Articles on Obama's disappointing statement‏

OBAMA BRANDS ARMENIAN KILLINGS 'GREAT ATROCITIES'
By Desmond Butler And Ben Feller
Associated Press
24 April 09

President Barack Obama on Friday refrained from branding the massacre
of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians in Turkey a "genocide," breaking
a campaign promise while contending his views about the 20th century
slaughter had not changed.

The phrasing of Obama's written statement attracted heightened scrutiny
because of the sensitivity of the issue and because Turkey and Armenia
are nearing a historic reconciliation after years of tension. The
Obama administration is wary of disturbing that settlement.

Marking the grim anniversary of the start of the killings, the
president referred to them as "one of the great atrocities of the
20th century."

"I have consistently stated my own view of what occurred in 1915, and
my view of that history has not changed," Obama said. "My interest
remains the achievement of a full, frank and just acknowledgment of
the facts."

"The best way to advance that goal right now," Obama said, "is for
the Armenian and Turkish people to address the facts of the past as
a part of their efforts to move forward."

For Obama, referring to the killings as genocide could have upended
recent pledges of a closer partnership with Turkey, a vital ally in
a critical region. Steering around the word, however, put him at odds
with his own pledges to recognize the slaughter as genocide.

Obama said the Armenians who were massacred in the final days of the
Ottoman Empire "must live on in our memories." He said unresolved
history can be a heavy weight. "Reckoning with the past holds out
the powerful promise of reconciliation," he said.

"I strongly support efforts by the Turkish and Armenian people to
work through this painful history in a way that is honest, open,
and constructive," he said.

The administration closely coordinated its statement about the apparent
breakthrough with the Turkish government and Swiss mediators. Turkey
and Armenia announced on Wednesday they were closing in on some kind
of reconciliation.

At least one Armenian-American group said it felt let down by Obama.

"Today's statement does not reflect the change the president promised,"
said Bryan Ardouny, executive director of the Armenian Assembly of
America. He said Obama "has needlessly delayed the cause of genocide
affirmation and diminishes U.S. credibility with regard to genocide
prevention."

To Lincoln McCurdy, president of the Turkish Coalition of America,
which advocates close U.S.-Turkish ties, Obama sent "a clear message
to America and the world that his administration will not sacrifice
long-term strategic allies for short-term political gains."

The dispute involves what scholars widely view as the first genocide of
the 20th century. Turkey denies that the deaths constituted genocide,
contending the toll has been inflated and that the casualties were
victims of civil war and unrest.

During a trip to Turkey this month, Obama emphasized U.S. support for
the reconciliation efforts and avoided the term genocide in a speech
to the Turkish parliament.

Turkey and Armenia agreed Wednesday on a road map for normalizing
relations and reaching reconciliation. But it was not immediately
clear how they would tackle the bitter dispute over the Ottoman-era
killings of ethnic Armenians.

On Thursday, Vice President Joe Biden spoke by telephone with Armenian
President Serge Sarkisian and welcomed that announcement.

Turkey and Armenia have no diplomatic ties, and their border has been
closed since 1993 because of a Turkish protest of Armenia's occupation
of land claimed by Azerbaijan.

In September, Turkish President Abdullah Gul became the first
Turkish leader to visit Armenia, where he and Sarkisian watched their
countries' soccer teams play a World Cup qualifying match. The Armenian
government appears to be interested in further talks.

Armenian-American groups and supporters in Congress are focused on
passing a resolution that describes the killings as genocide and
argue that it should not undermine diplomatic efforts.

Gul said Friday in Ankara that he expected Obama to deliver a
statement that would reinforce the reconciliation talks. "I believe
that (Obama's statement) should be one that is supportive of our good
intentioned efforts," Gul told reporters.

PROMISES, PROMISES: OBAMA, ARMENIANS AND GENOCIDE
By Calvin Woodward
Associated Press
Saturday, April 25

WASHINGTON - Barack Obama was unequivocal during the campaign: As
president, he would recognize the nearly century-old massacre of
Armenians in Turkey as genocide.

In breaking that promise Friday, the president did the same diplomatic
tiptoeing he criticized the Bush administration for doing.

Like George W. Bush before him, Obama did not want to alienate vital
ally Turkey by declaring the slaughter of an estimated 1.5 million
Armenians to be genocide _ especially with Turkey and Armenia now
exploring reconciliation.

Instead, he said he had not changed his view from the campaign,
even as he declined to state it, and added: "My interest remains the
achievement of a full, frank and just acknowledgment of the facts."

In a statement on the anniversary of the start of the killings in 1915
_ a day when U.S. presidents typically honor the Armenian victims _
Obama said: "Each year, we pause to remember the 1.5 million Armenians
who were subsequently massacred or marched to their death in the
final days of the Ottoman Empire."

The statement was less than the full and frank acknowledgment he
promised Jan. 19, 2008, when he vowed that as president, "I will
recognize the Armenian Genocide," and repeatedly used the word.

An excerpt from that 2008 campaign statement, one of several he
released on the subject:

"I also share with Armenian Americans _ so many of whom are descended
from genocide survivors _ a principled commitment to commemorating and
ending genocide. That starts with acknowledging the tragic instances
of genocide in world history. As a U.S. Senator, I have stood with
the Armenian American community in calling for Turkey's acknowledgment
of the Armenian Genocide.

"Two years ago, I criticized the Secretary of State for the firing
of U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, John Evans, after he properly used
the term 'genocide' to describe Turkey's slaughter of thousands of
Armenians starting in 1915. I shared with Secretary (Condoleezza)
Rice my firmly held conviction that the Armenian Genocide is not
an allegation, a personal opinion, or a point of view, but rather a
widely documented fact supported by an overwhelming body of historical
evidence. The facts are undeniable. An official policy that calls on
diplomats to distort the historical facts is an untenable policy.

"As a senator, I strongly support passage of the Armenian Genocide
Resolution (H.Res.106 and S.Res.106), and as President I will recognize
the Armenian Genocide."

Scholars widely consider the events of 1915 to be the first genocide
of the 20th century. Turkey contends the death toll was inflated and
resulted from civil war and unrest, not genocide.

Ken Hachikian, chairman of the Armenian National Committee of America,
said Obama's statement Friday "represents a retreat from his pledge
and a setback to the vital change he promised to bring about in how
America confronts the crime of genocide."

OBAMA MARKS ARMENIAN 'ATROCITY'
BBC NEWS
2009/04/24 19:37:03 GMT

Barack Obama has refrained from calling the killing of Armenians by
Turks in World War I "genocide" despite using the term during his
election campaign.

However, the US president did describe the killing of hundreds of
thousands of Armenians as "one of the great atrocities of the 20th
century".

He appealed for Turks and Armenians to "address the facts of the past
as a part of their efforts to move forward".

The two countries agreed this week on a roadmap for normalising
relations.

" International recognition... is a matter of restoring historic
justice " Serzh Sarkisian Armenian president

While admitting many Armenians were killed, Turkey, a Nato member and
key American ally in the Muslim world, denies committing genocide,
saying the deaths resulted from wartime fighting.

Armenia has long campaigned for the loss of its people to be recognised
as a crime of genocide and it commemorated the event with ceremonies
on Friday.

'My view unchanged'

"I have consistently stated my own view of what occurred in 1915,
and my view of that history has not changed," Mr Obama said in a
written statement.

"My interest remains the achievement of a full, frank and just
acknowledgment of the facts."

In a January 2008 statement on his campaign website, Mr Obama wrote:
"The Armenian genocide is not an allegation, a personal opinion or
a point of view, but rather a widely documented fact supported by an
overwhelming body of historical evidence."

"America deserves a leader who speaks truthfully about the Armenian
genocide and responds forcefully to all genocides," the 2008 statement
added.

On Friday, he said the Armenians killed in the final days of the
Ottoman Empire "must live on in our memories".

"I strongly support efforts by the Turkish and Armenian people to
work through this painful history in a way that is honest, open,
and constructive," he added.

TURKS AND ARMENIANS
Politico
April 24 2009

The reaction of the two sides' domestic lobbies makes pretty clear
who won this one:

Turkish Coalition of America president Lincoln McCurdy:

We applaud President Obama for deferring to historians to settle the
longstanding debate over the events of 1915-1918. This tragic period
in history led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Muslims and
Christians alike. President Obama has sent a clear message to America
and the world that his administration will not sacrifice long-term
strategic allies for short-term political gains.

Armenian Assembly of America president Bryan Ardouny:

Today's statement does not reflect the change the President
promised. His failure to affirm the proud chapter in U.S. history,
the American response to the first genocide of the 20th century, has
needlessly delayed the cause of genocide affirmation and diminishes
U.S. credibility with regard to genocide prevention.

The Armenian group sends over Obama's January, 2008 commitment:
"As President I will recognize the Armenian Genocide."

DENYING THE ARMENIANS
Spectator.co.uk
April 24 2009

So, as expected Barack Obama has reneged upon his campaign
promise to call the Armenian genocide, er, genocide. Instead it's
"slaughter". Such are the prosaic demands of office. As Mike Crowley
suggests this is not a defining moment in the Obama administration,
but nor is it a particularly edifying spectacle.

Memo to politicians: be careful what you promise! Memo to voters:
Don't believe the promises!
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