MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2010


KLMNO


EZ SU


The World BY ERNESTO LONDONO


kabul—Afghan authorities said Sunday that they recovered the bodies of three election workers kidnapped Saturday during par- liamentary balloting marked by violence and reports of wide- spreadfraud. The election workers were ab-


ducted Saturdaymorning as they were taking ballots to a polling stationinthenorthernprovinceof Balkh, provincial spokesmanMu- nitAhmar said. “They were ambushed by the


Taliban,” he said. “They were all shotwithKalashnikovs.” Afghan election commission


BURHAN OZBILICI/ASSOCIATED PRESS


Archbishop AramAteshian, center, patriarch of the Armenian church in Turkey, leads the service atHoly Cross Church nearVan.


Church uproar a setback for Turkey-Armenia ties


Officials fail to replace historic building’s cross in time for celebration


BY GUL TUYSUZ


van, turkey — An event that many had hoped would be a watershed on the road to the normalization of relations be- tween Turkey and Armenia be- came instead a source of contro- versy Sunday when Turkish au- thorities did not place a cross atop a newly renovated church in time for a highly anticipated ser- vice. Hundreds of Armenians gath-


ered at the 10th-century Holy Cross Church near Van, a city close toTurkey’s border with Iran, for the first religious service there since the mass killings of Arme- nians in 1915. The event, at a site considered sacred bymanyArme- nians, was seen as a symbolic gesture by Turkey to mend rela- tions with Armenia. Last week, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the re- opening of the church “an expres- sion of Turks’ tolerance.” But the absence of the cross,


and the bitter reaction it prompt- ed, reflect just how tenuous rela- tions between the two nations remain. The church is considered a historical building, and any additions requiregovernmentap- proval. Turkish officials said that the cross was too heavy and that the church’s dome would not sup- port it. The green light for the service


was given earlier this year during a period of rapprochement be- tween Turkey, which is mostly Muslim, and predominantly Christian Armenia. Turkish-Ar- menian relations had picked up after a round of what was called “football diplomacy,” with the two countries’ presidents attending exhibition matches between the


Turkish and Armenian national soccer teams. Those efforts cul- minated in the announcement of the Turkey-Armenia Protocols last year, but the agreement never took effect. Each side blamed the other for adding new conditions to the deal, resulting in the failure of either nation’s parliament to ratify it. Services at the church, which


has been turned into a museum, are generally not allowed. But when Turkey agreed to open the church for services once a year, many saw the gesture as a small but important step in addressing a historic wrong. Armenians say that 1.5 million people were killed in an act of genocide between 1915 and 1917. The Turkish gov- ernment acknowledges that thousands of Armenians were killed, but denies that the events constituted a genocide. “It might mean more recogni-


tion of the historical past,” said Howard Atesian of Detroit, who was among a group of Armenian AmericanswhocametoTurkey to see their ancestral land. But not all Armenians saw the ceremony as an honest effort by Turkey. Even before the cross controversy led some tour groups to cancel their visit to the church, Armenian commentators labeled the occasion a publicity stunt. The Turkish invitation to prayer at the church was seen as a way for Turkey to score points with the European Union, which has been pressuring the country to grant more freedom to its minori- ties.


Concerns that Turkey was us-


ing the event to gain internation- al favor and the outrage over the missing cross sparked protests in Yerevan, the Armenian capital. “It was sad but still beautiful,”


said Mari Esgici, an Armenian restaurantowner, ofSunday’s ser- vice. “At least the young ones got to see this happen.”


Tuysuz is a special correspondent.


Erectile Dysfunction? Premature Ejaculation?


chairman Fazal Ahmad Manawi said Sunday that election day had been more violent than initially reported. At least 21 voters were killed and 46 were wounded in attacks around the country, Manawi said. There were 93 at- tacksonpollingcenters,headded. The Taliban and other armed


groups denounced the election, calling it a fraud orchestrated by theUnited States, and threatened to attackpolling sites andvoters. As election workers began


counting ballots Sunday, com- plaints of fraud began pouring in. They included reports of voters whomanaged towipe off the pur- ple ink fromtheir index fingers so they could votemultiple times, as well as ballot stuffing in remote polling stations where few, if any, electionobserverswereposted. The Free and Fair Election


Foundation ofAfghanistan issued a statement Sunday saying it had “serious concerns about the quali- ty of the election” and noting that its observers and other sources documented “extensive irregular-


ities.” The group said observers re-


ported serious security incidents in 389 polling stations. “Ballot stuffing was reported in most provinces, as were proxy voting and underage voting,” the state- ment said. International election experts said it could takeweeks to determine the scope of the fraud. “As with many election days in


tough circumstances, initial ap- pearances are only part of the story,” Glenn Cowan, the chief of the observer mission dispatched byBethesda-basedDemocracy In- ternational, said in an interview Sunday. “We have to wait to see what happens with the vote tabu-


lation.” Senior Western officials have


refrainedfromcallingthe election a success, following early upbeat assessments of last year’s fraud- plaguedpresidential election. “The results and quality of the


election will not be immediately evident,” the U.S. Embassy said in a statement. “The United States will support the Afghan indepen- dent electoral institutions as they do their work in coming weeks, including carrying out thorough measures todetect andadjudicate fraud.” Provincial councils will review


mostcomplaints,andseriousones will be referred to officials in Ka-


A9 Bodies of 3 Afghan electionworkers found


DAVID GUTTENFELDER/ASSOCIATED PRESS Election workers stack ballot boxes in Kabul a day after parliamentary voting was marred by violence.


bul. The Electoral Complaints Commissionis expectedto rule on all complaints by Oct. 24. Final results are expectedOct. 30. Because of the large number of


candidates—roughly2,500candi- dates vied for 249 seats in the lower house of parliament—elec- tion experts say there will proba- bly behundreds of complaints. “You have 2,200 losers,” Cowan


said. “Any time you have that many people who feel abused, there’sboundtobeahugenumber of complaints.” londonoe@washpost.com


Special correspondent Javed Hamdard contributed to this report.


We shape the future of aerospace and defense


We’ve had ten great years of growth and innovation at EADS. Now we are preparing ourselves for the future, refreshing the identities of our famous brands. Strengthening the group’s appearance and giving us a common signature. Is there any company better equipped to shape the future of aerospace? We don’t think so.


www.eads.com


Achieve Stronger andLonger Lasting ErectionswhenEDpills have failed.


Erectile Dysfunction Our exclusive US patented treatment has helped thousands of men overcome ED when traditional pills did not work or cause side-effects, regardless of age or medical conditions.


Premature Ejaculation Achieve control and last at least 30-60 min


• National network of specialists est. in 2000 • 30,000 men successfully treated last year • Same day Results – Confidential Appointment


Improve your sexual ability atBMG–


Your Trusted Source of Men's Health Specialists * Resultsmay vary


Call for free info or for a confidential appt.


1-866-738-5187 Los Angeles • Costa Mesa • San Diego • San Francisco • Seattle • Phoenix • Denver


Houston • Dallas • Fort Lauderdale • Orlando • Tampa • Chicago • Detroit • Philadelphia Pittsburgh • Puerto Rico • Tysons Corner • D.C. • NewYork-Manhattan & Long Island


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64