Category: News

ArmenPress
March 22 2004
ARMENIA, SIERRA LEONE ESTABLISH DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS
NEW YORK, MARCH 22, ARMENPRESS: Permanent Representatives of
Armenia and Sierra Leone to the UN, Armen Martirosian and Joe Robert
Pemagbi signed on March 19 a memorandum on the establishment of
diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Armenian foreign affairs ministry said the two men discussed after
the signing ceremony possibilities for developing bilateral contacts,
singling out education, culture and diamond processing as areas with
such a potential.

Dissident Voice, United States
March 22 2004
Sating the Monster

by Barbara Sumner Burstyn

Part of the year we live in a small farming community in New Zealand,
where each summer the locals get together for a sports day. In a
paddock backed by the impenetrable Kaweka Ranges, kids gallop their
horses round barrels and dog racing consists of a dead possum tied to
the back of Ute, driven at speed across the paddock with farm dogs in
hot pursuit. While the women slap home grown BBQ sausages into white
bread, men discuss the recent floods and our neighbors decide it’s
the perfect time to try to convert us.
`I can’t wait to see Mel Gibson’s, the Passion,’ the home-schooling
wife and mother says two seconds after we’re introduced. Her husband,
a born-again minister with a flock in Napier nods quietly. I ask her
why.
`Because,’ she lowers her voice, `it’s the truth.’
`Really?’ I know my inflection is rising.
`Oh yes, it shows clearly who was responsible for Jesus’ death.’
Usually people either like or dislike a particular film. But this one
is different. For believers in the literal interpretation of the
bible, the movie version of the last hours of Jesus’ life represents
something far more than actors acting and it’s certainly not two
hours of escapism, instead this film represents validation for their
beliefs and nothing short of the word of God.
But aren’t they missing something here? This is not a rent in the
fabric of time, a documentary or even a docudrama. It’s a movie, a
version of historical events, true only in the sense that Oliver
Stone’s Vietnam War film, Platoon, is true.
Speaking in the New Yorker recently, early Christian historian and
author of The Gnostic Gospels and The Origin of Satan, Elaine Pagels
explains when Christians read the Gospels as historical acts, they
will say what Mel Gibson says: that this is the truth, this is our
faith. But the film ignores the spin the gospel writers were
pressured to put on their works.
Putting it into context she explains how the gospel writers were
oppressed Jews trying to sell a new religion. The gospels, she says,
were not intended as history but as preaching, as religious
propaganda to win followers for the teachings of Christ.
Pagels also calls into question Gibson’s portrayal of Pilate as
benign and says it’s a narrative device to make the Jews appear more
malignant. She says the film is full of the preposterous dialectic of
bad Jews and good Romans. And she points out that when the Temple
police arrest Jesus, Mary Magdalene turns to the Romans as if they
were the policemen on the block, benign protectors of the public
order. `But the very idea of a Jewish woman turning to Roman soldiers
for help is ridiculous.’
And while New York Times arts editor Frank Rich describes the film as
Jew baiting, in an interview in Readers Digest, Gibson, a member of a
Catholic extremist group carefully skirted the issue of the Holocaust
by folding it into the general fog and loss of the WWII. Of course
the son is not responsible for his father’s sins, but Gibson has made
no move to distance himself from Gibson senior’s vicious Holocaust
denial.
Certainly in places like Denver, Colorado, the subtle anti-Semitic
message of this film is getting through with The Lovingway United
Pentecostal Church posting a huge marquee reading “Jews Killed the
Lord Jesus.’
But if there is message besides anti-Semitism in this film it is that
violence and brutality are part of human nature. Rich calls the film
a jamboree of bloody beefcake … constructed like a porn movie,
replete with slo-mo climaxes and pounding music for the money shots.’
While writer Christopher Hitchens called it a homoerotic “exercise in
lurid sadomasochism” for those who “like seeing handsome young men
stripped and flayed alive over a long period of time.”
So when a born-again type uses this film to tell you about God’s
love, it might be useful to remember that this love comes with ravens
to peck out your eyes if you blaspheme, extreme torture, blood and
gore and a hoard of baying, big nosed Jews (in contrast to the Jewish
Jesus’ petit white bread one.)
This movie with its utter glorification of the agonies humans can
inflict on each other reveals the bloodlust that lurks in the heart
of man. It is this that fuels our inhumanity to each other and that’s
why this film is such a big hit. And it is this that allows us to
ignore the reality of the pogroms that have decimated Jews for
centuries, fueled the Crusades and the Holocaust, the genocide of
numerous ethnic groups from Armenians and Gypsies to Native
Americans. And it is this bloodlust that allows us to ignore the
10,000 Iraqi’s killed since the invasion of their country, and the
demonizing of present day Muslims.
And who killed Jesus? According to my neighbor we all did. `Not just
the Jews,’ she says and sighs deeply as if she has been divested of a
great weight, this burden of truth. The Passion; a story of love, of
one mans sacrifice? Or an anti-Semitic gore fest to temporarily sate
the monster in each of us?
Barbara Sumner Burstyn is a freelance writer who commutes between
Montreal, Quebec and The Hawkes Bay in New Zealand. She writes a
weekly column for the New Zealand Herald (), and
has contributed to a wide range of media. She can be reached at:
[email protected]. Visit her website to read more of her work:
© 2004 Barbara Sumner Burstyn

Central Asian and Southern Caucasus Freedom of Expression Network
(CASCFEN), Azerbaijan
March 22 2004
The law ”On freedom of information” is democratic only externally
kavkaz.memo.ru – The law “On freedom of information” of the Republic
of Armenia is democratic only externally, actually there are no some
important elements in it necessary for development of democracy. On
March 20 at the session of the round table on the theme “Reforms of
the legislation on mass media of Armenia and its conformity to the
European standards” has declared about this the Minister of Justice
of Armenia David Arutyunyan.
As he said, the law “On freedom of information” is imperfect, as it
has many contradictions, including the name of the document. It is
natural, that the law has caused negative reaction of a society. As
minister has explained, the right of citizens of Armenia on getting
and distribution of the information is fixed in the article 24 of the
Constitution of Armenia. Meanwhile the name of the new law “On
freedom of information” assumes only freedom of reception of the
information, and is spoken nothing about its distribution. “The
discussed question is not deprived political nuances, therefore
arrival to the certain result for us is especially important”, has
noted D.Arutyunyan.
As minister assures, the purpose of the state is maintenance of
original freedom of information. “The law should be finished, that it
would not be only declarative, but also working”, David Arutyunyan
has noted. With this purpose the Ministry of Justice of Armenia has
addressed in the Armenian representations of OSCE and USAID with the
request for granting the help as an expert for studying the
legislation of mass media of Armenia.
D.Arutyunyan does not deny that the legislative field of Armenia is
rather inconsistent. After declaration the independence of the
country in the legislation of Armenia it was totaled by 70 thousand
legal acts semi-centennial and more prescription. After clarification
of a legislative field from 70 thousand remained only 30 legal acts
which demand additional study.
Translated from Russian by CASCFEN.

ArmenPress
March 22 2004
JAPAN PROVIDES ARMENIA WITH ANOTHER AGRICULTURAL GRANT
YEREVAN, MARCH 22, ARMENPRESS: Armenian agriculture minister David
Lokian and a senior official of the Japanese embassy in Moscow,
Masataka Yosidzava, signed today an agreement according to which the
Japanese government will provide Armenia with another, the seven
consecutive grant of 200 million Yens.
Japan has given Armenia already 2.13 billion Yens in the form of
grants since 1997 for agricultural development to buy 70,000 tons of
fertilizers, 53 harvest combines and 226 tractors, which were sold to
farmers at privileged terms.
Lokian said today that part of the grant, which is also made
available for purchase of agricultural machines and fertilizers, will
be used for restoration of Armenian forests and building dams to
protect lands against floods.
Yosidzava said his government has decided to cut aid to emerging
countries, reducing the list from 70 to 14, “but basing on
transparent and effective utilization of previous grants by the
government of Armenia, it has decided to keep Armenia on the list.”

RIA Novosti, Russia
March 22 2004
HEAD OF STATE DUMA INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE BELIEVES IN CLOSE
RESOLUTION OF ADZHARIAN CONFLICT
MOSCOW, March 22, 2004 – RIA Novosti. The conflict around Adzharia
(autonomy within Georgia) is probably close to resolution, Konstantin
Kosachev, chairman of the State Duma international committee, told
journalists on Monday.
“One cannot but feel satisfied with the conflict around Adzharia
returning from the hot stage to a cold one,” Kosachev noted.
At the same time he recalled that the only document regulating the
status of Adzharia as autonomy within Georgia is the Treaty of Kars
of 1921, which remains valid up to this day.
According to Kosachev, the recent statements by some representatives
of Georgia and Turkey that a number of the Treaty’s provisions have
become invalid due to the changed international situation are
“juridically incorrect”.
“The basic documents of the Potsdam Conference, as well as the Vienna
Convention of 1969 “About the Right of International Treaties” have a
reference to this document as a treaty regulating the borders of the
autonomy, and this allows to speak that the Treaty of Kars keeps its
legal force,” the deputy said.
In accordance with the Treaty of Kars signed in 1921 between Turkey,
on the one side, and Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, on the other
with Russia’s participation, Turkey waived its claims to Adzharia,
which was again becoming part of Georgia.
In line with this treaty, Georgia was to ensure autonomy to Adzharia
to the greatest possible extent – cultural, religious and national up
to the granting to it the right of adopting its own laws.
Under this Treaty Georgia also undertook to ensure free transit of
cargoes via Adzharia’s Black Sea port of Batumi.

ArmenPress
March 22 2004
MORE SIGNS OF INCREASED SEISMIC ACTIVITY IN ARMENIA
GYUMRI, MARCH 22, ARMENPRESS: The northern branch of the National
Survey for Seismic Protection (NSSP), situated in the town of Gyumri,
said there are indications of increased seismic activity in Armenia’s
northern regions.
Since the start of 2004 it has registered around 200 tremors
against last year’s 30 minor tremors. Slight tremors are still being
registered following a January 16 earthquake ranging from 3-4 on the
Richter Scale in the Armenian marzes of Lori, Shirak and Tavush.
These tremors though being of small size, are registered several
times a day. The epicenter is north-west of Spitak, the scene of a
destructive earthquake in 1988 that razed to ground the north of
Armenia killing at least 25,000 people. Another hub of the increased
seismic activity is near the resort town of Jermuk, some 150 km south
of Yerevan. however, experts claim these tremors are only of
discharging nature posing no threat.
In the wake of a powerful earthquake that hit the Iranian city of
Bam killing thousands of people the chairman of the Armenian
Association of Seismologists and Earth Physics, Sergey Balasanian,
warned that the earthquake in Iran would cause a high seismic
activity in the next 12 months in the whole region including Armenia.
“There is a clear indication of a new wave of seismic activity
traveling across the region,” Sergey Balasanian announced, however
his warnings were turned down by NSSP specialists, who cautioned that
such announcements have to be done very careful not to spread a panic
among the population.

Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh
March 19 2004
INTERVIEW WITH B. DJOBAVA
Among the guests of the International Chess Tournament held in
Stepanakert was young chess-player from Georgia, grand master Bahadur
Djobava.
– What did you know about Nagorni Karabakh?
– I heard about the territorial and political conflict between
Azerbaijan and Nagorni Karabakh 12 years ago, when I was a child. And
today it is painful that the historically attached neighbour nations
solve their problems in military ways.
– We knew that you would participate in the tournament.
– When I learned about my possible participation in the international
tournament to be held in Stepanakert I was glad because the
competition was going to be serious and besides I had many
acquaintances among the participants and organizers. I hoped that the
tournament would also favour the friendly and cultural relationships
between the chess-players from different countries and would become a
festivity for the lovers of chess. Unfortunately, I could not take
part in the tournament because of the decision of the administration
of the Georgian Federation of Chess. As a chess-player I felt
humiliated; we always thought that we must contribute to the
development of chess in the world. Therefore I accepted the
invitation of the organizer of the tournament Smbat Lpoutian to take
part in the tournament as a guest. On these days the chess school of
Stepanakert was opened. I met with the children, delivered a lecture
for them.
– What is your impression from the tournament?
– I was especially impressed by the meeting with the guest of honour
of the tournament, former champion of the world Boris Spassky. His
presence imparted friendliness to the atmosphere. The tournament was
marked for strong participants and interesting and tense competition.
The hall was always full of audience. I would like such tournaments
to be organized more frequently in all the countries of the world,
especially in Transcaucasia: Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan.
– Certain Azerbaijani mass media gave a negative reaction in your
address.
– In the web site of FIDE I was blamed that the flag of Georgia was
raised for my participation. I want to assure that the flag of
Georgia was not raised although it should have been as Tigran
Petrossian was born in Tbilisi. I do not want my name to be
circulated in the political and chess intrigues. I only did my duty
of a professional chess-player to make our favourite game more famous
and popular.
ANAHIT DANIELIAN

Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh
March 19 2004
EARLY TO BUILD A BABEL TOWER
The opposition of Armenia was too much inspired by the `rose
revolution’ in Georgia and even took `independent’ steps in the form
of addresses deviating from the official position at the PACE
meeting. Paying attention to the words of George Bush after his
meeting with the current president of Georgia, who has carried out
the `rose revolution’, Sahakashvili that they discussed the
possibility of spreading the revolution in other countries, we have
to state that the protests of the Armenian opposition are fertile
ground for this. Apparently the interest of the USA to spread the
rose revolution depends on the disappointment with the foreign
political position of official Yerevan. And although the opposition
tries to find the cause in the non-democratic presidential election
from which a year has passed already, the election in Baku which is
unanimously criticized by all the observers, makes to search for
other reasons. And as it is known to everybody that at all times the
mediation missions were an active mechanism of putting pressure on
the conflict parties, as well as a desire of the states which were
not conflict parties to solve their strategic and geopolitical
problems in the given country or region, we have to confess that we
are in a greater dependence on the countries which did not
participate in the conflict than we would like to be, countries the
number of which is growing and consequently the settlement becoming
more complicated. Naturally, at the beginning of the conflict we
depended on the USSR and its heir Russia whose strategic interests in
the Caucasus coincided with those of Armenia and Nagorni Karabakh, by
the way the final settlement of the Karabakh conflict and especially
its unification with Armenia is out of the circle of their interests
(there will be no other circumstance for putting pressure on
Azerbaijan). The other non-participant interested party, the USA
whose colonial pretensions have no limits, cherishes the desire of
ousting Russia from the region, as this country has still many levers
to put pressure on Armenia as the latter is in an unfavourable
condition, surrounded by hostile countries. And again we appear in
the focus of the collision of the interests of great powers because
of our geopolitical position, and it is very important to pay
attention at last to this factor using it in favour of our country.
In such difficult conditions it is not proper for the government and
the opposition to enter a conflict. We do not even have the right to
dream of a `rose revolution’. It is not accidental that at all times
the words of the great poet remain actual, `Armenian nation, your
only salvation is your united power.’ For if we are united, the
inventors of the American machine of revolutions would have no
support and would have to take into consideration the interests of
the given nation. And finally, how is it possible to keep silent
about the murder of the Armenian army officer during the NATO program
`Partnership for Peace’? The cruelty of the incident unexpected for
Europe should be used by the RA government and the Armenian Diaspora
to show that the line of globalization adopted by America and Europe
is not always adequate in reference to denying national borders, and
the nation which during the 20th century resorted to a genocide and
other cruel revenges does not recognize any rule. For they were not
able to protect the Armenian officer from the Azerbaijani murderer in
a neutral country and especially within the framework of such a
strong military alliance as NATO. So, it is still early to pretend to
the role of builder of the tower of Babel; the consequences will be
all the same.
EMMA BALAYAN

BPI Entertainment News Wire
March 22, 2004, Monday 01:18 PM Eastern Time
Classical Score ;
In Armenia, discovering the past and the present
By ANASTASIA TSIOULCAS, Billboard
Armenian composer Tigran Mansurian is a man of passion and intensity.
Whether discussing his friendship with Dmitri Shostakovich,
describing his childhood in Beirut, Lebanon, or recounting the
influence of William Faulkner’s writings on his work, Mansurian
punctuates his reflections with sweeping hand motions and piercing
glances.
Yet the 65-year-old’s own music exemplifies the power and pungency of
the small and subtle gesture. Renowned violist Kim Kashkashian —
herself Armenian-American — explains the appeal of Mansurian’s music
this way: “His writing is very distilled, very concentrated. The
intensity is extreme.”
Mansurian says his music is steeped not just in Armenian music and
history but is also influenced by a Japanese artist he observed some
30 years ago.
“I saw an ikebana artist creating a composition from flowers,” he
says, “and the theory behind this art is to reveal beauty through
simplicity. When they cut off leaves, you can see the childhood of
the plant. From that emptiness, you imagine and create life
yourself.”
Despite his renown at home and his friendships with such colleagues
as Arvo Part, Alfred Schnittke, Sofia Gubaidulina, Valentin
Silvestrov and others, Mansurian is not well-known internationally.
However, that is rapidly changing.
Since their first meeting several years ago, Kashkashian has become a
champion of Mansurian’s work, and the composer has written several
works for her. Kashkashian’s advocacy has blossomed into a long-term
commitment to Mansurian from producer/ECM label head Manfred Eicher.
The first fruit of that relationship arrived last July, when the
Munich-based ECM released “Hayren,” a disc that included Mansurian’s
piece “Havik” as well as songs by the revered Armenian
composer/ethnomusicologist Komitas (1869-1935), arranged by
Mansurian.
On March 30, ECM continues to explore Mansurian’s exceptional work
with a two-CD set titled “Monodia.” Two compositions on the new disc
were written expressly for Kashkashian: the 1995 viola concerto “And
Then I Was in Time Again …” and “Confessing With Faith” for viola
and voices (in which Kashkashian is joined by the Hilliard Ensemble).
“Lachrymae,” a piece for viola and saxophone, is played here by its
dedicatees, Kashkashian and Jan Garbarek (who makes his instrument
sound remarkably like the traditional Armenian duduk). Rounding out
the collection is 1981’s Violin Concerto, played by Leonidas Kavakos.
WHO’S FIT TO BE ARIADNE? The brouhaha stemming from Covent Garden’s
decision to drop Deborah Voigt from this June’s production of
Strauss’ “Ariadne auf Naxos” because of her weight shows no signs of
abating, despite the outpouring of support for Voigt.
You know the opera-sized wars have hit the big time when the fury
elicits outraged comment from The New York Times’ editorial board, as
it did March 10.
Asuggestion for the beleaguered Voigt: Perhaps a suitable venue in
London would be pleased to present you in a solo recital on the same
night that “Ariadne” opens?

United Press International
March 22, 2004 Monday 13:11 PM Eastern Time
UPI Hears …
WASHINGTON, March 22 (UPI)
Insider notes from United Press International for March 22,
2004

An increasing issue for the Pentagon as it extends its global
military presence is its “Status of Forces Agreement” (SOFA) with the
host country. SOFA agreements are frequently seen as shielding U.S.
servicemen committing criminal acts from local justice, as the
agreements provide for trial by the U.S. military rather than local
jurisdictions. Japan, host to U.S. forces since 1945, is particularly
concerned about modifying its SOFA agreement with Washington. SOFA
currently does not require the United States to hand over military
suspects alleged to have committed crimes until Japanese prosecutors
indict them. The two countries are expected shortly to agree to a
compromise allowing U.S. officials to attend interrogations of U.S.
military personnel suspected of such serious crimes as murder or
rape. Washington and Tokyo are expected to resume official
negotiations later this month and formally agree on changes in
implementing SOFA.

As Turkey holds its breath over its possible accession to European
Union membership, the EU is casting its eyes even further afield. The
EU’s special envoy on South Caucasus, Heike Talvitie, told a meeting
of Azerbaijan’s permanent parliamentary commission on human rights in
Baku that a special project was being developed to admit Georgia,
Azerbaijan and Armenia to the EU and that the dates and condition for
admission of the three countries will be made public after the
project is developed. In broadening the EU’s contacts with the
country’s political opposition, Talvitie met with MP Ali Karimli,
chairman of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan, Musavat Party
leader Isa Gambar and Etibar Mammadov, chairman of the Party for
National Independence of Azerbaijan. Before flying to Yerevan,
Talvitie stressed that he would make every effort to settle the Upper
Karabakh conflict and take advantage of all opportunities to reach
peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

One of the few certainties in the wake of Israel’s “targeted
assassination” of Hamas spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin is that
in the short-term the Middle East is likely to become an even more
dangerous place as Hamas militants seek to avenge their fallen
leader. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s counter-terrorism adviser Avi
Arditi has underlined that the Israeli government’s recent travel
advisory warning citizens against visiting Sinai is based on hard
intelligence and not just general information. Among other areas
Israeli travel advisories warn Israelis to avoid visiting are
Istanbul, Bangkok, northern India, and Philippine islands that have
been the site of Muslim insurgent activity. Insurance companies use
travel advisory lists to determine whether to issue life insurance
policies to travelers putting themselves in harm’s way. All the
countries covered by the Israeli advisory — Egypt, Turkey, Thailand,
India and the Philippines — are heavily dependent on tourism
revenues, and inclusion in advisories frequently has a devastating
economic impact.

Qatar’s feisty satellite television channel al-Jazeera has annoyed
governments from Washington to Baghdad, with Riyadh recently claiming
that their broadcasts incite terrorism. Now Saudi Arabian Imam
Al-Hushan has taken the Western route, suing the channel in the
courts over a documentary that a film crew shot in his mosque in
Asir. The Western reporters in the broadcast version of the film
described the mosque as a base for terrorism, adding that four of the
9/11 suspects regularly attended prayer services there. Al-Hushan
claims that the broadcast ruined the mosque’s reputation, and is
seeking unspecified damages. Perhaps the filmmakers were onto
something; Asir province abuts Yemen, ancestral homeland of Osama bin
Laden, while nearly one-third of the Guantanamo detainees are Saudi
or Yemeni.

It might just be coincidence, but as U.S. troops prepare for
Operation Mountain Storm in Afghanistan, Russian and Tajik troops
across the border today began three days of joint command and staff
exercises in southern Tajikistan. The exercises are designed to
improve the country’s ability to interdict the flow of terrorists the
border. Motor-rifle regiments of the Russian 201st division and the
Tajik Armed Forces will be practicing joint maneuvers with armored
vehicles and attack aircraft. Chief of the army staff of the Volga
region-Urals Military District Col. Gen. Nikolai Tkachev and Maj.
Gen. Abdulnazar Abulasanov, commander of Tajikistan’s land forces are
overseeing the exercises. In case any Taliban or al-Qaida fighters
still in Afghanistan miss the point, joint artillery exercises will
be held at the Mumirak range along the southern Tajik-Afghan border
on March 24.