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Anti-Genocide Congressmen Try To Shift Focus

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  • Anti-Genocide Congressmen Try To Shift Focus

    ANTI-GENOCIDE CONGRESSMEN TRY TO SHIFT FOCUS
    By Ara Khachatourian

    www.asbarez.com/index.html?showarti cle=41021_3/31/2009_1
    Tuesday March 31, 2009

    A group of House members, traditionally and vocally opposing
    Congressional resolutions recognizing the Armenian Genocide, wrote
    a letter to the presidents of Armenia and Turkey expressing their
    support for what they called "lasting Armenian-Turkish rapprochement."

    These notorious Genocide deniers representatives Robert Wexler, a
    member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee (D-Fla.), Ike Skelton
    (D-MO), the Chairman of the House Armed Service Committee, John
    Murtha (D-Penn.), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Defense
    Appropriations, and Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.), Co-chairman of the
    Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, are the lead
    signatories of the letter.

    "As members of Congress who agree that lasting Armenian-Turkish
    rapprochement should be a top priority for the United States, please
    know we are ready to assist your nations efforts to normalize relations
    and build a better future for generations of Armenians and Turks,"
    the representatives wrote in the letter.

    "It is essential that the building blocks of trust and cooperation are
    established between Armenia and Turkey to heal open wounds, mend broken
    hearts and create a better future for both nations and peoples," "This
    process is difficult and at times painful, but we remain hopeful that
    ongoing bilateral engagement will lead to a positive breakthrough that
    forever changes the dynamics of the region and opens the door to new
    possibilities and brighter futures for Armenia and Turkey," they added.

    The objective of this letter is to divert attention from H.Res. 252,
    which was introduced by representatives Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and
    George Radanovich (R-Calif.), to properly recognize the Armenian
    Genocide.

    On the eve of President Obama's planned visit to Turkey and Turkish
    government's efforts to shift the focus from Genocide recognition
    to the so-called Turkish-Armenian rapprochement, this letter goes on
    record as an almost organic follow-up to Turkish propaganda efforts
    and its current posturing on Capitol Hill.

    This effort should be viewed as nothing more than an insult to the
    Armenian-American community, whose history is being summed up as an
    effort to "mend broken hearts" while at the same time fueling the
    cycle of Genocide.

    It no surprise that the Turkish and Azeri press hailed this effort
    by prominently placing it on their Web sites. It is also a bit
    discomforting that the Armenian press, similarly, trumpeted this
    development without providing proper perspective to their readers.

    The opening of the Armenian-Turkish border and establishing of
    diplomatic relations should not be confused with the imperative to
    recognize the Armenian Genocide. One has nothing to do with the other
    and the effort by the aforementioned members of the House should
    be deplored as a cheap effort to water down the Genocide issue and
    compare apples with oranges.
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