Azg Armenian Daily
Sept 8 2004
“INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM IS USED BY ONE STATE TO INFLUENCE THE OTHER”
“SHUSHI SHOULD BECOME THE CAPITAL”, CITIZENS ASSURE
ARMENIAN ARCHITECTURE TOGETHER WITH THE WORLD’S ARCHITECTURE
131 TREES TO DISAPPEAR IN 10 DAYS OR ANOTHER SYMBOLIC TREE PLANTING
ACTION
BUSINESSMEN BETTER PROTECTED THAN STATE OFFICIALS
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“INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM IS USED BY ONE STATE TO INFLUENCE THE OTHER”
Turkish Secret Agent Claims
The heinous terrorist act of Beslan shook the world whereas the inept
actions of the Russian military forces for releasing the hostages
aroused peoples’ indignation with president Vladimir Putin not only
in the North Ossetia but also in Russia as a whole.
Any terrorist act with such a number of victims usually appears in
the international spotlight. And the response of different states
depends on the motivations they pursue.
The same was true for the Beslan terrorist act. Vladimir Putin
responded to the American condemnation as regards the number of
killed hostages saying: “No one has the right to tell us to go on
talks with filicides. Why don’t you meet Osama bin Laden, invite him
to Brussels or White House and don’t ask him what he wants and meet
his wishes.” Putin also blamed the USA for holding Russia back from
the fight against Chechen terrorists.
In the last issue of Azg Daily we wrote that Turkey assumes that
coming US elections, the Great Middle East Project and the troubles
that Putin’s visit of Turkey could have caused America could be
enough for the USA to take that step.
The Turkish responses are supplemented with those of the Arabian. The
Jordan Dustur newspaper published an article in its September 6 issue
entitled “Don’t the Jewish bandits stand behind Beslan slaughter?”
George Haddad, author of the article writes that no organization
fighting for high ideas ever held children as a hostage. He reminds
of the Jewish groups that are furious over Putin’s administration and
support the Chechen rebels. He says that those people gained central
positions in Russia during former president Boris Yeltsin’s reign and
were taking key decisions in the government.
Then the author adds: “Those Jewish bandits that gathered wealth on
the Russian money couldn’t avoid taxes anymore with Putin coming to
power. Their Khodorkovsky is in prison at present. The Jewish
Berezovsky and Vladimir Gusinsky are the members of the same gang.”
The former is a citizen of Israel and England, the latter of Israel
and the USA. Both of them are thieves who fled Russia. It’s
interesting that after Putin’s clash with the Jewish gang the
Zionistic mass media of the West began blaming the Russian president
of dictatorship and stalinism. It shows that the primary goal of the
Jewish gang is to defile Putin and make the impression that he is
unable to rule the country and to secure the Russian nation. The
Israeli PM Sharon’s statement that “Israel is ready to support Russia
in its war against terror” is nothing but a cunning step to disorient
president Putin”.
In other words, the Jordan newspaper ascribes the Beslan terrorist
act to Jews with their attempt to besmirch Putin. The Turkish
Terdjuman newspaper’s September 6 issue writes about the response of
Byulent Orakoghlu, former deputy director of the Security
Administration of Turkey.
According to this Turkish publication Orakoghlu traces the terrorist
act back to the Middle East policy of USA, Israel and the UK. In this
case the Chechen terrorists appear as tools in the hands of world
powers. Orakoghlu continues: “The claims that the world is monopolar
proved false by the terrorist act. The 9/11 occurred in the USA.
Beslan terrorist act was Russia’s 9/11. The Chechens could scarcely
be able to carry out such an attack by themselves. Things like
relations between rival states and national interests play important
role in such acts. The international terrorism is used by one state
to influence the other. That was the case with Beslan.”
Orakoghlu closes up saying: “We must be well aware that Turkey is
risking to stir up the USA’s and England’s confrontation in case it
draws closer to Russia. But good ties with America and Israel will
make it a target for the international terrorism”.
By Hakob Chakrian
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“SHUSHI SHOULD BECOME THE CAPITAL”, CITIZENS ASSURE
The Ruined Shushi
The distance form Stepanakert, capital of Karabakh, to Shushi is only
11 km but the towns are very different. After the lively Stepanakert
Shushi leaves a painful impression. It has been already 12 years that
the war ended but the town still lies in ruins. The gardens and the
forest that covers the town as a web are the only delight. The cool
air and mountains are perfect for health resorts. Before the war
there were 10 resorts in the town but today there is no sign of them.
The bombed out, demolished buildings are everywhere. Some
semi-destroyed buildings are inhabited.
The population of Shushi today reaches 4 thousand. Those are people
of Karabakh that lost their homes during the war, refugees from
Sumgait or Armenians from Armenia. “Those who have nothing they come
to Shushi. If the buildings are rebuilt more people will come”, a
citizen said.
John Tevosian who lost his wife in Sumgait is leading a life of a
vagrant living on his pension. There are many people like him in the
town. John tells that those who came from Azerbaijan are the poorest
here. They are the ones most frequently met at the churchyards
begging and ransacking the litter-bins. The old man was complaining
of the officials who are good at promising but do nothing after being
elected.
Besides the refugees Shushi gives shelter to many outlaws. A teenager
confessed that they hide in Shushi from police. Once famous ancient
Armenian town of Arshakavan was also inhabited with outlaws such as
slaves and debtees by the order of Arshak II. Then Arshakavan became
a big town.
But Shushi is still a dead town. Many of Shushi citizens think that
the town will flourish only if it becomes the capital. The mayor of
Stepanakert Eduard Aghabekian agrees with them. “That would be a
right decision from political point of view. I think that the
parliament or at least one of the ministries must be moved here”, he
explained.
The Armenian Evangelic Church and the Union of Armenian Dentists of
Ottawa are the ones that undertake reconstruction programs. The party
of Dashnaktsutyun is looking forward to building a hotel in Shushi.
The Pan-Armenian Congress declared Shushi reconstruction a primary
issue but there were no concrete suggestions, projects or business
plans.
Sevak Artsruni, head of the Shushi Fund, was the only optimistic
person. He said that investments for Shushi reconstruction are just
starting. A project for Shushi reconstruction should be made to draw
investors’ attention.
Shushi with its natural inaccessibility was a fortress for ancient
Varanda region people and today also it should be viewed a strategic
town for Artsakh’s security.
By Karine Danielian
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ARMENIAN ARCHITECTURE TOGETHER WITH THE WORLD’S ARCHITECTURE
David Hutson, American Architect from Minneapolis, Minnesota, is
chosen the architect for the edifice of “Gerard Gafeschian” Modern
Art Museum that is to be built in Cascade. He is the author of UN
Office in New York, Museum of African Art in Manhattan, the dwelling
place of the famous Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. By the
initial plan of the museum the main framed sights of the museum will
be the monument Mother Armenia and Ararat. The symbol of the museum a
glass tower will hover over the general view. Gerard Gafeschian’s
glass collection will be exhibited in this tower.
John Waters, Deputy Director of Gafeschian foundation, introduced
David Hutson to the Armenian journalists at one of the halls of
Cascade on September 7. The architect represented the plan of the
building in details. The project will cost $25 million, the
construction works will last about two years. Afterwards, a unique
art museum will open in Yerevan. The museum will include the glass
collection of Gerard Gafeschian, the glass pieces by Stanislav
Libensky and Yaroslav Brikhtova, as well as the pieces by the most
prominent artists of the XX century.
“When being a student I was greatly impressed by Armenian
architecture, by its clear and strong lines. I noticed how carefully
and skillfully the Armenian architects used Armenian tuff. The basis
of the museum will be built of Armenian tuff, while the architectural
forms will resemble the ones of the Armenian architecture,” David
Hutson said.
It’s worth reminding that no Armenian architect participate in the
competition announced by “Gafeschian” museum foundation, as they
don’t master the contemporary technologies applied in the world’s
architecture.
John Waters said that their main goal was to bring the best of the
world to Armenia and to represent the best of Armenia to the world.
By Ruzan Poghosian
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131 TREES TO DISAPPEAR IN 10 DAYS OR ANOTHER SYMBOLIC TREE PLANTING
ACTION
Alley dedicated to 131 Armenian Catholicoses in the yard of the
Cathedral of St. Grigor the Illuminator’s does not exist any more.
All the 131 trees disappeared in ten days.
The idea of planting an alley in the memory of the Catholicoses
initially occurred to Ara Gevorgian, composer. “I wanted to plant a
park dedicated to our Catholicoses. Karekin II approved my suggestion
and he gave his consent. We chose the territory near St. Gregory
Illuminator’s Cathedral. I began arranging the matter with the
community’s administration, deciding what kind of trees should be
planted and who will take care of them afterwards. The settlement of
all these issues a bit delayed the planting. Then a company decided
to carry out the plan. I have planted a tree myself,” Ara Gevorgian
told.
“Noyan Arg” benevolence ecology company implemented the planting. On
April 17 131 blue spruces were planted on the both sides of the
church’s entrance. The church representatives blessed the spruces and
planted them together with the people. Then all the participants
received references, which pointed out their names, and the names of
the Catholicos the planted tree bore. The mass media shot especially
our Ecology Minister when planting a tree.
“Planting was implemented together with RA Ecology Ministry with
direct assistance of the minister. By they decision we were given
blue spruces and we planted the alley dedicated to the memory of 131
Armenian Catholicoses,” Ghazar Mirzoyan, Chairman of “Noyan Arg”
ecology benevolence company. It is not clear who was to take care of
the trees after planting. According to Ghazar Mirzoyan, in 10-15 days
the alley disappeared as the 80 % of the expensive trees were stolen,
while the rest just got dried. “We didn’t think that one can stole
something from the church’s yard. If we fancied that we would arrange
the issue of preserving the trees,” Mirzoyan says.
In reply to the comments of Mirzoyan, Father Sahak Shakarian, priest
at the Cathedral, insisted: “Not a single tree was stolen. We have a
guard service. The spruces got dried. The company that implemented
the planting of the alley wasn’t responsible enough. We had warned
preliminarily that we have problems with water supply and 131 trees
can’t be easily watered. They said that they will solve the issue, so
the trees were planted. I participated in the planting myself and I
feel shame that no tree survived. Very soon we will have our water
supply network and we will by all means plant the alley again.”
Usually, when organizing a planting, one should get arranged all the
issues with the company that is responsible for planting activities
in the given community. “Noyan Arg” company had no arrangements both
with “Planting” CJSC at Yerevan City Administration or with “Kentron
Planting” CJSC. Mirzoyan pointed out that initially they were ready
to take care of the trees until they arrange everything with the
community’s administration. The alley disappeared in that very
initial period. While the chairman of the company merely regrets
about the fact. “We feel so sorry that the alley doesn’t exist any
longer but we will certainly plant new trees and make a new alley.”
By Aghavni Eghiazarian,
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BUSINESSMEN BETTER PROTECTED THAN STATE OFFICIALS
“Armenia is not the only country where the bodyguards of the state
officials yield in number and qualification to the ones protecting
the private sectors,” Dmitri Fonarov, head the Union of Russian Body
Guards and the International League of Body Guards, said in the
interview to Azg Daily. This happens mainly because of money. “If a
budget is set up for a state official, each citizen can hire as many
body guards as he wishes,” he said.
Robert Nazarian, head of Armenian National League of Body Guards and
Caucasian representative of the International League of Body Guards,
said that 200-300 bodyguards are working in Armenia at present. Mr.
Nazarian said that he doesn’t want to call the amateur bodyguards.
The bodyguards don’t differ from a common citizen in how they look.
The most important thing is that they should be professionally
prepared.
Robert Nazarian evaluated satisfactory the results of the body guard
competition held in Yerevan on September 4-7. Dmitri Fonarov
evaluated less than satisfactory. This was the first competition
organized in Armenia and there were some organizational drawbacks.
By Tamar Minasian
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