Author: Liana Toganian

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pennsylvania)
August 2, 2005 Tuesday REGION EDITION
VIOLINS;
FROM A TO V LUTHIER
ENJOYS LONG STRING OF SUCCESSES
BYLINE: Marylynne Pitz Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
BODY:
As he repairs, restores andcreates violins in his well-appointed
Downtown shop, Phillip Injeian fine-tunes his sense of humor.
“This is my tanning bed. She’s just taking a nap,” he joked as he
removed a cello that is absorbing ultraviolet light in a large case.
“Unfortunately, I can’t always depend on the sun in Pittsburgh.”
The Armenian-American luthier said the UV rays found in sunlight will
improve the cello, which he made for Joshua Gindele, a North
Allegheny High School graduate and member of the Miro String Quartet.
“Not only does it create a beautiful golden color, but it produces a
more resonant sound.”
Injeian may not be able to rely on this city’s paltry allotment of
sunshine, but everyone from members of the Emerson Quartet to the
local oboe player depend upon his craftsmanship.
This year, the Amati Foundation, a nonprofit created by Texas
businessman Bill Townsend, asked Injeian and 34 other luthiers to
make highly accurate copies of famous old instruments. Injeian is
half way done with the “Sleeping Beauty” cello, a Montagnana model
made in 1739.
The Emerson Quartet, America’s premier string quartet, has asked
Injeian to make two violins, a viola and a cello. And, the
Smithsonian Institution would like to exhibit Injeian’s collection of
20th-century violins made by a group of Pittsburgh luthiers.
If that isn’t enough to keep him busy, Injeian has taken on two
apprentices from the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony this summer. One,
Nathan Rihn, was busily scraping away as his mentor led visitors on a
tour of the shop. The other is Joseph Liu, the symphony’s
concertmaster.
“They’re learning how a violin is created from beginning to end,”
Injeian said.
His Penn Avenue business, in the city’s Cultural District, is part
carpentry shop, part chemistry set and part museum. In addition to
varieties of wood from all over the world, there is a 5-pound bag of
madder root from California and sharpening stones from
Arizona that are soaking in water. Even his tools are handmade. His
apprentices learn how to fashion their own knives and sharpen the
blades made of Swiss steel.
Maple from Bosnia is still the best in the world for making stringed
instruments, Injeian said. He also uses it when restoring
instruments. Making new wood look old is one of his many tricks. When
he restored a violin made by a client’s grandfather more than 50
years ago, Injeian said, “I made it look like an old Italian violin.”
Born in New York City, he apprenticed as a teenager with an Armenian
luthier in Manhattan. In his 20s, he studied in Europe, spending time
in Italy, France and Germany. He said his past sometimes catches up
with him.
“I had a violin come in here that was 30 years old. I made it back in
France in 1974.”
He first set up shop in New York, building his reputation while
working on instruments for some of the world’s finest musicians. In
2000, Injeian brought his shop to Pittsburgh.
He has since become fascinated with a group of luthiers who found
their way to Pittsburgh in the 1800s, some from as far away as Italy,
Poland and France. Injeian owns four Pittsburgh violins and displays
two others. They rest like jewels in a large case in his shop’s front
room.
The “father” of Pittsburgh violin makers was Gabriel Marc Francois,
who was born in 1873. He worked as a pharmacist for a time in Boston,
then began working as a luthier. He made violins in the style of
Stradivarius, J.B. Guadagnini and Guarneri. Francois attracted
others, including John Note, who was born in San Giovanni, Italy, and
ended up in Pittsburgh, making and repairing violins.
Some of Francois’ associates struck out on their own. Benjamin
Phillips, a third-generation violin maker from Warsaw, Poland,
immigrated to Pittsburgh in 1902 and worked as a machinist for
Westinghouse for a time. Between 1908 and 1918, he worked for
Francois, then established his own shop in 1923, producing about 167
instruments.
Harmon M. Snell, a Swiss violin maker born in Moundsville, Ohio, came
to Pittsburgh in 1901 and worked for Phillips.
Frederick T. Peffers was born in Meadville, Crawford County, and
became a professional violinist. He apprenticed with Francois and
made the first of about 50 violins in 1915.
Joseph Kaye, a self-taught luthier, was born in Reading, Berks
County. He was associated with Francois but had his own shop.
Injeian came across the Pittsburgh school of violin makers when
clients brought the instruments to him for repair.
“It was like a revelation to me because I had never seen any of these
American instruments,” he said.
What sets the Pittsburgh violins apart, Injeian said, is the high
quality and skillful application of the varnish, better than on
instruments made at the time in Boston and Philadelphia.
Injeian showed the collection to fellow members of the American
Federation of Violin and Bow Makers when they convened here last
spring. Carol Lynn Ward-Bamford, a music specialist for the Library
of Congress division, said she would like to exhibit the Pittsburgh
collection next year at the Smithsonian.
“We have these American makers who were that good. They have not been
given their due,” said Injeian, who estimates the value of all six
violins at about $100,000.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr. Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:
PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon
Armenian version:
H. KEGHART RECEIVES THE SAINT MASROB MASHDOTS MEDAL
Lebanese-Armenian intellectual and well known public figure H. Keghart (Dr.
Haroutioun Kazandjian) was awarded the medal of Saint Mesrob Mashdots during
a ceremony organized in his honor by the Central Committee of the Hamazkayin
on 11 July 2005 in the St. Asdvadzadzine Cathedral in Bikfaya. Under the
patronage of His Holiness Aram I, the ceremony was organized on the occasion
of the 60th anniversary of the start of H. Keghart’s writing career.
Members of the Cilician Brotherhood, representatives from the Central
Executive Council, Archbishop Nourhan Manougian of Jerusalem, journalists,
writers, friends and representatives of cultural organizations attended the
event.
The opening remarks were delivered by the chairwoman of the Central
Committee of Hamazkayin, Seta Khedeshian.
Puzant Torikian represented H. Keghart, the public figure, talking about his
multi-faceted and decades-long national dedication, starting with the HMEM
scouts to the board of Trustees of the Azounieh Armenian Sanatorium and
reaching the Executive committee of the Diocese of Lebanon. Torikian also
talked about H. Keghart’s role as a professor in the Seminary of Antelias
and an editor in the Armenian press.
Aram Sepetdjian talked in detail about H. Keghart’s writing career. After
graduating as a surgeon-dentist from the French University of Beirut,
Keghart started to write first in “Aztag” Daily and received an award from
the paper in 1946. Keghart has been the editor of “Agos”, is one of the
founders of “Pakin” and of “Pejishg”, which he edited and published for
thirty years (1955-1985).
The lecturer talked about the different styles of writing Keghart followed,
including prose, poetry and fable writing. He described Keghart as a
dedicated editor. Keghart has also been a member of the jury of the Kevork
Melidintesi literary award.
His Holiness Aram I commended intellectual and well-known public figure H.
Keghart, for his active participation in the lives of Lebanese-Armenians. He
considered him worthy of the Saint Mesrob Mashdots Medal, awarded by the
Catholicosate of Cilicia to people who have had fruitful cultural careers.
V. Rev. Norair Ashekian read His Holiness Aram I’s Encyclical, which said:
“During the past 50 years, you valued and enriched the collective life of
the nation, its collective and primary interests. You responded to our
church’s spiritual and moral values. You became a committed student of
Mesrob Mashdots and loyally followed the doctrine and vision of the great
minds and souls of our history. You had the bravery to express your
thoughts, conflicts and feelings clearly everywhere.”
His Holiness considered H. Keghart a man with a wide range of skills and
efficacy. “His clinic became a little Armenia, a volcano of the Armenian
people’s sufferings and golas.”
“True, he occupied many positions, but the positions sought him, not the
other way around, because H. Keghart became an intellectual with something
to say and he clearly and bravely said it. He looked around him and saw what
others failed to see. And our nation, church and homeland are the ones who
benefited from his brave statements. He became one of those unique writers
who remained true to our spiritual and moral values. Finally, H. Keghart
remained loyal to the Catholicosate of Cilicia and became a respected and
loved individual in this house of God,” said His Holiness.
H. Keghart expressed his gratitude to His Holiness Aram I and the Central
Committee of Hamazkayin for having been granted the Saint Mesrob Mashdots
Medal. “Sixty year ago, when I first started writing, I was like soldier who
goes to the battlefield without the fear of being injured and comes back
without the expectation of being awarded.”
He quoted the poet Vahan Tekeian, in saying “Oh God, what you gave me I
return to you,” and continued: “My crops are few, but my heart is filled
with satisfaction to see that even those few have reached my nation.”
Adour Meguerditchian played the violin and Sirvart Boyadjian the piano.
Maral Gharibian read pieces of Keghart’s poetry.
##
View picture here:
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Euro-reporters.com, Belgium
July 12 2005
Turkey: only full membership
Written by Brussels journalist David Ferguson
Tuesday, 12 July 2005
“This long awaited decision to start negotiations confirmed the desire of
both sides to forward our relationship towards full membership. I emphasize
‘full membership’ as no document signed between Turkey and the EU nor any
other EU decision envisages any other option,” said Ali Babacan, Turkish
Chief EU Negotiator.
“Nor does Turkey’s desire to enter into any other relationship that cannot
be described as full membership,” said Babacan. He was responding to growing
voices in the EU calling for expansion to stop at the gates of Istanbul.
Right-of-centre politicians, especially from Germany’s CDU-CSU party are
pushing for a ‘special relationship’ with Ankara that stops far short of
full membership. They include CDU boss Angela Merkel, who is ever more
likely to be Germany’s future Chancellor.
“The prospect of Turkish accession has an impact on the future of Europe. It
is crucial that an institution like the European Parliament recognizes the
value of Turkey and its future presence in Europe,” Babacan said. The
Turkish Treasury Minister and Chief EU Negotiator was speaking to MEPs in
Brussels. Babacan argued that Turkey had implemented many of the key
political and economic reforms as well as changes to ensure greater respect
for cultural rights.
“We are fully aware of the deficiencies and the work to be done. But the
comprehensive nature of political reforms so far is a clear sign of the
transformation going on in Turkish society,” said the 38-year old minister.
“Reforms range from enhancing basic fundamental rights, furthering cultural
rights, bringing civilian-military relations to European norms, expanding
the freedom of the press and gender equality.”
“The recent report by the European Parliament on the status of women in
Turkey makes a number of significant recommendation. We’ll take that into
account to strengthen gender equality,” continued Babacan. “We want cultural
rights, private local language courses have become operational and public
television has started to broadcast programmes in various dialects.”
Late last month, the European Commission presented a draft framework for
accession negotiations with Turkey. Appearing before the European
Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn
stressed that the accession negotiation framework was the most rigorous ever
proposed by the Commission. “Drawing lessons from the previous round of
enlargement,” said Rehn, “the focus will be less on commitments and more on
practice, less on words and more on deeds.”
The Commission wants negotiations to start with Turkey on 3 October. To do
that, Turkey still needs to make more progress in the fields of human
rights, religious and cultural freedom. Turkey must also sign the so-called
Ankara protocol that signifies recognition of Cyprus. As to Armenia, Turkey
must maintain “good neighbourly relations” and open its borders. Recognition
of the events of 1915-1916, that Armenia and many EU states call a genocide,
is not a precondition for opening accession negotiations.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Zaman Online, Turkey
July 6 2005
Decision on ‘Encyclopedic Denial’ Due Today in Paris
By Ali Ihsan Aydin
Published: Wednesday July 06, 2005
zaman.com
The lawsuit filed by the Armenian organizations against the famous
French encyclopedia, The Quid will be concluded today. Armenian
organizations filed the lawsuit on the ground that The Quid mentioned
the opinions of Turkey concerning the so-called Armenian genocide.
Resorting to the Paris Court in 2003, the French Armenian Case
Defense Committee (CDCA) had accused The Quid encyclopedias and
Robert Laffront Publishing of “spreading denial propaganda”. The
Paris court heard the case on 25 May 2005. The Armenian organization
claimed that the encyclopedia mentioned the “Turks position”
regarding the issue aiming to question the telling of the incidents
of the 1915 “Armenian genocide” in its 2003 edition, which is renewed
annually. CDCA lawyers asked for penalties for The Quid’s editors and
demanded that Turkey’s opinions be removed from the encyclopedia. The
Paris Court had overruled the CDCA case last year against Turkey’s
Consulate General in Paris showing “the diplomatic immunity” of the
consul general as grounds. The lawsuit was filed after the Consulate
General rejected the “Armenian genocide” allegations on its website.
Formerly, the court had convicted famous historian Bernard Lewis to a
symbolic pay indemnity of one euro in 1995 after he spoke to French
newspaper Le Monde against the so-called Armenian genocide.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenia to close only nuclear plant by 2016: deputy minister
.c The Associated Press
YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) – Armenia plans to close its only nuclear power
plant, which supplies nearly 40 percent of the country’s power, by
2016, Deputy Energy Minister Areg Galstyan said on Friday.
By this date, the impoverished Caucasus state aims to have developed
alternative electricity sources, he told reporters. However, the
deputy minister said that Armenia wanted to preserve its nuclear power
industry as it had experts in the sector and infrastructure.
The former Soviet republic has been under international pressure from
the European Union and others to shut the plant down due to safety
concerns; it was taken out of operation after a devastating 1988
earthquake.
In 1995, it returned to service amid a severe energy shortage. Armenia
has since resisted shutting down the plant, which has one working
Soviet-made reactor, fearing that alternative sources of power may be
hard to come by.
Armenian officials say the European Union is ready to provide up to
euro100 million (US$120 million) for Yerevan to close the plant.
However, building a new nuclear power plant could cost up to US$1
billion (euro1.2 billion), Armenian officials say.
06/24/05 15:09 EDT
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SPEAKER OF NORWEGIAN PARLIAMENT TO VISIT ARMENIA ON JUNE 22
YEREVAN, JUNE 20. ARMINFO. By the invitation of Chairman of National
Assembly of Armenia Arthur Baghdasarian a delegation headed by Speaker
of the parliament of Norway Jorgen Kosmu will arrive in Yerevan on
June 22.
The same day the Norwegian MPs will meet with Arthur Baghdasarian and
his counterparts, as well as Prime Minister Andranik Margarian and
Deputy Defence Minister Mikael Haroutunian. On June 23 the Norwegian
delegation will visit the Mother See of Holy Echmiadzin and town of
Spitak. On June 24 the Norwegian parliamentarians will meet with
Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RA CBA CHAIRMAN PRESENTS THE LEGAL PECULIARITIES OF FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION IN THE COUNTRY TO GRECO DELEGATION
YEREVAN, June 1. /ARKA/. RA CBA Chairman Tigran Sargsian presented the
legal peculiarities of fight against corruption in RA to the experts
of Group of states against corruption GRECO. As the CBA Press Service
Department told ARKA News Agency, Sargsian acquainted the members
of the delegation with RA law On Fighting Terrorism Financing and
Legalization of Illegally Obtained Money, peculiarities of its effect
in Armenia. It was also noted that CBA is developing a new program
to ensure the introduction of the required standards and creation of
the corresponding field. CBA Chairman noted that FATF methodology is
applied in the law and recommendations on fight against corruption
are considered. Sargsyan also said that at present, all the banks
functioning in Armenia are within the frameworks of the fixed internal
regulations in accordance with the law. L.V.-0–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Lebanese papers praise first round of parliamentary elections in Beirut
BBC Monitoring Service – United Kingdom
May 31, 2005
The Lebanese press on 30 May gave a mainly positive reaction to the
first round of polls in the 2005 Lebanese parliamentary elections,
held in the three electoral districts of the capital Beirut on
29 May. One commented that in what it called the “first free
parliamentary elections for 30 years”, the results had “produced
national accord”. Some said that Beirut had given a ringing endorsement
to the Al-Hariri family – father and son – with one saying that Rafiq
al-Hariri had received more support in death than he had while he
was alive. Others bemoaned the low turnout, in contrast with the
“hundreds of thousands” who took to the streets in the weeks after
Al-Hariri’s assassination.
Lebanese newspaper Al-Anwar website carried a commentary by Al-Anwar’s
political analyst entitled “It could have been better”. The commentary
said: “The spectre of the late martyr Premier Rafiq al-Hariri
was present at the polling stations, which had already determined
the battle and did not require any attempts to pressure [voters] or
falsify [results] as has occurred in the past. Today, there is no need
for all these attempts, because no matter how big they are, they are
incapable of changing the course of the results.” The commentary added:
“This election could have been better if the law had been better and
if it had made every voter feel that their vote made a difference;
if that is not achieved, the battle will remain without the desired
level of participation. The first task of the new parliament should
be to wage a new electoral battle that makes every citizen feel a
partner [in the elections] and not feel he is prejudiced against or
that his voice is stifled, and only then can we really say that we
have entered the era of democracy.”
“First day of free elections produced national accord”
Al-Mustaqbal newspaper website published a report entitled “Rafiq
al-Hariri’s vote unites Beirut; the martyr premier’s lists sweep
the three districts and the capital dresses Sa’d in his father’s
cloak”. The report said: “In the first free parliamentary elections
for 30 years, and following the collapse of the Syrian tutelage
regime in Lebanon, the capital voted yesterday for the entire
national partnership lists drafted by the Christian-Islamic alliance
forces as an embodiment of the significance of 14 March [date of
large-scale opposition rally in Beirut to commemorate 30 days since
the assassination of former Prime Minister Al-Hariri]. These lists won
completely and with major differences, and thus Lebanon has achieved
the first part of its parliamentary elections extending until 19
June, and the capital Beirut has dressed Sa’d al-Hariri in his martyr
father’s cloak, as he won 39,500 votes out of 43,000. Thus, it can
remembered that the first day of free elections produced national
accord embodied in lists of unity, and this took place without any
intelligence pressure either in forming the lists or against the voting
forces. Beirut has become the legal ‘midwife’ for the new Lebanon and
will be dispatching deputies to parliament who will raise its voice
and combine their efforts to [implement] the process of change.”
In an analytical report entitled “Victory of the Christian-Islamic
alliance in Beirut is a beginning for its triumph in all Lebanon,”
Nasir al-As’ad wrote: “Beirut, the capital, has had its say. Beirut
has voted for the course with which Sa’d al-Hariri has opened his
political career, the course of national partnership in the lists that
he will pursue after the elections. This is the same course that the
martyr former Premier Rafiq al-Hariri decided to pursue prior to his
assassination, and that could very well have been the main reason for
his assassination. In these elections, the first after the end of the
era of Syrian tutelage, the capital confirmed that it is conscious of
the political pluralism and sectarian diversification present within
it, as Muslims voted for Christians and Christians voted for Muslims,
and the lists that were formed by the political alliances were more
powerful than the electoral law. When the citizens of Beirut wake up
today after the results are declared, they will keep in their mind
the scene of national political partnership that has unified Beirut in
spite of its electoral divisions, and when Sa’d al-Hariri awakes after
a long electoral day, he will be pleased that the victory achieved is
the victory of Christian-Islamic continuity that was forbidden during
the era of the Syrian-Lebanese intelligence and security regime,
and is a victory of lists without ‘custodies’ or penetrations.”
Beirut endorses “Rafiq al-Hariri the Second”
Al-Safir newspaper website carried an editorial by Talal Salman
entitled “Beirut and Second Al-Hariri,” in which he wrote: “Rafiq
al-Hariri as a martyr determined the results of the parliamentary
elections in Beirut more than he did when he was in the ‘opposition’
five years ago. Today, Beirut gave more to Rafiq al-Hariri the martyr
than it had given him during his life. Beirut gave its vote to Rafiq
al-Hariri the Second to confirm that it has accepted him as a leader
by its will. In the year 2000, Rafiq al-Hariri was unable to employ
his electoral victory in his political project. He triumphed over the
regime and compelled it to accept him as a partner from his position
in the ‘opposition’, and the regime succumbed and entered into a
partnership with him, but in turn obstructed his project. With Sa’d
al-Hariri, the matter is different. He is coming from the position
of an adversary and is besieging the regime, represented by its top
symbol, through accusation and even conviction. It is impossible to
cooperate with him and it will not be easy to depose him. Rather,
the regime is almost non-existent and without trace in the electoral
process; it has no candidates or voters. The regime is not neutral,
but is incapacitated and rejected. The regime has paid a heavy price
for its mistakes, before and after the mandate extension; it is no
longer an essential part of the rule and has become a negative element,
and it could in future turn into an obstructive element.”
Salman concluded: “In yesterday’s elections, winning implies preparing
to challenge the difficult conditions that the winner will have
to face with correct decisions and taking into consideration that
there are major partners in this decision. It is no secret that many
view these elections as having taken place by order of international
operations. It is also no secret that the US ambassador in Beirut was
not content with his public and open role in managing the political
game, but personally arrived at several polling stations to ‘reassure
his heart’ that all was proceeding according to the set plan, even
if he did seem as though he was violating protocol and exceeding his
duties as a foreign ambassador!”
International observers show “solidarity” with Lebanese
In a commentary by Sati Nur-al-Din published under the “Last Station”
column, the commentator wrote: “The international observers positioned
throughout Beirut were not carrying out a traditional monitoring
task. They were performing an exceptional mission of guardianship
over the first election process witnessed by Lebanon since the Syrian
military departed from its territories. However, the message did not
reach the voters or the candidates, inasmuch as it reached across the
Lebanese borders. The international community’s interest in attending
now, more than any other time, is a form of solidarity with the
Lebanese in confronting the major absentee from this battle, Syria.”
Al-Diyar newspaper website published a report entitled “Wakim: We are
running an election in confrontation with the US project.” The report
cited candidate Najah Wakim sharply criticizing the interior minister
and accusing him of being “an employee of the Al-Hariri family”. Wakim
added that “the electoral battle today is between the list of former
Premier Rafiq al-Hariri that was formed at the US embassy, and the
list of the Lebanese people of which he is a part.” Wakim stressed:
“We do not believe that these elections represent a referendum for
the [political] agenda of former Premier Rafiq al-Hariri, but rather
that it is primarily a referendum for the United States’ policies in
Lebanon” and he questioned whether “the people are with the blood of
the martyrs who liberated Lebanon or with the US embassy?”
Only real competition said to be in second district
Another Lebanese newspaper, Sada al-Balad website, carried a
report by Ali al-Amin entitled “Hezbollah proved its commitment to
Al-Hariri and Wakim lost”. The report said: “The electoral battle
in Beirut was confined to the second district in terms of electoral
and political competition; it was confined to winning by default in
the first district; and it was marked by the Christian boycott in
all districts.” Al-Amin added: “What was significant in the second
district was Hezbollah’s full commitment to supporting the complete
list of Al-Hariri in spite of fears by some of the supporters of
the Al-Mustaqbal Movement that Hezbollah would not commit itself
to casting ballots for the complete list. The party was sincere in
not voting for the president of the Peoples’ Movement, Najah Wakim,
and obliged Hezbollah supporters not to vote for Wakim; in addition,
high level contacts were made with the Amal Movement to make sure that
Amal also supported Al-Hariri’s complete list. Hezbollah succeeded
in confirming its political alliance with the Al-Mustaqbal Movement
after it had confirmed its electoral alliance and demonstrated that
what linked the party to Sa’d al-Hariri and the alliances in the
three districts surpassed any link with Wakim. Thus, Hezbollah and
the Al-Mustaqbal Movement were successful in preventing Wakim from
receiving the votes that would qualify him to enter parliament.”
“All eyes on Syria” to confirm that “it abstained from voting”
In a commentary by Tony Francis entitled “Observers,” Francis wrote:
“There is no significance to the presence of international and European
observers except that Lebanon has reconciled itself with the world and
the world has placed Lebanon under observation since the issuance of
[UN] Resolution 1559. International observers entered the door of the
Lebanese elections not to seek better laws for popular representation
or to guarantee better voting under better opportunities, but to
confirm that the international resolution to perform elections on
schedule and without Syrian interference would be executed.” Francis
concluded: “The observers’ eyes are not on the ballot boxes, or on
the voters, or on the candidates, or on the law that prompted one
third of Beirut’s residents not to participate in yesterday’s polls,
but all eyes are on Syria since it is the ‘absent voter’ and [all wish]
to confirm that it abstained from voting this time.”
Election result “marred” by low turnout
English-language newspaper The Daily Star website carried a report by
Nayla Assaf entitled “Al-Hariri makes clean sweep in Beirut polls but
victory marred by lowest election turnout in years.” The report said:
“Sa’d al-Hariri made a clean sweep in the first stage of the country’s
elections, but the start of Lebanon’s first free elections in more than
30 years was marred by a very low voter turnout of just 28 per cent,
the smallest participation in an election in 13 years.” The report
added: “Yesterday’s voter apathy is in stark contrast to the euphoric
scenes earlier this year when hundreds of thousands of Lebanese
took to the streets following the assassination of [former Premier]
Rafiq al-Hariri in a show of unity to oppose Syria and Lebanon’s
pro-Damascus government. The Beirut polls have still to be followed
by other districts and it remains to be seen if yesterday’s turnout
represents a blip because Al-Hariri was virtually assured of victory,
or whether it will be repeated across the country. In Christian areas,
turnout was even less, hitting a low of 10 and 11 per cent in some
areas. Prior to the election, Christian opposition politicians had
criticized the legal framework for the polls, insisting it failed to
properly represent Christian voters.”
In an editorial in the same paper entitled “From euphoria to apathy:
Lebanese no longer care who stays or goes,” the paper said: “Given
all the excitement with which the international community has watched
to see the start of Lebanon’s ‘free and fair’ elections, how can one
explain the terrible lack of enthusiasm for voting among the Lebanese,
as demonstrated by low voter turnout in the first round of polls
in Beirut? Two phenomena can explain the lack of euphoria. First,
the public has rejected an attempt on the part of politicians to
create a conditioned sense of loyalty to slain former Premier Rafiq
al-Hariri. By not going to the polls, the people were saying that they
did not need to be reminded to do what they have already accomplished
on the streets. The second reason for the low turnout is the alliance
of bad bedfellows that saw Hezbollah join an electoral list with the
Lebanese Forces and Speaker Nabih Birri’s Amal movement. Hezbollah
Secretary-General Hasan Nasrallah said that the alliance was formed to
thwart US interference and [US] attempts to disarm the resistance. In
doing so, Nasrallah disconnected politics from the issues that the
people were championing on the streets.”
In an analytical report by Adnan al-Ghul entitled “First round of
voting exposes Al-Hariri’s weakness,” the writer said: “Dashing the
Al-Hariri’s camp’s hopes for a high voter turnout, the Armenian Tashnag
Party and General Michel Awn’s Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) actively
promoted boycotting Beirut’s elections, effectively ensuring deserted
polling stations in the capital’s Christian-dominated areas. The low
Christian turnout and relatively active Muslim participation was
sufficient to expose the Al-Hariri-led coalition’s true weakness,
regardless of whether Al-Hariri achieves the expected sweep of the
capital’s 19 seats.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Film suggests that Kasparov was rooked
By John Anderson, Newsday
Sun-Sentinel, Florida
May 20 2005
Game Over: Kasparov vs. the Machine
Sunrise 11, 4321 Pine Island Road, Sunrise.
Running time: 84 minutes
Unrated: Mature theme.
Shot, edited and scored like a psychological thriller, which is
precisely what it is, Vikram Jayanti’s Game Over: Kasparov vs. the
Machine is the Gaslight of the chessboard. Was Kasparov just a
frustrated genius? Or the victim of an elaborate corporate scam?
Either way, the story behind the Kasparov-Deep Blue match of 1997 —
he beat the computer in ’96 — should be seen as a tribute to the
pugnacious grandmaster, generally acknowledged as both the greatest
who ever played the game and a perpetual outsider: That he was
an Armenian Jew playing a Russian-dominated game made his rival,
Anatoly Karpov, the establishment favorite during their glory days
under Soviet chess. Or so Kasparov thinks. Of course, he also thinks
IBM rigged the match between its computer and himself. And Jayanti’s
investigation makes a good case that it did.
To beat the reigning champ, it took a team of programmers, years
of research and a roster of consulting grandmasters. But did they
actually succeed? As Jayanti tells it — while also making world-class
chess not only digestible but appetizing for the average viewer —
it was in Game 2 of the match in New York that Deep Blue suddenly
ignored a Kasparov ploy and played like a human.
That IBM’s stock jumped 15 percent after the match — and that the
company refused a rematch — doesn’t help its case. Neither does
Jayanti’s use of Raymond Bernard’s 1927 silent The Chess Player, in
which a mysterious chess machine is found to have a human operator.
That IBM’s Dr. Murray Campbell can’t seem to get the back panel
off the retired Deep Blue for Jayanti’s camera probably is just a
coincidence. But the film is shot in such eerie, suggestive fashion,
the viewer can become susceptible to Kasparovian paranoia.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Lufthansa

April 26 2005

Tblisi, Yerevan and Timisoara new on Lufthansa’s timetable
Lufthansa further extends route network in Eastern Europe

Lufthansa is further extending its route network in the direction of
Eastern Europe. As of the beginning of June 2005, Tbilisi, the
capital of Georgia, the Armenian capital of Yerevan as well as
Timisoara in Romanian Transylvania will be added to the Lufthansa
timetable. The three destinations will be served from Munich.
The introduction of the new services takes into account the
above-average market growth in Eastern Europe and the corresponding
potential in these markets.
As of 2 June, Yerevan will be served on Mondays, Thursdays and
Sundays by an Airbus A319 or A320. The flight will depart from Munich
at 21.10 hrs. The return flight will leave Yerevan on Monday, Tuesday
and Friday at 4.50 hrs. As approximately half of the total of around
8 million Armenians live abroad, the Armenians are characteristically
frequent travellers. The country’s main branches of industry are
mining, IT and real estate.
Thanks to its geographical proximity and good traffic connections
with the EU as well as a good infrastructure, Timisoara in Romanian
Transylvania is registering the highest investment growth of European
companies in Europe. As of 1st June, Lufthansa will be flying six
times a week, from Monday to Saturday, from Munich to Timisoara with
a Canadair regional jet, departing at 10.10 hrs. The return flights
will leave Timisoara at 13.25 hrs.
As of 5th June, Lufthansa will fly with an A 319 to Tbilisi in
Georgia on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 21.10 hrs. The return
flights are scheduled for Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 3.55 hrs.
Attractive introductory prices will be offered on the three new
routes which can already now be booked. The flight from Munich to
Timisoara and back will be available for 230 Euro, to Yerevan for 504
Euro and to Tbilisi for 508 Euro. For these special prices the
outward flight must be made no later than 16th or 17th July. The
return flight must be made by 23rd July.
The prices are valid for return flights in the Economy Class, and
include taxes and charges when booking an electronic ticket via
The prices are each subject to the Lufthansa
ticket service charge of ten Euro.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress