ISRAEL-AZERBAIJAN STRATEGIC ALLIANCE IN CARDS?
YNet
June 12 2006
National infrastructure minister hints in speech Israel interested
in strategic cooperation with Muslim country that borders with Iran.
Are Israel and the United States planning a strategic alliance with
Azerbaijan, in a bid to counter the Iranian nuclear threat? Binyamin
Ben-Eliezer, the minister of national infrastructure, has hinted
to the possibility in a recent speech at the Israel Institute of
Petroleum and Energy.
“Azerbaijan is a Muslim country with a large Shiite population that
borders with Iran. We are interested in this small state’s location,”
Ben-Eliezer said.
Azerbaijan has recently become the center for economic cooperation
with Israel. Israeli arms companies equip the Azerbaijani army and
the National Infrastructure Ministry is trying to form collaboration
with Azerbaijan on purchasing oil and natural gas.
Ben-Eliezer visited Azerbaijan’s capital Baku last week, for a trip
that officially focused on contracts for purchasing oil, and perhaps
even natural gas, from Russia via Azerbaijan, through Turkey to Israel.
However, government officials told Ynet that the visit may have
also included an attempt by the Israeli government and its defense
establishment to strengthen ties with Azerbaijan.
The officials stated that Azerbaijan is a poor country in desperate
need of foreign investments, and that it is currently in the midst of
a strategic conflict with its neighbor Armenia. The Muslim country is
also trying to break free from Russia’s bear hug. Diplomatic sources
said that Israel and the US are also interested Azerbaijan due to
its proximity to Iran.
According to government officials, as Turkey refuses to continue
allowing the US to use its air bases for attacks in Iraq (and
will apparently refuse to cooperate with an Iran strike as well),
Azerbaijan’s location plays a key role for the Americans and Israel.
Referring to the Baku visit, Ben Eliezer said: “We achieved important
progress on economic issues and other issues as well. I met with the
Azerbaijan’s president for a meeting that was important for Israel’s
interests.”

PUTIN, IRAN AND THE CAUCASUS
American Thinker, AZ
June 12 2006
The antique media and the punditry continue to dismiss or ignore the
overall geo-strategic picture concerning our stand-off with Iran over
the development of nuclear weapons technology. Largely unnoticed is the
US and Coalition’s successful maneuvers to establish an outer cordon
around Persia and the other radical Islamist states in the region. A
critical ally in establishing this blockade is the Republic of Georgia.
For centuries, Georgia has occupied the strategically vital land bridge
between the Black and Caspian Seas. This has historically placed the
country at the mercies of two powerful neighbors: Russia and Persia.*
It is no different today, given Russia’s covert and overt support
of the mullahs’ nuclear program and the requirement for secure trade
routes. For Putin, his fellow Russian nationalists, and Ahmadinejad
the task at hand is simple: defend and maintain the Eurasian lines
of communication and commerce to permit the flow of banned materials
and to control both legitimate and criminal enterprises in the region.
Russian Domination of Georgia
In the heyday of the Silk Road, Georgia controlled the land passages
through the Caucasus Mountains and port facilities on the Black Sea.
In the late 1700s, its leaders signed a protectorate treaty with the
Russian Empire for help in defending itself from an imminent Persian
invasion. When the Persians attacked in 1795, the Russians ignored
repeated pleas to honor its treaty commitments, and in 1864, simply
annexed the entire country.
Georgia enjoyed a few years of independence in the wake of the
Russian Revolution, but the invasion of the Red Army in 1921 put
an end to dreams of a return to a sovereign kingdom. The Post-WW II
Soviet buildup in the small country again highlighted its strategic
importance. NATO member Turkey was just a few hours away, so Georgia
had the dubious honor of hosting the second largest Soviet base during
the Cold War.
Outside of its military significance, the supposedly classless
communist empire had other interests in Georgia which provided
further incentive for the new breed of Russian Nationalists and the
remaining nomenklatura to doggedly fight any Western expansion into
the Caucasus. Controlling the Silk Road and Black Sea ports also
meant controlling suitable areas for gas and oil pipelines and a
generations-old illicit drug trade. The ability to easily transfer
nuclear technology and know-how to Persia was an added benefit. Once
again at the center of the storm, the Georgians’ fear of Persia is
now only matched by the dread of again coming under the thumb of
the Russians.
Georgia finally started to shed the last vestiges of the Russian Empire
in November of 2003 when they ushered President Edvard Shevardnadze
out of the statehouse during the Rose Revolution.
However, Putin was not about to let another state of the Former
Soviet Union slip away without a fight, especially one that sits on
strategic terrain and if allowed to pursue democracy, would certainly
put Russia’s money interests at risk.
Russia Counters Western Moves
As part of GWOT operations, the Bush administration decided that
radical Islamists would not receive a free ride into Europe from
the Central Region. In 2002, the US responded to Georgia’s request
for assistance in its counter-terrorism program and deployed Special
Forces to train Georgian units and to conduct operations in the Chechen
terrorist haven of the Pankisi Gorge. The military assistance program
has evolved resulting in the establishment of several Georgian combined
arms brigades and a small air force.
The first evidence of resistance to the pursuit of a full-fledged
democracy was the agonizingly slow withdrawal of Russian troops from
Georgian territory. In some cases, Putin stubbornly refused to honor
agreements stipulating integrity of Georgia’s traditional borders by
maintaining a garrison in South Ossetia and by ostensibly “helping”
staff a UN peacekeeping force in the breakaway Georgian province of
Abkhazia. Putin was even so bold as to station troops at a Soviet-era
listening post overlooking a NATO training base before reluctantly
withdrawing them in 2005!
Then an additional 20,000 Russians were withdrawn to the south into
Armenia. From Putin’s point of view, Armenia is the last hope to
secure commerce and pipeline routes into south Asia to leverage his
own and the mullahs’ vast energy resources and to export commercial
and military technology. From the Georgians’ perspective, they are
sandwiched between two large Russian combat contingents.
Russia also flexed its muscles by continuing to play with the flow
of natural gas supplies just as it did with Ukraine. Earlier this
year, a mysterious group of “terrorists” blew up a gas pipeline in
Russian-controlled South Ossetia, which is within Georgia’s traditional
boundaries. Not coincidentally, the detonation was located in the
very southern part of Ossetia, meaning the province and its Russian
troop garrison received all of the gas it needed, while Georgia had
to deal with another electrical power crisis.
To help the sometimes shaky electrical power situation, a new pipeline
is planned from the oil-rich Caspian Sea basin through Georgia to the
Turkish port of Ceyhan on the Mediterranean Sea. But Georgia needs
significant infrastructure modernization before this can become a
viable conduit for energy stockpiles and trade revenue.
Make no mistake; we should expect the “Pipeline Wars” to continue as
Putin attempts to outmaneuver the West to hang on to energy and trade
routes in the region. In this regard, the balance of geo-political
maneuvers seems to be tipping to the US and the West, in that recent
overtures to Azerbaijan have nominally moved this country into
our camp.
Putin’s US Apologists
In a rather surprising commentary in the Washington Times last month,
Arnaud de Borchgrave, editor at large of the Times and UPI, takes
up for Putin and assails a US policy that is supposedly causing the
Russian “democracy” to shrink. It’s amazing that de Borchgrave misses
the entire point of our maneuvers in the Global War on Terror, while
soft-pedaling Russian and Persian cooperation on both the mullahs’
nuclear program and on conventional weapons deals.
Apparently, he views GW as the aggressor because he has dared to take
action to block lines of commerce between a fanatical terrorist state
and a former enemy of now-dubious intentions.
De Borchgrave’s fellow member of the Council on Foreign Relations,
Charles A. Kupchan, opines that the “bloom is off the Rose revolution,”
and tries to make the case that Georgia’s struggle for freedom and
democracy is somehow going down the tubes because the current Georgian
President, Mikheil Saakashvili, dares to fight for his country’s
territorial integrity. He notes in the port town of Sukhumi in the
breakaway province of Abkhazia that,
…resorts that were once the envy of the Soviet elite lay battered
and vacant. Despite the warm sunshine, the boardwalk was devoid of
tourists, populated instead by locals drinking Turkish coffee and
playing backgammon.
It’s ironic that he writes from the port of Sukhumi and claims that
these poor people are being taken advantage of by Georgia. How does
he think the Russians were able to build all of these now-abandoned
resorts on the Black Sea coast? Sukhumi is the major port for opium
originating in Afghanistan to be shipped to Europe. Abkazhia is
therefore a criminal economic cash cow and had been for generations of
Russian/Soviet elites who have taken their cut of this profitable dope
smuggling operation. Now that we back Saakashvilli in his attempt to
regain what rightfully belongs to Georgia, the UN dreams up a plan to
station peacekeepers on the border between the Abkhazia and Georgia –
Russian peacekeepers of course.
The economic aspect of the War on Terror is more than just drying up
financial resources of terror groups. Operation Iraqi Freedom stuck
a dagger in the heart of the Russia – France – Iraq financial nexus
and their allies in the UN. Russian and French economic, military and
technical support to Saddam showed how so-called allies will pursue
their slimy business deals with oil-rich tyrants even if it means
opposing the establishment of a new democracy. The common actor in both
the Iraq and Iran money for dictatorship programs is of course, Putin.
Vice-President Cheney recently admonished Putin for his aggression
against Russia’s neighbors while simultaneously letting his own
country slide into a nationalistic autocracy. Putin’s call for a new
arms race openly communicates what has been going on under the radar
for several years. Rising energy prices have enabled oil-rich Russia
and its ally to the south to mount a steady conventional and nuclear
weapons buildup. Money from contracts for refurbishing Persian nuclear
facilities and ancillary services would further fuel the development of
a more capable Russian military. And all of this depends on ages-old
trade routes through countries that are no longer easy pickings for
Putin or the Persian mullahs.
So the next time Ahmadinejad spouts off with one of his rants, keep
in mind that he has a more rational partner to the north who needs
the mullahs as a source of revenue. We must realize that by design,
Putin is of little or no help in negotiations over Persia’s nascent
nuclear program. And perhaps he is more of a hindrance than an ally
in the larger War on Terror.
* Georgians generally refer to their large southern neighbor as
“Persia,” and do not use the term “Iran,” since they view it as a
modern artificial construct.
Douglas Hanson is the national security correspondent for The American
Thinker. He recently returned from the Caucasus.

Press Release
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:
PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon
Armenian version:
HIS HOLINESS ARAM I RECEIVES THE AMBASSADOR OF IRAN
His Holiness Aram I received the newly appointed Ambassador of the
Islamic Republic of Iran to Lebanon, Mohammed Riza Shibani in Antelias
on June 8. The political and cultural secretaries at the Embassy
accompanied the Ambassador.
The Iranian diplomats and His Holiness talked about the current
situation in Lebanon. The Ambassador informed the Catholicos of the
recent dialogue between Iran and the international community and the
latest proposals presented to the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Referring to the Armenian community of Iran, the Catholicos asked the
Ambassador that consultations between the mixed government-community
committee over legal issues related to the community continue. He also
asked that the government follow closely the anti-Armenian policy of
Azeris in the region of Tabriz.
Speaking about the Armenian community of Lebanon, the Pontiff said
its political approach have always been in favor of Lebanese internal
unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty.
##
View photo here: tm#2
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates
of the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the
history and mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer
to the web page of the Catholicosate, The
Cilician Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is
located in Antelias, Lebanon.

Press Release
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:
PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon
Armenian version:
THE CATHOLICOS HONORS THREE SERVANTS
OF THE ARMENIAN COMMUNITY
His Holiness Aram I concluded his pontifical visit to the Diocese of Lebanon
by an official dinner held at the “Emirate” hall of Habtoor Hotel on June 8.
Organized by the Diocese of Lebanon, the dinner was also dedicated to the
“Year of the Armenian School” and particularly the Lebanese-Armenian
schools.
Speakers at the dinner focused on the new activeness and spirit brought
forth by His Holiness’ Pontifical visit to the Diocese and the great
satisfaction and encouragement caused by the consecration of the newly built
St. Vartananats Church.
After the welcoming and greeting words of Primate Bishop Kegham Khatcherian,
His Holiness granted the “Knight” medal to Tsolag Tuitelian, Hovhannes
Keleshian, Hagop Shamelian and Zohrab Toruigian, four Lebanese-Armenians who
have in one way or another served their community with great dedication. The
medals were given following the request of the Primate and the local
national authorities of the Diocese.
With the kind intention of supporting Armenian schools and their progress,
Mr. Hrayr Sarkissian donated 100,000 US Dollars to the National Schools’
Student Fund. More than 500 people, including the Minister of Foreign
Affairs of Karabakh Kevorki Bedrossian, ambassadors, representatives of
unions and organizations, attended the dinner.
His Holiness highly praised all the structures and organizations functioning
in the Diocese of Lebanon and all those Armenians who breather life into
them. Referring to the latter, he said they “share a part of their time,
just earnings and intellect with the nation, church, school and our civil
organizations.”
“Our Diaspora life would wither without our spiritual cultural and national
values, traditions and dreams. They are rivers that always flow from the
living history and healthy identity of our people. The identity of small
nations is subject to danger in this age if globalization. Therefore, the
preservation of our identity demands double work and commitment from us
today. The Armenian School is the fortress of the preservation of our nation
‘s identity, in front of which all hampering, polluting and misguiding
trends will be destroyed. The Armenian School should be kept strong so we
can be strengthened by the Armenian School, so the Diaspora can become
stronger, so Armenia can become stronger through a strong Diaspora,” said
His Holiness.
The Pontiff then spoke with praise about the strength shown by the Armenian
community of Lebanon. “The Armenians of Lebanon should continue their pan
national role. Let’s not forget that many of our communities refer to
Armenian community of Lebanon when they need spiritual leaders, teachers,
principals, editors, etc. The Lebanese-Armenian community should not view
its role with pride, but should asses its pan national role as a task to be
fulfilled with the sense of responsibility,” the Pontiff concluded.
##
View photo here: tm#3
*****
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the dioceses of
the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of the
Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.
From: Baghdasarian

TIGRAN TOROSYAN: OGTAY ASADOV CONGRATULATED ME ON MY ELECTION PARLIAMENT SPEAKER AND WISHED ME SUCCESS
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
June 12 2006
“Azerbaijani delegates really read the congratulation addressed to me
by speaker Ogtay Asadov,” Armenian parliament speaker Tigran Torosyan
told journalists (APA).
Commenting on the recent scandal regarding Azerbaijani parliament
president Ogtay Asadov’s congratulatory message to him, Torosyan said
he regrets the Azerbaijani side’s denial of this fact. In his words,
Azerbaijani parliamentarian Asef Hajiyev addressed the meeting of
the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Parlaimentary
Assembly in Yerevan.
“Asef Hajiyev read the message of speaker Ogtay Asadov. In the message,
he thanked to the Armenian parliament for providing a good opportunity
for the meeting participants. Besides, Ogtay Asadov congratulated me on
my election parliament speaker and wished me success,” Torosyan said.
The parliament press secretary Akif Tavakkuloghlu told APA that
speaker Ogtay Asadov refuses to say anything about that.

Press Release
From:Mira Yardemian
Public Relations Director
Haigazian University
Rue Mexique – Kantari
P.O. Box 11-1748
Riad El-Solh 1107 2090
Beirut – Lebanon
Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb Lectures in Haigazian University
The Palestinian Christians: Immense Challenges and Endless
Possibilities
On Thursday, June the 8th, 2006, the Cultural Hour at Haigazian
University hosted the Director of the International Center of
Bethlehem, Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb, to dwell on “The Present of the
Palestinian Christians, and discuss their challenges, opportunities
and threats facing this ever-diminishing, but quite potent community
in Palestine.
Among the presence were, the President of the Supreme Council of the
Evangelical Community in Syria and Lebanon, Rev. Dr. Salim Sahyouni,
the Secretary General of the Christian – Muslim Committee for
Dialogue, Mr. Mohammad Sammak, the President of Haigazian University,
Rev. Dr. Paul Haidostian, The President of the Near East School of
Theology, Dr. Mary Mikhael, in addition to a large number of scholars
and clergy.
In her welcoming speech, the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences,
Dr. Arda Ekmekji, talked very briefly about Christian ethnicities
in Palestine: “It is in fact tragic that in the ongoing polemic
on Palestine, and in this eternal debate on whose land is the Holy
Land, very often one tends to overlook a very important community:
The Palestinian Christians, who in their turn could belong to various
ethnic and diverse cultural groups: Arabs, Armenians, Copts, Syriacs,
Abyssinians and even Franks”, said Ekmekji.
Rev. Raheb started his lecture by providing facts and figures on the
Palestinian Christians. It’s an urban society, concentrated mainly
in the cities of Bethlehem, the West Bank region, and Jerusalem, the
majority being orthodox, and catholics and evangelicals. Christian
Palestinians are less than 2% of the total population of the country,
yet they are a very active community. They possess 64 schools, 2
universities, and 2 colleges. They also provide 30% of the health
service in Palestine. Raheb presented the major challenges of this
small community, which is the minority complex, and the fear of
disappearing, the absence of law and order, the rise of the Islamic
parties, the Israeli occupation and the system of segregation and
racism.
A 20-minute moving documentary was shown during the lecture, featuring
the city of Bethlehem, the construction of the dividing wall, and
true stories and experiences of land confiscation and segregation.
Finally, Rev. Raheb concluded his speech, by calling to a living hope
in conditions of despair, as the Palestinian cause is more explicitly
presented today than any other day, the developmental projects of the
churches are increasing, and the Palestinian Christians have a pivotal
role to play in building a Christian identity in the Middle East.

KARABAKH LIBERATION ORGANIZATION OFFERS TO ESTABLISH PROFESSIONAL ARMY IN AZERBAIJAN
Author: E.Javadova
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
June 12 2006
The Karabakh Liberation Organization (KLO) offers to establish in
Azerbaijan a professional army, Akif Nagi, the chairman of KLO, made
such a statement at the round table held on June 12, Trend reports.
He noted that it was need to involve the officers participating in
the first Karabakh war in the creation of the professional army.
“Army creation is of great importance for Azerbaijan of which 20
percent territory is under occupation. The Azerbaijanis conducted
several successful military operations during the first Karabakh war,”
told Nagi.
According to him, the large-scale military operations started on June
12, 1992 demonstrated the force of Azeri army and military efficiency
of officers and soldiers. The experience of this way confirms the
necessity to transfer to the recruitment for the army on contracted
or professional base. Besides, Nagi ruled out the necessity to present
this topic to the regular discussion of public.

AGO GROUP TO VISIT BAKU
AzerTag, Azerbaijan
June 12 2006
The AGO group of the Council of Europe Ministerial Committee will
visit Azerbaijan, June 13.
The goal of the group led by permanent representative of Germany at the
Council of Europe, Ambassador Roland Wagener is to study fulfillment
of the obligations the Republic took before the Organization.
In the frame of visit, the Group is to discuss the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict, issues of political prisoners and election practice, meet
with governmental dignitaries, NGO representatives and oppositions
parties.
After the visit, the Group will prepare a report to be published
prior to the PACE session.
As stated, the AGO Group will come to Baku form Yerevan.

ARMENIAN MINISTER RULES OUT NEW GARABAGH WAR
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
June 12 2006
Baku, June 9, AssA-Irada
Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian has maintained that
the possibility of a new war over Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh looks
rather unrealistic, although the situation may change in the future
considering Azerbaijan’s belligerent statements.
“Azerbaijan is not ready for a military option now and won’t be ready
over the next 10 years even taking into account its oil industry
potential,” said Oskanian.
Oskanian said there is a “limit to compromises” for his country with
regard to settling the Garabagh conflict.
“There is a boundary Armenia will never cross, no matter how long
the conflict resolution lasts and how much Azerbaijan blackmails us
with oil dollars and threats to use military action,” he told a local
TV channel.
Oskanian alleged that his country had already accepted major
concessions in order to advance the peace process.

ARMENIAN FAILURE TO STUDY LATEST TALKS TO CAUSE ITS DEFEAT – AZERI OFFICIAL
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
June 12 2006
Baku, June 9, AssA-Irada
An Azerbaijani official has warned that Armenia will suffer a defeat
if it fails to properly assess the latest talks on settling the
long-standing conflict over Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh.
“Armenia should analyze the Rambouillet and Bucharest talks and make
conclusions, otherwise, it will lose,” said Deputy Foreign Minister
and the Azerbaijani President’s Upper Garabagh negotiator, Araz Azimov.
The latest rounds of talks between the two presidents in Rambouillet
and Bucharest turned out fruitless.
Azimov declined to make any specific projections but said the chances
for resolving the dispute in 2006 have not been exhausted and it is
only necessary to capitalize on them.
“Azerbaijan has waited this long and can still wait. But we have no
intention to back away from our position of principle. At the same
time, our stance is constructive. If we advance in the direction
we have proposed, I believe it is possible to achieve results,”
the deputy minister said.
He reiterated that Azerbaijan’s priorities entail liberation of the
occupied Azeri territories and the return of refugees and IDPs home,
and only after this could other issues be tabled.
Azimov emphasized that President Ilham Aliyev had made far-sighted
proposals during his meetings on various levels. “Ensuring Azerbaijan’s
territorial integrity is key. If this fair condition of official Baku
is complied with, using international experience to solve the problem
is possible.”
Azimov warned that if Yerevan fails to relinquish its non-constructive
stance, this will not be in its favor. “Some countries have refused to
forge ties with Armenia altogether due to its occupation claims against
Azerbaijan. Half of Armenia’s population has left the country. Such
a stalemate could lead to escalating tensions,” he said.
As for the upcoming replacement of the mediating OSCE Minsk Group’s US
co-chairman, Steven Mann, the diplomat said this would not negatively
affect peace talks in any way. He added that the Azerbaijani government
had been content with the mediator’s activity.