Category: News

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
March 27, 2004 Saturday

US diplomat says Caucasus may be America’s good partner

By Viktor Shulman, Sevindj Abdullayeva

BAKU

Countries of the Caucasus may become good partners of the U.S. once
they eliminate the conflicts smoldering in this region, Richard
Armitage, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, said here Saturday when
meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

He stressed the Americans’ support to a peaceful solution of the
Karabakh conflict.

Armitage thanked the Azerbaijani government for supporting the U.S.
war on international terrorism and for the courage that Azerbaijani
peacekeepers were displaying in Afghanistan and Iraq.

President Aliyev pointed out the high level of Azerbaijan’s
cooperation with the U.S., saying a number of large-scale energy
projects, like the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline would have been
unfeasible without U.S. assistance.

He also underlined the high level of military cooperation and said it
would continue developing.

As he mentioned the problems of regional security, Aliyev said the
Azerbaijanis hoped that the Minsk group of the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe, of which the U.S. is a
co-founder, would play a good role in the solution of the Karabakh
conflict between the Azerbaijanis and ethnic Armenians that has been
dragging on since 1988.

CIS security chief due in Kyrgyzstan around 29 March

Kyrgyz Radio first programme, Bishkek
27 Mar 04

Secretary-General of the CSTO Collective Security Treaty Organization;
members are Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and
Russia Nikolay Bordyuzha will come to Bishkek on a working visit early
next week.

He is expected to meet Kyrgyzstan President Askar Akayev, Kyrgyz
Security Council Secretary Misir Ashirkulov, and the heads of the
Interior Ministry, the Foreign Ministry, the Defence Ministry and the
Drugs Control Agency as part of the visit.

Preparations for the forthcoming session of the CSTO and the
coordination of efforts aimed at ensuring stability and security in
the CSTO area will be discussed at the meetings.

The Nation (Thailand)
March 27, 2004, Saturday

STATE OF THE ARTS: Lucky seven and guests

[parts omitted]

“Bliss” is in the Orient

Danish-Armenian Elizabeth Romhild holds her 12th solo exhibition,
Bliss, at H Gallery from April 5 to May 1.

The show comprises 15 bold and figurative oil paintings of Asian
women that examine stereotypes of oriental beauty and sensuality.

The gallery, located at 201 Sathorn Soi 12 (next to Bangkok Bible
College), is open Thursday to Saturday from noon to 6pm.</P>For more
information, call (01) 310 4428.

ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
March 26, 2004 Friday

Armenian president satisfied by level of relations with US

By Tigran Liloyan

YEREVAN

President Robert Kocharian, of Armenia, has said he is satisfied by
the level of Armenian-U.S. relations. He was speaking on Friday as he
received U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage.

Kocharian and Armitage noted the importance of wider bilateral
cooperation, the presidential press-service has told Tass.

Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian and the visiting U.S.
diplomat were unanimous that all-round development of bilateral
contacts was called to bring about a deeper political dialogue.

Speaking at a news conference following the meeting with the Armenian
president Armitage said that in his opinion the opening of Armenia’s
border with Turkey would greatly benefit both countries. He discussed
this possibility with Turkish diplomats earlier.

Turkey, he said, is currently focused on North Iraq and negotiations
over Cyprus, but the issue of opening the border with Armenia will be
certainly brought up again later.

Armitage said the Armenian foreign minister pointed out that the
amount of U.S. military assistance to Baku differed from that
extended to Yerevan. In reply he recalled that Azerbaijani military
were involved in operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Besides,
Azerbaijan fueled U.S. military planes flying to Iraq. This is a
heavy burden on Azerbaijan and our assistance is called to compensate
the country’s efforts, Armitage said.

Associated Press Worldstream
March 27, 2004 Saturday 10:22 AM Eastern Time

U.S. Deputy secretary of state praises Azerbaijan cooperation

by AIDA SULTANOVA; Associated Press Writer

BAKU, Azerbaijan

A top U.S. official thanked Azerbaijan on Saturday for its support in
Iraq and Afghanistan, and reiterated that the United States has no
plans to establish military bases in the Caucasus Mountain nation.

Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said cooperation in Iraq
and Afghanistan, where Azerbaijan has sent peacekeepers, was proof of
a good military relationship between the United States and the mostly
Muslim former Soviet republic.

Armitage, who met with President Ilham Aliev, said in comments before
leaving the country that they had not discussed military bases
because the United States has “no desire” to establish bases in
Azerbaijan.

The visit came amid continued planning for a global realignment of
U.S. forces that could result in more U.S. military activity in
former republics and satellites of the Soviet Union.

Armitage, who also met with opposition leaders, reiterated U.S.
concerns about what they say is a crackdown on dissent and
independent media. But he did not play up the problems, saying that
Aliev agrees there must be independent media.

He said that “the human rights situation is certainly not as good as
it could or should be. But it’s not a permanent situation and we have
no doubt that it will change, change for the better.”

Armitage, who arrived in Azerbaijan late Friday from neighboring
Armenia, said that a settlement of the persistent conflict between
the two countries over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave cannot be imposed
from above by outside forces.

“It has to be a lasting and durable solution, and it has to be
something the two sides agree on,” he said. He said an international
mediating group that includes Russia and the United States “has some
new ideas” on the issue, but did not reveal them.

In the early 1990s, Armenian-backed forces drove Azerbaijan’s army
out of Nagorno-Karabakh, a mostly ethnic Armenian enclave within
Azerbaijan, in a war that killed 30,000 people and left about 1
million homeless.

A cease-fire was signed in 1994, but no agreement has been reached on
the territory’s final status and the uneasy truce is broken by
sporadic bursts of gunfire and marred by mutual recriminations.

Azat Artsakh – Repubic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
March 25 2004

NO BREAKING OF CEASE-FIRE

On March 23 the OSCE mission held a planned monitoring of the
borderline between the armed forces of Karabakh and Azerbaijan near
the village Talish, region of Martakert. On the Karabakh side the
monitoring was conducted by the field assistants of the personal
representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Kenneth Pikles (Great
Britain) and Genady Korzh (Ukraine). During the monitoring no cases of
breaking the cease-fire were reported. The monitoring mission was
accompanied by the representatives of the NKR ministries of defence
and foreign affairs. After the monitoring the representatives of the
OSCE mission visited the soldier of the NKR armed forces who was
wounded by the Azerbaijani sniper on March 19.

AA.

Azat Artsakh – Repubic of Nagorno Karabakh
March 24, 2004

PUNISHMENT IN GEORGIAN MANNER

Bahatur Jobova will have to apologize to Azerbaijan; this is the
decision of the chess federation of Georgia for the participation of
the chess-player in the tournament held in Nagorni Karabakh. Besides,
according to the Baku newspapers, the chess federation of Azerbaijan
managed to compel the chess-player from Iran Haem Mahami to stop his
participation in the last rounds of the tournament. Recently the
meeting of the chairmanship of the chess federation of Georgia
discussed the question of participation of Jobova in the Karabakh
tournament. The latter arrived in Nagorni Karabakh in spite of the
instructions of the federation. The co-chairman of the federation
Azmayparashvili mentioned in his interview, `It is not easy for us to
handle the fate of this chess-player as he is one of the most talented
players of our country and our only hope.’ The father of the player
Alexander Jobova was also invited to the meeting of the chairmen of
the federation, who allegedly said that it was him `to sent the
chess-player to Stepanakert’ but at the same time behaved in a `non
correct’ manner. According to the vice-chairman of FIDE, the chairmen
had different opinions concerning the punishment of Jobova. They
consider either to deprive him of the state scholarship and forbid him
to participate in the Chess Olympiad or deprive his of the right to
participate in the local, as well as international tournaments for a
year. After long discussions the participants of the meeting came to
the conclusion to postpone the discussion of the problem to
Sunday. `Jobava must acknowledge his actions and officially apologize
to the chess federations of Georgia and Azerbaijan in press and by
television for by his actions he does not respect the territorial
integrity of Azerbaijan,’ said Azmayparashvili. If he does not
apologize, he will be deprived of the scholarship and will not have
the right to participate in the local and international competitions
for a year. An ultimatum was extended to the Georgian player. If he
apologizes, he will be deprived of only material supply and a
suspended disqualification for two years. Judging by such a reaction
of Georgia and the joy of Azerbaijan for this, if Jobava became a
prizewinner of the championship the inquisitors would make a fire for
him as a lesson for others.

NAIRA HAYRUMIAN

Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
March 26, 2004

FREE MEDICAL AID AND CARE

To effectively provide and regulate free medical aid and care at the
medical establishments of NKR within the framework of the state health
care programs provided by the government the NKR government passed a
decision `About State-provided free medical aid and care’. The
decision of the government maintains the list of the socially insecure
and special groups with the right for state-provided free medical aid
and care, organization and funding of free medical aid, the order of
providing free medicine at privileged conditions to the socially
insecure and special groups and people suffering certain diseases,
medical examination and care of the army, police and national security
servicemen at non-military medical institutions, as well as the order
of further compensation of the expenses. According to the decision of
the government, the right for free medical aid and care is granted to
the socially insecure classes, the disabled of the first, second and
third degrees, veterans of the Great Patriotic War, single mothers,
parents having 4 and more children under 18, the members of the
families of the army servicemen killed (died) during the defence of
NKR, as well as when carrying out their duties, participants of
elimination of the consequences of the Chernobyl explosion,
adolescents aged 15-18, persons aged 18-23 left without parental care,
servicemen of the army, the police and the national security, the
arrested and the prisoners, pensioners and students.

AA

A1 Plus | 17:57:55 | 25-03-2004 | Official |

SYUNIK DISTRICT HEAD RELIEVED

At Government decision Edik Barseghyan was relieved of his post for Syunik
District Head. Under another decision, Surik Khachatryan /Liska nicknamed/
was appointed Syunik District Head.

—

PRAVDA, Russia
March 26 2004

Special Services fight in the name of Allah and Putin

The following is an interview with Kakiev Said-Magomed Shamaev,
commander of the “Western” battalion of the mountainous force of the
United Forces in the Chechen republic, Major of the Russian Army. He
was born on 22 February, 1970; completed 8 grades in Grozny;
1989-1991-served in Nagorny Karabakh. Afterwards, he studied at the
University of Alma-Ata. From 1994 till 1994 served in an anti-Dudaev
opposition. He is a four-time-hero of the Russian Federation. He was
awarded with two medals for courage; received two inscribed guns from
the Minister of Defense.

Question: Said-Magomed, how long has your resistance against Chechen
extremists been lasting?

Said-Magomed Kakiev: After serving in the Sovier Army in Nagorny
Karabakh in 1991, I returned home, to the epicenter of events. I
thought I would never come close to weapons ever again. I was wrong.
Dudaev appeared in Chechnya stirring up major chaos, organized
several criminal gangs in the region and I did not have any other
choice but to fight with Dudaev”s bandits. That”s how I joined the
opposition.

In 1993, we failed to assassinate Dudaev.when my hand grenade
suddenly exploded in my hands. I lost an arm, one eye, my nose and
got four cracks in my skull. My friend died right on the spot. Many
assumed that I would never fight again; I was an invalid after all.
However, thanks to the Almighty, I was able to recover, even though
my appearance was totally changed. Doctors “mended” my entire body in
a beauty salon in Moscow. I acquired a new face. No one could
recognize me. I told myself, “I still have one hand; I still have a
soul which is fully devoted to Russia.” To me, Russia and Chechnya
represent one entity. Personally, I was fighting for this unity; I
will continue to fight for this unity till the end!

Question: You participated in the first Chechen campaign, including
the bloody battle in Grozny.

Kakiev: I entered the city with my squad. Back then we were apart of
neither the Ministry of Internal Affairs nor the Ministry of Defense.
We were motivated by one thing only-patriotism, love for our country
and a strong will to put an end to Dudaev and his gangs. We were
moving side by side with the Moscow”s riot squad and with special
service forces. We were asked to help, since we knew the area pretty
well, knew the language and could communicate with the locals.

We engaged in a bloody battle on the territory of “Eletropribor”
factory in one of the regions of Grozny. We were even involved in
ruthless bloody fistfights. Luckily, the riot squad and the special
forces were by our side. One can hardly forget the events of those
few days. We lost 7 of our guys. But we managed to destroy 29 gang
members. The enemy had to retreat. Those were the people of commander
Bazhiev. He is dead, now he is judged by the Almighty Allah.

Question: Why weren’t armored forces used to the fullest extent in
this invasion of Grozny?

Kakiev: This was an incredibly ruthless war. I felt terrible for
those young boys. Many things were unclear.we tried to warn our
allies, but no one listened to us. Order is an order, period! They
assumed it was easy to conquer.do you know how many people we lost?

Question: There still remain some questions concerning the events of
August 1996. Did you witness those events?

Kakiev: On August 6th, I was patrolling Dagestanskaya Street. A house
of the city’s mayor Yakub Deniev was located on that street. His
family belongs to the real saints. We were attacked by everyone, from
every side. There was only 50 of us. We were guarding the house. We
were running out of weapons. 37 women and children were hiding in the
basement there. Later, negotiations began and the “spirits” swore on
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and the elderly. I did not believe them from the start. We had a
choice of either staying in the region and trusting those promises of
the gang members or continue fighting. Everyone stayed. I left the
place on my own. it took me seven days to leave Grozny.

The “spirits” in turn shot everyone to death in the house, including
30 of our troops. They later burned and immured them in the basement.
It was only after two years that their bodies were recovered and sent
to the Rostov”s laboratory. When the cortÕge with the bodies was
traveling from Rostov to Chechnya, every singly militant’s post was
saluting them. As soon as they crossed the Chechen border, those
Dudaev”s soldiers started yelling “Look at these traitors!” “Bury
them in Russia!”. We will never forget this! We are perfectly aware
of the names of those beasts who committed such terrible crimes. They
are Doku Umarov, Ruslan Gelaev and others.

Question: In 1996 you had to leave Chechnya, what happened then?

Kakiev: I was called an outlaw by Maskhadov. He promised a title of
“Hero of Ichkeria” to the one who kills me. I could not get home for
three years; haven”t seen my relatives. I”ve been living in Moscow
for all these years. Since 1999, with the help of Allah and Putin, I
managed to return to the republic. I was appointed assistant of the
head of Nadterechni region, built two camps for refugees with heating
and water. Then I signed a contract with the Ministry of Defense and
left to fight.

Question: Many things have changed in Chechnya since those times. You
are currently a chief of the Chechen special military unit.

Kaiev: True, the situation is different now. I am immensely proud
that I am an officer of the Russian Army and a commander of the
“Western” battalion. We cover the mountainous area of the republic.
There is still much to be done there.

Question: Tell us about your medal “the hero of Russia”

Kakiev: I was awarded the title four times. The first time, I was
awarded for storming Grozny and for raising Russian flag there; the
second time-for the Komsomolskaya village, in an attempt to get
Gelaev; afterwards-for a series of operations; finally, the fourth
medal I received for an unsuccessful operation to neutralize Basaev”s
“general”.

Question: Official sources claim that Chechen militants disarm daily.
Many are undergoing amnesty. How do you feel about it?

Kakiev: This is a normal process, especially taking into account the
fact that majority of gang members have been defeated. Amnesty
however, raises a lot of questions. How can one forgive those who
were fighting against us? People say different things: that they are
innocent, that they have not killed any religious leaders and so on.
What did they do to 18-year-old boys, I wonder? That is why I do not
understand such amnesty. True, we should forgive those who were
forced to join the gangs against their will. But amnesty is a
time-bomb. People have been fighting against a particular country, so
many soldiers have died, and in the end no one is being held
responsible? I will never submit to this. We are all mortals. How are
we going to look in the eyes of those 18-year-olds up there?

Blood should not be forgiven. One has to be responsible for murder.
Those bandits lost their dignity. They are not people. Muslims cannot
do such things.

It turns out that all terrorist acts are committed by Basaev alone.
No one else is responsible.

Yes, war kills people, but to torture dead bodies, that’s obsecene.

We managed to achieve so much with the help of Allah; we will be able
to do much more to cleanse the land of such monsters.

German Pronin
Source: Utro.Ru