Armenia stores weapons in occupied land – Azeri defense chief
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Sept 22 2006
AssA-Irada 22/09/2006 23:39
Minister of Defense Safar Abiyev has said Armenia is storing
large quantities of illegal weapons and ammunition in the occupied
Azerbaijani territories.
“This means violation of the Treaty on Conventional Arms in Europe,”
Abiyev said receiving Deputy Commander of the US European Command,
General William Ward on Thursday.
The minister briefed the American official on the current political
situation in his country and the status of the Armenia-Azerbaijan
conflict over Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh.
“The OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs are dealing with the issue and the
UN Security Council passed four resolutions on the unconditional
withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from the Azerbaijani territories.
Armenia is ignoring these resolutions,” Abiyev said.
General Ward, in turn, said he had visited some military units of
the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. The Azerbaijani Army is successfully
being brought into compliance with NATO standards, he said, adding
that the United States is ready to provide assistance in this area.

‘Once upon a time…’
By Kathleen Cordeiro/ Staff Writer
Friday, September 22, 2006
Harvard Post, MA
Sept 22 2006
If the traditional Armenian ending for stories is true, the heavens
above Bedford will break open next weekend, when the Three Apples
Storytelling Festival brings together storytellers from around the
state and across the country in a weekend of masterful performances,
amateur story swaps and traveling tales.
Now in its 22nd year, the festival demonstrates that storytelling is
for children, octogenarians and everyone in between. And while Three
Apples (Sept. 30-Oct. 1) has adults-only events ranging from evening
performances to classes with the masters, the best memories may be
made in the family-friendly performances that take place throughout
the day on Saturday, or from the vantage point of a blanket at the
free events on Bedford’s Town Common.
The storytellers have been selected for the breadth and balance they
will bring to the event, according to Susan Harris, treasurer of the
Three Apples Storytelling Festival. The three featured performers
are a case in point. Jay O’Callahan – one of the founding members
of Three Apples – has been a storyteller for 25 years. His stories
range from his growing up years in Boston, to the dramas of World
War II to species extinction. O’Callahan has discovered stories as
well as told them as he travels around the world to perform.
“The storyteller of old got on a horse,” he said. “I get on a plane,
parachute into a community and I’m part of its life for a while before
moving on to the next one.”
O’Callahan will host a family concert on Saturday afternoon and will
open the festival on Saturday morning with fellow featured performer
Elizabeth Ellis.
Ellis is a renowned teller of Appalachian and Texas tales and stories
of heroic American women. She grew up in the Appalachian Mountains
and learned to tell stories from her grandfather, a circuit-riding
minister. Although Ellis has been a featured performer at storytelling
festivals around the world, this will be her first appearance at the
Three Apples. In addition to opening the weekend, she will perform
for school-age children.
Rounding out the trio of featured performers is Antonio Rocha, who
has studied mime with masters Marcel Marceau and Tony Montanaro.
His tales take listeners on a journey to his native Brazil and around
the world, using mime, theater and sound effects. Rocha will host the
free Community Stage on Bedford Town Common and perform for school-age
children Saturday afternoon.
O’Callahan, Ellis and Rocha will be joined by 10 accomplished
storytellers from around New England, who have been selected based
on their body of work In addition, there will be selected tellers
(all members of the League for the Advancement of New England
Storytelling) who auditioned specifically for this year’s Three
Apples Storytelling Festival. Among the storytellers hailing from the
surrounding communities are Tim Seston of Concord, Robert Isenberg of
Lexington, Jim LaChapelle of Wilmington and Joey Talbert of Sherborn.
“Every year we find people we have never heard of before,” Harris
said. This year, Vics & Sticks are among those unknowns. They are
musical storytellers from Leicester and will host a portion of the
Story Swap on Bedford Common.
The festival spent its first 21 years in Harvard, a beloved venue
that the festival finally outgrew, according to Harris. “We looked
for a community that was similar to Harvard, to maintain the intimate
nature of the festival,” she said. Bedford is that town.
Bedford Center for the Arts, which is the festival host, has worked to
ensure that festival-goers are warmly welcomed, with indoor performance
venues located close to the Common, free parking – even for bicyclists
who take advantage of the Minuteman Bike Trail – and shuttle buses
from selected parking lots.
At two sites, Town Common and the John Glenn Middle School, there will
be a marketplace and food. Visitors can find published selections
from every featured teller. Homemade meals and apple treats will be
available for purchase, benefiting Bedford community groups.
The schedule
Performances on and around the Bedford Town Common begin on Saturday,
Sept. 30 at 10 a.m. with the Festival Opening featuring Ellis and
O’Callahan. Bring a blanket and enjoy the free Story Swapping Ground
from 10:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. on the Common. Anyone from toddlers to
adults, amateurs to professional tellers, can share a story.
At 11:30 a.m. and 3:45 p.m. on Saturday are a selection of eight
performances for adult, elementary and preschool audiences at indoor
venues around the Common.
Gain insight into how storytellers work on their craft with Antonio
Rocha at the free Community Stage on the Town Common at 12:30
p.m. Rocha will work with volunteer audience members to improve their
storytelling right in front of your eyes.
Participate in Traveling Tales and see how stories evolve over time
as they are told and re-told. Look for people with story pouches
and ask them to tell you the story, then you get the pouch and pass
the story onto the next person who asks. Come to the Traveling Tales
Finale on the Town Common at 4:45 p.m. to see what happened to the
stories over the course of the day.
Special Events take place at the John Glenn Middle School including
the Family Concert with Jay O’Callahan at 2 p.m., an Adult Concert
with Jay O’Callahan at 7 p.m. and Down Home Humor featuring Elizabeth
Ellis, Kevin Brooks and Antonio Rocha at 8:30 p.m. Or if you dare,
join Terror in the Night Ghost Stories with Laura Packer, Tony Toledo
and Elizabeth Ellis at First Parish Bedford at 8:30 p.m.
Adults may sign up for separate Sunday master classes with Jay
O’Callahan and Elizabeth Ellis, or a master coaching class with
Antonio Rocha.
Community support
The Three Apples has long enjoyed the financial support of the
Massachusetts Cultural Council. It is also supported by several
local cultural councils, including Bedford, Stow, Littleton, Concord,
Arlington, Wellesley, Harvard, Acton, Wayland, Burlington, Maynard,
Groton, Lexington and Westford. It also is supported by the New
England Foundation for the Arts, The Millipore Foundation and Progress
Software. Community Newspaper Company is the media sponsor.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Kurdish Aspect
Sept 22 2006
Genocide survivors turn into lobbyists for Darfur
Jewish Journal
by Sarah Price Brown
Eli Wiesel and George Clooney have spoken out about it. Protesters
have rallied against it. Even an online game seeks to draw attention
to the ongoing genocide in Sudan’s Darfur.
Now, a local group is taking a different approach to turning the
world’s eyes toward the Sudanese government-sponsored violence that
has left hundreds of thousands dead, more than 2 million displaced,
villages destroyed and tens of thousands of women beaten and raped.
Jewish World Watch, a consortium of 44 synagogues in Southern
California committed to fighting genocide, has decided that it is
time to put a face to the anonymous victims.
Last week, the group assembled survivors of attempted genocides around
the world, including the Holocaust and the mass killings of Bosnians,
Cambodians, Armenians and Kurdish Iraqis. Volunteers and survivors
boarded a couple of vans and embarked on what they called a “caravan
of peace.”
Timed to coincide with the opening of the 61st session of the United
Nations General Assembly, Jewish World Watch arranged for the survivors
to meet with diplomats from seven U.N. member countries.
One group of survivors met with officials from Great Britain,
Greece and France in the morning, while another group met with
representatives from Spain, Argentina, South Africa and Peru in the
afternoon. All the countries but Spain and South Africa are members
of the U.N. Security Council, which has the power to make decisions
that U.N. member countries are required to carry out.
As the first group gathered in Brentwood, Janice Kamenir-Reznik,
president of Jewish World Watch, reminded the team of its mission.
The Security Council has authorized the deployment of peacekeepers
to Darfur, she explained, but the Sudanese government has refused
to accept the troops. The goal for the day, she said, was to ask
diplomats, “if Sudan continues to say no, will the United Nations
send peacekeepers anyway?”
“If not, there will be another 100,000 … dead in a few weeks,”
Kamenir-Reznik said.
Lucy Deutsch, a 76-year-old Holocaust survivor who was sent to
Auschwitz at age 14, said she was ready for the challenge.
“I want them to urge their governments to do something with Darfur
immediately. Now. Even if they have to jump on their desks in the
U.N.,” Deutsch said. “The people in Darfur shouldn’t have the same
end that we had in Auschwitz.”
Deutsch climbed into the van along with Chhang Song, a 67-year-old
survivor of Cambodia’s killing fields, and Luqman Barwari, a
44-year-old former refugee from Southern Kurdistan, or northern Iraq.
Kamenir-Reznik took a seat at the front and had everyone put on green
wristbands, which read: Do Not Stand Idly By — Save Darfur.
The group’s first stop: the British consulate. In the lobby,
Kamenir-Reznik said she believed the day’s work would make a
difference.
“Advocacy involves taking many different strategies at the same
time,” she said. “I don’t feel at all demoralized. I really believe
… everything you do will build upon everything else.”
And then, there they were, face-to-face with British Vice Consul Angus
Mackay. “Here we have the different faces of genocide from the past
100 years,” Kamenir-Reznik told him. “Not only were they victims of
horrible governments,” she said, “but they were also victims of the
world standing by.”
The survivors introduced themselves and told their stories.
“Auschwitz and Darfur are melting together in my mind,” Deutsch said.
“It’s about time to take out the English hammer and knock some sense
into the U.N. to act immediately,” she said.
Mackay promised to relay the group’s concerns to Washington and
London. He said he would do some research and send along the British
government’s latest policy statements about Darfur.
So far, so good, the group concluded, and it was on to the
next meeting, at the Greek consulate. Consul General Dimitris
Caramitsos-Tziras greeted the group warmly and spoke with a sense of
resignation, or perhaps, realism.
“The trouble spots around the world are growing in number, and so
the demand for help is also growing,” he said. The high-demand has
become “a serious strain on human resources.” Although Greece holds
the presidency of the Security Council this month, “one country alone
cannot influence the balance in a high-powered body like the Security
Council,” he said.
Still, the diplomat took notes. He, too, pledged to pass along the
group’s message “to the authorities” and respond with feedback.
“We’re listening,” he said, “and hopefully, we’ll be acting.”
For Kamenir-Reznik, a promise to listen and relay the message was
enough. But Holocaust survivor Deutsch expressed frustration.
“I am not a politician nor a diplomat,” she said, “but if I would be
a U.N. member, you would hear my voice screaming, not just talking.”
Where were the strong, impassioned words she wanted to hear? Why was
no one screaming?
Finally, it was time to meet with a diplomat from France, a country
that, like the United Kingdom, holds a permanent seat on the Security
Council. Francois-Xavier Tilliette, deputy consul general, welcomed
the group into his office.
“France is very concerned,” Tilliette said. “We need an urgent
solution…. We must not turn a blind eye to this crime against
humanity.”
Deutsch smiled. “He used the words I wanted to hear,” she said after
the meeting.
The morning’s work complete, the group offered its reflections on
the day. “I would give up a week of work for this,” said the Kurdish
Barwari, a scientist at Amgen.
“If we can save one person,” Deutsch said, “we’ve achieved our goal.”
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN PM THINKS COUNTRY ALREADY OVERCOME SHOCK OF TRANSITION
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Sept 22 2006
YEREVAN, September 22. /ARKA/. Armenian Prime Minister Andranik
Margaryan thinks the country has already overcome the shock of
transition from socialism to free market.
He said Thursday in his interview with Kentron TV that 15 year ago
people were not prepared for that and the transition was very painful
for them.
The premier admitted that ordinary people had lost the social security
they enjoyed once, in soviet epoch. At the same time, he expressed
confidence that all the problems would be solved soon.
Margaryan stressed that the government does and will do whatever
necessary to solve social problems.
“The government’s all credit programs for last four years have been
focused on social situation improvement in the country”, he said in
his televised interview. M.V.-0–

AKP and Turkish Media Reactions to the Pope’s Statements on Islam
Middle East Media Research Institute, DC
Special Dispatch Series – No. 1297
Sept 22 2006
Pope Benedict XVI has come under fire in Turkey following his remarks
in a lecture at Germany’s Regensburg University, in which he quoted a
14th-century text by the Byzantine emperor Constantine XI Manuel
Palaiologos critical of the Prophet Muhammad and of the concept of
jihad in Islam. Among those who criticized the Pope were Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, government ministers, and other
MPs from the ruling AKP party, as well as opposition leaders and much
of the Turkish media. AKP Deputy Chairman Salih Kapusuz said that
Pope Benedict XVI would go down in history like Hitler and Mussolini.
Many voices also demanded the cancellation of the Pope’s upcoming
visit to Turkey, which is scheduled for late November 2006.
The following are reactions from the Turkish media to the Pope’s
statements:
Official Reactions to the Pope’s Statements
*PM Erdogan: The Pope “Must Retract These Wrong, Ugly, and
Unfortunate Statements”
The daily Yeni Safak reported that Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan said: “‘[The Pope’s] assessment of and attitude
towards Islam – a religion whose meaning is peace – and of its
beloved Prophet is unfortunate in [a number of] very serious
respects. It can never be acceptable to us. […] The Pope has spoken
not like a religious leader, but like an ordinary politician […]
“‘It is our wish that he will rapidly correct his mistake and prevent
the casting of a pall on the dialogue between civilizations and
religions. […] I believe that he must retract these wrong, ugly, and
unfortunate statements, and that he must apologize to the Islamic
world and to the Muslims.’
“When asked about whether the Pope’s visit would take place, Erdogan
said, ‘I don’t know about that.'” [1]
*Ali Bardakoglu: The Pope’s Words Reflect a Crusader Mentality
Most Turkish dailies reported on the official statement of Ali
Bardakoglu, who heads the state-run Religious Affairs Directorate and
is Turkey’s highest-ranking cleric: [2]
“‘These were unfortunate, saddening and extremely worrisome remarks,
in the name of the Christian world and for the common [values of]
peace of all humanity. […] If the Pope’s comments are a reflection
of the anger, hostility, and hatred in his inner world, we are faced
with a very grave situation.’
“Bardakoglu called on Pope Benedict to immediately retract his words
and apologize [to the Muslims]. He noted that the Western approach to
Islam and its Prophet was always filled with prejudice, ignorance and
hostility. [He said:] ‘The Church organized the Crusades because they
pictured Islam as the enemy. […] They killed thousands of people
[…] Since the fourth century, Christian theologians have divided
the world into the Christian world versus the satanic world. This was
their mentality. They considered it a holy mission to fight the
non-Christian world. This is why the Crusader and holy-war mentality
is fundamental to the mindset of the Western clergy. I believe that
the Pope’s statement is a reflection of this mentality of Crusades
and holy wars […]’
“Referring to the Pope’s statement that in Islam there is no bond
between God and reason, Bardakoglu said: ‘On this issue, it is the
deeds of the Church that must be questioned. The Church mistook its
distortion of religion for reason. The Christian Church has left out
reason in order to serve its own interests, by dominating people’s
faith, by inserting itself between God and the individual, and by
exploiting sanctity. If today there is anti-religious [sentiment] in
the West, it is because the Christian Church has left reason out [of
the equation].’
“[…] Insulting a religion, its prophet, and its scripture is
outrageously arrogant. It is hostile, and it is an unfortunate
incitement to clash between religions […]”
*AKP MP Salih Kapusuz: The Pope Will Go Down in History Like Hitler
According to the secular, centrist, wide-circulation Hurriyet, deputy
chairman of the AKP parliamentary group MP Salih Kapusuz said:
“‘Clearly he [i.e. the Pope] has the dark mentality of the Middle
Ages. He is a pitiful being who has not benefited from the spirit of
the Reformation in the Christian world. […] This appears to be the
result of an effort to revive the Crusader mentality. Benedictus XVI,
who made these unfortunate and audacious remarks, will go down in
history in the same category as Hitler and Mussolini[…] What saddens
us is that in such critical times, the papal seat is occupied by such
a hypocritical and pitiful person. On behalf of humanity and world
peace, I strongly and hatefully condemn this person […]'” [3]
*Education Minister on the Pope: “A [Truly] Sincere Person… Would
Know How to Apologize”
Hurriyet reported that Turkish Minister of Education Huseyin Celik
said that a spiritual leader of a religion must think not once but 10
times when speaking about another religion, and added: “‘The Pope’s
words have wounded and hurt the Islamic world. It would behoove him
to apologize.'” As for the Pope’s having expressed sorrow that
Muslims had taken offense at his statement, Celik said: “‘Sorrow and
apology are very different things. A [truly] sincere person, a truly
saddened person, would also know how to apologize.'” [4]
*”The Pope has Dirtied Himself With His Remarks, and Must Be Cleansed
[By Baptism] Before Setting Foot in Our Country”
The chairman of the Union of the Religious Affairs Directorate (i.e.
the union of the imams), Huseyin Demirci, said in reaction to the
Pope’s remarks: “‘The Pope, who spoke ignorantly, is a menace to the
Christian world and to world peace. Before his insolent remarks turn
into a Muslim-Christian clash, he must come out and apologize.
Otherwise, his visit to our country will have no meaning and might
provoke undesirable events. This is why we are asking [Turkish]
President [Ahmet Necdet Sezer] to cancel his invitation [to the Pope
for late November]. If the Pope wants to come to Turkey, he must
first have his priests baptize him. The Pope has dirtied himself with
his remarks, and must be cleansed before setting foot in our
country.'” [5]
Spokesman for the secularist opposition Republican People’s Party
[CHP] Halik Koc also lashed out at the Pope for his remarks: “‘The
Pope is pouring fuel on the fire, in a world where the risk of a
clash between religions is increasing.’ Koc also urged the Pope to
issue an apology for his remarks before visiting Turkey.” [6]
Chairman of the center-right Homeland Party [ANAP] Erkan Mumcu said:
“‘I do not want to see, in my country, this man who has insulted me,
my people, my faith, and my Prophet. This is a very sincere reaction.
Only if he truly apologizes might I find it in myself to agree [to
such a visit].'” [7]
Turkish Columnists’ Reactions to the Pope’s Statements
*The Christians and Jews are “Blood-Sucking Vampires”
Columnist Hakan Albayrak of the Islamist daily Milli Gazete wrote:
“[…] I spit on the reasoning of Pope Benedict XVI, who calls Islamic
jihad against those who make war on us and on oppressors who exile us
from our lands ‘against reason and God,’ yet fails to condemn the
Crusader hordes, their cruelty, and their tortures in the name of
‘God’s will […].’
“By giving ‘spiritual support’ to the Crusades declared by George
Bush, who admires the perverted U.S. TV sermons (of fundamentalists
Franklin Graham, Jerry Falwell, Jimmy Swaggart, Benny Hinn, etc.),
Benedict has acted like the true Vatican. Let us not forget that the
Vatican has apologized to the Jews and the Eastern [Orthodox]
Christians for the sufferings caused by the Crusaders, but has never
apologized to the Muslims. This means that the papacy still believes
that it is ‘God’s will’ to boil the Muslims, roast and eat their
children, burn the Muslims in their mosques, and tell the Muslims ‘to
convert to Christianity or die.’. […] I do not expect Benedict to
apologize for his disgusting words. What would change if you
apologized for the Crusades? […] I hope you drown in your hatred.”
[8]
Columnist Burhan Bozgeyik wrote in Milli Gazete: “[…] As we have said
many times, the Vatican is behind the occupation of the Muslim world.
They started a ‘mental invasion’ before the armed invasion. […]
They’re all the same: Their rabbis, priests, cardinals, and popes are
the same as those criminals who are murdering and plundering in Iraq
and Palestine. […]” [9]
Columnist Aziz Karaca of the nationalist-Islamic Turkish daily Yeni
Mesaj wrote: “[…] The Muslim world has never had time to rest and
live in peace because of the aggressions of the Christians, headed by
the arrogant Pope, and of their allies the Jews. […]
“There is no doubt that [the Pope’s] crude, rude, and insolent words
are the reflection of centuries-old Crusader hatred, through the
mouth of an authority. These lowly and despicable expressions are
very fitting for the Pope and the world he represents. […] They can
no longer hide their cruelty, theft, perversion, and the [fact that]
they are blood-sucking vampires. They become visible as the light of
Islam shines on them.
“Now, joining all their forces, the Jews and Christians are trying to
put out this light. They are becoming ridiculous in assuming that
they can extinguish the light by collectively blowing on it. Their
voice is familiar [to us], and their aggressive style is also
familiar. Look at the expressions of all the past popes and church
clergy; examine their statements, and you will find hundreds and
thousands of the same. There is no change on that front. They are
continuing to harbor their ever-increasing hatred and vengeance
against the Muslims. […]
“Re-read the words of this arrogant man [the Pope] and think to
yourself: Should this
man [be allowed to] set foot in our heavenly homeland?” [10]
*”The First Place Where This Infidel [the Pope] Who Insults My
Prophet Should Go is Hell, Not Turkey”
Columnist Hasan Demir of the ultranationalist-Islamic Turkish daily
Yenicag wrote, in an article titled ‘With What Face Will He Come to
Turkey?: “[…]Benedictus, before being seated as the 265th pope – that
is, when his name was Ratzinger – said: ‘What are the Turks doing in
the E.U.? Let them go and build a union with the Arabs.’ […] Didn’t
Pope John Paul II promote this man to preside over the Vatican’s most
important institute of ‘theological teachings?’
“Neither of these [popes] used the word ‘terrorist’ for the PKK. Both
these popes readily accepted the allegations of genocide against the
Armenians. Both of them gave unlimited support to U.S. President
Bush, who declared a Crusade, and never opposed the killing in Iraq
of nearly 300,000 civilians [and] the tortures and rapes in Abu
Ghuraib […] Did they ever say anything when Muslims were killed [by
Serbs]? They secretly rejoiced, because those dying were Muslims, in
a different kind of Crusade. Was there any sound from the Vatican
when Israel drowned the Lebanese people in a bloodbath? […] Didn’t
the Crusaders kill two million civilians in Vietnam? Didn’t they also
kill one million in Cambodia? Didn’t they wipe out the Red Indians in
America, on instructions from the Vatican? […] Wasn’t the Inquisition
a papal institution? […] [President] Bush, who turned Iraq into a sea
of blood and took the PKK under his wing, sees himself as the
commander of the Crusader armies. Does the Pope say anything about
this? The first place where this infidel who insults my Prophet
should go is Hell, not Turkey.” [11]
*”If the [Vatican’s] Intrigue is Not Recognized… It May Become an
Atomic Bomb That Will Bring Graver Consequences Than 9/11″
Columnist Taha Kivanc of the Islamist daily Yeni Safak, which is
considered to be the unofficial mouthpiece of the AKP government,
wrote: “[…] When I hear the word Vatican, what first comes to my mind
is ‘intrigue.’ Did the Pope quote this historical-theological
dialogue, which outraged the Islamic world, […] with innocent
intentions? Was the Pope really surprised or saddened by the
reactions of the offended Muslims, as was later claimed by the
Church?
“This is what the Vatican wants us to believe; and some think that we
should already leave the Pope alone. I do not believe that the Pope
was acting innocently when he put the subject on the agenda, but I
also think we should not pursue this any further. The reason is
simple: I am aware of how capable the Vatican is in scheming, and I
believe that the Pope’s intention in delivering his not-innocent
speech was to start a big storm – of the kind that is now blowing
through the Islamic world. […]
“We have been witnessing how peace and harmony has gone from the
world after 9/11. What do [1] think about the Pope’s speech regarding
Islam? My view is that if the [Vatican’s] intrigue is not recognized
and measures are not taken, it may become an atomic bomb that will
bring graver consequences than 9/11. Attention… Beware…” [12]
This Latest ‘Operation’ by the Pope… is Highly Compatible with
Bush’s Policies”; “For Them [i.e. Christians], Massacre is a Genetic
Trait”
Columnist Tamer Korkmaz of the Islamist, wide-circulation daily Zaman
wrote: “[…] The Pope clearly insulted Islam and our Prophet, with
that ‘quote’…
“[…] Pope Benedict XVI has opposed Turkey’s membership in the E.U.,
basing his rejection on ‘religious differences!’ This latest
‘operation’ by the Pope, which incited to a ‘clash of religions’ and
increased world tensions, is highly compatible with Bush’s policies…
Let’s remember that in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, the U.S.
president mentioned the ‘Crusades.’ It was obvious then that this was
not a slip of tongue, and since then we have witnessed the proof of
this… Although it appears as if the target is ‘radical Islam,’ this
is deceptive. The reality is that a front targeting the religion of
Islam and the Muslims exists… The papacy is a political institution,
as much as it is a religious one. The recent offensive is about
assuming a political position…
“Ankara has declared that this crisis will not affect the Pope’s
visit to Turkey. The Pope will visit Turkey [between] November
28-December 1 as an official guest of President Sezer… We will see
then the face with which he comes.
“Sezer kept his silence in the face of the Pope’s insults to Islam
and to our Prophet… A diplomatic source told [the mainstream Turkish
daily] Hurriyet that the reason [for Sezer’s silence] was that Turkey
is not a religious state but a secular one… Sezer most certainly must
be thinking that way. […]” [13]
Husnu Mahalli, formerly a columnist for Yeni Safak and currently a
columnist for the secular, centrist daily Aksam wrote: [14] “[…]
Contrary to the some people’s interpretations, the Pope has spoken
knowingly, consciously, and deliberately, having calculated all the
consequences. This is the same Pope who targeted Turkey and Islam
before his selection, and dissolved the Interfaith Dialogue Committee
after being selected. On his first visit to his homeland Germany [as
Pope], ‘His Majesty’ visited a Jewish synagogue, and there, in a
secret meeting with 60 rabbis, discussed how they should act together
against Islam.
“Don’t waste your breath; the Pope will never apologize to the
Muslims. Moreover, this Pope and all the Crusaders – his allies –
will do much more. Those who want dialogue between religions,
cultures, and civilizations will soon find themselves in a monologue.
[…]
“For them [i.e. Christians], massacre is a genetic trait. […] We are
again face to face with Crusader countries and forces. […] It is our
obligation to be aware of all the dirty plots of the other side, and
to take all the necessary short-, mid-, and long-term precautions.
The most important thing is never to trust the other side, at any
time. The day will come when those who trust the U.S., Israel, and
their co-conspirator Westerners will be left naked. Because the U.S.,
Israel, and Europeans with the Crusader mentality never think about
their Muslim allies, and they easily discard them. Those who do not
want to find themselves in that situation should turn back before
they become miserable. Otherwise neither the power and the money of
Bush, Blair, Chirac, Sharon and their ilk, nor the Pope’s blessings,
will protect them from Hell, in this world and the next!”
*”No Matter How Strongly We Say That We are ‘A Muslim, But a Modern
and Democratic Country,’ Our Words are Unconvincing if We Become
Islam’s Advocate”
Columnist Fatih Altayli of the secular, centrist Sabah wrote: [15]
“[…] According to our [i.e. Sabah ‘s] report [on the Pope’s
statements on Islam], Religious Affairs Directorate head Ali
Bardakoglu issued a tough response. Bardakoglu’s statement appeared
in the European press – especially in the Italian press. A strange
picture appeared.
“This is what was strange about this picture: speaking on behalf of
the Muslim world appeared to be Turkey’s job, when it [Turkey] is in
no way tied to the kind of Islam that had been criticized. Turkey
[appeared to be] acting as the spokesman in Europe for Islam and the
Muslims. This representation of Islam naturally emphasizes Turkey’s
image as a Muslim country, in a Europe struggling with grave
Islamophobia.
“As this image grows stronger, the phobia related to radical Islam
begins to include Turkey too, and this is damaging the process of
Turkey’s E.U. membership. No matter how strongly we say that we are a
‘Muslim, but a modern and democratic country,’ our words are
unconvincing if we become Islam’s advocate.
“If you add to this the [attempted] assassination of the Pope [16]
and the killing of a priest in Trabzon, [17] everything [i.e.
Turkey’s chances of E.U. membership] is in jeopardy.”
——————————- ————————————————-

[1] Yeni Safak (Turkey), September 17, 2006.
[2] Hurriyet, (Turkey), September 14, 2006. A similar report appeared
in Sabah, Yeni Safak, and Yenicag, on the same date.
[3] Hurriyet, (Turkey), September 16, 2006.
[4] Hurriyet (Turkey), September 17, 2006.
[5] Hurriyet (Turkey), September 19, 2006.
[6] Turkish Daily News (Turkey), September 16, 2006.
[7] Hurriyet (Turkey), September 17, 2006.
[8] Milli Gazete (Turkey), September 17, 2006.
[9] Milli Gazete (Turkey), September 20, 2006.
[10] Yeni Mesaj (Turkey), September 18, 2006.
[11] Yenicag (Turkey), September 18, 2006.
[12] Yeni Safak (Turkey), September 18, 2006.
[13] Zaman (Turkey), September 19, 2006.
[14] Aksam (Turkey), September 19, 2006. For more on Husnu Mahalli,
see MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 857, “Columnist in Turkish Islamic
Daily: ‘USA – the God-Damned Country’; ‘Murdering is Genetically
Ingrained in American Culture,'” February 2, 2005,
ves&Area=sd&ID=SP85705 ;
MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 1114, “Hamas Visit to Turkey Deepens
Secular-Islamist Rift,” March 14, 2006,
ves&Area=sd&ID=SP111406
[15] Sabah (Turkey), September 17, 2006.
[16] A reference to the 1981 assassination attempt against Pope John
Paul II by Mehmet Ali Agca, a Turk.
[17] In February 2006, a Catholic priest was murdered in a church in
Trabzon, Turkey, by an Islamist.

Middle East Media Research Institute, DC
Special Dispatch Series – No. 1296
Sept 22 2006
Iranian Report on Russian Military Maneuver ‘to Protect Iran From
Possible U.S. Attack’
The Russian military recently held its annual RUBEZH (“Border”)
maneuver in the Caspian Sea region. The Iranian website Baztab,
affiliated with Expediency Council Secretary and former Revolutionary
Guards commander Mohsen Rezai, presented the maneuver, based on a
report in the Central Asian press, as aiming to prepare the Russian
army to respond to a possible U.S. military assault on Iran.
The following are excerpts from the Baztab report: [1]
“The maneuver, called ‘RUBEZH 2006,’ [which included] 2,500 troops
from the armed forces of Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and
Tajikistan, was held last week (August 24-29) in the port of Aqtau,
[Kazakhstan]… on the basis of the ‘Collective Security Treaty’
[CST]. [2] Uzbekistan participated as an observer in this exercise;
Belarus and Armenia did not take part in it.
“The maneuver was purportedly intended train [the forces] in
combating terrorism, but was in fact a kind of military preparation
[intended] to provide an answer to America’s military threats in the
region against Iran… Some believe that the maneuver, which was
planned by the Russian military’s joint chiefs of staff, was an
exercise in preparedness for frontal confrontation in a possible
American war against Iran in the region of southern Eurasia and in
the Caspian Sea region.
“Military personnel and politicians regard the maneuver as a
reflection of tightening cooperation among the countries in the
region. Experts believe that the Aqtau maneuver will have decisive
influence and importance with regard to future events in the region,
since with the progressive intensification of American pressures and
the possibility of an attack on Iran, it is expected that America’s
armed forces will be sent to the [Caspian Sea] region in order to
defend the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the oil regions
between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan.
“In parallel with the Aqtau maneuver, the armed forces of Kazakhstan
and China conducted joint military operations in Kazakhstan in the
context of the Shanghai Cooperation Pact. [3] These military
operations revealed more clearly the signs of cooperation and
military-security coordination between the member states of the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the member states of the
Collective Security Treaty.
“Iran, which is a member with observer status in the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization, continues to maintain informal relations
with the Collective Security Treaty.
“Experts on military affairs believe that the Aqtau military exercise
should be seen as a ‘turning point’ in the relations and military
cooperation between [the countries] in the region….”
—————————— ————————————————–
[1] Baztab, September 17, 2006;
[2] The Collective Security Treaty, signed in September 2003 by
Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Belarus, and Armenia, is
a military treaty to guarantee the safety of the region and of the
member states.
[3] The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was founded in June
2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and
Uzbekistan, with the aim of promoting economic cooperation among
these countries and ensuring their military stability.

“DIGITEC 2006” EXHIBITION TO BE HELD IN YEREVAN ON OCT 6-8, 2006
Arka News Agency, Armenia
Sept 22 2006
YEREVAN, September 22. /ARKA/. The 6th international exhibition of
information and communication technologies “DigiTec 2006” is to be
held in Yerevan on October 6-8, 2006.
At his press conference, Executive Director of the Union of
Information Technology Enterprises (UITE) Karen Vardanyan reported
that the exhibition will be dedicated to present-day information and
communication technologies and their practical application.
According to him, the main goal of the exhibition is forming a business
atmosphere between IT producers and consumers.
Vardanyan pointed out that computers, wireless networks, software,
financial and banking systems, e-management, e-business and IT
education will be displayed at the exhibition.
Among the participants will be such well-known companies Mitsubishi
Electric, National Instruments, Festo, Sun,Microsoft.
“The year 2006 saw an increase in the number of companies wishing to
carry out activities in Armenia,” he said.
The exhibition has been organized by the UITE and the Enterprises
Incubator Fund.
Armenia’s IT sector comprises 110 companies, 30% of them shared in
by foreign capital. A total of 5,000 people are employed in the sphere.
P.T. -0–

“ARMAGROFORUM” SECOND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OPENS IN ARMENIA
Arka News Agency, Armenia
Sept 22 2006
YEREVAN, September 22. /ARKA/. Today in Armenia has opened
“Armagroforum” second international conference.
During the opening ceremony the RA Minister of Agriculture David
Lokyan said that the main target of the forum was to establish and
develop mutually beneficial cooperation between local and foreign
producers of agricultural goods.
“Thai forum will create necessary conditions and possibilities for
further the development of international cooperation in the agrarian
sphere”, he said.
At the same time Lokyan emphasized that representatives of more than
35 countries, international organizations, educational centers of
the CIS countries, state structures of Armenia and representatives
of the Diaspora took part in the forum.
The U.N. resident representative in Armenia Consuelo Vidal said
that “Armagroforum” could play a special role in the development of
agriculture in Armenia.
In her words, the UNO in the scope of the UNDP and FAO programs,
contributed to the development of the agricultural sphere in Armenia
and intended to continue that activity in the future as well.
S.P.–0–

TRADE INDUSTRIAL CHAMBER OF ARMENIA PLAYS IMPORTANT PART IN EFFORTS
TO STRENGTHEN TIES WITH DIASPORA
Arka News Agency, Armenia
Sept 22 2006
YEREVAN, September 22. /ARKA/. Trade Industrial Chamber of Armenia
plays an important role in strategic efforts to strengthen ties with
Diaspora, Martin Sargsyan, the chamber president, said Wednesday at
the second Armenia-Diaspora forum in Yerevan.
He also pointed out that PanArmenien EXPO 2006 exhibition is a
large-scale event.
“The exhibition will be covered in on-line regime and this will enable
all those wanting to be in touch with the event to see what is going
on”, he said.
Trade Industrial Chamber of Armenia has organized exhibitions in
Russia, Netherlands, Iran and Belarus followed by dozens cooperation
contracts signing. The contracts cost over $50 million.
PanArmenien EXPO 2006 is to open on September 22 in Yerevan. M.V.-0-

PRESIDENT: REFORMS OF RA AGRARIAN SECTOR CREATE SERIOUS PRECONDITIONS
FOR DEVELOPMENT OF COUNTRY’S RURAL COMMUNITIES
Arka News Agency, Armenia
Sept 22 2006
YEREVAN, September 22. /ARKA/. Reforms, effected in the agrarian
sector of Armenia, create serious preconditions for the development
of the country’s rural communities, according to the message of the RA
President Robert Kocharyan, read today at the opening ceremony of the
“Armagroforum” second international conference.
At the same time Kocharyan pointed out in his message that there’re
a number of problems, salvation of which was possible only within
the framework of international cooperation.
He also welcomed the organization of the conference in Armenia.
“Two years have passed since the first Armagroforum was held,
and during this period of time Armenia has undergone many positive
changes. However the growth of the international integration of the
agricultural sphere, strengthening the power of the agroprocessing
system, development of the international trade, modernization of the
agricultural facilities – these are the timely issues, which must be
discussed and solved during the forum”, Kocharyan emphasized.
Armagroforum second international conference launched has in Yerevan
today and will last till September 23. Delegates from 35 countries
of the world, namely from Russia, USA, France, Italy and a number of
CIS countries take part in the conference. S.P.–0– S