Author: Vanyan Gary

Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
July 1 2005
Lahoud Says Lebanon Will Face its Requirements
Beirut, July 1 (SANA)
President Emil Lahoud of Lebanon said Lebanon is preparing for a new
stage of the political and national work that could enable it
overcome the recent difficult circumstances.
In a meeting with Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan Friday,
Lahoud underlined `as soon as the Lebanese government is formed there
will be a great workshop to boost the national unity and consolidate
solidarity among the Lebanese to surpass the negative climates
prevailed the parliamentary elections thereby Lebanon could face the
forthcoming regional, internal and international requirements.’
He also underlined his country’s firm principles that call for the
achievement of a just and comprehensive peace based on the
international legitimacy resolutions.
Batoul/ Ghossoun

The Daily News, Lebanon
June 30 2005
Speaker’s re-appointment draws waves of congratulations
By Karine Raad
Daily Star staff
Thursday, June 30, 2005
BEIRUT: The re-election of Nabih Berri to serve a record fourth term
as parliamentary speaker by the newly formed anti-Syrian Parliament
generated a wave of congratulatory reactions by several supporting
forces. However, one unsuccessful candidate in the parliamentary
elections, Ahmad Karami, criticized Berri’s re-election, stressing
that the anti-Syria Parliament eventually elected a pro-Syria
speaker.
“The first treat was given to Speaker Nabih Berri, and the second
will be the release of the Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea from
prison in July,” he said.
The Karamis strongly oppose the release of Geagea, who was accused of
assassinating former Prime Minister Rashid Karami, brother of former
Prime Minister Omar Karami, in 1987.
Meanwhile, Hasbaya-Marjayoun MP Anwar Khalil praised Berri’s speech
during Tuesday’s session after the speaker pledged to introduce
national and comprehensive reforms.
Khalil said Berri’s vows are a turning point in Parliament’s work
because they aim to promote public life and national participation,
in addition to implementing the principle of accountability.
“The concept of reform preached by Berri is a natural development of
his national stands and a promise to restructure the state on
national grounds based on the Constitution and the National Consensus
Pact known as the Taif Accord,” the MP added.
Khalil applauded Berri’s honesty, stressing that the parliamentary
elections incarnated the full partnership between public opinion and
the current Parliament.
“The Resistance, Liberation and Development Bloc will seek to
preserve this partnership not just in South Lebanon but across
Lebanon,” Khalil said.
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Despite being the sole candidate for the post, Berri won 90 votes out
of 128.
The speaker received 36 blank ballots, one MP voted for MP Bassem
Sabaa, a member of key opposition leader Walid Jumblatt’s
parliamentary bloc, whereas former Deputy Speaker Michel Murr left
Parliament before voting started.
On the occasion, the Ramgavar president Hagop Kassardjian urged
Parliament officials to grant the Armenian confession its rights to
access the Cabinet and chair a parliamentary committee just like
other confessions in the country.
Kassardjian congratulated Berri on his victory, pledging to cooperate
with the speaker through the Hariri-backed Future Bloc “to identify
the instigators, planners, perpetrators and accomplices in the
assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and MP Bassel
Fleihan and in the assassination attempt against MP Marwan Hamade.”
Festivities marking Berri’s re-election continued on Wednesday.
In Baalbek, the Amal movement’s representative in the Bekaa, Mohammad
Jibawi, said this victory will be used to continue the work of the
resistance in a bid to free the land and consolidate national unity
and reconciliation.
In Hermel, mukhtars cabled Berri to congratulate him while convoys of
the Amal movement patrolled the streets honking out of joy.
Speaking from Nabatieh, MP Ali Bazzi described Berri as the “security
valve of the country,” stressing that the speaker’s speech will be
the Parliament’s program in the coming phase.
He highlighted the importance of promoting national unity, calling
for transcending bickering and striving to serve the country’s
interests.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

No alternative to OSCE Minsk Group in Karabakh peace talks – Azeri official
Trend news agency
28 Jun 05
Baku, 28 June, Trend correspondent E. Huseynov: Azerbaijan still
sees no alternative to the activities of the OSCE Minsk Group on
settling the Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict over Nagornyy Karabakh,
Novruz Mammadov, the head of the foreign relations department of the
Azerbaijani presidential administration, has told Trend news agency
in an exclusive interview.
“Overall, we are dissatisfied with the Minks Group’s activities,
but the co-chairmen’s interest in the issue has increased recently.
Therefore, in spite of being dissatisfied with their activities,
we said that only the Minsk Group would deal with the issue,”
Mammadov said.
The Minsk Group is a legal body created within the OSCE to settle the
Nagornyy Karabakh conflict, he said. Asked about Azerbaijan’s efforts
to raise the issue in various international organizations, Mammadov
said the following: “All other activities are part of Azerbaijan’s
foreign policy. During all their meetings and visits, at international
forums and within Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijani leadership and the
president are pursuing a policy to gain greater support for the
Azerbaijani position regarding the conflict settlement. Systematic
work is under way in this regard. One of the directions is work
with various bodies, including the Council of Europe, the European
Union and the United Nations. This is all very natural and the work
done with them and certain bodies created within the organizations
– for instance, the OSCE fact-finding mission on resolution of the
Nagornyy Karabakh conflict – and, overall, decisions taken within the
international organizations have a positive impact on the strengthening
of Azerbaijan’s positions. But from the legal and political viewpoints,
the Minsk Group is dealing with the settlement of the conflict.”

JUSTICE BLOC HAS YET TO DECIDE WHETHER TO RETURN TO THE PARLIAMENT OR NOT
A1plus
| 19:31:43 | 27-06-2005 | Politics |
The COE Ministers Council Ago monitoring group, with the German
permanent representative to COE Roland Vegener at the head met the
Justice bloc today. We learned from the leader of the Justice bloc
Stepan Demirchyan that the Ago group was concerned with the realization
of the Constitutional referendum and the adoption of the Constitution.
The members of the Justice bloc claimed that if the agreement reached
in Strasbourg is realized, and the draft Constitution is reformed, it
will be a step forward, but the problems of out country are conditioned
not by the quality of the law but by their non-observance of the laws.
The Ago group persuaded the opposition to return to the Parliament
and to take part in the discussion of the Constitutional reforms
till the second reading. Stepan Demirchyan answered that if the
draft constitution is ready and they are sure that the agreements
reached have been put into practice, they will think about return to
the Parliament.
Stepan Demirchyan also informed that they have raised the issue of the
“Electoral Code” and underlined that the law which enjoys the approval
of the Venice Commission does not secure the stability principle in
the Committees.
The opposition has also spoken about the TV Company “A1+” which has
been deprived of air and informed the group that the no efforts are
made to solve the problem.
Justice bloc leader Stepan Demirchyan, secretary Viktor Dallakyan,
members Grigor Haroutyunyan and member of the Armenian delegation
to PACE Shavarsh Kocharyan took part in the meeting with the Ago
group. “Nationaly Unity” refused to take part in the meeting.

PRESS RELEASE
June26, 2005
Contact at HFH Armenia:
Haykuhi Khachatryan
Aygestan 8-th str, h 5,
Yerevan-025, Armenia
Tel: (374 10) 556-114
e-mail: [email protected]
For the 22nd annual Jimmy Carter Work Project (JCWP), held in Benton
Harbor and Detroit Michigan June 19- 24, 2005 Armenia was selected as
a partner country.

In conjunction with the Jimmy Carter Work Project to take place in
Michigan U.S.A., Armenia has organized several special Building
events: with the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, the
Embassy of the United States in Armenia and, the Armenian Church
leaders serving in Armenia in particular with the Aragatsotn Diocese.

“Building a House, a Community and, a Motherland” this is the slogan
which led each person to participate in the Habitat volunteer movement
taking place from June 20 – 22 in Armenia.
In the idea of volunteerism there is no politicians, it is just an
idea around which people come together to help each other, to help
those in need.
On June 20 Ararat region in Nor Kharberd National Assembly of Armenia
(about 20 people) including president of National Assembly Arthur
Baghdasaryan made opening of volunteer-building movement in Armenia.

“It is very important for us to get involved in the idea to help those
in need” said Arthur Baghdasaryan the president of National Assembly
” I have never done so much for any construction, but today it is a
very special day and we all are very excited to have our contribution
in changing families lives”

June 21 followed with USA Ambassador in Armenia John M. Evans and some
staff members (about 20 people), who joined these buildings events to
have their contribution in Kotayk region village Mayakovski.
“In my country we used to help those in need. Habitat for Humanity
gives us a great opportunity to manage time and be next the families
who need our care” said John Marshal Evans US ambassador in Armenia
“This is one of those organizations which affiliated approximately all
over the world, and it means that one being in any part of the world
could find a place to make his/her volunteer contribution”.

Whole day long the ambassador was working in the sweat of his brow
shoulder to shoulder with the homeowner and very excited of such an
expressive idea of helping those in need.

To bless all the works had been done before and to join all the
volunteers on June 22 Very Rev. Father Torgom monk Tonikyan vicar of
the Aragatsotn dioceses with a group of priests from Aragatsotn
dioceses and Yerevan came to build with homeowners. This build day
was concurrent with the building events in Michigan where the
Catholicos and Supreme Patriarch of All Armenians His Holiness Karekin
II has participated.

“To lend a helping hand to those in need is the moral of Christianity,
never forget about them and always find a place in our prayers for
those in needs” said Father Torgom. “Today we found time for not only
praying but also being next to them, and we also know that today
nearly 6000 people came together for the same idea, then let’s help
those in need”.

The participation of NA Speaker and MPs, USA Embassy, the Aragatsotn
dioceses in this project is a good example for others to support
homeless families. These were of those days when one could feel
him/herself a part of a whole, where regardless of geographical place
you are involved in one idea to help those in need.

To schedule an interview please email Haykuhi Khachatryan,
Communication Coordinator for Habitat for Humanity Armenia
[email protected]. See for more information.
Founded in 1976, Habitat for Humanity International is a
non-denominational Christian, non-governmental, non-profit housing
organization that has helped more than 1000,000 people of all races,
religions and backgrounds to have a simple, decent and affordable
place to live. Habitat for Humanity becomes a global leader in
addressing poverty housing. Habitat for Humanity is active in 100
countries worldwide, including 19 in Europe and Central Asia.
THE END

Azeri president in favour of increasing military spending
ANS TV, Baku
25 Jun 05
[Presenter] The Azerbaijani army is the strongest in the Caucasus,
President Ilham Aliyev has said. Aliyev said military spending will
increase every year. He said this was a response to the relocation of
Russia’s military bases from Georgia to Armenia. Quote, we are taking
the necessary measures to eliminate problems.
[President Aliyev, shown speaking to cadets] In 2003, Azerbaijan’s
military spending totalled 135m dollars. It was 175m dollars in 2004
and 300m dollars in 2005. The military spending has increased by 70
per cent in a year.
We will continue this policy in the future. As you know, the Milli
Maclis [parliament] recently amended the military budget on the basis
of my letter. This is in connection with the fact that Russia is
relocating its bases from Georgia to Armenia. It is true that the
military hardware will not be handed over to Armenia. It will be kept
in Russia’s military bases. But we also know that they are being
relocated to Armenian territory.
So we had to take appropriate measures. We did so immediately and
increased our military spending. Military spending will continue to
increase in the future. As Azerbaijan’s economic potential grows, the
country will resolve all its problems.
The most important issue for us is that the Azerbaijani army should be
strong enough to resolve the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagornyy Karabakh
conflict. Today the Azerbaijani army is the strongest in the South
Caucasus. We have achieved this military supremacy and we should
strengthen it. This supremacy should be stronger. And we will achieve
this as well.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Toledo Blade, OH
June 26 2005
Bravery before and after the war
Some of Bob Dole’s greatest challenges came in his struggle to
recover from injuries sustained in World War II.
( THE BLADE )
By JACK LESSENBERRY
ONE SOLDIER’S STORY. By Bob Dole. Harper Collins. 287 pages. $25.95.
Years ago, when he was getting ready to run for president for the
first time, I spent part of a day with then-Senate Majority Leader
Robert Dole. My strongest memory of him up till then had been that of
the cranky, nasty hatchet man President Gerald Ford chose as his
running mate in 1976.
To my surprise, prickly old Bob Dole turned out to be an incredibly
decent man who was thoughtful and sensitive. The night before, he had
not shown up at a state dinner, and the Washington Post speculated on
whether he was miffed at some position President Reagan had on a
bill, or was delivering a snub to his main rival for the GOP
nomination, George Bush.
But when I asked, he told me it was neither; his wife, Elizabeth, was
out of town, and thanks to the terrible wounds he received in World
War II, he couldn’t put on a tuxedo by himself, `and I know I could
have asked one of my aides, but I’m not the kind of man who can
easily do that.’
Two years later, the vice president easily defeated him for the
nomination, ending his best shot at the White House. By the time he
did get nominated, he was, most voters felt, too old, and running
against a dynamic young president.
Now, years later, Bob Dole has produced a poignant and surprisingly
wonderful book that is mainly about his struggle to recover something
resembling a normal life after being wounded in the war.
This is not a conventional war memoir; he saw, in fact, little
combat. But he was seriously injured in Italy by a shell fragment
that ripped into his back, damaging his spine, three weeks before the
German surrender. He was at first completely paralyzed, and several
times was expected by his doctors to die.
Most felt Mr. Dole would never walk again, or regain the use of his
hands and arms. Yet he never gave up, and spent years fighting to
regain his body. He spent much of that time at what was then Percy
Jones Veterans’ Hospital in Battle Creek, Mich., where he came to
know two other wounded vets, Phil Hart and Daniel Inouye, who both
also became distinguished U.S. senators.
Eventually, thanks to a selfless physician who was a refugee from the
Armenian holocaust, and the donations of friends and neighbors in
tiny Russell, Kansas, Mr. Dole managed – after a long series of
complex, painful operations – to regain enough use of one arm to
function.
He went on to a highly distinguished career, but he wisely left
virtually all of that out of this book, which is special because it
speaks for perhaps the most neglected group of World War II veterans:
the severely disabled who, in virtually every case I have known
about, refused to give up. `Patience is an acquired trait, and I’ve
spent a lifetime impatiently trying to acquire it,’ he says, in
typical homespun, pithy, self-deprecating fashion.
`But few things will cause you to stop and focus on the moment, as
well as on the big picture, more than not being able to get out of
bed for six months; not feed yourself for more than a year. You learn
perhaps the toughest lesson in life: to wait … with a faith to
endure.’
He had that, all right. What is surprising is, in this short book he
seems to have captured perfectly what it was like to be a small-town
boy who grew up during the Depression, went off to war, and then came
home to cope with a daily challenge perhaps greater than any military
battle.
The story of how he did it is deeply inspiring. When this book went
to press Bob Dole was nearly 82, and was recovering from a nasty fall
that had left him, again, temporarily immobile.
Yet he was itching to get back on the road. `When you stop dreaming
about the future, and quit looking for new projects to do, you dry up
like a prune, and life becomes boring. I want to keep going and
growing.’
This may be the surprise blue-ribbon winner in all the books marking
the anniversary of the end of World War II this summer.
Unfortunately, it does nothing to clear up the two great mysteries
remaining about the life of Robert J. Dole. One is, why in the world
this distinguished statesman allowed himself to be made into a
pitchman for Viagra.
More significantly, reading this book I wondered what would have
happened if the senator had found the time to write his gripping,
warmly personal story in 1985? Might it have established a very
different kind of connection between America and Bob Dole?
My own belief is that he could well have been president. What Robert
J. Dole became instead was an authentic hero, in uniform and out,
which may, in the greater scheme of things, turn out to have been
even better.

Agence France Presse — English
June 25, 2005 Saturday 3:02 PM GMT
Opposition protests in Azerbaijan’s capital
BAKU June 25
About 1,500 supporters of Azerbaijan’s opposition joined a
demonstration in the capital Baku on Saturday to demand that
parliamentary elections planned for November will be free and fair.
The demonstrators, who represented some of Azerbaijan’s smaller but
more radical opposition groups, chanted “resign” to the ruling
government of President Ilham Aliyev.
Protestors threatened to launch permanent street protests if a list
of demands — including halving the 11,000-dollar registration fee
required for candidates to participate — is not fulfilled within a
month.
“The authorities must carry out democratic reforms or they will force
us to stage a revolution, in accordance with the constitution,” said
Iskander Gamidov, the leader of Azerbaijan’s National Democratic
Party, and a former political prisoner.
Protesters also demanded that authorities reverse their policy of
negotiations in relation to the separatist Nagorno Karabakh region,
which Azerbaijan lost to Armenian forces in an early 1990s war.
“We must go to war to liberate our lands and return them at the cost
of blood and the loss of life,” Gamidov said through a loudspeaker.
Public gatherings such as this one had been prevented from taking
place by the regime since contested presidential elections in 2003
ended in rioting in which two people died. Azerbaijan recently lifted
the unofficial ban on protests under Western pressure.
Earlier attempts at holding opposition rallies were violently quashed
by the police, notably in May when scores of protestors were beaten
and arrested after trying to march in central Baku.
Human rights observers have accused Aliyev’s government of using mass
arrests, as well as torture, to quell opposition.

Pan Armenian News
ABDULLAH GUL: NO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE IN TURKEY’S HISTORY
24.06.2005 06:34
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ We are astonished at the fact that a theme like the
Armenian Genocide was included in the German political agenda’, Turkish
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul stated, Rheinischer Merkur reported. In his
words, German politicians should not have done it. `It a great injustice not
only in respect to Turkey but also to the Turks living in Germany. There was
no Armenian Genocide in the history of Turkey, moreover attitude towards
Armenians was vary loyal’, Gul said. In his words, Russians incited
Armenians against the Empire and as result there emerged a necessity of
resettling the Armenian population. However this resettlement was not
forcible, Turks even covered the expenses of the journey and any violation
was immediately suppressed. `We stated publicly that the historical
commission composed of Turkish and Armenian scientists as well as scientists
from other countries should investigate our archives. Turkey has nothing to
conceal’, Abdullah Gul stated.

CIS unified air defence system also fights terrorism – Russian minister
ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow
24 Jun 05
DUSHANBE
Some 70 per cent of all the expenditure of the Council of Defence
Ministers of CIS member states is annually allocated for the
improvement and development of the unified air defence system of the
CIS. This was announced today by Russian Defence Minister Sergey
Ivanov after a session of the CIS Council of Defence Ministers.
The minister particularly stressed that “the unified air defence
system should not be understood in the utilitarian sense, as it not
only ensures air defence but also makes it possible to tackle
antiterrorist tasks and support the aviation of the Commonwealth in
the event of unscheduled and emergency situations”.
Development of the unified air defence system of the Commonwealth was
at the centre of attention at the session of the CIS Council of
Defence Ministers, which was held in the capital of Tajikistan. In
particular, the main directions for the development of the unified air
defence system of the CIS for the years 2006-2010 were discussed.
Ivanov told journalists that the first stage of the Combat
Commonwealth-2005 joint exercises of CIS air defence forces began
today at the Russian military range at Telmba (in Chita Region).
“The council approved the concept of the exercises, according to which
its participants practise jointly using national air defence forces
and means in the collective security regions in Eastern Europe, the
Caucasus and Central Asia,” the minister noted.
The first stage will continue until 10 July with the participation of
large units and units of the air force and air defence of the Baltic
Fleet and of the air defence forces of Belarus. “The second stage,” –
the minister continued, “will take place from 5 to 12 August at the
Kazakh military range at Sary-Shagan. Its participants will be large
units and units of air defence forces of Kazakhstan and of air defence
troops of Kyrgyzstan”.
The third stage of the exercises will take place from 22 to 31 August
(the active phase – live firing – on 30 August) at the Russian
military range at Ashuluk (Astrakhan Region). “During this stage
multilateral combat cooperation will be practised by the Armenian air
defence troops, the Belarusian air force and air defence troops, the
Russian air force and the Tajik air defence troops. Representatives
of air defence forces of Kazakhstan will take part as observers,”
Sergey Ivanov noted.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress