Author: Andres-Papazian

CHRISTIANS: A DECLINING COMMUNITY IN MIDDLE EAST

Agence France Presse
November 1, 2010 Monday 4:34 PM GMT
CAIRO

Christians in the mainly Muslim Middle East, with several communities
facing insecurity and exclusion, were the target of an Al-Qaeda group
which claimed a deadly hostage-taking in a Baghdad church.

The region which is the cradle of Christianity counts 20 million
Christians, including five million Catholics, out of a population of
356 million, according to figures released by the Vatican.

Conflicts, political instability, economic troubles, discrimination
and the rise of militant Islam have driven many Christians out of
their home countries, particularly Iraq.

Egypt’s Copts make up the Middle East’s largest Christian community
with between six to 10 percent of Egypt’s 80 million population. The
Coptic Church says its congregation numbers more than 10 million.

On Monday, Catholics in Baghdad marked All Saints Day in mourning for
46 Christians killed during an operation by Iraqi special forces to
release worshippers taken hostage at a cathedral by Al-Qaeda gunmen.

SITE monitoring group said the Islamic State of Iraq, an Al-Qaeda
branch which claimed Sunday’s hostage-taking in Baghdad, had given
the Coptic Church 48 hours to free two women it said were held captive
by the Christians.

SITE said the threat comes amid calls by Sunni jihadists and Al-Qaeda’s
media arm for Muslims to act against the Coptic Church over the
alleged detention of the women, both wives of Coptic priests whom
Islamists believe converted to Islam.

The rise of fundamentalist Islam, sectarian violence and the perception
that they are marginalised from senior public posts has exacerbated
the Copts’ feelings of exclusion in Egypt.

In Iraq, Christians have been worse off since the 2003 US-led invasion
which triggered an insurgency in which Al-Qaeda has played the major
role in fighting both US troops and the country’s now dominant Shiites.

On October 12, during a synod for the Middle East, the archbishop
of Kirkuk in northern Iraq expressed concern over the exodus of
Christians.

The number of Christians left in war-ravaged Iraq is estimated at
between 450,000 and 500,000, including around 300,000 Catholics
(down from 387,000 in 1980).

Around 800,000 Christians lived in Iraq in 2003, but their number has
since shrunk by a third or more as members of the community have fled
abroad, according to Christian leaders.

Of Iraq’s Catholics left, around 80 percent are Chaldean and the rest
are Syriac Catholics, Armenian Catholics and Roman Catholics. Of the
non-Catholics, 80 percent are Assyrian and the rest Syriac Orthodox
or Armenian Orthodox.

Gulf countries count around 3.5 million Christians of different
denominations, the vast majority of whom are Asian immigrants or
Western Catholics.

The right to practice their religion freely is recognised except in
Saudi Arabia, which bans any form of worship other than Islam. Earlier
this month, 12 Filipinos and a priest were arrested for proselytism
during a secret mass.

In Syria, in the absence of official figures, analysts say Christians
make up between five and 10 percent of the 20 million population.

In Lebanon, Christians constitute about 34 percent of the population,
estimated at four million. There are 18 communities in the country
and no particular threat by extremist groups against its Christian
community.

Attacks by extremist groups in Lebanon usually have political rather
than religious motives.

From: A. Papazian

WHAT FOR DOES SAAKASHVILI NEED OUR NORTH CAUCASUS
by Anatoly Maximov

WPS Agency
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
November 1, 2010 Monday
Russia

WHAT FORCED THE PRESIDENT OF GEORGIA TO CLAIM SOLVING OF ALL CAUCASIAN
PROBLEMS SUDDENLY?; Speaking in New York, Saakashvili declared Georgia
the main Caucasian player who should become an example for copying
for all others.

President of Georgia Mikhail Saakashvili denied the statements
of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov that Tbilisi supported the North
Caucasian militants. The Georgian leader views such statements as
“another attempt of the Russian authorities to distract attention from
their own problems in this region. The leader of the “revolution of
roses” obviously is not going to stop his “active Caucasian policy”
that he has announced from the tribune of the UN General Assembly.

Speaking in New York, Saakashvili declared Georgia the main Caucasian
player who should become an example for copying for all others. Less
than a month later Saakashvili started filling his “Caucasian policy”
with content. Georgia implemented a visa-free regime for crossing
of the Russian-Georgian border for residents of the North Caucasus.

Georgian parliament started hinting at a possibility of official
recognition of the “genocide of the Circassian people” again.

Representatives of the Chechen Diaspora of Georgia are going to turn
to the parliament members with a similar request about “recognition
of genocide of Chechens.”

Reaction to the “new strategy” of Saakashvili is diverse. Supporters of
the President are delighted. The opposition leaders do not hide their
alarm. Former parliament speaker Nino Burdzhanadze called the actions
of Saakashvili “dangerous games.” She explained, “Everyone knows how
painful is the topic of the North Caucasus for Russia. When you pump
this topic up, are you not afraid that you will be punished by the
“bear?”

Meanwhile, political analysts try to understand what has forced
Saakashvili suddenly to claim solving of all Caucasian problems.

There are many versions. They include an elementary attempt to irritate
Russia playing the “Circassian card” in the context of the Olympics
in Sochi. There is “revenge” for granting of Russian citizenship to
Abkhaz and South Ossetian people by Moscow. There is making life
easier for emissaries of the militants. There is also an exotic
version that says that the visa-free regime has been adopted under
pressure of the Kremlin to make the life easier for the “Armenians
who live in the North Caucasus.”

Nobody says how much the Russian republics are ready to listen to the
President of Georgia and if the Georgians wish to go into the North
Caucasian turmoil.

Meanwhile, at present there is a wall higher than Elbrus and Kazbek
mountains between the North Caucasus and Georgia now. Saakashvili
definitely understands that chances for success of his initiatives in
the region are miserable. His authority equals to zero there like the
authority of Georgia as a whole, first of all, because of the war in
August of 2008.

Not everything is so simple in Georgia itself. Of course, there
are the people who have sympathized with Dzhokhar Dudaev and Aslan
Maskhadov but there are much more others. Saakashvili himself has
said frequently how the militants of Shamil Basaev “played football
with the cut off heads of Georgians” in Abkhazia.

There is also a historic aspect. There is a special term “lekianoba”
in Georgia. It designates the period of the 18th century when Moslem
mountaineers arranged practically an unstoppable conveyer for sale of
Georgians on the slave markets. There is also a religious factor. For
example, this is a danger of spreading of Wahhabism, although people
almost do not speak about this out loud. Quite recently, Wahhabis
destroyed a mosque of followers of traditional Islam in on of the
villages of the Pankissi Gorge.

From: A. Papazian

TURNING POINT IN ISRAELI-TURKISH RELATIONS

Mideast Mirror
November 1, 2010 Monday

Turkey’s new national security Red Book’ designates Israel as a threat
for the first time, reports Ernest Khouri in Lebanese al-Akhbar

Turkey waited for five months after the Israeli attack on the
Gaza-bound ‘Freedom Flotilla’ before announcing the future course
of its relations with Israel: That the Jewish state poses a threat
to Turkey, writes Ernest Khouri in the left-leaning Beirut daily
al-Akhbar.

LANDMARK IN RELATIONS: In fact, the Turkish cabinet made this
decision months ago, but it remained a secret until a few days ago
when the Turkish National Security Council enshrined it in its ‘secret
constitution.’ Thursday was a landmark in relations between Turkey
and Israel, one that could prove more serious than the crime committed
by Israel when it attacked the ‘Freedom Flotilla’ on May 31th.

The Turkish National Security Council, a body that brings together the
country’s civilian and military leaderships under the chairmanship of
the President, endorsed the latest iteration of the so-called ‘secret
constitution (or Red Book),’ the blueprint for Turkish domestic and
external strategies for the next five years.

There were many amendments in the latest version of the Red Book,
but by far the most important was the redefinition of Israel as
‘a major threat to Turkey.’

The Chapter on ‘Turkey’s Foreign Relations and External Threats,’
asserts the following: It should be pointed out that instability in the
region is due to Israeli actions and policies, which, by encouraging
an arms race in the region, threaten Turkey.’

This ‘historic’ development was scrutinized in detail by the Turkish
press; after all, it was the first time since relations between the
two countries were established in 1949 that Israel was described as
posing a threat.

What was interesting was that this new designation was not linked to
the ‘Freedom Flotilla’ incident, but to something far more serious:
Israel’s destabilizing policies in the Middle East that are leading
to a new arms race in the region.

This development gains added importance when we realize that the latest
iteration of the top-secret Red Book eliminated Syria, Iran, Greece
(albeit partially), Bulgaria, Georgia, and Armenia from the list of
threats although it retained the phrase ‘the Middle East should be
a nuclear-free zone,’ in a reference to Iran, while not mentioning
the Islamic Republic by name.

In the 2005 version of the Red Book, Iran was seen as the ‘main threat’
facing Turkey because of its theocratic regime and nuclear ambitions.

It cannot be stressed strongly enough that replacing Syria and Iran
with Israel as the primary threat facing Turkey is a major strategic
shift as far as Ankara is concerned. It is a development that will
have serious repercussions throughout the region. While Turkey insists
that it is not part of any axis in the region (that it is neither
part of the moderate nor the rejectionist camps), it has taken a
step away from its earlier position of normalizing ties with Israel
if the latter apologizes for the attack on the ‘Freedom Flotilla’
and pays compensation.

Practically, the implications are these: Kemalist Turkey, which until
2002 was seen as part of the U.S.-led West, has, with the advent of
the Islamist AKP government, shifted to a more neutral and centrist
position. The Red Book took this shift one step further, aligning
Turkey more closely with the Syrian-Iranian axis.

It is therefore almost inevitable that relations with Tel Aviv will
become more tense in the future, with security, intelligence, trade,
and military cooperation between the two countries suffering as a
result. In exchange, the Turkish government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan
will draw even closer to Damascus, Tehran, and their allies in Lebanon
and Palestine. It is still unclear what effects this new alignment
will have on Turkish military doctrine.

The most important question is what potential effect this policy
shift will have on Ankara’s ties with Washington, ties that were not
seriously affected despite recent tensions between Turkey and Israel.

And what does this shift mean for domestic Turkish policy?

The new version of the Red Book, which was endorsed verbatim by
the National Security Council last week, was written by the Erdogan
government. This was the first time ever that the civilian government
rather than the military has undertaken this task.

The Red Book, an invention of the military during the Cold War
years after Turkey became a NATO member, used to be compiled by the
generals. Its purpose was to reassure the Atlantic Alliance that
Turkey would never change sides and defect to the Soviet bloc.

Another interesting change involves Greece. In the new Red Book, the
Greek threat was downgraded merely to Athens’ attempts to expand its
maritime borders in the Aegean Sea at Turkey’s expense. Greece was
eliminated as an external threat; the only reference to it was the
phrase: Any attempt by Greece to expand its maritime borders beyond
12 nautical miles in the Aegean will be a reason for war.’

The Greeks were quick to respond. In a statement to the Turkish
Zaman newspaper, an official Greek source said that, Athens will
never relinquish its sovereign right to expand its maritime borders
beyond 12 nautical miles in the Aegean Sea.’ The Greek source denied
the existence of a secret deal between the two countries to settle
the border dispute.

As for domestic threats, the new edition of the Red Book substitutes
the term ‘radical groups that exploit religion’ for the earlier
‘danger of fundamentalism’.

The new designation is covered by the Turkish penal code, which defines
such groups as ‘those that use violence and exploit religious beliefs
to carry out subversive and secessionist activities.’

From: A. Papazian

SYNOPSYS ARMENIA PLANTS TREES ON TSITSERNAKABERD HILL OF YEREVAN

News Bites US Markets

November 1, 2010 Monday

The event was arranged with the help of the Synopsys Community
Volunteer Program and was sponsored by the Synopsys for Armenia
Charitable Foundation. The Armenia Tree Project Charitable Foundation
(ATP) supported the event by providing young trees and bushes from
its Karin and Khachpar nurseries. ATP also prepared the planting
plots and will monitor the planted trees as they grow.

Among those taking an active part in the planting were: Synopsys
President and Chief Operating Officer Chi-Foon Chan, Synopsys VP
of Corporate Marketing and Strategic Alliances and Synopsys Armenia
CEO Rich Goldman, Synopsys Armenia Director Hovik Musayelyan, Deputy
Director Andrew Hovhannisyan, ATP Executive Director Jeff Masarjian,
ATP Yerevan Director Mher Sadoyan, ATP Associate Director Areg
Maghakian, ATP Forestry Director Zachary Parisa and ATP community
tree planting staff.

Since Synopsys Armenia was first established in November 2004, the
company has made a significant investment towards the research and
development of technology products in Armenia, as well as toward
its new site in Yerevan. The company strives to be a good corporate
citizen and continuously contributes to the progress of Armenian
society by helping to improve the country's educational system,
and by implementing other assistance programs through its Armenia-based
Synopsys for Armenia Charitable Foundation.

“Community involvement is a core value for Synopsys,” said
Chi-Foon Chan. “As a good corporate citizen, Synopsys Armenia
feels responsibility to take care of the environment in Armenia.

Community involvement also directly benefits Synopsys because this
is where our employees and families live.”

“Synopsys is demonstrating a real commitment to corporate social
responsibility by helping to create a green and thriving environment
in Armenia. I hope other corporations and the Armenian public will
be inspired to follow their lead and ensure a sustainable future for
coming generations,” said Jeff Masarjian, ATP executive director.

“Our annual tree planting is one of my favorite events because I
know how much it means to the city of Yerevan,” said Rich Goldman,
vice president of corporate marketing and strategic alliances at
Synopsys, and CEO of Synopsys Armenia. “This year we were able
to plant 50 percent more trees than we have in previous years due
to the contributions of our new employees from Virage Logic. They
also understand the importance of community involvement and were
instrumental in helping us increase the positive impact of this
special event.”

“The annual volunteer tree planting event has become a
well-received tradition and a way for Synopsys' community
volunteers to help combat the environmental impact of the mass
deforestation that occurred in Armenia during wartime from 1991
to1994,” said Synopsys' Deputy Director Andrew Hovhannisyan.

“I am proud that this initiative speaks to the minds and hearts
of our engineers and their families who understand the importance of
planting trees for the environment. I also would like to thank the
Armenia Tree Project for being a great partner to Synopsys through
the years. I look forward to more joint tree planting projects in
the future.”

“At the Synopsys Armenia Educational Department I not only
attained professional knowledge, I learned the importance of corporate
citizenship,” said Ruzanna Chakhmakhchyan, a previous SAED
student and now a Synopsys Armenia employee. “Starting in 2008,
I have participated every year in the Synopsys tree planting with
great pleasure and consider them to be a very important activity in
my life. As a student I was hired by Virage Logic and it was only
a short time before I joined Synopsys Armenia. Synopsys Armenia is
like a big family that not only takes care of each other, but of the
surrounding community and environment.”

Synopsys consistently promotes the importance of corporate social
responsibility. Planting trees has become an annual tradition for
Synopsys Armenia, with employees planting more than 400 trees each
year. This year marks the sixth Synopsys tree planting event in
Yerevan. Synopsys planted trees in Viasphere Technopark in 2005,
Victory Park in 2006, Tsitsernakaberd Park in 2007, on a hillside
of Nor Nork district of Yerevan in 2008, and in the central park of
Yerevan's Malatia-Sebastia district (near the recently built
Holy Trinity Church) in 2009. During these years, a total of more than
2,000 trees have been planted. Employees view tree planting as a key
contribution towards reducing air pollution in Yerevan and renewing
its green segment.

About Armenia Tree Project (ATP Charitable Foundation)

Armenia Tree Project (ATP Charitable Foundation), a non-profit
program based in Watertown and Yerevan, conducts vitally important
environmental projects in Armenia's impoverished and deforested
zones and seeks support in advancing its reforestation mission. Since
1994, ATP has made enormous strides in combating desertification in
the biologically diverse but threatened Caucasus region. Armenia
Tree Project has planted and restored more than 3,500,000 trees
at over 800 sites around the country and created hundreds of jobs
for impoverished Armenians in tree-regeneration programs. The
organization's three tiered initiatives are tree planting,
community development, and environmental education. Contacts: ATP
Charitable Foundation, ARMENIA TREE PROJECT, 57/5 Arshakunyats Ave.,
Yerevan 0026, Armenia. Tel.: (374 10) 447401/447402. Tel/Fax: (374 10)
447726. Website:

About the Synopsys for Armenia Charitable Foundation

The Synopsys for Armenia Charitable Foundation was established
in July of 2005. It supports Synopsys' R&D operations in
Armenia through a number of educational and social initiatives. Its
activities are divided into two sections: educational and social. The
Foundation's educational programs include support to all Synopsys
educational programs for ongoing professional engineering education,
conducted in cooperation with major Armenia universities. The
Foundation also funds the RA Presidential Awards for the best students
in the IT sector and sponsors various IT-related contests targeting
students and young professionals. The foundation's social
activities primarily assist the local communities.

About Synopsys Armenia CJSC and Synopsys, Inc.

Synopsys, Inc. is a world leader in electronic design automation
(EDA), supplying the global electronics market with a comprehensive,
integrated portfolio of software, intellectual property (IP) and
services used in semiconductor design, verification and manufacturing.

Synopsys established its presence in Armenia in 2004, after Armenia
declared information technology (IT) as a priority business for
the country. Since then, Synopsys Armenia closed joint stock
company (CJSC) has become an important Synopsys site, providing
R&D and product support in EDA, design for manufacturing (DFM) and
the development of semiconductor intellectual property (IP). The
company employs several hundred qualified Armenian engineers and is
one of largest IT employers in Armenia. To help provide Armenia with
highly qualified IT specialists, Synopsys Armenia invests locally in
IT education and is engaged in a number of successful cooperation
programs with major Armenian universities such as Yerevan State
University (YSU), State Engineering University of Armenia (SEUA),
American University of Armenia (AUA), Russian-Armenian (Slavonic)
State University, and the Moscow Institute of Electronic Technologies
(MIET). The company consistently promotes public interest in the high
tech industry by sponsoring Presidential Awards for the best students
in IT and contests among young specialists and students, and engages
the broader community through charity work and volunteer activities.

Synopsys Armenia CJSC is located in Yerevan. Synopsys, Inc. is
headquartered in Mountain View, California, and has approximately
70 offices located throughout North America, Europe, Japan, Asia
and India. Visit Synopsys, Inc. and Synopsys Armenia online at
and

Source: Company Website

Recent Trading

Synopsys (SNPS.O) MCap is US$3.7 billion at the last price of US$25.58.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN PRODUCTION OF FERROMOLYBDENUM UP 4% IN JAN-SEPT

Interfax
Nov 1 2010
Russia

Production of ferromolybdenum in Armenia went up by 3.9% year-on-year
to 3,848 tonnes in January-September 2010, the country’s National
Statistics Service.

Production of molybdenum went up by 0.8% to 6,372 tonnes.

Production of converted copper went up by 5.6% to 5,488 tonnes while
copper concentrate output increased by 43.6% to 88,527 tonnes.

Production of aluminum foil increased by 16.3% to 18,008 tonnes while
aluminum roll decreased by 34.5% to 23 tonnes.

Production of zinc concentrate went up by 130% to 9,553 tonnes in
the nine months.

Most metals produced in Armenia are primarily exported to Europe.

From: A. Papazian

AZERBAIJANI MINISTRY WARNS YEREVAN OF INADMISSIBILITY OF BREACHING CEASEFIRE

Interfax
nov 1 2010
Russia

An Azerbaijani serviceman was wounded as the Armenian armed forces
breached the ceasefire regime in the Karabakh conflict zone, the
Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said on Monday.

Armenia regularly breaches the ceasefire regime despite the agreement
reached at the Karabakh settlement negotiations with Azerbaijan,
the ministry said.

Azerbaijani soldier Farruh Zeynalov was hurt as Armenian servicemen
opened gunfire in several directions on October 31. The Azerbaijani
forces did not open gunfire, the ministry said.

“Armenia must understand the impossibility of abuse. If the agreement
is not observed, the Azerbaijani side would have to open gunfire,
as well,” the ministry said.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN NATIONAL SECURITY SERVICE TELLS TURKISH OPPOSITION ACTIVISTS TO LEAVE COUNTRY

Interfax
Nov 1 2010
Russia

The Armenian National Security Service has told Tuna Beklevic, the
leader of the Turkish opposition party Strong Turkey, and his deputy
Baibars Orsek, that they should leave Armenia.

Beklevic and Orsek, who are in Yerevan now, were invited to the
Armenian National Security Service headquarters earlier on Friday to
provide testimony on what they declared themselves as illegal crossing
of the Tukish-Armenian border.

“Beklevic and Orsek were warned that such behavior and irresponsible
statements are unacceptable. They were ordered to leave Armenia,”
the National Security Service said.

Earlier this month, Strong Turkey members claimed that they had
crossed the Turkish-Armenian border, which is guarded by Russian
border guards. Officials from the FSB department in Armenian later
denied this information.

Beklevic favors normalization in Armenian-Turkish relations.

Earlier this week, the Armenian Foreign Ministry refused to receive
representatives of Turkish party who had arrived in Yerevan.

From: A. Papazian

AZERBAIJAN WANTS ARMENIA TO TAKE ‘CONSTRUCTIVE’ STANCE ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH

Interfax
Nov 1 2010
Russia

Azerbaijan expects Armenia to “take a constructive position” on the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict before a planned Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) summit in Astana on December 1,
said Novruz Mamedov from the Azeri president’s office.

“During their negotiations, the presidents of the two countries gave
orders to the foreign ministers to hold one more meeting before
December 1, both with each other and with the co-chairmen of the
Minsk Group of the OSCE,” Mamedov told reporters.

The Minsk Group is a body mediating in the conflict. Its three
co-chairmen represent Russia, the United States and France.

“I believe that ahead of the summit the Armenian side must find the
will to take a constructive position in negotiations,” Mamedov said.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA PARTY PROPOSES MILITARY ALLIANCE WITH NAGORNO-KARABAKH

Interfax
Nov 1 2010
Russia

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation, an opposition party also known
as Dashnaktsutyun, has introduced a draft law for Armenia to form a
military alliance with the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh republic,
a disputed Armenian-speaking enclave in neighboring Azerbaijan.

The bill, introduced by Dashnaksutyun’s group in parliament, “does
not contain any disputable legal terms” and the proposed law “would
guarantee security for Nagorno-Karabakh, including in the event of
military aggression,” and might help the enclave achieve international
recognition, group chairman Vahan Hovhannisyan said at a briefing
on Friday.

The legislature also has on its agenda a draft law to recognize
Nagorno-Karabakh’s independence introduced by another opposition
party, Heritage.

On Thursday, the ruling coalition said it would boycott the vote on
the bill, arguing that as Armenia’s unilateral recognition of the
region’s independence might hinder talks on the settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The vote was put off until December 9.

From: A. Papazian

TWO DETAINED IN GEORGIA FOR RUSSIA ESPIONAGE CHARGES

Xinhua General News Service
November 1, 2010 Monday 5:55 AM EST
China

A local defense attorney has disclosed the identities of two Georgians
detained by Georgian authorities for alleged espionage activities
for Russia, local media reported on Monday.

The InterPressNews service quoted lawyer Nana Tsuladze as identifying
the clients as Armen Gevorkyan and Ruben Shikoyan.

“I don’t know (the) exact number of the detained,” the lawyer told the
news service, “What about my clients, they are ethnically Armenians,
citizens of Georgia. Before their arrest, they worked in one of the
companies inspecting cargoes and oil. Gevorkyan was director of the
company. Shikoyan was his assistant.”

A foreign news service on Oct. 29 broke out the news of the detention
of some 20 Georgian citizens detained for alleged spying activities
but neither the Georgian foreign ministry nor the country’s interior
ministry has so far confirmed the incident.

Georgia and Russia have seen bitter spy rows in the past. In 2006,
Georgia detained four Russian servicemen on espionage charges before
handing them over to Russia via OSCE. In March this year, Russia
emitted sentences of lengthy imprisonment to one Georgian and two
Russians for espionage charges.

From: A. Papazian