ALIYEV BEGINS CRUCIAL US VISIT
By Enes Cansever, Baku
Zaman Online, Turkey
April 26 2006
Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev set off to the United States
yesterday for a critical official visit taking place at a time when
the Iranian crisis has deepened. Aliyev will meet US President George
W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld,
and Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman.
The issues in the nuclear crisis with Azerbaijan’s neighbor, Iran,
and the Upper Karabag (Karabagh) under the Armenian occupation,
are expected to mark Aliyev’s three-day visit.
Aliyev’s foreign policy adviser, Novruz Mammadov, told Zaman that four
main subjects such as dual relations, energy, regional security and
international terrorism will be handled, but the Iran and Karabagh
issues will be the main focus of the Aliyev-Bush talks.
Mammadov announced Baku wants the crisis over Iran’s nuclear program
to be overcome by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the
United Nations. “There are enough problems in the region already. As
the nation of Azerbaijan, we have never had and we will never have
any intention of interfering in Iran’s domestic affairs. We are
ready to offer the necessary support for this issue to be solved by
peaceful means.”
The Azeri official also criticized Tehran for following a policy
favoring Yerevan over the Karabagh issue despite Baku’s policy of
mutual respect and good neighborly relations.
Mammadov, also criticizing the US on this issue, highlighted that
Washington remains silent regarding Armenia that continues to occupy
one fifth of Azerbaijan’s territory.
“The United States may instantly take action for disagreements in
other countries. We think it should show the same sensitivity for
Azerbaijan, too,” the Azeri official added.
Mammadov said the OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in
Europe) Minsk Group co-chairs have not been able to make any concrete
progress in the Karabagh case for years. “We believe the problem will
be solved if the US shows necessary sensitivity.”
Strategist Rasim Musabaev said Aliyev’s visit, taken at a time when
the Tehran-Washington conflict is at its peak, is no coincidence.
One of the most important ways for Baku to emerge from the Iranian
crisis with least damage is to follow a policy parallel to Turkey,
Musabaev added.
The Azeri official maintained Turkey and Azerbaijan are facing
US pressure over the Iranian issue. “It is difficult for these two
countries to say ‘yes’ to the United States because Iran is neighbors
both countries; therefore, we should focus on ways of solving the
problem peacefully.”
The Azeris also indicate the importance of the visit Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will pay to Baku on May 5.
Turkey’s Ambassador to Baku Turan Morali said Turkey and Azerbaijan
carefully follow Iran’s nuclear crisis and said the two brother
countries want the problem to be solved through peaceful means.

‘GENOCIDE’ SEVERS TIES WITH CANADA
By Foreign News Desk, Istanbul
Zaman Online, Turkey
April 26 2006
Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper was harshly criticized by the
Turkish administration over his assessment of the Armenian arguments is
“genocide.”
A written statement from the Turkish Foreign Ministry said the
statements made by the Canadian administration have had a negative
impact on relations between the two countries, since the statements
were not based on objective opinions.
A decision issued by the Canadian parliament two years ago in support
of the Armenian Dispora resulted in a period of weakened bilateral
ties between the two governments, an obvious sign of the impact of
such a statement, said a release from the Turkish government. The
Canadian ambassador to Ankara was summoned to the Foreign Ministry
and issued the warning by the Turkish government.
“Although the objective studies by eminent historians have proved
the arguments over ‘genocide’ to be unquestionably groundless, it is
only prejudice that would lead Harper to present such arguments as
historical facts,” the statement read.
The statement also said that a Turkish military attache in Canada
had been killed, and that a commercial attache and the ambassador
had been injured in an assassination attempt carried out by a group
of Armenians.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

OSCE REPORTER ARRIVES ON MAY 5- BAHAR MURADOVA
Author: S. Ilhamgizi
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
April 26 2006
The OSCE parliamentary assembly reporter on Nagorno-Karabakh, Goran
Lenmarker will arrive to Azerbaijan on May 5, Milli Mejlis vice
speaker, Bahar Muradova told Trend.
“We have already received a letter from Lenmarker, he will arrive
in the first decade of May. Here, he will prepare for the report on
Nagorno-Karabakh and have a number of meetings. During the previous
meeting we requested him to visit areas of residence of forcibly
displaced persons,” she said.
“Karabakh was discussed at every OSCE meeting, as the Minsk group is
a mediator of the peaceful resolution of the conflict. Introducing
this question to the OSCE agenda will depend on development of the
negotiating process. Meetings of Azerbaijani and Armenian heads of
state and foreign ministers hint that the regulation process is keep
on moving forward. However, only in case if some positive results
will be achieved, OSCE will start talking about Nagorno-Karabakh.
Otherwise, discussions will be fruitless as we have already raised
this question previously,” she said.
The given question has to be reviewed in the similar order in
Azerbaijani parliament too. “Talks are held behind the closed doors
and their details are not disclosed. If there are no exact results,
we have nothing to discuss. Parliament can only discuss the exact
results,” she concluded.

AZERBAIJANI AND TURKISH COMMUNITIES IN THE USA TO HOLD RESPONSE ACTION AGAINST ARMENIANS
Democratic Azerbaijan
April 26 2006
April 24, from 16:00 PM to 19:00 PM, traffic on Massachusetts Avenue,
known in Washington as “street of Embassies”, was hardened. Gathered
members of Armenian diaspora occupied one side of the road, the
other one was occupied by representatives of Azerbaijani and Turkish
communities. Armenians came to celebrate made-up “genocide” of 1915
at the premises of the Turkish Embassy, and Azerbaijanis and Turks
came there to lay bare their lie, to remind about crimes committed
by Armenians in the course of recent history.
One of the participants of action, Najmiya told us during conversation:
“There was no the so-called “genocide of Armenians”.
And we are not responsible for events took place in Ottoman Empire
in 1915. But Armenians just recently committed more terrible crimes.
Many people know about their crimes in Garabakh”.
To prevent violence, police and diplomatic security forces controlled
situation.
Armenians, presenting the events of 1915 in Turkey as genocide,
cried out slogans with terrorist claims. The calls “Garabakh belongs
to Armenians”, “Van belongs to Armenians” were heard.
In response to it representatives of Azerbaijani and Turkish
communities showed photos of victims of Khojali, transparency
condemning ethnic cleaning and occupation policy of Armenia.
Representative of Azerbaijani community in America from Washington,
Badir Mamadli, said: “In such a way we want to bring to the notice
of Armenians that Turkish and Azerbaijani communities in the USA
have changed. Today we are stronger than yesterday. Only gathered
together we can say them “no”. Their made-up claims against Turkey
and Azerbaijan will have no results”.
Member of Assembly of Turkish Associations of America, Fateh Julha,
having stressed that Armenians living in the USA know nothing about
history, said: “The same protest action we held in New York two days
ago. I talked with two representatives of Armenian youth. Though
they shouted that 1,5 million of Armenians were killed, they had no
idea of historical events they protest. We must to inform not only
Armenian society about truth, but also Armenians living in America”.
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ADAMKUS: ARMENIA SHOULD JOIN EUROPEAN COMMUNITY
Regnum, Russia
April 26 2006
“After Lithuania gained independence, the principle of proper attitude
became a leading one of our foreign policy regarding to all countries
of the world, including Russia,” Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus
stated during his official visit to Armenia, meeting with students
and lecturers of Yerevan State University on April 29.
“Of course, we may have some difficulties concerning certain questions,
but we should find ways to overcome them for the sake of today’s
generation, i.e. of our future,” Adamkus stated. The president
is quoted by a REGNUM correspondent as saying that “Lithuanian
foreign policy will not change, and will base on mutual trust and
respect.” “Since the time of gaining political independence by our
countries, relations between Lithuania and Armenia have been based
on friendship and mutual respect, and I do not see any reasons to
change the policy,” he stated.
“Armenia should join the European community, become a full family
member and assume appropriate obligations,” Adamkus stated. Answering
the question, how Lithuania can particularly help Armenia in the
way of Euro-integration, the president stated: “We already have
such cooperation; our specialists meet with Armenian colleagues,
widely exchanging experiences. Political will to effect reforms in
all spheres is important here; and the Armenian authorities have
such will. We are open and ready for cooperation. Of course, we made
mistakes, joining the EU, but we do not want you to repeat them.”

NAGORNO-GARABAGH AZERBAIJANIS’ MAJLIS TO SET UP
Democratic Azerbaijan
April 26 2006
Nagorno-Garabagh Azerbaijanis’ Majlis initiated by the International
Garabagh Foundation (IGF) and Garabagh’s intelligentsia, due to 14
anniversary of the occupation of Shusha will be set up. According to
Mehman Ismayilov, Chairman of IGF to Azerbaijan, IGF considers as
necessary setting up of this organization and has already launched
to its realization.
M. Ismayilov informed that Armenians desiring to occupy the highlands
of Garabagh are waging border information war. According to him,
to date information war is one of the crucial aspects of this
confrontation. The State waging regular systematic information
struggle in accordance with international conduct standards, provides
more successful future for itself: “To date there are such situation
that Nagorno-Garabagh is associated with Armenians living there. We
have to put an end to that. State is interested in involvement of
Azerbaijanis living in highlands of Nagorno-Garabagh in this process.
These people should participate in conflict settlement turning into
figures of public & political situation”.
According to M. Ismayilov, setting up of the Majlis composed
of Nagorno-Garabagh Azerbaijanis will complete in near future. He
informed that this Majlis will be a general Parliament and turn into
Working Group and one of the necessary instruments of the State.
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CREATING A HEALTHY SOCIETY
Shlomi Diskell, Realistic Religious Zionism
Ynetnews, Israel
,7340,L-3244074 ,00.html
April 26 2006
Not every enemy is an incarnation of Hitler,
The months of Nissan and Iyar on the Hebrew calendar are a pressure
cooker of Jewish – Zionist consiousness. It starts with Pesach and
ends on Yom Haatzmaut. The “extra meticulous” extend the period to
Iyar 28, the day the Western Wall and the old city of Jerusalem was
liberated from Jordan in 1967.
Can there be any more appropriate phrase than the one we read in the
Pessach haggadah – “In every generation, someone will rise up and
try to destroy us” – to describe the collective feeling of Israelis
during this period?
Seems to me that not even the most astute playwright could better
describe the terror attack in Dahab as Israel began marking Holocaust
Remembrance Day, and only the most petty amongst us pointed out that
no Israelis or Jews were killed in the blasts.
Over-sensitive
Sometimes it seems that we are so intimidated and over-sensitive about
the assimilate the idea that we are hated that we cannot understand
just how how damaging this is to us, or how much damage it does to
our collective memory.
We’ve had some glowing examples of this phenomenon over the past
year. Some Gaza Strip evictees chose to wear orange stars on their
clothes, to “relive” the dark days. But the move, carried out by
the twisted minds of people calling themselves Zionists and Jews,
shocked only a few of us.
But why point an accusing finger only at them? Just several days ago
we heard one of Israel’s most senior intelligence officers group Hamas
and al-Qaeda together with the Nazis. Many felt the comparison was
correct, and no one objected to the suggestion that Khaled Mashaal
and Ismail Haniya were the current incarnations of Josef Goebbels or
Hermann Goering, or that Sheikh Ahmed Yassin is really light-years
apart from Alfred Rosenberg, one of the Nazis ideological figureheads.
Through the years
This is not surprising. The Israel-Palestinian conflict and the fallout
from it on the Middle East sometimes drives us crazy. We pour elements
into the conflict that only nurture the development of our unhealthy,
separatist and closed society.
On one hand, we jealously protect to unique nature of our fate and
refuse all efforts to compare our past to the Turkish slaughter of
Armenians, or the genocides that happened in Bosnia or Rwanda. On
the other hand, we keep careful watch to identify early signs that
could lead to the next Holocaust, and every Arab, Muslim or other
leader who threatens to wipe out the State of Israel is immediately
compared to Adolf Hitler.
A quick look at the newspapers of yesteryear shows that during the
1970s, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat was called “the new Hitler,”
in the 80s it was Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini and U.S. black leader Rev.
Jesse Jackson, who was marked as the most dangerous threat facing
U.S. Jewry. But does anyone remember him today?
Tough period
This time of year puts us in a tough spot: we search for explanations,
occasionally seek revenge, and look for a way to deal with Holocaust
Day and other memorial days, to infuse them with new, relevant
messages. But perhaps the time has come to understand we will never
be able to take revenge, to recognize the fact that there are not
always answers, to internalize that there won’t always be someone
trying to eliminate us, and that not every Islamic fundamentalist is
the current incarnation of the German madman.
Perhaps in this way we can create a healthier society, one that doesn’t
wake up each morning looking for the newest existential threat to
justify its existence and its country. One that recognizes the fact
that sometimes our country, too, doesn’t act exactly appropriately,
and not to hide behind the approach that the whole world is against
us and is just waiting for the right moment to rise up to destroy us.

HASANOV: “WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT OSCE MG CO-CHAIR STATES WILL INTENSIFY THE PRESSURE ON OFFICIAL YEREVAN”
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 26 2006
“We think that the US and Azerbaijani presidents will discuss Nagorno
Garabagh conflict, Iran problem and other problems of regional
concern and will exchange views on these issues,” President’s Office
socio-political department chief Ali Hasanov told journalists (APA).
“We are hopeful that the US and OSCE MG co-chair countries will
intensify pressures on Yerevan in order to achieve its constructive
stance and will help intensify the negotiations within international
legal norms”.
Expressing his regret for the opposition’s spreading ambiguous
information about President Ilham Aliyev’s visit to the USA, Mr.
Hasanov stated that being in opposition to statehood and national
interests is not honor to the opposition leaders.
“It is natural for every person, political party and government to
be in opposition to any idea or notion. But Being in opposition to
national interests can’t be honor to anybody. One of the main reasons
for such people’s being in opposition but not in authority is their
opposition-style stance on their own nation and country. Azerbaijani
president’s invitation to the US and creation of good relations
between Azerbaijan and a prestigious country like the US satisfy the
interests of every citizen as well as the opposition. Unfortunately,
the opposition doesn’t understand this”.

FREIZER: “THE US SHOULD BE CONCERNED IN NK CONFLICT SETTLEMENT”
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
April 26 2006
“Energy and security issues are likely to dominate the 28 April meeting
between President Bush and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan.
It will be Aliyev’s first visit since becoming head of the oil-rich
state bordering both Russia and Iran, and Teheran’s nuclear ambitions
are undoubtedly one of the main reasons Aliyev has been invited to the
White House.” International Crises Group Caucasus project leader Sabina
Freizer has told APA while expressing her attitude to Azerbaijani
president Ilham Aliyev’s visit to the US. Sabina Freizer stated that
if the U.S. is keen to protect its energy and security interests,
the main issue on the table should be the unresolved conflict in
Nagorno-Karabakh. For more than a decade, only a shaky cease-fire
has kept Armenia and Azerbaijan from resuming their full-scale
fighting over the small mountainous territory wedged between them and
Iran. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and soon to be completed
Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline, which Washington sees as critical
to the West’s energy security, pass within 30 miles of this flashpoint.
In the past months, President Aliyev has intensified his bellicose
rhetoric, threatening to withdraw from peace talks and to militarily
recapture all territories currently occupied by Armenian backed
forces. He doubled the 2005 military budget to $600 million in 2006,
over 16% of Azerbaijan’s total budget. He has also pledged to make
military spending equal to the entire state budget of Armenia, and,
propped up by oil revenues, the Azeri leader’s threat is very real.
In Washington President Aliyev should be told clearly that a military
resolution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is unacceptable. Instead,
the U.S. Government should – while making clear that it will be
pressing Armenia equally strongly – push Azerbaijan to accept now
the principles of a comprehensive peace deal which would include
the renunciation of the use of force, the incremental withdrawal
of Armenian-backed forces from all occupied territories around
Nagorno-Karabakh, the safe and voluntary return of all displaced
persons, the reopening of all transport and trade routes closed
as a result to the conflict, and a guarantee that the people of
Nagorno-Karabakh will be given the right to self-determination based
on a referendum to be held after clear conditions are met.
This is close to what the Organization for Security and Cooperation
in Europe proposed in February, but there was little international
pressure on Armenia and Azerbaijan to encourage them to sign the
deal. As a first step President Aliyev should allow people-to-people
contacts between the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides.
Until now, the Bush Administration has claimed to have a
three-dimensional approach to Azerbaijan, focusing on security,
energy, and freedom through reform. President Aliyev was not granted
an earlier visit to the White House because the 2003 presidential
elections were considered to be seriously flawed and were followed by a
violent crackdown on the opposition. The 2005 Azerbaijani Parliamentary
Elections were another disappointment, which should have precluded an
invitation to Aliyev less than six months after they were held. Some
of the three dimensions are clearly more important than others.
Even as democratic reform was lagging, Secretary of Defense Donald
Rumsfeld traveled to Baku three times in 2003-2005. Most observers
in Baku consider these visits to be cementing the relationships that
could ease the way for the possible deployment of American troops
in Azerbaijan to be used in actions against Iran. Today’s invitation
may be part of the Bush Administration’s attempts to ratchet up the
pressure on Tehran. Interestingly, however, Aliyev is preparing to
welcome Iranian President Ahmadinejad in Baku in May, the second such
meeting in Azerbaijan after the two countries signed a non aggression
pact last year.
According to Sabina Freizer, if the US wants to ensure Azerbaijan’s
long-term support of its policies towards Iran, and overall regional
security, its best bet is to first focus on securing a peaceful
resolution of the existing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. While the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remains unresolved, Azerbaijan can ill
afford to undermine its improving relations with Tehran. At the same
time, if Azerbaijan makes good on its threat to take military action
against Nagorno-Karabakh, close to Iran’s northern borders, it will
undermine U.S. energy and security interests and cause the flight
of foreign investment from Azerbaijan. The volatile South Caucasus
region, plagued also by unresolved conflicts in Georgia, risks being
completely destabilized, dragging into the fight neighboring Russia,
Turkey and Iran. This perilous scenario is worth talking to Aliyev
about as much as the threats of a nuclear Iran.

AZERBAIJAN HOPES IN US PRESSURES ON ARMENIAN IN NK ISSUE – SENIOR STATE OFFICIAL
Author: S.Ilhamgizi
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
April 26 2006
‘We [Azerbaijan] hope that the Unite states will increase pressures
on Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, Ali Hassanov, the head
of the Public-Political Department of the President’s Apparat,
told journalists.
He noted that any event taken place in the South Caucasus region,
Caspian and Black sea basins is in the focus of Azerbaijan, as a
regional country and also the United States, as the world power.
Therefore, during the talks in Washington the Presidents of Azerbaijan
and the United States will state their standpoint on the issues of
energy, security in the South Caucasus region, as well as Iran.
“Azerbaijan hopes that the United States, as an OSCE Minsk Group
co-chair, will increase pressures on the Armenian government,
support intensive talks under the international rule of law and
take every effort to make Armenia to take a constructive position,”
Hassanov stressed.