Nazi crimes evoke memory of like abuses

The Michigan Daily
Nov 10 2004

LSA Junior Nicole Kruz looks at a display on the Diag yesterday, to
commemorate Kristallnacht. The display aimed to get their thoughts on
the tragic event and human rights abuses. (MIKE HULSEBUS/Daily)

By Ann Beisch, For the Daily
November 10, 2004

One of the most tragic, unforgettable days of the Jews’ oppression
under Nazi Germany was commemorated yesterday.

The 66th anniversary of Kristallnacht — or the “Night of Broken
Glass,” which consisted of organized Nazi raids against Jewish homes
and synagogues on Nov. 9 and 10, 1938 — was commemorated on the Diag
in a two-part event to remember and reflect on the violation of human
rights under the Third Reich and around the world.

The first half of the day included a display of quotations meant to
spark insight in passersby, such as: “Peace or Justice: which would
you choose,” or, “Is it possible to forgive?” Students wrote down
their various opinions on a sheet of paper provided below. Among the
remarks were written, “You can forgive, but you can’t forget” and
“I will never forgive.”

“The Holocaust is not just a Jewish problem, it is a representation of
the human rights violations,” said LSA senior Jeremy Lacks, co-chair
of the Kristallnacht Commemoration. “We have expanded our focus,
instead of just dealing with the Holocaust.”

That meant remembering other atrocities that have taken place during
the past century. These events were represented by various photographs,
art objects and quotations pasted on the display. On one side, child
laborers in Pakistan were shown next to a photograph of brutalized
Pakistani women. Another section of the display showed a Rwandan
woman staring at hundreds of human skulls thrown into a ditch as a
result of the 1994 civil war in the country.

Startling statistics were posted as well, including, “1.5 million
Armenians have been killed by Turks from 1915-1921.”

“We are putting this on so that people will remember,” said LSA junior
Jillian Steinhaurer, who helped man the station. “History can only
repeat itself if we allow it to happen. It’s our responsibility to
be informed and active to ensure the safety of our future.”

The second part of the commemoration included a speakers’ panel
on human rights violations in the Vandenburg Room of the Michigan
League later yesterday. The panel was presented by the University’s
Hillel group, which is also organizing the 26th annual commemorative
Conference on the Holocaust from March 15 to 23.

Among the speakers was history Prof. Sidney Bolkosky, who has
conducted interviews with more than 200 survivors of the Holocaust
and now teaches at the University’s Dearborn campus. Contributing to
the discussion on global human rights violations were LSA Humanities
Institute Prof. Jose Kagabo — who spoke about the Rwandan genocide —
and RC lecturer Javed Nazir, who spoke on problems with human rights
in Pakistan.

Planners of the commemoration said they intended the day to keep the
student body aware of the human abuses that have occurred throughout
history, in order to prevent them from happening again. The sentiments
of some of the attendees indicated that the event was successful
in this regard. One message on the Diag board for example, read,
“If it were not for our personal memory, we would cease to progress
as rational humans.”

FOREIGN AMBASSADORS PRAISE TURKMEN AMNESTY

Turkmenistan.ru, Turkmenistan
Nov 10 2004

Foreign ambassadors accredited to Turkmenistan have highly rated
the republic’s amnesty act that granted freedom to 9,000 inmates,
including 150 foreign nationals, the Ashgabat correspondent of
Turkmenistan.ru reports.

It should be recalled that in 1999 Turkmenistan adopted the law,
“On the annual amnesty and pardon on the occasion of the holy “Gadyr
Gijesi” (the Night of Omnipotence), according to which inmates
convicted for minor crimes are released from jails every year under
the amnesty and pardon.

In an interview to the State news service (TDH) published in today’s
newspapers Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Turkmenistan
Golamreza Ansari said in particular that a tradition set by Saparmurat
Niyazov to release inmates right on the night of “Gadyr Gijei” “is
one more evidence of the friendly Turkmen people’s true spirituality
and commitment to the Islamic values, affirmation of high principles
of humanism and justice in the modern Turkmen society.”

The Iranian Ambassador expressed appreciation of the policy pursued
by the Turkmen leader as well as hope that the amnesty act, thanks
to which there were also released citizens of Iran, would further
strengthen ties of friendship and understanding between the two
friendly peoples.

Ambassador of Turkey to Turkmenistan Bahaddin Gursoz said in an
interview to the TDH that there were four Turkish citizens among
inmates pardoned by Saparmurat Niiyazov. “All of them are impressed
by humanity and mercy demonstrated to them, and they keep thanking
President Saparmurat Niyazov for allowing them to return to their
families,” Bahaddin Gursoz said.

Armenian Ambassador to Turkmenistan Aram Grigoryan said in an interview
to the TDH that there also were four citizens of this Caucasian
country. Expressing hearty gratitude to President Saparmurat Niyazov,
the head of diplomatic mission noted that preparation work by the
Armenian Embassy together with the Turkmen Foreign Ministry to send
pardoned Armenian citizens back home is currently under way. The
diplomat also said that the President of Turkmenistan “is equally
merciful toward its own people and citizens of foreign countries.”

Another representative of the diplomatic corps accredited to Ashgabat,
Ambassador of Kazakhstan Vyacheslav Gizzatov, said in an interview to
the TDH that the amnesty is “the expression of high generosity and
humanism.” According to him, several citizens of Kazakhstan will
“return to their families” as a result of this action and “will
be able to take on the path of repent and get down to creative
work.” The Ambassador also stressed that “clemency granted by the
head of Turkmenistan will be never forgotten by relatives and close
friends of the pardoned” and the act of humanism by Saparmyrat Niyazov
“will further strengthen traditional bonds of friendship and good
neighborhood that connect our two friendly peoples from the ancient
times.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
375010 Telephone: +3741. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +3741. .562543
Email: [email protected]:

PRESS RELEASE
09 November 2004

Hamlet Gasparian, Spokesperson of Foreign Ministry, answers a question
by ArmenPress News Agency on international recognition of Armenian
Genocide

Q: The foreign policy section of Armenia’s state budget draft for
2005 does not contain provisions related to international recognition
of Armenian Genocide, which caused speculation in the mass media,
particularly in Turkey and Azerbaijan. How would you comment on
this situation?

A: Armenia’s policy for international recognition of the Genocide has
not changed. Like before, Genocide recognition continues to be high
on Armenia’ s foreign policy agenda; it does not depend on provisions
of the state budget and does not require a specific reference in the
government’s explanatory note to the draft budget.

International recognition of Armenian Genocide is a matter of concern
not only for Armenia and Armenians, but is a challenge facing all
mankind. As such, this recognition cannot be packed into a budget
line or any other financial estimate.

GEORGIA RESTORING THE S-125 ANTI-AIRCRAFT COMPLEX

Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
November 10, 2004, Wednesday

The Georgian Defense Ministry stated that restoration of the S-125
complex will soon be accomplished. This complex broke over ten years
ago. Georgia needed special devices in order to restore this complex
to arsenals of the Poti military base. At present representatives of
the Defense Ministry are holding negotiations with Armenia, Azerbaijan
and Bulgaria over the supply of such systems.

Source: Krasnaya Zvezda, November 4, 2004, p. 3

Governator in action-packed best-selling debut
by Peter Alford

The Australian
November 10, 2004 Wednesday All-round Country Edition

Tokyo

Arnie launches his ‘buy California’ roadshow with its biggest investor,
Japan

HE’S baaack and, as always, he’s selling something. This time it’s
the world’s sixth (or fifth, depending on whose figures you believe)
biggest economy.

The Governator, Arnold Schwarzenegger, arrives in Tokyo today with
his first trade mission — 57 business people, farmers and state
officials — “to promote California as pro-business, pro-environment
and pro-workers”.

There’s characteristic calculation behind even that bluff
sloganeering. Schwarzenegger hopes to persuade Toyota to build a new
Prius plant in California, arguing his state is the biggest single
US market for the eco-friendly hybrid vehicle and any high-wage
disadvantage would be offset by skills and technology resources.

No one who’s followed Schwarzenegger’s career would be remotely
surprised he’s chosen Japan to road test the “buy California” pitch
he’ll take next year to China, Mexico and possibly Australia.

Firstly, there’s Japan’s importance to his state’s economy. Japan
is the biggest foreign investor in California, owning $US30 billion
($39.5 billion) of assets, a major source of foreign tourism and the
state’s second-largest foreign market, after Mexico.

But the $US11.7 billion of exports Japan bought last year are almost
30 per cent down on the high-water mark of $US16.4 billion in 2000,
before Japan’s most recent downturn and the slump in world demand for
Californian electronics and software. Secondly, Japan loves Arnie and
he reciprocates. Schwarzenegger made a point of accompanying each
of his new movies to Tokyo, the last occasion being the release of
Terminator3: Rise of the Machines 16 months ago, when his spiel was
interrupted by questions about whether or not he was stalking then
California governor Gray Davis, predator-style.

Schwarzenegger had collided with politics in Japan even earlier,
as an unwitting terminator of justice minister Shozaburo Nakamura’s
career. Nakamura was forced out in 1999 after first allowing the actor
into the country without a passport, then allegedly souveniring the
entry papers to impress his wife and daughter.

Schwarzenegger made a lot of money in Japan and not just at the box
office. His portfolio of Japanese television ads during the 1990s
— flogging energy drinks, pay-TV, noodles and beer — set a still
unmatched benchmark for wackiness (check some at www.jap ander.com)
and earned him about $US2 million per contract, which usually involved
two or three 15-second ads in a year.

But one thing the super-salesman won’t be visiting on this trip to
Tokyo is a trade office. At least 27 US states are represented in
Tokyo — along with most Australian states — but not California.

It used to be. But in the depths of the Davis administration’s
financial crisis last year, a Democrat-led push in the state
legislature shut California’s 12 overseas offices and removed the
governor’s powers to open new ones.

Oddly enough, the same lawmakers let through a privately funded trade
office in Armenia — possibly less of a tribute to Armenia’s economic
dynamism than to the considerable influence of Armenian-American
business people on the west coast. They then refused several other
bills proposing to reopen state offices on the same basis.

The Governator is not pleased to have had his wings clipped in
this way by the Sacramento girlie-men. Particularly since Democrat
lieutenant-governor Cruz Bustamante, a remnant of the Davis regime,
exploited a legislative loophole and his position as chairman of
the California Commission for Economic Development to open de facto
offices in Taiwan and Beijing.

But it’s doubtful any shopfront Bustamante happens to open can rival
Arnie’s selling powers, and certainly not in Japan. The big fella
put it best in his first State of the State address in January: “If
I can sell tickets to my movies like Red Sonja and Last Action Hero,
you know I can sell anything.”

Status of Collective Security Treaty on rise – Russian spokesman

RIA news agency
10 Nov 04

Moscow, 10 November: The Collective Security Treaty Organization
(CSTO) continues to develop dynamically as a military and political
organization, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Aleksandr Yakovenko
said in an interview to RIA news agency.

“Following the session on collective security in Astana in June 2004,
the CSTO continues to develop dynamically as a military and political
organization. The unanimous approval of the resolution granting the
CSTO an observer status with the General Assembly by the 6th Committee
of the UN General Assembly Session speaks for the CSTO’s rising
prestige as an international regional organization,” Yakovenko said.

In the run-up to the meeting of the [CSTO’s] Council of Foreign
Ministers, Yakovenko said that the CSTO is a multifunctional military
and political integration body, comprised of Armenia, Belarus,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. The CSTO’s main task
is to create an advanced collective security system, capable of
responding to any possible threat to the security of the member states.

“The issues of responding to new challenges and threats, namely
terrorism and other violent manifestations of extremism, drug
trafficking, illegal migration, organized crime, are at the top of
CSTO’s agenda. The work in this sector is coordinated in the framework
of the CSTO by the Committee of Security Council Heads of the CSTO’s
member states,” Yakovenko said.

“The Collective Rapid Deployment Force in Central Asian collective
security region (CRDF), created in 2001 and comprising Russian,
Kazakh, Kyrgyz and Tajik units, played an important role in stopping
the activities of Islamic extremists’ groups in Central Asia. In the
time since it has been set up, CRDF has evolved into an important and
almost crucial factor of ensuring peace and stability in Central Asia,”
he said.

The full text of the interview has been published on the RIA news
agency site at

ARKA News Agency
Nov 10 2004

First in the world chess Internet-tournament to take place on Dec
18-23 in Yerevan

NKR president signs the law on mass media

CBA Council approves changing of address of Ardshininvestbank

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

FIRST IN THE WORLD CHESS INTERNET-TOURNAMENT TO TAKE PLACE ON DEC
18-23 IN YEREVAN

YEREVAN, November 10. /ARKA/. First in the world chess
internet-tournament to take place on Dec 18-23 in Yerevan,
International Grand Master Smbat Lputian stated today. According to
him, the tournament will be dedicated to 75th anniversary of 9th
chess world champion Tigran Petrosian.
The tournament will include teams from Armenia, Russia, France and
China. Prize fund of the tournament makes $55 thousand. 1st place –
$20 thousand, 2nd – $15 thousand and 3rd – $12, 4th – 8.
The organizers of the tournament are Chess Academy and Armenian Chess
Federation. L.D. –0–

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

NKR PRESIDENT SIGNS THE LAW ON MASS MEDIA

STEPANAKERT, November 10. /ARKA/. NKR President Arkadi Ghukasyan
signed law on mass media. According to the Information Department
adjunct to NKR Government, Ghukasyan also signed law on citizens who
avoided military service by violating the set order”.
Laws were adopted by NKR NA on October 20, 2004. A.H. –0–

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

CBA COUNCIL APPROVES CHANGING OF ADDRESS OF ARDSHININVESTBANK

YEREVAN, November 10. /ARKA/. CBA approved the changing of address of
CJSC Ardshininvestbank. As CBA Press Service told ARKA, on its
sitting of November 9, 2004 the CBA Council took a decision to
approve the address of the bank that is Yerevan, St. Lusavorish 13
and Lusavorich 13/1.
Ardshininvestbank CJSC was founded on May 25, 2003 and received its
license (#83) on Feb 27, 2003. The founder of Ardshininvestbank is
International Business Centre Russian financial industrial group.
100% of the bank’s shares are owned by two enterprises involved in
the group.
The bank was granted its banking activity license # 83 by CBA on 27
Feb 2003.
The banks’ total capital made AMD 5 bln. as of September 30, 2004,
its authorized stock capital- AMD 3 mln., the assets-AMD 35,1 bln.,
the profit for Q 3, 2004-AMD 1354,3 mln., balance profit -AMD 1985,3
mln. ($1 -AMD 507,03). Ardshininvestbank is one of the leading banks
as per volume of assets, credit investments, securities investments,
attraction from legal and physical entities, assets return and
capital. As per size of the total assets the bank ranks the third,
while asp per sum of the profit generated in an-Sep the second in
Armenian banking system. (1 USD – AMD 503.25). T.M.–0–

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

Barbados and other islands given an extension to eliminate export subsidies
By Shawn Cumberbatch

Barbados Advocate, Barbados
Nov 10 2004

BARBADOS has been given another year to make the shift from a regime
of export subsidies.

There is a possibility, however, that this island and many others in
the developing world could be given an additional two yearly extensions
under World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules.

In a decision handed down last week, the WTOs Committee on Subsidies
and Countervailing Measures, said it had extended by another year
(until the end of 2005) the transition period for the elimination
of export subsidy programmes of Barbados and 18 other developing
countries under the implementation decision adopted at the Doha
Ministerial Conference.

Apart from Barbados, there are another eight members of the Caribbean
Community which have had their time extended. These were Antigua and
Barbuda, Belize, Jamaica, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Kitts
and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Other developing countries on the list were Costa Rica, Dominican
Republic, El Salvador, Fiji, Guatemala, Jordan, Mauritius, Panama,
Papua New Guinea, and Uruguay. Officials explained that the WTOs
Subsidies Agreement provided for an eight-year transition period,
in this case until the end of 2002 for most developing countries to
eliminate export subsidies.

However, under the fast-track procedures agreed at Doha, the
Subsidies Committee may grant an annual extension to these countries
until the end of 2007, subject to annual review of transparency and
standstill obligations.

The Committee said it also reviewed status reports of Barbados,
Colombia, El Salvador, Panama and Thailand regarding their subsidy
programmes whose transition periods were extended last year under
the regular procedures.

WTO officials said the Committee had also discussed new legislative
notifications from Argentina, Canada, the European Community (EC),
Japan and Jordan, while it reviewed subsidy notifications from Armenia,
Mongolia and Singapore.

The WTO Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures essentially
disciplines the use of subsidies, and it regulates the actions
countries can take to counter the effects of subsidies. Under the
agreement, Barbados and other member countries could use the WTOs
dispute-settlement procedure to seek the withdrawal of the subsidy
or the removal of its adverse effects. In addition, the country
could launch its own investigation and ultimately charge extra duty,
commonly called a countervailing duty, on subsidised imports found
to be hurting domestic producers. Meanwhile, the trade body noted
that under the transition review mechanism provided for in Chinas
Protocol of Accession, the EC, Japan and the United States urged that
country to notify its subsidies as required by the Subsidies Agreement.

China said it was doing its best to comply, and called for
understanding. It cited difficulties due to the size of the country
and the need to educate officials. China said it would transmit
concerns raised at the meeting to the relevant offices in Beijing.
The US and the EC expressed disappointment with the review, but said
they would work bilaterally with China to make progress in this area.

In the wake of this news from the WTO, European Union (EU) indicated
they would abolish all export subsidies on agricultural products if
the US did the same. This is what EU parliamentarian Paavo Väyrynen
told a parliamentary committee in South Africa on Monday.

Export subsidies to European farmers effectively render African farmers
uncompetitive, despite a free trade agreement between SA and the EU,
as European agricultural products often land in Africa and come on to
the market at selling prices that invariably undercut local producers.

Väyrynen, a former Finnish foreign minister and now an elected
member of the European parliament, was addressing the South African
Parliaments defence committee on the military, trade and diplomatic
implications for SA of the expansion of the EU, which this year
expanded by ten members.

Väyrynen, when asked about the removal of agricultural subsidies,
said: The EU has offered substantial decreases in export subsidies.
It is conditional, of course, that the other countries should be
ready to do the same.

It is a difficult issue in Europe. Farmers are important people in
all the member countries, politically and otherwise. It is clear some
kind of subsidy is necessary in Europe, otherwise there would be no
agriculture, he added..

–Boundary_(ID_B+5cul8tjBoczAm+KEVTEQ)–

President states position on Armenians’ planned visit

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Nov 10 2004

President Ilham Aliyev visiting the country’s southern regions
told journalists on Tuesday that he does not object to the Armenian
parliament members’ intended visit to Azerbaijan to attend the upcoming
NATO seminar in Baku.

“If we ban the Armenian MPs’ participation in the NATO Rose Roth
seminar, this will not be in our favor.”

The President said that uproar should not be caused in this respect.

“The government is aware of everything, the President is completely
in charge and we will not make any concessions on pivotal issues”,
Aliyev added.*

Armenia’s foreign debt highest in S Caucasus

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Nov 10 2004

During the discussions of the 2005 state budget in the Armenian
parliament last week, MPs expressed their concerns over the country’s
foreign debt.

Armenia’s foreign debt currently amounts to $1.129 billion ($362 per
capita). The figure will make up $1.429 billion ($458 per capita)
in the near future, as the government plans to borrow $93.6 million
in 2005, $79.8 million in 2006 and $83.7 million in 2007.

Despite the hard situation, the country is expected to repay foreign
debt worth $48.6 million in 2006 and $39.8 million in 2007.

Some Armenian experts predict an increase in the country’s foreign
debt over the next five years, saying that the figure will exceed $2
billion ($622 per capita) in 2010.

Armenian sociologists, in turn, claim that the country’s per capita
foreign debt will increase and that the amount of per capita debt
will reach $1,053 in 2010.

According to the 2004 statistics, there are 3,213,000 people in
Armenia, 1,221,000 of whom, or 38% of the total population, have left
the country due to social hardship.

Armenia’s opposition explains the tough situation in the country by
its failure to participate in regional projects due to tensions in
relations with Azerbaijan and Turkey with regard to the Upper Garabagh
conflict and a high corruption level.

Georgia, with a population of 5,100,000, is second in South Caucasus
for the amount of foreign debt. The country’s liabilities make up
$1.7 billion or $333 per capita, according to the 2004 data.

The foreign debt of Azerbaijan, with a population of 8,100,000,
currently amounts to $1.5 billion, or $183 per capita. The country
repaid $102 million out of $143 million owed over the nine months of
this year.*