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SEN. MENENDEZ HOLDS UP COMMITTEE VOTE ON AMBASSADOR TO ARMENIA; SENATOR WANTS TO HEAR THE WORD 'GENOCIDE'
NJ.com
http://www.nj.com/hudson/voices/index.ssf/2011/07/sen_menendez_holds_up_committe.html
July 28, 2011
Armenian-Americans are singing the praises of U.S. Sen. Robert
Menendez, D-N.J., for blocking President Barack Obama's nomination
of an ambassador to Armenia, according to The Washington Times.
Sitting on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on July 13, the
senator from North Bergen delayed the vote on nominee John Heffern
who made the mistake of refusing to call the 1915 killing of 1.5
million Armenians in 1915 "genocide."
Obama has avoided referring to the massacre under the old Ottoman
Turkish Empire to avoid offending a NATO ally, Turkey.
When questioned about the 1915 killings at the Committee hearing,
Heffern acknowledged that the Armenian deaths fit the definition
of a massacre under international treaties but that the president
determines what it is.
This led to Menendez holding the nomination out of frustration. The
Washington Times quotes the senator at the hearing as saying, "This
is an inartful dance that we do."
Armenian-Americans agree and approve of Menendez's stand.
"We would like to thank Sen. Menendez for affording his colleagues
greater time to scrutinize and make an informed determination," said
Aram Hamparian, executive director of the Armenian National Committee
of America.
NJ.com
http://www.nj.com/hudson/voices/index.ssf/2011/07/sen_menendez_holds_up_committe.html
July 28, 2011
Armenian-Americans are singing the praises of U.S. Sen. Robert
Menendez, D-N.J., for blocking President Barack Obama's nomination
of an ambassador to Armenia, according to The Washington Times.
Sitting on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on July 13, the
senator from North Bergen delayed the vote on nominee John Heffern
who made the mistake of refusing to call the 1915 killing of 1.5
million Armenians in 1915 "genocide."
Obama has avoided referring to the massacre under the old Ottoman
Turkish Empire to avoid offending a NATO ally, Turkey.
When questioned about the 1915 killings at the Committee hearing,
Heffern acknowledged that the Armenian deaths fit the definition
of a massacre under international treaties but that the president
determines what it is.
This led to Menendez holding the nomination out of frustration. The
Washington Times quotes the senator at the hearing as saying, "This
is an inartful dance that we do."
Armenian-Americans agree and approve of Menendez's stand.
"We would like to thank Sen. Menendez for affording his colleagues
greater time to scrutinize and make an informed determination," said
Aram Hamparian, executive director of the Armenian National Committee
of America.