Rice, Gates (Not Bill,) oppose proposed resolution

[Gavur]

Associated Press

Thursday, March 15, 2007 (Washington):

The US secretaries of state and defence contend that the security of the United States is at risk from a proposed legislation that would declare up to 1.5 million Armenians victims of genocide on Turkish soil almost a century ago.

In joint identical letters, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defence Secretary Robert Gates said the resolution also could inflict significant damage on US efforts to reconcile the long-standing dispute between the West Asian neighbours.

The appeals went to Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi; Rep John Boehner, leader of the House's Republican minority; and Rep Tom Lantos, the Democrat who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

A Foreign Affairs subcommittee is holding a hearing on Thursday on US-Turkish relations.

http://www.ndtv.com/morenews/showmorestory.asp?id=102162

[Joseph]

Associated Press

Thursday, March 15, 2007 (Washington):

The US secretaries of state and defence contend that the security of the United States is at risk from a proposed legislation that would declare up to 1.5 million Armenians victims of genocide on Turkish soil almost a century ago.

In joint identical letters, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defence Secretary Robert Gates said the resolution also could inflict significant damage on US efforts to reconcile the long-standing dispute between the West Asian neighbours.

The appeals went to Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi; Rep John Boehner, leader of the House's Republican minority; and Rep Tom Lantos, the Democrat who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

A Foreign Affairs subcommittee is holding a hearing on Thursday on US-Turkish relations.
http://www.ndtv.com/morenews/showmor....asp?id=102162

Kind of like that time when they protested Dole bananas because of Bob Dole's support of an Armenian bill.

Everyone with the last name Gates must be related, right?

[Gavur]

Daniel Fried calls the Genocide of Armenians "ethnic cleansing"

ArmRadio.am
16.03.2007 12:50

US Assistant Secretary of State on Europe and Eurasia Daniel Fried has
declared that `the US Administration has never denied, has not
questioned or undermined the mass killing of Armenians and the
historic fact of that ethnic cleansing,' Mediamax reports.

Daniel Fried said this, speaking in the Foreign Relations Committee of
the House of Representatives during the hearings on `American-Turkish
relations and future challenges.'

`Possibly, the congress will pass the resolution characterizing the
mass killing of 1.5 million Armenians during the last years of
existence of the Ottoman Empire as genocide. US Administration has
never denied, questioned or undermined the historic facts of the mass
killing and ethnic cleansing. Every year on April 24 the Us Presidents
comes forward with a statement,' Daniel Fried declared.

The Assistant Secretary of State said, `Our goal is to promote the
fair investigation of these terrible events by the Turkish society to
help Turkey reconcile with its own past and with Armenia.'

`It's not easy: for the United States it was also hard to accept the
black pages of its history. However, after long silence Turkey
demonstrates progress in this direction. This year more than 100
thousand of Turkish citizens attended Hrant Dink's funeral,' Daniel
Fried said. He mentioned that the Turkish President, Prime Minister
and Head of the General Staff have condemned this murder.

`We also see calls, including from the Turkish Prime Minister and
Foreign Minister, to amend Article 301 of the Penal Code. We welcome
the suggestions of Turkish leaders to amend or expel Article 301,' the
State Department representative said.

`We think that adoption of Res.106 in the US House of Representatives
will silence the voices which call to fairly investigate the past for
reconciliation with the history and Armenia. Members of the Armenian
community of Turkey counting 60-70 thousand tell us that such
resolutions will pressure the dialogue and can escalate a wave of
national tensions which will threaten their security. Our aim is to
open the soul and heart of Turkey although via painful
self-recognition,' said Daniel Fried.

[Gavur]

U.s. Soldiers In Iraq Told To Lobby Against Genocide Resolution

http://www.azg.am/?lang=EN&num=2007032803

WASHINGTON (A.W.)-Emboldened by the support of the Bush Administration, Turkey's campaign against the recognition of the Armenian Genocide continues to expand and has even reached Iraq.

As pressure by the Turkish government, U.S. State Department and Department of Defense mounts against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Congress, U.S.soldiers in Iraq are now being recruited to advance the policy of genocide denial.

In the past weeks, some U.S. soldiers in Iraq have been told to call their Congressmen and demand that they cease sponsoring the Armenian Genocide resolution, citing the problems they might face in Iraq as a consequence if the resolution is passed.

Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) addressed this issue during an interview I conducted with him in his Washington office on March 23. Elaborating on the pressures applied by Turkey and the Bush Administration, Pallone said, "Every time Congressmen go to Ankara or Istanbul, they are lectured for hours about how the genocide didn't occur, and they receive threats about how the soldiers in Iraq are not going to be safe [if the Genocide resolution is passed]," Pallone said. "They are doing the same thing here. They go around to the members [of Congress] and lobby them. In some cases, they have even had soldiers in Iraq call members of Congress and say 'I'm afraid the Turks are going to punish us in some way if you pass the Genocide resolution' ...and the administration goes along with it and does the same things," he added.

Using U.S. soldiers risking their lives abroad to advance the interests of a foreign country, while insulting the memory of Armenian-American Genocide survivors and their descendents is, well .

Let me know when you find a word for it.

By Khatchig Mouradian, AWOL (Armenian Weekly On-Line), Volume 73, Number 11-12, March 17-24, 2007