Los Angeles Daily News
Nov 30 2004
The Southland chatter is coming from teeth
By Dana Bartholomew, Staff Writer
An Arctic blast into the San Fernando Valley has chilled residents to
the bone while sending thousands to the ski slopes during one of the
coldest Novembers in Los Angeles in 90 years.
Frigid winds up to 60 miles an hour lashed Southern California during
a winter-like snap that is expected to turn warm gradually throughout
the week.
“It’s too cold, it’s too cold,” said Shaheen Tegrarian, 61, of
Glendale, bundled up in fleece and flannels inside his Westlake
Cleaners store. “This is not good — I’m scared of the flu.”
Weather forecasters reported frost and wind advisories for parts of
the Valley on Monday, as temperatures were expected to dip into the
upper 20s and low 30s overnight. Highs by late afternoon hit 58 in
Burbank, 58 in Van Nuys, 57 in Woodland Hills, 56 in Thousand Oaks,
51 in Newhall, 50 in Lancaster and 60 in downtown Los Angeles.
The cold front, which moved into Southern California over the
Thanksgiving weekend, brought light rain and snow flurries in the
mountains.
Temperatures are likely to warm up only into the 50s today, then drop
to a freezing 32 degrees tonight.
“This is really winter weather — it’s about as cold as it normally
gets,” said Dave Gomberg, a meteorologist with the National Weather
Service in Oxnard. “It’s definitely the coldest so far this season.”
The chill puts November 2004 on course to become one of the coldest
months in history for downtown Los Angeles, according to the Western
Regional Climate Center.
The average temperature this month was 59.7 degrees. Since weather
data were first recorded in 1914, only a dozen Novembers have fallen
below an average of 60 degrees.
The New Jersey weather even sent weathermen scurrying for their
parkas.
“I got my flight jacket on, Air Force scarf and everything else,”
said Bill Hoffer, an NWS weather specialist.
But as the mercury fell, thousands packed their skis and headed for
the hills for some of the best skiing in recent memory.
Mountain High Resorts reported a record 31 percent spike over its
best Thanksgiving weekend, as 23,000 skiers and snowboarders — 8,000
over its previous record — hit slopes covered with up to two feet of
snow.
The record followed milestones this fall for earliest opening and
best attendance for October and November. Temperatures range from 26
degrees at the base and 23 degrees at the top of the Angeles Forest
resort.
“Best Thanksgiving ever,” said John McColly, spokesman for Mountain
High Resorts. “It’s super-cold. The conditions are incredible.”
Forecasters attribute the sudden drop in temperatures to an unusual
high-pressure dome that caused frigid air from the Gulf of Alaska to
surge into the Great Basin of Nevada, Utah and Arizona, then blow
like an icy Santa Ana into Southern California.
Winds were reported gusting up to 42 mph in Saugus, 52 mph in Malibu
Canyon, 61 mph Monday in Chesebro Canyon in the Simi Hills and 68 mph
in the Angeles Forest.
The California Highway Patrol reported no wind-related traffic
incidents.
Jaime Mintun, a clerk at Rocky Roaster coffees in Canoga Park, said a
palm tree blew over onto her Studio City Apartment complex and
another tree narrowly missed crashing into her cafe.
“My boyfriend just got a motorcycle,” she said. “He borrowed my
gloves and scarf because he’s so cold.”
Yet not everyone minded the chill. As autumn leaves blew gold and red
across the San Fernando Valley, Christmas trees began to sprout on
lots and stores.
“I love it,” said Janice Williams, 62, of Saugus, a native of
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. “More like the holidays; reminds me of
home.”
George Ebrahimian, owner of Arbi Custom Photo in Burbank, said he
appreciates four seasons — and is invigorated by a good fall chill.
“Perfect,” said Ebrahimian, 50, an Armenian native of Iran. “You have
to go out and enjoy — go to the mountains with a bottle of cognac
and one nice Cuban cigar, with an open heart. Blessing to God. Enjoy
the life.”
This month is on course to become one of the coldest Novembers in 90
years in downtown Los Angeles, according to the Western Regional
Climate Center. Only 12 Novembers have fallen below 60 degrees since
1914.
So far this month, temperatures have averaged 59.7 degrees.
The coldest November on record was an average of 58.4 degrees in
1978.
The average temperature for November is 63.1 degrees.
The warmest November was an average of 68.9 degrees in 1932.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Baku Today
Nov 30 2004
Azeri Envoy Pledges to Unblock Rail Traffic for Georgian Freight
On November 29 the Georgian Foreign Ministry summoned Azerbaijani
Ambassador to Georgia Ramiz Gasanov to speak regarding the recent
seizure of Georgian freight by the Azerbaijani side at the border of
the two countries.
After the talks with Deputy Foreign Minister Mikheil Ukleba, the
Azeri Ambassador said that freight which is designated for Georgia
will be released.
`However, the Azerbaijani customs will ascertain the route of
transportation of other freight…if the detained freight is
designated for Armenia, this contradicts the national interests of
Azerbaijan,’ the Ambassador told reporters on November 29.
Azerbaijan fears that some of the freight might be imported to
Armenia via Georgia.
Over 900 train cars loaded with fuel and grain have been stuck at
Georgia’s border with Azerbaijani border for a week.
Commenting on the recent seizure of the Georgian freight, Prime
Minister Zurab Zhvania said, `nothing dramatic is occurring, the
situation will be clarified by the relevant agencies of Georgia and
Azerbaijan.’
A delegation from the Georgian Railway Company has already left for
Azerbaijan to clarify the situation.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Kazinform, Kazakhstan
Nov 30 2004
CSTO SC secretaries to discuss situatn in CSTO responsibility zone.
Yerevan, November 30. KAZINFORM. The military and political situation
in the zone of responsibility of the Collective Security Treaty
Organisation (CSTO) and prospects of cooperation among the CSTO
states will be prioritised at the tenth meeting of the committee of
the CSTO Security Council secretaries on Tuesday, Kazinform refers to
Itar-Tass. Partakers of the meeting will consider the fight with
terrorism and other threats to the CSTO states, press secretary of
the Armenian Security Council secretary Seiran Shakhsuvaryan told
Itar-Tass.
The heads of the CIS drug control agencies will take part in the
current forum. Therefore the action Channel-2004 that is aimed
against international drug trafficking will be considered at the
meeting.
“At present all countries have common problems and challenges,” CSTO
Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha said. He noted that “at present
no military threat exists, and there are absolutely other threats.”
“Two of them – drugs and terrorism concern most of all countries all
over the world including in the Caucasus,” he emphasised. Accoridng
ot Bordyuzha, “the CSTO should be adapted primarily to those security
problems that exist in our countries.”
The secretaries of the CSTO Security Councils will consider
military-technical cooperation and training of military personnel.
Practical results have been achieved in this field. Russian weapons
are already supplied on internal prices in the CSTO states. Russia
will train military specialists from the CSTO states next year,
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov reported to President Vladimir
Putin the other day.
The CSTO states believe that the intensification of military activity
is an important direction of the CSTO activity. The military groups
that exist in the CSTO states are being modernised. These are the
Russian-Armenian group in the Caucasus, Russian-Belarussian group and
the rapid deployment collective forces in Central Asia.
Armenia that hosts a meeting of the CSTO Security Council secretaries
for the second time gives close attention to the cooperation among
the CSTO states on the bilateral and multilateral basis. The
republic’s authorities believe that Russian military and border
presence is an important component of Armenian security.

Persian Journal, Iran
Nov 30 2004
Iran,Armenia to set electricity line
The Iran-Armenia electricity network with a capacity of 230 kw is due
to be inaugurated tomorrow.
Iranian Energy Minister Habibollah Bitaraf and his Armenian
counterpart, Armen Movsisian, will be attending the inaugural
ceremony.
“Electricity exchanges between the two countries will reach a total
of 450 megawatts through this project,” the managing director of the
Iranian SANIR Electricity Company said on Monday.
Alireza Kadkhodaei said that the project costs 8.4 million dollars.
He also announced that the two energy ministers are scheduled to sign
an agreement for construction of a third line of the the two
electricity network.
Meanwhile, Iran and Armenia on May 13 signed an agreement to
construct a 42-km gas pipeline between the Armenian cities of Megri
and Kajaran.
The project is to be inaugurated during an upcoming visit of Energy
Minister Bitaraf in Armenia.
The Iran-Armenia trade volume is expected to reach 10 billion dollars
in the next 20 years with implementation of the above-stated project.

Reuters AlertNet, UK
Nov 30 2004
Equatorial Guinea coup trial “grossly unfair”-Amnesty
30 Nov 2004 19:13:41 GMT

By Estelle Shirbon
MADRID, Nov 30 (Reuters) – Equatorial Guinea’s trial of 19 suspected
mercenaries accused of plotting a coup in the oil-rich African
country was “grossly unfair” and the court ignored allegations of
torture, Amnesty International said on Tuesday.
A court in the Equatorial Guinean capital Malabo last Friday
sentenced 11 foreigners it said were involved in an attempt to topple
President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo to jail terms ranging from 14
to 34 years.
Two Equatorial Guineans were sentenced to 16 months’ imprisonment.
Three other Equatorial Guineans and three South Africans were
acquitted.
“No evidence was presented in court to sustain the charges against
the accused other than their statements, which the defendants said
had been extracted under torture,” Amnesty said.
“However, defendants’ protestations to this effect were ignored by
the bench … No court can ignore allegations as serious as these,”
the human rights group said in a statement.
Authorities in Equatorial Guinea say the men on trial were an advance
party of mercenaries bent on killing Obiang and replacing him with
exiled opposition politician Severo Moto, who has denied any role in
the plot.
They say a web of foreign financiers hungry for a share of Equatorial
Guinea’s oil wealth backed the scheme.
The widely respected human rights group’s condemnation could
complicate any possible attempt by Equatorial Guinea to obtain the
extradition of the alleged financial backers of the plot.
They include Mark Thatcher, son of former British Prime Minister
Margaret Thatcher, who faces trial in South Africa on charges he
helped finance the scheme. Thatcher denies any role.
DEFENDANTS’ RIGHTS VIOLATED-AMNESTY
Amnesty said the rights of the eight South Africans and six Armenians
on trial had been violated from the moment of their arrest on March
8.
“All defendants were held incommunicado, handcuffed and shackled 24
hours a day,” it said. “They did not receive an adequate diet, and
only rarely received medical treatment for the many ailments that
afflicted them in prison.”
The state prosecutor told the court during the trial that all the
suspects’ rights had been respected.
Those convicted will remain in the same jail where they have been
held so far, Malabo’s infamous Black Beach prison.
Amnesty said a question mark remained over the fate of Gerhard Merz,
a German also arrested on March 8 who died in Black Beach nine days
later. Authorities said he was killed by cerebral malaria but two
defendants in the trial told the court he died as a result of
torture.
Amnesty said the men did not see their defence lawyers until two days
before the start of the trial.
It also said the statements presented in court were in Spanish — a
language the defendants did not understand — and that the English
translation provided to the South African suspects missed out or
distorted vital pieces of information.
“Neither the verdict not the sentences were translated, and the
defendants left the court with no knowledge of their fate.”
The foreign suspects appeared in court with their wrists and ankles
chained together at all times, which Amnesty said was “cruel,
degrading and inhumane treatment”.

AZERBAIJAN DEMANDS THAT GEORGIA COMPLY WITH THEIR AGREEMENT BANNING
RAILROAD TRANSIT TO THIRD COUNTRIES
TBILISI, NOVEMBER 30. ARMINFO. Azerbaijan demand that Georgia comply
with their summer agreement banning transit of railroad cargoes to
third countries. “Most probably the cargoes going to Georgia were
stopped in Azerbaijan because part of them is imported into Armenia,”
says Azeri Ambassador to Georgia Ramiz Gasanov.
“Imagine if we start supplying fuel into Abkhazia or South Ossetia. Is
it against Georgia’s national interests? I think yes it is,” says
Gasanov noting that Azerbaijan and Georgia have mutual understanding
of the problem.
Azeri customs commissioners are coming to Georgia today to discuss
what to do with each carriage stopped on Azeri border.
Georgian PM Zurab Zvania says he does not see any drama in the
situation. “We are working with the Azeri side and I am sure that
there will be no problems here,” he says.
To remind, Azerbaijan has sharply cut railroad transit of
Georgia-bound cargos. Some 889 carriages have been stalled in
Beyukiasik (3 km of Georgian border) in Nov alone. Meanwhile th
Georgian side makes no secret of its delivering cargoes from Central
Asia to Armenian border – but they say this is because Georgia is a
transit country.
From: Baghdasarian

ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT TO CONSOLIDATE ARABLE LANDS
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 30. ARMINFO. 99% of Armenia’s arable lands are
highly desintegrated so the government is drafting a pilot program to
consolidate them and to improve their use schemes.
The chairman of the state property register committee Manuk Vardanyan
says that an interdepartment commission has been set up to implement
the program. Various methods will be tested during the program with
priority given to those accepted by specific communities and
farmers. Consolidation can be effected according to land type, cost,
type of use and melioration.
The key point of the program is to develop a state policy on effective
land use encouraging farmers with soft loans, equipment leasing, tax
concessions, guaranteed harvest purchase like in wine and tobacco
growing. The consolidation process has been underway in Armenia for
three years already. 5,100 h of land were bought in the country in
Jan-Sept 2004 with communal budget revenues totalling 1.8 bln AMD
(almost $3.5 mln).
FAO representative David Palmer says that a relevant information and
education base will be developed for the program this including
workshops and working conferences, training courses for farmers on how
to more effectively use land resources. The key objective of the
program is to reveal financially feasible and socially and
ecologically acceptable ways of land use efficiency raising.
The program will be carried out by the committee and FAO for two
years. Presently Armenia has 330,000 farms each owning an average of
1.3 h of arable land.

GEORGIAN GOVERNMENT INCLUDES RECOVERY OF TBILISI-JAVAKHK HIGHWAY IN
MILLENNIUM PROGRAM
TBILISI, NOVEMBER 30. ARMINFO. The Georgian Government has included
the recovery of the Tbilisi-Manglisi-Tsalka-Ninotsminda-Kartsakhi
highway in the Millennium program, says the chairman of Georgia’s
roadway department Roman Dallakishvili.
The project is to be launched in several months as soon as the
feasibility report is drafted. This project is very important for
mostly Armenia Javakheti region and consequently or Armenia, says
Dallakishvili. Additional talks are being held for restoring the 23 km
Ninotsminda-Armenian border road this project requiring $6 mln. The
total project will cost $105 mln. In fact the way from Akhalkalaki to
Tbilisi will be reduced by 90 km which will make it easier and cheaper
for the local population to take their argicultural produce to the
capital.

RUSSIA DOES NOT FULFILL ITS OBLIGATIONS AS STRATEGIC PARTNER OF
Armenia: ARMENIAN MP
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 30. ARMINFO. Armenian President Robert Kocharyan
joining the statement of CIS signatories giving a negative assessment
of the OSCE’s activity and his congratulation to Victor Yanukovich on
his election to the post of Ukrainian President incites European
structures against Armenia, which in its turn, has a negative impact
on their position in discussion of Karabakh problem at these
structures. Head of the National Democratic Party, the member of the
Armenian delegation to PACE, Shavarsh Kocharyan made this statement at
a press-conference, Tuesday.
He said that both in the first and in the second case, Armenia’s
position is undoubtedly within the interests of Russia. Meanwhile,
Kocharyan said, Russia ignores the interests of the country in many
important issues for Armenia, often forgetting about the partner
relations between the two states. To prove the aforementioned, he said
that when discussing the Karabakh problem at PACE Political Committee,
the Russian delegation left the session hall. Besides, Shavarsh
Kocharyan said that Russia did not take into account the interests of
Armenia when signing a contract on sale of arms to
Azerbaijan. Besides, it sales arms to Azerbaijan for the same price as
to CSTO member-states. Russia leaves vulnerable Armenia’s interests
when discussing the prospects of construction of Russia-Georgia-Turkey
and Russia-Azerbaijan-Iran railways as in case of implementation of
these projects, opening of Kars-Gyumri-Akhalkalaki railway will be
endangered, Kocharyan said.
He said that in such situation, Armenia must not hope for the
assistance of its strategic partner, but to try to enlist support of
European structures through development of democracy and increase of
its international image. Meanwhile, he said that development of
democratic principles is practically ruled out under the current
authorities in Armenia.

FRANCE’S PRESIDENT HAS ALREADY SIGNED DECREE ON AWARDING SPEAKER OF ARMENIAN
PARLIAMENT WITH ORDER OF LEGION OF HONOUR
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 30. ARMINFO. Deputy chairman of the party “Orinats
Yerkir”, Head of the commission for defence, national security and
internal affairs of Armenian parliament Mher Shahgeldian took part in
the Paris congress of the ruling party in France “Unity for democracy”
on Nov 28.
Mher Shahgeldian informed in the press conference at the National
Assembly of Armenia, within the framework of the visit he had met with
representatives of political circles of European, as well as with the
chairman of the Senate of France. According to the Armenian MP, during
the meetings the participants have mainly discussed issues of the
development of democratic systems in Armenia. He also informed that
as a result of the meetings the participants had reached an agreement
on implementation of programs for strengthening of the legislative
field in Armenia by a number of European funds. Mher Shahgeldian also
informed that the president of France has already signed a decree on
awarding Speaker of Armenian parliament Arthur Baghdasarian with the
order of the Legion of Honor for the contribution to the deepening of
Armenian-French relations.