Chaldean Bishop’s Palace and Catholic-Armenian Church attacked in Mo

Chaldean Bishop’s Palace and Catholic-Armenian Church attacked in Mosul

AsiaNews.it, Italy
Dec 7 2004

Mosul (AsiaNews) – Two Christian religious buildings in Mosul (northern
Iraq) were attacked today. Bombs were detonated in two separate but
similar attacks: one against an Armenian-Catholic church, the other
against the Chaldean Bishop’s Palace.

At 2:30 pm local time (GMT +3), some men entered the Armenian Catholic
church in the Wihda neighbourhood on the eastern part of the city. The
attackers forced out a security guard and two other people who were
there and then, according to eye witnesses, set off two bombs.

Around 4:30 pm, a group of four or five armed men stormed the Chaldean
Bishop’s Palace (see photo) which is on the right bank of the Tigris
River.

Only Fr Raghid Aziz Kara was inside since Bishop Paul Faraj Rahho was
away on pastoral duties. He told AsiaNews that after the attackers
ordered him to leave the premises, they proceeded to lay and then
detonate explosive devices. He heard three explosions and saw the
building engulfed in flames.

The Bishop’s Palace in Mosul is a modern, two-storey building,
inaugurated in 1995 by Mgr Georgis Garmo, Bishop Rahho’s predecessor.
The nearby Church of the Purification, which Muslims also venerate
because of its famous statue of Our Lady, was untouched.

Police immediately started looking for the attackers but so far with
no results.

The Chaldean Catholic diocese of Mosul is led by Bishop Paulos Faraj
Rahho and has 35,000 members. It has 12 parishes, 22 diocesan priests,
8 men and 20 women religious. (LF)

Golden Globe Winner to Participate in Holiday Benefit for Armenia’sC

Ani & Narod Memorial Foundation
450 N. Brand Blvd., Suite 600
Glendale, CA 91203
818.291.6490

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

December 6, 2004

Contact: Teni Melidonian, Protocol & Prose

626.644.7247

[email protected]

Holiday Event to Benefit Vaccine Fund for Armenia’s Children
– Golden Globe Winner, Mike Connors to Attend-

Glendale, CA (December 6) – The Ani & Narod Memorial Foundation
(ANMF) is proud to announce a special event – Mistletoe & Miracles –
benefiting the Millennium Armenia Children’s Vaccine Fund (MACVF)
with special guest star Mike Connors on Wednesday, December 15,
2004 at the Cravens Estate – The San Gabriel Valley Chapter of the
American Red Cross in Pasadena, California.

Joining the legendary television personality at the event will be Lise
Grandé, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Armenia and Michael
Mahdesian, former President Clinton appointee to USAID’s Bureau for
Humanitarian Response.

Born in Fresno, California to an Armenian family, Connors has
appeared in hundreds of television shows since the 1950s and is best
known for his portrayal of detective Joe Mannix in “Mannix” (CBS
1967-1975). Connors received four Emmy and Golden Globe nominations
for Best Actor in a Drama Series for “Mannix”, winning the Golden
Globe in 1970. After over 50 years in entertainment, Connors continues
to appear in numerous television shows including “Murder She Wrote,”
“Diagnosis Murder,” “Walker, Texas Ranger.” He has also been active
in numerous charitable organizations including Operation Missing
Persons as well as several neurological and health related charities.

Featuring live music, international cuisine, and a unique silent
auction, proceeds from “Mistletoe & Miracles” will help secure the
final $200,000 of the $1.5 million capital campaign fund designed to
guarantee basic vaccinations required to fight against preventable
disease and reduce infant mortality rates.

Since 2002, the MACVF has vaccinated over 74,000 Armenian
children. Basic vaccines include: Diphtheria, Hepatitis B, MMR –
Mumps, Measles & Rubella, Pertussis, Polio, Tetanus and TB. Over
560,000 Armenian children will be immunized through 2017.

MACVF is a public-private capital fund in partnership with
international agencies including the Ministry of Health of the Republic
of Armenia, UNICEF and USAID.

MACVF is a public-private capital fund administered by the Ani &
Narod Memorial Foundation. ANMF, established in 1994 following the
tragic deaths of Ani and Narod Ardhaldjian, has brought educational,
cultural and health programs to Armenian women and children living
around the world.

To learn more about MACVF, ANMF and its programs, please visit
or contact the office at 818.291.6490. For press
information, to request interviews and/or media kits, contact Teni
Melidonian at 626.644.7247 or via email at [email protected]

The Ani & Narod Memorial Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit,
tax-exempt US organization encouraging the welfare and development of
Armenian women and children through innovative cultural, educational,
health and social programs.

###

–Boundary_(ID_kpfx51GsMDhUGDF7A59olg)–

www.ani.org
www.ani.org

Coalition Party Reminds US Envoy About Diaspora Security in Iraq

Armenian coalition party reminds US envoy about diaspora security in Iraq

Yerkir web site, Yerevan
30 Nov 04

The US ambassador to Armenia, John Evans, met the representatives of
the supreme body of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
Dashnaktsutyun [ARFD], Armen Rustamyan, Levon Lazarian and Bagrat
Sarkisyan, at the Simon Vratsyan Centre on Tuesday [30 November].

The political situation in Armenia, regional issues, the current stage
of the settlement of the Karabakh conflict and Armenian-Turkish
relations were discussed during the meeting.

Noting the importance of the fight against terrorism, the ARFD
representatives pointed out particular circumstances connected with
the possible sending of an Armenian humanitarian group to Iraq. In
this context they also stressed the importance of ensuring the
security of the Armenian communities in Iraq and in other Arab
countries.

BAKU: US amb. hopes for success in Sofia talks on Garabagh conflict

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Dec 3 2004

US ambassador hopes for success in Sofia talks on Garabagh conflict

US ambassador to Azerbaijan Reno Harnish says he hopes that
Azerbaijan and Armenia will reach a certain agreement on the peace
settlement of the Upper Garabagh conflict at the meeting of the two
countries’ foreign ministers in Sofia on December 6.
Harnish positively assessed the activity of the OSCE Minsk Group and
regarded as groundless Russian President Vladimir Putin’s critical
remarks on this respect.
Touching upon the situation in the Ukraine after the presidential
election in this country, the ambassador said the United States’
position on the issue is known.
`The election could have been held under more serious and democratic
monitoring of the Ukrainian government’.
This country’s authorities should have organized the election in a
more transparent and democratic way, he added.*

CENN Daily Digest – November 29, 2004

CENN – NOVEMBER 29, 2004 DAILY DIGEST
Table of Contents:
1. State Oil Fund to Set Aside Azm 105 bln for BTC Pipeline Construction

2. 4 Million Tones of Oil Needed TO Fill BTC Pipeline
3. Credit Agreement in Force
4. Environmental Ministers of Eastern European, Asian and Caucasian
Countries Meet in Baku
5. Bendukidze Lashes out at Forestry Department Head
6. US Company to Ship Oil from Azerbaijan Via Georgia Ports
7. Illegal Villas in Tsaghkadzor
8. Minister Sees ‘Natural’ Economic Slowdown

1. STATE OIL FUND TO SET ASIDE AZM 105 BLN FOR BTC PIPELINE CONSTRUCTION

Source: Source: State Telegraphic Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan,
Azertag, November 25, 2004

The Azerbaijan Republic State Oil Fund is going to set aside 105 billion
manats to finance Azerbaijan’s share in the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil
export pipeline construction, Fund executive director Samir Sharifov
told AzeTAJ correspondent.

2. 4 MILLION TONS OF OIL NEEDED TO FILL BTC PIPELINE

Source: Source: State Telegraphic Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan,
Azertag, November 25, 2004

According the press service of BP Azerbaijan, as soon as
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline construction ends 4 million barrels of
oil will be needed to fill the pipe out, BP said. The pipe will be
filled with 11 million tons of oil extracted from the
Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli field.

3. CREDIT AGREEMENT IN FORCE

Source: Source: State Telegraphic Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan,
Azertag, November 25, 2004

Azerbaijani side is going to start repaying its credits taken to finance
its share in the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline construction as soon
as the batch of oil is dispatched from Ceyhan seaport in 2006, State Oil
Company of Azerbaijan reported. In this respect, credit agreements
remain in force.

4. ENVIRONMENT MINISTERS OF EASTERN EUROPEAN, ASIAN AND CAUCASIAN
COUNTRIES MEET IN BAKU

Source: Source: State Telegraphic Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan,
Azertag, November 25, 2004

In the office of Regional Ecological Center (REC) of Caucasus in
Azerbaijan was held a meeting dedicated to results of the recent
conference of the ministers of environment of the countries of Eastern
Europe, Asia and Central Caucasus (EEACC) in Tbilisi.

Noting that in the period after the ministerial conference on the topic
`Environment For Europe’, passed in Kiev in May 2003, real conclusions
on improvement of the environment and regional cooperation a notable
result was not achieved in this direction, presiding at the meeting,
head of the Society `For Sustainable Development’ Fikrat Jafarov and
participants of Tbilisi conference from Azerbaijan spoke of positive
reaction of all attendees in the event of speech of the minister of
ecology and natural resources of Azerbaijan Huseyngulu Bagirov.

Discussed was also the importance of elaboration of the national plans
on eco-strategy of EEACC, focused suggestions on realization of tasks,
put forward by the ministerial forum in Kiev and Tbilisi.

It has to be noted that in the EEACC countries, there are functioning
five Regional Ecological Centers (REC) – in Hungary, Russia, Kazakhstan,
Moldova and in the Caucasus, which are to implement sustainable
partnership on realization of EEACC strategy.

5. BENDUKIDZE LASHES OUT AT FORESTRY DEPARTMENT HEAD

Source: The Messenger, November 26, 2004

Minister describes plans for rehabilitating tourist infrastructure and
removing IDPs from hotels

Minister of Economic Development Kakha Bendukidze hit out at the Head of
the Forestry Department Bidzina Giorgobiani over disagreements between
the two regarding the privatization of Georgia’s forests.

Although Mr. Giorgobiani said in an interview with the media that
government members had been able to come to an agreed view regarding
forestry reform at lat week’s government session and that there were no
longer any questions on the issue, Bendukidze told the media on Monday
November 22, 2004 that `it seems Mr. Bidzina has forgotten that he is
working at the government.’

`The government has not yet made any decision with regard to forestry
reform. When Mr. Giorgobiani talks about the `government view’, he means
the view of him and his deputy,’ the minister said.

`The forestry department is a part of government and it is the
government which is responsible for making decisions on this issue,’ the
minister added.

Mr. Bendukidze says that the position of his ministry is to be maximally
careful in creating new state owned enterprise with new functions, such
as looking after the forests.

`As a rule, state owned enterprises are badly managed and a source of
corruption. If we want to create a joint stock or limited company
someone should write a special plan concerning its functions. Creating
some kind corporation does not mean that the problem is solved,’
Bendukidze said.

Also on Monday the minister addressed the issue of the possible transfer
of Trade Union property to the state, property that includes numerous
hotels throughout the country that are currently inhabited by IDPs.

Mr. Bendukidze said, ‘There is no talk of Trade Union property being
transferred to the state. We are saying that there are very many hotels
and sanitariums in the ownership of the Trade Union, where over 11, 000
refuges are living. That is why we agreed to create a special fund that
will be called the Fund for Developing Resorts.’

According to the minister, ‘the National Fund for Developing Resorts
will be charge of management the hotels and sanatoriums, developing the
tourist infrastructure and removing the refugees from these building,’
adding that some of assets under the ownership of the Trade Union will
also be included in the fund.

`The Trade Union expressed the desire to finish rehabilitating some of
these assets and the National Fund will provide funding for the
realizations of their aims,’ he said.

He said that Tkhaltubo and Borjomi regions would be the main
beneficiaries from this process.

`Tskhaltubo as a resort town is `dead’, as over 6000 refugees are living
in the sanatoriums located there. We should do something with regard to
these people. So we are moving to a new mechanism of managing the
property and we have also offered this to the Trade Union,’ said Mr.
Bendukidze.

6. US COMPANY TO SHIP OIL FROM AZERBAIJAN VIA GEORGIAN PORTS

Source: RIA Novosti, November 29, 2004

ExxonMobil subsidiary, Exxon Azerbaijan Ltd., has made a deal with the
Azerbaijanian Azpetrol Holding on shipping part of its oil from Azeri
and Guneshli (Azerbaijan) deposits via Georgian seaports.

Novosti-Georgia reports with reference to a press release of the US
Company that according to the agreement, oil is to be shipped along the
Baku-Batumi (Georgia) railway in the amount of ten million tons during
five years.

Despite being a participant in the project to develop sea oil deposits
Azeri-Chyrag-Guneshli, ExxonMobil at a time did not find it necessary to
become a shareholder in BTC Co. that builds the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan
pipeline. For this reason, ExxonMobil is considering all possible
options for exporting oil from Azerbaijan, including the northern
(Russian) route of the Baku-Novorossiisk oil pipeline.

Oil pumping through the BTC pipeline will cost $3-odd per barrel on the
average. But these tariffs will only be applicable to the companies that
participated in constructing and financing the oil pipeline as
shareholders of the BTC company. Other companies wishing to transport
their oil through BTC will have to pay more.

Azpetrol Holding shipped over 15 million metric tons of oil and oil
products via the South-Caucasus transport corridor when it began
operating (2001). In 2003 alone, this company transported 4,045,656
metric tons of oil and oil products along the Baku-Batumi route.

7. ILLEGAL VILLAS IN TSAGHKADZOR

Source: , November 24, 2004

Members of Parliament Gagik Tsarukyan and Levon Sargisyan, Head of the
State Customs Department Armen Avetisyan, and Deputy Head of the State
Police Department Armen Yeritsyan have all built houses in the
recreation areas and forest reserves of Tsaghkadzor.

How did these men build their villas? Gagik Tsarukyan, one of the
richest men in Armenia, began illegal construction work in the resort
town of Tsaghkadzor during the 2003 parliamentary elections. Both the
municipal administration and the law enforcement agencies knew about
this, but neither did anything to stop it. At the same time Tsarukyan
was unlawfully building his two houses, he was also campaigning for a
seat in Armenia ‘s legislature.

But now, said the mayor of Tsaghkadzor, Garun Mirzoyan, the buildings
“have been legalized in accordance with Armenia ‘s Law on the
Legalization of Unauthorized Constructions. Some time ago an
unauthorized building was constructed; we legalized the construction,
transferring quite a large amount of money to the state budget. The
territory amounts to 1.4 hectares. Both buildings were legalized in the
name of Gagik Tsarukyan, based on his written applications.”

I asked the mayor if there had been any discussions with community
members, any public hearings conducted prior to the legalization. “There
is no such provisions in this law. What were we supposed to discuss
after the houses had been built?” he answered. “[Tsarukyan] had built
the houses, and appealed to the State Cadastre to legalize the
construction. Naturally, since the State Cadastre didn’t have the
necessary documents it applied to the Mayor’s Office asking us to pass a
decision on legalizing the construction. Thus there was no point in
discussing the matter with the community,” Mayor Mirzoyan explained.

The mayor said Tsarukyan’s buildings had been legalized in mid-2003, at
a price of 2,000 drams per square meter of construction, plus the
cadastre value of the land. “Mr. Tsarukyan paid about 15 million drams,”
he added.

The truth is the Mayor’s Office was in a position to turn down
Tsarukyan’s request, or to oblige him to pull down one or both of the
illegal buildings. But instead, “We found it appropriate and legalized
the construction,” Mayor Mirzoyan told us. The Mayor’s Office did not
risk opposing Gagik Tsarukyan. They say there’s only one man in Armenia
who can – the president of the republic. They also say that Tsarukyan
built one of the houses for a certain senior official. Just who that
official is, time will tell.

“The forests of Tsaghkadzor are situated on steep slopes, 45 degrees
minimum, and are of great value from the perspective of preserving the
land and regulating the flow of water,” Srbuhi Harutiunyan, the chairman
of the Social Ecological Association, explained. “According to the
forest cadastre, these forests have defensive significance. Because of
the construction work in the Tsaghkadzor forests, the integrity of the
forest has been violated, the specific composition has suffered, and the
functions of the land have been impaired.”

“According to municipal zoning, two-thirds of the land in Tsaghkadzor is
for recreational use,” Mirzoyan said. In reality, half of this land is
already occupied by constructions. According to Article 22 of the Land
Code of Armenia, any activity impeding the intended use of recreation
land is forbidden. Construction work in Tsaghkadzor deprives the people
of Armenia of an unspoiled vacation area and damages the forests on the
steep slopes.

The mayor justifies what’s going on by saying that the building is only
taking place in areas that used to accommodate camps. But that’s not
true. Furthermore, talking with the people who live here, I found out
that they had not been informed about the planned changes that would
affect their lives. “In fact, the Kotayk Governor’s office and
Tsaghkadzor Mayor’s office failed to inform the public in advance, as
they are required to do by Articles 13 and 14 of the Law on Town
Planning and by the October 28, 1998 Government Decision # 660,” Srbuhi
Harutiunyan said.

If every parliament member, government member, judges and or prosecutor
decides to build a villa in the forests of Tsaghkadzor, who will stop
them? Unfortunately, no one. The construction work keeps going on.

8. MINISTER SEES ‘NATURAL’ ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN

Source: Radio Free Europe, Czech republic, November 25, 2004

Economic growth in Armenia, which hit a double-digit rate last year,
will slow down in the coming years but will remain strong in relative
terms, Finance and Economy Minister Vartan Khachatrian predicted on
Wednesday.

Khachatrian said the country’s Gross Domestic Product is on course to
expand by up to 11 percent this year and 8 percent in 2005, down from 13
percent reported by the government in 2003. Official figures put GDP
growth in the first nine months of 2004 at 10.3 percent.

“There is a tendency of [growth rate] decrease and that is natural. The
greater the economic base, the slower its further growth,” Khachatrian
told RFE/RL.

“Many countries and organizations hold up Armenia as an example,” he
added. That is especially true for the World Bank and the International
Monetary Fund that have praised the country’s macroeconomic performance,
rewarding its government with more multimillion-dollar loans. The World
Bank described that performance as “exemplary” in a statement last week.

The key question arising from the rosy macroeconomic data is their
impact on still low living standards. Many local and foreign economists
believe that the growth has mostly benefited a small number of wealthy
Armenians that continue to routinely evade taxes.

But Khachatrian repeated the government view that the benefits are
beginning to trickle down. “The poorest section of the population may
still not be happy but it does feel change,” he claimed.

According to official statistics made available to RFE/RL in September,
the proportion of Armenians living below the official poverty line fell
from 49.7 percent to 42.9 percent in the course of last year. They also
showed the rate of “extreme poverty” tumbling from 13 percent to 7
percent during the same period.

The credibility of the latter figure, based on household income surveys
by the National Statistical Service, was seriously questioned on
Wednesday by Hranush Kharatian, a prominent sociologists and the head of
a government department on minority affairs. “I think most experts find
this figure extremely suspicious,” she said. “If I’m not mistaken, even
the Finance Ministry has asked for a repeat of that survey.”

Other experts say that the official poverty line is set too low.


*******************************************
CENN INFO
Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN)

Tel: ++995 32 92 39 46
Fax: ++995 32 92 39 47
E-mail: [email protected]
URL:

http://www.hetq.am/eng/photostory/
www.cenn.org

World AIDS Day

PRESS RELEASE

UN Department of Public Information, Yerevan Office
14 K.Liebknekht, Yerevan 375010, Armenia
Contact: Armine Halajyan, UN DPI Information Assistant
Tel.: (374 1) 560 212
Fax/Tel.: (374 1) 561 406

WORLD AIDS DAY IN ARMENIA

Although the name of Armenia has not been mentioned in the recently launched
AIDS Epidemic Update, 2004 but Armenia falls in the geographical region
where rapid growth of the epidemic has been registered. According to this
Report, 2004 – the number of people living with HIV in Eastern Europe and
Central Asia has risen dramatically in just a few years-reaching an
estimated 1.4 million [920 000-2.1 million] at the end of 2004. This is an
increase of more than nine-fold in less than ten years. And most of the
epidemics in this region are still in their early stages-which means that
timely, effective interventions can halt and reverse them.

According to the UNDP report Reversing the Epidemic, Facts and Policy
Options, 2004, only a few years ago it was hoped that Central and Eastern
Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) would avoid the
devastation of AIDS. For at least some countries in this region, these hopes
are set to fail.

HIV has a young face in Armenia. Almost 80 percent of people living with HIV
are from 20-39 years old. In 2001 the first cases of HIV/AIDS among children
were registered.

As of October 2004 296 cases of HIV/AIDS were reported out of which 217
people (77.5%) are male, 63 women (22.5%) and 4 children. However, according
to the National HIV/AIDS Center despite these official figures, other
HIV/AIDS assessments indicate that the real number of people living with
HIV/AIDS in Armenia is closer to 2,800 – 3,000.

Speaking about the mode of transmission – injecting drug use is on the rise
in this part of the world, Armenia included. Before 1999, transmission in
Armenia via sexual contacts exceeded transmission through injecting drug
usage with a ratio of 41:22. However, from 1999 to mid 2004, the ratio
became 58:113. Almost half of the cases of the reported infections now are
of this mode and among young people (52.5%), all of whom are men, the
majority of whom have probably been infected with HIV while temporarily
living in the Russian Federation and the Ukraine. In addition, the majority
of all the male HIV carriers (66.5%) are individuals who practice injecting
drug usage, whereas the main transmission mode for women is heterosexual
contacts (94.4%). And the overall registered cases transmitted by
heterosexual transmission makes 38.9%.

>From the beginning of the epidemic 42 cases of death from HIV/AIDS have been
registered in Armenia, 6 of them in 2003 and 8 in 2004.

The maximum number of HIV carriers was reported in Yerevan(the capital): 137
cases, constitute almost half of all registered cases. Lori Marz (in the
north of the country) is placed second, where the HIV prevalence rate is 8%.

As a response to the situation in the country a Sentinel Epidemiological
Surveillance and Rapid Assessment was conducted in 2000, HIV/AIDS
Situational Analysis and Response Analysis were prepared, on the bases of
which a National Programme on HIV/AIDS Prevention was approved by the
Government in 2002.

Besides, the Theme Group in Armenia comprising of the Heads of UN Agencies
and a Government Representative supports the National Programme carrying out
a variety of activities to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS among vulnerable
groups and the general population such as advocate and support one
coordination mechanism in the country, increase monitoring and evaluation
capacities and strengthen the potential of the Government, Parliament and
civil society to respond to the challenge of HIV/AIDS.

The press conference devoted to the World AIDS Day was held on 1 December
2004 in UN Conference Hall. World Health Organization has initiated to
organize the World AIDS Day on 1 December 1988. On this day leaders of many
countries all over the world delivered their speeches containing the special
slogans on the radio and TV.

Starting from that day, every year the whole world commemorates 1 December
as a World AIDS Day to draw attention of the wide sectors of population to
the problem of HIV/AIDS, to involve new organizations, groups and
individuals in the implementation of preventive activities. This day is
commemorated by different slogans every year marking crucial issues. The
World AIDS Campaign slogan of this year is “Women, Girls and HIV/AIDS”.

The press conference was opened by Mr. V.Tkatchuk, UN DPI Representative. It
was attended by Mr. Lars Olof Kallings, Special Envoy of the UN Secretary
General on HIV/AIDS for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Mr. N.Davidyan,
Minister of Health of the Republic of Armenia, Ms. L.Grande, UN Resident
Coordinator, UNDP Resident Representative, Ms. R.Ehmer, UNAIDS InterCountry
coordinator for Southern Caucasus, Dr. S.Grigoryan, Director of the National
Centre for AIDS Prevention.

Mr. Lars Olof Kallings, Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General on
HIV/AIDS for Eastern Europe and the Central Asia has met with government
officials and people living with HIV during his visit. Dr. S.Grigoryan,
Director of the National Centre for AIDS Prevention presented
epidemiological situation on HIV/AIDS in the world, region and Armenia.

The National Programme on HIV/AIDS Prevention was approved by the Decision N
316 of 1 April 2002 of the Government of the Republic of Armenia. Starting
from the year of 2003 the National Programme on HIV/AIDS Prevention has been
implemented with the support of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis
and Malaria. Ms. R.Ehmer, UNAIDS InterCountry coordinator for Southern
Caucasus mentioned that the Government had taken several measures to prevent
the further spread of the epidemic which are supported also by UN Agencies
and other international organizations.

http://www.undpi.am

MFA of Armenia: Participation of Armenian theater in Damascus

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
375010 Telephone: +3741. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +3741. 562543
Email: [email protected]:

PRESS RELEASE
29 November 2004

Participation of Armenian theater in Damascus International Festival
of theater art

The 12th Damascus international festival of theatre art is taking
place from November 21 till November 30 in the Syrian Arab
Republic. Armenia’s Arion theatre performed Durenmate’s “Last Waltz,”
with prominent Armenian artists Vladimir Msrian and Anna and Armen
Elbakian on the 25th of November.

Through the initiative of the Armenian embassy in Syria, the theatre
troupe held performances for the Armenian communities in Damascus and
Aleppo. During a press conference held by Armenian artists, local and
international theater experts expressed their high regard for the
Armenian troupe’s performance.

www.armeniaforeignministry.am

Armenia’s destination: Europe via the Baltics

Armenia’s destination: Europe via the Baltics
by Gary Peach

Baltic Times, Latvia
Nov 24 2004

Vartan Oskanian

– born in Aleppo, Syria, 1955
– B.S. in structural engineering, Yerevan Polytechnic Institute, 1979
– M.S. in structural engineering, Tufts University, 1983
– M.A. in government studies, Harvard University, 1986
– M.A. from Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy, 1991
– founder of Armenian International Magazine, 1990
– employed with Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 1992
– minister of foreign affairs, 1998 to present
– gave up U.S. citizenship to become minister, 1998
– fluent in Armenian, English, Arabic, working knowledge of French,
Russian, Turkish
Ever since European Union accession, the Baltics have become a model
for other former republics of the Soviet Union, striving to join the
West in economic integration. The three countries of the south
Caucasus – Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia – are certainly the most
eager in this regard. In recent months there has been talk of an
intensive program, dubbed “3 + 3,” that would help propel these
countries along the Baltic path of accomplishments.

Contact between the countries has certainly increased, with Georgian
President Mikhail Saakashvili touring the Baltics last month and
Estonian President Arnold Ruutel visiting Armenia last week. In
connection with the latter, Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian
met with The Baltic Times in Yerevan this month to talk about
integration, Nagorno-Karabagh, the extensive Armenia diaspora, and
Turkey.

What specifically would the Republic of Armenia like to get out of
these contacts with the Baltic states?

First of all, we would like to resuscitate our traditionally good
bilateral ties. There are a lot of ways Armenia can benefit from
[ties with] the three Baltic countries and the Baltic states from
Armenia. For example, one of the areas in which we work closely with
Estonia is information technology. Armenia has been a beneficiary of
the Baltic experience and the progress that Estonia has made. Three
expert teams have visited Estonia, and we’ve duplicated some of the
things that they’ve done there in Armenia.

There’s also the issue of the Baltics’ experience with the European
Union, and the process that they’ve been through. I think that could
be exemplary for Armenia in that they have crossed this path. Armenia
is moving in this direction, so there is a lot that we can learn.

There’s also an interest to establish links between the three
Caucasus states and the three Baltic states. There are a lot of
similarities, including our past and our present – in terms of size,
population, and the vision for the future. And there’s talk now that
we should establish links between the two regions – the “3 + 3” type
of thing.

Baltic politicians are very interested in sharing their experiences
with the Caucasus countries. This presumes, though, that Armenia is
interested in a strategic relationship with the EU if not membership
in itself. Is that what you’re after?

Absolutely. We’ve clearly stated, in no uncertain terms, that Armenia
wants to be a member of the European Union. We can set a date – the
sooner the better – [and] we’re moving in that direction now. There’s
no doubt about it. That’s why we think that our cooperation with the
Baltic states and countries that just joined the European Union will
be beneficial.

Today we are a member of the New Neighborhood initiative. I think
this has introduced a new quality in our relationship with the
European Union. What will be next is difficult to predict at the
moment, but we would like to see the processes accelerated.

As you know, membership in the EU entails a certain loss of
sovereignty, which Armenia, with its policy of “complementarity” –
get what you can from whom you can – holds dear.

Well, the circumstances will change. Armenia now will be different
from Armenia, say, in 15 – 20 years. The world will change by then.
And if the loss of sovereignty is good for France and the United
Kingdom, it should be good for Armenia and the rest of us. So that
issue does not concern us. Our goal now is to become as integrated as
possible in European structures, because we think that it is a
ready-made blueprint for Armenia’s development, and we would like to
adopt it.

In terms of security, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer
was just here (Nov. 5). Is Armenia after membership in the alliance
as well, or are security arrangements a bit different?

Actually, security arrangements are a little bit different. If we say
today that we are eying membership in the European Union, in the case
of NATO, given the circumstances, we’re not saying [that]. At this
moment NATO membership is not on our foreign policy agenda. But given
the broadening, more inclusive obligations with NATO, it is on our
agenda, and I think we’re making headway in that direction.

Our cooperation with NATO now is very extensive. We became a member
of IPAP – Individual Partnership Action Plan – we’re developing that
plan now, and once that is finalized it will provide a new quality to
our relations with NATO.

What is Armenia trying to achieve right now vis-a-vis
Nagorno-Karabagh? Is it recognition of independent status or conflict
resolution? Or do the two go hand-in-hand?

What we’re after is to reach recognition among the international
community for Nagorno-Karabagh people’s right to self-determination.
And we are also after a comprehensive resolution to this conflict. In
other words, we’re in search of long-term peace and stability in this
region. Without the self-determination of the people of
Nagorno-Karabagh, without a comprehensive resolution to the
Nagorno-Karabagh conflict, we cannot achieve long-term peace and
stability in the Caucasus.

That’s our goal, and we’re working in that direction. But we
understand that to achieve this goal, we’ve got to show a lot of
flexibility in the negotiations, and we’ve got to be prepared to make
compromises on all sorts of issues.

But why hasn’t Armenia been very successful in getting that
recognition for Nagorno-Karabagh over the past 10 years?

It’s not an easy thing to do. I don’t know if you can provide
alternative examples where the international community has recognized
other people’s rights for self-determination within a nation. There
are one or two that work in our favor – that is, East Timor. That’s
why we’ve been saying that the overall trend [of conflict resolution]
now is in that direction. Especially in the case of Nagorno-Karabagh:
the legal and historic substantiation of their right to
self-determination is so strong that it cannot be denied.

Yes, they are very strong. And in that sense does Armenia feel
disappointed in the international community, which is more interested
in Azerbaijani oil than in rectifying the injustice of decrees by
Lenin and Stalin in the 1920s, which essentially gave
Nagorno-Karabagh to Azerbaijan – a country that did not exist before
WWI?

To be fair to the international community, and in particular the
mediators – France, Russia and the United States, as well as the
Minsk Group of the OSCE – I should say that they’ve managed to hold a
balanced approach and to adapt an even-handed policy. I don’t think
anyone has favored Azerbaijan because of its oil. The one thing they
haven’t done – they haven’t been assertive in forcing their views and
draft proposals that they put forward on Azerbaijan. For example,
there have been different proposals that Armenia has accepted and
Azerbaijan rejected. The international community and the Minsk Group
co-chairs have not been forceful in impressing that upon Azerbaijan,
because their thinking is that we cannot force peace or a solution
onto one side or another. This would have to be a mutually accepted
peace, providing us with long-term stability in the region.

So in that sense I think they’ve done a good job. There are no
disappointments. Our disappointment comes from the Azerbaijani side.
We’ve been so close several times to a resolution, but they have
backtracked from the very principles that they agreed to. Now with
the new leadership in Azerbaijan things have become even more
difficult because of attempts to roll back everything that their
predecessor [former Azerbaijani President Heidar Aliev – ed.] had
done, and the successes we have achieved. But we’ve got to keep
working on it to reach a solution.

About the Armenian diaspora – it is very large [approximately two
times Armenia’s population – ed.], wealthy and has given much money
to the country over the past 13 years since independence. What role
does the diaspora play in the formation of foreign policy?

Our diaspora, of course, has been very helpful over the past 10 – 12
years, but not to the extent that we expected – potentially much
bigger than the size of the contribution that they’ve made. And we’ve
seen an increase in their involvement in Armenia’s economic
development. As our economy continues to do better there is more
interest in our diaspora.

With regard to the diaspora’s impact on our foreign policy
formulation, well, I wouldn’t say there’s a direct effect, but we do
consider public opinion – both here domestically and among the
diaspora. And not always do [the two] match. But we take into
consideration not only their views on different foreign policy
matters, but also the impact of our actions on Armenian diaspora
communities throughout the world. So it’s a two-way consideration:
one is to hear their views, and [the second] to consider what impact
our policies will have on our diaspora communities.

The European Commission recently recommended that the EU begin
accession talks with Turkey. However, during [former EC President]
Romano Prodi and [former Commissioner for Enlargement] Geunter
Ver-heugen’s report to the European Parliament in October, nothing
substantial was mentioned about the genocide of 1915. Here we have a
state of almost 70 million that wants to join a group of civilized
countries but denies that the genocide took place. What does Armenia
think of this, and is Armenia working with its friends in the EU to
somehow get Turkey to acknowledge this genocide?

It’s not only the genocide that is an issue but the border between
Turkey and Armenia as well. I think this is an issue that should
concern the European Union. Basically, they’re beginning accession
talks with a country that has closed borders with a member of the New
Neighborhood policy and a state with which Brussels has good
relations. How those two positions will be reconciled is difficult to
tell. We hope that this issue will come up at the summit on Dec. 17,
and that the EU will directly tell Turkey that they have to open the
border with Armenia because there is no reason to have that border
closed.

We expressed our opinion when Brussels decided to begin accession
talks with Turkey. We expressed our concern that this was a political
decision, because Turkey has criminalized the use of the term
genocide in its penal code, and because they still have their border
with Armenia closed.

Brussels wants to have open borders and good relations with all
neighboring countries, particularly those that are part of the New
Neighborhood initiative. I hope the EU will make that view more
forceful and clear to Turkey.

What, in your opinion, is preventing more nations from recognizing
the genocide, such as the United States, the United Kingdom –
countries that know what happened in 1915?

Deep down, I think, all these countries are aware that genocide was
committed, but because there is such huge opposition from Turkey, and
given bilateral ties with the country, these states are looking at
this issue from a political angle. Otherwise, as we talk to them
privately, it is clear that they don’t lack any evidence [that the
genocide took place]. It is more political expediency than a moral
judgment.

Interview by Gary Peach

BAKU: Hungarian court adjourns Azeri officer’s murder trial untilFeb

Hungarian court adjourns Azeri officer’s murder trial until February 2005

Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
23 Nov 04

Presenter The trial of Azerbaijani army officer Ramil Safarov who
is charged with murdering an Armenian officer started in Budapest
today. Our officer has rejected the preliminary testimony given during
the investigation.

Reporter over Safarov’s still pictures, footage of Budapest Azerbaijani
officer Ramil Safarov, who stood trial in the Hungarian capital
of Budapest today, rejected his testimony given to the preliminary
investigation. Azerbaijani lawyer Adil Ismayilov who is observing the
trial has told ATV that although Ramil Safarov has changed some details
in his preliminary testimony, he has confessed to committing the crime.

Passage omitted: lawyer says there were language problems

In the second half of the day, the prosecution summoned Armenian and
Hungarian officers to the trial as witnesses.

Passage omitted: lawyer gives names of the officers

The lawyer said that the witnesses also confirmed that Ramil Safarov
had murdered the Armenian officer. The defence then asked the court to
summon two more witnesses, an Azerbaijani and a Lithuanian officers
who studied together with Ramil Safarov. The court adjourned the
trial until 8 February 2005 in order to summon the witnesses.

Jewish Leadership Fuels Open War

Media Monitors Network
Nov 18 2004

Jewish Leadership Fuels Open War
by Jafar Syed

“Why the common enemy of Christian and Muslims wants an open war
between them? It is a topic that needs an in-depth analysis. Remember
one hint – `dual containment.’ If Christians and Muslim cut each
other throat, who will gain?”

`Koran’ is a Mein Kampf of war.”

— Winston Churchill

`Koran’ is a deadly doctrine.”

— Fouad Ajami, John Hpokins University

Anti-American and Anti-Muslim forces have been pursuing a two-pronged
strategy to wide the gulf between America and the Muslim World. They
are prompting the American leadership to declare an open war against
the entire Muslim World. To justify this war, they are painting the
Muslim World as the No. 1 enemy of America. By pretending to side
with America in this `terror war,’ these anti-American and
anti-Muslim forces give the impression that they are the most
patriotic segment of American society. In reality, they are the No. 1
enemy of America. Because in this `terror war,’ there will be no
winner. American Century will be buried alongside the destroyed
Muslim World. This is what they want. Why? To be discussed later.

There is a community of interests between the anti-American and
anti-Muslim forces and the anti- American and anti-Muslim media. So
it is not surprising that the that the anti-American and anti-Muslim
media does not feel any reservation when it fans hate between America
and the Muslim World. It does not feel any reservation in spreading
highly toxic opinions and statements.

Anti-America and anti-Muslim forces are not happy with the present
conduct of `terror war.’ They are not even happy with the slogans
under which this `terror war’ is waged. In their view, `terror war’
under the slogans of axis of evil, international terrorism, and
militant Islam do not define the enemy correctly. They demand from
the Bush administration to confess and declare that this war is a
clash of civilization.

`Impelled by 9/11, President George W. Bush told the American people,
we are at war, at war with an axis of evil. Mr. Bush defined the
enemy as international terrorism. Given this amorphous enemy,
America’s war aims are equally amorphous. However, since the recent
9/11 commission, Mr. Bush has defined the enemy as militant Islam – a
tautology made current by Daniel Pipes. Unfortunately, the war
symbolized by 9/11 is even more monumental: it is nothing less than a
clash of civilization as eminent scholars like Bernard Lewis and
Samuel Huntington have shown, and, in the case of Islam, a
civilization animated by a world religion.’ — Professor Paul
Eidelber, The Jewish Press Magazine, 10.22.04

These anti-American and anti-Muslims forces demand from Bush
administration to confess and declare that this militant Islam is
real Islam. Confess and declare that `Koran’ is a `deadly doctrine.’
Confess and declare, `Koran is the Mein Kampf of war.’

`If American war aims are to be sound, Washington policy-makers must
understand that `militant Islam’ is Islam pure and simple. The heart
of Islam is the Koran, which the renowned Fauad Ajami of John Hpokins
University refers to as a `deadly doctrine,’ and which Winston
Churchill describes as the Mein Kampf of War. America and Islam are
indeed engaged in a clash of civilization, which virtually every
Muslim writer would admit.’ — Professor Paul Eidelber, The Jewish
Press Magazine, 10.22.04).

These anti-American and anti-Muslims forces demand from Bush
administration to confess and declare that Muslim `moderates’ are as
deadly as `the fundamentalist’ are and they are also irrelevant in
the Muslim World.

`To compound the confusion, pundits focus the hopes of Americans on
Muslim `moderates,’ as if this minute fraction is strategically
relevant in Islam’s global war against `infidels.’ The fact that
Muslim `moderates’ advocate the destruction of Israel, America’s only
reliable ally in the Middle East, should caution us about the depth
or reliability of their moderation.’ — Professor Paul Eidelberg, The
Jewish Press Magazine, 10.22.04

These anti-American and anti-Muslims forces demand from Bush
administration to confess and declare that the religion of 1.2
billion Muslim is evil. Confess and declare that Muslims do not
believe that anything is common in Islam, Judaism and Christianity.

`The conflict between liberal democracy and Nazism was a conflict
between good and evil. The U.S. is loath to refer to its conflict
with Islam in such terms. No one can feel comfortable calling the
religion of 1.2 billion people `evil.’ Islam is commonly regarded as
a monotheistic faith having much in common with Judaism and
Christianity. This is NOT the way adherents of the Koran regarded
Judaism and Christianity!’ — Professor Paul Eidelberg, The Jewish
Press Magazine, 10.22.04)

These anti-American and anti-Muslim forces demand from Bush
administration to confess and declare that the Islamic Jihad is the
root cause of `terror.’ Confess and declare that U.S. main objective
is to eliminate the murderous ethos of Islamic Jihad. Confess and
declare that Jihad is evil. Confess and declare that Islam is an
enemy of peace and civilized society.

`To formulate war aims appropriate to Islam, the U.S. must identify
the root cause of the conflict, Islam’s Jihadic ethos – its bellicose
and contemptuous hatred of non-Muslim. It must be the remitting
objective of the U.S. to eliminate or radically alter this murderous
ethos. Jihadism must be condemned as evil, and so long Islam
propagates this ethos, Islam must be denounced as the enemy of peace
and of civilized society.’ — Professor Paul Eidelberg, The Jewish
Press Magazine, 10.22.04

Professor Paul Eidelberg also recommends a course of action, which
the America should adopt.

`The U.S. should issue a declaratory policy having the following
elements: (1) The U.S. will regard as a belligerent any Islamic
states that support or harbors terrorists. (2) The U.S. will regard
any Islamic state that encourages its people to hate and kill
non-Muslims as racist, and will take action to have that state banned
from the United States. (3) The U.S. will proclaim that the bellicose
concept of Jihad contradicts the UN Charter as well as the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, which prescribes `tolerance and
friendship among all nations, racial, or religious groups.’
Accordingly, the U.S. will regard public renunciation of Jihad as the
litmus test of whether a Muslim state is sincerely committed to peace
and worthy of diplomatic relations.’ — Professor Paul Eidelberg, The
Jewish Press Magazine, 10.22.04

Professor Paul Eidleberg blames the Bush administration for avoiding
the right conclusions, which are set by Professor. This is the reason
there is a confusion among the Americans about the war in Iraq.

`The Bush administration avoids this conclusion, which is why it has
failed to formulate, with any precision, America’s war aims.
Americans are therefore confused. They are divided over the war in
Iraq and about U.S. policy in the Middle East. The world’s only
superpower flounders, intellectually and militarily unprepared to
confront its ill-defined, ubiquitous enemy.’ — Professor Paul
Eidelberg, The Jewish Press Magazine, 10.22. 04

Professor Paul Eidleberg also advises the Bush administration to
forget `democratization’ of the Muslim World.

`The war aims of the United States should not include wholesale
democratization of Islamdom – an impractical and, in many countries,
an undesirable objective. In such countries, constitutionally
monarchy is preferable. The political objective is to rid Islam of
tyranny. The moral objective is to rid Islam of its jihadic ethos. In
pursuing these objectives, the U.S. will require the cooperation of
other nations. Such cooperation will be more forthcoming if American
war aims are clearly articulated, tenaciously pursued, with
consistency and more integrity.’ — Professor Paul Eidelberg, The
Jewish Press Magazine, 10.22.04

Paul Eidelberg chided his own fellow-traveler, anti-America and
anti-Muslim World, Mr. Pipe for separating `militant Islam’ from
`real Islam.’ For Prof. Eidelberg both are the same. He reminded Mr.
Pipe what he himself perceived in his earlier venomous spit.

`However, much institutions, attitudes, and customs have changed, the
Muslim approach to politics derives from invariant premises of the
religion and from fundamental theme established more than a
millennium ago.’ — In the Path of God: Islam and Political Power
quoted by Prof. Eidelberg, The Jewish Magazine, October 22, 2004)

Prof. Eidelberg also warns the Americans that this `terror war’ will
end in the destruction of one of the `warring party’ as happened in
Second World War.

`The current clash of civilization will eventually result in the
ascendancy of one and the decline of the other, as was the case in
the less encompassing conflict between liberal democracy and Nazi
Germany – a conflict that did not involve a world religion. But it is
precisely because Islam is a world religion that the U.S., the
champion of tolerance and pluralism, finds it so difficult to
identify its enemy.’ — Prof. Eidelberg, The Jewish Magazine, October
22, 2004).

Prof. Eidelberg is not alone in this incessant hate campaign to widen
the gulf between America and the Muslim World. All common enemies of
America and the Muslim World want an open war between the two. These
common enemies are worried that American leadership might not open a
new front against the Muslim World after the occupation of
Afghanistan and Iraq. Read what the anti- Americans anti-Muslims
Forward suggests to the Bush administration in its first weekly
publications after Nov. 2, 2004. Destroy and occupy Iran – this is
the first message from the Forward.

`Fresh off of victory, President Bush will face a major test in the
coming weeks on the multilateral approach he has adopted toward
Iran’s alleged pursuit of nuclear weapons. Even as Washington is
backing European efforts to pressure Tehran, the newly re-elected
president is looking to the United Nations Security Council to pick
up the lead on thwarting Iranian Nuclear aspiration.’ — Marc
Perelman, Forward, November 5, 2004)

The caption of the article is `Re-elect Bush Faces Benchmark Test On
Iranian Nukes Policy. Multilateral Approach at Stake)

Professor Louis Rene Beres, professor of International Law,
Department of political science, Purdue University, is suggesting
something else.

`International law is not a suicide pact. As Iranian nuclearization
heats up to a point of no return, Israel’s leaders will soon have to
make vitally important decisions on launching defensive first
strikes. Faced with an existentially hostile regime in Tehran, these
leaders cannot now be expected to simply sit back and wait for the
regime to deploy atomic weapons. Less than half the size of Lake
Michigan, Israel’s `wiggle room’ in strategic survival matters is
profoundly limited.’ — The Jewish Press Magazine, October 22, 2004)

The title of the article is `Israel, Iran and Preemptive Attack
Striking First Under International Law.’

Prof. Beres does not give Iran the same right of preemptive attack as
he gives `wiggle room’ state called Jewish state. Perhaps the right
of preemptive attack is `divine right’ given only to the `chosen
leadership’

Second, Prof. Beres is sending a clear message to the re-elect Bush.
If you don’t do it, Israel will.

Besides Iran, anti-American and anti-Muslim agenda setter Prof. Beres
is not happy with the Bush administration and Sen. Kerry for not
declaring an open war against Islam.

`Neither President Bush nor Senator Kerry addressed an absolutely key
issues of current American foreign policy in the opening debate. Are
we now involved in a largely operational struggle against very
particular terror group and individuals, or -rather – are we
embroiled in something much larger? Should we now be focusing on
political, military and logistical issues (the position of both
candidates) or upon the much wider religious and cultural context
from which our principal terror enemies are spawned?” — Prof. Louis
Rene Beres, The Jewish Press Magazine, October 15, 2002.

The title of the article is `After the first great debate: a war on
terror or a clash of civilization? This crucial point was missed in
the first presidential debate.’

Prof. Beres reminds the U.S. leadership that its `political
correctness’ has political consequences. It should stop playing soft
balls. It should confess and declare that Islam is against all major
`religions’ of the world, including Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism.

`The answers are important, as they will determine what security
measures we choose to adopt. And, if we can finally ignore the
constraints imposed by considerations of political correctness, these
answers are plain and incontestable. The roots of current and
still-impending anti-American terror lie deeply embedded in
civilizational hostility, in a partial but widespread Arab/Islamic
hatred for Western values and post-Enlightenment modernity. This
constructed and codified hatred extends to other major religions,
primarily Judaism, but also to certain parts of Christianity,
Hinduism, and Buddhism.’ — Prof. Beres, The Jewish Press Magazine,
October 15, 2004)

Prof. Beres reminds the Americans and the Europeans that they should
awake up to the `gathering threats’ of mass killings with
unconventional weapons. Prof. wants the Bush administration to
confess and declare that the `terror war’ is `authentic clash of
civilization.’

`The unvarnished truth of the terrorist threat to the United States
and the West remains widely misunderstood. We face suicidal mass
killings with unconventional weapons in the future not because there
exists a small number of pathological terrorists murderers, but
because we are embroiled – however unwittingly – in an authentic
clash of civilization. While we all wish it weren’t so, wishing will
get us nowhere. Our only hope is to acknowledge the relentlessly
bitter source of existential danger, and proceed to fight the real
war on terror from there.’ — Prof. Beres, The Jewish Press Magazine,
October 15, 2004)

Note these anti-Americans and anti-Muslims forces do not target only
the Muslim World. Nobody on this earth is save from their
demonization – including the United States.

`The dissolution of the Jewish state has been the goal of the members
of the so-called `quartet,’ the anti-Israel U.S. State Department,
the anti-Semitic E.U. (European Union), the hostile U.N. (United
Nations) and Russia, whose history of anti-Jewish pogroms are
legendry.” — Emanuel Winston, Middle East Analyst and Commentator,
The Jewish Press Magazine, October 22, 2004.

The world is told again and again that America is `blessed’ with
`freedom of speech’. It is emphasized that `freedom of speech’ should
be the norm of the world. Then why the only `chosen leadership’ is
privileged to exercise the right of speech right? Then why anybody in
the entire world is not free to exercise this right by criticizing
the outrageous acts of this `chosen leadership?’ Then why the `chosen
leadership’ is free to demonize the religion of a community but
National Front MEP Bruno Collnisch is not free to question `gas
chambers’ existence.

`I am not questioning the existence of concentration camps … but on
the numbers of deaths, historians can discuss it. As to whether gas
chambers existed, that’s up to the historian to determine.’ — Philip
Carmel, Jewish Chronicle, October 22, 2004.

What price this French has to pay for these alleged remarks, watch
and see. He is disputing only a happening. Religion is a more
sensitive issue than a happening.

If the `chosen leadership’ is free to demonize a religion, then why
Jewish donors are threatening the Duke University in North Carolina
to face the music. Its alleged crime is:

“A major US university is coming under pressure from some Jewish
donors for allowing a pro-Palestinian conference that urged
divestment from Israel over its alleged apartheid policies. The
weekend conference, at Duke University in North Carolina, also heard
calls for an end to Israel as a Jewish state.’ — Janine Zacharia,
Jewish Chronicle, October 22, 2004.

The Duke administration is running for a shelter and is begging for
mercy.

`The Duke administration said it was allowing the conference to take
place as part of its commitments to free speech.’ — Janine Zacharia,
Jewish Chronicle, October 22, 2004)

What price the Duke university has to pay for allowing the
student-run Palestine Solidarity Movement to have its meeting? Watch
and see. If the chosen leadership is free to patronize anti-Christian
movies like `last temptation’ and anti-Muslim books like `Satanic
Versus,’ then why Duke University cannot permit students to arrange a
meeting. Religions is more sensitive issue than a meeting that is not
liked by the `chosen leadership.’

If the `chosen leadership’ is free to demonize a religion, why then
eBay is forced to take off sale on eBay under the pressure of the
`chosen leadership.’ Religion is more sensitive issue than writing
about the `supremacism’ of a race.

`An anti-semitic book has been taken off sale on eBay after the
site’s management was told of its inclusion by the JC – but hundreds
of items linked to race-hate can still be found. The book – Jewish
Supremacism, by former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke – was
discovered by JC reader David Marsh after searching the site for
items linked to the word, Jewish. An eBay spokeswoman said that
offending item had been removed. But she added that sellers who
repeatedly breach eBay policies would be suspended, either for a
certain period or permanently, depending on the severity of the
offence. We have a team of people checking out items that should not
be listed. However, a search on the site for a leading skinhead punk
band turned up 215 items. eBay’s policies forbid the use of racist
language and also the listing of items promoting hatred or racial
intolerance.’ — Rachel Fletcher and Mark Scodie, Jewish Chronicle,
October 22, 2004

Christians and Muslims should band together to force eBay to take
away all the material written against Christianity and Islam. It
should be in hundreds.

If the `chosen leadership’ is free to demonize a religion, then why
an American boxing promoter is dragged to the court for making
alleged anti-Semitic remarks. And guess who is the boxing promoter?
He is world-known Don King. He claims that he has been fighting
racism and bigotry all his life. Religion is more sensitive issue
than alleged anti- Semitic remarks.

`American boxing promoter Don King has won the latest round in his
long-running fight to clear his name against allegations of
anti-Semitism. Judd Burstein – the American Jewish lawyer who made
the allegation – failed this week in a second attempt to have the
case move from the High Court in London to a U.S. court. The Court of
Appeal upheld the decision made by a judge in January. Mr. Burstein
now must either lodge a defence on the action or apologize.’ — Leon
Symons, Jewish Chronicle, October 22, 2004

If the `chosen leadership’ is free to demonize a religion, why then
protest against a College yearbook for anti-Semitic remarks? Religion
is more sensitive issue than anti-Semitic remarks in a college
yearbook.

`Jewish Council for Racial Equality director Dr Edie Friedman has
called for more anti-racism education in schools in light of the
furore over a Winchester College yearbook which included anti-Semitic
and other racist remarks. In the un official annual publications, a
Jewish boy was referred to as `Yeider,’ `Jew’ and `lesser Being’ by
other pupils. The head-teacher at the L22, 000 a-year boys’ school,
Tommy Cookson, condemned the comments, stressing that no
discrimination of any sort is tolerated. As soon as the offending
passages came to the attention of the school, we made every effort to
seize all copies, he said.’ — Gaby Wine, Jewish Chronicle, October
22, 2004)

If the `chosen leadership’ is free to demonize a religion, why then
in France legal actions are recommended for radical anti-Zionists?
Religion is more sensitive issue than anti-Zionism.

`A French government report this week attacked radical anti-Zionists,
saying they were anti-Semite by proxy, and suggested that
anti-Semitism and racism presented a real threat to French democracy.
In a 70-page document presented to Interior Minister Dominique de
Villepin on Tuesday, the report’s author, Jean Christophe Rupin,
called for increased legal action to fight anti-Semitism in Schools.
The report also proposed creating a national monitoring service to
compile details and statistics on anti-Semitism and racism. Mr. Rupin
also suggested combating radical anti-Zionists who were anti-Semitic
by proxy by passing a law, which would make comparison between Israel
and apartheid or Nazism illegal. The report was welcomed by Jewish
Organization.’ — Philip Carmel, Jewish Chronicle, October 22, 2004

Forget about French proposed measures to punish anti-Semite, note
what message this country of `free speech.’ is sending throughout the
world. Bush `our president’ has singed Global Anti-Semitism Review
Act of 2004.

`On October 16, President Bush signed the `Global Anti-Semitism
Review Act of 2004 (S.2292) into law … The bill requires the DOS to
submit a one-time report on acts of anti-Semitism around the world no
later than November 15. The report include a description of act of
violence, including physical violence, against Jews and Jewish
communities, and the responses of the governments where the acts of
violence occurred, as well as the action taken by those governments
to enact and enforce laws relating to the protection of the religious
freedom of Jewish people. The report also must describe efforts by
such governments to promote anti-bias and tolerance education.
Additionally, the report will include instances of propaganda in
government and nongovernmental media that attempt to justify or
promote racial hatred or incite acts of violence against Jews.
Further, due to amendments by the House, the legislation creates an
office to Monitor and Combat anti-Semitism within the DOS that will
be headed by a Special Envoy and will be charged with responsibility
for monitoring and combating anti-Semitism in foreign countries as
well as coordinating and assisting in the preparation of the annual
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices and the annual Report on
International Religious Freedom. The Secretary of State is required
to include a description of acts of violence annually as part of the
annual Report on International Religious Freedom and the annual
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices issued more than 180 days
after enactment. The description would mirror that contained in the
November 15, report.’ — Interpreter Releases, October 25, 2004)

If the `chosen leadership’ is free to demonize a religion, why then
it needs the protective umbrella of U.S. government to silence those
voices how dare to expose its worldwide domination.

Why President Bush does not include in the annual report Jewish state
where missionaries are treated like enemies and hatred is spread
against them.

`We Jews have always believed that there is no price you can put on a
Jewish soul. But that belief is being tested in Israel, where there
is an urgent need to combat thousands of missionaries backed by tens
of millions of dollars in international funding. At Yad L’Achim we
work around the clock to bring Jews back from Christianity, Islam,
and the religions of the East. We are rescuing those who have joined
cults and have been brainwashed against their own people. And once
they return and are beginning the long road to recovery, we teach
them what real Judaism is all about. Your support will make a
difference in Yad L’Achim’s fight to keep Israel Jewish.’ — How Much
is a Jewish Life Worth. Yad L’Achim pamphlet distributed by Jewish
newspapers)

Why `our’ President Bush does not include in the annual report the
Jewish state where Christian leadership and Christians are spitted
upon by the `religious’ students.

`It has been Jerusalem’s dirty little secret for decades: Orthodox
yeshiva students and other Jewish residents vandalizing churches and
spitting on Christian clergyman as they walk along the narrow,
ancient stone street of the Old City. Now, however, following a
highly publicized fracas last week between a yeshiva student and the
archbishop of Jerusalem’s Armenian Church, the issue is generating
unprecedented media attention in Israel. The fight started after a
yeshiva student at the respected Har Hamor Yeshiva spat on Archbishop
Nourhan Manougian during a Christian hold procession in the Old
City.’ — Eric J. Greenberg, Forward, October 22, 2004

Are these religious students alone in this spitting tradition? No.
American `religious’ students travels to Israel to join their
spitting brothers.

`The controversy comes as the Israel government and Diaspora Jewish
organizations have been viewed for this article suggested that the
abusive practices were more common in the ultra-Orthodox or Haredi
community, which is characterized by greater insularity. But sources
told the Forward that the practice has recently been picked up by
other segment of the Orthodox world, including visiting American
yeshiva students.’ — Eric J. Greenberg, Forward, October 22, 2004

Is only the Armenian clergy the target of the spiting tradition? No.
It is not alone.

`This is not happening only to the Armenian clergy but also to
Catholics, Syrians, Romanians and Greek Orthodox.’ — Eric J.
Greenberg, Forward, October 22, 2004)
The simple answer is there is one standard for the `chosen
leadership’ and there is another standard for the rest of the world.
President Bush cannot establish a center in the State Department that
will monitor anti-Christianity and anti-Islam activities by the
`chosen leadership.’ If he does, he will be a political corpse within
seconds.

The above quoted excerpts prove so many facts. Some of them are: The
common enemy of Americans and the Muslims gets whatever it wants.
Second, common enemy has the power to silence any voice that dare to
challenge its domination over the entire world. Third, it knows no
limits in its hate-campaign. It does not spare even religions.

As the Muslims leadership is concerned, it can quote these excerpts
when they are cornered by the talking heads of the electronic media
for spreading hate.

Why the common enemy of Christian and Muslims wants an open war
between them? It is a topic that needs an in-depth analysis. Remember
one hint – `dual containment.’ If Christians and Muslim cut each
other throat, who will gain?

Another point. In the common enemy’s history, there is more hate
against Christianity and Christians than Islam and Muslims? It is for
the Christians and Muslims to unearth it and to show the real face of
the common enemy to prove that it wants to destroy Christian and
Muslims world by `supporting’ one against the other -dual
containment.

http://usa.mediamonitors.net/content/view/full/11486/