Nagornyy Karabakh republic [NKR], Arkadiy Gukasyan leader visiting
Armenia
Arminfo, Yerevan
18 Jul 06
Stepanakert , 18 July: The president of the Nagornyy Karabakh republic
[NKR], Arkadiy Gukasyan, left for Yerevan on 17 July on a short
working visit.
During the visit, Gukasyan is to meet high-ranking Armenian officials
and representatives of the public, the press service of the NKR
president told Arminfo.

Conference on “Integrated Water Resources Management Process in Armenia” to
be held in October
ArmRadio.am
18.07.2006 17:58
“Country Water Partnership” and “Sustainable Water Environment” NGOs,
and ” JINJ” Ltd. engineering and consulting company are going to
organize a three-day national field conference on 26-28 of October,
2006 devoted to ” Integrated Water Resources Management Process
in Armenia”.
The purpose of the Conference is to summarize the activities carried
out so far in Armenia in the integrated water resources management
direction, to identify the needs and priorities, prioritize them.
The organization of the Conference became possible with the financial
support of Global Water Partnership of Central Asia and Caucasus
(GWP CACENA).
The idea of holding the Conference is supported also by the RA Ministry
of Nature Protection, the Permanent Commission for Social, Health
and Environmental Protection Issues under the RA National Assembly
and the State Committee of Water Systems under the RA Ministry for
Territorial Administration.

IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE WHO KARABAKH WILL BELONG TO
Lragir.am
18 July 06
The G8 statement on the conflict over Karabakh is an ordinary
statement, announced Vazgen Manukyan, the leader of the National
Democratic Union, July 18. He says that the year 2006 specified in
the statement of G8, during which the great powers call the conflict
parties to reach agreement on the basic principles of settlement,
does not make the statement special. “After all, they are not saying
that if you do not reach agreement in 2006, we will station forces,”
says Vazgen Manukyan.
“For these big states it is not important Karabakh is inside Armenia
or inside Azerbaijan. They are interested that there is not a conflict
which may impact them as well. They want a prosperous life and they do
not want a conflict,” says the leader of the NDU. He does not think
that the OSCE Minsk Group statement on placing responsibility on the
conflict parties increased the risk that the war will ignite again.
Aliyev realizes that there will be no signature to mark whom Karabakh
belongs to, and the only way to take it is war. First of all, any war
can be lost, and he has already lost the war for several times, he
knows that even if he is twice or three times stronger, he is not the
winner. Nobody can say I will wage a war and win, says Vazgen Manukyan.
“When the war starts, they are living a prosperous life inside their
clans, and earn billions of dollars. Why should they risk everything
they have, why should they risk the oil pipeline, why should they
risk their relation with the West? Therefore in the nearest future
I do not expect that their threat will be important.
This does not mean that there will not be a war in the future, but
now it is not worthwhile to treat it seriously. We must negotiate
with a cool head and develop our state,” says the leader of the NDU.
According to him, it is wrong to think that the statement of co-chairs
untie the hands of conflict parties and give them their approval to
wage a war.
“It is a trick. They do such things during negotiations. During the
talks one of the parties may slam the door then returns or is asked to
return. Negotiations are negotiations, it has its technologies. This
is one of the technologies of talks, which I think is normal. On the
one hand, this can be explained psychologically.
People constantly offer proposals, but since they understand that
there cannot be a compromise with regard to the Karabakh issue,
they are also responsible for those who empowered them to conduct
the talks,” says Vazgen Manukyan.

HE WILL DEMAND ROBERT KOCHARYAN’S RESIGNATION BUT IS
CONVINCED…
Lragir.am
18 July 06
If we compare the proposal on settlement presented in 1997 and what
Mathew Bryza revealed, we can say that the present proposal has
a positive difference, stated Vazgen Manukyan, the leader of the
National Democratic Union, July 18 at the Pastark Club, speaking
about the present process of settlement of the Karabakh conflict.
“What is there in comparison? If they used to say that we will return
the territories except Lachin and wait that the status of Karabakh
will be settled sooner of later, here the question of Kelbajar is put
forward besides Lachin, and a special way should be found for Lachin
and Kelbajar. It is not clear what it means An attempt is made to
settle the Karabakh issue in a referendum, and somewhere in the middle
Karabakh is granted a status, international or whatever. But neither
can reach a resolution because the main issue has been withdrawn,”
says Vazgen Manukyan.
According to him, it is possible to make a compromise on territories,
refugees, infrastructure and other questions, but it will not solve
the problem. “The point is that Karabakh gained independence both
constitutionally and in an imposed war, it is an independent state.
Without signing a paper, this independent state cannot be part of
a state where it does not want to be. In other words, there is no
compromise,” says Vazgen Manukyan. He presents the proposal which is
acceptable for him.
“If Azerbaijan accepted that Karabakh is not part of Azerbaijan,
the other questions would be agreed on. If Azerbaijan did not accept
that negotiations cannot lead anywhere, I am 100 percent sure,”
states Vazgen Manukyan. He says in this case the talks need to be
prolonged as much as possible. Vazgen Manukyan says temporizing is
favorable for Karabakh because Armenia and Azerbaijan did little to
grow powerful as states.
“In terms of political psychology time favored Karabakh. In what
sense? If in the beginning everyone thought that Karabakh separated
from Azerbaijan by chance, and it should be joined to Karabakh again,
they know that if a state remains separate for 15 years, it cannot
be made to join another state,” says the leader of the NDU. He
says although Azerbaijan possesses oil, Armenia may play down this
factors if it adopts a right policy on internal management. Vazgen
Manukyan mentions that after the ceasefire the battlefield was moved
to the sphere of economy, where Armenia and Azerbaijan did not have
significant success.
For Armenia, the leader of the NDU points out four directions: economy,
law enforcement, civil sphere, Armenia-Diaspora relations.
But the processes underway in these spheres are not sufficient
to gain a favorable position, thinks Vazgen Manukyan. Otherwise,
he says, the factor of the Azerbaijani oil cannot be an advantage,
although it may also be a disadvantage, he says.
Vazgen Manukyan disagrees that economic progress in Armenia is hindered
by the unsettled conflict over Karabakh. “For the development of the
Armenian economy, the factor of Karabakh which led to blocked roads,
is in the fourth or fifth place. The first is corruption, monopoly,
bad management,” says Vazgen Manukyan.
According to him, the economic state would not change essentially
if the Karabakh issue were resolved in 1997. The leader of the NDU
believes that Armenia would not become an route for transportation
of oil because it is a geopolitical matter. “The Turkish-Armenian
border would open, but I think at that time the Armenian economy was
less prepared for it than now,” says the leader of the NDU.
He states that if Robert Kocharyan signs the present document, he will
demand his resignation because Kocharyan came to power being against
the stage-by-stage settlement. “What was the point of the marasmus
of the past eight years?” asks Vazgen Manukyan. He is convinced,
however, that Robert Kocharyan will not sign the document.
Though Vazgen Manukyan says that over the past years Robert Kocharyan
has made the West understand that the problem is reaching agreement
with him, and he will solve the problem of agreement between Armenia
and Karabakh. Vazgen Manukyan thinks the consequence of this is that
the participation of Karabakh became secondary. The leader of NDU,
however, assigns everything to the boyish character of the head
of state.

TRUTH OF INVESTIGATION OF CRASH NOT TO BE PUBLISHED
Lragir.am
18 July 06
This is the opinion of majority of our readers who voted to the poll
of the Lragir. The question of this poll, which lasted for 7 days,
we asked our readers if in their opinion the whole truth about the
investigation of the plane crash will be published. 73 percent voted
for the answer “no”. 22 percent think the truth will be published
but years later. Only 5 percent of readers voted for the answer “yes”.

DEBATES ON ELECTORAL CODE IN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Lragir.am
18 July 06
During the consulation conducted by Speaker Tigran Torosyan on July
18 the representatives of parliament factions and groups continued
the debate on the Electoral Code. The Public Relations Department
of the National Assembly reports that during the consultation they
worked out principles of solutions connected with several proposals
of the Commission of Venice. The next debate on the Electoral Code
is on July 21 at 11 o’clock.

Lebanon: the world looks on
· EU criticism of Israel removed
· Statement diluted following British pressure
· Death toll passes 200
Ewen MacAskill and Rory McCarthy in Nahariya, and Patrick Wintour in
St Petersburg
Tuesday July 18, 2006
The Guardian
Western leaders remained paralysed yesterday as Lebanon suffered one
of its bloodiest days since Israel began its bombardment a week ago.
For the second time in 48 hours western governments declined to
intervene as Israeli forces, on the sixth day of aerial attacks,
killed 47 people and wounded at least 53. Hizbullah, the Iranian-backed
militia, also stepped up its attacks, launching 50 rockets against
Israel, the highest number in a single day. The death toll since
Israel began its attack has risen to 210 in Lebanon and 29 in Israel.
Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, dismissed hopes of a quick
resolution to the conflict last night, vowing his military would
continue operating at full intensity. He said Israel would not stop
until two of its captured soldiers were freed, the Lebanese army
deployed to protect Israel’s northern border and Hizbullah forced
to disarm.
He said both Hizbollah and Hamas, the Palestinian group, were working
with the support of “the axis of evil that stretches from Tehran to
Damascus. When missiles rain on our cities, our response will be to
wage war with greater determination, courage and sacrifice,” he said.
“We don’t seek war or head-on confrontation but if necessary we shall
not flinch from them.”
After the failure of the G8 meeting in St Petersburg at the weekend
to step in, EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels yesterday also
settled for a bland joint statement that exposed divisions between
European governments.
EU foreign ministers called on Israel not to resort to
“disproportionate action” but criticism of Israel in an original
draft was diluted after pressure from Britain and Germany, Israel’s
closest EU allies.
In southern Lebanon, an Israeli strike yesterday afternoon on a
bridge in the port city of Sidon left 10 civilians dead, including
two children. Three Israeli tanks briefly crossed into Lebanon and
Israeli Army Radio, quoting a senior officer, said Israel would
enforce a half-mile “free-fire” zone to bar Hizbullah from the border.
For the second straight day, Hizbullah rockets landed in the
coastal city of Haifa where officials closed the port. A rocket
hit and demolished part of a house, leaving two people injured,
one seriously. Other rockets reached even further south into Israel,
as far as the town of Afula, just above the West Bank.
The British government airlifted 41 Britons stranded in Lebanon
and promised to evacuate others by sea if necessary. The US sent an
aircraft carrier in preparation for an evacuation of thousands of
its 25,000 citizens in Lebanon.
The US and Britain insisted on Sunday at the G8 summit in St Petersburg
that criticism of Israel be removed from a joint communique. Both
appear ready to allow Israel a further few days in which to target
Hizbullah, after which there will be a ceasefire.
A Foreign Office source said: “Everyone is grappling with this but
no one is entirely sure how to deal with it.”
John Bolton, the US ambassador to the UN, insisted that the UN security
council should delay any action until the UN envoy now in the Middle
East, Vijay Nambiar, returns this week to New York. Mr Nambiar said:
“We hope that we will be able to see our way toward …
a de-escalation of the crisis.”
Tony Blair and Kofi Annan, the UN secretary general, called yesterday
for the 2,000-strong UN observer force on the Israel-Lebanon border
to be expanded. Mr Blair said: “The only way we’re going to get
a cessation of hostilities is if we have the deployment of an
international force into that area, that can stop the bombardment
over into Israel, and therefore give Israel a reason to stop its
attacks on Hizbullah.” But the US is lukewarm and Israel described
the proposal as premature.
The French prime minister, Dominique de Villepin, flew to Beirut,
the highest-level international presence since the crisis began. He
called on Israel and Hizbollah to implement an immediate ceasefire
on humanitarian grounds and for the release of the Israeli soldiers.
The Iranian foreign minister, Manoucher Mottaki, said yesterday that
end to the fighting and an exchange of hostages would be acceptable
and fair. Iran is the main backer of Hizbullah, which is holding
the two Israeli soldiers prisoner. After meeting Syrian officials in
Damascus, he said: “A reasonable and just solution must be found to
end this crisis. A ceasefire and then a swap is achievable.”
Exasperation with the international response was expressed last night
by Fouad Siniora, the Lebanese prime minister. In an interview with
Channel 4 News he said: “Until now I am very disappointed, but I can
tell you there is still time to make a real decision in the UN. Stop
this massacre that is happening in Lebanon because the more they
inflict casualties the worse it becomes.”
In the wind-up of the St Petersburg summit, Mr Bush and Mr Blair blamed
Iran and Syria for encouraging Hizbullah. In a private conversation
picked up by a microphone, the two men singled out Bashir Assad, the
Syrian president, as the figure stoking violence in the Palestinian
territories and Iraq as well as in Lebanon. They claimed that Mr
Assad was trying to destabilise the region and block the introduction
of democracy.
Parts of the conversation were almost inaudible but a senior British
diplomat confirmed that the two leaders had identified Mr Assad as
the prime culprit and described him sarcastically as a real sweetie
and honey.
–Boundary_(ID_o54eo8rnFKkbT9bI3LrBRg)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Hundreds more Australians to evacuate Lebanon
ABC Online, Australia
July 19 2006
AM – Wednesday, 19 July , 2006 08:00:00
Reporter: Karen Barlow
TONY EASTLEY: The evacuation of foreign nationals out of strife-torn
Lebanon is in full swing, but there are grave fears for Australians
trapped in the south of the country.
Two bus convoys loaded with Australians have now successfully escaped
by road, and another 400 Australians are expected to leave Beirut
today on chartered ferries.
American, French and Canadian nationals are among the thousands of
others all leaving in one of the biggest seaborne evacuation operations
since World War II.
Karen Barlow reports.
KAREN BARLOW: George Atamian is now in the Jordanian capital Amman
after escaping Lebanon on a bus with the Sydney Armenian Dance Troupe.
GEORGE ATAMIAN: It honestly feels pretty good. It feels good in a way
that you know we’re free and we’re safer out here, but at the same
time, I sort of feel pretty bad, ’cause I’ve got a lot of friends
there that I’ve sort of met and some family up there as well and yeah,
I just feel really bad for them, what they have to go through.
KAREN BARLOW: Just over a week ago, the Melburnian was in Germany
enjoying the World Cup finals.
He decided on a whim to travel to Lebanon to visit family and friends;
then the bombardment began.
GEORGE ATAMIAN: That was some scary moments. We actually felt, yeah,
that they were pretty close.
KAREN BARLOW: George Atamian knew members of the Dance Troupe and
decided to stay with them when they bunkered down in their Beirut
hotel.
GEORGE ATAMIAN: The mood around the hotel wasn’t too bad. We sort of
had some hope that the Government would sort of do something and help
us out there and yeah, so I guess fortunate enough to be out now.
GEORGE ATAMIAN: Thousands of other Australians are needing help to
get out of the conflict zone.
More than 7,000 citizens are now registered with the Australia embassy
in Beirut.
The Foreign Affairs Minister, Alexander Downer, says the Government
is working as hard as it can.
ALEXANDER DOWNER: Look, we one way or another will, I think, be able to
get all the people who want to get out fairly soon, with an exception,
and that is the people in the south who I’m especially worried about.
KAREN BARLOW: A chartered ferry will today arrive off Beirut to take
about 300 Australians to Turkey, and a further 100 Australians will
travel on a Canadian chartered ship.
Priority will be given to families with children, the elderly and
the sick.
Mr Downer says the Government is negotiating with Israel to ensure
a safe passage for exiting foreign nationals.
ALEXANDER DOWNER: We have a good relationship with Israel and they,
I understand, are concerned. Of course they’ve got to do what they
have to do in relation to Hezbollah, and they’re going to continue
to wage war against Hezbollah.
KAREN BARLOW: Alexander Downer says the Government is trying to
charter another ship for Friday and a bigger one for Saturday.
TONY EASTLEY: Karen Barlow.

13 members of a network of car thieves have been arrested
By m.p.
Tue, 18 Jul 2006, 21:26
Typically Spanish, Spain
July 19 2006
The police have arrested 13 members of a criminal network which
specialised in stealing luxury cars on the coast of Valencia and
Alicante, and exporting them to other countries. They also targeted
areas in Madrid and on the Costa del Sol.
Eleven of the people taken into custody are from Armenia, which
is where most of the stolen cars were sent. The other two are from
Bulgaria and Cuba.
Police made five property searches: two in Denia and one in Gandía
in Alicante province, and one each in Oliva and Cullera in Valencia.
They seized 10 luxury cars, a jet ski, stolen registration plates,
blank vehicle documentation, and 7,000 ~@ in cash.
h/article_5440.shtml
–Boundary_(ID_gqLZZOZh5/JB4 ZmJIytnNg)–

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
July 19 2006
Right of Self Defence, Terror and Turkish-American Relations Print
Tuesday , 18 July 2006
View: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sedat Laciner
Palestine lost almost all infrastructures when Hamas militants
kidnapped one Israeli soldier. 1.5 millions have been confined to a
life without electricity, water and job. On the other hand, killed
more than 200 Lebanon people, bombarded cities, airports, destroyed
highways and so many places became a compensation of two kidnapped
Israeli soldiers. Isreal says ~SI am defending my-self.~T At the same
time, the countries like USA, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia
say that Israel have a right to self defence. It is very open that
Tel-Aviv acts such a careless way by gaining the support of the US.
But, does the right of self defence just belong to Israel in the
Middle East? For example, doesn~Rt Turkey have such a right?
Turkey has given terrorism more than 36.000 victims. The PKK is the
bloodiest terrorist organization in the world. It is among the first
places in the lists of terrorist organizations of both the US and the
EU. Besides, it does not have democratically elected-members unlike
the Hamas and Hezbollah. It sustains its name with its massacres. It
has not become possible to destroy this organization in spite of all
efforts of Turkey because of the foreign support to the PKK
terrorism: The main supporters of the organization were Syria, Greece
and Greek Cypriots. The PKK trained its militants in these countries.
The retired or active high ranked soldiers from the Greek Army
trained the militants by personally attending the PKK camps in
Lebanon and Syria. When Abdullah Ocalan was captured, he was carrying
the Greek Cypriot passport. The PKK’s leader was captured in front of
the Greek Embassy in Kenya. Ocalan entered Greece several times and
made high level contacts there. The supprot to terrorism is not
limited just these three countries. The organization also had offices
in Russia, Armenia and several other countries and it collected
extortions and donations, made drug smuggling, kidnapping people,
human trafficing etc. Its de facto current supporter is the US
controlled state Iraq.
The PKK has more than 10 armed camps in Iraq. These camps are located
in the northeast part of the country. In addition to this, the PKK
have direct or indirect offices in many cities of Iraq. Lastly, they
opened an office in Baghdad called ~SOcalan Culture Center~T. Turkey
transferred the information of all these developments with the
documents to the Baghdad Government, to the US authorities and to the
Kurdish authority in the north Iraq. Yet, they have nothing to do
except wasting Turkey~Rs time. The USA says: ~SGo and talk to the
Baghdad, they are governing the Iraq~T. On the other hand the Baghdad
says ~SI have no power in that region, I cannot destroy the PKK bases,
go and talk with the Kurdish Authority in the North Iraq.~T However,
the Kurds in the North Iraq say that ~SMy power is not enough to fight
against this organization~T. But, it is well known fact that Barzani
supports the PKK and Talabani neglects the PKK activities. It is very
open that the PKK opened the offices with condoning of Iraqi Kurds
and the Baghdad administration. It is not true that the USA is not
competent in the country. USA, it is the most powerful element to the
most distant police station in Iraq today. America can make raids
with weapons even to the bedrooms of the houses when it wants to deal
with the Al Queade. But when it is time to take into consideration to
deal with a terrorist organization which is attacking to Turkey the
situation is changing.
Turkey~Rs patience is finishing. The PKK is attacking civil targets in
Turkey under the protection of Iraq and Iraqi Kurds. It kills police
officers and soldiers. The PKK puts bombs to the school buses… And
the USA says ~Swe cannot do anything~T.
It is not possible for Turkey to endure to this game.
Turkey also has a right of self defence and it has to use this right
immediately. The Kandil Mountain and its environment is about to be
bombarded in near future. What is more important is that the groups
who are protecting the PKK in the North Iraq are all in the target.
The US also should know: The main reason of the US troubles in the
region so far is that it became an enemy with anybody in the region,
except the Kurdish tribes. Along the history the only super power
which established its Middle East policy by excluding Arabs, Persians
and the Turks all together is the US, and the failure is very vivid.
If the US needs Turkey in any area, it must give up protecting the
PKK in Iraq. The Turkish people never give tolerance to any super
power which gives tolerance to an organization that kills their
children. If the US is a superpower, it should have the power to
prevent the terrorists to establish terror bases in north Iraq, if
the US is not a superpower, Turkey has enough power to protect its
children from PKK terrorism.
Trn. by Emre Ozkan, USAK
JTW
18 July 2006