Author: Hagop Kamalian

BAGHDASSARYAN: U.S. CLOSELY WATCHES PROCESSES IN ARMENIA
Pan Armenian News
12.09.2005 04:31
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Parliament Speaker Artur Baghdassaryan
refuted the information that his visit to the United States was
organized with the assistance of the U.S. National Democratic
Institute. As he assured journalists the visit was sponsored by the
U.S. Department of State within the framework of international visits
of heads of states, parliaments and governments. Artur Bghdassaryan
noted that he held 57 meetings with the representatives of all
the branches the U.S. power and public. “We discussed the current
processes in Armenia and the South Caucasus. I would like to note
that the U.S. closely watches the developments in Armenia”, the RA
NA Speaker said.

YUNUSOV: URGE TO SOLVE KARABAKH CONFLICT APPEARED IN OSCE MG ACTIVITIES
Pan Armenian News
05.09.2005 03:19
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Head of the Department of Conflictology of the
Institute of Democracy and Peace (Baku) Arif Yunusov has noted the
fact of activation of the talks over Karabakh settlement within the
past 12 months, reported the 525 Baku newspaper. In his words, it is
necessary to recognize that an urge to solve the issue has appeared
in the activities of the OSCE MG. “It is felt that the probability
of a solution has increased. At present the talks are held within
the framework specific principles, formed in Prague. The talks
may bring to a positive outcome for the Azeri party. However,
the option of settlement, being discussed at present does not fit
our national interests,” he stated. In his words, the holding of a
referendum to determine the NK status is planned in compliance with
this opinion and it is not acceptable to Azerbaijan. “Some time ago
different opinions were expressed concerning the liberation of the
5 occupied regions, except for Lachin and Kelbajar, as well as the
holding of the referendum to determine the NK status and normalize
the relations between the parties. The Azeri MFA has also confirmed
the information. However, the society has expressed its negative
attitude to that option of conflict settlement. The Azeri party
receded after that. Officials state the option of the referendum is
left out of the list of issues being discussed. However, this is not
true. Foreign diplomat, who have most information over the talks, have
stated that the option in question is still subject to discussion,”
the Azeri expert added. Having noted that the parties have come to
general agreement over settlement of the conflict based on that option,
Yunusov stated that the parties now discuss some aspects of the version
in question. These aspects mainly refer to the determination fo the
format and time of holding the referendum. “As Armenians demand to
hold the referendum in the Armenian community, this undoubtedly, does
not fit the Azeri party. THe parties still cannot decide, whether to
hold the referendum only with participation of Armenians of Karabakh,
or to include the Azeri community of Karabakh as well. There is also
the option, taking into account the holding of the referendum among
Azeri citizens. Taking into account these questions, the talks may be
protracted,” he added. Yunusov also noted that “no one can normally
respond to the referendum being held only in 15 years and with the
condition of liberation of Azeri lands from occupation.” “However,
in principle, there is no difference between holding the referendum
today and in 15 years, as in 15 years Armenians will have the same
position, as now. Some people think that in 15 years Azerbaijan’s
power will increase and Armenians of Karabakh will prefer being part
of Azerbaijan. This is an incorrect opinion. No one guarantees that in
15 years Karabakh Armenians will not wish to be independent or part of
Armenia. Thus, I consider that the option does not fit Azerbaijan’s
interests. In my opinion, considering that Karabakh fate depends on
the referendum of Armenians would be incorrect,” A. Yunusov summed up.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NORWAY AND UNDP INVEST IN SOUTH CAUCASUS COUNTRIES $10 MILLION
Pan Armenian News
01.09.2005 04:52
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian FM Vartan Oskanian the other day met with
Norwegian State Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Kim Traavik ,
reported the Press Service of the Armenian MFA. In the course of
the meeting Mr. Oskanian noted Armenia’s readiness to activate the
strengthening the Armenian-Norwegian bilateral cooperation. Thereupon
he noted the importance of continuation of bilateral contacts at the
top level. Having noted the interest of his country toward settlement
of problems in the South Caucasus, Kim Traavik stated Norway intends
to cooperate with the UNDP in the South Caucasus. Thus Norway will
invest $10 million in Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan within 2005-2007
aiming at funding development. In his words, the programs mainly
refer to management, energy and ecology. The parties appreciated the
efficient cooperation of the Armenian authorities and the UN Yerevan
Office, simultaneously expressing confidence that the new programs
will stimulate regional cooperation. At the instance of the guest V.
Oskanian briefed him with the latest developments in the Nagorno
Karabakh settlement and the Armenia-Turkey relations.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

TILL FINAL VICTORY
A1+
| 19:55:33 | 30-08-2005 | Politics |
The Armenian Foreign Ministry is going to launch a serious struggle
against the construction of an “alternative” railway connecting Turkey,
Azerbaijan and Georgia.
First of all Armenia will try to prevent other states from financing
Azerbaijan. Armenia has already proposed to operate the existing
railway lying through the Armenian territory. However the republic
will not be ready to put into operation the road until all the regional
conflicts are settled.
UNDER THE VEIL OF SECRECY
Till today nothing is known about the details of the meeting of the
Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents that took place August 27 in
Kazan. During today’s press conference Vartan Oskanian warned he is
not going to add anything new. “I assess this meeting as positive
though no crucial decisions were made”, he said stressing that the
meeting opened a new possibility for continuing the negotiations.
The formal statement issued by the RA MFA says in part, “Armenia
positively assesses the Kazan meeting and considers that the
negotiations proceed in the right direction. By order of the Presidents
the meetings of the FMS will continue basing on the agreements
achieved in Kazan. The visit of the OSCE Co-Chairs to the region is
also possible.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY, PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
_________________________________________ ____________________
RFE/RL Iran Report
Vol. 8, No. 31, 9 August 2005
A Review of Developments in Iran Prepared by the Regional Specialists
of RFE/RL’s Newsline Team
************************************************************
HEADLINES:
* IRAN GETS NEW PRESIDENT
* AMERICA IS AT AHMADINEJAD’S CONFIRMATION
* WOMEN WEIGH KHATAMI’S LEGACY ON GENDER ISSUES
* KHATAMI RECEIVES MIXED MARKS FOR HIS ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL
LEGACIES
* HUNGER STRIKER REFUSES MEDICAL TREATMENT
* LAWYER JAILED FOR DISCUSSING SPY DOSSIERS
* VIOLENCE ROCKS TEHRAN
* KURDISH UNREST IN IRAN SPREADS
* IRAN RECEIVES LEBANESE HIZBALLAH’S LEADER, THEN
SYRIA’S
* IRAN COMMENTS ON CENTRAL ASIAN DEVELOPMENTS
* BAGHDAD COMPLAINS ABOUT INFILTRATORS FROM IRAN
* NEW COMMERCIAL AGREEMENTS BETWEEN IRAQ AND IRAN
* ISRAEL ADJUSTS IRANIAN NUCLEAR ESTIMATE
* EUROPEAN NUCLEAR OFFER DEEMED UNACCEPTABLE
* WORK AT BUSHEHR NUCLEAR PLANT ACCELERATES
************************************************************
IRAN GETS NEW PRESIDENT. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
confirmed the presidential decree of Mahmud Ahmadinejad on 3 August
at a ceremony in Tehran, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA)
reported, in line with Article 110 of the country’s constitution.
In his first speech as president, Ahmadinejad called for the
elimination of weapons of mass destruction, state radio reported. He
also called for the elimination of double standards that try to
reduce some countries’ access to the same benefits other
countries have. Ahmadinejad described his priorities as justice,
peace, public rights, and he said his government will stress
attention to people’s needs, the promotion of justice, serving
the masses, and the country’s spiritual and economic progress.
“I regard myself as a drop in the boundless ocean of the
Iranian people,” he said, “And in gratitude for the opportunity given
to me to enable me to offer my services, I rub my forehead into the
dust on the ground to express my gratitude before Almighty God.”
Ahmadinejad added, “I pledge to repay the people for their trust and
the hope they attach to me through my sincere service.”
Ahmadinejad took the oath of office at the legislature in
Tehran on 6 August, Islamic Republic of Iran News Network reported.
His term will last four years. (Bill Samii)
AMERICA IS AT AHMADINEJAD’S CONFIRMATION. The United States was a
featured part of Supreme Leader Khamenei’s speech at the 3 August
ceremony, state radio reported. Khamenei criticized U.S.
officials’ statements about the Iranian presidential election in
June and said: “The Iranian nation, for its part, does not accept
their democracy. What pride can there be in the democracy in which
the money of Zionist capitalists speaks the loudest? And what can it
teach the people of the world?” Khamenei stressed that Iran is a
“peace-loving nation” but warned “the global arrogance and especially
the Great Satan and America” that Iran will defend its rights. (Bill
Samii)
WOMEN WEIGH KHATAMI’S LEGACY ON GENDER ISSUES. The presidency of
Hojatoleslam Mohammad Khatami ended on 3 August, when his successor,
Mahmud Ahmadinejad, was installed. Khatami’s landslide election
victory on 23 May 1997 owed a great deal to support from female
voters. Women make up about half of Iran’s eligible voters, and
Khatami actively courted their backing. As he leaves office,
observers are debating how much he managed to achieve for Iranian
women.
Khatami appeared to recognize this constituency’s backing
when, following his election, he appointed a woman, Masumeh Ebtekar,
as his vice president for environmental protection and appointed
Zahra Shojai as his women’s affairs adviser. Despite the demands
of women in 2001, when he was reelected, Khatami did not select any
women for his cabinet, although he chose Zahra Rahnavard as his
senior adviser on cultural affairs.
Khatami’s attitude on gender issues was summarized in a 4
July statement in Tehran, when he said, “We should have a
comprehensive view of the role of women and before anything else,
should not regard women as second-class citizens,” Fars News Agency
reported. “We should all believe that both men and women have the
capability to be active in all fields, and I emphasize, in all
fields.”
Farideh Ghayrat, a Tehran-based lawyer and the spokeswoman
for the Association for the Defense of Prisoners Rights, told Radio
Farda in May that the political atmosphere is more open now than it
was eight years ago. Ghayrat credited Khatami with creating an
environment that encourages women to participate.
However, she continued, this trend has stopped short of any
significant improvement in the legal arena. “Legally, there has been
no change [in the condition of women],” she said. “We cannot say that
women now, according to the law, have more competence in taking
responsibilities. Women still have trouble with ordinary laws, not to
speak of running for office.”
Marzieh Mortazi-Langarudi, a reformist women’s rights
activist, told Radio Farda that female activism has been on the rise
during the Khatami presidency. She added that women now have more
confidence to fight for their rights. Moreover, Mortazi-Langarudi
told Radio Farda, religious laws that created an authoritarian
atmosphere and tied a woman’s fate to her gender and physique are
being challenged, and this is an important step. “In general, the
women’s movement grew relatively well during the reformists’
[leadership],” Mortazi-Langarudi said. “I think women’s most
urgent claim has been equality in human rights and gender rights.
Steps have been taken. Women have more self-confidence in seeking
their rights. I think that during [the reign of] Khatami, there was
no stagnation. Stagnation was before Khatami, when no one could
challenge the laws that appeared holy.”
Women serve in the legislature, and they are eligible to
serve in municipal councils. However, no females serve in the
Assembly of Experts, an elected body that is restricted to clergymen.
In the last two presidential elections, women have registered as
candidates, but have not passed through the vetting process. That is
because the law uses a vague Arabic term — rejal — that is
interpreted in such a way that the chief executive must be a man.
Mahnaz Afkhami, who served as deputy minister of women
affairs before the 1979 Islamic revolution, told Radio Farda that
“what is really important is not simply whether a woman can achieve a
high post, but rather what the position of that woman is on the
women’s issues and women’s rights.” Afkhami suggested that
when the basic principles of democracy and human rights are not
respected, the presence of a few women in the presidential race is
irrelevant. “If you are seeking democracy and equality, such
political games would not make any change,” Afkhami said.
Khatami spokesman Abdullah Ramezanzadeh defended the
president’s efforts during a meeting of deputy governors and
governors-general for women’s affairs in Tehran in early May. “We
had not claimed that we would be able to bring about sexual justice,”
he said, according to “Etemad” on 4 May. “Nobody should expect us to
bring about that kind of sexual justice in a matter of 10 or 15
years. What Khatami’s government did in a democratic society was
to turn the issue of sexual justice into an issue of the day, rather
than allowing it to be confined to intellectual circles, to the
extent that today no politician can easily ignore that issue.” (Bill
Samii, Fatemeh Aman)
KHATAMI RECEIVES MIXED MARKS FOR HIS ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL LEGACIES.
In the final days of his presidency, Hojatoleslam Mohammad Khatami
met with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. During that meeting,
Khatami discussed what he saw as the accomplishments of his
administration during his two terms in office (1997-2001 and
2001-05). Khatami was very upbeat, but outside observers gave mixed
marks to his economic and political record.
Boost From The Oil Boom
During his meeting with Khamenei, according to Iranian state
radio on 2 August, Khatami described his administration’s efforts
to deal with economic issues such as unemployment and inflation.
Khatami said poverty is something the incoming government of Mahmud
Ahmadinejad must confront, and he noted that the poverty rate had
fallen sharply during his eight years in office.
Djavad Salehi-Isfahani, a professor of economics at Virginia
Polytechnic Institute and State University (aka Virginia Tech),
described Iran’s economic realities in a 2 August interview. “The
situation has improved both in terms of real wages and in terms of
unemployment. [Iran has] much lower unemployment for the
30-years-and-older [age] group. In fact, if you look at the latest
data on employment (about 3 percent unemployment for men and 6
percent for women), it’s so low for that group [that] it’s
hard to imagine it will fall any lower…. For the younger
[citizens], it hasn’t improved much.”
Youth unemployment is where Khatami failed, according to
Salehi-Isfahani. “[Khatami] did not do enough to help the young
people, especially young women…. Urban women’s unemployment
rate was 60 percent in 2004,” he continued. “This is an
astronomically high figure. For men 20-24 years of age, it’s also
very high — 25 percent.” Khatami tried to resolve this problem by
pushing through a package of unemployment benefits that targeted
young people. This effort was misplaced because the Iranian economy
just was not capable of absorbing the large increase in young job
seekers..”
It is not clear to what extent the overall economic upturn is
due to Khatami’s policies. Oil revenues have climbed in recent
years, Salehi-Isfahani noted, and this is inevitably accompanied by
an economic boom, income increases, and a fall in unemployment.
“Khatami in the last five years has been riding this oil boom,”
Salehi-Isfahani continued. “This is not to say he hasn’t done
anything. External events such as oil prices and internal events —
some policy — may have contributed to this improved situation. I
believe it’s mostly the external factors, the rising oil price is
responsible for this improvement.”
Salehi-Isfahani said Khatami intended to introduce new
programs, but he eventually continued the economic reforms initiated
by his predecessor, Ayatollah Ali-Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani. This
encouraged investment and led to privatization. “The private sector
has been continuously growing in term of employment and output at the
expense of the public sector,” Salehi-Isfahani said. “Those are
important achievements of Khatami, but really it is more staying the
course as opposed to coming up with the program and doing something.”
The average Iranian citizen’s situation has improved over
the past eight years, with real wages increasing. Salehi-Isfahani
said the annual economic-growth rate has been in the 5-7 percent
range, which places Iran in the top 20 percent of the world’s
fastest-growing economies. Salehi-Isfahani went on to say that the
poverty rate has declined, mainly because “you have a system of
subsidies that protect the poor from hunger and you have a booming
economy and booming employment.”
Not all the subsidies helped the poor, however, and recent
studies have found that much of the gasoline subsidy goes to
relatively well-off people. “That does not benefit the poor,”
Salehi-Isfahani said. “But, if you look at the subsidies, especially
for food and medicine, the poor benefit a lot from them and this is
what is holding Iran together.”
A discussion of the economic legacy of the Khatami presidency
can seem abstract until one gets a sense of how an Iranian lives.
Mehrdad, a young disabled man in Tehran, told Radio Farda that nearly
all of his activities take place in his own home. Mehrdad works on
his computer and writes a weblog. He said he is financially dependent
on his father, who is retired from the army and has a modest income.
Mehrdad went on to say that there are few training centers for the
disabled, and getting to them is difficult. “There is only one in
west Tehran, and I need to spend 4,000 tomans [about $5] just for
transportation. The government has only 10 buses for disabled
transportation for the whole Tehran Province.”
Mixed Political Accomplishments
Khatami’s presidency probably will be remembered best for
its political impact. But his efforts to achieve reform within a
constitutional framework were not entirely successful, not least
because they were countered by unelected institutions, such as the
Guardians Council. Furthermore, hard-line institutions managed to
violate citizens’ rights without having to account for their
activities. Therefore, Khatami’s presidency has received mixed
reviews from many observers.
One perspective is that the new open discourse on issues such
as civil rights, democracy, and social freedom created a new and
unprecedented environment in Iran. Majid Tavalai, editor of the
monthly “Nameh,” said this environment boosted Iranians’ courage.
“The official discourse on human rights and democracy created an
umbrella for people under which they felt secure to express their
opinions and demands,” Tavalai said. He went on to say that this was
not a stable or consistent trend, referring to the reduction in
social and political activities after the crackdown on student
demonstrators at Tehran University in 1999, the mass closure of the
reformist press from 2000 onward, the trials of participants in a
conference in Berlin in 2000, and the continuous arrests of political
activists.
Tavalai said a sense of hopelessness gradually came to
dominate society. “In this time the conservatives managed to raise
the costs of political activism resulting in its rapid decline and
its limitation to a small group of elites,” Tavalai said, adding that
people came to dislike politics and adopted a more apolitical
lifestyle.
Former parliamentarian Qasem Sholeh-Saadi at one time sided
with the reformists, but he broke with them over what he saw as a
lack of resolve on Khatami’s part. Asked if the president created
the environment in which Iranians could express themselves,
Sholeh-Saadi retorted that Khatami himself was a product of the
bravery of the Iranian people. “Khatami himself by his own accounts
and that of his friends cannot be categorized as a courageous man,”
Sholeh-Saadi said. “So he cannot be credited for the people’s
bravery. People themselves created this environment and not Khatami.”
Sholeh-Saadi conceded that some institutional improvements
did take place during Khatami’s presidency, and he credited the
president with revealing the serial killings of dissidents by alleged
rogue elements in the Intelligence and Security Ministry. He also
praised the country’s first municipal elections, which took place
in 1999. Sholeh-Saadi described these as fairly minor achievements
and insisted that Khatami actually hindered progress in other areas,
such as the crackdown on students and the jailing of journalists and
dissidents. He criticized Khatami for doing nothing to change the
constitution, which effectively stripped the president of power.
Sholeh-Saadi said Khatami should have led the people to the streets,
but that he proved to be more of an obstacle to reform than its
promoter. (Bill Samii, Fatemeh Aman, and Maryam Ahmadi)
HUNGER STRIKER REFUSES MEDICAL TREATMENT. Hospitalized journalist
Akbar Ganji, whose hunger strike began in early June, is refusing
medical treatment, Milad Hospital spokesman Sirus Tabesh told IRNA on
4 August. Tabesh described Ganji’s situation as “dangerous” and
getting worse.
Ganji’s wife, Masumeh Shafii, told Radio Farda on 30 July
that her husband currently weighs 50 kilograms. Ganji, who is
technically a prisoner, is currently in the hospital in Tehran. He
told his wife there on 30 July that neither he nor his attorneys
have, nor would they ask for a pardon or a conditional release,
Shafii told Radio Farda. It is Iran’s government, he told her,
which should ask to be pardoned for jailing him “illegally” for 2,015
days, she said.
Ganji was jailed for writing articles alleging involvement by
state officials in the killing of dissidents in the 1990s. The
judiciary says he could be eligible for a conditional release, if he
asks for it, for having almost served out his sentence.
Shafii also told Radio Farda on 31 July that she would
protest and call for his release on 3 August outside the United
Nations office in Tehran.
On 30 July, a reportedly “very large” number of sympathizers
gathered outside Ganji’s house, Mohammad Maleki, a participant,
told Radio Farda on 31 July. They reportedly included liberal
politicians and writers. (Bill Samii, Vahid Sepehri)
LAWYER JAILED FOR DISCUSSING SPY DOSSIERS. Abdolfattah Soltani was
arrested in Tehran on 30 July and taken to an unknown place,
apparently for divulging the contents of a nuclear espionage case,
Radio Farda and the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) reported on
31 July. Judiciary spokesman Jamal Karimi-Rad said on 31 July that
Soltani discussed the case with the families of defendants. “I do not
know why they behave this way. They have so much professional
experience,” he said. The Information Ministry, he added, has a full
dossier on Soltani. But lawyer Mohammad Ali Dadkhah told Radio Farda
that Soltani should first have been summoned to court to hear
charges. Dadkhah added that the judiciary spokesman has spoken about
the charges as if Soltani were already convicted. Radio Farda
reported on 31 July that men presenting themselves as judiciary
agents searched Soltani’s house “five days before” his arrest,
and took away unspecified papers and documents. Soltani told Radio
Farda on 23 July that he believed the Tehran chief prosecutor Said
Mortazavi was taking measures that would lead to his “arrest and
torture.” Iranian officials reported the arrest of a dozen “nuclear
spies” in December 2004 (see “RFE/RL Iran Report,” 27 December 2004).
(Vahid Sepehri)
VIOLENCE ROCKS TEHRAN. Deputy Prosecutor-General Masud Moqaddas, who
also worked as a judge, was shot to death on 2 August by one or two
men on a motorcycle as he crossed Ahmadi Avenue in Tehran. Tehran
Police Chief General Morteza Talai said there was no known motive for
the killing, but did not rule out that the crime could have a
political connection. Judiciary spokesman Jamal Karimirad said
Moqaddas — who was known as a hard-liner — headed the Tehran
judiciary complex and focused on social vice cases. He also handled
the trial of journalist Akbar Ganji — who is currently on a hunger
strike, AP reported. Tehran Prosecutor’s Office official
Abbas-Ali Alizadeh said the killing has nothing to do with
Ganji’s case and will have no effect upon it, the Fars News
Agency reported.
One day after the burial of Moqaddas, Judge Said Mortazavi
discussed the assassination, state television reported on 4 August.
Mortazavi said a group identifying itself as the Armed Youth of
Cherikha-yi Fadai has taken credit on its website. “However, I think
that this is a false claim or at least we have not reached the
conclusion that this group was responsible,” he said, adding that the
investigation is continuing.
Also on 2 August, a small explosion occurred in Tehran near
the building housing the offices of British Airways (BA) and British
Petroleum. Ambassador John Dalton told reporters that “We do not know
who the target of the explosion was. The Iranian authorities
responded very quickly and I’m grateful for that. I will be
consulting them about additional precautions which may be necessary
for British companies,” RFE/RL reported.
Deputy Interior Minister for Security Affairs Ali Asqar
Ahmadi denied that the BA office was the target, baztab.com reported,
and he would not dismiss the possibility that the same group
responsible for explosions in Tehran in early June could be
responsible for this incident. Meanwhile, the Hadian-i Aftab
Association plans a demonstration outside the British Embassy on 3
August, the Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA) reported on 2 August.
The association’s secretary, Vahid Mahabadi, said this is to
protest the burning of an Iranian flag when the country’s
national soccer team was in the United Kingdom. (Bill Samii)
KURDISH UNREST IN IRAN SPREADS. An unknown number of people violated
a ban on demonstrations and gatherings and rioted in the city of
Sanandaj, Kurdistan Province, on the evening of 1 August, IRNA
reported the next day. Before police quelled the unrest, rioters set
four autos alight and broke the windows at a bank.
In a continuation of unrest in predominantly Kurdish parts of
Iran, the Baztab website reported on 3 August, there have been some
violent incidents in Saqqez, Kurdistan Province. Members of a
Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) affiliate called the Kurdistan
Independent Life Party (PJAK) set the local husseinieh (a prayer
hall) on fire and broke the windows of some banks. The PJAK members
reportedly shot at security personnel, but there is no accurate
accounting of the casualties. Baztab noted that the unrest has been
continuing for three weeks, since the killing by security forces of a
Kurdish activist known as Shavaneh (see “RFE/RL Iran Report,” 19 July
and 26 July 2005).
IRNA described the demonstrators in Saqqez as “a bunch of
anarchists” on 3 August.
Iranian security forces posted near the city of Haji-Omran,
Piranshahr, West Azerbaijan Province, clashed with PJAK militants on
4 August, state television reported. The Middle East News Agency
reported on 4 August that Iranian missiles have landed in Iraq during
these clashes.
Kurdistan Province journalist Masud Kurdpur told Radio Farda
on 4 August that after several weeks of unrest the calm of the grave
has descended over the predominantly Kurdish cities of northwestern
Iran. Kurdpur noted that several regional publications — including
“Ashti” and “Atoo” — have been closed and their heads — Burhan
Lahuni and Delir Azadikha — arrested. Lahuni said his publication,
which is published in Kurdish and Persian, was temporarily closed by
the provincial court on 4 August, IRNA reported. Only 45 issues of
the daily have been published so far.
Kurdpur also told Radio Farda that after the unrest the towns
have a noticeable security presence, and he noted the arrest of
Kurdish activists.
One of the ones he mentioned is Roya Tolui.
Humanrightsfirst.org said Tolui was arrested on 2 August. It demanded
her release, as well as the release of other Kurdish activists. Tolui
is described as a vocal critic of the Iran government’s stand on
minority and gender issues. (Bill Samii)
IRAN RECEIVES LEBANESE HIZBALLAH’S LEADER, THEN SYRIA’S.
Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, secretary-general of Lebanon’s Hizballah
organization, arrived in Tehran on 31 July, Radio Farda and other
news agencies reported. Nasrallah met with Foreign Minister Kamal
Kharrazi on the first day of his visit, and on 1 August he met with
Expediency Council Chairman Ayatollah Ali-Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani,
President-elect Ahmadinejad, and President Khatami.
“Success, victories, and progress of this popular and
faithful force in political, cultural, social, and military domains
of Lebanon are results of purity and reliance on God’s will that
should be preserved and institutionalized as the main factor in the
fight against enemies of Islam,” IRNA quoted Ahmadinejad as saying.
Khatami denounced calls for Hizballah’s disarmament, IRNA
reported.
Middle East expert Alireza Nurizadeh told Radio Farda that
aside from the longstanding military and security contacts between
Iran and Hizballah, Nasrallah and Khatami have developed a close
relationship in recent years. This trip is an opportunity for the
Lebanese official to bid farewell to outgoing friends in government,
and it is an opportunity for Nasrallah to establish contacts with the
newly elected leadership.
Nasrallah met with Supreme Leader Khamenei, parliament
speaker Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, and Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani on
2 August, Iranian news agencies reported. Khamenei advised his guest
that “America has truly become weak in the region and its defeat in
Iraq, Lebanon, and Iran are all signs of this very fact,” state radio
reported. Nasrallah responded: “The most important objective pursued
by America, Israel, and some European countries regarding
Lebanon’s recent events is to disarm Hizballah and to implement
[UN Security Council] Resolution 1959. But the massive participation
of the Lebanese people in the elections, the unity among different
groups and the insight of the Muslims, the outcome of the elections
was against America’s expectation and in addition to its presence
in the parliament the Lebanese Hizballah took seats in the cabinet as
well.”
Haddad-Adel told his guest that Iran is interested in the
reconstruction of Lebanon, IRNA reported. “The U.S. always supports
despotic regimes and for the time being they have changed their
policy by taking up the banner of democracy…. The conspiracy was
defused in Lebanon,” he said.
Continuing his visit to Iran, Nasrallah met on 3 August with
Supreme National Security Council Secretary Hojatoleslam Hassan
Rohani, IRNA reported.
Lebanon’s “Al-Diyar” daily
() reported on 3 August that
Nasrallah’s visit to Tehran is especially important now because
the organization has lost some of its support from Damascus. The
article noted that Hizballah must coordinate its activities with the
new Iranian leadership, and it said some Hizballah leaders are very
happy with the outcome of the Iranian presidential election.
Hizballah’s leaders, “Al-Diyar” reported, “will find the new
Iranian leadership to be more flexible and more forthcoming in
supporting the party’s strategy,” and it will take “a hard-line
stance when it comes to the subject of Hizballah since it considers
this party a vital political and security arm for the Islamic regime
in Iran.”
Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad arrived in Tehran on 7
August for a two-day visit, SANA and IRNA reported. Minister of
Housing and Urban Development Ali Abdulalizadeh met the visitor at
the airport, and al-Assad then met with his counterpart, Mahmud
Ahmadinejad. Ahmadinejad said at a joint press conference, “Common
threats to Iran and Syria require joint cooperation from the two
countries more than ever,” IRNA reported. He added that there are no
limits to Tehran-Damascus cooperation. (Bill Samii)
IRAN COMMENTS ON CENTRAL ASIAN DEVELOPMENTS. “Following the
disintegration of the Soviet Union, America redoubled its efforts to
use political, economic, and cultural instruments within the
framework of a new order, based on its militarism, to enter the
strategic zones of the newly independent republics, particularly in
Central Asia,” an Iranian state television commentary announced on 31
July. The commentary went on to say that the Central Asians know a
U.S. presence will not contribute to stability or security in their
countries, and it has actually contributed to political instability
and even changes in state structures.
The commentary follows reports that Uzbekistan has given the
United States six months to vacate the Karshi-Khanabad air base in
that country (see “RFE/RL Newsline,” 1 August 2005). The Shanghai
Cooperation Organization — of which Uzbekistan is a member and which
recently granted Iran observer status — called for the withdrawal of
foreign forces in early July (see “RFE/RL Iran Report,” 14 June and
13 July 2005). (Bill Samii)
BAGHDAD COMPLAINS ABOUT INFILTRATORS FROM IRAN. “One of the biggest
one-week death tolls for U.S. forces in Iraq and a continuing surge
in killings of Iraqi forces and civilians showed that the insurgency
is increasing its lethality and expanding its scope,” “The Washington
Post” reported on 7 August, citing U.S. and Iraqi officials and
casualty counts. There are indications that Iran could be
contributing to that rising body count.
Anonymous U.S. military and intelligence officials asserted
in the 6 August edition of “The New York Times” that “many of the
new, more sophisticated roadside bombs used to attack American and
government forces in Iraq have been designed in Iran and shipped in
from there.” These supposedly sophisticated new bombs include shaped
charges, which are designed to penetrate armor. A shipment of these
from Iran was reportedly captured in northeast Iraq.
The anonymous sources mentioned possible and worrying
cooperation between Shi’a Muslims from Iran and Sunni Muslims
from Iraq. However, Ken Katzman of the Congressional Research Service
was skeptical. “Iran’s proteges are in control in Iraq right now,
yet these weapons are going to people fighting Iran’s proteges,”
he said in “The New York Times.” “That makes little sense to me.”
Supporting The Sunnis?
It may seem counterintuitive that Iranian support would go to
Sunnis. Yet the factionalized nature of the Iranian state provides
ample opportunity for government agencies to engage in activities
that run counter to official policy or logic. The Islamic Revolution
Guards Corps (IRGC) and the Ministry of Intelligence and Security
traditionally deal with the clandestine aspects of foreign policy.
Personnel from these agencies interact with Shi’a Iraqi groups
like the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq and its
Badr Corps, Al-Da’wah Al-Islamiyah, and the Islamic Action
Organization, as well as Kurdish groups such as the Patriotic Union
of Kurdistan and the Kurdistan Democratic Party. Yet the IRGC and the
Ministry of Intelligence and Security also dealt with Kurdish
Islamists, such as the Islamic Movement of Kurdistan, Ansar Al-Islam,
and the Kurdistan Islamic Group.
The U.S. capture of explosives in northern Iraq — rather
than in the south where Iran has greater influence — suggests that
they could have been funneled through the Ansar Al-Sunnah or Abu
Mus’ab al-Zarqawi’s group. This does not necessarily mean
that Iranian agencies are trying to undermine or otherwise harm their
Shi’a co-religionists. Their motivation may be to contribute to
an insurgency that either forces the United States to leave Iraq, or
at least, undermines U.S. claims to be contributing to regional peace
and security.
Some American officials, as well as Iraqi ones, have gone on
the record voicing unease about Iranian intentions.
In a 1 August speech in Baghdad, U.S. Ambassador Zalmay
Khalilzad referred to Iran’s mixed record on relations with Iraq,
RFE/RL’s Radio Free Iraq reported. “Iran is working along two
contradictory tracks,” he said. “On the one hand, Tehran works with
the new Iraq; on the other there is movement across its borders of
people and material used in violent acts against Iraq.” Khalilzad
noted that Iran is pursuing diplomatic relations with all its
neighbors, but stressed that activities that run counter to this
principle must end.
Iran And Syria
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar al-Zebari struck a similar
note in an interview that appeared in “Al-Sharq al-Awsat” on 1
August. He agreed that foreign gunmen are entering his country and
added: “Terrorist elements are infiltrating from neighboring
countries, particularly from Iran and Syria. We have asked these
countries’ authorities to control their borders and stop the
infiltrations.” He said Syria and Iran could stop the infiltrations
but they are not doing so.
It could be a coincidence that Syria’s President Bashar
al-Assad arrived in Tehran on 7 August for a two-day visit. Al-Assad
met with President Mahmud Ahmadinejad, as well as Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Expediency Council Chairman Ayatollah
Ali-Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani. The two presidents reportedly discussed
cooperation on Iraq. Hashemi-Rafsanjani told the visitor that
cooperation between Iran, Syria, and Lebanese Hizballah is necessary
and would block, in the words of Iranian state television, “the
violation of the rights of the Iraqi and Palestinian nations.” Iran
and Syria are the two main foreign supporters of Lebanese Hizballah,
which the U.S. State Department has designated a terrorist
organization.
Anonymous “Pentagon and intelligence officials” told the 6
August “New York Times” that Hizballah or Iran’s Islamic
Revolution Guards Corps might have brought the recently discovered
explosives into Iraq. The newspaper quoted “American commanders” who
compared these explosives to those used by Hizballah against Israel.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said in Los Angeles
on 4 August: “There’s no question but that Iran is a problem for
Iraq as well in terms of their developing a reasonably representative
system. The last thing the Iranians want is to see Iraq succeed as a
democracy, as a representative system, as a moderate state. It’s
exactly in conflict with the situation in Iran, which has a small
handful of clerics who run the country.”
Tehran dismisses these allegations. Referring to
Rumsfeld’s remarks, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza
Assefi said on 7 August that Iran has no reason to interfere in Iraqi
affairs, IRNA reported. Assefi said the United States is trying to
justify what he described as its “failure” in Iraq by blaming an
enemy of its own creation. (Bill Samii)
NEW COMMERCIAL AGREEMENTS BETWEEN IRAQ AND IRAN. Iraqi Transportation
Minister Salam al-Maliki said in Baghdad this week that Iran intends
to build a $20 million-$25 million international airport in Al-Najaf,
“The Washington Post” reported on 3 August. Al-Maliki added, “The
funding will come from a soft loan from Iran, and it could open as
soon as in the next four months.” He said that Tehran and Baghdad are
negotiating the return of some 150 aircraft that were flown to Iran
so they could avoid being destroyed in the 1990-91 Gulf War, and
Iraqi technicians could go to Iran soon to examine the state of the
passenger jets.
There is some skepticism about Iran’s generosity, with an
anonymous Iraqi politician telling “The Washington Post,” “In
general, no country gives this kind of loan without other interests.”
The politician added, “I think this doesn’t go without something
in return.”
In the southwestern Iranian city of Abadan on 2 August the
head of the local Chamber of Commerce, Industries, and Mines,
Gholamreza Akbarizadeh, met with his counterpart from the Iraqi city
of Al-Nasiriyah, Jabr al-Ghazi, IRNA reported. They signed a
memorandum of understanding in which they agreed to discuss
cooperation on communications, information exchange, and joint trade
fairs. (Bill Samii)
ISRAEL ADJUSTS IRANIAN NUCLEAR ESTIMATE. An anonymous “high-ranking
IDF [Israeli Defense Forces] commander” was quoted as saying in “The
Jerusalem Post” on 1 August that because Iran is no longer running
separate and independent military and civilian nuclear programs, the
estimated date by which the country could develop a nuclear weapon
has been moved back. If there was still a secret military program,
the source said, a bomb could be ready by 2007, but because the
military program now depends on the civilian one the earliest
possible date is 2008. A more likely date is 2012, according to the
source.
One day later, “The Washington Post” reported that a new
National Intelligence Estimate — which represents the consensus
opinion of the U.S. intelligence community — described credible
indications that the Iranian military is conducting clandestine
activities but there is no information linking these activities
directly with a nuclear weapons program. Although it remains unclear
if the Iranian leadership has decided to build nuclear weapons, an
anonymous “senior intelligence official” said, “it is the judgment of
the intelligence community that, left to its own devices, Iran is
determined to build nuclear weapons.”
The estimate speculates that Iran is unlikely to have the
ability to build a nuclear weapon before “early to mid-next decade,”
and according to “The Washington Post” this is a pushing back of the
deadline. This represents a reduced belief that Iran has distinct
military and civilian nuclear programs. Four anonymous sources
familiar with the estimate said, however, that there is evidence of
“clandestine military work on missiles and centrifuge research and
development that could be linked to a nuclear program.”
Vice Admiral Lowell Jacoby, director of the U.S. Defense
Intelligence Agency, told the Senate in February 2005 that Iran might
be able to produce nuclear weapons “early in the next decade” (see
“RFE/RL Iran Report, 1 March 2005). (Bill Samii)
EUROPEAN NUCLEAR OFFER DEEMED UNACCEPTABLE. Supreme National Security
Council Secretary Hassan Rohani informed Iranian President Mohammad
Khatami in a 31 July letter about some of the proposals European
states may make to reach an accord with Iran over its disputed
nuclear program, agencies reported the same day. Rohani wrote that
“comments and evidence” suggest that the EU may give its “full
support to a program of nuclear-energy production in Iran, including
supplying power stations from Western sources,” IRNA reported.
A European deal may include assurances of nonaggression and
respect for Iran’s territorial integrity, facilitating the
transfer of advanced technologies, technological cooperation, and a
more swiftly concluded trade deal with the EU, IRNA reported. The
foreign ministers of Great Britain, France, and Germany — the three
states negotiating with Iran — and EU foreign-policy chief Javier
Solana have written to Rohani, asking Iran to wait one week to hear
the details of a proposed deal, AP reported on 31 July.
Iranian officials have said Iran will not wait a week to hear
EU proposals, and may renew halted activities at a plant in Isfahan,
central Iran, though not sensitive uranium enrichment at another
plant, agencies reported on 31 July.
Supreme National Security Council spokesman Ali Aqamohammadi
said on 31 July that the council would meet that day to discuss
reactivating the Isfahan plant, and will consider EU proposals if
received by 12:30 GMT that day, AP reported. The Isfahan Uranium
Conversion Facility transforms uranium ore into a gas fed into
centrifuges that enrich uranium.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Assefi said separately
in Tehran on 31 July that Iran’s deadline to the EU would end on
1 August, IRNA reported on 31 July. He said EU proposals seemed in
any case “without content,” as they will likely not state that Iran
can legally make fuel. Iran, he said, will inform UN nuclear
inspectors in Tehran “today or tomorrow” about the renewal of
activities in Isfahan, AP and IRNA reported. Separately, Great
Britain, on behalf of the EU, warned Iran on 31 July not to take any
steps that would jeopardize talks, AP reported, citing a Foreign
Office statement.
Following Tehran’s announcement that it intends to resume
operations at the Isfahan Uranium Conversion Facility, the European
Union has urged it to reconsider, Reuters reported on 1 August. A
letter from Tehran to the International Atomic Energy Agency
announced intentions to remove the seals on the facility.
Speaking on behalf of the EU, Germany said it, France, and
Great Britain will submit a list of proposals on cooperation in
nuclear, economic, and political arenas. There is speculation that
the EU proposal will not meet Iranian expectations, EU diplomats told
Reuters, and Tehran is using resumption of activities at the Isfahan
facility in order to exert pressure.
In Washington, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said,
“We’ve repeatedly said that if they’re not going to abide by
their agreements and obligations, then we would have to look to the
Security Council,” dpa reported.
The “Financial Times” reported on 2 August that Tehran
decided late on 1 August to extend by 48 hours its deadline for the
resumption of activities at the Isfahan Uranium Conversion Facility.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said in Los Angeles
on 4 August, “It certainly looks [like] that country [Iran] is on a
path where they are quite determined to have nuclear weapons,” RFE/RL
reported. “And the Europeans and the United States and the rest of
the world has to make a judgment about what kind of a world
that’s going to be, given the fact that they’re on the
terrorist list and that they’re sponsoring terrorism
continuously.”
The European Union submitted its nuclear proposal to Iran on
5 August, news agencies reported. The proposal says Iran can continue
to develop its nuclear program if it is only for civilian purposes,
AFP and “The New York Times” reported. Anonymous diplomats told AFP
that the proposal rules out Iran’s enriching uranium and
reprocessing plutonium, and much of it focuses on fuel and access to
it. The proposal recommends allowing Iran to purchase nuclear fuel
and send it elsewhere for disposal, and it reportedly calls for
continuation of the suspension of uranium conversion. Other aspects
of the proposal reportedly focus on industrial and technological
cooperation, energy issues, and intellectual property rights.
Anonymous diplomats cited by “The New York Times” added that the
proposal includes security guarantees and mentions human rights and
terrorism, representing a full spectrum of Western relationships with
Iran.
Speaking at a 5 August briefing in Brussels, European
Commission spokesman Stefaan de Rynck said, “Clearly, the fact that
this package has been [offered] expresses our firm commitment to
opening a new chapter in our relationship between the EU and Iran,
and now, it’s up to our Iranian partners and counterparts to
study the proposal and react in due course,” RFE/RL reported. “Of
course, in the meantime, we expect [from Iran] full compliance with
the Paris agreement — which includes the suspension of nuclear
fuel-cycle activities.”
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Assefi acknowledged
receipt of the proposal, state television reported. He said relevant
entities, including the Supreme National Security Council, will
discuss the proposal.
Assefi said on 6 August that the EU’s proposal is
unacceptable, IRNA and state television reported, and it ignores what
he called Iran’s right to enrich uranium. He accused the
Europeans of wasting time.
The next day, Assefi said Tehran is unworried about the
possibility that Iran will be referred to the UN Security Council,
RFE/RL reported. He added, “I suggest that the Europeans avoid the
language of threat. The Europeans have called an emergency meeting
for the IAEA on [9 August] about Iran’s nuclear case. We think
the referral of Iran’s case to the Security Council would be
unlawful and politically motivated. If one day they refer Iran’s
case [to the UN Security Council], we won’t be worried in the
least. The Europeans should choose their way.” (Vahid Sepehri, Bill
Samii)
WORK AT BUSHEHR NUCLEAR PLANT ACCELERATES. The spokesman for the
Russian firm building the nuclear power plant in the southern Iranian
city of Bushehr said on 2 August that the company is rushing to
overcome delays, ITAR-TASS reported. Irina Yesipova, spokesman for
Atomstroieksport, said they are three months behind schedule. “Under
the working schedule the reactor’s physical launch is due in the
fourth quarter of 2006,” she said, adding that 4,000 Russian
specialists and Iranian builders are working there and the number
will increase to 5,000 by year’s end. She added: “the Iranian
side has arranged for round-the-clock work without any days off,
[not] even religious holidays.”
Iranian Ambassador to Russia Gholamreza Ansari said on 5
August that the plant “will be commissioned in June 2006,” ITAR-TASS
reported. He added that it will generate power for the national grid
by the end of 2006. While it is possible that Iran will cooperate
with Europe on future nuclear projects, Ansari said, Russia is a more
likely and logical partner because of their many years of working
together. He said representatives from the two countries are already
discussing the construction of new power units. (Bill Samii)
NOTE TO READERS: An Iranian newspaper, “Tehran Times,” on 1 August
reproduced without authorization an article by Bill Samii that first
appeared on the RFE/RL website
(
664703D100BE.html). The “Tehran Times” names Samii as the author, but
it does not identify the original source of the article, thereby
conveying the false impression that the piece was written for the
“Tehran Times” (). Moreover,
the “Tehran Times” heavily edited the article and omitted its last
400 words, effectively changing the meaning and intent of the piece.
Bill Samii did not write this or any other article for the “Tehran
Times” or any other Iranian publication. The Iranian daily did not
contact the author or RFE/RL to request permission to reproduce the
piece.
*********************************************************
Copyright (c) 2005. RFE/RL, Inc. All rights reserved.
The “RFE/RL Iran Report” is a weekly prepared by A. William Samii on
the basis of materials from RFE/RL broadcast services, RFE/RL
Newsline, and other news services.
Direct comments to A. William Samii at [email protected].
For information on reprints, see:
Back issues are online at
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

INVESTIGATION REVEALED NO NATIONAL MOTIVES OF DESTRUCTION OF ARMENIAN GRAVES IN SOCHI
PanArmenian News Network
Aug 4 2005
04.08.2005 02:40
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “I see no national component in the incident taken
place at the village cemetery July 29, 2005,” stated head of the
Baranovsky village district of Sochi city Ardavazd Peklivanyan at a
joint news conference with the Sochi Administration, law-enforcement
bodies and representatives of the Sochi branch of all-Russian NGO
Union of Armenians of Russia (UAR). As the Yerkramas newspaper of
Armenians of Russia reported referring to the Sochi Department
of Internal Affairs, Khosta district Administration Chief Igor
Seleznyov, Deputy Head of the Section of Internal Affairs of Khosta
district of Sochi, Criminal Police Chief, colonel Aleksandr Zhukov,
Chairman of the UAR Central District of Sochi branch Stepan Kagosyan,
Chairman of the UAR Khosta district of Sochi branch Oganes Chepnyan.
In the course of the news conference I. Seleznyov described the
circumstances of the event and evaluated it, saying, “29 gravestones
are destroyed at the cemetery of Verkhny Yurt village. Those, who
committed something of the king, have lost their human face. Things
like that should be punished. When they are found, they will be
shown on the local TV – Sochi residents should know these rogues
in the face.” He also said a special commission is formed to follow
the situation. No family, whose relatives’ monuments were destroyed,
will remain without attention. Assistance will be provided to them.
Aleksandr Zhukov informed those present about the investigation
course, “Practice shows most of crimes of the kind are committed
having hooligan motives. The criminals represent a group of minors or
young people as a rule. We have experience in revealing such crimes.
A similar one was committed this April at the Central district
cemetery. Those guilty are already charged at present. Proceedings
are instituted on the article 244 of the Criminal Code of the Russian
Federation. Police are now gathering information.” Mr. Zhukov also
noted that the Khosta Regional Section of Internal Affairs personnel
are involved in the search for the criminals. He emphasized that
the investigation revealed no national motives of the occurrence –
the cemetery is an ancient one, gravestones of not only Armenians,
but also Russians are demolished there. The word “schizophrenia”
written on the tombstones also evidences it. The investigators now
consider several versions. However two of these are the basic ones:
the crime was committed either by persons with mental disorder or
those with hooligan motives. When answering journalists’ question
A. Peklivanyan noted people of diverse nationalities and faith are
buried at the cemetery. He stated he did not see any indication of
national manifestation in the incident either. He also addressed the
families of the victims, asking to patiently wait for the outcomes
of the investigation. Mr. Peklivanyan also addressed the media,
asking not to use the incident to sow discord. Concluding his speech,
he said material assistance and moral support will be provided to
the families. S. Kagosyan and O. Chepnyan joined his request. They
also noted they do not see any nationalist signs in the incident and
promised support in restoration of the destroyed gravestones. “The
criminal does not have either a faith or nationality. Those, who
committed this crime should be correspondingly punished,” stated S.
Kagosyan. At the end of the news conference A. Zhukov addressed Sochi
residents, asking to report any information on the crime. The Sochi
Police will do its best to identify the criminals, he assured. It
should be reminded that unknown persons destroyed 29 gravestones at
a cemetery 5km away from Verkhny Yurt village of Khosta district of
Sochi. As we have reported earlier, most graves (28 out of the 29
according to the data available) belong to Armenians.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

HEAD OF GRAND HOLDING INVESTS $4 MILLION IN JV IN GEORGIA
TBILISI, JULY 26. ARMINFO. A plant on production of tobacco of the
Armenian- Canadian JV LTD Grand Tobacco included in the largest
industrial group Grand Holding will open in Georgia, Black Sea Press
reports.
Talking to journalists, Georgian MP Baso Jugeli said the plant planed
to start production of cigarettes, some 32 names, already on August 5
2005. He said the new plant is located in one of the districts in
Tbilisi, Gldan. It was based on the enterprise functioning there
earlier, which was purchased by the well-known Armenian businessman
Grant Vardanyan. The latter invested in the new production $4
million. Jugeli said “the production will be Armenian and the
Georgian party will be engaged in distribution.” He said the
enterprise would employ 200 residents of Georgia. Raw materials for
production of cigarettes will be supplied from Armenia. Jugeli said
establishment of the plant in Georgia was necessitated by the
existing demand for tobacco production. “At the initial stage the
cigarettes produced at the plant will be sold only in the georgian
market,” he said.
Speaking of the potential of Tbilisi plant earlier, Grant Vardanyan
himself stated that the enterprise was built taking into account that
the cigarettes market in Georgia was 5 bln cigarettes yearly (in
Armenia this indicator is 2 bln). He said the plant planed to produce
such Armenian brands as “Gloria”, “MT” and others. Grand Tobacco was
established in May 1997 on the initiative of a Canadian company
“Grand Tabak.” The first output was in August 1997. At present the
assortment of Grand Tobacco is represented by some 60 marks of
cigarettes. The company unites several tobacco factories. Besides, JV
Grand Tobacco is engaged in production of aromatized and cigarette
holder filters.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

New Georgian envoy seeks deeper ties
By David Horovitz
THE JERUSALEM POST
July 15, 2005
Lasha Zhvania, the new Georgian ambassador who delighted President
Moshe Katsav last month by presenting his credentials in Hebrew and
singing Hatikva, is urging Israeli tourists to visit his country –
with his own life story constituting the best evidence of the potential
affinity between the two nations.
Zhvania, who perfected his Hebrew during a 1999-2001 stint here as his
country’s consul, has been reported to be “of Jewish descent.” In fact,
he said simply in an interview this week, “I am Jewish. My mother is
Jewish. I know the halacha!”
Ironically, while most of his mother’s family have long since moved
to Israel, she is still living in Georgia – “She loves the country,”
he said.
His parents met at the entrance exams for medical school. His mother
went on to study medicine and is a pharmacist. His late father was
a biologist.
For Georgia’s very traditional Jewish community, which he estimated
now numbers some 8,000, his mother’s marrying out was unusual and
frowned upon. Only after his father died, he said, did the family
resume communications with her.
A former deputy foreign minister, the ambassador first visited Israel
– along with his mother – in 1988. He learned Hebrew initially
in a Jewish Agency school at home, and improved it on his earlier
posting here.
“I enrolled to study Greek at Tel Aviv University,” he said. “And,
obviously, they were teaching the Greek in Hebrew. I didn’t learn
that much Greek, but my Hebrew improved a lot.”
Asked his age, Zhvania said he was 31, adding lightly “which is pretty
old. The president [Mikheil Saakashvili] is only 37.”
Zhvania highlighted historic connections between his country and the
holy land, and more modern ties and identifications, too.
He cited a widely held tradition in the Georgian church that has a
Rabbi Elios of Mtskheta, which is situated not far from the Georgian
capital of Tbilisi, being present in the holy land at the time of
Jesus’s death, and bringing Jesus’s clothes home to his sister and
mother. The sister, Sidonia, died of grief at the sight of Jesus’s
clothes, and a church was later built at the reputed spot – today a
venerated cathedral.
“Every Georgian child knows this tradition,” said Zhvania, adding
that it was at the root of Georgian affection for Jews.
When Christianity came to Georgia in the fourth century, he added,
it was spread by the niece of the patriarch of Jerusalem, St. Nina,
and the consequent reciprocal influences saw a large Georgian community
here, notably in Jerusalem’s Malcha and Katamon neighborhoods, and
the arrival of place names in Georgia like Zion, Tavor and Bethlehem.
More recently, Zhvania asserted, the first Jews to be allowed to leave
the Soviet Union were 18 families from Tbilisi who sought permission
to emigrate in 1968. He said about 100,000 Jews of Georgian origin
live in Israel today, with most of the community having left in the
early 1970s.
Zhvania added that in the so-called Rose Revolution, which saw Eduard
Shevardnadze ousted as president amid public protests over attempted
manipulation of legislative elections, some Georgians brandished
Israeli flags as a sign of the democratic freedoms to which they
aspired.
“There are many similarities between our two countries,” he said,
noting Georgia’s near five-million population and relative proximity to
Israel. He said Georgia was deep into a process of economic, legal and
other reforms. In its efforts to encourage Israeli tourism, he said,
Georgia last month canceled visa requirements for Israelis.
Asked how Georgia has voted at the United Nations on resolutions
relating to Israel, the ambassador said it only recently regained
voting rights at that body. It had owed the UN $12 million in
contributions, and had now paid the first third.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Kazinform, Kazakhstan
July 14 2005
Nagorny Karabakh problem in focus of ICG Tbilisi meeting
BAKU. July 14. KAZINFORM. – The Brussels-based non-governmental
organization International Crisis Group (ICG) has hosted a meeting in
Georgian capital Tbilisi to bring together Azerbaijani and Armenian
experts to discuss issues concerning the settlement of the
Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Kazinform has learnt
from Azer-TAj.
Sharing her views on the meeting with AzerTAj reporter, participating
member of the Milli Majlis (Parliament) of Azerbaijan, independent
expert Gultakin Hajiyeva said their activity in the event had been
very useful. The well-founded advocacy of the experts has made the
ICG representatives to accept their positions. The Tbilisi meeting is
just an expert-level event.
However, one should not ignore it because if the Group’s reports may
have some impact on formation of the European public’s opinion on
Azerbaijan, we should definitely take this chance.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PETRO DOLLARS FUNDING AZERI WAR MACHINE
BAKU, June 25 (AFP) – Azerbaijan is using revenue from record-high
oil prices to fund a massive increase in military spending, President
Ilham Aliyev said Saturday, warning that the army would be prepared
to reconquer the ethnic-Armenian separatist region of Nagorno
Karabakh.
   Azerbaijan will spend 300 million dollars (248 million euros) on
its armed forces in 2005, a 70 percent increase over last year, the
Azeri leader said at a ceremony in a military academy.
   “The adversary must know that the Azerbaijani army can mobilise
at any moment and liberate the occupied territories,” Aliyev said.
“Spending on the country’s defence force will grow continuously.”
   In May, Azerbaijan inaugurated a US-backed pipeline, which will
deliver oil from Caspian Sea oil fields to the Mediterranean and is
expected to generate as much as 160 billion dollars for the country
over the next 30 years.
   Analysts say Baku may try to use the money to finance an attempt
to restore control over Nagorno Karabakh.
   Armenian forces took control of the mountainous area and seven
other regions in a bitter war in the early 1990s, but Azerbaijan has
refused to give up its claim to the territory.
ATOMIC TRUTH
   At the 40th international film festival in Czech healthresort
of Karlovi Vari Armenian-American film director Atom Egoyan
represented his “Where the Truth Lies” new film. In his speech that
followed featuring, Egoyan said that his film has been already shown
at the Cannes Festival but only to journalists. In fact, this was the
first public featuring. “I was deeply touched to see through the
window of Termal Hotel young men running into the hall”, Egoyan said
to a press conference the next day.
   The scenario of the film is based on the novel by Nero Wolf,
which received best American novel prize in 2004. The film is the
story of Lanny Morris (Kevin Bacon) and Vincent Collins (Colin
Firth), the hottest showbiz duo of America in 1950s. It is built on
the contrast of private and public lives and discloses wicked sides
of show business, explores the dark, beguiling, and inevitably
destructive side of fame and fortune. The film was shown on the
sidelines of Horizons program separately from the festival agenda. It
received the spectators’ wild applause, and the daily newspaper of
the festival dubbed it and “atomic truth”.
AGBU REP. IN CONTEMPT OF COURT
() AGBU Representative Gordon Anderson appeared
in Nicosia District Court before Judge D. Michaelides on Friday, July
8, 2005, as part of the contempt of court procedures that were
initiated against him for violating the earlier Injunction preventing
the AGBU from realising its decision to close the Melkonian Education
Institute.
   The Injunction was secured by lawyers Alecos Markides, Christina
Sarris and Costas Velaris, representing the Patriarch of Istanbul,
Mesrob Mutafyan. The joint clients are the Melkonian Alumni
Association of Cyprus and the Melkonian Alumni and Friends of
California.
Anderson, represented by Chris Triantafyllides, agreed not to violate
the interim court order and reappear in 15 days to defend his actions
that were in contempt of the order.
1st Hearing
The first hearing of the injunction order will be on Wednesday, July
27, 2005, again before Judge D. Michaelides.
Challenge of Garabed Melkonian’s will
The first hearing of the Patriarch’s case against the AGBU,
challenging the validity of the 1926 will by which the New York
Central Board announced on March 16, 2004 to close the Melkonian in
June 2005, will take place in front of another judge of the Nicosia
District Court on August 25, 2005.
MASS SUICIDE OF 1,500 SHEEP IN TURKEY
AP 8 July 05 ISTANBUL, Turkey – First one sheep jumped to its death.
Then stunned Turkish shepherds, who had left the herd to graze while
they had breakfast, watched as nearly 1,500 others followed, each
leaping off the same cliff, Turkish media reported.
   In the end, 450 dead animals lay on top of one another in a
billowy white pile, the Aksam newspaper said. Those who jumped later
were saved as the pile got higher and the fall more cushioned, Aksam
reported.
   “There’s nothing we can do. They’re all wasted,” a member of one
of 26 families whose sheep were grazing together in the herd, was
quoted as saying by Aksam.
   The estimated loss to families in the town of Gevas, located in
Van province in eastern Turkey, tops $100,000, a significant amount
of money in a country where average GDP per head is around $2,700.
   “Every family had an average of 20 sheep,” Aksam quotedanother
villager, Abdullah Hazar as saying. “But now only a few families have
sheep left. It’s going to be hard for us.”
TATIANA’S CORNER
This corner is reserved for local artist Tatiana Ferahian’s comic
strips which are amalgamations of Armenian-Cypriot social
commentaries, painted with her usual wry and ironic humour, to
stimulate and encourage awareness and interest toward our community’s
everyday happenings.
THOUGHT OF THE WEEK
THOUGHT OF THE WEEK
After limited recognition by Azerbaijan to Turkish occupied northern
Cyprus, should we demand from the Government of Cyprus, outright
recognition of The Artsakh Republic?
Your comments to [email protected]
DEFINITELY, golden opportunity to take advantage of Aliyev’s
stupidity. Apart from Cyprus we should also push the Greek
Government, you never know your luck.
I am sure Azerbaijan would’ve tried had the situation been reversed.
Regards – Alfred Baghoumian – Sydney Australia
——————————————————————————
Dear editor,
   I don’t think that the Artsakh issue parallels with theCyprus
issue, even though a lot of people might think of it that way.
Granted Armenians from all over the world, including Armenia proper,
helped the ethnic Armenians in Artsakh gain the upper hand in the
running of the region and their own fate, however in effect the
Republic of Armenia never invaded Azerbaijan per se, nor does it have
troops stationed illegally in Azerbaijan territory, nor has the
Armenian population there got involved with ethnic cleansing in the
occupied Azerbaijani areas of any massively organised nature. All
these things were done in Cyprus at the expense of its people.
   Having said that, it is vital to understand that self
determination of Artsakh should not be promoted as a ‘reprisal’ or
‘response’ to other international scenarios, such as the one with
Cyprus. Artsakh, and the ethnic Armenians living there have a right
to be there, in their ancestral homeland, whereas the segregation of
the Turkish Cypriot minority in the occupied areas of Cyprus,
reinforced with settlers with mainland Turkey is an outright breach
of international law and human rights.
   If we, as the Armenian community of Cyprus, pursue sucha course
of action, it would appear that the Artsakh issue is a direct
parallel with the Cyprus issue, which would push the Armenian case to
appear under the same light as the propaganda distributed by Turkey
regarding Cyprus and condemned by the official international opinion.
Is this what we really want? For the peoples of the world to think
that Armenia is an invading force that has annexed a part of
Azerbaijan? I’m sure the Azeris are quite able and willing to promote
that idea, they need no support from us.
   The recognition of the Artsakh state is not as important as the
recognition for the need for self determination of the ethnic
Armenians living there, unlike in Cyprus, where Turkey is whole
heartedly pushing for a division of the island into two parts. I
think that almost anyone would agree that the Azeri regime acted in a
provocative and wrong manner, should we encourage the Cypriot
government to do so as well? I think not.
my 2 cents – Diran Kassabian
——————————————————————————
It is only Turkish character to do such acts against international
decisions, such as Azerbaijan’s recognition of the divided Turkish
region. Asking the Cypriot government to recognise Karabagh
government is not practical , because in my opinion, it will justify
Azerbaijan’s action internationally. On the other hand, this act if
allowed internationally and no other nation or community protests,
than it opens the door to countries who were willing but not daring
to recognise Karabagh to have a strong argument.
Good luck,
Berj Kalamkarian.
——————————————————————————
I thought you might be interested in this–please circulate to others
who may want to order a copy of this DVD from the
web site..
Mihran Keheyan – London
——————————————————————————
RECOMMENDED WEBSITES
ositastoriche.htm
ARTSAGANG JUNE 2005 You can now read the Armenian community’s 20-
page monthly Armenian publication (June 2005 issue number 123) in
front of your computer in pdf format at:
â=80¢Armenia’s second mobile communications operator began working in the
south Caucasian under the Vivacell trademark owned by a Lebanon-based
holding, whose major shareholder, Pierre Fatouche, also owns
Karabakh-Telecom, a mobile operator in Artsakh. According to the
company’s director Ralf Erekyan, Vivacell invested over 75 million
dollars to set up a network capable of servicing 300,000 clients.
â=80¢World-famous Armenian composer Aram Khachatrian’s statue will be
erected in central Moscow.
â=80¢”Armenia, a Country under Blockade,” a powerful documentary film on
the impact of Turkey’s blockade of Armenia was featured at the
recently concluded Myrtle Beach International Film Festival, and has
officially been selected for the upcoming “Golden Apricots,”
Yerevan’s International film festival, which will take place between
July 12-17. Narrated by System of a Down lead vocalist, Serj Tankian
and directed by Diran Noubar, the 52-minute documentary film
describes, in compelling images and through first-hand accounts, the
human impact of Turkey’s decade-long, illegal blockade of Armenia.
â=80¢The Lincy Foundation announced that it would allocate $60 million
for three new infrastructure projects selected by the Government of
Armenia.
â=80¢Armenia’s Levon Aronian came in third at the sixth European
Individual Chess Championship, behind Romanian Grandmaster Liviu
Diter Nisipeanu, who clinched first place with 10 points, and Teimur
Radjabov of Azerbaijan who finished second.
â=80¢ website says that the population of Azerbaijan is
8,388,000. The population of Azerbaijan has grown by 41 thousand in
six months. According to unofficial data, the population of
Azerbaijan amounts to about 5 million. Since 1990, over 2 million
Azeris left Azerbaijan and settled down in Russia.
â=80¢Armenia’s Emergency Department has announced that 26 people have
drowned since April, ten of them children. Two drowned last week in a
fish farming dam.
â=80¢The Armenian “Cilicia” sailing ship, named and modelled after the
13th century vessels used in and around the Armenian kingdom of
Cilicia, dropped its anchor in the French port city of Marseilles on
July 3. The crew was greeted by the warm welcomes of Armenian
ambassador to France Edward Nalbandian, Marseilles mayor Jean-Claude
Gaudin, local senate and parliament members, and the community’s
Armenians.
â=80¢Kurdish rebels used remote-controlled bombs derailing two trains,
killing six railway security guards and injuring 20 people, Turkish
military officials said last week.
â=80¢The Greek and Turkish prime ministers met on a bridge across the
river that divides their countries to launch a joint construction
project to connect rich natural gas fields in the Caspian and Central
Asia to energy-hungry markets in Europe.
â=80¢Two sisters of a slain Kurdish guerrilla urged authorities to
conduct tests on two mass graves containing headless bodies
discovered in southeastern Turkey to determine whether their
brother’s body is among the remains.Human rights groups are also
demanding an investigation into the possibility that the remains
belong to guerrillas who may have been caught alive and later shot in
the head and beheaded to hide evidence of executions.
POLL
A poll by Yerkir poses the following question:
What is your source for political news?
The results may not surprise our 5,000 subscribers but the
findings are interesting. TELEVISION 13%
RADIO 3%
PRINT PRESS 7%
INTERNET 75%
OTHER 2%Â
SPORTS NEWS AND CALENDAR
â=80¢DAVIS Cup at Fitzwilliam Tennis Club, Dublin, Ireland. In a Group
littered with political undertones, Armenia, Cyprus and Turkey and
five other countries – including host country Ireland – are battling
it out in tennis on a national level from July 11-17 2005 where the
two highest-placed nations will be promoted to Group II in 2006.
There is no Davis Cup history between Armenia and Cyprus but Marcos
Baghdatis and Sargis Sargsian – both ranked in the top 100 – are
expected to meet in their first ever confrontation.
Turkey and Cyprus have met in a Davis Cup tie three years ago, with
Cyprus winning 3-0.
â=80¢Champions League First Qualifying Round: (First leg July 12-13;
second leg July 19-20) FC Haka (Finland) vs. Pyunik (Armenia),
Neftchi (Azerbaijan) vs. FH Hafnarfjordur (Iceland), Dinamo Minsk
(Belarus) vs. Anorthosis Famagusta (Cyprus)
Second Qualifying Round: (First leg July 26-27; second leg Aug. 2-3)
Valerenga (Norway) vs. FC Haka-Pyunik winner, Dinamo Minsk-
Anorthosis Famagusta winner vs. Trabzonspor (Turkey)
UEFA Cup: Thursday July 15. LIVE from ALPHA. Omonia (Cyprus) vs.
Hibernians (Scotland) 8:00 pm, Birkirkara (Malta) Vs APOEL (Cyprus)
â=80¢Marcos Baghdatis is injured. After winning The Open Diputacion
Ciudad de Pozoblanco 85.000 Euro in Cordoba – Spain he pulled out of
the semi-finals of the a grass court tournament in Nottingham –
England, a few days prior to his participation in Davis Cup
competition for Cyprus.
â=80¢() With the new rankings of the seniors tour
released on July 8, 2005 Simon Aynedjian is ranked 128 in the world
in the seniors category, ahead of Greek champion George Anagnostakis
ranked 471 and Turkish champion Oguz Azkara ranked 422. Darko Strizak
of Serbia – that Aynedjian defeated in the finals of the last ITF
tournament – is ranked 73 in the world.
All the rankings at
BOOKS BY TURKISH WRITERS â=80¢The Flea Palace
â=80¢The Saint of Incipient Insanities
by Elif Shafak  AVAILABLE FROM JULY 18 IN CYPRUS
>From MOUFFLON Bookshops
[email protected]
Tel: +357 22665155
WHO IS ELIF SHAFAK?
   Elif Shafak was born in Strasbourg, France in 1971. Shespent
her teenage years in Spain before returning to Turkey. She has
published five novels, most recently, THE SAINT OF INCIPIENT
INSANITIES, which is her first novel in English and which was
published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux in the fall of 2004.
   Shafak is also a social scientist, graduated from International
Relations at Middle East Technical University. She holds a Master of
Science degree in Gender and Women Studies, and earned her PhD from
the Department of Political Science. Her major in Contemporary
Western Political Thought and her minor in Middle Eastern Studies,
Shafak’s academic background has been nurtured by a critical,
interdisciplinary, and gender-conscious rereading of the literature
on the Middle East & West, Islam, and modernity.
   Currently, Shafak is an Assistant Professor in the NearEastern
Studies Department at The University of Arizona. Her courses include
`Literature and Exile,’ `Politics of Memory,â=80=9D and `Sexualities and
Gender in the Muslim World.’
   An outspoken intellectual and activist, Elif Shafak continues to
write for various daily and monthly publications in Turkey.
 g i b r a h a y  c a l e n d a r
â=80¢Annual General Meeting of AYMA /HMEM on Tuesday July 12, 2005 at
8:00 pm at AYMA
â=80¢Commemoration of Khanasor Arshavank on Sunday July 24, 2005 in
Troodos. Venue and details to be announced shortly. Organised by
AYMA, Dashnaktsoutiun Cyprus Gomideh, Hamazkayin, ARS (HOM) and The
Armenian Youth Federation of Cyprus.
â=80¢The Yerevan State Youth Theatre is participating in the
International Festival of Ancient Greek Drama 2005 performing Clouds
by Aristophanes on Thursday 28 July 2005 at Makarios III
Amphitheatre, Nicosia and Saturday 30 July, 2005 at the Ancient
Paphos Odeon. Both performances begin at 9:00 pm and tickets are CYP
10.00. Following the performance in Nicosia The Hamazkayin Cultural
and Educational Association Oshagan Cyprus Chapter is organising a
Welcoming Dinner to our performing compatriots at AYMA. You can
participate only by reservation. Call Louise Aynedjian on 99533684.
â=80¢7th Homenetmen Panarmenian Games – Athens – Greece 24 – 31st July.
with the participation of 300 Armenian athletes from 15 different
countries competing in Basketball, Volleyball and Swimming. 200 will
dance and sing in a unique opening and closing ceremony. We look
forward to welcoming you to the home of the Olympic Games. For more
information visitÂ
â=80¢STUDENTS CULTURAL FORUM July 21 – August 3 in Yerevan, Armenia.
Interested in taking part in a culturally, intellectually, and
socially stimulating program especially tailored for Armenian
university students? If so, come and discover the various facets of
our rich Armenian culture and heritage offered by The HAMAZKAYIN
STUDENTS CULTURAL FORUM
For more information and application forms please contact:
USA East Coast: Sevag Shirzoyan [email protected] , USA West Coast:
Shoushig Arslanian [email protected] CANADA Lalai Manjikian,
[email protected] , EUROPE Sella Tenjoukian (London) stenjouk@
aol.com Hourig Baghdassarian (Paris) [email protected] , MIDDLE EAST
Arin Kalousdian (Lebanon) [email protected] ARMENIA Tamar
Shahbazian (Yerevan Office) [email protected] , Arto Tavitian (Cyprus)
[email protected]
â=80¢AKTI: Coasts Without Frontiers, Age group:18-25. Dates/Duration:
August 20-27. Location: Polis Chrysochous camp site. Conta ct:
Kyriaki Demetriou; Tel: 22 45848548454; Email: [email protected]Â Â A
multicultural environmental youth camp will bring together 30 Cypriot
t youth between 18 and 25 years old, from Greek-Cypriot,
Turkish-Cypriot, Maronite and Armenian communities of Cyprus. The
project will focus on coastal areas of Cyprus, both at the north and
the south, aiming at the protection and preservation of the Cyprus
coastal ecosystem by promoting knowledge-based society. The camp
will take place for a week in August and will feature environmental
workshops, facilitated discussions, field visits to the coast,
clean-up activities and a final poster production.
â=80¢Three months left until the 72nd Annual AYF Olympics, expected to
draw thousands of Armenians from all over the world to Washington ,
DC September 1-5, 2005. In the three-day get-together a rich cultural
programme is scheduled as well. Nune Yesayan kicks off the weekend
with a barahantes. Also featuring Nersik Ispirian, the Michael
Gostanian Ensemble, the Aravod Ensemble. The All Stars will close the
weekend with John Berberian on the oud, Onnik Dinkjian’s Vocals,
Hachig Kazarian on clarinet, Roger Krikorian on the dumbeg and
vocals, and Ara Dinkjian on Keyboards. Rooms are filling up fast, so
make sure you book your room online. You can even buy your HyePass
and purchase your Ad Book ad .
â=80¢AYMA/HMEM Chicco Football practices take place every Friday from
7:00 – 8:30 pm for children starting from the age of 7. Contact
Krikor Mahdessian on 99650897.
â=80¢Armenian Radio Hour on The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation via real
audio on  . Broadcast 17:00-18:00 local Cyprus time
(14:00-15:00 GMT). Armenian news every Friday, Saturday, Sunday and
Tuesday.
â=80¢The Armenian Prelature announces that the next permit for the
Armenian Cemetery visitation at Ayios Dhometios on the Green line, is
on Sunday 24 July, 2005
â=80¢Every Wednesday from 7-8 pm (Cyprus time + 2 GMT) on CyBC’s Trito,
Puzant Nadjarian presents the “History of the Blues”. Internet
edition on
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress