Author: Ekmekjian Janet

Armenia Reports Arrest in Smuggling Case
AP Online
Mar 18, 2005

Armenian police have made arrests in connection with an alleged plot
uncovered by U.S. authorities to smuggle Russian military weapons into
the United States, a security official said Thursday.
Security officials would not say how many people had been arrested in
Armenia, or even when the arrests took place. But Grach Arutyunian,
first deputy of the National Security Service, said one of the
suspects in the United States, Artur Solomonyan, has lived in America
since he became an exchange student in 1998.
The security service said Wednesday that Solomonyan has been wanted by
police in Armenia since 2001 on suspicion of avoiding military
service.
Earlier this week, U.S. authorities announced they had charged 18
people in the scheme. The arrests resulted from a yearlong
investigation in which an FBI informant posed as an arms buyer who
claimed to have ties to al-Qaida.
The informant, an explosives expert, contacted the FBI after he was
approached by a man who said he had access to weapons from the former
Soviet Union and believed the informant could find a willing buyer,
federal prosecutors said.
Using a digital camera, members of the ring, which included Armenians
and South Africans, provided pictures of the weapons they said they
had available for sale, prosecutors said.
The pictures, apparently taken somewhere in Armenia, showed anti-tank
missiles, a Russian missile launcher and an anti-tank rifle, among
other weapons, officials said.
According to a criminal complaint unsealed in U.S. District Court in
Manhattan, the informant met two of the defendants, Artur Solomonyan
and Christiaan Dewet Spies, on several occasions in New York to
discuss the weapons deals.
Solomonyan, an Armenian citizen living in New York and Los Angeles,
and Spies, a South African citizen living in New York, were arrested
Monday night at a Manhattan hotel after meeting one last time with the
informant to finalize their plans before leaving the country to obtain
the weapons, prosecutors alleged.

“WITHDRAWAL OF RUSSIAN TROOPS WILL MEAN END OF ARMENIA”, LEADER OF
ARMENIAN COMMUNISTS THINKS
YEREVAN, MARCH 16. ARMINFO. “Only the politicians, registered in the
Washington Personnel Department, may speak today of the necessity of
withdrawal of Russian military bases from Armenia”. First Secretary of
Communist Party of Armenia Ruben Tovmasian expressed such an opinion
talking to ARMINFO, commenting on the statements of several
politicians on the necessity of Armenia’s integration into NATO with
the follow-up withdrawal of the Russian contingent from Armenia.
According to Ruben Tovmasian, to require the withdrawal of Russian
troops, possessing such a blood0thirsty neighbor like Turkey, means to
initiate repetition of the 1915. “The withdrawal of the Russian troops
will mean the end of Armenia”, the leader of Armenian communists
stressed, reminding that the three centuries old history of
Russian-Armenian relations knew both rises and recessions, but at the
same time these relations have never cooled down. Tovmasian considered
indisputable the fact of the anti-Armenian position of western
countries. In particular, no one of the leaders of the United States
has ever delivered the word “genocide” in the estimation of the famous
events in Western Armenia at the beginning of last century. At the
same time, Russia takes steps towards international recognition of the
genocide of the Armenians in Ottoman empire. Thus, through the
assistance of the Communist party of Russian Federation in Jan of the
current year the communists of Armenia succeeded to achieve
condemnation of the Genocide in the Union of communist
parties. According to Ruben Tovmasian, the communist parties of remote
foreign countries, as well as socialist forces in Latin American and
European countries now are joining the process of recognition of the
Genocide.

Associated Press Worldstream
March 15, 2005 Tuesday 9:06 AM Eastern Time
World Figure Skating Championships Results
MOSCOW
Results Tuesday from the World Figure Skating Championships at the
Luzhniki Sports Palace (ranking of participants with identical
secores is determined by tie-breaker):
Ice Dance
Compulsory Dance
1. Tatiana Navka and Roman Kostomarov, Russia, 45.97 points.
2. Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto, United States, 42.18.
3. Elena Grushina and Ruslan Goncharov, Ukraine, 41.30.
4. Albena Denkova and Maxim Staviski, Bulgaria, 40.81.
5. Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon, Canada, 40.51.
6. Isabelle Delobel and Olivier Schoenfelder, France, 40.51.
7. Galit Chait and Sergei Sakhnovski, Israel, 39.13.
8. Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin, Russia, 36.26.
9. Federica Faiella and Massimo Scali, Italy, 36.19.
10. Megan Wing and Aaron Lowe, Canada, 35.11.
11. Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov, United States, 34.40.
12. Sinead Kerr and John Kerr, Britain, 32.63.
13. Svetlana Kulikova and Vitali Novikov, Russia, 31.21.
14. Kristin Fraser and Igor Lukanin, Azerbaijan, 31.16.
15. Nora Hoffmann and Attila Elek, Hungary, 30.17.
16. Nathlaie Pechalat and Fabien Bourzat, France, 30.00.
17. Nozomi Watanabe and Akiyuki Kido, Japan, 29.20.
18. Anastasia Grebenkina and Vazgen Azrojan, Armenia, 28.53.
19. Natalia Gudina and Alexei Beletski, Israel, 28.40.
20. Yang Fang and Gao Chongbo , China, 27.57.
21. Christina Beier and William Beier, Germany, 27.24.
22. Alexandra Kauc and Michael Zych, Poland, 26.58.
23. Julia Golovina and Oleg Voiko, Ukraine, 25.24.
24. Olga Akimova and Alexander Shakalov, Uzbekistan, 24.25.
25. Laura Munana and Luke Munana, Mexico, 23.95.
26. Alessia Aurelli and Andrea Vaturi, Italy, 23.83.
27. Judith Haunstetter and Arne Hoenlein, Germany, 22.91.
28. Natalie Buck and Trent Nelson-Bond, Australia, 21.85.
29. Daniela Keller and Fabian Keller, Switzerland, 21.05.
30. Anna Galcheniuk and Oleg Krupen, Belarus, 13.36.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Slovene OSCE chair stresses resolve to stop intolerance, discrimination
STA news agency, Ljubljana
15 Mar 05
GENEVA
The OSCE is determined to stop intolerance and discrimination, OSCE
Chairman-in-Office and Slovene Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel
underscored in his address to the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva
on Tuesday [15 March].
“In order to firmly embed basic human rights in our societies, we have
to raise awareness among the youth. The Slovene OSCE chairmanship will
therefore dedicate special attention to human rights education,” Rupel
told the assembly.
We have to gradually create an environment that will support cultural
diversity and the integration of migrants, he also said.
In its political and military dimension, the OSCE insists on the
preservation of fundamental human rights principles even when facing
security challenges, according to Rupel.
“Slovenia advocates the promotion and respect of human rights, and
supports the activities of the UN Commission and its mechanisms,” he
stressed.
On the margins of the session, Rupel is expected to meet later today
his Armenian counterpart Vardan Oskanyan and ICRC [International
Committee of the Red Cross] Director General Jakob Kellenberger.

The Oregonian, OR
March 15 2005
3 charged in scheme to steal IDs in fraud case
The three men, all illegal immigrants, are suspected of being part of
an international gang that launders money
JOSEPH ROSE
Police detectives were expecting Kenneth Emina to walk into a
Portland brokerage firm in late January.

Several undercover cops spent the afternoon in the office, posing as
employees and customers, waiting to nab the suspected money launderer
from Nigeria.
What they didn’t anticipate, they said, was Enima spilling the
intricate details of an international gang of thieves at the sign of
the first badge.
“He started giving us names, details, everything, right there,” said
Portland police Detective John Kuechler. “We had to shut him up long
enough to read him his rights.”
Standing in the financial office, Enima, 37, outlined for
investigators a million-dollar fraud ring that was laundering money
through Portland’s financial community.
Police arrested Enima; Francis J. Osai, 35, thought to be from
Nigeria; and Ari Gokbas, 35, an Armenian-Turk. They face charges of
identity theft and first-degree aggravated theft.
The three men, all illegal immigrants from California, stole the
identity of 17 people in 11 states before traveling to Portland in
January, police said. None of the victims was from Oregon.
Using credit cards and fake California driver’s licenses, the trio
allegedly withdrew money from their victims’ commercial bank accounts
at several Portland area branches.
They then attempted to launder the money through brokerage firm
accounts, Kuechler said.
“They had beautiful, beautiful California ID’s,” he said, adding that
the pictures on the fake driver’s licenses were actually sharper than
usual.”
The men are suspected of writing nearly $1 million in checks using
the victims’ accounts, and were in the early stages of pulling the
money out of brokerage accounts, Kuechler said.
In one case, he said, a suspect asked a brokerage firm to make out a
check to a third party and took it across the street to a bank to
cash it with a fake driver’s license.
Police were tipped off by a bank investigator Jan. 26.
Enima had asked a brokerage firm to cut him four checks worth a total
of $36,000 shortly after depositing money into an account, police
said. Suspicious employees at the firm told Enima to come back later
for the checks and called the bank investigator.
Enima and Osai are being held by Homeland Security. Ari Gokbas is
expected to be arraigned in the next week. Federal investigators also
have arrested two men they say were connected to the ring in
California.
Authorities suspect the men were working with someone in Nigeria,
where fraud is one of the top three industries.
“The ultimate goal of these guys,” Kuechler said, “was to wire these
funds to another location, where someone could pick it up and run
with it.”

Providence Journal , RI
March 14 2005
Symposium on genocide today at RIC

01:00 AM EST on Monday, March 14, 2005

Five years ago, the Genocide Education Bill was passed into law in
Rhode Island, but not all the state’s school systems have
incorporated the corresponding curricula. But a symposium organized
by several local educators that is scheduled to take place today may
change that.
The first genocide education symposium in the state is being held at
Rhode Island College’s Gaige Hall. It will feature noted authors and
professors, as well as U.S. Sen. Jack Reed and U.S. Rep. James R.
Langevin.
Esther Kalajian said that she and co-organizer Pauline Getzoyan
embarked on “a two-year labor of love to promote genocide education
in our schools,” that led to today’s symposium. The Armenian National
Committee of Rhode Island and the Armenian Martyrs’ Memorial
Committee of Rhode Island have lent their support.
Kalajian, an educator and parent, whose own parents “were very
dedicated teachers themselves,” said that “this was a cause that I
believed in.”
The speakers include Peter Balakian, author of The Burning Tigris;
Judith Claire Mitchell, author of The Last Day of the War; Jim
Fussell, director of Prevent Genocide International; Jimmie Jones of
Facing History and Ourselves; George Aghjayan of the Eastern Region
Board of the Armenian National Commtitee of America, and Dr. Henry
Theriault, associate professor of philosophy at Worcester State
College.
The sessions will cover topics including the writing process and the
effects of uncovering history, genocide denial, labeling and
genocide, when neighbor turns against neighbor, legislation and
foreign policy.
The bill that passed in 2000 was sponored by former state Rep. Aram
Garabedian. It opened the door for elementary and secondary educators
to develop curriculum on genocide and human-rights issues, says
Kalajian.
“Obviously, there are pockets of genocide education in the state, and
maybe one or two that are covered more extensively than others. But
we wanted to give teachers as much information as possible, and let
them see what is done in other states,” Kalajian said.
Educators will receive a copy of a working curriculum from
California, she said, and hear about curriculum in other states,
including New Jersey, Massachusetts and New York.
“We invited people from outside of Rhode Island, experts in the field
. . . not only in their chosen field but experts who work well and
relate well with students and teachers. We read books, and we went to
hear them,” Kalajian said.
“We are excited not only by the integrity and ability of the people,”
but also by their ability to relate to students and faculty, she
said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PanArmenian News
March 12 2005
VARDAN OSKANIAN TO LEAVE FOR GENEVA MARCH 14-15
12.03.2005 05:21
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ March 14-15 Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan
Oskanian will leave for Geneva on a working visit, where he will take
part in 61-st session of the UN Human Rights Commission, the Foreign
Ministry Press Service reported. The FM is expected to deliver a
speech at the session, to meet with the Commission Secretary General
and to have bilateral meetings with official representatives of
different countries.

Channel News Asia, Singapore
Sports News »
Kim Clijsters
Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 12 March 2005 0852 hrs
Tennis: Clijsters reaches third round at Indian Wells
INDIAN WELLS, California : Kim Clijsters advanced to the third round of the
Indian Wells WTA and ATP Masters Series tournament on Friday, hammering 22
winners and three aces to beat Shinobu Asagoe 6-3, 6-3.
The 21-year-old Belgian and former world number one needed just 71 minutes
to dispatch Japan’s Asagoe and raise her 2005 record to 5-1.
“It is a nice start for me,” Clijsters said. “I had to make sure I kept the
pressure on and stayed aggressive.”
This is Clijsters’s sixth consecutive appearance here, where she has fond
memories after winning the singles title in 2003.
But Clijsters is unseeded this year because she missed most of 2004 with a
wrist injury. She pulled out of Indian Wells last year with the same injury
and had surgery three months later.
Clijsters still managed to win tournaments last year in Antwerp and Paris.
“This is my first tournament overseas in about a year. I thought it was
going to be tougher to win matches here, especially because I had to get
used to playing outdoors again,” Clijsters said.
“In Belgium I have mostly been working out indoors, but I am feeling well
and so I think it was a good decision to come here a week early.”
This is just her second tournament of 2005 and although she is into the
third round she is still struggling at times with her serve.
Against Asagoe, she had four double faults and connected on 44 percent of
her first serves.
But she delivered more winners (22-7) and won more total points (71-49) than
her Japanese opponent.
“I need to work on that first serve. It has to get better because it isn’t
going to take me far against the better players,” Clijsters said.
In other women’s second round matches on Friday, young Russian Maria
Kirilenko posted the first upset of the tournament, beating eighth-seeded
compatriot Elena Bovina 6-3, 6-1.
Second seed Amelie Mauresmo of France cruised past Tathiana Garbin 6-2, 6-1,
reigning US Open champ Svetlana Kuznetsova dominated Czech Eva Birnerova
6-3, 6-2 and Russian fourth seed Elena Dementieva defeated American Abigail
Spears 6-2, 7-6 (7/5).
The 96-player men’s event got underway with France’s Gael Monfils making his
US debut a successful one, defeating American Jeff Morrison 7-5, 6-4.
Juan Carlos Ferrero set up a second round match with another former Spanish
number one by beating Russia’s Igor Andreev 6-3, 6-3.
Ferrero next faces Carlos Moya. The Spanish duo were teammates on Spain’s
winning Davis Cup team in 2004. Moya became number one in the world when he
reached the finals here five years ago.
Sweden’s Thomas Enqvist beat Karol Beck 6-0, 7-5 and Armenian Sargis
Sargsian stopped Bobby Reynolds of the United States 6-3, 6-2. – AFP
–Boundary_(ID_2EQW9R5AN8Y13G5VXje4qA)–

Journal of Turkish Daily
8 Mar 2005
List of Humanitarian Crimes Do Not Mention Western War Crimes, but
the Armenian
Kemalettin TASHKIRAN
‘The latest genocide and bloody events list’ published by the
“Conscience Committee” of the Genocide Commemoration Museum in the
United States (US) claims that Turkey killed 1.5 million Armenians in
Turkey in 1915 though there was no country with name ‘Turkey’ at that
time. Turkish politicians and diplomats argued that the list is
political and biased. Turkey was founded in 1923.
According to the list, seven million people had been murdered in
Ukraine by the former Russian leader Joseph Stalin in 1932-33, the
Japanese killed 300,000 Chinese in the Nanjing massacre, six million
Jews had been murdered in Nazi Germany between 1938-1945, two million
people under the Pol Pot regime had been killed in Kampuchea in
1975-79, 200,000 people in Bosnia between 1992 and 1995, and 800,000
people in Rwanda in 1994 had been murdered. Strangely the list does
not mention Western war crimes except the Nazis. For instance the
Algerian Massacre (if not genocide) or the American war crimes are
not mentioned by the list. More than 900,000 civilian Algerians were
massacred by the French Army.
Turkey has never accepted the Armenian claims. According to the
Armenian lobby groups 1,5 million Armenians were killed by the
Ottoman officers. However the archive documents clearly show that the
number of the whole Armenian population in the Ottoman territories
was less than 1,3 million. Armenian armed groups rioted against the
Ottoman authorities during the First World War and many Armenians
joined the Russian Army. The Istanbul Government decided to relocate
the Armenian population in the Eastern provinces, while the rest of
the Armenians were not affected by the decision.
Thousands of armed Armenian groups killed about 500,000 Muslim
(Turkish and Kurdish) and Jewish Ottoman citizens. Many Armenians
were killed in the ethnic conflicts. However more died due to the bad
weather, epidemic diseases and war circumstances.
The extreme Armenian nationalists made co-operation with the French
and other occupying forces against the Turkish War of Independence
and killed thousands of Kurds and Turks in the Eastern Anatolian
provinces. With the written agreements the modern Turkish-Armenian
borders were drawn. However the extreme Armenian nationalists
(Tashnaks) established a terror-network (NEMESIS) and started to
assassin the former Ottoman ministers. During the 1970s and 80s, more
than 40 Turkish diplomats and many Turkish and foreigners were killed
by the Armenian terrorists.
There are strong Armenian lobbies in US, France and Canada, and the
influential Armenian lobbying groups manipulate the Western media and
politics. The anti-Turkish groups in the West in particular abuse the
problem.

Hurriyet, Turkey
March 10 2005
TURKEY TO LAUNCH INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVES
HURRIYET- Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Republican People’s
Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal made a historic decision yesterday.
Following their tete-a-tete meeting, Erdogan and Baykal said that
they would launch international initiatives against the allegations
of so-called Armenian genocide. The two proposed all relevant
countries to open their archives to historians.