MEETING OF THE FEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
14 Jan 05

On January 12 the first meeting of the NKR Federation of Trade Unions
took place conducted by the chairman of the federation Ara
Ghahramanian. The meeting discussed the questions of confirming the
working plan of the NKR Council of Federation of Trade Unions for
2005, establishing the official newspaper and center for employment
security of the NKR Council of Federation of Trade Unions. The
director of the company `Agrochemlaboratory’ Benik Beglarian said it
is necessary to take practical steps for restoring the functions of
the trade unions in the Soviet period. According to the chairman of
the federation A. Ghahramanian, meetings have taken place with the
heads of corresponding bodies for introducing changes into the
articles on service record in the NKR law on pensions. The problem was
settled, and the law was enacted since January 1,2005, which testifies
to the accomplishment of trade unions in NKR. Benik Beglarian and Ara
Ghahramanian said, the center for employment security will operate as
a public organization and will collaborate with the NKR Ministry of
Social Security. After confirming the above-mentioned questions and
other questions on the agenda the participants of the meeting
discussed the question of establishing social and strike foundations
under the NKR Council of Federation of Trade Unions. The purpose is to
aid the socially insecure members of the trade unions who appear in
hard social conditions caused by emergencies. It is necessary to
maintain that the question of aiding the members of trade unions on
the means of the foundations with the accord or at the suggestion of
the corresponding trade union.

NVARD OHANJANIAN.
14-01-2005

MGM Mirage to Get U.S. Clearance to Acquire Mandalay (Update1)

Jan. 13 (Bloomberg) — MGM Mirage, the casino operator controlled by
billionaire Kirk Kerkorian, will win U.S. Federal Trade Commission
approval for a $4.8 billion takeover of Mandalay Resort Group without
having to sell any Las Vegas casinos, people familiar with the matter
said.

The combination of MGM Mirage, the world’s third-largest casino
operator, and Mandalay would create the world’s largest
gambling-resort company. The proposed combination of No. 2 Harrah’s
Entertainment Inc. and Caesars Entertainment Inc., the industry
leader, would supplant MGM Mirage and Mandalay as the world’s biggest
if the FTC approves that takeover. Harrah’s offered to buy Caesars for
$5.18 billion in July.

FTC lawyers have concluded they lack evidence that the MGM
Mirage-Mandalay combination would lead to higher room rates or fewer
promotional discounts aimed at luring customers to the gaming tables,
the people said. Together, the two companies would own almost half the
hotel rooms on the Las Vegas Strip, a four- mile stretch of Las Vegas
Boulevard between downtown and the airport.

The five-member Federal Trade Commission seldom overrules its staff.

MGM Mirage agreed to pay $71 for each Mandalay share. Mandalay shares
rose 10 cents to $70.61 as of 1:20 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange
composite trading. MGM Mirage shares rose 66 cents to $75.11.

“We are confident we will be able to close the transaction by the end
of the first quarter,” MGM Mirage spokesman Alan Feldman said. An FTC
spokeswoman didn’t immediately return a call seeking comment.

Much Competition

The FTC staff can’t refute the companies’ argument that casino hotels
on the Strip, where MGM Mirage and Mandalay together operate 10
casino-hotels, isn’t a distinct market, people familiar with the case
said. That’s because casinos on the Strip face competition from those
in downtown Las Vegas, the Bahamas, and some operated by American
Indian tribes in California and Connecticut, they said.

Las Vegas also faces competition from luxury casinos in Australia and
Macao.

To block a proposed merger, the government must prove that companies
seeking to combine would gain power to raise prices in a distinct
market.

MGM Mirage operates the Bellagio, the Mirage, MGM Grand, the Boardwalk
and the Treasure Island casino resorts on the Strip. Mandalay Resort
Group owns Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur, Monte Carlo and Circus
Circus. Mandalay, based in Las Vegas, also operates casinos in four
other Nevada cities, including Reno, as well as in Tunica,
Mississippi, and Elgin, Illinois.

State Approvals

The companies must also get approval from gambling regulators in
Nevada and Illinois. MGM Mirage’s Feldman said the company hopes to
get a February hearing before the Nevada Gaming Commission on its
application. Mandalay operates the Grand Victoria riverboat casino in
Elgin, about 40 miles northwest of Chicago.

MGM Mirage said last month it is considering selling one of two
Michigan casinos to comply with the state’s antitrust law. The
company, which originally said it would sell Mandalay’s 53.5 percent
stake in the MotorCity casino in Detroit, said it was weighing offers
for its Michigan property.

MGM Mirage, based in Las Vegas, also operates casino resorts in the
Primm Valley area 25 miles south of Las Vegas near the California
border and another in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Harrah’s and Caesars will sell four casinos for $1.24 billion in cash
to Colony Capital LLC as part of their attempt to win regulatory
approval for their combination. The companies said they would sell two
casinos in Tunica, Mississippi, one in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and
another in East Chicago, Indiana.

Last June, the FTC cleared Harrah’s $916 million purchase of Horseshoe
Gaming Holding Co. eight months after the deal was announced. The
agency required no divestitures. The takeover gave Harrah’s ownership
of Binion’s Horseshoe Casino & Hotel in downtown Las Vegas, along with
casinos in Mississippi, Louisiana and Indiana.

To contact the reporter on this story:
James Rowley at [email protected]

To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Glenn Hall at [email protected]
Last Updated: January 13, 2005 13:26 EST

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Le Temps, France
14 janvier 2005

L’UE et la Turquie

C’est vraiment un débat central que cette possible adhésion de la
Turquie à la Communauté européenne. Elle éveille des craintes
fondées, car d’autres pays pourraient eux aussi revendiquer le
rattachement, auxquels il ne sera plus possible de répondre par la
négative. La plupart des limites naturelles de l’Europe sont mises en
cause dans ce dossier, au point qu’il devient difficile de définir
désormais son identité. Plutôt qu’une réalité géographique,
religieuse, démocratique ou historique, elle prend la tournure d’une
construction, opportuniste et volontaire. Que faut-il en penser?

En faveur d’une adhésion, on peut arguer de la nécessité d’un
recentrage géographique et culturel vers le Sud depuis l’arrivée en
masse des pays de l’Est dans une communauté européenne devenue ipso
facto très «Mittel-Ost Europa». Difficile en effet de revendiquer un
berceau méditerranéen, grec et latin, mais aussi égyptien et
assyrien, sans oublier le site religieux israélo-palestinien, tout en
affirmant s’arrêter à Athènes. Sous l’angle des relations avec le
monde arabe, voire avec le monde musulman, cette adhésion peut aussi
présenter quelque intérêt. Si l’Europe revendique des valeurs
laïques, rien ne s’oppose à ce qu’elle inclue un pays d’une autre
religion, sans compter que, de toute façon, une partie toujours plus
importante de ses actuels ressortissants est déjà non chrétienne.

Mais un des meilleurs arguments à l’adhésion serait de raffermir le
caractère laïc de la Turquie pour faire barrage à l’intégrisme, tout
comme les pères fondateurs de la CE ont prioritairement visé la
pacification durable du territoire européen après les trois guerres
mondiales qui l’avaient marqué au fer rouge. La Turquie deviendrait
ainsi à la fois un rempart et un modèle.

Malheureusement, il est doublement trop tard pour se poser toutes ces
questions. Trop tard parce qu’il n’est plus possible de dire non, au
risque de créer un ressentiment durable, voire indélébile, entre des
pays aujourd’hui amis. C’est ce qui explique le vote du 17 décembre
du Conseil des ministres européens, vote positif malgré le double
refus des Turcs, à la fois de reconnaître Chypre et le génocide des
Arméniens. Trop tard également pour qu’une adhésion porte ses fruits,
la Turquie profonde s’étant déjà trop éloignée de l’idéal laïc prôné
et instauré par Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, le gouvernement actuel ayant
été élu sous l’étiquette islamiste. A noter enfin que les Turcs se
disent favorables à l’Europe essentiellement pour des raisons
économiques, et non par attachement profond à ses valeurs
fondamentales.

Que va-t-il donc se produire? Les référendums prévus dans de nombreux
pays montreront une Union européenne au mieux partagée, au pire
franchement négative. Les Turcs qui espèrent beaucoup en l’Europe en
seront pour le moins froissés. Les relations avec eux s’en
ressentiront et une bonne partie d’entre eux pourrait alors verser
dans un islam moins modéré, plus revendicateur de valeurs opposées à
celles de l’Occident. L’Europe, qui s’est lancée imprudemment dans
cette aventure sans tenir compte de l’opinion de ses citoyens, risque
donc bien de récolter la tempête.

Le Figaro, France
14 janvier 2005

Le musée des étrangers qui ont fait la France

HISTOIRE Un budget de 20 millions d’euros est prévu pour la
réalisation de la Cité nationale de l’immigration qui s’ouvrira à la
Porte Dorée en 2007

par Anne-Marie ROMERO

« Ce n’est pas un musée des immigrants que nous allons faire, mais un
musée de l’Histoire de la France avec toutes ses composantes
ethniques, une cité qui hébergera les multiples facettes d’une
société qui, en deux siècles, a absorbé cinquante-six ethnies
différentes dont chacune a contribué à faire de notre pays ce qu’il
est aujourd’hui. » Jacques Toubon, de nature, est un enthousiaste.
L’ancien ministre de la Culture s’anime particulièrement lorsqu’il
parle de sa nouvelle mission. Le 1er janvier, il vient, en effet,
d’être nommé président du GIP (groupement d’intérêt public) chargé de
la création d’une Cité nationale de l’histoire de l’immigration. Un
défi qu’il relève avec passion et sans perdre une minute, car tout
doit être fini pour avril 2007. Au moment des élections.

« Il est essentiel que la future cité soit un projet culturel,
tranchant avec la vision strictement sociale que nous avons de nos
jours de l’immigration, ajoute Jacques Toubon, un projet qui parte de
la demande des publics plutôt que de l’offre des pouvoirs publics, de
cette réalité extrêmement multiple, confuse, profuse, émotive aussi
et qui ne concerne pas seulement les problèmes de logement ou de
scolarisation des nouveaux immigrants. »

Car c’est bien de deux siècles d’immigration que le musée veut
traiter, de tous les types d’immigration, économique, politique, liée
à la décolonisation, aux guerres. En commençant par les Allemands,
migrants de la faim, touchés par la crise agricole de leur pays dans
les années 1820 jusqu’aux beurs de nos cités de banlieue, la liste
est longue. Ce sera d’abord les Savoyards, avant l’annexion, que
l’imagerie d’Epinal a tous transformés en petits ramoneurs, les
frontaliers venus chercher du travail et qui resteront en France. On
compte 300 000 Belges dans ce cas, tous dans le Nord-Pas-de-Calais.

Puis ce seront des vagues beaucoup plus massives de migrants juifs
d’Europe centrale. Pleins d’illusions, ils inventent même un proverbe
« Vivre comme Dieu en France » résumant toutes leurs espérances. Et
la Grande Guerre qui enrôlera des « indigènes » les célèbres
tirailleurs sénégalais considérés comme français mais sujets et non
citoyens. Cette arrivée massive de gens de cultures, de couleurs et
de religions différentes provoquera une première vague de méfiance
dans l’opinion. « Nous ne sommes que des sidis et des bamboulas »,
écrira, en 1934, un journal afro-antillais édité à Paris.

Entre les deux guerres, la naissance des totalitarismes entraînera de
nouveaux afflux de réfugiés, politiques cette fois, 80 000 Russes
blancs, 63 000 Arméniens échappés du génocide, puis 700 000 Polonais,
800 000 Italiens fuyant devant la misère et le fascisme, une nouvelle
vague de juifs d’Europe centrale tentant d’échapper à la montée du
nazisme, 500 000 républicains espagnols vaincus par Franco…

Seconde Guerre mondiale, deuxième appel aux coloniaux. 500 000
Africains et Maghrébins y répondront et demeureront sur le sol
métropolitain. Avec de Gaulle, la décolonisation, paradoxalement, va
provoquer une énorme vague d’immigration économique cette fois,
main-d’oeuvre désirée et réclamée par les entreprises durant les
Trente Glorieuses, puis devenue incontrôlable à partir des années 70.
Le phénomène de saturation sera encore accru par le rapprochement des
familles, puis, à partir des années 80 par l’arrivée des boat-people
du Sud-Est asiatique. Aujourd’hui, c’est du monde entier qu’affluent
les affamés, les pourchassés, les aspirants à une vie meilleure qui
considèrent l’Europe comme un substitut de l’eldorado américain
désormais verrouillé.

C’est sur la base des 25 années de travail de l’Adri (Association
pour le développement des relations interculturelles), qu’est née la
cellule de préfiguration du musée. De l’Adri, qui fut un temps
producteur de l’émission « Mosaïques » à la télévision et qui fait
travailler des chercheurs et historiens sur tous les domaines
touchant à notre sujet, la cellule de préfiguration a repris les
locaux, les archives et les personnels. L’équipe ainsi créée, « qui
devra s’enrichir de scénographes et de muséographes », deviendra le
comité de pilotage du projet dans les mois qui viennent.

Projet, on le voit, d’une ambition gigantesque puisqu’il s’agit, non
pas de créer un « écomusée de la banlieue », mais bien de montrer le
patrimoine d’une idée, celle d’une histoire de la France enrichie de
tous ses immigrés d’où qu’ils viennent. Pas question non plus de
montrer seulement l’avers de la médaille, avec les communautés bien
intégrées et francisées, en laissant de côté ses revers plus sombres.

On parlera donc des « indésirables » Italiens, Espagnols, Allemands
que l’on n’hésita pas à mettre dans des camps dès la déclaration de
guerre de 1939, on parlera aussi des « rapatriés » et des harkis, pas
toujours bien accueillis, et évidemment des problèmes préoccupants de
l’actualité, ceux des jeunes Maghrébins et Noirs des cités qui
refusent l’intégration et sont attirés par les sirènes des
fondamentalismes religieux. On ne passera pas non plus sous silence
ni la xénophobie dont se réclame haut et fort une partie de la
population française, ni les conditions misérables dans lesquelles
ont vécu ou vivent encore nombre d’immigrés.

Ce type de musée est dans l’air du temps. Il en surgit partout dans
les pays industrialisés, avec lesquels la France travaillera en
réseau. Sans parler du plus célèbre d’entre eux, Ellis Island, à New
York, qui conte l’épopée des premiers arrivants sur la terre promise,
il y a le Musée de l’Europe de Bruxelles, celui de la civilisation du
Québec, celui de Berlin, du musée qui est en train de se monter en
Catalogne et de celui d’Amsterdam. « Mais, poursuit Jacques Toubon, à
l’inverse des Néerlandais qui vont montrer chaque communauté dans ce
qu’elle a de spécifique, car ils ont une conception de développement
séparé, comme tous les pays religieux, nous, nous voulons brosser le
tableau de ce que la France est devenue grce à l’apport des
étrangers ». Le « melting-pot » français en quelque sorte.

La cité sera composée en premier lieu d’une exposition permanente, «
basée sur trois principes : la sensibilité, la cohérence et le
décalage. La sensibilité, à l’aide de photographies, de
reconstitutions, de mises en scène et en musique ; la cohérence en
suivant un fil conducteur qui sera l’histoire de la France et non pas
une série de monographies sur telle ou telle communauté, et enfin le
décalage, en essayant de faire passer une idée à travers des
présentations qui amèneront le visiteur à déduire de lui-même comment
une société a évolué ». Jacques Toubon donne ainsi l’exemple d’une
exposition récente au Québec, intitulée « Deo gracias », et montrant
insensiblement comment la société religieuse s’était laïcisée.

Deux expositions temporaires sont prévues chaque année, la première,
à l’automne 2007 sur « Immigration et décolonisation ». « Il ne faut
pas qu’elle coïncide avec l’ouverture de la cité pour ne pas donner,
d’emblée, l’idée que l’immigration ce n’est que cela. » Les sujets ne
manquent pas, de la gastronomie au raï en passant par le tango
électronique.

Reste tout le travail de collecte d’objets et de témoignages oraux,
de mise à distance de cette mémoire, forcément subjective, et de mise
en scène spectaculaire pour attirer des populations qui ne sont pas
des « pratiquants » habituels et assez souple pour que le musée
puisse se renouveler environ tous les trois ans. Un record pour un
musée à réaliser dans un temps record.

Record aussi dans les coûts. Jacques Toubon évalue à 20 millions
d’euros l’investissement nécessaire et à 7 millions d’euros le
fonctionnement annuel. « Un budget équivalent à celui d’une scène
nationale en Bretagne », dit-il en riant.

La revanche du Palais des colonies

La « Cité », qui comprendra, outre un musée national, un centre de
ressources, une médiathèque, un secteur pédagogique et sera tête de
réseau de multiples manifestations artistiques, sera installée au
Palais de la Porte-Dorée, à Paris, ancien Musée des arts africains et
océaniens. C’est là, du reste qu’on envisageait, depuis plusieurs
années de créer un musée de la décolonisation, jusqu’à ce que le
précédent ministre de la Culture, Jean-Jacques Aillagon, décide d’y
mettre les Arts décoratifs du XXe siècle. Projet qui aura vécu ce que
vivent les roses, l’espace d’une exposition. Ce magnifique btiment,
construit par Albert Laprade pour l’exposition coloniale de 1931,
avait permis aux meilleurs représentants de l’Art déco de s’exprimer,
comme le sculpteur Alfred Janniot, qui réalisa le bas-relief de 1 100
m2 de la façade et les ébénistes Ruhlmann et Printz. Unissant
l’ancien et le moderne, Laprade avait voulu montrer la « grandeur »
de l’empire, une notion qui pourrait aujourd’hui sembler ironique
compte tenu du projet actuel, mais que ses promoteurs veulent, au
contraire, retourner, comme une revanche de l’Histoire.

« Il était indispensable, explique Jacques Toubon, que ce musée soit
dans Paris, dans un lieu d’un certain prestige car la cause est noble
et le rejeter en banlieue aurait donné l’impression inverse du
message que nous voulons faire passer. Vous ne pouvez pas imaginer
combien est forte la demande, combien d’associations d’immigrants, de
collectivités locales, d’universitaires qui travaillaient avec
l’Adri, sont volontaires pour être nos partenaires dans cette
initiative. »

PRESIDENT OF LEBANON RECEIVES ACTIVISTS OF LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY

Azg/arm
15 Jan 05

General Emil Lahud Baabday, President of the Republic of Lebanon,
received a group of activists of the Liberal Democratic Party at his
residence on January 11.

Avo Daqesian, Edi Bahadian, chairman Lahud of the LDP, Nar
Khachaturian, Hovsep Emirian, Edi Kostandian and Sevak Panosian were
present at the meeting with the president. They discussed a number of
important and actual issues in the course of the meeting.

Anadolu Agency
Jan 13 2005

Premier Erdogan Arrives In Turkey

ANKARA (AA) – Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan returned to
Turkey from Russia on Wednesday.
Erdogan spoke to reporters at Ankara’s Esenboga Airport.
When asked, ”Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC)
President Rauf Denktas reacted against the supportive statements of
Russian President Vladimir Putin to Turkey about Cyprus issue. What
will be the next steps of Turkey and are there any differences in
approaches of Turkey and Denktas?” Erdogan said, ”After December
17th process, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan congratulated us and
then we phoned him and said we could talk about Cyprus process. While
we were planning to hold this talk, Asian disaster happened. He is
now in the region. We want to talk with him as soon as possible.
There will not be an Annan Plan to be presented. Also, the name of
the plan is not important. The important thing is its content and
this content should include a solution. I do not believe that anybody
will oppose a plan that will include a solution. If the plan protects
interest of Turkish Cypriots and brings a just and permanent solution
to TRNC, I am sure that everybody will exert efforts for such a
plan.”
Erdogan said, ”we are talking about a just plan which will
bring permanent peace and by which both sides will win. We always say
that we support such a plan and we will continue to support. We do
not have any uneasiness about this issue.”
Upon a question about relations with Armenia, Erdogan said, ”we
have taken our positive steps towards Armenia. The most important of
these steps is Turkey’s opening its door in airways. At the moment
Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport is open to Armenian Airways. They have 4
flights a week to Istanbul.”
”However, we have of course some demands. It is 1923 Kars
Agreement. If they say they do not recognize it, we also do not
recognize (them). In spite of this, we say we do not want disgruntled
neighbor. We want to overcome these issues. There are places in
Karabakh which Armenia occupied. We believe that solving these issues
in a friendly way will be beneficial. We want to be hopeful about
this issue. We have always said we are ready to do what is
necessary,” he said.
When asked his evaluations about sincere statements of Putin,
Erdogan said, ”we had a very friendly, positive and sincere meeting.
The figures between Turkey and Russia are probably the results of
that sincere meeting.”
When asked how Putin assessed the process about Turkey’s EU
membership, Erdogan said, ”he is also positive about this issue and
he congratulated us. He said Turkey has passed through that process
successfully.”
While informing about his meetings in Russia, Erdogan said he
met Putin and discussed political developments in the region and took
up energy issues. ”It was a very beneficial meeting. We mainly
discussed Iraq, Middle East, Cyprus and Armenia issues and we took up
what can be done jointly in the Middle East and the region,” he
said.
”We have taken up our bilateral relations in regional and
international aspects and we had some demands in the aspect of the UN
Security Council. He said isolations (on TRNC) are not just and they
will support Annan Plan which will be prepared about the issue. He
clearly said they are ready to exert every type of effort on this
issue,” noted Erdogan.
Erdogan said, ”we aim to increase trade volume between two
countries which is now 11 billion U.S. dollars to 15 billion U.S.
dollars in 2005 and 25 billion U.S. dollars in 2007. Political will
exists in both countries about this issue.”
”Russian officials want to make joint investments. It is in
question to make some investments in third countries and especially
in Iraq. Also Turkish contractors may undertake new and important
roles in public projects in Russia,” he added.
”Russian officials have very positive attitude towards Turkish
entrepreneurs. This will show what kind of developments will occur in
this issue,” he said.

Washington Post, DC
Jan 13 2005

In These Parts, Republicans Have Company
With a Shared Set of Values and Faith, They Counter Political Tide
Around Them

By Elizabeth Williamson
Washington Post Staff Writer

Next Thursday, Earl Englehart and his 16-year-old son Chad will drive
in from Frederick to see President Bush take his second oath of
office in Washington, a proud moment for father and son,
self-described conservatives and proud of it.

“We’re a Republican county in a Democratic state,” Earl Englehart,
47, said. “But we’ve got a strong conservative agenda, a vast
difference of philosophical opinion from the rest of the state.”

The Somerville family of Derwood plans to celebrate and pray on
Inauguration Day. From left are Charity, 17, Mike, 22, Marjorie, 14,
David, 19, Christy, 21, Scott and Marcia. At right are Republicans
Bernie and William Albright of Adamstown. (Craig Herndon For The
Washington Post)

After Election Day, the region’s liberals wondered who were the
social conservatives who had turned out so heavily for Bush. In
Maryland, they can be found in Frederick and upper Montgomery
counties.

“We’re regular concerned parents with traditional values, like
marriage, going to church and not having the government meddling in
every little thing they can get their hands on,” Englehart said.
“We’re focused in a different direction.”

In the presidential election, 56 percent of Marylanders voted for
Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), as did 66 percent of voters in
Montgomery County. But in Frederick County, and the slice of upper
Montgomery that belongs to the 6th Congressional District, 60 percent
of voters went for Bush.

Among them was Bernie Topakyan Albright, 65, of Adamstown, who voted
for Bush because, she said, “I can relate to his faith and religion
because I personally feel the same way.” As ancient peoples once
believed about their kings, she said, “I believe the Lord puts them
in and takes them out.”

Albright comes from a long line of Republicans. Her grandfather H.H.
Topakyan, an ethnic Armenian, served as Persia’s ambassador to the
United States in the early 1900s. Later, as an American citizen and
owner of a New York carpet dealer, he gave a rug to Republican
President William Howard Taft that hung for decades in the White
House.

Albright and her husband, William, 73, a retired mortgage banker,
moved from Silver Spring to Frederick County five years ago in search
of a mountain view. They also found a point of view.

“I’ve always loved Maryland,” she said. In Frederick, “I just don’t
pay any attention to politics; I just do my own thing.”

She said people who view Frederick conservatives as behind the times
are “totally wrong.”

“They’re very wise and intelligent people who don’t have the same
mentality as those who live in the city. They’re honest and homespun
. . . and when you have trouble, they rally to help you through it.”

Over the holidays, Albright’s basement, where her mother lives,
flooded. The day before Christmas, a contractor fixed the problem so
her mother wouldn’t be uprooted.

“It all goes back to one thing,” she said. “These people have
morals.”

Bernie and William Albright contacted the office of Rep. Roscoe G.
Bartlett (R-Md.) and requested tickets to Bush’s inauguration. “My
husband and I had the privilege of going to President Bush’s father’s
inauguration,” she said. “It’s very historical to have a father and a
son as president.”

Lisa Wright, Bartlett’s press secretary, said the office had gotten
more than 400 requests for the 60 tickets it had available to give
away. “We did a lottery,” she said, selecting names from a list of
applicants, then awarding the tickets to the first 60 constituents
who answered the phone.

“They were very popular,” she said. “Very, very popular.”

Scott Somerville wasn’t lucky enough to get inaugural tickets from
his congressman, so he planned an inaugural party for all the
Republicans on his block in Derwood. Turns out most of them are
members of his family. Somerville’s parents and his six children,
four of whom are grown, live on Teri Drive. They’re all coming to the
party, billed as a chance to celebrate and pray for the president.
Somerville signed the party up with the Republican National
Committee, which said on its Web site that more than 30,000 such
get-togethers are planned for Inauguration Day. People who type in
their Zip codes are given information on parties in their area.

Not many parties appear on the roster for Montgomery. No matter, said
Somerville, 46, a lawyer at the Home School Legal Defense
Association. “Thirty percent of the population can throw a lot of
good parties,” he said. Other than his family, Somerville counts
three Republicans on his street, “snowbirds,” he said, who winter in
Florida. During the 2000 presidential election, Somerville jokingly
credited them with Bush’s razor-thin lead in Florida’s Broward County
because they are registered there.

Somerville said he was raised a “dyed-in-the-wool, yellow-dog
Democrat,” but over the years the Republican platform, particularly
its emphasis on religious faith, attracted him. Partly because of the
influence of his Democratic brother, James Somerville, senior pastor
of the First Baptist Church of Washington, his views are more
moderate than those of many Frederick Republicans. About gay
marriage, a hot-button issue for other religious conservatives, Scott
Somerville wonders “why the government is as involved as it is with
this issue.”

Somerville’s liberal brother, who lives a few blocks from the White
House, will probably be the only family member at the inauguration.
“He and I are both convinced that if every Republican had a
thoughtful Democrat for a brother and vice versa, we’d be better
Americans because we’re listening to each other,” Scott Somerville
said.

Generally, Somerville doesn’t mind being outnumbered. “My little
neighborhood is a very pleasant street,” he said. “There are things
we don’t talk about because we try to be good neighbors.”

On Inauguration Day, Somerville said, “we’re all Americans together.
I loved Kerry’s concession speech, when he said in an American
election there are no losers. It doesn’t really matter if we’re in
the majority or minority for this event. Let’s celebrate.”

At the party, Somerville plans a round of electronic “Jeopardy!” with
election-themed questions. There’ll be plenty of food, and Somerville
will recite from a note from Bush, which reads in part, “There’s an
old saying, ‘Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers, pray for
powers equal to your tasks.'” And then Somerville, an evangelical
Christian, will encourage guests “to thank God for the country we
have and pray for the president we have, whether we voted for or
against him.”

“Of course,” he added, “it’s more fun if you voted for him.”

Chad Englehart, 16, isn’t of voting age, but that hasn’t stopped the
second-generation conservative from having plenty of fun during the
election season. As a member of Thomas Johnson High School’s Young
Republicans Club, Englehart organized a debate, with representatives
from the Bush and Kerry campaigns, and a team of workers to get out
the vote. Nearly every day, he finds himself debating with members of
the Young Democrats and particularly the Young Socialists, one of
whom is a good friend.

“I don’t really agree with any liberal views,” Englehart said. “I’m
pro-life, anti-gay marriage. I’m a big supporter of the war, and I
don’t like gun control. I really like Bush. If I could have, I would
have voted for him” because in the election, “he portrayed an honest
person.”

Other than work at a local coffee shop, politics is the young
Englehart’s sole extracurricular activity. He created a political Web
site, , and contributes most of its columns. One
recent posting, titled “You’re Stupid, You Stupid Stupid Head!!!,”
read:

“For the past two weeks following the election all I’ve heard out of
the mouths of Democrats is the reason Kerry lost is because Americans
are stupid. How else do you explain ‘The United States of Canada’ vs.
‘Jesusland’? . . . How stupid can these people get!!? This, in my
opinion, has come down to the lowest level of human stupidity I’ve
ever witnessed since I first took an interest in politics. We’ve got
people running for psychotherapists, telling us [their] plans to flee
the country (which I highly doubt they will), and fearing a Hollywood
‘blacklist.’ We’ve even got depressed Kerry voters committing suicide
at Ground Zero. This is amazing!!! . . . The people have spoken!!
Deal with it!!!”

The inauguration will be Chad Englehart’s first real-world political
experience. His father is happy they’ll share it.

“When he’s my age, he’s going to remember standing there with his
father and watching the president get sworn in,” Earl Englehart said.
“I want to fuel this passion he has. Lord knows where it’s going to
take him.”

The Union Leader, NH
Jan 13 2005

Judge allows sale of Nashua church
By SCOTT BROOKS
Union Leader Correspondent

NASHUA – A superior court judge tossed out a lawsuit that threatened
to block the proposed sale of the St. Francis Xavier Church.

In a decision released yesterday, Judge William Groff said the First
Amendment barred him from considering the suit, which was filed by a
group of former parishioners who hoped to preserve the 120-year-old
building as a Roman Catholic church. Bishop John McCormack closed the
church in March 2003 and has signed a purchase and sale agreement
that stands to convert the building into an Armenian Orthodox church.

“In order to resolve this claim, the court would clearly be required
to become entangled in church doctrine or ecclesiastical law, over
which the secular law has no authority,” Groff wrote. “In such a
case, this court must give deference to the bishop’s determination.”

ST. FRANCIS XAVIER CHURCH

The judge’s decision clears the way for the diocese to complete its
deal with Vatche Manoukian, a Hollis developer who plans to donate
the building to the Armenian Orthodox Church. The deal hinges on
whether the Armenian church leaders accept Manoukian’s gift.

“As far as we know, all indications are that the leadership of the
church will authorize the acceptance of the title, and we hope that
will be completed within the next few weeks,” said Ovide Lamontagne,
the diocese’s attorney.

Lamontagne said the decision should bring stability to the St.
Aloysius of Gonzaga parish, which absorbed the former St. Francis
Xavier parishioners when that church closed. The diocese has said it
will donate all money from the sale of St. Francis Xavier to the
consolidated parish, in accordance with deed restrictions.

Last month, a Hillsborough County Probate Court judge ruled that the
proposed sale was consistent with the conditions in the 1885 deed,
which requires that the building forever be used only for religious
purposes.

In his decision, Groff wrote that the former parishioners, known as
the St. Francis Xavier Foundation, failed to present a sufficient
claim for declaratory relief. There is no evidence, he wrote, that
the bishop “intends to use the proceeds of the sale for any purpose
other than for the benefit of the unified parish.”

Randy Wilbert, the attorney representing the former parishioners,
said Groff’s ruling was understandable, although certainly
disappointing. Mostly, though, he said he is disappointed in the
diocese for taking away their church.

“The diocese has made its faithful do something no one wanted to do,
basically take action to try and preserve a church, a community, that
the diocese should have been preserving in the first place,” Wilbert
said.

Wilbert said the foundation has not yet decided whether it will
contest the ruling. It is still possible for him to ask the court to
reconsider or to appeal the decision to the state Supreme Court.

“Emotionally, do you want to take people through this some more? It
takes its toll on the faithful,” he said. “Some may say, ‘Enough is
enough.’ Others may say, ‘Let’s take it on further.’ I don’t know
yet.”

Lamontagne said the ruling should make it clear that the bishop is
ultimately responsible for all decisions involving the creation or
closing of a Catholic church.

“What is important for the faithful to understand is that as painful
as it is to lose a parish through merger or unification, and
therefore to lose a building, the church’s mission does not involve
historic preservation or urban renewal,” Lamontagne said. “It’s about
supporting the spiritual life of the people and to meet their needs
as best as possible, and sometimes at the expense of buildings or
places that no longer serve the needs of the church at any particular
time.”

AzerNews, Azerbaijan
Jan 13 2005

Military mood escalates in Azerbaijan

The fact that Armenia has not withdrawn its armed forces from the
occupied Azerbaijani lands and fails to take a constructive position
in peace talks has generated public opinions in Azerbaijan that
liberation of territories is possible only through military action.
Director of the Center for Political Innovations and Technologies
Mubariz Ahmadoglu says liberation of Upper Garabagh through military
action is possible.

Commenting on the course of peace talks and President Ilham Aliyev’s
recent statement calling 2005 “the year of Garabagh”, Ahmadoglu said:
“If no diplomatic success is achieved in 2005 at settling the
Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over Upper Garabagh, Azerbaijan will
choose the military action alternative”.

“Aliyev is a pragmatic politician and due to his efforts, very
important processes in the conflict settlement came to the forefront
last year. Thus, Azerbaijan considerably stepped up its diplomacy in
2004 and launched an offensive”.

Although early last year Armenia rejected the “from a scratch” and
“stage-by-stage” options of conflict resolution, as the year drew to
an end this country started to favor the latter alternative. It is
not by mere chance that Armenian expert on “stage-by-stage” conflict
settlement Baiburdyan, who earlier headed a department in this
country’s Foreign Ministry, was appointed deputy foreign minister
late in 2004. This proves that in light of pressure from the
international community and Azerbaijan’s active diplomacy, Armenia is
making changes to its position.

Ahmadoglu stated that the Azerbaijani President is considering not
only negotiations but also other ways of resolving the problem. In
2004, Azerbaijan had made major efforts to build its army and the
2005 state budget designates $250 million for the country’s armed
forces, he said.

The political analyst continued that by taking this step, “the
President aims to bring the army to such a level that Armenia will
have to reckon with it. Considering that Armenia’s economic situation
will not allow it to bring the level of its armed forces to that of
Azerbaijan, this country is likely to make concessions in peace
talks”.

If the negotiating process slows down, Azerbaijan is capable of
applying military technologies and, if this does not bring the
aggressor to reason, will choose the option of open military action.

Call for military action

The Garabagh Liberation Organization (GLO) has developed a Common
Platform on liberating Azerbaijan’s lands through military operations
and presented it to the authorities, political parties and public
organizations. Member of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party political
council Aydin Mirzazada says that the Azerbaijani government is
taking the necessary steps to free the occupied lands.

“The GLO calls on the authorities to abandon peace talks with
Armenia. This may lead to Azerbaijan’s isolation from the
international arena. Today, the world is built on other principles
and I believe the Azeri government is on the right path.”

Deputy chairman of opposition Musavat Party Gabil Huseynli says his
party backs a military-political alternative of the conflict
resolution. “Musavat believes that the potential for peace talks has
not been exhausted yet and hostilities should be resumed only if it
is impossible to achieve a peaceful settlement,” he said.

MP, deputy chairman of pro-government Ana Vatan Party Zahid Oruj said
that the GLO proposals to resolve the Garabagh conflict through war
should be appreciated from the viewpoint of consolidating
Azerbaijan’s positions.

“At this point the Azerbaijani government is keeping these processes
under control. But the protracted conflict compels the Azerbaijani
people to avail of all means. Therefore, some acquire weapons in
different ways and see a solution in launching a guerilla movement.
The fact that the GLO gives priority to military operations is
natural, as this organization is not a political party and its
activity is related to the Upper Garabagh conflict alone.”

Military men back war

Former defense minister, retired General Zaur Rzayev supported the
GLO’s proposal on military action and sees this as the only way to
resolve the Garabagh problem.

“Although Akif Naghi [GLO chairman] did not fight in Garabagh, the
organization he leads has good ideas on settling the conflict.”

Ex-deputy defense minister, retired Colonel Telman Mehdiyev also said
that Azerbaijan’s lands can be liberated only by means of military
action, as Azerbaijani citizens have grown tired of the peace talks
that have gone on for many years, he said.

“The GLO is a part of the Azerbaijani society and just like everyone,
its members are fed up with the negotiations that have been fruitless
so far. We must fight the enemy.”
Mehdiyev also said that Azerbaijani army is capable of liberating the
territories and will defeat the enemy if military action resumes.

“The Azerbaijani army showed its power to Armenia by liberating a
part of the occupied lands in 1994.”

Possible outcome
Azerbaijanis have always had a high spirit of fighting for their
native lands and liberating occupied territories. The Azerbaijani
people believe that the war has not come to an end yet and that for
certain reasons they have lost the battle, but not the war, which was
waged with Russia but not with Armenia…

Armenia, which is behind Azerbaijan in terms of its population,
fighting capability and financial resources, would not have won the
war without Russia’s military and technical assistance and direct
involvement of this country’s military forces. Military experts say
the Armenian army has 61,000 servicemen, 15,000 of whom used to live
in Azerbaijani lands currently under Armenian occupation. Presently,
the number of officers in the Azerbaijani army totals 155,000, which
is 2.5 times more than that in the Armenian army.

Being supplied with large quantities of Russian weapons, the Armenian
military was stronger than the Azerbaijan Army 7-8 years ago. But
today, Azerbaijan has created a balance of armament in the army, with
a strong aviation. Military experts claim that Azerbaijan possesses
100 warplanes and 50 helicopters.

Armenian Defense Minister Serzh Sarkisian acknowledged earlier that
if a war is launched, Armenia will face considerable losses and the
country’s present-day economic situation will not allow it to wage
long-term battles.

According to experts’ estimates, besides human casualties, a day of
military action will result in financial loss worth $20-25 million
for each country. Thus, the figure will exceed $600 million within a
month.

When comparing the budgets of the two countries, it will clear that
Armenia can wage a war for a month and a half at the most using all
of its resources. Azerbaijan’s state budget in 2005 makes up over $2
billion, while the figure in Armenia is $800 million. Moreover, when
comparing the two countries’ human resources, which are a decisive
factor in a war, it becomes clear which side will be victorious (the
population of Azerbaijan is over 8 million, while that of Armenia
some 2 million). It should also be taken into consideration that
unlike Armenians, Azerbaijani soldiers would be fighting for their
native lands.

NTVMSNBC, Turkey
Jan 13 2005

Russia to back Turkish, UN efforts on Cyprus: Erdogan

The Prime Minister described his Russian visit as highly successful.
Turkey will push for a restart of efforts to resolve the dispute on
the island of Cyprus under the auspicis of the United Nations,
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday.

Speaking on his return from a three day visit to Russia, Erdogan said
that preliminary discussions to reopen UN sponsored efforts to
reunite the two states on Cyprus had been delayed due to the tsunami
disaster in Asia.
`After the December 17th process (when Turkey was given a date to
start European Union membership negotiations), UN Secretary General
Kofi Annan congratulated us and then we phoned him and said we could
talk about the Cyprus process,’ the Prime Minister said. `While we
were planning to hold this talk, Asian disaster happened. He is now
in the region. We want to talk with him as soon as possible.
Commenting on a statement by President Rauf Denktas of the Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) that he was uneasy over Russian
support for the plan put forward by Annan to reunify the island,
Erdogan said that it was the process and not the name of the plan
that was important.
`There will not be an Annan Plan to be presented,’ he said. `Also,
the name of the plan is not important. The important thing is its
content and this content should include a solution. I do not believe
that anybody will oppose a plan that will include a solution. If the
plan protects the interests of the Turkish Cypriots and brings a just
and permanent solution to the TRNC, I am sure that everybody will
exert efforts for such a plan.’
Erdogan said that what they wanted was a just plan that will bring
permanent peace and by which both sides will win.
`We have always said that we support such a plan and we will continue
to support it. We do not have any uneasiness about this issue.’
The Prime Minister described his trip to Russia as having been very
successful, with his meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putting
being friendly, positive and sincere.
`It was a very beneficial meeting,’ he said. `We mainly discussed
Iraq, Middle East, Cyprus and the Armenia issue and we took up what
can be done jointly in the Middle East and the region,’ said Erdogan.
`We took up our bilateral relations in regional and international
aspects and we had some demands in the aspect of the UN Security
Council. He said the isolation of the TRNC was not just and they will
support any Annan Plan which will be prepared about the issue. He
clearly said they are ready to exert every type of effort on this
issue.’
From: Baghdasarian