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NewsOK.com , Oklahoma
Oct 19 2007
Tone deaf: Pelosi should spike genocide resolution
The Oklahoman Editorial
It's trouble when members of Congress get ahead of the State
Department on foreign policy. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was forced
to backtrack this week on a controversial resolution that would be an
affront to Turkey, a key U.S. ally in the Middle East.
Pelosi had promised a floor vote on a resolution labeling the mass
killings of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire in 1915 as "genocide.'
The speaker's tone deafness on the issue was underscored when Turkey
recalled its ambassador from Washington after the measure passed in
committee last week.
The problem, apparent to many but not to the speaker or the
resolution's authors, is that the Ottoman regime went out of business
not long after World War I. House passage of the resolution would
leave the current Turkish democracy bearing the sting even though
it's in no way responsible for the acts of its defunct predecessor.
The cost of damaging relations with Turkey is huge, given its
willingness to be a transit point for U.S. military equipment bound
for Iraq and Afghanistan - not to mention Turkey's unique role as a
Muslim democracy in the Middle East.
President Bush has applied considerable pressure to get the
Democratic House leadership to rethink the resolution. "Congress has
more important work to do than antagonizing a democratic ally in the
Muslim world,' he said. In addition, eight former secretaries of
state wrote a letter expressing concern about the resolution's
potential impact. It looks like the arguments finally sunk in. Pelosi
said Wednesday she was reconsidering her pledge and was noncommittal
on when or if the resolution would come before the full House.
Certainly, the world shouldn't stand by while new acts of genocide
unfold. But embarrassing a valuable ally over a tragedy from nearly a
century ago doesn't make sense. Pelosi should sideline the resolution
and leave diplomacy to the diplomats.
Oct 19 2007
Tone deaf: Pelosi should spike genocide resolution
The Oklahoman Editorial
It's trouble when members of Congress get ahead of the State
Department on foreign policy. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was forced
to backtrack this week on a controversial resolution that would be an
affront to Turkey, a key U.S. ally in the Middle East.
Pelosi had promised a floor vote on a resolution labeling the mass
killings of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire in 1915 as "genocide.'
The speaker's tone deafness on the issue was underscored when Turkey
recalled its ambassador from Washington after the measure passed in
committee last week.
The problem, apparent to many but not to the speaker or the
resolution's authors, is that the Ottoman regime went out of business
not long after World War I. House passage of the resolution would
leave the current Turkish democracy bearing the sting even though
it's in no way responsible for the acts of its defunct predecessor.
The cost of damaging relations with Turkey is huge, given its
willingness to be a transit point for U.S. military equipment bound
for Iraq and Afghanistan - not to mention Turkey's unique role as a
Muslim democracy in the Middle East.
President Bush has applied considerable pressure to get the
Democratic House leadership to rethink the resolution. "Congress has
more important work to do than antagonizing a democratic ally in the
Muslim world,' he said. In addition, eight former secretaries of
state wrote a letter expressing concern about the resolution's
potential impact. It looks like the arguments finally sunk in. Pelosi
said Wednesday she was reconsidering her pledge and was noncommittal
on when or if the resolution would come before the full House.
Certainly, the world shouldn't stand by while new acts of genocide
unfold. But embarrassing a valuable ally over a tragedy from nearly a
century ago doesn't make sense. Pelosi should sideline the resolution
and leave diplomacy to the diplomats.