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RFE/RL Newsline, 03-01-24
CONTENTS
[01] PUTIN, BUSH DISCUSS IRAQ, NORTH KOREA
[02] RUSSIAN PEACEKEEPERS TO LEAVE THE BALKANS?
[03] RUSSIA A HAVEN FOR HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF STOLEN EUROPEAN CARS
[04] PRESIDENT COMMENTS ON MISSILE DEFENSE
[05] CELLULAR OPERATOR'S DATABASE STOLEN, PIRATED
[06] IS KREMLIN HITTING UP BUSINESSMEN FOR CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS?
[07] PAPER ACCUSES ALFA GROUP OF PLAYING ROLE IN PLANNED REMOVAL OF
[08] ...AS FORMER SENATOR SAYS HE DIDN'T GIVE ENOUGH AT THE OFFICE...
[09] ...AND ALROSA TAKES ANOTHER SLOT
[10] TAKES DIFFER ON MEANING OF NEW LEADERSHIP AT NTV
[11] DID LAWMAKERS BREAK THE LAW TO GET WIRED?
[12] MASKED MEN FIRE AT LOCAL TELEVISION STATION
[13] METALS GIANT HEADED FOR ANOTHER POLITICAL WIN
[14] MVD CONTINUES TO IGNORE PLIGHT OF MUSLIM WOMEN?
[15] RUSSIA REFUSES TO RENEW OSCE CHECHEN MISSION MANDATE
[16] RUSSIAN ENVOY RECONCILES CHECHEN ADMINISTRATION HEAD, PREMIER
[17] ARMENIAN ELECTION OFFICIAL PLEDGES COOPERATION WITH OSCE OBSERVERS
[18] ARMENIAN BANKER SAYS HE FINANCED BRIBE TO CENTRAL BANK CHAIRMAN
[19] SENIOR AZERBAIJANI OFFICIAL HINTS AT CONCESSIONS OVER LAW ON
[20] NON-SPECIALISTS NAMED TO AZERBAIJANI NATIONAL TV AND RADIO COUNCIL
[21] GEORGIAN-RUSSIAN TALKS CONTINUE
[22] GEORGIAN, ABKHAZ MILITARY PREPARE TO TAKE OVER PEACEKEEPING
[23] OSCE OFFICIALS VISIT ABKHAZIA
[24] GEORGIA, ISRAEL CONSIDER MILITARY-INDUSTRIAL COOPERATION
[25] GEORGIAN MINISTER OF STATE VISITS TURKEY
[26] GEORGIA REGISTERS STEEP INCREASE IN AIDS CASES
[27] OPPOSITION PARTY IN KAZAKHSTAN LAUNCHES NEW BLOC...
[28] ...AS REREGISTRATION CONTINUES
[29] KYRGYZSTAN, RUSSIA AGREE ON USE OF MILITARY AIRFIELD
[30] KYRGYZSTAN POSTS SLIGHT DROP IN GDP
[31] RUSSIAN HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST PREVENTED FROM ENTERING UZBEKISTAN
[32] UZBEK DEPUTY PREMIER'S DUTIES REDEFINED
[33] CORRECTION:
[34] BELARUSIAN INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER SUED BY DISTRICT AUTHORITIES
[35] FORMER BELARUSIAN INTERIOR MINISTER BECOMES SPORTS MINISTER
[36] BELARUSIAN COURT REJECTS OPPOSITION LEADER'S SUIT AGAINST KGB
[37] GAS SUPPLIES TO UKRAINIAN ENERGY PRODUCERS HALVED OVER DEBTS
[38] UKRAINIAN MINISTER CONTENDS LAWS SUFFICIENT TO COMBAT DIRTY MONEY
[39] ESTONIAN PARLIAMENT PASSES NEW BANKRUPTCY LAW
[40] LATVIA'S PEOPLE'S PARTY DEMANDS DISMISSAL OF HEALTH MINISTER
[41] LITHUANIA APPROVES LAND SALES TO FOREIGNERS -- EVENTUALLY
[42] LITHUANIA ANNOUNCES KALININGRAD TRAVEL CONCESSION...
[43] ...REGARDING CHILDREN'S BIRTH CERTIFICATES
[44] POLAND REWORKS DEAL TO REDUCE RUSSIAN GAS SUPPLIES
[45] NEW POLISH TREASURY MINISTER PLEDGES TO MEET PRIVATIZATION TARGET
[46] POLAND, IRAN DISCUSS IRAQ
[47] CZECH PRESIDENTIAL REDUX PRODUCES FIRST-ROUND SURPRISE
[48] CZECH SENATE LIFTS IMMUNITY OF CONTROVERSIAL TV MOGUL...
[49] ...AND APPROVES APPOINTMENT OF CONSTITUTIONAL COURT JUDGE
[50] CZECH CHIEF OF STAFF DISMISSES COMMANDER IN PRESTIGIOUS MILITARY
[51] SLOVAK SUPPORT FOR NATO MEMBERSHIP PLUMMETS AS IRAQ CONFLICT
[52] ...AND KUKAN SAYS POLITICIANS FIND IT DIFFICULT TO EXPLAIN NEED
[53] SLOVAK BUGGING SCANDAL PRODUCES QUESTIONS, BUT NO ANSWERS
[54] CUBAN DISSIDENT MEETS SLOVAK PARLIAMENTARY SPEAKER
[55] HUNGARIAN SOCIALISTS ACCUSE NATIONAL BANK OF FAILURE
[56] HUNGARIAN, CZECH FOREIGN MINISTERS TALK IRAQ
[57] NEW DATE SET FOR ROMANY ELECTIONS IN HUNGARY
[58] CROATIAN DEFENSE MINISTER DENIES REPORTS OF AIR-FORCE LABOR
[59] BOSNIAN, YUGOSLAV OFFICIALS DISCUSS REFUGEES' RETURN
[60] YUGOSLAV PHYSICIANS TO EXAMINE MILOSEVIC
[61] YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT'S PARTY CHALLENGES ELECTION LAW IN COURT
[62] MONTENEGRIN POLITICIAN DEMANDS TV STATION FOR ETHNIC MINORITIES
[63] SERBIAN DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER SAYS UNMIK APPLIES DOUBLE STANDARDS
[64] MACEDONIAN PARLIAMENT ELECTS DEPUTY SPEAKERS
[65] OPPOSITION POLITICIAN TURNS AGAINST FORMER MACEDONIAN PRIME
[66] ROMANIAN PREMIER CONTRADICTS OWN CABINET MINISTER ON REGIONAL
[67] FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS ROMANIA'S MAIN CONTRIBUTION TO IRAQ COULD
[68] PROMINENT DEMOCRATIC PARTY POLITICIANS DEFECT IN ROMANIA
[69] FORMER ROMANIAN PRESIDENT MAKES OFFER THAT CAN BE REFUSED
[70] MOLDOVANS MUST MEET SCHENGEN CONDITIONS TO VISIT, TRANSIT ROMANIA
[71] CHISINAU MAYOR ATTACKED IN GOVERNMENT DAILY
[72] BULGARIAN PRESIDENT MARKS FIRST YEAR IN OFFICE
[73] BULGARIAN INTERIOR MINISTER RESTRUCTURES ANTITERRORISM UNIT
[74] BULGARIA'S FINANCES IMPROVE
[75] AFGHAN PRESIDENT SAYS NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SHOULD INCLUDE ALL STRATA
[76] UN REPORT NOTES 'TENUOUS NATION BUILDING' IN AFGHANISTAN
[77] AFGHAN WOMEN DRIVING AGAIN
[78] NEW HOMES FOR AFGHANS JUST NORTH OF KABUL...
[79] ...AS POLICE FAMILIES IN AFGHAN CAPITAL PROTEST 'POLICE
[80] AFGHAN FORCES COME UNDER ATTACK ON PAKISTANI BORDER
[81] JAPAN INVITES KARZAI TO G-8 TALKS ON PROMOTING AFGHAN SECURITY
[82] IRANIAN PRESIDENT HEADS TO INDIA
[83] IRAN-INDIA MILITARY EXERCISES FORTHCOMING
[84] FORMER TEHRAN MAYOR GETS PRISON SENTENCE
[85] FORMER CITY COUNCILORS EXPECT VERDICT'S REVERSAL
[86] SUPREME NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER LIFTING MONTAZERI
[87] IRGC COMMANDER DESCRIBES U.S. REGIONAL AMBITIONS
[88] REGIONAL FOREIGN MINISTERS ATTEND IRAQ MEETING IN ISTANBUL
[89] IRAQI NMD DIRECTOR HOLDS CONFERENCE...
[90] ...AND EXPLAINS WHY SCIENTISTS REFUSE TO SPEAK IN PRIVATE
[91] IRAQI PRESIDENT'S SON ACCUSED OF HIDING WEAPONS...
[92] ...AS ELDEST SON THREATENS UNITED STATES
[93] IRAQI INTERNET SERVICE EXPERIENCING 'TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES'
[94] There is no End Note today.
24 January 2003
RUSSIA
[01] PUTIN, BUSH DISCUSS IRAQ, NORTH KOREA
President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President George W. Bush spoke by
telephone on 23 January at Putin's initiative, Russian news agencies
reported. The presidents reportedly discussed the crisis over North
Korea's recent withdrawal from international nuclear controls and the
situation in Iraq. Putin briefed Bush on the results of Deputy Foreign
Minister Aleksandr Losyukov's recent trip to Pyongyang and Beijing (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," 21 January 2003) and expressed confidence that a
political resolution to the North Korea crisis can be found. Regarding
Iraq, Putin told Bush that Moscow is reserving judgment until it
reviews the preliminary report of international weapons inspectors that
is due next week. VY
[02] RUSSIAN PEACEKEEPERS TO LEAVE THE BALKANS?
The military command of Russia's ground forces has issued a secret
directive to the Russian peacekeeping contingents in Bosnia and Kosova
ordering them to curtail their activities and to be prepared to return
to Russia, "Nezavisimaya gazeta" reported on 22 January. The daily
speculated that the order might have been prompted by the Kremlin's
perception that the current deployment there is not bringing the
desired political advantages and does not justify the annual
expenditure of about $20 million. Moscow currently maintains about
1,000 troops in the Balkans. The article argues that Russia has failed
to gain political leverage vis a vis NATO through its deployment in
Kosova and that that deployment is pointless because most of the
Serbian population of Kosova has left the province. General Valerii
Yevnevich, deputy commander of Russia's ground forces, told
"Nezavisimaya gazeta" on 23 January that the training of Russian
peacekeepers in the Balkans has been suspended because of the
malfeasance of two senior Russian officers responsible for that
training. Yevnevich added that he does not see any sense in continuing
the peacekeeping mission, although only President Putin can initiate a
withdrawal from the Balkans. Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov told
journalists on 22 January that no decision has been made regarding the
peacekeepers, although "various options have been considered," Interfax
reported. VY
[03] RUSSIA A HAVEN FOR HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF STOLEN EUROPEAN CARS
Speaking to reporters in Moscow on 23 January, Walter Schmoelzing, a
representative of the leading European insurance companies operating in
Russia, said that as many as half of the 1.5 million cars illegally
imported into Russia in recent years were stolen in Europe, mainly in
Germany, Ekho Moskvy and "Komsomolskaya pravda" reported on 23 and 24
January, respectively. However, only a few hundred of the vehicles have
been recovered because the stolen cars have been registered in Russia,
making it difficult to take them away from their new owners.
Schmoelzing said the situation is further complicated by the fact that
many state officials, including high-ranking Interior Ministry
officers, are using stolen cars. "Komsomolskaya pravda" noted that no
Interior Ministry representatives attended Schmoelzing's press
conference. VY
[04] PRESIDENT COMMENTS ON MISSILE DEFENSE
President Putin met in Moscow on 23 January with Russian-American
scientist Roald Sagdeev and said that Russia might cooperate with the
United States in the development of a missile-defense shield,
RIA-Novosti and other Russian news agencies reported. Putin stressed,
however, that such cooperation must be carefully coordinated in order
to prevent missile-technology leaks. The latter statement could lead to
the creation of a joint coordination center that will track data about
missile launches for transmission to command centers in the United
States and Russia, Aleksandr Pikaev, an expert with the Moscow Carnegie
Center, told polit.ru on 23 January. VY
[05] CELLULAR OPERATOR'S DATABASE STOLEN, PIRATED
The database of cellular-telephone operator MTS, which contains the
telephone numbers of more than 5.5 million cell-phone users, is being
sold illegally on CD-ROM at Moscow markets, newsru.com and other
Russian news agencies reported on 21 January. The database, which is
selling for about $150, contains the names, home addresses, and
telephone numbers of all MTS clients. The pirate CD-ROM also contains a
search function that links clients to their bank accounts. An MTS
spokesman said that an investigation into the apparent theft is under
way, but emphasized that the accounts of MTS clients have not been
compromised. Under Russian law, security agencies have access to such
databases, leading to speculation that corrupt security agents might be
responsible, abnews.ru reported on 23 January. VY
[06] IS KREMLIN HITTING UP BUSINESSMEN FOR CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS?
Although President Putin and his administration have vowed to remove
the oligarchs from active engagement in national politics, officials
apparently have not abandoned the practice of soliciting money from
them for political campaigns, "Yezhenedelnyi zhurnal," No. 2, reported
this week. According to the weekly, the presidential administration has
been actively seeking funds not only for the pro-Kremlin Unified Russia
party but also for other competing parties in order to maintain the
"illusion" that Russia is a democracy. The weekly alleges there "are
some valid reasons to assume that [oil giant] Yukos became Yabloko's
major sponsor six months ago, on explicit orders from the top." The
weekly claims that Yukos head Mikhail Khodorkovskii rebuffed a similar
order to fund the Communist Party (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 22 and 23
January 2003). An unidentified "analyst close the Kremlin" is quoted as
saying some oligarchs have complained about not being able to raise
enough money in time and have asserted that they want to monitor the
spending of their contributions. The weekly concludes that the conflict
between the Kremlin and the oligarchs "indicates that big business has
retained at least some influence in political processes and essentially
remains the only social force with which the regime is forced to enter
into some dialogue." JAC
[07] PAPER ACCUSES ALFA GROUP OF PLAYING ROLE IN PLANNED REMOVAL OF
SENATOR...
Admiral Vyacheslav Popov, former Northern Fleet commander and the
Federation Council representative for the Murmansk Oblast legislature,
said the current effort to remove him from office is part of a
"struggle for power in the region," "Nezavisimaya gazeta" reported on
23 January (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 23 January 2003). He said that one
faction within the oblast legislature is trying to seize control over
that body. In addition, he said certain influential financial groups,
which he declined to identify, are struggling for control of the
oblast's natural resources. The daily asserted that Mikhail Fridman's
Alfa Group has been playing an active role in the move to recall Popov.
However, it also quoted an unidentified Kremlin source as saying the
Alfa Group does not have any interests in Murmansk and that Popov is
being challenged because he has taken an excessively independent
position on many issues. However, the Norwegian telecommunications
company Telenor reported on its website that it, together with the Alfa
Group and telecom operator Vimpelcom, has investments in Murmansk-based
telecom provider Kolatelecom. JAC
[08] ...AS FORMER SENATOR SAYS HE DIDN'T GIVE ENOUGH AT THE OFFICE...
"Nezavisimaya gazeta" also reported on the details of last June's
recall of Federation Council member Aleksandr Pleshakov, who
represented Penza Oblast Governor Vasilli Bochkarev in the upper
chamber and was recalled after just over a year in office. According to
the daily, Pleshakov, who is chairman of Transaero, accused Penza
Oblast Governor Vasilii Bochkarev at the time of "blackmail." Polit.ru
quoted Pleshakov on 14 June as saying that someone close to the
governor told him he was removed because he failed to provide adequate
financing to Bochkarev's spring 2002 re-election campaign. JAC
[09] ...AND ALROSA TAKES ANOTHER SLOT
Legislators in Sakha (Yakutia) Republic have selected Aleksandr
Matveev, former first vice president of diamond-producer Alrosa, as
their representative in the Federation Council, "Kommersant-Daily"
reported on 24 January. Matveev replaces Robert Burnashov. Burnashov, a
former deputy head of the republican administration, served less than a
year (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 29 January 2002). The election of a new
representative was required following the 29 December parliamentary
elections in the republic. Alrosa personnel did well in that race,
winning 14 of the 69 seats available (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 7 January
2003). JAC
[10] TAKES DIFFER ON MEANING OF NEW LEADERSHIP AT NTV
In an article on politcom.ru on 23 January, analyst Oleg Chursin argued
that newly appointed NTV General Director Nikolai Senkevich is a member
of the so-called St. Petersburg clan. Chursin noted that while many
people have pointed out how little television experience the new NTV
head has, Senkevich did host a program on the Moskoviya channel, which
is owned by Mezprombank head and Petersburg insider Sergei Pugachev.
Meanwhile, ORT Deputy General Director Marat Gelman told
"Kommersant-Daily" on 24 January he believes that "television needs
qualified management," and "Senkevich is a just a temporary figure." He
added that many people are now equating former NTV General Director
Boris Jordan's departure (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 21, 22, and 23 January
2003) with the end of independent television in Russia, but "the fact
of the matter is that Jordan was dismissed not because he managed the
station in his own way, but because he didn't manage it in general."
JAC
[11] DID LAWMAKERS BREAK THE LAW TO GET WIRED?
Telecoms provider Vimpelcom has concluded a three-month contract with
the State Duma to provide all 450 legislators with mobile phones,
direct numbers, and $100 in calling credits, "Kommersant-Daily"
reported on 23 January. According to the daily, the phones and credits
will be paid for out of the federal budget. Vimpelcom's competitors are
crying foul, because the contract was not put up for a competitive
tender as required by federal law. The initiator of the contract, Duma
apparatus head Aleksandr Lotarev, has not responded to journalists'
inquiries about the matter, the daily reported. JAC
[12] MASKED MEN FIRE AT LOCAL TELEVISION STATION
Late in the evening of 22 January, a group of masked men armed with
hunting rifles fired at the building housing the television station
Svobodnoe TV in the Saratov Oblast city of Balakovo, RFE/RL's Russian
Service reported the next day. No one was hurt in the incident, but
some equipment was damaged. In the opinion of station management, the
attack was connected its coverage of violations during local elections.
At the same time, Aleksandr Naumov, director of the firm Virma, which
founded the station, said the attack might be related to the station's
support for Fatherland-All Russia (OVR) faction leader Vyacheslav
Volodin, newsru.com reported. Volodin, according to several
unidentified sources, might run in the December Duma election from
Balakovskii Raion. In the last election, Volodin entered the Duma on
OVR's party list. JAC
[13] METALS GIANT HEADED FOR ANOTHER POLITICAL WIN
Experts in Taimyr Autonomous Okrug believe that only the weather can
prevent a victory for Norilsk Mayor Oleg Budargin in the 26 January
gubernatorial election, "Izvestiya" reported on 23 January. If the
temperatures dip to minus 60 degrees Celsius, then there might not be
sufficient turnout to validate the poll. Otherwise, the only question
mark regarding the election, the daily contends, is the percentage by
which Budargin will win. Budargin, who is a former personnel director
at Norilsk Mining and Metallurgical Complex, is supported by Norilsk
Nickel, for whom the majority of the region's population work (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," 17 December 2002). The election is being held to
replace former okrug Governor Aleksandr Khloponin, who is also a former
head of Norilsk Nickel and who was elected governor of neighboring
Krasnoyarsk Krai in September. JAC
[14] MVD CONTINUES TO IGNORE PLIGHT OF MUSLIM WOMEN?
State Duma Deputy Flyura Ziyatdinova (Russian Regions) told the
information bulletin of People's Party that the Interior Ministry has
ignored two appeals that she and other deputies have sent regarding the
refusal of the ministry's passport service to accept photographs of
women in headscarves for their passports, islam.ru reported on 22
January (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 17 December 2002). Ziyatdinova, who was
elected from a single-mandate district in Tatarstan, said police
officials are not taking the appeals seriously, and she promised that
she will take the issue up at the next level if the ministry's silence
continues. Muslim women without passports have faced such difficulties
as not being eligible for employment or subsidized health care. JAC
[15] RUSSIA REFUSES TO RENEW OSCE CHECHEN MISSION MANDATE
Russia informed the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
(OSCE) last week that it has no interest in negotiating a new mandate
for the OSCE office in Chechnya, which must now close by 21 March, an
OSCE spokesman told RFE/RL on 23 January. The mission's mandate expired
on 31 December, but the United States, Germany, and the Netherlands,
which currently holds the OSCE chairmanship, all urged Moscow to
continue efforts to reach consensus on a new mandate (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 3 and 6 January 2003). LF
[16] RUSSIAN ENVOY RECONCILES CHECHEN ADMINISTRATION HEAD, PREMIER
At a four-hour, closed-door meeting in Moscow on 22 January, Russian
presidential envoy to the Southern Federal District Viktor Kazantsev
persuaded Chechen administration head Akhmed-hadji Kadyrov and Chechen
Prime Minister Mikhail Babich to "freeze" their recent public dispute
over the appointment of a new finance minister, ITAR-TASS reported (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," 14, 15, and 17 January 2003). Also on 22 January,
ITAR-TASS reported that on 24 January Kadyrov will depart, accompanied
by senior Muslim clerics from other North Caucasus republics, on a
one-week visit to Libya and Jordan. "Novye izvestiya" on 24 January
suggested that the purpose of the visit is to dissuade the leaders of
those two countries from providing financial aid to the Chechen
resistance. LF
TRANSCAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA
[17] ARMENIAN ELECTION OFFICIAL PLEDGES COOPERATION WITH OSCE OBSERVERS
Central Election Commission (CEC) Chairman Artak Sahradian told members
of the OSCE Election-Monitoring Mission in Yerevan on 23 January the
CEC will ensure that the 19 February presidential ballot is legal and
transparent, Noyan Tapan and RFE/RL's Yerevan bureau reported. He said
the results of voting in the country's estimated 2,000 precincts will
be made available to OSCE observers and the media more swiftly than
during earlier elections. But he did not explicitly agree to a request
made by Peter Eicher, the U.S. head of the OSCE monitoring mission, to
publish a precinct-by-precinct breakdown of the results. Eicher said on
20 January that doing so would contribute to assessing the transparency
of the vote (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 21 January 2003). Opposition
candidates believe that in previous elections results were falsified by
government-controlled local election bodies during the counting of the
votes. LF
[18] ARMENIAN BANKER SAYS HE FINANCED BRIBE TO CENTRAL BANK CHAIRMAN
Boris Arakelian, a former chairman of the board of the Credit Service
Bank, has said that in the spring of 1999 he advanced two fictitious
loans amounting to $150,000 to a fellow bank executive to enable the
latter to bribe Armenian Central Bank Chairman Tigran Sargsian to
appoint Artashes Davtian as a department head at the Central Bank,
according to an article published in "Aravot" on 21 January and
reposted by Groong. The paper notes that Davtian was subsequently
appointed to the post in question. Arakelian admitted that he made a
mistake and expressed his readiness to cooperate with any official
investigation. "Aravot" is sympathetic to former President Levon
Ter-Petrossian and has consistently criticized the present Armenian
leadership. LF
[19] SENIOR AZERBAIJANI OFFICIAL HINTS AT CONCESSIONS OVER LAW ON
GRANTS
Presidential administration official Ali Hasanov told Turan on 23
January that the Azerbaijani leadership "will consider" a collective
demand by NGOs for the abolition of amendments introduced last year to
the law on grants. The NGOs staged a sanctioned picket in Baku the
previous day to protest the amendments, which strip NGOs of the tax
privileges they previously enjoyed and require them to pay a 27 percent
social-insurance tax. The amendments further stipulate that NGO
employees must pay 2 percent of their salaries into the State Social
Security Fund, and that NGOs must register all grant agreements with
the Justice and Tax ministries. In a statement released on 13 January
and summarized by Turan, the Federation of Human Rights Organizations
of Azerbaijan criticized the amendments as an attack by the authorities
on democratic institutions. LF
[20] NON-SPECIALISTS NAMED TO AZERBAIJANI NATIONAL TV AND RADIO COUNCIL
Azerbaijani media specialists on 23 January criticized the selection of
members of the newly created National Council for State Television and
Radio, Turan reported. On 22 January, President Heidar Aliev named six
of the nine members of the council. Only two have worked as
journalists. One is a former member of the presidential administration,
and another served in the financial department of the former Committee
for State Television and Radio. LF
[21] GEORGIAN-RUSSIAN TALKS CONTINUE
Georgian parliament speaker Nino Burdjanadze met in Moscow on 23
January with Russian State Duma Deputy Speakers Vladimir Lukin and
Irina Khakamada and with Duma International Affairs Committee Chairman
Dmitrii Rogozin to discuss how to overcome the current tensions in
Russian-Georgian relations, ITAR-TASS reported. Burdjanadze also met
with Russian presidential administration head Aleksandr Voloshin.
Speaking to journalists after those meetings, Burdjanadze contrasted
Russia's policy of intimidation toward Georgia with the U.S. policy of
offering incentives. She again warned that it is unlikely Tbilisi will
agree to extend the mandate of the Russian peacekeeping forces deployed
in the Abkhaz conflict zone unless Russia suspends the rail passenger
service between Sochi and Sukhum and stops granting Russian citizenship
to residents of Abkhazia (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 23 January 2003). LF
[22] GEORGIAN, ABKHAZ MILITARY PREPARE TO TAKE OVER PEACEKEEPING
FUNCTIONS IN ABKHAZIA
Meanwhile the Georgian Armed Forces General Staff has prepared a
contingency plan to deploy Georgian troops "to maintain the status quo"
in the Abkhaz conflict zone should the Russian peacekeeping contingent
be withdrawn, Interfax and Caucasus Press quoted Deputy Defense
Minister Gela Bezhuashvili as saying on 23 January. He did not divulge
further details. On 21 January, Abkhaz Deputy Defense Minister Garri
Kupalba told journalists in Sukhum that Abkhazia is ready to deploy its
servicemen at the control posts currently manned by the Russian
peacekeepers should that force be withdrawn, Caucasus Press reported.
LF
[23] OSCE OFFICIALS VISIT ABKHAZIA
Representatives of the OSCE office in Georgia met on 23 January in
Sukhum with Abkhaz parliament chairman Nugzar Ashuba to discuss the
economic and social situation in the unrecognized republic and
unspecified aspects of the ongoing search for a political solution to
the conflict, Caucasus Press reported. Ashuba said such a solution
depends primarily on the attitude of the five states that belong to the
"Friends of the UN Secretary-General Group," one of which, Ashuba said,
is biased in favor of Georgia. He was most likely referring to the
United States. Meanwhile, Abkhaz President Vladislav Ardzinba's
representative in Moscow, Igor Akhba, told RIA-Novosti that Georgian
claims to have transferred international humanitarian aid to Abkhazia
are "a blatant lie," and that Abkhazia "has not received a single cent"
of such aid, Caucasus Pres reported on 23 January. LF
[24] GEORGIA, ISRAEL CONSIDER MILITARY-INDUSTRIAL COOPERATION
Visiting Israel earlier this week, Georgian Minister of State Avtandil
Djorbenadze met with the leadership of the state-run company IMI, which
provides arms and equipment to the Israeli armed forces and ammunition
to many NATO members, Caucasus Press reported on 24 January.
Djorbenadze reportedly remarked that there are "vast prospects" for
cooperation between the Israeli and Georgian military-industrial
complexes. LF
[25] GEORGIAN MINISTER OF STATE VISITS TURKEY
Djorbenadze paid a one-day working visit to Ankara on 23 January during
which he met with Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and Prime
Minister Abdullah Gul to discuss bilateral military and energy-sector
cooperation and security for planned oil and gas pipelines from
Azerbaijan via Georgia to Turkey, Caucasus Press reported on 24
January. LF
[26] GEORGIA REGISTERS STEEP INCREASE IN AIDS CASES
Eleven new AIDS cases have been registered in Georgia since the
beginning of this year, Caucasus Press reported on 23 January, compared
with four in January 2002 and a total of 83 during the whole of last
year. There were five deaths from the disease in 2002, and the number
of registered AIDS patients at the end of the year was 361, of whom
some 70 percent were drug addicts, and some 40 percent live in Tbilisi.
Experts believe the real number of HIV-infected people is closer to
2,000, according to Caucasus Press on 23 December. LF
[27] OPPOSITION PARTY IN KAZAKHSTAN LAUNCHES NEW BLOC...
The opposition party Democratic Choice for Kazakhstan (DVK) has invited
some other opposition parties to align with it in a bloc to be named
Democracy-Elections-Kazakhstan, Interfax reported on 22 January,
quoting DVK member Petr Svojk. Svojk explained that the bloc, which was
officially launched on 18 January, intends to unite those opposition
parties that were unable to reregister with the Justice Ministry under
the restrictive new law on political parties. But a spokesman for one
of those parties, the Republican People's Party of Kazakhstan, told
RFE/RL's Kazakh Service on 23 January that it has not been invited to
join the new bloc. LF
[28] ...AS REREGISTRATION CONTINUES
Three political parties have been reregistered by the Justice Ministry
after proving that they have the requisite minimum 50,000 members,
according to the 23 January issue of the "Kazakhstan News Bulletin"
issued weekly by the Kazakh Embassy in Washington. They are the
pro-government Otan and Civic Parties and Aq Zhol, which was founded
one year ago by a splinter group including former government ministers
that broke away from the DVK (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 30 January 2002).
Eight other parties -- the Agrarian, Alash, Auyl (Village),
Renaissance, and Compatriot parties, the Party of Patriots, the
Communist Party, and El Dana (the former Women's Democratic Party) --
submitted reregistration applications to the Justice Ministry before
the 20 January deadline. LF
[29] KYRGYZSTAN, RUSSIA AGREE ON USE OF MILITARY AIRFIELD
During talks in Bishkek on 22-23 January, Russian Air Force Deputy
Commander Lieutenant General Anatolii Nogovitsin and Kyrgyz government
officials reached agreement on the terms under which Russian fighter
aircraft will be deployed at the Kant airbase near Bishkek under the
aegis of the CIS Collective Security Treaty Rapid-Reaction Force,
Russian news agencies and akipress.org reported. Russia will shoulder
most of the cost of equipping the base and modernizing its
infrastructure, akipress.org quoted Nogovitsin as saying on 23 January.
He did not mention specific sums or stipulate how many aircraft and
personnel will be deployed at Kant. According to ITAR-TASS on 23
January, Kyrgyzstan will contribute four training aircraft, two
helicopters, and two fighters to the rapid-reaction force. LF
[30] KYRGYZSTAN POSTS SLIGHT DROP IN GDP
Kyrgyzstan's GDP declined by 0.5 percent in 2002 compared with the
previous year, akipress.org reported on 23 January, quoting the
National Statistics Committee. The government had predicted 4.5 percent
GDP growth. The decline was attributed to a fall in industrial
production. Agricultural output, by contrast, increased in 2002 by 3.5
percent compared with 2001. Retail-trade turnover increased by 8.2
percent. LF
[31] RUSSIAN HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST PREVENTED FROM ENTERING UZBEKISTAN
Nikolai Mitrokhin of the Russian human rights organization Memorial was
detained at the Tashkent airport on 23 January for the second time this
month and refused entry into Uzbekistan, Interfax and centrasia.ru
reported. As on 18 January, Mitrokhin was put on a plane back to
Moscow. Interfax quoted the Russian Embassy in Tashkent as saying it
had been informed by the Uzbek authorities that Mitrokhin is persona
non grata. Interfax quoted an unnamed Uzbek Foreign Ministry official
as saying that following earlier visits to Uzbekistan, Mitrokhin wrote
biased and negative articles about the situation in the country. LF
[32] UZBEK DEPUTY PREMIER'S DUTIES REDEFINED
President Islam Karimov issued a decree on 22 January naming Deputy
Prime Minister Rustam Azimov to head the entire economic complex,
Interfax and uza.uz reported. Azimov was first named deputy prime
minister in August 2000 when he occupied the post of finance minister.
He was subsequently named to head the Ministry of Macroeconomics and
Statistics that Karimov abolished last month, creating in its place a
Ministry of Economics, which Azimov now heads, and a State Statistics
Committee (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 27 December 2002). LF
[33] CORRECTION:
The OSCE-moderated talks that the Azerbaijani opposition boycotted on
23 January were not a roundtable discussion of the draft election law,
as incorrectly reported in "RFE/RL Newsline" on 23 January, but an
interparty discussion on establishing a conciliation commission, on
which both the opposition and the authorities would be represented.
That commission would then seek to reach a consensus on those articles
of the draft bill that the opposition considers unacceptable.
CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE
[34] BELARUSIAN INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER SUED BY DISTRICT AUTHORITIES
District authorities in Smarhon (Hrodna Oblast) have filed a lawsuit
with the Hrodna Oblast Economic Court requesting that it close the
independent twice-weekly publication "Novaya gazeta Smorgoni." The
authorities also want the court to deprive its publisher, Ramuald Ulan,
of the right to engage in business activities. "Novaya gazeta Smorgoni"
has double the circulation within the district of the newspaper issued
by the district authorities. According to Ulan, his problems with the
authorities began after he decided to expand his business by launching
two more publications in the region. The authorities denied him
permission to open editorial offices for the new periodicals. After the
Hrodna Oblast Economic Court ordered the authorities to reverse their
decisions in favor of Ulan, they accused him of violating tax laws,
fire-safety rules, and labor regulations. JM
[35] FORMER BELARUSIAN INTERIOR MINISTER BECOMES SPORTS MINISTER
President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has appointed Yury Sivakou minister of
sports and tourism, Belapan reported on 23 January. Sivakou replaces
Yauhen Vorsin, who held the post for 3 1/2 years. Sivakou, 56, served
in a number of government posts connected with state security,
including deputy interior minister and Internal Troops commander
(1995-99), interior minister (February 1999-April 2000), and deputy
chief of the presidential administration (November 2000-September
2001). Two Belarusian investigators who defected to the United States
in 2001 alleged that Sivakou was involved in the kidnapping and killing
of opposition figures Yury Zakharanka, Viktar Hanchar, and Anatol
Krasouski in 1999 (see "RFE/RL Poland, Belarus, and Ukraine Report," 12
June and 28 August 2001). It has become something of a tradition in
Belarus to appoint law enforcement officials to leading positions in
the sports sphere. Interior Minister Uladzimir Navumaw is currently in
charge of the Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation, KGB Chairman Leanid
Yeryn heads the Belarusian Biathlon Federation, and Lew Pimenau, chief
of the KGB archives, presides over the Belarusian Basketball
Federation. JM
[36] BELARUSIAN COURT REJECTS OPPOSITION LEADER'S SUIT AGAINST KGB
A district court in Minsk on 23 January dismissed United Civic Party
leader Anatol Lyabedzka's suit alleging that the KGB infringed on his
rights, Belapan reported. Lyabedzka wanted the court to declare illegal
the official warning that he received from the KGB on 5 November. KGB
agents detained Lyabedzka on that day as he walked out of the U.S.
Embassy in Minsk. He was taken to KGB headquarters and warned that his
activities might lead him to commit high treason (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 6 November 2002). According to Judge Valery Yesman, the KGB
did not violate Lyabedzka's civil rights by issuing a written warning.
"No evidence that could justify the warning was presented to the
judge," Lyabedzka commented. He added he intends to appeal the verdict.
JM
[37] GAS SUPPLIES TO UKRAINIAN ENERGY PRODUCERS HALVED OVER DEBTS
Haz Ukrayiny, a component of the Naftohaz Ukrayiny oil and gas
supplier, has decided to cut gas deliveries to Ukraine's
power-generating and distributing companies to 16 million cubic meter
per day as of 24 January, which means a 50 percent reduction of the
current supplies, Interfax reported on 24 January. The company said the
move was prompted by the fact that power producers now pay for just 5.6
percent of the gas they consume. Last year, the power-generating
companies accumulated more than 77 million hryvnyas ($14.4 million) in
debt to Haz Ukrayiny. Moreover, they have not yet paid for 1.3 billion
cubic meters of gas delivered to them in 1999-2001. JM
[38] UKRAINIAN MINISTER CONTENDS LAWS SUFFICIENT TO COMBAT DIRTY MONEY
Justice Minister Oleksandr Lavrynovych said on 23 January that Ukraine
has met all the demands of the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force
on Money Laundering (FATF) regarding legal measures to combat money
laundering, Interfax reported. On 28 November, the Verkhovna Rada
passed an anti-money-laundering law; on 24 December, it amended the law
following criticism from FATF; and on 16 January, lawmakers adopted
amendments to the Criminal Code toughening penalties for money
laundering. Some FATF member states recently introduced sanctions
against Ukraine, citing the country's flawed anti-money-laundering
legislation (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 23 January 2003). JM
[39] ESTONIAN PARLIAMENT PASSES NEW BANKRUPTCY LAW
Lawmakers approved a new bankruptcy act on 22 January with 54 votes in
favor in the 101-seat legislature, BNS reported the next day. The
government had proposed the legislation, which is aimed at speeding up
bankruptcy proceedings and making supervision of trustees more
effective. The new law reduces the number of stages in which creditors
are entitled to payments from bankrupt estates, establishes a limit on
the extent to which holders of secured claims must cover the cost of
proceedings, and introduces special terms for bankruptcy proceedings
for individuals. Backers say it also offers an improved framework for
the recovery of companies facing insolvency, rather than liquidation,
and provides more clearly defined rules for preventing abuses by people
involved in bankruptcy proceedings. SG
[40] LATVIA'S PEOPLE'S PARTY DEMANDS DISMISSAL OF HEALTH MINISTER
The opposition liberal-right People's Party on 23 January demanded the
dismissal of Health Minister Aris Auders for allegedly receiving double
payment for surgery he performed in the fall of 2002, LETA reported.
Prime Minister Einars Repse requested a written explanation from
Auders, adding that he thinks the claims are "exaggerated" and linked
to the minister's recent probes at a number of hospitals. Both
officials believe the case should be looked into by the Office for
Prevention and Abatement of Corruption. Repse expressed greater concern
about the recent purchase without a tender of a Volvo S80 automobile
for Auders's use by the State Obligatory Health Insurance Agency. SG
[41] LITHUANIA APPROVES LAND SALES TO FOREIGNERS -- EVENTUALLY
By a vote of 116 to four with four abstentions, parliament on 23
January amended Article 47 of the constitution to grant foreign legal
entities and natural persons the right to acquire agricultural land in
Lithuania, BNS reported. The law will come into force in a month, but
the land sales will effectively become possible only in 2011 -- seven
years after Lithuania officially joins the EU -- since the country
negotiated a transition period in its membership negotiations. The
land-sale amendment was first approved last year (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 8 March 2002), but the required second approval by
two-thirds majority following an interval of at least three months was
postponed as the transition period was being negotiated with Brussels.
SG
[42] LITHUANIA ANNOUNCES KALININGRAD TRAVEL CONCESSION...
Lithuanian Foreign Ministry Secretary Darius Jurgelevicius on 23
January announced a list of documents required of Russian citizens for
transit to and from Kaliningrad Oblast that includes an apparent
concession but does not recognize a military identification card as a
legitimate travel document, as Moscow has urged, BNS and ITAR-TASS
reported. Jurgelevicius was speaking after consultations with Russian
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Razov aimed at hammering out details of
the new travel policies, which will take effect on 1 February.
Jurgelevicius said Lithuania decided not to accept a Russian request to
include military IDs because they are not mentioned in the agreement
signed between the EU and Russia in November (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 12
November 2002). SG/AH
[43] ...REGARDING CHILDREN'S BIRTH CERTIFICATES
Vilnius's primary compromise concerns travel for children: Lithuania
will regard children's birth certificates as valid travel documents if
they are traveling with their parents, provided there is an entry about
the child in the parents' passport, BNS reported on 23 January.
Jurgelevicius said that, from February, Russian citizens will only be
able to enter Lithuania if they can show one of the following
documents: a Russian diplomatic, service, or international passport; an
international passport with Soviet seal and a stamp denoting Russian
citizenship; a Russian internal passport; an internal passport with
Soviet seal and a stamp denoting Russian citizenship; or a maritime
passport and special return permit, which is issued to soldiers and
sailors as well as to citizens who lose their documents abroad.
Jurgelevicius also rejected the Russian demand that Lithuania not stamp
internal passports because Russian law does not recognize the validity
of internal passports that have been tampered with. He called that
issue "a problem of Russian internal laws." SG
[44] POLAND REWORKS DEAL TO REDUCE RUSSIAN GAS SUPPLIES
Poland has managed to renegotiate a 1996 gas contract with Russia
allowing for a 35 percent reduction in Russian gas imports, Polish
media reported on 23 January. According to the 1996 deal between
Russia's Gazprom and the Polish Oil and Gas Company, Poland was to
import 218.8 billion cubic meters of gas from 2003-20. Later it became
clear that forecasts of domestic gas demand were overestimated at the
time of the signing, and Poland started negotiations to lower Russian
gas supplies. Deputy Prime Minister Marek Pol, who negotiated the
reduction of gas supplies with Russian partners, told journalists in
Moscow on 23 January that the 1996 contract was prolonged to 2022,
while the amount of gas to be imported by Poland was reduced to 161
billion cubic meters: 6.6 billion cubic meters annually up to 2010 and
some 9 billion cubic meters annually thereafter. Poland consumes
roughly 11 billion cubic meters of gas per year, 7 billion of which
comes primarily from Russia and the remaining 4 billion from domestic
gas fields. JM
[45] NEW POLISH TREASURY MINISTER PLEDGES TO MEET PRIVATIZATION TARGET
Treasury Minister Stanislaw Cytrycki, who replaced Wieslaw Kaczmarek
earlier this month, told journalists on 23 January that he will do
everything possible to raise 9.1 billion zlotys ($2.35 billion) through
privatization in 2003, as stipulated by this year's budget, Polish
media reported. "The period of easy privatizations has ended. And today
we are not dealing with long queues of investors who are waiting for
this process in various sectors," Polish Television quoted Cytrycki as
saying. Cytrycki said the government will continue the privatizations
of the PKO BP savings bank and the Telekomunikacja Polska SA
telecommunications giant. Last year, the government earned less than
half of the 6.5 billion zlotys in privatization revenues forecast in
the 2002 budget. According to estimates, the Treasury Ministry still
have some 120 billion zlotys in assets slated for privatization. JM
[46] POLAND, IRAN DISCUSS IRAQ
Polish Foreign Minister Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz discussed the Iraq
situation with his Iranian counterpart Kamal Kharrazi in Warsaw on 23
January, PAP reported. Cimoszewicz said Poland strongly supports a
peaceful, UN-backed solution to the Iraq dilemma but added, "We cannot
rule out the possibility that in particular circumstances military
solutions will have to be applied." Kharrazi emphasized that unilateral
attempts to resolve the Iraq crisis should be avoided, adding that Iran
will not participate in a war against Iraq, even if it is authorized by
the UN. Kharrazi was received by President Aleksander Kwasniewski and
Premier Leszek Miller the previous day. JM
[47] CZECH PRESIDENTIAL REDUX PRODUCES FIRST-ROUND SURPRISE
Former Premier and Social Democratic Party (CSSD) candidate Milos Zeman
failed to advance past the first round on 24 January in legislative
voting to select a successor to outgoing President Vaclav Havel, CTK
reported. Civic Democratic Party (ODS) candidate and former Premier
Vaclav Klaus and Senator Jaroslava Moserova, a member of the
center-right Civic Democratic Alliance (ODA) who is backed by the
Christian Democratic Union-People's Party and by the Freedom
Union-Democratic Union, advanced to the second round of voting, which
was expected to take place later the same day. Klaus received 89 votes
in the Chamber of Deputies and 32 votes in the upper house, while
Moserova garnered 25 votes in the lower house and 43 in the 81-seat
Senate. Zeman, whose candidacy highlighted divisions within the party,
was backed by 78 deputies in the lower house and five senators in the
upper house. In order to win the second round of voting, a candidate
must receive majorities within both chambers. A third-round winner
requires a combined majority of senators present. Some leading parties
have suggested they will push to amend the constitution to allow for a
direct presidential vote if the legislature is unable to break its
deadlock. MS
[48] CZECH SENATE LIFTS IMMUNITY OF CONTROVERSIAL TV MOGUL...
The Senate's plenum on 23 January lifted the immunity from prosecution
of controversial Senator Vladimir Zelezny, CTK reported (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 23 January 2002). The decision was supported by 61 of 81
senators present. Before the vote, the upper house rejected proposals
for postponing the vote from the opposition ODS party -- with which the
TV Nova director, who was voted into the Senate in October, reportedly
has close ties -- and the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia.
Zelezny has been charged with tax fraud and two counts of harming
creditors in connection with TV Nova, where he pulled the plug on
investors from Central European Media Enterprises in 1999. Zelezny, 57,
said he is disappointed by the Senate's "hasty" decision, adding that
the evidence on which it was based had been manipulated. He claimed his
case "sets a very dangerous precedent." MS
[49] ...AND APPROVES APPOINTMENT OF CONSTITUTIONAL COURT JUDGE
Also on 23 January, the upper house approved President Vaclav Havel's
proposal to appoint Jiri Mucha to the Constitutional Court. The
proposal was supported by 68 of 70 senators present. Mucha, a lawyer by
training, is a former Czech ambassador to the Council of Europe. He
replaces Vlastimil Sevcik, who died last year. Under the constitution,
members of the Czech Constitutional Court are appointed by the head of
state, subject to Senate approval. MS
[50] CZECH CHIEF OF STAFF DISMISSES COMMANDER IN PRESTIGIOUS MILITARY
UNIT
Newly appointed Chief of Staff General Pavel Stefka on 23 January
dismissed Petr Skop, a commanding officer in the Czech Army's
prestigious antichemical-, antibacteriological-, and
antinuclear-warfare unit, also stripping Skop of his rank of officer,
CTK reported. Skop is suspected of having falsified travel expenses.
The estimated damage, 73,000 crowns ($2,468), was discovered during a
recent audit. The unit to which Skop belongs is not among the forces
currently deployed in Kuwait. Stefka said Skop's behavior tarnished the
army's image, adding that it is "particularly shameful, as it involves
a commander who should set an example to soldiers." MS
[51] SLOVAK SUPPORT FOR NATO MEMBERSHIP PLUMMETS AS IRAQ CONFLICT
LOOMS...
Slovak support for NATO membership has dropped sharply, CTK and Reuters
reported on 23 January. A public-opinion poll conducted by the Slovak
Statistical Office's Center for Public Opinion Research in January
shows that for the first time since Slovakia was invited to join NATO
(see "RFE/RL Newsline," 21 November 2002), opponents of membership are
more numerous (48 percent) than supporters (46 percent). Defense
Minister Ivan Simko, cited by Reuters, said the drop can be attributed
to fears that Slovakia might be dragged into a war against Iraq or
other global conflicts. "It is a challenge for us to explain why we
should be part of the [world's] only functioning system of collective
security," Simko said. An initiative for holding a referendum on
accession was recently launched by a nongovernmental organization but
is opposed by the government and parliamentary parties with the
exception of the Communist Party of Slovakia (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 16
January 2003). MS
[52] ...AND KUKAN SAYS POLITICIANS FIND IT DIFFICULT TO EXPLAIN NEED
FOR WAR
In related news, Foreign Minister Eduard Kukan said in a 23 January
interview with the Austrian daily "Die Presse" that as a future member
of NATO, Slovakia is prepared to meet its share of responsibility in a
possible military conflict with Iraq but would prefer any action to be
based on a UN Security Council resolution, CTK reported. Kukan said
NATO can count on being allowed to use Slovak airspace, but he added
that a Security Council resolution would prompt a more positive view of
the action among Slovaks than would be the case if the United States
acted alone or jointly with allies. "I do not want to hide the fact
that there is fear of war among our citizens, and it is a difficult
task for political leaders to explain the necessity of military
intervention," Kukan said. MS
[53] SLOVAK BUGGING SCANDAL PRODUCES QUESTIONS, BUT NO ANSWERS
Interior Minister Vladimir Palko on 23 January told journalists that
his ministry has received from the Slovak Intelligence Service (SIS)
"unsolicited" tapes of telephone conversations by Alliance for a New
Citizen Chairman Pavol Rusko, CTK reported. Palko said only the SIS has
the equipment to monitor telephone conversations. SIS Director Vladimir
Mitro instantly denied the allegation, saying the police, who are under
Interior Ministry control, have similar technical capabilities. Palko
said the tapes obviously have been manipulated and the voice of a
person different from Rusko has been inserted. MS
[54] CUBAN DISSIDENT MEETS SLOVAK PARLIAMENTARY SPEAKER
Cuban dissident Oswaldo Paya on 23 January met in Bratislava with
parliamentary leader Pavol Hrusovsky, CTK reported. Echoing statements
one day earlier in Prague (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 23 January 2003),
Paya said the regime of communist President Fidel Castro will in the
end collapse with no need for violence. Paya said the world talks only
about Castro, but in Cuba there is also a civic movement that has
adopted the model of Czechoslovakia's 1989 Velvet Revolution. Paya drew
attention to the persecution of those who signed the Varela Project
manifesto, modeled on the Czechoslovak Charter 77, adding that there
are 300 political prisoners in his country, while the number those
persecuted for their political views runs into the thousands. MS
[55] HUNGARIAN SOCIALISTS ACCUSE NATIONAL BANK OF FAILURE
Socialist Party members of the parliamentary Budget Committee on 23
January approved a resolution stating that the Hungarian National Bank
(MNB) has violated the Central Banking Act by failing to support the
stability of the financial system, Hungarian media reported. The
resolution comes against the backdrop of a sharp depreciation of the
forint against the U.S. dollar and was approved after opposition
deputies walked out of the session. It states that central-bank policy
has not helped to reduce inflation in the long run, although it has
contributed to lower inflation in the short term. It also demands that
the central bank submit a written report on the issue by 11 February.
Budget Committee Chairman Mihaly Varga (FIDESZ) told journalists the
resolution is invalid, since it was voted on after he declared the
meeting closed. The agenda did not include a debate on the central
bank's performance, he added. Deputy Zsigmond Jarai, from the ruling
Socialists, told journalists that grave errors by the National Bank led
to recent speculative attacks on the forint. "Nepszabadsag" alleged
that investment banks JP Morgan, ING, and Deutsche Bank are the leading
speculators seeking to drive the forint's exchange rate upward (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," 16 January 2003). MS
[56] HUNGARIAN, CZECH FOREIGN MINISTERS TALK IRAQ
Visiting Czech Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda and his Hungarian
counterpart Laszlo Kovacs said on 23 January international pressure on
Iraq must be intensified in order to compel it to disarm and abide by
the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, CTK reported. Svoboda
said, "A knife in the hands of a butcher is not dangerous, but a knife
in the hands of a murderer is." According to Kovacs, it is preferable
to "disarm [Iraqi President] Saddam Hussein before he acts than to do
so only after he attacks someone." Kovacs also said there are risks
involved in the fact that U.S. experts are training Iraqi
oppositionists at the Taszar air base in southwest Hungary, but he
added that they are "not bigger than the risks of sending soldiers to
the region and certainly lesser than those of facing the weapons of
mass destruction that are in Saddam Hussein's hands." Hungarian media
have reported that Kovacs requested Svoboda's help in offsetting
Budapest's trade deficit with Prague by expanding the list of Hungarian
agricultural products that are exempt from customs duties. MS
[57] NEW DATE SET FOR ROMANY ELECTIONS IN HUNGARY
The National Elections Commission on 22 January decided that the new
date for the election of the Romany authority will be 1 March,
Hungarian media reported. The commission was responding to a
Constitutional Court ruling on an appeal by the Lungo Drom Romany party
(see "RFE/RL Newsline," 14 and 17 January 2003). Commission head Lajos
Ficzere warned that if the ballot is again declared invalid, no Romany
authority may be formed for the next four years. MS
SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[58] CROATIAN DEFENSE MINISTER DENIES REPORTS OF AIR-FORCE LABOR
STOPPAGE
Defense Minister Zeljka Antunovic said on 23 January that no part of
the country's armed forces is on strike, RFE/RL's South Slavic and
Albanian Languages Service reported. Croatian media had reported that
some 60 air-force instructors were on strike in Zadar. Officially
citing depression as a reason for their inability to fly, the
instructors have protested a recent cut in pay. UB
[59] BOSNIAN, YUGOSLAV OFFICIALS DISCUSS REFUGEES' RETURN
Representatives of the Bosnian and Yugoslav governments met in Sarajevo
on 23 January for two days of talks on the return of refugees, Tanjug
reported. The officials are to prepare a bilateral agreement on the
voluntary return of refugees from both countries. The news agency
quoted the Bosnian Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees, according to
which 130,000 refugees from Bosnia are currently living in Yugoslavia,
while some 6,200 displaced persons from Yugoslavia are living in
Bosnia. UB
[60] YUGOSLAV PHYSICIANS TO EXAMINE MILOSEVIC
Three physicians from Belgrade's Military Medical Academy left for The
Hague on 23 January to examine former President Slobodan Milosevic,
Tanjug reported. The trial against Milosevic before the international
war crimes tribunal has been repeatedly interrupted amid reports that
he is suffering from exhaustion and high blood pressure (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 12 November 2002). UB
[61] YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT'S PARTY CHALLENGES ELECTION LAW IN COURT
Vojislav Kostunica's Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) asked the Serbian
Constitutional Court on 23 January to annul the provision of the
Serbian election law stipulating that presidential elections require at
least a 50 percent turnout, RFE/RL's South Slavic and Albanian
Languages Service reported. The DSS also wants a provision to be
canceled according to which the speaker of the Serbian parliament may
call presidential elections. On 3 January, parliamentary speaker Natasa
Micic took office as interim president of Serbia after two presidential
elections were declared invalid due to low voter turnout (see "RFE/RL
Balkan Report," 13 January 2003 and "RFE/RL Newsline," 3 January 2003).
UB
[62] MONTENEGRIN POLITICIAN DEMANDS TV STATION FOR ETHNIC MINORITIES
Nikolle Camaj, the government's deputy information secretary, demanded
on 21 January that a special channel for ethnic minorities be created
within the country's state-television broadcasting, Deutsche Welle's
"Monitor" reported. Camaj said most of that television programming
should be in the Albanian language, while a smaller portion should be
reserved for the country's other minorities. Camaj expressed confidence
that the international community will support the project financially.
UB
[63] SERBIAN DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER SAYS UNMIK APPLIES DOUBLE STANDARDS
Deputy Prime Minister Nebojsa Covic said on 23 January that the UN
civilian administration in Kosova is applying "double standards" on
important issues in the northern parts of the province, Tanjug
reported. Covic complained that Kosova's Albanian leaders iterate that
independence is the only answer to the question of Kosova's status. He
added that, on the one hand, Serbia may not interfere when institutions
of an independent Kosova are being created; but on the other hand,
initiatives by Serb municipalities to unite in northern Kosova are
criticized by the international community. UB
[64] MACEDONIAN PARLIAMENT ELECTS DEPUTY SPEAKERS
Lawmakers on 23 January elected Liljana Popovska of the Liberal
Democratic Party (LDP) and Agron Buxhaku of the ethnic Albanian
Democratic Union for Integration (BDI) as the chamber's deputy
speakers, "Utrinski vesnik" reported. The opposition nationalist
Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (VMRO-DPMNE) leveled
accusations against Buxhaku, saying he faces criminal charges in
Belgium, where he lived before returning to Macedonia last year.
Lawmakers of the VMRO-DPMNE and the Liberal Party were participating in
a parliamentary session for the first time since the 15 September
elections. The VMRO-DPMNE and Liberal Party boycott came in protest at
the election of BDI lawmakers, some of whom are former members of the
ethnic Albanian National Liberation Army (UCK). UB
[65] OPPOSITION POLITICIAN TURNS AGAINST FORMER MACEDONIAN PRIME
MINISTER
Mane Jakovlevski, the leader of the VMRO-DPMNE's emigrant organization,
has accused VMRO-DPMNE leader and former Prime Minister Ljubco
Georgievski of having inflicted serious damage on the country,
"Dnevnik" reported on 24 January, quoting an interview in the weekly
"Aktuel." "I cannot understand how somebody can ruin his country by
looking only at his own material interests," Jakovlevski said. "Until
the election victory in 1998, I believed...he was a successful party
leader. But as soon as he took [office as prime minister], he and his
family revealed their insatiable appetite for money." Jakovlevski
predicted that dissatisfied party members will turn against Georgievski
if he does not resign. UB
[66] ROMANIAN PREMIER CONTRADICTS OWN CABINET MINISTER ON REGIONAL
GOVERNORS
Prime Minister Adrian Nastase said on 23 January that he does not favor
the creation of economic regions headed by governors (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 21 January 2003), Mediafax reported the next day. Nastase
called Public Administration Minister Octav Cozmanca's recent proposal
a "patched-up idea" born of the effort to qualify for EU funds that
encourage "regionalization." He said such regionalization should not
add another bureaucratic layer to the local-administration structure
but be aimed at "genuine decentralization." He also said that in
Romania the idea has been somewhat discredited because it is associated
with territorial separatism. Nastase admitted his views contradict
those of Cozmanca, but he remarked sarcastically: "Even canon law
allows for appeals to the pope, who might be better informed." Nastase
made his comments after meeting with Hungarian Democratic Federation of
Romania (UDMR) Chairman Bela Marko. Marko said the UDMR also opposes
"regionalization" based on economic-development criteria and the
nomination of regional governors. The two leaders agreed that their
parties will negotiate a new cooperation agreement for 2003. MS
[67] FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS ROMANIA'S MAIN CONTRIBUTION TO IRAQ COULD
COME THE MORNING AFTER
Foreign Minister Mircea Geoana said on 23 January that Romania has
little to offer militarily in the event of a possible attack on Iraq,
RFE/RL's Bucharest bureau reported. Its main contribution, Geoana said,
could materialize "when the future of Iraq and its reconstruction will
be on the agenda, when Romania's know-how could be of interest to our
[NATO] partners." Geoana added that the Supreme Council of National
Defense will meet on 10 February to discuss the issue. MS
[68] PROMINENT DEMOCRATIC PARTY POLITICIANS DEFECT IN ROMANIA
Democratic Party parliamentary deputies Alexandru Sassu and Bogdan
Niculescu-Duvaz on 23 January announced they are leaving the formation
to join the ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD), RFE/RL's Bucharest
bureau reported. They both said their decisions stemmed from the
Democratic Party's retreat from its social-democratic ideology and the
likelihood of an alliance between the Democrats and the center-right
National Liberal Party. Democratic Party Deputy Chairman Adrian Videanu
responded that the defections have been "long predictable" and that a
third, unidentified Democratic parliamentary representative is expected
to follow in their footsteps. Sassu resigned last week as chairman of
the party's group in the lower house. Niculescu-Duvaz has represented
the Democrats in several governments. Since the 2000 elections, the
Democrats have lost eight out of their 44 parliamentarians through
defections, and most of them have joined the PSD, Mediafax reported. MS
[69] FORMER ROMANIAN PRESIDENT MAKES OFFER THAT CAN BE REFUSED
Former President Emil Constantinescu on 23 January told a press
conference in the presence of several former ministers and presidential
counselors that he is ready to offer his own and his team's experience
to the government in fulfilling the country's main tasks -- obtaining
current NATO members' ratification of Romania's membership in the
alliance and progressing in negotiations with the EU, Romanian Radio
reported. Constantinescu said diplomatic skills alone will not be
sufficient to achieve these goals, and that European integration
requires the reform of Romanian society itself. He criticized the
government's intention to set up eight economic regions under regional
governors, saying the measure will only boost bureaucracy and further
paralyze local-administration structures. Constantinescu also called
for streamlining the government through merging or abolishing
ministries. PSD General Secretary Cozmin Gusa responded that
Constantinescu's offer is "nice, but hardly tempting," according to
Mediafax. Gusa said he could not think of one valuable contribution
made by Constantinescu as president and compared the offer to a
"poisoned apple." MS
[70] MOLDOVANS MUST MEET SCHENGEN CONDITIONS TO VISIT, TRANSIT ROMANIA
Moldovan Foreign Minister Nicolae Dudau on 23 January told RFE/RL's
Romania-Moldova Service that his country realizes that Romania must
change entry regulations at its border with Moldova as part of the
country's conditions for joining the EU and NATO. Dudau said a Romanian
delegation will arrive in Chisinau this weekend to discuss with
Moldovan experts the implementation of an ordinance issued by the
Romanian government on 13 December 2002. The ordinance stipulates that
foreign citizens who visit or transit Romania must prove at the border
that they possess at least 100 euros ($107.32) for every day they
intend to spend in the country. The ordinance is to go into effect on
27 January, and Dudau said he hopes to negotiate a "simplified visa
regime" with Bucharest in view of "the good-neighborly relations
between our countries." MS
[71] CHISINAU MAYOR ATTACKED IN GOVERNMENT DAILY
The government daily "Moldova suverana" on 22 January wrote that by
authorizing the protest demonstrations in Chisinau organized under the
auspices of the Popular Party Christian Democratic (PPCD), Chisinau
Mayor Serafim Urechean has become an accomplice of PPCD Chairman Iurie
Rosca in his attempts to undermine the negotiation process with
Tiraspol, Flux reported on 23 January. Urechean told a 23 January
meeting of the Chisinau City Council that by authorizing the
demonstrations he merely observed current legal provisions. He also
said that those who are genuinely guilty of undermining the
negotiations are the "mafia-like clans on both banks of Dniester
River." The same day, Urechean authorized a new PPCD-organized
demonstration planned for 26 January. MS
[72] BULGARIAN PRESIDENT MARKS FIRST YEAR IN OFFICE
President Georgi Parvanov on 23 January said that in his first year in
office he tried to fulfill his promises to protect the interests of all
Bulgarians and to defend the nonpartisan nature of the presidency, BTA
reported. He underscored that he will continue to advocate governance
through consensus, admitting that dialogue with some state institutions
did not always run smoothly. He also noted that the government tended
to restrict the president's influence. At a later press conference,
Parvanov criticized the government for not being interested in his
initiatives, such as the regulation of the country's visa regime with
Russia, or the improvement of business relations with Germany.
Bulgarian media reported that Parvanov also proposed the introduction
of a new, independent institution to combat corruption. UB
[73] BULGARIAN INTERIOR MINISTER RESTRUCTURES ANTITERRORISM UNIT
Interior Minister Georgi Petkanov announced on 23 January that the
ministry has begun restructuring its Special Antiterrorism Unit (SOBT),
bnn reported. According to Petkanov, the SOBT's entire leadership has
been replaced. His announcement came one day after a Foreign Ministry
spokesman confirmed that a member of the unit was arrested in Greece on
19 January on drug-trafficking charges. Current and former members of
the unit have repeatedly been accused of involvement in organized
crime, ranging from drug trafficking to contract killings. The unit's
commander, Filko Slavov, resigned in January. The Interior Ministry's
chief secretary, General Boyko Borisov, complained that his ministry
lacks control over the unit, according to the daily "Trud" of 23
January. He added that Slavov resigned because he had not succeeded in
cleaning up corruption in the unit (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 29 August
2002 and 6 January 2003). UB
[74] BULGARIA'S FINANCES IMPROVE
Finance Minister Milen Velchev told a press conference on 22 January
that state revenues in 2002 exceeded initial projections by $157
million and further reduced the country's budget deficit, BTA reported.
According to Velchev, the additional funds mainly resulted from
better-than-expected customs-tax revenues, which exceeded projections
by nearly 90 percent, and corporate-tax revenues (20 percent higher
than planned), as well as other, non-tax-related revenues (17 percent
higher). The additional revenues allowed for spending increases that
were mainly used to settle overdue payments to municipalities,
hospitals' debts, and wage and pension supplements. UB
SOUTHWESTERN ASIA AND THE MIDDLE EAST
[75] AFGHAN PRESIDENT SAYS NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SHOULD INCLUDE ALL STRATA
OF SOCIETY
President Hamid Karzai on 23 January told the commission charged with
creating a new National Assembly (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 22 January
2003) that it should include all segments of Afghan society, Bakhtar
news agency reported. "Efforts should be taken to ensure that that the
leaders and the representatives who have risen from among the people
are elected to the [National Assembly]," Karzai said in addressing the
commission. He also made it clear that he expects the commission to
achieve timely results and to ensure that the nationwide elections for
choosing the assembly's representatives are held under the supervision
of the UN. KM
[76] UN REPORT NOTES 'TENUOUS NATION BUILDING' IN AFGHANISTAN
A report issued on 20 January by the UN Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) reviewed the progress of reconstruction
in Afghanistan in 2002, saying the country was in the process of
"tenuous nation building." The report highlighted many positive
developments, including the influx of international aid, the
repatriation of Afghan refugees and the relocation of displaced
persons, progress in agricultural recovery, and the commencement of
landmine destruction and education programs throughout the country. At
the same time, the UN report also highlighted the many challenges that
lie ahead, including the general lack of security throughout the
country; continued fighting between various factions; the pervasive
power of warlords; the increase in opium-poppy cultivation; interethnic
tension; the lack of a viable economy; widespread famine and disease;
continued human rights abuses; and the lack of infrastructure. KM
[77] AFGHAN WOMEN DRIVING AGAIN
Women are once again driving on the streets of Kabul nearly a decade
after the Taliban deprived them of that right. "The move [to allow
women to drive again] is seen as symbolic of the development of women's
rights," the UN news agency IRIN commented in a 23 January report. The
first women's drivers-training class has just been completed in Kabul,
thanks to the efforts of Medica Mondiale, a Germany-based NGO that
works to support traumatized women in war zones. Medica Mondiale seeks
to help "women have the same choices as men by allowing them to travel
independently," IRIN wrote. The Kabul Traffic Department has reported
delays in issuing driver's licenses to women, however, as it is
necessary to first obtain a national ID card, which most Afghan women
do not have. In addition, the department needs to construct separate
testing facilities for women. KM
[78] NEW HOMES FOR AFGHANS JUST NORTH OF KABUL...
Approximately 1,000 homes that were destroyed by Taliban forces during
the Afghan civil war have been rebuilt in the Bagram District of Parwan
Province and many former residents have returned to their homes, Radio
Afghanistan reported on 23 January. The Afghan rural-development
charity organization NPO rebuilt the homes using modern construction
techniques. The project is estimated to have cost approximately $1
million. Another 4,000 homes in 36 villages remain in ruin in Parwan
Province, but the project is expected to reconstruct another 500 homes
by July. KM
[79] ...AS POLICE FAMILIES IN AFGHAN CAPITAL PROTEST 'POLICE
HARASSMENT'
Approximately 550 demonstrators gathered in front of the Afghan
presidential palace on 23 January, calling for an end to alleged
"police harassment," RFE/RL reported the same day. The protestors, many
of them the widows of police officers, claimed that Interior Ministry
police officers and officials, intent on occupying their homes, have
been forcing them to vacate housing provided to them 15 years ago under
former President Najibullah's government. Demanding that President
Karzai pressure personnel from the Interior Ministry to stop harassing
them, they said they have no alternative housing options and would risk
being forced onto the streets. They requested that Karzai issue them
new property deeds that would recognize their legal right to remain in
their homes and prevent government employees from arbitrarily forcing
them to leave. KM
[80] AFGHAN FORCES COME UNDER ATTACK ON PAKISTANI BORDER
Afghan troops were attacked on 20 January in the vicinity of Spin
Boldak near the Afghan-Pakistani border, Radio Afghanistan reported,
citing Bakhtar news agency. "On 30 Marghumi [20 January], a border
checkpoint in Boldak District, Kandahar Province, came under heavy
artillery attack from two unidentified vehicles," said Defense Ministry
Chief of Operations General Abdurrahman. "The border [military]
personnel retaliated and the unidentified attackers fled. None were
injured in the incident," he added. KM
[81] JAPAN INVITES KARZAI TO G-8 TALKS ON PROMOTING AFGHAN SECURITY
The Japanese government has invited President Karzai to attend a
February G-8 conference in Tokyo to discuss a Japanese proposal for
demobilizing Afghan soldiers who are not working for the government,
"The Japan Times" reported on 23 January, citing Kyodo News Service.
The project, first proposed by Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi during
his visit to Afghanistan last May, would facilitate fighters' return to
civilian life by providing job training and other incentives. The
project would also attempt to reduce the power of local commanders who
continue to threaten stability in many regions in Afghanistan. Japan,
reportedly prepared to commit several million U.S. dollars to finance
this project, will seek financial support from other G-8 members. KM
[82] IRANIAN PRESIDENT HEADS TO INDIA
On the eve of a four-day trip to New Delhi, President Mohammad Khatami
met on 23 January with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, IRNA
reported. Khatami is expected to sign the "Delhi declaration," which
creates a framework for the development of bilateral ties, Calcutta's
"The Telegraph" reported on 23 January. Delhi University will grant
Khatami an honorary doctorate, and Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari
Vajpayee will host a private dinner for him. Indian President A.P.J.
Abdul Kalam will host a banquet in Khatami's honor on 25 January at the
presidential residence Rashtrapati Bhavan. Khatami will participate in
Republic Day celebrations on 26 January, AFP reported on 23 January,
and he will discuss terrorism, the Iran-Pakistan-India natural-gas
pipeline, and construction of a highway to Afghanistan. BS
[83] IRAN-INDIA MILITARY EXERCISES FORTHCOMING
Indian naval chief Admiral Madhvendra Singh said after a meeting in
Tehran with his Iranian counterpart Rear Admiral Abbas Mohtaj that the
two countries will conduct joint military exercises, New Delhi's
Doordarshan Television reported on 23 January. Singh said he is in Iran
to foster naval cooperation, and he visited Iranian naval forces in
Bandar Abbas. BS
[84] FORMER TEHRAN MAYOR GETS PRISON SENTENCE
Former Tehran Mayor Mohammad Hassan Malek-Madani has been sentenced to
five months' imprisonment, banned from holding public office for three
years, and banned from holding any municipal functions for five years,
the "Resalat" daily newspaper reported on 23 January. The judge found
Malek-Madani guilty of misappropriating state funds and, in the words
of "Resalat," "failing to respect state laws." Malek-Madani's lawyer,
identified only as Mr. Behestian, told the daily he has no information
on his client's conviction. BS
[85] FORMER CITY COUNCILORS EXPECT VERDICT'S REVERSAL
Hassan Abedini, a member of the recently dissolved Tehran City Council,
said on 23 January that he hopes the appeals court will overturn the
sentence against Malek-Madani, ISNA reported. Mahmud
Alizadeh-Tabatabai, another former council member, said the verdict is
not final and he hopes it will be reversed. He also questioned the
legal basis of the sentence. Alizadeh-Tabatabai said that imprisonment
is not the correct sentence for misappropriating state funds, and he is
certain the verdict will be overturned. BS
[86] SUPREME NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER LIFTING MONTAZERI
HOUSE ARREST
Unidentified "informed sources" said the Supreme National Security
Council (SNSC) has placed on its agenda a proposal to end the house
arrest of Grand Ayatollah Hussein Ali Montazeri, "Jomhuri-yi Islami"
reported on 23 January. This proposal stems from concerns about the
cleric's poor health. According to a 23 January ISNA report, the
intention is to give Montazeri better access to medical facilities. A
commentary in the "Resalat" daily on 21 January suggested the SNSC lift
the house arrest because Montazeri's family and associates convey his
views regardless of his confinement. The commentary also hinted
obliquely that criticisms such as those made by Montazeri should be
dealt with more effectively and efficiently than by locking people up
in their homes. BS
[87] IRGC COMMANDER DESCRIBES U.S. REGIONAL AMBITIONS
Brigadier General Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr, deputy commander of the
Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, said at the 23 January meeting of the
air force politico-ideological tutors that the United States wants to
dominate the Middle East's energy resources, IRNA reported. "After
America dominates Iraq and the region, it will try to exert pressure on
Iraq's neighbors, who are against the policies of the United States and
the Zionist regime." Zolqadr added that the United States also intends
to dominate Central Asia so it can pressure Iran, Russia, and China. BS
[88] REGIONAL FOREIGN MINISTERS ATTEND IRAQ MEETING IN ISTANBUL
Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi arrived in Istanbul on 23
January to participate in discussions about Iraq with his counterparts
from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Turkey, IRNA reported.
Kharrazi on 22 January called on Iraq's neighbors to work together to
forestall a war in Iraq and the "interference" of foreign countries in
its domestic affairs. The Istanbul group's joint statement called on
Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to cooperate fully with UN weapons
inspectors and said that the countries do not want another war in the
region, AP reported on 23 January. The statement urged Baghdad to
respect international borders, resolve outstanding issues with its
neighbors, and take steps to preserve Iraq's sovereignty. It pledged
support for maintaining Iraq's territorial integrity. "We have to stick
to multilateralism and urge the United States not to resort to
unilateralism," Kharrazi said, according to "The Washington Post" on 24
January. "The United Nations system has to be the center of any
decision to be made." BS
[89] IRAQI NMD DIRECTOR HOLDS CONFERENCE...
Husam Muhammad Amin, director of National Monitoring Directorate (NMD),
held a press conference on 23 January at which he discussed UN weapons
inspections, the inspectors' interviews with Iraqi scientists, and the
upcoming report that UNMOVIC Executive Chairman Hans Blix and
International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Mohammad el-Baradei
will submit to the UN on 27 January, Al-Jazeera television reported.
Asked if he expects the report to be positive, Amin said: "It will not
be 100 percent spotless. It will be gray. However, we expect Mr. Blix
and Mr. el-Baradei to be objective and professional." The report will
assess Iraq's level of cooperation with UN inspections and will be a
decisive factor in any U.S. decision to use force against Iraqi
President Saddam Hussein. Amin confirmed that Foreign Minister Naji
Sabri has agreed to meet with Blix and el-Baradei again in March to
discuss the inspections. SH
[90] ...AND EXPLAINS WHY SCIENTISTS REFUSE TO SPEAK IN PRIVATE
Iraqi scientists have refused to speak to UN inspectors without Iraqi
government officials being present, "The Guardian" reported on 23
January. Iraq promised during recent talks with inspectors to encourage
scientists to agree to private interviews, but U.S. Deputy Defense
Secretary Paul Wolfowitz stated that President Hussein "has ordered
that any scientist who cooperates during interviews be killed, as well
as their families.'' NMD Director Amin claimed that "[Iraq] did our
best to push the scientists...but they refused to give such interviews
without the presence of [Iraqi] officials.'' Wolfowitz accused Iraq of
using intelligence officers to pose as scientists during interviews
with UN inspectors, according to AP. SH
[91] IRAQI PRESIDENT'S SON ACCUSED OF HIDING WEAPONS...
President Hussein's son, Qusay, heads a committee established to
transfer and hide weapons of mass destruction (WMD), the Kurdish
newspaper "Al-Sulaymaniyah Hawlati" alleged on 23 January. In addition
to Qusay Hussein, alleged committee members include Military
Intelligence official Taha Muhammad Hamid and Deputy Director of the
Special Security Agency General Khalil Ibrahim, according to the
report. The committee's goal is to move "20 warheads filled with
cyanide gas" to the Tikrit Governorate and to hide the weapons near the
Tigris River. Documents, including videocassettes, were also taken from
Baghdad to Tikrit, according to "Al-Sulaymaniyah Hawlati." SH
[92] ...AS ELDEST SON THREATENS UNITED STATES
President Hussein's eldest son, Uday, said on 23 January that the
United States will be defeated if it attacks Iraq, Al-Jazeera reported.
Speaking to members of the board of the Iraqi Journalists Association,
which he heads, Hussein threatened that "if [the Americans] come, what
they wept for on 11 September and what they view as a major event, will
appear as a picnic for them." "We are honest in saying that we have no
prohibited weapons. But we know what they will do. They will fire their
missiles on machines, which, according to their laws, are permitted,"
Hussein added. SH
[93] IRAQI INTERNET SERVICE EXPERIENCING 'TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES'
Shakir Abd-al-Aziz Abdullah, the general director of the Iraqi State
Internet Company, has denied allegations that the company or the
Transport and Communications Ministry blocked Iraq's Internet service,
according to Iraq Television on 23 January. Abdullah attributed any
problems with Internet services to technical difficulties. All Internet
access within Iraq was shut down on 10 January, and partial service was
resumed the following day. The shutdown was viewed as a "response to a
blanket e-mail campaign by the U.S. military urging dissent and
defections," according to Hilversum Radio (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 13
January 2003). Abdullah voiced the hope that despite the problems there
will be an increase in the number of Internet subscribers this year.
The company currently operates 34 centers and has 3,000 subscribers in
Baghdad and the governorates. SH
END NOTE
[94] There is no End Note today.
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