AMERICANS MUST SPEAK UP TO STOP DARFUR GENOCIDE:
by Trudy Rubin, The Olympian, Olympia, Wash.

The Olympian (Olympia, Washington)
Distributed by Knight/Ridder Tribune News Service
March 16, 2006 Thursday

Editorial

Mar. 16–PHILADELPHIA — Can an individual do anything to stop a
genocide? Let’s hope so, because governments certainly aren’t doing
much. Two years after Sudan began a genocidal slaughter in Darfur
province, the killing of black African Muslims by black Arab Muslims
continues.

No government seems willing or able to force Sudan to stop. The Bush
administration calls this killing by its rightful name — genocide —
but has yet to use the kind of political muscle that might stop it.

So it is left to ordinary individuals to act. Think you can’t do
anything? Former Marine Capt. Brian Steidle thinks you must. He
photographed Darfur’s horrors, and the images are driving him crazy.

He wants a million Americans to write to President Bush and urge him
to ensure that a strong multinational force is sent to Darfur.

Steidle, 29, was one of three U.S. military observers assigned to
the African Union, which has a toothless force of 7,000 monitors
in Darfur. The monitors are permitted only to observe a nonexistent
cease-fire. Steidle went to this killing field in September 2004 armed
only with a pen, pad and camera; he took more than 1,000 photos. The
ex-Marine had no doubt who was to blame for the carnage, which has
killed about 180,000 in the past three years and driven

2 million Darfurians from their homes. The Sudanese government,
in an effort to crush Darfur rebels, sent in its army along with
an Arab militia known as the janjaweed. Their goal: to “cleanse”
Darfur of its ethnic African population. But Steidle’s reports to the
AU disappeared down a black hole. So he quit in February 2005, went
home, met the media and found sympathetic legislators who displayed
his photos. He even met senior Bush officials. “But I couldn’t get
the administration to listen,” he says.

So he decided to approach the public directly. He wants you to
lobby for a U.N. force that would protect civilians in Darfur. He is
touring 22 cities in a campaign backed by Jewish, Armenian, mainstream
Protestant, evangelical and other groups that will culminate in an
anti-genocide demonstration April 30 in Washington, D.C. The goal:
to get 1 million Americans to send this message to the White House:
“Dear President Bush: During your first year in the White House, you
wrote in the margins of a report on the Rwandan genocide, ‘Not on my
watch.’ I urge you to live up to those words by using the power of
your office to support a stronger multinational force to protect the
civilians of Darfur.” (You can send the message via e-mail or order
preprinted postcards at ) Sudan is lobbying the
Security Council to block a U.N. force. China, which buys Sudanese oil,
is opposed, as are Russia and Qatar, the current Arab representative
on the council. Steidle believes that a U.N. force can be achieved but
that “it would take a lot of leadership from the United States.” The
White House has yet to show that leadership, despite the President’s
fine words. What’s needed now is grassroots pressure on the White
House. One million postcards and 1 million people in the Capitol on
April 30 might motivate the Bush team to lean harder on the AU, Sudan,
China and Russia to approve a U.N. force. Such pressure would also
demonstrate that there are people who refuse to tolerate genocide,
even if most of the world ignores it. Brian Steidle wants to show
that one person can make a difference. But he can succeed only if,
one by one, other Americans join in.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

IJEVAN RESIDENT’S LAWSUIT AGAINST MAYOR’S OFFICE DISMISSED, ACCORDING TO PLAINTIFF, LAND PLOTS ALLOCATED TO MAYOR’S BROTHER BY AUCTION AND NOT TENDER RULES

Noyan Tapan
Mar 16 2006

IJEVAN, MARCH 16, NOYAN TAPAN. The court of first instance of Tavish
marz on March 15 dismissed the lawsuit of Vaghinak Ananian, a resident
of the city of Ijevan, against the mayor’s office, in which the
plaintiff asked to declare invalid the results of the tender held
in Ijevan on June 24, 2005. He claimed that the land plots in the
city were leased by auction rather than by tender rules. According
to V. Ananian, based on the tender results, Hrachia Nersisian, head
physician of the city hospital, brother of Ijevan mayor Varuzhan
Nersisian was given the land plot, on which the plaintiff also
had claims.

Despite the fact that he paid 5 thousand drams in order to participate
in the tender, at the last moment he was not allowed to do so due to
some mistake in his document. The Ijevan mayor’s brother was announced
the winner of the tender.

Zoya Zakinian, judge of the court of first instance of Tavush marz,
refused to provide NT correspondent any grounds for such a court
decision, saying that she is busy.

ARMENIAN DARES MPS TO EVICT HIM
By Cyrus Ombati

Standard, Kenya
March 16 2006

Mr Artur Margaryan says he is in Kenya to stay and dared MPs Fred
Gumo and Reuben Ndolo to make good their threats to evict him from
his house.

“They should not come after a week, let them come now and if they
want to fight me I will also fight,” he said.

Artur Margaryan addresses journalists at the Standard Group offices
at I&M Bank Tower in Nairobi, on Thursday. Pic by Noor Khamis

Margaryan said he was in the country legally and called the two
legislators’ threats “a populist” attempt aimed at raising their
profiles. He said Gumo and Ndolo were not policemen or Immigration
officials to order him to leave the country. He said he was a State
witness in a case coming up against MPs Raila Odinga and Kalonzo
Musyoka.

Margaryan said even though he wants protection, the Kenya police was
“a tribal team” incapable of protecting him.

“I love Kenya with volition and I will not run away because I came
here legally,” he said.

He claimed Ndolo and Gumo had been bribed to stage a protest outside
his house. The two Nairobi MPs on Wednesday stormed the house of
the man at the centre of the mercenary saga and gave him a one-week
ultimatum to leave the country.

“This is my constituency and the residents have complained over the
presence of these foreigners who are here in the name of investment.

They have to leave within a week,” said Gumo.

But speaking to journalists in his compound, Margaryan said he had done
nothing wrong to force him to leave the country. He ushered journalists
into the compound, but warned them against taking any pictures there.

“Don’t shoot any other picture other than me. Not even my dog because
you do that I mess up with you,” he said.

Margaryan said he and his business partner planned to open up an
investment that would see over 2,000 youths employed. He said he had
no government vehicle as widely reported in the media.

A white Subaru car that had GK registration numbers on Wednesday
had different ones. After talking to the Press, Margaryan left in a
blue Subaru in the company of a woman for a press conference at the
Standard Group offices.

ITALIAN WINE-MAKER INTENDS TO HELP ARMENIAN PARTNERS

Noyan Tapan
Mar 16 2006

YEREVAN, MARCH 16, NOYAN TAPAN. Renato Loss, a famous Italian
wine-making expert with a considerable work experience in such
countries as Australia, Argentina, China, Chile, North Africa and
Georgia, was the guest of the Armenian Development Agency (ADA) on
March 15. According to the agency, although R. Loss is in Armenia
for the first time, he is well familiar with Armenian wines.

The ADA held business meetings with the participation of the Italian
wine-maker. The meetings were attented by representatives of the
RA Union of Wine-Makers, 15 wine companies, and the Italian embassy
in Armenia. At the agency, Renato Loss was told about the Armenian
invsetment climate and the repidly developing branches of economy,
the history of Armenian wine-making, and the technologies and
volumes of grapevine growing and grapes processing. R.Loss pointed
out the favorable climate in Armenia and Georgia, suitable for making
original, not traditional wines. He attached importance to Armenia’s
participation in wine-making exhibitions to be held in Germany and
Italy soon. R. Loss promised to develop a program on cooperation with
Armenian wine-makers and visit Armenia again in April or May. To
recap, the Armenian Development Agency in February 2006 signed a
mutual understanding memorandum with the Union of Manufacturers
of the Italian region of Kaserta with the aim of promoting the
Armenian-Italian economic and trade cooperation.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

IMMIGRATION ADDS MYSTERY TO NATIONALITY OF TWO MEN

Standard, Kenya
March 16 2006

The nationality of two men at the centre of mercenary claims remains
a mystery as records at the Immigration Department show they were
Indian and Armenian nationals.

Contrary to Immigration minister Gideon Konchellah’s remarks that both
individuals were Armenians, we have learnt that they were registered as
nationals of different countries to disguise their identities. During
their Monday Press conference at the Jomo Kenyatta International
Airport, the ‘businessmen’ said they were Armenian brothers. They
also refuted claims they were mercenaries.

Mr Artur Margaryan is registered as an Indian in file No. 1211129,
while Mr Artur Sargsyan is registered in file No. 1211130 as an
Armenian. But Margaryan insists that he is Armenian. They are both
listed as directors of Brother Link International Ltd with Group H
working permits, which allow them to work in Kenya for two years.

Group H permits are reserved for company directors. The permits were
said to have been approved at a meeting between Investment Promotional
Authority and the Immigrations Department on January 19.

An Immigration official, Evelyne Cheluget, is said to have chaired
the meeting that allegedly approved their permits. The company is
listed as “offering services to various organisations in marketing
business development.”

According to the panel, the names did not feature in their meeting.

“When we discussed the permits, their names did not feature. I am
certain about that,” stated the source.

Efforts to get a comment from the Indian High Commissioner were futile
as he was said to be out of office.

Relations with a Narc activist

Meanwhile, the Government has said it had nothing to do with the
business the two are doing in the country.

Government spokesman Alfred Mutua said Brother Link Ltd was registered
in the names of the two men on December 1, 2005.

“They were later issued with class H type immigration investors
permits on January 23, 2006,” said Mutua.

He said the Government could not explain any relations they may be
having with a Narc activist.

“Ask the activist, but you cannot expect the Government to answer
questions for a person who is not its employee,” said Mutua.

He, however, said the two brothers could be having other companies,
among them Kensington Holdings Ltd, where Ms Winfred Wangui Mwai is
also a director.

Mutua said it appeared the Armenians have been meeting several people
in the country, such as Raila Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka and others.

“As we speak here, they are at the police station recording a statement
on allegations that they are mercenaries,” said Mutua.

However, Artur Margaryan was at the time addressing journalists at
a Press conference in KTN offices. Mutua said the police would be
particularly interested in the pictures and CCTV footage the Armenians
claim they have. He said there was nothing wrong with businessmen
or any other people holding a Press conference at the airport VIP
lounge. He, however, did not explain why they were using GK vehicles,
concealing their car number plates or the kind of business they did
in the country.

Elsewhere, Office of the President Assistant minister Joseph Kingi
and Internal Security Permanent Secretary, Cyrus Gituai, said the
two men were already under investigation.

“Give the Government time to carry out investigations. We are
investigating whether they are mercenaries or not,” Kingi said.

Businessmen or hit men?

And the mystery over the two deepened after National Security minister
John Michuki said he could not tell whether the individuals were
businessmen or hit men.

Michuki declined to state the nationality of the two men, saying
investigations would reveal their real identities.

“Going by what you have been writing they could be Russians, Armenians,
Americans. We will ascertain who they are,” Michuki said.

Michuki, who had called a Press conference at his office on Thursday
evening, said the matter was under “active” investigations. “I do
not know whether they are mercenaries or not. It will come up in the
investigations,” he said.

He said allegations by Lang’ata MP Raila Odinga about the existence
of mercenaries in Kenya were serious as far as State security was
concerned. He said the Government should be given an opportunity to
carefully investigate the matter devoid of political interference.

Michuki said the media should not misinterpret or unnecessarily
exaggerate delicate security issues to limits designed to serve their
interests. He said he agreed with some media houses which have stated
that politics should be kept out of security matters, “although the
same media houses have been on the fore front of politicising these
matters.”

Michuki said the Police were highly efficient and would be able to
unravel the unfolding drama involving the two men.

MOB BAYS FOR ARMENIAN’S BLOOD AS IDENTITY RIDDLE DEEPENS

Standard, Kenya
March 16 2006

With a mob in Nairobi streets baying for his blood and the Armenian
government discrediting his passport, Mr Artur Margaryan was a man
under siege, even as he walked into the Standard Group offices to
deny claims linking him to mercenary activities.

Matters are complicated by the fact that information at the Ministry
of Immigration indicates he is a citizen of India and his compatriot,
Mr Artur Sargsyan, an Armenian.

Irate women scream at Artur Margaryan along Kenyatta Avenue soon
after he left the Standard Group offices at I&M Bank Tower on Thursday
afternoon.

And State House entered the fray with a statement on the name of
Narc activist Mary Wambui’s daughter, who has been listed as a
co-shareholder in a company with Margaryan and Sargsyan.

The statement, released by the Presidential Press Service, said:
“Our attention has been drawn to a story appearing on the front
page of The Standard, making reference to a company involving Ms
Winfred Wangui Mwai, whose picture also appears. We hereby wish to
state that the full names of the said Winfred are Winfred Florence
Wangui, as appearing in her National Identity Card, and the name
Mwai appears nowhere in the national registry. Kindly correct the
erroneous impression created through the use of the name Mwai.”

Confronted by angry mob

The statement was in reaction to our lead story on Thursday, where
we reproduced the names as they appear in the company’s memorandum
of understanding. The story made no reference to State House.

The PPS statement also refuted claims that some State House cars had
been seen in the vicinity of Runda, near the house rented by the two.

The Orange Democratic Movement had released a statement giving a list
of vehicles linked to the two foreigners. The movement also asked
President Kibaki to say what he knew about the intriguing saga.

Margaryan was on Thursday rescued by police from an angry mob that
confronted him in the streets soon after he left the Standard premises.

The mob shouted insults at him and followed him through the streets
as he frantically spoke on his mobile phone. Armed police repulsed
the crowd and whisked him away in a taxi.

The nationalities of the two foreigners is now in doubt after the
director of Consular Department at the Armenia Ministry of Foreign
Affairs Tigran Seiranian, said the passport number AB0322223 held by
Artur Margaryan was not in their records.

In response to our inquiries by email, Seiranian also dismissed as
false claims by the two foreigners that they were related to the
country’s president and that one of them was a presidential hopeful
in the 2008 elections.

Credibility in doubt

Artur Sargsyan claimed on Monday that he was a presidential candidate
and was related to the Armenian President Robert Kocharian. But his
name does not appear in a list of the 2008 presidential contestants
posted on the Armenian HyeForum message board website.

This latest information on the unfolding saga came as the Government
gave its first indication that it was now doubting the credibility
and nationalities of the two foreigners.

National Security minister John Michuki said he could not tell whether
the individuals mentioned were businessmen or hit men. And asked about
their nationality, he said: “Going by what you have been writing,
they could be Russians, Armenians, Americans. We will ascertain who
they are.”

He added that the Government was now investigating the two foreigners,
who came out in public for the first time on Monday to deny reports
that they were mercenaries.

The claims were first made by Langata MP Raila Odinga, who said the
foreigners were involved in the Government raid on the Standard Group
premises in the city centre and Industrial Area.

But the two men turned up to claim they had lent Raila Sh108 million
to sort out a personal problem. They also claimed Raila and Mwingi
North MP Kalonzo Musyoka had asked for Sh3 billion to finance a
no-confidence vote in the Government. Both leaders have asked the
two men to prove their claims.

Vilified for political reasons

Margaryan strolled into the Standard/KTN offices on Thursday to restate
his claims that he was an honest businessman, who was being vilified
for political reasons.

The man, who said his visit was intended “to bury the story of the
mercenary once for all”, further denied having ever been to State
House or sharing business interests with a prominent Narc activist
or a member of her family.

“I don’t know the location (of State House). I’ve not been there,”
Margaryan told journalists at a Press conference. And shown the
picture of Winifred Wangui, with whom records at the Registrar of
Companies indicate he co-shares Kensington Holding Ltd, he said she
looked like an “African lady I don’t know.”

Asked about claims that he trafficked drugs, Margaryan said he was
“very religious” and abhorred the substances, and that he had set up
an anti-drug movement in Dubai.

With a touch of swashbuckling, amplified by a bullet-proof vest he
claimed was a “medical jacket” prescribed by doctors for injuries he
had sustained in an accident, Margaryan said he felt no remorse for
the attack of a police officer in his compound last week.

He had imported more dogs just in case the police dared to raid his
house again, he warned. “I had one dog, but now I’ve six from Dubai.

If you jump into my compound, I will unleash them on you. I don’t
care if it is the CID officer or the Commissioner himself.”

Ostentatious lifestyle

He further dared the police to arrest him for concealing number
plates of “his cars” – he claimed to have three Lexus, “but I could
have six by evening if I want” -arguing that he was forced to do so
for security reasons.

Unknown people had trailed him, he claimed, although he could not
explain the irony of demanding police protection from the same force
he had chased away from his house recently.

Margaryan said he and the second man he claims is his brother had
sunk around Sh360 million into the upgrading of a slum.

Showing off expensive jewellery and at least five mobile phones that
kept ringing throughout the hour-long interview, Margaryan repeated
the claim that he had loaned Raila Sh108 million.

Asked to show evidence of the loan, he said he had not bothered to
tie the “loan” in paperwork “as he believed life was like a menu,
that you only asked for what you planned to pay for.”

He then said he had given the recording cameras used during the
transaction to a hotel manager. He claimed to have personally installed
the CCTV cameras at the Grand Regency hotel Penthouse suite from where
he said he handed over the money stashed in a “Nakumatt paper bag”.

Margaryan, however, left more questions than answers after he slyly
deflected inquiries on his apparent well-heeled and ostentatious
lifestyle.

For instance, although he insisted the upgrading process that sounded
more of charity work than investment had the full blessings of the
Government, he insisted he was yet to meet any high-ranking state
official over it.

He and his investing colleagues planned to buy land at a location he
did not wish to name as they planned “to sell the houses in peace.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CBA CALCULATES COMPOSITE ECONOMIC INDICES FOR FIRST QUARTER OF 2006

Noyan Tapan
Mar 16 2006

YEREVAN, MARCH 16, NOYAN TAPAN. The Central Bank of Armenia (CBA)
calculated the composite economic indices for the first quarter of 2006
with respect to the fourth quarter of 2005 – the business environment
index made 107.8 units, the economic activity index – 131.5 units,
and the consumer confidence index – 99.6 units. NT was informed from
the CBA press service that with the aim of calculating the first two
indices, over 600 organizations in industry, construction and the
service sector were surveyed based on a selective principle. The
business environment index is calculated by finding the average
of the organizations’ assessments of the risks and changes in the
overall economic situation, the economic activity index – based on
the average of the organizations’ expectations about output volumes,
orders for production and reserves.

The consumer confidence index is calculated taking into account the
households’ responses about changes in their incomes, expenditures
and employment and their attitude towards the current economic
conditions. The questions have a qualitative character and include such
response options as “grew”, “remained unchanged” and “declined”. After
the survey, the specific weight of each option in the overall number
of responses is calculated, then the specific weight of positive
responses is added to half of the specific weight of neutral responses
to get the balances of the responses. The values range from 0 to 100,
with a value above 50 showing high activity, a value under 50 – low
activity, while 50 means an unchanged state. The CBA has calculated
the composite economic indices since the second quarter of 2005. The
balances of survey responses to calculate the composite economic
indices for the second, third, fourth quarters of 2005 and for the
first quarter of 2006 (with respect to the previous quarter) made:
the business environment index – 53.9, 52.2, 54.1 and 58.3 points,
the economic activity index – 72.2, 71.0, 53.6 and 70.5 points, and
the consumer confidence index – 51.53, 50.9, 51.5 and 51.3 points. The
final indices were calculated as the ratio of the response balances
to the respective index of the base period.

CBA BOARD PRESENTS PECULIARITIES OF ITS NEW MONETARY AND CREDIT POLICY TO HEADS OF COMMERCIAL BANKS

Noyan Tapan
Mar 16 2006

YEREVAN, MARCH 16, NOYAN TAPAN. A meeting of the Central Bank of
Armenia (CBA) Board members and the heads of the commercial banks
took place on March 14. NT was informed from the CBA press service
that the new instruments of the CBA monetary and credit policy
and the principles of their use were presented at the meeting. It
was noted that in order to ensure price stability in Armenia, the
CBA shifted to inflation targeting in January 2006 and currently
attaches importance to increasing the efficiency of the interest rate
transfer mechanism in the monetary and credit policy. The success
here will depend on a number of tasks such as the fight against
the shadow economy, the development of the financial system, the
integration of the international financial systems and increasing
the financial market liquidity. It was pointed out at the meeting
that the low level of liquidity of the Armenian financial market
prevents efficient management of financial institutions’ liquidity,
and therefore the crediting of the economy. The meeting participants
pointed out that the instruments of the monetary and credit policy
should be aimed, through increasing the financial market liquidity,
at enhancing the efficiency of the interest rate instrument of the
transfer mechanism and strengthening the role of the short-term
interest rate for the financial market participants. The change in
the monetary and credit policy’s strategy requires that the logic of
the CBA operations on the domestic financial market be reviewed. It
was underlined that for this purpose every Wednesday, as the main
instrument, the CBA will implement 14-day repo operations at the
interest rate of refinancing. The CBA will set the refinancing
interest rate, taking into account the deviations of the forecast
and target inflation indices, as well as the tendecies shown by the
interest rates on the market and the profitablity curve. Long-term
restricting structural instruments will be used, particularly the
issue of bonds and the sale of foreign currency for the monetary base
and liquidity management. The interest rate of lombard credit will
be smoothly reduced and will not be viewed as an instrument for fining.

8 NEW CASES OF HIV REGISTERED IN ARMENIA THIS YEAR

Noyan Tapan
Mar 16 2006

YEREVAN, MARCH 16, NOYAN TAPAN. 8 new cases of HIV have been registered
in Armenia this year. NT correspondent was informed at the Republican
Center for AIDS Prevention that 390 cases of HIV were registered
in the country from 1998 to February 28, 2006. Out of this number,
371 HIV positive persons were Armenian citizens. In 2005 alone, 78
new HIV cases were registered, with 75 being Armenian citizens. 116
HIV positive persons (20 women, 4 children) have been found to have
AIDS, 41 of whom – in 2005, and 11 – this year. Until now 81 people
(13 women, 2 children) have died from AIDS/HIV in Armenia. It was
noted that in Armenia, the main HIV transmission routes are drug use
(54.5%) and heterosexual contacts (37.7%).

DEMAND OF LAW “ON PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION” CONCERNING SALARIES NOT FUNCTION IN TAVUSH

Noyan Tapan
Mar 16 2006

IJEVAN, MARCH 16, NOYAN TAPAN. The demand on salaries fixed in the
law “On Pre-School Education” come into force from January 1, 2006,
doesn’t function in the marz of Tavush. It’s particularly fixed by
the law that the minimum wage of pedagogues of kindergartens under
state and community subjection must be in double size of the minimum
salary fixed in the republic, thus, 30 thousand drams (about 67
U.S. dollars). But at the sitting of the Regional Council, Robert
Nersisian, the Chief of the Finance and Economy Department of the
Tavush regional administration advised the village heads to appoint
salary of pedagogues arising not of the demands of the above-mentioned
law, but of financial possibilities of communities. Some village
heads mentioned at the sitting that the state is obliged to allocate
for that purpose money to communities from the budget what isn’t
done. R.Nersisian informed the Noyan Tapan correspondent that soon
changes may be done in the law “On Pre-School Education” for the
above-mentioned principle concerning pedagogues’ minimum wage relates
only to state pre-school institutions.