Heroes and Villains of 2020
By Jirair Tutunjian, Toronto, Ontario 22 December 2020
Continuing a Keghart annual tradition we present (with the help of “Friends of Keghart” and special contributor Lucine Kasbarian) the heroes and villains of 2020 from an Armenian perspective. This year’s list is heavily loaded with people who were involved in the Artsakh War.
HEROES
Our valiant and outnumbered fighters who resisted the Turkbeijan invasion for nearly two months despite iffy leadership and inadequate arms. Our martyrs, the tortured/wounded, POWs, and refugees. Decorated war heroes Lieut. Gen. Jalal Harutunyan and Col. Karen Jalavyan. The latter and his troop didn’t give up an inch of land and continued to defend the northern and northeastern border and forests of Artsakh.
Artsakh residents who returned home after the war.
Private Avan of the Artsakh Army who married his bride, Mariam, in the damaged Ghazanchetsots Cathedral following the Azeri bombings on Oct. 8.
The French Parliament for passing a resolution recognizing Artsakh as an independent state.
Baroness Caroline Cox (founder of Humanitarian Aid Relief Fund) for visiting Artsakh after the war and continuing to tell the truth about Artsakh and Azerbaijani crimes.
Celebrities such as the Kardashian Clan (Courtney, Kim, Khloe, and Rob) for promoting the Armenian cause on social media and making significant donations to the Armenia Fund; Cher for criticizing an uncaring world which didn’t assist Armenians; and rock band System of a Down and front man Serge Tankian for releasing a single for Artsakh (“Protect the Land”), fundraising and drawing public attention to the plight of the Armenians.
Berj Najarian and Coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots and the whole Patriot football team for publicizing the Armenian cause.
The Roma football team of Rome (Italy), which donated to Armenia 117 CARE packages, containing clothing and sports gear. Armenia-born Henrich Mkhitaryan is a star of the team.
Journalists who resisted the fake news tsunami to report truthfully about Armenians and the Artsakh War. Chief among them was the late Robert Fisk who died after decades-long tenure as “The Independent” foreign correspondent in the Middle East. He reported accurately and fairly, including about Armenians of the Middle East. Commentators Michael Rubin and David Phillips for their Armenia/Turkbeijan conflict analyses in the latter months of the year. (They were listed on previous Keghart “Villains” lists, but have since redeemed themselves.)
Russian journalists and commentators (Semyon Pegov aka “War Gonzo,” Vladimir Posner, Yevgeny Satanovosky, Vladimir Soloviev, and Konstantin Zatulin) who reported on the Artsakh War accurately despite Kremlin’s abominable treatment of Armenians. Russian journalist Yuri Kotenok who interviewed Col. Alexander Zhilin about Russian shortcomings during the War. Kotenok covered the Artsakh War from the very beginning and was critically wounded in Shushi’s St. Ghazanchetots Cathedral when the Azeris bombed it. He is recovering in a Yerevan hospital.
Vardan Ghugasyan aka “Dog”, ex-member of the Armenian military police and now corresponding from exile in France. Despite death threats, he continues to expose deep state corruption in Armenia and elsewhere.
Alternative journalists and on-line news sites such as Jihad Watch, National Catholic Register, Church Militant, World Geostrategic Insights, Raymond Ibrahim, and State of the Nation who identified the attacks on Artsakh as genocide and took the time to research and fact check content that the world did not see in mainstream media outlets. Dominic Lawson who wrote (“Sunday Times”) an analysis titled “Turkey’s Game is Lethal, as Johnson Well Knows.”
Vagabondings, a German vlogger/video creator, provided a passionate but unbiased analysis of the Artsakh War. Former Royal Marines Commando and now documentary-maker, Emile Ghessen reported the Artsakh War truthfully and objectively.
The Armenian Diaspora which quickly raised $165 million for Artsakh/Armenia and utilized their resources in political, media, medical and humanitarian realms to mobilize for the homeland.
The people of Armenia and Artsakh who stood firm in their resolve to fight to the end.
Noubar Afeyan, chairman of Moderna.
VILLAINS
Turkey, Azerbaijan and Israel which coordinated a genocidal attack on Artsakh and parts of Armenia.
The Republic of Georgia for permitting flyover access to Turkey and Azerbaijan while forbidding access to Armenia/Artsakh from Georgia or Georgia air space.
Pakistan, the lugubrious Islamist, violent, racist entity which sent volunteers to fight the Armenians.
NATO, CSTO, USSD which covertly and overtly assisted Turkey and Azerbaijan in the asymmetric war.
Vladimir Putin for withholding military support to and betraying Armenians.
The Revolting Twins Erdogan and Aliyev Jr. who plotted Armenian Genocide II but failed. The execrable couple is a challenge to caricaturists because the Turkic Twins are walking and talking caricatures of Homo sapiens.
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko who demanded that Armenia capitulate.
Jihadist terrorist/mercenaries imported by Turkey to massacre Armenians and who, to date, remain in Artsakh and Azerbaijan.
“Catholicos” Karekin II, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Robert Kocharyan, Serzh Sargsyan and their criminal followers who bilked the nation out of billions, obstructed national defense efforts and were absent from any defense activity during the war, contributed no money to the war effort and betrayed their people.
The New York Times, BBC (and host Stephen Sackur) for airing Azeri and Turkish propaganda as truth. The Jerusalem Post for attempting to justify arming Azerbaijan with weapons used on Armenians by falsely promoting the idea that Armenia is an anti-Semitic nation. Mathew Bryza, former US ambassador to Azerbaijan, who now beats Baku’s drum. Journalist aka “court stenographer” Carlotta Gall, Istanbul Bureau Chief, for her prejudiced reports in the “New York Times.” Istanbul-based journalist Joshua Kucera for his dubious analysis of the war. Istanbul-based
Azeri propagandist Arzu Geybulla. So-called Russian military expert Igor Korotchenko who reported on the war in a way that would lead readers to conclude he was an Azeri agent. RT’s editor, Margarita Semonyan, court stenographer of Vladimir Putin, for her vicious attacks on Armenia/Artsakh. Public figure Zori Balayan who wrote an offensive, fictitious letter from Putin, charging that Armenians have only themselves to blame for their predicament.
Governments and People of the world who remained silent while a second genocide of the Armenians was underway.