IN NEW IRAQ, SHAKEN FAITH
BY TIMOTHY M. PHELPS
STAFF CORRESPONDENT
Newsday, NY
Aug 26 2005
Christians, Jews and other religious minorities live in fear of
harassment or death
BASRA, Iraq — For Yousef Lyon and other Christians in Basra, the
downfall of Saddam Hussein has meant a terrible loss of religious
freedom.
The social club where Lyon and his friends would gather in the evening
to play dominoes, where families danced or listened to live music on
holidays, is closed. Wedding celebrations are held quietly at home.
“Of course, during the Saddam regime it was better,” said Lyon, 40,
a member of the city’s small Armenian community. “Now we are afraid
from the religious parties that maybe they will throw a bomb at us.”
Not just the Christians, but many of the city’s minorities — from
obscure sects like the ancient Sabeans to the Sunni Muslims who used
to run Iraq and still predominate in the rest of the Arab world —
live in fear of the hard-line Shia religious parties and their militias
that now rule Iraq’s second-largest city.
Freedom has been curtailed for women, too. Several decades ago,
almost no woman in Basra covered her head. Now, they all do, under
fear of harassment or worse. Women working for foreign companies or
governments, and those considered to have loose morals, have been
marked for death by the militants — two Iraqi sisters who worked
in the laundry at the American compound in Basra were assassinated
last year.
Cosmopolitan city
Basra is an ancient port city with a proud cosmopolitan history,
where Christians, Jews, Sunni, Shia and many other groups lived in
relative peace for hundreds of years, according to local historians.
The Jews left en masse in the years following the founding of Israel
in 1948. Now, although no one keeps records or statistics, the other
minorities are leaving as well, though many had cried with joy at
the toppling of Hussein.
“Saddam Hussein was a criminal and an oppressor. Everybody knew that,”
said Majid, 45, a Sunni taxi driver who said he was afraid to be
identified further. “These new parties cry for society, but try to
drink the blood of the people.”
Hussein murdered thousands or tens of thousands of Iraqis, most of
them Kurds in the north and Shias in the south. Shias in Basra were
particularly singled out in retribution for their leadership in a
failed rebellion against Hussein in 1991, when U.S. forces refused
to intervene to protect them after the first Persian Gulf War.
But Hussein did not see Christians and other minorities in Iraq as
a threat because of their smaller numbers and because his regime was
secular and not as hostile to other religions or the rights of women
as are some of Iraq’s current officials.
‘They will kill you’
“You can’t say no to those people; they will kill you,” Majid said of
the current leaders here. “Even just if you have a different viewpoint,
you will have a problem.”
He said he is trying to sell his house and leave Iraq, but has had
few prospects. “By God, I don’t know,” he said. “I want to leave,
but where should I go?”
Basra is a city of 2 million people, predominantly Shia. An estimated
200,000 to 300,000 Sunnis, and perhaps 5,000 or 6,000 Christians,
live in the area.
Across town from Lyon and Majid, about two dozen Presbyterians, many
elderly, gathered on a Friday evening for a service designed for
those who must work on the Christian Sabbath. Their pastor recently
fled Basra in fear, so a young, recent graduate in theology presided.
“At the beginning, we were very happy when the British army came to
Basra. Everything was totally beautiful,” said Zuhair Fathallah,
a plastic surgeon who is an elder of the National Evangelical
Presbyterian Church.
While most of his fellow parishioners disliked Hussein, he protected
their rights to practice their faith. “From a religious point of view,
we were free to do what we liked,” Fathallah said. “As long as you
keep away from him, you will be safe.”
No more Sunday school
But a year after Hussein was overthrown, things began to change in
Basra. In April of last year, one of the Shia militias revolted against
the British army. Christians who had been licensed to sell alcohol
under Hussein were attacked and sometimes killed by the militants. The
church started to receive threatening letters intended to extort money,
Fathallah said.
“The fanatic people think that if you don’t obey law, they will move
against you,” he added.
Social activities have been curtailed. The nursery school is closed.
There is no more Sunday school because of fear the school bus will
be attacked.
Fathallah said Presbyterians started leaving Basra in large numbers
in 1991 after the failed uprising against Hussein, which followed
Iraq’s disastrous invasions of Iran and Kuwait. But that trend has
continued in the past two years. The church had 300 mostly large
families during its heyday 30 or more years ago. Now just 35 families
belong — a total of 150 people.
But Fathallah said he is still optimistic that Presbyterians will
continue on in Basra because their church was registered as an
autonomous entity based in Iraq a few years ago and services are held
in Arabic.
“If we can survive, we will be a good church,” Fathallah said. “Basra
is the best city, and we are good survivors.”

ALLEN HELPS MAKE YES WORTHWHILE
By JOHN WIRT
[email protected]
Entertainment writer
The Advocate, LA
Aug 26 2005
Yes
PLAY OFFICIAL TRAILER
Starring: Joan Allen, Simon Abkarian, Sam Neill, Shirley Henderson,
Sheila Hancock and Samantha Bond Crew: Director, Sally Potter;
screenplay, Sally Potter director of photography, Alexi Rodionov;
production designer, Carlos Conti. Siegen Village 10. (Running time:
1 hr., 40 mins.) MPAA Rating: R
Critic’s Rating: out of 4 stars. Have you seen Yes? If so, what do
you think? Was it…
Excellent
Good Fair Bad
Joan Allen, the best actress in movies these days, portrays the
troubled leading lady of Yes. In this intimate, impressionistic drama,
Allen’s renowned American biologist feels trapped in a loveless
marriage to a British politician played by Sam Neil. This London
couple is married in name only.
When Allen and Neil attend a luxurious dinner party one evening —
probably for the sake of her husband’s image — she’s obviously
miserable. But then, from a distance, Allen makes eye contact with
the chef who prepared the meal. He’s a striking man with a sloping
mustache and dark mop of hair. Simon Abkarian, an Armenian actor
based in Paris, plays the cook whose name is never revealed.
The cook wastes no time in revealing his feelings. “I’d like to steal
you from the man who cannot see you are a queen,” he tells Allen. She
gives the romantic stranger her number.
Yes, written and directed by Sally Potter (The Man Who Cried,
Orlando and The Tango Lesson), defies convention. The characters’
spoken words and unspoken thoughts, which are heard in voiceover,
intermingle. Even more unconventional, the film’s characters speak
in verse. The chronology of the events, too, is not strictly linear
and the film’s visual style further distorts and condenses time.
Despite the innovative look and sound, Yes is a simple love story,
albeit complicated by current affairs. The chef is a displaced Arab
from Lebanon. His passion for Allen is such that the political and
cultural gulf between the Muslin and Western worlds is swept away,
at least temporarily.
In the purest sense of the phrase, Yes is art-house cinema. It will
probably confound anyone who prides himself on being Mr. Average
Moviegoer. But for the more artistically inclined, for poetry readers,
cinema students, Yes may well be a rare and rewarding experience. And
just about any film with the great Joan Allen is worth the time and
money. If Hollywood was interested in making great movies, she’d
never be off the screen.

LEARN ABOUT TURKISH-ARMENIAN RECONCILIATION AT NAASR
Belmont Citizen Herald, MA
Aug 25 2005
Dr. Moorad Mooradian of Yerevan State University in Armenia
will present “A New Look at TARC (Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation
Commission)” in a free lecture at the Center and Headquarters of the
National Association for Armenian Studies and Research, 395 Concord
Ave. in Belmont on Thursday, Sept. 8 at 8 p.m.
On Saturday, Sept. 10, Mooradian will offer an all-day seminar
at NAASR entitled “Hurting Stalemate or Mediation? The Conflict Over
Nagorno-Karabakh.”
Mooradian’s writings on Armenian political and historical issues
are widely read on a weekly basis in English-language Armenian
newspapers, and he is also the author of a new book on the
Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation Commission. His previous lectures at
NAASR have been to standing-room-only audiences.
One of the most contentious issues in the contemporary
historiography of Armenia and Turkey has been the Turkish-Armenian
Reconciliation Commission. In his new book, “A New Look at TARC,”
Mooradian has examined TARC in terms of conflict resolution theory.
He will offer his evaluation of TARC’s stated goals, its performance,
the quality and competence of its members as reconcilers, and the
course that it has traveled. It is Mooradian’s view that TARC violated
basic conflict resolution theory and practice, and thus was destined
to be minimally, if at all, successful.
Mooradian received a Ph.D. from the Institute for Conflict
Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University after a 25-year
career in the United States Army, from which he retired as a colonel.
He was professor of history and international relations at the U.S.
Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.
Mooradian helped establish a Conflict Studies Curriculum at
Yerevan State University, which now awards both undergraduate and
graduate degrees. He has been teaching at Yerevan State since 1995
as a visiting professor and has developed a Long Distance Learning
Center there so that students may receive instruction from the U.S.
as well as Yerevan. He has also served as an unofficial advisor to
the Minister of Foreign Affairs and has been a Fulbright Scholar to
Armenia. Mooradian is a former member of NAASR’s Board of Directors.
Copies of “A New Look at TARC” will be on sale in the NAASR bookstore
and Mooradian will be available to autograph copies. The event is
open to the public at no charge (donations accepted at the door).
Capitalizing on Mooradian’s presence in the Boston area, NAASR
will feature him in an all-day seminar on Saturday, Sept. 10, from 9
a.m. to 4 p.m., which will examine the various aspects of mediation,
its goals and various processes, in comparison with theory and with
what actually transpired in the Karabakh mediation efforts.
Pre-registration is recommended. Fees for the course will be $75
($60 for NAASR members; $35 for full-time students with current IDs).
Admission is open to all, but enrollment will be limited in order
to encourage active discussion and interaction. It is strongly urged
that participants register by Sept. 1.
For more information on Dr. Mooradian’s lecture or seminar or
about NAASR and its programs, call 617-489-1610, e-mail [email protected],
or write to NAASR, 395 Concord Ave., Belmont, MA 02478.

“GUL MAY NOT ATTEND THE CONFERENCE”
Turkish Press
Aug 25 2005
Press Scan
RADIKAL (LEFT)
————–
Turkish Foreign Minister & Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul accepted
to attend the conference on “Armenians in the Late Ottoman Empire”
at Istanbul’s Bogazici University in principle. However, Gul may
not attend the conference since he is scheduled to attend the United
Nations General Assembly meetings in New York in September.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS SERVICE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF AZERBAIJAN REPORTS
AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Aug 25 2005
On 25 August, Secretary of State of the United States Condeleeza Rice
has called to the President of the Azerbaijan Republic Ilham Aliyev.
The sides expressed pleasure for development of the relations between
Azerbaijan and the United States in numerous fields.
Secretary of State Condeleeza Rice stated that she attaches great
attention to the negotiations between the Presidents of Azerbaijan
and Armenia related to settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno
Karabakh conflict during the Kazan Summit and is hopeful that it will
promote peace settlement of the problem.
President Ilham Aliyev, in turn, marking importance of the talks with
the Armenian president in Kazan, expressed confidence for positive
results.
During the phone talk, also were exchanged views on situation in
Azerbaijan, including the preparation process for the forthcoming
parliament elections.
Head of the Azerbaijan State and the US Secretary of State have also
discussed a number of other questions of mutual interest.

Settlements in Focus – Vol.1, Issue 8: Targeting the Old City’s Muslim Quarter
Americans for Peace Now (Press Release)
;cid=1340
August 26, 2005
According to recent news reports, the Israeli government has approved
construction of a new Jewish settlement in the Muslim Quarter of
Jerusalem’s Old City. Is this true?
On July 4, 2005, the Israeli Ministry of Housing and Construction gave
its approval to move forward on a plan (Town Planning Scheme 9870,
or “TPS 9870”) to construct a new Jewish settlement in the Muslim
Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City, near Herod’s Gate. This approval
is not final and does not mean that the plan will necessarily be
implemented; however, it does allow the plan to proceed on the path
toward final approval, with the official blessing of the Ministry.
Subsequent to the Ministry’s approval, on July 25, 2005, the Local
Planning Committee of the Jerusalem Municipality met to consider
TPS 9870. During that meeting, the Committee amended the plan
(reducing the maximum number of residential units from 30 to 21,
based on concerns of the City Engineer, Uri Shitreet). The Planning
Committee ultimately approved the amended plan by a vote of 5-2,
sending it on for the next stage in the approval process.
The plan will now be sent to the Regional Planning Committee
(part of the Ministry of Interior), where it will be deposited for
public review. The public may file objections within sixty days of
the plan’s publication, and after a hearing process the plan may
be approved, rejected or approved with amendments by the Regional
Planning Committee. Upon approval, a building permit may be issued
and construction can commence.
Why is this one settlement a big deal?
The establishment of a Jewish neighborhood in the Old City’s Muslim
Quarter is another unilateral act that, in combination with others
(like those discussed in Settlements in Focus, Volume 1, Issues 1
& 4, for example), would predetermine the results of final status
negotiations and render a political resolution of the thorny issue
of Jerusalem even more difficult. The plan conflicts with the
fundamental rationale for negotiations (i.e., that competing claims
should be resolved through agreements), undermines the credibility of
pro-peace Palestinian leaders who support negotiations, and strengthens
extremists who argue that the Road Map and disengagement are a pretext
for Israel to strengthen its hold on Jerusalem and the West Bank.
In addition, the plan could be a lightening rod for the kind of
friction and conflict that bodes ill for the stability of Jerusalem
– the one place where Israelis and Palestinians live and work,
cheek-and-jowl – and violates the delicate patterns of life in the
Old City. Moreover, provocative actions in the Old City in the past
have touched a raw nerve and led to significant bloodshed and loss
of life. For example, Israel’s decision in 1996 to open access to an
ancient tunnel in the heart of the Old City (“the Hasmonean Tunnel”)
led to widespread rioting that ended in more than 100 dead and many
injured. This highly controversial new settlement project is likely
to become a similar rallying point, precisely at a time when hesitant
efforts are being made to resume a political process.
Who owns the land?
The site is about 3.8 dunams in size (1 dunam = about .25 acres). The
Israel Land Authority (ILA), the body appointed (by a 1960 Israeli law)
to administer state lands, owns 1.9 dunams – reportedly “absentee
properties” (i.e., property whose owners were in “enemy” territory
at the end of the 1967 War, and whose assets thus reverted, under
Israeli law, to the State of Israel).
Himanuta Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Jewish National
Fund (a quasi-governmental body whose lands, under the 1960 law,
are also administered by the ILA), owns 1.3 dunams, reportedly
acquired privately from the White Russian Orthodox Church in the
1980’s. As detailed in a 1992 report issued by the Klugman Committee,
a governmental Board of Inquiry established to investigate covert and
illegal government policies abetting settler activities in Jerusalem
(discussed below), the ILA, Himanuta, and the JNF acted in the past as
a front for extreme settler organizations such as “Ateret Cohanim.” A
January 2005 article in Ha’aretz also noted: “Tens of thousands of
acres on which settlements, industrial zones and roads have been built
were purchased by a subsidiary of the JNF – Himanuta, Ltd. – which
specialized in buying land from Palestinians through ‘straw men.'” The
ownership of the remaining .6 dunam of land in question could not be
definitively established for the purposes of this document.
The plan appears to be a long way from implementation. What is so
urgent about it now?
Experience has shown that inflammatory initiatives – like this
settlement plan – are best stopped in their incipient stages. As
a project of this nature gathers momentum, the “price tag”- i.e.,
Israeli political capital (the political costs to an Israeli government
that has to stop it), U.S. and international political capital (the
efforts that must be put into pressuring Israel to stop it), and
the overall political and diplomatic damage done (to peace efforts
and the credibility of the parties) – increases exponentially, and
the likelihood that the project can actually be halted becomes more
remote. All parties concerned with the stability and viability of
Jerusalem and the resumption of a credible political process between
Israel and the Palestinians should be working now to stop the project,
before the “price” for stopping it increases, or the process passes
the point of no return.
Can the plan be stopped?
The State of Israel, in its capacity as landowner (through the Israel
Lands Authority) or in its capacity as plan sponsor (through the
Ministry of Housing and Construction) can withdraw the plan or prevent
it from proceeding to the next phase of approval (i.e., deposit for
public review by the Regional Planning Board). In addition, it is
possible (though unlikely) that if the plan were to proceed to the
next stage it would be rejected by the Regional Planning Committee.
There is also the possibility of stopping the plan in Israeli court,
via a range of legal challenges. However, no court case may be filed
prior to the final approval of the plan (at which time the project
will be close to implementation), and the Israeli Supreme Court
has historically shown reluctance to embroil itself in politically
sensitive cases, even if a compelling legal case can be made.
Future court cases may be based on technical flaws (the plan lacks
the legally-required signatures of the sponsor and the landowner
– problems that led to it being thrown out by the planning board
last time around). The plan also appears to be at odds with policy
changes implemented based on the findings of the Klugman Committee. In
addition, it may conflict with a Supreme Court precedent, in which
the court ruled that in order to preserve the historic patterns of
residence in the Old City a Palestinian resident of Jerusalem could be
denied the right to purchase a home in the Jewish Quarter. Finally,
the plan may conflict with Israeli laws protecting antiquities;
opposition to the plan from the Israel Antiquities Authority, however,
has been muted, with some observers suggesting that political pressure
has been brought to bear.
Where would the settlement be built?
The site of the planned settlement is a vacant area at the northeastern
tip of the Old City, adjacent to the city wall, near Herod’s Gate. One
of the few remaining open spaces, the site is deep inside the Muslim
Quarter, accessible only via pedestrian walkways through residential
areas of the Muslim Quarter. It is in no way connected to or directly
accessible from the Jewish Quarter, which is located in the southern
part of the Old City.
According to the TPS 9870, what would be built?
TPS 9870, as approved by the Local Planning Council, includes 21
residential units and additional public buildings – including a
gold-domed synagogue to tower over the Old City ramparts.
What is the legal (zoning) status of the land?
Consistent with Plan AM/9, which governs all land in the Old City,
all of the open areas adjacent to the internal wall of the Old City
are preserved “…in order to prevent construction near the wall,
protecting its uniqueness and allowing the public at large access to
a site of unparalleled historic and archeological value.” The site of
the settlement is consequently designated as Public Open Space. The
approval of TPS 9870 required over-ruling this ban on construction
close to the Old City walls.
It is worth recalling that even as the Jerusalem municipality is
seeking to change the zoning in this site to permit construction
that will nearly abut the Old City walls, it is still seeking to
raze a Palestinian neighborhood located adjacent to the Old City, on
the ground that the area should be restored to its historical state
(this case is detailed in Settlements in Focus, Vol. 1, Issue 4).
Has Israel previously built any settlements inside the Muslim Quarter?
This is the first time the State of Israel has officially and openly
initiated the construction of a Jewish project in the Old City, outside
the Jewish Quarter. In fact, it is the first time in history that the
State of Israel has officially sought to build a Jewish settlement
within the confines of an existing Palestinian neighborhood anywhere
in East Jerusalem.
Non-governmental settlers groups have taken over, through legal and
illegal means, properties throughout the Muslim quarter. However, these
projects have been of a much smaller scale than the current plan and
were never officially initiated or sponsored by the government. Settler
efforts to target the Old City were dealt a blow by the Klugman
Report, which, for a time, brought to an end surreptitious official
assistance for the settlers groups. Support resumed several years
later when Binyamin Netanyahu took over as Prime Minister, but at a
much diminished level, until now.
What is the population of the Old City like?
Note: All population figures come from the Israeli Central Bureau of
Statistics as of December 31, 2003.
With 35,372 residents and a total area of about 900 dunams, Jerusalem’s
Old City is one of the most densely populated areas in Israel, and
the Muslim Quarter is the most densely populated area of the Old
City. Population density varies dramatically within the Old City;
details for each quarter, and for Jerusalem as a whole, are as follows:
Jerusalem: Jerusalem (not including the Old City) is about 125,398
dunams in size, with 657,845 residents, for a population density of
about 5 persons per dunam. The Jewish Quarter: The Jewish Quarter is
122 dunams in size and has 2,387 inhabitants, for a population density
of around 20 persons per dunam. Of these residents, 1,811 are Jewish,
560 are Muslim, 12 are Christian, and 4 are “unclassified.” According
to a 2002 report by the Jerusalem Institute for Israel studies,
the Muslim population is composed of around 100 families living
mainly on the edge of the Quarter, in homes that were designated for
expropriation after 1967, but never actually taken from their owners.
The Christian Quarter: The Christian Quarter is 192 dunams in size
and has 5,276 residents, for a population density of around 28 persons
per dunam. Of these residents, 3888 are Christian, 1,242 are Muslim,
143 are Jewish, and 3 are “unclassified.” The Armenian Quarter:
The Armenian Quarter is 126 dunams in size and has 2,461 residents,
for a population density of around 20 persons per dunam. Of these
residents, 1205 are Christian, 748 are Jewish, 504 are Muslims,
and 4 are “unclassified.” The Muslim Quarter: The Muslim Quarter
has a population of 25,248 residents and is 461 dunams in size,
of which about 142 dunams is taken up by the Temple Mount/Haram al
Sharif – an area not available for residence. This yields an overall
population density (for the habitable 319 dunams) of about 79 persons
per dunam. Of these residents, 23,461 are Muslim, 431 are Jewish,
1354 are Christian, and 2 are “unclassified.” What is the history
of Israeli attempts to build a settlement at this site?
In 1982, Ariel Sharon was the Minister of Agriculture when he
established a special committee to deal with “government” properties
in the Old City of Jerusalem. The Committee actively worked to help
settler groups like “Ateret Cohanim” gain control of properties in
the Muslim Quarter, including a scheme to allow “Ateret Cohanim” to
build a settlement at the Herod’s Gate site. The plan was eventually
shelved, following an expose in the Israeli press.
In 1991, Ariel Sharon was the Minister of Housing and Construction when
he tried to fast-track an “Ateret Cohanim” plan to develop the Herod’s
Gate site through a special planning committee established to expedite
construction of homes for immigrants from the former Soviet Union. He
was blocked by opposition from professional planning authorities: the
Town Planner determined that use of the accelerated track was illegal;
the plan was found to conflict with the patterns of life in the Old
City; and the plan was found to violate all of the of the principles
geared to preserve the Old City as a site of unique historical and
cultural value. The plan was never brought before the committee.
In October 1991, following the takeover by settlers of several
Palestinian homes in Silwan, Member of Knesset Haim Oron and
lawyer Daniel Seidemann exposed the existence of policies which
covertly handed Palestinian properties to settler groups. Following
protracted legal proceedings, the Israeli government established an
official Board of Inquiry, headed by Haim Klugman, then-Director
General of the Ministry of Justice. On September 13th, 1992, the
Klugman Committee submitted its findings to the Israeli Government
(the report was and remains classified). The Committee determined
that the policies implemented by Minister Sharon in East Jerusalem
were tainted by systematic and blatant illegality, from illegally
funneling government assets to settler groups, to using falsified
documents to seize Palestinian properties as “absentee properties”
and then handing them over to settlers.
In May 1998, Ariel Sharon was the Minister of Infrastructure (a
position that gave him control over the ILA) when “Ateret Cohanim”
submitted to the Local Planning Committee a planning scheme for the
Herod’s Gate site. Minister Sharon attempted to intervene on the
settlers’ behalf when, after the plan was rejected by the Local
Planning Committee, the settlers began to build illegally on the
site. Then-Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert, under threat of legal action,
issued a demolition order (which caused the settlers to demolish
the structures). At the same time, in an unprecedented act that both
exceeded his official mandate and conflicted with the authority of
the municipality, then-Minister Sharon attempted to prevent the
demolition and grant official sanction to the settlers’ claim to
the site, issuing a press release stating: “Ateret Cohanim has legal
possession of the site adjacent to Herod’s Gate since it was leased
to them by the ILA for various purposes… [no such lease existed].
In the event that they lack any required approval it will be issued
forthwith, thereby nullifying the excuse used by the Municipality to
justify such a drastic measure as issuing an administrative demolition
order… ” [under Israeli law, no such “approval” could be issued,
since the area lacked an approved town plan].
In July 2005, Ariel Sharon is the Prime Minister of Israel, and
the plan to build a Jewish settlement at the Herod’s Gate site has
resurfaced, in the form of TPS 9870.
Could TPS 9870 have moved without high-level approval?
Given the political sensitivity of all things related to Jerusalem,
it is improbable that a plan of this nature could have proceeded
without high-level approval, including the approval of Prime Minister
Sharon. Moreover, this is not the first attempt to establish a
settlement at this particular site, and Ariel Sharon (who himself owns
a home in the heart of the Muslim Quarter), in his various roles in
government, played a central role in each previous attempt.
Produced by Lara Friedman, Government Relations Director, Americans
for Peace Now (USA), with the assistance of Daniel Seidemann, Ir
Amim, Jerusalem

ON THIS DAY – 26AUG05
Melbourne Herald Sun, Australia
Advertiser Adelaide, Australia
The Mercury, Australia
Aug 26 2005
1896 – Armenian revolutionaries attack the Ottoman Bank in
Constantinople, provoking a three-day battle in which at least 6000
Armenians die.
55BC – Roman forces under Julius Caesar invade Britain.
580 – It is thought that toilet paper is invented by the Chinese.
1346 – A cannon is used for the first time in a European battle as
Edward III of England defeats Philip VI of France.
1883 – A massive eruption of a volcano on Krakatoa island in the
Sundra Strait between Java and Sumatra continues. The two-day
eruption and associated tidal waves kill some 36,000 people and
destroy two-thirds of the island.
1883 – Cricket’s Ashes trophy is created when a winning England
captain is presented with an urn containing the ashes of a bail from
the 1882-1883 wickets after victory over Australia.
1884 – A patent is granted to German immigrant Ottmar Mergenthaler
for the Linotype machine, which allowed mass production of
newspapers.
1896 – Insurrection begins in the Philippines against the Spanish;
Armenian revolutionaries attack the Ottoman Bank in Constantinople,
provoking a three-day battle in which at least 6000 Armenians die.
1912 – The first Tarzan story by William Rice Burroughs appears in a
US magazine.
1913 – A Russian pilot, Lieutenant Peter Nesterov, is credited with
becoming the first person to perform the loop-the-loop.
1914 – More than 30,000 Russian troops are killed during WWII as they
are out-manoeuvred by German troops at the battle of Tannenberg.
1915 – German army captures Brest-Litovsk in Russia during World War
I.
1920 – The 19th Amendment to the American Constitution is ratified,
giving women the vote.
1930 – Death of US silent movie actor Lon Chaney who became known as
the man of a thousand faces.
1936 – Treaty ends British occupation of Egypt, except Suez Canal
zone, and Britain and Egypt form alliance for 20 years.
1937 – Japan blockades Chinese shipping; the first televised major
league baseball games is shown in the United States, a doubleheader
between the Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field.
1942 – German army reaches Stalingrad in Soviet Union during World
War II.
1945 – Japanese envoys board US battleship Missouri to receive
surrender instructions at the end of World War II.
1947 – The UN Security Council passes a resolution for both the Dutch
and Indonesians to adhere to a ceasefire order.
1952 – Floods caused by monsoon rains inundate 90 per cent of Manila,
causing at least eight deaths. It is Manila’s third flood in a month.
1957 – Soviet Union announces it has successfully tested an
intercontinental ballistic missile.
1959 – Chinese troops cross into India’s north-eastern territory
after a border dispute.
1964 – Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, bans two black nationalist movements;
student and Buddhist riots force resignation of government of Premier
Nguyen Khanh in South Vietnam.
1967 – Andreas Papandreou, former Greek Cabinet minister and son of
ex-premier George Papandreou, is indicted on treason charges and
accused of leading the Aspid (Shield) army conspiracy.
1970 – North Vietnam sends its chief negotiator back to Vietnam peace
talks in Paris after an eight-and-a-half month boycott of
negotiations.
1972 – The summer Olympics games open in Munich, West Germany; Death
of British yachtsman Sir Francis Chichester.
1973 – The Cambodian military reports that Khmer Rouge rebel troops
had severed Phnom Penh’s two vital supply roads – one leading to the
seaport and the other to rice fields.
1974 – Death of US aviator Charles Lindbergh.
1978 – Cardinal Albino Luciani of Venice is elected as Pope John Paul
I.
1981 – Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister
Menachem Begin wrap up a two-day summit in Alexandria with the return
of the Sinai peninsula to Egypt scheduled for the following April.
1985 – A special French investigator issues a report clearing
France’s Socialist government and the intelligence service of
involvement in the sinking of the Greenpeace protest vessel Rainbow
Warrior in Auckland harbour on July 10.
1988 – Nationwide strike paralyses government and transportation in
Burma and anti-government rallies spread; tens of thousands of civil
rights marchers gather in Washington, DC, on the eve of the 25th
anniversary of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
1990 – Number of US soldiers, airmen and sailors in the Gulf reaches
60,000.
1991 – Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev promises new national
elections after the signing of the Union Treaty, but there appears to
be little support for the treaty in the wake of a failed coup
attempt.
1993 – Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman and 14 others are charged in the World
Trade Centre attack and New York bombing plot.
1994 – US officials acknowledge that the current session of Congress
won’t pass legislation for universal health insurance coverage, which
US President Bill Clinton made the centrepiece of his legislative
agenda.
1995 – The Communist Party in Russia starts a campaign that calls for
resurrection of the Soviet state that collapsed in 1991.
1996 – Former military strongman Chun Doo-hwan is sentenced to death
after being convicted of mutiny and treason in South Korea. His
successor, Roh Tae-woo, is also found guilty and sentenced to 22½
years in prison. They were pardoned a year later.
1997 – South Africa’s last white president, FW De Klerk, resigns as
head of the National Party and leaves politics.
1998 – A three-week-old rebellion reaches the outskirts of Congo’s
capital Kinshasa, and hundreds of soldiers are wounded and killed.
1999 – Anti-independence militiamen rampage through Dili, the capital
of East Timor, raising doubts about the viability of an upcoming vote
on the Indonesian territory’s future.
2000 – Somalis celebrate the election of Abdiqasim Salad Hassan,
their first president in nearly a decade; in a widely covered visit
to Africa US President Bill Clinton appealed to the leaders of
oil-rich Nigeria to set aside political acrimony and concentrate on
lifting its citizens out of poverty.
2001 – Ethnic Albanians rebels hand over machine-guns, mortar tubes
and other heavy weaponry on first day of a NATO mission to collect
arm’s from Macedonia’s militants.
2002 – US President George W. Bush admits he is worried about the
economy’s “paltry” growth and, without making promises, assures steel
company executives and workers that protecting domestic steel is a
national security priority.
2003 – Rwandan President Paul Kagame is the overwhelming winner of
presidential elections. The election was the first since the 1994
genocide.
2004 – Iraq’s top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani,
makes a dramatic return to Najaf and swiftly wins agreement from a
rebel cleric and the government to end three weeks of fighting
between his militia and US-Iraqi forces.
–Boundary_(ID_yTlUOSSvRNjCTntmAJ2rDg)–

TALKS ON $400M TRANSPORT PROJECT POSTPONED
AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Aug 25 2005
The discussions on a major regional railway project have been
postponed again. The meeting of Azerbaijani, Georgian and Turkish
transport ministers initially planned for August 24 will take place
early in September instead due to their busy schedule, according to
the Azerbaijan railway spokesman Nadir Azmammadov.
“The new date for the meeting is currently being determined”, he
said. The $400 million project envisions building a 98-km railway line
(68 km in Turkey and 30 in Georgia). Joining the Azeri and Georgian
railways with the Turkish section will allow the movement of trains not
only between Azerbaijan and Georgia but also to Western Europe though
Bulgaria, or in the southward direction toward Syria, Iraq and Jordan.
The project represents political importance for Azerbaijan as well.
Its implementation leaves Armenia out of regional transport projects,
and operation of the Gumri, Armenia-Gars, Turkey railway section will
be out of the question. This railway section is currently not in
use due to Turkey’s demands on Armenia’s pullout from the occupied
Azeri territories. Moreover, the construction of a Gars-Nakhchivan
railway line in the future is possible as well. The most challenging
part of the project is funding the railway by Georgia, which, unlike
Azerbaijan, is experiencing financial constraints.

F.M. GUL MAY NOT ATTEND THE CONFERENCE ON OTTOMAN ARMENIANS SINCE HE IS SCHEDULED TO VISIT NEW YORK
Turkish Press
Aug 25 2005
ANKARA – “Although Turkish Foreign Minister & Deputy Prime Minister
Abdullah Gul made known earlier that he might attend the conference
on the Armenian issue ‘in principle if his program permits’, he may
not attend the conference since he is scheduled to be in New York for
UN General Assembly meetings,” Turkish (MFA) spokesman Namik Tan said
on Wednesday.
Speaking at the weekly press briefing, Tan said, “Gul was informed
on the conference program just a month ago. He conveyed that he might
attend such a meeting in principle if his program enabled him.”
“But we received the invitation for the conference today. Since Gul
is scheduled to attend the United Nations General Assembly meetings
in New York, he may not attend the conference. But he may attend the
last day session of the conference if he will be available,” Tan added.
Istanbul’s Bogazici University is planning to hold the conference on
“Armenians in the Late Ottoman Empire” between September 23rd and 25th.

REFORM PROCESS IN SOUTH-CAUCASUS NEEDS TO BE BOOSTED, SAYS PACE PRESIDENT
Council of Europe

Aug 25 2005
Strasbourg, 25.08.2005 – Constitutional reform in Armenia, the
forthcoming elections in Azerbaijan and reforms in Georgia were the
main issues discussed during high-level meetings held by the President
of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Rene
van der Linden during his visit to the South Caucasus from 18 to 23
August. Overall, the President concluded that the reform process in
the South-Caucasus as a whole needs to be boosted.
In Armenia, the President urged dialogue between the government,
opposition and civil society. The constitutional reform was a
test case for further democratic development in Armenia and of its
willingness to fulfil its obligations and commitments to the Council
of Europe, he said. The success of the referendum would depend in
particular on the revision of voters’ lists, media independence and
the organisation of an effective public awareness raising campaign.
The President appealed to government and opposition parties to use
the coming days to reach an agreement on joint amendments, so as to
attract the broadest support for reform. He said that failure of the
reform process would have negative consequences for the country as
a whole. He also urged all political actors to enhance their efforts
to ensure good relations with Armenia’s neighbours.
President van der Linden welcomed the progress made since the Rose
Revolution in Georgia, while recognising that state and society can
not be transformed overnight. He urged the authorities to maintain
the momentum of reform so as to ensure that all obligations and
commitments were met within the previously extended deadlines. He
stressed that an effective system of checks and balances, including
a strong opposition, independent judiciary, active civil society
and free media were necessary to the process of democratic reform;
they should not be considered only as part of its eventual result.
Reform of local self government was a particularly important aspect
of Georgia’s democratisation process and the President encouraged the
authorities to persevere in the ambitious and far-reaching legislative
agenda on this issue. On foreign policy, the President encouraged
the authorities to pursue all avenues for the peaceful resolution
of conflicts, not only those in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, but also
that concerning Nagorno-Karabakh.
In Azerbaijan, the President stressed that the November elections
would be a test case for the country and an important opportunity
for the international community to see that the government was doing
its utmost to ensure free and fair elections. With regard to the
electoral fraud committed during the 2003, Rene van der Linden was
reassured by President Aliyev’s promise that a full investigation
would be completed by November.
He noted the importance of election monitoring and reminded the
authorities that in January 2006 PACE would consider the report of
its own 40-strong election observation mission. The authorities
should reinforce and guarantee media independence and pluralism,
including by bringing the capital’s Public TV station into operation.
He urged all political parties to approach the elections in a positive
and constructive spirit of democracy. The President considered that
the issues of political prisoners and the murder of Elmar Huseynov
were also important for the elections. He called on the authorities to
take all the necessary action to ensure that neither the opposition
nor the media would continue to feel at risk as a result of their
lawful and democratic activities.
On the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh, the President stated his intention
to enhance the possibility for parliamentary diplomacy available to
the countries’ PACE delegations as a complement to the primary means
of bilateral diplomacy and the Minsk Group process. He added that
democratic development in the two countries would create a better
climate for finding a solution.
In all three countries, the President had met religious leaders and
noted with great satisfaction the active and positive role they had
played together in the reconciliation process. He reminded all those
he met that there would be no sustainable development or prosperity
and no future for the region’s children without a peaceful settlement.
Press release announcing his visit to the South Caucasus
Contact: Communication Unit of the Council of Europe Parliamentary
Assembly Tel. +33 3 88 41 31 93 Fax +33 3 90 21 41 34; e-mail:
[email protected]