Author: Chakrian Hovsep

DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
May 19, 2004, Wednesday

BLACK SHADOW ABOVE BATUMI

SOURCE: Voyenno-Promyshlenny Kurier, No 17, May 12 – 18, 2004, pp. 1,
7

by Colonel General Leonid Ivashov, Vice President of the Academy of
Geopolitical Problems

COLONEL GENERAL LEONID IVASHOV ON NEGATIVE GEOPOLITICAL CONSEQUENCES
OF ASLAN ABASHIDZE’S WITHDRAWAL FROM GEORGIAN POLITICAL LIFE

The conflict between Tbilisi and Batumi appears to be settled, by
peaceful means and with the help of Russian diplomacy.

We may like it that bloodshed was avoided but should nevertheless
thoroughly analyze the processes under way in the Mideast and near
East, the Caspian – Caucasus region.

The first question that automatically leaps to mind is this: why Igor
Ivanov did not facilitate the negotiations between Tbilisi and Batumi
(like Yuri Luzhkov did) but came to the Adjarian leadership with an
ultimatum (like Viktor Chernomyrdin to Slobodan Milosevic once)? Do
Russia’s interests in the region boil down to replacement of the
regime?

Of course, we can always explain what happened the way officials of
the US Administration, NATO leaders, and pro-Western Russian
politicians explain them. That it was expansion of the territory of
democracy, free market, and security. Is it all there is to it?
Unlikely.

Splitting the Caucasus and Caspian region from Russia is what the
United States is after.

Abkhazia, Adjaria, South Ossetia, Djavakhetia – these are the bases
of the pro-Russian vector on the territory of Georgia. In fact, other
regions of Georgia retain sympathies with Russia. It is the
populations of Adjaria, Djavakhetia, and Abkhazia that welcome
Russian military presence and protest against withdrawal of the
Russian military bases.

For the time being, Abkhazia is more than Saakashvili and his masters
across the ocean can bite off and swallow. Aslan Abashidze himself
was more than they could swallow when steer strength of arms was
relied on. When these attempts failed, the old and tested way was
resorted to – another special envoy of the president of Russia. Five
years ago, special envoy Chernomyrdin speaking on behalf of Russia
persuaded Milosevic to capitulate and effectively paved way to the
American occupation of Yugoslavia. Ivanov helped the Americans and
their puppets in the episode with Eduard Shevardnadze. Moscow must
have decided to use the old weapon again, this time to oust
Abashidze. The weapon was used, and produced the coveted results.

The question of how the recent foreign minister of Russia managed it
is asked nowadays. His prowess as a great diplomat is extolled. I saw
in Yugoslavia how deals like that are pulled off. I can tell you
right here and now that Ivanov merely denied Abashidze support. It
does not take a genius to guess that the Adjaria leader could not
face all of that alone. Not Georgia, by the way. He was facing a
united front of the United States, Russia, and united Europe –
without a single ally. Resistance was all the more impossible because
the country the leader of Adjaria counted on as an ally turned up in
the enemy camp.

Withdrawing from the Caucasus of its own volition, Moscow eliminates
all sympathies with it in the region, burns all bridges as though in
a war. It is doing to prevent anybody, first and foremost Washington
and Brussels, from thinking that it intends to come back to the
region one fine day.

The May 9 explosion in Grozny should have brought the Russian
political elite to its senses. This is an indirect echo of the
“diplomatic success” in Batumi. Region of the Mideast and Near East,
of the Caspian Sea, and Caucasus is an integral geopolitical zone.
The events in Iraq, Chechnya, Dagestan, or Georgia are intertwined.
Meeting with failure in the Mideast, the United States in a hurry to
set up a base in the Caucasus because the Caucasus is a key to
Caspian, Iranian, and Kazakh oil, a bridgehead from which pressure
may be put on Iran, Central Asia, Turkey, Ukraine, and Russia.

The situation in the Russian Caucasus directly depends on the degree
of Russian clout with the Caucasus. Moreover, the military-political
dominance there is a must for Russian national security.

Abashidze’s withdrawal from the Georgian political arena will have
thoroughly negative consequences for Russia.

1. It should be mentioned that loud protestations against the former
leader of Adjaria and the exuberant crowds supporting his resignation
are mostly the scum incited by foreign secret services paid for in
dollars and promises of economic aid.

The majority of the Abkhazians are shocked by Ivanov’s deed, because
Adjaria was practically the only safe haven in the post-Soviet
territory, particularly against the background of the rest of
Georgia. Abashidze never permitted anybody to drag Adjaria into a
conflict. It was Moscow’s support that guaranteed this internal
stability. These days, the population of Adjaria no longer trusts
Moscow, its fairness, or the hopes pinned on Moscow.

For Russia, it means a loss of yet another sympathizing area in the
Caucasus.

2. From the military-strategic point of view, Russia is losing the
system of its military presence in the region. The military base in
Batumi will be isolated from similar bases in Akhalkalaki (Georgia)
and Gyumri (Armenia). It will take Washington and Tbilisi bare months
to start clamoring for its withdrawal. The Batumi port will probably
be closed for Russian ships. And since a pipeline from Baku will run
near Adjaria, an operational military base of NATO or the United
States may appear in the region soon enough.

3. The American-Georgian triumph in Adjaria paves way for revolutions
of roses (i.e. creeping turnovers) in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
These formations cannot – and do not – count on the Kremlin anymore.
It means that Saakashvili’s hands are all but untied. The world does
not pay any attention to statements of the Russian Foreign Ministry
concerning its “worries”. And by the way, the same turn of events in
Armenia is not exactly ruled out either.

Current leaders will be worried by Ivanov’s visits to any CIS country
as of now.

As for the hopes of populations of the Caucasus states for
independent development and prosperity, here are two quotes. Perhaps,
they will help somebody see the light.

“The people of Greece is unmanageable, so its cultural roots have to
be struck at. It may help it see the light then. In other words, we
have to strike at its language, religion, its spiritual and cultural
legacy to neutralize any chance of development. We have to conquer
Greece to prevent it from standing in our way in the Balkans or East
Mediterranean, in the Mideast, or anywhere else in the
conflict-ridden region that has the colossal strategic importance for
us and for the American policy in general,” said unforgettable Henry
Kissenger in September 1994 about one of Washington’s allies from
NATO.

I’d say that the prospects are quite clear for Georgia, Armenia, and
Russia. Just put any other name instead of Georgia. By the way, the
US Ambassador to Georgia Miles is Kissenger’s ardent pupil and
follower.

There is another quote, dated much earlier. Lord A. G. Balfur,
Foreign Secretary of Great Britain (1916 – 1919) said, “The railroad
by which oil is shipped from Baku is the only thing that concerns me
in the Caucasus. If the locals cut one another into pieces, I do not
give a damn.”

Iran-Armenia gas pipeline no threat to Russia

Mediamax news agency
14 May 04

Yerevan, 14 May: The Iran-Armenia gas pipeline project does not cause
any anxiety in Russia.

A Mediamax correspondent reports from Moscow that this statement was
made by the chairman of the board of the Russian company Gazprom,
Aleksey Miller, during his meeting with Armenian President Robert
Kocharyan yesterday.

For his part, the general director of Armrosgazprom [Armenian-Russian
gas company], Karen Karapetyan, said that Armenian consumers would
continue using Russian gas even after the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline is
put into service. Karen Karapetyan explained that Iranian gas would be
used in the production of electricity which will be sent back to Iran.

Aleksey Miller said he had discussed the possibility of increasing gas
supplies to Armenia with the Armenian president. The head of Gazprom
added that the possible increase in the volume of supplies would not
affect the price of gas.

Aleksey Miller and Robert Kocharyan also looked into the prospects
for expanding the capacity of a subterranean gas storage facility in
Abovyan and issues related to the development of the gas transport
system in the region.

THREE AZERI BORDER TROOPS KILLED BY LAND MINE NEAR KARABAKH

ANS TV, Baku
14 May 04

A GAZ-66 truck was blown up on an anti-tank mine in Fuzuli District’s
village of Qazaxlar, which is near the Iranian border, on the night of
13-14 May at about 0100 (2000 gmt, 13 May). Three of the six people
in the vehicle died and three others were wounded, the Azerbaijani
National Agency for Mine Action has said.

ANS’s Karabakh bureau reports that the truck was carrying border
troops. The explosion occurred on the territory of the 35th border
post, which is 300 meters away from residential areas.

Military operations were under way in the area during the first
Nagornyy Karabakh war (as heard). The Armenians invaded the village
in October 1993. The Azerbaijani army retook it in January 1994. The
place is two kilometres away from the front line today.

Belarusian president sceptical of CIS defence treaty

Belarusian television, Minsk
14 May 04

Presenter Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka met the
secretary-general of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)
made up of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and
Russia , Nikolay Bordyuzha, today. Alyaksandr Lukashenka made several
statements of principle regarding the CSTO’s future. In particular,
Belarus is puzzled by the failure of some of the organization’s
members to notify their partners about their contacts with NATO.
Lukashenka said that Belarus was prepared to further cooperation within
the CSTO’s framework provided this organization was really beneficial.

Lukashenka We will do our utmost to strengthen this organization if we
see that this organization is beneficial. Only then will we finance
activities within the framework of this organization. If we do not –
changes tack Nikolay Nikolayevich Bordyuzha , we have made a decision
of principle not to throw away money no matter what kind of union or
organization we will have. We do not have any extra money. We do not
have oil or any other carbohydrate raw materials, which is extremely
pricey. You are fully aware of this. Those who have oil and gas can
relax and do nothing. We do not have either and thus we do not intend
to throw away any money. If we see efficiency, we are ready give all
we have to ensure the security of Belarus, Russia or all other states
that will be members of this or any other organization.

Audio and video available. Please send queries to
[email protected]

Cape Codder, MA
May 13 2004

Coming to America

By Bill Barnes / [email protected]

Artist seeks asylum in West Yarmouth

Stuck in the middle of Europe, wedged amidst Poland, Lithuania and
Russia is a little country called Belarus, just 10 million people in a
place the size of Kansas. It is one of the Soviet republics that won
independence after the collapse, but as is the case in many of the
former republics, independence for the country did not mean freedom
for its people.

The State Department’s annual human rights report on Belarus are
dismal. Human Rights Watch is constantly documenting cases of abuse.
Last year, The Committee to Protect Journalists cited Belarus with
a place on its list of the 10 “worst places to be a journalist.”

The way Alexandr Lukashenka, president since 1994, runs Belarus
reminds many of Stalin and people who don’t like that tend to wind
up in jail, or, in some cases, simply disappear. Elections are a
mockery. Dissenting newspapers are shut down.

Out of that climate comes Kseniya Kudrashova, a 23-year-old artist and
former university student. She expressed her views through her art,
on canvases that were sold clandestinely and in cartoons that were
published in an opposition paper.

She demonstrated with her fellow students from the University
in Minsk. She was hauled in by the police and threatened with
worse. Her apartment was raided and all her paintings were seized. She
disappeared, but she disappeared voluntarily.

Last June she escaped to Cape Cod, where she lives in a small house
in West Yarmouth with the man she plans to marry. She is not here
legally anymore, but she says she has nothing to go back to but fear.
With the help of friends she hopes to persuade the U.S. government
to grant her asylum.

On a recent evening, in the company of friends Vahan Hambardzumanyan
and Sergei Mahtesyan, she met with a reporter in a coffee shop in
the Cape Cod Mall to tell her story.

The young men are both from Armenia, legal residents working as
building contractors. Mahtesyan came to Starbucks to translate.
Hambardzumanyan is her fiance. They too come from a former republic
of the USSR, so Russian is their common language.

Kudrashova is an ethnic Russian who moved to the White Russian SSR,
now Belarus, with her parents as a baby. Her father was in the Soviet
military and had been ordered to work in a military aviation factory
in the republic. After the breakup the family became Belarus citizens
and lost the right to return to Russia, as did many others in their
situation.

In her hometown, an hour north of Minsk, Kudrashova studied painting
at the local academy and regularly showed her works in home-town
shows. When she went on to university in Minsk, where she studied
economics, she kept painting.

“In my free time I painted. I had regular customers who bought my
paintings. That is how I paid for my education and living expenses,”
she said. Along with the abstracts and the landscapes, there were
political paintings as well.

She also worked as an artist for the opposition newspaper Shag (meaning
“step”) and she was also involved with a group of young people called
the Youth Front who opposed the president. She did posters for the
demonstrations they held.

On April 14, 2003, she joined the Youth Front in a demonstration
which was broken up by police swinging batons. “They fractured her
collarbone when police were beating the crowd to get them into the
vans,” according to Mahtesyan. The medical papers from the hospital
are part of the evidence she will be putting into her application
for asylum.

Kudrashova could be considered one of the lucky ones that day. Forty
of the demonstrators were tried and sentenced to prison terms. Others
were expelled from the university. She was released without charges,
but the secret police soon visited her apartment.

“They warned me that if I do anything more against the president I
would have big problems. They confiscated all my paintings, including
those not concerned with politics,” she said, adding it was not her
role in the demonstrations that bothered the police as much as her
cartoons in Shag.

Last June, she did what so many Eastern Europeans have been doing
and joined the “Work and Travel USA” program to come to the United
States to work for the summer. She had no idea of where she was going,
but another girl on the plane suggested Cape Cod and she wound up
working at a McDonald’s in Hyannis.

Under the program, she was supposed to return in October, she said,
“but because so many students had escaped this way, the government
said that anyone who had not returned by Sept. 4 would be excluded
from the university.” She did not comply.

Over the summer the government shut down the newspaper Shag.

Since October, Kudrashova has been out of work. She spent a month
in New York trying to hook up with the arts community, but couldn’t
afford to stay. She has joined Belarusian dissident groups in the
United States and has been invited to submit cartoons for an exile
paper in New York.

According to Mahtesyan, she spends most of her time at home, monitoring
Belarusian affairs on the Internet and painting. She says she has
made no contacts with the arts community here and has no outlets for
her work, so the paintings are rapidly piling up.

They are an odd collection of protest and beauty. One of Minsk’s
main square enclosed in a prison cell faces a painting of a Cape
Cod lighthouse.

“Being in Cape Cod, I can freely create. Besides American freedom,
Cape Cod is a good environment for an artist,” she says. “I get a
lot of emotions from Cape Cod to put on canvas.”

Now she an the two Armenians are hard at work putting together her
application for asylum. Mahtesyan says the application is only three
pages, but the instructions are a book. They have no lawyer to help,
and the documentation is sometimes hard to get.

The rules for the granting asylum are strict and more are denied than
are accepted. But she and her friends are convinced it’s worth a try.
I have nothing to go back to. If I continued what I was doing there,
my family would be in trouble,” Kudrashova says.

RUSSIAN DAILY EXAMINES GEORGIAN LEADER’S “PEACE OFFENSIVE” AGAINST ABASHIDZE

Kommersant, Moscow
7 May 04

>From the very start of the clash between Georgian President Mikheil
Saakashvili and the now ex-Ajarian leader Aslan Abashidze few people
doubted that ultimately victory would rest with the leader of the
“Rose Revolution”. A scion of the old Soviet elite and a proponent of
the old mentality, Aslan Abashidze was in every respect a man of the
past, and a politician of that kind even at the level of an autonomous
republic, not to mention state level, has no historical future.
However, the Abashidze ruling clan seemed to be a nut that could not
be cracked straightaway or a rhizome that would be extremely hard to
uproot. Many people, including the writer of this article, thought
just a few days ago that a protracted standoff that could develop into
bloodshed might be a quite realistic scenario for Ajaria. Because
people like Aslan Abashidze do not go voluntarily.

But a miracle has all but happened. The fact that the denouement came
quickly and, importantly, painlessly came as a complete surprise. When
Eduard Shevardnadze was swept away in the same manner in November last
year, it was not so surprising. By then it was clear that Mr
Shevardnadze held little control within the Georgian state and he only
had to be given a slight nudge for his regime to collapse. But “strong
Abashidze”, who has maintained a grip on his state within a state for
so many years, seemed in some respects the exact opposite of the “weak
Shevardnadze”. Yet now he has suffered the same end. Why?

“Abashidze’s strength” proved toothless in the face of the peace
offensive from Mikheil Saakashvili, who refused to use force. And was
reluctant to have a punch-up, relying on his loyal personnel and his
best devoted soldiers. Abashidze probably also had troops of that
kind, and plenty of them. But the whole trick is that they were not
allowed to show their worth. There was no military offensive, which
would have allowed Aslan Abashidze to don a flak jacket, come out onto
the square, and say for all to hear “Ajaria is in danger!” rallying a
people’s militia around him. The Ajarian leader concluded simply that
“Tbilisi had scheduled a meeting” for him and, thus, made a fatal
error.

Why did a seemingly experienced politician allow himself to be outdone
by a novice? Possibly because for the past decade rebellious regions
have been dealt with in this way, by force, not only in Georgia but
also in other republics of the former USSR. Let us recall Abkhazia,
South Ossetia, Nagornyy Karabakh, and the Dniester region. Lastly, let
us recall Chechnya. The “Ajarian lion” decided that his republic had
the same fate in store. He blew up the bridges and prepared for
all-out defence. However, all these actions turned against him. He
lost the battle for the Ajarian people. As a result we have witnessed
the first experience in the post-Soviet area of a peaceful solution to
the problem of separatism. The Ajarian “sovereignty bandwagon” has
turned out to be not a military parade but a peaceful May Day
demonstration, whose participants were marching not with submachine
guns but with balloons.

ArmenPress
May 7 2004

PRIME MINISTER ANDRANIK MARGARIAN’S ADDRESS ON THE OCCASION OF MAY 9
VICTORY AND PEACE DAY

YEREVAN, MAY 7, ARMENPRESS: Dear compatriots,
I congratulate you all cordially on the occasion of Victory and
Peace Day. As part of today’s reflections, each year on this
wonderful and festive day we get once again united by the feelings of
solidarity, national spirit and sacred dignity, thanks to which we
have gained all our historical achievements and victories.
Today when we continue building our independent state that has
entered into the second decade of existence, we cannot fail to
realize that one of the major conditions to withstand many ordeals
that are still on our way is to recollect the heroic pages of our
past. In order to build a peaceful and safe future we have to first
of all assess our historical achievements, to pay tribute and bow
down to the memory of hundreds of thousands of those heroes, who
sacrificed their lives for our homeland’s independence, its
continuance and peace.
Our heroic people have crowned their name with fame also in World
War II. Armenians contributed heavily to the victory over fascism
both in the ranks of the Soviet Army, partisan warfare, while
Diaspora Armenians did their share in the ranks of the allied armies
and Resistance Movement.
That was the victory that gave a new start to peaceful and
creative work of the civilized world and our people.
The glorious pages of our new history were created in the trenches
of Karabagh war with the craving for freedom and the belief in future
peace, and the heroic liberation of Shushi on May 9, 1992 was the
evidence of the present day triumph of Armenia’s arms.
Sending my warmest congratulations to our compatriots in Armenia,
Diaspora and Karabagh, our war veterans on the occasion of Victory
and Peace Day, I wish you all good health, peace and creative work
for the welfare and strengthening of our independent state, for the
prosperity and development of our country and our people.

Anadolu Agency
may 6 2004

Allegations On Armenian Genocide Refuted With A Scientific Study

ANKARA – Turkish History Institution Chairman Prof. Dr. Yusuf
Halacoglu has said that Armenians’ allegations on genocide were
nothing but political propaganda, adding scientific facts refuted the
allegations.

Holding a press conference to promote a book entitled ”Armenians:
Exile and Migration” of historians Hikmet Ozdemir, Kemal Cicek, Omer
Turan and Ramazan Calik, Prof. Dr. Halacoglu said on Thursday, ”the
book was prepared examining nearly 15 thousand documents in archives
of the western countries. The study lasted for about one an half
years. These documents in the book will completely refute allegations
put forward by Armenians so far.”

”Under the light of data in western sources, Armenian population in
1914 was 1 million 400 thousand. Despite disease, losses stemming
from wars and all other factors, Armenian population rose to 1
million 700 thousand in 1918. These figures unveil wrongfulness of
allegations saying that 1.5 million Armenians were exposed to
genocide,” he stressed.

Prof. Dr. Halacoglu emphasized that those allegations would be
discussed with Armenians in a scientific platform in Austrian capital
Vienna in 2005 for the first time.

”A preparatory meeting will take place in Vienna on July 25, 2004 to
this end. Actually, I do not know whether Armenians could dare to
attend the meeting after all these data obtained from the western
sources. We will attend the meeting with documents from archives of
Russia, the United States, Britain, Germany, France and Iran besides
Ottoman era archives. Participants will be obliged to show original
documents. Our archives are open while Armenian archives are still
closed. We will stipulate Armenians existence of original
documents,” he said.

Prof. Dr. Halacoglu added, ”efforts to refute baseless allegations
of Armenians are as important as the Cyprus issue.”

Since 1965, the Armenians have been accusing the Turks of an alleged
genocide. Armenian enmity against the Turks began with the voluntary
Armenian troops in the Russian Army, and at last Armenian thuggery
reached its peak in the beginning of the 20th century. Many Turkish
people were killed by Armenian thuggery.

April 24, 1915 was the day in which the Ottoman Empire began to
arrest the Armenian thuggery. On this date, the Armenian Committee
centers were closed, their documents were confiscated, and the
leaders were arrested. The Ottoman Empire tried to prevent the events
by sending instructions to many cities. As a result of these
instructions, 2 thousand 345 people were arrested. The Armenians
exploits this date since the leaders of the revolutionists were
arrested on the date.

The so-called Armenian genocide allegations caused assassinations of
many Turkish officials. Between 1973 and 1985, Armenian terrorist
organization of ASALA staged several act of terrorism against Turkish
diplomats abroad. 34 people lost their lives in these heinous acts in
19 separate countries.

PRESS RELEASE
AGBU Montreal Office
805, rue Manoogian
St-Laurent,QC H7T 1Y8
Tel:(514)748-2428
Fax:(514)748-6307

AGBU MONTREAL SCOUTS RECEIVE SPECIAL RECOGNITION FROM LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR OF
QUEBEC

Montreal, QUEBEC, CANADA May 3, 2004- AGBU Montreal Scouts received special
honours during the yearly Gala of Excellence organized by the Federation of
Scouts of Metropolitan Montreal (SMM). The event was held at the AGBU
Center in the newly renovated Dervishian Hall, and was attended by over two
hundred of the leadership of the scouting movement in Quebec. The event was
also attended by Her Excellency, Mme Lise Thibault, the Lieutenant-Governor
of the Province of Quebec.

In his welcome address, AGBU Vice President, and Chairman of the Scouts’
Council, Mr. Viken L. Attarian highlighted AGBU’s mission and achievements
as well as its history of dedication to scouting and the leadership training
opportunities it represents. Mr. Attarian mentioned that the current
President of the AGBU, Mr. Berdj Setrakian himself, had started his service
to the AGBU within its scouting ranks.

The Scouts of Metropolitan Montreal then presented Mr. Attarian and Ms. Lory
Boudjikanian, Group Leader, with the official Level 2 certification plaque
of the SMM. The group certification process was introduced a year ago by
the Federation to ensure quality of leadership and scouting program content.
To date, only a handful of groups in Quebec scouting have reached this level
of achievement. “We are very excited by this recognition” said Ms.
Boudjikanian, “and we are confidently targeting to achieve the highest level
of certification of Level 5 within a couple of years; we want to be the
first ever scouting group to reach that level”.

The evening continued with various volunteer and excellence recognition
awards. The highlight of the Gala was the presentation to the AGBU venturer
company members by Her Excellency the Lieutant-Governor, with the most
prestigious Inukshuk award, in recognition of their outstanding
international project of renovating a children’s rehabilitation center in
Armenia. A project completely conceived, organized, financed and realized
by our youth. Inukshuk, a word of the Northern Inuit, means a symbol for a
direction to follow. This award is presented to scouting youth who are a
model of excellence for all and who, by their exemplary team spirit and
volunteer implication surpass all expectations and act as an inspiration to
all others. The attendees greeted the AGBU scouts with several minutes of
standing ovations.

In her address to the attendees, Her Excellency Mme Lise Thibault invited
all to follow the example of the Armenian scouts. She reminded them that
Armenians are a nation who was a victim Genocide, but now, four generations
later have become a shining example to all their fellow citizens. She
called this a true example of rebirth.

For Further information please contact Viken L. Attarian at 1-514-244-7575,
or AGBU Montreal at 1-514-748-2428. Information about the SMM and the Gala
of Excellence can be found at

Globe and Mail, Canada
April 28 2004

The peaceable kingdom isn’t immune

By JEFFREY SIMPSON

Too many Canadians still dream that our “peaceable kingdom” stands
removed from terrorism. The United States is a target, yes. So are
U.S. allies in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. But we morally
superior Canadians? How could anyone want to hurt us?

>From such complacencies are tragedies made. We are a Western country,
firmly anchored in the constellation of like-minded states, living
adjacent to the United States, and made increasingly multicultural
through immigration and refugees.

Just this week, the final stages are unfolding of the Air-India trial
in Vancouver. We have Canadians citizens returning from Pakistan
lauding jihad, and an Ottawa resident apprehended in a sweep that
netted alleged terrorists in England. We had an assault on the
Turkish embassy that involved hostage-taking. We’ve had firebombings
and other violent acts against religious schools, synagogues and
mosques. We were also the staging ground for a would-be terrorist
who, working with others, intended to bomb the Los Angeles airport, a
plot foiled at the Washington-British Columbia border by an alert
U.S. agent.

At home and abroad, terrorism has changed the world, and Canada has
no choice but to change with it. That means taking terrorism
seriously here and overseas, and recognizing sadly that it will be a
threat for a very long time.

Countries with the wherewithal should contribute to providing
economic and political help to areas where poverty, unemployment and
social dislocation can lead to the alienation that breeds terror. But
only the naive believe that poverty equals terror, instead of also
being fostered by warped religious beliefs, ethnic hatreds and
perverted education systems.

Just this week, The New York Times published a scary story about
young Muslims in Western Europe who are better off than in their home
countries, yet are being recruited by jihad and the sick siren songs
of martyrdom.

Canada isn’t apart from currents swirling around the world. That’s
why the Martin government deserves credit for yesterday’s publication
of an integrated national security policy. Does it answer all the
questions that need answering? No. But it’s a good start.

Before and after becoming Prime Minister, Paul Martin said that
Canada needed better co-ordination and expertise in domestic security
– both security against terrorism, and public-health threats and
emergency planning. So he created a Department of Public Safety,
appointed a minister of state for public health, selected a national
security adviser, established a cabinet committee on security, public
health and emergencies, and upped the budgets for national security.

Now, with yesterday’s announcement, more will be done, especially in
the areas of introducing biometrics on passports, heightening
maritime and port security, and monitoring the Canada-U.S. border.
Ottawa will gather all information about possible threats and sift it
through a new Integrated Threat Assessment Centre. It’s one thing to
get information; it’s another to analyze it centrally, a weakness
revealed recently in the United States. A group of outside security
experts will advise the government.

Many things remain to be done. After all, this policy was put
together in time for release before Mr. Martin’s trip to Washington
tomorrow and Friday. The government hopes this security policy, and
the recent announcement of recycled and new spending on defence, will
reassure the Americans that Canada is getting more serious about
continental security and good bilateral relations.

The policy document alluded to reforming refugee determination, but
that area is a political minefield full of multicultural groups,
Liberal voters and refugee-advocates – few of whom realize what a
joke this country’s procedures have become, especially our inability
to weed out economic migrants from genuine refugees, and to expedite
deportations.

The government recognizes that it needs to work on plans to protect
the country’s critical infrastructure and computer systems. By law,
Parliament must review the anti-terrorism legislation before the end
of the year.

The often hesitant Martin government has done well in this area of
national security. It deserves congratulations for the work done so
far, and encouragement for what must yet be accomplished.

Correction: The Conservatives did not vote as a bloc in favour of the
Armenian genocide-recognition resolution. A minority of them opposed
the motion in a free vote.