More Hypocrisy

[Joseph]

http://www.corporatecrimereporter.com/genocide111307.htm

CORPORATE CRIME REPORTER

If Our Friends Do It, It Is Not Genocide
21 Corporate Crime Reporter 45, November 13, 2007

The Genocide Prevention Task Force was unveiled at the National Press Club this morning.

The task force is being co-chair by former Secretary of State Madeline Albright and former Secretary of Defense William Cohen.

It’s being convened by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the American Academy of Diplomacy, and the United States Institute of Peace.

In addition to Cohen and Albright, its members include: John Danforth, Tom Daschle, Stuart Eizenstat, Michael Gerson, Dan Glickman, Jack Kemp, Gabrielle Kirk McDonald, Tom Pickering, Julia Taft, Vin Weber, and Anthony Zinni.

“The world agrees that genocide is unacceptable and yet genocide and mass killings continue,” Albright said. “Our challenge is to match words to deeds and stop allowing the unacceptable. That task – simple on the surface – is in fact one of the most persistent puzzles of our times. We have a duty to find the answer before the vow of ‘never again’ is once again betrayed.”

“We are convinced that the U.S. government can and must do better in preventing genocide – a crime that threatens not only our values but our national interests,” Cohen said.

But after the opening remarks, Cohen and Albright hit a buzz saw of skeptical questioning from reporters in the First Amendment Room.

“How do you reconcile your work in trying to build a moral American consensus against genocide when just very recently each of you signed letters urging America not to recognize the Armenian genocide?” a reporter asked Cohen and Albright.

“This mission is about the future,” Albright answered. “We want to look at ways to try and prevent genocide and mass killing. That is the purpose of this task force. The former Secretaries of State recognized that terrible things happened to the Armenians and tragedies. The letter was primarily about whether this was the appropriate time to raise the issue.”

“The fact is that all of us who signed were concerned about the level of killings and the human suffering that took place between 1915 and 1923,” Cohen said. “There was also a very deliberate decision to say that we are engaged in warfare at the moment. We have our sons and daughters who are at risk. And we felt that to have the resolution brought might result in reactions on the part of the Turkish government that could place our sons and daughters in greater jeopardy. It was a very practical decision that was made. This was not to say that we overlooked what took place in the past. We are saying – at this point forward, what do we do? How do we marshal public opinion? How do we marshal political action? How do we generate the will to take action in a society that has been reluctant to do so in the past? It involves multiple levels of complexity.”

“If we are saying that this isn’t the right time to acknowledge this genocide, does that mean that you are arguing that for political expedience purposes, we are not going to be taking action on nor should we take action on future genocides because of what are perceived to be U.S. interests?” another reporter asked.

“We are saying there are no absolutes in this,” Cohen answered. “We are going to try and set forth a set of principles that will serve as a guide. And hopefully that guide will allow political leadership in this country and elsewhere. This is not something where the United States is advocating unilateral action. We are talking about the United States taking a lead to help shape public opinion – certainly domestically but also internationally. And this will involve multiple considerations, multiple political factors that have to be taken into account. We hope this endeavor will be successful in pursuing mass killings and genocide in the future.”

“I also do think that it is important to recognize that even if terrible things happened in the past, they do not need to happen in the future,” Albright said. “And that is what this is about. In no way does it put the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval on anybody’s behavior. On the contrary. It is to examine people’s behavior. It is very important for us to move forward.”

“It sounds as if you are both saying – if our friends do it, it is not genocide,” said another reporter. “And if our enemies do it, it is genocide. Professor at the University of Haifa, Ilan Pappe, has written recently that he believes there is genocide ongoing in Gaza and ethnic cleansing in the West Bank. But you folks wouldn’t agree with that because Israel is our friend and we couldn’t say that about Israel. Secretary Cohen, you say – we can’t say that about Turkey and the Armenian genocide because our boys and girls are in harm’s way. If you are going to define genocide by who does it, not by what it is, your task force is in trouble.”

“I don’t know that even the UN has declared that genocide occurred in the Armenian situation,” Cohen said. “We are trying to look forward rather than backwards. On the issue of whether genocide is taking place in the West Bank and Gaza – certainly that will be part of [what] the task force [is] looking at.”

“Yes, there is an element of pragmatism,” Cohen said. “If someone else’s son or daughter is in harm’s way, that is a factor that I as an American citizen and as a former Secretary of Defense would have to take into account. And would. And I think anyone serving public office necessarily has to have a set factors to take into account. It is not absolute. This will not be a document that says – this is when the line is crossed, this is the action that will be taken. These are going to be guidelines. They themselves will serve a valuable purpose. It will help to at least raise the issue to a level of both domestic and international concern – hopefully stirring action. That is our goal.”

“When you are in the government, and you have to make very tough decisions, you have to look at the overall picture,” Albright said. “Otherwise, we are not going to get off the ground. These are very, very hard issues. I would definitely not accept your definition – if friends do it, it’s okay, and if enemies do it, it is not. I find that just an unacceptable premise. This task force is going to set forth guidelines for practical action by the United States government. Which is why we want to present this by the end of next year.”

“You can have all kinds of emotional arguments why something is wrong and then you never get it off the ground,” she said. “You ultimately have to take practical action. That is what is happening in the United States. We are not going to get ourselves into emotional appeals. Because that is not going to work. We are interested in practical steps.”

“The experience of the Armenians does indeed conform with the UN Convention,” another reporter shot back at Cohen. “In fact, Elie Wiesel has said that the denial of the genocide is the final stage of the genocide. The two of you have personally worked toward ascertaining that the United States government does not take a stand recognizing the Armenian genocide. This is of course based on real, practical political considerations, that you mentioned. However, taking on this new role, how can you reconcile your positions and the U.S. foreign policy? How can you provide credibility that your recommendations will be of use to the United States in its foreign policy and will not be words on a piece of paper that will be acceptable but the US will not follow up on?”

“You talk about political expediency,” Cohen responded. “As Secretary of Defense, I had responsibility for every man and woman who was serving in our armed forces. And yes, I would have to take into account whether or not I was placing them in greater jeopardy in order to make a declaration for something that happened back between 1915 and 1923. I would have to weigh that. And frankly, I think the former Secretaries of Defense – Republicans and Democrats alike – all came to the same conclusion. We could not put our men and women in greater danger under these circumstances. Does that mean that we are not in a position to look forward and say – here are some of the things that happened in the past, here are some of the things we did not do in the past, here is something that needs to be done in the future? There is no absolute right or wrong. It’s not all black and white. We are going to have to take these into account. You as a private citizen will be in a position to say – here is a document issued by this esteemed group. What do you Mr. President, what do you Mr. Secretary, intend to do about the atrocities currently taking place in x-country? Are your abdicating your moral leadership, abdicating the U.S. responsibility to lead? To gather and galvanize international support to do something – disinvestment in that particular country, condemning the leadership of that country? Having dealt with ethnic cleansing in the past, to take that experience, as well as what took place in Armenia, as well as what took place in Rwanda, now in Darfur, and say – this is how we have to lead on this issue.”

“It’s important to recognize what we said in the letter,” Albright said. “While we were secretaries, we recognized that mass killings and forced exile had taken place, and we also said that the U.S. policy has been all along for reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia on this particular issue. I do think that one of the things that this task force will ultimately recommend is that the parties to the problem have to acknowledge what happened. That is part of the issue. There is not one answer to fit all. This task force is about the future – about preventing genocide.”


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[Joseph]

US grandees launch mission to avert new genocides
3 hours ago
WASHINGTON (AFP) — US political grandees including former secretary of state Madeleine Albright announced Tuesday the launch of a new task force to help the United States prevent genocide and mass atrocities.
Co-chaired by Albright and former defense secretary William Cohen, the task force plans to issue a report in December 2008 to help the next US administration find diplomatic and military means to avert future genocides.
But at a news conference, Albright and Cohen were pressed on their stance today that Armenians were not victims of genocide under the Ottoman Empire, while Albright was also reminded of US inaction in Rwanda in 1994.
"Our challenge is to match words to deeds and stop allowing the unacceptable," said Albright, who was US ambassador to the United Nations in 1994 before becoming secretary of state under president Bill Clinton.
"We have a duty to find the answer before the vow of 'never again' is once again betrayed," she said.
The new task force includes retired Marine General Anthony Zinni, two ex-senators, former US cabinet members and other formerly high-ranking government officials now in the private sector.
Its executive director, former career diplomat Brandon Grove, said the team would look at five areas of action: early warning; pre-crisis engagement; preventive diplomacy; international institutions; and military intervention.
Albright has spoken of her regret that the Clinton administration and UN did not do more to avert the carnage against ethnic Tutsis in Rwanda, but said the task force would focus on a future template for action.
Citing ongoing events in Darfur, however, she said the impetus for the mission was "frustration: we all say this can't happen again and then in front of us, things are happening."
The US administration of President George W. Bush has described the mass slaughter taking place in the Sudanese region as "genocide," but stands criticized for not doing more to intervene.
Cohen, a Republican who was Pentagon chief in Clinton's second term, said: "Let's face it: Rwanda was not exactly a high mark in our country's history.
"We don't want to see that take place again in the future, so the goal of the task force is to set forth a document and a set of principles that can then be used by future policymakers," he said.
However, both Albright and Cohen were grilled on their credentials given that they recently signed letters urging Democrats in the House of Representatives against endorsing an Armenia "genocide" resolution.
Turkey had threatened reprisals affecting its "war on terror" cooperation with the United States if the resolution were upheld, and Cohen said that any Pentagon head would have to fret over the impact on US troops "in harm's way."

[1.5 million]

How ironic.

[Joseph]

Jabarian and Sassounian Columns

) Jabarian's column:

Albright's and Cohen's Task Force on Genocide:

The Right Idea, the Wrong People

By Appo Jabarian

Executive Publisher/Managing Editor

USA ARMENIAN LIFE Magazine

[email protected]

The fact that Washington is full of spinners, liars, and corrupt politicians and diplomats is not new. What's new is some of these scoundrels' recent attempts to con fellow Americans into thinking that these wolves should be "commissioned" as shepherds for the defenseless sheep of this world.

Harut Sassounian, the Publisher of the California Courier, recently exploded this mythmaking loud and clear (see next article). Amazed that denialist such as Madeleine Albright and William Cohen, former Secretaries of State and Defense, have been tasked to run the "Task Force On Prevention Of Genocide," Sassounian wrote: "One would have thought that genocide denialists would not be the most qualified people to lead an effort on averting future genocides. Yet, this is exactly what happened last week. … Exposing his ignorance on the issue of the Armenian Genocide, Secretary Cohen said: 'I don't know that the UN has declared that genocide occurred in the Armenian situation.' He must not be aware that back in 1985 the UN Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, by a vote of 15-1, adopted a report, which included a section acknowledging the Armenian Genocide. 'The experience of the Armenians does indeed conform with the UN Convention,' Nareg Safarian (The Armenian Reporter) shot back at Cohen and added: 'The two of you have personally worked toward ensuring that the United States government does not take a stand recognizing the Armenian Genocide. However, taking on this new role, how can you reconcile your positions and the U.S. foreign policy?'"

Responding to Sassounian's call for action, numerous activists from around the United States began a letter writing campaign condemning the Albright-Cohen fiasco.

In a letter addressed to the three organizations sponsoring the task force, David Boyajian, a Massachusetts-based freelance writer chastised the denialist twin: "Apparently, Cohen and Albright, like Foxman, are unaware that the (Jewish) Holocaust is also in the past. Perhaps one of you will be good enough to give Cohen and Albright the news. … I am also disturbed that Albright and Cohen cited Turkey's threats of retaliation as a valid reason for canceling a vote on the current Armenian genocide resolution in Congress (HR 106 and SR 106). It implies that the US would disregard or mischaracterize a current genocide were the victimizing country to threaten the US. That is now your position, too, as you are a cosponsor of the task force. … Whether Cohen and Albright resign from the commission, as Sassounian suggests, I believe it is headed for major problems. Sadly, your own institutions have involved themselves in what promises to be a fiasco. Let's hope that your institution does not get caught up in the same type of problem that the ADL has experienced."

"Given their repeated attempts to block the reaffirmation of the Armenian Genocide, both during and after their tenure in government, Secretaries Albright and Cohen should be removed from the leadership of the Genocide Prevention Task Force. They have undermined their own credibility and lost the moral standing to speak on the topic of genocide. One cannot deny a genocide and then turn around and act as a defender of its victims.

Furthermore, Secretary Cohen has a personal conflict of interest due to his firm's affiliation with a company that lobbies for Turkey against the congressional resolution on the Armenian Genocide. This fact alone should disqualify him from membership, let alone leadership, of the genocide prevention group," concluded Sassounian.

Russell Mokhiber, editor of Corporate Crime Reporter, then pointedly asked if Albright and Cohen were in fact saying: "If our friends do it, it's not genocide; if our enemies do it, it is genocide…. If you are going to define genocide by who does it, not by what it is, your task force is in trouble."

In a recent article titled "The Greenway is No Place for the Anti-Defamation League," Boyajian reminded that individuals like Albright and Cohen and entities like "the ADL and kindred organizations need to halt their Turkish-organized proxy war against the Armenian people."

In a November 18 article titled "'Never Again' and Meaning It This Time," Gary Feuerberg of the Epoch Times Washington quoted Secretary Albright as saying: "'The world agrees that genocide is unacceptable and yet genocide and mass killings continue. Our challenge is to match words to deeds and stop the unacceptable."

Albright has yet to match her words with her "deeds and stop the unacceptable," the shameless denial of the Armenian Genocide.

Feuerberg further reported: "While many of our efforts to prevent mass killings and rape, such as occurring now in the Sudan, are based on the best of intentions, Albright and Cohen expressed a certain disappointment that we haven't lived up better to our ideals."

Albright and Cohen should both direct their "disappointment" toward themselves and the entities, such as Turkey, that bankroll their conspiracy in placating their special interest Turkish "important ally." Also, they should stop creating needless fear among the American constituents that in case the "important ally" gets fossilized because of the possible passage of the Armenian Genocide Resolution, "thousands of young American lives would be endangered in Iraq." What an ally!

Three organizations are providing the umbrella for this enterprise: American Academy of Diplomacy, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the United States Institute of Peace.

The "Holocaust" museum is a national memorial to the Nazi Holocaust that promotes education on preventing genocide (see www.ushmm.org <http://www.ushmm.org/> ).

The United States Institute of Peace claims to be a nonpartisan, national institution that helps prevent and resolve violent conflicts and provides knowledge and resources to others to build peace around the globe (see www.usip.org <http://www.usip.org/> ).

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the United States Institute of Peace are now harboring two genocide denialists. These two organizations' affiliation with Albright and Cohen makes them target for criticism. Both Albright and Cohen's shameless undermining of official U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide directly encourages Turkey and its Turkic ally Azerbaijan to jointly commit the "Final Solution" against the Armenians and get away with a new murder of the Armenian nation. That certainly makes a mockery of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's stated mission to maintain the human awareness of all genocides - past, present and future; and the United States Institute of Peace's stated mission to promote peace.

Unless these two institutions free themselves of all genocide deniers, the federal funding should be cut off.

Secretary Albright and Secretary Cohen should resign, and let The Genocide Prevention Task Force genuinely focus on its real mission by first starting off with condemning 1) Turkey's unabated denial of the Armenian Genocide; 2) Turkey's land-air and Azerbaijan's land blockade of Armenia; and 3) In the Absence of a just solution for the first two issues, it should call for cutting of U.S. Foreign Aid to Turkey and Azerbaijan for their continuous belligerence and war-mongering vis-à-vis Armenia.

Only then will the "Task Force On Prevention Of Genocide," be effective in stopping the present (Darfur) and in preventing future genocides. Otherwise, the "Task Force" will end up being recognized as the right idea, created by the wrong people; a noble concept that was ruined by duplicitous former politicians now serving the highest bidders.

Readers are encouraged to express their comments/complaints to: Andrew Hollinger of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, phone: (202-488-6133) and e-mail: [email protected]; Lauren Sucher of the United States Institute of Peace (202-429-3822) and e-mail: [email protected]; and Amb. Ronald Neumann of the American Academy of Diplomacy (202-331-3721) and e-mail: [email protected].

-----------------

2) Sassounian's commentary:

Secretaries Albright and Cohen Should be Removed from Genocide Task Force

By Harut Sassounian

THE HUFFINGTON POST

https://www.huffingtonpost.com

WESTERN VOICES WORLD NEWS

A media service of European Americans United <http://www.europeanamericansunited.org/>
www.wvwnews.net <http://www.wvwnews.net>

How hypocritical of Madeleine Albright and William Cohen, former Secretaries of State and Defense, to announce the formation of a task force on prevention of genocide, when two months ago they wrote a letter to the U.S . Congress against a resolution on the Armenian Genocide!

One would have thought that genocide denialists would not be the most qualified people to lead an effort on averting future genocides. Yet, this is exactly what happened last week.

Albright and Cohen shamelessly stood in front of TV cameras at the National Press Club in Washington on November 13 to declare that they are co-chairing a new "Genocide Prevention Task Force." The other members of the task force are Sen. John Danforth, Sen. Tom Daschle, Amb. Stuart Eizenstat, Michael Gerson, Secretary Dan Glickman, Secretary Jack Kemp, Judge Gabrielle Kirk McDonald, Amb. Tom Pickering, Julia Taft, Vin Weber and General Anthony Zinni. This effort is jointly sponsored by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the American Academy of Diplomacy, and the United States Institute of Peace. The task force has five working groups dealing with early warning, pre-crisis engagement, preventive diplomacy, military intervention, and international institutions. It is expected to issue its report in December 2008.

Cohen told members of the media with a straight face that the task force is going "to look certainly to the past for lessons" in order to prepare a set of recommendations to the U.S. government on how best to respond to future threats of genocide. He stated that mass violence is "inimical to human behavior, to human decency, [and] to our sense of humanity…. We can no longer live in a state of denial or willful indifference." These bold words are from a man whose company, The Cohen Group, is affiliated with DLA Piper, one of the major lobbying firms hired by the Turkish government, at a cost of $100,000 per month, to deny the facts of the Armenian Genocide.

As soon as the two former high-ranking officials finished delivering their opening remarks at last week's press conference, they were confronted by skeptical members of the press and Armenian activists who questioned their sincerity and pointed out their hypocrisy. This accusatory exchange was covered extensively by CNN, AFP, AP, and the Jerusalem Post.

Albright and Cohen were asked by Aram Hamparian (ANCA/Armenian Weekly): "How do you reconcile your work in trying to build a moral American sentiment, an unconditional consensus against genocide, when just very recently both of you signed letters urging America not to recognize the Armenian Genocide?" Albright, forgetting her earlier words about learning from the past, quickly shifted the mission of the group to the future. Carefully avoiding using the term "Armenian Genocide," she acknowledged that "terrible things happened to the Armenians – a tragedy…. While we were Secretaries, we recognized that mass killings and forced exile had taken place, and we also said that the U.S. policy has been all along for reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia on this particular issue." She also said that her earlier letter to Congress against the genocide resolution merely questioned whether "this was an appropriate time to raise the issue." Secretary Cohen, in his turn, referred to the Armenian Genocide as "the human suffering that took place between 1915 and 1923." He said he was concerned that the Armenian resolution "might result in reactions on the part of the Turkish government that could place our sons and daughters in greater jeopardy [in Iraq]." The two officials gave evasive answers when Elizabeth Chouldjian (ANCA/Asbarez) asked whether they were advocating that "for political expediency purposes we shouldn't be taking action on future genocides because of what it could mean to U.S. interests."

Russell Mokhiber, editor of Corporate Crime Reporter, then pointedly asked if Albright and Cohen were in fact saying: "If our friends do it, it's not genocide; if our enemies do it, it is genocide…. If you are going to define genocide by who does it, not by what it is, your task force is in trouble."

Exposing his ignorance on the issue of the Armenian Genocide, Secretary Cohen said: "I don't know that the UN has declared that genocide occurred in the Armenian situation." He must not be aware that back in 1985 the UN Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, by a vote of 15-1, adopted a report which included a section acknowledging the Armenian Genocide. "The experience of the Armenians does indeed conform with the UN Convention," Nareg Safarian (The Armenian Reporter) shot back at Cohen and added: "The two of you have personally worked toward ensuring that the United States government does not take a stand recognizing the Armenian Genocide. However, taking on this new role, how can you reconcile your positions and the U.S. foreign policy?"

Given their repeated attempts to block the reaffirmation of the Armenian Genocide, both during and after their tenure in government, Secretaries Albright and Cohen should be removed from the leadership of the Genocide Prevention Task Force. They have undermined their own credibility and lost the moral standing to speak on the topic of genocide. One cannot deny a genocide and then turn around and act as a defender of its victims. Furthermore, Secretary Cohen has a personal conflict of interest due to his firm's affiliation with a company that lobbies for Turkey against the congressional resolution on the Armenian Genocide. This fact alone should disqualify him from membership, let alone leadership, of the genocide prevention group.

The task force has already backed down from its declared position on another controversial issue. During the November 13 press conference, in response to a question on whether the Task Force would dare investigate allegations of mass violation of human rights in Israel, Cohen told the reporter: "On the issue of whether genocide is taking place in the West Bank and Gaza – certainly that will be part of [what] the task force [is] looking at." However, just hours after that bold announcement, Albright and Cohen changed their tune by saying that the task force will not "determine which situations, past or present, including the West Bank and Gaza, constitute genocide." Arthur Berger, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's senior advisor for external affairs, was reported by the Jerusalem Post as saying: "He did not expect Israel to be singled out or dwelled on by the task force."

Armenian-American groups in Washington should request a meeting with members of the task force as well as its three sponsoring organizations, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the American Academy of Diplomacy, and the United States Institute of Peace, to request that Albright and Cohen be dismissed. Moreover, they should ask that a qualified Armenian-American be appointed as a member of the task force.

Readers are urged to convey their comments/complaints to: Andrew Hollinger of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, phone: (202-488-6133) and e-mail: [email protected]; Lauren Sucher of the United States Institute of Peace (202-429-3822) and e-mail: [email protected]; and Amb. Ronald Neumann of the American Academy of Diplomacy (202-331-3721) and e-mail: [email protected].<a hr...73628.html</a> <http://[email protected]. com/harut-sassounian/secretaries-albright-and-_b_73628.html>

[Joseph]

http://www.hairenik.com/armenianweekly/com12010701.htm

Volume 73, No. 48, December 1, 2007
THE ANATOMY OF A LIE
By Mitch Kehetian

DETROIT, Mich.—When President George W. Bush slapped the Democratic-controlled Congress at a nationally televised news conference for failing to send him legislation for his signature and enactment, he also slapped America’s Armenian community.

And it was a foul chilling slap at the slaughtered victims of the Armenian genocide, and the survivors who found refuge in the diaspora.

For this Armenian-American, Bush’s anti-Armenian attack was insulting—and an apology is in order to the Armenian people.

But don’t count on it. He’s embedded himself with Talaat Pasha’s ghost and present-day Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

At the news conference, Bush slammed the U.S. House for wasting its time by meddling in the affairs of the old Ottoman Empire, asserting that they should be more cognizant of Turkey’s role as a NATO ally and as a friend of America in the War against Terrorism.

In a phone conversation on Oct.5, he told the Turkish PM that he strongly opposed the Genocide Resolution in Congress.

That public announcement fueled the Turkish lobby with the ammunition it needed to ward off a House vote on the resolution. While Bush’s blind Republican allies rallied to his support, some ranking liberal House Democrats also deserted U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi and her push for a floor vote.

Though now stalled by Bush’s ploy at playing the fear card, Armenian-Americans should not back off on the resolution campaign. Instead, they should retaliate by not supporting or contributing to any federal office candidate in the 2008 elections that agrees with Bush’s double-talk over the genocide question.

I would be the first to agree that Bush has the presidential power to rap Pelosi and the House majority Democrats over their anti-war position in Iraq and other positions that rile the president.

That’s politics, even though all national public polls on the war in Iraq support the Democrats in calling on Bush to get our troops out of that civil war-ravaged country.

While Bush still ignores the call to get out of Iraq, Democrats also have every right to slam the Republican president for waging a war triggered by false intelligence that Iraq was in possession of weapons of mass destruction, and had sought uranium from Africa to build a nuclear bomb.

Whether one agrees with Bush or opponent Democrats is not an issue with me nor should it be with any Armenian-American.

Bush’s foul message should have struck a nerve with Armenians across America, though it was cheered by the corrupt, nationalist government that dictates Turkish policies in its continuing denial that the murder of more than one million Armenians in the beginning of the 20th century was an act of genocide.

I also recognize that some Armenian-Americans, mostly those who embrace the right-wing policies of Bush, will disagree with me that Bush needs to apologize to the Armenian people.

First and foremost in a Feb. 19, 2000, letter to two leading Armenian political activists, in Detroit and New York, Bush said that “the Armenians were subjected to a genocidal campaign that defies comprehension and commands all decent people to remember and acknowledge the facts and lessons of an awful crime.”

In that same letter Bush stated it loud and clear: “If elected president, I would ensure that our nation properly recognizes the tragic suffering of the Armenian people.”

Bush also made reference that the 20th century was marred by wars, mass murder and genocide. And that “the Armenians were the first” to endure those crimes against humanity.

The lengthy letter, with a “George W. Bush for President” heading, was promoted by the Bush campaign to get a large contingent of Detroit-area Armenians to attend a Feb. 20, 2000, Bush rally at Lawrence Tech University. The public announcement appealed to Michigan Armenians to “show our appreciation” to Bush for publicly acknowledging and recognizing the Armenian genocide.

The “important announcement” was also promoted by the Bush people in the Florida presidential vote, primarily for the knowledge of the Florida Armenian community. And we know how close that election was to help Bush edge Vice President Al Gore to win that state’s electoral votes and the national election.

It’s equally true that Democratic President Bill Clinton also turned his back on the Armenians in 2000 when he called GOP House Leader Dennis Hastert of Illinois to remove a resolution on the genocide scheduled for a floor vote.

Republican Hastert seized that opportunity.

Passage of the genocide resolution was assured, but Clinton caved in to the blackmailing of the Turks and pro-Turkish corporates on Wall Street.

And sadly, Democrats failed to denounce Clinton’s shameful action.

But Bush’s lie to the Armenian people came in a signed letter used to win him the presidency. I must confess, I also voted for Bush because of his stand on the genocide issue.

If I appear outraged, I am. Not because he lied to the Armenian people. That seems to be the norm with Presidents Clinton and Bush.

My anger is that in a nationally televised news conference, President George W. Bush took Congress to task for meddling in the affairs of the Ottoman Empire.

I wish Bush had been with me when I journeyed through historical Turkish-occupied Armenia in 1969 to the once populated Armenian cities of Sepastia, Erzeroum, Van, Moush, Bitlis, Keghi, Kharpet and the villages along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. All we found were the ruins of a nation that suffered the first genocide of the 20th century.

While running for president, he said it was “genocide.” Now, he chastises Congress for meddling in the affairs of Talaat and Ottoman Turkey.

By that smear, the President was telling the world that for Congress to seek passage of a genocide resolution was an affront to present-day Turkey.

But Mr., President, in your letter of Feb. 19, 2000, you publicly pledged that if “elected president,” you would ensure that our nation properly recognizes the genocide of the Armenian people.

Now we know the truth. You lied...

Enough said.

Mitch Kehetian is a columnist for the suburban Macomb Observer and retired editor of the Macomb Daily. He was honored last year with a “lifetime achievement award” by Wayne State University.