TURKMEN LEADER LOOKS AT AMNESTY, TAX AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Turkmen TV first channel, Asgabat
23 Oct 04

Turkmen President Saparmyrat Nyyazow has pledged to pardon 9,000
prisoners during his traditional end of Ramadan amnesty, three fifths
of the entire prison population. Speaking to the People’s Council, the
most powerful body in Turkmenistan, Nyyazow focused largely on
domestic issues, singling out misuse of land and water resources for
censure, pledging to simplify the tax system and promoting
power-wielders to higher ranks. Turning to foreign policy, Nyyazow
said Turkmenistan had no disputes with its neighbours, singling out
Uzbekistan in what marks an apparent continuing thaw in relations
after a low point in 2002, which saw accusations of Uzbek involvement
in an assassination attempt against Nyyazow. The following is an
excerpt from his speech, broadcast live by Turkmen TV on 23 October;
subheadings inserted editorially:

(President Saparmyrat Nyyazow, addressing the People’s Council of
Turkmenistan)) Hello everybody! I ask you to take your seats. Thank
you and good morning to you all.

Esteemed members of the People’s Council of Turkmenistan, dear
compatriots and guests. Here at the Ruhyyet Palace, today we are
holding the 15th session of the People’s Council of
Turkmenistan. (applause)

(Passage omitted: general remarks on the People’s Council, Nyyazow
then opens the session; the state anthem played)

Dear fellows, the agenda of the People’s Council session includes
discussion and approval of laws of Turkmenistan on land, on water and
on taxation. There is also the issue of amnesty, as I already
mentioned yesterday at the mosque (that was opened in Nyyazow’s home
village). I will present to the People’s Council the draft resolution
on amnesty and then, with your consent, I’ll sign it. Out of 15,000
Turkmen citizens currently serving their prison terms, 9,000 will be
amnestied on the Night of Omnipotence (at the end of
Ramadan). However, as I suggested yesterday, it would be better to
release them earlier, prior to the Night of Omnipotence. Because the
Night of Omnipotence comes once a year, let convicts be freed between
8-10 November.

(Passage omitted: following remarks about the agenda, Nyyazow takes
the floor to deliver his speech)

No disputes with neighbours

We do not have any dispute with any country – not with our neighbours
nor with distant countries. On the contrary, we are resolving more and
more issues jointly with them. We do not have any disputed issues with
them, be it Uzbekistan or Afghanistan. Here are representatives of our
Turkmen brothers from Afghanistan and Iran. We do not have any
disputes with them. I am grateful to you all.

(Passage omitted: Turkmenistan has diplomatic links with 121
countries; the economy is in good shape; only the agrarian sector is
lagging behind)

Land

We have been a bit rushing with leasing plots of land to farmers and
into private hands to make the agrarian sector grow faster. There have
been lots of violations in land distribution among tenants and private
owners. We did not have an efficient idea how to perform this task, so
it resulted in violations such as the illegal sale of land or leasing
land to those who cannot cope with it.

(Passage omitted: recap on wrongdoing in land distribution)

Let me remind you here that Turkmenistan has over 49.2m ha of land
resources of which some 40m ha are being used. Of these (nearly) 40m
ha, 2.25m are irrigated while the rest, 35m ha, are pastures, state
reserves, forests and protected zones. However, the land has not been
used or controlled properly.

(Passage omitted: Nyyazow quotes good examples of land management in
some areas)

Land is a necessary item for us and it is our wealth. It cannot be
sold or given away because it is Turkmenistan’s major property and is
protected by the state. What can we leave for coming generations if we
lose or spoil our land? That is why we should have a law on land. The
previous one, adopted in 1993, has become obsolete and does not meet
present requirements. It needs changes. I have already distributed
among you the draft law (on land) so you can discuss it at your
residences tomorrow with governors and ministers.

(Passage omitted: grain growing does not require much work; cases of
misuse of plots of land quoted)

Land is state property and nobody has the right to distribute
it. (Applause) Dear fellows, every Turkmen family can get a plot of
land. But they should work hard on the land to keep their families
with it. Moreover, it is not enough to keep your families. Use the
land to get rich yields, I am glad to see and support it. Families
should work earnestly and get rich yields. Under the new law, each
family can lease up to 10 ha for 10 years. If you work earnestly in
the first five years and get a rich yield, then this land will be
given to you for private ownership.

(Passage omitted: association of stockholders to be set up to support
tenants; associations to be set up to support farmers starting out;
remarks on water resources)

Water

At present, Turkmenistan consumes some 25bn cu.m. of water and of
this, 22m is used for irrigation. Unfortunately, water is being used
even where there is no crop or plant. The minister of water economy
(Basimgylyc Galandarow) is present. A huge amount of water, some 10bn
cu.m. out of 22bn cu.m. is being wasted in canals and elsewhere. How
can we tolerate this? Water is our top priority. How can such things
happen when there are miraps (people in charge of water distribution)?
Each Turkmen village has its own appointed mirap, so there are 500 of
them in 500 villages all over Turkmenistan.

(Passage omitted: further remarks on poor management in water
distribution; criminal responsibility to be introduced for waste of
water)

We are creating the great Lake Turkmen in Garagum desert (northwestern
Turkmenistan) with some 3,000-km long drainage canals to take waste
waters to it in the Garagum heartlands. God willing, the first flow of
water will go there in 2006 and by 2009 Lake Turkmen will have a
capacity of 150bn cu.m. With our annual consumption of some 25bn
cu.m., this water, once recycled and purified, will be enough for six
years’ consumption.

(Passage omitted: capacity of reservoirs, currently at 3bn cu.m., to
be doubled soon; remarks on taxation)

Tax

Our previous laws on taxation are not working well. Of course, we are
not so poor as to rely only on taxes. But it is necessary to have
income taxes as other countries do. The point is who is collecting
taxes and why there are cases of tax evasion. There are such cases
among both state-owned and other organizations which always try to
avoid taxes. Perhaps they see taxes as too burdensome? Then let us
make them less burdensome. Currently we have some 17 kinds of taxes in
Turkmenistan. Let us reduce them to four . Dear fellows, we are
cutting many of them completely. (applause) For instance, you know
well that there is 20-per-cent VAT. So we are reducing it to 15 per
cent – this is one of the lowest rates in the world.

(Passage omitted: taxes on revenues from oil and gas to be 12 and 20
per cent respectively)

Income tax for individuals will be set at 10 per cent and no
more. (applause) Tenants will be taxed only 1 per cent and this will
remain so in Turkmenistan till 2010. Property taxes, common for all
countries, will remain at 1 per cent, as before. It is not much, of
course. That is all about taxes and we will give legal grounds to this
based on laws and the constitution. We provide such privileges to
everybody – be it an organization or an individual. Dear fellows, also
let me remind you that our taxes are the lowest and easiest in the
world. (applause)

(Passage omitted: Nyyazow leaves the rostrum to take his seat and
continues his speech from there)

Amnesty

We are going to pardon some 9,000 people on the Night of Omnipotence,
and their names will be published in our newspapers, such as
Turkmenistan and the Russian-language Neytralnyy Turkmenistan. Let
copies of the newspapers be distributed in all prisons and please, do
it straightaway.

(Passage omitted: Nyyazow puts the amnesty resolution to the vote)

It is a great act to release 9,000 people. Currently we have 15,000
convicts in prison, so some 6,000 of them remain there and we hope
that they too will repent. At the same time, those released should be
met with all conditions by regional, district and town administrations
and provided with jobs in their previous work places.

(Passage omitted: moves to wage increases)

Here I resolve that as of 1 January 2005 in all organizations of
Turkmenistan, regardless of their form of ownership, average monthly
wages are to be increased by 50 per cent and be no less than 2.25m
manats (some 430 dollars at the official exchange rate) (lasting
applause; chanting “Glory to the leader”). As of 1 January 2005,
pensions for participants and veterans of the patriotic war (World War
II) are to be increased by 50 per cent

(Passage omitted: similar rise in all pensions, benefits and grants;
repeat on pardoning)

We are pardoning three Russian citizens and sending them back to
Russia. We will also pardon one from Kyrgyzstan, four Tajik citizens
and others from countries such as Uzbekistan, Armenia, Moldova and
Kazakhstan. Most of the foreigners are from Uzbekistan. We are
pardoning them and sending them back to their home countries.

(Passage omitted: Nyyazow awards some elders with title of merited
elder of Turkmenistan; top power wielders to be promoted to higher
ranks)

Promotions

The minister of defence of Turkmenistan, Col-Gen Agageldi
Mammetgeldiyew, is to be promoted to the rank of army general.

(Mammetgeldiyew) I serve my Turkmenistan homeland, and Saparmyrat
Turkmenbasy the Great.

(Nyyazow) The minister of national security of Turkmenistan, Maj-Gen
Annageldi Durmusewic Gummanow, is to be promoted to the rank of
lieutenant-general.

(Gummanow) I serve independent and neutral forever Turkmenistan and
Saparmyrat Turkmenbasy the Great.

(Nyyazow) The minister of internal affairs of Turkmenistan, Maj-Gen
Geldimuhammet Asyrmuhammedow, is to be promoted to the military rank
of lieutenant-general.

(Asyrmuhammedow) I serve independent and neutral forever Turkmenistan
and Saparmyrat Turkmenbasy the Great.

(Nyyazow) The head of the State Border Service of Turkmenistan,
Maj-Gen Orazberdi Soltanow, is to be promoted to the military rank of
lieutenant-general.

(Soltanow) I serve independent and neutral forever Turkmenistan and
Saparmyrat Turkmenbasy the Great.

(Passage omitted: some other top officials also awarded with titles;
Defence Minister Mammetgeldiyew then presents Nyyazow with symbolic
sword and shield and title of “Great Supreme Commander”; Nyyazow
announces a half-hour break; at 0700 gmt the session resumes; floor is
given to farmers, some ministers, who propose to award Nyyazow with
the highest orders and titles; floor then given to Prosecutor-General
Gurbanbibi Atajanowa who quotes violations in land distribution and
also praises the low rate of crime)

(Prosecutor-General Gurbanbibi Atajanowa) One of the greatest
achievements of the Turkmenbasy (Nyyazow) era is the consistent
reduction of law breaches and crime, and strict protection of human
rights and state interests. During the first nine months of this year,
the rate of registered crimes in Turkmenistan was down by 15.1 per
cent against the same period last year. More crimes are being solved
and investigation has been improved. This is clear evidence of
established law and order in our country.

(Passage omitted: Atajanowa makes a proposal to introduce criminal
responsibility for abuse of land and water resources)

(Nyyazow) Some people perhaps think that it is an easy thing to serve
a prison term. God forbid an ordinary Turkmen man to be put in
prison. Some time later I plan to take some of you with me to visit
(prisons). Please go and look yourselves how they (convicts) are
serving their terms, what they eat and how they feel there, when a
human being is put behind bars like monkeys in a museum or in a
zoo. Their souls and bodies are in cages and I do not wish any of you
be in their position.

(Passage omitted: Nyyazow warns officials not to abuse positions; then
Myratberdi Sopyyew, a prominent farmer, reads a draft resolution of
the People’s Council on awarding Nyyazow with the Order of Ruhnama,
the highest award of the country. Nyyazow accepts the award; then
delegates start to approach him to congratulate and during the
ceremony Nyyazow kisses singer Maral Durdyyewa; Nyyazow then thanks
the session for the award and announces a break till 0600 gmt 25
October)

(Video shows session)

(Duration: 2.5 hours. No further processing planned.)

GEORGIAN, ARMENIAN PRESIDENTS DO NOT GO TO SUSPICIOUS CONCERT HALL

Rustavi-2 TV, Tbilisi
23 Oct 04

(Presenter) Let’s now return to the incident at the Achara Music Hall
(in Tbilisi). As we have already reported, everything was ready in
this concert hall for the arrival of (Georgian President) Mikheil
Saakashvili and (Armenian President) Robert Kocharyan when the
security service discovered a sniper rifle and a Kalashnikov
sub-machine-gun.

In the end, the two presidents did not attend the concert. (Passage
omitted)

PRESS RELEASE
California State University in Fresno
Contact: Tom Uribes (559) 278-5366 or 246-1717

Oct. 21, 2004

Fresno State Honors Save Mart Center Contributor with ‘Matoian Way’

Save Mart Center supporter Mathias “Matty” Matoian was honored by
California State University, Fresno today when a campus street was
renamed and dedicated in his family’s name — “Matoian Way.”

Matoian Way is the main road that provides access to the Save Mart
Center from either Woodrow or Chestnut Avenues.

The first portion of Matoian Way, formerly Scott Avenue, begins at
Chestnut and runs along the north side of the year-old center that was
privately financed by such donations and gifts as Matoian’s.

After crossing Woodrow Ave., Matoian Way winds southwest around to the
front of the Smittcamp Alumni House and ends at Maple Avenue where it
resumes as Keats Avenue.

Matoian and his family and friends were on hand today as Fresno State
President John D. Welty, accompanied by university and community
dignitaries, ceremoniously unveiled the new street sign just before
noon at the corner of Woodrow and the new Matoian Way at the western
end of the North Lot.

“We are pleased to recognize and honor Matty Matoian and his family
for their generous contribution to the Save Mart Center project,”
Welty said. “Their contribution demonstrated the spirit of support our
community has for our university and was a catalyst in encouraging
others to follow suit. It is appropriate that the main road that
provides access to the Save Mart Center be known to all as Matoian
Way.”

A longtime supporter of the university, Matoian had expressed his
desire for “the university to accelerate its leadership role in
bringing top-level sports, entertainment and cultural events to
Central California.”

Matoian, who is a 1965 graduate from the School of Business at Fresno
State, is the president and chief executive officer of OK Produce, a
company started in 1950 by his father, the late Charles Matoian.

At age 12 (1955), Matty began his employment at OK Produce by fixing
lettuce boxes and sweeping floors. By age 18, he was making
deliveries, pitching watermelons, loading trucks, and assembling
orders.

During his college years at Fresno State, he spent his summers making
deliveries in the morning and working in the receiving department
during the evenings.

Matoian became president of OK Produce in 1979 and has built it into a
leading wholesale distributor to major supermarkets and restaurants
throughout the entire Central Valley.

His two sons Brady and Chad also work at OK Produce following the
family tradition.

;;

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I MEETS THE NEW GREEK ORTHODOX PATRIARCH OF ALEXANDRIA

Antelias, Lebanon – On Friday morning His Holiness Aram I Catholicos of
Cilicia, met in the Patriarchate of Alexandria, Egypt His Beatitude
Theodoros II, the new patriarch of the Greek Orthodox See of Alexandria.

His Holiness Aram I was formally welcomed at the main entrance of the
Cathedral by His Beatitude who was surrounded by the members of the Synod,
clergy and faithful.

By welcoming His Holiness, His Beatitude recalled the long standing
relations between His Holiness Aram I and himself. He said “I still remember
when I was an assistant to the late Patriarch Parthenios, your active
participation in the ecumenical movement, your leadership in the World
Council of Churches as Moderator of the Central Committee, and your
important role in expressing the position of the Orthodox churches and your
role as a bridge builder between the Orthodox and the Protestant churches.
As the new Patriarch of Alexandria I want to assure you that we will
continue our collaboration for the visible unity of the church”.

In responding to the greetings of Patriarch Theodoros II, Catholicos Aram I
congratulated the election of His Beatitude, he deeply appreciated the
contribution of the Patriarchate of Alexandria to the ecumenical movement
through the World Council of Churches and Middle East Council of Churches,
and he said that “ecumenism is working together for common witness and
service and for the visible unity of the church. We must continue our common
ecumenical engagement as Orthodox churches in a world which calls us to face
together the new challenges and concerns”.

His Holiness Aram I was in Cairo together with Archbishop Sebouh Sarkissian
and Bishop Nareg Alemezian, to take part in the meeting of the three Heads
of the Oriental Orthodox Churches in the Middle East.

##

View printable pictures here:

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

The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Ecumenical
activities of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

HIS HOLINESS ARAM I, HIS HOLINESS SHENOUDA III AND HIS HOLINESS ZAKKA I SIGN
A COMMON DECLARATION IN CAIRO

Antelias, Lebanon – The seventh meeting of the Heads of the Oriental
Orthodox Churches in the Middle East, the Coptic Church, the Syrian Church
and the Armenian Church, took place in Cairo, Egypt on 21 Oct 2004. The
meeting of the standing committee representing the three churches preceded
the meeting of the Heads of the Churches.

In a Common Declaration His Holiness Pope Shnouda III, His Holiness Mar
Ignatius Zakka I, and His Holiness Aram I gave thanks to God for the unity
that their churches have witnessed for many centuries and their common
commitment to the mission of the church of God. Bilateral theological
dialogues were given an important place in the Common Declaration. They
stressed the need to resume the Theological Dialogue between the Oriental
Orthodox and the Eastern Orthodox churches. As for the Dialogue with the
Roman Catholic church, which started last year, they expressed their deep
concern for the use of the word “Catholicosate” used by the Armenian
Catholic Patriarchate, and they decided to raise this matter this time
formally through their representatives with the Vatican authorities with the
a clear understanding that “if this problem is not solved, our churches will
not participate in the official theological dialogue with the Catholic
church”. Referring to the Dialogue with the Anglican World communion that
was suspended by these churches, due to the ordination of an Anglican gay
bishop in the USA, the Heads of the churches reiterated their concern and
the position of their churches that “all practice and behavior related to
marriage and sexual orientation must be in accord with the biblical and
moral teachings of our Churches. We hope that in the near future the
Anglican Communion will solve this matter which will enable us to resume our
theological dialogue with the Anglican Communion”.

In the context of intra-Oriental family collaboration, the Spiritual Leaders
emphasized the need for a greater collaboration among the churches of the
Family in different eras of church life. They expressed deep concern in
respect to the “manipulating activities” of sects “against the Orthodox
Christian faith, supported by huge financial resources coming from the West,
with suspected Zionist support”. The Common Declaration also highlighted
various aspects of ecumenical collaboration. In this context they singled
out the importance of the World Council of Churches and the Middle East
Council of Churches. The growing collaboration with the United Bible
Societies was welcomed considering this partnership important for the
witness of their churches.

The Heads of the Churches renewed “the commitment of their churches to peace
with justice”. They condemned “All forms and expression of violence and
urged all to engage in processes and actions aimed at conflict resolution
through mutual love, respect and trust”. Speaking about the situation in the
Middle East they said: “The escalation of violence and confusion in Iraq
worries us, in this situation, this country is losing its people either by
killing or immigration. We urge all the citizens of Iraq of all religions
and cultures to feel their responsibility towards their country and one
another. We call on all nations to help the people of Iraq to restore their
country to its independence and sovereignty with the full participation of
all Muslim and Christian communities in Iraq. We renew our call to return to
the peace process with a particular focus on the establishment of a
Palestinian state and the right to return for the Palestinians. True and
lasting peace will only be realized when justice and dignity is upheld and
maintained and when Israel according to U.N. Security Council Resolutions
withdraw from Arab and Palestinian territories”.

##

View printable pictures here:

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

The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the Ecumenical
activities of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician Catholicosate, the
administrative center of the church is located in Antelias, Lebanon.

MASHTOTS READINGS IN OSHAKAN

Azg/am
23 Oct 04

The 6th readings of creator of the Armenian alphabet Mesrop Mashtots
took place October 21 in the village of Oshakan. Mashtots readings
used to have a profound meaning in the course of Armenian history.

Academicians, literary critics, armenologists and others were present
at the event. A procession visited Mashtots’ tomb and laid flowers and
wreaths. This year’s readings were dedicated to 5 years of
enthronement of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II. About 25
lectures and reports presented the creation of the Armenian alphabet,
an overview of Armenian national clothes, sharakans (Armenian sacred
music) of Mashtots and Sahak Partev (Armenian Catholicos) and many
other interesting issues. Palaces and churches laid in ruin during
centuries but the 36 letters created by Mesrop Mashtots stood still
through storms and calamities giving the Armenian nation immortality.

The aim of the traditional Mashtots readings is to revive the mighty
legacy of the Golden Century and to hand it over to coming generation
and to develop Armenology.

By Mariata Makarian

ALBUM DEDICATED TO RECORDS OF KHACHATRIAN’S PIECES

Azg/am
23 Oct 04

The Teghekatu, official newspaper of Cairo branch of Armenian General
Benevolence Union, informed that with the sponsorship of Satenik Chagr
Foundation a valuable and unique album was issued in Cairo, dedicated
to the records of Aram Khachatrian’s pieces. Hayk Avagian,
Egyptian-Armenian talented young musical critic, was the author of the
album. He included all the records of the master’ s pieces made in
various countries of the world.

The album is in English which makes it more valuable. It contains
information on 152 records (pieces, musicians, places and dates) given
in the first two sections. The first part includes the records, while
the second includes the CDs.

Mr. Avagian states in the album that he doesn’t consider it a
complete, but he hopes that it will serve as a good source for further
studies in the sphere.

The album was published in Nupar publishing house.

By Hakob Tsulikian

Kurdistan Observer
Oct 23 2004

KurdistanObserver.com

Old Habits Die Hard!

By: Dr. Nazhad Khasraw Hawramany

The President:
The Iraqi interim president Sheikh al-Yawar must thank the Kurdish
people and Kurdish leadership for the tremendous support they have
given him during the thorny process of electing an interim President.
As usual the Kurdish leadership’s rivalry made them prefer an Arab
president instead of uniting and agreeing among themselves on a
Kurdish candidate. The new president is an Iraqi tribal chief who is
wearing an Arab robe and head dress is apparently adamant on his
identity, ignoring the fact that he is supposed to be a president( ad
interim) of all constituents of Iraqi mosaic( Arabs, Kurds, Turkmen,
Christians) and not emphasizing the Arab domination of Iraqi destiny.
The shocking interview of Mr. Al-Yawar to the Arab satellite
television station ( Al-Arabiya) lately, in which he labeled the
Kurdish demonstrators of the Kurdish Referendum Movement, who were
calling for the right of self-determination of Kurdish people in
Iraq, as traitors and threatening to crush any such movement with
force has sent shock waves through Iraqi Kurdistan (and I hope
through the Kurdish leadership too!), and reminded them of the ugly
Arab chauvinism in Iraq which was too often expressed and implemented
by previous Iraqi presidents like Abdulsalam Arif , Ahmad Hassan
Al-Bakr and Saddam Hussein. Mr. Al-Yawar ( being newly wed into a
prominent Kurdish woman minister) could not hide his true
chauvinistic nature and his contempt for the right of Kurdish people
to express openly and in a democratic way their ambitions and
aspirations. Mr. President actually should have congratulated the
Kurdish people for resorting to democratic means of expression. This
is certainly not the model of democracy the Kurds and Iraqi peoples
are looking for in the new post-Saddam Iraq!.

The Governor:
The governor of Diyala province in the north east of Iraq, is bitter
that the Kurds in parts of Kurdistan annexed to his governorate(
Khanaquin, Mandali, Shahraban, Saadiah) are adamant on redressing the
ill effects of the ugly Arabization campaigns of Saddam Hussein, he
wants the Arab settlers who fled the region after the downfall of
their Godfather Saddam Hussein to be allowed back into Kurdish lands
and is antagonizing those Kurds who reclaim their lands and
properties which were confiscated by the Baath regime and given to
Arab settlers brought from central and south Iraq. Ten young Kurdish
recruits from Khanaquin were lured to the building of Diyala
governorate by the cronies of Diyala governor and were brutally
murdered under the watching eyes of Arab police forces there. The
governor is continuing the Arabization policies of Saddam Hussein
there, he is refusing to appoint Kurdish citizens for the public
posts, he is depriving the Kurdish towns from any reconstruction
projects, he has even refused to open Mortgage Banks in the Kurdish
towns of his province although it was opened in all the other Arab
towns in the same province, just to deprive the Kurds from any
chances to build new homes. The central Iraqi government is
apparently endorsing such discriminatory actions of the governor. How
could we allow such an affront to continue!.

The Neighbour:

Our northern neigbours apparently haven’t wake up from the joy of
their barbaric massacres against Armenians and Kurds at the onset of
the last century, which the world even today is hesitant to condemn
and acknowledge as they did for example for the Holocoust of the Jews
during the Nazi reign in Germany. The Turks did get away almost
unscathed and that encourages them to continue their ultranationalist
and backward ideology of one state-one nation-one culture-one
language, depriving the Kurdish children of having Kurdish names and
learning their mother tongue in schools, still ignoring the existence
of a second major ethnic group in Turkey ( the Kurds) which
constitutes more than one third of the population with own
distinctive culture and language which is entirely different from
Turkish culture and language. The Turks are not satisfied with the
immense oppression and discrimination they perpetrated on their
Kurdish citizens in Northern Kurdistan, they are trying to extend
their hatred towards Iraqi Kurds in South Kurdistan and keep meddling
in in the internal affairs of South Kurdistan, they have nominated
themselves as the godfather of Iraqi Turkmen and are shedding
crocodile tears about the fate of Turkmen in the Kurdistani city of
Kirkuk, and how some of the 300,000 Kurds deported from Kirkuk during
Arabization campaigns of Saddam Hussein are returning back to Kirkuk
to claim their homes and properties und to the Turkish taste
upsetting the demographic realities of Kirkuk, deliberately ignoring
the facts that the Turkmen have never been better as their current
situation in Iraqi Kurdistan (including Kirkuk). The Turks want the
Kurdish victims of Saddam Hussein to relinquish their rights to go
back to their ancestral hometown , just to satisfy the chauvinistic
kamalistic ego of the sick Turkish republic. The Turks are giving
themselves the right to interfere in the future of Kirkuk, they are
still behaving with the Ottoman colonialist mentality. The Destiny of
Kirkuk and the procedures to settle the disputes about Kirkuk is an
Iraqi issue and is elaborated in detail in the Transitional
Administrative Law (TAL), the interim constitution of Iraq. Iraqi
peoples certainly does not need the greedy neighbors, the previous
collaborators of Saddam regime to interfere in the affairs of the new
Iraq. The events in Iraq shows that foreign adventures could cost
them dearly.

The Super Power:
Since the artificial establishment of the Iraqi state in 1921 and the
subsequent forcible annexation of Iraqi Kurdistan to Iraq against the
will of Kurdish people, Iraq has been dominated by the Arab Sunni
minority subjecting the other main constituents of Iraqi society
mainly the Arab Shiite and the Kurds to all kinds of discrimination
and oppression culminating in use of WMD against Kurds in Halabja
1988, genocidal Anfall campaigns against Kurds 1986-1988, the
indiscriminate murdering of Shiites in 1991. The fall of Saddam
regime on the 9th April 2003 has caused the fall of the old Iraqi
establishment and with it the new forces are now trying to remodel
the Iraqi state on a federal basis or in worst case scenario the
alternative is to disintegrate into 3 states, Kurdish in the north
and north east, Sunni in central and west Iraq and Shiite in South
Iraq. The only way to keep Iraq as a unitary state seems in building
a democratic federal Iraq which is equally shared between Kurds,
Sunnis and Shiites, and this constitutes a huge insurmountable task
taking into consideration the restrictive and intolerant mentality of
the Middle East peoples. The American administration so far is
clinching to the prospect of keeping Iraq united at any cost , not
the least to satisfy its neighbors, such a policy could be impossible
to implement considering the current turmoil in Iraq, the Americans
must be ready to sketch plan B and that is to divide Iraq into 3
states, a conference between those different groups should decide the
division of Iraqi wealth between those states. Times are changing ,
old policies and doctrines must also change.

Dr.Nazhad Khasraw Hawramany
Switzeralnd

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

BBC News, UK
Oct 23 2004

‘Environment threat’ to Caucasus

Disputes over natural resources and the extent of environmental
degradation may worsen tension in parts of the southern Caucasus, an
international team says.
A report by the UN and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation
in Europe says old weaponry is another problem.

It says rapidly swelling numbers in the area’s capitals and how to
share water resources are key regional concerns.

But the report also says environmental problems can be a catalyst for
security if the political will is forthcoming.

Environmental stress and change could undermine security in the
three South Caucasian countries

The report is entitled Environment And Security: Transforming Risks
Into Cooperation – The Case Of The Southern Caucasus.

It was prepared by the OSCE, the United Nations Development Programme
and the UN Environment Programme.

The report says environmental degradation and access to natural
resources could deepen contention in areas of existing conflicts in
Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent regions of
Azerbaijan.

It says the militarised situation also hampers waste management and
disposal, and the maintenance and renovation of irrigation and
hydroelectric dams, constraining economic growth.

But it says environmental cooperation can be a basis for
international peace-building, and for post-conflict reconciliation
and reconstruction.

Mount Ararat overlooks a troubled Caucasus

The report says “a convincing body of work” has shown that countries
are likelier to cooperate than to fight over control of international
river basins.

Frits Schlingemann, director of Unep’s European office, said: “The
assessment demonstrated that in the worst case environmental stress
and change could undermine security in the three South Caucasian
countries.

“However, sound environmental management and technical co-operation
could also be a means for strengthening security while promoting
sustainable development if the three governments would decide to do
so.”

Shared worries

The report forms part of a wider effort, the Environment and Security
(Envsec) Initiative, which is run jointly by the three agencies in
the Caucasus, south-eastern Europe and Central Asia.

The report concentrates on what it says are three areas of common
concern for Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia:

environmental degradation and access to natural resources in areas of
conflict
management of cross-border environmental concerns including water
resources, natural hazards, and industrial and military legacies
population growth and rapid development in capital cities.
The report says the methods and effectiveness of agreeing how to
share water resources – both surface and underground and including
the Caspian and Black Seas – are key concerns.
It is also worried about the disposal of abandoned Soviet weapons and
chemicals and the reclamation of contaminated lands in the region.

Emerging problems

Kalman Mizsei of UNDP said: “The Southern Caucasus countries are
confronted by similar social, political and economic transformations
that are altering century-old relationships within and between them,
and shaping their development.

Campaigners are worried about the disposal of weapons
“Each of these transformations both has an impact on and could be
affected by the state of the natural environment.”

Roy Reeve, the head of the OSCE mission to Georgia, said: “We are
facing a variety of non-traditional threats to security posed by
socio-economic and environmental issues.

“The OSCE has a duty to identify these threats… The ENVSEC
Initiative… is assisting us in fulfilling this mandate.”

Baku Today, Azerbaijan
Oct 23 2004

Saakashvili, Kocharian Held Talks

23/10/2004 10:46

Visiting Armenian President Robert Kocharian said after talks with
his Georgian counterpart Mikheil Saakashvili in Tbilisi on October 22
that they focused `at purely bilateral relations during the talks.’

Mikheil Saakashvili described relation between the two countries as
`brotherly and friendly.’
`We have discussed bilateral economic ties, cooperation in transport
sector… as well as cooperation between the law enforcement agencies,’
Robert Kocharian said.

The two Presidents have also discussed the issue of restoration of
the railway connection in Georgia’s breakaway Abkhazia, which will
enable landlocked Armenia to restore its railway link with its
strategic partner Russia.

`Restoration of the railway will be favorable not only for us, but
for Georgia as well. But it is Georgia’s prerogative to deal with
this issue,’ the Armenian President added.