Azeris expect ‘unbiased” approach from NATO on Armenian visit, says official
Ekspress, Baku
14 Jul 04
Text of Alakbar Raufoglu report by Azerbaijani newspaper Ekspress on
14 July entitled “Baku has not given any guarantee to Armenian
officers” and subheaded “Araz Azimov: Yerevan wants to provoke us'”
Official Baku has not given any consent or guaranteed the Armenian
officers’ participation in NATO’s Cooperative Best Effort-2004
exercises, and at the same time, it considers that “if NATO is
interested in Yerevan’s attendance at this event, this can happen “.
Araz Azimov, deputy foreign minister and special presidential envoy on
the Karabakh settlement, said in a conversation with our correspondent
when commenting on the Armenian Defence Ministry statement that
Azerbaijan’s guarantee for the arrival of the Armenian officers in
Baku had been obtained.
Armenia is planning to send seven officers to the exercises in
Baku. The Armenian Defence Ministry is stating that if their officers
again meet with protests this time, Azerbaijan will bear the
responsibility for this. “They have given us a guarantee that the
officers in Baku will feel as if at home,” the ministry’s statement
read.
“There cannot be talk about any guarantee. The Armenians want to
provoke us,” Azimov said, adding that Azerbaijan “is expecting two to
three officers” from Armenia.
At the same time, he said that this number “will depend on the format
of the exercises, its scenario and the roles to be given to individual
countries. We hope that NATO headquarters will be unbiased in this
issue”.
Speaking about the Nagornyy Karabakh settlement, the deputy minister
said that “Armenia will find itself in a difficult situation if it
does not reconcile itself to the reality that has cropped up in the
conflict settlement”. He believes that official Yerevan is inflicting
damage on itself by delaying the peace process.
“At present, Armenia has lost over 2m of the population. They live in
foreign countries in a grave situation and this is a tragedy for
them,” the deputy foreign minister said, adding that the unresolved
conflict would further aggravate the Armenians’ living conditions.

Armenian, Russian premiers keen to boost cooperation in all spheres
Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
13 Jul 04
Presenter Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov during the meeting
with his Armenian counterpart Andranik Markaryan announced that Russia
has the desire and opportunities to expand military-technical
cooperation with Armenia and is going to do this by involving Russian
enterprises in the modernization of the military equipment and weapons
that the Armenian army possesses. Fradkov and Markaryan also talked
about trade and economic relations. They were not satisfied with the
annual 200m-dollar commodity turnover.
Correspondent Tereza Kasyan from Moscow by phone Our relations are
developing and dialogue is continually being filled with new
substance, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov announced during the
Armenian-Russian intergovernmental talks. Before this meeting Andranik
Markaryan and Mikhail Fradkov had discussed the current level of
Armenian-Russian economic relations which, according to both prime
ministers, are not satisfying. Trade turnover between Armenia and
Russia has grown by 30 per cent in comparison with last year, which is
more than 10,000 dollars. This is not the limit by far, the sides
announced, and agreed to cooperate in all possible spheres, energy,
high technologies, military-technical. Armenia and Russia have an
economic cooperation potential which is not being used entirely. We
intend to use all opportunities to develop our countries, the Armenian
prime minister said.
Tomorrow Andranik Markaryan will meet Speaker of the Federation
Council Sergey Mironov.

Turkey, Drugs, Faustian Alliances and Sibel Edmonds
By John Stanton,
AlterNet.
July 14, 2004.
Convergence of US and foreign counter-narcotics, counter-terrorism and
US national security and economic interests prevented the surfacing of
information warning Americans of 9/11.
Taking Turkey as the focal point and with a start date of 1998, it is
easy to speculate why Sibel Edmonds indicated that there was a
convergence of US and foreign counter-narcotics, counter-terrorism and
US national security and economic interests all of which were too
preoccupied to surface critical information warning Americans of the
attacks of September 11, 2001. After all, who would have believed drug
runners operating in Central Asia? And besides, President Clinton was
promoting Turkey, one of the world’s top drug transit points, as a
model for Muslim-Western cooperation and a country necessary to
reshape the Middle East.
The FBI’s Office of International Operations, in conjunction with the
CIA and the US State Department counter-narcotics section, the United
Kingdom’s MI6, Israel’s Mossad, Pakistan’s ISI, the US DEA, Turkey’s
MIT, and the governments and intelligence agencies of dozens of
nations, were in one way or another involved in the illicit drug trade
either trying to stop it or benefit fromit. What can be surmised from
the public record is that from 1998 to September 10, 2001, the War on
Drugs kept bumping into the nascent War on Terror and new directions
in US foreign policy.
It’s easy to imagine the thousands of drug couriers, middlemen,
financiers and lab technicians moving back and forth between Pakistan
and Turkey, and over to Western Europe and the United States, and the
tidbits of information they gleaned from their sponsors as they
traveled. As information gathering assets for the intelligence
agencies of the world, they must have been invaluable.And given the
dozens of foreign intelligence services working the in the
counter-narcotics/terrorism fields, the “chatter” that just dozens of
well-placed operatives may have overheard about attacks against
Western targets must have found its way into the US intelligence
apparatus. But, again, who could believe the audacity of non-state
actors organizing a domestic attack against the supreme power of the
day, the USA? Implementing a new strategic direction and business
deals may have overcome the wacky warnings from the counter-narcotics
folks.
Back in the late 1990’s and early 2000, who would have believed the
rants of a drug courier from Afghanistan saying that some guy named
Bin Laden was going to attack America, particularly if it involved
America’s newest friend, Turkey? Or that a grand design to reshape
Central Asia and the Middle East with Turkey and Israel as pivot
points was being pushed by the Clinton Administration as a matter of
national policy.
The historical record shows that the US War on Drugs and the nascent
War on Terror kept colliding with not only within the US intelligence,
policy and business apparatus, but also with European strategic and
business interests. Turkey continues its push for entry into the
European Union and the USA wants that to happen as the June 2004
meeting of NATO, and President Bush’s attendance under dangerous
circumstances, in Turkey demonstrates. Turkey is one of the USA’s and
Europe’s top arms buyers and is located near what could be some of the
biggest oil and natural gas fields in the world. At this point, it’s
worth noting that the one of the FBI’s tasks is to counter industrial
espionage and to engage in it. Where big arms sales pit the US against
its European competitors – as is the case in Turkey (particularly
starting in 1998) – the FBIis busy making sure the US gets the edge
over its competition. Allies are friends only so far.
Did warnings foretelling of an attack on American soil by Bin Laden’s
crew get lost in the War on Drugs or the US national and economic
interest in troublesome Turkey? It seems only Edmonds knows.
Turkey Cold to UK and USA Concerns
In 1998, the US Department of State (DOS) was finally forced to admit
that Turkey was a major refining and transit point for the flow of
heroin from Southwest Asia to Western Europe, with small quantities of
the stuff finding its way to the streets of the USA. In that same
year, Kendal Nezan, writing for Le Monde Diplomatique, reported that
MIT, and the Turkish National Police force were actively supporting
the trade in illicit drugs not only for fun and profit, but out of
desperation.
“After the Gulf War in 1991, Turkey found itself deprived of the
all-important Iraqi market and, since it lacked significant oil
reserves ofits own, it decided to make up for the loss by turning more
massively to drugs. The trafficking increased in intensity with the
arrival of the hawks in power, after the death in suspicious
circumstances of President Turgut Ozal in April 1993. According to
the minister of interior, the war in Kurdistan had cost the Turkish
exchequer upwards of $12.5 billion. According to the daily
HÃ=83¼rriyet, Turkey’s heroin trafficking brought in $25 billion in
1995 and $37.5 billion in 1996…Only criminal networks working in
close cooperation with the police and the army could possibly organize
trafficking on such a scale. Drug barons have stated publicly, on
Turkish television and in the West, that they have been working under
the protection of the Turkish government and to its financial benefit.
The traffickers themselves travel on diplomatic passports…the drugs
are even transported by military helicopter from the Iranian border.”
Nowhere is the pain of Turkey’s role in the heroin trade felt more
horribly than in the United Kingdom. According to London’s Letter
written by a Member of Parliament, “The war against drugs and drug
trafficking in Britain is huge. Turkish heroin in particular is a top
priority for the MI6 and the Foreign Ministry. During his visit to the
British Embassy in Ankara, the head of the Foreign Office’s Turkey
Department was clear about this. He reassured an English journalist
that the heroin trade was more important than billions of pounds worth
off trade capacity and weapons selling. When the journalist in
question told me about this, I was reminded of my teacher’s words at
university in Ankara ten years ago. He was also working for the
Turkish Foreign Ministry. The topic of a lecture discussion was about
Turkey’s Economy and I still remember his words today,
“50 billion dollars worth of foreign debt is nothing, it is two lorry
loads of heroin…”
Afghanistan: Top Opiate Producer and America’s Friend
Both the DOS and the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
described in detail the transit routes and countries involved in
getting the goods to Turkey. Intelligence organizations here and
abroad must have sanctioned the role that they, and Turkey and
Afghanistan, played in the process. “Afghanistan is the original
source of most of the opiates reaching Turkey. Afghan opiates, and
also hashish, are stockpiled at storage and staging areas in Pakistan,
from where a ton or larger quantities are smuggled by overland
vehicles to Turkey via Iran. Multi-ton quantities of opiates and
hashish also are moved to coastal areas of Pakistan and Iran, where
the drugs are loaded on ships waiting off-shore, which then smuggle
the contraband to points in Turkey along the Mediterranean, Aegean,
and/or Marmara seas. Opiates and hashish also are smuggled overland
from Afghanistan via Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Georgia to Turkey.
Turkish-based traffickers and brokers operate directly and in
conjunction with narcotic suppliers, smugglers, transporters,
laboratory operators, drug distributors, money collectors and money
launderers in and outside Turkey. Traffickers in Turkey illegally
acquire the precursor chemical acetic anhydride, which is used in the
production of heroin, from sources in Western Europe, the Balkans and
Russia. During the 27-month period from July 1, 1999 to September 30,
2001, over 56 metric tons of illicit acetic anhydride were seized in
or destined for Turkey.”
The Ankara Pact
The Middle East Report concluded in 1998 that probably the greatest
strategic move in the Clinton post-Cold War years is what could be
called “The Ankara Pact” – an alliance between the U.S., Turkey and
Israel that essentially circumvents and bottles up the Arab
countries. Earlier in 1997, Turkish Prime Minister Yilmaz visited with
Bill Clinton to ensure him that Turkey would attempt to improve its
human rights record by slaughtering less Kurds, but also mentioned
that if the US pushed too hard on that subject or if the US Congress
adopted an Armenian Genocide Resolution, Turkey might award a billion
dollar contract for attack helicopters to Europe or maybe even Russia.
During this timeframe, and with approval from the USA, Turkey began to
let contracts to Israel to upgrade its F-4, F-5 and F-16
aircraft. Pemra Hazbay, writing in the May 2004 issue of Peace Watch,
reported that total Israeli arms sales to Turkey had exceeded $1
billion since 2000. “In December 1996, Israel won a deal worth $630
million to upgrade Turkey’s fleet of fifty-four F-4 Phantom fighter
jets. In 1998, Turkey awarded a $75 million contract to upgrade its
fleet of 48 F-5 fighter jets to Israel Aircraft Industries’ Lahav
division, beating out strong French competition. In 2002, Turkey
ratified its largest military deal with Israel, a $700 million
contract for the renovation of Turkish tanks.” But that pales in
comparison to the $20 billion in US arms exports and military aid
dealt to Turkey over the last 24 years.
Then in 1999 came a news item from a publication known as the Foreign
Report based in the United Kingdom. That publication indicated that
“Israeli intelligence, the Mossad, had expanded its base in Turkey and
opened branches in Turkey for other two departments stationed in Tel
Aviv. The Mossad carried out several spy operations and plans through
its elements stationed in Istanbuland Ankara, where it received
support and full cooperation from the Turkish government. According to
the military cooperation agreement between the Mossad and its Turkish
counterpart, the MIT, signed by former Turkish Foreign Minister Hekmet
Citen during his visit to Israel in 1993, the Mossad had provided
Turkey with plans aiding it in closing its border with Iraq, as well
as being involved in the arrest the chairman of the PKK, Abdullah
Ocalan.” That agreement also included help with counter-narcotics.
Earlier in 1998, Israeli, Turkish and American military forces engaged
in exercises in the Mediterranean, according to Reuters and Agencie
France Press. “[These exercises] signal to the radical states in the
region that there isa strong alliance between Israel, Turkey and the
United States which they must fear, Israeli political scientist Efraim
Inbar said. Defense officials said during last month’s visit to Ankara
that they hoped the Jewish lobby in Washington would help Turkey
offset Greek and Armenian influence on Capitol Hill. That’s certainly
part of this. They expect us to help them and we do help them a bit,
said David Ivri, an adviser who directs biannual strategy talks with
Turkey.” Reports also indicated that the CIA and Pentagon
intelligence organizations had regularly chaired meetings of Turkish
and Israeli officers in Tel Aviv for years.
DEA & FBI
Prior to the US invasion of Afghanistan, the DEA monitored the
Afghanistan drug trade from its two offices in Pakistan: The Islamabad
Country Office and the Peshawar Resident Office. In addition to
Pakistan and Afghanistan, the DEA Islamabad Country Office also
includes in its area of responsibility Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan,
Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, the United Arab Emirates and Oman. Asa
Hutchinson, the administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration,
testified in October 2001 that DEA intelligence confirmed the presence
of a linkage between Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban and international
terrorist Osama Bin Laden.
He went on to say that although DEA had no direct evidence to confirm
that Bin Laden is involved in the drug trade, the relationship between
the Taliban and Bin Laden is believed to have flourished in large part
due to the Taliban’s substantial reliance on the opium trade as a
source of organizational revenue. “While the activities of the two
entities do not always follow the same trajectory, we know that drugs
and terror frequently share the common ground of geography, money, and
violence. In this respect, the very sanctuary enjoyedby Bin Laden is
based on the existence of the Taliban’s support for the drug trade.
This connection defines the deadly, symbiotic relationship between the
illicit drug trade and international terrorism.”
Meanwhile, back at the FBI, the Office of International Operations
oversees the Legal Attache Program operating at 46 locations around
the world. The operation maintains contact with Interpol, other US
federal agencies such as the CIA and military agencies such as the
Defense Intelligence Agency, and foreign police and security
officers. Its job is to investigate or counter threats from foreign
intelligence, terrorists and criminal enterprises that threaten the
national or economic security of the USA. It coordinates its
activities with all US and foreign intelligence operations. In 2000,
it opened offices in Ankara, Turkey and Almaty, Kazhakstan. Since
1996, it has had offices in Islamabad, Pakistan and Tele Aviv,
Israel. In 1997, it opened one in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Combined,
these offices monitor the entire Middle East, Persian Gulf and Central
Asian threat areas developing thousands of “investigative leads.”
Edmonds has given the American people leads that show that they are
easily sacrificed for a perceived greater good.
John Stanton is a Virginia-based writer specializing in national
security and political matters. He is author of the forthcoming book,
‘America 2004: A Power, But Not Super.’

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
07/14/2004
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1. ANCA Joins Washington, DC Protest to Stop Genocide in Sudan 2. Karabagh's Inclusion in Peace Negotiations up to Sides, Say OSCE Mediators 3. Armenian Official Meets with MCC, Details Work on MCA Proposals 4. Georgia Urges West to Help Resolve Regional Crisis 5. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Clarifies Armenia's Decision to Criticize OSCE 6. BRIEFS 1. ANCA Joins Washington, DC Protest to Stop Genocide in Sudan "When human lives are in jeopardy, there should be outrage." --New York Congressman Charlie Rangel (D-NY) who was arrested during demonstration at Sudanese Embassy. WASHINGTON, DC--Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) staff and activists joined with Congressman Charles Rangel (D-NY) and leading African American and human rights activists at a demonstration on Tuesday outside the Sudanese Embassy calling for US and international pressure to end the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. The protest, organized by the Sudan Campaign, featured the arrest of Congressman Charlie Rangel, a senior New York legislator who serves as the Ranking Member on the influential US House Ways & Means Committee. He was arrested for trespassing by the police after stepping to the door of the Embassy. He was released within hours from a Washington, DC jail after paying bail of fifty dollars. Former member of Congress and current president of the National Council of Churches Robert Edgar, was arrested at the Sudanese Embassy, on Wednesday. ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian, Government Affairs Director Abraham Niziblian and the ANCA "Leo Sarkisian" Internship program participants, led by Director Arsineh Khachikian, joined the noon-time protest which included some hundred and fifty activists and representatives from a diverse coalition of Sudan Campaign partner organizations including the Congressional Black Caucus, Center for Religious Freedom at Freedom House, Institute on Religion and Democracy, American Anti-slavery group, Wilberforce Project, and Christian Solidarity International, among others. "We marched today, in the name of all Armenians, to do our part to help end the cycle of genocide," said Hamparian. "As the descendants of survivors of the Armenian Genocide, we bear a special burden to fight intolerance and to demand moral leadershipand decisive actionfrom our government to prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths in Darfur." Niziblian, in an interview with the Associated Press (AP), was quoted as saying that, "A lot more people should be protesting and taking to the streets now." The Sudan Campaign is led by Rev. Walter E. Fauntroy, co-founder of the Congressional Black Caucus, and Joe Madison, a civil rights activist and radio personality in the Greater Washington, DC area. The group has been holding noon-time protests in front of the Sudanese Embassy for the past month, during which several leading human and civil rights activists have been arrested. During his remarks, Madison announced that he is launching a hunger strike until the Sudanese government takes action to end the obstruction of humanitarian assistance from reaching hundreds of thousands in need in Darfur. Over the past month, the ANCA has called attention to the atrocities in Sudan through a series of letters to Congressional offices, urging them to take a stand to stop the cycle of genocide through support of Congressional initiatives regarding Sudan as well as for the Genocide Resolution (H.Res.193, S.Res.164), which reaffirms US commitment to the principles of the Genocide Convention. On June 23, Niziblian participated in a press conference organized by the Congressional Black Caucus and Africa Action. The ANCA has urged Armenian Americans to add their names to the Africa Action petition drive for Sudan, by visiting Some 30,000 have already perished over the past 18 months in Darfur, Sudan, with approximately one million forced to flee their homes. If the Sudanese government does not allow for the distribution of international humanitarian assistance, the death toll could rise to 350,000, according to conservative estimates. 2. Karabagh's Inclusion in Peace Negotiations up to Sides, Say OSCE Mediators YEREVAN (Noyan-Tapan/RFE-RL/Yerkir)--In a press conference held on Wednesday in Yerevan, OSCE's Minsk Group mediators announced that they would not bring any new proposals for the conflicting sides. "I did not think the Minsk Group should make new proposals. We are working with the sides to help them find practical and stable solutions to the problem," explained US Co-chair Stephen Mann. Speaking about the possibility of Karabagh's participation in the peace negotiations, the mediators made clear that the conflicting parties themselves must decide. "I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the responsibility for the Karabagh settlement lies with the sides. We leave the question of Karabagh's inclusion in the talks to the sides. They must solve and specify this problem by themselves," said Mann. After meeting with the co-chairs in Stepanakert on Tuesday, Mountainous Karabagh Republic president Arkady Ghukassian emphasized that no final settlement of the conflict is possible without Karabagh's full participation in negotiations. French co-chair Henry Jacolin meanwhile said that it is not the OSCE and its Minsk Group that have exhausted all resources to resolve the conflict, hinting rather that the conflicting sides have done so. "This is a good format of negotiations, although it has been criticized a lot. The format is fully acceptable for the Armenian president," Jacolin said. Last month the OSCE co-chairs held another round of negotiations in Prague between Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers trying to break a deadlock. The Russian co-chair Yuri Merzlyakov rejected the criticism of the "Prague Process," saying that the initiation of the Prague talks between the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers would not necessarily mean that the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan are less interested in resolving the conflict. "The meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents in Warsaw made possible the Prague meetings between co-chairs and Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan," said Merzlyakov. The Russian co-chair also did not rule out that the next meeting between Kocharian and Aliyev could be held in September when leaders of CIS meet again. 3. Armenian Official Meets with MCC, Details Work on MCA Proposals WASHINGTON, DC (Embassy of Armenia)--Chief Economic Adviser to the President of Armenia, Vahram Nercissiantz, and Armenian Ambassador to the US, Dr. Arman Kirakossian met with Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) CEO Paul V. Applegarth on Tuesday to present Armenia's progress in targeting for MCC funding. The MCC is a US government corporation designed to work with some of the poorest countries in the world to administer funds from the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) designed to help poor countries spur the economic growth and attract the investment necessary to further development. Congress has appropriated $1 billion for the MCC for this fiscal year. Armenia was deemed eligible, along with 15 other countries, to apply for development aid. Nercissiantz, who serves as the deputy chairperson of an ad-hoc coordinating group for MCC Armenian Program, said it had met with national and local Armenian NGO's, experts, and other concerned parties, to solicit advice, develop public awareness, and to target the directions for developmental assistance under the terms of MCA. Nercissiantz said that a draft proposal would be complete by the end of August for approval and formal submission to the MCC for consideration in September. Applegarth stressed the need for proposals to address issues on strengthening democracy in Armenia, and asked about details of consultations with interested parties. Nercissiantz noted that all groups involved--government agencies, NGOs, and experts, have agreed to target poverty reduction in Armenia's rural areas by promoting economic growth. The program foresees their greater integration in Armenia's economy, and increasing economic opportunities for rural and small farming communities. A significant by-product of such economic empowerment, Nercissiantz said, is a strong local self-governing system and civil society in Armenia. The program proposal to the MCC will, therefore, likely include, but not be limited to, rehabilitation of rural roads and transport infrastructure; soil amelioration (drainage and desalination); improving irrigation system; and investing in the social infrastructure. Nercissiantz stressed that Armenia's Government will adhere to MCC's principle that aid is most effective when it reinforces sound political, economic, and social policies that promote economic growth. 4. Georgia Urges West to Help Resolve Regional Crisis LONDON/MOSCOW (Interfax/Reuters)--The president of Georgia said on Wednesday he believed a mounting crisis in the breakaway region of South Ossetia could be resolved in about six months if the West put pressure on Russia. "There should be continued pressure from the West and we must make Russia realize we will not be pushed around," Mikhail Saakashvili said during a visit to London which has included a meeting with Prime Minister Tony Blair. "I am sure within six months or more these few thousand people (in South Ossetia) will be fully integrated (into Georgia)." Saakashvili has made restoration of central power over restive regions a key policy plank since his landslide election victory in January. He has since succeeded in removing a local strongman in Ajaria on the Black Sea. But bringing back into the fold mountainous South Ossetia and Abkhazia, also on the Black Sea, is certain to be a much tougher task. Stability in the Caucasus region is critical to Western interests as a major pipeline is being built through Georgia to transport oil from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean. South Ossetia's co-chairman of the Joint Control Commission on the settling of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict, Boris Chochiyev, said on Wednesday that all sides present at the Commission's session in Moscow are currently preparing their versions of the session's final protocol. "Currently, the Russian, North Ossetian and the South Ossetian sides are working on the project, but the final protocol can only be approved if the Georgian side takes part [in the production of the final protocol]," Chochiyev told journalists. He said that the Russian, North Ossetian and South Ossetian chairmen of the commission have doubts about the return of Georgian State Minister on Separatist Conflicts Goga Khaindrava, who left the session. Representatives of North and South Ossetia, Georgia and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) are taking part in the Joint Control Commission's session. Tension in South Ossetia, where separatists broke away from central control after a conflict in the 1990s, has increased in recent weeks. Russia accuses Georgia of violating a 1992 deal overseeing a truce and of trying to trigger a new military confrontation. Georgia in turn accuses Russian peacekeepers in the region of siding with separatists and of trying to arm them. The situation came close to a climax last weekend when Russians said peacekeepers in the area had the right to use force to impose peace and Georgians said they were prepared to resort to arms to repel Russian aggression. Saakashvili said US Secretary of State Colin Powell and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice had helped ease the situation by speaking to Russian President Vladimir Putin. And he acknowledged the EU had spoken up for Georgia. "I wouldn't expect Britain to have a confrontation but it is a matter of being part of a multilateral mechanism," he said. Britain's Foreign Office said: "We support the territorial integrity of Georgia and support the OSCE in its mediation efforts." Saakashvili said 160 British military staff were helping to train the Georgian army and had taken part in joint exercises. US forces have also been involved in training. The president said signs of Georgia's closer ties with the West and NATO had prompted Russia to stir up tension in South Ossetia. Moscow, he said, had no strategic interest in the region. "South Ossetia is not the price Georgia is willing to pay for anything, for closer relations with NATO," said Saakashvili. 5. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Clarifies Armenia's Decision to Criticize OSCE YEREVAN (ARMENPRESS)In response to reporter inquiries as to why Armenia joined Russia and seven other countries in accusing the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) of unjustly meddling in their internal affairs, Hamlet Gasparian, a spokesman for the Armenian Foreign Ministry, said the Armenian government, like the other signatories, has a number of reservations about the activities of the OSCE and some of its bodies. Gasparian explained that the decision was not made overnight and that the government had been discontent with various aspects of the OSCE for a number of years. He said that similar criticism had been made by Armenia and other CIS member countries during official OSCE discussions aimed at improving the work of the organization. "The signatories of the statement are full members of the OSCE and have the right to express their opinions with regard to any aspect of OSCE's activity for the sake of its improvement," Gasparian stated. He clarified some of OSCE's failures, including, the use of double standards, biased assessments of OSCE monitoring missions and the explicit violation of the balance between the organization's "three dimensions." Despite the criticism, Gasparian noted that Armenia will remain committed to the responsibilities it assumed within the OSCE framework. "Armenia remains committed to all its obligations and is dedicated to this organization's values, and defends the principle of solidarity among all its members," he said. The statement released last week was not signed by Azerbaijan, prompting reporters to speculate about the negative affects Armenia's stance may have on the Mountainous Karabagh settlement. "It should be noted that the issues raised in [the statement] have no relation at all to the regulation process, nor to the work of the OSCE Minsk group and its co-chairmen," Gasparian stated. The spokesman said that according to Azeri media sources, Azerbaijan declined to sign the statement when other CIS countries refused to incorporate wording it had suggested. He made clear that Azerbaijan has often criticized OSCE and its Minsk group. 6. BRIEFS Council of Europe Says No Political Prisoners in Azerbaijan STRASBOURG (ARMENPRESS)In a report released on July 13, Council of Europe Secretary General Walter Schwimmer, noted that virtually all persons considered to be political prisoners in Azerbaijan have either been released or retried. The report was compiled and published by Professors Stefan Trechsel and Evert Alkema. "This demonstrates the good cooperation established with the Azerbaijani authorities; it also illustrates the usefulness of the work of my experts [Trechsel and Alkema]. The procedure established was indeed confidential and quite lengthy but it allowed for possible settlements to the satisfaction of all those concerned." In appreciation of their efforts, Schwimmer last week awarded both Trechsel and Alkema the Pro-Merito medal. Azeri Opposition Party Demands New Presidential Election BAKU (ARMENPRESS)Last Saturday, the main Azeri opposition party, Musavat (Equality), released a statement in which the demand for new presidential elections was made. The statement, which was adopted at the party council's session, accused the Aliyev family and its allies of "usurping" power by rigging the October 15, 2003 presidential elections through fraud and merciless repressions. Another statement by the Musavat party demanded the immediate release of over 100 opposition activists that were convicted shortly after the election. With several of its leaders on trial, the party also expressed its concern that Musavat members will not receive fair trials under the present judicial system. United States Cuts Off Aid To Uzbekistan WASHINGTON DC (EURASIANET.ORG)The United States has announced that it will withhold millions of dollars in security and economic assistance to Uzbekistan, citing "disappointment" over Tashkent's human rights practices. Human rights advocates have praised the US decision, expressing hope that it increases the pressure on Tashkent to implement long-promised reforms to improve civil-society conditions in the country. American law requires the US State Department to review the democratization performance of aid recipients. In Uzbekistan's case, Secretary of State Colin Powell decided that Tashkent is not fulfilling the terms of a 2002 Strategic Partnership Framework agreement that mandated "substantial and continuing progress" on democratization, a July 13 State Department statement said. As a result of Powell's decision to deny certification, Uzbekistan could lose up to $18 million in aid, the statement added. In recent years, Uzbekistan has faced sharp criticism from human rights groups over the government's clampdown on freedom of speech and religious expression. Human Rights Watch has estimated that roughly 7,000 independent Muslims have been improperly imprisoned. The crackdown intensified this spring after Tashkent was rocked in late March by clashes between Islamic radical insurgents and security forces. In addition to human rights transgressions, Uzbek authorities have frustrated US and European officials by failing to fulfill economic reform commitments. The Uzbek government has made "encouraging progress over the past year" in the human rights sphere, the State Department statement noted. However, the country's overall performance could not justify certification, it added. In its country report on Uzbek human rights practices, released in early 2004, the State Department characterized the country as "an authoritarian state with limited civil rights." 24 People Die in Iran Road Accident TEHRAN (ARMENPRESS)Twenty-four people died and 13 others were injured when the driver of a heavy truck smashed into a passenger bus on a road in southern Iran. The accident occurred shortly before dawn between the towns of Darab and Fasa in the Fars province. "The driver had fallen asleep and lost control," a police official was quoted as saying. Iran's roads are already considered to be among the most dangerous in the world. More than a quarter of all cars on the road are over 20 years old. Close to 100,000 people have died in road accidents in the past five years. 25,772 individuals were killed during the one year period between March 2003 and March 2004. Engineering University Introduces Religious Counseling YEREVAN (ARMENPRESS)The Armenian Church has accepted an invitation from the state-run Yerevan Engineering University to provide religious counseling sessions to its students. The university has designated a room in which students will be able to hold private discussions with clergymen. The church announced that it is ready to establish similar programs at other universities. Pyunic FC Beats Pobeda of Macedonia SKOPJE (ARMENPRESS)On Tuesday night, Armenian champions FC Pyunik moved into the second qualifying round after a 3-1 victory over FC Pobeda of Macedonia. Edgar Manucharyan of Pyunik dominated the field, scoring two goals and assisting Zhora Hovhanesian for a third. Senior Military Officer's Son Fights with US Citizen YEREVAN (RFE-RL)The Interior Ministry press service confirmed on July 13 that Arsen Harutyunyan, the 30 year old son of Armed Forces Chief of Staff Mikael Harutyunyan, attacked David Becker (29) on July 10 in the "Bunker" club in downtown Yerevan. Police officials confirmed that Backer has appealed to the central department of the police complaining that someone named Arsen beat him severely, causing injuries. Officials also said that according to Becker, Harutyunyan attacked two women. General Mikael Harutyunyan refused to comment on the incident. "It would be improper for me to comment," the general said, adding that his children were brought up properly. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2004 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets. From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRESS RELEASE
HALO USA
Humanitarian Landmine Clearance
850 Seventh Avenue, Suite 506
New York, NY 10019
212 581 0099 (tel)
212 581 2029 (fax)
HALO Trust Continues Progress in Heavily Mined Karabakh
So far this year, The HALO Trust has destroyed 240 antipersonnel
landmines, 230 antitank mines and 718 items of unexploded ordnance in
Nagorno Karabakh Some 2,400 acres of land have been cleared by the
organization in 2004 alone.
Nagorno Karabakh is one of the most mine-affected areas in the world and
accidents continue to plague the region. The per capita accident rate is
higher in Karabakh than in more publicized countries like Afghanistan
and Cambodia. As people are repatriated into uncharted, potentially
mined territory, landmine accidents continue to occur. In June, HALO
reported three accidents during the month causing injury to four
civilians.
HALO provides employment for 199 local people in Nagorno Karabakh. At
present manning levels, clearance will take from five to seven years.
For more information please visit HALO’s website at

Azeri foreign minister upbeat on Karabakh mediators’ visit
MPA news agency
14 Jul 04
BAKU
“The visit by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen to Azerbaijan, which
starts today (14 July), might have a positive impact on the
negotiations on the Nagornyy Karabakh conflict,” Azerbaijani Foreign
Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has told journalists. The foreign minister
said that the co-chairmen have not visited the region for six months
and it is important they discuss the situation on the spot. The
foreign minister said that he did not expect the co-chairmen to put
forward specific proposals.

Press Release
Kanayq Hayots Women’s Resource Center
Contact person: Lara Aharonian
Tel: 09-48-63-30
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:
Kanayq Hayots Women’s Resource Center Celebrates First Anniversary
Kanayq Hayots Women’s Resource Center, based on the campus of Yerevan
State University, in Armenia, is celebrating the Center’s first
anniversary of operation with the unveiling of its E-Center website,
which was enabled by a grant from the World Learning Armenian NGO
Strengthening Program. As a part of the Kanayq Hayots collective’s
vision, this bilingual E-Center will first of all act as a safe zone
for Armenian women who are interested in learning about their own
history and heritage, promote women’s activism and participate in the
democratic and social development within our society. The website will
host and periodically post updates on events concerning women’s issues
taking place at the Kanayq Hayots Center and Yerevan State University.
The model is based on the democratic participatory structure of
women’s centers in Quebec, Canada, which is run and governed only by
and for women. The free walk-in premises are open to women from all
communities, offering educational and other support services.
The E-Center focuses on scholarship as a prime promoter of the social
standing of women in Armenia, where significant numbers of women are
among the poorest layers of society, and are grossly underrepresented
within the government. Kanayq Hayots provides an on-campus academic
resource center geared toward supplying the necessary tools to empower
women, and raise awareness of gender inequalities and discrimination
within the University, as well as other communities. Our objective is
to eradicate discrimination against women based on their sex, age,
race, class, religion, ethnicity, physical or mental disability,
sexual orientation or marital status, and foster solidarity among
women. The Center’s location within the academic setting sustains, but
does not limit, our commitment to the female student population on the
campus of YSU.
###

UEFA.com
July 13 2004
Pyunik prove too strong

Armenian champions FC Pyunik have one foot in the second qualifying
round after a convincing 3-1 victory in Skopje tonight against FK
Pobeda of F.Y.R Macedonia.

Hovsepyan dismissed
Edgar Manucharyan was the hero for the visiting side, scoring twice
and making his side’s other goal for Zhora Hovhannisyan. All of this
came in the first half but the last action of note in the opening 45
minutes was the dismissal of Pyunik’s Sargis Hovsepyan. Pobeda were
able to pull one back in the second half but their chances of
progression after the return in Yerevan a week on Wednesday look
slim.
Quickfire start
The 17-year-old Manucharyan looked lively from the opening whistle at
the Gradski stadium. He was nearly on target in the third minute only
for Pobeda goalkeeper Tome Pandev to save what seemed a certain goal.
However, the striker was not to be denied and scored his first 12
minutes later. A long pass from Aghvan Lazarian set Manucharyan
clear and he made no mistake.
Gešoski lift
Much to the relief of the 3,000 home fans, Pobeda found their range
in the 20th minute with Blagoja Gešoski firing just wide from 16
metres. However, the hosts found themselves two behind in the 26th
minute, Manucharyan turning provider for Hovhannisyan to put Pyunik
in command. With five minutes left in the half, Manucharyan added his
second after a defensive mix-up and Pobeda were seemingly on their
way out of the competition before it had barely started.
Shakhtar waiting
However, a second yellow card for Hovsepyan two minutes later gave
Pobeda a lifeline. Yet, despite their man advantage for the entire
second half, the Macedonian title-holders struggled to find a way
back into the contest and it took until the 81st minute for Gešoski
to capitalise on a defensive error and score a consolation for his
side. With a two-goal deficit and a trip to Armenia to come, Pyunik
are well on course to face FC Shakhtar Donetsk in the second
qualifying round.

ARKA News Agency
July 12 2004
RA President and OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen discuss present stage
of Karabakh settlement
RA Prsident Kocharian signs law on children and youth sport
RA President Kocharian signs some laws on making amendments to the
legislation of the country
Indonesian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia
finishes his diplomatic mission in Armenia
RA President Robert Kocharian signs a law on honorary titles of RA
*********************************************************************
RA PRESIDENT AND OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRMEN DISCUSS PRESENT STAGE
OF KARABAKH SETTLEMENT
YEREVAN, July 12. /ARKA/. RA President Robert Kocharian and OSCE
Minsk Group Co-Chairmen Yuri Merzlyakov (Russia), Steven Mann (USA)
and Anri Jakolein (France) discussed present stage of Karabakh
settlement, RA President’s press office told ARKA. The Ambassadors of
Russia, USA and France to Armenia also took part in the meeting.
Note OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen arrived in Armenia today, then they
plan to visit NKR. On July 15, the co-chairmen will arrive in Baku.
L.D. –0–
*********************************************************************
RA PRSIDENT KOCHARIAN SIGNS LAW ON CHILDREN AND YOUTH SPORT
YEREVAN, July 12. /ARKA/. RA Prsident Kocharian signed law on
children and youth sport. According to RA President’s Press Service
Department, the law regulates programs of the state policy in the
field of children and youth sport, as well as relations referring to
education and development of physical training ands sport and healthy
life mode among children.
On May 11, 2004 RA NA in its third and final reading adopted law on
children and youth sport. The draft law is to encourage mass physical
training and sport as well as improve the quality of physical
training in schools and Universities of Armenia. Besides, separate
points of the law regulate the issues of involvement of mental
invalids into physical training and sport. The law also stipulates
physical training of the youth undergoing pre-conscription military
training. A.H. – 0 –
*********************************************************************
RA PRESIDENT KOCHARIAN SIGNS SOME LAWS ON MAKING AMENDMENTS TO THE
LEGISLATION OF THE COUNTRY
YEREVAN, July 12. /ARKA/. RA President Kocharian signed some laws on
making amendments to the legislation of the country. According to RA
President’s press Service department, the President signed the law on
making amendments and novels to Civil Code, laws on diplomatic
service, on state service, on licensing , on physical training and
sport, and on notary. Kocharian also signed law on making amendments
to the law on state registration of juridical persons, on
organization of checks up in Armenia, as well as novel to the law on
payments for the ecology and nature management. A.H.–0–
*********************************************************************
INDONESIAN AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY AND PLENIPOTENTIARY TO ARMENIA
FINISHES HIS DIPLOMATIC MISSION IN ARMENIA
YEREVAN, July 12. /ARKA/. Indonesian Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary to Armenia Remi Momauli Siahani (headquarter in Kiev)
finished his diplomatic mission in Armenia. According to RA
President’s Press Service Department, in the course of the meeting
with RA President Robert Kocharian the Ambassador thanked him for the
support. During the meeting the sides discussed also the possibility
of enlargement of bilateral relations.
Remi Momauli Siahani was appointed as an Ambassador to Armenia in
March 2002. A.H. –0 –
*********************************************************************
RA PRESIDENT ROBERT KOCHARIAN SIGNS A LAW ON HONORARY TITLES OF RA
YEREVAN, July 12. /ARKA/. RA President Robert Kocharian signed a law
on honorary titles of RA. According to RA President’s Press Service
Department, the law regulates the relations connected with conferring
honorary titles to famous figures in the fields of science,
education, literature, culture, journalism, healthcare, physical
training and sport, economy, as well as to groups of people. The law
also stipulates the order and the terms of conferring honorary
titles.
RA NA adopted draft law on honorary titles of RA on June 11, 2004 in
the third final reading. The law stipulates monthly additional money
bonus, the amount of which to be determined by the Government, to
those conferred upon the honorary title `national’, and the honorary
title is to be conferred by the RA President. The titles are lifelong
except of the cases stipulated by the legislation. A.H.–0–
*********************************************************

ARKA News Agency
July 13 2004
Armenia is interested in soonest retrofitting of Armenian companies
transferred to Russian in account of public debt redemption
RA Foreign Minister and CIS Executive Secretary note the necessity of
increase of the effectiveness of CIS structures activity
OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen leave for Stepanakert
RA NA Speaker Arthur Baghdasaryan receives USA Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia John Ordway in regard
with the completion of his diplomatic mission in Armenia
The agenda of the session of CIS Presidents’ Council discussed by RA
President and CIS Executive Secretary
*********************************************************************
ARMENIA IS INTERESTED IN SOONEST RETROFITTING OF ARMENIAN COMPANIES
TRANSFERRED TO RUSSIAN IN ACCOUNT OF PUBLIC DEBT REDEMPTION
YEREVAN, July 13. /ARKA/. Armenia is interested in soonest
retrofitting of Armenian companies transferred to Russian in account
of public debt redemption, RA Prime Minister Andranik Margarian
stated at the meeting with his Russian colleague Mihail Fradkov. At
this he said that Armenian party is ready to make everything possible
for assistance to realization of scheduled programs.
During the meeting Prime Ministers also discussed perspectives of
deepening of cooperation in the sphere of small and medium business.
The parties paid attention to creation of joint companies in the
sphere of agriculture, involvement of Russian investments in food and
processing industry of Armenia and expanding of export-import volume
of agriculture products.
Serious attention was paid to cooperation in the sphere of transport
and communication. The parties stressed that today given sphere has
many unsettled issues that prevent development of cooperation between
the countries.
The Ministers also discussed one of basic directions of bilateral
economic cooperation – energy field and cooperation in the field of
gas supply. Margarian offred to discuss opportunities of
participation of Russian companies in realization of investment
projects in gas sphere of Armenia. L.D. –0–
*********************************************************************
RA FOREIGN MINISTER AND CIS EXECUTIVE SECRETARY NOTE THE NECESSITY OF
INCREASE OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CIS STRUCTURES ACTIVITY
YEREVAN, July 13. /ARKA/. RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian met
today with CIS Executive Secretary Vladimir Rushailo, RA MFA told
ARKA. During the meeting the parties discussed issues included in the
agenda of the sitting of CIS Foreign Ministers Council that will take
place on Sep.15, in Astana. Basic accent was put on the issues
directed on strengthening of cooperation of CIS country-members,
realization of important programs in economic sphere. The parties
also noted the necessity of increase of the effectiveness of CIS
structures activity and cooperation of CIS with international
organizations. L.D. –0–
*********************************************************************
OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRMEN LEAVE FOR STEPANAKERT
STEPANAKERT, July 13. /ARKA/. OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen Yuri
Merzlyakov (Russia), Steven Mann (USA) and Anri Jakolein (France)
left today for the capital of NKR – Stepanakert. During the meeting
co-chairmen will meet with the administration of the republic.
Co-chairmen also plan to meet with NGOs of Nagorno Karbakh. L.D.
–0–
*********************************************************************
RA NA SPEAKER ARTHUR BAGHDASARYAN RECEIVES USA AMBASSADOR
EXTRAORDINARY AND PLENIPOTENTIARY TO ARMENIA JOHN ORDWAY IN REGARD
WITH THE COMPLETION OF HIS DIPLOMATIC MISSION IN ARMENIA
YEREVAN, July 13. /ARKA/. RA NA Speaker Arthur Baghdasaryan received
USA Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia John
Ordway in regard with the completion of his diplomatic mission in
Armenia. According to RA NA Public Relations Department, in the
course of the meeting Baghdasaryan wished the American Ambassador
success in his future activities, noting that a lot of work was done
to strengthen Armenian-American relations, including aid programs,
within the years Ordway was the USA Ambassador to Armenia. In his
turn Ordway attached importance to the development of democratic
processes in Armenia and continuation of the reforms. He noted that
the new Ameracn Ambassador to Armenia will keep contributing to the
process of development of friendly relations between Armenia and the
USA. A.H. – 0–
*********************************************************************
THE AGENDA OF THE SESSION OF CIS PRESIDENTS’ COUNCIL DISCUSSED BY RA
PRESIDENT AND CIS EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
YEREVAN, July 13. /ARKA/. RA President Robert Kocharian received the
CIS Executive Secretary Vladimir Rushailo, who arrived in Yerevan in
the frames of the visit to the CIS states. According to RA
President’s Press Service Department, in the course of the meeting
Rushailo and Kocharian discussed issues connected with the agenda of
the session of the CIS Presidents’ Council to be held in September in
Astana. They also discussed some organizational issues connected with
the coordination of work of CIS Executive Committee, in particular,
issues connected with the reformation of the CIS Executive Committee
structure. A.H.–0 –
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress