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Dumb idea. I like the hospitality metaphor. Any hostess worth her salt knows who her guests are, especially those she's going to let wander through her home unattended. [EMAIL PROTECTED] U.S. Drops Armenian Men from List of Visitors Who Must Register December 19, 2002 By JOHN M. BRODER LOS ANGELES, Dec. 18 - Reversing course, the Department of Justice has dropped Armenia from the list of countries whose adult male citizens living temporarily in the United States must register with immigration authorities. The turnabout, on Tuesday, followed loud complaints from the government of Armenia and Armenian groups in the United States over a notice, published by the department in the Federal Register last Friday, that added Armenia, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to 18 countries already listed in the so-called special registration program. "I don't know why Armenia appeared on the list in the first place," said Arman Kirakossian, the Armenian ambassador to the United States. "We have no terrorist groups in Armenia. We are part of the campaign against terrorism." Armenia is a predominantly Christian country, the ambassador noted. With the exception of North Korea, the 20 countries that remain on the list are Arab or predominantly Muslim. Mr. Kirakossian said that roughly 1.5 million people of Armenian descent were living in the United States, at least a third of them here in the Los Angeles area. He said he had no estimate of the number of Armenians in the country on temporary visas who would have been forced to register with the immigration service. The ambassador said that as soon as the notice appeared last Friday, he and other Armenian officials contacted the White House, Congress and the Justice Department to try to have the decision overturned. Armenian-American groups joined in the intensive lobbying effort, which continued through the weekend. "What we were told was it was a misunderstanding, a mistake," Mr. Kirakossian said. Jorge Martinez, a Justice Department spokesman, offered no explanation for the original decision or the change. "I am not responsible for what is published in the Federal Register," Mr. Martinez said. "All I can say is that two new countries were added this week: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia." The program requires men over the age of 16 from countries considered sources of potential terrorists to appear before officers of the Immigration and Naturalization Service to be interviewed, fingerprinted and photographed. Failure to register can result in criminal charges and immediate expulsion. http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/19/national/19VISA.html?ex=1041293692&ei=1&en=dbae560c0ef8d0ad HOW TO ADVERTISE --------------------------------- For information on advertising in e-mail newsletters or other creative advertising opportunities with The New York Times on the Web, please contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] or visit our online media kit at http://www.nytimes.com/adinfo For general information about NYTimes.com, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Copyright 2002 The New York Times Company <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
