Author: Khoyetsian Rose

EGYPT AWARDS WORLEY PARSONS NUCLEAR DEAL AFTER TALKS WITH BECHTEL BREAK DOWN
By Jessica Gray

Business Today Egypt
August 2009

Nuclear Ambition

The cool waters of the Mediterranean swell gently against El-Daba’a’s
deserted shoreline. About halfway between Alexandria and Marsa Matruh
on the North Coast, the more than 100 kilometer-stretch of white sand
and vibrant coral reef would be considered prime property for tourism
development, if not for the fact it has been selected as one of five
possible sites for Egypt’s first nuclear power plant. The nuclear
project could also constitute a first for the region, aside from
Israel. Planning for the 1,200-megawatt project, set for completion
in 10 years time, is well underway, according to the plant’s official
consultant, global engineering firm WorleyParsons.

The Nuclear Power Plants Authority (NPPA), a division of the Ministry
of Electricity and Energy, awarded WorleyParsons the LE 900 million
consulting contract two months ago. The parties signed the contract
June 18, more than 50 years after Egypt’s nuclear program was
established.

The decision came as a surprise to industry players as the government
had announced that United States-based Bechtel was its first choice to
carry out the contract in January this year. NPPA Vice Chairman for
Studies and Nuclear Affairs Dr. Mohamed Mounir Megahed says talks
with Bechtel broke down after months of "tedious and difficult"
negotiations earlier this year.

"There were some differences in the terms," says Megahed. "We
were under the impression that they accepted the general terms and
conditions because they said so, but when we started negotiations we
discovered there were some deviations. They wanted changes that would
alter the nature of their bid. I am not at liberty to say more but
this was basically the problem. They were very adamant – they did
not want to compromise."

Representatives from Bechtel’s Egypt office refused to comment on
the failed negotiations, citing a policy that prohibits employees
from speaking to the media.

The nuclear facility is one of many energy projects under construction
to address Egypt’s growing electricity needs, currently met via
numerous steam and combined cycle plants powered by fossil fuels as
well as renewable sources such as hydro power.

The World Bank, a multi-million dollar supporter of several ongoing
energy projects in the country, estimates that Egypt’s energy demands
are growing between 7% and 8% annually. Egypt has a stored capacity
of almost 24,000 megawatts of electricity. Peak usage rests at around
21,000 megawatts. Analysts predict those numbers will jump to 57,000
megawatts and 73,000 megawatts respectively by 2027, driven by heavy
industry and a sharp increase in population.

Aside from meeting energy demand, the nuclear project is also slated
to diversify the nation’s energy sources, making it less vulnerable
to market pressures, creating jobs and perhaps even giving nuclear
engineering graduates from the University of Alexandria a reason to
look for work inside Egypt.

Megahed says the NPPA is pleased with WorleyParsons, which
ranked second out of seven companies vying for the lucrative
contract. WorleyParsons, with over 200 staff members in Egypt alone,
will be responsible for selecting the site and choosing the technology
the power plant will employ, as well as tendering construction and
procurement contracts, training staff and overseeing installation. The
company is currently involved in six nuclear projects around the world,
most of which are in Eastern European countries, such as Armenia,
Bulgaria and Slovakia.

Joe Aikins, the firm’s general manager in Egypt, described the
negotiations as "thorough" and "rather tough," adding that the
country’s more than 30-year history with nuclear technology and
research has given the NPPA a concrete vision of how the project
should be implemented. "The scope is to provide consultancy
services throughout the length of the project. Our goal is to
deliver that project safely, accurately, on time and on budget to
meet the objectives of the Nuclear Power Plants Authority. [] The
basic parameters for developing and executing the project are being
reviewed, discussed and agreed upon. The end result of the initial
meetings is an agreeable, detailed project execution plan," he says.

Phase one of the project will span approximately three years. During
this time WorleyParsons and the NPPA plan to choose the nuclear
technology, evaluate and decide on the official project site,
outline strategic plans including radioactive waste management and
safety operations, and draft and approve engineering procurement and
construction documents to be tendered.

"At the end of the three years we should have the technology
commissioned, the [procurement] agreements negotiated or under
negotiation, the site regulatory approval and the tender documents
solicited and hopefully have some back so we know who will do the
final detailed engineer procurement and installation," says Aikins.

He says there could be an additional agreement between WorleyParsons
and the NPPA to provide services beyond the 10-year period in terms
of regulatory monitoring, maintenance, further staff training and
site or equipment inspection. Phase two will include procurement and
construction to be completed sometime in 2019.

Aikins is not predicting any specific challenges to the project, but
admits there are a number of issues project leaders must plan for,
such as the complexity of the scheme and issues concerning skilled
labor, safety and quality. The fact that Egypt is home to large,
sophisticated gas refineries, chemical plants and natural gas power
plants and has been developing a nuclear program for a long time
means that it can be done, and done well, adds Aikins.

Aikins predicts that the nuclear project’s scope will be clearer by the
end of summer. An international team from the company toured the Daba’a
site at the beginning of July. Ramses Khalil, WorleyParson’s regional
manager of power, says the Daba’a site is the firm’s "preferred"
site due to the continuous stream of data that has been collected
there since it was chosen as a possibile site for a plant in 1980.

"Soon after the Chernobyl accident, Egypt basically put a break on the
development of nuclear power. However, because of the investment at
the site, they maintained some research and capabilities and basically
a very up-to-date lab and a [research] tower that collects a variety
of information – temperature, wind direction and seismic information,"
says Khalil.

The data now has to be studied and processed to decipher whether
the site is in fact the best choice. The other sites – all along
the Mediterranean or Red Sea to provide the plant with water to cool
excess heat – have not been studied as of yet, but that will change
in the next few weeks as project staff begin to collect their own data.

The most important characteristic for a nuclear site, other than
proximity to water, is its seismic activity, says Khalil. Fault lines
and geothermal activity can compromise the integrity of the plant’s
infrastructure. Chinese authorities were accused of unsafe building
practices after a hydroelectric dam, several chemical factories and
a host of power plants were structurally damaged in China’s Sichuan
province during a massive earthquake on May 12 last year that killed
nearly 100,000 people.

Khalil says the plant will consist of three parts: the reactor
building where the nuclear reaction will occur; the turbine building
that typically houses one to three turbines depending on the design;
and the switchyard where the electricity produced by the turbines is
routed to the national grid.

Nuclear waste and depleted fuel rods will be stored onsite in a
dedicated area until it can be disposed of according to International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) standards. "The IAEA, the worldwide
[nuclear] watchdog, has basically given Egypt a green light to obtain
nuclear fuel rods and to manage their disposal," says Khalil, adding
that the nuclear site will have little impact on the environment
around it, other than the construction itself. The delicate ecosystem
around the reefs will also be unaffected because the water used to
cool surplus heat from the reaction will be dispersed in a wide radius
about two kilometers out to sea.

In terms of the technology, Khalil says there are four common nuclear
models: American, French, Russian and Canadian, all of which have a
certain number of subsets and derivatives dependent on the company
that produces each. According to Khalil, all are solid technologies,
but it’s too early for him to suggest which might be best suited to
succeed in Egypt. WorleyParsons has approximately 1,300 engineers
worldwide that are working in some capacity with all four types of
nuclear technology.

Power Hungry Dr. Hafez El-Salmawy, managing director of the Egyptian
Electric Utility and Consumer Protection Regulatory Agency, says
the government must add 1,500, megawatts of power – enough to power
most of Cairo – to the national grid each year simply to keep up with
rising demand. "By 2027, the stored capacity will likely exceed 60,000
megawatts, almost triple the stored capacity now, which represents
a substantial added capacity of over 40,000 megawatts that needs to
be added over the next 18 years," he says.

According to El-Salmawy, the Ministry of Electricity is hoping to
add another 9,000 megawatts to the grid over the next few years with
projects such as the 140-megawatt solar and combined cycle power
plant in El-Kureymat – about 95 kilometers south of the capital –
that is set to begin operations in 2010. The existing plant will be
getting two additional natural gas turbines as well as a steam turbine,
increasing energy production by 750 megawatts. A steam power plant in
Abu Qir is scheduled to be complete on El-Kureymat’s heels in 2012,
adding another 1,300 megawatts.

A third project underway in Ain Sokhna could add another 1,300
megawatts by 2015, using supercritical steam turbines, which burn
hotter and more efficiently than conventional steam turbines. Expansion
programs are also in the works at the Zafarana wind turbine site in
the Gulf of Suez to help increase the percentage of energy produced by
renewable sources from around 10% – the vast majority of which comes
from hydro power – to 20% by 2020. Though the nuclear power plant will
only add another 1,200 megawatts to Egypt’s total, barely covering
Cairo’s needs, there is a definite possibility the government will
consider building more plants on the same site to increase generation
capacity, says Khalil, adding that the NPPA had originally thought
to build four to five plants at El-Daba’a.

The benefits of having nuclear power go beyond consuming fewer
fossil fuels and better protecting Egypt’s power sector from market
fluctuations, such as the incredible rise and just as incredible
decline in oil prices in 2008. Less dependence on natural gas, which
powers the majority of thermal power plants, could also bolster
Egypt’s coffers as it will mean more to sell to international buyers.

The program could also help reverse Egypt’s brain drain syndrome,
offering nuclear engineering graduates a chance to work in their
homeland if the salaries match Western standards, says University of
Alexandria professor and head of the nuclear engineering department,
Dr. Alya Badawi.

"I think a large number of our students are in the US. They have also
gone to Canada and there are a few of our students in Japan, Dubai,
Saudi Arabia, [and] Kuwait. They’re everywhere. I think everybody
is excited [about the nuclear power plant] because our program was
originally designed to provide home-grown experts. I think [whether
graduates will return to Egypt] will probably depend on the economic
situation. If they’re going to raise salaries of engineers working
here, then yes there might be people returning," she says.

The nuclear program at the University of Alexandria debuted in 1963 in
response to Egypt’s plans for a nuclear power plant and the successful
commission of the country’s first of two research nuclear reactors
in 1961. Some 950 students have since graduated with a bachelor of
science in nuclear engineering.

"Egypt was one of the first developing countries to recognize the
importance of nuclear energy in solving energy capacity," says
Megahed. In 1955, the Atomic Energy Committee was formed under late
President Gamal Abdel Nasser. In 1957 it became the Atomic Energy
Authority, whose mandate was to pave the way for Egypt’s impending
nuclear program. Four years later a 2-megawatt thermal power research
rector was commissioned just outside of Cairo.

In 1964, bidders were invited to construct what was to be the first
nuclear power plant in Borg Al-Arab near Alexandria. The project was
cancelled after the 1967 war with Israel. After renewed aggressions
with Israel ended in 1973, US President Richard Nixon offered to
aid Egypt in its nuclear aims and construct a 600-megatwatt plant,
says Megahed, but negotiations with the US collapsed when Nixon’s
government demanded more control over the installation, says Megahed.

In 1983, Egypt tried again, calling for tenders to construct a
1,000-megawatt plant at the El-Daba’a site. Three years later, and
just days before the government announced the tender winner, the
Chernobyl nuclear accident shocked the globe and effectively shut
the doors on Egypt’s nuclear hopes.

According to Megahed, the NPPA and Nuclear Energy Authority spent the
next 20-plus years carrying out extensive studies at El-Daba’a. The
wait was not in vain. In 2006, the government announced it would
revisit the nuclear program. The plan to build a nuclear power plant
followed a year later and a request for tenders was made in February
2008. Megahed says the $1 billion to $2 billion budget will be footed
by the government and likely include loans.

All Eyes on Egypt Egypt’s civilian nuclear program has support
from the US and the IAEA and the country has signed the Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty. US President Barack Obama made a point to
discuss his country’s backing of civilian nuclear programs in his
June speech in Cairo. While the US, Israel and the IAEA watch Iran
closely, Dr. Mohamed Adel Salam, a senior analyst at Cairo-based
think tank Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, says
Egypt doesn’t have anything to worry about because of the nature of
its nuclear program.

"The problem isn’t about the nuclear program, it’s about using the
process of uranium enrichment to form weapons. In terms of Egypt,
there are no intentions, nor any statement from officials here that
they will build any facilities that can enrich uranium [as weapons],"
he says. Though another researcher at the center told bt that Egypt’s
original aim was to counter Israel’s budding nuclear weaponry program
with its own, (See "The Nuclear Option," by Erin Cunningham, March
2009, page 46) Egypt’s goals are entirely peaceful now.

For the time being, Egypt’s nuclear plans have not received much
coverage in Israeli media, which is more concerned with the nation’s
role as a mediator between Israel and the militant Palestinian group
Hamas. Salam says Israel does not directly oppose Egypt’s plans,
despite some rumblings from Israeli think tanks. Salam says that it
is not just Israel watching Egypt’s nuclear progress – other Middle
Eastern and North African countries will also be watching Egypt’s
efforts closely to gauge the nation’s success, something Egypt is
used to, says Megahed. "They look to Egypt for everything else. We
are a poor country but we have large influence in the area," he says.

But influencing the region is not a factor for the NPPA or the
government, according to Megahed. Instead, realizing Egypt’s
50-year-old nuclear vision is about securing the nation’s energy
supply and ensuring the government meets the country’s soaring
power demands that fossil fuels won’t be able to cover. "We
are not a country rich in energy resources. Our petroleum
resources are very limited and so is our natural gas. I think
[the government] realizes that the cost of energy would be
very, very expensive if we cannot find alternatives," he says.

Karabakh People to Determine Status, Says Bryza

people-to-determine-status-says-bryza/
By Asbarez Staff on Aug 7th, 2009

YEREVAN (RFE/RL) – Washington’s top Nagorno-Karabakh negotiator hinted
Friday the OSCE Minsk Group continues to uphold the Karabakh
Armenians’ right to determine their status in a referendum.

`What I can not tell you today is when the final legal status of
Nagorno-Karabakh will be determined through a vote,’ said the US Minsk
Group Co-chair Matthew Bryza said.

`But you did not hear me say that Nagorno-Karabakh will be returned to
Azerbaijan. I never said that. I just said that the interim status
will be determined now and the final legal status will be determined
by the people of Karabakh,’ added Bryza.

The US official insisted Friday that Armenia and Azerbaijan remain
`very close’ to ending their long-running territorial dispute as he
began a fresh tour of the region aimed at keeping up the momentum in
the peace process.

Bryza met President Serzh Sarkisian to discuss ways of overcoming the
conflicting parties’ remaining disagreements over a framework peace
accord drafted by the U.S., Russian and French co-chairs of the Minsk
Group. Sarkisian’s office released no details of the meeting.

Sarkisian and his Azeri counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, apparently failed
to bridge their differences during their most recent talks held in
Moscow on July 17-18. The mediators hope that the two leaders will
achieve a breakthrough at their next meeting due in October.

`There was no formal agreement [at Moscow,] but they are very close,’
Bryza said, speaking at a youth forum held in the Armenian resort town
of Tsaghkadzor later in the day. He expressed hope that `we will be at
the point of this agreement on the last few elements of the basic
principles that remain not yet agreed’ after the co-chairs visit the
conflict zone in late September.

Bryza and the two other Minsk Group co-chairs met in Krakow, Poland
late last month to prepare what they call an `updated version’ of
their proposed basic principles of a Karabakh settlement. The
U.S. official said their consultations were based `what the presidents
discussed in Moscow and what they told us co-chairs after their
meeting.’

Gather.com
Aug 7 2009

The Genocide of Iraqi Christians

August 07, 2009 12:01 AM EDT

The oppression of the Iraqi Christians started when Arabs occupied the
land in the seventh century. Their method of wiping out Christianity
from the region involved the implementation of a simple rule; either
convert and follow the Islamic banner, or pay heavy taxes (which many
Christians could not afford) or war.

Looking at more modern history, the first genocide of the 20th century
began on April 24, 1915. By 1918, 2.65 million Christians including
750,000 Assyrians, 1.5 million Armenians, and 400,000 Greeks were
killed by the Ottoman Empire and the Kurds. The Assyrians called this
genocide â??seyfoâ?? which means sword. In 1933, the
massacre of Semel, in Northern Iraq resulted in the death of 3000
Christians at the hands of Kurds and the Iraqi Army. This was the
first atrocity committed by the new Iraqi state under Prime Minister
Bakir Sidqi, after gaining independence from the British in 1932. My
village Tin, in Northern Iraq, shared a similar fate in 1961.

The American occupation in Iraq did not end the struggles of the
native Christians. Under the watch of our Democratic government and
the newly established Iraqi government, Christians continue to face
persecution. Here is a list of some of the acts f violence committed
as reported by the Assyrian News Agency:

-A two month infant was kidnapped, beheaded, roasted, and returned to
his parents.

-14 year old Ayad Tariq was considered a â??dirty Christian
sinnerâ?? and decapitated.

-Fr. Paulos Iskander (Paul Alexander) was kidnapped, beheaded and
dismembered.

-Five priests were kidnapped and released after ransom was paid. Five
other priests and three deacons were murdered.

-59 churches were attacked or bombed since June 2004: 40 in Baghdad,
13 in Mosul, 5 in Kirkuk and 1 in Ramadi.

-At least 13 young women were abducted and raped, causing some of them
to commit suicide.

-Female students were targeted in Basra and Mosul for not wearing
veils; some had nitric acid squirted onto their faces. Elders of a
village in Mosul were warned not to send females to universities.

-Mahdi Army circulated a letter warning all Christian women to veil
themselves.

-Christian businesses were targeted. 95% of liquor stores were
attacked, defaced or bombed. 500 Assyrian shops in a Dora market were
burned in one night

-Children were kidnapped and forcibly transferred to Arabs and Kurdish
families.

Property was confiscated by Kurds in the North and in the south by
Shiites and Sunnis.

-Kurdish authorities forced public works projects to divert water and
other vital resources from Assyrian Villages to Kurdish villages.

-While the Arabs protest for one Muslim killed in Europe, they are
silent for what happen to the Christians of Iraq, the people of
Darfur, or the Coptic in Egypt.

Yes Mr. President, I did like your message to the Arab world in
Cairo. I am not against your action of praising Islam or the Quran,
but you failed to address their oppression against non-Arabs or
non-Muslims who live in the Middle East. We build 12,000 Mosques in
the United States, and many thousands more in Europe, yet not one
church is allowed in Saudi Arabia. Mr. President , you failed to ask
why. I know the answer, because we are infidels and forbidden in their
land.

I know we are a democratic and civilized nation and they are not. I
know we are strong and forgiving while they are weak and loud. We
should not have to improve our image to the Middle East, for we have
freedom that millions of Arabs and Muslims enjoy and take advantage
of. I have lived in Iraq for 33 years; I know how they treat their
people in the streets and in the prisons. Their prisons are many times
worse than what occurred in Abu Ghraib. In your message you try to
build a bridge to the Islamic world, but you left the non-Muslims in
the middle easy angry and alone. They deserve your support, they love
freedom as much as we do, and now they face extinction. Fifty percent
of the Christian population has left Iraq with the other half face the
continuation of a long bitter genocide and it will be under our
watch. An Islamic nation without Christians, a Middle East without
diversity will only become more radical.

www.mylastthoughtsab outiraq.com.

tion?grpId=3659174697241980&articleId=28147497 7765874

IGOR KLYMKO RECOMMENDS ARMENIAN STATE AGENCIES TO POST WEB SITES ON THEIR OWN SERVERS

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
07.08.2009 18:31 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "ArmenTel" CJSC (trade mark: Beeline) has today
signed cooperation memorandum with Protection of Consumers’ Rights
NGO. Answering journalists’ question whether ArmenTel had really
blocked Armenian government Web sites (such statement was made in July
by "Arminco’s" General Director Grigor Saghinyan), company’s General
Director Igor Klymko said that as a result of recent activities,
"ArmenTel" found out that problems arise on Web sites posted on
"Arminco" servers.

Back in 2008, "Arminco" reduced peering capacity to 32Kb/sec. and
increased it only after ArmenTel applied to Public Services Regulatory
Commission (PSRC), Klymko noted.

In that connection, ArmenTel General Director recommended Armenian
state agencies to post their Web site on non-commercial servers
instead of "Arminco".

MATTHEW BRYZA DISCUSSED NKR CONFLICT SETTLEMENT WITH FIRST RA PRESIDENT

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
07.08.2009 18:50 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On August 7, first RA President Levon Ter-Petrosyan
met with visiting MG OSCE US Co-Chair for NKR conflict settlement,
Matthew Bryza in Yerevan.

Parties focused on NKR conflict settlement and democratic situation
in Armenia, as well as "Millennium Challenge" program implementation.

The meeting was attended by US Ambassador to Armenia, Marie
Yovanovitch, ANC Press Service reported.

LEVON TER-PETROSYAN MET WITH MATTHEW BRIYZA

Aysor.am
Aug 7 2009
Armenia

Today the Armenian first president Levon Ter-Petrosyan met the OSCE
Minsk Group American co-chair Matthew Bryza, reports the press service
of Armenian National Congress.

The release reads that the two have touched the issues concerning
"the NKR conflict settlement as well as the democratic situation in
Armenia and particularly the political prisoners".

They have also discussed the perspectives of implementation of
"Millennium challenges" program.

FORMER RA FOREIGN MINISTER RAFFI HOVANNISIAN SENT A LETTER TO OBAMA
By Raffi K. Hovannisian

Information-Analytic Agency NEWS.am
Aug 6 2009
Armenia

Former RA Minister of Foreign Affairs Raffi K. Hovannisian sent an
open letter to U.S. President Barack Obama, outlining his viewpoint
on regional situation.

NEWS.am publishes the full message, that literally says:

"STANDING UP TO BARACK & CO:

ARMENIA, 3M REALPOLITIK, AND THE INTEGRITY THING

Yerevan, July 31–It is often easier to fight for one’s principles than
to live up to them. In another time but at the same place, presidential
contender Adlai Stevenson was setting the scene generations later
for President Obama and his administration.

As unfair as it is to be held up as everyone’s lighthouse of liberty
and justice, Barack Obama was elected president on his self-projection
as that very beacon. He and his world-power colleagues, for both
principle and posterity, must not allow themselves the comfort,
however transient, to play feel-good god in mockery of historical
tragedy and in defiance of contemporary imperatives to right the
wrongs of the past.

Earlier this month, G8 leaders Obama, Sarkozy, and Medvedev issued
a joint declaration softly pre-imposing a superpower solution on
Armenia and the freedom-loving people of Artsakh, otherwise known
as Mountainous Karabagh. Years before recognition of Kosovo and
Abkhazia became current fashion and counter-fashion, Karabagh
was the first autonomous territory of the old USSR to challenge
Stalin’s divide-and-conquer legacy and to raise the standard of
decolonization and liberation from its Soviet Azerbaijani yoke by
means of a constitutional referendum on independence in December 1991.

Azerbaijan responded to this legitimate quest for self-determination
with a failed war of aggression, resulting as it did in tens of
thousands of casualties, more than a million refugees, countless
lost birthrights, collaterally damaged cultural heritage, and a new
strategic balance on both sides of the bitter divide, and so sued
for ceasefire in May 1994.

Barack and company now wish for the Armenians, having suffered both an
unrequited genocide and the greatest ever of national dispossessions
at the hands of Ottoman Turkey nearly a century ago, to cede even more
of their ancestral patrimony and their newly-achieved sovereignty
by calling on them to withdraw unilaterally from &’occupied’ areas
belonging to the Republic of Mountainous Karabagh in exchange for
some foggy-bottomed diplomatic formulation about a future plebiscite.

Armenia says no, thank you.

If President Barack Obama and his distinguished new-age colleagues
want to demonstrate that the conscience of humanity has survived
the second millennium, that equity can still obtain in international
affairs, and that an even and comprehensive application of the law,
not self-serving parochial politics, rules this century, then they
might wake up to a new mirror and proclaim the following.

Should Mountainous Karabagh or any of its constituent parts be
considered by anybody as occupied, then clearly the historical Armenian
heartlands of Shahumian, Getashen, Gardmank, and Nakhichevan must
immediately be acknowledged to be under Azerbaijani occupation. Worse
yet, official Baku is demolishing, with malice aforethought, the
last vestiges of Armenian Christian heritage in its jurisdiction,
the most recent documented crime of dastardly proportions having
taken place in December 2005 upon the no-longer-existent medieval
chapels, cross-stones, and divine offerings at Jugha, Nakhichevan. Had
the perpetrator been the Taliban–or the victim a sacred Semitic
cemetery–America, Europe, Russia, and all of world civilization would
have been rightfully outraged and demanded remedial action forthwith.

If the rule of law is not a hoax or a decoy or an instrument
of whim and duress, then the Mighty Three must together–and
simultaneously–recognize Kosovo, Abkhazia, and Mountainous Karabagh
as independent states fitting the definitional requirements of the
Montevideo Convention. All must be recognized by all, or else none
by none. The sui generis argument is distinction without difference.

The government of republican Turkey–the successor regime bearing the
rights and obligations of its genocidal predecessor–can no longer
play dog-and-tail tag with the United States, the European Union, and
the Russian Federation. Ankara’s normally astute diplomacy has forgone
the 18-year opportunity since Armenia’s declaration of sovereignty to
establish official relations with it without the positing by either
side of any political preconditions. It has, most unfortunately, done
so from the very beginning first by presenting preconditions of its
own (including those turning on Karabagh and &’occupied’ territories),
then holding Armenia in an unlawful blockade tantamount to an act of
war, and finally speaking the language of blackmail and double-down
intrigue with Washington, Brussels, and Moscow.

Of course, the trinity of power all have talked the walk pursuant to
their own petty interests of the day. President Obama’s double-speak
on genocide and its shameful denial, at Ankara in April followed by
Buchenwald* in June, is a classic in point. But if Obama and friends
are serious about the new global order, then they might find the
fortitude to remind Turkey, as key partner and good neighbor, that it
stands in occupation of the ancient Armenian homeland and owes a debt
of atonement and redemption to the Armenian nation. And no crowning
Bolshevik-Kemalist compact from 1921, a full generation before
Molotov-Ribbentrop, can serve to rationalize the great genocide,
nor purport to regulate the relations and frontiers between the
modern Republics of Turkey and Armenia. That is their sovereign duty
mutually to resolve, but if anyone in Washington or elsewhere requires
guidance on crimes against humanity, ways and means of restitution, and
definitions of occupation, &’the memory hole’ of expedient forgetting
can be duly overcome in the US National Archives, its records on the
Armenian genocide, and most poignantly the provisions of President
Woodrow Wilson’s arbitral award, issued under his seal in November
1920 and legally controlling to this day, to Armenia and its people.

Now, who was taking that pledge to liberty and justice for all? It was
us, and Obama: &’We must be ever-vigilant about the spread of evil
in our own time, that we must reject the false comfort that others’
suffering is not our problem, and commit ourselves to resisting those
who would subjugate others to serve their own interests.’*

Raffi K. Hovannisian was independent Armenia’s first minister of
foreign affairs."

Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel. (202) 775-1918
Fax. (202) 775-5648
[email protected]
Internet

PRESS RELEASE

August 5, 2009
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918

COLORADO MARKS "GENOCIDE AWARENESS DAY"

— ANCA Welcomes Proclamation by CO Governor Bill Ritter; Salutes
Efforts of Colorado Coalition for Genocide Awareness and Action

— Watch the ANCA interview with CO activist Ken Allikian for eye-witness
coverage of the press conference
s_releases.php?prid=1746

WASHINGTON, DC — Colorado Governor Bill Ritter Jr. joined with the
Colorado Coalition for Genocide Awareness and Action (CCGAA),
today, at a press conference proclaiming August 5th as "Genocide
Awareness Day" in the state, reported the Armenian National
Committee of America (ANCA).

"We’re here today to raise awareness that Genocide is a real thing
where real people are affected in traumatic ways and because as
part of the fraternity of man or in solidarity with our fellow
human beings around the globe, we say we can’t tolerate it, that it
should not be part of our world in the twenty first century," said
Gov. Ritter. "The first recognized genocide of the twentieth
century took place in Armenia, with the slaughter of more than a
million Armenians, and we have seen it again and again since. It is
imperative that we recognize what has happened, so we can ensure it
will not happen again."

The genocide awareness event was organized by the Colorado
Coalition for Genocide Awareness and Action, a group founded by
local activist Roz Duman and committed to bringing together anti-
genocide groups to educate Colorado residents about the ravages of
this crime against humanity – from the Armenian Genocide to Darfur.
Commenting on the ongoing efforts to secure U.S. reaffirmation of
the Armenian Genocide, Duman explained "The CCGAA has, from its
inception, worked within Colorado to affirm the Armenian Genocide
and to promote public awareness of the facts of that event.
Historians have repeatedly documented a Turkish government
orchestrated genocide perpetrated against its Armenian citizens.
Three quarters of the entire population of Armenians perished in
waves of killing from 1895 to 1923 in their historic homeland. The
consequence to the world was the decimation of a rich and ancient
Christian culture."

"We salute the efforts of Governor Ritter, the Colorado Coalition
for Genocide Awareness and Action and Colorado’s exceptionally
vibrant Armenian community for their ongoing commitment to ending
the cycle of genocide – through education and action," said ANCA
Executive Director Aram Hamparian. "From standing up against the
denial of the Armenian Genocide to divestment from the genocidal
regime in Sudan – Colorado leaders have proven that each state can
play a vital role in stopping genocide."

Colorado has been at the forefront of the state-level battle in
ending the cycle of genocide, with a strong record of commemorating
past genocides and taking action to end the ongoing atrocities in
Darfur. In 2007, Gov. Ritter signed legislation sponsored by
former House Speaker Andrew Romanoff calling for state and local
governments to completely divest themselves from companies that
were financially involved with the Sudanese government. "Today,
two years later," Gov. Ritter said, "I’m happy to report that no
public dollars from Colorado state government are invested in
companies doing business with the Sudanese government."

Colorado recognized the Armenian Genocide through gubernatorial
proclamation in 1981 and has adopted Armenian Genocide legislation
consistently over the past decade, thanks to the grassroots efforts
of the Colorado Armenian community. Colorado Armenian Genocide
Commemoration Committee Co-Chair Ken Allikian praised Gov. Ritter’s
latest effort to stop genocide. "I am very pleased that Armenians
of Colorado and the Armenian Genocide Commemoration Committee have
become partners with the Coalition, as they are doing fantastic
work to raise public awareness of the insanity of genocide,"
explained Allikian. "I am also proud of the State of Colorado for
being the first in the nation to have such a ceremony, but they
have always proven themselves as a leader in this area, having
donated space for an Armenian Genocide memorial garden on the
grounds of the capitol in 1982 and for eight years running having
passed a joint house and senate resolution proclaiming April 24 as
"Colorado Day of Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide."

Allikian spoke with the ANCA’s Paul Chaderjian and National Board
Member Vicken Sonentz Papazian on the "Horizon 180" television news
program regarding the Colorado Governor’s press conference and
Armenian Genocide recognition efforts in the state. To watch the
interview, visit:
leases.php?prid=1746

Over the years, the ANCA has worked closely with Armenian American
activists throughout Colorado to educate elected officials and the
media on a range of community concerns from Armenian Genocide
recognition to self-determination for the people of Nagorno
Karabagh and building a stronger U.S.-Armenia relationship. Local
initiatives, including the highly regarded "The Rocky Mountain Hye
Advocates" political e-newsletter, founded by state-wide community
activist Pamela Barsam Brown, have played a key role in the ongoing
effort to inform the community and the Colorado Congressional
delegation, alike. Barsam Brown was instrumental in coordinating
press commentary from Governor Ritter’s office, the CCGAA and the
Colorado Armenian Genocide Commemoration Committee in support of
the "Genocide Awareness Day" initiative.

#####

Hovnanian jumps, takeover talk called ‘spurious’

Interactive Investor (UK)
(AFX UK Focus)
2009-08-05

NEW YORK, Aug 5 (Reuters) – Shares of home builder Hovnanian
Enterprises Inc jumped 11 percent on Wednesday, as short sellers
covered their positions amid signs of a recovering home demand, and an
analyst dismissed takeover speculation around Hovnanian as "spurious."

Hovnanian shares closed up 42 cents at $4.23 on the New York Stock
Exchange, a day after home-building stocks rose on a
stronger-than-expected government report on housing sales. An index of
home construction stocks rose 1.5 percent.

Wells Fargo analyst Carl Reichardt called takeover speculation
"spurious," adding that a 12-percent one-day jump in stock values in
July 2009 was followed by a 25-percent stock drop over the subsequent
10 trading days.

Earlier, Paul Foster, options strategist at Web information site
theflyonthewall.com said: "Hovnanian calls are active as shares rally
on renewed takeover chatter."

Near the end of trading, 8,342 calls traded in Hovnanian, nearly 13
times the number of puts. The combined volume was six times the norm,
according to option analytics firm Trade Alert. Directional sentiment
based on option order flow was 62 percent bullish, its data show.

"This appears to be short covering," said Pete Najarian, a co-founder
of Web information site optionMonster.com, who cited the strong
housing data. "Any time I look at a stock that has a short interest of
over 30 percent of the outstanding shares, exaggerated share price
moves are to be expected."

"Somebody who did have a short interest in a home builder now is not
seeing that business continue to get worse," said Parrish Glover,
equity analyst at Morningstar in Chicago. "While it might not yet be
getting better, it’s not continuing to get worse."

A Hovnanian spokesman said the company does not comment on stock
moves.

The National Association of Realtors reported on Tuesday that pending
sales of existing homes rose in June for the fifth straight month
propelled by historically low mortgage interest rates and lower
prices.

It looked like there were buyers of the August and September $5 call
strikes hoping for additional upside, said WhatsTrading.com option
strategist Frederic Ruffy.

Investors often turn to equity calls, giving the privilege to buy the
company’s shares at a fixed price within a specified time period, to
speculate on share price appreciation.

(Reporting by Nick Zieminski, with additional reporting by Scott
Malone and Doris Frankel; editing by Steve Orlofsky, Gerald
E. McCormick, Leslie Gevirtz) Keywords: HOVNANIAN/SHARES
([email protected] m +1 646 223 6162; Reuters Messaging:
[email protected])

;art icleid=7461624&subject=markets&action=arti cle

LARSON, SHAPIRO PUSH PAST INJURIES TOWARD WORLDS
Written by John Crumlish

International GYMNAST Magazine Online
=com_content&view=article&id=1074:larson-a nd-shapiro-push-past-injuries-toward-worlds&ca tid=2:news&Itemid=166
Aug 4 2009

Recovering from ankle injuries, World Cup gold medalists Mattie
Larson and Samantha Shapiro (U.S.) hope to be candidates for this
fall’s World Championships, their coaches told IG this week.

Larson, who placed seventh all-around at the 2008 U.S. Championships
and 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials, sprained both ankles on a tumbling
pass at a U.S. national team training camp in Texas early last
month. Shapiro, a first-year senior who placed second all-around at
the 2007 and 2008 U.S. Junior Championships, had surgery June 13 to
remove two bone chips from her right ankle.

Galina Marinova and Artur Akopyan, who coach Larson and Shapiro at
All Olympia Gymnastics Center in Los Angeles, said both gymnasts are
unlikely to compete at the Visa (U.S.) Championships that will take
place Aug. 12-15 in Dallas. According to Marinova, however, Larson
and Shapiro will train with other U.S. team members in Dallas and try
to stay in contention for the World Championships in London in October.

"Both of Mattie’s ankles are almost back to normal," Marinova
said. "Even in a wheelchair, Mattie came into the gym and got a
lot of support from the other girls. Then she came in on crutches,
and started all kinds of conditioning while lying on the floor. She
started slowly doing exercises wearing athletic shoes, and now she’s
doing bars with athletic shoes, and getting better and better. She’s
in great shape, and we’re very positive she will be ready for the first
(U.S. worlds team) selection camp in early September."

Based on their training in Dallas during the Visa Championships,
Marinova said she hopes Larson and Shapiro can petition to the first
selection camp.

Samantha Shapiro performs at the 2008 U.S. Junior Gymnastics
Championships."Anyone who wants to try to get a place on the national
team or go to Worlds has to show their mental and physical preparation,
and their strength," Marinova said. "I think that, if the girls make a
good impression with their preparation, they will be able to petition
to the camp."

In addition to gymnastics conditioning and workouts, Marinova said
Larson’s and Shapiro’s physical therapy has included laser treatments,
acupuncture and swimming. "Mattie is also doing a lot of toe raises
in the water, and other movement in the water for her ankles to get
stronger," she said.

While Shapiro’s post-surgery training has been limited to uneven
bars and balance beam, Marinova said Larson could be ready to compete
all-around this fall.

"Mattie has four good events," Marinova said of the 17-year-old
Larson, who placed first on balance beam and floor exercise at the
Gymnix World Cup in Montreal earlier this year. "We’re very positive
she will be back on track and in good shape. I believe she will be
strong on floor and vault, and even beam, and possibly bars. That’s
our plan. Step by step we’re positive."

As former gymnasts, Marinova said she and Akopyan can relate to the
frustration their injured gymnasts feel, but they are working to keep
Larson and Shapiro optimistic. Marinova competed for Bulgaria and made
the all-around final at the 1979 Worlds, the 1980 Olympic Games and the
1981 Worlds. Akopyan, a native of Armenia who competed for the Soviet
Union, finished first on vault and third all-around at the 1983 Worlds.

"We know that injuries happen, but if we take care during the recovery
process, Mattie and Sami can be good for the Worlds selection camp
in early October," Marinova said.

Marinova said that Shapiro, who placed first on uneven bars at
the Gymnix World Cup in Montreal earlier this year, is gradually
regaining strength.

"Sami is in almost the same situation as Mattie," Marinova said. "She’s
just started training bars, and a week ago she started walking
without athletic shoes. The plans are to get her strong on bars,
her best event, and also on beam. I believe that, after her surgery,
she will be ready on bars and beam. Bars is possible for the first
selection camp, and we’ll work strongly on both of these events. I
believe she can be ready if we do the recovery well, and if she feels
healthy on her foot."

Akopyan said he, like Marinova, is optimistic about Larson’s and
Shapiro’s prospects.

"I want to be positive, but it’s a short time from now till Worlds,"
Akopyan said. "If they recover fast, I think they can make the
team. They have some of the best routines in the country."

Akopyan said he and Marinova have been impressed by their gymnasts’
determination.

"Mattie is very strong with her mind," Akopyan said. "I really admire
what she’s doing and how she’s acting. To be injured is a hard process
for an athlete. I like her mentality that she is keeping her physical
shape. I believe she is going to come back strong. Samantha will
take a little longer, but we are in good spirits. She wants to do it,
and she will be back. They will both be back."

Akopyan said Larson and Shapiro could be even more impressive when
they are completely recovered.

"In this sport, everyone gets injured," he told IG. "Everyone is
behind the curtains sometime, and suddenly they show their faces. I
believe that, soon, they will show better gymnastics."