Author: Ani Basmajian

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr. Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:
PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon
Armenian version:
PRIME MINISTER MIKATI VISITS ANTELIAS
His Holiness Aram I and Prime Minister Najib Mikati discussed the current
situation in Lebanon during a meeting in Antelias on August 8.
Mikati presented a general analysis of the situation during his tenure as
PM. His Holiness and Mikati then singled out the positive events and aspects
and stressed the importance of inter-confessional cooperation and the
strengthening of the country’s internal unity.
His Holiness commended the PM’s patriotism and his efforts in organizing the
parliamentary elections in Lebanon. Mikati assured that he has always been
and will remain a friend of the Armenian community of Lebanon.
The PM and His Holiness also discussed the situation in the Middle East and
its influence on Lebanon.
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View picture here:
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The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

The London bombs: Iraq or the “rage of Islam”?
By Sami Zubaida
Open Democracy, UK
Aug 3 2005
Many commentators regard the London terror attacks as Tony Blair’s
payback for Britain’s role in Iraq. Sami Zubaida assesses the evidence.
The London bombings on 7 July were followed by a brief period of
political unity in Britain, but very soon the voices of commentators
arguing that the outrages were the result of the government’s
involvement in the Iraq war swelled into a chorus. Politicians like
George Galloway and journalists like John Pilger (whose cover story
in the New Statesman was headlined “Blair’s Bombs”) accused Tony
Blair of bringing the atrocity on London’s citizens.
Britain, according to this line of reasoning, had become a target for
Islamic anger because of war in and occupation of a Muslim country.
Most were quick to add that these statements were explanation, not
justification. But in any case, how good an explanation is it?
A conditional rage
A contrary argument centres round a term coined by Bernard Lewis in a
1990 article “The Roots of Muslim Rage” (Atlantic Monthly, September
1990). Lewis’s arguments there and subsequently are well considered and
historically grounded, although popular discourse takes up the idea of
“Muslim rage” to imply an essential quality of religious sentiment.
It is interesting to note that the argument can appeal equally to those
embracing the “rage” and those fearful of it. Islam, it proposes, is a
conquering religion, whose intrinsic aspiration is to dominate others.
But the modern world has brought about the weakness and defeat of
Islamic states, the end of the caliphate, and the colonisation or
subordination of Islamic lands to non-Muslim powers. Christians,
Jews and Hindus – who should, at best, be protected minorities under
Islamic power – are now the dominant powers subordinating Muslims.
This situation generates the “rage” which hits out against the dominant
infidels and dreams of the restoration of Muslim glory.
The clear implication of this view is that “Muslim rage” is
unconditional, and has little to do with particular events such as
Israeli oppression of Palestinians or the American invasion of Iraq.
It is an essential property of Islam when it does not dominate.
The argument does not accord with the facts of modern history (as
detailed even in Bernard Lewis’s own account), which show that there is
no general “Islam” but a diversity of Muslims, many of whom adapted,
coexisted and prospered in various combinations of power relations –
ranging from a weakened and modernising Ottoman empire to British
colonial rule in India, to patterns of coexistence in Malaya and
Africa.
When movements of self-determination arose in the 20th century,
only a few (as, initially, in Algeria), took religious forms; most
were secular and nationalist, and some (as in Egypt and the Levant)
featured prominent participation by Christian co-nationals.
Almost a century later, it is possible to speak of a “rage of Islam”,
one that is not general or essential but rather specific to a modern
global conjuncture and to particular groups and sentiments. And this
is where Iraq comes in.
A seductive “imaginary”
It is notable that the London bombers killed on 7 July and those
arrested after 21 July are not Iraqi or Palestinian. The fact that
some of them are of Pakistani descent is relevant, if at all, only
for logistical reasons to do with the central role of that country
in the international jihadi networks. The bombers are not otherwise
driven by some element of Pakistani culture or heritage. Indeed,
typically, radical jihadis disown the Islam of their parents as errant
and corrupted, in contrast to their own pure faith.
Also notable is the participation of converts, the known cases being of
Afro-Caribbean descent, and as such sharing alienation as inferiorised
British citizens. These jihadis are avenging Palestinians and Iraqis
on behalf of a universal Muslim community engaged in a global battle
against non-believers who are oppressing Muslims; and not only Iraq
and Palestine, but Afghanistan, Chechnya, Kashmir and Bosnia are
fields of oppression of Muslims. So is the infidel military presence
in the Arabian peninsula and other Islamic lands (the original cause
advanced by Osama bin Laden for jihad against America and its Saudi
hosts). So, Iraq is only one episode in this global battle.
The attacks of 9/11 in the United States predated the invasion of
Iraq and Afghanistan, and coincided with ongoing events in Palestine.
All these episodes are, of course, pertinent to universal jihad,
but only insofar as they confirm and corroborate the ideological
“imaginary” of the war of Islam against the infidels.
It is rightly pointed out that only a small minority of Muslims
are involved in these activities. There are indications, however,
that many passive or moderate Muslims, some not even religious, do
participate in this “imaginary”: in sentiment, and maybe in token
action such as money collections in mosques.
The Arab media are full of admiring and supporting voices of the acts
of “martyrdom”, as well as mealy-mouthed regrets and “explanations”
of such acts in terms of offensive western policies. 9/11 itself
was greeted with open displays of delight in some quarters and quiet
satisfaction in others (not only Muslim). Elements of the subsequent
“war on terror” – most notably Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo – and the
increasing pressure on Muslims in many western countries contribute
to the siege mentality.
After the left, a gap
The idea of the division of the world into antagonistic religious
communities is an old one, and not confined to Muslims. There have
been pogroms of Jews in Tsarist Russia and elsewhere in Europe; the
expulsion of Jews and Muslims from Iberia; religious riots against
Christians in Syria/Lebanon in the 19th century; massacres of Armenians
in Turkey; the “ethnic cleansing” of Bosnians during the wars of
ex-Yugoslavia. Many other violent episodes were fed by these ideas.
In a largely secularised 20th century these notions may have declined,
but never disappeared. So, why did they come to the fore again in the
last decades of that century? Many writers have focused on the theme
of “political Islam” and tried to explain its rise, but even that
brand of Islam is not uniform or unitary; it includes diverse forms,
only some of which are violent.
One particular pertinent factor in the modern conjuncture is the
decline of the left and of Marxism as an idiom of denunciation of
capitalism and its injustices including racism, class oppression and
imperialism. Opposition and action against imperialism, especially
of United States militarism, was an important element of this leftist
idiom. America and its allies targeted communist and leftist movements
worldwide as part of the cold war, which added to the left’s popular
credibility.
Nationalist movements, including Arab nationalism, veered towards a
leftist idiom, as in Gamal Abdel Nasser’s “Arab socialism”, and the
Ba’ath Arab Socialist Party, borrowing heavily from Marxist motifs
and vocabulary. The failure of these movements, then the collapse
of communism and the Soviet threat made these idioms increasingly
redundant.
In the process, and partly to fill the gap left by the failure of
radical leftism, jihadi Islam became a world antagonist of America
(while America retains many Muslim allies). This would explain its
attraction to disenfranchised groups in the west, and conversion to
it by individuals seeking action and redemption. It is interesting
that many conversions occur in prison, where militant Islam appears
to grant an honourable identity to the disenfranchised and despised:
part of a world crusade against the arrogant infidel. For some it is
worth dying for.
This dominance of militant Islam as the chief antagonist to the west
in a “war of the worlds” would also explain its attraction to remnants
of the old sectarian left. Maoists and Trotskyites show evidence of
increasing sympathy for and even joint action with disaffected Muslims,
as in the Respect party (widely regarded as a front organisation of
the Socialist Workers Party) whose candidate George Galloway won the
east London constituency of Bethnal Green & Bow in Britain’s May 2005
general election. There is no suggestion of the left’s complicity or
sympathy with terrorist action; but the class struggle has acquired
a religious tinge.
The Iraq factor
So, what of the initial question regarding the role of the Iraq
episode in the bomb outrages in London? The main contribution of
Iraq is in reinforcing the ideological picture of the universal
Islamic community doing battle with Christians and Jews. Withdrawal
of British or American troops from Iraq would not alter that picture,
nor diminish the momentum of martyrdom now established.
Such withdrawal may lead to a declaration of victory and brief respite,
but there is always another cause in this universal struggle in a
globalised world. We don’t know when this momentum will fizzle out:
perhaps with the realisation that this jihad is doing nothing to
alter the poverty, corruption and oppression in Muslim lands, or
helping in the liberation of Palestinians (in fact the contrary:
it provides international legitimacy for their oppression).
One element in Iraq, however, is highly pertinent to global jihadism.
The invasion of the country has provided a fertile territory, a
“failed state”, for recruitment and training of the cadres of jihad.
The victims are overwhelmingly Iraqi, and many are the wrong kind
of Muslim. Like most of their co-religionists around the world,
they fall outside the umma, the imagined global community of Muslims.

Cyprus hopes Azeris will reconsider direct flights
Financial Mirror, Cyprus
Aug 2 2005
The Cyprus Government is looking into the spectrum of its relations
with Azerbaijan, hoping that it will review its decision for direct
flights to the occupied areas and will respect international law and
the sovereignty of the Cyprus Government, Cyprus Foreign Ministry
Permanent Secretary Sotos Zackheos has told CN?.
Invited to comment on the illegal landing of an Azerbaijani aircraft
at the airport in Turkish occupied Tymbou, Zackheos noted that Cyprus
President Tassos Papadopoulos and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and
Communications and Works George Iacovou and Haris Thrasou respectively,
have sent letters of representation to their Azerbaijani counterparts.|
The Cyprus Government has also informed the International Organisation
of Civil Aviation and Eurocontrol on the issue and these organisations
and countries, which are friendly to Cyprus, have made representations
to Baku.
“The Cyprus Government is also looking into Baku’s relations with the
EU and has already stated and decided that the EU’s action plan with
Azerbaijan cannot proceed until this country respects international
law,” he added.
Eurocontrol has also postponed a scheduled meeting of regional
cooperation that was due to take place in Ukraine with the
participation of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Ukraine because of the
illegal flights to the pseudostate.
Cyprus has also expressed its disagreement with Azerbaijan’s intention
to become member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
Asked how the issue of the political conflict between Armenia and
Azerbaijan over the Nagorno Karabah region is associated, Zackheos
said “the Cyprus Government is examining the whole spectrum of its
relations with Azerbaijan, hoping that this country will review its
decision on the direct flights and will respect international law
and the sovereignty of the Cyprus Republic.”
“The Cyprus Government wants the development of relations (with
Baku). The Republic of Cyprus depends its policy on the development of
bilateral relations with all countries on the basis of the respect of
international law and the principles of the UN Charter. At the same
time, the principle of mutuality is taken into consideration at the
countries’ interstate relations,” he concluded.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Teenager killed, another wounded by land mine blast in Azerbaijan
AP Worldstream; Aug 01, 2005
A 14-year-old boy was killed and his 12-year-old brother gravely
wounded when an anti-tank mine exploded in southwestern Azerbaijan,
a government agency said Monday.
The boys were grazing cattle in the village of Chirgali, about 370
kilometers (230 miles) southwest of the capital Baku, on Sunday when
the mine exploded, the government agency charged with liquidating
mines said in a statement. Emin Suleimanov was instantly killed and
his brother Elvin was seriously injured, it said.
The incident occurred in a region that saw heavy fighting between
Armenia and Azerbaijan during the six-year war over the disputed
Nagorno-Karabakh enclave. The war ended in a 1994 cease-fire after
some 30,000 people were killed.
Mines from the war are still found on Azerbaijan’s territory. Between
October 2001 and July, 42 Azerbaijanis have died and 72 have been
wounded in land mine explosions
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
07/07/2005
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) Armenian Delegation to OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Thanks States That Have Recognized Armenian Genocide 2) Four London Blasts Kill 37, Injure 700 3) Georgia's Armenian Parliament Members Address Regional Issues, Tarrifs with Armenian Counterparts 4) His Holiness Aram I's Pontifical Visit to Western Prelacy 5) Paris Court Fines Book Editors for Armenian Genocide Denial 1) Armenian Delegation to OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Thanks States That Have Recognized Armenian Genocide --Delegation Head Praises Karabagh's Elections, Calls for Baku to Restore Direct Ties to Karabagh's Government, and Notes Armenia's Progress on Constitutional and Electoral Reforms WASHINGTON, DC--Speaking in Washington, DC at the July 4th plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE PA), the head of the Armenian delegation, Deputy Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Vahan Hovhannisian briefed over 300 parliamentarians from 55 OSCE member states about recent developments in Armenia and the South Caucasus region, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). Joining Vahan Hovhannisian as members of the OSCE PA delegation were Artashes Geghamyan, MP and Samvel Nikoyan, MP. At the outset of his remarks, Hovhannisian noted to his colleagues that 2005 marked the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, commenting that "it would not be an exaggeration to say that most of the current problems in our region stem from those tragic events." He went on to thank the OSCE member states that have recognized the Armenian Genocide, among them Cyprus, Canada, Russia, Greece, Belgium, Sweden, France, Italy, Switzerland, Slovakia, Netherlands, Poland, and Germany. Hovhannisian praised the conduct of the recent Parliamentary elections in Mountainous Karabagh, the fourth held by the Republic since independence in 1991. Noting the positive findings of international election observers, hem pointed out that, "Some of Nagorno Karabagh's neighbors can learn a great deal from its example of holding democratic elections." In a related matter, the ANCA has supported the efforts of Congressman Elton Gallegly (R-CA), the Chairman of the International Relations Subcommittee on Europe, to pass legislation, HRes 326, calling for free and fair parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan. This resolution outlines the expectations of the US regarding the upcoming November 2005 balloting, with a special focus on preventing problems, reported in past elections by international observers, regarding "inequality and irregularities in campaign and election conditions, including intimidation against opposition supporters, restrictions on political rallies by opposition candidates, and voting fraud." Speaking directly to the Karabagh peace talks, which are mediated by the OSCE's Minsk Group, Hovhannisian remarked that other regional conflicts being addressed by the OSCE, such as Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Moldova, are all characterized by direct talks between the conflicting parties. "As such," he commented, "we do not see a reason why the Azerbaijani authorities cannot do the same and try to restore their contacts with elected authorities of the Nagorno Karabakh." In closing, Hovhannisian noted Armenia's progress in revising its Electoral Code in accordance with European standards, a move that was welcomed by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. He added that the political parties in Armenia have, after extensive deliberations, reached an agreement about constitutional changes and amendments in accordance with the recommendations of the Council of Europe. 2) Four London Blasts Kill 37, Injure 700 LONDON (AP)--Four blasts rocked the London subway and tore open a packed double-decker bus during morning rush hour on Thursday, sending bloodied victims fleeing in the worst attack on London since World War II. Thirty-seven people were killed, British officials said, and 700 wounded in the terror attacks. A clearly shaken Prime Minister Tony Blair called the coordinated attacks "barbaric" and said they were designed to coincide with the G-8 summit opening in Gleneagles, Scotland. They also came a day after London won the bid to host the 2012 Olympics. A group calling itself "The Secret Organization of al-Qaida in Europe" claimed responsibility. The four blasts went off within an hour, beginning at 8:51 a.m., and hit three subway stations and the double-decker bus. Authorities immediately shut down the subway and bus lines that log 8.4 million passenger trips every weekday. Doctors from the nearby British Medical Association (BMA) rushed into the street to treat the wounded from the bus. "The front of BMA house was completely splattered with blood and not much of the bus was left," said Dr. Laurence Buckman. As the city's transportation system ground to a near-halt, buses were used as ambulances and an emergency medical station was set up at a hotel. Rescue workers, police and ordinary citizens streamed into the streets to help. Blair, flanked by fellow G-8 leaders, including President Bush, read a statement from the leaders. "We shall prevail and they shall not," he said. "Whatever they do, it is our determination that they will never succeed in destroying what we hold dear in this country and in other civilized nations throughout the world," he said earlier. In Scotland, Bush warned Americans to be "extra vigilant," and his administration raised the terror alert for mass transit a notch to code orange. Security also was stepped up in the US Capitol and in train and bus stations around the country. Much of Europe also went on alert. Italy's airports raised alert levels to a maximum. The Czech Republic, Hungary, Russia, the Netherlands, France and Spain also announced beefed-up security at shopping centers, airports, railways and subways. A group calling itself "The Secret Organization of al-Qaida in Europe" posted a claim of responsibility, saying the blasts were in retaliation for Britain's involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. 3) Georgia's Armenian Parliament Members Address Regional Issues, Tarrifs with Armenian Counterparts YEREVAN (RFE/RL)--The Armenian members of Georgia's parliament urged Armenia on Thursday to abolish prohibitive charges levied from Georgian vehicles entering its territory, and to discuss the conditions of Georgia's Armenians, including those living in the impoverished Javakhk region. The five lawmakers led by Van Bayburtian, a leader of the Armenian community in Tbilisi, said the Georgian government has already scrapped similar tariffs for Armenian vehicles and expects Armenia to follow suit. The road tolls worth $50 per car or truck, a large sum by both Armenian and Georgian standards, are one of the factors that have hampered commercial and individual traffic between the two countries since the Soviet collapse. Georgia unilaterally abolished them on January 1 at the request of Georgian businesspeople promoting closer economic ties with Armenia. "That issue is being discussed in accordance with the president's instructions and I think it will find a positive solution soon," Transport and Communications Minister Andranik Manukian said on Thursday. Armenian officials have praised President Mikhail Saakashvili's administration for thoroughly repairing the main Georgian highway leading to the Armenian border. They also admit that Saakashvili's dramatic overhaul of Georgia's formerly corrupt traffic police all but put an end to the extortion of bribes from Armenian motorists. Bayburtian was speaking to reporters in Yerevan where he and his Georgian-Armenian colleagues arrived at the invitation of parliament speaker Artur Baghdasarian. He said they discussed road tariffs and other issues relating to cross-border travel with Baghdasarian and other Armenian officials. The situation in the Armenian-populated areas in southern Georgia was also high on the agenda of their talks. One of them, the Tsalka district, has been particularly restive in recent years with clashes periodically reported between local Armenians and Greeks and Georgians. Tbilisi deployed interior troops in the area last year in a bid to keep the situation under control. However, tensions there rose again late last month after Georgian soldiers shot and wounded an Armenian youth in still uncertain circumstances. The incident sparked protests in Tsalka and even Armenia where a group of nationalist students protested outside the Georgian embassy in Yerevan. Meanwhile, speaker Baghdasarian was quoted by his press service as telling the visiting Georgian-Armenian deputies that he and his Georgian counterpart Nino Burjanadze will soon jointly visit Georgia's mostly Armenian populated region of Javakhk to assess progress in stated government efforts to alleviate serious socioeconomic problems there. Those problems may be further aggravated by the upcoming closure of a local Russian military base, the area's single largest employer. Saakashvili on Monday again sought to allay the Javakhk Armenians' concerns, announcing that the economically depressed and largely agricultural region will become the principal supplier of foodstuffs to the Georgian military. "Today, together with the Georgian defense minister, we have decided that all 20,000 military personnel of the Georgian armed forces...will be fully supplied with agricultural produce by residents of [the Javakhk districts of] Akhalkalak and Ninotsminda," Saakashvili said in a speech in Tbilisi. 4) His Holiness Aram I's Pontifical Visit to Western Prelacy LA CRESCENTA--His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Holy See of the Great House of Cilicia, will make His Pontifical visit to the Western Prelacy, October 5-19, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Seminary of the Holy See and the 10th anniversary of His enthronement. With the theme, Towards The Light of Knowledge, Catholicos Aram I will visit all three Prelacies of North America, inaugurate the Prelacy's New Building, consecrate the Prelacy's St. Dertad and St. Ashkhen Chapel, and the St. Sarkis Church of Pasadena. During his visits to Los Angeles, Fresno, and San Francisco, His Holiness will attend symposiums, meetings with students and youth, and other official events. Under the auspices of the Prelate His Eminence Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, a Welcoming Committee has been formed to organize the Pontifical visit and related events. 5) Paris Court Fines Book Editors for Armenian Genocide Denial (AP)--A Paris court on Wednesday ordered the editors of a French reference book to pay a small fine for its unbalanced portrayal of the genocide of Armenians by Ottoman Turkey. The court said the Quid reference book favored Turkey's position of denial and only briefly described the Armenian point of view. The court issued a fine of $1.19 and ordered the publication of its verdict in three daily newspapers, three weekly newspapers, and on the Quid internet site. The committee for the defense of the Armenian cause filed a complaint against the encyclopedia in 2003. Defense lawyers for the reference book underlined its editorial freedom and pointed out that the book mentions a 2001 French law that recognizes the Armenian genocide. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2005 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets. From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Winnipeg Sun (Manitoba)
July 5, 2005 Tuesday
FINAL EDITION
DOWNTOWN COLUMN
SYSTEM OF A DOWN SLATED TO PLAY WINNIPEG SEPT. 22
System of a Down are planning to mesmerize Winnipeggers.
The Armenian-American avant-metal band will play the MTS Centre Sept.
22 in support of their new album, Mezmerize, House of Blues Canada
announced yesterday.
Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. for $39.50, $47.50 and $55.50 at
Ticketmaster.
System of a Down will be joined by The Mars Volta, featuring ex At
the Drive-In members Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Cedric Bixler-Zavala,
and Bad Acid Trip.
BACKSTREET BOYS TICKETS GO ON SALE
The boys are coming back to town.
As previously reported, the reformed Backstreet Boys will perform at
the MTS Centre on Sept. 7.
Yesterday ticket prices were released, with ducats going on sale
Monday at 10 a.m. for $37.50, $55.50 and $75.50.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SADAKHLI RESIDENTS BLOCKED OFF GEORGIAN-ARMENIAN MAIN ROAD
[June 30, 2005, 19:17:18]
Azer Tag, Azerbaijan
June 30 2005
On June 28, Sadraddin Palangov, resident of Sadakhli village, Kvemo
Kartli Borchali district, Marneuli, disappeared somewhere around the
Georgian-Armenian border.
According to witnesses, they heard gunshots at approximately 10 or
11 pm from towards the border.
The villagers went to the place of incident to find bloody spots
and seven shells of “Makarov” pistol, but the further search gave
no results.
Indignant about this, they blocked off the main road between Georgia
and Armenia.
Amiran Shubitidze, Marneuli Chief Executive and Elkhan Polukhov,
Second Secretary of the Azerbaijanian Embassy in Georgia visited the
place of incident and met with the villagers.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

005/54116.php
Dritte Kraft
21.06.2005
BERLIN/ERIWAN/NAGORNYI KARABACH
(Eigener Bericht) – Der staatliche Berliner Auslandssender “Deutsche
Welle” verbreitet Forderungen armenischer Separatisten mit
Stoßrichtung gegen das mit der Türkei verbündete Aserbaidschan. Wie es
zugleich in einem Forderungskatalog heißt, den das Berliner Parlament
auf Antrag der CDU/CSU-Opposition an Ankara richtet, muss die Türkei
ihre “zwischenstaatlichen Beziehungen” zuArmenien
“normalisieren”. Armenien ist wegen seiner Brückenfunktion nach
Zentralasien bedeutend und kann gegen deutsche Machtkonkurrenten in
Stellung gebracht werden. Der jetzt vom Bundestag verabschiedete
Forderungskatalog soll Berlin als Schutzmacht des Landes etablieren,
das sowohl mit Ankara als auch mit dem benachbarten Aserbaidschan im
Streit liegt. Aserbaidschan beklagt Übergriffe armenischer
Nationalisten, die seit den 1990er Jahren für die Loslösungdes Gebiets
Nagornyi Karabach kämpfen. Die Berliner Einflussarbeit im südlichen
Kaukasus schwächt Russland, einen Verbündeten Armeniens, und
konkurriert mit US-Aktivitäten, die gleichermaßen auf die
Vorherrschaft in dem strategisch wichtigen Gebiet abzielen.
Der an Ankara gerichtete Forderungskatalog, den das Berliner Parlament
in der vergangenen Woche verabschiedet hat, thematisiert den
Armenier-Genozid des Osmanischen Reichs und enthält ein völlig
folgenloses Bekenntnis zur deutschen Verwicklung in den türkischen
Völkermord. Höhepunkt ist die Behauptung, Deutschland komme “aufgrund
seiner historischen Rolle in den deutsch-türkisch-armenischen
Beziehungen heute eine besondere Verpflichtung im Rahmen der
Nachbarschaftsinitiative der EU zu”.1) Der Hinweis auf die
“historische Rolle” Deutschlands gehört zu den außenpolitischen
Sterotypen, die eine angebliche Veranlassung zum weltweiten Eingreifen
begründen und bei der Expansion in Zentralasien, in Afrika und
Lateinamerika unterschiedslos eingesetzt werden.
Privilegiert
Wie es weiter heißt, müsse Berlin wegen der selbst indizierten
Verpflichtungen eine “Stabilisierung der Kaukasus-Region”
anstreben. Dazu sei eine Öffnung der türkisch-armenischen Grenze durch
Ankara hilfreich. Mit der Grenzöffnung könne die Türkei “die
Isolierung Armeniens aufheben und die Aufnahme diplomatischer
Beziehungen befördern”. Die erneute Stärkung armenischerPositionen
durch den deutschen Bundestag folgt Einflussmaßnahmen des
Bundesministeriums für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung
(BMZ). Wie das Bonner Ministerium bereits im April mitteilte, sollen
deutsche Spezialisten die Regierung Armeniens bei umfassenden
Rechtsreformen anleiten (Zivil-, Wirtschafts-, Verwaltungs- und
Verfassungsrecht). Die Maßnahmen sind geeignet, Berlin privilegierten
Zugang zu den innerstaatlichen Strukturen des Landes zu verschaffen
und deutsche Unternehmen in konkurrenzlose Vertragsverhältnisse zu
bringen.
Austritt
Die von Berlin kritisierte Regierung in Ankara hat die
türkisch-armenische Grenze im Jahr 1993 infolge des Konflikts um
Nagornyi Karabach geschlossen. Armenischsprachige Sezessionisten
fordern den Austritt des Gebiets aus dem Territorium Aserbaidschans
und ziehen seinen Anschluss an Armenien in Betracht. Seit 1994 ist ein
Waffenstillstand zwischen den verschiedenen Armeen und Milizenin
Kraft, ein amerikanisch-russisch-französisches OSZE-Komitee
(“Minsk-Gruppe”) verhandelt über eine Lösung des Konflikts. Während
Aserbaidschan seine territoriale Integrität und die Unverletzlichkeit
seiner Grenzen zu verteidigen sucht, berufen sich die Sezessionisten
auf ein völkisches Selbstbestimmungsrecht, wie es von Berlin
propagiert wird. Anlässlich der illegalen Parlamentswahlen, die am
vergangenen Sonntag in Nagornyi Karabach abgehalten wurden, nimmt die
staatliche “Deutsche Welle” nun die Sezessionsforderungen der
selbsternannten Gebietsregierung auf. “Berg-Karabach muss von der
internationalen Gemeinschaft als unabhängiger Staat anerkannt werden”,
zitiert der staatsfinanzierte Bonner Sender den angeblichen
“Außenminister” der Separatisten.2)
Faktor Zeit
Deutsche Experten stützen seit Jahren die Sezession Nagornyi
Karabachs. Eine “politische Lösung des Konflikts mit friedlichen
Mitteln” sei “nur unter Gewährung des Selbstbestimmungsrechts
möglich”, hieß es bereits 1995 in einer von der
Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung veröffentlichten Studie.3) “Berg-Karabach hat
das Recht, das Selbstbestimmungsrecht in seiner stärksten Form
auszuüben, also das Recht der Konstitutierung eines eigenen souveränen
Staates”, erklärte der Hamburger Staatsrechtler Otto Luchterhandt im
März 1999 in der armenischen Hauptstadt.4) Zwar verhindere
u.a. “Opportunismus” gegenüber dem ölreichen Aserbai dschan und seinem
Verbündeten Türkei die internationale Anerkennung der Sezession. Die
“Entschlossenheit der Armenier”, ihre “errungene Unabhängigkeit von
Baku in ihrer Substanz nicht wieder preiszugeben”, erzwinge allerdings
auf die Dauer (“Faktor ‘Zeit'”) eine staatliche Unabhängigkeit.
Entscheidung
Die Berliner Einmischung in Armenien und in Nagornyi Karabach trifft
auf russische und amerikanische Konkurrenten. Wie das Deutsche
Orient-Institut (DOI) in einer kürzlich veröffentlichten Studie
schreibt, sei “die Beilegung des Karabachkonflikts” für Washington
“ein Etappenziel”, um “die enge Bindungzwischen Russland und Armenien
aufzulösen und damit dem gesamten Südkaukasus eine homogene
prowestliche Grundlage zu verschaffen”.5) In Armenien nehme insgesamt
“unter oppositionellen Kräften eine proamerikanische Stimmung” zu,
heißt es beim DOI, das “vermehrt Stimmen” hört, “die auf eine
Entscheidung Armeniens zwischen Moskau und Washington drängen”. Die
neuen Berliner Armenien-Aktivitäten suchen den deutschen Einfluss
gegenüber den beiden Konkurrenten zu sichern und die eigenen
Positionen in dem strategisch bedeutenden Gebiet als dritte Kraft zu
behaupten.
1) Bundestags-Drucksache 15/5689. S. auch Revolutionäre Wirkungen
2) Berg-Karabach wünscht sich völkerrechtliche Anerkennung; Deutsche Welle
16.06.2005
3) Der Karabach-Konflikt: Moskaus Hand in Transkaukasien, Bonn 1995
4) Republik Armenien, Karabach und Europa – endlose Frustrationen? Von
Prof.Dr. Otto Luchterhandt/Universität Hamburg (in der Amerikanischen
Universität in Jerewan, 24.3.1999)
5) Die Politik der USA im Südkaukasus; DOI-Focus Nr. 21, April 2005
s. auch Trabanten und SPD-Außenpolitiker fordert “Anbindung der
kaukasischen Staaten an Europa”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF NKR PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS FOR PARTIES KNOWN
STEPANAKERT, JUNE 20. ARMINFO. The Central Electoral Commission of the
Nagorno Karabakh Republic has promulgated the preliminary results for
parties of the Sunday elections into the NKR 4th parliament.
Democratic Party of Artsakh has polled 37.6% of the votes, Free
Fatherland 26.7% ARFD – Movement 88 24.4%, Communist Party 4%, For
Moral Revival 3.6%, Our Home Armenia 2.1% and Social Justice 1.3%. The
final results will be known in 5-6 days.-
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azerbaijan News Service
June 7 2005
GEORGIAN PATRIARCH SECOND ILYA VISITING BAKU
2005-06-06 10:11
All Georgian patriarch second Ilya is visiting Azerbaijan on the
invitation of All Caucasus sheikh Haji Allahshukur Pashazadeh.
Georgian patriarch urged to continue efforts to develop bilateral
relations between Azerbaijan and Georgian nations. As to accusations
by Armenian side that Georgian side appropriated the Armenian church
in Tbilisi second Ilya was short to say `everybody has his own
opinion’. Within his visit to Baku Georgian patriarch will meet
President Ilham Aliyev and chairman of Milli Majlis (Parliament) as
well as pay visit to Russian cathedral. In the end of the visit
second Ilya and Haji Allahshukur Pashazadeh will sign joint
declaration.