LAWMAKERS INTRODUCE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION
PR-Inside.com
March 17 2009
WASHINGTON (AP) - In a move that could complicate relations with
Turkey, U.S. lawmakers introduced a resolution Tuesday that would
call killings by Ottoman Turks almost a century ago genocide.
The resolution, if passed, could undermine efforts by the Obama
administration to win help on key foreign policy goals from NATO
ally Turkey.
But it was unclear whether the resolution has sufficient support
to pass in the House of Representatives. Lawmakers almost passed a
similar resolution two years ago, but congressional leaders did not
bring it up for a vote after intense pressure from then-President
George W. Bush and top members of his administration.
President Barack Obama, who called the killings genocide while running
for office, has not said whether he will support the resolution. Its
introduction comes as he is reaching out to Turkey for help on Middle
East peace, ending Iran's nuclear ambitions and other top foreign
policy goals. The issue will be awkward when he travels to Turkey
early next month as part of his overture.
Sponsors of the resolution argue that the United States has a moral
obligation to speak plainly on the issue regardless of the foreign
policy implications.
"The facts of history are clear, well documented, and nonnegotiable,"
said Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, one of the sponsors of the
resolution. "It has never served our national interest to become
complicit in the denial of genocide, and it never will.
Historians estimate that up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed by
Ottoman Turks around the time of World War I, an event widely viewed
by genocide scholars as the first genocide of the 20th century. Turkey
denies that the deaths constituted genocide, however, contending the
toll has been inflated, and the casualties were victims of civil war
and unrest.
Armenian Assembly of America
www.aaainc.org
PRESS RELEASE
March 17, 2009
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GENOCIDE SCHOLARS ISSUES
OPEN LETTER TOPRESIDENT OBAMA, URGES ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
AFFIRMATION
Washington, DC - Last week, in an open letter to President Barack Obama,
the International Association of Genocide Scholars, the leading
organization of scholars who study genocide, urged Obama to "refer to
the mass slaughter of Armenians as genocide in your commemorative
statement," adding that it was what "you urged President George W. Bush
to do in a letter dated March 18, 2005," reported the Armenian Assembly
of America (Assembly).
"By acknowledging the Armenian Genocide," the letter reads, "you would
demonstrate that you are that 'leader' you referred to on January 19,
2008, who 'speaks truthfully about the Armenian Genocide and responds
forcefully to all genocides'." Moreover, "you would signal a new chapter
in U.S. diplomacy. You would also honor the truth of our own valiant
history, which saw brave and selfless Foreign Service Officers risk
their lives rescuing Armenians during the Genocide and compiling the
more than 40,000 pages of documentation now housed in the National
Archives."
In regard to Turkey's refusal to acknowledge its history, the letter
reads, "We also believe that it is in the interest of the Turkish people
and their future as participants in international, democratic discourse
to acknowledge the responsibility of a previous government for the
genocide of the Armenian people, just as the German government and
people have done in the case of the Holocaust. Over the past decade a
growing number of Turkish scholars, writers, intellectuals, and
publishers have been risking imprisonment and assassination to tell the
truth about the Armenian Genocide. They understood that facing and
accepting the history of one's country, however dark, is an essential
part of growing a healthy democracy.
"We believe that security and historical truth are not in conflict, and
it is in the interest of the United States to support the principles of
human rights that are at the core of American democracy."
"President Obama's upcoming trip to Turkey presents a unique opportunity
to address this critical human rights issue and the irreversible trend
toward its reaffirmation. We applaud the International Association of
Genocide Scholars and its President, Gregory Stanton, for its open
letter and its steadfast support of the importance of historical
accuracy as one method of countering the problem of genocide denial,"
stated Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny.
Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest
Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding
and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt
membership organization.
OBAMA WAVERS ON PLEDGE TO DECLARE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
By Paul Richter
Los Angeles Times
March 17 2009
CA
Reporting from Washington -- The Obama administration is hesitating on
a promised presidential declaration that Armenians were the victims
of genocide in the early 20th century, fearful of alienating Turkey
when U.S. officials badly want its help.
President Obama and other top administration officials pledged during
the presidential campaign to officially designate the 1915 killings of
Armenians by the Ottoman Turks as genocide. Many Armenian Americans,
who are descendants of the victims and survivors, have long sought
such a declaration.
But the administration also has been soliciting Ankara's help on
Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran and other security issues amid Turkish warnings
that an official U.S. statement would imperil Turkey's assistance.
Administration officials are considering postponing a presidential
statement, citing progress toward a thaw in relations between Turkey
and neighboring Armenia. Further signs of warming -- such as talk
of reopening border crossings -- would strengthen arguments that a
U.S. statement could imperil the progress.
"At this moment, our focus is on how, moving forward, the United States
can help Armenia and Turkey work together to come to terms with the
past," said Michael Hammer, a spokesman for the National Security
Council. He said the administration was "encouraged" by improvements
in relations and believed it was "important that the countries have
an open and honest dialogue about the past."
Armenian Americans and their supporters, however, say policies that
avoid offending Turkey merely advance Ankara's denial of brutal
periods in its history.
An estimated 1.5 million Armenians were victims of planned killings
by the Ottoman Turks as the empire was dissolving during World War I,
an episode historians have concluded was a genocide. But Turkey and
some of its supporters contend that the deaths resulted from civil
war and unrest and that their numbers were exaggerated.
American presidents have long sought to avoid calling the killings
a genocide, fearing repercussions from a NATO ally that is acutely
sensitive to the charge. In 2007, the Bush administration argued for
a delay in a congressional genocide resolution, saying that Turkish
assistance was needed for the safety of U.S. troops in Iraq.
For Obama, the controversy comes at an especially sensitive time. He
is visiting Turkey on April 5, and his views on the issue will command
worldwide attention. Armenian Americans, meanwhile, have been pushing
for a White House declaration on April 24, the annual remembrance
day. Congressional supporters are also planning to reintroduce the
genocide resolution soon.
Obama's visit to Turkey has become risky for the administration,
said Mark Parris, a former U.S. ambassador to Turkey. "Plopping the
president down over there really does raise the stakes," said Parris,
now co-director of the Brookings Institution's program on Turkey. "Now
it can't be overlooked. . . . It could carry costs to his credibility."
Obama declared repeatedly during his campaign that the killings were
genocide. Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary
Rodham Clinton are on record with similar positions.
But the Obama administration would like to use Turkey as part of the
military supply line for Afghanistan. It also would like more help
regarding Iraq, Iran's nuclear program, Russia and Mideast peace.
Relations between Turkey and Armenia began warming noticeably in
September, when Turkish President Abdullah Gul became the first Turkish
leader to visit Armenia. The countries are considering opening borders
and embassies, initiating economic cooperation and establishing a
historical commission.
But Parris said further openings to Armenia would carry domestic
risks for Turkish leaders, who could be reluctant to do so if they
thought Obama would declare a genocide on April 24.
Congressional supporters of the genocide resolution expressed
frustration about the latest resistance.
"The argument that some are making now is only the latest incarnation
of the same old tired refrain: that we should recognize the genocide
-- just not this year," said Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank), one of
the sponsors of the resolution.
Another advocate, Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks), said that
though the strength of Turkey's cautions was declining, Turks remained
influential with lawmakers who believed a halt in Ankara's aid could
hurt U.S. troops. Sherman called it "their ugly ace in the hole."
Aram Hamparian, executive director of the Armenian National Committee
of America, remained optimistic. Obama "is a man of his word and has
been crystal clear on the issue," he said.
But Turks remain uneasy. Ali Babacan, the Turkish foreign minister,
warned in a TV interview last week that Obama's visit didn't preclude
a genocide declaration.
"The Turks fully understand that the danger of the [genocide]
resolution is not going away," said Bulent Aliriza, director of the
Turkey Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Photo: Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press Demonstrators in Sacramento
in 2005. Armenian Americans have been pushing for a presidential
declaration on April 24, the annual remembrance day.
The administration is considering postponing a presidential statement
amid worries that it would risk Turkey's help in the Mideast.
OBAMA AND GENOCIDE
Spectator.co.uk
March 18 2009
It's nearly April which means it's nearly Armenia time too. That is,
we are approaching the latest edition of Washington's reluctance
to call the Armenian genocide what it is and was: genocide. On the
campaign trail, of course, everyone says how important this is; in
power such concerns melt away. My friend Matt Welch points out that,
unsurprisingly, the Obama administration is no different to any of
its predecessors in discovering that the responsibilities of power
require a degree of historical trimming.
The Los Angeles Times reports that the administration is "hesitating"
about making any presidential statement affirming the genocide or,
presumably, endorsing the annual effort to have Congress call a
genocide, you know, genocide. Apparently...
"At this moment, our focus is on how, moving forward, the United States
can help Armenia and Turkey work together to come to terms with the
past," said Michael Hammer, a spokesman for the National Security
Council. He said the administration was "encouraged" by improvements
in relations and believed it was "important that the countries have
an open and honest dialogue about the past."
If you think you've heard this tune before it's because you have. It's
become a ritual: all Presidential candidates decry the Armenian
genocide on the campaign trail and the successful ones always welsh
on calling it that once they are in power. George W Bush was no
exception. Realpolitik you say? Just the usual campaign stuff you have
to say? Well, perhaps. But if politicians want to be taken seriously
perhaps they should cease being quite so cynical.
Here's what Obama said on the campaign trail:
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 acknowledgement
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 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.
In a better world it would be tough to walk back from this.
OBAMA LIKELY TO REFRAIN FROM NAMING 1915 INCIDENTS AS "GENOCIDE"
Hurriyet
March 17 2009
Turkey
U.S. President Barack Obama is likely to backtrack from his earlier
pledge to recognize Armenian claims regarding the 1915 incidents as
Washington seeks Turkey's support in its new Middle East approach,
the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday.
Administration officials are considering postponing a presidential
statement, citing progress toward a thaw in relations between Turkey
and neighboring Armenia, the report said.
Further signs of warming between Turkey and Armenia -- such as talk
of reopening border crossings -- would strengthen arguments that a
U.S. statement could imperil the progress, the LA Times added.
"At this moment, our focus is on how, moving forward, the United States
can help Armenia and Turkey work together to come to terms with the
past," Michael Hammer, a spokesman for the National Security Council,
was quoted as saying by the LA Times.
He said the administration was "encouraged" by improvements in
relations and believed it was "important that the countries have an
open and honest dialogue about the past," according to the report.
OBAMA'S TURKEY VISIT
The report is the latest signal that the Obama administration will
not take any steps towards recognizing the Armenian claims despite
pledges made during the presidential campaign.
Obama, his Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton promised to recognize the Armenian claims, forming the most
pro-Armenian administration in the United States.
Armenia, with the backing of the diaspora, claims up to 1.5 million
of their kin were slaughtered in orchestrated killings in 1915.
Turkey rejects the claims saying that 300,000 Armenians, along with at
least as many Turks, died in civil strife that erupted when Armenians
took up arms, backed by Russia, for independence in eastern Anatolia.
Turkey has offered to form a joint commission to investigate what
happened in 1915 and has opened all official archives, but Armenia
has continued to drag its feet on accepting the offer.
Obama will pay a visit to Turkey early in April ahead of the
presidential statement on April 24 to commemorate the 1915 incidents.
The date of April 24 is commemorated by Armenians as a day of
remembrance for the 1915 incidents, for which U.S. presidents issue
a letter of respect, which have all so far refrained from including
the word "genocide".
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