Author: Karabekian Emil

WHEN THE COLD WAR CAME TO LOS ANGELES BY BILL STEIGERWALD

Townhall.com
11/26/2007

No military battles in the Cold War took place on American soil. But
30 years ago, the clashing civilizations of capitalism and communism
slugged it out for 18 days in — of all places — downtown Los Angeles.

The bloodless 1977 skirmish started when the Soviet Union sent 200
bureaucrats and KGB agents to the Los Angeles Convention Center
to put on a gigantic communist propaganda show called the "Soviet
National Exhibition." The Soviets hoped to impress Americans with
the glorious scientific, industrial and cultural achievements of 60
years of Communist Party rule.

But the rare exhibit, which ran Nov. 12-29 and attracted 310,000
visitors and hundreds of anti-communist protestors from the U.S.S.R.’s
many captive republics, hurt the Soviet image more than it helped.

No doubt many children, movie actors and devout socialists were
impressed by the government flea market of shiny Soyuz spacecraft,
Armenian micro-art and 100-pound reel-to-reel tape decks. They’d have
agreed with the Los Angeles Times, which called the exhibit "splashy"
and "seductive."

But to any red-blooded capitalist who looked at the exhibit with a
critical or malicious eye — as I did during six visits — words like
"boring," "clueless" and "unintentionally hilarious" came to mind.

The show’s 10 ceiling-to-floor propaganda banners and huge
silk-screened panels celebrating great moments in Communist history
were dumb enough. But what fool at the Ministry of Marketing thought
ordinary Americans — in hip, happening L.A.! — were going to be
interested in viewing large-scale models of things like hydroelectric
dams and BN-600 fast-neutron reactors?

The official Soviet pamphlets and brochures were pitiful. Printed
on cheap paper and dully written, they were rife with government
statistics about electric power capacities, rolled ferrous-metal
output and 10-year-plan goals.

And Orwell would have loved the print up of a translation of a
speech Leonid Brezhnev gave to mark the 60th anniversary of the
"Great October Socialist Revolution."

Delivering perhaps the Cold War’s greatest series of 180-degree-wrong
predictions, Brezhnev droned on for 32 pages about the Communist
Party’s heroic past, capitalism’s imminent demise and the inevitable
triumph of socialism. His ringing final line — "Onward, to the victory
of communism!" — was followed by this parenthetical and unintended
punch line:

"L.I. Brezhnev’s report was heard with great attention and punctuated
with prolonged stormy applause."

The Soviets also made another marketing mistake by scattering
guest books around for Joe Six-pack to scribble such comments as
"This is almost as impressive as the Berlin Wall," "No toaster,
no microwave?" and "P.S.: Lenin needs a hair transplant."

Few of these quipsters probably realized that the Soviets’ hapless PR
road show — which naturally was slobbered over by L.A.’s media and
civic booster elites — was a perfect microcosm of the Soviet Union.

Totally controlled by government, saturated with propaganda and devoid
of consumer goods, the exhibit was manned by overworked employees who
during off-hours were imprisoned in their motel and forbidden to go
anywhere alone.

In 1977, many experts who should have known better were saying the
Soviets were winning the Cold War. But if those "experts" had looked
behind the smoke and shiny Soyuzes at the Soviet exhibition, they
would have seen many hints that, at age 60, the fearsome Evil Empire
was a clumsy, senile and sickly superpower.

Mr. Steigerwald is a columnist at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

"STATE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ACTIONS OR IDLENESS OF JUNIOR EMPLOYEES" GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE SAYS

Panorama.am
16:16 27/11/2007

"The role of the European Court of Human Rights is rising and
significance is put on it. On the other hand, it is decreasing,"
the representative of the Armenian government at the European Court
of Human Rights, Gevorg Kostanyan, said. In his words, the role is
decreasing taking into consideration that the duration of examining
the cases has been prolonged in that court. In many cases, citizens do
not think it is effective because one case may last from 4 to 5 years.

In the words of the government representative, internal and
international entities are looking for ways that may cut the flow
of applications to the European Court, which in its turn will cut
the duration of case studies. In this sense, Kostanyan attaches
importance to the role of Human Rights Ombudsman and believes it is
not a coincidence that international entities discuss rising the role
and authorities of human right ombudsmen.

"Every application from Armenia to the European Court is an issue
of the country’s prestige, therefore, the state is interested to
protect the rights and interests of the citizens up to the maximum,"
Kostanyan believes.

The state is responsible for the actions and the idleness of the
junior level, the junior employees and the state may face a defeat
for every such employee.

In this sense, Kostanyan attaches importance to the coordinated work
among the state structures, citizens and defense attorneys. "Today a
lot is said that Armenia is facing defeats at the European Court. Yes,
de facto, we see that this is an obvious defeat since a fact is
recognized that the state has violated citizen rights," government
representative said.

MICHEL PLATINI: THERE WILL BE NO PROBLEMS WITH FOOTBALL MATCHES BETWEEN ARMENIA AND TURKEY

armradio.am
30.11.2007 13:24

Commenting on the inclusion of the national football teams of Armenia
and Turkey in the same qualification group of FIFA World Cup 2010, UEFA
President, French Michel Platini noted that talked to representatives
of Football Federations of both countries and he thinks that there will
be no problems with the conduct of Armenia-Turkey and Turkey-Armenia
matches.

Hayots Ashkharh Daily, Armenia
Nov 29 2007

ARMENIAN DESTINY

The ship `Vera Voloshin’ that has been damaged, due to the storm
in Kerch Channel was transporting 12 excavators and cranes ordered by
the official dealer `Ivtrans’ of the companies `New Holland’ and
`Iveco’ in Armenia. The excavators and cranes are not allowed to
bring out of the ship.
The administrative director of the company Nara Hayrapetyan said
that the problem of the delay is that the investigation is in process
and the company `Baggio S.P.A’ that transports the cargo and is the
owner of the ship is not engaged in the questions linked with the
accident. It is the insurance company `British Marin’ that carries
out this activity. `At present we are holding negotiations with the
representatives of the insurance company, but there is no result
yet,’ N. Hayrapetyan said.
She also said, though `Vera Voloshin’ is the only rescued ship, it
has been split into two parts and they don’t have any information to
what extent have the excavators been damaged. `Our company had 15
parcels of cargoes in the ship from which two that were on board the
ship, fall into the water during the storm and the other 13 that were
in the lower part of the ship, according to the insurance company
have been hermitically covered and water didn’t reach them. At
present it is difficult to say to what extent have the cargoes been
damages,’ N. Hayrapetyan said.

Tbilisi Accord For New Railways

The presidents of Georgia,Turkey and Azerbaijan have joined together
to announce the building of new international railway that will link
Kars, in eastern Turkey with Baku on the Caspian Sea, capital of
Azerbaijan and Tbilisi the Georgian capital. The new railway will
effectively bypass immediate neighbor Armenia and Russia. The project
is priced at $600 million. Oil-rich Azerbaijan is keen to develop
secure links with Turkey and Europe. The President of Turkey promised
an Asia-Europe rail link saying, `We will link Baku and Tbilisi with
London. We will link China with London.’

Date: November 30th 2007
RailwayPeople.com
UK

Levon Aronyan and Vladimir Hakobyan drew the first games of Round 3

armradio.am
01.12.2007 13:10

Armenian Grand Master Levon Aronyan played a draw with Ernesto Inarkiev
of Russia in the first game of the third round of the World Chess Cup
underway in the Russian city of Khanty Mansiysk

Grand Master Vladimir Hakobyan drew the game with another Russian chess
player Vladimir Malakhov.

In the second games of Round 3 both Armenian sportsmen will play with
white figures.

100 CARRIAGES WITH ARMENIAN CARGOES WAITING AT ILYICHOVSK PORT

armradio.am
03.12.2007 17:38

As of today 100 carriages with Armenian cargoes are waiting at the
Ukrainian port of Ilyichovsk.

Press Secretary of RA Ministry of Transport and Communication Tamara
Ghalechyan told Armenpress that within the coming days 63 carriages
will be transported to Batumi. According to her, this is a usual
phenomenon ahead of the New Year.

CýPLAK AYAKLAR SEEKS SUPPORT FOR NEW DANCE STUDIO IN ÝSTANBUL
Rumeysa Ozel

Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Dec 3 2007

A dance studio that was once an idea without a home is now being
given shape by a handful of young artists who put their enthusiasm
for art above all else.

By putting all the money they’ve earned towards converting an iron
workshop into a new dance studio, the Ýstanbul-based Cýplak Ayaklar
(Bare Feet) Company aims to create a venue that will help young
artists in Ýstanbul realize their dreams.

The studio, which has been renovated step-by-step from its drainage
and heating systems to its kitchen and bathroom, has a giant dance
hall that can be used by art lovers when they want to listen to music,
dance and sing together or just rehearse a performance. The studio
even features a guest room for artists who do not have the energy to
go home in the late hours of the night.

On Tuesday night a select audience will be treated to a unique artistic
event titled "On Ayak" (Forefoot). A number of modern dance artists
are lending their support to the project, which will be performed at
Ýstanbul’s Enka Auditorium. Five Turkish performers, Aydýn Teker, Emre
Celik, Mustafa Kaplan, Þafak Uysal, and Tuðce Tuna will participate
in the show with the Cýplak Ayaklar Company, each taking turns to
display their own choreographed dances.

Before this studio was created the artists of Cýplak Ayaklar were
concerned that there was no proper place to dance when a new idea came
to mind, said Mihran Tomasyan, the troupe’s founder, in an interview
with Today’s Zaman. "We needed a proper place to conduct our rehearsals
or do whatever we want that cannot be performed in someone’s house,"
he said, adding that the studio and the company was open to artists
of all disciplines: "While creating something it is best if you don’t
restrict yourself to only one area. If you label yourself as a dancer
you may only be a dancer throughout your life.

We welcome all forms of art and artists. It could be anything."

Tomasyan also says that dance should not require a stereotypically
fit and young body. "It depends on your attitude towards dance. My
grandmother also takes place in our shows; maybe she is just walking
but nobody can walk like her, even if they took lessons for years. It
is something related to her age and her body weight," he says.

Dealing with the question of why

The Cýplak Ayaklar Company was founded in 2003, and their first show
delved into the question, "why?" Tomasyan explains, "The nucleus
of the ensemble came together for the first time during our first
performance, called ‘Why? Neden? Ýncu? Cima?’ in Ýstanbul." He adds
that they were seeking to create stage performances stemming from
their own concerns about life after graduating from Ýstanbul’s Mimar
Sinan Fine Arts University’s modern dance department. "The things you
are able to do after graduation are very restricted in Turkey. You
can either give dance lessons, dance in some pop star’s videos or
concerts or join some dance shows," he laments. To free themselves
from these restrictions, they founded Cýplak Ayaklar, coming together
for two or three projects every year. "Some of my friends and I were
living abroad and getting together to work on these performances. But
we made a decision this year and all moved to Turkey."

Cýplak Ayaklar is made up of artists from various disciplines that
have different backgrounds in contemporary, modern and traditional
dance. The company is confident that their efforts contribute to the
significance of modern dance in Turkey. "There aren’t many modern dance
ensembles in Turkey. Dancers tend to perform individually. What we
are trying to achieve here is to dance without a main choreographer,
with a collective understanding," Tomasyan stresses.

The ensemble emphasizes this point in its manifesto, "We can be made
of one string or 10 strings."

With a core of committed members, the company is able to branch out or
narrow their focus whenever they wish. "Our intention is to enhance
alternative perspectives with an inquisitive spirit. We all have
utopias, and this studio is a substantial part of them. But we are all
in debt now and we are hoping to pay the debt off with the proceeds
that will come from this performance," says Tomasyan, adding that
the studio is already being used as a productive venue for artists.

It is possible to say that the company has a certain political
perspective. It has taken on important and controversial issues such
as the assassination of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink and the
cause of conscientious objector Mehmet Tarhan. Although the content
of their shows is not always political, they are not afraid to take
sides. A few days after the assassination of Dink in front of the
Armenian-Turkish bilingual Agos newspaper, the Cýplak Ayaklar Company,
along with 80 supporters, held a 15-minute performance at the spot
where Dink was murdered. They covered themselves with newspaper sheets,
calling to mind Dink’s corpse. But Tomasyan is very much worried about
the exploitation of this issue, saying: "In Turkey people tend to
use these kinds of issues to sound politically correct. I doubt the
sincerity of some of the artistic events that were devoted to Dink,
for example. The performance we put on was an immediate reaction that
we would not choose to do right now. We do not regret what we did. We
are just uncomfortable with the lack of sincerity."

Another politically charged performance by the company was their
play "Mehmet Barýþý Seviyor" (Mehmet Loves Peace), which focused
on Turkey’s compulsory military service with a clear reference to
Mehmet Tarhan’s case. Asked whether including such political issues in
their performances would lead to the company being labeled as merely
"activists," Tomasyan says: "The political content of our shows only
comes from my choreographies. My work is primarily political, but
Candan [one of the other dancers in the company], for example, creates
performances about love. What do we do here is simply reflective of
ourselves, of whatever our main concerns are."

Although there is a serious lack of government support for modern dance
in Turkey, the members of the company are hopeful about the progress
of contemporary dance in the country. They state that especially the
opening of Garajistanbul was a real turning point for alternative
voices in Turkey. "The performances conducted there every Monday
and Tuesday offer contemporary dance in a very visible outlet," says
Tomasyan. However, he does regret the lack of financial support to
modern dancers from the government. "Unfortunately we are not placed
under the trusteeship of any institution. Even the Semaver Company,
which is one of the best in Turkey, receives only marginal financial
support from the Ministry of Culture. It is really hard to conduct
these performances without the backing of anybody but ourselves. We
all have other jobs to do. Some of us give dance lessons, some of
us do choreography for popular music videos, some of us dance with
popular shows like ‘Fire of Anatolia’ and some of us dance abroad,
but we all put all the money we earn into this company."

Asked about the feedback they have received from their audiences, the
dancers say they are very satisfied with the outcomes of their shows.

"In the contemporary world, if we are going to put people in a theater
for two hours and take their money, we try to send our them home
pleased with at least some aspect of our performance, be it the theme,
the choreography or the movement," the dancers say, adding that one of
the fundamental problems for modern dancers today is not being able to
make the objectives of their shows clear. "We have always tried to be
understandable and precise in our presentation and, as a consequence,
we have always played in front of packed halls."

The company, which has also performed in countries such as Armenia,
Poland, Belgium and Portugal, has close ties with other modern dancers
in Turkey, and they are participating in the organization of the
Ýstanbul Dance Festival (). Their cooperative
project with the Semaver Company, titled "Trainspotting," takes place
on Dec. 2-3. They will also stage "Dzzt Dzzt" at Garajistanbul on
Dec. 10. Tickets for the Dec. 4 performance of "On Ayak" to support
the new studio are YTL 50. For more information:

[Essence]

Cýplak Ayaklar company manifesto

Instead of being the hand that strums the guitar, the Cýplak Ayaklar
Company welcomes all guitar strings — as broken as they may be.

It welcomes all kinds of dreams. It would be nice to come together…

But even a single broken string is worth understanding.

It is against all kinds of discrimination and violence.

To think, discuss and talk would be nice.

It can be kept within the reach of children.

It prefers "to sing songs rather than listen to them."

It is self-acclaimed. It is in the trial phase and prefers to remain
in the trial phase forever.

"Dancer-performer-actor-musician-vi deographer…"

It dreams of building a multi-purpose structure. As Ýlhan Berk states
in his poem, "Cýplak Ayak" (Barefoot), it is "a dreamland" or it is
the search for this "dreamland."

–Boundary_(ID_Dh7XSW08YE6 1T2JEv9pXjg)–

FROM ARMENIA’S POSITION OSCE NEEDS REFORMS
By Agavni Haroutiunian, Madrid, translated by L.H

AZG Armenian Daily #223
04/12/2007

OSCE Ministerial Council

On November 30, in the framework of OSCE Ministerial Council OSCE
Minsk Group Co-Chairs and Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan
met with OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel
Angel Moratinos. Then took place a meeting within narrow bounds with
the assistance of OSCE MG Co-Chairs and Foreign Ministers of Armenia
and Azerbaijan.

After the meeting Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian informed
that the meeting was concise, and also several variants of dates of
Co-chairs’ future visits were presented.

To the question of "Azg" daily about the efficiency of the Council’s
works connected with Armenia, Vartan Oskanian answered that it was
rather critical meeting that was in negotiation process even at the
end of it.

The Council didn’t issue a political declaration, as there were
serious disagreements on different issues.

"Fortunately, it was positive for us. We could reach a joint agreement
on Karabakh issue in the sense of formulation.

There will not be a political declaration and it testifies that
there are issues in OSCE region that are not settled yet. I don’t
know what kind of influence it will have on its future activities,
but it’s evident that there are serious disagreements that impede
reaching a consensus.

What about the review of OSCE Ministerial Council on Karabakh issue,
according to Oskanian a meeting of Co-chair countries took place
at the level of Ministers that will have a continuation when the
Co-chairs visit the region.

The Armenian position is clear on the reforms of OSCE.

"According to us, the organization still needs some reforms. Another
important issue is Kosovo issue. It is a serious issue. There
are serious disagreements; from one side between Serbia and OSCE
member countries; Russia also announced his position, from the other
side, the conflicts in OSCE region – Georgia, Nagorno Karabakh and
Transdniester. They cannot reach joint formulations, besides Nagorno
Karabakh issue.

According to Vartan Oskanian, other issues of OSCE were also discussed,
i.e. future possible participation in Afghanistan, budget issues,
the issue of the next Chairman country; Kazakhstan tendered for 2009.

MIDNIGHT TRAIN FROM GEORGIA SEES RUSSIA COMPLETE MILITARY PULLOUT

RIA Novosti, Russia
Nov 15 2007

MOSCOW, November 15 (RIA Novosti) – Russia has completed a pullout of
military personnel and equipment from a Soviet-era base in Batumi,
Georgia, an aide to the chief of the Russian Ground Forces said
on Thursday.

The last train containing Russian servicemen and property left the
base in southern Georgia for Armenia, at 01:10 a.m. local time on
Thursday (09:10 p.m. GMT on Wednesday).

"The train is en route to the 102nd military base in the town of
Gyumri in Armenia," Col. Igor Konashenkov said, adding that it would
reach its destination by Thursday night.

The Batumi base commander, the commander of Russia’s contingent in
the South Caucasus, as well as 150 servicemen and their families are
on the train, which is also carrying some 200 metric tons of equipment.

The Batumi pullout means that no Russian troops remain in Georgia
except for peacekeepers in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and
South Ossetia, said General of the Army Alexei Maslov, the Ground
Forces commander.

Under an agreement between the former Soviet republics, Russia was
to complete the closure of its base in Batumi by the end of 2008.

Last December, Russia completed the pullout of its military garrison
from Tbilisi, handing over control of its headquarters to Georgia’s
Defense Ministry, and formally handed over its military base at
Akhalkalaki in southern Georgia to Tbilisi in June, ahead of the
October 2007 deadline.

The tiny Caucasus nation has sought to join NATO and other European
organizations since U.S.-educated President Mikheil Saakashvili came
to power on the back of street protests in 2003.

However, similar opposition demonstrations against Saakashvili last
week led to the announcement of early presidential elections, set for
January 5. Saakashvili has blamed Russia for tension in the country,
expelling three Russian diplomats on November 8.