Author: Chmshkian Vicken

California Courier Online, June 10, 2004
1 – Commentary
Azeri Student at American Univ.
In Bulgaria Threatens Armenians
By Harut Sassounian
California Courier Publisher
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2 – Isabel Bayrakdarian Captivates
Haigazian Auxiliary Audience
3 – St. Andrew Church
Hosts Festival in
Cupertino, June 27
4 – Registration Opens for
AGBU-AYA Summer
Basketball League
5 – Professional Society Launches
Outreach Program to Students
6 – Richard Mushegain Holds Winning
Ticket to Ararat Home’s Car Raffle
7 – Exhibit at UCLA to Feature Works
By Genocide Witness Armin Wegner
8 – Montebello Armenian Center Provides
After-School Tutoring for Students
9- Local Red Cross Chapter Honors UAF
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1 – Commentary
Azeri Student at American Univ.
In Bulgaria Threatens Armenians
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
Just when Armenians were recovering from the shocking murder of an Armenian
officer who was hacked to death by an Azeri classmate in a NATO Partnership
for Peace program (how ironic?) in Budapest, Hungary on February 19, an
Azeri in Bulgaria makes vicious and racist threats against Armenians.
Rauf Zeynalov, an Azeri student at the American University in Bulgaria
(AUBG), sent on April 30th a very vicious and obscene hate mail to Karen
Vrtanesyan, the web master of , in response to an
article condemning the murder by Ramil Safarov of an Armenian officer in
Hungary. In order to spare our readers’ sensibilities, I have deleted the
crude four-letter words used by Zeynalov in the following e-mail:
“Bitch, I have seen ur (sic) some inventions (sic) in the armenianhouse.org
forum for Ramil Safarov. I wanna (sic) say that Ramil … [expletive deleted]
that bitch armenian (sic) guy in Hungary and belive (sic) me that we, all
azeris (sic) will … [expletive deleted] ur (sic) and all armenians (sic)
mom. Actually, it was ur (sic) mom who was shouting last night in the bed
of one of azeris (sic). And me (sic) … [expletive deleted] ur (sic) sister
:::::::::)))))))) (sic). She was really cool 🙂 (sic). With the wish of …
[expletive deleted] all armenians (sic). By the way we are not gays, so for
sure we will … [expletive deleted] girls and women coming to u (sic), u
(sic) will be … [expletive deleted] in other ways 🙂 … [expletive deleted]
u (sic) !!!”
Vrtanesyan informed the officials of the American University in Bulgaria on
May 17 about the hate mail sent by one of their students, Rauf Zeynalov,
using the university’s e-mail system. Vrtanesyan sent to the University a
copy of Zeynalov’s obscene and threatening e-mail.
David C. Durst, the Interim Chief Academic Officer at the American
University in Bulgaria, immediately responded to Vrtanesyan by saying: “I
have received your letter. This is a serious allegation and I have opened
an investigation of the case.”
Four days later, on May 21, Durst sent the following e-mail to Vrtanesyan:
“I write to inform you of the action the AUBG Administration has taken in
response to the serious threats and offensive language the AUBG student
Rauf Zeynalov used in violation of AUBG’s written rules governing the use
of e-mail on campus. Rauf Zeynalov will not be attending the university
during the fall semester, and before he will be allowed to return to AUBG
he will be required to convince the University Administration to its
satisfaction that he understands the severity of his misguided action and
that he will maintain respect for and work cooperatively with others of
different backgrounds and opinions upon return to the University.”
Karen Vrtanesyan should be commended for bringing the offensive e-mail of
this Azeri hate monger to the immediate attention of the American
University in Bulgaria. David Durst and the officials of AUBG should also
be commended for their prompt action.
Readers should write to David Durst ([email protected]) suggesting that the
Azeri student should be expelled from the University rather than being
suspended just for one semester. Letters should also be sent to the Soros
Foundation’s Open Society Institute in Bulgaria ([email protected]) urging them
to rescind the scholarship they had awarded to Rauf Zeynalov for the full
cost of his educational expenses towards a Bachelor Degree at the American
University in Bulgaria.
Oskanian Responds to Column on David Phillips
In response to my column criticizing the moderator of TARC, David Phillips,
for writing a blatantly anti-Armenian commentary in the Wall Street
Journal, the Foreign Minister of Armenia, Mr. Vartan Oskanian, sent me his
reaction:
“The David Phillips article demonstrated either an alarming ignorance of
Armenia’s domestic and foreign policies and realities, or deliberate
distortion. To arrive at conclusions and make predictions based on wrong
information and inappropriate interpretations harms the international
community’s efforts to understand regional processes and developments. If
the reason was ignorance, this is unfortunate, since he had plenty of
opportunity and access to better information. If it was deliberate
distortion, this is even worse since he had cast himself in the role of
conciliator.”
I am pleased that Mr. Oskanian did respond to Phillips in a forthright
manner. After the highly offensive article that Phillips wrote in the Wall
Street Journal, he should no longer have any friends among Armenians.
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2 – Isabel Bayrakdarian Captivates
Haigazian Auxiliary Audience
PASADENA, CA – The Pasadena home of Dr. and Mrs. John Kassabian set the
background for the appearance of young Canadian-Armenian opera sensation
Isabel Bayrakdarian who captivated her audience at the May 20 benefit
luncheon of the Haigazian University Women’s Auxiliary. Bayrakdarian,
appearing in “The Marriage of Figaro” at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
through mid-June, has received outstanding reviews.
The diva was introduced by USC Music Professor Lucina Agbabian Hubbard, a
Haigazian Auxiliary past president, who read excerpts of Bayrakdarian press
reviews from around the world. She played several selections from Isabel’s
CBC album “Joyous Light,” a collection of Armenian liturgical music, and
from her Spanish and Latin award winning CD “Azualao.”
In speaking about her personal background in music, Bayrakdarian who has
sung on stages worldwide said that “it began in the Armenian Church” where
her mother was choir director. All of her brothers and sisters were
encouraged to participate in the liturgy, either musically or on the altar.
“Music refines the soul and it has brought out good qualities in me. Music
makes you think about humanity,” she reflected.
The young soprano, a native of Zahle, Lebanon, emigrated with her family
to Canada and, after receiving a degree in biomedical engineering, attended
the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. She commented on being
Armenian. “It’s easy to remain Armenian when you are in your homeland. It’s
difficult to remain Armenian when you are in the diaspora.” She stressed
how important it is to teach children about their heritage and language.
Displaying a unique maturity and spirituality, Isabel is grateful for being
blessed with so very much. “The least I can do,” she said “is to give back
to Him who kissed my throat when I was born. We can all do that with our
talents,” she added.
Bayrakdarian recently returned from her first trip to Armenia with a crew
from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation to film a documentary. She
immediately fell in love with the country of her ancestors. She was
thrilled to sing at the 13th century Geghart Monastery carved into the side
of a mountain. “I totally broke down when I went to Geghart. I’m so happy I
lived to see it.”
Rev. Dr. John Khanjian, immediate past president of Haigazian University,
offered the blessing and Auxiliary President Joyce Stein MC’d the program.
Stein thanked Isabel and recognized the audience for supporting the
University which is preparing to celebrate its 50th Anniversary in 2005.
She gave an optimistic report on the University in Beirut which presently
has the highest enrollment in its history. No qualified Armenian student
has ever been turned away from Haigazian because of lack of funds.
A scholarship will be presented this year in loving memory of Evelyn
Levonian who spent many years as an active member and was a past president
of the Auxiliary. She suffered a major stroke eleven years ago and was in
declining health until her passing on May 5.
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3 – St. Andrew Church
Hosts Festival in
Cupertino, June 27
CUPERTINO, CA – St. Andrew Armenian Church of Cupertino will hold its 40th
Annual Festival on June 27 from 11 am to 6 pm on the church grounds.
Featured will be Armenian food; a large variety of favorite Armenian
pastries; a DJ as well as a live band for folk dancing; boutique booths;
games for children, and much more.
Chairman of the Festival, Vahak Awadisian, invites everyone in the San
Francisco Bay Area to join the celebration of St. Andrew’s 40th summer
event.
On his committee are Co-Chairman Ben Toker, Tamara Warren, Mike Kuzirian,
Shant Krikorian, Dr. Peter Abaci and Nubar Manoukian – all members of the
St. Andrew Parish Council, with Fr. Datev Harutyunian, Pastor, as the
Advisor.
St. Andrew Church is located at 11370 S. Stelling Road (near Rainbow Drive
– 1-1/4 miles south of De Anza College) in Cupertino.
For information, call (408) 257-6743 during business hours.
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4 – Registration Opens for
AGBU-AYA Summer
Basketball League
PASADENA, Calif. – The AGBU San Fernando Valley and AGBU Pasadena Chapters,
in conjunction with the AGBU Southern California Central Sports Committee,
welcome and encourage parents to register their boys, ages 10-12 years old,
for the 2004 AGBU-AYA Summer Basketball League.
Team practices will be held from July 10 to Sept. 18, at both the Pasadena
and San Fernando Valley AGBU locations. Team practice days and times for
the AGBU Basketball League will be determined shortly. Actual basketball
games will be held within the aforementioned date period on Saturday at
both locations.
The registration fee is $125 per athlete. Registration forms must be
completed in their entirety. Please include a copy of the athlete’s birth
certificate. Completed applications must be mailed by the June 25, 2004
deadline to either one of the following addresses:
AGBU Valley Chapter, Attn: Summer Basketball League, 6844 Oakdale Ave.,
Canoga Park, CA 91306 or AGBU Pasadena Chapter, Attn: Summer
Basketball League, 2495 E. Mountain Ave., Pasadena CA 91104.
All registered athletes must attend the initial tryout/draft between 1-3:30
pm on July 10, at either the AGBU Manoogian-Demirjian School’s gymnasium in
Canoga Park, or at the AGBU Pasadena gymnasium.
For further information, contact the AGBU Pasadena Center at (626)
794-7942, or the AGBU San Fernando Valley Center at (818) 313-9449 or via
email at [email protected]
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5 – Professional Society Launches
Outreach Program to Students
LOS ANGELES – The Armenian Professional Society (APS) has embarked on an
educational “Student Outreach Program” (SOP) to encourage college education
and familiarize Armenian high school students with the various professions
available to them.
The first SOP presentation was conducted on May 25, at Armenian Mesrobian
School in Pico Rivera. In light of the limited number of Armenian men and
women entering the field of engineering, the subject of the presentation
was “A Career in Engineering.”
APS’ 2nd vice president, Ronnie Nazeley, a graduate of USC with a BS degree
in Chemical Engineering, made the presentation to approximately 50 high
school students, in English and Armenian.
The presentation discussed the various engineering disciplines and the
required curriculum. The presentation dealt with the employment options
upon graduation and the various industries available to engineers, such as
aerospace, petrochemical, power generation, defense, automobile, and
computer. The presentation along with the Q&A session lasted for about 35
minutes and it was well received by the Mesrobian students.
Future presentations will be available in the fields of art, architecture,
finance, medicine and law. Schools interested in a presentation may
contact the APS at P.O. Box 1944, Glendale, CA 91209-1944 or by email at
[email protected].
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6 – Richard Mushegain Holds Winning
Ticket to Ararat Home’s Car Raffle
MISSION HILLS, Calif. – The Ararat Home of Los Angeles held the drawing of
their “Put a Mercedes in Your Garage or $50,000 in Your Bank,” raffle on
May 29 at the Mission Hills campus.
The winning ticket was 997 and was purchased by Richard Mushegain, who
decided to receive the cash prize rather than the car.
Over 300 people were in attendance to observe the raffle ticket drawing
made by Edward Abrahamian, a 100-year-old resident of the Ararat Nursing
Facility.
“Since all of the 1500 tickets were sold, the event was a tremendous
success,” said Board Chairman Robert Taylor. “Without the support of the
Lady Auxiliary and the Guilds as well as the Board Trustees and the
Armenian community, we could not have done it.”
During the Sunday afternoon event, Cong. Brad Sherman (D-27th District),
presented to the Ararat Home an American Flag flown over the Capitol in
Washington, D.C. on April 24, 2004. A member of the Congressional Caucus on
Armenian Issues, Cong. Sherman has been very supportive of Armenia, Nagorno
Karabagh and other Armenian-related issues in Congress.
The Mercedes dealer in Encino, John Steigler, who helped support the
Raffle, presented his remarks of support of the Armenian community to the
attendees.
Wine and mezzas were provided by Arut’s catering.
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7- Exhibit at UCLA to Feature Works
By Genocide Witness Armin Wegner
LOS ANGELES – A photo exhibition entitled “Armin T. Wegner & The Armenians
in Anatolia: 1915-1916” will take place at UCLA from June 13 to July 3, at
the Kerckhoff Grand Salon on Westwood Plaza.
The exhibition is produced by the Armin T. Wegner Society of USA in
cooperation with the Narekatsi Chair at UCLA, supported by German archives,
as well as Sybil Stevens and Mischa Wegner for Wegner family.
Initiated by Dr. Pietro Kuciukian, the exhibition was held in over 80
locations in Italy, which led to the ultimate recognition of the Armenian
Genocide by the Italian government.
Armin T. Wegner was a German intellectual, expressionist writer and poet,
civil rights advocate, anti-war activist, photojournalist, and eyewitness
to the Armenian Genocide.
He served as a medical nurse in the Turkish army during WWI. As a personal
caretaker of Field Marshal von der Goltz, he traveled with him along the
Baghdad railroad in Mesopotamia, where he witnessed the Armenian Genocide.
Disobeying orders which were intended to stifle news of the massacres, he
gathered information on the Genocide – collected notes, annotations,
documents, letters and took hundreds of photographs in the Armenian
deportation camps – visible proof of the first systematic genocide of the
twentieth century. At the request of the Turkish Command, Wegner was
eventually arrested by the Germans and was recalled to Germany. His
photographs were confiscated and destroyed, however, he managed to smuggle
some emulsions in his belt with images from the Armenian Genocide.
On June 13, at 4 p.m., the award winning film, “Destination Nowhere: The
Witness,” a documentary by Carlo Massa, will be screened at the Kerckhoff
Grand Salon. Guest speaker will be Armin T. Wegner’s son, Mischa Wegner.
Seating is limited, so please RSVP by e-mailing your name and number of
attendees to [email protected].
****************************************************************
8 – Montebello Armenian Center Provides
After-School Tutoring for Students
MONTEBELLO, Calif. – Starting May 25, After School Tutoring will be
provided free at the Montebello Armenian Center for Armenian students of
all grades, announced a spokesperson for the AYF Vahan Cardashian Chapter.
The chapter, along with the Center Executive Committee, has provided a
state-of-the art computer facility for homework, projects, and research
papers by students from Armenian or public schools. There is no charge for
the use of the facility.
Computer hardware includes four Dell 4600 PCs, color printers, and
scanners. Software provided include Word, Excel, PowerPoint, FrontPage,
Encyclopedia Encarta, and Armenian Language.
Free tutoring subjects include Math, Sciences, History, English, Armenian,
and more.
Students are invited to make use of the facilities every Tuesdays,
Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The Montebello Armenian Center is located at 420 W. Washington Blvd., in
Montebello.
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9 – Local Red Cross Chapter Honors UAF
By Darleene Barrientos
News-Press
GLENDALE — When the local Armenian-American community rallied to collect
medical and school supplies for Armenia, it gave the local Red Cross
chapter a valuable learning experience.
Now, the Glendale-Crescenta Valley Chapter of the Red Cross paid back the
favor by giving the United Armenian Fund its annual Good Neighbor award.
The award was presented at the chapter’s annual meeting June 2 at the
Glendale Hilton. The meeting celebrated the chapter’s 87 years of service
in the community.
The UAF helped pay for the two shipments the Red Cross gathered last year,
helped the Red Cross figure out what would benefit Armenia and assisted the
chapter’s fundraising efforts, said Ron Farina, the chapter’s executive
director.
Their assistance was invaluable because it was the first time the chapter
had undertaken such a project, he added. The UAF led a fund drive and
helped pay for the shipments of 20 pallets of surgical prep trays and 35
chests of school supplies that were flown to Armenia.
“They gave us guidance on what we should look for and how we should conduct
fundraising in the Armenian community,” Farina said.
The chapter collected nearly $5,000 from local Armenian Americans in
Glendale.
“They provided great insight and expertise in what we haven’t been in
before,” assistant chapter manager Irena Efremian said. “They guided us
from A through Z — they were very diligent in explaining what we could do
and not do.”
Receiving the Clara Barton Award was outgoing board member Mary Ann
Plumley, for her outstanding service and dedication of working with the
local Realtor Board and community in promoting Red Cross activities.
Donald A. Huffsmith Jr. was installed as the Red Cross chapter’s incoming
chairman.
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Russian ex-premier Yevgeniy Primakov warns against anti-Americanism
NTV Mir, Moscow
6 Jun 04
Russia has maintained its opposition to US policy on Iraq, but has
wisely avoided a damaging lapse into anti-Americanism, ex-premier
Yevgeniy Primakov told Russian NTV Mir television.
Primakov said Moscow had been against US policy on Iraq in
circumvention of the UN from the very start, and “we have stuck to
our position”.
“But if we had allowed this policy to develop into anti-Americanism,
we would have lost out… Could you imagine antiterrorist activity
against international terrorism – this is the main threat – being
pursued without the Americans? Could it be done? Could we now seek to
do something against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction
without the Americans?”
Primakov, who heads the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry,
denied Russian business interests in Iraq had suffered as a result
of the US-led war.
“I just want to say that it was necessary to prevent this from
developing into an anti-American tendency. What would we have
achieved? A return to the cold war? Would you have withstood an arms
race, I ask you now?” he said rhetorically on the “Orange Juice”
interview programme.
Primakov told presenter Vladimir Solovyev he had just been to the
Armenian capital, Yerevan, for a children’s festival and he did not
think that a conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia was imminent as
“everyone understands” that peaceful methods are needed.
Territorial integrity, he said, is an “incontrovertible value”, and
“today one must speak of self-determination without it necessarily
leading to separation”.

OSCE hails release of Armenian oppositionist prisoners
Pravda
15:41 2004-06-05
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is
satisfied with the release from prison of Aramazd Zakarian and Zhora
Sapeian of the Armenian opposition Republican Party and the abolition
of charge against them.
This is mentioned in the statement of the head of the OSCE Yerevan
office, Vladimir Pryakhin, published by the OSCE secretariat in Vienna
on Friday.
The OSCE also approves the actions of the Armenian authorities
releasing Suren Sureniants of the same party and hopes that
investigation against him will be ended.
Vladimir Pryakhin’s statement reads: “The OSCE hopes that this step
taken by the Armenian authorities will promote political dialogue
between the opposition and the ruling coalition of Armenia and boost
stabilization in this country”.
Simultaneously, the head of the OSCE mission in Yerevan expressed
regret over the limitation of the human rights to the freedom of
assembly and speech in Armenia, a signatory of the OSCE main provisions
and the Istanbul Charter.
Mr. Pryakhin also stressed that the OSCE Yerevan office was going
to continue to closely monitor political developments in Armenia and
support democratic processes on-going there.

Who’s Hanging Tough in NATO?
by Vladimir Socor
The Moscow Times
June 3, 2004 Thursday
For all the problems and challenges it now faces, NATO can celebrate
a triumph in Istanbul at its upcoming summit. Seven countries from
the Baltic to the Black Sea have completed the accession procedures
and will for the first time attend NATO’s summit as members. This —
along with the previous accession round by three Central European
countries — represents the alliance’s greatest strategic, political
and moral victory in its 55-year history. It is, moreover, the right
basis for building NATO’s future — because its essential missions
will henceforth focus on theaters to the east of its new perimeter,
beyond the Black Sea.
Predictions that the enlargement would turn NATO into an ineffective
political body akin to the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe have been laid to rest by the performance of the new member
countries. Their entry contributes significantly to the alliance’s
political cohesion even as this asset shows signs of fraying on the
older, western flank.
If anything, the OSCE’s culture of compromise and consensus with
those opposed to Western values seems right now to be seeping in
via older allies. How else to explain the suggestion from several
Western European governments that NATO needs to make a special
effort and invite President Vladimir Putin in order to ensure a
“successful summit”?
In truth, the alliance’s seven-country enlargement, and the about as
many countries that will confirm their membership aspirations at the
summit, give the real measure of the alliance’s permanent viability
and appeal. Can anyone argue that NATO really needs a photo op with
the restorer of Russian autocracy as a demonstration of its success?
Some, apparently, argue that it does, as seen from NATO
Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer’s efforts to secure Putin’s
presence at the Istanbul summit. The NATO leader made that invitation
publicly in Moscow on April 8 and has repeated it several times
since then; most recently in his May 17 speech in Brussels, saying:
“I hope that the conditions will be right for him to come to Istanbul.”
We don’t know what these conditions would be; but we do know that
Putin is playing hard to get. He says he’s considering the invitation,
but that his advisers tell him he shouldn’t go. Translation: The
conditions are not right and should be improved.
Putin’s conditions include: continuing tolerance of Russia’s breaches
of the 1999-adapted Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe and
associated commitments on the alliance’s southern flank; and —
those breaches notwithstanding — an allied move toward ratification
of that same treaty so as to place the three Baltic states under
its restrictions.
Approved at the OSCE’s 1999 Istanbul summit, the adapted CFE treaty
and the documents known as the Istanbul Commitments form twin parts
of a single package. From Istanbul 1999 to Istanbul 2004, what is the
balance sheet on implementation? To make a long, technical story short,
the following stipulations remain unimplemented to date:
Setting a firm and realistic date (three years would amply suffice)
on the closure of Russia’s Batumi and Akhalkalaki military bases
in Georgia.
Closing the Gudauta base in Georgia, which Russia was required to close
back in 2001. Since then, Russia has been offered the alternative
option of handing Gudauta to a UN observer mission in Georgia’s
secessionist region of Abkhazia.
Withdrawing all Russian troops from Moldova’s Transdnestr region —
a move that Russia was required unconditionally to complete in 2002.
Liquidating the stocks of Russian-supplied combat hardware
(“unaccounted-for treaty-limited equipment”) deployed with Abkhazian
and Transdnestr forces, as well as with Armenian forces beyond Nagorny
Karabakh, inside Azerbaijan proper.
The verification provisions in both the CFE treaty and the Istanbul
Commitments are also being breached, and the treaty’s hallowed
principle of host-country consent (no country may station its forces
on another country’s territory without freely given consent) is simply
being flouted here on the southern flank.
The treaty is meant to be legally binding once it enters into force;
the commitments are defined as “politically binding,” whatever
that means. To Moscow, by all evidence, neither set of documents is
binding — unless the West makes clear that commitments are binding
by definition.
Russian diplomacy wants NATO to:
Give up the linkage between ratification of the CFE treaty and
fulfillment of the Istanbul Commitments.
Accept Russian promises to fulfill some of those outstanding
commitments some time in the future, in lieu of actual fulfillment,
and even give up on implementation in some cases.
Several Western European governments have signaled an inclination to
go along with such a scenario. Some have asked Georgia and Moldova
to consent to Russian retention of Gudauta and of the “peacekeeping
troops” in Transdnestr (this would bestow host-country consent on
those foreign forces).
When NATO’s secretary-general and the OSCE’s chairman-in-office state
publicly that Russia should remove its arsenals from Moldova without
mentioning the commitment to withdraw its troops, Moscow reads this
as a message that it can keep troops in place.
Whether at the summit or in some other NATO forum, the alliance cannot
avoid addressing the issue of peacekeeping and conflict resolution on
its own vital strategic perimeter. Thirteen years after the end of
the Soviet Union, peacekeeping in this region remains, in practice,
Moscow’s monopoly, which only serves to freeze the political
settlements of the conflicts.
Two years ago, NATO and the United States seemed set to engage jointly
with Russia in peace-support operations and conflict-resolution
efforts in Moldova, Georgia and the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. These
intentions figured prominently in the joint communiques in May 2002
of the U.S.-Russia and NATO-Russia summits. However, nothing further
has been heard about these intentions since those summits.
To be sure, U.S. forces and resources are now overextended worldwide.
But there is a strong case to be made for European allies taking the
lead in peace-support operations and conflict settlement in the Black
Sea-South Caucasus region, Europe’s doorstep.
European NATO allies complain of a shortfall in deployable forces
against a vast backdrop of static forces in the homelands. In any case,
peacekeeping and conflict resolution in this region need be neither
large-scale, nor predominantly military. On the contrary, they should
be compact and should emphasize the civilian aspect of peace support.
The United States, NATO and the European Union have strategic
and democratic motivation, as well as the means, to initiate a
transformation of peacekeeping and conflict resolution at this
crossroads, where the access routes to the greater Middle East and
the energy transit routes to Europe intersect. This must become a
Euro-Atlantic priority. The NATO summit agenda would be incomplete
if it did not address, or at least set the stage for addressing soon,
this imperative.
Vladimir Socor is a senior fellow of the Washington-based Jamestown
Foundation, publishers of the Eurasia Daily Monitor. This comment is
reprinted from Friday’s edition of The Wall Street Journal.

Armenian president, US official discuss Millennium Challenge project
Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
1 Jun 04
[Presenter] Armenia today received the first official congratulations
on its participation in the Millennium Challenge programme. Armenian
President Robert Kocharyan, CEO of the Millennium Challenge Corporation
Paul Applegarth and three MPs noted during their meeting today that
Armenia, as a country which is demonstrating efforts towards stable
development, has been recognized as a winner in the competition for
participation in the programme that involves many countries. According
to the head of the delegation, the US government’s assistance is
intended to ensure a stable economic growth in developing countries.
Paul Applegarth familiarized Robert Kocharyan with the conditions
of assistance.
For his part, Robert Kocharyan said that significant efforts are
required to achieve success in future activities. This is a good
opportunity to improve the situation in the country and create serious
conditions for future development, the president noted, expressing
the hope that the budding cooperation of the states will be effective
and consistent.
[Correspondent over video of meeting] Paul Applegarth is in Armenia on
two occasions. First, to congratulate Armenia on its participation in
the Millennium Challenge programme and to familiarize our government
with the details of the programme. Mr Applegarth has met the speaker
of the National Assembly [Artur Bagdasaryan] and the prime minister
[Andranik Markaryan]. After the meeting with journalists, he handed
over official congratulations to President Kocharyan. The member
countries of the programme must follow three standards: to promote
economic freedom, govern fairly and invest in people. Sixteen countries
out of 85 have been elected. Armenia has been selected according to
positive indicators achieved in these three directions.
[Paul Applegarth, in English with Armenian voice-over] Armenia has
been included in the green zone on this list. There are also red and
light green zones. The Armenian government’s policy must be directed
at eliminating them [as heard]. We shall succeed in this with the
help of the programme.
[Correspondent] Paul Applegarth familiarized the country’s leadership
with the conditions of the programme. The US government will follow
the implementation of the programme whose success will also depend on
continuing financing. It is necessary to preserve the success achieved
in these fields and to submit relevant requirements for financing.
[Paul Applegarth] Armenia has been chosen in the Millennium Challenge
programme because it has a high rating, but we shall not allocate
the funds immediately. First of all, it is necessary to submit a
programme of proposals, which will ensure stable economic development.
[Correspondent] Two months have been given to the Armenian government
for choosing the programme’s successiveness. The heads of the
delegation suggested that the Armenian side should not hurry. It is
necessary to discuss and then submit proposals. Because the financing
depends mainly on that.
For the implementation of the Millennium Challenges programme, the US
government has allocated 1bn dollars to all its member states in 2004,
and 2.5bn dollars will be allocated next year.
Elmira Shakaryan for “Aylur”.

Lawyer to Stars Leads Peterson Defense
By BRIAN SKOLOFF, Associated Press Writer
Newsday.com
Tuesday, June 1, 2004
May 31, 2004, 2:52 PM EDT
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. — The attorney who is Scott Peterson’s best
hope of not being convicted of murdering his pregnant wife and their
fetus is a lawyer to the stars, a man who charms jurors, attorneys
and judges with an easygoing style. Mark Geragos says he is committed
to fighting for underdogs.
“The whole idea … is to defend people and to fight for their rights
and their liberties,” Geragos said.
Geragos has said police and prosecutors did all they could to convict
Peterson in the court of public opinion before a gag order was imposed
on the case.
That’s one reason why he is so chummy with reporters, in stark contrast
to prosecutors in the case. “What drives me just crazy is when I think
that somebody is getting a raw deal,” he explained in an interview.
Geragos gained public attention after he secured an acquittal for
Whitewater figure Susan McDougal and took on the cases of actress
Winona Ryder and former congressman Gary Condit.
Beyond the cameras’ glare, Geragos is committed to his job, his family
and his Armenian-American culture.
“Being Armenian and having all four of my grandparents who fled
genocide, I have a great and deep and abiding appreciation for what
it’s like to be the subject of tyranny,” Geragos said.
One of his proudest achievements is a settlement in January that
went mostly unnoticed. The descendants of some 1.5 million Armenians
who were killed nearly 90 years ago in the Turkish Ottoman Empire
will share in a $20 million settlement for unpaid life insurance
benefits. The class action took four years of work.
Married with two children, Geragos, 46, is managing partner of a Los
Angeles law firm that includes his father and brother.
He had been defending both Peterson and Michael Jackson, until the
pop star complained his child molestation defense wasn’t getting
enough attention. Geragos shrugged off his firing, saying only that
“I truly, truly wish him well and am hopeful for a favorable outcome
for Michael.”
Geragos has lost his share of cases, but even the best lose some, said
Shepard Kopp, a lawyer at his firm. “That’s the ultimate challenge. As
a trial lawyer, you take cases that appear to be unwinnable and you
find a way to win.”
Copyright © 2004, The Associated Press

PRESS RELEASE
MIDDLE EAST & MIDDLE EASTERN AMERICAN CENTER
The Graduate Center
City University of New York
365 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10016-4309
Tel: 212-817-7570
Fax: 212-817-1542
Email: [email protected]
Taner Akçam
Talk and Book Signing for
“From Empire to Republic:Turkish Nationalism and the Armenian Genocide”
Dr. Akçam will examine the relationship between Turkey’s transition
from Ottoman Empire to Turkish Republic in the opening decades of
the 20th century, the Armenian Genocide of 1915, and the process of
democratization in Turkey today. He will analyze the socio-political
and historical factors behind that complex and crucial history,
and provide a framework for understanding Turkish nationalism and
its on-going relationship to the Armenian Genocide.
Contextualizing the long-term development of Turkey and the reasons
for Turkish silence and denial regarding the Armenian Genocide,
Akçam will discuss the role of the Armenian Genocide in the process
of democratization in Turkey today. Through an exploration of the
obstacles to dialogue, he will offer some hope for reconciliation
between the Turkish and Armenian communities.
Taner Akçam is currently Visiting Associate Professor in the Department
of History, University of Minnesota. He was born in the province
of Kars-Ardahan in the northeast of Turkey and became interested in
Turkish politics at an early age. In 1977 he settled in Germany as a
political refugee. Akçam received his Ph.D. from Hanover University
with a dissertation titled, Turkish Nationalism and the Armenian
Genocide: On the Background of the Military Tribunals in Istanbul
Between 1919 and 1922. He has since published five books and half
a dozen articles on the topic in Turkish and German. From Empire to
Republic was published in March 2004 by Zed Books, London.
Friday June 4, 2004,6:30-8:30 pm
Elebash Recital Hall
Co-sponsored by the Zoryan Institute (Toronto)
Books will be available for purchase
Admission free, but voluntary donations welcome

Armenia met most of European body’s demands, official says
Mediamax news agency
31 May 04
Yerevan, 31 May: A delegation of the monitoring committee of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) will visit
Armenia on 14-17 June. This was announced by Jerzy Jaskiernia, PACE’s
co-rapporteur on Armenia, at a meeting with Deputy Speaker of the
National Assembly Tigran Torosyan today, the press service of the
National Assembly told Mediamax news agency.
At Jaskiernia’s request, Torosyan commented on the domestic political
situation in Armenia and the implementation of the resolutions passed
at the winter and spring sessions of the PACE. Torosyan said that
the opposition had rejected the proposals of the ruling coalition for
resolving the existing problems through a political agreement. Instead
the opposition opted for the tactics of staging demonstrations.
Torosyan said that the Armenian authorities met most of the demands
of the PACE resolutions, and that a detailed report will be prepared
before the visit of the monitoring committee.
Responding to Jaskiernia’s question on bringing to book those who
violated laws during the latest presidential and parliamentary
elections in Armenia, Torosyan said that the Prosecutor-General’s
Office had recently submitted additional material on those cases. This
document will be discussed by the National Assembly when the temporary
parliamentary commission on European integration will deliver its
report, Torosyan said.
If need be, the additional material on the case will be submitted to
the monitoring committee during its visit to Yerevan, he said.

Armenian leader favours integration into “family of democratic countries”
Mediamax news agency
27 May 04
Yerevan, 27 May: Armenian President Robert Kocharyan said in Yerevan
today that “Armenia will continue its way to full integration into
the family of democratic countries, which requires lengthy and
consistent work”.
According to Mediamax, Kocharyan said this at a meeting with the
ambassadors of foreign countries to Armenia, whose residences are
outside Armenia.
“Attaching special importance to Armenia’s close cooperation with
European and other international organizations, we believe that
our country should keep abreast of the modern world,” Kocharyan
said. According to him, loyalty to the complementary policy, which
became the basis of Armenia’s foreign policy several years ago,
has yielded rather serious results.
Speaking about the economic situation in the country, Kocharyan added
that the first stage of reforms had ended. This is proved by the
stable pace of economic growth and good macroeconomic indices, which
have been maintained over the last few years. Despite this, Kocharyan
said, part of Armenia’s population lives on the verge of poverty, and
a solution to this problem is the Armenian government’s priority today.
Kocharyan said that he welcomed the idea of an annual meeting in
Yerevan between the non-resident ambassadors. According to him, regular
meetings of this kind with the diplomats, who do not permanently
live on Armenian territory, “will allow us to present the processes
in the country in a better way”.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL REPORT
A1 Plus | 20:32:05 | 27-05-2004 | Politics |
Amnesty International organization has issued its annual report. The
organization placed it on record that hundreds of the opposition
supporters had been arrested during both presidential and parliamentary
elections in Armenia. Facts of stealing ballot box and committing
violence against international observers were mentioned in the report
as well.
Some 100 people were tried and convicted behind closed doors, the
report says.
Amnesty International also says in its report that justice principles
were infringed in the trial of Nari Hunanyan, the key perpetrator of
the October 27 terrorist attack: “There is some concern in Armenia
that justice failed”.
At the same time, the report noted with satisfaction that Armenia
managed to abolish death penalty ahead of the trial end.