THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary

[Gavur]

April 24, 2006

Today, we remember one of the horrible tragedies of the 20th century --
the mass killings and forced exile of as many as 1.5 million Armenians
in the final days of the Ottoman Empire in 1915. This was a tragedy
for all humanity and one that we and the world must never forget.

We mourn this terrible chapter of history and recognize that it remains
a source of pain for people in Armenia and for all those who believe in
freedom, tolerance, and the dignity and value of every human life. It
is a credit to the human spirit and generations of Armenians who live
in Armenia, America, and around the globe that they have overcome
this suffering and proudly preserved their centuries-old culture,
traditions, and religion.

We praise the individuals in Armenia and Turkey who have sought
to examine the historical events of this time with honesty and
sensitivity. The analysis by the International Center for Transitional
Justice, while not the final word, has made a significant contribution
toward deepening our understanding of these events. We encourage
dialogues, including through joint commissions, that strive for a
shared understanding of these tragic events and move Armenia and
Turkey towards normalized relations.

Today, we look with hope to a bright future for Armenia. Armenia's
Millennium Challenge Compact reflects our confidence and the
importance we place in Armenia making progress on democratic reform
and advancement of free markets. We seek to help Armenia bolster its
security and deepen its inclusion in the Euro-Atlantic family. We
remain committed to securing a peaceful and lasting settlement of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and hope the leaders of Armenia and
Azerbaijan will take bold steps to achieve this goal.

On this solemn day of remembrance, Laura and I express our deepest
condolences to the Armenian people. Our nations stand together,
determined to create a future of peace, prosperity, and freedom for
the citizens of our countries and the world.

GEORGE W. BUSH

[Gavur]

Armenian Genocide Proclamation

ARMENPAC WORKS WITH FLORIDA GOVERNOR JEB BUSH ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE PROCLAMATION

http://www.armenpac.org/index.shtml

Irving, TX - On April 7, 2006 Governor John Ellis “Jeb” Bush of Florida issued a proclamation in commemoration of Armenian Martyrs’ Day that states “many Armenians were victims of genocide…” ARMENPAC Board Member Marta Batmasian worked closely with Governor Bush to ensure that the Armenian-American community’s interests were appropriately represented in this proclamation. “ARMENPAC applauds Governor Bush for affirming the truth on the Armenian Genocide, as we continually work, now 91 years after the occurrence of this crime against humanity, to ensure that the United States record is appropriately reaffirmed,” said ARMENPAC Board Member Marta Batmasian.

Governor Jeb Bush, first elected to office in 1998, is currently serving his second term as Florida’s chief executive. He led an aid mission to Armenia shortly after the devastating earthquake on December 7, 1988, and has since remained a friend to the Armenian-American community. Florida, by way of Governor Bush’s proclamation, joins the growing majority of States that properly recognize the actions taken by the Ottoman Turkish Empire against the Armenians during 1915-1923 as genocide. “We hope that United States President George W. Bush, who has employed a textbook definition of the word genocide rather than the word itself to describe this crime against humanity, will also properly recognize the Armenian Genocide in his April 24th commemoration statement,” said ARMENPAC Co-Chairs Edgar Hagopian and Annie Totah.

Currently, two resolutions regarding the Armenian Genocide are pending in the United States Congress, i.e., H.Res.316 and S.Res.320. H.Res.316 and S.Res.320 call upon the President to ensure that United States foreign policy reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity concerning issues related to human rights, ethnic cleansing, and genocide documented in the United States record relating to the Armenian Genocide and the consequences of the failure to realize a just resolution; and to characterize the systematic and deliberate annihilation of 1.5 million Armenians as genocide and to recall the proud history of United States intervention in opposition to the Armenian Genocide in the President’s annual message commemorating the Armenian Genocide.



Proclamation:

http://www.armenpac.org/images/news/042106/GovBushProclomation.pdf

[Gavur]

April 24, 2006

Today, we remember one of the horrible tragedies of the 20th century --
the mass killings and forced exile of as many as 1.5 million Armenians
in the final days of the Ottoman Empire in 1915. This was a tragedy
for all humanity and one that we and the world must never forget.

We mourn this terrible chapter of history and recognize that it remains
a source of pain for people in Armenia and for all those who believe in
freedom, tolerance, and the dignity and value of every human life. It
is a credit to the human spirit and generations of Armenians who live
in Armenia, America, and around the globe that they have overcome
this suffering and proudly preserved their centuries-old culture,
traditions, and religion.

We praise the individuals in Armenia and Turkey who have sought
to examine the historical events of this time with honesty and
sensitivity. The analysis by the International Center for Transitional
Justice, while not the final word, has made a significant contribution
toward deepening our understanding of these events. We encourage
dialogues, including through joint commissions, that strive for a
shared understanding of these tragic events and move Armenia and
Turkey towards normalized relations.

Today, we look with hope to a bright future for Armenia. Armenia's
Millennium Challenge Compact reflects our confidence and the
importance we place in Armenia making progress on democratic reform
and advancement of free markets. We seek to help Armenia bolster its
security and deepen its inclusion in the Euro-Atlantic family. We
remain committed to securing a peaceful and lasting settlement of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and hope the leaders of Armenia and
Azerbaijan will take bold steps to achieve this goal.

On this solemn day of remembrance, Laura and I express our deepest
condolences to the Armenian people. Our nations stand together,
determined to create a future of peace, prosperity, and freedom for
the citizens of our countries and the world.

GEORGE W. BUSH

BUSH USES ‘MASS KILLING AND FORCED EXILE OF AS MANY AS 1.5 MILLION OF ARMENIANS’ ‘GENOCIDE’

"Today, we remember one of the horrible tragedies of the 20th century: the mass killing and forced exile of as many as 1.5 million of Armenians in the final days of the Ottoman Empire in 1915. This was a tragedy for all humanity and one that we and the world must never forget," US President George Bush said in his annual speech on the occasion of April 24, the day of commemoration of the victims of the Armenian Genocide.

Though Bush didn’t use the term "genocide," he stated about the mass killings and the forced exile of 1,5 million of Armenians in 1915.

Praising the individuals in Armenia and Turkey who have sought to examine the historical events with honesty and sensitivity, Bush encouraged dialogues directed to normalized relations between Armenia and Turkey through shared understanding of the tragic events.

"Today, we look with hope to a bright future for Armenia. Armenia’s Millennium Challenge Compact reflects our confidence and the importance we place in Armenia making progress on democratic reform and advancement of free markets. We remain committed to securing a peaceful and lasting settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and hope the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan will take bold steps to achieve this goal," Bush stated.

In fact, touching upon the settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict, he urges resolute steps from the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan. This factor may be imparted with great importance from the viewpoint of USA activeness in Nagorno Karabakh issue.

By Aghavni Harutyunian

http://www.azg.am/?lang=EN&num=2006042703