Author: Nanijanian Alex

Poborsky missing for WCup qualifiers against Romania, Armenia

AP Worldstream
Sep 29, 2004

Injured Sparta Prague midfielder Karel Poborsky was missing from
the Czech national team’s roster announced Wednesday by coach Karel
Bruckner for next month’s World Cup qualifiers against Romania and
Armenia.

Poborsky injured his calf in Sparta’s Champions League match against
Lyon on Tuesday.

“I have spoken to him and there is a chance that he could be called
up later,” Bruckner said. “But it’s in the realm of theory _ the
diagnosis is two weeks without practice.”

Also missing from the matches on Oct. 9 and 13 will be Juventus
midfielder Pavel Nedved, who announced his retirement from
international soccer on Friday.

That leaves Bruckner with only two healthy starting midfielders:
playmaker Tomas Rosicky of Dortmund and defensive half-back Tomas
Galasek of Ajax.

Another first-choice midfielder, Liverpool’s Vladimir Smicer, is out
with a long-term leg injury.

Czech Republic Roster

Goalkeepers: Jaromir Blazek (Sparta Prague), Petr Cech (Chelsea,
England), Antonin Kinsky (Saturn Ramenskoye, Russia)

Defenders: Rene Bolf (Auxerre, France), Zdenek Grygera (Ajax Amsterdam,
Netherlands), Tomas Hubschmann (Shakhtar Donetsk, Ukraine), Marek
Jankulovski (Udinese, Italy), Martin Jiranek (Spartak Moscow, Russia),
David Rozehnal (FC Brugge, Belgium), Tomas Ujfalusi (Fiorentina, Italy)

Midfielders: Tomas Galasek (Ajax Amsterdam, Netherlands), Jiri Jarosik
(CSKA Moscow, Russia), Radoslav Kovac (Sparta Prague), Tomas Rosicky
(Dortmund, Germany), Stepan Vachousek (Austria Vienna)

Forwards: Milan Baros (Liverpool, England), Marek Heinz
Moenchengladbach, Germany), Jan Koller (Dortmund, Germany), Vratislav
Lokvence (Bochum, Germany)

The Middle East and the beginning of conflict

Pravda
09/28/2004

All countries fight amongst themselves – that is man’s nature.  Left
to their own devices, man and the disagreement will be settled. 
That is IF they are left to their own devices.

The Middle East situation is not the result of one thing, it is the
result of many things, many governments outside of the Middle East,
the US and Russian cold war, and the US trying to leverage itself as
the strong arm in the Middle East.

I cannot write the entire history of the Middle East, but I can
provide the reader with a sufficient background that will encourage
the reader to learn more.  

To Rashid, who asked me to write about the causes and aggravations
of the Middle Eastern issues – I have kept my promise to you.  There
are more issues you want me to address and I will do that.

The beginnings:

The end of World War One saw the Middle East carved up like a Sunday
afternoon apple pie. 

In November 1914, the Ottoman Empire called for a jihad against France,
Russia and Great Britain, as the Ottoman Empire sided with Germany
in World War One. 

The Arab leaders Arabs led by Sherif Hussein of Mecca, agree to side
with the Allies (Britain, France, and Russia).  The Hussein-McMahon
Correspondence, authored by the British, promised independence to
what is now Syria, Palestine (Israel), Jordan, Iraq, and the Arabian
Peninsula should the Allies win the war. 

Britain, however had also signed the Sykes-Picot Agreement with
France which directly contradicts the Hussein-McMahon agreement. 
The Sykes-Picot Agreement was a plan to dissect the middle east into
fiefdoms controlled by either Britain or France.  Then, one more
agreement was made and the Balfour Declaration provides for removing
the Ottomans from both Jerusalem and Baghdad, and the establishment
of a Jewish homeland in Palestine.

The League of Nations awards Syria and Lebanon to France and for
Palestine, Transjordan and Iraq to Britain. 

All of this is being done without any pre-knowledge by the Arab states,
and now they have new masters: Great Britain and France.  The end
result was rioting in Iraq, and Britain tightens its grip on Iraq
through more military intervention.

1920 was a bad year for the Middle East – Britain and France develop
an iron grip on the area, and America hears the word: OIL. 

>>From the Cato Institute, I quote: “Standard Oil of California
and Texaco, won the first concession to explore for oil in Saudi
Arabia in the 1930s. They discovered oil there in 1938, just after
Standard Oil of California found it in Bahrain. The same year Gulf
Oil (along with its British partner Anglo-Persian Oil) found oil in
Kuwait. During and after World War II, the region became a primary
object of U.S. foreign policy. It was then that policymakers realized
that the Middle East was “a stupendous source of strategic power, and
one of the greatest material prizes in world history.”(4) Subsequently,
as a result of cooperation between the U.S. government and several
American oil companies, the United States replaced Great Britain as
the chief Western power in the region.(5) In Iran and Saudi Arabia,
American gains were British (and French) losses.(6) Originally,
the dominant American oil interests had had limited access to Iraqi
oil only (through the Iraq Petroleum Company, under the 1928 Red Line
Agreement). In 1946, however, Standard Oil of New Jersey and Mobil Oil
Corp., seeing the irresistible opportunities in Saudi Arabia, had the
agreement voided.(7) When the awakening countries of the Middle East
asserted control over their oil resources, the United States found
ways to protect its access to the oil. Nearly everything the United
States has done in the Middle East can be understood as contributing
to the protection of its long-term access to Middle Eastern oil and,
through that control, Washington’s claim to world leadership.  The
U.S. build-up of Israel and Iran as powerful gendarmeries beholden
to the United States, and U.S. aid given to “moderate,” pro-Western
Arab regimes, such as those in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Jordan,
were intended to keep the region in friendly hands. That was always
the meaning of the term “regional stability.”

Robert W. Tucker, a foreign policy analyst advocated in the 1970s that
the United States take over the Middle Eastern oil fields militarily,
predicted that the “more likely” threat to U.S. access to the oil would
“arise primarily from developments indigenous to the Gulf.”(10)   The
1970″s saw the rise of Arab nationalism, or Muslim fundamentalism,
that was seen as a threat to the American economic and the US”s
worldwide political leadership.

“John Foster Dulles said privately during the Lebanese crisis in 1958,
the United States “must regard Arab nationalism as a flood which is
running strongly. We cannot successfully oppose it, but we could
put sand bags around positions we must protect–the first group being
Israel and Lebanon and the second being the oil positions around the
Persian Gulf.”( John Foster Dulles said privately during the Lebanese
crisis in 1958, the United States “must regard Arab nationalism as a
flood which is running strongly. We cannot successfully oppose it,
but we could put sand bags around positions we must protect–the
first group being Israel and Lebanon and the second being the oil
positions around the Persian Gulf.” Provided by the Cato Institute.

During the Cold War, the Soviet Union declared that Iran was vital
to the protection of the USSR, but America wanted Iran”s oil. There
is a tug of war between the USSR and the US, each offering sweeter
and sweeter deals to the Arab nations just for signing up.

Mohammed Reza Shah Pahlavi was favored by the US, and the US encouraged
the Shah to bring the forces to bear and start neutralizing the
splitter groups and countries into US line. It was no secret that
the US wanted to bring the US influence over the Middle East as its
predecessor, Britain, had during the helicon of British rule.

The creation of the state of Israel also caused conflict in the
Middle East and in the UN.  The Arab countries had suggested the
Jewish survivors be given citizenship in other countries.  The UN had
developed the partition plan and that was not widely accepted. The US
was big on rhetoric about self-determination, but the Arab countries
saw the US as another obstacle to autonomy.

Evan M. Wilson, then ssistant chief of the State Department’s
Division of Near Eastern Affairs, later summarized matters best
when he said that the US solved one refugee problem by creating
another.  The present day Palestinian issues are a result of US
policies overseas.   The UN partition plan had been approved by
an overwhelming majority, but the Arab nations were left out in
the cold. 

Nasser of Egypt was a political leader who tried to remain neutral in
the US/Russian cold war.  The US found this to be wholly unacceptable
as Washington demanded absolute loyalty and subservience. Both
Britain and the US then sought to discredit Nasser by the signing of
the Baghdad Pact – hoping that outer tier Middle East countries would
pressure Nasser to fall in to line.   To the dismay of both Britain
and the US, the Baghdad Pact actually bolstered Nasser and brought
the USSR and the Arab states closer together – the plan back fired.

Israel too became its own worst enemy, and I quote from the Cato
Institute: “Israel was not able to use the canal, but the Jewish
state’s aims regarding Egypt went beyond that grievance. Since the
1948 Arab-Israeli war, Palestinian refugees had often crossed into
Israel seeking to regain property and possessions expropriated by
the government and to reach relatives. Some engaged in violence.

Israel began responding with massive reprisal raids against entire
villages in the Arab countries. Most significant was the attack on
the town of Gaza in February 1955, when children as well as men were
killed. That attack prompted Egypt to end direct peace talks with
Israel and to turn to the Soviet Union for arms.

It was only at that point that Egypt sponsored an anti-Israeli
guerrilla organization whose members were known as the Fedayeen. In
August Israel attacked the Gaza Strip village of Khan Yunis, killing
39 Egyptians. The attacks in the Gaza Strip, masterminded by officials
loyal to Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, subverted Nasser’s efforts
to make peace with Israel. Ben-Gurion’s successor, Moshe Sharett,
responded positively to Nasser’s overtures, but Gen. Moshe Dayan and
others undermined Sharett.(72) During the winter of 1955, for example,
Israeli warplanes flew over Cairo repeatedly to demonstrate Egyptian
military impotence.

The Israeli government had earlier tried to prevent a warming of
U.S.-Egyptian relations by having saboteurs bomb American offices in
Cairo in 1954, an episode that became known as the Lavon Affair.(73)
When Egypt uncovered the operation, Israel accused Nasser of
fabricating the plot. Two of the 13 men arrested were hanged, and
their hangings were used as a pretext for Israel’s February 1955
attack on Gaza. Six years later, the Israeli government’s complicity
was confirmed.”

The hatred for the US is probably well earned because of the US”s
determined lebensraum expansionism.  However, we cannot overlook
British and French involvement that contributed to the escalations of
tensions and hostilities so present now.   Nor can, or should we,
forget Turkish actions in Armenia.  Each and all have contributed
directly, or indirectly, to the current state of affairs in the
Middle East.

If peace is going to prevail several things must happened.  Israel
pulls back to the pre-1967 borders and assists the Palestinians in
building their own country.  The US has to vacate and commit the
using the UN as the vessel to settling disputes. Arafat needs to
stand down.  Sharon needs to stand down.

Michael Berglin

ARKA News Agency
Sept 27 2004

RA Ambassador to US and Rector of University of Connecticut discuss
perspectives of cooperation in the sphere of education

Training courses for local doctors held in Stepanakert

Information openness must contribute into struggle against corruption

RA NA Vice-Speaker: role of mass media in fight against corruption
not powerful enough

*********************************************************************

RA AMBASSADOR TO US AND RECTOR OF UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT DISCUSS
PERSPECTIVES OF COOPERATION IN THE SPHERE OF EDUCATION

YEREVAN, September 27. /ARKA/. RA Ambassador to US Arman Kirakosian
and Rector of University of Connecticut discussed perspectives of
cooperation in the sphere of education, RA MFA told ARKA. Kirakosian
stated on his assistance to the project of implementation of program
of Armenian Studies in the University of Connecticut. He noted the
important role of this project not only for traditional Armenian
studies, but also in strengthening of cooperation of Armenian and
American experts and scientists from this field. Kirakosian also read
a lecture called “Present Condition and Perspectives of
Armenian-American Relations”.
At present administration of University of Connecticut discusses
issues on creation of regular chair of Armenian Studies. University
created special committee, one of which goals is to involve science
potential of Yerevan State University in given process. L.D. –0–

*********************************************************************

TRAINING COURSES FOR LOCAL DOCTORS HELD IN STEPANAKERT

STEPENAKERT, September 27. /ARKA/. Training courses for local
doctors, organized by National Institute of Healthcare of Armenia,
are being held in Stepanakert. As Zoya Lazaryan, NKR Healthcare
Minister told ARKA, during current visit of delegation of Armenian
Healthcare Ministry headed by Norayr Davidyan to NKR it was achieved
arrangement on organization of mobile training courses for Karabakh
doctors. “It was decided to hold these courses in Stepenakert and
then in future a number of doctors will be trained in Health
Institute of Armenia. “It is important to mention that these courses
are implemented in the frames of the state order”, NKR Healthcare
Minister told. T.M. -0–

*********************************************************************

INFORMATION OPENNESS MUST CONTRIBUTE INTO STRUGGLE AGAINST CORRUPTION

YEREVAN, September 27. /ARKA/. Armenia must define for itself if the
information openness must turn into an integrated part of it national
interests, as Konstantin Petrosov, Director of ARKA New Agency stated
on Seminar “Role of mass media in struggle against corruption –
transparency of state bodies’ activity and availability of
information” held in Tsakhkadzor. In his words, Armenia does not have
system approach to information by the state power. “It is fashionable
to talk about the struggle against corruption, however at the same
time many forget that corruption and economic crimes – the most
important problems faced by the state, and the information openness
can contribute into the solution of these problems”, Petrosov said.
He mentioned that if the state officials are forced to report to the
society (publication of income declaration of officials, obligatory
reporting on budget implementation, tenders, inspections and decision
taken by the state officials etc.) and this even is not to stop
corruption processes, at least it will strongly restrain them.
Director of ARKA Agency also mentioned other directions of the state
policy, implementation of which is impossible without information
openness. Particularly, building of a civil society is impossible
without society’s confidence to the state, authorities, public
institutions and mass media. Also, in his words, unsatisfactory
openness of our society hinders Armenia’s entering into the world
information society, creates distorted impression on economic
processes and reforms in the country. In Petrosov’s opinion, the
information openness is possible only when the authority bodies
clearly understand this necessity and promote it in all possible
ways. “For this it is necessary to develop national industry of
information services and raise efficiency of use of state information
resources”, he mentioned. T.M. -0–

*********************************************************************

RA NA VICE-SPEAKER: ROLE OF MASS MEDIA IN FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION
NOT POWERFUL ENOUGH

YEREVAN, September 27. /ARKA/. Te role of mass media in fight against
corruption is not powerful enough, as stated Vahan Hovhannisyan, the
RA NA Vice-Speaker at the seminar dedicated to the role of mass media
in fight against corruption held in Tsakhkadzor. He said that a
newspaper of a 2-thou-edition cannot lead the people, cannot mobilize
the society for a solution of a serious problem. According to
Hovhannisyan, “our people are not used to a single unified struggle,
being individualists”. He said that everyone receiving a ruling
position forgets about the fact that he should be under control and
be transparent in his activities in front of the society, thus
becoming “an infected part of the political elite, which considers
itself beyond the people and refuses them to avoid control”. The base
for fight against corruption Hovhannisyan sees in changing the
mentality of the people so that everyone considers himself a part of
a whole. He is also confident that a civil society cannot be formed
without mass media. He said that if any information is not considered
secret by the law, it should be available for everyone. The fight
against corruption should include “simultaneous system changes and
blows on the targets”. L.V. -0–

*********************************************************************

Reconsidering Turkey
By Richard Falk

Zaman, Turkey
Sept 27 2004

There is an exciting process of reform and reorientation taking place
in Turkey during the last few years that has been hardly noticed in
America, and certainly not properly appreciated.

To the extent any attention has been given, it has been to whether
the soft Islam of the AK Party provides the United States with an
opportunity to demonstrate its willingness and capacity to abide a
moderate Muslim outlook on the part of a foreign country in the
Middle East.

This possibility was severely strained in the weeks leading up to the
Iraq War when the Turkish Parliament twice narrowly turned down an
American request to use Turkish territory to launch its invasion.
This was at the time an unexpected show of strategic independence on
the part of Turkey, especially in the face of an American offer to
provide Turkey with much needed financial assistance in the amount of
$16 billion. It is worth remembering that during and after the cold
war Turkey had shaped its foreign policy entirely on the basis of
being a subordinate ally of the United States, and regionally since
the early 1990s, by working in an avowed partnership with Israel.

What was most surprising, and in the end revealing, about the Iraq
decision initially so resented in Washington was that the Turkish
military stayed in the barracks. In the recent past, any elected
government in Turkey was subject to repudiation by a military coup or
takeover if it crossed the red lines of either ‘secularism’ or the
strategic relationship with the United States and Israel. There
existed little room for maneuver on the part of politicians, and
foreign policy in particular was regarded as the domain of ‘the deep
state,’ the non-elected, non-accountable army leadership that had
claimed for itself the uncontested role of guarding the
constitutional order of republican Turkey as established by its
founding leader [Mustafa] Kemal Ataturk. What is fascinating about
this recent phase of Turkish foreign policy is this silent process of
fundamental change that has been taking place without attracting
notice except on an issue by issue basis. The scope and cumulative
weight of these changes should not be exaggerated. The deep state
remains in ultimate control of the political destiny of Turkey, and
the red lines still limit the options for elected leaders. But the
softening of these constraints is also part of the unfolding reality,
and deserves more attention than it has so far received.

Why this softening? I think the strength of the mandate received by
the AK Party in the last round of national elections over two years
ago, and the admitted absence of a secular alternative, has been
crucial. But also significant is the skill and creativity of its
leaders, particularly its Prime Minister, [Recep] Tayyip Erdogan, and
Foreign Minister, Abdullah Gul, in taking steps forward in a manner
made acceptable to the hidden military overseers, including even the
civilianizing of the Turkish National Security Council. And overall,
the unexpected success of the present leadership in Ankara of
stabilizing runaway Turkish inflation while generating one of the
world’s fastest rates of economic growth has given the government an
underpinning of credibility.

The most obvious explanation of this Turkish opening is undoubtedly
the consensus in Ankara that it is in the national interest of the
country to obtain membership in the European Union at the earliest
possible time. And it is agreed on all sides that this goal is
attainable, if at all, only if Turkey demonstrates a willingness to
clean up its human rights record and solve its main internal and
external problems. This pressure was present even before the AK
leadership arrived, and first became visible in earthquake diplomacy
in which the Greek humanitarian response to the Turkish disaster in
1998 led to a dramatic thawing of Greek/Turkish tensions, initiating
a process that removed a major source of resistance to Turkey’s
presence in the EU. In that instance, Turkey responded positively,
but it was Athens that took the initiative. But what has been
happening more recently discloses a much greater Turkish willingness
to take bold initiatives in foreign policy.

I would mention several notable developments, but there are more. The
Turkish government overcame the influence of its own formidable
rejectionists to accept the carefully balanced proposals by Kofi
Annan, on behalf of the United Nations, to solve the long-festering
Cyprus crisis. When Turkish Cypriots voted to accept the plan, and
Greek Cypriots voted to reject it, there emerged a new European and
global realization that Turkey was moving away from its earlier
pattern of rigid nationalism. It was also a clear signal that Turkey
was ready to become a responsible member of the EU.

More impressive, and more subtle, were the Turkish moves to improve
their relations with their Islamic neighbors. Prime Minister Erdogan
engaged in successful goodwill diplomacy with most of Turkey’s
neighbors, achieving a dramatic breakthrough by establishing an
accommodation with Syria, and notably improved relations with Iran
and Egypt. The Turkish government criticized Israel for the targeted
assassinations of Hamas leaders, further solidifying its new image as
a truly independent sovereign state that was now conducting its
foreign policy according to ethical and legal principles, as well as
on the basis of real politik.

Recently, I had the benefit of long conversations with Ahmet
Davutoglu, Chief Advisor to the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister,
who confirmed these trends, speaking of ‘a new paradigm’ in Turkish
foreign policy. This influential policy advisor, previously a leading
intellectual presence in the country, saw Turkey as playing a
decisive role as participant in an emerging multi-dimensional world
order, being still in a positive relationship with the United States
and Israel, but also an active player in Europe, the Middle East, and
Central Asia. Davutoglu represents a new cultural and political trend
in Turkey associated with a deliberate revival of the Ottoman past,
both as a matter of cultural enrichment, but also as a source of an
enriched Turkish identity as a political actor. What Davutoglu
particularly celebrates is what he calls the ‘accommodative’
character of the Ottoman Empire at its height, that is, the
willingness to appreciate and respect civilizational and ethnic
diversity, and to deal with political conflict in a spirit of
compromise and reconciliation. Davutoglu seeks what he calls ‘a zero
conflict’ foreign policy for Turkey, as well as a balance between
relations with Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and with the United
States. He agrees that much of this hinges in the end on the
willingness of Europe to set a schedule for Turkish accession to the
EU, and thereby confirm the benefits of this innovative approach
being taken by the AK leadership in Ankara. Without this tangible
positive result, there are dangers of a return to the earlier rigid
and narrower Turkish nationalism that approached conflict in a
somewhat paranoid and zero-sum fashion that seemed incapable of
reaching peaceful solutions because of its intense fear of being seen
as ‘weak.’

There are additional lingering difficulties with this rather hopeful
line of assessment. It is still not entirely clear which way the army
will jump in future crises, especially if it views its guardian role
as being subverted. Furthermore, Turkish urban elites are deeply
suspicious of the AK leadership, fearing that it conceals an
undisclosed agenda to turn the country into an Islamic republic.
Turkish society is quite polarized, as Kemalists refuse to
acknowledge the progress being made, contending unconvincingly that
any leadership would have taken similar steps. Also, there are some
remaining open wounds that the current leadership has not yet healed.
The acknowledgement of the Armenian genocide is still resisted, and
keeps this disturbing issue alive. And although the AK leadership has
taken some notable positive moves with respect to its large Kurdish
minority, on such matters as language and cultural rights, it has not
gone nearly far enough in providing the Kurdish regions in the
Eastern part of the country with a measure of self-rule. As well, the
economic picture is not rosy for the Turkish masses as unemployment,
poverty, and a low average standard of living torment most of the
society.

Yet on balance, considering the darkness that has descended on so
much of the world since 9/11, the Turkish story is encouraging. And,
in fairness, the Bush administration has, despite the refusal of
Turkey to join actively in the Iraq War, has welcomed these shifts in
Turkish foreign policy, and this has mad the process possible. At
this point, what will push the process forward is a positive response
from Europe, setting a date for the start of accession process, which
even optimists will take more than a decade and will be confronted by
roadblocks along the way. Nevertheless, at this moment, those that
believe in democracy and a peaceful world order should take heart
from Turkey’s impressive efforts to reform its foreign policy, and
congratulate the Turkish foreign ministry for exploring the frontiers
of the politically acceptable.

This has been a commentary exclusively written by Mr. Falk for ZAMAN
daily.

Armenian defence minister sets three conditions for Karabakh settlement

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
24 Sep 04

Armenian Defence Minister Serzh Sarkisyan has received Marco Zacchera,
vice-president of the Assembly of the Western European Union. The
minister said that Yerevan had put forward three principles for the
Karabakh settlement. From now on, Nagornyy Karabakh cannot exist as an
integral part of Azerbaijan, it cannot be isolated from Armenia and it
should have land borders with Armenia.

As for ties with Turkey, the minister said that diplomatic relations
with Ankara should be established without preconditions. Sarkisyan
said that Turkey should recognize the Armenian genocide in order to
settle all other problems.

Zacchera promised to cover these issues in his upcoming report for the
Parliamentary Assembly of the European Union.

Azerbaijan not ready for concessions in Karabakh settlement – Armenian
minister

Mediamax news agency
22 Sep 04

Yerevan, 22 September: After the decision of the Azerbaijani
authorities to bar Armenian officers from coming to Baku to attend
NATO exercises, the Armenian side has serious reasons to doubt the
ability of the Azerbaijani authorities to make compromises in the
Karabakh settlement, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan said in
Yerevan today.

Oskanyan added that by not allowing Armenian officers to come to Baku,
the Azerbaijani authorities actually gave in to the demands of “small
organizations” and such behaviour cannot but worry Yerevan in the
context of the negotiated settlement of the Nagornyy Karabakh
conflict.

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
09/20/2004
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://

1) Threats to Freedom of Press in Pending Turkish Penal Code
2) Prime Minister Margarian Addresses Nation on Occasion of Independence Day
3) Merzliakov Refutes Statements in Azeri Press
4) Celebrations Mark Anniversaries of Anjar and Musa Ler
5) Parliament Member Mushegh Movsisian Passes Away
6) AYF Gears up for 2nd Annual Little Armenia Cleanup
7) Is Our Community Obsessed with Smoke and Mirrors?

OUR NEXT ISSUE: Due to the Armenia’s Independence Day holiday, Asbarez Online
will not be posted on Tuesday, September 21; our next issue will be
posted on
Wednsday, September 22.

1) Threats to Freedom of Press in Pending Turkish Penal Code

ANKARA (Combined Sources)–The Turkish parliament adjourned late last week
without passing key reforms to its penal code–something the European
Commission has said is necessary to the country’s bid to join the 25-nation
trade bloc.
The debate in Turkish parliament stalled as legislators disputed whether to
include a provision criminalizing adultery, something the EU also opposes.
The Istanbul-based Armenian newspaper Marmara reports that the pending
package
includes two very controversial articles–passed earlier by
parliament–dealing
with the freedom of expression and freedom of press; the articles call for
punishment of imprisonment for writings and announcements that appear in the
press, that counter Turkey’s national interests.
Articles 5 and 6 of paragraph 127 of Turkey’s penal code even cite literal
examples of what would be punishable under that code. Publishing for example,
writings that read: “The Turkish army must pull-out of Cyprus,” or “Armenians
were subject to genocide during the Ottoman Empire,” fall into the category of
going against national interests, and call for imprisonment.
In debating the proposals, certain parliament members suggested softening the
tone of the articles, but they passed intact.
What is even more interesting is that Turkey, in its bid to join the EU,
recently passed laws banning imprisonment for any acts concerning freedom of
press.
Marmara reports that in all, the penal code under consideration contains 20
articles that hinder freedom of press in Turkey.
But EU enlargement commissioner Guenter Verheugen said on Sunday that the
European Union will not open membership talks with Turkey unless the country
passes a human-rights reform package, his strongest remarks on the issue so
far.
The commission is expected to present on October 6, its recommendation on
whether to start entry talks with Turkey, and Verheugen said it would
recommend
against it unless the package is passed.
“The criminal reforms are an indispensable pre-requisite for the
establishment
of membership negotiations,” Verheugen said.
“Only with these reforms can we certify that Turkey is a just state in which
human rights are taken into account. The commission will make it clear that
the
membership negotiations cannot come so long as this central element is not
fulfilled.”
If they do include the provision, Verheugen said it “would with certainty not
survive the membership negotiations.”
“Now comes the moment of truth,” Verheugen said. “Turkey must find the
strength to reconcile traditional Turkish values with European values.
European
values are non-negotiable.”
Verheugen even summoned the Turkish ambassador on Saturday to ask for
clarification on Ankara’s position on the code.
The summons followed a public dispute between Verheugen and Turkish Prime
Minister Tayyip Erdogan last week, when Erdogan bluntly told the EU to stop
meddling in Turkish affairs. The two will probably meet in Brussels on
Thursday.

2) Parliament Member Mushegh Movsisian Passes Away

YEREVAN (Armenpress)–Armenian parliament member Mushegh Movsisian, 48,
died on
Saturday after months of treatment for heavy injuries he sustained earlier
this
year in an automobile accident.
Born in the Aygek village of Etchmiadzin, Movsisian was a physical training
instructor, before he left for Mountainous Karabagh to fight against Azeri
troops. He served as a community leader in his native village from 1994 to
1996, and was subsequently elected to parliament.
In late 1999, Movsisian was arrested on suspicion of complicity in the 1999
Armenian parliament shootings. After spending seven months in prison, he was
released on June 5, 2000, when a court ruled that the claim used to detain him
was groundless.

3) Prime Minister Margarian Addresses Nation on Occasion of Independence Day

YEREVAN (Armenpress)–Prime Minister Andranik Margarian addressed the
nation on
Monday on the occasion of Armenia’s independence from the Soviet Union.
Margarian stressed that the road leading to independence and during various
periods has not been an easy one, but has been paved with numerous
difficulties
which continue to persist, “but our unbending will and the ability to unite
our
efforts at crucial times for solving our national problems, and the desire to
live freely in our homeland have helped us. . .”
He urged citizens to be intolerant of those forces that threaten to incite
new
clashes among nations and states, and pose a threat to civilized nations,
in “a
restless world.”
He also called for uniting efforts in Armenia, Mountainous Karabagh Republic,
and Diaspora, so as to withstand any and all challenges. “By strengthening our
state, we pay respects to our dedicated heroes, who sacrificed their lives to
pave the way for our independence,” said Margarian.

4) Merzliakov Refutes Statements in Azeri Press

YEREVAN (Combined Sources)–The Russian co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Yuri
Merzliakov refuted recent reports in the Azeri press, following the September
16 meeting between Armenian president Robert Kocharian, and Azeri counterpart
Ilham Aliyev, in Astana Kazakhstan.
According to those accounts, Merzliakov was quoted as saying that one of the
proposals discussed concerned the pullout of Armenian forces from the
“occupied
territories in the vicinity of Karabagh, the return of refugees, and
guarantees
for their security,” and that the proposals of the OSCE co-chairs maintain the
“principle of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.”
Asking for clarification, the Armenian foreign ministry press and information
department received a direct response from Merzliakov who said that no such
statements or comments were made to the reporters–neither during the meeting
in Astana, nor afterwards.

5) Celebrations Mark Anniversaries of Anjar and Musa Ler

ANJAR–The 89th anniversary of the historic battle of Musa Ler and the 65th
anniversary celebration of the formation of Anjar, kicked off this year on
September 18 in Anjar.
From morning on, both young and old gathered to re-establish their
pilgrimage.
After the lamb “madagh,” the preparation of the traditional “herissa” began.
In the evening, ARF “Garmeer Ler” educational committee organized a public
gathering, with Movses Herguelian offering the opening remarks. He stated that
the battle of Musa Dagh was a historic event that provided a standard for the
entire world.
The festive evening continued with Mampre Simonian singing patriotic songs
for
nearly two hours, inspiring the spirit of revolution passed down from their
ancestors.
With the traditional “davul, zourna,” the evening came to an end with dancing
and keeping alive the eternal memory of Musa Dagh’s eighteen martyrs, who lost
their lives in 1915 during the bloody battle. Their tombs are on the Mountain
of Musa (Samandagh today) near the monument dedicated to them.
The celebration continued the next day, as a congratulatory message forwarded
by President Robert Kocharian was read by Armenia’s Ambassador to Lebanon Areg
Hovhannisian. Kocharian noted that Musa Dagh serves as a symbol of Armenian
spirit and patriotism.

6) AYF Gears up for 2nd Annual Little Armenia Cleanup

GLENDALE–The Armenian Youth Federation is getting ready for its 2nd Annual
Little Armenia Cleanup, this Saturday, September 25, and with registration
deadline around the corner, sign up immediately!
The cleanup, co-sponsored by Los Angeles City Councilmember Eric Garcetti’s
office, will help remove litter and weed from major streets in Little Armenia.
Volunteers of all ages are encouraged to gather at the Rose and Alex Pilibos
Armenian School, where the clean-up will begin at 8:00 AM.
According to the Los Angeles City Sanitation Department, volunteers cleaned
over 23,000 pounds of litter during last year’s cleanup. This year, the AYF
hopes to exceed this number with the help of more volunteers.
Those who wish to volunteer should provide their complete name, telephone
number, address, and t-shirt size to the organizing committee by emailing
[email protected] or call (818) 507-1933. Registered volunteers will be provided
a t-shirt, lunch, and water throughout the day.
“We are honored to have a part of Los Angeles named after our homeland,” said
Vicken Sosikian, Public Affairs Director of the AYF. “Positive feedback
received from Little Armenia businesses and residents after the cleanup last
year, along with our efforts to expand service to our communities, have led us
to make the cleanup an annual effort,” explained Sosikian.
For more information about the 2nd Annual Little Armenia Cleanup or about AYF
in general, please visit AYFwest.org.

7) Is Our Community Obsessed with Smoke and Mirrors?

By Skeptik Sininkian

The other day I finally had time to go over my stack of news I
ritualistically
print out every week from various websites in order to stay informed and up to
date on what’s new in the world. As I passed over the story of how Michael
Jackson moon walked on the roof of an SUV surrounded by members of the rhythm
Nation of Islam, ignored the Scott Peterson and Mark Geragos Modesto Media
Carnival, and threw away the stories about Kobe Bryant’s sexual misconduct, I
almost sprayed my morning coffee all over my keyboard and desk after reading
“Frustrated Chimp Takes Up Smoking–A chimpanzee has taken up smoking and
spitting, according to China’s Xinhua news agency.” Folks, I couldn’t make
this
stuff up if I tried. I’ll spare you the details of the story except to say
that
the “poor” chimp was driven to smoking out of sexual frustration.
Now some of you may wonder where I’m going with this, but let me assure
you, I
have a point. Actually, I have a few but this is a family publication and my
views on our community and sexual frustrations will not fit in the space
allowed for my column. But for starters, let me say that I can understand a
caged animal, thousands of miles away from his/her native habitat, constantly
surrounded by prying eyes and without privacy or a soul mate, resorting to
smoking. After all, apes may share DNA with us but they’re still animals and
unable to reason. But I doubt that the youth in our community have it as
bad as
or worse than this poor chain smoking chimp. Yet every day, when I walk down
Brand Boulevard in Glendale or walk out of a coffee shop, I see throngs of
young Armenians polluting their lungs with cancer sticks. And they’re not even
caged up! Even worse, most aren’t even old enough to smoke. These kids look
old
but are no older than 15 at the most! Most of these twelve year olds sport
mustaches thicker than anything I ever grew in college during my “Sgt. Pepper”
phase. I’m willing to bet $10 that most of these kids can’t buy cigarettes
legally. They’re either lifting it from their parents, who continue to
smoke in
front of their children and thus encourage them, or are buying them from
vendors who are breaking the law. Either way, smoking has become an epidemic
amongst our community and it seems as though no one really cares. For a
community that is so vain in the clothes they wear, the cars they drive, the
restaurants they eat at, it amazes me that they are too stupid to realize that
smoking makes them look like a sweaty third world car mechanic.
California has taken some bold and admirable steps to try and curb this
nastiest of nasty habits but there is still a lot of work to be done. If
someone ever did a study of the Armenian community, I’m sure they’d find
Armenians smoking on the rise. For a community that prides itself on being
well-informed and educated, we seem to have missed the memo about all the
risks
that smoking poses to one’s health. Most folks know the damage that smoking
does but here’s some other facts that you may not have known
().

–About one in every five deaths in the US can be attributed to tobacco
related products.

–About 50,000 people a year die from second hand smoke in the US.

–2000 teenagers start smoking every day.

–Over 80 percent of all adult smokers started smoking before they were 18.

–Tobacco companies make about 1.8 billion dollars a year from underage
sales.

Our children are already stupid–addicted to the internet and video games.
Because of tobacco, our children are also going to grow up unhealthy and at a
greater risk of dying of cancer and other smoking related diseases.
What’s so attractive about smoking anyway? I lose count when trying to recall
how many times I’ve been to an Armenian dance or event and found more people
standing outside smoking than inside dancing. Mothers, daughters, sons,
fathers–even toothless grandfathers–all stand around puffing away and
polluting the air for those of us who want to take a break from the
overwhelming obnoxious heat from toxic levels of sweat inside the venue.
Forget
smoking outside, there’s always that one tough guy who thinks he’s Joe Pesci
from Goodfellas and has to smoke inside the building during the event. He
takes
a drag off of his cigarette as if his life depended on it. You know the
type of
smoker I’m talking about. The one’s who light the cigarette and then look like
they’re in pain as they inhale and then look like they finished running a
marathon when they exhale. The next time you’re at an indoor event and someone
decides to light up, slap them with a piece of looleh kebab and tell him or
her
that Skeptik sent you.
But the ultimate example of Armenian ignorance combined with tobacco was
witnessed during a trip to Armenia. On the side of the road stood a man who
ran
a “gas station” which consisted of himself, a table, a homemade sign, and
glass
jars filled with petrol. (By the way, Armenia is the only place where I would
recommend buying gasoline from a person with a homemade sign). Now as the man
poured the gasoline into the tank of the car from the jars, a cigarette
bounced
up and down his chapped lower lip as he tried to make small talk. When warned
about the dangers of smoking while “pumping” or pouring gas from an open
container, his only reply was agreeing nod and an “I’ve heard of an accident
like that happening before. It’s really sad” comment. Maybe Armenians think
their immune to the affects of tobacco or large fireball explosions?
Consider the following. The average Armenian smoker smokes about one pack of
cigarettes a day. That’s roughly 4.50 cents per pack. That comes out to
approximately 31.50 cents a week. (Before I continue, I must warn you that
these calculations are based on figures derived from the legal procurement of
cigarettes instead of smuggling counterfeit Marlboros from Mexico). Now
with 52
weeks in a year, that comes out to 1638 dollars per person. Let’s say that out
of the 80,000 residents of Glendale who are Armenian, about half are male, and
let’s assume that a quarter of them smoke. That’s about 10,000 young punks and
old farts puffing away on cigarettes with logos like “Turkish Gold” or
“Turkish
Jade” or “Turkish blah blah blah.” Now imagine if they took their nasty daily
habit and instead donated their money to an Armenian charity. That would mean
16,380,000 dollars in funds for Armenian causes, schools, social programs,
etc.
Can you imagine how many lehmejoun’s 16 million dollars can buy?
So the next time you see an attractive boy or girl about to light up a
cigarette, instead of telling them that it’s their health that it’s harming,
tell them that their harming Armenia by literally burning their money.
Maybe if
we can get our act together here in the US, the chain smoking Armenians in
Republic Square in Armenia will soon follow. In the meantime, I’ll work on a
breakthrough in medical technology, a patch that will keep people from smoking
and mouthing off stupid comments and opinions. I call it the Skeptik Smoking
and Stupidity Suppressor. So far, all I have is a piece of duct tape that you
place over the patient’s mouth but it still needs more work.

Skeptik Sinikian lives and works in a pineapple under the sea and writes
poetry on bathroom stalls in his spare time. He can be reached for comment at
[email protected] or visit his blog at

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NUNE YESAYAN AND PATRICK FIORI PERFORMED CHARITABLE CONCERT FOR
BUILDING SPORT CENTER

PanArmenian News
Sept 17 2004

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The other day Armenian diva Nune Yesayan and
famous French singer of Armenian origin Patrick Fiori performed
a joint concert in the Sport and Concert Complex of Yerevan. The
measure was organized in favor of the initiative of Provence Armenie
French humanitarian organization for the building of a sport center
in Davidashen community of the capital. The concert passed in the
packed hall in the presence an audience of 8 thousand and received
an enthusiastic welcome. Besides people’s favorite hits, the singers
together performed two songs from their repertoire that enjoy wide
popularity – Belle from Paris Mother of God Cathedral musical and
Nune. As reported by a representative of Provence Armenie in Yerevan,
a similar concert may also be organized in the near future in France.

Armenian Assembly of America
122 C Street, NW, Suite 350
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:
 
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 17, 2004
CONTACT: David Zenian
E-mail: [email protected]

ASSEMBLY JOINS U.N. CONFERENCE ON MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS

Washington, DC – The Armenian Assembly participated in a U.N. conference in
New York last week, co-sponsoring a special workshop that focused on
strategies to empower women from different cultures, including Armenia.

The workshop, within the framework of the 57th Annual U.N. Department of
Public Information and Non-Governmental Organizations (DPI/NGO), was
entitled “Empowering Women Worldwide: Implications for Gender Equity,” and
attended by more than 100 international NGO representatives.

Dr. Nicole Vartanian, one of the four panelists who was sponsored by the
Armenian Assembly, is a former U.S. Fulbright Scholar in Armenia, where she
taught and worked on issues relating to civic education and education
policy. She currently serves as a senior research associate at the U.S.
Department of Education.

Dr. Vartanian opened her presentation with a concise background on Armenia
and spoke about issues involving education trends, gender inequity in
Armenia’s labor force, Armenian NGO action to address some of the existing
difficulties.

She said the Armenian Assembly’s NGO office in Yerevan was closely involved
with a number of locally established NGOs in Armenia in working on gender
issues with the aim of promoting women’s participation in Armenia’s
political process, economic development, conflict resolution as well as
safeguarding women from domestic violence.

“I was very privileged to have this opportunity to bring issues facing women
in Armenia today to this important United Nations conference. The Assembly’s
U.N. and Armenia NGO offices play an important role in this process, and I
am proud to be part of the effort,” Ms. Vartanian said.

The Seminar was the latest in a string of similar U.N. forums on issues like
women in the media, eradication of poverty and women’s role and behavior in
the aftermath of earthquakes in which the Assembly has actively
participated.

“With the Assembly’s active and continued participation in these United
Nations forums, we are promoting Armenia’s priorities. These initiatives are
also of great importance and interest to the Armenian-American community at
large,” Assembly Executive Director Ross Vartian said.

The Assembly recently expanded its representation at the United Nations as a
non-government organization in a Special Consultative Status with the UN’s
Economic and Social Affairs Council (ECOSOC). Zara Ingilizian, Christina
Lehmejian-Karaszewski and Meldia Yesayan have joined Diane Paravazian as
Assembly representatives on a volunteer basis. Research & Information
Associate Emil Sanamyan serves as the Assembly’s primary representative to
the U.N., providing overall program direction.

The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide
organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian
issues. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.

NR#2004-085

Armenian premier says no progress expected in Karabakh talks

Ayots Ashkar, Yerevan
15 Sep 04

Text of Armen Akopyan’s report by Armenian newspaper Ayots Ashkar on
15 September headlined “Azerbaijan showed its real face”

Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Markaryan left for the capital
of Kazakhstan Astana yesterday [14 September] to take part at the
CIS summit. Before leaving, he answered journalists’ questions at
Zvartnots airport.

[Ayots Ashkar correspondent] What are your expectations from the
meeting that will take place in Astana? What problems will you discuss?

[Andranik Markaryan] The expectations are not very big. This is simply
a regular meeting of CIS government leaders. At the same time, CIS
presidents will also meet.

Fight against terrorism will be in the centre of attention. Certainly,
there are also economic problems, and the powers of the economic
council should be outlined. These are regulation problems in the work
of tax structures and transport.

[Correspondent] How do you assess the fact that Azerbaijan did not
issue visas to Armenian officers to attend NATO exercises, and the
fact that NATO cancelled the exercises?

[Markaryan] This step evidently demonstrated Azerbaijan’s attitude
towards the Karabakh issue. Because Azerbaijan viewed participation
in the NATO exercises in the context of the Karabakh issue. And the
NATO leadership made an absolutely correct decision, showing that
this international organization provides equal opportunities to all
its member countries.

I think that this international organization, as well as the
world community, have understood very well that there is a great
difference between what the Azerbaijani leadership says and what
it does. Certain arrangements are made at meetings with the OSCE
Minsk Group co-chairmen as well as at meetings of the two presidents
[Armenian and Azerbaijani]. But they present them to their people or
political forces in such a way that does not correspond to the made
arrangements. For this reason, the talks do not progress much. I
think with this action Azerbaijan showed its real face.

Last time two Armenian officers took part in a NATO conference [in
Baku]. But you also remember how they were received in Baku. They
held a show trial and sentenced leaders of the Karabakh Liberation
Organization to several years [in prison]. But this time they are one
more step ahead. Not only public and political organizations expressed
their displeasure, but also the Azerbaijani parliament and officials
voiced what they really thought.

[Correspondent] What can you say regarding [Azerbaijani President]
Ilham Aliyev’s statement that this meeting in Astana could be crucial
in the Karabakh settlement?

[Markaryan] I think that no serious shifts or changes have taken place
recently in the positions which could lead to a certain progress at
the Astana meeting. The latest events show that even if there are
serious changes, they will have negative rather than positive results.