Town Hall, DC
Dec 31 2004

Christian hypocrisy, atheist insanity
Marvin Olasky (archive)

Since both my wife and I formally became Christians (through baptism)
in the same year we were married, 1976, our love for each other in
some loopy way is tied up with our love for Christianity.
Wonderfully, we’ve never had any significant frustrations in our
marriage, but we’ve seen things go wrong in some churches.

My favorite 20th century writer of fiction, Walker Percy, poured on
the criticism in his next-to-last novel, “The Second Coming” (1980).
He complained that the contemporary Christian is “nominal, lukewarm,
hypocritical, sinful or, if fervent, generally offensive and
fanatical. But he is not crazy.” The unbeliever is, because of the
“fatuity, blandness, incoherence, fakery and fatheadedness of his
unbelief. He is in fact an insane person.”

Percy continued, “The present-day unbeliever is crazy because he
finds himself born into a world of endless wonders, having no notion
how he got here, a world in which he eats, sleeps … works, grows
old, gets sick, and dies … takes his comfort and ease, plays along
with the game, watches TV, drinks his drink, laughs … for all the
world as if his prostate were not growing cancerous, his arteries
turning to chalk, his brain cells dying off by the millions, as if
the worms were not going to have him in no time at all.”

Percy’s describes the typical academic: “The more intelligent he is,
the crazier he is. … He reads Dante for its mythic structure. He
joins the ACLU and concerns himself with the freedom of the
individual and does not once exercise his own freedom to inquire into
how in God’s name he should find himself in such a ludicrous
situation.”

The international news of 2004 once again showed how far from sanity
this world resides. Iraq. Sudan. Israel. Afghanistan. Holland. China.
Chechnya. Cuba. Nagorno Karabakh. On the surface, our domestic news
is better. No terrorist attacks. No mass murders in schools or
churches. But Percy’s quiet terror continues: arteries to chalk,
brain cells to mush, dust to dust.

This was a year in which many people sought the love of another. I
feel extraordinarily blessed in my marriage, but hit television shows
like “Sex and the City” and “Desperate Housewives,” as well as Tom
Wolfe’s fine novel “I Am Charlotte Simmons,” display the desperate
desire for love that some sadly reduce to a desperate search for sex
— as if momentary excitement can substitute for years of
contentment.

Some of the gays and lesbians who lined up for “marriage licenses”
in San Francisco early this year merely wanted to poke their fingers
in the eyes of straights, but others were there because they thought
they suddenly had an antidote to loneliness. They deserve not hatred,
but pity.

What’s more striking is how the desperate search for horizontal
love, person-to-person, is not matched by what should be an even more
desperate search for vertical love, person-and-God. Here’s Walker
Percy again: “I am surrounded by two classes of maniacs. The first
are the believers, who think they know the reason why we find
ourselves in this ludicrous predicament yet act for all the world as
if they don’t. The second are the unbelievers, who don’t know the
reason and don’t care if they don’t.”

Confession: I often act for all the world as if I’m clueless. So do
most Christians I know — and those who don’t act clueless often act
as if they know everything, which is even more obnoxious. But here’s
my continuing New Year’s resolution, now 24 years old, taken from the
end of the “The Second Coming,” after protagonist Will Barrett has
fallen in love and also come to understand a little about God: “Am I
crazy to want both, her and Him? No, not want, must have. And will
have.”

Cyprus Press and Information Office: Turkish Occupied Cyprus
Dec 31 2004

Revised National Security Policy Document classifies Greece as
Turkey´s partner

At a time when the violations of Greece’s airspace by Turkish
warplanes has become a routine practice, the casus belli decision by
the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA) if Greece exercises its
rights deriving from the international law is not revoked, Turkey’s
occupation of Cyprus and the violation of the human rights of EU
citizens is going on unhindered, the revised National Security
Document classifies Greece as a partner.
A commentary in HURRIYET, the full text of which follows, outlines
the views expressed in the National Security Document, under
formulation, for which certain Turkish military units have not yet
expressed opinion and from which it seems that Turkey’s perception of
neighbourly relations is based Ottoman criteria.

The commentary by Sukru Kucuksahin under the title: “Al-Qa’ida and
Shahab-3, rather than Greece, constitute threats”, is published in
HURRIYET on 27.12.04.

“The work related to the rewriting the National Security Policy
Document (MGSB) will be completed in one or two months.

Despite the fact that the Foreign Ministry and certain military units
have not yet expressed their views, efforts have already begun to
draw up the framework of the new document.

Looking at this framework, it is possible to see that this time major
changes will be realized in the document that was accepted during the
meeting of the National Security Council in 1997 and that underwent
certain changes in 2001.

Despite the fact that no one has any doubts that separatist and
reactionary activities will continue to top the list of domestic
threats, “idealist mafia” primarily and certain old chapters will be
totally removed.

The demand to intensify the struggle against the mafia, in turn, will
maintain its place.

Subtitle: Greece Is becoming Turkey’s partner

In the MGSB the most important changes will be realized in the
perception of foreign threats.

Greece has stopped topping the list of foreign threats for the first
time in the 82-year history of the document and it has moved toward
the bottom of the list.

Turkey, which is making progress en route to the EU, cannot continue
to view a country that will become its partner after 10 years as a
threat. This runs counter to seriousness of the state.

Therefore, the term “the possibility of clashes exists” that had been
used in the past also becomes history, but attention is drawn to the
fact that certain problems still remain on the agenda.

In relation to Greece the previous document had noted that Syria “may
take place by the side of Greece in case of possible clashes with the
latter.” In the new document, however, Syria is moved toward the end
of the list.

In the new document the relations with the neighboring countries are
removed outside the scope of the phrase “the former assessments
should be maintained as they are” — a phrase that was included in
the previous document. Furthermore, the new document calls for
developing Turkey’s economic relations with its neighbors and
encourages good neighborly relations.

Subtitle: The Shahab-3 may hit Istanbul

Despite the fact that compared with the past, Turkey has improved its
relations with its neighbors, the new MGSB will differ from the
previous documents where Turkey’s relations with a certain
neighboring country are concerned.

Despite the fact that the relations with Iran seem to be warm, there
is a serious crisis in the relations between the two countries. It is
seen that Turkey has serious concerns regarding Iran’s missile power
and nuclear capacity.

The fact that the Shahab-3 missiles that have recently been tested by
Iran are capable of hitting Istanbul, places this country at the top
of the list of foreign threats.

There is a second issue that is viewed as equally dangerous and that
is Iraq and, in this regard, international terrorism.

Al-Qa’ida is viewed as synonymous to international terrorism.

The terrorist actions undertaken by the organization in question
against the synagogues, the British Consulate, and the HSBC building
in Istanbul as well as the recent massacres conducted against Turkish
citizens and security officials in Iraq are noted down.

These actions undertaken by Al-Qa’ida against Turkey are perceived as
the organization’s efforts to alienate Turkey from Europe and to
create internal confusion.

Subtitle: All institutions constitute the guarantee of the regime

It is possible to list some of the important points in the document
as follows:

— Turkey does not have an important problem with Armenia. Rather,
the problem stems from the Armenian diaspora. This is why attention
is drawn to the diaspora which also seems to distress Armenia.

— The fact that the border with Armenia is closed stems from
Armenia’s Azerbaijani policy, rather than the relations between
Armenia and Turkey.

— Full membership in the EU continues to be Turkey’s goal, albeit
cautiously.

— The relations with the Turkic world should be further enhanced. It
is greatly beneficial to resolve the problems that have recently
emerged with Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

— Economic cooperation with Russia in particular and the relations
with this country in general should be further developed.

Left-wing terrorism will take place at the bottom of the list in the
new document, which puts emphasis on safeguarding economic stability
and strengthening social peace.

It is not clear whether or not the sects will be included in the
document that will recall that it is the duty of all the state units
to safeguard the regime.

It seems that this problem stems from the fact that an answer has not
yet been found to the question on “whether or not the Community
Houses are places of worship or culture clubs.”

Turkish Daily News
Dec 31 2004

‘A civilization project’

By Gunduz Aktan

TDN- Germanic Europe, from which Western civilization evolved
contrary to the Mediterranean basin, was never multi-cultural in the
sense of being multi-religious. It exterminated the European Jewry
with the Holocaust, which was the apex of a policy of a thousand
years of anti-Semitism. The successful implementation of liberal
democracy and pluralism undoubtedly contributed to the development of
tolerance, together with economic prosperity. However, it was not
enough to turn the European Union into a multi-cultural society. The
EU’s civilization project depends on it being multi-cultural.

After World War II, Europeans, thinking the Holocaust could never be
repeated, started to bring in laborers from outside. With Central and
Eastern Europe being behind the Iron Curtain, it had nowhere to turn
to but the Muslim countries. Either due to imprudence, or believing
they had changed, or even because they thought they could send back
those who had come, they welcomed Muslims who were members of the
other Monotheistic religion. Therein they committed a grave mistake.

The leader of the German Christian Democrats Angela Merkel said
recently that the multi-cultural Europe project had failed. Apart
from a small group, Muslims have not integrated into the parent
society. Ghettos have become common. The proportion of Muslim inmates
in prison and among the unemployed has increased dramatically. An
internal proletariat based on religion and ethnicity has emerged. The
threat of radical Islamist terrorism has appeared.

In reaction to these developments, opinions on assimilating, instead
of integrating the Muslims, are gaining ground in the EU. The
influence of the extreme rightist and racist parties is increasing.
Otto Schily is trying to include the Muslims into German culture,
which he calls `leitkultur.’ Nicolas Sarkozy says it would be better
to introduce the Anglo-Saxon version of secularism to replace the
French Laicism. Both are talking about desperate projects like
creating a German and French version of Islam.

Turkey’s membership sits on top of this quagmire. Additionally,
Turkey is Europe’s historical other. Their prejudices against us have
become pathological. The grave symptoms of this psychology can be
seen everywhere. They are exaggerating our shortcomings and deflect
their own deficiencies onto us. Their claims of Armenian genocide and
the mistreatment of Kurds make relevant the Holocaust and their own
racist attitude towards Muslims. Because we are backward in an
essentialist sense, they believe we can never implement the
democratization reforms and they see us as unfixable. When they say
`proud nation,’ they insinuate that we have no reason to be proud.
They fear if they include us, the EU will collapse and result in an
identity loss. While the non-recognition of the other is their own
problem, they constantly ask us to promote ourselves. By banning the
freedom of movement, they are trying to tell us that we can live side
by side in accordance with the Theory of Cultural Relativism, but not
in an intermingled manner. They neither let us go nor do they
incorporate us.

All these give the impression that the EU, by trying to make Turkey a
member, has bitten off more than it can chew.

We should understand the EU’s view on the Cyprus issue in terms of
their perspective of the Armenian `genocide’ and the Kurdish
`minority.’ They took the decision to make Greek Cyprus a member in
1995 even without any solution on the island. That’s why if we
satisfy the intransigent Greek Cypriot demands, we will be paying a
very high price. On the other hand, if we cannot resolve the matter,
we won’t be able to become a member.

They say they want our membership in order to show that they can live
in harmony with the Islamic world. However, the biggest fault-line
between Islam and Christianity is between Turkey and the Greece/Greek
Cyprus duo with the EU behind them. If we cannot become a member due
to a pro-Greek stance by anxious EU members the clash between Islam
and Christianity will deepen.

Are we going to create harmony by assimilating the Muslims in Europe
on the one hand and satisfying the lunatic demands of the EU-backed
Greeks and Armenians on the other?

A dangerous process has started, not only for us, but also for the
EU.

ARMENIA TREE PROJECT
65 Main Street
Watertown, MA 02472 USA
(617) 926-TREE (8733)

PRESS RELEASE
December 31, 2004

ATP SALUTES 2004 NOBEL PEACE PRIZE RECIPIENT WANGARI MAATHAI

— Grassroots leader inspired planting of 30 million trees in 30 years by
women in Kenya

WATERTOWN, MA–For the first time, the Nobel Peace Prize has been linked
with environmental issues, broadening the definition of peace and sending a
message to the world that peace must grow out of the soil of democracy and
environmental health. In response, Armenia Tree Project (ATP) has offered
its congratulations to Wangari Maathai, the winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace
Prize.

Maathai is currently Kenya’s Assistant Minister for Environment and Natural
Resources. As founder of the Green Belt Movement, she inspired the planting
of 30 million trees in 30 years by women in Kenya, winning the support of
the United Nations, governments of several European countries, and hundreds
of individuals around the world.

Accepting the Nobel Peace Prize earlier this month in Oslo, Maathai
acknowledged the work of `countless individuals and groups across the globe’
who `work quietly and often without recognition to protect the environment,
promote democracy, defend human rights, and ensure equality between women
and men.’

`By so doing, they plant seeds of peace,’ she said. `To all who feel
represented by this prize I say use it to advance your mission and meet the
high expectations the world will place on us. In this year’s prize, the
Norwegian Nobel Committee has placed the critical issue of environment and
its linkage to democracy and peace before the world.’

Maathai closed her Nobel lecture with a warning: `Activities that devastate
the environment and societies continue unabated. Today we are faced with a
challenge that calls for a shift in our thinking, so that humanity stops
threatening its life-support system. We are called to assist the Earth to
heal her wounds and in the process heal our own – indeed, to embrace the whole
creation in all its diversity, beauty, and wonder. This will happen if we
see the need to revive our sense of belonging to a larger family of life.’

`Like Wangari Maathai, we at ATP acknowledge the work of countless Armenians
across the globe who are fighting to protect our life-support system – in all
its diversity, beauty, and wonder. As we begin our second decade of
commitment to the land, people, and environment of Armenia, our cause is
more pressing than ever,’ stated ATP Executive Director Jeff Masarjian.

`Celebrate Wangari’s victory by helping us expand our work in Armenia
through vital environmental education, critical mountainous reforestation,
sustainable socio-economic development, and collaborative community tree
planting,’ added Masarjian.

ATP was founded in 1994 with the vision of securing Armenia’s future by
protecting its environment and advancing Armenia’s socio-economic
development by mobilizing resources to fund reforestation and community tree
planting. ATP uses trees to improve the standard of living of Armenians,
promoting self-sufficiency and aiding those with fewest resources first. In
its first 10 years, ATP has planted and rejuvenated 573,000 trees at more
than 500 sites in 11 regions of Armenia.

For additional information or to support ATP, visit the Web site
, write to 65 Main Street, Watertown, MA 02472, or call
(617) 926-TREE.

PHOTO CAPTION (ATP Nursery in Vanadzor.jpg): ATP’s new tree nursery in
Vanadzor is a central component of the organization’s goal of planting one
million trees per year in Armenia beginning in 2006

Tuesday, December 28, 2004

Vazquez beats Simonyan to retain IBF title

Associated Press
EL CAJON, Calif. — Israel Vazquez handed top-ranked contender Artyom
Simonyan his first defeat and retained his IBF junior featherweight
championship with a fifth-round knockout Tuesday night.

Making his first defense of the 122-pound title he won nine months ago,
Vazquez ended it with a looping right that snapped back Simonyan’s head
and prompted referee James Jen-Kin to halt the bout with 59 seconds gone
in the fifth of 12 scheduled rounds.

The 27-year-old Vazquez of Los Angeles knocked down Simonyan twice early
in the third round with a barrage of blows to the head, and in the
opening seconds of the fifth with a right to the head.

Vazquez, who weighed 121} pounds, won it in the fifth despite Simonyan
receiving an extra 2:20 rest during the fourth when the champion’s
gloves had to be replaced because of a rip on the left one.

The 29-year-old Simonyan from Glendale, who weighed 121½, was cut under
his left eye in the third round, and was bleeding in the mouth start the
fourth.

Two of the three judges’ had Vazquez ahead by five points through four
rounds, The other judge had Vazquez ahead by three.

Vazquez now has a record of 37-3 with 28 knockouts. Simonyan slipped to
14-1-1 with seven KOs.
/This story is from ESPN.com’s automated news wire. Wire index
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PRESS RELEASE
Armenian International Policy Research Group
P.O. Box 28179
Washington, DC 20038-9998
USA
Phone: (202) 623-8605, (202) 458-2589
Fax: (202) 478-0934
E-mail: [email protected]

Yerevan Office
40 Baghramian Ave.
Yerevan, Armenia 375 019
Phone: (3741) 512-670
Fax: (3741) 512-679

Third Annual AIPRG International Conference on Armenia

Income Distribution and Social Safety Nets

January 15-16, 2005

The World Bank

For online registration, go to:

Conference Program

Day 1: Saturday, January 15

7:30 AM Registration and Coffee

8:30 AM Introduction and Welcoming Remarks

Introductory Remarks: AIPRG Co-Chairs

Welcoming Remarks: H.E. Arman Kirakossian, Ambassador of Armenia in the U.S.

Keynote Opening Address: Vahram Nercissiantz, Chief Economic Adviser to the

President of Armenia and AIPRG Advisory Board

Conference Thematic Address: Haroutone Armenian, President of American
University of Armenia and AIPRG Advisory Board

Session I – Growth and Development

Chair: Mohsin S. Khan, Director, Middle East and Central Asia
Department, IMF*

9:30 AM Julian Karaguesian, Ministry of Finance, Canada

Reversing Armenia’s De-Industrialization: the Role of Strong Governance and

Solid Institutions

Discussant: Saumya Mitra, Lead Economist, The World Bank

10:15 AM Bryan Roberts, BearingPoint, USA

Armenia’s Remittances: Economic Impact and Optimizing Strategy

Discussant: Ralph Chami, Deputy Division Chief, International Monetary Fund

11:00 AM Coffee Break

Session II – Macroeconomic Policies

Chair: Padreep Mitra, Chief Economist, Europe and Central Asia Region,
The World Bank *

11:30 AM Bagrat Tunyan, The World Bank Armenia Office

The Shadow Part of the Armenian Economy: Size, Causes, and Consequences

Discussant: Professor Jeffrey Miller, University of Delaware

12:15 PM Grigor Sargsyan, Central Bank of Armenia

Inflation and Output in Armenia: the Threshold Effect Revisited

Discussant: Levon Barseghyan, Assistant Professor, Cornell
University and AIPRG

1:00 PM Lunch (World Bank Executive Dinning Room)

Keynote Luncheon Speaker: Professor William Easterly, New York

University, Department of Economics*

Session III – Poverty and Income Distribution

Chair: Ad Melkert, Executive Director, The World Bank, and AIPRG
Advisory Board

2:30 PM Gohar Minasyan, IMF Armenia Office

Aghassi Lazarian, UNDP Armenia Office

Factors Behind Rural Poverty in Armenia

Discussant: Martin Ravallion, Research Manager, The World Bank*

3:15 PM Astghik Minasyan, Ministry of Labor and Social Issues, Armenia

Hasmik Ghukasyan, USAID/PADCO Armenia Office

Targeting State Social Assistance to the Most Needy: the
Armenian Experience

Discussant: Professor Ara Khanjian, Ventura College and AIPRG

4:00 PM Coffee Break

4:30 PM Discussion Session IV – Reforms in Health and Social Services

Chair: Carolann Najarian, President, Armenian Health Alliance

Panelists: Sergey Khachatryan and Lusine Aydinyan, Health Project
Implement. Unit, Arm.

Beneficiary Assessment of the First Stage of Armenian Health Sector
Optimization

Marine Adamyan, World Vision Armenia Office

Integrated Approaches to Well-Being and Quality of Life
Improvement

Hilda Grigorian, Grigorian Business Consultants, USA

Trafficking of Women and Young Girls in Armenia: Reality or
Myth?

8:00 PM Reception at the Armenian Embassy in Washington, D.C.

Hosted by H.E. Ambassador Arman Kirakossian

Location: Embassy of the Republic of Armenia

2225 R Street, NW

Washington, DC 20008

Day 2: Sunday, January 16

Session I – Governance and Civil Society

Chair: E.J. Dionne, Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution*

9:00 AM Arman Khachaturyan and Mark Airaudo, Centre for European Policy
Studies, Belg.

The Political Economy of Transition in Armenia: Quo Vadis?

Discussant: Phil Uhlmann, Assistant Professor, Bentley College and

Fletcher School of Diplomacy, Tufts University

9:45 AM Anna Ohanyan, Simmons College and University of Massachusetts,
USA

Civilizing Civil Society: Framework for Tri-Sectoral Civil
Society Engagement

and Negotiation Culture in Armenia

Discussant: Professor William Ascher, Vice President and Dean of the
Faculty,

Claremont McKenna College and AIPRG Advisory Board

10:30 AM Coffee Break

Session II – Public and Private Services Provision

Chair: Michael Blackman, Deputy Director, Office of Economic
Restructuring and Energy,

US Agency for International Development, Mission to Armenia

11:00 AM Paul Holden and Vahe Sahakyan, The Enterprise Research
Institute, USA

Issues Related to Promoting Competitive Business Environment in
Armenia

Discussant: Professor Richard Beilock, University of Florida and
AIPRG

11:45 AM Audrey Selian, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, USA

The Use of IC Technologies in the Armenian Government

Discussant: Greg Aftandilian, Independent Consultant

12:30 PM Lunch (Lobby of the Main Complex, The World Bank)

Keynote Luncheon Speaker: Vahan Zanoyan, President and CEO,

PFC Energy Corporation

2:00 PM Discussion Session III – Trade and Geopolitics

Chair: Hratch Tchilingirian, Associate Director, Eurasia Program, Judge
Institute of

Management, University of Cambridge, UK

Panelists: Karine Torosyan, Department of Economics, Oregon State
University, USA

Armenia’s Trade Structure in Comparative Prospective

Asbed Kotchikian, Boston University, USA

Border Politics: the Political and Geopolitical Implications of
Opening of

Turkish-Armenian Border

Richard Giragosian, Abt Associates and AIPRG

Toward a New Concept of Armenian National Security

4:00 PM Discussion Session IV – Diaspora-Armenia Economic Link

Chair: Noubar Afeyan, Managing Partner and CEO, Flagship Ventures

and Senior Lecturer, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Panelists: Berge Ayvazian, Armenian High Tech Council of America and AIPRG

Strategic Direction’s of the Diaspora in Armenia’s Economic
Development

Aaron Shirinian, U.S. Embassy in Armenia

On Donor Aid Coordination and Its Relevance for the Diaspora
Assistance

Kaia Miller, Aslan Global and Armenia2020

The Essential Element in Effective Diaspora-Homeland Partnerships: A
Discussion of Views from Armenia and Its Diaspora

* – invited.

Vazquez KOs Simonyan in first defense

*By Jerry Magee*
SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

December 29, 2004

JIM BAIRD / Union-Tribune
Junior featherweight champ Israel Vazquez lands plenty of rights before
stopping Art Simonyan in the fifth round last night.

Israel Vazquez was wearing black gloves when his fight began last night
and red gloves when it ended. With the gloves of both colors, he was
equally destructive.

With the black gloves, the stylist from Mexico City knocked down Art
Simonyan in the third round, inflicted a cut below the Armenian’s left
eye and had him bleeding profusely from the mouth.

In the fourth round, Vazquez had to change to red gloves after a slash
developed in one of his black gloves. Vazquez kept the red gloves on for
only 99 seconds – the 40 seconds remaining in the fourth round when he
put them on, and the 59 seconds of the fifth that he required to stop
Simonyan.

Vazquez (37-3, with 28 knockouts) thus made a successful first defense
of his IBF junior featherweight championship before what a Sycuan
spokesman said was a sellout gathering of 460 at the Sycuan Resort and
Casino.

For Simonyan (14-1-1, seven KOs), this was a first defeat. The Armenian
was in the scheduled 12-round fight through the first two rounds, but in
the third Vazquez reached him with a thunderous right. A following left
hook deposited Simonyan, clearly dazed, in his corner.

Simonyan received a three-minute break in the fourth round while Vasquez
was changing gloves, but his reprieve was brief. In the fifth, the
champion got across another right that caused his rival to sag.

Although Simonyan did not go down, Dr. James Jen Kin, the referee, gave
him an eight count. In concluding, Vazquez went on the attack again and
Jen Kin moved in to spare Simonyan additional punishment.

Frank Espinoza, Vazquez’s manager, said this was one of his man’s best
fights. The winner’s trainer, Freddie Roach, said he had anticipated
that Vazquez would be able to take Simonyan out, but not this quickly.

“Art just couldn’t handle Israel’s power,” said Roach.

From sparring with Simonyan, Vazquez said he had gained the impression
that his opponent did not possess a strong chin.

“I didn’t feel my strength,” said Simonyan. “My punches were not there.
I had no energy. I felt stiff.”

The undercard was made up of six scheduled four-rounders. For punching
power in these bouts, there was the sweeping right with which Shawn
Ross, a 254-pound heavyweight from Murrietta, knocked out Bernard Gray
of Oakland at 32 seconds of the third round.

For brevity, there was Crystal Hoy of Las Vegas stopping Sara Huntman of
Los Angeles at 31 seconds of the first round in the evening’s only
women’s match.

For class, there was Eddie Mapula, a junior welterweight from Tijuana
who would seem to have a future. He had too much in every area for
Hector Rivera of Michoacan, Mexico, and referee Raul Caiz Jr. wisely
called off matters following the third round.

For Mapula, 20, this was his fifth knockout in as many appearances.

For excitement, there was the cruiserweight go between Moses Matovu of
Las Vegas and Shane Johnston of El Cajon. Johnston, dropped in the
opening round of his first pro bout, rallied and had his rival reeling
in the second, but Matovu was able to gather himself and win a unanimous
decision.

In the other bouts, welterweight Francisco Maldonado of Guadalajara,
Mexico, outpointed Mauricio Borques of Caliacan, Mexico; and heavyweight
James Horton of Pomona knocked out James Harling of Las Vegas with a
counter right in the opening round’s final second.

Find this article at:

Radio Free Europe, Czech Rep.
Dec 30 2004

Asia: Tourists From CIS Among Those Missing, Killed In Tsunamis
By Antoine Blua

With more than 100,000 people reported dead so far as a result of the
South Asian tsunami disaster, governments and relief agencies are
rushing to deliver humanitarian aid to millions of survivors. The
region is a popular holiday destination for tourists from around the
world, including the countries in the Commonwealth of Independent
States (CIS). Thousands of holiday makers are reported either dead or
missing, including nearly 50 Russian and Kazakh tourists. Citizens
from other CIS states were also traveling in the disaster zone.

Prague, 30 December 2004 (RFE/RL) — A government plane airlifted
home the first group of Russian tourists from Sri Lanka yesterday.

Stanislav, who was among the 21 tourists evacuated, described to
Reuters what he saw.

“Of course, it was terrifying,” Stanislav said. “We didn’t know where
to go. We wanted to hide as high above the ground as possible because
we didn’t know how big the wave was going to be.”

The Russian tourists sought assistance from the Russian Embassy in
the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, where they received food and
clothing. They complained that they felt let down by tour operators.
No one required medical assistance.

At least two Russian tourists — a Moscow woman and her 6-year-old
son — were killed in Thailand when the tsunami struck the country’s
southern island of Phuket.

A plane dispatched today is due to start evacuating Russian tourists
from Thailand. The Russian Embassy in Bangkok has registered almost
600 Russians as “safe and sound.” More than 40 Russians are still
unaccounted for, however.

Some Russian tourists, such as Natalya, had just arrived in Sri Lanka
when the tsunami hit.

“We had just arrived [in Colombo] when it all happened,” Natalya
said. “So we did not even have our holiday started there. And we are
grateful to the [Russian] Emergency Ministry. We just flew in and
out.”

In Belarus, authorities say 41 citizens were in the region when
disaster struck, but no deaths have been reported.

Belarusian businessman Ihar Makalovich explained how his brother, who
was visiting Thailand, escaped the tsunami.

“He and his girlfriend went up to the hills to take pictures at that
moment. This is what saved them. Their hotel was destroyed
completely,” Makalovich said.

Some 75 Kazakh tourists were evacuated from Thailand earlier this
week.

Lada Li returned to Kazakhstan from southern Thailand after the
tsunami struck.

“It was really horrible, so horrible that the water rose above the
second floor, breaking windows and sweeping people away,” Li said.

Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry said yesterday that five Kazakh
nationals, including two children, remain in hospital on Phuket.
Three other Kazakh citizens remain missing.

Azerbaijan’s ambassador to India, Tamerlan Karaev, said he is
optimistic about the fate of 17 Azerbaijani tourists believed to have
been traveling in South Asia.

“Fortunately, we haven’t received any bad news so far about their
fates,” Karaev said.

Armenian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamlet Gasparian said he has no
specific information but does not rule out that some Armenians may
have been traveling in the disaster zone.

“We called the Thai Consulate in Yerevan, and they said no visas were
issued to Armenians prior to the disaster,” Gasparian said. “And the
[Armenian] Embassy in India has no data about whether there were any
Armenians in the disaster zones. As for the Armenians living in the
region, we don’t have any information. But it is possible that there
were some Armenians who flew to these countries from Moscow.”Some
travel agencies continue to send tourists to resorts in the region
that were unaffected by the tsunamis.

Many survivors of the tsunami lack proper food and medical help, and
also face the threat of disease from the lack of clean drinking water
and poor sanitation. Indian authorities have also warned that high
waves could strike southern coastal areas again.

Foreign governments are advising their citizens not to travel to the
region.

Kazakh Foreign Ministry spokesman Mukhtar Karibai spoke with RFE/RL
in Astana.

“As a result of the natural disaster that took place in Southeast
Asian countries, there is a high threat of communicable diseases in
that area,” Karibai said. “In addition to that, some foreign weather
forecast services report the possibility of a recurrence of such
natural disasters as earthquakes. Taking into consideration all of
the above, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry advises Kazakh citizens not to
travel to this area temporarily, either for business or for private
trips.”

However, some travel agencies continue to send tourists to resorts in
the region that were unaffected by the tsunamis. Many tourists from
the CIS risk losing the money they have already paid for their
holidays if they don’t complete their trips.

“The situation at those resorts doesn’t always correspond to what you
see on television,” said Irina Tyurina, a spokeswoman for Russia’s
Association of Travel Agencies. “In fact, there are nice inland
hotels. There is a warning [about travel to the region] from
epidemiologists, from the Foreign Ministry, and the Federal Tourism
Agency. And Sri Lanka’s Embassy is asking [Russia] to suspend flights
to their country. And the airport in Colombo is asking [Russia] not
to send any planes there. And Phuket [in Thailand] is asking for
tourists not to be sent there but [instead] to Pattaya and other
provinces. We can’t forbid people to go there. It is their right. Our
border is open.”

Tyurina said a charter flight yesterday to Phuket was full, and that
no flights to the Maldives have yet been canceled.

Officials in Russia’s Far Eastern Kamchatka region say about 180
tourists left the peninsula for Thailand yesterday.

Journal of Turkish Weekly, Turkey
Dec 30 2004

U.S. Team Went to the PKK Camp in Iraq

Anatoly Kopulov, the former Russian commander who crossed to the
Turkish side coming from northern Iraq in November along with 4 PKK
militants made interesting revelations about the arms and logistic
support of the organization.

Kaapilov said that he joined the PKK terrorist organization in Moscow
after working two years in the army and had stayed in the PKK camps
in Kandil for 5 years.

Kipolv told Turkish officials that “PKK provides its wireless from
Netherlands. Missiles are coming over Armenia. The organization is
communicating with European countries, over the internet. There are 3
tons of TNT, 2.5500 mines, 2 thousand mortar shells and Katyusa
missiles in the hideout near the lolan river. There are also Docka
anti-aircraft missiles.”

Source: Hurriyet, 30 December 2004

Turkish Daily News
Dec 30 2004

Turkey is a lucky country

By Mehmet Ali Birand

TDN- You might have noticed the fact that we complain about almost
everything. Our region, our neighbors and our location. From the
beginning of the Cold War until now, most of you must have heard this
over an over: `Let god give no other country a neighbors like these.
On the one side is the Soviet Union and Armenia, on the other Syria
and Greece. All of them think nothing but ill for Turkey.’

This was the reason why we armed ourselves constantly and silenced
those who complained about the money we spent on weapons. We used to
say, `If we were Switzerland, it would have been easy, but we’re
not.’ The military always kept the nation under arms.

Another of our constant complaints was political instability. We used
to criticize coalition governments and would get upset when the
parties could not formulate a common policy for issues that involved
national interests. This was sometimes cited to legitimize coups.

At present, we should stop complaining and start thinking about how
lucky we are.

Making peace with neighbors

It would be right to say that we experienced many difficulties
between 1970 and 1990. However, these difficulties benefited us from
time to time.

Especially during the Cold War years, Turkey played the shield that
protected the West against Soviet encroachment. This provided a
significant boost to our economic and political arguments vis-à-vis
the United States and Europe. Whenever Turkey faced an economic
crisis, Western institutions (The IMF, World Bank, European
Investment Bank and etc.) would rally to our cause and we were able
to secure credits on much better terms than provided to other
countries. Credits for military expenses, which took up an important
portion of the budget, were easily available. We saw countless
examples of these. While the Cold War affected our democracy and
political stability negatively, we made sure we would receive some
financial compensation in return.

If we just take a look at the last few years, we can say the
situation has improved considerably.

We no longer see a Turkey that fails to get along with its neighbors.

Russia changed. Problems with Syria have been resolved.

Relations with Greece are warm.

We can also take a glimpse of Europe nowadays.

Every improvement in politics benefited us

Let us just take a look at domestic politics.

We can say Turkey has been lucky in this area.

The political developments in the past few years have benefited
Turkey a lot.

Two of the most interesting examples of this development have
happened since 1998.

The last coalition government, consisting of the Democratic Left
Party (DSP), Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and Motherland Party
(ANAP), implemented major reforms to harmonize with the Copenhagen
Criteria and improve the economy. I ask you, if the MHP were not in
this coalition, could Parliament have passed so many important laws
on the Kurdish problem? Could the laws that abolished capital
punishment, which resulted in the Kurdistan Workers Party
(PKK-Kongra-gel) leader escaping the death penalty, allowing Kurdish
education and broadcasting to be passed, if it was not for the MHP?
Even if these laws were passed without the MHP, the storm that an
opposition MHP would have stirred up around the nation would have
created chaos.

The other example is happening now.

If the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) was the opposition,
would any other government, for example one led by the Republican
People’s Party (CHP) have been able to harmonize with the Copenhagen
criteria. Just think of what would happen, if an opposition AKP had
launched a campaign, claiming, `Religion is being superseded.’ Don’t
you think it was lucky to have AKP as the government for the
implementation and passing of the EU reforms?

Conclusion: No need for pessimism

What I am trying to say is that we sometimes see our state as worse
than it is.

Comparatively, Turkey is improving. There are certain deficiencies
and we need to do a lot of hard work, but Turkey is on the right
road.

We need to think about this as we enter New Year. There is no need
for pessimism.

Just go and see the real Turkey. You’ll be able to see this country’s
real potential. Wherever I go in the Middle East, Far East, Africa or
Latin America and whomever I talk to, I hear the same words: `You are
a great, strong and lucky country.’

How lucky we are!