1280) Getting at the Truth

By Charles Fried | December 13, 2006

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2006/12/13/getting_at_the_truth/

.......But Ahmadinejad's tortured logic seems almost broad-minded compared with Turkey's stringent criminal prohibition on any suggestion that such a thing as its genocide of the Armenian people ever happened. Many brave Turkish writers and journalists have suffered persecution in recent times for proclaiming what no reasonable person would deny. Yet the Armenian genocide is as certain a historic fact as Hitler's European Holocaust, for which Ataturk's may well have served as a model and feasability study. (A recent brief, horrifying and thoroughly documented account can be found in Niall Ferguson's "War of the World.") Turkey and Iran turn truth into either a crime or charade


.......For in the end, the only way to bite the nickel to make sure it's genuine is in discussion, debate, assertion, and counter-assertion. That is the process in which extremists in Iran and Turkey are shown to be what they are -- charlatans and liars. But states that shut down that process, even to inane propositions like Holocaust or Armenian genocide denial, debase the currency of truth every bit as much as their opposites, For in their zeal, they assign to themselves, to politics, and to official power (with its attendant machinery of prosecutors, judges, juries, and jailors) an authority that can reside only in the forum of individual judgment and conviction.

. . .

REPLY

To the Editor - Boston Globe, Dec, 13, 06 “GETTING AT THE TRUTH” ! OPEN LETTER

"We have been told that the tall tales of the Bible (or GENOCIDE) are “revealed truth”. What we need now is to have that “revealed truth” r e v e a l e d, for as yet it never has been. What follows(ed) are but scraps of the required knowledge" (Preface 7, Lloyd M. Graham, ISBN 0-8065-1124-9, “Deceptions and Myths of the Bible” 1991 )

YES, YES… Mr. Editor or Writer! Let us “all get to the truth”… if you have the FACE and COURAGE, instead of hiding your “judicial cowardice” by smearing and slandering... voiced in your article! The words “broad minded and tortured logic” contradicts your “narrow mind and total lack of logic and sincerity”. But before we go into any argument, we must separate the Jewish Holocaust (verdict of an International Authorized Tribunal, for a State Crime against people who were not involved in any revolution or treason – and for which many Nazist Armenians faithfully served in Hitler’s armies to round up Jews) from a “fabricated – unproven LIE” being circulated around the world without “a shred of legal proof” serving the “interests of a small group that markets this tale.”


1- On top and before everything, the principle called “Nullum crimen, nulla poena sine praevia lege poenali”

authored in 1813 as part of the Bavarian Code, is the pillar of the European legal system. This maxim states that “there can be no crime committed, and no punishment meted out, without a violation of penal law, existing at that time”. It simply says that laws cannot be applied retro-actively. It does not speak of Biblical rights, or “that those who crucified Jesus, can now be penalized”! The term “genocide” and relating explanation of the crime has only been coined in 1948 during Nuremberg Trials, targeting the Holocaust of the Jews (who were no revolutionist, no rebels, never given any top offices by the Nazis, but simply treated as of inferior race and hence should be exterminated.) It is enough to quote only a few of the articles of Resolution 260 (III) of United Nations Gen. Assembly on 9 December 1948.


Article 6 reads: “Persons charged with genocide or any acts enumerated in Article 3, shall be tried by a competent tribunal of the State in the territory of which the act was committed or by such international penal tribunal as may have jurisdiction with respect to those Contracting Parties which shall have accepted its jurisdiction”.


Article 9 reads: “Disputes between Contracting Parties relating to the interpretation, application or fulfillment of the present Convention, including those relating to the responsibility of a State for genocide or any other acts enumerated in Article 3, shall be submitted to the INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE at the request of any of the parties to the dispute…

"WHAT THE BRITISH SAY TODAY":

"The British Government had condemned the massacres at the time. But in the absence of unequivocal evidence that the Ottoman Administration took a specific decision to eliminate the Armenians under their control at that time, British Governments have not recognized those events as indications of genocide. Nor do we believe it is the business of Governments of today to review events of over 80 years ago, with a view to pronouncing them."

Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale, Foreign Office spokesperson, April 14, 1999

" The Government, in line with previous British Governments, have judged the evidence not to be sufficiently unequivocal to persuade us that these events should be categorized as genocide as defined by the 1948 United Nations Convention on Genocide, a Convention which was drafted in response to the Holocaust and is not retrospective in application. The interpretation of events in eastern Anatolia in 1915-1916 is still the subject of genuine debate among historians."

Baroness Scotland of Asthal, in a written response, February 7, 2001

**********

The British could have easily tried and convicted their Ottoman "Hitlers" by the end of 1919. The kangaroo courts conducted by the puppet Ottoman government certainly did exactly that.

Why would the British have waited over two years... why would the British, at the end of those two years, still actively seek evidence to convict the Turks by appealing as far away as the shores of America? Don't forget the famous reply by the British embassy:

"I regret to inform your Lordship that there was nothing therein which could be used as evidence against the Turks who are being detained for trial in Malta..."

This reply was sent on July of 1921 !! “

http://www.tallarmeniantale.com/malta-details.htm
Thanks to Holdwater for provided information for use of everyone.


“‘Tashnak editorials and editors, do not expose themselves as enemies of peace, but deliriously want war. ‘

These lines belong to American communist periodical ‘Banvor’. (Kysaber, Cairo Nov.11,1935)”

A. A. Lalayan, TASNAK PARTISI’NIN KARSIDEVRIMCI ROLU 1914-1923 Kaynak yayinlari, 2006 (ISBN 975343-444-8) p.25


“Tashnak representative on foreign affairs Zavriyev, in notes sent to London and Paris Russian Embassies in 1915 was writing:

‘From the first days of war, Russian Armenians, waited for Turkey to be dragged into this war. This was an inspiration of the hope, that at the end of the war, the Armenian matter was to be taken anew at hand and settled definitely. Armenians could not stay indifferent to such developments; therefore they joined the incidents vigorously’.”

A. A. Lalayan, TASNAK PARTISI’NIN KARSI DEVRIMCI ROLU 1914-1923 Kaynak yayinlari, 2006 (ISBN 975343-444-8) p.28


“ An official of Tashnak State, in a letter written to State President A. Ohancian on 21 June 1920 was telling: ‘We occupied Zangezur. This district is so rich that it can pay our debts several times. For the last two days, there is an unbelievable looting going on; wheat, barley, fodder, samovars, carpets, gold and money are being taken. Ministry of Finance, only yesterday could send two agents. Otherwise, this great richness will fly out of our hands. The places where Turks and Kurds lived, is indeed a treasure.Too bad that we are not in a position to own this treasure’.

A person named G. Muradian, was applauding the actions of Tashnak Government, displayed by burning and destroying the Azeri villages, was commenting: ‘….Thanks to our Government’s action, the settlers of the villages (Tohluca, Akbulak, Ardanus, etc.) have left our soil. I saw the deserted villages; few cats and one or two dogs remained. Dogs unaccustomed to this silence were barking with strange sounds. Farmers left in their fields, large amount of potatos, wheat and barley. The government can collect from these villages more than 30.000 tons of wheat, 8.000 tons of potatoes…’(Jogorurd Newspaper of Armenian bourgeois, No. 105, 1920) “

A. A. Lalayan, TASNAK PARTISI’NIN KARSIDEVRIMCI ROLU 1914-1923 Kaynak yayinlari, 2006 (ISBN 975343-444-8) p.87


“The anti-revolutionist Tashnak government, in 1920, in order to penalize ‘naughty villagers’, blocked a branch of Zengi river. Thus from Gokce lake to Zengibasar, the river shores turned into desert. Many people died, many animals and harvest was wasted.”

A. A. Lalayan, TASNAK PARTISI’NIN KARSIDEVRIMCI ROLU 1914-1923 Kaynak yayinlari, 2006 (ISBN 975343-444-8) p.89


“Before the Tashnaks came to power, in the countryside, that is called Armenia now, there lived 1.200.000 people. However, towards 1920, prior to Sovietization of Armenia, the population dropped to 770.000. Moreover the changes that occurred in the national texture of the population during 1918-1920, is extremely noteworthy. Thus, during the dictatorship of 2.5 years rule of Tashnaks, the Armenian population was reduced by 35%, Turks 77%, Kurds 98%, and Yazidis by 40%.


Armenian Population within present borders (in thousands) for years 1918-1920 is given below


Nationality 1918 1920 % loss during Tashnak dictatorship

Armenians 885 690.5 22 %

Turks 260 60 77 %

Kurds 25 0.5 98 %

Yazdidis 8 5 40 %

Russians 15 14 7 %

Others 7 4 43

TOTAL 1.200 774 35.5 % ”

A. A. Lalayan, TASNAK PARTISI’NIN KARSIDEVRIMCI ROLU 1914-1923 Kaynak yayinlari, 2006 (ISBN 975343-444-8) p.92


The first thumb rule in the investigation of “any crime and finding the culprits”, is to search for the CAUSE, TIME, PLACE, TOOLS and BENEFICIARIES and EVIDENCES.

The “Genocide” (or annihilation) slander proves to be a TALL LIE since it lacks any of these main proofs. If we make a rundown by logic and chronological order, we cannot reach to “any accusation of intended murder”.


The greatest crime, is to charge and execute a person for a crime, that has not been seen, proven and legally supported, just to indict a suspect and satisfy some egos! This may be the greatest crime and sins of all!

It is not hatred and grudge that should inspire joy and satisfaction, but it is compassion, tolerance, “suspicion of doing something wrong for others”, that guides human wisdom. Being indifferent or on the “wrong side”, may cause some moral discomforts, when the logical truths are realized! Enough, with grandma “tales”!


2- Now that your bias, goes as far as putting “Ataturk” next to “Hitler” (when Turkish consulates saved Jews by thousands from holocaust in German occupied lands) let us read and evidence the service Nazist Armenian troops rendered in rounding up Jews and fighting for Hitler against the Allies. Yes, let history do the talk…


“All groups were under the protection of the enemies of peace. Hitler was using them as German troublemakers; they served Japanese militarists and got arms from them. Polish officers and others used them as well.”

A.A. Lalayan’s Editorial, Kaynak Yayinlari, (ISBN 975-343-444-8) p. 52



Photo # 1: Title "ARMENIAN VOLUNTEERS IN NAZI WEHRMARCHT SWEAR LOYALTY TO FUHRER
(Showing German soldiers with three new soldiers in front of German flag, with right hands up in the Nazi salute)
Photo taken 5th August 1944 by German War Correspondent, Strohmeyer.



Title: ARMENIAN VOLUNTEERS FROM TURKEY IN NAZI SERVICE DURING WORLD WAR II: BERLIN 1943
Above: Armenians on Paul Leverkuen's staff visit Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Paul Goebbels before returning to Middle East to spread Nazi propaganda from base in Adana. (Photo: four soldiers facing Goebbels and Gen. Leverkuen) Below: Title: Armenian volunteers in Wehrmacht training before dispatch to join Nazi invasion of Soviet Union. (Photo shows some soldiers in a barbed wire battlefield in running status)

İktidar Dergisi, 1st July 2005
: http://armenians-1915.blogspot.com/2006/08/924-le-petit-journal.html



3- For “dependability of Armenian slanders”, please refer to Attach. 1, showing Ataturk posing with a

corpse (Armin Wengler’s photo) as a sadist! This poster was used by “Armenian Scholars” for a conference at UCLA. Next is the original postcard sent by him to his wife, “with puppies” at his feet!

As second attachment, see famous “photo of skulls used so frequently in many Armenian publications”

which in fact is an oil painting by Russian painter Vasyl Verschegin in 1871, long before 1915 and on exhibit in the Russian museum. You use the words “charlatans and liars” for Turks, because we say and PROVE that there was no “genocide” and everything is a BASE LIE and CHARLATANISM evidenced with attachments provided.


4- Vartan Oskanian, Armenian FM, in an interview Dec.5,2006 to “Turkish Weekly” for evidence, says:

“The living evidence of this tragedy, survial of Genocide, I am the son of one of them… The question for us is to get a political solution. Because the issue is neither historical, nor legal, it is POLITICAL! “


Yes, Professor Fried, I kindly ask you to come up with another article or reply, telling us WHAT PART OF SUBMITTED references is UNTRUE! Otherwise sir, you perfectly fit the requisitions of committing “charlatanism and lying in scholarship and journalism”.

Cordially,

Sukru S. Aya - Istanbul (A man who studied this subject, having many friends of Armenians ethnicity in USA and Turkey, and a devoted friend of US people!)