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April 25, 2013 Thursday
Washington: SPEECH OF HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH OF NEW JERSEY IN THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 2013
Washington
The Library of Congress, The Government of USA has issued the following Speech:
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the
genocide of Armenians committed by the Ottoman Empire. We have a grave
obligation, in truth and justice, to acknowledge this genocide against
Armenians. This House is obligated, as is the government of the United
States, and all peoples and governments around the world. That
obligation is all the more grave because the Turkish government--our
friend and ally--aggressively denies this genocide.
The facts surrounding the genocide are well known and established
beyond any doubt whatsoever. Beginning in April 1915, following years
of pogroms and other repressive measures, Ottoman authorities
undertook the systematic annihilation of as many as one and a half
million Armenians through shootings, mass burnings, gassing,
poisoning, drowning, forced labor, or death marches into the Syrian
desert. The scale and ferocity of these atrocities were unprecedented
in the modern era. The Honorable United States Ambassador to the
Ottoman Empire 1913-1916 Henry Morgenthau characterized the policy of
the Ottoman government as a ``campaign of race extermination'' and was
instructed by Secretary of State Robert Lansing to continue his
protests along with the officials of many other countries, including
allies of the Ottomans. Most tellingly, the post-World War I Turkish
government indicted the top leaders involved in the ``organization and
execution'' of the policy and in the ``massacre and destruction of the
Armenians.'' The chief organizers were all condemned to death for
their crimes, though the verdicts of the courts were not enforced.
As is well known, Raphael Lemkin did not coin the term ``genocide''
until 1944, almost 30 years after the Ottoman massacre of Armenians.
But in his groundbreaking work on the subject, Lemkin cited the case
of the Armenians as the classic example of genocide. His idea of
genocide as an offense against international law was widely accepted
by the international community and was one of the legal bases of the
trial of Nazi leaders at Nuremburg.
Despite the overwhelming preponderance of evidence of the Ottoman
government's policy of annihilation of Armenians and the virtually
universal acceptance of the Armenian case as a classic example of
genocide, the government of the modern state of Turkey refuses to
acknowledge the crimes of the previous regime as the responsibility of
the Ottoman government or as a case of genocide. Indeed, the Turkish
government even has undertaken the persecution of those Turks who
recognize the genocide.
One day the Turkish government will acknowledge the genocide. That
will be a great day for Turkey--for the moral air of the country--and
a truly patriotic gesture, a sign of spiritual strength. The sooner
the better! The United States does a disservice to Turkey and its
people by facilitating genocide denial by not pressing Turkey harder
to acknowledge the truth.
For more information please visit: http://thomas.loc.gov/
April 25, 2013 Thursday
Washington: SPEECH OF HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH OF NEW JERSEY IN THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 2013
Washington
The Library of Congress, The Government of USA has issued the following Speech:
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the
genocide of Armenians committed by the Ottoman Empire. We have a grave
obligation, in truth and justice, to acknowledge this genocide against
Armenians. This House is obligated, as is the government of the United
States, and all peoples and governments around the world. That
obligation is all the more grave because the Turkish government--our
friend and ally--aggressively denies this genocide.
The facts surrounding the genocide are well known and established
beyond any doubt whatsoever. Beginning in April 1915, following years
of pogroms and other repressive measures, Ottoman authorities
undertook the systematic annihilation of as many as one and a half
million Armenians through shootings, mass burnings, gassing,
poisoning, drowning, forced labor, or death marches into the Syrian
desert. The scale and ferocity of these atrocities were unprecedented
in the modern era. The Honorable United States Ambassador to the
Ottoman Empire 1913-1916 Henry Morgenthau characterized the policy of
the Ottoman government as a ``campaign of race extermination'' and was
instructed by Secretary of State Robert Lansing to continue his
protests along with the officials of many other countries, including
allies of the Ottomans. Most tellingly, the post-World War I Turkish
government indicted the top leaders involved in the ``organization and
execution'' of the policy and in the ``massacre and destruction of the
Armenians.'' The chief organizers were all condemned to death for
their crimes, though the verdicts of the courts were not enforced.
As is well known, Raphael Lemkin did not coin the term ``genocide''
until 1944, almost 30 years after the Ottoman massacre of Armenians.
But in his groundbreaking work on the subject, Lemkin cited the case
of the Armenians as the classic example of genocide. His idea of
genocide as an offense against international law was widely accepted
by the international community and was one of the legal bases of the
trial of Nazi leaders at Nuremburg.
Despite the overwhelming preponderance of evidence of the Ottoman
government's policy of annihilation of Armenians and the virtually
universal acceptance of the Armenian case as a classic example of
genocide, the government of the modern state of Turkey refuses to
acknowledge the crimes of the previous regime as the responsibility of
the Ottoman government or as a case of genocide. Indeed, the Turkish
government even has undertaken the persecution of those Turks who
recognize the genocide.
One day the Turkish government will acknowledge the genocide. That
will be a great day for Turkey--for the moral air of the country--and
a truly patriotic gesture, a sign of spiritual strength. The sooner
the better! The United States does a disservice to Turkey and its
people by facilitating genocide denial by not pressing Turkey harder
to acknowledge the truth.
For more information please visit: http://thomas.loc.gov/