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Armenian Assembly of America
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.aaainc.org
PRESS RELEASE
June 19, 2008
Contact: Michael A Zachariades
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (202) 393-3434
SENATOR ROBERT MENENDEZ QUESTIONS AMBASSADORIAL NOMINEE YOVANOVITCH ON
THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE DURING FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE HEARING
Armenian Assembly of America reserves judgment until it reads nominee's
responses to written questions
Washington, DC - Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) posed a series of
questions to the Administration's nominee to serve as Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the
Republic of Armenia, Ambassador Marie L. Yovanovitch during today's
Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, reported the Armenian
Assembly of America (Assembly).
In her opening statement, Yovanovitch stated the U.S. government
"acknowledges and mourns the mass killings, ethnic cleansing, and forced
deportations that devastated over one and a half million Armenians at
the end of the Ottoman Empire. The United States recognizes these
events as one of the greatest tragedies of the 20th century, the Medz
Yeghern or Great Calamity, as Armenians refer to it."
During the question and answer period, Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
provided Yovanovitch with several historical documents, including cables
from U.S. Ambassador Henry Morgenthau, U.S. Ambassador Abram Elkus, U.S.
Consul Jesse Jackson, U.S. Consul Leslie Davis, as well as Article II of
the UN Genocide Convention and President George Bush's 2004 April 24th
Statement.
Menendez asked her to acknowledge each, to which she replied in the
affirmative. Senator Menendez also asked if she believed that the facts
she presented in her opening statement fit the definition of Article II
of the Genocide Convention. Yovanovitch responded that it was a policy
decision, which she was not authorized to make.
Menendez repeated that he was not looking for policy, but rather he
wanted to know if the 1.5 million Armenians that were exiled and
murdered fell into that category. Yovanovitch again reiterated that "it
is a policy decision."
In closing, Menendez said "it is a shame that career Foreign Service
Officers have to be brought before the committee and find difficulty in
acknowledging historical facts and find difficulty in acknowledging the
realities of what has been internationally recognized, Mr. Chairman....
The International Association of Genocide Scholars, the pre-eminent
authority on genocide, has unanimously, not equivocated, unanimously
declared the Armenian Genocide a genocide and it is amazing to me that
we can talk about a million and a half human beings who were
slaughtered, we can talk about those who were raped, we can talk about
those who were forcibly pushed out of their country and we can have
presidential acknowledgements of that but then we cannot call it what it
is.
"It is a ridiculous stance that the Administration is doing over the use
of the term genocide. It is an attempt to suggest that we don't want to
strain our relationships with Turkey but I have to say the fact that we
are sending off our diplomats in such a manner, that they are not able
to recognize a historical event that is clearly documented by credible,
objective historians, an event that is so tragic, an event that the
recognition of which is so personal for millions of Armenians and
descendants of Armenians, many of whom are Americans, is also something
that I think is detrimental to our foreign policy."
"The Armenian Assembly applauds the continued efforts of Senator
Menendez for ensuring that the facts of the Armenian Genocide are
brought to the forefront and not denied. We concur with the Senator
that the Administration's current policy is fundamentally flawed and
that our long-term interests would be better served by speaking the
truth as opposed to trying to placate a foreign government," said
Armenian Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny.
At the onset of the hearing, former Senator Robert Dole (R-KS) addressed
the Committee speaking in favor of the nomination of Ambassador
Yovanovitch, whom he described as "an outstanding person who will do an
outstanding job." He ended his remarks by saying, "God Bless America and
God Bless Armenia."
In a recent interview, Armenia's Ambassador to the United States,
Ambassador Tatoul Markarian stated that the Armenian government has
already given its agreement to the official U.S. request on the
Ambassador's candidacy. Ambassador Markarian added that the Armenian
government hopes "that the nominee will be confirmed successfully and
arrive in Armenia shortly" and that they "look forward to having a
full-time American Ambassador in Yerevan."
If confirmed, Yovanovitch pledged to work to open the borders closed by
Turkey and Azerbaijan and resolve the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, as well
as attend the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide at the
Tsitsernakaberd Memorial in Yerevan.
The next step in the confirmation process is to allow Senators to submit
questions in writing to the nominee. It is anticipated that the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee will hold a business committee meeting prior
to the July 4th Congressional recess to vote on the nominees considered
today.
The Ambassadorial position has remained vacant since September 10, 2006,
when then Ambassador John M. Evans's tour of duty was ended as U.S.
Ambassador to Armenia. Evans was recalled after he acknowledged the
Armenian Genocide during a public tour in February 2005, relying on the
International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) report, and other
such impartial works.
The Bush Administration named Ambassador Richard Hoagland as Evans's
replacement in May 2006. After extensive questioning, Hoagland was
approved by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee by a vote of 13 to 5.
However, in the end, Hoagland was not confirmed as Senator Robert
Menendez (D-NJ) placed a hold on his confirmation stating that the
nominee should properly recognize the Armenian Genocide. When the
Hoagland nomination was withdrawn, the Assembly welcomed it at that time
if it signaled a change in policy.
The Armenian Assembly has a fundamental policy disagreement with the
Bush Administration regarding affirmation of the Armenian Genocide and
has repeatedly urged the Administration to reaffirm the historical truth
as President Ronald Reagan did in 1981.
Similarly, the 1993 court decision in Krikorian v. Department of State
the D.C. Federal Court of Appeals confirmed that U.S. policy recognizes
the Armenian Genocide, which harkens back to the 1951 U.S. filing with
the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concerning the United Nations
Genocide Convention squarely acknowledging the Armenian Genocide.
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.
After decades of denial and cajoling by Turkey and its apologists, the
time has long since come for unequivocal U.S. affirmation.
While strongly pushing for Genocide affirmation to ensure U.S.
affirmation of the Armenian Genocide, the Assembly also believes that
having a U.S. Ambassador to Armenia is critically important for
U.S.-Armenia relations. As the Assembly previously stated:
Democracy in Armenia is still a work in progress and an U.S. Ambassador
can play an important role in strengthening Armenia's democratic process
and ensuring free and fair elections...The Armenian Assembly of America
salutes former Ambassador John Evans for speaking the truth and for his
efforts in working to strengthen Armenia's democratic institutions.
While no U.S. Ambassador has affirmed the Armenian Genocide during
Senate confirmation hearings, the Armenian-American community rightly
expects that any U.S. ambassadorial nominee to Armenia, or anyone in the
U.S. diplomatic service, properly understands and refers to the Armenian
Genocide.
Previous Ambassadors, once they arrived in Armenia and visited the
Armenian Genocide Memorial, would later go on to publicly acknowledge
the Armenia Genocide, as did Evans and former Ambassador Harry J.
Gilmore. As such, the Assembly urges the U.S. not to ignore its proud
record in helping to save the genocide survivors, in what then U.S.
Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire Henry Morgenthau described as a
"campaign of race extermination." Senator Menendez made certain today
that the U.S. record was not ignored.
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.
Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest
Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding
and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt
membership organization.
###
NR#2008-055
Editor's Note: Yovanovitch testimony and Senator Statements attached.
Ambassador Marie L Yovanovitch
http://www.aaainc.org/fileadmin/pdf_20 08_new/Ambassador_Hearing/Testimon
y_of_Marie_Yova novitch__Amb_Designate_to_Armenia__6.19.08_SFRC.pd f
Senator Barbara Boxer
http://www.aaainc.org/fileadmin/aaainc/image s/PR_-_2008/May_-_June/Sen_B
oxer_Statement_Amb_Yo vanovitch.pdf
Senator Dick Lugar
http://www.aaainc.org/fileadmin/pdf_2008_new /Ambassador_Hearing/Dick_Lug
ar_-_Nominations_Hear ing_Statement.pdf
Question and Answer Transcription, Yovanovitch, Menendez
http://www.aaainc.org/fileadmin/aaainc/im ages/PR_-_2008/May_-_June/Yovan
ovitch_QandA_Menen dez.pdf
1140 19th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-393-3434
Fax: 202-638-4904
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.aaainc.org
PRESS RELEASE
June 19, 2008
Contact: Michael A Zachariades
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (202) 393-3434
SENATOR ROBERT MENENDEZ QUESTIONS AMBASSADORIAL NOMINEE YOVANOVITCH ON
THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE DURING FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE HEARING
Armenian Assembly of America reserves judgment until it reads nominee's
responses to written questions
Washington, DC - Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) posed a series of
questions to the Administration's nominee to serve as Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the
Republic of Armenia, Ambassador Marie L. Yovanovitch during today's
Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, reported the Armenian
Assembly of America (Assembly).
In her opening statement, Yovanovitch stated the U.S. government
"acknowledges and mourns the mass killings, ethnic cleansing, and forced
deportations that devastated over one and a half million Armenians at
the end of the Ottoman Empire. The United States recognizes these
events as one of the greatest tragedies of the 20th century, the Medz
Yeghern or Great Calamity, as Armenians refer to it."
During the question and answer period, Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
provided Yovanovitch with several historical documents, including cables
from U.S. Ambassador Henry Morgenthau, U.S. Ambassador Abram Elkus, U.S.
Consul Jesse Jackson, U.S. Consul Leslie Davis, as well as Article II of
the UN Genocide Convention and President George Bush's 2004 April 24th
Statement.
Menendez asked her to acknowledge each, to which she replied in the
affirmative. Senator Menendez also asked if she believed that the facts
she presented in her opening statement fit the definition of Article II
of the Genocide Convention. Yovanovitch responded that it was a policy
decision, which she was not authorized to make.
Menendez repeated that he was not looking for policy, but rather he
wanted to know if the 1.5 million Armenians that were exiled and
murdered fell into that category. Yovanovitch again reiterated that "it
is a policy decision."
In closing, Menendez said "it is a shame that career Foreign Service
Officers have to be brought before the committee and find difficulty in
acknowledging historical facts and find difficulty in acknowledging the
realities of what has been internationally recognized, Mr. Chairman....
The International Association of Genocide Scholars, the pre-eminent
authority on genocide, has unanimously, not equivocated, unanimously
declared the Armenian Genocide a genocide and it is amazing to me that
we can talk about a million and a half human beings who were
slaughtered, we can talk about those who were raped, we can talk about
those who were forcibly pushed out of their country and we can have
presidential acknowledgements of that but then we cannot call it what it
is.
"It is a ridiculous stance that the Administration is doing over the use
of the term genocide. It is an attempt to suggest that we don't want to
strain our relationships with Turkey but I have to say the fact that we
are sending off our diplomats in such a manner, that they are not able
to recognize a historical event that is clearly documented by credible,
objective historians, an event that is so tragic, an event that the
recognition of which is so personal for millions of Armenians and
descendants of Armenians, many of whom are Americans, is also something
that I think is detrimental to our foreign policy."
"The Armenian Assembly applauds the continued efforts of Senator
Menendez for ensuring that the facts of the Armenian Genocide are
brought to the forefront and not denied. We concur with the Senator
that the Administration's current policy is fundamentally flawed and
that our long-term interests would be better served by speaking the
truth as opposed to trying to placate a foreign government," said
Armenian Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny.
At the onset of the hearing, former Senator Robert Dole (R-KS) addressed
the Committee speaking in favor of the nomination of Ambassador
Yovanovitch, whom he described as "an outstanding person who will do an
outstanding job." He ended his remarks by saying, "God Bless America and
God Bless Armenia."
In a recent interview, Armenia's Ambassador to the United States,
Ambassador Tatoul Markarian stated that the Armenian government has
already given its agreement to the official U.S. request on the
Ambassador's candidacy. Ambassador Markarian added that the Armenian
government hopes "that the nominee will be confirmed successfully and
arrive in Armenia shortly" and that they "look forward to having a
full-time American Ambassador in Yerevan."
If confirmed, Yovanovitch pledged to work to open the borders closed by
Turkey and Azerbaijan and resolve the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, as well
as attend the commemoration of the Armenian Genocide at the
Tsitsernakaberd Memorial in Yerevan.
The next step in the confirmation process is to allow Senators to submit
questions in writing to the nominee. It is anticipated that the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee will hold a business committee meeting prior
to the July 4th Congressional recess to vote on the nominees considered
today.
The Ambassadorial position has remained vacant since September 10, 2006,
when then Ambassador John M. Evans's tour of duty was ended as U.S.
Ambassador to Armenia. Evans was recalled after he acknowledged the
Armenian Genocide during a public tour in February 2005, relying on the
International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) report, and other
such impartial works.
The Bush Administration named Ambassador Richard Hoagland as Evans's
replacement in May 2006. After extensive questioning, Hoagland was
approved by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee by a vote of 13 to 5.
However, in the end, Hoagland was not confirmed as Senator Robert
Menendez (D-NJ) placed a hold on his confirmation stating that the
nominee should properly recognize the Armenian Genocide. When the
Hoagland nomination was withdrawn, the Assembly welcomed it at that time
if it signaled a change in policy.
The Armenian Assembly has a fundamental policy disagreement with the
Bush Administration regarding affirmation of the Armenian Genocide and
has repeatedly urged the Administration to reaffirm the historical truth
as President Ronald Reagan did in 1981.
Similarly, the 1993 court decision in Krikorian v. Department of State
the D.C. Federal Court of Appeals confirmed that U.S. policy recognizes
the Armenian Genocide, which harkens back to the 1951 U.S. filing with
the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concerning the United Nations
Genocide Convention squarely acknowledging the Armenian Genocide.
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.
After decades of denial and cajoling by Turkey and its apologists, the
time has long since come for unequivocal U.S. affirmation.
While strongly pushing for Genocide affirmation to ensure U.S.
affirmation of the Armenian Genocide, the Assembly also believes that
having a U.S. Ambassador to Armenia is critically important for
U.S.-Armenia relations. As the Assembly previously stated:
Democracy in Armenia is still a work in progress and an U.S. Ambassador
can play an important role in strengthening Armenia's democratic process
and ensuring free and fair elections...The Armenian Assembly of America
salutes former Ambassador John Evans for speaking the truth and for his
efforts in working to strengthen Armenia's democratic institutions.
While no U.S. Ambassador has affirmed the Armenian Genocide during
Senate confirmation hearings, the Armenian-American community rightly
expects that any U.S. ambassadorial nominee to Armenia, or anyone in the
U.S. diplomatic service, properly understands and refers to the Armenian
Genocide.
Previous Ambassadors, once they arrived in Armenia and visited the
Armenian Genocide Memorial, would later go on to publicly acknowledge
the Armenia Genocide, as did Evans and former Ambassador Harry J.
Gilmore. As such, the Assembly urges the U.S. not to ignore its proud
record in helping to save the genocide survivors, in what then U.S.
Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire Henry Morgenthau described as a
"campaign of race extermination." Senator Menendez made certain today
that the U.S. record was not ignored.
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.
Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest
Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding
and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt
membership organization.
###
NR#2008-055
Editor's Note: Yovanovitch testimony and Senator Statements attached.
Ambassador Marie L Yovanovitch
http://www.aaainc.org/fileadmin/pdf_20 08_new/Ambassador_Hearing/Testimon
y_of_Marie_Yova novitch__Amb_Designate_to_Armenia__6.19.08_SFRC.pd f
Senator Barbara Boxer
http://www.aaainc.org/fileadmin/aaainc/image s/PR_-_2008/May_-_June/Sen_B
oxer_Statement_Amb_Yo vanovitch.pdf
Senator Dick Lugar
http://www.aaainc.org/fileadmin/pdf_2008_new /Ambassador_Hearing/Dick_Lug
ar_-_Nominations_Hear ing_Statement.pdf
Question and Answer Transcription, Yovanovitch, Menendez
http://www.aaainc.org/fileadmin/aaainc/im ages/PR_-_2008/May_-_June/Yovan
ovitch_QandA_Menen dez.pdf