Category: News

The Toronto Globe and Mail
‘There’s daggers in men’s smiles’

By JOHN IBBITSON
Wednesday, March 10, 2004 – Page A21
Peter Donolo, who used to be Jean Chrétien’s director of
communications, was at a birthday party, when he came across Karl
Littler, Paul Martin’s chief organizer in Ontario.
“Karl, what are you doing here?” Mr. Donolo kibitzed, “aren’t you
supposed to be out there destroying the Liberal Party?”
Everyone laughed and Mr. Donolo, when contacted, says the two ended up
having “a very friendly, sociable chat.”
No doubt. But the incident tells a tale. The civil war between Paul
Martin and Jean Chrétien is corroding the foundations of the Liberal
Party, threatening its hopes for a majority government in the federal
election.
We all know about Sheila Copps’s allegations of chicanery by the
Martin-dominated party machine in Hamilton East-Stoney
Creek. (Yesterday, she complained to the RCMP.) But Hamilton
East-Stoney Creek is hardly unique. In recent days, campaign workers
in ridings across the country have phoned or e-mailed with
hair-raising complaints.
Here’s one of the best examples: The new riding of Brampton-Springdale
takes in most of the old riding of Brampton Centre, held by Liberal MP
Sarkis Assadourian. He is being challenged by, among others, Andrew
Kania, a Brampton lawyer who was Ontario co-chairman of John Manley’s
aborted leadership campaign.
Mr. Kania’s forces control the riding executive, and are reportedly
well ahead in signing up members. For more than a month, the executive
has been pleading with Mr. Littler, who is the Ontario campaign
chairman, to call a nomination meeting. Not only will Mr. Littler not
call the meeting, Mr. Assadourian reportedly pleaded with Mr. Martin
last week in caucus to offer him protection from challenges in his
riding. (Mr. Assadourian’s office did not respond to a request for an
interview.)
Mr. Kania is guarded with his language — he professes loyalty to the
party and the Prime Minister — but when asked whether he felt the
nomination meeting was being delayed to give Mr. Assadourian more time
to counter Mr. Kania’s challenge, he replied: “Yes, I do.” Regardless,
he says, “No matter when the meeting is called, I will win the
nomination.”
Mr. Littler insists there are no conspiracies; the Brampton-Springdale
nomination meeting promises to be contentious, and he is short of
staff to manage it.
Mr. Kania at least has had his application to run as a Liberal
candidate approved. In the riding of Vancouver Centre, Taleeb
Noormohamed can’t even get that far. Mr. Noormohamed is one of two
candidates challenging incumbent Hedy Fry. The other is Lynne Kennedy,
a former city councillor.
Mr. Noormohamed is young and, to be blunt about it, ethnically
correct, but he is also male and Ms. Fry and Ms. Kennedy are female,
and the party is anxious to bolster the number of women in the
House. So while Ms. Fry and Ms. Kennedy have had no difficulty in
getting their candidate applications approved, Mr. Noormohamed can’t
get the green light to save his life. He’s been interviewed (the
others haven’t), his education credentials have been questioned
(Princeton and Oxford, by the way), and the committee responsible for
vetting his application never seems to be able to meet.
“We’ve built up very strong support from a lot of people who have
never been involved in politics before, at a time when the Liberal
Party is facing challenges,” Mr. Noormohamed said in an interview. “My
concern is that if something is seen to be amiss, a lot of people are
going to get turned off, not just from politics, but from the Liberal
Party.”
Mark Marissen, B.C. campaign chairman, said that the party is hoping
to have an answer soon to Mr. Noormohamed’s application.
When Mr. Martin refused to protect incumbent MPs, in the interest of
democratizing the party, he doubtless felt his overwhelming control
over riding associations and the provincial wings of the federal party
would allow him to ensure political friends were promoted and enemies
frustrated. It hasn’t worked that way. Instead, the riding fights
have turned into yet another front in the epic contest between
Mr. Martin and Mr. Chrétien, left and right, legacy and agenda.
For Liberals, the tragedy could be that the ridings are left so
weakened and divided that they fall to the opposition. The
Conservatives, for example, have high hopes for Brampton-Springdale,
and Vancouver Centre isn’t immune to challenge.
We may need to disinter Shakespeare: Only he could do justice to a
conflict so epic. Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin claw at each other
without surcease, while the sands dissolve beneath them, swallowing
both, each still clutching the other’s throat.
[email protected]

Azat Artsakh, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh
March 8 2004
SAMBO SPORTSMAN FROM ARTSAKH WINNER
On February 22-27 the third round of the world championship of
extreme fights of the international organization “Octagon” was held
in the city Odessa. For the first time two representatives of our
republic also participated in the championship. Artem Abrahamian, 65
kg, defeated the representative of Latvia and took the first place.
Graduate of the sport association “Dinamo”, champion of sambo
(unarmed self-defence) NKR and RA Ashot Danielian, 74 kg, defeated
Azerbaijani sportsman Ghurbanov living in Odessa and won the first
prize. The sportsmen from Artsakh were awarded medals and prize
money. Artem Abrahamian and Ashot Danielian gained the right to
participate in the fourth round of the championship.
ANAHIT DANIELIAN.

Azat Artsakh, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh
March 8 2004
ATMOSPHERE OF MUTUAL TRUST IS NECESSARY
On March 5 the NKR minister of foreign affairs met with the director
of the Stepanakert office of the International Committee of the Red
Cross Charlotte Hardford whose term of duties in NKR has expired.
Charlotte Hardford introduced to the minister Mireille Benare who
will take up the duties of the director of the ICRC representation in
Nagorni Karabakh, and expressed hope that the cooperation between the
international mission and the Karabakh authorities will go on under
the new director. Ms. Hardford thanked the NKR government for
providing favourable working conditions and for the assistance to the
ICRC for effective implementation of its mission. The NKR minister of
foreign affairs thanked Charlotte Hardford for fruitful activities
and also expressed hope that the tradition of cooperation of the NKR
government and especially the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the
ICRC will have further development. Ashot Ghulian emphasized that it
will be possible to settle all the problems of the conflict parties
only if an atmosphere of mutual trust is maintained, efforts are
united and the humanitarian issues are not politicized, which greatly
hinders their solution. The participants of the meeting discussed a
number of humanitarian problems and the far-reaching programs of the
ICRC in Nagorni Karabakh concerning health care, aid to the citizens
suffered in the conflict, foundation of children’s safe playgrounds.
AA

Edicom
5 Mars 2004
La police bernoise met hors circuit deux épaves roulantes
Arménien et Biélorusse au volant
Berne (AP) La police bernoise a stoppé à fin février sur l’A8 près de
Brienz un conducteur qui circulait sans permis au volant d’une
voiture défiant les règles élémentaires de sécurité. Il s’agit d’un
requérant d’asile d’origine arménienne de 32 ans. Au volant de son
épave, il avait emprunté le tunnel du Gotthard et le col du Brünig.
Une autre voiture non conforme, conduite par un Biélorusse, a été
interceptée.
Hébergé dans le canton du Tessin, le requérant d’asile arménien
voulait se rendre à Interlaken, a expliqué vendredi la police
cantonale bernoise. Il circulait sans permis de conduire valable et
sans permis de circulation ni assurance responsabilité civile pour le
véhicule doté, qui plus est, de plaques minéralogiques périmées
depuis plus de neuf mois. Aucune formalité douanière n’avait été
remplie lors du passage de la voiture de France en Suisse, où
l’Arménien l’avait acquise il y a six semaines pour moins de 800
francs.
Présentant «un état général désolant», le véhicule a été mis en
sûreté par la police. Entre autres défectuosités constatées: trois
des quatre roues usées ne répondaient pas au freinage, le frein à
main ne fonctionnait pas, plusieurs pièces d’attache du châssis
étaient brisées, l’huile et le carburant fuyaient et les rétroviseurs
étaient attachés avec de la bande adhésive. Le conducteur a été
dénoncé pour diverses infractions à la loi sur la circulation
routière et pour non respect des prescriptions douanières.
La police bernoise a par ailleurs interpellé près de Thoune quatre
ressortissants biélorusses quelques heures auparavant. La voiture
était notamment dépourvue de freins excepté celui à main. Elle a
également été mise en sûreté et son conducteur dénoncé. AP

Azat Artsakh, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh
March 8 2004
A GLANCE AT KARABAKH FROM INSIDE AND OUTSIDE
On March 3 at the Stepanakert Press Club took place the presentation
of the web site of Sergey Ogoltsov The web
site presents the author’s opinion on the military actions,
“provincial” life in Karabakh and the journey of S. Ogoltsov from
Kiev to Stepanakert and back. Taking into account the deficit of
necessary facts and information in the web sites on Karabakh the web
site of Sergey Ogoltsov will be of use to those who are interested in
Karabakh.
AA.

Oakland Tribune
March 10, 2004
Kaiser campaign donation chided
By Rebecca Vesely, STAFF WRITER
Consumer advocates demanded Tuesday that Kaiser Permanente take back
a$100,000 donation to a ballot initiative campaign that aims to change
the state’s unfair business competition law.
The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights is fighting the ballot
initiative on grounds that it will bar individuals and consumer groups
from suing businesses that violate consumer protection laws — including
patient protection and environmental statutes. The AARP, Sierra Club and
United Farm Workers are among other groups opposed to the initiative.
“Kaiser has invested$100,000 of our premium dollars into removing
consumer rights and accountability,” said Jerry Flanagan of the
Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights.
Kathleen McKenna, spokeswoman for Kaiser Permanente, said the HMO is
supporting initiative because of a “growing concern with frivolous
lawsuits.”
Appearing in front of Kaiser Permanente’s Oakland headquarters Tuesday
was Chant Yedalian, whose mother, Zevart — a Kaiser patient — died
from breast cancer in 1998 at age 53.
Yedalian used the state’s unfair business competition law, known as
17200, in a wrongful death lawsuit against Kaiser, arguing that it
denied his mother a potentially life-saving bone marrow transplant and
then further denied his rights to challenge the HMO in a jury trial.
Kaiser requires its members to go through binding arbitration instead of
trial.
Yedalian, who lives in Los Angeles, argued that Kaiser’s binding
arbitration clause is a violation of the unfair business competition
law.
“This was the only law available to protect people from this unfair
process,” Yedalian said.
Yedalian’s case is pending in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
McKenna said Kaiser’s campaign donation has nothing to do with its
arbitration policy.
“We’ve been using binding arbitration for 50 years,” she said.
She said Yedalian’s mother received inadequate notice about Kaiser’s
binding arbitration policy — a major reason why the case ended up in
court.
The initiative campaign, called Stop Shakedown Lawsuits, is driven by
the California Chamber of Commerce, the California Motor Car Dealers
Association and other business groups.
So far, the campaign has collected more than 300,000 signatures to place
the measure on the Nov. 2 ballot. To qualify, at least 373,816 valid
signatures must be submitted to the secretary of state by April 16.
The campaign has raised $2.5 million, mostly from banks, insurance
companies, car dealers, pharmaceutical companies and other businesses.
Blue Cross of California donated $250,000 and PacifiCare gave $10,000.
Campaign supporters said they want to stop unscrupulous lawyers from
using 17200 to sue for made-up claims and then force a settlement.
John Sullivan, president of the Civil Justice Association of California
and a co-chairman for the campaign, said the initiative would not bar
individuals from suing companies for harm or financial injury.
In a case to get out of arbitration, Sullivan said, many other statutes
and previous court decisions could surely be used “if justice is owed.”
“When groups like this find a case that has a tragic story — as this
one undoubtedly does — that 17200 figures into, you can turn it on it’s
head and argue that you can go out to any cases and find a 17200 case
tacked onto it,” Sullivan said.
Yedalian said 17200 was his only course of action.
“The initiative would prevent people from seeking justice,” he said.
“You can’t protect other members of the public without it.”
Contact Rebecca Vesely at [email protected] .
©1999-2003 by MediaNews Group, Inc. and ANG Newspapers

PRESS RELEASE
Haigazian University-Public Relations Office
PO Box: 11-1748
Beirut, Lebanon
CONTACT : Loucia Isaac Seropian
Phone: 961-1-353010 Ext.: 365
Email: [email protected]
March 8, 2004
Haigazian University hosts ESU’s International Public Speaking Competition
2004- Lebanon
In coordination with The English- Speaking Union (ESU), a registered
charity (founded 1918) with a long tradition of cultural programs and
educational exchanges, the Haigazian University (Founded 1955) cordially
invites the concerned media to attend the ESU’s International Public
Speaking Competition of Lebanon held Saturday, March 20, 2004 -10:00 AM at
Haigazian University-Auditorium, Hamra, Beirut-Lebanon.
The theme for this year’s Public Speaking Competition is, “A Borderless
World”. Partaking in this Competition are full-time student contestants
representing local universities in Beirut using English as the language of
instruction.
The International Public Speaking Competition is organized and run annually
by the English-Speaking Union and Sponsored by HSBC Holdings plc in some 40
active countries in the World.
Each year the ESU chooses a universal theme to be addressed by young
international students, between 18-20 in full-time education. During the
preparations, the participants are advised by their professors to approach
the theme using a debatable style; aiming to teach, delight and move the
designated juries.
The overall objectives of this event is:
· To give young people experience in the fundamental skills of public
speaking.
· To give students from a variety of countries and backgrounds a chance to
meet, exchange views and form friendships.
· To provide a focus for the learning of effective English and
communication skills among young people in countries where English is not
the first Language.
Consequently, the ESU designates qualified juries to attend this event
across the concerned countries. The public speaker that manages to explore
and inspire the jury, as well as the audience, will travel to participate
in the headquarters International Public Speaking Competition at Dartmouth
House in London, May 2004.
In 2002 a young Lebanese student came second in the competition attended by
participants from over 35 countries.

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PRESS RELEASE
University of California, Berkeley
Institute of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies
260 Stephens Hall # 2304
Berkeley CA 94720-2304
(510) 643-6737
Contact: Constance Hwong
Intensive Elementary Western Armenian at U.C. Berkeley
An eight-week intensive summer course in Western Armenian will be offered at
U.C. Berkeley from
June 21 to August 13, 2004.
A number of full and partial fellowships are available for qualified
applicants. They are made possible by a grant from the Social Science
Research Council.
Deadline for financial aid: April 12, 2004.
Deadline for registration: June 18, 2004.
For detailed information regarding this course, please visit

Soviet program can protect computers against viruses
09.03.2004, 15.37

MOSCOW, March 9 (Itar-Tass) – Russian scientists believe that the
Security Programme for computers, created in Soviet times, can protect
computers against viruses almost totally, Boris Babayan, corresponding
member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, director of the Institute
of Microprocessor Computer Systems, told Itar-Tass on Tuesday.
According to Babayan, most of the computer viruses existing today
attack the ` weak areas’ of the software and penetrate the computers
through so-called ` holes’ in the operational systems. In the opinion
of Babayan, `the principle on which the Security Programme is based is
rather simple.’ When the programme detects the virus-infected file and
establishes the type of the virus, it blocks at once the whole of the
file. So, Babayan continued, `the virus can no longer spread inside
the computer, much less penetrate Internet.’ At the same time, `the
Security Programme neither reduces the working speed of the computer,
nor overloads its memory.’
Babayan believes the effective introduction of the Security Programme
is impossible without its adaptation to the modern operational
systems, like Windows, Mackintosh etc. `Some ten billion dollars are
needed for its introduction, but the expenditures are a trifle in
comparison with the damage, inflicted by numerous viruses spread in
Internet,’ he said.
Experts are of the opinion, that some 700 types of viruses are now
spread in Internet. Each virus has several versions. Some 20 viruses
are especially dangerous, including MyDoom, Bagle and
Nelsky. According to the estimates, the damage inflicted by MyDoom
alone has reached 36 billion dollars.
© ITAR-TASS.

PRESS RELEASE
AGBU Hye Geen
2495 East Mountain Street
Pasadena, CA 91104
Contact: Sona Yacoubian
[email protected]
626.794.7942
March 5, 2004
Women’s Conference to Discuss Contemporary Issues
Burbank, CA (March 5) – The AGBU Hye Geen and the Western Diocese of
the Armenian Church of North America are pleased to announce a timely
and relevant forum dealing with women’s issues – Armenian Women Facing
Contemporary Trends – on Saturday, March 27, 2004 from 9:30 a.m. to
4:00 p.m. at the Western Diocese in Burbank, California.
The forum will bring together speakers from various generations,
backgrounds and professions to present and discuss current issues
affecting the lives of Armenian women.
His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western
Diocese, will deliver the forum’s opening remarks. The morning session
(10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.) will feature presentations and discussions
on such topics as “Women in Traditional Armenian Family Interactions”
and “The Identity Crisis of Contemporary Armenian Women.’
The afternoon session (1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.) will offer participants
the choice of one of three workshops: `Interaction of Women and Men at
Home, in Society and the Workplace,’ `Women Facing the New
Generation,’ and `Education and Leadership Empowering Women.’ The
forum will reconvene for a plenary session and closing remarks from
3:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. The Western Diocese of the Armenian
Church of North America is located at 3325 North Glenoaks Blvd. in
Burbank, California.
Reservations are requested. Please call Shakeh at the AGBU Pasadena
office at 626.794.7942.
The AGBU Hye Geen, established in 1994 at the Alex Manoogian Center in
Pasadena, California, seeks to preserve, recognize and honor the
accomplishments of Armenian women, while working to advance and
promote women’s issues internationally.

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