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RFE/RL Newsline, 07-12-17
CONTENTS
[01] BRITISH PREMIER CALLS RUSSIAN MOVE AGAINST BRITISH COUNCIL
'UNACCEPTABLE'
[02] NATO, GERMANY 'DEPLORE' RUSSIA'S SUSPENSION OF CFE
[03] U.S., RUSSIA 'MAKE LITTLE PROGRESS' ON MISSILE DEFENSE
[04] RUSSIA, U.S. CONDUCT JOINT MILITARY EXERCISES
[05] RUSSIA, IRAN AGREE ON POWER PLANT TIMETABLE
[06] VETERAN RUSSIAN DIPLOMAT DIES
[07] PUTIN CALLS NEW DUMA TO MEET EARLY
[08] ZHIRINOVSKY ENTERS 2008 PRESIDENTIAL RACE; KASPAROV, RYZHKOV BOW
OUT
[09] UNIFIED RUSSIA SWEEPS REGIONAL LEGISLATIVE POLLS
[10] OFFICIAL DUMA RESULTS PRODUCE MYSTERY REGARDING SPOILED BALLOTS
[11] RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY DEPLORES CHECHEN OFFICIAL'S INTERVIEWS
WITH POLISH MEDIA
[12] THREE SENTENCED FOR TERRORIST ATTACKS IN NORTH OSSETIA
[13] KARACHAYEVO-CHERKESSIA TO PROMOTE STUDY OF NON-RUSSIAN LANGUAGES
[14] EXPLOSION DAMAGES OFFICE OF ARMENIAN OPPOSITION NEWSPAPER
[15] ARMENIAN PREMIER EXPRESSES CONFIDENCE OVER PROSPECTS FOR INITIAL
KARABAKH SETTLEMENT
[16] GEORGIAN ACTING PRESIDENT SAYS OPPOSITION 'NOT INTERESTED' IN
ELECTIONS
[17] FRANCE PLEDGES SUPPORT FOR KAZAKH OSCE CHAIRMANSHIP
[18] KAZAKH, TURKISH PRESIDENTS DISCUSS BOOSTING TRADE
[19] KYRGYZ PRESIDENT PROMISES FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS
[20] PROMINENT CRITIC OF UZBEK GOVERNMENT MISSING
[21] WASHINGTON CONDEMNS BEATING OF BELARUSIAN PROTESTERS
[22] RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VISITS BELARUS
[23] UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT SAYS PARLIAMENT WILL RESOLVE DISPUTES BY
YEAR'S END
[24] EU PLANS CONCERTED MOVE TOWARD KOSOVA STATEHOOD
[25] RIFT APPEARS IN SERBIAN GOVERNMENT OVER PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS...
[26] ...AS LEVEL OF COALITION SUPPORT FOR TADIC REMAINS UNCLEAR
[27] ICTY CHIEF PROSECUTOR GIVES LAST PRESS CONFERENCE...
[28] ...INCURS CRITICISM FROM FORMER COLLEAGUE...
[29] ...AND MIXED ASSESSMENT BY ASHDOWN
[30] ICTY RELEASES CONVICTED VUKOVAR GENERAL
[31] BRITISH PREMIER SUPPORTS AFGHAN GOVERNMENT DEALS WITH TALIBAN...
[32] ...DISTANCES HIMSELF FROM U.S. AND CANADIAN POLICY
[33] U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE CALLS FOR A 'NEW STRATEGIC CONCEPT' FOR
NATO IN AFGHANISTAN
[34] RECONSTRUCTION PROGRESS CONTINUES IN AFGHANISTAN, DESPITE
INSURGENCY
[35] IRAN, IAEA CONCLUDE LATEST NUCLEAR TALKS
[36] IRAN OPENS CAR PLANT IN SYRIA
[37] IRAN CONDEMNS GENERAL'S MURDER IN BEIRUT
[38] IRANIAN LAWMAKERS EXAMINE DETAINEES' CASES
[39] IRAQI MINISTER SAYS U.S.-IRAN MEETING DELAYED UNTIL END OF MONTH
[40] IRAQI PRESIDENT APPEALS TO RESISTANCE TO LAY DOWN ARMS...
[41] ...AS SHI'ITE AYATOLLAH CALLS FOR RETURN TO 'PRINCIPLE OF ACCORD'
[42] IRAQI VICE PRESIDENT COMMENTS ON AWAKENING COUNCILS,
RECONCILIATION
[43] IRAQI CLERIC AL-SADR RESUMES SEMINARY STUDIES
[44] THERE IS NO END NOTE TODAY.
Friday, December 14, 2007 Volume 11 Number 231
Russia
[01] BRITISH PREMIER CALLS RUSSIAN MOVE AGAINST BRITISH COUNCIL
'UNACCEPTABLE'
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said in London on December 13 that
Russia's recent decision to close all regional offices of the British
Council effective January 1 is "totally unacceptable," British media
reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," December 12 and 13, 2007). He added
that "the British Council does a tremendous job both in Russia and in
every part of the world. The British Council deserves to be supported
in its activities. I think Foreign Secretary [David Miliband] has said
there are only two countries in which this treatment has been meted out
against British Council staff, and that's Iran and Burma. It's very
important to recognize that the British Council is doing valuable work
in Russia that is actually recognized to be so by the Russian people."
Brown stressed that "we wish this action to be desisted from
immediately. We are making our views known to the Russian government on
that part. We want good relationships with Russia and the
administration there, but that must be dependent on the Russians
dealing with the problems as they arise, and one of them is that they
should not be either putting at risk the welfare of the British Council
staff or removing the facilities that it offers to the people of
Russia." The daily "Kommersant" wrote on December 13 that the latest
developments constitute "yet another scandal in Russian-British
relations." It noted that the Russian "Foreign Ministry has been
crusading for years against the practice of establishing regional
branches of the British Council on the premises of consulates" and that
its latest decision is "outright political." The daily "Komsomolskaya
pravda" also pointed out on December 14 that the dispute is the latest
in a series of spats between London and Moscow. The paper suggested
that Britain ran afoul of Russian laws and would have done better not
to do so. PM
[02] NATO, GERMANY 'DEPLORE' RUSSIA'S SUSPENSION OF CFE
NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said in Brussels on
December 13 that Russia's "suspension" of the 1990 Conventional Forces
in Europe (CFE) Treaty is "deplorable," news agencies reported (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," September 24, November 8, and December 12 and 13,
2007). In Berlin, German Foreign Ministry State Secretary Gernot Erler
of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) told the parliament that "we don't
need less, but more CFE," dpa reported. He called the treaty
"indispensable." It is rare for Erler or other leading Social Democrats
to criticize Russia in public. PM
[03] U.S., RUSSIA 'MAKE LITTLE PROGRESS' ON MISSILE DEFENSE
On December 13, U.S. and Russian delegations "made little progress" in
their talks in Budapest on missile defense, the fifth in a series of
expert discussions, dpa reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," December 10,
2007). U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and
Nonproliferation John Rood and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei
Kislyak led the talks. Rood said afterward that "we still see the
missile threat evolving and that threat, which is real, continues to
grow. There are more missiles and [they] are more sophisticated in the
hands of countries that we are concerned about, such as North Korea and
Iran." He added that "we had a serious discussion on the perception of
the missile threat as it is today and how it will develop. This is the
most detailed intelligence exchange we've ever had with our Russian
colleagues." Rood stressed that the Americans tried once again to
convince the Russians that the planned 10 missile interceptors in
Poland and radar site in the Czech Republic do not "pose a threat to
Russian security. [The system] is not aimed at Russia, and we think it
does not have the capability to intercept long-range missile launches
from Russia." In response to some European charges that missile defense
is unnecessary, Rood noted that Washington recently activated its
existing system as a successful deterrent against North Korea without
having to engage in verbal clashes with Pyongyang. PM
[04] RUSSIA, U.S. CONDUCT JOINT MILITARY EXERCISES
Hundreds of U.S. and Russian troops on December 14 concluded joint
training exercises in Germany called Torgau 2007, which began on
December 2 and are aimed at combating global terrorism, AP reported.
Lieutenant General Kenneth Hunzeker of the United States and Lieutenant
General Vladimir Chirkin of Russia commanded the respective units in
Hohenfels, near Weiden, in Bavaria. Hunzeker said that he and Chirkin
"talked to our soldiers several times and said, 'this is not about
politics. This is about how to work [joint military] operations so that
our two nations can do that in the future in the global war on
terror.'" He added that "we both strongly believe that this program
should expand and that, hopefully, our two nations will see it the same
way." Chirkin noted that the missile-defense dispute will be dealt with
"mainly by the politicians and not by the military. And though a
problem exists, I don't think it will hurt the relationship between
Russia and America, especially military relationships." He stressed
that it is as important for the two countries to work together against
global terrorism as it was to fight together against Nazi Germany in
World War II. U.S. and Soviet forces linked up for the first time
during that conflict on a bridge in Torgau on the Elbe River in 1945.
PM
[05] RUSSIA, IRAN AGREE ON POWER PLANT TIMETABLE
Atomstroieksport President Sergei Shmatko announced in Moscow on
December 13 that his company and the Iranian authorities have resolved
a long-standing payments dispute over the Bushehr atomic power plant
and will announce a schedule for completion soon, "The New York Times"
reported on December 14. The daily noted that "the scheduled completion
date is important because the contractor has said it will ship uranium
fuel rods to Iran no sooner than six months before the date is set." It
is not clear how the financing dispute was resolved. Many foreign
observers regarded the dispute as an excuse by Moscow to hold up work
on the plant in response to pressure from Western countries. The daily
"Vremya novostei" wrote on December 14 that Iran has offered Russia
attractive terms for a large-scale gas joint venture. PM
[06] VETERAN RUSSIAN DIPLOMAT DIES
The Foreign Ministry said in a statement on December 13 that former
Deputy Foreign Minister Yuly Vorontsov died on December 12, at age 79,
mid.ru reported. He was the Soviet ambassador to Afghanistan during the
troop withdrawal in 1988-89 and later served as the Soviet and then
Russian ambassador to the UN. President Boris Yeltsin named him
ambassador to the United States in 1994. PM
[07] PUTIN CALLS NEW DUMA TO MEET EARLY
President Putin has published a decree ordering the new State Duma to
convene on December 24, Russian media reported on December 14. It is
widely believed that Putin will personally address the opening session,
at which deputies are expected to elect a speaker, deputy speakers, and
committee chairs. Putin addressed the opening session of the last Duma
on December 29, 2003. Meanwhile, the Central Election Commission has
confirmed the mandates of 442 members of the 450-seat lower house. The
remaining eight mandates all belong to Unified Russia, but are awaiting
final documentation. In all 101 Unified Russia candidates -- including
President Putin, cabinet ministers, and regional leaders -- refused
their mandates. One exception was Yaroslavl Oblast Governor Anatoly
Lisitsyn, who has informed election officials that he has asked to be
removed as governor so that he can serve in the Duma, Interfax
reported. In the new Duma, Unified Russia will have 315 seats, the
Communist Party will have 57, the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia
(LDPR) 40, and A Just Russia 38. RC
[08] ZHIRINOVSKY ENTERS 2008 PRESIDENTIAL RACE; KASPAROV, RYZHKOV BOW
OUT
The LDPR on December 13 nominated party leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky as
the party's candidate in the March 2, 2008, presidential election,
Russian media reported on December 14. In his acceptance speech,
Zhirinovsky told supporters that the LDPR is the only independent
political force in the country and claimed it has always supported
democracy and press freedom. He called for "a different Russia" with
"open and fair elections." He repeated calls for long-standing LDPR
positions, including the reduction of the number of federation subjects
and the elimination of the Federation Council. Former world chess
champion and Other Russia leader Garry Kasparov has said that he will
not run for president. Kasparov told journalists on December 13 that
his supporters have been unable to hold a nominating convention because
they were unable to secure a venue in Moscow. The deadline for
nominating non-party candidates was December 13. Former Duma Deputy
Vladimir Ryzhkov told Interfax on December 13 that he will not run for
president. He too said that his Republican Party has met with
difficulties renting space for party meetings and offices. RC
[09] UNIFIED RUSSIA SWEEPS REGIONAL LEGISLATIVE POLLS
In addition to the national legislative elections on December 2, eight
subjects of the federation held regional legislative polls, "Vremya
novostei" reported on December 13. In all eight regions, Unified Russia
received substantial majorities, although the party often did worse
locally than nationally. The pro-Kremlin party picked up 42 of 48 seats
in Mordovia, 74 of 100 in Udmurtia, 60 of 70 seats in Krasnodar Krai,
and 31 of 36 seats in Saratov Oblast, the daily reported. RC
[10] OFFICIAL DUMA RESULTS PRODUCE MYSTERY REGARDING SPOILED BALLOTS
Although the option of voting "against all candidates" was eliminated
in the December 2 Duma elections and the Other Russia opposition
movement was calling on voters to spoil their ballots, the number of
spoiled ballots was less than in previous elections, according to
official results, "Nezavisimaya gazeta" reported on December 13.
Officially, just 1.1 percent of the ballots were registered as spoiled.
In 2003, some 4.7 percent of voters voted "against all" and a further
1.6 percent of the ballots were reported as spoiled. Further, in
regional elections in March, the percentage of spoiled ballots ranged
between 3 and 6 percent. Political analyst Aleksandr Kynev told the
daily it is unfathomable that the number of spoiled ballots could be in
decline considering that turnout rose, the "against all" option was
eliminated, the number of parties was sharply reduced, pressure on
voters to vote was increased, the opposition was calling on people to
spoil their ballots, and there was a sharp burst of inflation on the
eve of the polls. RC
[11] RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY DEPLORES CHECHEN OFFICIAL'S INTERVIEWS
WITH POLISH MEDIA
In response to a question from ITAR-TASS, Foreign Ministry spokesman
Mikhail Kamynin on December 13 expressed "outrage" that the second
channel of Polish state television interviewed Akhmed Zakayev, prime
minister of the Chechen Republic Ichkeria, on December 10 in connection
with its coverage of International Human Rights Day, mid.ru reported.
Zakayev also gave an interview to the Polish daily "Rzeczpospolita" in
which he said he is not afraid that he could be assassinated like his
close friend, former KGB officer Aleksandr Litvinenko, and journalist
Anna Politkovskaya. Kamynin suggested that the favorable media coverage
of a man accused of terrorism was intended to reverse the recent
warming in Russian-Polish relations. Zakayev was in Poland to
participate in an international conference. LF
[12] THREE SENTENCED FOR TERRORIST ATTACKS IN NORTH OSSETIA
North Ossetia's Supreme Court passed sentence on December 14 on three
men from Ingushetia found guilty of a series of terrorist acts in North
Ossetia, the daily "Kommersant" reported on December 14. The three men
-- Rustam Tsurov, Umar Khadziyev, and Alikhan Ozdoyev -- were said to
have joined in late 2005 a band of militants headed by Abubakar
Khamkhoyev and subordinate to radical Chechen field commander Shamil
Basayev, and to have perpetrated acts of terrorism in December 2005 and
February 2006, the second of which killed three people (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," February 3, 2006). They were apprehended in July 2006 in
Vladikavkaz. The three were sentenced to 24, 23, and 18 years'
imprisonment, respectively. LF
[13] KARACHAYEVO-CHERKESSIA TO PROMOTE STUDY OF NON-RUSSIAN LANGUAGES
Karachayevo-Cherkessia Republic President Mustafa Batdyyev has issued a
decree designating 2008 the Year of Native Languages, kavkaz-uzel.ru
reported on December 13 citing RIA Novosti. Competitions will be held
in fluency in Karachai, Circassian, Abazin, and Nogai, and to determine
the best teachers of those languages. At the time of the 2002 Russian
census, Karachais accounted for 38.5 percent of the republic's roughly
440,000 population, followed by Russians (33.6 percent) and Cherkess
(11.3 percent). Abazins accounted for 7.4 percent, and Nogais 3.4
percent. LF
Transcaucasia And Central Asia
[14] EXPLOSION DAMAGES OFFICE OF ARMENIAN OPPOSITION NEWSPAPER
An explosive device detonated early on December 13 in Yerevan, severely
damaging the entrance doors to the editorial offices of the semiweekly
newspaper "Chorrort ishkhanutiun," Noyan Tapan and RFE/RL's Armenian
Service reported. The paper's editor, Shogher Matevosian, said her
staffers were recently warned by Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian's chief
bodyguard that Sarkisian's supporters are so incensed by the paper's
cartoons that they may resort to violence. The paper has also incurred
the displeasure of Mher Sedrakian, mayor of Yerevan's Erebuni district.
LF
[15] ARMENIAN PREMIER EXPRESSES CONFIDENCE OVER PROSPECTS FOR INITIAL
KARABAKH SETTLEMENT
Prime Minister Sarkisian told Reuters in Brussels on December 12 that
he does not think the presidential elections due in both Armenia and
Azerbaijan in 2008 will negatively impact on the Karabakh peace
process, and that he believes a framework agreement could be signed
prior to the Armenian presidential ballot on February 19, RFE/RL's
Armenian Service reported on December 13. Sarkisian is widely regarded
as the favorite among the nine prospective candidates for that ballot.
The co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group engaged in mediating a
settlement of the conflict submitted to the Armenian and Azerbaijani
foreign ministers in Madrid last month a written version of the
so-called Basic Principles for resolving the conflict that have been
under discussion since mid-2004, and expressed the hope that the two
countries' presidents will endorse them before the elections (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," November 30 and December 7, 2007). On December 11,
the co-chairmen met in Helsinki with Finnish Foreign Minister Ilkka
Kanerva to brief him on the peace process, day.az reported on December
13. Finland will take over the OSCE rotating chairmanship on January 1,
2008. LF
[16] GEORGIAN ACTING PRESIDENT SAYS OPPOSITION 'NOT INTERESTED' IN
ELECTIONS
Meeting on December 13 with staff and students at Tbilisi State
University, Nino Burjanadze accused the Georgian opposition of lacking
any interest in the preterm presidential election to be held on January
5, 2008, Caucasus Press reported. She said the fact that opposition
parties have repeatedly predicted that the vote will be rigged to
ensure the reelection of Mikheil Saakashvili suggests that their
members are preparing instead to take to the streets on January 6 to
protest a Saakashvili victory. Meanwhile, the participation in the
ballot of one of the seven registered candidates, businessman Badri
Patarkatsishvili, is in jeopardy given that the Georgian authorities
have turned down a request by his campaign staff for special guarantees
he will not be arrested if he returns to Georgia from abroad, civil.ge
reported on December 14, the day Patarkatsishvili initially planned to
arrive in Tbilisi. Saakashvili implicated Patarkatsishvili last month
in conspiring with Moscow in an unsuccessful bid to overthrow the
Georgian leadership. Presidential candidates automatically enjoy
immunity from prosecution for the duration of the election campaign. LF
[17] FRANCE PLEDGES SUPPORT FOR KAZAKH OSCE CHAIRMANSHIP
French President Nicolas Sarkozy on December 11 pledged France's
support for Kazakhstan's "preparations for the chairmanship" of the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), according
to Interfax-Kazakhstan. Sarkozy congratulated Kazakh President
Nursultan Nazarbaev, and said that "France is ready to accept young
Kazakh diplomats to train them in political and security issues." The
OSCE recently awarded the rotating chairmanship to Kazakhstan in 2010,
after a one-year delay on the issue as organization member countries
failed to reach a consensus (see "RFE/RL Newsline," December 3, 2006).
Human rights groups had opposed Kazakhstan's bid to chair the OSCE due
"its poor rights record." RG
[18] KAZAKH, TURKISH PRESIDENTS DISCUSS BOOSTING TRADE
Kazakh President Nazarbaev met with Turkish President Abdullah Gul in
Astana on December 13 to discuss ways to increase bilateral trade
between Kazakhstan and Turkey, Interfax-Kazakhstan reported. Nazarbaev
noted that the two countries' volume of trade reached $1.5 billion in
2007, but he called on his Turkish counterpart to take steps to reach
their joint goal of surpassing $5 billion in trade by 2010. Nazarbaev
hailed Turkey as "a stable political and economic partner" and stressed
the importance of the Kazakh-Turkish intergovernmental commission,
which is preparing to implement "a large-scale economic project for its
next session." Kazakhstan is also involved in a project to construct an
oil refinery at the Turkish port of Ceyhan. Following the meeting, the
two presidents announced the signing of an "action plan" on economic
cooperation for 2008-2009. RG
[19] KYRGYZ PRESIDENT PROMISES FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS
In a nationally broadcast address on December 13, Kyrgyz President
Kurmanbek Bakiev called on the Kyrgyz public to turn out and vote in
the country's December 16 parliamentary elections, Kyrgyz Television
reported. He stressed that a total of 12 parties have registered for
the ballot, including the opposition Ata-Meken and Ar-Namys parties, so
that voters "have the opportunity to elect any party you want." Bakiev
also said that the new parliament will work "more fruitfully than the
previous parliament," and added his "reassurance" that the election
will be free and fair. RG
[20] PROMINENT CRITIC OF UZBEK GOVERNMENT MISSING
Prominent Uzbek poet and government critic Yusuf Juma has been missing
since he staged a small protest on December 10 outside the office of
the Bukhara mayor, RFE/RL's Uzbek Service reported on December 13.
Uzbek police attempted to arrest Juma during the demonstration, but
police officials subsequently denied that he was in their custody.
During the demonstration, Juma and his supporters reportedly "shouted
insults" at the police and injured a policeman while they attempted to
flee the protest by car. Juma faces criminal charges of "discrediting
law enforcement personnel" and assault and battery. RG
Eastern Europe
[21] WASHINGTON CONDEMNS BEATING OF BELARUSIAN PROTESTERS
The U.S. State Department and U.S. Ambassador to Belarus Karen Stewart
on December 13 condemned the police crackdown on Belarusian opposition
activists in Minsk the previous day, Belapan reported. Protesters
rallied on December 12 against perceived threats to Belarus's
independence, specifically Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to
Minsk the following day to discuss the proposed Russian-Belarussian
Union State. Riot police broke up the protest, severely beating Anatol
Lyabedzka, the leader of the United Civic Party, and youth activist
Zmitser Fedaruk, who was knocked unconscious and taken to the hospital.
"This incident is another in a long series of repressive acts by the
Belarussian authorities against their own citizens," U.S. State
Department spokesman Sean McCormack said in a statement. Ambassador
Stewart, who visited Fedaruk at a hospital on December 13, said that
the United States will continue its "steps to focus the international
spotlight" on people responsible for the lack of democratic progress in
Belarus. Stewart warned that Washington is ready to impose sanctions on
more Belarusian state-run companies if Minsk does not move toward
democratization. In mid-November, the U.S. Treasury Department froze
all assets under U.S. jurisdiction belonging to Belarus's largest
petrochemical company, Belnaftakhim, and its representatives, and
forbade Americans from doing business with the company on the grounds
that it is controlled by President Alyaksandr Lukashenka. AM
[22] RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VISITS BELARUS
Russian President Putin on December 13 began a two-day visit to
Belarus, and met with his Belarusian counterpart, President Lukashenka,
RFE/RL's Belarusian Service reported. The two presidents did not issue
any statements following the meeting. Pavel Lyohki, a spokesman for
Lukashenka, told RFE/RL's Belarusian Service that the two leaders will
"consider a broad range of Belarusian-Russian issues and current
questions." Lyohki said that the agenda on December 14 includes the
budget of the proposed Belarusian-Russian Union State, mutual trade
relations, plans for joint activities in foreign policy, and questions
related to the functioning of the union state's secretariat. Putin's
arrival in Minsk was met with another demonstration by opposition
activists on the evening of December 13, during which police detained
15 youth activists who displayed a banner reading "Putin go home." The
activists were taken to a police station and released an hour later. AM
[23] UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT SAYS PARLIAMENT WILL RESOLVE DISPUTES BY
YEAR'S END
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko said on Ukrainian Channel 5
television on December 13 that lawmakers in the Verkhovna Rada will
reach an agreement and resolve all current disputes by the end of the
year. "I am convinced that the country will enter 2008 with [an
agreement on] the leadership of the newly elected parliament, the
government, and parliamentarian committees," Yushchenko said.
"Ukrainian politicians should take responsibility for ongoing order or
disorder in the parliament. The country expects the authorities to be
in place and to defend Ukraine's domestic and foreign interests," he
added. The work of the Verkhovna Rada has been deadlocked in a
procedural dispute between the opposition Party of Regions and the
coalition of the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc and the Our Ukraine-People's
Self-Defense bloc. The coalition insists on first voting on the nominee
for prime minister, while the Party of Regions demands that the
parliament vote on its own leadership before the premier is approved.
AM
Southeastern Europe
[24] EU PLANS CONCERTED MOVE TOWARD KOSOVA STATEHOOD
A plan being drafted by the EU's incoming president, Slovenia, suggests
Kosova will declare itself an independent state in the first two months
of 2008 and will be recognized by the EU's four largest states --
Britain, France, Italy, and Germany -- within 48 hours. The plan was
outlined in a report published by the "International Herald Tribune" on
December 12, which says its sources were "senior EU officials." Kosova
would probably make its move after Serbia votes in presidential
elections, which are scheduled for January 20 but will almost certainly
require a run-off on February 3. Most other EU states would swiftly
follow suit, followed -- at intervals -- by the United States;
non-aligned European states such as Switzerland, Iceland, and Norway;
Southeast European states including Slovenia and Kosova's neighbors;
and Turkey, and then the 56 members of the Organization of the Islamic
Conference. The plan needs to be discussed and supported by EU leaders.
The report has yet to be confirmed by Slovenia, whose foreign minister,
Dimitrij Rupel, said on December 11 in comments reported by Reuters
that the process of deciding Kosova's status should proceed "slowly"
and "rationally" in order to avoid a "crisis," and predicted that it
"will not go as fast as some people would like to have it." The plan's
underlying goals -- a swift, managed, and concerted show of unity by
the EU and a demonstration of the EU's determination to lead the
international effort to decide Kosova's future -- match those stated by
most EU leaders, but several EU states remain reluctant to move so
swiftly or to recognize Kosova as a state (see "RFE/RL Newsline,"
December 13, 2007). The plan also envisages the rapid convening of a
donor conference to raise funds for key infrastructure projects. The EU
is already preparing to assume responsibility from the UN for running
Kosova, though Serbia insists that that requires the support of the UN
Security Council, in which its chief ally, Russia, holds veto powers.
AG
[25] RIFT APPEARS IN SERBIAN GOVERNMENT OVER PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS...
A rift of potentially major importance has emerged within the Serbian
government, with the party of Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica calling
for the annulment of the decision to call for presidential elections on
January 20. The party's chief whip, Milos Aligrudic, said that the
speaker of parliament cited a technical reason; he argued that the
speaker did not wait for a number of related laws to come into force.
But the broader issue, voiced by several politicians, is that the
decision on a date was made unilaterally by the government's largest
party, the Democratic Party (DS) of President Boris Tadic. Kostunica's
Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) accused the DS of violating the
coalition agreement, which requires all major decisions to be made by
consensus. The DS argues that the move, made by the speaker of
parliament, Oliver Dulic of the DS, respected the provisions of an
agreement made in early November, under which the coalition parties
agreed to delay a decision on the vote until after December 10, when
the most recent round of talks on Kosova's status wound up. The news
agency Beta reported, citing unnamed sources, that Tadic and Kostunica
negotiated on the vote in the past several days, but failed to reach a
compromise. The full extent of the DSS's dissatisfaction may not become
apparent for some time, as the DSS has said Kostunica will make a full
response only after he addresses the UN Security Council on December 19
in New York. Reports in the Serbian media suggest that the DSS insisted
that no decision on the date of the presidential election should be
made until after Kostunica's appearance at the UN, arguing that the
conclusions of the Security Council should have a bearing on the timing
of the vote. Tensions between the government's two largest parties
could be compounded if it emerges, as some unnamed sources claim, that
the DS consulted with the government's junior partner, the G17 Plus
coalition. Under the Serbian constitution, the deadline for calling the
vote was December 31. AG
[26] ...AS LEVEL OF COALITION SUPPORT FOR TADIC REMAINS UNCLEAR
The rift between the DS and the DSS has highlighted Prime Minister
Kostunica's failure so far to endorse President Tadic's bid for a
second term as president, the tensions in the DSS's own position, and
divisions that could bring extreme nationalists to power. Under the
terms of the agreement that resulted in the formation of a new
government in May, the DSS and its coalition partner, New Serbia (NS),
agreed to support the DS's nominee for the post of president. However,
the DSS has remained conspicuously silent about Tadic's candidacy, and
the NS has said its leader, Velimir Ilic, will stand for the post. The
DSS therefore risks alienating its closest partner, the NS, or its most
important cabinet partner, the DS. Tadic's main challenger is Tomislav
Nikolic, the acting head of Serbia's largest parliamentary party, the
Serbian Radical Party (SRS), whose formal leader, Vojislav Seselj, is
on trial in The Hague on war crimes charges. Tadic remains more popular
than Nikolic in opinion polls, but his lead has been shrinking. Other
presidential candidates stand very little chance. They include Cedomir
Jovanovic of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Istvan Pastor, who
will represent three ethnic-Hungarian parties. The Socialist Party of
Serbia (SPS) -- the party established by Slobodan Milosevic, Serbia's
leader through the 1990s -- has not announced whether it will put up a
candidate. Its importance in electoral politics has shrunk, and its
total of 16 seats is only one more than the LDP has in the 120-seat
parliament. AG
[27] ICTY CHIEF PROSECUTOR GIVES LAST PRESS CONFERENCE...
Carla Del Ponte on December 13 gave the last press conference of her
eight-year tenure as chief prosecutor of the International Criminal
Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), talking of her pride at the
tribunal's achievements and her frustration at the failure to capture
the leaders of the Bosnian Serbs' secessionist drive in the 1990s. "The
fact that Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic are still at large...is a
stain on all [the] great achievements" of the ICTY, which include the
detention of 157 of the 161 people indicted by the court. The two other
men who remain at large are Goran Hodzic and Stojan Zupljanin. "It
pains me to still have to talk" about Mladic and Karadzic, she said.
Del Ponte had hoped to see both men tried, and she has said previously
that the hope that at least Mladic would be captured prompted her to
accept a UN request that she extend her tenure by three months, until
the end of this year (see "RFE/RL Newsline," September 17, 2007). In a
speech delivered to the UN on December 10, Del Ponte said she fears
that Mladic and Karadzic may never be caught, for which she blames
Serbia's failure to cooperate fully. But in her December 13 statement,
she said "I think...that Karadzic and Mladic will be here, and I hope
soon, with the help of the European Union." To ensure they are
captured, Del Ponte urged the EU to continue to insist on Serbia's full
cooperation with the ICTY as a precondition for closer ties, and called
on the UN to keep the ICTY open until the two are captured. The ICTY is
due to start its last cases in 2008 and to close its doors in 2010. Del
Ponte will be replaced by Serge Brammertz, a Belgian prosecutor
currently leading the UN's investigation into the killing of Rafiq
Hariri, the former Lebanese prime minister, in 2005. AG
[28] ...INCURS CRITICISM FROM FORMER COLLEAGUE...
A former senior member of ICTY chief prosecutor Del Ponte's team,
Geoffrey Nice, on December 12 launched a blistering attack on his
former boss, telling the Bosnian daily "Dnevni avaz" that "she did not
prove herself either as a lawyer, a manager, or a leader," and that she
was wrong to meddle in politics. Nice was Del Ponte's deputy prosecutor
at the trial of Slobodan Milosevic. Nice maintained that many members
of the ICTY's staff left because of the lack of professionalism in Del
Ponte's office, and argued that the ICTY's performance was undermined
by Del Ponte's preference for people who shared her opinions. He was
also critical of the UN for failing to rein her in, saying that
"nobody, neither in The Hague nor in New York, had control over her
work or behavior." Earlier this year, Nice accused Del Ponte of
reaching a secret agreement with Serbia enabling Belgrade to withhold
documents from the UN court (see "RFE/RL Newsline," April 17 and 23,
2007). AG
[29] ...AND MIXED ASSESSMENT BY ASHDOWN
There was both praise and criticism for Del Ponte from Paddy Ashdown,
who for much of Del Ponte's tenure was the most powerful figure in
Bosnia. The international community's former high representative told
the BBC that he is a "great admirer" of the Swiss prosecutor, and said
that "on balance," she did a "great job." Some of her qualities that
drew criticism -- her perceived lack of diplomacy, for example -- were
"refreshing" and appropriate from a prosecutor, Ashdown said. However,
"some of her more colorful statements," including allegations she
leveled at international figures, were "not justified by the facts,"
were "unhelpful," and "undermined" the position of the international
community. Ashdown attributed the failure to bring Mladic and Karadzic
to justice to Serbia's lack of cooperation and the EU's decision "to
relax its conditionality," so that the closeness of its relationship
with Serbia is now less dependent on its cooperation with the ICTY. He
too argued that the ICTY should remain open "until the primary
architects" of Bosnia's civil war, Mladic and Karadzic, "are brought to
justice." AG
[30] ICTY RELEASES CONVICTED VUKOVAR GENERAL
Veselin Sljivancanin, one of the Yugoslav People's Army's top
commanders during the siege of Vukovar, Croatia, has been released from
detention at the ICTY pending an appeal against his five-year prison
sentence. The UN tribunal concluded that Sljivancanin was entitled to
provisional release since he has already served almost 90 percent of
his sentence. Sljivancanin has been in the ICTY's custody since July
2003. The provisos of his release are that he must hand in his passport
to police, cannot talk to the media, and "must not interfere in any way
with victims or potential witnesses." Sljivancanin was found guilty in
September 2007 on one count of aiding and abetting torture by failing
to stop or prevent the beating of Croatian prisoners of war at Ovcara
following the fall of Vukovar in November 1991. Ovcara was the site of
the slaughter of 264 Croats and other non-Serbs. Sljivancanin's
codefendant, Mile Mrksic, was jailed for 20 years for aiding and
abetting the murder of 194 of them. The sentences given to Sljivancanin
and Mrksic -- and the acquittal of another defendant, Miroslav Radic --
provoked a storm of protest in Croatia, with Prime Minister Ivo Sanader
taking his complaint directly to the General Assembly of the UN, which
created the ICTY (see "RFE/RL Newsline," March 13, October 1 and 10,
and November 1, 2007). Since his release by the ICTY, Radic has been
charged by Croatia (see "RFE/RL Newsline," November 29, 2007). On a
related note, the ICTY on December 10 allowed three men currently
facing trial -- a former president of Serbia, Milan Milutinovic, and
two former Bosnian Serb officers, Radivoje Miletic and Milan Gvero --
to return home for several weeks. Miletic and Gvero will return only
after the Orthodox Christmas, which is celebrated on January 6-7, but
Milutinovic is due back in The Hague on January 2. A fourth man, former
Bosnian Serb colonel Vinko Pandurevic, was allowed on December 11 to
return home for 10 days to attend a memorial service for his father. AG
Southwestern Asia And The Middle East
[31] BRITISH PREMIER SUPPORTS AFGHAN GOVERNMENT DEALS WITH TALIBAN...
Britain will support negotiations with Taliban insurgents to give them
roles in Afghanistan's new government and military, provided they
renounce violence and respect human rights, British Prime Minister
Gordon Brown said on December 12, British and Afghan media reported. In
a speech to the House of Commons, Brown said, "If they are prepared to
renounce violence and abide by the constitution and respect basic human
rights, then there is a place for them in the legitimate society and
economy of Afghanistan." British officials said that this
reconciliation process will include offering salaried jobs and possibly
even high-status positions to Taliban leaders and fighters who are part
of the Islamic militant organization for non-ideological reasons. "The
aim here is to split the officer corps of the Taliban, making an escape
from insurgency appealing, especially to those who are participating
mainly for financial reasons," Britain's "Globe and Mail" quoted an
official at Britain's Department of Defense as saying. MM
[32] ...DISTANCES HIMSELF FROM U.S. AND CANADIAN POLICY
Brown's comments marked a shift in strategy away from the U.S. and
Canadian policy of non-negotiation with the Taliban, and toward Afghan
President Hamid Karzai's approach to national reconciliation. The U.S.
"Peace Through Strength" program currently encourages Taliban
insurgents to lay down their arms, but offers little more than amnesty
from prosecution in exchange. Canadian officials in Afghanistan have
reportedly said that they are beginning to embrace Karzai's approach,
but the military has not followed suit. But in his statement, Brown did
not advocate engagement in larger-scale negotiations that might give
the Taliban itself a place in Afghanistan's future government, and said
that the objective of the new strategy is "to defeat the insurgency by
isolating and eliminating their leadership." Brown also pledged 450
million pounds ($916 million) in additional reconstruction assistance
for Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012, some of which can be used by the
Afghan government to make offers to Taliban insurgents to leave the
movement and join pro-government society. MM
[33] U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE CALLS FOR A 'NEW STRATEGIC CONCEPT' FOR
NATO IN AFGHANISTAN
U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, attending a NATO conference in
Edinburgh, is expected to push allied countries to draw up a "new
strategic concept for how to wage the conflict [in Afghanistan] over
the next three to five years," Afghan and international media reported
on December 13. "The Afghanistan mission has exposed real limitation in
the way the alliance is organized, operated, and equipped," Gates said.
"We're in a post-Cold War environment. We have to be ready to operate
in distant locations against insurgencies and terrorist networks." The
meeting brings together defense chiefs from NATO members Britain,
Canada, the Netherlands, Denmark, Romania, and Estonia, and non-member
Australia, which also has troops stationed in southern Afghanistan.
Separately, Admiral Michael Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs
of Staff, said on December 11 that the NATO-led International Security
Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan is "plagued by shortfalls in
capability and capacity, and constrained by a host of caveats that
limit its ability." MM
[34] RECONSTRUCTION PROGRESS CONTINUES IN AFGHANISTAN, DESPITE
INSURGENCY
Omar Zakhilwal, director of the government-backed Afghanistan
Investment Support Agency (AISA), told China's Xinhua news agency on
December 12 that reconstruction efforts since the fall of the Taliban
regime in 2001 have been steady and on track, despite some
interruptions by the resurgence of the Taliban. He said Afghanistan has
received more than $5 billion in investment in the past six years,
mostly in the field of reconstruction run by the private sector, and
cited significant progress in road building, telecommunications,
airlines, mining, agricultural products, volume of exports, and small
business growth. In spite of the noted growth, the security situation
has continued to disrupt reconstruction efforts by the Afghan
government and the international community in 2007, as bombings,
kidnappings, and ambushes continued, particularly in Afghanistan's
south and east. MM
[35] IRAN, IAEA CONCLUDE LATEST NUCLEAR TALKS
Iranian officials and delegates of the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) on December 12 concluded three days of talks in Tehran,
focusing on the source of traces of highly enriched uranium found in
Iran, agencies reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," December 11, 2007).
Highly enriched uranium could be used to make nuclear weapons, although
Iran insists it has a strictly civilian nuclear program, and has agreed
to clarify aspects of its program to the IAEA. Its envoy to the IAEA in
Vienna, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, told IRNA on December 13 that the talks
were constructive and Iran "answered and explained" all the IAEA's
questions, adding that the IAEA will state its conclusions later.
Separately, Iran and Russia are reported to have resolved contractual
differences that have delayed completion of the Bushehr nuclear plant
in southern Iran. The Russian side is to announce a timetable for the
plant's completion by the end of December, AP reported. Russia's
Interfax news agency quoted the head of Russian firm Atomstroiexport,
Sergei Shmatko, as saying in Moscow that difficulties with the Iranian
contracts have been resolved. He also suggested the formation of a
joint venture at Bushehr to assure security -- perhaps referring to a
mechanism to prevent nuclear materials from the plant being diverted
toward military activities, AP reported, citing RIA-Novosti. VS
[36] IRAN OPENS CAR PLANT IN SYRIA
Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, Iran's Housing Minister Mohammad
Saidikia, Industry Minister Ali Akbar Mehrabian, and other officials of
both countries attended ceremonies launching the construction of a car
plant near the city of Hama, north of Damascus, on December 13, IRNA
reported. A joint firm mostly owned by Iranian carmaker SAIPA is to
produce passenger cars to be sold in Syria, IRNA quoted Mehrabian as
saying. The head of SAIPA, Ahmad Qalebani, who was attending the
ceremonies, told IRNA the completed plant will initially make 30-40
cars a day. Separately, at the opening of a cement factory, also north
of Damascus, Al-Assad said it represents a "new cornerstone" in
strategic ties between Iran and Syria, and offers a response to
attempts to undermine their relations, IRNA reported. Construction on
the cement plant, outside the city of Homs, began in 2003, IRNA
reported; it was built at the cost of $250 million by Iran's Ehdas-i
Sanaat and Syria's National Cement Institute firms. VS
[37] IRAN CONDEMNS GENERAL'S MURDER IN BEIRUT
Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini on December 12
condemned the car bombing that day that killed General Francois
el-Hajj, a respected soldier who was tipped to become Lebanon's army
chief, Iranian state television reported. Hosseini called the bombing
another move intended to raise tensions and block efforts to find a
consensual president for Lebanon. Factions there have failed in recent
weeks to agree on a choice of president, as confrontation continues
between Westernizing forces in parliament and the cabinet and their
opponents, backed by Iran and Syria. El-Hajj's superior, Michel
Sleiman, was recently touted as an acceptable choice, and el-Hajj would
have become army chief if Sleiman became president. Last summer el-Hajj
led a military operation against extremist militants hiding in a
Palestinian refugee camp, but it was not immediately clear if the
assassination was retaliation for that battle. Hosseini said "the
enemies" of Lebanon, including Israel, are reaping the greatest
benefits from instability in Lebanon. The right-wing Tehran daily
"Kayhan" on December 13 claimed to see Israel's "footprints" in the
killing, stating that Israel and the United States benefit most from
assassinations in Lebanon. The election of a president and restoration
of stability in Lebanon, it added, would mean "the Lebanon front
against [Israel] is strengthened and America would certainly not be
able to carry out its plans" in Lebanon. VS
[38] IRANIAN LAWMAKERS EXAMINE DETAINEES' CASES
Members of the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign
Policy Committee and deputy intelligence ministers met in parliament on
December 12 to examine the cases of people arrested at Tehran
University on December 4 who the government said were trying to pose as
students and cause trouble, Mehr agency reported. Committee member
Mohammad Nabi Rudaki told the agency members of parliament were told
some of those arrested "took their cue" from unnamed opposition groups
abroad, and were trying to form a new student grouping at Tehran
University. Rudaki did not state the number of those arrested (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," December 10, 2007). Separately, the head of the
parliamentary committee, Alaeddin Borujerdi, told ISNA on December 12
that EU parliamentarians' recent visit to Iran was effective in helping
them see the "realities" in Iran, so they will not view Iran with
prejudices based on information spread by the "hypocrites'
organization," a reference to the Mujahedin Khalq Organization, a
militant group opposed to Iran's government. The delegation recently
called on Iran to release detained students (see "RFE/RL Newsline,"
December 12, 2007). Borujerdi told ISNA he met with the EU delegation,
along with Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki and parliamentary
speaker Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel. He said he told the delegation the
West's "ambivalent policies on human rights" are "incomprehensible" to
Iran. VS
[39] IRAQI MINISTER SAYS U.S.-IRAN MEETING DELAYED UNTIL END OF MONTH
Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari announced on December 13 that the next
round of talks on the situation in Iraq between the United States and
Iran in Baghdad will not take place on December 18, as planned, but at
the end of the month, Al-Jazeera television reported on December 13.
"It seems there will be some delay as the two sides have certain
arrangements" to handle. "However, we hope the talks will be held by
the end of this year," Zebari told the news channel. Meanwhile, Deputy
Foreign Minister Labid Abawi said on December 13 that there have been
technical problems regarding the agenda for both the American and
Iranian delegations, Al-Sharqiyah television reported. Abawi said the
ministry is working to arrange a date suitable to both sides. KR
[40] IRAQI PRESIDENT APPEALS TO RESISTANCE TO LAY DOWN ARMS...
Iraqi President Jalal Talabani on December 13 called on Iraqis involved
in armed combat against the government and multinational forces to
reconsider their stance, Iraqi media reported. Speaking at the Tribal
Awakening Conference for Baghdad and its Suburbs, Talabani said Iraq
has made a transition from an era of violence to an era of dialogue.
"As an Iraqi citizen and as president of the republic, I would like to
make an urgent and brotherly appeal to the...national resistance and
[those] who are taking up arms against the elected government and the
multinational force. I hereby urge them to reconsider their positions,
and to change their resistance from a bloody, armed action...to a
national, peaceful, democratic, public, political, and media
resistance." He continued, "There has to be a state of accord among the
key forces" in Iraq. Talabani praised Iraqi tribes for the "key role"
they played "in liberating Iraq" from terrorists and militias. Some 800
tribal leaders attended the meeting, which was also attended by Sunni
Arab Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi, Interior Minister Jawad
al-Bulani, Multinational Force - Iraq Commander General David Petraeus,
and U.K. Ambassador to Iraq Christopher Prentice. Al-Hashimi told the
conference that "the chances of a civil war [breaking out] are gone
forever." KR
[41] ...AS SHI'ITE AYATOLLAH CALLS FOR RETURN TO 'PRINCIPLE OF ACCORD'
Shi'ite Ayatollah Muhammad al-Ya'qubi has called on Iraqis to embrace
the principle of accord, Al-Sharqiyah television reported on December
13. "The democracy that politicians are talking about is in fact
distorted," al-Ya'qubi said at a meeting with journalists. "By
following the majority's choices only, it views things from a single
perspective. The current government is not fit for Iraq's political and
social situation. We therefore have to go back to the principle of
accord." The cleric also stressed the need to abolish sectarian
political parties. Al-Sharqiyah television did not report where the
meeting was held. KR
[42] IRAQI VICE PRESIDENT COMMENTS ON AWAKENING COUNCILS,
RECONCILIATION
Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi told the London-based "Al-Sharq
al-Awsat" newspaper in an interview published on December 13 that the
Iraqi government must do more to integrate the members of Sunni
awakening councils into the security forces. Asked about the alleged
decisions of some armed groups to join awakening councils, al-Hashimi
said, "Some [council members] belong to armed groups and others are
volunteers and do not belong to armed groups." He continued, "The
awakening council elements are unarmed now, and there is a need to arm
them. The disagreement between some regional parties and us is about
supporting the awakening councils....We [Sunni Arabs] demand that the
government employ [council members] in the security services...to make
them fall under the control and instructions of the state." Regarding
national reconciliation, al-Hashimi said: "The Iraqi government must
open the door to dialogue and the Ba'athists must accept the rules of
the new political and democratic game. [Ba'athists] must abandon their
culture in the administration of the state, the ideology of coups, and
so on....Everyone is talking with everyone, but nothing has been
achieved until now in this regard, and efforts must continue." KR
[43] IRAQI CLERIC AL-SADR RESUMES SEMINARY STUDIES
Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has resumed his seminary studies with
the goal of gaining the title of ayatollah, AP reported on December 14.
Al-Sadr reportedly believes he must attain the position of ayatollah if
he is to successfully compete with the rival Shi'ite al-Hakim family,
which boasts a long line of senior ayatollahs with significant
political clout in Iraq. Al-Sadr also comes from a long line of
influential clerics, but many of them have passed away. Al-Sadr's
father Ayatollah Muhammad Sadiq al-Sadr and his two brothers were
killed in 1999, allegedly by the Hussein regime. "If Muqtada becomes a
religious authority, the entire movement will grow stronger," said one
al-Sadr aide. AP reported that al-Sadr could achieve the rank of
ayatollah by 2010 or earlier. Successful candidates achieve the rank
through the completion of rigorous Islamic studies. Aides said his
studies focus on vilayet i-fiqh, the school of thought that promotes
clerical rule. AP also reported that al-Sadr is trying to bring more
legitimacy to his militia by weeding out rogue elements, while some
militiamen are taking seminary lessons for three hours a day, five days
a week. Aides said those who pass the seminary exams will remain in the
militia. KR
End Note
[44] THERE IS NO END NOTE TODAY.
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