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RFE/RL Newsline, 08-03-14
CONTENTS
[01] RUSSIA SLAMS U.S. OVER RIGHTS REPORT
[02] BUSH TO SEND TOP-LEVEL DELEGATION TO MOSCOW
[03] FORMER PREMIER CALLS RELATIONS WITH U.S. A 'PRIORITY'...
[04] ...WHILE LEADING EXPERT WARNS OF DETERIORATING TIES
[05] SECURITY EXPERT WANTS RIGHT TO USE NUCLEAR WEAPONS TO DEFEND ODKB
[06] PRESIDENTIAL AIDE ASSIGNED TO RESTRUCTURE EXECUTIVE BRANCH
[07] DUMA MOVES TO REASSERT SLIGHT INFLUENCE OVER AUDIT CHAMBER
[08] RUSSIA PREPARES TO STEP UP BIOFUEL PRODUCTION
[09] OFFICIAL'S RESIGNATION SEEN AS SIGN OF REORGANIZATION OF MEDICINE
INDUSTRY
[10] ST. PETERSBURG INVESTIGATES YABLOKO ON EXTREMISM CHARGES
[11] MGU EXPELS STUDENTS CONNECTED WITH ADVOCACY GROUP
[12] INGUSHETIA'S PRESIDENT DISMISSES CABINET
[13] FSB SAYS IT KILLED MILITANT IN INGUSHETIA
[14] MORE SUPPORTERS OF FORMER ARMENIAN PRESIDENT ARRESTED
[15] GEORGIAN PARLIAMENT APPROVES CONTROVERSIAL CONSTITUTIONAL
AMENDMENTS...
[16] ...AMENDS 2008 BUDGET
[17] GEORGIAN GUERRILLA FORCE VOWS TO RESUME HOSTILITIES
[18] KAZAKH SURVEY REVEALS MOUNTING PUBLIC DISCONTENT
[19] KAZAKH PARLIAMENT RATIFIES CONVENTION ON NUCLEAR TERRORISM
[20] KYRGYZ MINISTER REPORTS SHORTCOMINGS IN PRESCHOOL EDUCATION
[21] TAJIK PRESIDENT CONCLUDES NEW AGREEMENTS WITH ALGERIA
[22] TAJIK OPPOSITION PARTIES OFFER 'WAY OUT' OF SOCIOECONOMIC CRISIS
[23] UZBEK PRESIDENT SAYS PROBLEM OF ARAL SEA IS A GLOBAL ISSUE
[24] MINISTRY SAYS IT ASKED U.S. AMBASSADOR TO LEAVE BELARUS
[25] U.S. OFFICIAL SAYS RELATIONS WITH BELARUS DETERIORATED OVER
KAZULIN CASE
[26] PREMIER SAYS UKRAINE, RUSSIA HAVE EXCLUDED INTERMEDIARY FROM GAS
DEALS
[27] UKRAINIAN GOVERNMENT ASKS PRESIDENT TO DISMISS KYIV MAYOR
[28] UN TELLS SERBIA TO STOP INTERFERING IN KOSOVA
[29] SERBIAN PRESIDENT DISSOLVES PARLIAMENT
[30] UN SECRETARY-GENERAL TO ATTEND CONFERENCE ON AFGHANISTAN
[31] BOMBER TARGETS CANADIAN TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN
[32] TEN PERCENT OF AFGHANISTAN IS UNSAFE FOR AID
[33] BRITAIN REGRETS CIVILIAN DEATHS IN AFGHANISTAN
[34] IRANIAN MINISTER CALLS REFORMIST LAWMAKER TRAITOR...
[35] ...AS FACTION DISTANCES ITSELF FROM HIM
[36] IRANIAN CLERIC SCORNS 'LIBERAL' REFORMISTS
[37] LEADER URGES IRANIANS TO VOTE FOR 'CORRECT' CANDIDATES
[38] FORMER IRANIAN PRESIDENT SPEAKS IN SUPPORT OF FREEDOM
[39] IRAQI SUNNI COALITION SAYS TALKS WITH GOVERNMENT FELL THROUGH
[40] BODY OF CHALDEAN BISHOP FOUND IN IRAQ
[41] IRAQ HOSTS CONFERENCE ON PORT RECONSTRUCTION
[42] ISLAMIC STATE OF IRAQ CLAIMS AL-SULAYMANIYAH BOMBING
[43] U.S. IN POSSESSION OF HOSTAGES' SEVERED FINGERS
[44] THERE IS NO END NOTE TODAY.
Thursday, March 13, 2008 Volume 12 Number 50
Russia
[01] RUSSIA SLAMS U.S. OVER RIGHTS REPORT
The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on March 12 in which it
sharply criticized the U.S. State Department's annual report on human
rights, published on March 11, mid.ru reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline,"
March 12, 2008). The statement charged that the report used a
condescending tone to present "a hackneyed collection of claims
regarding Russia, such as departure from the principles of democratic
government, the harassment of dissenters, and restrictions on freedom
of speech and of the press. Many passages are copied from previous
reports." The ministry charged that the U.S. document "abounds in
groundless accusations, quotes from unverified and obviously biased
sources, mistakes, and the juggling of facts, particularly in regard to
[unspecified] recent events." Moscow accused Washington of hypocrisy
and "double standards," and of avoiding mention of its own failings. It
argued that the United States "essentially legalized torture, applies
capital punishment to minors, denies responsibility for war crimes and
massive human rights abuses in Iraq and Afghanistan, and refuses to
join a series of human rights treaties...[while] disregarding systemic
problems within its own country." The Russian statement added that "we
did not expect from the State Department's latest opus an objective
assessment of the human rights situation in Russia. After all, the
United States has long regarded human rights as a foreign policy tool."
PM
[02] BUSH TO SEND TOP-LEVEL DELEGATION TO MOSCOW
White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said on March 12 that U.S.
President George W. Bush will send Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
and Defense Secretary Robert Gates to Moscow on March 17-18 to discuss
missile defense, non-proliferation, and counterterrorism, news agencies
reported. Perino added that Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin
recently agreed in a telephone conversation that sending the two to
Russia would be a "good idea." Interfax reported on March 13 that an
unidentified Russian Foreign Ministry source said that Rice and Gates
will offer Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defense Minister Anatoly
Serdyukov written proposals reflecting what was discussed at a similar
meeting in October 2007 (see "RFE/RL Newsline," October 24 and December
6 and 7, 2007). Lavrov said in December that the United States
subsequently backtracked on what it told Russia in October. The
ministry source said on March 13 that the U.S. proposals provided for
"greater transparency" in the proposed missile-defense project, but did
not meet Russia's call for "truly allied relations in monitoring
missile threats worldwide." PM
[03] FORMER PREMIER CALLS RELATIONS WITH U.S. A 'PRIORITY'...
Former Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov, who was one of the Soviet
Union's top Middle East experts and the first director of Russia's
Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), told a press conference in Tomsk on
March 13 that "relations with the United States are a priority for us,"
Interfax reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," February 1, 2008, and End
Note, "RFE/RL Newsline," September 6, 2007). Primakov called on
Washington to understand that Russia is "an equal player in the
international arena and in global politics." He argued that "what the
United States is doing today against Russia and our national interests
does not mean that it wants 'hot' confrontation with Russia.
Unfortunately, many such things are being done, but I don't think the
United States really fears Russia as a potential enemy." Primakov said
that Washington seeks to "put us in what they see as our proper place,
which is a secondary place." He argued that such an approach "won't
work. With its potential, its capabilities, and its energy sufficiency,
Russia has been and will be one of the most active players in the world
arena. And the world will only benefit from this." PM
[04] ...WHILE LEADING EXPERT WARNS OF DETERIORATING TIES
Sergei Rogov, who heads the U.S. and Canada Institute of the Russian
Academy of Sciences, was quoted by the daily "Novye izvestia" on March
13 as saying that U.S.-Russian relations "are continuing to
deteriorate" and that the United States "wrote us off" in the 1990s as
a major partner. Rogov argued that part of the reason for the recent
downturn is that Washington has interjected an ideological element into
the relationship by criticizing the state of democracy in Russia. Rogov
noted that the United States' foreign policy priority is not Russia but
Iraq. Regarding the upcoming U.S. presidential election, he suggested
that "trying to guess who will be better for Russia" -- meaning a
Democrat or Republican -- "is certainly a mistake. It seems that the
next U.S. administration will take a firmer stand with regard to
Moscow, in any event" (see "RFE/RL Newsline," February 6 and 27, 2008).
Rogov suggested that U.S. Senator Barack Obama (Democrat, Illinois)
"recognizes the necessity of a dialogue with Russia more than other
candidates do." Rogov also noted that either Obama or U.S. Senator
Hillary Clinton (Democrat, New York) would be better from Moscow's
point of view on issues such as missile defense. He argued that U.S.
Senator John McCain (Republican, Arizona), by contrast, might "revert
to dependence on brute force." Rogov added that "the deterioration of
the U.S. economy and problems with Iraq will make the Americans too
busy to entertain the idea of a new Cold War." PM
[05] SECURITY EXPERT WANTS RIGHT TO USE NUCLEAR WEAPONS TO DEFEND ODKB
Hard-line former Colonel General Leonid Ivashov, who once headed the
Defense Ministry's International Department and is currently vice
president of the nationalist Academy for Geopolitical Problems, said in
Moscow on March 12 that Russia "must reserve the right to use nuclear
weapons to protect CIS Collective Security Treaty Organization (ODKB)
members in the event of an imminent threat," Interfax reported (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," June 27 and August 16, 2007). Russia, Armenia,
Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan make up the
ODKB. Ivashov said that Article 4 of the existing ODKB treaty is too
vague about the nature of assistance, including military assistance,
which each member state must provide to an ally in case of a "clear and
imminent threat of military aggression." He called for a more "concrete
definition of such assistance, clearly described in military-strategic
terms." On March 12, ODKB Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha said in
Moscow that NATO is working to "cut Russia off" from the countries of
Central Asia and Afghanistan, the daily "Vremya novostei" reported on
March 13. The daily added that Washington and NATO prefer not to deal
with the ODKB as an organization, as Russia wants, but seek to
negotiate with its members individually. The paper quoted outspoken
Russian Ambassador to Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov as saying that it is in
Russia's interest to "keep NATO in Afghanistan [until the alliance]
solves all the problems its presence fomented: international terrorism,
mushrooming dope production, and so on. Let them restore the Afghan
economy and establish a strong state first, before they leave" (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," March 4, 2008). PM
[06] PRESIDENTIAL AIDE ASSIGNED TO RESTRUCTURE EXECUTIVE BRANCH
President Putin has ordered presidential aide Igor Shuvalov to develop
a strategy for the reorganization of the executive branch in
preparation for Putin's widely expected post-presidential premiership,
"Kommersant" and other Russian media reported on March 13. The daily
said the reorganization plan is to be completed and approved before
President-elect Dmitry Medvedev's May 7 inauguration. A key element of
the plan should be a clarification of how the government and the
presidential administration will interact in a period of what many
analysts are describing as a dyarchy, with both Putin and Medvedev
anchoring power centers. RC
[07] DUMA MOVES TO REASSERT SLIGHT INFLUENCE OVER AUDIT CHAMBER
Duma deputies on March 12 passed in the first reading a bill that would
authorize legislators in both houses to suggest to the president
possible candidates to serve as auditors with the Audit Chamber,
"Nezavisimaya gazeta" reported the next day. The move marks a rare
example of assertiveness by the legislature in its relations with the
executive branch. The daily notes that the Duma just last year passed a
law that gave the president complete authority to appoint auditors.
Under the bill, any Duma or Federation Council committee or commission
would be able to propose a candidate. Party factions in the Duma would
have the same right. The proposal does not oblige the president to
consider the suggestions. An unnamed source close to the presidential
administration was dismissive of the initiative, telling the daily:
"Deputies have to do something, so they were allowed to pass a law that
in reality changes nothing." RC
[08] RUSSIA PREPARES TO STEP UP BIOFUEL PRODUCTION
Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov, speaking at a Moscow timber industry
conference on March 12, outlined plans to construct 30 new biofuel
plants, "The Moscow Times" reported on March 13. Zubkov said the
government aims to reach annual ethanol production of 2 million tons,
although he did not give a target date. National Biofuel Association
Director Aleksei Ablayev told the daily that since Zubkov was
addressing the timber industry, the government likely plans to focus on
producing ethanol from timber waste. Ablayev added, however, that
private industry is exploring the possibility of producing ethanol from
food crops, and that former Gazprom deputy CEO Aleksandr Ryazanov is
building a plant in Tambov Oblast that will produce ethanol from wheat.
Ablayev says there is little demand for ethanol in Russia at present
and most of the country's production will likely be intended for
export. RC
[09] OFFICIAL'S RESIGNATION SEEN AS SIGN OF REORGANIZATION OF MEDICINE
INDUSTRY
Deputy Health and Social Development Minister Vladimir Starodubov has
resigned, Interfax reported on March 13. Starodubov's primary
responsibility was the pharmaceutical sector. "Kommersant" reported
earlier that it is possible Russian Health Inspectorate
(Roszdravnadzor) Director Nikolai Yurgel might step down as well and
that Roszdravnadzor itself might be liquidated. Unidentified sources
cited by the daily said the shakeup is part of a plan to create a
government holding company in the pharmaceutical sector, which is
widely believed to be riddled with corruption. Starodubov was at the
center of a national controversy over shortages of medicines that
erupted about one year ago. The daily identified the Industry and
Energy Ministry and Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov as the main advocates
for eliminated Roszdravnadzor and for setting up the holding company.
RC
[10] ST. PETERSBURG INVESTIGATES YABLOKO ON EXTREMISM CHARGES
The St. Petersburg branch of the Yabloko party continues to come under
assault from the authorities, Ekho Moskvy reported on March 13. The
party is the subject of a new investigation on extremism charges that
has been launched by the city prosecutor's office. In addition, it has
been formally evicted from its long-time downtown St. Petersburg office
as of June 1 (see "RFE/RL Newsline," January 2, 2008). Yabloko
officials are not sure whether the extremism investigation is connected
with the March 3 arrest of local party activist Maksim Reznik on
charges of assaulting a police officer (see "RFE/RL Newsline," March
12, 2008). Small protest actions in support of Reznik, who claims the
charges are politically motivated, continued in Moscow and St.
Petersburg on March 12, with police detaining several activists.
Activists from the United Civic Front, Other Russia, and Yabloko have
been picketing the Interior Ministry building and the
Prosecutor-General's Office in an unusual way. Since the Moscow
authorities routinely deny permission for protests, the activists have
been protesting one person at a time, since permission is not required
for one person to demonstrate. Nonetheless, police detained United
Civic Front activist Suren Yedigerov on March 12 outside the Interior
Ministry. RC
[11] MGU EXPELS STUDENTS CONNECTED WITH ADVOCACY GROUP
Four students of the sociology department of Moscow State University
have been expelled, purportedly for failing to meet academic standards,
Ekho Moskvy reported on March 13. The four are members of a
student-advocacy group called OD Group that is devoted to improving
conditions for students at the department. Its charter asserts that the
department's textbooks are "empty" and that there is no electronic
library and no possibility for exchanges with foreign universities.
Moldovan journalist Natalya Morar, who has been denied entry into
Russia on national-security grounds, is a graduate of the department
and a member of the group (see "RFE/RL Newsline," February 28, 2008).
Morar recently was deported to Moldova after a second attempt to enter
Russia. She claims she has been banned because of her critical
reporting on the Putin administration. The four expelled students
recently filed a complaint about the department's dean to the rector of
the university and say their expulsion is an act of revenge on the
dean's part. The students complained that the dean told a department
meeting that they had acted "unethically and immorally" by publicly
demanding the reinstatement of students expelled earlier. Shortly after
the four students complained to the rector, they were given failing
grades on an exam. The Russian Union of Students has said it will take
up the cause of the four students. RC
[12] INGUSHETIA'S PRESIDENT DISMISSES CABINET
Murat Zyazikov issued a decree on March 12 dismissing the republic's
government and naming First Deputy Prime Minister Khava Yevloyev as the
acting premier, ingushetiya.ru reported. Outgoing Prime Minister
Ibragim Malsagov, who has served in that capacity since June 2005,
reportedly submitted his resignation a week ago. Zyazikov also
dismissed the heads of the republic's four major towns and four rural
districts, according to regnum.ru. Zyazikov said that the new cabinet
will be called upon to tackle "ambitious tasks," including implementing
more energetic reforms of the economy and social sphere. Commentators
Amir Yevloyev (no relation to the acting prime minister) and Ruslan
Bogatyryov downplayed Zyazikov's move as a PR stunt that will not
fundamentally change the political situation, according to
kavkaz-uzel.ru, while regnum.ru quoted human rights activist Ruslan
Badalov as saying he hopes the new cabinet members will demonstrate
greater responsibility than their predecessors and not concentrate
their energy on enriching themselves and their families. Delegates to a
Congress of the Ingush People that took place on March 8 on the
outskirts of Nazran adopted a statement addressed to outgoing Russian
President Putin and President-elect Medvedev asking how long Moscow
intends to tolerate corruption and mismanagement on the part of
Zyazikov and his entourage (see "RFE/RL Newsline," March 10, 2008). LF
[13] FSB SAYS IT KILLED MILITANT IN INGUSHETIA
Law enforcement officials launched a "counterterrorism operation" on
March 12 in the village of Troitskaya in Ingushetia's Sunzha Raion in
which they surrounded a house and then opened fire, killing 21-year-old
Rustam Mutsolgov, Russian media reported. An official of the
Ingushetian prosecutor's office subsequently identified Mutsolgov as an
employee of the Ingushetian human rights organization Mashr and a
member of an illegal armed formation. The official said Mutsolgov was
apparently planning a suicide bombing and opened fire on the police who
sought to apprehend him. The ingushetiya.ru website quoted Mutsolgov's
sister as denying that he had a gun or ammunition. A spokesman for
Mashr told kavkaz-uzel.ru that Mutsolgov worked for the rights
organization for six months last year but quit at the end of July. LF
Transcaucasia And Central Asia
[14] MORE SUPPORTERS OF FORMER ARMENIAN PRESIDENT ARRESTED
The Armenian authorities on March 12 in the town of Abovian detained
parliamentarian Sasun Mikaelian, a supporter of former President Levon
Ter-Petrossian, who was sought by police in connection with his
participation in the clashes in Yerevan on March 1 between police and
Ter-Petrossian supporters, Noyan Tapan reported. Police spokesman Sayat
Shirinian told journalists on March 12 that 59 people have been
arrested in connection with the clashes; several hundred others have
been questioned and released. Also on March 12, President-elect Serzh
Sarkisian denied rumors that Ter-Petrossian himself is in danger of
imminent arrest, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reported. Armenian Foreign
Ministry acting spokesman Tigran Balayan on March 12 expressed
"astonishment" at what he termed "arbitrary" statements by U.S. Deputy
Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza, who was quoted by AP on
March 10 as calling the police retaliation against the Yerevan
demonstrators "harsh and brutal," RFE/RL's Armenian Service reported
(see "RFE/RL Newsline," March 12, 2008). Meanwhile, outgoing President
Robert Kocharian on March 12 announced that he would lift either that
evening or early on March 13 most of the restrictions imposed on the
media in connection with the state of emergency he declared on March 1,
RFE/RL's Armenian Service reported. LF
[15] GEORGIAN PARLIAMENT APPROVES CONTROVERSIAL CONSTITUTIONAL
AMENDMENTS...
Parliament deputies on March 12 in the third and final reading approved
constitutional amendments that will reduce from 235 to 150 the number
of deputies in the new legislature to be elected this summer and change
the procedure for electing the 75 majority deputies, civil.ge reported.
The amendments were approved by a vote of 165 in favor and two against.
The opposition parties aligned in the National Council denounced the
vote as violating an agreement reached last month with parliament
speaker Nino Burjanadze and as intended to preserve the two-thirds
majority currently enjoyed by President Mikheil Saakashvili's United
National Movement (see upcoming "RFE/RL Caucasus Report," March 14,
2008). Oppositionists are continuing a hunger strike outside the
parliament building in Tbilisi; similar protests began on March 12 in
Kutaisi and Batumi. LF
[16] ...AMENDS 2008 BUDGET
Deputies on March 12 also approved amendments to the 2008 budget that
increase revenues by 202 million laris ($130.3 million) and
expenditures by 203 million laris, Caucasus Press reported. The
amendments passed with 153 votes in favor. The economic growth target
was revised upward from 6 to 7.5 percent; the planned GDP is set at
19.7 billion laris. The increase in expenditure will make it possible
to raise the monthly allowance paid to displaced persons to between
22-28 laris. A sum of 1 million laris is earmarked for organizing camps
to inculcate a spirit of patriotism in young people. LF
[17] GEORGIAN GUERRILLA FORCE VOWS TO RESUME HOSTILITIES
The "Georgian Times" on March 13 quoted Zurab Samushia, leader of the
White Legion guerrilla organization that systematically targeted
Russian peacekeepers in Abkhazia in the late 1990s, as saying his
fighters will again take up arms in response to last week's unilateral
decision by Russia to waive the economic sanctions imposed on Abkhazia
in January 1996 (see "RFE/RL Newsline," March 7, 2008). "Vremya
novostei" on November 26, 2007, estimated that the White Legion has
300-500 members. Samushia was also quoted as vowing to do everything in
his power to prevent the 2014 Winter Olympic games from taking place in
Sochi as planned. On March 12, regnum.ru quoted political commentator
Aleksei Vashchenko as telling a round-table discussion on the Olympics
that the Russian government's decision to lift the sanctions on
Abkhazia was taken in response to pressure from construction firms that
have secured contracts to build Olympic facilities and hope to increase
their profits by purchasing construction materials in Abkhazia rather
than transporting them to Sochi from elsewhere in the Russian
Federation. LF
[18] KAZAKH SURVEY REVEALS MOUNTING PUBLIC DISCONTENT
The head of Kazakhstan's National Association of Social and Political
Scientists, Bakhytzhamal Bekturganov, announced on March 12 that a
recent public opinion survey has revealed significant "discontent among
the Kazakh population with the government and the local authorities,"
Interfax-Kazakhstan reported. Bekturganov explained that the growing
dissatisfaction is the result of sharp increases in prices for consumer
goods, including fuel and food. He noted that the survey, conducted
last month, shows that public discontent with the national government
was some 1.4 times higher than the level indicated by the same poll in
October 2007. The poll also revealed a more significant surge in
discontent with local officials, at nearly five times the level of the
earlier poll. The methodology of the public opinion poll, including the
size and composition of the survey sample, was not released. RG
[19] KAZAKH PARLIAMENT RATIFIES CONVENTION ON NUCLEAR TERRORISM
The Kazakh parliament, or Mazhilis, on March 12 voted overwhelmingly to
ratify an international convention to combat nuclear terrorism,
according to Interfax-Kazakhstan. Kazakh leaders initially signed the
International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear
Terrorism at a September 2005 meeting of the United Nations General
Assembly in New York. The Kazakh parliamentary committee for
international affairs, defense, and security issued a statement hailing
the vote to ratify the treaty as a move that "will create the grounds
for international cooperation in fighting terrorism and the
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction." It was not clear why it
took so long for the parliament to ratify the treaty. RG
[20] KYRGYZ MINISTER REPORTS SHORTCOMINGS IN PRESCHOOL EDUCATION
In a report to the Kyrgyz parliamentary committee for education,
science, culture, and information policy, Minister of Education and
Science Ishengul Bolzhurova on March 12 revealed serious shortcomings
in the country's preschool education system, AKIpress reported.
According to the report, Kyrgyzstan's preschools are able to educate
only 10 percent of children under the age of seven. Bolzhurova noted
that during the early days of Kyrgyz independence in 1991, the country
had roughly 1,300 kindergartens, attended by 65-70 percent of the
preschool age children; by contrast there are now just 485 preschools
operating in the entire country. Bolzhurova explained that the primary
factor for the decline in preschool education was the 2003 Kyrgyz law
prohibiting the sale or privatization of educational institutions.
Following the report, opposition Social Democratic Party deputy Bakyt
Beshimov expressed concern over the "poor quality of education at
preschool institutions and primary schools," and highlighted the "poor
qualifications of teachers in remote parts of the country." A similar
review of schools in Bishkek recently warned of serious overcrowding
and inadequate school construction (see "RFE/RL Newsline," March 12,
2008). RG
[21] TAJIK PRESIDENT CONCLUDES NEW AGREEMENTS WITH ALGERIA
At the end of an official visit to Algeria, Tajik President Emomali
Rahmon on March 11 concluded a set of four new agreements on bilateral
cooperation, including new measures in the areas of investment, trade,
and culture, according to Asia-Plus. At a meeting with Rahmon in
Algiers, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika agreed to a Tajik
proposal for a business forum to be held in Dushanbe with leading
entrepreneurs and businessmen from both countries, aimed at boosting
bilateral trade beyond its currently marginal level of under $184,000.
The two presidents also discussed future cooperation in the fields of
energy, industry, and infrastructure development, and agreed "to hold
constant mutual consultations on foreign policy," ITAR-TASS reported.
RG
[22] TAJIK OPPOSITION PARTIES OFFER 'WAY OUT' OF SOCIOECONOMIC CRISIS
In a joint statement, three leading Tajik opposition parties vowed on
March 11 to provide a "way out" of what they defined as the
"socioeconomic crisis" in the country, Asia-Plus reported. The
Democratic, Social-Democratic, and Socialist Parties expressed their
shared concern over "the present political and socioeconomic situation
in the country," which they attributed to what they called
"flourishing" crime and corruption in Tajikistan. The parties proposed
a national referendum on amendments to the country's constitution that
would expand the size and power of the parliament and reduce the power
of the presidency. They also suggested that specific state functions,
including authority over the Agency for State Financial Control and
Combating Corruption and the Prosecutor-General's Office, should be
granted to the parliament. They further demanded a "transparent and
critical report on all international humanitarian aid, loans, and
grants provided to the country." Two other main opposition parties, the
Islamic Revival Party and the Communist Party of Tajikistan, refused to
sign the joint statement, arguing that they would instead work within
parliament to address the problems raised in the statement. RG
[23] UZBEK PRESIDENT SAYS PROBLEM OF ARAL SEA IS A GLOBAL ISSUE
At a conference in Tashkent focusing on the inland Aral Sea, Uzbek
President Islam Karimov on March 12 stressed that the "environmental,
social, economic, and demographic problems" linked to the Aral Sea
concern not only issues of water security in the region, but "are of
international and global importance in terms of their origins and the
scale of consequences," ITAR-TASS reported. Karimov said the "intensive
reclamation of new land" during the Soviet era resulted in a reduction
of the Aral Sea to less than 10 percent of its original volume over the
past 50 years. Karimov added that he hopes the conference will "help
the international community to form a new vision and understanding of
the Aral crisis" and enable the adoption of "specific measures to
improve the situation." Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)
Secretary-General Bolat Nurgaliev also argued on March 12 that the
"Aral Sea's ecological crisis should be considered as man-made global
disaster," Kazinform reported. Nurgaliev added that the problems of the
Aral Sea region "can be resolved only by attracting serious financial
aid from the international community." The conference brings together
over 200 public figures, scientists, ecologists, and specialists from
several countries and major international organizations. The landlocked
Aral Sea, which straddles Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, has been steadily
shrinking since the 1960s, and has suffered from severe agricultural
and industrial pollution (see "Russia: Oil Spill Highlights Tragic
Environmental Legacy," rferl.org, November 28, 2007). RG
Eastern Europe
[24] MINISTRY SAYS IT ASKED U.S. AMBASSADOR TO LEAVE BELARUS
Andrey Papou, a spokesman for the Belarusian Foreign Ministry, said on
March 12 that U.S. Ambassador to Belarus Karen Stewart has left the
country at the ministry's request, Belapan reported. "The departure of
the U.S. ambassador took place after Stewart was once again invited to
a meeting at the Belarusian Foreign Ministry on March 11, where she was
for the second time asked to follow the pressing recommendations of our
country's government," Papou said. Minsk recently recalled its
ambassador to the United States, Mikhail Khvastou, for consultations in
response to U.S. Treasury Department sanctions imposed in November 2007
on Belarus's largest petrochemical company, Belnaftakhim. The
Belarusian Foreign Ministry also "urgently recommended" that Stewart
leave Minsk "for the same purpose," but the U.S. State Department
initially announced that Washington did not intend to recall its
ambassador. U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack on March 12
confirmed that Stewart is returning to Washington for consultations.
"We expect that after her consultations have been completed, she would
return to Belarus," McCormack said. AM
[25] U.S. OFFICIAL SAYS RELATIONS WITH BELARUS DETERIORATED OVER
KAZULIN CASE
U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian
Affairs David Kramer told Belapan on March 12 that relations between
Washington and Minsk have rapidly deteriorated due to "the
unwillingness of the Belarusian government to release Alyaksandr
Kazulin." Kazulin, who ran in the March 2006 presidential elections,
was arrested during antigovernment demonstrations that followed the
polls and sentenced to 5 1/2 years in prison for organizing events that
disturbed the public order. Kramer said that the U.S. government
expanded its visa ban list targeting Belarusian officials and
introduced the sanctions against Belnaftakhim last year in response to
the Belarusian government's failure to release political prisoners.
According to Kramer, U.S. and Belarusian officials were in negotiations
about Kazulin's release up until March 5. On March 6, the U.S. Treasury
Department posted on its website "a further clarification of the
sanctions we imposed on Belnaftakhim," which might have been regarded
by the Belarusian authorities as an extension of sanctions. "The
release of five prisoners before, as well as [journalist Alyaksandr]
Zdvizhkou, who was not on the original list but whose case we certainly
raised with authorities in Minsk, was a positive step," Kramer said.
"We have made clear to the government in Minsk that in order to begin
the process of improvement in relations we had to see the release of
all political prisoners, not simply five out of six," he said. Kramer
added that with Kazulin's potential release, "Belarus would pave the
way, would open the path for discussion about improved relations
between Belarus and the West, not just with the United States but
[also] with the European Union." AM
[26] PREMIER SAYS UKRAINE, RUSSIA HAVE EXCLUDED INTERMEDIARY FROM GAS
DEALS
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko announced on March 12 that
Ukraine's gas operator Naftohaz Ukrayiny and Russian gas monopoly
Gazprom agreed at talks that day in Moscow to exclude intermediary
company UkrGazEnergo from the gas-supply system, RFE/RL's Ukrainian
Service reported. "One more decision that the sides adopted today: the
gas price for Ukraine in 2008 will not exceed $179.5 per 1,000 cubic
meters," Tymoshenko said. Reuters on March 13 also reported the
agreement on $179.5 as the price for Central Asian gas to be delivered
to Ukraine in 2008. But the agency reported that Russian gas, including
the volumes already supplied in January and February, will cost $315
per 1,000 cubic meters, although Ukraine apparently will be allowed to
pay the difference in kind, by returning some gas to Russia from its
underground storage facilities. Gazprom has supplied Ukraine with
Russian and Central Asian natural gas since January 2006 through
Swiss-registered joint venture RosUkrEnergo, which delivers gas to the
Russian-Ukrainian border, and then sells it to Ukrainian-registered
company UkrGazEnergo, which has been the exclusive gas deliverer on the
Ukrainian market. Tymoshenko, who is known to be strongly in favor of
excluding intermediaries from Ukrainian-Russian gas deals, also said
that Naftohaz Ukrayiny and Gazprom agreed that further cooperation does
not require setting up new intermediary companies. The possibility of
creating new intermediaries for a transitional period was mentioned in
directives given by Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko to a
government delegation at gas talks in Moscow (see "RFE/RL Newsline,"
March 7, 2008). According to Tymoshenko, Naftohaz Ukrayiny will now
independently distribute gas on the Ukrainian market. Tymoshenko did
not mention what is expected to happen to RosUkrEnergo. AM
[27] UKRAINIAN GOVERNMENT ASKS PRESIDENT TO DISMISS KYIV MAYOR
Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers on March 12 asked President Yushchenko
to dismiss Kyiv Mayor Leonid Chernovetskyy, RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service
reported. Prime Minister Tymoshenko accused the leadership of the city
administration of corruption. "The situation that has been emerging for
a long time in Kyiv is perceived by average Kyiv residents as
corruption and absolute neglect of Kyiv's interests," Tymoshenko said.
An interdepartmental working group, created by the Cabinet of Ministers
to investigate the Kyiv city administration, has revealed large-scale
violations of regulations in the granting of plots of land.
Chernovetskyy, who was expected to attend the cabinet meeting, did not
appear. In a letter sent to Tymoshenko, he described the cabinet's
discussion of Kyiv local issues as "a farce" staged for political
purposes rather than an attempt to uncover the truth. AM
Southeastern Europe
[28] UN TELLS SERBIA TO STOP INTERFERING IN KOSOVA
Alexander Ivanko, a spokesman for the UN civilian mission in Kosova
(UNMIK), said in Prishtina on March 12 that Serbia should stop
interfering with UNMIK's work if it is sincere in saying that it
respects UN Security Council 1244, which grants civilian authority to
UNMIK, news agencies reported. He argued that "if Belgrade says
publicly that 1244 should be respected, we expect them to put their
money where their mouth is.... We are trying to reestablish the courts,
we are trying to reestablish the customs. This will take time. It will
not happen tomorrow." Serbia has repeatedly staged what the United
States calls "provocations" in northern Kosova and has strengthened
illegal "parallel" institutions there. Meanwhile, a passenger train
traveled from Serbia to Zvecan, north of Mitrovica, on March 12 in
defiance of UNMIK's right to control the movement of trains. A
spokeswoman for UNMIK said in Prishtina that "the Serbian side put
forward their wish to be the authority over railways in Kosovo, and
UNMIK denied" the request (see "RFE/RL Newsline," March 4 and 10,
2008). Pieter Feith, the chief representative in Kosova of both the EU
and the international community, was quoted by the Belgrade daily
"Vecernje novosti" on March 12 as saying that he expects his new EU
mission to be slow in establishing its presence in the
Serbian-dominated north of Kosova. He added that "we won't use force or
start World War III in order to deploy our mission." PM
[29] SERBIAN PRESIDENT DISSOLVES PARLIAMENT
On March 13, Serbian President Boris Tadic formally dissolved the
parliament and announced general elections on May 11, RFE/RL's South
Slavic and Albanian Languages Service reported (see End Note, "RFE/RL
Newsline," March 10, 2008). He stressed that the "election is a
democratic way for citizens to say how Serbia should develop in the
years to come." He called for "a fair campaign in a peaceful and
democratic atmosphere in order to enable Serbia to get stable
institutions that will work efficiently." PM
Southwestern Asia And The Middle East
[30] UN SECRETARY-GENERAL TO ATTEND CONFERENCE ON AFGHANISTAN
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced on March 12 that
he will attend an international conference on Afghanistan to be held in
Bucharest in early April. Afghan President Hamid Karzai, high-level
NATO representatives, non-NATO contributing nations of the UN-mandated
International Security Assistance Force, and representatives of the
European Union and the World Bank will attend the April 3 meeting,
according to a statement by Ban's spokesman. In his latest report on
Afghanistan to the Security Council, Ban wrote that the country
continues to face a number of serious challenges, and that despite
tactical successes by Afghan and international forces, the
antigovernment insurgency is far from defeated. AT
[31] BOMBER TARGETS CANADIAN TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN
A suicide car bomber detonated explosives near a convoy of Canadian
troops in Kandahar Province in southern Afghanistan on March 12,
killing a passing civilian and wounding a soldier, AP reported. Police
officer Nematullah Khan said the slain civilian was driving a truck
past the site where the blast occurred, and added that two civilians
were wounded. NATO troops cordoned off the area. Most NATO troops based
in Kandahar are Canadian. AT
[32] TEN PERCENT OF AFGHANISTAN IS UNSAFE FOR AID
According to a UN report released on March 10, humanitarian aid cannot
reach about 10 percent of Afghan territory because of the risk of
Taliban attacks, AP reported on March 12. The report stated that 36 of
Afghanistan's 364 districts are too unstable for aid deliveries and
reconstruction missions. The report echoes similar findings released
earlier this month by the United States. But Afghanistan's intelligence
chief, Amrullah Saleh, rejected the findings, saying that only eight of
Afghanistan's 364 districts are not under government control. AT
[33] BRITAIN REGRETS CIVILIAN DEATHS IN AFGHANISTAN
The British Ministry of Defense has expressed regret at the death of
four Afghan civilians and the injury of another in a strike by its
forces in southern Afghanistan, AFP reported on March 12. "We confirm
U.K. forces were involved in an operation in the south of Helmand
Province," the Ministry of Defense said in a statement. The statement
said that it would be inappropriate for the ministry to comment further
on the incident, as it is under investigation, but added that the
British military does all it can to minimize civilian casualties.
Civilian deaths in fighting involving foreign troops has sparked public
anger in Afghanistan, and President Karzai has regularly called on
foreign forces to protect local civilian populations. AT
[34] IRANIAN MINISTER CALLS REFORMIST LAWMAKER TRAITOR...
Intelligence Minister Gholamhussein Mohseni-Ejei has called reformist
parliamentarian Nureddin Pirmoazzen a traitor for criticizing Iran's
electoral process in a March 9 interview with Voice of America, Radio
Farda reported on March 12, citing Iranian agency reports (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," March 12, 2008). Mohseni-Ejei said "this was undoubtedly a
piece of treachery and ugly, and even if someone was not a member of
parliament, they [should] not do this." He said the ministry "will
certainly follow up the matter and will not overlook this." In his
comments to the broadcaster, Pirmoazzen, a member of the minority
reformist faction in parliament, described as a "disaster" electoral
bodies' strict vetting and disqualification of hopefuls before Iran's
parliamentary elections, set for March 14. He also criticized the
government of President Mahmud Ahmadinejad for effectively bypassing
the parliament's authority and the legislative process by implementing
its own directives. Pirmoazzen told VOA that parliament effectively
ignores governing processes. He said he has asked Iran's Foreign
Minister Manuchehr Mottaki how many "petrodollars" Iran has paid Russia
for its help in building the Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern
Iran, but has yet to receive an answer. Pirmoazzen told the
conservative Fars agency on March 12 that he will return to Tehran from
the United States, and denied rumors that he would seek asylum abroad.
He said he respected the "red lines" in his VOA interview -- meaning
that he had not challenged Iran's political system or key leaders. VS
[35] ...AS FACTION DISTANCES ITSELF FROM HIM
Reformist lawmaker Bijan Shahbazkhani told IRNA in Tehran on March 11
that "we strongly condemn [Pirmoazzen's] comments and his interview
with the enemy loudspeaker." He said Pirmoazzen's remarks were
"personal and [made] without coordination with the parliamentary
minority faction and prominent reformist figures, and he is responsible
for the consequences" of his statements. Shahbazkhani said Pirmoazzen
"will no longer speak for the minority faction," and regretted that his
remarks to VOA would be "attributed to the reformist faction."
Shabazkhani said there is enough freedom of expression in Iran to
preclude the need to talk to foreign news networks, IRNA reported. VS
[36] IRANIAN CLERIC SCORNS 'LIBERAL' REFORMISTS
Cleric and right-wing parliamentary candidate Ruhollah Hosseinian has
accused former deputy speaker of parliament Mohammad Reza Khatami, a
member of the Participation Front, of holding "secret" meetings with
Britain's Ambassador to Iran Geoffrey Adams, Fars reported on March 12.
Khatami has already faced criticism for meeting with German Ambassador
Herbert Honsowitz (see "RFE/RL Newsline," March 12, 2008). Hosseinian
told Fars that Khatami's meeting with Honsowitz was no surprise, as
"Khatami has had several such meetings with British diplomats, to the
point where the British ambassador wrote to [the Foreign Office] to
state he was delighted with this meeting." Hosseinian accused Khatami
and his allies of taking inspiration from the West, saying: "They still
think the British and Westerners are the ones who determine our fate.
Do not think [U.S. President George W.] Bush's support for these people
is accidental or idiotic. These are signals they are exchanging."
Iranian right-wing radicals have in the past implicitly accused
reformists of being traitors or foreign agents. Hosseinian said he
believes there was a confrontation in the reformist camp between the
National Trust Party, a leftist and moderately reformist party led by
former parliamentary speaker Mehdi Karrubi, and the Participation
Front, which Hosseinian placed in the "liberal" current. Hosseinian
said he planned to speak to students at Tehran University on March 11,
but university chief Farhad Rahbar contacted him hours before and told
him his speech was cancelled. Hosseinian told Fars he planned to reveal
at the university how Iran's reformists are "despots" inspired by
Western liberal ideas. Intelligence Minister Mohseni-Ejei on March 12
criticized Khatami's reported conversations with the British
ambassador, and said "contacts with foreigners have norms, and people
cannot talk about just anything to foreign parties. This has to be...in
coordination with the Foreign Ministry," IRNA reported. VS
[37] LEADER URGES IRANIANS TO VOTE FOR 'CORRECT' CANDIDATES
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told a gathering in Tehran on
March 12 that Iranians should vote extensively in March 14 polls to
discourage "global arrogance, especially [that of] America," IRNA
reported. Senior Iranian officials and clerics have been urging
Iranians to go to the polls. Ayatollah Khamenei urged Iranians to vote
for those who "hate corruption, defend the rights of the deprived, and
defend national interests," and for candidates who are "clearly
demarcated from the enemy," IRNA reported. Khamenei accused Western
powers of opposing the democratic process in Iran, and seeking to "sow
doubts" in Iranians' minds about the "great services" President
Ahmadinejad's government and the parliament have given them, and about
the freedom and fairness of the elections. But he said Iranians "will
take part in the elections with greater enthusiasm than before, and
thwart the plans of international oppressors to weaken the Islamic
system and increase pressures on Iran," IRNA reported. VS
[38] FORMER IRANIAN PRESIDENT SPEAKS IN SUPPORT OF FREEDOM
Iranian reformist former President Mohammad Khatami told a gathering in
Islamshahr, near Tehran, on March 11 that freedom implies the people's
right to determine their fate, and "if we want to be a model state in
the region, we have to have political freedom," ISNA reported. He said
the country's problems will not be solved with "pretence, rowdiness,
and rigid views." He did not criticize any politicians specifically.
Khatami said "all the people must take part in the elections. [Voting]
will strengthen the system, which is now facing many threats." VS
[39] IRAQI SUNNI COALITION SAYS TALKS WITH GOVERNMENT FELL THROUGH
Sunni Arab lawmaker Umar Abd al-Sattar on March 12 issued a statement
on the Iraqi Islamic Party's website saying that the Iraqi Accordance
Front's (Al-Tawafuq) talks with the government on the resumption of
Sunni Arab participation in the cabinet have fallen through. He said
that Al-Tawafuq has determined "the government is not ready for a real
political partnership on the security issue or any other issue, whether
with Al-Tawafuq or any other bloc." He said the front will wait for the
government to follow through with its commitment to forge national
reconciliation. Abd al-Sattar added that the front continues to push
for constitutional amendments, particularly in the area of the prime
minister's powers. Al-Tawafuq last year issued several demands to the
government which it says must be met before its ministers return to
work. The ministers began their boycott in August. KR
[40] BODY OF CHALDEAN BISHOP FOUND IN IRAQ
The body of Mosul Archbishop Bulus Faraj Rahhu has been found some two
weeks after he was abducted in Mosul (see "RFE/RL Newsline," March 3,
2008). Monsignor Shlimun Warduni, the auxiliary bishop of Baghdad, told
AP that the abductors called the church in Mosul to say the archbishop
had been killed and to indicate the location of the body. "We are hurt
by this painful incident," Warduni told AP. Rahhu told a
Vatican-affiliated missionary news agency in November that in Mosul,
"religious persecution is more noticeable than elsewhere because the
city is split along religious lines." He added: "Everyone is suffering
from this war irrespective of religious affiliation, but in Mosul
Christians face starker choices." Meanwhile, Italian media has reported
that Pope Benedict expressed deep sadness at the news. The Chaldean
church is an Eastern-rite denomination that is aligned with the Roman
Catholic Church and recognizes the authority of the pope. KR
[41] IRAQ HOSTS CONFERENCE ON PORT RECONSTRUCTION
Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih opened a conference in Al-Basrah on
March 12 that focused on soliciting international support for the
reconstruction of Iraq's ports, Iraqi media reported. U.K. Defense
Secretary Des Browne was among the delegates. Salih and other Iraqi
officials told "The New York Times" that the government may soon send
troops to Al-Basrah to try to rein in militias that are currently
controlling the port, the daily reported on March 13. Militiamen loyal
to the Al-Fadilah Party are in control of the dock workers' union in
Al-Basrah, and have been accused of corruption and smuggling. Members
work only eight set hours each day, rather than around the clock, as in
most other world ports. Iraqi National Security Adviser Muwaffaq
al-Rubay'i told the daily that Baghdad has warned Al-Basrah Governor
Muhammad al-Wa'ili to clean up the city and port area, or else troops
will be sent in. Al-Wa'ili belongs to Al-Fadilah, which pulled out of
the government last year, and has accused Baghdad of neglecting
Al-Basrah. Japan has offered a long-term, low-interest $2.1 billion
loan to reconstruct southern Iraq, including several port-related
projects, such as a $254 million deal to dredge the port and undertake
other rehabilitation work. KR
[42] ISLAMIC STATE OF IRAQ CLAIMS AL-SULAYMANIYAH BOMBING
The Al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) has claimed
responsibility for the March 10 bombing of the Al-Sulaymaniyah Palace
Hotel (see "RFE/RL Newsline," March 11, 2008). In a statement posted
online on March 12, the group said it targeted the hotel because it is
"considered to be a center for Kurdish and foreign security companies,
as well as a hotbed for Iranian and foreign delegations." The group
said the operation was "revenge for our brothers in Al-Zanjili,"
referring to security operations in the Al-Zanjili area of Mosul that
targeted the ISI after the group blew up a building there and
assassinated the Mosul's police chief in January (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," January 24, 2008). It said the security operations were
"carried out by elements of the [Kurdish] peshmerga and its
masters...who thought they were safe from the fire of the mujahedin in
that city." The ISI statement posted on the Internet was a scanned copy
of an official letter from the group, which included its logo. It was
not released through the ISI's media production unit, which normally
puts out slickly produced statements. KR
[43] U.S. IN POSSESSION OF HOSTAGES' SEVERED FINGERS
International media reported on March 12 that U.S. authorities are in
possession of five severed fingers, four of which have been identified
as belonging to private security contractors kidnapped in Iraq in late
2006. The contractors were among a group of four Americans and an
Austrian who worked for Kuwait-based Crescent Security Group and were
abducted while guarding a convoy in southern Iraq. The fifth severed
finger was taken from a U.S. contractor who was abducted separately
outside Al-Basrah but reportedly was being held with the other missing
men. Austrian media reported on March 12 that no ransom has been
issued. The identities were determined through fingerprint and DNA
analysis. KR
End Note
[44] THERE IS NO END NOTE TODAY.
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