MosJan

GEORGIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER VISITS ARMENIA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The visit of the newly elected chairwoman of Georgia Nino Burjanadze to Armenia is interesting in itself, if we recall that Georgia’s president Shevardnadze was in Armenia last month to have discussed with Armenian leadership the issues of common interest. But looking closer into the speech Mrs. Burjanadze delivered to Armenian lawmakers on Wednesday, it becomes clear that Georgia is trying to exaggerate the role of Russia’s interest towards its inner-developments by using Russia’s strategic cooperation with Armenia. Mrs. Burjanadze made it clear that the reopening of the railway across breakaway Abkhazia, crucial for Armenian goods shipment to Russia and Europe, may become possible provided that Armenia took the role of mediator between Georgia and its breakaway region. In return Burjanadze pledged to increase its efforts to try to reconcile Armenia with Azerbaijan and Turkey. Later, speaking at a news conference, she admitted that Georgia was hoping that Armenia could talk Russia into helping quick and peaceful settlement of the conflict. She reiterated Georgia’s anti-Russian position, saying that her country did not want to have any foreign military bases deployed in its territory. “Georgia appreciates highly that Armenia supports Georgia’s territorial integrity and we realize that many of you are well aware about the problems Armenians in Georgia are facing,” she said, adding that her government was not creating artificial problems in southern regions, predominantly populated by ethnic Armenians. She also pledged that after withdrawal of Russian base in Akhlakalaki, which gives jobs to hundreds of local Armenians, the government will create normal conditions for them. But some members of the Armenian parliament doubt Georgia’s capacities to meet these commitments and create jobs for local Armenians after pulling out the Russian base. Vahan Hovanisian from the Armenian Revolutionary Federation says that Georgia is hastening to have the Russian base withdrawn, as it is not capable of guaranteeing new jobs and security for the local residents. “We have to try to convince Georgia not to hurry in this issue as it may lead to the destabilization of the situation,” he says. Interestingly, the chairman of the Armenian parliament Armen Khachatrian assumed a very passive role and did not voice Armenia’s positions around these issues, which allowed the Georgia speaker to freely express Georgia’s positions. Here is what happens when diplomacy is empowered in Armen Khachatrian. By Gor Abrahamian © Copyright AZG

TURKISH OFFICIAL WARNS AGAINST MILITARY SOLUTION OF KARABAGH CONFLCIT In an interview with a Baku-based Echo daily the chief of Turkey’s national security council General Tuncay Kilinc has warned against possible aftereffects of resumption of hostilities in Nagorno Karabagh if Azerbaijan tried to end the decade-long conflict in its favor. “The Azeri army is ready to resolve the conflict through a military way, but waging a new war might lead to serious difficulties for Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan must stay away from intentions to give a military solution to the conflict. It is important that the conflict be resolved through negotiations,” he said, and added that Azerbaijan has to make bigger efforts to draw the international community’s attention to this problem and try to convince it that Armenians are wrong. “Armenia is waiting impatiently for Azerbaijan to agree to its position, but one should not forget that one war may give birth to another, this is why I speak about peaceful resolution of the conflict,” he said, expressing hope that sooner or later Azerbaijan will reach the desired option of the resolution. According to the Turkish General, Azerbaijan would win the battle for “liberation of the occupied territories” provided that Russia was not backing Armenia. He also pledged the continued assistance of his country to Azerbaijan. Another noteworthy announcement came from a veteran Turkish diplomat Gunduz Aktan, a member of the Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation Commission (TARC), who said recently that the internationally recognized principle of territorial integrity is endangered, citing the ongoing opposition between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the Key West talks between the leaders of the two countries. Without mentioning the source of his information, Aktan claimed that “the two sides agreed to divide Karabagh, giving the smaller part to Azerbaijan and joining the rest with Armenia.” Aktan goes on to claim that in the course of two international conferences on Karabagh regulation in Berlin and Brussels there were proposals, which would violate Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity. The Turkish diplomats says that contradictions around the disputable territories can be resolved through application of the principle of division, as was the case in Kosovo, Kashmir and Palestine. But a former advisor to Azerbaijani president Vafa Guluzade was quick to react to these statements describing them as ‘absurd.” By Tatool Hakobian © Copyright AZG

MATERNITY HOSPITAL IN MARALIK REHABILITATED ON FUNDS BY ITALIAN GOVERNMENT Ambassador of Italy to Armenia Paolo Andrea Trabalza, UNDP Resident Representative Joel Boutroue, Coordinator of National Reproductive Health Program and Director of the Center of Perinatology, Obstetrics and Gynecology Razmik Abrahamyan, Deputy Governor of Shirak Marz Romik Manukyan, and Director of Family Care NGO Antonio Montalto traveled today to Armenian town of Maralik to attend a ceremony that inaugurated a project in support of the maternity healthcare sector, the UNDP and Italian embassy in Yerevan said. The project with a total budget of US $225,000 is funded by the Government of Italy through a global Trust Fund for Crisis, Post-Conflict and Recovery. The objective of the project is to contribute to the reduction of the rate of maternal/child mortality among most vulnerable population groups, increased dramatically due to the deterioration of the public healthcare system. Specifically, the project envisages provision of emergency and technical assistance for rehabilitation of maternity hospital in Maralik and 15 local policlinics in Ani district of Shirak region. The project will also provide to necessary medical supplies and equipment, including an ambulance, and will organize specialized training for the medical staff of all involved healthcare institutions. The location of the project was proposed by the Ministry of Health in view of its worst statistics in terms of health and sanitation. In Ani, maternal mortality stands 10 times above the national average, the ratio of underweight newborn children is higher above the national average by 5%, and mortality of children under 5 years of age is double compared to the national average. The implementing organization for the project is a local NGO "Family Care" selected in view of its capacity and experience in the implementation of similar projects in several locations throughout Armenia. The project will introduce a visible positive change in the healthcare services available to about 9,000 women and children under 5 years of age in Ani district. The government of Armenia, the government of Italy and UNDP expect that the project will contribute to the reduction of maternal and child mortality and morbidity in Shirak. © Copyright AZG

US INVESTMENTS IN ARMENIA DOUBLE IN 2001 The volumes of US investments in Armenia have doubled this year over the previous year, including a three times increase in the volumes of direct investments. A total of $20 million 646,000 have been invested by US companies in Armenian economy in the first three quarters of the year against $10 million 609,000 in 2000. The volumes of US direct investments this year are $14 million 886,000 against $5 million 170,000 in 2000. The chairman of the Armenian American Trade Chamber Thomas Samuelian said the increase was the result of the Chambers' assistance to possible investors, who are provided with correct and timely information about investments opportunities and business environment in Armenia. According to Armstat, the total volume of foreign investments in Armenia in the first nine months of the year was $88 million 447,600 not counting loans received by government agencies and Central bank. Of the total investments $63 million 321,000 were direct investments. © Copyright AZG

N.Y. LIFE ADDS INSULT TO INJURY BY SIDING WITH TURKEY ON THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE It is bad enough that the New York Life Insurance Company cheated thousands of Armenians for more than 85 years by refusing to pay the benefits for the life insurance policies purchased by Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire prior to the Genocide. Even worse, when the heirs finally filed a class action lawsuit against N.Y. Life in Federal Court in 1999, the company offered in April of this year to pay them a ridiculously small sum of money should they agree to drop their lawsuit. The plaintiffs (the heirs) rejected the proposed settlement out of hand despite a well-orchestrated campaign by N.Y. Life to deceive the Armenian community into thinking that it was getting a very generous payment. The attorneys for the plaintiffs went back to court seeking a much larger compensation. N.Y. Life filed a motion to dismiss the Armenian lawsuit claiming that California was not the proper venue for this complaint. The company said that such lawsuits should be filed either in London or Paris as per the provisions of the insurance policies sold to Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire at the turn of the century. Furthermore, N.Y. Life claimed that “the Armenian Genocide Victims Insurance Act,” which was approved unanimously by the California legislature last year and signed into law by Gov. Gray Davis, was an unconstitutional invasion of the federal government’s foreign affairs power because it “adopts an official position on an extremely sensitive foreign affairs issue.” N.Y. Life stated in court that “the President, Secretary of State and other officials responsible for conducting the Nation’s foreign affairs have determined that recognition of the Armenian Genocide is inimical to the Nation’s interests.” In its petition to the court on Oct. 29, 2001, N.Y. Life made a derogatory statement about the veracity of the Armenian Genocide in stating that the plaintiffs’ ancestors “allegedly” died in the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1922. In a separate filing on Oct. 29, N.Y. Life made a disparaging remark about the State of California and its Armenian population by characterizing the State’s amicus (friend of the court) brief on behalf of this lawsuit as “a classic example of kowtowing to a politically active community.” In a sinister attempt to exploit the current anti-terrorism mood in the country and prejudice the court against the merits of the lawsuit, N.Y. Life unjustifiably linked its non-payment of life insurance benefits for the past 85 years to the terrorist attacks on the United States last September: “The federal government has expressly refused to take an official stance on the topic of the Armenian Genocide for fear of damaging the Nation’s relationship with Turkey, an extremely important strategic ally in the War on Terrorism…. Turkey is vehemently opposed to any statute that characterizes the Armenian deaths in 1915-1923 as a ‘genocide.’ ” One of the most contemptible tricks N.Y. Life resorted to in its attempt to convince the judge to dismiss the Armenian lawsuit was the argument that “the Turkish government is seriously offended by [uS] governmental recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Such offense may in fact result in the United States losing access to key airstrips in Turkey.” Despite N.Y. Life’s attempt to exploit every conceivable legal loophole to evade its contractual obligations, on Nov. 28, 2001, United States District Court Judge, Christina A. Snyder ruled against the insurance company’s motion, dismissing all of its arguments. After more than 85 years of avoiding the payment of benefits to the heirs of the victims of the Armenian Genocide who had purchased life insurance, N.Y. Life has run out of excuses. It can no longer hide. Given N.Y. Life’s pro-Turkish position on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide and its derogatory remarks on this subject in the courtroom, the plaintiffs and their attorneys should not accept to settle this case for any amount of money, no matter how large, unless the company also issues an apology for insulting the Armenian American community and the memory of the victims of the Armenian Genocide. On top of the payment owed to the heirs, N.Y. Life should be forced to pay a very large amount (hundreds of million of dollars) in punitive damages. Imagine what would have happened if European insurance companies had made anti-Semitic statements, denied the veracity of the Holocaust and had taken the position that raising the issue of life insurance payments for Holocaust victims would offend Germany and damage U.S.-German relations! European insurance companies have not stooped that low, but an American company has! Thousands of Armenians, both in this country and overseas, who are customers of N.Y. Life should take into account this company’s long-standing poor payment record on the victims of the Armenian Genocide as well as its most recent court statements on Turkey and the Armenian Genocide, and decide whether they would want to continue giving their business to such an anti-Armenian company! By Harut Sassounian Publisher, The California Courier © Copyright AZG

TURKISH PECULIAR ELUCIDATION OF TARC WORKS HALT The news that the Turkish Armenian Reconciliation Commission (TARC) is not going to proceed received big response in Turkish mass media, and by the way the Turkish media explains this fact peculiarly. Turkish Radical newspaper writes that several reasons conditioned this outcome. The most important reason, according to the newspaper, is that ‘Armenians are not ready for the reconciliation process’. ‘The Armenian side of TARC is comprised of representatives of mass media and different political movements of split Diaspora and Armenia. Although he Turkish side, not accepting the genocide allegations, agreed to a dialogue, but at the end the Armenian initiative of ‘starting a dialogue without preconditions’ failed. The commission got very little support in Armenia’,- writes daily Radical. Another reason that brought the works of the Armenian side of TARC to a ‘halt’, according to daily Radical, is that the Turkish side didn’t accept any claim of genocide, and all the talks about opening Armenian-Turkish border and restoring the visa regime for entering Turkey from Armenia turned out to be groundless, which ‘quickly exhausted the short patience of Armenians’. © Copyright AZG

DISTORTION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE CONTINUES IN TURKEY By Hagop Chakrian Scientific ‘works’ with anti-Armenian content are being published in Turkey quite often recently. But these ‘works’ do not have anything to do with science. They just manifest the hostile policy Turkey adopted against Armenia and Armenians, and at the same time justify the threats with which Turkey counterbalances the steps made for international recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Such ‘bright’ works are Cemal *****’s ‘Memories’, Istanbul, 2001, Sefa Koyuncu’s ‘Syndrome of Quixote and the comedy of Armenian genocide’, Istanbul, 2001, Kemal Ermetin’s ‘Turkish genocide’, Istanbul, 2001. All of the above-mentioned authors are famous anti-Armenian characters. Cemal ***** was one of the executors of Armenians in 1915, Koyucu considers the recognition of Armenian genocide by France a comedy- drawing parallels between Quixote and French president Jacques Chirac. We found out about these works from the Istanbul based Armenian Agos weekly. In its November 16 issue Agos gives an article about another anti-Armenian ‘work’ – written by Yusuf Halacoglu. The book of Halacoglu – ‘Armenian deportation and truths’, was again published in 2001 in Ankara. Halacoglu’s work is the weightiest among the similar works, for it was published by Turkish History Association, and the author is the chairman of the association. Below we give the article published in Agos. One more publication added to the list of works aimed at disclosing the truth about Armenians’ deportations in 1915. The rubric of the work published by Turkish History Association and signed by its chairman and author Yusuf Halacoglu discloses the goal of the book. In the preface Halacoglu gives the ideas on which the book was built: ‘Those who protected Armenians at the beginning of 20-th century and wanted to create Armenian state, now condemn Turkey in committing genocide, try to revenge for the failures of the past, as well as support PKK’s terrorism and Kurdish nationalism for creating a Kurdish state. For in the past there was a task of ‘Armenian reforms’ and now the same idea is put for Kurds. Same pretensions are now drawn forward for Kurds, and the demands of having Kurdish TV, schools, culture protection go beyond acceptable limits and assimilate to the pretensions presented by Armenians. Is the history repeating again?’ Yusuf Halacoglu considers it natural that Armenians who (as though) were betraying the Ottoman armed forces during the World War I were deported: ‘The Ottoman Empire had to deport Armenians from regions close to military actions – as a preventive measure. Then other people, except Catholics and Protestants, orphans, single women and ill people, were also deported, for Armenian guerrillas were continuing to kill innocent people in those regions and informing different secrets about the Ottoman state to foreign representatives’. Underlining that Ottoman archives are open for investigation, Halacoglu concludes his work with the following question: ‘If really 1,5 million Armenians were killed as it is claimed, wouldn’t there be a need to bury the killed in general cemeteries? Then where are these cemeteries? How come cemeteries belonging to Turks are found, but no graves of Armenian victims are found up to day?’ © Copyright AZG

TARC ARMENIAN COMMISSIONERS ISSUE STATEMENT The Armenian Assembly of America (AAA) has learned that the Turkish members of the Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation Commission (TARC) unilaterally asked the International Center for Transitional Justice to refrain from proceeding with its study regarding the applicability of the 1948 UN Genocide Convention to the Armenian Genocide. Accordingly, the Armenian Commissioners announced that they have informed TARC Chairman David L. Phillips that TARC is not going to proceed. Statement by the Armenian Members of the Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation Commission “Yesterday we were advised that the Turkish Commissioners unilaterally instructed the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) to refrain from proceeding with the agreed upon study regarding the applicability of the 1948 UN Genocide Convention to the Armenian Genocide. Accordingly, the Armenian Commissioners regret to announce that we have notified Chairman David L. Phillips earlier today that the Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation Commission (TARC) is not going to proceed. We continue to believe that there is a need for full normalization of relations between Armenians and Turks and between Armenia and Turkey. Contacts between members of Armenian and Turkish civil societies, such as those which have been enabled through the TARC, continue to be necessary to accomplish these essential goals. Commissioner Alexander Arzoumanian Commissioner David Hovhannissian Commissioner Van Z. Krikorian Commissioner Andranik Migranian © Copyright AZG

ARMENIAN EXHIBITION OPENS IN KAZAKHSTAN ALMA ATA, DECEMBER 13, ARMENPRESS: An exhibition of Armenian painters opened December 11 at fine arts state museum in Kazakhstan within the framework of the events devoted to the 1700th anniversary of Armenia's adoption of Christianity at the initiative of the Armenian Embassy in Kazakhstan. The works of different genres and directions, full of national silhouettes by the Armenian painters living in Kazakhstan are displayed in the exhibition. Christian traditions and coloring, closely related to the Armenian History and Armenian people's psychological and mental creation, exist in all pictures.

US ALLOCATES $13.1 MILLION TO ARMENIA FOR SOCIAL PROGRAMS YEREVAN, DECEMBER 13, ARMENPRESS: The US government has released $13.1 mln to Armenia during 2001 for the implementation of programs supporting the development of the social sector in the country. The volume of the relief to the social sector (including health care sector) has made $46.6 mln since 1992 up to now. According to the information, provided by the US Embassy in Armenia, this money includes financing of the co-operation between the medical institutions, reproductive health care programs, as well as other new and more comprehensive programs, that aim to promote the development of social security systems and reforms in the health care system. Besides the total $110 mln allocated to Armenia by all the agencies of the US government, $8.4 mln of the relief fund still remains in the special fund and will be used for those programs, which make progresses and require additional money, or will be used for extraordinary situations.

ANOTHER COMMUNIST PARTY ESTABLISHED YEREVAN, DECEMBER 13, ARMENPRESS: Former member of Armenian Communist Party Yuri Manukian during the today's press conference held at the House of Journalist announced about the establishment of a new communist party, Renovated Communist Party of Armenia (RCPA). Yuri Manukian, the chairman of newly established party, said that RCPA is a competent and direct successor of Armenian Communist Party. At the present moment 2/3 of Yerevan communists are members of RCPA. Mr. Manukian stated that the establishment of the new party was dictated by the necessity "of improving and renovating hundred years old ideas". He also added that the session of the newly established party will be held in 2-3 months.

ARMENIA IS CIS LEADER IN LEGISLATIVE REFORM REALIZATION RATE 12.12.2001 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ Armenia is CIS leader in the rate of realization of reforms in the legislative sphere. U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Ordway stated this at a seminar opened in Yerevan today and devoted to ensuring accessibility of information about the laws passed by the Parliament. At the same time in his words, some current laws of the country contradict each other, which hampers attracting investors. The seminar was held within the framework of the measures devoted to promote realization of the program for creating electronic management systems in Armenia, which will facilitate access to information on the country current laws via Internet. Reproduction in full or in part is prohibited without reference to "PanARMENIAN.Net"

TURKISH SECURITY COUNCIL SECRETARY GENERAL CONSIDERS AZERBAIJAN WILL NEVER COPE WITH Artsax CONFLICT MILITARY SETTLEMENT ALONE 12.12.2001 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ "Resumption of war may cause much problems to Azerbaijan," – Secretary General of the Security Council of Turkey, general Tunjay Kilinj considers. In an interview to Baku "Zerkalo" newspaper he advised Azeris "to keep far from hostilities." "It is important to resolve this problem at the bargaining table," – the Turkish general says. "Working to convince the international community that the Armenian party is wrong in this dispute is more important than to levy a war," – Kilinj considers. "You are wrong if you think you can cope with the problem alone," – the Turkish military leader says and reminds, "Russia backs up Armenia." He concludes as a result, "If the Russian factor is present the military way is risky." Reproduction in full or in part is prohibited without reference to "PanARMENIAN.Net"

WASHINGTON NUMBERED AZERBAIJAN AMONG COUNTRIES HAVING RELATIONS WITH USAMA BIN LADEN 13.12.2001 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ A new list of the countries with «Al-Quaide» terrorist net groups acting has been issued in Washington. Azerbaijan is in the list as usual. It should be pointed out that recently Azerbaijani National Defense Ministry has arrested and deported several terrorists having relations with Usama bin Laden's organization. Meanwhile, according to the Russian press information, Azerbaijan is one of the countries supplying weapons to the «Taliban» movement armed groups. Four countries where as it was earlier thought «Al Quaide» net acted were not included in the new report. They are Ethiopia, Canada, Uruguay and Ecuador. Reproduction in full or in part is prohibited without reference to "PanARMENIAN.Net"

DASHNAKTUTYUN PARTY THINKS ARMENIAN DELEGATION REFUSAL TO PARTICIPATE IN ARMENIAN-TURKISH RECONCILIATION COMMISSION BELATED 13.12.2001 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ The reconciliation between Armenia and Turkey is not possible without recognition of historic truth and Armenian-Turkish dialog will be productive if Ankara recognizes the 1915 genocide of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey. This is stated in the statement of the Dashnaktutyun party Bureau. The party realizing the necessity of the constructive dialog between the two countries considers unacceptable to part the responsibility of Turkey for the genocide of Armenians from the Armenia-Turkey relations. This issue, the authors of the statement note, must be the main in Armenia's foreign policy. The Dashnaktutyun party leadership is sure the campaign on the international Armenian genocide recognition will have enormous scale. The party considers the refusal of Armenian delegation of further participation in the Armenia-Turkish reconciliation commission belated. The Armenian part representatives and the sponsoring Armenian Assembly of America should have understood from the very beginning that Turkey would make any steps to block the issue on the 1915 Armenian genocide recognition. Dashnaktutyun regards the panel activity as venturesome one and lays the responsibility for it on those who participated in and assisted the panel activities. Reproduction in full or in part is prohibited without reference to "PanARMENIAN.Net"

IRAN'S PRESIDENT AND UKRAINE'S FOREIGN MINISTER DISCUSSED IRAN-ARMENIA GAS PIPELINE CONSTRUCTION ISSUE 13.12.2001 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ The foreign minister of Ukraine Anatoly Zlenko, who is in Teheran on an official visit, and Iran's President Mohammed Khatami have discussed the perspectives of distributing the gas to Europe through Armenia's territory. Ukraine's foreign minister has confirmed Ukraine's interest in the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline construction. It is assumed that the pipeline would be built through Georgia and then through the Black Sea ground and will reach Feodosia from where it would be supplied to Europe. «Inter-Contact» Kiev company is ready to accept direct participation in Iran-Armenia gas pipeline building and Frunze engineering plant is ready to provide necessary equipment. It should be reminded that the Iran-Armenia gas pipeline construction will be begun in the spring, 2002. Its length is 140 kilometers. The project cost is $120 mln. Reproduction in full or in part is prohibited without reference to "PanARMENIAN.Net"

AMERICAN CONGRESSMEN THINK TURKISH PART GUILTY OF ARMENIAN-TURKISH RECONCILIATION COMMISSION FAILURE 13.12.2001 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ The USA Congress Armenian group co-chairs Knollehberg and Pallone have made a statement regarding the so-called Armenian-Turkish Reconciliation Commission failure. Congressmen are sure that Turkish side is guilty of what happened. «Turkish side will bear full responsibility for explaining this failure to governments and groups around the world who have expressed hope and support for Turkish-Armenian reconciliation», is stated in their statement. Reproduction in full or in part is prohibited without reference to "PanARMENIAN.Net"

QUESTION ON YEREVAN MAYOR PARTICIPATION IN SESSION OF CAPITAL HEADS OF BSEC COUNTRIES-MEMBERS NOT DECIDED YET 13.12.2001 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ The session of the capital mayors of the countries-members of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization will be held in Baku 2002 February. The Baku executive power head has had a speech with the initiative to hold the meeting in Azerbaijan. Issues on social and public services are planned to be considered at the meeting. It is not known yet if Yerevan's mayor Robert Nazaryan would participate in the Baku meeting. Reproduction in full or in part is prohibited without reference to "PanARMENIAN.Net"

PENTAGON HEAD «INTENDS TO THANK ARMENIAN LEADERSHIP FOR SUPPORT TO CARRY OUT ANTI-TERRORIST OPERATION PERSONALLY» 13.12.2001 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ As we have informed, the USA defense minister will arrive in Yerevan on an official visit on Saturday. A Pentagon source has informed the «Arminfo» correspondent the US defense minister intends to thank Armenian leadership for the support in the carrying out the anti-terrorist operation. The source has also informed, with his visit, Ramsfild would like to show the importance that Washington attaches to the military cooperation with Yerevan. Donald Ramsfild will have meetings with President Robert Kocharyan and defense minister Serge Sarkisyan, who because of that delayed his visit to Cyprus that was planned earlier. On completion of his visit, the US defense minister will have ten-minute briefing for Armenian journalists. The Pentagon head will arrive in Yerevan from Baku in the afternoon. He will stay in Yerevan for several hours and then he will leave for Tbilisi and after that to Tashkent. At the meetings with Armenian leadership two main issues will be discussed. First of all, it is the Armenia-US cooperation in the struggle against international terrorism. The participants of the meetings will also discuss the perspectives of the development of Armenian-American cooperation in the military sphere. Reproduction in full or in part is prohibited without reference to "PanARMENIAN.Net"

PRESIDENT ROBERT KOCHARYAN'S BODYGUARD ACCUSED OF MANSLAUGHTER 13.12.2001 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ The case of the murder of Georgia's citizen Pogos Pogosyan in the Yerevan «Poplavok» café will be prosecuted tomorrow. Armenia's public prosecutor general Aram Tamazyan has stated this at the press conference today. The accused of Pogosyan's death, according to investigation material, is President's guard officer Aghamal Arutyunyan. He is accused of manslaughter. The bodyguard of the country's head is threatened with three-year prison sentence. It should be reminded, Poghosyan was beaten within an inch of his life by the officers of the guard of the president who was in the café with famous singer Sharl Aznavour. The guards decided to «punish» the café visitor who allowed himself a disrespectful remark concerning the President. Reproduction in full or in part is prohibited without reference to "PanARMENIAN.Net"

ABOUT A HUNDRED JOURNALISTS BEATEN UNMERCIFULLY BY AZERBAIJANI POLICEMEN YESTERDAY 13.12.2001 /PanARMENIAN.Net/ «The police regime in Azerbaijan has again proved that the democracy and freedom norms are alien to it», Turan agency informs. Yesterday policemen beat and broke up 100 journalists that gathered at the «Yeni Azerbaijan» leading party office to express their protest against the leadership attacks on the press. The «Yeni Musawat» newspaper editor-in-chief, the contributor and the chairman of the union of journalists were arrested and taken to police station. «Azadlig» newspaper contributor Ramiz Najafli unmercifully beaten by the police was hospitalized with the brain concussion. Scores of media representatives including women were injured. In connection with this event, «Azadlig» newspaper staff has appealed to the US Ambassador to Azerbaijan to grant political asylum to all of them. Reproduction in full or in part is prohibited without reference to "PanARMENIAN.Net"

Jewish Activist Known for Tough Stance Profile: Irv Rubin, volatile chairman of the Jewish Defense League has dozens of arrests for activities against anti-Semitism. By ERIC MALNIC and RICHARD WINTON, Times Staff Writers Irv Rubin says he has never forgotten that day in 1971 when he was a student at Cal State Northridge and Rabbi Meir Kahane, who had founded the militant Jewish Defense League three years before, stopped by to speak. "He told us, 'If you see a Nazi, don't try to convince him you're a nice guy,' " Rubin recalled a few years later. "He told us to smash him." Rubin has done a fair amount of smashing in the years since then--he has been arrested, by his own estimate, more than 40 times. So he said it came as no surprise that when Kahane announced that he was stepping down in 1985, the rabbi named Rubin as the new chief of the JDL. "Who would be more qualified than me?" Rubin asked a few days later without a trace of false modesty. "Next to him, I'm the world's best-known Jewish activist. Now, it's my show." Rubin, who had served as West Coast coordinator for the JDL before his selection as Kahane's successor, said at the time of his promotion that he would press forward with the organization's original mandate "to eliminate any threat to Jewish people" with a forceful, two-pronged attack on anti-Semitism. "Priority 1 will be to teach every Jew or sympathetic Gentile self-defense," Rubin said. "Priority No. 2 is that wherever the neo-Nazis rear their heads, we will be there to confront them, eyeball to eyeball. The day of the submissive Jew must be eliminated." Rubin has taken a similarly tough line against Arabs and Muslims. Born in Montreal in 1945, Rubin moved to the San Fernando Valley in 1960 and later served four years in the Air Force. He said he was "a nice Jewish boy who obeyed every law" until he heard Kahane speak at Northridge. But when he heard Kahane talk of meeting violent anti-Semitism with force, "it struck a sympathetic chord," Rubin said. "Afterward, I went up and introduced myself." Rubin promptly joined the JDL and was soon named a regional coordinator. About a month later, Rubin said, he joined a JDL action at a department store in the Fairfax district, protesting the store's sale of goods made in the Soviet Union. "We had several nice, orderly demonstrations--you know, people screaming, 'Let my people go!' Things like that," he said. "But it didn't seem to faze them. We decided a more dramatic approach was needed. "Myself and about a dozen others went up to the executive offices and had a sit-in. The security guards came in to kick us out. The desks went over, the chairs started flying, the lamps started hitting the wall. It was a good, vibrant sit-in." In 1972, Rubin was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after someone fired three shots at an American Nazi Party leader in El Monte. The charges against the JDL activist were dismissed. More incidents followed, including arrests during demonstrations against Arabs, the Soviet Union and the French Consulate. One of the most controversial incidents involved the bounty Rubin announced at a Los Angeles news conference on March 16, 1978. "We are offering $500, that I have in my hand, to any member of the community . . . who kills, maims or seriously injures a member of the American Nazi Party," Rubin said. "We are deadly serious." The case made Rubin a familiar name, enough so that he sought, but failed to win, a Republican Assembly nomination on the Westside in 1982. For several years, his hulking figure was a familiar one on the evening news, throwing fists at neo-Nazis, threatening Arab activists and being dragged off to jail. In October 1985, a few months after Rubin was named leader of the JDL, a powerful pipe bomb exploded at the West Coast headquarters of the Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee in Santa Ana, killing its Palestinian American regional director, Alex Odeh, and injuring seven others. Rubin declared: "I have no tears for Mr. Odeh. He got exactly what he deserves." No arrests were made, but the FBI questioned several people connected with the JDL. Rubin has said his group had nothing to do with the explosion and later said he regretted his comment about Odeh. As leader of the JDL, Rubin eventually tried to strike a more moderate pose, donning three-piece suits and offering his services as a security consultant to local businesses, including an Arab-owned Middle Eastern restaurant. He said that some of his earlier stances--applauding violent acts and teaching children to use guns--had been a mistake and a public relations disaster. "Not only did it give Gentiles the idea that we were violent, it turned off many Jews and closed tens of thousands of doors to us," he said. "We became the black sheep of the family. . . . Militancy, in people's minds, is one step removed from terrorism." But his carefully crafted image of moderation eroded in 1992, when he was arrested again, this time on conspiracy to commit murder for hire. According to prosecutors, Rubin had been moonlighting as a private detective, applying his trademark in-your-face political tactics to a far less ideological task: collecting money for creditors. Police said he hired an associate to terrorize an unidentified man who owed money to one of Rubin's business clients. Detectives said the associate fired bullets through the man's windows and threatened to kill him. Four days later, the charges against Rubin were dropped when police admitted they lacked the evidence to hold him. Rubin's attorney, Steve Goldberg, said his client had been vindicated. Prosecutors said they just didn't have enough evidence to put Rubin on trial. For the next several years, Rubin kept a relatively low profile, last making news in 1998, when his plans to stage a concurrent protest march prompted the Aryan Nations to cancel its parade in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Jewish leaders have long worked hard to distance themselves from both Rubin and the JDL. David Lehrer, Western regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, described JDL's members Wednesday as "thugs and hooligans." "Everyone has their crazies, including us Jews," Rabbi Jacob Izakson of Temple Beth Shalom in Spokane said in 1998. For information about reprinting this article, go to http://www.lats.com/rights

http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2001-12/1396675.jpg Irv Rubin with the JDL of Los Angeles shouts to white supremacists across the street as a Confederate flag burns in front of the federal courthouse in Reno, Nev. Jul. 14, 2000 http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2001-12/1395859.jpg Irv Rubin, chairman of the Jewish Defense League in Los Angeles, seen here leading a protest in Orlando, Fla., in February. (AP) Dec. 12, 2001

JDL Leader Accused in Mosque Bomb Plot By GREG KRIKORIAN and RICHARD WINTON, Times Staff Writers The volatile chairman of the militant Jewish Defense League and another of the group's top officials faced federal charges Wednesday of plotting to blow up a Los Angeles area mosque and an office of Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista). Irv Rubin, 56, the group's chairman, and Earl Krugel, 59, its West Coast coordinator, were arrested late Tuesday after explosive powder was delivered to Krugel's home in Reseda, authorities said. Other weapons and bomb-making materials were seized during a raid at Krugel's home, authorities said. Rubin, long seen as an isolated extremist by mainstream Jewish leaders, and Krugel were charged with conspiracy to destroy a building by means of an explosive, which carries a maximum five-year sentence, and possession of a destructive device related to a crime of violence, which carries a mandatory 30-year sentence. Law enforcement authorities said the arrests followed one of the most significant investigations by the Los Angeles Joint Terrorism Task Force in its 16-year history. "Not long after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, I announced my office's promise to vigorously prosecute hate crimes," John Gordon, U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, said at a news conference. "Last night's arrests confirm that we meant what we said." The alleged plot, according to an FBI affidavit, was revealed by a JDL member who was first contacted by Rubin and Krugel in October about participating in attacks on local Arab-related institutions. In a subsequent tape-recording of a meeting at Krugel's residence, the affidavit alleges, Krugel said Arabs needed "a wake-up call" and Rubin said the JDL needed to draw more attention to itself in a "militant way." The final plans, authorities allege, were hatched Tuesday night at an Encino delicatessen when Rubin identified Issa's office and the King Fahd Mosque in Culver City as targets and the informant unloaded five pounds of explosive powder in Krugel's garage. Minutes later, dozens of law enforcement officers arrested both men without incident--Krugel at his home and Rubin in his car, not far from his residence in Monrovia. At a bail hearing Wednesday afternoon, U.S. Magistrate Victor B. Kenton ordered both men held without bail pending arraignment Dec. 31. They were found to be flight risks and dangerous to the community. Outside the courtroom, relatives protested the arrests. "My husband has been fighting terrorism all his life. This is a travesty," said Rubin's wife, Shelley. "He is a good, upstanding man who speaks his mind--and that has gotten him in trouble in the past." After the ruling, Krugel's lawyer, Charles L. Kreindler, said the defendants may have been entrapped. "In the aftermath of Sept. 11, the government decided to become more proactive," Kreindler said. "In this case, they became a little too proactive. They sent in a snitch who set them up." But Muslim and Jewish community representatives said they were shocked only at the contemptible nature of the alleged plot. "Rubin has never shied away from violent rhetoric against Arabs and Muslims," said Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State San Bernardino. David Lehrer, western regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, said Rubin was viewed with "utter contempt" in the Jewish community. "They have no constituency to speak of," he said of the JDL. The JDL claims several thousand members nationwide but many experts on political extremism say the group is much smaller. The alleged plot also drew strong condemnation from the purported targets, who were not notified about the threats, authorities say, because they were identified only minutes before the arrests. "As you can imagine, this is shocking news to receive," said Issa, who is of Lebanese descent. "Like most Americans, my hope is for a peaceful resolution to the Middle East conflict. Unfortunately, there are extremists on both sides who oppose a peaceful resolution, and instead choose violence." Usman Mahda, community liaison for King Fahd Mosque, said he was shocked by the alleged plot, which comes during Ramadan, the holiest time of the year for Muslims. "There would have been hundreds and hundreds of people [there] . . . mostly American citizens," Mahda said. "It is scary. It's sad and it's disgusting. No Muslims, Jews or Christians should suffer like that." Built in 1998, the mosque draws members from Los Angeles and Orange counties' growing Muslim community. In her affidavit, FBI Special Agent Mary P. Hogan said she was first contacted by the informant on Oct. 18 about an unsolved 1985 homicide, the bombing death of Alex Odeh, western director of the Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee in Santa Ana. One year after Odeh's murder, an FBI analysis said "certain evidence" implicated former associates of Rubin's who have since emigrated to Israel. Although Rubin has always denied any involvement, he has said that Odeh "got exactly what he deserved." In her 15-page affidavit, the FBI's Hogan alleged the following account of events following her initial contact with the informant: On Oct. 20, the informant made a tape-recording of a meeting with Krugel and Rubin where the two discussed various potential targets, including mosques. During that discussion, "Rubin stated that it was his desire to blow up an entire building," the affidavit says, "but that the JDL did not have the technology to accomplish such a bombing (apparently alluding to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks). "Rubin also said that the JDL should not go after a human target because they still had not heard the end of the Alex Odeh incident," the affidavit says, adding that Rubin referred to the Muslim Public Affairs Council in Los Angeles as a "viable target." On Oct. 29, at another meeting secretly recorded by the FBI informant, Krugel directed the informant to take photographs of the Muslim council's office. And on Nov. 4, Krugel reviewed numerous photos of the building that houses the Muslim council's offices and said he and the informant could build a bomb to destroy the office. "Krugel also stated that they should plant the bomb at night because if they injured anyone it would bring 'heat' on the JDL," the affidavit says. But at a Nov. 29 meeting, Krugel no longer seemed concerned about that prospect. During another discussion about bombing the Muslim council's offices, "the [informant] asked Krugel about the possibility of an Arab getting killed should a bomb explode at the office . . . Krugel replied, 'C'est la vie . . . ,' " the affidavit says. Hogan said the alleged plotting continued until Tuesday, when the informant met with Rubin and Krugel "to finalize plans for the bombing." At that meeting, Rubin specifically identified Issa's office and the King Fahd Mosque as targets, and plans were made for the informant to drop off explosive powder at Krugel's garage so the bomb could be assembled. After the powder was delivered to Krugel's garage, FBI agents and Los Angeles police served a search warrant. They recovered five pounds of explosive powder, fuses, pipes, end caps and a dozen rifles and handguns, some loaded, officials said. At the news conference, authorities said that the bombs allegedly to be used in the attacks would not be sufficient to topple a building but would be powerful enough to kill or maim anyone within 50 feet. Rubin succeeded JDL founder Rabbi Meir Kahane as chairman in 1985 after a decade as the group's West Coast coordinator. The league was formed by Kahane in 1968 in Brooklyn to protect Jewish residents but soon drew accusations of vigilantism. Rubin became known as a firebrand activist who was repeatedly arrested after various confrontations. He was arrested in 1992 on charges of conspiracy to commit murder for hire, but was released after prosecutors determined police had insufficient evidence. _ _ _ Times staff writers Andrew Blankstein, Sue Fox, Nita Lelyveld, David Rosenzweig, Al Seib and Teresa Watanabe contributed to this report. For information about reprinting this article, go to http://www.lats.com/rights

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