The highly-contentious diplomatic relationship between Armenia and Turkey is set to warm up a bit today — maybe — as the long-quarreling countries are scheduled to sign an agreement opening up both diplomatic relations and their shared border.
To the surprise of probably nobody, the signing ceremony has hit a few last minute snags, as U.S. Sec. of State Hilary Clinton, present for the occasion, has been attempting to broker peace between the two sides as disagreements about what would be said at the signing has momentarily derailed finalization of the historic accord.
We point out all of this today as the dispute over a long-sought resolution in the U.S. Congress — declaring the deaths of some 1.5 million Armenians by Turkey during WWI to be a “genocide” — has been at the heart of many of the disclosures made by FBI translator-turned-whistleblower Sibel Edmonds that we’ve been covering here at The BRAD BLOG for some time.
Edmonds contends that FBI counterintelligence wiretaps from 1996 to 2002 document the Turkish lobby/government’s extraordinary efforts to compromise members of the U.S. Congress, through both blackmail and bribery, in order to derail the passage of such a resolution. Though the resolution has garnered a great deal of support in Congress over the years, it has been derailed, sometimes at the very last minute, every time it has been raised over the last decade or two.
You can read about those Congressmembers said to have been bribed/blackmailed here in our article covering that aspect of Edmonds’ recent sworn deposition in an Ohio Election Commission case related to a dispute between Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH-2) and her 2008/10 opponent David Krikorian concerning the very same issue.
In addition to the Armenian Genocide dispute, Edmonds’ disclosures also name high-ranking U.S. State and Defense Department officials as participating in espionage efforts said to include the theft of nuclear secrets from secure military bases, and their sale on the foreign black market. In a recent interview, 18-year FBI executive John M. Cole, a Counterintelligence and Counterespionage Manager, corroborated key elements of Edmonds’ disclosures, including a “decade-long investigation” of Marc Grossman, our former Ambassador to Turkey, before he became the third-highest ranking official in the Bush State Department .
Cole, who says that Edmonds has been “one hundred percent right on the money, on the mark” in her disclosures, explained that the FBI’s espionage probe “ultimately was buried and covered-up.” Last week he called for a Special Counsel to investigate those named by Edmonds, so they may finally “be held accountable for their actions — and prosecuted if they’ve done wrong.”
UPDATE 12:31pm: Accord signed after Clinton’s intervention, and the agreement that no statments would be made by either side. 🙂
”It was pulled back from the brink,” said a senior U.S. official
The Turkish and Armenian foreign ministers signed the agreement in the Swiss city of Zurich after a dispute over the final statements they would make. In the end, the signing took place about three hours later and there were no spoken statements.
Officials say Clinton and mediators from Switzerland intervened to help broker a solution.
Seems they’ll go to any lengths to avoid having to investigate and prosecute Sibel’s revelations…. 😛
Scoop.
Is the Bradblog reporting the news or making it?
This is really getting insane.
Nobel Prize for Serge Sarkissian “” this is 30 pieces of silver, price paid Judas to deliver Jesus Christ, that Serge has accepted to sell Armenia and Armenians worldwide, its just cuase for justice for henious genocide prepetrated by Turkish savages worldwide. Traitors do not live long”¦
Is that the smell of Nobel Peace Prize?
Susanna keep yer head down.
“Let’s forget about that Sibel Edmonds thingy….and be friends!!!”
A decision has been made by the Ohio Elections Commission regarding complaints filed against David Krikorian by Congresswoman Jean Schmidt earlier this month. Krikorian, a Democrat candidate in next year’s primary, is not happy with the results. Schmidt originally filed nine complaints against Krikorian, stating that he had made false claims during the 2008 election about her taking thousands of dollars in Turkish Political Action Committee money in exchange for denying the Armenian genocide in World War I.
http://newsdemocrat.com/main.as...ticleID=129212
The media is not telling the real story behind why Turkey does not want the genocide admission (or whatever they choose to call it now) to go forward. It is about money! Turkey denies bilking the victims’ family members out of their life insurance payouts when the victims were killed.
Correct me if I’m wrong…but the NYTimes is covering the accord signing, but ignoring the Sibel Edmonds story (?)…which would just about prove the Sibel story is purposely being ignored (?).
Please correct “signging” to “signing” Agent 99!
[ed note: Yore fish ish my commantd…. –99]
And Brad: no funny comments about me not using spellchecker, please!
🙂
No comments about the spell checker. But I will offer comment about your suggestion that it “proves” anything. While yes, I do think they are purposely ignoring the story (for reasons either good or bad, your choice for the moment), I don’t think the coverage of the Turkey/Armenia accord, which was attended by Hilary Clinton after all, necessarily “proves” anything in regard to the Sibel story.
But you know me, always happy to give the benefit of any doubt unless I can actually and conclusively prove something through independently verifiable information.
Turkey-Armenia is important news and good for business. Sibel’s information about heroin trafficking, Israeli pac groups, and treason regarding Turkey is not good for business. Over at Sibel’s site, she continues to research our police state and control of MSM. Obama renewed the police state, excuse me, patriot act. On a serious note, have any of you noticed that when factual posts are made they may disappear prior to arrival by use of routers, such as stating that Henry Kissinger advised in 1970 that control of oil and food would assure global dominion. How many are paying attention to our farming crisis?
So…the “news” first decides whether to ignore a huge, important news story or not…rather than just report it? I think you’re making my point for me…
…and my usual Part II of my question:
“Who are the names of the people of the news cabal across all networks, who decided to ignore the story???”
99 – please change “Paet” to “Part”…and no spellcheck jokes from Brad, please…
Turkey tells Israel and the US to take a hike instead of joint air exercises.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/to...cle6870231.ece
The brew ha ha.
http://www.independent.co.uk/op...y-1799302.html
So Israel gets pissed at Turkey for exposing the 9-11 caper to public scrutiny.
Then Turkey says Ok “Dancing Artists/Movers” Israeli 9-11 bomber guys, go invade Iran without us.
Great theater.
Turkish media reports that it was Sergey Lavrov who broke through the last minute controversy and got Nalbandian to sign the protocols.
This issue is far from over. The protocols must go to the Turkish and Armenian parliaments for approval and Turkey won’t approve without a solution to Nagorno-Karabakh.
I think Tigran Torosyan’s analysis is still accurate:
“Turkey is interested in maintaining the stagnant state of the process of “settling” relations with Armenia for as long as possible in order to neutralize negative components of its own foreign-policy image.”
Turkey also has a domestic problem with it’s relations with Armenia. This is why it never announced to the public until August that an agreement over protocols had been reached with Armenia back in April.
So I agree with Torosyan that Turkey will draw this out “for as long as possible.”
http://www.ANTiRussia.org ANTi Russian Rally in Armenia!
The borders can not be opened under the criminal karabakh regime in the rep. of Armenia. don’t believe it? Read here