ARKADY GHUKASYAN DECLINES INTERVIEW WITH PUBLISHER APPO JABARIAN THREATENS LAWSUIT AGAINST USA ARMENIAN LIFE By Appo JabarianUSA Armenian Life Magazine November 25, 2009 On November 14, Appo Jabarian wrote an article in USA Armenian Life Magazine titled, "Former Pres. of Artsakh Arkady Ghukasyan Says Protocols were unprofessional, and contained many mistakes; He also Says Armenia's Foreign Minister is Weak and Unprepared." Almost immediately after the dissemination of the article, an avalanche of reactions came from the media in Armenia and around the world. Literally, dozens of various media outlets echoed the content of the article, including ArmeniaDiaspora.com, News.am, Aaravot.am, 7or.am, PanArmenian.net, Lragir.am. AraManoogian.blogspot.com, ArmAr.am, Nouvelles d'Armenie Magazine (in French), ArmToday.info (in Russian), and Novoye Vremya (in Russian). The media in Armenia presented various interpretations of the motives behind Mr. Ghukasyan's statement that Pres. Serge Sargsyan "must have acted in the wrong way, but he is a sincere and patriotic person and shouldered great responsibility," and that Armenia's Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian "is weak and unprepared." The most notable reactions came in the form of accusations and disinformation that were hurled against Appo Jabarian by Ghukasyan's office in Yerevan which issued a denial contradicting his statements he had made earlier. Ghukasyan's denial was circulated by certain media outlets and officials of the Armenian Foreign Ministry in Yerevan along with the Consulate General of Armenia in Los Angeles. Armenia's Consulate General in Los Angeles has never before responded to Azeri or Turkish disinformation campaigns in the United States. But the moment this writer authored an expose of the double-talk by Former Pres. of Artsakh -- now turned Armenia's Ambassador-at-Large Arkady Ghukasyan -- Consulate officials resorted to a disinformation campaign against him. On November 17, Armenia's Consulate e-mailed a communique carrying false information against Jabarian. The communique was swiftly rebutted by the Managing Editor of USA Armenian Life Magazine. An official statement by the editor, countering the Armenian Consulate's misleading e-mail was expeditiously sent to various Armenian-American media outlets. USA Armenian Life's "Notice of Dissemination of a False and Libelous Statement" informed the Armenian-American editors and TV/Internet newscasters to "be advised that the information titled 'Republic of Armenia's Ambassador At Large, and the Vice-President of the Board of Trustees of Armenia Fund Arkady Ghukasyan's assistant E. Atanessyan's interpretation on USA Armenian Life's news article' that you have received from the Consulate General of Armenia in Los Angeles is False and Libelous. Its electronic and/or print dissemination/broadcast by your news organization may expose your business entity/entities to legal liabilities." On November 18, during Mr. Ghukasyan's stay at the Hilton Hotel in Glendale, this writer had a telephone conversation with him. In order to give Amb. Ghukasyan a fair opportunity to present his rebuttal and views regarding this issue, at the beginning of the conversation, this writer proposed to have a taped interview either on the telephone or in person at the hotel. But he declined. And instead he demanded that this writer disclose the source(s) of comments that were reported in the article, otherwise, he threatened to take him and USA Armenian Life to court. When this blatant threat was hurled at Jabarian, the latter told him "Mr. Ghukasyan you should remember really well as to whom you have said the reported comments. I encourage you very much to do so." Then he immediately backpedaled and started to cajole this commentator by saying that "we are both patriotic people" and that "we shouldn't be talking in the language of lawsuits." On November 20, USA Armenian Life's managing editor had a face-to-face meeting with the source of the facts included in the article; and re-examined their validity, and they all proved as being solidly accurate. Below is a partial list of headlines and comments featured by various media outlets that followed the lead of USA Armenian Life Magazine's Nov. 14 article: - Nov. 16, News.am's title: "Nagorno Karabagh Republic's Former Pres. of Arkady Ghukasyan Has Labeled Armenia's Foreign Minister 'as Weak and Unprepared.'" - Nov. 16, 7or.am's title: "Has Nagorno Karabagh Republic's Former President Become Honest?" - Nov. 16, News.am title: "Arkady Ghukasyan: Edward Nalbandian 'weak and unprepared.'" - Nov. 16, ArmAr.am title: "Arkady Ghukasyan Has Appealed to the Diaspora to Continue to Be Rightful Demanders [of Justice]." - Nov. 16, Panarmenian.net title: "Arkady Ghukasyan ascribed comments he didn't make." - Nov. 16, Lragir.am carried Appo Jabarian's article in its entirety with the following title: "Ghukasyan's Sensation in the U.S." - Nov. 17, Aravot.am title: "Is the Ambassador Disagreeable with the President?" - Nov. 18, Lragir.am title: "SIMPLY A BLACKMAIL? or Guys! Money is needed urgently!" The author, Bagrat Kheroyan, wrote: "The Ex-presiden of Artsakh, Arkady Ghukasyan, has made a couple of announcements in the USA, which raise some questions: In case he is 'as honest and patriotic as Serzh Sargsyan and values Shushi so much, why doesn't he live in Shushi? Wouldn't Shushi develop fast had Arkady Ghukasyan and others like him built their palaces and launched their businesses in Shushi?" Kheroyan further wrote: "I would suggest the Diaspora to organize fund-raising for changing the Constitution of the Republic of Artsakh and writing there that the presidents and state officials of the Republic of Artsakh will simply be considered betrayers in case after they serve, they live and establish their businesses out of Artsakh, especially in Armenia." - On Nov. 19, Lragir.am followed up with a second commentary titled: "SIMPLY A BLACKMAIL? No. 2; Or It Seems Like a New Stratagem is Being Formed." Lragir.am observed: "It seems like the promise of a future job is the obvious reason that Arkady Ghukasyan has mercilessly criticized and labeled ignorant ... Republic of Armenia's Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian. It seems like it is not difficult to understand that the Republic of Armenia's Foreign Ministry post is promised to Arkady Ghukasyan." Whatever were his motives, Mr. Ghukasyan should not have backed out of the remarks he had made earlier, during his appearances in North America.