New Statesman
March 29, 2004
An average MP; Oliver Baldwin: a life of dissent Christopher J Walker
Arcadia Books, 355pp, GBP12.99 ISBN 1900850869
by Andrew Lycett
Photographed in flowing Coronation robes in 1953, Oliver Baldwin
looked like a portly grandee in one of his favourite Gilbert and
Sullivan operettas. His Ruritanian features masked the sad, decent,
homosexual son of the inter-war Conservative prime minister.
For six decades Baldwin fils laboured at soldiering, journalism and
politics, and for a short, hilarious time he became governor general
of the Leeward Islands. But his troubled, rebellious temperament
ensured that he never enjoyed the glittering prizes for which he
seemed destined.
His difficulties surfaced at Eton, which he loathed for its cruel
snobberies. He could not wait to leave school and sign up for the
First World War. But his experience of the trenches confirmed his
independent streak. He returned with the belief that humanity should
live in harmony. Perhaps suffering from shell shock, he dropped out,
joining the Comrades of the Great War (a forerunner of the British
Legion) in the forlorn hope that the group might initiate social
change.
He found liberation in the sunshine and Arab culture of North Africa.
A chance meeting in Alexandria inspired him to accept a job as an
infantry instructor in beleaguered Armenia, which had gained
independence from the Turks in May 1918. No sooner had he arrived in
Yerevan in late 1920 than the weak social democrat government
crumpled and Baldwin was imprisoned by pro-Bolshevik putschists.
He was freed in a counter-revolution a few months later, but while
travelling home he was arrested again by the Turks who, angry at his
espousal of the Armenian cause, accused him of spying for the
Soviets. The jail conditions were, if anything, worse, and execution
a daily threat.
Despite a brief, unconvincing engagement, he opted after his release
to live with Johnnie Boyle, a charming ne’er-do-well who had run a
tea shop. The couple set up home in Oxfordshire, where they raised
turkeys, welcomed guests such as Beverley Nichols, and referred
devotedly to each other as ‘koot’ – apparently after the phrase
‘queer as a coot’. Walker describes their domestic life as ‘one of
gentle, amicable, animal-loving primitive homosexual socialism’.
Baldwin began taking socialism seriously. He joined the Labour Party
and, after a false start, won seats at Dudley and later Paisley. An
average MP, he was better known for his journalism, incongruously
using the Rothermere press to propagate an anti-fascist message. He
also wrote books about Armenia, politics and a curious novel called
The Coming of Aissa, which emphasised the socialistic leanings of
Jesus within an agnostic, Asian, neoplatonic context.
Baldwin’s service in the Second World War is best skimmed over. He
found a berth in the Middle East in a propaganda job that Walker
insists had intelligence links. His claim to fame was (shades of the
Americans in Panama) to run a loudspeaker unit that tried to win over
enemy waverers by blasting out broadcasts on the battlefield in
Eritrea.
Returning to politics, he was made a peer – for no better reason, one
suspects, than that the Labour Party needed bodies in the Lords. But
before he could take his seat (uniquely, he would have sat opposite
his father in both houses of parliament), the old man died and Oliver
was elevated as the 2nd Earl Baldwin.
When he went to the Leeward Islands in 1948 he took two male friends
(one as private secretary, the other as butler) and ran an
egregiously camp governor’s household. The plantocracy was soon
complaining about foibles such as skinny-dipping with visiting
sailors. One woman alerted the Colonial Office to his enthusiasm for
steel bands with such butch-sounding names as Brute Force. She feared
that Baldwin might turn these into paramilitary units to overthrow
the constitution.
But Baldwin’s real sin, epitomised in a speech in which he quoted
from the Mahabharata, was to foster a sense of multiracial
inclusiveness. After a politi- cal storm, he was recalled to London
to explain. The colonial secretary decided to defuse matters by
sending the governor back. But his career was finished.
Walker is alert to the comedy and pathos of this intriguing slice of
alternative history. He writes crisply and sympathetically, although
a sense of his ennui occasionally intrudes. He has access to good
primary material, including letters that show his father and mother
affectionately and rather nobly coping with his ‘dissidence’ (the
author’s own word). Walker might however have made more effort to
flesh out his account from other sources, such as Turkish archives.
Ultimately, one must weigh up whether this biography of a lightweight
is worth reading as a political or even as a human-interest tale. It
scores on both counts.
Andrew Lycett’s most recent book is Dylan Thomas: a new life
(Weidenfeld & Nicolson)

Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
March 29, 2004, Monday
UZBEKISTAN SUPPORTS AZERBAIJAN’S CLAIMS IN THE NAGORNY KARABAKH
CONFLICT
Official visit of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to Tashkent
ended on March 24. Signing The Declaration of Mutual Strategic
Partnership became the main result of his talks with Uzbek President
Islam Karimov. However, Islam Karimov’s statements related to the
Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict in Nagorny Karabakh aroused the biggest
interest for the meeting of both leaders.
Referring to Azerbaijani sources, Interfax agency has been citing
Uzbek president: “Mikhail Gorbachev and his team” had become a cause
which had given rise to the Nagorny Karabakh conflict. Mr. Karimov
accused former Soviet president of doing nothing to avert the
conflict; therefore, he’s supposed to be responsible for it. In
opinion of Uzbek president, package settlement of the conflict has no
future. The by-stage principle seems more practical to him.
“Liberation of the occupied areas if the first and indispensable
step,” Mr. Karimov said and noted that the Armenian side won’t like
his words. In his opinion, the status of Nagorny Karabakh could only
be defined after that.
This evaluation of, probably, most hard-to-solve and inveterate
conflict in post-Soviet area obtained from a CIS leader is an
extraordinary event. Mentioning the Karabakh problem, all CIS states
usually recognize the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. None of
them dared to take the side of any particular conflicting party like
Mr. Karimov has done that.
(…)
It should be admitted that the stance of the Uzbek president looks
consistent. As far back as 1999, explaining the causes of Tashkent’s
withdrawal from the Collective Security Treaty (CST), Mr. Karimov
noted his disappointment for functioning of this structure. In his
words, Russia was reinforcing Armenia, one of the conflicting
parties, since the arms supplies to that country amount to $1
billion. Meanwhile, this was when Azerbaijan pulled out of the CST.
Source: Vremya Novostei, March 25, 2004, p. 5
Translated by Andrei Ryabochkin

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 60; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
March 29, 2004
___________________
PRIMATE JOINS APPEAL OF CONSCIENCE FOUNDATION IN HONORING LEADER
Recently, Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the
Armenian Church of America (Eastern), was joined by other Diocesan leaders
in attending a luncheon hosted by the Appeal of Conscience Foundation to
honor His All Holiness Bartholomew I, Archbishop of Constantinople, New
Rome, and Ecumenical Patriarch.
The luncheon, in New York City on March 17, was on the occasion of the 10th
anniversary of the Peace and Tolerance Conference that resulted in the
Bosphorus Declaration of 1994, which condemned violence in the name of
religion.
The Primate serves on the board of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation, an
interfaith coalition of business and religious leaders working around the
globe to promote peace, tolerance, and resolution of ethnic conflicts. He
delivered the blessing at the luncheon.
“Bless those who labor in the name of religious freedom, moral unity, and
peace for all your children,” the Primate said.
Joining the Primate were Fr. Vazken Karayan, pastor of the Holy Cross Church
of Union City, NJ; Dr. Sam Mikaelian, executive director of the Diocesan
Center; and Kevork Toroyan, chairman of the Diocesan Legate’s Committee.
Patriarch Bartholomew I was in New York City for a week of meetings and
events. The Primate met with him on several occasions as a leader in the
ecumenical dialogue between the Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox
communities.
— 3/29/04
E-mail photos available on request. Photos also viewable on the Eastern
Diocese’s website,
PHOTO CAPTION (1): Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Eastern
Diocese, delivers the blessing at a luncheon honoring His All Holiness
Bartholomew I at the Minskoff Cultural Center in New York City on March 17,
2004.
PHOTO CAPTION (2): A photographer takes a photo of His All Holiness
Bartholomew I, Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome, and Ecumenical
Patriarch; Archbishop Demetrios, of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of
America; Archbishop Khajag Barsamian; and Rabbi Arthur Schneier, founder of
the Appeal of Conscience Foundation.
PHOTO CAPTION (3): Dr. Sam Mikaelian, executive director of the Eastern
Diocese; Archbishop Khajag Barsamian; and Rabbi Arthur Schneier, founder of
the Appeal of Conscience Foundation, at a luncheon on March 17 hosted by the
foundation on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Peace and
Tolerance Conference and the Bosphorus Declaration of 1994.
# # #

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
March 29, 2004 Monday Home Edition
Veteran disappoints, but newcomer dazzles
by PIERRE RUHE
A couple of decades ago, song recitals were declared dead and all but
buried. Fewer composers were writing for the exposed duo of solo
voice and piano; impresarios found vocalists a tough sell; young
singers didn’t see the benefits of all that discipline.
Well, the rumors were greatly exaggerated. This season in Atlanta has
heard terrific art-of-song performances. Over the weekend, a veteran
and a rookie came to town and, not surprisingly, arrived with
different agendas.
Mezzo-soprano Susanne Mentzer has been a strong presence at the
Metropolitan Opera for some 15 years. At Emory University, she and
Craig Rutenberg, a lyrical pianist, opened with a pair of “what if?”
composers — music by the wives of great men, women who didn’t
pursue composition as a career, Clara Schumann and Alma Mahler.
Where three Schumann songs from her Op. 12 sounded here like tepid,
nicely wrought parlor songs, Mahler’s set heaved with allure and
personality. In the latter’s “Balmy Summer Night,” Mentzer conveyed a
winking, almost swishy attitude.
Works by Gustav Mahler (earthy) and Eric Satie (cabaret cute) led to
Libby Larsen’s “Love after 1950,” five songs written for Mentzer and
premiered in 2000. Each song gets a treatment: One is blues, another
honky-tonk, a third tango, and so on. Fun to hear and mostly
well-written for the human voice, these songs suffer from Larsen’s
self-conscious, post-modern approach, where the music is remote from
the texts instead of interlocked. And throughout the evening, the
mezzo’s brushed velvety voice sounded a bit weary. It made for a
low-energy recital.
On Saturday, soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian, making her Atlanta recital
debut, sang with the giddy excitement of a newcomer, without a
horizon in sight. I first heard her in 1997, in a tiny role at the
Glimmerglass Opera, and wrote she was “exquisite in her pure tones,
generating a frisson of interest in her vocal possibilities.” Even
then, it was obvious here was someone special. Now just 29, she’s
starting to win acclaim in the opera house and through CDs.
Yet the first half of her Spivey recital — Grenados, Rossini and
Vivaldi — seemed more about wowing us with her technique than about
singing to her strengths.
Still a growing artist, Bayrakdarian’s vocal timbre is somewhere
between Kathleen Battle’s and Sumi Jo’s, equal parts soul and
diamond-sparkle coloratura. She summoned despair for Vivaldi’s “The
Scorned Wife,” although she left a few tones (like the word “fida”)
curiously uncolored, like it sat between two regions of her voice and
she couldn’t quite reach it. And was it fatigue that caused some
misfiring vocal pyrotechnics in “Buffeted by Two Winds”? Her pianist,
Serouj Kradjian, proved an inadequate accompanist, flashy and
oblivious to the subtleties of the texts.
In any case, after intermission the Canadian-Armenian soprano finally
let us savor more than just her splendid technical gifts: She became
an interpreter and an actress, telling moving stories with her voice
— the crux of a song recital. She was at turns naive and manic in
Tchaikovsky’s “The Cuckoo” — both funny and scary — pronouncing
the bird’s song like an antique clock gone haywire. She sounded like
a non-smoking Edith Piaf for a set of cynical Kurt Weill love songs,
squatting over the low notes with a seductively nasal drawl. Is the
term “vocal charisma” adequate to describe a singer who makes time
stop, who conjures magic? Whatever that intoxicating property is,
Bayrakdarian has it in abundance — the future of the art form.
GRAPHIC: Photo: In her Atlanta recital debut, Canadian-Armenian
soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian sang with the excitement of a newcomer.
When at her best on Saturday, she was magical.; Photo: Susan Mentzer,
a regular at the Metropolitan Opera, sounded a bit weary in her
Friday recital.; Graphic: CLASSICAL REVIEW
Mezzo-soprano Susanne Mentzer, Friday at Emory University’s Emerson
Concert Hall; and soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian, Saturday at Spivey
Hall.

ARKA News Agency
March 29 2004
New Editor in Chief of Azat Artsakh daily appointed
RA President signs decree on awarding honorary titles to theater
artists
*********************************************************************
NEW EDITOR IN CHIEF OF AZAT ARTSAKH DAILY APPOINTED
STEPANAKERT. March 29. /ARKA/. Marsel Petrosyan was appointed as new
Editor in Chief of Karabakh daily Azat Artsakh. As reported by the
Special Correspondent of ARKA in NKR from Stepanakert with the
reference to the NKR National Assembly Press Department, prior to the
appointment the New Editor in Chief was Editor in Chief of army daily
Martik. The former Editor of Azat Artsakh Haykaz Ghahriyan was
discharged from his position according to his own request in
connection with his going to other job. T.M. -0-
*********************************************************************
RA PRESIDENT SIGNS DECREE ON AWARDING HONORARY TITLES TO THEATER
ARTISTS
YEREVAN. March 29. /ARKA/. ARKA President Robert Kocharian signed a
decree on awarding honorary titles for contribution into the theater
art on occasion of the International Theater Day. As the RA President
Press Department told ARKA, honorary titles were awarded to 13
theater artists. Congratulating the theatre artists on occasion of
the International Day of Theater, he said that `theater’s role in
public life is enormous, as well as for raising the national
consciousness’. `We consider that restoration and development of
these traditions for creation a new face of Armenia is important’,
Kocharian mentioned. T.M. -0–

CIS SECURITY CHIEF ARRIVES IN KYRGYZ CAPITAL
ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow
29 Mar 04
Secretary-General of the CSTO (Collective Security Treaty
Organization; members are Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan and Russia) Nikolay Bordyuzha arrived in Bishkek today to
hold talks with the leadership of Kyrgyzstan, an ITAR-TASS
correspondent has been told at the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry.
He is expected to meet President Askar Akayev, Security Council
Secretary Misir Ashirkulov and the heads of the country’s
power-wielding agencies.
The stepping up of collaboration between the CSTO member states to
ensure security is expected to be discussed during the talks.
Another purpose of the CSTO secretary-general’s visit is to discuss
the agenda of the forthcoming session of the Security Treaty Council
scheduled to be held in Kazakhstan this summer.
It is expected that after Bishkek, Bordyuzha will pay a visit to
Astana.

Interfaith group in ex-Soviet Union to focus on terrorism and tolerance
By Lev Krichevsky

MOSCOW, March 29 (JTA) – A new interfaith group in the former Soviet
Union has passed a resolution condemning terrorism – and could become
a defender of minority rights in the region.`True-believing Orthodox
Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists would never step onto a path of
terror. We are convinced that the people who have conscientiously
become terrorists have denied their own faith,’ read the resolution
passed earlier this month at the Interreligious Council of the
Commonwealth of Independent States.
The organization was formed at the Second Interreligious Peacemaking
Forum of CIS Countries, held in Moscow under the aegis of the Russian
Orthodox Church, the region’s largest faith.
Some observers believe the forum and the interfaith group it created
signaled an important political and diplomatic victory for the Russian
Orthodox Church, which has seen its political influence over the
Russian leadership grow in recent years.
The new interfaith organization `should strengthen the position of the
Moscow patriarchate in Russia itself, forcing the government to view
it as an influential participant in international relations,’ said a
commentary posted at Portal-credo.ru, an independent Russian Web site
devoted to religious affairs.
Jewish religious leaders joined clerics representing major faiths from
across the former Soviet Union in the interfaith group, which seeks to
maintain peace and religious and ethnic stability in the region.
The event at Moscow’s St. Daniel’s Orthodox Monastery was attended by
Russian Orthodox clergy and leaders of the Armenian Apostolic Church,
the Georgian Orthodox Church, and Muslim and Buddhist clerics from all
of the region’s post-Soviet states, except for Latvia, Lithuania
and Estonia.
Notably absent from the forum and the new interfaith structure were
Catholics and members of various Protestant churches. Most of the
former Soviet countries denied those groups the preferential status
accorded to Orthodox Christians, Muslims, Buddhists and Jews.
The Jewish community was represented at the forum by leaders of two
major competing groups: the Congress of Jewish Religious Organizations
and Communities and the Federation of Jewish Communities.
Jewish leaders gave high marks to the forum, saying the region’s
minorities would benefit from the ties that clerics of different
faiths forged at the two-day event.
`The most important thing at this forum is our communication, the fact
that it ‘s taking place,’ Aron Vagner, a Chabad rabbi from
Siberia,told a news agency. `When we get back to our communities,
people will be pleased to learn that representatives of different
confessions can find areas of common interest, the issues where all of
us can come to an agreement.’
Some of the participants proposed that clerics serve as peacekeepers
in conflict zones in parts of the former Soviet Union.
The composition of the Interreligious Council’s presidium reflectedthe
division between Jewish groups in Russia and Ukraine – two chief
rabbis from each country became members of the group’s 22-member
governing body.
`The Interreligious Council can become a powerful defender of the
minorities in our countries,’ said Zinovy Kogan, chairman of the
Congress of Jewish Religious Organizations and Communities of Russia,
who became treasurer of the interfaith group.
`The new organization is undoubtedly a political breakthrough’
for the Russian Orthodox Church, he said. `But having Judaism under
the wing of politically more powerful religious groups – this could
benefit the Jewish community.’
Kogan and other Jewish participants said they expected the new group
would coordinate clerics’ responses on cases of xenophobia,
anti-Semitismand hate crimes.

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
03/29/2004
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) Canada ANC Steps-up Efforts Leading up to Genocide Resolution Vote 2) High-ranking American military officer set to visit Armenia 3) Congressional Support Grows for Bush to Properly Commemorate Armenian Genocide 4) Saakashvili Allies Victorious in Polls 5) Turkey's Ruling Party Strengthens Its Position 6) Schiff Lauds Contributions and Service of Cesar Chavez 1) Canada ANC Steps-up Efforts Leading up to Genocide Resolution Vote OTTAWA (ANCC)--The second reading of Motion M-380 that would recognize the Armenian Genocide is expected to take place in late April in the Canadian House of Commons. Introduced by private member Madeleine Dalphond-Guiral, M-380 was read and debated on February 25. According to House of Commons rules, motions by a private member are subject to two readings of one hour each. The vote on the motion will take place after the second reading. Leading up to that vote, the Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC) has not only been working within Canada's parliament, but has also been aggressively pursuing Members of Parliament (MP), as well as affiliated bodies so as to ensure passage of the motion that states, "That this House acknowledges the Armenian genocide of 1915 and condemns this act as a crime against humanity." To date, of the more than 50 MPs approached, most have committed to supporting the motion. Alongside these efforts, representatives of ANC regions have been meeting with respective MPs, while the ARF Youth of Canada have initiated a mass email and letter writing campaign to garner support. Area Armenian organizations are doing the same. Representative of ARF Canada's Central Committee and ANCC have met with executive members of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF) to outreach and gain even wider support for the effort. The CRRF's mission is to build a national framework for the fight against racism in Canadian society. Its mission is to bring about a more harmonious Canada that acknowledges its racist past, recognizes the pervasiveness of racism today, and is committed to creating a future in which all Canadians are treated equitably and fairly. Members of the CRRF executive promised to extend cooperation and practical assistance--assuring they would discuss the matter with minister with that cooperate with the CRRF. Results of CRRF's promises came through the following day during a conference in Montreal, titled Hate and Racism: Seeking Solutions. In their speeches, UN Special Envoy Stephen Lewis and Lieutenant General Romeo Dallaire introduced Armenian efforts to the body, urging cooperation. The CRRF was a partner in the planning and implementation of this important and timely conference. 2) High-ranking American military officer set to visit Armenia YEREVAN (Yerkir)--The US European Command Headquarters' Director of Plans and Policy, Major General Jeffrey Kohler, will be in Armenia on Tuesday. Over a period of two days, the General will be meeting with Armenian Defense Minister and Security Council Secretary Serzh Sargsian, and Chief of Staff General Mikael Harutiunian. Kohler is also scheduled to visit the 12th peacekeeping battalion of the Armenian Army. 3) Congressional Support Grows for Bush to Properly Commemorate Armenian Genocide WASHINGTON, DC-- (ANCA)--Bipartisan support for a Congressional letter urging President Bush to keep his campaign pledge and properly characterize the Armenian Genocide as `genocide' continued to expand this week, with over 80 House Members having added their name to the list of signatories, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). The grassroots effort to secure additional supporters will be expanding in the upcoming week. Initiated by House Genocide Resolution lead sponsors George Radanovich (R-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), the letter calls on President Bush to reaffirm the United States record on the Armenian Genocide in his April 24 commemorative statement. It argues that, `by properly recognizing the atrocities committed against the Armenian people as 'genocide' in your statement, you will honor the many Americans who helped launch our first international human rights campaign to end the carnage and protect the survivors.' It continues, noting that `Now more than ever as your administration seeks to bring an end to global terrorism and to help establish democracies in Afghanistan and Iraq, the memory of the genocide underscores our responsibility to help convey our cherished tradition of respect for fundamental human rights and opposition to mass slaughters.' Congressional colleagues joining Representatives Radanovich, Schiff, Pallone, and Knollenberg pledging to co-sign the letter as of Friday, March 26, include: Tom Allen (D-ME), Robert Andrews (D-NJ), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Xavier Becerra (D-CA), Howard Berman (D-CA), Michael Bilirakis (R-FL), Tim Bishop (D-NY), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Ken Calvert (R-CA), William Clay (D-MO), Jerry Costello (D-IL), Joseph Crowley (D-NY), Duke Cunningham (R-CA), Danny Davis (D-IL), Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), John Dingell (D-MI), Vernon Ehlers (R-MI), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Lane Evans (D-IL), Bob Filner (D-CA), Vito Fossella (R-NY), Barney Frank (D-MA), Scott Garrett (R-NJ), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Tim Holden (D-PA), Steve Israel (D-NY), Jesse Jackson (D-IL), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Sue Kelly (R-NY), Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), Dale Kildee (D-MI), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), Nick Lampson (D-TX), John Larson (D-CT), Steven LaTourette (R-OH), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Sander Levin (D-MI), John Lewis (D-GA), William Lipinski (D-IL), Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), Nita Lowey (D-NY), Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Edward Markey (D-MA), Jim Matheson (D-UT), Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI), James McGovern (D-MA), John McHugh (R-NY), Buck McKeon (R-CA), Michael McNulty (D-NY), Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Devin Nunes (R-CA), John Olver (D-MA), C. L. `Butch' Otter (R-ID), Donald Payne (D-NJ), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Edward Royce (R-CA), Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), Christopher Shays (R-CT), Brad Sherman (D-CA), John Shimkus (R-IL), Christopher Smith (R-NJ), Mark Souder (R-IN), Pete Stark (D-CA), Edolphus Towns (D-NY), Stephanie Tubbs-Jones (D-OH), Christopher Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Visclosky (D-IN), Henry Waxman (D-CA), Anthony Weiner (D-NY), Curt Weldon (R-PA), and Frank Wolf (R-VA). Support for the letter is expected to grow considerably, as the Armenian American community continues its grassroots campaign to urge legislators to become signatories. The ANCA launched a WebFax campaign last week, which calls on House Members to speak out on a number of Genocide reaffirmation initiatives including this letter, as well as urging Speaker Hastert to schedule a vote on the Genocide resolution, H.Res. 193. That legislation was unanimously adopted by the House Judiciary Committee and currently has 110 cosponsors. Activists are also asking their Representatives to co-host the 10th Annual Armenian Genocide Observance on Capitol Hill, which currently has the support of over 85 Senators and Representatives. 4) Saakashvili Allies Victorious in Polls TBILISI (Reuters)--Georgians have handed President Mikhail Saakashvili's allies a big victory in a parliamentary election, bolstering his mandate to press ahead with reforms but leaving little opposition to scrutinize him. Despite tension in a wayward province, the election--a rerun of a November poll seen as rigged--proceeded peacefully on Sunday in the volatile Caucasus nation that is set to become a key transport corridor for Caspian oil. An exit poll for Rustavi-2 television forecast that Saakashvili's National Movement-Democrats bloc had won 78.6 percent of the vote and no opposition party would clear a seven percent hurdle needed to win seats in parliament. "The message is Georgia will take the route of dramatic economic and liberal democratic reforms," Saakashvili told reporters. "I'd rather have a bigger opposition representation but it's not up to me; that's the will of the people." A rival exit poll suggested one right-wing pro-business party might have cleared the hurdle. Preliminary official results were due on Monday. Saakashvili, elected president by a landslide in January after leading a bloodless revolution that ousted veteran leader Eduard Shevardnadze, has pledged to unite the divided country and stamp out rampant corruption. The United States, which backs Saakashvili, is keen to see a stable Georgia as the former Soviet republic lies on the route of a Western oil pipeline due to start pumping Caspian oil to the Mediterranean next year without the need to cross Russia. SMOOTH VOTE Initial reports of disruptions to voting in Ajaria, an autonomous province whose leader has been at odds with Saakashvili, were denied by local election officials. Saakashvili's success in tapping deep-seated frustration with a post-Soviet history marked by civil wars, corruption and Russian efforts to wield influence has left many opponents discredited and in disarray. US ambassador Richard Miles had hoped opposition parties would win some seats. "Any democracy needs an opposition in the parliament," he said. Sunday's poll was for 150 seats in the 235-seat chamber; the other 85 seats were not nullified after the November vote. If the Rustavi-2 exit poll proves correct, only some deputies elected first time round will provide parliamentary opposition. Saakashvili's attempts to bring to heel Aslan Abashidze, leader in Ajaria, had raised tensions in the Black Sea region. Kalashnikov-toting supporters and military units loyal to Abashidze have increased the danger of armed conflict in a country that has two openly separatist regions, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which did not participate in the vote. "For the first time in 10 years the local powers in Ajaria have lost an election," Saakashvili said. "The age of feudalism has ended in Georgia." For his part, Abashidze accused the government of planning to falsify results in Ajaria to prevent his Revival party returning to parliament. Ajaria has jealously guarded its autonomy and control of the oil-exporting sea port at Batumi. 5) Turkey's Ruling Party Strengthens Its Position (Eurasianet.org)--Turkey's ruling conservative party won a strong mandate in local elections on Sunday that could strengthen its hand in taking the largely Muslim country into the European Union and in pushing for reunification of the divided island of Cyprus. The Justice and Development Party (AKP) retained control of key municipalities, including the capital, Ankara, and the country's largest city, Istanbul, with gains in regions long dominated by left-wing groups. "Turkey has voted once again for stability and progress," said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan after claiming victory. Erdogan assured Turks that "this victory will not cause us to lose our heads. To the contrary, it will increase our sense of responsibility." He has backed the latest UN plan to reunite Cyprus. He was expected to fly to Switzerland this week to join four-way reunification talks between Turkey, Greece and the Turkish and Greek Cypriots. Western diplomats say Sunday's result is likely to strengthen his position against hawks within Turkey's powerful armed forces, who oppose the UN plan. At the national level, Erdogan has already pushed through many social reforms aimed at opening membership talks with the EU. These include easing bans on the Kurdish language and stiffening penalties for torture. 6) Schiff Lauds Contributions and Service of Cesar Chavez ON CESAR CHAVEZ DAY, REP. ADAM SCHIFF COMMENDS ONE OF AMERICA'S GREATEST ADVOCATES FOR WORKING FAMILIES WASHINGTON, DC--In honor of his many contributions to the farm labor movement and for his leadership on behalf of working families, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) issued the following statement on this day set aside for remembering Cesar Chavez: "Today we remember Cesar Chavez--one of our nation's greatest advocates for working families. Cesar Chavez is best known as the founder of the United Farm Workers of America, AFL-CIO (UFW) and for his work on behalf of the farm labor movement. That, however, was only the tip of the iceberg. Throughout his entire life, Cesar Chavez championed non-violent social change, dedicated himself to public service, and petitioned for improved workers' rights. "Cesar Chavez led the first successful farm workers union in American history, achieving dignity, respect, fair wages, medical coverage, pension benefits, and humane living conditions, as well as countless other rights and protections for hundreds of thousands of farm workers. His union's efforts brought about the passage of the groundbreaking 1975 California Agricultural Labor Relations Act to protect farm workers. Today, it remains the only law in the nation that protects the farm workers' right to unionize. "In California, we have Cesar Chavez Day to remember and honor his contributions, but we must work together to bring national attention to the work of this great leader. The significance and impact of Chavez's work transcends any one cause or boundaries and that is why I support legislation to establish a national Cesar Chavez Day (H. Res. 112, introduced by Rep. Joe Baca) and protect historic sites associated with his life and the farm labor movement (H.R. 1034 introduced by Rep. Hilda Solis). "Today, we honor Cesar Chavez, an inimitable leader and great humanitarian who influenced and inspired millions of Americans to seek social justice and fight for civil rights." Rep. Schiff represents California's 29th Congressional District, including the communities of Alhambra, Altadena, Burbank, East Pasadena, East San Gabriel, Glendale, Monterey Park, Pasadena, San Gabriel, South Pasadena, and Temple City. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2004 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets.

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]
PRESS RELEASE
March 24, 2004
Contact: Ardashes Kassakhian
Telephone: 818.500.1918
ANCA LEADERS AND SUPPORTERS TO SPONSOR MAJOR KERRY CAMPAIGN EVENT
LOS ANGELES, CA – National, regional and local leaders and supporters
of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) are sponsoring a
major fundraiser in Beverly Hills for Democratic presidential
candidate, Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts.
The event, which will be held on March 30th at the home of noted Los
Angeles businessman Ron Burkle, will feature a concert by James Taylor
and remarks by former Secretary of State William Christopher. ANCA
supporters are among the leading contributors for the event, which is
expected to collect over half a million dollars for the Kerry
campaign.
“We have been encouraged by the enthusiastic outpouring of support for
the Senator and the growing interest in his campaign from all segments
of the Armenian American community,” said ANCA-Western Region Chairman
Raffi Hamparian. “We have, for more than two decades, known of
Senator Kerry’s principled leadership on issues of concern to our
community. We look forward to doingall we can to share his excellent
record with Armenian American voters in the weeks and months before
the November 2nd election.’
Senator Kerry, during his long tenure in the U.S. House and Senate,
has consistently been a leading advocate of issues of concern to
Armenian Americans. As a U.S. Senator, Kerry has forcefully fought
for U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide. He is currently a
cosponsor of the Genocide Resolution, S.Res.164, and he voted, in
1990, on the Senate floor for Senator Bob Dole’s (R-KS) Genocide
Resolution.
Meeting with ANCA-WR Executive Director Ardashes Kassakhian and ANC
activist Mihran Toumajan last September, the Senator acknowledged the
support of many Armenian Americans during his political career. On
the issue of the Genocide Resolution, which specifically references
the Armenian Genocide, the Senator promised continued advocacy. “It
is called justice, and we will get there together,” pledged Senator
Kerry. “I was incensed when the Turkish lobby and its allies
disrupted the bill in the Senate before,” Kerry added, referring to
the 1990 vote on Sen. Dole’s Genocide Resolution.
The Massachusetts Senator has been a vocal and effective champion of
stronger U.S.-Armenia relations and has consistently backed
legislative initiative to increase aid and expand trade with Armenia.
He is currently a cosponsor of legislation, S.1557, which would grant
Armenia permanent normal trade relations status.
Significantly, Senator Kerry has spearheaded a number of initiatives
to lift the Turkish and Azerbaijani blockades. In 1991, he was the
lead sponsor of legislation, which was later enacted as Section 907 of
the Freedom Support Act, that restricted U.S. aid to the government of
Azerbaijan until it lifted its blockades of Armenia and Nagorno
Karabagh. He also worked for the adoptionof the Humanitarian Aid
Corridor Act, which called for U.S. aid to Turkey to be cut off unless
Turkey lifted its blockade of Armenia. As recently as this January,
Senator Kerry formally called on President Bush to press the visiting
Prime Minister of Turkey to lift his nation’s illegal blockade of
Armenia.
First elected in 1984 from Massachusetts, Sen. Kerry is currently
serving a fourth term in the US Senate, where he represents one of the
largest Armenian American communities. He serves on the Senate
Finance Committee, the Committee on Commerce, Science and
Transportation, the Committee on Foreign Relations, and the
Subcommittee on Central Asia and South Caucasus.
For two differing perspectives on the Bush Administration’s record on
Armenian American issues, visit:
* Armenian American Democratic Leadership Council
* National Organization of Republican Armenians

#####

75-Nation Study of Lying Shows Differences Among Cultures
Released: Mon 29-Mar-2004, 18:10 ET
Newswise – Americans think they can detect a lie less than half of the
time. Norwegians and Swedes rate themselves even worse. Turks and
Armenians, however, say they can spot a liar upwards of 70 percent of
the time. Worldwide, people surveyed say they can detect 53 percent of
lies.
Those are among the findings of work done by Texas Christian University
Psychology Professor Charles F. Bond, and fellow researchers. Bond
helped to explain research into international deception at a
Congressional briefing session in Washington, DC recently.
`We have conducted a 75-nation study with 4,800 participants,’ says
Dr. Bond. `Eye contact, or lack of it, was mentioned more than any
other cue as an indicator that a person is lying.’
And all that shows, apparently, is just how often people can be wrong.
`This belief is most likely inaccurate,’ says Dr. Bond.’ least in
western research, eye contact has only a weak relationship to
deception.’
While shifty eyes are regarded with suspicion across the globe, the
researchers did find some international differences.
`Around 15 percent of respondents say that liars actually make moreeye
contact,’ says Dr. Bond. `We were interested in this minority view.’
In lands where Islam is the dominant religion, just under 30 percent
of respondents said that people make more eye contact when they are
lying. Fewer than 15 percent of residents of lands where Protestant
Christianity was the dominant religion felt the same way and the
figure was about 11 percent in nations where Roman Catholic
Christianity was dominant.
People who live in the poorest nations tend to believe that they are
most effective at spotting whoppers, Dr. Bond notes.
There are differences among cultures in the estimation of how many
lies are being told. Taiwanese and Portuguese believe they are hearing
about four fibs per week. Americans think they are exposed to eight
prevarications weekly.
Pakistanis and Algerians tend to be less trusting. Those surveyed in
those nations think they are mislead between 12 and 16 times weekly.
There are also differences among nations in peoples’ evaluations
oftheir own abilities to lie. In the United States, people believe
they can get away with lying 56 percent of the time. Chileans and
Argentines, by contrast, believe that they will be caught about 60
percent of the time. Those living in Moldova and Botswana think they
are detected lying fewer than 25 percent of the time.
Protestants think they get away with lying about 55 percent of the
time while Catholics believe that about half of their lies are
detected.
`Muslims rate themselves the worst at lying,’ says Dr. Bond.
Muslims think they get away with it only 47 percent of the time.
Dr. Bond outlined his research in a presentation titled `International
Deception,’ March 19 at the Rayburn House Office Building in
Washington, DC as part of a congressional briefing titled `Detecting
Deception: Research to Secure the Homeland.’
The event was sponsored by the Consortium of Social Science
Associations, the American Psychological Association and the National
Communication Association with funding from the W. K. Kellogg
Foundation.