Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

ANCA Endorses Obama in Democratic Primary

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

  • ANCA Endorses Obama in Democratic Primary

    Armenian National Committee of America
    1711 N Street, NW
    Washington, DC 20036
    Tel. (202) 775-1918
    Fax. (202) 775-5648
    [email protected]
    Internet www.anca.org

    PRESS RELEASE
    January 30, 2008
    Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
    Tel: (202) 775-1918

    ANCA ENDORSES OBAMA IN DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY

    "America deserves a leader who speaks truthfully
    about the Armenian Genocide and responds forcefully
    to all genocides. I intend to be that President."
    -- Barack Obama

    -- Announcement on Republican Candidates Expected Soon

    WASHINGTON, DC - The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)
    today endorsed Barack Obama as the Democratic candidate best
    positioned to bring fundamental change to how the United States
    addresses issues of special concern to Armenian American voters.

    "The Armenian National Committee of America is proud today to
    endorse Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination for President of
    the United States," said ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian. "Based on
    his strong record in office, his bold statements as a candidate,
    and our judgment as to the policies he will pursue as President, we
    believe that, among a strong field of Democratic candidates,
    Senator Obama will best reflect the views and values of Armenian
    American voters."

    The official announcement came during a press conference held at
    the ANCA Western Region headquarters, featuring remarks by Obama
    supporters, Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) and L.A. City Council
    President Eric Garcetti as well as ANCA National Board Member Raffi
    Hamparian and Armenians for Obama Chairwoman Nora Hovsepian.

    Barack Obama: The choice for change

    In a powerful statement, issued on January 20th, Senator Obama
    voiced his strong support for passage of the Armenian Genocide
    Resolution (H.Res.106 & S.Res.106) currently before Congress, and
    pledged that, as President, he will recognize the Armenian
    Genocide.

    The Presidential hopeful also reaffirmed his support for a strong
    "U.S.-Armenian relationship that advances our common security and
    strengthens Armenian democracy." Unlike other Democratic
    candidates, he also pledged to "promote Armenian security by
    seeking an end to the Turkish and Azerbaijani blockades, and by
    working for a lasting and durable settlement of the Nagorno
    Karabagh conflict that is agreeable to all parties, and based upon
    America's founding commitment to the principles of democracy and
    self determination."

    The key elements of the Obama record that led to the ANCA
    endorsement include the following:

    * Public criticism of the Bush Administration for firing
    former U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Evans over his
    truthful remarks recognizing the Armenian Genocide. He has
    publicly asserted that, "An official policy that calls on
    diplomats to distort the historical facts is an untenable
    policy."

    * Strong support for the passage of the Armenian Genocide
    Resolution currently before Congress, in his capacity as
    Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relions Subcommittee on
    European Affairs.

    * A written pledge to recognize the Armenian Genocide as
    President, clearly spelling out his "firmly held conviction
    that the Armenian Genocide is not an allegation, a personal
    opinion, or a point of view, but rather a widely documented
    fact supported by an overwhelming body of historical
    evidence. The facts are undeniable."

    * A commitment to ending the cycle of genocide. He has
    said, on the record, that, "America deserves a leader who
    speaks truthfully about the Armenian Genocide and responds
    forcefully to all genocides. I intend to be that
    President."

    * Letters to President Bush urging him to properly
    recognize the Armenian Genocide and a record of defending
    that position, when challenged. While visiting Azerbaijan
    in August 2005, in response to media inquiries about why he
    signed these letters, Senator Obama publicly defended his
    decision by stating that the Armenian Genocide was a
    historical fact.

    * Commitment to promoting Armenia's security "by seeking
    an end to the Turkish and Azerbaijani blockades."

    * Support for "a lasting and durable settlement of the
    Nagorno Karabagh conflict that is agreeable to all parties,
    and based upon America's founding commitment to the
    principles of democracy and self determination."

    The full text of Senator Obama's statement is provided below:

    Barack Obama on the Importance of US-Armenia Relations

    JANUARY 19, 2008

    I am proud of my strong record on issues of concern to the
    one and a half million Americans of Armenian heritage in
    the United States. I warmly welcome the support of this
    vibrant and politically active community as we change how
    our government works here at home, and restore American
    leadership abroad.

    I am a strong supporter of a U.S.-Armenian relationship
    that advances our common security and strengthens Armenian
    democracy. As President, I will maintain our assistance to
    Armenia, which has been a reliable partner in the fight
    against terrorism and extremism. I will promote Armenian
    security by seeking an end to the Turkish and Azerbaijani
    blockades, and by working for a lasting and durable
    settlement of the Nagorno Karabagh conflict that is
    agreeable to all parties, and based upon America's founding
    commitment to the principles of democracy and self
    determination. And my Administration will help foster
    Armenia's growth and development through expanded trade and
    targeted aid, and by strengthening the commercial,
    political, military, developmental, and cultural
    relationships between the U.S. and Armenian governments.

    I also share with Armenian Americans - so many of whom are
    descended from genocide survivors - a principled commitment
    to commemorating and ending genocide. That starts with
    acknowledging the tragic instances of genocide in world
    history. As a U.S. Senator, I have stood with the Armenian
    American community in calling for Turkey's acknowledgement
    of the Armenian Genocide. Two years ago, I criticized the
    Secretary of State for the firing of U.S. Ambassador to
    Armenia, John Evans, after he properly used the term
    "genocide" to describe Turkey's slaughter of thousands of
    Armenians starting in 1915. I shared with Secretary Rice my
    firmly held conviction that the Armenian Genocide is not an
    allegation, a personal opinion, or a point of view, but
    rather a widely documented fact supported by an
    overwhelming body of historical evidence. The facts are
    undeniable. An official policy that calls on diplomats to
    distort the historical facts is an untenable policy. As a
    senator, I strongly support passage of the Armenian
    Genocide Resolution (H.Res.106 and S.Res.106), and as
    President I will recognize the Armenian Genocide.

    Genocide, sadly, persists to this day, and threatens our
    common security and common humanity. Tragically, we are
    witnessing in Sudan many of the same brutal tactics -
    displacement, starvation, and mass slaughter - that were
    used by the Ottoman authorities against defenseless
    Armenians back in 1915. I have visited Darfurian refugee
    camps, pushed for the deployment of a robust multinational
    force for Darfur, and urged divestment from companies doing
    business in Sudan. America deserves a leader who speaks
    truthfully about the Armenian Genocide and responds
    forcefully to all genocides. I intend to be that President.

    I look forward, as President, to continuing my active
    engagement with Armenian American leaders on the full range
    of issues of concern to the Armenian American community.
    Together, we will build, in new and exciting ways, upon the
    enduring ties and shared values that have bound together
    the American and Armenian peoples for more than a century.

    Sen. Obama's statement on U.S.-Armenia relations is available on
    the official campaign website at:
    http://www.barackobama.com/2008/01/19/barack_o bama_on_the_importance.php


    ANCA Outreach to Candidates:

    In recent weeks, the ANCA has invited each of the candidates to
    share their views on Armenian Americans issues, and to comment on
    both the growing relationship between the U.S. and Armenian
    governments and the enduring bonds between the American and
    Armenian peoples. Questionnaires sent to the candidates have
    invited them to respond to a set of 19 questions, including those
    addressing: affirmation of the Armenian Genocide, U.S.-Armenia
    economic, political, and military relations, self-determination for
    Nagorno Karabagh, the Turkish and Azerbaijani blockades, and the
    genocide in Darfur.

    The other two leading Democratic candidates, Senator Hillary
    Clinton (D-NY) and former Senator John Edwards (D-NC), are friends
    of the Armenian American community, and have each reached out in
    substantive ways to Armenian American voters. Either one, if
    nominated, would represent candidacies offering a profound
    improvement over the policies of the current Administration.

    On January 24th, four days after the Obama statement, Senator
    Hillary Clinton, who is a cosponsor of the Armenian Genocide
    Resolution (S.Res. 106), issued a forceful statement calling for
    Congressional passage of the Armenian Genocide Resolution and
    pledging that, as President, she will recognize the Armenian
    Genocide. Her statement, welcomed by the ANCA, stressed that, "Our
    common morality and our nation's credibility as a voice or human
    rights challenge us to ensure that the Armenian Genocide be
    recognized and remembered by the Congress and the President of the
    United States." As a Senator, Hillary Clinton has, since 2002,
    cosponsored successive Armenian Genocide resolutions. She joined
    Senate colleagues in cosigning letters to President Bush in 2005
    and 2006 urging him to recognize the Armenian Genocide.

    In a January 24th letter to the ANCA, John Edwards voiced support
    for the passage of the Armenian Genocide Resolution, within the
    context of a diplomatic effort to assure the Turkish government
    that the legislation is not aimed at present day Turkey, but rather
    the atrocities committed by the Ottoman Empire. As a Senator, John
    Edwards cosponsored successive Armenian Genocide Resolutions
    beginning in 2002. He also supported Section 907 restrictions on
    U.S. aid to Azerbaijan due to its ongoing blockades of Armenia and
    Nagorno Karabagh.

    The ANCA has been reaching out to each of the leading Republican
    candidates and hopes to issue a statement on the GOP primaries in
    the near future.

    ANCA Presidential endorsements, in both the primary and general
    elections, are offered against the backdrop of several decades of
    disappointing experiences, during which Presidents, while running
    for office, have affirmed the Armenian Genocide to win hearts and
    minds among Armenian American voters, only to retreat from this
    recognition once in the White House and aggressively pressure the
    U.S. Congress from properly commemorating the very same crime
    against humanity they once condemned as candidates.

    The Armenian American Vote:

    Armenian Americans, in key primary states and throughout the
    country, represent a motivated and highly networked constituency of
    more than one and a half million citizens. The ANCA mobilizes
    Armenian American voters through a network of over 50 chapters and
    a diverse array of affiliates, civic advocates, and supporters
    nationwide. ANCA mailings reach over a quarter of a million homes,
    and, with the addition of internet outreach, updates and action
    alerts reach well over 350,000 households. The ANCA website, which
    features election coverage from an Armenian American point of view,
    attracts over 100,000 unique visits a month. The ANCA also has
    broad reach to Armenian American voters via a sophisticated media
    operation of newspapers, regional cable shows, satellite TV, blogs,
    and internet news sites.

    Along with its Presidential endorsements, in both the Primary and
    General elections, the ANCA reminded Armenian Americans that their
    ability to impact policy-level decision-making depends, first and
    foremost, on the continued expansion of advocacy efforts at all
    levels of government. The ANCA's Congressional endorsements, which
    will be announced later this year, will represent an important
    element of this process by providing Armenian American voters with
    the information they need to solidify the strong, bipartisan
    support our community enjoys in Congress.

    As always, the ANCA welcomes feedback on its service to the
    Armenian American community. Please forward your thoughts and
    suggestions about the 2008 Presidential election by email to
    [email protected].

    The need for change: The Bush Administration's record

    The pressing need for fundamental change in how the United States
    addresses issues of special concern to Armenian Americans is
    highlighted by a review of the current Administration's record in
    twelve key areas:

    1) Broken campaign pledge to recognize the Armenian Genocide

    Almost immediately after taking office, President Bush
    abandoned his campaign pledge to recognize the Armenian
    Genocide. Rather than honor this promise, the President
    has, in his annual April 24th statements, used evasive and
    euphemistic terminology to avoid describing Ottoman
    Turkey's systematic and deliberate destruction of the
    Armenian people by its proper name - the Armenian Genocide.
    Moreover, the Administration has echoed the Turkish
    government's denial by claiming that the Armenian Genocide,
    one of the most studied genocides of the 20th century,
    "should be a matter of historical inquiry, not
    legislation." On October 17, 2007, after the House Foreign
    Affairs Committee passed the Armenian Genocide Resolution,
    President Bush argued that, "one thing Congress should not
    be doing is sorting out the historical record of the
    Ottoman Empire," claiming there was "more important work to
    do."

    2) Opposition to the Congressional Genocide Resolution

    The Bush Administration, throughout its tenure, has actively sought
    to block the adoption of the Genocide Resolution in both the House
    and Senate. As recently as October of last year, the President
    spoke to the national media from the White House, on more than one
    occasion, against the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, and
    personally lobbied Members of Congress to prevent the commemoration
    of this crime.

    3) The Evans firing and the Hoagland nominations

    The Bush Administration fired U.S. Ambassador John Evans, a career
    Foreign Service officer with 35 years of experience, simply for
    speaking truthfully about the Armenian Genocide. Despite numerous
    Congressional inquiries, his Administration continuously attempted
    to cover up the true reasons for Evans' removal and the Turkish
    government's protests over his statements. When the American
    Foreign Service Association (AFSA) awarded John Evans the Christian
    Herter prize for constructive dissent, Administration officials
    forced AFSA to rescind the award just days before Turkish President
    Erdogan came to Washington, DC to meet with President Bush.

    The President's nominee to replace Ambassador Evans, Dick Hoagland,
    denied the Armenian Genocide in response to Senate inquiries during
    his confirmation process. After being blocked by a Senatorial
    "hold" placed by Robert Menendez in the 109th Congress, the
    President again nominated Ambassador Hoagland, only to have this
    nomination blocked once again on the grounds that a diplomat who
    denies the Armenian Genocide cannot serve effectively as the U.S.
    representative to Armenia.

    4) The Waiver of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act

    The Bush Administration, in 2001, aggressively pressured Congress
    into granting the President the authority to waive Section 907, a
    provision of law that bars aid to the government of Azerbaijan
    until it lifts its blockades of Armenia and Nagorno Karabagh.
    President Bush has subsequently used this authority to provide
    direct aid, including military assistance, to the government of
    Azerbaijan, despite their continued violation of the provisions of
    this law.

    5) Reduction in aid to Armenia

    In the face of the devastating, multi-billion dollar impact of the
    Turkish and Azerbaijani blockades on the Armenian economy,
    President Bush has, in each of his years in office, proposed to
    Congress that Freedom Support Act humanitarian and developmental
    aid to Armenia be reduced.

    6) Abandonment of the Military Aid Parity Agreement

    The Bush Administration abandoned its November 2001 agreement with
    Congress and the Armenian American community to maintain even
    levels of military aid to Armenia and Azerbaijan. In successive
    budgets submitted to Congress, the President effectively sought to
    tilt the regional military balance in favor of Azerbaijan,
    undermining the role of the U.S. as an impartial mediator, despite
    Azerbaijan's increasingly violent threats of renewed aggression.

    7) Mistaken Listing of Armenia as a Terrorist Country

    The Bush Administration sought, unsuccessfully, in December of 2002
    to place Armenia on an Immigration and Naturalization Service watch
    list for terrorist countries. This obvious error was reversed only
    after a nation-wide protest campaign. Neither the White House nor
    the Department of Justice has apologized for the offense caused by
    this mistake.

    8) Lack of U.S.-Armenia Presidential visitations

    The President neither visited Armenia nor did he invite the
    President of Armenia to visit the United States, despite similar
    visits by the leaders of Georgia and Azerbaijan.

    9) Failure to maintain a balanced policy on Nagorno Karabagh

    The Bush Administration, to its credit, took an early initiative to
    help resolve the Nagorno Karabagh issue in the form of the Key West
    summit meeting in 2001 between Secretary of State Powell and the
    presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan. After Azerbaijan's failure to
    honor its Key West commitments, however, the Administration failed
    to hold Azerbaijan accountable for unilaterally stalling the
    Nagorno Karabagh peace process.

    10) Taxpayer financing of the Baku-Ceyhan bypass of Armenia

    The Bush Administration supported American taxpayer subsidies for
    the politically motivated Baku-Ceyhan pipeline route that, at the
    insistence of Turkey and Azerbaijan, bypassed Armenia.

    11) Refusal to pressure Turkey and Azerbaijan to end their
    blockades

    The Bush Administration has not forcefully condemned the Turkish
    and Azerbaijani blockades as clear violations of international law,
    nor, outside of occasional public statements, has it taken any
    meaningful steps to pressure the Turkish or Azerbaijani governments
    to end their illegal border closures.

    12) Neglect of relations with the Armenian American community

    Breaking with the tradition of the last several Administrations,
    the Bush White House failed to reach out in any meaningful way to
    our nation's one and a half million citizens of Armenian heritage.
    While the State Department, Pentagon and National Security Council
    maintained their long-standing, policy-level dialogue with the
    Armenian American community leadership, the White House itself
    essentially neglected Armenian Americans as a civic constituency.
Working...
X