Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
March 26, 2004

FREE MEDICAL AID AND CARE

To effectively provide and regulate free medical aid and care at the
medical establishments of NKR within the framework of the state health
care programs provided by the government the NKR government passed a
decision `About State-provided free medical aid and care’. The
decision of the government maintains the list of the socially insecure
and special groups with the right for state-provided free medical aid
and care, organization and funding of free medical aid, the order of
providing free medicine at privileged conditions to the socially
insecure and special groups and people suffering certain diseases,
medical examination and care of the army, police and national security
servicemen at non-military medical institutions, as well as the order
of further compensation of the expenses. According to the decision of
the government, the right for free medical aid and care is granted to
the socially insecure classes, the disabled of the first, second and
third degrees, veterans of the Great Patriotic War, single mothers,
parents having 4 and more children under 18, the members of the
families of the army servicemen killed (died) during the defence of
NKR, as well as when carrying out their duties, participants of
elimination of the consequences of the Chernobyl explosion,
adolescents aged 15-18, persons aged 18-23 left without parental care,
servicemen of the army, the police and the national security, the
arrested and the prisoners, pensioners and students.

AA

PRAVDA, Russia
March 26 2004

Special Services fight in the name of Allah and Putin

The following is an interview with Kakiev Said-Magomed Shamaev,
commander of the “Western” battalion of the mountainous force of the
United Forces in the Chechen republic, Major of the Russian Army. He
was born on 22 February, 1970; completed 8 grades in Grozny;
1989-1991-served in Nagorny Karabakh. Afterwards, he studied at the
University of Alma-Ata. From 1994 till 1994 served in an anti-Dudaev
opposition. He is a four-time-hero of the Russian Federation. He was
awarded with two medals for courage; received two inscribed guns from
the Minister of Defense.

Question: Said-Magomed, how long has your resistance against Chechen
extremists been lasting?

Said-Magomed Kakiev: After serving in the Sovier Army in Nagorny
Karabakh in 1991, I returned home, to the epicenter of events. I
thought I would never come close to weapons ever again. I was wrong.
Dudaev appeared in Chechnya stirring up major chaos, organized
several criminal gangs in the region and I did not have any other
choice but to fight with Dudaev”s bandits. That”s how I joined the
opposition.

In 1993, we failed to assassinate Dudaev.when my hand grenade
suddenly exploded in my hands. I lost an arm, one eye, my nose and
got four cracks in my skull. My friend died right on the spot. Many
assumed that I would never fight again; I was an invalid after all.
However, thanks to the Almighty, I was able to recover, even though
my appearance was totally changed. Doctors “mended” my entire body in
a beauty salon in Moscow. I acquired a new face. No one could
recognize me. I told myself, “I still have one hand; I still have a
soul which is fully devoted to Russia.” To me, Russia and Chechnya
represent one entity. Personally, I was fighting for this unity; I
will continue to fight for this unity till the end!

Question: You participated in the first Chechen campaign, including
the bloody battle in Grozny.

Kakiev: I entered the city with my squad. Back then we were apart of
neither the Ministry of Internal Affairs nor the Ministry of Defense.
We were motivated by one thing only-patriotism, love for our country
and a strong will to put an end to Dudaev and his gangs. We were
moving side by side with the Moscow”s riot squad and with special
service forces. We were asked to help, since we knew the area pretty
well, knew the language and could communicate with the locals.

We engaged in a bloody battle on the territory of “Eletropribor”
factory in one of the regions of Grozny. We were even involved in
ruthless bloody fistfights. Luckily, the riot squad and the special
forces were by our side. One can hardly forget the events of those
few days. We lost 7 of our guys. But we managed to destroy 29 gang
members. The enemy had to retreat. Those were the people of commander
Bazhiev. He is dead, now he is judged by the Almighty Allah.

Question: Why weren’t armored forces used to the fullest extent in
this invasion of Grozny?

Kakiev: This was an incredibly ruthless war. I felt terrible for
those young boys. Many things were unclear.we tried to warn our
allies, but no one listened to us. Order is an order, period! They
assumed it was easy to conquer.do you know how many people we lost?

Question: There still remain some questions concerning the events of
August 1996. Did you witness those events?

Kakiev: On August 6th, I was patrolling Dagestanskaya Street. A house
of the city’s mayor Yakub Deniev was located on that street. His
family belongs to the real saints. We were attacked by everyone, from
every side. There was only 50 of us. We were guarding the house. We
were running out of weapons. 37 women and children were hiding in the
basement there. Later, negotiations began and the “spirits” swore on
Koran that they”ll let everyone go: all kids and women>Latest News
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and the elderly. I did not believe them from the start. We had a
choice of either staying in the region and trusting those promises of
the gang members or continue fighting. Everyone stayed. I left the
place on my own. it took me seven days to leave Grozny.

The “spirits” in turn shot everyone to death in the house, including
30 of our troops. They later burned and immured them in the basement.
It was only after two years that their bodies were recovered and sent
to the Rostov”s laboratory. When the cortÕge with the bodies was
traveling from Rostov to Chechnya, every singly militant’s post was
saluting them. As soon as they crossed the Chechen border, those
Dudaev”s soldiers started yelling “Look at these traitors!” “Bury
them in Russia!”. We will never forget this! We are perfectly aware
of the names of those beasts who committed such terrible crimes. They
are Doku Umarov, Ruslan Gelaev and others.

Question: In 1996 you had to leave Chechnya, what happened then?

Kakiev: I was called an outlaw by Maskhadov. He promised a title of
“Hero of Ichkeria” to the one who kills me. I could not get home for
three years; haven”t seen my relatives. I”ve been living in Moscow
for all these years. Since 1999, with the help of Allah and Putin, I
managed to return to the republic. I was appointed assistant of the
head of Nadterechni region, built two camps for refugees with heating
and water. Then I signed a contract with the Ministry of Defense and
left to fight.

Question: Many things have changed in Chechnya since those times. You
are currently a chief of the Chechen special military unit.

Kaiev: True, the situation is different now. I am immensely proud
that I am an officer of the Russian Army and a commander of the
“Western” battalion. We cover the mountainous area of the republic.
There is still much to be done there.

Question: Tell us about your medal “the hero of Russia”

Kakiev: I was awarded the title four times. The first time, I was
awarded for storming Grozny and for raising Russian flag there; the
second time-for the Komsomolskaya village, in an attempt to get
Gelaev; afterwards-for a series of operations; finally, the fourth
medal I received for an unsuccessful operation to neutralize Basaev”s
“general”.

Question: Official sources claim that Chechen militants disarm daily.
Many are undergoing amnesty. How do you feel about it?

Kakiev: This is a normal process, especially taking into account the
fact that majority of gang members have been defeated. Amnesty
however, raises a lot of questions. How can one forgive those who
were fighting against us? People say different things: that they are
innocent, that they have not killed any religious leaders and so on.
What did they do to 18-year-old boys, I wonder? That is why I do not
understand such amnesty. True, we should forgive those who were
forced to join the gangs against their will. But amnesty is a
time-bomb. People have been fighting against a particular country, so
many soldiers have died, and in the end no one is being held
responsible? I will never submit to this. We are all mortals. How are
we going to look in the eyes of those 18-year-olds up there?

Blood should not be forgiven. One has to be responsible for murder.
Those bandits lost their dignity. They are not people. Muslims cannot
do such things.

It turns out that all terrorist acts are committed by Basaev alone.
No one else is responsible.

Yes, war kills people, but to torture dead bodies, that’s obsecene.

We managed to achieve so much with the help of Allah; we will be able
to do much more to cleanse the land of such monsters.

German Pronin
Source: Utro.Ru

A1 Plus | 17:57:55 | 25-03-2004 | Official |

SYUNIK DISTRICT HEAD RELIEVED

At Government decision Edik Barseghyan was relieved of his post for Syunik
District Head. Under another decision, Surik Khachatryan /Liska nicknamed/
was appointed Syunik District Head.

—

A1 Plus | 21:46:39 | 25-03-2004 | Regions |

TUBERCULOSIS IN TUMANYAN REGION

265 consumptives are registered in Tumanyan region. 65 of them are
virus-carriers and dangerous for the surrounding.

According to “Alaverdi Polyclinics” CJSC tuberculosis cabinet doctor Mrs.
Meliqsetyan, in 2003 23 consumptive patients were found in the region and 15
of them were virus-carriers.

—

LexisONE

Headline Legal News

Gambler Ban List Raising Some Questions

by Adam Goldman
Associated Press
Feb. 26, 2004

Virginia Ormanian burned through most of her retirement savings
playing slot machines in Detroit casinos last year – something she
should not have been allowed to do.

The 49-year-old gambling addict had voluntarily banned herself in
August 2002 from the casinos through a state program that was supposed
to keep her out.

“I was counting on the casinos to honor their contract,” Ormanian
said. “I had to get my life back together.”

Now Ormanian and Norma Astourian are suing the casinos for breach of
contract. They claim the gambling companies didn’t enforce the rules
of the “dissociated persons” list on which they placed themselves.

As gambling spreads across the country, a handful of states have
created self-exclusion lists that bar people from entering
casinos. Problem gamblers who have blacklisted themselves are supposed
to forfeit jackpots and face arrest if caught inside.

The lists have raised questions in the gambling industry and given
rise to studies about their effectiveness. They’ve come under legal
assault from gambling addicts who believe it’s up to casinos to ensure
they stop frittering away their money.

“It was a vehicle to allow the gambler to help himself. It’s through
the genius of our legal system that this has metamorphasized into a
potential risk for casinos,” said David O. Stewart, a Washington,
D.C., lawyer, who has defended gambling companies in self-exclusion
and similar lawsuits, and advises the American Gaming Association.

Missouri, Louisiana, Illinois, Michigan and New Jersey have
self-exclusion lists with more than 8,600 names. Indiana has passed
laws to enact a list.

Nevada, the nation’s largest gambling state, doesn’t fund a
self-exclusion list, though casinos will bar patrons on request.

Carol O’Hare, executive director of the Nevada Council on Problem
Gambling, said it would be a logistical nightmare in a state in which
slot machines are also found in bars, gas stations and supermarkets.

“You’d have to police every 7-Eleven and restaurant,” she said. “We
need to be providing treatment.”

Missouri was one of the first states to introduce the exclusion
program in 1997 and counts more than 6,400 people on its list.

Kevin Mullally, executive director of the Missouri Gaming Commission,
said the list was conceived as a tool to help people shake their
addiction.

“It’s not a panacea or a quick fix,” he said.

Like other states, Missouri’s exclusion list shields people from
direct marketing, and when casinos violate the policy, they can be
fined or lose their gambling license.

Judy Patterson, the AGA’s executive director and senior vice
president, said there’s no uniform self-exclusion policy among states.

“I think the industry is definitely supportive of this self-exclusion
program, but they would also like to know that it works,” she said.

Harvard Medical School’s Institute for Research on Pathological
Gambling and Related Disorders was awarded a grant to study the
effectiveness of Missouri’s program.

Robert Ladouceur, a professor of psychology at Laval University in
Quebec, said his new study involving three casinos and about 200
compulsive gamblers shows “there is some usefulness” to self-exclusion
programs.

One casino operator isn’t waiting for definitive data.

Las Vegas-based Caesars Entertainment intends to create a database of
problem gamblers who would be barred for life from its 19 properties
in the United States.

People can be placed on the company’s “Responsible Gaming List”
voluntarily – or involuntarily if casino employees determine patrons
are problem gamblers.

Lurking behind such lists is a question about the legality of the
contracts people sign with the states and casinos, and whether the
pacts are enforceable.

A suit filed by Ormanian and Astourian against the Michigan Gaming
Control Board was dismissed.

Stewart said no plaintiff has yet to win such a lawsuit, but a verdict
against the casinos could have repercussions.

The case of Daniel Santangelo has garnered attention in the industry
and could be seen as a legal bellwether.

Santangelo had voluntarily banned himself from New Jersey casinos but
later violated the self-imposed order. He won $64,160 at Bally’s
Atlantic City over a 10-week period in 2002, breaking the agreement
that said he couldn’t collect winnings. He kept the money but
authorities have ordered him to forfeit it.

Linda Kassekert, chairwoman of the New Jersey Casino Control
Commission, said the state intends to recover the money.

“These are untested waters,” she said. “I think we are going to be
pretty emphatic. We want to make sure that when people sign up for
this program they know we are serious about it.”

Copyright 2004 Associated Press

Courtesy: Good Morning America, ABC News
March 25, 2004

>> now to the compulsive gambler suing three detroit casinos. she
argues the casinos are liable for failing to prevent her from gambling
after she signed a contract requiring the casino to keep her
away. we’re joined this morning by that woman, norma astourian and her
attorney, blaise repasky. david stewart, an attorney who frequently
defends the casino industry against claims like norma’s but not
involved in this case, joins us from washington. norma, i want to
start with you.

>> how bad a gambler were you?

astourian: bad. very bad. consumed — three, four times a week.

>> and how much did you lose?

astourian: overall?

>> overall.

astourian: oh, $300,000, $400,000 total.

>> $300,000 or $400,000. over what time period?

astourian: i would say over 10 years.

>> did you try to get help first before taking this action?

astourian: you don’t know that you’re addicted. you think you can quit
any time. but, of course, the withdrawals are terrible. you just have
to go. and you think you’re going to recoup. and just condition on
with life, but it’s impossible.

>> but at some point, did you go to gamblers anonymous or try to

seek some counseling?

astourian: i did go to gamblers anonymous. actually, i was thrown out
of one gamblers’ anonymous meeting.

>> why is that?

astourian: i said my first and last name and they thought i was a
reporter. they were very offended by my presence and asked me to
leave.

>> you eventually decided to register at the casinos as a
disassociated person.

astourian: that’s correct.

>> which means you’re asking the casinos to bar you from entering
and gambling.

astourian: yes.

>> were you aware of the fact that you could be arrested if
you did continue to try and enter the casinos and gamble?

astourian: yes, i did, but it was a desperate measure. there was no
alternative. i mean, i needed to be stopped. and they said, sign this
and we’ll take care of you. we’ll make sure you don’t get in
there. well, i did get in there, many times.

>> blaise, what have you found normally happens after gamblers
register with these casinos? what is supposed to happen?

blaise: what’s supposed to happen is, when they sign up this
disassociated persons form they’re supposed to be kept out of the
casinos. it says they are supposed to be removed. they can be
prosecuted criminally if they’re there. winnings can be confiscated
from them. the casinos ignored that. they’ve let the people come in
and continue to gamble. we believe they know these people were ithere
because they’ve got their pictures there. they have their social
security numbers. we know some people who have actually been paid
jackpots and have to give their social security number to get the
jackpot and pay them knowing they should not be there.

>> isn’t it the duty —

blaise: when we sign this disassociated persons form we believe it’s a
contract and we believe the casinos never intended to enforce the
contracts to begin with. misrepresentation and fraud by the casinos.

the’re doing nothing to stop these people from coming in. they should.

>> but drunk drivers, for example, don’t get to blame liquor companies
for their crimes. why do you think that compulsive gamblers —

blaise: consider, for instance, someone drinking in a bar. we all know
a bartender has an obligation, if he sees somebody becoming
intoxicated to stop serving them so they don’t drive and kill
somebody. these people, too, said we’ve reached rock bottom. they beg
for help. sign the form. the casinos have done nothing to enforce that
contract.

>> why do casinos offer this disassociated persons program if

they are not going to enforce it?

stewart: the purpose of the program and the programs were
designed,really, by people who are experts in the field. treatment
professionals who work with problem gamblers, behavioral scientists
who study it, and former problem gamblers. and they have real
troubles. you can’t hear about their problems without realizing
they’re fighting with a real problem. these people came up with the
notion of self-exclusion because the central issue here is to have the
person take responsibility, to take control of their gambling. and
when you go through a self-exclusion program, you fill out an official
form, you say i acknowledge i’ve got this problem, i want to fight
this problem, i don’t want to get any mail from the casino. i don’t
want to get credit from the casino. and if you find me in the casino,
i want you to show me the door. takes some courage to do that. and the
casino industry has supported that. the problem is, it’s not a police
state. it’s not possible to, you know, control everybody who comes
there. there’s thousands of people on the casino floor.

>> norma, what do you say to people who say you have to take
responsibility for your own behavior. you can’t blame the casino. you
should be bearing that responsibility.

astourian: responsibility? there is no responsibility once you’ve been
addicted by this product. i mean, i entered believing i was having
fun. i never knew there was a line to cross and no turning back. would
one willingly give away their life and their future? i don’t think so.

>> norma astourian, blaise repasky, david stewart, thank you all for
being here this morning. a difficult and controversial issue.

thank you.

The Jordan Times
Friday-Saturday, March 26-27, 2004

Annan summons UN council on probe into Iraq scandal

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – UN Secretary General Kofi Annan summoned Security
Council members on Thursday to get firm backing for an independent inquiry
into charges of corruption in the UN-run Iraq oil-for-food programme.
In a letter to council members obtained by Reuters, Annan defined terms of
the probe, saying it would look into allegations of corruption among UN
officials and outside firms dealing with Iraq under the now-defunct $65
billion humanitarian plan.

Evidence in the media from documents found in Iraq – but not given to the
United Nations – alleges payoffs, smuggling and bribes under the programme.
The worst allegation for the world body is a bribe said to have been paid to
the plan’s head, Benon Sevan, who has vigorously denied it.

UN spokesman Fred Eckhard said Annan was looking for a `nod’ from the
council, perhaps in a statement or a letter, after his meeting late on
Thursday.

`Without the full cooperation of governments and companies, the
investigation is not likely to succeed,’ Eckhard said.

Diplomats said a resolution mandating that all UN members cooperate with an
investigation would probably fail. Many of the firms and individuals charged
with wrongdoing were from the 15 Security Council member states.

Annan has not asked for council approval for the probe, which he said would
go ahead one way or another.

The oil-for-food plan, which began in late 1996, was intended to ease the
impact of 1991 Gulf War sanctions on ordinary Iraqis by allowing Baghdad to
sell oil to pay for humanitarian goods. Iraq selected the buyers of its oil
and vendors of goods.

Annan’s letter said the inquiry would be authorised to approach and seek
cooperation of member states and `their relevant authorities.’

He did not say how much the probe would cost or who would head it. Eckhard
said names were expected to be announced within a week.

Terms of inquiry

Annan in the letter said the probe also would determine:

– whether procedures established by the Security Council and UN secretariat
for monitoring and approving contracts were violated.

– whether any UN officials, personnel and agents or outside contractors
engaged in `any illicit or corrupt activities,’ including bribery, imposing
surcharges and other illicit payments.

– whether UN accounts were in order.

Annan said the independent commission could engage professional
investigators, auditors, accountants, forensic experts and others and issue
a report within three months after the start of the probe.

The burgeoning scandal is one of the worst to hit the world body, giving
fodder to its long-time critics. It also comes as the Bush administration
wants the United Nations to help Iraqis form an interim government

The US General Accounting Office, an interagency body headed by the treasury
department, says Iraqi elites raised $4.4 billion by imposing illegal
surcharges. Ousted Iraq President Saddam Hussein is estimated to have
smuggled another $5.7 billion in oil outside the UN programme through Syria,
Jordan and Turkey.

Many of the programme’s contracts, as well as previous allegations of
wrongdoing, were reviewed by the Security Council’s sanctions committee,
composed of all 15 council nations.

Some were brought to the panel’s attention by Sevan, others by the United
States and Britain over the years. But members, sharply divided over Iraq,
often took no action.

The Iraqi Governing Council has also launched an investigation and several
have been announced in Washington, by Congress, the Pentagon and others.
Britain is probing its own firms.

Friday-Saturday, March 26-27, 2004

There is no former spirit

Karabakh war to suit both Armenia and Azerbaijan, politician says

Haykakan Zhamanak, Yerevan
26 Mar 04

“Talks on the Karabakh settlement have reached a deadlock. Moreover,
they have created a pre-war situation in Armenian-Azerbaijani
relations, which is unfortunately advantageous to the authorities of
both Armenia and Azerbaijan,” the leader of the Democratic Motherland
Party, Petros Makeyan, said during a discussion organized at Hotel
Congress yesterday.

He believes that war is advantageous to the Armenian authorities since
given the current domestic political situation, it is the only means
to prolong and preserve their power in case of a positive
result. According to Petros Makeyan, war is advantageous to Azerbaijan
not because its army is much stronger, but because of the moral and
psychological atmosphere that exists in Armenia today.

“Azerbaijan is sure that today our people will not fight as they did
in 1990-94 when people voluntarily went to Karabakh to protect their
families. Today nobody will go and protect [President] Robert
Kocharyan’s, [Defence Minister] Serzh Sarkisyan’s and their criminal
administration’s property,” the leader of the Democratic Motherland
Party said.

CENN – MARCH 26, 2004 DAILY DIGEST
Table of Contents:
1. Become a Member of the `Caucasus Environment Society’
2. Toxic waste threatens Caspian Sea
3. Information and Training Center Opens at the Ministry of Agriculture
4. An Online Advice in Obtaining Funding for Forestry Related Projects
5. NGO Financial Management

1. BECOME A MEMBER OF THE `CAUCASUS ENVIRONMENT SOCIETY’
Dear users of CENN services!

This is to inform you that due to necessity of financial sustainability
of CENN activities in the long run, we are introducing a number of
innovations in CENN services (Internet services and online products of
CENN – daily digests, bulletins` archive, full online versions of
magazines, GIS database of nature resources of the Caucasus region,
environmental legislation of the South Caucasus States in national
English and Russian languages, etc.) for different types of members to
set force from March 25, 2004.

Only the members of the `Caucasus Environment Society’ will enjoy the
full range of our services. They will receive free of charge our
magazine `Caucasus Environment’, get free legal and environmental
consultancy, free access to CENN databases, maps, resources, etc.

All membership fees support the CENN magazine’s mission of expanding
environmental knowledge on the Caucasus and are considered as charitable

contribution to the production of the regional magazine.

We welcome you to become a Member of the `Caucasus Environment Society’
by registering online:

Annual membership fee for Caucasus citizens/organizations $19, for
international members – $39. Shipment cost included.

For any questions or queries regarding membership and future usage of
online services:

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

2. TOXIC WASTE THREATENS CASPIAN SEA

Vast quantities of radioactive and toxic wastes stored not far from the
Caspian Sea threaten a nearby city and could infiltrate into the world’s

largest inland body of water, Kazakh scientists said.

The environmental deterioration in Kazakhstan’s Mangistau region began
in the 1960s when the Soviet Union started extracting and processing
uranium there. The ore was processed at a chemical hydro-metallurgical
plant located not far from Aktau, the administrative center of the
region. The Prikaspiiskii mining and chemical enterprise, as it was
called, also included sulfuric acid and nitrogen fertilizer plants.

A uranium tailings dump was created in the drain-free settling pool at
Koshkar-Ata, 3 miles north of Aktau and 4.5 miles east of the Caspian.
Since 1965, liquid radioactive, toxic and industrial wastes and
unpurified ordinary domestic drains have been discharged into the
42-yard deep Koshkar-Ata repository, which has an area of 52 square
miles.

“Koshkar-Ata is filled with brine, containing an extended quantity of
contaminants and heavy metals,” said Kairat Kuterbekov, the scientific
secretary of the Institute of Nuclear Physics in Almaty, Kazakhstan’s
capital.

Kuterbekov is the manager of the project called the “Overall Examination

of Ecological Situation at the Toxic Wastes Storage ‘Koshkar-Ata’ and
Development of Rehabilitation Actions.”

The brine at Koshkar-Ata contains up to 0.18 ounces of salts per a cubic

foot, Kuterbekov told United Press International.

The production process stopped in the early 1990s and Koshkar-Ata
started to dry up. So far, some 13.8 square miles have dried up,
creating toxic dust that is blown into the atmosphere.

In 1991, the International Commission on Radiological Protection issued
recommendations that included limiting radiation dosages to members of
the public to less than 0.1 rem per year.

A rem measures the amount of damage to human tissue from a dose of
ionizing radiation. Across most of Koshkar-Ata, the exposure dose, as
recorded by sensors, is 0.4 rems. In some of the area, the exposure is
1,500 micro-roentgens per hour –equivalent to 13.0 rems per year.

When the dump was active, in addition to liquid wastes, the Soviets
buried 115 million tons of solid wastes, including 57 million tons of
radioactive wastes, Kuterbekov said. The radiation exposure on those
plots of land — 5,000 micro-roentgens per hour — exceeds the limiting
dose by more than 400 times.

“The radioactive wastes are represented by a natural series of
uranium-238; the most toxic among them are uranium-235, radium-226 and
thorium-230,” Kuterbekov explained.

Uranium and its decay products, including thorium, radium and radon — a

radioactive gas — can be dangerous substances if not properly stored or

isolated. Yet local residents have been digging out the radioactive
metal trying to sell it to scrap dealers. The dealers refuse to buy it
because of its radioactivity, so the frustrated sellers discard it
anywhere, Kuterbekov said.

“A large quantity of heavy metals — copper, zinc, nickel — and
rare-earth elements have been found in the bottom sediment,” he added.

Heavy metals can damage living creatures at low concentrations and tend
to accumulate in the food chain.

Last year, the effects of the radioactive and toxic dust were not as
damaging to Aktau, a city with a population of 185,000 on the coast of
the Caspian. However, 2003 was atypical because of a relatively large
amount of precipitation and because the prevailing winds blew away from
the city, Kuterbekov said.

Underground water is another worry because there is the potential to
contaminate the Caspian, he said. About 17 square miles of the tailing
dump are still covered with water, and five countries surround the
Caspian — Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran.

A specialist, who did not want to be identified, told UPI those
concentrations some elements — including iron, molybdenum, manganese,
cadmium, selenium, ammonium and fluorine — have been found to exceed
maximum permissible levels within 1.8 to 2.25 miles of the tailing dump
in the Caspian direction.

The repository represents “a huge and immediate threat to the Caspian
ecosystem,” Boris Golubov, a Russian scientist wrote in his article “The

Caspian: Receptacle for Radiation” published in the quarterly “Give &
Take” in 2001.

Moreover, “in addition to “man-made” sources of radiation, the Caspian
ecosystem collects and stores high levels of natural radioactive
nuclides,” Golubov wrote. “Caspian waters, bottom sediments, and living
organisms contain levels of uranium five to seven times higher than
those in other seas.”

“(The) situation of nuclear wastes in Kazakhstan is disastrous for the
local people and the Caspian Sea in general,” said Bahman Aghai Diba, a
consultant on international law for the World Resources Company in
McLean, Va.

The nuclear wastes are kept in substandard conditions and there is
possibility of infiltration into the sea, Aghai Diba told UPI.

Scientists intend to supply soil to the former bottom to stimulate plant

growth, Kuterbekov said, adding this way to solve the problem had been
chosen because of it was relatively cheap.
United Press International, March 25, 2004

3. INFORMATION AND TRAINING CENTER OPENS AT THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE

On March 24, 2004 the Government of Armenia and the United Nations
Development Program (UNDP) opened the Information and Training Center at

the Ministry of Agriculture and signed a Memorandum of Understanding
outlining the support that UNDP will provide for the “First Agro-Forum”
International Conference. Mr. Samvel Avetisyan, Deputy Minister of
Agriculture of the Republic of Armenia and Ms. Lise Grande, UN Resident
Coordinator/UNDP Resident Representative presided over the event.

By supporting the Information and Training Center, UNDP is assisting the

Ministry of Agriculture to strengthen its capacity in information
management. Internet services will be provided at the Information
Center, helping the Ministry access the most up-to-date and important
information on agricultural issues from around the world, and training
will be conducted to ensure that Ministry staff has advanced information

skills.

In addition to supporting the establishment of the new Center, UNDP is
also supporting the country’s “First Agro-Forum” International
Conference, organized by the Ministry of Agriculture. The aim of this
important conference is to promote agricultural development in Armenia
by introducing the most progressive and innovative agricultural methods
from around the world. An official website is being developed for the
Conference and an information campaign will be conducted. The fourth
“AgroProdExpo” International Exhibition will be held at the same time as

the Conference. According to Ms. Grande: “The development of agriculture

in Armenia cannot be underestimated. A large part of the population
lives in rural communities and agriculture is the main source of income
for many Armenian families. By strengthening the capacities of the
Ministry of Agriculture and helping to promote agricultural development,

we are helping to reduce poverty and inequality in Armenia. We hope that

the Ministry staff will use this new Information Center to successfully
communicate with the general public, including the mass media.”

Mr. Avetisian noted: “Our cooperation with UNDP has a long history, and
we are grateful that resolution of the problems raised by the Ministry
is always supported by our counterpart. The Information Center, the
network and the website will promote the Ministry of Agriculture
worldwide, and we are confident that this will help us forge effective
partnerships with international and local organizations, bilateral
donors, foreign governments and private companies.”

The “First Agro-Forum” International Conference and the fourth
“AgroProdExpo” International Exhibition will be held in Yerevan on
October 28-29, 2004.
ArmenPress, March 24 2004

4. AN ONLINE ADVICE IN OBTAINING FUNDING FOR FORESTRY RELATED PROJECTS

Dear Colleagues,

The National Forest Program Facility and the Collaborative Partnership
on Forests (CPF) have the pleasure to announce a new web-initiative
called: “Advice in obtaining funding for forestry related
projects” .

The new site with the database and the forums has been set-up to support

you in your search for funds for your forestry related projects
(forestry in general, sustainable forest management, forest
conservation, forest products, training and scholarships in forestry and

natural resources, etc.). The forums and the on-line moderator can help
you with your enquiries for specific funding, show you the website of
sources of funding, and increase your skills on how to apply for funds
more effectively. In return, you can contribute to the forums by posting

your information on available funding sources, ideas and experiences.

If you are interested in joining the forums please subscribe by clicking

the following link

The website to search for funds is available in 3 languages (English,
French and Spanish), but the forums themselves are for the time being
only operational in English language. French and Spanish messages to the

forums can be sent to the following e-mail address:
[email protected]

5. NGO FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

What is financial management? How can you measure the quality of
financial management in your organization? This week Alex Jacobs
describes the building blocks of good money management and provides a
method for measurement to help you.

Do you have any “lessons learned” to exchange with other aid workers?
E-mail [email protected] or join the discussions online at

This article is available online at:

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

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

PRESS OFFICE
ARMENIAN CHURCH OF NORTH AMERICA WESTERN DIOCESE
3325 North Glenoaks Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91504
Tel: (818) 558-7474
Fax: (818) 558-6333
E-Mail: [email protected]
Website:

Dear Friends,

We are so grateful for Archbishop Hovnan Derderian’s visit on
Wednesday. As promised, here are my reflections on the program.

Thank you for sharing your gifted and inspiring spiritual leader with
the Jewish community.

With God’s blessings of peace,

Rabbi Mark S. Diamond
Executive Vice President

The Board of Rabbis of Southern California
6505 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 415
Los Angeles, CA 90048
323-761-8600
323-761-8603 (fax)
[email protected]

Torat Malakhim
(Torah from the City of Angels)

March 27, 2004 5 Nisan 5764
Rabbi Mark S. Diamond
Executive Vice President

The Board of Rabbis of Southern California

Torah Portion: Vayikra (“The Eternal One called …”)

Leviticus 1:1-5:26

Haftarah Portion: Isaiah 43:21-44:23

The weekly Torah portion details a elaborate set of mandated sacrifices
through which our ancestors worshiped God. The Hebrew word for
sacrifice, korban, bears the connotation of “drawing near” or “coming
into close contact” with the Holy One. In his masterful Torah
translation, The Five Books of Moses (Schocken Press), Dr. Everett Fox
renders the second verse of the parashah, “When one among you
brings-near (yakriv) a near-offering (korban) for YHWH…”

Nearly two thousand years after the cessation of formal animal
sacrifice, we demonstrate devotion to God in alternative ways. Prayer,
Torah learning and mitzvot have supplanted sacrificial rites in the
Jewish tradition. Furthermore, we are bidden to demonstrate our love of
God by manifesting love and respect for our fellow men and women, the
highest forms of Divine creation.

The more I travel throughout our community, the more I realize how
little we really know about the religious beliefs and practices of our
neighbors. Earlier this week, I had the great pleasure to bring a
cherished friend and colleague to speak at the Milken Community High
School of Stephen S. Wise Temple. Our special guest was Archbishop
Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church
of North America. As Primate, Archbishop Derderian oversees a region
with more than 600,000 Armenians and dozens of congregations and
church-affiliated schools. Two-thirds of the Armenian community lives
here in greater Los Angeles.

The Archbishop was warmly welcomed in private meetings with Rabbi Eli
Herscher and Head of School Dr. Rennie Wrubel, and enthusiastically
received by students and faculty at an open forum. We noted several
fascinating points of commonality between the Jewish and Armenian
communities–a burgeoning day school movement, pressing issues facing
new immigrants to this country, and the special challenge of maintaining
religious, ethnic and national identity among second and third
generation Jewish and Armenian Americans. Archbishop Derderian
spearheads a project to bring young people on trips to Armenia, a
program that reminds me of our own acclaimed Birthright Israel.

I watched and listened with pride and joy as the Milken students and
staff peppered the Archbishop with questions. What was the religious
significance of the robe and necklace he wore during his visit? Did he
believe that the Jews were responsible for Jesus’ death? How does
Armenian Orthodoxy differ from Roman Catholicism? Do Armenian priests
have to take vows of celibacy? What happened during the Armenian
genocide, and what parallels can we draw with the Nazi Holocaust? How
does the Archbishop feel about Israel? Muslim-Armenian relations? A
return of Armenians to their homeland?

As we prepared to leave the campus, Archbishop Derderian was surrounded
by a crowd of inquisitive students who greeted him with more questions.
As before, the Archbishop responded to each query with warmth, love and
respect. The Milken students did not want to let this distinguished and
dynamic spiritual leader leave their campus. Their enthusiasm and
hospitality were matched by the Archbishop’s keen interest in prolonging
his first visit to a Jewish school.

I’m uncertain who enjoyed and appreciated this interfaith program the
most–the hosts or the guest. One thing I do know–on that day, the
Jewish and Armenian communities took a small step closer to God, and to
one another.

* Shabbat Shalom *