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SASSOUNIAN: BIDEN'S SENSATIONAL REVELATION OF PHONE CALLS WITH SARKISIAN
By: Harut Sassounian
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2010/11/02/sassounian-biden%E2%80%99s-sensational-revelation-of-phone-calls-with-sarkisian/
Tue, Nov 2 2010
Armenians worldwide were scandalized last week by Vice President Joe
Biden's revelation that Pres. Sargsyan had told him: "look, do not
force this issue [Armenian Genocide recognition] now, while we are
in negotiations [with Turkey]."
Biden's statement posted later that day on
YouTube-www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-vVX2B1H3k-was so shocking that
most Armenians refused to believe that Pres. Sarkisian would have
discouraged the American President from recognizing the Armenian
Genocide! Some went as far as to question if the speaker shown on
video was really Biden, and if his words had been altered. Others
wondered about the identity of the young man conversing with Biden,
suspecting him to be an impostor or a foreign agent.
Given the far-reaching consequences of the words attributed to Pres.
Sargsyan, his press secretary immediately issued a categorical denial.
Two days later, the US Embassy in Armenia issued a
clarification/retraction. Taking into account these confusing and
contradictory statements, I will try to shed some light on the lesser
known aspects of this episode:
1) The young man speaking with VP Biden on YouTube is not an
impostor. He is an Armenian-American activist.
2) It is not widely known that right after Pres. Obama issued his
April 24, 2009 commemorative statement, Biden phoned three prominent
Armenian-Americans. He informed them that Pres. Obama had omitted
the Genocide word from his statement after Pres. Sargsyan gave his
consent during a phone call with the Vice President. Clearly, Biden
was using his conversation with Sargsyan to excuse Pres. Obama's
failure to keep his campaign promise to Armenian-Americans.
3) Biden repeated the same statement last week, this time on video.
He was trying to win over Armenian-Americans to support Democratic
candidates in the tightly contested November 2nd elections. When
the young man asked Biden what message did he have for the Armenian
community which was "burned" or deceived by Pres. Obama, the Vice
President reassured him that the administration was "not backing off"
from its promise on the Genocide. He added: "The Turks have to come
to the realization of what the reality is." Biden then conveniently
blamed Sarkisan for Pres. Obama's lack of acknowledgment of the
Armenian Genocide. The Vice President concluded his comments by
cynically stating with a chuckle: "Reality has a way of intruding."
4) Armen Arzumanian, Pres. Sarkisian's press secretary, issued a
prompt rebuttal, stating that the President "did not use the expression
ascribed to him in the video, directly or indirectly."
Arzumanian boldly called upon the White House to release the
transcripts of the two phone conversations between Pres. Sargsyan
and VP Biden in April 2009.
5) On October 29, the US Embassy in Armenia reacted by announcing
that during his two phone conversations with Biden in April 2009,
"Pres. Sarkisian did not raise the issue of the content of Pres.
Obama's statement for Armenian Remembrance Day or seek a delay in
consideration of House Resolution 252." This carefully worded statement
was meant to soothe the Armenian government's severe irritation at
Biden's surprising disclosures.
It would have been far more informative, however, had the U.S.
government released the transcripts of the two phone conversations
between Pres. Sarkisian and VP Biden. The Armenian side could have
also clarified matters by releasing its transcripts of the phone
calls, if they were taped, or a summary record. Furthermore, since
the two leaders were using an interpreter, it would be interesting
to compare Pres. Sargsyan's Armenian words with those translated into
English-which was what Biden actually heard!
In the absence of a transcript, outsiders have no knowledge of what was
actually said during these phone calls. Yet it is clear that starting
in early 2009, Obama administration officials were pressuring the
Armenian government to sign an agreement with Turkey, so they could
use it as an excuse for not recognizing the Armenian Genocide.
And that is exactly what happened, when Armenia and Turkey signed a
preliminary agreement, "a roadmap," on the eve of April 24, 2009.
Pres. Obama quickly capitalized on it. In his "Armenian Remembrance
Day" statement, he avoided the word genocide by claiming that Armenia
and Turkey "have agreed on a framework and roadmap for normalization."
The controversy regarding what Pres. Sarkisian may have told Vice
President Biden is one more unwelcome outcome of the Armenia-Turkey
Protocols. However, the video had the unintended side effect of
raising the Armenian Genocide issue to the highest echelons of the
U.S. government and received coverage by worldwide media. A week before
the Armenian activist's conversation with Vice President Biden, Armine
Babayan of Los Angeles also had an important personal encounter. She
had the rare opportunity to speak directly with Pres.
Obama about the Armenian Genocide during his campaign stop in Las
Vegas. Turkish denialists must not be too pleased that within one week
the President and Vice President of the United States were reminded
of their unfinished agenda on the Armenian Genocide.
From: A. Papazian
By: Harut Sassounian
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2010/11/02/sassounian-biden%E2%80%99s-sensational-revelation-of-phone-calls-with-sarkisian/
Tue, Nov 2 2010
Armenians worldwide were scandalized last week by Vice President Joe
Biden's revelation that Pres. Sargsyan had told him: "look, do not
force this issue [Armenian Genocide recognition] now, while we are
in negotiations [with Turkey]."
Biden's statement posted later that day on
YouTube-www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-vVX2B1H3k-was so shocking that
most Armenians refused to believe that Pres. Sarkisian would have
discouraged the American President from recognizing the Armenian
Genocide! Some went as far as to question if the speaker shown on
video was really Biden, and if his words had been altered. Others
wondered about the identity of the young man conversing with Biden,
suspecting him to be an impostor or a foreign agent.
Given the far-reaching consequences of the words attributed to Pres.
Sargsyan, his press secretary immediately issued a categorical denial.
Two days later, the US Embassy in Armenia issued a
clarification/retraction. Taking into account these confusing and
contradictory statements, I will try to shed some light on the lesser
known aspects of this episode:
1) The young man speaking with VP Biden on YouTube is not an
impostor. He is an Armenian-American activist.
2) It is not widely known that right after Pres. Obama issued his
April 24, 2009 commemorative statement, Biden phoned three prominent
Armenian-Americans. He informed them that Pres. Obama had omitted
the Genocide word from his statement after Pres. Sargsyan gave his
consent during a phone call with the Vice President. Clearly, Biden
was using his conversation with Sargsyan to excuse Pres. Obama's
failure to keep his campaign promise to Armenian-Americans.
3) Biden repeated the same statement last week, this time on video.
He was trying to win over Armenian-Americans to support Democratic
candidates in the tightly contested November 2nd elections. When
the young man asked Biden what message did he have for the Armenian
community which was "burned" or deceived by Pres. Obama, the Vice
President reassured him that the administration was "not backing off"
from its promise on the Genocide. He added: "The Turks have to come
to the realization of what the reality is." Biden then conveniently
blamed Sarkisan for Pres. Obama's lack of acknowledgment of the
Armenian Genocide. The Vice President concluded his comments by
cynically stating with a chuckle: "Reality has a way of intruding."
4) Armen Arzumanian, Pres. Sarkisian's press secretary, issued a
prompt rebuttal, stating that the President "did not use the expression
ascribed to him in the video, directly or indirectly."
Arzumanian boldly called upon the White House to release the
transcripts of the two phone conversations between Pres. Sargsyan
and VP Biden in April 2009.
5) On October 29, the US Embassy in Armenia reacted by announcing
that during his two phone conversations with Biden in April 2009,
"Pres. Sarkisian did not raise the issue of the content of Pres.
Obama's statement for Armenian Remembrance Day or seek a delay in
consideration of House Resolution 252." This carefully worded statement
was meant to soothe the Armenian government's severe irritation at
Biden's surprising disclosures.
It would have been far more informative, however, had the U.S.
government released the transcripts of the two phone conversations
between Pres. Sarkisian and VP Biden. The Armenian side could have
also clarified matters by releasing its transcripts of the phone
calls, if they were taped, or a summary record. Furthermore, since
the two leaders were using an interpreter, it would be interesting
to compare Pres. Sargsyan's Armenian words with those translated into
English-which was what Biden actually heard!
In the absence of a transcript, outsiders have no knowledge of what was
actually said during these phone calls. Yet it is clear that starting
in early 2009, Obama administration officials were pressuring the
Armenian government to sign an agreement with Turkey, so they could
use it as an excuse for not recognizing the Armenian Genocide.
And that is exactly what happened, when Armenia and Turkey signed a
preliminary agreement, "a roadmap," on the eve of April 24, 2009.
Pres. Obama quickly capitalized on it. In his "Armenian Remembrance
Day" statement, he avoided the word genocide by claiming that Armenia
and Turkey "have agreed on a framework and roadmap for normalization."
The controversy regarding what Pres. Sarkisian may have told Vice
President Biden is one more unwelcome outcome of the Armenia-Turkey
Protocols. However, the video had the unintended side effect of
raising the Armenian Genocide issue to the highest echelons of the
U.S. government and received coverage by worldwide media. A week before
the Armenian activist's conversation with Vice President Biden, Armine
Babayan of Los Angeles also had an important personal encounter. She
had the rare opportunity to speak directly with Pres.
Obama about the Armenian Genocide during his campaign stop in Las
Vegas. Turkish denialists must not be too pleased that within one week
the President and Vice President of the United States were reminded
of their unfinished agenda on the Armenian Genocide.
From: A. Papazian