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ASBAREZ ONLINE [08-31-2004]

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  • ASBAREZ ONLINE [08-31-2004]

    ASBAREZ ONLINE
    TOP STORIES
    08/31/2004
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    1) Kerry Message to 'Armenstock' Music Festival Vows Continued Fight Against
    Armenian Genocide Denial
    2) Straw Backs Launch of Turkey-EU Accession Talks
    3) Trial of Armenian Mercenaries Halted Pending Investigation From Abroad
    4) Ossetia Offers Equal Negotiations to Georgia

    1) Kerry Message to 'Armenstock' Music Festival Vows Continued Fight Against
    Armenian Genocide Denial

    "There can be no compromise on the clear moral imperative to end genocide."
    --John Kerry, August 28, 2004

    WASHINGTON, DC--In his strongest campaign statement to date on Armenian
    issues, John Kerry publicly committed this weekend that a Kerry-Edwards
    administration would "fight against the denial of the Armenian Genocide,"
    reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
    The strongly worded statement was read by a long-time friend of the Armenian
    American community, Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) at the "Armenstock--Kef
    for
    Kerry" music festival on August 28 in Franklin, Massachusetts. In the
    statement, Senator Kerry thanked the "organizers of Armenstock, Armenians for
    Kerry, and the Armenian National Committee of America, for bringing so many
    Armenian Americans together," for the music festival.
    Joining Congressman Frank in making presentations at the program were US
    Representative James McGovern (D-MA), who represents the Franklin area, and
    State Representatives Peter Koutoujian (D-Waltham) and Rachel Kaprielian
    (D-Watertown). The all-day concert and rally in celebration of the
    Kerry-Edwards campaign attracted over eight hundred Armenians to hear Armenian
    musicians and to kick-off a nationwide voter mobilization and
    "get-out-the-Armenian-vote" campaign for the fall of 2004.
    In his statement, Senator Kerry explained that it has been his "privilege
    over
    the past two decades to work with the Armenian community on important issues
    including US recognition of the Armenian Genocide, strengthening US-Armenia
    relations and trade, lifting the devastating blockades of Armenia, and working
    for a fair and lasting peace in Karabagh."
    He added that he is "honored to have the endorsement of the ANCA," and
    appreciates the organization's "work to encourage Armenian Americans around
    the
    country to go to the polls in record numbers for the Kerry-Edwards ticket on
    November 2." The ANCA endorsed the Kerry-Edwards ticket on July 25 of this
    year.
    Addressing concerns about the actions of a future Kerry-Edwards
    administration, Senator Kerry said, "I want to assure you that, as
    President, I
    will continue to fight against the denial of the Armenian Genocide. My
    administration will recognize April 24, 2005 as the 90th Anniversary of this
    atrocity and will work to ensure that the lessons of this crime against
    humanity are used to prevent future genocides. There can be no compromise on
    the clear moral imperative to end genocide."
    During his long tenure in the US House and Senate, Senator Kerry has
    consistently been a leading advocate of issues of concern to Armenian
    Americans. As a US Senator, Kerry has forcefully fought for US recognition of
    the Armenian Genocide, and is currently a cosponsor of the Genocide
    Resolution,
    S.Res.164. In 1990, Senator Kerry voted on the Senate floor for Senator Bob
    Dole's (R-KS) Genocide Resolution.
    The Massachusetts Senator has been a vocal and effective champion of stronger
    US-Armenia relations and has consistently backed legislative initiative to
    increase aid and expand trade with Armenia. He is currently a cosponsor of
    legislation, S.1557, which would grant Armenia permanent normal trade
    relations
    status.
    Senator Kerry has spearheaded a number of initiatives to lift the Turkish and
    Azerbaijani blockades. In 1991, he was the lead sponsor of legislation, which
    was later enacted as Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, restricting US
    aid
    to the government of Azerbaijan until its blockades of Armenia and Mountainous
    Karabagh are lifted. He also worked for the adoption of the Humanitarian Aid
    Corridor Act, which called for US aid to Turkey to be cut off unless Turkey
    lifted its blockade of Armenia. As recently as this January, Senator Kerry
    formally called on President Bush to press the visiting Prime Minister of
    Turkey to lift his nation's illegal blockade of Armenia.
    The program was produced by "Armenians for Kerry" and Pomegranate Music
    Events
    (www.pomegranatemusic.com). For additional information, visit:
    www.armenstock.com.

    For more information about the ANCA's endorsement, visit:
    www.anca.org/anca/pressrel.asp?prID=605
    For information about Armenians for Kerry, visit:
    www.armeniansforkerry.com
    Complete coverage of Armenstock will be forthcoming. The full text of the
    Kerry-Edwards statement is provided below.


    2) Straw Backs Launch of Turkey-EU Accession Talks

    PRAGUE (AFP)--Turkey should be allowed to open membership talks with the
    European Union (EU) since isolating the country would not be in anyone's
    interests, British Foreign Minister Jack Straw said during a visit to Prague.
    "I know that views differ on this but people need to think very carefully
    about the strategic implications of pushing Turkey away, of pushing Turkey to
    the east and to the south. I don't think that's in anybody's interests in
    Europe," Straw told AFP.
    The European Commission is due to announce on October 6 whether it would
    recommend opening EU accession negotiations with Turkey, whose membership
    aspirations have sparked controversy.
    And EU leaders will decide in December whether to begin membership talks with
    Ankara based on progress made by Turkish leaders on individual liberties and
    respect of human rights.
    "We have long supported Turkey's membership of the European Union. Turkey
    is a
    European nation and part of Europe's history, it is entitled as a member of
    the
    Council of Europe and NATO to make an application for membership of the
    European Union and I hope a decision will be made in December for a start to
    negotiations," Straw said.
    "The country has made very considerable progress particularly in the past two
    years towards meeting the necessary pre-conditions before negotiations can
    begin," he added.
    Straw emphasized that the current debate was only about opening negotiations.
    "We are not talking about a finishing date or an accession date," he said.
    Earlier, in a speech delivered to a meeting in Prague of Czech ambassadors,
    Straw backed opening negotiations with Turkey and linked it with
    Czechoslovakia's Velvet Revolution in 1989 that brought down the communist
    regime and brought "values of freedom, tolerance and democracy."
    "There would be no better signal of Europe's wish to support the spread of
    those universal values than a positive decision to open accession negotiations
    with Turkey this December," he told delegates.
    Czech Prime Minister Stanislav Gross said Monday he supported Turkey's
    accession to the EU.


    3) Trial of Armenian Mercenaries Halted Pending Investigation From Abroad

    LIBREVILLE (allAfrica.com)--A court in Equatorial Guinea on Tuesday suspended
    the trial of 14 suspected foreign mercenaries who are accused of trying to
    topple the president, because more time was needed to weigh evidence from
    abroad, witnesses said.
    The 14 defendants--eight South Africans and six Armenians--were arrested in
    Malabo on March 6. They were charged with paving the way for a planeload of
    South African mercenaries who were arrested 24 hours later in Zimbabwe,
    allegedly on their way to Equatorial Guinea.
    Since the trial kicked off last Monday only one of the defendants, South
    African arms dealer Nick du Toit, had admitted taking part in the coup plot
    against President Teodoro Obiang Nguema in the tiny oil-rich state split
    between a square of mainland jungle and a volcanic island.
    "The trial has been suspended to wait for outside elements," Celestino Edou,
    an adviser to the mayor of Malabo, told IRIN by telephone from the capital
    after watching the court proceedings.
    The judge did not say when proceedings would resume, he said.
    The prosecution, which has demanded the death penalty for du Toit, asked for
    the indefinite suspension in light of evidence emerging from outside
    Equatorial
    Guinea, like last week's arrest of Mark Thatcher in South Africa.
    Authorities in Equatorial Guinea have asked for permission to interview the
    51-year-old son of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who they
    suspect helped finance the plot to overthrow Obiang with the aim of installing
    exiled opposition leader Severo Moto.
    The government has also requested international arrest warrants for Moto and
    other suspects including Greg Wales, a London-based businessman and Elie
    Khalil, an international oil dealer of Lebanese origin.
    But observers within the Equatorial Guinea government and civil groups say
    the
    trial has really been suspended because the prosecution realized that it could
    not convict Du Toit and his 13 co-defendants.
    "Most of the elements brought forward to prove the mercenaries' guilt have
    not
    been able to link them strongly enough to the attempted coup d'etat to impose
    the maximum penalties," a senior official in the Ministry of Information told
    IRIN by telephone.
    And Ange Ichaito, a human rights advocate, agreed the prosecution had
    presented a weak case.
    "The Malabo trial, which was only supposed to last three days, has still not
    come up with details of how each of the suspects was involved in the
    attempt to
    topple Obiang's regime," he said.
    Last Friday all but one of the 67 suspected mercenaries held in Zimbabwe were
    absolved of attempting to procure arms for the alleged coup in the former
    Spanish colony which is Africa's third-largest oil producer.
    Residents in Malabo quoted state radio as saying that Friday's acquittal had
    seriously influenced the Malabo judge's decision to suspend the trial.
    Obiang, who came to power by executing his uncle in a 1979 coup, has been
    widely accused of spending Equatorial Guinea's oil wealth on his own family
    and
    friends while leaving the country's 500,000 inhabitants in a state of dire
    poverty.


    4) Ossetia Offers Equal Negotiations to Georgia

    TSKHINVALI (Civil Georgia/Itar-Tass)--South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoev
    called on the Georgian administration to begin equal negotiations to discuss
    problems of concern to Ossetia and Georgia.
    "We will do our best to retain the fragile peace we have achieved thanks to
    the agreements, but we will have to take adequate measures if Georgia breaks
    the accords," Kokoev told the press in Tskhinvali on Tuesday.
    The situation around South Ossetia is tense, Kokoev told Itar-Tass. "Georgia
    has simply imitated a pullout. The units are stationed in direct proximity to
    the South Ossetian border, they have not been withdrawn outside the conflict
    zone," he said. Kokoev said that provocations had not ceased, referring to the
    Tuesday seizure of Ossetian buses in the Georgian village of Eredvi.
    "Our opponents are not ready for political dialogue. They are inclined to
    solving the problem of South Ossetia by force," he said.
    "We can provide for security of all residents of South Ossetia regardless
    their nationality," Kokoev said.
    Meanwhile, Senior Russian MP Dmitri Rogozin, the leader of the parliamentary
    faction "Rodina" (Homeland), met with Kokoev in the capital of breakaway
    region
    Tskhinvali on Tuesday. "Residents of South Ossetia are citizens of the Russian
    Federation; hence the Russian Duma Council [lower chamber of the Parliament]
    can not remain indifferent towards the situation here," the Press and
    Information Committee of South Ossetian reported quoted Rogozin as saying.
    Rogozin emphasized that the South Ossetian conflict can be solved only
    through
    political means.
    "And the priority in the settlement process should be the right of rejoining
    of the Ossetian people," MP Rogozin added, referring to the Tskhinvali's
    demands over unification with Russia's North Ossetian Republic.


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