WARM GOODBYES RENDERED TO AMBASSADOR EVANS
Panorama.am
15:07 22/08/06
John Evans, U.S. ambassador to Armenia, is going to leave the country
in the first half of September, the ambassador told reporters today
at the Guard Troops Training Center.
The ambassador refrained from commenting on the recent decision of the
Senate. The Armenian nation will remember ambassador Evans as a brave
personality who had the civil courage to tell the truth by calling
the anti-Armenian atrocities of 1915 as Genocide. The ambassador
took this step despite of the fact that President George W. Bush and
U.S. Department of State, in the face of Condoleezza Rice, continue
the double-nature attitude by using words like “tragic incidents,”
“massacres” in their April 24 addresses.
It is clear that John Evans’s mission ends in Armenia exactly
because of the abovementioned statement, which was not forgiven by
the official Washington. On the other hand, it is difficult to say
if Armenia will say “welcome” to Hoagland, who is nominated as the
next U.S. ambassador, especially if we consider talks that he is
bisexual.

ARMENIAN REPUBLICAN PARTY AND PROSPEROUS ARMENIA TO BECOME RIVALS AFTER ELECTIONS
Panorama.am
15:14 22/08/06
Hrant Khachatryan, Constitutional Rights Union (CRU) chairman, thinks
that cooperation between the Armenian Republican Party (HHK) and
Prosperous Armenia (PA) is coordinated from the same source. However,
CRU head believes that the two have disagreements. Khachatryan thinks
that the opposition must provoke conflicts between the two making
good of the situation. He also thinks that the rivalry between the
two should be shaped in such a way that the two control each other.
In Khachatryan’s view, HHK and PA will stop their cooperation right
after the parliamentary elections since both of them would like to
have their own candidate as a president.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Turkish Daily News
July 13, 2006 Thursday
Pipeline And Seaport Security
Although it is deprived of oil and natural gas resources, owing to its
geographic position Turkey is about to become one of the most
important transit pipeline countries in the world in the next few
years since our country is not only a key country in terms of
geopolitics but also lies between Europe and a region that accounts
for most of the world’s oil production.
In this context it is possible to talk about an extended Eurasian
project, which the United States purportedly aims to bring into
existence in the region surrounding the Caspian Sea. China and Russia
are not included in this plan, which is whetting the appetite of the
major powers.
Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan — project
countries bounded by the Caspian — have 4.5 billion tons of proven
and 18 billion tons of potential reserves. According to forecasts,
total exports of these countries will reach 52 million tons in 2005,
140 million tons in 2010 and 215 million tons in 2015. The Caspian
region will be the producer of 4.7 million barrels daily, most of
which will be available for export, a figure that can by no means be
underestimated, considering daily oil exports of Saudi Arabia are 7.6
million barrels and Iran 1.9 million barrels.
Pipelines in the surrounding areas:
This is how the need for transporting energy produced in the world’s
biggest reserve basin to the West, primarily through Turkey, emerges
on the basis of a number of criteria.
Oil from the Persian Gulf, except for Iraqi oil flowing through the
Kirkuk-Yumurtalik line, does not concern Turkey, which shows that
Turkey will be the transit line for Caspian oil especially as well as
for Russian and Iranian natural gas. In this context the
1,580-kilometer-long Tengiz (Kazakh)-Novorossisk pipeline with 26
million tons of annual throughput capacity and the Atirau-Samara line
inside Russia with a 15 million/ton annual capacity are important to
us. The fact that oil passing through these pipelines flows into
Russia and not Europe, and their lack of usefulness, particularly for
European Union countries, attaches particular importance to the 1,730
kilometer Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline with a 50 mln/ton
throughput capacity. In addition, there are plans to extend the
project by including Kazakh oil in the BTC. To realize this, the Aktau
(Kazakh-Baku) line will be built.
Another ongoing project planned in Caspian countries that concerns
Turkey is the Baku-Tblisi-Erzurum natural gas pipeline, which is
currently under construction. The following pipelines and pipeline
projects that extend to Western Europe from the Black Sea and bypass
the Turkish straits are:
Burgaz (Bulgaria)-Dedeagac (Greece) (350 km) 30 mln/ton — at project
level
Burgaz-Vlore (Albania) 35 mln/ton — at project level
Baku-Supsa (Georgia) 6 mln/ton — under operation
Odesa-Brodi (inside Ukraine) — operates at 40 mln/ton
In addition, there are the Baku-Novorossiysk (Russia), Tengiz
(Kazakhstan)-Novorossiysk and Baku-Mohachkale (Caucasus)-Novorossiysk
pipelines, which all enable the export of Kazakh and Azerbaijani oil
to the Black Sea, to be shipped on vessels. These pipelines going
around Turkey aim to bring natural gas and oil to world markets,
particularly to Europe. Even though direct pipelines to Europe going
around Turkey are outside the scope of this article, the only routes
apart from the Turkish straits, which are unsuitable for large-scale
transport, available for energy pumped to the Black Sea and which has
no alternative other than being shipped by sea from that point on, are
the Samsun-Ceyhan pipeline and other potential pipelines that can be
connected to Ceyhan. However, it makes better sense to view the
revolution and possibilities brought by the BTC, which forced Russia
to a breaking point where it would have to realize Turkey’s strategic
position in energy transportation in view of the existing pipelines.
BTC and Caspian region
The fate of Central Asian and Caucasian oil under Russia’s control
until now was changed when Azerbaijani oil produced in the Caspian Sea
was pumped to Ceyhan through the BTC. It wouldn’t be a far-fetched
assumption to say that not only the fate of Caspian oil but also the
fate of Caspian countries was changed. For the last 15 years,
strategists have been preoccupied with how Russia — which has been
increasingly using its oil and natural gas as a political weapon —
would act in delivering Caspian energy resources to the world market
and whether it would place countries of the region in a difficult
situation, in such a situation where a pipeline such as the BTC did
not exist.
The preliminary engineering work on the project launched by persistent
efforts of the United States, which saw the risk of Russia using such
a weapon 14 years ago, began on Nov. 15, 2000. The Turkish Petroleum
Corporation (TPAO) would hold 6.35 percent of BTC shares while the
BTC’s major partner, BP Exploration (Caspian) Ltd., would have 30.10
percent of shares, according to this project.
The BTC traverses Azerbaijan and Georgia — the two most important
countries of the Caucasus, one of the world’s most unstable regions —
while it bypasses Armenia, which is at war with Azerbaijan. Meanwhile,
work to bring in oil from Kazakhstan for pumping enough oil to feed
the pipeline has been concluded between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan.
As well as the completion of this pipeline, which created great
repercussions in the world, completion of the Baku-Tblisi-Erzurum
(BTE) pipeline to export natural gas from the Shah Deniz gas field in
the Caspian Sea to Europe through Turkey, and the first gas being
pumped into to the Azerbaijani section of this pipeline, are also good
news of projects completed regarding Turkey’s energy pipelines.
The Russian Federation, which initially objected to U.S. attempts to
pass Caspian oil through an alternative route, namely Turkey, wanted
to prevent former Soviet republics from becoming independent from
Russia. An alternative route would allow Caspian countries to access
the world market at volumes and prices they set independently of
Russia. However, giving up on its Caspian policy after realization of
the project by U.S. efforts, Russia started to concentrate on a
strategy that would make good use of Turkey’s highly advantageous
position as a transit country. Russia now seems to have understood
that Turkey will not let 145 million tons of Caspian oil pumped into
the Black Sea annually be shipped through the Turkish straits for
security reasons as well as for physical restrictions.
Russia and the United States have achieved a political balance in the
Black Sea. Turkey’s rights arising from the 1936 Treaty of Montreux
prevent Russia from pressuring Turkey to allow heavier tanker traffic
in the straits since Russia has now understood that such pressure
would lead to Turkey backing the United States to assert a stronger
presence in the Black Sea region. Russia, having changed strategy in
light of these facts and accepted a political and commercial logic in
its energy policy, is now making plans to make better use of Turkey’s
geographic position to transport oil from the Turkish Black Sea coast
to Ceyhan. Russia’s plans include pumping natural gas and oil to
points further beyond Ceyhan, even to Israel. Another issue worthy of
attention is the potential of Israel — a serious consumer of energy
— to make money on pumping the oil it buys to Southern Asia through
the Ashkelon-Elyat pipeline, which traverses the Red Sea.
Work on pipeline security:
In case all of these pipeline projects are brought to completion,
Turkey, which will then be a significant transit country —
particularly the town of Ceyhan, the end point of most of these
pipelines, will gain strategic status and importance. It is highly
possible that the Ceyhan Port might reach a status similar to that of
Rotterdam, the world’s most important oil port.
However, Caspian oil being pumped down to the eastern Mediterranean
and the Middle East, one of the most troubled regions of the world,
necessitates serious measures to be taken on the part of Turkey in
terms of gulf and terminal security. Security measures tailored to fit
the particularities of the Middle East, abounding with the world’s
bloodiest terrorist organizations, from the pipelines’ point of entry
into our borders, even gathering intelligence and deterring action
beyond our borders, are crucial.
Having fully grasped the importance of the matter, Turkey might be
considered to have laid out the procedures to ensure oil and natural
gas transportation and related security issues to a certain extent in
accordance with the requirements of our day. However, this is not to
say that these procedures and regulations do not provide a clear
explanation of the protection of our ports acting as oil and natural
gas terminals.
Pipeline security and uninterrupted functioning of pipelines are
important national economy and national security issues. At this
point, the security of vessels transporting energy resources within
and outside of Turkey’s territorial waters is of utmost importance in
terms of being a reliable transit country. Sabotage of the
Kirkuk-Yumurtalik pipeline has rendered this pipeline
dysfunctional. The same situation could emerge in the Caucasus,
triggered by the enmity of Armenia against Azerbaijan or potential
initiatives and provocations from other powers in Russia and the
Caucasus and their collaborators at home, who resort to ploys or
playing games in the region.
Despite everything, establishing a special force to secure the safety
of the BTC and assigning the gendarmerie forces the task of ensuring
security on other pipelines demonstrate that Turkey’s approach to the
matter is serious. According to media reports, security measures so
far taken and put into effect concerning the pipelines, the
responsibility of which lies with the state-owned Turkish Pipeline
Company (BOTAS), are:
– BTC crude oil pipeline security: The part of the pipeline in Turkey
during its construction was protected by five gendarmerie stations and
22 gendarmerie squads. Ten gendarmerie stations and 22 gendarmerie
squads will be protecting the pipeline during its operation.-
Iraq-Turkey crude oil pipeline security: This line is under protection
by 21 gendarmerie stations. The remaining three pipelines
(Batman-Dortyol, Ceyhan-Kirikkale, Selmo-Batman) are being protected
by security units under general safety and security rules.-In
addition, work directed towards systems including developments in
crude oil pipeline security and moving pipelines in areas of
settlement outside these areas is under way. A motorcycle squad
patrolling the area 24 hours a day is being planned in this context.
Security of the Ceyhan Port:
Protecting its new position as one of the world’s new energy
crossroads and to further enhance its capacity is of vital importance
in terms of our economic interests.
At this point, total security of the Ceyhan Port and Iskenderun Bay
asserts itself as an issue as important as the security of pipelines
passing through Turkey.
Security of the Port of Samsun, which is the most likely candidate to
become the starting point for the pipelines, is also important from
this point of view.
Having one of greatest naval and air forces of the world, particularly
in the Mediterranean, and having established total control over the
eastern Mediterranean owing to this military power, is a significant
advantage in this context. Northern Cyprus, which faces the Gulf of
Iskenderun, is of crucial importance. At this point all pressure from
the EU or the United States to pull out of Cyprus should be resisted
at all costs. It shouldn’t be forgotten that Britain is not giving up
two of its bases in Cyprus although it has shut down many of its bases
across the world.
The U.S. very recently set up a military command center close to Baku
on the Caspian Sea and two radio stations to be administered from that
command center in close proximity to the Russian and Iranian
border. The United States’ purpose is to be able to keep suspicious
vessels and planes as well as land operations under control and to
monitor all wireless communication, including cellular
phones. Applying this security measure set up at the starting point of
the BTC pipeline against terrorist activity symmetrically in the Gulf
of Iskenderun region and even on northern Cypriot soil at Cape Zafer
in Karpaz could be of great use in terms of security, and it would
also signal the permanence of Turkey’s presence in Cyprus.
Our Southern Sea Field Command has an effective dominance in the
eastern Mediterranean, where clearly more and more pipelines will lead
to. However, in addition to such a military force, specialized units
that can more effectively ensure seaport and shore security have been
organized in developed countries. The Coast Guard Command, founded in
Turkey in 1982 on a very sound decision, is the key power that can
carry out this function.
The role and power of our naval forces are acknowledged in NATO’s
Operation Active Endeavour in the Mediterranean and other
international operations carried out under BLACKSEAFOR and provide a
high degree of security.
Although the level of security in these two seas in general has
reached a state of perfection, setting up a more effective system of
control in the Black Sea and eastern Mediterranean in accordance with
changing conditions and taking precautions against elements posing
risks and threats are important for our country in military, political
and economic terms. The presence of a deterrent, preventive, effective
and flexible security system against risks and threats to our economic
assets and interests as well as against terrorist activity is a
guarantee as important for states and institutions in economic
cooperation with us as it is for us. While the dimension of current
and potential threats is not of a scale our armed forces cannot
tackle, our sea and land forces being better organized to combat
terrorist activity, renewing equipment and training to this purpose
are important in terms of continuation of oil and natural gas flow
from Eurasia and building confidence for starting new projects in
countries of the region.
Effective security factors:
Political issues in the eastern Mediterranean, the lack of authority
and security in the countries of the region and the presence of
terrorist organizations as well as the proximity of these to Ceyhan
are issues meriting attention. Potential threats coming from the sea
include transportation of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), human,
drug and arms trafficking, and terrorist activity. The possibility of
vessels being used as instruments of terrorism should be paid
attention to. It would be beneficial to enhance checkpoint security
and have vessels entering our territorial waters file a
declaration. Work on establishing a Sea Security Coordination Center
should be intensified in this context. Radar, observation, listening
and monitoring systems should be set up for control, which is more
effective and deterring.
Even though the inventory of the Coast Guard Command seems to be
adequate for protecting and guarding our 8,300-kilometer-long coast
line, the Ceyhan and Samsun ports will soon work at a higher capacity
and, parallel to this, the volume of traffic in these ports will
significantly intensify, increasing the burden at these two
ports. Although five new AB412 helicopters, renovation of three CN-235
helicopters for coastal security purposes, 12 KAAN-33 coast guard
boats and six coast guard type 80 boats, which are being planned to be
added into the armed forces’ inventory, would significantly help the
command to carry out its duty as expected, it would be wise to rapidly
and continuously renew equipment and platforms in accordance with the
ever-hanging conditions.
The intensive efforts of the U.S. Coast Guard for coastal security
following the terrorist acts of Sept. 11 are important for proving the
sensitivity of the issue as ports extending over a large area, and the
fields where these ports open to the sea, allow terrorist
organizations that try to make maximum use of today’s advanced
technology and weaponry to move comfortably. We need to grasp this
fact and increase the number of flying platforms of the Coast Guard
Command. Another issue worthy of attention is the possibility of
criminal organizations draining toxic waste into areas close to our
shores.
As some circles speculate, the question of whether the amount of money
Turkey will spend on all these security measures would be covered by
the estimated $300 million from the BTC is a matter of mathematical
calculation. However, ensuring the sustainable energy security of our
country, which imports 72 percent of its energy and creates surplus
value in the economy through rational policies, employing the
advantages of Turkey’s geopolitical significance and increasing the
country’s power and potential to supply energy for the rest of the
world, is also important. Our gains will be worth the expense in any
case and will allow Turkey to ascend higher in the world as it
deserves as well as enhance our relations with the countries of the
Caspian region and the Central Asian Turkic republics.
Table:
Inventory of the Turkish Coast Guard Command:
Floating platforms:
12 – 80 Class boats
5 – Kaan-29 Class boats
18 – Kaan-15 Class boats
4 – SAR-35 Class boats
10 – SAR-33 Class boats
10 – Turkish-type boats
8 – 70-ton boats
10 – Metal coastal patrol craft
Flight platforms:
9 – AB-412 EP helicopters
3 – CASA-CN 235 aircraft *Ali Kulebi is acting president of the
National Security Strategies Research Center (TUSAM). He can be
contacted at [email protected]
Copyright 2006 Financial Times Information
Global News Wire – Asia Africa Intelligence Wire
Copyright 2006 Turkish Daily News Source: Financial Times Information
Limited – Middle East Intelligence Wire
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY, PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
_________________________________________ ____________________
RFE/RL Iran Report
Vol. 9, No. 31, 22 August 2006
A Review of Developments in Iran Prepared by the Regional Specialists
of RFE/RL’s Newsline Team
******************************************** ****************
HEADLINES
* HAILING HIZBALLAH ‘VICTORY,’ IRANIAN OFFICIALS CONDEMN U.S., U.K., ISRAEL, AND UN
* IRAN’S AMBITIONS WORRY LEBANESE LEGISLATOR
* UN NUCLEAR RESOLUTION DISMISSED BY IRANIANS
* U.S. TREATMENT OF WOULD-BE IRANIAN VISITORS CAUSES WORRY
* CHINA GETS NEW IRANIAN ENVOY
* PRESIDENTIAL CABINET COMES IN FOR CRITICISM
* PUBLICATIONS ENCOUNTER LEGAL DIFFICULTIES
* POLICE CONFISCATE SATELLITE DISHES
* AHMADINEJAD MAKES PROVINCIAL VISIT
* POLICE AMBUSH BACKFIRES
* KURDS SHELLED BY IRAN AND TURKEY
* IRANIAN-AMERICAN SENTENCED FOR TRYING TO SEND DUAL-USE GOODS TO IRAN
* IRAN REPORTEDLY ACTING AGAINST BIRD FLU, CHOLERA
* CRACKDOWN ON ILLEGAL FOREIGN WORKERS
* IRAN WILL IMPORT FUEL TO MEET DEMAND
******************************************* *****************
HAILING HIZBALLAH ‘VICTORY,’ IRANIAN OFFICIALS CONDEMN U.S.,
U.K., ISRAEL, AND UN. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wrote to
the Hizballah chief Hassan Nasrallah on August 17 to congratulate him
on what he termed a “victory for Islam” over Israeli forces in
Lebanon, Hizballah’s Al-Manar television and the Islamic Republic
News Agency (IRNA) reported the same day. Hizballah faced off Israeli
attacks in Lebanon from July 12 to August 14.
“You imposed your military superiority over” Israel and
“ridiculed the myth of invincibility and false aura of the Zionist
army,” IRNA quoted Khamenei as saying in the letter. He added that
the war showed “the real face of American rulers and some European
countries” who he described as standing by “the disgusting and hated
face” of Israel. Khamenei claimed the Israeli operations “showed what
disasters can befall human societies when the rulers of countries are
detached from mercy…and reason and sincerity.”
Khamenei also said Hizballah resistance has thwarted the
United States’ and Israel’s “illusory plan for the Middle
East.” But in a presumed reference to postwar plans to extend
Lebanese government control to Hizballah-controlled areas and disarm
the group, Khamenei warned that the “enemy is now trying to cut this
potent…arm, sow discord among statesmen, and sow the virus of
impatience and doubt.”
Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani told
reporters in Tehran on August 16 that the United States and United
Kingdom are responsible for all the Lebanese who died in the recent
conflict with Israel and for all the damage to Lebanese
infrastructure, IRNA reported. Larijani praised what he described as
Hizballah’s victory, and he added that “Hizballah is a matter of
honor for all Arab states.” Larijani said UN Security Council
Resolution 1701, which halted the conflict, should have come much
sooner. He also criticized aspects of it for interfering with
internal Lebanese politics.
President Mahmud Ahmadinejad said during his tour of Ardabil
Province on August 16 that the United States and United Kingdom
should be expelled from the Security Council, IRNA reported. “Those
intending to block global peace and tranquility from taking hold are
not qualified to be in the [Security Council],” he said, adding that
the United States and United Kingdom should face a war crimes trial.
Earlier in the day, Ahmadinejad said the United Nations is a
tool of the United States and Israel, IRNA reported.
Also on August 16, the legislature’s national security
and foreign policy committee issued a statement calling for Israel to
be punished for “crimes against humanity” and for it to pay
compensation to Lebanon, IRNA reported.
Ahmadinejad told a crowd in the northwestern city of Ardabil
on August 15 that “we can see that God’s pledges came true in
Lebanon” as he hailed a Hizballah “victory” in the recent
Israeli-Lebanese conflict, state television reported. Israel once saw
itself as “invincible,” Ahmadinejad continued, but Hizballah defeated
“these idolatrous powers within 33 days with the help of God, and
[now they] fly the flag of victory in the proud Lebanon.”
The parliament’s speaker, Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, said on
August 15 that Hizballah emerged as the victor in its recent conflict
with Israel, IRNA reported. “The army of the Zionist regime showed
itself powerless for the first time after failing to break the
determination of the Lebanese people and the Islamic resistance
movement [Hizballah] 33 days after the start of the war in Lebanon,”
Haddad-Adel said. He went on to congratulate the Lebanese people —
nearly 1 million of whom were displaced by the fighting — and
government, as well as Hizballah Secretary-General Sheikh Hassan
Nasrallah. Haddad-Adel also spoke out against Arab states that were
silent, and he criticized UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which
ushered in a cease-fire.
Hojatoleslam Ahmad Khatami, a substitute Tehran Friday Prayer
leader and member of the Assembly of Experts, said on August 15 that
the conflict in Lebanon should serve as a lesson to Israel and the
United States if they are considering an attack on Iran, state
television reported. “The Lebanese Hizballah’s 70-kilometer-range
missiles transformed Israel into a country of ghosts,” Khatami said.
“So if one day they decide to carry out even a minor aggression
against Iran, they must fear the day that our 2,000-kilometer-range
missiles strike the heart of Tel Aviv.” Israel and the United States
should forsake “their aggression and expansionist policies,” Khatami
said. (Vahid Sepehri, Bill Samii)
IRAN’S AMBITIONS WORRY LEBANESE LEGISLATOR. Lebanese
parliamentarian Walid Jumblatt, who is the leader of the Druze sect
and the Progressive Socialist Party, has spoken out against the
Iranian and Syrian roles played in his country’s affairs, “Le
Monde” reported on August 15. Jumblatt conceded that Hizballah has
destroyed the image of Israeli invincibility but put it in the
context of “the Syrian-Iranian game.” “Iran is negotiating on the
scorched earth of Lebanon the terms of the continuation of its
nuclear program,” Jumblatt said. “As for Syria, it wants to avenge
itself in Lebanon, from which its troops were chased out [in April
2005], and it is now sidelined by Iran.” Jumblatt added, “The Syrians
and Iranians wasted no time saying that the UN resolution [1701] is
not in Lebanon’s interest.” (Bill Samii)
UN NUCLEAR RESOLUTION DISMISSED BY IRANIANS. President Mahmud
Ahmadinejad said in the Ardabil Province city of Kosar on August 17
that Western states are in no position to denounce others as threats
to international peace when “they are the only group that violates
the independence of states,” IRNA reported. “These are the people”
who bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, he said, “and are now
taking on a peace-loving countenance and depriving the Iranian nation
of its right to use peaceful nuclear energy.” He said Iran has
repeatedly stated the peaceful aims of its nuclear program, and “in
spite of [its] clarifications, they say Iran may [deviate] toward
making a nuclear bomb,” IRNA reported.
“The governments that make this charge against Iran must
themselves be disarmed,” he said. Ahmadinejad added that when “a
group appears and tries to stand up” to these states “and reveals
their dirty face to the world, they label them terrorists.” He said
unspecified efforts to sow discontent in Iran would fail. “They think
that by provoking certain people…and with their public postures,
they can create divisions between the people of Iran,” when “Iran is
a large, close-knit family,” he said.
Speaking in Tehran on August 16, Foreign Minister Manuchehr
Mottaki said after a meeting with Malian Foreign Minister Moctar
Ouane that Iran is willing to discuss the suspension of uranium
enrichment with Europe, Radio Farda and IRNA reported. There is no
rationale for a suspension, he added, but Tehran is willing to talk
about that or any other subject.
Supreme National Security Council Secretary Larijani said
during an August 16 meeting in Tehran with Chinese Deputy Foreign
Minister Cui Tiankai that UN Security Council Resolution 1696, which
calls on Iran to suspend nuclear enrichment activities by August 31,
will not affect the country’s nuclear policy, state television
reported. Larijani said the issue can be resolved through dialogue
and added that Tehran will respond on August 22 to the international
package of incentives it received in early June. Larijani said Iran
intends to begin industrial-scale uranium enrichment and that it is
entitled to do so.
Kermanshah parliamentary representative Jahanbakhsh Amini
noted that 14 of 15 Security Council members voted in favor of the
resolution (Qatar opposed it), “Aftab-i Yazd” reported on August 15,
and said Tehran must take serious diplomatic measures if it wants to
dissuade other countries from joining this group. Tabriz
representative Eshrat Shayeq described the resolution as
“unacceptable” and added that “neither we nor any other country
consider ourselves as obligated to pay for the political
reconstruction of superpowers.” She accused Washington of trying to
impose its will, and she added that the UN and the Security Council
are not impartial.
In an August 14 speech to the nation on the state of the
economy, President Ahmadinejad discussed the nuclear situation,
saying that those who have harnessed the use of nuclear power are
trying to prevent Iran from doing so, state television reported. He
accused other countries of trying to undermine Iranians’ unity,
and Ahmadinejad said it is bad for Iranians to speak with multiple
voices. “They lie when they claim that they have given up trying to
create discord among us,” he charged. Ahmadinejad also detailed his
administration’s accomplishments and described the steps he has
taken to deal with unemployment and waste. (Vahid Sepehri, Bill
Samii)
U.S. TREATMENT OF WOULD-BE IRANIAN VISITORS CAUSES WORRY. Iran is
protesting the detention and fingerprinting of a group of Iranian
academics and engineers when they tried to enter the United States to
attend a scientific gathering. They all had valid entry visas and
were bound for a northern Californian reunion organized by alumni of
Tehran’s prestigious Sharif University of Technology on August
4-6. Iranians living in the United States have expressed fear that
the travelers were victims of rising tensions between Washington and
Tehran.
Behnam Kamrani was among the Iranian engineers, scientists,
and company executives who traveled to the United States to attend a
forum on disaster management and entrepreneurship in Santa Clara,
California.
Kamrani is a Sharif University alumni who currently lives in
Sweden and works for a U.S. company. He told Radio Farda that upon
his arrival at Minneapolis airport, he was simply told his visa has
been revoked.
“We had requested a visa, [and] the U.S. Embassy did a
background check on us and gave a positive answer,” Kamrani said.
“They issued the visa, [and] we bought a ticket and informed them as
to the date on which we would enter the U.S. Then, when we got to the
U.S., everything collapsed. They temporarily detained and
interrogated us and asked us strange questions.”
Despite the nine hours that Kamrani spent at the airport
before being sent back, he considers himself among the lucky ones.
Academics who had entered the United States at other ports of
entry — including Los Angeles and San Francisco — appear to have
faced tougher conditions. Some have described their experience as a
“nightmare,” and said that they had to spend the night in a jail
alongside criminals.
Kamrani recalls meeting a few of them: “They had handcuffed
them and taken them to a prison. One lady who had two daughters said
they had separated them during the night. The ladies said that a man
who was in charge had told them the next day — when they were about
to be sent back — that the visas were canceled because it was
thought likely that those who come from Iran might exchange
information about the nuclear issue.”
Some of the Iranians claim to have been told that their visas
were revoked due to U.S. national security concerns. They were
reportedly given the choice of withdrawing their applications or
being deported.
Some said they were told that they could not apply for U.S.
visas for up to 10 years.
Several of the detainees have said they were insulted and
humiliated, and subjected to what they have described as harsh
treatment.
Conference organizers have said that more than 50 Iranians in
all were refused entry and sent back to Iran.
U.S. State Department spokeswoman Janelle Hieronymus declined
to explain the refusals, saying only that “all visa applications are
adjudicated in accordance with the U.S. Immigration And Nationality
Act. Each application for a visa is adjudicated on a case-by-case
basis.”
State Department official Laura Tischler would not comment on
specific cases to RFE/RL, but she noted that U.S. officials are
obliged to turn away anyone whose visa has been revoked.
Tischler suggested that the Iranians’ visas might have
been revoked “when they arrived, or when they were in transit.”
Some observers speculate that the travelers are victims of
growing U.S.-Iranian tensions over the current conflict in Lebanon
and Iran’s refusal to abandon sensitive nuclear activities.
Najmedin Meshkati, a graduate and professor at the University
of Southern California’s Viterbi School of Engineering and an
alumni of Sharif University, told RFE/RL that the treatment the
academics received at U.S. hands has outraged Iranian-Americans.
Meshkati said the U.S.-based Sharif University of Technology
Association is taking steps to protest the incidents and encourage
some investigation.
“One [step we’d like to take] concerns the legal aspect
— we want to find out what the rights of the people who were
returned are and what can be done legally. The other [step] is public
relations,” Meshkati said. “The third step is to contact U.S.
authorities — including senators from California — so the issue is
investigated in the U.S. Congress. If they treat Iranians who visit
this country legally in this heinous manner, then [there is a risk
that] there is no difference for Iranians who live in this country
legally. I really think that enough is enough — we are really hurt
about this disrespect. We should really stand up to it.”
Meshkati said Iranians should not be punished for the
policies of their government.
“I don’t know why Iranians who travel to the U.S. must
pay the price for the Iranian government’s actions,” he said.
“Are Saudi citizens paying the price for the actions of [Saudi-born
Al-Qaeda leader Osama] bin Laden? No. I don’t understand why
everything goes wrong when it comes to us Iranians.”
The United States cut diplomatic ties with Iran following
that country’s Islamic Revolution and the abduction of U.S.
diplomats at its embassy in Tehran in 1979.
But limited cultural, scientific, and sports exchanges have
continued between the two countries. (By Golnaz Esfandiari; Radio
Farda correspondent Elaheh Ravanshad contributed to this report from
Sweden; RFE/RL correspondent Heather Maher contributed from
Washington, DC.)
CHINA GETS NEW IRANIAN ENVOY. Iran has appointed Javad Mansuri, a
former ambassador in Pakistan and former deputy foreign minister, as
its next ambassador in China, Mehr reported on August 9, adding that
he will be taking up his post “in the coming days.” Mansuri was
proposed by Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki and approved by
President Mahmud Ahmadinejad, the agency stated. Mansuri was a deputy
foreign minister for cultural and consular affairs, then Asia-Pacific
affairs, between 1981 and 1990, Iran’s envoy in Pakistan until
1993-94, after which he has been an adviser to the foreign minister,
Mehr stated.
Separately, Iran’s ambassador in Turkey, Firuz
Dolatabadi, said Iran will continue its support for Lebanon’s
Hizballah, RFE/RL’s Radio Farda reported on August 9, citing an
interview with the Turkish daily “Radikal.” Dolatabadi reportedly
accused Great Britain and the United States of trying to dismember
Lebanon and Iraq, using the Kurdistan Workers Party to do that in
Iraq. (Vahid Sepehri)
PRESIDENTIAL CABINET COMES IN FOR CRITICISM. Hojatoleslam Hussein
Ebrahimi, a member of the conservative Tehran Militant Clergy
Association (Jameh-yi Ruhaniyat-i Mobarez-i Tehran), said on August
16 that President Mahmud Ahmadinejad’s trips to the provinces and
his legislative measures are well-intended but that some cabinet
members seem unable to execute the relevant tasks, ISNA reported.
Ebrahimi advised the president to ensure that the cabinet’s level
of commitment equals his own. Ebrahimi also recommended warning or
replacing unnamed government managers who he said do not implement
presidential policies for political reasons.
Reformist former legislator Davud Suleimani criticized the
cabinet for its failure to fulfill campaign pledges to improve
people’s economic well-being, “Etemad” reported on August 15. He
called for a report on the government’s performance that would be
publicly available so people can judge for themselves, and he
recommended a complete change in the cabinet.
Ilam parliamentary representative Dariush Qanbari said in
“Etemad” that the cabinet has been unsuccessful, adding that
Ahmadinejad intends to change his commerce, roads and transportation,
and welfare and social security ministers. Qanbari added that many of
his colleagues would like to see the agricultural jihad, education,
and health ministers replaced as well. (Bill Samii)
PUBLICATIONS ENCOUNTER LEGAL DIFFICULTIES. “Karnameh” had its license
revoked and Managing Editor Negar Eskandarfar received a suspended
one-year prison sentence on August 14 for articles offending morality
and chastity, ILNA reported. The Tehran Penal Court’s decision
follows a ban on the same publication by the Press Supervisory Board.
Eskandarfar has appealed the decision.
Also on August 14, “Cheshmandaz” Managing Editor Lutfollah
Meysami was found guilty of publishing materials that damage the
system and the country, insulting and libeling the police, and
propagandizing against the system, ISNA reported. The Tehran Penal
Court acquitted Meysami on charges of publishing false reports,
publishing anticonstitutional reports, publishing materials that are
offensive to Islam, and insulting the country’s judiciary.
On August 7, the Press Supervisory Board instructed “Sharq”
newspaper to replace its managing director, ISNA reported on August
12, because the paper has received 70 warnings to date. These
warnings relate to the alleged publication of atheistic materials,
divisive materials, and materials that violate Supreme National
Security Council directives.
President Mahmud Ahmadinejad recently offered congratulations
on the eve of Journalists Day (August 8), IRNA reported. (Bill Samii)
POLICE CONFISCATE SATELLITE DISHES. Police raided Tehran’s
Behjatabad residential district on August 14 and confiscated
residents’ satellite dishes, Radio Farda and ILNA reported.
Tehran police chief Morteza Talai described it as a “routine task.”
“The police are duty-bound to enforce the law,” he explained, “and as
long as the use of satellite dishes is illegal, we have to perform
our duty to that end.” Residents complained that they did not receive
advance notice of the raid.
Tehran prosecutor Said Mortazavi said in early August that
the headquarters for the promotion of virtue and prohibition of vice
recently discussed satellite dishes, “Etemad” reported on August 7.
Some people set up the dishes where they are visible, he said, and
the action is necessary because this is a violation of social norms.
Special teams will be trained to deal with satellite dishes, he
added. If people turn their dishes in, he continued, the police will
not take action against them. (Bill Samii)
AHMADINEJAD MAKES PROVINCIAL VISIT. Ardabil Province’s
governor-general, Ali Nikzad, announced on August 13 that President
Ahmadinejad would visit on August 15, provincial television reported.
Nikzad said the president and his cabinet will visit nine cities.
Also on August 13, commanders of the Ashura and Al-Zahra
battalions of the Basij met in Asadabad’s Jameh Mosque for a
briefing on upcoming war games, provincial television reported.
One week earlier, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps’
new Imam Hussein base was inaugurated in the province’s Aslanduz
district, provincial television reported, and the Ashura battalions
began a three-day exercise at the IRGC’s Qods garrison in
Meshkinshahr. (Bill Samii)
POLICE AMBUSH BACKFIRES. Eight policemen were killed and three others
were wounded in an August 12 gunfight with bandits along the
Bam-Zahedan road in southeastern Iran, state radio reported. “The
incident took place during an ambush laid by the [police] to capture
the bandits in that region,” Interior Minister Purmohammadi said on
August 13, according to ISNA. Eastern Iran has been plagued by
violence for many years in what appears to be a low-level insurgency
and also in incidents relating to smuggling, and Purmohammadi said
more military bases will be established in the region. (Bill Samii)
KURDS SHELLED BY IRAN AND TURKEY. As operations against the Kurdish
Pejak group continue, Iranian and Turkish artillery fired on areas
predominantly inhabited by Kurds along their shared border on August
13, Iraq’s Al-Sharqiyah Television reported (see “RFE/RL Iran
Report,” July 7, 2006). Pejak is affiliated with the Kurdistan
Workers Party (PKK). The Iranian artillery reportedly shelled
Khumyrah, Lulan, and Nazdaridakh, and Turkish artillery shelled Qabir
Zahir, Khwakurk, and Gurghan. (Bill Samii)
IRANIAN-AMERICAN SENTENCED FOR TRYING TO SEND DUAL-USE GOODS TO IRAN.
Mohammad Fazeli, a computer technician from California, was sentenced
by a U.S. federal court on August 7 to one year in prison for his
effort to ship dual-use products to Iran, “The San Jose Mercury News
Reported” on August 8. The 103 Honeywell pressure sensors that Fazeli
tried to send to Iran via the United Arab Emirates detect pressure in
liquids or in gases and can be used as components in detonators for
explosives. (Bill Samii)
IRAN REPORTEDLY ACTING AGAINST BIRD FLU, CHOLERA. Hussein Behbudi,
the head of the Gilan Medical Science University in northern Iran,
told Fars News Agency on August 9 that “about a month ago,” local
authorities detected bird flu among poultry on a farm near the town
of Imamzadeh Hashem in the northern Gilan province, prompting
officials to kill all domestic poultry within a 2-kilometer radius as
a precautionary measure. He said the symptoms have not been seen
among wild birds, but “there is still bird flu in Gilan.” He added
there are no cases so far in Iran of bird flu spreading to people.
Police and local authorities have also killed 1,800 chickens,
turkeys, and ducks suspected of having bird flu at an unspecified
date in “villages around the town of Masal” in Gilan, the daily
“Aftab-i Yazd” reported on August 10.
Separately, Health Minister Kamran Baqeri-Lankarani said on
August 9 that Iran is taking precautionary measures to prevent
cholera entering into the country from neighboring states, IRNA
reported. “Neighboring states are denying there is endemic cholera in
their countries, but preventive measures are being carried out…in
Iran,” he said. Baqeri-Lankarani added that Health Ministry officials
are trying to obtain “clear information from these countries” on the
disease. Preventive moves may include “quarantine” in frontier zones,
especially on the eastern frontier, he said. (Vahid Sepehri)
CRACKDOWN ON ILLEGAL FOREIGN WORKERS. Police in the eastern Iranian
city of Mashhad have arrested more than 1,000 foreigners recently who
did not possess valid documents, ISNA reported on August 15. In the
month beginning October 22, new measures will be implemented in an
effort to curtail the employment of foreigners working illegally in
Iran, “Kayhan” reported on August 13.
Mohammad Hussein Salehi-Maram, director-general of
foreigners’ affairs at the Labor Ministry, said 1 million
foreigners — mostly Afghans — are working illegally in Iran and
they take jobs from Iranians. Many foreigners work in construction,
tailoring, or textiles, he added.
Salehi-Maram said foreigners are used because they are cheap,
because some employers are ignorant of the law, and because the
foreigners themselves are unfamiliar with the relevant legislation.
He added that some contractors in the state sector and the parastatal
sector also use illegal foreigners, and this sets a bad example.
Under the new plan, those who employ illegal foreigners will be fined
five times the daily minimum wage, 300,000 rials ($34). (Bill Samii)
IRAN WILL IMPORT FUEL TO MEET DEMAND. Iran will not curb domestic
gasoline consumption despite expected shortages but rather import
more to meet demand, Reuters and RFE/RL’s Radio Farda reported on
August 17. Iranian officials are expecting shortages in the second
half of the Persian year running to March 20, 2007. Iran recently
bought several cargoes of gasoline for delivery in September,
indicating a decision to renew imports after a month-long suspension
of such purchases, Reuters reported on August 15.
On August 16, Farhad Rahbar the head of the Management and
Planning Organization, said “gasoline rationing is off the government
agenda until further notice,” Mehr reported. “There will be no
rationing…while the state of transportation…is not organized,” he
told a Tehran seminar. Rahbar said people’s “living and welfare
situation” will suffer if they have to buy expensive gasoline above a
fixed weekly or monthly amount charged at current, subsidized prices.
He added that the government is working on expanding public
transportation and removing old, fuel-inefficient cars.
Petroleum Minister Kazem Vaziri-Hamaneh said in Tehran on
August 8 that gasoline consumption in Iran is equivalent to a liter
per day for every Iranian, “and this is unprecedented in the world,”
“Aftab-i Yazd” daily reported on August 9. He said fuel wastage has
become “ordinary for the people and government” and Iran’s
government has “not been prepared to put pressure on the people to
reduce their consumption.”
Vaziri-Hamaneh said the government is planning to introduce
an unspecified number of minibuses to increase the public-transport
fleet.
He said separately that President Mahmud Ahmadinejad has
instructed the petroleum and finance ministers to “examine the
executive procedures” of a plan — apparently proposed by Ahmadinejad
— to sell crude oil cheaper to poorer countries. “This is the
president’s own viewpoint,” Vaziri said. He said Iranian
officials have not yet discussed the use of oil as a “political
instrument” — for example, in response to UN sanctions over
Iran’s nuclear activities — but “we shall use any factor in the
system’s interests, even oil,” “Aftab-i Yazd” reported. (Vahid
Sepehri)
********************************* ************************
Copyright (c) 2006. RFE/RL, Inc. All rights reserved.
The “RFE/RL Iran Report” is a weekly prepared by A. William Samii on
the basis of materials from RFE/RL broadcast services, RFE/RL
Newsline, and other news services. It is distributed every Monday.
Direct comments to A. William Samii at [email protected].
For information on reprints, see:
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Back issues are online at
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
08/21/2006
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP://WWW.ASBAREZ. COM 1. Lebanon ARF Meets with Prime Minister on Turkish Troop Deployment 2. 1st Century Ruins Unearthed in Karabakh 3. Gul to Visit Syria on Lebanon Peacekeeping Force 4. Plans Underway for Armenian, Azeri Foreign Ministers Meeting 5. UNHCR Praises Armenia For Its Refugee-Related Policies 1. Lebanon ARF Meets with Prime Minister on Turkish Troop Deployment BEIRUT (Aztag)--A delegation representing the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Lebanon Central Committee Saturday met with Lebanese prime minister Fuad Siniora to express its opposition to a proposed deployment of Turkish troops as part of a United Nations mandated peacekeeping force to southern Lebanon. Hovig Mkhitarian and parliament member Hagop Pakradouni were part of the delegation, which initially applauded Siniora for his leadership and posturing during the crisis and praised his decision to dispatch the Lebanese Army units to the border with Israel. The delegation went on to express the Armenian community's collective opposition to deploying Turkish troops on Lebanese soil, explaining that when all Armenian religious leaders collectively are opposing this process, it should signal a community-wide consensus on the issue. It was emphasized agreement to deploy Turkish troops in Lebanon will create across the board dissatisfaction and outrage within the community, which has continuously and historically supported the government. Siniora informed the delegation that he was grappling with the reality that there were not sufficient international forces available to fulfill the needs of the international peacekeeping force, but stressed that he fully comprehended the expressed position of the delegation. The delegation emphasized that the deployment of forces to Lebanon, under any circumstances would endanger Lebanon's stability. At the conclusion of the meeting, parliament member Pakradouni discussed the details of the meeting and announced that the delegation was firm in its opposition to the deployment of even one Turkish soldier on Lebanese soil. "We have continually worked toward bolstering Lebanon's stability and security. This Turkish issue will undoubtedly create instability in Lebanon," explained Pakradouni. On a related note, during a joint press conference with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Gutierrez, Armenia's foreign minister Vartan Oskanian stressed that Lebanon should decide which country can or cannot participate within the peacekeeping force on its territory. This comment was also reiterated by the UN leader. Continuing its lobbying efforts on this matter, Pakradouni met with the UN representative in Lebanon Georges Nasri and presented the ARF Lebanon Central Committee appeal to UN Secretary General Kofi Anan. Pakradouni extensively discussed the reasoning behind the vehement opposition by the Lebanese-Armenian community on deployment of Turkish troops in southern Lebanon. Nasri explained that a final decision on the matter has not been made and pledged that he would personally convey the concerns and deliver the appeal to the Secretary General, adding that he fully understood the mindframe behind the Armenian community's posturing. Pakradouni was joined by Mkhitarian during a meeting with Iran's ambassador to Lebanon Mohammad Rida Shibani and expressed the community's opposition to the Iranian diplomat. The envoy highly praised the role of the Lebanese Armenian community in the recent crisis, especially emphasizing the leadership role the ARF had assumed in the process. He also pledged to present a detailed report on the meeting to the Iranian government. On a similar front, the Armenian Democratic League (Ramkavar Party) and the Social Democratic Hunchakian party leadership separately issued announcements over the weekend opposing the proposed deployment of Turkish troops in Lebanon. 2. 1st Century Ruins Unearthed in Karabakh STEPANAKERT (Karabakh Open)--The Yerkir Society presented a report Monday pointing to the recent discovery of ruins dating back to the First Century, BC from the Tigran the Great Era, in the Tigranakert region, which falls within the liberated territories around the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, near Aghdam. In Monday's press conference, Hamlet Petrossian the leader of the archeological dig announced that during excavations in the region from August 3 to 18, several important artifacts, including a gate from a fortress, a support wall of a stairway, a 5th Century church, pottery and other pieces that date back to the creation of Tigranakert in the 1st century BC. "The preliminary analysis of the artifacts point to a constant existence of Tigranakert from 1st Century BC to 14th Century AD. The unearthed buildings and pottery are similar to ones in other Armenian areas, especially those in the Ararat Valley, all of which attest to historical accounts of Armenian life in the area," announced Vahram Gevorkyan, a board member of the Yerkir Society. "The ruins also reinforce that the region is Armenian and that the Armenian civilization and history was developed in that region," added Gevorkyan. The experts emphasized that based on the available information, "this territory must be administered only by Armenians. This should be one of the important issues for Armenians." 3. Gul to Visit Syria on Lebanon Peacekeeping Force ANKARA (AFP)--Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul is expected to make a brief visit to Syria to discus the conflict in Lebanon, his ministry has said. A statement Monday said he would meet Tuesday Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his counterpart Walid al-Muallem, returning to Ankara the same day. Gul visited Israel Sunday and was in Lebanon last Wednesday where he discussed possible Turkish participation in an enhanced United Nations peacekeeping force. Turkey is ready to contribute to such a force, as provided for by United Nations Security Council resolution 1701, but has taken no formal decision. Turkey will clarify its decision on joining the international peace force to be deployed in southern Lebanon. Gul was scheduled to brief Monday's session of National Security Council on his visits. It is reported that the Government will clarify its final decision on troop deployment after Gul's visits and the NCS meeting. However, Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes the immediate announcement of the decision on the grounds that it might help Turkish troops assume the task that Ankara prefers. According to the information received, the military unit that may be sent to Lebanon would not be a combatant force. General Staff conveyed its opinion where within the blue line is appropriate for deployment of Peacekeeping Forces. Israel wants Turkish troops to join the international peace force. Defense Minister Peretz, who met with Gul, expressed the Israeli view, saying that "I want Mr. Gul to send Turkish troops to the region." Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who said, "Turkey is a country Israel has faith in," also stated, "Turkey is performing an important role in the region. Hopefully, it will." Gul also met Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Tzipi Livni in Jeruselam yesterday. Gul said, "Ultimately, there will be peace, but it needs to be immediate and permanent." Stressing that the kidnapped Israeli soldiers should be released, he also said to the Israeli minister, "Release the elected Palestinian representatives and ministers you arrested." Gul said this will create "a new climate for peace." It has been reported that Livni made no comment on the Hamas members in Israeli prisons. By the time Gul voiced his demand, Israeli troops arrested Hamas MP Mahmoud al-Ramahi in Ramallah. Gul then moved to Ramallah. Gul, during his meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, reiterated Turkey's support. Gul criticized the Israeli attitude by saying that no viable resolution will be achieved by unilateral decisions and use of force. 4. Plans Underway for Armenian, Azeri Foreign Ministers Meeting YEREVAN (Armenpress)--Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian announced at a press conference Monday that initial discussions regarding the organization of a meeting of the Armenian and Azeri foreign ministers are being held, adding that the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group are specifying time and place of the meeting. Oskanian also announced that the Minks Group co-chairmen had not made new proposals to Armenia, as was announced following the August 2 meeting of the Russian, French and US co-chairmen of the OSCE body. Oskanian was holding a joint press conference with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Gutierrez also said that Armenia has not received new proposals from the co-chairs. Gutierrez said that while the UN was not involved in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution process, the international body, nevertheless, was interested in its peaceful resolution. During the press conference Oskanian announced that the Armenian side had not understood the reason for Azerbaijan to appeal to the UN regarding the wildfires in the bordering regions with the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. "It is necessary to find practical solutions to the issue, especially since the personal representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk said in his report that the fires were caused due to very hot weather. This year the fires occurred more frequently and there have been difficulties by Armenia to address the matter due to limited resources.," Oskanian said. Oskanian said Karabakh officials had assured him that that the fires had been extinguished and that there were only small fires, which do not present any real threat to the region. As for a recent statement by Azeri Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov that Azerbaijan has applied to Armenia with concrete suggestions for preventing the spread of fires, Oskanian said that the Armenian side has always been willing to cooperate but it had not received any suggestion. "I think the Karabakh authorities will also be ready to cooperate both with international organizations and Azeris as it is a mutual issue of interest and by helping each other it will be possible to extinguish the fires completely," the minister said. 5. UNHCR Praises Armenia For Its Refugee-Related Policies YEREVAN (RFE/RL)--The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has praised the efforts of the Armenian government to create conditions that promote the integration of refugees into society. Antonio Gutierrez, paying his first visit to the region, reiterated on Monday that granting citizenship is the best tool for protecting refugees if the ultimate goal of the government is to ensure their full integration into society. "I hope it is the ultimate goal both in Armenia and Azerbaijan," he told a press conference in Yerevan. Gutierrez stressed the high level of his agency's cooperation with Armenia and expressed his particular satisfaction with the efforts of the country's authorities to create a legislative and institutional framework for immigrants and asylum-seekers, extending special thanks to the Armenian government for accepting refugees from Lebanon. For his part, Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian said that the UNHCR Office has worked in Armenia for years and has been a great help to the Armenian government to solve different problems connected with refugees. "Although we are a non-political agency, we are extremely interested in the peaceful resolution of the Karabakh conflict," Gutierrez said. "We think that the agreements that will allow displaced people to return to the places of their former residence can become an element of mutual trust that in turn can promote an ultimate solution to the problem in the future." Regarding the possibility of refugees recovering their lost property or getting compensation for that, Gutierrez said: "We think that one of the positive things of the peaceful solution could be the restoration of property rights on both sides. If we speak about the return of refugees, it could be the restoration of their ownership rights. If the return is not on the cards, then it can be solved through compensation." Gutierrez denied the recent Azeri press reports that quoted him as calling the policy of the Armenian government related to refugees a failure. He also denied having made a series of other statements that appeared in the Azeri press and were ascribed to him. In particular, the Azeri media quoted Gutierrez as saying that the situation with forcibly displaced people in Azerbaijan was the gravest in the world. "I couldn't have said such a thing, as it is a common knowledge that this problem is much bigger in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sudan or Colombia than in Azerbaijan," he said. Gutierrez said that instead of the word 'excellent' he used the expression 'more mature' to describe the UNCHR's relations with Azerbaijan and stressed that he was "careful enough never to use the word 'Armenia' in his press conference in Baku. To a reporter's question to share his impressions of the refugee camps in Azerbaijan, Gutierrez said: "The only thing that I can tell you is that necessary investments are being made in Azerbaijan to create new homes for refugees. There are still people who live in very poor conditions in both countries, but I can say for Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia that the governments in these countries take very seriously the necessity of improving the situation of refugees living in extreme conditions." 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) 2006 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.

California Courier Online, August 24, 2006
1 – Commentary
Turks Falsely Claim Armenians Would
Welcome Turkish Troops in Lebanon
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
2 – Armenian Patriarchate Ends Boycott
Of Community Papers Over Criticism
3 – No Surprise: Armenians Aid Poochigian’s Campaign
4 – Haladjian’s Nabaztag Wi-Fi
Rabbit Targets US consumers
5- Armenian Caucus Established
in California State Assembly
6 – San Gabriel Valley Ararat Guild to Feature
Film-Maker, Carla Garapedian, on Sept. 11
7 – Zoryan Institute Launches New
Scholarly Journal on Genocide
***************************************** *********************************
1 – Commentary
Turks Falsely Claim Armenians Would
Welcome Turkish Troops in Lebanon
By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
Turkish officials fabricated a news story last week in order to
create the false impression that their soldiers would be warmly
welcome in Lebanon, even by the local Armenian community!
The widely circulated Turkish newspaper Hurriyet published a
front-page story on August 18 claiming that the only Armenian
Minister in the Lebanese Cabinet had agreed to the stationing of
Turkish troops in Lebanon. The story, written by Hurriyet’s Chief
Editor Ertugrul Ozkok, carried the following sensational title: “Even
the Armenian Minister wants us in Lebanon.”
Ozkok published the dramatic details of the dinner that was given in
Beirut last week by Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora in honor of
the Foreign Ministers of France, Pakistan, Malaysia and Turkey. In
attendance were also 9 Lebanese Ministers, including Jean
Oghassapian, the Minister of Administrative Reforms.
According Ozkok’s article, when Turkey’s Foreign Minister Abdullah
Gul asked Prime Minister Siniora how the Lebanese people would react
to the presence of Turkish soldiers in their country, Siniora
responded to the great surprise of everyone at the dinner table:
“Even the Armenian Minister in our Cabinet wants the Turkish soldiers
to come.” Ozkok wrote that Siniora then called over Minister
Oghassapian from an adjacent table and “holding his arm,” asked him:
“You also want the Turkish soldiers to come, don’t you?” The Armenian
Minister reportedly replied: “Yes, we want them.” Ozkok reported that
Turkish officials present at the dinner were utterly surprised
“especially since only that same morning, the Lebanon-based Tashnak
Party had issued a declaration,” announcing its opposition to
stationing Turkish troops in Lebanon. Ozkok gleefully concluded:
“Clearly the Armenian Minister and the Tashnak declaration were at
odds.” Gul reportedly told the Turkish journalists at the dinner that
Ankara was “not taking seriously” the efforts of the Armenian lobby
in the U.S. to prevent Turkish soldiers from entering Lebanon.
Stretching the truth even further, Ozkok reported that the Shiite
Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, Nebih Berri, told Gul at the
dinner: ‘I speak in the name of the Shiites in Lebanon. We want from
our hearts that the Turkish soldiers participate in the peacekeeping
force.”
The Turkish press is notorious for publishing untrue and distorted
reports. However, in this case, it appears that Mr. Ozkok, a
distinguished journalist and a prominent media executive, may have
been used by Turkish officials to disseminate a fabricated story.
Ozkok, who was in Istanbul during last week’s dinner in Beirut, was
fed this fictitious news by Turkish Foreign Ministry officials.
In order to verify what really took place at that dinner, I contacted
Minister Oghassapian and spoke with him last Sunday. He was
absolutely shocked to hear what Hurriyet had reported. He said that
just about every item in that article was false! He said he did not
walk over to the table where the Lebanese Prime Minister and the
Turkish Foreign Minister were sitting and did not exchange any words
with either one of them that night. He did not discuss with anyone
the possible participation of Turkish troops in the peacekeeping
force. He also said that the Speaker of the Parliament Nebih Berri
was not present at the dinner at all. Furthermore, Minister
Oghassapian said to this writer that in separate meetings with Prime
Minister Siniora, he had told him of the strong opposition of the
Armenian community to the stationing of Turkish troops in Lebanon.
It is clear that the Turkish Foreign Ministry, by fabricating this
news report, is trying to create the false public perception that
Turkish soldiers would be warmly welcome in Lebanon. This point was
made more obvious in another Hurriyet story which reported that Gul
was told during his visit to Lebanon: “All sides are waiting for the
friendly Turkish soldiers” to take part in the peacekeeping force.
The second Turkish intent in falsifying this report seems to be to
split the Armenian community into two camps: for and against having
Turkish troops in Lebanon.
Fortunately, this Turkish lie did not last very long. After I spoke
with Minister Oghassapian, he issued a formal statement that was
published in the Aug. 22 issue of Zartonk, the organ of the Ramgavar
Party in Lebanon. He described the words attributed to him by
Hurriyet as “imaginary and not corresponding to reality.” He said
that in private conversations with Prime Minister Siniora, he had
indicated his reservations regarding the presence of Turkish troops
in Lebanon. He concluded his published statement by drawing
everyone’s attention to the standard practice of the Turkish media to
distort the news.
Here is an update about the flurry of developments that have taken
place since this writer first suggested earlier this month that
Turkish troops should not be stationed in Lebanon:
— All three Armenian political parties issued statements rejecting
the participation of Turkish troops in the international peacekeeping
force in Lebanon. The spiritual leaders of the three Armenian
denominations in Lebanon (Orthodox, Catholic and Evangelical) issued
a similar joint statement.
— An ARF delegation met with various Lebanese leaders as well as the
Ambassadors of Russia, Japan, Great Britain, China, Italy, Iran and
Egypt to impress upon them the unacceptability of Turkish troops in
Lebanon. The Armenian delegation told the Lebanese Prime Minister
that it would not accept even a single Turkish soldier on Lebanese
soil!
— The Armenian National Committee of America sent a letter to Pres.
Bush objecting to the participation of Turkish troops in Lebanon. A
similar statement was issued by the ANC office in Europe.
— The American Hellenic Institute wrote a letter to Pres. Bush
opposing the inclusion of Turkish soldiers in the peacekeeping force.
— The Foreign Minister of Armenia, Vartan Oskanian, announced on
August 21 that the Lebanese government should have the right to
choose which country’s troops it wants on its soil. Regrettably, he
did not offer a small contingent of troops to Lebanon, while
Armenians are taking part in the international force in Iraq and
Kosovo!
— The President of Lebanon Emile Lahoud announced that countries
that have a strategic alliance with Israel, a clear reference to
Turkey, should not send troops to Lebanon, because they would not be
non-partisan. It is to be noted that Israel rejected the
participation of Malaysia, Indonesia and Bangladesh, on the ground
that they have no diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv, even though
their troops would not be stationed in Israel. Lebanon then has even
more of a right to reject the Turkish troops which would be stationed
on its territory.
— According to the Lebanese Al Nahar newspaper, Hezbollah would not
accept the presence of Turkish troops in South Lebanon and considers
them to be proxies for the United States and Israel. An early sign of
a possible clash between the Sunni Turks and the Shia Hezbollah
forces came last week when four Turkish reporters were detained by
Hezbollah. After confiscating their films, the reporters were
released.
— The Prime Minister and the Defense Minister of Israel both warmly
welcomed the stationing of Turkish troops in Lebanon!
— Various American neo-con analysts supported the participation of
the Turkish troops in Lebanon stating that this would enhance
Turkey’s prestige in the Middle East and increase its chances of
joining the European Union.
— Turkish leaders are dragging their feet in making a final
commitment of troops for Lebanon. Analysts believe that the Turks are
trying to maximize the concessions they could milk from the West for
their eventual participation. They also announced that the Turkish
Parliament must first approve such a commitment. This is the same
scenario that the Turks orchestrated on the eve of deciding whether
or not to allow American troops to invade Iraq via Turkey. The
Turkish leaders also stated that their troops would only engage in
humanitarian and reconstruction efforts, not combat activities, thus
contradicting UN’s announced intention of dispatching a robust
military force. Maybe the Red Cross should replace the Turkish
troops. It is better equipped to do relief work!
— Onur Oymen, one of the leaders of CHP, the main opposition party
in Turkey, said his group is against sending Turkish troops to “an
uncertain adventure in Lebanon.” In addition, a group of Turkish
peace activists held a protest in Adana last Saturday. They said that
Ankara had allowed the U.S. to use the Incirlik Airbase to supply
bombs and ammunition to Israel. Meanwhile, a group of Turkish
intellectuals started a petition against sending Turkish troops to
Lebanon.
— Robert Fisk, the prominent correspondent of the British newspaper,
The Independent, warned that if the Turkish army is sent to Lebanon,
“count the days – or hours – to the first attack upon it.”
Turkey would save itself a lot of embarrassment if it would simply
announce its own decision not to send troops to Lebanon, before being
rejected by the Lebanese, particularly the Hezbollah!
*************************************** ***********************************
2 – Armenian Patriarchate Ends Boycott
Of Community Papers Over Criticism
By Asli Sozbilir
ISTANBUL (Hurriyet) – The Armenian Patriarchate has imposed an
embargo on church ads in the Armenian community newspapers Agos and
Jamanak, which had harshly criticized Turkey’s Armenian Patriarch
Mesrob II for stating that he did not agree with the “recognize the
genocide” announcement made by Catholicos Karekin II of Etchmiadzin
[during his recent visit to Istanbul].
The negative stance adopted by both newspapers against the Patriarch
prompted the Spiritual Council into action. The Council got together
with the leaders of the community’s foundations and raised the issue
of not giving either newspaper church announcements.
The first test of this call by the Patriarch to boycott announcements
was made last week. The notice for the Surp Garabet Church, which is
the traditional place of celebration for Vartavar Yortusu, appeared
only in the Marmara newspaper and not the two newspapers in question.
When the Armenian community objected to the publication of notices
getting drawn into the argument between the Patriarch and the press,
30 foundation leaders held a meeting last week and published a joint
statement in order to reduce tensions between the Patriarchate and
the two newspapers.
While the statement went to great lengths to emphasize freedom of the
press it also noted that they did not support the method of banning
church notices.
Following this statement, Patriarchate officials got together with
the foundation leaders and stated they were ending the boycott. The
statement issued by the Patriarchate said that Mesrob II had no
involvement in the incident, and refuted allegations of an embargo.
***************************************** ********************************
3 – No Surprise: Armenians Aid Poochigian’s Campaign
By Hank Shaw
Capitol Bureau Chief
SACRAMENTO – Most candidates raise the bulk of their cash from unions
or builders or insurance companies. Not state attorney general
candidate Chuck Poochigian: The fount of his campaign cash comes from
fellow Armenians.
Poochigian, a state senator from Fresno, whose district includes part
of San Joaquin County, will face former Gov. Jerry Brown, now mayor
of Oakland, in autumn’s election for California’s top cop.
A Record analysis of Poochigian’s fund-raising shows he has at least
900 Armenian contributors who have combined to pump more than
$780,000 into his campaign.
Compare this to Brown, who state records show has just nine Armenian
contributors.
It is a tremendous show of ethnic pride: According to a calculation
based on population estimates from the Armenian National Committee,
only about 500,000 voting-age people of Armenian ancestry live in
California.
The reason for this outpouring of support is simple, according to
interviews with dozens of Poochigian contributors: Armenians take
care of their own.
“We Armenians stick together – we’re a close-knit group of people,”
said Ted Katzakian of Lodi. “It’s just Armenian pride more than
anything.”
Even tennis star Andre Agassi, who has some Armenian heritage,
contributed $10,000 to Poochigian.
“It is a very large extended family,” Poochigian said.
Indeed, nearly every one of the dozen Central Valley Poochigian
contributors interviewed for this story had a direct connection to
the candidate; one had a sister who dated one of Poochigian’s
relatives, another had a cousin who went to California State
University, Fresno, with him, a third has met him at any number of
Armenian community functions.
Poochigian deflects the uniqueness of his situation, noting that the
Portuguese have always helped their own in the San Joaquin Valley and
the Vietnamese were instrumental in getting Orange County Assemblyman
Van Tran elected two years ago.
“I’m certain that there’s a lot of groups that seek to be supportive
of people of their own background,” he said.
Turlock melon farmer Berj Moosekian says ethnic pride helped a little
when he decided to write Poochigian a check, but he said it’s not
that related to being Armenian. “It’s because he supports Valley
issues. He’s sensible and doesn’t go to extremes.”
Moosekian and the others see Poochigian as something akin to the
Second Coming of George Deukmejian. “The Duke” was California’s first
elected Armenian in the 1960s, and later became attorney general and
then governor from 1983-1991.
“He reminds me so much of Deukmejian,” said Ralph Saroyan of
Stockton. “In my mind, he is the antithesis of a typical politician.”
Poochigian got into politics volunteering on Deukmejian’s 1978
campaign and later worked for him during the last two years of his
gubernatorial term. He calls Deukmejian his role model.
Both men are viewed by those who know them as hard-working,
intellectual conservatives, polite to a fault and deeply interested –
critics say obsessed – with law-and-order issues.
It was Deukmejian who as a Long Beach state senator sponsored the
legislation that re-instated the death penalty in California. Jerry
Brown vetoed it and then suffered one of California’s rare veto
overrides. The Duke then served as attorney general during Brown’s
second term. They remain ideological foes.
Deukmejian is widely considered responsible for pushing the Armenian
community into politics. Deukmejian said the effort took years, but
it worked: “I have often said I never would have made it without
their support.”
He’s transferred that support to Poochigian by writing fund-raising
letters on his behalf.
Whether it will lead Poochigian to victory in November remains to be
seen. Few Californians know who he is, and he trails Brown 54 percent
to 33 percent in last month’s Field Poll. Brown also has $1.7 million
more in his campaign account than Poochigian heading into the fall.
Deukmejian thinks money will matter: He says voters need to get to
know Poochigian as much as they need to know the details of Brown’s
time as governor and mayor of Oakland, and the only way to do that
statewide is through expensive radio and TV ads.
“It’s an uphill effort, but so was mine,” Deukmejian said. “If he
(Poochigian) and his campaign can raise enough money to get his
message across, I believe this is doable.”
************************************ **************************************
4 – Haladjian’s Nabaztag Wi-Fi
Rabbit Targets US consumers
The Nabaztag Wi-Fi rabbit has been unveiled by Violet, a French
company 55% owned by French entrepreneur Rafi Haladjian and 30% by
Banexi Ventures, a private equity arm of French bank BNP Paribas.
Nabaztag means ‘rabbit’ in Armenian, which is the first language of
Haladjian, the man who conceived the idea. The rabbit is able to read
out e-mails and mobile phone text messages, provide alerts to stock
news and offer traffic updates through Internet feeds from a wireless
Wi-Fi network.
Basic Internet feeds, such as certain e-mail reading, stock market
performance and weather forecasts are free, while calls and text
messages are charged to the sender, although text messages are free
for premium service subscribers.
The Wi-Fi rabbit, which is made in China, costs EUR115 in France, £80
in the UK and $150 in the US, has already been sold in Belgium,
France, the UK and Switzerland and is now being targeted at the US.
Nabaztag is expected to prove popular among certain groups of
consumers, and Haladjian said he expects sales to reach 150,000 by
the end of 2006, 400,000 in 2007 and around 2 million by the end of
2008.
********’******************************** *********************************
5 – Armenian Caucus Established
in California State Assembly
SACRAMENTO – A bipartisan group of legislators last week formed the
Assembly Armenian-American Legislative Caucus, which is modeled after
a similar grouping that has been addressing Armenian-American issues
in Congress, the Glendale News Press reported.
Co-founded by Assembly majority leader Dario Frommer, a Democrat who
represents Burbank and Glendale, and Stockton Republican Greg
Aghazarian, the caucus aims to address issues of concern to the more
than 700,000-strong California-Armenian community.
“Our intent is for it to be a working caucus and a group of folks
who reach out and educate others,” Frommer told the Glendale News
Press. “Here in California we have a large and vibrant Armenian
community, not just in my district, but in Fresno and other places,
and we want to bring those folks together.”
Frommer and Aghazarian expressed hope that the California State
Senate will follow suit.
Such a caucus is long overdue, Burbank Unified School Board member
and Democratic candidate for the 43rd Assembly District, Paul
Krekorian told the News Press.
“I’ve been a little surprised that legislators who consider
themselves friends of the Armenian community did not create one like
this years ago,” he told the News Press, adding, “But what matters to
most to Armenians is the same that matters to all Americans:
Excellent public schools, good jobs, health care for seniors and the
opportunity to send their kids to college.”
Frommer, who currently represents the 43rd District, will vacate his
seat this year because of term limits.
****************************************** ********************************
6 – San Gabriel Valley Ararat Guild to Feature
Film-Maker, Carla Garapedian, on Sept. 11
By S.G. Marootian
PASADENA – Documentary film-maker Cara Garapedian will be the guest
speaker at the San Gabriel Valley Ararat Guild’s annual kufta dinner,
Sept. 11, in Cilicia Church’s Derian Hall, in Pasadena
Co-chairmen of the Guild, Grace Jamentz and Seda Marootian, extend an
invitation to everyone in the community interested in hearing the
inside story of documentary movies. Garapedian’s latest
political/music documentary “Screamers” centers on platinum Grammy
award winners “System of a Down” rock band which looks at genocide
denial from the Armenian Genocide to Rwanda, Bosnia and the current
genocide in Darfur.
“Screamers” was filmed in Turkey, Europe and the United States.
Excerpts of the film were shown in Congress this last April in
anticipation of its release this year.
The only American ever to anchor the famous BBC World News, Ms.
Garapedian earned her Ph.d. in International Relations at the London
School of Economics, before “cutting her teeth” as a correspondent
for NBC and later swept up by BBC as a director and anchor.
Since leaving BBC where, among other stories, she exposed major
faults in Europe’s most dangerous nuclear reactors, she has made her
name as an international documentary director, working for Hardcash
Productions, the company that produced the Emmy award-winning film
about women in Afghanistan, “Beneath the Veil.” Her sequel “Lifting
the Veil” premiered on the Sundance Channel in 2003 and since has
been shown around the world.
In her film “Dying for the President” she made headlines by
sneaking into Chechnya to document Russian war crimes. More recent
headlines surrounded her 2005 film “My Friend the Mercenary” about
the attempted coup in Equatorial Guinea., linked to Mark Thatcher,
son of England’s former P.M. Margaret, and the notorious mercenary,
Simon Mann.. Garapedian went inside the mercenary world of South
Africa where the coup was plotted and secretly filmed in Zimbabwe and
Equatorial Guinea. The headline about her in the L A. Times is
probably the best description of her work, “Documenting Truth in
Dangerous Places.”
Another acclaimed Garapedian film, “Children of the Secret State”
set in North Korea, details starvation, human right abuses and
cannibalism. The film has also been shown around the world and
locally broadcast on the Discovery Times Channel. In 2005, her
documentary “Iran Undercover,” covering the underground student
movement in Iran, won the prestigious Edward R. Murrow award, as part
of the PBS Frontline World series.
In addition to anchoring BBC World News, she has been a correspondent
for NBC Sunrise, NBC Nightly News and CNBC Financial News. She
narrated the Armenian Genocide film, “Voices from the Lake” by
film-maker J. Michael Hagopian as well as co-writing his
award-winning film “Germany and the Secret Genocide.”
The Cilicia Church is located at 339 S. Santa Anita Blvd., in
Pasadena
Reservations for the dinner presentation are recommended and may
be made by phoning Agnes Boghosian (626)798-3708 or Isabelle
Melkesian (626)446-7369. Donation, $25.
************************************************* *************************
7 – Zoryan Institute Launches New
Scholarly Journal on Genocide
TORONTO, Canada – The International Institute for Genocide and Human
Rights Studies (A Division of the Zoryan Institute), chaired by Dr.
Roger W. Smith, announced last week the co-founding and joint
publication of a new journal, Genocide Studies and Prevention, in
partnership with the International Association of Genocide Scholars
(IAGS), headed by Dr. Israel W. Charny. The journal’s first issue,
Summer 2006, published through a partnership with the University of
Toronto Press, is available now.
“Genocide Studies and Prevention, as a peer-reviewed journal, was
established to fulfill several goals at the same time,” remarked Dr.
Smith, a founder of the IAGS. “First, as the official journal of the
IAGS, its mission is to understand the phenomenon of genocide, create
an awareness of it as an ongoing scourge, and promote the necessity
of preventing it. Second, as an initiative of the IIGHRS, it is
intended to help stimulate, educate and develop new generations of
scholars to engage in research and provide an academic forum on
genocide. Third, it is hoped that it will educate government
policy-makers, as well as the general public, on why and how genocide
occurs so that they may be persuaded to use all of their influence to
prevent genocide, or at least intervene if it is already taking
place,” he concluded.
The first issue of this inter-disciplinary journal is devoted to the
genocide in Darfur. It features articles written by such noted
experts as award-winning author Rene Lemarchand; Samuel Totten, who
served as an investigator on the US government’s Darfur Atrocities
Documentation Team; legal experts Kelly Dawn Asking and Jerry Fowler;
Political Science Professor Scott Straus; and Major Brent Beardsley,
who served as General Romeo Dallaire’s personal staff officer in the
UN peace-keeping mission in Rwanda in 1994 and was an eye-witness to
the genocide there.
The second issue, which is already in press, will be devoted to the
Armenian Genocide and will have many distinguished contributors,
including Taner Akcam, Vahakn Dadrian and Roger W. Smith. Subsequent
issues will be devoted to such themes as the Genocide in Rwanda,
Genocide and International Law, and Genocide and Ethnocide of
Indigenous Peoples.
Israel W. Charny, President of IAGS stated that, “Today, one can look
with some satisfaction on the increasing emergence of scholarship and
the scientific study of genocide, and therefore one may also dare to
begin to think of the possibilities for preventing genocide. It is
for these reasons that we are especially pleased to see the synergies
of our relationship with the IIGHRS, with whom we share a deep
commitment to the study and genocide of all peoples, in the
establishment of this new journal.”
Genocide Studies and Prevention is published three times a year.
Subscriptions are $50.,per year, but a discount is available for the
first year. For more information, contact the IIGHRS (Zoryan
Institute), [email protected], Tel: 416-250-9807.
************************************ **************************************
*********** ************************************************** *************
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–Boundary_( ID_Cc8oWSFESVutgc58Hm5T7A)–

Eurasec to focus on energy, customs on Day 2 of Black Sea summit
RIA Novosti
16/08/2006
MOSCOW, August 16 (RIA Novosti) – Post-Soviet leaders will continue a
two-day informal summit in southern Russian Wednesday, focusing on a common
energy market and customs union as part of the five-member Eurasian Economic
Community (Eurasec).
The presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Belarus joined
Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi Tuesday,
along with the prime minister of Armenia, which is an observer in the
organization.
“The agenda includes the formation of a customs union within the
organization,” a Kremlin source said earlier in the week. “Strategy and
tactics for the community’s progress will be discussed in this context.”
Ukraine’s prime minister, Viktor Yanukovych, is also attending the summit as
part of his first foreign trip in his new capacity, which he assumed on
August 4.
Putin and Yanukovych are expected to focus on controversial issues of
bilateral relations, including supplies of Russian natural gas to Ukraine.
“Russia believes President Putin and Premier Yanukovych will have the chance
to have an extensive talk during the informal summit,” said Sergei
Prikhodko, a Russian presidential aide.
Yanukovych, who is currently meeting Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov,
said he was seeking to improve Russian-Ukrainian relations during his trip
and prepare the ground for a future meeting between the Russian and
Ukrainian presidents.
The Kremlin official also said the leaders would discuss formation of the
common energy market as part of a Russian initiative to set up international
centers offering nuclear fuel services announced by President Vladimir Putin
at the Eurasec summit in St. Petersburg in January.
“We need to create a prototype of such global infrastructure that would
enable all concerned parties to have equal access to nuclear energy. I would
like to emphasize that non-proliferation requirements have to be reliably
observed in the process,” Putin said.
The president said the UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic
Energy Agency, should oversee the centers.
“A system of IAEA-controlled international centers offering nuclear fuel
services, including enrichment, without discrimination, should become a key
element of the suggested infrastructure,” he said then.
The Kremlin source said the leaders would also discuss the preparation of
documents establishing the legal basis for Uzbekistan’s accession to
Eurasec.
The five members of Eurasec, set up in 2000, agreed in January to admit
Uzbekistan to the organization, which also includes Moldova, Armenia and
Ukraine as observers.

ISRAEL REQUESTS TURKEY TO SEND ITS TROOPS TO SOUTHERN LEBANON
Yerkir
22.08.2006 13:12
YEREVAN (YERKIR) – On August 21, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
confirmed request during his meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister
Abdullah Gul, which was expressed recently by Israeli Defense Minister
Amir Peretz to Turkish government, to send Turkish servicemen to
Lebanon in the framework of UNIFIL.
Emphasizing long-term friendly relations of his country with Turkey,
Mr. Olmert stated during the conversation that Israel would strive for
their development and strengthening as before. On the same day, the
Turkish foreign minister met with his Israeli colleague Tzipi Livni.
It is worth stressing that before the Turkish diplomat paid his visit
to Arab-Israeli conflict zone, Ankara stressed that it would consider
sending of its troops to southern Lebanon only after the UNO would
determine the peacekeepers’ authorities.
Also, it is worth stressing that Israeli leadership opposes against
participation of Malaysia and Indonesia, which expressed their wish to
send troops to Lebanon, in UN contingent. Instead of them, the Israelis
would like to see Turkish and Italian troops, Mr. Olmert stated.

MOSCOW PROSECUTOR SUSPEND ARMENIAN STUDENT MURDER PROBE
RIA Novosti, Moscow
22 Aug 06
Moscow, 22 August: The Moscow metro prosecutor has suspended the
investigation into the murder of Armenian student Vagan Abramyants
in the Pushkinskaya underground station, his [family] lawyer Simon
Tsaturyan told RIA Novosti.
“The case has been suspended as it has been impossible to establish
who committed the crime,” Tsaturyan said.
Abramyants was killed on 22 April 2006 by unknown criminals.

137 737 PEOPLE RESIDE IN NAGORNO KARABAKH
ArmRadio.am
22.08.2006 15:05
The number of the permanent population in the Nagorno Karabakh Republic
totals 137 737 people, MEDIAMAX Agency informs.
NKR National Statistical Service informs that these are the final
results of the census carried out in October 2005.
48.3 % percent of the NKR population are men, 51.7 % are women. The
number of urban and rural population is 47% and 53% respectively. 49
986 people reside in capital Stepanakert.