Congressman Radanovich Pledges to Support Genocide Reaffirmation Efforts
Armenian Assembly of America, March 18, 2005, Washington, DC - The Armenian Assembly's campaign for reaffirmation of the Armenian Genocide gained strength today as Representative George Radanovich (R-CA), a member of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, vowed to sponsor and support initiatives leading to U.S. recognition of the attempted annihilation of the Armenian people.
In a speech before Congress today, Radanovich thanked current and former U.S. Ambassadors to Armenia John Evans and Harry Gilmore for publicly using the term to characterize this crime against humanity.
"I thank the Ambassadors for their statements and pledge to continue my ongoing efforts to sponsor initiatives that would build on the U.S. record towards an inevitable, full and irrevocable U.S. reaffirmation of the Armenian Genocide," Radanovich said.
Evans, who has studied Russian and Ottoman History at Yale and Columbia Universities, as well as the Kennan Institute, publicly affirmed the Armenian Genocide during meetings with major Armenian-American communities last month. During those exchanges, Evans declared, "the Armenian Genocide was the first genocide of the twentieth century."
Gilmore, who has also studied the subject extensively, recently told Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) that, "There is no doubt that the Armenian events were genocide."
The former diplomat told the news agency that the United Nations Genocide Convention, which was adopted following World War II, "sets up a standard and the massacres and deportations of the Ottoman Armenians meet that standard fully."
On the heels of these and other pubic declarations, the Armenian Assembly launched a national campaign to urge President Bush to properly recognize the Armenian Genocide in his statement of remembrance next month. To that end, the Assembly mobilized its nationwide network of activists to join this effort, and those of Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues Co-Chairs Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) and Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), who are rallying Members of Congress to urge the President to formally recognize the Genocide.
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Armenian Assembly of America, March 18, 2005, Washington, DC - The Armenian Assembly's campaign for reaffirmation of the Armenian Genocide gained strength today as Representative George Radanovich (R-CA), a member of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, vowed to sponsor and support initiatives leading to U.S. recognition of the attempted annihilation of the Armenian people.
In a speech before Congress today, Radanovich thanked current and former U.S. Ambassadors to Armenia John Evans and Harry Gilmore for publicly using the term to characterize this crime against humanity.
"I thank the Ambassadors for their statements and pledge to continue my ongoing efforts to sponsor initiatives that would build on the U.S. record towards an inevitable, full and irrevocable U.S. reaffirmation of the Armenian Genocide," Radanovich said.
Evans, who has studied Russian and Ottoman History at Yale and Columbia Universities, as well as the Kennan Institute, publicly affirmed the Armenian Genocide during meetings with major Armenian-American communities last month. During those exchanges, Evans declared, "the Armenian Genocide was the first genocide of the twentieth century."
Gilmore, who has also studied the subject extensively, recently told Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) that, "There is no doubt that the Armenian events were genocide."
The former diplomat told the news agency that the United Nations Genocide Convention, which was adopted following World War II, "sets up a standard and the massacres and deportations of the Ottoman Armenians meet that standard fully."
On the heels of these and other pubic declarations, the Armenian Assembly launched a national campaign to urge President Bush to properly recognize the Armenian Genocide in his statement of remembrance next month. To that end, the Assembly mobilized its nationwide network of activists to join this effort, and those of Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues Co-Chairs Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) and Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), who are rallying Members of Congress to urge the President to formally recognize the Genocide.
Link