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RFE/RL Newsline, 06-12-08
CONTENTS
[01] BRITAIN SAYS FORMER SECURITY OFFICER'S DEATH 'MURDER'
[02] FORMER PRIME MINISTER SAYS RUSSIA'S 'POLITICAL ENEMIES' POISONED
HIM
[03] IS POLAND BUDGING ON EU-RUSSIA TIES?
[04] PUTIN CALLS FOR 'CONSIDERATION' ON DIRECT ELECTIONS TO UPPER
HOUSE...
[05] ...AND FOR MEASURES TO CURB 'EXTREMISM'
[06] PROSECUTOR WANTS 'ANTICORRUPTION CAMPAIGN'
[07] SAKHALIN-2 PUT ON ICE
[08] DUMA AFFIRMS SUPPORT FOR ABKHAZIA, SOUTH OSSETIA
[09] PUTIN PROPOSES CANDIDATE FOR ADYGEYA PRESIDENT
[10] ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER REJECTS RUMORS OF PRETERM PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION
[11] SUSPECT IN ARMENIAN TAX OFFICIAL'S KILLING RELEASED
[12] AZERBAIJANI OFFICIAL HINTS THAT PRESIDENTIAL TERM MAY BE PROLONGED
[13] GUAM WITHDRAWS FROZEN-CONFLICTS PROPOSAL
[14] KAZAKH FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS ASTANA WORTHY OF OSCE CHAIRMANSHIP
[15] U.S. SOLDIER KILLS CIVILIAN EMPLOYEE AT KYRGYZ BASE
[16] NEW CONSTITUTION APPEARS IN KYRGYZ AND RUSSIAN
[17] KYRGYZ STATE SECRETARY CRITICIZES 'U.S.' DEMOCRACY
[18] TWO INTERPOL EMPLOYEES ARRESTED IN TAJIKISTAN ON CORRUPTION
CHARGES
[19] TAJIKISTAN TO RECEIVE 80 MILLION EUROS FROM EU
[20] BELARUSIAN WRITERS URGE IMPRISONED OPPOSITIONIST TO END HUNGER
STRIKE
[21] BELARUSIAN CATHOLICS GRANTED CONSTRUCTION PERMIT FOLLOWING PROTEST
[22] UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT ADOPTS 2007 BUDGET...
[23] ...AND PRIVATIZATION PROGRAM
[24] SERBIA ASKS ICTY TO ALLOW RADICAL LEADER TO BE TREATED IN BELGRADE
[25] PARTY SAYS OSCE TO PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO SANDZAK REGION IN
SERBIAN ELECTIONS
[26] ETHNIC ALBANIAN PARTIES IN SOUTHERN SERBIA TO UNITE FOR ELECTIONS
[27] EU OFFICIAL SAYS KOSOVA SITUATION UNIQUE
[28] NATO INVITATIONS TO BE ISSUED FOR BOSNIA, SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO
[29] BOSNIAN SERB REPUBLIC SELLS STAKE IN TELECOM TO SERBIAN COMPANY
[30] EIGHT DEAD IN SUICIDE BOMBING IN SOUTHERN AFGHANISTAN
[31] PAKISTAN WORRIES ABOUT DRUG TRADE IN AFGHANISTAN
[32] FIRST DAIRY COOPERATIVE ESTABLISHED IN AFGHANISTAN
[33] CONSENSUS ON IRAN SANCTIONS REMAINS ELUSIVE
[34] IRANIANS MARK STUDENTS DAY WITH DEMONSTRATION
[35] IRANIAN PARLIAMENTARY SPEAKER OPPOSES HOLDING MAJOR ELECTIONS
SIMULTANEOUSLY
[36] IRAQ STUDY GROUP SUGGESTS ENGAGING IRAN
[37] LEBANESE LEGISLATOR LEVELS ACCUSATIONS AGAINST IRAN
[38] U.S. IRAQ STUDY GROUP SAYS SITUATION 'GRAVE AND DETERIORATING'
[39] FORMER IRAQI PRESIDENT APPEARS IN COURT
[40] TOP AL-QAEDA IN IRAQ FIGURES KILLED IN AL-BASRAH
[41] ATTACK IN BAGHDAD KILLS 10
[42] THERE IS NO END NOTE TODAY
Thursday, December 7, 2006 Volume 10 Number 225
Russia
[01] BRITAIN SAYS FORMER SECURITY OFFICER'S DEATH 'MURDER'
British authorities investigating the recent unexplained death in
London of British citizen and former Russian Federal Security Service
(FSB) officer Aleksandr Litvinenko decided on December 6 to treat the
case as one of "murder," British media reported on December 6 and 7
(see "RFE/RL Newsline," December 4, 5, and 6, 2006). London's
Metropolitan Police said in a statement that "detectives investigating
the death of...Litvinenko have reached the stage where it is felt
appropriate to treat it as an allegation of murder. Detectives in this
case are keeping an open mind and methodically following the evidence.
It is important to stress that we have reached no conclusions as to the
means employed, the motive or the identity of those who might be
responsible for Mr. Litvinenko's death." PM
[02] FORMER PRIME MINISTER SAYS RUSSIA'S 'POLITICAL ENEMIES' POISONED
HIM
Former Russian acting Prime Minister Yegor Gaidar wrote in the Russian
daily "Vedomosti" and Britain's "Financial Times" of December 7 that
his recent unexplained illness in Dublin, Ireland, was undoubtedly the
result of poisoning (see "RFE/RL Newsline," November 30, and December 1
and 6, 2006). Gaidar said that he does "not have any property to speak
of, nor a profitable oil or gas company. So, if this was attempted
murder, politics was behind it." He added that he "rejected the idea of
complicity of the Russian leadership almost immediately. After the
death of...Litvinenko...another violent death of a famous Russian on
the following day is the last thing that the Russian authorities would
want. In case of an explosion or skirmish in Moscow, one would think
about radical nationalistic thugs first of all. But Dublin? Poisoning?
This is obviously not their style." Instead, Gaidar argued that "some
obvious or hidden adversaries of the Russian authorities stand behind
the scenes of this event, those who are interested in further radical
deterioration of relations between Russia and the West." He added that
"comparing the dates of events that took place during the past six
weeks, I formulated a rather logical and consistent hypothesis on the
reasons behind this." Gaidar said that he is convinced that his
analysis is correct, even if it is unpleasant. He did not elaborate,
but some observers suggested that he probably had Western governments
or Russian exiles in mind. It is not clear why he chose the time frame
of six weeks, which would appear to exclude the slaying of critical
journalist Anna Politkovskaya on October 7 but include the U.S. midterm
elections on November 7. PM
[03] IS POLAND BUDGING ON EU-RUSSIA TIES?
Polish authorities on December 6 ended their opposition to a meeting of
EU and Russian officials slated for December 8 to discuss energy
matters, Reuters and news.ru reported. Poland still insists, however,
that Russia lift its ban on Polish agricultural products and sign the
EU's Energy Charter before Warsaw will agree to launching EU-Russian
talks aimed at preparing a new and expanded partnership agreement to
replace the current one, which expires in 2007 but which can be renewed
automatically if a new document has not been agreed (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," November 27, 2006). It is not clear whether the change in
Poland's position on the December 8 meeting is a one-off decision or a
sign that Warsaw's overall position is beginning to change. It is also
not clear whether the Polish decision on the December 8 meeting is a
result of the recent meeting between Polish President Lech Kaczynski,
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and French President Jacques Chirac in
Mettlach in western Germany. PM
[04] PUTIN CALLS FOR 'CONSIDERATION' ON DIRECT ELECTIONS TO UPPER
HOUSE...
President Vladimir Putin told leaders of several political parties near
Moscow on December 6 not to rush any decision on having members of the
upper house, or Federation Council, be directly elected instead of
appointed by regional governors and parliaments, Interfax reported (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," June 27, July 13 and 21, and December 4, 2006).
Putin said that "if you feel that additional steps need to be taken
regarding this issue, let us think them over together." Federation
Council Speaker Sergei Mironov first proposed direct elections to the
Federation Council in June, and Minister for Emergency Situations
Sergei Shoigu, speaking on December 2 at a congress of the pro-Kremlin
Unified Russia (ER) party, urged the State Duma to expedite passage of
the appropriate legislation. Chuvash President Nikolai Fyodorov, who is
a member of ER's Supreme Council, said in Yekaterinburg on December 5
that he considers such direct elections "essential" for a
"full-blooded" Federation Council, regnum.ru reported on December 6.
PM/LF
[05] ...AND FOR MEASURES TO CURB 'EXTREMISM'
Also at the December 6 meeting, Putin told the party leaders that more
must be done to crack down on "extremism," Russian media reported. He
said that "the federal law on countering extremist activities has legal
holes in it" and called for "making sure that punishment is handed down
that is commensurate with the gravity of the crime." Putin signed the
measure into law on July 28 (see "RFE/RL Newsline," July 31, 2006).
Ekho Moskvy radio on July 28 quoted legal expert Mikhail Fedotov as
saying that the law makes no provision for dealing with real extremism
but instead is geared to fighting the opponents of the current
authorities. Other media outlets noted that the law contains some vague
provisions that would enable the authorities to ban people from
political activity on the basis of dubious, Soviet-style charges. On
April 4, the Moscow-based daily "Novye izvestia" commented that the
official antiextremism campaign seeks to channel political protests so
that they do not focus on the authorities and to portray the
pro-Kremlin Unified Russia party in a favorable light. PM
[06] PROSECUTOR WANTS 'ANTICORRUPTION CAMPAIGN'
Prosecutor-General Yury Chaika told the cabinet on December 7 that
"Russia has ratified international conventions on the suppression of
corruption, and we must adopt the appropriate laws and a special
program in fulfillment of these conventions," Interfax reported. He
added that his office "is ready for active participation in this
effort." Chaika said that his office has "conducted inspections in 11
federal ministries and agencies as part of its campaign to eradicate
corruption.... Following the checks, 18 orders to remedy legal
violations have been issued, and warnings have been handed down to four
department heads at the federal and regional levels." He did not
elaborate but added that the most frequent violations involve "ignoring
the requirements of federal law stipulating that officials must declare
their incomes and property." President Putin recently called for
ridding the State Duma of corruption. Recent studies by the World Bank,
the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and
the nongovernmental organization Transparency International rank
corruption in Russia on a level with that in some African countries
(see "RFE/RL Newsline," November 22 and 28, 2006). PM
[07] SAKHALIN-2 PUT ON ICE
Russia's Natural Resources Ministry said in a statement on December 7
that the Amur department of the Federal Water Resources Agency
(Rosvodresursy) has temporarily revoked licenses from a subcontractor
of the Sakhalin-2 gas production-sharing agreement (PSA) between Royal
Dutch Shell and Japan's Mitsui and Mitsubishi in Russia's Far East,
Interfax reported. The statement says the subcontractor has two months
to correct violations of environmental law, failing which its licenses
will be withdrawn. Russia has been threatening for several months to
cancel key permits at Sakhalin-2 after Shell announced the cost of the
project would double (see "RFE/RL Newsline," September 22 and 27, and
October 5 and 19, 2006). Observers suspect, however, that Moscow's real
concern is not the environment -- which many Russian firms are known
not to respect -- but rather a desire to renegotiate the PSAs in order
to include Russian state monopolies like Gazprom and Rosneft. PM
[08] DUMA AFFIRMS SUPPORT FOR ABKHAZIA, SOUTH OSSETIA
Deputies debated and approved on December 6 two separate statements
affirming support for the breakaway Georgian republics of Abkhazia and
South Ossetia, Russian media and the State Duma's website
(http://www.duma.gov.ru) reported. The statement on Abkhazia was
unanimously approved by 423 votes and called on the international
community to support the October 18 appeal by the Abkhaz parliament to
the Russian president and legislature to recognize the republic of
Abkhazia as an independent state and establish associate relations with
it (see "RFE/RL Newsline," October 19, 2006). It further called on
Tbilisi to comply with the October UN Security Council resolution
requiring the withdrawal from the Kodori Gorge of the Georgian troops
deployed there in late July. The statement in connection with the
November 12 referendum in South Ossetia, in which that republic's
Ossetian population reaffirmed its desire for independent statehood,
was approved by 418 votes, regnum.ru reported. It noted the Georgian
authorities' failure to begin a dialogue with the South Ossetian
leadership, and stressed that the conflict must be resolved by peaceful
means. It further blamed unnamed Western politicians who allegedly
supply Georgia with weapons and thereby contribute to the likelihood of
a new conflict and to the deterioration of Georgian-Russian relations.
In Tbilisi, Georgian Foreign Minister Gela Bezhuashvili appealed to the
international community to condemn the Duma's "unfriendly move,"
Caucasus Press reported on December 6. Both Bezhuashvili and Niko
Gvaramia, who is deputy chairman of the parliament's Defense and
Security Committee, pointed out that the Duma statements have no legal
force, regnum.ru reported. Opposition parliamentarian Levan
Berdzenishvili likewise dismissed the two resolutions as "senseless,"
Caucasus Press reported on December 6. Also on December 6, between
20,000 and 30,000 Abkhaz congregated in the Abkhaz capital, Sukhum(i),
to express their support for the parliament's request to Russia and the
international community to recognize the republic of Abkhazia as an
independent state, Russian and Georgian media reported. LF
[09] PUTIN PROPOSES CANDIDATE FOR ADYGEYA PRESIDENT
President Putin on December 6 proposed to the Republic of Adygeya State
Council the candidacy of Maykop State Technical University Rector
Aslancheryy Tkhakushinov to succeed Khazret Sovmen as republican
president, Russian media reported. Tkhakushinov was one of three
possible candidates suggested to Putin two months ago by presidential
envoy to the Southern Federal District Dmitry Kozak (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," October 16, 2006). Supporters of Sovmen then launched a
last-ditch campaign to have him reappointed (see "RFE/RL Newsline,"
October 30 and November 13, 2006). Although the State Council initially
approved the candidacy of Tkhakushinov, the Union of Slavs of Adygeya
has since withdrawn its support for him, chairwoman Nina Konovalova
told regnum.ru on December 7. But Rashid Mugu, a member of the majority
Unified Russia faction that initially put forward Tkhakushinov's name,
predicted that "there will be no surprises" in the vote to endorse
Tkhakushinov. LF
Transcaucasia And Central Asia
[10] ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER REJECTS RUMORS OF PRETERM PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION
Speaking to journalists in Yerevan on December 6, Andranik Markarian
dismissed as "absurd" speculation that Defense Minister Serzh
Sarkisian's recent increased involvement in domestic politics is in
preparation for anticipated preterm presidential elections, regnum.ru
reported. The Armenian Constitution bars incumbent President Robert
Kocharian from seeking a third term in 2008, and Sarkisian is widely
regarded as one of the most likely candidates to succeed him. On
December 4, Kocharian's national-security adviser, Garnik Isagulian,
told journalists that Kocharian will retain his "considerable
influence" on domestic politics even after his second term expires, but
he did not specify in what official capacity. LF
[11] SUSPECT IN ARMENIAN TAX OFFICIAL'S KILLING RELEASED
Businessman Gurgen Virabian, one of two suspects in the September 6
death in a car-bomb explosion of State Tax Service department head
Shahen Hovasepian, was released late on December 5 from pretrial
detention due to his deteriorating health, RFE/RL's Armenian Service
reported on December 6, quoting a spokeswoman for the
Prosecutor-General's Office. Virabian and his brother Armen, who worked
in the department Hovasepian headed, were arrested on September 13,
apparently on the basis of testimony given by Hovasepian's driver,
Andranik Charchian (see "RFE/RL Newsline," September 19, 2006). A
lawyer for the Virabian brothers, who deny trying to kill Hovasepian,
has repeatedly rejected Charchian's testimony as false, and Armenian
media reported on December 6 that Charchian intends to retract it. LF
[12] AZERBAIJANI OFFICIAL HINTS THAT PRESIDENTIAL TERM MAY BE PROLONGED
Mubariz Qurbanli, deputy executive secretary of the ruling Yeni
Azerbaycan Party, told the website day.az in a December 7 interview
that he considers incumbent President Ilham Aliyev a young, talented,
and energetic leader and a worthy successor to his deceased father and
predecessor Heydar Aliyev. For that reason, Qurbanli argued, it is
expedient to consider, as parliamentarians proposed earlier this week,
the possibility of either abolishing the article of the constitution
that bars anyone from serving more than two-consecutive presidential
terms, or alternatively prolonging the presidential term from five to
seven years. LF
[13] GUAM WITHDRAWS FROZEN-CONFLICTS PROPOSAL
Georgian Foreign Minister Gela Bezhuashvili told journalists in Tbilisi
on December 7 that the GUAM member states (Georgia, Ukraine,
Azerbaijan, and Moldova) have asked the UN General Assembly to postpone
discussion, originally scheduled for December 7, of GUAM's draft
resolution on so-called frozen conflicts on its members' territory,
Caucasus Press reported. The website izvestia.ru attributed that
request on December 7 to disagreements among the four GUAM members over
the proposed text of the draft resolution. On November 21, Vitaly
Churkin, Russia's ambassador to the UN, unveiled an appeal to UN member
states adopted on October 4 by the unrecognized republics of Abkhazia,
South Ossetia, and Transdniester, to reject the GUAM initiative (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," November 22, 2006). That appeal argued that the
decision to raise the issue with the UN General Assembly, rather than
the UN Security Council, reflects a desire to enlist support for their
bid to use force "to quash the legitimate aspiration of our peoples to
live in...peace and equality." On December 1, Armenian Foreign Minister
Vartan Oskanian warned that such a UN General Assembly debate would
create obstacles to the ongoing search for a solution to the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Noyan Tapan reported. LF
[14] KAZAKH FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS ASTANA WORTHY OF OSCE CHAIRMANSHIP
Qasymzhomart Toqaev announced in Astana on December 6 that Kazakhstan
is "quite worthy of becoming the chair of the OSCE," ITAR-TASS
reported. On December 5, foreign ministers from OSCE member states
postponed until 2007 a decision on Kazakhstan's bid to chair the
organization in 2009 (see "RFE/RL Newsline," December 6, 2006). Kazakh
Deputy Foreign Minister Rakhat Aliev, who is also the son-in-law of
President Nursultan Nazarbaev, pronounced the postponement a "victory
for Kazakh diplomacy," "Kazakhstan Today" reported on December 5. Aliev
noted that thanks to Nazarbaev's visits to Washington, London, and
Brussels, "We still have good chances to chair the OSCE in 2009."
Ministers will reconsider Kazakhstan's bid in 2007 at a meeting in
Madrid. DK
[15] U.S. SOLDIER KILLS CIVILIAN EMPLOYEE AT KYRGYZ BASE
A U.S. serviceman at the U.S. air base in Kyrgyzstan shot and killed a
local employee, a Kyrgyz national of Russian descent, on December 6,
agencies reported. The Manas Air Base public affairs office released a
statement saying that the shooting occurred "in response to a threat,"
AP reported. The report identified the man killed as Aleksandr Ivanov,
an employee of a fuel company. A co-worker told AP that Ivanov was
fatally shot at a checkpoint after getting out of his truck, which was
reportedly carrying fuel. U.S. Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch met later
on December 6 with officials at Kyrgyzstan's Foreign Ministry, who gave
her a note expressing concern and requesting clarification,
akipress.org reported. For her part, Yovanovitch expressed regret and
vowed a full investigation, AP reported. DK
[16] NEW CONSTITUTION APPEARS IN KYRGYZ AND RUSSIAN
Kyrgyzstan's new constitution, which was passed by parliament on
November 8 and signed by President Kurmanbek Bakiev the next day, has
finally been published in Kyrgyz and Russian, akipress.org reported on
December 6. The delay in publication resulted from efforts by
specialists to ensure that there are no discrepancies between the two
texts, Tazar reported. The constitutions can be found at
http://akipress.org/tmp/konkg.doc (Kyrgyz) and
http://akipress.org/tmp/konkg.doc (Russian). DK
[17] KYRGYZ STATE SECRETARY CRITICIZES 'U.S.' DEMOCRACY
Adakhan Madumarov told professors and students at Kyrgyz State
University in Bishkek on December 6 that U.S.-style democracy has not
brought tangible benefits to Kyrgyzstan, RIA Novosti reported.
Madumarov said, "Kyrgyzstan's friends in the person of the United
States are pushing the country toward democracy, where freedom of
speech reigns, but we are not getting richer or better-fed from this
democracy." Comparing the situation in Kyrgyzstan with neighboring
Kazakhstan, Madumarov commented, "For example, in Kazakhstan there is
discipline, while democracy reigns in Kyrgyzstan." Madumarov also
alleged that the media in Kyrgyzstan are "shattering the process of
strengthening statehood" with their insistent focus on killings and
scandal. DK
[18] TWO INTERPOL EMPLOYEES ARRESTED IN TAJIKISTAN ON CORRUPTION
CHARGES
Tajik prosecutors have confirmed the arrest of two Interpol employees
in Sughd Province on December 5 on corruption charges, RFE/RL's Tajik
Service reported the next day. Fayzullo Solehov, the director of
Interpol's Sughd bureau, and Shahobiddin Ahmadov, were arrested on
charges of extorting a $1,000 bribe from a local resident. Interpol's
Khujand bureau declined comment on the incident. DK
[19] TAJIKISTAN TO RECEIVE 80 MILLION EUROS FROM EU
Victor Andres Maldonado, head of the Southern Caucasus and Central Asia
section of the European Commission, told a session of the Tajik-EU
joint committee in Dushanbe on December 6 that the EU will allocate 80
million euros ($106.4 million) for poverty reduction and economic
development in Tajikistan from 2007-2010, Avesta reported. The
allocations are part of the EU's new assistance strategy for Central
Asia, under which Tajikistan will receive 16-17 million euros in 2007.
Also on December 6, Adriaan van der Meer, head of the European
Commission's delegation to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, met
with Tajik President Imomali Rakhmonov in Dushanbe, Tajik television
reported. Van der Meer commented, "We very much anticipate the joint
implementation of some very important reforms, for instance in the
agricultural sector, as well as the development and expansion of
economic activities in Tajikistan and in other economic sectors in the
future." DK
Eastern Europe
[20] BELARUSIAN WRITERS URGE IMPRISONED OPPOSITIONIST TO END HUNGER
STRIKE
The Union of Belarusian Writers and the Belarusian PEN center on
December 6 adopted a joint statement urging Alyaksandr Kazulin to end
his hunger strike, which he began on October 20 (see "RFE/RL Newsline,"
December 6, 2006), Belapan reported. "He has approached the line
between life and death. The authorities cynically ignore this tragic
fact despite their verbal claims that human life has the highest value
in the country," the statement says. Kazulin is serving his 5 1/2-year
prison term in a correctional facility near Vitsebsk. JM
[21] BELARUSIAN CATHOLICS GRANTED CONSTRUCTION PERMIT FOLLOWING PROTEST
The authorities in Hrodna, northwestern Belarus, have granted a local
Roman Catholic community permission to build a new church in the city
after a priest and a dozen parishioners launched a hunger strike last
week (see "RFE/RL Newsline," December 4, 2006), RFE/RL's Belarus
Service reported on December 6. "We are satisfied with the decision and
are stopping the hunger strike for the time being. But we are resolute
to continue our fight for justice if need be," Reverend Alyaksandr
Shemet told RFE/RL. Meanwhile, the Cabinet of Ministers' Committee for
Religious and Nationality Affairs has told seven Polish priests and
five Polish nuns working in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hrodna to
leave Belarus by the end of this year. The committee refused to renew
their work permits, citing the need to provide jobs for Belarusian
graduates of the Roman Catholic seminaries in Hrodna and Pinsk. JM
[22] UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT ADOPTS 2007 BUDGET...
The Verkhovna Rada on December 6 adopted a budget bill for 2007,
Ukrainian media reported. The bill envisages government spending at 161
billion hryvnyas ($32 billion) and revenues at 147 billion hryvnyas,
thus setting a budget deficit at the equivalent of some $2.8 billion.
The bill projects $2 billion in income from privatizations in 2007. The
bill also sets the monthly subsistence minimum at 492 hryvnyas ($97)
and the monthly minimum wage at 400 hryvnyas ($79) as of 1 January
2007. JM
[23] ...AND PRIVATIZATION PROGRAM
The Verkhovna Rada on December 6 passed a privatization plan putting
dozens of potentially attractive state-run enterprises up for sale,
Ukrainian media reported. The bill was supported by 226 deputies, the
minimum required for approval. The most valuable enterprises for sale
include minority stakes in the Ukrtelekom telephone communications
provider, the Odesa Port Plant producing fertilizers, and 12 regional
producers and distributors of electricity. JM
Southeastern Europe
[24] SERBIA ASKS ICTY TO ALLOW RADICAL LEADER TO BE TREATED IN BELGRADE
Belgrade asked the International Criminal Tribunal for former
Yugoslavia (ICTY) on December 5 to transfer Serbian Radical Party (SRS)
leader Vojislav Seselj to a hospital in Belgrade, Reuters reported the
same day. Seselj, who is on trial at the ICTY for war crimes, has been
on a hunger strike since November 11. His health has seriously
deteriorated and doctors say he could die within weeks (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," December 5, 2006). "Having in mind that this is a case of
life or death for Vojislav Seselj, it would be good if the tribunal
decided for Seselj to be transferred to Belgrade to be hospitalized,"
Serbian Ambassador to the Netherlands Radoslav Stojanovic said after
meeting with ICTY President Fausto Pocar. The tribunal had no immediate
comment. BW
[25] PARTY SAYS OSCE TO PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO SANDZAK REGION IN
SERBIAN ELECTIONS
The Sandzak Democratic Party has announced that the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has pledged to pay particular
attention to the Sandzak region in Serbia's January 21 parliamentary
elections, B92 and Beta reported on December 6. "Because of the
increased accusations of the opposition political parties of
irregularities during elections in Novi Pazar, Sjenice, and Tutine, the
OSCE will, with the goal of securing conditions for holding fair and
democratic elections, employ their observers," the Sandzak Democratic
Party said in a statement. The statement added that the parties in the
region will sign a code of conduct. The Sandzak Democratic Party will
contest the elections as part of the Democratic Party (DS) list (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," November 16, 2006). BW
[26] ETHNIC ALBANIAN PARTIES IN SOUTHERN SERBIA TO UNITE FOR ELECTIONS
Ragmi Mustafa, the leader of the Democratic Party of Albanians, said on
December 6 that five ethnic Albanian parties from southern Serbia have
formed a united list, B92 and Beta reported the same day. Mustafa said
the list for the January 21 general elections will be made up of
parties that have officials in municipal administrations in Presevo and
Bujanovac. The decision to unite the ethnic Albanian parties was made
on December 5 at a meeting in southern Serbia that was attended by
representatives from the OSCE. The candidates on the list and its
leadership will be announced by the end of the week, Mustafa said. BW
[27] EU OFFICIAL SAYS KOSOVA SITUATION UNIQUE
In comments published on December 6, EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli
Rehn said that Kosova represents a unique case that requires a special
solution, B92 reported the same day. In an interview with the
Sarajevo-based daily "Dnevni avaz," Rehn said it is important for
Kosova's final solution to be clear and unambiguous so Prishtina can
begin talks on a Stabilization and Association Agreement with the EU as
soon as possible. "It is also important to always keep in mind that the
Kosovo case is 'sui generis.' It does not present a precedent which can
be used anywhere else in the world," Rehn said. BW
[28] NATO INVITATIONS TO BE ISSUED FOR BOSNIA, SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO
NATO officials said on December 6 that Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro,
and Serbia are expected to formally join the alliance's Partnership for
Peace program next week, AP reported. Citing unidentified NATO
officials, AP reported that Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer is
expected to hand the formal invitation to representatives of the three
countries on December 14. At the alliance's summit in Riga last month,
NATO agreed to admit the three Balkan countries despite reservations
from the ICTY about Belgrade's lack of cooperation in arresting war
crimes suspects (see "RFE/RL Newsline," November 30, 2006).
Unidentified diplomats said NATO wants to boost the chances of liberal
pro-Western Serbian politicians in the January 21 elections. BW
[29] BOSNIAN SERB REPUBLIC SELLS STAKE IN TELECOM TO SERBIAN COMPANY
Bosnia-Herzegovina's Republika Srpska announced on December 5 that it
will sell 65 percent of its telecom operator Telekom Srpske to Serbia's
Telekom Srbija, international news agencies reported the same day.
Telekom Srbija bid 646 million euros ($860 million), beating Telekom
Austria, which offered 467 million euros ($621 million). Republika
Srpska Prime Minister Milorad Dodik opened the two submitted bids
personally at an open session of the Bosnian Serb republic's parliament
on December 5, AP reported. "This money will have to reach every
citizen. Half of it will be spent for helping employment and the social
sector," he said. BW
Southwestern Asia And The Middle East
[30] EIGHT DEAD IN SUICIDE BOMBING IN SOUTHERN AFGHANISTAN
A suicide bomber detonated a bomb near the office of a U.S. security
contractor on December 6 in the Afghan city of Kandahar, killing
himself and seven others, AFP reported. Two Americans and five Afghans
were killed outside the heavily guarded U.S. Protection and
Investigation (USPI) compound; all of the dead worked for the firm,
according to a statement issued by USPI. It was the sixth suicide
attack in Kandahar Province in the past nine days. Texas-based USPI is
one of the biggest security contractors operating in Afghanistan, where
it has been working since 2002. It employs 45 expatriates and hundreds
of Afghans. RR
[31] PAKISTAN WORRIES ABOUT DRUG TRADE IN AFGHANISTAN
Pakistani Health Minister Mohammad Naseer Khan, speaking at a UN
meeting in Bangalore on drug use and HIV/AIDS on December 6, expressed
concern that Afghanistan's opium trade is booming while Pakistan works
to control the spread of HIV/AIDS, especially among intravenous drug
users, Reuters reported. Khan said that Pakistan's efforts to control
the spread of the disease must coincide with measures to tackle
Afghanistan's growing output of opium. "Today in Afghanistan, you have
the highest production of opium to date. Ten years ago it nearly
reached zero.... More has to be done by the government of Afghanistan
and also all the donor agencies and coalition forces to stop that
production," Khan said. "The UN is very much concerned," UN Resident
Coordinator in Pakistan Jan Vandemoortele told the meeting. "Our
program of poppy eradication, of course, is not yielding the results
required," he said. RR
[32] FIRST DAIRY COOPERATIVE ESTABLISHED IN AFGHANISTAN
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) announced in
Kabul on December 6 the establishment of the first ever dairy union in
Afghanistan in an effort to boost production and the marketing of dairy
products, IRIN reported. Approximately 400 dairy farmers from seven
cooperative societies in the southeastern Logar and central Wardak
provinces established the union in cooperation with the FAO and the
Afghan Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry (MAAH), said
Assadullah Azhari, FAO public information officer. Afghan Agriculture
Minister Obaidullah Ramin said that the move is an important step
towards developing the private sector and promoting livestock in
Afghanistan, where 85 percent of the population is employed in the
agriculture sector. "We are planning to create hundreds of such
independent farmers' unions across the country in order to reduce food
insecurity, poverty, and unemployment," Ramin said. RR
[33] CONSENSUS ON IRAN SANCTIONS REMAINS ELUSIVE
The French government appeared to be pushing for the imposition of
sanctions against Iran for its nuclear activities at a Paris meeting of
officials from the so-called 5+1 Group (China, France, Great Britain,
Russia, and the United States, plus Germany) on December 6, Reuters
reported. The gathering failed to decide on the draft resolution,
apparently because of Russian foot-dragging. An anonymous European
diplomat told Reuters, "The gap between Russian and U.S. positions is
still huge." French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy acknowledged
the difficult task facing the six countries, RFE/RL reported. He said
in Paris, "we have to propose sanctions that all the international
community agrees on but, at the same time, they have to be
proportionate and reversible." He added that the objective is to tell
Iran to "come back to its senses, come back to the international
community" rather than being isolated, and to offer the possibility of
developing its civilian nuclear program. Douste-Blazy also said,
according to Reuters, that there is an urgent need to decide on a
course of action because "the credibility of the United Nations
Security Council is at stake." BS
[34] IRANIANS MARK STUDENTS DAY WITH DEMONSTRATION
Hundreds of students demonstrated in Tehran on December 6, Students
Day, in an event called "The University Is Alive" that was organized by
the Office for Strengthening Unity student organization, Radio Farda
reported. Demonstrators demanded independence from government-run
student organizations and criticized restrictions on the matriculation
of student activists. Mohammad Hashemi, a spokesman for the Office for
Strengthening Unity, told Radio Farda on December 6 that
representatives from many student groups participated in the
demonstration, including Kurds and Turks. Security forces cordoned off
the Tehran University campus and restricted access to it, but Hashemi
said there were no clashes or arrests. BS
[35] IRANIAN PARLIAMENTARY SPEAKER OPPOSES HOLDING MAJOR ELECTIONS
SIMULTANEOUSLY
Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel said on December 6 that he opposes a recent
legislative proposal that presidential and parliamentary elections be
held simultaneously, Mehr News Agency reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline,"
December 4, 2006). Haddad-Adel said he favors holding simultaneous
elections, but it should be a major poll and a minor one, such as the
presidential and Assembly of Experts polls, or the parliamentary and
municipal council polls. Haddad-Adel also encouraged voters to turn out
for the elections on December 15, IRNA reported. BS
[36] IRAQ STUDY GROUP SUGGESTS ENGAGING IRAN
White House spokesman Tony Snow said on December 6 that the executive
branch has "ruled out" direct bilateral talks with the Iranian
government about Iraqi affairs, Reuters reported. There is no chance of
such talks taking place, he said, "Unless Iran verifiably suspends its
enrichment and reprocessing activities." Snow was reacting to the
long-awaited report from the Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan panel
headed by former Secretary of State James Baker, which came out on the
same day. The report urges Washington to launch a "new diplomatic
offensive" that includes all the countries that are interested in
Iraq's stability, "including all of Iraq's neighbors." The report
advises engaging Iran and Syria, adding that Iran should stop the
influx of arms into Iraq, respect Iraq's sovereignty, and influence
Iraqi Shi'ites positively. The Iranian nuclear issue, the report
continues, should be dealt with by the 5+1 group. BS
[37] LEBANESE LEGISLATOR LEVELS ACCUSATIONS AGAINST IRAN
Lebanese parliamentarian Saad Hariri has defined the current political
crisis in his country as "a real coup against Lebanese legitimacy" and
a "Syrian scheme sponsored by Iran," "Al-Sharq al-Awsat" reported on
December 6. The Lebanese crisis is connected, in part, with UN demands
for the disarmament of the country's militias. Hizballah is the main
organization that has yet to disarm, and the Hizballah leadership has
defended its actions on the grounds that it is protecting Lebanon from
Israel. Hariri said Hizballah's weapons were tolerated when the
organization was resisting Israel, but he warned against turning the
weapons against internal opponents. Hariri said the Syrian government
seeks the downfall of Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora. Several
days of street demonstrations organized by Hizballah and its allies are
meant to gain the party a greater say in the country's politics; the
confessional system gives Shi'a, now believed to be the majority, a
disproportionately small share of political offices. Hizballah seeks
more cabinet seats. BS
[38] U.S. IRAQ STUDY GROUP SAYS SITUATION 'GRAVE AND DETERIORATING'
The report by the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, released on December 6,
described the situation in Iraq as "grave and deteriorating" and called
for the United States to change its primary mission in Iraq,
international media reported the same day. Although the 142-page report
contained 79 recommendations, the document is nonbinding for the
administration and does not carry any legal weight. One of the major
recommendations is for a short-term increase in U.S. forces devoted
specifically to training and equipping Iraqi security forces. It
recommended that the U.S. administration "engage directly with Iran and
Syria" to help end the violence in Iraq, and said Washington should
"consider [offering] incentives and disincentives" for the two
countries. The report said the United States should work faster to
implement assistance programs in Iraq and reduce its "political,
military, or economic support" for Baghdad if the Iraqi government
cannot make substantial progress toward taking care of its own
security. Shortly after the release of the report, U.S. President
George W. Bush pledged to take it "very seriously" and to act on it in
"a timely fashion." The Iraq Study Group is co-chaired by former U.S.
Secretary of State James Baker and former U.S. Representative Lee
Hamilton. SS
[39] FORMER IRAQI PRESIDENT APPEARS IN COURT
During the December 6 session of the Anfal trial, former President
Saddam Hussein appeared in court despite an earlier threat to boycott
the hearings, international media reported the same day. On December 5,
Hussein allegedly sent a letter to Chief Judge Muhammad al-Uraybi
accusing him and prosecutors of repeated "insults" (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," December 5, 2006). It was unclear what prompted Hussein to
appear in court. Meanwhile, a Kurdish doctor, Faiq Muhammad Ahmad
Qulpy, testified about how he treated victims of a chemical attack in
April 1987. Qulpy said he treated a 9-year-old boy who suffered from
severe burns after he "played with pieces of a bomb that had been
dropped by an Iraqi aircraft on his village." He said that the chemical
attack was the first in a series of assaults by Iraqi forces against
Kurds in northern Iraq. SS
[40] TOP AL-QAEDA IN IRAQ FIGURES KILLED IN AL-BASRAH
Iraqi national security adviser Muwaffaq al-Rubay'i said during a
December 6 press conference that Iraqi forces backed by coalition
troops killed two top lieutenants of Al-Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Ayyub
al-Masri in Basra (aka Abu Hamza al-Muhajir), state-run Al-Iraqiyah
television reported the same day. Al-Rubay'i said Umar al-Faruq and
Abu-Taha were killed and several junior aides to al-Masri were
arrested. He also said Iraqi forces recently arrested 10 leaders of the
Ansar Al-Sunnah group in the towns of Bayji and Ba'qubah. "The message
I would like to address to you is that with the support of the
multinational forces, the Iraqi security forces have achieved great
success over the past few days against the terrorist Ansar Al-Sunnah
group and the terrorist Al-Qaeda organization," al-Rubay'i said. SS
[41] ATTACK IN BAGHDAD KILLS 10
Mortar attacks on a commercial district in central Baghdad on December
6 killed 10 people and wounded more than 50, international media
reported the same day. The Iraqi Interior Ministry said eight mortar
rounds landed in the Al-Midan district in central Baghdad. Elsewhere,
fierce clashes were reported between Shi'ite militias and armed Sunni
residents in the predominantly Sunni Al-Adil district of Baghdad. An
Interior Ministry official said members of the Imam Al-Mahdi Army, a
militia loyal to radical Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, invaded the
Sunni neighborhood, firing mortars and clashing with residents. The
ministry said five people were wounded in the clashes. SS
End Note
[42] THERE IS NO END NOTE TODAY
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