Author: Torgomian Varazdat

D-Day near for GM
Toledo Blade, OH
Aug 1 2006
AUTOMOTIVE insiders mostly have disdain for investor Kirk Kerkorian’s
efforts to force General Motors into an alliance with Nissan and
Renault. The old coot doesn’t know what he is talking about, they say.
The conventional wisdom is that the turnaround plan set by GM’s Rick
Wagoner needs more time. That might make sense, until you look at
the numbers.
This is a company that has been in so much trouble for so long that
Americans have become almost numb to the terrible shape it is in -and
how badly it has been managed.
Last week there were actually headlines that treated as good news
the fact that the shrinking auto maker lost only $3.2 billion in the
second quarter. This is a company, remember, that lost almost $11
billion last year, or almost a million dollars an hour.
Kirk Kerkorian, on the other hand, knows how to take risks that
somehow end up making money, not losing it.
He flew unarmed bombers across the Atlantic during World War II’s
Battle of Britain for $1,000 a trip. The penniless son of refugees
from the Armenian Holocaust, Mr. Kerkorian then went on to make
billions building hotels and resorts in Las Vegas.
Whatever else you think of him, you have to have a touch of admiration
for a man vigorous and healthy enough that he is trying to gain
control of a major American corporation – at age 89.
Whether his proposed international alliance makes any sense, there
is little or no excuse for the state of GM’s management, especially
given that the company went through a similar crisis in the early
1990s. That time, a desperate board eventually turned to Procter &
Gamble’s John Smale, a one-time toothpaste salesman, to bail them out.
The present crisis is worse. In the second quarter alone, GM’s world
market share went from 15.1 percent to 13.8 percent. In the United
States, its share of auto sales is almost in free fall.
Back in the 1960s, more than half of all cars sold in the country
were GM-made. Today, they are under 24 percent, and the Chinese are
on their way with another competitive threat.
When one looks at General Motors, it’s hard to imagine that even a
bunch of former Soviet collective farm managers could have done a
worse job of positioning a major corporation for the future.
Kirk Kerkorian may not have all the answers, but this much is clear:
his track record is a lot better.
And at General Motors, something has got to give.

Azerbaijan: Caucasus powder keg
The Halifax Chronicle Herald, Nova Scotia (Canada)
July 30 2006
Strategic country on the East-West fault line sets its sights on
better ties with the West as it prepares for new oil wealth and fresh
conflicts with neighbours
By SCOTT TAYLOR Special to The NovaScotian
‘WE WERE engaged in heavy fighting with Armenian troops near my home
village of Lachin when a mortar shell hit my friend’s trench. When I
got to him I saw that his belly had been ripped open by the shrapnel
and he was screaming in mortal pain. He died in my arms as I tried
to stuff his intestines back inside him.”
At this point the storyteller suddenly goes silent as he relives the
horror of that experience, which occurred nearly 14 years ago. Now
37, Gurhan Iliyev was just a 23-year-old sergeant in the Azerbaijan
civil defence force when war erupted with Armenia in 1992. With
the international media focused at that time on the break-up of the
former Yugoslavia and the genocide in Rwanda, this border dispute in
the Caucasus region got very little news coverage in North America.
Yet it was a brutal clash spanning 24 months that left 30,000 dead
(mostly civilians), 100,000 wounded and nearly one million people
forced from their homes. Armenia and Azerbaijan were both former
republics of the Soviet Union and were formally granted (along with
Georgia) their independence in May 1992. All three republics were
allocated the same amount of Soviet military material to form their
own independent armies.
Within the recognized borders of Azerbaijan there is a mountainous
region known as Nagorno-Karabakh where a sizeable Armenian minority
resided. Taking advantage of Azerbaijan’s post-independence political
disorder, the Armenian army entered the territory in 1992.
“We fought back, but our local defence battalion was short of heavy
weaponry – we had only two trucks and 650 men,” said Iliyev. “The
Armenians were well equipped and they were assisted by the Russian 366
Motorized Rifle Regiment. As a result, we took enormous casualties.”
After completely securing the region, the Armenians continued to push
into Azerbaijan. Ethnic Azeris were forcibly removed from the newly
occupied territories.
Having successfully ousted his political rivals, then-president Heydar
Aliyev was able to solidify his leadership of Azerbaijan in 1993 and
ordered creation of a formal army to deal with the crisis situation
in Nagorno-Karabakh. Within 12 months the Azeris had managed to train
and field six full infantry brigades, and their deployment to the
front reversed the Armenian advances.
“In one offensive in the south we were able to recapture 12 villages
occupied by the Armenians,” said Maj.-Gen. Ramiz Najafov, one of the
key architects of the fledgling Azerbaijani army. “While in the north
we were able to destroy an entire Armenian regiment in just three
days of heavy fighting.”
The campaign became a stalemate, and a ceasefire was signed in 1994.
After the ceasefire, Armenian forces fortified their positions in the
occupied Azerbaijani territories; the Azeris built trenches around
the disputed region and the root causes for the conflict remained
unresolved. What had been a little-regarded war would soon become an
almost completely forgotten, but still simmering, flashpoint.
My discussion with Gurhan Iliyev took place at a pleasant outdoor
restaurant close to the train station in Saatly, southern Azerbaijan.
In the company of two other Canadian journalists and escorted by
officials from the foreign ministry, we had been brought to the city
to observe firsthand the ongoing plight of the nearly 800,000 Azeris
who were forcibly displaced during the 1992-94 war.
Across the tracks from this restaurant is a four-kilometre stretch
of railway boxcars, which serve as temporary homes for some 2,000
Azeri internally displaced persons.
There is minimal privacy because on average, two families share a
single boxcar. Even after 14 years of continuous residence, there
are few comforts.
“Every (displaced person) is entitled to a monthly ration, which
includes flour, rice, sugar and oil,” said Senan Huseynov, the
Azerbaijani director for refugees. “On top of that they receive an
allowance of 30,000 manats ($8 Cdn) per month to purchase meat and
other foodstuffs.”
As well the Saatly boxcar compound we visited a camp of crudely
constructed mud brick houses, home to about 10,000. The standard
layout for these shelters is three tiny rooms totalling 240 square
feet of space and housing up to seven people. The luckiest of the
refugees are now being relocated into custom-built compounds complete
with community centres and medical clinics.
These new housing developments are still intended to be temporary.
The displaced Azeris remain in virtual limbo – pawns in a political
process that has been bogged down for 12 years.
When the 1994 ceasefire was first brokered, the Organization of
Security and Co-operation in Europe established the Minsk Group to
oversee and monitor the agreements. To date the United Nations has
passed a total of four resolutions calling upon the Armenians to
withdraw their military from the occupied territories as a first step
to resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh situation.
That was supposed to be followed by the resettlement of the displaced
people into their former homes.
With no threat of any international military force being deployed to
enforce these resolutions, the Armenians have refused to pull back
their forces.
Fact-finding missions and the security organization continually
report that the Armenians continue to destroy Azeri infrastructure
while building their own facilities inside the occupied territories
in flagrant violation of the ceasefire.
One of the main roadblocks to settling this crisis is that both
Azerbaijan and Armenia refuse to budge on a referendum on the
future state of Nagorno-Karabakh. The Armenians want any decision on
self-determination to be limited to people who live in the region. If
Azeris are returned to the area before such a vote, the Armenians
would still represent about a 3:1 majority in Nagorno-Karabakh. The
Azerbaijani position is that any such referendum must be decided
by all 8.5 million residents of the country, which would certainly
reject any separation of the territory.
Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov recently conceded that Azerbaijan
would grant Karabakh the “highest level of autonomy in exchange for an
immediate withdrawal.” But the Minsk Group has grown frustrated with
the lack of any real progress. In a statement released earlier this
month, U.S. co-chairman Matthew Bryza chided both the Armenian and
Azerbaijani presidents for their failure to make any concessions.
In response to the OSCE report, the Azerbaijani president said
he remains “committed to peace, but he cannot accept the current
situation.”
To up the political ante, Azerbaijan has embarked on a massive
military build-up.
“By next year we will have doubled our defence budget up to a total
of $1.2 billion (U.S.),” said Maj.-Gen. Najafov. “We will be spending
the equivalent of the entire Armenian federal budget just on defence.”
While such a build-up would certainly change the regional strategic
balance, international observers say this posturing is a long way
from resulting in war. “Most of the money being spent is to increase
their own salaries, not to add to their tactical capability,” said
one Baku diplomat.
“They are not out purchasing attack helicopters right now, but if
they start to do that we’ll know they’re serious about settling this
by forceful means.”
That is not to say that the international community takes the
Nagorno-Karabakh situation lightly. The same diplomat summarized the
crisis as being mistakenly identified as a frozen conflict. “There
are tens of thousands of soldiers equipped with tanks manning trenches
and occasionally shooting at each other,” he said.
“When people are being killed, it is difficult to say the conflict
is frozen.”
Next week: A new oil pipeline has raised the stakes, and Azerbaijan
struggles to westernize. Scott Taylor is a columnist for The Chronicle
Herald and editor in chief of the military affairs magazine Esprit de
Corps. First of a two-part series by The Chronicle Herald’s military
affairs columnist.
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PanARMENIAN.Net
Baku: Azerbaijan Will Not Be Ready to Military Operation in Karabakh
before 2008
29.07.2006 15:00 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict by
force is realistic in principle, stated political commentator of the
Zerkalo newspaper Rauf Mirkadyrov. In his words, this has to be a
short-term campaign. «Everyone knows that international interests
often conflict. There sometimes are forces interested in escalation of
conflicts. Exactly those forces can slow down, weaken the
international response. On these days we observe that trend in the
Middle East. While the US slows down the speed of making decisions in
international organizations, e.g. the UN, Israel is attaining its
goal. Thus, everything is possible,» he believes. In the commentator’s
opinion, in case of launching hostilities in Karabakh, Azerbaijan has
to determine its military potential and assess the international
situation. «Azerbaijan’s military budget currently exceeds that of
Armenia several times, however these were equal in 2003. I do not
think that within the past 3 years we were able to considerably
strengthen our army at the expense of additional funds. I do not thing
that before 2008 we will be ready to a military operation like that,»
he said, reports Analitika.az.
We note that according to the data of Azerbaijan’s Military Prosecutor
Hanlar Veliyev, 15 desertion cases were registered in the Azeri army
within the past 6 months.

DeFacto Agency, Armenia
July 28, 2006
BEAT JEWS – SAVE AZERBAIJAN
Azerbaijan’s National Democratic Party leader Iskender Hamidov made a
statement, in which he charged the Jews with creeping annexation
against Azerbaijan. The Azeri gray wolves’ leader, in part,
complained of the fact that `almost all areas of land in the northern
regions of the country – Guba, Gusary and Khachmaz’ belong to the
Jews, `and they succeed in seizing other treasures of our country as
well’. We do not know to what gender and tribe Hamidov himself
belongs, who is well known in Karabakh under the nickname `a wolf,
which eats children’, in any case, whoever he is he should have known
that Guba, Gusary and Khachmaz have never been the Azeri territories.
The lands had belonged to the Lezgins, Avarians and Tsakhurs long
time before the Turks appeared in the region. As it is said, the
Turks are asked not to worry. Comprehending `national – democracy’
expression in a peculiar way, Hamidov charges the Jews with all
current troubles of Azerbaijan. He alleges that the Azeri historians,
realizing the Zionists’ order, `affirm that the mountain Jews of
Azerbaijan are our country’s native inhabitants. Thus, they are
preparing the ground to lay further claims to our country’. I have to
upset a wolf with the fangs torn by the deceased Aliyev: the mountain
Jews, former Khazars, really appeared in Azerbaijan a few centuries
before the Turks. The Jews and Turks had to go there because of
natural-climatic cataclysms. A part of Khazars turned into Denme
Tats, another part is registered as the mountain Jews. If Hamidov has
got literate assistants, they will help him to find the Jewish sites
in Internet, where it’s explained clearly enough even for wolves to
understand that Tats and mountain Jews are one nation.
However, Hamidov pounces on the word `Jew’, like a wolf on raw meat.
For him the Tat is an incomprehensible phenomenon. Meanwhile, the
Tats and mountain Jews have always been at the progressive front of
the struggle for Azerbaijan’s Turkization. The scientists –
historians Sysoev, Yampolski, Polonski; politicians Khan Khoyski, M.
J. Bagirov, A. Mutalibov – each of them contributed to the
Turkization of an artificial state formation in the east of
Trans-Caucasus.
Nowadays Turkish nationalism has appeared on the territory, striking
representative of which is mangy Hamidov. He considers that,
according to the plan of Washington and Tel Aviv, `after the
occupation of Syria and Iran the Israelites will take up Azerbaijan’.
Perhaps, to precipitate the realization of the plan Azerbaijan sends
oil to Israel. Or is I. Aliyev a Jew as well? As far as I know, both
Aliyev and Chairs of SOCAR and Azersun are Kurds. If the Jews are
relevant to Azerbaijan’s oil business, then only in gray Hamidov’s
fevered imagination.
The little wolf’s resume made me really happy: `If two soldiers were
stolen in Israel, then in Azerbaijan 24 servicemen were stolen only
last year, it is time to open hostilities with Armenia’.
I confess that I know nothing about 24 or any stolen Azeri soldiers.
However, I hope that if the `time’ really comes, Hamidov will leave
his Baku apartments and will be among his own soldiers. The Karabakh
people remember and wait for him.
Levon MELIK-SHAHNAZARYAN

Armavia Disagrees with Inter-State Aviation Committee Conclusion on Causes of A-320 Crash
PanARMENIAN.Net
27.07.2006 16:54 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armavia Armenian national carrier disagreed with
the conclusion of the Inter-State Aviation Committee on the causes of
A-320 crash over the Black Sea on May 3, 2006. Company owner Mikhail
Baghdasarov stated he disagreed with the conclusion of the Inter-State
Aviation Committee, according to which the liner crew was considered
guilty of the death of 113 passengers. “The Inter-State Aviation
Committee conclusion can be appealed against,” he said.
Besides, a representative of the Central Board of Civil Aviation
of Armenia stated that, “the Inter-State Aviation Committee had
probably made a political decision and Armenia has nothing to add
to it.” Yesterday, after making public the official outcomes of the
research of the causes of A-320 crash, the Central Board of Civil
Aviation agreed with the decision of Inter-State Aviation Committee
specialists.
We remind that July 26 Russian Minister of Transport Igor Levitin,
who leads the Government Commission for investigation of causes of
crash Armavia’s A-320, called crew mistake as the cause of the plane
collapse, Gazeta.Ru writes.

DAVID HAROUTIUNIAN: ARMENIAN JUDGES WILL HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL IN ACCEPTING GIFTS
AZG Armenian Daily #140, 27/07/2006
Judiciary Reforms
>From now on the Armenian judges will have to be very careful in
accepting gifts, Armenian Justice Minister David Haroutyunian said
during a press-conference today.He said that the Justice Ministry
16-member working group set up in Mar 2006 has already drafted a
package of court system reforms. One of the key points is that the
Armenian judges must abstain from accepting any kinds of gifts. They
can do this only during weddings, their own birthdays and birthdays
of their relatives but then too they should report on gifts to the
Commission on Ethics. Haroutyunian said that from now on the first
instance courts will specialize in criminal, economic and other
cases. The Economic Court will be dissolved, the Court of Cassation
divided into two chambers of three judges each. From now on it will
be the authority of the Council of Justice to announce vacancies
and to test applicants for judges. Of 25 judges passing the exam
the Council will select 16 ones and will submit the list for the
President’s approval. However, they will enter into their offices
only after completing a 1.5-year training course at special School of
Judges.Haroutyunian said that judges have no right to have private
businesses or to hold some paid position. They must be politically
neutral and not affiliated to any party. They can take part in
elections only as voters or electoral commissioners.
At the same time, Haroutyunian refused to comment on his future
political activities saying that this was not the topic of the
discussion.
By Nana Petrosian

Armenia to provide humanitarian assistance to Lebanon
ArmRadio.am
26.07.2006 17:08
Acording to RA Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan’s instruction,
consultations dedicated to the possibility of providing humanitarian
assistance to Lebanon were held in the Government. In the rsult of
teh discussions it was decided to provide medicine, equipments and
tents to Lebanon.
It was noted during the consultations taht up to now 550 Armenians
have arrived from Lebanon and 54 from Israel. It is expected that
another 120 will arrive tomorrow with a charter flight. Most of the
emigrants are Armenian citizens.

Armenian Film Festival to Be Held in San Paolo
PanARMENIAN.Net
25.07.2006 16:27 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Ararat: Armenian and Diaspora Cinema Masters Film
Festival will be held in San Paolo, Brazil. The event marks the the
15th anniversary of Armenia’s independence. Films by Sergey Paradjanov,
Vigen Chaldranyan, Albert Lazarian and Ruben Kochar will be screened
at the Festival. Atom Egoyan, Henry Vernoy and Robert Keshishyan will
represent the Armenian Diaspora at the event. A total of 11 pictures
will be screened.
The Festival is organized with participation of the Armenian Consulate
General in Brazil, Armenian Ministry of Culture and San Paolo Culture
Center. Armenia: a Country of Ancestors exhibition by Norayr Shahinyan
young photographer from Brazil will also open at the Center. 30 photos
out of more than 10 thousand shot in Armenia in 2004 will be shown,
reports the Press Service of the Armenian MFA.

Azerbaijan Was Major Aggressor in Karabakh Conflict
PanARMENIAN.Net
26.07.2006 13:25 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenians of Karabakh have the right to decide their
future, Vice-speaker of the UK House of Lords, Baroness Caroline Cox
stated in Yerevan. In her words, Azerbaijan was the major aggressor
in the Karabakh conflict and committed serious crimes against human
rights when perpetrating ethnic cleansings of Armenians in Karabakh.
“I cannot advise what to do, the people themselves should decide
what the most important thing for them. I just support any action
that could lead to the resolution of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict,”
she said, reported Novosti Armenia.

Armenian PM confirms Yerevan’s commitment to peaceful settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
July 22, 2006
Author: Mammadov
Andronik Markaryan, Armenian Prime Minister, confirmed Yerevan’s
commitment to peaceful settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. “We
remain the adherents of peaceful settlement”, he said, speaking today
at special Õ congress of Republican Party of Armenia he is heading.
770 delegates at the congress are discussing changes in the party
charter and program.
The proposals package recently put forward by co-chairmen of OSCE
Minsk Group stipulates Armenian forces withdrawal from occupied Azeri
grounds and bringing peacemaking forces to the region, Armenian Prime
Minister said.
He highly appraised the efforts of said co-chairmen and said he
hoped that their activity would positively influence Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict settlement, ITAR-TASS reports.
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