Author: Kafian Jirair

BOOK REVIEW: HARDSCRABBLE ROAD

Kirkus Reviews
April 1, 2006

After his road trip to New England (The Headmaster’s Wife, 2005),
Gregor Demarkian, the Armenian-American Poirot, finds his biggest
case waiting back home in Philadelphia.

Every time right-wing radio agitator Drew Harrigan opens his
mouth on the air, he gives five new strangers motives for killing
him. Now he’s sunk to a new low. Arrested by two Philly cops who’ve
found his car full of prescription drugs with nary a prescription,
he’s fingered homeless handyman Sherman Markey as his supplier and
shielded a big asset by deeding a local real-estate parcel to Holy
Innocents Benedictine monastery, where his sister, Mother Constanzia
of the Assumption of Mary, presides. When celebrity-loving Judge
Bruce Williamson sends Drew to rehab, dull-witted, alcoholic Markey
becomes the center of a media firestorm and takes Drew’s place as
the city’s most likely murder victim. It would make sense if Markey
were killed by Drew’s lawyers, who’d prefer to crucify him without
dealing with his sworn testimony; or by Markey’s own legal team at
the Justice Project, who’d find him easier to transform into a martyr
in his absence; or by UPenn professors Jig Tyler or Alison Standish,
for reasons of their own. But things develop along quite different
lines for Gregor, who’s pulled into a case that’s complex mainly
because the people involved are so complicated.

Haddam outdoes herself with a broad canvas that recalls John Gregory
Dunne’s Nothing Lost and the best of P.D. James.

Publication Date: 5/15/2006 0:00:00 Publisher: St. Martin’s Minotaur
Stage: Adult Star: 1 ISBN: 0-312-35373-1 price: $24.95 Author:
Haddam, Jane

USA seeks Armenia’s consent to troops deployment in Karabakh – opposition leader

Mediamax news agency
31 Mar 06

Yerevan, 31 March: The allocation of 235m dollars to Armenia by the
US Millennium Challenge Corporation is “a political move”, the leader
of the New Times Party, Aram Karapetyan, has said.

Speaking at a briefing in Yerevan today, Aram Karapetyan said that
the US administration hopes in this way to get Armenia’s agreement on
“the deployment of a US peacekeeping contingent in the buffer zone
around Nagornyy Karabakh close to the Iranian border”.

“The Armenian opposition has learnt that these forces will be deployed
in the region in July-August 2006,” Karapetyan said.

If military operations are launched against Iran, “a catastrophic
situation” will be established in the region, the politician said.

WORLD BANK TO PREDICT CONSEQUENCES OF EXPENSIVE GAS

Lragir.am
30 March 06

The World Bank research on the consequences of the price of natural
gas for the economy of Armenia will be completed soon. This was stated
by the director of the WB office in Yerevan Roger Robinson on March
30. Robinson said they would be ready to consider this issue more
deeply as soon as the WB research is presented to the government
and the latter gives comments. According to the news agency ARKA,
Robinson declined to forecast consequences of the price of gas.

Nevertheless, the representative of the World Bank said the increase
of the price of gas would affect certain branches of the economy
of Armenia but not to the degree as certain people say, said Roger
Robinson. He said the increase of the price of gas would affect the
budgets of those people especially those who use gas to heat their
houses. Robinson also said that recently electricity supply has
been upgraded. At the same time, along with the falling demand for
electricity in industry the demand for gas has grown.

Robinson emphasized that the recent increase of the prices of flour
and sugar are not related to the price of gas.

OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRS TO MEET IN APRIL

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
March 30 2006

“OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs might hold their next meeting in April. I
do not rule out the meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian Foreign
Ministers, but the exact date of this meeting has not yet been fixed,”
American co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Steven Mann told.

The co-chair did not tell when the co-chairs will visit the region.

“We are analyzing the situation and specifying out next steps. The
latest meeting of Azerbaijan’s and Armenia’s Presidents inspired
confidence in me that we will be able to solve the Nagorno Garabagh
conflict,” Mr.Mann said.

The American co-chair also commented on the recent regular cease-fire
violations in the front line.

“The personal representative of the OSCE chairman-in-office, Andrzey
Kasprzyk informs us regularly about this issue. The preserve of the
cease-fire is the main topic of discussion between the conflicting
parties as well as the Defense Ministers. The most optimal method
should be agreed in order to avoid war. Lack of reaching an agreement
might lead to adoption of radical decisions. The United States thinks
that the 2006 is a promising year for reaching peace accord. However,
it will not be possible to completely solve the conflict in 2006
because it needs many years. I think the parties will decrease the
risk of the war outbreak. I do not think anyone is interested in
resuming the war. I do not predict the war might break out in future
as no one can predict it. However, the cease-fire violation does not
sound good,” the US diplomat said.

Mr.Mann also said that the issue of the participation of the separatist
regime in Nagorno Garabagh in the negotiating process depends on the
conflicting sides.

“The matter should be considered from another point of view: Will the
Nagorno Garabagh’s participation in the talks provide for progress
or not. The approach of the OSCE MG co-chairs is as follows: if the
parties are for involving the Nagorno Garabagh in the talks, we will
support this option,” Mann said.

The American co-chair noted that Kosovo model cannot be a precedent
for other conflicts.

“Each conflict is individual in its own way, has its roots and
history. If we try to equate the Nagorno Garabagh conflict to another
one, we will thus attain no good. The Presidents of Armenia and
Azerbaijan deserve respect for their latest steps. The diplomatic
delegates of both sides are professionals and I am glad to work with
such professionals,” the mediator remarked.

Steven Mann also reminded that the co-chairs used the expression “the
occupied territories of Azerbaijan” during the negotiating process,
and this expression was stated in all documents.

“This expression is used in agreements and one of the main issues is
that the parties clarify this issue,” Mann said.

BILL PROHIBITING CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY BYPASSING ARMENIA IN SOUTH CAUCASUS SUBMITTED TO US SENATE

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 29 2006

Yerevan, March 29. /ARKA/. A bill prohibiting the construction
of a railway bypassing Armenia in the South Caucasus
(Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baklu) estimated at $800mln. Armenian
Assembly of America reports that the bill was authored by Rick Santorum
and Robert Menendez.

The planned construction of the railway in the South Caucasus will
not only impinge the USA’s long-term interests in the region, but
also result in Armenia’s isolation, Santorum said. The USA’s policy
in the South Caucasus encourages regional stability, cooperation and
re-opening of borders and transport corridors, he added.

In May 2005, in Baku, the Azerbaijani, Georgian and Turkish
Presidents pronounced for the creation of an international transport
corridor Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baku. They backed up the project of
constructing a railway between Kars and Akhalkalaki. Armenia is against
this project as economically unsound, because the new railway will
be constructed despite the existence of the Kars-Gyumri-Tbilisi-Baku
railway.

NKR TERRITORY IS CONTROLLED

Lragir.am
29 March 06

“There are no facts of traffic in drugs in Nagorno Karabakh,” said
Victor Cherkasov, the head of the Russian Federal Service for Control
of Traffic in Drugs, in Yerevan on March 29. Victor Cherkasov told
news reporters that as the head of the Russian Federal Service for
Control of Traffic in Drugs and the president of the coordinating
board of the Collective Security Pact Organization he could assume
the responsibility to announce that there are no facts that drugs
are exported from and transited via Karabakh.

Haik Harutiunyan, the chief of the Police of Armenia, also denied
that there is traffic in drugs in Nagorno Karabakh. “This question
is politicized and has nothing to do with the reality. The Police of
Karabakh control the entire territory of Nagorno Karabakh, cooperating
with us,” said Haik Harutiunyan.

PRE-TERM TERMINATION OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT OF ARMENIAN NPP ON AGENDA

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
March 28 2006

Yerevan, March 28. /ARKA/. The Russian side’s pre-term termination of
financial management of the Armenian nuclear-power plant (NPP) is not
currently on the agenda, the “Novosti-Armenia” News Agency reports
referring to Yevgeny Dod, Director General of the “INTER RAO UES” CJSC.

At his meeting with journalists in Moscow reported that the agreement
on financial management of the Armenian NPP was signed two years and
a half ago for the purpose of settling financial problems with the
supply of nuclear fuel.

Dod added that the agreement was signed for five years, and the issue
of its cancellation is not on the agenda.

“Unfortunately, Armenia had no financial sources then. I think
that the situation has got stabilized: 100% payments are ensured,
the rates necessary for investment activities and maintaining safe
operation of stations are in effect,” Dod said.

He pointed out that the crisis management of the NPP has come to an
end, and the NPP has entered a new level of operation.

In this context, Dod added that last year the NPP could pay for
nuclear fuel.

According to Dod, some circles in Armenia claimed that the RAO
“UES of Russia” monopolized Armenia’s energy market and controls
the Sevan-Hrazdan coordinated hydro-electric system, the NPP and
electricity networks. He stated that this issue no longer on the
agenda, because the two countries’ Governments reached an agreement.

The Armenian NPP was put into operation in January 1980. The second
power unit (407.5 megawatts) is currently operating.

In September 2005, the NPP’s financial management was trusted to the
“INTER RAO UES” CJSC, a daughter company of the RAO “UES of Russia”
(60% of shares) and the “Rosenergoatom” concern (40%).

AZERI LEADER RENEWS KARABAKH WAR THREATS
By Emil Danielyan

Radio Liberty, Czech rep.
March 27 2006

Azerbaijan issued on Monday a fresh threat to win back Nagorno-Karabakh
by force, with President Ilham Aliev warning that he may unleash an
all-out war against Armenia “at any moment.”

Addressing officers of the National Security Ministry, the Azerbaijani
successor to the Soviet KGB, Aliev said there is still a chance of
a peaceful resolution of the Karabakh conflict, but did not specify
whether he thinks it can be achieved this year. He instead urged his
countrymen to be prepared for renewed fighting.

“I think that the peace potential has not yet been exhausted.

Therefore, we will of course remain faithful to the peace process,”
Aliev said in remarks broadcast by the Azerbaijani TV station ANS.

“But at the same time, we must be ready for any eventuality and
that is why Azerbaijan has stepped up its army building efforts in
recent years.

“Our military spending has increased over the past years, and it will
increase further. This is our sovereign right, this is our job. Our
country is in a state of war.”

“The opposite side must know that Azerbaijan is capable of securing
its territorial integrity through war at any moment,” he added.

The comments came against the background of fading hopes for
an imminent Karabakh settlement that stemmed from major progress
registered in Armenian-Azerbaijani peace talks in the course of last
year. Aliev and his Armenian counterpart Robert Kocharian were widely
expected to hammer out a framework peace agreement when they met
in France last month. However, the two-day summit mediated by U.S.,
Russian and French diplomats ended in failure.

Shortly afterwards Aliev reverted to his regular public threats,
always shrugged off by Armenian leaders, to resolve the conflict by
military means. Kocharian responded by warning that Baku’s refusal
to make major concessions to the Armenians could lead Yerevan to
formally recognize Karabakh’s independence.

The Azerbaijani leader’s bellicose rhetoric was indirectly criticized
on Friday by the European Union’s new special representative to
the South Caucasus. “An attempt on the Azeri side to resolve the
conflict by military means will have very serious consequences,”
Peter Semneby told RFE/RL. “It may not be successful in the first
place, and it will also seriously damage Azerbaijan in terms of its
investment climate and reliability as a partner.”

Aliev’s chief foreign policy aide, Novruz Mamedov, was quick to
dismiss the warning. “If Azerbaijan can indeed discredit itself as
a partner if it starts war to liberate its own lands, how come that
Armenia occupied Azerbaijani territories in a war and has kept them
under occupation for 15 years, but this has not discredited Armenia
anyhow?” Mamedov told the Azerbaijani ATV channel.

Meanwhile, the international mediators insist that the peace process
may still be salvaged but seem undecided about their next steps.

Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said last week that they will
either visit the conflict zone or arrange another round of
Armenian-Azerbaijani negotiations soon.

‘THERE IS NO ONE TO REPRESENT AZERBAIJAN’ AT EURO. SONG CONTEST

esctoday.com, Netherlands
Eurovision Song Contest
March 26 2006

Singer Yalchin Rzazade speaks out

Now neighbours Russia and Armenia take part in the Eurovision Song
Contest and neighbour Georgia is eager to do so as well, public
discussions about participation started in Azerbaijan. “There is
really no one worthy to represent Azerbaijani people in this song
contest. Azerbaijani singers claiming that they can participate in the
Eurovision Song Contest can only sing in restaurants and they become
popular by the help of money”, the popular singer Yalchin Rzazade said.

According to Rzazade, a singer to participate in this song contest
should be a professional first of all. “Secondly, he or she
should have a beautiful appearance. There are beautiful singers in
Azerbaijan. However, not all of them are talented”, Rzazade said.

Rzazade indirectly says that his country should not take part at all,
as no one meets the standards that are neccesary to take part. “Our
pop stars do not meet the standards of this contest. What I want
to say is that some of our pop stars claming to participate in the
contest cannot represent Azerbaijan. It would be shameful for us. In
Azerbaijan, if you have money, you can write songs, make disks or
clips. Most of our young singers pay some money to televisions to
display their clips, as a result the new generation is obliged to
listen to these songs. It is not a real art”, the popular singer said.

For the moment, a discussion about Azerbaijan’s participation might
be a little too early, as the country’s public broadcaster AZTV is
not even a member of the European Broadcasting Union…

Friday, March 24, 2006 – Last Updated: 6:39 AM
Stop another holocaust

Post and Courier
Chalston.net
X-Sender: Asbed Bedrossian <[email protected]>
X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 — ListProcessor(tm) by CREN

Close to a million people were killed in Rwanda in 1994 when the
dominant Hutus turned against the Tutsis. The slaughter that went
unchecked should have ensured that at the first signs of genocide the
United Nations would act to prevent yet another human tragedy.

Not so. Genocide has been proceeding in the Darfur region of Sudan as
if there had never been a commitment by the international community to
make the vow “Never Again,” after the Jewish Holocaust, mean
something. To date, the United Nations has shrunk from its
responsibility to intervene and the United States, overstretched in
Afghanistan and Iraq, is in no position to act unilaterally.

Over the past three years, during which at least 300,000 people were
killed and two million displaced from their homes, the United States
was at the forefront of diplomacy aimed at persuading the Sudanese
government to rein in its murdering militias, known as the Janjaweed,
and to cease the “ethnic cleansing” of the black Christian population.

Eighteen months ago, then-U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell
declared that the Arab government was carrying out a campaign of
genocide against the people of Darfur and was using rape as a
weapon. President Bush has repeated the charge of genocide, as has
Congress.

A campaign mounted by the American Jewish World Service called
“Million Voices for Darfur” calls on people around the world to remind
President Bush that during his first year in the White House, he wrote
in the margins of a report on the Rwandan genocide, “Not on my watch.”
American Jews are organizing a mass rally in Washington on April 30.

Last month, the president called for a mission to Darfur under “NATO
stewardship, planning, facilitating, organizing, probably double the
number of peacekeepers that are there now, in order to start bringing
some sense of security.” The Associated Press reports that after a
visit with President Bush in Washington Monday, NATO Secretary General
Jaap De Hoop Scheffer told reporters: “I am quite sure, as I told the
president, that when the U.N. comes [to ask for help], the NATO allies
will be ready to do more in enabling a United Nations Force in
Darfur.”

The president was quoted as saying the African Union must ask the
Security Council to put its mission in Darfur under a U.N. flag. When
that happens, he said, NATO can move in with U.S. help “to make it
clear to the Sudanese government that we’re intent on providing
security for the people there and intent upon helping work toward a
lasting peace agreement.”

Evidently, President Bush has not forgotten the words, “Not on my
watch,” that he scribbled on the Rwandan genocide report.