Author: Harutyunian Christine

ALLIANCE OF NATIONAL DEMOCRATS DEVELOPS PROGRAM FOR CONDUCTING FREE, FAIR PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS

ARMENPRESS
Aug 23 2006

YEREVAN, AUGUST 23, ARMENPRESS: The Alliance of National Democrats
has developed a program for conduction of fair, free parliamentary
elections. The leader of the Alliance Arshak Sadoyan told today at a
press conference that the program has already been presented to the
international organizations, particularly to UN, OSCE as well as to
the U.S. ambassador.

According to Sadoyan, for getting material assistance from the
international organizations it is necessary to involve wide public
circles during the implementation of the program. With this aim,
he said, a meeting will be conducted until September 10 with the
representatives of social, political, international organizations
during which they will present suggestions and discuss them.

Sadoyan said on the basis of the finally approved version a
responsible organizational body will be elected which will assume the
responsibility of the implementation of the program. Sadoyan said
that approximately 2.5 million USD will be necessary for carrying
out the program.

"The U.S. State Department promised to provide 6.5 million USD for
conducting fair elections, and for implementation of our program only
2.5 million USD is necessary," said the leader of the alliance.

AREA RESIDENTS OPPOSE ARMENIAN HIGH SCHOOL
By Cortney Fielding Staff Writer

Pasadena Star-News, CA
Aug. 23, 2006

PASADENA – Negative reaction to a new Armenian high school in Pasadena
has organizers asking "What’s so bad about a school?"

Residents in the Victory Park area have mobilized against the Armenian
General Benevolent Union High School, which they say will bring
significant noise, traffic and other disruptions to their neighborhood.

Members of the Mountain Park Villa Condominiums Homeowners
Association contend the AGBU kept them in the dark about plans to
open Sept. 12. They are now questioning the organization’s right to
operate on a site originally approved as a church elementary school.

"Teenagers are not little kids – they can cause a lot of noise and
mischief," said former association board member Loraine Bernstein.
"I’m very hesitant."

Fifty students in grades nine through 11 are already registered
for the private college preparatory school’s inaugural year, school
officials said. Administrators say they anticipate adding a 12th grade
and expanding to 100 students in upcoming years. The school’s permit
allows for up to 200 students.

The AGBU, a national social and educational organization that promotes
Armenian heritage, has owned the land at 2495 E. Mountain St. for more
than 10 years, but has rented much of the space to the Living Waters
Christian Fellowship, which operates an elementary school. They’ve
thus far used the building for social gatherings and group functions.

At a meeting with residents Monday night, AGBU Chairman Vahe
Imasdounian said he wanted to build excitement for the private school,
which he said will add to the quality and value of the neighborhood.

In addition to cleaning out and remodeling the building, Imasdounian
said the school will also see extensive landscaping, in addition to
being gated.

"Whatever it takes," he said. "We want to make this neighborhood
better and better."

But tensions mounted when neighbors peppered him and other AGBU
members with questions about where cars would park, where parents
would drop and pick up students, and how they would control teenagers
from walking through their property and causing disruption.

Residents also cited a decade-old incident that occurred on-site
during an AGBU party, when a fight resulted in reported gunfire,
and a security guard had to be hospitalized.

The incident, Imasdounian said, occurred "so long ago, and a lot has
changed since then."

He vowed to ensure the school, which will eventually cost $12,000 in
annual tuition, runs smoothly and causes no disruptions.

"Discipline comes first at our school," he said.

After the meeting, AGBU director Haig Messerlian asked homeowners
association president Karen Lindsey what was wrong about starting a
school in a neighborhood.

"The residents don’t want a high school here," she replied.

But Lindsey also said the meeting was a positive step toward opening
communication, and she would continue to work with the group. "It’s
a start, definitely," she said.

Agency WPS
What the Papers Say Part B (Russia)
August 18, 2006 Friday

SAAKASHVILI WILL BE AN UNCONDITIONAL FRIEND

by Yuri Simonjan

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is invited to visit Tbilisi; Georgian
President Mikhail Saakashvili, known as a loyal satellite of the
United States and a supporter of everything American, has stunned the
international community by inviting Iranian President Ahmadinejad,
Washington’s number one opponent and ideological adversary, to visit
Tbilisi.

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, known as a loyal satellite of
the United States and a supporter of everything American, has stunned
the international community by inviting Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad, Washington’s number one opponent and ideological
adversary, to visit Tbilisi.

Saakashvili delivered his invitation to Ahmadinejad via Iranian
Deputy Foreign Minister Mehdi Safari who was on a visit to the
Georgian capital on August 14-15. The visit was shrouded in a veil of
secrecy. Only some details of Safari’s meetings with Saakashvili,
Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli, and Foreign Minister Gela
Bezhuashvili were revealed in a brief statement for the media. The
official authorities flatly refused to elaborate.

It is only known that Saakashvili thanked the Iranian diplomat for
help from Tehran that enabled Georgia to overcome the February fuel
crisis. In fact, the Iranian assistance was moral rather than
practical but Saakashvili certainly made a fuss of it. He even went
so far as to ask Safari to pass an invitation to Ahmadinejad to pay
an official visit to Georgia. This piece of news stirred the
political establishment because the Iranian president is on the black
list of Tbilisi’s principal benefactor US President George W. Bush.
(Ahmadinejad called for expulsion of the United States and Britain
from the UN Security Council and for bringing Bush and Tony Blair to
trial, the other day.)

Irakly Menagarishvili, Director of the Center of Strategic Studies
and ex-Foreign Minister of Georgia, admits that the invitation to
Ahmadinejad to visit Georgia may have a negative effect on Tbilisi’s
relations with the US Administration but says that there is no need
to be overly dramatic about it. "There is more to relations between
Georgia and Iran than contacts with the Iranian regime that has
challenged the West," Menagarishvili mused. "Georgia and Iran are
neighbors, with relations going back centuries. Saakashvili’s desire
to have stable economic relations with a neighbor is but rational and
logical."

Sources in Tbilisi point out that Ahmadinejad already paid a visit to
Baku and this never affected Azeri-American relations. The same
applies to Armenia and some Central Asian countries of the CIS that
have been advancing relations with Iran.

A source in Iranian diplomatic circles says that Ahmadinejad’s visit
to Tbilisi "is indeed a possibility." According to the diplomat, both
countries are interested in promoting economic contacts – Georgia
even more so because of its difficult relations with Russia that
cause it problems and leave it in need of alternative sources of
energy.

Politicians and observers in Tbilisi itself do not rule out the
possibility that Safari came to Tbilisi for guarantees that Georgian
airfields will not be used in an anti-Iranian military campaign, if
it ever came to that. Israeli media outlets reported with references
to official sources in Georgia earlier this year that air strikes at
Iran might be staged from Georgian airfields. Tbilisi categorically
denied this suggestion then.

Military expert Koba Liklikadze told us that even if an anti-Iranian
military coalition is formed, Georgia will not play any active or
significant role in it. "Our participation in this hypothetical
anti-Iranian alliance is not going to amount to anything more than
involvement in the anti-Iraqi alliance does," Liklikadze said.

Source: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, August 18, 2006, p. 6

Translated by A. Ignatkin

COMMENTARY: WE SHOULD CELEBRATE THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
by Judge Kaye Tertzag

St. Louis Daily Record/St. Louis Countian (St. Louis, MO)
August 12, 2006 Saturday

When doctors talk to patients, we should be able to understand them.

When college instructors give lectures to students, we should be able
to understand them.

When computer support-staff speak to computer-users, we should be
able to understand them.

Unfortunately, that is not always the case.

I have heard about far too many instances where patients, students and
computer-users cannot understand the very people who are attempting
to service them. More importantly, resentment is developing in our
country because more and more doctors, college instructors and computer
support-staff are unable to be understood when they talk.

If this was an isolated matter, I probably would not be alarmed.

However, I have heard the same complaint from all sorts of people
from every part of the country. I assure you, this is not an isolated
matter!

People are becoming frustrated, even angry, about the condition in
which they find themselves – where doctors, college instructors and
computer support-staff are unable to speak English sufficiently well
to be understood.

This is not good for our country.

Competency is not the issue. Being understood is. The doctor may very
well be an excellent physician or surgeon. The college instructor
may very well be highly knowledgeable with outstanding academic
credentials. The computer support-staff may very well be highly
trained with outstanding skills. But, if they have trouble speaking
English clearly and coherently, and we have trouble understanding them,
we have a problem.

Medical care is dangerously compromised because of a lack of
communication between patient and the doctor. Students are academically
shortchanged when they do not understand what their teacher is saying.

Computer support service becomes highly inefficient if we have
to keep asking the staff to repeat themselves because we do not
understand them.

I am satisfied that my observations and conclusions are accurate.

Check it out for yourself if you are doubtful. Ask your family members,
friends or neighbors whether they have had similar experiences. I am
confident you will hear the same thing from them.

We cannot afford to hold our heads in the sand and pretend that we
do not have a problem. A problem definitely exists. Not addressing
the problem will lead to the festering of an unhealthy, anti-foreign
attitude in our country – something we neither need nor want.

I write this because I want us to come together … as a people …
as a country.

My parents were immigrants to our country from Armenia. As a child,
I spoke Armenian at home even before learning English. People who
speak multiple languages should be proud of that fact. I certainly
am. It is wonderful that we have a diversity of backgrounds in the
United States. We can and should be proud of our respective heritages,
languages and cultures.

After all, people having foreign roots helped make America the great
country that it is today.

Much more, however, is at stake here.

We have so much pulling us apart in our country. We have different
religions. We have different races. We have different ethnic
backgrounds. We have different second-languages. We have different
political viewpoints. One of the few things – maybe the only thing –
we have in common in the United States is our language.

English is the single, common denominator in America. We should
not be apologetic about it. We should not be wary of it. Rather,
we should celebrate it. We should emphasize it. Above all else, we
should recognize that our common language should be a major unifying
force around which all Americans, including newcomers, can coalesce.

Unless we emphasize the importance of the English language as a
unifying force, I fear that we will drift further and further apart
as a society – where emphasis is placed on our differences rather
than on our similarities. As I indicated, we already have enough in
society which pulls us apart as a people. We should not add "language"
to the list. Look at our neighbors in Canada as an example of how
language can become a polarizing force in society.

I am able to raise this matter of the English language without any
concern about being politically correct. My background as a political
liberal has been long established. My years as a political activist
has been long recognized. My commitment to justice in the court system
has long been documented. Hence, I am not as interested in being
"politically correct" as I am in being "correct. "

If progressive individuals do not voice these concerns about the
English language, a vacuum most assuredly will be created to be
filled by others who will want to demagogue the issue. That is why
it is important for liberals and progressives to take the lead in
doing something constructive about this subject. Better we do it.

Otherwise, the malcontent leeches who want to divide Americans along
ethnic, racial or religious lines will do it for their own negative
political motives.

This is an honest effort to have us start working together to deal
forthrightly with a problem that bothers most people. Recognizing
that a problem exists is the first step towards its solution.

We can and must improve.

Servicing the public is vital, meritorious work. So, we should laud
those who want to help their fellow human beings by becoming doctors,
teachers or computer technicians. Having said this, though, we should
also expect that they are able to speak English in a clear, coherent
manner so to be understood by the rest of us.

This may mean those individuals would have to take and pass some kind
of English proficiency course as part of their credentialing process.

Also, the Human Resources Departments of the hospitals, colleges and
computer companies would be well served if they would require speaking
English clearly and coherently as a prerequisite for those employees
who deal with the public on a daily basis.

This would certainly help patients. It would surely assist students.

And, it would definitely benefit computer users. As important, though,
it would help alleviate the antagonism which has been slowly developing
in our country towards immigrants. Hopefully, it will become a small
step towards making ours a better society.

Kaye Tertzag is a retired Wayne County Circuit Court judge from
Brownstown, Mich. Tertzag said these views "were formed, in part,
by my experience with jurors who had difficulty understanding certain
expert witnesses. "

This article was originally published in Michigan Lawyers Weekly,
a sister publication.

TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Aug. 11, 2006

Exact dates of appeal court and other court on case of officer of
Azeri Armed Forces to be clear after ten days

Source: Trend
Author: E.Javadova

11.08.2006

The exact dates of the appeal court and other court on case of the
officer of Azerbaijani Armed Forces Ramil Safarov sentenced to
life-term prisoner by Budapest court will be clear after ten
days,Trend reports with reference to the Azerbaijani Embassy in
Hungary.

It was stated in the embassy that the employees of the embassy
permanently meet with Safarov and are interested in his situation.
Safarov’s condition is normal and he has no complaint about the
keeping condition.

Budapest city court accused Safarov of killing the officer of
Armenian armed forces Gurgen Markaryan while participating in the
English language course held in Budapest in February 2004.

The second case is related with the conflict emerged between guards
of the prison and Safarov. The final court session on this case was
held on May 7 and the court case was postponed until September.

Both courts cases were postponed in relation with vacation of
Budapest court.

FROM PRESIDENTIAL TO MINISTERIAL GOVERNMENT?
Hakob Badalyan

Lragir.am
10 Aug 06

All the signs of anarchy are apparent in Armenia: lack of law,
indifference towards citizens, obsession with killings. And perhaps
the most vivid example of the lack of power is apparent: President
Robert Kocharyan almost does not react to the highly important events
in the country, which are already involving almost all the spheres,
including political, non-governmental, economy, finance. In broad
daylight criminals shoot at each other in the streets and scandalous
assassinations take place, the president keeps silent, the exchange
rate of the dollar drops lower and lower, emptying the pockets of the
population, the president remains silent, the political system is led
to a one-party system, Robert Kocharyan is again silent (the speaker
is Robert Kocharyan’s, but is not Robert Kocharyan), the cause of
the mysterious crash of the Armenian plane, which is as mysterious,
is published, Robert Kocharyan is again silent, the Russians once
again block the only motorway of Armenia, the president of Armenia
is silent. In this situation the society has every reason to suppose
that Armenia does not have a president, that there is no presidential
government in Armenia any more.

If the president does not speak, it does not mean, of course, that he
does not have power. However, similarly we may suppose that he does not
speak because he does not have power. In this case, it is necessary to
find out who has real power in Armenia. The public and political chaos
and "maneuvers" inside the government prompt that power in Armenia
does not have a factual leader now, and all the processes underway
are intended to get hold of power. But if the country does not have
a leader now, nevertheless, there must be someone who directs these
processes. And eventually the one will become leader who directs the
processes leading to leadership.

Consequently, the question occurs who directs the ongoing processes,
namely the assassinations, the exchange rate, one-party system, the
blockade by the strategic friend, the chronology of the plane crash.

The public probably has the answer to this question, which they did
not learn from a prophetic dream or did not tell by a coffee cup,
it is rather due to a surge of information and propaganda. It is
consistently instilled in the public that power is gradually passing
to the minister of defense. In this case, the silence of the president
directly boosts the effect of propaganda.

Does it mean that Robert Kocharyan’s silence approves the forming of
the governmental image of Serge Sargsyan? It might be too ingenuous
to think that Robert Kocharyan does not realize the situation. And
maybe he realizes and keeps silent. However, if he consciously keeps
silent and approves the actions of Serge Sargsyan, it does not mean
that the president agrees to these actions in reality. The aides
of the defense minister also understand this, and after the early
conference of the Republican Party they do not encourage the actions
of the "boss", they mourn that he made a mistake by relying on the
criminal, and there is only one thing left to do – capture the post
of president until January.

And it is natural that in this situation the best option for Robert
Kocharyan is to keep silent, let Serge come and take the post of
president until January, if he can. Maybe Robert Kocharyan thinks
so and is waiting. One should note that waiting is not a problem
for him, he knows how to wait. There is a circumstance, however,
that may turn into a trick on Robert Kocharyan. The point is that
the defense minister may not step up an offensive to capture the post
of president. After all, the president of the Chess Federation knows
what a king is if there is nobody around him, no pawns, no figures,
no queen. Consequently, the defense minister attacks these figures.

And it should be noted that he is rather successful. All the junior,
medium and senior officials yield to him one by one. And the reason
is not the skills of Serge Sargsyan but the silence of the president
rather. The officials need protection, consequently they are vulnerable
to all kinds of blackmail. The same Yervand Zakharyan, who has felt
for a number of times the reproach of Robert Kocharyan, feels that
the president may seriously reproach him one day, therefore he is
seeking for protection in the political party of the defense minister,
which used to be the prime minister’s.

The rest act similarly. And in this case Serge Sargsyan will no more
need the post of president. He will control the situation and nothing
will disturb him to prepare for the year 2008. And perhaps this is
the reason why his "spokesmen" trumpet that either until January or
never. Most probably, the real purpose of this is to guarantee the
silence of Robert Kocharyan, which will guarantee the undisturbed work
of the defense minister. He needs rest until January, after January
his power will be enough to make any president silent, independent
from the president’s will.

CONSTRUCTION GROWS BY 31.8% IN ARMENIA IN FIRST HALF OF 2006

Noyan Tapan
Aug 09 2006

YEREVAN, AUGUST 9, NOYAN TAPAN. In January-June 2006, construction
work of 165 bln 624.9 mln drams (about 373.1 mln USD) was done in
Armenia, including construction of production facilities of 57 bln
767.8 mln drams. Building and assembly work amounted to 138 bln 242
mln drams, including that of production facilities of 33 bln 797.5
mln drams. According to the RA National Statistical Service, the
construction work done in January-June 2006 exceeded the respective
index of 2005 by 31.8%, the building and assembly work – by 35.3%. In
the first half of 2006, 271 new residential buildings of the total
area of 165,417 sq.m. were put into operation at the expense of the
population’s and organizations’ resources, or by 58.4% more than the
index of the same period of last year. In January-June 2006, fixed
assets of 120 bln 778.9 mln drams were built, including production
facilities of 31 bln 997.6 mln drams. In the period under review, 18
comprehensive schools were repaired in Armenia with all sources of
finance. Particularly, 13 comprehensive schools were repaired with
state budget resorces. Construction worth 5 bln 482.6 mln drams,
or 3.3% of the total construction in Armenia, with all sources of
finance with the aim of construction, restoration and repair of
residential buildings, social and production facilities, was carried
out in the earthquake zone in January-June 2006, including construction
of production facilities of 3 bln 411.5 mln drams (5.9%).

HEAD OF AZERBAIJAN ISLAMIC PARTY REFUSED TO MEET WITH ADVISER OF U.S. EMBASSY

TREND, Azerbaijan
Aug 3, 2006

Source: Trend
Author: J.Shahverdiyev

The head of Azerbaijan Islamic Party (AIP) refused to meet with the
political adviser of the USA embassy Reveto Neslo, Trend reporta with
reference to AIP.

The initiative for the meeting was made by the USA embassy.

It was stated in AIP that the reason to refuse the meeting is the
anti-Islamic policy of USA and policy of double standards that is
implemented by the USA in relation with Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Besides, the refuse to the meeting is justified through occupation
of Iraq by USA, non-recognition of Armenia as an occupant country
and occupation of Lebanon and Palestine by Israel.

SEN. NORM COLEMAN, R-MINN., SAYS HE WILL VOTE AGAINST ARMENIAN AMBASSADOR NOMINEE

FOX News
Aug 2 2006

WASHINGTON – A Republican senator is planning to vote against President
Bush’s nominee for ambassador to Armenia because the nominee has
refused to refer to the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians as genocide.

"I continue to be troubled by our policy that refuses to recognize
what was a historical reality," Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman said in
a telephone interview Wednesday.

The Bush administration does not question that Turkish troops killed
or drove from their homes 1.5 million Armenians starting in 1915. But
it has omitted the word "genocide" to describe it.

~U CountryWatch: Armenia

Turkey strongly objects to the use of the term, and U.S. policymakers
are wary of antagonizing an important strategic NATO ally.

On Tuesday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on which Coleman
serves, postponed a vote on Richard E. Hoagland’s nomination until
next month.

"As someone of the Jewish faith, I bring a heightened sensitivity
to the reality of genocide and mass murder, and the importance of
recognizing it for what it is," Coleman said.

"I was brought up believing you never forget the Holocaust, never
forget what happened. And I could not imagine how our ambassador
to Israel could have any effectiveness if he couldn’t recognize the
Holocaust." (AP)

H2 ECOnomy Introduces New Fuel Cell Test Systems

Fuel Cell Works
Aug 1, 2006

Yerevan, Armenia — H2 ECOnomy is adding new Fuel Cell Test Systems
to its portfolio of fuel cell products. These affordable devices
are designed to satisfy fuel cell testing needs for a wide range of
customers. The Gas Control Units (GCU series) and Electronic Load
Banks (ELB series) can be used separately or together as a complete
fuel cell test system.

H2 ECOnomy’s Gas Control Units are equipped with humidifiers,
pressure gauges, flow meters and thermometers – all with digital
indication. There are thhree standard models designed to monitor
and control the pressure, flow rate, temperature and humidity of the
gases supplied to a PEM fuel cell.

The Electronic Load Banks are for monitoring and controlling the
voltage, current, and power of your fuel cell. ELB come in three
fuel cell power ranges; up to 1500 W, 500 W and 150 W, matching the
corresponding versions of the GCU.

PC interface for both series is provided optionally.

For more information about these innovative products contact
[email protected]

H2 ECOnomy is a vibrant research company leading the way to energy
resources for the 21st century. Located in the beautiful Ararat valley,
H2 ECOnomy was established in 2000 with the goal of developing energy
resources and investigating fuel cell technologies.
H2 ECOnomy has grown to become a productive research and development
company. The company’s expertise encompasses conductive composite
materials, catalyst chemistry, polymer chemistry, electronic design,
embedded systems and system integration. Knowledge in these fields
has led to the creation of fuel cells and related products for the
educational and research markets, sold worldwide through distributors
in the US, Europe and Asia.

For more information about H2 ECOnomy, please visit the company’s
website at or contact [email protected].

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