[note: I found this at groong.usc.edu, a very useful alternative news
source which I highly recommend. "Groong," in case you're wondering, is
Armenian for "crane"--the bird which symbolizes the Armenians--but the
website has news of all parts the world, not just Armenian-related news.
-Jay Dobkin]
PRESS RELEASE
Armenian National Committee of Eastern Massachusetts
Contact: Siran Tamakian
47 Nichols Avenue, Watertown, MA
Phone: 617-926-1918
Email:[log in to unmask]
www.anca.org
‘Axis of Evil’: Turkey, Israel, and United States?
Chomsky Addresses ANC Forum on US Policy in West-Central Asia
PRESS RELEASE
Armenian National Committee of Eastern Massachusetts
Contact: Siran Tamakian
47 Nichols Avenue, Watertown, MA
Phone: 617-926-1918
Email:[log in to unmask]
www.anca.org
‘Axis of Evil’: Turkey, Israel, and United States?
Chomsky Addresses ANC Forum on US Policy in West-Central Asia
WATERTOWN MA—June 7, World-renowned dissident intellectual Noam Chomsky
speaking at an Armenian community forum, analyzed and condemned
repressive Turkish, Israeli, and US policies in "West-Central Asia,"
likening them to the thuggish tactics of gangsters using force to
maintain control.
Professor Chomsky made his comments during a public forum organized by
the Armenian National Committee (ANC) of Eastern Massachusetts.
Titled "US Policy in West-Central Asia, Freedom of Speech, the Kurds in
Turkey," the event was held on June 7, at the Armenian Cultural and
Educational Center, in Watertown, and was attended by some 200 Armenian
and non-Armenian supporters and activists.
Introduction
Prof. Chomsky was introduced by Armenian Weekly editor Jason Sohigian,
on behalf of the ANC of Eastern Massachusetts. Taking the opportunity to
address a mostly non-Armenian audience, Sohigian provided historical
background on the host organization, the ANC, as well as the ARF.
The Axis of Evil
Prof. Chomsky began his talk with an overview of the region and the role
of the US there. He discussed the “axis of evil” recently described by
President Bush as including Iraq, Iran, and North Korea. He noted that
the term was inappropriate because these countries “cannot possibly be
considered an ‘axis,’” in that two of them were recently at war with
each other and have nothing to do with the third.
He therefore explored why these countries were selected as leading
enemies. Chomsky said North Korea was chosen because it is not Muslim,
so that current actions by the US wouldn’t be portrayed as a war against
Islam.
Iran
In describing Iran, Chomsky began by stating that “Iran bears directly
on Armenia because of their alliance in opposition to most other states
of the region.” He noted that the goal of reformists in Iran was to
integrate the country in the global system, but this was rejected by
the US. He also said that the oil industry would like to exploit the
oil reserves and take advantage of more practical pipeline routes, but
this is being blocked by US policies.
Chomsky noted that this was one of the few cases where state policy is
in conflict with domestic economic interests, which usually shape
policy. He also noted that the policy has been pursued by successive
administrations with broad congressional support, and the support of
Israel and Turkey, but not Europe.
He explained that this was part of an effort in diplomacy to “maintain
credibility,” so that if a country “steps out of line, they will be
punished,” in order to make them an example for others. He also cited
the bombing of Serbia, and the policy toward Cuba as other examples.
“Iran broke the rules in 1979 when it removed itself from the US-
dominated system, violated orders, and followed an independent course,”
he stated.
Iraq
Chomsky highlighted the diverging views of the US military and civilian
leadership on whether the US should invade Iraq, citing the opposition
in the military to an attack on Iraq. The reasons cited for an invasion
are Saddam Hussein’s development of weapons of mass destruction, and the
use of chemical weapons against his people. “While the reasons are
valid,” said Chomsky, “they are ‘transparently irrelevant’ and are a
tribute of the obedience of the educated classes.”
Chomsky noted that while the indictment was correct, it ignores that
Hussein did these things "with our support, which continued long past
the worst crimes" he committed. He noted that the US and England
continued to provide Hussein with dual-use technology for the
development of weapons of mass destruction in the 1980s, although he
was more dangerous during that period.
Chomsky cited the real reasons for an invasion of Iraq, including the
fact that it has the second-largest oil reserves in the world after
Saudi Arabia, and the US would not allow such reserves to be out of
their control or allow privileged access to it by rivals. He also
discussed the problem of regional attitudes, or the Arab opposition to
an attack on a Muslim country, and the problem of regime replacement.
He explained the US interest in keeping Iran isolated and maintaining
control over Iraq’s Kurdish population in the north, which is considered
a threat by Turkey.
Turkey
Chomsky discussed other meanings of the phrase “axis of evil” as used in
international discourse. He noted that the Egyptian newspaper Al Ahram
called the US, Turkey, and Israel the true axis of evil. “In Bush’s
example, there is evil, but in the other case, there is an actual axis,”
said Chomsky, adding that there’s plenty of evil to go around.
Turning his attention to Turkey, Chomsky acknowledged that Turkey has
been a US ally since the end of World War II, has a powerful military
force, was valuable for its proximity to the Soviet Union, and was the
recipient of a large flow of arms from the US, which is “the measure of
how close an alliance is.”
“During the Clinton years, the flow of arms was four times higher as
during the entire Cold War period,” revealed Chomsky. “In 1997 alone,
Clinton sent more arms to Turkey than during the entire Cold War period
combined.” The flow was so extreme that Turkey was the leader for the
transfer of US arms, aside from Israel and Egypt.
“This flow of arms had nothing to do with the Cold War, and took place
after
the Cold War was winding down and ended, and increased after the Cold
War
through the late 1990s,” said Chomsky. He noted, however, that these
were
the years that the Turkish operations against the Kurds were taking
place.
“It began in 1994, atrocities escalated in the mid-1990s, and the flow
of
arms increased along with them. This is straightforward ‘state terror,’
a
term borrowed from the [Turkish] Minister of Human Rights in 1994, when
two
million were driven from homes in southeast.”
According to Chomsky, Kurdish human rights groups in Diyarbekir estimate
that by now over three million refugees have been created by the
attacks. He
said it was very easy to find accounts of these “barbaric atrocities” in
human rights reports, and that it is estimated that 50,000 Kurds have
been
killed.
Chomsky called it “state terror” and even some of the
worst “international
terrorism” seen in the 1990s. He said that US support came not only
through
arms but also in the ideological realm, through silence: “Keep it all
under
wraps, because if people here find out about it, they are not going to
permit it,” adding that an important task of the educated sector of
society
is to go along and make sure that people don’t know anything about what
is
going on. “It is extremely important not to let people know that they
are
participating in some of the worst atrocities of the time.” He explained
that this approach has been carried out very successfully in the US, as
almost nobody knows about what was going on in Turkey.
Chomsky noted that this was all going on at the same time as everyone
was
praising “our commitment to principles of human rights” in the late
1990s.
He explained that the US and England were unwilling to tolerate
atrocities
near the border of NATO in Kosovo, but that worse atrocities were
tolerated
inside the borders of NATO. Chomsky described it as “a tribute to the
discipline and submissiveness of the educated sector,” and as “another
kind
of contribution to the atrocities.”
Chomsky admitted that it was not completely true that nothing was said
about
state terror in Turkey. He said there is some discussion of it, but that
Turkey “is lauded” for it. He pointed out that the annual State
Department
report on terrorism in 1999 singled out Turkey for its “positive
experiences
in countering terror.” He also indicated that this assessment was
considered
perfectly reasonable when reported on the front page of the New York
Times.
In Fletcher Forum, US Ambassador to Turkey Robert Pearson recently
credited
Turkey for its “positive accomplishment in countering terror” and
said “the
US can have no better ally in countering terrorism because of Turkey’s
achievements in countering terror.” Pearson also said, “It is no
surprise
that Turkey should be in the lead in joining the war against terror.”
Chomsky reminded the audience that Turkey was the first country to offer
troops to the US after Sept. 11. He added that Prime Minister Bulent
Ecevit
declared that it was, as Chomsky put it, “in gratitude for proving arms
for
the enormous state terror operation he was conducting.”
Chomsky said that Turkey has been selected by the US and England to
fight
the war against terrorism. He also pointed out that operations such as
those
carried out by Turkey in the southeast are always called “counter-
terror.”
He reminded the audience that Nazi propaganda also claimed that the
Nazis
were protecting their populations from a terrorist threat--a reference
to
the various anti-Nazi resistance movements.
US-Israel Relationship
Discussing the US-Israel relationship, Chomsky stated that since 1967,
“Israel has virtually become a US military base, and a significant one.
It
is a small country, but it has a huge military. Its air force, tank
force,
and advanced technology are greater than any in NATO aside from US.” He
said
that it was essentially an offshore US military base, and that it
performs
other tasks as well throughout the world.
Chomsky indicated that a major geopolitical outcome of the US war in
Afghanistan was the establishment of a major US military base in Central
Asia, and also in the Republic of Georgia. He said this is important
for the
natural resources there, but more for access to the Gulf region.
Israeli-Turkish Relationship
Chomsky noted that 12 percent of the Israeli air and tank force are now
in
eastern Turkey, and that they are probably operating in northern Iraq
and
moving toward the Iranian border. He cited this as being part of the
growing
conflict with the “axis of evil,” and against the local alliance of
Iran and
Armenia.
He explained that Turkey relies heavily on the domestic Israeli lobby in
Washington for its support. Chomsky said Turkey has received $30 billion
from the World Bank and the IMF in the last year alone, and that this
aid
depends on the pressure of the US government and the Jewish lobby in
favor
of Turkey. He also added that this alliance is being extended to include
Azerbaijan because of the 30 million Azeris living in northern Iran,
which
the US would likely want dismembered as a state.
Chomsky also discussed the conflicts taking place over the control of
Caspian energy resources, with Turkish, Israeli, and US forces backing
Azerbaijan. “Small Armenia is caught up in the middle of all of this,”
he
noted.
Chomsky noted that Russia was certainly able to assess the balance of
forces
in the region and so is behaving accordingly, at least for the moment.
He
described that balance as being Iran and Armenia on one side, and the
US,
Israel, Turkey, and Azerbaijan on the other side. He also explained that
most of the conflict concerns pipeline routes from the Caspian avoiding
Iran—a route that the energy companies prefer because it is more
economical—and without Russia having any control, meaning that they
would go
through Georgia.
Trial in Turkey
Chomsky told the gathering that he was in Turkey in February for a
political
trial. He said because a series of his essays on US policy in the Middle
East were translated into Turkish, the publisher was being charged in a
military court. He noted that the essays included a few sentences taken
from
standard human rights reports on Turkish repression of the Kurds, which
was
the basis of the trial. He said that because of the television cameras
from
everywhere, except the US, the charges were dropped immediately because
there was too much attention.
Chomsky said he was optimistic because of the courage of people in
Turkey
struggling against legislation restricting free expression and
repressing
ethnic identity. He noted that these activists have a lot of support,
and
that they are engaged in constant civil disobedience, which includes the
publication of banned writings. He said what he saw was nothing like
civil
disobedience in the US, particularly because of the danger of
imprisonment
in Turkey. He stressed that they are constantly facing up to the
danger. “If
they get support from the outside, they can win,” he claimed.
After the trial, Chomsky visited the southeastern part of Turkey, which
he
described as “a dungeon.” He cited examples of severe repression,
including
the arrest of the head of a local human rights commission for using the
Kurdish spelling for the word referring to New Year’s celebrations. He
said
people are sentenced for playing Kurdish music or wearing the colors of
the
Kurdish flag. He told of his surprise when during a press conference in
Turkey he was presented with a Kurdish-English dictionary, which is
banned,
with an inscription about the desire to speak in their mother
tongue. “While
this may not seem like an extreme demand, it is enough for torture and
imprisonment, destroying people and villages,” Chomsky commented.
He also recalled that he was taken to see the remains of an Armenian
church
in Diyarbekir. He said there was not much left to it, that it was just
ruins
with no roof and pieces falling off. He was able to meet the caretaker
of
the church, an elderly man, and he learned that there was supposed to
be a
small Armenian community, but that no one talks much about it. “That’s
what’s left of this major center—another monument to Turkey’s positive
experiences in countering terror,” commented Chomsky.
Prof. Chomsky concluded by acknowledging the courage of the people in
southeastern Turkey, and not just the intellectuals in Istanbul. He
noted
that it was impressive that people continue to struggle under those
conditions, and said there is no excuse for inaction from people in
places
where they are free and don’t face this kind of repression.
Background on the ANC
In his introduction of Prof. Chomsky, Weekly editor Jason Sohigian
provided
historical background on the host organization--the ANC--as well as the
ARF.
He noted that the aims of the ARF, as defined in 1919, include the
establishment of a free, independent, and united Armenia.
Sohigian explained that Armenia was “caught in the crossroads of
conflicting
Empires,” and that “the Armenian people faced conquest and persecution
up to
and through the creation of the Ottoman Empire.” He described the
founding
of the ARF, in 1890, to organize the Armenian people to struggle for
reforms
in the Ottoman Empire. He noted that “by 1915, these idealists were
betrayed
by Turkish chauvinism, resulting in the Genocide.”
Sohigian provided an overview of the role of the ARF in the First
Republic
of Armenia, which surrendered to the Soviets in 1920 as a result of the
threat of invasion by Turkey. He described the persecution of the ARF
by the
Soviets and the development of a Diaspora of Armenians who were exiled
after
the Genocide. He explained Stalin’s policies of dividing the ethnic
groups
of the Soviet Union, redrawing the South Caucasus so that parts of
Soviet-controlled ancient Armenia were placed under the jurisdiction of
Georgia and Azerbaijan. Sohigian also discussed the threat of
assimilation
to the Armenian people and the legacy of the Genocide and its ongoing
denial.
Sohigian discussed the revival of the Karabagh national liberation
movement
in the late 1980s. He explained the referendums held for self-
determination
and the violent response of the Azeris to these aspirations. Sohigian
discussed the existence of Afghani mercenaries fighting against the
Armenians of Karabagh, the attention paid to human rights issues in the
region by groups such as the Sakharov Foundation, and the increasing
role
that oil geopolitics has come to play in the region. After Armenian
independence in 1991, Sohigian explained, the ARF renewed its presence
in
Armenia.
Sohigian also warned of the threat posed to Armenia as a result of
the “war
on terrorism” and the shifting balance of power in the region, a balance
endangered by the waiver, following Sept. 11, of Section 907 of the
Freedom
Support Act, which had denied US aid to Azerbaijan because of its
illegal
blockade of Armenia.
Sohigian described the worldwide network of ANCs, which urge their
respective governments to assist the landlocked Republic of Armenia and
fight against Genocide denial. He described the role of the ARF press,
including the Hairenik, which has been publishing since 1899, and the
Armenian Weekly, both of which publish frequent action alerts from the
ANC
on human rights issues such as the persecution of the Kurds by Turkey.
Sohigian explained that back in 1990 Prof. Chomsky had written that he
hoped
to address the Armenian Genocide issue and human rights violations being
committed against the Kurds in future research. Sohigian noted this was
now
possible, and that Prof. Chomsky’s recent visit to Turkey, including
Diyarbekir, was the incentive for holding this Public Forum with the
ANC to
discuss his experiences and observations.
WATERTOWN, MA—June 7, World-renowned dissident intellectual Noam
Chomsky,
speaking at an Armenian community forum, analyzed and condemned
repressive
Turkish, Israeli, and US policies in “West-Central Asia,” likening them
to
the thuggish tactics of gangsters using force to maintain control.
Professor Chomsky made his comments during a public forum organized by
the
Armenian National Committee (ANC) of Eastern Massachusetts. Titled “US
Policy in West-Central Asia, Freedom of Speech, and the Kurds in
Turkey,”
the event was held on June 7, at the Armenian Cultural and Educational
Center, in Watertown, and was attended by some 200 Armenian and non-
Armenian
supporters and activists.
Introduction
Prof. Chomsky was introduced by Armenian Weekly editor Jason Sohigian,
on
behalf of the ANC of Eastern Massachusetts. Taking the opportunity to
address a mostly non-Armenian audience, Sohigian provided historical
background on the host organization, the ANC, as well as the ARF.
The Axis of Evil
Prof. Chomsky began his talk with an overview of the region and the
role of
the US there. He discussed the “axis of evil” recently described by
President Bush as including Iraq, Iran, and North Korea. He noted that
the
term was inappropriate because these countries “cannot possibly be
considered an ‘axis,’” in that two of them were recently at war with
each
other and have nothing to do with the third.
He therefore explored why these countries were selected as leading
enemies.
Chomsky said North Korea was chosen because it is not Muslim, so that
current actions by the US wouldn’t be portrayed as a war against Islam.
Iran
In describing Iran, Chomsky began by stating that “Iran bears directly
on
Armenia because of their alliance in opposition to most other states of
the
region.” He noted that the goal of reformists in Iran was to integrate
the
country in the global system, but this was rejected by the US. He also
said
that the oil industry would like to exploit the oil reserves and take
advantage of more practical pipeline routes, but this is being blocked
by US
policies.
Chomsky noted that this was one of the few cases where state policy is
in
conflict with domestic economic interests, which usually shape policy.
He
also noted that the policy has been pursued by successive
administrations
with broad congressional support, and the support of Israel and Turkey,
but
not Europe.
He explained that this was part of an effort in diplomacy to “maintain
credibility,” so that if a country “steps out of line, they will be
punished,” in order to make them an example for others. He also cited
the
bombing of Serbia, and the policy toward Cuba as other examples. “Iran
broke
the rules in 1979 when it removed itself from the US-dominated system,
violated orders, and followed an independent course,” he stated.
Iraq
Chomsky highlighted the diverging views of the US military and civilian
leadership on whether the US should invade Iraq, citing the opposition
in
the military to an attack on Iraq. The reasons cited for an invasion are
Saddam Hussein’s development of weapons of mass destruction, and the
use of
chemical weapons against his people. “While the reasons are valid,” said
Chomsky, “they are ‘transparently irrelevant’ and are a tribute of the
obedience of the educated classes.”
Chomsky noted that while the indictment was correct, it ignores that
Hussein
did these things “with our support, which continued long past the worst
crimes” he committed. He noted that the US and England continued to
provide
Hussein with dual-use technology for the development of weapons of mass
destruction in the 1980s, although he was more dangerous during that
period.
Chomsky cited the real reasons for an invasion of Iraq, including the
fact
that it has the second-largest oil reserves in the world after Saudi
Arabia,
and the US would not allow such reserves to be out of their control or
allow
privileged access to it by rivals. He also discussed the problem of
regional
attitudes, or the Arab opposition to an attack on a Muslim country, and
the
problem of regime replacement. He explained the US interest in keeping
Iran
isolated and maintaining control over Iraq’s Kurdish population in the
north, which is considered a threat by Turkey.
Turkey
Chomsky discussed other meanings of the phrase “axis of evil” as used in
international discourse. He noted that the Egyptian newspaper Al Ahram
called the US, Turkey, and Israel the true axis of evil. “In Bush’s
example,
there is evil, but in the other case, there is an actual axis,” said
Chomsky, adding that there’s plenty of evil to go around.
Turning his attention to Turkey, Chomsky acknowledged that Turkey has
been a
US ally since the end of World War II, has a powerful military force,
was
valuable for its proximity to the Soviet Union, and was the recipient
of a
large flow of arms from the US, which is “the measure of how close an
alliance is.”
“During the Clinton years, the flow of arms was four times higher as
during
the entire Cold War period,” revealed Chomsky. “In 1997 alone, Clinton
sent
more arms to Turkey than during the entire Cold War period combined.”
The
flow was so extreme that Turkey was the leader for the transfer of US
arms,
aside from Israel and Egypt.
“This flow of arms had nothing to do with the Cold War, and took place
after
the Cold War was winding down and ended, and increased after the Cold
War
through the late 1990s,” said Chomsky. He noted, however, that these
were
the years that the Turkish operations against the Kurds were taking
place.
“It began in 1994, atrocities escalated in the mid-1990s, and the flow
of
arms increased along with them. This is straightforward ‘state terror,’
a
term borrowed from the [Turkish] Minister of Human Rights in 1994, when
two
million were driven from homes in southeast.”
According to Chomsky, Kurdish human rights groups in Diyarbekir estimate
that by now over three million refugees have been created by the
attacks. He
said it was very easy to find accounts of these “barbaric atrocities” in
human rights reports, and that it is estimated that 50,000 Kurds have
been
killed.
Chomsky called it “state terror” and even some of the
worst “international
terrorism” seen in the 1990s. He said that US support came not only
through
arms but also in the ideological realm, through silence: “Keep it all
under
wraps, because if people here find out about it, they are not going to
permit it,” adding that an important task of the educated sector of
society
is to go along and make sure that people don’t know anything about what
is
going on. “It is extremely important not to let people know that they
are
participating in some of the worst atrocities of the time.” He explained
that this approach has been carried out very successfully in the US, as
almost nobody knows about what was going on in Turkey.
Chomsky noted that this was all going on at the same time as everyone
was
praising “our commitment to principles of human rights” in the late
1990s.
He explained that the US and England were unwilling to tolerate
atrocities
near the border of NATO in Kosovo, but that worse atrocities were
tolerated
inside the borders of NATO. Chomsky described it as “a tribute to the
discipline and submissiveness of the educated sector,” and as “another
kind
of contribution to the atrocities.”
Chomsky admitted that it was not completely true that nothing was said
about
state terror in Turkey. He said there is some discussion of it, but that
Turkey “is lauded” for it. He pointed out that the annual State
Department
report on terrorism in 1999 singled out Turkey for its “positive
experiences
in countering terror.” He also indicated that this assessment was
considered
perfectly reasonable when reported on the front page of the New York
Times.
In Fletcher Forum, US Ambassador to Turkey Robert Pearson recently
credited
Turkey for its “positive accomplishment in countering terror” and
said “the
US can have no better ally in countering terrorism because of Turkey’s
achievements in countering terror.” Pearson also said, “It is no
surprise
that Turkey should be in the lead in joining the war against terror.”
Chomsky reminded the audience that Turkey was the first country to offer
troops to the US after Sept. 11. He added that Prime Minister Bulent
Ecevit
declared that it was, as Chomsky put it, “in gratitude for proving arms
for
the enormous state terror operation he was conducting.”
Chomsky said that Turkey has been selected by the US and England to
fight
the war against terrorism. He also pointed out that operations such as
those
carried out by Turkey in the southeast are always called “counter-
terror.”
He reminded the audience that Nazi propaganda also claimed that the
Nazis
were protecting their populations from a terrorist threat--a reference
to
the various anti-Nazi resistance movements.
US-Israel Relationship
Discussing the US-Israel relationship, Chomsky stated that since 1967,
“Israel has virtually become a US military base, and a significant one.
It
is a small country, but it has a huge military. Its air force, tank
force,
and advanced technology are greater than any in NATO aside from US.” He
said
that it was essentially an offshore US military base, and that it
performs
other tasks as well throughout the world.
Chomsky indicated that a major geopolitical outcome of the US war in
Afghanistan was the establishment of a major US military base in Central
Asia, and also in the Republic of Georgia. He said this is important
for the
natural resources there, but more for access to the Gulf region.
Israeli-Turkish Relationship
Chomsky noted that 12 percent of the Israeli air and tank force are now
in
eastern Turkey, and that they are probably operating in northern Iraq
and
moving toward the Iranian border. He cited this as being part of the
growing
conflict with the “axis of evil,” and against the local alliance of
Iran and
Armenia.
He explained that Turkey relies heavily on the domestic Israeli lobby in
Washington for its support. Chomsky said Turkey has received $30 billion
from the World Bank and the IMF in the last year alone, and that this
aid
depends on the pressure of the US government and the Jewish lobby in
favor
|
