BY NANORE BARSOUMIAN
From The Armenian Weekly
The “hacktivist” (activist hackers) group “Anonymous” recently released a new video announcing Operation Armenian Genocide, which threatens attacks against Turkish and U.S. government websites if they fail to recognize the Armenian Genocide.
“…And to the Turkish government: In 1915, The Turkish killed millions of Armenians. Now you have to pay for your actions. Nearly two million people were killed by the Turkish including children and women and yet you still deny the existence of the genocide… This is a warning to you. We will start targeting Turkish government websites until the genocide is confirmed,” read the altered voice on the YouTube clip uploaded on Jan. 25.
The message also threatened to engage in cyber-attacks against official U.S. websites if the genocide is not recognized by “next year.” It is unclear whether the deadline is April 2012 or April 2013.
“Every four years in the United States, every official who wants to be a president tells the Armenian people that they will confirm the existence of the Armenian Genocide. However, the U.S. has not yet confirmed it. If this occurs next year, we will start targeting U.S. official websites. Operation Armenian Genocide, engaged,” continued the voice.
The clip ended with the group’s slogan, “We are anonymous. We are legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect us.”
It appears the video was prepared before Jan. 23, when the French Senate passed a bill criminalizing the denial of the Armenian Genocide. “Your protest against France won’t help. The French Senators will pass the bill and they are supported by hundreds of historians,” declared the voice in the clip, adding, “You will not join the European Union and never will.”
The video announced both the launch of Operation Armenian Genocide and Operation Anti-ACTA (the acronym for the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, which deals with intellectual property rights and includes measures against the production and distribution of counterfeit products, generic medicine, and online piracy). Opponents argue the agreement infringes on individual rights, including free speech and the right to privacy, and would lead to an increase in border searches and screenings of person electronic devices such as laptops and iPhones. An earlier draft of the agreement said internet providers would give authorities information on individuals suspected of copyright infringement without a warrant, and that governments could shut down websites engaged in piracy.
According to a thread on a Russian-language blog post, Operation Armenian Genocide (#OpArmGenocide, as it is also called on sites such as Twitter) was “shelved” to focus on Operation ACTA and Operation Megaupload, and it is unclear when it will re-launch.
On Jan. 27, however, the official website of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs was briefly offline. The Armenian Weekly could not independently verify that it was due to Anonymous action, although some sources claimed it was.
The creator of the video may be of Armenian origin, since s/he states, “Germany is still paying Jewish people for their actions and now it’s time for Turkey to give back our land and pay us for our loss.”
Anonymous has no leader, but is made up of internet users who work collectively towards a certain goal while maintaining anonymity. Anyone can become a member of Anonymous and propose actions; it is up to each member to support or oppose any suggested operation.
In 2011, Anonymous went after Turkish government websites in retaliation for measures preventing Turkish citizens from accessing websites such as YouTube. Turkish authorities had initially set up the ban because of the presence of videos offensive to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s memory.
In a previous operation, Anonymous attacked websites belonging to the U.S. Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Universal Music Group, among others, in protest of the shutdown of the movie-sharing website Megaupload in January, and the arrest of four of its staff.
During the Arab Spring uprisings, Anonymous targeted Tunisian, Egyptian, and Libyan government websites in solidarity with the protesters. The group has a string of operations under its belt, including Operation Intifada, in response to Israel’s alleged involvement in cyber-attacks against Iran; Operation Syria, in support of the 2011 Syrian uprising; Operation India, against corruption in the country; Operation Blackout, in retaliation of the Stop Online Piracy Act in the U.S.; and Operation Avenge Assange (part of Operation Payback), in response to companies terminating their services to WikiLeaks.
Anonymous hackers have also released e-mails, passwords, and private information of individual targets, including police officers who were believed to have used force against protesters in the Occupy movement.
This could have been a turk pretending to be Armenian in the attempt to form negative public opinion. I have seen azers on streets of Moscow harassing women while speaking Armenian language and calling each other by Armenian names. Plus, record shows that it is turks, not Armenians who like to hack websites. They are the ones who like to threaten if their conditions are not met. World just saw that in the example with France and prevoiusly with US. If Armenians really had this quality the turkish tribe would never come to existence in a first place. I’m convinced, it is a false flag turkish fake.
We need our lands back and the many $MILs they stole- they are not well over there!
This is absolutely DISUSTING. Many other politicians and organizer and I have been working for years to advance the Armenian cause and these people want to mess all that up. Their rhetoric is VERY dangerous and could have serious consequences. They have a disturbing agenda that might threaten the fabric of dialogue and relations with other nations.
Is this the Original Anonymous guys? or just a fake video? Anybody can make a video and claim they are Anonymous.
THANKYOU FOR THE ARTICLE.
TANK YOU
few country’s have big benefits by all this dangerous games and plans .plus all this messages signals and leads to WW III that’s all , i know it sounds like fantasy but …….
Ok, let’s assume this is real Anonimouse. So, what are they gonna do? Hack some websites, temporarily bring down some servers, release some dirty insider onfo on Genocide deniers? And how is that gonna help Genocide recognition? Is that supposed to scare the hell out of deniers?
“Many other politicians and organizer and I have been working for years to advance the Armenian cause and these people want to mess all that up.”
Read: A lot of people have been doing a lot of nothing and those few who actually should take credit I will now give to people who never contributed anything.
Let me get a bit philosophical on this one:
It’s not that “a lot of people have been doing a lot of nothing” it’s that “Mafia is immortal”. On this planet justice is chosen, not objectively defined. Armenians my have lost the war but still got our faith. And I don’t mean Christianity. We still take our strength from ancient source. We are unstoppable but mortal. Our enemy is opposite to that. The jealous “god” have choose those who gave up their faith for his support. He do not like free-willed human beings. But real god is with us since long before the times of Joshua ben Joseph. We just keep doing what we’re doing, even if it doesn’t make much sense right now. The time will come and gates will open.
I cannot understand your point, ThePersonWhoShallNotBeNamed. Please be more clear.
Armenians dont know (because they too blind to see the facts) but they are being used by big powers to make Turkey do what those powers want them to do. Armenians will never get whatever they want, they are just used as puppets to scare Turkey so that Turkey wont be a problem in middle east.
You may be partially right, “Objective says”.
Big powers use all kinds of leverages in their political practices and Armenian Genocide is one of them. But you see, by not having enough charge to face the truth Turkey condemn itself to indefinite rule of puppet with tragical ending. You can be sure that when big powers have enough out of Turkey the gave will be over. The only thing that Turkey can do to stop that karma from manifesting into physical reality is to accept the truth, repent and thus become the master of its faith. No one will then have leverages over it to take advantage. But that seems to be a rocket science for Turkish ruling elite.
And for you remark “Armenians will never get what they want”, you are a poor soul. We already have what we want, we are Armenians, you will never know how much bliss that is. But recognition of Armenian genocide is not about what we want, you clinical ignorant condemned fool. It’s about truth. And for you it’s about freedom. Brake free from enslavement of you ignorance that is destroying your soul and eventually will destroy your statehood. But that’s too much for Turk to comprehend.
Turkey already doing what west said because Turkey benefit economically from west not because armenians.
I think it is great that the anon group is trying to push the recognition of the armenian genocide. However, i believe that this kind of issue should not be forced but should genuinely be recognized. It was a real event, it was a genocide! stop being blind america.
Janey, I’m sorry to say that but what do you expect from a nation of scientifically zombified servants? Their sky is sprayed with chemicals, food poisoned, education system destroyed. They can’t tell the difference of right and wrong. How do you expect that mass to exercise critical thinking and rightful judgement?
I am of Armenian descent and I was born and raised in America. I have to say that you are being a bit radical in your description of Americans. Nationalism in America is almost too strong, you are right about that, but most people I know are highly educated and are against the things that you listed.
Listen people, and listen good……There is nothing beneficial about hacking into some web sites and making un necessary waves….On the other hand we should put up more commercials, documentaries, video files on the net that shows what the turks have done. Make movies about the Genocide and make it good enough to attract people around the world. For example ARARAT was a very lame and boring movie. The Lark Farm was OK but still showed that Some Turks killed, and others helped Armenians…which by the way it is not the true. Also we need to expose bigger countries for assisting Turks to carry out the killings….Like England, USA, Germany and specially Jews who by the way are still not recognizing the Genocide…Turkey is just a puppet who does whatever England, USA tells them to do. We should concetrate our energy on getting as much as possible publicity and exposure on the media as possible……………..
As of now there are 156 comments on Armenian Weekly’s site for this article. If you are interested…
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2012/02/02/anonymous-launches-operation-armenian-genocide/
Armenians resorted to this kind of unlawfull activities… during centuries armenians have combatted with honor and dignity… hacking ones or a counties website…isn’t an honest way to defend the armenian issue being anonymous is sending the wrong message….Armenians know better when and how to defend or resort into offences actions if it is a must …
This is just what the Turks want. An illegal activity to blame the Armenians for it. Cyber terrorism is anything but something to support.