Campaign against Armenian Genocide resolution launched in U.S. Congress

PanARMENIAN.Net - A member of the U.S. Congress has warned other congressmen to heed the importance of cooperation with NATO ally Turkey for achieving U.S. objectives in Afghanistan and Iraq.



In a letter to 434 members of the House of Representatives, Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) said Turkey has a critical role in helping the U.S. reach its goals in these two troubled countries, Christian Science Monitor reports.



Shuster's initiative comes along with efforts of the Armenian lobby to introduce a genocide resolution to the house floor.



Los Angeles Congressman Adam Schiff said he and several others in Congress are reviving the Armenian Genocide resolution.



He said he has high hopes that the bill will pass Congress despite fierce opposition from Turkey, and finally will be signed into law by the nation's new president.



Speaking to 75 people from the Armenian National Committee Central California Chapter in downtown Fresno on Monday, Schiff pledged to reintroduce his Genocide resolution soon.



Schiff said virtually every member in Congress knows that the Armenian Genocide is a fact of history, and that President Barack Obama understands the issue.



"Obama spoke out against the firing of the ambassador," Schiff said, referring to the dismissal of the American ambassador to Armenia for publicly using the term Armenian genocide," Schiff said.