JOURNALIST’S BEATING SPARKS CONCERN ABOUT PRESS FREEDOM IN ARMENIA
By Emil Danielyan
Eurasia Daily Monitor, DC
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
The reported beating of the editor of a leading Armenian newspaper
has sparked domestic and international concerns about the state of
press freedom in Armenia. The September 6 incident was the latest
in a series of attacks against local journalists critical of the
government. Armenian media associations, Western watchdogs, and even
some state officials in Yerevan fear that they could become more
frequent in the run-up to parliamentary elections due early next year.
In an extraordinary statement on September 12, the Yerevan office of
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said it is
“deeply concerned over recent incidents of violence and intimidation
against local journalists that have obstructed their professional
duties and infringed upon the freedom of expression.” It urged the
Armenian authorities to “undertake prompt measures to ensure the
safety of media professionals.”
Armen Harutiunian, Armenia’s human rights ombudsman and a former aide
to President Robert Kocharian, echoed these concerns in unusually blunt
terms on September 14. “Freedom of speech is really in danger,” he
told a news conference, faulting law-enforcement authorities for their
failure, both now and in the past, to identify and punish the guilty.
Hovannes Galajian of Iravunk, an opposition-linked bi-weekly, claims
to have been ambushed and beaten up by two burly men with very short
haircuts outside his Yerevan home in broad daylight. Police promptly
announced a criminal investigation into what six local journalist
organizations and other civic groups jointly condemned as “yet another
act of terror against a journalist.” But nobody has been arrested or
questioned so far.
The Iravunk staff have attributed the incident to their hard-hitting
coverage of the government and its loyalists. They have pointed out
in particular that one of their recent articles attacked and derided
the powerful Defense Minister Serge Sarkisian, effectively implicating
the latter in Galajian’s reported beating.
“I don’t fight against or punish pitiful people,” Sarkisian angrily
shot back on September 7, in remarks that only stoked the furor. In a
front-page editorial, Haykakan Zhamanak, Armenia’s best-selling daily,
advised Sarkisian to look for “pitiful people” in his entourage. If
there is anything the Armenian media can be blamed for, wrote the
paper, it is the fact that “we tolerate [Sarkisian] and the likes of
him at the helm of our state.”
Galajian’s description of his attackers matches the appearance of
two-dozen thugs that indiscriminately attacked journalists covering
an opposition demonstration in Yerevan in April 2004. Scores of riot
police stood by and looked on as these thugs smashed video and still
cameras that filmed their attempts to disrupt the protest. They
were widely believed to be bodyguards of “oligarchs” loyal to the
ruling regime.
Two prominent opposition politicians and a human rights activist,
who were also beaten around that time, gave very similar descriptions
of their attackers.
Galajian reported the assault just weeks after a Molotov cocktail was
hurled at the offices of Chorrord Ishkhanutyun, another paper highly
critical of the Kocharian administration. One of its freelance
correspondents, Gagik Shamshian, has for months faced alleged
harassment by Mher Hovannisian, mayor of Yerevan’s rundown Nubarashen
suburb, who was cast in negative light in his news reports. Shamshian
claimed to have been attacked and robbed by a group of men led by
Hovannisian’s brother and lodged a complaint to the police last
June. The latter responded by launching criminal proceedings against
the reporter, citing grave “complaints” filed against him by local
residents. Police officers searched and sealed off Shamshian’s rented
apartment in Nubarashen in early August, effectively forcing him to
move out of the district.
In another media-related development, the young editor of the
independent newspaper Zhamanak Yerevan, Arman Babajanian, was sentenced
to four years in prison on September 8 on charges of illegally avoiding
military service. The sentence was quite harsh by Armenian standards,
as individuals convicted of draft evasion are usually jailed for
between two and three years.
Babajanian, who was arrested in June, admitted to draft dodging during
his two-week trial but insisted that he would not have been prosecuted
if his paper supported the government. Most of his fellow newspaper
editors have also alleged political motives behind the case. “Given the
history of politicized prosecution of journalists in Armenia, we are
skeptical about the appropriateness of this sentence,” the executive
director of the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists,
Joel Simon, said in a September 11 statement.
Some local journalists fear that all of these cases might be part of
a government effort to crack down on Armenia’s diverse and vibrant
print media, which is dominated by pro-opposition publications. The
authorities already maintain tight control over the news reporting
of every Armenian television and radio station, something that they
consider vital for their continued grip on power. (The only TV channel
not controlled by Kocharian was controversially pulled off the air
in 2002.) The newspapers are seen as less of a threat to the regime
due to their small circulations.
Meanwhile, on September 15 Kocharian granted top state awards to a
dozen editors and journalists from TV stations, news agencies, and
newspapers controlled by or loyal to him. Five of them were given the
Soviet-era title of “honored journalist,” which Kocharian restored
after he came to power in 1998.
Ironically, the presidential awards were timed to coincide with the
15th anniversary of Armenia’s declaration independence from the Soviet
Union, which will be officially celebrated on September 21.
(Statement by the Armenian president’s office, Aravot, September 15;
Statement by the OSCE office in Yerevan, September 12; Statement by
the Committee to Protect Journalists, September 11; Haykakan Zhamanak,
RFE/RL Armenia Report, August 9)

NAGORNO KARABAKH DEPUTY: “AZERBAIJAN THOROUGHLY AVOIDS DIRECT COMMUNICATIONS WITH NKR”
REGNUM
September 20, 2006
Chairman of Nagorno Karabakh parliamentary commission on foreign
relations Vagram Atanesyan received on Sep 18 with PACE rapporteur
on missing persons Leo Platvoet. The sides discussed issues of
locating persons missing since the Nagorno Karabakh-Azerbaijani armed
confrontation, REGNUM correspondent reports referring to the Nagorno
Karabakh parliament press office.
Leo Platvoet noted that he had already visited Yerevan, Tbilisi, and
Baku as a part of implementing the missing persons program. Answering
the guest’s request, Vagram Atanesyan articulated NKR parliament
position on the issue of missing military and civil persons. He
said that regretfully, the Azerbaijani side thoroughly avoids direct
communications with NKR on all issues, including humanitarian ones.
According to Atanesyan, this impairs efforts taken to locate the
missing people. The sides expressed hope that the international
community, including European structures concerned, will soon
facilitate a perceptible progress in this field.

TRAINER MANUEL GABRIELYAN: “I WANT TO SEE NIKOLAI VALUEV BECOME LIKE LEMESHEV”!
EastsideBoxing.com
19 Sept 2006
19.09.06 – ESB exclusive interview by Izyaslav “Slava” Koza, photo ©
boxen.com: Last month Oleg Maskaev stopped Hasim Rahman in the 12th
round of their WBC championship fight, to capture that very title. For
the first time in professional boxing history, only a fighter from the
former Soviet Union could claim to be the best in the division since
the other three belt holders also hailed from different republics of
the former state. However, the question of which of these fighters
will rise to be the “heavyweight champ” is still in doubt.
Until these unification fights are made, or other fighters come forward
and take those belts away, it is important to look at and consider
some of the differences between the four ex-Soviet champs, rather then
simply lumping them all together. When it comes to Nikolai Valuev there
are three major factors that need to be considered. Firstly the man
is the biggest heavyweight among the four fighters, and while bigger
is not always better (which is yet to be decided in Valuev’s case)
sometimes perception is even more important then reality, especially
with fans and spectators..
Secondly, although most Soviet fighters are usually well skilled
amateurs, in Valuev’s case he had to learn on the job so to speak. Part
of the irony is that while the other three champs do have that amateur
Soviet pedigree, Valuev is the only one who has an exclusively ex
Soviet trainer in Manvel Gabrielyan who will be the focus of this
interview. The other part of the irony leads us into point three
since had Valuev been a well schooled amateur he might not have a
chance to chase the great Rocky Marciano’s tremendous undefeated
career record of 49 wins, since he would have no chance for many
fights at the lower level.
Thus the third important factor is Valuev’s stellar record of 44
victories and no defeats. While some fans could and have argued that
Valuev’s level of opposition is not strong enough and thus why it’s
not really that great accomplishment, there is a point regarding this
that I have yet to see mentioned. While this is a reasonable argument
to some degree, the fact of the matter is neither Ross Purritty,
Mo Harris, or Corey “T Rex” Sanders were elite fighters when they
not only beat but stopped the other three champions via TKO. While
I am not trying to discredit the other men I am trying to say that
staying undefeated and, controversy or no, not folding under the
pressure to some hungry young underdog is not easy. So many elite
fighters can attest to this, that while it is true that gushing over
an undefeated record is not always wise, neither is discrediting
someone because their level of opposition is not up to a fan man’s
standards. For a man who was never expected to amount to anything,
straight from his first days of fighting in post Soviet Russia, to
the first article written about him on this site, his accomplishments
are and will forever be quite impressive.
In part this is because as I have always written Valuev is a hard
worker and extremely serious about his profession. Whatever you
think of or whatever his skill level may be he won’t lose because
of undertraining issues, or child support problems, or music albums
that need to be recorded. Still the other more significant element
of Valuev’s success undoubtedly belongs to the man answering most of
the questions in the following interview.
Very often in the boxing game the “man behind the man” is never paid
his dues in terms of attention even though his fighter will be the
first to bow down in praise for personal success. I am glad that
to some degree this interview gives Manvel Oganesovich Gabrielian
the attention and respect that someone of his character undoubtedly
deserves.
ESB: Good Evening Manvel Oganesovich! Thank you for your time. First
of all can you give us some impressions about our country?
M.G.: Good Evening. Thoughts? I liked the country and thought it very
beautiful. The people were also all very warm and friendly.
ESB: Which of the three cities that you visited did you like the most
and why?
M.G.: I liked Los Angeles the most. There we trained well, ran,
the ocean was nearby, and overall it was just interesting. We didn’t
really get a chance to see the other two cities because we were always
on the move, promoting the fight. So I liked Los Angeles the best.
ESB: Nikolai seemed upset with the fact that he didn’t have enough
time to train while you were here. Do you agree with him?
M.G.: Of course. We had very little time allotted to us for training,
and were mostly trying to promote, and promote the fight. We could
only train twice there, so it was definitely not a lot.
ESB: Many fans who saw a photo of Nikolai while you were here,
have said that he has never looked better in the last five or six
years. Is it true that he is preparing even harder for his first
major bout in America?
M.G.: Not really. For every fight we prepare in almost the same way
from a physical standpoint. We train very hard regardless of whom we
are fighting. In that sense it doesn’t matter who the opponent will be.
ESB: So you don’t agree that he looked that much better?
M.G.: Maybe because he was in a suit and not his training gear.
ESB: No no, I was referring to a photo somebody took of Nikolai when
he finished running in L.A. To be honest he did look very strong and
well conditioned.
M.G.: Well it could be the result of our training in Armenia, which
went very well. It’s a very well known camp there. So maybe that
is the reason, but for now, there is much work to be done, and I am
saying that as a trainer. He is not yet in the kind of shape I want
to see him in. Like versus Beck for instance. However, come fight
night he will be ready and that I guarantee.
ESB: O.k. well what did you think of the Peter Toney fight?
M.G.: Yea we were there. To be honest, I felt very bad for Toney,
because he fought beautifully. However, I do also think that he
wasn’t ready for that fight. He didn’t train well. He trained but he
didn’t train like a professional. He didn’t have the deciding punch,
and I know he has those combinations and the necessary punches in
his arsenal, but I just didn’t see them.
ESB: But you still thought he w…?
M.G.: (interrupting) Yes, Yes of course! I am 100% certain of that
(laughing). Cedric Kushner, who was sitting behind me, even asked who
I thought won and I pointed at Toney. I am absolutely sure that he won.
Peter didn’t do much more then hit Toney in the back of the head.
ESB: Did you see Maskaev’s fight?
M.G.: With Rahman? Yea I have the tape and am analyzing it
now. The fight was tough and was fought on an almost even footing
throughout. Rahman didn’t have enough stamina, and also Maskaev
outsmarted him tactically and grabbed the initiative and did not let
go. Hasim Rahman is not the type of boxer who can make the mistakes
he did in that bout.
ESB: Thank you. The referee in the upcoming fight will probably only
speak English. Do you have somebody in your corner who can communicate
with him?
M.G.: With the ref? We can all understand English very well. I
understand and Nikolai does too. I understand a lot myself, I even
got an A in English when I was in school. Just now I am in Germany
and have forgotten a little but I still understand a great deal.
ESB: Yea that is good, because it happens with our boxers sometimes
and they have problems.
M.G.: Of course. That is why I also study the language here so that I
don’t have any issues like that. Even at the press conference there
were moments, although there we have an interpreter, who is quite
good so we don’t have these issues.
ESB: How did you and Nikolai meet?
M.G.: In 2000 one of my students was training with him and introduced
me. His name is Lyova Kirakosyan and he fights in France and Europe
now. Recently fought for the Euro title. He was also the first national
champ among Armenian boxers in Russia. So he came to me and said,
“we have a Heavy there in Peter.” At first I refused but then about
half a year later he came again because they asked him to try and
get a trainer.
He just knew me, even as a trainer in the USSR. I had many successful
students who had won championships of Europe and so on. Then I decided
to go to Petersburg and I went and saw him on the first day. He also
had issues then, and he didn’t want to fight anymore, and there were
problems with his first trainer, and his bouts were bad, you know? So
I decided to stay and told him, “Starting tomorrow we are going to
begin working professionally.” I saw those training sessions and I
saw that he didn’t know a lot yet, and that is how we met Slav.
ESB: As you know all the champs in the Heavyweight division are
from the former USSR. However, Nikolai is the only one who has an
exclusively Soviet trainer. Do you think that is one of the reasons
behind his success?
M.G.: (laughing) Truthfully, we are very close, we are friends,
and I’ll tell you our families are close, and his four year old son
is even training with me already. It’s not necessarily the Soviet
system, it’s that we are close. That is the whole story. I can’t say
it’s the Soviet school, unless maybe because we understand each other
better. Also I mean he is a very hard working guy so I don’t really
have any issues with him.
ESB: There is a video going around now on the Internet where you are
furiously yelling at Nikolai in between rounds
M.G.: Yes absolutely. When he doesn’t fight well or do what I tell
him to do, or accomplish the goals I set out for him, I yell at him
and get very angry, and that is not exclusive to the fights but in
training too.
ESB: It is interesting because for instance Klitschko’s trainer
Steward is almost always very calm and patient with his boxer.
M.G.: (laughing) Well that is Steward and this is me.
I have that hot Caucasian (note: “Kavkazkaya”) and Armenian blood. I
cannot stand to see him get hit, or miss a punch.
ESB: Do you think that each fighter should be approached differently
in that sense or should you only be tough with them? Like we say here
without “sugarcoating” it.
M.G.: No, personally I was always a tough trainer throughout my entire
working life so far. Always. God forbid somebody broke the rules, even
if he was a champ, I would kick him out of the gym. I had one guy,
champion of the USSR, I threw him out because he violated my regimen.
See, I live their life, their routine, and I never break or violate
the rules, ever. Often you have guys who go out, party, but I will
never do that. I sleep and get up like my fighter. We are like one
person and that cannot be broken up.
ESB: When did you start training fighters in the pros?
M.G.: In 2000 I crossed over into the professional ranks.
ESB: Besides Nikolai did you train any other perspective fighters?
M.G.: Pros? Well I still to this day help train Mger Mkrtchian who
lives in St. Petersburg. Long time ago he competed in the Junior
World Championships in Istanbul. First he won then lost, cause the
Turks robbed him. Then in France I have Hamlet Petrosyan, and Lyova
Kirakosyan. Armen Khachatryan who won four bouts and then quit.
ESB: You are one of the few former Soviet trainers who train at this
level in the pro’s. Could you please tell us what the differences
are between the Soviet (Russian) and the American schools of boxing?
M.G.: To be honest, right now, I don’t see any technique or tactics
in the American school of boxing.
It all consists of who can hit the hardest and that is the guy who
will win. Besides Toney there are just no strong technical boxers
that I have seen in America. I am not talking about greats like Ali,
but just that right now I don’t see any real tactical boxing.
In our boxing dictionary we have the word “Tehnar’ (note:
Technician). I want Kolya to be a technical boxer, the most technical
boxer at this weight.
ESB: So our former Soviet guys are more technical?
M.G.: No doubt. Klitschko, Maskaev, Lyakhovich. I study and analyze
all their fights and know them by heart. By the way I met Lyakhovich a
long time ago in training. Their whole team was there. When we were in
L.A. we said hello and he asked me how I was and so on. I introduced
him to Nikolai.
ESB: I thought maybe they might have sparred with each other back then?
M.G.: No, no that was a long time ago, sometime in 96.
So, where are you calling from?
ESB: Oh from New Jersey. Bergenfield its one of our local towns here.
M.G.: We had a fight in New Jersey once. Was Ettiene from New
Jersey? No, he was from Louisiana.
ESB: It was probably against Linberger or Nelson.
M.G.: Yea! Kolya took him out in the first. They didn’t let me go
for that fight. Didn’t give me a visa.
ESB: Yea that was in Atlantic City about an hour or two ride from
here. Well can you talk about some of the differences between the
major schools of boxing in the USSR? Like say the Russian, or Armenian,
or Kazakh schools.
M.G.: To be honest they are very similar to each other. They all
developed together almost so they are about the same. Maybe the
exercises with combinations are different in say the Kazakh school
or the Armenian school.
My system was pretty unique I think. I had guys who achieved a lot of
success with it in their time. My number one was Artyom TerAkopyan
who became Soviet champ among juniors. He won the Soviet Cup, and
was champion of Europe among juniors. In 1988 he was the youngest
participant in the exhibition match between the Soviet Union and the
United States. He was one of the rising stars of the Soviet Union,
but after the Earthquake of 88 I lost him. (note: The Leninakan
Earthquake took place in the Spitak region of Armenia in December of
1988. An estimated 25,000 people died and many more were injured.)
However, all the schools: the Armenian, Uzbek, Ukrainian, they are
all similar. I never even noticed any major differences. All of it
was combinations and technique. That was our all.
ESB: In your opinion who is the greatest Soviet fighter ever?
M.G.: Well in my time the one I liked the most was Vyacheslav
Lemeshev. Then also Boris Kuznetzov 57 kg, and then Rufat
Riskiev. Savchenko, Rybakov, the three time European champ. Then our
Armenian guys Samson Kchachataryan, Israel Hakobokyan, Munchyan 48 kg.
Of course the most accomplished was Lagutin. However, my true idol
was Muhammed Ali. When I used to go to sleep I used to keep his
photograph under my pillow, cause I wanted to be like him, because
I was boxing back then too. I was an honored master of the USSR. So
I kept it under my pillow cause I loved him so much.
ESB: Wasn’t he in the arena when Nikolai won the title? Did you get
a chance to meet him?
M.G.: Yes he was there but it was very hard to even get close to
him. I just saw him but I couldn’t say hello. I very much wanted to
shake his hand. It’s ok though I think and hope that in America we
can see each other.
ESB: Who do you think was the best Armenian boxer during Soviet times?
M.G.: Well we had a lot of good ones but the one I liked the best was
Davit Torosyan. He lives in Los Angeles now if I am not mistaken. I
passed along greetings to my countrymen but I didn’t see any of them
there at all.
ESB: Which Soviet boxer does Nikolai remind you of?
M.G.: It’s hard to say but I personally want to see him become and
fight similar in style to Lemeshev, so that after he lands his right
nobody can get back up on their feet.
ESB: It’s interesting you know an acquaintance and I wrote an article
about him for our American readers.
M.G.: Yes he was the gold medallist at the Munich Olympics, and
then conquered Europe with his right hand, and that hand was broken
at that. I just adored him. Then we met in Germany when I served
there. Oh how I loved him, and we even became friends.
ESB: Wow you were friends with him? Can you tell us something
about him?
M.G.: By that time I remember he started drinking and came in drunk for
a fight once. This one private knocked him out but they disqualified
him and awarded the win to Lemeshev because he was an officer. It
was in Germany in 78, 79.
ESB: Was the fight against a young and inexperienced kid?
M.G.: Yes, YES! The guy was from Armenia, he was one of my buddies
too, Arkadii Arakelyan. Arkadii knocked him out and he fell but was
really drunk you know. His wife ran to the ring all in tears. Then
they said that Arkadii hit him with an open glove, but that is a lie
cause the punch was perfect, and so they gave the victory to Lemeshev
the officer.
ESB: You know I wrote about that bout, about how he fell under the
ropes and turned over but I didn’t know all the details.
M.G.: I was at that fight, I also took second place in the under
57 kg category at that tournament. (note: East German Armed Forces
tournament in Weismer, Germany.)
ESB: I definitely wanted to ask if you boxed in your younger days?
M.G.: Yes I started in 69, 70 and became an honorary Soviet master of
sports. I was multi time champ of many tournaments. Took second place
at the Burevestnik tournament, was two time champion of Armenia,
many inter Soviet tournaments, and well it would be hard to list
everything. I had 82 fights.
ESB: How many did you win?
M.G.: 64 wins and 18 losses
ESB: When did you stop fighting?
M.G.: After the tournament in 79 in Germany, I came home and won
another local tournament and then became a trainer. Right away my
students became champs in the junior ranks. In 76 I finished the
Instructor’s institute of physical culture with a degree Phys Ed
(equivalent).
ESB: Yes I wanted to ask about your education as well?
M.G.: I have it all, a diploma, master of sports, honorary trainer
of Armenia for many years already. In 87 I became the youngest such
trainer in Armenian history. Artyom won the “Friendship” tournament,
which was the toughest one, because it was like for the world
championship, and I became an honorary trainer after about only two,
three years.
ESB: So Artyom was your most perspective fighter?
M.G.: I had many guys with potential, Lyova, Ashot Sukiasyan, Armen
Hachatryan, but the one with the most potential was Artyom. Thankfully
though God gave me another Artyom in Nikolai (laughing).
ESB: (laughing) I read that on his birthday you gave Nikolai a bottle
of Armenian Cognac?
M.G.: (laughing) Yea, good and expensive Cognac, so that after the
fight he could down 100 grams.
ESB: (laughing) What brand was it?
M.G.: One of the expensive kind…… Ararat. Good Cognac.
Although that is after the fight now, absolutely not.
ESB: (laughing) Well what did he give you the last time it was your
birthday?
M.G.: (laughing) Me? You know what present he got for me?
ESB: What?
M.G.: Became World Champion
ESB: (laughing) Just doesn’t get any better.
M.G.: For me that was the best present he could ever give. I told
him so. Last year I turned 50 and that is when he became champ, and
that for me is the most important present I have gotten in my life,
and nothing else is necessary.
Oh and well I got myself a car, so let that be his present (laughing)
ESB: (laughing) What kind was it? Mercedes?
M.G.: No, BMW #5. I want to put 50-150 on the license plate.
ESB: Why is that?
M.G.: His weight is 150 kg and I was 50 years old (laughing)
ESB: (laughing) So how did you celebrate? Did you go to a restaurant?
M.G.: Yes we were in Armenia at the time so we went to a restaurant. We
danced, laughed, and just had fun with my friends.
ESB: Nikolai was probably there too?
M.G.: Yes of course. Our birthday’s are in the same month. Mine is
on the second and his is on the 21 of August. So we always celebrate
them together.
ESB: Not long ago I saw a picture of you sitting on somebody’s
shoulders and holding the pads for Nikolai.
Was that just a joke or do you actually train that way sometimes?
M.G.: (laughing) No that was a joke, how could you work like that? We
were in Saint Petersburg and one of Kolya’s friends picked me up on
his shoulders and said, “Manvel come on work with Nikolai.” We were
joking around.
ESB: Manvel Oganesovich can you tell us about your family?
M.G.: Slav I have a very good family. My daughter graduated from
college with a red diploma. On July 8th of this year she got married,
my beautiful girl.
Nikolai called and congratulated us, cause he just had the operation
on his knee, but he said a wonderful toast and everybody clapped in
the restaurant.
My son too. He is in his third year of college in the Phys Ed
department. My wife is great. Everything is the way it should be.
ESB: What is everybody’s name?
M.G.: Wife is Gayane. Daughter is Meline, and my son is Tigran.
ESB: Did you name them after anybody?
M.G.: No just when they were born we named them Tigran and Meline
cause we liked the names. Wife is Gayane and I am Manvel.
ESB: Great. I only have two more questions here.
M.G.: Not a problem, you can have 102. We have excellent weather here
and I am just walking around. I always take a walk around the camp
in the evening.
ESB: Oh well I don’t want to bother because I know its late there. When
do you usually go to bed?
M.G.: Oh around 12, 12:30
ESB: Nikolai too?
M.G.: Of course. Until I give him his evening massage he doesn’t go
to sleep.
ESB: When do you get up each morning?
M.G.: In the morning? 7:30 always. First we exercise, massage and
run to training. Run from training to training.
ESB: Do you want to make a prediction for the fight?
M.G.: Honestly I don’t like to do that and never have.
I will tell you this though the fight will be ferocious and
beautiful. I am preparing Nikolai for that. Since we are fighting in
America he will work fiercely and beautifully.
ESB: Did you analyze Barret’s fights already?
M.G.: Yes I watched all the tapes. We analyze all the fights. How
he was against Beck, and Rahman, and Klitschko. I analyze all of the
fights. I know them all by heart. All of his weak and strong sides. I
know him almost as if he was my student.
ESB: Manvel Oganesovich what would you want to tell the people who
will read this interview?
M.G.: Yes, well yesterday was September 11, and I want to say that,
with all my heart I sympathize with and feel for the American
people. From the bottom of my heart, my entire soul. We hate and
despise this horrible enemy, this so called “terrorist.” They are
big enemies of sports as well.
Otherwise I wish all Americans, including many of my countrymen over
there, health and happiness. We can’t wait to come and fight for you
in America. We will show you great boxing, not that Barrett Rahman
stuff but sensational boxing.
ESB: I want to thank you once again for your time. I wish you all the
best. Say Hello to Nikolai from us and we hope you come out victorious.
M.G.: No problem I am happy to help. I’ll go back and tell Nikolai
you gave him your best.
I want to thank Manvel Gabrielyan for his time as well as Heiko
Malwitz, from Sauerland Events, for setting the interview up.
–Boundary_(ID_kmWdiRofD8REbewOW6fxTA)–

CITIZEN DIPLOMACY IN IRAN
By Ellen Francis Poisson
National Catholic Reporter
Issue Date: September 22, 2006
Peace group finds a culture that belies many American presumptions
The crisis over the development of Iran’s nuclear capability is
complex. Although the evidence suggests that Iran does not currently
have a nuclear weapons program, the Western media subtly imply that
Iran’s intentions are aggressive — and nuclear. In general, the news
media in the United States seem to relish painting a negative picture
of Iran, when the reality is more nuanced.
It was against this background of hostility between the United States
and Iran that the Fellowship of Reconciliation sent an international,
interfaith delegation of 18 to Iran last December. Because I speak
Farsi and had lived in Iran in the 1960s and ’70s, before the Iranian
Revolution, I was asked to be one of the co-leaders. I was also
a co-leader of a second Fellowship of Reconciliation delegation
of 23 this past May. The purpose of both delegations was to have
direct dialogue with Iranians, to present a friendly and respectful
American face, and to continue to learn, talk and write about Iran
when we returned home. All of this reflects the mission of the
Fellowship of Reconciliation. An international, interfaith peace and
justice organization founded on the eve of World War I, the fellowship
sponsored peace delegations to the Soviet Union during the Cold War, to
Vietnam during the 1960s, and to Iraq before the present conflict. It’s
hard to say how much of a difference such citizen delegations make,
but they are designed to change the world one person at a time.
>>From one trip to the other, I noticed a difference in the
interactions our delegations had with Iranians. In December, Iranians
were quick to engage with us, but the talk was casual and curious. In
May there was a heightened urgency to the conversations, and the
Iranians we met asked what we thought the United States would do,
whether the U.S. government might attack Iran, why shouldn’t Iran
have nuclear energy, and why did we think Iran wants to develop
nuclear weapons.
Our delegation in May arrived just days after President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad sent his letter to President Bush requesting a meeting,
and there was some misconception that our little citizen delegation
was some sort of a response to that letter. We were quick to dispel
this notion, and found it even a bit funny since our trips had been
planned many months in advance and we were definitely not emissaries
of the U.S. government. Nonetheless, our May delegation attracted a
great deal of media attention within Iran, both positive and negative,
and we had interviews with BBC, CNN, Reuters and The Associated Press,
as well as a number of Iranian news agencies.
There were many surprises in store for the members of our delegations,
and some misconceptions about Iran were corrected. For example:
Iranians hate Americans.
Without exception, the Iranians we met were extremely hospitable to
us. Everywhere we went, we were told, “We love Americans. Please
tell all your friends to come to Iran. Only — we don’t like your
government.”
The last night that we were in Tehran, during the May delegation,
we went to dinner in a large, traditional restaurant with live
music. During the evening the announcer said in Farsi, “We welcome
our friends from America who are here on a mission of peace.” When
he said this, there was loud and sustained applause.
Iran is a Third-World country.
The members of our delegations were amazed at the evidence of a high
level of development: sophisticated road systems, cell phones, safe
drinking water from the taps, advanced medical care, comprehensive
elementary education and a high level of literacy, higher education
including doctoral studies and original scientific research, many
high-rise buildings in Tehran, up-to-date and locally manufactured
vehicles. After seeing all this, one delegate said right out, “This
is not a Third-World country.” I noticed some significant changes
from the 1960s and ’70s; perhaps the most noticeable was the high
level of air pollution in Teheran.
Women are oppressed and forced to wear black covering.
Since the Iranian Revolution of 1979, it’s true that women in Iran
have been required, by law, to wear the hijab or modest covering
in public. This means that women (including non-Muslim Iranians
and foreigners) must cover arms and legs, wear modest, long tops,
and also cover at least part of their hair. In most cities of Iran,
however, women wear light scarves that cover some of their hair,
but they also wear light or even bright colors and not only black,
and some wear clothing that is quite tight-fitting. As one Iranian
woman said, “We are very romantic,” and Iranian women find ways to
make the veil alluring and lovely.
Many Iranian women would prefer to choose whether or not to wear
the veil. I was helping one of our delegates with her scarf on
the street one day, and some women passing by exclaimed, “Oh! You
are fixing your hijab!” We chatted a while and I said, “We are not
accustomed to wearing the hijab.” An Iranian woman answered quietly,
“No, we aren’t either.”
When we were in the holy city of Qom, we were advised to cover all of
our hair, and we wore borrowed chadors when we went to the courtyard
of the Shrine of Hadrat-e Fatima Ma’sooma, the daughter of one of the
twelve Imams of Shiism. The chador is a large semicircle of cloth,
worn with the center on the crown of the head and held under the
chin. Getting ourselves properly covered in these chadors drew a
crowd of women to help us and caused considerable amusement.
Women are involved in education and public life, and make up
approximately 60 percent of college students.
This number is even more impressive than it sounds because entrance
to a university is extremely competitive and only about 10 percent
of the applicants are accepted.
Religious minorities are oppressed and persecuted.
We visited the Vank Armenian Cathedral in Esfahan, a Jewish synagogue
in Tehran, and a Zoroastrian temple in Esfahan. We learned that these
religious minorities have complete freedom of worship, and religious
schools for Armenian and Jewish children are paid for by the Iranian
government. The Jewish representative to the Majlis (Parliament),
Mr. Morris Motamed, told us that there is, by law, no discrimination
in employment. Religious minorities serve in the armed forces, and
each has representation in the Majlis.
There are some difficulties for religious minorities, but we did see
thriving communities and active places of worship. To the amazement of
the Jews in our delegations, we saw Jewish Iranian men walking down
the street in Tehran wearing yarmulkes. We saw the houses of worship
clearly marked from the street as church, synagogue or temple. One
of the Armenian clergy told us that during the Iranian Revolution
there had been a riot in Esfahan, but when the mob came to the doors
of the cathedral, someone said, “No, this is the Armenian church,”
and they passed by without touching anything.
There is freedom of worship, but conversion from Islam to any other
religion is prohibited, and the indigenous religious minorities do
not proselytize Muslims. The Baha’is are considered apostates because
Baha’ism was an offshoot from Islam and Baha’is accept another prophet
who came after the Prophet Muhammad.
Iranians are all highly religious.
The members of our delegations were amazed to learn that Iran is
a highly secular society, with relatively low attendance at Friday
prayer services. A low percentage of Iranians follow Muslim practices
such as the daily ritual prayers, fasting during Ramadan, going on
the haj to Mecca. The young people in Iran are generally even less
observant than their elders.
The United States can promote reform by providing assistance to
dissidents.
Many Iranians do want a loosening of social and political
restraints. Approximately 70 percent of Iran’s population of 70 million
are under the age of 30, and many of them desire political and social
reform. Some social restrictions are gradually lifting: We saw young
couples walking and talking together, dating, holding hands.
However, all the Iranians we met said that they want reform to come
about from within: “We do want reform, but we don’t need U.S. help. We
want to do it ourselves.” Iranians still have a deep resentment
against the United States for the CIA-led coup in 1953, in which
Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh was removed from office and the
shah was returned to power. External efforts to support dissidents
will be counterproductive, increase distrust, and will be certain to
result in increased repression within Iran.
One Iranian asked me directly whether the Fellowship of Reconciliation
had received any funding from the U.S. government.
Iranians want to bomb Israel. President Ahmadinejad’s words on Israel
“Nobody believed that we would one day witness the collapse of the
Eastern Imperialism [i.e. the U.S.S.R.], and said that it was an iron
regime. But in our short lifetime we have witnessed how this regime
collapsed in such a way that we must look for it in libraries. …
“Imam [Khomeini] said that Saddam [Hussein] must go, and that he
would be eliminated in a way that was unprecedented. And what do you
see today? …
“Imam [Khomeini] said, ‘This regime that is occupying [Jerusalem]
must be eliminated from the pages of history.’ …
“The issue of Palestine is by no means over, and will end only when
all of Palestine will have a government belonging to the Palestinian
people. The refugees must return to their homes, and there must be
a government that has come to power by the will of the [Palestinian]
people.”
Translation of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s speech provided
by MEMRI (Middle East Media Research Institute) and dated Oct. 28,
2005.
Iranians are quick to point out that Iran has not been a military
aggressor in modern times and that Ayatollah Khomeini had declared
nuclear weapons un-Islamic. In a sense, this is a stronger prohibition
on developing, owning or using nuclear weapons than signing any
international treaty.
Iranians do not have animosity toward Jewish people, but rather toward
aggressive Zionism and injustice to the Palestinian people. It seems
to me that some of the political rhetoric against Israel and in support
of the Palestinians is a reaction against the friendship with Israel of
the late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and also against the U.S. support
of Israel at the expense of support for the Palestinians. The president
of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has not actually said the famous words,
“wipe Israel off the map.” What he did say was that as the Soviet
Union fell from power and as Saddam Hussein fell from power, so some
day the present government of Israel may also fall from power. (See
box to the right.)
Problems in Iran
I think that the Fellowship of Reconciliation-Iran delegates
are not naïve about the problems that exist in Iran today: There
is some discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities,
especially Baha’is; social and political oppression does exist;
there are restrictions on women; there is drug abuse, unemployment
and poverty. Iran does want to conduct nuclear research, at least
for peaceful purposes, as the government consistently declares,
and this would give Iran the start-up technology to develop nuclear
weapons. There is concern about Iran’s support of Hezbollah and about
the potential for future violence between Israel and neighboring
countries.
But military intervention is not a viable or acceptable answer,
and even sanctions may be ineffective or counterproductive. As talks
between Iran and the Western powers continue, I pray that every avenue
for a peaceful resolution will be pursued with patience and mutual
respect. I feel this particularly strongly because I have family
in Iran, whom I was blessed to visit on these two trips. Though my
Iranian husband and I divorced in the late 1970s, his family and I
had been close and it was wonderful to have the opportunity to see
them again after so many years.
On both trips to Iran, we visited Esfahan and the village of Natanz,
both of which are close to nuclear facilities. In the beautiful,
historic city of Esfahan, we realized that we were at what could
someday be another “Ground Zero.” The families we saw walking together,
the laughing children, the historic sites and breathtaking mosques
would all be destroyed if the United States attacked Iran’s nuclear
plants. I was reminded of a photo of a demonstration in California,
in which an Iranian-American child held up a sign saying, “Don’t bomb
my grandma.”
The Fellowship of Reconciliation delegations also traveled to
Shiraz. There we visited the tomb of the Persian poet Saadi, whose
words grace the entrance to the United Nations:
Human beings are all members of one body.
They are created from the same essence.
When one member is in pain, The others cannot rest.
If you do not care about the pain of others, You do not deserve to
be called a human being.
The Rev. Dr. Ellen Francis Poisson is a priest and a nun in the
Episcopal church. She lives in a convent of the Order of St. Helena
in New York City. She can be reached at [email protected].
–Boundary_(ID_QRAg6nxxiBcYqcEAC NR5KA)–

BELGIUM HONES ITS MEASURES AGAINST BRAND PIRACY
Markenbusiness, Germany
20.09.2006
Trademark News
The Belgian customs were not adversely astonished this May when a
consignment of 600 bottles of Armenian ‘champagne’ fell into their
hands. Champers from Armenia? The name is protected as a designation
of origin and is only allowed to be borne by sparkling wine that is
produced and bottled in the French region of Champagne itself
These East European bottles clearly represent a case of fake
produce. Admittedly the find was only a drop in the ocean, because
since 2004 the Belgian customs have confiscated around 11,400 fakes
purporting to be the select drink from France. In recent years,
altogether 26 million product imitations have been seized, consisting
primarily of cigarettes, drugs and food items. As a logistic hub for
the trade in forged items, Belgium has been occupying third place
in Europe for years. In 2005, in consideration of the number of
counterfeited articles confiscated, the country managed peak position
for the first time.
And so the Belgian Government is expressing a desire to strengthen
its struggle against brand piracy. The Secretary of State responsible
for modernization of finance and for the struggle against tax evasion,
Herve Jamar, has now announced some concrete steps to be taken. Three
main measures will form the main thrust: inspection by the customs is
due to be intensified and the remit of the authorities will be extended
by a new administration of justice to control of both the Belgian
internal borders and the outer boundaries of the EU itself. Also
announced was an extensive educational campaign. In the near future,
companies affected by brand piracy should be gathering round a table
to collectively develop an information campaign, which will enlighten
consumers of the dangers and risks inherent in forgeries. Jamar
noted that product forgery was being increasingly trivialized within
society. The campaign should reverse this trend.

ROGER LIEBERMAN: DIALOGUE ON THE TWO WORLD SYSTEM
By Roger H. Lieberman
Palestine Chronicle, WA
Tuesday September 19, 2006
It is essential to reflect on this background before one can comprehend
the widespread outrage at Pope Benedict XVI’s remarks in Germany.
Imagine, for a moment, how much more enjoyable and tranquil our
lives might be today had the US government pursued a thoughtful,
prudent response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Such
a response would, I believe, have rested on two essential elements:
the formation of an international coalition to neutralize al-Qaeda
and bring its leadership to justice, and a sweeping reform of US
Middle East policy to redress the grievances that had kindled the
hatred which inspired 9-11. The paramount aspects of the latter would
have been ending the Clinton Administration’s pointlessly callous and
horribly destructive embargo against Iraq that had cost the lives of
hundreds of thousands of children, and reframing America’s stance on
the Israel-Palestine conflict to recognize the complete equality of
both peoples’ rights in the Holy Land.
There is no reason why any US administration, even a conservative
Republican one like that of George W. Bush, could not have pursued
such policies, given sufficient common sense and decency. But
these qualities, alas, were altogether lacking in the power-crazed
neoconservative ideologues that the President had most unwisely filled
his cabinet with.
Thus, the Bush Administration opted instead to exploit the public’s
anger and fear as a license to embark on a ruthless expansion of US
military power aimed at tightening control over the resources of the
Middle East and Central Asia – buttressed at home by a torrent of lies,
propaganda, and political mud-slinging. And so we find ourselves five
years later with America and the Muslim World more estranged than
ever, and with nearly 3000 US troops, thousands of Afghans, and at
least 100,000 Iraqis dead who would otherwise be among the living.
It is essential to reflect on this background before one can comprehend
the widespread outrage at Pope Benedict XVI’s remarks in Germany
concerning the alleged philosophical differences between Islam and
Christianity. This is the second time this year that unkind references
to Islam from a Western source have elicited violent Muslim protests –
the first being an offensive cartoon published in a Danish newspaper.
Many American observers, not predisposed to thoughtful reflection,
simply take such happenings as vindication of their prejudices.
But such self-congratulatory hubris ignores the unfortunate and
abiding reality that the depiction of Islam as “irrational” and
“violent” represents far more than a theological rumination. On the
contrary, it has been the singular ideological driving force behind
America’s vicious post-9/11 Middle East policy – the “clash of
civiliations” doctrine dispensed like snake oil by neoconservative
quacks, ever since the collapse of the Soviet bloc necessitated the
concoction of a new rationale for maintaining a military industrial
complex. Thus, when the Pope expounds on the “logical” underpinings
of the “Judeo-Christian” West in contrast with the Islamic world,
even as an aside, he is sending the message to all concerned that he
sympathizes with a conceited ideology that has engendered widespread
death, destruction, and misery on multiple occasions.
Benedict’s casual reference to the polemics of a late-14th century
Byzantine emperor engaged in a war with the Turks taps into a long
tradition of Orientalism – the pseudo-scholarly study of Asian
societies that rests on the premise that they are built on moral
and philosophical foundations radically different from those that
inform the cultures of Europe and their derivatives. Ever since the
Crusades of the Middle Ages, Western rulers have encouraged such
propaganda during conflicts with Asian nations as a means to squelch
self-reflection and promote unthinking patriotic obedience among
their subjects.
Yet, it would not take long for a good fifth-grade schoolmarm to
deconstruct this obtuse theory via a brief walk through history.
The Byzantine Empire, as any honest historian knows, was hardly
a paragon of religious tolerance and logical governance. From the
moment Constantine I ascended the throne and wed Christianity to the
remnants of Roman political power, Christians whose interpretation of
scripture did not conform to state-sponsored dogma were persecuted –
particularly the Gnostic sects, whose writings, such as the recently
discovered Judas Gospel, continue to fascinate historians. Jews
were subject to severe restrictions on their social status, and,
in Constantinople, were ostracized into a ghetto. In the political
realm, corruption, intrigue, and murder were commonplace.
Looking at the wider Western world of the late Middle Ages and early
Renaissance, one finds little evidence of morally-conscious rulers
seeking to reconcile faith and reason. Consider the trouble men like
Copernicus and Galileo encountered when they sought to challenge the
Church-sanctioned conception of a changeless universe centered on a
motionless Earth. An Italian philosopher, Giordano Bruno, was burned
at the stake for teaching Copernican theory and speculating about life
on other planets. And, as astronomer Carl Sagan pointed out in one of
his wittiest books, Pope Calixtus III actually excommunicated Halley’s
Comet in 1456 because its appearance in the night sky coincided with
a major Turkish offensive in the Balkans – although, as Sagan points
out, its prior adherence to Catholicism was uncertain!
As for “conversion by the sword”, it is difficult to think of worse
examples than those provided by Christian Spain in the 15th and 16th
Centuries. The subjugation of the Canary Islands and its indigenous
Guanches inaugurated this onslaught. Every high school student who pays
a modicum of attention in class knows about the ruthless expulsion of
Jews and Muslims in 1492 after the marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella
unified Castille and Aragon. That year, of course, is also famous
for Columbus’ arrival in the Americas – initiating one of the most
rapid and destructive campaigns of conquest in history. Within fifty
years, the Arawaks of the West Indies were virtually extinct, the
ancient civilizations of Mexico and Peru lay in ruins, and millions
of indigenous Americans had perished from disease, starvation, and
slave labor.
When the conquistadors of Francisco Coronado came upon pueblos in the
American Southwest, a decree was read aloud in every town demanding
the inhabitants embrace Christianity or be exterminated!
Now that we have examined some of the less admirable episodes in
the annals of Western civilization, let us pause to recall some of
the achievements of Muslim lands during the same period. It is a
well-known fact that Arab and Persian scholars not only preserved
and translated the learning of classical Greece, but also greatly
improved upon the Greeks’ understanding of mathematics, geography,
medicine, and astronomy. The golden age of Moorish Spain boasted
many esteemed Jewish, as well as Muslim, scholars – including Hasdai
ibn-Chaprut and Maimonides. When Constantinople fell to the Muslim
Turks in 1453, its Jews were emancipated, and many Sephardic Jews
fleeing the Spanish Inquisition in later years found refuge in the
Ottoman realm – including Palestine. The cities of the classical
Muslim world, from Cordoba to Cairo to Damascus to Baghdad, were
revered throughout Eurasia as centers of learning and commerce.
But before we rush to dismiss Pope Benedict’s recent homily outright,
we must also examine the acts of intolerance and violence which
important Muslim societies have unquestionably committed. Although
Moorish rule in Spain was generally characterized by respect for the
rights of Jews and Christians, it also witnessed episodes of severe
religious persecution – particularly under the fundamentalist Berber
Almoravids. The people of Nuristan, on the northeast Afghan frontier,
were indeed forcibly converted to Islam little more than a century
ago. There is little to praise in the Ottoman Empire’s oppressive
rule over predominantly Christian lands such as Greece, Serbia,
and Bulgaria, where teenage boys were regularly conscripted into the
Turkish army as janissaries.
Moreover, the violent collapse of Ottoman rule during the First World
War witnessed the genocidal massacre of Armenians – a crime against
humanity as grave as the Jewish Holocaust which modern Turkey,
a long-time US ally, continues to stubbornly deny in the face of
indisputable facts.
There is a lesson to be learned here by all humanity – that the
true dividing line in human affairs is not between East and West,
or whites and non-whites. It is between those who recognize that
all cultures – including their own, have the capacity for both the
profoundest enlightenment and the basest evil, and those who persist
in believing that some peoples have inherently superior cultures,
and thus superior human rights. Around the world one sees a veritable
epidemic of blind patriots – Americans who refuse to feel sorrow for
the slaughter of the First Nations, Chinese who harden their hearts
toward the Tibetans whose society they have mutilated, Japanese
who still celebrate the murderous exploits of their bygone empire,
Australians who plead innocent to the subjugation of the Aborigines,
Arabs who belittle the crisis in Darfur, Turks who persist in their
deluded denial of the Armenian genocide, and Israelis (and their
Western supporters) who work themselves into spasms whenever the
Palestinian Nakba of 1948, and the ongoing plight of the refugees,
is mentioned.
The greatest obstacle to constructive self-reflection by members of any
society is, of course, the ongoing experience of conflict. If it has
been difficult for Americans to recognize their societal failings in
the aftermath of 9-11, it is far more difficult for Arabs and Muslims
to come to terms with theirs while under incessant threat of economic
punishment and military assault from the US and its allies. Yet,
in spite of the grotesque disparity between the two sides in this
deepening conflict, thoughtful men and women must transcend national
and sectarian boundaries in the quest for reconciliation – even if,
at times, this means getting our feelings hurt.
-Roger H. Lieberman is a graduate of Rutgers University with a Masters’
Degree in Environmental Science.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

GEORGIAN OFFICIALS HAIL RUSSIA PLAN FOR EARLY BASE PULLOUT
RIA Novosti
21:49 | 19/ 09/ 2006
TBILISI, September 19 (RIA Novosti) – Georgia’s Defense Ministry
voiced its approval Tuesday for Russia’s decision to complete an
ahead-of-schedule withdrawal of its two Soviet-era military bases in
the Caucasus country, as a train carrying the last batch of hardware
from one of the bases left Georgia.
Under an agreement signed by Russia and Georgia on March 31, Russian
troops and military hardware are to leave the bases in the southern
city of Akhalkalaki and the western city of Batumi by 2008.
General Andrei Popov, Russia’s chief military commander in the South
Caucasus, said a total of 727 units of hardware and 2626.6 metric
tons of arms, ammunition, and general equipment had left Georgia for
bases in Russia and Armenia since the beginning of this year.
“The 2006 plan for the withdrawal of Russian bases from Georgia can
be considered 100% implemented,” Popov said.

CLONING AROUND
Entertainment Weekly
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
On “Weeds,” the mother plant survives the non-raid, but Sanjay has
destroyed much of the crop; meanwhile, Yael surprises Andy
by Hannah Tucker
WHO’S THE MAN? Andy’s relationship took an unexpected turn
The mother plant is present and accounted for, but her life hangs in
the balance. Things are tense. Conrad, who really didn’t need to be
reminded that he’s surrounded by idiots, has to save Mama from Andy’s
panicked and unconventional hydration methods and then tend to a new
batch of clones to make up for the ones Sanjay tried to flush. For
their part, poor Andy and Sanjay (both of whom must’ve lost many
games of hide-and-seek as children) are understandably shaken by the
DEA raid. Andy comments that his pretty face would get him unwanted
attention in prison, and oh, how ironic that observation will seem by
the end of the episode. Who needs inmates when you’ve got Yael and
her bedroom accessories? Not only is that moment more than Andy was
bargaining for, but it also makes the massage-parlor incident look
as risque as an episode of Blue’s Clues. I say: Mazel tov, Andy! Who
knew rabbinical school would open your eyes to so many new things?
Apart from these highlights (sorry, but half the fun of this TV Watch
is getting away with these puns), this was not a particularly strong
episode. As Celia’s swipe at Doug (“You won’t be able to get a seat
in a chair factory”) suggests, the writing was a bit lackluster. Not
that the half hour was devoid of fine moments that kept things
rolling – like Nancy’s horrified expression when Shane says he’s
joining the debate team, and Vaneeta finally getting the nerve to
tell off Heylia. But buying Shane a car to help him get past losing
Megan and inviting Peter and Conrad out for a nice dinner to smooth
things over? Nancy is usually more creative than that (although the
black dress was very Lacy LaPlante of her).
Still, I’m sure there’s no reason to panic, just as there’s no need for
a panic room. (Actually, just the idea of being stoned in a windowless
room with reinforced walls makes me paranoid.) Surely the bloom’s
not off the rose, nor the mother plant. I’m looking forward to the
possibility that these pedestrian plot points will lead to surprises
next week. Maybe shin-kicking Shane will actually get the girl. Maybe
Silas won’t wreck his new wheels in the first five minutes. Maybe
Nancy will really buy herself a gold tooth!
What do you think? Will Peter and Conrad declare war or call for
a truce? Is this really the last we’ve seen of the Armenians? Will
Heylia choose her risky business or her scary suitor? Will Dean be
able to balance doing virtually nothing to help the grow business
and doing virtually nothing to manage his daughter’s career?

RUSSIAN MFA: TRANSNISTRIA RESIDENTS USED DIRECT DEMOCRACY INSTITUTION
PanARMENIAN.Net
19.09.2006 17:31 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ For over 16 years the population of Transnistria
lives under the conditions of an unsettled conflict and out of the
constitutional field of the Republic of Moldova. Various models
of political settlement, proposed by international mediators, and
first of all by Russia, were not implemented, says a comment of
the Department of Information and Print of the Russian MFA on the
referendum in Transnistria.
The Russian MFA Believes that Transnistria residents used direct
democracy institution, i.e. referendum, to express their ideas on
the preferred form of securing stability and predictability in the
region. High level of participation is registered (according to the
Transnistria Central Electoral Commission 78.6% of those having vote
right took part in the referendum) and there were no significant
shortcomings,” says the MFA statement.
The Russian party hopes that in this situation OSCE and Ukraine
mediators, as well as US and EU observers invited in the past will
activate their efforts to form necessary preconditions for restoring
the negotiation process with participation of Kishinev and Tiraspol,
reports the Russian MFA Press Office.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FOR IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE
Fund for Armenian Relief
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Edina N. Bobelian
Tel: (212) 889-5150; Fax: (212) 889-4849
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:
September 18, 2006
____________________
FAR GIVES HOPE TO CHILDREN OF ARMENIA THROUGH SUMMER CAMP
Lucineh Minasyan was only 2 and her sister Armineh was only 1 when both
their parents died. They were adopted by their aunt and uncle, who do their
best to take care of the sisters along with their own two children. The
girls help their uncle grow vegetables, but without enough money to pay for
irrigation, the yield is disappointing.
“So our meals are rather modest and we cannot even dream of fruit or ice
cream,” Lucineh said. “We do not feel we are kids, because we share all the
hardships of our elders.”
This summer, thanks to the Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR) and a small, but
dedicated, Armenian community in Texas, the sisters have reclaimed their
childhood by attending summer camp. They attended the FAR-run Kaps Summer
Camp, located in a small forest just outside Gyumri.
“At camp, we feel that we are still kids,” Lucineh said. “We feel like
Cinderellas, even though after the camp we have to return to our regular
routine. Nevertheless, I thank God that He gave me and my sister these
wonderful days at camp.”
CREATING CHILDHOODS
During Soviet control of Armenia, authorities provided summer camp
opportunities. But since the independence of the Republic of Armenia, the
fledgling government has not been able to provide these respites.
The children of Armenia live with lingering emotional damage caused by the
war, the 1988 earthquake, and economic problems. With these troubles, their
childhoods easily slip away.
“I have never been to a youth camp before,” said 12-year-old Hasmik
Antonian. “I am happy to be free from household responsibilities. At camp,
I feel a careless childhood.”
When the nation became independent and the communist economy cracked,
unemployed parents and newly widowed, single parents could not afford
leisure activities for their children. When the children were not working
or studying, many could easily find trouble in the streets.
The father of Armen and Arman Gasparyan, 14-year-old twins, died in a car
accident. Now their mother works extra hard just to make a living. But
this year, at the Kaps Camp, they learned that getting into trouble did not
help.
“We realize how hard it is for her, but very often we do not behave and make
her life harder,” said the youngsters. “In camp, being in the oldest group,
we realize that being older is also a responsibility. After camp, we will
be more serious and lessen our mom’s burden.”
To provide high-quality, child-centered leisure activities for disadvantaged
youngsters, the Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR) began organizing summer camps
throughout the country. In 1998, FAR re-opened the camp in the village of
Kaps, an agricultural community situated 7 miles northeast of Gyumri.
Originally founded in 1828 by immigrants from Bayazet, a town at the foot of
Mount Ararat, the camp was shuttered during Armenia’s difficult transition
to independence. Since its re-establishment, the camp annually welcomes
about 140 children, between the ages of 10 and 14.
FAR re-established the Kaps Camp because, unlike neighboring villages, Kaps
remained below the radar of assistance programs. Along with renovating and
operating the Kaps Camp, FAR made a commitment to village residents by
installing a water pipe and sewage system.
Kaps is currently the only camp 100% run by FAR. Both in the past and
presently, the organization has provided funding and operational assistance
to help other camps begin and expand. Most of these camps now operate with
the help of other organizations or on their own.
TRIP CREATES OPPORTUNITIES
This summer, the Kaps Camp was not going to open because of insufficient
funds. At about the time FAR realized the camp would not open, a group of
young Armenian-Americans was touring Armenia with the FAR Young
Professionals Trip.
During their stay in Gyumri, one Young Professionals member, Ken Maranian of
Austin, Texas, was heartbroken to hear the news. He asked Marina Bazayeva,
FAR’s Gyumri Office Director, how much was needed to open the camp for the
final month of summer. She replied $8,000. Maranian asked others on the
Young Professionals trip to sponsor the Kaps Camp. Just over lunch that
day, they raised more than $3,000.
Going back home to Texas, he and Glyssie Berberian drew together the small
community there to find funding to fill the gap. They were inspired by what
they saw in Armenia on their FAR trips and wanted to make a difference in
the lives of these young children. “We can’t let the camp be cancelled,”
Maranian said. “It’s important to let the children enjoy the summer, let
them have fun and play.”
The small amount of $8,000 made a profound difference in the lives of the
children who were able to go to camp this year.
“The camp gave me an opportunity to relax and feel myself carefree and have
a chance to think of my future,” said 14-year-old Arthur Barsegyan. “I had
enough time to reflect on my life and decided to study math and become a
university instructor and do research to fill my life with sense and not
vegetate as I do now.”
“This is possible thanks to two interested Armenian-Americans who energized
their friends, family, and community,” said FAR Programs Director Arto
Vorperian. “Small amounts of support go a long way to provide hope,
opportunity, and empowerment to our brothers and sisters in Armenia. We
were able to give these children a couple of weeks at camp thanks to the
help of Ken and Glyssie. If you want to make a difference in the lives of
Armenians, you can do that without a big check.”
MORE THAN TIME OFF
FAR’s Kaps Camp is more than time away from chores. It includes activities
designed to develop the children, such as painting, sewing, and needle-work.
Children also take part in guided tours of museums, parks, and nearby
religious heritage sites. Campers receive nutritious meals and have access
to a full-time doctor.
Thanks to the donors from Texas, inspired by a participant of the Young
Professionals Trip, 140 kids were able to take advantage of the
life-changing opportunities of camp.
“In camp I realized that I have a whole life in front of me, whereas at home
I was under an impression that my life is limited to washing clothes and
cleaning floors,” said 13-year-old Hasmik Kirakosyan, whose parents are
unemployed. “Now, I am thinking of studying to become an engineer to design
home appliances that will alleviate housewives’ housekeeping burden.”
ABOUT FAR
Since its founding in response to the 1988 earthquake, FAR has served
millions of people through more than 220 relief and development programs in
Armenia and Karabagh. It has channeled more than $265 million in
humanitarian assistance by implementing a wide range of projects including
emergency relief, construction, education, medical aid, and economic
development.
FAR, one of the preeminent relief and development organization operating
there, is dedicated to realizing the dream of a free, democratic,
prosperous, and culturally rich Armenia. It works towards a brighter future
by partnering with donors to make life a little better for our people. By
offering hope and more promising prospects in Armenia, Karabagh, and
Javakhk, FAR binds the Diaspora and the Armenian family together around the
globe.
For more information on FAR or to send donations, contact us at 630 Second
Avenue, New York, NY 10016; telephone (212) 889-5150; fax (212) 889-4849;
web ; e-mail [email protected].
— 9/18/06
E-mail photos available on request.
PHOTO CAPTION (1): Campers at the Kaps Summer Camp, run by the Fund for
Armenian Relief (FAR), thank the Armenian community in Texas for providing
the funds that allowed the camp to remain open this summer.
PHOTO CAPTION (2): Campers at the FAR-run Kaps Summer Camp perform a dance,
just one of the activities designed to give a normal childhood to the needy
youngsters in the Gyumri area.
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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress