ITAR-TASS News Agency
TASS
January 13, 2005 Thursday 10:18 AM Eastern Time

Azerbaijan-Armenia talks in Prague yield no results – diplomat

By Sevindzh Abdullayeva and Viktor Shulman

BAKU

The talks between the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers in
Prague on January 11 have not yielded any concrete results, said
Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov, who is also
presidential special envoy for the talks on Nagorno-Karabakh
settlement.

Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, Azimov said, “There are
many disagreements. The talks are being held in a difficult
atmosphere.” At the same time, he noted that both sides are
interested in reaching concrete agreements.

“Azerbaijan favours the peaceful settlement of the conflict in
compliance with the norms of international law in order to preserve
the country’s territorial integrity,” the Azerbaijani diplomat
stressed.

The restoration of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity is one of the
key problems in ensuring peace in the region, but this will not solve
the problem in full, he added. One of the major purposes is to
convince the Azerbaijani and Armenian population to live in peace,
but “now it’s early to talk about it,” the diplomat pointed out.

Commenting on possible compromises, Azimov said it is possible to
reach any compromise if both sides succeed in bringing their
positions closer.

“The frozen situation will not give any results,” the diplomat said.
Azerbaijan seeks to discuss the problem related to freeing seven
occupied regions of the country that may help restore traffic and
restore economic cooperation with Armenia, Azimov said.

The next round of talks may be held at the end of February. In his
words, the U.N. special mission is expected to visit the region on
January 28. It includes representatives of the countries co-chairing
in the OSCE Minsk Group for Nagorno-Karabakh – Russia, the U.S. and
France, as well as members of the Minsk Group – Finland, Italy,
Sweden and Germany.

ANSA Notiziario Generale in Italiano
January 13, 2005

TRASPORTI: ARGENTINO EURNEKIAN MIRA A SCALI MILANO E BERGAMO

BUENOS AIRES

(ANSA) – BUENOS AIRES, 13 GEN – L’uomo d’affari argentino
Eduardo Eurnekian, gia’ socio di Volare Group, progetta un
ingresso nel capitale dell’italiana Sea per partecipare alla
gestione degli aeroporti di Milano e di Bergamo. Lo scrive oggi
il quotidiano ‘El cronista’ di Buenos Aires.

Eurnekian controlla attraverso ‘Corporacion America’ la
societa’ ‘Aeropuertos 2000′ (AA2000) che gestisce insieme alla
Sea (36%) 32 scali argentini ed e’ responsabile anche delle
attivita’ degli aeroporti di Montevideo (Uruguay), Guayaquil
(Ecuador) e Zvartnots (Armenia).

Il presidente di AA2000, Ernesto Gutierrez, ha indicato a ‘El
cronista’ che l’operazione riguardante l’Italia si
concretizzerebbe in aprile: “E’ una proposta interessante che
ci farebbe soci della Sea anche in Italia)”.(ANSA).

PanArmenian News
Jan 13 2005

FAMOUS BRITISH CONDUCTOR DREAMT OF ARMENIA

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “I dreamt of Armenia. It is the first country I
have dreamt of,” says famous British conductor Paul McAlindin, who
will be the first this year to conduct the Philharmonic Orchestra of
Armenia Friday. Mr. McAlindin has not been to any of the countries of
the former Soviet Union before. In his words, he dreamt of Armenia in
2003, but he managed to come only now. “I am a supporter of
traditions and people in old times believed in prophetic dreams,” he
says.

PanArmenian News
Jan 13 2005

ARMENIANS EXPATRIATED FROM NORTH ARTSAKH SETTLE IN KARVACHAR

13.01.2005 16:07

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ “The territory of Karvachar (Kelbajar) is being
spontaneously settled by Armenians, expatriated from their residence
places in North Artsakh. Unfortunately, official Yerevan and
Stepanakert statements that there is no state policy on settling the
security belt territories are true,” Azg newspaper writes in its
today’s issue. Meanwhile, the article author notes that Azerbaijan
pursues an official policy of peopling of former Armenian settlements
in the territories of NKR that are occupied. Forced migrants from
Getashen, Shahumian and other places mainly live in Karvachar. In May
1991, the newspaper reminds, the soviet army and OMON (special
destination militia detachment) held an operation to deport the
residents of Armenian villages of North Artsakh. “Our houses stayed
on the other side of the Mrav Mounts,” the present residents of
Karvachar say. Getashen resident Yeghish Markosian has walked all
over the territory of the former Kelbajar region. He shows the
newspaper journalist innumerable khachkars (stone steles picturing
crosses), churches, monasteries. “Where from the Turks have
khachkars, churches, monasteries?” he asks. “Already 150 years ago it
was a land inhabited by Armenians.” When in 1992 Armenian forces
entered Kelbajar, in the regional museum of the city they found a
khachkar of the 10-th century with an inscription in Armenian, which
was presented to the visitors as a monument of the Azeri culture.
Dadivank famous monastery, where according to the tradition the
relics of St. Apostle Thaddeus, the Enlightener of Armenia, are kept,
is also situated in the Kelbajar territory. The name Kelbajar itself
is the distorted Armenian place-name of Karvachar. “This land was
Armenian and it remains Armenian,” the former Getashen resident
concludes.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PanArmenian News
Jan 13 2005

RUSSIAN EXPERT CONSIDERS THAT RUSSIA CAN LOSE IRAN AS A STRATEGIC
PARTNER

13.01.2005 17:59

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ When commenting on the results of the talks between
Iran and Russia over the Caspian problem, well-known Russian expert
R. Safarov expressed opinion in an interview with Iran.ru that “if in
the near future the state of affairs does not change, Russia’s
positions in the Caspian region will weaken with every day.” “It
seems to me that there is a tendency towards the weakening of
Russia’s position, a trend of inadequate attention towards the issue
in question by the Russian leaders,” Rajib Safarov says. Iran’s and
Russia’s positions over Caspian issues do not coincide on principal
matters, he considers. “What Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan
suggest does not fit Iran at all,” the expert continues. Safarov
considers the supposition that Iran “has not place to go from Russia”
“evidently erroneous.” “Unfortunately, I have to state that at
present the Russian leaders do not have a long-term program of
deepening and expanding the Russian-Iranian cooperation.”
Establishing the fact of good relations Russian functionaries, in the
expert’s words, do absolutely nothing to flavor those relations.
“However, politics is an inconstant value. New actions are necessary
for maintaining the proper level of relations. From that point of
view, unfortunately, the first symptoms of the crisis in the
Russian-Iranian relations are available. And what is most
irreparable: if in the near future Russia does not suggest Iran any
new, breaking initiatives, there is large probability that it will
lose Iran as a very important strategic partner maybe forever,” says
R. Safarov.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PanArmenian News
Jan 13 2005

AZERI EXPERT INDIGNANT AT US AID TO KARABAKH

13.01.2005 15:06

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ As reported by Kavkazsky Uzel, the US Agency for
International Development (USAID) has confirmed the allocation of $15
million to Nagorno Karabakh. The aid will be provided via a
Washington-based Armenian Assistance Foundation, while the USAID will
arrange the organization issues. The USAID is the largest donor
partner of the US State Department. “In the opinion of independent
expert Mubariz Ahmedoglu, USAID taking such a step again confirms
that US official structures are the main donors of American
Armenians’ assistance to Nagorno Karabakh.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Jan 13 2005

Famous British conductor Paul MacAlindin to have only one performance
in Yerevan

RA Government provided 25 million AMD for provision of assistance to
citizens of Sri-Lanka suffered from tsunami

RF Minister of Defense: Armenia is one of the closest allies of
Russia

Restoration of transport communication is the main achievement in
Armenian-Georgian relations in 2004

The third annual international conference on Armenia to be held in
Washington on January 15-16

ARKA Agency presents ten key political events in 2004 in Armenia
according to Agency’s reporters

ARKA Agency presents 10 key economic events of 2004 in Armenia,
according to Agency’s reporters

*********************************************************************

FAMOUS BRITISH CONDUCTOR PAUL MACALINDIN TO HAVE ONLY ONE PERFORMANCE
IN YEREVAN

YEREVAN, January 13. /ARKA/. Famous British conductor Paul MacAlindin
will have only one performance in Yerevan with State Philharmonic
Orchestra of Armenia. During the press conference in British Council
office in Yerevan MacAlindin said that he is for the first time in
Armenia and is impressed by the level of professionalism of the
Armenian orchestra. `I am familiar with the Armenian music, but I am
happy to use the chance to get more acquainted with it’, he said.
The concert is sponsored by the British Council. T.M. -0–

*********************************************************************

RA GOVERNMENT PROVIDED 25 MILLION AMD FOR PROVISION OF ASSISTANCE TO
CITIZENS OF SRI-LANKA SUFFERED FROM TSUNAMI

YEREVAN, January 13. /ARKA/. RA Government provided 25 million AMD
for provision of assistance to citizens of Sri-Lanka suffered from
tsunami, RA Government press office told ARKA. 10 million AMD
provided to RA Ministry of Health for purchasing of medicines, 15
million AMD – to Emergency Department for purchasing of warm covers
and mobile generators. 2 million AMD of the assets provided to Chief
Department of RA Civil Aviation for provision of transportation of
humanitarian cargo. ($1 – 501.20 AMD). L.D. –0 –

*********************************************************************

RF MINISTER OF DEFENSE: ARMENIA IS ONE OF THE CLOSEST ALLIES OF
RUSSIA

YEREVAN, January 13. /ARKA/. Armenia is one of the closest allies of
Russia, as RF Minister of Defense Sergei Ivanov stated during the
press -conference in the Russian Embassy in Washington, answering the
questions of reporters regarding the relations between Russia and
Armenia in the light of contacts with Turkey. `Both countries are the
members of the Organizations for Collective Security Treaty. The
largest Russian military unit is located in Armenia. We have very
close economic and cultural relations’, Ivanov said. In the meantime
he noted that `Russia will not push Armenia to any of the sides’.
`Armenia is a sovereign state and it will decide itself in what
direction to move, and it’s one of our principles’, Ivanov said,
according to RIA-Novosti. A.H. -0–

*********************************************************************

RESTORATION OF TRANSPORT COMMUNICATION IS THE MAIN ACHIEVEMENT IN
ARMENIAN-GEORGIAN RELATIONS IN 2004

YEREVAN, January 13. /ARKA/. Restoration of transport communication
is the main achievement in Armenian-Georgian relations in 2004, as
stated RA Minister of Foreign Affairs Vartan Oskanian during the
press-conference, summing up the results of 2004. According to the
report of RA MFA, in 2004, perspectives came forth for the two
countries to cooperate in the field of economy, energy,
communication, customs, etc. The economic issues discussed by the
sides mainly related to restoring `West-East’ and `North-South’
transport communication, signing three-sided
Armenian-Georgian-Russian agreement on launching Poti-`Caucases’
railway -ferry line, and the issues of energy supply to the region.
Armenian-Georgian relations in 2004 were quite active, according to
the report of RA MFA. Thus, mutual visits of the Presidents and other
officials took place. Also, issues related to the regional security,
processes of the European integration in the region, creation of the
environment for mutual trust in the settlement of the conflicts in
the South Caucasus through the development of the economic relations
between the countries were discussed. A.H. –0–

*********************************************************************

THE THIRD ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ARMENIA TO BE HELD IN
WASHINGTON ON JANUARY 15-16

YEREVAN, January 13. /ARKA/. The third annual international
conference on Armenia will be held in Washington on January 15-16.
According to the Armenian International Policy Research Group
(AIPRG), the third annual conference will bring together over 200
Armenian and non-Armenian experts on social and economic affairs,
including senior officials from the World Bank, International
Monetary Fund, US and the Armenian government, international donor
organizations and academia institutions in Armenia and the US. The
conference will focus on the discussion of issues related to the
distribution of income and the system of social insurance in Armenia,
economic growth and reduction of poverty level, tax-budget policy,
reforms of public institutions, banking and financial sectors. Also,
participants will discuss issues related to the economic growth,
macroeconomic policies, trade and geopolitics, as well as
relationship between Armenia and its Diaspora.
AIPRG is a non-partisan, non-political association that researches
and encourages the discussion of public policy issues in Armenia and
the Diaspora. AIPRG aims to consolidate the existing Armenia-related
expertise by bringing together accomplished researchers and
practitioners who specialize in economics, political science, law,
and government affairs. A.H. -0–

*********************************************************************

ARKA AGENCY PRESENTS TEN KEY POLITICAL EVENTS IN 2004 IN ARMENIA
ACCORDING TO AGENCY’S REPORTERS

1. Armenian opposition MPs began boycotting of the Parliament’s
sessions. The main demand of the MPs – holding of vote of confidence
to President, which was not supported by other MPs, particularly
pro-Government Coalition.
2. April meetings of the opposition: On April 9, 12, 16 and 21 the
opposition organized meetings with demand of President’s resignation.
On April 12, the meeting turned to unsanctioned march to the
presidential residence and the building of the Parliament. The
participants of the meeting were stopped by police, while on the
night of April 13 the police lunched a special operation for
dispersing the participants of the meeting, while the law enforcement
authorities recoursed to force after the protesters refused to leave
the roadway of the avenue. Police applied special means. Among the
detained were some journalists.
3. The official Yerevan not intending to start the negotiations on
Nagorno Karabakh from `zero point’. Armenia insists on continuation
of the negotiations with Azerbaijani new President Ilham Aliyev from
the interrupted point with Heydar Aliyev. At the same time the
Azerbaijani side states that it wishes the process to start from
`bland print’.
4. Armenia was included on 16 poorest nations list whish will be
assisted by the Millennium Challenge Foundation for holding economic
and democratic reforms. The list mainly included African, Asian,
Latin American countries as well as two former USSR republics –
Armenia and Georgia. In the frames of the program Armenia expects US
support in the sum around USD 330 mln.
5. Closing of Verkhni Lars checkpoint on Russian-Georgian border for
more than a month caused negative reaction of the Armenian
politicians that considered that Russia while fighting terrorism,
does not take into consideration of its strategic partner.
6. Parliaments of some countries recognized the Armenian Genocide of
1915 in Ottoman Empire. Particularly Canadian House of Commons,
Slovakian and Netherlands Parliaments voted for recognition of the
Genocide. Also the European Parliament re-confirmed its resolution of
1987 on the Armenian Genocide in its new resolution `EU’s policy
toward the South Caucasus States’.
7. The UN General Assembly voted for inclusion of the issue
`Situation on occupied lands of Azerbaijan’ to the agenda of the 59
session. Armenian Foreign Minister states that in case of adoption of
the Azerbaijani resolution by the UN, Armenia will refuse to continue
bilateral negotiations on the Karabakh conflict.
8. On its extraordinary session, PACE passed a resolution on Nagorno
Karabakh on basis of the report on the Karabakh problem prepared by
UK MP David Atkinson. The resolution was including some points
unfavorable formulas for Armenia, because of which the official
Yerevan strongly criticized the report. Atkinson’s report was
included on the agendum of the PACE winter session and will be
discussed on January 25, 2005.
9. Court of Malabo, capital of Equatorial Guinea charged six Armenian
pilots with attempt of coup d’etait. The crew captain was sentenced
to 24 years of imprisonment, while the others to 14 years of
imprisonment. The official Yerevan said that it would make its best
to release the Armenian pilots.
10. The Armenian Parliament ratified memorandum on deployment of the
Armenian contingent to Iraq as a part of the Polish Delegation. The
contingent consists of 46 people, including doctors, sappers,
drivers. T.M. -0–

*********************************************************************

ARKA AGENCY PRESENTS 10 KEY ECONOMIC EVENTS OF 2004 IN ARMENIA,
ACCORDING TO AGENCY’S REPORTERS

1. Russian Vneshtorgbank obtains 70% shares of Armsavingsbank.
Vneshtorgbank plans to service the trade turnover of the two
countries and assist Russian companies, intensively working in
Armenia, such as Gasprom, RAO UES of Russia, Sibir.
2. Agreement is signed on Iran-Armenia gas pipeline construction. The
investments of Armenia will make about $90 mln. The deadline for
putting the gas pipeline in commission is January 1, 2007. The issue
of Iran-Armenian gas pipeline construction had been discussed since
1992. In 1995, Armenian-Iranian intergovernmental agreement was
signed, according to which the route of the pipeline was determined:
its length made – 141 km; 41 km to pass through the Armenian
territory and 100 km – through Iran.
3. World Bank approves the new four-year credit program for Armenia
to the amount of up to $220 mln. The previous Armenian support
strategy covered the years 2002-2004 and provided for a credit
program of $150 mln, however, WB allotted credits to the sum of $164
mln, given the successful implementation of WB programs.
4. Armenal foil-rolling factory and Achenbach German Company sign an
agreement on factory modernization to the sum of $70 mln. According
to the estimates of Russian experts, Armenia would get the best
foil-rolling factory in Europe after modernization. According to the
contract, the modernization process will take 18 months to reach the
planned production capacity. The first trial production in volume of
150 tones is planned to be produced already in the end of 2005.
5. The rate of Armenian dram equals the level of 1997 for the first
time in last 6 years. In course of a year, the Armenian dram
strengthened by 14,16% against US dollar. Among the causes for the
strengthening of the national currency, experts mention, in
particular, the economic growth, the tendencies on world currency and
financial markets, large inflow of private transfers into the country
from abroad.
6. For the first time in Armenia, long-term securities are issued for
a term of 7 years. According to the experts, that fact testifies to
the increased trust of the Armenian financial market participants
towards the government commitments. The first 7-year securities were
allocated to the volume of AMD 1,5 bln, given the maximal yield at
9,8%.
7. Synopsys, Inc. first-rate company, which is involved in
intellectual property and development of electronic design automation
solutions for integral schemes, purchases Leda Design and Monterey
Arset Armenian companies. `Synopsys Armenia’ OJSC is established on
the base of these companies.
8. The Armenian Government deprives ArmenTel Company of the exclusive
right for GSM services. According to the amendments made to the
license of the monopolist, ArmenTel is also deprived of monopoly for
mobile satellite communication services, special mobile
radio-services and permit of Internet traffic to Armenia.
9. European Bank for Reconstruction and Development obtains 25%+1
shares of Armeconombank for 887 thou. The participation of EBRD in
the capital of Armeconombank testifies to the increased confidence of
world structures to Armenia.
10. The RA Government makes a decision on privatization of Zangezur
copper-molybdenum combine (Armenia) for $132 mln. According to the
agreement, 60% shares of the combine are passed to Cronimet German
Company’, 15% are owned by Plant of Pure Iron, Armenian molybdenum
production CJSC and Zangezur Mining LLC get 12,5% of shares each.
L.V.-0–

PRESS RELEASE
Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America
138 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Tel: 212-689-7810
Fax: 212-689-7168
e-mail: [email protected]
Website:
Contact: Iris Papazian

CROSSROADS E-NEWSLETTER – January 13, 2004

22nd MUSICAL ARMENIA CONCERT SERIES
WILL TAKE PLACE JANUARY 30
The 2005 Musical Armenia concert, the twenty-second performance in the
series, will take place on Sunday, January 30, 2005, at 2 pm at Weill
Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall, New York City. The concert will feature the
baritone Oshin Gregorian and the works of the composer Eric Hachikian.
The Musical Armenia program was established by the late Archbishop
Mesrob Ashjian and the Prelacy Ladies Guild in 1982. The concert series
emerged from the success of a Prelacy-sponsored recital in 1981, in
recognition of the ongoing importance of discovering and supporting talented
young Armenian artists.
For details about the concert go to:

ST. STEPHEN SCHOOL WILL MARK
20TH ANNIVERSARY WITH GALA
St. Stephen Armenian Elementary School in Watertown, Massachusetts, will
celebrate the 20th anniversary of the school on Saturday, January 20, with a
Gala at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge.
Vartan Gregorian, who currently serves as president of the Carnegie
Corporation of New York, will be the special guest and keynote speaker.
St. Stephen School began twenty years ago with eight students at the nursery
level. Today, it has an enrollment of 176 studentrs from nursery through
grade 5. It is a fully bilingual private Armenian American school, which
received full accreditation from the Association of Independent Schools in
New England (AISNE) in 2003.
Visit the school web site for information about the school
and the January 20 gala.

FEAST OF THE NAMING OF OUR LORD
Today, January 13, the Armenian Church commemorates the naming (and
circumcision) of our Lord Jesus Christ in accordance to Jewish custom. The
celebration of this event, inspired by the Gospels (Matthew 1:20-23; Luke
1:30-32), comes seven days after the Feast of Theophany.

BIRTH OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST
This Saturday, January 15, the Armenian Church commemorates the birth of
St. John the Baptist, who was the Forerunner of Jesus Christ. He is an
important figure in the four Gospels of the New Testament and is identified
with the start of the ministry of our Lord. He was the son of Zechariah and
Elizabeth, who was a relative of the Virgin Mary. He was a prophet who came
out of the desert to proclaim the advent of the Kingdom of God and issue a
call to repentance. In modern terminology John preached about social
injustice, decency, and human rights. He baptized those who repented and
announced the coming of the Lord: I baptize you with water for repentance;
but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to
carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
(Matthew 3:11)
John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River at the beginning of Jesus’
ministry. At the moment of the baptism the Holy Spirit, in the form of a
dove, descended on Jesus and a voice from heaven declared, This is my Son,
the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:17)
The Church Fathers considered the Feast of St. John to be very important
and placed it on the Church calendar soon after Theophany and immediately
after the Naming, which would place it on January 14, unless this falls on a
Wednesday or Friday, which are days of abstinence. In these cases, as it is
this year, the Feast is celebrated on January 15.
The name Hovhaness (John) and its derivatives (Hovhan, Ohan, Onnik,
Hovik, Arakel, Garabed, Mgrditch, etc.) are very popular. Traditionally the
Armenians celebrated their name days rather than their birth days.
From the fourth century onward Armenians built many churches,
monasteries, and chapels dedicated to John. Perhaps one of the most famous
was St. Garabed Monastery of Moush, which was one of the most revered
pilgrimage sites. It was a large expansive and fortified complex. Up until
1915 it was a viable site. Some of us here at Crossroads had the honored
privilege to visit this site several years ago with Archbishop Mesrob
Ashjian, of blessed memory. It was a life-defining moment, veiled in sadness
as we viewed the meager remnants, remembering that it was once a huge
bastion capable of housing more than 1,000 pilgrims.

MONDAY IS MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY
This Monday, January 17, the United States celebrates the life of Martin
Luther King, Jr.
Dr. King was born on January 15, 1929. He attended public schools in
Georgia and graduated from high school at age 15. He received the B.A.
degree from Morehouse College in Atlanta. After three years of theological
study at Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania, he received the B.D.
degree and continued graduate studies at Boston University where he
successfully completed his doctoral studies in 1955. Two years later he was
elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an
organization formed to provide new leadership for the civil rights movement.
King took the ideals of this organization from Christianity and its
operational techniques from Gandhi. From 1957 to 1968 he traveled more than
six million miles and delivered more than 2,500 speeches, appearing wherever
there was injustice. In 1964, at age 35, he received the Nobel Peace Prize.
Four years later, on April 4, 1968, he was assassinated in Memphis,
Tennessee.

I HAVE A DREAM.
I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and
frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply
rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the
true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all
men are created equal.
I have a dream that one day, on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of
former slaves and the sons of former slaveowners will be able to sit down
together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert
state sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be
transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a
nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the
content of their character.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama, whose governors lips
are presently dripping with the words of interposition and nullification,
will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls
will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk
together as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill
and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plains, and
the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be
revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

An excerpt from the speech made by Martin Luther King, Jr., on August 28,
1963, on the great mall in Washington, DC, between the Lincoln Memorial and
the Washington Monument.

Visit our website at

Bush urged to take lead for Mideast peace

Associated Press
1/13/2005

WASHINGTON (AP) – Leaders of Jewish, Christian and Muslim groups want to
meet with President Bush to discuss a renewed role by the United States
in Mideast peace initiatives.

With a newly elected Palestinian leadership and Israel’s plans to
withdraw from Gaza, the United States should take a higher profile role,
said a public appeal to the president signed by the 35 religious leaders.

They were formally announcing their appeal at a news conference Thursday.

Mahmoud Abbas won election Sunday as president of the Palestinian
Authority, succeeding the late Yasser Arafat.

Coordinating with national religious leaders are leaders in more than a
dozen cities. They include Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco,
Indianapolis, Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Hartford and New
Haven, Conn., Baltimore, Charlotte and Durham, N.C., and Washington, D.C.

The leaders are asking that Bush:

– Appoint a special presidential envoy with a full-time commitment to
the Mideast. The envoy would coordinate with the European Union, Russian
Federation and the U.N. secretary-general to press for the plan signed
by Israel and the Palestinians in June 2003. It has stalled, with each
side blaming the other for violations of its provisions.

– Negotiate a timetable for specific steps to be taken by the
Palestinian Authority and the Israeli government.

– Take the lead to mobilize increased international economic aid to
build up the Palestinian Authority’s ability to provide security,
deliver humanitarian aid and ensure services the Palestinian people.

The group of religious leaders includes representatives from the Roman
Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, Lutheran, Presbyterian and
Episcopal churches; leaders of the Central Conference of American
Rabbis; and leaders of the Secretary-General of the Islamic Society of
North America.

Turkish denial expert Halacoglu seeks Armenian Genocide `probe’

Reuters
January 12, 2005

By Gareth Jones ([email protected])

ANKARA, Jan 12 (Reuters) – As Armenians prepare to mark the 90th
anniversary of the alleged “genocide” of their people by Ottoman Turkish
forces, a leading Turkish historian has called for a multi-national inquiry
into what really happened.

Armenia says 1.5 million of its people died between 1915 and 1923 on
Ottoman territory in a systematic genocide and says the decision to
carry it
out was taken by the political party then in power in Istanbul, popularly
known as the Young Turks.

Turkey denies genocide, saying the Armenians were victims of a partisan
war during World War One which also claimed many Muslim Turkish lives.
Turkey accuses Armenians of carrying out massacres while siding with
invading Russian troops.

“I think we historians, Turkish, American, French, British and Armenian,
must come together and form a commission to investigate this issue
objectively,” Yusuf Halacoglu, head of the Turkish Historical Society, told
Reuters on Wednesday.

Halacoglu, who endorses the mainstream Turkish view of the events and
rejects the genocide claims, said setting scholars to work together was all
the more important for his country because the “genocide” issue threatened
to complicate Turkey’s entry talks with the European Union.

The European Parliament and France, home to Europe’s largest Armenian
community, have both urged Turkey to recognise the killings of Armenians
between 1915 and 1923 as genocide. Armenians this year mark the 90th
anniversary of the events on April 24 and Turkey is to start EU entry talks
on Oct. 3, 2005.

Halacoglu said the commission would ideally work under the auspices of
the United Nations or another international body to help ensure
impartiality
and to encourage all states concerned to open up their archives to the
panel.

He was due to discuss his research on the period on Wednesday with
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and said he hoped for official Turkish
backing
for a commission.

TURKEY “PASSIVE”

Halacoglu said Turkey had been too “passive” in the past, allowing
Armenian nationalists, especially in the well-organised diaspora in North
America and Europe, to dominate the debate.

As a result, parliaments in many countries from Canada to Switzerland had
approved resolutions recognising the “genocide” as fact, despite a lack of
documented evidence, he said.

Halacoglu said he and other Turkish historians had conducted detailed
work on the period in question over the last three years through access to
national archives in Britain, France, the United States, Russia and
Austria.

“We wanted to establish what really happened and the conclusion we
reached is that there had been no genocide. The Armenians suffered terrible
losses but equally some 500,000 to 600,000 Muslims (Turks, Kurds, Arabs)
were killed,” he said.

He put the number of Armenians who perished during that period at around
300,000 and said the main cause of death was disease, also a major killer
among the armies of the period.

As evidence that the Ottoman authorities were not bent on the destruction
of an entire people, as Nazi Germany was against the Jews, Halacoglu cited
the fact that Armenians in Istanbul and western Turkey were largely
untouched by the violence.

He also quoted documents showing that Ottoman authorities allowed some
Armenians to remain in those cities and towns affected by population
transfers and that many others were allowed to return after World War One
ended.

(Editing by Charles Dick; Reuters Messaging:
[email protected]; Ankara newsroom, +90 312 292 7012)