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03/09/2004
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1) Georgian Leader Due in Armenia on Friday, Unclear whether Javakhk will be
discussed
2) Pipeline Construction Still an Issue for Armenians in Region
3) Abashidze Has Support of Ajaria Armenians
4) Senate Adopts Trade Measure without Key Armenia Provision
5) Schwarzenegger Names Deukmejian to Head Prison Reform Panel

1) Georgian Leader Due in Armenia on Friday, Unclear whether Javakhk will be
discussed

YEREVAN/PARIS (Armenpress, RFE/RL)–Georgia’s President Mikhail Saakashvili
will arrive in Yerevan on Friday for two-day official visit that will cover a
broad range of bilateral issues.
President Robert Kocharian’s office said Saakashvili will lead a large
Georgian government delegation composed of the ministers of foreign affairs,
energy, and economic development, as well as senior parliamentarians.
The trip will mark Saakashvili’s first-ever face-to-face meeting with
Kocharian. The 36-year-old popular leader, who was elected president in early
January, is also scheduled to meet Prime Minister Andranik Markarian,
parliament speaker Artur Baghdasarian and Catholicos Karekin II. His itinerary
includes a visit to the Dzidzernagapert genocide memorial in Yerevan.
Economic issues are expected to dominate the talks, with the Armenian side
likely to push for a reduction in disproportionately high transit fees charged
by Georgia on cargo shipments to and from Armenia. Saakashvili publicly
promised to lower them last December; however, his ministers have been more
ambivalent on the subject.
The two sides will also likely discuss the geopolitical situation in the
South
Caucasus. Saakashvili’s dramatic rise to power as a result of last November’s
`rose revolution’ in Tbilisi could solidify growing US presence in the
volatile
region and accelerate the closure of Russian military bases in Georgia.
Tigran Torosian, the deputy speaker of the Armenian parliament, said Yerevan
expects the new regime in Tbilisi to maintain a `balanced policy’ on
Azerbaijan
and Armenia. Torosian also welcomed Saakashvili’s recent calls for the
creation
of a regional single market, but said the realization of the idea is
`unfortunately a long way off.’

JAVAKHK ISSUE

It is unclear whether the situation in Javakhk, the impoverished
Armenian-majority region in southern Georgia will be on the agenda.
Saakashvili
has vowed greater central government attention to the grave socioeconomic
problems Javakhk Armenians face. He recently appointed Tbilisi’s outgoing
ambassador in Yerevan Nikoloz Nikolozishvili, as governor of greater
Samtskhe-Javakhk province.
Speaking at a press conference in Paris yesterday, Saakashvili, when asked
whether autonomy will be granted to Javakhk, responded by saying, `Our
relationship with Armenia is on a very good level; such statements can not
damage them,’ but emphasized that they could have a negative impact on the
Javakhk Armenians, and added that the issue is not at the top of the agenda
during his upcoming visit to Yerevan
Levon Mkrtchian, a leader of the coalition government’s Armenian
Revolutionary
Federation (ARF), stressed, however, that Javakhk will become `a center of
Armenian-Georgian friendship,’ if the Saakashvili administration ensures
better
protection of the local population’s `economic and cultural rights.’

2) Pipeline Construction Still an Issue for Armenians in Region

AKHALKALAK (A-INFO)–The Armenian population living along the construction
route of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipe-line (Tsalka, Borjomi, and Akhaltskha),
has consistently opposed the project, and continue to voice their objections.
Especially outraged are those living in the Tapatsghur village of the Borjomi
province, who were promised financial payment for lands taken up by the
project, but have not yet been compensated.
In discussing security issues tied to the pipeline, Georgian President
Mikhail
Saakashvili recently announced during a visit to Azerbaijan that the Armenian
population living along the pipeline’s construction route do not oppose the
project.

3) Abashidze Has Support of Ajaria Armenians

(A-INFO)–The leader of the Armenian community of Ajaria Armen Gevorgian, said
that it should not come as a surprise that the Armenians of the autonomous
Georgian republic back its leadership. Gevorgian explained that the allegiance
to President Aslan Abashidze, began in the early 90s when the St. Savior
Armenian church in Batumi and surrounding territory were returned to the
Armenian community because of Abashidze’s efforts.
Abashidze also put forth a special order that would allow the Batumi Armenian
school to remain operational under any circumstance. `Mr. Abashidze promised
that the school would continue operations, even if only one pupil remained,’
said Gevorgian.
He also explained that Armenians in Ajaria are not oppressed. In 1993,
Abashidze signed a special order to protect the rights of national minorities.
`Unlike Armenians in other provinces of Georgia, those in Ajaria have an
opportunity to watch Armenian state TV, and with Abashidze’s support, publish
the `Aghbyur’ Russian-language newspaper,’ said Gevorgian.

4) Senate Adopts Trade Measure without Key Armenia Provision

WASHINGTON, DC (ANCA)–The Armenian National Committee Of America (ANCA)
voiced
disappointment over the Senate’s failure to include a key US-Armenia trade
provision in a larger trade bill that cleared the body earlier on Friday.
The provision, adopted by the House last November, would grant Armenia
Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status. Adoption of this measure would
ensure lower tariffs on Armenian imports to the US and give greater Armenian
access to US government credit facilities on a permanent basis.
`We are disappointed that the Senate missed this excellent opportunity to
expand trade between the US and Armenia,’ said ANCA Executive Director Aram
Hamparian. `We are hopeful that, as the trade bill moves through the
legislative process, supporters in both houses will be able to ensure the
inclusion of the Armenia-PNTR provision.’
An Armenia-PNTR resolution, S.1557, was introduced by Senators Mitch
McConnell
(R-KY), Paul Sarbanes (D-MD), and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) on August 1, 2003, and
currently has 15 cosponsors. A companion measure, H.R.528, which was
adopted by
the House in November of last year, was introduced by Congressional Armenian
Caucus Co-chairmen Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) and Frank Pallone (D-NJ).
In a letter last March to the House Ways and Means Committee, Hamparian noted
that: `In order for Armenia’s economic growth to continue and for its benefits
to reach more people, Armenia needs to increase investment and trade. Armenia
is dedicated to expanding its economic relationship with the United States,
but, without PNTR, Armenia loses its ability to attract viable export markets
in and investment from the United States. At the same time, without PNTR,
American entrepreneurs who see Armenia as an emerging economy with potential
for investment and trade, hesitate to establish ventures that cannot be
protected by WTO rules or to import Armenian goods at higher, non-MFN tariff
rates.’
The Trade Act of 1974 excluded all Soviet countries from having normal trade
relations (NTR) status with the United States. One provision of the Act, known
as the Jackson-Vanick amendment, required the President to deny NTR to those
countries that restricted free emigration. The policy was adopted, in part, in
response to Communist government restrictions on the repatriation of Jews.
According to the terms of the Jackson-Vanick amendment, when the President
determines that freedom of emigration rights have been reinstated in a
country,
normal trade relations may be granted. To maintain NTR, the President must
report to Congress twice a year that Jackson-Vanick requirements have been
met.
While successive Presidents have waived the Jackson-Vanick Amendment
restrictions on Armenia during the past decade, the passage of the Knollenberg
bill, would grant Armenia permanent NTR (PNTR) status, without the need for
bi-yearly Presidential determinations.
Permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) status ensures lower duties on
Armenian imports to the US, creating incentives for increased trade and
investment opportunities between the two countries. As such, the measure
strengthens bilateral relations between the two countries and helps reinforce
the enduring friendship between the American and Armenian peoples. Increased
US-Armenia trade and investment also helps to offset the impact of the Turkish
and Azerbaijani blockades, estimated by the World Bank at up to $720 million a
year.

5) Schwarzenegger Names Deukmejian to Head Prison Reform Panel

SACRAMENTO (AP)–Former Governor George Deukmejian will chair an independent
review panel looking to reform California’s youth and adult correctional
systems.
Governor Schwarzenegger says the panel must find ways to turn around a
“crisis
of confidence” in the state’s prison system.
Critics argue, however, that Deukmejian–who held office from 1983 to
1991–helped build the state’s prison system into the nation’s largest
during a
law-and-order administration.
Schwarzenegger says the panel will examine the corrections system’s “ethics
and culture;” organization and operations; safety practices for inmates,
employees, and the public; and personnel and training programs.
He says the panel will report to him directly as part of his administration’s
larger performance review.

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March 09, 2004

Mystery over ‘mercenary’ plane held in Harare
FROM MICHAEL DYNES IN JOHANNESBURG

Zimbabwe military officials hold up wire cutters on the seized cargo plane
yesterday

Mystery and confusion surrounded a US cargo plane seized at Harare airport
on suspicion of carrying mercenaries after Equatorial Guinea said today that
it had arrested a 15-man advance party linked to the impounded aircraft.

The ageing Boeing 727-100, which is alleged by Zimbabwe to have been
carrying 64 mercenaries of various nationalities, including South Africans,
took off from Polokwane airport in Limpopo Province yesterday, before being
held by Harare over a false declaration concerning its cargo.

Aviation authorities are still trying to establish the aircraft’s
destination. It has been variously reported to have been heading for
Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the oil rich West African
nation of Equatorial Guinea.

But the Government of Equitorial Guinea, a tiny former Spanish colony wedged
between Gabon and Cameroon, said that it had arrested 15 mercenaries
suspected of plotting a coup.

“Some 15 mercenaries have been arrested here, connected with that plane in
Zimbabwe. They were the advance party of that group,” said Agustn Nse Nfumu,
the Information Minister.

The 15 included a group of black and white South Africans, along with
nationals from Germany, Kazakhstan and Armenia, Mr Nfumu added.

Beeld, the Afrikaans-language daily, also reported South African
intelligence sources confirming that the aircraft was on its way to
Equatorial Guinea, sub-Saharan Africa’s third-largest oil producer.

Rumours of an impending coup were rife in the country amid growing tensions
among President Mbasogo’s family, whose members hold most of the top jobs in
the country.

Witnesses who saw the aircraft being loaded before it left South Africa said
it contained equipment such as hammers, bolt-cutters and shovels.

“It looked more like people going on a mining expedition,” one witness said.

“It’s certainly not the type of stuff I would like to start a war with,” he
added.

One unconfirmed report claimed that the aircraft was on its way to
Bujumbura, packed with de-mining equipment, as part of an international
effort to clear minefields in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Zimbabwean authorities announced yesterday that they had impounded the
aircraft “after the owners had made a false declaration of its cargo and
crew”.

Officials said that the flight was carrying “military materials,” and that
its passengers were suspected mercenaries.

Zimbabwean state television broadcast footage of the cargo, including a
rubber dinghy, sleeping bags, satellite phones, knives, bolt cutters,
hammers, green camouflage uniforms, and mace spray.

But no firearms, ammunition or explosives could be seen in the news
bulletins, which described the equipment as being “used by commandon
specialised missions”.

The aircraft and its passengers, most of them white, were taken to a nearby
military airfield for questioning.

Air Force and army bomb disposal experts are still examining the cargo “to
determine whether there is possible arms of war”.

No formal charges have yet been laid against any of the passengers.

The Zimbabwean authorities said that the suspected mercenaries would be
shown to the media once its investigations were completed.

“We are going to parade these men but I cannot say when exactly,” one
official said.

“That would depend on how the investigations are going,” he added.

The aircraft’s registration number, N4610, is assigned to Dodson Aviation
Inc, based in Ottawa, Kansas. But Robert Dodson, the company director, said
that it had sold the aircraft a week ago to Logo Logistics, a South African
company.

The South African authorities have so far failed to trace the whereabouts of
the new owners.

Jerry Ndou, the South African High Commissioner to Harare, is scheduled to
meet Zimbabwean officials to investigate claims that some of the alleged
mercenaries were South Africans.

Under South Africa’s 1998 Foreign Military Assistance Act, it is illegal for
South African nationals to offer military services to foreign countries
without the prior approval of Pretoria. The offence is punishable by ten
years in jail and a one million rand (£83,000) fine.

PRESS RELEASE
Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918 Fax: 818.246.7353
[email protected]

March 9, 2004

Contact: Ardashes Kassakhian 818.500.1918

OUTSTANDING WORK OF ANC CHAPTERS AND ACTIVISTS ACKNOWLEDGED AT AWARDS EVENT
Evening Thanks Individuals and Chapters for Hard Work and Dedication

Glendale, CA – The hard work of over a dozen ANC chapters from across
the the Western United States was recognized at the first annual
ANCA-WR Grassroots Awards Event held on February 29, 2004 in Glendale,
California. On the same night that Hollywood was honoring its best
across town at the Oscars, ANC leaders and supporters from throughout
the Western Region gathered in Glendale to acknowledge each other’s
hard work and celebrate their dedication and commitment to the
Armenian Cause. Activists from Sacramento, Los Angeles, San
Francisco, San Diego, Orange County, amongst many others came together
for this unique and special event.

“The 2004 ANCA-WR Grassroots Awards event acknowledged chapters and
activists who comprise the core that make the ANC the largest, most
effective and efficient Armenian-American grassroots public affairs
organization,” statedANCA-WR Executive Director Ardashes Kassakhian.

One Grassroots Activists from each ANC chapter received a special
recognition. In addition to individual awards, awards were also given
to individual chapters for Best Website, Most Innovative Project,
Media Outreach, Voter Outreach, Up-and-Coming Chapter, as well as
others.

“The dedication and strength of our ANC chapters is a tribute to the
democratic principles of America’s founding fathers and the pioneers
of theArmenian Cause,” commented ANCA-WR Chairman Raffi Hamparian
after the event. “On a daily basis, ANC members encourage Armenian
Americans to vote and to participate in the political life of our
nation. I am very proud of each and every ANC chapter and activist
who was honored at our Awards Event.”

The Master of Ceremonies at the ANC Awards Event was longtime
community activist and former Burbank ANC Chair, Stepan Boyadjian.
With a good dose of humor, Boyadjian kept those in attendance laughing
as he kept the program moving along. Assisting Boyadjian was ANCA-WR
Executive Director Ardashes Kassakhian who thanked everyone in
attendance for their dedication and support.

“What makes the Armenian National Committee such a unique organization
is the simple fact that this organization doesn’t function with the
sole work of one or two individual staffers but rather through the
constant effort of thousands and thousands of individuals who do their
part every day of ever week of every year,” commented Kassakhian. “We
owe our supporters a big ‘thank you’,” he added.

The highlight of the evening was the presentation of awards in a
variety of categories, including individual honors. Each chapter
nominated an individual who had made an impact or exceptional
contribution to his or her respective chapter. Individuals were
nominated from their chapters to receive recognition. Presenting ANC
Chapter Awards were ANCA-WR Board Members Aida Dimejian and Garo
Ispendjian. In a creative display of solidarity, the Burbank ANC
nominated the Burbank ANC Chapter Activist as their individual
honoree. The selfless nomination served as the closing theme for the
evening as Burbank received the 2004 ANCA-WR Grassroots Activist of
the Year award for the entire Western Region of the United States.
The other awards for individual chapters wereas follows:

– Crescenta Valley – Saro Senekerinian
– Fresno Central California – Ara Kachadourian and Rich Sanikian
– Sacramento – Hovannes Boghossian
– Glendale – Milene Apanian
– Pasadena – Susan Berberian
– San Diego – Dr. Robert Deranian
– San Francisco – Raffi Momjian
– Montebello/San Gabriel Valley – Serge Samoniantz
– East San Fernando Valley – Vahe Shahinian
– West San Fernando Valley – Nichan Kulukian

Chapters were also recognized for their outstanding work throughout
2003. The honorees for each category were as follows:

– 2004 ANCA-WR Rising Star – Crescenta Valley ANC for their
outstanding work in establishing a relationship with their local
community and involving a wide cross section of the community in ANC
activities;

– 2004 Best ANCA-WR Local Website – Central California/Fresno ANC for
their website;

– 2004 ANCA-WR Best Local Voter Outreach Campaign – San Francisco /Bay
Area ANC for regularly emailing and updating Bay Area Armenians on
local, state and federal elections in 2002-2003 with special
recognition for the ANC San Francisco Mayoral Debate;

– 2004 ANCA-WR Best Local Voter Outreach Campaign –
Montebello/SanGabriel Valley ANC for their voter outreach and
registration drive and being the deciding factor in their local
municipal election with pecial recognition for the “Honoring the
Montebello City Council” event;

– 2004 ANCA-WR Most Outstanding Initiative by a Local Chapter – San
Francisco/Bay Area ANC for their Genocide Education Campaign with
special recognition for the project;

– 2004 ANCA-WR Best Media Outreach Campaign – Pasadena ANC for press
coverage in the Pasadena Star News on the Policeman’s Appreciation
Luncheon and the Person of the Year Event.

ANCA-WR Chair Raffi Hamparian thanked each chapter and the ANCA-WR
office staff for their hard work and encouraged every individual in
attendance to strive for greatness in the coming year in the pursuit
of the ANC’s goals. Among the officials present at the event were
Congressman Adam Schiff, California State Senator Jack Scott,
California State Assemblyman Paul Koretz, former ANC Chairmen Jack
Misserlian, Armand Keosian, Dr. Sahag Baghdasarian and Steven Dadaian.
Glendale School Board Member Greg Krikorian, Burbank School
BoardMember Paul Krekorian and Glendale Community College Board Member
Ara Najarian were also in attendance.

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is the largest and
most influential Armenian American grassroots political
organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices,
chapters, and supporters throughoutthe United States and affiliated
organizations around the world, the ANCA actively advances the
concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of
issues.

Editor’s Note: Photos available upon request.
#####

Los Angeles Daily News
March 9 2004

Police, family baffled by shooting
No motive apparent in fatal freeway gun-down of driver

By Naush Boghossian and Phillip W. Browne
Staff Writer

NORTH HOLLYWOOD – The son of Armenian immigrants, Garen Ketikyan had
a strong work ethic, holding down a full-time job at a supermarket
while studying business at Valley College.

But the 20-year-old’s dreams were cut short early Tuesday when he was
fatally shot by gunmen in a white Ford Mustang as he and a friend
drove on the Hollywood (170) Freeway.

“He wanted to be successful. … He was like a best friend to me,”
said the victim’s older brother, Harut Ketikyan, 24, a Los Angeles
County probation officer.

“Mom and Dad would always tell us, ‘The reason we brought you to this
country is there is more opportunity here.’ To get life cut short
like that is sad.”

Ketikyan was killed just after midnight as he drove his 1998 Mercury
Marquis north on the freeway near Sherman Way. His passenger, whose
name was not released for his safety, was uninjured.

Detectives initially believed the case might be connected to
narcotics, gangs or other criminal activity, but those leads proved
false, and the motive remains a mystery.

“All indications are that they are good, hard-working kids. And they
were just out having some fun and visiting friends,” said LAPD
Detective Mike Coffey.

He said Ketikyan and his passenger were stopped at a traffic signal
at Coldwater Canyon Avenue and Victory Boulevard about 11:45 p.m.
Monday, and beeped their horn at two motorcyclists who didn’t move
when the light turned green.

“The men got off the bikes, removed their helmets and began walking
toward the Mercury in a threatening manner,” Coffey said. “Somehow
the confrontation ended without incident and everyone drove away.”

About 15 minutes later, Ketikyan was on the freeway when a white
Mustang, with chrome wheels and a new-car registration pulled
alongside and someone inside fired 10 to 15 rounds, Coffey said.
Ketikyan was struck in the head and died at the scene.

The passenger later told detectives he believed the men in the
Mustang were the motorcyclists who had accosted them earlier.

“It seemed kind of far-fetched to us that the assailants could switch
vehicles and find the victims that quickly, but it’s not impossible,”
Coffey said.

Ketikyan moved with his family from Armenia in 1991. He worked at
Jon’s Market in West Hollywood while studying business at Valley
College.

“I just never thought something like that could happen to our family,
until one day it does,” Harut Ketikyan said.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Coffey at the
LAPD’s North Hollywood station, (818) 623-4075. On weekends and
during nonbusiness, contact the 24-hour toll-free number at the
Detective Information Desk, at (877) LAWFULL, (877) 529-3855.

RIA Novosti, Russia
March 10 2004

ARMENIA, RUSSIA EXTEND AGREEMENT REGULATING VOLUNTARY MIGRATION

YEREVAN, MARCH 10. (RIA NOVOSTI CORRESPONDENT HAMLET MATEVOSYAN) -A
protocol on the continued validity of an inter-government agreement
between Armenia and the Russian federation, “On regulating voluntary
migration processes”, of August 29, 1997 was signed in Yerevan by
Minister for Territorial Government and Infrastructure Coordination
Ovik Abraamyan and Russia’s ambassador Anatoly Dryukov in Armenia.

Under the protocol, the sides have agreed to extend the agreement for
another five years, reports the Armenian government public and press
liaison department. The agreement is targeted at creating favourable
conditions for the voluntary migration of Armenian and Russian
citizens, said Gagik Yeganyan, chief of the Armenian government
department for migration and refugees.

It is especially important now, with a notable stream of repatriates,
added Yeganyan.

On instructions from the Armenian government, he continued, a
delegation will go to Russia next week to enlighten Armenian citizens
living in Russia on the essence of the inter-government agreement.

Long Beach Press-Telegram, CA
March 10 2004

Hollywood man killed in mysterious freeway shooting

By Phillip W. Browne
Staff Writer

NORTH HOLLYWOOD – Detectives this morning were trying to unravel the
mystery behind an early morning shooting along the Hollywood (170)
Freeway that claimed the life of a Hollywood grocery clerk.

Garen Ketikyan, 20, was gunned down by someone inside a white Ford
Mustang just after midnight as he drove north on the freeway near
Sherman Way. His passenger, whose name was not released for his
safety, was uninjured.

The assailants are believed to be the same men who, just minutes
earlier, were riding motorcycles and got into a confrontation with
the victims, police said. Detectives also originally believed the
case might be connected to narcotics, gangs or other criminal
activity. But that also proved false, and the motive remains a
mystery.

“We ran a check on Garen and the passenger, and neither have a
criminal record,” said Detective Mike Coffey, with the LAPD’s North
Hollywood Division. “All indications are that they are good, hard
working kids. And they were just out having some fun and visiting
friends.”

The drama began about 11:45 p.m. Monday when Ketikyan, a student at
Valley College, and his passenger were stopped at the intersection of
Coldwater Canyon Avenue and Victory Boulevard “cruising and looking
for girls to talk to,” Coffey said. They were inside a 1998 Mercury
Marquis.

At the traffic signal, there were two men on motorcycles and a woman
driving a Lexus who were stopped in front of them. When the light
turned green, the Lexus drove away but the men on motorcycles did not
move.

“The victim began honking his horn, and the men got off the bikes,
removed their helmets and began walking toward the Mercury in a
threatening manner,” Coffey said, adding that the victims noticed the
men were Armenian. “No words were exchanged but the incident scared
them. Somehow the confrontation ended without incident and everyone
drove away.”

About 15 minutes later Ketikyan was driving north on the Hollywood
Freeway when a white Mustang, with chrome wheels and paper plates,
pulled alongside them and someone inside fired between 10 and 15
rounds, striking Ketikyan in the head, Coffey said.

A North Hollywood patrol officer on Sherman Way heard she shots, and
saw Ketikyan’s car come to a stop on the overpass. The passenger
jumped out and began screaming for help as the officer raced up the
onramp to investigate, Coffey said.

Ketikyan was pronounced dead at the scene.

The uninjured passenger told detectives he believed the men in the
Mustang were the same people on the motorcycles.

“It seemed kind of far-fetched to us that the assailants could switch
vehicles and find the victims that quickly, but it’s not impossible,”
Coffey said. “We’re following all the leads we can.”

The northbound 170 Freeway was closed between Burbank Boulevard and
Sherman Way until about 4:40 a.m. while police investigated the
shooting, said California Highway Patrol Officer Francisco
Villalobos.

Detectives did not have a good description of the suspects, except to
say they are Armenian. They also want to question the woman who was
driving the Lexus.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Coffey at the
LAPD’s North Hollywood station, (818) 623-4075. On weekends and
during off-hours, contact the 24-hour toll free number at the
Detective Information Desk, at (877) LAWFULL, (877) 529-3855.

EUobserver.com, Belgium
March 10 2004

Georgian President: My country is ‘culturally European’

Jacques Chirac “fully supports” Georgia in its bid to draw closer to
the EU (Photo: European Parliament)
In an interview with French daily Le Monde, Georgian President
Mikhaïl Saakachvili has said that his country is European, both
geographically and culturally.

Mr Saakachvili – who came to power late last year after ousting
former president Eduard Shevardnadze in a bloodless “rose revolution”
– said, “geographically, culturally, Georgia feels European and
Georgians are enthusiastic Europeans”.

Georgia, along with its Caucasus neighbours Armenia and Azerbaijan,
are likely to be included in the EU’s “wider Europe” programme, which
aims to create a ring of countries around the Union as part of a vast
internal market.

And after talks with French President Jacques Chirac last night, Mr
Saakachvili said that he had France’s support for closer EU ties.

According to Iter-Tass, he said, “He (Chirac) fully supported
Georgia’s option to draw closer to the EU”.

Baku Today, Azerbaijan
March 10 2004

Azeri officer in Budapest gets lawyer

Hungarian lawyer Peter Zalay will defend Azerbaijani officer Ramil
Safarov, who has been arrested in Budapest on charges of murdering
Armenian officer, Turan News Agency said.

10/03/2004 14:45
Baku Today

Azeri lawyer Adil Ismayilov, who met with Zalay in Budapest said, in
a TV interview, Zalay quite a responsible lawyer ,however, he said,
one cannot be confident about the positive outcome of the case for
the Azeri officer beforehand.

Ismayilov, who visited Safarov on March 4 said, the Azeri officer has
been charged with article 166 of Hungarian criminal code which
stipulates for from between 10 – 15 years of imprisonment to life
imprisonment.

Independent Online, South Africa
March 10 2004

Where was flight N4610 heading?

They were 64 “heavily built men”, mostly white. No, they were all
black. No, only 40 of them were black.

The plane left South Africa illegally from Wonderboom airport,
strayed into Zimbabwe airspace and was ordered down. No, the plane
left the country legally, having filed a flight plan to Harare and
then on to Burundi. No, the plane was headed for the Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC).

The men on board were suspected of being mercenaries hired to
overthrow Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe. No, they were on their
way to overthrow the government of Equatorial Guinea. No, they were
going to the eastern DRC to carry out security duties.

These are just some of the stories surrounding the flight of N4610, a
Boeing 727-100 cargo plane that has been impounded in Harare.

‘Those guys have never caught a fish in their lives’
And 64 – though some reports say there are 67 – of those who were
aboard, whether they were white, black or a mixture, and whether they
were mercenaries or honest men, are in Harare cells facing intense
interrogation.

Not even Frederick Forsyth thought of so many twists and riddles in
his Dogs of War, probably the best-known novel about mercenaries.

The book was based on Forsyth’s personal adventures – he was involved
in an unsuccessful scheme to overthrow the head of state of
Equatorial Guinea in 1972.

But even the Dogs of War cannot rival this bizarre tale of confusion.

Some sources say the drama began in November 2003 or December when
the company Logo Logistics acquired a fishing concession in
Equatorial Guinea and bought or hired fishing trawlers.

“Those guys have never caught a fish in their lives,” one source
said.

The trawlers were really to be used first to reconnoitre and then to
transport mercenaries to oust the government of unpopular President
Obiang Nguema Mbasogo in a coup, the sources said. Though part of
Equatorial Guinea is on the African mainland, its capital Malabo is
on the island of Bioko, and it appears that a seaborne coup was
planned, though it is not clear from what staging post it would
happen.

Equatorial Guinea and its immediate neighbouring island state of Sao
Tome and Principe have become ripe for coups since oil was recently
discovered in their waters. That has made them big prizes for greedy
politicians and those who help them to acquire power. Sao Tome
experienced a coup in 2003, which was reversed by African Union
intervention.

On Tuesday the Mbasogo government announced that it had arrested 15
“mercenaries” in Malabo, including white South Africans, black South
Africans of Angolan origin and a few people from Kazakhstan, some
Armenians and a German.

“It was connected with that plane in Zimbabwe. They were the advance
party of that group,” Information Minister Agustin Nse Nfumu said. He
said the 15 had been in the country since December.

The arrests in Malabo corroborate the account of South African
security sources that the real destination of the plane seized in
Harare was Equatorial Guinea, though other destinations have been
claimed.

South African civil aviation sources say Harare was on the aircraft’s
official flight plan – en route to Burundi.

On Tuesday, a company named in connection with the flight disputed
all the speculation, saying the “mercenaries” were in fact security
people “going to eastern DRC”.

They were stopping in Zimbabwe to pick up mining equipment, “Zimbabwe
being a vastly cheaper place for such”.

Charles Burrow, a senior executive of Logo Logistics which had
chartered the Boeing 727 freighter, said via telephone from London
that most of the people on board were South African and had military
experience, but were on contract to four mining companies in the DRC.
He declined to name the companies.

How then did the crew file a flight plan to Burundi?

Perhaps the most murky leg of the journey was the detour to Zimbabwe,
and there are several different explanations offered of how the plane
came to land in Harare.

One was that the Boeing 727-100 strayed into Zimbabwe airspace by
accident – either through a navigational error or a technical fault –
and another that it flew there deliberately.

Several Zimbabwean aviation sources initially said the plane was
forced to land after entering Zimbabwe airspace illegally. They said
the Airforce of Zimbabwe (AFZ) were alerted once the plane showed up
on radar screens. The AFZ has been on alert for years because of
Mugabe’s fears that his enemies might mount an attack to topple him.

Sources behind this theory say that, upon being questioned, the crew
indicated they had wanted to refuel urgently so they could proceed
with their journey. The plane was then allowed to land.

A problem arose when the crew were told that the plane was going to
be searched, according to this theory. They panicked and tried to
taxi off the runaway but the attempt to escape did not succeed. If it
had succeeded it probably could have caused a disaster as there was a
plane arriving from Johannesburg on the same route.

However, Burrow, the Logo Logistics executive, said the aircraft was
bound for the DRC to do mine security work and had stopped in Harare
to pick up mining security equipment.

A senior Zimbabwean aviation official, involved in the
investigations, said the suspected mercenaries had indeed informed
their interrogators in Harare that they had been hired by a South
African firm for a noble mission to do both mining and demining
security work in the DRC.

The official said Zimbabwean police, army and intelligence officials
were unconvinced by this explanation as many of the suspects had
shown little knowledge of demining work during interrogation. It was
possible that some of the equipment seized was used for mining work.

It is known, however, that it was at Wonderboom Airport that the crew
picked up its passengers, and interesting cargo.

Wonderboom Airport manager Peet van Rensburg confirmed that the plane
landed there early on Sunday morning and departed later that
afternoon with 64 men on board. It is not clear whether this number
included the three-man crew, but the flight plan filed indicated 67
people were on board.

Of these, at least 20 are believed to be South Africans, with the
majority coming from Pretoria and Johannesburg.

According to Van Rensburg, who was phoned by the duty airport
manager, the plane landed without prior notice, and took on
passengers and cargo.

But Craig Partridge of Air Traffic and Navigational Services (ATNS)
said four flight plans for the plane, registration number N4610, had
been filed with ATNS’s briefing office in Johannesburg.

According to the documents, he said, the plane left Lanseria Airport
at 6.55am on Sunday. There were four crew members on board and they
were headed for Wonderboom Airport in Pretoria, where they touched
down at 6.59am.

Van Rensburg said that when he arrived at the airport, he found the
plane parked on the maintenance runway.

He was told that scores of bags containing various “military-like”
equipment had been loaded onto the plane by the crew after the ground
crew’s help was refused.

Army-style duffel bags contained night vision equipment,
waterbottles, apparent gun cases, cylindrical metal tubes, camouflage
uniforms and boots, and two-way radios.

His inquiries also revealed that the plane had a limited amount of
fuel on board as the Wonderboom Airport runway, which is 1,83km in
length, is too short to allow a plane with full fuel load and cargo
to take off.

Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) spokesperson Moses Seate said the CAA
was conducting a probe into the circumstances of the plane’s
“illegal” departure from South African airspace.

But a flight plan filed with ATNS indicates that the plane flew to
Polokwane, an international airport, from where it would proceed to
Harare.

The plane arrived at Polokwane at 4.35pm. It parked on the main
international apron in front of the international departures building
which houses customs and immigration, Partridge said.

It then took off at 6.24pm, still with 67 people on board, according
to the paperwork, and headed for Harare.

“The air traffic controller on duty saw the men getting on board and
he described all of them as ‘non-white’,” said Partridge.

South African air control handed the plane over to air traffic
control in Harare when it crossed into Zimbabwean airspace at 6.40pm.

Partridge said a fourth flight plan on file shows that the aircraft
planned to leave Harare and fly on to Bujumbura, Burundi. However, it
was seized by Zimbabwean authorities.

A Zimbabwe official confirmed that the aircraft had, in fact, entered
Zimbabwean airspace legally on Sunday night after filing an earlier
flight plan. A problem arose when the crew made a false declaration
of its cargo and passengers.

A crew member allegedly attempted to bribe an airport security
official with wads of US dollars to avoid a search of the aircraft.
That only raised the anxiety of other security officials who
witnessed the bribery attempt, and a search was then mounted.

South African security sources offer another explanation – they also
say the aircraft flew deliberately to Harare, but with the purpose of
picking up Simon Mann, the head of Logo Logistics and leader of the
team heading for Equatorial Guinea, as well as some other members.

“But how they thought they could get away with that, I don’t know,”
one source said.

“The age of coups is past now, they must realise that. You could
probably take Equatorial Guinea with five people but the African
Union is not going to let a coup stand,” he added.

He said Nigerian troops had already been sent to Malabo to protect
Mbasogo’s government.

In 1999, the Organisation of African Unity passed a historic
resolution outlawing coups and resolved to banish from the
organisation any government that came to power by coup.

The men on Flight N4610 have been detained, their plane impounded,
and very little further information about the investigation is being
released.

It is understood the suspected mercenaries have been split up and are
being held at different places around Harare – Chikurubi Maximum
Prison, Harare Central Prison, Harare Central Police cells,
Rhodesville Police Station cells and army barracks around Harare.

They are being interviewed by different groups of interrogators, say
sources.

There is some concern among legal rights activists that the men may
be tortured to extract information.

It has not yet been confirmed whether any of the 64 arrested men on
board are, in fact, South Africans.

South African High Commissioner to Zimbabwe Jerry Ndou said his
office had written to Zimbabwe’s ministry of foreign affairs to ask
for information about the detainees. “Our interest is to confirm
whether or not any South Africans have been arrested,” he said.

“But part of the problem is that the cabinet is now in session and so
we have to wait for a reply. Anyway, we are hoping they will come
back to us as soon as possible,” he added.

Commenting on the delays in obtaining information, Ndou said: “I have
written to the ministry, and so there will be consultations with the
minister, the deputy minister, the administrator, the chief director,
all those people. It can be that at this stage we are just waiting on
the minister Stan Mudenge, who is in cabinet.”

Ndou said he needed to know the identities of the detainees so that
he could inform their families at home, and also offer them consular
services.

According to Ndou, the impounded plane has “made big news in the
state media”, with reports stating that Zimbabwe was under siege.

Equatorial Guinea is equally paranoid, believing that the
“mercenaries” were meant for a coup there.

Its information minister, Nfumu, said from Malabo that the suspected
mercenaries had arrived in the former Spanish colony, which borders
Gabon and Cameroon, in December and were picked up late on Monday
evening. He said some of them had been “presented to the diplomatic
corps”.

The clampdown comes amid growing tensions within Mbasogo’s family,
whose members hold most top positions in the country, and speculation
among exiled opposition politicians that a coup was in the offing.

But this could all be wrong: Logo Logistics, the company that leased
the plane on Harare’s tarmac, said it was carrying 64 mining
contractors to the DRC. It said that what had been described as
“military” items on board were, in fact, equipment such as boots, and
pipe-bending and wire-cutting tools.

“We can make it clear that we have no current or intended business in
Zimbabwe and certainly no illegal intentions against its government
and people,” the company said in a statement sent to Sapa.

It said the aircraft was recently purchased and still registered in
the United States. “There is no other link with the US,” the company
said.

So what’s the solution to all the mysteries? Easy. Frederick Forsyth
just needs to write Dogs of War II.

CalTrade Report, CA
March 10 2004

And the Bills Just Keep on Coming…
California Senate, Assembly bills cover a broad spectrum of
trade-related activities

SACRAMENTO – 03/10/04 – A juggernaut of trade-related legislation is
ponderously clanking a path through California’s Democrat-controlled
legislature as Sacramento continues to re-define its role as a trade
facilitator and promoter in a post-recall environment of dramatically
reduced budgets and a new Republican governor at the helm.

With the mismanaged and now-defunct California Technology, Trade &
Commerce Agency a bitter memory and the state’s overseas trade
offices shuttered, Sacramento is taking a fresh look at the impact
global business has on the state’s economy and what part, if any, it
should play in positioning the state in the global business arena.

On the Senate side, almost a dozen bills covering a broad range of
issues from promoting agricultural exports and tourism to trade
promotion and maritime security are up for consideration, while the
Assembly is pondering legislation affecting port congestion,
environmental controls, export development, and food labeling among
others.

A sampling from the Senate and the Assembly…

SB 1261 is a wide-sweeping, generic bill sponsored by Sen. John
Vasconcellos (13th District) that would provide that the Department
of Food and Agriculture “is the primary state agency for the
promotion of California agriculture, fish, and forest exports, and
for the administration of federal-state export programs for those
products;” mandate that the Business, Transportation and Housing
Agency fill a similar role “with respect to foreign investment,
international public infrastructure projects, and support for
California businesses in accessing international markets.

The bill also directs that the state Air Resources Agency and the
California Environmental Protection Agency assume the mantle of
promoting “the international exchange of environmental protection
technologies and the promotion of the transfer of environmental
technology to and from the state.”

Authored by Sen. Jackie Spier (8th District), SB 1390 – the
California Tourism Marketing Act – would budget at least $7.3 million
a year to establish a California Travel and Tourism Commission “for
the purpose of increasing the number of persons traveling to and
within the state.” The bill stipulates that the appropriation for the
Commission would be appropriated from the General Fund.

SB 1453 “would require any employer that outsources jobs that would
result in the replacement of 20 or more workers in California to, not
less than 60 days before the employer enters into a contract with a
contractor or subcontractor located outside the United States to
perform the outsourced job functions, give written notice of the
contract to the Employment Development Department and the employees
based in California whose jobs would be affected by the outsourcing.”

The bill was authored by Sen. Liz Figueroa (10th District).

Sen. Betty Karnette, a Democrat whose 27th District encompasses much
of the region adjacent to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, is
the author of SB 1837 which would establish an Office of Trade
Promotion in the Governor’s office “to serve as the state’s primary
resource and focal point for all trade-related activities and
inquiries” and “to faclitate collaboration among organizations that
can provide complementary trade services.” The bill stipulates that
the proposed Trade Promotion Office would be funded from existing
resources in the Governor’s Office.

The most controversial bill – SB 1857 – is an attempt to resurrect
the state’s shuttered network of overseas trade promotion offices. It
calls for the establishment of a California trade promotion office in
Yerevan, Armenia, and authorizes the Secretary of Business,
Transportation, and Housing to “accept private sector moneys made to
the state for the purposes of promoting international trade and
investment, subject to specific conditions.”

The bill – authored by Sen Dennis Hollingsworth (36th District) –
“would declare the intent of the Legislature to provide for trade and
international trade offices on behalf of the state through
public-private partnerships.”

On the Assembly side…

Bay Area Democrat Leland Yee (12th District), seen by some as the
Assembly’s new “flag bearer” on trade-related issues, is the author
of AB 2411, a broad-based bill “that would state the intent of the
Legislature to enact legislation to create and maintain relevant
organizational structures and procedures to support the
implementation and growth of international trade and investment in
California.”

Yee’s AB 2524 would “enact” the California Export Development
Corporation (CEDC) law and add provisions to establish the CEDC in
the Business Transportation and Housing Agency. The bill would also
authorize the guarantee of loans by the Corporation through the Small
Business Loan Guarantee Program.

Assemblyman Alan Lowenthal (5th District) is the author of several
bills currently before the Assembly that could significantly impact
the movement of goods in and out of California’s deep-water ports.

His AB 2041 would establish an as-yet undetermined charge for the
“privilege” of transporting cargo by commercial motor vehicle into or
out of the Port of Los Angeles or the Port of Long Beach between the
hours of 8:00 am and 5:00 pm, inclusive, Monday through Friday,
inclusive. All revenues derived from the imposition of the charge
would be deposited in a so-called Congestion Management Fund “and
expended to fund certain projects to help alleviate congestion caused
by scheduling shipments by commercial motor vehicles during the
specified hours.”

Lowenthal’s AB 2042 would “require that the Port of Long Beach and
the Port of Los Angeles ensure that all future growth at each port
will have a zero-net increase in air pollution,” while AB 2043 would
compel the state’s ports to contribute “an unspecified amount of
money” annually to fund a Maritime Port Strategic Master Plan Task
Force tasked with approving ports’ development plans.

Assemblyman Keith Richman’s AB 1911 “requires the Governor to
instruct the Secretary of Business, Transportation and Housing to
establish, on a contract basis, an international trade and investment
office in Israel,” while AB 2206, authored by Assemblyman Marco
Firebaugh (50th District), would “require the Secretary, to the
extent that sufficient non-state funds are available…to develop a
statewide collaborative alliance of public / private sector trade
development organizations to achieve specified international trade
and investment purposes…”

The bill would also authorize the establishment of representative
offices in foreign locations “subject to the availability of
sufficient non-state funds for that purpose.”

AB 2887 – authored by Democrat Jenny Oropeza (55th District) – would
require the Governor to notify the Legislature “subsequent to signing
any document involving a foreign government.”

Under existing law, the Governor is the “sole official organ of
communication” between the government of the state and any other
state or of the United States.”