Author: Taslakhchian Andranik

Nagorno-Karabakh authorities arrest suspected Azerbaijani spy

AP Worldstream
May 13, 2005

Police and security officers in Nagorno-Karabakh, an ethnic Armenian
enclave in Azerbaijan, arrested a local resident on suspicion of
spying for Azerbaijan, the national security service said Friday.

The suspect, whom it did not identify, is alleged to have periodically
gave Azerbaijan’s special services information containing state
secrets. The suspect faces from 10 to 15 years in prison.

Nagorno-Karabakh has been under the control of ethnic Armenians since
the early 1990s, following fighting that killed an estimated 30,000
people. A cease-fire was signed in 1994, but the enclave’s final
political status has not been determined and shooting breaks out
frequently. The enclave is backed by Armenia.

In the Azerbaijani capital Baku, the Economic Development Ministry
said Friday that Azerbaijan had lost up to US$38.5 million
(A‚¬30.47 million) due to the conflict, including US$10
million-US$12 million (A‚¬7.9 million-A‚¬9.5 million) in
lost revenues. Azerbaijan is home to up to 1 million refugees who fled
Nagorno-Karabakh.

Zaman Online, Turkey
May 13 2005

US Historian Blames Swiss for ‘Uncivilized Attitude’
By aa
Published: Friday 13, 2005
zaman.com

Stanford Shaw an American history Professor on the Ottomans has
claimed Switzerland, which has launched an investigation into the
Turkish Institute of History (TTK) President Professor Yusuf
Halacoglu, has acted like a “dictator” and noted, “This is an
uncivilized attitude.”

The Professor says this amounts to the statement, “If you don’t reach
the conclusions that we want, you can’t explain your research
results,” and called on all historians to come together and send a
letter of protest to the Swiss President about the issue. Shaw
explained that because he teaches Ottoman history, some groups
including Greeks and Armenians have disrupted his classes at the
University of California and have attempted to bomb his house and
attack his students and family. Professor Shaw described
Switzerland’s attitude as no different to this. The American
historian also underlined that the biggest responsibility for deaths
in the Ottoman Empire during the World War I and the War of Turkish
Independence belonged to the Britons, Russians and French who
attempted to invade the Ottoman territories.

Armenpress

NORWAY, UNDP SIGN AID AGREEMENT FOR SOUTH CAUCASUS

NEW YORK, MAY 12, ARMENPRESS: Zephirin Diabre, Associate Administrator of
the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and Jan Petersen, Foreign
Minister of Norway, signed on May 10 a Memorandum of Understanding
committing Norway to providing $10 million for UNDP projects in Armenia,
Azerbaijan and Georgia over the next three years, UNDP said.
`I am deeply grateful for this commitment from Norway, which builds on
the country’s already substantial engagement, in partnership with UNDP, in
Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States,’ Mr. Diabre said during
the signing ceremony.
`This Memorandum represents a great opportunity to strengthen our ties
with UNDP,’ said Mr. Peterson. `Norway would like to help shape projects by
taking part in the implementation of programming in the South Caucasus.’
Norway will provide the funding for programs in democratic governance,
energy and sustainable development. The projects to be funded have yet to be
specified, and funding is contingent upon approval by the Norwegian
parliament.
UNDP country offices in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia already
collaborate closely with Norway. In Armenia, for example, Norway support
efforts aimed at fighting human trafficking, raising public awareness and
assisting trafficking victims. In Azerbaijan, Norway is contributing to a
UNDP Blood Bank project. And in Georgia, Norway has supported work on a
child labor survey, which UNDP has conducted together with the Georgian
Department of Statistics.
`These are very promising beginnings,’ said Mr. Diabre. `We are confident
that this will provide an excellent foundation for the expansion of our
joint efforts.’
Diabre and Petersen stressed that both UNDP and the Government of Norway
believe that effective democratic institutions are a key foundation for
mediating and mitigating conflict and crisis by providing non-violent means
of resolving political disputes and managing resources. They also provide a
base for implementing strong, country-owned development strategies to handle
political and economic shocks, to reduce corruption, and, critically, to
give the poor a political voice to secure the services and protections
needed to provide a better future for themselves and their families.
The Government of Norway plans involvement in the Southern Caucasus by
contributing more directly to development on a larger scale, both regional
and national, official said. In order to contribute in an efficient manner,
Norway needs the unique development know-how and coordination skills of UNDP
– especially in relations with local, regional and national authorities as
well as with civil society organizations, according to Norwegian authorities

Pasadena Weekly
May 12, 2005

“Lost” in Iraq

Producer Kevin Matossian’s latest film is set to open in Los Angeles,
Pasadena and Iraq, where his brother, Steven, is serving with US
forces

By John Ester (Cover Story)

Director Darren Lemke’s “Lost” is the story of Jeremy Stanton (Dean
Cain), a man lost in the desert, on the run from unseen forces in an
unfriendly environment after he commits a crime, and running out of
time. Wanting a bigger slice of the American pie, Jeremy has applied
the cynical principles of capitalist greed to justify his grand
plan. Now it might get him killed. Will he get out of the desert alive
in time to ever see his family again? That’s one of the big questions
facing not only Jeremy, but also United States troops who will see the
film in Baghdad, Iraq, when it opens tomorrow there and at the One
Colorado Laemmle Theatre in Pasadena, the Fairfax 3 Laemmle Theatre in
Los Angeles and the Mann Glendale Exchange 10 in Glendale. Cain will
deliver the film in person as part of the “Ambassadors of Hollywood
Tour” to US Marine Corps Reserve Cpl. Steven V. Matossian, the brother
of the film’s producer, Kevin Matossian. “I think my brother’s efforts
to get the movie here ! go to show what he’s about,” wrote Steven
from Al Anbar province, a region comprised of the city of Fallujah and
much of the deadly Sunni triangle, where US troops have suffered
numerous casualties. “He makes films for people to enjoy. Films that
capture your imagination and wrap you up in them till you get LOST and
you forget it’s just a movie. He does it not as a job but as a
passion. He proves that by wanting the service men and women to see it
here [and help us] get our minds off the war for a while.”

“I hope they get five minutes of entertainment,” said Kevin. “If they
can get 90 minutes of entertainment, that would be great. I just
thought it would be unique that we have not forgotten about them in
any way. You know, they’re at war. That’s something we always got to
remember. My God, my brother’s there! So I would hope the troops can
just shut off for 90 minutes and enjoy themselves. It was ironic, that
‘Lost’ is a desert film.”

Before Kevin, 31, recently moved to Burbank and Steven, at 22 the
youngest of four Matossian brothers, was shipped off to Iraq two
months ago, both had been lifelong residents of Pasadena.

They both attended Marshall Fundamental High School, after which Kevin
went on to Pasadena Community College, where he studied acting and
stage production. Kevin attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts
as well. He performed in Los Angeles stage productions of “Cabaret,”
“Jesus Christ Superstar” and a Pasadena production of “A Few Good
Men.” Kevin also produced a number of shows at the Pasadena Civic
Auditorium and at several theaters in the Hollywood area.

Currently Kevin is the CEO and co-founder of Silver Crest
Entertainment LLC, a film production, distribution and sales company
based in Los Angeles. It was under the Silver Crest Entertainment
banner that Kevin produced “Lost.”

“The script for ‘Lost’ was given to me, and I couldn’t put it down,”
said Kevin. “It was just a really fun read. When you put yourself into
the role of [Jeremy], you get nervous when he gets nervous. I also
felt it would be something good for the company to get off the ground
without too much difficulty. I figured, ‘One guy in a car in a
desert. How hard can it be?’ Boy, was I wrong! Don’t shoot in the
desert in the summer. At 120 degrees outside you can kill your actor.”

The film was shot in 18 days in Lancaster and Palmdale. Along with the
Los Angeles and Iraq openings “Lost” will open the ninth annual
Antelope Valley Independent Film Festival tomorrow night.

Kevin is an American Music Association-nominated musician and
composer. His Armenian-influenced work has garnered him accolades in
America and abroad, particularly in Armenian-American
communities. Kevin’s other production credits include “In Living
Color,” “Studs,” “Fox News” and “The Michael Fink Show.”

“I guess I’ve been blessed by multiple careers,” said Kevin. “I
started off in the entertainment industry as an actor. It’s what I
really wanted to do. But I’ve been a musician most of my life. I write
songs.”

Steven has been a Marine since he was 18.

“I joined because I felt it my duty to preserve the freedoms that I’ve
taken for granted my entire life,” wrote Steven. “I’ve always loved
life and been quite spoiled so it was time to give back.”

Unlike their brothers, Michael, 34, and Jason, 27, Kevin and Steven
did not follow the footsteps of their father, Joseph, a former
minister at the Armenian Brotherhood Bible Church in Pasadena for 23
years and then in Downey for 10 years at the Emmanuel Armenian
Congregational Church. Currently Joseph is the minister to the Union
of the Armenian Evangelical Union of North America. Jason is a
minister at United Armenian Congregational Church in Hollywood. He is
to be wedded in August. Michael is a minister in Milwaukee,
Wisconsin. He is married and has a 3-year-old child.

The parents and grandparents of Joseph and his wife, Suzie Matossian,
were a few of the lucky ones to escape the Armenian genocide of
1915. In what many call the first modern genocide, the Turkish
government killed 1.5 million Armenians.

“My father’s parents were right there,” said Kevin. “My grandfather
was born in 1900, so he was about 15 when it all went down. He saw his
family annihilated. I’ve been told we lost anywhere from 50 to 75
percent of our family. We had a huge family at the time and I guess
they were pretty wealthy. Everything was taken.”

His father’s family fled to Lebanon while his slightly younger
mother’s family fled to Egypt. Joseph came to Los Angeles in 1960 and
Suzie arrived in 1963. Once childhood acquaintances from the Old
World, they met in Hollywood. They married in Pasadena in 1967. Along
with taking care of five males, Suzie works for the insurance
accounting business AON.

“Obviously I’m a red-blooded American, but at the same time I’m so
fond of my heritage,” said Kevin. “I always stay to watch to look at
the [film] credits — 90 percent of the time to see if there were any
Armenians who worked on the film. I worked with many Armenians on
‘Lost.'”

Kevin plans on doing a film about the Armenian genocide when the time
is right.

“What is very sad is that generation [of survivors] is almost gone and
it’s up to us younger generations to keep up the fight, peacefully,”
said Kevin. “Everybody asks me, ‘Are you going to make a film about
the Armenian genocide?’ Yeah, I will someday. But I don’t just want to
make films about the Armenian genocide. We have thousands of years of
history.”

Having come from Western Asia, the family’s attitude toward the US-led
occupation of Iraq differs from many other Americans who are not from
the area.

“Well, there’s no question that we all dislike war a lot. I am
certainly not going to get into the politics of why we are there and
if it’s correct and whatnot. For us it’s a little different,” said
Kevin. “War is really familiar to them and they hate it without
question. My father and two brothers are ministers so they’re
certainly not happy about it. My mom was very torn up. With a lot of
prayer and a lot of faith, we expect Steven to get back here soon,
along with the rest of the boys. I don’t want to say I’m anti-war; I’m
certainly not pro-war. We just want things to end peacefully, and
hopefully we’ll have a better world.”

On the other hand, “I very strongly support the US liberation of
Iraq,” wrote Steven, whose specific role there “is to assure all of
the helicopter squadrons in my jurisdiction have the parts they need
in order to be fully mission capable.”

Steven thinks his mission there is to serve to the best of his ability
and truly understand why he is there in the first place.

Steven is under rocket attacks almost on a daily basis. “I’ve seen
them hit a hundred feet away or so,” wrote Steven who expects to leave
Iraq around the beginning of October.

Doing what little he can for his youngest brother and the rest of the
troops, Kevin hopes that when they watch Jeremy’s plans unravel in
“Lost” that “hopefully they’ll realize their lives aren’t as bad as
some other people’s [laughs] — if that’s possible? If anything we do
have a moral to the story and it’s ‘crime doesn’t pay.'” Meanwhile,
as the troops enjoy “Lost” out there in the theater of war, some
Pasadena businesses will support “Lost” back home.

According to Kevin, Burger Continental on Lake Avenue is offering 20
percent off for those with ticket stubs. Equator Coffee House in Old
Pasadena will have a coffee promotion for “Lost.” Also in Old
Pasadena, McMurphy’s customers with ticket stubs will receive $2 off
appetizers, half-price drafts, well and call drinks. They are also
running TV spots and a trailer for “Lost.”

“Pasadena has always been great to us,” said Kevin.

The Messenger, Georgia
May 11 2005

In “frank” discussion, Bush offers support for Georgia

Aid in resolving internal conflicts most likely to flow, however,
through international bodies
By Warren Hedges

After a brief official welcome ceremony Tuesday morning in
Parliament, Presidents George Bush and Mikheil Saakashvili and their
aides met in private to discuss, among other things, Georgia’s
ongoing reforms and how the U.S. is willing to assist Georgia.

“We had a very frank discussion. That’s what I like about the
President [Saakashvili],” Bush said at a press conference immediately
following the meeting. “What I find on his mind is very refreshing;
he loves democracy and loves freedom, and he loves the people of
Georgia.”

Calling the Rose revolution “a powerful moment in modern history,”
Bush said he was willing to give significant support to Georgia but
called on the country to take on the task of peacefully resolving
internal disputes on its own.

“If the president were to call and wanted me to make a phone call or
two, I’d be more than happy to do so,” Bush said of resolving
Georgia’s longstanding conflicts with South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

“But this is a dispute that is going to be resolved by the Georgian
government and by the folks in the separatist regions,” Bush
immediately followed, “The United States cannot impose a solution,
nor would you want us to.”

According to Bush, “what we can do is we can help,” and the most
likely places where this will occur is in the UN and other
international bodies. “We can work with other groups, all aimed at
helping resolve this issue peacefully. But this is an issue that will
be resolved by the duly-elected government of Georgia in a peaceful
way,” Bush said.

The U.S. president also praised Saakashvili’s peace plan and said
Georgia must reunite its territories but also respect local autonomy
while settling its conflicts. “He can solve them peacefully, with our
help,” Bush said.

The brief press conference allowed both leader to give short remarks
and then take a total of four questions, two from Georgian
journalists and two from international media.

Bush also gave a show of support for Georgia’s NATO ambitions. “The
president is very clear about his intentions to meet the obligations
to join NATO. And, Mr. President, we look forward to working with you
to meet those obligations,” Bush said.

“NATO is a very important alliance for the United States of America.
It’s a place where we have our strategic conversations with our
transatlantic friends, and we want to help you achieve your objective
there.”

Following the press conference, Bush was scheduled to meet with a
group ethnic minorities in Georgia, including representatives of
Jewish, Armenian, Azeri, Ossetian and Kurdish minorities. During the
press briefing, President Saakashvili touted Georgia’s diversity as a
“strength.”

“I know how people can feel strongly about their identities.
Georgia’s strength is its diversity. It’s not its weakness, it’s our
strength,” Saakashvili said, speaking in English for most of the
press conference.

President Bush said he would use the meeting to stress the importance
of protecting minorities. “The president kindly set up a meeting
where I will remind people that a truly democratic society is one
that honors and respects minorities. This is a very diverse country.
You’ve had a great tradition of honoring minorities in this country,
and your democracy will continue to do so,” he said.

Pan Armenian News

RAMIL SAFAROV’S TRIAL TO BE RESUMED SEPTEMBER 27

11.05.2005 02:54

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Yesterday, May 10, in the Budapest Municipal Court the
trial of Azeri serviceman Ramil Safarov accused of the murder of Armenian
officer Gurgen Margarian during an English language training course within
the framework of the NATO-sponsored Partnership for Peace program held in
Budapest, Hungary, was resumed. Safarov’s defense was represented by lawyers
Peter Zalai, Dierd Madiar and attorney-consultant Adil Ismaylov. During the
55-minute hearing held in Hungarian and translated into Turkish the results
of the second medical examination were read. To note, the Azeri experts were
present at the examination as observers. The court presided by Doctor Andras
Vaskuti decreed to postpone the next sitting till September 27, 2005, since
the interpreter representing the Armenian party had no appropriate license
for making translations, IA Regnum reports.

Azeri defence minister says Armenian fear behind cease-fire breaches

Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
9 May 05

[Presenter in studio] Defence Minister Safar Abiyev has said that
frequent cease-fire violations on the Armenian-Azerbaijani front line
can be explained by the fact that Armenia is afraid of Azerbaijan.
Against this background, the process of exchange of prisoners is
continuing. This time, the Azerbaijani side is going to release
several Armenian POWs.

[Correspondent over archive footage] Several Armenian POWs will be
handed over to Armenia in the coming days. Having said this, Defence
Minister Safar Abiyev added that the step would be taken in return for
Armenia’s release of three Azerbaijani soldiers. The condition of the
released Azerbaijani soldiers is normal, Abiyev said and added that
they would continue with their military service sometime soon.

The minister sees the frequent violations of the cease-fire on the
front line as nothing out of the ordinary. He noted that for a country
at war cease-fire violations are quite normal and added that he was in
permanent contact with commanders of all units stationed on the front
line.

[Abiyev shown talking to camera] Cease-fire violations have been
registered at all times. I acknowledge that they have become more
frequent of late. And not only in the Agdam direction but also in
Fuzuli and on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

[Correspondent] However, the defence minister called on the population
not to worry. Abiyev said the Azerbaijani national army was ready to
fend off the aggressor’s attacks and duly respond to any cease-fire
violations. We keep track of every single bullet fired by the
Armenians and each time they get an appropriate response. Abiyev added
that the Armenians are worried about the strength of our army.

[Abiyev] Our army is fully ready to give an appropriate response to
the Armenians. This has been repeatedly stated by the
commander-in-chief. I have said this a number of times too.

[Correspondent] The defence minister stated that Armenia will not
succeed in taking over even an inch of Azerbaijani land. He stressed
that Baku is doing its best to restore peace in the region through
negotiations, but if the opposite side does not give up its policy of
aggression against Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan will have to speak to
Armenia in a different language.

Mahsati Sarif, Arif Mammadov, “Son Xabar”.

Press-Enterprise , CA
May 9 2005

Former candidate singing new tune

Political Notebook

The Press-Enterprise

Danney Ball, the Hemet singer-songwriter with two failed statewide
candidacies under his belt, is launching a new kind of campaign.

Ball wants to spread the word about earthquake preparedness and is
taking to the state’s roadways in his recreational vehicle to do so.
He plans to begin his travels when he turns 65 on May 18.

While running for governor in 2002 and then for U.S. Senate last
year, Ball toured the state in the vehicle with campaign signs and a
painting of himself on the side.

Ball and the massive vehicle were a frequent presence at political
events and in large parking lots near freeways, where he parked in
hopes of catching the attention of passersby. He also made
appearances at Inland political clubs to woo voters.

Now, Ball is trying to convince Californians to make sure they have
earthquake-preparedness kits ready — and he might even make some
money along the way. Ball, the self-described “Songwrangler,” is
pitching a boot-stomping ditty, “The California Earthquake Song,”
along the way.

Initiatives Away

Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia, R-Cathedral City, isn’t running for
office this year. But her name would still show up on a ballot if
Gov. Schwarzenegger calls a special election this fall to push his
government “reforms.”

Last week, the campaign pushing Schwarzenegger’s overhaul agenda
turned in hundreds of thousands of signatures to qualify an
initiative that would increase from two years to five years the
amount of time until new teachers gain tenure and the resulting job
protections.

Garcia is the official proponent of the initiative, dubbed the “Put
the Kids First Act.” Earlier this year, Garcia said she sponsored the
measure because the public education system had “failed my family and
failed me personally.”

The teacher tenure measure isn’t the only initiative with an Inland
connection making news.

Assemblyman Ray Haynes, R-Murrieta, who is seeking the GOP nomination
for a seat on the Board of Equalization next year, introduced an
initiative to create a California Border Police to patrol the state’s
border with Mexico.

Be It Resolved

They lack the law-changing impact of a bill, yet a staple of
lawmakers’ legislative routines is the resolution.

Lawmakers carry several a year. They typically recognize people, urge
a course of action on Congress or commemorate events, such as the
Armenian genocide following World War I.

Some resolutions recognize people or things that don’t seem wanting
for attention.

State Sen. Nell Soto, D-Pomona, introduced a resolution honoring the
60th anniversary of the April 12, 1945, death of former President
Franklin D. Roosevelt — the subject of countless books and a
monument on The Mall in Washington, D.C. that draws millions of
people annually.

“It’s just honoring a good man who helped us get out of poverty,”
Soto said. “For those of us who lived in Pomona and were very poor,
he helped us a lot.”

In the Assembly this year, there have been resolutions to declare a
day to honor Rotary International (Assemblyman John J. Benoit, R-Palm
Desert), to urge Congress to protect the patent of the Inland
manufacturer of the Maglite flashlight (Assemblyman Joe Baca Jr.,
D-Rialto) and calling on the state to develop commercial trucking
routes (Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia, R-Cathedral City).

Most resolutions pass unanimously. Sometimes, though, the debate
rivals that of a controversial bill.

In 2003, for example, members of the Assembly disagreed sharply over
resolutions about the war in Iraq — Assembly Democrats balked at
commending President Bush — and Father’s Day, with Republicans
complaining that the measure promoted alternative lifestyles.

Political Notebook was compiled this week by Jim Miller and Michelle
DeArmond.

Turkish Press
May 9 2005

A Hopeless Love?

BY NAGEHAN ALCI

AKSAM- Looking at the portrait, this is the situation. Turkish Prime
Erdogan is running away and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is
pursuing. Don’t think that I’m making this `absolute nonsense’
comparison, as Erdogan says. I’m only telling you Germany’s stance
following Schroeder’s visit to Turkey last week. Yes, maybe for the
first time respectable German newspapers described a political visit
in such a clear way. They made psychological analyses and described
the two prime ministers’ relations this way. According to the
portrait, Schroeder came to Turkey as a friend. It didn’t aim to
mention his hesitations about the European Union or make criticisms.
He even ignored the general thinking that reforms in Turkey have
slowed down and said that Turkey’s EU bid shouldn’t be hindered just
because of a few faulty minds. In the German daily Frankfurter
Allgemeine, German columnist Nicolaus Blome described the honorary
doctorate ceremony held for Erdogan as `exaggerated praise’ and
`flattery’ not based on truth, that is, a `typical Turkish work.’ He
added that even the soft style used by Schroeder concerning the
Armenian issue wasn’t sufficient to warm up the ice-like Erdogan.
Blome also claimed that it was easy for Europe to make things more
difficult for Turkey and that Schroeder’s soft style actually gives
the message that a Turkey which changes its point of view will be the
one ready for membership talks.

Schroeder’s visit fueled discussions that reforms in Turkey have
slowed down, and Erdogan described such criticism as absolute
nonsense, which is another issue of discussion. This opinion has
strengthened Erdogan’s reputation as uncompromising and damaged his
`democratic’ image. Erdogan should be more even-tempered and make
statements more appropriate to political dialogue. In addition, it
seems the EU wants to make us tense. EU Commission Representative in
Turkey Hansjoerg Kretschmer said that Turkey is far from completing
necessary reforms and that even if the Armenian issue wasn’t a
criterion for membership, it had an indirect effect. This statement
gives the impression that the EU is playing a political game on us.
For this reason, Erdogan should avoid impulsive statements and
behavior. As we get closer to Oct. 3, Europe is using the so-called
Armenian genocide as a trump card, forcing us to make concessions and
present us with a fait accompli. In such a critical period, Ankara
should avoid rash statements which might damage its determined path.

KOCHARYAN WILL CELEBRATE THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE VICTORY IN MOSCOW

A1plus
| 18:00:29 | 06-05-2005 | Official |

On May 7 Robert Kocharyan will leave for Moscow on official duty to
take part in the events of the 60th anniversary of the Victory in the
Great Patriotic War. His delegation will return to Yerevan on May 9.