Author: admin

Le Monde, France
15 novembre 2004

La police néerlandaise annonce le démantèlement d’un camp
d’entraînement de guérilla kurde

Le coup de filet dans le sud-est des Pays-Bas a abouti à
l’arrestation de trente-huit personnes impliquées dans la formation
de groupes armés destinés à être envoyés en Arménie

par Jean-Pierre Stroobants

Les opérations antiterroristes se succèdent à un rythme accéléré aux
Pays-Bas depuis l’assassinat, le 2 novembre, du cinéaste Theo Van
Gogh. Vendredi 12 novembre, la police a lancé de nouvelles
investigations qui ont abouti, à Liempde, dans le sud-est du pays, au
démantèlement de ce qui serait un camp d’entraînement du Congrès du
peuple du Kurdistan (Kongra-Gel), une émanation de l’ex-PKK, le parti
illégal des Kurdes de Turquie. Vingt-neuf personnes ont été
appréhendées dans le cadre d’une enquête qui aurait démarré il y a un
an et ne serait pas, selon le porte-parole du parquet national,
directement liée aux opérations de démantèlement de réseaux
islamistes. D’autres perquisitions ont conduit à neuf arrestations.
Divers équipements et des armes ont été saisis. Selon un membre du
parquet, les militants kurdes s’entraînaient avant d’être envoyés en
Arménie.

Divisé en plusieurs factions, Kongra-Gel – que Washington, Istanbul
et l’Union européenne assimilent à une organisation terroriste – a
officiellement renoncé au séparatisme, mais certaines de ses branches
ont ranimé le conflit dans le sud-est de l’Anatolie. La Turquie a
reproché aux Pays-Bas leur indulgence à l’égard de l’ex-PKK dont une
dirigeante présumée, Nuriye Kesbir, réclamée par Ankara, n’a pas été
extradée, un tribunal de La Haye jugeant que la Turquie violait les
droits de l’homme. Selon la justice, Mme Kesbir risquait d’être
torturée si elle était remise à la justice turque.

Jusqu’ici, les services néerlandais considéraient quant à eux que les
groupes kurdes ne se livraient qu’à des actions pacifiques aux
Pays-Bas. Vendredi, les autorités affirmaient que ce sont des
techniques de guérilla et des entraînements au combat physique qui
étaient enseignés à Liempde.

LACUNES POLICIÈRES

Cet épisode renforce un climat d’inquiétude, et souvent
d’incompréhension, qui règne dans un pays où les rapports entre les
différentes communautés se sont fortement détériorés depuis
l’assassinat de Theo Van Gogh par le militant islamiste Mohammed
Bouyeri. Quelque 40 % des Néerlandais estiment, selon un sondage,
qu’il sera impossible d’intégrer les musulmans.

C’est sans doute pour tenter de donner un signe d’apaisement que la
reine Beatrix s’est rendue, vendredi 12 novembre, dans un centre où
vivent de jeunes Marocains, à Amsterdam. Pressée par des responsables
politiques de lancer un appel au calme, la reine a préféré participer
à une discussion au cours de laquelle ont été évoqués le risque de
confusion entre islam, islamisme et terrorisme, et la nécessité de
s’attaquer aux causes de la radicalisation de certains immigrés.

Sur le plan politique, pour ne pas ajouter à la confusion, les
députés n’ont pas mis en cause le ministre de l’intérieur à l’issue
d’un débat consacré à l’affaire Van Gogh. De l’avis unanime, y
compris dans son parti – le VVD, libéral – Johan Remkes n’a pourtant
fourni aucune explication convaincante quant aux lacunes des services
de police et, surtout, de renseignement. Il se confirme, en effet,
que depuis l’été 2004, des informations permettaient de conclure
qu’une cellule islamiste préparait un attentat. D’autre part, des
menaces avaient été adressées à Theo Van Gogh, à Ayaan Hirsi Ali, la
députée d’origine somalienne qui avait, avec lui, dénoncé les
mariages forcés et l’islam fondamentaliste, ou encore à Geert
Wilders, un dissident du parti libéral qui a fondé une nouvelle
formation de droite. A aucun moment, les responsables de la lutte
antiterroriste ne sont apparemment parvenus à établir un lien entre
ces diverses informations.

M. Remkes, vivement critiqué par le président de son propre groupe
parlementaire, n’a pu expliquer pourquoi il n’avait été tenu compte
ni des menaces pesant sur Theo Van Gogh ni des éléments apparemment
accablants sur son meurtrier, Mohammed Bouyeri. Ce dernier avait été
dénoncé par certains informateurs mais les services de renseignement
ont décidé d’arrêter les écoutes de son téléphone. Connu de la
justice, Bouyeri donnait aussi asile à différents islamistes, ce qui
était connu des services. L’un de ses complices avait déjà été arrêté
en 2003.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE
Hairenik Online Radio Station
80 Bigelow Ave
Watertown, MA 02472
Contact: Jirayr Beugekian
Tel: 617-9263974 / 617-9263976
Fax: 617-9265525
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:

Hairenik Association Inc. launches Hairenik Online Radio Station

Watertown, MA — The Hairenik Association Inc. today formally launched
its new internet radio station, Hairenik Online Radio Station, which
broadcasts Armenian music and news about Armenia, Artsakh, Javakhk and
the Armenian Diaspora 24 hours a day.

The station began broadcasting with a music-only format on August 10,
2004, and has since been updating its musical selection and conducting
small promotions to test the interest of listeners. “The response
from our listeners has been overwhelmingly positive”,- stated Jirayr
Buegekian, Programming Director. The number of listeners is increasing
steadily and emails of encouragement are pouring in. We have regular
listeners in more than 35 countries!” A measure of that popularity
was reflected in a recent report, which appeared on the website of
California’s Fresno Bee newspaper, citing the unique programming
provided by the station.

Hairenik Online Radio will start broadcasting an expanded format on
November 20, 2004. “We are currently broadcasting music 24 hours a
day. Based on listener requests, we will be expanding the format to
also include some news, interviews and special programs for children.”
stated Buegekian.

However, the station will still keep music at the heart of its
programming. Prior to launching the online radio station, the
Hairenik Association worked with Bentley College in Massachusetts to
undertake a study on the viability of the launching of an internet
radio station. Based on the findings of the Bentley team, Hairenik
Online Radio will reserve at least 80 percent of its airtime for
Armenian music. “Although we think our listeners will enjoy the
expanded format, we remain committed to broadcasting lots and lots of
music,” stated Buegekian.

The Hairenik Online Radio can be accessed via the web site of the
Hairenik Association (), which also includes an online
bookstore and the online versions of its two newspapers, the Armenian
language “Hairenik Weekly” and the English language “Armenian Weekly.”
Hairenik Online Radio can also be accessed at
and selecting the media player of your choice.

November 16, 2004

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

The Globe and Mail, Canada
Nov 15 2004

Cymbal company drums up A-list clientele

Craftsmanship, epic family history keep musicians flocking to N.B.
factory

By GORDON PITTS

MEDUCTIC, N.B. — Neil Peart, iconic drummer for the Canadian rock
group Rush, set out on a pilgrimage last fall.

He flew from Los Angeles to Montreal, where he picked up his
motorcycle and headed east. Hours later, he roared up to a red metal
building on the Saint John River in rural New Brunswick.

Mr. Peart spent a day touring cymbal-maker Sabian Ltd., and the
result has been a design and marketing collaboration. Sabian now
manufactures Mr. Peart’s line of Paragon cymbals, priced from about
$300 to $500 a unit.

“It’s selling very well,” said Sabian owner Robert Zildjian,
81-year-old heir to a family craft tradition that has journeyed from
17th-century Turkey to modern New Brunswick.

Mr. Peart is among the legions of percussionists who have, over four
decades, made the trek to the sleepy village of Meductic, N.B. They
come to see Sabian’s metal-working process and thrill to its epic
history of warring brothers, family dislocation, and a cast of
characters that range from the sultan of Turkey to the sultans of
swing, jazz drummers Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich.

Sabian’s day-to-day operations are handled by Dan Barker, the
company’s 55-year-old president, but Mr. Zildjian happily admits that
he interferes. “I’m a pain in the neck at times. I like to see what
is going on because Sabian is my child.” (Mr. Zildjian and his wife,
Willie, also have three flesh-and-blood offspring, Sally, Bill and
Andy– thus the name Sa-bi-an.)

The company is bouncing back from a downbeat year in 2003, when the
SARS epidemic and U.S. nervousness over war and terrorism toned down
sales of musical instruments, leading to level revenues at Sabian
after years of double-digit growth. This year, Sabian says it is
beating out a growth rhythm again.

After the death of his father, Avedis, in 1979, Mr. Zildjian split
bitterly with his older brother, Armand, who controlled the family’s
cymbal company in Norwell, Mass.

In the split, Robert was able to take some assets from Avedis
Zildjian Co., including its small Canadian plant in Meductic, which
became Sabian. Twenty-two years later, the Sabian and Zildjian
companies are battling for the loyalty of the world’s percussionists,
with a combined 60 to 70 per cent of the quality cymbal market.

The Sabian people say they make more units, more than 900,000 a year,
but the Zildjian company generates more revenue.

“Sabian and Zildjian compete vigorously,” said former Sabian
executive David McAllister, who now runs Latin Percussion, a U.S.
distributor of musical instruments. Because the overall market has
grown, both companies have been able to prosper, he said.

Robert Zildjian, still hurt by the split with his now-deceased
brother, says his 140-employee company is more profitable than its
rival, based on annual sales of $30-million to $35-million. He has no
contact with Craigie Zildjian, Armand’s daughter, who now runs the
family firm, although he did speak to Armand before his death two
years ago.

That feud seems far removed from the peaceful village of frame houses
that Sabian now calls home.

The plant buildings are a percussionist’s paradise as the cymbals
pass through the metal-working process, based on the secret Zildjian
method for combining copper and tin.

Cymbals are hammered, often by hand, into subtle hills and valleys of
sound. For a drummer, the relationship can be intensely personal,
said Mr. Barker, himself a former bubble-gum-rock drummer from
Weymouth, Mass.

The final production area involves testing and packaging, where a
couple of workers bang away on performance sets, creating jazzy riffs
that sound more fitting for a smoky basement in Greenwich Village
than a modern factory.

The Sabian website lists an all-star lineup of professional users,
including Phil Collins, Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and
musicians who support country crooner Lyle Lovett, cellist Yo-Yo Ma,
and an army of marching bands.

The Zildjian saga contains obvious parallels to the breakup of the
McCain brothers, founders of the McCain Foods Ltd. French fry empire
in nearby Florenceville, N.B. Mr. Zildjian jokes that if only
brothers Harrison and Wallace McCain had come down to see him, he
might have saved them some lawyers’ bills.

The Zildjian clash had its origins in Constantinople in 1623 when
Robert Zildjian’s Armenian ancestor, an alchemist named Avedis, was
appointed cymbal-maker to the Turkish sultan. In the early 20th
century, a later Avedis Zildjian, fleeing Turkish oppression of
Armenians and linked to a plot against the Turkish ruler, escaped to
the United States.

He brought the old family business to Massachusetts in the late
1920s, only to be greeted by the Depression. He was saved by jazz,
and relationships with drummers such as Mr. Krupa and Mr. Rich. Then,
in 1964, Beatlemania hit and cymbal crashes became part of a rock ‘n’
rollers’ repertoire.

Avedis’s death left sons Armand and Robert at odds. But Robert knew
New Brunswick, having fished and hunted in the Miramichi.

In the 1960s, he had opened the family’s Meductic plant to get around
British Commonwealth duties. The plant made money, he liked the
people, and he took it in the settlement.

Along the way, he found Mr. Barker, a former manager with the Avedis
Zildjian Co., who had been a casualty of the family split.

Mr. Barker was running a music store and import company, with limited
financial success, when Sabian took him in and moved him to Meductic
in 1985.

Today, 90 per cent of Sabian’s output is exported with 40 per cent
going to the United States. The rising value of the Canadian dollar
has hit profits and sales, at a time of big price hikes in copper and
tin.

Mr. Zildjian, now a Canadian citizen, said the first response will be
to raise U.S. prices. “It’s just a thing that has to be done,” he
said.

He does not foresee a large shift of production to the United States,
although Sabian has a distribution centre in Maine. “The only thing
we’d ever shift there is cheap beginner stuff to compete with the
Chinese and Taiwanese. That means nothing to Canada or even nothing
to Sabian.”

Mr. Zildjian has recently experienced some medical problems, and even
landed in hospital after a bad reaction to heart medication while at
his Bermuda home. (He also has residences in Meductic and Maine.)

Having gone through a harsh sibling battle, he has plotted his own
succession. Ownership will be split equally among his children, but
Andy, who runs the company’s U.S. operations, will ultimately call
the shots. “If it all boils down to a mess, Andy has the final say.”

He says Andy has the people skills, and older brother Bill, who
handles artist relations, goes along with that. Sally does not work
in the company day-to-day.

Although he regularly gets feelers to sell, Mr. Zildjian said Sabian
has a strong future going solo in the growing percussion market. Not
that he’s satisfied with his market position against the old family
company. “In five years, we have to be the No. 1 cymbal of choice,
not just with pros, but beginners.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Los Angeles Daily News, CA
Nov 15 2004

Immigrant parents rely on kids’ English

By Rachel Uranga, Staff Writer

Maribel Palafox was just 11 when she stood in a medical office,
translating the doctor’s news that her mother was pregnant.
At 17, Maribel was called on again to serve as a go-between for a
doctor and a parent — this time telling her father that he had
cancer.

Like tens of thousands of bilingual children in Los Angeles County,
Maribel has spent much of her life translating for
non-English-speaking relatives — a high-stress role that has put her
in delicate situations where no youngster should be.

Academics call them cultural brokers. Some policy makers call them
exploited. Parents say they are a lifeline to the English-speaking
world.

“I have been doing this ever since I can remember,” said Maribel, the
oldest of seven children born to Mexican immigrants. “I stutter when
I can’t find the words. It’s sad — but that’s the way it is.”

Publicly funded hospitals and clinics are prohibited from
discriminating against those who speak limited or no English, and
federal regulations require that translators be provided if patients
request them.

But in reality, few of these patients request translators, and they
often wait hours for care or do not understand what kind of care they
are getting. Even when medical centers provide interpreters,
advocates say services are often inadequate. The result is that
bilingual children are pressed into service.

In Los Angeles County, where more than one-third of the residents are
foreign-born and more than 90 percent of those speak a language other
than English, it has become a way of life. Children explain utility
bills to their parents or become the de facto interpreters on
parent-teacher night.

“Who else would I trust?” asked Katherine Pinchuk, a 46-year-old
Ukrainian immigrant. Pinchuk relies on her 8-year-old daughter,
Mariya, for basic translations at school, at the dermatologist and
even returning clothes at the mall.

“It’s the American way. It’s acculturation,” said Gregory Rodriguez,
a New American Fellow who studies assimilation. “It’s unfortunate,
but international migration is a cataclysmic process and sometimes
tragic.”

Maria Perez, 17, who suffers from chronic eye problems, must act as a
translator as doctors talk to her parents about her numerous
surgeries and treatments.

“Sometimes I go to the doctor and the words are so difficult I cannot
understand,” said Perez, who had to translate her doctor’s gloomy
prognosis for her condition.

“There are times I feel nervous. I don’t know if I am going to be
OK.”

Advocates say one of the biggest problems is that most immigrants do
not realize they have a right to an interpreter, or they are afraid
to speak up and ask for one.

The problem became so acute in Los Angeles County’s welfare offices
that it became the subject of a federal probe. Under a federal
agreement, similar to a consent decree, the offices were ordered to
post signs in all county-run facilities informing clients of
interpreter services and to make a greater effort to hire more
bilingual employees.

Several years ago, a similar agreement was imposed on the county
Department of Health Services, which operates five hospitals and more
than a dozen clinics.

Without more money to hire in-house translators, the department has
had to rely on staff members — most of whom have no formal cultural
or linguistic training.

“These are unfunded mandates,” said Mya Iwataki, director of
diversity programs for the agency. “It’s tough. Everyone here has to
do multitasking.”

Still, the financially strapped department has made strides and is
working to expand its third-party translating programs in its
hospitals and larger outpatient centers.

Heng Foong, director of PALS for Help — an organization that
provides free interpretation in health-care settings and was formerly
called Pacific-Asian Language Services — has heard all sorts of
horror stories.

One involved an Armenian man who sought treatment at a county
hospital for fluid in his spine. With no translator available,
doctors enlisted the help of an Armenian-speaking painter working at
the facility to explain consent forms for surgery.

It’s no wonder, experts say, that many parents rely on their children
to translate what doctors, creditors and neighbors say.

“It’s practical for both me and my daughter,” said Josefina Lopez,
31, who relies on her 9-year-old daughter, Monica Aguas, to help her
communicate with her English-speaking boss.

Monica, a bubbly and talkative fourth-grader, says she’s happy to
help.

“If I help my mom and my dad, it makes me feel special. I am happy to
show them what people are saying.”

But for others, like North Hills resident Martha Ugarte, 22, who has
translated for her mother for as long as she can remember, the work
can strain their relationship.

“To her, it’s my job. … A lot of parents … say it’s your job as a
son or daughter. I have no choice.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Fox Sports, Australia
Sydney Morning Herald
Nov 15 2004

Fenech praises Hussein
By Adrian Warren
November 15, 2004

JEFF Fenech is confident his charge Nedal Hussein will join him this
month in becoming a super bantamweight boxing world champion.

The duo flew out of Sydney today ahead of Hussein’s title challenge
against Mexico’s World Boxing Council super bantamweight champion
Oscar Larios in Las Vegas on November 27.

Fenech was the first, and so far only, Australian to win a super
bantamweight world title.

That was back in 1987, when Fenech KO’d Thailand’s Samart Payakaroon
to win the same WBC crown coveted by Hussein.

It was the second of three world titles for Fenech, who was today
optimistic 26-year-old Nedal would follow in his footsteps.

“I’m glad I’m not fighting him (Hussein) for the title, he’s one of
the best body punchers ever,” said trainer Fenech.

“If he’s on his game, he will win.”

Larios, 28, has a record of 53 wins, three losses and one draw and
has held the WBC crown for two years, making four successful
defences.

Hussein said Larios was taller and bigger than him, but felt the
Mexican might have problems making the weight after having his last
two bouts in a higher division.

He said he wasn’t too excited yet as his first world title shot draws
near.

“To be honest, the closer the fight gets, the more confident I am
getting,” Hussein said.

“Larios is very beatable these days, because he’s struggling to make
the weight, he’s had a few fights this year when he went up in
weight.

“Jeff (Fenech) saw him at the WBC convention and said he couldn’t
believe Larios could make super bantamweight.

“He’s a busy fighter, he throws between 90 to 100 punches a round.

“He keeps going, he’s not going to sit there and let me just throw
punches, he’s a good mover.

“I’ve just got to be able to cut off the ring and keep calm.”

Hussein said he had no intention of deviating from his favoured
method which had earned him 36 wins from 37 professional bouts.

“I’ve just got to sit there and work off the jab,” Hussein said.

“If my jab starts landing then I’m able to rip and hook. I’m just
going to fight like every other fight and I’m not going to change my
style.”

Hussein said he would spar three times in Los Angeles next week
before heading to Las Vegas.

He will spar with Armenia’s Artyom Simonyan, who will challenge
International Boxing Federation super bantamweight title holder
Israel Vazquez on December 4.

Hussein said he also hoped to get some sparring with Vazquez, who is
trained by Australian Justin Fortune.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Transitions Online, Czech Republic
Nov 15 2004

Awkwardly Successful

by Haroutiun Khachatrian

The government beats its own poverty-reduction target eight years
ahead of schedule. From Eurasianet.

YEREVAN, Armenia–A recent economic survey in Armenia showing a
significant decline in the number of citizens living in poverty has
placed President Robert Kocharian’s administration in a somewhat
awkward position. While Kocharian has been eager to show Armenians
that living standards are improving, the report’s findings could
complicate the Armenian government’s efforts to secure international
aid for poverty-reduction programs.

The annual survey of household incomes by the National Statistical
Service contained a full range of startling statistics. Among the
most surprising: The percentage of Armenians living below the poverty
line fell from 50 percent in 2002 to 42.9 percent in 2003. Similarly,
the number of poorest Armenians–those who earn less than 7,742 drams
(about $15) per month–also took a surprising plunge, from 13.1
percent of the population in 2002 to 7.4 percent in 2003. At the same
time, the survey indicated that the country’s income gap between rich
and poor narrowed slightly.

The statistics reveals that the poverty reduction rate in Armenia far
exceeds the projections that the government outlined in its Poverty
Reduction Strategic Paper (PRSP) released earlier this year. In one
example in the PRSP, officials estimated that that it would take
until 2012 before the “very poor” could be reduced to less than 8
percent of the population. The NSS figures show that this benchmark
has been surpassed a full eight years ahead of the government’s
schedule.

Given the NSS findings, questions are already being raised about the
accuracy and potential effectiveness of the government’s anti-poverty
blueprint. While officials have been happy to tout the reduction in
poverty, one government minister has already disputed the NSS
findings. Vardan Khachatrian, the finance and economy minister, told
reporters that the results were difficult to trust and too
optimistic.

Some economic experts share Khachatrian’s doubts. “I cannot see the
reasons that could bring about such a drastic change in the
percentage of the population made up by the very poor,” said Ruben
Yeganian, a researcher at Yerevan’s Institute of Economic Problems.
The decrease was particularly improbable for 2003, when Armenia’s
inflation rate soared in response to an increase in foreign grain
prices, Yeganian asserted. That year, bread prices increased by 31
percent between January and December, causing an overall 8.6 percent
increase in the consumer price index, compared with a 2-percent rise
the previous year.

A report published on 18 October by the International Crisis Group
(ICG) echoes Yeganian’s assessment. Its study, entitled “Armenia:
Instability Ahead,” states that while the market reforms of the 1990s
may mean Armenia is now enjoying a relative boom, relatively few
Armenians have seen a vast improvement in living standards. “The
benefits of economic recovery are not equally shared,” the report
found. “There is little sign of poverty decreasing.”

Contradicting the NSS, the ICG report cited statistics that show 55
percent of the population lives in poverty, with wealth concentrated
in Yerevan and in “circles close to the government.” Meanwhile, the
exodus of educated, well-trained workers–one of the main obstacles
to an Armenian economic comeback–continues. Favored labor markets
include Russia, Central Europe, Ukraine, and Turkey, where potential
salaries are higher than the $78 average monthly salary to be had in
Armenia.

The poverty issue has figured prominently in the ongoing power
struggle between Kocharian and opposition political parties. In an
attempt to outflank his critics, Kocharian unveiled a 12-year plan
for fighting poverty in June. Yeganian speculated that the government
may have cast doubt on the NSS findings in order to prevent a
decrease in foreign aid programs. An additional factor feeding
official concerns, Yeganian suggested, is the decrease in value of
the U.S. dollar against the Armenian dram over the last year. As a
result, the incomes of Armenians, when denominated in dollars, appear
to have increased.

The Armenian government counts heavily on international aid to
promote economic stabilization efforts, including anti-poverty
programs. Armenia hopes to receive $100 million for various economic
development schemes in 2004 from the U.S. Millennium Challenge
Account program, aid monies that are contingent on the country’s
record for democratic reform and human rights. Also in support of
Kocharian’s agenda, the World Bank has pledged to deliver $250
million by November 2004 for work on rural schools, infrastructure
and irrigation systems.

Some representatives of the NSS themselves have admitted to being
caught off guard by the survey’s results. Hovik Hohannisian, head of
Food Security Statistics, raised questions about the criteria used to
determine who is “very poor,” saying that the food basket used to
determine purchasing power was actually more like a “bread basket.”

Meanwhile, one of the country’s main creditors, the World Bank, said
it saw no reason to doubt the NSS data, the Bank’s Yerevan
spokesperson, Vigen Sargsian, told Eurasianet. Aside from the World
Bank, the NSS’s data is routinely cited by international
organizations, including the International Monetary Fund. The NSS
also receives advice from representatives of the European Union and
the U.S. Agency for International Development.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Business Wire (press release), CA
Nov 15 2004

Global Gold Corporation Closes Private Placement With Firebird Funds;
Names Van Krikorian President, Ted Urquhart Vice President

GREENWICH, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Nov. 15, 2004–Global Gold
Corporation (OTCBB-GBGD) () announced today it
has completed a $1,500,000 private placement with Firebird Global
Master Fund, Ltd. (“FGMF”), Firebird Republics Fund, Ltd (“FRF”), and
Firebird Avrora Fund, Ltd (“FAF”) (). Global Gold will
use the proceeds to further its mining and exploration projects in
Armenia and Chile as well as for working capital to continue
evaluating other mining and exploration projects.

The transaction involved the issuance of 3 million shares of common
stock at $0.50 per share. Each new share issued carries a warrant to
purchase an additional share at $0.75 per share. The warrants are
exercisable on or before December 1, 2006. Three stockholders, NJA
Investments, Drury J. Gallagher and Van Krikorian, also agreed to
other conditions, including: to vote their shares to elect one
designee of FGMF, FRF, and FAF collectively to the Company’s Board of
Directors; and to grant FGMF, FRF, and FAF certain tag-along rights.
The Company, FGMF, FRF, and FAF also entered a Registration Rights
Agreement. As a further condition to close, the Company agreed to
reduce accounts payable.

In other developments, Van Krikorian, previously Vice President and
General Counsel became President of Global Gold succeeding Robert
Garrison, who resigned for personal reasons. Geophysicist Dr. W.E.S.
(Ted) Urquhart, resident in Santiago, Chile, became Vice President
for South America. Drury J. Gallagher continues as Chairman and CEO.

Global Gold Corporation is an international gold mining, development
and exploration company with mining properties in Chile and Armenia.
Global Gold Corporation is located at 104 Field Point Road,
Greenwich, CT 06830. The main phone number is 203-422-2300. More
information can be found at

To the extent that statements in this press release are not strictly
historical, including statements as to revenue projections, business
strategy, outlook, objectives, future milestones, plans, intentions,
goals, future financial conditions, future collaboration agreements,
the success of the Company’s development, events conditioned on
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subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual
results to differ materially from the statements made.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian leader feels no “great optimism” about Karabakh talks

Mediamax news agency
15 Nov 04

YEREVAN

Armenian President Robert Kocharyan announced in Yerevan today that
“he does not feel great optimism” in connection with the current
situation in the process of settling the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict.

Mediamax news agency quoted Robert Kocharyan as saying this today at a
joint briefing with Estonian President Arnold Ruutel, who is paying a
three-day -visit to Armenia.

The Armenian president talked about two serious problems which, as he
mentioned, are hindering progress at the talks on the conflict
settlement.

“The first problem is the absence of representatives from the Nagornyy
Karabakh Republic [NKR],” Robert Kocharyan said, noting that official
Baku wishes to hold the talks exclusively with Armenia. The president
said that consequently, he is representing the position not only of
Armenia but also of the NKR at the negotiations. Apart from this,
Robert Kocharyan stressed that this is not a correct negotiation
format to reflect the essence of the conflict.

Mediamax news agency quoted Robert Kocharyan as saying that
Azerbaijan’s unwillingness to start regional cooperation is the second
obstacle. The president recalled that Armenia follows the formula
“through cooperation to the settlement”, but Azerbaijan considers
impossible any form of cooperation with Armenia until the Nagornyy
Karabakh conflict is fully solved. Meanwhile, Robert Kocharyan noted
that “we continue to believe that regional cooperation can create a
more favourable atmosphere for the conflict settlement”.

Commenting on the activities of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen,
Robert Kocharyan described the mediation of Russia, the USA and France
as “the best format”. The Armenian president said that ” the OSCE
Minsk Group is doing everything possible for the conflicting sides to
settle the problem”. Therefore “it is now possible to say that that it
is the conflicting sides and not the mediators who are at fault”,
Robert Kocharyan said, recalling that “there were situations when we
were close to settling the conflict”.

The Armenian president recalled that the OSCE Minsk Group “has first
of all the role of a mediator and has no mandate to force the
conflicting sides towards peace”.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

California Courier Online, November 18, 2004

1 – Commentary
University Website Discloses
TARC Proposals and More…
By Harut Sassounian
California Courier Publisher
**************************************************************************
2 – Visitors Use 10th Century Akhtamar
Armenia Church for Target Practice
3 – Armenian Artists Join Russians
At West Hollywood Exhibit
4 – Armenian Second Only to Russian
In SBC Language Line Services
5 – Armenian Assembly Leaders
Convene in San Francisco
6 – Commentary
Anti-Armenian Schemes of Foreign
Companies Operating in Turkey
7 – Co-Authors of Best-Selling Armenia
Travel Guide to Speak in California

1 – Commentary

University Website Discloses
TARC Proposals and More…

By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier

The controversial Turkish Armenian Reconciliation Commission, contrary to
its members’ repeated assurances that it has terminated its activities, is
apparently alive and well, and plotting.
Even though TARC announced on April 14, 2004, (yet again) that “its work as
a commission is ending,” it made it clear that rather than fading away, it
intended to expand the scope of its sinister work by stating: “We have
decided to convene an initial meeting of a larger group than TARC to
discuss the subject of Turkish Armenian rapprochement and reconciliation.
This conference is planned for the fall of 2004. In addition we intend to
support a Turkish Armenian consultative group which would meet at least
annually to exchange views, review progress, and recommend actions to
promote improved relations. TARC’s website, , will continue to
function.”
TARC stated that it would submit shortly its recommendations to “the
concerned governments,” probably meaning Turkey and Armenia, and also the
United States, the main financial backer of this scheme, to the tune of
several millions dollars.
TARC did not make its recommendations public. Its official website does not
include this document. The website of the American University (AU) in
Washington, D.C., however, not only reveals the full text of this internal
document, but also discloses the vast number of Turkish-Armenian exchanges
sponsored by the AU’s Center for Global Peace which received its funding
from the U.S. government. David L. Phillips, the Chairman of TARC, is the
Director of the Center for Global Peace and Deputy Director of the Center
for Preventive Action of the Council on Foreign Relations. He is also a
senior advisor to the US Department of State.
Here are TARC’s seven recommendations to the governments of Turkey and
Armenia:
Official contacts should be further improved;
Opening of the Turkish Armenian border should be announced and implemented
in 2004;
The two governments should publicly support civil society programs focused
on education, science, culture, and tourism;
Standing mechanisms for cooperation on humanitarian disaster assistance and
health care should be established;
Security and confidence building measures between Turkey and Armenia should
be enhanced;
Religious understanding should be encouraged; and
The Turkish and Armenian people need to develop more confidence that their
governments are working to surmount the difficulties related to the past.
To gain a better insight into the extent of time and effort as well as
money spent by the U.S. government to divert the attention of Armenians
away the genocide issue, I have summarized below, from the AU’s website,
the list of extensive activities undertaken by the Center for Global Peace
to promote Turkish-Armenian exchanges:

I – LEADERSHIP

Conflict Resolution Training;
Diaspora Dialogue: Regular meetings between Armenian and Turkish
organizations in Washington, D.C., “to discuss issues affecting the
Diaspora communities;”
Regional Mayors’ Project: Meetings with mayors from bordering provinces in
Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia and Turkey;
Turkish-Armenian Parliamentary Exchanges; and
Turkish Armenian Reconciliation Commission.

II – MEDIA

Documentaries for Turkish, Armenian and US television stations; Production
of a CD;
Reciprocal visits by Turkish and Armenian journalists;
Radio programs broadcast in Turkey and Armenia; and
Women’s magazine published by Turkish and Armenian women (15,000 copies, 96
pages).

III. CULTURE

Plans to renovate the Akhtamar Church; and
Dialogue between Armenian and Turkish religious leaders; and
Exchanges between Turkish and Armenian musicians.

IV – ECONOMY

Exchanges between Turkish and Armenian businessmen;
Marketing network of the Caucasus;
Regional economic working group; and
Cooperative manufacturing effort for textile producers in Turkey and
Armenia.

V. EDUCATION

Mutual Perceptions Research Project (Armenia/Turkey and
Armenia/Azerbaijan);
Regional Academic Cooperation;
Visiting scholars; and
Youth Peace Education.

VI. WOMEN’S PARTNERSHIP

Exchange visits by Armenian and Turkish women; and
Institutional exchanges.

The main problem with TARC’s patently obvious recommendations and the
extensive Turkish-Armenian exchanges organized by the American University’s
Center for Global Peace is that they are directed by a group (TARC) that is
set up and funded by a foreign entity (the Bush Administration) for the
purpose of stifling the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the U.S.
Congress as well as the legislatures of all other countries.
As I reported back in 2001, Ozdem Sanberk, one of the Turkish members of
TARC, had blurted out the following admission in a moment of weakness or
inattention: “The basic goal of our commission is to impede the initiatives
put forth every year in the U.S. Congress and parliaments of Western
countries on ‘the genocide issue’…. The key goal is to prevent ‘the
genocide’ issue from being regularly brought onto the agenda in Western
countries…. The significant matter for us is that ‘the genocide’ issue is
not discussed by the American Congress anymore. As long as we continue the
dialogue, the issue won’t be brought to the congressional agenda. If it is
not discussed in Congress, we, meaning Turkey, will gain from that. The US
Congress will see that there is a channel of dialogue between Turks and
Armenians and decide that ‘there is no necessity for the Congress to take
such a decision while such a channel exists.”
**************************************************************************
2 – Visitors Use 10th Century Akhtamar
Armenia Church for Target Practice
BRUSSELS – The Van correspondent of Istanbul’s Milliyet newspaper writes
that the marvelous carvings of the 10th century church of Akhtamar in Lake
Van are regularly being used as targets for shooting practice by visitors.
The newspaper published also a photo where one can see the state of
carvings
after such visits. The correspondent reports that the church is protected
by a guard in the summer time only during the working hours.
During the rest of the day the visitors entertain themselves by shooting on
the carvings of the Akhtamar Church, and some of them even try to find some
treasure.
Archeology Professor at the University of Van, Veli Seçkin says that there
are rumors among the population that there is treasure cached in the island
of Akhtamar. Even the Church guard was once arrested while he was “hunting
for treasure.”
Already in May 2004, the Zaman newspaper warned that the famous church of
the Holy Cross of the Akhtamar Island was almost in ruins.
The church, which is visited by many foreign tourists, is badly neglected
and close to ruins. The church has been neglected and harmed by treasure
hunters and is at risk of collapsing. Both its foundation and ceiling have
cracks and holes.
The City of Van’s Culture and Tourism Province Director, Bilal Sonmez, told
Zaman that a project for the preservation of the historical identity of the
church is already being prepared. Sonmez said that the issue has already
been transferred to the Culture and Nature Assets Council and that the
directorate is waiting for a decision.
Unfortunately the above-mentioned project for the preservation of the
historical identity of the church was never carried out and the Church is
not protected by UNESCO, since each country decides which are the monuments
to be protected by UNESCO.
The Assembly of Armenians of Europe and upon its request many Armenians all
around the world sent alert letters to UNESCO, but they remained without
answer.
In order to raise the awareness of the European an exhibition “Armenian
Architectural Heritage in South Caucasus and Middle East”, organized by the
Assembly of Armenians of Europe with the co-operation of the Research on
Armenian Architecture under the patronage of Swedish Parliament member
Jonas Sjostedt, took place in the European Parliament, at the end of
September.
**************************************************************************
3 – Armenian Artists Join Russians
At West Hollywood Exhibit
WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – Eighteen Armenian artists have joined with more
than 60 artists from the United States and Russia to present a
“Russian-American Art Exhibit,” Nov. 15 through Dec. 15 at West Hollywood’s
Pacific Design Center, 8687 Melrose Avenue.
The official grand opening will take place Nov. 18 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.,
with live entertainment, a wine reception and a fashion show.
Part of the proceeds from the exhibit, which is dedicated to the 20th
anniversary of the city of West Hollywood, will also benefit the victims of
the terrorist attack in Russia’s town of Beslan, which resulted in more
than 300 dead, including 250 children.
The City of West Hollywood is co-sponsoring the event along with the
Russian Advisory Board, Pacific Design Center, West Hollywood Convention
and Visitors Bureau, Russian Community Center, and the Russian-American
Arts Foundation.
West Hollywood is home to more than 37,000 residents of Russian descent,
equivalent to 30% of the city’s population.
Armenian artists participating in the exhibit include: Vartan Asadourian,
Grant Avakyan, Hakob Baghdasaryan, Vahan Demirtchian, Alexander Djanian,
Razmik Hadjikian, Samvel Hadjikian, Samvel, Hambardzumyan, Vahram
Hovakimyan, Varuzhan Hovakimyan, Irena (Ovsepian) Huges, Razmik Kazarian,
Samvel Marutyan, Henrik Vardeniktsy Sargsyan, Liosin Semerdjian, and Evrik
Zatikyan.
For more information, call Viktoria Kanevsky, (323) 512-2228.
**************************************************************************
4 – Armenian Second Only to Russian
In SBC Language Line Services
LOS ANGELES – SBC California last week announced its “Top 10” languages
requested by customers at its Language Line interpreter service* center
with Armenian finishing No. 2, behind Russian. Representing
more than 16 percent of the center’s language requests, the high Armenian
ranking is among a selection of 150 different languages offered by SBC’s
Diversity Marketing group that enables California consumers to conduct
business in the language of their choice, at no charge, to inquire about
their bill, set-up phone service, change or add services such as SBC Long
Distance or SBC Yahoo! DSL and have other questions answered.
“We are committed to understanding and serving the unique needs of our
diverse California customer base. SBC knows many people prefer to discuss
their options, including telephone and communications services, in their
native or preferred language,” said Jody Garcia, Vice President, SBC
Diverse Markets Group. “The Interpreter service, coupled with the multiple
international calling plans, makes the SBC family of companies the leader
in understanding and serving the needs of our customers.”
To meet the needs of its increasingly diverse community, SBC California
partners with professional interpreters to assist customers during a call.
Customers can access this interpreter service by calling SBC customer
service at 1-800-203-8600 and requesting assistance in their language of
choice. So far, SBC has assisted consumers in more than 100 languages.
**************************************************************************
5 – Armenian Assembly Leaders
Convene in San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO – Led by Chairman Anthony Barsamian, the Armenian Assembly
Board of Directors convened on November 6 at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel
for a full day of business meetings that included an in-depth look at
Assembly operations in the Washington, Los Angeles and Yerevan offices.
“The San Francisco session was extremely productive and has reaffirmed the
Board’s commitment to the Assembly’s goals,” said Barsamian. “During the
meeting, Members raised key questions regarding the Assembly’s current and
long-term initiatives which we will continue to look at in the month’s
ahead.”
Looking at the year ahead, the Board approved the 2005 operating budget and
set a preliminary agenda for the coming year. To that end, they also
discussed the Assembly’s efforts to co-sponsor the 90th anniversary and
subsequent commemorations of the Armenian Genocide in our nation’s capital
under the auspices of the Armenian Caucus and Armenian Embassy.
Meeting participants included Board of Trustees President Carolyn Mugar and
Board of Directors Members Murat Acemoglu, Bryan Ardouny, Berge Ayvazian,
Lisa Esayian, Edele Hovnanian, Lisa Kalustian, Van Krikorian, Richard
Mushegain, Gail O’Reilly, Annie Totah and Peter Vosbikian.
Executive Director Ross Vartian, along with Deputy Executive Director Peter
Abajian and Finance Director Colleen Clancy, were also on hand to provide
the group additional information on the following program areas:
Development and Membership, Finance, Government Affairs, Grassroots,
Internship and
Public Affairs.
Prior to the weekend meeting, Board of Directors Treasurer Berge Ayvazian
on Nov. 5 moderated a panel discussion on Armenia’s Economic Development
held at the hotel. Panelists included Adam Kablanian of Virage Logic, Tony
Moryoyan of Viasphere International, Board Member Gail O’Reilly of Made in
Armenia Direct and Anahid Yeremian of CRD Support Committee. The event
attracted a high community turnout and was organized by the Assembly’s
Northern California Regional Council.
The Council also helped plan a Saturday night dinner for supporters, which
was hosted at the home of Development Co-Chair Suzanne Abnous and her
husband, Fellow Trustee Razmik Abnous. More than 50 people attended the
event in Danville, which welcomed more than two dozen new members.
Barsamian and Mugar thanked the Abnous’ for opening their home to the
Assembly and presented the couple with a gift created by a child in
Armenia.
**************************************************************************
6 – Commentary
Anti-Armenian Schemes of Foreign
Companies Operating in Turkey
By Tigran Ghazarian
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Turkey tried to assume the role of
“patron” of the three Southern Caucasus states. While Georgia and
Azerbaijan did not have any particular problems with this arrangement,
Armenia, on the other hand, was subjected to a restrictive treatment given
the Turkish blockade of Armenia.
Regrettably, some of the Western corporations with regional offices in
Turkey went along with the restrictions imposed on Armenia.
A recently revealed internal memorandum by Jim Dyer, one of the executives
of Philip Morris company, disclosed that back in 1989, the Turkish
government had urged the firm’s representatives to lobby against the
adoption of the Armenian Genocide resolution by the U.S. Senate.
Another evidence of the western corporations’ collusion with Turkish
interests in the region was revealed during a recent court case in Armenia
in which the Turkish division of a major multinational company was tried on
charges of dodging its Armenian tax obligations. Even though this firm
conducted business in Armenia, it misrepresented its Armenian employee in
Yerevan as a resident of Georgia in order to avoid paying taxes to the
Armenian government.
During the trial, the Turkish division of the company presented several
forged receipts that were supposed to prove its tax payments for the
Armenian employee who was laid off when he refused to go along with the
company’s fraudulent scheme. His successor received her salary at a bank in
the U.S.
The company was forced to engage in such fraudulent activities in order to
comply with the Turkish government’s policy of preventing not only
political, but also economic relations with Armenia. Until recently,
Turkish companies were not allowed to issue an invoice to any entity in
Armenia. Invoices for goods shipped from Turkey to Armenia were falsely
issued under the names of various Georgian, Bulgarian, or Ukrainian
companies.
This situation began to change a year ago when Turks started to realize
that they cannot play the role of a regional “patron” under such terms.
Turkish entities were finally allowed by the Turkish authorities to openly
export to Armenia.
This change came as a result of international pressure on Turkey to
normalize its relations with Armenia. It remains to be seen whether these
changes would lead to the opening of the Armenian-Turkish border and the
beginning of direct relations between the two countries. Such a development
would be more in the interest of Turkey, rather than Armenia, as it would
facilitate Turkey’s economic and political interests in the Caucasus.
**************************************************************************
7 – Co-Authors of Best-Selling Armenia
Travel Guide to Speak in California
LOS ANGELES – The authors of the best-selling travel guide for Armenia will
present a travelogue to Armenia and Karabagh at a pair of events next month
in Fresno and San Francisco.
Original color photographs from their newly-released “Stone Garden Guide to
Armenia and Karabagh” will also be exhibited as part of the travelogue.
Guidebook authors Matthew Karanian and Robert Kurkjian, Ph.D, will speak
about their adventures in Armenia during the decade they spent researching
the book, and about Armenia’s recent development as a tourist destination.
Karanian is a member of the law faculty at the American University of
Armenia, in Yerevan. Kurkjian is a former member of the faculty at AUA and
is now an international environmental consultant based in Los Angeles. They
are both professional photographers who have traveled extensively
throughout the region.
The authors will speak in Fresno at 7 pm, Thursday, December 2 at the A.
Peters Auditorium on the campus of California State University. Seating is
limited so guests are encouraged to arrive early. More information is
available from the Armenian Studies Program of CSUF
(Armenianstudies.csufresno.edu) (Tel. 559-278-2669).
Karanian and Kurkjian will speak in San Francisco at 1 pm (following church
services) on Sunday, December 5 at the St. John Armenian Church, 275
Olympia Way (Tel. 415-983-8344). Both events are free and open to the
public.
The “Stone Garden Guide to Armenia and Karabagh” was published in September
and it immediately became the leading travel guide for Armenia. The
304-page handbook includes 25 color maps and 75 color photographs. The book
will be available for purchase at both events and the authors will sign
copies. More information about the book, including sample pages, is
available on the internet at StoneGardenProductions.com and from the online
bookseller Amazon.com.
**************************************************************************
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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azeri foreign minister accuses Armenia of settling occupied territories

Media-Press news agency
15 Nov 04

BAKU

Baku has the information that the occupied Azerbaijani territories are
being illegally settled by Armenians, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister
Elmar Mammadyarov has told Interfax-Azerbaijan.

“We have exact information about Kalbacar, Lacin, Zangilan and
Cabrayil to which the Armenian side is luring people with loans,
credits and other forms of financial support,” he said.

The minister said that this information has been provided by
operational sources, the mass media and independent sources, namely a
US State Department report. Mammadyarov stressed that in an effort to
attract international attention to this act of lawlessness, Baku has
succeeded in putting the issue of the situation in the occupied
Azerbaijani territories on the UN General Assembly session’s agenda.

“Just imagine us reaching a real outcome in the negotiations with
Armenia and displaced people starting to return to their homes only to
find the Armenian families living there. This represents a potential
for the resumption of the conflict. Therefore, we think that the
discussion of the issue in the UN is extremely important,” the
minister said. He disagreed with Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan
Oskanyan’s opinion that the discussion of the issue in the UN could
affect the Karabakh peace process and represents an attempt by the
Azerbaijani authorities to take the issue out of the hands of the OSCE
Minsk Group.

“On the contrary, I believe that by putting the issue of the situation
in the occupied Azerbaijani territories on the agenda of a UN General
Assembly session we will facilitate the process of negotiations. We
don’t think the UN discussion can in some way replace the discussion
of the issue by the OSCE Minsk Group. Azerbaijan has repeatedly said
that it wants the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen to be more active,” the
Azerbaijani foreign minister said.

Mammadyarov spoke in favour of resumed negotiations at the level of
foreign ministers “within the framework of the discussions held in
Prague”. The negotiations were suspended on the initiative of the
Armenian side.

“We are ready to meet at any time and in any place within the
so-called ‘Prague process’ because the discussions we held in Prague
gave hope for the possibility of progress in the talks. But on the
other hand, it is difficult to believe in the sincerity of the talks
while the Armenians are settling in the occupied Azerbaijani
territories, including in the areas outside the administrative borders
of Nagornyy Karabakh,” the minister said.

“We expect the Armenian leadership to realize that the settling of the
occupied territories runs counter to all norms of international
humanitarian law and international conventions. There are well-known
1949 Geneva conventions about the law of armed conflicts. Under these
international legal documents, the settling of occupied territories is
prohibited. We think the Armenian administration has to understand
that and start evacuating and resettling the families that moved to
the occupied territories earlier and are living there now,” the
Azerbaijani foreign minister said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress