MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
375010 Telephone: +3741. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +3741. .562543
Email: [email protected]:
PRESS RELEASE
13 November 2004
Minister Oskanian Attends CIS Collective Security Treaty Organization
Ministerial
On 12 November, Minister Oskanian attended a Ministerial Meeting of CIS
Collective Security Treaty Organization in the framework of his working
visit to Moscow.
The agenda of the Ministerial included issues of developing security system
for CSTO member states, prompt and efficient response to new challenges and
threats, prevention of drug trafficking and combating organized crime.
In his statement, Minister Oskanian referred to voting by some CSCO member
states in support of Azerbaijan’s initiative in the UN. He qualified their
position as inexplicable and divergent from the position of Co-chairs of
OSCE Minsk Group in charge of Nagorno Karabagh conflict settlement.
On the same day, Vartan Oskanian had a meeting with Russia’s Sergey Lavrov.
The two ministers explored issues of the current state and prospects of
Armenia – Russia relations. While discussing other issues of common
interest, the ministers stressed the importance of consolidated position of
the two countries’ delegations in international fora.
In the evening, Minister Oskanian received Co-chairs of OSCE Minsk Group,
Yuri Merzlyakov of Russia and Henry Jacolin of France in Armenian mission in
Moscow and discussed current issues and prospects of Nagorno Karabagh
conflict settlement.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
375010 Telephone: +3741. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +3741. .562543
Email: [email protected]:
PRESS RELEASE
15 November 2004
Minister Oskanian Receives Council of Europe Committee of Ministers’
Monitoring Group
On 15 November, Minister Oskanian received Council of Europe Committee of
Ministers’ Monitoring group (also known as Ago Group) headed by Germany’s
Permanent Representative to CoE Ambassador Roland Wegener. This is the
second visit of Ago Group to Armenia to assess the country’s progress in
meeting the commitments made to the Council of Europe upon membership.
Ambassador Wegener stressed the importance of continuity and consistency of
the Group’s operation and briefed the Minister on constructive dialogue held
during the Group’s meetings with National Assembly Vice Speaker,
parliamentary factions and opposition representatives. The Group also
briefed the Minister on its views on constitutional reform progress, reform
of the electoral code and the need for a dialogue between the authorities
and the opposition, importance of ensuring equal conditions for the mass
media, progress of judiciary reform and things yet to be done.
Foreign Minister stated that the Group’s visits render an additional
momentum to the reforms and contribute to Armenia’s fulfillment of
commitments towards the Council of Europe. He further introduced Armenia’s
approaches and steps taken for meeting the CoE commitments. The Minister
stated that in spite of notable achievements, there is still much to be
done.
The discussion continued during a business dinner and involved exchange of
views on several issues of international concern, including latest
developments with Nagorno Karabagh conflict regulation. Minister Oskanian
expressed hope that after elimination of current bottlenecks, it would be
possible to register a serious progress in the conflict settlement.
On the same day, Minister Oskanian and Ago Group members held a press
conference in the Ministry’s Media Hall.

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
375010 Telephone: +3741. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +3741. .562543
Email: [email protected]:
PRESS RELEASE
16 November 2004
Minister Oskanian Answers Questions by Armenian Mass Media On Colin Powell’s
Resignation
Question: Mr. Minister, how would you comment on Colin Powell’s
resignation?
Answer: I was sorry to hear of Secretary Powell’s resignation. During his
four years tenure, Armenia – US relations have deepened and our agenda has
become more multifaceted.
State Secretary Powell closely followed developments in our region and
wanted conflicts to be resolved and normal relations to be established
between neighbors.
I would like to emphasize Powell’s personal contribution to Armenia’s
selection for Millennium Challenge Account funding.
We value greatly Secretary Powell’s great role in each of these and other
areas. At each of our meetings, it was very clear that Secretary Powell’s
deep, multifaceted knowledge, personal integrity, and professional
commitment all come together to better serve all of us who have had the
opportunity and good fortune to work with him.
I am sure that we will continue our efficient cooperation with the new
Secretary of State for the benefit of our two nations.

Interfax
Nov 17 2004
Armenia against UN involvement in Nagorno-Karabakh issue
Yerevan. (Interfax-AVN) – Armenia expressed disapproval on Tuesday of
any international body except the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) being involved in efforts to settle the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
“Either Armenia continues negotiations with Azerbaijan within the
framework of the Minsk Group of the OSCE and in the context of the
agreements that have been reached or Azerbaijan should hold
negotiations with Nagorno-Karabakh or with Armenia with the
participation of the Karabakh side,” Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan
Oskanian told reporters.
He said UN resolution on Nagorno-Karabakh proposed by Azerbaijan
would be an obstacle to the settlement process.
“If Azerbaijan wishes to remove individual tasks and solutions from
the total package of the Karabakh settlement process and to lobby
them with organizations that have nothing to do with the settlement
of the Karabakh conflict, Azerbaijan should in that case hold
negotiations either with Nagorno-Karabakh or with Armenia with the
participation of the Karabakh side,” he said.
Earlier, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammedyarov told
Interfax: “The inclusion of an item on the situation on the occupied
territories of Azerbaijan in the UN General Assembly agenda will
exercise nothing but a positive effect on the negotiation process.”
“We take the view that the debate in the UN by no means replaces
debates in the OSCE Minsk Group,” he said.
“It is difficult to see the negotiations as frank when, along with
them, the Armenian side is populating occupied territories in
Azerbaijan, including beyond the administrative border of Nagorno-
Karabakh,” he said.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Interfax
Nov 17 2004
Armenia to sign 50% ZMMK sale deal with Cronimet soon
Yerevan. (Interfax) – During a working visit to Germany November
17-19, Armenian President Robert Kocharian is expected to sign a deal
with the German company Cronimet for 50% of the stock in Zangezursky
Copper and Molybdenum Plant, or ZMMK, a source familiar with the
negotiation process told Interfax.
Cronimet and Comsup Commodities, which is in line to buy the other
50% stake in ZMMK, each paid the Armenian government $12.5 million in
security for exclusive negotiations for the enterprise.
The government set ZMMK’s price at $130 million, and each of the two
companies is to pay half that for their 50% stakes.
Cronimet owns 48% of the stock in Yerevan’s Chistoye Zhelezo (Pure
Iron), which processes molybdenum concentrate produced by ZMMK.

New Britain Herald, CT
Nov 17 2004
Fay Vincent may speak at chamber event
By SCOTT WHIPPLE, Staff Writer
NEW BRITAIN — At Yale Law School, they were as close as the three
musketeers. Following graduation, they went their separate ways.
Bart Giamatti became commissioner of Major League Baseball. Fay
Vincent, a securities lawyer, ran Columbia Pictures for nearly 10
years before succeeding Giamatti as commissioner in 1989 following
his death. Harry Mazadoorian became a published author and law
professor at Quinnipiac University.

On Thursday, Mazadoorian will receive the New Britain Chamber of
Commerce’s prestigious Distinguished Community Service Award. Vincent
will be on hand for the celebration, and may say a few words on
behalf of his long-time friend.
“There are few people you meet in life about whom nobody says
anything bad,” Vincent said Tuesday. “To my knowledge, nobody has
ever said anything bad about Harry. Everyone likes him.”
Vincent said he and Giamatti used to call Mazadoorian “the designated
friend” after baseball’s designated hitter.
“The three of us had a lot in common,” Vincent said. “We’re all
ethnic. Harry’s Armenian; Bart was Italian; I’m Irish. We were all
from families that didn’t have much to start with. Harry’s family
worked for (The) Stanley Works; my grandfather worked for Scoville’s
in the factory.”
Vincent said that although Mazadoorian has become a significant
figure, he’s never changed.
“He’s always been very likable, very smart,” he said. “And he loves
New Britain.”
Mazadoorian and Vincent talk every day. Often, they chat about
baseball.
In September 1992, baseball owners voted 18-9 for Vincent’s
resignation. Vincent had ordered New York Yankees owner George
Steinbrenner to resign as the club’s general partner. Steinbrenner
had made a $40,000 payment to confessed gambler Howard Spira for
damaging information about Yankee star Dave Winfield.
“I liked having a job where part of it was going to baseball games,”
Vincent said. “I liked hanging around the ballparks, talking to the
umpires, managers and players.”
What he didn’t like were “the politics, the back-stabbing owners, and
all the anonymous quotes about me in the newspapers.”
Vincent spent the summer of 1956 at George W. Bush’s boyhood home in
Midland, Texas. He worked for George H.W. Bush in the oil fields that
summer and lived with the Bushes. The president was 9 years old then,
playing Little League baseball, and hardly a major league scout’s
dream candidate. When Bush owned the Texas Rangers, Vincent told him,
“You’d better be nice to me. Remember, I saw you play Little League
baseball.”
Barbara and George Bush were hospitable to Vincent that summer.
When Vincent got elected baseball commissioner, President George H.W.
Bush called to wish him well.
“If I had known you were going to become baseball commissioner when
you were working for me in the oil fields back in Texas, I would have
been a lot nicer to you,” Bush allegedly said.
Vincent replied, “Mr. President, if I had known you were going to be
president, I would have been a lot nicer to you.”
To Vincent, George H.W. Bush has always been a hero.
“I look up to him,” he said. “And, Georgie, his son — as we used to
call him — has come on to be a great man. I admire him, too.”
On Thursday, Vincent’s wife, Christina, will accompany him to the
awards dinner at the Student Center ballroom of Central Connecticut
State University. He said he hopes Mike Halloran, another Yale Law
School grad and gridiron great from New Britain High School, will be
at his table to cheer Mazadoorian on.

Daily Californian, California
Nov 17 2004
Efficient Vertical Wind Turbines Developed
Wind Turbines Provide More Power, Reduced Maintenance Compared To
Traditional Models
By NATALIYA ROVENSKAYA
Contributing Writer

Berkeley researchers have helped to fashion a wind turbine that can
provide power at a more efficient rate, with lower noise and
maintenance and fewer bird fatalities than traditional windmills.
This month, the researchers collaborated with engineers in Russia,
who have been working to establish 1-kilowatt and 3-kilowatt wind
turbines in barren locations.
The vertical turbine blades spin at about twice the speed of the
wind, much lower than the tip speeds of horizontal turbine blades.
The faster tip speed makes the blade both noisy and dangerous to
birds – many species of birds are being killed by wind farms, leading
land stakeholders to find a solution.
`The blades travel at roughly 40 mph in a 20 mph wind, so if the
blades are made plainly visible, birds should be able to see and
avoid the blades most of the time,’ said Glen Dahlbacka, researcher
in the Department of Energy at the Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory.
Dahlbacka and fellow researcher Joseph Rasson traveled to Russia to
inspect the 3-kilowatt turbine unit.
Infrequent high storm winds cause the blades to spin faster than
researchers intend, so the turbines are shut down on storm days.
The vertical turbine system has an alternator designed to spin at the
speed of the turbine and generate about 200 volts of energy. The
alternator and turbine are a single moving part of the system and
lead to reduced maintenance requirements.
A computer controls the speed of the turbine and keeps it operating
at a maximum efficiency for a given wind speed.
The researchers are expecting success and they believe the Russian
market alone will guarantee this. Projects are also being conducted
in Khazistan, Armenia, Ukraine and Georgia, and all have a U.S.
industrial partner involved. Empire Magnets will attempt to
commercialize the wind turbines in the United States and in
California and New York especially, as these states, according to
Dahlbacka, have good rebate and tax structures for renewable energy.
The researchers are expecting the first windmills to arrive in
February and March.
`The city of Berkeley has even offered a site for a demonstration
wind turbine near the Marina. Around the Bay Area the environmental
conditions are among the most favorable you can imagine.’ Dahlbacka
said.
The windmills are also convenient because they are suitable for both
residential and ranch areas. Since Russia has a lot of remote open
space that can be used for wind power generation, there have been
many requests from people who live in Russian country houses or
villas, called dachas.
`The 1-kilowatt wind turbine is very good for nomadic cultures
because it is designed to be disassembled and put in the trunk of a
car or equivalent space and taken from place to place,’ Dahlbacka
said.
In the next year researchers plan to field 30 of the units in
environments from Siberia to the Altai Mountains and from British
Columbia to the Mohave to test the systems in extreme conditions of
wind, temperature and precipitation.

Baku Today
Nov 17 2004
Energy Ministers of Caspian/Black Sea Region Discuss Cooperation with
EU
The international conference with the participation of Energy
Ministers of the Caspian/Black Sea basin countries, opened in the
Hyatt Regency Hotel in Baku, last Saturday.
The conference was organized at the initiative of Francois Lamorod,
General Director of the Euroðean Commission for Transðort and Energy,
Turan reported today.
The conference was aimed at the development of cooperation for
increasing the safety of power suððlies from the Casðian/Black Sea
region to the EU countries, as well as at develoðment of energy
sector of countries of the region under the EU assistance.
The conference was attended by Energy Ministers of Azerbaijan,
Belarus, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Russia, Turkey,
Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekstan. Armenia was reðresented by Levon
Vardanyan, head of foreign relations deðartment of the Ministry for
Energy of Armenia. In his interview with Azeri journalists, he said
that Armenia was ready to sell its electricity to the Nakhchivan
Autonomous Reðublic in Azerbaijan.
A joint declaration was adoðted by the results of the meeting.

PRESS RELEASE
Ref: PR/04/11/014
Assembly of Armenians of Europe
Contact: Armine Grigoryan
Rue de Trèves 10, 1050, Brussels
Tel : +32 2 647 08 01
Fax : +32 2 647 02 00
Turkish denialism of Armenians in the capital of Europe
“Mothers, Goddesses and Sultans”- but not Armenians
17/11/2004, Brussels – The Palace of Fine Arts of Brussels (Belgium)
hosts the exhibition on Turkey `Mothers, Goddesses and Sultans’ which
will last from October 06 2004 to January 16 2005. The exhibition
accounts pieces from the collection of the Topkapi Palace (Turkey),
Louvre, Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, the museums of Berlin and
the most important museums in Turkey. This exhibition is organized
with the mutual agreement of the prime ministers of Belgium and Turkey
in order to introduce the Belgian and European society with the
cultural values and the history of Turkey and intends to emphasize the
European vocation of Turkey.
The leaflet on the exhibition distributed to the visitors at the
entrance of the Palace of Fine Arts says `We encounter the peoples,
who have left their traces in Anatolia in the course of 9000
years. The journey takes us through such renowned cultures as the
Hitties, Greek and Roman antiquity, Byzantium and the Ottomans’. From
the first sight one may find the absence of the Armenians and Armenian
culture in Anatolia very strange, since for centuries the Eastern
Anatolia was the cradle of Armenians and it is also called the
Armenian Plateau[i]. Even during the Ottoman Empire Armenians
represented a sizeable and dynamic part of the ottoman population,
particularly in Istanbul and other urban centre, and their omission in
this exhibition is quite deliberate on the part of the Turkish
organizers. But the most interesting piece of the exhibition is the
map of the Ottoman Empire from 1299 to 1923, without any mention of
the Armenians or Armenian Republic (the first Armenian Republic, 1918
– 1920) and Greece (independence of Greece recognized by the Ottoman
Empire in 1832). No expert or historian would dare to make a single
map to represent such a complex region over for such a long period of
time (1299 – 1923), since the movement of borders has been radical
over the period considered, and at times extremely rapid.
The Ottomans fought against the neighboring Byzantine State, crossed
into Rumelia and then captured Constantinople in 1453 during the reign
of Sultan Mehmed II (1451-1481)[ii], putting an end to the Byzantine
Empire. The Ottomans fought with the Serbs, Bulgarians, Hungarians,
Venetians, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Britain, the Vatican, Spain
and also France and Russia. During the reign of Sultan Selim I
(1512-1520), Egypt was conquered and the “Caliphate” passed from the
Abbasids to the Ottoman dynasty. During the reign of Suleyman the
Magnificent (1520-1566) the borders of the Empire extended from the
Crimea in the North to Yemen and Sudan in the South, and from Iran and
the Caspian Sea in the East to Vienna in the Northwest and Spain in
the Southwest[iii].
However, the Ottoman Empire lost its economic and military superiority
vis-a-vis Europe, which had developed rapidly with the Renaissance and
the geographical discoveries starting with the sixteenth century and
failed to adapt to the new developments. Thus, the balance of power
shifted in favor of the European States starting in the same century.
The nationalist movements that started in the nineteenth century and
the rebellions of the Balkan nations organized and supported by the
European States and Russia, brought about the emergence of independent
states within the Ottoman territories in the Balkans.
The Russian field marshal M.I. Kutuzov’s victorious campaign of
1811-12 forced the Turks to cede Bessarabia to Russia by the Treaty of
Bucharest (May 28, 1812).
Agha Mohammad Khan (Iran, reigned 1779-97), had reasserted Iranian
sovereignty over the former Iranian territories in Georgia and the
Caucasus. Fath ‘Ali (Iran, reigned 1797-1834). attempted to maintain
Iran’s sovereignty over its new territories, but he was disastrously
defeated by Russia in two wars (1804-13, 1826-28) and thus lost
Georgia, Armenia.
Subsequent wars of Russia with Turkey were fought to gain influence in
the Ottoman Balkans, win control of the Dardanelles and Bosporus
straits, and expand into the Caucasus. The Greeks’ struggle for
independence sparked the Russo-Turkish War of 1828-29, in which
Russian forces advanced into Bulgaria, the Caucasus, and northeastern
Anatolia itself before the Turks sued for peace. The resulting Treaty
of Edirne (Sept. 14, 1829) gave Russia most of the eastern shore of
the Black Sea, and Turkey recognized Russian sovereignty over Georgia
and parts of present-day Armenia. Furthermore, in the Balkans, the
Ottomans acknowledged Greece as an autonomous but tributary state,
granting autonomy to Serbia, and recognized the autonomy of the
Danubian principalities of Moldavia and Walachia under Russian
tutelage. In 1832, the Turkish Sultan finally recognized the Greek
Independence and Prince Otto had accepted the crown
In 1918 the Republics of Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan declared
their independence from Russia which lasted until 1920. From 1920 to
1923 the three countries of South Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Georgia) were merged into Transcaucasian Federated Republic. The first
independent Republic of Armenia was also recognized by the Ottoman
Empire.
The above-mentioned historical facts prove the presence of the
Armenians in the region which should not be ignored. It is very
strange to see the name of `Azerbaijan’ on the map, while the names of
Armenia and Greece are absent. As reported by Radio Free Europe, the
Azerbaijani Defense Ministry spokesman called for Azerbaijan’s (the
closest ally of the Republic of Turkey) takeover of the entire
territory of Armenia and removal of the entire Armenian population
from the Caucasus. He went so far as to say, and we quote, `Within the
next 25 years there will exist no state of Armenia in the South
Caucasus’. This inevitably reminds of the intentions of the
perpetrators of the Armenian Genocide. In this context the negationism
of the Armenians is not a simple mistake or lack of professionalism by
the organizers of the exhibition, but has its roots go back into the
beginning of the 20th century – the Armenian Genocide committed by the
Ottoman Empire in 1915. The Armenian Genocide is still denied by the
Republic of Turkey, which also imposes a blockade on the Republic of
Armenia for more than 10 years. Therefore, the radical exclusion of
Armenians from ottoman history is consistent with the genocide carried
out in 1915-1916 and it has been the practice in Turkey since the
establishment of the republic in 1923.
The negationism and the denial of the Armenian Genocide are also
reflected in the premeditated annihilation of Armenian cultural
heritage in the territory of the actual Republic of
Turkey. Sourb. Arakelots[iv] (of the Holy Apostles) Church of Kars
turned into a mosque in 1998. The church of Tekor[v] which was erected
in the 5th c. and was standing until 1956 served as a target during
the artillery trainings of the Turkish army. The monastery of
St. Karapet[vi] was plundered and partly devastated in 1915. During
the artillery trainings of the Turkish troops in the 1960s the
monument turned into a heap of stones which were later used for the
foundation of a village in the same place; the carvings of the
Akhatamar Church (Lake Van, Eastern Turkey) is nowadays used for
shooting practice for the visitors, etc. So, after some decades there
will not be any evidence or trace of the Armenians in the region.
The Assembly of Armenians of Europe considers such negationist and
revisionist attitude of the Republic of Turkey, aspiring to the EU
full membership unacceptable. We believe that such behaviour
destabilizes the whole region of South Caucasus and impedes the
normalization of Armeno-Turkish relations. Moreover, the extension of
this denialist approach to an exhibition carried out in Belgium, in
partnership with Belgian institutions, is a worrying sign at a moment
when Turkey is pressing to join the European community of values. The
Assembly of Armenians of Europe is sure that this is an attempt of the
Turkish authorities to force their own denialist approach on an
unsuspecting European public.
_____
[i] Mustafa Ibn-Abdullah (1609-57), the first and foremost Turkish
goegrapher. In his most important oeuvre `Miror of the World’ (Jehan
Numa) he writes about Armenia (folio 121a) – `Armenia consists of 2
parts, Maior and Minor=85.’
[ii]
[iii] < 0index.html>
sh/sultans/10index.html
[iv] < ots_Galery.htm>
rakelots/Arakelots_Galery.htm
[v] < ry.htm>
or_Galery.htm
[vi] < t_Galery.htm>
arapet/Karapet_Galery.htm

Shattered lives
Le Monde diplomatique
November 2004
Since the “war against terrorism” has been allowed to dominate the
international agenda, we would expect a rekindled interest in arms
controls and renewed efforts to prevent arms reaching those who commit
abuses. Yet the reverse has happened. European countries, and others,
claim to base their arms-export criteria on respect for human rights;
the US has a specific law, the Leahy Amendments, to ban military aid and
training for units of foreign security forces that commit human rights
abuses. Yet these principles are swept aside in the “war against terrorism”.
In June 2002 the G8 (1) allocated $20bn and agreed a global partnership
to prevent terrorists acquiring weapons of mass destruction. But it
failed to address the proliferation of conventional weapons, including
small arms, to states and armed groups that it knows will use such
weapons to terrorise civilian populations.
After 9/11 the US government massively increased military aid to many
countries. Some recipients are armed forces that have gravely violated
human rights and have been identified in the State Department’s human
rights report as having a poor record or worse. Recipients include
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Colombia, Georgia, Israel, Nepal,
Tajikistan, Turkey and Yemen.
In Azerbaijan, India, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Yugoslavia, sanctions
were lifted. In other countries, restrictions were relaxed. In the year
after 9/11 security assistance and related aid from the US to Uzbekistan
increased by $45m. In Pakistan it soared from $3.5m to $1.3bn.
Violations of human rights – torture, deaths in custody and
extra-judicial killings – by members of security and paramilitary forces
in those countries continue. In March 2002 the US administration
introduced an emergency supplemental defence authorisation bill that
sought to lift restrictions on Indonesia and Colombia.
Close US allies, such as the UK government, appeared to follow. The
value of British arms cleared for export to Indonesia rose from £2m in
2000 to over £40m in 2002 (2). The main arms exporters in Europe –
Germany, France, Italy, the UK and Sweden – accounted for 33% of
international contracts for transfers signed between 1994 and 2001 (3).
The EU’s market share was smaller than that of the US or Russia, but it
has increased since 1 May, with enlargement adding 10 new members. Some
new states are large arms producers and exporters. The EU is now home to
more than 400 companies in 23 countries manufacturing small arms and
light weapons – hardly less than the US.
The EU code of conduct adopted in 1998, and its application, leave much
to be desired. Many reports have been received of (old or new) EU member
states exporting military, security or police equipment and know-how,
often in great secrecy, to countries that use these things to violate
human rights. At the same time private military companies contracted to
carry out tasks on behalf of governments or opposition forces
increasingly play a critical part in the supply of arms and support for
regimes. PMCs are often ideally placed to import arms. They are in
contact with governments, arms dealers and manufacturers and air freight
companies. One firm supplied arms to both parties in the conflict in
Sierra Leone.
PMCs are gaining in number and influence, and many commentators think
that the war on terror will speed this up. During the 1990s the US
government often used private military consultants or authorised them to
train police forces and troops in 24 countries; it failed to ensure that
training encouraged strict compliance with international humanitarian
law and law on human rights.
Taken from Amnesty International sources, including “Shattered Lives”,
published in 2003 by Amnesty International and Oxfam. The full text is
at <;. NOTES (1) Germany, Canada, US, Russia, France, Italy, Japan, UK. (2) The Guardian, London, 1 July 2003. (3) See "Conventional arms transfers to developing nations, 1994-2001", Congressional Research Service, Washington, August 2002.