Armenia concerned over BTC launch
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
July 17 2006
Baku, July 14, AssA-Irada — Armenia is concerned over the
commissioning of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) main export pipeline,
a pipe to take Caspian oil to world markets, and its estrangement
from numerous regional projects, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan
Oskanian told the press Friday.
He maintained that his country would use “other means” to counter
Azerbaijan’s strengthening due to the latter’s considerable oil
resources, in particular, internal and international efforts, as well
as the Diaspora’s activity.
Oskanian alleged that the Armenian community abroad is currently using
only a little of its potential and pledged to step up these efforts.*

Ïðaâî Âûaîða, Azerbaijan
Democratic Azerbaijan
July 17 2006
Armenia And Azerbaijan Are Far Away From The Agreement, President
Ilham Aliyev
17.07.2006
In an interview to Turkey’s newspaper Cumhuriyet, President of
Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said international mediators – Russia, France
and the United States of America – work to settle Armenia-Azerbaijan,
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and assist us in reaching any kind of
agreement.
According the President, the Minsk group has recently made a statement
with some details of their proposals made public. He said, “We have
not come to agreement. Armenia and Azerbaijan are far away from the
agreement. We did not raise our objection to the proposals put forward
by the Minsk Group”
“We never wanted the talks be held in the dark. We have nothing to
hide. Considering the other side’s suggestion, we also agreed to hold
secret negotiations. As Minsk group has decided to go public about
the details of the peace talks, thus, we have to make some things
clear too”, said the Head of State.
–Boundary_(ID_9xCYxv56ABhQvIkweTfFsQ)–

Foreigners flee Israel onslaught with fears and tears
Agence France Presse — English
July 17, 2006 Monday 9:41 AM GMT
Wiping away tears and hugging loved ones left behind, hundreds
of foreigners were fleeing Lebanon on Monday, under the thumps of
missiles as Israel intensified its military onslaught on the country.
While British and US citizens started to leave by helicopters, France
chartered a ferry which can carry some 1,200 passengers, and other
European, Asian and African nationals were being bussed overland to
neighboring Syria.
In six days of relentless air, sea and ground attacks, Israel has
tightened its grip on the country by imposing a maritime blockade
and gouging deep craters out of Beirut airport’s runways, shutting
down the facility.
Israel launched the offensive to crush the Lebanese Shiite militant
group Hezbollah, but the strikes have also targeted infrastructure
and killed more than 170 people, almost all of them civilians and
including foreigners.
Foreigners heading out of Lebanon were fearing for their safety as
Israeli forces have targeted the roads to Syria, despite assurances
Monday from the Jewish state that it was liaising with Washington
and the EU on the evacuation.
In a silence only broken by whining complaints, foreigners boarded
busses at meeting points across the capital for a six-hour journey
to the Syrian capital from where they will fly home.
For safety reasons, European embassies were coordinating joint convoys
for their nationals, who are mostly of Lebanese descent and had spent
the summer holidays to visit family back home.
“I feel we are cowards. We are leaving our dear Lebanese friends
behind. But I have not been in a war zone before, and my family wants
me to go back home,” said Belgian Sigrid Hoste, a teacher who had
been studying Arabic in Lebanon.
“I am really angry at what Israel is doing. It is a disproportionate
attack, and nothing justifies war. Beirut was a buzzing place just
last week, today it is a ghost town. They have no right to do this,”
she said.
“And now, we have to break off our stay in Lebanon, pay 50 dollars for
the bus, something similar for the hotel in Syria, another 300 euros
for the ticket to Belgium,” she complained. “But I will definitely
come back.”
Fellow Belgian Elke de Backer, a translator at a bank in Brussels
who also studies Lebanese Arabic, said: “We are very, very sad for
Lebanon. It was such a great, fun and vibrant place last week.”
“It was such a great summer of mountain outings, beaches and
concerts. We had tickets for this week to watch (Lebanese diva) Feyrouz
in the (Roman) temples of Baalbek,” in eastern Lebanon, she said.
“Now, everything is cancelled.”
At the German embassy meeting point in the Hamra central commercial
neighborhood, a veiled woman holding a baby in her arm sat on her
luggage on the sidewalk, surrounded by seven other young women and
children.
All of them were crying.
“These are my sisters and their daughters. We are terrified for
our parents who are staying behind, but we have to leave because
our children were terrified by the Israeli air raids last night,”
said Dunia Ramadan, originally from Beirut.
“I do not know if my parents will be alive,” she said, sobbing quietly
as she boarded the bus.
Watching them leave, two watchmen sat in front of a building, nodding
their heads quietly.
“It is really scary. If great powers are evacuating their citizens,
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert may have warned them that he will
wreck havoc in Lebanon,” one of them said.
Olmert may have a lot of enemies in Lebanon, but Garen Kochkerian
had one more grudge against him.
He had been planning to get married in the next few weeks in Beirut
with his German girlfriend, Kristina Schmidt, whom he was now bidding
farewell as she was leaving with the German embassy convoy.
“It is a catastrophe for Lebanon, and for us. Now everything is
changed. She has to leave,” said Kochkerian, a Lebanese Russian of
Armenian origin, holding her hand tightly.
Behind the tinted windows of a large bus, a teary-eyed little girl
posted a small note on which she scribbled the tradional Arabic
farewell greeting: “Allah Makon,” or God be with you.

Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
July 17, 2006 Monday
THE UNITED STATES HELPED KILL SHAMIL BASAYEV;
Turkey and Georgia also participated in the operation
by: Igor Yavlyansky
THE SHIPMENT THAT KILLED BASAYEV CAME FROM IRAQ, VIA TURKEY AND
GEORGIA; By consulting experts and studying open sources, we have
attempted to analyze where the consignment of weapons originated,
the route it took to Ingushetia – and who might have helped deliver
it to the addressee, Shamil Basayev, complete and undamaged.
We continue our own investigation into the circumstances of Shamil
Basayev’s death. This time, by consulting experts and studying open
sources, we have attempted to analyze where the consignment of weapons
originated, the route it took to Ingushetia – and who might have helped
deliver it to the addressee, Shamil Basayev, complete and undamaged.
The weapons shipment contained a detonator, planted by the Federal
Security Service (FSB). Where did the shipment originate? Our
impression is that this operation was launched by President Vladimir
Putin himself. In an Interfax news agency report from July 11, an
unidentified expert described as a Russian special services veteran
declined to answer when asked to name the country from which Basayev’s
weapons consignment came, but recommended “a close analysis of media
reports over the past two months” about contacts between Russia’s
top leaders and representatives of other countries.
So we went ahead and did that. What catches the eye immediately is the
frequency of contacts between President Vladimir Putin and President
George W. Bush. They spoke by phone on May 1, May 30, June 5, June 19,
and July 6. In all these conversations, according to official reports,
one of the most important topic was the war on terrorism.
On June 6, a day after talking to Bush, Putin met with former US
Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Most likely, Kissinger wasn’t fully
informed about what was happening; but Putin directed his remarks at
the television cameras as well as at Kissinger.
“Our views don’t always coincide, but we understand each other and find
a compromise,” Putin said to Kissinger. “Of course, our cooperation
in the area of fighting terrorism remains fairly urgent.
I spoke to the President of the United States by phone only
yesterday. We maintain permanent contacts at practically all levels
and between all state agencies.”
With the “prompt” provided by the unnamed special services source,
Putin’s words here may well be interpreted as a hint at meetings
between Russian and US intelligence agencies.
Now let’s approach this from another angle. Where was the weapons
consignment put together? In his report to Putin, FSB Director Nikolai
Patrushev said: “This operation became possible thanks to the fact
that operative positions had been established abroad, primarily in
those countries where weapons were assembled and subsequently sent
to Russia.”
In this context, the word “assembled” clearly doesn’t refer to the
factory production process; it refers to the location where the
weapons consignment was put together before being shipped to Basayev.
One of the experts we consulted pointed out that Chechen guerrillas
always say they acquire their weapons from the Russian military.
Undoubtedly, such incidents do happen sometimes; but our source
maintains that there’s more talk than evidence of Russian military
personnel selling arms to the guerrillas. And this is where the talk
originates: Soviet-made weapons could fall into terrorist hands not
only from Russian military storehouses, but also from other countries
that bought such weapons from Russia or the Soviet Union.
Given this and other abovementioned factors, the experts we consulted
consider the leading theory to be as follows: the weapons consignment
was probably collected in Iraq. The situation there resembles
Dudayev-era Chechnya: a devastated society in which former military
personnel are selling off entire arsenals. Such things also happen
in the Balkans, but we rejected that option, since the weapons there
are all Yugoslav- or Chinese-made. And the specialists we consulted
pointed to Iraq, where the former National Guard has scattered,
taking a great number of weapons.
So the shipment originated in Iraq. This is an undisputed
“responsibility zone” of the United States. Some reliable informers
might have told the Russian special services about the cargo being
assembled. But in order to make this work to Russia’s advantage,
it would have been necessary to cooperate with the Americans and
the new Iraqi special services established by the Americans – they
still have the final say in the region. The Russian special services
needed to plant a detonator in the weapons shipment, then track the
shipment’s progress all the way along its route. And that leads us
to a sensational conclusion: only America could have provided Russia
with this kind of assistance.
How was the cargo delivered to Ingushetia? We can rule out the
Iran-Armenia-Azerbaijan route. Firstly, Iran is an unfriendly zone
for terrorists. Its borders are closely monitored, to guard against
drug trafficking. Moreover, Iran is one of the few countries in
the Islamic world that has not been known to support the Chechen
separatists. Secondly, due to the continual conflicts between Armenia
and Azerbaijan, all cargo crossing the border between these two
countries is checked very thoroughly. Thirdly, there’s a shorter and
less problematic route: via Turkey and Georgia.
Turkey is a complicated country. It’s more than just a favorite
holiday destination for Russian tourists. But times change, and the
influence of the United States on Turkey is very great. If our first
conclusion (that the Americans have been helping our special services)
is correct, it would be logical to assume that they helped us reach
agreement with Turkey as well.
Next up, Georgia. Everyone is aware of Russia’s difficult relationship
with Georgia’s proud president, Mikhail Saakashvili. The power of US
influence on Saakashvili is equally well-known. But let’s not forget
the problem of the Pankisi Gorge, the terrorist bases there, and the
inconveniences this creates for Georgia. For example, the Western
European community used to have a certain amount of sympathy for the
Chechen separatists and Georgia, which supported the separatists;
but the situation has changed since the Paris trial of “Chechen
terrorists” who were planning an act of terrorism in France.
The court established that these terrorists had been trained in the
Pankisi Gorge.
Thus, having consulted experts and open sources, we conclude that the
weapons consignment was collected in Iraq; the detonator and radio
beacon were planted in the consignment in Iraq; and the consignment
was then delivered to Ingushetia via Turkey and Georgia.
There is also the possibility that the FSB’s radio beacon was planted
en route, perhaps in Georgia, rather than in Iraq – but this is
unlikely. One of Basayev’s emissaries probably took delivery of
the deadly cargo in Iraq and examined it thoroughly. His inspection
process might have involved placing secret marks on the cargo, to
make it obvious if anyone tampered with the goods along the way.
So why would Russia need to monitor the shipment’s progress and
seek a friendly attitude from the transit countries? The answer is
simple: in order to prevent any accidents. Russia had to ensure that
local special services, police, or criminals wouldn’t intercept this
important shipment, so that it could reach its designated recipient
complete and undamaged – and then fulfill its mission.
(…)
Source: Izvestia, July 14, 2006, p. 3
Translated by Elena Leonova

G-8 calls to prevent acts of nuclear terrorism
ITAR-TASS News Agency
July 17, 2006 Monday 11:27 AM EST
ST.PETERSBURG, July 17 — Leaders of the Group of Eight have called
on the states to join the International Convention on prevention of
nuclear terrorism and the amended Convention on the Physical Protection
of nuclear material, said a report circulated by the Group for nuclear
and physical security at the G-8 summit on Monday.
The document contains an appeal to the world community to create a
global regime of nuclear and physical security aimed at prevention
of acts of nuclear terrorism.
The problem of security of the Chernobyl nuclear power station was
specified in a particular clause. The Group of Eight has confirmed
its intention to render assistance to Ukraine in the realization
of projects aimed at improving security standards of the Chernobyl
nuclear power station and creating a new confinement zone.
The document expressed confidence in the EBRD (European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development) for managing the Chernobyl Shelter Fund
and funds of the nuclear security Account. The Ukrainian government and
EBRD should take all the necessary measures for promoting timely and
effective fulfillment of these programs in the coordinated framework,
the document said.
The Group of Eight will continue work for enhancing international
control over sources of radiation, including imports and exports.
The document also contains an appeal to Armenia to allocate funds and
make the necessary modernization to ensure safe use of the Armenian
nuclear power station until it stopped operating.

URGENT – G8 urges Armenia, Azerbaijan to reach accord on Karabakh
ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
July 17, 2006 Monday
ST PETERSBURG, July 17 — The G8 has called on Armenia and Azerbaijan
to show political will and reach an agreement on Nagorno Karabakh
already in 2006, the statement spread on Monday said.
“Nagorno Karabakh was high on the meeting’s agenda. We confirmed the G8
support for mediation efforts of the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group
and pointed to the need to soonest coordination of basic principles
for the peaceful conflict settlement in 2006,” the document said.
“We call on Armenia and Azerbaijan to reach an agreement and prepare
their people for peace, not for war,” the statement said.

Teenager’s dream trip turned into a nightmare
by LILLIAN SALEH
The Daily Telegraph (Australia)
July 17, 2006 Monday
State Edition
ANNETTE Mazmanians was excited to be on her first overseas trip alone
now the 15-year-old is pleading to come home.
A dancer with the Sydney Armenian Dance Company, the Quakers Hills
teenager was delighted when her parents Karl and Nora gave her
permission to attend the “trip of a lifetime”.
But that trip has turned into a nightmare for the St Gregory’s Armenian
student, who with 44 other young performers and their 36 supervisors,
is trapped in a Beirut hotel.
“We’ve been on family holidays together before but this is the first
time Annette has been overseas by herself,” Mr Mazmanians yesterday
told The Daily Telegraph.
“This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for her and she is with
all her friends, so we agreed she could go.”
The couple have been in daily telephone contact with their daughter
as she seeks refuge in her tenth-floor hotel room.
“She’s holding up okay and thankfully they are in the Christian part
of Beirut which isn’t being targeted but she is telling us she can
see smoke and fire from her hotel room.”
“All she says is that she wants to come home. They … were getting
ready to head to the airport when word came through it had been
bombed.”
The innocent suffer most: P13

Australia evacuates 86 citizens from Lebanon, more extractions planned
Agence France Presse — English
July 17, 2006 Monday 12:16 PM GMT
Australian said 86 of its citizens were evacuated from Lebanon Monday
and negotiations were underway with Israel to bring out more of its
nationals caught up in the latest violence.
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said three busloads of Australians
fled Lebanon, avoiding Israeli bombing attacks to cross to safety
in Syria.
“Tomorrow, we will endeavour to try and repeat this exercise,” Downer
told reporters. He said Canberra was also hoping to charter a boat
Wednesday to evacuate up to 600 more Australians desperate to flee
Lebanon, which in recent day has been hit by Israeli air strikes.
Most of those evacuated were young members of an ethnic Armenian
dance group and their parents, who had been touring Lebanon.
“They had an uneventful trip to Syria and I can confirm they are
now having lunch in Damascus,” said Archbishop Aghan Baliozian,
the Sydney-based spokesman for the Sevan Dance Group.
Earlier, Downer said Australia had been negotiating with both Israeli
and Lebanese authorities to guarantee safe passage for its citizens.
“There is no point in providing buses and ships for them to get out
if those buses are going to end up being attacked and people killed,”
he said.
“So we have been talking to the Israelis as well as the Lebanese
authorities and our plan is to endeavour to get a number of people
out on buses.”
Downer said there were about 25,000 Australian citizens living in
Lebanon, although the vast majority had dual nationality and did not
plan to leave. He said some 4,500 Australians were registered with
the embassy in Beirut.
“There are some that want to leave, there are some who think it might
be safer to stay put rather than to run the gauntlet of going on a
bus,” he said.
Australia is a strong supporter of Israel but also has a large
Lebanese community.
In Jerusalem, a senior Israli security official told AFP Israel was
coordinating with the United States and the European Union on the
evacuation of foreign nationals from Lebanon.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian FM Leaving for Bosnia and Herzegovina
PanARMENIAN.Net
18.07.2006 13:01 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Today Armenian FM Vartan Oskanian will leave for
Sarajevo, where he will meet with FM of Bosnia and Herzegovina Mladen
Ivaniæ, reports the Press Service of the Armenian MFA. From Sarajevo
the Armenian FM will leave for Bania Luka, where the opening ceremony
of Davis Cup tennis competition will be held. Armenia’s national team
takes part in the contest.
On June 20, Minister Oskanian’s visit to the Common Institutions of
Bosnia and Herzegovina is scheduled, as well as meetings with Adnan
Terziæ, Chairman of the Council of Ministers, representatives of the
Parliamentary Assembly, and the members of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Presidency.
–Boundary_(ID_I4UnjCaKgj aETfJjs3c0XA)–

Armenia Ratified Treaty on Banning Nuclear Tests
PanARMENIAN.Net
18.07.2006 13:26 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ June 12 Armenia ratified the Treaty on comprehensive
ban on nuclear tests. The respective verification documents are
conveyed to the depository of the UN Sec.-Gen. A key fact for the
Treaty coming into effect is its signing by all 44 countries, which
took part in the conference in 1996. Armenia is not among these. Out
of this list only 34 countries have ratified it up to now, including
Russia in 2000.