VIGIL CORNER
Kenya Times, Kenya
March 14 2006
WONDERS never cease. Raila Odinga is supposed to have borrowed US$1.5
million from Armenian businessmen to solve the problems facing one
of his girlfriends. According to the lenders, Raila obtained the
money promising to repay it by Mid January this year. The former
minister never paid, and now his benefactors claim he has branded
them mercenaries in order to dodge paying the debt. US$1.5 million is
equivalent to Ksh 108 million! We know Raila is not a cheap man, that
the minister would want and demand the best for his girl friend. For
him to have borrowed the Sh 108 million as purported, Raila must have
wanted to buy a castle in France or upmarket London for his sweet
heart. He must be a very good suitor, and we expect a chain of girl
friends to pop up and pledge allegiance to Agwambo! Can somebody give
Kenyans a break from this nonsense and realise that we have something
between our ears. The earlier one realised this, the better.
*** Talking about mercenaries and hired goons. Who gave the two
Armenian businessmen authority to use the VIP lounge at the Jomo
Kenyatta International Airport? The lounge is exclusively set aside
for senior government officials such as PS’s, ministers, visiting
dignitaries and other high ranking officials. Not even top investors in
this country are allowed to use the VIP lounge in Kenya. Its use must
be exclusively authorised by Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) and the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. So who gave the Armenians the authority
to address the press at the VIP lounge? There is even talk that the
businessmen used a private jet to fly into the country. What was the
registration number of the aircraft, and who authorised its landing in
Kenya? At this rate, KAA will allow Osama Bid Laden landing rights,
and also give him an opportunity to use the VIP lounge to address a
press conference on how to conduct a successful terrorist attack.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

NEW IDENTITY FOR ‘MERCENARIES’: THEY ARE CZECH CITIZENS
By Emmanuel Onyango
Kenya Times, Kenya
March 14 2006
Minister Says They Are Czech Citizens Licensed To Work In Kenya.
THE two alleged mercenaries are citizens of the Czech Republic and
are licensed to work and do business in Kenya.
Immigration Minister Gideon Konchella refuted claims that the two
brothers are from Armenia, and confirmed that they were actually from
Czech Republic.
The minister said that the Kenya Government had earlier this year
granted work permits to the two brothers, allowing them to invest in
the country and engage in business activities.
The genuineness of two brothers now comes under question, after they
had on Monday morning insisted they were from Armenia and that they had
blood relations with the Armenian Prime Minister, Andranik Margaryan.
Said the minister: “The two brothers are businessmen who had applied
for a work permit in January. The papers they presented to the ministry
showed that they were actually citizens of the Czech Republic.”
The minister added: “We found their papers (which confirmed their
citizenship) to be in order and issued them with work permits.”
The Minister consequently ruled out any possible deportation of
the two brothers, irrespective of concerns by Lang’ata MP Raila
Odinga that the duo were mercenaries on hire assigned to assassinate
Opposition leaders.
“We cannot deport them because they are in the country legally. Raila
should come out and tell the Government more about the mercenary
allegations,” Konchella said.
Asked whether his ministry had attempted to dig into the history of
the two brothers before issuing them with work permits, Konchella
became dismissive, stressing that his job was not to investigate
permit applicants.
“It is not my job to investigate their activities. We just verified
their documents and issued work permits,” the minister quipped.
The Immigration Ministry, Konchella added, will only consider deporting
the two if the Police and security authorities can ascertain that
they are a threat to the country’s security.
“If they are investigated and found to be mercenaries, we will deal
with them. There is no way my ministry will tolerate foreigners who
can cause havoc to the country,” asserted Konchella.
The Minister’s revelation intensifies the controversy surrounding the
identity of two brothers who left the country as mysteriously as was
their arrival.
Konchella further dismissed the theory that the two foreigners were
hired by the Government to wipe out personalities perceived as a
threat to President Kibaki’s rule.
“How can this be a Government project? When mercenaries are hired,
they are usually assigned to overturn the Government. How then can
a government try to overturn itself?” Konchella posed.
The minister also urged Police Commissioner Hussein Ali to cast his
net afar to foreign countries while investigating the two brothers,
and even seek the help of international agencies.
“The Police should investigate what the two brothers have been doing
even in Dubai, and consider taking them at the international courts
if they are found to be mercenaries,” Konchella added.
The minister, however, failed to explain how the two foreigners managed
to secure a press briefing at the Jomo Kenyatta airport’s VIP lounge,
which is usually reserved for senior Government officials and official
State guests.
“I’m not aware why they used the VIP lounge and how they managed to
get a reservation. I’m just from my constituency and am yet to report
to the office,” said Konchella.
The Immigration minister made the comments yesterday after paying a
courtesy call on the newly-appointed Nyanza Provincial Commissioner
John Nandasaba.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

AMERICAN OFFICIALS WARN CONFLICTING SIDES AGAINST NEW WAR OVER KARABAKH
Baku Today
March 14 2006
Today the U.S. State Department’s Assistant Secretary for Eurasia
Daniel Fried and the American cochairman of the OSCE Minsk Group
Steven Mann held a press conference on the results of their two-day
visit to Azerbaijan.
They had meetings with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev yesterday
and today. In addition to this, they had consultations with Foreign
Minister Elmar Mamedyarov, Minister for Economic Development Heydar
Babayev, representatives of civil society and Musavat’s leader
Isa Gambar. According to Fried, the United States is interested
in having independent and economically developed Azerbaijan live
peaceful with its neighbors. Concerning the subjects of talks, Fried
named energy sphere as a topic of discussion. The second important
area, according to Fried, is Azerbaijan’s devotion to democracy. He
expressed disappointment with events surrounding the parliamentary
elections in 2005, “which were not too free and fair, unlike how the
United States wanted them to be.”
“The development of democracy is a very important part of our
relations. A strong state must have strong opposition, and we want
to see Azerbaijan as a strong state,” Fried said.
Concerning the Karabakh conflict the diplomat noted that Azerbaijan’s
representatives “very firmly and decisively protect the national
interests” of Azerbaijan at the talks, and express a constructive
approach in the search for a way to resolve the conflict.
“We think that the return of Azerbaijanis to their native lands
must take place as soon as possible,” Fried said. At the same time,
Fried and Mann several times said that a resumption of the war may
mean catastrophe for both sides, and for the entire region.
Steven Mann made it clear that resuming the war could affect the
investments into Azerbaijan’s economy. “I know the Azeri people very
well, and I do not believe that they want war again,” Mann said.
Mann stated that the meeting in Ramboulet did not have positive
results. “However the process continues. Every side is concerned with
some part of the agreement,” Mann said. He noted that “the war would
not be decisive, not now or 20 years later”.
The questions on cooperation in the sphere of defense and security
were discussed with Azerbaijan’s leadership during the talks. Expert
in this sphere were included the American delegation. One of priorities
in this sphere is raise Azerbaijan’s security potential in the Caspian,
Freed said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ROBERT SIMMONS TO ARRIVE IN YEREVAN
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
March 14 2006
NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the South Caucasus
and Central Asia Robert Simmons is expected to arrive in Armenia
in April, NATO Officer-Coordinator for the South Caucasus Romualdas
Razuks reported.
In his words, the South Caucasus is a geopolitical priority for
the NATO. Uniting the countries of the region within the Individual
Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) is an important step to ensure regional
and Euro-Atlantic security, Razuks noted, PanARMENIAN.net reports.
RA Deputy Defense Minister, General Lieutenant Arthur Aghabekyan
informed that training of the NATO Rescuer 2006 would be held in
Yerevan at the end of June. According to him, representatives of
20 countries, including those representing the states of the region,
will arrive in Yerevan. “Armenia has always spoken for cooperation with
neighboring countries according to “Partnership for Peace” principle,
and it is ready to receive envoys of Azerbaijan and Turkey as well”,
Aghabekyan stated.

U.S. OFFICIAL MEETS AZERI CIVIL SOCIETY REPRESENTATIVES
Baku Today, Azerbaijan
March 14 2006
Today Daniel Fried, US Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of
European and Eurasian Affairs, met with civil society representatives
in the U.S. Ambassador’s residence. Human rights activists, politicians
and experts took part in the meeting.
Human rights advocate Rena Sadaddinova told TURAN that the November
6 parliamentary elections, public and political situation in the
country, political prisoners, protection main freedoms and human
rights, Karabakh conflict and situation in Iran were discussed at
the meeting. Daniel Fried was informed about the Azerbaijan public’s
concerns about these matters.
After their Baku visit Daniel Fried and Steven Mann, U.S. co-chairman
of OSCE Minsk Group, will depart for Georgia, and from there to
Armenia and Turkey.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

CHAIR OF MUSAVAT PARTY MEETS WITH OSCE MG CO-CHAIR STEVEN MANN
Author: S.Ilhamgizi
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
March 14 2006
On Tuesday Isa Gambar, the chairman of Musavat Party, met with Steven
Mann, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair, and Daniel Fried, the Assistant
Secretary of the U.S. State for European and Eurasian Affairs, the
party told Trend.
At the meeting the sides held exchange of opinions on the
public-political situation in Azerbaijan after the parliamentary
elections, ways of the regulation of the Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict,
as well as the Azerbaijani-U.S. relations, regional security and
cooperation.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIAN HISTORIANS NOT TO ATTEND FORUM ON ALLEGED GENOCIDE
NTV MSNBC, Turkey
March 14 2006
More than 50 experts from Turkey and abroad are expected to attend
the conference organised by the Istanbul University.
NTV-MSNBC Guncelleme: 13:31 TSÝ 14 Mart 2006 SalýISTANBUL – The Dean
of Istanbul University, Profesor Mesut Parlak, on Monday held a press
conference to discuss the forthcoming conference on the so-called
Armenian genocide.
Parlak said that Armenian historians who had been invited to
participate in the conference have rejected the invitations, with
just one responding in a written form.
“In the foreign press they made statement that had the aim of hurting
our university,” Parlak said.
Parlak said that the conference, to be held between March 15 and
17, would be the first such gatherings with a wide participation in
Turkey. He said the conference would open up a new page on the issue.
The meeting would bring to light many issues that were not made
public before.
Those who refused to take part in the conference from Turkey included
prominent writer Orhan Pamuk, Baskýn Oran, Selim Deringil and the
chief correspondent of the Armenian paper Agos Hrant Dink.
–Boundary_(ID_InUaq8CYr2GGDv52u6kPmw)–

NEGOTIATIONS ON SOLUTION OF NK PROBLEM UNDERWAY – STEVEN MANN
Author: R.Abdullayev
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
March 14 2006
Neither now, nor 20 years later the military way will not become
the final one in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,
Trend reports quoting Steven Mann, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair
(the USA), as saying at a news conference on Tuesday.
He noted that though the USA expressed dissatisfaction with failure
of expected result in the negotiations of the Azerbaijani and Armenian
Presidents in Rambue, the process continues.
According to Mann, the USA maintains good relations with the both
countries and doesn’t regard military way as acceptable. “This conflict
is due to be solved on the base of bilateral agreement,” he added.
The co-chair noted that some moments disturbing the sides were due
to be reflected in the final agreement. According to Mann, choosing
military way, Azerbaijan is due to answer some questions such as what
will happen to the financial revenues into the energy sector or what
will the further fate of the existing borders.
In reply to the question on the reasons for non-imposing of sanctions
in regard to Armenia by Washington, Mann said that the Nagorno-Karabakh
problem may be solved only on bilateral agreement and that was the
position of the USA.

FRIED: US WILL DISCUSS ALL ITS FURTHER STEPS ON IRAN WITH AZERBAIJAN
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
March 14 2006
The US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs
Daniel Fried on a visit in Baku held a press conference today (APA).
The Assistant Secretary of State said that the delegation he led had
talks with Azerbaijani officials, NGO and opposition representatives
in the two-day visit in Baku.
Reminding that he met with President Ilham Aliyev, Foreign Minister
Elmar Mammadyarov, Economic Development Minister Heydar Babayev, the
diplomat said that the discussions focused on the Garabagh conflict,
development of democracy as well as regional issues. Mr.Fried also said
Iran’s nuclear programme was also discussed in the talks and added the
US will discuss all its further steps concerning Iran with Azerbaijan.
Calling the negotiations in Rambouillet to be unsuccessful, the
American diplomat thinks Azerbaijani displaced persons should be sent
to their native homes as soon as possible and added that the outbreak
of war will result in calamity for all.
Mr.Fried also expressed satisfaction of the successfful development
of military cooperation between US and Azerbaijan and said the
delegation includes a military expert too. Fried also reported that
he will leave for Tbilisi, Yerevan and Ankara after that. Though the
American diplomat said the Nagorno Garabagh issue will be discussed
in Yerevan, he did not publicize the details.
Refereeing to the upcoming re-elections in Azerbaijan, the diplomat
said a powerful state must have a powerful opposition at the same time,
the US wants to see a powerful Azerbaijan namely for this reason.
Commenting on US attack plans on Iran, Fried said, “We do not consider
the possibility of this issue, we want the world community make Iran
refrain from its nuclear programme.”
Fried also commented on Kocharyan’s statement that Armenia will
recognize the independence of Nagorno Garabagh if the negotiating
process yields no results. Fried said that the problem cannot be
solved by such statements.

AZERI PREMIER MEETS WITH ROMANIAN NATIONAL DEFENSE MINISTER
AzerTag, Azerbaijan
March 14 2006
On March 14, Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Artur Rasizade met with
Romanian delegation led by the country’s National Defense Minister
Teodor Anastasiu. The Premier expressed satisfaction with the current
state of Azerbaijan-Romania relationship.
He advised the 2nd sitting of the Azerbaijan-Romania intergovernmental
economic commission is to be held very soon.
Mr. Rasizade stressed necessity to develop military-technical
cooperation between the two countries. “Romania’s experience in
integration into the European structures and NATO would be very useful
for Azerbaijan, he said.
The Premier also dwelt on the Azerbaijan’s sorest problem – the
unsettled Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.
In his turn, Romanian Minister Teodor Anastasiu informed the Prime
Minister on the negotiations he had carried out in Azerbaijan noting
the bilateral documents signed here will give an impetus to enhancing
military cooperation between Azerbaijan and Romania.