Armenian Genocide Legislation Set For Committee-level Consideration

[Hovik]

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE LEGISLATION SET FOR COMMITTEE-LEVEL CONSIDERATION:
COSPONSOR LIST FOR H.RES.316 REACHES 102

WASHINGTON, JULY 21, NOYAN TAPAN - ARMENIANS TODAY. The Armenian
National Committee of America (ANCA) is working in Washington, DC and
in communities around the nation to generate support for Armenian
Genocide legislation that is slated to come before the House
International Relations Committee. It appears likely at this time that
the Armenian Genocide measures (H.Res.316 and H.Con.Res.195) currently
before Congress will be considered and acted upon by the influential
panel. "We welcome the willingness of Chairman Hyde and the
International Relations Committee to formally consider and act upon
Armenian Genocide legislation," said ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian. "We
especially would like to express our gratitude to George Radanovich
for leading the effort and building on his decade-long record of
principled and energetic leadership on this issue, to voice our
gratitude to the Co-Chairs of the Armenian Caucus - Joe Knollenberg
and Frank Pallone - for generating a powerful, bipartisan
constituency, and to share our special appreciation for Adam Schiff's
vital role in ensuring Committee level action on Armenian Genocide
legislation." "We look forward to working with our friends in focusing
our collective energies on defeating Turkey's genocide denial machine,
to ensuring favorable consideration of these measures by the
International Relations Committee, and to securing final passage of
legislation reaffirming the Armenian Genocide by the House of
Representatives," added Hachikian. H.Res.316, which was introduced by
Representatives George Radanovich (R-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and
Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Joe
Knollenberg (R-MI), calls upon the President to ensure U.S. foreign
policy reflects appropriate understanding of the Armenian
Genocide. The resolution includes thirty detailed findings from past
U.S. hearings, resolutions and Presidential statements, as well as
references to statements by international bodies and organizations. As
of today, a bipartisan group of 98 Representatives have already agreed
to cosponsor this measure. H.Con.Res.195, introduced by Rep. Adam
Schiff, was offered following direct negotiations with House
International Relations Committee Chairman Henry Hyde (R-IL). The
Chairman agreed to Committee-level consideration of Armenian Genocide
legislation in return for Rep. Schiff tabling a planned June 8th
Armenian Genocide amendment to the House Foreign Relations
Authorization bill. The agreement addressed serious concerns on the
part of the Administration and Congressional leaders that the Schiff
Amendment - which had strong prospects of passing - would overshadow
the White House meeting, held that same day, between President Bush
and Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan. This measure, which is in the
process of being amended, reaffirms the Armenian Genocide within the
broader context of regional relationships and addresses Turkey's
efforts to join the European Union. According to Capitol Hill sources,
the Turkish Ambassador and his lobbyists - including the Livingston
Group - are actively making the rounds to members of the International
Relations Committee, seeking to block any action on U.S. reaffirmation
of the Armenian Genocide. As part of this effort, the Livingston Group
has been distributing a four-page genocide-denial document to
Congressional offices. A third, non-Genocide related resolution that
may also be considered by the International Relations Committee deals
with Turkey's illegal blockade of Armenia. This measure, H.R.3103,
introduced by Rep. Schiff, calls on Turkey to "comply with the
long-standing position of the United States that in order to restore
economic, political, and cultural links with Armenia, Turkey should
immediately lift its ongoing blockade with Armenia." In addition, it
would require that, "Not later than 30 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the
appropriate Congressional committees a report that outlines the steps
taken and plans made by the United States to end Turkey's blockade of
Armenia." The ANCA supports the adoption of this measure by the
U.S. House at the earliest opportunity.

[Gavur]

Armenian Genocide Legislation Scheduled for Committee Consideration

Armenian Genocide Legislation Scheduled for Committee Consideration
May be “Marked-Up” as Early as September 14

WASHINGTON, DC--Armenian Genocide legislation appears set to come before the influential House International Relations Committee as early as Wednesday, September 14th, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

According to Congressional sources, Committee Chairman Henry Hyde (R-IL) is prepared to “mark-up” both Armenian Genocide Resolutions (H.Res.316 and H.Con.Res.195). During this mark-up session, the fifty members of the panel will have an opportunity to consider changes and then to vote to either approve or disapprove each measure.

“We want to thank Chairman Hyde for his leadership in ensuring that the members of his Committee have the opportunity to vote on Armenian Genocide legislation,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “Along with our local chapters around the nation and coalition partners here in Washington, DC, we are working hard to support the efforts of our friends-- Congressmen George Radanovich, Adam Schiff, and Armenian Caucus Co-Chairmen Joe Knollenberg and Frank Pallone-- in encouraging the Committee to act favorably on this legislation.

H.Res.316, which was introduced by Representatives George Radanovich (R-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), calls upon the President to ensure US foreign policy reflects appropriate understanding of the Armenian Genocide. The resolution includes thirty detailed findings from past US hearings, resolutions and Presidential statements, as well as references to statements by international bodies and organizations. As of today, a bipartisan group of over one hundred and twelve Representatives have already agreed to cosponsor this measure.

H.Con.Res.195, introduced by Rep. Adam Schiff and cosponsored by over eighty Representatives, was offered following direct negotiations with House International Relations Committee Chairman Henry Hyde (R-IL). The Chairman agreed to Committee-level consideration of Armenian Genocide legislation in return for Rep. Schiff tabling a planned June 8 Armenian Genocide amendment to the House Foreign Relations Authorization bill. The agreement addressed serious concerns on the part of the Administration and Congressional leaders that the Schiff Amendment-- which had strong prospects of passing--would overshadow the White House meeting, held that same day, between President Bush and Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan. This measure, which is in the process of being amended, reaffirms the Armenian Genocide within the broader context of regional relationships and addresses Turkey’s efforts to join the European Union.

The Turkish Ambassador and his lobbyists--including the Livingston Group--are actively making the rounds to members of the International Relations Committee, seeking to block any action on US reaffirmation of the Armenian Genocide. As part of this effort, the Livingston Group has been distributing a four-page genocide-denial document to Congressional offices.

[Gavur]

Atc Attacks Armenian Genocide Legislation

Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th St., NW, Suite 904
Washington, DC 20006
Tel: (202) 775-1918
Fax: (202) 775-5648
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.anca.org

PRESS RELEASE
September 12, 2005
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918

BRENT SCOWCROFT ATTACKS ARMENIAN GENOCIDE LEGISLATION

-- American Turkish Council Chairman Sharply
Criticizes "Careless use of Genocide Language"
in H.Res.316 and H.Con.Res.195

WASHINGTON, DC - Only days before Armenian Genocide legislation is
set to come before a key U.S. House panel, American Turkish Council
(ATC) Chairman Brent Scowcroft has warned Speaker Dennis Hastert
that even the discussion of the Armenian Genocide on the floor of
the U.S. House would be "counter-productive to the interests of the
United States, reported the Armenian National Committee of America
(ANCA).

In his September 12th letter, Scowcroft, speaking on behalf of the
corporate members of the ATC, accused Congressional supporters of
Armenian Genocide legislation (H.Res.316 and H.Con.Res.195) of
trying to "pull Turkey away from the West. He stressed that: "The
careless use of genocide language provides and excuse to do so,
delivering a direct blow to American interests in the region."

"We are outraged that Brent Scowcroft appears to have so
compromised his own integrity in pursuit of personal business
interests that he finds himself enlisted by the Turkish government
in its desperate and patently immoral genocide denial effort," said
ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. "We are particularly
troubled by his baseless comment regarding the 'careless use of
genocide language' - a hateful insult to the victims of this crime,
a direct offense to the Congressional authors of this legislation,
and a repudiation of the U.S. archives, the unanimous judgment of
the International Association of Genocide Scholars, and the
overwhelming evidence documenting this crime against humanity."

The ATC has come under scrutiny in recent weeks as the result of a
10-page story in Vanity Fair detailing FBI whistleblower Sibel
Edmond's reports that it's officials were involved in illegal
efforts to defeat Armenian Genocide legislation in the fall of
2000. According to the article by contributing editor David Rose,
Edmonds claimed FBI wiretaps - including those of the Turkish
Embassy and Turkish groups such as the American Turkish Council
(ATC) and the Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA) -
reveal that the Turkish government and its allies boasted of
bribing members of Congress as part of an alleged deal to stop
consideration of the Armenian Genocide Resolution.

In a related effort, the Assembly of Turkish American Associations
has distributed an action alert against both Armenian Genocide
resolutions - H.Res.316 and H.Con.Res.195. Among the factually
unfounded and morally bankrupt points raised by the ATAA in the
space of its one-page alert, are the following:

* The ATAA warns its members: "Inaction on the part of the Turkish
American Community will compromise U.S.-Turkish relations,
encourage more acts of harassment, violence and terrorism against
people of Turkish and Turkic descent, and could potentially lead to
territorial and compensations claims against the Republic of
Turkey."

* The ATAA urges its members to tell members of Congress that
H.Res.316 and H.Con.Res.195 "provide a one-sided, misinformed view
of WWI Ottoman history and would deal a great blow to the Turkish
American community, and furthermore inflict damage upon the
partnership between Turkey and the United States."

* The ATAA stresses that resolutions such as H.Res.316 and
H.Con.Res.195 "impede dialogue and reconciliation between Armenia
and Turkey, discouraging the Armenian side from engaging in
scholarly examination of these complicated historical events."

* The ATAA notes that, "As the Armenian American lobby acts up
again, we have only two choices: we can be passive and allow these
allegations to go on, or we can stand up and defend ourselves, our
history, and the future of our children here in the United States."

* The ATAA stresses that its efforts are not "anti-Armenian,"
explaining that, "Armenians people are held hostage by the agenda
of their country's ultra-nationalist government and extremists in
the Armenian American, European and Middle Eastern communities."

The full text of the Scowcroft letter is provided below:

#####

Text of ATC Chairman Brent Scowcroft's Letter to Speaker Hastert


September 12, 2005

The Honorable J. Dennis Hastert
Speaker of the House of Representatives
The Capitol
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Mr. Speaker:

As Chairman of the American-Turkish Council, I am gravely concerned
about plans to debate in the House of Representatives H. Con. Res.
195, a resolution "Commemorating the Armenian Genocide" and urging
the Government of Turkey to acknowledge the culpability of Ottoman
Turks for it, and H. Res. 316, a resolution recognizing claims of
"genocide" of Armenians by Ottoman Turks. Together with ATC's
members, I strongly urge opposition to these resolutions and
suggest that floor deliberation of them would be counter-productive
to the interest of the United States.

Whatever people individually decide on the merits of these
resolutions, it is important to note the real world consequences of
their adoption. When the French Senate passed such a resolution,
it cost France over $1 billion in cancelled contracts and lost
business opportunities. Enactment of genocide language would
jeopardize our ability to achieve strategic interest with Turkey
and in the region. Furthermore, it is quite likely that the
business interest of several of our American members would be
jeopardized by passage of such prejudicial legislation.

The American-Turkish Council strongly believes that the events
about which H. Con Res. 195 and H. Res. 316 speak are matters for
historians to decide-not politicians. Unfortunately, these
resolutions express, as matters of law and fact, issues that remain
widely disputed by scholars, historians, and legal experts.
Accordingly, we strongly urge you to review the attached letter
that Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan sent Armenian President Robert
Kocharian on April 10, 2005, seeking to normalize bilateral
relations as well as address painful long-standing historical
issues.

Although Armenian President Kocharian rejected his offer, we are
encouraged that Prime Minister Erdogan and his government, by
reaching out to Armenia with an offer for an open dialogue on
difficult issues involving Turks and Armenians, are taking an
historic step. Turkish-Armenian rapprochement is in the best
interests of both nations, and the ATC believes now is the time for
reconciliation. We sincerely hope that President Kocharian and his
government will take the opportunity to reciprocate the olive
branch extended by Prime Minister Erdogan.

Turkey's strategic location at the crossroads of Europe, the Middle
East, the Caucasus, and the Balkans places it at the center of
American's current and long term strategic interest. As Turkey
stands on the threshold of accession talks with the European Union,
the U.S. should be doing all it can to encourage positive momentum
for Turkey. H. Con. Res. 195, while purporting to support Turkey's
EU accession talks, and H. Res. 316, do exactly the opposite. The
resolutions encourage those who would pull Turkey away from the
West. The careless use of genocide language provides and excuse to
do so, delivering a direct blow to American interests in the
region.

The ATC believes that legislators should not attempt to resolve
historical issues by resolution. Historical commissions, fairly
staffed, adequately supported, and afforded full access to the
archives, are better suited to attempting the reconciliation that
we all support.

On behalf of the members of the American-Turkish Council, I
strongly urge you to oppose floor deliberation and adoption of any
language that would substitute political pronouncements for
historical analysis of this highly sensitive issue.

Sincerely,

Brent Scowcroft
Chairman of the Board