Author: Chatinian Lara

Zenit News Agency, Italy
July 2 2005
Military Conflicts Losing Steam
New Report Gives Some Grounds for Optimism
COLLEGE PARK, Maryland, JULY 2, 2005 (Zenit.org).- In spite of fears
about global insecurity, the number of armed conflicts continues to
decline. An overview of the world situation was published June 1 by
the University of Maryland’s Center for International Development and
Conflict Management.
Authored by Monty Marshall and Ted Robert Gurr, the report, “Peace
and Conflict 2005: A Global Survey of Armed Conflicts,
Self-Determination Movements, and Democracy,” notes a number of
positive trends. Among them:
— A decline in the global magnitude of armed conflict, following a
peak in the early 1990s. Major wars are down from 12 at the end of
2002 to eight in early 2005. And, according to the report’s
calculations, the general magnitude of global warfare has decreased
by more than 60% since peaking in the mid-1980s, falling by the end
of 2004 to its lowest level since the late 1950s. In early 2005 there
were 18 countries with ongoing major armed conflicts, and in two of
these there were two ongoing wars, for a total of 20 major armed
conflicts in the world.
— Most democratic regimes established during the 1980s and 1990s
have endured despite political and economic crises. Moreover, there
has been an increase in action by popular forces, such as Bolivia,
Georgia, the Philippines and Ukraine, to promote democratic
principles and hold leaders accountable.
— In the Middle East, democracies in Afghanistan and Iraq have
gained support, and small steps have been taken toward political
reform in other Arab autocracies.
— Ethnic-based wars for independence, a significant threat to civil
peace in the 1990s, have continued to decline to their lowest level
since 1960. In the 2001-2004 period, 13 major self-determination
conflicts were settled or contained, offset by a half-dozen new or
renewed campaigns.
— Repression and political discrimination against ethnic minorities
have declined significantly, coinciding with the dramatic decline in
autocratic regimes since the late 1980s. Since 1950, the number of
minorities benefiting from policies aimed at remedying past political
discrimination has increased fivefold.
The report warned: “These positive trends are no warrant for
unqualified optimism about the future of world peace.” For example,
there is no guarantee that the strategies that have brought about the
recent improvements will work in the future, the report said.
Moreover, there are difficulties in achieving the level of
international cooperation needed to overcome the challenges to peace.
Regional trends
The report uses a system of red and yellow flags to draw attention to
areas of potential conflict. The 2005 edition gives a red flag to 31
out of 161 countries surveyed, down from 34 in the 2003 report.
Seventeen African countries draw a red flag. Other danger spots are
Armenia, Cambodia, Haiti, Iran, Lebanon and Pakistan.
Another 51 countries are yellow-flagged, of which 19 are in Africa
south of the Sahara, 10 in North Africa and the Middle East, and 12
in the Asia-Pacific region. In short, the report observes, “half the
world’s countries have serious weaknesses that call for international
scrutiny and engagement.”
One region that is particularly worrying is Africa. “African
countries have generally low capacity for conflict management and
continue to face serious and complex challenges to peace and
stability in 2005,” the report said. Yet, it noted that progress has
been made in increasing regional cooperation. As well, there are
important differences within the region.
Moreover, the one thing distinguishing Africa from other regions of
the world is the newness of its state system, the report said. All
but four of the 50 African countries gained their independence in the
latter half of the 20th century. “State building is no simple task,”
the report observed, “and the building of modern, viable states has
everywhere, and in all times, been fraught with enormous
difficulties.”
Muslim countries, meanwhile, were seen as having a profile comparable
to that of the African countries, with a large number marked out as
sources of potential conflict. Unlike in Africa, however, armed
conflict in Muslim regions has declined by more than 60% since 1991,
a trend similar to the overall global reduction.
Asia is also a trouble spot. Along with Africa it accounts for most
of the world’s major armed conflicts since the end of the Cold War.
In South America, several countries have been rocked by economic and
financial crises leading to mass demonstrations and the resignations
of elected leaders. In a change with the past, this time the military
forces have generally stood aside, the report noted.
Terrorism
The report noted that terrorism, though it receives a lot of media
attention, causes relatively few deaths compared to other conflicts.
There have been 10 incidents in the last seven years that have caused
more than 100 deaths. During the 1990s there were about 300 deaths
per year by international terrorism and 3,000 deaths per annum by
acts of local terrorism.
In contrast, there were more than 300,000 deaths per annum in warfare
in the 1990s. Most of the victims were noncombatants. The report does
acknowledge the potential for danger if terrorists obtain weapons of
mass destruction, but the probability of this happening remains hard
to evaluate.
Overall, the report concluded, even though terrorism causes much
fear, “our greatest fears can be realized when the state becomes the
terrorist, or when the powerful weapons created by the state fall
into the hands of the evildoer.”
Challenges ahead
The report also outlined a number of challenges that lie ahead. These
include:
— the legacy of wounded societies and failing states as they emerge
from years of destructive conflict.
– the unleashed surplus of war personnel and materiel that is
flooding the global market. This not only fuels organized crime, but
in general creates security problems.
— the ghettoization of large areas of the world where deepening
poverty and deteriorating social conditions marginalize entire
populations and severely limit their access to the benefits of the
global economy.
— the severe inequality in the distribution of wealth and resources
that contributes to the maintenance of autocratic regimes and the
rise of terrorism and insurgencies throughout the Muslim world.
— the accountability and transparency of postwar regimes and the
implementation of peace accords and integration of disenfranchised
populations.
Benedict XVI, in his address May 12 to the diplomatic corps
accredited to the Holy See, noted his own origins in having lived in
a country burdened by war. He stated: “I am particularly sensitive to
dialogue between all human beings in order to overcome every kind of
conflict and tension and to make our earth an earth of peace and
brotherhood.”
He urged Christians and political leaders to combine their efforts
“to achieve a peaceful society, to overcome the temptation of
confrontation between cultures, races and worlds that are different.”
The Pope noted that the Church continues to proclaim and to defend
fundamental human rights, which too often continue to be violated in
many regions. And he pledged: “Rest assured that the Catholic Church
will continue to offer to cooperate, in her own province and with her
own means, to safeguard the dignity of every person and to serve the
common good.”

The Daily Star, Lebanon
July 1 2005
Lebanon’s Siniora to begin consultations on Cabinet
By Leila Hatoum and Nafez Qawas
Daily Star staff
Friday, July 01, 2005
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Prime Minister Fouad Siniora will begin his
consultations with MPs today to form the new Cabinet, after being
elected to the post by a record 126 out of 128 members of Parliament.
The former finance minister was officially appointed to the post by
President Emile Lahoud after obligatory consultations between the
president and the country’s deputies.
Siniora, who held the finance portfolio in all five of slain former
Premier Rafik Hariri’s Cabinets between 1992 and 2003, vowed in his
acceptance address “to assume all his national responsibilities.”
He urged all MPs to “join hands to achieve reforms, apply all terms
of the Taif Accord, combat corruption, limit public spending, and
adopt a strategy that would achieve social and economic development.”
Siniora also said he wanted to adopt a new electoral law and
eliminate Lebanon’s sectarian political system.
The premier will be paying protocol visits today to all available
former prime ministers before getting started on his consultations to
form the next government.
A U.S. Embassy spokesperson told The Daily Star: “The U.S. looks
forward to working with Siniora to advance economic and political
reforms that will lay the ground work for a stable and prosperous
democratic Lebanon.”
It is almost certain the new Cabinet will be formed of 24 ministers,
with the list of ministers expected to be released sometime over the
weekend.
Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader Michel Aoun and his
parliamentary bloc have stated their preference the new ministers not
be MPs.
Aoun, who took refuge in the presidential palace while fighting
Syrian occupation in 1990, returned to the palace for the first time
in 15 years as an MP taking part in the consultations to elect a
premier. He said he “prefers to have four ministers in the new
Cabinet if it is composed of 24 ministers, and five if it has 30
ministers.”
Aoun expressed his bloc’s willingness to hold any portfolio, saying
which ministry his party receives “doesn’t matter as all ministerial
portfolios are equally important.”
MP Strida Geagea, wife of imprisoned Lebanese Forces (LF) leader
Samir Geagea, also prefers new ministers not be MPs.
Lahoud met with Speaker Nabih Berri and his parliamentary bloc, in
addition to members of key opposition leader Chouf MP Walid
Jumblatt’s Democratic Gathering. Jumblatt had announced Tuesday he
would not particpate in the consutations.
Berri said he didn’t mind a nonparliamentary Cabinet as long as it
expresses national unity, while Jumblatt wished Siniora luck in
“carrying the national unity project, protecting the resistance and
safeguarding freedoms.”
The following are two possible lists of names circulating Beirut that
may be appointed to form the next Cabinet.
Scenario 1: LF member Eddie Abi Lameh, Administrative Reforms; FPM
members Ibrahim Kenaan, Youssef Khalil, Edgard Maalouf, and Issam Abu
Jamra to receive undetermined portfolios; Mohammed Khalife, the
outgoing health minister affiliated with Berri – Health; it is
understood Berri has demanded to be given the Social Affairs
Ministry; Elias Skaff, Agriculture; Elias Murr, former interior
minister and Lahoud’s son-in-law, Defense; Future Movement (Saad
Hariri’s party) member and Premier-designate Fouad Siniora, Finance;
Christian opposition Qornet Shehwan Gathering member Pierre Gemayel,
Public Works and Transport; Charles Rizk, the outgoing information
minister affiliated with Lahoud, Information; Progressive Socialist
Party member Bassem Sabaa or Future Movement member Ghazi Youssef,
Telecommunications.
Scenario 2: Aoun’s FPM will receive two portfolios, most likely
Justice (former Judge Youssef Saadallah Khoury has been proposed) and
Environment; Aoun ally Elias Skaff, Agriculture portfolio; Aoun will
also receive a portfolio for one of the Armenian Tashnag Party
members; the Qornet Shehwan Gathering will receive one portfolio,
most likely given to Pierre Gemayel; the LF will receive one
portfolio, most likely given to either Roger Deeb or Eddie Abi Lameh;
Lahoud ally Charles Rizk will receive a portfolio; two Shiite
ministers close to Hizbullah will be featured in the new Cabinet, one
of which will be Bassem Sabaa; Premier-designate Fouad Siniora will
hold the Finance portfolio; Elias Murr the Defense portfolio;
Mohammed Khalifeh the Health portfolio; with a disagreement ongoing
between Jumblatt and Hariri over the Interior portfolio, while the
Foreign portfolio may go to a Druze or Shiite representative.

ARMENIAN CHURCH WANTS INTER-FAITH DIALOGUE WITH IRAN
Armenpress
YEREVAN, JUNE 30, ARMENPRESS: Reverend Yeznik Petrosian, head of
a department at the headquarters of Armenian Church dealing with
inter-church relations, paid yesterday a visit to Iranian culture
center in Yerevan, an affiliation of its embassy here to meet with
center head Reza Atufi to look into the prospects of starting an
inter-faith dialogue between Armenian Church and the Islamic Republic
of Iran.
The headquarters of the Church said the two men discussed a scope
of issues pertaining to mutually beneficial cooperation and decided
to hold the maiden inter-faith conference in Etchmiadzin, where the
headquarters of the Armenian Church are. The conference will be titled
“Religion and Reason in the Changing World.” They also agreed that
such conferences should become permanent, and to be held in Iran
and Armenia.

A1plus
| 13:29:11 | 29-06-2005 | Social |
SIT-DOWN STRIKE GOES ON
Today the believer participants of the meeting opposite the Government
building complained that the introduction of the social cards or,
as they say, the numbering of people is the policy of eliminating
Christians. “We were the first nation to adopt Christianity, and now
we are the first to betray Jesus, they cried.
Today the representatives of different sects quarreled with each
other on the principles of religion. From the very beginning of the
meeting the followers of the Armenian Apostolic church distributed
brochures to the passers by which was titled “Our Daily Bread”. They
also had posters saying “We emand freedom of conscience”, and “Do not
violate our constitutional right”. The followers of different sects
also quarreled about who must hold the posters.

Ten Commandments marker to stay in Phoenix
By Howard Fischer
CAPITOL MEDIA SERVICES
Arizona Daily Star, AZ
June 28 2005
PHOENIX – A 6-foot-tall monument of the Ten Commandments will remain
in a public park across from the Arizona state Capitol.
The decision Monday by Tim Nelson, chief legal adviser to Gov. Janet
Napolitano, followed a ruling earlier in the day by the U.S. Supreme
Court allowing a virtually identical monument to remain on the grounds
of the state Capitol in Texas.
The high court said in a 5-4 ruling that such monuments are simply
“acknowledgements of the role played by the Ten Commandments in our
nation’s heritage.” Taking that side were William Rehnquist, Antonin
Scalia, Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas and Stephen Breyer.
“Our situation is very analogous to the case in Texas,” said Nelson.
“The monument here does not constitute the establishment of a religion
by the state.”
The American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona mounted a challenge
two years ago, trying to force removal of the monument in Phoenix.
Eleanor Eisenberg, the group’s director, said she has not yet studied
Monday’s high court ruling but that it appears to undermine the
ACLU’s quest.
That ruling actually was one of two issued Monday by the court on
the Ten Commandments and the separation of church and state.
In a separate 5-4 decision, the court said Ten Commandments displays in
two Kentucky courthouses had to go because they promoted a religious
message. On that side were Justices David Souter, John Paul Stevens,
Sandra Day O’Connor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Breyer.
But the justices – who have a frieze of Moses holding the Commandments
on the wall of their own courtroom – said these questions need to be
decided case by case.
Souter, who wrote the majority decision in the Kentucky case, said
the First Amendment “mandates government neutrality between religion
and religion, and between religion and non-religion.” He said the
Kentucky displays fell on the side of the line where government was
advancing religion.
By contrast, Chief Justice Rehnquist, who wrote the majority decision
in the Texas case, said the display there – and in Arizona – is
different. The court also noted the Texas display is one of 21
historical markers and 17 monuments.
“Texas has treated her Capitol grounds monuments as representing the
several strands in the state’s political and legal history,” Rehnquist
wrote. “The inclusion of the Ten Commandments monument in this group
has a dual significance, partaking of both religion and government.”
That’s exactly the situation in Phoenix, where the monument, located
in Wesley Bolin Park, stands with various others. These include one
to Armenians who the display says were martyred in Turkey early in
the last century, and another to Jewish war veterans.
Stevens, in his dissent in the Texas case, said his colleagues are
ignoring both the wording on the monuments and how they ended up
placed at various state capitols.
He said the first Commandment, larger than the others, says “I AM the
LORD thy God” in letters larger than the rest on the Texas monument.
The same language and typefaces exist on the Arizona monument.
“It commands present worship of Him and no other deity,” Stevens
wrote. “It directs us to be guided by His teaching in the current
and future conduct of all of our affairs.”
Stevens also noted that all the monuments were produced by the
Fraternal Order of Eagles in conjunction with Cecil B. DeMille,
who at the time was producing his movie “The Ten Commandments.”
The two rulings drew mixed reaction from the Center for Arizona Policy,
which had filed its own brief in January urging the high court to
let the Phoenix monument remain.
Peter Gentala, the organization’s legal counsel, said he was pleased
with that ruling. But Gentala said the Kentucky decision continues
the situation where courts will have to divine whether such displays
are designed to promote religion rather than simply acknowledge the
Ten Commandments as a part of national heritage.
Gentala’s legal brief was supported by a spectrum of politicians,
including Democrat Napolitano, Republican Secretary of State Jan
Brewer and 38 of Arizona’s 90 legislators.
Monday’s rulings were the court’s first major statement on the Ten
Commandments since 1980, when the justices barred their display in
public schools.
Legal experts said the rulings will bring additional litigation as
displays are challenged by both sides case by case.
Thousands of Ten Commandment displays around the nation will be
validated if their primary purpose is to honor the nation’s legal,
rather than religious, traditions, legal experts said. Location also
will be considered, with wide-open lots more acceptable than schools.
“What the rulings say is when a government overtly endorses a
particular religious viewpoint of tradition, it’s unconstitutional,”
said Marci Hamilton, a church-state expert at Cardozo School of Law.
“Displays are OK if you don’t have an in-your-face declaration that
the government stands behind Christian tradition.”

Pan Armenian News
ARMENIAN IT-SPECIALISTS APPRECIATED MORE THAN AZERI AND TURKISH
27.06.2005 04:36
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Counting on its Armenian office Synopsys has no
intention to found representattions in other South Caucasian states,
Corporation President told Aart de Geus told .am reporter. In his
words, it is conditioned by the fact that in other states of the region
no development of high technologies is observed while Synopsys Armenia
CJSC SG is working out projects for realization in the world market
including Japan, China, US and Europe. The President informed that the
Armenian branch will be developed and the investment package will be
increased. He also said that presently the company is searching for
new specialists.

Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
June 27, 2005, Monday
THE SIX PULLS IN THE DEFENSE BELT
SOURCE: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, 24.06.2005, p. 2
by Anastasia Kornya
“A most thorough discussion of the questions of military, technical
and political collaboration”, – by these words president Putin
characterized yesterday’s closed meeting in the Kremlin between the
presidents of the countries – members of the Organization of the Pact
on collective security (ODKB). The second day of their communication
the leaders of Armenia, Byelorussia, Kazakhstan, Kirghizia, Russia and
Tajikistan devoted to military questions. The agenda was most vital: as
far as the CIS countries, affected by the colored revolutions, refuse
military-political collaboration with Moscow, Russia has to reorganize
the security system in post-Soviet space. When the presidents entered
the assembly-hall where the members of the enlarged Council on the
collective security were awaiting them, Nursultan Nazarbaev began
the traditional account on the results of the Council’s work for
the last year. (…) He only stated that during the last year the
members of the military agreement reacted rather adequately to the
new challenges and threats. The main of them, in his opinion, was
“political extremism and its extreme manifestation – terrorism”.
Judging from Nazarbaev’s words, the military of the six states have
made the greatest progress in the struggle against the narcotic
menace from the outside. The earlier fixed plan of the measures is
being performed rather successfully. The annual operation “Kanal” is
rather effective only in the last year more than 5 tons of narcotics.
However, no one pretended that it is possible to cut off the narcotic
traffic from Afghanistan. That is why the sister nations rely on the
U.N.O.’s aid. They are calling for “earnest coordination of actions
on the post-conflict settlement in Afghanistan”. To all appearances,
there has been no “earnest coordination” up to the present moment. In
addition, there is an evident lack of “resolute measures aiming to
resist the narcotic menace coming from Afghanistan”.
Besides, yesterday there took place the rotation of Heads of the States
on the position of the Chairman of the Council. Vladimir Putin took
the “baton of the leader”. (…)
At the press-conference on the results, a reporter from Armenian
television tried to found out, if there appeared any principally
new priorities in the ODKB work. “The priorities remain the same,”
explained Armenia president Robert Kocharyan. They presuppose working
in the direction of the struggle against terrorism, narcotic traffic
and all that what is now called ‘the new challenges’, in general.”
“But we must concentrate on the development of the methods”, he
highlighted. “I’ve already said and can repeat once again”, Vladimir
Putin had to enumerate again the priorities, to which he related the
development of collective collaboration in the anti-aircraft defense
sphere, production of the special military equipment, staff training.
“It was also rather useful to view the possibility of ODKB employment
for peacemaking activity”, added the Russian president.
In the rosiest light the ODKB perspectives are viewed by the president
of Byelorussia, Alexander Lukashenko. First, he explained that it was
“the most effective system in the post-Soviet area”. Then he noted
that the Russia-Byelorussian trainings were still “more profound”.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

INTRODUCTION OF DUAL CITIZENSHIP IN ARMENIA TO BECOME THREAT FOR ITS
NATIONAL SECURITY, ULB MEMBERS THINK
YEREVAN, JUNE 25. ARMINFO. If in the draft constitutional reforms of
Armenia the provision on permission of dual citizenship is not
withdrawn or it does not provide for that the persons, who possess the
status of dual citizen does not have the right to elect or to be
elected, then the United Labour Party will call on the society of the
country to vote against this document. ULP leader Gurgen Arsenian
stated during the news conference at the discussion club Azdak,
Saturday.
At the same time Arsenian said he does not care Armenia will be
expelled from the Council of Europe for that or not. “I will not allow
Armenia to become a field for experiments for internal and external
forces”, the ULP leader said. He stressed that the introduction of the
dual citizenship in Armenia may become a threat of national security
of the republic. “Nobody can guarantee that the same situation as in
Abkhazia, where the 80% of the population are at the same time
citizens of Georgia and Russia, will be created in Armenia after the
introduction of the dual citizenship in the republic”, Arsenian
said. According to him, the introduction of the dual citizenship in
Armenia will result in direct interference of foreign states in the
internal affairs of the republic. “The foreign super-powers will
motivate their interference in the internal process of Armenia by that
they defend the interests of their citizens, who at the same time are
citizens of Armenia”, Gurgen Arsenian said.
Arsenian blamed the ruling coalition for that it unwillingly agreed
with the remarks of the Venice Commission, and, at least adopted them
only under the pressure of the united Europe. Arsenian mentioned,
criticizing the ruling coalition he realized that the presidents is
its fourth side. At the same time the leader of the United Labour
Party declared of the draft constitutional amendments are adopted at
the referendum, then their party will obey the will of the people.
However, the ULP will continue explanation work among the society of
the country in order to prove that the revised Constitution does not
meet the interests of the Armenian people.
Arsenian welcomed the decision of the opposition to stop the boycott
and take part in the revision of the draft constitutional amendments,
as the opposition reached a deadlock, from where it can hardly go
out. According to him, inactivity of the opposition depraves the
power. He said in the period of the absence of the opposition at the
parliament the ULP had to fulfill its mission and the mission of
radical opposition. Arsenian said that during the two years of the
boycott the opposition showed the public that it is possible not to go
to work but receive salary.

Pan Armenian News
SYNOPSYS COMPANY PRESIDENT TO VISIT ARMENIA
25.06.2005 06:01
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ June 26-27 President of Synopsys Group famous company Aart
Degeus will pay a two-day visit to Armenia, SG Executive Director Hovik
Musaelyan stated in a conversation with .am reporter. In his words, within
the framework of the visit Aart Degeus will have a meeting with President of
Armenia Robert Kocharian and will discuss High Technology development
matters in Armenia with him. Musaelyan also reported A. Degeus will take
part in a ceremony of awarding diplomas to 64 graduates of the Faculty of
Circuits and Microelectronics Systems of State Engineering University of
Armenia. It should be reminded that Synopsys is the chip engineering world
leader. The company leaders have indicated many times the high level of
Armenian specialists in the sphere, as well as the advantageous geographic
location of Armenia that is a link between large markets of the region.

A1plus
| 16:21:49 | 22-06-2005 | Politics | PACE SUMMER SESSION 2005 |
AZERBAIJAN CALLING RF TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE STABILIZATION OF SOUTHERN
CAUCASUS
President of the Azeri delegation Samad Seyidov made speech during the
discussion of Russia meeting the commitments taken upon in front of the CoE.
«The Russian Federation is a very important country for us. RF does
everything to be integrated into Europe. If the process is difficult for
such small countries as ours is, we imagine how difficult it must be for
Russia», mentioned MR. Seyidov.
At the same time he did not deny that RF still has much to do and without
mentioning what it has to do he said, `Russia has done what seemed to be
impossible to do. We want to have a democratic Russia which will not use its
influence in Southern Caucasus but will contribute to the enhancing of peace
and stability in the region’, said the President of the Azeri delegation to
CoE.