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U.S. HELSINKI COMMISSION EXPRESSES DEEP REGRET OVER LOSS OF LIFE IN ARMENIA

Congressional Documents and Publications
March 4, 2008

U.S. Helsinki Commission Expresses Deep Regret Over Loss of Life
in Armenia

(Washington, D.C.) Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL), Chairman of
the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki
Commission), Co-Chairman Senator Benjamin L. Cardin Enhanced Coverage
LinkingBenjamin L. Cardin -Search using: Biographies Plus News News,
Most Recent 60 Days (D-MD), and Ranking Minority Member Christopher
H. Smith (R-NJ), remarked that the post-election violence in Armenia
was a tragedy for the entire nation.

"I extend my profound condolences to the victims’ families. It is
deeply regrettable that tensions following last month’s presidential
election could not be handled peacefully," said Chairman Hastings.

Armenia held a presidential election on February 19. According to
official figures, Prime Minister Serzh Sarkissian won, with over 52
percent of the vote, while his main rival, former President Levon
Ter-Petrossian, garnered 21.5 percent. Though international observers
noted problems with the election, they said that it largely met the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) standards.

However, Ter-Petrossian, leading a coalition of opposition forces,
refused to accept the outcome. He and his supporters rallied in
Yerevan for days, demanding new elections.

On Saturday, violent confrontations broke out when police, claiming
that the demonstrators were armed and were planning a coup, attacked
them. In the country’s worst violence since independence in 1991,
Armenian officials report eight fatalities and numerous injuries. A
state of emergency has been imposed for 20 days.

OSCE’s leadership issued a statement condemning the use of violence
against peaceful protesters. The Finnish Chair-in-Office (CiO) Foreign
Minister Ilkka Kanerva has sent Finnish diplomat Heikki Talvitie to
Yerevan to act as a mediator.

"I am deeply saddened by the loss of life in Armenia," said Co-Chairman
Cardin. "It is essential that the authorities exercise restraint. A
political dialogue between the government and opposition is a
prerequisite to reconciliation in Armenia."

Ranking Minority Member Smith echoed these sentiments, adding that
"I call on Armenia’s authorities to restore regular news sources,
which have been silenced. This includes broadcasts by Radio Free
Europe/Radio Liberty, which is an important source of objective
information and which has been taken off the air."

Chairman Hastings noted that Armenia’s Constitutional Court is
scheduled to rule on a complaint about the election by the opposition
coalition. "I urge the Court to consider this critical case with all
the somber objectivity mandated by the seriousness of the political
crisis in Armenia."

###

The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as
the Helsinki Commission, is a U.S. Government agency that monitors
progress in the implementation of the provisions of the 1975 Helsinki
Accords. The Commission consists of nine members from the United States
Senate, nine from the House of Representatives, and one member each
from the Departments of State, Defense and Commerce.

Lale M. Mamaux, Communications Director Commission on Security
and Cooperation in Europe (U.S. Helsinki Commission) Congressman
Alcee L. Hastings (FL-23), Chairman 234 Ford House Office Building
202-225-1901 (phone) 202-226-4199 (fax)

ONE MORE AZERI SOLDIER REPORTED KILLED NEAR KARABAKH

ANS TV
March 4 2008
Azerbaijan

Armenian troops opened fire today from the village of Hasanqayi in
Tartar District at the oppositepositions of our national army using
machine and mortar guns. As a result of the shooting, three Azerbaijani
soldiershave been killed.

The Armenian military forces also opened fire from their positions
deployed in the occupied village of Talis inTartar District at the
positions in the village of Tapqaraqoyunlu in Goranboy District,
as a result of which twocivilians were wounded.

[Correspondent reporting by telephone from the area] It is relatively
quitter in the village of Tapqaraqoyunlu. Only some sporadic
shooting is being heard. However, shooting is continuing in the
area of Tartar District’s Hasanqayivillage. It should be noted that
Armenians had carried out assaults in two directions – both in Tartar
and GoranboyDistricts. The fire started at about 1100 [local time,
0700 gmt].

TURKEY ISRAELI ENVOY COMPARES KURDISH, PALESTINIAN "TERRORISM"

Anatolia News Agency
March 4 2008
Turkey

Ankara, 4 March: Israel’s ambassador in Ankara, Gabby Levy, said
[on] Tuesday [4 March] PKK [KurdistanWorkers’ Party] terror resembles
Hamas terror.

"We must fight against terror whether it is in north of Iraq or Gaza,"
Levy said.

Levy told a press briefing at Ankara’s Swiss Hotel that "from a
perspective of population density andmilitary, there are differences
between north of Iraq and Gaza. However, talking about similarities,
Israel believes in the universality of terror. We do not differentiate
among terror. We believe PKK terrorism resembles the terrorperpetrated
by Hamas. Terror is evil and, whether it is in north of Iraq or Gaza,
we must fight againstterrorism."

"In the recent past, the number of missile attacks on Israeli
settlements around Gaza increased dramatically.There are allegations
that Israel is using excessive force and that civilians have died. It
is true the number ofcasualties Hamas claims was exaggerated,"
Levy noted.

Comparing the incidents of 1915 to the developments in Gaza, Levy
indicated that the incidents lived in 1915 werelimited to a geographic
area and that Armenians living in Istanbul, Izmir, Aleppo and Jerusalem
were not affected.

"Likewise, there are Palestinians living in West Bank. We have not
taken any measures against them as the regionis peaceful. There were
tragic incidents in Turkey in the World War I. There were casualties
among Armenians and Turks. However, Armenians living in other regions
of Turkey were not affected. Israel does not believe that a genocide
tookplace in Turkey," Levy stressed.

"Turkey has played a constructive role in relations between Israel
and Palestine," Levy also said.

TOMORROW THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT OF ARMENIA WILL HEAR THE FINAL SPEECHES OF THE SIDES

Mediamax
March 6, 2008

Yerevan /Mediamax/. Tomorrow morning the Constitutional Court (CC) of
Armenia will hear the final speeches of the sides within the framework
of considering the applications of presidential candidates Tigran
Karapetian and Levon Ter-Petrosian on nullifying the election results.

Mediamax reports that CC turned down today the petition of Levon
Ter-Petrosian’s representative, attorney Vahe Grigorian on banning
commentation of the trial process by representatives of authorities
of all levels.

Answering the question of CC judges, CEC Chairman Garegin Azarian
described as "unsatisfactory" the present system of electoral
administration and spoke for the gradual depoliticization of the
staff of electoral commissions.

Commenting on the preliminary report of the International Election
Observation Mission, Garegin Azarian noted with regret that in their
remarks concerning the electors’ vote count in 16% of polling stations,
visited by them, the authors of the document did not mention the
concrete numbers of the polling stations.

AZERBAIJAN STILL SEARCHES FOR PROVOCATIONS OF ARMENIA
By Hakob Chaqrian

AZG Armenian Daily
07/03/2008

International

Israeli "Mossad" Justifies Them

While the USA and EU are demanding from Turkey to stop the actions
against PPK and withdraw their military forces from the northern Iraq,
the searches of Azerbaijan aimed to finding Armenian provocations
resulted in "revealing" the PPK camps in Armenia and NKR. The Israeli
"Mossad" justified the necessity of such searches.

According to Baku, Armenia supports and gives shelter to PPK members
who settle down in the regions of the country, in NKr and in the
neighboring liberated territories. The Turksih-Azeri mass media began
spreading such rumors in the end of the last year, when Turkey was to
unfold military actions against the PPK headquarters in Northern Iraq.

In mid February, when the actions began, the Turkish newspapers began
contributing to spreading of this misinformation. In particular,
"Huriet" and "Jumhuriet" published an article entitled "PPK Dislocated
in Karabakh," while Gyunesh" warned Azerbaijan against the dislocation
of PPK in NKR.

It’s worth mentioning that the Turkish printed press refers to various
Israeli sources cited by the Azeri mass media or the press speaker of
the Azeri Foreign Ministry when spreading rumors about the dislocation
of PPK forces in Armenia.

In particular, according to "Huriet" the PPK terrorist managed to
move to Armenia in civil clothes accompanies by their families and
settled down in Goris, Masis and Gugarq, as well as in Fizuli and
Lachin. According to Baku based "Musafat," the Israeli "Mossad"
secret service submitted a special package of relevant documents
on the case Ankara and Baku. The Israeli "Jerusalem Post" stated
that the Armenian special services are supporting the PPK terrorists
while the businessmen with Kurdish origin provide them with financial
assistance. "Debka File" site stated that Armenia granted citizenship
to the PPK terrorists.

In their February 18 issues, "Huriet," "Jumhuriet," and "Gyunesh" cited
"Musafat" and informed about the "Mossad" documents and that 50 PPK
terrorists settled down in Lachin. The Turksih Public TV discovered
a new PPK dwelling place in Kelbajar, referring to press speaker of
the Azeri FM.

The efforts of Azeris and Turks to find PPK terrorist are no new
game they play. They began it in 1998, saying that Abdullah Ojalan
is in Armenia. Such efforts of Azerbaijan and Turkey are aimed to
prove Armenia a country that supports terrorism and that there are
PPK camps in our country. This is a mere psychological trick that
they hope will scare the people of Armenia and will give a reason to
Turkish armed forces to attack the PPK camps in Armenia and NKR.

In response, we want to remind that already in 1990-ies PPK settled
down in Azerbaijan and Nakhijevan. Arifoghli, editor-in-chief of
"Musafat", stated in 2003 that PPK has a large network of activists
in Azerbaijan and enjoys the support of the Azeri authorities. He
touched upon this issue in "PPK Takes New Roots in Azerbaijan"
article published in "Zerkalo’ in 2003.

FRENCH REPRESENTATIVE: "LAST DEVELOPMENTS IN ABKHAZIA, SOUTH OSSETIA AND NAGORNO KARABAKH ONCE AGAIN CONFIRM KOSOVO AS A PRECEDENT"

Azeri Press Agency
March 6 2008
Azerbaijan

Baku. Tamara Grigorieva – APA. "Kosovo’s declaration of independence
creates precedent", said Louis Bouvard, French representative at the
NATO PA 68th Rose-Roth seminar in Baku, APA reports.

"We see these processes in Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Nagorno
Karabakh. Last developments show that Kosovo is a precedent in fact",
said L.Bouvard and added that it created problem for the regional
stability as well.

Serbian representative U.Vaynovic expressed gratitude to Azerbaijan for
non-recognition of Kosovo’s independence. He said following Kosovo’s
declaration of independence such precedent problems began in Abkhazia,
South Ossetia and Nagorno Karabakh, which was damaging the regional
stability. "We think the countries recognized Kosovo’s independence
have to change their positions.

GEORGIA REBEL REGION SEEKS RECOGNITION AFTER KOSOVO
By Guy Faulconbridge

Reuters
March 5 2008

MOSCOW, March 5 (Reuters) – A pro-Russian breakaway region in the
Caucasus mountains said on Wednesday it had asked the world community
to recognise its independence from Georgia following the West’s
support for Kosovo’s secession.

South Ossetia, which broke away from Georgia, drove out pro-Tbilisi
forces and declared independence in the early 1990s, called on the
United Nations, European Union states and Russia to recognise it as
a sovereign state.

"The Kosovo precedent has driven us to seek our rights more actively,"
a spokeswoman for South Ossetia’s separatist leader, Eduard Kokoity,
said by telephone.

The region’s local assembly has passed a resolution which says Kosovo’s
independence created a precedent which showed that regions desiring
sovereignty should be recognised by the international community.

Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia on Feb. 17. Its Western
backers say this does not create a precedent but ex-Soviet rebel
regions say that is hypocrisy.

Georgia’s breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Azerbaijan’s
rebel Nagorno-Karabakh region and Transdniestria, which split from
Moldova, declared independence in the 1990s but have not received
international recognition.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, en route to Brussels for
a NATO foreign ministers’ meeting, said South Ossetia had no chance
of international support for independence.

"It is not going to happen," said Rice, asked whether she could
support recognising South Ossetia as an independent state.

"I don’t want to judge the motives but we have been very clear that
Kosovo is sui generis. That is because of the special circumstances
out of which the breakup of Yugoslavia came," she told reporters.

KOSOVO PRECEDENT

The region’s assembly took the opposite view. "The ‘Kosovo precedent’
is a convincing confirmation that the resolution of regional conflicts
is based not only on the principle of a state’s territorial integrity,"
it said in a statement e-mailed to Reuters.

"The 17-year period of South Ossetia’s independence confirms its
viability and demands only the legitimisation of her sovereignty in
accordance with the United Nations charter."

South Ossetia, which says it wants to "move closer" to Russia, is
still recognised internationally as part of Georgia.

Almost all the 50,000 people in the region hold Russian passports,
transactions are in roubles and Moscow is the region’s biggest
diplomatic supporter. South Ossetia has close ethnic ties to North
Ossetia, a neighbouring Russian region.

Tbilisi has vowed to restore its control there and the region is a
source of tension between Russia and Georgia.

Voters in South Ossetia have repeatedly backed splitting from Georgia,
which says the votes are not legitimate and are cooked up by Russia.

Russia, a close Serbian ally, says the recognition of Kosovo
independence by the West has opened a "Pandora’s box" of separatist
tension across Europe.

ARMENIA TO TURN TO SUMMER TIME ON MARCH 30

ARKA
March 5, 2008

YEREVAN, March 5. /ARKA/. On the last Sunday of March – March 30 –
Armenia is to turn to summer time, an hour back, Armenia’s Ministry
of Trade and Economic Development reports. -0–

LEVON TER-PETROSIAN ARRIVED IN CONSTITUTIONAL COURT OF ARMENIA TO PARTICIPATE IN THE COURT TRIAL ON NULLIFYING THE ELECTION RESULTS

Mediamax
March 5, 2008

Yerevan /Mediamax/. Ex-President of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosian arrived
today in Constitutional Court (CC) of Armenia, where his application
on nullifying official results of presidential elections, which took
place on February 19, is in process of consideration.

Mediamax reports that CC Chairman Gagik Harutiunian noted during
the session that Levon Ter-Petrosian has the opportunity to not only
participate in the session of the court, but also make a final speech.

The Central Electoral Commission is the defendant at the trial.

Co-defendants are the Police, the General Prosecutor’s Office and
the National Commission on TV and Radio Broadcasting of Armenia.

Earlier, certain media reported that the Ex-President allegedly "is
under house arrest" and is deprived of the opportunity to participate
in the session of the CC.

According to the current legislation, CC is to make a decision on
the given case up to March 8 inclusively.

IDEOLOGY NOT IRAN’S MAIN GAME
Shahram Akbarzadeh

Eureka Street
March 6 2008
Australia

The neo-conservative lobby in Washington DC is working hard to convince
President George W. Bush to attack Iran in 2008. There is a consensus
among observers in the United States that a Democratic president in
the White House would not have the guts to take this step. So the
pressure is on to commit George W. Bush to an air strike before he
leaves office.

In the February 2008 issue of the pro-Israeli magazine Commentary,
Norman Podhoretz placed the responsibility squarely at Bush’s feet.

Podhoretz argues that Bush should not leave this decision for his
successor. Moreover, he insists that air strikes against Iranian
targets are best carried out by the United States, not by an Israeli
proxy.

The neo-conservative lobby is unrelenting and has a track record in
steering US foreign policy in the past decade. Podhoretz was among
the original founders of the New American Century think-tank arguing
for the supremacy of the United States in the wake of the Soviet
collapse, and an ardent advocate of military action against Iraq in
2003. That the US invasion of Iraq prompted a bloody civil war and a
complete breakdown of civil structures do not seem to have dampened
Podhoretz’s resolution.

The neo-conservatives have insisted on the inherent ideological
foundations that prevent the Iranian regime from responding to the
international ‘carrot and stick’ approach. Podhoretz argues that
‘religious and/or ideological passions’ in Iran do not allow for a
‘cost-benefit approach’. In other words, the Iranian regime is bent
on the destruction of Israel and the United States, and no amount of
positive incentives, or threats of negative consequences, would deter
it. In this perspective, Iran is presented as an irrational actor,
blinded by fanatical rage against the United States and its allies.

This is a gross misreading of the Iranian regime and its objectives.

Contrary to assumptions regarding the supremacy of ideology in Iranian
foreign policy making, Iran has been quite careful not to jeopardise
its geo-strategic interests for the sake of ideology. When its two
northern neighbours Armenia and Azerbaijan went to war (1988-1994),
Iran supported the Christian state of Armenia against the Muslim
state of Azerbaijan, despite extensive cultural, linguistic and, of
course, religious links between Iran and Azerbaijan. Tehran feared
that an Azeri victory would boost separatist sentiments among Iran’s
large Azeri ethnic minority who predominantly live in the Azerbaijan
province of Iran.

Similarly, Iran refused to be drawn into the civil war of Tajikistan
(1992-97) fought between the Islamic Renaissance Party and its allies
against the former Communist regime. Instead, Iran worked with Russia
and the United Nations to resolve the conflict. Tehran now maintains
warm relations with the government of Tajikistan which is dominated by
former Communists, while the Islamist party languishes in opposition.

When the United States moved to remove the Taliban in Afghanistan
(2001), Iran surprised observers by not objecting to the enormous
military campaign on its door step. The Taliban were a constant threat
to Iran’s border security and it served Iranian geo-strategic interests
to have them removed.

None of the above suggests that Iran ignores the rational
‘cost-benefit’ calculations that govern other states. This is true of
Iran’s relations with the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency. In
fact, the latest US National Intelligence Estimate (December 2007)
reported a halt in the Iranian nuclear weapons program in 2003 as a
result of international pressure.

Iran is not an exceptional state. Geo-strategic factors govern
foreign policy making in Tehran, just as they do in other states. It
is important to bear this in mind in the current debate on sanctions.

— Associate Professor Shahram Akbarzadeh researches the politics of
Central Asia and the Middle East, political Islam, and US relations
with the Muslim world. He is Director of the Centre for Muslim
Minorities and Islam Policy Studies at theUniversity of Melbourne.