Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

ANCA Challenges State Dept. Effort to Defeat Genocide Legislation

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • ANCA Challenges State Dept. Effort to Defeat Genocide Legislation

    Armenian National Committee of America
    888 17th St., NW Suite 904
    Washington, DC 20006
    Tel: (202) 775-1918
    Fax: (202) 775-5648
    E-mail: [email protected]
    Internet: www.anca.org

    PRESS RELEASE
    October 5, 2005
    Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
    Tel: (202) 775-1918

    ANCA CHALLENGES STATE DEPARTMENT EFFORT
    TO DEFEAT ARMENIAN GENOCIDE LEGISLATION

    -- ANCA Chairman Voices Community's Concerns in
    Letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

    "Official U.S. recognition and Turkish
    acknowledgement of the Armenian Genocide
    are not, as the Department argues, obstacles
    to improved Armenia-Turkey relations, but
    rather essential keys to progress toward the
    normalization of relations between these
    two states." -- Ken Hachikian


    WASHINGTON, DC - The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)
    today responded formally to the State Department's efforts, in the
    days leading up to the House International Relations Committee's
    September 15th approval of two resolutions recognizing the Armenian
    Genocide, to defeat these measures and prevent official U.S.
    recognition of this crime against humanity.

    In an October 5th letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice,
    ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian voiced the profound moral outrage of
    Armenians over the Administration's ongoing complicity in Turkey's
    campaign of genocide denial. In his two-page letter, Hachikian
    explained the Armenian American community's opposition, on moral,
    geo-political and democratic grounds, to the State Department's
    obstruction of Congressional efforts to reaffirm the Armenian
    Genocide. Among the main points raised by Hachikian in the letter
    were the following:

    * Moral:

    "In failing to openly and honestly recognize and commemorate the
    Armenian Genocide, the U.S. government dishonors the truth, betrays
    the historical record in our very own archives, demeans the
    sacrifices of the Foreign Service officers who bore witness to this
    crime, and compromises the President's commitment to 'moral
    clarity.'"

    * Geopolitical:

    "Official U.S. recognition and Turkish acknowledgement of the
    Armenian Genocide are not, as the Department argues, obstacles to
    improved Armenia-Turkey relations, but rather essential keys to
    reduced tensions and progress toward the normalization of relations
    between these two states."

    * Democratic:

    "The Department's assertion that even House floor debate on
    Armenian Genocide legislation would harm U.S. interests is both
    fundamentally undemocratic and offensive to all those elected to
    represent us in our national legislature. A clear bipartisan
    Congressional majority supports this legislation and deserves the
    right to act upon this matter in a fair and transparent manner.
    American interests are served by the open functioning of our
    democratic institutions, not by "gag-orders" - imposed by a foreign
    government and enforced by our own State Department - regarding
    what can and cannot be discussed by members of the U.S. Congress."

    On September 15th, after nearly three hours of debate, the House
    International Relations Committee, voted overwhelmingly in favor of
    two measures calling for proper U.S. recognition of the Armenian
    Genocide (H.Res.316 and H.Con.Res.195) and urging Turkey to end its
    decades long denial of this crime against humanity.

    The full text of the ANCA letter is provided below.

    #####

    Text of ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian's October 5, 2005
    letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice


    October 5, 2005

    The Honorable Condoleezza Rice
    Secretary of State
    Department of State
    2201 C Street, NW
    Washington, DC 20520

    Dear Secretary Rice,

    I am writing in response to the State Department's recent letter to
    Chairman Henry Hyde, in which Assistant Secretary Matthew Reynolds
    expressed the Department's opposition to legislation under
    consideration by the House International Relations Committee
    regarding U.S. policy on the Armenian Genocide.

    Along with all Armenians - here in America, in Armenia, and around
    the world - I am profoundly outraged by the Department of State's
    ongoing complicity in Turkey's campaign of genocide denial. I
    would like to briefly share with you our objections to the
    Department's position on moral, geopolitical, and democratic
    grounds.

    Moral: In failing to openly and honestly recognize and commemorate
    the Armenian Genocide, the U.S. government dishonors the truth,
    betrays the historical record in our very own archives, demeans the
    sacrifices of the Foreign Service officers who bore witness to this
    crime, and compromises the President's commitment to "moral
    clarity."

    I can only hope that, through the efforts of men and women of
    principle in the U.S. Congress and across our nation, we will, in
    short order, witness once again official U.S. recognition of this
    crime against humanity, bringing an end to a sad chapter in
    American history. When this day comes, all those involved in
    perpetuating this denial - particularly those who have lent their
    names to this disgraceful undertaking - will, I am certain, look
    back in shame on their words and deeds. Just as official U.S.
    government apologists for Apartheid in South Africa no doubt regret
    their actions today, so too will those who have taken part in
    enabling and encouraging Turkey's hateful denial of the Armenian
    Genocide.

    Geopolitical: Beyond the moral bankruptcy of the Administration's
    position, the letter reveals a shortsighted and outdated view of
    how Turkey's denial continues to impact the region. Official U.S.
    recognition and Turkish acknowledgement of the Armenian Genocide
    are not, as the Department argues, obstacles to improved Armenia-
    Turkey relations, but rather essential keys to reduced tensions and
    progress toward the normalization of relations between these two
    states.

    Democratic: The Department's assertion that even House floor
    debate on Armenian Genocide legislation would harm U.S. interests
    is both fundamentally undemocratic and offensive to all those
    elected to represent us in our national legislature. A clear
    bipartisan Congressional majority supports this legislation and
    deserves the right to act upon this matter in a fair and
    transparent manner. American interests are served by the open
    functioning of our democratic institutions, not by "gag-orders" -
    imposed by a foreign government and enforced by our own State
    Department - regarding what can and cannot be discussed by members
    of the U.S. Congress.

    I urge you to reconsider the Department's failed and profoundly
    immoral policy on the Armenian Genocide. I would, of course, be
    pleased to meet with you to discuss our views in greater detail.

    Thank you for your consideration of this matter.

    Sincerely,

    [signed]
    Kenneth V. Hachikian
    Chairman

    cc: Members of the U.S. Congress

    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Working...
X