NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL TO VISIT ARMENIA NOVEMBER 2004
Noyan Tapan news agency, Yerevan
26 Jul 04
Brussels, 26 July: NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer is to
visit Armenia in early November this year, it was learned from NATO
headquarters.
Scheffer’s visit could be linked to implementing the decisions taken
during NATO’s Istanbul summit. As is known, in Istanbul NATO decided
to step up work in the South Caucasus and Central Asia.
We note that the Armenian side has repeatedly said that future NATO
membership is not on official Yerevan’s agenda. Armenia is also
preparing to announce individual partnership with NATO (Individual
partnership plan) and has expressed its readiness to have exercises
from NATO’s “Cooperative Associate 2005” on its territory.

PanArmenian News
July 26 2004
SKINHEADS, WHO KILLED AN ARMENIAN, STOOD TRIAL IN MOSCOW
SITTING OF ARMENIAN-GEORGIAN COMMISSION FOR ECONOMIC COOPERATION HELD
IN TBILISI
SECOND PAN-ARMENIAN YOUTH FORUM HELD IN TSAGHKADZOR
ARMENIAN PRESIDENT WENT ON 10-DAY LEAVE
KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT MEETS US NATIONAL INTERESTS, AMERICAN
MEDIATOR STATED
REPRESENTATION OF YEREVAN BRANDY FACTORY OPENED IN UKRAINE
METROPOLITAN OPERA SOLOIST GAVE CHARITY CONCERT IN NAGORNO KARABAKH
AMERICAN ARMENIANS ENDORSE KERRY FOR PRESIDENT
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SKINHEADS, WHO KILLED AN ARMENIAN, STOOD TRIAL IN MOSCOW
26.07.2004 17:56
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Moscow Municipal Court sentenced 5 young men,
who brutally killed an Armenian in one of the local suburban trains,
to 9-14 years of imprisonment. As reported by Moskovskiy Komsomolets
Russian newspaper, a band of young men aged 17-22 ranked themselves
as members of neo-Nazi organization of skinheads and had the aim “to
clear” the local electric trains of Caucasians. On December 12, 2003,
on entering Petushki-Mocsow suburban train, the murderers saw a man
with “Caucasian appearance” and knocking him off his feet trampled on
him. The maimed man died after suffering in the aid station for 2
hours. At those days a 35-year-old Azeri was killed in the same way.
*********************************************************************
SITTING OF ARMENIAN-GEORGIAN COMMISSION FOR ECONOMIC COOPERATION HELD
IN TBILISI
26.07.2004 17:03
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The sitting of the Armenian-Georgian Commission for
Economic Cooperation opened in Tbilisi on June 26. Georgian Prime
Minister Zurab Zhvania and Armenian Premier Andranik Margarian, who
is on formal visit in Tbilisi at present, delivered their speeches at
the opening ceremony, RIA Novosti reports. As A. Margarian told
journalists, the issue of the opening of the railway communication
via the Abkhazian sector of the Transcaucasian railway is to be
discussed at the sitting. In his turn Zurab Zhvania noted that the
opening of this communication is connected with return of Georgian
refugees in the Galski region of Abkhazia. The Prime Ministers
visited the Pantheon of the Armenian culture workers in Tbilisi.
Today Andranik Margarian is expected to meet with Georgian President
Mikhail Saakashvili.
*********************************************************************
SECOND PAN-ARMENIAN YOUTH FORUM HELD IN TSAGHKADZOR
26.07.2004 14:09
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Second Pan-Armenian Youth Forum with the
participation of over 100 boys and girls from 17 countries opened in
the Armenian town of Tsaghkadzor on July 24. Armenian President
Robert Kocharian sent a greeting message to the forum participants.
When addressing the opening ceremony Armenian Prime Minister Andranik
Margarian noted that the measure initiators – Pan-Armenian
International Youth Center” and the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs –
are working for establishing ties between the growing generation of
the Armenian Diaspora with the youth organizations of Armenia and
ensuring their participation in the pan-Armenian projects implemented
by the government. Meeting with Armenian FM Vardan Oskanian has been
also scheduled. At the moment the forum participants are discussing
three major topics, these being “Culture and Armenian Originality”,
“Youth and Urgent National Issues”, “Diaspora and Globalization”.
Future plans such as organizations of measures dedicated to the 90-th
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in Ottoman Turkey and business
forum with the participation of Armenian entrepreneurs from different
countries of the world will be as well being considered.
*********************************************************************
ARMENIAN PRESIDENT WENT ON 10-DAY LEAVE
26.07.2004 14:08
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenian President Robert Kocharian went on a
10-day leave on July 26. According to a report of RA President’s
press service, he intends spend his holiday in Armenia.
*********************************************************************
KARABAKH CONFLICT SETTLEMENT MEETS US NATIONAL INTERESTS, AMERICAN
MEDIATOR STATED
26.07.2004 14:07
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh
conflict settlement by means of negotiations within the frames of the
OSCE Minsk Group (MG) conforms to the US national interests, MG US
co-chair Steven Mann told Regnum IA. In his words, US pursues a
long-term policy in references to this region. US has no interest in
events that can threaten stability in the region as it assists energy
projects, one of them being Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, which
is important for the whole region, the diplomat said. When replying
to the question “whether the US will support Azerbaijan of the latter
decides to restore its territorial integrity”, Mr. Mann stated that
the US position remains unchangeable – the conflict should be
resolved peacefully. At that he called the parties “to sense and
compromise”. “Only by making concessions it is possible to find a
solution admissible for the conflicting parties. This is the opinion
of the co-chairs. Only this way we can achieve long-term peace in the
region. The conflicting parties chose the OSCE to resolve this
problem and we are trying to settle the conflict peacefully and will
support the decisions taken by the parts”, the American diplomat
stated. As for the new proposes, they always exist, he said. However
everything depends on the attitude of the parties and readiness to
accept them, he noted adding that the co-chairs are to continue
consultations with the parties within next few weeks.
*********************************************************************
REPRESENTATION OF YEREVAN BRANDY FACTORY OPENED IN UKRAINE
26.07.2004 18:14
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ French concern Perno Ricar CJSC, the owner of the
Yerevan Brandy Company opened its representation in Ukraine. As
reported by Arminfo agency, the major goal of Perno Rirar- South is
to supply the southern regions of Ukraine with Armenian brandy. To
note, Ukraine is the second (after Russia) market where this Armenian
beverage is sold.
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METROPOLITAN OPERA SOLOIST GAVE CHARITY CONCERT IN NAGORNO KARABAKH
26.07.2004 14:38
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Famous Canadian singer of Armenian origin, soloist
of the Metropolitan Opera Isabel Bayrakdarian (soprano) gave a
charity concert in Nagorno Karabakh capital of Stepanakert on July
24. On the same day she met with NKR President Arkadi Ghukasian.
During the conversation the singer pointed out to the great interest
of the Karabakh people show to the art. In her opinion, this
testifies that “aspiration to the beautiful, the Armenians have been
always remarkable for, became essential part of the life of the
Karabakh people, who could preserve and supplement the best
traditions for the formation of an intellectually mature
personality”.
*********************************************************************
AMERICAN ARMENIANS ENDORSE KERRY FOR PRESIDENT
26.07.2004 14:15
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The other day the Armenian National Committee of
America (ANCA) announced itsendorsement of the Kerry ticket.
According to the ANCA leadership, Senator Kerry has been a friend of
the Armenian American community for over twenty years, with a proven
track record of fighting hard for issues of concern to Armenian
Americans across the nation. Kerry welcomed the ANCA endorsement,
stating that, “John Edwards and I would like to thank the ANCA for
its endorsement. We are looking forward to working with all Armenian
Americans to create a stronger America, more respected in the world.”
To remind, the presidential election in the US is scheduled for
November 2.

Wolfowitz, Perle and Feith
One Down – Two To Go
Hellenic news.com
7-26-04
Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, former chairman of the
Defense Policy Board Richard Perle and Under Secretary of Defense
Douglas Feith, are the persons in the Defense Department primarily
responsible for the erroneous facts and policy judgments regarding
Turkey to the great detriment of U.S. interests in the region and
worldwide.
Richard Perle
Perle resigned on March 27, 2003 as chairman of the Defense Policy
Board after disclosures that his business dealings included a meeting
with two Saudis, one an arms dealer, and a contract for $750,000 to
advise telecommunications firm Global Crossings Ltd. that was seeking
Defense Department permission to be sold to Chinese investors.
In a New Yorker article, Seymour Hersch reported that Perle faced
conflict of interest between his work on the board and his private
business dealings. He reported that Perle is `a managing partner in a
venture-capital company called Trireme Partners L.P.’ He also reported
that Perle attended a luncheon meeting on January 3, 2004 with two
Saudis, Adnan Khashoggi and industrialist Harle Zuhair, who told
Hersch that the agenda included an item `to pave the way for Zuhair to
put together a group of ten Saudi businessmen who would invest ten
million dollars each in Trireme.’ (New Yorker, March 17, 2003, pages
76-81.)
Perle resigned as Assistant Secretary of Defense in 1987, before the
end of the Cold War, and went to Turkey and negotiated an $800,000
contract for International Advisors Inc. (IAI), a company which he
initiated. He recruited Douglas Feith, his special assistant at
Defense, to head IAI.
Perle became a consultant to IAI and received $48,000 annually from
1989 to 1994. IAI registered as a foreign agent with the Justice
Department. IAI received $800,000 from Turkey in 1989 and then
received $600,000 annually from 1990 to 1994.
Douglas Feith
>From 1989 to 1994, Douglas Feith headed IAI and registered as a
foreign agent for Turkey. He received $60,000 annually and his law
firm Feith and Zell received hundreds of thousands of dollars from IAI
Neither Perle, when he was on the Defense Policy Board, or Feith as
Under Secretary of Defense, recused themselves on matters dealing with
U.S.-Turkey relations.
Feith was Perle’s protégé. According to the Washington Post’s
BobWoodward, ` Feith was not popular with the military. He appeared to
equate policy with paper.’ Woodward wrote that General Tommy Franks
`tried to ignore Feith though it was not easy. The general once
confided to several colleagues about Feith: ` I have to deal with the
[expletive] stupidest guy on the face of the earth almost every day.’
(Woodward, Plan of Attack, p. 281.)
Paul Wolfowitz
Wolfowitz has committed major mistakes of policy and judgment
regarding Turkey to the serious detriment of
U.S. interests. Wolfowitz’s remarks on Turkey have contained false and
misleading statements with serious errors of fact and omission of
Orwellian proportions.
On July 14, 2002, Wolfowitz in a CNN Turkey interview stated:
`I think a real test of whether a country is a democracy is how it
treats its minorities. And actually it’s one of the things that
impress (sic) me about Turkish history-the way Turkey treats its own
minorities.’
How does one respond to such a statement? Armenian, Greek and Kurdish
Americans have expressed their outrage. See Exhibit 1 to AHI joint
letter of September 4, 2002 on AHI website at for a
list of Turkey’sviolations of the human rights of its minorities
committed throughout the 20th century, a number of which continue up
to the present time.
Also on July 14, 2002, in a speech at the Conrad Hotel, Istanbul,
Wolfowitz referred to Turkey:
`as a staunch NATO ally through forty years of Cold Warâ=80¦.Itis the
great good fortune of the United States, of NATO, the West, indeed the
world, that occupying this most important crossroads we have one of
our strongest, most reliable and most self-reliant allies.’
This is another false and misleading statement by Wolfowitz with
serious errors of fact and omission. The record shows that during the
Cold War, Turkey brushed aside U.S. interests on many occasions and
deliberately gave substantial assistance to the Soviet military. See
Exhibit 2 of the September 4, 2002 letter which sets forth examples of
Turkey’s unreliability as an ally and refutes the assertion of Turkey
as a self-reliant ally. Turkey’s vote on March 1, 2003 refusing to
allow U.S. troops to use bases in Turkey to open a second front
against the Saddam Hussein dictatorship is a dramatic example of
Turkey’s unreliability as an ally. Wolfowitz’s effusive comments in
his July 14, 2002 speech regarding Ataturk may play well in Turkey,
but the rest of the world is familiar with Ataturkas a brutal dictator
and mass killer of Armenians, Greeks and Kurds. John Gunther in his
book, Inside Europe refers in his opening sentence to Ataturk as
â=80=9CThe blond, blue-eyed combination of patriot and psychopath who
is dictator of Turkey.’ (1938 edition p. 378.) See Exhibit 3 of the
September 4, 2002 letter for the details of Ataturk’s mass killings of
Armenians, Greeks and Kurds. Ataturk and Turkey are hardly the models,
as suggested by Wolfowitz, for Afghanistan and other Muslim nations to
follow to achieve democracy.
In his July 14, 2002 speech Wolfowitz also stated:
`When the ?illness’ of international terrorism struck the United
States last September, Turkey quickly offered unconditional
support…’
Wolfowitz conveniently omits the fact that Turkey is an international
terrorist state by virtue of its aggression against Cyprus in 1974,
and a national terrorist state by its actions of ethnic cleansing,
crimes against humanityand genocide against its 20 percent Kurdish
minority. The double standard on the rule of law and international and
national terrorism that the U.S. applies to Turkey damages the U.S.’s
war on international terrorism and makes a mockery of our moral and
legal positions. See Exhibit 4 of the September 4, 2002 letter which
discusses Turkey as an international and national terrorist state.
Wolfowitz refers often to Turkey’s democracy. The fact is
otherwise. Turkey is still a military-dominated government, in which
the military controls foreign affairs and national security policy and
has harmful influence overdomestic affairs. There is an absence in
Turkey of minority rights, human rights, press freedom, speech freedom
and religious freedom. Falsehoods and myths regarding Turkey’s
democracy have been propagated for years by Defense and State
Department officials. Freedom House in its 2003 annual report calls
Turkey only part-free.
On March 13, 2002, in a speech to the Washington Institute for Near
East Policy, Wolfowitz failed to recognize that Turkey violated the
NATO Treaty by its invasion of Cyprus and that the violation continues
to this day. See Exhibit 6 of the September 4, 2002 letter which
discusses Turkey’s violation of the North Atlantic Treaty by its
invasion of Cyprus.
The false and misleading statements made by Deputy Secretary Wolfowitz
on Turkey raise serious questions as to his credibility and the
factual basis of his advice to the President and Defense Secretary
Donald H. Rumsfeld on other issues such as Iraq.
The U.S. double standard policy toward Turkey on the rule of law and
the appeasement of Turkey these past decades, pursued by a handful of
Defense and State Department officials and Turkey’s paid foreign
agents, have seriously damaged U.S. national interests. President
Bush said `enough is enough’ regarding the violence in the Middle
East. The President, in the interests of the U.S., should tell his
advisors that `enough is enough’ regarding Turkey’s aggression and
occupation in Cyprus, its genocide against the Kurds, its blockade of
humanitarian aid to Armenia, its national torture policy, its
thousands of political prisoners, its jailing of journalists, the lack
of religious freedom, its denial of the Armenian Genocide and the
Turkish military’s control of national security and foreign policy and
its harmful influence on domestic policy.
Secretary Rumsfeld should ask for the resignations of Wolfowitz and
Feith.
Gene Rossides is President
of the American Hellenic Institute
and former Assistant Secretary
of the Treasury
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ACCORDING TO RESULTS OF MONITORING, OVER-WHELMING MAJORITY OF PERSONS
EXPOSED TO ADMINISTRATIVE PUNISHMENT DOESN’T KNOW THEIR RIGHTS
YEREVAN, July 26 (Noyan Tapan). The over-whelming majority of persons
exposed to administrative punishment doesn’t know about their right to
communication with the outside world. The results of the monitoring
conducted by the Helsinki Committee and the public organizations of
the Euro-Asia Center of Conflictology and Strategic Researches are the
evidence of it. The monitoring was conducted through the application
of international and intra-state legal acts on human rights protection
and the study of questionnaires filled in by 54 persons exposed to
administrative punishment, their relatives and lawyers. It was
mentioned during the July 22 discussion devoted to the results of the
monitoring that 92% of persons exposed to administrative punishment
doesn’t know that they have the right to receive newspapers, use
radio, paper, pen, pencil, envelopes, post cards, postage stamps,
87.5% of them doesn’t know about their right to meet with their lawyer
and close relatives, appeal the decision on administrative punishment,
right to medical care. 83% of them doesn’t know that have the right to
receive the copy of the decision on administrative punishment, receive
parcels, 79% isn’t informed about their right to submit applications,
complaints and make suggestions. Summing up the questionnaires, in
particular, it was brought to light that relatives of only 75% of the
arrested people were informed about the whereabouts of the
latter. According to members of the task force, the ground for
conducting the monitoring is the imperfection of the Code on
Administrative Offences, the absence of the special legislation
regulating order and conditions. In the resume the task force
introduces amendments into the Code, as well as “into the Internal
Rules of Detention Facilities of Arrested Persons of the RA Police
System.”

SIX PARLIAMENTARY CANDIDATES REGISTERED IN ELECTORAL DISTRICT N44
YEREVAN, July 26 (Noyan Tapan). Electoral district commission N44 of
the Kotayk region registered six parliamentary candidates nominated on
the majoritarian system during the July 25 sitting. Grigor Arshakian,
Chairman of the Commission, told NT’s correspondent that members of
the commission or proxies of the candidates present at the sitting had
no objections and remarks about the registration. The pre-election
campaign of the candidates (non-partisans Aghasi Gasparian, Babken
Margarian, Galust Navasardian, Araik Hairapetian, Kachatur Simonian
and member of “Orinats Yerkir” (“Country of Law”) party Artak
Sargsian) will start on July 26. By-elections on the majoritarian
system will be held in district commission N44 on August 29. According
to the RA Electoral Code, the candidates may take advantage of the
right to self-withdrawal no later than ten days before the vote.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

EXPERT WHO CARRIED OUT TOXIC-CHEMICAL EXAMINATION TO BE INTERROGATED
AT COURT OF APPEALS FOR LAVRENTI KIRAKOSSIAN’S CASE
YEREVAN, July 26 (Noyan Tapan). Expert Svetlana Minassian, who has
submitted the conclusion of toxic-chemical examination, will be
interrogated at the Court of Appeals August 2 as witness to the case
on Lavrenti Kirakossian, Head of the National Democratic Union (NDU)
Baghramian structure. The Court of Appeals on Criminal and Military
Cases chaired over by Judge Sevak Hambardzumian made such a decision
July 26 thus satisfying the petition filed by the Counsel for
Defence. Vardan Zournachian, Lawyer of the defendant, stated the
expert did not answer two of the inspector’s three questions related
to the age of the used drugs and its quantity at the moment it was
discovered. The conclusion does not include either the reasons for not
answering the aforementioned questions, which, the lawyer believes,
creates doubt. Whereas those questions, Vardan Zournachian said, are
of principal importance, since if the date of the use would appear to
be within the ten-day term of administrative arrest, that would have
proven his client’s innnocence. Prosecutor Koryun Piloyan, in his
turn, stressed Kirakossian is accused of keeping drugs at home rather
than of using them. The expert’s proof, he put it, is not the “queen
of the proofs” at all, but just one of them. We would remind you that
the lower court of the Armavir region recognized Lavrenti Kirakossian
guilty of large-scale drug trafficking and sentenced him to 18 months’
imprisonment. Kirakossian and his lawyer refused to admit the charges
stating facts have been doctored for political purposes and the 59.3
grams of drugs which the search found out at his home appeared there
“with the help” of the policemen.

La Nouvelle République du Centre Ouest
26 juillet 2004
Édition VIENNE; CHAUVIGNY et son pays – ARTS ET SPECTACLES; Page 9
Folklore arménien : salle comble
Les danseurs, danseuses et musiciens de l’Ensemble Bert d’Erevan, en
Arménie, ont présenté leur spectacle folklorique à guichet fermé, il
y a quelques jours dans le cadre de la programmation intercommunale
du festival d’été. Quelque six cents spectateurs ont assisté à un
spectacle d’une rare beauté, entre gestes gracieux de l’orient et
danses rustiques de l’occident.
Plusieurs dizaines de spectateurs ont fait grise mine à l’entrée de
la salle de spectacles (la météo a empêché la tenue du spectacle
devant l’hôtel de ville), bloquée pour des raisons de sécurité. La
troupe arménienne a été fondée en 1963 et a participé à une trentaine
de festivals internationaux. C’était sa huitième venue en France. Sa
première à Chauvigny.
– Prochain spectacle folklorique à Fleix, jeudi 29 juillet, 21 h,
avec l’Ensemble d’Etat de danses et chants Tchouvaches (Russie).
Gratuit.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

FEATURE
Los Angeles Times | Glendale News-Press | 2004 July 24
A maverick,
in and out of the ball park
This is the second of two parts.
GGRecently, I had the pleasure of seeing Marlon Brando’s performance
in “Sayonara” from the comfort of my living room.
GG In “Sayonara,” Maj. Lloyd Gruver (Marlon Brando), a Korean War
flying ace, is re-stationed in Kobe, Japan. Gruver initially supports
the military’s opposition to marriages between American servicemen and
Japanese women, but eventually succumbs to love with Hana-ogi and
plunges into conflict with the U.S. Air Force.
—-
GGTraffic at Eagleson’s Big and Tall in downtown Los Angeles was
light. The rain had taken its toll on George’s daily sale of suits;
numbers were the last thing on his mind on that day. It was 4 p.m. and
he had given up on receiving his four tickets to the fourth game of
the 1963 World Series between the Dodgers and the Yankees. His main
worry was his buddy’s son, Kobe Gruver. George had invited the Gruvers
to the ball park, and the prospect of disappointing the 10-year-old
was painful.
GGJust as George had formulated an approach to deliver the bad news to
Kobe, Scott Krueger pulled up to the wet curb and parked his 1962 Ford
Galaxie with the engine still running. He kicked the door on his red
convertible open, and with the latest issue of the Los Angeles Times
protecting his head from the rain, ran into Eagleson’s.
GG”Hey, George, sorry I am late. Here are the tickets. Thanks for
taking care of my huge self all these years. I hope you enjoy the
game.”
GG “Thank you, Scott. The kid will be ecstatic.”
GG “Enjoy, I gotta run. Go Dodgers!”
GG “I am personally a Tigers fan. But yes, Kobe is a Dodgers fan. So,
go Dodgers!”
—-
GGThe only thing separating Kobe’s fourth-grade books from the rain
was his green wool jacket. As he pressed his books against his side,
he felt a jolt against his back. He turned around and was startled to
see Grant, the school bully, watching him with a tense stare. Grant’s
teeth were pressed together as he gave Kobe yet another shove.
GG “Hey, Kobe, watch where you’re goin’!” said Grant, who followed
that by uttering a string of disparaging racist remarks. *
—-
GGOfficial attendance at Dodger Stadium on Oct. 6, 1963, was
55,912. It was between the seventh and eighth innings when Kobe had
begun to feel a bit restless in his seat. Not wanting to embarrass her
son in front of their neighbor and longtime friend, George, Hana-ogi
addressed her son in Japanese:
GG “Kobe, please try to sit properly and don’t bother Mr. K.”
GG “Mom, English please, you are embarrassing me,” Kobe replied in
English.
GG The generally mild-mannered Hana-ogi did not have to think twice
before yanking her frail son from his seat and directing him toward
the exit. For every Hana-ogi step, Kobe had to take a couple to catch
up to his mom. Kobe’s hands were beginning to sweat.
GG “Kobe is going to get an earful from his mom,” George observes
immediately. “I’ve had a few of those with my mom about my Armenian
roots.”
GG “Yeah, I hope so. That’s no way for him to speak to his mom,”
Gruver confirms.
—-
GGHana-ogi and Kobe stand face to face away from the stands. Hana-ogi
kneels down to her son’s height and begins speaking softly in
Japanese:
GG “Son, you are an American, yes?”
GG “Yes.”
GG “Your father is an American war hero, yes?”
GG “Yes.”
GG “We are only going to have this conversation once, and only
once… your mother is Japanese. And you are part Japanese.”
GG “Yes, ma’am.”
GG “My son will not be embarrassed of what he is.”
GG “Yes, ma’am.”
GG “We are going to go back into the stands and you will address me
only in Japanese for the remainder of the game.”
GG “Yes, ma’am.”
—-
GG “George, when are you gonna tie the knot and settle down?”
GG “I am still looking for my Armenian bride, Gruver.”
GG “Well, you better travel a bit. I don’t see no Armenian girls here
in Glendale.”
GG “Yup, If I have to, I may pay a visit to Beirut, Lebanon. I hear
the place is full of Armenian beauties.”
GG “Let me know. We’ll tag along. I wouldn’t mind exposing Kobe to the
world. I want him to know there is more to life than Kenwood Drive.”
—-
GG Marlon Brando’s popularity did not always match the grand size of
his talent. Frank statements such as “Never confuse the size of your
paycheck with the size of your talent” did not exactly endear him to
his colleagues.
GG At a press conference for “The Young Lions” in Berlin, he said,
“This picture will try to show that Nazism is a matter of mind, not
geography, and that there are Nazis — and people of good will — in
every country. The world can’t spend its life looking over its
shoulder and nursing hatreds. There would be no progress that way.”
GG Weeks after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Brando told
reporters, “We are either going to learn to live together as brothers
or die separately as fools.”
GG Marlon Brando was a maverick. His definition of self was a humble
one: “I’m a human being — hopefully a concerned and somewhat
intelligent one — who occasionally acts.”
* [Edited for the Los Angeles Times/Glendale News-Press] “Hey Kobe,
watch where you’re goin’. Oooh, unless you can’t really see through
those pretty slanted eyes of yours… It’s ‘Nippy’ out here, isn’t
it?”
Patrick Azadian lives and works in Glendale. He is an identity and
branding consultant for the retail industry. Reach him at
[email protected] Reach the Glendale News-Press at [email protected]

Dilijan as summer resort
Yerkir/am
29 July 2004
During the dark and cold years, the people of Dilijan survived by
cutting down their vast woods. For a person on the verge of death the
legality of that action was not important. Mayor Jora Sahabalian says
the forest of Dilijan is now saved and it promotes tourism.
Tourism in Dilijan was also spurred by construction of the
Sevan-Dilijan tunnel and reconstruction of historical monuments. This
year Dilijan expects 6000-7000 tourists who usually prefer to rent
private apartments rather than stay at resorts.
The rooms at the resorts before reconstruction cost 2500-3000 drams
per day. Now that they have been ameliorated the price reaches
13000-5000 drams.
The major problems of Dilijan are absence of sewage pipes and lack of
drinking water. The latter will be solved in the near future. The
present tendency gives hope that all the issues will find their
solutions, since Dilijan is not ignored by the authorities, especially
local ones.

Le Figaro
26 Juillet 2004
Les raisons de refuser la candidature d’Ankara
PAR ALEXANDRE DEL VALLE *
Au lendemain de la visite à Paris du premier ministre turc Recep
Tayyip Erdogan, dans le but de convaincre les sceptiques qu’Ankara
est désormais prête à intégrer l’Europe, le débat sur l’entrée de la
Turquie dans l’Union et sur les frontières de l’Union européenne
mérite d’être poursuivi. Aussi est-il nécessaire tout d’abord de
répondre aux principaux arguments des partisans de la candidature
turque, puis d’expliquer quelles seraient les conséquences
géopolitiques de l’adhésion d’Ankara.
Dire que la Turquie est historiquement européenne est aussi vrai que
de dire que la France, en tant qu’ex-puissance coloniale, est
africaine. La Turquie n’est pas plus européenne par sa géographie
(excepté Istanbul et la Thrace) que par ses moeurs ou sa conscience
civilisationnelle. Les Turcs se définissent comme un peuple asiatique
dont l’Age d’Or est l’apogée de l’Empire ottoman, et si une faible
minorité kémaliste ou issue des quartiers privilégiés d’Istanbul se
sent européenne, les habitants des favelas d’Istanbul et des
campagnes de l’Anatolie se reconnaissent plus dans le voisin irakien
que dans les Européens du Nord ou même dans les Grecs chrétiens. La
récente nomination d’un citoyen turc à la tête de l’Organisation de
la conférence islamique (OCI, prosaoudienne), puis les propos
irrédentistes inquiétants d’Erdogan accusant la Grèce de «persécuter
les Turcs musulmans» de Thrace (1), ou encore la politique panturque
d’Ankara en Asie centrale et dans le Caucase, montrent bien que la
Turquie demeure ce pays «dreaming west and moving east».
Invoquer l’«irréversibilité» de la candidature turque sous prétexte
qu’Ankara a signé un accord d’association en 1963, est membre de
l’Otan et du Conseil de l’Europe, ou au titre d’une «promesse», ne
tient pas. L’Otan et le Conseil de l’Europe ne sont pas des sas
d’entrée dans l’Union. En réponse à la demande officielle d’adhésion
d’Ankara (1987), qui fut rejetée, le Parlement européen avait voté
une résolution – occultée aujourd’hui – exigeant en vain comme
préalable la reconnaissance du génocide arménien, l’amélioration du
sort des minorités, puis le retrait de Chypre. C’est donc Ankara qui
n’a pas rempli ses obligations, et non l’inverse. Loin d’être un dû,
le processus d’intégration de la Turquie peut être interrompu à tout
moment sur décision d’un Conseil européen, d’un rapport négatif de
Bruxelles ou par le veto d’un Etat membre.
– Dire qu’il «faut» intégrer la Turquie afin de démontrer que
l’Europe n’est pas un «club chrétien» et ne «rejette» pas un candidat
islamique est absurde : demande-t-on à la Ligue arabe d’intégrer
Israël ou l’Inde pour prouver qu’elle n’est pas un «club musulman» ?
Ce mauvais procès renverse les rôles, car c’est à la Turquie de
prouver qu’elle n’est pas un «club musulman» : il y a plus de Turcs
de confession musulmane à Paris que de chrétiens dans toute la
Turquie (100 000), pays musulman à 99%.
– Dire que la Turquie demeure une «exception laïque» et un allié
naturel contre l’islamisme, grce à l’héritage d’Atatürk, est faux :
la Turquie nouvelle autorise et réclame tout ce que rejetait Kémal :
le voile, les partis islamiques, les confréries, les cours de
religion obligatoires. Ses lois contre le blasphème condamneraient
Atatürk lui-même ! Le kémalisme a connu un coup d’arrêt dès les
années 50-60, avec les gouvernements Menderes et Demirel, et il est
politiquement mort sous Turgut Ozal, ce grand artisan de la
réislamisation qui abolit l’article 163 interdisant les partis
islamistes. Comment peut-on soutenir qu’un pays dont 70% des femmes
sont voilées, dont l’Etat entretient 90 000 imams et des milliers de
mosquées, mentionne les religions sur les cartes d’identité, interdit
la haute fonction publique et militaire aux non-musulmans, et qui est
dirigé par un parti (l’AKP) issu d’un courant islamiste victorieux
aux élections depuis le début des années 90, est encore un pays
laïque ?
– On nous explique que les islamistes turcs au pouvoir sont des
«modérés» et des pro-occidentaux qui maintiendront les liens avec
l’Otan et Israël. C’est oublier les propos du ministre des Affaires
étrangères, Abdullah Gül, justifiant la polygamie devant un auditoire
du SPD allemand, expliquant que «la démocratie n’est pas un but mais
un moyen»(2). Les alliés américains savent eux aussi depuis la guerre
d’Irak que la Turquie réislamisée ne coopérera plus jamais comme
avant. D’autant qu’Erdogan a reproché à George Bush, lors du sommet
de l’Otan de juin, sa politique «prokurde» en Irak (3), Ankara
revendiquant une partie de ce pays au nom la même «politique des
minorités» qu’elle invoque à Chypre ou en Thrace…
– L’intégration de la Turquie permettrait à celle-ci de «poursuivre
sa démocratisation», nous dit-on. L’Union européenne est certes un
espace de paix et de démocratie, mais elle est située du point de vue
civilisationnel, donc naturellement «réservée» aux peuples de culture
judéo-chrétienne marqués par la pensée gréco-latine et situés en
Europe, ce qui fait déjà beaucoup de monde à démocratiser avant la
Turquie, l’Ukraine, la Biélorussie et la Russie étant infiniment plus
européennes. Toute entité géopolitique doit avoir des limites
claires, faute de quoi nous avons affaire à un phénomène néo-impérial
ayant vocation à s’étendre à l’infini.
– Nos dirigeants ont-ils seulement conscience que la Turquie dans
l’Europe deviendra l’Etat prépondérant de l’Union : dès 2020, Ankara
disposera de 100 députés turcs majoritairement islamistes au
Parlement européen (contre 72 pour la France et 98 pour l’Allemagne)
; sera la première puissance militaire et démographique de l’Union
(bientôt 100 millions d’habitants et 850 000 soldats) ?
L’entrée de la Turquie dans l’Union ouvrira la boîte de Pandore de
l’élargissement. Pourquoi refuser ensuite les 200 millions de
turcophones du Caucase et d’Asie centrale ou les Etats du Maghreb ?
L’UE héritera de tous les contentieux géopolitiques (eau, frontières,
minorités, etc.) que la Turquie entretient avec ses voisins. Sans
oublier les trafics de drogue, d’armes et d’immigrés clandestins dont
elle est une des plaques tournantes majeures. L’Union aura comme
voisins directs l’Iran des mollahs et la Syrie, parraines du
Hezbollah ; l’Irak du djihad anti-occidental d’al-Qaida ;
l’Azerbaïdjan et la Géorgie, points de passage des islamo-terroristes
du djihad tchétchène…
Malgré cela, les partisans de la candidature turque affirment que son
intégration à l’UE nous permettra de conjurer le choc des
civilisations et de combattre la menace islamiste !
L’Europe serait une chance pour la démocratie turque, nous dit-on.
Elle sera surtout une chance pour les islamistes turcs, jusque-là
condamnés à édulcorer leur programme et à subir l’alliance avec
l’Amérique et Israël tant que les militaires contrôlent le pays. Ne
serait-ce que pour préserver l’exception kémaliste tant invoquée par
les turco-euphoriques, les dirigeants européens devront réfléchir à
deux fois avant de déclencher un processus qu’ils ne maîtriseront
plus.
* Essayiste. Vient de publier aux éditions des Syrtes : LaTurquie
dans l’Europe, uncheval de Troie islamiste? (1) Agence Anadolou, 17
juin 2004. (2) Gérard Croc dans la «Revue des Deux mondes», avril
2003. (3) AFP, juin 2004.