Author: admin

ANSA Notiziario Generale in Italiano
February 4, 2005

ANTONIA ARSLAN PRESENTA ‘DOVE SI POSO’ L’ARCA, L’ARMENIA’ ;
(NOTIZIARIO LIBRI)

(ANSA) VENEZIA, 4 FEB – FLAVIA RANDI E SILVIO LUGINBUHL,
‘DOVE SI PSO’ L’ARCA – L’ARMENIA’ (ADLE EDIZIONI).

Ha un’introduzione di Antonia Arslan,il libro “Dove si poso
l’Arca, l’Armenia”, che sintetizza con semplicita’ i misteri
del popolo armeno, conducendo il lettore dalla mitologia alla
religione alla storia del paese dove, sulla cima del Monte
Ararat, la Genesi racconta si poso’ l’Arca di Noe.
Una guida all’armenita’, lo definisce Arslan. Un libro che
parte in sordina, dagli aspetti geografici, raccontando di aspre
montagne e fertili pianure, di melograni e caravanserragli dove
sostavano la notte le carovane dei mercanti sulla via della
seta. Pagine che raccontano del mito del dio Vahagn che vince il
drago Vishap e arrivano ad un cristianesimo che si differenzia,
tra l’altro, per il rito della confessione collettiva.
Un territorio, quello armeno, compreso tra Turchia, Caucaso e
Medio Oriente, teatro delle incursioni di Sciti, Medi, Persiani,
Bizantini, Mongoli, Arabi e Turchi e in epoca piu’ recente i
Russi, fino agli avvenimenti che hanno sconvolto l’Armenia
durante la prima guerra mondiale, quando in quella che gli
autori definiscono la “Auschwitz armena” un milione e mezzo di
persone furono uccise.

“Le comunita’ armene della diaspora rivivono – afferma
Antonia Arslan – e hanno soprattutto tre scopi, primo l’ aiutare
in tutti i modi la piccola Repubblica d’Armenia, nata dal crollo
dell’Unione Sovietica e bisognosa di tutto”. In secondo luogo,
“arrivare finalmente al completo riconoscimento internazionale
del genocidio, collocandolo nel suo preciso contesto storico,
nel quadro complessivo di tutti i genocidi del Ventesimo secolo;
e infine riuscire a non perdere la propria identita’,
rivalutandola in armonia con il paese d’accoglienza”.
“Dove si poso’ l’Arca, l’Armenia” si sviluppa anche con
testimonianze, leggende, racconti dei maggiori intellettuali
armeni. “Bruciate le loro case e le loro chiese – scrive uno di
loro – e noterete che rideranno, canteranno e pregheranno
nuovamente, perche quando due di loro si incontreranno in
qualche parte del mondo vedrete se non creeranno una nuova
Armenia”. Venezia, in particolare, li accolse a partire dalla
fine del Seicento, ed oggi offre ineguagliabile itinerario
storico dei luoghi armeni, che parte dall’isola di San Lazzaro
degli Armeni, con la sua biblioteca di oltre centomila volumi,
molti dei quali manoscritti medioevali con preziose miniature.
Con la diaspora, dopo i genocidi del 1915, gli armeni fuggono
tra l’altro in Francia, in America, in Giordania, Siria, Libano,
Iraq, Israele, Egitto, Iran. “Ancora oggi – scrivono gli autori
– il genocidio armeno non ha un riconoscimento internazionale e
ufficiale a causa d’opportunita’ politiche di alcuni stati e del
persistente negazionismo turco che solo negli ultimi anni
qualche intellettuale ha cominciato a contestare”. (ANSA).

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EMPLOYEE OF ZHVANIA STAFF FOUND DEAD

TBILISI, FEBRUARY 5. ARMINFO. The employee of the staff of late
Georgian PM Zurab Zhvania Georgy Khelashvili has committed a suicide,
reports RIA Novosti referring to the spokesman of the police and
public security ministry Guram Donadze.

Khelashvili, 32, was found dead in his house Friday evening. He is
believed to have shot himself from a gun he had taken from his
neighbor, says Donadze.

Meanwhile, the father of Raul Yusupov, deputy governor of Kvemo Kartli
region, found dead in the same house with Zurab Zhvania Thursday, does
not believe in the official version of his son’s death. “I want to
know the truth. My son did not die in that house,” he says noting that
he is going to contact Zhvania’s family to learn what really happened.

Mze TV company reports that Yusupov never lived in that house and
never rented it while the official sources say that a month before the
tragedy he rented the house and three days before changed his gas
heater (which officially caused the two’s death), reports Interfax.-

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Feb 5 2005

FOREIGN MINISTER OF AZERBAIJAN VISITING CHINA
[February 05, 2005, 13:10:18]

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Azerbaijan Republic Elmar
Mammadyarov is on an official visit in the People’s Republic of
China. On February 4, Mr. Mammadyarov met his Chinese counterpart Li
Zhaoxing.

Welcoming foreign minister of Azerbaijan, Li Zhaoxing noted that all
necessary preparatory works are underway for the upcoming official
visit of the Azerbaijan President to this country. Reminding his
visit to Baku a few times ago, Mr. Zhaoxing said he has good
impressions of his meetings in Azerbaijan.

Expressing his gratitude for cordial reception, Elmar Mammadyarov
underlined that the visit of his Chinese colleague to Azerbaijan
would play significant role in the bilateral relations in the years
ahead. Noting that President of Azerbaijani Republic Ilham Aliyev has
with great pleasure accepted the invitation of the Chairman of the
People’s Republic of China Hu Jintao, Mr. Mammadyarov expressed
confidence this visit would give strong impetus to bilateral links
between the two countries. `Our political relations will continue in
the atmosphere of mutual understanding and they will have certain
impact on our economic links either’, Mr. Mammadyarov emphasized.

Foreign minister of Chinese Republic Li Zhaoxing requested his
Azerbaijani colleague to convey greetings of the Chairman of the
People’s Republic of China Hu Jintao to the President of the Republic
of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. Head of the foreign policy department of
Azerbaijan Republic said bilateral relations are the priority in the
current policy of Azerbaijan in regard with China.

The Chinese foreign minister thanked for unambiguous position in the
question of single China, reiterating that the State of China
supports the position of Azerbaijan in its fair cause – the
Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, backs its sovereignty
and territorial integrity. Noting that currently there are all
conditions in Azerbaijan for business activity, Li Zhaoxing said
evidence to that is the opportunities created for the Chinese
companies in Baku.

Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said the State of Azerbaijan pays great
attention to acquiring certain agreement in elimination of double
taxation, reduction of customs dues, expansion of trade-economics
ties, involvement of investments, other contacts in the
telecommunications, humanitarian, cultural and transport spheres
which will be in focus during the visit of the head of the Azerbaijan
State to China. The Chinese minister said his country is interested
in construction of the Tbilisi-Gras railway in the frame of TRACECA
program and the Chinese side stands ready to carry out consultations
at the level of specialists.

Expressing hope for further cooperation in the frame of international
organizations, the Chinese minister said China has supported and
would support Azerbaijan in its admission to the World Trade
Organization. Reminding on grants China provided for Azerbaijan
Republic, Mr. Li Zhaoxing highly evaluated the country’s intention to
use these credit for construction of commercial center of China in
Baku. Saying his county is interested also in transport cooperation
with Azerbaijan, the Chinese minister reminded on experience of China
in this field and stressed necessity of conducting relevant
consultations.

Minister Elmar Mammadyarov informed that as a result of aggression of
Armenia against Azerbaijan the railway communication with Nakhchivan
– the integral part of the Republic – has been stopped. Having
touched the meetings which have been carried out between Ministers of
Foreign Affairs of two countries in connection with settlement of the
conflict, Elmar Mammadyarov has expressed gratitude for the
invariance position of China in the given question and support of
territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. He informed that in connection
with artificial settlement by the Armenian side of the population on
the occupied territories, the OSCE fact-finding mission has visited
region.

The same day, minister Elmar Mammadyarov has met the Vice-Premier of
China Huang Ju.

Mr. Huang Ju, having noted, that is glad to official visit of Elmar
Mammadyarov to China, has emphasized, that the diplomatic relations
established from 1992 between Azerbaijan and China day by day
develop, and intensive visits carried out between two countries play
a special role in strengthening of these relations. Highly having
estimated stable position of Azerbaijan in regional questions, Huang
Ju has noted, that his state is interested in development of
relations between two countries in all spheres, including in the
field of economy. The Vice-Premier has expressed confidence that due
to expedient policy spent by the President of Azerbaijan Ilham
Aliyev, social stability, economic development in the country achieve
higher level. The Vice-Premier, with deep satisfaction having
recollected that the national leader of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev paid
to relations with China special attention and in March 1994 has made
official visit to his country, has expressed hope that official visit
of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to China would bring in
the positive contribution to relations between political leaders of
two countries.

Having emphasized the mutual understanding existing between two
countries at a high political level, minister Elmar Mammadyarov has
noted importance of continuation of these relations and within the
framework of the international organizations. Having touched the
Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and especially having
noted, that as a result of the conflict and occupations of the
country’s territories, one million citizens of Azerbaijan have been
expelled from the native lands and have turned to refugees and IDPs,
the Minister has once again expressed gratitude for support of the
fair position of Azerbaijan by China in the given question.

As to development of links in the field of economy, Mr. Elmar
Mammadyarov has noted necessity of strengthening of relations for
such important spheres, as agro-business, petro-chemistry, tourism.
Having reminded about Olympic games in 2008 in China, the Minister
has emphasized importance of development for this period of relations
and in the field of sports.

Then, the Vice-Premier of China has especially noted that there are
favorable circumstances for the further continuation of cooperation
with Azerbaijan in the field of energy carriers. Having ascertained
that Azerbaijan shows special interest to work forthcoming within the
framework of TRACECA program, Mr. Huang Ju has emphasized that the
Chinese side would use the best efforts in this field.

The same day, Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmar Mammadyarov has met
the deputy foreign minister of China Dai Binguo, and having noted,
that is glad to see the Minister in China, has emphasized, that
cooperation between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of two
countries would bring good results. Having touched the
transformations, which have occurred in China for last twenty years,
he has noted, that all this has appeared after reform of
transparency.

Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, having informed, that spoke with the
Chinese colleague about expansion of economic relations and
importance of closer links at a bilateral level for high development
of these connections, also informed on the detailed conversation
connected to restoration of transport infrastructure of Azerbaijan
which he has carried out at the meeting with official representatives
of Sintzian – Uygur autonomous province. Especially having
emphasized, that in case of realization of the question, it will
render positive influence on relations of Azerbaijan with the western
region of China, the Minister has noted interest of both sides in
construction of the terminal at the Heydar Aliyev International
Airport in Baku.

Highly having estimated absence between two countries of disagreement
in opinions, the deputy foreign minister of China has expressed
confidence that Azerbaijan will remain the friend of China.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmar Mammadyarov informed that after
gaining independence, the Republic of Azerbaijan has passed to free
market economy, it realizes wide programs of privatization, that due
to the policy spent by President Ilham Aliyev, have been opened new
workplaces. Having emphasized importance of development of the
non-oil sector, the Minister has noted that cooperation with China in
this area would bring positive results. Having declared that
Azerbaijan supports peace settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan,
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Minister has emphasized importance of
solution of the problem as a result of joint efforts of the
international community.

Having expressed hope for settlement of the conflict on the basis of
principles of justice, the deputy foreign minister of China has
noted, that his country supports territorial integrity and
sovereignty of Azerbaijan.

The same day, Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has given interview to the
Chinese news agency ” Xinxua” and agency ” Interfax ” about results
of the visit.

Kevorkian Furloughed for Hernia Surgery

Associated Press
Friday, February 4, 2005

DETROIT – Assisted-suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian was released from
prison Thursday so he could undergo bilateral hernia surgery, his
attorney said.

Kevorkian, 76, is serving a 10- to 25-year sentence for second-degree
murder after being convicted of giving a fatal injection of drugs to a
Lou Gehrig’s disease patient in 1998.

Leo Lalonde, a Michigan Department of Corrections spokesman, said
Kevorkian would undergo the surgery at a hospital in Jackson, about 80
miles west of Detroit. Kevorkian is under constant guard in a secure
wing separate from regular patients, Lalonde said.

Mayer Morganroth, Kevorkian’s attorney, didn’t know when the former
pathologist would have the surgery, but said he likely would stay in the
hospital for a few weeks.

Kevorkian was given 10 minutes’ notice early Thursday that he was being
released from the Thumb Correctional Facility in Lapeer, Morganroth said.

“They’ve known he needed the surgery for quite a while,” Morganroth told
the Detroit Free Press. “They did some stress tests to see if his heart
could withstand it. I guess they decided it’s worth the risk.”

Besides the hernia, Kevorkian reportedly has hepatitis C, high blood
pressure, arthritis, a heart murmur, circulatory problems and the
beginning stages of cataracts in his eyes.

“I’m really concerned,” Morganroth said. “His health is quite poor.”

The Michigan Parole Board in December refused to act on Morganroth’s
request to parole Kevorkian, saying the application was essentially the
same as one he submitted for Kevorkian in November 2003. Gov. Jennifer
Granholm’s office denied that earlier request.

Kevorkian has said he assisted in at least 130 deaths, but has promised
in affidavits and requests for pardon or commutation that he would not
assist in a suicide if he is released from prison. He is eligible for
parole in 2007.

;u=/ap/20050204/ap_on_re_us/kevorkian_surgery_1

OSCE mission visits Qubadli District, questions locals

Arminfo
4 Feb 05

YEREVAN

The OSCE factfinding mission today visited Qubadli District which is
under the control of the Nagornyy Karabakh defence army.

Yesterday the experts spent all day studying the situation in Zangilan
District and questioning residents in order to find out who they are
and where they come from, our Arminfo correspondent reports in
Stepanakert.

The OSCE factfinding mission will complete field work on 5 February
and most likely, summarize the results of the monitoring in
Stepanakert. The report for the OSCE Minsk Group will be prepared in
Europe in one or two months.

RED CROSS IN KARABAKH

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
04 Feb 05

In Nagorni Karabakh the International Committee of the Red Cross works
in three main directions: protection of people who suffered from the
armed conflict, aid to civilians and international humanitarian
rights. The director of the NKR office of the organization Mireille
Benard said that the Red Cross will work in the region until the
consequences of the war are felt, and the neutral mediation of the
organization in the solution of humanitarian problems is
necessary. `Being a neutral, impartial and independent organizationthe
ICRC fulfills an absolutely humanitarian mission for protecting the
dignity and life of victims of armed conflicts and home disorders. For
this reason the ICRC has worked in NKR since 1992. And today when
active military actions have been stopped, the Red Cross continues and
will continue to work until the consequences of the war are felt and
the neutral mediation of the organization for the solution of
humanitarian issues is a necessity. Therefore it is difficult to
predict when the activity of the ICRC will finish here,’ said
M. Benard. She mentioned that an important part of the organization’s
activity is the problem of the missing. Many families in Nagorni
Karabakh do not know anything about the fate of their relatives. The
Red Cross continues reminding the corresponding organizations about
their duties and this year they sent to these organizations the
renewed lists of the missing where more than 3000 names were
included. They are the people whose relatives directly turned to the
Red Cross. Mireille Benard appealed to the relatives of the missing to
apply to the Red Cross if they have not yet done. Mireille Benard
informed that the visits of the ICRC to the penitentiaries are
strictly confidential and observations are discussed only with the
corresponding bodies. Generally, along with the easing tensions ofthe
conflict the range of the activities of the Red Cross becomes
narrower. The large programs of aid have already been completed. The
program of first medical aid to the population still goes
on. Finishing the reconstruction of the 66 medical institutions of the
republic and providing necessary knowledge and materials to the
medical staff the Red Cross still supplies medicine to the regional
polyclinics of Martuni, Martakert and Hadrut and about 63 far-away
settlements. Although it is not in the framework of their
responsibilities,Mireille Benard said the Red Cross provides limited
aid to the poor families of Stepanakert which have missing relatives,
as well as sole pensioners who donot get any aid. According to her,
after the program of raising alertness of the population against mines
and unexploded ordnance in 2003 together with the Norwegian Red Cross
the ICRC launched the program of building safe playgrounds. The
program, according to M. Benard, is special as the village communities
actively participated in it. 40 playgrounds have been built. This
program has also been completed but the Karabakh office of the ICRC
will share its experience with those who wish to create such
playgrounds in other villages as well. In spreading the international
humanitarian right too the ICRC does important work. M. Benard said,
in secondary schools the fifth and seventh grade pupils get acquainted
with the international humanitarian principles through the Red Cross
textbooks.

SRBUHI VANIAN.
04-02-2005

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

`THE GENOCIDE COMMEMORATION OF THIS YEAR WILL BE A NIGHTMARE FOR TURKEY’

Azg/arm
5 Feb 05

Turkish Newspaper Alarm

Mehmet Ali Birandi, a famous Turkish publicist, warned the Turkish
society on January 4 in Turkish Daily News. “A huge tsunami is
approaching our shores”, wrote Birandi, “I can almost hear it. The sky
is getting darker and the water on the shore is retreating. The
tsunami I am talking about comes as a result of the earthquake among
the Armenian Diaspora and will soon be upon us. If the necessary
precautions are not taken in a timely manner, we might face a huge
calamity. We might never recover. The reason why this tsunami formed
is that on April 24, 2005 is the 90th anniversary of the symbolic date
of the Armenian genocide allegations”.

In a press conference to sum up the achievements of Armenian diplomacy
in 2004 foreign minister Vartan Oskanian confirmed that the
aftereffects of the ` tsunami’ will be alarming for Turkey. He
said that the year of 2005when the Armenian nation commemorates the
90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide is the most proper time to
draw international community’s attention to theissue which is still
actual in many states of the world.

A month later after Birandi’s statement, on February 4, another
Turkish journalists, Oktay Eqshi, warns the Turkish government from
the pages of Hyuriet. But Eqshi does not use terms indicating natural
disasters to describe the threat Turkey face, instead comparing the
coming commemoration with a nightmare.

“As you know, the 90th anniversary of Armenian genocide, as Armenians
call it, will be marked this year on April 24. As the date approaches
we will face more claims, accusations and decisions. The foreign
minister of Armenia, Vartan Oskanian, held forth at an arrangement
dedicated to 60th anniversary of Auschwitz liberation showing that the
Armenians are getting ready for serious activities”.

Alarming of `the coming nightmares’ he poses a question, “What
shall we do?” and answers: “We rejoiced when the Armenians refused to
come to Vienna to exchange documents with Turkish scientists. During
this time the voice of Professor Yusuf Halacoglu, president of Turkish
History Foundation, grew loader. He said: ‘Turkey has to take a
shocking step’. Hiqmet Ozdemir,head of the Center of Armenian Studies,
echoed saying that he is ready to take that step. The Armenians are
united in their actions. Reliable sources inform that they organize 30
thousand arrangements annually to convince the world of the genocide
and allocate $50 million for that purpose”.

Author of the article withholds the names of reliable sources and
incidentally sates addressing Turkish authorities: “Don’t get
surprised if the Bush administration proposes the Congress to take a
decision on `Acknowledgement of the Genocide’. And don’t say
`where did this disaster come?’ if England, Germany, Switzerland
and other states join the US. The French will say in this case: `
You will not join the EU unless you have not apologized to Armenians
as the Germans did to Jews’. There will come a point when they will
demandto `make amends to the Armenians following the Germans’
example’. Ifthey are not satisfied with the amends they may snitch
half of Anatolia calling it `restitution of lands belonging to
Armenians'”.

Oktay Eqshi rounds off appealing to regain consciousness. What does he
mean? If it is an appeal to push ahead the policy of negation then
the Turks should understand that Birandi’s `Armenian tsunami’ and
Eqshi’s `coming nightmare’ are the very results of negation. If
it is an appeal for the Turkish authorities to `take the
offensive in the genocide issue’ then for this goal either they need
to have a firmer ground.

By Hakob Chakrian

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ArmenPress
Feb 4 2005

REVIEW COURT DENIES PETITION TO RELEASE LEADER OF NATIONALISTIC PARTY

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 4, ARMENPRESS: An Armenian court of review left
unchanged today a petition filed by a marginal Armenian Aryan Union
party that requested release of its leader Armen Avetisian pending
trial. A local first instance court in Yerevan allowed prosecutors in
late January to arrest Avetisian on charges of inciting inter-ethnic
hatred. The arrest followed a newspaper interview in which Avetisian
called for the expulsion of all Jews living in Armenia, saying they
are to blame for Armenians’ vows. The review court said if at large
Avetisian may impede or avoid investigation.
A lawyer for Avetisian accused the review court of making an
unsubstantiated decision citing her client’s clean record, an
apartment in Yerevan and three small children. She also said two
opposition parliament members, Viktor Dalakian and Manuk Gasparian
have also petitioned for his release vouching that he would not leave
the city.
The lawyer argued further that her client’s right to express his
opinion was broken and his detention looks like “a punishment.” She
said she would take Avetisian’s case to the European Human Rights
Court in Strasbourg if fails to achieve justice in Armenia.
Armenian ombudsman Larisa Alaverdian also asked last week
prosecutors to release Avetisian saying charges against him were not
serious enough to require his detention. She argued that
anti-Semitism is non-existent in Armenia.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

OSCE MISSION IN ARMENIA

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
04 Feb 05

The OSCE mission consisting of 17 members and headed by the head of
the OSCE department of the foreign ministry of Germany Emily Haber
started its work in NKR on January 31 and will stay in Nagorni
Karabakh for 10 days. The monitoring group was set up after Azerbaijan
lodged a complaint in the UN that Armenia fulfills a policy of
re-settlement of the liberated areas adjacent to Karabakh. In this
connection the negotiations for the settlement of the Karabakh problem
is threatened. By the demand of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen
Azerbaijan withdrew the question from the agenda of the UN General
Assembly session. Instead it was decided to set up a monitoring group
in the framework of theOSCE which will check the facts presented by
Azerbaijan. In this connection the NKR foreign ministry made an
official statement emphasizing that Karabakh does not hide anything
from the international community and a small number of refugees from
Azerbaijan live in the territories controlled by Karabakh. Mrs. Haber
told the Karabakh journalists that the group will make a technical and
not political report. Besides, she informed that during the meeting
with the NKR president the members of the group got a lot of important
information for their further work. The monitoring group will start
its work at the region of Karvachar and will visit all the liberated
regions of NKR. The standpoint of Armenia in reference to the arrival
of the OSCE experts group is the following: â=80=9CCome and control.’
This statement was made by the vice speaker of the parliament of
Armenia Vahan Hovhannissian at his press conference on January
28. According to him, in the recent years Azerbaijan keeps raising in
international organizations the question of uncontrollability of the
territories adjacentto Nagorni Karabakh, where allegedly drug
business, trafficking and crime is thriving.` Those international
organizations which are concerned about these questionsmay send their
groups of experts for the thorough study of the situation. We are not
against such missions,’ stated Vahan Hovhannissian. By the way,he
reminded that the population of those regions mainly consists of
Armenians forced out of the towns Dashkesan, Kirovabad, Baku and
Sumgait of Azerbaijan. â=80=9CAnd what else do they have to do?’ asks
Vahan Hovhannissian. `Naturally, people living there take part in the
elections to the municipalities and live a normal life.’ `If this is
a crime then nothing has changed since the beginning of the 20th
century,’ said the parliamentarian, adding that `a correct statement
of the question may have a positive solution for the Armenian party.’
The leader of the Azerbaijani Organization for Liberation of Karabakh
Akif Naghli told the Azerbaijani news agency `Kavkazski Uzel’ that the
visit of the OSCE mission to the region is the achievement of the
Armenian foreign policy because â=80=9Cthere are no representatives of
Azerbaijan and Turkey in the delegation’.Besides, A. Naghi mentioned
that the mission must by all means pass through the territory of
Azerbaijan. Touching upon the problem of security of the mission the
chairman of the OLK said that the OSCE need not lay the responsibility
on Azerbaijan. A. Naghi said that in case of a positive assessment of
the OSCEmission the OLK will organize actions after the report of the
mission in favour of Armenia. The OSCE experts group is headed by the
head of the OSCE department of the foreign ministry of Germany Emily
Margaret Haber. Besides the representatives of the Minsk Group
countries the delegation includes experts from Finland, Italy, Sweden
and Germany. The experts will conduct monitoring in the regions
controlled by the Karabakh armed forces to find out whether the claims
of the Azerbaijanis that those territories are widely populated by
Armenians are true. Commenting on the meetings with the OSCE Minsk
Group co-chairmen and the international group of experts the
Azerbaijani minister of foreign affairs Araz Azimov announced that
re-settlement of the `occupied territories ofAzerbaijan’ is carried
out with the direct involvement of Armenia. He mentioned that during
the meeting with the OSCE delegation and the Minsk Group co-chairmen
the Azerbaijani party presented to the mission video and audio records
which testify to the re-settlement of the `occupied territories’, as
well asgeographic maps. According to him, more than 23 thousand
people have illegally settled in the ` occupied territories’. Azimov
emphasized that this has a negative impact on the negotiations for the
settlement of the Karabakh conflict. Answering the question of the
news agency `Regnum’ what facts Baku presented to the group, Youri
Merzlyakov said that those were `satellite photos testifying to the
existence of settlements in the territories adjacent to Nagorni
Karabakh.’ `We shall find out if there are people, where they came
from, when and whether by their will,’ said the Russian diplomat. The
minister of defence of Nagorni Karabakh Seyran Ohanian said that he
has a normal attitude toward such monitoring.` Those territories are
under the strict control of the NKR government. However, we cannot
forbid our citizens to farm in those territories. As to the fate of
the territories, the great talks are ahead and any decision on these
territories must be made in the framework of this process,’ said the
minister of defence of NKR.

AA.
04-02-2005

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Rocky Mountain News, CO
Feb 4 2005

2nd college yanks Churchill invitation

President of school in Massachusetts cites security fears

By Berny Morson, Rocky Mountain News
February 4, 2005

A Massachusetts college withdrew a speaking invitation Thursday to
University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill.

Wheaton College, in Norton, Mass., had invited Churchill to
participate in a March 29 panel on genocide.

President Michael Crutcher withdrew the invitation amid concerns
about public safety, college spokesman Michael Graca said.

“Freedom of speech is an important principle both for the country,
but certainly as well for educational institutions,” Graca said. “And
it needs to take place in a secure and safe environment, and that’s
the fundamental issue.”

Eastern Washington University will decide today whether to rescind an
invitation to Churchill to speak April 5.

The ethnic-studies professor is under fire nationally for a 2001
essay in which he referred to victims in the World Trade Center on
9/11 as “little Eichmanns,” a reference to Adolf Eichmann, the Nazi
Gestapo officer who headed Adolf Hitler’s effort to wipe out Jews in
Europe.

On Tuesday, Hamilton College in upstate New York canceled an address
by Churchill because of security concerns. Churchill’s remarks on the
Sept. 11 attack were brought to light by a student journalist at
Hamilton.

Graca said Wheaton College has not received any threats, but acted in
light of the threats at Hamilton.

“Given the experience of Hamilton this past week, we felt it was
prudent to take some action to maintain a secure campus,” Graca said.

Churchill was to speak about the American Indian experience with an
expert on the Turkish genocide of Armenians in 1915, and survivors of
the Holocaust and mass killings in Rwanda. That discussion will take
place now without Churchill.

Wheaton College is a 1,500-student liberal-arts college in southeast
Massachusetts.

At Eastern Washington, Churchill is scheduled to take part in Native
American Awareness Week. The school in Cheney, Wash., is 6 percent
American Indian – considered a large proportion for a college, said
spokesman David Rey.

Rey said faculty members who invited Churchill knew his views about
Americans Indians were controversial. They didn’t know about his
essay on Sept. 11.

“I don’t think this is what they expected,” Rey said.

President Stephen Jordan spent Thursday discussing the matter with
trustees and faculty, Rey said. Jordan will issue a statement during
a trustees meeting this morning.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress