Author: Antonian Lara

News24, South Africa
July 20 2004
‘Mercenaries’ saga: Key dates

Harare – A group of 70 suspected mercenaries arrested in Zimbabwe
four months ago on charges of plotting a coup in oil-rich Equatorial
Guinea go on trial on Wednesday.
Here are some of the key events leading up to the trial of the
“Harare 70”.
March 7:
Zimbabwe authorities announce the arrest of 70 suspected mercenaries.
67 of the men were on board a Boeing private jet that had landed at
Harare international airport from South Africa to pick up weapons.
The three other men, including the alleged leader Simon Mann, were
already in Zimbabwe and waiting for their arrival at the airport.
Zimbabwe maintains that the men were en route to join 15 others in
Equatorial Guinea to topple President Teodoro Obiang Nguema.
March 9:
Obiang announces the arrest in Malabo of 15 men he says were plotting
to overthrow him and accuses opposition leader Severo Moto, who is
living in exile in Madrid, of being behind the attempted coup.
A man identified as South African Nick du Toit, 48, the alleged
leader of the group of 15, appears on television in Equatorial
Guinea, saying the mercenaries were on a mission to abduct Obiang and
force him into exile.
March 13:
Obiang says the 15 suspected mercenaries face the death penalty,
adding: “If we have to kill them, we will kill them.”
March 18:
South Africa denies a report in Spain’s El Pais newspaper that the
alleged leader of the mercenary force, Nick du Toit, had died from
torture in Malabo’s notorious Black Beach prison.
Malabo announces that one of the men, German national Gerhard Eugen
Nershz, had died from cerebral malaria.
The newspaper also says that one of the South Africans in the group,
that also includes Armenians and Angolans, was working for the
president’s security detail.
March 23:
At their first court appearance in the Chikurubi maximum security
prison on the outskirts of Harare, the 70 suspected mercenaries are
formally charged with illegal possession and purchase of weapons, and
with violations of firearms, immigration and civil aviation
legislation.
April 7:
Equatorial Guinea’s interior minister says the alleged mercenaries
planned to kill the president and his entire family.
April 8:
Zimbabwe’s justice minister says he will investigate allegations by
some of the 70 detained men that they were beaten in prison.
April 13:
The 70 suspected mercenaries make another court appearance in
Chikurubi.
April 27:
Lawyers representing the 70 suspected mercenaries request that they
be released and produce a witness who testifies that the men were on
their way to the Democratic Republic of Congo to guard a diamond
mine.
April 29:
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe agrees to extradite the 70 men to
face trial in Equatorial Guinea following talks with Obiang in
Bulawayo, a reliable source reveals.
May 12:
Zimbabwe prosecutors claim that the alleged leader of the group of 70
men, Simon Mann, had signed a contract with opposition leader Severo
Moto to topple the regime in Equatorial Guinea.
June 9:
The Pretoria High court rejects a request by the families of the 70
mercenaries held in Zimbabwe to force President Thabo Mbeki’s
government to seek their extradition to South Africa.
June 23:
Trial date for the 70 mercenaries is set for July 19.
July 9:
Equatorial Guinea files complaints in Britain and Spain, citing
opposition leader Severo Moto and businessman Elie Calil of Lebanese
origin, management consultant Greg Wales and Simon Mann for being
behind the alleged coup plot.
July 10:
The trial of the 70 mercenaries is postponed to July 21.
July 13:
Trial of 12 prison guards charged with beating some of the 70
suspected mercenaries is postponed to July 27.
July 19:
South Africa’s constitutional court hears appeal from families of
suspected mercenaries who want to force President Thabo Mbeki’s
government to seek the extradition of the men from Zimbabwe.
Edited by Duane Heath

Agence France Presse
July 15, 2004 Thursday
Salah le chiite et Vartan le chretien, amis face aux islamistes
par Sebastien BLANC
BAGDAD
Cinq attentats ont devaste des magasins d’alcool de l’avenue
Al-Thariba a Bagdad: au milieu des gravats, un chretien et un chiite
assurent jeudi que leur amitie est plus forte que les islamistes.
Vartan Sarkissian, 51 ans, est un Irakien d’origine armenienne. Sa
famille vit a Bagdad depuis des decennies, apres avoir echappe au
genocide de 1915 sous l’Empire ottoman. Leur quartier est comme eux,
chretien.
Du moins a 90%. Car Salah Abdallah y habite aussi. Ce chiite de 38
ans, marchand de voitures, reside juste au-dessus du commerce de
Vartan, qui vend des telephones cellulaires.
Les deux moustachus sont amis depuis dix ans. Leurs enfants jouent
ensemble. Ils se refusent rarement un petit verre, y compris
alcoolise.
Salah le musulman modere est parfois invite a l’eglise, pour des
ceremonies importantes. Il a une effigie de Jesus a l’avant de sa
voiture, un “cadeau d’amis chretiens”. Il a aussi beaucoup aime “la
Passion du Christ”, le film de Mel Gibson.
Pas etonnant dans ces conditions que les comperes s’epaulent,
quelques heures apres une serie d’explosions qui ont souffle les
devantures des boutiques d’alcool, au pied des immeubles. Celle de
Vartan a egalement ete endommagee par l’onde de choc.
“On ne veut pas d’un gars avec un turban pour diriger l’Irak. Ce
n’est pas possible d’instaurer un regime islamiste ici”, dit,
rassurant, Salah.
Pour lui pas de doute: les attaques de la nuit sont l’oeuvre de
l’Armee du Mehdi du chef radical chiite Moqtada Sadr. Ces miliciens
pronent une application rigoriste de l’islam et voient d’un mauvais
oeil les debits de boisson generalement tenus par des chretiens.
“Moqtada a divise les chiites. Mais ces attentats ne vont pas
affecter nos relations avec les chretiens. Ce sont nos freres, ils
ont toujours vecu ici”, reprend Salah.
Pourtant, les intimidations ont des consequences. Vartan connait cinq
ou six familles chretiennes qui sont recemment parties en Syrie ou au
Kurdistan irakien. “C’est triste, reagit Salah, des gens avec
lesquels on a vecu sans probleme durant vingt ans”.
Son compagnon chretien assure, lui, vouloir rester. “Je vais reparer
mon magasin et prier pour ces gens qui ont perdu le sens commun”, dit
Vartan. Il dedouane les musulmans irakiens des violences recentes.
“Il n’y a qu’a considerer les cibles pour trouver ceux qui poussent
derriere: c’est l’Iran”.
Salah et Vartan sont prets a reprendre les patrouilles communes
qu’ils menaient, kalachnikov en main, lors des pillages de
l’apres-guerre, afin de securiser les commerces du quartier.
“Je le protegerai. Il me protegera. Nous ne sommes pas seulement des
voisins, nous sommes des amis, des freres. Il est comme l’oncle de
mon fils. Des gens veulent casser la chaine qui unit chretiens et
musulmans, ils n’y arriveront pas”, predit Vartan.
Les attentats contre les debits de boissons alcoolisees se sont
multiplies ces dernieres semaines en Irak. “Avec les troubles, la
situation est plus difficile” pour les chretiens, a recemment estime
le patriarche chaldeen Emmanuel Delly, qui represente la plus grosse
communaute chretienne d’Irak.

Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th Street NW Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet:
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 9, 2004
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
HOUSE FOREIGN AID BILL PASSES SECOND HURDLE
— Armenia/Azerbaijan U.S. Military Aid Parity Maintained; Bill
Allocates $65 million in Economic Assistance for Armenia; $5
Million for Nagorno Karabagh
WASHINGTON, DC The House Appropriations Committee today voted on
the Fiscal Year 2005 foreign aid bill, affirming an earlier
decision by the Foreign Operations Subcommittee to maintain parity
in U.S. foreign military financing (FMF) assistance to Armenia and
Azerbaijan, reported the Armenian National Committee of America
(ANCA).
The Committee, chaired by Florida Republican Bill Young, agreed to
allocate $5 million in military financing assistance to Armenia and
Azerbaijan, respectively, as opposed to President Bush’s earlier
request of $8 million for Azerbaijan and $2 million for Armenia.
The Committee also supported an earmark of $65 million in U.S.
assistance to Armenia, and $5 million for Nagorno Karabagh. By
contrast, the Bush Administration had requested $62 million for
Armenia and had not specified any funding level for Nagorno
Karabagh.
With the adoption of this measure by the Appropriations Committee,
the foreign aid bill will move to the full House for a vote. The
Senate version of the bill will follow a similar path.

Armen Press
July 7 2004
ARMENIA TAKES CHAIRMANSHIP OVER SOUTH CAUCASIAN INITIATIVE
YEREVAN, JULY 7, ARMENPRESS: During a July 1-4 meeting of the
so-called South Caucasian Parliamentary Initiative in Bulgaria’s
capital of Sofia, the chairmanship of this loose forum was passed
from Georgia to Armenia. The Initiative that brings together ten
parliament members from Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, holds its
plenary sessions twice a year. The decision to pass the rotating
chairmanship to each of the sides for six months was made last year.
Deputy parliament chairman Tigran Torosian told a news conference
today that the latest session adopted a regulation that all decisions
should be passed by consensus. Torosian said the Armenian side
presented its plan of actions for the next six months, in which he
said the main focus will be on promoting European integration, for
which a conference will be held in October with participation of
lawmakers also from Central and Eastern Europe.
Torosian said also the Armenian side will try to expand the volume
of cooperation among the three nations’ parliamentarians in different
European organizations.
The meeting took a resolution condemning all attempts that are
designed to impede enlargement of cooperation among the three
nations.

Armenia’s speaker, Council of Europe leader discuss regional cooperation
Arminfo, Yerevan
6 Jul 04
YEREVAN
Armenian National Assembly Chairman Artur Bagdasaryan and the visiting
secretary-general of the Council of Europe, Bruno Haller, have
discussed the prospects for developing cooperation between the
Armenian National Assembly and the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe (PACE). The head of the PACE secretariat, (?Wojtech
Savitskiy) and an executive director of the secretary-general of PACE,
(?Peter Sich), took also part in the meeting, the press service of the
Armenian parliament told Arminfo news agency today.
The participants noted during the meeting that the Armenian parliament
is doing its best to meet Armenia’s commitments to the Council of
Europe in the set period. Artur Bagdasaryan noted the importance of
the opposition’s participation in the constitutional and electoral
reforms and the opposition’s return to legislative activity. For his
part, Bruno Haller noted that PACE never welcomed boycotts in any
country and has called and is always calling for a return to
legislative work in similar cases. The prospects of developing
regional cooperation, holding joint consultations and forums between
Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan at various political levels and
elaboration and implementation of joint programmes were discussed at
the meeting.
Cooperation of the standing commissions and administration of the
Armenian National Assembly with PACE were also discussed, as was Artur
Bagdasaryan’s initiative to hold under the PACE aegis a forum on
European integration in 2005, to mark the 10th anniversary of the
Armenian National Assembly, which, Bagdasaryan said, will undoubtedly
reinforce democratization and cooperation.

BBC News
Last Updated: Wednesday, 30 June, 2004, 12:03 GMT 13:03 UK
Analysis: Defining genocide
Black Africans say they are being driven from their homes in Darfur
Human rights campaigners accuse Sudan’s pro-government Arab militia of
carrying out genocide against black African residents of the Darfur region.
They are accused of forcing some one million people from their homes and
killing at least 10,000.
Many thousands more are at risk of starving due to a lack of food in the
camps where they have fled.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has refused to use the term genocide, which
would carry a legal obligation to act.
But US Secretary of State Colin Powell said: “We see indicators and elements
that would start to move you toward a genocidal conclusion but we’re not
there yet.”
But what is genocide and when can it be applied? Some argue that the
definition is too narrow and others that the term is devalued by misuse.
UN definition
The term was coined in 1943 by the Jewish-Polish lawyer Raphael Lemkin who
combined the Greek word “genos” (race or tribe) with the Latin word “cide”
(to kill).
After witnessing the horrors of the Holocaust – in which every member of his
family except his brother and himself was killed – Dr Lemkin campaigned to
have genocide recognised as a crime under international law.
Genocide is… both the gravest and greatest of the crimes against
humanity
Alain Destexhe
His efforts gave way to the adoption of the UN Convention on Genocide in
December 1948, which came into effect in January 1951.
Article Two of the convention defines genocide as “any of the following acts
committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national,
ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:
Killing members of the group
Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group
Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring
about its physical destruction in whole or in part
Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group
Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group
The convention also imposes a general duty on states that are signatories to
“prevent and to punish” genocide.
Ever since its adoption, the UN treaty has come under fire from different
sides, mostly by people frustrated with the difficulty of applying it to
different cases.
‘Too narrow’
Some analysts argue that the definition is so narrow that none of the mass
killings perpetrated since the treaty’s adoption would fall under it.
The objections most frequently raised against the treaty include:
The convention excludes targeted political and social groups
The definition is limited to direct acts against people, and excludes acts
against the environment which sustains them or their cultural
distinctiveness
Proving intention beyond reasonable doubt is extremely difficult
UN member states are hesitant to single out other members or intervene, as
was the case in Rwanda
There is no body of international law to clarify the parameters of the
convention (though this is changing as UN war crimes tribunals issue
indictments)
The difficulty of defining or measuring “in part”, and establishing how many
deaths equal genocide
But in spite of these criticisms, there are many who say genocide is
recognisable.
In his book Rwanda and Genocide in the 20th Century, former
secretary-general of Doctors Without Borders, Alain Destexhe says: “Genocide
is distinguishable from all other crimes by the motivation behind it.
“Genocide is a crime on a different scale to all other crimes against
humanity and implies an intention to completely exterminate the chosen
group.
“Genocide is therefore both the gravest and greatest of the crimes against
humanity.”
Loss of meaning
Mr Destexhe believes the word genocide has fallen victim to “a sort of
verbal inflation, in much the same way as happened with the word fascist”.
The slaughter in Rwanda shocked the world
Because of that, he says, the term has progressively lost its initial
meaning and is becoming “dangerously commonplace”.
Michael Ignatieff, director of the Carr Centre for Human Rights Policy at
Harvard University, agrees.
“Those who should use the word genocide never let it slip their mouths.
Those who unfortunately do use it, banalise it into a validation of every
kind of victimhood,” he said in a lecture about Raphael Lemkin.
“Slavery for example, is called genocide when – whatever it was, and it was
an infamy – it was a system to exploit, rather than to exterminate the
living.”
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a renegade commander said he captured
the town of Bukavu earlier this month to prevent a genocide of Congolese
Tutsis – the Banyamulenge.
It later transpired that fewer than 100 people had died.
The differences over how genocide should be defined, lead also to
disagreement on how many genocides actually occurred during the 20th
Century.
History of genocide
Some say there was only one genocide in the last century – the Holocaust.
Other experts give a long list of what they consider cases of genocide,
including the Soviet man-made famine of Ukraine (1932-33), the Indonesian
invasion of East Timor (1975), and the Khmer Rouge killings in Cambodia in
the 1970s.
Former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic is on trial in The Hague, charged
with genocide in Bosnia from 1992-5.
However, some say there have been at least three genocides under the 1948 UN
convention:
The mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks between 1915-1920 – an
accusation that the Turks deny
The Holocaust, during which more than six million Jews were killed
Rwanda, where an estimated 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus died in the
1994 genocide
In the case of Bosnia, many believe that massacres occurred as part of a
pattern of genocide, though some doubt that intent can be proved in the case
of Mr Milosevic
The first case to put into practice the convention on genocide was that of
Jean Paul Akayesu, the Hutu mayor of the Rwandan town of Taba at the time of
the killings.
In a landmark ruling, a special international tribunal convicted him of
genocide and crimes against humanity on 2 September 1998.
Twenty-one ringleaders of the Rwandan genocide have now been convicted by
the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.
Milosevic denies committing genocide
Earlier this year, the war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia widened
the definition of what constitutes genocide.
General Radislav Krstic had appealed against his conviction for his role in
the killing of more than 7,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica in 1995.
But the court rejected his argument that the numbers were “too
insignificant” to be genocide – a decision likely to set an international
legal precedent.
On Darfur, Mr Powell says: “We can find the right label for it later, we
have got to deal with it now.”
But US envoy for war crimes Pierre Prosper has already started to compile a
list of those associated with the Janjaweed Arab militia.
For the moment, these are threatened with sanctions but in the future, they
may be charged with genocide, like those in Rwanda and the former
Yugoslavia.

ANSA Notiziario Generale in Italiano
June 29, 2004
ARMENIA-AZERBAIGIAN: SOLDATO AZERO UCCISO ALLA FRONTIERA
(ANSA-AFP) – BAKU, 29 GIU – Il ministero della Difesa azero
ha annunciato che un suo soldato e’ stato ucciso dalle forze
armene alla frontiera tra i due Paesi.
Elnur Quliev, 18 anni – ha dichiarato un portavoce del
ministero della Difesa – e’ stato ucciso ieri mattina in uno
scontro a fuoco con militari armeni nella regione di Agdam, nel
sud dell’Azerbaigian.

Vi e’ tensione tra le forze armene e azere dalla fine del
conflitto che le ha opposte negli anni ’90 per il Nagorni
Karabakh, ‘enclave armena in territorio azero, attualmente
sotto controllo armeno. Le parti osservano sostanzialmente un
cessate il fuoco, ma nelle ultime settimane vi sono state
isolate sparatorie. Sia l’Armenia sia l’Azerbaigian hanno
denunciato l’uccisione di un proprio militare.

FROM THE MARGINS
Glendale News Press
A day in the life of a mid-century Glendalian
PATRICK AZADIAN
June 12, 2004
A couple of months ago, I decided to experience life as a Glendalian of
the mid-1950s. This would have been a time when Glendale was a quiet
little town with an ethnically homogenous population.
What better day to carry out this time-travel experiment than on April
24? On this particular Saturday, a significant population of the city
would be busy commemorating the Armenian Genocide, and the city would
revert to what it was half a century ago. I had already dedicated my
column leading up to this day to the lives lost in 1915. My conscience
was clear; I sensed a green signal from my grandparents in the other world.
As green seemed to be the color of the day, I headed to the coffee shop
with the green logo of the mermaid. It was about noon, and I still had
not had my Americano grande. I would have had the “traditional” cup of
coffee, but sometimes when the coffee reaches the bottom of the barrel,
it begins tasting burned. And I can feel the employees getting tired of
my seemingly snobby question: “Is the coffee fresh?” I pay the 50 cents
extra to get the consistency I need, as well as the espresso foam that
comes on top of my hot beverage.
Lorna, the quasi-redhead manager with some distant Korean roots, was on
duty that day. I knew my Americano foam was going to be just perfect.
She did not disappoint, and in return, I decided to gift her with a bit
of coffee trivia.
“Hey, Lorna, do you know where ‘Americano’ originated from?”
“Hmm … no, please enlighten,” she said with a hint of sarcasm.
“Only if you can take a coffee break.”
“Sure, give me a second.”
She put the cap on my Americano, dressed it up with the brown recycled
sleeve, and placed it on the oval wooden pick-up area. “Thank you,
Patrick, I’ll be out there in a second.”
While I waited outside, I had some time to think about the delivery of
my story. I was determined to keep the core of the story true, but
enhance it with a mid-century theme. Lorna eventually walked out and sat
across from me, and lighted her cigarette. She took a deep puff into her
Baltimorean lungs, kept the smoke in for a second, and finally let it
out from her nostrils. “So, tell me. Where does the ‘Americano’ come from?”
“I thought you’d never ask … Well, during World War II, in July 1943
to be exact, the American forces landed on the Mediterranean island of
Sicily. They arrived in the ancient port of Gela, the ancient Campi
Geloi. The port was founded by Cretan and Rhodian colonists in 688 BC … ”
“And … ”
“Well, once the war was won, and the soldiers had some time to enjoy
themselves, three of the men found their way to a café in the center
piazza (public square) in Gela. As is the usual practice in Italy, the
waiters only come to your table if they feel like it. So after the
mandatory half an hour of trying to make eye contact with the waiter,
the Americans placed an order for three caffés. Another half an hour of
compulsory waiting followed before the young waiter emerged with three
shots of espresso. After another hour of waiting, the Americans faced
the possibility of consuming the tiny shots within seconds. As in
America, where more, and not less, is always more, they sent the waiter
back, demanding: ‘Caffé Americano! Caffé Americano!’
“The puzzled waiter ran to the kitchen and informed his boss of the
apparent crisis. The big boss displayed the same type of resourcefulness
his beloved Italy had shown during the war. He exclaimed: ‘Basta
mescolare il espresso con acqua e nessuno sa la differenza.’ (In
Italian: ‘Just mix espresso with water, they won’t know the difference.’)
“And that’s how the ‘Americano’ was born.”
By this time Lorna was trying to make rings with her smoke, but she was
startled by my abrupt silence. “Thank you for the story, Patrick. I
gotta get back to work.”
“No problem. See ya.”
It was about 1 o’clock by now, and I pondered my next move as a
Glendalian. I picked up an issue of the News-Press and scanned the
Calendar section. The 1954 movie, “On the Waterfront,” starring Marlon
Brando, was showing at 2 p.m. at the Alex. How appropriate. I had half
an hour to find a victim to accompany me to the show. I made a phone
call to my favorite Armenian redhead, and was cordially turned down. I
attributed it to the short notice. I should have known — the color of
the day was green, not red. I walked over to the theater, ordered myself
a drink from the food stand, and sat myself in the open-air plaza. I was
basking in the sun, there wasn’t an Armenian in sight, I was surrounded
by early 20th-century architecture, and was awaiting a 1954 movie
featuring my all-time favorite actor.
It would have been nostalgic had I lived in that era. It was an
unfamiliar state of being.
,1,5538740.story?coll=la-tcn-glendale-columnists

Institute of War and Peace Reporting
June 23 2004
Armenia: the Rich Man’s View
Business venture luring diaspora Armenians to live the good life and
play golf against the backdrop of Mount Ararat.
By Alan Tskhurbayev and Sergiu Perju in Yerevan (CRS No. 239,
23-Jun-04)
On the edge of Yerevan with a spectacular view of Mount Ararat, a new
community is being built as a new paradise for the rich and powerful.
Slated to become the first `gated community’ in the south Caucasus,
Vahakni is being designed to combine an Armenian location with all
the comforts available in the West. It will offer high-quality
western-style housing and conveniences to its residents, around three
kilometres from the Armenian capital.
Located in the Ararat valley with the legendary peak in full view,
the 160-hectare housing development is the brainchild of Vahak S.
Hovnanian, a United States millionaire of Armenian extraction, who
owns the construction company Hovnanian Ltd.
`When Armenia gained independence, my first instinct was to build a
city here for Americans from the diaspora to return to,’ explained
Hovnanian. `The idea was to lure people back to their historical
homeland.’
Asked whether for him Vahakni meant business, money, or a personal
dream come true, Hovnanian said it was `a bit of each’.
`First of all, it’s business, but to me, this is a prime opportunity
to create more jobs for Armenia. I have always wanted to help my
people,’ he told IWPR. `If successful international entrepreneurs
move here from abroad, that means millions in direct investment.’
The development, under construction since last year, will consist of
upwards of 500 homes. Of an estimated 25 US million dollars earmarked
for the project, five million has already been invested in
infrastructure. So far only 20 homes have been sold and there is no
final construction date for the community.
`Of course there will be a certain isolation from the rest of
society, a big difference in living standards inside and outside the
community,’ conceded Karekin Odabashian, managing director of the
project.
`But Vahakni is in itself a lifestyle, which makes it different from
others. It is not true that housing here will only be available to
the privileged classes. Everyone is welcome – our prices are quite
normal for Armenia, on a par with apartment prices in prestigious
downtown neighbourhoods of Yerevan. But I always say that Hovnanian
Ltd is building more than just housing, we are building a way of
life.’
In fact, the `Hovnanian lifestyle’ is well out of reach of most
people in Armenia, where it would take someone earning an average
salary many lifetimes to be able to afford Vahakni’s real-estate
prices.
Those who have heard of Vahakni shrug it off as a place for the
fabulously rich. Suren Mikoyan, a taxi driver, said, `Every time I
drive by Vahakni, I look at these huge houses and feel depressed. It
seems to me that a whole different breed of people live there.’
Many of those `different’ people are expatriate Armenians. So far, 20
homes at Vahakni have been reserved for Armenians from France,
Canada, Russia, Switzerland and the UK.
Prospective buyers are free to choose from a great variety of layout
options, or even design their future home themselves with the
assistance of an architect. All homes will be fitted with security
systems, central heating, and fire alarm systems, as well as garages
and basements.
The majority of prospective residents are business people, something
which places high security requirements on the community. The only
vehicle entrance to Vahakni is guarded 24 hours a day.
`Security is one of the main reasons why I decided to move here,’ a
Canadian citizen who lives at Vahakni told IWPR, requesting
anonymity. `Back in Canada, the streets are not safe for my small
children. In that sense, Vahakni is ideal, and Armenia, I think, is a
great place to raise your children. There are security systems here,
but you can’t see them.’
Some residents are taking extra security precautions of their own.
Some have requested no photographing or videotaping around their
homes.
Other facilities intended for Vahakni include an international
school, a day clinic, a fitness centre – and Armenia’s first ever
golf club.
Vahak Hovnanian has high hopes for golf in the Caucasus, which he
says is both an art and a good way of doing business. `Golf is a
disease, and an infectious one, too. It’s a solitary sport: there’s
only you, your ball and your club. Playing golf is like painting a
picture.’
Perhaps not as perfect a picture as the view of Mount Ararat from the
golf course.
Alan Tskhurbayev and Sergiu Perju, from Moldova and North Ossetia
respectively, are graduating journalism students from the Caucasus
Media Institute in Yerevan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

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COMMUNIQUÉ
PRIMATE MEETS WITH DIOCESAN CLERGY COUNCIL
On June 15, 2004 His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of
the Armenian Church of North America, Western Diocese, presided over the
monthly meeting of the Clergy Executive Council, the officially elected
body of clergy who implement the missions and projects adopted by the
Clergy Conference at , which is convened four times during the year..
NEW STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE
A new Stewardship Committee has been established within the Western
Diocese, headed by Dr. Vahram Biricik. The new committee has chosen to
take a different approach, by allocating proceeds of their work
primarily towards the Clergy Education Fund. On June 15, 2004 His
Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian presided over the inaugural meeting
of the committee.
APN HOSTS ITS FIRST EVENT
On Wednesday, June 16, 2004 APN, the Armenian Professionals
Network, which was established recently under the auspices the Western
Diocese and is headed by Mr. Vahe Ashjian, held its first event at the
Diocesan Headquarters in Burbank, presided by His Eminence Archbishop
Hovnan Derderian. Present were also Former Mayor of Glendale Mr. Frank
Quintero, and Mr. Greg Martayan, who us running for LA City Council. A
short program outlining the purpose and mission of APN was followed by
an intimate reception.
PRIMATE MEETS WITH ACYO YOUTH
On June 18, 2004 His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian held a
meeting with the Senior ACYO Chapter of St. Peter Armenian Apostolic
Church in Van Nuys. The intimate meeting was mutulally beneficial for
both the Primate and the young adults of St. Peters who were in
attendance.
HIS EMINENCE VISITS NAREK CULTURAL ASSOCIATION
On June 19, 2004 His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian paid his first
official visit to the Nareg Cultural Association, accompanied by Very
reverend Fr. Dajad Yardemian. The Primate met with the students of the
school, and gave them each crosses. An intimate encounter took place
between His Eminence and the students, after which the Principal and the
Board invited the Primate to preside the official opening of the School,
to take place on September 19, 2004.
PRIMATE ATTENDS THE COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES
OF AGBU MANOOGIAN-DEMIRDJIAN SCHOOL
On the evening of June 19, 2004 His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan
Derderian attended the commencement exercises of the AGBU
Manoogian-Demirdjian School. The Primate took the podium and addressed
the students, saying that what made his presence at the ceremonies that
evening more meaningful was the fact that he had had the opportunity to
personally meet and get acquainted with the students, when they visited
the Diocese in December. His Eminence then congratulated the graduates
and wished them well in their futures. The evening closed with the
Primate’s prayer.
PRIMATE CELEBRATES DIVINE LITURGY
AT ST. GREGORY, PASADENA
On Sunday, June 20, 2004 His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan
Derderian celebrated Divine Liturgy and delivered the Sermon at St.
Gregory Armenian Apostolic Church, in Pasadena. He also honored the
members of the choir and the deacons, and presented gifts to each of
them.
During Divine Liturgy the Primate also acknowledged the presence
of well known Armenian Poet, Mr. Jacques Hagopian. A reception followed
in the church hall.
PRIMATE MEETS WITH NAIRA MELKOUMIAN
On Monday, June 21, 2004 His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan
Derderian held an official meeting with the Executive Director of
Armenia Fund Mrs. Naira Melkoumian and the Chairlady of Los Angeles All
Armenia Fund Mrs. Maria Mehranian.
UPCOMING EVENTS
We would like to bring to your attention the upcoming activities of His
Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Armenian Church of
North America Western Diocese, for the week of June 22-28, 2004. We will
inform you of the details and any changes with future communiqués.
Tuesday, June 22 Pastoral visit to San Diego
Thursday, June 24 – Graduation ceremony of the Hovsepian School
Friday, June 25 Official visit to the Diocese by Assemblyman
Dario Fromer
Saturday, June 26 Training of the Diocesan Summer Camp
Counselors
Sunday, June 27 St. James Armenian Church – Divine Liturgy, reception in
honor of Archpriest Fr. Arshag Khatchadourian, and bestowing the
Encyclical of His Holiness upon Mrs. Mary Najarian
– Evening – Graduation ceremony at TCA Arshag Dickranian School
Monday, June 28 Meeting of the Deacons’ Executive Council at the
Diocesan Headquarters
DIVAN OF THE DIOCESE
June 21, 2004
Burbank, CA