John Kerry is far too willing to dismiss our Coalition

Boston Brahmin Disses Our Allies

National Review
September 16, 2004

Time and again, John Kerry has been dismissive to the point of rudeness
toward this country’s Coalition allies. None of America’s 33 partners
ever had to send so much as a Q-Tip to support Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The fact that any nation assigns even one citizen to fight shoulder
to shoulder with U.S. GIs should elicit celebration and gratitude,
not the sort of ethnocentrism that a sneering Boston Brahmin might
expect to see gushing out of, say, Texas oil country.

Worse than a snotty host who snickers about guests who bring the
“wrong” wine to dinner, Kerry snarls about nations that toil with
America to build a safe, free, and prosperous Iraq.

In March 2003, Kerry dismissed these countries as the “coalition of
the coerced and the bribed.”

In September 2003, Kerry said that “this President’s pride has brought
us a coalition of the few, barely willing to do anything at all:
160 Mongolians, 43 Estonians, and 83 Filipinos isn’t a coalition;
it’s a cover-up.”

Last March, Kerry told CNN: “The fact is that those countries are
really window dressing to the greatest degree. And they weren’t there
in the beginning when we went in, and they’re not carrying the cost
of this war.”

Last April, Kerry virtually made America’s allies disappear. “To
do this right,” he said, “we have to truly internationalize both
politically and militarily. We cannot depend on a U.S.-only presence.”

On September 6, Kerry dismissed the notion that there are international
boots on the ground beside ours. He called this “the phoniest thing
I’ve ever heard.”

Kerry’s skinned-up nose would be ugly enough if non-American Coalition
soldiers frittered away the hours by barhopping in Baghdad. In fact,
they dine on hot lead with our boys and girls, too often in fatal
servings.

According to the Iraq Coalition Casualty Count website, 124 overseas
soldiers have been killed in Iraq as of last week. This includes,
among others, 13 Poles, 19 Italians, and 66 Britons. Kerry’s sarcasm
must be uniquely soothing to their shattered families.

As for the living, the Heritage Foundation’s Nile Gardiner has
documented the extent to which America is not alone in Iraq and,
indeed, is ably assisted by nations from around the globe.

Despite the high-profile departures of Spain and the Philippines,
American GIs in Iraq serve with uniformed personnel from Albania,
Armenia (as of this month), Australia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Czech
Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, Georgia, Great Britain,
Hungary, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia,
Moldova, Mongolia, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Netherlands,
New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia,
South Korea, Thailand, Tonga, and Ukraine.

These 26,487 troops represent 17.3 percent of forces in Iraq, compared
to the 126,500 U.S. soldiers who, it is fair to say, fill 82.7 percent
of positions there. While Americans have suffered 89 percent of the
war’s deaths, 11 percent of those killed were international soldiers.

“Faced with a barrage of misleading rhetoric, the American public
could be forgiven for thinking that the trans-Atlantic alliance no
longer exists,” writes Gardiner in his September 7 report, The Myth of
U.S. Isolation: Why America Is Not Alone in the War on Terror. “The
Coalition includes 21 nations from Europe, and nine from Asia and
Australasia. Twelve of the 25 members of the European Union are
represented, as are 16 of the 26 NATO member states.”

True, France and Germany are AWOL in this conflict. But neither
France nor Germany speaks for all of Europe, as both Napoleon and
Kaiser Wilhelm grew to understand.

President Bush should showcase this Coalition by hosting a White
House summit on Iraq with these countries’ chiefs of state or foreign
ministers. Publicly acknowledging their courage and sacrifice would
educate Americans before November 2.

Using Gardiner’s report and other data, I produced a chart that
identifies Coalition nations, their troop contributions, and fatalities
in Iraq.

One could argue that America should have even more overseas assistance,
or that blue-helmeted United Nations peacekeepers should be on
patrol. But John Kerry’s self-contradictory insistence that America
is both solo in Iraq and at the head of a coalition of the “barely
willing” illustrates, yet again, his trouble with the truth.

PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Jake Goshert, Coordinator of Information Services
Tel: (212) 686-0710 Ext. 60; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:

September 17, 2004
___________________

YOUNG MUSICIANS FROM TWO PARISHES RECORD CD

On Sunday, September 12, 2004, parishioners at two parishes had
something extra to celebrate after the Divine Liturgy.

Young musicians from the Sts. Sahag and Mesrob Church in Providence, RI,
and the St. Mary Church of Washington, D.C., recently teamed up to
record a new compact disc ” Gloria in Excelsis — Park Ee Partsoons.”
The recording was officially launched with simultaneous ceremonies at
both parishes on September 12.

The CD features the parish Junior Choir from Providence and the Narek
Bell Choir of Washington D.C. — the first-ever CD recording of Armenian
spiritual music played by hand bells.

The recording has 21 tracks, which include excerpts from the Divine
Liturgy, Armenian Christmas hymns, and other traditional melodies.

“This music is inspiring and beautiful,” said Archbishop Khajag
Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America
(Eastern), who was recently presented with an advance copy of the CD by
the directors of the two choirs, Leon Khoja-Eynatyan from Washington,
D.C. and Providence’s Konstantin Petrossian. “And knowing this music is
being made by our young people, who are giving their time and talent to
learn these beautiful sharagans, makes this recording all the more
beautiful.”

The CD makes a perfect Christmas gift for any loved one and is now
available from the St. Vartan Bookstore for $18. Order yours today for
early delivery by going to or calling (212)
686-0710 ext. 52.

— 9/17/04

E-mail photos available on request. Photos also viewable in the News
and Events section of the Eastern Diocese’s website,

PHOTO CAPTION (1): Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Eastern
Diocese, receives a copy of the new “Gloria in Excelsis” CD, featuring
the Junior Choir of the Sts. Sahag and Mesrob Church of Providence, RI,
and the Narek Bell Choir of the St. Mary Church of Washington, D.C.,
from the two groups’ directors.

PHOTO CAPTION (2): “Gloria in Excelsis” is the new CD featuring the
Junior Choir of the Sts. Sahag and Mesrob Church of Providence, RI, and
the Narek Bell Choir of the St. Mary Church of Washington, D.C.

# # #

Armenian paper says Astana talks made no difference in Karabakh settlement

Aykakan Zhamanak, Yerevan
17 Sep 04

The third meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents that took
place in Astana yesterday [as received, actually, on 15 September]
mainly differs from the previous ones by the participation of Russian
President [Vladimir] Putin and by the excitement generated around it.

[Passage omitted: reported statements by officials]

Is it possible that any arrangement was made as a result of Russian
President Putin’s participation? Some analysts simply rule out such
an outcome and think that this meeting between [Armenian President
Robert] Kocharyan and [Azerbaijani President Ilham] Aliyev, like the
previous ones, was not of any significance in the sense of driving
the negotiations out of the deadlock. The supporters of this viewpoint
are sure that the statements about the importance of the meeting are
made to create a certain impression. In reality, today the approaches
of the conflicting parties are so different that it is impossible to
come to agreement.

The Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents are forced to imitate agreement
and progress, as the world community presses them to hold new meetings
and continue peace talks. This viewpoint seems to be substantiated
because according to trustworthy sources, during the [Armenian Foreign
Minister Vardan] Oskanyan – [Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar]
Mammadyarov meeting [in Prague on 30 August], Azerbaijan’s foreign
minister set before Oskanyan the pull-out of Armenian troops from the
so-called occupied territories as a precondition for peace talks. (By
the way, when after the Prague meeting Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister
Elmar Mammadyarov tried to disclose some details of its content,
the Armenian party immediately denied them, saying that this was
the desire of the Azerbaijani party. This once again proves the fact
that no arrangement was made in Prague.) According to a trustworthy
source, at all meetings Ilham Aliyev raises firmly the problem of
occupied territories.

Thus, if Vardan Oskanyan’s enthusiasm after the 30 August meeting was
not imitation, this means that the Armenian authorities have agreed
to settle the Karabakh issue in accordance with the step-by-step
option. But many people think this option is unreal. On the other
hand, immediately after yesterday’s meeting, Ilham Aliyev did not
say it was of a great significance, and Robert Kocharyan said that
they could not boast of success. As for the participation of the
Russian president, according to analysts, it had the same PR meaning
as the whole fuss around the Astana meeting. Today Putin thinks only
about the Beslan tragedy and the image of the Russian Federation
because of that tragedy, and by taking the role of an intermediary
in the Kocharyan-Aliyev meeting Putin simply tried to raise Russia’s
authority.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Azeri soldier wounded in Armenian truce violation

ANS TV, Baku
16 Sep 04

[Presenter] Armenia continues its aggression against Azerbaijan. The
Armenian armed forces fired on the village of Orta Qislaq in Agdam
District from the Armenian-occupied village of Sixlar in the same
district at about 1815 [1215 gmt] today. As a result of the fire from
large-calibre guns, soldier Ismayil Nabiyev who was called to military
service from Bilasuvar District in 2003 was wounded. According to
a report from the Karabakh bureau of ANS, he received two gunshot
wounds to his legs. The soldier is now at the Saricali hospital. The
Defence Ministry press service has not yet confirmed the report.

[Passage omitted: reported details]

Let us go over to the front-line now. Sahin Rzayev, an ANS
correspondent in Karabakh, is on the line. Good evening, Sahin. Where
exactly are you? What is the situation like there?

[Correspondent, by phone] Good evening, Aytan. We are now in the
village of Qapanli in Tartar District. According to local residents,
Armenians have stepped up activities over the past three days. This
village borders on the occupied village of Seyidsuvanli in Agdara
District. The distance between the villages is about 200 to 300
metres. According to the residents, Armenians have been subjecting
the village to intensive fire over the past three days. The Armenians
fired on the village for about 15 minutes at about 2200 [1800 gmt]
yesterday [15 September]. The case was repeated today. The enemy
again fired on the village from large-calibre guns for 10-15 minutes
at about 1915 [1515 gmt]. The Armenian positions are located higher
than the positions in Qapanli. For this reason, they can clearly see
the village. The village is fenced in order to protect it from the
enemy fire.

[Passage omitted: minor details]

[Presenter] Thanks Sahin.

Ex-Armenian premier calls for national unity

Noyan Tapan news agency
17 Sep 04

Yerevan, 17 September: “Armenia is in regional isolation, moreover,
it has ceased to be a subject of geopolitics and has been a raw
material source for a long time,” Aram Sarkisyan, former Armenian
prime minister and member of the Anrapetutyun (Republic) Party,
told a forum of the Justice bloc on 17 September.

He said that regrettably, it is completely unclear how long will the
so-called transition period last in the country, which until now
“has shown itself” neither in the economic, cultural nor in the
historic aspects.

“The transition period in Armenia is being guided by people whose major
goal is to prolong their own power,” Aram Sarkisyan said. According to
his assessment, suspicious killings and arrests, which cause distrust
in society, are taking place in the country.

“The Justice bloc is striving to carry out changes in the country,
and this requires rejection of partisan approaches. It is necessary to
rally the public, and victory is possible only if there is unity. By
victory I mean creating the necessary conditions for normal future,
not only change of the authorities,” Sarkisyan said.

Astana talks major stage in Karabakh settlement – Azeri foreign minister

Azad Azarbaycan TV, Baku
16 Sep 04

[Presenter] The Baku government put forward the principle of
territorial integrity as the main precondition in the Nagornyy
Karabakh settlement at the Astana meeting of the Azerbaijani and
Armenian presidents, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov
has said in an interview with “Son Xabar”. The minister said that
liberation of seven districts around Nagornyy Karabakh had also been
touched upon during the talks and added that Armenia’s reaction to
the issue was still not known.

[Correspondent, over video of Azerbaijani, Armenian presidents] Foreign
Minister Elmar Mammadyarov described the Astana talks between the
Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents as a major stage in the Nagornyy
Karabakh settlement. He said that at the talks the presidents had
outlined the future direction of the process and the main issues to
be discussed.

[Mammadyarov, speaking to microphone at airport] There is an opinion
that the two sides should analyse results of the talks and decide
which path they should take.

[Correspondent] The minister said that the process would take some
time. The Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents were satisfied with
the results of the Prague consultations between the foreign ministers
of the two countries. Mr Mammadyarov stressed that during the talks
the Baku government had set its territorial integrity as the main
precondition.

[Mammadyarov] Of course, there can be no talk about violating
Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity irrespective of the negotiations
and their results.

[Correspondent] Mammadyarov said that liberation of the districts
around Nagornyy Karabakh had been discussed during the talks, but he
noted that Yerevan’s reaction to the issue was still not known. The
minister also touched upon the importance of the meeting between the
Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian presidents [in Astana].

[Mammadyarov] I think Russia wants to render its assistance since it
regards itself to be a major neighbouring country.

[Correspondent] The foreign minister said that the date for the
presidents’ next meeting had not been set during the talks. He also
said that Baku hoped that results of the Astana talks would have a
positive impact on the Nagornyy Karabakh settlement.

Etibar Mammadov, Mirtofiq Miralioglu, “Son Xabar”.

Travel Column: Armenia’s Lesson in Street Life

Travel Watch

National Geographic Traveler Magazine
September 17, 2004

By Jonathan B. Tourtellot

A small experiment in Gyumri, Armenia has shown how easy it is to
turn an urban dead zone into an appealing, living place. Gyumri boasts
two Soviet-era monumental, lifeless city squares. You know the type:
asphalt deserts walled by concrete office facades, beloved by urban
planners and hated by travelers on foot. In a remote corner of one
square, a Gyumri company recently installed just three things: a park
bench, a street lamp, and a seesaw.

According to the New York-based Project for Public Spaces, magic
resulted. Kids flocked to the seesaw, parents in tow. Parents began
to chat with each other. Soon street vendors set up stands next to the
bench, drawing more people. Three tiny seeds had bloomed into a garden
of street life. Any visitor entering that square would automatically
gravitate toward the lively corner.

Modern cities abound in dead zones; some are even handsome. But it’s
people that make a town worth visiting. Nothing makes a town or city
more appealing for tourists than lively, pedestrian-friendly streets
and squares.

It’s a lesson Europe seems to be learning, as city after city there has
created car-free zones. In the ultra-motorized U.S.–despite success
stories like San Antonio’s riverwalk–cities have been slower to
embrace the idea of streets that are more populated by people than
by traffic. Yet all you need to do is set aside a few blocks and
provide ways for people to do what people like to do–eat, drink,
talk, play. Tourists show up. Businesses thrive.

As the Gyumri experiment shows, it doesn’t take much to turn a square
with nothing into a square with something. Bring on the seesaws.

Photo Caption: Men sit on a bench in Dilizhan, Armenia. In another
town, just such a streetscape is sprouting in a once barren plaza
(Photograph by George F. Mobley, copyright National Geographic
Society).

TravelWatch is produced by the geotourism editor for National
Geographic Traveler magazine, Jonathan B. Tourtellot. TravelWatch
focuses on sustainable tourism and destination stewardship. Look for
TravelWatch every other Friday.

Pundit says foreign envoys misinformed about situation in Azerbaijan

Zerkalo, Baku
15 Sep 04

For the first time in the whole history of the exercises within the
framework of the Partnership for Peace programme, its organizer and
sole founder NATO has come across a major organizational problem.

[Passage omitted: Azerbaijan did not want to see Armenian officers
in the country]

In the meantime, the former presidential aide on political issues
and now independent expert, Vafa Quluzada, has appealed via Zerkalo
newspaper to all ambassadors accredited to Azerbaijan. Its essence
boils down to the fact that NATO, equally the USA and the bloc’s other
member countries, possesses insufficient information, if any at all,
on the current public mood in Azerbaijan.

The pundit thinks that many European ambassadors to our country are
surrounded by well-off and respectable people who provide distorted
information about the situation in our country.

“Naturally, they [ambassadors] mislead their chiefs, and the latter
are made to think that Azerbaijan is ready to give away Karabakh and
Lacin, including other districts under occupation. Not to mention the
fact that the overwhelming majority of the Azerbaijani people would
be allegedly unruffled by the visit of Armenian military officers. At
the same time, nobody says that the Azerbaijanis detest Armenia for
it occupied their lands in tandem with Russia and that the blood feud
between Armenia and Azerbaijan has been continuing for many years.

“Actually, ambassadors are not being informed but misinformed. There
is allegedly stability in Azerbaijan, the leadership controls the
situation, and hence, Armenians can be invited here. In turn,
the ambassadors feed this distorted information to the world
community. They cannot see that Azerbaijan is like a powder keg
that can explode any time. So far it only gives an impression of an
absolutely peaceful place,” the expert said.

He believes that the abovesaid factor served as a reason for the
current extremely unfavourable situation around the NATO exercises
in our country.

[Passage omitted: First time Armenians were permitted to attend
the exercises]

“It has to be made clear that Azerbaijan and Armenia can be side by
side within NATO only after the conflict has been settled between
them and the occupied lands have been liberated,” the expert said.

Expressing his attitude towards the visit of Armenian officers to
our country, Quluzada described this as a crime.

“The hostile country should not have access to information on the
situation in our country,” Quluzada said.

Armenian leader to resign if national movement starts – opposition leader

Mediamax news agency
17 Sep 04

Yerevan, 17 September: A forum of opposition forces took place in
Yerevan today at the initiative of the Justice bloc.

As Mediamax agency correspondent reports, speaking at the forum,
the secretary of the Justice bloc, Viktor Dallakyan, said that
“Armenia is in a crisis, and the way out of the existing situation
is in the union of our society”. He expressed his confidence that
the leadership would resign if national movement started.

Speaking on the possibility of the opposition continuing rallies,
Shavarsh Kocharyan from the Justice bloc said that society was not
satisfied with the existing situation in the country, it should be
ready for active confrontation, “however, it is prospectless to be
limited to rallies only”.

“Instead of establishing a democratic legal state, Armenia is going
towards authoritarianism and dictatorship,” Shavarsh Kocharyan said.

Azeri leader, European official note importance of expanding cooperation

Azartac news agency, Baku
17 Sep 04

[No dateline as received] Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev received
a delegation led by the chairman of the European Commission, Romano
Prodi, on 17 September.

Having sincerely welcomed the guest, President Ilham Aliyev recalled
his meeting with Romano Prodi in Belgium and said that the meeting
had been very productive. President Ilham Aliyev said that relations
between Azerbaijan and the European Union are successfully developing
and that our country attaches great importance to the further
development of this cooperation. The head of state pointed out that
relations with the European Union form one of the main directions of
Azerbaijan’s foreign policy and new achievements are being made in
this sphere.

Stressing that the EU’s New Neighbourhood policy is of great
importance, President Ilham Aliyev said that this policy is one of
the most important spheres in relations between Azerbaijan and the
European Union. The head of state stressed that the appointment of
an EU representative for the South Caucasus will serve the further
development of our relations.

President Ilham Aliyev said that cooperation in the political,
economic, cultural and other spheres between Azerbaijan and
the European Union are successfully developing and expressed his
confidence that these relations will strengthen even more in the
future. Recalling that Azerbaijan is part of Europe, the head of
state said that our country’s integration into European structures
is one of the priorities of our foreign policy.

President Ilham Aliyev said that Azerbaijan and the European Union
are successfully cooperating in the economic and especially in the
energy sphere and stressed that the political dialogue was also at
a high level.

The head of state expressed his confidence that Romano Prodi’s visit
to Azerbaijan will help develop and strengthen our relations even more.

The guest thanked President Ilham Aliyev for the sincere reception
and for his remarks on relations with the European Union and stressed
that he was very pleased with his visit to Azerbaijan. Saying that
cooperation in the political, economic and other spheres was an
integral part of the New Neighbourhood policy, the guest added that
the implementation of this policy is of great importance in terms
of strengthening cooperation between Azerbaijan and the European
Commission and solving problems. Mr Prodi said that the European
Union is facing important tasks in the sphere of implementing this
policy and stressed that his organization has a fair position on the
New Neighbourhood policy.

The guest said that a swift peaceful solution to the
Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagornyy Karabakh conflict was important for
the successful implementation of the New Neighbourhood policy.

Mr Romano Prodi said that the European Union, which covers a vast area
with a population of 500m, attaches great importance to the expansion
of cooperation with Azerbaijan, which is playing an important role in
the region. He expressed his hope that these relations will continue
to develop.

The meeting was also attended by Novruz Mammadov, head of the foreign
relations department of the Presidential Executive Staff, and the
head of the Azerbaijani mission to the European Union, Arif Mammadov.