Author: Hovhannisian John

GARBAGE "EMPIRE"

A1+
[04:50 pm] 25 August, 2008

The garbage of Yerevan’s Shengavit, Kentron, Erebuni and Arabkir
districts is dumped in Nubarashen’s trash dump. The place resembles
a garbage "empire" guarded by dozens of watchdogs.

Sentry post never stops a passer-by thinking he is an ordinary vagabond
and like many others has come in search of luck.

The highway is surrounded scrap heaps of 1.5-metre height. One can
see multi-coloured sacks, worn-our shoes and hats, bins and cans,
keyboards and the such thrown here and there. Sea gulls hover over
the dump all day long.

You finally reach a group of people along the dusty and muddy road.

The work is in full swing here. One can see both adults and
children. Seeing video-cameras many of them look askew, whisper
something to each other and point out. A middle-aged man steps out
of the group and comes up to strangers.

"What’s up? What are you looking for?" he wonders.

"I am a journalist. I have come to watch you working," I said.

"Is that a video or a photo camera? Do not shoot us or…," warns the
man and joins his friends. I immediately hid the camera in my bag. But
everybody seemed to know my occupation and watched me in a curious way.

I noticed two fellows putting polyethylene bottles into sacks. The
brothers have worked in the dump for a few summers. The elder brother,
Arsen, is going to leave for Russia in autumn and is saving money
for the ticket. The younger brother, Artak, studies at a Yerevan
university and works to meet his daily needs.

"People may think we are of no fixed abode. But we work over 30.000
drams a day. Do you earn so much a day?" said Artak.

The brothers deliver the polyethylene bottles to the sand factory of
Masis. They are given 100-150 drams for a kilo.

The brothers didn’t let me shoot them as they feared lest their
friends should recognise them and know about their work.

"I want you to understand me properly. I am not ashamed of my work. I
simply don’t want to starve. The point is that our friends will not
understand us because of the Armenian mentality."

Arsen says most of local employees are already well-off people. "They
drive luxurious cars and wear expensive jewellery. They work here as
they find it profitable." Last year Arsen saw a man find 2.000.000
drams in the dump.

"They say someone even found â~B¬5.000.000 but no one saw him."

Artak and Arsen do not get in touch with others. They say there are
groupings in the dump.

Though the brothers are content with the money they earn they wouldn’t
like to work in such a place. "Why should a student work in a dump
to earn his daily bread? Why should my brother leave for Russia and
work for Russians?" said Artak.

On the way I met a woman bending over a garbage heap. She was a
middle-aged woman in worn-out clothes. "Hello. I want to talk to you."

"What do you want? I am simply a garbage-collector. Go away."

–Boundary_(ID_+fi2ZOOic4Q8++r2H1N08g )–

THEY DO WHAT THEIR MASTERS DICTATE
Lilit Poghosyan

Hayots Ashkhar Daily
22 Aug 2008
Armenia

While some announce about the "resignation of the Speaker of the
National Assembly" that has ripened in the parliament, radical
community still continues to rattle the sabre over the "criminal
regime" getting ready for "ardent autumn".

To what extent do these desires and predictions match with the
developments previewed in our political domain before the regular
"ardent autumn"?

Member of RPA Council Vazgen Karakhanyan answers our questions.

"I’m familiar with the rumors and publications regarding the "ardent
developments" anticipated in the National Assembly. As the member of
RPA Council and an MP, I can definitely say that the leadership of the
party and especially the President has not manifested similar approach.

But, they say, "never say "never". Nothing is excluded in this life. So
I will not be surprised if similar approach is manifested. One thing
is quite clear for me, if the conversation is about Tigran Torosyan
during those years he has already proved that he is a devoted state
political figure.

As for the autumn activeness of the radical opposition, I can say
that I notice certain processes. But I don’t see any basic, so-called
revolutionary developments, which as they say will be "crucial"
fo r our country.

I must say that in his interview given to "A1+", speaking about
Georgian-Ossian conflict Levon Ter-Petrosyan was rather reserved in his
estimations. I agree to this stance, because I consider Sahakashvily’s
actions misbalanced and in some sense even not proper to the person
that leads the highest state institute.

The government has adopted a balanced course of action and makes
consistent steps directed to the implementation of reforms. I
believe these reforms will be performed, because after all we all
understand that we can’t continue like this. A group of people can’t
have possession on the whole economy of Armenia, when lots of our
citizens can’t earn their daily bread."

"Many of your colleagues have their own business and it is not a
secret for anyone that they have always made use of the privileges
given to the MPs. Do the measures directed to establishing law and
order in the tax field raise complaints in the "interested" frameworks
of the republican party?"

"I don’t have any business, I don’t have any economic levers and many
of my friends say that lots of things have changed in tax and customs
service, you must firstly give if you want to get something. There
are certain complaints, because the sum of money transferred to
the budget has been increased, but I don’t see anything bad in it,
because this money after all will be allocated to the wages, pensions
and allowances. I think this is normal."

"Do you think Levon Ter-Perosyan’s attitude towards the "ardent" autumn
will be as reserved and balanced as it was towards Georgian-Ossian
conflict?"

"Still in 1995 I had a very hot discussion with my close friend Ashot
Navasardyan, regarding Levon Ter-Petrosyan. At that time Levon and
his surrounding was characterized as "yerit-Armenians" and when we
remember the lessons of the history they used to say that nothing
good will come out from all this. When you don’t master geopolitical
models, when you don’t know the alphabet of governing, you can’t lead
the country, especially the one that is deprived of natural resources,
a blocked country such as Armenia. This is the reason why I refused to
enter the National Assembly by the list of the Union "Hanrapetutyun".

As regards Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s ridiculous announcements, I must say
that they are situational and they are conditioned by the dictation of
the certain moment. The West unfortunately guides his actions. And the
factor of his being insulted also exists here. Among those detained
in connection with "March 1" I see some people who shouldn’t have
taken that step.

Maybe they thought coup d’état is very close and it is high time to
get their=2 0share.

I really feel pain for this, because there are lots of guys among
them, who have proved their courage during the war. In my view Levon
is not satisfied with his western masters, because he didn’t find
the support that he was expecting."

"So we can say that "Armenian National Congress" is the "fifth column"
aimed at making Armenia a target of foreign intervention. So what
is your attitude towards the pretentious announcements made by this
newly established "political force"?

"To tell you the truth I don’t consider this term "Armenian National
Congress" proper for this "political force". When a new structure is
created you must firstly look at the bases of this structure.

The base of this structure is Armenian Pan National Movement, which
means that you can’t find anything new in this field. In my view
the creation of the so-called "national congress" is also a foreign
initiative.

As if they have set a task to always maintain the tension and make
it stronger and stronger."

–Boundary_(ID_mrTvKdjA0fO+QD/7iU gwLw)–

RUSSIA TO KEEP SOLDIERS IN GEORGIA
By Sergei L. Loiko and Borzou Daragahi

Los Angeles Times
Aug 21 2008
CA

Moscow plans to set up 18 checkpoints, some in Georgia proper,
a Kremlin official says. The plan appears to violate the terms of
a cease-fire.

MOSCOW — Russia plans to establish a long-term presence in Georgia and
one of its breakaway republics by adding 18 checkpoints, including
at least eight within undisputed Georgian territory outside the
pro-Russian enclave of South Ossetia, a ranking Russian military
official told reporters Wednesday.

The checkpoints will be staffed by hundreds of Russian troops, the
official said, and those within Georgia proper will have supplies
ferried to them from breakaway South Ossetia.

If implemented, the plan would in effect put under Russian control
the border between Georgia and the South Ossetia region, which is
seeking independence, as well as a small chunk of Georgia proper.

"This is the essence of it," Col. Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn, deputy chief
of the army general staff, told reporters at a briefing. He showed
maps detailing the proposed Russian positions, one just outside the
Georgian city of Gori, which lies along a crucial juncture of the
country’s main east-west highway.

"The president ordered us to stop where we were," he said. "We are
not pulling out and pulling back troops behind this administrative
border into the territory of South Ossetia."

The plans appear to violate the terms of a French-endorsed cease-fire
deal signed late last week by the presidents of Georgia and Russia. It
called for both country’s troops and allied armed groups to move back
to their positions held before hostilities between the two countries’
troops led to a Russian military incursion early this month into the
staunchly pro-U.S. Caucasus Mountains nation.

Russian officials say the deal allows them to keep troops along the
South Ossetia-Georgia border as well as within Georgia proper as
part of a peacekeeping mission begun in the 1990s. The Russians say
their peacekeeping mandate gives them access to a "security zone"
along the border.

At the United Nations, Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin on Wednesday
circulated a draft resolution calling for the Security Council’s
endorsement of the cease-fire plan that had been promoted last week
by French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

U.S. Deputy U.N. Ambassador Alejandro Wolff made it clear that
Washington opposed the Russian initiative. He said it is "designed
to rubber-stamp a Russian interpretation" of the cease-fire that the
West rejects.

Western envoys at the U.N. supported a French draft resolution Monday
calling for immediate Russian withdrawal from Georgia. But Russia,
which wields a Security Council veto, blocked it. The 15-member
council did not debate the rival Russian draft.

Relations between the West and Moscow have plummeted to their
lowest depths since the end of the Cold War, prompting fear that an
economically invigorated Russia would strive to reestablish authority
over what it views as its centuries-old sphere of influence, including
Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Top diplomats of the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization members said they would reconsider their relations
with Moscow in light of its incursion into Georgia.

In this month’s fighting, at least 64 Russian soldiers were killed
and 323 injured, Nogovitsyn said. Russians were outraged by what
they called an unprovoked surprise attack by Georgians on Russian
peacekeepers based in South Ossetia, as well as civilians in the
breakaway region. Georgians have accused Moscow of provoking the
fight as a pretext for sending troops into Georgian territory.

Officials in Georgia, the U.S. and European nations have demanded
that Russia pull its troops back to positions held before the fighting
broke out Aug. 7.

President Bush reiterated that message Wednesday during a speech at
the Veterans of Foreign Wars national convention in Orlando, Fla.,
and defended Georgia’s claim to South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another
pro-Moscow breakaway region.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday that the presence
of Russia’s forces is "now having an effect" on Georgia’s neighbors,
Armenia and Azerbaijan, by making imports and exports difficult. She
said Armenia is beginning to see shortages.

Rice said that as of midafternoon, U.S. officials had seen no signs
of a Russian retreat from Georgia. Another U.S. official said some
movement suggested that some military units might be pulling back.

In Moscow, Nogovitsyn said "time will tell" when Russians would pull
troops out of areas they control in Georgia proper, including the
key city of Gori. He called the proposed new checkpoints "observation
posts."

Georgian officials voiced outrage over the continued Russian
presence. The Georgian Foreign Ministry announced Wednesday that
Russians had set up a new position along the highway between the
Black Sea port city of Poti and Abkhazia.

"Over the last seven days they’ve promised three times to leave,
but they’ve yet to fulfill their promises," said Alexander Lomaia,
Georgia’s national security advisor, during an interview in downtown
Gori.

"We’re here and we haven’t seen any sign of them pulling out," he
said. "There is the same number of checkpoints and the same severe
rules for entering and exiting."

The U.S. military flew in five loads of relief supplies, news agencies
reported. It is also attempting to dispatch several military vessels
from the Mediterranean to Georgia’s Black Sea coast with additional
aid.

[email protected]

Loiko reported from Moscow and Daragahi from Gori. Times staff writers
Paul Richter in Warsaw and Richard Boudreaux at the United Nations
also contributed to this report.

Receb Tayyip Erdogan: ‘We wish for soonest solution to Nagorno Karabakh
conflict’

2008-08-16 11:58:00

ArmInfo. Next week Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan will discuss
initiative of the platform of security and cooperation in the South
Caucasus with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, Turkish Prime
Minister Receb Tayyip Erdogan told reporters at the press conference in
Bodrum, Turkey, APA reports.

Erdogan said he wished for Azerbaijan and Armenia to participate in the
newly-established union. "We want to see Azerbaijan in the new
platform. Armenia can contribute to the peace and stability in the
region by joining this platform". Speaking about the Nagorno Karabakh
settlement process Erdogan said they wished for this conflict to be
solved in a short time. "Despite efforts of OSCE Minsk Group, this
conflict has continued for almost 13 years and there has been no result
yet. We wished for soonest solution to this conflict".

PRESS RELEASE
Office of Assemblymember Paul Krekorian
620 N. Brand Blvd. Suite 403
Glendale, CA 91203
Adrin Nazarian Chief of Staff
(818) 240-6330
(818) 240-4632 fax
[email protected]

August 14, 2008
(818) 240-6330

Assemblyman Krekorian Condemns Congressman for Anti-Armenian Statements

GLENDALE-California Assemblyman Paul Krekorian strongly condemned a US
Congressman from Tennessee who attacked an Armenian journalist and made
bigoted anti-Armenian statements last week.

Congressman Steven Cohen, one of the most strident opponents of
recognition of the Armenian Genocide, is seeking reelection to represent
a district in Memphis, Tennessee. On the eve of his Democratic primary
election last week, Cohen conducted a press conference that was attended
by Armenian-American journalist Peter Musurlian. In a bizarre incident
that was covered by the local television news, Cohen physically
assaulted Musurlian and forced him out of the press conference. Cohen
went on to justify his outrageous conduct by referring to Armenians as
assassins and murderers.

Assemblymember Krekorian, who represents the largest Armenian community
in the United States, was outraged by the inexcusable behavior of the
Congressman. In a strongly worded letter to Cohen, Krekorian demanded a
formal apology to the Armenian people. (A complete copy of Krekorian’s
letter is attached). Krekorian has also asked the Speaker of the House
of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, to investigate possible disciplinary
actions that can be taken against Cohen for this misconduct.

"I cannot tolerate this kind of bigoted slander against the Armenian
people from anyone, and especially not from a member of Congress,"
Krekorian said. "I’m deeply disappointed that a man with such
intolerant and ignorant views will be returning to Congress for another
term."

Television reports about Cohen’s behavior can be seen at
ws/Politics/Detail?conten
tId=3D7150474&versio n=3D1&locale=3DEN-US&layoutCode=3DVSTY&amp ;pageId=3D3.14.1

###

ASSEMBLYMEMBER KREKORIAN’S LETTER TO CONGRESSMAN COHEN

August 11, 2008

Congressman Steve Cohen
1004 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515-4209

Dear Congressman Cohen:

As a member of the California State Legislature, I have the privilege of
representing the largest Armenian community in the world outside
Armenia. I am also an American of Armenian descent. As such, I must
tell you how disgusted and infuriated I was as I viewed your recent
bigoted tirade against Armenians – which I consider to be an attack
against me, my family, and the millions of good and decent and patriotic
Americans who share our ancestry. Frankly, your actions and words were
a disgrace and an embarrassment to the Congress and to our Party.

The journalist whom you physically attacked and forced out of your press
conference, and to whom you referred as "the Armenian guy" and a "yahoo
from Glendale, California" was Peter Musurlian, one of my constituents.
He is a well known, Emmy-nominated journalist and filmmaker who is
admired and respected by Armenians and non-Armenians alike in our area.
I would have been outraged by your inexcusable behavior toward my
constituent under any circumstances, but the fact that you tried to
justify your misconduct to the media by spewing hateful, slanderous and
racist invective makes the matter much more serious.

I’ve been in very tough campaigns myself, and I can sympathize with a
candidate who might temporarily lose emotional control in the heat of
the battle. What I cannot understand is how any member of the United
States Congress, and especially one claiming to be a Democrat, can make
the outrageous statement that you made to the press last week:
"…there have been Armenians who have assassinated and killed many
people, including people in this country in Los Angeles in the ’70s and
’80s, and so I don’t rest very comfortable with one of those fellows
coming into my home. . . .I don’t want these people in my home."

Given your fear of people of my ethnic background, I can only imagine
you must be downright terrified when you go to work at the Capitol and
find yourself having to deal with potentially murderous colleagues like
Armenian-American Congresswomen Jackie Speier and Anna Eshoo.

Sir, I don’t know any assassins or killers, but I know thousands of
hard-working, patriotic American citizens who are of Armenian ancestry
whom you gravely insulted with your remarks. Some of these Armenians
serve our country proudly and bravely in our Armed Forces – people like
my constituent Carla Stewart, an Armenian-American woman who was killed
in action in Iraq; and like my dad, who fought in the Battle of Okinawa
with the US Marines; and yes, like Peter Musurlian – the man you
assaulted for merely filming you at a press conference – who is a US
Army veteran who served our country in Bosnia and Croatia.

There are about two million Armenian-Americans who contribute
significantly to the great fabric of this country in countless other
ways every day. Is it too much to ask that a member of the United
States Congress not slander us all as potential terrorists and
murderers?

On behalf of all Armenian-Americans, and in fact on behalf of Americans
of every background who care about living in a society of tolerance and
who reject bigotry, I demand that you make a full and public apology for
your sickening conduct.

Very truly yours,

PAUL KREKORIAN

Assemblymember, 43rd District

###

CARGO FLOW FROM ARMENIA VIA GEORGIA HAS GROWN BY SEVERAL TIMES IN THE LAST FEW DAYS

arminfo
2008-08-14 19:02:00

ArmInfo.The cargo flow from Armenia via Georgia has grown by several
times after the end of the military actions in the Georgia-Ossetian
conflict zone.

The Ministry of Transport and Communication of Armenia reports that
127 carriages with cargo left Armenia on Aug 8-10 against 57 carriages
before the war – on Aug 4-7.

19 carriages with grain came to Armenia from the Georgian port of Poti
on Aug 14. Presently, there are 4 ships with grain in the port. One
of the ships and a ferry with 76 carriages are being unloaded.

There are 27 carriages with grain in Tbilisi and 10 carriages with
petrol in the port of Batumi.

The South-Caucasian Railways (subsidiary of Russian Railways)
carried 108 carriages with different cargoes from Georgia to Armenia
on Aug 11-14. 28 carriages with export cargo (mostly cement and
metal concentrate) left Armenia on Aug 11, 14 carriages on Aug 12,
23 carriages on Aug 13 and 16 carriages on Aug 14.

TRIBULATION DAY IN RUSSIA AND GEORGIA

Panorama.am
14:47 13/08/2008

August 13 is announced as tribulation day by the President of
Russian Federation Dmitri Medvedev commemorating the victims of
South Ossetia. By the order of the President all the official flags
are taken off besides, cultural institutions and TV/Radio stations
are to delay the entertaining events and broadcast. It is written in
President’s register book that genocide is implemented against people
of Southern Ossetia, Tskhinvali and other towns are destroyed which
resulted in humanitarian aid crisis in South Ossetia.

The President of Georgia Mickail Saakashvili said to "Interfax"
agency that three-day tribulation is announced in Georgia.

"Tribulation day is to be announced in Georgia to commemorate victims
dead under the aggression of Russia," said Georgian President.

According to Russian mass media 1600 peaceful citizens are dead during
the military activities in South Ossetia, 18 of them were from Russian
side and 90 from Georgian.

FROM 13.007 APPLICANTS 10.001 BECAME STUDENTS

Panorama.am
20:52 12/08/2008

This year 10.001 applicants became students of the universities and
institutes of Armenia, said the Minister of Education and Science
Spartak Seyranyan.

Note that according to the official data provided by the Ministry
of Education 13.007 applications were received in 2008-09 education
year. The Minister said that 2242 students received full scholarships,
3327 are in payable sections and 4401 won’t get deferment.

The Minster of Education said that this year vacant places remained
after the exams. He added that if some of the students decide not to
attend the studies recalculation won’t be organized.

AMERICA LET THE AMERICAN DIPLOMATS MOVE FROM GEORGIA TO ARMENIA

armradio.am
11.08.2008 18:00

The external political establishment of America let the American
diplomats’ families to move from Georgia to Yerevan. The State
Department made such a decision connected with the military actions
in the South Ossetia.

TBILISI’S GERMAN COACH FLEES GEORGIAN CAPITAL

International Herald Tribune
The Associated Press
August 11, 2008
France

FRANKFURT, Germany: The German coach of Dinamo Tbilisi and six foreign
players have fled the Georgian capital and traveled to Germany because
of the conflict with Russia.

The group left Tbilisi by bus to the border with Armenia, crossed
on foot and then took another bus to the Armenian capital Yerevan,
from where it flew to Germany, coach Rainer Zobel told German news
agency DPA on Monday.

"Strategic points around Tbilisi have been attacked so we had to
leave," Zobel was quoted as saying.

Russian jets launched new raids on Georgian territory Monday,
continuing the Russian-Georgian conflict that blew up over the weekend
after a Georgian offensive to regain control of the other breakaway
province of South Ossetia.