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ANCA CONDEMNS CLINTON'S COMPLICITY IN GENOCIDE DENIAL
by Armenian Weekly
January 27, 2012
Secretary of State Dismisses Genocide as 'Historical Debate' in Public
Comments to State Department Staff
WASHINGTON, DC-The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)
sharply criticized remarks by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,
who on Jan. 26 dismissed the murder of 1.5 million Armenians as a
"historical debate," and argued that U.S. affirmation of this crime
would open a "dangerous door."
"The Obama-Biden Administration-with Secretary Clinton's latest
remarks-continues to dig itself deeper and deeper into a hole of
complicity in Turkey's genocide denial," said ANCA Executive Director
Aram Hamparian.
"It's a sad spectacle to see Secretary Clinton hiding behind cynical
appeals to scholars-the overwhelming majority of whom have already
spoken forcefully against Turkey's denials of the Armenian Genocide-to
divert attention from President Obama's, Vice President Biden's, or
her own promises to properly recognize this crime and, more broadly,
to divert attention from the White House's failure to meet its moral
obligation to stand up against a foreign government's veto of our
defense of human rights," Hamparian said.
Clinton's comments came in response to a question, posed at a Jan. 26
"Town Hall Meeting on the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development
Review," regarding U.S. affirmation of the Armenian Genocide in the
context of the recent French Senate adoption of anti-genocide denial
legislation.
Clinton explained, "I think it's fair to say that this has always
been viewed, and I think properly so, as a matter of historical debate
and conclusions rather than political. And I think that is the right
posture for the United States government to be in, because whatever
the terrible event might be or the high emotions that it represents,
to try to use government power to resolve historical issues, I think,
opens a door that is a very dangerous one to go through." Clinton
argued, "we need to encourage anyone on any side of any contentious
historical debate to get out into the marketplace of ideas."
"The Secretary's unfounded and offensive reference to 'historical
debate' in regards to the Armenian Genocide only emboldens the denials
of the Turkish government-which, just today, again took steps toward
deporting Armenians," said Hamparian, referencing news emanating from
Turkey of plans for a revisions to its immigration policy that would
effectively target Armenian immigrants for expulsion from the country.
Clinton: 'As president, I will recognize the Armenian Genocide'
Clinton's remarks are diametrically opposed to her statement issued
almost four years ago, to the day, as a Senator. In this statement,
she boasted that she was "alone among the presidential candidates"
to have been a co-sponsor of the Armenian Genocide Resolution and
pledged "as president, I will recognize the Armenian Genocide." The
statement went on to stress, "Our common morality and our nation's
credibility as a voice for human rights challenge us to ensure that
the Armenian Genocide be recognized and remembered by the Congress
and the president of the United States."
Obama and Biden made equally clear and unequivocal statements regarding
the U.S. affirmation of the Armenian Genocide during their years in
the Senate and as candidates for the White House. "America deserves a
leader who speaks truthfully about the Armenian Genocide and responds
forcefully to all genocides. I intend to be that president," said Obama
in a Jan. 19, 2008 campaign statement. Biden explained his support for
pending Armenian Genocide legislation to the LA Times Editorial Board
in May 2007, as follows: "I support it, and the reason is simple: I
have found in my experience that you cannot have a solid relationship
with a country based on fiction. It occurred. It occurred."
Clinton a phone call away for Turkish lobby
During her tenure as secretary of state, public records show
that Clinton has discussed State Department policy on Turkey and
specifically on the Armenian Genocide on several occasions with former
Democratic House Minority Leader and current Turkish government
lobbyist Richard Gephardt. According to the Department of Justice
Foreign Agent Registration filings, Gephardt spoke to Clinton just days
prior to a pending House vote on the Armenian Genocide Resolution on
Dec. 17, 2010, and had a series of calls with her as well as Biden,
Secretary of Defense Gates, and National Security Advisor James Jones
on "U.S.-Turkey relations" and "Transcaucasus relations" on the days
leading up Obama's trip to Turkey in 2009.
In September 2011, Gephardt, who supported Armenian Genocide
affirmation during his years in the House, renewed a lucrative $1.3
million contract for continued representation of the government of
Turkey through July, 2012. That sum includes payment to subcontracting
lobby firms including Dickstein Shapiro, which has former Speaker of
the House Dennis Hastert on staff representing Turkey's concerns. In
December 2011, an additional $100,000 was added to the annual
contract-the increase signed on the day of House approval of the
"Return of Churches" resolution (H.Res.306), calling on Turkey to
return thousands of confiscated Christian Churches to their rightful
owners.
Clinton has not yet met with representatives of the Armenian American
community, despite repeated calls by the ANCA and Senate Majority
Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) for her to meet with a broad-based and
representative leadership group to discuss a range of community
concerns, including affirmation of the Armenian Genocide.
From: A. Papazian
by Armenian Weekly
January 27, 2012
Secretary of State Dismisses Genocide as 'Historical Debate' in Public
Comments to State Department Staff
WASHINGTON, DC-The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)
sharply criticized remarks by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,
who on Jan. 26 dismissed the murder of 1.5 million Armenians as a
"historical debate," and argued that U.S. affirmation of this crime
would open a "dangerous door."
"The Obama-Biden Administration-with Secretary Clinton's latest
remarks-continues to dig itself deeper and deeper into a hole of
complicity in Turkey's genocide denial," said ANCA Executive Director
Aram Hamparian.
"It's a sad spectacle to see Secretary Clinton hiding behind cynical
appeals to scholars-the overwhelming majority of whom have already
spoken forcefully against Turkey's denials of the Armenian Genocide-to
divert attention from President Obama's, Vice President Biden's, or
her own promises to properly recognize this crime and, more broadly,
to divert attention from the White House's failure to meet its moral
obligation to stand up against a foreign government's veto of our
defense of human rights," Hamparian said.
Clinton's comments came in response to a question, posed at a Jan. 26
"Town Hall Meeting on the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development
Review," regarding U.S. affirmation of the Armenian Genocide in the
context of the recent French Senate adoption of anti-genocide denial
legislation.
Clinton explained, "I think it's fair to say that this has always
been viewed, and I think properly so, as a matter of historical debate
and conclusions rather than political. And I think that is the right
posture for the United States government to be in, because whatever
the terrible event might be or the high emotions that it represents,
to try to use government power to resolve historical issues, I think,
opens a door that is a very dangerous one to go through." Clinton
argued, "we need to encourage anyone on any side of any contentious
historical debate to get out into the marketplace of ideas."
"The Secretary's unfounded and offensive reference to 'historical
debate' in regards to the Armenian Genocide only emboldens the denials
of the Turkish government-which, just today, again took steps toward
deporting Armenians," said Hamparian, referencing news emanating from
Turkey of plans for a revisions to its immigration policy that would
effectively target Armenian immigrants for expulsion from the country.
Clinton: 'As president, I will recognize the Armenian Genocide'
Clinton's remarks are diametrically opposed to her statement issued
almost four years ago, to the day, as a Senator. In this statement,
she boasted that she was "alone among the presidential candidates"
to have been a co-sponsor of the Armenian Genocide Resolution and
pledged "as president, I will recognize the Armenian Genocide." The
statement went on to stress, "Our common morality and our nation's
credibility as a voice for human rights challenge us to ensure that
the Armenian Genocide be recognized and remembered by the Congress
and the president of the United States."
Obama and Biden made equally clear and unequivocal statements regarding
the U.S. affirmation of the Armenian Genocide during their years in
the Senate and as candidates for the White House. "America deserves a
leader who speaks truthfully about the Armenian Genocide and responds
forcefully to all genocides. I intend to be that president," said Obama
in a Jan. 19, 2008 campaign statement. Biden explained his support for
pending Armenian Genocide legislation to the LA Times Editorial Board
in May 2007, as follows: "I support it, and the reason is simple: I
have found in my experience that you cannot have a solid relationship
with a country based on fiction. It occurred. It occurred."
Clinton a phone call away for Turkish lobby
During her tenure as secretary of state, public records show
that Clinton has discussed State Department policy on Turkey and
specifically on the Armenian Genocide on several occasions with former
Democratic House Minority Leader and current Turkish government
lobbyist Richard Gephardt. According to the Department of Justice
Foreign Agent Registration filings, Gephardt spoke to Clinton just days
prior to a pending House vote on the Armenian Genocide Resolution on
Dec. 17, 2010, and had a series of calls with her as well as Biden,
Secretary of Defense Gates, and National Security Advisor James Jones
on "U.S.-Turkey relations" and "Transcaucasus relations" on the days
leading up Obama's trip to Turkey in 2009.
In September 2011, Gephardt, who supported Armenian Genocide
affirmation during his years in the House, renewed a lucrative $1.3
million contract for continued representation of the government of
Turkey through July, 2012. That sum includes payment to subcontracting
lobby firms including Dickstein Shapiro, which has former Speaker of
the House Dennis Hastert on staff representing Turkey's concerns. In
December 2011, an additional $100,000 was added to the annual
contract-the increase signed on the day of House approval of the
"Return of Churches" resolution (H.Res.306), calling on Turkey to
return thousands of confiscated Christian Churches to their rightful
owners.
Clinton has not yet met with representatives of the Armenian American
community, despite repeated calls by the ANCA and Senate Majority
Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) for her to meet with a broad-based and
representative leadership group to discuss a range of community
concerns, including affirmation of the Armenian Genocide.
From: A. Papazian