Author: Chalian Meline

ICRC BEGINS TRAINING COURSE FOR IHL
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 4, ARMENPRESS: The International Committee of
theRed Cross (ICRC), Armenia office has started today a five-day
training course on International Humanitarian Law (IHL) for 12
officers of Armenian Armed Forces in the resort town of
Tsakhkadzor. The course for future IHL instructors is organized by the
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in cooperation with
the Ministry of Defense of Armenia.
Conducted by the ICRC regional IHL expert, this course focuses on
the effective use of the “IHL for Commanders” and “IHL for
Instructors” manuals, used as a didactic tool for IHL training in the
Armenian Army. The course also covers topics such as conduct of
operations, commander’s responsibility, behavior in combat and the
ICRC and its activities.
Similar training courses have been organized in the past. Through
such courses, the ICRC seeks to ensure that officers from Armenian
Armed Forces know and respect the rules and principles of IHL.
The ICRC stands ready to support the Armenian military
authoritiesin integrating IHL into the teaching and combat training
programs of the Armenian armed forces.

Azerbaijani Delegate Appeals PACE Dismiss Armenia Form Membership
ANS
05/10/2004
Member of Azerbaijani staff at Parliamentary Assembly of Council of
Europe MP Rafael Huseynov made appeal to Committee of Ministers to
dismiss Armenia from membership.
In his appeal Mr. Huseynov states that every organization must protect
its reputation, not to give way statements contradicting its
principles and not allow those standing on its lines that ignore
standards and regulations.
For instance in the spring session of PACE Armenian President Robert
Kocharian delivered speech and answered questions. His speech
contradicted democracy and human rights. There are many concrete facts
on pressure on free media in Armenia. PACE also prepared documents on
the issue and held discussion. But Robert Kocharian denied all these
and accused PACE of interfering its internal affairs. On June of 2004
President of Armenia said he was proud of occupation of Shusha city of
Azerbaijan and his direct participation in massacre of Azerbaijanis in
Khojaly city. Besides the statement points to Armenia’s drug
trafficking in occupied lands of Azerbaijan, conducting nuclear
researches and contamination of nuclear wastes in occupied lands may
create second Chernobl in the region. Council of Europe adopted
documents several times on suspending Metsamor atomic station. Rafael
Huseynov’s appeal has been distributed among participants of the PACE
and will be brought to discussion at Committee of Ministers.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

BRAMA (press release), Ukraine News stand – United States
Sept 28 2004
Statement
by H.E. Mr. Kostyantyn Gryshchenko,
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine
at the General Debate of the 59th session
of the UN General Assembly
New York, 27 September 2004
Mr. President,
Mr. Secretary-General,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to congratulate His Excellency Mr. Jean Ping on his
election as the President of the United Nations General Assembly at
the 59th session.
H.E. Mr. Kostyantyn Gryshchenko, Minister for Foreign Affairs of
Ukraine at the General Debate of the 59th session of the UN General
Assembly, New York, 27 September 2004
——————————————————————————–
Let me also pay tribute to His Excellency Mr. Julian Hunte for his
highly professional and fruitful work at the helm of the General
Assembly.
Mr. President,
A year ago the UN Secretary General stressed in this hall that the
United Nations reached a fork in the road.
Today it is still true.
We have a long list of problems, but not a clear vision of how to
deal with them.
To choose the right way, to solve a conflict of wishes and resources,
of desirable and achievable we should concentrate on priorities.
Let me outline Ukraine’s vision of the most important issues, which
the United Nations should focus on.
Tragedy in Russian city of Beslan and other recent terrorist attacks
leave no doubt that fight against terrorism is truly the major
priority.
We express sympathy to the victims and strongly condemn terrorism in
all its forms and manifestations.
The reason behind terrorism is to create chaos, to disrupt the global
system of peace and security established and promoted by our
Organization.
So, we have to act collectively.
We have to overcome old prejudices and to establish a spirit of
confidence and a new culture of international cooperation, which
would embrace the whole spectrum of political, law ,enforcement and
security instruments.
Creation of a new efficient system of information exchange on
terrorism will help prevent new attacks and save priceless human
lives. We support views expressed by previous speakers on the need of
a broader approach to address the complex and interdependent nature
of security.
To prevent terrorist acts and to eliminate roots of terrorism, the
United Nations must promote better understanding, if you wish – a
global rapprochement between different civilizations and religions.
There are universal values of peace and security, which are a
corner-stone of our Organization and which can serve as a basis for a
new atmosphere of tolerance in the world.
Mr. President,
As a country actively participating in Stabilization forces in Iraq
we are concerned with terrorist insurgency and continuing violence
there. Though the situation in Iraq remains difficult, there are some
positive trends.
Ukraine welcomes the transition of power to Iraqi people, formation
of the interim authorities. It is important to ensure effective
implementation of the timetable for comprehensive political
transition process in the country, particularly through holding free
and fair election with the highest possible under the current
circumstances standards. The UN Security Council resolution 1546
(2004) clearly extends a central role to the United Nations in
comprehensive political transition in the country, as well as in the
reconstruction process.
However, the Iraqi crisis and international fight against terrorism
revealed the need to strengthen the United Nations as a key
instrument of safeguarding international peace and security.
Institutional reform of the United Nations, including the Security
Council, which should become truly representative and balanced, is an
important task.
We understand reasons behind suggestions to enlarge the Council in
both categories — permanent and non-permanent and are ready to
consider carefully relevant proposals.
In this respect Ukraine attaches primary importance to allocation of
an additional non-permanent seat to the Group of Eastern European
States.
But the reform must not mean only some structural changes. We should
not embark on it every twenty years, trying to reflect a new balance
of power on international arena.
Universal criteria, common understanding of threats and challenges
are necessary to ensure effectiveness and efficiency of our
organization in the XXI century.
We fully share the views expressed by the Secretary General at the
beginning of the general debate that rule of law should be a priority
both at home and in international affairs.
We are looking forward to the outcome of the High Level Panel on
Threats, Challenges and Changes.
Authority of the UN should be increased, particularly, through its
greater involvement into conflicts prevention and resolution. As the
President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma emphasized, conflict prevention
should become pivotal in the philosophy of the United Nations work in
the new millennium. In our region frozen conflicts in Abkhazia, South
Osetia, Nagorny Karabakh, and Transdnistria need to be solved as soon
as possible.
As one of the major contributors to the UN peacekeeping operations
and the largest in Europe, Ukraine is deeply concerned with
increasing danger to the peacekeeping personnel.
We stand for universal application of the Convention on Safety of the
UN and Associated Personnel and call upon all Member States to abide
strictly by its provisions.
Role of the UN in the field of non-proliferation and disarmament
should be also strengthened.
This year Ukraine will mark the 10th anniversary of its accession to
the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). The
landmark decision to eliminate the third largest nuclear arsenal and
relinquish nuclear capability has significantly enhanced
international non-proliferation regime and global security.
We hope that this positive example will be followed by countries,
which entertain ideas of protecting their security through the access
to nuclear weapons.
Mr. President,
All achievements by the international community may become futile
should we succumb to the threat of HIV/AIDS that kills each year more
people than all armed conflicts on the planet taken together.
We highly appreciate the work carried out by the United Nations, its
specialized agencies and personally by the Secretary-General in
combating this pandemic.
Ukraine supports the initiative to hold in June next year a high
level meeting to review progress in the implementation of the
Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS.
At the same time we believe that millions of our infected fellow
citizens need concrete actions.
We are convinced that HIV/AIDS poses one of the fundamental
challenges not only to human health and well-being, but to the very
security of our world. In this regard we attach particular
significance to declaration by the Organization of a global emergency
alert on fighting HIV/AIDS.
The main focus must be placed on prevention and treatment of the
disease.
As President Leonid Kuchma stressed last year at the high-level
meeting on HIV/AIDS, we need to elaborate a clear system of
encouraging sponsorship of medical projects as well as expand
educational campaign on preventing the pandemic.
A leading role in this regard should be played by mass media. Ukraine
has launched an active mass media campaign with the involvement of
all social groups and is ready to lead regional media movement in the
field of prevention of HIV/AIDS.
Another pressing problem is trafficking in persons, especially in
women and children. Ukraine spares no effort to address it.
This year Ukraine has become a party to the UN Convention against
Transnational Organized Crime and to its two optional protocols.
However, tackling these issues requires a comprehensive approach and
close cooperation of the international community. We need to create a
truly functioning and efficient mechanism to combine the efforts of
the countries of origin, transit and destination.
Effective strategies to combat human trafficking should be based on
both – law enforcement measures and improvement of economic and
social conditions of potential victims.
Ukraine welcomes the appointment of the Special Rapporteur of the
Commission on Human Rights on trafficking in persons, especially in
women and children, and stands ready to render every support in
implementing respective mandates. Excellencies,
Last year the world observed the 70th anniversary of the horrible
genocidal famine, which took lives of over 7 million of Ukrainian
people. Taking this opportunity I wish once again to express our
gratitude to all States, who signed the Joint Statement on the
Seventieth Anniversary of the Great Famine of 1932-1933 in Ukraine
(Holodomor), whose parliaments adopted acts of condemnation and
sympathy, and to all organizations and individuals who took part in
the events to honor the victims of the Great Famine.
International community must thoroughly study this phenomenon in
order to prevent it in the future.
We hope that the newly appointed Special Advisor to the UN Secretary
General on the Prevention of Genocide will also duly focus on this
issue.
Almost two decades have passed since Ukraine was struck by another
tragedy – Chornobyl disaster.
Ukraine together with other interested delegations put forth an
initiative to hold in the framework of the 60th session of UN General
Assembly in spring 2006 a special plenary meeting to commemorate the
victims of Chornobyl disaster.
Ukraine has fulfilled its commitments related to the closure of
Chornobyl nuclear power plant.
What needs to be done today is to construct a new safe confinement.
We expect that funds to this purpose promised by G7 in 1995 will be
fully provided.
Chornobyl remains a burning wound, which proves every day how fragile
is our world and how easily broken is our nature. No one should doubt
our commitment to the preserving of our environment.
That is why Ukraine is so sensitive to environmental protection,
whether it concerns building of roads, construction of new power
plants or reopening of a navigable waterway that existed before.
Mr. President,
There was a fashion some years ago to criticize the United Nations
for inability to solve the most important problems. Today we all come
to this Assembly with ever stronger conviction that there is no
alternative to our Organization.
I am confident, that despite all obstacles and doubts of the past, we
can act for the attainment of the UN goals, common for all of us. Act
swiftly, collectively and with a vision.
I thank you.

Armenian Assembly of America
122 C Street, NW, Suite 350
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web:
 
MEDIA ALERT
September 27, 2004
CONTACT: Christine Kojoian
E-mail: [email protected]
RE: Washington Times publishes Assembly “Letter to the Editor”
The Armenian Assembly of America would like to call your attention to a
“Letter to the Editor,” which was submitted to The Washington Times by
Assembly Executive Director Ross Vartian and published on September 22,
2004. The letter was written in response to a September 19 Times article
entitled, “Keeping a Key Caspian Ally.”
The letter may also be accessed at the following link:
AZERBAIJANIS AND NAGORNO-KARABAKH
On Azerbaijan, S. Rob Sobhani believes he is right on the mark: It
has oil, and the West needs that oil, so Washington has one choice,
to support the Azerbaijani government regardless of its aggressive
policies toward its Armenian neighbors or its universally acknowledged
dismal record on corruption and human rights (“Keeping a key Caspian
ally,” Commentary, Saturday).
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the agreement that gave the
United States access to Azerbaijan’s oil reserves, but it also marks
10 years since the cease-fire in Nagorno Karabakh, which should have
been a prelude to a negotiated peaceful settlement.
However, ten years into the cease-fire, Azerbaijan’s response to the
popular demand of the Nagorno Karabakh Armenians for self determination
has not changed. Like the pogroms and mass deportations in the months
before the Azerbaijani-initiated war, threats of more of the same
continue today.
To quote remarks by Azerbaijani Defense Ministry spokesman Col. Ramiz
Melikov published August 4, 2004 in the Azerbaijani press: “In
the next 20-30 years there will be no Armenian state in the South
Caucasus. This nation has been a nuisance for its neighbors and has
no right to live in this region.” Also, to quote former Azerbaijani
President Heydar Aliyev’s own National Security Adviser Vafa Guluzade:
“Armenians should be driven out … The entire population of Nagorno
Karabakh should be moved from there … this problem will not be
resolved as long as Armenians are in Nagorno Karabakh.”
Is this the policy Mr. Sobhani wants the United States to support? Is
this what the American people want their government to support?
Is Azerbaijani oil so important that the United States should
encourage and defend a leadership that clearly advocates not just
another military offensive against Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia, but
also ethnic cleansing and the demise of Armenia against its population?
Oil is one thing; the price for oil espoused by Mr. Sobhani is
something else.
Sincerely,
Ross Vartian
Executive Director
Armenian Assembly of America
Washington
The Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based
nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of
Armenian issues. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.
NR#2004-088

LEDA DESIGN – “COMPANY’S DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY IS CONNECTED TO ARMENIA”- SAYS
VAHRAM MOURADIAN, PRESIDENT OF THE LEADING AMERICAN IT COMPANY
By Ruben Grdzelyan,
ARMINFO, 2004
LEDA Design, Inc., engaged in design and development of IP blocks for
digital, analog and mixed-signal Integrated Circuits, was established
in USA in 1995, and the Armenian Branch was founded in 2000. Late in
2003 a decision was made to transfer the main activities of the
company into Armenia. What are the reasons for that rather risky
decision and what is the result of its application, we managed to
clarify directly from the company’s President Dr. Vahram Mouradian.
– Dr. Mouradian, please describe the transition period and
difficulties connected with it.
– In November 2003 we decided to relocate our key engineering segment
into Armenia, and at the present moment it has been implemented –
engineering, marketing and production departments are located in
Armenia right now. In the beginning of 2004 we entered a risky stage
of operations, as this is the very first experience when a company
like ours expands its activity in Armenia only. In January 2004, with
the beginning of the transition period, LEDA Design’s shareholders
evaluated the task to be achieved and determined the deadline for
successful completion of the transition to Armenia based operations
using the existing manpower and engineering resources. In the first
three months of the year the company experienced losses, but in the
second quarter we succeeded in attracting engineering orders, and
their performance brought profitability. Forecasts for the third
quarter anticipate equal, if not better results compared to the second
quarter. Taking into consideration these positive development trends,
the company’s shareholders have made decisions to effect additional
investments. These investments will not only improve efficiency, but
will provide the basis for further development of our business. In the
near future we are planning to introduce new products on the world
chip design market with new types of interfaces, memory blocks for ICs
and EDA tools. Also, we are going to add IC testing in Armenia, a
function which previously was performed in the US.
On a related subject, LEDA has a taken a very strong stance in the
Armenian HR market against the practice of enticing employees from
other companies to “steal” technologies. From this point of view
Armenia has not yet spoiled its reputation, but the practice is
becoming a problem. The practice has spread into Armenia among
competing companies and it contradicts the principles of good business
practices and healthy competition, especially in the context of such a
narrow engineering market as the Armenian one. This kind of
dishonorable behavior shown by some, both foreign and local companies,
increases the cost of doing business in Armenia, making it less
attractive for potential investors. LEDA is actively working to
improve the situation, and we expect positive results.
In summary, however, I can confirm to you that Armenia is acknowledged
as a reliable partner in the international IC design market. Regarding
our plans for the future, our next task will be to firmly establish
our reputation, which requires positive dynamics of production growth,
development of new products, and expansion of supporting services.
– Actually, we can now consider the second stage in LEDA’s development
finished?
– The initial stage was raising the company itself, capable of develop
products and meeting demand. The next stage was opening of the
Armenian branch, and the transfer of the corporate operations into
Armenia.
– Well, about the third one, what will be the next stage, to your
mind?
– Our next step will be acquisition of strong brand recognition that
will allow us to start trading the company’s stock on international
stock exchanges. For an American-Armenian enterprise, it will be a
solid achievement.
– In the beginning of this year several employees of LEDA have been
dismissed. Taking into consideration the recent positive changes, do
you plan to restore the previous number of employees?
– Since the middle of July the number of LEDA employees has grown,
first of all, due to hiring the graduates of our educational
center. Moreover, we have increased salaries of many of our
engineers. In the near future we expect to announce new job openings,
as we continue to develop new products.
– Vast majority of the Armenia located IT-companies are branches of
the foreign firms. How can you explain your not traditional decision
to turn your branch into the Headquarters?
– First of all this decision is caused by my Armenian origin, next by
my sincere belief in the potential of my team and the bright future of
my home country. But the decision is still a risky one. Due to the
absence of a local market, the most challenging task in Armenia is
effective outbound sales. Another major obstacle for the conversion of
the foreign branches into Armenian companies is the lack of qualified
specialists. And it applies not only to marketing. The Armenian IT
labor market is very limited. For example, you can count on your
fingers the number of talented chip design engineers in Armenia. In
order to expand existing businesses and to create new businesses there
is no other way but to increase the number of engineers. The loss of
just a couple of experienced professionals by any Armenian IT company
or branch may lead to collapse. This problem will remain until
efficient models of labor market improvements are implemented. We are
working on it right now.
– Do you think it may be possible to smooth this problem by attracting
specialists of the Armenian origin from abroad?
– In order to do it, it is necessary to enhance the living standards
in Armenia, because salary is not the only decision factor for those
specialists – people desire high living standards. Besides that, let’s
not forget about the competition – the salary levels of the Armenian
specialists are getting close to the critical point, and compared to
some countries already exceed the limit, which means any further
increase will not allow the Armenian products to compete on the world
markets because of high net cost. The only way out is to make up for
the brain drain by training new specialists – and to educate two
specialists to replace each one lost, until Armenia becomes a location
of choice for highly qualified professionals. Otherwise stagnation is
unavoidable.
– Some time ago LEDA Design had got plans to place orders with two
Armenian plants: Scientific-Production Enterprise “Transistor” and
“MARS” plant. Do you have any news related to these plans?
– We could not engage with “Transistor”, as it was not possible to
bridge the gap between our technologies and the manufacturing
capacities of “Transistor”, but we still maintain certain hopes with
“Mars” in the field of placing manufacturing orders for some simple
printed circuits boards. But these are plans for the future.

Institute for War & Peace Reporting (IWPR)
Sept 23 2004
Confusion Surrounds Beslan Band
Unanswered questions about the identity of the group who seized the
school in Beslan.
By Timur Aliev, Aslanbek Dadayev and Ruslan Zhadayev in Chechnya and
Ingushetia (CRS No. 254, 23-Sep-04)
Tagir Khachaburov lives alone in a poor whitewashed two-room house
with an overgrown front yard and ramshackle wooden gates in the
Ingush village of Galashki.
His quiet existence was shattered earlier this month by the
accusation that his 32-year-old son had been identified as probably
the most hated man in Russia. Ruslan Khachaburov, nicknamed Polkovnik
(or `Colonel’ in English) had been named as the leader of the
extremist group that seized the school in Beslan on September 1.
Tagir’s bloodshot, tear-filled eyes testify to what he has gone
through in the last three weeks. He explained to IWPR that he had not
seen his son for five years. He said Ruslan had not lived with him
since his marriage broke up when Ruslan was two and the child went to
live with his mother, an ethnic Chechen, first in the Stavropol
region of southern region, then in the Chechen village of Orekhovo.
`When he grew up Ruslan lived in the town of Oryol in Russia,’ Tagir
said. `He ran away from there after he killed two Armenians in
self-defence. After that he was on the run. He last came to see me in
1999 for a few hours. I haven’t seen him since then. When I heard
what happened in Beslan I could not believe that Ruslan could have
been there.’
`He wasn’t a terrorist,’ Tagir went on. `I still can’t believe he was
there. My son isn’t a terrorist. Our politics now is like 1937. They
can pin anything they like on a person to blacken his name.’
Khachaburov said that the Russian security services had taken all the
photographs of his two sons – his other son Bashir was a rebel
fighter and died several years ago – for their investigation into
Beslan. He said he had been constantly raided by the security
services ever since the June attack on the town of Nazran Ingushetia
by Chechen rebels, which resulted in more than 90 deaths and in which
his son’s name first came up.
Khachaburov’s neighbours suffered much more grievously. One of them,
named Beslan Arapkhanov, the father of seven children, lived on the
same street. According to research by the human rights organisation
Memorial, on the morning of July 21 a group of masked men burst into
his house and shot him dead. Then one of the gunmen pulled a
photograph from his jacket and was heard to say that `it’s not him’,
and the group left.
It seems that the group had intended to kill Ruslan Khachaburov and
had picked the wrong target.
Despite this tragedy, Musa Arapkhanov, a cousin of the dead man, told
IWPR that he had doubts that Ruslan Khachaburov had been guilty of
the charges against him and that he was an Islamic extremist or
Wahhabi.
`When he was here last year, he faithfully went to the mosque and did
the zikr [traditional Chechen prayer ritual], which the Wahhabis
don’t do,’ said Arapkhanov.
The North Ossetian authorities have issued a list of 13 names of the
group of around 30 hostage-takers who seized Beslan’s School No. 1 on
September 1. But even the identity of some of those named is not
entirely certain and some relatives are questioning the official
version of events.
Notorious Chechen warrior Shamil Basayev claimed responsibility for
the attack last week on the Islamist website Kavkaz Center, which has
since had its activity suspended.
Calling the attack `Nord-West’ in a reference to the Nord-Ost musical
which was playing at a packed Dubrovka theatre in Moscow, when it was
seized by militants in October 2002, Basayev wrote, `Thirty-three
mujahadin took part in Nord-West. Two of them were women. We prepared
four [women] but I sent two of them to Moscow on August 24. They then
boarded the two airplanes that blew up. In the group there were 12
Chechen men, two Chechen women, nine Ingush, three Russians, two
Arabs, two Ossetians, one Tartar, one Kabardinian and one Guran. The
Gurans are a people who live near Lake Baikal who are practically
Russified.’
Even before Basayev’s letter, the Russian security services had
identified several of the hostage-takers as being associated with
him.
The name of `Polkovnik’ came up from the televised account of the
only surviving hostage-taker Nur-Pasha Kulayev, alleged to have
worked for Basayev. Kulayev said, `We were collected in a wood by a
man who went by the name of Polkovnik and he said we had to seize a
school in Beslan. They told us the order came from Maskhadov and
Basayev. When we asked Polkovnik why we had to do that he replied:
because we had to unleash war across the whole of the Caucasus.’
Nur-Pasha Kulayev’s elder brother Khan-Pasha, who apparently died in
the school, was also said to have been a bodyguard of Basayev.
The parents of the two brothers live in the village of Novy Engeloi
in southeastern Chechnya. They told IWPR that the first they knew
about their sons’ apparent involvement in the Beslan tragedy was when
they saw their younger son on television news saying that he had
taken part in the school seizure and heard that their eldest had been
killed in the siege.
The parents said that Khan-Pasha had been wounded in shooting in the
village in 2001 and went to hospital. There he was suspected of being
a fighter and they did not see him for another three months. When he
came back he had his arm amputated because of gangrene and he was
psychologically disturbed.
The official version of how Kulayev was detained is somewhat
different. In August 2001, the Interfax news agency reported that he
had been seized in the village of Kurchaloi as one of three men in a
group loyal to the Saudi-born fighter Khattab.
The last time the parents saw their two sons was at the end of August
when both men were living in the Ingush village of Malgobek and their
wives had gone to visit relatives in Chechnya.
However, in a statement that, if true, casts doubt on the official
version of events, neighbours in Malgobek firmly told IWPR that the
younger of the two, Nur-Pasha, had been at home in Malgobek on
September 1, when the school siege started. The neighbours did not
want to be quoted by name.
To confuse things further Basayev said in his statement that he had
recruited both brothers to `stand on guard’.
`Everything that the man who swore by Allah that he wanted to live
[in other words Nur-Pasha Kulayev on Russian television] is not
important,’ Basayev said. `I brought the Kulayev brothers and two of
their fellow-villagers into the group at the last minute to make up
numbers at half past four on August 31 and sent them into the
operation at eight o’clock. I personally knew only Khan-Pasha
Kulayev, whose right arm was missing.’
Similar confusion surrounds the involvement of Iznaur Kodzoyev, an
Ingush believed to have been in the group. His fellow-villagers in
the Ingush settlement of Kantyshevo said he was an extreme political
and religious radical. The Ingush interior ministry has linked him to
the June attack on Ingushetia. However, Iznaur’s cousin Aslan
Kodzoyev said he saw him in Kantyshevo on September 2, the second day
of the school siege.
Finally the identity has still not been fully confirmed of the Ingush
man known as `Magas’. At first, he was believed to be a man named
Magomed Yevloyev, but now the official Russian version is that he was
in fact a former 30-year-old Ingush policeman named Ali Taziev.
According to the Ingush prosecutor’s office in 1998, Taziev was
guarding Olga Uspenskaya, the wife of Valery Fateyev, an adviser to
the Ingush president. Uspenskaya, Taziev and one other bodyguard were
snatched by gunmen and held hostage. Uspenskaya herself was freed in
2000, but not the two guards. The body of one of them was later found
and buried and Taziev was generally believed also to have died a
heroic death.
Now the authorities say they believe Taziev is in fact the very same
`Magas’, who allegedly led the raid on Nazran in June and then took
part in the school seizure in Beslan.
In the village of Nasyr-Kort near Nazran, Taziev’s mother Lida has
been sick for two weeks. `Three years ago we were already afraid he
was dead,’ she told IWPR weeping. `We held a wake for him. He can’t
be this Magas. If he was alive he would have come home.’
The work of establishing the true identities of all the
hostage-takers in Beslan has evidently only just begun.
Timur Aliev is IWPR’s Chechnya coordinator. Aslanbek Dadayev works
for Radio Liberty in Chechnya. Ruslan Zhadayev is deputy editor of
the Chechenskoe Obshchestvo newspaper.

Armenian Defence Ministry denies bus fired at on Azeri border
Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
23 Sep 04
The Armenian Defence Ministry has flatly denied the report that on the
night of 21 September, Azerbaijanis fired from their positions in
Qazax District [northwestern Azerbaijan] at an Armenian bus on the
Kirants-Voskepar sector of the Idzhevan-Noyemberyan highway [Armenia’s
Tavush District], the press secretary of the Armenian Defence
Ministry, Seyran Shakhsuvaryan, has told an Arminfo correspondent.
The newspapers which put out this report wrote that Gayane Petrosyan,
48, a resident of the town of Martuni of [Armenia’s] Gegharkunik
District, was wounded as the result of the fire.

Glendale News Press
LATimes.com
September 17 2004
Officials seek help in finding man
Police look for help in disappearance of man who was last seen more
than a year ago in Glendale.
By Jackson Bell, News-Press
NORTHEAST GLENDALE – Glendale investigators are asking the public to
help find Grigor “Vrej” Adamyan, a man they believe could help them
track down a missing Downey man who was last seen in Glendale more
than a year ago.
A few months ago, police received additional leads in the long-running
investigation of Martin Pogosian’s disappearance that pointed them
toward Adamyan, Sgt. Steve Davey said, adding that Adamyan, who is
a 52-year-old male of average height and weight, is believed to have
business ties to Pogosian.
“We’ve got new information that Adamyan has some knowledge of either
where [Pogosian] is or what happened to him,” Davey said, adding that
he could not release details because the investigation is ongoing.
Pogosian, a manager of a medical clinic in Los Angeles, was last seen
Jan. 23, 2003, leaving a business meeting at a strip mall in the
1200 block of South Glendale Avenue. He had a dispute while on the
phone and then drove to downtown Los Angeles, where he disappeared,
Davey said. At the time, Pogosian was 33.
Pogosian’s family spoke with him by cellphone the next day, a few
hours before a “large” kidnap ransom was delivered to an unknown
Armenian man in Los Angeles, police said.
On Jan. 31, Pogosian’s white 2001 Range Rover was found near Andover
Drive and Glenoaks Boulevard in Burbank.
“Foul play might be a possibility, but we don’t know,” Davey said.
“He could possibly be dead.”
Glendale Police is part of a multi-agency taskforce investigating the
case. Other agencies include the Los Angeles Police and Los Angeles
County Sheriff’s departments, and the FBI.
Pogosian is Armenian; is 5-feet-9; weighs 180 pounds; and has brown
hair and eyes.
Anyone who has information can call Glendale Police at 548-4840.
Anonymous tips can be made by calling Crime Stoppers at 507-7867.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:
PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon
His Holiness Aram I expresses his condolences on the occasion of the death
of Pope Petros VII, Greek Orthodox patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa
Pope Petros VII, Greek Orthodox patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa and
other members of the Patriarchate, including bishops, priests and lay staff,
lost their lives last Saturday, 11 September 2004, in a helicopter crash
over the Aegean Sea while they were traveling to the Mount Athos monastery
in northern Greece. On this occasion His Holiness Aram I sent the following
condolences to the Holy Synod of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of
Alexandria, Egypt.-
13 September, 2004
To The Holy Synod
of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria
Egypt.
Dear Brothers in Christ
It is with deep sorrow and sadness that I came to learn the tragic accident
of His Holiness Petros VII Patriarch of Alexandria. I have known His
Holiness since 1970. As young priests we have been together in different
committees and meetings of the Middle East Council of Churches. Since then
we have developed a close friendship and ecumenical collaboration.
His Holiness Petros was a dynamic person committed to the service of his
church. He firmly believed in Ecumenical vision and brought an active
participation in Ecumenical witness on regional and international levels. We
will never forget his services particularly to MECC, to the cause of
Christian unity in the Middle East and to the Christian-Moslem dialogue.
On behalf of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches, the
Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia and personally I want to convey my deepest
condolences to the Holy Synod and to the family of His Holiness.
May God accept his soul in His Eternal Kingdom
ARAM I
CATHOLICOS OF CILICIA
##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Ecumenical
activities 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.

NATO cancels war games in Azerbaijan over Armenia row
Agence France Presse — English
September 13, 2004 Monday
BAKU — NATO’s Supreme Command said Monday it had cancelled a
high-profile military exercise in Azerbaijan hours before it was due
to start after the authorities in Baku refused to let officers from
neighbouring Armenia take part.
There has been a public outcry in Azerbaijan over the participation of
Armenian servicemen in the war games because many Azeris have bitter
memories of a war between the two countries in the early 1990s.
“The (NATO) Supreme Command has decided to cancel the exercises,”
which had been due to get underway Tuesday, alliance spokesman
Lieutenant-Colonel Luis Aparicio said in a written statement.
“All (NATO) exercises are agreed and conducted on the principle
of inclusiveness for all allies and partners … We regret that
the principle of inclusiveness could not be held to in this case,
leading to the cancellation of the exercise.”
The announcement came after a wave of protests around Azerbaijan’s
capital, Baku, at the weekend against Armenian officers taking part
in the exercises, dubbed Cooperative Best Effort 2004.
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev said last week he did not want
servicemen from Armenia coming to Baku, and said he was taking
“necessary measures” to keep them out.
There has been bitterness between Azerbaijan and Armenia since
the two former Soviet republics fought a war over the enclave of
Nagorno-Karabakh.
The conflict left some 35,000 people dead and displaced about one
million civilians. It ended with Armenian forces in control of the
enclave, which under international law is a part of Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan and Armenia are both members of NATO’s Partnership for
Peace programme, which is seen as a springboard to full membership
of the alliance.