PanArmenian News
March 28 2005

AUTHOR OF POPULAR ARMENIAN BROADCAST: I DO NOT RESPECT PHILIP
KIRKOROV AND REGRET THAT HE IS ASHAMED OF HIS ARMENIAN ROOTS

28.03.2005 03:29

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ `At the concert I will try not to think of Philip
Kirkorov as an individual, otherwise I will not be able to conceal m
emotions’, author and presenter of Good Evening, Yerevan broadcast,
singer and compere Arman Nersesian stated in a conversation with
PanARMENIAN.Net reporter. At the same time he noted that Armenian
music lovers wish for enthralling sights and Kirkorov is a master of
show. `Like many Armenians I listen to his songs with pleasure.
However it does not mean that I respect him as an individual’, Arman
Nersesian stressed adding that he regrets that Kirkorov is ashamed of
his Armenian roots.

PanArmenian News
March 28 2005

PROCESSION DEDICATED TO ARMENIAN GENOCIDE 90-TH ANNIVERSARY TO BE
HELD IN US

28.03.2005 05:31

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ A procession with the slogan `In the Name of
Humanity’ will march from Fresno to Sacramento on the occasion of the
90-th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. The aim of the event is
to remind about the Armenian Genocide and other crimes against
humanity, Armenpress agency reports. Several dozens of Armenians will
march 350 kilometers. After a 19-day journey they are going to
express gratitude to the legislators of those US states, which
officially recognized the Armenian Genocide. On this occasion a
website was created and the great number of visitors was a surprise
for the action initiators. The Armenian communities of Central
California, Washington, New York and Boston declared of the financial
and moral support to the procession participants. The marchers will
reach Sacramento April 21.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PanArmenian News
March 28 2005

PRIESTS OF ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH ASSAULTED IN JERUSALEM

28.03.2005 04:47

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The priests of the Armenian Apostolic Church have
been assaulted in Jerusalem again. According to a report of the
Jerusalem Post, a police patrol detained an orthodox Jew, who
attacked two Armenian priests in the Old Town of Jerusalem. When
arrested he was drunk. To note, it is the third incident connected
with Armenian priests during the recent 6 months.

PanArmenian News
March 28 2005

16-TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ENTITLED `IMMORTAL HERITAGE OF
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE’ TO BE HELD IN LOS ANGELES APRIL 1-3

28.03.2005 04:33

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The 16-th international conference entitled
`Immortal Heritage of Armenian Genocide’ will be held in Los Angeles
April 1-3 within the frames of International Conference on Armenology
organized by the University of California, Los Angeles, IA Regnum
reports. The event is dedicated to the 90-th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide. Scientists from Argentina, Armenia, France,
Lebanon, Syria and the US are expected to take part in the
conference. Armenia will be presented by Karen Khachatrian and Anahit
Khosroyeva (Institute of History), Raffi K. Hovannisian (Armenian
Center for National and International Studies) and Tigran Matosian
(Institute-Museum of the Armenian Genocide).

Universe Today
March 28 2005

Survey Finds Dark Accelerators

Summary – (Mar 28, 2005) A team of European astronomers has found
some unusual objects in the central part of our galaxy which are
emitting very high-energy gamma rays. What’s strange, though, is
these objects are invisible in the optical and X-ray spectra. So what
they are is a complete mystery. Not only that, but these objects are
also quite large; possibly on the order of several light years
across. The observations were done using the High Energy Stereoscopic
System (H.E.S.S.) telescopes in Namibia.

Full Story – In the March 25th 2005 issue of Science Magazine, the
High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) team of international
astrophysicists, including UK astronomers from the University of
Durham, report results of a first sensitive survey of the central
part of our galaxy in very high energy (VHE) gamma-rays. Included
among the new objects discovered are two ‘dark accelerators’ –
mysterious objects that are emitting energetic particles, yet
apparently have no optical or x-ray counterpart.

This survey reveals a total of eight new sources of VHE gamma-rays in
the disc of our Galaxy, essentially doubling the number known at
these energies. The results have pushed astronomy into a previously
unknown domain, extending our knowledge of the Milky Way in a novel
wavelength regime thereby opening a new window on our galaxy.

Gamma-rays are produced in extreme cosmic particle accelerators such
as supernova explosions and provide a unique view of the high energy
processes at work in the Milky Way. VHE gamma-ray astronomy is still
a young field and H.E.S.S. is conducting the first sensitive survey
at this energy range, finding previously unknown sources.

Particularly stunning is that two of these new sources discovered by
H.E.S.S. have no obvious counterparts in more conventional wavelength
bands such as optical and X-ray astronomy. The discovery of VHE
gamma-rays from such sources suggests that they may be `dark
accelerators’, as Stefan Funk from the Max-Planck Institut in
Heidelberg affirms: “These objects seem to only emit radiation in the
highest energy bands. We had hoped that with a new instrument like
H.E.S.S. we would detect some new sources, but the success we have
now exceeds all our expectations.”

Dr Paula Chadwick of the University of Durham adds “Many of the new
objects seem to be known categories of sources, such as supernova
remnants and pulsar wind nebulae. Data on these objects will help us
to understand particle acceleration in our galaxy in more detail; but
finding these ‘dark accelerators’ was a surprise. With no counterpart
at other wavelengths, they are, for the moment, a complete mystery.”

Cosmic particle accelerators are believed to accelerate charged
particles, such as electrons and ions, by acting on these particles
with strong shock waves. High-energy gamma rays are secondary
products of the cosmic accelerators and are easier to detect because
they travel in straight lines from the source, unlike charged
particles which are deflected by magnetic fields. The cosmic
accelerators are usually visible at other wavelengths as well as VHE
gamma rays.

The H.E.S.S. array is ideal for finding these new VHE gamma ray
objects, because as well as studying objects seen at other
wavelengths that are expected to be sources of very high energy gamma
rays, its wide field of view (ten times the diameter of the Moon)
means that it can survey the sky and discover previously unknown
sources.

Another important discovery is that the new sources appear with a
typical size of the order of a tenth of a degree; the H.E.S.S.
instrument for the first time provides sufficient resolution and
sensitivity to see such structures. Since the objects cluster within
a fraction of a degree from the plane of our Galaxy, they are most
likely located at a significant distance – several 1000 light years
from the sun – which implies that these cosmic particle accelerators
extend over a size of light years.

The results were obtained using the High Energy Stereoscopic System
(H.E.S.S.) telescopes in Namibia, in South-West Africa. This system
of four 13 m diameter telescopes is currently the most sensitive
detector of VHE gamma-rays, radiation a million million times more
energetic than the visible light. These high energy gamma rays are
quite rare – even for relatively strong sources, only about one gamma
ray per month hits a square meter at the top of the earth’s
atmosphere. Also, since they are absorbed in the atmosphere, a direct
detection of a significant number of the rare gamma rays would
require a satellite of huge size. The H.E.S.S. telescopes employ a
trick – they use the atmosphere as detector medium. When gamma rays
are absorbed in the air, they emit short flashes of blue light, named
Cherenkov light, lasting a few billionths of a second. This light is
collected by the H.E.S.S. telescopes with big mirrors and extremely
sensitive cameras and can be used to create images of astronomical
objects as they appear in gamma-rays.

The H.E.S.S. telescopes represent several years of construction
effort by an international team of more than 100 scientists and
engineers from Germany, France, the UK, Ireland, the Czech Republic,
Armenia, South Africa and the host country Namibia. The instrument
was inaugurated in September 2004 by the Namibian Prime Minister,
Theo-Ben Guirab, and its first data have already resulted in a number
of important discoveries, including the first astronomical image of a
supernova shock wave at the highest gamma-ray energies.

Original Source: PPARC News Release

ArmenPress
March 28 2005

ARMENIAN PM DOWNPLAYS REVOLUTION FORECASTS

YEREVAN, MARCH 28, ARMENPRESS: Armenian prime minister Andranik
Margarian swept off today forecasts that Armenia is next in the row
of former Soviet republics that would see a popular revolt against
the incumbent regime. He said Armenia is free of conditions, which
ignited popular movements against regimes in Georgia, Ukraine and now
in Kyrgyzstan.
Speaking to journalists, Margarian said both parliamentary and
presidential elections in Armenia would be held in due time through
legal processes.
Margarian said: “Democracy continues to develop in Armenia, there
are no economic problems and ways for settling the Karabagh conflict
are being searched.. There are no basic reasons here to ignite revolt
against the current authorities.”
Margarian said there is always external pressure (on Armenia), but
added: “authorities are strong and the opposition will never do
anything that may jeopardize the country’s national security.”
“Last year I said that the Armenian opposition showed its wisdom
and prudence and refrained from moves that could result in bloodshed.
I think it will retain this wisdom and prudence,” he concluded.

ArmenPress
March 28 2005

346 KNOWN SPECIES OF BIRDS LIVE IN ARMENIA

YEREVAN, MARCH 28, ARMENPRESS: A project by the American
University of Armenia, called “Birds of Armenia Project” organizes
field excursions throughout Armenia in the quest to map and study
Armenia’s bird population. It issued field guidebooks in both English
and Armenian languages and a technical handbook on the country’s
imperiled bird population. The Project was created by
Armenian-American philanthropist and conservationist Sarkis Acopian.
Matthew Karanian, an environmental attorney who teaches
environmental law at the American University of Armenia and Robert
Kurkjian, an environmental scientist from the University of
California, the authors of the “The Stone Garden Guide to Armenia and
Karabagh,” joined “Birds of Armenia Project” in the excursion to find
out how environmental change has affected Armenia’s rich bird
population.
Ornithologists and other scientists have been drown to Armenia
partly because it has a disproportionately large number of bird
species. There are 346 known species of birds in Armenia and in
Europe only 450 species.
According to Dan Klem, an American professor of ornithology who
studies the birds of Armenia and who has co-authored books and
articles about the country’s avian population said “Birds are
indicators of environmental health. Changes in food supply, climate
and habitat loss, and threats from chemical contamination affect
birds and people in similar ways”.
Dan Klem noted that “Scientists use birds as tools to inform us
about the state of the environment and in Armenia the bird population
is telling us we need to use more care to conserve natural habitats”.
The researches show that birds began avoiding the region in 1960,
when the draining of Lake Gilli began by the Soviets, supposedly to
improve the region’s agriculture. The lake situated in southeast of
the Sevan basin.

Xinhua, China
March 28 2005

Turkish documents refute allegations of Armenian genocide: official

ANKARA, March 28 (Xinhuanet) — Turkish Prime Ministry State
Archives Director General Yusuf Sarinay said on Monday that tens of
thousands of documents in state archives refuted the Armenian
genocide allegations.

More than 1 million documents were related with Armenians
directly and indirectly in Turkish archives from 1870s to
1922,Sarinay said.

“When we read those documents, we see that the Ottoman Empire
decided to relocate Armenians to suppress a de facto uprising and put
an end to Armenian’s collaboration with Russian army, not to prevent
a likely rebellion,” Sarinay said.

He blamed that Armenians have been making propaganda against
Turkey for a long time.

April 24 was declared as “day of genocide” by Armenians. Turkey
has always denied that the Armenians were subject to genocide between
1915 and 1923. While Armenians claim up to 1.5million Armenians died
in the period as a result of systematic genocide.

PanArmenian News
March 28 2005

ROBERT KOCHARIAN TO VISIT FRANCE IN APRIL

28.03.2005 07:05

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian President Robert Kocharian met with French
Ambassador to Armenia Henry Cuny to discuss the issues referring to
Robert Kocharian’s upcoming visit to France, the President’s press
service reported. The parties also touched upon the prospects of the
Armenian-French relationships, the Armenia-France cooperation as well
as the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and a number of
regional problems.

Zaman, Turkey
March 28 2005

Three Questions

SELCUK GULTASLI

Many events that have violated the harmony of the government occurred
following the December 17 European Union (EU) summit; however, I
place the most importance on just three: Firstly, the impression of
the existence of unrest between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
and Foreign Affairs Minister Abdullah Gul that has become widespread.
While no one can explain any rational reason how a one party
government is unable to assign a chief negotiator.

It is reasonable that Turkey has remained silent on the EU front,
remaining silent about the depth and breath of preparations ahead of
the French referendum; however, their inability to assign a chief
negotiator is without explanation. Suppose that we covered up the
chief negotiator issue with the French referendum, how would we
explain Gul’s non-attendance at crucial meetings, to be held with
Greek Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis and Foreign Affairs Minister
Petros Moliviatis, which will deal with many crucial issues from the
Cyprus conflict to problems in the Aegean? What kind of reasoning
would be behind replacing the Secretary of State Mehmet Aydin as the
addressee of Moliviatis, while the Cyrus issue, which is the only
condition for us to begin negotiations on October 3, was being
discussed and while the extra protocol negations to execute this
condition had reached their hottest stage? What is of concern is that
the adaptation problem between the two Justice and Development Party
(AK) leaders would come to a halt.

Secondly, Kurdish nationalists and PKK supporters are under the
impression that they are garbling the EU process for their separatist
policy agendas. That the demonstrations, which were held under the
Newruz pretext, were about to break the agreement, which for the
first time in Turkish history may cause the Jacobian and taught
reform orders and the demands of the public overlap and lead to
concerns that being pro-EU is the same as being a US supporter after
the Iraqi war, that resulted in the increased wave of nationalism.
Considering the EU membership process is an important opportunity for
Turkey’s development, AK Party support and in the broader sense the
conservative circles’ vision, which was implicitly implied, with
regard to the EU, which has settled negotiations on the grounds that
it would be used to divide Turkey, has unfortunately been gathering
strength. The Newruz demonstrations, which coincided with the days of
intense discussion regarding the Armenian ‘genocide’ , revived the
historical documents of the Ottomans, which were fragmented because
of minority support, not only in the minds of nationalists but also
conservatives. From here on in the liberal- conservative circles that
support the democratic demands of the Kurds, may economize on their
support and may think twice before taking any steps. What is of
concern is that the irresponsible approach of the Kurds would slow
down the reform process in the country and would encourage the
government to be more indecisive.

Thirdly, the reaction shown by the EU in response to incidents on
March 6. Beating women should be condemned and it was condemned.
However, before completely understanding the situation, the scenes
that were broadcast for days on international networks and calls,
which were awaited in March in order to postpone negotiations with
Turkey, were immediately circulated, and strengthened the notion that
one little obstacle in Turkey’s 10 year-negotiation journey would be
enough to create waves of joy across Europe. A German journalist
wrote, “Only through good will, would the negotiations with Turkey
result in membership,” as he was surprised with the conditions placed
on Turkey. Turkey may not be able to show a successful performance;
but it could not find a good will approach in return either. What is
of concern is that there might be a rise in support for Turkey more
than the Ukraine for future membership to the EU, the Ukraine, which
has just been rescued from a dictatorship and which has not even been
nominated for the EU, and the expansion of the idea “What are we
doing where we are not wanted” throughout the country and the which
could cause the country to withdraw into itself.

What is hoped is, that these concerns will amount to nothing and that
the reform process will continue.

March 28, 2005

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress