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INTERNATIONAL MEDIA REMINDS OBAMA ABOUT HIS PROMISE TO RECOGNIZE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
12:52, 22 April, 2015
YEREVAN, APRIL 22, ARMENPRESS: The international media reminds the US
President Barack Obama that as a senator and presidential candidate,
Obama did describe the killings of Armenians as "genocide" and said
the U.S. government had a responsibility to recognize them as such. As
a candidate in January 2008, Obama pledged to recognize the genocide
and at least one of his campaign surrogates -- the current U.S.
ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power -- recorded a nearly
five-minute video at the time imploring Armenian-Americans to vote
for Obama precisely because he would keep his word on the issue.
The White House acknowledges the Armenian Genocide, but avoids the
term. "The White House urged on Tuesday "a full, frank and just
acknowledgment" of the Armenian genocide a century after the deaths
of as many as 1.5 million people, but once again refused to use the
word genocide", - writes the New York Times, stating that although
President Obama vowed during his 2008 campaign to use the term once he
got to the White House, he has consistently not followed through in the
six years since he took office out of concern about angering Turkey,
a NATO ally that has long rejected the description, Armenpress reports.
The New York Times writes that the president's continued resistance to
the word stood in contrast to a stance by Pope Francis, who recently
called the massacres "the first genocide of the 20th century"
and equated them to mass killings by the Nazis and Soviets. The
European Parliament, which first recognized the genocide in 1987,
passed a resolution last week calling on Turkey to "come to terms
with its past."
Another American periodical The Huffington Post published the open
letter of Lori Janjigian, a student at Northwestern University's
Medill School of Journalism, addressed to Obama. Armenpress presents
the letter as follows: "Dear Mr. President,
I have just one question: "Who, after all, speaks today of the
annihilation of the Armenians? You may recognize this quote. It is
frequently cited by historians. This is what Adolph Hitler said in
defense of his plans to wipe out the Jews. Hitler was referring to
the Armenian Genocide. As you well know, the Ottoman Turks kicked off
their plans to wipe out the Armenians on April 24, 1915 by rounding
up intellectuals and hanging them. Soon after, the mass killings began.
The men were murdered and the women were raped before being forced
to march through the desert with their children until they died of
starvation and exposure. This was a systematic, well-organized effort
with just one goal: to annihilate the Armenians. And it was largely
successful -- 1.5 million Armenians were exterminated.
This is the truth. No credible historian disagrees. Neither do you.
You said yourself during your 2008 presidential campaign: "Two
years ago, I criticized the secretary of state for the firing of US
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 [Condoleezza] 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. The
facts are undeniable. An official policy that calls on diplomats to
distort the historical facts is an untenable policy. As a senator,
I strongly support passage of the Armenian Genocide Resolution
(H.Res.106 and S.Res.106), and as president I will recognize the
Armenian Genocide."
These words gave Armenians all over the world hope. You have been
president for more than six years. Yet, since your election, you never
again spoke of the Armenian Genocide. What are you waiting for? Where
is the recognition? Was your intention simply to garner votes? If so,
it worked. American citizens of Armenian descent contributed generously
to your campaign, and they voted for you overwhelmingly.
They have been let down.
You appointed Samantha Power as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.
That gave Armenians even more hope. Ms. Power is the author of a
Pulitzer Prize-winning book largely focused on the Armenian Genocide.
Yet as soon as she settled into her seat at the Security Council, she,
too, lost her voice on the topic of the Armenian Genocide. Has your
administration lost its moral compass? Don't fall for Hitler's line.
"Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?"
The Pope speaks of the annihilation of the Armenians. Recently, Pope
Francis commemorated the centenary of the Armenian Genocide during a
Mass in Rome. He knew in advance that it would upset Turkey. Yet he
did not shy away from speaking the truth, and neither should you.
The Pope is not alone. The list of nations that formally recognize the
Armenian Genocide is growing. It includes Canada, France, Germany,
Switzerland, Russia, and 20 others. Many of these countries are
intimately familiar with the facts because they welcomed survivors
of the Genocide and gave them refuge.
At the time, the United States also welcomed Armenian refugees. In
fact, Henry Morgenthau, U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire,
was among the first to extensively document the Turkish officials'
plans to annihilate the Armenians.
The facts do not lie. Mr. President, you have very little time left
in office. Very little time left to live up to your promises. Please
don't let the Armenians down. It is time to call the Genocide by its
name. It is time for you to speak. "[S]peak today of the annihilation
of the Armenians."
http://armenpress.am/eng/news/802803/international-media-reminds-obama-about-his-promise-to-recognize-armenian-genocide.html
From: A. Papazian
12:52, 22 April, 2015
YEREVAN, APRIL 22, ARMENPRESS: The international media reminds the US
President Barack Obama that as a senator and presidential candidate,
Obama did describe the killings of Armenians as "genocide" and said
the U.S. government had a responsibility to recognize them as such. As
a candidate in January 2008, Obama pledged to recognize the genocide
and at least one of his campaign surrogates -- the current U.S.
ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power -- recorded a nearly
five-minute video at the time imploring Armenian-Americans to vote
for Obama precisely because he would keep his word on the issue.
The White House acknowledges the Armenian Genocide, but avoids the
term. "The White House urged on Tuesday "a full, frank and just
acknowledgment" of the Armenian genocide a century after the deaths
of as many as 1.5 million people, but once again refused to use the
word genocide", - writes the New York Times, stating that although
President Obama vowed during his 2008 campaign to use the term once he
got to the White House, he has consistently not followed through in the
six years since he took office out of concern about angering Turkey,
a NATO ally that has long rejected the description, Armenpress reports.
The New York Times writes that the president's continued resistance to
the word stood in contrast to a stance by Pope Francis, who recently
called the massacres "the first genocide of the 20th century"
and equated them to mass killings by the Nazis and Soviets. The
European Parliament, which first recognized the genocide in 1987,
passed a resolution last week calling on Turkey to "come to terms
with its past."
Another American periodical The Huffington Post published the open
letter of Lori Janjigian, a student at Northwestern University's
Medill School of Journalism, addressed to Obama. Armenpress presents
the letter as follows: "Dear Mr. President,
I have just one question: "Who, after all, speaks today of the
annihilation of the Armenians? You may recognize this quote. It is
frequently cited by historians. This is what Adolph Hitler said in
defense of his plans to wipe out the Jews. Hitler was referring to
the Armenian Genocide. As you well know, the Ottoman Turks kicked off
their plans to wipe out the Armenians on April 24, 1915 by rounding
up intellectuals and hanging them. Soon after, the mass killings began.
The men were murdered and the women were raped before being forced
to march through the desert with their children until they died of
starvation and exposure. This was a systematic, well-organized effort
with just one goal: to annihilate the Armenians. And it was largely
successful -- 1.5 million Armenians were exterminated.
This is the truth. No credible historian disagrees. Neither do you.
You said yourself during your 2008 presidential campaign: "Two
years ago, I criticized the secretary of state for the firing of US
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 [Condoleezza] 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. The
facts are undeniable. An official policy that calls on diplomats to
distort the historical facts is an untenable policy. As a senator,
I strongly support passage of the Armenian Genocide Resolution
(H.Res.106 and S.Res.106), and as president I will recognize the
Armenian Genocide."
These words gave Armenians all over the world hope. You have been
president for more than six years. Yet, since your election, you never
again spoke of the Armenian Genocide. What are you waiting for? Where
is the recognition? Was your intention simply to garner votes? If so,
it worked. American citizens of Armenian descent contributed generously
to your campaign, and they voted for you overwhelmingly.
They have been let down.
You appointed Samantha Power as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.
That gave Armenians even more hope. Ms. Power is the author of a
Pulitzer Prize-winning book largely focused on the Armenian Genocide.
Yet as soon as she settled into her seat at the Security Council, she,
too, lost her voice on the topic of the Armenian Genocide. Has your
administration lost its moral compass? Don't fall for Hitler's line.
"Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?"
The Pope speaks of the annihilation of the Armenians. Recently, Pope
Francis commemorated the centenary of the Armenian Genocide during a
Mass in Rome. He knew in advance that it would upset Turkey. Yet he
did not shy away from speaking the truth, and neither should you.
The Pope is not alone. The list of nations that formally recognize the
Armenian Genocide is growing. It includes Canada, France, Germany,
Switzerland, Russia, and 20 others. Many of these countries are
intimately familiar with the facts because they welcomed survivors
of the Genocide and gave them refuge.
At the time, the United States also welcomed Armenian refugees. In
fact, Henry Morgenthau, U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire,
was among the first to extensively document the Turkish officials'
plans to annihilate the Armenians.
The facts do not lie. Mr. President, you have very little time left
in office. Very little time left to live up to your promises. Please
don't let the Armenians down. It is time to call the Genocide by its
name. It is time for you to speak. "[S]peak today of the annihilation
of the Armenians."
http://armenpress.am/eng/news/802803/international-media-reminds-obama-about-his-promise-to-recognize-armenian-genocide.html
From: A. Papazian