the Obama administration for what Turks perceived as U.S. indifference to the threat the Syrian conflict posed to their country. When the United States finally did intercede, only to make allies of the Turks’ mortal enemies — the People’s Protection Units (YPG) militia, a Syrian offshoot of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) — Ankara’s anger mounted. For their part, U.S. officials were troubled by Ankara co-opting jihadis as allies in the Syrian fight, and more recently with its cooperation with Russia, which has extended to the purchase of a Russian air defense system that complicates Turkey’s NATO commitments.
The temptation is strong in Washington to simply jettison the foundering alliance with Turkey - as was recently done with Pakistan — and even to impose sanctions on Ankara for its actions. And the feeling in Turkey, where 67 percent of the population harbors an unfavorable view of Americans, is surely mutual.
Yet cutting Turkey loose would constitute a self-inflicted wound. Turkey is not just President Erdogan but a regional geographic and economic giant that stands as a buffer between Europe and the Middle East, and between the Middle East and Russia. Losing Turkey as a Western ally would mean bringing the Mideast to Europe’s threshold, and the potential frontier of Russian influence into the heart of the Middle East. Turkey is also the state best positioned to balance against Iran, whose ambitions and influence are growing along with its partnership with Russia. The dependency is mutual; without the United States, Turkey would be left to Tehran and Moscow’s tender mercies.
Preserving the Turkish-American alliance and the strategic value both sides derive from it will require refocusing on shared strategic threats, such as the growing Russia-Iran alliance, while compromising on the disagreements distracting from that focus. While there is little the United States can do to assuage Erdogan’s more paranoid concerns, greater flexibility is possible when it comes to the Syrian Kurds.
Vital to reaching a compromise are commitments made during Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s recent visit to Ankara. According to Turkish officials, the United States has reportedly agreed to decrease the Kurdish militia presence west of the Euphrates River around the strategic town of Manbij, which Turks fear is aimed at creating a contiguous zone of Kurdish control along Turkey’s southern border with Syria. Turkey, in turn, could tolerate a continued American and YPG presence in the Kurdish areas of northern Syria east of the Euphrates as the only way to keep the U.S. in Syria.
Some in the United States see any accommodation of Turkish concerns regarding the Syrian Kurds as a betrayal of a partner that proved doughty in the fight against the Islamic State. Yet the proposed arrangement holds advantages for all parties involved. For all its bluster, Turkey would be far worse off without the United States as an ally; what’s more, U.S. influence is the best chance of convincing Syrian Kurds to break with the PKK and forge their own path, as Iraqi Kurds did.
As for the Kurds, the United States would not abandon them in their homeland east of the Euphrates, but simply turn Manbij over to local officials under U.S. and Turkish security guarantees. Kurdish aspirations may be grander, but the United States is not obligated to entertain its allies’ every ambition here or elsewhere, especially when those aims threaten another ally or the stability of the region.
For the United States, it would make little strategic sense to alienate Turkey over the Kurdish issue. Turkey, the world’s 17th largest economy and one of the Middle East’s primary military powers. In Syria itself, the approximately 2,000 U.S. troops now in the country’s northeast cannot be reliably supplied without air and land access through Turkey, given Iraq’s susceptibility to Iranian influence. Indeed, it is difficult to imagine the United States accomplishing much of anything in Syria militarily or diplomatically in the face of determined Iranian and Russian resistance if we cannot even manage to find common ground there with our putative ally.
More broadly, a U.S. effort to counter Iran in the Middle East, and to prevail in what the Trump administration has described as a global strategic competition with Russia and China, will require allies. Whatever its tactical flirtations, Turkey remains opposed to Iranian expansionism and wary of Russia for reasons of history and geography. For China, Turkey is an attractive candidate for westward Belt and Road Initiative expansion toward Europe, yet Ankara and Beijing have their own thorny differences. If the United States and Turkey part ways, Tehran, Moscow, and Beijing will not be the culprits but will certainly be the beneficiaries.
Turkey is a difficult ally. But if the United States were to walk away from all of our difficult allies in the Middle East, we would have none at all. Given Erdogan’s mercurial nature and the years of accumulated tensions in the U.S.-Turkey relationship, finding common ground with Ankara on Syria and other issues won’t be easy. But in a world of strategic competition with increasingly rapacious powers, it is imperative.
The list of issues dividing the United States and Turkey is a long one. U.S. and other Western officials look with alarm on Erdogan’s Putinesque consolidation of power and disregard for human rights, and have protested the arrest of U.S. citizens and Turks employed by American diplomatic missions. Turkish officials, for their part, accuse the United States of instigating a July 2016 coup attempt against Erdogan and harboring the man most Turks believe was its mastermind: the spiritual leader, erstwhile Erdogan ally, and Pennsylvania resident Fethullah Gulen.
Even more sharply dividing Washington and Ankara are the divergent paths they have tread in Syria for the better part of a decade. Erdogan was furious at the Obama administration for what Turks perceived as U.S. indifference to the threat the Syrian conflict posed to their country. When the United States finally did intercede, only to make allies of the Turks’ mortal enemies — the People’s Protection Units (YPG) militia, a Syrian offshoot of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) — Ankara’s anger mounted. For their part, U.S. officials were troubled by Ankara co-opting jihadis as allies in the Syrian fight, and more recently with its cooperation with Russia, which has extended to the purchase of a Russian air defense system that complicates Turkey’s NATO commitments.
The temptation is strong in Washington to simply jettison the foundering alliance with Turkey - as was recently done with Pakistan — and even to impose sanctions on Ankara for its actions. And the feeling in Turkey, where 67 percent of the population harbors an unfavorable view of Americans, is surely mutual.
Yet cutting Turkey loose would constitute a self-inflicted wound. Turkey is not just President Erdogan but a regional geographic and economic giant that stands as a buffer between Europe and the Middle East, and between the Middle East and Russia. Losing Turkey as a Western ally would mean bringing the Mideast to Europe’s threshold, and the potential frontier of Russian influence into the heart of the Middle East. Turkey is also the state best positioned to balance against Iran, whose ambitions and influence are growing along with its partnership with Russia. The dependency is mutual; without the United States, Turkey would be left to Tehran and Moscow’s tender mercies.
Preserving the Turkish-American alliance and the strategic value both sides derive from it will require refocusing on shared strategic threats, such as the growing Russia-Iran alliance, while compromising on the disagreements distracting from that focus. While there is little the United States can do to assuage Erdogan’s more paranoid concerns, greater flexibility is possible when it comes to the Syrian Kurds.
Vital to reaching a compromise are commitments made during Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s recent visit to Ankara. According to Turkish officials, the United States has reportedly agreed to decrease the Kurdish militia presence west of the Euphrates River around the strategic town of Manbij, which Turks fear is aimed at creating a contiguous zone of Kurdish control along Turkey’s southern border with Syria. Turkey, in turn, could tolerate a continued American and YPG presence in the Kurdish areas of northern Syria east of the Euphrates as the only way to keep the U.S. in Syria.
Some in the United States see any accommodation of Turkish concerns regarding the Syrian Kurds as a betrayal of a partner that proved doughty in the fight against the Islamic State. Yet the proposed arrangement holds advantages for all parties involved. For all its bluster, Turkey would be far worse off without the United States as an ally; what’s more, U.S. influence is the best chance of convincing Syrian Kurds to break with the PKK and forge their own path, as Iraqi Kurds did.
As for the Kurds, the United States would not abandon them in their homeland east of the Euphrates, but simply turn Manbij over to local officials under U.S. and Turkish security guarantees. Kurdish aspirations may be grander, but the United States is not obligated to entertain its allies’ every ambition here or elsewhere, especially when those aims threaten another ally or the stability of the region.
For the United States, it would make little strategic sense to alienate Turkey over the Kurdish issue. Turkey, the world’s 17th largest economy and one of the Middle East’s primary military powers. In Syria itself, the approximately 2,000 U.S. troops now in the country’s northeast cannot be reliably supplied without air and land access through Turkey, given Iraq’s susceptibility to Iranian influence. Indeed, it is difficult to imagine the United States accomplishing much of anything in Syria militarily or diplomatically in the face of determined Iranian and Russian resistance if we cannot even manage to find common ground there with our putative ally.
More broadly, a U.S. effort to counter Iran in the Middle East, and to prevail in what the Trump administration has described as a global strategic competition with Russia and China, will require allies. Whatever its tactical flirtations, Turkey remains opposed to Iranian expansionism and wary of Russia for reasons of history and geography. For China, Turkey is an attractive candidate for westward Belt and Road Initiative expansion toward Europe, yet Ankara and Beijing have their own thorny differences. If the United States and Turkey part ways, Tehran, Moscow, and Beijing will not be the culprits but will certainly be the beneficiaries.
Turkey is a difficult ally. But if the United States were to walk away from all of our difficult allies in the Middle East, we would have none at all. Given Erdogan’s mercurial nature and the years of accumulated tensions in the U.S.-Turkey relationship, finding common ground with Ankara on Syria and other issues won’t be easy. But in a world of strategic competition with increasingly rapacious powers, it is imperative.
Source: https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/03/19/the-u-s-alliance-with-turkey-is-worth-preserving
Why the West Needs Azerbaijan
There
is only one way for vital Asian oil and gas resources to reach Europe
without passing through Russia and Iran: through the narrow “Ganja Gap.”
There
are only three ways for energy and trade to flow overland between Asia
and Europe: through Iran, through Russia, and through Azerbaijan. With
relations between the West, Moscow, and Tehran in tatters, that leaves
onlyone viable route for hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of
trade: through the tiny Caspian Sea nation of Azerbaijan.
When you factor in Armenia’s occupation of almost one-fifth of Azerbaijan’s territory, all that is left is a narrow 60-mile-wide chokepoint for trade. We call this trade chokepoint the “Ganja Gap” — named after Azerbaijan’s second largest city, Ganja, which sits in the middle of this narrow passage. And right now, the Russians hold enough influence over Azerbaijan’s rival neighbor Armenia to potentially reignite the bloody Nagorno-Karabakh conflict of the late 1980s and early 1990s — giving them a dangerous opportunity to threaten the “Gap” itself.
Washington benefits whenever Europe reduces its dependence on Russia oil and gas. This is particularly important at a time when Nord Stream 2, a proposed Russian gas pipeline to Germany that will increase Europe’s dependency on Moscow for energy, seems to be an ever-closer reality. Europe depends on Russian natural gas for 40 percent of its needs. In total, almost 200 billion cubic meters of natural gas is now imported from Russia annually due to declining European production and rising demand.
Russia has a track record of using energy as a tool of aggression, and each barrel of oil and cubic meter of gas that Europe can buy from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, or Turkmenistan is one less that it must depend on from Russia. Currently, there are three major oil and gas pipelines in the region, which bypass Russia and Iran and run through the 60-mile-wide Ganja Gap: the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, which runs from Azerbaijan through Georgia and Turkey and then to the outside world through the Mediterranean; the Baku-Supsa pipeline, which carries oil from the Caspian Sea to the Black Sea and then to the outside world; and the South Caucasus pipeline, which runs from Azerbaijan to Turkey, and which will soon link up with the proposed Southern Gas Corridor to deliver gas to Italy and then to the rest of Europe.
The Southern Gas Corridor is set to bring vital energy resources from the Caspian region through the Ganja Gap. These supplies will be a boon to southeastern Europe, which is currently almost 100 percent dependent on the Russian pipelines.
It is not just oil and gas pipelines that connect Europe with the heart of Asia. Fiber-optic cables linking Western Europe with the Caspian region also pass through the Ganja Gap. The second-longest European motorway, the E60, which connects Brest, France, on the Atlantic coast with Irkeshtam, Kyrgyzstan, on the Chinese border, passes through the city of Ganja, as does the east-west rail link in the South Caucasus, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway. These are set to become potentially vital connections.
The ongoing campaign in Afghanistan has also proven how important the Ganja Gap is for resupplying U.S. and NATO troops. At the peak of the war, more than one-third of U.S. nonlethal military supplies such as fuel, food, and clothing passed through the Ganja Gap either overland or in the air.
A key plank of the Trump administration’s Afghan strategy is pressuring Pakistan to end its support for the Taliban and associated groups. A consequence of this approach toward Islamabad might be that the existing ground and air routes through Pakistani territory, on which a majority of U.S. supplies in Afghanistan depend, could be cut or stopped altogether. Islamabad has blocked supplies once before: for eight months in 2011, after U.S. forces mistakenly killed 28 Pakistani soldiers along the border with Afghanistan during a firefight with the Taliban. Expanding the route transiting Georgia and Azerbaijan through the Ganja Gap would reduce Washington’s dependence on Moscow and Islamabad for moving military resources in and out of Afghanistan.
All this means that Russia will do anything it can to make it difficult for the West to use the Ganja Gap. One of the ways Russia exerts influence in the South Caucasus in through the various so-called frozen conflicts — especially in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh started in 1988, when Armenia made territorial claims on the region, which sits within Azerbaijan but is populated mostly by ethnic Armenians. The dispute soon resulted in a bloody war that left about 30,000 people dead and hundreds of thousands more internally displaced. Since 1992, Armenian forces and Armenian-backed militias have occupied almost 20 percent of territory that the international community recognizes as part of Azerbaijan, including Nagorno-Karabakh and all or part of seven other provinces.
Most of the main oil and gas pipelines passing through the Ganja Gap and carrying Caspian energy to Europe are located near the frontlines of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, where troops for the two sides still face off. Moscow knows that any major outbreak in violence would threaten the viability of these pipelines. Given Russia’s influence over Armenia, it would not take much to provoke new fighting.
The West’s leverage in Armenia is relatively limited. Last month, former President Serzh Sargsyan’s controversial attempt to hold on to power after his second term as prime minister expired sparked mass protests, which resulted in Nikol Pashinyan, an opposition leader, coming to power. Despite the changeover, however, Armenia’s economy and security apparatus remain under Russia’s sway. Notwithstanding all his populist rhetoric, Pashinyan has reaffirmed Yerevan’s commitment to a strong alliance with Moscow.
The recent events in Armenia were not a color revolution like in Georgia in 2003 or a Maidan-like moment like Ukraine experienced in 2014. It’s no coincidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin was among the first world leaders to congratulate Pashinyan on his ascension. Although Russia sells weapons to both sides in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, it is clear that Moscow’s sympathies lie with Armenia. So no one should expect Armenia to make a fundamental shift toward the West.
Indeed, given the strength of Moscow’s ties to Yerevan, the United States and Europe should prioritize relations with Baku as the critical trade, energy, and economic link between the east and west of the Eurasian landmass. The West should strive for cordial relations with Armenia, but the United States needs to be mindful and realistic when setting its strategic priorities in the region. Armenia is largely a lost cause; Azerbaijan, even with all its flaws, is a better bet.
Keeping access to the Ganja Gap is the essence of “principled realism” as outlined on the first page of the 2017 U.S. National Security Strategy. Azerbaijan is the only country in the world that borders both Russia and Iran. Keeping a balance between Tehran, Moscow, and Washington while striving to preserve the country’s autonomy has often been a difficult task for Azerbaijan’s leaders. But unlike U.S.-Armenian relations, since the early 1990s, the U.S.-Azerbaijani relationship has thrived in a number of areas, most notably energy cooperation and — since Sept. 11, 2001 — counterterrorism. Azerbaijan even recently increased its contribution in manpower to Afghanistan. Azerbaijan’s 120 troops in Afghanistan give it a larger troop presence than some NATO members, including Spain (eight), the Netherlands (100), and Norway (54).
There are still sticking points in the U.S.-Azerbaijani relationship. Human rights issues have been a persistent problem, and in recent years, concerns about press freedom have risen due to a number of high-profile arrests of prominent journalists. While Washington should continue to press for improvements on human rights, U.S. policymakers cannot allow that one issue to create a lopsided foreign policy that undercuts the United States’ broader interests in the region.
The United States is the most important global power ensuring uninterrupted and secure flow of international trade through chokepoints around the world. The free flow of global trade, including U.S. exports, brings huge benefits not only to the global economy, but ultimately to the economy of the United States, too. In terms of U.S. geostrategic priorities, the Ganja Gap should rank close to the top.
The Trump administration’s National Security Strategy emphasizes the need to develop good relations with stable allies. This is particularly necessary in the South Caucasus. Decreasing tensions in the region would help secure vital energy, communications, and trade corridors. Ganja’s history as a source of trade and commerce dates back to the Silk Road that once crossed Eurasia. Even today, any grand strategy that takes into account a resurgent Russia, an emboldened Iran, and an economically expanding China has to reckon with this tiny 60-mile gap.
When you factor in Armenia’s occupation of almost one-fifth of Azerbaijan’s territory, all that is left is a narrow 60-mile-wide chokepoint for trade. We call this trade chokepoint the “Ganja Gap” — named after Azerbaijan’s second largest city, Ganja, which sits in the middle of this narrow passage. And right now, the Russians hold enough influence over Azerbaijan’s rival neighbor Armenia to potentially reignite the bloody Nagorno-Karabakh conflict of the late 1980s and early 1990s — giving them a dangerous opportunity to threaten the “Gap” itself.
Washington benefits whenever Europe reduces its dependence on Russia oil and gas. This is particularly important at a time when Nord Stream 2, a proposed Russian gas pipeline to Germany that will increase Europe’s dependency on Moscow for energy, seems to be an ever-closer reality. Europe depends on Russian natural gas for 40 percent of its needs. In total, almost 200 billion cubic meters of natural gas is now imported from Russia annually due to declining European production and rising demand.
Russia has a track record of using energy as a tool of aggression, and each barrel of oil and cubic meter of gas that Europe can buy from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, or Turkmenistan is one less that it must depend on from Russia. Currently, there are three major oil and gas pipelines in the region, which bypass Russia and Iran and run through the 60-mile-wide Ganja Gap: the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, which runs from Azerbaijan through Georgia and Turkey and then to the outside world through the Mediterranean; the Baku-Supsa pipeline, which carries oil from the Caspian Sea to the Black Sea and then to the outside world; and the South Caucasus pipeline, which runs from Azerbaijan to Turkey, and which will soon link up with the proposed Southern Gas Corridor to deliver gas to Italy and then to the rest of Europe.
The Southern Gas Corridor is set to bring vital energy resources from the Caspian region through the Ganja Gap. These supplies will be a boon to southeastern Europe, which is currently almost 100 percent dependent on the Russian pipelines.
It is not just oil and gas pipelines that connect Europe with the heart of Asia. Fiber-optic cables linking Western Europe with the Caspian region also pass through the Ganja Gap. The second-longest European motorway, the E60, which connects Brest, France, on the Atlantic coast with Irkeshtam, Kyrgyzstan, on the Chinese border, passes through the city of Ganja, as does the east-west rail link in the South Caucasus, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway. These are set to become potentially vital connections.
The ongoing campaign in Afghanistan has also proven how important the Ganja Gap is for resupplying U.S. and NATO troops. At the peak of the war, more than one-third of U.S. nonlethal military supplies such as fuel, food, and clothing passed through the Ganja Gap either overland or in the air.
A key plank of the Trump administration’s Afghan strategy is pressuring Pakistan to end its support for the Taliban and associated groups. A consequence of this approach toward Islamabad might be that the existing ground and air routes through Pakistani territory, on which a majority of U.S. supplies in Afghanistan depend, could be cut or stopped altogether. Islamabad has blocked supplies once before: for eight months in 2011, after U.S. forces mistakenly killed 28 Pakistani soldiers along the border with Afghanistan during a firefight with the Taliban. Expanding the route transiting Georgia and Azerbaijan through the Ganja Gap would reduce Washington’s dependence on Moscow and Islamabad for moving military resources in and out of Afghanistan.
All this means that Russia will do anything it can to make it difficult for the West to use the Ganja Gap. One of the ways Russia exerts influence in the South Caucasus in through the various so-called frozen conflicts — especially in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh started in 1988, when Armenia made territorial claims on the region, which sits within Azerbaijan but is populated mostly by ethnic Armenians. The dispute soon resulted in a bloody war that left about 30,000 people dead and hundreds of thousands more internally displaced. Since 1992, Armenian forces and Armenian-backed militias have occupied almost 20 percent of territory that the international community recognizes as part of Azerbaijan, including Nagorno-Karabakh and all or part of seven other provinces.
Most of the main oil and gas pipelines passing through the Ganja Gap and carrying Caspian energy to Europe are located near the frontlines of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, where troops for the two sides still face off. Moscow knows that any major outbreak in violence would threaten the viability of these pipelines. Given Russia’s influence over Armenia, it would not take much to provoke new fighting.
The West’s leverage in Armenia is relatively limited. Last month, former President Serzh Sargsyan’s controversial attempt to hold on to power after his second term as prime minister expired sparked mass protests, which resulted in Nikol Pashinyan, an opposition leader, coming to power. Despite the changeover, however, Armenia’s economy and security apparatus remain under Russia’s sway. Notwithstanding all his populist rhetoric, Pashinyan has reaffirmed Yerevan’s commitment to a strong alliance with Moscow.
The recent events in Armenia were not a color revolution like in Georgia in 2003 or a Maidan-like moment like Ukraine experienced in 2014. It’s no coincidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin was among the first world leaders to congratulate Pashinyan on his ascension. Although Russia sells weapons to both sides in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, it is clear that Moscow’s sympathies lie with Armenia. So no one should expect Armenia to make a fundamental shift toward the West.
Indeed, given the strength of Moscow’s ties to Yerevan, the United States and Europe should prioritize relations with Baku as the critical trade, energy, and economic link between the east and west of the Eurasian landmass. The West should strive for cordial relations with Armenia, but the United States needs to be mindful and realistic when setting its strategic priorities in the region. Armenia is largely a lost cause; Azerbaijan, even with all its flaws, is a better bet.
Keeping access to the Ganja Gap is the essence of “principled realism” as outlined on the first page of the 2017 U.S. National Security Strategy. Azerbaijan is the only country in the world that borders both Russia and Iran. Keeping a balance between Tehran, Moscow, and Washington while striving to preserve the country’s autonomy has often been a difficult task for Azerbaijan’s leaders. But unlike U.S.-Armenian relations, since the early 1990s, the U.S.-Azerbaijani relationship has thrived in a number of areas, most notably energy cooperation and — since Sept. 11, 2001 — counterterrorism. Azerbaijan even recently increased its contribution in manpower to Afghanistan. Azerbaijan’s 120 troops in Afghanistan give it a larger troop presence than some NATO members, including Spain (eight), the Netherlands (100), and Norway (54).
There are still sticking points in the U.S.-Azerbaijani relationship. Human rights issues have been a persistent problem, and in recent years, concerns about press freedom have risen due to a number of high-profile arrests of prominent journalists. While Washington should continue to press for improvements on human rights, U.S. policymakers cannot allow that one issue to create a lopsided foreign policy that undercuts the United States’ broader interests in the region.
The United States is the most important global power ensuring uninterrupted and secure flow of international trade through chokepoints around the world. The free flow of global trade, including U.S. exports, brings huge benefits not only to the global economy, but ultimately to the economy of the United States, too. In terms of U.S. geostrategic priorities, the Ganja Gap should rank close to the top.
The Trump administration’s National Security Strategy emphasizes the need to develop good relations with stable allies. This is particularly necessary in the South Caucasus. Decreasing tensions in the region would help secure vital energy, communications, and trade corridors. Ganja’s history as a source of trade and commerce dates back to the Silk Road that once crossed Eurasia. Even today, any grand strategy that takes into account a resurgent Russia, an emboldened Iran, and an economically expanding China has to reckon with this tiny 60-mile gap.
Jewish leaders applaud Azerbaijani multiculturalism at World Religious Leaders Summit
Azerbaijan
President Ilham Aliyev maintained that “electronic communications,
social networks and mass media have created grounds to turn hatred to a
widespread system around the world” with “hate speech provoking
instability around, incites war crimes and genocide.”
At the opening of the second Baku Summit of World Religious Leaders on Thursday, more than 400 delegates from 70-plus countries gathered in Azerbaijan for two days of discussion on the importance of intercivilization and interfaith cooperation, as well as the role of religious figures to promote joint dialogue and solidarity against terrorism, extremism and xenophobia. This represents the second such summit; the first of its kind took place in 2010.
At the opening of the second Baku Summit of World Religious Leaders on Thursday, more than 400 delegates from 70-plus countries gathered in Azerbaijan for two days of discussion on the importance of intercivilization and interfaith cooperation, as well as the role of religious figures to promote joint dialogue and solidarity against terrorism, extremism and xenophobia. This represents the second such summit; the first of its kind took place in 2010.
In his opening remarks Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev highlighted the role of his nation in the establishment of an international model of global multiculturalism and the promotion of human solidarity. “Azerbaijan has a centuries-old tradition of dialogue between traditions and religion, with all ethnic minorities living in peaceful conditions of mutual understanding and compassion in a multi-national country,” he said.
“National and religious tolerance are the core values for all of us,” continued Aliyev, who expressed concern in “clashes, confrontations, war, shedding blood of brothers and committing crimes [in the name of] religion,” saying “we must unite our efforts in this area.”
Sheikh ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade, who celebrated his 70th birthday, his 40th anniversary as chairman of the Caucasus Muslim Board and in whose honor the summit took place, spoke of building state-religion relations, the development of intercultural and interreligious cooperation, and the preservation of peace and promoting ideas of multiculturalism. “Multiculturalism is our lifestyle, and our idea of national and religious unity at the state policy level,” he said. “Our main goal is to unite the efforts of political, social and religious leaders aiming to combat threats to international stability like Islam-phobia, Christian-phobia and anti-Semitism, [as well as] strengthen dialogue.”
He maintained that “electronic communications, social networks and mass media have created grounds to turn hatred to a widespread system around the world” with “hate speech provoking instability around, incites war crimes and genocide.” He referred to the proliferation of hate speech as a public danger, asserting that “this conference can have an exceptional value for the international community.”
Invited by the Caucasus Muslims Office and representing Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism and their many denominations, various leaders acknowledged Aliyev and Pashazade’s approach to religious acceptance and multiculturalism, praising the opportunity for solidarity and calling for end to religious hate and persecution. Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, related the importance of “emphasizing what unites rather than what divides us,” saying “religion should be a unifier, not a divider.”
Summit participant Rev. Johnnie Moore similarly expressed to JNS his gratitude that “Azerbaijan is a nation that gives us hope that the world can be a better place, a place where religion is a blessing to the world and not a curse—where religion is used to unite and not to divide.” He continued, “This is a country where Sunni and Shia Muslims pray together, where Orthodox and evangelical Christians serve together, and where the Jewish community is not only valued but plays an indispensable role in the society.”
Rabbi Dr. Elie Abadie of New York, in his Friday-afternoon plenary address, maintained that he, among other summit participants, attended the conference to echo the importance that Azerbaijan places on multiculturalism and dialogue. “All of us here—Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and others—are gathered here to affect change. By planting the seeds of true peace amongst ourselves and our co-religionists, we can come to a reconciliation of our people,” he said.
Abadie, representing the American Sephardi Federation, told JNS his that personal goals in attending the Nov. 14 summit were “to establish bridges of communication, common ground and basic beliefs that we can all agree.”
“Having been born and lived in Lebanon, where Jews, Christians and Muslims commingled together,” he explained, “I’m able to break barriers and have an understanding of coexistence that can be developed.”
Jewish interface with Muslim and Christian leaders
Abraham Cooper, representing the Simon Wiesenthal Center, maintained that while the rest of the world has seen an increase of anti-Semitism “on both sides of the Atlantic,” “Azerbaijan is a beacon of hope, a living embodiment and reminder of how tolerance and mutual respect by all followers of the Abrahamic faiths can succeed when they actually care for each other.”
“Rabbis in France, Germany and Scandinavia urge their co-religionists not to wear a kipah or a star of David in public, religious Jews are targeted for violence on the streets of New York City, every Jewish institution needs armed guards, and the Internet and social media inspire violence,” he said.
In this context, Cooper told JNS that “the conference was a unique opportunity to interface with religious leaders from Saudi Arabia, the Gulf nations, and Muslim and Christian leaders from Asia and Africa,” and noted the significance that “Rabbi Amar, the Sephardic Chief Emeritus of Israel, was seated at opening session next to the representative from Kuwait.” Cooper presented the sheikh a shofar (ram’s horn) from Jerusalem to serve to “awaken us from apathy, give us courage in times of conflict and to signal our unshakeable hope in a brighter future for the Jewish people and all humankind.”
Source: https://www.jns.org/jewish-leaders-applaud-azerbaijani-multiculturalism-at-world-religious-leaders-summit/
Putin’s Good Year Keeps Getting Better
Vladimir Putin has had a good year, and it just keeps getting better. He now is collecting his winnings on multiple fronts. Even Mr. Putin must be amazed at how well he is achieving his goal of sowing discord within the U.S. political system.
First, his
agents interfered in the 2016 election.
Now they can sit back and watch as their efforts to deflect blame away
from Moscow and toward Ukraine are bearing fruit, in the form of a
bitter American debate that is driving pro-Trump and anti-Trump forces
further apart. Fiona Hill,
until recently the top Russia expert on the staff of President Trump’s National Security Council, summarized the Russian success
on this front succinctly in her testimony before a House impeachment
hearing last week: “The impact of the successful 2016 Russian campaign
remains evident today. Our nation is being torn apart. Truth is
questioned. Our highly professional and expert career foreign service is
being undermined.” Mr. Putin appears so confident in his success
on this front that he actually is publicly gloating about it. “Thank
God no one is accusing us of interfering in the U.S. elections anymore;
now they’re accusing Ukraine,” he said at a conference in Moscow last
week.
Ukraine’s new president,
Volodymyr Zelensky,
heads early next month into his first meeting with Mr. Putin—whose
forces have invaded his country and lopped off part of it—knowing that
American support for Ukraine can be, and was, caught up in domestic U.S.
political fights. Ukraine’s leader thereby enters talks with Mr. Putin
less certain of support from Washington in his country’s confrontation
with Russia. But these successes on the American front are only the top of the list of trends moving Mr. Putin’s way. The
British political system is being torn in similar fashion by a debate
over how much Russian disinformation was unleashed in an attempt to
convince citizens to vote in 2016 to leave the European Union.
British Prime Minister
Boris Johnson,
a Brexit advocate, is declining to release a sensitive report by
the Parliament’s intelligence committee on Brexit interference, setting
off a partisan argument just as Britain heads toward a new national
election. Regardless of whether Russia actually influenced the
Brexit vote, the reality, three years later, is that Britain appears to
be on the road toward exiting the EU in the messiest, most damaging way
possible. What’s bad for European economic and political unity is good
for Russia, so Mr. Putin can put the continuing Brexit mess as a big
entry on the positive side of his 2019 ledger. Meanwhile, the
most important members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization are
descending into an argument about the functioning and future of the
70-year-old alliance, originally formed to deter expansionist moves by
Moscow.
French
President
Emmanuel Macron,
articulating what other NATO leaders are reluctant to say, has
criticized Mr. Trump for his decision to pull back American forces in
Syria and open the way for a greater Syrian role for both Mr. Putin and
Turkey’s authoritarian leader,
Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In fact, Mr. Macron has said that NATO is
suffering from
“brain death” and questioned the current validity of its pledges of
collective defense. German Chancellor
Angela Merkel
has taken exception to her French counterpart’s public airing of
NATO’s dirty laundry. Bottom line: NATO members France, Germany, Turkey
and the U.S. are, well, not quite in sync. From Mr. Putin’s point of
view, discord within the main Western military alliance is good news of
the first order. At
the same time, that American retreat in Syria has helped further a
trend in which Mr. Putin is becoming the man to see about Middle Eastern
affairs.
In fact, Syria has worked out smashingly well for Mr. Putin:
American troops and their Kurdish allies did the lion’s share of the
work to extinguish Islamic State and its caliphate there, which Russia
actually opposed, too. Now, having finished the dirty work, Washington
has essentially ceded oversight of Syria to Moscow and allowed its
Kurdish allies to be obliterated or pushed aside. Russia’s most
reliable regional proxy, Syrian leader
Bashar al-Assad,
now appears secure in his position and certain to survive his
country’s civil war. Having assumed a new position of prominence in
Syria, Mr. Putin has Middle Eastern leaders of all varieties—Saudi
Arabian, Iranian, Turkish and Israeli—beating a path to his door for
consultations. Mr. Putin is a former KGB operative, and it shows.
He learned during the Cold War how to use disinformation and propaganda
to exploit weak spots in Western democracies, and the dark space of the
internet has opened a whole new playing field for him. He is a master
of his craft.
Source: https://www.wsj.com/articles/putins-good-year-keeps-getting-better-11574696041
The U.S. Is Now Betraying the Kurds for the Eighth Time
The White House announced Sunday night that the United States is giving Turkey a green light to invade northern Syria, with the U.S. troops there now apparently pulling back to another area of the country. This is the scenario that Syrian Kurds have long feared. It will almost inevitably lead to a Turkish attack on Kurdish militias in Syria — fighters who loyally helped the U.S. destroy the Islamic State, but whom Turkey bogusly claims to be terrorists.
What
Krugman left out, however, is the most likely explanation: (d) Trump is
president of the United States. Nothing in this world is certain except
death, taxes, and America betraying the Kurds. The U.S. has now
betrayed the Kurds a minimum of eight times over the past 100 years. The
reasons for this are straightforward. The Kurds are an ethnic group of
about 40 million people centered at
the intersection of Turkey, Syria, Iran, and Iraq. Many naturally want
their own state. The four countries in which they live naturally do not
want that to happen. On the one hand, the Kurds are a perfect tool for
U.S. foreign
policy. We can arm the Kurds in whichever of these countries is
currently our enemy, whether to make trouble for that country’s
government or to accomplish various other objectives. On the other hand,
we don’t want the Kurds we’re utilizing to ever get too powerful. If
that happened, the other Kurds — i.e., the ones living just across the
border in whichever of these countries are currently our allies — might
get ideas about freedom and independence.
Nothing in this world is certain except death, taxes, and America betraying the Kurds.
Here’s how that dynamic has played out, over and over and over again since World War I.
1 — Like many other nationalisms, Kurdish nationalism blossomed during the late 1800s. At this point, all of the Kurdish homeland was ruled by the sprawling Ottoman Empire, centered in present day-Turkey. But the Ottoman Empire collapsed after fighting on the losing side of World War I. This, the Kurds understandably believed, was their moment. The 1920 Treaty of Sèvres completely dismembered the Ottoman Empire, including most of what’s now Turkey, and allocated a section for a possible Kurdistan. But the Turks fought back, making enough trouble that the U.S. supported a new treaty in 1923, the Treaty of Lausanne. The Treaty of Lausanne allowed the British and French to carve off present-day Iraq and Syria, respectively, for themselves. But it made no provision for the Kurds. This was America’s first, and smallest, betrayal of the Kurds. At this point, the main Kurdish betrayals were handled by the British, who crushed the short-lived Kingdom of Kurdistan in Iraq during the early 1920s. A few years later, the British were happy to see the establishment of a Kurdish “Republic of Ararat,” because it was on Turkish territory. But it turned out that the Turks were more important to the British than the Kurds, so the United Kingdom eventually let Turkey go ahead and extinguish the new country.
This was the kind of thing that gave the British Empire the nickname “perfidious Albion.” Now America has taken up the perfidious mantle.
2 — After World War II, the U.S. gradually assumed the British role as main colonial power in the Mideast. We armed Iraqi Kurds during the rule of Abdel Karim Kassem, who governed Iraq from 1958 to 1963, because Kassem was failing to follow orders. We then supported a 1963 military coup — which included a small supporting role by a young Saddam Hussein — that removed Kassem from power. We immediately cut off our aid to the Kurds and, in fact, provided the new Iraqi government with napalm to use against them.
3 — By the 1970s, the Iraqi government had drifted into the orbit of the Soviet Union. The Nixon administration, led by Henry Kissinger, hatched a plan with Iran (then our ally, ruled by the Shah) to arm Iraqi Kurds. The plan wasn’t for the Kurds in Iraq to win, since that might encourage the Kurds in Iran to rise up themselves. It was just to bleed the Iraqi government. But as a congressional report later put it, “This policy was not imparted to our clients, who were encouraged to continue fighting. Even in the context of covert action ours was a cynical enterprise.” Then the U.S. signed off on agreements between the Shah and Saddam that included severing aid to the Kurds. The Iraqi military moved north and slaughtered thousands, as the U.S. ignored heart-rending pleas from our erstwhile Kurdish allies. When questioned, a blasé Kissinger explained that “covert action should not be confused with missionary work.”
1 — Like many other nationalisms, Kurdish nationalism blossomed during the late 1800s. At this point, all of the Kurdish homeland was ruled by the sprawling Ottoman Empire, centered in present day-Turkey. But the Ottoman Empire collapsed after fighting on the losing side of World War I. This, the Kurds understandably believed, was their moment. The 1920 Treaty of Sèvres completely dismembered the Ottoman Empire, including most of what’s now Turkey, and allocated a section for a possible Kurdistan. But the Turks fought back, making enough trouble that the U.S. supported a new treaty in 1923, the Treaty of Lausanne. The Treaty of Lausanne allowed the British and French to carve off present-day Iraq and Syria, respectively, for themselves. But it made no provision for the Kurds. This was America’s first, and smallest, betrayal of the Kurds. At this point, the main Kurdish betrayals were handled by the British, who crushed the short-lived Kingdom of Kurdistan in Iraq during the early 1920s. A few years later, the British were happy to see the establishment of a Kurdish “Republic of Ararat,” because it was on Turkish territory. But it turned out that the Turks were more important to the British than the Kurds, so the United Kingdom eventually let Turkey go ahead and extinguish the new country.
This was the kind of thing that gave the British Empire the nickname “perfidious Albion.” Now America has taken up the perfidious mantle.
2 — After World War II, the U.S. gradually assumed the British role as main colonial power in the Mideast. We armed Iraqi Kurds during the rule of Abdel Karim Kassem, who governed Iraq from 1958 to 1963, because Kassem was failing to follow orders. We then supported a 1963 military coup — which included a small supporting role by a young Saddam Hussein — that removed Kassem from power. We immediately cut off our aid to the Kurds and, in fact, provided the new Iraqi government with napalm to use against them.
3 — By the 1970s, the Iraqi government had drifted into the orbit of the Soviet Union. The Nixon administration, led by Henry Kissinger, hatched a plan with Iran (then our ally, ruled by the Shah) to arm Iraqi Kurds. The plan wasn’t for the Kurds in Iraq to win, since that might encourage the Kurds in Iran to rise up themselves. It was just to bleed the Iraqi government. But as a congressional report later put it, “This policy was not imparted to our clients, who were encouraged to continue fighting. Even in the context of covert action ours was a cynical enterprise.” Then the U.S. signed off on agreements between the Shah and Saddam that included severing aid to the Kurds. The Iraqi military moved north and slaughtered thousands, as the U.S. ignored heart-rending pleas from our erstwhile Kurdish allies. When questioned, a blasé Kissinger explained that “covert action should not be confused with missionary work.”
When questioned, a blasé Kissinger explained that “covert action should not be confused with missionary work.”
4 — During
the 1980s, the Iraqi government moved on to actual genocide against the
Kurds, including the use of chemical weapons. The Reagan administration
was well aware of Saddam’s use of nerve gas,
but because they liked the damage Saddam was doing to Iran, it opposed
congressional efforts to impose sanctions on Iraq. The U.S. media also
faithfully played its role. When a Washington Post reporter tried to get
the paper to publish a photograph of a Kurd killed by chemical weapons,
his editor responded, “Who will care?”
5 — As the U.S. bombed Iraq during the Gulf War in 1991, George H.W. Bush famously called on “the Iraqi military and Iraqi people to take matters into their own hands, to force Saddam Hussein, the dictator, to step aside.” Both Iraqi Shias in southern Iraq and Iraqi Kurds in northern Iraq heard this and tried to do exactly that. It turned out that Bush wasn’t being 100 percent honest about his feelings on this subject. The U.S. military stood down as Iraq massacred the rebels across the country. Why? New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman soon explained that “Mr. Bush never supported the Kurdish and Shiite rebellions against Mr. Hussein, or for that matter any democracy movement in Iraq” because Saddam’s “iron fist simultaneously held Iraq together, much to the satisfaction of the American allies Turkey and Saudi Arabia.” What the U.S. wanted was for the Iraqi military, not regular people, to take charge. “Then,” Friedman wrote, “Washington would have the best of all worlds: an iron-fisted Iraqi junta without Saddam Hussein.”
5 — As the U.S. bombed Iraq during the Gulf War in 1991, George H.W. Bush famously called on “the Iraqi military and Iraqi people to take matters into their own hands, to force Saddam Hussein, the dictator, to step aside.” Both Iraqi Shias in southern Iraq and Iraqi Kurds in northern Iraq heard this and tried to do exactly that. It turned out that Bush wasn’t being 100 percent honest about his feelings on this subject. The U.S. military stood down as Iraq massacred the rebels across the country. Why? New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman soon explained that “Mr. Bush never supported the Kurdish and Shiite rebellions against Mr. Hussein, or for that matter any democracy movement in Iraq” because Saddam’s “iron fist simultaneously held Iraq together, much to the satisfaction of the American allies Turkey and Saudi Arabia.” What the U.S. wanted was for the Iraqi military, not regular people, to take charge. “Then,” Friedman wrote, “Washington would have the best of all worlds: an iron-fisted Iraqi junta without Saddam Hussein.”
6 — Nevertheless,
the dying Iraqi Kurds looked so bad on international television that
the Bush administration was forced to do something. The U.S. eventually
supported what was started as a British effort to protect Kurds in
northern Iraq. During the Clinton administration in the 1990s, these Kurds, the
Iraqi Kurds, were the good Kurds. Because they were persecuted by Iraq,
our enemy, they were worthy of U.S. sympathy. But the Kurds a few miles
north in Turkey started getting uppity too, and since they were annoying
our ally, they were the bad Kurds. The U.S. sent Turkey huge amounts of
weaponry, which it used — with U.S. knowledge — to murder tens of thousands of Kurds and destroy thousands of villages. 7 — Before the Iraq War in 2003, pundits such as Christopher Hitchens said we had to do it to help the Kurds. By contrast, Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg had this dour exchange with neoconservative William Kristol on C-SPAN just as the war started:
Ellsberg: The Kurds have every reason to believe they will be betrayed again by the United States, as so often in the past. The spectacle of our inviting Turks into this war … could not have been reassuring to the Kurds …
Kristol: I’m against betraying the Kurds. Surely your point isn’t that because we betrayed them in the past, we should betray them this time?
Ellsberg: Not that we should, just that we will.
Kristol: We will not. We will not.
Ellsberg, of course, was correct. The post-war independence of Iraqi
Kurds made Turkey extremely nervous. In 2007, the U.S. allowed Turkey to
carry out a heavy bombing campaign against Iraqi Kurds inside Iraq. By this point, Kristol’s magazine the Weekly Standard was declaring that this betrayal was exactly what America should be doing. With Trump’s thumbs-up for another slaughter of the Kurds, America is
now on betrayal No. 8. Whatever you want to say about U.S. actions, no
one can deny that we’re consistent. The Kurds have an old, famous adage that they “have no friends but
the mountains.” Now more than ever, it’s hard to argue that that’s
wrong.
Pax Russica: as Trump abandons Syria’s Kurds, Russia is ready to expand its empire
The President has always said he wants to get America out of foreign wars. But is he playing into Putin’s hands?
While American troops were hurriedly leaving north-eastern Syria, a
young female Kurdish politician called Hervin Khalaf was pulled from her
car and executed by the side of the road. Actually, the Kurdish media
said she was raped and then stoned to death. They blamed one of the Arab
militias being used by Turkey in its invasion. A grim video posted
online shows a man holding a Kalashnikov nudging her body with the tip
of his boot, as you would a dead animal. The video has not been
authenticated and the militia accused of doing this says it was miles
away at the time. But in Khalaf the Syrian Kurds have found a martyr to
the American ‘betrayal’. She was a human rights activist who formed her
own political party to bring Arabs and Kurds together. Foreign diplomats
would visit to talk about her quixotic dream of a secular, multi-ethnic
Syrian democracy. Her death is a symbol of everything that has gone
wrong in the past week.
To recap: President Trump told the Turks they could come in and he
ordered his own troops out. The Kurds stopped fighting Isis, or even
guarding them in the jails and camps on their territory. Invoking their
fear of a ‘genocide’, the Kurds turned for protection to the Syrian
regime and to Russia. Kurdish civilians are dying under Turkish bombing;
Arab civilians are dying under Kurdish shelling. And Islamist Arab
militias are bloodily settling scores with the Kurds. This was entirely
predictable and was predicted by Trump’s former special envoy for
defeating Isis, Brett McGurk. He tweeted: ‘Did Trump not understand the
well-known nature and makeup of the forces Turkey would be bringing into
NE Syria?… Clearly not.’ McGurk resigned six months ago, when Trump
first announced — by tweet — that the US would abandon Syria’s Kurds. He
wrote then that the Arab militias allied to Turkey were ‘marbled with
extremists’ and that letting them into north-eastern Syria would
‘precipitate chaos’. So it has proved.
In another video on social media, a bearded Arab fighter carves the
air with his hand and tells the Kurds: ‘If the Turkish army gives us the
order, we will slit your throats… In the name of God Almighty, we will
butcher you with swords!’ He adds: ‘And I don’t want anybody telling me
that in Islam you can’t do this. The Prophet had a sword — you think he
used it to tickle people?’ One militia shot dead a Kurdish prisoner as
he sat on the ground, his hands bound behind his back. Inevitably, the
militia posted the video online (prompting the Turkish military to
arrest the men responsible). Many of the Arab fighters were armed and
trained by the CIA; the man they killed was part of a force armed and
trained by the Pentagon. America has been waging a proxy war against
itself in northern Syria, backing both sides in the conflict. And of
course Turkey is a Nato ally. This was the incoherent, strategically
impossible situation that Donald Trump inherited.
So it’s unfair to blame the Syria mess entirely on Trump’s
impulsiveness, ignorance and general imbecility, as much of the American
media do. They are helped in that by Trump’s crass reaction to
criticism of his decision: where were the Kurds in 1944? he asked. Why
didn’t they help with the Normandy landings? (The answer is that the
Kurds had no state and no military to join the second world war, though a
few Kurds did fight with the Soviets against Nazi Germany.) More
recently — only last week in fact — Syria’s Kurds were in a military
alliance with the US against Isis, losing 11,000 sons and daughters to
that fight. They were doing this for themselves as much as for the
United States, certainly. But only weeks ago, they took down their
defences on the Turkish border because the US asked them to and
guaranteed their security. They believed American promises that turned
out to be worthless. One retreating American soldier said he felt
ashamed of his uniform.
Why did Trump do it? Some American commentators say it’s because
there are two Trump Towers in Istanbul and he will lose money if he
upsets the Turkish leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. But Trump probably
doesn’t make that much money from those buildings and wasn’t swayed when
Erdogan threatened to take his name off them after the ‘Muslim ban’
(the short-lived ban on immigration to the US from some Muslim
countries). I heard an extraordinary story from an informant close to
the Qatari royal family — Qatar being Turkey’s most important Arab ally —
that Erdogan got Trump to roll over so easily because he had dirt on
him. That claim follows another made to me by a source in the US that an
intelligence whistle-blower had reported concerns about a call Trump
made to the Middle East, supposedly about this ‘dirt’. For those keeping
count, this would be the third US intelligence whistle-blower, the
other two coming forward about Ukraine.
Here we go again, down the Trump conspiracy rabbit hole. Trump’s
erratic behaviour seems to invite these kinds of far-fetched theories.
Usually they’re fantasy but occasionally you are left with the suspicion
that they might just be correct. With Syria, however, an elaborate
explanation is not required. Trump has always said he wants to get
America out of foreign wars. He is being as good as his word. The timing
may be awful, but when is there a good time to betray your allies?
One account published by a Turkish journalist says that when Erdogan
called Trump, he told him to either help Turkish troops or ‘get out of
the way’. Some have said Trump should have called Erdogan’s bluff and
refused. That might not have worked. According to the US military,
Turkish artillery fired 155mm shells near an American Special Forces
base, apparently to encourage them to leave. Yavuz Baydar, a Turkish
journalist in exile, told me he thought Erdogan would have gone into
Syria regardless. Not because there was a real military threat from the
Syrian Kurds to Turkey, or because there was a serious prospect of the
Kurds getting an independent state. (For one thing, the Syrian Kurds and
the Iraqi Kurds don’t get on.) No, he said, Erdogan had political
problems, ‘bleeding massively’ in the local elections. Like Trump, he
didn’t do ‘nuance,’ was completely obstinate and governed by ‘reflex’
and by ‘daredevil acts’. He needed a small, victorious war to satisfy
the ultra-nationalists and the generals in the ‘deep state’ coalition
around him. ‘Erdogan is a natural gambler,’ said Baydar. ‘His path has
always been jumping from crisis to crisis, or expanding the crisis. He’s
hoping to emerge as the national hero by teaching a lesson to the
Kurds.’
If successful, Erdogan can be expected to send back a large part of
the almost four million Syrian refugees that Turkey has been hosting for
years. The Kurds are afraid this will change the ethnic balance of
north-east Syria and rob them of the territory for ever. Most of the
Arabs in the border town of Tell Abyad fled when the Kurds arrived. They
say that young men who returned were forcibly conscripted into the
Kurdish forces. So they wait, their bags packed, in the town of
Akcakale, a few hundred yards away but in Turkey. Someone told me, by
phone, that they could see plumes of smoke: the Kurds burning their
homes.
The temporary beneficiaries of all this are Isis, who are no longer
facing a Kurdish enemy on the battlefield. The permanent beneficiary is
Vladimir Putin. A former Russian intelligence officer I know said that
Putin and Erdogan conferred before Erdogan spoke to Trump. If true, that
isn’t as surprising as it once would have been. Turkey and Russia are
increasingly close. Turkey — once again, a Nato member — has just bought
Russian S-400 missiles. The two governments seem to have had cordial
discussions over the future of Idlib, the last Syrian province in rebel
hands. There are reports of Russian mercenaries massing to attack Idlib.
They are said to be from the Wagner group, which is run by a Russian
oligarch known as ‘Putin’s chef’. If so, this tells us something
important about what’s happening in Syria.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, to use his real name, is a billionaire whose
spectacular rise symbolises Russia’s brand of outlaw capitalism. Russian
newspapers reported that when he was a young man he was given a 12-year
jail sentence for robbery and pimping. But after starting out with a
hotdog stand in St Petersburg, he opened a luxury restaurant that became
one of Putin’s favourites. Putin is his krysha — his ‘roof’,
or protection — and in return Prigozhin hands over a share of the
profits. In Syria, these are profits from oil, where Wagner mercenaries
have taken over oil fields and pipelines. There are both in Kurdish
territory. More importantly, the Syrian regime is back in charge under a
deal brokered by Russia and can be expected to show appropriate
gratitude to Wagner and to Putin.
As the last Americans left north-eastern Syria, President Putin was
on an official visit to Riyadh. The Saudi royals looked relieved to have
a foreign visitor who would not lecture them on the killing and
dismemberment of their dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Putin’s
visit — the first by a Russian leader for 12 years — was a sign of the
new realities. For 50 years, it has been the goal of American policy to
keep Russia out of the Middle East. President Trump may be right that he
has deftly dumped the terrible problem of Syria on to the Kremlin — or
this could be a moral, security and strategic disaster, as one prominent
western supporter of the Kurds put it. But Russia is now the
indispensable power in the Middle East: Pax Russica.
Source: https://www.spectator.co.uk/2019/10/pax-russica-as-trump-abandons-syrias-kurds-russia-is-ready-to-expand-its-empire/
And knowing us Armenians well, it won't be the last time. Uncle Sam and his Zionist handlers will not genuinely (i.e. to any politically meaningful degree) recognize the Armenian Genocide, nor will they genuinely embrace the Armenian state while there is even the slightest chance or hope of salvaging their very strategic relationship with Turks. And there is more than a slight chance that they will rekindle their romance with Ankara. I want to again remind the reader that the Anglo-American-Jewish problem is exclusively with Turkey's belligerent Recep Tayyip Erdogan and NOT with the country of Turkey itself. Anglo-American-Jews will not sacrifice their strategic alliance with Turkey because of a mere mortal like President Erdogan. Everything will be done to maintain ties with Ankara. At the end of the day, Western powers and Israel need Turkey more than Turkey needs them. As soon as President Erdogan is out of the political picture, by forces of nature or otherwise, the West's love affair with Turkey will again resume as before, and Armenians will again be forgotten. Whatever was done in Washington D.C. recently was done simply to put pressure on Ankara over its dealings with Russia. Enjoy it while you can because it will not last long. For Anglo-American-Jews, Turkey is too big and too important to fail. It's that simple. This should have been obvious to us Armenians by now.
Nevertheless, as far as I'm concerned, even if Uncle Sam DID officially recognize the Armenian Genocide, what good is it?
What good would such a thing really do for us Armenians? Is the said recognition going to bring back any of the lands we lost? Is it going to put billions of dollars in Armenia's coffers? Is it going to stop Ankara from supporting Baku's aggression against Artsakh/Armenia? Is it going to force Ankara to lift its economic blockade of Armenia? The answers to these questions are a resounding no! Anyone that thinks otherwise is delusional. Some think, genocide recognition by Washington D.C. is a process that would, theoretically at least, lead to the reparations phase one day. Utter nonsense. Such a thing would, at the very least, require the total defeat of Turkey in a major war. Even if such a thing did happen, chances are, Anglo-American-Jews would NOT support Armenian claims, be it land, be it financial. If such a thing did not happen at the end of the First World War when the Ottoman Empire had collapsed, with the help of Armenians nonetheless, and when Turkey was on its knees, it definitely won't happen today, or any time in the foreseeable future. Kurds would most likely be the main beneficiary of Western largess in such a situation. Anyway, enough of the speculation and wishful thinking. In my opinion, not only is Washington's recognition useless, it may even be harmful. An official recognition by the United States will inevitably drive the North American Armenian Diaspora closer to the mouth of total assimilation. The struggle for genocide recognition is one of the main psychological factors keeping the North American Diaspora somewhat united and therefore alive. With that factor removed, the assimilation phase, already very rapid, will become even faster.
Recognition simply for the sake of recognition is counterproductive and self-limiting. It's not in the interests of the Armenian Diaspora or Armenia.
Yes, and regardless of everything else, the passing of the Senate and House Resolutions recognizing the Armenian Genocide were indeed a public relations victory for Armenians. Yes, what happened felt good after decades of suffering outright rejection. But what the Senate and House did will not go beyond the category of a public display or show. Moreover, the White House has in-effect rejected both of them. Other than feeling vindicated and angering Turks in the process (which I admit is good in itself) there is however no real legal, political or financial benefit to what happened. Other than making headlines, which everyone will forget in a short period of time, Armenians and Armenia gained nothing tangible as a result of the House and Senate Resolutions - as they are nonbinding. In other words, they are mere expressions of sentiment as they carry no legal or political weight. In other words, they have no political teeth. Regardless, the Armenian Diaspora, the North American Diaspora in particular, had a collective orgasm over all this. And speaking of orgasms, who was one of the heroins of the day? Her Highness, Kim Kardashian of course. Her "good old Armenian ass", also known as "certified Armenian meat" appearing at the genocide memorial complex on the outskirts of Yerevan recently must have really helped in the pan-national effort to force high officials in the United States to recognize the tragedy that befell Armenians one hundred years ago as a genocide. What a sad state of existence we Armenians are in.