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ASSEMBLY CALLS ATTENTION TO U.S. STATEMENT BEFORE THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE ACKNOWLEDGING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
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10.06.2008 10:30
On the heels of President George W. Bush's announcement of Marie L.
Yovanovitch and James F. Jeffrey to serve as Ambassadors Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republics
of Armenia and Turkey, respectively, the Armenian Assembly of America
calls attention to a U.S. filing with the International Court of
Justice (ICJ) concerning the United Nations Genocide Convention
squarely acknowledging the Armenian Genocide as a crime.
The document reads in part:
"The Genocide Convention resulted from the inhuman and barbarous
practices which prevailed in certain countries prior to and
during World War II, when entire religious, racial and national
minority groups were threatened with and subjected to deliberate
extermination. The practice of genocide has occurred throughout human
history. The Roman persecution of the Christians, the Turkish massacres
of Armenians, the extermination of millions of Jews and Poles by the
Nazis are outstanding examples of the crime of genocide."
Moreover, this 1951 document recently discussed by leading genocide
legal authority Professor William A. Schabas of The Irish Centre of
Human Rights also reads:
"This was the background when the General Assembly of the United
Nations considered the problem of genocide. Not once, but twice, that
body declared unanimously that the practice of genocide is criminal
under international law and that States ought to take steps to prevent
and punish genocide."
The United Nations General Assembly Resolution of 1946, 96 (I),
defined the crime of genocide as:
"Genocide is a denial of the right of existence of entire human groups,
as homicide is the denial of the right to live of individual human
beings; such denial of the right of existence shocks the conscience
of mankind, results in great losses to humanity in the form of
cultural and other contributions represented by these human groups,
and is contrary to moral law and to the spirit and aims of the United
Nations."
Many instances of such crimes of genocide have occurred when racial,
religious, political, and other groups have been destroyed, entirely
or in part.
Additionally, in 1948 the United Nations War Crimes Commission invoked
the 28 May 1915 Allied declaration denouncing crimes against humanity
and civilization in connection to the Armenian massacres. "The warning
given to the Turkish Government on this occasion by the Governments of
the Triple Entente dealt precisely with one of the types of acts which
the modern term 'crimes against humanity' is intended to cover, namely,
inhuman acts committed by a government against its own subjects."
"Professor Schabas has reminded us again of the historic American
record of affirmation," said Assembly Executive Director Bryan
Ardouny. "Now the Bush Administration has an opportunity to utilize the
confirmation process to ensure that Turkey's ongoing denial campaign
is squarely confronted."
The 1951 statement is consistent with the legislative history of
the U.S.
ratification of the Genocide Convention, President Reagan's 1981
Proclamation 4838 ("Like the genocide of the Armenians before it, and
the genocide of the Cambodians which followed it - and like too many
other such persecutions of too many other peoples - the lessons of the
Holocaust must never be forgotten."), the 2003 International Center
for Transitional Justice endorsed by President Bush, which concluded
that "the Events [of 1915], viewed collectively, can thus be said to
include all of the elements of the crime of genocide as defined in the
Convention, and legal scholars as well as historians, politicians,
journalists and other people would be justified in continuing to so
describe them," the 1993 court decision in Krikorian v. Department
of State (where the D.C. Federal Court of Appeals confirmed that
U.S. policy recognizes the Armenian Genocide) and the 42 U.S.
States that have affirmed the Armenian Genocide.
"Furthermore and in particular," Ardouny added, "the U.S. Ambassador
to Turkey has a unique opportunity to follow in the tradition of
Ambassador Henry Morgenthau to ensure that universal principles
of human rights are adhered to, and that minorities in Turkey are
protected not persecuted."
Yovanovitch, a career member of the Foreign Service, currently serves
as Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic. Prior to this, she served as
Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs at the
Department of State. Earlier in her career, she served as Deputy
Chief of Mission in Kiev.
Yovanovitch received her bachelor's degree from Princeton University
and her master's degree from the National War College.
Jeffrey, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service,
currently serves as Assistant to the President and Deputy National
Security Advisor at the White House. Prior to this, he served as
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Near Eastern
Affairs. Earlier in his career, he served as Deputy Chief of Mission
in Baghdad, United States Ambassador to Albania, and three other
assignments in Turkey. Ambassador Jeffrey received his bachelor's
degree from Northeastern University and his master's degree from
Boston University.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
X-X-Sender: irene@server2.yerevan.linkgard.com
X-Listprocessor -Version: 8.1 -- ListProcessor(tm) by CREN
armradio.am
10.06.2008 10:30
On the heels of President George W. Bush's announcement of Marie L.
Yovanovitch and James F. Jeffrey to serve as Ambassadors Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republics
of Armenia and Turkey, respectively, the Armenian Assembly of America
calls attention to a U.S. filing with the International Court of
Justice (ICJ) concerning the United Nations Genocide Convention
squarely acknowledging the Armenian Genocide as a crime.
The document reads in part:
"The Genocide Convention resulted from the inhuman and barbarous
practices which prevailed in certain countries prior to and
during World War II, when entire religious, racial and national
minority groups were threatened with and subjected to deliberate
extermination. The practice of genocide has occurred throughout human
history. The Roman persecution of the Christians, the Turkish massacres
of Armenians, the extermination of millions of Jews and Poles by the
Nazis are outstanding examples of the crime of genocide."
Moreover, this 1951 document recently discussed by leading genocide
legal authority Professor William A. Schabas of The Irish Centre of
Human Rights also reads:
"This was the background when the General Assembly of the United
Nations considered the problem of genocide. Not once, but twice, that
body declared unanimously that the practice of genocide is criminal
under international law and that States ought to take steps to prevent
and punish genocide."
The United Nations General Assembly Resolution of 1946, 96 (I),
defined the crime of genocide as:
"Genocide is a denial of the right of existence of entire human groups,
as homicide is the denial of the right to live of individual human
beings; such denial of the right of existence shocks the conscience
of mankind, results in great losses to humanity in the form of
cultural and other contributions represented by these human groups,
and is contrary to moral law and to the spirit and aims of the United
Nations."
Many instances of such crimes of genocide have occurred when racial,
religious, political, and other groups have been destroyed, entirely
or in part.
Additionally, in 1948 the United Nations War Crimes Commission invoked
the 28 May 1915 Allied declaration denouncing crimes against humanity
and civilization in connection to the Armenian massacres. "The warning
given to the Turkish Government on this occasion by the Governments of
the Triple Entente dealt precisely with one of the types of acts which
the modern term 'crimes against humanity' is intended to cover, namely,
inhuman acts committed by a government against its own subjects."
"Professor Schabas has reminded us again of the historic American
record of affirmation," said Assembly Executive Director Bryan
Ardouny. "Now the Bush Administration has an opportunity to utilize the
confirmation process to ensure that Turkey's ongoing denial campaign
is squarely confronted."
The 1951 statement is consistent with the legislative history of
the U.S.
ratification of the Genocide Convention, President Reagan's 1981
Proclamation 4838 ("Like the genocide of the Armenians before it, and
the genocide of the Cambodians which followed it - and like too many
other such persecutions of too many other peoples - the lessons of the
Holocaust must never be forgotten."), the 2003 International Center
for Transitional Justice endorsed by President Bush, which concluded
that "the Events [of 1915], viewed collectively, can thus be said to
include all of the elements of the crime of genocide as defined in the
Convention, and legal scholars as well as historians, politicians,
journalists and other people would be justified in continuing to so
describe them," the 1993 court decision in Krikorian v. Department
of State (where the D.C. Federal Court of Appeals confirmed that
U.S. policy recognizes the Armenian Genocide) and the 42 U.S.
States that have affirmed the Armenian Genocide.
"Furthermore and in particular," Ardouny added, "the U.S. Ambassador
to Turkey has a unique opportunity to follow in the tradition of
Ambassador Henry Morgenthau to ensure that universal principles
of human rights are adhered to, and that minorities in Turkey are
protected not persecuted."
Yovanovitch, a career member of the Foreign Service, currently serves
as Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic. Prior to this, she served as
Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs at the
Department of State. Earlier in her career, she served as Deputy
Chief of Mission in Kiev.
Yovanovitch received her bachelor's degree from Princeton University
and her master's degree from the National War College.
Jeffrey, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service,
currently serves as Assistant to the President and Deputy National
Security Advisor at the White House. Prior to this, he served as
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Near Eastern
Affairs. Earlier in his career, he served as Deputy Chief of Mission
in Baghdad, United States Ambassador to Albania, and three other
assignments in Turkey. Ambassador Jeffrey received his bachelor's
degree from Northeastern University and his master's degree from
Boston University.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress