Author: Kalantarian Kevo

PRESS RELEASE
December 8, 2004
Embassy of the Republic of Armenia
2225 R Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20008
Tel: 202-319-1976, x. 348; Fax: 202-319-2982
Email: [email protected]; Web:

Ambassador Arman Kirakossian Visits San Francisco Bay Area Armenian American
Community

On November 28, 2004, Armenian Ambassador to the U.S., Dr. Arman Kirakossian
visited San Francisco to participate in an event hosted by the Irene
Gyulnazarian Educational Fund for Armenia (IGEFA), a recently founded
charitable organization based in the San Francisco Bay Area. IGEFA
presented its report on the activities during its first year of existence.
The mission of IGEFA is to support academic and cultural institutions and to
help improve the quality of education in Armenia. IGEFA officially announced
its founding in February of 2004 in the San Francisco Bay Area, California,
a ceremony attended by the Rector of Yerevan State University Dr. Radik
Martirossian. Last October, the IGEFA held its first official ceremony of
scholarship awards in the Scientific Council Auditorium of YSU in Yerevan.
IGEFA Board members and representatives introduced the fund and its plans to
the university administration, faculty, students and other guests of the
ceremony.

Having set its mission to support academic and cultural institutions and to
help improve the quality of education in Armenia, the Irene Gyulnazarian
Educational Fund has awarded seven student scholarships, conducted
professional training, helped to enhance the professional library, and
donated equipment to the Psychology Department of the preeminent institution
of higher education in Armenia, the Yerevan State University. The choice of
Yerevan State University was not accidental as many of IGEFA’s Directors are
YSU alumni, and some of them previously worked at this university.

IGEFA’s Chairperson, Dr. Ruzanna Ohanjanian is a former Associate Professor
of Psychology at YSU and currently practicing psychotherapist in California.
In collaboration with the faculty and administration, she is developing an
advanced curriculum for the Psychology Department and organizing a
Psychology Training Center for graduate and undergraduate students, with
integrated training experiences in variety of topical areas as well as
student peer counseling services. In addition, IGEFA is working with
several Armenian and U.S. high-tech companies to provide research grants for
the Computer Science Department at YSU. IGEFA further plans to expand its
activities to other Departments of YSU in the near future.

Addressing the participants of the event, Ambassador Arman Kirakossian
praised the organizers and supporters of the Irene Gyulnazarian Educational
Fund for Armenia for the significant headway they had been able to make
during such a short period of time.

The November 28 event was attended by representatives of the Bay Area
Armenian-American community, academics, as well as by Russia’s Consul
General in San Francisco Victor Lizun, Consul General in New York Sergey V.
Garmonin, and Deputy Consul General in San Francisco Yuri Bedjanian.

For more information on the Irene Gyulnazarian Educational Fund for Armenia,
please visit

Blair challenged to tally Iraq war dead

Gulf Daily News, Bahrain
Dec 8 2004

LONDON: British diplomats and peers joined scientists and churchmen
to urge Prime Minister Tony Blair to publish a civilian death toll
in the Iraq war even as gunmen bombed two churches in the Iraqi city
of Mosul yesterday and insurgents killed an American in Baghdad,
taking the US combat toll to 1,000.

In an open letter to the premier, the 44 signatories said Blair had
rejected other death counts from the war – figures span 14,000 to
100,000 – without releasing one of his own.

The group urged Blair to commission an urgent probe into the number
of dead and injured civilians and keep counting so long as British
soldiers remain in Iraq.

“Your government is obliged under international humanitarian law to
protect the civilian population during military operations in Iraq,
and you have consistently promised to do so,” they wrote in the letter.

The inquiry, they added, should be independent of government, conducted
according to accepted scientific methods and subjected to peer review.

Signatories included Air Marshal Sir Timothy Garden, who spent 32 years
in the military; Sir Stephen Egerton, a former British ambassador to
Iraq; human rights campaigner Bianca Jagger and the Lord Bishop of
Coventry, Colin Bennetts.

Meanwhile, another American was killed in Baghdad, taking the US
combat toll to 1,000.

The soldier killed was on patrol in Baghdad when guerillas opened
fire with rifles.

At least four Iraqi National Guard troopers were also killed in two
incidents, one in the capital and another further south.

No one was killed in the bombings in Mosul; smoke billowed from
one of the northern city’s Armenian churches and one of its oldest
Chaldean churches was ablaze and a wall shattered. The attackers were
not identified.

“Gunmen came in, took the guard’s weapon and a couple of mobile
phones. Then they made everybody leave the church. After that there
was an explosion that did a lot of damage,” a worshipper said.

Churches Attacked by Iraqi Militants

The Scotsman, UK
Dec 7 2004

“PA”

Iraqi Militants bombed two churches in Mosul today, injuring three
people in a co-ordinated attack apparently aimed at stirring trouble
between religious groups in this ethnically diverse northern city.

Police officials and church leaders said gunmen stormed into the
churches and ordered people out of the buildings before detonating
explosives in both.

Deputy provincial governor Khasro Gouran said three people were
wounded in the first church attack, which occurred at 2:30 p.m.
(1130GMT) in eastern Mosul’s Wihda neighbourhood. Police officials
had no details on casualties. The religious denomination of the church
was not immediately clear, but it was believed to be Armenian.

An hour later, gunmen stormed the Chaldean Christian church in western
Mosul’s Shefa neighbourhood, forcing a handful of people out before
rigging it with explosives and detonating them, according to Father
Ragheed Aziz. No casualties were reported.

Area residents said several carloads of gunmen surrounded the Chaldean
church before 20 militants stormed the church compound.

US military spokeswoman Capt. Angela Bowman confirmed that one church
had been attacked and set on fire. American soldiers were dispatched
to the investigate the bombings.

Islamic militants have regularly targeted different sectors of Iraq’s
multi-ethnic population, including the minority Christians, in a bid
to disrupt the US-led reconstruction of the war-scarred country.

Insurgents also launched two other attacks in the city, shooting dead
policeman Jassim Mohammed and firing a rocket-propelled grenade at
the home of police Lt. Col. Nashwan Mohammed, according to police
Capt. Ahmed Khalil.

In August, four churches in Baghdad and one in Mosul were blown up in
a co-ordinated series of car bombings, killing at least seven people
and wounding dozens more in the first significant strike against
Iraq’s minority Christians since the US invasion began last year.

One person was killed and 11 injured in the August bombing of the
church in Mosul, where a minority Christian community has for long
lived in harmony with the city’s Sunni Arab majority, and many say
they still do. Any hostility toward Christians was mostly kept in
check under the toppled dictator, Saddam Hussein, who didn’t allow
militant Islamists to gain clout.

But Iraq’s community of 750,000 Christians has grown increasingly
anxious at the rise of Islamic fundamentalism since Saddam’s ousting
and hundreds have fled to neighbouring Jordan and Syria.

Some of Iraq’s most feared Islamic militant terror networks, such
as the Ansar al-Sunnah Army and al-Qaida in Iraq, have claimed
responsibility for attacks in Mosul, the scene of a recent wave
of violence targeting US and Iraqi forces and Kurds. Senior Muslim
leaders have condemned the violence, trying to quell Christian fears
they were being routed from the country.

The Messenger, Georgia
Dec 3 2004

Ukraine’s Armenians apologize for their president

According to the Russian newspaper Russkii Kurier, Ukraine’s
Armenians condemned the actions of the Armenian President Robert
Kocharyan who congratulated Yanukovich on his victory in advance. The
Armenian community in Ukraine expressed its surprise to President
Kocharyan due to his premature congratulations to Yanukovich, the
paper states.

They stressed in an address to the president that it was inadmissible
to act so rashly when the entire global community has become annoyed
by the falsification of the second round of voting and is awaiting
the decision of Ukraine’s Supreme Court concerning this issue. A film
director, one of the founders of the Union of Armenians of Ukraine,
Roman Balayan, signed the address to Kocharyan on behalf “of all the
honest Armenians.”

Next, members of the union addressed the people of Ukraine and
apologized for the actions of their president and declared their
solidarity with Ukraine’s people, “who strive to live in a country in
which constitutional rights are protected.” They also wished peace,
welfare, harmony and prosperity to Ukraine and consider Ukraine as
their second native land.

In response to Kocharyan’s statement, the press service of Victor
Yushchenko says they are sure the president of Armenia, “as the
representative of a very ancient nation of the world with great
cultural heritage” will correct his mistake in the near future.

Energy cooperation with Tajikistan useful for Russia – paper

Vecherniy Dushanbe, Dushanbe
26 Nov 04

The chairman of Russia’s national electricity grid is keen to
synchronize the Iranian energy system with those of the CIS and Baltic
states and says the Tajik energy minister can offer valuable
assistance in this, Tajikistan’s Vecherniy Dushanbe newspaper reported
on 26 November. The following are excerpts from the report:

Anatoliy Chubays, the chairman of the board of the Unified Energy
System of Russia joint-stock company, was recently re-elected chairman
of the CIS Electrical Energy Council for another year. This decision
was adopted by the council, which includes 12 CIS countries, during a
meeting in Baku on 19 October.

[Anatoliy] Chubays told journalists after the meeting that he was the
only one to vote against prolonging his authority. “I myself proposed
that a new chairman be elected, but my colleagues did not support me,”
he said. A. Chubays also said Jurabek Nurmahmadov, Tajik minister of
energy, was re-elected as the deputy chairman. [Passage omitted:
general detail]

On the subject of the benefit for Chubays, it is worth remembering an
intergovernmental agreement between Russia and Tajikistan, signed in
Dushanbe on 16 October this year, on the terms and conditions for
constructing the Sangtudin hydroelectric power station. According to
the agreement, Russia intends to invest about 250m dollars in the
construction of this station. Chubays has been planning the Unified
Energy System of Russia joint-stock company’s cooperation with
Tajikistan (naturally, for the benefit of the company), and via
Tajikistan with Iran. That is why he said in Dushanbe that the Unified
Energy System of Russia is interested in completing the construction
of the Sangtudin hydroelectric power station within the framework of
trilateral cooperation between Russia, Tajikistan and Iran.

But he then voiced his final aim in Baku: “My position is to actively
support the synchronizing of the Iranian energy system with those of
Armenia and Turkmenistan, and then to synchronize it with other CIS
countries.”

Chubays also said in the Azeri capital that he would soon visit Iran
for a detailed discussion of possible cooperation in synchronizing the
Iranian energy system with those of the CIS and Baltic countries.

“The Tajik energy minister can provide me with significant assistance
in implementing this programme,” Chubays said.

In fact, close cooperation between Chubays and Nurahmadov is
beneficial for [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and [Tajik President
Emomali] Rahmonov as well, since electricity is a resource shaping
branch of the whole economy.

The next session of the CIS Electrical Energy Council will be held in
Tbilisi in April 2005.

Azerbaijan protests at transit of goods to Armenia via Georgia

Trend news agency
29 Nov 04

BAKU

Azerbaijan is not going to let goods into Georgia if they are
redirected to Armenia, Azerbaijan’s First Deputy Prime Minister Abbas
Abbasov told reporters on 29 November.

Abbasov said that under a number of bilateral and international
agreements Azerbaijan has signed, the country allows its territory to
be used for transit and transportation of various types of cargo on
condition that its national interests are protected. Azerbaijan’s sole
stipulation is that its territory should not be used for transit of
goods to Armenia, he said.

Abbasov said that Azerbaijan has signed agreements to that effect also
with Georgia, which has to meet its commitments. However, he said,
there are some reports that Azerbaijan’s territory is being used for
transit of fuel to Armenia. The issue was discussed with the Georgian
authorities in Tbilisi last week.

“Georgia is our friend and partner. Azerbaijan has no claims to
Georgia, but we should not let this to happen. We have demanded that
the Georgian authorities put a strict ban on the transit of goods to
Armenia via Azerbaijan,” Abbasov said. “If the process persists,
Azerbaijan will prevent any goods from entering Georgia,” he said.

California Courier Online, December 2, 2004

1 – Commentary
Turkish Official Accuses U.S.
Of Committing Genocide in Iraq

By Harut Sassounian
California Courier Publisher
**************************************************************************
2 – Glendale Public Library Receives 12,500
Armenian Books from Defunct College
3 – Ararat-Eskijian
Museum Hosts
Dec. 12 Lecture
4 – Memorial Tribute For Archbishop Mesrob
Ashjian Will be Held Dec. 10 in Glendale
5 – Kassakhian Will Run for Glendale
City Clerk in April Election
6 – Free Flu Shots
Offered Dec. 4 for
Glendale Community
7 – Simonyan to Box Vasquez
Dec. 28 for IBF Title
*************************************************************************
1 – Commentary
Turkish Official Accuses U.S.
Of Committing Genocide in Iraq

By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier

Turkish officials seem to have the nasty habit of accusing everyone else of
genocide, except their own country — the real culprit!
A couple of years ago a major controversy erupted when Bulent Ecevit, the
former Prime Minister of Turkey, accused Israel of committing genocide
against the Palestinians. Even though Ecevit and other Turkish leaders
repeatedly and profusely apologized for the use of this very offensive
word, they paid a heavy price for that indiscretion. They ended up
antagonizing their supporters in Israel and in the American-Jewish
community.
A similar scenario is developing now, except that this time the Turks are
accusing the United States of genocide.
Mehmet Elkatmis, Chairman of the Turkish Parliament’s Human Rights
Commission, accused Washington of committing genocide in Iraq, and behaving
worse than Adolf Hitler. The Los Angeles Times reported the Turkish
official’s words last week under the headline: “Turk Compares U.S. to
Hitler.” The Times quoted Elkatmis as saying: “The occupation has turned
into barbarism. The U.S. administration is committing genocide in Iraq.
Never in human history have such genocide and cruelty been witnessed. Such
a genocide was never seen in the time of the pharaohs nor of Hitler nor of
Mussolini.” Elkatmis is a prominent member of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party.
Elkatmis was further quoted by the Anatolia news agency as saying: “The
Americans first committed genocide against the American Indians, then
against the Vietnamese; they used the nuclear bomb in Japan, and are the
main culprits in the Palestinian tragedy. The Americans are guilty of
crimes against humanity since hundreds of thousands of people were killed
in Iraq. It is time for the world to think of taking actions to prevent
such unspeakable cruelty, barbarism and terrorism.” Elkatmis even raised
the specter of Americans using chemical and nuclear weapons in Fallujah,
Iraq, given the large number of civilian casualties in that city.
The Times said the American Embassy in Ankara rejected these accusations,
saying “they were potentially damaging to Turkish-U.S. relations.” The
newspaper quoted a U.S. diplomat as saying: “Such unfounded, inaccurate,
exaggerated claims are not good for relations, especially at a time of
strain when Turkish public opinion is so critical of what the United States
is trying to do in Iraq.” According to the Turkish media, a U.S. Embassy
spokesman said: “The Turks know well the meaning of genocide and are
appropriately very sensitive when that word is used. Therefore, they should
not resort to exaggeration in their criticisms.”
These anti-American accusations have created a new crisis in U.S.-Turkish
relations, exacerbating the tensions caused by the Turkish government’s
earlier refusal to allow U.S. troops to enter Iraq from Turkey. While
anti-American sentiments have been growing in Turkey, accusing the U.S. of
genocide could antagonize the Bush administration.
Elkatmis is not the only Turkish official, however, to make such
anti-American statements. Bulent Arinc, the Speaker of the Turkish
Parliament, said that he agreed with Elkatmis and accused the U.S. of
violating international law. Prime Minister Erdogan himself “called on
Muslims to unite in the face of ‘ruthless’ U.S. power,” according to
Bloomberg. He also described the insurgents killed by U.S. troops as
“martyrs.” The Turkish press reported that Erdogan, during a recent phone
conversation with Vice President Dick Cheney, harshly criticized the U.S.
attacks on Fallujah. U.S. officials described Erdogan’s highly critical
words to Cheney as “going outside the bounds of proper diplomatic
discourse.”
Turkish newspapers have been publishing scores of anti-American
commentaries in recent days. Erhan Bayurt wrote in Zaman: “The U.S. has
openly violated human rights and principles of warfare under international
law.” Another Zaman commentator, Ekrem Dumanli, described how an Islamic
preacher in his Friday sermon cursed both Israel and the United States to
the wild cheers of the gathered worshippers in a Turkish mosque. The
Turkish Daily News reported that 1,500 worshippers leaving Istanbul’s
Beyazit mosque last Friday shouted anti-U.S. slogans and burned American
and Israeli flags. Similar anti-American protests were held in at least
seven other Turkish cities, including Ankara. Nihail Karaca, in her column
in Zaman, described American soldiers as “monsters.” She accused the
American people of being “accomplices in a crime against humanity” by
re-electing George Bush.
It is ironic that while the Bush Administration is overly sensitive not to
offend the sensibilities of the Turks by opposing all references to the
Armenian Genocide, Turkish officials do not seem to have any qualms in
accusing the United States directly of genocide! Why is the world’s only
superpower behaving with such reticence after handing out billions of
dollars in foreign aid to Turkey during the past 50 years? This is a
perfect example of the tail wagging the dog!
It remains to be seen whether the Bush administration would publicly rebuke
these Turkish officials or would it once again act deaf and dumb. If
American officials could muster a little courage to respond to these
offensive Turkish accusations, they could allow a vote on the genocide
resolution in the House and the Senate, thus pointing the finger back to
Turkey as the country that has committed real genocide!
**************************************************************************
2 – Glendale Public Library Receives 12,500
Armenian Books from Defunct College
By Josh Kleinbaum
News-Press and Leader
GLENDALE – Whenever the Glendale Public Library tried to add
Armenian-language books to its collection, the library always had to pay a
premium. The books are hard to find, and because they are hard
to find, they are expensive.
This week, the library hit pay dirt.
The American Armenian International College, a school affiliated with the
University of La Verne that has been closed for more than a decade, is
donating its entire Armenian-language collection to Glendale.
The donation of 12,500 books, which Glendale officials value at about
$500,000, will quadruple the library’s collection of 4,000
Armenian-language materials. Because of the size of the donation, Glendale
is expected to share the books with neighboring libraries.
“Forty percent of the population of Glendale is Armenian,” said Cindy
Cleary, assistant director of libraries. “We have 660,000 books in our
collection and only 4,000 are Armenian language. It’s an incredible
resource, not only to Glendale but to the surrounding neighborhoods.”
For some of the city’s large Armenian American population, especially the
elderly who did not grow up in the United States, having more
Armenian-language books will be welcomed.
“Much of the elderly, they may know how to speak English and read a few
things, but their native tongue is Armenian,” said Armen Carapetian,
government relations director of the Armenian National Committee’s western
region. “The books will come in particular use by that segment of the
community. It’s a tremendous gift.”
The library expects to receive the books next week, but Cleary said it will
be six months before any of them are incorporated into the library’s
collection. The city is expected to give some of the books to other area
libraries, including public libraries in Pasadena and Burbank and Cal State
Northridge’s library.
“From the beginning, it was clear that no one institution could take the
entire collection, just because of the size of the collection,” said Beth
Walker, principal librarian for the Pasadena Public Library. “We don’t know
if it’s the largest, but certainly a significant one outside of Armenia.”
The collection of books is primarily eastern Armenian, and includes history
and literature from 1980 to 1992, including translations of classics and
books on the Armenian Genocide.
“There’s a lot of Armenian literature that is in demand and is not
available in the bookstores or other libraries around,” Councilman Rafi
Manoukian said. “A collection of that magnitude certainly will go a long
way in meeting that need.”
For the past 12 years, since the college closed its doors to students in
1992, the collection has remained in La Verne but viewed by appointment
only. Last year, the college’s board members approached the Pasadena Public
Library about a donation. They also had discussions with the University of
Michigan library, which has an Armenian Research Center at its Dearborn
campus.
“The reason we picked Glendale, the whole board agreed to it, it’s a real
hub of a lot of Armenians,” said Jack Jandegian, a member of the college’s
board of directors. “With the supplement of all these books with what
you’ve already got there, it’s going to be a real big asset for the city of
Glendale.”
The college is also donating $25,000 for moving and processing the
collection. The City Council unanimously approved the donation last week.
***************************************************************************
3 – Ararat-Eskijian
Museum Hosts
Dec. 12 Lecture
MISSION HILLS, CA – The Ararat-Eskijian Museum will present a lecture in
English on Dec. 12 at the Museum, featuring Knarig Avakian, of the
Institute of History, National Academy of Sciences in Yerevan, addressing
“The Emigration of the Armenians to the United States: Evidence from the
Archives of the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople (from the beginning
to 1924.)”
Avakian is the author of “The History of the Armenian Community of the
United States: From the Beginning to 1924.”
The lecture will start at 4 p.m. at the Ararat Eskijian Museum, 15105
Mission Hills Road, Mission Hills.
Admission is free.
For more information, call (818) 838-4862.
**************************************************************************
4 – Memorial Tribute For Archbishop Mesrob
Ashjian Will be Held Dec. 10 in Glendale
GLENDALE – A memorial tribute will be held Dec. 10 in Glendale’s United
Community Church for the memory of scholar and author, Archbishop Mesrob
Ashjian.
The Hamazkayin Western Regional Executive and the Land and Culture
Organization are organizing the tribute to their late friend on the
occasion of the first anniversary of his passing.
Open to the public, the event is being held under the joint auspices of
Western Diocese Primate Archbishop Hovnan Derderian and Western Prelate
Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian.
The Master of Ceremonies for the evening is Prof. Richard Hovannisian.
The program will include guest speakers Kegham Kevonian, of Land and
Culture Organization, Paris, and
Rita Vorperian, Ph.D. The program includes performances by Hamazkayin
“Kousan” Chorale, conducted Prof. Ara Manash and slide and video
presentations of Surpazan Ashjian’s life.
Organizers said, “Please join us on Friday, December 10, 2004 at United
Community Church, 333 Colorado Blvd., Glendale, at 8 p.m., as we honor
Surpazan’s spiritual strength, humble presence and gentle humor with which
he blessed and touched us all.”
**************************************************************************
5 – Kassakhian Will Run for Glendale
City Clerk in April Election
By Josh Kleinbaum
News Press
GLENDALE – Glendale could have a competitive election in April to determine
the city’s chief election official for the first time in more than 75
years. Now, that race has its first competitor.
Ardashes Kassakhian, executive director of the Armenian National
Committee’s Western Region, announced that he will run for City Clerk, a
position that will be vacated in April when Doris Twedt retires at the end
of her term.
“I’ve always had a passion for public service,” Kassakhian, 28, said. “It’s
a noble calling. If you really want to be an active citizen and
participant, you have to take on challenges and you have to address them
head on.”
Kassakhian should have some competition, although nobody else has entered
the race. Candidates do not have to file any paperwork to run for City
Clerk until January. The job’s salary alone — $105,000 per year, minimum
— will likely draw out candidates to make the race competitive.
As an officer for the Armenian National Committee, Kassakhian is a
community activist who has lobbied the federal government for recognition
of the Armenian genocide and urged Glendale’s Armenian community to vote.
If elected, he said he would focus on increasing voter turnout and
advancing the technology inside the clerk’s office.
“He’s a very capable individual, and he knows very well what the job
entails and how to handle it,” said Councilman Rafi Manoukian, who received
support from the Armenian National Committee in his reelection bid.
“Having come from a community activism background, that gives him better
insight into the operations of the city clerk.
**************************************************************************
6 – Free Flu Shots
Offered Dec. 4 for
Glendale Community
GLENDALE – The Armenian American Nurses Association has organized free
influenza immunization outreach clinic for the senior members of the
community on Dec. 4, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon at St. Mary’s Armenian
Apostolic Church, 500 S. Central Ave., in Glendale.
All seniors 65 years of age and older will be given immunizations.
The event is sponsored by Glendale Adventist Medical Center.
***************************************************************************
*
7 – Simonyan to Box Vasquez
Dec. 28 for IBF Title
EL CAJON, Calif. – International Boxing Federation Association junior
featherweight champion Israel Vasquez will defend his title for the first
time when he meets undefeated and No. 1-ranked contender Art Simonyan, Dec.
28, at the Sycuan Resort & Casino in El Cajon, Calif.
The world championship card will be held in the Spotlight Showroom at the
Sycuan Resort & Casino.
The IBF 122-pound championship will be a belated birthday gift for one
these two boxers.
Vasquez turns 27 on Christmas Day while Simonyan becomes 29 on Dec. 27.
Vasquez, originally from Mexico City but now living in Los Angeles, has a
record of 36-3 with 26 knockouts.
Simonyan, who was born in Armenia but now lives in Glendale, Calif., has a
record of 14-0-1 with seven knockouts. He earned the right to challenge
Vasquez with a 12-round decision over Fahsan Por Thawatchai in a title
elimination bout May 21 in Elk Grove Village, Ill.
***************************************************************************
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The Messenger, Georgia
Nov 29 2004

Fight against corruption continues
By M. Alkhazashvili

A billboard near Rike: “Georgia without corruption”
Soon Georgia wil receive another report by Transparency
International on its performance in fighting coruption

Back in October, NGO Transparency International published its
Corruption Perceptions Index for 2004, in which only seven of the 146
countries ranked were perceived as being more corrupt than Georgia.

The government has sought to eradicate corruption from the top down,
putting many corrupt high ranking officials from the Shevardnadze
administration behind bars, at least until they agreed to pay a
suitable “ransom.”

Although President Saakashvili has stated that in the “high echelons”
of the new administration, there is no corruption, and that he trusts
the new ministers and officials, nevertheless, the fight against the
corruption will continue, and even in the new administration some
officials, judges, and even one MP have been accused of corruption.

At Tuesday’s congress of the National Movement and United Democrats,
President Saakashvili reiterated this telling party members that the
government has been “cleared [of corrupt officials], though the rats
have moved the battlefield to the regions and plan to return to power
from there.”

The government’s anti-corruption measures against the former
authorities are appreciated by the Georgian population, but even so,
the need to fight corruption, and equally importantly, to be seen to
be fighting corruption, is as important now as it was when the Rose
administration came to power. Because, as Transparency
International’s index shows, corruption is still perceived to be a
major problem in the country.

While Georgia has the same rating as Indonesia, Tajikistan,
Turkmenistan, Cote d’Ivoir, the Democratic Republic of Congo and
Angola, neighboring Azerbaijan is perceived as even more corrupt
(140th out of 146) but Armenia (82nd) and Russia (90th) are seen as
less corrupt.

The three Baltic countries Estonia (31st place). Lithuania (44th) and
Latvia (57th) are perceived as the least corrupt post-Soviet
countries, while the seven least corrupt countries are Finland, New
Zealand, Denmark, Island, Singapore, Switzerland and Swiss. In
December, Transparency International will release its Corruption
Barometer and provide a clearer picture of what considers as the
government’s achievements in the past year to improve transparency in
the country.

Baku says NATO role in Karabakh possible

Nov 26 2004 3:26PM

BAKU. Nov 26 (Interfax-Azerbaijan) – The Azerbaijani authorities said
that NATO may play a role in settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

“NATO’s participation in resolving the conflict may become possible. In
our opinion, using this organization’s resources would be helpful,”
Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov told a workshop
organized by the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Baku on Friday.

Vasquez Defends IBF Junior Featherweight Championship Against Simonyan

BoxingTalk
Nov 27 2004

Press release: International Boxing Federation Association junior
featherweight champion Israel Vasquez defends his title under the
Sycuan Ringside Promotions banner for the first time when he meets
undefeated and No. 1-ranked contender Art Simonyan Tuesday, Dec. 28,
at the Sycuan Resort & Casino in El Cajon, Calif.

The world championship card will be held in the Spotlight Showroom
at the Sycuan Resort & Casino.

Tickets for this championship card are on sale 24 hours daily in the
gift shop at the Sycuan Resort & Casino. Tickets also can be ordered
by calling 619-445-6002 or 619-659-3380 24 hours daily.

This is the fifth boxing card presented by Sycuan Ringside Promotions
since it burst onto the international boxing scene earlier this year.

The IBF 122-pound championship will be a belated birthday gift for
one these two boxers.

Vasquez turns 27 on Christmas Day while Simonyan becomes 29 on Dec.
27.

Vasquez, originally from Mexico City but now living in Los Angeles,
won the IBF junior featherweight championship in his most recent bout,
March 25 in Los Angeles, when he stopped Jose Luis Valbuena in the
12th round.

Vasquez has a record of 36-3 with 26 knockouts. He has a mark of
16-1 dating back to 1999, that lone loss coming in a bout for the
World Boxing Council super bantamweight championship during 2002.

Simonyan, who was born in Armenia but now lives in Glendale, Calif.,
has a record of 14-0-1 with seven knockouts. He earned the right to
challenge Vasquez with a 12-round decision over Fahsan Por Thawatchai
in a title elimination bout May 21 in Elk Grove Village, Ill.

Sycuan Ringside Promotions is considered by many to be the
fastest-growing and most dynamic promotional entity in the sport.
Sycuan Ringside Promotions made its promotional debut during February,
but already has presented world championship bouts on premium cable
networks.

Sycuan Ringside Promotions has many notable boxers in its stable,
including, in addition to Vasquez, IBF lightweight champion Julio
“The Kidd” Diaz, World Boxing Organization junior featherweight
champ Joan “Little Tyson” Guzman, former World Boxing Association
cruiserweight king Orlin “Night Train” Norris and highly regarded
welterweight Antonio Diaz.