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1. This is incredible. I don’t mean unbelievable. Some Tashnag leaders have always been Tashnag first and then Armenian, meaning they have placed the perceived interests of the party ahead of Armenian national interests. The more vulgar and ignorant members have been more explicit. “Whoever is not Tashnag is not Armenian” has been a favorite slogan of theirs for decades. This book should have been published long ago.

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2. This book is about the sad turn of events in the life of the Syrian Armenian community. Those events took place during 1961/62, I believe. I am not certain of the date but certain of the events because my maternal uncle was imprisoned in Damascus and charged with treason but was exonerated of all charges after having spent months in the Syrian prison and ended up paying a hefty price physically, psychologically, and business wise. But he never uttered a word against the ARF, even in close family circles, out of conviction that the party never intended any harm, in any way to Syria and surely to the Syrian Armenians.
   It is alleged that the mastermind behind the event was the legendary Armenian hero, Dro. It was at the height of Cold War. It may be that he collaborated with the Western powers, notably American. The collaboration was likely done out of the ARF anti-communist conviction. Let us face it. During the height of the Cold War, the Armenian community, including those who opposed ARF, enjoyed the trust of their host countries in the West and in America and thrived in their host countries because the Diaspora at large and any component of it, was not regarded a communist “fifth column” thanks, in no small measure to the vocal ARF stand against the communism. Their anti ARF stand, including anti the Catholicsate of Sis, was regarded as inter communal rivalry and not for servitude of the communist Soviet Union
   It is not hard to envision that the quotes that Dr. Gevorg Yazichyan presents in a nonchalant manner were secured under tortuous interrogation. I do not believe that he can be that desensitized as to how the interrogations were conducted during their imprisonment that resulted in the death of a few law abiding, hard-working Armenian heads of families.
   Dr. Gevorg Yazichyan is not the historian to present those events in the context of the time. He appears to hold on to his axe and continued grinding it throughout those decades, to title his book, in a long outdated spirit, the way he has: ”ARF Leadership in Service of the Enemies (of Armenians)”
   But to allude that the ARF colluded with the Turks against the interest of the Armenia people, is beyond me or, for that matter, I believe beyond any Armenian however staunchly he or she may be opposed to ARF and for which it stood during those years. Need I remind him that it was the ARF that upheld the tricolor, sang “Mer Hayrenig” and carried the Armenian Republic’s coat-of-Arm on its letter. Their sons and daughters were denied the benefits many others were given by Soviet Republic of Armenia, be it visitation and free education in Soviet Armenia.
   I believe this book, although I have not read it, tells more about the author’s entrenched bitterly hostile sentiments against the ARF than about the ARF itself.

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   1. Անդանիկ Ծառուկեանը վաղուց բացայայտեց թէ ի’նչպէս կազմակերպուեցաւ Դրոյական արկածախննդրութիւնը, որ Դաշնաակցութեան Բիւրոյի հսկոկողութենէն բացարձակապէս անկախ էր: Իմ հասկացողութիւնս՝ ահաւասիկ: Ամերիկեան Կեդրոնական Գաղտնի Գործակալութիւնը՝ օգտուելով Դաշնակցութեան գաղտնի կազմակերպութիւն ըլլալու հանգամանքէն և շարքային ընկերներու նուիրուածութենէն՝ Դրոյի հմայքը շահագործեց իր կեղտոտ գործունէութիւնը ծաւալելու համար Սուրիոյ մէջ: Դրօն՝ իր կարգին, չարաշահեց իր հանգամանքը, և յաջողեցաւ անգրագէտ քանի մը անդամներ համոզել իբրև թէ կուսակցական շատ կարևոր գործի մը համար: Եւ ամբողջ արկածախնդրութիւնը վերջացաւ խայտառակութեամբ, մեծ ցաւ պատճառելով շատերուն: Ասիկա Դրոյի միակ արկածախննդրութիւնը չէր: Նման գաղտնի ձեռնարկ մը արդէն իսկ փորձած էր երկրորդ համաշխարհային պատերազմին՝ դարձեալ ամուլ և խայտառակ վախճանով: Այս մէկը արդէն հանրայայտ իրողութիւն է: Հիմա հրապարակ իջնել և գոռգոռալ ՀՅԴ-ի դէմ՝ իբրև թէ թշնամիներու ծառայելու ամբաստանութեամբ՝ պարզապէս ժամանակավրէպ և ծիծաղելի մաղձաթափութիւն է: Ե՞րբ պիտի մեծնանք:

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3. Recently I was reading a chapter from Antranig Zarougian’s book titled “The Greats and the Others” (Մեծերը եւ Միւսները). I quote the following passage that pertains to that sad turn of event that affected the Syrian Armenian community during 1961/62. The passage is a depiction of Dro visiting Aleppo in later part of 1940’s.

   “We designated Sahag (note: Nalbandian) from Nor Kuygh, as the driver. He was the more presentable and energetic among our ungers who also could act as a bodyguard. Fate would have it that years later Sahag became a victim of the tragic turn events that affected the Syrian Armenian community. His body was presented to his family in a sealed casket that was not allowed to be opened to spare the family members the sight of his tortured body. ”

   Sahag Nalbandian’s son Hrayr was also a friend of mine during our years as members of ARF Zavarian student association in Beirut when he was a student in Haigazian. Hrayr remained a bachelor and passed away unexpectedly last year. He loved Armenia and lived part of the year in Armenia. Hrayr’s friends have come together to honor his memory by having “Hrayr Nalbandian Rehabilitation Center” in Stepanakert Hospital in Artsakh. Those who are interested may contribute towards the center through ArmeniaFund and noting on the check that it is for Stepanaker Hospital and mail the check to 1146 North Central Avenue #256 Glendale, CA 91202

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4. To Armen Baghdoyan

   Allow me Armen to answer you in English, maybe in a vain attempt attempt to reach a wider audience still interested in this 1961/62 tragic event in the Syrian Armenian community.
   Yes, you are absolutely right in claiming that Antranig Zarougian alluded to this tragic turn of events in his books, at least in three of his books, especially in his “The Last Innocent” (Վերջին Անմեղը). But it is fair to note that Zarougian does not render a historian’s verdict but puts forth his writer’s intuition something I do not challenge but simply note here. Dro had died a few years ago, in 1956.
   Armen, you are also absolutely right in stating that it was an “adventure” bordering to comical to be a spy ring but ended up in a tragedy. I would like to bring to the attention that none of the persons who were caught had any post in any government institution. They were self-employed Armenian community activists or had a post in an Armenian run institution, such as Sarkis Bakerian who was the principle of the Damascus Zavarian Armenian middle school and died in prison. Nor these people were rich to lure Arab officials to get information, such as Israeli master spy Eli Cohan might have been doing at that very same time. There were no Arabs arrested in connection with this “spy ring”.
   My hunch is that it was the Russian counterintelligence with their Armenian connections that became privy and made it into a scandal. A few years later, it was the Russian counterintelligence that caught the Israeli master spy Eli Cohen in action who was hanged in 1965 . It was at the height of the cold war.
   My concerns stems from claim that Yazedjian seems to be attributing his “scholarly” work on statements that were surely gotten under extreme duress. Yes, there was no fifth amendment against self-incrimination that these people could take in the Syrian prison or legal system. Antanig Zarougian in fact ends his book of “Yerazayin Halep” with a chapter on his friend who is alleged to have given names. Zarougian makes a note along the line that he was a fine man of a lofty soul, but his body was weak and couldn’t stand the physical pain inflicted on it. Yes, that is how the statements that Yazidjian has painstakingly translated from Arabic were obtained, by coercion from these tragic Armenian men.

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