Category: News

La Stampa
July 28, 2004
“”Non uccidere”” nel secolo del genocidio
Tosatti Marco
Marco Tosatti ROMA Non uccidere: “”I dieci comandamenti””,
l’inchiesta televisiva di Luca De Mata, in programma oggi su Raiuno,
si occupa di quello che e’ stato forse uno degli imperativi piu’
disattesi nel secolo scorso. Una violazione che, adesso, sta tornando
ad assumere una veste religiosa, cercando in un dio la
giustificazione al delitto. Il secolo scorso e’ stato il secolo dei
genocidi: da quello armeno, perpetrato dal governo laico e agnostico,
anche se formalmente mussulmano, di Istanbul, e che uso’ anche l’odio
religioso anticristiano per i suoi fini, al genocidio rwandese, un
massacro etnico, di cui la puntata di oggi offre immagini inedite e
agghiaccianti.
Ma e’ naturalmente, per ragioni di attualita’ drammatica, sul
fenomeno del terrorismo suicida in nome di Allah che si fissa
l’obiettivo del regista, nel tentativo di comprendere le ragioni di
chi e’ disposto a sacrificare la sua vita, e quella di persone
innocenti, in nome di Dio. Un fenomeno sconosciuto, siano a qualche
anno fa; e che dopo l’11 settembre sembra sia diventato una delle
modalita’ belliche possibili nel mondo islamico (fino a quel momento
poche realta’ come quella delle “”Tigri Tamil”” lo praticavano. De
Mata ha raccolto voci discordanti, nel mondo che segue il Profeta. In
Burkina Faso, il responsabile dei giovani della moschea di Ouahigouya
ha detto: “”Io sono andato volontario in Iraq come tanti altri
giovani Islamici da tutto il mondo. Sono andato per fare la guerra.
Pronto a combattere e a morire, ma non certo a suicidarmi per
uccidere. L’Islam non chiede il suicidio-omicida. Spero che i
credenti musulmani e cristiani trovino la via della collaborazione””.
Non tutti sono d’accordo su questo punto; e per riuscire ad afferrare
la difficolta’ di una spiegazione, bisognerebbe comprendere con
quanta sofferenza nel mondo islamico viene vissuto il concetto di
“”thulm””, oppressione. Al Cairo Mohammed Abddullatif, un editore ha
dichiarato che “”il suicidio, come e’ detto sia nei Comandamenti che
nel Corano, e’ proibito. Ma ci sono dei casi particolari come, ad
esempio, in Palestina: i cosiddetti kamikaze. Proibire ai bambini di
andare a scuola, fermare la gente per strada, privare le persone del
necessario, tutto questo fa sentire ai palestinesi che non c’e’
speranza per il loro futuro. Non possono proteggere i loro figli.
Allora i palestinesi che vivono tutto questo sentono che per poter
proteggere la vita dei loro bambini, delle loro madri o dei loro
padri devono sacrificarsi e suicidarsi assieme ai suoi nemici. Fanno
questo per garantire la vita dei loro figli.
E’ per questo che non possiamo affermare che cio’ che fa un
palestinese e’ un omicidio o un suicidio. Egli pensa che in questo
modo protegge la vita degli altri e, sacrificandosi, da’ la vita agli
altri che soffrono””.
E’ solo l’esempio di un problema che e’ molto piu’ complesso di
quanto appaia a prima vista, e che vive di posizioni molto diverse,
come quella dell’imam Ibraim Reda, che dall’Egitto afferma: “”Noi non
siamo predicatori di terrorismo. Noi siamo predicatori di pace. Noi
tendiamo la mano agli Occidentali colti per costruire una civilta’
basata sul dialogo, cosi’ come qui in Egitto. In questo modo potremo
distruggere il terrorismo che nasce dalla poverta’ e
dall’oppressione””. Poverta’ e oppressione che sono largamente
alimentati dal Nord del mondo.
Un capitolo a parte e’ quello dedicato alla pena di morte legale;
praticata in molti paesi, e, nel mondo occidentale, anche dagli Stati
Uniti.
Richard C. Dieter, Direttore esecutivo del Centro sulla pena di morte
ricorda: “”Nei 25 anni da quando la pena di morte e’ stata
reintrodotta negli Stati Uniti 111 persone sono state trovate
innocenti e liberate dal braccio della morte, completamente
scagionate. Queste 111 persone erano credute da tutti colpevoli ed
sarebbero potuto essere giustiziate. E molte sono arrivate vicino all’esecuzione””.

Caucasus Reporting Service
Karabakh Election Battle
Unexpectedly strong contest in mountainous territory too close to call.
By Ashot Beglarian in Stepanakert (CRS No. 244, 28-Jul-04)
Nagorny Karabakh is experiencing an unusually lively election campaign for
the mayor of its main city, Stepanakert.
Five candidates are fighting for the post, employing Karabakhi television
and a new independent newspaper to advertise themselves to voters, in the
most important contest in the region’s August 8 municipal elections.
As always, the Azerbaijani foreign ministry in Baku has issued a protest at
the conduct of elections in the republic, which is internationally
recognised as being part of Azerbaijan. And, as always, the Armenian
authorities in Karabakh have rejected the accusations.
In a statement the Nagorny Karabakh foreign ministry declared, “We proceed
from the understanding that only legitimately elected authorities possess
the necessary powers and bear responsibility for the fate of the people who
live on the territory entrusted to them.”
The election marks something new for Karabakh because three of the
candidates are in different ways connected to officialdom and there is no
clear favourite in a territory where one contestant usually wins a
resounding victory.
Originally, there were ten candidates, but the field has now narrowed to
five, after two were denied registration and three pulled out. Most
observers are agreed that the ballot comes down to a fight between two men,
Pavel Najarian, a former deputy mayor of Stepanakert, and Eduard Agabekian,
chairman of the committee on social issues in the Karabakh parliament.
Najarian was one of the participants in the 1988 movement for secession from
Azerbaijan and has a reputation of being an experienced business
professional, having managed the local buildings material plant, one of the
most successful factories in Karabakh in recent times.
He is also the favourite because he is generally believed to have the
support of the local authorities.
Agabekian is a popular politician with the reputation of being a brave
member of parliament who speaks out for the democratisation of society. He
is one of the founders of a recently-formed political organisation,
Movement-88, whose aim is to “revive the spirit and national consciousness
of 1988, the beginning of the Karabakh movement for self-determination”.
The current mayor Amik Avanesian is also running for re-election, although
he lacks the public and political support he once had and few rate his
chances. Most residents of the city say in his time in office he has done
almost nothing to deal with their problems.
Both leading candidates have been busy trying to win hearts and minds.
Najarian has made a point of saying that the spiritual as well as the
physical welfare of Stepanakert is important.
“Stepanakert needs a church, which will allow people to have firm faith in
the nation and themselves,” he said. “I am deeply worried about the sickness
that has stricken our society – people’s indifference to what is around
them. To cure that sickness people have to have a healthy spiritual and
social way of life.”
Agabekian says he will fight for “the supremacy of the law” in Stepanakert,
before which “everyone ought to be equal, irrespective of their social
position, merits and party allegiance”, suggesting he will, if elected, be
an independent mayor.
The responsibilities of the mayor and of the government are blurred and one
of the other candidates, Iosif Adamian, a well-known local businessman and
wine-maker, argues that the mayor’s office needs to be restructured and made
more autonomous.
“The office of mayor is not a gift and not a weapon for different groups,
but an organ which is the guarantee of social justice and citizens’ rights,”
he said.
David Karabekian, a university lecturer, noted that “many legal questions
connected with the activity of the local authorities and their relations
with the central republican authorities have not been worked out. The legal
vacuum not only makes possible pressure from above but various kinds of
bureaucratic arbitrary rule with all its accompanying side-effects:
corruption, protectionism and so on.”
The new mayor will have to deal with a wide range of problems to do with
housing, jobs and utilities. Avanesian is promising, if re-elected, to build
700 new houses.
Despite the lively campaign and assurances from the central electoral
commission, many Stepanakert voters are wary of the candidates and their
promises and believe the outcome is all but predetermined.
“I believe that the candidate who has the current authorities behind him
will win,” said local resident, Karen Arakelian, formerly a refugee from
Baku, reflecting the views of many. ” [Although] I don’t think there will be
any crude breaking of the electoral rules.”
Ashot Beglarian is a freelance journalist based in Nagorny Karabakh.

PanArmenian News
July 28 2004
GEORGIA CONSIDERS TWO VARIANTS OF WITH IRANIAN GAS SUPPLY: VIA
ARMENIA OR VIA AZERBAIJAN
THIRD ARMENIAN RUNAWAY TO BAKU SUFFERS FROM MENTAL DISORDER
FIRST ARMENIAN SITE DEDICATED TO STRUGGLE AGAINST SMOKING APPEARED IN
INTERNET
SEVERAL HUNDREDS ARMENIAN REFUGEES FROM AZERBAIJAN TO BE MOVED FROM
ONE OF MOSCOW HOSTELS
ARMENIAN SERVICEMEN PARTICIPATING NATO EXERCISE IN LITHUANIA
ELMAR MAMEDYAROV: ISSUE OF US MILITARY AID TO ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN
PURELY POLITICAL
ARMENIAN CENTER TO BE BUILT IN GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA
*********************************************************************
GEORGIA CONSIDERS TWO VARIANTS OF WITH IRANIAN GAS SUPPLY: VIA
ARMENIA OR VIA AZERBAIJAN
28.07.2004 18:39
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ At present two variants of supplying Georgia with
Iranian gas are being considered: via Armenia or via Azerbaijan, as
reported by Iran.ru, an official of Georgian Energy Ministry stated.
According to the source, for the delivery through Azerbaijan $2
million should be spent on the repair of the already existing gas
pipeline. Meanwhile, transit of gas through the Iran-Armenia pipeline
will be cheaper. In the words of the Georgian official, to all
appearances, the delivery of the Iranian gas will start at the
beginning of 2005. At the same time he noted that the delivery is
supposed for emergency cases only, that is in case Russia suspends or
reduces gas supply.
*********************************************************************
THIRD ARMENIAN RUNAWAY TO BAKU SUFFERS FROM MENTAL DISORDER
28.07.2004 18:07
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Ispir Ghazarian, the Armenian, who arrived in Baku
and yielded himself to the Azeri authorities, suffers from mental
disorder, Regnum IA reports according to reliable sources in Yerevan.
After serving his sentence in 1968 and 1975, he had persecution
mania. He wrote letters to Bush, Pope, Margaret Tatcher and
Gorbachev. 65-year-old Ghazarian many times underwent treatment in
Armenian mental hospitals. In 1994 he arrived to Baku via Tbilisi
wishing to move to the US. According to the source, during the
examination the members of the International Red Cross stated him as
mentally ill and brought him to Sadakhlo, to the Georgian-Armenian
border for his future transportation to Armenia. To note, Ghazarian
is the third to have tried to move to third countries through
Azerbaijan. Roman Terzian and Arthur Apresian, who are kept in a cell
of the Azeri ministry of national security at present, arrived in
Baku in April.
*********************************************************************
FIRST ARMENIAN SITE DEDICATED TO STRUGGLE AGAINST SMOKING APPEARED IN
INTERNET
28.07.2004 14:21
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ On Internet users can
view the first Armenian site dedicated to struggle against smoking.
Created by the efforts of the International Center of Human
Development the site maintains information on the problem of smoking
in Armenia, statistics and researches as well as recommendations to
those, who decided to give up smoking.
*********************************************************************
SEVERAL HUNDREDS ARMENIAN REFUGEES FROM AZERBAIJAN TO BE MOVED FROM
ONE OF MOSCOW HOSTELS
28.07.2004 14:01
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Several hundreds of Armenian refugees from
Azerbaijan can be evicted from a Moscow hostel in Molodtsov Street.
By Mayor Luzhkov’s decree those residing there since 1989 should
abandon the building till August 1. As reported by Russia TV channel,
the local authorities are going to pull down the old constructions.
Announcements telling that supply of water and electricity will be
stopped since August 1 have been already stuck on the walls.
Meanwhile, uncivil measures are being applied against the residents
of the hostel. Witnesses tell that representatives of the local
authorities entered the rooms, broke and thew into the street the
utensils. According to the source, though being Russian citizens,
many of the Armenian refugees have never validated their documents.
*********************************************************************
ARMENIAN SERVICEMEN PARTICIPATING NATO EXERCISE IN LITHUANIA
28.07.2004 13:59
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Rescuer/Merduer 2004 international military-civic
exercise organized within the frames of Patrnership for Peace NATO
program is being conducted in Lithuania at present. 320 servicemen
from 12 countries – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, US,
Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldavia, Estonia, Romania and Poland are
taking part in it. As reported by RIA Novosti, the exercise
participantns have been training to eliminate various crisis
situations being imitated at the gound of Kayryay (near the town of
Klaipeda) since July 26. An imitated terrorst act will be the final
part of the maneuvers planned for July 30. The idea is that a
passenger train will crash into a car loaded with poisonous chemical
agents.
*********************************************************************
ELMAR MAMEDYAROV: ISSUE OF US MILITARY AID TO ARMENIA AND AZERBAIJAN
PURELY POLITICAL
28.07.2004 13:57
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The issue of rendering the US military aid to
Armenia and Azerbaijan if purely political, Azeri Foreign Minister
Elmar Mamedyarov told Zerkalo Baku newspaper. To remind, despite the
US Administration called for $8 million to Azerbaijan and $2 million
to Armenia, the US House of Representatives voted for parity in the
assistance amounting in $5 million to each country. In Mamedyarov’s
words, taking into account that Azerbaijan being US coalition partner
sends its troops to Iraq while Armenia does nothing, equalization
means a political evaluation of the issue only. Azerbaijani FM noted
that in the course of the meetings with the US political leadership
during his recent visit to Washington he expressed his
dissatisfaction in this view. During the discussions we stated that
the White House should insist on restoring the primary proportions of
the aid, he said.
*********************************************************************
ARMENIAN CENTER TO BE BUILT IN GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA
28.07.2004 18:49
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian Center will be built in Glendale,
California, where over 100 000 Armenians live. As reported by Araj
newspaper published in Paris, a number of youth, sports and public
organizations are to function there. Over $300 000 was collected for
the construction, at that $250 000 of the total sum was donated by
Doctor Albert Karamanukian.

Le Télégramme
28 juillet 2004
Jazz à Vannes démarre en fanfare
Le festival de jazz semble vouloir mettre le paquet pour fêter ses 25
ans.
Le festival de jazz semble vouloir mettre le paquet pour fêter ses 25
ans.
La soirée de lundi a été superbe sur la place de l’Hôtel de ville,
avec notamment le groupe Captain Mercier qui a fait longuement danser
le public venu nombreux. La fête s’est finie tard dans la nuit, sur
le port avec les fanfares. La première soirée à l’Hôtel de Limur hier
était consacrée au blues, avec la prestation du grand Buddy Guy. Ce
soir, place au prodige arménien Tigran Hamasyan et un hommage à
Claude Nougaro qui promet d’être émouvant.
La 25 e édition de Jazz à Vannes est bien partie pour être
inoubliable.

ARKA News
July 28 2004
NKR President receives Co-Chairman of International Helsinki Civil
Assembly
RA MFA Press Secretary: attempt of military settlement of Karabakh
conflict to turn out a catastrophe and first of all to Azerbaijan
*********************************************************************
NKR PRESIDENT RECEIVES CO-CHAIRMAN OF INTERNATIONAL HELSINKI CIVIL
ASSEMBLY
YEREVAN, July 28. /ARKA/. NKR President Arkady Gukasian received
Co-Chairman of International Helsinki Civil Assembly Bernard Dreano.
During the meeting Dreano briefly informed the President on the
aspects of activity of the Assembly. He said that the Assembly is
conducting different activities in South Caucasus countries with
participation of youth, which contributes to establishment of
contacts at different levels. Dreano expressed readiness to assist
active participation of Karabakh NGOs in different international
activities.
Gukasian in his turn stressed the necessity of activation of Karabakh
non-government sector. L.D. –0 –
*********************************************************************
RA MFA PRESS SECRETARY: ATTEMPT OF MILITARY SETTLEMENT OF KARABAKH
CONFLICT TO TURN OUT A CATASTROPHE AND FIRST OF ALL TO AZERBAIJAN
YEREVAN, July 27. /ARKA/. Attempt of military settlement of Karabakh
conflict will turn out a catastrophe and first of all to Azerbaijan,
RA MFA Press Secretary Hamlet Gasparian stated today, commenting
statement of Azeri President Ilkham Aliev that if negotiations will
be unsuccessful, Azerbaijan will liberate its lands by all measures,
including military ones. `Similar statements have not once been
stated by acting president at public meetings, however, the fact that
he made this one during the meeting with his ambassadors give ground
for serious anxiety’, Gasparian said. According to him, it once again
testifies that Azerbaijan does not want peaceful settlement of the
conflict and counts of military one. L.D. –0 –

Georgian president, Armenian premier discuss regional projects
Arminfo
27 Jul 04
YEREVAN
When Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Markaryan and Georgian President
Mikheil Saakashvili met in Tbilisi, Markaryan in particular touched on
the restoration of the Tbilisi-Gyumri-Kars railway.
Markaryan said that restoring the railway would allow all neighbouring
countries to fully participate in the EU’s international economic
projects, such as TRACECA [Transportation Corridor
Europe-Caucasus-Asia] and INOGATE [Interstate Oil and Gas Transport to
Europe]. He also said he was ready for more active cooperation with
Georgia within regional projects.
Speaking about regional security, the sides especially noted Georgia’s
internal stability. At the request of Markaryan, Saakashvili briefed
him on the domestic political situation in Georgia, and in particular
topical issues related to South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Noting the special attention that Georgia pays to the local Armenian
community, Markaryan hoped that the Georgian authorities would
continue the active involvement of the community in Georgia’s
political, economic and cultural life. In turn, Saakashvili assured
the Armenian delegation that he would do his best to assist the
Georgian government in the implementation of social and economic
programmes in Javakheti.
In the wake of the meeting Markaryan visited Armenia’s embassy in
Georgia to meet its personnel.

BRITAIN’S BARONESS COX, KARABAKH LEADER DISCUSS AID
Arminfo
27 Jul 04
YEREVAN
The president of the Nagornyy Karabakh Republic (NKR), Arkadiy
Gukasyan, today received a delegation led by the deputy speaker of the
British House of Lords, Baroness Caroline Cox.
According to Arminfo, the NKR presidential press service quoted Cox as
saying with satisfaction that since her last visit to Nagornyy
Karabakh, positive changes have taken place in establishing a true
democratic and civic society here, as well as in restoring the economy
destroyed in military operations. According to Cox, she respects very
much the Karabakh people and their achievements on the way of
independence. At the same time, Cox said that a charity organization
called HART had been established under her patronage. It has offices
in Britain and the USA and will be involved in humanitarian aid to the
population of various countries, including Nagornyy Karabakh.
In turn, Gukasyan thanked Cox for her constant attention to Nagornyy
Karabakh and active participation in the NKR people’s aspiration to
build a modern democratic state. At the same time, he expressed his
confidence that Cox’s understanding of the just position of the NKR
people and leadership on the basic principles of the conflict
settlement has made a noticeable contribution to the formation of a
relevant attitude by the international community to the essence of the
problem and ways of settling it.

MUSEUM OF HISTORY OF ARMENIA TO EXHIBIT ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDS
YEREVAN, JULY 27. ARMINFO. An exhibition of archaeological finds of
the last decade will be held in the State Museum of Armenian History
in the next few days, says the director of the Archaeology and
Ethnography Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia
Aram Kalantaryan.
The exhibition will present materials dating back from the paleolite,
early Iron Age, Urartu, Ahemenid Persia ancient Armenia. Kalantaryan
says that there is much to be shown. Found Agarak, Aragatsotn region,
in the last years was a unique columbary – the grave of a Urartu
prince (preliminarily VIII BC) which was unfortunately robbed in the
following centuries. Also exposed will be fossilized traces of animals
and plants living in the area 100,000-1 mln years ago as well as
obsidian arms of ancient hunters.

ARCHAEOLOGISTS HOPE TO FIND TRACES OF PALEOLITE MAN’S ACTIVITIES IN RIVER
VOROTAN GORGE
YEREVAN, JULY 27. ARMINFO. July 28 An Armenian-French archaeological
group is to start examining the gorge of the river Vorotan, Sunik
region. They will study rocks where there may be the traces of the
activities of the paleolite man, says the director of the Archaeology
and Ethnography Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of
Armenia Aram Kalantaryan.
The project has been drafted by the Armenian side, the financing is
French. The laboratory research will be held in France where there is
all necessary equipment to determine their age. The findings will be
published in several languages.
Kalantaryan says that in the last decade the institute has cooperated
with many archaeological centers of the world – in France, Italy,
Germany, the US, Russia and Israel. Almost 1,000 books have been
published as a result of cooperation in archeology, anthropology,
paleography, sociology, ethnography and folklore.

LONG-TERM STABILIZATION OF AMD REAL EXCHANGE RATE RECORDED FIRST
YEREVAN, JULY 27. ARMINFO. Long-term stabilization of the AMD real
exchange rate has the for the first time been recorded in Armenia this
year, President of the RA Central Bank Tigran Sargsyan told a press
conference. He pointed out that the influence of this factor on
exports and import must be considered in this aspect. The CB President
restrained from making forecasts for the second half of 2004. Sargsyan
added that last year, though the AMD nominal exchange rate got
stabilized its devaluation was 10 per cent.
The CB is currently conducting inspections at commercial banks to
reveal violations of foreign currency position and performed but not
registered operations. The CB President pointed out that no violations
of foreign currency positions have bee recorded today. According to
him, in conditions of the slump of the USD exchange rate during the
last two weeks, losses were sustained by the banks with long currency
position, most Armenian bank being such. However, despite the serious
situation on the currency market, banks were uninterruptedly serving
their clients. Sargsyan pointed out that the daily volume of financial
operations performed by Armenia’s banks is 50mln. USD.
In general, the CB accounted for the situation that developed on the
country’s currency market by the fact that US dollar flows to Armenia
in the first half of 2004 exceeded last year’s index by
50%. Specifically, transfers from abroad through commercial banks
totaled 300mln. USD in the first half of 2004 as against 200mln. USD
last year. A sharp increase in the number of transfers by means of the
international payment systems Western Union and Money Gram was
recorded. Sargsyan stressed that the liberalization of Russian
legislation (one person can take out of the country up to 10,000 USD)
allowed a sharp increase in the currency flows to Armenia, which
covers the funds received from the “Lincy” Foundation (56-60mln. USD)
last year. According to Sargsyan, the rate of increase in the volume
of transfers will be maintained until the end of the year, which is
confirmed by the much better state of the current account than was
forecast.
The CB intends to publish its position on the advisability of
long-term structural reforms. Specifically, the RA Central Bank will
present its point of view of the necessity of introducing instruments
of neutralization of long-term influence, if the AMD stabilization
continues.