La Padania, Italia
venerdì 3 dicembre 2004
Trapelano le condizioni che l’Unione Europea potrebbe porre il 15
dicembre per l’avvio dei negoziati
Ue: Ankara riconosca le minoranze

ANKARA – L’Unione europea chiederà ad Ankara di risolvere «al più
presto possibile» i problemi ancora aperti con le sue minoranze
etniche e religiose, come curdi, ortodossi ed aleviti, e di
normalizzare le sue relazioni con l’Armenia in vista dell’apertura
del suo negoziato di adesione, la cui data di avvio, nel 2005, sarà
decisa al prossimo vertice europeo di Bruxelles del 17 dicembre.
A mano a mano che procede il conto alla rovescia in vista del
vertice, si precisa sempre meglio il ventaglio delle condizioni che i
capi di stato e di governo dell’Ue si accingono a porre ad Ankara fra
15 giorni per dare effettivo avvio al negoziato. Secondo alcune
rivelazioni dei giorni scorsi, i Paesi membri dell’Ue sarebbero
decisi a menzionare esplicitamente la possibilità di un futuro
cambiamento di oggetto del negoziato, riservandosi di poter offrire
in futuro alla Turchia un partenariato speciale in alternativa alla
piena membership, nonchè a chiedere un riconoscimento della
Repubblica di Cipro.
Ma ieri due quotidiani turchi – `Cumhuriyet’ e `Milliyet’ – hanno
sottolineato che tra le condizioni di Bruxelles c’è anche la
soluzione dei problemi delle «minoranze» turche (curdi,
cristiano-ortodossi e aleviti, che la Turchia non riconosce come
tali) e l’avvio di una normalizzazione delle relazioni bilaterali
della Turchia con l’Armenia.
CURDI: L’Ue, secondo i due giornali turchi, sembra orientata a
chiedere ad Ankara «passi più attivi» e «negoziati con le
organizzazioni curde», al fine di mettere definitivamente termine al
conflitto con il Pkk, che oggi attraversa una fase di bassa intensità
dopo quella acuta iniziata nel 1974, costata 36 mila morti e durata
15 anni fino al 1999, quando il leader del Pkk, Abdullah Ocalan fu
catturato in Kenya. Secondo il quotidiano `Cumhuriyet’, l’Ue si
spingerebbe fino a chiedere «un accordo di cessate il fuoco con il
Pkk» (che oggi si chiama Congra-Gel): una cosa che – secondo gli
analisti – difficilmente la Turchia potrà mai accettare in quanto,
tra l’altro, il Pkk è incluso nella stessa `lista nera’ europea delle
organizzazioni terroristiche.
GRECO-ORTODOSSI: Per quanto riguarda i cittadini turchi di religione
ortodossa, che sono circa 2.000, l’Ue chiede ad Ankara di riaprire la
scuola religiosa ortodossa di Hebeliada (un’isola vicino Istanbul)
chiusa dal 1971 e alla cui riapertura si oppongono gli ambienti
islamici ortodossi che hanno influenza sull’attuale governo turco. In
particolare la Turchia non riconosce al patriarca di Costantinopoli,
Bartolomeo II, il titolo di `ecumenico’, cioè di capo di tutte le
chiese cristiano ortodosse.
ALEVITI: Per gli aleviti, che in Turchia, secondo la stessa Ue, sono
«da 12 a 20 milioni» e che si considerano «una religione separata
dall’Islam» ma che lo Stato turco continua a catalogare come
musulmani, l’Ue intende chiedere un «riconoscimento» della loro
identità separata, in quanto «minoranza non musulmana», con le
conseguenze che ciò comporta. Gli aleviti vogliono inoltre
l’abrogazione del Direttorato generale per gli affari religiosi, uno
pseudo-ministero che «basa le sue politiche sulla falsa affermazione
che in Turchia il 99,8% della popolazione sia musulmana» ed è
«egemonizzato perciò dai musulmani sunniti».
ARMENIA: Quanto ai rapporti con l’Armenia, con cui la Turchia non ha
relazioni diplomatiche ed ha solo contatti aerei quattro volte la
settimana, l’Ue chiede, come misura urgente, l’apertura almeno di un
passaggio di confine alla frontiera, oggi chiusa. Chiede inoltre un
avvio di normalizzazione delle relazioni tra i due Paesi, avvelenate
dal rifiuto di Ankara di riconoscere il «genocidio» degli armeni del
1915 ad opera degli ottomani e dalle conseguenze della guerra tra
Armenia ed Azerbaigian (alleata di Ankara anche perchè turcofona) del
1988-1994 per l’enclave conteso del Nagorno Karabakh, oggi passato
alla sovranità di fatto armena. L’Armenia non pone più come
precondizione per un negoziato il riconoscimento turco del
«genocidio» del 1915, ma non rinuncia a porlo sul tavolo negoziale
come vorrebbe Ankara.
IL GOVERNO TURCO REPLICA: Lo Stato turco, sulla base del Trattato di
Losanna del 1923, non riconosce come «minoranze» né i curdi, né gli
aleviti, ma solo ebrei, cristiani e armeni. Inoltre il governo di
Ankara non riconosce all’Ue il diritto di porre «nuove condizioni»
per l’apertura del negoziato, oltre ai cosiddetti criteri di
Copenaghen. «I criteri di Copenaghen sono la sola condizione per dare
avvio al negoziato per la piena membership della Turchia», ha
ribadito ancora ieri a Lubiana (Slovenia) il ministro degli esteri
Abdullah Gul aggiungendo che «Ankara non riconoscerà la Repubblica di
Cipro prima che sia stata trovata una soluzione alla divisione
dell’isola».
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Dar Al-Hayat, Saudi Arabia
Dec 3 2004
Ayoon wa Azan (Intimate Search)
Jihad Al Khazen Al-Hayat 2004/12/3
The annual hunting trip to Hungary included a friend who carries a
Lebanese passport, which is problematic enough. Nevertheless, when he
applied for a Hungarian visa at their embassy in London, the wrong
visa was stamped on his passport (the visa was for a girl named
Isabelle, with her photograph on it – same as many of the current
visas). He was lucky enough to notice the error and returned to the
embassy where the visa was canceled and was given one with his name
and picture.
At Budapest Airport, we all headed off together with our British,
Canadian, Saudi, and Jordanian passports. We waited for an hour
before our friend could join us. Because he was Lebanese, the
passport control employee got suspicious, which later increased at
the sight of the annulled visa. Our friend was not released until the
Foreign Ministry was contacted and thankfully we arrived on a working
day; otherwise, he would have missed the entire hunting trip.
On our way out, my friend described the event as trivial compared to
his experience at New York’s airport; he also has a U.S. visa, which
he regularly renews since most of his business is there. Upon getting
his latest renewal, he realized that the place of birth was
registered: Iraq – although he was born in Bourj Hammoud (Lebanon);
he returned to the embassy where the visa was annulled and replaced
with a new one.
The result was hours of investigation in New York, coupled with an
intimate strip search; although his passport showed that he has been
to the U.S. many times a year over the past few years. Moreover, the
annulled visa clearly stated: annulled without fault of passport
bearer. However, my Armenian-Lebanese friend looks guilty, much like
most of my friends. If I doubt him, then the Hungarian and American
security are excused.
Day after day, I hear of horror stories around the world’s airports,
specifically the United States, following the enforcement of strict
measures in fear of terrorism. Personally, I was not harassed, in
spite of my name. Furthermore, it seems that the British passport
makes me an accomplice in the war on terror, which allows me peaceful
passage.
In any case, this is all an introduction. What inspired me to write
about the topic is last week’s article by The New York Times
columnist Maureen Dowd entitled “Hiding Breast Bombs.” In it she
discussed the embarrassment or occasional humiliation experienced by
the female American travelers while undergoing intimate strip
searches, sometimes at the hands of a Transportation Security
Administration (TSA) male screener. It seems that the laws in America
were even stricter since last September in response to the attacks on
the Russian plane by the two Chechen female suicide bombers a few
weeks earlier.
Body search around the breasts is easier than other parts –
inappropriate for publications. Furthermore, The Times Joe Sharky
chronicled the experiences of women’s experiences of the “breast
exam:” a 71 year-old woman was subjected to the breast pat-down in
the search for explosives. Singer and actress Patti LuPone got barred
from her flight for resisting taking off her shirt because she was
wearing nothing underneath. Perhaps the TSA screeners have an excuse
since; some explosive materials are fluid in nature and cannot be
detected through X-Ray machines, which gives rise to the need to look
for them anywhere that they could be concealed. I once saw the
picture of an Israeli soldier inspecting the breast of a veiled
Palestinian woman carrying two infants; I thought it was enough
provocation for them to carry out operations against Israel when they
grow up.
When Maureen Dowd (an American) is strip searched in America, it
makes the inspection of an Armenian-Lebanese friend with his thick
moustache and Middle Eastern features like all terrorists, the best
thing that can happen to him in New York. At least, the men at
customs did not refer to him as Isabelle; like we did in Hungary.
The friend was a victim of error; our neighbor in London was the
victim of a “correction” attempt; upon her arrival in New York, while
on vacation with her husband and children, the well-informed customs
officer asked the woman while inspecting her British passport: Born
in Damascus? You are Iraqi. Welcome. The friend replied: Damascus,
Syria. The officer insisted on Damascus being in Iraq. Rather than
keeping quite to find a pro-unity of Arabs customs employee in
America, our friend insisted on the correction and ended up in a
three hour investigation in a glass room.
Back in the day, we used to travel without being frisked. In the
1960s however, plane hijacking began, and we started being searched.
At first, the planes were highjacked to Cuba. Our ‘brothers’ took to
the idea, and it became the fad in all countries.
Highjacking is easier than detonation. Before the two Chechen females
incident, a man had attempted to blow up a plane with an explosive
hidden in his shoe; as a result, we started to remove our shoes,
which calls for our socks to have no holes.
While the most I had personally experienced is removing my jacket,
shoes and belt, I know people who did all this but were still refused
entry to the United States; either for name similarities, or for
doubting that the visitor intends to immigrate – not to visit as he
claims.
Today, there are new laws against illegal immigration or an
intensification of the ones that already exists in Europe, the United
States, and many other countries. If these laws were to be enforced
retroactively, the whites would return to Europe and America will be
handed back to the Red Indians.
I do not expect this to happen any time soon. Nevertheless, I do
expect the continuity of harassing all the travelers, men and women,
with the fuel surcharge, resulting in the United States expecting 586
million air passengers this year – a record figure – with an $80
billion loss for the airlines.
The financial losses and harassment due to the airport searches is
nothing compared to life endangerment by terrorists. In spite of all
this, I find that there are some who support terrorism or invent
excuses for it.
Since I am no Hercules, I prefer harassment with safety. All the
same, some security measures make no sense; such as patting down an
elderly woman, or focusing on an annulled visa of a friend who is in
a party of seven carrying 15 hunting rifles, some of which are
automatic.
Some of us travel on business, i.e. not by choice. Others, travel on
holiday, to whom I say if he/she really looks like the passport
picture, then he/she is really sick and is better off not getting on
the plane.
Travel documents are no longer restricted to humans. We have a cat
and a dog and have obtained two British passports for them, because
the family spends the summer in the south of France. Pet passports
are a microchip under the neck’s skin, and when the specialized
device decodes it all of the cat or dog’s details appear – including
the name, age, weight, residence, and medical records.
The dog is loyal is to its owner, not the house; hence it travels
with us to France. However, the cat’s loyalty goes to the house
rather than its owner; therefore it usually stays in London – so as
not to run away in France. Since our dog is friendly, it would
welcome any search to prove its innocence. The cat, on the other
hand, is vicious; I could imagine it bury its claws in the inspector,
as he deserves.
I read of an Englishman proud of his cat’s possession of a British
passport, while Mohamad Al Fayed cannot get one. When a man owns
Harrods, why would he want to travel?

Newsday, NY
Dec 3 2004
Movie Review
Game Over: Kasparov vs. the Machine

BY JOHN ANDERSON
STAFF WRITER
(U). Hitchcockian re- examination of the 1997 chess match between
grandmaster Gary Kasparov and IBM computer Deep Blue. Written and
directed by Vikram Jayanti. 1:24. At Cinema Village, Manhattan
Shot, edited and scored like a psychological thriller – which is
precisely what it is – Vikram Jayanti’s “Game Over: Kasparov vs. the
Machine” is the “Gaslight” of the chessboard. Was Kasparov just a
frustrated genius? Or the victim of an elaborate corporate scam?
Either way, the story behind the Kasparov-Deep Blue match of 1997 –
he beat the computer in ’96 – should be seen as a tribute to the
pugnacious grandmaster, generally acknowledged as both the greatest
who ever played the game, and a perpetual outsider: That he was an
Armenian Jew playing a Russian-dominated game made his rival, Anatoly
Karpov, the establishment favorite during their glory days under
Soviet chess. Or so Kasparov thinks. Of course, he also thinks IBM
rigged the match between its computer and himself. And Jayanti’s
investigation makes a good case that it did.
In order to beat the reigning champ, it took a team of programmers,
years of research and a roster of consulting grandmasters. But did
they actually succeed? As Jayanti tells it – while also making
world-class chess not only digestible but appetizing for the average
viewer – it was in Game 2 of the match in New York that Deep Blue
suddenly ignored a Kasparov ploy and played like a human.
That IBM’s stock jumped 15 percent after the match – and that the
company refused a rematch – doesn’t help its case. Neither does
Jayanti’s use of Raymond Bernard’s 1927 silent “The Chess Player,” in
which a mysterious chess machine is found to have a human operator.
That IBM’s Dr. Murray Campbell can’t seem to get the back panel off
the retired Deep Blue for Jayanti’s camera probably is just a
coincidence. But the film is shot in such eerie, suggestive fashion,
the viewer can become susceptible to Kasparovian paranoia.

ArmenPress
Dec 3 2004
ARMENIAN DEFENSE MINISTER MEETS IRANIAN AMBASSADOR
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 3, ARMENPRESS: Armenian defense minister Serzh
Sarkisian received today Iran’s ambassador to Armenia, Ali Reza
Haghighyan to discuss, according to a press release by the ministry,
regional security issues and Nagorno Karabagh conflict regulation
pace. The ministry said the two men also spoke about Armenian defense
minister’s upcoming visit to Tehran.
Mr. Haghighyan expressed his willingness to help organize Farsi
language courses at the Armenian Military Academy in Yerevan. This
willingness was hailed by the minister, who said it may become the
second Armenian establishment, after Yerevan State University, to
provide extensive teaching of Farsi.
The two men were said to touch upon the recent progress in
Armenian-Iranian economic cooperation. The ambassador was quoted as
saying that Iran emphasizes Armenia’s stability and sustainable
economic development. He said some new ideas emerged in the course of
high-level bilateral meetings, related to building an Iran-Armenia
railway, imports of oil products. These ideas were likewise welcomed
by Armenian defense minister, who described them as “brilliant” and
said their implementation would be beneficial to Armenia.
Sarkisian also spoke about Armenia’s individual plan of
partnership with NATO stressing again that Armenia does not seek
membership with the Alliance.

MY DISCHARGE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH KARABAKH CONFLIOCT SETTLEMENT: EX
COMMANDER OF NKR DEFENCE ARMY
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 3. ARMINFO. The ex commander of the Nagorno Karabakh
defence army, Lieut Gen Samvel Babayan says that his early discharge
from prison has nothing to do with the process of the Karabakh
conflict peaceful settlement.
In an interview to Iravunk he says that his discharge has no political
reasons. Nobody has negotiated with him on the matter. Babayan does
not think that the Karabakh problem is close to its resolution. He
says that the “Nagorny karabakh conflict” is a wrong term – this is a
pan-Armenian problem. “I would refrain to opine on the current talks
for the conflict settlement.” “We should find new ways to settle the
problem.” Stepanakert-Baku dialogue would be the best solution.
Stepanakert’s estrangement from the talks is the very obstacle to the
problem settlement, says Babayan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

SOUTH CAUCASIAN STATE TO RECEIVE GRANT FROM INTERNATIONAL
ORGANIZATIONS FOR INTERREGIONAL TV PROGRAM “CROSSROAD”
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 3. ARMINFO. The South Caucasian states will be
provided a 140,000 USD grant as support to a TV program “Crossroad.”
The funds are allocated by EurAsia Foundation jointly with Media
Diversity Institute (MDI). According to MDI, the grant will be
provided to Internews-Armenia, Internews-Azerbaijan and
Internews-Georgia. Weekly program Crossroad covers political, economic
and social events in the South Caucasus and is the only interregional
program. The audience of the program, is some 6 mln people. EurAsia
Foundational and MDI will help the program cover also the problems of
ethnic and religious minorities, women, children and marginal groups.
In Armenia crossroad will be broadcasted on the private TV channel
“Shant,” in Georgia on Rustavi-2 TV channel. MDI mobilizes Mass Media
potential to weaken inter-group conflict, to protect the rights of
national minorities and human rights on the whole, as well as to
strengthen public tolerance to all the types of social diversity. MDI
is based in London and has offices in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia,
EurAsian Foundation was established in 1993 to contribute to
development of democratic and market institutions in twenty new
independent states of the former Soviet Union. The program of small
grants is the main way to achieve this goal.

NKR PRESIDENT: GRATIFYING RESULTS OF ALL ARMENIAN TELETHON EVIDENCE OF
INCREASING TRUST OF ARMENIAN DIASPORA IN DEMOCRATIZATION PROCESS IN
NKR
STEPANAKERT, DECEMBER 3. ARMINFO. NKR President Arkady Ghoukassyan
received members of the Security Council and the heads of the
ministries and departments and other executive officials of NKR,
Thursday.
The NKR Presidential Information Department informs ARMINFO that
meeting-participants discussed a broad spectrum of issues related the
results of Nov 25 telethon in the USA in support to
Karabakh. Participating in the meeting were also Parliamentary Speaker
Oleg Yesayan and Prime Minister Anushavan Danielyan. The president
once more confirms that the funds will be used to complete the
construction of North-South highway which is of strategic, economic
and social importance for Karabakh. The president emphasizes the
necessity of strong control over use of the collected funds as well as
over organization of construction works in all the sections of
North-South highway to complete them within the terms fixed.
Eleven million and 500,000 US dollars collected due to the telethon
testify to the increasing trust of Armenian Diaspora in
democratization of al the spheres of living activity in NKR, reforms
in the economy, formation of civil society in Artsakh, he
says. Diaspora believes in Artsakh and considers its duty to
contribute to Artsakh’s political and economic independence, the
president says. In this connection, Arkady Ghoukassyan have instructed
the meeting-participants to start preparation of the next telethon for
development of socio-economic sector of mardakert region in the north
of NKR, which has been most of all damaged by Azerbaijani
aggression. He says that in future telethon will be held to improve
the regions of Shushi and other rural area of Karabakh.
As regards the political results of his visit to the USA, the
president says that Diaspora, the Armenian political parties operating
abroad expressed readiness to more actively join lobbying of
Karabakh’s position in the conflict with Azerbaijan at various
international structures. The meeting-participants thanked their
foreign compatriots as well as Armenian and NKR citizens for active
participation in the telethon. It is only due to combined efforts of
Armenia, Artsakh and Diaspora that the Armenian people will be able to
implement all-national tasks, NKR president says for conclusion.

AZERBAIJANI GUNMEN, SO-CALLED “KARABAKH PARTISANS” WAITING FOR
AGREEMENT OF AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT TO START MILITARY ACTIONS IN
KARABAKH
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 3. ARMINFO. Azerbaijani gunmen, the so-called
“Karabakh partisans” are waiting for an agreement of Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev to start military actions to “bring the
occupied territories back,” says a letter of one of the defendants in
the case of Karabakh partisans Rovshan Badalov to Supreme
Commander-in-Chief of Azerbaijani Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev,
Prosecutor General Zakir Garalov and Chairman of Supreme Court Sudaba
Hasanova, National Security Minister Eldar Mahmudov, on behalf of his
like-minders, Zerkalo newspaper reports.
Pointing out the strategic importance of this fight and the tactical
preparedness of the group for partisan war, Badalov writes that
besides them hundreds and thousands of patriots will join this
struggle. He writes that partisan war will prove Armenians, who
“created the so-called NKR that Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan.” He
says that in case of a secret intervention into Karabakh lands, the
partisan movement will assume wide scope, which will bring Azerbaijan
international recognition and positive progress of Azerbaijani in
official negotiations.
It should be noted that “Karabakh partisan” attempting to unleash
partisan war in Karabakh were arrested in the summer of 2003 by the
Azerbaijani National Security Ministry for formation of illegal armed
groupings, illegal crossing the state boundary, contraband and other
charges. At present they are waiting for court verdict fixed for Dec
7, 2005. If recognized guilty, they are threatened with 3-8 years of
imprisonment.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

DEFENCE MINISTER OF ARMENIA MEETS WITH IRAN’S AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 3. ARMINFO. During Friday meeting Secretary of
Security Council attached to the president of Armenia, Defence
Minister Serge Sargsian and Ambassador of Iran to Armenia Alireza
Khagigian have discussed the process of peaceful settlement of the
Karabakh conflict.
ARMINFO was informed in the press office of the Defence Ministry of
Armenia, the participants have discussed issues of regional security
and the planned visit of Serge Sargsian to Tehran. The Iranian
diplomat expressed readiness to organize courses of Iranian language
in the Military Institute after Vazgen Sargsian. During the meeting
the interlocutors have stressed the serious progress in the
Armenian-Iranian economic relations, in particular, the construction
of the gas pipe-line Iran-Armenia and construction of a new
high-voltage power transmission line between Armenia and
Iran. According to the Ambassador, the stability and economic
development of Armenia are very important for Iran.
“New ideas concerning the construction of the railway Iran-Armenia and
import of oil product from Iran to Armenia have been proposed during
the last official meetings in the sphere of economic cooperation”,
Alireza Khagigian added. Serge Sargsian welcomed these
initiatives. According to him, if the implementation of these ideas be
possible, then it will have an exclusive importance for
Armenia. Concerning the issue of programs of individual partnership
with NATO, the minister again mentioned that the agenda of the foreign
policy of Armenia does not include the issue on the republic’s
accession to NATO.

PROGRAM OF COOPERATION BETWEEN EXECUTIVE POWER BODIES OF ARMENIA AND
RUSSIA FOR 2005-2007 SIGNED
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 3. ARMINFO. A program of cooperation between the
executive power bodies of Armenian and Russian capitals for 2005-2007
was signed in Yerevan, Friday. The document was signed by Yerevan
Mayor Yervand Zakharyan and his Moscow counterpart Yuri Luzhkov.
The program embraces the broadest spectrum of cooperation between the
capital in the sphere of architecture, town planning, trade, education
and culture. The program is a result of careful work for the last few
years, Yervand Zakharyan tells journalists after the signing
ceremony. He adds that it is another step towards strengthening of the
friendship of the two peoples. At present, a Moscow Investment Company
successfully operates in Yerevan. Besides, we have agreed to found a
House of Moscow in Yerevan and Armenian Whole-sale Trading Center in
Moscow, Yerevan Mayor says.
We cannot mention even a small part of what the document provides for
as the time is limited. Moscow has established close business and
cultural contracts with many capitals in the world and the new program
signed between Moscow and Yerevan is further expansion of our
countries’ relations, Yuri Luzhkov says. He attached a greaty
importance to the Armenian Whole-sale Trading Center’s construction in
Moscow, which will be completed within the shortest terms. Moscow
Municipality will render assistance to the Russian-Armenian (Slavonic)
University. Armenian students and pupils will receive a great number
of text-books on the Russian language and other literature. Exchange
of students will continue and more possibilities will be created for
retraining of teachers in Moscow, Yuri Luzhkov says.
It should be noted that the program will cost over 100 mln USD. At
least, establishment of the Armenian Whole-sale Trading Center in
Moscow will require 60 mln USD. Moscow Mayor is of the opinion that
the bilateral cooperation is very prospective and he is sure that the
commodity turnover between the two cities will increase 5 times by his
next visit to Yerevan.