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Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel. (202) 775-1918
Fax. (202) 775-5648
Email [email protected]
Internet www.anca.org
PRESS RELEASE
July 18, 2007
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
ANCA VIDEO SETS RECORD STRAIGHT ON BOB LIVINGSTON'S GENOCIDE DENIAL
-- Offers Point-by-Point Challenge to Turkish Lobbyist's Diatribe
against the Armenian Genocide Resolution
-- "The New Republic" Article Spotlights Washington's Multi-
Million Dollar Genocide Denial Industry
WASHINGTON, DC - The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)
distributed an on-line video, today, countering an eight minute
anti-genocide diatribe, released by Turkey's multi-million dollar
lobbyist Bob Livingston, in a patently desperate effort to block
Congressional adoption of the Armenian Genocide Resolution
(H.Res.106 / S.Res.106)
Livingston's denial piece was posted on the Capitol Hill
Broadcasting Network website, with links forwarded to Members of
Congress and their staffs urging them to watch the video and work
against Armenian Genocide legislation. Less than twelve hours
after Bob Livingston's genocide denial video was posted, the ANCA
issued a point by point video rebuttal, which was distributed
widely to Congressional offices and policy makers throughout
Washington, DC. The ANCA video can be watched by visiting:
http://www.anca.org/press_releases/pres s_releases.php?prid=1233
Also in response to the Livingston attack, Armenian Genocide
Resolution lead advocates, Representatives Adam Schiff (D-CA),
George Radanovich (R-CA), Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg
(R-MI) cosigned a July 18th letter to Congressional colleagues
discrediting Livingston's denialist claims. The Congressional
letter noted that:
"For the past seven years Mr. Livingston has been a paid lobbyist
for Turkey, which has spent millions of dollars denying what the
world knows to be true - that in the first decades of the last
century a horrible genocide was committed against the Armenian
people. The factual evidence supporting the Armenian Genocide is
vast, and no effort to deny these facts - no matter the source of
the denial - will ever change history."
The letter went on to urge House members to join over 220 of their
colleagues in cosponsoring H.Res.106. Similar appeals have been
made in two recent floor speeches by Congressional Armenian Caucus
Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ). The ANCA will be hosting its second
national Congressional Call-In Day on July 23rd to secure increased
House support for the swift passage of the Armenian Genocide
resolution.
============================ ======================================
"The New Republic" Exposes Washington's Morals for Money
Foreign Agent Racket
=========================================== =======================
Earlier this week, The New Republic, a major national magazine, ran
a feature-length, stinging exposé on the efforts of Turkish
government lobbyists to defeat the Armenian Genocide Resolution.
The article, written by Michael Crowley, provides a behind the
scenes glimpse into the multi-million dollar genocide denial
industry, spotlighting former House Minority leader Dick Gephardt
and Bob Livingston as the lead beneficiaries of Turkey's anti-
genocide campaign.
"It's one thing to flip-flop on, say, tax cuts or asbestos reform.
But, when it comes to genocide, you would hope for high principle
to carry the day," explains Crowley. "In Washington, however, the
Armenian genocide industry is in full bloom. And Dick Gephardt's
shilling isn't even the half of it."
Crowley describes a shadowy world of foreign agents, ready to
purvey the Turkish government's lies for hefty fees, often on the
condition of anonymity.
"A few weeks ago, I called the Turkish Embassy to request an
interview. A couple of days later, I heard back - not from the
embassy, but from an American p.r. consultant employed by the
Turks," explains Crowley. "He suggested we meet the next day at a
Starbucks. I found him in a corner behind a glowing white iBook. He
had long slicked- back hair, a seersucker suit, and a blinking
Bluetooth earpiece, and looked ready for a power lunch with the
sharky agent Ari Gold from 'Entourage.' He informed me our
conversation would be off the record, before launching his well-
honed argument against the genocide resolution."
Crowley's description of Livingston is no more flattering. "But the
kingpin of Turkish advocacy is Bob Livingston, whose lobbying firm,
the Livingston Group, has hauled in roughly $13 million in Turkish
lucre since 2000. Livingston, best remembered for his comically
brief stint as House Speaker-elect at the height of the Clinton
impeachment debacle (before he tearfully admitted his own
extramarital affair and resigned from Congress in disgrace), has
lobbied on a range of issues dear to Turkey's heart. But it's his
tireless fight against the genocide resolution that makes him a
hero in Ankara."
The complete text of Crowley's article may be read in the July 23rd
issue of The New Republic or online at
http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i070723&s=crow ley072307
The text of the Schiff-Radanovich-Pallone-Knollenberg "Dear
Colleague" letter is provided below.
#####
Text of Schiff-Radanovich-Pallone-Knollenberg "Dear Colleague"
letter
The Armenian Genocide:
Facts vs. Fees
July 18, 2007
Dear Colleague:
Yesterday, you may have received an e-mail from our former
colleague, Bob Livingston, regarding the Armenian Genocide. In the
email and the embedded video attached to it, Livingston seeks to
cast doubt on the facts of the first genocide of the Twentieth
Century.
Livingston claims that there is a question among historians as to
whether the genocide was, in fact, genocide. The truth is that
there is near unanimity among historians and genocide experts that
the murder of 1.5 million Armenians from 1915-23 was genocide.
Livingston claims that the mass murders that took place were
"localized" and took place in the confusion of World War I and that
they were not directed by the central government of the Ottoman
Empire. The truth is that the Armenian Genocide was orchestrated
at the highest levels of the Young Turk government and that several
of the central perpetrators were tried by the Turkish Government
after World War I. As documented in thousands of pages in our
National Archives, American diplomats and American journalists were
well aware of what was happening while it was ongoing. America's
Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Henry Morgenthau, reported on the
massacres in great detail. Morgenthau was appalled at what he
would later call the sadistic orgies of rape, torture and murder.
"When the Turkish authorities gave the orders for these
deportations, they were merely giving the death warrant to a whole
race; they understood this well, and . . . made no particular
attempt to conceal the fact."
For the past seven years Mr. Livingston has been a paid lobbyist
for Turkey, which has spent millions of dollars denying what the
world knows to be true - that in the first decades of the last
century a horrible genocide was committed against the Armenian
people. The factual evidence supporting the Armenian Genocide is
vast, and no effort to deny these facts - no matter the source of
the denial - will ever change history. Attached to this email is
an article from the current issue of The New Republic detailing the
lengths to which Turkey will go to deny the undeniable. Also
attached is an article from The New York Review of Books on the
history of the genocide by noted Israeli historian Michael Oren.
In his article, Oren notes:
"In contrast to Germany, which has publicly and often
obsessively accepted culpability for the Holocaust, paid
restitution to its victims, and released documents
attesting to its guilt, the Republic of Turkey has never
admitted its part in the mass murder of Armenians, much
less compensated the survivors. Rather than encourage
research on its past butchery, the Turkish government has
promoted publications that exonerate it from any wrongdoing
and portray the Armenians as traitors to the state who
allied themselves with Russia and executed thousands of
Turks."
We urge you to read the articles as you consider Livingston's
claims.
H. Res. 106 has been cosponsored by more than 220 of our colleagues
and we are continuing to add additional cosponsors. We urge you to
stand up for the truth and honor the memory of the dead by adding
your name to the list of cosponsors. For more information, or to
cosponsor, please contact Tim Bergreen in Mr. Schiff's office or
Chris Herndon in Mr. Radanovich's office.
Sincerely,
Adam Schiff
Member of Congress
George Radanovich.
Member of Congress
Frank Pallone
Member of Congress
Joe Knollenberg
Member of Congress
#####
1711 N Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel. (202) 775-1918
Fax. (202) 775-5648
Email [email protected]
Internet www.anca.org
PRESS RELEASE
July 18, 2007
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
ANCA VIDEO SETS RECORD STRAIGHT ON BOB LIVINGSTON'S GENOCIDE DENIAL
-- Offers Point-by-Point Challenge to Turkish Lobbyist's Diatribe
against the Armenian Genocide Resolution
-- "The New Republic" Article Spotlights Washington's Multi-
Million Dollar Genocide Denial Industry
WASHINGTON, DC - The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)
distributed an on-line video, today, countering an eight minute
anti-genocide diatribe, released by Turkey's multi-million dollar
lobbyist Bob Livingston, in a patently desperate effort to block
Congressional adoption of the Armenian Genocide Resolution
(H.Res.106 / S.Res.106)
Livingston's denial piece was posted on the Capitol Hill
Broadcasting Network website, with links forwarded to Members of
Congress and their staffs urging them to watch the video and work
against Armenian Genocide legislation. Less than twelve hours
after Bob Livingston's genocide denial video was posted, the ANCA
issued a point by point video rebuttal, which was distributed
widely to Congressional offices and policy makers throughout
Washington, DC. The ANCA video can be watched by visiting:
http://www.anca.org/press_releases/pres s_releases.php?prid=1233
Also in response to the Livingston attack, Armenian Genocide
Resolution lead advocates, Representatives Adam Schiff (D-CA),
George Radanovich (R-CA), Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg
(R-MI) cosigned a July 18th letter to Congressional colleagues
discrediting Livingston's denialist claims. The Congressional
letter noted that:
"For the past seven years Mr. Livingston has been a paid lobbyist
for Turkey, which has spent millions of dollars denying what the
world knows to be true - that in the first decades of the last
century a horrible genocide was committed against the Armenian
people. The factual evidence supporting the Armenian Genocide is
vast, and no effort to deny these facts - no matter the source of
the denial - will ever change history."
The letter went on to urge House members to join over 220 of their
colleagues in cosponsoring H.Res.106. Similar appeals have been
made in two recent floor speeches by Congressional Armenian Caucus
Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ). The ANCA will be hosting its second
national Congressional Call-In Day on July 23rd to secure increased
House support for the swift passage of the Armenian Genocide
resolution.
============================ ======================================
"The New Republic" Exposes Washington's Morals for Money
Foreign Agent Racket
=========================================== =======================
Earlier this week, The New Republic, a major national magazine, ran
a feature-length, stinging exposé on the efforts of Turkish
government lobbyists to defeat the Armenian Genocide Resolution.
The article, written by Michael Crowley, provides a behind the
scenes glimpse into the multi-million dollar genocide denial
industry, spotlighting former House Minority leader Dick Gephardt
and Bob Livingston as the lead beneficiaries of Turkey's anti-
genocide campaign.
"It's one thing to flip-flop on, say, tax cuts or asbestos reform.
But, when it comes to genocide, you would hope for high principle
to carry the day," explains Crowley. "In Washington, however, the
Armenian genocide industry is in full bloom. And Dick Gephardt's
shilling isn't even the half of it."
Crowley describes a shadowy world of foreign agents, ready to
purvey the Turkish government's lies for hefty fees, often on the
condition of anonymity.
"A few weeks ago, I called the Turkish Embassy to request an
interview. A couple of days later, I heard back - not from the
embassy, but from an American p.r. consultant employed by the
Turks," explains Crowley. "He suggested we meet the next day at a
Starbucks. I found him in a corner behind a glowing white iBook. He
had long slicked- back hair, a seersucker suit, and a blinking
Bluetooth earpiece, and looked ready for a power lunch with the
sharky agent Ari Gold from 'Entourage.' He informed me our
conversation would be off the record, before launching his well-
honed argument against the genocide resolution."
Crowley's description of Livingston is no more flattering. "But the
kingpin of Turkish advocacy is Bob Livingston, whose lobbying firm,
the Livingston Group, has hauled in roughly $13 million in Turkish
lucre since 2000. Livingston, best remembered for his comically
brief stint as House Speaker-elect at the height of the Clinton
impeachment debacle (before he tearfully admitted his own
extramarital affair and resigned from Congress in disgrace), has
lobbied on a range of issues dear to Turkey's heart. But it's his
tireless fight against the genocide resolution that makes him a
hero in Ankara."
The complete text of Crowley's article may be read in the July 23rd
issue of The New Republic or online at
http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i070723&s=crow ley072307
The text of the Schiff-Radanovich-Pallone-Knollenberg "Dear
Colleague" letter is provided below.
#####
Text of Schiff-Radanovich-Pallone-Knollenberg "Dear Colleague"
letter
The Armenian Genocide:
Facts vs. Fees
July 18, 2007
Dear Colleague:
Yesterday, you may have received an e-mail from our former
colleague, Bob Livingston, regarding the Armenian Genocide. In the
email and the embedded video attached to it, Livingston seeks to
cast doubt on the facts of the first genocide of the Twentieth
Century.
Livingston claims that there is a question among historians as to
whether the genocide was, in fact, genocide. The truth is that
there is near unanimity among historians and genocide experts that
the murder of 1.5 million Armenians from 1915-23 was genocide.
Livingston claims that the mass murders that took place were
"localized" and took place in the confusion of World War I and that
they were not directed by the central government of the Ottoman
Empire. The truth is that the Armenian Genocide was orchestrated
at the highest levels of the Young Turk government and that several
of the central perpetrators were tried by the Turkish Government
after World War I. As documented in thousands of pages in our
National Archives, American diplomats and American journalists were
well aware of what was happening while it was ongoing. America's
Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Henry Morgenthau, reported on the
massacres in great detail. Morgenthau was appalled at what he
would later call the sadistic orgies of rape, torture and murder.
"When the Turkish authorities gave the orders for these
deportations, they were merely giving the death warrant to a whole
race; they understood this well, and . . . made no particular
attempt to conceal the fact."
For the past seven years Mr. Livingston has been a paid lobbyist
for Turkey, which has spent millions of dollars denying what the
world knows to be true - that in the first decades of the last
century a horrible genocide was committed against the Armenian
people. The factual evidence supporting the Armenian Genocide is
vast, and no effort to deny these facts - no matter the source of
the denial - will ever change history. Attached to this email is
an article from the current issue of The New Republic detailing the
lengths to which Turkey will go to deny the undeniable. Also
attached is an article from The New York Review of Books on the
history of the genocide by noted Israeli historian Michael Oren.
In his article, Oren notes:
"In contrast to Germany, which has publicly and often
obsessively accepted culpability for the Holocaust, paid
restitution to its victims, and released documents
attesting to its guilt, the Republic of Turkey has never
admitted its part in the mass murder of Armenians, much
less compensated the survivors. Rather than encourage
research on its past butchery, the Turkish government has
promoted publications that exonerate it from any wrongdoing
and portray the Armenians as traitors to the state who
allied themselves with Russia and executed thousands of
Turks."
We urge you to read the articles as you consider Livingston's
claims.
H. Res. 106 has been cosponsored by more than 220 of our colleagues
and we are continuing to add additional cosponsors. We urge you to
stand up for the truth and honor the memory of the dead by adding
your name to the list of cosponsors. For more information, or to
cosponsor, please contact Tim Bergreen in Mr. Schiff's office or
Chris Herndon in Mr. Radanovich's office.
Sincerely,
Adam Schiff
Member of Congress
George Radanovich.
Member of Congress
Frank Pallone
Member of Congress
Joe Knollenberg
Member of Congress
#####