Category: News

AZERI OPPOSITION PARTY CALLS TO EXPEL AZERBAIJAN FROM COUNCIL OF EUROPE
PanArmenian News
Sept 28 2004
28.09.2004 18:43
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “The Great Creation” Azeri opposition party intends
to request the Council of Europe (CE) to expel the country from the
organization. The party took the decision to draw up an appeal to the
PACE sitting, which will discuss Azerbaijan’s fulfillment of the
commitments to the CE on October 5. In the opinion of the party
members, being governed by means of “feudal” methods, Azerbaijan,
where even deputies are subjected to tortures, cannot be a CE member.

Azerbaijanis in Moscow protest against occupation of Garabagh
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Sept 28 2004
Ilgar Gasimov, chairman of the Movement for Azerbaijan held a news
conference on Monday to elaborate on a protest action by Azerbaijanis
held on Teatralny Ploshad square in Moscow on September 25 under the
slogan of “There is not Azerbaijan without Garabagh”.
Gasimov noted that during the action, attended by hundreds of
Azerbaijanis from Moscow, Kaluga, Tula and Kostroma provinces of
Russia, protesters condemned Armenia’s policy of aggression against
Azerbaijan and stated that Azerbaijan won’t have aggressors appropriate
its lands.
The protesters adopted an appeal to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev
and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
The appeal to President Aliyev reads that the Movement will support
the Azerbaijani President’s all steps to liberate Garabagh, including
his radical decisions.
In the appeal to Russian President Putin, the Movement condemns the
tragedy committed in Beslan, North Ossetia and urges Russia to take
an unbiased position towards the Garabagh issue.
The Mayor’s Office of Baku didn’t sanction the rally that the Movement
was scheduled to hold in the capital on September 25.*

ARKA News Agency
Sept 28 2004
Group of advisors for consultations on insurance payments to
descendants of genocide victims created in RA Ministry of Justice
The healthcare sector is paid special attention in Armenia
Armenian and Turkish Ministers of Foreign Affairs discuss the issues
of bilateral relations
NKR Foreign Minister receives Director of Usage Resources NGO
*********************************************************************
GROUP OF ADVISORS FOR CONSULTATIONS ON INSURANCE PAYMENTS TO
DESCENDANTS OF GENOCIDE VICTIMS CREATED IN RA MINISTRY OF JUSTICE
YEREVAN, September 28. /ARKA/. Group of advisors for consultations on
insurance payments to descendants of Genocide victims created in RA
Ministry of Justice, the Ministry told ARKA. The group created on Sep
27 provides citizens necessary consultations in given issues for
proper protection of their interests. Besides, the Internet site is
also active since today –
New York Life American insurance company will pay about $11 mln to
the descendants of victims of Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey.
The decision was made by the US Federal Court on July 30, 2004. New
York Life insurance company worked in 1875 to 1915 Ottoman Empire and
insured the lives of many Armenians to various sums. They have
studied 90 – year-old archives of New York Life and revealed that the
insurances given to 2300 Armenian remained unused. The cost of the
agreement between the insurance company and attorney firms makes $20
mln., of which about $11 mln will be paid to descendants of the
Armenians, $4 mln will be paid to attorney firms, $2 mln will make
the administrative costs, and $3 mln will be distributed among
benevolent organizations. L.D. –0–
*********************************************************************
THE HEALTHCARE SECTOR IS PAID SPECIAL ATTENTION IN ARMENIA
YEREVAN, September 28. /ARKA/. The healthcare sector is paid special
attention in Armenia, as RA NA Speaker Arthur Baghdasaryan stated
during the meeting with the participants of the international forum
organized for neurologists and dedicated to the 75th anniversary of a
birth date of a famous neurologist, Academician of RF Medical
Sciences Levon Badalyan. According to RA NA Press Service Department,
the Speaker noted that scores of laws were developed to regulate the
sector, and the laws are worked at and being brought in line with the
standards of the developed countries. Baghdasaryan stated to
neurologists that a Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Health Care
and Environment operates in RA NA, and that a Council on Health Care
headed by RA NA Speaker is formed. According to him, nowadays
transition toward strengthening of the institute of a family doctor
and medical insurance takes place. The Speaker attached importance to
the forum aimed at discussing modern neurology and exchanging
experience, as well as to making a step forward in the sphere of
medicine. Agreement to make the forum traditional was achieved in the
course of the meeting, and Baghdasaryan promised to render support to
scientists. A.H.-0–
*********************************************************************
ARMENIAN AND TURKISH MINISTERS OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS DISCUSS THE ISSUES
OF BILATERAL RELATIONS
YEREVAN, September 28. /ARKA/. Armenian and Turkish Ministers of
Foreign Affairs Vartan OSkanian and Abdullah Gul discussed the issues
of bilateral relations and regional problems at the 4th meeting in
New-York. According to RA MFA Press Service Department, the Minister
of Armenia Oskanian, who arrived in New-York to participate in the
work of the 59th session of UN General Assembly, also met the
American co-Chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group Steven Mann, the Lebanon
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Jean Obeid. During the
meeting of Oskanian with the Deputy State Secretary of the USA Mark
Grossman the issues of bilateral relations were discussed, including
the coming meeting of the Armenian-American economic commission and
issues relating to “Millennium Challenge” program.
According to the press release, the speech of Oskanian in the UN
General Assembly to take place on September 29. A.H.–0–
*********************************************************************
NKR FOREIGN MINISTER RECEIVES DIRECTOR OF USAGE RESOURCES NGO
STEPENEKERT, September 28. /ARKA/. Nagorno Karabakh Republic Foreign
Minster Ashot Ghulyan received Director of program on Caucasus of
British NGO Usage Resources Jonathan Coen and Elena Cook, Coordinator
on South Caucasus of project “Audio-diaries” implemented by that
organization.
As NKR Foreign Ministry Press Service told ARKA, Jonathan Coen
informed Ashot Ghulyan that Usage Resources that is a part of UK and
USA NGO Consortium implements thru the mass media programs in the
regions aimed at creation of confidence atmosphere between peoples
involved in conflicts. He particularly mentioned that “Audio-diaries”
project, presentation of which was held on the eve in Stepanakert,
envisages exchange between radio-diaries in various regions of
Caucasus containing stories of common peoples. Jonathan Coen
expressed a hope that the realization of the project will help in a
certain degree to relax the tensions in the parties of Nagorno
Karabakh conflict.
In his turn, Ashot Ghulyan assessed positively desire of
representatives of Usage Resources to establish contacts between
parties of Karabakh conflict. At the same time, he mentioned that
without establishing confidence and mutual understanding between the
sides of the conflict, implementation of projects will become
problematic. NKR Foreign Minister pointed out to the fact that
Azerbaijani side not only avoids any contacts with Nagorno Karabakh,
but also strongly focuses on anti-Armenian propaganda that makes
extremely difficult re-approchements of the conflict parties. In this
regard Minister favored the necessity of working out by NGO
Consortium of UK and USA a clear activity program on South Caucasus.
On September 27 there was held a presentation of “Audio-diaries”
project organized by Usage resources British NGO.
As Elena Cook, Coordinator on South Caucasus mentioned on the
presentation, it is already half a year that a group of Georgian and
Abkhaz journalists work in that genre and other regions of South
Caucasus joined the project. She said that the best audio-diaries,
written in each region are translated to several languages so that
they can be listened to by the residents of the whole Caucasus and
beyond it.
In her words, audio-diaries is an original genre of broadcasting, an
example of “people’s broadcasting” that was born on BBC since the
beginning of 1990s and since then traveled all over the world. Its
aim is to permit expressing to the simple people – teenagers,
disabled, former prisoners, refugees, representatives of various
minorities etc, whose voices are rarely heard on radio. Diaries are
not political genre, sincere stories of simple people about their
life allow overcoming stereotypes, destroy image of enemy in
societies suffered a conflict. As a whole, on Caucasus region,
audio-diaries will be broadcasted circa 20 channels in all countries
of the region.
In Nagorno Karabakh “Not invented stories” will be broadcasted on
local frequencies “Pace”, “Youth Channel”, “New wave” and Public
Radio. T.M. -0–
*********************************************************************
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Iodine Deficiency Disorders Plague Europe, Central Asia, says UNICEF
By Lisa Schlein
VOA News
Sep 28, 2004
Anatoly Karpov(UNICEF)
GENEVA – The UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, says Iodine Deficiency
Disorders, which cause mental retardation, are a huge problem in
Europe and Central Asia. UNICEF says this disorder can be solved for
as little as five cents per person per year by iodizing salt.
In this video clip, UNICEF’s regional ambassador and 16-time world
chess champion, Anatoly Karpov, tells children they must have iodine
in their diet, if they want to be smart. He repeats this message in
a joking manner to a group of journalists.
“I can answer you like a joke that I believe that, when we solve
the problem, every child will play chess,” said Anatoly Karpov. “I
believe that this is extremely important, and this is a problem we
know how to solve. One of the few problems we know how to solve.”
Mr. Karpov comes from Russia, located in one of the regions of the
world most seriously affected by iodine deficiency. UNICEF statistics
show that more than half of the people in Western and Central Europe
live in iodine-deficient countries. Surprisingly, some of the most
developed countries, such as Belgium, Denmark, France and Germany
suffer from a lack of iodine. However, the problem is most severe in
countries such as Russia and the Ukraine.
UNICEF says these two countries account for 1.3 million newborn babies
a year, who are not protected from iodine deficiency. This out of
five million iodine deficient babies born in all of the region’s 22
countries. Mr. Karpov says the babies suffer because their mothers
did not include iodine in their diets when they were pregnant. He
says, unfortunately, the mental retardation that results from iodine
deficiency in the womb is not reversible in later life.
“We believe that the cheapest, simplest and general message, to
avoid iodine deficiency, is to have general iodization of salt,” he
said. “And, it does not cost too much. It is about five cents per
year, per person-very cheap.” Mr. Karpov says governments should
pass legislation to make iodized salt mandatory. He says, in countries
with such laws, iodine deficiency disorders have decreased. He notes
this can be seen even in poor countries, such as Serbia-Montenegro,
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Armenia and Georgia.
UNICEF says governments often do not promote iodine in food out of
ignorance or widely-held misconceptions. For example, it says India
rescinded legislation on iodized salt under pressure from consumer
groups. It says these groups claimed that iodine in salt causes
a variety of health problems. Tragically, it says, by eliminating
iodine from the diet, mental retardation among children in India,
once again, is on the rise.

Accident prevention exercises held at nuclear power plant
By Gherman Solomatin
ITAR-TASS News Agency
September 28, 2004 Tuesday 5:25 AM Eastern Time
MOSCOW, September 28 — More than 1,000 specialists participate in
accident prevention exercises at the Beloyarskaya nuclear power plant
in the Sverdlovsk Region.
More than 50 units of special equipment are used in the training,
exercises head Nikolai Sorokin told Itar-Tass on Tuesday. He was at
the emergencies centre of the Rosenergoatom concern.
The plant personnel began the exercises on Tuesday morning to deal
with a severe accident at the fast-neutron reactor.
According to the scenario, a pipeline with sodium was unsealed,
and it could cause fire of inflammable substances. The radiation
situation worsened at the third reactor.
Such exercises are held regularly every year, and a situation not
foreseen in instructions is invented every time to deal with possible
accidents.
The plant personnel is trained in the current exercises to deal with
an accident by own forces, to cooperate with mass media and evacuate
people from adjoining areas, Sorokin said.
Eighteen experts from France, the United States, China, Ukraine and
Armenia watch the training.
The International Atomic Energy Agency is reported about the exercises.

US TO PROVIDE ABOUT $84 MILLION TO ARMENIA IN 2005
PanArmenian News
Sept 28 2004
28.09.2004 13:15
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Last weekend the US Senate approved $75 million
in assistance to Armenia in FY 2005, which represents a$10 million
increase from the aid approved by the House. The amount of the same
assistance to Azerbaijan will make $38 million. The Senate also agreed
on parity in military aid to Armenia and Azerbaijan amounting in $8.75
million for each country. Besides, Nagorno Karabakh will receive $2.5
million assistance.

Baku to welcome any efforts in Azerbaijani-Armenian settlement
By Tengiz Pachkoria
ITAR-TASS News Agency
September 28, 2004 Tuesday
TBILISI, September 28 — Baku will welcome efforts of any countries,
including Georgia, in the Azerbaijani-Armenian settlement, Azerbaijani
Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov said at a Tuesday briefing in
Tbilisi in answer to the question if Tbilisi had offered mediation
in the Azerbaijani-Armenian settlement.
“The OSCE Minsk Group is the main body in the Karabakh settlement
negotiations. But we will welcome efforts of any countries, including
Georgia, to speed up the Karabakh settlement process,” he said.
Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zurabishvili said at the briefing
that Tbilisi “is interested in progress at the Karabakh settlement
negotiations.” “Settlement of that conflict, the same as settlement
of conflicts on the Georgian territory, will contribute to the general
stabilization in the Caucasus,” she said.

Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th St., NW, Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet:
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 28, 2004
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
REP. PALLONE SPEAKS OUT ON AZERBAIJANI WAR RHETORIC AGAINST ARMENIA
— Calls on Administration to Condemn Azerbaijani Actions; Cites
Importance of Military Aid Parity Between Armenia and Azerbaijan
WASHINGTON, DC – In a powerful statement on the House floor this
evening, Congressional Armenian Caucus Chairman Frank Pallone (D-
NJ) spoke about the dangers posed by increasingly inflammatory
Azerbaijani statements by President Ilham Aliyev and his Cabinet
Members, calling for a military takeover of neighboring Armenia and
the decimation of its population in the coming decades, reported
the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
In his remarks, Rep. Pallone cited statements “made by officials in
the government of President Aliyev calling into question the very
existence of Armenia. For example, as reported by Radio Free
Europe, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry spokesman called for
Azerbaijan’s takeover of the entire territory of Armenia and
removal of the entire Armenian population from the Caucasus. He
went so far as to say, and I quote, ‘Within the next 25 years there
will exist no state of Armenia in the South Caucasus.’ Given
Azerbaijan’s history of aggression against Armenians, these remarks
can’t be dismissed as mere rhetoric.”
Rep. Pallone continued to highlight Azerbaijan’s refusal to allow
Armenian troops to participate in NATO exercises in Azerbaijan,
despite Armenia’s willingness to allow similar participation by
Azerbaijan in exercises last year.
Noting Armenia’s ongoing commitment to the “peace process and the
terms agreed to in the Key West summit,” and “the crucial role that
the United States plays in the negotiations over Nagorno-
Karabakh,” Rep. Pallone called on the Administration to take
action. “A failure on our part to forcefully and publicly confront
the Azerbaijani government over these destabilizing threats would,
in our view, send extremely dangerous signals to Azerbaijan,”
explained the Congressman.
Last week, Rep. Pallone joined his Congressional Armenian Caucus
Co-Chair Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) in urging their House Colleagues to
ask President Bush to publicly condemn Azerbaijan’s war rhetoric
and other increasingly bellicose remarks against the Republic of
Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh. In a “Dear Colleague” letter sent to
the 141 Armenian Caucus members, Reps. Pallone and Knollenberg
cited the dangers of Azerbaijan’s ongoing war statements. The
letter to President Bush, which currently has 35 cosigners,
states:
“Efforts to reinforce stability and reduce the risk of conflict are
in the best interests of the United States and the region. The
Nagorno Karabakh peace process will achieve nothing if Azerbaijan
is allowed to risk war and predict ethnic cleansing with impunity.
To this end, we urge that you condemn these remarks and call upon
the government of Azerbaijan to desist in making any further
threats against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.”
#####
CONGRESSMAN FRANK PALLONE, JR.
FLOOR STATEMENT
URGING U.S. TO CONDEMN RECENT
THREATS MADE BY AZERBAIJAN AGAINST ARMENIA
September 28, 2004
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring your attention to recent
statements made by high-ranking government officials in Azerbaijan
that directly and significantly threaten the security of Armenia,
as well as efforts towards a peaceful settlement over the Nagorno-
Karabagh conflict.
This issue, if not compellingly addressed by the
Administration, has the potential to undermine U.S. interests and
American values in the strategically important Caucasus region.
I refer to the recent remarks made by officials in the
government of President Aliyev calling into question the very
existence of Armenia. For example, as reported by Radio Free
Europe, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry spokesman called for
Azerbaijan’s takeover of the entire territory of Armenia and
removal of the entire Armenian population from the Caucasus. He
went so far as to say, and I quote, “Within the next 25 years there
will exist no state of Armenia in the South Caucasus.” Given
Azerbaijan’s history of aggression against Armenians, these remarks
can’t be dismissed as mere rhetoric.
Furthermore, Azerbaijan recently blocked key NATO exercises
in the country, due to their opposition towards having Armenian
officers taking part in the exercises. In fact, in June of 2003,
Armenia served as the host country for similar exercises, to which
Azerbaijani military forces were invited, yet refused to
participate. This year, Armenia was one of several dozen countries
due to participate, yet the initiative was blocked by Azerbaijan,
who is continuing its efforts to undermine the prospects for peace
in the Caucasus region.
Azerbaijan’s threats against Armenia’s survival reinforce
our commitment to maintaining parity in U.S. military aid to
Armenia and Azerbaijan. This arrangement means even more today
than when it was first put in place, particularly in light of
Baku’s increasingly aggressive posture towards Armenia. Any tilt
in military spending toward Azerbaijan could, in our view,
destabilize the region by emboldening the new Azerbaijani
leadership to continue their threats to impose a military solution
of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Just last week, the Republic of Armenia celebrated its 2nd
Independence, marking 13 years of freedom from Soviet rule. We
have seen considerable economic growth in the country. Despite the
continued illegal blockade by Turkey and Azerbaijan, a recent Wall
Street Journal study found that Armenia remains the most
economically free nation in the region. Today, Armenia is
steadfast in its support of the U.S, as exhibited by their recent
announcement of plans to send a unit of deminers, doctors and 50
trucks, including staff and drivers, to assist the coalition forces
in Iraq.
It is critical to note that Armenia is today, as it has
always been, committed to the peace process and the terms agreed to
in the Key West summit. Since the beginning of the Nagorno-
Karabagh and Azerbaijan conflict, Armenia has been committed to
finding a peaceful resolution. Moreover, I can’t stress enough,
Mr. Speaker, the crucial role that the United States plays in the
negotiations over Nagorno-Karabakh, to help the people of this
region find a lasting and equitable peace. So, these threats by
Azerbaijan undermine these efforts and seriously complicate our
diplomacy in the region. A failure on our part to forcefully and
publicly confront the Azerbaijani government over these
destabilizing threats would, in our view, send extremely dangerous
signals to Azerbaijan.
So, Mr. Speaker, I hope that the United States takes action
to condemn these remarks, and we here, in this Chamber, do
everything that we can to ensure that all parties involved in this
conflict make a genuine commitment towards peace and stability in
the region.
#####

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
09/28/2004
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) The New Turkish Penal Code to Criminalize Recognition of Armenian Genocide 2) Armenian Caucus Puts Spot Light on Azeri Rhetoric 3) French Foreign Minister Adds Weight to Turkey Referendum Recall 4) No Deals Announced after Fresh Turkish-Armenian Talks 5) Novelist Paulo Coelho to Visit Armenia 1) The New Turkish Penal Code to Criminalize Recognition of Armenian Genocide European Armenian Federation calls on European Commission to end silence BRUSSELS--Following recent attempts to criminalize adultery in the country, the Turkish government bowed to European Union demands last Sunday and passed the country's penal code, without the law on adultery; it did, however, manage to place several articles in its provisional penal code that threaten freedom of speech. For example, Article 306 of the new Code would punish up to 15 years individual Turkish citizens or groups "Acting against the fundamental national interests for directly or indirectly receiving benefits from foreign persons or institutions." According to the Explanatory Note of this article, written by the Parliamentary Committee of Justice, a citizen who demands the withdrawal of Turkish soldiers from Cyprus or declares that the Armenian genocide actually took place during the First World War, can be pursued by virtue of this article. In its condemnation of the article, the European Armenian Federation writes, "This provision threatens authors with jail sentences over statements that are construed by government officials to undermine Turkish "national interests." Examples of so-called offensive statements listed in the provisional law include, "The Turkish Army must withdraw from Cyprus," and "Armenians endured a genocide during the Ottoman era." Some parliamentarians introduced an amendment, which would mandate sanctions against authors and individuals, if determined that their statements are motivated by "material interests." The provision gives no legal justification for the law, the Federation explained, which remains fundamentally incompatible with the European values of free expression. The European Commission scarcely reacted when the Turkish Ministry of Education brought genocide denial into the classroom, by institutionalizing it in the curriculum. A coalition of European NGOs expressed its concern about the denialist curriculum and called for the suspension of EC grants to the Turkish educational system. The European Parliament also expressed its concern in the Oostlander report on the Turkish application for EU membership. "Today, far from repenting for the Genocide, Turkey now wants to include denial of this crime in its penal code. Clearly, the indifference of the European Commission is partially responsible for the hardening of the Turkish position on this issue," said the Chairperson of the European Armenian Federation Hilda Tchoboian. "Prime Minister Erdogan's about-face on the adultery issue will simply be a media ploy if Europe does not demand that Ankara grant full freedom of speech to its citizens. We call on political parties, governments, and human rights organizations to urge the European Commission to call for justice for the Armenian Genocide. It is unthinkable that the Commission would not consider Turkey's denialist position a key obstacle to the initiation of preliminary talks," added Tchoboian. "Whether they are in favor of a European Turkey, or whether they are against its accession, the Union's democrats cannot tolerate these attacks on the freedom of press and thought that have free reign in Turkey. It is time for the European Union to call on Turkey to recognize the Armenian Genocide," concluded Federation's chairperson. 2) Armenian Caucus Puts Spot Light on Azeri Rhetoric -- Co-Chairmen Urge 141 Members of Caucus to Voice their Concerns in a letter to President Bush WASHINGTON, DC (ANCA)--Congressmen Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) and Frank Pallone (D-NJ) this week called on their colleagues in the Armenian Caucus to ask President Bush to publicly condemn Azerbaijan's war rhetoric and other increasingly bellicose remarks against the Republic of Armenia and Mountainous Karabagh. In a "Dear Colleague" letter circulated this week, the Caucus Co-chairs documented a series of violent threats on the part of senior Azerbaijan leaders. Citing the dangers of remaining silent in the face of such angry rhetoric, they urged their House colleagues to "join us in signing the attached letter to the President urging him and the Administration to condemn these remarks and call upon the government of Azerbaijan to desist in making any further threats against Armenia and Karabagh." The letter to President Bush stresses that, "efforts to reinforce stability and reduce the risk of conflict are in the best interests of the United States and the region." 3) French Foreign Minister Adds Weight to Turkey Referendum Recall PARIS (EUobserver.com)--French foreign minister Michel Barnier has added his weight to calls for a referendum on Turkey's entry into the EU. Speaking on September 27, Barnier said, "When it comes to such an important decision, in my personal opinion, it should be put... to a referendum when the time comes." This follows similar calls from French finance minister Nicolas Sarkozy--seen as a challenger to Jacques Chirac for the presidency--who told LCI television on Sunday that Turkey will not join the European Union for at least 15 years and could only do so once France had held a referendum on the issue. Barnier recalled a precedent, saying, "we did it for the UK," regarding a referendum on the entry of the UK, Ireland, and Denmark in 1972, where France voted to allow these three countries to join the bloc by a two-thirds majority. But polls show that similar support is not forthcoming for Turkey's admission. A survey in Le Figaro showed that just over 36% French people are in favor of Turkey joining the EU but over 56% are against. Despite this, 63% say they would be prepared to accept Turkey as a member if it makes the necessary efforts. UP TO YOU The Commission has declared that the organization of a referendum on Ankara's EU membership is a matter for member states. Commission spokesman Reijo Kemppinen said, "If a member state wants to organize a referendum, on whatever subject, this is up to its own discretion. We have no comment on it." The Brussels executive will release its report--widely expected to be positive--on October 6. Member States will then decide definitively in December whether to open negotiations. 4) No Deals Announced after Fresh Turkish-Armenian Talks YEREVAN (RFE-RL)--The foreign ministers of Armenia and Turkey announced no further progress towards the normalization of relations between the two neighboring states following fresh talks in New York late on Monday. A brief statement by the Armenian Foreign Ministry said Vartan Oskanian and his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul, "explored bilateral issues as well as regional concerns" during the meeting held on the sidelines of the ongoing session of the UN General Assembly. There was no word on whether any agreements were reached by them. Oskanian's spokesman, Hamlet Gasparian, said that the two men again discussed a possible reopening of the Turkish-Armenian border which Ankara has kept closed since 1993 out of solidarity with Azerbaijan. "The issue of opening borders is always discussed at meetings with Gul," he said. Gasparian did not give any details of that discussion, referring all inquiries to Oskanian. He also confirmed that the unresolved Mountainous Karabagh conflict was on the agenda of the talks. It was the fourth meeting between the two foreign ministers since June 2003. Oskanian declared after the previous talks held in Istanbul in June that Turkey is "sincere" in its desire to normalize ties with Armenia. The Karabagh conflict has until now been the key obstacle to improved Turkish-Armenian relations, with successive Turkish governments refusing to reopen the border before its resolution. One of Oskanian's deputies, Ruben Shugarian, said earlier this month that Karabagh is no longer the main Turkish precondition for the lifting of Armenia's blockade. While in New York, Oskanian also met with US Undersecretary of State Mark Grossman and Steven Mann, Washington's top Karabagh negotiator. The meetings followed the launch of what appears to be a new Karabagh peace initiative by the US, Russian, and French mediators. 5) Novelist Paulo Coelho to Visit Armenia YEREVAN--At the invitation of the Hamazkayin cultural organization, influential novelist Paulo Coelho will visit Armenia on October 4. Coelho will be accompanied by Brazilian journalist Ruth De Aquino and Aztag Daily Newspaper editor Khatchig Mouradian. During his visit, the world-renowned novelist will lecture at the Yerevan State University, meet with Armenian writers and artists, and participate in the October 6 Hamazkayin-organized ceremony, which will mark the publication of the first Armenian-language translation of "The Alchemist." In an October 2003 interview with Coelho, Aztag's Mouradian asked the author if he loses "faith in mankind when you come face to face with the facts of such atrocities [as the Jewish Holocaust and Armenian genocide]?" to which he responded: "Three days before receiving this interview, I was talking to my driver in Paris, who happens to be Armenian, that I wish to go and visit his country. I am fully aware of the genocide, of the Armenian diaspora, and I want to know--and to share--the situation of Armenia now. He is sending me what he considers to be the best books on Armenia, and as soon as I finish, I will probably go with him to his town. As for the faith on humankind, I am part of it, and if I lose faith in myself, I am not worth living. Therefore, instead of blaming an abstraction, I should accept my responsibility, and fight to change what can be changed." 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.

The Middle East and the beginning of conflict
Pravda
09/28/2004
All countries fight amongst themselves – that is man’s nature.  Left
to their own devices, man and the disagreement will be settled. 
That is IF they are left to their own devices.
The Middle East situation is not the result of one thing, it is the
result of many things, many governments outside of the Middle East,
the US and Russian cold war, and the US trying to leverage itself as
the strong arm in the Middle East.
I cannot write the entire history of the Middle East, but I can
provide the reader with a sufficient background that will encourage
the reader to learn more.  
To Rashid, who asked me to write about the causes and aggravations
of the Middle Eastern issues – I have kept my promise to you.  There
are more issues you want me to address and I will do that.
The beginnings:
The end of World War One saw the Middle East carved up like a Sunday
afternoon apple pie. 
In November 1914, the Ottoman Empire called for a jihad against France,
Russia and Great Britain, as the Ottoman Empire sided with Germany
in World War One. 
The Arab leaders Arabs led by Sherif Hussein of Mecca, agree to side
with the Allies (Britain, France, and Russia).  The Hussein-McMahon
Correspondence, authored by the British, promised independence to
what is now Syria, Palestine (Israel), Jordan, Iraq, and the Arabian
Peninsula should the Allies win the war. 
Britain, however had also signed the Sykes-Picot Agreement with
France which directly contradicts the Hussein-McMahon agreement. 
The Sykes-Picot Agreement was a plan to dissect the middle east into
fiefdoms controlled by either Britain or France.  Then, one more
agreement was made and the Balfour Declaration provides for removing
the Ottomans from both Jerusalem and Baghdad, and the establishment
of a Jewish homeland in Palestine.
The League of Nations awards Syria and Lebanon to France and for
Palestine, Transjordan and Iraq to Britain. 
All of this is being done without any pre-knowledge by the Arab states,
and now they have new masters: Great Britain and France.  The end
result was rioting in Iraq, and Britain tightens its grip on Iraq
through more military intervention.
1920 was a bad year for the Middle East – Britain and France develop
an iron grip on the area, and America hears the word: OIL. 
>>From the Cato Institute, I quote: “Standard Oil of California
and Texaco, won the first concession to explore for oil in Saudi
Arabia in the 1930s. They discovered oil there in 1938, just after
Standard Oil of California found it in Bahrain. The same year Gulf
Oil (along with its British partner Anglo-Persian Oil) found oil in
Kuwait. During and after World War II, the region became a primary
object of U.S. foreign policy. It was then that policymakers realized
that the Middle East was “a stupendous source of strategic power, and
one of the greatest material prizes in world history.”(4) Subsequently,
as a result of cooperation between the U.S. government and several
American oil companies, the United States replaced Great Britain as
the chief Western power in the region.(5) In Iran and Saudi Arabia,
American gains were British (and French) losses.(6) Originally,
the dominant American oil interests had had limited access to Iraqi
oil only (through the Iraq Petroleum Company, under the 1928 Red Line
Agreement). In 1946, however, Standard Oil of New Jersey and Mobil Oil
Corp., seeing the irresistible opportunities in Saudi Arabia, had the
agreement voided.(7) When the awakening countries of the Middle East
asserted control over their oil resources, the United States found
ways to protect its access to the oil. Nearly everything the United
States has done in the Middle East can be understood as contributing
to the protection of its long-term access to Middle Eastern oil and,
through that control, Washington’s claim to world leadership.  The
U.S. build-up of Israel and Iran as powerful gendarmeries beholden
to the United States, and U.S. aid given to “moderate,” pro-Western
Arab regimes, such as those in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Jordan,
were intended to keep the region in friendly hands. That was always
the meaning of the term “regional stability.”
Robert W. Tucker, a foreign policy analyst advocated in the 1970s that
the United States take over the Middle Eastern oil fields militarily,
predicted that the “more likely” threat to U.S. access to the oil would
“arise primarily from developments indigenous to the Gulf.”(10)   The
1970″s saw the rise of Arab nationalism, or Muslim fundamentalism,
that was seen as a threat to the American economic and the US”s
worldwide political leadership.
“John Foster Dulles said privately during the Lebanese crisis in 1958,
the United States “must regard Arab nationalism as a flood which is
running strongly. We cannot successfully oppose it, but we could
put sand bags around positions we must protect–the first group being
Israel and Lebanon and the second being the oil positions around the
Persian Gulf.”( John Foster Dulles said privately during the Lebanese
crisis in 1958, the United States “must regard Arab nationalism as a
flood which is running strongly. We cannot successfully oppose it,
but we could put sand bags around positions we must protect–the
first group being Israel and Lebanon and the second being the oil
positions around the Persian Gulf.” Provided by the Cato Institute.
During the Cold War, the Soviet Union declared that Iran was vital
to the protection of the USSR, but America wanted Iran”s oil. There
is a tug of war between the USSR and the US, each offering sweeter
and sweeter deals to the Arab nations just for signing up.
Mohammed Reza Shah Pahlavi was favored by the US, and the US encouraged
the Shah to bring the forces to bear and start neutralizing the
splitter groups and countries into US line. It was no secret that
the US wanted to bring the US influence over the Middle East as its
predecessor, Britain, had during the helicon of British rule.
The creation of the state of Israel also caused conflict in the
Middle East and in the UN.  The Arab countries had suggested the
Jewish survivors be given citizenship in other countries.  The UN had
developed the partition plan and that was not widely accepted. The US
was big on rhetoric about self-determination, but the Arab countries
saw the US as another obstacle to autonomy.
Evan M. Wilson, then ssistant chief of the State Department’s
Division of Near Eastern Affairs, later summarized matters best
when he said that the US solved one refugee problem by creating
another.  The present day Palestinian issues are a result of US
policies overseas.   The UN partition plan had been approved by
an overwhelming majority, but the Arab nations were left out in
the cold. 
Nasser of Egypt was a political leader who tried to remain neutral in
the US/Russian cold war.  The US found this to be wholly unacceptable
as Washington demanded absolute loyalty and subservience. Both
Britain and the US then sought to discredit Nasser by the signing of
the Baghdad Pact – hoping that outer tier Middle East countries would
pressure Nasser to fall in to line.   To the dismay of both Britain
and the US, the Baghdad Pact actually bolstered Nasser and brought
the USSR and the Arab states closer together – the plan back fired.
Israel too became its own worst enemy, and I quote from the Cato
Institute: “Israel was not able to use the canal, but the Jewish
state’s aims regarding Egypt went beyond that grievance. Since the
1948 Arab-Israeli war, Palestinian refugees had often crossed into
Israel seeking to regain property and possessions expropriated by
the government and to reach relatives. Some engaged in violence.
Israel began responding with massive reprisal raids against entire
villages in the Arab countries. Most significant was the attack on
the town of Gaza in February 1955, when children as well as men were
killed. That attack prompted Egypt to end direct peace talks with
Israel and to turn to the Soviet Union for arms.
It was only at that point that Egypt sponsored an anti-Israeli
guerrilla organization whose members were known as the Fedayeen. In
August Israel attacked the Gaza Strip village of Khan Yunis, killing
39 Egyptians. The attacks in the Gaza Strip, masterminded by officials
loyal to Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, subverted Nasser’s efforts
to make peace with Israel. Ben-Gurion’s successor, Moshe Sharett,
responded positively to Nasser’s overtures, but Gen. Moshe Dayan and
others undermined Sharett.(72) During the winter of 1955, for example,
Israeli warplanes flew over Cairo repeatedly to demonstrate Egyptian
military impotence.
The Israeli government had earlier tried to prevent a warming of
U.S.-Egyptian relations by having saboteurs bomb American offices in
Cairo in 1954, an episode that became known as the Lavon Affair.(73)
When Egypt uncovered the operation, Israel accused Nasser of
fabricating the plot. Two of the 13 men arrested were hanged, and
their hangings were used as a pretext for Israel’s February 1955
attack on Gaza. Six years later, the Israeli government’s complicity
was confirmed.”
The hatred for the US is probably well earned because of the US”s
determined lebensraum expansionism.  However, we cannot overlook
British and French involvement that contributed to the escalations of
tensions and hostilities so present now.   Nor can, or should we,
forget Turkish actions in Armenia.  Each and all have contributed
directly, or indirectly, to the current state of affairs in the
Middle East.
If peace is going to prevail several things must happened.  Israel
pulls back to the pre-1967 borders and assists the Palestinians in
building their own country.  The US has to vacate and commit the
using the UN as the vessel to settling disputes. Arafat needs to
stand down.  Sharon needs to stand down.
Michael Berglin