Author: Jabejian Elizabeth

News.am

Azeris are self-contradicting
12:23 / 08/22/2009

Commenting on the scandal over Eurovision-2009, Azad Rahimov,
Azerbaijani Minister of Youth and Sports, told in an interview with
APA news agency that there never existed a certain list with those
Azeris who voted for Armenian contestants. In addition, the number of
voters was not submitted by Azerbaijani authorities. NEWS.am has
already reported that Ministry of National Security of Azerbaijan
(MNS) detected Azerbaijani citizens voted for Armenia at
Eurovision-2009. The fact is also confirmed by MNS representative in
the interview with Azerbaijani BBC service.
The Minister also charged Azerbaijani branch of Radio Liberty with
`conducting unilateral policy in the given question, by trying to
politicize the issue and to present it in a politically biased
manner.’
European Broadcasting Union (EBU) launched investigation on the
Azerbaijani incident on Eurovision-2009 song contest and Azerbaijani
Ministry of National Security summoning those voted for Armenian
contestants.

COURT: FAMILIES CANNOT GET PAY
By Christopher Cadelago

Glendale News Press
Friday, August 21, 2009 9:36 AM PDT

Court’s 2-1 ruling denies insurance pay to relatives of Armenians
killed in 1915-18 massacre.

GLENDALE – The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday nullified
a state law that allowed descendants of Armenians killed in the
Turkish Ottoman Empire to request payment on the life-insurance
policies of relatives.

The federal appeals court said in its 2-1 ruling that the law amounted
to unconstitutional interfering in U.S. foreign policy.

The decision was based on a 2003 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck
down a state law designed to assist Holocaust survivors collect on
World War II-era insurance policies.

Three times Congress has considered resolutions in the last decade
that would have provided recognition of the genocide. But the White
House has urged each time that the bills be foiled, fearing that
their passage would damage relations with Turkey, whose government
denies that a genocide took place.

Mass slaughtering of Armenians during World War I have never been
recognized by the federal government as genocide, despite the state
Legislature’s doing so nine years ago when it enacted the law in
question.

Rep. Adam Schiff, who as a state assemblyman co-wrote the overturned
law, could not be reached for comment.

Earlier Thursday he said he found the court’s reasoning perplexing.

"You have a group of people that has a government that hasn’t had
the will to recognize the genocide and as a result of that failing,
are being told they don’t have valid insurance claims," Schiff told
the Associated Press.

The state law gives relatives of Armenians who died or fled until
the end of 2010 to file claims for bank accounts and life-insurance
policies.

If the ruling stands, Armenian heirs would be prevented from claiming
inheritances.

Class-action lawsuits brought by Armenian relatives across the county
eventually led to $20-million and $17-million settlements in 2005.

The court’s ruling Thursday reversed one of a lower court judge
who refused to dismiss another class-action suit against European
insurance companies. Armenian National Committee members could not
be reached for comment late Thursday.

The ruling would also prevent California and other states from
observing the anniversary of the ethnic bloodshed – which between 1915
and 1919 claimed the lives of as many as 1.5 million Armenians, said
Brian S. Kabateck, a Los Angeles lawyer representing the plaintiffs,
whose own maternal grandparents died in the genocide.

Because the ruling does not apply retroactively, none of the California
residents paid as part of earlier settlements must refund the money,
he said.

BOLT BLAZES TO 100-METER WORLD RECORD, WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

SI.com
Sunday August 16, 2009 4:02PM

Usain Bolt blew away a strong field, including American Tyson Gay,
who finished second in a new national record.

BERLIN (AP) — Usain Bolt crossed the finish line, saw his
record-setting time on the clock and spread his arms as if he were
soaring like a bird.

About all this guy can’t do is fly. And by saving his celebration until
after the finish line this time, he showed how fast a man really can
go on two feet.

The Jamaican shattered the world record again Sunday, running
100 meters in 9.58 seconds at the world championships to turn his
much-anticipated race against Tyson Gay into a one-man show.

That was 0.11 seconds faster than the mark he set last year at the
Beijing Olympics — the biggest improvement in the 100-meter record
since electronic timing began in 1968.

Gay, his closest rival, broke the American mark with his 9.71
performance and still looked like he was jogging — finishing a few
big strides behind Bolt in second place.

Bolt’s only competition these days is the clock.

And when he’s really trying, not hot-dogging it over the line the
way he did in China, even time itself doesn’t stand a chance.

"I don’t run for world records," said Bolt, who crossed the line,
his yam-colored Pumas kicking high, with a slight breeze at his back
on a clear summer night in Germany.

Yet those records always seem to find him.

He thinks he can go even lower.

"I know I said 9.4," Bolt said, grinning. "You never know. I’ll just
keep on working."

The record came on the one-year anniversary of his 9.69 in Beijing,
when Bolt shut his race down early, waving his arms and celebrating
about 10 meters before he got to the line. Some, like Jacques Rogge
of the International Olympic Committee, viewed it as a sign of bad
sportsmanship. Most saw it as a welcome sigh of relief for a sport
that needed some good news after years of doping and scandal.

Even this week, the Jamaican track team was making headlines for the
wrong reasons — a complicated doping case. Then a group of athletes
who were uninvited to the worlds by the country’s track officials
because they didn’t participate in team training camp got reinvited
at the request of international officials.

Bolt made everyone forget about that and showed, once again, what a
great sport track can be when the focus is on the oval, not doping
control and the meeting rooms.

Bolt ran his latest unforgettable race at Olympic Stadium in Berlin,
the history-filled home of the 1936 Olympics where Jesse Owens became
the world’s biggest track star. Bolt lives in Owens’ stratosphere
now, having set the 100 world record three times and also owning
the 200-meter record thanks to the 19.30 he ran in Beijing to break
Michael Johnson’s 12-year-old mark.

Now he has added the world championship, last won by Gay in 2007,
to his Olympic title.

A Stanford professor estimated he could’ve gone about 9.55 if he’d
run full out through the line in Beijing. Bolt almost made that guy
look like a genius.

"He’s like a created game person," American Darvis Patton said. "I
can’t imagine going 9.71 and not winning. That will win every race
in history except for today (and at the Olympics)."

It’s easy to see how Bolt became such a crowd favorite, unlike many
of the stoic champions of the past. He loves to entertain. He is
rewriting the record books and changing the face of track in another
way — putting a smile on it.

Before climbing into the blocks, Bolt gave spectators a quick wave
and did his trademark bow-and-arrow pose.

That drew big applause.

Then the real show started.

Unlike the Olympics, when he skidded from the blocks, Bolt burst out
this time, opening a sizable lead on the field after 20 meters.

>From there, it could have been a stroll in the park. But there was
no letting up this time. Before crossing the line, he glanced to his
right to check on Gay once — not in the picture — and then back at
the clock. His face lit up as he spotted the digits "9.58" appear on
the screen next to the track.

The party was on. He grabbed a flag and did a victory lap with
countryman Asafa Powell, who finished with the bronze (9.84).

They even stopped midway down the track and did a little dance
number. Too bad the song wasn’t from rapper Akon, who wrote about
the sprinter in a song, the lyric going, "Quicker than Usain Bolt,
the fastest thing runnin’."

Next came pictures — lots of flashes popping — and hugs as Bolt
greeted everyone who called his name — and they were numerous. The
entire victory lap took about 20 minutes.

Or about 19:50.42 longer than it took to run his 100.

Standing back at the finish line, waiting for him to finish up,
was Gay. He paced around, clearly agitated.

Not in anger at losing, though.

No, he wanted off the track, but wasn’t allowed by an official. Gay
was complimentary of his rival in a race that lived up to the hype.

"I’ve been telling you someone could run 9.5," Gay said. "I’m happy he
did it, it showed a human can take it to another level. Unfortunately,
I wasn’t the one to do it, but I still have confidence I can do it
one day."

Gay didn’t have much of a chance. Not against Bolt. And certainly
not with a groin injury that he admitted to Saturday. He said it was
worse than he let on, but refused to use it as a convenient excuse.

"I showed a lot of heart," Gay said. "I put it together the best
I could."

Powell was right beside Bolt his entire journey around the track,
then through the interview area.

For Powell, Bolt is like a blessing. The one-time world-record holder
no longer carries the weight of a country by himself. In fact, he’s
becoming a bit player in these dramas.

"He really knows how to perform under pressure," Powell said. "I need
to take a page out of his book."

All sprinters would love to.

The big question, though, is whether it’s realistic to aim for Bolt.

"There’s nothing you can do about what Usain Bolt does," Johnson said
in an interview last month. "Just be the best they can be. What Usain
Bolt is able to do should be fuel as to what’s possible."

Possible for one man, at least. The rest of the competition is simply
watching him from afar.

Results Sunday At Olympic Stadium Berlin Men 100 Semifinals Heat 1 —
1, q-Usain Bolt, Jamaica, 9.89. 2, q-Daniel Bailey, Antigua, 9.96. 3
q-Darvis Patton, United States, 9.98. 4, q-Marc Burns, Trinidad
and Tobago, 10.01. 5, Michael Rodgers, United States, 10.04. 6,
Martial Mbandjock, France, 10.18. 7, Jaysuma Saidy Ndure, Norway,
10.20. Tyrone Edgar, Britain, DQ.

Heat 2 — 1, q-Tyson Gay, United States, 9.93. 2, q-Asafa Powell,
Jamaica, 9.95. 3, q-Richard Thompson, Trinidad and Tobago, 9.98. 4,
q-Dwain Chambers, Britain, 10.04. 5, Michael Frater, Jamaica, 10.14. 6,
Monzavous Edwards, United States, 10.14. 7, Gerald Phiri, Zambia,
10.19. 8, Naoki Tsukahara, Japan, 10.25.

Final 1, Usain Bolt, Jamaica, 9.58 (world record; old record, Bolt,
Aug. 16, 2008). 2, Tyson Gay, United States, 9.71. 3, Asafa Powell,
Jamaica, 9.84. 4, Daniel Bailey, Antigua, 9.93. 5, Richard Thompson,
Trinidad and Tobago, 9.93. 6, Dwain Chambers, Britain, 10.00. 7,
Marc Burns, Trinidad and Tobago. 10.00. 8, Darvis Patton, United
States, 10.34.

400 Hurdles Semifinals Heat 1 — 1, q-Kerron Clement, United States,
48.00. 2, q-Felix Sanchez, Dominican Republic, 48.34. 3, q-Javier
Culson, Puerto Rico, 48.43. 4, q-Danny McFarlane, Jamaica, 48.49. 5,
q-Jehue Gordon, Trinidad and Tobago, 48.77. 6, L.J. van Zyl, South
Africa, 48.80. 7, Andres Silva, Uruguay, 49.34. 8, Brendan Cole,
Australia, 49.92.

Heat 2 — 1, q-Bershawn Jackson, United States, 48.23 2, q-David
Greene, Britain, 48.27. 3, q-Periklis Iakovakis, Greece, 48.73. 4,
Isa Phillips, Jamaica, 48.93. 5, Omar Cisneros, Cuba, 49.21. 6,
Johnny Dutch, United States, 49.28. 7, Tristan Thomas, Australia,
49.76. 8, Kazuaki Yoshida, Japan, 50.34.

3,000 Steeplechase Qualifying Heat 1 — 1, q-Richard Kipkemboi
Mateelong, Kenya, 8 minutes, 17.99 seconds. 2, q-Tareq Mubarak Taher,
Bahrain, 8:18.13. 3, q-Paul Kipsiele Koech, Kenya, 8:18.16. 4, q-Roba
Gary, Ethiopia, 8:18.22. 5, q-Abubaker Ali Kamal, Qatar, 8:18.95. 6,
Abdelatif Chemlal, Morocco, 8:25.68. 7, Tomasz Szymkowiak, Poland,
8:27.93. 8, Mario Bazan, Peru, 8:28.67. 9, Pieter Desmet, Belgium,
8:31.81. 10, Vincent Zouaoui-Dandrieaux, France, 8:41.85. 11, Per
Jacobsen, Sweden, 8:44.80. 12, Angel Mullera, Spain, 8:47.40. Kyle
Alcorn, United States, DNF.

Heat 2 — 1, q-Brimin Kiprop Kipruto, Kenya, 8:18.07. 2, q-Bouabdellah
Tahri, France, 8:18.23. 3, q-Ruben Ramolefi, South Africa, 8:18.24. 4,
q-Benjamin Kiplagat, Uganda, 8:18.55. 5, q-Jukka Keskisalo, Finland,
8:22.00. 6, q-Mustafa Mohamed, Sweden, 8:22.92. 7, Jose Luis Blanco,
Spain, 8:24.07. 8, Krijn van Koolwijk, Belgium, 8:24.22. 9, Ildar
Minshin, Russia, 8:33.89. 10, Rob Watson, Canada, 8:44.73. 11, Youcef
Abdi, Australia, 8:49.88. 12, Legese Lamiso, Ethiopia, 8:51.63. 13,
Joshua McAdams, United States, 9:02.19.

Heat 3 — 1, q-Ezekiel Kemboi, Kenya, 8:19.36. 2, q-Jamel Chatbi,
Morocco, 8:20.26. 3, q-Yacob Jarso, Ethiopia, 8:20.91. 4, q-Eliseo
Martin, Spain, 8:24.29. 5, Ion Luchianov, Moldova, 8:27.41. 6,
Bjornar Ustad Kristensen, Norway, 8:28.49. 7, Steffen Uliczka,
Germany, 8:37.83. 8, Simon Ayeko, Uganda, 8:37.86. 9, Yoshitaka
Iwamizu, Japan, 8:39.03. 10, Bostjan Buc, Slovenia, 8:40.56. 11,
Alberto Paulo, Portugal, 8:43.13. 12, Daniel Huling, United States,
8:46.79. Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad, France, DNF.

Triple Jump Qualifying Group A — 1, q-Phillips Idowu, Britain,
56-10. 2, q-Leevan Sands, Bahamas, 56-5 1/2. 3, q-Arnie David Girat,
Cuba, 56-3 1/4. 4, q-Momchil Karailiev, Bulgaria, 56-0. 5, q-Igor
Spasovkhodskiy, Russia, 55-10 1/4. 6, q-Nathan Douglas, Britain, 55-9
1/4. 7, q-Dmitrij Valukevic, Slovakia, 55-7 3/4, 8, Onochie Achike,
Britain, 55-7. 9, Fabrizio Schembri, Italy, 55-4 3/4. 10, Yoandris
Betanzos, Cuba, 55-0 1/4. 11, Dzmitry Dziatsuk, Belarus, 54-4 3/4. 12,
Deokhyeon Kim, South Korea, 54-4 3/4. 13, Yevgen Semenenko, Ukraine,
54-3 1/4. 14, Julian Reid, Jamaica, 54-1 1/4. 15, Jefferson Sabino,
Brazil, 53-7 1/2. 16, Samyr Laine, Haiti, 53-7 1/2. 17, Kenta Bell,
United States, 53-6 1/2. 18, Mohamed Yusuf Salman, Bahrain, 52-8. 19,
Vladimir Letnicov, Moldova, 52-1 1/4. 20, Fabrizio Donato, Italy,
51-10 1/2. 21, Andres Capellan, Spain, 51-10. Charles Michael Friedek,
Germany, NM. Yochai Halevi, Israel, DNS.

Group B — 1, q-Nelson Evora, 57-2 3/4. 2, q-Yanxi Li, China, 56-8. 3,
q-Teddy Tamgho, France, 56-1 3/4. 4, q-Jadel Gregorio, Brazil,
55-11 3/4. 5, q-Alexis Copello, Cuba, 55-9. 6, Brandon Roulhac,
United States, 55-7. 7, Tosin Oke, Nigeria, 55-4 1/4. 8, Randy Lewis,
Grenada, 54-10 3/4. 9, Mykola Savolaynen, Ukraine, 54-10 1/4. 10,
Hugo Chila, Ecuador, 54-9 1/2. 11, Hugo Mamba-Schlick, Cameroon,
54-6 3/4. 12, Walter Davis, United States, 54-6 1/2. 13. Alwyn Jones,
Australia, 54-4 1/2. 14, Viktor Yastrebov, Ukraine, 53-6 1/4. 15,
Evgeniy Plotnir, Russia, 53-5 1/2. 16, Dimitrios Tsiamis, Greece,
53-3. 17, Daniele Greco, Italy, 53-1. 18, Yevgeniy Ektov, Kazakhstan,
52-11. 19, Mantas Dilys, Lithuania, 52-9 1/2. 20, Lauri Leis, Estonia,
52-5 1/4. 21, Leonardo Elisiario dos Santos, Brazil, 52-4. 22, Hung
Nguyen Van, Vietnam, 51-0 3/4. 23, Kuan Wong Si, Macau, 48-6.

Women 100 Qualifying Heat 1 — 1, q-Lucimar Aparecida de Moura,
Brazil, 11.41. 2, q-Shelly-Ann Fraser, Jamaica, 11.41. 3, q-Marion
Wagner, Germany, 11.49. 4, q-Yomara Hinestroza, Colombia, 11.61. 5,
Paulette Zang Milama, Gabon, 11.74. 6, Balpreet Kaur Purba, Singapore,
12.30. Yvonne Bennett, Northern Mariana Islands, DNS.

Heat 2 — 1, q-Kerron Stewart, Jamaica, 11.31. 2, q-Vida Anim, Ghana,
11.38. 3, q-Ivet Lalova, Bulgaria, 11.48. 4, q-Chisato Fukushima,
Japan, 11.52. 5, Ahamada Feta, Comoros, 11.80. 6, Fatou Tiyana,
Gambia, 12.22. 7, Dana Abdul Razak, Iraq, 12.38.

Heat 3 — 1, q-Carmelita Jeter, United States, 11.22. 2, q-Virgil
Hodge, St. Kitts and Nevis, 11.47. 3, q-Rakia Al-Gassra, Bahrain,
11.49. 4, Carol Rodriguez, Puerto Rico, 11.64. 5, Halimat Ismaila,
Nigeria, 11.74. 6, Yah Soucko Koita, Mali, 12.16. 7, Rosa Mystique
Jones, Nauru, 13.42.

Heat 4 — 1, q-Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie, Bahamas, 11.26. 2, q-Verena
Sailer, Germany, 11.29. 3, q-Oludamola Osayomi, Nigeria, 11.49. 4,
q-Sonia Tavares, Portugal, 11.64. 5, Ivana Rozhman, Macedonia,
12.60. 6, Sorai Bella Reklai, Palau, 13.75. 7, Muqimyar Robina,
Afghanistan, 14.24.

Heat 5 — 1, q-Aleen Bailey, Jamaica, 11.29. 2, q-Evgeniya Polyakova,
Russia, 11.41. 3, q-Myriam Soumare, France, 11.45. 4, q-Ayanna
Hutchinson, Trinidad and Tobago, 11.54. 5, Ani Khachikyan, Armenia,
12.30. 6, Alice Khan, Seychelles, 12.64. 7, Mariama Bah, Guinea, 13.33.

Heat 6 — 1, q-Veronica Campbell-Brown, Jamaica, 11.34. 2, q-Ezinne
Okparaebo, Norway, 11.35. 3, Semoy Hackett, Trinidad and Tobago,
11.36. 4, q-Sheniqua Ferguson, Bahamas, 11.57. 5, Gloria Diogo, Sao
Tome, 11.78. 6, Philaylack Sackpraseuth, Laos, 13.42. 7, Asenate Manoa,
Tuvalu, 13.75.

Heat 7 — 1, q-Lauryn Williams, United States, 11.36. 2, q-Tahesia
Harrigan, British Virgin Islands, 11.39. 3, q-Nataliya Pohrebnyak,
Ukraine, 11.54. 4, Momoko Takahashi, Japan, 11.75. 5, Martina Pretelli,
San Marino, 12.65. 6, Terani Faremiro, French Polynesia, 12.96. 7,
Tioiti Katutu, Kiribati, 14.38.

Heat 8 — 1, q-Chandra Sturrup, Bahamas, 11.28. 2, q-Anna Geflikh,
Russia, 11.47. 3, q-Guzel Khubbieva, Uzbekistan, 11.63. 4, Serafi
Anelies Unani, Indonesia, 12.05. 5, Elis Lapenmal, Vanuatu, 13.11. 6,
Savannah Sanitoa, American Samoa, 14.23. Blessing Okagbare, Nigeria,
DNS.

Heat 9 — 1, q-Kelly-Ann Baptiste, Trinidad and Tobago, 11.42. 2,
q-Muna Lee, United States, 11.44. 3, q-Eleni Artymata, Cyprus,
11.47. 4, Courtney Patterson, Virgin Islands, 11.88. 5, Pia Tajnikar,
Slovenia, 11.88. 6, Pauline Kwalea, Solomon Islands, 13.67. 7,
Beatriz Mangue, Equatorial Guinea, 14.03.

Quarterfinals Heat 1 — 1, q-Kerron Stewart, Jamaica, 10.92. 2,
q-Chandra Sturrup, Bahamas, 11.06. 3, q-Semoy Hackett, Trinidad
and Tobago, 11.37. 4, Guzel Khubbieva, Uzbekistan, 11.43. 5, Ezinne
Okparaebo, Norway, 11.44. 6, Evgeniya Polyakova, Russia, 11.52. 7,
Ivet Lalova, Bulgaria, 11.54. 8, Yomara Hinestroza, Colombia, 11.76.

Heat 2 — 1, q-Lauryn Williams, United States, 11.06. 2, q-Aleen
Bailey, Jamaica, 11.12. 3, q-Tahesia Harrigan, British Virgin Island,
11.21. 4, q-Vida Anim, Ghana, 11.34. 5, q-Elena Artymata, Cyprus,
11.37. 6, q-Ayanna Hutchinson, Trinidad and Tobago, 11.40. 7, Chisato
Fukushima, Japan, 11.43. 8, Myriam Soumare, France, 11.45.

Heat 3 — 1, q-Veronica Campbell-Brown, Jamaica, 10.99. 2, q-Debbie
Ferguson-McKenzie, Bahamas, 11.08. 3, q-Muna Lee, United States,
11.13. 4, q-Verena Sailer, Germany, 11.26. 5, Anna Geflikh, Russia,
11.46. 6, Nataliya Pohrebnyak, Ukraine, 11.49. 7, Rakia Al-Gassra,
Bahrain, 11.51. 8, Sonia Tavares, Portugal, 11.55.

Heat 4 — 1, q-Carmelita Jeter, United States, 10.94. 2, q-Shelly-Ann
Fraser, Jamaica, 11.02. 3, q-Kelly-Ann Baptiste, Trinidad and Tobago,
11.05. 4, Lucimar Aparecida de Moura, Brazil, 11.44. 5, Virgil Hodge,
Saint Kitts and Nevis, 11.51. 6, Oludamola Osayomi, Nigeria, 11.55. 7,
Sheniqua Ferguson, Bahamas, 11.59. 8, Marion Wagner, Germany, 11.64.

400 Semifinals Heat 1 — 1, q-Novlene Williams-Mills, Jamaica,
49.88. 2, q-Amantle Montsho, Botswana, 49.89. 3, q-Anastasiya
Kapachinskaya, Russia, 50.30. 4, Aliann Pompey, Guyana, 50.71. 5,
Jessica Beard, United States, 51.20. 6, Norma Gonzalez, Colombia,
51.91. 7, Kineke Alexander, St. Vincent and the Grenadines,
53.43. Amaka Ogoegbunam, Nigeria, DNF.

Heat 2 — 1, q-Shericka Williams, Jamaica, 49.51. 2, q-Antonina
Krivoshapka, Russia, 49.67. 3, q-Debbie Dunn, United States, 49.95. 4,
Nicola Sanders, Britain, 50.45. 5, Amy Mbacke Thiam, Senegal, 51.70. 6,
Folasade Abugan, Nigeria, 51.75. 7, Joy Nakhumicha Sakari, Kenya,
52.69. 8, Solen Desert-Mariller, France, 53.26.

Heat 3 — 1, q-Sanya Richards, United States, 50.21. 2, q-Christine
Ohuruogu, Britain, 50.35. 3, Lyudmila Litvinova, Russia, 50.52. 4,
Libania Grenot, Italy, 50.85. 5, Indira Terrero, Cuba, 51.87. 6,
Sorina Nwachukwu, Germany, 51.98. 7, Tiandra Ponteen, Saint Kitts
and Nevis, 53.22. 8, Christine Day, Jamaica, 53.46.

800 Qualifying Heat 1 — 1, q-Caster Semenya, South Africa, 2:02.51. 2,
q-Geena Gall, United States, 2:02.63. 3, q-Tetiana Petlyuk, Ukraine,
2:02.87. 4, Olga Cristea, Moldova, 2:03.99. 5, Neisha Bernard-Thomas,
Grenada, 2:04.55. 6, Madeleine Pape, Australia, 2:05.85. 7, Janeth
Jepkosgei Busienei, Kenya, 2:12.81.

Heat 2 — 1, q-Mariya Savinova, Russia, 2:03.27. 2, q-Jemma Simpson,
Britain, 2:03.33. 3, q-Mayte Martinez, Spain, 2:03.39. 4, q-Elodie
Guegan, France, 2:03.87. 5, Irina Krakoviak, Lithuania, 2:04.26. 6,
Elena Mirela Lavric, Romania, 2:04.49. 7, Leonor Piuza, Mozambique,
2:08.08.

Heat 3 — 1, q-Yuliya Krevsun, Ukraine, 2:02.20. 2, q-Jennifer Meadows,
Britain, 2:02.47. 3, q-Hazel Clark, United States, 2:02.67. 4,
q-Lucia Klocova, Slovakia, 2:02.98. 5, q-Marian Burnett, Guyana,
2:03.89. 6, Yeliz Kurt, Turkey, 2:13.42. 7, Aishath Reesha, Maldives,
2:28.00. Sanaa Abubkheet, Palestine, DQ.

Heat 4 — 1, q-Elisa Cusma Piccione, Italy, 2:02.33. 2, q-Anna
Rostkowska, Poland, 2:02.37. 3, q-Halima Hachlaf, Morocco, 2:02.46. 4,
q-Elena Kofanova, Russia, 2:02.49. 5, q-Lenka Masna, Czech Republic,
2:03.32. 6, Eleni Filandra, Greece, 2:06.39. 7, Natalia Gallego,
Andorra, 2:18.75.

Heat 5 — 1, q-Pamela Jelimo, Kenya, 2:03.50. 2, q-Maggie Vessey,
United States, 2:04.07. 3, q-Kenia Sinclair, 2:04.52. 4, Rosibel
Garcia, Colombia, 2:04.73. 5, Jana Hartmann, Germany, 2:04.99. 6,
Nataliia Lupu, Ukraine, 2:06.74. 7, Salome Dell, Papua New Guinea,
2:08.22.

Heat 6 — 1, q-Zulia Calatayud, Cuba, 2:02.33. 2, q-Hasna Benhassi,
Morocco, 2:02.83. 3, q-Marilyn Okoro, Britain, 2:03.07. 4, q-Svetlana
Klyuka, Russia, 2:03.40. 5, Daniela Reina, Italy, 2:06.30. 6, Anabelle
Lascar, Mauritius, 2:06.53. 7, Nikki Hamblin, New Zealand, 2:31.94.

20k Walk Final 1, Olga Kaniskina, Russia, 1 hour, 28 minutes,
9 seconds. 2, Olive Loughnane, Ireland, 1:28:58. 3, Hong Liu,
China, 1:29:10. 4. Anisya Kirdyapkina. Russia, 1:30:09. 5, Vera
Santos, Portugal, 1:30:35. 6, Beatriz Pascual, Spain, 1:30:40. 7,
Masumi Fuchise, Japan, 1:31:15. 8, Kristina Saltanovic, Lithuania,
1:31:23. 9, Elisa Rigaudo, Italy, 1:31:52. 10, Susana Feitor, Portugal,
1:32:42. 11, Ines Henriques, Portugal, 1:32:51. 12, Kumi Otoshi, Japan,
1:33:05. 13, Larisa Emelyanova, Russia, 1:34:31. 14, Vera Sokolova,
Russia, 1:34:55. 15, Sniazhana Yurchanka, Belarus, 1:34:57. 16,
Ana Maria Groza, Romania, 1:35:19. 17, Valentina Trapletti,
Italy, 1:35:33. 18, Mingxia Yang, China, 1:35:42. 19, Zuzana
Schindlerova, Czech Republic, 1:35:47. 20, Tania Regina Spindler,
Brazil, 1:35:51. 21, Evaggelia Xinou, Greece, 1:35:56. 22, Jess
Rothwell, Australia, 1:36:01. 23, Claudia Stef, Romania, 1:36:09. 24,
Brigita Virbalyte, Lithuania, 1:36:28. 25, Marie Polli, Switzerland,
1:36:44. 26, Zuzana Malikova, Slovakia, 1:37:47. 27, Claire Tallent,
Australia, 1:38:12. 28, Agnieszka Dygacz, Poland, 1:38:36. 29,
Alessandra Picagevicz, Brazil, 1:38:50. 30, Geovana Irusta, Bolivia,
1:39:16. 31, Chaima Trabelsi, Tunisia, 1:39:50. 32, Svetlana Tolstaya,
Kazakhstan, 1:40:41. 33, Johana Ordonez, Ecuador, 1:42:57. 34,
Anamaria Greceanu, Romania, 1:43:35. 35, Rachel Lavallee, Canada,
1:45:45. 36, Olha Yakovenko, Ukraine, 1:45:55. 37, Cristina Lopez,
El Salvador, 1:47:33. Cheryl Webb, Australia, DQ. Yawei Yang, China,
DQ. Johanna Jackson, Britain, DQ. Maria Hatzipanayiotidou, Greece,
DQ. Mayumi Kawasaki, Japan, DQ. Kjersti Platzer, Norway, DQ. Monica
Svensson, Sweden, DQ. Maria Vasco, Spain, DNF. Sabine Krantz, Germany,
DNF. Maria Galikova, Slovakia, DNF. Teresa Vaill, United States, DNF.

Shot Put Qualifying Group A — 1, q-Natallia Mikhnevich, Belarus,
62-8 3/4. 2, q-Anna Avdeeva, Russia, 62-1. 3, q-Denise Hinrichs,
Germany, 61-4. 4, q-Meiju Li, China, 60-9 1/2. 5, q-Christina
Schwanitz, Germany, 59-10 1/2. 6, q-Mailin Vargas, Cuba, 59-6 1/4. 7,
Anca Heltne, Romania, 58-9 1/2. 8, Chiara Rosa, Italy, 58-8 1/2. 9,
Austra Skujyte, Lithuania, 58-7 1/4. 10, Laurence Manfredi, France,
56-7 1/4. 11, Helena Engman, Sweden, 56-4 3/4. 12, Jillian Camarena,
United States, 55-6 1/4. 13, Annie Alexander, Trinidad and Tobago,
52-6 1/2. 14, Kristin Heaston, United States, 49-1 3/4.

Group B — 1, q-Valerie Vili, New Zealand, 64-7 3/4. 2, q-Nadine
Kleinert, Germany, 63-6 1/4. 3, q-Lijiao Gong, China, 62-7 1/4. 4,
q-Misleydis Gonzalez, 61-1 1/4. 5, q-Michelle Carter, United States,
60-6. 6, q-Xiangrong Liu, China, 59-4 3/4. 7, Cleopatra Borel-Brown,
Trinidad and Tobago, 59-0 1/4. 8, Mariam Kevkhishvili, Georgia, 58-10
3/4. 9, Yaniuvis Lopez, Cuba, 58-1 1/4. 10, Natalia Duco, Chile,
57-9 1/2. 11, Jessica Cerival, France, 56-9 1/4. 12, Anita Marton,
Hungary, 55-1 1/2. 13, Leyla Rajabi, Iran, 54-5 1/2. 14, Ana Pouhila,
Tonga, 52-9 1/2.

Final 1, Valerie Vili, New Zealand, 20.44. 2, Nadine Kleinert ,
Germany, 20.20. 3, Lijiao Gong, China, 19.89. 4, Natallia Mikhnevich,
Belarus, 19.66. 5, Anna Avdeeva, Russia, 19.66. 6, Michelle Carter,
United States, 18.96. 7, Meiju Li, China, 18.76. 8, Misleydis Gonzalez,
Cuba, 18.74. 9, Mailin Vargas, Cuba, 18.67. 10, Xiangrong Liu, China,
18.52. 11, Denise Hinrichs, Germany, 18.39. 12, Christina Schwanitz,
Germany, 17.84.

Javelin Qualifying Group A — 1, q-Maria Abakumova, Russia, 226-1. 2,
q-Linda Stahl, Germany, 209-6. 3, q-Martina Ratej, Slovenia, 208-1. 4,
q-Barbora Potakova, Czech Republic, 207-7. 5, q-Steffi Nerius, Germany,
202-6. 6, q-Monica Stoian, Romania, 197-9. 7, q-Vira Rebryk, Ukraine,
195-10. 8, q-Sava Lika, Greece, 195-8. 9, Goldie Sayers, Britain,
193-6. 10, Yainelis Ribiaux, Cuba, 188-3. 11, Mercedes Chilla, Spain,
185-11. 12, Maryna Novik, Belarus, 185-2. 13, Indre Jakubaityte,
Lithuania, 183-3. 14, Kara Patterson, United States, 172-11. 15,
Elisabeth Pauer, Austria, 166-11. 16, Serafina Akeli, Samoa, 162-8.

Group B — 1, q-Olisdeilys Menendez, Cuba, 203-2. 2, q-Christina
Obergfoll, Germany, 199-3. 3, q-Rachel Yurkovich, United States,
195-5. 4, q-Maria Nicoleta Negoita, Romania, 195-1. 5, Mikaela
Ingberg, Finland, 189-11. 6, Kimberley Mickle, Australia, 188-6. 7,
Olha Ivankova, Ukraine, 186-8. 8, Sunette Viljoen, South Africa,
186-5. 9, Urszula Piwnicka, Poland, 185-4. 10, Yanet Cruz, Cuba,
184-4. 11, Asdis Hjalmsdottir, Iceland, 183-3. 12, Yuki Ebihara,
Japan, 179-10. 13, Moonika Aava, Estonia, 176-8. 14, Madara Palameika,
Latvia, 173-10. 15, Valeriya Zabruskova, Russia, 173-5.

Heptathlon Long Jump Group A — 1, Aiga Grabuste, Latvia, 21-0. 2, Ida
Antoinette Nana Djimou, France, 20-9. 3, Kaie Kand, Estonia, 19-8. 4,
Marisa De Aniceto, France, 19-7. 5, Jessica Samuelsson, Sweden,
19-4 1/2. 6, Aryiro Strataki, Greece, 19-3 1/4. 7, Yvonne Wisse,
Netherlands, 19-3 1/4. 8, Brianne Theisen, Canada, 19-1 1/4. 9, Eliska
Klucinova, Czech Republic, 18-11 3/4. 10, Sharon Day, United States,
18-8. 11, Linda Zublin, Switzerland, 18-8. 12, Sushmitha Singha Roy,
India, 17-9 3/4. Ida Marcussen, Norway, NM. Sara Aerts, Belgium, DNS.

Group B — 1, Kamila Chudzik, Poland, 21-6. 2, Tatyana Chernova,
Russia, 21-4. 3, Hanna Melnychenko, Ukraine, 21-1 1/4. 4, Jennifer
Oeser, Germany, 21-0 3/4. 5, Natallia Dobrynska, Ukraine, 21-0 1/2. 6,
Julia Machtig, Germany, 20-10 3/4. 7, Jessica Ennis, Britain, 20-7
3/4. 8, Diana Pickler, United States, 20-5 3/4. 9, Yuliya Tarasova,
Uzbekistan, 20-5 1/4. 10, Lyudmyla Yosypenko, Ukraine, 20-4 1/4. 11,
Bettie Wade, United States, 20-3 1/2. 12, Louise Hazel, Britain,
20-1 1/2. 13, Nadja Casadei, Sweden, 18-11 3/4. Lilli Schwarzkopf,
Germany, DNS. Karolina Tyminska, Poland, DNS. Javelin Group A — 1,
Linda Zublin, Switzerland, 173-11. 2, Ida Marcussen, Norway, 164-1. 3,
Kamila Chudzik, Poland, 159-10. 4, Marisa De Aniceto, France, 158-9. 5,
Ida Antoinette Nana Djimou, France, 157-3. 6, Lyudmyla Yosypenko,
Ukraine, 153-9. 7, Brianne Theisen, Canada, 143-10. 8, Jessica
Ennis, Britain, 142-10. 9, Aiga Grabuste, Latvia, 142-9. 10, Natallia
Dobrynska, Ukraine, 142-0. 11, Hanna Melnychenko, Ukraine, 138-7. 12,
Tatyana Chernova, Russia, 137-5. 13, Eliska Klucinova, 135-1. 14,
Julia Machtig, Germany, 133-6. Lilli Schwarzkopf, Germany, DNS.

Group B — 1, Jennifer Oeser, Germany, 153-2. 2, Sharon Day,
United States, 144-10. 3, Louise Hazel, Britain, 142-9. 4, Aryiro
Strataki, Greece, 140-7. 5, Diana Pickler, United States, 134-11. 6,
Yuliya Tarasova, Uzbekistan, 134-1. 7, Kaie Kand, Estonia, 123-7. 8,
Jessica Samuelsson, Sweden, 121-10. 9, Bettie Wade, United States,
120-5. 10, Sushmitha Singha Roy, India, 118-2. 11, Yvonne Wisse,
Netherlands, 110-11. 12, Nadja Casadei, Sweden, 106-0. Sara Aerts,
Belgiu, DNS. Karolina Tyminska, Poland, DNS.

800 Heat 1 — 1, Nadja Casadei, Sweden, 2:12.66. 2, Ida Marcussen,
Norway, 2:13.81. 3, Yvonne Wisse, Netherlands, 2:15.58. 4, Eliska
Klucinova, Czech Republic, 2:23.79. 5, Bettie Wade, United States,
2:25.50. 6, Sushmitha Singha Roy, India, 2:36.13.

Heat 2 — 1, Jessica Samuelsson, Sweden, 2:10.34. 2, Kaie Kand,
Estonia, 2:11.92. 3, Brianne Theisen, Canada, 2:12.62. 4, Aryiro
Strataki, Greece, 2:16.72. 5, Linda Zublin, Switzerland, 2:17.01. 6,
Yuliya Tarasova, Uzbekistan, 2:35.05.

Heat 3 — 1, Tatyana Chernova, Russia, 2:09.11. 2, Sharon Day,
United States, 2:13.84. 3, Marisa De Aniceto, France, 2:14.80. 4,
Diana Pickler, United States, 2:15.60. 5, Louise Hazel, Britain,
2:15.85. 6, Aiga Grabuste, Latvia, 2:17.43.

Heat 4 — 1, Jessica Ennis, Britain, 2:12.22. 2, Hanna Melnychenko,
Ukraine, 2:12.85. 3, Natallia Dobrynska, Ukraine, 2:13.22. 4, Jennifer
Oeser, Germany, 2:14.34. 5, Lyudmyla Yosypenko, Ukraine, 2:14.64. 6,
Julia Machtig, Germany, 2:17.07. 7, Ida Antoinette Nana Djimou,
France, 2:17.72. 8, Kamila Chudzik, Poland, 2:18.58.

Final Standings 1, Jessica Ennis, Britain, 6,731 points. 2,
Jennifer Oeser, Germany, 6,493. 3, Kamila Chudzik, Poland, 6,471. 4,
Natallia Dobrynska, Ukraine, 6,444. 5, Lyudmyla Yosypenko, Ukraine,
6,416. 6, Hanna Melnychenko, Ukraine, 6,414. 7, Ida Antoinette Nana
Djimou, France, 6,323. 8, Tatyana Chernova, Russia, 6,288. 9, Julia
Machtig, Germany, 6,265. 10, Sharon Day, United States, 6,126. 11,
Diana Pickler, United States, 6,086. 12, Marisa De Aniceto, France,
6,049. 13, Aiga Grabuste, Latvia, 6,033. 14, Louise Hazel, Britain,
6,008. 15, Brianne Theisen, Canada, 5,949. 16, Linda Zublin,
Switzerland, 5,934. 17, Jessica Samuelsson, Sweden, 5,885. 18, Kaie
Kand, Estonia, 5,760. 19, Aryiro Strataki, Greece, 5,748. 20, Yvonne
Wisse, Netherlands, 5,704. 21, Yuliya Tarasova, Uzbekistan, 5,658. 22,
Nadja Casadei, Sweden, 5,598. 23, Eliska Klucinova, Czech Republic,
5,505. 24, Bettie Wade, United States, 5,134. 25, Ida Marcussen,
Norway, 5,014. 26, Sushmitha Singha Roy, India, 4,983. Karolina
Tyminska, Poland, DNF. Sara Aerts, Belgium, DNF. Lilli Scwarzkopf,
Germany, DNF.

Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved

KURD PARTIES HAVE CHOSEN INCLUSIVENESS
By Khaled Salih

Daily Star
Friday, August 14, 2009
Lebanon

On July 25, the people of the Kurdistan region in Iraq for the
first time elected a regional president and for the second time a
new Parliament. The elections took place in accordance with Iraq’s
new Constitution, which was approved by popular vote in October 2005
and recognizes the region and its institutions as a federal unit in
Iraq. The turnout of 79 percent of the region’s 2.5 million eligible
voters was seen by political leaders and outside observers as a very
positive sign of democratic engagement. Except for a couple of minor
security incidents, the elections were peaceful in an area seen by
many extremist Islamist groups throughout Iraq as a close ally of
the United States and as too secular to be imagined as part of their
Islamist state.

Many commentators and analysts were critical of political arrangements
for both Parliament and the government during the past three years,
charging that there was no provision for a proper opposition. Without
exception, they all missed the point that the political parties in
Kurdistan had settled for an all-inclusive power-sharing agreement
for two important reasons.

First, in order to ease the tension between political forces that
in the recent past (during the mid-1990s) fought each other, an
extensive and intensive process of reconciliation could work only if
all relevant players were part of the political process. Power-sharing
also allowed the divided administration of Kurdistan (between the
Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan)
to be reunited.

Second, at the federal level Kurdistan needed to put up a united
front representing the entire region and all its political views in
the Iraqi Parliament and government. Although not without difficulty,
both goals were achieved in the past three years. Kurdistan has become
more internally peaceful and secure and the Kurdistan Alliance List
has remained a united and active player in Baghdad.

However, this time things are different. In the July elections this
year, the voters re-elected Massoud Barzani, the current president of
the Kurdistan region, from among five candidates. Barzani represented
the Kurdistani List (composed of the KDP he leads and the PUK led by
Jalal Talabani, currently Iraq’s president). In 2006, the president
was elected by the Parliament and there were no other candidates. Now,
the re-election of Barzani by 70 percent of the popular votes will
strengthen his position and enable him to play a more active role in
the coming four years in the region as well as in relation to Baghdad.

For the parliamentary election, the voters this time could choose
among 25 parties, lists and individuals. In contrast to the last
parliamentary election, there were diverse political programs,
alternatives and messages to take into account. A major shift occurred
with the PUK. One of Talabani’s veteran aides, Newshirwan Mustafa,
formed his own Change List. Another change was a new alliance called
the Service and Reform List (between two Kurdish Islamist parties,
one socialist group and a communist politician who was expelled from
his party).

Out of 111 seats in Parliament, 11 are reserved for minorities living
in the Kurdistan region (five for the Assyrian community, five for
the Turkmen community, and one for the Armenians). The preliminary
results showed the Kurdistani List (KDP and PUK) gaining 59 seats,
the Change List 25 seats, Service and Reform 14 seats and the Islamic
Movement in Kurdistan-Iraq two seats. In sharp contrast to the past
three years, we will witness heated debate in Parliament on a wide
range of internal Kurdish issues as well as how to deal with the
federal government in Baghdad.

Although the Kurdistani List will have no difficulty in forming a
majority government (that most probably will also be supported by
nine out of 11 minority candidates), the major difficulty facing the
Kurdistan region is the next federal election in January 2010. If the
current provincial pattern of alliances is repeated at the federal
level, the risk of weakened Kurdish representation in Baghdad is
obvious.

In the coming four years, Kurdish leaders will face several major
political issues. Internally, these include security, reconstruction
and development, further democratization of the political system,
allegations of corruption, issues of internal displacement,
provincial elections and most probably political party reform. A
majority government with a vibrant opposition in the Parliament should
facilitate dealing with them.

In relation to Baghdad, several constitutional issues will dominate
the agenda: the boundaries of the Kurdistan region (the final status
of the disputed territories), the revenue-sharing law, the oil and
gas law, the status of the Kurdish paramilitary Peshmerga, and the
power-sharing mechanism at the federal level. A strongly supported
president might be able to push more adamantly for the implementation
of Iraq’s Constitution as it was agreed in August 2005 and voted for
by four out of five Iraqis throughout the country two months later.

Khaled Salih is a senior advisor to the prime minister of the Kurdistan
Regional Government. These are his personal views. This commentary
first appeared at bitterlemons-international.org, an online newsletter
that publishes views on Middle Eastern and Islamic issues.

ARMENIAN FM AND YURI MERZLIAKOV DO NOT COMMENT ON STATEMENTS OF DIPLOMATIC SOURCES ON PROMPT ROTATION OF OSCE MG RUSSIAN COCHAIRMAN

ArmInfo
2009-08-14 19:25:00

ArmInfo. Foreign Ministry of Armenia has not confirmed or
denied the information about replacement of OSCE MG Russian
cochairman. cochairman>, Head of Mass Media Relations Department of
the Armenian Foreign Ministry’s press service Tigran Balayan said
commenting on, at ArmInfo’s request, the information about rotation
of the Russian cochairman.

According to the publications of some Armenian and Azerbaijani media,
as well as the data being confirmed by anonymous diplomatic sources, Y.

Merzliakov will be replaced by deputy Foreign Minister of Russia
Grigory Karasin on the post of OSCE MG cochairman.

In his turn, Y. Merzliakov refused to give any comment on this issue
saying his is on leave and does not answer the journalists’ questions.

To recall, replacement of a cochairman does not require agreement
with Armenia, NKR and Azerbaijan.

IF THERE ARE CLEVER PEOPLE IN THE GOVERNMENT

society&pid=14935
12:11:27 – 15/08/2009

Interview By Arman Galoyan

There is an opinion that the Congress with its regional visits tries
to create the impression that it is getting prepared for extraordinary
elections. Is it true? What is the aim of the visits?

– There is some activation. Levon Ter-Petrosyan visits the houses of
the political prisoners, the participants of the political strolls
near the Saryan statue visit the houses of the March 1 victims. The
youths started their regular actions. All this has only one aim to
keep the soul of the people and get prepared for the September 18
rally. And all this is a part of the political struggle, the aim of
which is the shift of government.

-How long can you keep the soul? There are people, who state that
the public is annoyed and tired.

– In summer, there is some kind of holiday mood. But all the
headquarters of the Congress work actively. Today we had a session in
the central office of the Congress, where we discussed the question
on having responsible people in all the electoral stations of the
republic. We get prepared to be able to respond quickly to any
sudden step.

– Congress stresses the idea of extraordinary election. In your
opinion, what will make the government hold extraordinary elections?

– Many things may force it. Let me start from the most impossible one:
the sense of shame within the government. If there appear clever
people in the government, they will understand all the failures
in the home and foreign policies, in the Karabakhi conflict and in
the economy. The failures in these spheres are evident. If there are
clever people in the government, they have to advise Serge Sargsyan to
resign, because the continuation of his policy will bring the country
to a collapse. Those problems, for the solution of which the people
struggle, not only are not being solved, but also are deepening. The
society proved that it is decisive struggling in the streets for two
years and it will keep struggling until these problems are solved. The
need for a legitimate government is very much felt. It is a fact that
there are only uneducated people in the National Assembly, that it
is not a political body but a place where criminals are gathered. It
is a fact that the government is not responsible in front of the
society. The whole system works against the public.

– In your opinion, how long may this system last?

– This system cannot last long, because it leads the country into a
deadlock. It can live only on account of wasting the home resources,
which are limited. The day of the shift of the government approaches
always more. The only way to survive is the democratic system in
Armenia.

– Can you assure that Serge Sargsyan will not be able to hold his
office until the official end of his tenure?

– It is ruled out. The demand on the Karabakhi question adds to the
wasting of resources. In particular, I mean the statement of the three
presidents of the co-chair countries of the Minsk group. This document
will work and until June Serge Sargsyan has to make a decision either
to sign the document, or to resign. There is no other way out.

– Will he not have the support of the international society in case
of signing the document?

– There will be change of government in any case. In case you mentioned
he will have the protests of the Armenian and Karabakhi societies. I
stress that our country has deficit of democracy. And all the problems
of our country come from this problem. So there is only one way out –
legitimate government to be able to resist challenges.

M BRYZA: SARKISIAN’S VISIT TO TURKEY WOULD BE ‘VERY GOOD NEWS FOR AMERICA’

ArmInfo
2009-08-12 11:27:00

ArmInfo. The United States hopes that President Serzh Sarkisian
will visit Turkey in October to continue Yerevan’s fence-mending
"football diplomacy" with Ankara, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of
State Matthew Bryza said over the weekend.

Bryza acknowledged at the same time that the U.S.-backed
Turkish-Armenian dialogue has stalled of late and that he is now less
optimistic about chances for the normalization of relations between
the two estranged neighbors.

"What I had hoped was going to happen did not happen," he told RFE/RL’s
Armenian service. "Sometimes, if I’m asked to make a prediction, the
prediction does not come true. I thought that there was a specific
step that was about to occur."

"There is no reason why those steps still can not happen, and we
are working together with the Swiss mediators to try to help the
parties think through what it is that they each can do to get the
process moving again. I do have some hope that that will happen,
but I can’t predict how quickly or what can be agreed," he added.

…In Bryza’s words, Sarkisian’s visit to Turkey would be "very good
news for America" because it would mean that "two of our friends
are coming together." "We were so pleased when President Gul came to
Yerevan and we would be happy if President Sarkisian went to Turkey,"
he said.

Bryza stressed, however, that Washington will not press Sarkisian to
accept Gul’s invitation. "It’s important not to conflate or confuse our
desire for something to happen with pressure," he said. "I have seen
some absolutely ridiculous accusations by some here in Armenia that the
United States is pressuring Armenia to agree to one thing or another."

Some Armenian opposition politicians have claimed that Turkey’s
preconditions for normalizing relations with Armenia have left Yerevan
under stronger pressure from the international community and the
U.S. in particular to make more concessions in the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict

Bryza also insisted that the success of the Turkish-Armenian dialogue
does not hinge on a breakthrough in Armenian-Azerbaijani peace talks
mediated by the U.S., Russia and France. "These two processes are
separate," he said.

"What is true is that, as I’ve said so many times, if there is
progress in one process, that will help to generate a more positive
mood throughout the entire region and then help to reduce tension
and facilitate progress in the other process."

TIGRANAKERT INTENDED TO BE PILGRIMAGE SITE

Asbarez
ended-to-be-pilgrimage-site/
Aug 12, 2009

STEPANAKERT-It has already been five years that the archeological
excavations of the ancient city of Tigranakert begun in the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic.

This year, the upper part of the church (basilica) was excavated,
which, according to initial data, dates back to the sixth century.

Head of the excavation group Doctor of Historical Sciences
Hamlet Petrosyan singles out the discovery of an agate stamp this
year. Archeologists were unsure about the period to which the stamp
belonged, but are opining that it was the Hellenic period.

Petrosyan said that stamp and early medieval clay stamps prove that
Tigranakert played a significant administrative-trade role.

Excavations at the north wall of the citadel are also in progress,
with some 85 meters already excavated. It is one of the largest walls
ever excavated in the South Caucasus.

The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Foreign Ministry told Armenpress that the
excavations were financed by the Karabakh government; organizational
tasks were being coordinated by the "Tigranakert Reserve" state
non-trade organization established by Karabakh’s Tourism Department.

A Museum of Tigranakert is being planned. At present reconstruction
projects are being carried out in an 18th century castle, where
the museum will be housed. Tigranakert is intended to become a
pilgrimage site and a "Land of Promise of All-Armenians," said the
foreign ministry.

As international mediators continue to seek a resolution to the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, archeologists in the mountainous republic
are searching for the remains of ancient Armenian cities in Karabakh,
buried under the sands of time.

The Armenian specialists came close in 2005, when they found one of
four Tigranakert cities built by Armenian King Tigran the Great on
the liberated land of Aghdam, to the southeast of Martaket region.

"For me this is Troy, this is how I would assess it," said Vardges
Safaryan, member of the Tigranakert expedition. "We continue finding
different items here, but it’s not the most important. What’s important
is that the city once existed here,"

According to Safaryan, the city, founded sometime in the 80s B.C.,
survived through the 15th century, which explains the presence of not
only Hellenic monuments, but Christian ones as well. Among the findings
were two main walls and the towers of the Hellenic styled city and
an Armenian church built sometime between the 5th and 7th centuries,
in which was found a clay, dish-like item with an engraving that reads
"My, Vache, the slave of God."

"This inscription dates back to the 6th-7th century, and it is the
most ancient Armenian inscription found on Karbakh soil to date,"
said Safaryan.

The authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh have attached a great deal of
importance to the excavations of Tigranakert and the government has
been financing the project for approximately two years now.

SANTA CLARITA PARISH ACQUIRES CHURCH BUILDING; PRIMATE TO PRESIDE OVER DEDICATION RITE

a-parish-acquires-church-building-primate-to-presi de-over-dedication-rite/
Aug 07 2009

With the Grace of God, the Armenian Church of Santa Clarita was able
to acquire a 28,875 square foot church-building, including a 60-space
parking lot, at 24626 Kansas St., Newhall, CA 91321. On June 17,
2009, His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate, accompanied
by Harout Markarian, Executive Director of the Western Diocese, had
visited the site and prayed for the growing and thriving parish. This
great achievement of the Armenian Church of Santa Clarita became
possible as a result of the persistent efforts of Rev. Fr. Nerses
Hayrapetyan, Parish Priest, and members of the Parish Council.

On Sunday June 28, 2009 the enthusiastic faithful of the Armenian
Church of Santa Clarita gathered for the first time inside the
sanctuary of the newly purchased church-building to participate in
the very first celebration of the Divine Liturgy and deliverance of
the sermon at this new location by Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Nerses
Hayrapetyan. Rev. Archpriest Fr. Sipan Mekhsian, Chancellor of the
Western Diocese, representing the Primate, presided over the church
service. Prior to the sermon, he read the message of His Eminence
Archbishop Hovnan Derderian pertaining to the significant and joyous
occasion in the history of the Armenian Church of Santa Clarita.

The Dedication Rite for the Armenian Church of Santa Clarita will be
conducted following the celebration of the Divine Liturgy by Parish
Priest Rev. Fr. Nerses Hayrapetyan on August 9, 2009. His Eminence
Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, assisted by the Diocesan Clergy, will
conduct the Dedication Rite of the newly purchased church-building
in Santa Clarita.

All faithful are invited to bring their participation to this great
event in the history of the Armenian Church of Santa Clarita.

TURKEY’S EFFORTS DIRECTED TO BECOMING THE INTERMEDIARY IN KARABAKH SETTLEMENT FAILED, ARMENIAN DEPUTY THINKS

ArmInfo
2009-08-11 19:01:00

ArmInfo. Turkey’s efforts directed to becoming the intermediary
in Karabakh settlement failed, Armenian deputy from the opposition
Heritage party Stepan Safaryan told journalists today.

‘Turkey cannot help Azerbaijan in the matter of the Karabakh settlement
any more as Ankara has been deprived of all the channels via which
ir could assist resolving of the Karabakh conflict in favor of
Azerbaijan’, – he said.

Safaryan thinks that Ankara has egg on its face as it could not keep
its promise to help Azerbaijan resolve the Karabakh conflict within
the frames of the Baku demands.

‘Taking into consideration the fact that all the efforts of Turkey
to come forward as an intermediary on the Karabakh settlement failed,
Ankara has only one way of helping Azerbaijan – to discuss the Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict settlement at various meetings and events’, –
Safaryan concluded.