Top court upholds Dinks sentence
Turkish Daily News
Jul 13, 2006
The Supreme Court of Appeals General Council on Wednesday agreed to
approve Agos daily Editor in Chief Hrant Dink’s six-month suspended
sentence for “insulting Turkishness” despite the fact that the Supreme
Court of Appeals Prosecutor’s Office argued that Dink was not guilty
of any crime.
The Sisli Second Criminal Court had found Dink guilty of insulting
Turkishness and sentenced him to a six-month suspended sentence. The
Supreme Court of Appeals Ninth Bureau had reversed the suspension,
arguing there was no doubt Dink was guilty of committing the crime.
The decision to suspend the sentence by the Sisli Second Criminal Court
was appealed by Dink, who is seeking acquittal rather than suspension,
and the complainants.
The Supreme Court of Appeals Prosecutor’s Office had sought annulment
of the sentence, arguing that the material and emotional elements of
the crime “insulting Turkishness” had not taken place. The Ninth Bureau
said there was no doubt Dink’s statement, “The clean blood that will
replace the poisoned blood of the Turk is present in the honored veins
that will be established between the Armenian and Armenia,” insulted
Turkishness. “It is impossible to justify belittling a society while
praising another with the freedom of expression as defined by the
European Convention on Human Rights,” the bureau said.
Dink had argued that what he meant by the statement was that Armenians
had the strength to overcome their destructive hatred of Turks. The
prosecutor’s office can appeal the bureau’s decision, and if it
doesn’t, Dink will be retried by the Sisli Second Criminal Court in
accordance with the Supreme Court of Appeals’ pronouncement.
The prosecutor’s office noted its objection to the bureau’s decision,
arguing that according to the Turkish Penal Code (TSK) all critical
opinions voiced without insult would not require a jail sentence. The
office also argued that Dink’s article should be analyzed in its
entirety, not by analyzing words or sentences. The controversial
sentence Dink used could have two meanings, argued the office, adding,
“One can read the sentence alone and decide it is insulting, or read
the entire article and come to another conclusion.” The office argued,
“While the words used may create controversy, disturb people and
create misunderstandings among those who failed to see the article
in its entirety, the author’s intentions should be taken into account.”
The office also said Dink’s previous articles in the series should
also be read to understand his stance. Prosecutors said the poisoned
blood cited in the article did not belong to Turks but was the way
Armenians viewed Turks, which poisoned their identity. “That’s why
one needs to understand the fact that the article does not insult
Turks but rather warns Armenians about their attitude, which poisons
their blood. The office also noted that according to the Constitution,
“Turks” meant all citizens of Turkey, without discrimination between
religion or ethnicity, and that as a result the article could only
be viewed as a criticism of Turkish citizens of Armenian origin

EU warns Ankara over ruling
Turkish Daily News
July 13, 2006
The European Commission lamented on Wednesday a Turkish court ruling
against an ethnic Armenian journalist for “denigrating the Turkish
national identity,” warning that the case could cloud Ankara’s
EU hopes.
Commenting on an appeal court ruling on Hrant Dink, EU Enlargement
Commissioner Olli Rehn called on the Turkish government to bolster
freedom of speech in the country.
“I am disappointed by this judgment which limits the exercise of
freedom of expression in Turkey,” he said, following Tuesday’s court
ruling, the first such judgment based on Article 301 of Turkey’s new
Penal Code.
He noted that the ruling “will set the trend for lower jurisdiction
to follow when applying Article 301 in the future,” adding: “This is
all the more serious since there are still a number of similar court
cases pending.”
“I would therefore urge the Turkish authorities to amend Article 301
and other vaguely formulated articles in order to guarantee freedom
of expression in Turkey,” he said.
He underlined that freedom of expression is a key principle of the
EU’s so-called Copenhagen political criteria, which Ankara must adhere
to if it one day wants to join the currently 25-nation bloc.
“In any case, the commission will review the situation in light of
the Copenhagen political criteria in its upcoming Progress Report,”
Rehn said, referring to an annual report on Ankara’s EU preparations
due in October.
Dink now faces the risk of going to prison if he commits a similar
offense over the next five years.

Gunduz Aktan: Incredible
Turkish Daily News
Jul 13, 2006
American publication the Armed Forces Journal (AFJ) has published an
article written by Ralph Peters, a retired colonel. He is not only an
excellently trained military man but also the author of many novels.
So he knows his job and has imagination.
In his article Peters says that if the artificial borders in
the Islamic “geography” that extend from Turkey to India were to
be redrawn along ethnic and sectarian lines it could be easier to
establish democracy there. Although he knows this can be brought
about only through wars, he thinks that a continuation of the status
quo yields the same result anyway.
It would be wrong to attribute Peters’ views to the U.S.
administration. However, Peters is not just anybody and the magazine
in which his article has appeared is not an “ordinary” publication.
Then the question that springs to mind is “Is this a move made
with ulterior motives?” Generally speaking, the countries and
societies that have good relations with America would profit from
the arrangements suggested in the article whereas Iran, Syria, and
two countries where changing the regime seems impossible, namely,
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, would lose big chunks of land. Is the aim
to intimidate these countries?
On the other hand, some American circles, both civilian and military,
may indeed be convinced that due to their artificial borders it
would be highly difficult to bring about democratization in most
Muslim countries. This does not mean that each and every assessment
to this effect would be translated into policy and implemented. The
cost and results of the efforts to bring democracy to Iraq are all too
obvious. Causing similar situations in an incomparable larger area —
this time deliberately — would be inconceivably idiotic.
For this reason we can describe Peters’ article as something that
does not reflect the official American views, a mainly personal
mental exercise that is not significant from the standpoint of the
real policies though being supported by certain circles.
However, there are certain aspects of the article that have to be
underlined. A growing number of analysts — Peters among them — are
now beginning to concede that multiculturalism, that is, multiethnic
and multi-religion social structures are losing their validity from
the standpoint of democracy. This judgment is all the more true for
Iraq and other Muslim countries where the nation-building process
has not been completed yet.
Furthermore, due to racism, many European Union countries fail
to integrate the Muslim diasporas into themselves and they object
to Turkish accession to the EU on grounds that Turkey is different
religiously and culturally. Similarly, the increase in the number of
people of Latin American origin in the United States is causing an
identity problem from the standpoint of thinkers such as Huntington.
Meanwhile, a miniature society such as Montenegro has opted for
independence and Kosovo is to gain independence at the end of the
current year. These developments could speed up fresh partitioning
processes in the Balkans and the Caucasus. The fact that the
“international” plan suggested for Karabakh would give the Armenians
an opportunity for secession from Azerbaijan — through a plebiscite
confirms that such a trend is under way.
Thus, the principle that the borders cannot be altered, a principle
first proclaimed in Yalta and then reaffirmed by the 1975 Helsinki
Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, has disappeared in
Europe. Under the circumstances, can similar developments be prevented
in the Middle East or any other part of the world?
The map suggested by Peters indicates that Turkey would be the
only country to be “punished” despite having good relations with
the United States though it has “no artificial” borders. According
to the map, in an area of 150,000-200,000 square kilometers in the
eastern and southeastern parts of Turkey, a “free” Kurdistan would
be founded. The new country would have access to the Black Sea. The
Azeris, who outnumber the Kurds by four to five times, would get a
tiny part of land from Iran and they would merge with Azerbaijan.
Meanwhile, even Tabriz would be left to the Kurds. Having no common
border, Turkey and Azerbaijan would be torn away from one another.
And, as the price of the “genocide” the Turkish provinces of Kars
and Ardahan would be handed out to Armenia.
Is it so hard to predict the possible developments? If such a flurry
of fragmentation is set off, the geography west of Turkey may not
remain outside that development. Turkey may be forced to enter into
cooperation with regional countries considered not very pro-American.
If ethnic cleansing is an efficient instrument as Peters claims, new
ethnic cleansing campaigns may well occur. And if wars broke out,
the map may eventually take a shape highly different than what had
been envisaged.
How does America manage to do itself such harm at a time when it
is conducting public diplomacy at such a cost in order to improve
its image, which has been harmed because of the Iraq war? This is
incredible.

Columns
Turkish Daily News
Jul 13, 2006
Article 301 should be changed
Radikal’s Ismet Berkan yesterday talks about the infamous Article 301
of the Turkish Penal Code, responsible for many court cases against
writers and journalists. Berkan says Hrant Dink, editor in chief of
Armenian-language daily Agos, was the most recent victim of 301,
having been given a suspended sentence of six years in prison for
“denigrating Turkishness.” Berkan quickly notes that this was the
first jail sentence in a case of “denigrating Turkishness.”
Berkan recalls earlier discussions on Article 301 in his column when
Berkan himself, along with a number of other journalists, was tried
for having denigrated Turkishness under Article 301, citing a statement
by Justice Minister Cemil Cicek in those days: “We should see how the
Supreme Court of Appeals will interpret the article. We’ll change it
if the law happens to limit the right to freedom of expression.” Berkan
contends that now how the law is being applied has become apparent.
Berkan compares Article 301 of the new penal code to Article 159 of the
old code and emphasizes that while the old version of 301 criminalized
“openly insulting” Turkish identity, “denigrating” is enough to be
considered a crime under the new article. Berkan says, insulting or
denigrating Turkish identity should be removed altogether from the
penal law. Although the justice minister assures that many countries
in Europe have the same crime in their penal codes, Berkan wonders
how many people have been tried for this crime in these countries
versus the number of those taken before the court in Turkey.
Another point Berkan makes is that the institutions being protected
>From insult under Article 301 can go to court and defend themselves
without this article. “Why threaten with a jail sentence?” asks
Berkan. If the article should remain in the penal code at least its
wording should be changed back to “openly insulting” as it was in
the previous version, Berkan suggests.
Another problem Berkan sees with the article is the definition of
“Turkishness” as mentioned in this law. The word is dangerous in a
multi-ethnic society, Berkan asserts, and concludes by reiterating
his suggestion that Parliament should move to change Article 301.
Let them talk:
Yeni Safak’s Fehmi Koru yesterday in his column wrote about Turkey’s
decades-old problem with the Islamic headscarf. Wearing the headscarf
is banned on university campuses, which forces certain female religious
believers to choose between going to school and dressing as dictated
by their beliefs.
We will be seeing coverage of news regarding the headscarf for a long
time, says Koru, who recalls the justice minister’s complaint about
members of the judiciary making political statements on the headscarf.
Koru argues that the principle of separation of powers does not mean
a thing in Turkey. The executive branch and the legislative branch
intersect, he asserts, adding that the judicial branch has become
obsessed with separating itself as far as possible from these two
powers. The media, or the so-called fourth power, on the other hand,
is struggling to leave its mark on the country’s political agenda,
purposefully keeping the “headscarf” issue hot in an attempt to debase
the government.
Koru then refers to “an institution that should remain outside
of politics,” implying the military, and argues that the judiciary
should refrain from giving the impression that its actions are under
the influence of the army. Koru says recent political statements from
top judges do not give that impression, and if the distance between
the three powers can be maintained in this manner, the media will
also be forced to act within its own sphere of activity. The habit of
newspapers and TV channels to turn every issue into an instrument of
political-bashing is a “disease” that can only be cured if all powers
act within their own boundaries.
Koru says the media uses the “headscarf” issue in order to create
tension in society. The government simply has to tolerate the media
getting its hand on the headscarf issue at every opportunity and
political statements from the judiciary. The wisest course of action
would be to turn a deaf ear to news reports on the headscarf, which
the Justice and Development Party (AKP) has nothing to do with, and
listen to objections of the judiciary with utmost respect without
grieving too much for when politics overstates the importance of an
issue, when tension in society rises unnecessarily. The government
should simply “let them talk” and not react.
Koru concludes by asserting that if politicians act wisely, the
principle of separation of powers could be fully established in
the system.
AKP forgot about promises to change the election law:
Prime Minister Erdogan said his government would work to lower the
age of being eligible to be elected to Parliament to 25 before the
next general elections. Asik notes that, according to Turkish law,
amendments made to the election law need to go into force at least one
year before the next elections to be applicable for that election. In
other words, if the change on the age for being elected is not made
before October, it won’t be applicable in the next elections.
Asik criticizes the AKP for having forgotten about other promises
such as changing the law on political parties, making changes to the
election system, making the public declaration of property and assets
a law for those in power and abolishing political immunities.
These were promises for changing a faulty election system that brought
to power a party receiving votes from only 25 percent of registered
voters, says Asik, and concludes: “In our tradition, democracy is a
tool used to bring a political party to power. And parties usually
try to figure out ways to stay in power.”

Israel attacks Beirut airport, forcing it to close, civilians killed in south Lebanon
AP Worldstream; Jul 13, 2006 SAM F. GHATTAS
Israeli forces intensified their attacks in Lebanon on Thursday,
imposing a naval blockade on the country and pounding its only
international airport and the Hezbollah TV station in Israel’s heaviest
air campaign against Lebanon for 24 years.
After warplanes punched holes in the airport’s runways just south
of Beirut, Israel’s army chief Brig. Gen. Dan Halutz warned that
“nothing is safe” in Lebanon. He said the Lebanese capital itself _
particularly offices and residences of Hezbollah officials in the
southern suburbs _ would be a target.
Hezbollah countered that it would rocket the key Israeli port city of
Haifa if Israel hit Beirut. A strike on Haifa, Israel’s third largest
city, would be the deepest ever into Israel by the guerrillas _ some
30 kilometers (18 miles) _ and would sharply escalate the violence.
The shockwaves from the fighting began to be felt as tensions
sharpened, with both sides playing a high stakes game after Hezbollah
snatched two Israeli soldiers: Israel seeking to end once and for all
Hezbollah’s presence on the border while the guerrillas insisting to
trade the captured soldiers with Arab prisoners.
Trapped between them was Lebanon, which Israel said it held responsible
for Hezbollah’s snatching of the soldiers. The Lebanese government
insisted it had no prior knowledge of the move and did not condone it.
Hezbollah fighters operate with almost total autonomy in southern
Lebanon, and the government has no control over their actions. But
the government has long resisted international pressure to disarm
the group _ and two Hezbollah ministers are members of the Lebanese
Cabinet, even though the majority are anti-Syrian politicians, some
of whom are critics of the group. Any attempt to disarm the group by
force could lead to sectarian conflict.
Two days of Israeli bombing have killed 47 Lebanese and wounded 103,
Health Minister Mohammed Jawad Khalife said.
The Israeli warnings of more to come caused panic in Beirut, with
traffic in the streets thin as people stuck their homes and stayed
away from their jobs. Others packed supermarkets to stock up on goods
and long lines formed on gas stations, with many quickly running out
of gas.
U.S. President George W. Bush pledged Thursday to work with Israel,
criticizing Hezbollah for thwarting efforts for peace in the Middle
East.
“My attitude is this: there are a group of terrorists who want to
stop the advance of peace,” he said at a press conference in Germany.
“Those of us who are peace living must work together to help the
agents of peace.”
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas warned that Israel’s Lebanon
offensive “is raising our fears of a new regional war” and urged
world powers to intervene “to stop this serious deterioration.” The
Arab League called an emergency meeting of foreign ministers in Cairo
on Saturday.
The escalation of violence in the Middle East pushed crude oil prices
to a new intraday record of US$75.88 a barrel. Western countries,
Russia and the United Nations called for restraint and demanded
the soldiers. Arab and Lebanese satellite TV stations ran urgents
and beamed pictures across the Arab world. One station showed a man
holding the head and torso of a baby killed in the Israeli bombing.
Eight Israeli soldiers have been killed in the violence so far,
including three who died in Hezbollah’s initial raid Wedneday to
snatch the two soldiers.
In northern Israel, thousands of civilians spent Wednesday night
in underground shelters as Hezbollah fired rockets at two cities
in northern Israel. A 40-year-old Israeli woman was killed and five
people were wounded in the rocket attacks, the Israeli army reported.
After hitting roads and bridges in the south all day Wednesday,
Israel was dramatically expanding its campaign Thursday with their
biggest offensive in Lebanon since Israel’s 1982 invasion.
Israeli warships imposed a naval blockade of Lebanese ports _ which
Lebanese officials confirmed. Besides threatening to hit Beirut,
the Israeli military said it could also target the Beirut to Damascus
highway, the main land link between Lebanon and the outside world..
Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz said his forces would not allow
Hezbollah guerrillas to occupy positions along the southern Lebanese
border.
“If the government of Lebanon fails to deploy its forces, as is
expected of a sovereign government, we shall not allow Hezbollah
forces to remain any further on the borders of the state of Israel,”
Peretz said.
Air force Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel said the campaign was likely Israel’s
largest ever in Lebanon “if you measure it in number of targets hit
in one night, the complexity of the strikes.” The last major air,
ground and sea offensive against Lebanon was in 1996 when about 150
Lebanese civilians were killed.
Travelers to and from Beirut were stranded all over the region and
beyond after Israel hit Beirut airport after dawn Thursday. Among
them was Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh, who was returning from a
visit to Armenia and _ like many _ was forced to make his way home
through Syria.
Israeli warplanes blasted craters into all three runways at the
Beirut airport, located by the seaside in the Lebanese capital’s
Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs, forcing its closure and the
diversion of incoming flights to Cyprus. The main terminal building
of the US$500 million airport, which was built in the late 1990s,
remained intact.
The Israeli military said it struck the airport because it is “a
central hub for the transfer of weapons and supplies to the Hezbollah
terrorist organization.”
It was the first time since Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon
and occupation of Beirut that the airport in south Beirut was hit
by Israel. The Israelis in 1968 sent commandos to Beirut airport,
blowing up 13 passenger planes on the runway in retaliation for Arab
militants firing on an Israeli airliner in Athens.
Later Thursday, an Israeli missile hit the building housing the
main studios of Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV in the south Beirut suburb
of Haret Hreik, the channel’s press officer Ibrahim Farhat told The
Associated Press.
The station continued to broadcast, reporting that an Israeli rocket
had hit a “minor transmission unit.” One person was hurt in the strike,
station manager Abdullah Kassir told Voice of Lebanon radio.
Other strikes hit bridges and roads in the south and deep into
eastern Lebanon, striking a civic center attached to a Shiite Muslim
mosque near the town of Baalbek, as well as a transmission antenna
for Al-Manar, witnesses reported. The group’s broadcasts stopped in
the area.
Among the Lebanese dead in the strikes were a family of 10 and another
family of seven, killed in their homes in the village of Dweir near
Nabatiyeh, Lebanese officials said. A Lebanese soldier and a Hezbollah
fighter have also been killed.
Meanwhile, helicopter gunships and jet fighters scoured southern
Lebanon for guerrillas launching rockets into northern Israel.
Hezbollah fired volleys of rockets at the Israelis town of Nahariya
and Kiryat Shmona,saying it was using a rocket called “Thunder 1”
for the first time. The missile appeared to be more advanced than
the inaccurate Katyusha which has been the standard Hezbollah rocket
for years.
The Israeli army said several rockets had landed more than 20
kilometers (12 miles) south of the border, showing that Hezbollah
has managed to extend its missiles’ range.
Hezbollah has declared it has over 10,000 rockets and has in the
past struck northern Israeli communities in retaliation for attacks
against Lebanese civilians.

MULTIPLIER EFFECT MEETING AT THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE INFORMATION OFFICE
Lragir.am
13 July 06
To promote the public awareness about Council of Europe work in
the field of fight against trafficking in humans and establish a
partnership for distribution of relevant Council of Europe documents
and publications, the Council of Europe Information Office in Armenia
(IOCE) organised one of its traditional multiplier effect meetings
for the main NGOs active in anti-trafficking efforts in Armenia.
The meeting, which took place on 13 June, at IOCE library, was
organised within the frames of Council of Europe priority campaigns
for 2006 and brought together around 20 local NGO members as well
as representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia and
UNDP. Special Representative of the Council of Europe Secretary General
Ms Bojana Urumova opened the event by focusing on the significance
of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking
in Human Beings. CoE expert Ms Gulnara Shahinyan elaborated more on
the work done in the Council of Europe towards preparation of the
Convention and explained to the participants the specific role and
mission of the Convention at the European level. IOCE Director Ms
Susan Marukhyan moderated discussions and answered questions regarding
Council of Europe information policy, anti-trafficking campaign and
other priority themes.
At the end of the meeting the participants had an opportunity to
watch a new documentary entitled “Not for Sale” produced by IOCE
in cooperation with Internews Media Support NGO. It was agreed to
continue cooperation within CoE anti-trafficking efforts.
Council of Europe Information Office in Armenia
Yerevan. 13.07.2006

TO ENHANCE THE ROLE OF WRONGED PERSONS AND CUT EXPENSES
Lragir.am
13 July 06
On June 13 the citizens, whose houses were expropriated for the
development of the Center of Yerevan, staged a protest in front of
the government of Armenia. And the government has approved the bills
on changes to the Criminal Code, Judicial Code and the Civil Code,
which are intended to enhance the role of wronged persons, said
Davit Harutiunyan, minister of justice. The people whose property was
expropriated for the development of the center of Yerevan cried “go
away, leave”, which on entering through the windows of the Armenian
government sounded like “go away, thieves”. Or who knows, maybe
the original chant of the protestors was “go away, thieves”.
Davit Harutiunyan said in accordance with the reform of the Crime
Code if the plaintiff announces that he has been reconciled with the
charged, indicted or suspect, the case will be dismissed. The type of
damages will be decided by the plaintiff and the charged, indicted
or suspect. Davit Harutiunyan does not think it is absurd that the
parties agree on damages totaling one million dollars for a word of
abuse. In this case, the court only has to record the agreement. The
government proposed in about thirty articles of the Crime Code to
define damage to one’s health if it is not dangerous for life,
beating, torture, infecting people with venereal and other sexually
transmitted diseases, leaving someone in danger, slander, insult,
embezzlement or dissipation, theft, etc. as crimes.
The reconciliation of the wronged person and the suspect, charged
or indicted must take place before the judges retire. The government
proposed defining imposed reconciliation as an offense.
Proceeding from the experience of European democratic countries,
the government proposed adopting a special order of trial. If the
indicted pleas guilty, the case is tried without consideration
of evidence and examination of witnesses. Only personal data and
aggravating and extenuating circumstances are studied. Moreover, the
punishment, provided for by the corresponding article is shortened by
one third. There are restrictions too. For instance, the procuracy
does not participate in this type of trial, and cases involving 10
years of imprisonment are subject to special trial. Davit Harutiunyan
said the procuracy was against this provision, but the government
found it right. And the application of the special trial will allow
saving funds, for “legal proceedings and the system of justice
are expensive to sustain”.

Israeli Warplanes Attack Beirut Airport
Thursday July 13, 2006 2:46 PM
By SAM F. GHATTAS
Associated Press Writer
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) – Israel intensified its attacks against Lebanon
on Thursday, blasting Beirut’s airport in its heaviest air campaign
against its neighbor in 24 years. Four dozen civilians had died in the
violence following the capture of two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah,
officials said.
After warplanes punched holes in the airport’s runways just south
of Beirut, Israel’s army chief Brig. Gen. Dan Halutz warned that
“nothing is safe” in Lebanon. He said Beirut itself – particularly
offices and residences of Hezbollah officials – would be a target.
Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israeli towns and said it was
using a new missile that appeared to be more advanced than previous
models. One Israeli was killed and at least 12 were injured.
The militant group also said it would rocket the key Israeli port
city of Haifa if Israel hit Beirut, a strike that would be the deepest
ever into Israel by the guerrillas – some 18 miles.
Two days of Israeli bombings had killed 47 Lebanese and wounded 103,
Health Minister Mohammed Jawad Khalife said. Besides the Israeli
civilian, eight Israeli soldiers had also been killed.
Both sides played a high stakes game following the capture of the
two soldiers by Hezbollah: Israel sought to end Hezbollah’s presence
on the border, while the guerrillas insisted on trading the captured
soldiers for Arab prisoners.
Trapped between the two sides was Lebanon, which Israel said it held
responsible for Hezbollah’s actions. The Lebanese government insisted
it had no prior knowledge of the Hezbollah raid and did not condone it.
Hezbollah fighters operate with almost total autonomy in southern
Lebanon, and the government has no control over their actions. But
Lebanon has long resisted international pressure to disarm the group.
The Israeli warnings of more attacks caused panic in Beirut, and many
people stayed home from work. Long lines formed at gas stations and
supermarkets were packed, though traffic was thin.
The violence reverberated throughout the region and pushed crude oil
prices to a new intraday record of $75.88 a barrel.
Western countries, Russia and the United Nations called for restraint
and demanded the return of the soldiers. The Arab League called an
emergency meeting of foreign ministers in Cairo on Saturday.
President Bush pledged to work with Israel, criticizing Hezbollah
for thwarting efforts for peace in the Middle East.
“My attitude is this: there are a group of terrorists who want to
stop the advance of peace,” he said at a news conference in Germany.
“The soldiers need to be returned.”
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas warned that Israel’s Lebanon
offensive “is raising our fears of a new regional war” and urged
world powers to intervene.
Middle East satellite TV stations focused on the violence, and one
station showed a man holding the head and torso of a baby killed in
the Israeli bombings.
The eight Israeli soldiers killed so far is the highest death toll
for the army in four years. Three soldiers died in the initial
Hezbollah raid, and four were killed when their tank ran over a land
mine Wednesday.
In northern Israel, thousands of civilians spent Wednesday night in
underground shelters as Hezbollah fired rockets at northern Israel. A
40-year-old Israeli woman was killed and five people were wounded in
the rocket attacks, the Israeli army reported.
After hitting roads and bridges in the south all day Wednesday,
Israel dramatically expanded its campaign Thursday with their biggest
offensive in Lebanon since Israel’s 1982 invasion.
Israeli warships imposed a naval blockade of Lebanese ports, and the
Israeli military said it could also target the Beirut-to-Damascus
highway, the main land link between Lebanon and the outside world.
Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz said his forces would not allow
Hezbollah guerrillas to occupy positions along the southern Lebanese
border.
“If the government of Lebanon fails to deploy its forces, as is
expected of a sovereign government, we shall not allow Hezbollah
forces to remain any further on the borders of the state of Israel,”
Peretz said.
Air force Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel said the campaign was likely Israel’s
largest ever in Lebanon “if you measure it in number of targets
hit in one night, the complexity of the strikes.” The last major
offensive against Lebanon was in 1996 when about 150 Lebanese civilians
were killed.
Travelers to and from Beirut were stranded all over the region and
beyond after the airport strike. Among them was Foreign Minister Fawzi
Salloukh, who was returning from a visit to Armenia and – like many –
was forced to make his way home through Syria.
Israeli warplanes blasted craters into all three runways at
the airport, located by the seaside in the Lebanese capital’s
Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs, forcing incoming flights
to divert to Cyprus. The main terminal of the $500 million airport
remained intact.
The Israeli military said it struck the airport because it is “a
central hub for the transfer of weapons and supplies to the Hezbollah
terrorist organization.”
It was the first time since Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon and
occupation of Beirut that the airport was hit by Israel. The Israelis
in 1968 sent commandos to Beirut airport, blowing up 13 passenger
planes in retaliation for Arab militants firing on an Israeli airliner
in Athens.
Details from the violence included:
– An Israeli missile hit Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV studios in southern
Beirut, station official Ibrahim Farhat said. One person was hurt;
broadcasts continued. An Al-Manar transmission antenna hit near
Baalbek stopped transmissions in that area.
– A civic center attached to a Shiite Muslim mosque near the town of
Baalbek was hit.
– A Lebanese family of 10 and another family of seven were killed in
their homes in the village of Dweir, Lebanese officials said.
– Among the dead Lebanese were a soldier and a Hezbollah fighter.
– Hezbollah fired rockets at the northern Israeli towns of Safed,
Nahariya, Kiryat Shmona, and Carmiel, saying it was using a rocket
called “Thunder 1” for the first time. The missiles appeared to be
more advanced than the inaccurate Katyusha – the standard Hezbollah
rocket.
The Israeli army said several rockets had landed more than 12 miles
south of the border, showing that Hezbollah has managed to extend
its missiles’ range.
—
Associated Press reporter Karin Laub in Jerusalem contributed to
this report.

Next Echelon with Russian Materiel Sent to Armenia from Georgia
PanARMENIAN.Net
13.07.2006 16:35 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The next rail echelon with Russian military equipment
is sent to Armenia from Georgia. The echelon of 9 cars with property
of the 12th Russian military base in Batumi is heading for Gyumri,
Armenia. The Georgian Defense Ministry reported that heavy machinery
is still at the Batumi base and it will be withdrawn gradually. The
withdrawal of the military equipment and property is held in line
with the agreement between the Georgian and Russian Defense Ministries
signed in Sochi March 31, 2006.

Eurocommission Disappointed by Turkish Justice
PanARMENIAN.Net
13.07.2006 16:47 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The European Commission is disappointed by
the verdict regarding Olli Rehn, the European Union’s Enlargement
Commissioner, said. In his words the prison sentence imposed on writer
Hrant Dink is not just a restriction of freedom of expression but
may also set a binding case law for similar cases. Rehn described
Dink’s prison sentence for insulting Turkishness, which was recently
finalized by a Court of Appeals ruling, as “disappointing.” “That
judgment is the first final one by the highest jurisdiction in
Turkey about interpretation of Article 301 of the revised Turkish
Penal Code. In this sense, it establishes a binding case law that
will set the trend for lower jurisdictions to follow when applying
Article 301 in the future,” he said.
He also highlighted his worry that Turkish courts are not interpreting
existing legislation in line with the relevant EU criteria. “I’d
therefore urge the Turkish authorities to amend Article 301 and other
vaguely formulated articles in order to guarantee freedom of expression
in Turkey. I’d also like to recall that freedom of expression is a key
principle under the Copenhagen political criteria and constitutes the
core of democracy. In any case, the European Commission will review
the situation in light of the Copenhagen criteria in its upcoming
progress report, expected in the autumn,” Olli Rehn said, the New
Anatolian writes.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress