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RFE/RL Newsline, 07-01-18
CONTENTS
[01] RUSSIA GOES ON TERROR ALERT
[02] DEFENSE MINISTER CONFIRMS MISSILE SALE TO IRAN
[03] MINISTER DENIES ILL RECRUIT WAS VICTIM OF BULLYING
[04] MINISTRY LAUNCHES PUBLIC RELATIONS EFFORT
[05] IS ANOTHER GAS DISPUTE IN THE MAKING?
[06] GAZPROM SEEKS TO BOOST ITS IMAGE
[07] ONLY 17 POLITICAL PARTIES TO SURVIVE UNDER NEW LAWS
[08] FORMER LOCAL LAND-REGISTRY OFFICIAL KILLED BY CAR BOMB
[09] PROSECUTORS CHARGE BANKER IN MURDER CASE
[10] TATAR LEADER SLAMS GROWTH OF RUSSIAN EXTREMISM
[11] OSCE OFFICIAL ASSESSES PROSPECTS FOR ARMENIAN ELECTION
[12] AZERBAIJANI POW REPATRIATED
[13] COUNTERFEIT NATIONAL CURRENCY SURFACES IN AZERBAIJAN
[14] GEORGIA CALLS FOR DEMILITARIZATION, DEMINING OF SOUTH OSSETIAN
CONFLICT ZONE
[15] STUDY SAYS KAZAKHSTAN TOP MIGRANT MAGNET IN REGION
[16] KYRGYZ PRESIDENT NOMINATES ACTING PREMIER TO KEEP POST
[17] TAJIK ECONOMY EXPANDED 7 PERCENT IN 2006
[18] TAJIK PRESIDENT STRESSES COOPERATION ON VISIT TO CHINA
[19] CHINA TO DELIVER $200 MILLION IN DRILLING EQUIPMENT TO UZBEKISTAN
[20] NEW UZBEK MEDIA LAW GOES INTO EFFECT
[21] GERMANY SAYS BELARUSIAN ELECTIONS FELL SHORT OF DEMOCRATIC
STANDARDS
[22] BELARUS COUNTERS ELECTION CRITICISM
[23] BELARUSIAN DEPUTY PREMIER SAYS RUSSIA MISCALCULATED ITS MEASURE OF
SUPPORT
[24] BELARUS PROPOSES ENERGY TALKS TO EUROPEAN COMMISSION
[25] INJURED UKRAINIAN LAWMAKER IN INTENSIVE CARE
[26] UKRAINIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY CALLS TARASYUK'S OUSTING 'ARTIFICIAL
DRAMA'
[27] BOSNIAN WAR CRIMES COURT ENTERS PLEAS FOR TWO HUNGER-STRIKING
DEFENDANTS
[28] ONE RIGHTS GROUP CRITICIZES SERBIA FOR FAILURE TO CONFRONT
PAST...
[29] ...AND ANOTHER ASSAILS SERBIAN KINDERGARTEN FOR NOT RESPECTING
MUSLIM DIET
[30] SERBIAN PREMIER REFUSES TO REVEAL COALITION INTENTIONS
[31] KOSOVAR NEGOTIATOR SAYS ESSENCE OF STATUS REPORT MORE IMPORTANT
THAN DETAILS
[32] AFGHAN INTELLIGENCE ARRESTS PURPORTED TALIBAN SPOKESMAN
[33] GATES MEETS WITH AFGHAN PRESIDENT, REAFFIRMS U.S. COMMITMENT TO
AFGHANISTAN
[34] NEW KABUL POLICE CHIEF TAKES OFFICE
[35] NURISTAN PROVINCIAL COUNCIL MEMBER SHOT DEAD
[36] CORRECTION:
[37] IRANIAN CLERIC DENOUNCES U.S. ROLE IN REGION
[38] GERMAN ENVOY SEES TALKS AS SOLUTION IN ATOMIC DOSSIER
[39] SAUDI ARABIA UNWILLING TO MEDIATE BETWEEN IRAN, U.S.
[40] IRAN'S CHIEF JUSTICE WANTS CONSCIENTIOUS JUDGES
[41] IRAQI VICE PRESIDENT CAUGHT BY SURPRISE BY EXECUTIONS...
[42] ...AND ACCUSES IRAN OF PLAYING DANGEROUS ROLE IN IRAQ
[43] UN SAYS MORE THAN 34,000 KILLED IN IRAQ IN 2006
[44] BAGHDAD ATTACKS KILL DOZENS
[45] IRAQI TURKOMAN LEADER SAYS KIRKUK SHOULD HAVE SPECIAL STATUS
[46] IRAQI FORCES ARREST 92 SUSPECTED MILITANTS NEAR BAGHDAD
[47] THERE IS NO END NOTE TODAY
Wednesday, January 17, 2007 Volume 11 Number 9
Russia
[01] RUSSIA GOES ON TERROR ALERT
The authorities across the Russian Federation took various measures to
strengthen security for military facilities, state infrastructure,
public transportation, pipelines, and other potential terrorist targets
following a warning on January 16 by Nikolai Patrushev, who heads the
Federal Security Service (FSB) and National Counterterrorism Committee,
that Russia has received word from unnamed foreign sources of a
possible terrorist attack on ground transportation and an unnamed
subway system, Russian news agencies reported. Deputy Prime Minister
and Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said in Moscow on January 17 that
"the Defense Ministry of the Russian Federation has taken additional
measures to protect the most important military, state, and government
facilities. As a whole, the armed forces continue to operate in a
normal mode." Colonel General Nikolai Rogozhkin, who commands the
Interior Ministry's troops, said that his forces are on high alert and
that a total of 5,000 men have been added to the usual forces guarding
the subways in Moscow and St. Petersburg and public transportation in
"other major centers." Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov noted that security
has been stepped up around transportation facilities throughout the
capital. In the Far East, officials in Vladivostok and
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky said that security has been tightened around
ports and shipping facilities, Interfax reported. Interior Ministry
officials in Vladivostok said in a statement that "police have been
alerted to pay special attention to unattended baggage and have ordered
more careful [documentation] checks of suspicious citizens." It did not
specify how "suspicious citizens" might be identified. Reuters reported
from Moscow that "focus on who would attack Russia [has] turned to
Chechnya." In Washington, D.C., on January 16, a spokesman for the FBI
declined to confirm or deny that his organization had provided the FSB
the information about a possible terrorist attack, RIA Novosti
reported. Since the Beslan hostage taking in September 2004, the
Chechen resistance and groups elsewhere in Russia aligned with it have
said repeatedly that they will in future target only military
installations and energy infrastructure such as oil and gas pipelines,
but not civilians. PM
[02] DEFENSE MINISTER CONFIRMS MISSILE SALE TO IRAN
Defense Minister Ivanov said on January 16 that Russia's long-planned
sale to Iran of Tor-M1 antiaircraft-missile systems has gone ahead,
news agencies reported. He noted that "we have supplied the modern
Tor-M1 short-range air-defense-missile systems to Iran in accordance
with [our] contract." Ivanov explained that the recent UN resolution
imposing sanctions on Iran does not extend to contracts signed
previously, and added that those sanctions do not bar it from acquiring
defensive equipment. Iran is, however, under UN sanctions banning it
from acquiring nuclear-related technology and materials, and the
missile deal with Russia has drawn criticism from Western governments.
Ivanov argued that "we develop our military and technological
cooperation with Iran, based on international law... If the Iranian
leadership has a desire to purchase more defensive weapons for the
needs of their armed forces, then why not?" In Washington on January
16, U.S. State Department spokesman Tom Casey said the sale sends a
wrong signal at a time when the international community is trying to
pressure Iran over its nuclear activities. Casey stressed that "we
certainly don't want to see any kind of lethal aid or assistance given
to any country that's a state sponsor of terror. And as we've said,
Iran is the leading state sponsor in the world" (see "RFE/RL Newsline,"
November 27, 2006). PM
[03] MINISTER DENIES ILL RECRUIT WAS VICTIM OF BULLYING
Defense Minister Ivanov said in Moscow on January 16 that Private Roman
Rudakov, who has been hospitalized in intensive care in St. Petersburg
for four months, is not a victim of bullying, news.ru reported. Ivanov
argued that "this case has absolutely nothing to do with order and
discipline in the army -- it is an exclusively medical case." He added
that Rudakov "has had a total of 10 operations, and military medics are
doing, and will do, everything to save the life of this young man."
Rudakov's sister, Svetlana, said in St. Petersburg that he told her in
his letters that he had been forced to help construct a building for
the military command under very difficult conditions. On January 15,
the Soldiers' Mothers Committee said in a statement in St. Petersburg
that the soldier has only months to live and is in need of an
operation. Military prosecutors are investigating whether his condition
is the result of hazing or of medical problems. General Igor Puzanov,
who commands the Leningrad Military District, said recently that
Rudakov has a serious blood disease that could have become aggravated
by "a glass of Coca-Cola or a runny nose." The issue of hazing in the
military has been prominent in the media since early 2006, following a
particularly gruesome incident at the start of that year (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," March 29, August 4, and October 13, 2006). PM
[04] MINISTRY LAUNCHES PUBLIC RELATIONS EFFORT
In Moscow on January 16, Ivanov and his leading generals heard many
opinions about the state and image of the military at the first session
of the new Public Council for the Defense Ministry, which was created
at the behest of President Vladimir Putin to help improve the image of
the armed forces, news.ru reported. Ivanov said that the armed forces
will not phase out conscription completely as they move to a contract
system. He noted that the military does not have the money to dispense
with draftees completely, and that a purely contract army would not be
in keeping with "the historical and cultural traditions of Russia." He
added that the U.S. experience in Iraq shows the need for a large
mobile reserve force. Ivanov stressed that the modern world is fraught
with dangers unknown in the past, Interfax reported. He said that "the
world is changing dynamically, and the threats are changing with a
kaleidoscopic rapidity. The Cold War era, when everything was
predictable and precalculated, was paradise compared to the present
days." He noted specifically the threats posed by weapons of mass
destruction and nuclear proliferation. The Public Council, which
includes clerics, pop stars, and others from many walks of life, is
chaired by Nikita Mikhalkov, an Oscar-winning filmmaker known for his
pro-imperial and monarchist views (see "Russia: The Fiction And Fact Of
Empire," rferl.org, November 3, 2006). PM
[05] IS ANOTHER GAS DISPUTE IN THE MAKING?
Poland's state-owned gas monopoly PGNiG said on January 16 that Gazprom
"has partially suspended cooperation" with the operator of the Polish
segment of a gas pipeline running to Western Europe, mosnews.com
reported on January 17. PGNiG did not say what the practical effects of
the alleged Russian move might be, but noted that followed PGNiG's
rejection of a Gazprom request for lower transit fees for the transit
of Russian gas through the Yamal-Europe pipeline. A Gazprom official
acknowledged disagreements over tariffs but denied any suspension of
cooperation or attempt to influence the pipeline operator. PGNiG and
Gazprom each own 48 percent of the Yamal-Europe pipeline operator
EuRoPol Gaz, with PGNiG indirectly controlling the remaining 4 percent.
PM
[06] GAZPROM SEEKS TO BOOST ITS IMAGE
A spokesman for Gazprom confirmed on January 16 that his company has
hired Philip Dewhurst, a high-profile public relations director from
the British nuclear industry, to spearhead a campaign to improve
Gazprom's marketing efforts in London, "The Moscow Times" reported on
January 17. The daily "Kommersant" noted on January 16 that Gazprom is
offering a consortium of Western public relations firms a total of $11
million over a three-year period to help polish up its image abroad in
the wake of recent energy disputes with several neighboring countries.
The daily "Izvestia," which is owned by Gazprom, suggested on January
17 that "EU leaders and the Western media are gradually becoming less
aggressive in their evaluations of the Russian-Belarusian conflict. But
this doesn't mean that the damage done to Russia's reputation as an
energy supplier has been repaired entirely" (see "RFE/RL Newsline,"
January 8, 9, 10, and 11, 2007). PM
[07] ONLY 17 POLITICAL PARTIES TO SURVIVE UNDER NEW LAWS
Under legislation that came into effect on January 1, only 17 of the 32
currently registered political parties will be able to keep that
status, RIA Novosti reported on January 17. The others will be
dissolved or have the possibility of transforming themselves into
"public movements," an official of the Federal Registration Service
said. Critics charge that the new legislation is aimed at further
reducing the challengers to the pro-Kremlin Unified Russia party and
the new "manufactured opposition" party known as A Just Russia in the
run-up to the 2007 parliamentary elections. In that vote, the 17
parties now permitted to register will have poll a minimum 7 percent of
the vote, instead of the previous 5 percent, to qualify for
parliamentary representation. To be entitled to register under the new
laws, a party must have at least 50,000 members nationwide and have its
own organizations in at least 44 of the 88 federation subjects, with at
least 500 members in each of those chapters. On January 17,
"Parlamentskaya gazeta" quoted Valery Fedorov, who heads the
All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM), as saying that the
dissolution of the 15 parties will not lead "to any serious changes in
the political system." PM
[08] FORMER LOCAL LAND-REGISTRY OFFICIAL KILLED BY CAR BOMB
Valery Yakovlev, who is a former head of the local land registry for
Moscow's posh Odintsovsky district, was killed on January 16 when a
bomb demolished his car, the daily "Kommersant" reported on January 17.
The paper suggested that his death might have been linked to
unspecified land deals, which require the approval of his former office
to take effect and are often very lucrative. The recent influx of
millions of petrodollars has led to a real estate boom in Moscow,
sending prices soaring and leading to the massive demolition of old
buildings and the construction of new structures. PM
[09] PROSECUTORS CHARGE BANKER IN MURDER CASE
On January 17, the Prosecutor-General's Office formally charged banker
Aleksei Frenkel with ordering the September murder of Central Bank
official Andrei Kozlov, who led efforts against money laundering,
news.ru reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," January 12 and 16, 2007).
Frenkel, who has been in police detention since January 11, maintains
his innocence. PM
[10] TATAR LEADER SLAMS GROWTH OF RUSSIAN EXTREMISM
Mintimer Shaimiyev, who is Tatarstan's long-serving president and a
co-chairman of the Supreme Council of the pro-Kremlin Unified Russia
party, said in Kazan on January 16 that the recent "powerful growth of
the self-awareness of the Russian people" has led to "manifestations of
extremism," including the skinhead movement, Interfax reported (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," November 13, 2006). He noted that the
"manifestations" do not "reflect state policy, [and] we should make an
objective distinction" between the two. He nonetheless called extremism
a "disastrous" phenomenon and urged ethnic minorities to "think about
our constructive role in the growth of the self-awareness of the
Russian people in order to prevent it taking extremist forms.... This
is a very serious problem. We should be able to traverse this path in a
civilized way until the intensity of the growth of self-awareness
becomes more stable." He argued that isolation and globalization are
equally dangerous for any national culture. Meanwhile, "Nezavisimaya
gazeta" reported on January 16 that the recent multiple stabbing of an
antiextremism activist in St. Petersburg shows that that city "is on
the way to becoming a battlefield for extremist groups and antifascist
organizations" (see "RFE/RL Newsline," January 16, 2006). The daily
"Novye izvestia" noted on January 16 that the killing suggests that
pacifism has become "mortally dangerous" in St. Petersburg. PM
Transcaucasia And Central Asia
[11] OSCE OFFICIAL ASSESSES PROSPECTS FOR ARMENIAN ELECTION
Ambassador Christian Strohal, director of the OSCE's Office for
Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), met in Yerevan on
January 15 and 16 with Armenian President Robert Kocharian, Foreign
Minister Vartan Oskanian, parliament speaker Tigran Torosian, and other
officials to discuss the preparations for the parliamentary elections
due in May, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reported. The parliament press
service quoted Strohal as having told Torosian that there are "good
prerequisites" for ensuring that the vote meets democratic standards,
and that it should mark "a turning point" in Armenia's transition to
democracy. ODIHR monitors assessed all previous Armenian national
elections over the past decade as failing to meet international
standards for a free and fair ballot. Torosian also told Strohal that a
formal invitation to ODIHR to monitor the May election will be issued
as soon as President Kocharian sets the date of the ballot, which he is
expected to do in early February. LF
[12] AZERBAIJANI POW REPATRIATED
The authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh handed over to International
Committee of the Red Cross representatives on January 16 in Aghdam
Azerbaijani serviceman Eldaniz Quliyev, Noyan Tapan and echo-az.com
reported on January 16 and 17, respectively. Quliyev was taken prisoner
on December 31 after inadvertently crossing the Line of Contact. A
second Azerbaijani serviceman, Samir Mammadov, who was captured on
December 24, is still being held, despite the agreement reached last
October between the defense ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan that
all prisoners should be handed back within three days, echo-az.com
noted. The two ministers may meet again this month, day.az reported on
November 11. LF
[13] COUNTERFEIT NATIONAL CURRENCY SURFACES IN AZERBAIJAN
An indeterminate quantity of counterfeit manat banknotes are currently
in circulation in Azerbaijan, day.az reported on January 16. Only lower
denomination notes (of one, five, and 20 manats) have been intercepted
to date. Azerbaijan introduced new banknotes last year when the
currency was redenominated, and the new bills have multiple security
features to deter counterfeiters. In April 2001, the Azerbaijani
National Security Ministry reported that counterfeit manats were being
manufactured in Tabriz and Iranian Kurdistan for shipping to and
circulation within Azerbaijan. LF
[14] GEORGIA CALLS FOR DEMILITARIZATION, DEMINING OF SOUTH OSSETIAN
CONFLICT ZONE
Georgian Minister for Conflict Resolution Merab Antadze released a
statement on January 16 calling for the complete demilitarization of
the South Ossetian conflict zone after two Russian peacekeepers were
wounded by a land mine in the village of Tsveriakho the previous day,
Caucasus Press and Civil Georgia reported. South Ossetia's Foreign
Ministry blamed Georgia for the blast, which it claimed was intended to
destabilize the situation and discredit the Russian peacekeeping force.
Antadze on January 16 rejected those allegations as an attempt to
mislead the international community; South Ossetian Interior Minister
Mikhail Mindzayev in turn rejected Antadze's call for demilitarization
as "cynical," Caucasus Press reported. Ambassador Roy Reeve, who heads
the OSCE Mission to Georgia, was quoted by Caucasus Press on January 17
as saying that the OSCE has both the experience and the resources to
undertake the demining of the conflict zone. He added that such
explosions have occurred more frequently since 2004 when, he said, both
sides began laying land mines without keeping detailed maps of their
location. Vladimir Sanakoyev, chairman of the pro-Tbilisi Ossetian
Salvation Union, similarly called on January 16 for the removal of all
land mines from the conflict zone, Caucasus Press reported. Also on
January 16, South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity met in Tskhinvali
with an EU delegation that included special envoy Peter Semneby and
Hugues Mingarelli, who is European Commission director for Eastern
Europe, the South Caucasus, and Central Asia, Caucasus Press reported.
Kokoity reaffirmed his readiness to cooperate with those foreign
partners "who are interested in preserving peace and developing trust
between the conflict sides." LF
[15] STUDY SAYS KAZAKHSTAN TOP MIGRANT MAGNET IN REGION
A new study by the World Bank has found that Kazakhstan is the ninth
most popular destination worldwide for migrants and the top destination
for migrants from neighboring Central Asian states, Kazinform and
Interfax-Kazakhstan reported on January 16. The report, titled
"Migration and Remittances: Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet
Union," forecasts that labor migration will continue to grow and urged
the countries involved to coordinate policy better. The study found
that, according to 2003 data, the top 10 countries receiving migrants
were, in order: the United States, Russia, Germany, Ukraine, France,
India, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Kazakhstan, and Poland. DK
[16] KYRGYZ PRESIDENT NOMINATES ACTING PREMIER TO KEEP POST
President Kurmanbek Bakiev has nominated acting Prime Minister Feliks
Kulov to head the new government, Kabar reported on January 16.
Lawmaker Kamchybek Tashiev told akipress.org that parliament's
Constitutional Law Committee will review Kulov's candidacy on January
17, after which the legislature will vote on it. Iskhak Masaliev, who
heads the committee, told the news agency that Kulov's chances of
holding on to his post are "50-50." DK
[17] TAJIK ECONOMY EXPANDED 7 PERCENT IN 2006
Tajikistan's GDP rose 7 percent in 2006 to 9.272 billion somonis ($2.6
billion), Avesta reported on January 15, citing data from the country's
State Statistics Committee. The report noted that goods produced made
up 45.3 percent of GDP, services 43.6 percent, and taxes 11.1 percent.
DK
[18] TAJIK PRESIDENT STRESSES COOPERATION ON VISIT TO CHINA
President Imomali Rakhmonov attended a Chinese-Tajik business and
investment forum in Beijing on January 16, Xinhua reported. Chinese
Vice Premier Wu Yi told forum attendees that China intends to bolster
business ties between the two countries. Tajik presidential spokesman
Abdufattoh Sharipov told Asia Plus-Blitz on January 16 that Chinese
President Hu Jintao, who met with Rakhmonov on January 15 (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," January 16, 2007), has "instructed the Chinese government to
provide Tajikistan with 70 million yuans ($9 million) in
no-strings-attached aid." DK
[19] CHINA TO DELIVER $200 MILLION IN DRILLING EQUIPMENT TO UZBEKISTAN
China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC) will deliver $200 million worth
of drilling equipment to state-run Uzbek oil and gas company
Uzbekneftegaz, uzreport.com reported on January 16. Under a December
25, 2006, contract, CNPC will supply 23 drilling units to Uzbekneftegaz
over the next 15 months. DK
[20] NEW UZBEK MEDIA LAW GOES INTO EFFECT
President Islam Karimov has signed amendments to the country's media
law tightening state control over the press, press-uz.info and
"Narodnoe Slovo" reported on January 16. The new legislation, which
went into effect on January 15, bars legal entities in which foreigners
hold stakes of at least 30 percent from setting up media outlets in
Uzbekistan. It also makes all media outlets responsible for the
"objectivity" of their coverage and sets stringent guidelines for
covering religious extremism and separatism, AP reported. In the wake
of unrest in Andijon in May 2005, Uzbekistan has tightened media
controls and expelled a number of foreign media organizations,
including RFE/RL (see "RFE/RL Newsline," December 13, 2005). DK
Eastern Europe
[21] GERMANY SAYS BELARUSIAN ELECTIONS FELL SHORT OF DEMOCRATIC
STANDARDS
The German government that currently holds the EU Presidency said in a
January 15 statement that local elections in Belarus did not meet
democratic standards, Belapan reported on January 16. "The European
Union has received reports of police raids on campaign offices, the
registration of candidates being hampered, and the arrest of opposition
politicians and Belarusian election monitors," the statement read. "The
practice of early voting, in some cases under duress, a process
particularly prone to falsification, was used again. State agencies
influenced the elections at all levels in favor of pro-government
candidates." The German government expressed the EU's readiness to
cooperate with Belarus within the framework of the European
Neighborhood Policy, but stressed that the Belarusian authorities
should first "clearly state" their commitment to democratic values,
human rights, and the rule of law. AM
[22] BELARUS COUNTERS ELECTION CRITICISM
Central Election Commission Secretary Mikalay Lazavik said on January
16 that European criticism over Belarus's local elections is
groundless, Belapan reported. "It is strange to hear such statements
from the heads of the organizations that were not in the country, [and]
did not observe preparations for the elections and the vote itself,"
Lazavik said in response to statements by the German government and the
EU external relations commissioner. Lazavik suggested that the
statements were based on "allegations" made by the Belarusian Helsinki
Committee (BHC). "I must say that the BHC did not send a single
observer to polling stations," Lazavik said. He also accused the United
States of criticizing the elections before they started and said the
European Union echoes "the same ungrounded assessment supported by no
arguments." AM
[23] BELARUSIAN DEPUTY PREMIER SAYS RUSSIA MISCALCULATED ITS MEASURE OF
SUPPORT
Deputy Prime Minister Andrey Kabyakou disagrees with Russian President
Vladimir Putin's estimates of Russia's financial support to Belarus,
Belapan reported on January 16. Putin recently said that
Belarusian-Russian agreements on gas and crude-oil supplies to Belarus
in 2007 were in effect a subsidy of $5.8 billion to Minsk. Kabyakou
said that estimate is based on "inaccurate calculations." "It is
necessary to base [one's calculations] on the economy of agreements
currently in force and the sides' mutual obligations for giving such
assessments," Kabyakou said, recalling that Belarus and Russia have
agreements on free trade. "If someone is going to fulfill one thing and
not to fulfill another...the Belarusian side will naturally treat
facilities on our territory in the same way. This naturally concerns
both payments for land and...military facilities," Kabyakou said. AM
[24] BELARUS PROPOSES ENERGY TALKS TO EUROPEAN COMMISSION
German Ambassador to Belarus Martin Hecker said on January 16 that the
Belarusian government has proposed to the European Commission a
dialogue on energy issues, Belapan reported. "Brussels usually studies
such proposals very thoroughly and slowly because of the need to follow
all procedures, but the European Commission has already announced its
readiness for a dialogue on energy," Hecker said, adding that the
proposal is of particular significance in the context of the recent
Belarus-Russia energy dispute but that, in general, "this is quite a
common occurrence." AM
[25] INJURED UKRAINIAN LAWMAKER IN INTENSIVE CARE
Yevhen Kushnaryov, deputy chairman of the Party of Regions caucus in
the Verkhovna Rada, was wounded on January 16 during a hunting trip,
Interfax reported. Party of Regions lawmaker Hanna Herman told the
agency Kushnaryov was taken to the hospital emergency room with a
gunshot wound to his liver. Kushnaryov remains in the intensive-care
unit of an Izyumin hospital, in the Kharkiv region. According to the
"Ukrayinska pravda" website on January 17, Kushnaryov's condition is
critical. Police are investigating the incident. AM
[26] UKRAINIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY CALLS TARASYUK'S OUSTING 'ARTIFICIAL
DRAMA'
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a January 16 statement that it
informed Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych in advance about
Foreign Minister Borys Tarsyuk's official visit to the Czech Republic
earlier this week, Interfax reported. Yanukovych has demanded
Tarasyuk's ouster, saying he "cannot be considered an official who is
authorized by the state to conduct an official visit abroad" (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," January 16, 2007). "The artificial making of a drama
about the official visit of Foreign Minister Tarasyuk is harming
Ukraine's image," the Foreign Ministry statement said, adding that
"this visit was agreed with head of state Viktor Yushchenko." AM
Southeastern Europe
[27] BOSNIAN WAR CRIMES COURT ENTERS PLEAS FOR TWO HUNGER-STRIKING
DEFENDANTS
The War Crimes Chamber of Bosnia-Herzegovina's State Court on January
15 entered not-guilty pleas on behalf of two Bosnian Serb war crimes
suspects, Reuters reported the same day. The two, who are among a group
of hunger-striking war crimes defendants, refused to enter pleas (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," January 11 and 16, 2007). Mitar Rasevic and Savo
Todovic, former detention-camp guards, have been charged with the
imprisonment and persecution of non-Serbs in and around Foca during
Bosnia's 1992-95 war. "The accused chose not to be present to enter the
plea and therefore I record that both the accused entered a plea of not
guilty," Judge Pietro Spera said. "The accused are free to declare
themselves guilty any time in the future." BW
[28] ONE RIGHTS GROUP CRITICIZES SERBIA FOR FAILURE TO CONFRONT
PAST...
A report by the New York-based Human Rights Watch has criticized Serbia
for an unwillingness to confront its past, B92 reported on January 15.
"The Serbian government's unwillingness to confront the past seriously,
as well as delays in undertaking legal and other reforms, contributed
to a still unsatisfactory human rights situation in 2006," the report
said. "The authorities' failure to locate Bosnian Serb wartime General
Ratko Mladic undermined relations with the European Union and United
States, and destabilized the governing coalition, in turn setting back
its reform agenda." The report also expressed concern about political
interference in the judiciary and about the conditions of the Romany
minority. It noted the positive development that the War Crimes Chamber
of the Belgrade District Court has been conducting trials in 2006,
although the overall number remains low. BW
[29] ...AND ANOTHER ASSAILS SERBIAN KINDERGARTEN FOR NOT RESPECTING
MUSLIM DIET
The Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia has criticized the
policy of serving pork at a kindergarten that includes Muslim children,
B92 and UPI reported on January 15. Parents of Muslim children
attending the Nova Varos kindergarten have protested the practice, but
the school's principal said religious customs could not be observed at
such an institution. In a statement, the committee called the practice
"yet another example of discriminatory behavior in Serbia, whose
citizens are well aware that Muslim religious code prohibits the use of
pork." The committee also called on all institutions to show "respect
[for] cultural and religious identity," as opposed to
"the...discrimination displayed so far." Muslims account for
approximately 8.5 percent of Nova Varos's population. BW
[30] SERBIAN PREMIER REFUSES TO REVEAL COALITION INTENTIONS
Vojislav Kostunica said on January 16 that he will not reveal which
parties his Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) will consider forming a
coalition with until after the January 21 elections, B92 reported the
same day. "In normal democratic societies, talk about coalitions starts
after the elections," Kostunica said in an interview with B92
television. He added that cooperation with the International Criminal
Tribunal for former Yugoslavia and integration with the European Union
are his main goals. Many analysts say a coalition between Kostunica's
DSS and President Boris Tadic's Democratic Party (DS) would assure a
pro-European liberal government. There are also fears that divisions
between the two parties could open the door for the Serbian Radical
Party (SRS) to enter government. BW
[31] KOSOVAR NEGOTIATOR SAYS ESSENCE OF STATUS REPORT MORE IMPORTANT
THAN DETAILS
Hashim Thaci, a member of Kosova's final-status negotiating team, said
that the essence of UN envoy Martti Ahtisaari's proposal for the
province is more important than the specific procedures it endorses,
B92 and Beta reported on January 16. "I am convinced that Martti
Ahtisaari's proposal will be in line with the interest and the will of
the citizens of Kosova to have an independent and a sovereign state,"
Thaci told reporters in Prishtina. Press reports citing unidentified
officials say Ahtisaari will propose a form of "supervised
independence" for the province that will stop short of recommending
full independence, but leave the possibility open for individual states
to recognize Kosova (see "RFE/RL Newsline," January 5, 2007). BW
Southwestern Asia And The Middle East
[32] AFGHAN INTELLIGENCE ARRESTS PURPORTED TALIBAN SPOKESMAN
Afghan intelligence agents arrested Dr. Mohammad Hanif, the purported
chief Taliban spokesman, on January 15 as he attempted to enter the
country at a border crossing at Torkham, Pakistan, AP reported the next
day. Hanif often contacted the Pakistani and Afghan media claiming to
speak on behalf of the Taliban. Hanif provided purported statements
from Taliban chief Mullah Omar and acted as the supposed liaison for an
e-mail interview with Omar published in early January (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," January 4, 2007). Hanif contacted an AP reporter as recently
as January 11 to refute NATO claims that its troops killed as many as
150 insurgents (see "RFE/RL Newsline," January 11, 2007). Sayed Ansari,
a spokesman for Afghan intelligence, did not comment on where Hanif was
being held, afgha.com reported on January 16. No official comment from
the Taliban has been released since Hanif's reported capture. JC
[33] GATES MEETS WITH AFGHAN PRESIDENT, REAFFIRMS U.S. COMMITMENT TO
AFGHANISTAN
Visiting Kabul on January 16, U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates
reiterated Washington's commitment to restore peace and rebuild
Afghanistan, Pajhwak Afghan News reported the same day. Speaking
jointly with President Hamid Karzai, Gates said the U.S. will maintain
the strategic partnership between the 26 NATO members and the Afghan
government to achieve peace and stability in the country. Gates
identified the crossing of militants from Pakistan as the cause of the
recent increase in the insurgency in the southern region of Afghanistan
and said the United States is working closely with Islamabad to address
cross-border infiltration and pursue terrorists hiding along the
border. Gates also said he will discuss with President George W. Bush
the possibility of sending more troops to Afghanistan if the coalition
commanders consider it necessary. JC
[34] NEW KABUL POLICE CHIEF TAKES OFFICE
Major General Esmatullah Daulatzai became Kabul police chief on January
14 during a ceremony at police headquarters, Pajhwak Afghan News
reported the same day. Daulatzai was appointed police chief the
previous day, replacing Amanullah Guzar, who was removed in a large
reshuffling of provincial interior ministers and police chiefs as part
of the government's police reform program to curb corruption, Bakhtar
News Agency reported the same day. Daulatzai said at the ceremony that
he will try to strengthen security in the capital, but that this cannot
be accomplished without the help of the people. Before being named head
of Kabul's police, Daulatzai served as regional commander of the
Kandahar zone. Daulatzai was one of 40 officials -- including 16
provincial police chiefs -- who were removed or reshuffled in the third
phase of the police department reforms program. JC
[35] NURISTAN PROVINCIAL COUNCIL MEMBER SHOT DEAD
Armed men shot dead Ahmad Shah Wakilzada, the deputy head of the
Nuristan provincial council, as he traveled to the capital of the
province, Kamdesh, on January 15, Pajhwak Afghan News reported the same
day. Wakilzada was shot in the Nangraj district, according to
provincial security chief General Ghulamullah. Wakilzada was the son of
a former Wolesi Jirga member, Mohammad Sakhi. In October 2006, Kandahar
provincial council member Mohammad Younas Husseini and Faryab
provincial council member Sayed Noor Mohammad Agha were killed by
unidentified gunmen in Kandahar in separate incidents. Ghulamullah said
he suspects antigovernment insurgents were responsible for Wakilzada's
death and has launched an investigation. JC
[36] CORRECTION:
In the "RFE/RL Newsline" item "U.S. Senator Heads Three-Member
Delegation To Afghanistan" on January 16, the U.S. congressmen who
visited Afghanistan should have been identified as Senators Hillary
Rodham Clinton (Democrat, New York) and Evan Bayh (Democrat, Indiana)
and Representative John McHugh (Republican, New York).
[37] IRANIAN CLERIC DENOUNCES U.S. ROLE IN REGION
Guardians Council Secretary Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati said in Tehran on
January 16 that Iran's is a peaceful nuclear program and the country
has never been a threat to regional states, despite the divisive
accusations of its enemies, IRNA reported. He said in a meeting with
Indian Ambassador Manbir Singh that "unfortunately with America's
influence and temptations among certain regional states, concerns have
arisen about Iran," although Iran's history since its 1979 revolution
has shown that it is not a regional threat. He said that "colonial
states" are working to "create religious discord in [Saudi] Arabia,"
while the "Hijaz region, for its importance to all Muslims, must be a
secure region, but unfortunately negative policies have been recently
noted there." He did not elaborate. Jannati added that "the terrorists
in Iraq are protected by America," and he expressed hope "intelligent
rulers" will take office in the United States "and put aside
anti-popular policies." He also stressed that Iran has so far "not
violated international regulations" over its nuclear program "nor will
it, and only seeks to make peaceful use of nuclear energy." But it
would not submit to resolutions, he said. VS
[38] GERMAN ENVOY SEES TALKS AS SOLUTION IN ATOMIC DOSSIER
Germany's ambassador to Iran, Herbert Honsowitz, told the IRNA and Fars
news agencies on January 16 that the European Union considers talks the
only path to a solution to the impasse over Iran's nuclear program,
IRNA reported. Germany currently holds the rotating EU Presidency.
Honsowitz said the ball is now in Iran's court, following the UN
resolution issued on December 23, designed to end atomic-fuel making
and related activities by Iran. Honsowitz denied in his interview that
the EU walked out of talks with Iran, countering that it was Iran that
ended talks and failed to honor commitments made to the EU. Honsowitz
said that UN Security Council Resolution 1737, approved on December 23,
envisages certain sanctions on Iran that may be imposed after 60 days,
but leaves open the door to renewed talks. Iran has 60 days from the
resolution to decide if it will follow the Security Council's demands,
he said, adding that everything would depend on Iran's response and the
next report to be given to the Security Council by the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Muhammad el-Baradei, IRNA
reported. VS
[39] SAUDI ARABIA UNWILLING TO MEDIATE BETWEEN IRAN, U.S.
Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said at a January 16 news
conference in Riyadh that his country will not mediate between Iran and
the United States, Radio Farda reported, citing Western media. Reuters
quoted the Iranian Foreign Ministry as denying the same day that it has
asked for any mediation. Reuters quoted an unnamed Saudi official as
saying that when Iranian Supreme National Security Council Secretary
Ali Larijani met with Saudi King Abdullah in Riyadh on January 14, he
gave him a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
asking the monarch to convey an Iranian message of goodwill to
Washington. The visit has been reported more simply in Iranian media as
an opportunity to promote improved Shi'ite-Sunni relations. Saud
al-Faisal was speaking at a January 16 joint press conference with U.S.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. U.S. officials have accused Iran
of obstructing its efforts to stabilize Iraq, and of intending to build
nuclear bombs. Rice said the issue is not of a conflict between Iran
and the United States, but rather of Iran responding to the
"requirements of the international community," notably on its atomic
program. "There is no need for mediation," AFP reported her as saying.
VS
[40] IRAN'S CHIEF JUSTICE WANTS CONSCIENTIOUS JUDGES
Judiciary chief Ayatollah Mahmud Hashemi-Shahrudi told a gathering of
judicial trainees in Tehran on January 16 that judges must be
responsible for their decisions, which he said affect essential aspects
of Iranians' lives, IRNA reported. Shahrudi, who took over the
judiciary in 1999, has frequently criticized the performance of the
apparatus he runs. He told the gathering of trainee judges that, as
judges, they would deal with "people's lives and secrets...their
families, honor, and reputations," and "the slightest fault or mistake"
would entail "grave harm." Shahrudi said judges differ from other
officials and must be aware of their own weaknesses and desires.
Lawyers, "fixers," and the rich will come to them, he said, to persuade
or influence them. "You must recognize them well and avoid them,"
Shahrudi said. He said "do not shut your eyes to problems" nor "think
that you must only decide on the basis of legal stipulations. Inspect
detention centers and see what is going on in there." Shahrudi urged
the trainees to be patient, inquisitive, and respectful of "people's
rights...[and] maintain their dignity and do not crush people's
personalities in courts." "Know that you are in a position of power and
[the defendant] may be afraid," IRNA quoted him as saying. VS
[41] IRAQI VICE PRESIDENT CAUGHT BY SURPRISE BY EXECUTIONS...
Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi said during an interview with Britain's
Channel 4 News on January 15 that he was caught off-guard by the
executions of Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti and Awad al-Bandar, two top
officials in the government of former President Saddam Hussein. "We
were consulted and I was caught by surprise because the Presidency
Council had made an appeal to postpone this execution, but nevertheless
this execution was effected by the government without any prior
consultation with us," al-Hashimi said. On January 10, President Jalal
Talabani called for a delay in the executions (see "RFE/RL Newsline,"
January 11, 2007). According to Iraqi law, the tripartite Presidency
Council is supposed to ratify execution orders before they are carried
out. Al-Hashimi also expressed reservations over the way the executions
were conducted, an apparent reference to the decapitation of Barzan
(see "RFE/RL Newsline," January 16, 2007). On January 15, the
government showed a video of the hangings to a selected group of
journalists in an effort to counter criticism that Barzan and al-Bandar
were mistreated. SS
[42] ...AND ACCUSES IRAN OF PLAYING DANGEROUS ROLE IN IRAQ
Vice President al-Hashimi on January 16 accused Iran of inflaming
sectarian tensions in Iraq, the London-based "Al-Hayat" reported the
same day. "Our neighbors in the east [Iran] are playing a catastrophic
role inside Iraq. We have plenty of evidence that Iran has become a big
partner in Iraq," al-Hashimi said. He said that the recent U.S. raid on
an Iranian consular office in Irbil on January 11 and the arrest of
four Iranian officials in Baghdad in December 2006 were indications
that Iran is interfering in Iraq's affairs. Al-Hashimi added that the
Sunni Arabs, who are widely assumed to be behind the insurgency, want
nothing more than to be genuinely included in the political process.
"They [Sunnis] do not care who rules Iraq, provided that the ruler
complies with democracy, protects the interests of all the Iraqis
without discrimination, and respects human rights," he said. SS
[43] UN SAYS MORE THAN 34,000 KILLED IN IRAQ IN 2006
The UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) announced on January 16 that
at least 34,452 Iraqi civilians were killed in 2006, international
media reported the same day. That figure is more than double that cited
by the Iraqi government on January 1, when it announced that 14,298
civilians were killed in 2006 (see "RFE/RL Newsline," January 3, 2007).
Gianni Magazzeni, the chief of UNAMI's office in Baghdad, also
announced that 36,685 Iraqi civilians were wounded last year. He said
6,376 civilians were killed in December alone, 4,731 of them in
Baghdad. Magazzeni said the numbers were compiled from information
obtained through the Health Ministry, hospitals across the country, and
the Medico-Legal Institute in Baghdad. "Without significant progress in
the rule of law, sectarian violence will continue indefinitely and
eventually spiral out of control," Magazzeni warned. There was no
immediate response from the Iraqi government, but it has disputed
previous UN casualty figures, describing them "inaccurate and
exaggerated." SS
[44] BAGHDAD ATTACKS KILL DOZENS
A double bombing at a Baghdad university on January 16 killed 60 Iraqis
and wounded more than 110, international media reported the same day.
Local police said a car bomb went off near the main gate of Al-
Mustansiriyah University as students were leaving the campus, and
moments later a suicide bomber blew himself up. "The majority of those
killed are female students who were on their way home," an official at
the university's media office told Reuters the same day. Another double
bombing at a Baghdad market on January 16 killed at least 15 Iraqis and
wounded more than 70, international media reported the same day. The
first blast took place as people milled about at a market in Baghdad's
Bab al-Sheikh neighborhood. Then as onlookers gathered at the site of
the first attack, a second blast went off. Meanwhile, the Interior
Ministry said that a bomb went off the same day on a bus in Al-Sadr
City, killing four people and wounding more than 10. SS
[45] IRAQI TURKOMAN LEADER SAYS KIRKUK SHOULD HAVE SPECIAL STATUS
Sadettin Ergec, the leader of the Iraqi Turkoman Front, said in Ankara
on January 15 that the oil-rich city of Kirkuk should be granted
special status, the Ankara Anatolia news agency reported the same day.
"Kirkuk is not a normal province. Rather, it is Iraq's national asset.
Therefore, all the Iraqis should have a say in its future," he said.
Ergec was addressing a panel called "Kirkuk 2007," sponsored by the
Global Strategy Institute. The panel's aim is to discuss the future of
Kirkuk with the participation of Iraqi Sunni, Shi'ite, Turkoman, and
Assyrian groups. However, no representatives from Iraqi Kurdish groups
were invited, but the organization committee said they were asked to
send their written views. Ergec also said that the Turkomans will do
everything to ensure the unity and integrity of Iraq, and he stressed
that it is absolutely necessary that the central government have
control over Kirkuk. Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution calls for
the "normalization" of Kirkuk, after which a referendum is to be
carried out sometime in 2007 to determine whether the city is to be
part of the semi-autonomous Kurdish region. SS
[46] IRAQI FORCES ARREST 92 SUSPECTED MILITANTS NEAR BAGHDAD
The Iraqi Defense Ministry announced on January 15 that Iraqi forces
have arrested 92 suspected militants and seized a large cache of
weapons south of Baghdad, state-run Al-Iraqiyah television reported the
same day. "In a preemptive and qualitative operation, Iraqi security
forces raided hideouts of terrorists in the Sayyid Abdallah region of
Al-Mahmudiyah. The operation ended in the arrest of 92 terrorists,
including 40 wanted men. The forces also seized caches of weapons," the
ministry said in a statement. SS
End Note
[47] THERE IS NO END NOTE TODAY
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