AAA: U.S. Administration's current policy on Genocide untenable

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Armenian Assembly of America (AAA) has consistently supported the presence of a U.S. Ambassador in Armenia to build on the positive and growing bilateral relationship.

“The Armenian Assembly welcomes the continued efforts of Senator Menendez to ensure that the facts of the Armenian Genocide are brought to the forefront and not denied. We concur with the Senator that the Administration's current policy is untenable. The Assembly strongly believes that America's long-term interests would be better served by speaking the truth and squarely affirming the Armenian Genocide,” Armenian Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny said.

During the hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Ambassador-Designate to the Republic of Armenia John A. Heffern said, “President Obama has recognized and deplored the horrific events that took place in the waning days of the Ottoman Empire. He has publicly called the massacre of 1.5 million Armenians at this time one of the worst atrocities of the 20 the century. The President has urged Turkey and Armenia to work through their painful history to achieve a full, frank, and just acknowledgement of the facts. If confirmed, I will do my best to fulfill the President’s vision.”

On April 24, National Day of Prayer for the victims of the Armenian Genocide, President Barack Obama again betrayed his pledge to properly condemn and commemorate this crime against humanity. Despite repeated, detailed, and unambiguous pledges to recognize the Armenian Genocide, the President Obama offered only euphemisms and evasive terminology to describe the murder of over 1.5 million men women and children - effectively keeping in place the gag rule imposed by the Turkish government on the open and honest discussion of this crime. In refusing, under foreign pressure from Turkey, to his honor his pledge, he again fell far short of his own view, as voiced during his campaign, that America deserves a President who uses the term "genocide" to convey the full factual, moral, legal, and contemporary political meaning of this crime against all humanity.