Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Azg Armenian Daily - 09/01/2004

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Azg Armenian Daily - 09/01/2004

    Azg Armenian Daily
    Sept 1 2004


    ONE MORE MONTH OF UNCERTAINTY IN BLACK BEACH

    ARMENIAN HOSTAGES FOR IRAQI REBELS?

    FREE BOOKS IN "GEORGIAN" ACADEMIC YEAR

    TURKEY TO ATTACH IMPORTANCE TO RUSSIAN PRESIDENT'S VISIT

    ************************************************** *******************

    ONE MORE MONTH OF UNCERTAINTY IN BLACK BEACH

    Prisoners Being Tortured

    The nineteen prisoners accused of a coup d'etat in Equatorial Guinea
    are to wait for one more month for a sentence. Hamlet Gasparian,
    press secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, informed Azg
    Daily that the Armenian ambassador to Egypt Sergey Manasarian
    together with Gevorg Petrosian of State Ceremony Department are in
    Malabo and will return theses days.

    "By now we can say that the trial was postponed for a month. Our
    diplomats have met Guinean officials to ease their condition and to
    secure them", said Gasparian.

    The six Armenian air crew were detained on 8 of March on charges of
    attempting to overthrow president Teodoro Obiang Nguema have been
    kept chained 24 hours a day in Malabo's notorious Black Beach prison.
    Our pilots have been working in Equatorial Guinea since January of
    the current year. They do not plead guilty of the charges made.

    During the August 30 court session the prosecutor suggested to
    postpone the trail as the lawsuit has to do with a coup d'etat and
    some materials needed to be closely examined. It came as a surprise a
    week ago that former British PM Margaret Thatcher's son Mark Thatcher
    is accused of financing the coup. The "Iron Lady's" son was arrested
    in South African Republic but was released on bail of 300 thousand
    dollars. He also pleads not guilty.

    Yesterday the British Independent published an article titled "Dogs
    of war?" where it informs about lawsuit process and some details
    about the prisoners and the president Nguema. So, the newspaper
    correspondent Raymond Whitaker writes: "Their wrists and feet
    shackled, the accused half-crawled". Mr. Mico, their defense lawyer,
    said: "All the accused apart from Mr. du Toit have told me they were
    tortured."

    "Prison in any country is far from being a paradise. We are extremely
    worried about the future of our citizens and the conditions they're
    kept in interest us. It is already the second time that our diplomats
    visit the captives. We also have turned to international
    organizations such as the Red Cross and to some diplomats who had the
    opportunity to visit them. None of Armernian prisoners ever said to
    be tortured", said Gasparian.

    The citizen of South African Republic Nick du Toit has confessed that
    he was offered a huge sum of money to head the coup. Seven of 19
    prisoners are South African, 6 Armenians and 5 local. Aside from Nick
    du Toit all other pledge not guilty.

    On August 31 the president Nguema hold a press conference for foreign
    journalists where he said: "Individuals without morals who attempted
    a crime against our country which would have resulted in blood being
    spilt".

    The Independent reminds that since Nguema deposed and executed his
    despotic uncle in 1979, he has been accused of spilling plenty of
    blood on his own account, and even of eating the testicles of his
    murdered enemies to imbibe their masculinity.

    Equatorial Guinea was once a Spanish colony and won its independence
    only in 1968. Since then the country have been ruled by dictators.
    The first one was Francisco Nguema the other one his nephew, the
    current president. Two years ago 68 people were sentenced to 20 years
    imprisonment for a coup against president. In 1998 15 people were
    sentenced to death for separatism.

    What are the steps that Armenia takes to release its citizens? Hamlet
    Gasparian said that the Armenians have a defense lawyer and that
    Armenia does everything possible for their release. The letters of
    the president of Armenia and of the Supreme Patriarch of all
    Armenians were handed to the government of Equatorial Guinea.

    By Tatoul Hakobian

    ************************************************** *******************

    ARMENIAN HOSTAGES FOR IRAQI REBELS?

    Armenia Sends Doctors, Drivers and Deminers to Iraq

    The Defense Ministry of Armenia is getting ready to support the Iraqi
    people by sending Armenian doctors, drivers and deminers to Iraq.
    Seyran Shahsuvarian, press secretary of the defense minister,
    informed Azg Daily that the Armenian specialists will leave for Iraq
    as soon as the National Assembly confirms this decision.

    The official Yerevan didn't join together with Russia, France,
    Germany and several other countries to America's anti-Iraqi campaign
    to topple Saddam Hussein. But Armenia expressed its willingness to
    help in rebuilding the ruined country.

    At the press conference few months ago held together with Charles
    Wald, deputy commander-in-chief for the European Command (EUCOM), the
    head of the Supreme Headquarters of Armenia Mikael Haroutiunian said
    that Armenia decided to send a military squad to Iraq. Haroutiunian
    noted that there is an Armenian diaspora in Iraq, and Armenia does
    everything to support in rebuilding the post-war country. But this
    doesn't mean that the "military squad will leave for Iraq tomorrow".
    The USA in its turn hopes that Armenia will join the multinational
    forces as soon as possible.

    The USA wants to lure as many countries as possible to its side for
    justifying the Iraqi war. Of course, if so many countries were
    involved in the war than it couldn't be a blunder. The coalition
    today consists of 32 countries, some of which, such as Spain and
    Philippines, have already resigned in the face of rebels' cruelties.
    Such American allies as Canada, Turkey, Germany and France are not in
    the anti-Iraqi campaign. The other 3 heavy-weighters not included in
    the alliance are Russia, China and India.

    The Defense Ministry of Armenia has already taken the decision of
    sending Armenian specialists to Iraq. The government confirmed the
    decisions some days ago. The parliament will go on for discussions in
    autumn and "yes" or "no" will largely depend on the will of the
    Armenian authorities. If official Yerevan is firm in its decision
    then the Armenian specialists will for Iraq.

    There are 20 thousand Armenians living in Iraq. The August 1
    explosions at 5 Christian churches came to prove that the Christians
    of Iraq as well as whole population of the country are not secured of
    suicide-bombers. The Iraqi Armenians occasionally note that Armenia's
    participation as an American coalition member might bring them
    troubles.

    The Armenian government has missed a serious point: who is going to
    guard our specialists in this country? We know from sad experience of
    other countries that the Iraqi rebels do not consider if the
    foreigner is a doctor or a soldier. The Armenian embassy in Baghdad
    that is usually a safety guarantee for Armenians in Baghdad was
    closed a day before the US bombs hit Baghdad.

    Armenian's participation in the reconstruction of Iraq must be
    necessity from the political angel. But it must be noted that Iraq is
    far from being reconstructed today, instead the multinational
    coalition forces continue the occupation and destruction of the
    country.

    By Tatoul Hakobian

    ************************************************** *******************

    FREE BOOKS IN "GEORGIAN" ACADEMIC YEAR

    Yesterday was the first day of the new academic year in many
    countries of the world, particularly, in the former Soviet republics.
    In Georgia, the academic year is postponed till September 20. This is
    the decision of the Georgian education Ministry.

    Alexander Lomaya, Georgian Education Minister, explained this step by
    the desire to give up the Soviet educational system and "pass to the
    European one."

    Naturally, there are various opinions concerning this step. The
    minister gave the following explanation to this decision: "Each
    innovation is always accepted with an air of indignation. But in this
    case we wanted to divide the physical and studying capacities of the
    children equally in the year."

    For decades the academic year began in September 1. According to the
    minister, Georgia finally decided that "they should take into account
    the Georgian climate and the interests of the people that want to
    prolong their vacation in September." New Georgian Government also
    explains the decision by the importance of the places for rest and
    tourism. According to Regnum agency, the presidential program
    envisages to deliver new bags and books to the first form
    schoolchildren for free. While non-Georgian schools will be provided
    manuals of Georgian language.

    The Armenian and Azeri schools will receive manuals of Georgian
    History and Geography in Armenian and Azerbaijanian. These schools
    will also receive special manuals for Georgian language studies.

    In previous years the abovementioned schools used to buy manuals from
    Armenia and Azerbaijan.

    By Aghavni Haroutiunian from Tbilisi

    ************************************************** *******************

    TURKEY TO ATTACH IMPORTANCE TO RUSSIAN PRESIDENT'S VISIT

    Perhaps Turkey Hopes for Reestablishing Its Authority in South
    Caucasus

    The month of September promises to be a diplomatically hot one in
    Turkey. The main reason is the quantity of official visits that fall
    on this month. Ankara is going to host the Russian president Vladimir
    Putin on September 2 and Günter Verheugen, Member of the European
    Commission, Enlargement, on September 5. The later will meet with the
    Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan and Foreign Minister Gul on September
    6, then will leave for the so-called capital of Northern Kurdistan
    Diyarbakir, then Izmir and Istanbul.

    It's not excluded that Verheugen will visit the international fair,
    which is going to be visited by Russian president. The president of
    Iran Islamic Republic Mohammad Khatami is also reported to come by
    the end of September.

    Taking into consideration the fact that Turkey is striving for the
    EU, and Verheugen's mission in the EU, we can say that his visit is
    of vital importance. We can assume that the Europeans will continue
    manipulating on the Kurdish factor for enrolling Turkey in the EU.

    Amidst all these, Turkey considers president Putin's visit of a great
    importance. Perhaps Ankara views Russian-Turkish relations as a means
    to regaining its authority in the South Caucasus.

    In the situation when Turkey can't but explain its controversies with
    the USA by its running for the EU, it becomes obvious that in case of
    developed relations with Russia Turkey is granted more possibility to
    maneuver between the USA and the EU. That will save Turkey from
    Europe's manipulations as regards entering the EU.

    Concerning the regaining of lost positions in the South Caucasus, we
    must say that Azg Daily has touched upon the issue in its previous
    publications writing that the 9/11 enabled America to be militarily
    present in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kirgizia and Georgia, thus Turkey
    has lost its role of an American lever in the Middle East and the
    South Caucasus.

    But the American presence is not the only obstacle on the way of
    Russian-Turkish relations and Turkish influence in the South
    Caucasus. The American military presence is, perhaps, less important
    than the silent agreement of Russia and America in the issue of
    keeping the military balance in the South Caucasus.

    Russian president's visit hasn't launched so far. Although Russia's
    support of Turkey cannot bring Turkey its lost authority in the South
    Caucasus, its positive results may still create a favorable ground
    for Iran Islamic Republic's president's visit to Ankara.

    By Hakob Chakrian
Working...
X