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80 Bigelow Avenue
Watertown MA 02472 USA
(617) 926-3974
[email protected]
http://www.ar menianweekly.com
The Armenian Weekly; Volume 73, No. 40; Oct. 6, 2007
Interviews:
1. 'Retain Confidence in Speaker Pelosi'
Says Congresswoman Anna Eshoo
By Khatchig Mouradian
2. 'The Resolution Speaks to the Survival of the Armenian People Today'
Says Congressman Edward Royce
By Khatchig Mouradian
***
1. 'Retain Confidence in Speaker Pelosi'
Says Congresswoman Anna Eshoo
By Khatchig Mouradian
WASHINGTON (A.W.)-The following interview with Congresswoman Anna Eshoo
(D-Calif.) was conducted on Sept. 28 in her office in Washington.
The video of the interview can be viewed on www.haireniktv.com.
Khatchig Mouradian-Congresswoman, now that we have 226 co-sponsors of the
Armenian Genocide Resolution, what's next?
Anna Eshoo-A few very important things need to be done. First, we want to
keep getting co-sponsors, so this is not something that has ended. Every
week I talk to members on the floor of the House to invite them to come on
to the resolution, answer questions, etc. Very importantly, Congressman Tom
Lantos from Northern California, who is the chairman of the House
International Relations Committee, needs to schedule the bill for
mark-up-that means that you write up the bill, it's accepted by the
committee, there's a vote in the committee, and then it qualifies to come to
the floor of the house for action. Now why is 226-and counting-important?
Because the majority of the House is 218. We have to keep members on the
legislation, not allow people to stray, not allow the Turkish lobby to
affect members and peel them off of the legislation.
K.M.-The expectations are high, and it's up to Speaker Nancy Pelosi to put
the resolution to vote. Yet, she's under a lot of pressure from lobby
groups, the Tukish government and the State Department. How do you see this
issue developing in the next few weeks?
A.E.-Well, the Armenian-American community should retain their confidence in
Speaker Pelosi. She has always been on the resolution since she came to
Congress, she's been committed to the community and what needs to be done.
She has spoken every year on it on the floor of the House, and now we are so
proud that she is our Speaker. So she hasn't changed her mind about the
issue. It's up to us to be able to pass it. The Speaker doesn't tell people
how to vote. . And then she likes to win. So we're going to have to
demonstrate that we have the votes on the floor in order to win. And we have
all known from the very beginning-no one knows it better than the
Armenian-American community-that this has always been tough. The opposition
understands our position of strength now and they keep ratcheting up every
day.
K.M.-Do you see any difference between the way the opposition operated
previously and the way it's operating now?
A.E.-There's more money, and there's more pressure.
K.M.-And what are your thoughts on the letter, signed by eight former
Secretaries of State, which urges Speaker Pelosi to keep the resolution off
the House floor?
A.E.-I have to tell you I'm not surprised. And the reason I'm not surprised
is that each of those Secretaries of State are defending the policy that
they implemented. We haven't had one administration that was with us. This
is how high the climb is. So while I would like to have had it be different,
it's not a surprise to me because every single administration has sided the
other way. They have not been with us. That's why we know that it's up to us
to launch this and to move it, and I think their sending this letter shows
the power of the [Turkish] lobby. I mean there's a lot of money in this.
There's a ton of money in this in plain English. So, yes, we've always known
we have a tough fight. They've been successful for 25 years in the Congress,
but I believe that we can change it and I believe that we will change it,
and the reason for that is because it's the right thing to do.
K.M.-Why is it important for the United States Congress to recognize a crime
against humanity that took place 92 years ago in a different part of the
world?
A.E.-The greatest strength that America has is her moral standing in the
world. That has been and continues to be the most eloquent statement about
who and what we are as a nation. And we have moved away from some of those
values-very sadly, I must say-and that has chipped away at the credibility
of the United States of America. Make no mistake about it, we are the
mightiest in terms of military, we certainly are the most powerful economic
force in the world, but without moral standing, you have a house that is
essentially built on sand. So this is about who we are and what we stand
for. And our human rights record and our recognition to correct not only
history around the world, but our very own history. We had to fight to
acknowledge that slavery was wrong in our country. So we have a very, very
long record on this. And that's why it is important. What did Hitler say?
"Who will remember the Armenians?" We will!
K.M.-Congresswoman, this is a very important human rights issue, but it's
also a very personal issue for you. Can you talk about that?
A.E.-Well, as you know, I'm half Hye (Armenian) and half Assori (Assyrian).
That's a very powerful mixture for me because both sides of my family were
persecuted and fled the region. When I saw that full-page ad in the New York
Times taken out by the Turkish lobby saying, "Let's settle this once and for
all as to whether there was or was not a genocide, and have a commission..."
Excuse me? Did my grandmother lie? I mean, I sat at her knee and she
described the slaughter of her own family.
We're not asking anyone for money. We're simply stating that this be a fact
that is set down and recognized by the American people. And I think the
American people are way ahead of us. There isn't any argument in my
Congressional district or across the country as to whether this is something
that took place. In fact, constituents are stunned that this is even a
battle. And the battle is being waged against denial. I think that it would
be a gift for the Turkish people and the Turkish government to get this
behind them. This isn't the present-day Turkey that did it, this was the
Ottoman Empire, so yes, this is very, very close to me. It's my family, it's
who I am, and it's where I come from.
But this is also very important for our nation to recognize. And when you
move from denial to truth, you're free.
-------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- --
2. 'The Resolution Speaks to the Survival of the Armenian People Today'
Says Congressman Edward Royce
By Khatchig Mouradian
WASHINGTON (A.W.)-The following interview with Congressman Edward R. Royce
(R-Calif.) was conducted on Sept. 28 in his office in Washington. The video
of the interview can be viewed on www.haireniktv.com.
Khatchig Mouradian-Congressman, where does the Genocide Resolution stand at
this point and where do we go from here?
Edward Royce-Well, what we do now is what we did a few years ago when we got
the bill out of committee. I've served on the Foreign Affairs Committee for
a number of years, and I carried in the State Senate of California the first
genocide resolution recognizing the Armenian genocide. We got that out of
the California State Senate with a little help from our friend George
Deukmejian, who was governor at the time.
Also, a few years ago we were able to actually get this very resolution on
to the House floor. Now, at that point in time, President [Bill] Clinton
contacted Speaker [Dennis] Hastert and they convinced the leadership not to
bring it up on the House floor. But where we're focused right now is
explaining to the Members that the French have recognized the genocide, the
Germans have recognized it, and for those of us who are Republicans, that
Ronald Reagan, as president, recognized the genocide. It is time that we
officially, as the Congress of the United States, do this. We're in the
process right now of talking to the members-and I'm working on the
Republican side-in order to have the votes there if we can schedule this
before committee.
K.M.-And why is it important for the U.S. Congress to recognize the Armenian
genocide, an event that took place in a different part of the world 92 years
ago?
E.R.-My father was involved during the Second World War with U.S. forces
when they went into Dachau, the concentration camp. He actually took
photographs, he was an amateur photographer. And ever since, he has been
quite outspoken on the way in which the international community can be
silent at times about genocide. One of the things he reminds people of is
Hitler's comment back to the chairman of the joint chief of staff in the
Reich. And Hitler said, "Who speaks today of the annihilation of the
Armenians?"
The reality is that history can repeat itself and will do so especially if
we don't get history right, and if we don't have it acknowledged. And when
you have something as horrific as the genocide in which over one and a half
million Armenians perished in Western Anatolia and Turkey, when you have
something on that scale and it is not acknowledged, there is the danger that
it could be repeated.
This is also important to us because Armenia is struggling today, and here
it is in the grips of an embargo imposed by Turkey and by Azerbaijan. They're
in a tough neighborhood and in the last three years we've seen Azerbaijan
increase its defense budget 638 percent. If we wonder about how Armenia
struggles in this environment, I'll just share with you the index of
economic freedom, which measures how much progress different countries make.
It lists Turkey at 83rd in the world, while young Armenia is ranked 32nd. So
you can see the amount of reform going on in that country, but at the same
time you can see the discrimination, and you can see the high tariffs
imposed by its neighbors in terms of goods and services getting in and out
of the country. So this not only speaks to the past, it speaks to the
survival of Armenia and the Armenian people today.
This is one of the reasons that we've been involved in efforts to try to
champion the Millennium Challenge account, and as you know Armenia will
receive over $235 million for its rural areas, for its agriculture, to help
rebuild its roads. But at the same time, what we're also trying to do is
knock down that embargo.
And as you know, my friend, Congressman Crowley from New York and myself
championed the legislation to explicitly prevent any funding for any rail
line that goes through that region and bypasses Armenia. We're going to
continue to speak out for the truth and point out the obvious and use U.S.
power and prestige and the fact that this country is based on an ideal-that
ideal is freedom-in order not only to try to help Armenia today but to have
the record books, the history books, properly record all over the world what
happened. And frankly, when Congress speaks, it helps focus people's
attention on what is actually happening in the world.
K.M.-You've also been very active in speaking out against the genocide in
Darfur. So what parallels do you see there?
E.R.-I took the actor Don Cheadle along with Paul Rusesabagina (who he
portrays in the movie "Hotel Rwanda") and a nightline television camera crew
into Darfur, Sudan, and recorded the aftermath of an attack there. We went
into the village of Tinei, which was once a vibrant community but now has a
population of a handful of people. We talked to survivors of different
attacks while we were there, and two documentaries were produced out of it
on that genocide. Subsequently we were able to get a genocide resolution
through the United Nations and passed it here through Congress. In so doing,
we've now put enormous pressure on China to quit providing the arms. (Just
as China provided the arms used by Rwanda in the genocide in Rwanda, they're
now providing the arms here.) And this kind of pressure, I think, can help
mobilize the international community.
And let's think again about the point President Reagan made when he
recognized the Armenian genocide. He spoke of the Holocaust, the Armenian
genocide, and then the genocide in Cambodia that took two million lives. And
he was making the point that if we don't speak out, history can repeat
itself. Here it is today, repeating itself, with a radical fundamentalism
that is driving the Janjaweed, and the Khartoum government is right behind
it. The Khartoum government is actually involved in helping fund this. So
again, to me, pointing these things out, and trying to educate people around
the world and trying to get an admission as to what is happening is very,
very important in terms of human rights. If you don't get the past right,
there's a danger you're not going to get the future right. And we should
call the Armenian genocide for what it is: genocide.
K.M.-Congressman, what is your take on the recent letter signed by eight
former Secretaries of State?
E.R.-If President Reagan could speak out, if the French National Assembly
could speak out, if historians all around the world can speak out, it's time
for the U.S. Congress to speak out, regardless of what kind of angst that
might cause to some in foreign affairs. I just think you try to do the right
thing, and that's what we need to do.
K.M.-Congressman, one of the issues being raised, especially in the Turkish
media, is how the Genocide Resolution is being pushed forward by the
Democrats. They often ignore the fact that the resolution enjoys bipartisan
support. How can we make the case for that?
E.R.-I think people forget that it was under Republican majority that we
actually got the resolution out of committee in the past. And it was under a
Republican president, President Reagan, that the Armenian genocide was
addressed. And so, as one who has labored long and hard on this, I'm well
aware of the fact that this is a bipartisan effort. I would think anyone who
is trying to claim otherwise is being a little political. And frankly, with
these kinds of issues we should keep the partisan politics out of it. We're
talking about human rights, we're talking about history here, and so I
appreciate you asking that question because it's good to get that history
right, too. We passed that resolution out of the committee successfully with
the help of Republicans and Democrats, when the Republicans were the
majority.
80 Bigelow Avenue
Watertown MA 02472 USA
(617) 926-3974
[email protected]
http://www.ar menianweekly.com
The Armenian Weekly; Volume 73, No. 40; Oct. 6, 2007
Interviews:
1. 'Retain Confidence in Speaker Pelosi'
Says Congresswoman Anna Eshoo
By Khatchig Mouradian
2. 'The Resolution Speaks to the Survival of the Armenian People Today'
Says Congressman Edward Royce
By Khatchig Mouradian
***
1. 'Retain Confidence in Speaker Pelosi'
Says Congresswoman Anna Eshoo
By Khatchig Mouradian
WASHINGTON (A.W.)-The following interview with Congresswoman Anna Eshoo
(D-Calif.) was conducted on Sept. 28 in her office in Washington.
The video of the interview can be viewed on www.haireniktv.com.
Khatchig Mouradian-Congresswoman, now that we have 226 co-sponsors of the
Armenian Genocide Resolution, what's next?
Anna Eshoo-A few very important things need to be done. First, we want to
keep getting co-sponsors, so this is not something that has ended. Every
week I talk to members on the floor of the House to invite them to come on
to the resolution, answer questions, etc. Very importantly, Congressman Tom
Lantos from Northern California, who is the chairman of the House
International Relations Committee, needs to schedule the bill for
mark-up-that means that you write up the bill, it's accepted by the
committee, there's a vote in the committee, and then it qualifies to come to
the floor of the house for action. Now why is 226-and counting-important?
Because the majority of the House is 218. We have to keep members on the
legislation, not allow people to stray, not allow the Turkish lobby to
affect members and peel them off of the legislation.
K.M.-The expectations are high, and it's up to Speaker Nancy Pelosi to put
the resolution to vote. Yet, she's under a lot of pressure from lobby
groups, the Tukish government and the State Department. How do you see this
issue developing in the next few weeks?
A.E.-Well, the Armenian-American community should retain their confidence in
Speaker Pelosi. She has always been on the resolution since she came to
Congress, she's been committed to the community and what needs to be done.
She has spoken every year on it on the floor of the House, and now we are so
proud that she is our Speaker. So she hasn't changed her mind about the
issue. It's up to us to be able to pass it. The Speaker doesn't tell people
how to vote. . And then she likes to win. So we're going to have to
demonstrate that we have the votes on the floor in order to win. And we have
all known from the very beginning-no one knows it better than the
Armenian-American community-that this has always been tough. The opposition
understands our position of strength now and they keep ratcheting up every
day.
K.M.-Do you see any difference between the way the opposition operated
previously and the way it's operating now?
A.E.-There's more money, and there's more pressure.
K.M.-And what are your thoughts on the letter, signed by eight former
Secretaries of State, which urges Speaker Pelosi to keep the resolution off
the House floor?
A.E.-I have to tell you I'm not surprised. And the reason I'm not surprised
is that each of those Secretaries of State are defending the policy that
they implemented. We haven't had one administration that was with us. This
is how high the climb is. So while I would like to have had it be different,
it's not a surprise to me because every single administration has sided the
other way. They have not been with us. That's why we know that it's up to us
to launch this and to move it, and I think their sending this letter shows
the power of the [Turkish] lobby. I mean there's a lot of money in this.
There's a ton of money in this in plain English. So, yes, we've always known
we have a tough fight. They've been successful for 25 years in the Congress,
but I believe that we can change it and I believe that we will change it,
and the reason for that is because it's the right thing to do.
K.M.-Why is it important for the United States Congress to recognize a crime
against humanity that took place 92 years ago in a different part of the
world?
A.E.-The greatest strength that America has is her moral standing in the
world. That has been and continues to be the most eloquent statement about
who and what we are as a nation. And we have moved away from some of those
values-very sadly, I must say-and that has chipped away at the credibility
of the United States of America. Make no mistake about it, we are the
mightiest in terms of military, we certainly are the most powerful economic
force in the world, but without moral standing, you have a house that is
essentially built on sand. So this is about who we are and what we stand
for. And our human rights record and our recognition to correct not only
history around the world, but our very own history. We had to fight to
acknowledge that slavery was wrong in our country. So we have a very, very
long record on this. And that's why it is important. What did Hitler say?
"Who will remember the Armenians?" We will!
K.M.-Congresswoman, this is a very important human rights issue, but it's
also a very personal issue for you. Can you talk about that?
A.E.-Well, as you know, I'm half Hye (Armenian) and half Assori (Assyrian).
That's a very powerful mixture for me because both sides of my family were
persecuted and fled the region. When I saw that full-page ad in the New York
Times taken out by the Turkish lobby saying, "Let's settle this once and for
all as to whether there was or was not a genocide, and have a commission..."
Excuse me? Did my grandmother lie? I mean, I sat at her knee and she
described the slaughter of her own family.
We're not asking anyone for money. We're simply stating that this be a fact
that is set down and recognized by the American people. And I think the
American people are way ahead of us. There isn't any argument in my
Congressional district or across the country as to whether this is something
that took place. In fact, constituents are stunned that this is even a
battle. And the battle is being waged against denial. I think that it would
be a gift for the Turkish people and the Turkish government to get this
behind them. This isn't the present-day Turkey that did it, this was the
Ottoman Empire, so yes, this is very, very close to me. It's my family, it's
who I am, and it's where I come from.
But this is also very important for our nation to recognize. And when you
move from denial to truth, you're free.
-------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- --
2. 'The Resolution Speaks to the Survival of the Armenian People Today'
Says Congressman Edward Royce
By Khatchig Mouradian
WASHINGTON (A.W.)-The following interview with Congressman Edward R. Royce
(R-Calif.) was conducted on Sept. 28 in his office in Washington. The video
of the interview can be viewed on www.haireniktv.com.
Khatchig Mouradian-Congressman, where does the Genocide Resolution stand at
this point and where do we go from here?
Edward Royce-Well, what we do now is what we did a few years ago when we got
the bill out of committee. I've served on the Foreign Affairs Committee for
a number of years, and I carried in the State Senate of California the first
genocide resolution recognizing the Armenian genocide. We got that out of
the California State Senate with a little help from our friend George
Deukmejian, who was governor at the time.
Also, a few years ago we were able to actually get this very resolution on
to the House floor. Now, at that point in time, President [Bill] Clinton
contacted Speaker [Dennis] Hastert and they convinced the leadership not to
bring it up on the House floor. But where we're focused right now is
explaining to the Members that the French have recognized the genocide, the
Germans have recognized it, and for those of us who are Republicans, that
Ronald Reagan, as president, recognized the genocide. It is time that we
officially, as the Congress of the United States, do this. We're in the
process right now of talking to the members-and I'm working on the
Republican side-in order to have the votes there if we can schedule this
before committee.
K.M.-And why is it important for the U.S. Congress to recognize the Armenian
genocide, an event that took place in a different part of the world 92 years
ago?
E.R.-My father was involved during the Second World War with U.S. forces
when they went into Dachau, the concentration camp. He actually took
photographs, he was an amateur photographer. And ever since, he has been
quite outspoken on the way in which the international community can be
silent at times about genocide. One of the things he reminds people of is
Hitler's comment back to the chairman of the joint chief of staff in the
Reich. And Hitler said, "Who speaks today of the annihilation of the
Armenians?"
The reality is that history can repeat itself and will do so especially if
we don't get history right, and if we don't have it acknowledged. And when
you have something as horrific as the genocide in which over one and a half
million Armenians perished in Western Anatolia and Turkey, when you have
something on that scale and it is not acknowledged, there is the danger that
it could be repeated.
This is also important to us because Armenia is struggling today, and here
it is in the grips of an embargo imposed by Turkey and by Azerbaijan. They're
in a tough neighborhood and in the last three years we've seen Azerbaijan
increase its defense budget 638 percent. If we wonder about how Armenia
struggles in this environment, I'll just share with you the index of
economic freedom, which measures how much progress different countries make.
It lists Turkey at 83rd in the world, while young Armenia is ranked 32nd. So
you can see the amount of reform going on in that country, but at the same
time you can see the discrimination, and you can see the high tariffs
imposed by its neighbors in terms of goods and services getting in and out
of the country. So this not only speaks to the past, it speaks to the
survival of Armenia and the Armenian people today.
This is one of the reasons that we've been involved in efforts to try to
champion the Millennium Challenge account, and as you know Armenia will
receive over $235 million for its rural areas, for its agriculture, to help
rebuild its roads. But at the same time, what we're also trying to do is
knock down that embargo.
And as you know, my friend, Congressman Crowley from New York and myself
championed the legislation to explicitly prevent any funding for any rail
line that goes through that region and bypasses Armenia. We're going to
continue to speak out for the truth and point out the obvious and use U.S.
power and prestige and the fact that this country is based on an ideal-that
ideal is freedom-in order not only to try to help Armenia today but to have
the record books, the history books, properly record all over the world what
happened. And frankly, when Congress speaks, it helps focus people's
attention on what is actually happening in the world.
K.M.-You've also been very active in speaking out against the genocide in
Darfur. So what parallels do you see there?
E.R.-I took the actor Don Cheadle along with Paul Rusesabagina (who he
portrays in the movie "Hotel Rwanda") and a nightline television camera crew
into Darfur, Sudan, and recorded the aftermath of an attack there. We went
into the village of Tinei, which was once a vibrant community but now has a
population of a handful of people. We talked to survivors of different
attacks while we were there, and two documentaries were produced out of it
on that genocide. Subsequently we were able to get a genocide resolution
through the United Nations and passed it here through Congress. In so doing,
we've now put enormous pressure on China to quit providing the arms. (Just
as China provided the arms used by Rwanda in the genocide in Rwanda, they're
now providing the arms here.) And this kind of pressure, I think, can help
mobilize the international community.
And let's think again about the point President Reagan made when he
recognized the Armenian genocide. He spoke of the Holocaust, the Armenian
genocide, and then the genocide in Cambodia that took two million lives. And
he was making the point that if we don't speak out, history can repeat
itself. Here it is today, repeating itself, with a radical fundamentalism
that is driving the Janjaweed, and the Khartoum government is right behind
it. The Khartoum government is actually involved in helping fund this. So
again, to me, pointing these things out, and trying to educate people around
the world and trying to get an admission as to what is happening is very,
very important in terms of human rights. If you don't get the past right,
there's a danger you're not going to get the future right. And we should
call the Armenian genocide for what it is: genocide.
K.M.-Congressman, what is your take on the recent letter signed by eight
former Secretaries of State?
E.R.-If President Reagan could speak out, if the French National Assembly
could speak out, if historians all around the world can speak out, it's time
for the U.S. Congress to speak out, regardless of what kind of angst that
might cause to some in foreign affairs. I just think you try to do the right
thing, and that's what we need to do.
K.M.-Congressman, one of the issues being raised, especially in the Turkish
media, is how the Genocide Resolution is being pushed forward by the
Democrats. They often ignore the fact that the resolution enjoys bipartisan
support. How can we make the case for that?
E.R.-I think people forget that it was under Republican majority that we
actually got the resolution out of committee in the past. And it was under a
Republican president, President Reagan, that the Armenian genocide was
addressed. And so, as one who has labored long and hard on this, I'm well
aware of the fact that this is a bipartisan effort. I would think anyone who
is trying to claim otherwise is being a little political. And frankly, with
these kinds of issues we should keep the partisan politics out of it. We're
talking about human rights, we're talking about history here, and so I
appreciate you asking that question because it's good to get that history
right, too. We passed that resolution out of the committee successfully with
the help of Republicans and Democrats, when the Republicans were the
majority.