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Armenian National Committee of America
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1711 N Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel. (202) 775-1918
Fax. (202) 775-5648
Email [email protected]
Internet www.anca.org
PRESS RELEASE
July 13, 2011
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
SEN. MENENDEZ PRESSES U.S. AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA NOMINEE ON
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
WASHINGTON, DC - New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) pressed
aggressively today for answers from the Obama Administration over
its refusal to properly characterize the Armenian Genocide and,
more specifically, regarding how forcing U.S. diplomats into such a
"totally untenable" position on this human rights issue materially
harms both U.S. interests and America's moral standing, reported
the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
The Senator's powerful remarks and sharp inquiries came during his
questioning at a hearing of the Foreign Relations Committee to
consider the confirmation of U.S. Ambassador to Armenia nominee
John Heffern. Mr. Heffern cited the killing of over 1.5 million
Armenians at the end of the Ottoman Empire, but stopped short of
properly referencing the crime as 'genocide,' arguing that "the
characterization of those events is a policy decision that is made
by the President of the United States and that policy is enunciated
in his April 24 Remembrance Day statement."
Senator Menendez remarked "This is an inartful dance that we do.
We have a State Department whose history is full of dispatches
that cite the atrocities committed during this time. We have a
convention that we signed on to as a signatory that clearly defines
these acts as genocide. We have a historical knowledge of the
facts that we accept would amount to genocide. But we are
unwilling to reference it as genocide. And if we cannot accept the
past, we cannot move forward. And so I find it very difficult to
send diplomats of the United States to a country in which they will
go - and I hope you will go, as some of your predecessors have - to
a genocide commemoration and yet never be able to use the word
genocide. It is much more than a question of a word. It is
everything that signifies our commitment to saying 'never again.'
And yet, we can't even acknowledge this fact and we put diplomats
in a position that is totally untenable."
Senator Menendez's exchange with Heffern is posted on the ANCA
website:
http://www.anca.org/press_releases/press_releases.php?prid46
"Once again, Senator Menendez has powerfully presented - for the
White House, his Senate colleagues, and the American people - the
mounting moral and material consequences of failing to forthrightly
acknowledge the Armenian Genocide," said ANCA Executive Director
Aram Hamparian. "We remain troubled that the Administration's
failure to speak truthfully and without equivocation about this
crime only serves to undermine U.S. moral standing in the cause of
genocide prevention, and, as today's testimony so clearly
illustrated, hinders our nation's interests in, and any future
ambassador's ability to fully realize the potential of the U.S-
Armenia relationship."
Sen. Jean Shaheen (D-NH), who chaired the confirmation hearing, was
joined by Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) in asking Mr. Heffern a series
of questions on democracy building efforts in Armenia. Sen. Jim
Risch (R-ID) recounted the difficulties Armenian artists have had
in receiving visas to perform in an international dance festival in
Idaho and asked the nominee for help should they be refused entry
to participate in the festival again next year. The ANCA had
recently submitted an inquiry to the State Department about similar
obstacles to the participation of Armenian child artists to obtain
visas to attend an international children's festival in Washington,
DC, held last month.
The complete video of Mr. Heffern's confirmation hearing as well as
his prepared testimony before the committee are available on the
ANCA website at the links below.
Complete video:
http://www.anca.org/press_releases/press_releases.php?prid46
Mr. Heffern's prepared testimony:
http://www.anca.org/assets/pdf/misc/heffern_testimony.pdf
Senators are expected to submit follow up questions to Mr. Heffern
in the upcoming days. The ANCA and Armenian American community
will join Senators in carefully reviewing his responses.
#####
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1711 N Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel. (202) 775-1918
Fax. (202) 775-5648
Email [email protected]
Internet www.anca.org
PRESS RELEASE
July 13, 2011
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
SEN. MENENDEZ PRESSES U.S. AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA NOMINEE ON
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
WASHINGTON, DC - New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) pressed
aggressively today for answers from the Obama Administration over
its refusal to properly characterize the Armenian Genocide and,
more specifically, regarding how forcing U.S. diplomats into such a
"totally untenable" position on this human rights issue materially
harms both U.S. interests and America's moral standing, reported
the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
The Senator's powerful remarks and sharp inquiries came during his
questioning at a hearing of the Foreign Relations Committee to
consider the confirmation of U.S. Ambassador to Armenia nominee
John Heffern. Mr. Heffern cited the killing of over 1.5 million
Armenians at the end of the Ottoman Empire, but stopped short of
properly referencing the crime as 'genocide,' arguing that "the
characterization of those events is a policy decision that is made
by the President of the United States and that policy is enunciated
in his April 24 Remembrance Day statement."
Senator Menendez remarked "This is an inartful dance that we do.
We have a State Department whose history is full of dispatches
that cite the atrocities committed during this time. We have a
convention that we signed on to as a signatory that clearly defines
these acts as genocide. We have a historical knowledge of the
facts that we accept would amount to genocide. But we are
unwilling to reference it as genocide. And if we cannot accept the
past, we cannot move forward. And so I find it very difficult to
send diplomats of the United States to a country in which they will
go - and I hope you will go, as some of your predecessors have - to
a genocide commemoration and yet never be able to use the word
genocide. It is much more than a question of a word. It is
everything that signifies our commitment to saying 'never again.'
And yet, we can't even acknowledge this fact and we put diplomats
in a position that is totally untenable."
Senator Menendez's exchange with Heffern is posted on the ANCA
website:
http://www.anca.org/press_releases/press_releases.php?prid46
"Once again, Senator Menendez has powerfully presented - for the
White House, his Senate colleagues, and the American people - the
mounting moral and material consequences of failing to forthrightly
acknowledge the Armenian Genocide," said ANCA Executive Director
Aram Hamparian. "We remain troubled that the Administration's
failure to speak truthfully and without equivocation about this
crime only serves to undermine U.S. moral standing in the cause of
genocide prevention, and, as today's testimony so clearly
illustrated, hinders our nation's interests in, and any future
ambassador's ability to fully realize the potential of the U.S-
Armenia relationship."
Sen. Jean Shaheen (D-NH), who chaired the confirmation hearing, was
joined by Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) in asking Mr. Heffern a series
of questions on democracy building efforts in Armenia. Sen. Jim
Risch (R-ID) recounted the difficulties Armenian artists have had
in receiving visas to perform in an international dance festival in
Idaho and asked the nominee for help should they be refused entry
to participate in the festival again next year. The ANCA had
recently submitted an inquiry to the State Department about similar
obstacles to the participation of Armenian child artists to obtain
visas to attend an international children's festival in Washington,
DC, held last month.
The complete video of Mr. Heffern's confirmation hearing as well as
his prepared testimony before the committee are available on the
ANCA website at the links below.
Complete video:
http://www.anca.org/press_releases/press_releases.php?prid46
Mr. Heffern's prepared testimony:
http://www.anca.org/assets/pdf/misc/heffern_testimony.pdf
Senators are expected to submit follow up questions to Mr. Heffern
in the upcoming days. The ANCA and Armenian American community
will join Senators in carefully reviewing his responses.
#####