KENYA : NARC POLITICIAN IS LINKED TO ARMENIANS

African News Dimension, South Africa
March 15 2006

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) yesterday linked a Narc politician
to a press conference by two former Soviet bloc foreigners Langata
MP Raila Odinga describes as mercenaries.

And the movement accused the Government of providing state security
to Mr Artur Sargsyan and Mr Artur Margaryan, who they claimed were
“international criminals.”

Mr Odinga claimed he had information that arrangements for the Press
conference at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport were carried
out by the politician’s personal assistant.

In a move that added more mystery to the saga behind the two Armenians,
the former Roads minister claimed Mr Sargsyan, who had been said to
have flown into the country a few minutes before the Press conference,
was in fact in the country.

Vehicles guarded

He claimed Mr Sargsyan and Mr Margaryan were chauffeured to JKIA in
two GK vehicles guarded by two outriders to conduct “a stage-managed
press conference.”

On reaching JKIA, Mr Odinga alleged that they were sneaked in through
Gate 1 and later disguised to appear as if they had just landed in
the country before addressing the Press conference.

The Langata MP claimed journalists were locked in a room as
arrangements for the stage-managing the press conference were going
on. All media houses, except the Nation Media Group, were invited to
the event.

“Even if you have flown in a jet, you must have small luggage. You
cannot just walk as if you are from a bar,” he said and asked:
“Why this shadowy way of doing things?” “Even the statement that Mr
Sargsyan read was prepared in the office of Kenya Airports Authority
deputy managing director Naomi Sidi.

But Ms Sidi denied the claims that she was the one who had organised
for the two Armenians to use the VIP lounge for the news conference.

During the news conference, the Armenians insisted they were simply
businessmen who came to Kenya to work with the hotel industry and in
general trade.

They had interests in Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and the Democratic
Republic of Congo and said they had invested Sh360 million ($5
million) in Kenya in housing and metal industries, with the approval
of President Kibaki.

Fund ODM

The two said they had been introduced to both Mr Odinga and Mr Kalonzo
Musyoka by another businessman, and had been asked by Mr Odinga and
Mr Musyoka to fund the ODM’s no-vote campaign in the last year’s
November 21 referendum on the proposed Constitution.

They said they refused to do this, saying they never helped to fund
political work, but said that instead they agreed to a request by Mr
Odinga to lend him $1.5 million (about Sh108 million).

Mr Odinga and Mr Musyoka have denied the claims and accused the
Government of being behind the allegations “to tarnish the integrity
of ODM leaders”.

Mr Musyoka has admitted meeting the two Armenians at the Grand Regency
Hotel in Nairobi but insisted that no business was transacted.

Flanked by ODM leaders William Ruto, Mutula Kilonzo and Reuben Ndolo
among others, Mr Odinga added to the mercenary twist when he claimed
that Mr Sargsyan was still in the country contrary to reports that
he has flown back to Dubai in a private jet. “They never went anywhere.

They are still in the country,” he said.

Reading ODM’s statement, Mr Kilonzo claimed the presence of Mr Sargsyan
and Mr Margaryan in the country was known to high people in Government.

“It is clear to us that the presence in Kenya of the two persons of
questionable character and integrity is with the express knowledge of
the Government at a very high level,” he said at Parliament Buildings
in Nairobi.

The leaders also queried the source of huge sums of money for the
Armenians’ investment and the bank through which the transactions
were carried out.

They told Kenyans to be wary of serious international criminals who
were present in the country. “Serious international criminals are on
the loose in the country, Kenyans beware,” they said.

But Tourism assistant minister Kalembe Ndile and Mwea MP Alfred
Nderitu asked the Government to take legal action against Mr Odinga
and Mr Musyoka for allegedly engaging in espionage.

Mr Nderitu stated that Mr Musyoka, Mr Odinga and the two Armenians
should be locked up and grilled to provide information into the
mercenaries claims.

CZECH PRESIDENT KLAUS: WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM TURKISH RECOGNITION OF ARMENIAN ‘GENOCIDE’?

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
March 15 2006

Czech President Vaclav Klaus stressed on Sunday that stirring up and
bring the past events back to the agenda of the international community
is useless, saying, “Who will benefit from Turkish recognition of
the Armenian ‘genocide’?”

Speaking to German daily Der Spiegel, Klaus questioned the necessity of
facing the past, saying, “The past is the past. Nowadays the European
Parliament is urging Turkey to recognize the Armenian genocide
claims. Who will benefit from this recognition? Russian President
Vladimir Putin apologized for the suppression of the Prague spring
reform process by harsh methods in 1968, saying that his country takes
moral responsibility for the events of 1968. This was a gesture for the
Czech Republic but I don’t think that we have to discuss with Putin
the things a former Soviet leader did to us. In other words Putin is
not the inheritor of Leonid Brezhnev and I am not the inheritor of
the communist regime that took power in 1948 in my country.”

JTW asked the Turkish historians and IR experts the issue. Turkish
experts agree Klaus in some degree.

Dr. Sedat LACINER (ISRO Director): “First there are grave differences
between the Soviet-Prague case and the Turkish-Armenian case. In
Turkish-Armenian case both sides were victims. More than 520.000
Turkish people were massacred by the Armenian armed groups and
Armenians suffered a lot too. Turkish people accepted their mistakes
in the past and Turkish Government openly declared its wish to debate
the Armenian allegations. Turkish PM Erdogan offered to establish
a commission to discuss the difrences. However Armenian side has
strongly rejected all calls and offers from Turkey. The problem is
that there are some who benefit from the problems. Some in Armenia
and Armenian dispora enjoys the benefits resulted in problems. The
‘genocide industry’ employs millions.”

Dr. Nilgun Gulcan (Turkish Expert on Caucasus): “Armenia is obsessed
with the past and it is really difficult to change it. The Armenian
allegation prevent to use potentials in Turkey-Armenia relations. But
that’s all for Turkey. Turkey does not need Armenia too much. Armenia
is a small country with a population less than Ankara’s population.

Armenia needs Turkey and they reject a reconciliation in the
relations. So there is no problem. Armenians like to be in problem.”

Davut Sahiner: “Kocharian and the radical Armenian groups benefit from
the problems. The diaspora’s radical anti-Turkish groups also benefit
from the problems. If the problems between Turkey and Arsmenia solved,
I am sure that they will create new ones.”

ARMENIA SHOULD KEEP DISTANCE FROM HISTORY TO NORMALISE RELATIONS WITH TURKEY

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
March 15 2006

YEREVAN – “Armenia should maximally keep the distance from the
history. Only in this case normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations
is possible”, expert, political scientist Stepan Grigoryan stated in
an interview with Armenian PanARMENIAN.Net news site.

In his words, ARF Dashnaktsutyun is guilty in conclusion of the Moscow
Treaty on March 16, 1921, which signed it on behalf of Armenia. “It was
exactly when we lost everything and the Kars Treaty, signed October 13
of the same year, merely fixed that loss,” he remarked. In his words,
no party will win anything in case of revision or denouncement of
the Moscow Treaty.

“I am repeating, if we do not refer to history, but start establishing
relations with Turkey, it will notably weaken Azerbaijan’s position
in the region. In fact Armenia is able to break the Turkey-Azerbaijan
tandem for its interest”, Grigoryan emphasized.

Dr. Nilgun Gulcan from ISRO aggrees Grigoryan: “Armenians live in the
past more than today. They are obbsessed with the past. They made the
1915 a legacy and first one to believe was themselves. They live in
a created world not in the 21st century. Ankara has made enermous
efforts to normalise the relations, however no one step has been
taken by the Yerevan Governmet. Good relations between Turkey and
Armenia would help both sides. We need dialogue even to discuss the
past. Without dialogue both side can only create more biases.”

TURKISH DIASPORA FORMS NEW PLATFORMS AGAINST ARMENIAN ALLEGATIONS

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
March 15 2006

The Turkish diaspora is stepping up efforts to rescind recognition of
Armenian genocide claims and to win support against its proponents
ahead of April 24, the date Armenians say is the anniversary of the
so-called genocide, AB Haber reported.

While Turkish associations in France joined forces under an umbrella
committee to overturn the 2001 French law recognizing the Armenian
genocide claims, the Workers’ Party (IP) gathered over the weekend
in Istanbul to outline plans for the Talat Pasha Movement, which
will include a mass rally in Berlin on Saturday to denounce the
Armenian claims.

The Turkish groups’ decision to put forward a unified response to
French recognition of Armenian genocide claims came during a meeting on
Sunday with the participation of representatives from 10 associations
under the leadership of the Anatolian Culture Center and the Kemalist
Thought Association.

Besides starting an initiative to bring about the repeal of a the
French law that recognizes the Armenian genocide, the umbrella
committee decided to launch an initiative to give concrete answers
“based on historic realities to foreign claims that aim at damaging
Turkish independence.” They also decided to conduct programs to
inform and inspire Turkish society against Armenian claims and to
inform French society about the realities of the issue.

Representatives of Turkish associations in France stressed at the
meeting that they are not against the existence of Armenians but aim
at making the historic realities supported by documents an issue of
discussion for French citizens.

Turkish associations also stated they will give priority to the
publishing of a book in French. They also announced that they will
gather again next month to view strategies and activities that will
be followed during the campaigns.

At a press conference last week, the groups organizing the committee
meeting demanded that the French Parliament’s recognition of the
alleged genocide in 2001 be reversed, saying that judging history
was up to historians not lawmakers, making reference to an earlier
statement by French President Jacques Chirac.

As part of the activities to overturn Armenian claims, the organizers
of the Talat Pasha Movement met over the weekend in Istanbul to
finalize preparations to launch the movement in Berlin beginning
on Saturday.

A mass demonstration aimed at denouncing Armenian genocide claims, to
be held in Berlin under the slogan “Take your flag and come to Berlin,”
has caused tension between Turkey and Germany. Flyers announcing the
movement read, “If Western capitals don’t want to be burned like Paris,
unjust treatment towards Turkey must end.”

IP leader Dogu Perincek and former Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
(TRNC) President Rauf Denktas will lead the planned demonstration
with the participation of many representatives from Turkish political
parties and European non-governmental organizations (NGOs) within the
framework of the Talat Pasha Movement. The main aim of the group is to
put pressure on the German Parliament to remove official recognition
of the Armenian genocide claims. The movement also aims to attract
some 5 million supporters, including some 1,000 from Turkey.

Denktas is expected to lay flowers at the place in Berlin where
Talat Pasha was assassinated on March 15, 1921 by an Armenian, and
an assembly will gather in a memorial for Talat Pasha on Sunday.

In an effort to hamper these efforts, the German Embassy in Ankara
turned down yesterday visa applications for some who might be intending
to participate in the demonstration.

The same group last year also held a demonstration to mark the
82nd anniversary of the Treaty of Lausanne. At that demonstration
Perincek lashed out at a decision by Switzerland to punish those who
deny the Armenian genocide claims, saying, “The Armenian genocide is
an international lie,” after which the prosecutor from Winterthur
opened an investigation into Perincek and the incident turned into
a diplomatic crisis between Turkey and Switzerland.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

A SECULAR CARTOON JIHAD
By Evgeny Morozov

TCS Daily, DC
March 15 2006

In his 1979 novel, The Book of Laughter and Forgetting, the Czech
writer Milan Kundera cautions against the dangers of institutionalized
forgetting, portraying diabolic laughter as an effective response to
the absurdity and pomposity of a totalitarian system. The Belarusian
opposition can hardly get a better piece of advice. For the foundations
of Alexander Lukashenko’s Forgetful Empire are as much absurd as
they are under-derided. A loud strain of Kunderesque laughter can
crumble it in a few months. To win, the opposition should mock the
quasi-institutionalized cult of forgetting and posit laughter at the
cornerstone of its resistance campaign.

Lukashenko’s obsession with forgetting started in 1996, when he
organized and won a referendum on abandoning Belarus’ traditional
pre-Soviet insignia in exchange for the Soviet one (the latter being
irrelevant to the history of the independent Belarus before 1922).

>From then on, Lukashenko attempted to efface all other traces of
the real Belarus. All national heroes, who would be the pride of a
nation in any other state, were marginalized, as if they could remind
Belarusians of their pre-Lukashenko grandeur.

Shortly after, forgetting became an official policy, expanding into
such unexciting areas as giving almost empty names to the streets
that bore any resemblance to that “other” Belarus that Lukashenko
despises. Thus “Skaryny Avenue”, a major street in the capital,
named in honor of Francisk Skaryna (the first publisher of a book
in a Slavic language, who came from Belarus), became “Independence
Avenue”. “Masherov Avenue”, named in honor of Petr Masherov, the most
popular Soviet-era Belarusian leader, who advocated an early form of
glasnost, became “Victors’ Avenue”.

Lukashenko’s cult of forgetting had made him forget even the hardest of
facts. A few years ago he proclaimed that he grew up reading verses of
Vasil Bykov, the most eminent Belarusian writer and a nominee for the
Nobel Prize in literature. Bykov never wrote verses, only prose…A
devout fan can do better-Lukashenko did not bother to attend Bykov’s
funeral in 2003.

About two weeks ago Lukashenko made an even more blatant mistake,
stating that “we should not be ashamed of our past [hinting at
the centuries-long relationship with Russia]… Take Skaryna,
for example. We all know that he had lived and worked in Saint
Petersburg…”. Good point about being ashamed of the past (didn’t
Lukashenko himself change the name of Skaryna Avenue?), but Skaryna
died around 1550, while Saint Petersburg was founded in 1703. One
hundred and fifty years here or there, but as long as Saint Petersburg
is the birthplace of Vladimir Putin, the cheerleader-in-chief of
Lukashenko’s re-election, the trick is worth it.

Letting such slips go un-ridiculed can be very costly for the
Belarusian opposition. Instead, they should advocate laughter and
derision as a way of life for anybody who realizes the absurdity of
Lukashenko’s regime. Thus, they can also restore confidence and faith
in what Lukashenko would rather prefer to forget.

Take the 2006 presidential elections campaign. In almost every
Belarusian town local authorities try to obstruct public addresses
from the opposition. Since those meetings are allowed by law, local
administrations fill most of the seats in the audience with their
own subordinates, thus preventing those who genuinely came to see the
candidate from entering extremely crowded halls. How more subtle can
it get: authorities themselves deliver those who need to be persuaded
and force them to listen to a two-hour speech by one of Lukashenko’s
challengers. However, instead of deriding this absurdity in their
speeches, the opposition candidates conduct those meetings with their
permanently serious faces.

Or take the recent coup-revelation scandal, in which the chief of
the KGB (some things in Belarus do preserve their old names) proudly
reported to have uncovered more than 70 quasi-secret non-profit
organizations getting ready to undermine Lukashenko’s regime. In
reality, their secrecy can’t get worse-almost all of them are listed
on the “Supporters” page of the Web site of the main opposition
candidate. But instead of pointing to the absurdity of KGB’s claims
and offering its officials a paid job placement into any of those NGOs,
the opposition mounted a rational self-defense, justifying their very
existence and activities.

The opposition’s strategy to attack Lukashenko with numbers and
hard data is also ineffective. For every number and fact that the
opposition produces but never airs, Lukashenko produces five other
numbers, announcing them from the front covers of top newspapers,
not to mention TV. A public argument against Lukashenko can never
be won, since he is always the only one talking. Humor and irony are
ideal for toppling him; there is nothing to refute in a good joke.

Belarusians still remember how anecdotes about the Armenian radio
crumbled the Soviet Empire; doesn’t the Armenian radio have a stance
on Lukashenko?

As opposed to politicians, civil society does mock Lukashenko’s
regime-and quite effectively. In 2004 a group of college students
initiated a series of Flash-animated cartoons about it, which
they branded “People’s TV”. The cartoons resonated in the online
community. At the peak of their popularity they attracted more than
50,000 hits per day. In the summer of 2005 the authorities said
they were not going to tolerate that any further, and three of the
cartoons’ authors emigrated. Those who stayed now face up to five
years in jail. Even by Belarusian standards, this seems too harsh
for a piece of Internet animation. But who can now stop “People’s TV”
broadcasting from abroad? Maybe, it is time to revive the tradition
of underground publishing.

Central European nations, afresh with the memories of their own
struggle against tyranny 20 years ago, know all of this. Thus,
on February 27, four major dailies in the Czech Republic, Hungary,
Poland, and Slovakia published a series of cartoons about Lukashenko,
encouraging a pan-European attack on the repressive regime. An
excellent strategy – if only the Belarusian opposition can do its
job too and display the cartoons even to the staunchest supporters of
the regime. Such cartoons will be more effective than leaflets that
talk about GDP per capita and the share of exports in the Belarusian
economy, terms that alienate an average Lukashenko supporter.

More and more people start talking, if not joking, about the regime
in their daily lives. Thus, places like local markets, which are part
of the Zeitgeist of today’s Belarus, have been rightfully marked by
the opposition to deliver their messages. But talking facts to people
that have been brainwashed by Lukashenko’s media empire yields few
results. The day the opposition appeals to good humor rather than good
judgment, it will be poised to win. Not laughing at today’s regime
grants Lukashenko the opportunity to remain the only one laughing.

=031506B

AN UNHYGIENIC SITUATION IN AKHALKALAK

A1+
01:32 pm 16 March, 2006

The Sanitary Department of Akhalkalak was dismissed according to the
order of the Health Ministry of Georgia.

15 people became unemployed as a result of this and the hygienic
situation of the region came out of control, as the above-mentioned
Department is the only service dealing with hygienic problems.

Though the Ministry gave a sanitary laboratory to the Social Health
Centre today it doesn’t work because of the staff reduction.

According to the news of the “A- Info” Agency the posibilities of
withstanding the epidemies are doomed to null.

KENYA: RAILA: ARMENIANS VISITED STATE HOUSE
Martin Mutua And Harold Ayodo

The East African Standard (Nairobi)
March 15, 2006
Posted to the web March 14, 2006

Nairobi

The Government stage-managed the Monday morning press conference by
two Armenians, Lang’ata Member of Parliament Raila Odinga has said.

Raila yesterday said the men, whom he described as “dangerous
criminals”, had been seen at State House and were accorded VIP
treatment by the Kenya Airports Authority under the supervision of
a personal assistant to an Othaya Narc activist.

He said Armenians used the office of the KAA deputy managing director,
Naomi Cidi, where the Press statement was crafted and printed.

“She (Cidi) was the one who arranged the VIP treatment for them,”
he added.

Raila spoke to journalists at a news conference called by the
Orange Democratic Movement to denounce the mercenaries at Parliament
Buildings.

He said the so-called mercenaries had not flown in since they had been
in the country and were driven from their Runda house in GK vehicles
with police escort.

He said at first the organisers of the media conference had claimed
that the two had flown in aboard a Kenya Airways plan from Dubai and
locked journalists in a room as they stage-managed the scenario.

“The faces are familiar and they have been seen at State House,”
said Raila, adding that the Immigration minister Gideon Konchellah
claimed they had come in a private jet when their names missed in
the KA manifest.

“Although they are now able to manipulate things we need to be told
which private jet they used and its registration.”

He said allegations that he had asked for money to sort out a domestic
problem was insulting.

“Is it possible that you meet a stranger who then goes ahead to give
you Sh100 million to sort out a domestic problem, what sort of a
domestic problem would one have to require that kind of money?” posed
Raila.

He said it was even intriguing that a stranger would give you that
kind of money without any documentation and wondered how one would
carry such huge amounts in cash unless he was a drug dealer.

“We are dealing with very dangerous international criminals on the
loose in our country that can only be referred to as the mafia,”
he said.

Raila said last Wednesday a Kenya Power and Lighting Company official
who had gone to take meter readings at the Runda house was chased away.

Meanwhile, Nyanza church leaders yesterday challenged the Armenians
to produce the agreement they signed with Raila for the Sh100 million
loan they allegedly gave him.

Bishops Washington Ng’ede, Julius Otieno and Jusper Ogelo accused
the Government of dictatorship.

In Siaya, Rev Kenneth Wachianga of the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK)
said there would have been a signed agreement for the alleged Sh100
million Raila pocketed.

“We want to see copies of signed agreements showing Raila took the
money and clarifications whether it was paid in cash or cheque,”
Wachianga said.

Wachianga told the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) to stand strong
and not crumble over the Government’s arm-twisting.

“We want a democratic Government that tells its people the truth
and clears the air whenever there are threatening allegations,”
Wachianga said.

“President Kibaki is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and
should explain the alleged presence on mercenaries in the country,”
they said.

The clerics demanded to know why the State had not apologised for
sending police to attack Standard and KTN offices and printing press
two weeks ago.

THE TEAM OF QARAMYAN IN THE UEFA CUP QUARTERFINALS

A1+
12:53 pm 16 March, 2006

The team of the Armenian central midfielder Artavazd Qaramyan,
“Rapid” from Bucharest, reached the UEFA Cup 2005-2006 quarterfinals.

In the second match of the 1/8 finals the Romanian club lost to
“Hamburg” by the overalls 1:3, but the first match was won by “Rapid,
“who will continue the struggle in this prominent contest.

Let’s remind you that Artavazd Qaramyan had an injury during the match
“Rapid” – “Hamburg” and did not play for a month. Now he is already
recovering and he will probably participate in the second match of
the quarterfinals. The opponent of “Rapid” is not known yet, as the
second matches of the 1/8 finals haven’t finished yet.

RUSSIA DENIES GEORGIAN-BASED SERVICEMEN INVOLVED IN PUBLIC PROTESTS

Interfax-AVN military news agency website
15 Mar 06

Moscow, 15 March: Claims by Georgian officials that Russian servicemen
were involved in protest rallies in Akhalkalaki (Samtskhe-Javakheti
Province) are unfounded, Interfax-AVN was told by phone today by
deputy commander of Russia’s 62nd Base Col Igor Luzhnikov.

“Servicemen from the 62nd Base in Akhalkalaki do not take part in
rallies and there are no grounds whatsoever for the accusations
levelled at them by Georgian officials,” Luzhnikov said.

There have been mass protest actions in Alkhalkalaki every day since 11
March. The population are demanding a proper inquiry in connection with
the killing on 8 March of an Alkhalkalaki resident of Armenian origin.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

“SIBIR” AIR COMPANY ISSUES NEW TRADEMARK

YEREVAN, MARCH 15.ARMINFO. The second air carrier of Russia “Sibir”
air company begins to work with new S7 Airlines trademark from March
15. They informed ARMINFO at the company.

The air company also anounces creative competition. The participants
who manage to give the most extraordinary and interesting
interpretations to the new trademark of the company will be given
prizes. The main rpize is an annual ticket of S7 Airlines.

S7 Airlines carries out everyday Moscow-Yerevan flights and twice a
week Novosibirsk-Yerevan flights.