McCain: it is our responsibility to recognize 1915 tragic events

PanARMENIAN.Net - The McCain-Palin campaign issued a letter to the Armenian-American community. In the letter, Senator John McCain (R-AZ) wrote that he is "grateful for all of the contributions that Armenian-Americans have made to our wonderful country," and that he "greatly value[s] the opportunity to stand with the Armenian-American community," the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) told PanARMENIAN.Net



Regarding U..S. affirmation of the Armenian Genocide, the statement refrains from referring to the events of 1915-1923 as genocide, and instead employs a dictionary definition. McCain said, "It is fair to say that one of the greatest tragedies of the 20th century, the brutal murder of as many as one and a half million Armenians under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, has also been one of the most neglected. The suffering endured by the Armenian people during that period represented the prologue to what has come to be known as humanity's bloodiest century." He added that "It is our responsibility to recognize those tragic events and to ensure that our world never experiences the impact of the bloody conflicts that so filled the 20th century."



McCain also thanked Armenia for her "support of coalition operations in Iraq and NATO peacekeeping efforts in Kosovo."