www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE:• Students compete in indoor soccer tournament — page 8. • Ukrainian activist named to Order of Canada — page 10. • Survey: Top 100 Ukrainian heroes/heroines — page 12. Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXIX HE No.KRAINIAN 43 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2001 EEKLY$1/$2 in Ukraine Kyiv acknowledges responsibility for jet’s downing, AnthraxT scaresU hit Ukraine W by Roman Woronowycz assistant director of UkrPost, Ukraine’s Kyiv Press Bureau postal service, during a press conference Kuchma accepts defense minister’s resignation on October 24. KYIV – A series of anthrax scares, Mr. Moroz underscored that sending by Roman Woronowycz including 38 separate incidents of letters illegal or dangerous substances or simply Kyiv Press Bureau containing powder-like substances sent using the postal service to scare people through the Ukrainian postal system, KYIV – President Leonid Kuchma are criminal offenses punishable by jail went on national television on October have caused apprehension and a height- terms. ened state of security within the country. 24 to officially acknowledge Ukraine’s He noted that the 38 pieces of corre- full responsibility for the unintended Thus far, the bacterial spores that spread spondence have come from 16 various the deadly disease have not been found in destruction of a Russian commercial air- post office zones, including four from liner by an errant missile on October 4 the country. Kyiv and eight from abroad. The first of the alerts – which to some and to announce that he had accepted the The first three letters that underwent resignation of the country’s top military extent are the result of extreme caution scrutiny, came from the United States, on the part of law enforcement officials official. explained Mr. Moroz. After initial test- “I want to again express my deep in Ukraine – occurred on October 16 ing, officials determined that the when a worker at a construction site near sympathies to the governments of Israel envelopes merely contained coffee and the Russian Federation for their citi- the village of Osokorky, located just out- grounds. More extensive testing is being zens who died as a result of this catastro- side of Kyiv, discovered 40 glass AP/Viktor Pobedinsky done on those, as well as the other 35 let- phe,” said Mr. Kuchma. ampules containing a white powdery sub- ters, to exclude any bacteriological con- In a five-minute address, the president Defense Minister Oleksander Kuzmuk stance. That was followed a day later by tamination other than anthrax. thanked the two countries “as well as the appearance of a letter containing a indications pointed to Ukrainian respon- Although postal workers found mari- other countries’ for their help and their white powder at the customs post in the sibility for the S-200 missile, he juana in one correspondence, for the understanding “in these very complicat- city of Hlukhiv, located near the Russian believed that conclusions that could most the letters that have undergone test- ed circumstances.” border in the Sumy Oblast. As a result, well be premature must be withheld ing have been found to contain innocu- Mr. Kuchma then announced that he three customs officials of the post who until experts authoritatively determined ous powders, either flours, laundry deter- had accepted the resignation of had come in contact with the letter were what actually happened. He had gents or salt. Mr. Moroz called them Minister of Defense Oleksander demanded that investigators travel to quarantined for a week. hoaxes and scare tactics being employed Kuzmuk and several other ranking mili- State Customs Service Director Yurii the Crimean training site before draw- by deranged elements for their own tary officials, and said that he would ing final conclusions. Solovkov said his agency has now imple- amusement. now move to introduce civilian control The national security chief’s com- mented procedures in which all packages As an example he cited one envelope over the military. ments came in response to a statement by and letters entering Ukraine go through a containing a white substance that was “The task is to ensure qualitative Vladimir Rushailo, chairman of the screening process, including X-raying. addressed to: “Osama Bin Laden, Cave changes in military reforms and intro- Russian investigation commission who The biggest problems for Ukrainian No. 5, Mount Hoverlia, Lviv Oblast. The duce civilian control over the armed officials, however, involve letters sent return address on another one read sim- forces as soon as possible,” explained had asserted that mathematical modeling through the postal system found to con- ply: “Terrorist,” with a notation on the President Kuchma. supported evidence that the missile that tain powdery like substances. When dis- envelope reading “anthrax enclosed.” The president also ordered the suspen- (Continued on page 8) covered, they have set-off a system of Mr. Moroz also explained that a dis- sion of all military exercises involving vigilance that has caused delays, stress proportionate number of the letters were Zenit-class missiles and a detailed and additional expenses. either from university student dormito- review of all air defense weapons. He “For the most part, these are tasked National Security and Defense pranksters,” said Volodymyr Moroz, first (Continued on page 8) Council Secretary Yevhen Marchuk with heading an interdepartmental task force Ukrainian center that would implement the various direc- tives he had issued. attacked in Moscow Requiem concert in Kyiv recalls Ukraine’s declaration of full responsi- by Roman Woronowycz bility for the destruction of the Sibir Kyiv Press Bureau Airlines TU-154 airliner and the deaths victims of terrorist attacksby Roman Woronowycz in U.S. of its 78 passengers on October 4, as KYIV – Unidentified assailants Kyiv Press Bureau well as admission that one of its S-200 heaved Molotov cocktails at the rockets released during live-fire exercis- Ukrainian Cultural Center (UCC) in KYIV – Citizens of Ukraine remem- es on the Crimean peninsula at the time Moscow in the wee hours of October 21 bered the victims of the September 11 ter- had caused the catastrophe, were the in what appears to have been an anti- rorist attacks on the United States during final steps in a gradual change in posi- Ukrainian attack. a requiem concert held at the National tion taken by the country. The perpetrators left leaflets that stat- Opera House of Ukraine in Kyiv on Originally Kyiv had absolutely ed the attack was in response to the October 22. refused to consider that one of its mis- destruction of the Sibir Airlines TU-154 The commemoration, titled “Sorrow – siles had gone astray and traveled 250 jet that resulted in the death of all 78 Remembrance – Hope” and featuring the kilometers off target. The first hint at a people on board and for “the ongoing Odesa State Philharmonic Orchestra con- change of stance came two days after the problems associated with the city of ducted by American Hobart Earle, was held tragedy when Prime Minister Anatolii Sevastopol.” 40 days after the death of more than 5,000 Kinakh stated that all possible versions The authors of the leaflets, which people during attacks on the World Trade as to what happened to the TU-154, were scattered before the building locat- Center in New York and the Pentagon in which was traveling over the Black Sea ed on historic Arbat Street in the heart of Washington, as well as in a plane crash in from Tel Aviv to Novosibirsk in Russia, Moscow, warned that Ukrainian leaders Pennsylvania. Ukrainians traditionally had to be considered. would be held accountable. No organiza- remember a deceased family member or Even as late as October 22 Mr. tion has claimed responsibility for the friend on the 40th day after the death. Marchuk, secretary of Ukraine’s act. U.S. Ambassador Carlos Pascual U.S. Ambassador Carlos Pascual, as National Security and Defense Council, The director of the UCC, Volodymyr speaks at requiem concert held had explained after a meeting of the Melnychenko, told The Weekly the fire in Kyiv. (Continued on page 5) Russian commission investigating the destruction of the TU-154 that, while all (Continued on page 8) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2001 No. 43 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFSNEWSBRIEFS Western support increases Kyiv, Prague disagree on debt be Mr. Pliusch’s bodyguard Oleksander Skliar. Mr. Skliar asked the patrol to call KYIV – Ukrainian Foreign Affairs for an ambulance, but died before it for Baltic membership in NATO Minister Anatolii Zlenko and his Czech arrived. Rada Vice-Chairman Viktor by Taras Kuzio contradiction of NATO’s “open door” counterpart, Jan Kavan, held talks in Medvedchuk told the Parliament on RFE/RL Newsline policy. The German position has gradual- Kyiv on October 22. Mr. Kavan urged October 24 that, according to an official ly evolved into cautious support, and Kyiv to repay its Soviet-era debt to the statement by the Internal Affairs Some Western commentators have France, too, now officially supports Czech Republic, which dates back to a Ministry, both men died of heart prob- expressed concern that Russia’s inclusion Baltic membership in NATO. construction accord in 1985. Kavan said lems. (RFE/RL Newsline) within the international coalition against Ultimately, however, it will be the the debt should have been repaid by the terrorism will lead to it demanding con- United States – the dominant country end of 2000. “Depending on the dollar- Rushailo: jet downed by missile cessions from the United States in areas within NATO – that will have the deci- hryvnia exchange rate to be used in cal- MOSCOW – Russian Security such as NATO enlargement. These fears sive say in whether the Balts are asked to culations, we think Ukraine’s debt Council Secretary Vladimir Rushailo seem to be increasingly unwarranted as join next year.