Author: Nanijanian Alex

RUSSIAN TV TELLS BUSH TO BACK KIND WORDS WITH ACTION
RTR Russia TV, Moscow
13 Sep 04
(Presenter) US President George Bush has personally expressed his
sympathy for Russian people who suffered in the terrorist attack
in North Ossetia (when school was seized by hostage-takers on 1
September). (Passage omitted: previously reported entry in book of
condolences by Bush)
(Correspondent Konstantin Semin) If you flick through this sorrowful
book, you will find entries by (Secretary of State) Colin Powell,
(head of Office of Homeland Security) Thomas Ridge and (Secretary
of Defence) Donald Rumsfeld. The doves and hawks in the Republican
administration may differ with regard to all sorts of things, but not
to terrorism. (Passage omitted: previously reported remarks by Bush)
(Correspondent) Five minutes earlier, according to eye-witnesses,
Bush assured Russian officials that there are no double standards in
the USA’s foreign policy with regard to Russia. People can write and
say different things, but you have to believe what you hear from me,
Bush said.
It seems that a sharp change in tone in commentaries in the US press is
linked to Bush’s resoluteness. Today, even the most liberal newspapers
are not advising Russia to hold talks with bandits.
(Yuriy Ushakov, Russian ambassador to USA) The tone was sympathetic
from the beginning. It was one of support, help and cooperation. From
major US figures there was not a single statement that could be read
as expressing double standards.
(Correspondent) The visit to the Russian embassy by the US president
is no ordinary event in relations between the two countries. Over the
last 20 years it has happened just twice: Ronald Reagan and George
Bush Senior came to the embassy. The reasons for their visits were
an earthquake in Armenia and the Chernobyl disaster.
If everything that Bush said is part of some kind of new course aimed
at moving closer to Russia in its fight against terrorism, the US
president’s words will need to be followed by real actions. The first
place to feel this must be the Caucasus, where the fate not just
of individuals, but of whole peoples at times depends on relations
between Moscow and Washington.

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
09/13/2004
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) Gov. Schwarzenegger Signs Poochigian Bill on Armenian Genocide Heirs 2) NATO Cancels Exercises over Azeri Ban on Armenian Troops 3) Warning to Azerbaijan on Tragic Consequence of Renewed War 4) Arzumanyan Resigns as Administrative Head of Ninotsminda District 5) Aram I Discusses Genocide Anniversary of Genocide with Armenian Party Representatives 6) If You Build It, We Will Come 7) A B C easy as 1 2 3, oh simple as Do Re Mi 8) Interview with Rick Caruso 1) Gov. Schwarzenegger Signs Poochigian Bill on Armenian Genocide Heirs LOS ANGELES (ANC-WR)On Friday, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law Senate Bill 1689, which will exempt Armenian Genocide life insurance settlements from state taxation and other calculations related to income. Praising the move, Armenian National Committee Executive Director Ardashes Kassakhian explained that Charles Poochigian's bill addresses an injustice that New York Life insurance committed against its policy holders who were massacred by the Turkish authorities. "The road to justice for the victims of the Armenian Genocide has been long and arduous. The passage of SB 1689 is an important step in this process," Kassakhian said. The exemptions in the bill are similar to exemptions provided to recipients of the Holocaust. The bill was crafted because of the long-standing insurance policy claims by survivors and descendants of the Armenian Genocide. Prior to 1915, the New York Life Insurance Company wrote thousands of life insurance policies to Armenians living on historic Armenian lands in the Ottoman Empire. New York Life had refused to pay out many of the claims until a settlement was reached last year as a result of a class action lawsuit. SB 1689 allows the victims and their descendants to collect their settlements without being subject to taxation by the State of California. SB 1689 was introduced by Senator Poochigian on February 20 and was subsequently referred to the committee on Revenue and Tax. The bill was passed by a unanimous 11-0 vote in committee followed by a 37-0 vote by the entire State Senate. SB 1689 secured strong support in the California State Assembly. It was then sent to the Governor Schwarzenegger on September 2 and quickly signed into law on September 10. 2) NATO Cancels Exercises over Azeri Ban on Armenian Troops BRUSSELS (AFP/RFE-RL)NATO announced the cancellation of military exercises, scheduled several months ago to take place on September 27 in Azerbaijan, after Baku said it did not want Armenian troops on its territory, a NATO spokesman said on Monday. The decision, taken by the supreme commander of allied forces in Europe US General James Jones, came after five officers of the Armenian Armed Forces were denied entry visas by the Azeri embassy in Tbilisi. News of the exercise cancellation coincided with a meeting in Brussels between NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and the visiting Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian. Oskanian praised the decision taken by the NATO leadership, according to his press office. He at the same time regretted "the loss of an opportunity for regional cooperation." PfP events, largely involving peace-keeping exercises, are organized and led by NATO commanders. Under the terms of the program, a host country not affiliated with the alliance cannot prevent any other partner state invited by NATO organizers from sending troops to its soil. "We regret that the principle of inclusiveness could not be upheld in this case, leading to the cancellation of the exercise," NATO said in a separate statement. Hundreds of people attended street protests in Baku over the past week against the expected arrival of Armenian officers. The Azeri media have joined in the chorus of condemnations by running blank pages and suspending broadcasts to get the message across. On Friday, Azerbaijan's parliament adopted a message sent to de Hoop Scheffer denouncing the initial inclusion of Armenian soldiers. Its position was endorsed by Aliyev the next day. "I do not want Armenian servicemen to arrive in Baku, and Azerbaijan will take necessary measures for it," he told reporters. However, de Hoop Scheffer was quoted by an Armenian Foreign Ministry statement as telling Oskanian that Baku's stance is "unacceptable" because it runs counter to its PfP commitments. The PfP exercises, codenamed Cooperative Best Effort 2004, were due to bring together hundreds of troops from two dozen countries, including the United States. Most of the participants appeared to have already arrived at their venue near the Azeri capital. In Yerevan, meanwhile, news of the Baku-bound Armenian officers' early return home was greeted with relief by some people interviewed on the streets. "The Azeris' refusal to let them in was wrong," said one middle-aged woman. "But the security of our guys would not have been ensured there. So I'm glad that they did not go." "If they did such a thing in Hungary, imagine what they would do on their soil," she added in reference to last February's gruesome murder of an Armenian army lieutenant by a fellow Azeri officer attending a NATO course in Budapest. "What they did only harmed themselves, not us," said one man. 3) Warning to Azerbaijan on Tragic Consequence of Renewed War BAKU (PanArmenian/Itar Tass)--The US Ambassador to Azerbaijan said on Thursday that an attempt to force a military solution to the Mountainous Karabagh conflict would prove tragic not only to Azerbaijan, but also the entire Caucuses region. Reno Harnish, who has served as Ambassador to Azerbaijan for just a little over a year, said during an interview with Baku-based Zerkalo newspaper that with the stepped-up military training on both sides, Azerbaijan would bear greater losses than its 30,000,000 casualties during the previous battle over Karabagh. He also mentioned the resulting 750,000 refugees, and warned that any economic progress since 1991 would be wasted. Asked whether the US considers it possible to find a resolution of the conflict that maintains the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, Harnish stressed that the US has backed all UN Security Council resolutions that reflect the attitude of the international community on a solution to the Karabagh conflict, within a certain time frame. He also explained that at the OSCE Lisbon summit, the US voted for the settlement principles put forth by the OSCE Chairman-in-Office. "Thus, it is quite clear which principles officially guide the US in this question," emphasized Harnish. Harnish explained, however, that according to the US co-chairman of OSCE's Minsk group Steven Mann, the US--as a member of that group tasked with finding a resolution to the conflict--"must act within its mandate--thus seek a just and long-term solution to the conflict." The presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan are due to meet at the CIS summit in Astana, Kazakhstan that convenes on Wednesday. As he addressed correspondents in the town of Barda in western Azerbaijan on Saturday, Azeri president Ilham Aliyev said the meeting would clarify whether an agreement is close at hand, or if the sides are drifting away from finding one. As he met with a group of refugees in the Barda district earlier in the day, he stressed that the Azeri government envisioned an increase of defense spending in 2005 "to strengthen our Armed Forces and make the army one of the guarantors of settling the Karabagh conflict." While he reiterated that the country seeks a peaceful solution, he threatened that the people of Azerbaijan would free occupied territories by any means. "We have all the prerequisites for it--patriotic spirit, moral mobilization of our people, and the persistently growing economic potential." As he addressed a meeting with public representatives in Barda on the same day, Aliyev said: "The people of Azerbaijan must be prepared to liberate its occupied lands by force." 4) Arzumanyan Resigns as Administrative Head of Ninotsminda District AKHALKALAK (A1plus/Armenpress)On Monday, Rafik Arzumanyan, administrative head of Georgia's Ninotsminda District, sent in his resignation to President Mikhail Saakashvili. Although reasons for his resignation are not cited, it is believed that Arzumanyan's resignation is connected with the September 6 incident between the employees of Georgia's National Security Ministry and ethnic Armenians in Ninotsminda. As reported, two ethnic Georgians initiated a clash between Georgians and ethnic Armenians in the southern Georgian region of Ninotsminda on September 6. After drinking in a restaurant, the chief of the Georgian National Security Ministry's local branch, and the deputy head of the Ninotsminda district council, attempted to fill up their car at a local gas station without paying, saying that Ninotsminda belongs to Georgians and everything should be free for Georgians. After being denied free gas by the Armenian employee, the Georgian officials attacked and beat him. The local police interfered, but were unable to stop the shoot-out that followed a fistfight. The Georgian officials were arrested and transported to Akhaltsikha. 5) Aram I Discusses Genocide Anniversary of Genocide with Armenian Party Representatives ANTELIASOn Saturday, September 11, Catholicos of Cilicia His Holiness Aram I held a meeting with representatives of Lebanon's three main Armenian political partiesthe ARF, the Hunchak party, and Ramkavar partyto discuss the joint activities and programs commemorating the upcoming 90th anniversary of the Armenian genocide. His Holiness stressed the necessity of working together to organize the events. The meeting provided an opportunity for representatives of the three parties to share ideas and focus on the task at hand. 6) If You Build It, We Will Come By Skeptik Sinikian I've said it before and I'll say it again. Glendale is a world of its own. Sometimes, I feel as though it's a biosphere experiment, fully contained and independent of the world around it. The upcoming special municipal election is evidence to back my theory and for anyone who has been living in a cave in the Verdugo Mountains for the last three years, here's the Skeptik ynopsis. On September 14, Glendalers (I refuse to dignify them with an "ian" ending call me a snob if you wish) will go to the polls to decide whether they want a Town Center built in Downtown Glendale or not. If you drive through Glendale as often as I do, then you must have noticed the "No on A, B, and C" or "Yes on A, B, and C" signs littered all over the place. And contrary to what you may think after visiting the city, Glendale is not hosting an election to promote or get rid of the alphabet or literacy. By voting "yes" on A, B, and C, Glendalers will approve the project proposed by wealthy developer Rick Caruso of Caruso Affiliated. If you vote "No" on A, B, and C then you support another wealthy entityGeneral Growth Properties, owners of that vast wasteland and black hole of suburban culture known as the Glendale Galleria (just typing those two words brought back horrendous Christmas shopping memories.) Now either way, the only real people benefiting from either decision are people who have more money than they know what to do with, who care more about their off-shore bank accounts than Glendale, even if it were ravaged by the bubonic plague. Voters will have to forget this for a minute while they are herded to the polls on Tuesday to cast their ballots. It's like having an executioner ask you if prefer to be stoned to death or hung. At first you think you have a choice but you realize the end results are the same and you resent even being asked. It would seem as though Glendalers were stuck between a Rick and a hard place until you drive by the area where the development is supposed to be built. You can't miss it. It's that vast area of nothingness in south Glendale right before the miles of car dealerships and nothing else. The area is anchored by an empty asphalt lot used by Galleria employees as a parking lot during the Holiday season. It's no secret that when coming up with weekend plans, Glendale doesn't make it on anyone's list of top three destinations unless you happen to be a fourteen year old unibrowed kid in Adidas warm-ups who likes to smoke cigarettes while watching frog statues randomly spit water. Why has Glendale been black listed? Is it because there's nothing to do in Glendale past 9 PM? Is it because Brand Boulevard is spattered with random, mediocre restaurants, a beauty academy, and even more random clothing and gift stores? I personally think that much like some of its more bigoted residents, Glendale has no heart. No center of gravity. Nothing to pull people towards it. Everyone seems to prefer either Pasadena's Old Town or Burbank's Media Center. Personally, I think it's high time that Glendale had a "Town Center." The only argument that merits any type of consideration from the opposition is the complaint that the development would increase traffic in the area. But the Galleria complaining about traffic problems is like a chain smoker complaining to a waiter about the person at the next table smoking a fat cigar. I've read the arguments for and against this project and I personally believe that with the new development, the city will actually take steps to fix the traffic problem in the area. I'm sure that amongst the people who are complaining about traffic, there are a few SUV ownersthe same one's who think that their gigantic hunk of steel designed to fit every known animal on it two-by-two will fit into the compact car parking space in the Galleria parking lot. It's people who drive 5 miles-to-the-gallon Hummers that make me glad that oil prices are at an all time high. But that's a rant for another day. I'm also convinced that with a premiere shopping area next to it, the Galleria will be compelled to redesign and revamp the enclosed capitalist red brick gulag into a nicer, outdoor type shopping center. I haven't stepped foot inside the Galleria for nearly three years and I don't have any plans of doing so in the near future either. If I wanted to go to a depressing, enclosed space filled with obnoxious, rude, horny teenagers, I'd visit my old high school. I hope Glendalers vote to build the Town Center and I hope they do it soon. I promised myself that I wouldn't touch this topic with a ten foot pole, but it seems as though everywhere I turn, people are talking about this issue. So I'm putting in my two cents with the hope of urging people to abandon the NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) attitude and do what's right for this city. In an ideal world, we'd build a nice park with a monument to the martyrs of the Armenian Genocide in the area that's going to be developed. But a park and monument won't generate tax revenue for the city. And even a monument won't knock some sense into the chain-smoking fourteen year olds hanging out at the Marketplace up the street. But a Town Center will hopefully provide us with a decent park, some stores with merchandise worth purchasing, and a place of congregation for those of us who are seeking a change of scenery from Burbank and Pasadena. Just vote "yes" on this project and let's build something that will put Glendale back on the map rather than keeping it the no-man's land/buffer zone between Burbank and Pasadena. If you build it, we will come. Skeptik Sinikian encourages people to vote their conscience on September 14regardless of their choices. He can be reached for comment at [email protected] or visit his website at 7) A B C easy as 1 2 3, oh simple as Do Re Mi By Garen Yegparian With apologies to the Jackson 5, and those who don't live in Glendale, I'll be addressing the three ballot measures citizens of that fair city will vote for or against on Tuesday, September 14. Measures A, B, and C address different aspects of enabling the construction of a major downtown development including retail, office, and residential space. It would be similar to and built by the same company that developed The Grove at Fairfax and Second in Los Angeles. Those opposing the measures cite increased traffic and crime, use of redevelopment funds, housing/environmental issues, and competition to the Glendale Galleria. Regarding traffic issues, naturally more cars will enter the area when such a large project is built. This is understandably distasteful for those who already sit in their cars while crawling at a snail's pace. Conversely, traffic engineers do come up with solutions. An example from neighboring city, Burbank, might be illuminating. Many who live, work, and shop in the area know "five points," which was a five-way intersection with hellish traffic. A very large development of stores was built adjacent to it. The intersection was reconfigured with grand promises of improved traffic flow. In fact, ramps from I-5 are also to be built to serve this area. Everybody seems to wait, idling behind red lights, for just as long as ever. So, frustrated city staff did a traffic count. Pleasantly surprised, they discovered that the number of cars going through that intersection had increased from about 4000 to about 40,000. Not bad, ten times the flow, with no increased waiting. The moral of the story is, there are solutions to traffic problems. Some $77 million dollars of Glendale Redevelopment Agency money will be allocated to this project. Some rightly argue, "Why give a rich guy more of the public's money to make even more money for himself?" Unfortunately, redevelopment funds can only be used in certain, restricted ways. One way or the other, some "rich guy" will end up with it as local government strives to improve pre-designated areas of the city, in accordance with state law. While I too find it disturbing that public money is privatized in this manner, it hardly makes a difference to which "rich guy" it goes. For me, the housing/environmental issue is the most salient. More than seventy residential units are part of this project. This kind of high-density living is absolutely necessary if Southern California is to remain livable. Sprawling endlessly like some deformed fungal growth across the landscape is not something that is sustainable. SCAG (Southern California Association of Governments) recently issued a report predicting dire consequencestremendous congestion and pollutionif the region continues growing in the same fashion as in the recent past. Sprawl destroys virgin wildlands, causes extinction, and reduces space available for people to recreatea necessary part of remaining sane. High-density developments, with attendant public transportation and open space, must become the largest portion of new residential construction. People, over the years, will overcome their aversion to this approach. It will take time, but we must start somewhere. Fear of increased crime following increased numbers of people is also likely misplaced because of the types of people this kind of "lifestyle" attracts. Does the Glendale Galleria, adjacent to the site of the proposed project, invite increased crime? People will be working, living, and playing in an open-air setting. One of the biggest opponents of this project is the Galleria. This mall's owners, rightly, fear the competition from a near-by complex of stores. This is accentuated by the growing appeal of un-enclosed settings throughout the United States. The era of the enclosed mall seems to be ending. Those who own such properties are understandably worried. Some people argue that the redevelopment funds would be better spent on improving the existing mall. It seems both those who support and oppose this project have resorted to hyperbole in advocating their position. This has engendered cynicism among votersan unhealthy and undesirable outcome regardless of the ultimate vote tallies for these ballot measures. In addition, the sheer volume of mail and telephone contact has fatigued voters. Glendale citizens will have to consider these and many others issues and risks. To go forward with the new project portends some of the ills, attenuated or not, mentioned above. To deny this project could mean the long-term loss of sales tax revenue, a very important source of municipal income for California citiesif enclosed malls go the way of bell-bottoms and afros. 8) Interview with Rick Caruso Glendale's airwaves are booming with heated debate on the pros and cons of building a proposed Town Center in the heart of downtown Glendale. In a special September 14 election, Glendale voters will consider the proposed $264 million retail and residential development project, casting their ballots on three ordinancesknown as A-B-Cthat concern the project's planning and zoning and the development agreement between Caruso Affiliated and the city. Although Rick Caruso, the Founder and President of Caruso Affiliated got the go-ahead from the Glendale City Council to build The Americana at Brand (Town Center), the referendum was forced by opponents led by the Galleria's owners, General Growth Properties Inc., the second-largest US shopping mall proprietor. Both sides say they expect the vote to be close, and have spent close to $1 million to defend their issues. The ensuing battle has not been pretty. Asbarez spoke with Caruso about the issues on the minds of voters. WHEN YOU BUILD A STRUCTURE SUCH AS THE TOWN CENTER, YOUR INTENT IS TO NATURALLY ATTRACT PEOPLE. HOW CAN YOU TACKLE TRAFFIC THAT IS ALREADY HEAVY IN THE AREA? There's no question more cars will be added to the streets. A ton of money will be spent on improving traffic, specifically $14 million to improve traffic flow. Studies show that 14 intersections will get better. Past experience shows that there will be no negative impact on traffic in the area. That was the result achieved at the Grove [Caruso's 575,000 square foot project adjacent to the Farmers Market in Los Angeles]all the intersections improved. The area around South Brand has not seen any new developments or investments in a very long time. As a result, there has been no improvements in fixing the streets, including street widening or new signal systems. A number of things can be done to improve the freeways. We are spending $1.5 million of our own money to design changes to exits and entrances. I am confident that everything will operate even more smoothly when completed. Traffic studies conducted show this. The traffic issue is a scare tactic. BUT PEOPLE ARE CALLING THE INVESTMENT THE CITY IS MAKING IN THIS TOWN CENTER, SIMPLY A BAD ONE. I disagree strongly with that. The city will get all their money back plus profit. Of the $77 million figure set aside, $65 million is for the acquisition of land that the city bought over 20 yearsand the city will retain most of the land; $12 million is for public improvement. The city is expected make $3.5 million in new tax revenues per year from sales and property taxes. Over the next 30 years, an estimated $109 million will be made in taxes$16 million would go to public schools and private agencies. HOW WILL THE PROJECT AFFECT EXISTING SMALL BUSINESSES? I know it will help the small businesses. It happened at the Grove because it brought increased shoppers to the area. Right now, there are 15 acres of empty lot and run down buildings. That hurts the area. It will create more shoppers walking around Brand. With new stores, parking structures, etc., people will flock to the area. The tax receipts for stores on 3rd street, Beverly Dr., La Brea, and Fairfax [area surrounding the Grove] show a 65% increase since the Grove was built. There is always a spillover effect. That's why the city wants to invest this money. BUT WILL YOU ENCOURAGE THE GROWTH OF LOCAL BUSINESSES? Absolutely...We not only have programs within our company that reduce rental rates [for small businesses] but we also programs called 'incubating small businesses.' For example, we have a jeweler at the Grove, Tracy Allen, who used to sell products door to door. We helped her build a store, rent-free and now she is very successful and pays rent. WHY DO YOU THINK THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE CENTER SO ACTIVE IN THIS COMMUNITY? General Growth properties, the owners of the Glendale Galleria, don't want the project built. They don't want competition, and this isn't good for the city. They want to maintain a monopoly, at any cost. It has even been said that I don't like Armenians and am trying to drive them away from the city which is absolutely not truemy sister-in-law is Armenian and lives in the area. It's very unfair and wrong, and we took them to court. Though the court ruled that they lied to the public, and ordered them to stop, they continue. DID YOU FACE OPPOSITION WHEN DOING THE GROVE? Yes, but not to this extent. The Beverly Center tried to stop it, but wasn't as vicious as the company that owns the Glendale Galleria. Malls will try to stop such projects because they don't want to reduce their rental rates as a result of the emerging competition. That's what they're trying to prevent. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2004 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets.

Azeri Security Council discusses Karabakh talks, president’s foreign visits
Azartac news agency, Baku
10 Sep 04
[No dateline as received] Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev chaired
an expanded sitting of the Security Council at the Presidential Palace
on 10 September.
Ilham Aliyev informed the Security Council members about his foreign
visits to Germany and France. The head of state emphasized with
satisfaction that the meetings and talks within the framework of
these visits had been held in an atmosphere of sincerity and mutual
understanding.
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov reported results of
the talks on the peaceful settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani
Nagornyy Karabakh conflict.
The sitting also discussed the public and political situation
in Azerbaijan, the implementation of the Azerbaijani president’s
decree dated 24 November 2003 “On intensification of socioeconomic
development in the Azerbaijani Republic” and “The state programme on
socioeconomic development in the regions of the Azerbaijani Republics
(for 2004-2008)”, as well as future measures to create new jobs.

TURKISH ENVOY URGES AZERIS TO STOP ANTI-ARMENIAN PROTESTS
Trend news agency
10 Sep 04
Baku, 10 September, Trend correspondent S. Agayeva: Creating obstacles
to the participation of Armenian military officers in (Baku-hosted)
NATO exercises is not good for Azerbaijan’s further cooperation with
the alliance, Turkish ambassador to Azerbaijan Ahmet Unal Cevikoz
has told Trend news agency.
“Azerbaijan has assumed a number of commitments within the framework
of NATO’s Partnership for Peace programme. One of the commitments is
to create conditions for the participation of representatives of NATO
member countries and partners,” the diplomat said.
The ambassador said that given that Armenia had asked for permission
to take part in the exercises, Azerbaijan should create appropriate
conditions for them.
(Azerbaijan’s ANS TV reported at 1600 gmt on 9 September that a
group of Azerbaijani Karabakh war veterans in Naxcivan appealed to
the Turkish authorities to support their protest against the visit
by Armenian servicemen.)

Skinheads burn down Azeri, Armenian cafes in Russia
Agence France Presse — English
September 9, 2004 Thursday 3:55 PM GMT
MOSCOW Sept 9 — A gang of young skinheads set fire Thursday to several
cafes owned by ethnic Azeri and Armenians in the Russian Urals city
of Yekaterinburg, torching them to the ground and killing one person
and injuring two, reports said.
Police arrested eight youths, aged between seven and 19, following
the overnight attacks.
NTV television reported five cafes had been torched, although the
Gazeta.ru Internet site said three had been attacked.
The gang set fire to the cafes after first surrounding them and
smashing them with chains and bats, reports said.
Xenophobic attacks have occurred regularly in major Russian cities in
recent years. They have generally targeted African and Asian students,
as well as diplomats and traders from Central Asia and the Caucasus.

IFAD HELPS RESTORE ARMENIA IRRIGATION SYSTEM AND COMMUNITY ROADS
ArmenPress
Sept 8 2004
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 8, ARMENPRESS: The International Fund for
Agricultural Development (IFAD) has released $8.7 million for
restoration and construction of 43 irrigation systems across Armenia
between 2001 and 2004. Some $2.3 million of that money was utilized in
the first eight months of this year providing around 10,000 hectares
of lands and orchards with effective irrigation.
Reconstruction of some other irrigation systems continues at the
moment and when accomplished they will give water to another 11,500
hectares of land.
IFAD has also given money for a major repair of a 6.1 km long section
of a road connecting Voskevan and Barekamavan villages in Tavush
province, expected to be over by the end of September. IFAD will
also release funds for repair of the two other sections of the road
to companies that will be announced winners of a relevant tender to
be announced later this year.

PRESS RELEASE
UCLA ARMENIAN GRADUATE STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION
Kerckhoff Hall Room 316
308 Westwood Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Contact: Gevork Nazaryan
Tel: 310. 206.8512
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:
CALL FOR PAPERS
To be presented at the Third Annual
GRADUATE STUDENT COLLOQUIUM IN ARMENIAN STUDIES
Friday, February 25, 2005
*****
at the University of California, Los Angeles We enthusiastically
invite graduate students and recent post-docs (Ph.D., within the
last two years) in fields associated with Armenian Studies (broadly
defined) to present the results of their recent research. Work in
progress is encouraged. We accept work from a variety of disciplines
and particularly welcome comparative themes and interdisciplinary
approaches. Panel submissions are also welcome.
Applicants must e-mail a one-page (minimum 250-word) abstract and
curriculum vitae by October 1, 2004.
Invited participants will be required to submit a final version
of their full presentation by February 1, 2005. Please note that a
20-minute time limit for presentations will be strictly enforced.
A reception will be held on the Thursday evening prior to the event
to welcome the colloquium speakers. Students will have an opportunity
to meet with faculty and students on campus, tour Armenian Studies
resources, and visit Armenian Studies classes. The colloquium will
conclude with a reception.
Limited travel grants will be available to assist those who would
otherwise be unable to attend. Travel grant applications will be sent
to all invited participants.
Please submit abstracts to the UCLA Armenian Graduate Students
Association at [email protected].
For more information regarding the Graduate Student Colloquium in
Armenian Studies, please visit the organizing committee’s website.
Graduate Student Colloquium in Armenian Studies
Graduate Student Organizing Committee
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
END

Eurasianet Organization
Sept 5 2004
ARMENIAN MILITARY GEARS UP FOR IRAQ DEPLOYMENT
Armen Zakarian and Emil Danielyan: 9/05/04
A EurasiaNet Partner Post from RFE/RL
Armenia will send a team of military officials to Iraq in September
that will prepare for the deployment of a small Armenian army
contingent in the war-torn country by the end of the year, a senior
official said September 3.
Deputy Defense Minister Artur Aghabekian told RFE/RL that the
delegation comprising commanders of the Armenian army’s special
peace-keeping battalion and U.S.-funded demining center will “take a
close look at the location where our contingent will be stationed and
ascertain on the spot the tasks which it will perform.”
“We expect that after the completion of all formalities the Armenian
contingent will leave for Iraq at the end of the autumn or at the
beginning of the winter to start carrying out its mission,” he said,
confirming that it will be made up of U.S.-trained sappers, doctors
and a company of military truck drivers.
The chief of the army staff, Colonel-General Mikael Harutiunian, said
earlier that a total of about 50 Armenian servicemen will be sent to
Iraq. Aghabekian revealed that the non-combat military personnel will
be based in the central southern region of the country administered
by a Polish-led multinational force. He said Defense Minister Serzh
Sarkisian will pass a relevant official note to his Polish
counterpart during President Robert Kocharian’s visit to Warsaw which
begins on Sunday.
The Polish government, which has 2,500 troops on the ground, is
facing strong domestic opposition to the military presence in Iraq
and is gradually scaling it back. In August Polish troops handed over
some of the zone they control to U.S. forces, including the restive
province of Najaf. More such handovers are expected next year.
Unlike NATO member Poland, Armenia did not back the U.S. invasion of
Iraq last year. Nonetheless, it decided in principle to join the
U.S.-led occupation force there shortly after the overthrow of Saddam
Hussein’s regime. Official Yerevan has said it is undaunted by
continuing unrest in the embattled country where deadly bombings and
hostage taking are a common occurrence.
Over the past year Iraqi insurgents have kidnapped scores of foreign
nationals in a bid to force their countries to withdraw troops from
Iraq or stop other forms of cooperation with the Americans. At least
25 of them have already been killed by their captors.
Among the victims are three Turkish truck drivers whose bodies were
found on Thursday. Seven other truck drivers from India, Kenya and
Egypt were set free recently after their Kuwaiti employers paid a
$500,000 ransom to the hostage-takers.
The planned Armenian deployment could also put at greater risk the
lives of thousands of ethnic Armenians living in Iraq. Like other
Iraqi Christians, they have been regarded as another potential target
of the Islamist-led insurgency since August’s wave of bomb attacks on
churches in Baghdad and Mosul. An Armenian Catholic church in Baghdad
was among five Christian worship sites hit by the coordinated
bombings that left 11 people dead.
The dispatch of the servicemen to Iraq will mark Armenia’s second
military mission abroad. Thirty-three Armenian soldiers and officers
began the first such mission last February when they joined the
NATO-led peace-keeping force in the breakaway Serbian province of
Kosovo. Aghabekian said they will return home and be replaced by
another platoon of the Armenian peace-keeping battalion in the coming
days.

Sargsian survives against Massu
By THE JOURNAL NEWS
The Journal News.com, NY
Sept 3 2004
It took Sargis Sargsian 5 hours and 10 minutes to beat No. 10 Nicolas
Massu 6-7 (6), 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (6), 6-4, the second-longest match in
U.S. Open history. The first set alone lasted 83 minutes. Michael
Chang and Stefan Edberg hold the record with their 5:26 match in the
1992 Open. … In a matchup between two Grand Slam winners, 2002
Australian Open champ Thomas Johansson defeated this year’s French
Open winner, No. 9 Gaston Gaudio, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4. 2004 French
Open winner Anastasia Myskina also was eliminated yesterday. …
Louis Armstrong Stadium was filled to capacity while Maria Sharapova
and Jelena Jankovic were still warming up for their second-round
match. Latecomers were turned away. Sharapova needed 2:07 to defeat
Jankovic, the same amount of time she needed to win her first-round
match. It’s probably just a coincidence. … How hard is it to
complete a calendar-year Grand Slam? Consider this: Eleven horses
have won the Triple Crown, but only five tennis players have won the
Big Four in a calendar year, including Rod Laver, who did it twice.
… American Mardy Fish lost to Michal Tabara 6-3, 3-6, 1-6, 6-3,
6-3, and failed to advance past the second round for the fifth time
in as many U.S. Open appearances. Fish, however, did hit a home run
when he took batting practice at Shea Stadium on Wednesday. Tabara
advanced to the third round despite being out-aced 54-9 in his first
two matches. … Playing in her 13th U.S. Open, Chanda Rubin advanced
to the third round with a straight-set win over Antonella Serra
Zanetti. Rubin, 28, has made it to the third round in four of her
last five U.S. Opens, but has never made it past the fourth round.
… Eight of the 15 Russian women have advanced to the third round.
… No. 5 Tim Henman turns 30 on Monday. “It doesn’t seem quite right
to me,” he said. … Gov. Olene S. Walker of Utah showed up for the
day session Wednesday. “Arrested Development” star Jason Bateman
watched the night session. … You know you’re getting old when your
third-round opponent is young enough to list you as a tennis idol.
Eighteen-year-old Vera Douchevina faces her role model, No. 8
Jennifer Capriati, in the third round today.

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Communications Officer
Tel: (212) 686-0710; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
September 3, 2004
___________________
Week of August 27 to September 3, 2004
* * *
ARMENIAN CHURCH PARTICIPATES IN RESIDENTIAL PRAYER SERVICE
Fr. Mardiros Chevian, dean of the St. Vartan Cathedral, represented
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian
Church of America (Eastern), during a prayer service with President and
Mrs. George Bush on Thursday (9/2). Fr. Chevian was one of 25 clergy
invited to the intimate interfaith service at the Roman Catholic Church
of Our Savior in New York City. He was representing the Primate, who is
out of the country.
During the 45-minute service, the Rev. George Rutler spoke of the story
of the calming of the sea by Jesus. He said calm only comes when we
believe the Lord is the only one with the true power to bring peace and
calm.
“His message was that our Lord can only bring calm to the life of our
nation and our world, and only if we put our trust in him,” Fr. Mardiros
said of the service, which was also attended by former President George
H.W. Bush, his wife, other family members, administration officials, and
state and local politicians.
(Source: Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), 9/2/04)
* * *
PRIMATE GUEST SPEAKER AT CONFERENCE IN ITALY
The Primate is in Milan, Italy, where he will speak at a worldwide
gathering hosted by the International Youth Community of St. Egidio.
Representing His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos
of All Armenians, the Primate will speak as part of their three-day
international conference, titled “Religions and Cultures: The Courage of
a New Humanism.” His address will focus on the unity of Christians and
world peace. To read his remarks, click to our website:
;selmonth=9&sel
year=2004
(Source: Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), 9/3/04)
* * *
EDUCATORS GET NEW RESOURCES
This week the Diocese launched its new Armenian Church Educator
e-newsletter. It contains a wealth of multi-media resources and links
for Armenian and Sunday School educators. It is also a valuable
resource for parents in communities without Armenian Church parishes.
To access the on-line Armenian Church Educator, click to our website:
x.html
If you are a Sunday or Armenian School teacher and would like to receive
the bi-monthly Armenian Church Educator e-mail newsletter, ask your
superintendent contact the Diocese.
(Source: Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), 9/2/04)
* * *
SEE ARMENIA ON A VIRTUAL TOUR
Click to our website for a virtual tour of Armenia. The beautiful
pictures will bring back wonderful memories for those who have traveled
to the homeland. For those who have yet to go, you’ll be even more
eager after seeing the sights of the Armenian homeland. Just click to:
(Source: Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern), 9/2/04)
* * *
FIND ARMENIAN RESOURCES ONLINE
Traveling to Armenia? You’ll find all you need from new guidebooks to
self-taught language lessons at the St. Vartan Bookstore website,
New items are continually added to the safe and secure website. Click
now to find lovely Armenian jewelry, made by skilled craftsmen in
Armenia. Your purchase will help those artisans earn a living and give
you a wearable reminder of your Armenian heritage.
For safe, simple, and secure ordering, 24-hours a day, click to the St.
Vartan Bookstore website:
(Source: , 9/2/04)
# # #