Author: Varosian Antranik

Electoral vagueness in Abkhazia

The Messenger, Georgia
Oct 11 2004

Abkhazia’s unrecognized presidential elections have taken numerous,
unexpected twists and turns in the separatist state. Raul Khadjinba,
the former Prime Minister who was seen as Putin’s favorite was defeated
in the election, leaving Sergei Baghapshi as the preliminary winner.

The election of October 3 was very important, as it should have made
it clear who would be the heir to the ailing President Ardzinba.
Khadjinba, like Russian President Putin, is from the state security
community and may have thus gained Putin’s sympathy. He was treated
to a personal meeting with Putin and a photo opportunity that became
a frequent image in his election campaign. Now analysts conclude that
his open relationship with Moscow may have cost him votes from ardent,
pro-independent voters. In any case, the Kremlin’s support has failed
to deliver an overwhelming victory.

In separatist Abkhazia, Sergei Baghapshi’s group had more supporters.
They were in control of most election districts and did not allow
anyone to falsify the election to benefit Khadjinba. The result is
an electoral stalemate; although Baghapshi won in the early count,
courts decided that their were several errors and on October 17 repeat
elections will be held in the Gali region to decide who the winner
of the de facto post really is.

Russia has already reacted to the situation and dispatched an employee
of Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situation Nodar Khashba to take
over the post of prime minister instead of Khadjinba. Khashba is
a person with speculative presidential worth in the region but was
refused participation in the vote because he did not live in Abkhazia
during the last 5 years.

Khashba arrived in Abkhazia and began “to set up order.” According
to reports, he even made an indirect statement critical of Baghapshi.
Adding to the confusion, there have also been reports that President
Ardzinba will declare a state of emergency and will install the new
prime minister as president and thus by pass the elections.

Khashba states that a draft law on a state of emergency does not
exist and that it is impossible to develop one. He faces a stern
balancing force from local paramilitaries who were awarded with title
of local heroes for expelling Georgians and now warn Khashba not to
touch their economic assets or interfere in national policy. These
‘respected people’ are also the supporters of Baghapshi and want to
ensure his final victory.

Abkhazia’s current events are observed with great interest in
Tbilisi. Some talk about the defeat of the Kremlin and hope that
Sergei Baghapshi will win. While both Khadjinba and Baghapshi are
anti-Georgian, there is still an evident difference between them.
Khadjinba is regarded as the obedient and meek promoter of the Kremlin
who will continue the policy of the joining Abkhazia to Russia. And
Sergei Baghapshi is considered as more pro-Abkhazian, who does not
want to join Abkhazia but rather to preserve ‘independence.’

It is also clear that to have hope on Baghapshi is absurd; he too is
connected with Russia and was a representative of Yeltsin’s political
cadre. Putin simply preferred Khadjinba. Furthermore, Abkhazia is
controlled by Russia oligarchs and generals who have serious material
interests in the region. Baghapshi will not be able to oppose their
interests. Russia need not worry yet since they can easily alter
course and work with Baghapshi, but they will first pull him aside
and extract certain guarantees of good behavior from the leader.

Any overt interference by the Kremlin is likely to aggravate Abkhaz
society and Moscow will seek to avoid any hostilities in the region.
The only clear indicators out of the election are that now the vote
will depend on many ethnic Armenians and Georgians who are vulnerable
to influence by threats and discrimination in the region. Another clear
indicator is that the Abkhaz state is far from a monolith and there
are still a variety of paths for the regions future. Georgian must now
sit and wait, hoping that one of the paths will lead to reconciliation.

Palm Beach Post
Oct 1 2004

PBIA passenger arrested with 10 knives

By ANDREW MARRA
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

A California man was arrested at Palm Beach International Airport
Thursday night after he attempted to board a plane with 10 knives in
his carry-on bag, authorities said.

Two long knives and eight pocketknives were stashed in 29-year-old
Vardan Garibyan’s luggage as he placed it into a metal detector about
5:15 p.m., according to officials.

He was arrested on charges of carrying concealed weapons and
violating a security directive after a baggage screener for the
federal Transportation Security Administration discovered the knives.

Garibyan, an Armenian citizen with a lengthy arrest record in
California, will be deported to Armenia when the state charges
against him have been resolved, according to U.S. Immigration and
Customs Enforcement. An agency spokeswoman would not say whether he
is believed to be in the country illegally.

The discovery of the knives did not cause any airport delays,PBIA
spokeswoman Lisa De La Rionda said. Garibyan, who was bound for
California, was arrested without incident by the Palm Beach County
Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff’s office spokeswoman Diane Carhart said the number of weapons
found in Garibyan’s bag was unusual but that he was not believed to
have terrorist ties.

It was unclear Friday why Garibyan was carrying the knives.

“We know that he definitely had knowledge that he had these weapons,”
Carhart said. “It wasn’t like a nail file.”

BULGARIAN PRESIDENT GEORGY PARVANOV’S INTERVIEW TO ARMENPRESS

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 4, ARMENPRESS: In an exclusive interview with
Armenpress news agency, Bulgaria’s president Georgy Parvanov, who
arrives on October 5in Armenia at the invitation of president Robert
Kocharian, said there are now all preconditions for both nations to
boost their relations in all areas. “Bulgarians and Armenians are
tied together not only by traditionally friendly reciprocal feelings
and historically close relations, but also by contemporary domestic
and international political processes, which make your country a
perspective partner of Bulgaria in the strategically important South
Caucasian region,” he said.

“I assess the two meetings between Armenian and Bulgarian
presidents held within one year as manifestation of the reciprocal
readiness to further consolidate the regular and fruitful political
dialogue between the two countries that plays a crucial role in giving
a fresh muscle to the entire complex of bilateral relations,”
president Parvanov said, adding also that his talks with Kocharian in
Yerevan will serve as a basis to analyze what has been achieved so far
and to also specify next moves for solution of concrete issues.

Georgy Parvanov also underscored positive tendencies in development
of relations between Armenian and Bulgarian ministries, administrative
and business structures on the regional level, which he said were
evidence of maturity and efficiency of bilateral political
partnership, but added that there is still a great deal of unused
potential.

In response to a question whether the Bulgarian-Armenian
cooperation was sufficient for European integration process, as well
as for their interaction within international organizations Georgy
Parvanov said his country is interested in strengthening security,
democratic development and prosperityof the South Caucasian
states. “The successful development of Armenia and other countries of
the region is largely dependent on how clearly they perceive their
European perspective,” he said.

“I believe that Bulgaria’s successful process of joining the
European Union, as well as the interest, shown by Armenia to
Bulgaria’s experience in this area create excellent preconditions for
making their cooperation an important component of bilateral relations
regarding the European integration and a key factor of their further
development. And because of that I hail Armenia’s inclusion in Wider
Europe, New Neighbors Initiative, and hope that it will result in a
serious progress in its relations with the European Union and
Bulgaria. As a future member of the EU Bulgaria will make its
contribution to the development of such relations. I believe that
deepening of these processes will also result in a new dynamism in
Armenian-Bulgarian relations,” Parvanov said.

Bulgaria’s president also lauded Armenia’s intention to continue
and deepen cooperation with NATO through its Partnership for Peace
program and other forms of Euro-Atlantic cooperation. “As a member of
NATO Bulgaria is ready for active cooperation with Armenia in the
general strive towards expanding the zone of stability and security in
the Black Sea basin and the Caucasus,” hesaid.

According to Parvanov, there is also a development potential,
offered by such a specific regional organization as the Black Sea
Economic Cooperation (BSEC) that should not be overlooked. “We have to
realize that BSEC’s development prospects are tied to a great extent
to European integration processes,” he said, adding that not only in
regional, but also in a more global perspective Bulgaria and Armenia
are not only interested, but have to interact closely in fighting
against international terrorism, the most dangerous challenge to the
peace and stability.

In response to a question about whether the Armenian-Bulgarian
Business conference held on the sidelines of a last year visit by
Armenian President Robert Kocharian to Bulgaria has contributed to the
development of bilateral economic cooperation Georgy Parvanov said: ”
Though I risk to introduce a negative element in the generally high
assessment of the current Armenian-Bulgarian relations, I have to
state that the trade and economic cooperation between the two
countries does not meet the level of political dialogue, but the
growing tendency that started last year is very optimistic,” he said.

He said the Bulgarian-Armenian Business Forum was very important,
first of all because business communities in both countries started
looking at one another as perspective business partners, who can
develop wide economic ties on the basis of modernized
legal-contractual basis that is in line with market requirements,
supported also by the two countries’ membership in the World Trade
Organization. He added that now economic entities and business circles
haveto directly support trade. “It is now the time to think about
establishing a permanently working joint business forum that would be
a significant support to the activities of the intergovernmental
commission for economic, scientificand technical cooperation, whose
work in the several years has been positive.

According to Bulgaria’s president, the most perspective branch of
cooperation among the two countries is transport. “Bulgaria is
interested in getting established as Europe’s transport “gates” to
Armenia and other South Caucasian and Central Asian
countries. Contacts in this area can develop both on bilateral level,
within the frameworks of TRACECA project, as well as within the
BSEC. “Another such area are mutual investments. Now both countries
are home of foreign investments, concurrently the national capital in
both is gearing up and needs to be supported and encouraged by a 1995
signed agreement on assistance and mutual protection of investments. I
would like to mention a concrete example of jointly implemented
investment project, a winery built near Yerevan with Bulgarian
technical assistance,” he said. According to Parvanov, thereare
possibilities also for cooperation in energy, including also nuclear
energyand nuclear security, agriculture and in scientific researches.

In response to a question how he could assess the OSCE Minsk
grouprole in the process of the regulation of Nagorno Karabagh
conflict Georgy Parvanov said his country assesses positively and
supports the OSCE Minsk group and is ready to continue to render its
assistance to Armenia and Azerbaijan in their efforts to find a
long-lasting and mutually acceptable peace formula for ending the
Nagorno Karabagh conflict. Georgy Parvanov said efforts now should be
focused on preventing tension on the line of contact and reaching a
constructive and efficient dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“The meetings between Armenian and Azeri foreign ministers within
the frameworks of so-called Prague process, as well as the meetings of
presidents Aliyev and Kocharian in Warsaw and Astana this year with
participation of the OSCE Minsk group cochairmen are important steps
in that direction. I believe that there is a real possibility in
making a breakthrough in the negotiation process,” he said, adding
that Bulgaria will continue, after termination ofits chairmanship in
the OSCE, to support the efforts, directed at the establishment of
inter-ethnic tolerance and peaceful co-existence, economic
rehabilitation and development of the region, attraction of the
support of other international organizations and donors for
implementation of projects, able to produce economic results.

President Parvanov was also asked to comment on the role of the
Armenian community of Bulgaria in the strengthening of bilateral
ties.” It gives me a pleasure to answer this question. The Armenian
Diaspora of Bulgaria plays a significant role in public, political and
spiritual life of the country, making its contribution to further
strengthening of ties between the two nations. The Armenian cultural
organization Yerevan, Armenian churches, the Armenian school in
Plovdiv function effectively. Besides, Armenian is taught in seven
other schools in Sofia, Rusa, Varna, Pazarjik, Sliven, Dobrich and
Burgas,” he said.

“We shall be counting on the Armenian community’s knowledge, ideas
and its possibilities in future as well in order to expand contacts
between ourtwo nations. I would like the youth in our countries, both
from the viewpoint of our historical fate and mutual sympathizes, as
well as in the context of our common European future to establish firm
communication skills in culture, education, sports and culture. During
president Kocharian’s visit to Bulgaria we reached concrete
arrangements in some of these areas. Now we have to fill them with
concrete content, to find new and modern forms of interaction and make
spiritual ties an integral part of our everyday life, but not an
element of official visits’ programs.” he said.

Money behind EG coup plot

News24.com
01/10/2004 21:55 – (SA)

Dakar – Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema has said
that a recent foiled plot to oust him was driven by economic interest
groups, Senegalese media reported on Friday.

“Economic interest groups were behind the coup plot in March; these
days Equatorial Guinea is an important country in the oil sector,”
Obiang was quoted as saying.

Speaking to reporters in Senegal, where he was wrapping up a state
visit with his counterpart Abdoulaye Wade, Obiang declined to specify
just which groups he thought were behind the plot.

South Africans, Armenians and the son of former British prime minister
Margaret Thatcher have been accused of involvement in the plot.

Trials opened in Malabo in August for one group of alleged
coup-plotters, among them a former Equato-Guinean deputy
minister. They are expected to resume Monday.

News reports have implicated an international network of wealthy
businessmen in the alleged plot to oust Obiang, in exchange for which
they would have got a slice of Equatorial Guinea’s oil riches.

Exiled Equato-Guinean opposition leader, Severo Moto, was accused by
the authorities in Malabo of masterminding the coup bid, an accusation
he vehemently denied last month.

Obiang said on Thursday he was disposed to selling crude oil to
Senegal at a good rate and invited Senegalese businessmen to invest in
joint ventures with their Equato-Guinean counterparts.

“Some say that oil is a curse, but it is not true; what is a curse is
how Africa has been managed, since the time of slavery until now,”
said Obiang,who has been in power since 1979.

A former Spanish colony, Equatorial Guinea depended on cocoa and
coffee for the bulk of its export revenues until offshore oil began
flowing in 1996.

The oil boom has brought double-digit growth but also concerns over
transparency and complaints that the petro-dollars are not benefiting
ordinary Equato-Guineans.

Oil brings in 90% of export revenues, which go to the treasury, run by
Obiang’s brother Melchor Esono Edjo.

The president’s nephew, Baltasar Engonga Edjo, is economy minister;
his eldest son Teodoro Nguema Obiang, is infrastructure minister, and
the youngest son in the Obiang clan is secretary of state for
hydrocarbons.

Edited by Elmarie Jack

Red Cross faces shortfall of â^¬88m

Irish Times
Sep 30, 2004

SWITZERLAND: The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
yesterday appealed to donors to make up an â^¬88 million shortfall
in its operational budget for 2004, largely in response to a total
of 11 armed conflicts, some forgotten and others that are frequently
in the headlines.

The ICRC sought to draw special attention to the on-going humanitarian
needs arising from armed conflicts affecting millions of lives
in Afghanistan, Angola, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Ethiopia, Israel and the Palestinian territories, the Russian
Federation, Serbia and Montenegro, Sudan, Uganda and the countries
of the southern Caucasus (Armenia and Azerbaijan).

“It is vital for the ICRC to be able to respond impartially to needs
when and where they arise. The impact and credibility of our action
depends on our capacity to support people and communities caught up
in armed conflicts and internal violence around the world,” said Mr
Pierre Krähenb’hl, ICRC director of operations, speaking at the
organisation’s Geneva HQ. The shortfall represents 20 per cent of
its field budget for 2004.

ICRC said that public attention and commitments made by the
international community had not yet resulted in sufficient support
for the ICRC’s operations in Sudan (Darfur and the southern part of
the country), where the organisation is â^¬13 million short of its
funding goal of â^¬25 million.

Sudan is currently the organisation’s largest and most complex
operation, covering enormous swathes of territory, including Darfur
itself, which is the size of France. It was following a meeting
between the Sudanese president, Mr Omar El Bashir, and the ICRC
president, Mr Jacob Kallenberger, earlier this year that Darfur was
finally opened up to aid agencies in March. The organisation visits
thousands of prisoners of war throughout the country, including 700
government soldiers held by Sudanese rebel groups.

The ICRC is a private, Swiss, independent organisation which, in
accordance with the Geneva Conventions, has been visiting people
detained in connection with armed conflicts since 1915. In 2003, ICRC
representatives visited 450,000 detainees in 80 countries, including
all those for which this renewed appeal for funds has been launched.

Donor fatigue is particularly evident in terms of support for ICRC
operations in Israel and Palestine, Chechnya, Colombia and Uganda. All
of these operations in response to on-going conflicts are running
deficits of over 60 per cent.

The response has also been slow for operations in places like Angola
where fighting has ended, refugees are returning from neighbouring
countries but huge problems remain, particularly in the form of
landmines and other unexploded ordinance, and the restoration of
basic services to vulnerable populations.

“The ICRC continues to rely on timely, quality contributions from its
donor community to pursue its activities. While the overall level of
support for our work has been remarkable, major humanitarian operations
remain significantly underfunded. This financial shortfall needs to
be redressed”, said Mr Krähenb’hl.

ARMENIA THIS WEEK
Monday, September 27, 2004

NEW TURKISH LAW TO CRIMINALIZE GENOCIDE AFFIRMATION
The Turkish parliament last Sunday passed a new Criminal Code, including
articles that would severely restrict freedom of speech on matters seen as
“insulting national dignity,” Turkish media reported. The new Code has come
on the insistence of the European Union (EU), which Turkey seeks to join,
and EU officials have yet to comment on new restrictions that are due to
come into force next April.

Article 306 of the new Code would punish individual Turkish citizens or
groups that confirm the fact of the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey or
call for the end of the Turkish occupation of Northern Cyprus with up to
fifteen years in prison. Bekir Bozdag, a member of the Turkish Parliamentary
Committee on Legal Affairs from the ruling Justice and Development Party
(AKP), said the article was added on the insistence of the opposition
Republican People’s Party (CHP).

Turkey continues to deny the Genocide of some one and a half million
Armenians during World War I and pressures other countries to avoid the
issue. In addition, the Turkish government refuses to establish diplomatic
relations with Armenia or open its border for trade, unless Armenia
pressures its Diaspora, largely descended from Genocide survivors, not to
seek affirmation or reparations.

Turkey has largely ignored calls from the United States and EU officials to
lift its blockade of Armenia. Most recently, the EU Commission President
Romano Prodi suggested last week that the issue might become one of the
conditions for Turkey’s accession to EU. Armenian and Turkish officials have
held repeated talks on ways to move ahead in bilateral relations, with
Armenia ready to establish ties without preconditions. Turkey, after hinting
at a change of policy last year, has reverted to the old line. The two
countries’ foreign ministers are due to meet this week, although no imminent
progress is anticipated.

Citing “national security” concerns, Turkish courts have already prosecuted
citizens who have spoken in favor of recognizing Armenian Genocide or
against Ankara’s policies of denial. An ethnic Assyrian priest was charged
in October 2000 and seven high school teachers were prosecuted last year for
questioning the Turkish government’s demand that schoolchildren be
instructed on denial of Genocide. However, the new law would specifically
target what is known in Turkey as the “Armenian issue” while providing for
more severe punishments.

Despite continued Turkish hostility, Defense Minister Serge Sargsian last
week confirmed Armenia’s support for Turkey’s accession to the EU. Most
Armenian observers hope the accession process would help Turkey change its
intransigent attitude. There appears to be growing recognition in Turkey
that its policy towards Armenia has been unsuccessful. The blockade has
hampered Turkey’s own economic interests, while Armenia is developing
despite closed borders. (Sources: AP 12-21-00; AFP 7-1-03; Armenia This Week
1-16, 30, 5-21; Mediamax 9-20; Radikal 9-20; Arminfo 9-24; Anadolu 9-28;
9-27)

ARMENIA ISSUES FIRST LONG-TERM GOVERNMENT BONDS
The Armenian Finance Ministry issued the country’s first long-term bonds
last week. The first $3 million batch of bonds repayable in seven years was
met with great demand by local banks and financial organizations and sold in
less than a day. The move is seen as reflecting growing confidence in the
government’s fiscal policy and another milestone in Armenia’s economic
development.

Armenia first began issuing bonds with one-year maturity in 1995 as a way to
generate funds for the country’s cash-strapped treasury. Since 2000, the
government switched to treasury bills with one to five years maturity. These
short- to medium-term bonds had yields averaging as high as 60 percent in
the late 1990s, but decreased to under six percent in recent years.

At a press conference last week, Chairman of the Central Bank Tigran
Sargsian argued that Armenia was entering a “new cycle of economic
development.” Sargsian claimed that recent strengthening of the national
currency, the Dram, was a reflection of growing financial infusions through
direct investments and cash transfers, as well as ongoing economic growth.
The Dram traded at about 510 to $1, down from 570 at the beginning of 2004.
Sargsian said that the Bank so far plans no intervention into the national
currency’s rise, urging Armenia’s exporters to focus on improving the
quality of their products rather than expect government “subsidies” through
a weaker Dram.

The National Statistics Service reported last week that Armenia’s Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) was up 9.6 percent in the first eight months of the
year, with the country on track for the fourth consecutive year of
double-digit growth. Increases in construction, agriculture and electricity
output ranged between 12 and 18 percent so far this year. Industrial
production and exports were up three percentage points each. Western
Europe, Russia, the United States and Israel remain Armenia’s main trading
partners.

Over the same period, the population’s incomes and expenses have on average
increased by 17 percent, with an average monthly salary up more than 30
percent to about $80, without purchasing power factored in. (Sources:
Armenia This Week 8-3; Arminfo 9-20, 22, 23; Noyan Tapan 9-20, 23, 24;
RFE/RL Armenia Report 9-22, 23)

Note to readers: Visit to read
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A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED BY THE ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA
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UCLA International Institute, CA
Sept 24 2004

Recent PhDs in Middle East Studies

Twenty-one students have completed PhDs in Middle East studies in the
past three years, in the departments of Art History, Comparative
Literature, Ethnomusicology, History, Near Eastern Languages and
Cultures, Political Science and the Islamic Studies Program.

Diane James

Avner Ben Zaken (History, 2004), `The Angelus Novus of Early Modern
Science: The Past, the East and the Circulation of Post-Copernican
Astronomy in the Eastern Mediterranean, 1560-1660.’ Avner is
conducting postgraduate research as a Junior Fellow (2004-06) in the
Harvard Society of Fellows.

Sandra Campbell (Islamic Studies, 2003), `Telling Memories: The
Zubayrids in Islamic Historical Memory.’

Cynthia Skvorec Colburn (Art History, 2003), “The Art of Interaction:
Distance and Social Status in Prepalatial Crete.” Cynthia is Visiting
Professor of Art History, Pepperdine University, Malibu.

Jacob Dahl (NELC, 2003), “The Ruling Family of Ur III Umma: A
Prosopographical Analysis of a Provincial Elite Family in Southern
Iraq ca. 2100-2000 BC.” Jacob was awarded a fellowship by the Centre
National de la Recherche Scientifique for postgraduate research at
the Musée du Louvre in Paris.

Lynn Swartz Dodd (NELC, 2002), “The Ancient Past in the Ancient
Present: Cultural Identity in Gurgum during the Late Bronze Age-Early
Iron Age Transition in North Syria.” Lynn is Visiting Assistant
Professor in the School of Religion and Curator of the Archaeological
Research Collection at the University of Southern California.

Howard Eissenstat (History, 2004), `Imagining a New Nation: Range of
Discourse in the Development of Turkish Nationalism, 1920-1945.’
Howard is Assistant Professor of Middle Eastern History in the
Department of History, University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point.

Roger Good (NELC, 2003), `The Septuagint’s Translation of the Hebrew
Verbal System in Chronicles.’

Karen Gumberg (Comparative Literature, 2004), `Poetics of Place:
Unraveling Home and Exile in Jewish Literature from Israel and the
United States.’ Karen is Assistant Professor of Hebrew Literature in
the Department of Middle Eastern Studies, University of Texas at
Austin.

Kathleen Hood (Ethnomusicology, 2002), “Music and Memory in a Global
Age: Wedding Songs of the Syrian Druzes.”

George Kooshian (History, 2002), “The Armenian Immigrant Community of
California, 1880-1935.” George teaches English as a Second Language
in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Fred Mabie (NELC, 2004), `Ancient Near Eastern Scribes and the
Mark(s) They Left: A Catalog and Analysis of Scribal Auxiliary Marks
in the Amarna Corpus and in the Cuneiform Alphabetic Texts of Ugarit
and Ras Ibn Hani.’ Fred is an Assistant Professor at Biola University
in La Mirada, California.

Afshin Marashi (History, 2003), “Nationalizing Iran: Culture, Power,
and the State, 1870-1941.” Afshin is Assistant Professor of History,
California State University, Sacramento.

Kerry Muhlestein (NELC, 2003), `Violence in the Service of Order: The
Religious Framework for Sanctioned Killing in Ancient Egypt.’ Kerry
is Assistant Professor of Religion and History, Brigham Young
University, Hawaii.

Firoozeh Papan-Matin (NELC, 2004), `Death, Vision and the Self in
`Ayn al-Qudat Hamadhania.’ Firoozeh teaches Iranian Studies in the
Department of Religious Studies, University of California, Santa
Barbara.

Nahid Pirnazar (NELC, 2003), `The Place of the Fifteenth-Century
Judeo-Persian Religious Epic Emrani’s Fathnameh in Iranian Literary
Traditions.’

Heidi Rutz (Islamic Studies, 2003), “Orders from God? The
Implications of Ethno-religious Discourse and Transnational Networks
on Group Mobilization and Violence.” Heidi is an Assistant Professor
in the US Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island.

Sonia Tamar Seeman (Ethnomusicology, 2002), “You’re Roman: Music and
Identity in Turkish Roman Communities.” Sonia is a Postdoctoral
Faculty Fellow in Ethnomusicology at the University of California,
Santa Barbara, and performs with the UCSB Middle East Ensemble.

David Simonowitz (Islamic Studies, 2004), `On the Cutting Edges of
Dhu’l-Fiqar: Authority and the Discourse of Architecture in the
Musta`li-Tayyibi and Nizari Communities.’

Abdulkader Sinno (Political Science, 2002), “Organizing to Win: How
Organizational Structure Affects the Outcome of Strategic Interaction
in Politicized Group Conflicts.” Abdulkader is Assistant Professor of
Political Science and Middle Eastern Studies at Indiana University in
Bloomington.

Julie Taylor (Political Science, 2004), `Prophet Sharing: Strategic
Interaction between Islamic Clerics and Middle Eastern Regimes.’
Julie is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Near Eastern
Studies, Princeton University.

Hussam Timani (Islamic Studies, 2002), “The Khawarij in Modern
Islamic Historiography.” Hussam teaches Middle East History at
California State College, San Marcos.

Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th St., NW, Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet:

PRESS RELEASE
September 24, 2004
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918

ARMENIAN CAUCUS RALLIES CONGRESSIONAL OPPOSITION TO
AZERBAIJAN’S INCREASINGLY VIOLENT ANTI-ARMENIAN RHETORIC

— Co-Chairmen Urge 141 Members of Caucus to Voice
their Concerns in a letter to President Bush

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressmen Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) and Frank
Pallone (D-NJ) this week called on their colleagues in the Armenian
Caucus to ask President Bush to publicly condemn Azerbaijan’s war
rhetoric and other increasingly bellicose remarks against the
Republic of Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh, reported the Armenian
National Committee of America (ANCA).

In a “Dear Colleague” letter circulated this week, the Caucus Co-
Chairs documented a series of violent threats on the part of senior
Azerbaijan leaders. Citing the dangers of remaining silent in the
face of such angry rhetoric, they urged their House colleagues to
“join us in signing the attached letter to the President urging him
and the Administration to condemn these remarks and call upon the
government of Azerbaijan to desist in making any further threats
against Armenia and Karabagh.” The letter to President Bush
stresses that, “efforts to reinforce stability and reduce the risk
of conflict are in the best interests of the United States and the
region.”

The full texts of the Armenian Caucus “Dear Colleague” letter and
the actual letter to be sent to President Bush are provided below.

#####

1) Text of Armenian Caucus “Dear Colleague” letter

September 22, 2004

Azerbaijan’s War Rhetoric against Armenia Threatens Stability and
Undermines U.S. Interests

Sign Letter to President Bush

Dear Colleague:

As Co-Chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, we are
writing to urge you to sign the attached letter to President Bush
imploring him to publicly condemn the ongoing Azerbaijani war
rhetoric and other increasingly bellicose remarks made against the
Republic of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. Left unchecked these
dangerous comments threaten stability in the region.

In July, as reported by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the
Azerbaijani Defense Ministry spokesman called for Azerbaijan’s
takeover of Armenia and removal of its entire population. He
said, “In the next 25-30 years there will be no Armenian state in
the South Caucasus. This nation has been a nuisance for its
neighbors and has no right to live in this region. Present-day
Armenia was built on historical Azerbaijani lands. I believe that
in 25 to 30 years these territories will once again come under
Azerbaijan’s jurisdiction.”

President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, has repeatedly declared that
Azerbaijan could launch a new war in Karabakh. Just two months
ago, he stated, “At any moment we must be able to liberate our
territories by military means. To achieve this we have everything.”
Aliyev has directly linked Azerbaijan’s economic progress to its
military “superiority.” “Under these circumstances we cannot react
positively to those calling us to compromise.”

Given the challenges facing the United States following the seminal
events of September 11th and the war in Iraq, these irresponsible
statements undermine our short- and long-term policy goals of
security, conflict resolution, ensuring open borders and commercial
corridors and regional cooperation for the South Caucasus.
Furthermore, the Karabakh peace process will achieve nothing if
Azerbaijan is allowed to risk war and predict ethnic cleansing with
impunity.

To this end, we urge you to join us in signing the attached letter
to the President urging him and the Administration to condemn these
remarks and call upon the government of Azerbaijan to desist in
making any further threats against Armenia and Karabakh. For more
information or to co-sign the letter, please contact Craig Albright
(5-5802) with Congressman Knollenberg.

Sincerely,

[signed]
Joe Knollenberg
Member of Congress

[signed]
Frank Pallone, Jr.
Member of Congress

2) Text of Congressional letter to President Bush

September XX, 2004

President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President,

We are writing to strongly urge you to condemn the ongoing
Azerbaijani war rhetoric and other increasingly bellicose remarks
made against the Republic of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. These
statements undermine U.S. interests in the region.

As you know, a cease-fire in the conflict over Nagorno Karabakh was
established in 1994 and sensitive peace negotiations to achieve a
final agreement are ongoing. However, the government of Azerbaijan
continues to make dangerous claims and threaten war against
Armenia. This war rhetoric has continued unabated, and has
intensified in recent months.

In July, as reported by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the
Azerbaijani Defense Ministry spokesman called for Azerbaijan’s
takeover of Armenia and removing its entire population. He said,
“In the next 25-30 years there will be no Armenian state in the
South Caucasus. This nation has been a nuisance for its neighbors
and has no right to live in this region. Present-day Armenia was
built on historical Azerbaijani lands. I believe that in 25 to 30
years these territories will once again come under Azerbaijan’s
jurisdiction.” Mr. President, this reprehensible call for ethnic
cleansing and even genocide warrants the strongest possible reply
from our country.

The President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, has repeatedly declared
that Azerbaijan could launch a new war in Karabakh. Just two
months ago, he stated, “At any moment we must be able to liberate
our territories by military means. To achieve this we have
everything.” Aliyev has directly linked Azerbaijan’s economic
progress to its military “superiority.” “Under these circumstances
we cannot react positively to those calling us to compromise,”
Aliyev stated.

Last year, as reported by BBC Monitoring, Azerbaijani Defense
Minister General Safar Abiyev said that occasional violations of
the cease-fire were “natural” since Azerbaijan is still “at war.”
Statements like this not only undermine the peace process, but can
also serve to actually encourage attacks against Armenia.

Just this month, NATO cancelled its Cooperative Best Effort (CBE)
2004 exercises in Baku, Azerbaijan after the government of
Azerbaijan barred Armenia from participating. U.S. General James
Jones, Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe, expressed
regret over Azerbaijan’s refusal to honor its host obligations to
accept delegates from all interested partners. As part of its
commitment to international security in the Caucasus, Armenia
welcomed both Azerbaijan and Turkey to participate in the NATO CBE
2003 exercises in Yerevan, Armenia.

Efforts to reinforce stability and reduce the risk of conflict are
in the best interests of the United States and the region. The
Nagorno Karabakh peace process will achieve nothing if Azerbaijan
is allowed to risk war and predict ethnic cleansing with impunity.
To this end, we urge that you condemn these remarks and call upon
the government of Azerbaijan to desist in making any further
threats against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.

Sincerely,

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Sept 23 2004

Bulgarian President to visit Azerbaijan

Numerous visits by official Bulgarian and Azerbaijani delegations are
expected in late September-early October, Charge D’affaires of
Bulgaria in Azerbaijan Ivan Palchev told journalists.

On September 27, an Azeri parliament delegation led by speaker Murtuz
Alasgarov will leave for Sofia on a four-day visit. On October 6,
Baku will host a meeting of the inter-governmental commission on
economic cooperation, co-chaired by the Deputy Prime Ministers of
Bulgaria Nikolay Vasilyev and Azerbaijan Abid Sharifov. On October
7-8, Bulgarian President Georgi Pirvanov is scheduled to pay an
official visit to Azerbaijan. He will arrive in Baku with his wife
Zorka Pirvanova after visiting Armenia on October 5-6. A number of
documents are to be signed during President Privanov’s visit.

The parties have already coordinated inter-governmental agreements on
collaboration in the area of international cargo transportation and
commercial navigation. Work on an agreement on mutually protecting
and encouraging investments is also underway, while a document on
eliminating double taxation is to be prepared by the time President
Ilham Aliyev visits Bulgaria next year. An agreement between the
state news agencies of Azerbaijan, AzerTaj, and of Bulgaria, BTA,
will be signed in Baku as well. Palchev said that currently the legal
framework of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Bulgaria includes
only 12 documents, which does not reflect the potential for bilateral
relations. The turnover of goods between the two countries makes up
only $4 million, excluding $17 million paid by Bulgaria for
Azerbaijani oil this year. The diplomat also supported Bulgaria’s
extensive involvement in the transportation of Caspian oil through
its territory. An Azeri-Bulgarian business forum will be held during
the Bulgarian President’s visit. The Bulgarian embassy is also
preparing to open a Center of Economic Information in Baku. Palchev
also said that great opportunities exist for developing cooperation
in the area of agriculture, and that Bulgarian companies could act as
contractors for developing relevant infrastructure in Azerbaijan.
Touching upon political issues, the Bulgarian diplomat said his
country supports Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. He refuted
numerous press reports that Bulgaria is selling weaponry to Armenia.
“Until the Upper Garabagh conflict is resolved, Bulgaria will not
cooperate with Azerbaijan or Armenia in the military field.” Palchev
continued that Bulgaria’s Defense Ministry successfully interacts
with the defense ministries of Azerbaijan and Armenia, but this is
confined to technical collaboration. Azerbaijani Defense Minister
Safar Abiyev is expected to pay an official visit to Sofia late in
October to discuss with his Bulgarian counterpart prospects for
cooperation. Palchev added that Sofia continues to adhere to its
position on the Upper Garabagh conflict and believes that
“Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity must be preserved, and granting
any status to Upper Garabagh is a prerogative of Azerbaijan”.

Bulgarian Culture Center
The opening ceremony of a Bulgarian Culture Center will be held at
the Baku Slavic University in October and attended by Bulgarian
President Privanov. The goal of the new entity is to expand relations
between Azerbaijan and Bulgaria in the area of science, education and
culture, a source from the University said. Considering the fact that
Bulgarian language is taught only at the Slavic University, the new
center will provide students with an opportunity to become closely
familiar with the country’s culture, language, politics, and economy.

Guardian, UK
Sept 22 2004

Ladylike look kills midriffs and matching knickers

Jess Cartner-Morley, fashion editor

Julien Macdonald is a natural born show-off. “Do you like my watch?”
he demanded of well-wishers backstage as his show at London fashion
week ended last night, brandishing a David Morris timepiece encrusted
with diamonds. “It’s worth £92,000. I wish I didn’t have to give it
back tomorrow.”
Last season, Macdonald said that his show might be his last in
London, as he was thinking of moving to Milan; he is still
threatening to leave, only now the pull is towards New York. “I love
London to bits but my business isn’t growing. The other designers who
moved away are doing much better than I am. I’m not making enough
money,” he said.

This was always going to be a difficult season for Macdonald. New
York and London fashion weeks have been united in the view that bare
midriffs and bling are out, ladylike dressing is in. Macdonald is not
known for the ladylike look. In fact, his dresses are so short that
many come with matching knickers.

As a compromise, he settled on prom dresses, tiered and
ultra-feminine, with ruffles and sweetheart necklines, but their
stiffness deprived the Macdonald catwalk of its usual raw energy.
Much better were the flowing, poppy-print chiffon evening gowns, and
the finale, a 1930s-style shimmy of silver sequins with £2m worth of
diamonds adorning one shoulder.

The 1930s, along with the 1970s, have been this fashion week’s
favourite retro reference points. Betty Jackson described the
inspiration for yesterday’s show as the “decadent days of the 30s
together with the louche international lifestyles of the 70s”. For
evening, there was a showstopping long, pale column with Art Deco
silver beading, or a glamorous bead and feather-trimmed kaftan.

Earlier in the day, it was the turn of five emerging designers to
stage mini-shows. Unfortunately, most did little to challenge the
stereotype that young London designers’ collections are ugly,
unwearable, and badly presented.

There was a ray of hope, however, in Gardem, the collection by Garen
Demerdijan, a Lebanese Armenian designer who was born in Beirut in
1975 but is now based in Paris. Although yesterday was his first
catwalk show, he has run a small business since 2001, and has been
stocked in the directional London boutique Browns Focus for six
seasons.

Yesterday’s collection had a sophistication of outlook and quality of
execution that set it apart from other young hopefuls. The gently
spiralling seams, restrained colour palette and effective use of
texture – a dress of creamy crumpled silk with smocking at the torso,
a pleated white skirt with a shimmering silver bolero – was
reminiscent of Hussein Chalayan’s London days.