RUSSIAN EMBASSY IN ARMENIA THANKS CITIZENS FOR CONDOLENCES ON RUSSIAN TU-154 PLANE’S CRASH
Arka News Agency, Armenia
Aug. 25, 2006
YEREVAN, August 25. /ARKA/. The Russian Embassy in Armenia expressed
gratefulness to the citizens of the country for sincere condolences
on the crash of TU-154 Russian plane.
“The Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Armenia
expresses gratefulness to the authorities, organizations, political
parties, diplomatic missions in Yerevan and all citizens of Armenia,
who conveyed condolences to the Embassy on the crash of plane belonging
to “Pulkovo” Air Company”, noted in the message presented to the ARKA
Agency by the Press Service of the RF Embassy in Armenia.
On August 22, Pulkov Airlines’ TU-154 plane flying from Anapa to St.
Petersburg crashed near Sukhaya Balka village, 45 km away from
Donetsk. All 160 passengers on board the plane, including 45 children
and 10 crew members died.
August 24 was declared mourning day in Russia. S.P. –0-

AMBASSADOR: COMMODITY TURNOVER BETWEEN ARMENIA, UKRAINE ROSE BY ONE-THIRD IN 2006
Arka News Agency, Armenia
Aug. 25, 2006
YEREVAN, August 25. /ARKA/. Commodity turnover between Armenia
and Ukraine rose by one-third in 2006, Ukrainian Ambassador to
Armenia Alexander Bozhko told ARKA News Agency on Friday at Ukraine
Independence Day celebration party in the embassy.
In his words, commodity turnover between the countries made $110
million last year” and now it grew.
“It means our economic relations are developing”, Bozhko said.
“Ukraine buys more Armenian cognac than Armenians themselves in
Armenia. I think this is an important fact for Armenian partners”,
he added.
The ambassador said Ukrainian metals are in demand in Armenian market.
He stressed that the economic relations were spurred by recent reforms
in Ukraine.
Besides, Poti-Ilichevsk ferry launch has contributed a great deal to
the economic relationship development.
Bozhko said it is very pleasant to him that Vanadzor chemical plant
buy Ukrainian coal.
According to National Statistical Service of Armenia, trade turnover
between Armenia and Ukraine made $88.5mln at the first half of 2006
(export $8.011mln and import $80.549mln) after growing 14.1%, compared
with the same period a year earlier. ($1=AMD 397.76). M.V.
-0—

POLITICAL ANALYST: AZERBAIJANI MILITARY BUDGET BUILDUP IS MERE BLUFF
Arka News Agency, Armenia
Aug. 25, 2006
YEREVAN, August 25. /ARKA/. Azerbaijani military budget buildup is
nothing more than a mere bluff, an independent political analyst,
Levon Melik-Shahnazaryan told journalists on Friday.
In his words, allotted money fails to reach destination and come back
to the pockets of those allotted it.
The expert pointed out that the military equipment Azerbaijan bought
recently from Ukraine and Belarus for $900mln is “scrap metal”. He
said the tanks bought for $1.2mln each were produced in 1941 and
there is no ammunition for them.
“Azerbaijan’s armament doesn’t outstrip that of Karabakh. More than
that – Nagorno Karabakh must be armed 5 times better than Azerbaijan.
“We must do it without looking at international agreements and
quotas. First of all, we have to think about own security”,
Melik-Shahnazaryan said.
Speaking about Azerbaijani army, he said 5 thousand soldiers have
died since 1994 of diseases and hunger.
However, the political analyst thinks that the situation can change.
That’s why he views it necessary to remain vigilant always. M.V.-0—

Garegin II presents condolences on Tu-154 crash
ITAR-TASS, Russia
Aug. 25, 2006
YEREVAN, August 25 (Itar-Tass) — Head of the Armenian Apostolic
Church, Catholicos Garegin II has presented condolences to Russian
President Vladimir Putin in connection with the Tu-154 crash, Holy
Echmiadzin spokesman Vagram Melikyan told Itar-Tass on Friday.
“On behalf of the clergy and the flock of the Armenian Apostolic
Church, we present profound condolences to Your Excellency, families
of the dead and the entire people of Russia,” the message runs.
Garegin II prayed for the crash victims. He also presented condolences
to head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Alexy II.

A moment wyh Michael “Red” Berberian
By Sarah Menesale/ Staff Writer
Friday, August 25, 2006 – Updated: 01:24 PM EST
Westborough News, MA
Aug. 25, 2006
Sitting on the porch in his rocking chair, reading the paper and
enjoying the weather is how Michael “Red” Berberian spends most of
his retirement days.
Traffic whizzes by his home on Otis Street, once a skinny dirt
road. Now it’s home to many industrial buildings and soon a housing
complex. Along the porch rail grows tomato plants ripening in the
sun. They’re the last vestiges of a once booming farm.
Berberian, 91, stopped working the fields long ago. Now they’re the
playground of weeds and wildlife. But ask him about his life and
plowing the fields, and he immediately jumps in with a story about
Billy, his horse.
A true character, Berberian is known for his sassy wit and
unpredictability, whether he’s sharing his opinions at Town Meeting
or during his term as a selectman years ago. Plus he’s sure to tell
you he’s Armenian. One friend called him, “always entertaining but
not afraid to get under people’s skin.”
But his cantankerous nature is endearing, and he’s gathered up bushels
of friends over his more than 80 years in town. Many came out for
his 91st birthday earlier this month, gathering at his home on Aug. 6
(his birthday is Aug. 5) to eat hotdogs and hamburgers and toast him.
The sign outside his home for Red’s Farm Stand, while no longer open,
reads “Happy 91st Birthday Red,” and many cars drive by with a honk
in acknowledgment.
The News sat down with Berberian this week to reminisce on a life
well lived, the many changes in Westborough over the past century
and what it’s like to be a farmer.
How did you get your nickname?
I was loaded with freckles and had red hair. They’re all merged now
into one big freckle. I got my nickname when I was really little.
We used to live in Worcester on Chandler Street across from the
Chandler Street School and the cop on the beat used to hold my hand
and walk me across the street saying, “Come on Red.”
How did you get into the farming business and what are your most
vivid memories of that time in your life?
I was born in 1915 and my family moved to Westborough a few years
later. My father bought this 34-acre farm on Otis Street for $1,500.
The only building on it was a chicken coop. The previous owner had
burned the house and barn to collect the insurance money.
I’d get home from school. I was just a little boy, this high (he
raises his arm waist level.) I’d hitch up the horse Billy and start
plowing. On Saturdays and Sundays my whole family used to plow.
My parents, Mike and Agnes, were only home to work the farm on the
weekends. They worked in Worcester. When we were done we started
planting. It was all done by hand. I liked everything about farming.
It was my job. We had cows, goats, cats and dogs. I loved the
animals. I miss the horse more than anything.
I’d take the produce to Salem Square, the farmer’s market, and sell
our crop. Rte. 9 used to be a dirt road with big rocks in it. It used
to take three hours to get there with the horse and wagon.
Whenever the horse needed a break I’d stick a big rock under the wheel
to stop the wagon from rolling down the hill. We had a market garden
so we had all kinds of vegetables.
We used to go swimming in the afternoon after we finished the rows
at Hoccomocco Pond.
How did the farm progress over the years? And why did you stop?
I took the farm over for my parents. We had the farm stand for
years. My wife, Isobel Mitchell used to take care of it. We did a
good business here.
I stopped farming. I don’t want to farm it anymore. And my kids don’t
want to farm it. I enjoy my retirement so much. Now I’m resting on
my laurels. Let the rabbits and woodchucks enjoy it. I’m letting my
farm rest.
I sit on my porch on the rocking chair. A few people visit and sit
with me a few minutes. But, I’m mainly alone.
What was your education like as a self-described “farm boy”?
The farm kids had it all over the city kids. I graduated from
Westborough High in 1933. I wasn’t a dumb kid but I wasn’t the smartest
either. I had to do my homework by the light of a kerosene lamp. We
didn’t have electricity. I loved going to school. The bus used to
pick us up right in front of the house.
Armstrong was the superintendent. I don’t remember his first
name. There’s a school named after him now. He gave me permission to
come in later after going to market.
What are some of your favorite memories? When you think about your
life what pops out?
We used to go to Nantasket beach with my mom and dad. They’d buy us a
hot dog or an ice cream cone. It didn’t take much to keep us happy. I
hate salt water. The first time I went swimming I got a mouth full
and that was it. From then on I only swam in fresh water ponds.
I remember the tornado. I had to go pick my sister up at the top
of the street. The wind was whipping by and the chicken coop and a
bunch of bushel barrels went flying by me. Our neighbors never did
give back those bushel barrels.
My wife, who’s from Marlborough, died a few years ago. She used
to work in Worcester and my sister worked in Worcester for two
attorneys. I don’t remember how we met. I think Isobel was going to
Salter’s secretarial school with my sister and she used to come here
visiting with my sister. So that’s how we met. I have three children,
Richard, Cindy and Scott and a couple of grandchildren.
I used to be a selectman. The only thing I hated about it was the
lack of privacy. Someone would call me up at two in the morning
complaining. If I wanted to I could still be a selectman. I was a
good selectman and I was fair to everyone.
My sisters Irene and Betty both died within the last few years.
Irene was a WAAC (Women’s Army Auxiliary Corp) in the war. I got
deferments because I was working a farm. I belonged to the state
National Guard, that’s the closest I came to Army life.
That’s the nice thing about getting old. You reminisce. I think about
all the things I’ve done in my life. I remember the good people and
the stinkers.
What kinds of changes have you seen in Westborough?
When I was growing up those were the good old days. You knew everyone
in town and they knew you. You went to Town Hall and paid your
bills. Then drove down to Uhlman’s and bought an ice cream cone.
It was a big celebration.
We used to shop on Main Street at the bakery, the butcher, McDonald’s
grocery, the drug store, Chamberlain’s newspaper store, the Strand
theatre. It was all downtown.If you had a dime in your pocket you
were rich.
Now in this country it’s a lot of hurry up and wait. This country is
full of (crap). Everyone has their hand in the till.
We have a nice town, a nice Town Hall and nice schools. The town’s
been good to me and I’ve been good to them.
How was your birthday celebration?
My birthday is August 5. There was a big celebration (held Aug.
6). It was a surprise. There was a sign out front that said “Happy
Birthday Grampy.” The yard was full of cars. It was a hell of
a party. There was grilling and the rotisserie and hot dogs and
hamburgers. Anybody who’s anybody was here.

Karabakh expert: “Azeri propaganda got a backlash from the world community”
Regnum, Russia
Aug. 25, 2006
A few days ago Azerbaijan told the UN, the OSCE and the CE that it is
ready to take part in the extinguishing of the fires over the Nagorno
Karabakh-controlled territories. Azeri FM Elmar Mammadyarov said
that involved in the operation might be the Azeri ecology and natural
resource and emergency ministries and international organizations.
How can one explain such a strange position? Until now the Azeri
authorities have objected pointblank to any joint activity with
Nagorno Karabakh.
“There is only one explanation to such a strange behavior – this is
required by the international community, who is gradually realizing
that the Nagorno Karabakh conflict cannot be resolved unless an
atmosphere of confidence is created between the conflicting sides,
first of all, Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan. Meanwhile, in the
last months Azerbaijan’s information policy on Nagorno-Karabakh and
the Armenian people, as a whole, has been extremely aggressive and
chauvinist, despite the mediators’ assurances that there will be
a breakthrough in the peace process this year. It is obvious that
Azerbaijan’s aggressiveness not just prevents any confidence building
but simply undermines the efforts of the international community,
especially, of the OSCE MG co-chairs,” Karabakh political scientist
David Babayan says in a talk with REGNUM.
He says that the fires Baku is so much talking about were not caused
by Karabakh, but by a strong drought – the strongest in the last five
years. “There are no cultural monuments over those territories.
However, the logic of the Azeri propaganda machines is simple: the
more outrageous the lie is, the quicker people believe it. However,
nobody believed this lie. One proof is the report on the fires by
the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej
Kasprzyk, who said that the fires were caused by unprecedented heat.
Azerbaijan’s reaction was quite rigid and even unethical. Some
apologies for patriots from top authorities began insulting Mr.
Kasprzyk. Here, I would like to rephrase the well-known proverb:
truth not only hurts but also maddens,” says Babayan.
This notwithstanding, the Azeri propaganda has not only failed to
mislead the international community but has also received a very
negative reaction from it. “The international community refrained from
arguing with Azerbaijan, but advised it to start a joint program to
extinguish the fires – quite a painful decision for Azerbaijan.
That was an effective blow on Azerbaijan, who is now in quite a
delicate situation. The Azeri authorities will now have to tell
their people that they have to contact with ‘the separatists’ who
‘are destroying’ their cultural legacy,” says Babayan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Reuters, UK
Aug. 25, 2006
Filmmaker Atom Egoyan directs Wagner
Fri Aug 25, 2006 6:11 PM BST
TORONTO (Reuters) – Filmmaker Atom Egoyan, renowned for award-winning
movies that explore the dark sides of human behaviour, is taking a
turn at helming a grand opera with similar brooding features.
Egoyan, 46, the Egyptian-born son of Armenian parents who migrated to
Canada, has examined incest, the horrors of war and the mysteries of
fate in such deeply psychological films as “Exotica,” “The Sweet
Hereafter,” “Felicia’s Journey” and “Ararat.” He will revisit some of
those themes for an upcoming Canadian Opera Company production of
Richard Wagner’s 19th century opera “Die Walkure.”
The Wagner classic, the second of the four-part epic cycle “Der Ring
des Nibelungen,” is a complex tale in which incestuous love, the will
of the gods and fate combine to advance the overall themes of the
Ring Cycle.
During an interview at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing
Arts in Toronto, where a production of the entire Ring Cycle will
open for a three-week run on September 12, Egoyan described
similarities in his approach to making movies and opera.
“In my films I am very interested in subtext and what makes people
act the way they do,” he said. “I try and bring that detail to the
way I direct the opera but also the way I stage it. The way I create
visual ideas which can reinforce the psychology of the piece.”
This is not Egoyan’s first foray into directing opera. He began with
a 1996 Canadian Opera Company production of “Salome.” He directed an
earlier production of “Die Walkure” — the source of Wagner’s famous
“Ride of the Valkyries” — for the company in 2004. He most recently
directed the play “Eh Joe” in London’s West End.
When the Toronto-based director was first presented with the
opportunity to direct “Die Walkure,” he was full of doubt, he said,
because he could read music but at the time had no background in
opera.
“It’s that doubt and that fear that actually creates an excitement,”
he said. “And I think if you don’t feel that, then maybe there’s
something a little bit wrong. You have to be able to rise to the
material.”
The director cites the central conflict in the Ring as being “the
power of love versus the love of power — that’s the theme that comes
up over and over again because in order to get power you have to
relinquish love.”
The narrative of the Ring Cycle, which was written by Wagner between
1848 and 1874, was inspired by a German tale and Norse legends.
An emphasis on the bloodlust and horror of war will be a major focus
in the Egoyan production.
“Wagner was not really criticising the war machine,” Egoyan said,
“and I think this production is showing quite explicitly the
horrifying results of that approach where war becomes an economy unto
itself.”

St. Louis Post-Dispatch, United States
Aug. 25, 2006
A long line of unhappy associates
By Tim McLaughlin
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
08/27/2006
Several people have felt the sting of doing business with Paul
Boghosian.
There’s a widow in Clayton, a former TV sportscaster and a cancer
doctor. They all have something in common: They did a deal with the
Ladue businessman and ended up in court trying to undo it.
Over the last decade, Boghosian has left a number of aggrieved business
associates in his wake. Some may never see the money awarded to them
in civil court judgments.
But in November 2004, Boghosian was about to be stung. Here’s how it
went down.
Boghosian was part of an investment group that wanted to buy Hawaiian
Airlines out of bankruptcy. Boghosian didn’t know anything about
running an airline, but he talked a pretty good game.
His investment group had access to $500 million in a Dutch bank. That
was his story, which U.S. investigators say was a scheme to entice
legitimate investors into Boghosian’s web.
Bankruptcy court officials smelled something fishy. Not long after
suspicions were raised, the FBI ran its own sting operation.
Boghosian was a target, along with his partner, Dr. William H.
Spencer, a 70-something Californian whose background remains somewhat
of a mystery to investigators.
Spencer’s lawyers said he has relied on church support for 30 or so
years; it’s unclear what sort of doctor he is, if he is one at all.
Boghosian’s background is more complete. Of Armenian descent, he
has lived in the St. Louis area all of his 51 years. His late father
worked at the old McDonnell Douglas Corp. for nearly 35 years.
Before his arrest by the FBI in March 2005, Boghosian had been
in insurance, car sales and had some college. He did real estate
deals, helped run a construction company that creditors forced into
bankruptcy liquidation, and he’s been an investor in small, publicly
traded companies.
“He was always a go-getter,” his mother, Ann Boghosian, said. “He’s
been a good son.”
Boghosian did not return several telephone calls seeking comment for
this story.
In his wheeling and dealing to buy Hawaiian Airlines in late 2004,
Boghosian came in contact with a hedge fund manager interested in
participating in the deal. Boghosian wanted the hedge fund to give
him $2.5 million so he could pay for things like travel expenses and
lawyer fees.
Boghosian didn’t know the hedge fund manager was really an undercover
FBI agent.
To bolster the credibility of his plan, Boghosian gave the undercover
agent a bank document purportedly generated by Dutch investment
banking giant ABN Amro. Unfortunately for Boghosian, Amsterdam was
misspelled in the heading of the bank document: “Amasterdam.”
Boghosian met the agent in New York in February 2005. Boghosian
considered it a “see, feel and touch meeting.”
The hedge fund manager/FBI agent wasn’t impressed. He told Boghosian
that his partner, Spencer, was a crook and the ABN Amro bank document
was bogus. Boghosian was undeterred.
“I thought he was posturing,” Boghosian testified last October at his
criminal trial in Manhattan federal court. “I thought he was trying
to see what my reaction would be to my commitment and belief in Dr.
Spencer, and the acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines.”
Boghosian also maintained during his trial that he thought the ABN Amro
document was authentic. During the sting operation, the undercover
agent gave Boghosian an ABN Amro number to call and encouraged him
to double-check the document’s legitimacy. Boghosian said he took
the number but didn’t call it.
Meanwhile, the undercover agent said he wanted some money for
himself if he was going to get his hedge fund involved in the
Hawaiian Airlines reorganization plan. He wanted $500,000 wired to
an offshore account. Boghosian wanted the hedge fund to commit $2
million in exchange.
When the agent told Boghosian the arrangement was essentially stealing
from the hedge fund, “Boghosian stated that he had no problem with
that,” FBI Special Agent Jan Trigg later said in an affidavit.
In March 2005, the FBI arrested Boghosian in St. Louis, just hours
before he was due to fly to Honolulu. Boghosian pleaded not guilty
to conspiracy to commit bankruptcy fraud and agreeing to a bribe. He
testified in his own defense and said he had only known Spencer since
August 2004.
The two talked on the telephone and Spencer told him he wanted
to be the first African-American to own a major airline, Boghosian
testified. “It was my hope and dream that our plan would be confirmed,
and that we could acquire Hawaiian Airlines out of bankruptcy.”
A jury in Manhattan rejected Boghosian’s story. A judge sentenced
him in May to two years in a federal prison. He was scheduled to
report the Bureau of Prisons on Aug. 22, but that has been delayed
until at least next month. His lawyer wants the court to consider a
recent court decision that she says will aid Boghosian’s appeal.
At his sentencing in May, Boghosian’s federal public defender said he
had nothing in his pockets. His financial disclosure is under court
seal. Even though Boghosian lives in an $825,000, two-story brick
house in Ladue, he’s a poor person in the eyes of the law.
Spencer received a much stiffer sentence of 51 months. Like Boghosian,
Spencer did not have a prior criminal record, but he was uncooperative
during his pre-sentencing investigation, court papers show. He gave
probation officials scant information about his background.
Boghosian will leave behind his wife of 19 years and a teenage son
who has learning disabilities, public defender Jennifer Brown said
during his sentencing.
“Your honor, this is someone who has done nothing but work hard all
his life,” Brown said. “This is someone who makes time for his family;
they’re his first priority.”
Some of Boghosian’s past business associates may not be sympathetic.
Dr. Douglas R. Colkitt, a Pennsylvania physician and entrepreneur,
accused Boghosian and Barron Holding Corp. of gaining control of
shares in two companies that the doctor pledged as collateral for a
line of credit, according to a civil lawsuit in federal court.
At the 1999 trial, a jury ruled in favor of Colkitt, saying Boghosian
and Barron, controlled by Boghosian, unjustly enriched themselves by
$115,000 and $3.1 million, respectively, from the sale of Colkitt’s
stock in two medical companies. Boghosian appealed the verdict,
but the Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the
jury’s decision in 2001.
“At a minimum, (Boghosian and Barron) had a difficult time explaining
how they received over $3.1 million in proceeds from Colkitt’s pledged
shares for which they paid nothing,” the appellate court wrote in
its decision. And despite Boghosian’s self-serving testimony, there
was sufficient evidence to show “actual or constructive knowledge of
the actionable wrong and partici­pation therein” by Boghosian.
As an aside, in 2000, Colkitt and his cancer centers agreed to pay
$10 million to settle Justice Department allegations that they had
submitted fraudulent billing claims to Medicare and a medical program
for military families.
Former KSDK sportscaster Malcolm Briggs got tangled in Boghosian’s
web several years ago when he was trying to form a construction
company. In 2001, Briggs received a $125,000 line of credit from
Frontenac Bank. Briggs told the bank he planned to use the money for
his own investment purposes.
But in a civil lawsuit filed in 2003, the bank said Briggs was in
default and alleged that he and Boghosian conspired to get the line
of credit for the benefit of a Boghosian investment vehicle called
Hachador Holdings.
The case was dismissed, but about the same time, Briggs sued Boghosian
in St. Louis County Circuit Court, seeking more than $400,000 in actual
and punitive damages. Before the lawsuit was dismissed in late 2005,
Briggs alleged that Boghosian made false representations and induced
him to transfer more than $300,000 to entities controlled by Boghosian,
court papers show.
Briggs did not return telephone calls seeking comment.
And then there are people like Susan and Robert McGowan of Clayton.
In 1997, the couple sold the old Wabash train station on Delmar
Boulevard in St. Louis to Boghosian for $173,174, to be paid in 180
monthly installments.
Boghosian made only 25 payments, according to a judgment entered
against Boghosian in St. Louis County Circuit Court.
In 2002, however, Boghosian sold the train station property, and one
of his companies gained more than $400,000 from the deal, according
to court records.
Susan McGowan, whose husband has since died, still is trying to get
her money, court papers show.
University City Loop developer Joe Edwards, who bought the train
property, said he didn’t know much about Boghosian from his limited
dealings with him. But he described Boghosian as quiet and “very
personable.” He said Boghosian used the train station as his private
office before selling it.
“I never quite understood what his business was,” Edwards said. “He
didn’t elaborate. I didn’t pry.”
–Boundary_(ID_P9hFvKOX3GIBx5inWj7gcg) —

EastsideBoxing.com
Aug. 25, 2006
Arthur Abraham Interview: “I don’t wish Miranda’s childhood on
anybody!”
25.08.06 – By Izyaslav “Slava” Koza: Last Saturday, I spoke with the
IBF Middleweight champion Armenian, Arthur Abraham, effectively a
week before what was to be the second defense of his title against
Colombian, Edison Miranda. As it turns out, this Saturday we will not
have the chance to see the bout due to the champion coming down with
the flu (Author’s note: the interview took place before the fight was
cancelled).
Leading up to the bout, which as of today is scheduled for September
23rd, there were many verbal jabs and hooks traded between both camps
in order to spice up the interest and the bout. However, after
speaking with Arthur this past week, I feel this is more a matter of
competitive hostility rather than all out animosity. Hopefully, the
fight will come off successfully and Arthur gets better fast.
ESB: Good Evening, Arthur! How is it going? What’s new in your life?
Arthur: Evening! Everything is ok. I just finished training for the
fight and I will rest a bit now.
ESB: How was the training?
Arthur: Everything was great. Good sparring partners, gave me a good
work out, I listened to my trainer a lot and now I am just ready to
fight and to win.
ESB: Who did you spar with and how many rounds did you go?
Arthur: With Ashira, with Stepjan Bozic, and a third guy, a Russian,
but I forgot his name. Bozic is Croatian and he is a good fighter,
too. I did about 6-8, depending on the day, something like that.
ESB: Often times, many fighters say it is harder to defend a title
than to win it. Do you think the fight with Jantuah was harder than
with Ikeke?
Arthur: Yeah, of course. Slavik, this is absolutely true, it is
extremely difficult. It is hard to win the title of course but to
hold it, is even harder. Jantuah was my toughest fight and he was
very uncomfortable as an opponent.
ESB: Some of our readers want to know, if when you were fighting
Jantuah, was it your plan to fight all 12 rounds or was it a matter
of what he was doing?
Arthur: I don’t have plans of this nature. You can’t determine what
the result of any given fight will be beforehand and say, ‘I want a
KO or a points win.’ Everybody wants a first round knockout but this
is quite rare. It all depends on your opponent and the tactics he
uses and you can only truly see that when you are in the ring with
him.
ESB: What are yours plans going be for the week before the fight?
Arthur: Oh, the usual: press conferences, light training, weigh-in
and that is it, the fight. The most important thing is the fight.
ESB: Regardless of the result, what plans do you have after the
fight? What will you do? Will you go home, maybe?
Arthur: I have no plans really, cause I am just too focused on the
fight. As far as going home, yeah, I will go for a few days, then my
dad will come here. My mom is already here.
ESB: Will Alex go, too?
Arthur: No, he will stay. I will go for only about a week.
ESB: How are negotiations going with Jermain Taylor and HBO? Any new
details?
Arthur: Sure, that is still happening, my promoter Wilfried Sauerland
is handling this, as usual. Of course, I can only think one step
ahead. I want to face them all but only one at a time. As we say,
‘The quieter the ride, the longer the distance.’ (Laughing)
ESB: (Laughing)
Arthur: Yeah, if everything will go ok, then next year, I will
probably be fighting in America. It’s possible that Jermain Taylor
will be the opponent, although that is what I know things can and do
change.
ESB: Did you watch Jermain Taylor vs. Winky Wright? Who did you think
won?
Arthur: Of course! And I think Wright won. I didn’t score it but I
thought he looked stronger.
ESB: Well, then, that begs the question, if you think he won, then
why not try to fight him or is it harder to agree to terms there?
Arthur: It’s very simple, actually, because whoever the champion is,
he’s the guy I want to fight. I want to become the “Super” champ, you
know?
ESB: I understand. Well, why do you think Felix Sturm lost to
Castillejo? Are there any negotiations with Castilejo?
Arthur: Felix lost because he chose the wrong tactic. He wanted to
brawl with him but he is not a brawler; rather, he’s a technical
boxer and so he lost.
ESB: Are you acquainted with Felix Sturm?
Arthur: Of course, we speak often. Maybe we aren’t friends, so to
say, but we are well acquainted.
ESB: Did he say something in regards to his loss?
Arthur: No, and really a week after the fight, his mother died, so he
is in mourning now and he is not talking much. It’s hard to talk
about that, you know?
ESB: I understand. Would you want to fight Castillejo?
Arthur: For me, it’s not that interesting and Jermain Taylor is the
better fight. Although he (Castillejo) is the champion now, so it is
possible. However, he has a rematch clause with Sturm in his
contract, so it would be difficult to set up in the near future.
ESB: Why do you think Miranda is trying to insult you so much?
Arthur: Really? well, what did he say this time?
ESB: Oh, you know, the usual, ‘I will knock him out,’ and so forth.
Arthur: How many times has one guy said, “I will knock him out and
then ended up being knocked out themselves?” I am not that kind of
person; If I say something, then I will do it. If not, then after I
do it, I will talk. I try not to throw words out into thin air. Let
him talk cause when he will feel one of my punches, then everything
else becomes irrelevant and he is thinking about something else.
ESB: Do you think it is a psychological ploy?
Arthur: Nah, he is not that big to do that. Nobody has ever done it
to me, anyway (laughing).
ESB: Maybe it’s a way to market the fight to the public and to
entertain them?
Arthur: Well, if he is the kind of guy who likes to entertain the
public with his mouth, then it will be interesting. I would rather
try to entertain the public with my skill in the ring.
ESB: They say Miranda had a difficult childhood. How does your own
stack up?
Arthur: Everybody has their own difficulties and problems in life.
Mine was not as difficult as his and I don’t wish Miranda’s childhood
on anybody. I had my share of problems but I don’t want to talk about
them now. Thank God everything is ok now, and we are living well, and
we have everything we need.
My childhood was normal. Good family, hard working parents, and so
on. We studied sports from an early age, about 7, Karate then before
that Gymnastics. We never had issues with our parents and we still
live with them together in the same house.
ESB: Yeah, relative to say, Roy Jones Jr. or Floyd Mayweather Jr.,
this seems rare.
Arthur: Yeah, we love them very much, and my brother and I said, they
shall not work anymore and we will do everything we can so they live
well. We bought them cars, a house and everything else they may need.
ESB: What kind of cars?
Arthur: Mercedes
ESB: Weren’t they going to move to Germany?
Arthur: Yeah, well, mom is here now and dad will come soon on
September 11th, cause mom’s birthday is coming up. I wanted them to
come after the fight because they don’t like to watch my bouts.
ESB: Wish her well from us. Recently in another interview, you said
Miranda has no real strengths as a fighter. However, against Eastman,
he won via knockout and you by points. Do you think he is a stronger
puncher than you?
Arthur: Probably, he is a stronger puncher, but a tractor is also
stronger than a BMW, but who is better on the road?
ESB: (laughing) Nicely put.
Arthur: Exactly, because in the ring, the winner will be the guy
whose head works better, not who can swing the hardest. The smarter
guy will win.
ESB: Yeah, sort of like that big, fat, white guy, Butterbean. Have
you seen him?
Arthur: Of course, if you don’t let him hit you, he doesn’t know how
to win.
ESB: How are things with your brother? Anything new about his next
fight?
Arthur: Yeah, he will fight on the 23rd of September here in Germany
and is training now to be in good form. Nothing is known about his
next fight but it will be somebody good we hope.
ESB: He will be at the fight right? Will he be in your corner?
Arthur: Of course, I can’t fight without him. It is very important
for him to be there because he often notices little details about the
opponent. He won’t be in the corner though as that is the trainer’s
job, but when I am on the stool, I can only hear his voice or the
voice of my trainer.
ESB: Which boxers do you communicate with most often in your free
time?
Arthur: Mostly with our guys, Markus Beyer, Marco Huk, Pablo
Hernandez. That is our group and we are like friends. We celebrate
almost all our events together.
ESB: How about Artur Grigorian? He is a trainer now I think.
Arthur: Yeah, we meet up a few times a year and keep in touch.
ESB: How about the Armenian, Vahtang “Vic” Darchinyan?
Arthur: Of course, and he is a great guy. We competed together for
the Armenian national team in Erevan and played cards often
(laughing). He is a great boxer and a great person.
ESB: Did you watch the Rahman vs. Maskaev fight? Do those sorts of
bouts motivate you to fight harder sometimes?
Arthur: I didn’t watch it but heard that Maskaev won by KO. I usually
watch other fighters, like Barrera and Morales, and each one has
their own style. For instance, I could never fight like Roy Jones
Jr., or Mike Tyson, but I can take little things from any good
fighter.
As far as seeing them being real men and showing their character in
hard situations, yeah, this is a good stimulator for me.
ESB: Any predictions for the fight with Miranda?
Arthur: Predictions? Well, my prediction is I will win but by points
or KO, that I don’t know (laughing).
ESB: What do you want to say in closing to your fans and viewers?
Arthur: I want to tell the viewers that they will hear a lot more
about me and will see many more great things as well. I don’t box for
myself I box for my fans and supporters.
ESB: Arthur, thanks for your time. I wish you all the best and that
you will be able to come out victorious.
Arthur: Thanks! Until next time.
ESB: Sure and hopefully I can offer up my congrats by then. Good Bye.
I want to thank Heiko Mallwitz for setting up the interview and once
again I hope Arthur will get better soon and this fight will be
rescheduled sometime in the near future.

The Iraqi Special Tribunal: A lack of objectivity concerns the victim nation
Kurdish Media, UK
Aug. 25, 2006
8/25/2006 KurdishMedia.com – By Shakhawan Shorsh
Putting Saddam Hussein and other perpetrators on trial for genocide
and crimes against humanity is certainly a positive step toward the
prevention of future similar atrocities. This is also a relief for
the victims. If the Anfal campaign is recognized as genocide, it
would no doubt have moral and political importance for the Kurds.
However, this does not prevent anyone from revealing the negative
elements of the tribunal.
The Iraqi Special Tribunal is a national tribunal that conforms with
Iraqi laws from 1958, 1968, 1969, 1971, and 1979. The tribunal also
includes international laws concerning genocide, crimes against
humanity, and war crimes. The establishment of the tribunal was
mainly carried out by the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), led
by the United States. There has been harsh criticism about the
legality of the tribunal; however, this article will focus only on
the legitimacy of the tribunal in connection with the Kurds as the
victim nation.
The Americans and their Iraqi allies established the tribunal without
asking for the opinion or for the support of the Kurdish nation.
Kurdish leaders may have been powerless in terms of the establishment
of an Arab-dominated Iraqi tribunal, but Kurdish leaders did not
provide any explanation on this issue either. They did not explain to
the Kurdish nation the reason that an Arab-dominated Iraqi tribunal
was better than an impartial international tribunal. Even with the
argument that the Kurdish issue is an internal Iraqi issue, the Kurds
deserve a neutral international tribunal, such as the ICTY in the
former Yugoslavia. The Jewish people did not have national territory
problems, so the Nuremberg tribunal was not German, nor did it have
German judges.
The first few days of the trial for the Anfal genocide showed Kurdish
witnesses appearing in court, surrounded by Arab judges, Arab
defenders, and Arab accusers. The Iraqi constitution regards Arabic
and Kurdish as equal official languages, but the language of this
sensitive tribunal is Arabic. For Kurds, Arabic is the language of
oppression, of the Anfal genocide, of Arabization, and of ethnic
cleansing. The Kurdish language and people are again undermined by
the language of the oppressor. And still, all of the legal statements
in this trial are in Arabic. Many of the victims are villagers and do
not understand what is being said or what is going on. Unfortunately,
the translator has difficulties in translating what the victims are
trying to say. This is a clear deficiency in the trial and may
influence the final result.
There are a few judges that are Kurdish only by identity; they must
speak in Arabic and behave like other Iraqi judges. Nobody can see
any difference between them and the Arab judges. We have seen this
before in the Dujail case, led by a Kurdish judge, and now the Anfal
genocide trial is led by Arabs. In this way, the tribunal is
attempting to demonstrate its impartiality between the different
ethnic and national groups. The setup of this tribunal is also meant
to demonstrate harmony between the Iraqi ethnic groups, as the
“democratization” process proclaims.
First of all, neither the Arab judges nor the Kurdish judges can be
impartial about past cases of ethnic conflict. An Arab judge cannot
be impartial toward the Kurds, as the case is related to the Kurdish
genocide committed by Arabs. The daily violence and killings between
the ethnic groups shows the extent of the division of Iraqi society.
The judges belong to their ethnic communities; therefore, with the
lack of capacity in court, the chaotic political atmosphere, and the
nature of the long-term conflict, they can hardly escape their ethnic
backgrounds and political beliefs. Second, the participation of a few
Kurdish judges was very likely decided in order to encourage the
support of Kurdish leaders. The interests of an oppressed people were
ignored here. Furthermore, this Iraqi tribunal is undermining the
Kurdish issue, which is a struggle toward self-determination. A trial
concerning the Anfal case led by Kurdish judges would be criticized
for favouritism, as the judges would belong to the victimized group.
This is understandable. The point is that Arabs should not be
involved in a trial involving their own victimized group. The Arab
judges, in this case, belong to the oppressors’ ethnic group; they
cannot be morally or legally neutral. Actually, the few Kurdish
judges do not make any measurable difference.
Nevertheless, the small Dujail case is not comparable with a case
like the Anfal genocide. Not all mass killings have the same
characteristics. The killing of the Shiites did not have the same
political motive as the Kurdish mass killings. Therefore, it is
possibly acceptable for Arabs to put other Arab perpetrators on
trial, but the situation is not the same for the Kurds. Mass killing
of the Kurds was motivated by eliminating a non-Arab national group,
while the killing of Arab groups was not occurred due to dissimilar
nationality.
This tribunal makes use of rules, such as rule number 7, article 1,
from 1958, which deals with the crime of occupation of another Arab
country. The Arabs involve every rule that is in their own interest.
This is not the same as the Kurdish interest. For instance, the Kurds
have suffered under Arabization since the establishment of the Iraqi
state, and there are many episodes and documents proving this.
However, there is not a single article in the statute of the tribunal
regarding this crime. Arabization should have a clear definition.
Arabization can be seen as a type of ethnic cleansing with particular
characteristics. Arabism is central for Arabization, for instance a
cleansed territory of the targeted group settles only by Arabs; the
victims in some areas are forcibly pushed to accept Arab national
identity only, and so on.
Article 12 from the statute concerns crimes against humanity, which
includes crimes such as extermination, but this in itself cannot
encompass the crime of Arabization. The text is vague, does not give
a precise definition of ethnic cleansing, and does not sufficiently
deal with the ethnic cleansing committed against the Kurds.
After annexing the southern part of Kurdistan into Iraq, the Kurdish
issue was regarded as internal Iraqi problem. However, this did not
change the essential nature of the Kurdish struggle for national
freedom. The conflict between Arabs and Kurds has always been based
on two different ethnic nationalisms, which have contradictory
aspirations and aims. The Arabs – representing the Iraqi state –
tried to assimilate and cleanse the weak Kurdish minority, while the
Kurdish minority struggled for their lost land and national freedom.
Ethnic cleansing, Arabization, and genocide are the result of a
long-term ethnic conflict between these two national groups. From
this point of view – as is acceptable for any ethnic conflict –
neither the Arabs nor the Iraqi state have the right to judge the
genocide, for which the Iraqi Arabs and the state is responsible.
They do not have the right to write their own victims’ history. Would
the Armenian people accept a Turkish court and Turkish judges in
connection with the Armenian genocide? I do not think so.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress