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DANIEL FRIED: ARMENIAN GENOCIDE RESOLUTION TO DAMAGE U.S. INTERESTS
PanARMENIAN.Net
09.10.2007 14:43 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "The Administration opposes House Resolution 106,"
Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs,
Daniel Fried said at a briefing in the U.S. Department of State.
"And we think it would do grave harm, both to U.S.-Turkish relations
and to U.S. interests. It would hurt our forces deployed in Iraq,
which rely on passage through Turkey. It would do far greater harm than
good. It would do nothing to advance Turkish-Armenian reconciliation,"
he said.
"It is not simply this Administration which opposes this bill, but
all former living Secretaries of State have written to Speaker Pelosi
in opposition, including: Madeleine Albright, Warren Christopher,
Colin Powell, Henry Kissinger, James Baker, Alexander Haig, George
Shultz, Larry Eagleburger. They have all expressed the view that
this resolution could, and I quote, "endanger our national security
interests in the region, including the safety of our troops in Iraq
and Afghanistan," he said.
"No one, neither the former secretaries nor the Administration denies
that a terrible and inexcusable tragedy of mass killings and forced
exile befell innocent Armenians in the last years of the Ottoman
Empire in 1915 and after. Those are historical facts.
Up to a million and a half people were killed or forced into exile. The
United States has recognized this. President Bush, like President
Clinton before him, has formally recognized it in annual statements
on Armenian Remembrance Day on April 24th. So the Administration does
not deny anything. We do not deny anything. But we do not believe
that this bill would advance either the cause of historical truth or
Turkish-Armenian reconciliation or the interests of the United States
and we oppose it," he said.
As to Turkey's possible restriction of some sort of access to Iraq,
Mr Fried said, "I don't want to discuss a possible Turkish reaction
to a bill that I hope doesn't pass, but it is true that the Turkish
reaction would be extremely strong. It has been strong when such
resolutions have passed before and we have to be mindful of how much
we depend and how much our troops and the Iraqi economy depends on
shipments from and through Turkey."
The U.S. House Foreign Relations Committee will hold a vote on the
Armenian Genocide Resolution October 10.
The House version of the Resolution, H.Res.106, was introduced January
30 by lead author Rep. Adam Schiff.
It's supported by 227 Congressmen and 32 Senators.
PanARMENIAN.Net
09.10.2007 14:43 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ "The Administration opposes House Resolution 106,"
Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs,
Daniel Fried said at a briefing in the U.S. Department of State.
"And we think it would do grave harm, both to U.S.-Turkish relations
and to U.S. interests. It would hurt our forces deployed in Iraq,
which rely on passage through Turkey. It would do far greater harm than
good. It would do nothing to advance Turkish-Armenian reconciliation,"
he said.
"It is not simply this Administration which opposes this bill, but
all former living Secretaries of State have written to Speaker Pelosi
in opposition, including: Madeleine Albright, Warren Christopher,
Colin Powell, Henry Kissinger, James Baker, Alexander Haig, George
Shultz, Larry Eagleburger. They have all expressed the view that
this resolution could, and I quote, "endanger our national security
interests in the region, including the safety of our troops in Iraq
and Afghanistan," he said.
"No one, neither the former secretaries nor the Administration denies
that a terrible and inexcusable tragedy of mass killings and forced
exile befell innocent Armenians in the last years of the Ottoman
Empire in 1915 and after. Those are historical facts.
Up to a million and a half people were killed or forced into exile. The
United States has recognized this. President Bush, like President
Clinton before him, has formally recognized it in annual statements
on Armenian Remembrance Day on April 24th. So the Administration does
not deny anything. We do not deny anything. But we do not believe
that this bill would advance either the cause of historical truth or
Turkish-Armenian reconciliation or the interests of the United States
and we oppose it," he said.
As to Turkey's possible restriction of some sort of access to Iraq,
Mr Fried said, "I don't want to discuss a possible Turkish reaction
to a bill that I hope doesn't pass, but it is true that the Turkish
reaction would be extremely strong. It has been strong when such
resolutions have passed before and we have to be mindful of how much
we depend and how much our troops and the Iraqi economy depends on
shipments from and through Turkey."
The U.S. House Foreign Relations Committee will hold a vote on the
Armenian Genocide Resolution October 10.
The House version of the Resolution, H.Res.106, was introduced January
30 by lead author Rep. Adam Schiff.
It's supported by 227 Congressmen and 32 Senators.