Author: Chilingarian Babken

ARMENIA’S ATTITUDE TO DISCUSSING FIRES IN UN IS NORMAL

Lragir.am
05 Sept 06

Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan told news reporters September 5 there
is nothing worrying about the fact that the problem of fires at the
front line between Karabakh and Azerbaijan was included in the draft
agenda of the 61st session of the U.S. General Assembly.

"You see, the agenda is there, the Azerbaijanis reported the problem of
fires to the UN. This is perhaps their right, in the long run. However,
considering that there is a Minsk process, there is the OSCE which
attends to these matters, the United Nations cannot do anything new in
preventing or eliminating the fires. Simply we do not think there is
necessity and we think that Karabakh and Azerbaijan may cooperate over
the problem of fires and settle the problem at the front line. Simply
the involvement of the UN with regard to this question is impertinent,"
says Vardan Oskanyan.

He does not deny that the issue raised by the Azerbaijanis will
nevertheless appear on the agenda of the 61st session of the UN
General Assembly. However, this does not worry official Yerevan.

"You see, it depends on the decision that will be made.

Subsequently, we will decide our steps," says Vardan Oskanyan. He says
they received a letter from Karel de Gucht, the OSCE CiO proposing
to send an OSCE mission to the region to monitor the area of fires
and give an evaluation.

"Karabakh must eventually become engaged, and it will be enabled by
their cooperation, and Armenia, a facilitator of these processes, has
already said there is no problem. Therefore, the participation and
involvement of the UN in these processes is impertinent, we think,"
Vardan Oskanyan says.

He thinks that the anxiety of Azerbaijan to prevent the fires is
not bad but only if it involves cooperation with Karabakh and the
right organizations.

AUTHOR FACES JAIL FOR SAYING HERO DRESSED AS WOMAN
>From Suna Erdem in Istanbul

The Times/UK
September 05, 2006

THE author of this summer’s Turkish bestseller is to stand trial for
allegedly insulting Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the country’s revered
founding father, in her popular revisionist biography of Latife,
his wife.

The case is the latest in a series of high-profile lawsuits initiated
against writers and intellectuals that has brought attention to the
shortcomings of the supposedly reformed Turkish legal system with
regard to freedom of expression in the European Union candidate
country.

Ipek Calislar, the respected journalist and writer, has been charged
by an Istanbul prosecutor over an anecdote in Latife Hanim in which
Ataturk dons a woman’s chador to leave his besieged house with a
party of women and children, bringing back reinforcements to foil an
assassination attempt. Latife remains inside and communicates with
the attackers to give them the impression that Ataturk is still there.

The previously unrecorded version of the attack by "Lame Osman",
which took place in April 1923, was told to Mrs Calislar by one of
Latife’s surviving relatives, who heard it from her sister, Vecihe,
an eyewitness.

However, it aroused the ire of a reader of Hurriyet newspaper, which
ran extracts of the book. The reader, Huseyin Tugrul Pekin, applied
to the prosecutor ‘s office in the Istanbul district of Bagcilar,
on the grounds that "To claim and write that Mustafa Kemal Pasha,
whose courage no man, nor any of us, could dare to doubt, did such a
thing is the greatest insult to him, his nation and particularly to
myself". Mrs Calislar now faces 4½ years in jail for infringing the
special laws in place to protect Ataturk. The trial begins on October
5. An editor of Hurriyet will also be tried.

Mrs Calislar said that her book was not intended to belittle
Ataturk, lamenting that "the most striking report in the book for our
male-dominated society turned out to be of Ataturk disguising himself
in a chador in order to evade an assassination attempt". She told The
Times: "If a leader is under siege, his ability to break this siege
with an ingenious method does not diminish him ."

Mrs Calislar’s account of Ataturk’s wife overturns the long-held
belief that Latife was a shrewish woman whose tantrums ended their
marriage. Instead, we get the portrait of a Western-educated woman
who spoke several European and Oriental languages, played the piano
to concert standard and was a driving force behind many of Ataturk’s
reforms for the emancipation of women, including giving them the vote
well before some EU countries. The book has had nine print runs in
two months.

Mrs Calislar joins Elif Safak, who will go on trial next month over her
popular novel The Bastard of Istanbul, in which a fictional Armenian
character refers to "Turkish butchers" who killed large numbers of
Armenians in Turkey during the First World War. Similar charges of
"insulting Turkishness" also put Orhan Pamuk, Turkey’s most famous
author, in the dock this year. Perihan Magden, a journalist, stood
trial for her support of conscientious objection.

Mrs Calislar said that Turkey did not deserve such trials as hers. Most
are thrown out of court but the violent environment created outside
the courthouse makes writers’ lives very difficult, she added. At
Mr Pamuk’s trial, supporters were heckled not just by protesters but
also by violent nationalist lawyers in the courtroom itself.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Government points to the
high acquittal rate from these trials. Ms Magden and Mr Pamuk were
both acquitted, but a High Court decision this month to convict a
Turkish-Armenian journalist on similar charges proved that the show
trials are not just empty threats.

–Boundary_(ID_yh/3XYACVLp0SiorIbL9lg)–

JIHAD MEANS LIFE, AND NOT WAR OR MURDER, THE MUFTI OF SYRIA CLARIFIES

ArmRadio.am
04.09.2006 17:58

NA Chairman Tigran Torosyan received today the delegation headed
by Mufti of the Arab Republic of Syria Sheikh Ahmad Badr Al-Din
Hasun. The Catholicos of all Armenians Garegin II and Ambassadors of
two countries were present at the meeting.

Tigran Torosyan noted that he is closely observing the events that
keep the region in chaos. He is concerned not only with the fate of
his compatriots, but with the one of the friendly nations. NA Chairman
attached particular importance to the Mufti’s visit in a period when
the religious leader of the neighboring country is threatening with
Jihad. Turning to the Jihad declared by religious leaders of the
Muslims of the Caucasus, the Mufti noted that Jihad means life, and
not war or murder. He noted also that the task of religious leaders
should be supporting the political leadership to establish peace
and well-being.

"ZERKALO": ACCREDITED AMBASSADORS TO AZERBAIJAN HOLD THAT ARMENIA IS UNDER FOREIGN INFLUENCE, AND RESPONSIBLE FOR ARSONS ON OCCUPIED TERRITORIES

Ïðaâî Âûaîða, Azerbaijan
Democratic Azerbaijan
Sept 4 2006

Ambassadors of 3 countries -United Kingdom, Russia, and Ukraine – made
rather bold statements concerning occupied Azerbaijani territories. For
example, recently appointed new Ambassador of Russian Federation to
Azerbaijan, Vasiliy Istratov, not only expressed his concern related
to arsons on occupied territories, but he also imposed responsibility
to Armenia. "Armenia is responsible for territories of Nagorni Garabagh
and neighboring ones where arsons were committed. The controlling side
is responsible, this time the case concerns Armenia" (APA). When asked
whether Russia can render any assistance to remove damage caused to
ecology, Ambassador said that ecologic problems should be solved with
the help of joint efforts. "If international assistance is needed,
in this case Russia will be ready to help", V. Istratov underlined.

Ukrainian Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Stepan Volkovezkiy, stressed the
necessity of regulation of Garabagh conflict, at the result of which
20% of Azerbaijani territories are occupied now. "20% of Azerbaijani
territories are occupied. It is not the problem of Azerbaijan only.

All states should take this problem as their own and endeavor to
regulate the conflict", Ambassador said (APA). Accordingly to him,
International Organizations should be more active in this direction
and they should demonstrate fair position in conflict regulation.

Ukrainian Ambassador also declared that relating this issue, he
expects manifestation of position of international organizations.

At the same time, during meeting with Minister of Defense of
Azerbaijan, Safar Abiyev, UK Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Mr. Laurie
Bristow, declared that our country "has right" to liberate its
territories.

–Boundary_(ID_NZOLhRx2rVUVhMscO B6oKg)–

LEBANESE ARMENIAN YOUNG PEOPLE HOLD DEMONSTRATION, PROTESTING AGAINST INVOLVEMENT OF TURKISH FORCES IN PEACE-KEEPING MISSION

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Sept 04 2006

BEIRUT, SEPTEMBER 4, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The ARF
Dashnaktsutiun "Zavarian" Students’ Union of Lebanon and the Youth
Union held a demonstration of complaint in front of the UN Beirut
Office on August 31, protesting against involvement of Turkish forces
in the international peace-keeping mission staff in Lebanon. Hundreds
of young people participating in the demonstration had posters
like "Turkey, having military and other alliances with Israel,
may not make a part of the international peace-keeping forces," "A
criminal may never participate in a process of establishing peace,"
"The words "peace" and "justice" do not exist in the Turkish lexicon,"
ect. According to the Beirut Armenian "Azdak" daily, a letter addressed
to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan was read during the demonstration,
which was then given to the organization office representative. A
series of local and foreign mass media touched upon the event.

Chaldean Patriarch of Baghdad says he spoke to kidnapped priest 7 days ago

AP Worldstream; Sep 02, 2006

The Chaldean Patriarch of Baghdad said Saturday he had spoken on the
phone with a priest who was kidnapped earlier this month in the Iraqi
capital, who told him a week ago that he was well but still in the
hands of his captors.

Patriarch Emmanuel Delly told the Italian missionary news agency
MISNA, however, that the kidnappers had assured him at the end of his
conversation last Saturday that they would release the priest
immediately, but he had heard nothing since.

"We’ve been waiting for him for seven days, but still nothing," Delly
said. "It’s been exactly a week since I had any news. Let’s hope they
will let him go as soon as possible, and let’s hope they won’t kill
him."

The Rev. Hanna Saad Sirop, who is director of the Theology Department
at Babel College, was abducted Aug. 15 as he left Mass celebrating the
Assumption holiday.

Delly said Sirop told him, "I am Father Sirop, I am in good health and
I am in the hands of the men who kidnapped me," according to MISNA.

Bishops from all of Baghdad’s Christian churches have sent a letter to
the Iraqi government asking them to help secure the release of the
34-year-old priest, and Pope Benedict XVI appealed for his release.

Christians make up just 3 percent of Iraq’s 26 million people. The
major Christian groups include Chaldean-Assyrians and Armenians, with
small numbers of Roman Catholics.

4,000 MISSING AFTER KARABAKH WAR

Baku Today, Azerbaijan
Aug. 31, 2006

According to the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC), 4,132
people are included on the list of missing people from the Karabakh
conflict and events after the ceasefire.

According to ICRC, 3,286 Azerbaijanis, 834 Armenians and 12 foreign
soldiers and civilians are considered missing. Since the beginning
of conflict, through ICRC’s mediation, 659 military servants and
civilians have been liberated.

In 2005 ICRC passed to authorities of the conflict’s sides a Memorandum
on people lost in military actions. The adoption of this document
will improve the effectiveness of measures to locate missing people.

ICRC plans to expand, jointly with the Azerbaijani Red Crescent
Society, activities to gather information about missing people. ICRC
started talks to locate the remains of missing people.

THE UNBEARABLE PERFECTION OF LIFE
James Hakobyan

Lragir.am
31 Aug 06

The hit of the anniversary of independence is the depreciation of
the dollar, or according to official Yerevan, revaluation of the dram.

The wording does not interest the society, like with regard to
independence. Most citizens of Armenia living independently over
the past 15 years are no longer interested whether the country they
live in is characterized as independent or not. It does not interest
them because for 15 years independence remained at the level of
wording instead of turning into a way of life. And by describing
the depreciation of the dollar as the depreciation of the dram the
government was unable to settle the problem. In other words, it was
unable to dispel the doubts that a big game is hiding behind these
wordings, and the society was removed from the field even before the
game starts.

And this prevents from getting the complete picture of the situation
because on the one hand you are in the field, on the other hand,
however, you can only see what the TV set of the checkroom shows.

Meanwhile the TV shows what a skillful economic and monetary policy
the country conducts, harmonizing the revaluation of the Armenian
economy and the national currency. People suffering from this harmony
naturally do not believe the TV set and have already stopped believing
that happiness is in harmony.

They do not believe on seeing another example of harmony between the
international financial organizations and the government of Armenia,
namely the Central Bank. Over the upcoming fortnight the delegation
of the IMF will be visiting Armenia. No doubt it will again utter
words of praise for the monetary policy of the Central Bank. And
the whole paradox is that these words are based on the international
monetary tendencies. In other words, when they approve the policy of
the Central Bank, they proceed from the situation in the developed
countries of the world, i.e. curbing of inflation, a fluctuating
exchange rate. Presently this is the accent of the monetary policy
conducted in developed countries. And it appears that the praise of
the international financial organizations for the Central Bank of
Armenia is quite justified. In addition, these organizations praise
the Central Bank not only in public speeches but also in internal
reports and recommendations, which are extended to the Central Bank
in the form of analyses.

It appears that the international organizations approve a policy
which harms almost half, even more than half of the country’s
population. There is a nuance, however, which the international
organizations diplomatically avoid to state publicly and apply only
in private contact with the Central Bank. The problem is that by
emphasizing the correct monetary policy of the Central Bank in the
documents of these closed contacts and praising the attitude of the
organization with regard to the exchange rate, the international
financial organizations, particularly the IMF point to an underlying
circumstance – the absence of a strategy of development of the
country. They say this is the reason why the policy of the Central
Bank becomes target of strictures.

In other words, when there is no strategy, it is natural that separate
steps will not produce any results, since results should be expected
from complex steps. It is impossible to cut the leg of a man and take
it forward waiting that the head will come forward. The head will
howl of pain but will not walk forward because an organism moves
together. The problem is that there is no movement. In this case
the Central Bank does what it should in accordance with the rules,
in other words, in accordance with the theory. And this action is
approved by the international financial organization because it fully
complies with their idea about the theory.

It appears that we deal with an almost ideal state: there is a theory
and there is an action that complies with the theory. And strange
though it may seem, this ideal state leads to an undesirable result for
the public. No doubt, this result is determined by objective factors
as a result of which the dram really revaluates and the dollar really
depreciates, and interference with this process may lead to undesirable
consequences for the economy and the financial market. The problem is
that ideal actions are good for an ideal environment only. And the
atmosphere in Armenia is far from being ideal and gets even farther
by a daily decrease by one or two drams.

It is clear that "nature" is to blame for natural decrease.

In this case who is accountable for the artificial decrease? Who
imposes an ideal reaction on the reality, which is far from the ideal,
creating an illusion of harmony to the image of the mixed action?

GEORGIAN PRIME MINISTER PROMISED TO HELP JAVAKHETI ARMENIANS

Lragir.am
25 Aug 06

A-INFO reported that the Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli
visited Javakheti August 24. In Ninotsminda and Akhalkalaki the prime
minister got acquainted with building funded by the government. Z.

Nogaideli visited the youth sport facilities built in Akhalkalaki and
Ninotsminda, as well as the Russian school N 2 in Akhalkalaki. The
prime minister said with regard to school building that the government
will build new schools in Hokami, Kotelia (Georgian) and Burnasheti
(Armenian). The Georgian prime minister also attended to roadworks
on Aspindza-Akhalkalaki road and said that hopefully the construction
will be over in October,

During the visit of Zurab Nogaideli to Javakheti Georgian Member of
Parliament Hamlet Movsisyan suggested aiding Javakheti farmers who
suffered greatly from the draft. Hamlet Movsisyan said Z. Nogaideli
also promised to help poor families and families of disabled people
with fuel this winter.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE OLIGARCH
James Hakobyan

Lragir.am
25 Aug 06

On hearing the word "oligarch" the majority of the society thinks
that they are going to hear about Gagik Tsarukyan. Currently, this
reaction is quite normal considering that Tsarukyan has appeared in
the middle of home political developments, grabbing the attention of
the society. However, it seems unfair that the other oligarchs do
not receive due attention from the society. In the meantime, some
happenings in their life are similarly important for the situation
in Armenia. These happenings take place in their professional life
and are related to their private life as much as professional life
could affect the private life.

Mikhail Baghdasarov, one of the big businessmen of Armenia, told
one of the newspapers several days ago that he is likely to sell 30
percent of his shares of Armenian Savings Bank, the last 30 percent
because several years ago he sold 70 percent of shares to the Russian
Vneshtorgbank. The same Russian bank is likely to buy the other 30
percent but Baghdasarov told that he is likely to sell his shares to
a third party, whose bid is under consideration. In fact, the life
of a big businessman, even his professional life, including that
of Baghdasarov, is not important enough for the society, especially
that the society is facing much more important problems. But there
is an important circumstance, and considering this circumstance it
would be useful to follow the situation Baghdasarov has appeared in,
namely his close relations with the defense minister Serge Sargsyan.

Baghdasarov has accompanied him for a number of times during his
foreign visits. In this sense, it is interesting that the oligarch
who is close with the defense minisrer, is selling his property.

Getting rid of property is not only normal in the modern world but
also popular and commendable. Experts say in a period of development
of technologies and intellectual transformation of property material
property becomes vulnerable and it is desirable to get rid of it. But
this is in the world. The modern world of developed technologies is
one thing and Armenia with its superhistorical mentality is another
thing. Here there is no tendency of getting rid of property, moreover,
this is considered a sign of fear, trouble, weakness.

Consequently, either Mikhail Baghdasarov has one of these signs,
or he has started thinking the way the world thinks. But in this
case either he has to leave Armenia for the success of this way of
thinking or he has to stay in Armenia without any property.

In both cases something seems to be wrong about Baghdasarov. And
it seems at least strange, considering the protection of the
"superminister" Baghdasarov enjoys, or maybe enjoyed. It should
be noted, however, that somethng has been wrong about Baghdasarov
over the past month, more exactly after the crash of the plane of
Armavia Airlines. It happened so that the crash of the plane gave
rise to a number of official and unofficial suggestions. The arrows
of responsibility in all the possible suggestions were directed
against Armavia. Eventually, the Interstate Aviation Committee’s
official statement concerned the fault of the pilots, which in fact
again hits to Armavia, hinting that the piltos of the company are not
qualified. The owner of Armavia, in fact, faces all these problems
alone. Only Armavia protested against the conclusion of the IAC,
but the Russians soon made it silent, reminding that Armavia did
not pay the dept of air navigation. And the Armenian high-ranking
government officials who appeared to public with great ardor though
with a mourning appearance, raised money and arranged funerals, have
now lost the former enthusiasm and have not responded officially to
the conclusion of the Interstate Aviation Committee.

The Department of Civil Aviation gave a news conference but it is
true that the ministers attended to these questions.

Along with these developments the problem of fuel of Zvartnots Airport
occurred, the main supplier of which is again Baghdasarov.

The problem occurred when rumors resumed that the plane had run out
of fuel. In this situation, it is natural that he does not "fancy"
doing banking, for he has difficulty fighting "in the air, in water
and on the land" alone. However, the question occurs why Baghdasarov
remained alone, i.e. without the "super" protection. It is difficult,
in fact, to answer this question. Maybe this is a time when "sacrifice"
is needed like "air and water", when the "old friends" do not betray
but foresee, like in the famour move "Garage".

And since there are no facts that a black cat passed between "the
two friends", it would be correct to discuss another version of how
everything happened. Mikhail Baghdasarov will participate in the
parliamentary election directly or indirectly, supporting some force.

He announced this during his April 1, 2006 news conference. Serge
Sargsyan will also run in the parliamentary election. And if
we consider the case when they remain close, it is natural that
Baghdasarov will either support his close partner or the someone
whom his partner will point to. And the support of a businessman is
first of all his money. Therefore, the government in Armenia supports
businessmen or therefore the big businessmen pay the government in
Armenia. Considering the material, financial and moral losses of
Mikhail Baghdasarov after the plane crash, the question of election
money becomes rather complicated. Let alone the bank, since for this 30
percent better "the whole and at once than interests and part by part".

However, it is only the first impression that Mikhail Baghdasarov
had problems after the plane crash. Long before the crash when the
National Unity Party, which also had "super" possibilities, suddenly
remembered a six-year-old deal, the deal of bankruptcy of the Armenian
Airlines, alleging that Baghdasarov got several millions of profit
then, inflicting as much damage on the state. The answer of the
businessman did not wait long. He announced that he would sue the
National Unity if they went on with such allegations. They went on
to announce that they confirm their words and wait until Baghdasarov
goes to court. Baghdasarov has not gone to court and it is not clear
whether he will ever go or not. Or maybe he went but not to the court
but someone more influential, knowing well the famous Russian proverb,
"hit your fellows for others to fear", and maybe also knowing that this
proverb is well-known among the government where they have to contact
Russians very often, as well as realizing that the knowledge acquired
during these contacts is very often practised by the government. And
since the businessman is knows Russian proverbs, he must also know
that "It’s better to have 100 friends than 100 rubles". Do not have
30 percent if your friend is going to need this 30 percent more on
a May morning in 2007.