Author: Karakhanian Suren

Armenia wants to disrupt Council of Europe report on breakaway region – TV
ANS TV, Baku
16 Jan 05
[Presenter] Azerbaijan and Armenia will again stand face to face on 25
January at the winter session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe [PACE] in Strasbourg. It is worth saying that the
most successful moments of Azerbaijan’s Karabakh diplomacy are related
to the work done at this council. Baku has achieved some significant
progress to boast of here which, at first sight, can be seen as devoid
of important mechanisms to influence the resolution of the problem
[Nagornyy Karabakh conflict]. Multifaceted ongoing initiatives of the
Armenians and their efforts to use everyone and everything prove that
Yerevan will try at least not to lose in Strasbourg.
[Passage omitted: background information given as reference on screen]
[Correspondent, over video of CE building in Strasbourg, CE sessions]
This time the front-line is Strasbourg and the opposing forces are
parliamentarians. Our MPs together with their counterparts from
occupying Armenia will join the hearings on the Nagornyy Karabakh
issue at the winter session of the PACE in this French city on 25
January. The debates will certainly be very strenuous. The report by
the PACE rapporteur on Nagornyy Karabakh, David Atkinson, which will
be presented for hearings, and the draft resolution that will be
passed have caused hot debates in the media of the two countries for
nearly two months. There are many aspects that are in Azerbaijan’s
interests in the text of the report. From this viewpoint, the
Armenians are trying to disrupt its discussion by mobilizing all their
forces. The Armenians had some insignificant changes made to the
report when it was discussed at the political committee of the PACE in
November. The Azerbaijani side tentatively predicts what points
Armenia will heed at the discussions on 25 January.
[Gultakin Haciyeva, member of Azerbaijani delegation to PACE,
captioned, shown speaking to ANS] The first point is that they are
planning to make changes to the document, that Azerbaijani territories
were occupied not by Armenia’s armed formations, but by local Armenian
military formations [in Nagornyy Karabakh]. The main argument the
Armenians are putting forward is that this wording was used in the
resolutions issued by the UN Security Council.
[Correspondent] Haciyeva said the Azerbaijani delegation is going to
the session with specific facts and documents testifying to Armenia’s
aggression against Azerbaijan. She said Azerbaijan has a number of
proposals to the draft resolution, as well, but it won’t disclose them
yet in order not to give Armenia ammunition.
Armenia is also seriously bracing itself for the
discussions. Unofficial information says that the foreign minister of
the occupying country, Vardan Oskanyan, has made several visits to
London since November to influence English parliamentarians on this
issue. Even, the faithful defender of Armenia’s interests, the former
Russian co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group, Vladimir Kazimirov, tried
to correct rapporteur Atkinson’s, in inverted commas,” mistakes” last
month.
Although there are many objective points in the draft resolution, it
cannot be considered to be [the basis of] a claim. The document says
that Azerbaijan and Armenia assumed obligations to resolve the
conflict only by peaceful means when they entered the Council of
Europe in January 2001. Taking into consideration the fact that the
negotiations have not produced any results so far, we can say that
this provision restricts Azerbaijan’s right to liberate its occupied
lands by force if the peace talks prove to be sterile. At the same
time, the resolution suggests that the parties go to the international
court if the resolution of the conflict is not possible. But it is
admissible to Azerbaijan. As we know, courts usually consider
disputed issues, while Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity cannot be a
subject of dispute, court or referendum since it was recognized by the
UN and other influential entities. Anyhow, we do not have any good
reason to celebrate yet. Everything will depend on the 25 January test
of our MPs. In other words, he who laughs last has the best laugh.
Azada Balayeva for ANS

RIA Novosti, Russia
Jan 17 2005
ARMENIA’S MILITARY CONTINGENT TO BE SENT TO IRAQ
YEREVAN, January 17 (RIA Novosti) – On Tuesday an Armenian military
contingent will go to Iraq, press officer of the Armenian defense
ministry, Colonel Seiran Shakhsuvaryan, said on Monday.
After eight-hour, closed-doors discussion on December 24, 2004, the
Armenian parliament ratified the Memorandum of Mutual Understanding
on the sending of a contingent of the Armenian armed forces to Iraq.
In line with the memorandum, Armenia will participate in the
humanitarian mission as part of the Polish contingent and will send
46 specialists -ten sappers, 30 drivers, three medics and three
commanders, including one signals specialist.
91 deputies voted for ratification, 23 against it with one
abstention.
Those voting against said that the sending of the Armenian contingent
to Iraq is against the national interests of Armenia, its state
security and poses a threat to the 25,000-strong Armenian community
in Iraq, as well as Armenians residing in Muslim countries.

Armenian party says authorities “too inept” to resolve pressing problems
Arminfo
14 Jan 05
YEREVAN
The atmosphere of impunity and permissiveness in the higher echelons
of power is confirming once again that current Armenian administration
are unable not only to resolve the situation in the country but also
to stop the precipitous recession the country is in, says a statement
by the Political Council of the Democratic Party of Armenia, part of
the Justice bloc, forwarded to Arminfo.
The statement says the unprecedented delays in the payment of salaries
and pensions, the doubled fares on buses which until recently were
considered the most accessible means of public transport, the doubled
tariffs on water and gas, and the price increase on a number of
primary goods have rendered useless the minimal increase in pensions
by 1,000 drams [2 dollars] and are dealing yet another serious blow to
the destitute categories of the population.
Under such circumstances, the guarantor of social well-being of the
population, the Armenian president, is preoccupied with forgiving the
sins of those who have plundered national wealth by concealing 70 per
cent of their real earnings from the state. Instead, tax agencies
focus mainly on small and middle-sized entrepreneurs, not “the market
sharks”, because they still operate under the patronage of the
authorities.
The resulting difficult socioeconomic and moral situation and the
universal violation of the most fundamental human rights are
confirming once again that the Armenian authorities are too inept to
improve the situation in the country.
Under the document, the Democratic Party of Armenia – which remains
faithful to its programme principles based on democratic socialism and
social justice – states that only in the event of implementing the
party’s programme will it possible to carry out social reforms in the
country, form a fair public atmosphere, avoid fresh social shocks and
take the country out of the current crisis, the statement says.

Bush urged to take lead for Mideast peace
Associated Press
1/13/2005
WASHINGTON (AP) – Leaders of Jewish, Christian and Muslim groups want to
meet with President Bush to discuss a renewed role by the United States
in Mideast peace initiatives.
With a newly elected Palestinian leadership and Israel’s plans to
withdraw from Gaza, the United States should take a higher profile role,
said a public appeal to the president signed by the 35 religious leaders.
They were formally announcing their appeal at a news conference Thursday.
Mahmoud Abbas won election Sunday as president of the Palestinian
Authority, succeeding the late Yasser Arafat.
Coordinating with national religious leaders are leaders in more than a
dozen cities. They include Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco,
Indianapolis, Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Hartford and New
Haven, Conn., Baltimore, Charlotte and Durham, N.C., and Washington, D.C.
The leaders are asking that Bush:
– Appoint a special presidential envoy with a full-time commitment to
the Mideast. The envoy would coordinate with the European Union, Russian
Federation and the U.N. secretary-general to press for the plan signed
by Israel and the Palestinians in June 2003. It has stalled, with each
side blaming the other for violations of its provisions.
– Negotiate a timetable for specific steps to be taken by the
Palestinian Authority and the Israeli government.
– Take the lead to mobilize increased international economic aid to
build up the Palestinian Authority’s ability to provide security,
deliver humanitarian aid and ensure services the Palestinian people.
The group of religious leaders includes representatives from the Roman
Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, Lutheran, Presbyterian and
Episcopal churches; leaders of the Central Conference of American
Rabbis; and leaders of the Secretary-General of the Islamic Society of
North America.

Armenian president signs law on fight against financing of terrorism
Arminfo
12 Jan 05
YEREVAN
Armenian President Robert Kocharyan signed a law on the fight against
money laundering and financing of terrorism on 11 January, the
presidential press service told Arminfo news agency today.
We should recall that this document envisages a simplified regime for
deals with private individuals working outside Armenia if the volume
of the deal exceeds 5m drams (about 10,000 US dollars). The limit for
foreigners to buy real estate, which is not subject to control, is
fixed at 50m drams (about 100,000 dollars). The document requires a
report about the origin of the sum if larger sums are used in a
deal. Moreover, the law also contains a provision that the bank
deposits opened by Armenian citizens in the republic’s banking system
before 1 July 2005 will not be regarded as doubtful deals.
The law envisages the establishment of a single financial monitoring
centre under the Central Bank, which will collect information from all
the financial sectors and analyse financial flows in order to reveal
dangerous phenomena and the extent to which deals are doubtful. For
the first time in the country’s legislation, this document clarifies
concepts like “financing of terrorism” and “doubtful deals” and offers
real mechanisms to fight them.
At the same time, the law establishes principles of collecting
information whose special feature is to clarify demands to financial
flows from offshore countries.
We should point out that in December 2004, the chairman of the Central
Bank of Armenia, Tigran Sarkisyan, pointed out that no cases of money
laundering or financing of terrorism have been registered in the
Armenian banking system, but there are doubtful deals investigated by
the Prosecutor-General’s Office.

Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
January 12, 2005, Wednesday
AZERBAIJAN NEEDS A DIFFERENT ARMY
SOURCE: Voyenno-Promyshlenny Kuryer, No. 50, December 29, 2004 –
January 11, 2005, p. 2
by Jasur Mamedov
Azerbaijan’s participation in NATO’s Partnership for Peace Program
necessitates launching a military reform in the republican army. Baku
does not have other options because this is the essence of
integration into the alliance. What’s the essence of the conception
of modernization of the republican Armed Forces? What obstacles
hinder the reform? Major-General Tadzheddin Mekhtiyev, a
representative of the Center of military science in the Defense
Ministry and former defense minister, answers the newspaper’s
questions.
Question: The republican Army was established only 13 years ago…
Answer: Yes, and it has achieved substantial successes over these 13
years. At present the republic has an efficient army. However, we
have to do a lot. First and foremost, we must improve the material
and technical basis of the Armed Forces. In addition, its fighting
efficiency is linked with the stability in the republic. (…)
I think that we could have achieved successes that are more
substantial over the past 13 years. However, we need to take in
consideration some exterior aspects of the problem. Some countries
such as Armenia do not want Azerbaijan to create a strong army
because this is the main factor, which can make Armenia start
constructive negotiations. Armenia and its defenders know that a
strong army and liberation of occupied territories mean the same.
Question: What did you have to do over the past years?
Answer: In my opinion, we should have created a professional army
after we concluded the ceasefire agreement in 1994. I think that
contract military service is the future of our army. (…) Some moves
have been made in this direction. As far as I know, commanders of
tanks and infantry fighting vehicles are contract ensigns. However,
we do not have the necessary laws for creating a professional army.
Question: Specialists say that this would be a heavy burden for
Azerbaijan’s military budget…
Question: I agree, expenses on the maintenance of the army must
increase. It should be noted that the 2005 military budget will
increase. However, I think that the growth must be substantial, at
least 100%. (…)
There are rumors that we cannot afford to create a contract army.
However, we do not intend to reform all units at once. We could start
with one brigade. Of course, we will have to make amendments to the
system of operational control over the unit and arm it with
up-to-date weapons and military hardware. In the meantime, we need
laws to do this.
In my opinion, a contract brigade can be created within six months.
It must consist of the most experienced officers and ensigns.
Privates and sergeants must be selected among former draftees. We
could calculate expenses on the maintenance of this unit and make
decisions regarding other units.
The new brigade must become the main unit of the Army and be used in
the most important operations.
(…) The contract brigade must be equipped with the most up-to-date
mortars, automatic rifles, bazookas, sniper rifles, machine-guns,
light tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel
carriers. The most important thing is that all officers and ensigns
of the brigade must have the most up-to-date communication systems.
The unit must also use radio-technical, engineering and artillery
reconnaissance systems. In addition, it needs mobile vehicles for
transporting injured servicemen.
Question: Does the legislation in force make it possible to realize
your proposals? What do you need to change?
Answer: (…)I think that amendments must affect the laws on military
service, the status of servicemen and servicemen’s pensions. At
present, the family of a killed serviceman receives a lump sum equal
to five monthly wages. In my opinion, this sum must increase to the
Soviet levels (180 months wages). Invalids must receive lump sums
equal to 100 months wages (at present, five months wages). Servicemen
who have served for 15 years receive three months wages when they
resign. (…)
Money allowances must be revised. They must be increased by 200% to
300%. Servicemen’s children must not pay for higher education.
Dismissed officers must be placed to new jobs within three months.
Medical services for servicemen and their families must be free of
charge. Dismissed officers must have the right to spend vacations
abroad once a year.
Question: Have these proposals been submitted to the parliament of
Azerbaijan?
Answer: We have done this but we cannot influence the process of
passing these proposals. In my opinion, if a group of advisors
consisting of skilled officers and generals worked in the parliament
we would be able to pass these laws. General Vladimir Timoshenko is
the only professional serviceman in the parliament. It is no
coincidence that the parliament has passed bills, which have
decreased the significance of military service. The advisors would
have defended servicemen’s interests.
Translated by Alexander Dubovoi

Transitions on Line, Czech Rep.
Jan 10 2005
The Year of Praying Dangerously

by Felix Corley
Turkmen authorities keep up the pressure on unauthorized religious
building and activity. A partner post from Forum 18.
In 2004, the same year that Turkmenistan’s autocratic president,
Saparmurat Niazov, inaugurated what officials describe as the largest
mosque in Central Asia in his home village of Kipchak in central
Turkmenistan, the authorities demolished at least seven other
mosques, apparently to prevent unapproved Muslim worship. Several
Muslim and non-Muslim sources inside Turkmenistan, who preferred not
to be identified, have told Forum 18 News Service of seven specific
mosque demolitions. The sources said they believe that other
unapproved mosques might also have fallen victim to the government’s
desire to stifle unauthorized Muslim worship. Christians and members
of other faiths are still battling to be allowed to open places of
worship, regain those confiscated, or rebuild those destroyed in the
past six years.
The Kipchak mosque–built by the French company Bouygues and
inaugurated with great pomp on 22 October 2004–angered some Muslims
by incorporating on its walls not only quotations from the Koran, but
also from the Ruhnama (Book of the Soul), a pseudo-spiritual work
claimed to have been written by Niazov. Muslims regard as blasphemous
the use of such quotations and the requirement that copies of the
Ruhnama be placed in mosques on a par with the Koran, as well as
instructions to imams to quote lavishly from the president’s work in
sermons. Few Muslims reportedly attend the Kipchak mosque for regular
prayers, though it can house up to 10,000 worshippers. Apparently as
part of a policy of isolating Turkmen religious believers of all
faiths, no foreign Muslim religious dignitaries were permitted to
attend the inauguration.
Islam is traditionally the faith of the majority in Turkmenistan, and
it is the faith under the tightest government control. The president
installed the new chief mufti, Rovshen Allaberdiev, in August after
removing his predecessor, while the government’s Gengeshi (Council)
for Religious Affairs names all imams throughout the country. Only
about 140 mosques–all of them under the state-controlled
muftiate–now have state registration, just a fraction of the number
of a decade ago when religious practice was freer.
Independent mosques have been demolished in recent years–such as
those built by Imam Ahmed Orazgylych in a suburb of Ashgabat and in
the village of Govki-Zeren near Tejen in southern Turkmenistan, both
bulldozed in 2000–while others that reject the forced imposition of
the Ruhnama have been shut down, such as the mosque closed on
National Security Ministry orders in late 2003 after mosque leaders
refused to place the Ruhnama in a place of honor.
Other faiths, too, face severe difficulties maintaining places of
worship. The authorities have refused to allow the two Hare Krishna
temples bulldozed in the Mary region in summer 1999 and the
Seventh-day Adventist church bulldozed in Ashgabat in November 1999
to be rebuilt and have refused to pay any compensation. Neither
community has been allowed to meet publicly for worship despite both
having regained official registration in 2004.
Nor have the Baptist and Pentecostal churches in Ashgabat–closed
down and confiscated in 2001–been handed back, leaving both
communities with nowhere to worship. The government has also refused
to hand back an Armenian Apostolic church in the Caspian port city of
Turkmenbashi confiscated during the Soviet period, despite repeated
appeals by the local Armenian community. Other religious communities
that have been denied registration–including other Protestant
churches, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and the New Apostolic
Church–likewise have nowhere to meet.
The 2004 mosque demolitions appear to have occurred in two waves,
with three demolished at the beginning of 2004 and a further four in
Ashgabat destroyed since October.
“The mosques demolished in the spring had been built without
permission,” one source told Forum 18. “The demolitions were not
reported in the media, but they didn’t take place covertly, either.”
The three mosques known to have been demolished in the first wave
were a Shia mosque used by local ethnic Iranians in the village of
Bagyr near Ashgabat, as well as small Sunni mosques in the town of
Serdar (formerly Kyzyl-Arvat) in western Turkmenistan and in the
village of Geoktepe, 45 kilometers northwest of Ashgabat. “The
Geoktepe mosque was in the middle of the old fortress,” one source
told Forum 18. “The authorities wanted all the Muslims to go to the
main, newly built mosque.” The massive Saparmurat Haji mosque, named
after the president and completed in the 1990s, was, like the Kipchak
mosque, built by Bouygues. The construction cost was a reported $86
million.
The autumn wave of demolitions began with the destruction of two
mosques in Ashgabat. Both were razed on 15 October, just one day
before the start of Ramadan.
“Worshippers in both mosques were told that these mosques were being
demolished because the local government is planning to build a new
road and to widen the existing one,” a source told Forum 18 from
Ashgabat. “Of course, nothing has yet been built there.”
A visitor to the mosque on Bitarap Turkmenistan street in August
found it looking “pretty good,” with people repairing and painting
the inside of the relatively large building. Sources told Forum 18
that local people were “really unhappy” when the local authorities
informed them the mosque was to be demolished.
“According to some unconfirmed rumors, construction of these mosques
was financed by some unidentified Arab charities,” one source added.
“This might have been one of the reasons for their demolition.” Some
local imams referred to the mosque on Bitarap Turkmenistan street as
a Wahhabi mosque, a reference to the brand of Sunni Islam that
predominates in Saudi Arabia, though the term “Wahhabi” is used more
widely in Central Asia as a synonym for “Muslim extremist.”
Soon afterward, a privately built mosque in the Garadamak area of
southern Ashgabat was demolished along with many houses in the same
area. A source from Ashgabat who visited the mosque in July told
Forum 18 that the imam, who used to live in a nearby house, seemed at
that time to be unaware of the government’s imminent plans to
demolish his mosque.
The most recent demolition, in November, was of another private
mosque in the Choganly area of northern Ashgabat, near the city’s
largest market. It, too, was not registered with the government but,
unlike the mosque in the Garadamak district, could not operate due to
strong opposition from the local authorities. No other houses around
this mosque are known to have been demolished.
One local Muslim suggested that all four of the Ashgabat mosques
demolished in the autumn were targeted because their imams refused to
read Niazov’s Ruhnama in their mosques.
Other Muslims trace the start of the latest wave of demolitions of
private mosques to a presidential speech complaining of alleged
attempts to sow discord in the country. “Some people are coming here
and taking our lads to teach them,” Niazov told a meeting in the city
of Turkmenbashi in September. “Eight lads have been taken in this way
to make them into Wahhabis. This means they will come back later and
start disputes among us. Therefore let us train them here, in
Ashgabat, at a faculty of theology.”
Sources have told Forum 18 that Khezretkuli Khanov, head of the
Ashgabat Gengeshi, has complained to visitors to his office in recent
months that he constantly faces the problem of dealing with mosques
functioning without the required permission. Unregistered religious
activity is illegal in Turkmenistan, in defiance of international
human rights norms.

Glendale News Press
LATimes.com
Jan 7 2005
Candidates take their first steps
On the first day of filing for school and college boards, five pull
papers, with many more expected to follow suit.
By Darleene Barrientos, News-Press and Leader
GLENDALE – Five candidates drew papers for the Glendale Unified
School District board and Glendale Community College trustee board
elections, including one candidate who home schooled her four
children.
Linda Sheffield, 52, the home school parent, said she decided to run
because she wanted to get involved with the college. Sheffield’s four
children all attended Glendale Community College before they were 18.
“There are some things I really like about the school and some things
I don’t like,” Sheffield said.
Candidates were able to take out their election petition forms with
the City Clerk’s office Thursday. The filing period is open until
Jan. 27, and the election is April 5.
College board president Victor King, and board member Armine Hacopian
also pulled papers for their election runs. Board Vice President
Anita Quinonez Gabrielian said she dropped off her candidate
declaration statement on Wednesday and would pick up her petition
sheets today.
“I’m absolutely very interested and looking forward to being
reelected to the board of trustees for the college,” Gabrielian said.
Only two candidates for the Glendale Unified School District board
retrieved their candidate petition forms Thursday. Board member Chuck
Sambar was told he was one of the first to show up, even though he
said he was “expecting a mob.” Sambar said he had no plans yet for
fundraising.
Nyiri Nahabedian, a Cal State L.A. and UCLA professor, also filed her
paperwork Thursday.
Lina Harper, who serves as the school board’s clerk, decided against
a reelection bid.
“I’m very excited,” Nahabedian said. “I’m looking forward to the
campaign and I’m looking forward to bringing in my contribution to
[the district].”
Two candidates who announced their candidacy for the school board –
board President Greg Krikorian and former board member Louise Foote –
were unable to request paperwork Thursday. Both said they would do it
today.
“It’s Christmas,” Krikorian said, referring to the observance of
Armenian Christmas, or the Day of Epiphany. “I am going to church and
having a big family dinner. It’s hard for me today.”
Foote was elected to the board in 1997, but lost a reelection bid in
2001.
“I’m planning to run for the board because I have extensive
experience, which can be used to improve student achievement in a
safe, secure learning environment,” she said.
Prospective candidate Naira Khachatrian said Wednesday she had not
decided whether she would run. Other potential candidates, including
Armond Agakhani, former field representative for Assemblyman Dario
Frommer and chairman of the city’s parks, recreation and community
services commission, and Hoover alumnus Larry Miller did not return
calls for comment.

Greek shares up on bank, telecom gains, helped by European markets
AFX Europe (Focus)
Jan 03, 2005

ATHENS (AFX) – Greek equities started the new year with solid gains in
banks and telecoms as the general index climbed above the 2,800 point
mark, spurred on by positive performances in European markets, brokers
said.
The Athens bourse benchmark general advanced 1.38 pct to 2,824.67
points.
Brokers said the halving of a tax applicable on stock sell
transactions from 0.3 pct to 0.15 pct, effective as of today, helped
encourage intra session trading.
Blue chips rose 1.76 pct and banks gained 2.19 pct.
National Bank, Greeceýs largest lender, rallied 2.80 pct to 24.96
eur.and Eurobank closed at 26 euro, up 2.85 pct.
Emporiki Bank, 11 pct owned by Franceýs Credit Agricole, gained 1.11
pct to 23.58 eur. Earlier a senior Emporiki Bank source said that the
bank intendsto sell its subsidiaries in Armenia and Georgia as part of
the groupýs restructuring process.
Index heavyweight OTE Telecom, Greeceýs largest phone company, rose
3.18 pct to 13.64 eur. Telecom equipment provider Intracom
outperformed rising 3.02 pct to 4.10 eur.
Energy monopoly PPC advanced 1.36 pct to 20.88 eur while lottery
operator OPAP inched ahead 0.29 pct at 20.42 eur.
Small caps shed 0.88 pct and mid caps firmed 0.64 pct.
Losers beat winners 202 to 84 with 90 stocks unchanged on a volume of
138 mln eur.
Source: Euro2day, Athens

Palm Beach Post, FL
Jan 1 2005
Bush sending brother Jeb to Asia seen as savvy
By Dara Kam
Special to the Palm Beach Post
TALLAHASSEE – Political experts say President Bush’s decision to send
his brother to grief-stricken Asia is a savvy move to stem criticism
of the United States’ initial response to one of the world’s worst
natural disasters.
It also may set the stage for Gov. Jeb Bush’s own run at the White
House in 2008, despite his insistence he is headed back to the
business world in Miami. The governor’s staff says he is perfectly
suited for the mission after overseeing disaster relief in Florida
following four hurricanes.
“It’s not that he brings a special expertise about emergency
management,” Larry Sabato, a political scientist at the University of
Virginia, said Friday. “It’s that he’s the president’s brother, and
symbols are important. This is partly a public-relations operation.
The president got off on the wrong foot here and got a lot of
criticism.”
The United States initially pledged $15 million in aid, boosting that
to $35 million and then on Friday to $350 million. U.S. patrol and
cargo aircraft have been sent to Thailand, and an aircraft carrier
and other ships have been ordered to the region to aid in disaster
recovery, the president said Friday.
Gov. Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell will lead a delegation
to the region to meet with leaders and determine what assistance the
United States can provide, a State Department official said.
The team will depart Sunday from Andrews Air Force Base near
Washington. Gov. Bush plans to return Thursday, but Powell will stay
for an international summit in Jakarta, Indonesia.
President Bush tapped his brother because of “his extensive
experience in the state of Florida with relief, rehabilitation and
reconstruction efforts following natural disasters,” the White House
said in a statement.
“He’s also the president’s brother – I think it signifies the high
level of importance that the president puts on this delegation,”
White House spokesman Trent Duffy said.
This is the first time President Bush has called on his brother to
represent the country on such a high-profile mission. The appointment
came after the president was criticized by international officials
for his slow response to the earthquake and tsunami.
Gov. Bush received high praise for his handling of the four
hurricanes that ravaged Florida during a six-week period in August
and September. In 1988, when the Bush brothers’ father was
president-elect, Jeb Bush led an aid mission to Armenia following an
earthquake.
“The governor has… a lot of experience dealing with recovery,
first-responding efforts, rebuilding,” said Alia Faraj, a spokeswoman
for Gov. Bush.
The governor’s relationship with the president will benefit the
affected countries, the University of Virginia’s Sabato said, because
“what he sees and hears is going to go straight to the Oval Office.”
Despite his contention that he is not interested in a presidential
bid, the governor’s trip elevates his stature.
“It’s going to cause tongues to wag again about a Jeb Bush candidacy
for presidency in 2008 despite his frequent denials of it,” Sabato
said. “No doubt the other candidates for president are probably
jealous.”
Lance deHaven-Smith, a Florida State University political scientist,
went further.
“I take it to be a clear indication that he’s interested in higher
office,” he said. “When you watch his denials about not running for
president, he says, ‘I like the job I’m doing.’ You never him say,
‘I’ll never run for president.’ It’s a masterful appointment to send
him overseas.”