Author: Vardapetian Ophelia

PYUNIK HAVE WON THE LAST FIVE ARMENIAN TITLES
by Khachik Chakhoyan

uefa.com, Switzerland
Aug. 14, 2006

With Armenian sides’ involvement in Europe over for another year,
the focus has returned to domestic football where FC Pyunik look to
be running away with the title.

Running away
After 15 games, Samvel Petrosyan’s Pyunik are already 13 points clear
of second-placed FC MIKA. Having decided not to strengthen their
squad during the one-month break for European competition games,
Pyunik blooded some players from their feeder club in their most
recent game but still managed to maul FC Gandzasar Kapan 5-1.

MIKA second
Second placed MIKA hold the unique honour of having beaten Pyunik
twice this season, but since those victories came in the Armenian
Cup and Armenian Super Cup, they have had no bearing on the title race.

Attacking midfielder Davit Grigoryan has returned to the club from
Kazakh side FC Yesil Bogatyr Petropavlovsk but results have been mixed.

Mixed results
Grigoryan showed his potential as he scored his side’s only goal in
the 4-1 aggregate defeat against Swiss side BSC Young Boys in the
UEFA Cup first qualifying round, although the attacking midfielder
could not find the target at FC Shirak in the most recent league
game. That 0-0 draw gave FC Banants the chance to take second place
but they missed their cue, losing 3-0 at FC Ararat Yerevan.

Banants gloom
It was a sign of the times for Banants who have made drastic changes
following their away goals defeat by Georgian side FC Ameri Tbilisi in
the first qualifying round of the UEFA Cup. The club have offloaded
Sergey Sizikhin and Olexandr Dyndikov while signing forward Viktor
Arefev from FC Olympik Donetsk and midfielder Aleksandr Khistev from
FC Naftan Novopolotsk.

Ararat changes
Ararat have also made significant changes in recent weeks following
Varuzhan Sukiasyan’s appointment as coach. Brothers Nshan and Sergey
Erzrumyan, previously the strike force at FC Kilikia, have boosted
their forward line, with Nshan scoring twice on his debut against
Banants. Meanwhile, Kilikia will experiment with young players for
the remainder of the campaign.

Ulis experiment
At the foot of the table, FC Ulis Yerevan are also hoping to give
youth a chance having released experienced player Ararat Harutyunyan
and Karen Egiazaryan. They have taken Gevorg Nranyan and Artur Agasyan
on loan from Pyunik but will need to steady their nerves if they are
to avoid relegation.

RABBIT-EARED ROBOT DEBUTS
By Astrid Wendlandt; Reuters News Agency

The Toronto Star
August 14, 2006 Monday

In the evolution of electronic companions, first came the speaking
doll, then the Tamagotchi virtual pet, then Sony’s short-lived
AIBO dog.

Now, it could be the dawn of the Wi-Fi rabbit era.

The plastic bunny with ears like TV antennae can read out emails and
mobile phone text messages, tell children to go to bed, alert one
to a stock collapse and give traffic updates by receiving Internet
feeds via a wireless Wi-Fi network.

The bunny, which stands 23 centimetres tall and has a white cone-like
body that lights up when it speaks, is called Nabaztag, which means
rabbit in Armenian, its creator’s mother tongue. It can also wiggle
its ears and sing songs.

"If I send a text message to my wife and she is busy cooking, she will
hear it without having to check her mobile," said a Paris-based telecom
analyst at an international brokerage, who did not wish to be named.

French entrepreneur Rafi Haladjian, who conceived the idea, says the
rabbit sometimes carries more sway over children than their parents and
can help men who have misbehaved win forgiveness from angry partners.

"It is sad, but true," he said.

Nabaztag costs 115 euros ($148) in France, 80 pounds ($152) in Britain
and $150 in the United States. It is made in Shenzhen, China.

Since its market debut last year, 50,000 Nabaztags have been sold in
France, Britain, Belgium and Switzerland, and Haladjian hopes to sell
150,000 by the end of this year.

The businessman is now looking to conquer the United States, where he
only has a tiny presence, and is gearing up for the December holiday
shopping season.

Last December, Haladjian appeared on CNN for three minutes and received
350,000 online information requests.

"The only problem was that we had zero bunnies, we had sold them all
already and we had not even started selling them in the United States
yet," he said.

The rabbit is made by French company Violet, 55 per cent owned by
Haladjian and 30 per cent by Banexi Ventures, a private equity arm
of French bank BNP Paribas.

Paul Jackson, an analyst at research house Forrester, is among
several analysts who predict the Nabaztag will find favour among the
well-heeled and technology-savvy as it benefits from the spread of
Wi-Fi networks around the globe.

Wi-Fi technology is the latest must-have in many mass-market consumer
goods, from mobile phones to personal digital assistants, laptops
and TV set-top boxes. In Western Europe’s seven largest markets,
on average about 6 per cent of households have a Wi-Fi home network
while in the United States, the rate is between 12 and 14 per cent,
according to Forrester.

Nabaztag, which performs basic tasks, relies on relatively simple
technology – Wi-Fi and online software and filters.

Analysts say one of the reasons Sony’s AIBO dog was discontinued this
year was that its technology was too complex and the robotic animal
too pricey.

But some say simplicity can also be a weakness in a sophisticated
market where some want all the latest bells and whistles.

"The problem with targeting this tech elite is that they are very
fickle," said Jackson.

Tamagotchi fell out of favour with many children after a while because
its functions were repetitive, analysts say.

Haladjian says the key to Nabaztag’s longevity will be constant
innovation and finding new applications as the Internet evolves. But
competition is heating up.

Ambient Devices, a spin-off from the Media Lab at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, is one of several rivals putting
Internet-based communicating devices on the market.

Ambient sells a lamp ball that glows different colors to display
real-time stock market trends, weather and pollen forecasts for $150,
excluding shipping costs.

GRAPHIC: BENOIT TESSIER reuters Rafi Haladjian with his company’s
creation, a plastic bunny with ears like TV antennae. The robot
can read out emails and text messages, tell children to go to bed,
or alert one to a stock collapse by receiving Wi-Fi.

KAREKIN II DECORATED WITH RUSSIAN "FRIENDSHIP" ORDER

Noyan Tapan
Aug 09 2006

MOSCOW, YEREVAN, AUGUST 9, NOYAN TAPAN. By RF President Vladimir
Putin’s decree, Karekin II Catholicos of All Armenians was decorated
with the "Friendship" order. According to the Kremlin information
service, the order was awarded to the Armenian Catholicos for his
contribution in the affair of developing and strengthening the
Russian-Armenian friendly relations.

ARMENIAN PAPER SCOFFS AT WEST’S STANCE ON KARABAKH SETTLEMENT

Armenian newspaper 168 Zham, Yerevan
3 Aug 06

Excerpt from report by Armen Bagdasaryan in Armenian newspaper 168
Zham on 3 August headlined "The unsettled conflict is only an argument"

For the first time in 12 years since the process of settlement of
the Karabakh conflict has started, the West says that the Armenian
and Azerbaijani authorities do not in fact want to reach final peace
because the unsettled conflict gives them an opportunity to use it as
an argument to postpone democratic reforms. In other words, the West
makes public the fact which Armenian and Azerbaijani societies knew
long time ago. Of course, it does not mean that the West has realized
this now. But they decided to make this public today. That is to say,
an emphasis of the world community has changed.

If previously the world community used to persuade us that in case
of final settlement of the conflict Armenia and Azerbaijan will have
huge economic benefits, today instead of economic benefits they
suggest democracy to us: settle the conflict and your states will
become really democratic. We have a vicious circle: the conflict
will not be resolved until Armenia and Azerbaijan are democratic,
but on the other hand, our states will not become democratic until
the conflict is resolved. What to do?

The point is that up to now the world community has not said why the
negotiations that have been lasting for 12 years yield no results.
The problem is not in difference of approaches or a dispute over the
stage-by-stage or the package option for the settlement. The problem
is that purposes of the two sides are absolutely different. The
position of the Armenian side is known: Karabakh should not be ruled
directly from Azerbaijan, it should have international guarantees
of security and a reliable ground link with Armenia. The position
of the Azerbaijani side is also known: Armenians should not live in
Karabakh, although this position has not been officially announced.
[Passage omitted: in Soviet times late Azerbaijani President Heydar
Aliyev managed to expel Armenians from the exclave of Naxcivan but
failed to do the same in Karabakh.]

Briefly, the purposes are absolutely contradictory, and it is clear
that it will be impossible to reach settlement in this case. Thus, we
should first agree on purposes. We are sure that the world community
should try to coordinate the purposes. That is to say, it should be
said that Armenians live in Karabakh and will continue to live there.
What is necessary should be discussed only after that. For instance,
it should be discussed whether Armenians’ secure life in Karabakh
is possible without a status of an independent state and without
a reliable ground link with Armenia; if full military and economic
security is possible without an army, constitution, own currency and
so on. [Passage omitted: reiteration]

As for democracy, it in fact has nothing to do with the "neither
war nor peace" situation. Israel, which has been in the situation of
a permanent war for 60 years, is a democratic state. It is another
problem that our authorities do not want to see this example. One
can understand them though: a son of a senior Israeli official was
wounded in a military operation several days ago. An example of this
kind could hardly encourage our authorities.

Guelph Tribune, Ontario, Canada
Aug 4, 2006

Role reversal for duo making movie in city

Virginia McDonald, Guelph

Videomaker Glen Curtis (left) and director Carlo Essagian at West End
Community Centre.

When Guelph director Carlos Essagian rolled the cameras here last
week it was a case of role reversal for Conan Doyle’s Lost World star
Michael Sinelnikoff.

Twenty years ago, Essagian took a course in television close-ups with
the British character actor, who’s also a Montreal-based producer and
teacher. They kept in touch.

Essagian went on to rack up his own credits in Hollywood and Canadian
film and TV, most recently in Atom Agoyan’s Ararat.

Essagian moved here five years ago, changed his scripts to showcase
Guelph, and offered his former teacher a cameo in a short film called
Driver’s Test.

"I said, ‘You’re bringing me all the way from Montreal for one
line?’" jokes Sinelnikoff as he relaxes on the set. "He said, ‘Yes,
and it better be a good one.’"

Asked if he’s ready for his close-up, Sinelnikoff, whose series still
screens worldwide, quips that he isn’t sure he’s getting one.

Guelph, however, is showcased, in an opening aerial shot courtesy of
local Talon Productions. Driver’s Test is shot the back parking lot
of West End Community Centre by Guelph videomaker Glen Curtis. It
follows an octogenarian’s fears and frustrations as he re-takes his
driver’s test with the same examiner who flunked him, even though
he’s vowed to never drive again.

"He didn’t want society to make the decision," says Essagian, who
based the story on his own father’s experience and also stars as the
driver’s son.

"I woke up one morning and the film was already written in my head,"
says Essagian, who figures the humour will also appeal to aging
boomer drivers who will be also be at the mercy of someone half their
age.

"Carlos has shown me a couple of short films he did. They’re really
quite excellent. It’s obvious he has talent," says Sinelnikov, who
plays another furious, flunked-out senior driver in the film.

"I’m going to park my butt here. They can stick their driver’s
licence up their arse," interjects actor Dean Hagopian, still in his
driver’s character as he takes a seat.

His long list of film and television credits range from co-star and
principal roles to smaller parts in well-known productions such as
Denys Arcand’s acclaimed Jesus of Montreal.

In the TV movie Little Gloria Happy at Last (true story of the
custody battle over heiress Gloria Vanderbilt) Hagopian served papers
to Angela Lansbury, the formidable aunt Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney.

"I tripped on a cable and fell head first into her bosom." It was
worth it, he says, to play a scene with Lansbury.

The Ottawa-Montreal Hagopian hails from Galt, "I still can’t bring
myself around to calling it Cambridge," he says, and draws the
Armenian he uses in the film from his father, "who never drove,
didn’t ride a bicycle. He walked to work."

The city Hagopian can’t stand to call Cambridge has its own film
liaison office at city hall, as does Kitchener-Waterloo and Acton.
This year a $12,000 budget request from Guelph’s economic development
department to set up such an office to promote the city as a film
site wasn’t granted. The request is on the books for 2007.

Meanwhile, the department’s marketing and research coordinator
Jennifer Peleschak is pulling together a web page that will include
films, TV productions and commercials already filmed here, potential
locations and a link to the Ontario Media Development Corporation,
which provides incentives for film companies to shoot outside the
Greater Toronto Area. "Toronto directors love us because we’re so
close," says Peleschak. She’s also excited about Guelph’s talent
including Essagian, who has two more projects planned practically
acted out the entire short for her when he approached the city.

Sinelnikov, the first director of Cirque de Soleil, is working on his
own film, the true story about how the famous artistic company
started by two street performers nearly didn’t open.

He predicts that Essagian’s shorts will be "calling cards" for the
"energetic, resourceful" director now based in Guelph.

s_634421.html

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
08/03/2006
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1. Sen. Coleman Becomes First to Reject Hoagland Nomination
2. ARF Leader Says Dual Citizenship Bill Will Pass in Fall
3. Key Suspect In Murder Of Armenian State TV Chief Set Free
4. Mediators Signal New Karabakh Proposals
5. Russia Registers Armenicum
6. French Soccer Legend Visits Armenia

1. Sen. Coleman Becomes First to Reject Hoagland Nomination

WASHINGTON (AP)–Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman said Wednesday he will vote
against President George W. Bush’s selection to become the next ambassador to
Armenia because the nominee refuses to describe the deaths of 1.5 million
Armenians as genocide.
According to the Armenian National Committee of America, Coleman is the first
senator to say publicly that he will vote against the nomination of
Ambassador-designate Richard E. Hoagland. Several other senators have
expressed
misgivings.
"My problem isn’t with Hoagland," Coleman, a member of Bush’s Republican
Party, said in a telephone interview. "I continue to be troubled by our policy
that refuses to recognize what was a historical reality."
On Tuesday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on which Coleman serves,
postponed a vote on Hoagland’s nomination until next month. The committee has
10 Republican members and eight Democrats. Elizabeth Chouldjian, a spokeswoman
for the Armenian committee, said nine of the 18 have misgivings over the
Hoagland nomination.
"We welcome Mr. Coleman’s action, because quite frankly, it’s a question of
effectiveness for a US ambassador," she said. "Is it effective for an
ambassador to Armenia to deny the Armenian genocide? It is effective for
him to
be taken seriously as a diplomat in Armenia? The answer is no."
"As someone of the Jewish faith, I bring a heightened sensitivity to the
reality of genocide and mass murder and the importance of recognizing it for
what it is," Coleman said. "I was brought up believing you never forget the
Holocaust, never forget what happened. And I could not imagine how our
ambassador to Israel could have any effectiveness if he couldn’t recognize the
Holocaust."
In May, the White House announced the recall of the current ambassador to
Armenia, John Evans, two years into the normal three-year diplomatic term.
Last
year, Evans told Armenian-Americans, "The Armenian genocide was the first
genocide of the 20th century." Sixty members of the House of Representatives
sent a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice protesting that Evans was
being punished for his reference to "genocide." In a separate letter,
Democratic Senators Edward Kennedy and John Kerry of Massachusetts demanded an
explanation from Rice for Evans’ recall.
"It absolutely was cut short because of that," Coleman said, referring to
Evans’ use of the word genocide. "That I also found to be troubling. Evans was
a good ambassador. To me, it’s almost bizarre diplospeak that you have barred
our ambassadors from using a single word; that in effect you had the
removal of
an ambassador who used that single word, genocide, even though it’s true."
Asked whether Evans was recalled for using the word genocide, State
Department
spokesman Edgar Vasquez would only say, "US ambassadors serve at the pleasure
of the president."
At a Foreign Relations Committee hearing in June, senators failed to get
Hoagland to use the word genocide. "I have not received any kind of written
instruction about this," Hoagland said at that hearing. "I simply have studied
the president’s policy. I’ve studied the background papers on the policy. And
my responsibility is to support the president."

2. ARF Leader Says Dual Citizenship Bill Will Pass in Fall

YEREVAN (Armenpress)–Armenian Revolutionary Federation Bureau member and
deputy Parliament Speaker Vahan Hovanessian Thursday told a visiting
delegation
of 150 ARF Juniors (Badanegan) that a bill that would legalize dual
citizenship
in Armenia is expected to pass during the parliament’s fall session.
The ARF Juniors, representing nine countries, are participating in the first
annual pilgrimage to Armenia. They met with Hovanessian in the parliament
chambers.
The ARF leader added that the ARF will take part in the 2008 presidential
elections with its own candidate. He added that by then the 2007 parliamentary
elections will have taken place the climate would be ripe to conduct fair
elections in 2008 as mandated by the European Union and its affiliate bodies.
Hovanessian also added that Azerbaijan had not implemented its commitments in
regards to elections, but stemming from certain political interests, European
countries have punished Azerbaijan.

3. Key Suspect In Murder Of Armenian State TV Chief Set Free

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–The man whose testimony formed the basis of a politically
charged murder case against the brother of radical opposition leader Aram
Sarkisian has been set free after serving only half of his seven-year prison
sentence, it was confirmed on Thursday.
Hovannes Harutiunian was among 13 men convicted in the December 2002
assassination of Tigran Naghdalian, former head of Armenia’s state television
and radio. A court in Yerevan accepted prosecutors’ claims that younger
Sarkisian’s brother Armen was the mastermind of the contract murder,
sentencing
him and another suspect, who confessed to shooting and killing Naghdalian, to
15 years in prison. The controversial verdict handed down in November 2003 was
upheld by the Armenian appeals courts.
Armen Sarkisian, backed by his family and friends, protested his innocence
throughout the year-long trial, rejecting the charges as politically
motivated.

Prosecutors insisted, however, that the businessman ordered Naghdalian’s
killing because he believed the state TV chief, a staunch supporter of
President Robert Kocharian, had a hand in the October 1999 assassination of
his
second, more famous brother, Prime Minister Vazgen Sarkisian. At the heart of
their case was Harutiunian’s pre-trial testimony in which he claimed to have
received $75,000 from Armen Sarkisian, a distant relative of his, to organize
the crime. Sarkisian claimed that he paid the sum because he was "blackmailed"
by Harutiunian shortly after the killing.
A spokeswoman for the Armenian Justice Ministry, Anahit Voskanian, told
RFE/RL
that Harutiunian, who allegedly had links with the criminal underworld, was
released from jail on parole by the same Yerevan district court on July 12.
She
said this was made possible by a June 27 decree by Kocharian which reduced his
jail term by 18 months.
Under Armenian criminal code, individuals convicted of "especially grave"
crimes must complete at least two-thirds of their prison sentences before they
can apply for parole. Kocharian’s decree meant that Harutiunian, who was
arrested in January 2003, technically has spent five out of the required seven
years in jail.
Harutiunian’s erratic behavior during the high-profile trial undermined the
credibility of the charges leveled against Armen Sarkisian. During a court
session on September 24, 2003 Harutiunian said he has "something to add" to
what he had told the investigators in a series of interrogations following his
arrest. But the man nicknamed Aper (Brother) mysteriously refused to speak up
at the next hearing a week later, saying only that he stands by his earlier
written deposition. His public questioning had been repeatedly and
controversially delayed by the presiding judge, Saro Aramian, fueling
speculation that the Armenian authorities fear he might retract his pre-trial
account.
The authorities announced the arrest of Harutiunian and five other Naghdalian
murder suspects late on March 5, 2003 just hours after the closure of polls in
the second round of a hotly disputed presidential election. Sarkisian was
arrested ten days later.
Armenia’s main opposition Justice alliance, of which his brother Aram is a
leading member, denounced the arrest, saying that it is part of Kocharian’s
efforts to cling to power in the wake of serious vote irregularities that
marred his reelection. Justice party’s top leader Stepan Demirchian still
claims to be the rightful winner of the vote.

4. Mediators Signal New Karabakh Proposals

PARIS (RFE/RL)–The American, French and Russian mediators signaled on
Thursday
their intention to make new proposals to Armenia and Azerbaijan that are aimed
at breaking the deadlock in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process.
"Proceeding from the St. Petersburg G8 [summit] Chairman’s statement on
Nagorno-Karabakh, the Co-Chairs considered different options to achieve its
objectives, which will be proposed to the parties, and await them for their
thoughts," the three co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group said in a statement
issued after their meeting in Paris on Wednesday.
The meeting followed US co-chair Matthew Bryza’s visit to Yerevan,
Stepanakert
and Baku. The mediators said they discussed its results and assessed the
"current stage in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict." They gave
no details.
Speaking to RFE/RL in Yerevan after talks with President Robert Kocharian on
Saturday, Bryza indicated that the troika will initiate no further
Armenian-Azeri peace talks unless the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan
display greater commitment to mutual compromise. "We are just waiting for a
sign from the presidents as to whether or not they would like to restart a
formal process," he said, arguing that it is still unclear "whether or not
there is enough will on both sides to eliminate or to resolve the distance
that
still stands between them."
The G8 statement cited by the co-chairs was issued by the leaders of the
world’s eight leading industrialized nations on July 17 at the end of their
three-day meeting in Russia’s second largest city. They urged the conflicting
parties to reach a framework agreement on Karabakh before the end of this
year.

5. Russia Registers Armenicum

YEREVAN (Armenpress)–The Russian pharmaceutical agency (equivalent of the US
Food and Drug Administration) recently registered Armenicum in Russia as an
immune regulating and anti-viral medicine.
An official from the Armenicum office told Armenpress that the medicine has
already been registered in Congo and Liberia.
Armenicum gained considerable attention in the mid to late 1990’s.
Commissioned to be developed by Armenia’s current defense minister Serj
Sargsyan, Armenicum was to have been an effective drug against HIV/AIDS.

6. French Soccer Legend Visits Armenia

YEREVAN (RFE/RL)–Michel Platini, one of the world’s best known former
football
players, ended on Thursday a two-day visit to Armenia apparently linked to his
bid to become the new head of UEFA, the game’s European governing body.
The former France international, who had inspired his nation to its
first-ever
victory in European championships in 1984, held talks with the chairman of the
Armenian Football Federation, Ruben Hayrapetian, and inaugurated new
UEFA-funded soccer pitches for children in Yerevan. He was also received by
Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan who thanked him for supporting the
"development of football in Armenia."
Platini said he urged the Armenian government to pay "particular
attention" to
children and youths practicing the sport. "Armenia means a lot to a Frenchman
like me because a number of soccer players of Armenian descent have played for
the French national side and helped it win the World Cup [in 1998,]" he said.
"There are also Armenian journalists, singers and other famous people in
France."
Platini, who is now deputy chairman of the French Football Federation, faces
an uphill in trying to unseat UEFA’s incumbent president, Lennart
Johansson, in
elections scheduled for next January. The Armenian Football Federation, a
member of UEFA, will also take part in them and its chairman announced that it
will back the 51-year-old Frenchman.
"I think it is clear to everyone that the relationship between Michel Platini
and Armenians is not only businesslike but friendly, Hayrapetian told a joint
news conference with Platini. "The Football Federation of Armenia will
definitely vote for Michel Platini."
Platini is still revered by the French as well as millions of supporters of
Italy’s most popular soccer club, Juventus, for which he successfully
played in
the early 1980s.

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NEW UNDERGROUND STATION TO BE BUILT IN YEREVAN SOON

AZG Armenian Daily #144, 02/08/2006

Urban Construction Issues

In 2008-2009, the construction of the new "Achapniak" underground
station will be completed in Yerevan.

Yervand Zakharian, Mayor of Yerevan City, said this at today’s press
conference. He said that the construction of "Achapniak" underground
station began few years ago, but wasn’t completed because of the lack
of financial sources. According to the plans of the previous years,
about $22 million were required for the construction works. In 2007,
new project account documents will be elaborated for the construction
works. As for the transport issues, Zakharian said that in September
2006, new 76 "Bogdan" mini busses will be brought to Yerevan. Besides,
25 new Russian trolley busses will be purchased for the capital. Each
of the trolley busses costs $70 thousand. The Mayor’s Office also
envisages to complete the renovation works of the bus stations, 100 of
which will be exploited already in September. In total, AMD 1,6 billion
of work was carried out in the sphere of the capital’s transport.

By Karine Danielian

VOTING WAS POSTPONED

Lragir.am
02 Aug 06

The news agency ARKA reports referring to the Armenian Assembly of
America that the voting to the nomination of Richard Hoagland U.S.
ambassador to Armenia was postponed until September.

The proposal on postponing the vote was extended by senators Joseph
Biden and John Kerry. The senators urge to vote to the nomination
of Richard Hoagland after he makes a clear statement that a genocide
was committed against the Armenians.

Agency WPS
What the Papers Say Part A (Russia)
July 28, 2006 Friday

THE CROSS AND CRESCENT OF LEBANON;
How to bring Christians back into the Crusaders’ camp

by Nadezhda Kevorkova

Christians in Lebanon comment on the conflict with Israel; Political
logic would seem to suggest that there’s no better country than
Lebanon for unleashing a major war in the Mideast: it has 17
communities, all of which have fought each other at some time in the
past. But the Lebanese aren’t interested in an "Islam versus
Christianity" war scenario.

The Lebanese themselves are no longer concerned about the idea of war
between Islam and Christianity. But since this topic does cause
concern in political clubs around the world, particularly as applied
to Lebanon, we decided to ask some Lebanese Christians whether they
regard themselves as "new Crusaders."

In Lebanon, belonging to a particular community is a family tradition
going back a thousand years. Whether or not they’re believers, people
have a strong awareness of which community they belong to. It’s hard
to displace people whose ancestors have lived in the same location
for centuries.

The people of Lebanon include direct descendants of Phoenecians,
Greeks, Romans, Arimatheans, and Crusaders. Their heritage is in
their faces.

Long before politicians grew obsessed with the idea of a conflict
between civilizations, people in Lebanon were fighting wars and
making history, just as in the old days.

Political logic would seem to suggest that there’s no better country
than Lebanon for unleashing a major war in the Mideast: it has 17
communities, all of which have fought each other at some time in the
past. But the Lebanese aren’t interested in an "Islam versus
Christianity" war scenario. Right now, they’re concerned with far
more prosaic problems: how to bury the dead while bombs continue to
fall, how to provide water, food, and mattresses for 600,000 refugees
in a nation of 4 million people, and how to keep children fed when
jobs and homes are gone.

* * *

I’ve stopped in the Armenian quarter of Beirut to photograph some
children. Within moments I’m surrounded by a whole press conference
of people – a truly international mix. Jennifer, a Christian, and her
family are from Syria. Akop, 19, is an Armenian. Yasir, 32, and his
children are Sunni Muslims. Tony, a shopkeeper, is an Orthodox
Christian.

They all have refugees staying in their homes. Thirty people are
living in two rooms in the Jamili family’s home. There are no more
rooms to spare in the apartment. Madame Jamili tells us how shortly
before the bombing began, the refugees sought shelter at a United
Nations post. They weren’t allowed to cross the threshold; United
Nations personel wouldn’t even talk to them. While the people were
running back and forth seeking alternative shelter, the bombing
began. (And an Israeli air strike killed five UN peacekeepers on July
25.)

* * *

I approach an Armenian priest who is walking by with a friend. He
looks at my business card and flatly refuses to talk. Ten minutes
later, his friend catches up with me: "He’s not a Lebanese priest,
he’s from Jerusalem, and he fears he might get in trouble there if he
says anything against Israel – that’s why he’s afraid to talk."

So that’s how it is. The Bishop of South Lebanon celebrates mass
under fire. Another priest is afraid of his own government.

* * *

Pierot Serhal, Maronite Catholic and a Lebanese member of parliament
representing Hezbollah, has been trapped since the start of the war
in his home town of Jezzin in southern Lebanon. He’s a surgeon,
trained in Paris and working at the local hospital. The Maronites are
Lebanon’s largest Christian community.

"We support Hezbollah because they’re fighting. The idea that
Christians are against Hezbollah is Israeli propaganda. We Christians
are in a better position to know whether we’re for them or against
them," says Dr. Pierot. "The late Pope John Paul II visited Lebanon
and called on Christians to live in peace with Muslims. But
aggression against our countries is pushing Christians out of here.
Iraq had 3 million Christians before the war – now only 100,000
remain. The number of Christians in Lebanon is declining, and that’s
because of Israel, not Hezbollah."

He can’t understand why the Russian Orthodox Church is keeping
silent: "The Orthodox know the problems of Lebanon better than the
Catholics."

* * *

I knock on the door of the First Baptist Church of the Bible in
Beirut.

Pastor Richard Saddak starts off by preaching some Gospel at me, then
moves on to current events: "Thirty-four people have been killed in
Israel, 19 of them soldiers. Over 350 people are dead in Lebanon, all
of them civilians, mostly children! Is that what they call defending
their country? How does it fit in with international law? Or do
certain countries feel free to ignore the law?" Pastor Richard was
born in Australia and teaches at the American University in Beirut;
English is his native language. "Bombing a dairy farm – what’s that
all about? Do they feel threatened by Lebanon’s bridges, churches,
yoghurt factories, or television stations? A Baptist pastor in
Merdjayoun needs heart surgery, but it’s become impossible to get to
the hospital. This elderly man is having trouble breathing. Is he a
threat to Israel too?"

Pastor Richard points out that Israel and Hezbollah have always
exchanged prisoners. "Twelve years ago, Israel abducted two people
from the Bekaa Valley in order to exchange them for a pilot who was
shot down in 1967 and disappeared. Neither Hezbollah nor Lebanon
attacked Israel at the time. Why is Israel allowed to start a war
over two soldiers and call it self-defense? If they drop a nuclear
bomb in self-defense and wipe Lebanon off the map, would politicians
continue to keep silent? Politicians have forgotten the Sermon on the
Mount: blessed are the peacemakers."

* * *

Bishop Elias Kfouri of Tyre, Sidon and South Lebanon (Antioch
Orthodox Patriarchate) has his residence in Merdjayoun, a district
capital in southern Lebanon – right in the border territory which
Israel intends to purge and turn into a buffer zone.

Question: You’re in a war zone. Why aren’t you leaving?

Elias Kfouri: Many residents have been able to save themselves by
leaving. But a great many still remain. Around a thousand people in
Merdjayoun alone. Last Sunday I celebrated mass on the border, in the
village of Derminaz. About 40 people attended the service. How could
I leave? My flock is here. I don’t fear for my own life. I’m worried
about the children, women, and the elderly who are unable to leave.
On Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday there was heavy bombing in Nabatiye
and nearby villages. Seven people were killed in Nabatiye on Tuesday.
Merdjayoun and surrounding villages are being bombed from the air
every ten minutes – hitting the homes of people, ordinary people. The
longest interval between bombs is half an hour. The planes are
constantly overhead. The Orthodox church of St. George has been
severely damaged. We’re five kilometers from the border. There is
heavy fighting there.

Question: Is any aid reaching the people at all?

Elias Kfouri: Aid – yes, Greece is sending a great deal. The problem
is delivering the aid. Food products, medical supplies, water – many
villages don’t have any of these. Israel is making it impossible to
deliver anything. The only remaining road is the one through the
Bekaa Valley. It’s being bombed all the time. All the roads around
here have been blown up. The UN Security Council and the media should
make every effort to stop the blockade.

Question: Why are the Orthodox churches keeping silent? Why are
Christians around the world keeping silent?

Elias Kfouri: Ask the Russian Orthodox Church. The Russian Church is
our friend. I’m not sure they are keeping silent. Perhaps we’re just
not hearing them? Bishop Nifon is in Moscow – he’s an emissary of our
Church, a wise and effective bishop, the voice of our people. As for
Christians around the world, I’m cut off from information.

Question: Are you hearing any support from Russia and President
Putin?

Elias Kfouri: We love Russians and Russia. But you should ask
President Putin himself what he thinks of the situation in Lebanon.

Question: Many Western experts claim that Lebanese Christians are
hostile to Muslims in general and Hezbollah in particular.

Elias Kfouri: It’s not true that Christians are against Hezbollah.
There is no such problem. All Lebanese are against Israeli aggression
and Israel’s policies, not against Hezbollah. Individuals may have
their differences on political issues, but when you see someone
devastating your country, political differences are set aside.

Question: It is said that Hezbollah runs southern Lebanon. Do you
feel that’s true?

Elias Kfouri: Hezbollah does not govern us. But people do trust
Hezbollah. We have municipal and village administrations, elected by
the people. If they don’t perform well, the people elect someone
else.

Question: How dangerous would occupation be for Orthodox Christians?

Elias Kfouri: Israel is trying to start an occupation, and it may
succeed. I lived under occupation in the 1990s. They made no
distinctions between Christians and Muslims. Christians who disobeyed
the occupation regime, or showed resistance, were terrorized and sent
to concentration camps just like any other Lebanese. Now they’re
bombing Christian homes and Muslim homes alike. A hundred Christians
have been killed in the Christian district of Sabkha. Many Christians
were killed in the village of Rnish. They were buried on Monday. On
July 19, thirty families sought shelter in churches in Rashaya. The
air-strikes spared neither the churches nor the people.

Beirut Airport, destroyed by bomb – was that for Muslims only? Only
for Hezbollah’s use? In Lebanon, you can’t divide people into
"Christians here" and "Muslims there." We’re all intermingled. And
the Christians are fighting occupation alongside the Muslims. The
bombing campaign has brought the entire Lebanese people to the brink
of humanitarian and economic catastrophe. And all the Lebanese people
believe that Israel’s actions, not Hezbollah, are to blame.

Source: Gazeta, July 27, 2006, p. 17

Translated by Elena Leonova

Human error to blame for May 3 Black Sea air crash

RIA Novosti, Russia
July 26, 2006

YEREVAN, July 26 (RIA Novosti) – Human error caused a crash of an
Armenian Airbus into the Black Sea on May 3, Russian Transportation
Minister Igor Levitin said Wednesday.

The A-320 Airbus, operated by the Armavia Airline, came down in stormy
weather off Russia’s Black Sea coast May 3 with the loss of all 113
passengers and crew on board.

"The human factor in bad weather played a role," the minister said.

Members of the Interstate Aviation Committee came to this conclusion
on the results of the investigation of the Armenian liner’s crash.

Investigators said the liner stopped descending at a height of 340
meters and started turning to the right with a simultaneous climb.
The pilot then turned off the automatic pilot system and started
landing the liner even though he had totally lost control over the
parameters need for landing, the committee said.

The crash investigators said further actions by the crew were
uncoordinated but there had been no engine failure or fuel shortage.