Menendez Hammers Turkey's "Historical Commission" Proposal

September 30, 2008 Menendez Hammers Turkey's “Historical Commission” Proposal WATCH VIDEO Amb. James Jeffrey Sen. Bob Menendez Sen. John Kerry -- Senators Menendez and Kerry Grill Ambassador Designate to Ankara during Confirmation Hearing -- Responding to Biden, Turkish Ambassador Nominee Affirms Genocide-Era Diplomatic Record From the Campaign Trail: New McCain Outreach Fails to Outline Armenian American Policy Positions Youth in Politics: ANCA Capital Gateway Program Opens Public Policy Doors for Fall '08 Participants Fighting Genocide Denial: Watertown Town Council Calls on Blue Cross Blue Shield to Disassociate with Controversial ADL Program Darfur: Gov. Schwarzenegger Bans California Contracts with Sudan Menendez Hammers Turkey's “Historical Commission” Proposal WASHINGTON, DC - New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez pressed U.S. Ambassador to Turkey nominee James Jeffrey to explain the Administration’s apparent renewed backing for Turkey’s widely discredited push for a “historical commission” on the Armenian Genocide, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). The move comes despite the State Department’s pledge, made during the nomination process for U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Marie Yovanovitch, to oppose efforts that would open to debate the fact that Ottoman Turkey used mass killings, ethnic cleansing, and forced deportations to destroy over one and half million Armenians. “We want to share our special thanks with Senator Menendez for, once again, shining a powerful international spotlight on the Administration’s policy of complicity in Turkey’s denial of the Armenian Genocide,” stated ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “We are especially grateful for his incisive line of questioning regarding the State Department’s flawed and inconsistent position on Turkey’s self-serving proposal for a historical commission. A clear illustration of the bankruptcy of the Administration’s policy on the Armenian Genocide was the nominee’s convoluted response to the simple question, posed by Senator Menendez: “If Turkey would be willing to recognize the Armenian Genocide, would the United States be willing to do so?’” Read more. . . Responding to Biden, Turkish Ambassador Nominee Affirms Genocide-Era Diplomatic Record Additional Docs. Amb. Jeffrey's Responses to Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) Amb. Jeffrey's Responses to Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) Amb. Jeffrey's Responses to Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) WASHINGTON, DC - Ambassador to Turkey designate James Jeffrey, in response to questions from Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman and Vice-Presidential candidate Joe Biden (D-DE), affirmed that official U.S. diplomatic reports by Ambassadors Morgenthau and Elkus and other Armenian Genocide-era U.S. diplomats in the Ottoman Empire did, in fact, describe the attempted extermination of the Armenian population, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). Additional questions were asked by Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Russ Feingold (D-WI), among other Senators. “Although falling far short of a clear and proper recognition of the Armenian Genocide, Ambassador Jeffrey, in his response to Senator Biden’s questioning, moved U.S. policy in the right direction by publicly agreeing - after long years of official disregard, disrespect, and dismissal of Ambassador Henry Morgenthau’s proud legacy - that our nation’s diplomatic representatives to the Ottoman Empire did, in fact, document the Ottoman government’s clear intent and systematic campaign to destroy its Armenian population,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “We want to thank Chairman Biden for his thoughtful inquiries that led to this reaffirmation of the American record, and to, once again, express our appreciation to Senators Menendez and Kerry for their incisive lines of questioning during the Foreign Relations Committee’s confirmation hearing earlier this week.” Read more. . . New McCain Outreach Fails to Outline Armenian American Policy Positions WASHINGTON, DC - Senator John McCain today issued an open letter to Armenian American voters, seeking their support for his presidential campaign, but failing to outline his stands on core Armenian American issues, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). Today’s letter, released by the McCain-Palin campaign, echoed the same themes as Senator McCain’s correspondence this February to the ANCA. Using nearly identical language, the Arizona Senator praised the Armenian American contribution to American society, and Armenia’s contribution to Coalition operations in Iraq and NATO peacekeeping in Kosovo. While remaining silent on Nagorno Karabagh, the Turkish and Azerbaijani blockades, U.S. aid to Armenia, and the broader issue of U.S.-Armenia relations, he did, in euphemistic language typically employed by the Administration, mention the “terrible tragedy” suffered by the Armenians, although, notably, without using the proper term genocide. “We had hoped that, during the course of the campaign, Senator McCain’s outreach to Armenian American voters would have evolved beyond the respectful but substantially non-policy oriented letter he sent to us earlier this year, by outlining his positions on our community’s core issues,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “Armenian Americans are issue voters, and look to the candidates seeking their support to be clear about their views and values - particularly on issues related to the Armenian Genocide, Nagorno Karabagh, the strengthening of Armenia, and the growth of U.S.-Armenia relations.” Read more. . . ANCA Capital Gateway Program Opens Public Policy Doors for Fall '08 Participants WASHINGTON, DC - The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) Capital Gateway Program welcomed five new participants to the nation’s capital this month, each eager to embark on careers in politics and public policy. Now in its fifth consecutive year, the Gateway Program helps applicants attain exciting internships and challenging full-time public policy jobs in the nation’s capital. To date, over forty fellows have gone through the program and secured positions in dozens of Congressional offices, as well as esteemed media and political institutions such as Congressional Quarterly, the US Chamber of Commerce, Export-Import Bank (EXIM), SRCP Media and the World Bank. The five Fall, 2008 participants hit the ground running in Washington, landing Congressional internships within weeks of their arrival. “Being in DC for only a week and having already secured internships on the Hill is very exciting for both me and my colleagues,” said Meri Telelyan, a recent University of California, Santa Barbara graduate currently interning for Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA). “Of course, our ultimate goal is to find permanent positions working in Congress.” Read more. . . Watertown Town Council Calls on Blue Cross / Blue Shield to Disassociate with Controversial ADL Program WATERTOWN, MA - The Watertown Town Council unanimously voted last night in support of a resolution calling on Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) of Massachusetts to ends its endorsement of the Anti Defamation League's (ADL) controversial No Place for Hate (NPFH) program, citing the ADL's opposition to Armenian Genocide affirmation efforts, reported the Armenian National Committee of Massachusetts (ANCM). The resolution, introduced by Councilors Marilyn Petitto Devaney, Stephen Corbett, and Mark Sideris, was taken up during a regular Town Council session, which was moved in advance to the Watertown Middle School to accommodate the growing interest in this scandal. The vote on the resolution was prefaced by the reading of a brief statement by Jay Curley, BCBS’s Senior Vice President for Public, Government and Regulatory Affairs, who was present at the Council’s request. Following Mr. Curley’s statement, all nine Town Council members asked detailed questions regarding the BCBS position. Read more. . . Gov. Schwarzenegger Bans California Contracts with Sudan Los Angeles, CA - California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed bill AB 498 on September 24, 2008 which bans California contracts with companies that do business with Khartoum due to the ongoing genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. While the bill was introduced earlier last year, support for the bill gained momentum due to a broad based, anti-genocide grassroots advocacy effort which surged across the state in the past several months. “The Armenian American community is pleased to see California resolutely state that it will not economically support a government that engages in genocide, that there are consequences to committing genocide, and that California will not shirk its responsibility in confronting genocide,” stated ANCA-WR Community Relations Director Haig Hovsepian. “The ANC applauds the hard work of the Save Darfur Coalition in working with the California community and anti-genocide organizations throughout the state in making this day possible - and will continue to work closely with our friends in the coalition to help end the disastrous cycle of genocide that continues today,” he added. During an ANC organized advocacy day in Sacramento this past April, activists reminded state legislators about the importance of California being at the forefront of human rights by maintaining its commitment to confronting genocide, taking measures to prevent and punishing those who engage in that crime against humanity. Read More. . . ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~