Armenian military condemned for attack

By DAVID HOFFMAN

The Washington Post

MOSCOW --- The Armenian military Thursday demanded the dismissal of top security officials for failing to prevent the assassination of the country's prime minister, parliament speaker and six others in a shooting spree inside the legislature. The attackers surrendered early Thursday morning and released hostages they were holding.

The killing of Prime Minister Vazgen Sarkisian, Speaker Karen Demirchian and six others, including two vice speakers, led to an overnight standoff. After 16 hours of talks, the attackers gave in when President Robert Kocharian promised they would get a fair trial, and force wouldn't be used against them.

The gunmen put down their assault rifles and were taken away in buses, the blinds drawn over the windows, accompanied by armored personnel carriers. They later were charged with terrorism. Before they left, however, a recorded statement from them was broadcast.

The statement complained that "our fair country had been going to pieces in recent years" and "today we are dragging out a wretched and half-starving existence in it."

The leader of the group was Nairi Unanian, an ex-journalist and nationalist, who was accompanied by a brother and an uncle. In a video of the shooting, they sprayed the parliament chamber with bullets as members scrambled under their desks. But in the statement, the gunmen said they had deliberately targeted only Sarkisian, the prime minister.

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