Can Armenia Bounce Back from Recent Scandals?

During the past two months, a series of scandals regarding Armenia has appeared in the international press. Each new revelation seems to build on the previous one, creating a chain growing tighter around the neck of Armenia. The noose is clearly getting tighter.

The first scandal involved reports about enriched uranium. The U.S. Attorney general demanded that Thailand hand over Viktor Putin, a Russian businessman it had thrown in jail. In 2008, V. Putin had been arrested and charged with illegal arms trafficking. According to press reports enriched uranium 235 had been shipped to Colombia with his connections. The enriched uranium had originated in Armenia. After being shipped to Romania, it was transported to Colombia. The uranium then turned up in the camp of the FARC leader Raúl Reyes. He was killed in a counter-terrorist operation on March 1, 2008. This incident was followed by the scam to milk millions out of the U.S. Medicare health system. Citizens of Armenia figured prominently in those arrested across the country. The New York FBI called the criminal organization “international” in scope, pointing out that the ringleaders had close connections with Armenia. The last scandal to hit the papers is no less a blockbuster. It involves the smuggling of 18 grams of enriched uranium to Georgia by two middle-aged Armenians aboard the Yerevan-Tbilisi train. They were caught in a sting operation when they tried to sell the stuff to what they thought to be a terrorist organization. Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS) immediately reacted by stating that they were in close cooperation with Georgian intelligence agencies. Back in April of this year, Armenia’s NSS arrested one Garik Dadayan on suspicion that he was somehow implicated in the above case. Of course, this statement does little to lighten the burden of Armenia’s shame in the matter. But if Armenia could reveal how and from where enriched uranium wound up in Armenia in the first place, perhaps perceptions will change. It goes without saying that Armenia will earn a “unique” spot in various international reports. To appear in the reports of various international organizations isn’t the same as making the Guinness Book of World Records. You all remember the world’s biggest chocolate bar that had a place of honor in Yerevan’s Republic Square and the recently inaugurated world’s longest aerial tramway in Tatev. I hate to break it to you, but these marvels will not neutralize the negative publicity of the scandals mentioned above. This latest scandal is a serious one indeed – uranium being ferried around for delivery to terrorists. What will the next scandal be? What can top the smuggling of uranium?It’s a fairly easy one to predict…Drug smuggling across the Iran-Armenia border. According to Armenian law enforcement statistics, the amount of illegal drugs in circulation has been increasing. It appears that the authorities in charge do not regard it as a major challenge. On the surface, at least, Armenia’s coalition government has yet to show any signs of concern.