Author: Emil Lazarian

“ZERKALO”: ARMENIA TROUBLES ITS NEIGHBORS
Ïðaâî Âûaîða, Azerbaijan
Democratic Azerbaijan
Aug. 24, 2006
Youths representing different world countries gradually join
discussion of Garabagh conflict. Yesterday “round table” was
organized on initiative of youth movement “Ireli” at international
press center. Representative of Georgia, Turkey, Macedonia, Czech
Republic, India, Saudi Arabia joined partook in the event. The issue
of frozen conflicts by the example of Garabagh problem was discussed.
Azerbaijani political scientists, Rasim Musabekov, briefly informed
participants about the problem. “As a result of military intervention
of Armenia 17% of Azerbaijani territories are occupied. Some sources
having overestimated the figure, inform that 20% of territories are
occupied. Following occupation policy 850,000 Azerbaijanis had to
leave their homes”.
R. Musabekov stressed that Armenia violates international laws,
ignores resolutions of UN Security Council concerning liberation of
Azerbaijani territories: “Armenia fails to understand that in five
years military budget of Azerbaijan will be three times as much, and
Azerbaijan may not accept today’s proposals on conflict regulation”.
As expert told about consequences of occupation of Azerbaijani
territories on the part of Armenia, and about main point of peace
talks within the frames of OSCE Minsk Group, interests of young people
concerning the issue in question increased. Peak of activity was
mainly observed when after brief essay R. Musabekov at last started
answering questions. Representative of Czech Republic was first to
ask. As it turned out, she failed to understand the fact of ignoring
of 4 resolutions of UN Security Council on liberation of Azerbaijani
territories on the part of Armenia. UN has to influence upon
aggressor-country, she applied to political scientists with surprise.
“What does UN need? To stop the war and bloodshed. And as both
countries neither fight, nor live in peace, apparently it is convenient
to this international organization. Perhaps war is necessary in order
that UN seriously tackle this matter?!, Musabekov answered.
Then, Gulshad from Turkey expressed her bewilderment. “Turkey and
Georgia also have problems with Armenia. Governments of three countries
can join in strengthening their activities to disclose hostile policy
of Armenia”, she said. While replying, political scientist wasn’t
completely agree with young Turkish lady.
Accordingly to him, Turkey actively cooperates with Azerbaijan and
Georgia. “Airport which in future will be used with military purposes
was built in Marneuli with the help of Turkey. It would be wrong to
underestimate importance of tripartite cooperation”.
Georgian representatives were the most active. Natia said
that Georgians face the problem of territorial claims on the
part of Armenia. “Armenians living in Samzkhe-Javakhetia demand
self-government”. Musabekov stressed that such provocations in South
Caucasus is backed by Russia.
–Boundary_(ID_/Q+EGeNk8XLMB4ME4OhbVA)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS TO CONSIDER AZERBAIJAN’S COMPLAINT ON ARMENIAN CRIMES
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Aug. 24, 2006
“European Court of Human Rights will consider Azerbaijan’s complaint
regarding the crimes committed by Armenia,” Chingiz Asgarov,
Azerbaijani representative at the European Court of Human Rights told
the APA.
He said the number of appeals to this court from Azerbaijan has
decreased recently due to the judicial reforms. Asgarov also said
most of the complaints were made by refugees.
“More than 800 appeals have been made by refugees. There are almost no
complaints on election irregularities,” the representative said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

“PARTIES SHOULD BE READY FOR NEGOTIATIONS”
Ïðaâî Âûaîða, Azerbaijan
Democratic Azerbaijan
Aug. 24, 2006
Co-Chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group for peace settlement of
Nagorno-Garabagh conflict are expected to make address to both
parties. The Co-Chairmen are expected to make new proposals to parties
for continuation of peace negotiations.
Azerbaijan has not any confidence in positive progress, albeit the
Co-Chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group do not lose hope for certain
progress in next stage of talks. Experts also assume that currently
no changes are expected in this point. As Rustam Mammadov, the
political scientist considers, to date it is a little difficult to
bring two parties to consensus. The political scientist touched upon
the situation arising after regional visit of Matthew Bryza, the U.S.
Co-Chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group: “I think that Matthew Bryza tried
to bring parties to the process of peace negotiations. But he failed
because he could not put forward any successful project.”
According to R. Mammadov, despite of conflicting parties agree
to conduct negotiation, actually, none of them makes any special
efforts for that: “The parties should prepare for negotiations
which continuation requires a serious project. Without that the
continuation of talks is out of the question.” He does not also
deny that lately the OSCE Minsk Group initiates to join Armenian
community of Nagorno-Garabagh to the talks. According to him, for
all the time of efforts to regulate Nagorno-Garabagh conflict the
same situation arose very often: “The Co-Chairmen resorted to such
actions in order to activate Armenians. But elimination of Armenia
from the negotiation process is as impossible as joining of Armenian
community of Nagorno-Garabagh to that.” As the political scientist
notes, International law principles do not allow interference of
Nagorno-Garabagh to this process.
Moreover, R. Mammadov expressed his distrust concerning the settlement
of Nagorno-Garabagh conflict. As the political scientist considers
currently when it is impossible to make any changes the international
community does not attach significant importance to elimination of
this problem. According to R. Mammadov, to date international community
focus on the Middle East developments: “We have no choice but hope that
the recent developments in the Middle East will not keep a secret the
matter concerning settlement of Nagorno-Garabagh conflict. Perhaps,
in connection with conflict elimination in the mentioned region,
this process begins progressing.
Today I do not believe a radical turn in solution of the mentioned
question, regardless of negotiations.”
–Boundary_(ID_5QvVPELxMvDt52 8qvw9gjg)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ANFAL – THE KURDISH GENOCIDE
By Kameel Ahmady
Kurdish Media, UK
Aug. 23, 2006
Kak Ali Mustapha Hama wore his traditional Kurdish headgear (janedani),
in full Kurdish regalia as he looked angrily at Saddam Hussein,
just meters away in the witness stand. Whereas others could not, Kak
Ahemd bravely and defiantly faced Saddam, and looking straight into
his eyes, called him a murderer, who he claims killed many members
of his family during the Anfal operations.
Watching Kak Ali live on BBC brought a strong surge of emotion and a
flood of memory, as he spoke in Kurdish in the heavily guarded court
set up in the Green Zone of Iraq. He faced the Iraqi dictator, and
dared name him without stating his full title as president, Gahad
Al Rahis- Saddam Al-Hussien when he was the Iraqi tyrant ruler –
something unimaginable only three years ago.
Although I was ‘lucky’ enough not to have been one of the direct
victims of the massacre, I remember well the aftermath of the
inhumanity in Halabja, in the northern Kurdish region of Iraq,
Kurdistan. Only a teenager at time of the Anfal and chemical attack of
Halabja, living in the western Kurdish region of Iran, I recall that we
were mobilised through the local mosques and deployed to the border of
south Kurdistan (Iraq) to receive and assist with survivors and victims
of Halabja, along with thousands of Kurdish refugees, men, women and
children who were fleeing the deadly brutality of Saddam’s army.
Some years later, after the humiliating arrest of Saddam deep inside a
hole in the ground, allegedly facilitated by Kurdish guerrilla fighters
(pershmerga), now the world finally sees him facing trail for killing
over 180,000 Kurdish people on their own land. While question hangs
over the court proceedings as to how the case for genocide might be
won, there is no doubt amongst Kurds themselves that Saddam’s act of
indiscriminate killing in 1988 was genocide.
This is a view which is corroborated by the Kurds’ experiences of
systematic and violent oppression throughout the entire history of
Saddam’s rule in Iraq, and also widely held at the international level.
Now Saddam Hussein and his co-defendants are being tried over the
Anfal campaign in Kurdistan, ordered by Saddam himself and Ali Hassan
Al-Majid, (‘Chemical Ali’) in which Iraqi bombers were to attack the
Kurdish town of Halabja using chemical weapons and nerve gases such
as Tabun and Sarin. These gases left thousands of civilians dead,
many thousands wounded, and tens of thousands homeless. Including
Halabja, there were in total eight Anfal campaigns between February
and September 1988. All the defendants face charges of war crimes and
crimes against humanity, while Saddam Hussein and Ali Hassan al-Majid
are additionally charged with genocide.
What would constitute a ‘fair trial’ in such a recent and so
emotionally charged an event in human history, and the history of the
Kurds in particular? When we think we render two people as equivalent
to the loss of 180,000 people we have already become desensitised to
the true barbarity of the atrocities, and thus repeat the injustice but
such are the dictates of international law, and global politics and the
media machine is a numbers game as much as anything else. And genocide
is, after all, a crime characterised by the fact that it forms part of
a wider plan to destroy, in whole or in part, a particular group. As a
crime directed at a group, genocidal intent is necessarily associated
with mass crimes. Perhaps our first mistake is to imagine that systemic
‘logic’ can ever be applied to such inhuman acts of such scale. However
we still imagine that it is logical to give names, faces and family
histories to the allied soldiers killed in service in Iraq-Iran war,
while the faceless Iraqi victims of Saddam’s atrocities – their reason
for being there in the first place – are forever obscured.
Then again, there is hypocrisy in us all. After his overthrow by
British and American troops, while travelling in Palestinian Occupied
Territories in 2004( ),
I encountered heroic images of Saddam the Great Leader proudly
displayed in shops and windows. I even met those ready to defend him
as such. Statistically, Saddam has killed more Muslims than any other
leader in world history. Such are the complexities of power and deceit
in the beleaguered Middle East, where the disenfranchised often cannot
tell their enemies form their allies, when they have any at all.
International legal tools for apprehending and punishing the Iraqi
principal perpetrators are of course necessary for the long-term
successful prevention of future genocides. It is almost certain that
serious efforts will also have to be made to bring about greater
respect for the rule of law. The norms and legal conventions are
essential for the purpose of defining our collective ideals and
values, and, most importantly, for guiding our legal actions. Justice
has to apply to all otherwise you end up with anarchy, as we have
today. Saddam was a vicious tyrant and deserves justice as does every
other greedy aggressor. Victor’s justice guarantees no peace. Without
doubt, Saddam’s trail is watched by other dictators in the Middle
East who will sooner or later face the same fate.
The case of Halabja in Kurdistan is certainly ‘genocide’ in accordance
with UN Conventions, which includes not only killing but ‘causing
serious bodily or mental harm’ to members of a group. The very fact
that there should be a question as to whether the Anfal campaign
meets these criteria shows a serious lack of commitment on the part
of the international community; to ignore crimes of this magnitude
represents both a moral defeat and a political error.
‘Every tragedy whispers again of past tragedies’, so they say. This
affirmation is perhaps most germane to the matter of genocide. The
20th century had barely begun when, under cover of WW I, Armenians
in Turkey suffered massacres and deportations that eliminated
over 1.5 million men, women, and children, an event which Hitler
himself is said to have cited in defence of the Final Solution
against the Jews in WWII. Though the crime of genocide is ancient,
the concept itself is relatively new. The Kurdish genocide of the
1980s, in which thousands of civilians lost their lives, stands as
one of the worst human tragedies of the modern era. In Kurdistan,
as in Nazi Germany, Cambodia, Yugoslavia, Rwanda, and Sierra Leone,
extremist politics conspired with a diabolic disregard for human life
to produce repression, misery, and murder on a massive scale. Genocide
in Kurdistan has until now been ignored by the world’s super-powers
for reasons of political interest.
Although Genocide and mass killing is nothing new for the Kurds in
all parts of Kurdistan as it did carried out by the rulers of Turkey,
Syria and Iran through out years of oppressions. Such as Dersim (1978)
and Wan (1930) along with Sewas (1993) massacre in turkeys Kurdistan,
young Kurds burned to death in cinema (1960 Amude) in Syrian Kurdistan
along with all inhabitants of Garni, Sofian and Paswai villages (1978)
of Iranian Kurdistan. But Halabja was brought the attention of the
international communities to us as Kurds.
‘I do not understand this squeamishness about the use of gas. I am
strongly in favour of using poisoned gas against uncivilised tribes’,
Churchill is reported to have said when the British quashed the Kurd
uprising in Sulaymaniyah using mustard gas, after Britain seized Iraq
post-WWI. Many decades later, Saddam himself was placed in power,
with the support of the west, to carry on with this legacy of subduing
‘uncivilised tribes’, so that western powers, with more important
issues to worry about, did not have to deal with it themselves. This
is not to forget Kurds themselves who had a direct role in guiding the
army of the Ba’athist regime into the villages and towns of Kurdistan.
Saddam must now face trial for the killing of all those innocent
people who were gassed simply because they represented to his deranged
worldview an unpleasant and uncontrollable obstacle to total power. We
as Kurds have waited for this day. When I was asked to write a piece
about Saddam’s trial from a Kurdish perspective, I leapt at the
chance to have the general public hear the personal voice of a Kurd,
whose people were and are so deeply affected and as the Director of
Kurdish Media.com Dr Rebwar Fatah wrote to as Kurdish intellectuals “I
urge you to write about this genocide, aiming to educate international
community via objective writings. It is time for words, leaving swords
behind”. I see it as my duty to speak and bear witness to this tragic
chapter in Kurdish history and in human history, for Kak Ali Mustapha
Hama and others, as a Kurd and as a citizen of the world.
Kameel Ahmady maintains a website at:
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

GOOD PROSPECTS FOR TOURISM IN GEORGIA
By M. Alkhazashvili
The Messenger, Georgia
Aug. 24, 2006
The Saakashvili administration has declared tourism to be a priority
sector for economic development. To entice in more Western tourists,
the government has shelled out some money to promote beautiful
Georgia with TV ads on CNN and EuroNews. Officials are optimistic
that visitors will come in near-droves-during the Soviet era, Georgia
(including Sokhumi) was a major domestic tourism draw. Georgia’s got
the right stuff, the tourism department believes; they just need to
get the word out there.
Current tourism figures are already encouraging. In 2005, more than
USD 250 million was spent in the country by foreign tourists-about
USD 500 from each visitor. This year, Georgia is expecting 200 000
tourists more than last year, which should bring in around USD 350
million in 2006.
The rumbling beginnings of a tourist boom are easy to see. Most
investment into the country is being poured into tourist sites.
Kazakhstani investors, for instance, recently purchased 22 hotels in
Adjara province, as well as in Gudauri and Likani (Borjomi). Turkish
investors are getting in on the action, too, mostly buying up plots
of land to construct small hotels.
The Black Sea coast has been brimming with Armenians and Azerbaijanis
this summer, having experienced its largest number of seaside
holidaymakers in years. According to the tourism department, during
the first seven months of this year tourist numbers are up 38% over
the same period in 2005.
The state has taken some productive steps to support the developing
tourist industry. Tour agencies bringing in foreign visitors are
exempt from VAT, and entry visas have been simplified to nothing
more than a costless stamp at the airport or border for visitors
from most countries. This has decreased the average cost of a visit
to Georgia by an estimated 15-18 percent, and the country is already
reaping benefits.
Most tourists to Georgia come from neighboring Armenia, where the
landlocked denizens are keen on playing in the pebbles of the Adjaran
coastline. Last year, Batumi and Kobuleti (the premier destinations
in Adjara) received 21 000 Armenian tourists. Georgia’s ambassador
to Armenia, HE Revaz Gachechiladze, suggested that the number could
triple this year.
Georgia is regaining its reputation as a tourist destination.
However, more can be done to lure away free-spending Westerns from
nearby Turkey, which tends to attract tourists with a larger budget.
Georgia has the benefit of a diverse and alluring landscape, from
beaches to ski slopes. European tourists are drawn to northern
Georgia’s untamed mountainous regions, although visits are hampered
by a lack of infrastructure. Still, with well-considered policies and
careful development, Georgia could well be playing host to travelers
all through the year.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RUSSIA OPENS CLOSED BORDER FOR TEN DAYS
The Messenger, Georgia
Aug. 24, 2006
Almost two months have passed, according to Akhali Taoba, since
Russia closed a Georgian-Russian border crossing at Larsi Checkpoint,
allegedly due to repair work there. Russia made the decision a long
time ago but informed Georgia only two hours before the closure. The
Georgian side has negotiated with the Russian side several times, but
the Russians said they need more time to carry out necessary repairs.
The paper reports this will last for a long time, as Tbilisi doubts
that Russia will open the border in the near future. As a result the
Roki tunnel is expected to stay busy as it remains as the only route
to Russia. Russia’s decision has damaged Georgians as well as Russians
themselves, but most of all Armenians, who received big profits from
the now-closed Larsi route.
Now, to reach Russia, Armenian citizens have to pass through Georgian
territory and have their documents scrutinized at the Georgian
checkpoint.
In order to facilitate the procedure the Russian side decided to
open the Larsi checkpoint for a week to let Armenian citizens pass,
and then close it again. The suggested they would keep reopening
the border for some time to let Armenian citizens in and out. They
suggested that during this period Georgians will also have opportunity
to move through the checkpoint.
When Georgians learnt the reason for Russia’s proposal to reopen
the border and the timeframe, they turned it down and said that they
would rather Russia finish repair works and then permanently reopen
the border.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RUSSIAN EMBASSY GRATEFUL TO ARMENIANS FOR THE CONDOLENCE OF ARMENIANS OVER TU-154 CRASH
ArmRadio.am
25.08.2006 11:17
Russian Embassy in Armenia has expressed gratitude to RA authorities,
organizations, political parties, diplomatic missions in Yerevan
and all Armenian citizens who conveyed condolence on the occasion
of the crash of the Pulkovo Tu-154 plane, the statement of the RF
Embassy states.

TO RENT OFFICE FOR NATO
Lragir.am
24 Aug 06
The government of Armenia, which immediately finds place for cafes and
other public places, has been unable to find office space in the past
few months for the information center of NATO. This has been considered
since last autumn when Robert Simons, the special representative of
the Secretary General of NATO. It took the government of Armenia about
a year to settle the problem of office of the information center.On
August 24 the executive decided to allocate 3 m 200 thousand drams
to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from the reserve fund to open the
Information Center of NATO in Yerevan to cover office expenses in
September-december 2006.

NKR PRESIDENT AND PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF OSCE CHAIRMAN-IN-OFFICE DISCUSS ISSUES RELATING TO PRESENT SITUATION AT CONTACT LINE OF CONFLICTING SIDES
Noyan Tapan
Aug 23 2006
STEPANAKERT, AUGUST 23, NOYAN TAPAN. NKR President Arkadi Ghukasian
received Personal Representative of OSCE Chairman-in-Office,
Ambassador Andrzej Kasprczik on August 22. Noyan Tapan was informed
about it by the NKR President’s Press Office. A.Kasprczik informed
the NKR President about results of the monitoring implemented on
the same day by the OSCE mission in the north-eastern part of the
Karabakh-Azerbaijani contact line. The Ambassador mentioned that the
monitoring was held according to the preliminary worked out program,
and no breaches of the cease-fire regime were fixed. The interlocutors
touched upon a number of issues relating to the situation existing
on the contact line of the conflicting sides.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

3517.6 TONS OF HUMANITARIAN AID BROUGHT TO ARMENIA IN JANUARY-JUNE
Noyan Tapan
Aug 23 2006
YEREVAN, AUGUST 23, NOYAN TAPAN. 3517.6 tons of goods with the total
cost of 29.1 mln U.S. dollars were brought to Armenia as humanitarian
aid in this January-June. 4384.2 tons of goods of the total cost
of 20.5 mln U.S. dollars were brought in the same period of time of
2005. According to data of the RA National Statistical Service, 46.4%
of the got aid made products of chemistry and industrial branches
connected with it, 23.9% is devices and apparatuses, 7.4% is machines,
equipment and mechanisms, 4.1% is paper and goods made of paper.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress