Author: Emil Lazarian

Azeri official downplays Karabakh polls, war games
Ekspress, Baku
10 Aug 04
Text of Alakbar Raufoglu report by Azerbaijani newspaper Ekspress on
10 August headlined “The Armenians are deceiving themselves”
“By conducting the so-called local government elections and military
exercises in Nagornyy Karabakh, the Armenian separatists are trying to
comfort themselves and this cannot affect the settlement process in
any way,” the head of the foreign relations department of the
Azerbaijani presidential administration, Novruz Mammadov, has told
Express.
“Azerbaijan’s economic and political potential is great and our army
is getting stronger. Concerned about that, the Armenians are trying to
present themselves as being powerful in order to find out what
Azerbaijan’s reaction will be. They organize such activities in order
to comfort themselves. But they are only deceiving themselves. In
other words, they are trying to say that we are there and this is what
we can do,” Mammadov said.
The official added that the OSCE and other prominent international
organizations have stated that they do not recognize the Karabakh
elections.
“Everyone knows that the separatists’ actions are illegal. As for the
military exercises, they don’t even have an army to conduct them. This
is all empty talk,” he said.
Meanwhile, a diplomatic source has told Express that more than 500
troops and retired officers from Armenia were involved in the
large-scale military exercises near Azerbaijan’s Agdam District. The
exercises are held mainly in the village of Xidirli and in Agdam
itself. The Armenians have established a firing range there and are
using anti-aircraft guns and armoured vehicles in the exercises.

SECOND PROGRAM ON SECURITY OF IRRIGATION DIKES OF ARMENIA SIGNED
YEREVAN, August 11 (Noyan Tapan). The second credit agreement on
Security of Irrigation Dikes of Armenia of 6.75 mln dollars was signed
between the RA government and the World Bank on August 10. According
to the press service of the RA Ministry of Finances and Economy, the
credit of the Agency of International Development will finance the
work on the improvement of the condition of 47 dikes needy
reconstruction, establishing the system providing control over their
security, as well as necessary exploitation and preservation.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
Aug 10 2004
MEETING AT MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
[August 10, 2004, 13:59:47]
Meeting at Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Elmar
Mammadyarov received a Pakistani delegation led by Chief of the
Committee of the General Staff Commanders of the Islamic Republic of
Pakistan, General Mohammad Aziz Khan.
During the meeting, Minister Elmar Mammadyarov note in particular
that the Azerbaijan-Pakistan relationship developing towards
strategic partnership, and expressed confidence that the present
visit of the Pakistani delegation would promote expanding military
cooperation between the two countries.
He informed the guest in detail on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict
over Nagorno-Karabakh, peace process, as well as non-fulfillment of
the UN SC four resolutions by Armenia and related activity of the
OSCE Minsk group. Reminding of the 32 terror acts committed in
Azerbaijan, the Minister told of the part the country has been
playing in fighting terrorism, and participation of Azerbaijani
soldiers in ante-terror operations of the international coalition.
General Mohammad Aziz Khan expressed satisfaction with the level of
existing relationship between Azerbaijan and Pakistan and stated that
the recent official visit by President Pervez Musharraf to Azerbaijan
would contribute to further strengthening of the two countries’
cooperation in political, diplomatic and military spheres. He
stressed Pakistan would continue its assistance in training
Azerbaijani officers.
General Mohammad Aziz further advised the Minister of the political
and military situation in Pakistan, his county’s activity in fighting
international terrorism, and expressed hope for urgent peaceful
resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTER REPORTS TO PRESIDENT ON NEW ARMS AND RECENT
EXERCISES
MOSCOW, August 9 (RIA Novosti) – The Russian Defense Ministry has
decided to provide war fighters Su-24 with a new system of high
precision weapons “shot and forgot”. Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov
said this at the president’s meeting with the government on Monday.
Late last week, the Russian defense minister said that Su-24 fighters
would be modernized and purchased for the Russian Armed Forces, at a
press conference at the Edelveis (Kyrgyzstan) testing range after the
Rubezh-2004 exercises.
“This aircraft can successfully work in the mountains. We are
beginning to modernize aircraft of the Russian Air Force and are
putting them on the production line. We are beginning to purchase this
equipment, and we have no doubt about these aircraft,” said Ivanov.
Ivanov also said that the Russian Defense Ministry would forward
proposals to the president about forming and arming two mountain
brigades.
According to the defense minister, “we are planning to complete the
formation of the two mountain brigades by next year.” Earlier, the
president instructed to form a subdivision to serve in the North
Caucasus and help border guards defend the border.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov reported to the president and
the government about the exercises on the Kola peninsula and in
Kyrgyzstan.
The minister said that the exercises were aimed to drill measures to
provide security of transporting nuclear materials and eliminating the
consequences of an attack on a convoy.
“The super tank used for transporting nuclear materials was shelled
from grenade throwers, derailed and sunk in a reservoir,” the minister
said.
In his words, the exercises involved 1,000 servicemen of the Defense
Ministry, the Interior Ministry, the FSB, the Federal Agency for
Nuclear Energy, and also 500 units of special equipment.
Ivanov also noted that the exercises were positively assessed by the
attending NATO observers.
“We expect that our experts will be able to gain an insight into the
situation in this sphere in a NATO nuclear country,” said Ivanov.
As for exercises in Kyrgyztsan, the minister noted that these were the
first serious exercises of the Collective Rapid Deployment
Forces. Participating in the exercises were Russia, Kyrgyzstan,
Belarus, and Armenia. On the Russian side, the exercises involved the
commandos of the Volga-Urals military district, and also 30 units of
combat aviation, combat helicopters, transport helicopters and the
Ka-50 helicopter Black Shark.
Ivanov said that the combat aviation used high precision weapons based
on the “shot-and-forgot” principle in Kyrgyzstan.
Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin told the president about the situation
around funding servicemen’s housing. Direct federal spending on the
accumulative and mortgage crediting program for servicemen will amount
to 2.5 billion rubles ($1 equals about 29 rubles) in 2005, he
said. The minister stressed that the federal budget would pay the
first contribution and interest on the mortgage.
Minister of Economic Development and Trade German Gref in turn said
that before the draft law on servicemen’s housing provision comes into
force on January 1, another three draft laws would have to be adopted
along with 20 government resolutions.

Russians to reinforce Kyrgyz military base by end of 2004
Interfax-AVN military news agency web site, Moscow
9 Aug 04
Kant, Kyrgyzstan, 9 August: The Russian Kant Air Force base in
Kyrgyzstan will be reinforced with personnel and materiel before
year-end, a source in the AFB Air Force base staff told
Interfax-Military News Agency Monday 9 August .
“It will become 650 men and 20 aircraft strong,” he said.
According to him, the fleet of aircraft will include Su-27 Flanker
fighters, Su-26 Frogfoot attack aircraft, L-39 planes and Mi-8 Hind
choppers.
The runway is to be increased to allow landing for all types of
aircraft in service with the Russian Air Force. “Moreover, there are
plans to increase the parking area by 70 per cent,” he said.
Russian Defence Minister Sergey Ivanov told reporters on 6 August that
the Kant AFB will be reinforced. “Russian leadership has plans to
further develop the Kant AFB, and President Vladimir Putin has
approved of them,” he said.
Putin and his Kyrgyz counterpart Askar Akayev officially opened the
Kant AFB on 23 October 2003.
The base was formed to support the Collective Rapid Deployment Force
of the Collective Security Treaty Organization in Central Asia.
The Collective Security Treaty Organization, formed in May 2002,
includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and
Tajikistan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Leader of Karabakh votes in local poll, stresses role of democracy
Artsakh State TV, Stepanakert
8 Aug 04
Presenter Local elections are going on throughout the NKR Nagornyy
Karabakh Republic . President Arkadiy Gukasyan and first lady Inna
Gukasyan have also voted. In a short interview Arkadiy Gukasyan said
the following:
Gukasyan All elections are important, because they are the most
important indicators of democracy. Today we are also electing the
mayor of Stepanakert . This is also important, because Stepanakert is
not only the capital of the NKR, it is a capital of all Armenians.
Presenter NKR Prime Minister Anushavan Daniyelyan and the chairman of
the National Assembly, Oleg Yesayan, have also voted.
Video shows people, officials voting
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

OVER HALF OF CREDITS GIVEN BY PROGRAM OF GERMAN-ARMENIAN FUND DIRECTED
AT SPHERE OF TRADE
YEREVAN, August 9 (Noyan Tapan). The crediting portfolio of the
crediting program of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) of the
German-Armenian Fund (GAF) increased twice as much in comparison with
the index of late July of last year and made 24.1 mln euros as of late
July of this year. 52.4% of credit funds is invested in trade, 26.2% –
in production, 12.2% – in service, 9% -in agriculture and 0.2% – in
construction. Garik Khachatrian, consultant on credits of the
German-Armenian Fund, told NT’s correspondent that since the beginning
of the program, i.e. since 1999, banks-participants (today
“Armeconombank”, “Converse” Bank, “Anelik” bank and “Inecobank”) have
given 13,000 credits of a total of 80.8 mln euros. Credits of a total
of 20.4 mln euros were given only this year. Credits are given with
the term till 3 years (19-24%). Annual interest rates of
“express-credits” of till 1 mln, 200 thousand drams (about 2.3
thousand dollars) make 25-27% with the maturity date till a year.

Azer Tag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
August 9, 2004
PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN REPUBLIC RECEIVES DELEGATION OF US SENATE
[August 09, 2004, 21:23:11]
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received the US
Senate delegation led by Senator Ted Stevens on 9 August.
Having sincerely greeted the guests, the Head of State noted that the
rapidly developing relations between Azerbaijan and the United States
in political, economic, military and other spheres, is based on the
principles of strategic partnership.
The President highly appreciated the special part of the US
Government in realization of the large-scale energy projects in
Azerbaijan pointing to their not only regional but also global
importance.
Touching upon the Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan, President
Ilham Aliyev noted that the country is also actively cooperating with
the United States – one of the OSCE Minsk group co-Chairs – with
respect to peaceful resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict
over Nagorno-Karabakh.
The Azerbaijani leader stressed as well the importance of expanding
the Interparliamentary relations between the two countries from the
standpoint of providing truthful information about Azerbaijan’s
realities and existing problems, to the American public and those who
are immediately engaged in US lawmaking and foreign policy in
particular.
Recalling with pleasure the meetings at the US Senate during his US
visits, the President expressed confidence that the Senate
delegation’s present visit to Azerbaijan would not only contribute to
development of interparliamentary relations but also promote
strengthening of bilateral cooperation as a whole.
Thanking the President for the sincere meeting, Senator Ted Stevens
introduced members of his delegation noting it includes very
respectable senators.
Speaking of the bilateral relations, he noted that Azerbaijan’s
active participation in anti-terror coalition in Afghanistan and Iraq
reaffirms that the country is the US’ ally in the international fight
against terrorism.
The guest underlined the importance of this visit for having more
complete idea of Azerbaijan, and advised that the Senate watches
closely the US Administration’s many-sided successful cooperation
with the country.
He also expressed satisfaction with active involvement of American
companies in development hydrocarbon resources in Azerbaijan.
A number of other issues of mutual interest was discussed during the
meeting, as well.
Present at the meeting were Chief of the President’s Administration’s
Foreign Relations Department Novruz Mammadov, Ambassador of
Azerbaijan to the United States and Ambassador of the United States
to Azerbaijan Reno Harnish.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Assyrian International News Agency, Iraq
Aug 8 2004
Amid Escalating Fear of Massacres, Assyrians Commemorate Martyr’s Day
(AINA) — Less than one week after the deadly Assyrian Church
bombings in Baghdad and Mosul (photo gallery), Iraq, Assyrians once
again will gather to commemorate Assyrian Martyr’s Day. August 7
marks the memorial day for legions of Assyrian (also known as
Chaldeans and Syriacs) victims of massacres, pogroms, and genocide in
general, but in particular commemorates the fateful day in 1933 when
the newly established Iraqi army massacred upwards of 3000 Assyrian
civilians in and around Simmele, Northern Iraq (account of the
massacre). This year’s Church bombings coinciding with the 71st
anniversary of the massacre have rekindled the same Assyrian concerns
about security in Iraq and reignited calls for a “Safe Haven” in an
Assyrian administered area.
In the early stages of the last century, Great Britain enlisted the
support of the Assyrians as an ally in World War One. The autonomous
Assyrians were drawn into the conflict following successive massacres
against the civilian population by forces of the Ottoman Empire
consisting of Turks and Kurds. Although many geopolitical and
economic factors were involved in provoking the attacks against the
Assyrians, a jihad or “holy war” was declared and served as the
rallying cry and vehicle for marauding Turks, Kurds, and Persians.
Although the Muslim holy war against the Armenians is perhaps better
known, over three-fourths, or 750,000 Assyrian Christians died by
outright murder, starvation, disease and the all too familiar
consequences of genocide, between 1914-1923 during the Assyrian
Holocaust along with a significant number of Pontic Greeks.
The conflict and subsequent Assyrian Holocaust, commemorated on April
24 of every year as Sayfo (“The Sword”), led to the decimation and
dispersal of the Assyrians. Those Assyrians who survived Sayfo were
driven out of their ancestral homeland in Turkish Mesopotamia
primarily toward the area of Mosul Vilayet in Iraq, Jazira in Syria,
and the Urmi plains of Iran where large Assyrian populations already
lived. The massacres of 1915 followed the Assyrians to these areas as
well, prompting an exodus of many more Assyrians to other countries
and continents. The Assyrian Holocaust of 1915 is the turning point
in the modern history of the Assyrian Christians precisely because it
is the single event that led to the dispersal of the surviving
community into small, weak, and destitute pockets.
On account of the Assyrians siding with the victorious Allies during
World War One, Great Britain had promised the Assyrians autonomy,
independence, and a homeland in order to ensure their security and
survival. The Assyrian question was addressed during postwar
deliberations at the League of Nations. However, with the termination
of the British Mandate in Iraq, the unresolved status of the
Assyrians was relinquished to the Iraqi government with certain
minority guarantees specifically concerning freedom of religious,
cultural, and linguistic expression.
Many of the Assyrians surviving Sayfo had been gathered in refugee
camps in Iraq pending final resettlement in an autonomous Assyrian
homeland. In 1933, however, the Iraqi government declared an
ultimatum giving the Assyrians one of two choices: either to be
resettled in small populations dispersed amongst larger Muslim
populations that had recently been violently antagonistic or to leave
Iraq entirely. Some Assyrians chose to leave to neighboring Syria and
so notified the Iraqi government of their intention. In response, the
Iraqi government dispatched the Iraqi army to attack the Assyrians
fleeing into Syria. In their subsequent defeat, the retreating Iraqi
army massacred over 3,000 Assyrian civilians in Simmele and other
surrounding towns in northern Iraq in August of 1933. Eyewitness
accounts recorded babies hurled into the air and bayoneted and women
and elderly being run over by vehicles repeatedly. Upon his return to
Baghdad, the commanding officer, a Kurd named Bekir Sidqi, who
executed the massacre was hailed as a conquering hero. Thus, the
first official military campaign of the Iraqi army served as the
newly independent government’s final solution to the Assyrian
question. The demoralized Assyrian refugee population in Iraq was
thereby resettled in dispersed villages while the other surviving
isolated communities languished in the areas of Tur Abdin, Turkey;
Jazira, Syria; and Urmi, Iran.
The lessons of World War I and 1933 remain fresh in the Assyrian
psyche. On the one hand, deep apprehension about the peaceful
intentions of their neighbors is coupled with profound suspicion
about the reliability and commitment of Western powers. These same
lessons were re-inscribed into the Assyrian psyche on August 1, 2004
as old wounds were once again torn open.
For Assyrians, today’s circumstances in Iraq mark striking
similarities to those of 1933. Again today, Assyrians find themselves
in a period of flux, insecurity, threat, and uncertainty. The
official Assyrian political aspiration of an administered or
semi-autonomous area in the Plains of Nineveh hark back to the
appeals made to the League of Nations. The negligible commitment of
the West to protect Assyrian Christians mirrors the neglect of the
past as well. And now rising attacks against Assyrians1 climaxing in
the bloody Church bombings rekindle the same Assyrian suspicions and
apprehensions felt in August 1933 when Bekir Sidqi schemed to cleanse
yet another region of Assyrians.
However, some welcome differences are not deniable either. Whereas in
1933, the government of Iraq marked the bayoneting of babies by
Sidqi’s henchmen with parades and medals, today’s Iraqi government
and leading Islamic leaders were quick to condemn the attacks. The
rapidity of blaming the attacks on Jordanian born Zirqawi — a
non-Iraqi Al-Qaeda operative — attempted to send a quick signal that
this could not have been an inside Iraqi attack on fellow Iraqi
Christians. One Assyrian analyst who welcomed the condemnations from
across the Iraqi political and religious spectrum as a refreshing sea
change, never the less viewed the quick declaration by the government
that Zirqawi had orchestrated the attack as at least premature if not
wholly disingenuous. “Clearly a non-Iraqi Al-Qaeda may have committed
these attacks, but so too could have others such as Kurds, former
Baathists or anyone else fighting US forces who may in their own
twisted way link Assyrian Christian Churches to the American
‘Christian’ forces. For the government to quickly blame Zirqawi
without an investigation or a claim of responsibility smacks of a
political decision to absolve or whitewash — as it were — any Iraqi
or Iraqi society itself for that matter of such a heinous crime.
August 7, 1933 and the subsequent decades of persecution by
successive regimes remind us that Iraq has been and indeed is capable
of such acts. Sweeping such attacks under the rug will not serve the
progress of Iraqi society due justice. The history of abuse and
massacre of Assyrians by the Iraqi state must be recognized. Only
when we come to terms with the historical facts and realities and
accept the Assyrian people’s aspiration to live in security in their
ancestral towns and villages in the Nineveh Plain can we begin to lay
Assyrian concerns to rest.” On a hopeful note, the analyst noted “The
early signs from Iraq with nearly universal condemnation of the
attacks is indeed encouraging, however.”
This year, less than one week after five Christian Churches were
bombed, Assyrians will gather on August 7 in their Churches, social
halls, and cemeteries for poems, prayers, and recollections (story).
This year, armed with haunting images of smoke billowing from their
churches, Assyrians will again become determined to rebuild and
refortify. This year, Assyrians will couple the memories of the
Simmele massacre with fresh images of bloodied and dead worshipers as
they redouble their efforts to transform the historical dream of a
self administered area into a safe, secure, and lasting reality.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Iranian President meets Speaker of Azerbaijan’s National Assembly
IRNA news agency, Tehran
6 Aug 04
Baku, 6 August: President Mohammad Khatami here 6 August referred to
parliament as the cornerstone of democracy and symbol of sovereignty
and said that placing focus on parliament indicates respect for the
nation.
Speaking in a meeting with the Speaker of Azerbaijan’s National
Assembly Murtuz Alasgarov, he pointed to the decisive role of the
parliaments of both countries in expansion of mutual ties and urged to
implement the mutually signed agreements, despite bureaucratic
problems.
Turning to Iran-Azerbaijan historical, religious and cultural
relations, he said that Iran’s bolstering ties with Caucasus area,
particularly its Muslim neighbours including Azerbaijan Republic is
part and parcel of Iran’s foreign policy principle.
“Given plenty of potentials for cooperation in various fields,
high-ranking officials from both countries are determined to further
broaden the current relations,” he added.
The president noted that security, stability and progress in
Azerbaijan is linked to security in the Islamic Republic of Iran and
hoped that Karabakh clashes will lead to sustainable peace.
Appreciating the steps taken to establish a legal Caspian regime, he
said that Majlis is quite serious on the issue.
The chief executive hoped that a comprehensive plan securing the
interests of the Caspian littoral states will soon be drawn up.
He turned to the Caspian environmental problems and the health of its
aquatics as a key to healthy life in the regional countries and urged
the protection of its environment considering its unique position in
the world.
“The convention on the Caspian Sea environment inked by the littoral
states will soon be examined by Majlis. We expect Azerbaijan’s
National Assembly will take a similar step,” he added.
The president expressed the satisfaction of Iranian nation with the
independence of Azerbaijan and said that Iran was the first country
officially recognizing it as an independent country.
For his part, Alasgarov expressed pleasure over the president’s visit
and said that dialogue between the high-ranking Iranian delegation and
Azeri officials will help expand mutual ties.
The speaker pointed to parliamentary relations between the two
cooperation.
Turning to the unrest in Karabakh region and its partial occupation by
Armenia as an obstacle interfering with Azerbaijan’s progress, he
underlined that his country will not let Armenia take even a small
part of its territory.
Alasgarov also appreciated Iran’s approach towards Karabakh issue on
the international scene and said, “We believe that Iran will take
measures towards seeking a peaceful solution to the problem.
President Khatami heading a high-ranking political and economic
delegation arrived in Azerbaijan Republic capital of Baku on Thursday
afternoon on an official visit in response to the invitation of his
Azeri counterpart Ilham Aliyev.
Officials of the two countries, during Khatami’s visit, are scheduled
to sign eight cooperation agreements and issue a joint political
communique.
The Azerbaijan Republic is situated in eastern Transcaucasia, on the
western coast of the Caspian Sea. To the south, it borders on Iran, to
the west Armenia, to the north-west Georgia, and to the north the
Republic of Dagestan, in Russia.
On the last day of his stay in the Central Asian country, Khatami will
visit the historical city of Ganja to pay tribute to the 12th century
prominent Iranian poet Nezami Ganjavi, who has been buried in the
city. He is also to visit the historical Shah Esma’il Mosque in the
city.