Tweet
OBAMA DOESN'T USE WORD 'GENOCIDE' IN ARMENIA STATEMENT
by David Jackson
USA Today
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2012/04/obama-doesnt-use-word-genocide-in-armenia-statement/1
April 24 2012
For a fourth straight year, President Obama declined to describe
the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians in 1915 as a "genocide," again
breaking a campaign pledge he made in 2008.
"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," Obama said in a statement today.
The reason for the careful wording: Turkey, a key U.S. ally in Middle
Eastern affairs.
Olivier Knox of Yahoo News! reported that "Turkey, a NATO member,
fiercely disputes the genocide charge, and has warned that formal U.S.
steps to use the term will hamper relations. Turkey's Ambassador
to Washington Namik Tan sharply criticized a similar statement from
Obama in 2011, taking to Twitter to denounce it as inaccurate, flawed,
and one-sided."
Knox and ABC's Jake Tapper noted that Obama used the word "genocide"
as an Illinois senator and as a presidential candidate.
"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,'" ABC News reported. "'That starts with acknowledging
the tragic instances of genocide in world history.'"
Here is Obama's full statement on Armenian Remembrance Day:
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.
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.
by David Jackson
USA Today
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2012/04/obama-doesnt-use-word-genocide-in-armenia-statement/1
April 24 2012
For a fourth straight year, President Obama declined to describe
the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians in 1915 as a "genocide," again
breaking a campaign pledge he made in 2008.
"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," Obama said in a statement today.
The reason for the careful wording: Turkey, a key U.S. ally in Middle
Eastern affairs.
Olivier Knox of Yahoo News! reported that "Turkey, a NATO member,
fiercely disputes the genocide charge, and has warned that formal U.S.
steps to use the term will hamper relations. Turkey's Ambassador
to Washington Namik Tan sharply criticized a similar statement from
Obama in 2011, taking to Twitter to denounce it as inaccurate, flawed,
and one-sided."
Knox and ABC's Jake Tapper noted that Obama used the word "genocide"
as an Illinois senator and as a presidential candidate.
"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,'" ABC News reported. "'That starts with acknowledging
the tragic instances of genocide in world history.'"
Here is Obama's full statement on Armenian Remembrance Day:
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.
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.