Author: Emil Lazarian

Will Garry Kasparov return to big chess?

ArmRadio.am
26.07.2006 17:35

On the 22nd of August 13th World Chess Campion Garry Kasparov will
participate in the quick chess tournament dedicated to the 150th
anniversary of the " Credit Suisse" bank of Zurich. According to the
Russian "Komersant" newspaper, Kasparov’s rivals will be outstanding
chess players Anatoli Karpov, Viktor Karchnoy and Yudith Palgar.

After winning in the Linares international tournament in March, 2005
the World Champion had declared he was leaving chess to concentrate
on a political career.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Highlights from Turkish Islamist press 26 Jul 06

BBC Monitoring

Yeni Safak

Under the headline, "Children Killed by Cluster Bombs," Yeni Safak
publishes a front-page report which accuses Israel of "starting
to use cluster bombs against civilians and children" in Lebanon.
According to the report, the civilian death toll stands at 400 in
the Israeli bombardment.

In a 7,650-word article entitled "Will US Troops Be Deployed on
Anatolian Soil?" on page 4, Yeni Safak columnist Ibrahim Karagul
claims that Israel’s attack on Lebanon was planned by the US and
Israeli administrations at a meeting in Colorado over 17-18 June,
adding that the purpose of the attack is to eliminate all sources of
resistance in the region against Israeli authority, enable the United
States to establish a military presence in Lebanon, and open a front
against Syria. Karagul claims Saudi Arabia’s, Egypt’s, Jordan’s and
Turkey’s support for the commitment of a NATO force to the region
indicates they have either "fallen into the trap" or are cooperating
with the US-Israeli plan because "the NATO force to be sent to the
region will not work for a ceasefire but fight for Israel and the
United States." He also claims that it will not be long before the
same forces attempt to deploy an "international force" consisting of US
troops along the Turkish-Syrian border and in the Port of Iskenderun.

In a 650-word article entitled "What Sort of Order is This?" on
page 12, Yeni Safak columnist Fehmi Koru blasts Condoleezza Rice for
announcing after her meeting with Olmert that "it is time for a new
Middle East" instead of taking Israel to task over the "destruction"
she "personally witnessed" in Lebanon or "at least requesting Israelis
to stop using disproportionate force." He also asserts that "the new
Middle East Order" looks set to be established at the cost of the
blood and lives of the people of the region.

Vakit

Under the headline, "This is Treason," Vakit publishes a front-page
report which criticizes the fact that "whereas Misons and Agops
who graduate from Jewish and Armenian schools in Turkey that offer a
religious-oriented education can enter university even when they score
poorly in the entrance exam, imam-hatip students have to surmount
obstacle after obstacle" before they can qualify for university
education.

In a 1.650-word article entitled "Sending Turkish Troops to Lebanon
by Hook or by Crook" on page 11, Vakit Editor-in-Chief Hasan Karakaya
argues that the plan to deploy a NATO force to Lebanon is not intended
to keep the peace in the region but to prevent Hezbollah from sending
missiles to Israel, adding that despite claims to the contrary, a NATO
force in Lebanon is certain to consist mostly of Turkish troops, "which
means" that "Israel’s security will be maintained by Turkish soldiers"
and that the Turkish army will find itself at odds not only with
Hezbollah but also with the Shi’is in Lebanon, and with Iran and Syria.

In a 1,200-word article entitled "What is it Time for?" on page 11,
Vakit columnist Abdurrahman Dilipak underlines the significance of
the fact that "black witch Rice" issued her statement calling for a
new Middle East on the anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of
Lausanne. He claims that the current Middle East borders were not
drawn in accordance with the will of the people of this region and
that in protecting their respective borders, Middle East countries
are maintaining a map "imposed by international powers centres"
early in the twentieth century. Dilipak also explains why Turkey
should not send troops either to Iraq or to Lebanon.

Zaman

Under the headline, "Issue of Peace Force for Lebanon Turns into a
Riddle," Zaman publishes a front-page report which asserts that it
still remains unknown when an international peacekeeping force will
be sent to Lebanon, who it will consist of, whether its targets will
include disarming Hezbollah, and what the role of NATO and the UN
will be.

In a 650-word article entitled "Search for Peace" on page 17, Zaman
columnist Mustafa Unal asserts that Ankara "justifiably" does not
look sympathetically on demands for its commitment of troops to an
international peace force in Lebanon because "deploying troops between
the Iran-supported Hezbollah and Israel, which regard the existence
of one another as casus belli, is not different from landing right
in the thick of the fire."

In a 750-word article entitled "Beyond Israel" on page 17, Zaman
columnist Nihal B. Karaca argues that it is a mistake to look to
the United States to stop the Israeli "outrage" in Gaza and Lebanon
because it was people within the US administration who advised former
Israeli leaders to effect a "clean break" with the Mideast process and
called on Israel to "reoccupy PNA territory even if it should entail
a high price in blood." A cartoon by Osman Turhan on page 17 depicts
a Western soldier with a smirk on his face directing a handgun to an
amazed Arab militiaman (or a terrorist, judging from his eye mask)
in the form of a hand puppet that the former has put on his right
hand – a possible sarcastic reference to what is presented as the
hypocritical quality of Western preparations to send an international
force to the Middle East in order to disarm Hezbollah.

Milli Gazete

Under the banner headline, "Let Parliament Convene Urgently," Milli
Gazete publishes a front-page report which censures the fact that
Turkey, "the historical leader of the region," is "not taking any steps
beyond engaging in telephone diplomacy, to stop the Israeli massacres
in Palestine and Lebanon." According to the report, Felicity Party (SP)
leader Recai Kutan has called on Parliament to convene extraordinarily
to discuss the latest developments in the Middle East.

In a 700-word article entitled "Their War is on Islam" on page 11,
Milli Gazete columnist Abdulkadir Ozkan claims that in first going
to Lebanon rather than to Israel despite the fact that "the war
was not started Lebanon," US State Secretary Rice revealed that the
purpose of her visit was not to mediate a "fair" agreement to stop the
hostilities but to "strengthen Israel’s hand." He also draws attention
to the coincidence of Rice’s visit with press reports that the United
States is preparing to give some 100 bunker buster bombs to Israel and
asks whether this situation does not amount to "taunting the world."

Bugun

In an 850-word article entitled "Sending Troops to Southern Lebanon?
Why not?" on page 10, Bugun columnist Cengiz Candar argues that Turkey
should "use the opportunity" provided by requests for its contribution
of troops to Lebanon to "raise its international profile," adding that
for Turkey, maintaining a military presence in Lebanon would be much
more effective against the "PKK scourge" than dispatching troops to
northern Iraq.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenia rotates peacekeepers in Iraq – agency

Noyan Tapan news agency
25 Jul 06

Yerevan, 25 July: The fourth batch of Armenian peacekeepers left
Yerevan for Iraq on 23 July. As was the case during the previous
rotation, among 46 servicemen there are doctors, mine experts and
drivers.

Only 10 per cent of the group took part in peacekeeping operations
in Iraq earlier, the commander of the Armenian contingent, Vasak
Avetisyan, told a Noyan Tapan correspondent. There are servicemen
who have been to Kosovo, however for the larger majority, like him,
this is the first visit to Iraq.

The fourth batch of Armenian peacekeepers, as happened previously, will
stay in Iraq for six months. The previous group will return five days
after the arrival of the new group. They will pass on to the newcomers
their experience and information about their responsibilities.

Armenian Deputy Defence Minister Artur Agabekyan said that Armenian
peacekeepers would stay in Kosovo for another year. But the mission
of Armenian peacekeepers in Iraq would be longer. At the end of 2006
the Defence Ministry will appeal to the National Assembly to extend
the peacekeeping mission in Iraq for another year, Agabekyan said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

DUAL POWER EMERGED INSIDE THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, SAYS THE EXPERT OF ELECTION SYSTEMS

Lragir.am
25 July 06

The expert of Election Systems Center Arthur Aftandilyan comments
on the results of the conference of the Republican Party for
Exclusive.am. "The election of Serge Sargsyan as chair of the Council
of the Republican Party led to a political and structural dual power
(conflict of powers). If you read the powers of the council and the
leader of the party in the bylaws of the Republican Party, you will
see the conflict of powers. The essense of the political dual power
is that Serge Sargsyan entered the leadership of the Republican Party
with his team, which is different from the old team and accepts only
one leader. This duality will manifest itself in further developments
inside the political party and internal competition. Will it hinder
or favor the pre-election campaign? It will become clear this fall.

Nevertheless, the recent developments connected with the Republican
Party spur the development of the system of political parties in
Armenia. I think it is the turn of the opposition. If they manage
to establish an equal alliance and choose a correct strategy, we all
will benefit."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MONEY FOR THE POOR GOES TO THE NON-POOR

Lragir.am
25 July 06

34 percent of the population of Armenia is below the bottom line
of poverty, stated Artsvik Minasyan, deputy minister of work and
social security, July 25, reports the news agency ARKA. 34 percent is
over 1 million people. About 200 thousand people are extremely poor.
Considering that officially the population of Armenia is 3.2 million,
at least 1/3 of the population of Armenia is poor.

The deputy minister said Armenia needs 54.4 billion drams to combat
poverty, which is 2.9 percent of the GDP of Armenia. At the same
time, Artsvik Minasyan said in fact much more funds are required,
because 40 percent of benefits for the poor goes to the non-poor.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Ancient Urartian inscription disappears in Iran

IranMania News, Iran
July 26, 2006

LONDON, July 26 (IranMania) – An inscription of Urartian king Ishpuini
(circa 830-810 BC) has disappeared from Baraghaneh Mountain, near
Bukan in West Azarbaijan Province, the Persian service of CHN reported.

A team of experts from the Language and Dialect Research Center of
the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization studying in the region
recently discovered that the inscription was not in its place.

The director of the Cultural Heritage Guards of the province said
that he had not been informed about the incident.

"The research center dispatched a group in order to film the position
of the inscription," research center director Rasul Bashshash said.

"The inscription had been discovered by a team of mountain climbers
in 1997, but the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization was only
informed about it in 2005," he explained.

The inscription had been written in cuneiform.

Ishpuini was the son of Sarduri I (circa 840-830 BC). Only a few
inscriptions about his reign remain in the ancient Urartian capital
Tushpa (Turushpa), modern Van in Turkey.

Urartu was an ancient country of Southwest Asia centered in the
mountainous region southeast of the Black Sea and southwest of the
Caspian Sea.

Today the region is divided among Armenia, eastern Turkey, and
northwestern Iran.

Mentioned in Assyrian sources from the early 13th century BC, Urartu
enjoyed considerable political power in the Middle East in the 9th
and 8th centuries BC. The Urartians were succeeded in the area in
the 6th century BC by the Armenians.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

GAME CONFERENCE ON TOPIC "NUCLEAR CRISIS OF NORTHERN KOREA" TO BE
HELD JULY 25 IN YEREVAN

Arka News Agency, Armenia
July 25, 2006

YEREVAN, July 25. /ARKA/. A game conference on modeling of the UNO on
the topic "Nuclear Crisis of Northern Korea" will be held in Yerevan
July 25.

The press service of the UNO office in Armenia, 30 students from
different universities of Armenia will attend the conference. By
using diplomatic skills the Armenian students will repeat the work
of the UN Security Council.

The conference will also be attended by Minister of Culture and
Youth Afairs Artur Poghosyan, Head of the department for youth at
the Ministry of Culture Arsen Soghomonyan and special assistant of
the Foreign Minister Salbi Ghazaryan.

The conference is organized by the Armenian Association of the UNO
under the support of the UN department for public information.

Modeling of the UNO is repetition of the work of the authorities of the
organization. The participants perform the role of diplomats of the UN
member countries and discuss the issues currently in the UN’s agenda.

Over 20 modelling are held each year. The aim of the activity is to
assist students in acquiring skills and knowledge at negotiations in
the sphere of international relations. R.O.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian Judicial Reform Unveiled

Radio Liberty, Czech Republic
July 25, 2006

By Anna Saghabalian

Justice Minister David Harutiunian outlined on Tuesday an impending
reform of Armenia’s judicial and law-enforcement systems which he
said is aimed at making them more independent and less corrupt.

Harutiunian presented a package of relevant legislative amendments
that have been drafted by an ad hoc working group headed by him. The
group was tasked by the government with proposing changes stemming
from the recent reform of the Armenian constitution.

The most controversial and significant of its proposals would
strip Armenia’s Office of the Prosecutor-General of its sweeping
investigative powers and pass them on to the Police Service and the
National Security Service. According to reports in the Armenian press,
Prosecutor-General Aghvan Hovsepian and other top prosecutors have
fiercely resisted the proposed change, fearing that their agency
would become far less powerful as a result.

The disagreement reportedly prompted President Robert Kocharian to
call a special meeting on the issue of top Justice Ministry officials
and prosecutors last May. Kocharian appears to have eventually sided
with Harutiunian. The latter insisted that only the Armenian police
and the former KGB will have the power to conduct pre-trial criminal
investigations.

Harutiunian also unveiled a new draft Judicial Code that envisages
structural changes in the Armenian judiciary. The code calls in
particular for the introduction of new "courts of magistrates" that
will deal only with civil lawsuits and minor criminal offences. The
other Armenian courts of first instance will deal with more serious
crimes such as murders and armed robberies.

The proposed legislation would also curtail the powers of the Armenian
Court of Appeals. It would be able to accept appeals only in the event
of "judicial mistakes" committed by lower courts or "new circumstances"
emerging after original litigations.

According to Harutiunian, these changes will render Armenia’s courts
more independent and objective. "This is essential for the country’s
continued development," he told reporters. "Without solving this
issue we won’t have the kind of development which we deserve."

The Armenian judiciary had already undergone a sweeping structural
reform more than a decade ago but hardly became more independent as
a result. Local courts rarely acquit criminal suspects, investigate
widespread torture allegations and hand down rulings going against
the government’s wishes. Corruption among Armenian judges is also a
serious problem.

Harutiunian, who has plaid a key role in the selection and appointment
of judges, himself has been accused of exercising considerable
influence on their decisions. He admitted on Tuesday that many judges
"very often abuse their powers." "We are out to conclude that the
situation is not good and that effective measures are need to rectify
this situation," he said.

Some of the recently enacted amendments to the Armenian constitution
are supposed to boost judicial independence by seriously curbing
President Robert Kocharian’s hitherto unrestricted powers to appoint
and sack judges. But independent lawyers say it will take years before
the amendments can make a difference.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

La rencontre entre David de Sassoun et Christine Kiffer

La Nouvelle Republique du Centre Ouest
25 juillet 2006

Tous les jours jusqu’a samedi, la NR vous emmène dans les coulisses
du festival Epos a la rencontre d’un de ses acteurs. Aujourd’hui,
Christine Kiffer nous raconte sa rencontre avec son texte, David
de Sassoun.

" Je suis armeno-lorraine, armenienne par ma mère. Ce texte, issu
d’une grande epopee armenienne, je l’avais dans ma bibliothèque.
C’etait un livre qui appartenait a ma tante. Quand Bruno de la Salle
nous a demande de travailler sur une epopee, j’ai tout de suite pense
a David de Sassoun. Il est venu naturellement a moi. Je l’avais lu,
j’avais souvenir de quelques passages mais quand je l’ai repris, je
m’y suis vraiment retrouvee. Le mouvement me plaisait, il est plein
d’humour et de finesse. Cette epopee est très longue, elle fait quatre
chants. La, je me suis attarde sur le premier, le plus merveilleux. La
suite traite notamment du combat entre David et son demi-frère. David
est un heros mais il a aussi des faiblesses, ca nous a rapproches.

Je souhaitais vraiment exposer ce chef-d’oeuvre meconnu car il est
aussi porteur de valeurs universelles qui sont communes a toutes
les civilisations. Et il reste d’actualite car si j’ai mis de côte
certaines restrictions religieuses, il parle des aspirations d’un
peuple a vivre en paix malgre les elans belliqueux de ses souverains.
"

GRAPHIQUE: Image: Christine Kiffer recite David de Sassoun,
aujourd’hui, au château de Rocheux.

–Boundary_(ID_Axr2vApiyeY/9a3k8AlffA)–

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RA FOREIGN MINISTER RECEIVES PETER SEMNEBY

AZG Armenian Daily #139, 26/07/2006

Meeting

Foreign Minister of Armenia Vartan Oskanian received the EU
Special Representative in South Caucasus Peter Semneby. On a press
conference the Minister said that the main topics of the meeting
were the Armenia-EU relations, the situation in the Middle East, the
situation on the Russia- Georgia border (The Upper Lars checkpoint),
and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Emphasizing the importance of
fiar and independent elections in 2007, he promised to render any
available assistance.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress