Category: News

Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
July 1, 2004
BILATERAL RELATIONSHIPS – EFFECTIVE AND NECESSARY
On June 24-26 the delegation of the foundation “Pan-Armenian
International Youth Center” consisting of four members visited
Stepanakert. the aim of the visit was to aid the regulation of the
priorities of the youth policies of Artsakh and mark the beginning of
the development in the result of the bilateral relationships. During
the three-day working visit the members of the delegation met with
the organizations engaged in the problems of youth and through
meetings and seminars tried to find out the mechanism of operation of
the youth organizations in Artsakh.
NVARD OHANJANIAN

Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
July 1, 2004
FOR COOPERATION
By the invitation of State University of Vladimir, Russian
Federation, and the local Armenian community the delegation of
Artsakh State University headed by rector Hamlet Grigorian left for
Vladimir. The aim of the visit, as Hamlet Grigorian mentioned, is to
try to establish cooperation between the two universities and
exchange experience. “I think cooperation between the universities of
different countries and exchange of experience will only help to
raise the quality of education and develop,” said H. Grigorian.
LAURA GRIGORIAN

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
07/01/2004
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1. Talvitie Confirms Stepped-up European Involvement in Peace Process 2. Saddam Appears before Iraqi Tribunal 3. Increasing Investor Interest in Mountainous Karabagh 4. Armenian President Visits US Embassy 5. Much Awaited Navasartian Festivities Underway 1. Talvitie Confirms Stepped-up European Involvement in Peace Process YEREVAN (Armenpress/RFE/RL)--Armenia's inclusion in the European Union (EU) Wider Europe program, the country's relations with the EU and Turkey, as well as the Karabagh conflict were among the topics discussed by Armenia's foreign minister Vartan Oskanian and EU special representative for the South Caucasus Heikki Talvitie who arrived in Yerevan after a two-day visit to Mountainous Karabagh Republic. During a joint news conference with Oskanian, Talvitie, who is on a regional tour, reaffirmed the EU's intention to play a greater role in the international efforts to end the Karabagh conflict. He said he maintains regular contacts with the Minsk Group co-chairs. "I have the mandate to assist in this process," Talvitie said, adding that the EU is ready to support "confidence-building measures" between the parties. Oskanian confirmed that a team of international mediators will visit Armenia, Azerbaijan and MKR later this month, but will not submit a formal peace proposal to the conflicting parties. "Negotiations at the level of presidents and foreign ministers have not yet reached a point where the co-chairs have enough material to put something on paper," Oskanian said. "We are still not there and I don't expect that the co-chairs will bring anything written during their visit." On Tuesday, Talvitie paid his first-ever visit to Karabagh as the new representative in the region. In Stepanakert, he discussed prospects for conflict resolution with the MKR leadership. His delegation also met with Armenian President Kocharian who conveyed the EU representative's frequent visits to the region confirm the body's growing interest in the South Caucasus, particularly Armenia. Armenia's relations with the EU and Turkey, and the Karabagh conflict were discussed. 2. Saddam Appears before Iraqi Tribunal BAGHDAD (Reuters)--Downcast but defiant, Iraq's former dictator Saddam Hussein has appeared before an Iraqi judge, questioning his authority and saying the "real criminal" was US President George W. Bush. Hussein, led to the US-guarded courtroom in handcuffs and chains, was read seven charges on Thursday that may lead to formal indictment for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. "I am Saddam Hussein, president of Iraq," he repeated, before grilling the unnamed young judge about his authority. Video footage of the 67-year-old Hussein, his face worn and deeply lined with heavy bags under the eyes, was broadcast around the world soon after his 30-minute court appearance. He was wearing a dark grey pinstriped jacket and a white formal shirt, and had a trimmed, mostly grey beard. It was the first public view of Hussein since he appeared wildly unkempt in photographs and videotape shot after his capture in December. Hussein refused to recognize that he was guilty of a crime in invading Kuwait in 1990, jabbing his finger towards the judge and saying: "I'm surprised you're charging me with that as an Iraqi when everyone knows that Kuwait is part of Iraq." The judge told him these were legal procedures, but Saddam interrupted him: "Law, what law?" he asked. "You are putting Saddam on trial when the Kuwaitis said they could buy Iraqi women for 10 dinars on the street. The Iraqi soldiers went to defend the honor of Iraq, so what right do these dogs have?" he said, drawing a reprimand from the judge. "This is all a theater," Hussein said with a half-smile. "The real criminal is Bush." The White House, said Hussein, would face the justice he denied his people and brushed aside his assertion about Bush. Hussein arrived in a US helicopter at a military base and was then driven in an armored bus to the makeshift courtroom in one of his former palaces near Baghdad international airport. The arraignment was the first step towards a trial which could help Iraq come to terms with 35 years of Baath party brutality, though it may not start for many months. Apart from the 1990 invasion of Kuwait, the preliminary charges against Hussein referred to the suppression of Kurdish and Shi'ite revolts after the 1991 Gulf War, poison gas attacks and other massacres of Kurds, the killing of religious leaders in 1974 and the killing of political figures over three decades. Hearing the charge that he ordered the gassing of thousands of Kurds in an attack at Halabja in 1988, Hussein shrugged it off, saying he had heard of the incident through the media. Without a lawyer to represent him, Hussein refused to sign a statement acknowledging he had been charged and read his rights. One foreign lawyer hired by his wife to represent him said the absence of a defense attorney breached Hussein's rights. 3. Increasing Investor Interest in Mountainous Karabagh STEPANAKERT (Armenpress)--The Prime Minister of Mountainous Karabagh Republic Anushavan Danielian, told a European Union delegation that in spite of Azeri aggression and the ensuing war that caused widespread damage, the government of MKR has taken steps to recover the economy. He briefed the delegation, headed by EU special representative for the South Caucasus Heikki Talvitie, about MKR's privatization process, as well as implementation of economic reforms and investment projects. Speaking about MKR, he said that what used to be a "risky [investment] zone," now attracts an increasing number of foreign investors who have become more secure. They also discussed possible approaches to resolving the Karabagh conflict, the current pace of talks, as well as the importance of MKR's participation in negotiations. 4. Armenian President Visits US Embassy YEREVAN (Armenpress)--On the occasion of the July 4 Independence Day Holiday, Armenian President Robert Kocharian and First Lady Bella, visited the US Embassy in Yerevan to congratulate embassy personnel. Kocharian told the staff he is confident the two countries are on track in developing strong ties. 5. Much Awaited Navasartian Festivities Underway VAN NUYSThe much anticipated closing weekend celebrations of the 29th Homenetmen Navasartian Games began at Van Nuys Grant High School on Thursday, July 1. Musical guests Maxim Panosian, Arsham, Ara Shahbazian and Karnig Sarkisian were on hand to mark the opening night of the ceremonies. In attendance were Homenetmen chapter representatives from the Los Angeles, Colorado, Phoenix, San Francisco, Santa Clarita, Walnut Creek, Fresno and San Diego areas. Throughout the weekend, the festival's grounds at Grant High School (13000 Oxnard St., Valley Glen, CA, 91401) will be filled with exciting attractions, great food, arts and crafts--something for everyone--as well as booths from various Homenetmen chapters and popular local vendors from the Armenian-American community. After the elimination rounds, all final games and meets will be held on Sunday. The Navasartian games will conclude on Sunday. The closing ceremonies and parade of athletes will take place on Sunday, July 4 at 6:00 PM. For more information about the festivities, log on to All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2004 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets.

Monterey Design Systems Hires 50th Employee in Armenia; Company
Recognized for Outstanding Contribution to Armenia’s High-tech
Industry
LOS ALTOS HILLS, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–07/01/2004–Monterey Design
Systems has just hired its 50th employee in Armenia, and for its
outstanding contribution to the growth of Armenia’s high-tech
industry, the company has received a special award from the Armenian
Chamber of Commerce. In a ceremony held yesterday in Silicon Valley,
Dr. Aram Vardanyan, chairman of the Armenian Chamber of Commerce,
presented the award to Dr. Jacques Benkoski, president and CEO of
Monterey.
“We are extremely pleased that Monterey Design Systems selected
Armenia for its R&D facility. We continue to be impressed by how fast
the company has grown their team over the last year,” said Aram
Vardanyan, who is also a member of the Armenia Academy of Science and
was the former General Director of the Semiconductors Plants in
Armenia.
Monterey has steadily increased its operation at its Arset R&D Center
in Yerevan, Armenia, recently passing the milestone of 50
employees. “Since Monterey began operations in Armenia, we’ve built an
excellent team based on very highly educated and qualified engineers
and with a close cooperation with Yerevan University,” said Hayk
Hovhannisyan, general manager of Monterey’s Arset operation. “We have
enjoyed tremendous success and growth, and it’s a pleasure to be
contributing to Monterey’s overall success in this way.”
Monterey’s Arset R&D facilities in Yerevan are based in the Viasphere
Technopark (), a well recognized commercial park,
housing over 300 professionals and several high technology companies
representing diverse disciplines including semiconductors,
semiconductor intellectual property, electronic design automation,
enterprise software, and network management.
About Monterey Design Systems
Based in Mountain View, Calif., and with offices in major electronics
markets worldwide, Monterey Design Systems Inc. provides software to
enable the design of today’s most complex systems on a chip
(SoCs). With Monterey’s physical design solutions, engineering teams
can improve the performance, shorten the time to market, and reduce
the cost of the products they design. Global electronics giants such
as ST Microelectronics, Toshiba, NEC, and Zoran have been taping out
chips using Monterey tools for more than four years. Monterey partners
with other leading EDA companies, such as Cadence (NYSE:_CDN_
(aol://4785:CDN/) ) and Synopsys (Nasdaq:_SNPS_ (aol://4785:SNPS/) ),
to ensure interoperability in all major design flows. To learn more,
visit
Monterey and Monterey Design Systems are registered trademarks or
trademarks of Monterey Design Systems. Viasphere and Viasphere
Technopark are registered trademarks or trademarks of Viasphere. All
other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
CONTACT:Monterey Design Systems Juli Rombuck, 650-237-2022
[email protected] or Cayenne Communication Michelle Clancy,
252-940-0981 [email protected]
SOURCE: Monterey Design Systems
07/01/2004 18:02 EASTERN

Associated Press
July 1 2004
Reports: Time Warner Enters MGM Bidding
Bidding War Said to Break Out for MGM, With Time Warner Offering $3B
in Cash, Stock for Studio
LOS ANGELES July 1, 2004 – A bidding war has broken out for
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., with Time Warner Inc. offering about $3
billion in cash and stock for the venerable Hollywood studio plus the
assumption of $2 billion in debt, according to newspaper reports.
The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal reported in Thursday
editions that Time Warner has made a preliminary offer for MGM that
rivals overtures from Sony Corp. The reports valued the deal at $13
cash per share for public shareholders, plus the assumption of nearly
$2 billion in MGM debt. Majority shareholder Kirk Kerkorian would get
$11.50 a share in Time Warner stock under the deal, The Times said.
A spokeswoman for MGM and a spokesman for Time Warner both declined
to comment.
The reports of the rival bid for MGM sent the company’s shares up 56
cents, or more than 4.6 percent, to close at $12.66 in heavy trading
Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange. Time Warner’s shares fell 17
cents to close at $17.41.
MGM chairman and chief executive Alex Yemenidjian alluded to a
bidding war during a presentation Tuesday to shareholders at the
Beverly Hills Hotel. “We have more strategic alternatives available
to us than we realized,” he told about 100 shareholders.
MGM, famous for “The Wizard of Oz” and the James Bond and the Pink
Panther series, has been in talks with Sony for months over a sale
for roughly the same price. MGM continued talks with Sony even after
a 15-day exclusive negotiation period expired in late May.
Under that proposed deal, Sony would contribute about $1.5 billion of
the $3 billion in cash needed to close the deal. The rest would come
from Sony’s financial partners, which include Texas Pacific Group and
Providence Equity Partners.
Sony has not been able to close the deal due to a snag with its
partners on financing terms. At issue is how soon the partners would
be bought out of their investment by Sony, sources familiar with the
talks have said.
Billionaire Kirk Kerkorian owns 74 percent of MGM, which is being
courted primarily because of its vast film library of more than 4,000
titles.
A bid from Time Warner could raise warnings flags with antitrust
regulators since the giant media company already owns Hollywood
powerhouse studio Warner Bros.
A strong bid from Time Warner would also mark a return to the
deal-making table for the media giant after several years’ absence.
Time Warner has spent the last few years repairing its balance sheet
and reorganizing its management and corporate structure following the
disastrous merger with America Online in 2001.
In recent months, the company has been carefully considering new
deals, including a possible offer for cable systems owned by
now-bankrupt Adelphia Communications Corp.
Time Warner remains hampered in its deal-making by a continuing
investigation into its accounting practices by the Securities and
Exchange Commission, placing limits on its ability to issue new
securities.

Library acquires Saroyan items
The Fresno Bee
(Updated Thursday, July 1, 2004, 9:16 AM)
The Fresno County Library has acquired a variety of William Saroyan items,
notably unpublished manuscripts and a collection of more than 300 letters,
cards and postcards sent from Saroyan to his daughter Lucy from 1953-72.
The library plans to show the collection at a press conference this morning.
Genealogy Room Librarian William Secrest Jr. says the addition gives the
Fresno library one of the pre-eminent research collections devoted to the
life and works of Saroyan, the internationally acclaimed author and Fresno
native.

The Moscow Times
Friday, July 2, 2004. Page 8. Before VCRs, There Was Armenian Radio
By Michele A. Berdy
Àðìÿíñêîå ðàäèî ñïðàøèàþò: A question for Armenian radio (the opening line
in a series of Soviet-era jokes). A guy walks into a bar … .” As soon as Americans hear these words, they get
ready for a laugh (or at least a joke). For Russians, getting ready to hear
or tell a joke is one of the greatest pleasures of the culture. In the bad
old days, before VCRs, multiplex cinemas, fitness clubs and other
recreational diversions, an entertaining evening was spent with friends
sitting in the kitchen, talking about life, and, if there was a good
joke-teller (ðàññêàç÷èê) in the crowd, laughing to the point of tears over
the latest joke (àíåêäîò). Jokes are miserable (and sometimes impossible) to translate, and can be hard
even to understand. Since there’s nothing worse than sitting with a blank
expression while your friends roar with laughter, here’s a short guide to
some of the standard personages that populate Russian jokes. Many Russian jokes are based on recognizable ethnic or religious
stereotypes: the rich Georgian (of Soviet times, now replaced by the New
Russian), the slow-witted Estonian (ãîðÿ÷èé ýñòîíñêèé ïàðåíü — hot-blooded
Estonian), the greedy and slovenly Ukrainian. In one series, a Frenchman, an
American, a German and a Russian (or sometimes a Jew, Englishman or
Ukrainian) find themselves in some situation where their various national
characteristics come to light. In the Russian tradition, ×óê÷à (Chukcha, from the Far East region of
Chukotka) is equivalent to the “dumb Pollack” — definitely not politically
correct in any language. Speaking in broken Russian, he finds himself in
Moscow, far from the taiga, puzzled by modern civilization. In one joke, he
is riding a tram. îäèòåëü: Ñëåäóþùàÿ îñòàíîêà — 8-ãî Ìàðòà. ×óê÷à: À
ðàíüøå íèêàê íåëüçÿ? (Conductor: Next stop — 8th of March. Chukcha: Is
there no way we can stop any earlier?)
Jokes about the íîûé ðóññêèé (the New Russian) have petered out (probably
because they’re just not funny anymore), but during the peak period of New
Russian jokes in the ’90s, it seemed a week didn’t go by without a new
variation. New Russians are dim-witted, dedicated to shows of affluence, and
eager to spend as much money as they can. Äà íîûõ ðóññêèõ ñòðå÷àþòñÿ. Îäèí ïîêàçûàåò äðóãîìó íîûé ãàëñòóê. “Òîëüêî ÷òî êóïèë çà $3,000.” “Äóðàê! Ìîæíî áûëî êóïèòü çà óãëîì çà $4,000!” (Two New Russians meet. One shows the
other his new tie. “I bought it for $3,000.” “You idiot! You could have
bought it around the corner for $4,000!”)
In the late ’90s, there were also a series of gruesome jokes connected with
contract killings. Äà êèëëåðà ñèäÿò ïîäúåçäå, æäóò áèçíåñìåíà. Æäóò ÷àñ,
äà, òðè … äðóã îäèí ãîîðèò, “Ñëóøàé, ÿ íà÷èíàþ îëíîàòüñÿ. Íå
ñëó÷èëîñü ëè ÷òî-íèáóäü?” (Two hit men are waiting in an apartment building
entryway for a businessman. They wait an hour, two hours, three. Finally one
says to the other, “Hey, I’m getting worried. Do you think something
happened to him?”)
My favorite series of the Soviet period were “questions to Armenian Radio.”
These appeared in the 1960s, apparently the continuation of àðìÿíñêèå
çàãàäêè (literally “Armenian riddles,” something like knock-knock jokes). There were many themes (including those playing on the competitive relations
between Georgians and Armenians), but the most famous are the anti-Soviet
jokes. Àðìÿíñêîå ðàäèî ñïðàøèàþò: Ìîæíî ëè ïîñòðîèòü êîììóíèçì Àðìåíèè? Ìîæíî, íî ëó÷øå ñíà÷àëà Ãðóçèè. (A question for Armenian radio: Can
communism be built in Armenia? Yes, but it would be better to do it in
Georgia first.) Àðìÿíñêîå ðàäèî ñïðàøèàþò: Ìîæíî ëè ïîñòðîèòü êîììóíèçì? Äà, ìîæíî — íî ûæèòü ïðè í¸ì — íåëüçÿ. (A question for Armenian radio:
Can communism be built Yes, it can — but no one can survive it.) Or the
all-time classic: Êàêîé ñàìûé êîðîòêèé àíåêäîò? Îòåò: Êîììóíèçì. (What’s
the shortest joke? Answer: Communism.)
In the bad old days, that always got a laugh. Michele A. Berdy is a Moscow-based translator.

Armenian acid spill kills one, injures seven
YEREVAN, June 30 (Reuters) – An explosion at an Armenian power station
released 9.5 tonnes of toxic sulphuric acid on Wednesday, killing one
person and injuring seven, an Emergencies Ministry official said.
The explosion struck an acid storage tank at the power station at 1540
GMT. It was unclear how much damage the acid had done to the area or
the facility, partly owned by Russian power company Unified Energy
System (EESR.RTS).
The official said people who lived near the Hrazdan power station in
the tiny mountainous south Caucasus country were not being evacuated.
06/30/04 14:38 ET

PRESS RELEASE
Department of Armenian Studies, Haigazian University
Beirut, Lebanon
Contact: Ara Sanjian
Tel: 961-1-353011
Email: [email protected]
Web:
HAIGAZIAN UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF ARMENIAN STUDIES
invites to a lecture on
The Armenian Community of Abkhazia Today
(in Armenian)
by
Hratch Tchilingirian
(Judge Institute, Cambridge University)
Thursday, July 15, 2004 – 7:30 p.m.
Haigazian University Auditorium – Kantari, Beirut
N.B. Please accept this message as a personal invitation.
Haigazian University is a liberal arts institution of higher learning,
established in Beirut in 1955. For more information about its activities
you are welcome to visit its web-site at <; . For additional information on the activities of its Department of Armenian Studies, contact Ara Sanjian at

BBC News
Last Updated: Wednesday, 30 June, 2004, 12:03 GMT 13:03 UK
Analysis: Defining genocide
Black Africans say they are being driven from their homes in Darfur
Human rights campaigners accuse Sudan’s pro-government Arab militia of
carrying out genocide against black African residents of the Darfur region.
They are accused of forcing some one million people from their homes and
killing at least 10,000.
Many thousands more are at risk of starving due to a lack of food in the
camps where they have fled.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has refused to use the term genocide, which
would carry a legal obligation to act.
But US Secretary of State Colin Powell said: “We see indicators and elements
that would start to move you toward a genocidal conclusion but we’re not
there yet.”
But what is genocide and when can it be applied? Some argue that the
definition is too narrow and others that the term is devalued by misuse.
UN definition
The term was coined in 1943 by the Jewish-Polish lawyer Raphael Lemkin who
combined the Greek word “genos” (race or tribe) with the Latin word “cide”
(to kill).
After witnessing the horrors of the Holocaust – in which every member of his
family except his brother and himself was killed – Dr Lemkin campaigned to
have genocide recognised as a crime under international law.
Genocide is… both the gravest and greatest of the crimes against
humanity
Alain Destexhe
His efforts gave way to the adoption of the UN Convention on Genocide in
December 1948, which came into effect in January 1951.
Article Two of the convention defines genocide as “any of the following acts
committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national,
ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:
Killing members of the group
Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group
Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring
about its physical destruction in whole or in part
Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group
Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group
The convention also imposes a general duty on states that are signatories to
“prevent and to punish” genocide.
Ever since its adoption, the UN treaty has come under fire from different
sides, mostly by people frustrated with the difficulty of applying it to
different cases.
‘Too narrow’
Some analysts argue that the definition is so narrow that none of the mass
killings perpetrated since the treaty’s adoption would fall under it.
The objections most frequently raised against the treaty include:
The convention excludes targeted political and social groups
The definition is limited to direct acts against people, and excludes acts
against the environment which sustains them or their cultural
distinctiveness
Proving intention beyond reasonable doubt is extremely difficult
UN member states are hesitant to single out other members or intervene, as
was the case in Rwanda
There is no body of international law to clarify the parameters of the
convention (though this is changing as UN war crimes tribunals issue
indictments)
The difficulty of defining or measuring “in part”, and establishing how many
deaths equal genocide
But in spite of these criticisms, there are many who say genocide is
recognisable.
In his book Rwanda and Genocide in the 20th Century, former
secretary-general of Doctors Without Borders, Alain Destexhe says: “Genocide
is distinguishable from all other crimes by the motivation behind it.
“Genocide is a crime on a different scale to all other crimes against
humanity and implies an intention to completely exterminate the chosen
group.
“Genocide is therefore both the gravest and greatest of the crimes against
humanity.”
Loss of meaning
Mr Destexhe believes the word genocide has fallen victim to “a sort of
verbal inflation, in much the same way as happened with the word fascist”.
The slaughter in Rwanda shocked the world
Because of that, he says, the term has progressively lost its initial
meaning and is becoming “dangerously commonplace”.
Michael Ignatieff, director of the Carr Centre for Human Rights Policy at
Harvard University, agrees.
“Those who should use the word genocide never let it slip their mouths.
Those who unfortunately do use it, banalise it into a validation of every
kind of victimhood,” he said in a lecture about Raphael Lemkin.
“Slavery for example, is called genocide when – whatever it was, and it was
an infamy – it was a system to exploit, rather than to exterminate the
living.”
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a renegade commander said he captured
the town of Bukavu earlier this month to prevent a genocide of Congolese
Tutsis – the Banyamulenge.
It later transpired that fewer than 100 people had died.
The differences over how genocide should be defined, lead also to
disagreement on how many genocides actually occurred during the 20th
Century.
History of genocide
Some say there was only one genocide in the last century – the Holocaust.
Other experts give a long list of what they consider cases of genocide,
including the Soviet man-made famine of Ukraine (1932-33), the Indonesian
invasion of East Timor (1975), and the Khmer Rouge killings in Cambodia in
the 1970s.
Former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic is on trial in The Hague, charged
with genocide in Bosnia from 1992-5.
However, some say there have been at least three genocides under the 1948 UN
convention:
The mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks between 1915-1920 – an
accusation that the Turks deny
The Holocaust, during which more than six million Jews were killed
Rwanda, where an estimated 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus died in the
1994 genocide
In the case of Bosnia, many believe that massacres occurred as part of a
pattern of genocide, though some doubt that intent can be proved in the case
of Mr Milosevic
The first case to put into practice the convention on genocide was that of
Jean Paul Akayesu, the Hutu mayor of the Rwandan town of Taba at the time of
the killings.
In a landmark ruling, a special international tribunal convicted him of
genocide and crimes against humanity on 2 September 1998.
Twenty-one ringleaders of the Rwandan genocide have now been convicted by
the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.
Milosevic denies committing genocide
Earlier this year, the war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia widened
the definition of what constitutes genocide.
General Radislav Krstic had appealed against his conviction for his role in
the killing of more than 7,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica in 1995.
But the court rejected his argument that the numbers were “too
insignificant” to be genocide – a decision likely to set an international
legal precedent.
On Darfur, Mr Powell says: “We can find the right label for it later, we
have got to deal with it now.”
But US envoy for war crimes Pierre Prosper has already started to compile a
list of those associated with the Janjaweed Arab militia.
For the moment, these are threatened with sanctions but in the future, they
may be charged with genocide, like those in Rwanda and the former
Yugoslavia.