Armenian Defence Ministry denies rumours of mobilization

Armenian Defence Ministry denies rumours of mobilization

A1+ web
23 Mar 05

Society fears that mobilization started in the republic after the
recent developments on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. Even young men
under 30, who have already served in the army, are afraid to go out.

The press secretary of the Armenian defence minister, Seyran
Shakhsuvaryan, denied rumours that are going around the city about the
mobilization. He also denied that dozens had been killed in Karabakh
or on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

According to the information we possess, the last skirmish on the
border resulted in 13 Armenian casualties. Seyran Shakhsuvaryan denied
this and said that three soldiers had been killed in the Nagornyy
Karabakh Republic [NKR]. This has already been reported by the NKR
Defence Ministry.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Southern Caucasus: prisoners particularly vulnerable to TB epidemic

ICRC (press release), Switzerland
March 23 2005

Southern Caucasus: prisoners particularly vulnerable to TB epidemic
Every year, three million people die of tuberculosis (TB).

Prisoners are particularly exposed: they tend to come from society’s
poorest and hence more vulnerable sectors, and prison conditions
foster the spread of the disease.

Through its TB-control programme for prisons in the southern
Caucasus, the ICRC works with the national authorities to help them
meet their objectives, namely to reduce TB morbidity and mortality,
to prevent the development of drug-resistant TB and to curb and
ultimately stop TB transmission within the prison system by
implementing the strategy recommended by the World Health
Organization (WHO).

In Georgia, 3,020 prisoners infected with the disease have received
treatment since the ICRC programme was launched in 1998. In Armenia,
where the programme started in 2002, 270 patients have been treated.
In Azerbaijan, the programme has been running for ten years and
treated 5,500 patients. The programme owes its success to the
involved commitment of the medical staff who work daily to improve
the prisoners’ health.

As a result of the programme’s successful implementation, TB
mortality in prisons in the southern Caucasus has dropped
drastically. In another major achievement, the number of
newly-detected infectious cases has fallen.

This does not mean the problem has been solved, however. The
conditions of detention are difficult: the prisons are often
overcrowded and the prisoners lack light and proper nutrition. What
is more, it is difficult for released prisoners to continue to have
access to treatment. The ICRC is working to facilitate links between
TB services in prisons and outside.

Another major challenge is the high rate of multi-drug resistant
(MDR) TB patients. Improper treatment in the past (treatment
stoppages, incorrect dosage and length of treatment) has lead to the
emergence of MDR-TB, the deadliest form of the disease. The ICRC is
working with the authorities concerned to develop an MDR
case-management strategy in line with international recommendations.

Standards of health care for prisoners should be at least equivalent
to that of the society as a whole. This is why the ICRC is helping
the national authorities to ensure all sick prisoners have access to
proper TB services. What is more, prisons are porous, and the
implementation within their walls of effective TB-control programmes
contributes to effective TB control in the wider community.

Iraqi Resistance Report for events of Tuesday, 22 March 2005

uruknet.info, Italy
March 23 2005

Iraqi Resistance Report for events of Tuesday, 22 March 2005

Translated and/or compiled by Muhammad Abu Nasr, member, editorial
board, the Free Arab Voice.

Al-Anbar Province.
Al-Qa’im.

Nine US troops killed in Resistance ambush late Tuesday morning.

About seven masked Iraqi Resistance fighters armed with C5K and RPG7
rocket launchers attacked a column of five US Humvees and one tank at
the intersection at the end of al-Kubaysat Street in the middle of
the city of al-Qa’im on the border with Syria at 11:15 local time
Tuesday morning. Mafkarat al-Islam reported witnesses as saying that
the Resistance fighters completely blew up two American Humvees and
killed nine US troops in the attack, which also left three Resistance
fighters martyred.

US troops returned fire causing great damage to the fronts of three
houses on the street. The correspondent reported seeing US vehicles
hauling away the bodies of the nine dead Americans and two wounded
soldiers from the area, which they left an hour after the attack. The
Americans left Iraqi puppet troops surrounding the zone in which the
attack took place.

A source in the Iraqi puppet “national guard” who reported to the
scene of the attack told Mafkarat al-Islam that the Resistance had
begun to change its attack methods in a way that the Americans were
not expecting. He said that the American forces regard many areas as
particularly dangerous, yet the Resistance does not hit them there,
but rather in areas that the Americans regarded as totally secure and
where they don’t expect any attacks at all.

Hit.

Resistance bombards US base near Hit late Tuesday afternoon.

Iraqi Resistance forces fired 12 heavy mortar rounds into northern
and central parts of the US ‘Ayn al-Asad base in the area of Hit,
west of Baghdad, at 4:15pm Tuesday afternoon, local time. Mafkarat
al-Islam reported that an extremely dense plume of black smoke rose
into the sky after the attack, visible throughout the city. The
Americans called in three helicopters that flew around over the camp
for about an hour.

Al-Fallujah.

Resistance bombards US headquarters in agricultural area near
al-Fallujah Tuesday night.

In a dispatch posted at 7:50pm Tuesday night, Mecca time, Mafkarat
al-Islam reported that about 10 minutes previous the US occupation
headquarters in al-Fallujah was bombarded by Resistance fighters
positioned to the west and north of the US facility.

The correspondent said that at the time he was sending his report,
the bombardment was escalating in force. US helicopters and fighter
planes were flying all over the city in an attempt to get a fix on
the source of the Resistance fire.

The correspondent reported that so far more than nine rockets had
been fired into the US base in the agricultural area.

Ar-Ramadi.

Resistance abducts deputy chief of puppet police in ar-Ramadi.

In a dispatch posted at 5:15pm Mecca time Tuesday afternoon, Mafkarat
al-Islam reported that more than 10 Iraqi Resistance fighters with
light arms attacked a Land Cruiser belonging to the Iraqi puppet
police in the city of ar-Ramadi and forced Muhammad Khalaf, the
deputy chief of puppet police, and three of his aides out of the car.
Witnesses told Mafkarat al-Islam in ar-Ramadi that the Resistance
fighters tied the hands of the captive puppet police officials and
blindfolded them and then took them away to an unknown destination.
Two other Resistance fighters poured gasoline over the police car and
set it ablaze.

Baghdad.

US soldier killed in Resistance bombing in Abu Ghurayb early Tuesday
afternoon.

An Iraqi Resistance bomb exploded in the middle of Shaykh Darri
Street in Abu Ghurayb, 30km west of Baghdad, at about 1pm Tuesday
afternoon, local time. Mafkarat al-Islam reported residents who saw
the explosion as saying that the blast disabled one US Humvee and
killed a US soldier. Three other American troops were wounded. A
member of the Iraqi puppet police confirmed to the correspondent the
toll of one dead, three wounded Americans, adding that the three who
were wounded only suffered light injuries.

Kurdish separatist demands reportedly deadlock talks among US lackeys
on new puppet “government.”

The meetings of Iraqi collaborationist parties that have been taking
place on the grounds of the area around the Republican Palace – known
to the invaders as the “green zone” – have reached an impasse in
their efforts to chose a new puppet president and puppet prime
minister to serve as front men for the US occupation regime.

The correspondent of Mafkarat al-Islam in Baghdad met with Amin
Muhammad, a leader of the Shi’i chauvinist collaborationist “Islamic
Da’wah Party” and asked him about the latest developments in the
on-going discussions between Kurdish collaborators and Shi’i
collaborators – two groups with distinct sectarian objectives under
the umbrella of the American occupation.

Amin Muhammad told Mafkarat al-Islam that the Kurdish demands were
impossible for any Iraqi, whether Sunni or Shi’i, to accept. Muhammad
said that, for example they want to keep the Peshmergah militia
intact, something all the other group leaders oppose, for they feel
it’s not right to have militias inside a state.

Muhammad said, “then they want Kirkuk to be joined to the northern
region and to be considered a Kurdish city. That is a matter full of
many problems, since Kirkuk is a city with Arabs, Turkmen, Armenians,
and Assyrians too. They also demanded that the natural resources in
the north – the oil and natural gas – be put under Kurdish control,
not under the authority of the Iraqi state. That also is something
that no sect or group in Iraq can accept, whoever they are.”

Muhammad went on, “another of their conditions is that the Iraqi army
would not be allowed to enter Kurdish territory, while members of the
Kurdish Peshmergah militia would be permitted to enter and move about
all the provinces of Iraq. They insist on getting three sovereign
cabinet posts – namely the foreign ministry, the ministry of defense,
and the ministry of finance – as well as six other ministries. This
has created problems with the other parties.”

“We told them that the Sunnis in Iraq are still silent and if they
speak they will upset the scales altogether. But still they insisted
on those ministries, despite what we told them about how the Sunnis
must be given some ministries. They rejected that argument saying
that the Kurds themselves are Sunnis,” Muhammad said.

Amin Muhammad went on, “They are playing all their cards. The
negotiations now, and today in particular, have become deadlocked.”
He added that the Kurdish parties have reservations about Ibrahim
al-Ja’fari becoming Prime Minister, for fear that this would create a
religious state, despite all the assurances of pro-American Shi’i
religious authority ‘Ali as-Sistani that he does not believe in the
rule of religious legal scholars. Amin Muhammad said, “that calmed
them down considerably, but they are still not convinced.”

Muhammad concluded saying, “If the Kurds insist on those conditions
of theirs, there won’t be any government formed in the next few days
or even the next few weeks.”

Diyala Province.
Ba ‘qubah.

Resistance bombards US camp near Ba’qubah at noon Tuesday.

Iraqi Resistance forces fired a barrage of rockets into the southern
parts of the US camp located west of the city of Ba’qubah (which is
east of Baghdad) at 12 noon local time Tuesday. The correspondent of
Mafkarat al-Islam in Ba’qubah reported that the southern parts of the
camp are where the US troops are concentrated.

Witnesses said that eight Grad rockets pounded the US camp, which is
set up in what was formerly an Iraqi military headquarters. The
attack ignited fires that raged for about half an hour. US
helicopters were brought in afterwards.

Salman Bak.

Resistance targets US Marines with high explosive bomb.

A high-explosive Iraqi Resistance bomb exploded by a US armored
vehicle in downtown Salman Bak, 35km south of Baghdad at 10am Tuesday
morning. Mafkarat al-Islam reported a US Marine corporal who gave his
name as “Chistopher” saying that the Resistance had planted a
home-made bomb by the side of the road that blew up as his patrol was
searching for members of al-Qa’idah. He said that the blast severely
wounded five US Marines.

A captain in the puppet so-called “Iraqi national guard” reported
that the blast killed seven US troops instantly and totally destroyed
a US armored vehicle.

Witnesses confirmed that version, one of them saying, “the explosion
set a big fire burning inside the armored vehicle after blowing it
upside down and sending whole parts of its rear section flying
through the air.”

The correspondent watched US helicopters transport the bodies away
from the site of the blast. American forces called in giant cranes
and big military trucks to haul away the hulk of the armored vehicle.

Babil Province.
Al-Hillah.

Resistance bombing kills four Polish occupation troops Tuesday
morning.

An Iraqi Resistance roadside bomb exploded by a column of Polish
occupation troops on 1920 Revolution Street in central al-Hillah,
south of Baghdad at 5:30am Tuesday morning. The correspondent for
Mafkarat al-Islam reported that the blast destroyed a Polish vehicle
and killed four Polish soldiers instantly, according to a lieutenant
in the city puppet police who was on the scene at the time of the
bombing.

The lieutenant told Mafkarat al-Islam that the blast left a deep
crater in the street forcing traffic to take alternate routes.
Wreckage of the vehicle and blood from the dead soldiers was also
strewn all over the street.

Al-Latifiyah.

Resistance fighter blows up motorbike by US foot patrol in
al-Latifiyah Tuesday afternoon.

An Iraqi Resistance martyrdom fighter driving an explosives-laden
motorcycle blasted into a US foot patrol in downtown al-Latifiyah,
30km south of Baghdad, at 2pm Tuesday afternoon, local time. The
fighter blew himself up along with his motorcycle, killing or
wounding more than 11 US troops.

Witnesses in the area told Mafkarat al-Islam in al-Latifiyah that the
fighter on the motorbike suddenly burst ouf of one of the narrow
alleys onto the main street where a foot patrol of more than 20
heavily armed and equipped US troops was walking. A source in the
puppet police confirmed that the attack had taken place and said that
it resulted in a “large number” of American dead and wounded, but
gave no precise figures.

Ninwa Province.
Mosul.

Resistance car bomber strikes US column in Mosul Tuesday morning.

An Iraqi Resistance car bomb exploded by a US military column in
Mosul at about 9:30am Tuesday morning. The correspondent for Mafkarat
al-Islam reported witnesses as saying that an Iraqi Resistance
martyrdom fighter drove an explosives-laden white Mercedes car broke
into the US column in the overgrown area north of the city, totally
destroying two Humvees and killing all aboard them.

The correspondent was able to get to the scene of the attack and
observed a number of dead US soldiers and the two totally demolished
vehicles. He was unable to ascertain the exact number of American
casualties, however.

Irbil Province.
Irbil.

Four Peshmergah gunmen killed in Resistance bombing in Irbil Tuesday
afternoon.

An Iraqi Resistance bomb that was apparently planted by the side of a
road in the Sarkis neighborhood west of Irbil exploded by a passing
patrol of Peshmergah Kurdish chauvinist gunmen at 3pm Tuesday
afternoon, local time. Witnesses told Mafkarat al-Islam that one
pickup was destroyed and four Peshmergah gunmen were killed in the
attack.

A source in the Peshmergah accused the Ansar al-Islam Resistance
organization of planting the bomb, which, he admitted, killed four
Peshmergah militiamen and destroyed one vehicle. The source added
that the Peshmergah gunmen were now interrogating citizens who live
in the neighborhood who, as he put it, “allowed the ‘terrorists’ to
plant the bomb and did not inform on them.”

Al-Muthanna Province.
As-Samawah.

Resistance bombards Japanese occupation troops camp in as-Samawah.

In a dispatch posted at 2:15pm Mecca time Tuesday afternoon, Mafkarat
al-Islam reported that the Japanese occupation camp in the southern
Iraqi city of as-Samawah was at that moment under mortar bombardment
by the Iraqi Resistance.

The correspondent in as-Samawah reported that four mortar rounds had
so far blasted into the Japanese camp, followed by the sound of
explosions. Sirens wailed within the Japanese camp and could be heard
from far away, witnesses reported.

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BAKU: Armenian side fires at Azerbaijani positions in Aghdam region

Azerbaijan News Service
March 23 2005

ARMENIAN SIDE FIRES AT AZERBAIJANI POSITIONS IN AGHDAM REGION
2005-03-23 10:43

Armed forces of Armenia in occupied Shikhlar village of Aghdam
region shot Orta Qishlaq village of the same region at midnight for
4 hours on March 23. ANS Qarabaq bureau Armenian forces in occupied
Qarvand village of Aghdam fired from machine and sub-machine guns on
Azerbaijani positions in Mirashelli too. Enemy forces targeted houses
in the villages.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenian Parliament adopts law on counter-terrorism

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT ADOPTS LAW ON COUNTER-TERRORISM

RIA Novosti, Russia
March 23 2005

YEREVAN, March 23 (RIA Novosti, Gamlet Matevosyan) – The Armenian
National Assembly has adopted the law On Counter Terrorism in the
third final reading.

“This is a model law for CIS countries,” said secretary of the
Dashnaktsutyun faction Grair Karapetyan.

According to him, the law outlines the legal and organizational bases
of counter terrorism and regulates relevant relations.

The law implies the establishment of a coordination body, the
operative counter terrorism headquarters which will be supervised by
the Armenian president.

The republican executive national security body, the Interior Ministry
and the Armenian Armed Forces handle counter terrorism issues. Other
executive bodies also have anti-terrorist authorities.

The law prohibits the distribution of information hampering counter
terrorism activities and exposing the life and health of Armenian
citizens to danger.

Kathryn Keats and Aram Avagyan Take To The Stage

SFStation.com, CA
March 23 2005

Kathryn Keats and Aram Avagyan Take To The Stage
Soulful Lyricist Reclaims Her Voice

LOCATION/TIME
The Empire Plush Room
415-885-2800 940 Sutter St.
San Francisco, CA 94109

The soulful Kathryn Keats returns to the stage to reclaim her voice
and music career on March 29, 2005 at San Francisco~Rs world famous
Empire Plush Room. Performing with Ms. Keats is the Grammy award
winning Armenian composer, Aram Avagyan.

Fifteen years have passed since singer/songwriter Kathryn Keats
stepped off the stage at the height of her career to protect her
life. Today, the period she spent looking over her shoulder has
ended. Kathryn Keats is back to reclaim her voice with the upcoming
release of her CD ~SAfter The Silence~T and pursue the career that had
been put on hold, not altogether silenced.

Kathryn Keats is thrilled to perform her original music at the Empire
Plush Room after enjoying a sold out performance at The Knitting
Factory, Hollywood. Kathryn offers a crossover of music which
incorporates her vast experience in love and life.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

BAKU: Azerbaijan Chess Fed. to prevent so-called tournament byArmeni

Azerbaijan News Service
March 23 2005

AZERBAIJAN CHESS FEDERATION TO PREVENT SO-CALLED TOURNAMENT BY
ARMENIANS IN OCCUPIED QARABAQ
2005-03-23 12:07

Azerbaijan has appealed to World Chess Federation (FIDE) protesting
international chess tournament’s taking place by Armenia in
occupied Daqliq Qarabaq. The letter addressed to FIDE president
Cristina Ilumjanova says that Armenian attempt to hold international
chess tournament in occupied territory of Azerbaijan contradicts
international law norms. President of Azerbaijan chess federation
Aynur Sofiyeva urges to prevent the following attempt by Armenian side
to hold international tournament in occupied Daqliq Qarabaq. The
appeal reminds that Daqliq Qarabaq is historical territory of
Azerbaijan and turned out an uncontrolled zone as a result of Armenian
occupation. Last year Armenian side held such a tournament in occupied
Daqliq Qarabaq but later Azerbaijani side managed to prevent it to
be registered as international by FIDE and other organizations.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

BAKU: Another scandal around Georgian section of BTC

Another scandal around Georgian section of BTC

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
March 23 2005

Baku, March 22, AssA-Irada — Residents of Akhalkalaki district in
Georgia have declared that they will impede the construction of the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline by all means unless BP rehabilitates
the irrigation system in the area, Lider TV reported.

The protesters accuse BP of destroying the irrigation system in the
district and claim that in result they were unable to pick crops in
an area covering 250 hectares.

90% of population of Akhalkalaki is Armenians who were settled in
the district after World War II.

The spokeswoman for BP-Azerbaijan Tamam Bayatly told AssA-Irada that
the company received no information on the matter.*

Fresh from Easter ovens

Montreal Gazette

Fresh from Easter ovens

Tsoureki, chorek, folar de Pascoa: Around Montreal this week, bakers are
creating special breads that symbolize the resurrection

SUSAN SEMENAK
The Gazette

Wednesday, March 23, 2005

When I was a little girl, there was no running, jumping or frolicking in the
house on Good Friday.

For Christians, it is the most solemn day of the year, marking the
anniversary of Christ’s death.

My mother’s Good Friday edicts, however, had more to do with the massive tub
of paska dough that was left to rise – like a baby swaddled in layers of
dishcloths, towels and woollen blankets – in a bedroom with the door closed
and a space heater cranked to full blast.

Mixing, kneading and baking the traditional Ukrainian Easter bread was an
all-day affair that called for 10 pounds of flour and a dozen eggs and
relied on a hand-scrawled, oil-stained recipe handed down over several
generations. The next day, the paskas, along with boiled eggs, horseradish,
butter, cheese, eggs and kielbasa sausage, would be transferred to decorated
baskets lined with embroidered linens, and brought to the church hall for
blessing.

In many Christian traditions, special Easter breads are baked to symbolize
Christ’s resurrection. Some cultures bake whole eggs, ancient symbols of
spring and fertility, into their breads. Others shape theirs into the form
of birds or animals.

The Greeks have their tsourekia – rich, brioche-like braided breads,
seasoned with the spices mahlepi and mastiha and with red-dyed, hard-boiled
eggs baked into them.

“You can’t have Easter without tsoureki,” said Christos Hatzimarkos, head
pastry chef at Afroditi, the Greek bakery and pastry shop in Park Extension.
In the old days, everybody made their own, but now they are just as likely
to order it from his bakery.

“After going through all of Lent without sweets, a slice of tsoureki is
delicious with coffee right after midnight mass or on Easter morning. And
then again after supper.”

Armenians have their own version, called chorek, also a spiced sweet-dough
bread braided around an egg. Khatchik Merdjanian, who owns Armenia Bakery in
north-end Montreal, likes his chorek for Easter brunch, along with a
traditional egg, onion and parsley omelette called ekee, and yogurt and
spinach.

In Portugal, they dream throughout Lent of folar de Pascoa, a fat,
pumpkin-shaped bread studded with coloured hard-boiled eggs. Sometimes it’s
flavoured with raisins and cinnamon, or anise.

Italians eat special breads at Easter, too, a savoury loaf called a corona
pasquale or a dove-shaped loaf called a colomba. And for Easter Monday, when
Italians in and around Rome head outdoors for a picnic, there’s torta salata
pasquale, Easter bread with prosciutto, olives and parmesan cheese.

For Montrealers without the time or inclination to bake their own Easter
bread, there is a wealth of bakeries whose shelves are filled with seasonal
sweets and savouries:

Afroditi Bakery has an assortment of Greek Easter treats. Tsourekia are
traditional brioche-like braided loaves with red-dyed eggs (from $7 to $25
depending on the size). Also try the koulourakia shortbread cookies for
Easter ($8 for a 500-gram box).

756 St. Roch St. in Park Extension. (514) 274-5302.

Georgian roads closed because of heavy snowfall

The Messenger
Wednesday, March 23, 2005, #052 (0826)

Press scanner

Prepared by Anna Arzanova

Georgian roads closed because of heavy snowfall

According to Svobodnaya Gruzia, heavy snowfall has caused many Georgian
roads to be closed.

According to the Roads Department press center, the movement of all
kind of transport is prohibited on the Gudauri-Kobi section of the
Georgian Military Highway.

Snow has already been cleared from the Rikoti Pass, which connects
Western with Eastern Georgia, and vehicles with snow-chains are
permitted to cross the pass; but other main roads in Western Georgia,
including those between Kutaisi and Racha and Zugdidi and Svaneti
are closed, Svobodnaya Gruzia reports.

On the Ninotsminda section of the road to the Georgian-Armenian
border transit with chains is possible, and this is now the case on
the Batumi-Akhaltsikhe highway.