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Amid intense debate, Senate Foreign Relations Committee approves Hoagland
nomination
ArmRadio.am
08.09.2006 10:17
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee, by a vote of 13 to 5,
approved Ambassador-Designate Hoagland's nomination. For over forty
minutes, Senators spoke forcefully on the nomination, each affirming
the historical facts of the Armenian Genocide. Those opposed to
the nomination urged their colleagues to take a stand against the
Administration's complicity in genocide denial. Senator Barbara Boxer
(D-CA), in her remarks, noted that "The only way to express our deep
disappointment that he [Ambassador Evans] was recalled, it seems to
me, is to vote 'no'." Answering concerns about the absence of an
US Ambassador to Armenia during an extended confirmation process,
Sen. Boxer argued, "I agree that it is important that we have an
Ambassador there. But isn't it easy for the Administration to simply
say 'we will speak the truth'? And then, we will have our Ambassador."
In his remarks, Senator Paul Sarbanes (D-MD) expressed concerns about
the nominee's ability to accurately and effectively communicate the
Administration's position on the Armenian Genocide. Noting that, in
correspondence with Ranking Democrat Joseph Biden (D-DE), Amb. Hoagland
had needed to make changes to his initial written responses to a
series of Senate inquiries; Sen. Sarbanes noted that, "Ambassadors
deal with language. It is very important. You pick the wrong word,
you create a lot of problems. They have revised other answers. And so,
I looked through the revisions, and approve of them, but it raises
a question in my mind: 'where was the understanding and sensitivity
on the part of this nominee on responding to the questions that had
been submitted to him in the first place. What does it say that we
got those answers in the first place?"
Senator John Kerry (D-MA), voted against the nomination as a matter of
principle. "For us to recall an ambassador because he utters the word
'genocide', is to cow-tow, to cave-in to those who change history,
something we are witnessing today with [President] Ahmadinajad in
Iran who says the Holocaust didn't exist. So it is even more important
that we say something to the contrary.
We are not going to allow revisionism. We are not going to allow
people to push the United States of America around and say what you
can and can't say about what's happening with respect to history. We
honor history and we honor the truth. I don't think we do so if we
allow this Administration to take the contrary policy."
On two previous occasions, June 28th and again on August 1st,
the panel had delayed its consideration of Ambassador-Designate
Hoagland's nomination.
These delays were prompted by bipartisan concerns over a series of
controversies over the nomination. Among these points of contention
were is the nominee's written response to Senator Boxer's inquiry,
in which he questioned the genocidal intent of the Ottoman Turkish
government. Also of concern to members of the panel is the State
Department's firing of the current US Ambassador to Armenia, John
Marshal Evans. His early recall from Yerevan is widely seen as
retribution for his public statements, in February of 2005, calling
for an end to "word games" by the US government in avoiding the proper
recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Despite dozens of Congressional
inquiries, the Administration has yet explain its reasons for firing
Amb. Evans or to reveal the communications it received from the
Turkish government on this matter.
nomination
ArmRadio.am
08.09.2006 10:17
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee, by a vote of 13 to 5,
approved Ambassador-Designate Hoagland's nomination. For over forty
minutes, Senators spoke forcefully on the nomination, each affirming
the historical facts of the Armenian Genocide. Those opposed to
the nomination urged their colleagues to take a stand against the
Administration's complicity in genocide denial. Senator Barbara Boxer
(D-CA), in her remarks, noted that "The only way to express our deep
disappointment that he [Ambassador Evans] was recalled, it seems to
me, is to vote 'no'." Answering concerns about the absence of an
US Ambassador to Armenia during an extended confirmation process,
Sen. Boxer argued, "I agree that it is important that we have an
Ambassador there. But isn't it easy for the Administration to simply
say 'we will speak the truth'? And then, we will have our Ambassador."
In his remarks, Senator Paul Sarbanes (D-MD) expressed concerns about
the nominee's ability to accurately and effectively communicate the
Administration's position on the Armenian Genocide. Noting that, in
correspondence with Ranking Democrat Joseph Biden (D-DE), Amb. Hoagland
had needed to make changes to his initial written responses to a
series of Senate inquiries; Sen. Sarbanes noted that, "Ambassadors
deal with language. It is very important. You pick the wrong word,
you create a lot of problems. They have revised other answers. And so,
I looked through the revisions, and approve of them, but it raises
a question in my mind: 'where was the understanding and sensitivity
on the part of this nominee on responding to the questions that had
been submitted to him in the first place. What does it say that we
got those answers in the first place?"
Senator John Kerry (D-MA), voted against the nomination as a matter of
principle. "For us to recall an ambassador because he utters the word
'genocide', is to cow-tow, to cave-in to those who change history,
something we are witnessing today with [President] Ahmadinajad in
Iran who says the Holocaust didn't exist. So it is even more important
that we say something to the contrary.
We are not going to allow revisionism. We are not going to allow
people to push the United States of America around and say what you
can and can't say about what's happening with respect to history. We
honor history and we honor the truth. I don't think we do so if we
allow this Administration to take the contrary policy."
On two previous occasions, June 28th and again on August 1st,
the panel had delayed its consideration of Ambassador-Designate
Hoagland's nomination.
These delays were prompted by bipartisan concerns over a series of
controversies over the nomination. Among these points of contention
were is the nominee's written response to Senator Boxer's inquiry,
in which he questioned the genocidal intent of the Ottoman Turkish
government. Also of concern to members of the panel is the State
Department's firing of the current US Ambassador to Armenia, John
Marshal Evans. His early recall from Yerevan is widely seen as
retribution for his public statements, in February of 2005, calling
for an end to "word games" by the US government in avoiding the proper
recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Despite dozens of Congressional
inquiries, the Administration has yet explain its reasons for firing
Amb. Evans or to reveal the communications it received from the
Turkish government on this matter.