Author: Jalatian Sonya

Iraq churches bombed
>>From correspondents in Mosul, Iraq
Reuters
December 8, 2004
GUNMEN bombed two churches in the tense Iraqi city of Mosul today,
fuelling fears of ethnic and sectarian unrest ahead of an election
next month.
The insurgent war of attrition against US forces and their Iraqi
proteges claimed another American life in Baghdad, taking the US
combat death toll to 1000 since last year’s invasion.At least four
Iraqi National Guard troopers were also killed in two incidents,
one in the capital and another further south.
A new CIA assessment, reported by the New York Times, gave a gloomy
picture of Iraq’s future, seeing further insecurity if the government
fails to assert itself and promote prosperity.
Iraq’s US-backed prime minister, Iyad Allawi, reaffirmed the election
date of January 30 but raised the prospect of troubled regions
taking two or three weeks longer to vote – a proposal that could not
immediately be checked with election officials and would break a UN
deadline of January 31 for the ballot.
Mr Allawi visited Moscow, where President Vladimir Putin, an opponent
of the US invasion, gave him a candidly gloomy view.
“I cannot imagine how elections can be organised under a full
occupation of the country by foreign troops,” he said. “I also cannot
imagine how you on your own will be able to restore the situation in
the country and stop it from breaking up.”
No one was killed nor, it appeared, injured, in the bombings in
Mosul; smoke billowed from one of the northern city’s Armenian
churches and one of its oldest Chaldean churches was ablaze and a
wall shattered. The attackers were not identified.
In the city of 1.2 million the two main Sunni Muslim communities,
Arabs and Kurds, are already on edge following a rout of US-trained
police last month by Sunni Arab insurgents.
The latest in a series of attacks on Christians was grist to the mill
of those who believe Iraq risks slipping into civil war.
At least 16 Kurdish peshmerga fighters were killed in a suicide car
bomb attack in Mosul on Saturday. US troops have turned to the Kurds,
largely autonomous in the nearby mountains and with well-trained
fighting forces, to help police Mosul.
Sunni Arabs make up about 20 per cent of Iraq’s population but have
dominated the country for centuries, including under fellow Sunni
Saddam Hussein. With the election set to transfer power to the 60
per cent Shiite Muslim majority, many Sunnis are unhappy and some
have called for a boycott of the vote.
They argue that violence by insurgents led, apparently by former
Saddam loyalists and some foreign-inspired Islamists, will make it
impossible to vote safely in much of Sunni northern and western Iraq,
including much of Baghdad.
The small Christian community of about 650,000 – about three per cent
of the population – has suffered from an upsurge in militant Islam
since the fall of Saddam’s secular regime. Some have fled or closed
down traditional businesses, notably selling liquor, which flourished
in Iraq despite a Muslim religious ban.
At least one Christian leader has been quoted recently saying he
would form an armed militia to protect the community.
“There were two or three families in the church,” one frightened
worshipper from Mosul’s ancient Tahira Chaldean church said after
the attack on the white stone building, some of which is said to date
back to the 7th century.
“Gunmen came in, took the guard’s weapon and a couple of mobile
phones. Then they made everybody leave the church. After that there
was an explosion that did a lot of damage,” said the man, who asked
not to be named for fear of intimidation.
Christians, possibly targeted partly because radical Muslims link
them with the “crusader” invaders from America and Europe, have been
attacked several times in the past four months.
Coordinated car bombings, four in Baghdad and one in Mosul, killed
at least 12 people in August; five Baghdad churches were bombed on
October 16 at the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
At least eight people were killed in two church bombings in the capital
on November 8, and a car bomber attacked police guarding the hospital
where the wounded had been taken.
An election that provides a legitimate Iraqi government that can
defend itself is a prerequisite for US President George W. Bush to
declare the invasion a success and bring troops home.
International voting experts will meet in Canada this month to try
to find a way of monitoring the election in the likely absence of
outside observers, a top Canadian official said.
To protect the vote, Mr Bush is boosting US troop numbers by about
10 per cent to 150,000.
Mr Bush sought to boost US troop morale by promising to train Iraqi
forces to replace them, though he acknowledged mixed results so far.
“Some Iraqi units have performed better than others,” he told thousands
of camouflage-clad Marines at Camp Pendleton, California.
“Some Iraqis have been intimidated enough by the insurgents to leave
the service to their country.”
But he said “a great many are standing firm”.
The unidentified soldier killed today was on patrol in Baghdad when
guerrillas opened fire with rifles.
Earlier, the Pentagon had issued a revised combat casualty toll of
999 and the death thus took the toll since the invasion on March 20
last year to 1000.
A further 275 US troops have died in accidents or other incidents
not classified as being killed in action.
The American death toll had risen sharply last month during the US
assault on Sunni insurgents in the city of Fallujah. At least 71
Americans were killed there. A total of 9765 US troops have been
wounded.

Belmedpreparaty to open trade agency in Armenia
Pharma Marketletter
December 7, 2004
Belarus-based pharmaceutical firm Belmedpreparaty is to open a trading
agency on the basis of the Sanara-farm pharmaceuticals company in
Armenia, according to the Belta news agency. This will represent the
firm’s first overseas trading operation.
The company said that the center has been opened in order to promote
the sale of its products on the Armenian market. Belmedpreparaty
currents sells 35 products in the country and exports are forecast
to rise 15% following the establishment of the agency.

Sentence of Armenian pilots in Equatorial Guinea “absurd”, envoy says
Noyan Tapan news agency
6 Dec 04
Yerevan, 6 December: The written verdict of a court in Equatorial
Guinea as regards Armenian pilots is absurd, Ambassador Sergey
Minasaryan [who headed the Armenian delegation during visits to
Malabo], who has returned from this country, has told journalists. The
court verdict said the Armenian pilots had performed unauthorized
flights, while the ambassador believes that every flight even in an
African country is registered by the computer.
Ambassador Minasaryan said everything had been done to reach “common
ground” with the authorities in Equatorial Guinea, including a request
by the Armenian president to his counterpart to hand over the Armenian
pilots. Another address was made by Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin
II, but no reply followed. The Armenian president has recently sent
his second appeal, together with a draft agreement on extradition.
The ambassador believes that the verdict caught everyone off guard
because while the prosecutor had asked for 86 years’ imprisonment for
one of the local residents, the court sentenced him only to 13 months
in prison. At the same time, the sentences of the Armenian pilots
are too harsh: the captain of the crew was sentenced to 24 years,
while the rest of the crew got 14 years and different penalties.
Sergey Minasaryan added that on the day following the verdict he
was allowed to meet the Armenian pilots. He said they were in a
bad psychological condition because they were still in handcuffs
and shackles.
The diplomat assured journalists that more efforts would be taken,
that work was progressing in all directions, “but we have to keep in
mind the specificity of the country in question”.
The Armenian side has already appealed to the Supreme Court of
Equatorial Guinea, but if its verdict is also negative, Armenia will
apply to international institutions.
[Six Armenian pilots have been convicted for attempting to stage a
coup d’etat in Equatorial Guinea.]

Journal Times Online, WISCONSIN
Dec 4 2004
Christmas Armenian style at the museum
By Phyllis Sides
RACINE – The Racine Heritage Museum has a Christmas gift for the
community in its Armenian-American Traditions program Sunday
afternoon.

Not everyone celebrates Christmas and New Year’s Day the same way,
archivist Dick Ammann said. The program is an opportunity to discover
some of the unique and changing holiday traditions among Racine’s
Armenian-American residents.
Visitors can discover the stories of the Feast of Saint Stephen and
the New Year’s Father as well as stories of special traditional foods,
music and other practices, and learn how these practices have changed
over time, adapting and adopting some American holiday customs.
Charles Hardy, the archdeacon at St. Mesrob Armenian Apostolic Church,
is one of the presenters. Hardy will speak about the religious
traditions of the season.
“At one time the whole Christian world celebrated Christmas on the
same day, Jan. 6,” Hardy said. “But the Western Church changed to
Dec. 25 to draw attention away from paganism. They changed it because
many of the Roman Christians still celebrated a feast called the
Saturnalia around that date,” Hardy said.
The Saturnalia was a feast that focused on the light and energy of the
sun. The move was an attempt to sanctify the date and teach that
Christ was the only source of but was the light of God.
However, in Armenia the conflict didn’t exist and Christmas continued
to be celebrated on Jan. 6, Hardy said, although today Armenians in
the west exchange gifts on Dec. 25, too.
Armenians also celebrate Jesus’ baptism on Jan. 6, Hardy said. In the
Armenian church, the Epiphany commemorates Jesus’ baptism.
The program will be divided into four parts. Dr. Levon Saryan will
speak about Armenian music and cultural traditions. Mary Buchaklian
will talk about food and Julie Der Garabedian will talk about Armenian
New Year customs and traditions.
Armenians celebrate New Year’s Day on Jan. 1, and traditionally it’s
the day Santa Claus would come for the children, Der Garabedian said,
giving out small gifts and little bags of fruit and nuts.
This free program is in conjunction with the Museum’s exhibit focusing
on State Street as a gateway neighborhood and the Armenian-Americans
who called the neighborhood home. It is part of the Heritage Museum’s
ongoing Conversations Series.

SPEECH OF SLOVAKIAN DEPUTY MILOSHKA AT THE PARLIAMENTARY DISCUSSION OF
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
BRATISLAVA, December 3 (Noyan Tapan). As we have already stated,
Frantishek Mikloshka, a Slovakian deputy from the Christian Democratic
Party, the first Parliament speaker of the country, played a great
role in the Parliament’s adopting the resolution recognizing the
Armenian Genocide. Mikoshka was the author of the resolution. Below we
present the text of his speech provided by NT correspondent in
Bratislava.
“On the Christmas of 1990, immediately after the first free elections
of that year, the Slovakian National Assembly adopted its first
historical statement, a request for apology addressed to all the
Jewish compatriots for their deportation in 1939-1945 and the tragic
aftermath.
In February 1991, the Slovakian National Assembly adopted another
statement addressed to the Carpathian Germans who had lived in the
territory of our country for centuries. It was again a request for
apology for their collective deportation. Meanwhile, the Slovakian
Parliament verified the principle of collective sin.
Thus, we were eager to start a new era in 1989. A retrospective glance
with acknowledgement of one’s own sins may be a reliable glance at the
future. I tell you this, because today I am going to speak of a key
issue, the Genocide that the Ottoman Empire committed against the
Armenian people in 1915.
True, as introduction to the aforementioned statements we, as the
representatives of Slovakia, commented on our own problems, but it is
also true that in the global unification of continents and the world,
as well as in conditions of freedom and democracy, there exist no
internal problems of a country, especially when the matter concerns a
crime against the humanity and it is also true that the Turkish state,
of which we speak today, has refused to recognize the Armenian
Genocide so far.
What has occurred in reality?
Two million Armenians lived in the Ottoman Empire during the World War
I. The decision to commit a Genocide against Armenians was made by the
Ottoman authorities in 1915. Over a million people were deported and
expelled to the Der Zor desert of Syria in 1915. Thousands were
cruelly massacred in places. Many died of hunder in the way, others
died of exhaustion and epidemies in concentration camps. Mass
deportation and massacre were carried out by Turkish nationalists in
1920-1923. Those nationalists were representing a new political union
against Young Turks who had adopted a similar ethnic and ideological
orientation. Thousands of Armenians fled to Russia where they lived as
refugees. The so-called regiment of Young Turks intruded into the
Caucasus in 1918 where about 1.8 mln. Armenians lived under the
Russian ruling. The Ottoman units crossed Azerbaijan to get to
Southern Armenia and continue massacres. It is well known that over
1.5 million Armenians were killed in 1915-1918. The historic Armenia
and minor Asia had been relieved of Armenians by 1923. The Armenian
community was abolished from that part of the world.
What’s the situation today?
Turkey has not recognized the 1915 Armenian Genocide so far. As soon
as Armenia was declared an independent state, Turkey closed the border
with Armenia. Armenia has neither a short way to Europe nor any
economic or diplomatic relations with Turkey. The Turkish Parliament
has adopted a law condemning any public statement about the Armenian
Genocide or the division of Cyprus. The Armenian community now living
in Turkey is usually exposed to political pressure as a national
minority.
When stepping on Poland Hitler stated: “Who speaks of the Armenian
Genocide today?”
In what way are his words being carried out today and how does the
world feel for this tragedy?
Statements, declarations and laws on the Armeniand Genocide have been
adopted by the governments and parliaments of the following countries
so far.
Canada adopted it in 2004, Argentine in 2004, Uruguay in 1965, 2004,
Switzerland in 2003, European Parliament in 1987, 2000, 2002, Italy in
2000, Vatican in 2000, UN in 1985, France in 2000, Libya in 1997,
2000, Sweden in 2000, Belgium in 1998, Greece in 2003, Russia in 1995,
Cyprus in 1982, the United States in 1916, 1920, 1984, 1996.
Theodor Rousevelt once stated “…The Armenian Genocide has been the
most serious war crime, thus the inability to oppose to the Ottoman
Empire means to forgive those actions. A weak or non radical treatment
of the Turkish horror means wasing empty promises and ordinary
nonsense providing guarantees of peaceful future…”
Unfortunately, the decades that followed came to prove his rightness.
Let us express our consolidation to this small nation with ancient
history and culture, the people who have struggled for survival
throughout their existence.
Joining the aformentioned countries I suggest that the Slovakian
National Assembly adopt a Statement on the 1915 Armenian Genocide.”

Would-be fighters ask Azeri leader to start guerrilla warfare in Karabakh
525 Qazet, Baku
3 Dec 04
Text of Mahabbat’s report by Azerbaijani newspaper 525 Qazet on 3
December headlined “Our purpose was only to restore our country’s
territorial integrity” and subheaded “The young men charged with
preparing for guerrilla warfare in Karabakh have appealed to the
country’s leadership”
Twenty-one people known as “Karabakh guerrillas” who are now standing
trial at the Grave Crimes Court [on charges of attempting to form an
illegal armed group] have appealed to the Azerbaijani president, the
chairman of the Supreme Court, the national security minister and the
prosecutor-general.
The appeal reads that they intend to take up arms and fight the enemy
at the time when the Armenians are trying to create obstacles to the
[Karabakh] settlement.
“We think that it is high time to start guerrilla warfare in Karabakh
in a confidential way and under state control. Hundreds and thousands
of patriots, including us, who wish our motherland and state to be
powerful and do not seek any benefit, are ready to join this fight.”
Twenty-one young men wishing to fight in Karabakh think that the
Armenian occupiers who are working jointly with foreigners and
collecting our resources from the occupied lands will witness once
again that these lands actually belong to us.
“We believe that by crossing into our occupied lands, we will succeed
in guerrilla actions gaining momentum there. We want to draw you
attention to the fact that we have been in jail for 16 months since we
prepared for guerrilla warfare. Although in doing so, we violated some
norms established by the law, our purpose was only to restore our
country’s territorial integrity.”

Civil Georgia, Georgia
Dec 3 2004
Tbilisi Sides with Bagapsh, Calls on Moscow for Restraint
Giorgi Sepashvili, Civil Georgia / 2004-12-03 15:09:00
Tbilisi, which had previously tried to distance itself from the
Abkhaz election crisis, made it clear on December 3 that, unlike
Moscow, it will support opposition leader Sergey Bagapsh, who intends
to be inaugurated as the new President of unrecognized republic on
December 6.
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili commented over the
developments in Abkhazia on December 3 and recognized Sergey Bagapsh
as the President-election of the breakaway region; however he
condemned the October 3 presidential polls in Abkhazia as
`illegitimate.’
Saakashvili said that Tbilisi is ready to hold peace talks over the
Abkhaz conflict resolution only with Bagapsh, who represents the
majority of the population that currently lives in Abkhazia.
Saakashvili, who was speaking in Tbilisi at a meeting with the
representatives of the Georgian-Abkhaz Relations Institute, said that
the elections in Abkhazia were illegitimate, as most of the
population of the region, which was forced to flee Abkhazia as a
result of 1992-93 armed conflict, could not participate in it.
But the President added that the majority of those who currently live
in Abkhazia voted for opposition leader Sergey Bagapsh.
`The elections in Abkhazia were illegitimate, because not only ethnic
Georgians, but also many Russians, Jews, Armenians [who lived in
Abkhazia before armed conflict] could not return to Abkhazia and
participate in the elections. At the same time, it is quite clear
that those people who participated in the elections, expressed the
opinion of the majority of the remaining population and they
supported Sergey Bagapsh in these elections’ Saakashvili said.
`The Georgian authorities are ready to launch a dialogue with the new
authorities of Abkhazia, namely with Sergey Bagapsh, who enjoys the
support of most Abkhazians,’ he added.
However, Saakashvili also warned that `nobody should have the
illusion that Tbilisi will reject its objective regarding the
restoration of Georgia’s territorial integrity.’
`This is our supreme goal. However, this will not occur at the
expense of the Abkhaz people. We need dialogue,’ Saakashvili stated.
The Georgian authorities are also trying to focus more international
attention on Abkhazia, as Bagapsh’s inauguration day encroaches.
Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili met with foreign
Ambassadors accredited in Georgia on December 2 to inform them
regarding the recent developments in Abkhazia.
`Today all the attention of the international community has turned to
the developments in Ukraine, which may result in less interest
towards the Abkhazian issue. But we think that most alarming events
may develop in Abkhazia now, because we have already witnessed those
measures carried out by Moscow [in Abkhazia],’ Salome Zourabichvili
said, referring to Russia’s active involvement in recent crisis.
Salome Zourabichvili said that arrival of Russia’s Interior Ministry
and General Prosecutor’s Office top-official to Abkhazia `is not a
good sign, it may be a very bad sign.’
Moscow, which supports pro-governmental presidential contender Raul
Khajimba, has already imposed sanctions on Abkhazia by halting its
rail link with Abkhazia and banning the import of agricultural
products from Abkhazia, in an attempt to mount pressure on Sergey
Bagapsh.
`We do not think that the natural situation inside Abkhazia will lead
to this kind of destabilization. Destabilization may occur only in
the event of interference of external forces. That is why we want our
friendly countries to be informed about the situation in Abkhazia, so
they can pay more attention and, if they can, influence Russia and
call on Russia for restraint,’ the Georgian Foreign Minister said.
Meanwhile, outgoing President of Abkhazia Vladislav Ardzinba, who
supports Raul Khajimba, reiterated that he will not step down,
despite the planned inauguration of Sergey Bagapsh. The press office
of Ardzinba issued a press statement on December 3 describing the
inauguration of opposition leader Sergey Bagapsh, scheduled for
December 6, as `illegal.’
`Under the current conditions, the Cabinet of the Republic of
Abkhazia has no legal ground to organize a solemn ceremony for
inaugurating Sergey Bagapsh as the newly elected President. Nor can
the presidential credentials be delivered to him,’ RIA Novosti news
agency quotes the statement.

The statement stresses that the ministries and state departments of
breakaway Abkhazia are still under the subordination to the current
President until the holding of repeat presidential elections occur.

Agency: Ethnic minorities to be represented in Romanian parliament
Rompres news agency
2 Dec 04
Bucharest, 2 December: Twenty-eight organizations and associations of
ethnic minorities registered in the parliamentary electoral race in
Romania, with the polls held on 28 November, further to the acceptance
by the Central Electoral Bureau (BEC) of the logos and lists and
supporting signatures presented by them, daily Nine O’Clock says on
Thursday 2 December .
Since the beginning of the registration of the electoral process, BEC
has rejected the requests of several minorities’ organizations to
participate in the parliamentary election. Among them there are the
Szeklers’ Union of Romania, the Association of the Slav Macedonians of
Romania, the Ethnic Association of the Russians in Romania. They could
not participate in the polls, as the minorities that they allegedly
represent are not mentioned in the latest census. The BEC members also
turned down the registration of the Cultural Union of the Albanians in
Romania, which submitted a list with only 36 of the 72 signatures
required from supporters. The lists of sympathisers of the Hungarian
Civic Union (UCM) were referred to the Prosecutor’s Office to verify
if the signatories are members of the Hungarian ethnic group, as BEC
noticed the existence of several Romanian names on the lists. Further
to verifications, the decision was made not to accept UCM to take part
in the election. In exchange, two other organizations in a similar
situation, the Association of the Italians in Romania and the Cultural
Union Association of the Poles, do participate, the daily adds.
>From a political point of view, the national minorities are
represented in parliament, are part of the ruling process and are
consulted by the government. Article 5 (2) of the Romanian
constitution stipulates: “The organizations of citizens of ethnic
minorities, which do not meet in the election the required number of
votes to be represented in parliament, have, each of them, the right
to one deputy seat, as the electoral law says,” daily Nine O’Clock
reports.
In Romania, there are several parties and organizations of the
national minorities, and the ones below are represented in parliament:
Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania, Democrat Forum of the Germans
in Romania, Rroma Social Democratic Party, Union of Serbs in Romania,
Union of Armenians in Romania, Democratic Union of Turkish-Moslem
Tartars in Romania, Democratic Turkish Union in Romania, Union of
Ukrainians in Romania, Cultural Union of Ruthenians in Romania, Union
of the Poles in Romania-Dom Polski, Democratic Union of the Slovaks
and Czechs in Romania, Bulgarian Union in Banat/Romania, Lippovan
Russians Community in Romania, Federation of the Jewish Communities in
Romania, Union of the Croatians in Romania, Association of the
Macedonians in Romania, League of the Albanians in Romania, Greek
Union of Romania, Italian Community of Romania.

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
November 30, 2004 Tuesday
Construction of Iran-Armenia gas pipeline begins
By Tigran Liloyan
YEREVAN
The construction of a gas pipeline from Iran to Armenia began in the
highland village of Agarak on Tuesday. Armenian Prime Minister
Andranik Margaryan attended the ceremony.
The 40-kilometer-long gas pipeline sector in Armenia is being built
with a $30 million loan of Iran, a source in the Armenian government
press service told Itar-Tass. The loan agreement was signed during an
official visit of Iranian President Mohammad Khatami to Yerevan in
September 2004.
The construction of the gas pipeline began simultaneously in Armenia
and Iran. One hundred kilometers of the pipeline will be laid in Iran
from Tabriz to the border of Armenia’s Megri district. Gas systems of
Armenia and Iran will unite when the gas pipeline is ready in January
2007.
The initial capacity of the gas pipeline will make 1.1 billion cubic
meters a year, and it will increase to 2.3 billion cubic meters by
2019, the source said. That would require laying 197 kilometers of a
gas pipeline from southeast Armenia to central Armenia between
Kadzharan, Sisian, Dzhermuk and Ararat. Negotiations with possible
investors are underway.
The gas pipeline from Iran will strengthen the energy security of
Armenia, the source said.
An Agarak-Shinuair power line was commissioned in southeast Armenia
on Tuesday. The Armenian Energy Ministry says the power line will
double the delivery of Armenian electricity to Iran to 400 megawatt.

ArmenPress
Nov 29 2004
2005 DRAFT BUDGET EARMARKS 563 MILLION DRAMS FOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAM
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS: The 2005 draft budget has
earmarked 563 million drams for Armenian trade and economy
development ministry to implement a string of projects to promote
trade and economy development.
Trade and economic development minister Karen Chshmaritian told
Friday that the bulk of that money, 300 million drams (a 50 million
increase over 2004), will be directed for carrying out a
government-development plan of actions to boost small and
medium-sized businesses. He said part of that money will be used also
to finalize the process of establishment of regional branches of the
Center for Development of Small and Medium-Sized Business.
The government program for tourism development will receive 20
million drams, as much as in 2004. The minister said the government
expects the assistance of international organizations to tourism
development program. Also 156 million will be allocated for a
government program for regulation and maintenance of standardization
and measurement norms.