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KEHETIAN: GENOCIDE TABOO: AN INTERVIEW WITH AMBASSADOR EVANS
Mitch Kehetian
Armenian Weekly
Tue, Jun 15 2010 | Published in Interviews,
DETROIT, Mich.-Why have America's last three presidents bowed to the
whims of the pro-Turkish lobby in the U.S. State Department by not
recognizing the massacre of 1.5 million Armenians as a genocide in
their annual April 24 messages of "remembrance?"
In their successful bids for the White House candidates Bill Clinton,
George Bush and Barack Obama said it "was genocide" but after taking
office, the three presidents retreated from their campaign pledges.
John M. Evans, the former ambassador to Armenia knows why, and points
the finger of guilt at the pro-Turkish lobby in the State Department.
He was forced to leave his post in 2006 for having used the term
genocide while responding to questions from students at UCLA, Fresno
State and University of California at Berkley.
In granting this exclusive interview Evans was emphatic in his verbal
denunciation of the State Department's continuing role in Turkey's
cover-up of the 1915-23 Armenian genocide, a ploy it executes by
merely letting "it be known of the taboo to avoid a paper trail as
to who issued the orders."
"No one person would tell you. It was just taboo to mention the
genocide when addressing the Turco-Armenian conflict. But it became
apparent to me where it came from. It was the work of the Turkish
foreign desk in the State Department," the courageous diplomat
stresses.
Evans was here to address students at the University of Michigan and
the April 25 Madagh dinner at St. John Armenian Church in Southfield.
In his two-year stint as ambassador to Armenia Evans was recognized
"as an American statesman who upholds the tenets of truth in public
service."
After his address at Berkley in 2006, Evans said newspaper reports
picked up his comment on genocide. "When that happened I contacted
the State Department to tell them I did not address the genocide in my
speech, that it was used in my response to legitimate questions. I was
asked by students and scholars if I thought what happened in 1915 was
a genocide. My response then and now is an emphatic yes. Based on all
the data researched by American officials and historians who witnessed
the massacres made it clear. It was a government planned genocide. If
I said otherwise public faith in my office as a representative for
the United States would have been seen as a failure."
But truth has not been a tenet within the credo of the State
Department.
Evans said he was forced to leave his post in Yerevan on Sept. 10,
2006 when President George Bush began screening candidates to succeed
him as ambassador. "I got the message, and submitted my resignation."
When pressed on who he thought was enforcing the taboo on the use
of genocide, Evans again referred to the Turkish lobby, and painted
the picture of how the cover-up works. "The president is forced to
heed the advice of his national security officers and that's where
the foreign policy of the Turkish desk revolves. In fact President
Bush's last April 24 message was cleared by the State Department's
Turkish desk to make sure genocide was not used."
That's when the term "Meds Yeghern" was first used, and subsequently
by Obama in his two remembrance messages-a term Armenians use to
describe a Great Calamity.
In the April 25 editions of the New York Times the newspaper reported
how candidate Obama "vowed to use the term genocide" as president,
but declined "to do so" in his last two April 24 messages-to the
dismay of Armenian Americans.
The nationally-recognized newspaper also pointed out that Obama as the
candidate "had no qualms about using the term genocide and criticized
the Bush administration for recalling an ambassador (John M. Evans)
who dared to say the word."
When asked about the harm America suffers for not calling the massacre
of 1.5 million Armenians as a genocide, Evans responded with a forceful
message: "We are losing face by agreeing to Turkey's denial.
The whole world knows of Turkey's cover-up but this is no time to
stop in the noble task to attain justice. Progress comes slow. Now 22
countries are on record that it was genocide, and 44 states-including
Michigan-recognize the truth. Don't stop now."
While critical of Obama for not living up to his campaign pledge,
Evans said "at least Barack Obama has stressed that his opinion on
genocide has not changed, and that he cares about the issue-and did
so by addressing the Turkish parliament."
As for the suspension of Protocol talks between Yerevan and Ankara,
Evans said it was on a shaky footing from the very beginning, and
contends Armenia should not be forced to agree to any preconditioned
concessions Turkey seems to be implying from the genocide issue to
the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict with Azerbaijan.
The poorly orchestrated Protocol talks were fueled at the urging of
Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
At the Madagh dinner Evans and his wife Donna were given a standing
ovation for upholding the truth of the Armenian genocide. "The Armenian
people thank you for your courage. God bless you," was a fitting
expression by Richard Norsigian, the program's master of ceremonies.
Haig Korkorian served as chairman of the St. John steering committee
that coordinated Evans' visit to Detroit and this exclusive interview
with the career diplomat who spoke for "truth as our ally" even
knowing he would pay the consequences.
As the New York Times said, he was recalled from his post for having
"dared to say the word."
It was Genocide...
Abris Ambassador Evans.
From: A. Papazian
Mitch Kehetian
Armenian Weekly
Tue, Jun 15 2010 | Published in Interviews,
DETROIT, Mich.-Why have America's last three presidents bowed to the
whims of the pro-Turkish lobby in the U.S. State Department by not
recognizing the massacre of 1.5 million Armenians as a genocide in
their annual April 24 messages of "remembrance?"
In their successful bids for the White House candidates Bill Clinton,
George Bush and Barack Obama said it "was genocide" but after taking
office, the three presidents retreated from their campaign pledges.
John M. Evans, the former ambassador to Armenia knows why, and points
the finger of guilt at the pro-Turkish lobby in the State Department.
He was forced to leave his post in 2006 for having used the term
genocide while responding to questions from students at UCLA, Fresno
State and University of California at Berkley.
In granting this exclusive interview Evans was emphatic in his verbal
denunciation of the State Department's continuing role in Turkey's
cover-up of the 1915-23 Armenian genocide, a ploy it executes by
merely letting "it be known of the taboo to avoid a paper trail as
to who issued the orders."
"No one person would tell you. It was just taboo to mention the
genocide when addressing the Turco-Armenian conflict. But it became
apparent to me where it came from. It was the work of the Turkish
foreign desk in the State Department," the courageous diplomat
stresses.
Evans was here to address students at the University of Michigan and
the April 25 Madagh dinner at St. John Armenian Church in Southfield.
In his two-year stint as ambassador to Armenia Evans was recognized
"as an American statesman who upholds the tenets of truth in public
service."
After his address at Berkley in 2006, Evans said newspaper reports
picked up his comment on genocide. "When that happened I contacted
the State Department to tell them I did not address the genocide in my
speech, that it was used in my response to legitimate questions. I was
asked by students and scholars if I thought what happened in 1915 was
a genocide. My response then and now is an emphatic yes. Based on all
the data researched by American officials and historians who witnessed
the massacres made it clear. It was a government planned genocide. If
I said otherwise public faith in my office as a representative for
the United States would have been seen as a failure."
But truth has not been a tenet within the credo of the State
Department.
Evans said he was forced to leave his post in Yerevan on Sept. 10,
2006 when President George Bush began screening candidates to succeed
him as ambassador. "I got the message, and submitted my resignation."
When pressed on who he thought was enforcing the taboo on the use
of genocide, Evans again referred to the Turkish lobby, and painted
the picture of how the cover-up works. "The president is forced to
heed the advice of his national security officers and that's where
the foreign policy of the Turkish desk revolves. In fact President
Bush's last April 24 message was cleared by the State Department's
Turkish desk to make sure genocide was not used."
That's when the term "Meds Yeghern" was first used, and subsequently
by Obama in his two remembrance messages-a term Armenians use to
describe a Great Calamity.
In the April 25 editions of the New York Times the newspaper reported
how candidate Obama "vowed to use the term genocide" as president,
but declined "to do so" in his last two April 24 messages-to the
dismay of Armenian Americans.
The nationally-recognized newspaper also pointed out that Obama as the
candidate "had no qualms about using the term genocide and criticized
the Bush administration for recalling an ambassador (John M. Evans)
who dared to say the word."
When asked about the harm America suffers for not calling the massacre
of 1.5 million Armenians as a genocide, Evans responded with a forceful
message: "We are losing face by agreeing to Turkey's denial.
The whole world knows of Turkey's cover-up but this is no time to
stop in the noble task to attain justice. Progress comes slow. Now 22
countries are on record that it was genocide, and 44 states-including
Michigan-recognize the truth. Don't stop now."
While critical of Obama for not living up to his campaign pledge,
Evans said "at least Barack Obama has stressed that his opinion on
genocide has not changed, and that he cares about the issue-and did
so by addressing the Turkish parliament."
As for the suspension of Protocol talks between Yerevan and Ankara,
Evans said it was on a shaky footing from the very beginning, and
contends Armenia should not be forced to agree to any preconditioned
concessions Turkey seems to be implying from the genocide issue to
the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict with Azerbaijan.
The poorly orchestrated Protocol talks were fueled at the urging of
Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
At the Madagh dinner Evans and his wife Donna were given a standing
ovation for upholding the truth of the Armenian genocide. "The Armenian
people thank you for your courage. God bless you," was a fitting
expression by Richard Norsigian, the program's master of ceremonies.
Haig Korkorian served as chairman of the St. John steering committee
that coordinated Evans' visit to Detroit and this exclusive interview
with the career diplomat who spoke for "truth as our ally" even
knowing he would pay the consequences.
As the New York Times said, he was recalled from his post for having
"dared to say the word."
It was Genocide...
Abris Ambassador Evans.
From: A. Papazian