AZERBAIJAN NOT TO TAKE PART IN ROSE ROTH WORKSHOP IN YEREVAN

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 27. ARMINFO. Azerbaijan will not take part in the
Rose Roth workshop in Yerevan, the head of the Azeri delegation to
NATO PA Ziyafet Askerov said at the Rose Roth workshop in Baku.

This is Baku’s reaction to “the refusal of Armenian MPs to take
part in the Baku Rose Roth.” “This case has once again shown that
Armenia’s position is far from being constructive,” Aleskerov said
noting that Azerbaijan and NATO PA guaranteed the security of the
Armenian delegates in Baku. “We wanted them to take part in the
workshop for if the Karabakh problem was discussed we would want to
listen to their views too.”

Askerov regrets that the Armenians’ actions were just a show. “They
have taken part in all the Baku events by other international
organizations but they have never talked about security.” “30,000
Armenians live in Baku at present in absolute safety. Azerbaijan
respects the rights of people of all nationalities. By their
allegations the Armenians sought to damage Azerbaijan’s relations
with NATO PA but they will not achieve that.”

NATO PA Secretary General Simon Lunn regrets that the Armenian side
has refused to take part in the workshop. He says that NATO PA and
Azerbaijan have created all the necessary conditions for them but
they preferred not to come. “We are truly disappointed,” says Lunn.

To remind, the Armenian MPs refused to go to Baku because it did not
receive security guarantees from the hosts.

30,000 ARMENIANS LIVE IN BAKU

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 27. ARMINFO. There are 30,000 Armenians in Baku,
reports local Zerkalo newspaper referring to UN HCR Rutt Lubbers.

He highly commended Azerbaijan who “has created conditions for
Armenians to live in its territory even though the Karabakh conflict
is not over.” He said that while meeting with Azeri President Ilham
Aliev they discuss the Karabakh problem and Aliev said that “unless
the conflict is settled peacefully Azerbaijan will return its lands
by military force.”

GOVERNMENTAL COMMISSION FOR CELEBRATION OF 1,600th ANNIVERSARY OF CREATIONS
OF ARMENIAN ALPHABET HOLDS FIRST SITTING

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 27. ARMINFO. The governmental commission for
celebration of the 1,600th anniversary of creation of the Armenian
alphabet, headed by Prime Minister of Armenia Andranik Margarian,
held its first sitting Saturday.

ARMINFO was informed in the press office of the Armenian government,
during the sitting the members of the commission stressed the necessity
of giving the holiday a national nature. They also considered necessary
to hold festivities within the whole year and complete them in Oct
of 2005. The members of the commission decided to establish a task
group attached to the commission, which will elaborate a full Program
of festivities. Andranik Margarian instructed the participants of the
sitting to submit for consideration of the commission the project of
the aforementioned Program till Dec 15, 2004.

AS A RESULT OF “WISE” FOREIGN POLICY OF LAST YEARS ARMENIA REMAINED WITHOUT ALLIES, ARAM MANUKIAN THINKS

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 27. ARMINFO. “As a result of the “wise” foreign
policy of the incumbent authorities of Armenia, our country was
deprived of all the allies on the international arena”, Deputy Chairman
of the board of formerly ruling party of Armenia, Armenian National
Movement, Aram Manukian stated during the meeting with journalists
at the club Azdak.

According to him, Armenia’s role as a player in political processes in
the region has minimized, and the settlement of the Karabakh problem
absolutely does not depend on the authorities of the country. “Thanks
to the consecutive activity of the incumbent Armenian leadership,
the keys of the settlement of the Karabakh problem are outside the
country. Today the reality is the absence of any serious allies on the
international arena. As far back as the years of war the border with
Turkey was open, we even imported grain and other strategic products
through the territory of Turkey. We entirely lost the sympathy of
the Arab world”, Aram Manukian said.

“In all this situation the statements of representatives of the power
are inexplicable that Armenia will live in the conditions of blockade
100 more years very quietly, and we don’t give a damn about the opinion
of the international community”, one of the leaders of ANM added.

RUSSIA HAS NOT DONE ANYTHING IN THE INTERESTS OF ARMENIA RECENTLY,
REPRESENTATIVE OF FORMER REGIME THINKS

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 27. ARMINFO. “Russia has not done anything in the
interests of Armenia in the course of few years,” deputy chairman of
the former ruling party, Pan Armenian National Movement, Aram Manukian
told reporters today.

In the words of Manukian, he does not have anti-Russian positions. He
said he is merely reacting to the recent policy by Russia towards
Armenia. “It’s enough to recall that no one country, including
Russia, opposed the inclusion of so called occupied territories into
UN General Assembly 59th session agenda. Russia will soon control
all strategically important fields of Armenian economy. However,
it is insulting that even after that it does not support Armenia,”
he said. Aram Manukian thinks that Russia dictates its will on other
countries with the help of truncheon. “One call from Russian president
Vladimir Putin was enough for the head of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan
and Kirgizia to congratulate Viktor Yanukovich with the victory in
elections,” he said. -A-

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

COMEBACK OF ARMENIAN EX-PRESIDENT TO BIG POLITICS CONDITIONED WITH PUBLIC
DEMAND, PAN REPRESENTATIVE SAYS

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 27. ARMINFO. “The comeback of ex-president of Armenia
Levon Ter-Petrossian to big politics is conditioned by rising public
demand,” deputy chairman of the former ruling party, Pan Armenian
National Movement, Aram Manukian told reporters today.

In his words, Levon Ter-Petrossian is the most pragmatic and realistic
politician in Armenia and will return into scene when he thinks it
necessary. “Our party is connected to him with common program and
ideology. There are three important conditions in political life:
does the party want to come to power – our answer is positive; does
it have anything to suggest to people-of course, we have; it remains
to check our rating among the public or to what level does the public
see the necessity of our comeback. In this regard, the public demand
is not high enough,” Aram Manukian said. -A-

ARMENIANS OF UKRAINE CONDEMN ACTIONS OF ARMENIA’S PRESIDENT, WHO HAD
CONGRATULATED YANUKOVICH EARLY

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 27. ARMINFO. The Armenians of the Ukraine condemned
the actions of the President of Armenia who had congratulated Victor
Yanukovich early, independent analytic agency Glavred informs with
reference of press service of the Central Office of Victor Yushchenko.

According to the resource, the Armenian community in the Ukraine
had expressed its surprise to President of Armenia Robert Kocharian
on the occasion of early congratulations of Victor Yanukovich with
the so-called victory in the presidential election. On behalf of
all honest Armenians of the Ukraine, the film director, one of the
founders of the Union of the Armenians of the Ukraine Roman Balayan,
signed the statement, where the Armenians expressed a surprise with the
actions of Robert Kocharian. The next step of the Ukrainian Armenians
was the appeal to the people of the Ukraine, where they apologized for
the actions of their President and declared their solidarity with the
Ukrainian who aspire to live in the county where the constitutional
rights are secured. They also wish the Ukraine prosperity, peace,
consent and consider it their second Motherland. They are sure that
President of Armenia Robert Kocharian as a representative of one
the most ancient peoples of the Earth with huge cultural heritage,
will correct his mistake, Glavred informs.

Thursday, November 25, 2004
*************************************
André Gluckmann is a contemporary French philosopher and the author of over twenty books, the most recent being A TREATISE ON HATRED. The following three quotations are from an interview dealing with this book.
*
“It is said that hatred is born of oppression, destitution, and humiliation, as if everyone living in deplorable conditions were ravaged by hatred. What could be more offensive to the poor and the disadvantaged of this world!”
*
“The terrorist is not a robot manipulated by material conditions. The terrorist is an assassin who takes pleasure in indiscriminate killing….”
*
“The great writer is a prophet of doom. He exposes that which has gone wrong and that which is evil.”
*
Portuguese proverb: “Better a red face than a black heart.”
*
Stephen Leacock: “A half truth in argument, like a half brick, carries better.”
*
Bulgarian proverb: “Other people’s eggs have two yolks.”
*
Speechifiers and sermonizers are like men who praise vegetarianism while dining on shish kebab.
*
When it comes to thinking, real thinking, asking questions and raising doubts are more important than making dogmatic assertions and relying on authority.
*
I am an Armenian, which means when I think of my fellow Armenians, I lose both sleep and appetite.
#
Friday, November 26, 2004
************************************
Whenever I question Zarian’s contemporaries, I notice again and again that they refuse to discuss the work and prefer to gossip about the man, and more specifically the insults he apparently inflicted on them.
A minor novelist: “We organized a picnic in his honor and instead of thanking us he complained about the food.”
A third-rate versifier who considers himself a first rate poet: “He was an arrogant name-dropper. Unamuno told me this, Verhaeren told me that, Picasso told me, me, me, me!”
An academic in Yerevan: “He was unbearably self-centered. No one liked him.”
An occasional journalist: “Once, when I was a boy, I carried two of his atrociously heavy bags to the top of a mountain in Cyprus and he didn’t even thank me.”
*
Of Zarian we can truly say that he was too good for his people, including our so-called intellectual elite. To those who say, “But there must be some truth in all that anecdotal evidence. The man must have been inconsiderate, perhaps even rude, in his dealings with his fellow Armenians.” I say, yes, certainly, I agree. Rudeness is unforgivable in any man, including writers, especially writers. But then, Charents was an attempted murderer: that doesn’t seem to stop our academics from studying his works and the public from idolizing him.
*
More from André Gluckmann’s interview:
“Anti-Semitism antedates any encounter or dealing with a real Jew.”
*
“Hatred is directed at imaginary objects of a certain type: reflections of oneself that one refuses to recognize.”
*
Simone Weil: “It is impossible to forgive whoever has done us harm if that harm has lowered us. We have to think that it has not lowered us but revealed our true level.”
*
Writes Olivier Messiaen: “Among birds most fights are settled by tournaments of song.”
Imagine, if you can, American marines and Iraqi insurgents today (or, for that matter, Armenians and Turks, or even Armenians and Armenians), settling their differences by bursting into song. And to think that homo sapiens thinks he has attained a level of civilization never before achieved.
*
My favorite three funeral marches: the slow movement from Beethoven Eroica Symphony, the first movement of Mahler’s 5th Symphony, and Siegfried’s orchestral threnody from the final act of Wagner’s GOTTERDAMMERUNG (which was also Hitler’s favorite).
#
Saturday, November 27, 2004
************************************
There are those who think by writing one or more articles in our weeklies they have made a valuable contribution to the solution of our problems. There are even those who think if they succeed in solving all our problems, the nation will be grateful to them. I thought so too when I was young, naïve and inexperienced – in short, a dumb jerk. The truth is (and historic evidence is clear on this point) no power on earth, not even a messiah, can solve the problems of a nation that does not want to solve its problems. And if you are ever successful in solving all our problems, consider yourself lucky if they let you live.

It was Maimonides, a medieval Jewish philosopher, who said that for every wise man you meet, be prepared to deal with ten thousand fools, or words to that effect. He also said: “Astrology is a disease, not a science.”
A thousand years of progress and what do we have? For every astronomer today there are probably ten thousand astrologers and a hundred thousand fools who believe in them.
*
It is the same in politics. Think of the millions of dupes who were taken in by the likes of Stalin, Hitler and Mussolini and completely ignored the voices of such dissidents as Thomas Mann, Gramsci, Solzhenitsyn and our own Zarian.
If this be progress then it must be the progress of a disease.
*
Denis Donikian: “Being Armenian means to have a license to exploit fellow Armenians in the name of Armenianism.”
*
Russian proverb: “Dwell on the past and you will lose an eye. Ignore the past and you will lose both of them.”
*
With enough checks and balances even a mediocrity may behave like a statesman. Without checks and balance even the greatest statesman may behave like a serial killer.
#

“EUROPE, TURKEY AND ARMENIAN CAUSE” DISCUSSIONS AT TOURSKY THEATRE IN
MARSEILLES

Azg/arm
27 Nov 04

More than 1000 Armenian and French citizens gathered at the hall of
Toursky Theater in Marseilles on November 24 “rehearsing” for a rally
against Turkey’s accession to EU scheduled on December 17 in Brussels.

The protest action was organized by Regional Committee for Defense
of the Armenian Cause that unites Liberal Democratic Party, Armenian
Revolutionary Party, CCAF and CRAAM.

Speakers of the day, Mr. Jijikan (Paris Kurdish Institute),
Mr. Davityan (lawyer), Mr. Alexy Gyovjian (LDP), expressed views
not only on Turkeys anti-Armenia lobby in Europe but also on Jacques
Chirac’s recent pro-Turkish statements that disagree with the will
of French people who resists Turkey’s accession as a country that
refuses to acknowledge Armenian Genocide.

Mr. Maui, eminent leader of President Chirac’s UMP party, Guy
Desien president of Defense Committee of the National Assembly, Rudy
Sales deputy chairman of the National Assembly, deputies Frederick
Dudua, Henry Jibreel, Kristof Mass, Karo Hovsepian, Sylvie Medrion,
Jean-Pierre Berberian made brilliant pro-Armenian speeches. They
all spoke against the Turkey which implements nationalistic policy,
violates human rights and neglects Armenian Genocide, and mentioned
that its accession will bring new flows of unemployed emigrants to
Western Europe.

Deputies representing the most influential parties of France
expressed readiness to take part at the rally launching December 17
in Brussels. A train will be waiting to transport thousand of people
to Brussels from Marseilles.

By Hamo Moskofian in Marseilles

Alleged Mercenaries Convicted in Coup Plot
By RODRIGO ANGUE NGEUMA MBA

The Associated Press
11/26/04 15:25 EST

MALABO, Equatorial Guinea (AP) – A court in Equatorial Guinea convicted
30 accused European and African mercenaries and opposition leaders on
Friday and sentenced them to prison for an alleged coup plot in the
oil-rich nation, but it waived the death penalty for two top figures.

The court’s rejection of death penalties requested by prosecutors
potentially strengthens Equatorial Guinea’s bid to extradite an
alleged financier of the plot: Mark Thatcher, son of the former
British Margaret Thatcher.

President Teodoro Obiang’s 25-year regime accuses Thatcher and other,
mostly British, financiers of commissioning scores of mercenaries
in a takeover plot in the isolated West African nation which is the
continent’s third-largest oil producer.

The financial backers intended to install an opposition figure as a
puppet leader, Equatorial Guinea claims. The alleged plot was exposed
by South African intelligence services in March, days before it was
to have been carried out, leading to the arrests of roughly 90 alleged
mercenaries in Equatorial Guinea and Zimbabwe.

On Friday, 21 shackled, handcuffed defendants listened in a
chandelier-hung courtroom converted from a conference center as
Judge Salvador Ondo Nkumu read out verdicts and prison sentences,
without elaboration.

South African arms dealer Nick du Toit, accused by prosecutors of
leading an advance team for the coup plot, was sentenced to 34 years
in prison despite Attorney General Jose Olo Obono’s repeated demands
for the death penalty.

Du Toit, a stooped, graying, sadly smiling man who like all the
defendants had lost scores of pounds since arrest in March, had
provided the bulk of prosecutors’ case – testifying to meetings with
Thatcher and others around Africa, and alleging detailed plans to
move men and materiel into place.

But Du Toit repudiated his testimony last week, saying he agreed
to a fake confession to try to save himself and his co-defendants,
after one defendant was tortured to death in Malabo’s notorious Black
Beach prison shortly after his arrest in March.

Equatorial Guinea says the man, a German, died of malaria. Rights
groups cite witness accounts of wounds from torture.

Du Toit’s sentence effectively means life in Black Beach – a tiny
penitentiary built on the black volcanic rocks between Obiang’s
Spanish-colonial palace and the gray Atlantic.

The court also sentenced Severo Moto, the opposition figure who
the coup plotters allegedly intended to install as president, to 63
years. Moto was the only other defendant facing the death penalty. He
is living in exile and was sentenced in absentia.

Eight other opposition figures, also living exile, were each sentenced
to 53 years.

Six other alleged South African mercenaries were sentenced to 17
years each; six Armenian pilots were sentenced to between 14- to 24
years each, and two Equatorial Guinea citizens were ordered jailed
for one to four months.

Six defendants – three Equatorial Guineans and three South Africans –
were acquitted.

Obiang’s regime, with one of the world’s worst human rights records,
is accused by the International Bar Association and others of routine
torture and extensive interference in the justice system. Obiang,
speaking to reporters in August, stated the defendants’ conviction
as a given.

The decision to spare du Toit the death penalty was seen at least
in part as a message to South Africa, where Thatcher, a 51-year-old
businessman, is now facing separate prosecution in connection with
the alleged plot.

South Africa opposes capital punishment and was unlikely to send
Thatcher to Equatorial Guinea if he risked the death penalty.