Rep. Pallone Welcomes Amb. Evans' Remarks Recognizing The Armenian Genocide

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REP. PALLONE WELCOMES AMB. EVANS' REMARKS RECOGNIZING THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Delivers Powerful Speech on Floor of the U.S. House



WASHINGTON, DC – Speaking on the floor of the U.S. House, Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ) tonight welcomed public statements made last week by U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Marshall Evans, in which he properly described Ottoman Turkey's systematic massacres of the Armenians between 1915-1923 as "genocide," reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). The Ambassador yesterday issued a statement in which he re-characterized his remarks as his personal views.

In a speech on the House floor, Rep. Pallone shared with his colleagues that Ambassador Evans, who he noted had studied Russian history at Yale and Columbia and Ottoman history at the Kennan Institute, had repeatedly and openly discussed the Armenian Genocide in his public statements during his recently concluded tour of Armenian American communities. He noted that, "Breaking with a pattern on the part of the State Department of using alternative and evasive terminology for the Armenian Genocide, Ambassador Evans pointed out that, and I quote, 'No American official has ever denied it.'"

Congressman Pallone added: "Amb. Evans was merely recounting the historical record, which has been attested to by over 120 Holocaust and genocide scholars from around the world. In so doing, he was merely giving a name - the accurate description of "genocide" - to this very Administration’s statements on the issue. President Bush, on April 24th of each of the last four years, when commemorating the Armenian Genocide, has used the textbook definition of genocide - with words and phrases such as 'annihilation,' and 'forced exile and murder.' Before him, President Reagan used the word 'genocide' in 1981 when describing the annihilation of over 1.5 million Armenians. In the days of the Genocide, our U.S. Ambassador, then Henry Morgenthau had the courage to speak out against the atrocities, which he stated were a planned and systematic effort to annihilate an entire race."

The New Jersey Congressman closed his remarks by stressing that he wanted to his name and voice “to all those who, like Ambassador Evans, know the truth and speak in plainly when discussing the Armenian Genocide."

"Armenian Americans, throughout New Jersey and across the nation, welcome Congressman Pallone's remarks in support of official U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide and in defense of all those who are working to bring an end to U.S. complicity in the denial of this crime against all humanity," said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA. "We value Congressman Pallone's tireless determination, his years of hard work, and - in response to this latest controversy - his clear and principled defense of U.S. officials who will no longer be deterred from speaking the truth about the crime of genocide."

Rep. Pallone’s comments came a day after a statement released by Amb. Evans, expressing concerns about a "misunderstanding" regarding his comments made at a series of public Armenian American community outreach events in Boston, New York, New Jersey, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Fresno and Washington, DC. During his presentations in these cities, the Ambassador spoke with a level of candor on the Armenian Genocide that was specifically welcomed by Armenian Americans. Specifically, during his public presentation at the University of California, Berkeley, hosted by Armenian Studies Program Executive Director, Prof. Stephan Astourian, Evans announced, "I will today call it the Armenian Genocide.” The Ambassador, who has studied Russian History at Yale and Columbia universities and Ottoman History at the Kennan Institute, argued that, “we, the US government, owe you, our fellow citizens a more frank and honest way of discussing this problem. Today, as someone who's studied it... There's no doubt in my mind what happened."

In a statement posted on the Embassy's website (www.usa.am) yesterday, Amb. Evans noted that his remarks regarding the Armenian Genocide were his private views and did not reflect a change in official U.S. government policy.


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ANCA

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Widespread Outrage Over News of U.S. Ambassador Evans' RecallBy Harut Sassounian

Commentary


By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
I reported last week that the State Department had decided to recall Amb.
John Evans from Armenia for having acknowledged the Armenian Genocide last
year. This callous decision has outraged Armenians worldwide and angered
many members of Congress.
By sheer coincidence, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew
Bryza was in Armenia the day after my column was posted on the Internet.
During a press conference in Yerevan, journalists repeatedly asked Bryza
and Evans to comment on the recall decision. The two diplomats made a
delicate dance around the subject, neither denying nor confirming the news.
Since some of their comments were distorted because of mistranslation or
inaccurate reporting, here is the transcript of what they actually said in
English:
When a journalist asked Bryza in Armenian if Amb. Evans was being
"recalled," the Embassy staff mistranslated the question to: "Is it true
that Amb. Evans is retiring?" Mr. Bryza answered: "~Eregarding Amb. Evans,
he can certainly comment on his own plans to retire, which I hope are
nonexistent, because he is a fantastic ambassador. He, like all of us,
serves at the pleasure of the President of the United States. I used to
work for the President's staff; and one thing I learned is that I will not
speak about any decision of the President -- it is up to the President to
make his decisions. I advise him, but he makes the decisions, including
[those] on personnel~E."
Amb. Evans then added: "~E I want to echo what Mr. Bryza said. We all serve
at the pleasure of the President. I hope nobody expects any ambassador to
stay forever~Ethe fact of the matter is that I do not know when I will be
leaving Armenia and I have not submitted my retirement papers. And I'll add
one other thing and that is: as long as I am the ambassador here, until the
day I step on the plane, I will be in charge of this mission." Bryza then
added: "Which we hope will be as late as possible."
The news of the Ambassador's recall was prominently featured on Armenian TV
stations that night and subsequently reported by wire services and
newspapers in Armenia, Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey.
During State Dept.'s daily news briefings on March 8, 10 and 13, a
spokesman was repeatedly asked to confirm the recall of Amb. Evans.
Reporters were given evasive answers with a promise "to look into it."
Finally, in the afternoon of the March 13, the State Dept. issued the
following written response to the journalists' insistent questions, giving
the same evasive answer: "Question: What is the status of U.S. Ambassador
to Armenia Evans? Was he recalled for statements acknowledging the Armenian
'genocide'? Answer: U.S. Ambassadors serve at the pleasure of the
President. Amb. Evans and his capable team have the full confidence of the
administration."
The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) issued a press release on
March 8, announcing that its chairman had written a toughly worded letter
to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice asking her to address reports that
Amb. Evans is being forced from office for acknowledging the Armenian
Genocide. "The prospect that a U.S. envoy's posting - and possibly his
career - has been cut short due to his honest and accurate description of a
genocide is profoundly offensive to American values," wrote ANCA's Chairman
Ken Hachikian. "It would also represent a new low in our government's
shameful complicity in the Turkish government's campaign of denial ~E by
muzzling and punishing an American diplomat for his speech and his
acknowledgement of a genocide," Hachikian wrote.
Cong. Grace Napolitano (Dem. of Calif.) submitted a pointed question to
Assistant Secretary of State Dan Fried on March 8, while he was testifying
before the House International Relations Committee, on whether any
restrictions are placed on State Dept. officials concerning their use of
the term "genocide" when referring to the Armenian Genocide. She also asked
for confirmation on whether Amb. Evans was being recalled because of his
remarks on the Armenian Genocide. Dan Fried was asked to respond in
writing.
Cong. Frank Pallone (Dem. of New Jersey), the Co-Chairman of the
Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, wrote to Secretary Rice on March
11, expressing his extreme disappointment over reports of the recall of
Amb. Evans. He told her that he is "outraged that the State Dept. is
recalling Amb. Evans as retaliation for statements he made in recognition
of the Armenian Genocide." He added: "It is simply wrong for the State
Dept. to punish Amb. Evans for statements he made that are factually
correct."
Secretary Rice has yet to respond to the written questions submitted on
Feb. 16 by Cong. Adam Schiff (Dem. of Calif.) during her testimony before
the House International Relations Committee. She was asked to assure the
Committee that the State Dept. "has not taken - and will not take - any
punitive action against Amb. Evans for speaking out about the Armenian
Genocide."
Readers worldwide have reacted with anger to the news of Amb. Evans' recall
and indicated their willingness to participate in protest actions in front
of U.S. Embassies in various countries as well as the State Dept. in
Washington, D.C. Please continue writing to Secretary Rice by e-mailing her
at: www.state.gov. Click on "contact us" and then click on "send a message
to the Secretary of State."