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CONGRESSMAN SHERMAN ABOUT U.S.: "WHAT KIND OF SUPERPOWER COWERS BEFORE HISTORY? WHAT KIND OF SUPERPOWER WORRIES ABOUT TURKISH THREATS?
arminfo
Wednesday, October 10, 15:44
The second part of the debate between two Democratic Congressmen,
Howard Berman and Brad Sherman washeld at the Ferrahian School's
Avedissian Hall in Encino, California, on Sept. 29. The debate was
organized by the Armenian National Committee of America, Western
Region.
"We need to recognize the Genocide not only for Armenia, not only
for America, but the Turkish state will never be a modern state until
it comes to grip with its own history." Criticizing US government's
reluctance to use the term Armenian Genocide, Cong. Sherman asked:
"What kind of superpower cowers before history? What kind of superpower
worries about Turkish threats? Dozens of parliaments around this world
have recognized the Genocide. It is about time for Congress to have
the same level of courage!" Congressman Sherman said.
He urged his Israeli colleagues to recognize the Armenian Genocide
even before the U.S. does it. ":Here, there is still this mirage that
somehow Turkey is the critical American ally. In Israel, that same
mirage was more or less shattered recently, and so we may indeed find
that Israel is able to beat the United States in recognizing the first
genocide of the 20th century. And given the history of Israel and the
history of the Jewish people, I think it's an important thing to do.
So I for one don't believe we should wait to urge Israel to move
forward, but we should be inspired to move forward ourselves as
quickly as possible," Sherman said.
In response to a question on what the two Congressmen would do to
encourage America's allies such as Israel to recognize the Armenian
Genocide, Cong. Berman stated that "it is audacious for a country
that itself hasn't recognized the Armenian Genocide, to start telling
other countries what they should be doing. So number one: get this
[genocide] resolution passed, and push and persuade the Executive
Branch to support what the Congress has done, and then you do want to
make it into an international consensus. But, we are not effectively
going to tell a government that they should do something that we
haven't yet done. :"
In response to a question on whether the United States should stop
paying rent to the Turkish government for the Airbase in Incirlik,
Turkey -- located on occupied Armenian territories -- and pay that
money to the heirs of original Armenian owners, Cong. Sherman stated:
"I look forward to developing a foreign policy where we are less
dependent upon the use of bases in Turkey, because I've seen them try
to lobby the Pentagon, to lobby Congress not to recognize the Genocide
on the theory that, 'oh, you need our bases.' We can and should work
with our other southeast Asian NATO allies to have a basing structure
that does not require us to be paying rent to the Turkish state.
However, as long as our base is on that land, that becomes an excellent
argument for additional aid to the Armenian state because we're on
that territory."
arminfo
Wednesday, October 10, 15:44
The second part of the debate between two Democratic Congressmen,
Howard Berman and Brad Sherman washeld at the Ferrahian School's
Avedissian Hall in Encino, California, on Sept. 29. The debate was
organized by the Armenian National Committee of America, Western
Region.
"We need to recognize the Genocide not only for Armenia, not only
for America, but the Turkish state will never be a modern state until
it comes to grip with its own history." Criticizing US government's
reluctance to use the term Armenian Genocide, Cong. Sherman asked:
"What kind of superpower cowers before history? What kind of superpower
worries about Turkish threats? Dozens of parliaments around this world
have recognized the Genocide. It is about time for Congress to have
the same level of courage!" Congressman Sherman said.
He urged his Israeli colleagues to recognize the Armenian Genocide
even before the U.S. does it. ":Here, there is still this mirage that
somehow Turkey is the critical American ally. In Israel, that same
mirage was more or less shattered recently, and so we may indeed find
that Israel is able to beat the United States in recognizing the first
genocide of the 20th century. And given the history of Israel and the
history of the Jewish people, I think it's an important thing to do.
So I for one don't believe we should wait to urge Israel to move
forward, but we should be inspired to move forward ourselves as
quickly as possible," Sherman said.
In response to a question on what the two Congressmen would do to
encourage America's allies such as Israel to recognize the Armenian
Genocide, Cong. Berman stated that "it is audacious for a country
that itself hasn't recognized the Armenian Genocide, to start telling
other countries what they should be doing. So number one: get this
[genocide] resolution passed, and push and persuade the Executive
Branch to support what the Congress has done, and then you do want to
make it into an international consensus. But, we are not effectively
going to tell a government that they should do something that we
haven't yet done. :"
In response to a question on whether the United States should stop
paying rent to the Turkish government for the Airbase in Incirlik,
Turkey -- located on occupied Armenian territories -- and pay that
money to the heirs of original Armenian owners, Cong. Sherman stated:
"I look forward to developing a foreign policy where we are less
dependent upon the use of bases in Turkey, because I've seen them try
to lobby the Pentagon, to lobby Congress not to recognize the Genocide
on the theory that, 'oh, you need our bases.' We can and should work
with our other southeast Asian NATO allies to have a basing structure
that does not require us to be paying rent to the Turkish state.
However, as long as our base is on that land, that becomes an excellent
argument for additional aid to the Armenian state because we're on
that territory."