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DEMOCRATS TALK TURKEY
Hunter Cates, Staff Writer
The Collegian online, OK
http://www.utulsa.edu/collegian/article.asp?artic le=3481
Oct 23 2007
Will Rogers once famously said, "I don't believe in organized
government. I'm a Democrat." I always thought he was kidding.
This Congress' approval rating continues to hover around a feeble 20
percent and the public consensus is that this is the perfect example
of a "do nothing" Congress.
With only a symbolic minimum wage hike to show for their efforts,
Congress may have earned the label.
However the impending passage of a resolution labeling the Turkish
mass murdering of Armenians nearly 90 years ago a genocide, a purely
symbolic bill, may have detrimental consequences.
>From 1915 to 1923 the Turkish Ottoman Empire conducted what is
considered by many historians to be one of the first modern, systematic
genocides, wiping 1.5 million Armenians off the face of the Earth.
It was truly one of the darkest stains in world history. No one should
dare deny that fact.
Unfortunately the modern day Republic of Turkey doesn't see it that
way, feeling instead the event was a calamity which occurred during the
chaos of war, not a methodical killing which would constitute genocide.
Surely the U.S. Congress is right calling for another nation to take
accountability for their actions.
It's not that simple. There is a war going on in Iraq right now,
and about 70 percent of all of our military cargo going in and out
of that country goes through Turkey.
As soon as word of this resolution came forth, Turkey called their
ambassador home and has warned that passage of this resolution would
lead to their withdrawal of support.
Perhaps even more troubling is that this resolution coincides with
Turkey's contemplation of invading Northern Iraq to combat Turkish
Kurd terrorists, known as the Kurdish Workers' Party.
That wouldn't sit well with the already unstable United States-backed
Iraqi government.
As Turkish Gen. Yasar Buyukanit warned "If this resolution (that)
passed in the committee passes the House as well, our military ties
with the U.S. will never be the same again."
This isn't a different government that shouldn't have to take account
for what its predecessors did, but until a mistake is acknowledged,
it is more likely to be repeated
The Armenians deserve an apology. But a forced apology is no apology
at all. And the fact that this resolution has taken 90 years to reach
the U.S. Congress is perplexing.
Because this is a symbolic bill, and isn't technically any different
than the Congress's recent condemnation of Rush Limbaugh, one has
to wonder what took so long. Why now, when we have so much to lose
because of it?
According to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the bill must be passed now
"because many of the survivors are very old." This is not a very
convincing case for spitting in the face of one of our few allies in
the Middle East.
What is most worrisome is that the rationale for this measure has
motivations far more political then just bringing justice to the
elderly. If the United States can't send in 70 percent of their cargo
into Iraq, then the Iraq war is over.
Since the Democrats gained control of Congress they have felt their
primary crusade is to end the war in Iraq. Much to the chagrin of
their base, they have largely failed.
In order to set a timeline for withdrawal from Iraq, they need 60
votes in the Senate, which they don't have, to override an inevitable
Bush veto.
What they may have is enough votes in the House to pass this resolution
which could vicariously end the war.
Regardless of your stance on this war hopefully we can all agree that
this is the wrong way to go about withdrawing. If this is indeed the
incipient intention of this resolution, to force a troop withdrawal,
then that would be legislating defeat. And, again, it would be
dangerous for the troops.
Turkey needs to take accountability for the past, that much is
certain. But Congress must also make sure that this resolution
doesn't pass.
Hunter Cates, Staff Writer
The Collegian online, OK
http://www.utulsa.edu/collegian/article.asp?artic le=3481
Oct 23 2007
Will Rogers once famously said, "I don't believe in organized
government. I'm a Democrat." I always thought he was kidding.
This Congress' approval rating continues to hover around a feeble 20
percent and the public consensus is that this is the perfect example
of a "do nothing" Congress.
With only a symbolic minimum wage hike to show for their efforts,
Congress may have earned the label.
However the impending passage of a resolution labeling the Turkish
mass murdering of Armenians nearly 90 years ago a genocide, a purely
symbolic bill, may have detrimental consequences.
>From 1915 to 1923 the Turkish Ottoman Empire conducted what is
considered by many historians to be one of the first modern, systematic
genocides, wiping 1.5 million Armenians off the face of the Earth.
It was truly one of the darkest stains in world history. No one should
dare deny that fact.
Unfortunately the modern day Republic of Turkey doesn't see it that
way, feeling instead the event was a calamity which occurred during the
chaos of war, not a methodical killing which would constitute genocide.
Surely the U.S. Congress is right calling for another nation to take
accountability for their actions.
It's not that simple. There is a war going on in Iraq right now,
and about 70 percent of all of our military cargo going in and out
of that country goes through Turkey.
As soon as word of this resolution came forth, Turkey called their
ambassador home and has warned that passage of this resolution would
lead to their withdrawal of support.
Perhaps even more troubling is that this resolution coincides with
Turkey's contemplation of invading Northern Iraq to combat Turkish
Kurd terrorists, known as the Kurdish Workers' Party.
That wouldn't sit well with the already unstable United States-backed
Iraqi government.
As Turkish Gen. Yasar Buyukanit warned "If this resolution (that)
passed in the committee passes the House as well, our military ties
with the U.S. will never be the same again."
This isn't a different government that shouldn't have to take account
for what its predecessors did, but until a mistake is acknowledged,
it is more likely to be repeated
The Armenians deserve an apology. But a forced apology is no apology
at all. And the fact that this resolution has taken 90 years to reach
the U.S. Congress is perplexing.
Because this is a symbolic bill, and isn't technically any different
than the Congress's recent condemnation of Rush Limbaugh, one has
to wonder what took so long. Why now, when we have so much to lose
because of it?
According to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the bill must be passed now
"because many of the survivors are very old." This is not a very
convincing case for spitting in the face of one of our few allies in
the Middle East.
What is most worrisome is that the rationale for this measure has
motivations far more political then just bringing justice to the
elderly. If the United States can't send in 70 percent of their cargo
into Iraq, then the Iraq war is over.
Since the Democrats gained control of Congress they have felt their
primary crusade is to end the war in Iraq. Much to the chagrin of
their base, they have largely failed.
In order to set a timeline for withdrawal from Iraq, they need 60
votes in the Senate, which they don't have, to override an inevitable
Bush veto.
What they may have is enough votes in the House to pass this resolution
which could vicariously end the war.
Regardless of your stance on this war hopefully we can all agree that
this is the wrong way to go about withdrawing. If this is indeed the
incipient intention of this resolution, to force a troop withdrawal,
then that would be legislating defeat. And, again, it would be
dangerous for the troops.
Turkey needs to take accountability for the past, that much is
certain. But Congress must also make sure that this resolution
doesn't pass.