Tweet
OBAMA LACKS COURAGE TO SAY GENOCIDE IN HIS APRIL 24 STATEMENT
PanARMENIAN.Net
April 24, 2012 - 17:06 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - On the fourth Armenian Remembrance Day of his
presidency, President Barack Obama has for the fourth time in a
row broken his promise to the Armenian community to use the word
"genocide" in describing what happened at the hands of the Turks
roughly a century ago, ABC News says.
"Today, we commemorate the Meds Yeghern, one of the worst atrocities
of the 20th century. In doing so, we honor the memory of the 1.5
million Armenians who were brutally massacred or marched to their
deaths in the waning days of the Ottoman Empire. As we reflect on the
unspeakable suffering that took place 97 years ago, we join millions
who do the same across the globe and here in America, where it is
solemnly commemorated by our states, institutions, communities, and
families. Through our words and our deeds, it is our obligation to
keep the flame of memory of those who perished burning bright and
to ensure that such dark chapters of history are never repeated,"
Obama said in his April 24 address.
"I have consistently stated my own view of what occurred in 1915. My
view of that history has not changed. A full, frank, and just
acknowledgement of the facts is in all of our interests. Moving forward
with the future cannot be done without reckoning with the facts of the
past. The United States has done so many times in our own history,
and I believe we are stronger for it. Some individuals have already
taken this courageous step forward. We applaud those Armenians and
Turks who have taken this path, and we hope that many more will choose
it, with the support of their governments, as well as mine.
"Although the lives that were taken can never be returned, the
legacy of the Armenian people is one of triumph. Your faith, courage,
and strength have enabled you to survive and prosper, establishing
vibrant communities around the world. Undaunted, you have preserved
your patrimony, passing it from generation to generation.
Armenian-Americans have made manifold contributions to the vibrancy of
the United States, as well as critical investments in a democratic,
peaceful, and prosperous future for Armenia. The United States is
proud of your heritage, and your contributions honor the memory of
those who senselessly suffered and died nearly a century ago.
On this solemn day of remembrance, we stand alongside all Armenians
in recalling the darkness of the Meds Yeghern and in committing to
bringing a brighter future to the people of Armenia," he said.
As a senator, and then as a presidential candidate, Barack Obama often
talked about how bold he was to call the slaughter of an estimated
1.5 million Armenians at the hands of the Ottoman Empire just what
it was: a genocide.
"America deserves a leader who speaks truthfully about the Armenian
Genocide and responds forcefully to all genocides," he said. "I intend
to be that president." In a January 2008 letter to the Armenian
Reporter, Mr. Obama said he shared "with Armenian Americans - so
many of whom are descended from genocide survivors - a principled
commitment to commemorating and ending genocide. That starts with
acknowledging the tragic instances of genocide in world history."
In 2006, Mr. Obama noted, "I criticized the secretary of state
[Condoleezza Rice] for the firing of U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John
Evans, after he properly used the term 'genocide' to describe Turkey's
slaughter of thousands of Armenians starting in 1915. I shared with
Secretary Rice my firmly held conviction that the Armenian Genocide
is not an allegation, a personal opinion, or a point of view, but
rather a widely documented fact supported by an overwhelming body of
historical evidence."
Asserted Mr. Obama, back then: "The facts are undeniable. An official
policy that calls on diplomats to distort the historical facts is an
untenable policy."
That was then, this is now. As previous presidents have concluded, Mr.
Obama has decided that distorting the historical facts is better than
alienating ally Turkey, which disputes that term. And that policy
has been, at least in the short term, quite tenable, ABC News notes.
From: Baghdasarian
PanARMENIAN.Net
April 24, 2012 - 17:06 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - On the fourth Armenian Remembrance Day of his
presidency, President Barack Obama has for the fourth time in a
row broken his promise to the Armenian community to use the word
"genocide" in describing what happened at the hands of the Turks
roughly a century ago, ABC News says.
"Today, we commemorate the Meds Yeghern, one of the worst atrocities
of the 20th century. In doing so, we honor the memory of the 1.5
million Armenians who were brutally massacred or marched to their
deaths in the waning days of the Ottoman Empire. As we reflect on the
unspeakable suffering that took place 97 years ago, we join millions
who do the same across the globe and here in America, where it is
solemnly commemorated by our states, institutions, communities, and
families. Through our words and our deeds, it is our obligation to
keep the flame of memory of those who perished burning bright and
to ensure that such dark chapters of history are never repeated,"
Obama said in his April 24 address.
"I have consistently stated my own view of what occurred in 1915. My
view of that history has not changed. A full, frank, and just
acknowledgement of the facts is in all of our interests. Moving forward
with the future cannot be done without reckoning with the facts of the
past. The United States has done so many times in our own history,
and I believe we are stronger for it. Some individuals have already
taken this courageous step forward. We applaud those Armenians and
Turks who have taken this path, and we hope that many more will choose
it, with the support of their governments, as well as mine.
"Although the lives that were taken can never be returned, the
legacy of the Armenian people is one of triumph. Your faith, courage,
and strength have enabled you to survive and prosper, establishing
vibrant communities around the world. Undaunted, you have preserved
your patrimony, passing it from generation to generation.
Armenian-Americans have made manifold contributions to the vibrancy of
the United States, as well as critical investments in a democratic,
peaceful, and prosperous future for Armenia. The United States is
proud of your heritage, and your contributions honor the memory of
those who senselessly suffered and died nearly a century ago.
On this solemn day of remembrance, we stand alongside all Armenians
in recalling the darkness of the Meds Yeghern and in committing to
bringing a brighter future to the people of Armenia," he said.
As a senator, and then as a presidential candidate, Barack Obama often
talked about how bold he was to call the slaughter of an estimated
1.5 million Armenians at the hands of the Ottoman Empire just what
it was: a genocide.
"America deserves a leader who speaks truthfully about the Armenian
Genocide and responds forcefully to all genocides," he said. "I intend
to be that president." In a January 2008 letter to the Armenian
Reporter, Mr. Obama said he shared "with Armenian Americans - so
many of whom are descended from genocide survivors - a principled
commitment to commemorating and ending genocide. That starts with
acknowledging the tragic instances of genocide in world history."
In 2006, Mr. Obama noted, "I criticized the secretary of state
[Condoleezza Rice] for the firing of U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John
Evans, after he properly used the term 'genocide' to describe Turkey's
slaughter of thousands of Armenians starting in 1915. I shared with
Secretary Rice my firmly held conviction that the Armenian Genocide
is not an allegation, a personal opinion, or a point of view, but
rather a widely documented fact supported by an overwhelming body of
historical evidence."
Asserted Mr. Obama, back then: "The facts are undeniable. An official
policy that calls on diplomats to distort the historical facts is an
untenable policy."
That was then, this is now. As previous presidents have concluded, Mr.
Obama has decided that distorting the historical facts is better than
alienating ally Turkey, which disputes that term. And that policy
has been, at least in the short term, quite tenable, ABC News notes.
From: Baghdasarian