CHESS TOURNAMENT
Laura Grigorian
Azat Artsakh, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh
Oct 10 2005
The international chess tournament in Artsakh with famous players and
grand masters is going on. Though October 7 was a day-off, some of the
grand masters played friendly games with chess fans. In Stepanakert
they had meetings at Artsakh State University, Chess Center, one of
the military units of the NKR Defense Army and the Children’s Chess
School. They had meetings in Shushi, too. The grand masters Dreyev and
Sokolov simultaneously played 20 games with the pupils of the school
(Each played 10 games). At the military unit Levon Aronyan played
10 games, Karen Asrian played 12 games in Shushi, and at the Chess
Center Victor Bologan played 10 games simultaneously. At Artsakh State
University GM Vasily Ivanchuk played 10 games with the chess fans
of the university. The games with Arkady Tovmassian and the head of
the department of physical education Michael Baghdassarian ended in
a draw. The vice rector of Artsakh State University Stepan Dadayan
gave a souvenir to V. Ivanchuk. The grand master told Azat Artsakh:
“I am in Karabakh for the first time but I am fascinated by these
wonderful highlands, as well as the people living here. Armenian
people are very hospitable and kind. I liked to be in Armenia, and
now I like Karabakh even more. My impressions from the tournament are
very bright and interesting. It is good that the people in Armenia
and Karabakh love chess. I wish there were more similar tournaments
and a larger number of famous players took part in them. I wish all
the best to the people of Karabakh, willpower to overcome economic
difficulties.” After 5 tours Ashot Anastasian is leading Group A (17th
category) with 4 points, and Sergey Grigorian (Russia) and Ervin Lami
(the Netherlands) are leading Group B (11th category) with 4 points.

WILL AMERICA WAGE A WAR AGAINST IRAN?
Azat Artsakh, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh
Oct 10 2005
The question is worrying the international community for Iran is
one of the largest exporters of oil which is getting more and more
expensive on the international markets. In case U.S. wages military
actions against Iran, the price for oil may mount to an unpredictable
level, ruining economies, even those of developed countries. However,
not everyone is worried about the growth of prices caused by war
against fundamentalist Iran. For instance, Russia, Azerbaijan and
other oil exporting countries will only benefit from this. But this
circumstance does not necessarily mean that the Baku authorities are
for applying force against their southern neighbor. On the contrary,
the president of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliev does every possible thing to
protect his country’s territory in case U.S. wages war against Iran.
And this is not accidental for besides the risk of the counterattack
of Iran there is also the inflow of refugees from South (Iranian)
Azerbaijan. Yerevan does not want war in Iran either, for in that case
the implementation of the Iranian-Armenian economic programs, including
the gas pipeline so necessary to Armenia, would be at stake. However,
the abovementioned circumstances do not worry the Americans much. A
fundamentalist country like Iran which considers the U.S. its enemy,
would never allow Washington to create a geopolitical and economic
situation which would perfectly fit into the policy of the White House
to eliminate all the obstacles on the way of establishing control on
the Near East, rich in oil resources.
There are two ways of achieving this: either by overthrowing the
power of mullahs through peaceful means, i.e. destabilization of the
situation in the country, or repeating the scenario of Iraq. The
first variant became difficult to realize due to the victory
of conservative Mahmud Ahmadi-Nedjadi in the recent presidential
election in Iran. Consequently, the option of dealing a blow to Iran
comes forward. But the second variant is not easy either because it
first of all requires the endorsement of Europe and the countries
of the region, as well as the UN Council for Security. Without the
consent of the latter it will be difficult for Washington to attack
Iran. Consequently, the Americans should start preparing the Council
for Security. In order to persuade the international community of the
rightness of applying violence against Iran in the future there needs
to be a threat coming from this Islamic country, which will worry the
world. Possession of nuclear weapon could be such a threat. Thus,
it is possible to accuse Iran of attempts to create nuclear weapon
under the guise of the civilian nuclear program. However, at the UN
Council for Security Russia and China also have definitive votes and
are not happy with the hegemonic policies of the United States. Even
if the possibility of nuclear weapon of Iran really threatens the
humanity, Russia and China will hardly vote for the interests of the
U.S., pursuing their own hegemonic aspirations. By the way, there
was a similar situation on the eve of the war in Iraq. Therefore the
Americans neglected the UN Council for Security and dealt a blow to
Iraq, not even waiting for the approval of this organization.
However, times have changed. The policy of Bush in Iraq is criticized
in the U.S. as well, and Washington cannot neglect the UN Council for
Security, especially after the resolutions adopted during the 60th
session of the UN General Assembly. Consequently, it will take the
Americans long-lasting preparations with the adversaries of fundamental
measures against Iran. They chose the European Union and MAGATE as
instruments for exercising pressure on the international community. So
far the European Union, namely Great Britain, France and Germany, have
been negotiating with official Tehran for Iran’s nuclear programs. At
first the dialogue between the government of Iran and the European
“trio” seemed to be constructive. However, the analysts who were more
attentive had a different opinion. They thought that the European
“trio” would sooner or later bring the talks to failure, blaming Tehran
for this, for the goal of the European Union was to stop Iran’s nuclear
programs. There appeared a convenient occasion. It was the election of
conservative Mahmud Ahmadi-Nedjadi. This reason was supported by his
speech at the UN World Summit. The message of the president of Iran
was not accepted similarly by everyone. The U.S. and the countries of
the European Union, as it could be expected, criticized the speech
of Mahmud Ahmadi-Nedjadi. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
said the president of Iran practically gave no reply to the concerns
of the international community about what Iran was doing in the past
15 years. In addition to this, Condoleezza Rice pointed out that the
international community shared the opinion that there is serious reason
for concern about Iran’s nuclear programs. She said Iran should be
prevented from getting technologies which might potentially lead to
creating nuclear weapon. The U.S. Secretary of State assured that at
some point the issue of Iran’s nuclear programs would be discussed
at the UN Council for Security, especially if Iran continues to
be reluctant to prove that it does not intend to develop a nuclear
weapon program under the guise of the civil nuclear program. On his
part the foreign minister of France said what he heard on that day
convinced him of the urgency of extending the Iranian issue to the
UN Council for Security. The press secretary of the British foreign
ministry expressed a similar opinion. According to him, the speech
of the Iranian president let everyone understand that he was not
going to implement the agreements signed by Iran. In the meantime,
at the 60th session of the UN General Assembly Mahmud Ahmadi-Nedjadi
literally took an oath that Iran had no intentions to create nuclear
weapon. “Iran is an Islamic country, and Islam does not believe in
nuclear weapon,” he said. At the same time he emphasized that Iran has
an indivisible right to produce nuclear power, calling the policy of
the West towards his country as “nuclear apartheid”. The arguments of
the U.S. and the European Union that it is not necessary to produce
nuclear fuel for developing a nuclear program for generating energy,
for it can be successfully imported, Mahmud Ahmadi-Nedjadi said
civilian use of nuclear fuel without creating a full nuclear cycle
is a pointless undertaking. And what he said was true. In fact,
Iran has a strategic nuclear program. The country plans to build
dozens of atomic power stations and produce nuclear energy by new
technologies. Therefore, Iran needs to have a complete cycle of
nuclear fuel enrichment. Otherwise, along with possessing tremendous
technological capacities, Iran is going to depend on countries,
producing nuclear fuel. However, considering the Iraqi experience,
the leaders of Iran are well-aware that if the U.S.
intends to accuse someone of something, it is pointless to try to
prove one’s innocence. Evidently, the reason for the hard words
of Mahmud Ahmadi-Nedjadi should be looked for in New York. At the
same time, as it should have been expected, two great countries,
Russia and China, acted against extending the issue of Iran to the
UN Council for Security by the Board of MAGATE. Russia is especially
enthusiastic about defending Iran’s nuclear programs. It is easy
to understand Moscow because Russia itself is building a nuclear
power station in Iran and has a lot of opportunities to sign other
agreements with Iran. Therefore, stopping Iran’s nuclear programs
would mean economic losses for Russia. In the meantime, everything
said above is just diplomatic steps made by the West, Russia and Iran
in reference to Iran’s nuclear programs. We think Iran is considering
creating nuclear weapon to stop blackmail and threats in its address.
In Tehran they are convinced that if Pakistan and India already
possess nuclear weapons, let alone the enemy of Iran, Israel which
possesses over 450 nuclear warheads, Iran also has the right to have
nuclear weapon for the sake of its security. Otherwise even Azerbaijan
will be made to threaten its southern neighbor. As to the statements
of the Iranian leaders that Islam forbids possessing nuclear power,
soon they will insist that Iran will never be the first to use nuclear
weapon, for Islam forbids application of nuclear weapon. That is to
say, Iran will have no problem with the requirements of Islam. It is
also interesting that the speech of the president was not approved
by everyone in Iran. The former deputy of the mejlis, the member of
the reformist political party Mosharekyat, Ali Mazuri stated that
the nuclear undertaking set forward by Mahmud Ahmadi-Nedjadi in New
York does not contain practical proposals. He thinks that general
calls and unreal slogans will not help solve arguments on Iran’s
nuclear programs. As an example of the non-practical proposals of
Mahmud Ahmadi-Nedjadi the reformist cited the idea of setting up a UN
commission on disarmament in the Near East. The famous Iranian analyst
Ali Horram is also critical about Mahmud Ahmadi-Nedjadi. He described
some of the proposals of the president as “projectionist”. However,
we think that these controversies are rather struggle for power in
Iran than real attitudes towards the nuclear program. Anyway, the
speech of Mahmud Ahmadi-Nedjadi at the 60th session of the UN General
Assembly produced a new situation around the “Iranian case”. And it
is not excluded that the policy of the West on Iran will become more
ardent, essentially changing the relations within the region. This
situation will not pass by Armenia and Azerbaijan though military
actions against Iran in the foreseeable future are hardly possible.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

REPORT OF ICG ENVISAGES POSSIBILITY OF GIVING NK OPPORTUNITY TO SEPARATE FROM AZERBAIJAN
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Oct 11 2005
BRUSSELS, OCTOBER 11, NOYAN TAPAN. The International Crisis Group
published its second report on October 11. The report contains an
opinion that Nagorno Karabakh should be given an opportunity to choose
its status by a referendum, including both unification with Azerbaijan
and separation from it.
According to the proposals presented in the report, the final
status of Nagorno Karabakh should be decided at the referendum on
self-determination to be held after the return of displaced Azeris to
those parts of Nagorno Karabakh where they previously constituted the
majority and after an international conference establishes that Nagorno
Karabakh meets the international criteria for acquiring statehood,
including the proper protection of the rights of minorities.
Such an assessment will be made for the first time 5 years after the
signing of the peace agreement. The referendum will be held with
the participation of only Karabakh Armenians and Azeris and under
terms determined during negotiations chaired by OSCE and based on the
principle that the referendum results will be recognized by all sides.

BILL ON LOBBYIST ACTIVITY TO BE DISCUSSED TUESDAY IN YEREVAN
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Oct 11 2005
YEREVAN, October 11. /ARKA/. Bill on Lobbyist Activity is to be
discussed Tuesday in UN Yerevan Office. According to UNDP Armenian
Office, the aim of the discussion is to consider disputable issues
related to the bill through dialogue with state organizations and NGOs
as well as with interested persons. According to the press release,
the interaction between lobbyist activity and corruption mechanisms
will be discussed among other issues.
The discussion initiators are Justice and Trade Ministries, Peace
Coalition member countries, UN Development Program and UNIFEM women’s
development fund.
The press release says the bill has been worked out by Armenian
Government with UNDP support as part of Armenian poverty-elimination
and anti-corruption strategic programs.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

YOUNG ARMENIAN MUSICIANS TO HAVE CONCERTS IN MOSCOW
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Oct 11 2005
YEREVAN, October 11. /ARKA/. Young Armenian musicians will have
concerts in Moscow, President of the Russian “New Names” Interregional
Charitable Foundation Iveta Voronova told journalists.
The relevant agreement was achieved during performances of young
musicians from RF in Armenia within the year of Russia in Armenia.
She reported that dates and technical issues of these concerts are
negotiated now. Professor of the Moscow Conservatory were included
in the delegation of these foundation, and they held master-classes
at musical institutions of Yerevan. Violinist Vladimir Ivanov said
that “there is some inexhaustible source of talents both in Russian
and Armenia. Many of them go abroad, but the generation of talents
continuously emerges”.
“New Names” Foundation was established in 1989 within the Russian
Foundation “Culture”, and is supported by the RF President and the RF
Government. The goals of this organization are search of new talents,
their support and assistance to their professional growth. This
organization closely cooperates with the similar organization in
Armenia, which was founded in 1990.

BERKTAY: THERE ARE FORCES IN TURKEY WHICH ARE AGAINST EU MEMBERSHIP
Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Oct 11 2005
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 11, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. There are retired
generals, extreme nationalist parties and mass media in Turkey which
are against the country’s membership to the European Union. Halil
Berktay, Professor of the History Department of the Sabanci University,
who was a participant of the NATO “Rose Roth” seminar which took
place in Yerevan, stated about this during an interview to journalists.
According to the Turk Professor, such people are too glad when
European officials speak against Turkey’s membership to the EU. “They
hope that the European Union may make a great political mistake and
demand that Turkey’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide becomes a
direct precondition for negotiations,” Berktay mentioned. According
to him, this will give an opportunity to reaction forces to say that
Europe changes rulls of the game and present such demandes to Turkey
which weren’t presented to any other country placed an order with
membership to the Union. As a result, according to Halil Berktay,
Turkey will be isolated, and an opportunity will be created for a
revenge of natioanlist forces.
“I don’t know what the final diplomatic solution of the Armenian cause
will be but it’s an important index for development of democracy for
Turkey,” the Turk historian stated. According to him, the Armenian
cause in reality is a radically Turkish cause. “The main issue is that
the Turkish society examins this issue without any outer pressure or
inner censorship,” Berktay mentioned. According to him, the Armenian
cause will just disappear in conditions of a complete democracy and
freedom in discussion of the issue in Turkey.
According to Berktay, there are very powerful inner forces in Turkey
which strike for democracy for the country really change into an
open society. Those forces particularly demand a complete freedom in
studying the Armenian cause. Mentioning that many steps have already
been taken in his country on the way to democracy, Berktay expressed
a hope that this process will be irreversible.
In his speech at the NATO seminar on the theme “Security in South
Caucasus,” Halil Berktay stated that events taken place in Ottaman
Turkey in 1915 may be qualified only as a genocide. The Turk
Profeesor, which is famous for his veiwpoint on the Armenian cause
which differs from the Government’s position, was the main organizer
of the conference on the Armenian cause held in Istanbul in September.

SUSPECT BOOKED IN CAB-PICKUP CRASH
Henry K. Lee, Chronicle Staff Writer
San Francisco Chronicle
Oct 11 2005
(10-11) 07:50 PDT SAN FRANCISCO — A suspected drunken driver was in
custody Monday after he ran a stop sign in San Francisco and crashed
into a taxi, killing the cab driver and a passenger.
The suspect, Kevin McGuinness, 43, of San Francisco was booked at
County Jail in the Sunday night crash that killed Yellow Cab driver
and cabbie activist Zareh Soghikian, 76, of San Francisco and Duke
University student Tyler Brown, 21, of Marion, Mass., authorities said.
Fellow cab drivers were stunned by Soghikian’s death. Soghikian
represented Yellow Cab drivers on the United Taxicab Workers’ executive
board and had been fighting to get health care benefits for cabbies,
friends said.
“Zareh was a fighter,” said Ruach Graffis, membership secretary for
the taxicab union.
The crash happened about 11:45 p.m. Sunday at Broadway and Webster
Street in Pacific Heights. Police say McGuinness, driving a Toyota
Tundra pickup, ran a stop sign moments after he had fled from a minor
accident about 10 blocks away at Polk and Washington streets.
The Toyota broadsided Soghikian’s Ford Crown Victoria cab, police
said. A witness in the earlier alleged hit-and-run saw the crash and
called police.
Soghikian, a San Francisco cab driver for 25 years, and Brown, who
was sitting in the front seat of the cab, were pronounced dead at
the scene.
Two other passengers, Brown’s half-brother and their friend, Michael
Giedgowd, were injured in the crash. Giedgowd suffered a broken
leg and a hip fracture and was in stable condition at San Francisco
General Hospital. Brown’s half-brother suffered cuts and bruises,
authorities said.
McGuinness was arrested on two counts of vehicular manslaughter and
one count of drunken driving causing great bodily injury.
Relatives of McGuinness declined to comment Monday. His sister, who
did not want her name used, said, “I’m just so emotionally distraught
right now, I can’t answer any questions.”
Brown had been a double major in biomedical and mechanical
engineering at Duke in Durham, N.C. He recently went to help rebuild
the tsunami-ravaged Indonesian island of Sumatra, according to
the university. In August, he traveled to Banda Aceh to rebuild
shrimp hatcheries for residents from the nearby village of Lamnga,
officials said.
Brown and other students used palm fronds and fishing nets to design an
aerator to increase shrimp yield and limit erosion of the hatcheries’
dirt walls.
Brown had been excited about the project, saying, “Seeing the
villagers using the aerator, it made me feel good to be physically
doing something to help. Up until that point, I hadn’t applied my
knowledge outside the classroom,” according to the university.
Brown’s family was unavailable to comment.
Soghikian, who was of Armenian descent and grew up in Egypt, ran his
own travel agency, Prestige Travel, from his home on Scott Street in
the Marina district, acquaintances said. While off-duty, he enjoyed
driving his Mercedes-Benz and tending to his cat, friends said.
Fellow cabbies said Soghikian’s death underscored the dangers of
driving in the city.
“I realized that this could be anybody,” said Thomas George-Williams,
40, a National Cab driver and chairman of the taxi union’s board. “We
all encounter situations like this every night. You can avoid it by
luck, but sometimes you don’t stand a chance.”
Another cab driver, Barry Taranto, agreed, saying, “You never
expect that somebody’s going to come barreling through a stop sign
on Broadway. There are so many drunk drivers out there, and you have
to always anticipate what the other driver is going to do.”

RUSSIA TO EU: ‘HANDS OFF MOLDOVA’
Written by Brussels journalist David Ferguson
Euro-reporters.com, Belgium
Oct 11 2005
“You may claim that Moldova is an immediate neighbor of the EU, but
so is Iraq in a certain manner after the opening of negotiations with
Turkey,” said Russia’s EU Ambassador Vladimir Chizhov. Speaking at a
conference examining EU-Russia relations following last week’s London
summit, Chizhov underlined the fundamental agreement between the EU
and Russia. “The main thing is how to move forward.”
The Russian ambassador, whilst welcoming EU and US involvement in
negotiations on a settlement to Moldova’s Transnistrian conflict,
stressed the limits to expanded territorial discussions, especially
with the Baltic states: “Border agreements are not a Russia-EU issue.
They are bilateral matters between Russia and its neighbors.”
So how long will Russian troops be in Moldova, five, ten or even
twenty years? “The troops will certainly leave earlier than those
stationed in Iraq,” joked Chizhov at the Brussels think-tank European
Policy Centre’s conference. “Nobody wants to see these troops back
home more than we do in Russia.”
“Legally borders are a bilateral affair. But the EU is also a community
and we cannot accept that some EU regions have less border security
than others,” said European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee
President Elmar Brok.
Speaking alongside Chizhov, Brok stressed the ‘relations of solidarity’
between EU countries. “The EU is interested in clear borders. This
is in our common interest. We shouldn’t be asking whether a border
problem is in our garden or in yours.” MEP colleague and former
Lithuanian President Vytautas Landsbergis accused Russia of following
a divide-and-rule policy.
“As to the EU’s common border with Russia, Moscow has succeeded in
splitting Europe and turning the issue not into an EU matter but that
of the separate Member States on their own,” said Landsbergis. “This
is a major challenge for the EU. But in London at the EU-Russia summit,
we failed.”
There is, however, a growing EU presence in conflict regions such as
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Moldova, and Georgia. Last week, EU External
Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner signed a memorandum
of understanding with Moldova and Ukraine on a border assistance
mission. Starting on 1 December, with ~@7 million and 50 observers for
an initial 24 months, the mission aids border management, including
customs, on the whole Moldova-Ukraine border.
“This will help prevent trafficking in people, smuggling of goods,
the proliferation of weapons and customs fraud,” said Ferrero-Waldner,
speaking last week in Moldova. “We will deploy a number of mobile
teams, consisting of approximately 50 border guards and customs
officials from EU Member States, to the most relevant locations along
the entire border, including the Transnistrian segment.”
The break-away Transnistria regime in Tiraspol along Moldova’s frontier
with Ukraine has been led by Igor Smirnov. Backed by Moscow, Smirnov
has held out against central authorities in Moldova since the early
1990s. “Moldova will be a neighbour when Romania joins. That is why
Moldova is part of our neighbourhood policy. Obviously, it is in
the EU’s interest that our neighbors have safe and fixed borders,”
said EU External Relations Spokesperson Emma Udwin.
Russian EU Ambassador Chizhov plays down the significance of the
former Soviet 14th Army in Moldova. “The presence of Russian troops in
Moldova doesn’t play any global or regional role. There are less than
1,100 Russian troops. Their primary task is to guard arms stockplies
on Transnistria terrority,” said Chizhov. “But people in Transnistria
also count on them as part of their security. So without a settlement
it would be difficult to agree to a withdrawal.”
For Chizhov, Russian troops in Moldova are peacekeepers, not occupying
forces: “It would be so easy for the Russian troops to leave the arms
and go home. Besides, more than half of the arms, and most of the heavy
equipment, has been withdrawn since the end of the Soviet Union. When
the political dialogue [between Transnistria and Moldovan authorities]
was under way, the trains were leaving with arms once every five
days. When the whole negotiation collapsed, the trains almost halted.”
The Russian EU ambassador also made a plea for more EU coherency. “I
would only welcome a more coherent EU policy on Russia,” said
Chizhov. “That would only make my job easier. But there is one
condition: this policy should not deteriorate into the lowest common
denominator.”

REACHING ARMENIANS WITH THE GOSPEL
Banner of Truth, UK
Oct 11 2005
Recently a news item came to my attention. The Prime Minister of
Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, called for an impartial study by
historians into the claims that over a million Armenian people were
slaughtered by Turkish troops from 1915 until about 1923. April 24,
2005, marked the 90th anniversary of what the Armenians refer to as
the “Genocide,” namely, the systematic and planned destruction of a
particular ethnic or national group.
What makes this news item about the Turkish Prime Minister’s call for
a study remarkable is that Turkey has never officially acknowledged
that genocide on a massive scale against the Armenians ever occurred,
let alone that Turkish government officials in that earlier period
were involved in some way in this genocide. Time will tell whether
Turkish government officials will fully cooperate in this study of
the documents that may shed light on what actually happened.
Let’s be clear in our use of terms: Armenia is a country at the east
end of the Black Sea, while Jacob Arminius was a 16th-17th century
minister in the Reformed Church in Amsterdam, a minister who taught
serious error about God’s grace and man’s ability to claim that
grace. So, an “Armenian” refers to a person of Armenian nationality,
background, descent, or citizenship. An “Arminian” is a person who
believes such a serious theological heresy. One can be both Armenian
and Arminian, but a person can be both Armenian and Reformed as well!
For a number of years Rev. Aaron Kayayan was the French broadcast
minister for the Back to God Hour. Rev. Kayayan’s background, however,
is not French but Armenian. He grew up in Greece, the country to which
his family had fled when the genocide had begun in the Ottoman Empire
(Turkey’s earlier name). God in his providence opened the doors that
enabled Aaron Kayavan later to study in France for the gospel ministry
in the Reformed churches in France.
For over the past decade now Rev. Kayayan has been very busy in
bringing the Reformed faith to the Armenian people. This ministry,
known as “Christians for Armenia” (a branch of Reformed Faith and
Life), carries on an active broadcast ministry in a country that is
dominated by the Armenian Apostolic Church, with its ritualism and
superstition. There is an evangelical presence in Armenia, but it is
small and rather ineffective. Thus there is a very great need for the
ministry that “Christians for Armenia” conducts. Letters bring back
reports that many people of all ages listen to the Reformed broadcasts
of Rev. Kayayan. As we all know, radio can reach cities and towns,
homes and businesses where missionaries might not be able to go.
When “Christians for Armenia” began, its broadcasts were heard on
only one station in Armenia, once a week. Now Rev. Kayayan’s messages
are heard on ten stations, four times a week, fifteen minutes per
day. Listeners send in letters to tell us how much hope as well as
instruction they receive from the broadcasts. The Reformed Faith
and Life staff in Armenia handles the requests for cassettes of the
messages as well as requests for Bibles.
Another element in the ministry of “Christians for Armenia” is
literature distribution. Rev. Kayayan had written many studies of
a Biblical and doctrinal nature while he was the French broadcast
minister for the Back to God Hour. Many of these works have now been
translated into Armenian, published and distributed to seminaries
and other interested people in Armenia. Obviously literature is
a resource that “keeps on giving.” Approximately fifteen titles
have been published to date, addressing topics from evangelism to
theology, as well as social and scientific issues. More titles are
being planned. Rev. Kayayan also produces an Armenian quarterly with
about 3000 copies distributed per issue. This quarterly publication
has also grown from 28 pages in its first issue, to 96 pages in
recent issues. This periodical (Havadk Yev Guiank, Faith and Life)
is distributed free because most Armenians are too poor to buy books
and other literature.
The challenge is great. Many would remember the devastating
earthquake that struck Armenia in 1988. Much of the country has not
been rebuilt. Poverty is rather widespread, and Armenia has several
hostile Muslim countries as its neighbors. Into that situation comes
a message of genuine hope and good news. The Reformed faith gives not
only comfort and hope about salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
but this faith also addresses the issues of living, justice, family
relationships, businesses, and all the rest of life.
Rev. Kayayan visits Armenia from time to time to speak with interested
groups, to teach in the schools that invite him to lecture, to
encourage the Armenia ministry staff in the country, and to see what
other windows of opportunity the Lord may provide for this work. At
the end of July Rev. Kayayan and Rev. Peter Adams of the Grace United
Reformed Church of Alto, Michigan, went to Armenia.
A summer camp was held July 25-31 at which both pastors Kayayan and
Adams spoke on the authority of the Scriptures and the confessions
as well as the gospel in our contemporary world and culture. About a
hundred participants (professors, intellectuals, social workers, and
pastors) attend. May the Lord continue to give “Badveli (Reverend)
Kayayan” much strength and a large vision for this work that is so
necessary for rebuilding a great land and a great people who have
endured so much.
If you are interested in obtaining more information in supporting
this work you can contact it at Reformed Faith & Life, 2133 N. Cross
Creek Dr. S.E. Grand Rapids, MI 49508-8775, USA

MURDER ROOM
Lynn News, UK
Oct 11 2005
A man whose burning body sparked a country-wide murder hunt had been
killed in the medical room of a Lynn factory, a court has heard.
Hovhannes Amirian had been shot four times and stabbed several times
and traces of his blood were found in the medical room at Cooper
Roller Bearings factory in Wisbech Road, South Lynn, it was alleged
at Norwich Crown Court yesterday.
The killing was linked to Lynn through a semi-burnt piece of paper
found near the body.
It turned out to be a health check appointment addressed to a factory
employee which had been disposed of in the medical room at Coopers.
A forensic examination of the room uncovered blood splatterings
belonging to Mr Amirian, said David Farrell QC, prosecuting.
A former security officer at the factory, 27-year-old Nisham Bakunts,
and his father-in-law, Misha Chatsjatrjan (43) are on trial for
murdering Mr Amirian between December 19 and 20, 2002, at Lynn.
Mr Farrell said Mr Amirian’s body was found burning in a field in
Upton near Peterborough, on Saturday, December 21, 2002, by off-duty
firefighter Jake Ellard.
“It was the body of an Armenian man known as Sako, who had been shot
four times, once in the head, once in the neck and twice in the face,
and who had also been stabbed in his body several times and then
transported to an isolated field, doused in petrol and set alight,”
said Mr Farrell.
Pieces of paper found at the fire referred to a medical appointment
and contained the names Talbot and Armstrong.
A total of 2,099 letters were sent out between August and September
2003 to people with those surnames, and on September 5 a significant
lead developed in a phone call to police from a Vanessa Armstrong,
who was secretary at Coopers.
It was Ms Armstrong’s job to arrange health tests for staff and the
letter had belonged to a Paul Talbot, who had been in the room three
days before the body was found.
Police and scenes of crimes officers searched the medical room on
September 22 and October 1, when it was discovered the layout of the
room had been changed since the body was found.
A cupboard had been placed against a wall on which Mr Amirian’s blood
was found, as well as on the couch. Disposable gloves were also found
which were from the same batch as those found near the body.
Mr Farrell said: “This proved the deceased man was killed in that
room. A lot of the area in which he had been killed was hidden by
the cabinet which had been moved.”
Mr Farrell said the victim was an Armenian national living in Belgium
who had been staying with Mr Bakunts in Yarmouth with his partner,
Arpine Karpetian (23), and their two children, for several months.
Mr Amirian had attended the couple’s wedding in Belgium, which turned
out not to be a proper ceremony. Mr Bakunts was granted asylum to
live in this country.
Inquiries revealed Mr Bakunts was a security officer at Coopers and
was in charge of factory security from 6pm on December 20 until 6am
on December 21 2002.
Every two hours welfare checks of the factory were made and there
was no response to the 4am check.
Mr Bakunts was not present when the shift changed at 6am on the 21st.
He called in sick that day and on December 23 his partner called
saying he would be off for another two days. In fact he never went
back, said Mr Farrell.
Another employee, Wayne Coddington, told police that Mr Bakunts
sometimes turned up at work with another man who he claimed was his
brother but was in fact Mr Amirian, said Mr Farrell.
Mr Farrell said a post mortem by Home Office pathologist Dr Nat Cary
revealed four bullets were found in Mr Amirian’s head and face,
with multiple severe stab wounds to his trunk, which had all been
inflicted while he was still alive.
A blank firing pistol costing £92.95 had been bought by Mr Bakunts
from a gunshop on December 2, 2002, along with 50 blank cartridges.
The bullets used were home- made and lead used to convert the
cartridges into real bullets was available at Coopers, said Mr Farrell.
Mr Bakunts, of Litchfield Road, Yarmouth, and Mr Chatsjatrjan, of
The Straat, The Netherlands, deny murder.
The case continues.
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