Author: Karapetian Hovik

Armenian paper sees oil pipeline as being “rope” around hands of Azeri leaders

Hayots Ashkarh, Yerevan
24 May 05

An Armenian paper has predicted that the opening of the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline may end in the deployment of American
troops in the Caucasus “under the pretext of ‘guarding the oil
pipeline'” and notes that the USA and the oil companies ” have not
constructed the Baku-Ceyhan for the benefit of the leadership of
Azerbaijan, but to resolve their own geopolitical and geoeconomic
problems”. The paper concludes by saying that the project, far from
helping Azerbaijan to regain Karabakh, is simply a “big hole that
Heydar Aliyev has dug for his son Ilham”. The following is the text of
the article headlined “Baku-Ceyhan and the Karabakh issue” by Vardan
Grigoryan and carried by the Armenian newspaper Hayots Ashkarh on 24
May. Subheadings have been inserted editorially:

Tomorrow, 25 May, the Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline will be officially
opened. Let us recall that by undertaking the construction of the
Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline, [late Azerbaijani president] Heydar Aliyev
wanted to please the USA and by means of the dominant USA role in the
region to settle the Karabakh issue in favour of Azerbaijan. As a
result of this, American companies have spent billions of dollars to
implement a project which is absolutely absurd from an economic point
of view.

The point is not only the great expenditure needed for the
construction of the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline. Even if they manage to get
the required volume of oil from Kazakhstan in 2008 (there are simply
no such volumes in Azerbaijan), the oil that will go from Ceyhan to
Europe will all the same be two times more expensive than Arab or
Russian oil.

NATO might use pipeline as an excuse

Thus, Azerbaijan instead of becoming a trump card in the “economic
war” will simply turn into an “economic excuse” for the USA to
establish itself in the region. This is a process which, under the
pretext of “guarding the oil pipeline”, may end in the deployment of
NATO mobile forces in the region. Is it really worth spending several
billion dollars in the name of this? This has been implemented with
the British Petroleum company directly supported by the USA. Once the
Baku-Ceyhan pipeline starts to operate, the USA will have achieved its
purpose: the withdrawal of Russia from the region, i.e. it will settle
an important geopolitical issue under the cover of an economic
project.

Pipeline to benefit USA more than Azerbaijan

But what problem is Azerbaijan really settling? Let us recall that
according to the Azerbaijani leadership, the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline
should first of all provide USA support for a settlement of the
Karabakh issue, and secondly bring in billions of dollars profit to
Azerbaijan by means of which it would re-equip its own army and
dictate its will on Armenia in the Karabakh issue.

But the USA and the oil companies that are acting on its orders have
not constructed the Baku-Ceyhan for the benefit of the leadership of
Azerbaijan, but to resolve their own geopolitical and geoeconomic
problems. So transforming any expected economic privilege into
military and economic domination for the leadership of Azerbaijan may
directly damage USA interests in the region. For this reason
Azerbaijan should forget about any military revenge [against Armenia]
and pin its hopes only on the prospect of a peaceful and quiet return
of Karabakh. Why and how should the USA provide such a settlement of
the Karabakh issue when it is evident for the USA that any attempt
aimed to returning Karabakh to the dictatorial regime of the Aliyev
clan would be pregnant with the prospect of the war restarting while
ruling out such a war is the USA’s major task.

Pipeline is a “rope” for “Aliyev clan”

In fact, since the commissioning of the Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline, it
is becoming a unique “rope” that ties the hands of today’s leadership
of Azerbaijan. But the problem is not limited to this, as today the
next problem is already round the corner for the USA: the strategic
task of “democratizing the region”. And who should the settlement of
this problem start with if not with the Aliyev clan, the power of
which has become an obstacle in the way of democratizing of the
Caucasus-Central Asia region? We think that at present the functioning
of the Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline does not open the way for a
pro-Azerbaijani settlement of the Karabakh issue but simply reveals
the big hole that Heydar Aliyev has dug for his son Ilham.

CBS2, Chicago, IL
May 24 2005

Car Slams Into Northwest Side Church

May 24, 2005 6:31 am US/Central
CHICAGO (CBS 2) No one was hurt, but a Northwest Side church was
damaged after a car slammed through a wall.

Witnesses say two men jumped out of the car after it slammed into St.
Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church at 6700 W. Diversey Ave.

It happened about 11:30 p.m. Monday. An off-duty officer ran after
the men, but no one was caught.

Azerbaijan to bar opposition from holding rally ahead of pipeline inauguration

AP Worldstream
May 20, 2005

Azerbaijan’s chief prosecutor said Friday that opposition parties will
be barred from holding a rally days before a ceremony inaugurating
a major U.S.-backed oil pipeline, citing the need for order ahead of
an event expected to bring high-level foreign participants.

Prosecutor-General Zakir Garalov said the country’s three biggest
opposition parties will be forbidden from holding a protest rally
on Saturday, four days before the ceremony marking the opening of
Azerbaijan’s portion of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline.

The pipeline is being built by a consortium headed by Britain’s BP
and is to carry Caspian Sea oil to Western markets. The pipeline
opening ceremony, whose invitees include four foreign presidents,
is scheduled for Wednesday.

“Those who, on the eve of the celebration, think they can violate
social order, are mistaken,” Gafarov said, adding that the parties
will be allowed to hold protests only after the event. “The interests
of the state are more important than interests of individual political
parties,” he told reporters.

Azerbaijan’s main opposition parties, Musavat (Equality), the
People’s Front Party and the Democratic Party, requested the
necessary permission to hold a rally in central Baku on Saturday,
but were rebuffed by the mayor’s office, which also cited the pipeline
celebration.

Musavat leader Isa Gambar called the authorities’ decision “ridiculous”
and said the rally would take place. Opposition leaders plan to
call for free and fair elections and freedom of speech and to urge
authorities to investigate the death of an opposition journalist.

The three parties said in statements that nearly 30 of their activists
have been detained over the past two days on charges of administrative
violations, and some have been sentenced to between five and 15 days
in prison.

Tension between the government and the opposition in tightly
controlled, oil-rich Azerbaijan has increased since an October 2003
election in which Ilham Aliev replaced his now-dead father, longtime
leader Geidar Aliev, as president in a vote the opposition said was
marred by fraud.

EVIL ALWAYS COMES OUT WHEN LAW IS BEING APPLIED

A1plus
| 13:13:08 | 21-05-2005 | Politics |

“The RA law “On Advocacy” correspond to the international standards”,
Karen Hendrix, Director of the American Bar Association (ABA)
considers. At the same she notes that there no ideal laws. “It is hard
to say about the implementation of a law as the chamber of lawyers
does not work. Evil always comes out in the process of applying
the law. In future the lawyers should reveal all the shortcomings
and create mechanisms meting the international standards. A lawyer
against whom a disciplinary suit is brought should be able to make
use of the defense procedure”, she says.

Ms. Hendrix is convinced that taking into account territorial
size of Armenia a united chamber of lawyers should function in the
republic. “The unification will contribute to the formation of the
institute of advocacy. The united approach is essential for proper
qualification of the lawyers, providing and depriving of license as
well as calling to disciplinary responsibility”. She found difficulty
in determining the level the institute of advocacy has reached in
Armenia but she is convinced that that there are lawyers, who are
really devoted to their profession and comprehending the importance
of their work.

Ms. Hendrix pays special attention to the formation of the institute
of public defender and considers that the Chamber of Lawyers will
have a great deal of work in this view.

As for the limited number of lawyers to be provided with a special
license for appealing to the Court of Cassations, Karen Hendrix
considers that there is no reason to worry. “In future, after the
formation of the certifying commission the number of these lawyers
will increase depending on their knowledge and capabilities.” Having
worked in Armenia for two years she says, “Law is only the frame
for the lawyers. However their wish is needed for its proper
implementation. She holds the opinion that the trust of the society
towards the lawyers is as well very important for the formation of
the institute of advocacy.

Victoria Abrahamyan

LiveDaily.com
May 19 2005

CD Review: System of a Down, “Mezmerize” (American/Columbia)

by Don Zulaica
liveDaily Contributor

“Mezmerize” is the first of two related, full-length albums from
Armenian metallurgists System of a Down; “Hypnotize” is due in the
fall, and, if it’s anything like this first volley, this is their
year. Hands down. Game over.

It’s a brilliant and dynamic musical Pollack painting of heavy metal,
world music of various ethnicities, freewheeling circus keyboards,
operatic-to-cookie-monster vocals (from both Serj Tankian and
guitarist Daron Malakian), and disco. Yes, disco.
On “B.Y.O.B.,” bumblebee guitars lay on a bed of anti-war lyrics
(“Why do we always send the poor?”), before giving way to a “Saturday
Night Live” backbeat, “Everybody’s going to the party, have a real
good time/dancing in the desert blowing up the sunshine.”

The Zappa-schizophrenia and lyrical acumen also flows freely through
“Cigaro,” “Violent Pornography” and the outrageous “This Cocaine
Makes Me Feel Like I’m On This Song.” They haven’t lost one iota of
their political fearlessness or sense of humor, and that makes them
all the more intriguing (not to mention dangerous) when compared to
much of their so-called hard-rock brethren.

Eleven snappy tracks at 36:11, and this reviewer would go so far as
to say this is the album of the year–right now–if there wasn’t
another System of a Down album due in the fall.

TAB & Press, MA
May 20 2005

Armenian church fair
Friday, May 20, 2005

The Armenian Memorial Church Annual Fair will be held Saturday, May
21, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Armenian delicacies will be sold, along with new
gift and household merchandise. A silent auction of gift certificates
will also be held. The church is at 32 Bigelow Ave., Watertown.

What is an intentional faith community?

On Monday, May 23, 7:30 p.m., the Winchester Area Voice of the Faithful
will present at special program, “Intentional Faith Communities:
What Are They? Who Are They?” This program is part of the regular
weekly meetings at St. Eulalia’s Church, 50 Ridge St., Winchester.

The program will feature an introduction to intentional faith
communities by Kathleen Kautzer, professor of sociology at
Regis College in Weston. She will then lead a discussion among
representatives of several communities – the Jesuit Urban Center in
Boston, Glastonbury Abbey in Hingham, LaSalette Faith Community in
Topsfield, Natick Faith Community, the Paulist Center in Boston,
People of the Promise in Belmont, St. Basil Parish in Bridgewater
and the St. John Community in Weston.

For more information, contact Bob Morris at 781-721-1399, or e-mail
[email protected]. The group’s Web site is

Synagogue open house

Congregation Dorshei Tzedek, 60 Highland St., West Newton, is hosting
an open house for prospective members on Thursday, June 2, 7 p.m. This
is an opportunity for individuals and families to learn more about this
dynamic congregation, Reconstructionist Judaism and the congregation’s
progressive and innovative religious school. For more information,
call 617-965-0330 or log on to

Celebrating American music

Payson Park Church, 365 Belmont St., Belmont, in association with
Rhythms of Peace, will present “Celebration of American Song” on
Friday, June 3, 7:30 p.m. Continuing this year’s Rhythms of Peace
series, which urges audience members to “think globally and listen
locally,” the concert highlights the diversity and beauty of the
American songbook.

Admission is free, but there is a suggested minimum donation of $10
for adults and $5 for children, with proceeds benefiting the United
Church of Christ’s ongoing Sudan/Darfur Crisis Relief Fund, as well
as the Payson Park music ministry. Refreshments will be available
for a small donation

Soprano Julia Madeson will perform American songs from the 19th and
20th centuries, accompanied by pianist Alla Vishnevetsky, guitarist
Sam Hooper and percussionist Dennis Sullivan. Dorothy Johnson, alto
soloist at Payson Park, will sing some of her favorite spirituals. The
Payson Park Church Choir, under the direction of Terry Halco, make
their second Rhythms of Peace appearance this year.

Finalists from the Berklee Women’s Network are scheduled to perform
new songs from their Mercy Corps – Sudan CD Song Project.

For more information, call 617-484-1542, or log on to

Sunday School open house

Congregation Kahal B’raira, a Congregation for Humanistic Judaism,
will hold a Sunday School open house on Sunday, June 5, 10 a.m. to
noon, at Solomon Schecter Day School, 125 Wells Ave., Newton.

The event will feature a concert by Shirim Klezmer Band and
children’s activities. For more information, contact Elaine Kamienny
at 781-341-1810 or e-mail [email protected].

Reading ‘The Plot Against America’

Join JCC Without Walls in “The Plot Against America: Fantasy or
Reality?” a discussion of Philip Roth’s novel and its implications,
on Tuesday, June 7, 2 p.m., at Kehillath Israel, 384 Harvard St.,
Brookline.

The discussion will be moderated by Barry Schrage, president of
Combined Jewish Philantrhopies, and will feature Rabbi Gershon Gewirtz
of Young Israel, Rabbi William Hamilton of Congregation Kehillath
Israel and Rabbi Emily Lipof of Ohabei Shalom. Dessert will be served.

The cost is $5. For reservations and information, call Emily at
617-558-6443.

JCC Without Walls is a collaboration of Congregation Kehillath Israel,
Leventhal-Sidman Jewish Community Center, Ohabei Shalom and Young
Israel to serve the needs of senior adults in the area, with funding
by Combined Jewish Philanthropies.

Vacation Bible school

Payson Park Church, 365 Belmont St., Belmont, is offering a vacation
Bible school, “Serengeti Trek: Where Kids Are Wild About God’s Love,”
Monday, June 27, to Friday, July 1, from 9 a.m. to noon.

The “Serengeti Trek” program will feature fun, memorable Bible-learning
activities for kids of all ages. Kids sing, play teamwork-building
games, eat snacks, go on Bible adventures and create Bible-related
crafts.

For more information, or to register, call 617-484-1542.

Beth El Temple schedule

The following is a schedule of services and events at Beth El
Temple Center, 2 Concord Ave., Belmont. For more information, call
617-484-6668.

Ongoing:

Friday Shabbat services, 8 p.m., (first Friday of the month: family
potluck and Shabbat, 6:15 p.m.; Shabbat, 8:15 p.m.)

Saturday Torah study, 9 a.m.

Saturday Shabbat services, 10 a.m.

Ongoing registration for Hebrew School, Sunday School and Nursery
School

Prayers for Peace

All are welcome to attend Prayers for Peace: a Baha’i Worship
Service Sundays, 4 to 5 p.m., in Watertown. For more information,
call 617-926-8559.

WEAK POWER BEGOT WEAK OPPOSITION

A1plus

| 16:13:08 | 17-05-2005 | Politics |

Alexander Iskandaryan, who does not consider himself a political
analyst, supposes that even though Armenia has chosen the path towards
Europe, the internal political processes lead us not to Europe but
to Latin America.

The style our authorities and leading political parties behave is
Latino American, he noted. In his opinion, they are striving for
power with liberal democratic and communist calls. “We do not have a
united, strong political power”, Alexander Iskandaryan stated adding
that each of the pro-governmental or opposition parties is a mere
political body covering this or that problem of the society.

He assures that the political affiliation of a deputy can be guessed
by see at his face only. “The Republican Party mainly consists of
businessmen or managers”, he says.

“We do not have a united opposition either. There are people
collaborating within the frames of a certain idea. According to
him, Robert Kocharyan, Serge Sargsyan and Stepan Demorchyan are the
outcome but not a consequence of the political culture developed by
Armenians. Thus no ideological revolution will take place Armenia”,
Alexander Iskandaryan says. He is more than sure that the weakness
of the opposition is caused by the weakness of the authorities.

PROBLEM SOLVED WITHOUT THE GOVERNMENT

A1plus

| 19:03:36 | 16-05-2005 | Social |

Today at about 5:30 p.m. finally an agreement was signed between
“ArmenTel” and “K-Telecom”. Previous to it long negotiations have taken
place in which experts both from Armenia and from abroad took place.

According to our sources, the final variant of the agreement was
ready on Friday, but the sides needed time to agree upon the 100-page
document which must put an end to the problems of communication in
Armenia and contribute to the quick access of “K-Telecom” to the
Armenian market.

Today’s meeting was important by the fact that the sides have
negotiated without the regulating body, that is the government. The
sides had chosen Vahe Yaghoubyan, Government advisor as Justice of
Peace. Nevertheless, he acted not on behalf of the government but as
a lawyer having authority for both sides.

Transparent business: more taxes due to list circulated by State Tax Service

Yerkir/arm
May 13, 2005

Information on the largest tax payers and the amounts of taxes paid
by them was recently made public by the State Tax Service. According
to this list, 300 largest tax payers have paid more than 27 billion
drams in taxes during the first quarter of 2005. The total taxes
paid amounted to 35 billion drams; if customs taxes are added to this
amount the overall tax payments amount to 61 billion drams.

Irrespective of the quantitative content of the tax payers list, the
very fact that it was made public is in itself a positive initiative
especially that it was made public as required by law. The implication
is that this was not a one time initiative and information on the
largest tax payers will be publicized regularly.

When information on taxes covering longer periods is publicized then
maybe more comprehensive information will be available to the public
regarding the taxes really paid or hidden by the large tax payers.
Nevertheless, the present list of tax payers gives an indirect picture
of the tax rating of this or that company and its potential future
tax payments.

Only the first 9 companies have paid taxes of more than 1 million
dollars in the first quarter while the last 200 companies on the list
paid less than 20,000 dollars of profit tax each. In other words,
the list reflects a large portion of shadow economy.

Judging from the taxes paid, we can see that the majority of the
companies working on the Armenian market do not care much about their
reputation. The most important thing for them is to gain profits,
of course taking an advantage of the existing gaps in the legislation.

For instance, companies working in such important spheres as
construction, transportation, international transportation, production
of non-alcoholic beverages and mineral water, partially also companies
working in the sphere of production and import of cigarettes have
shown very modest profits and have paid taxes accordingly.

Some large companies take advantage of the gaps in the existing
legislation and register off-shore companies thus avoiding paying
profit taxes.

However, filling in those gaps in the legislation is a matter of
time. The list of the largest 300 tax payers will be sorted out
with time and the top 100 “golden tax payers” will be pointed out.
The administrative resources of the State Tax Service will be directed
at the entities working in the shadow economy.

Meanwhile, let’s see how the large tax payers have been distributed
at the top of the tax payers’ list. The largest tax payer is the
copper-molybdenum factory in Zangezur: it leads the list both in
terms of the total amount of taxes paid (5.8 billion drams) and in
terms of profit tax (1.5 billion drams) and VAT (3.8 billion drams).

The monopolists in the energy and communications sectors, ArmRusGasArd
and ArmenTel follow the copper factory with tax payments of 3.1 and
2.1 billion drams respectively. Electricity distribution networks have
paid taxes of 1.4 billion drams; the nuclear power plant has paid
955 million drams in taxes. Hrant Vardanian’s Grand Tobacco Company
has paid 3.5 million drams in taxes in the first quarter of 2005.

The New Anatolian, Turkey
May 14 2005

Erdogan, Kocharian expected to meet next week

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Armenian President
Robert Kocharian are expected to meet for rare talks at a summit next
week.

The Anatolia news agency said Erdogan and Kocharian were expected to
meet on the sidelines of a Council of Europe summit scheduled for
Monday and Tuesday in Warsaw. The date of the meeting was not
specified.

Turkish and Armenian officials could not immediately confirm the
report. However, Council of Europe spokesman Can Fisek said there
were “strong indications” that the leaders would meet.

The talks are widely expected to focus on efforts to promote dialogue
between the two countries, which do not have diplomatic relations.

The two countries sharply disagree over the so-called Armenian
genocide claims.

Erdogan has previously indicated that the countries might establish
political ties if Armenia agreed to join a joint commission to
investigate the killings. Armenia says it’s ready to re-establish
relations with Turkey, but without any preconditions.