PRESS RELEASE
Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Contact: Armen Carapetian, Government Relations Director
Tel: 818-500-1918
Fax: 818-246-7353
Email: ancawr@anca.org
Web:
The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region (ANCA-WR)
moments ago learned that a record 170 US Senators and Congressmen are
to send President Bush a cosigned letter asking that he properly
characterize the Armenian Genocide in his April 24th commemorative
remarks.
The letter, which is attached below, represents an unprecedented
number of Members of Congress standing up to the President’s use of
euphemisms in describing the genocide of 1.5 million Armenians by
Ottoman Turks from 1915 through 1923. In his bid for the Presidency in
1999, George W. Bush wrote a strongly worded letter expressing
unequivocally that he would honor the memory of the victims of the
Armenian Genocide if elected President. However, while in office,
President Bush has failed time and again to reaffirm the United
States’ long record on the Armenian Genocide. ANCA-WR has been working
with Members of Congress representing constituents in western states
to show the President that there is broad support for historical
accuracy on this issue.
More details are to follow in an official press release.
April 21, 2004
The Honorable George W. Bush
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
We are writing to urge you to join us in reaffirming the United States
record on the Armenian Genocide in your April 24 commemorative statement.
This date marks the anniversary of the systematic and deliberate campaign
of genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire in 1915. Over the following
eight years, one and a half million Armenians were tortured and murdered,
and more than half a million were forced from their homeland into exile. In
the years since, descendents of Armenian immigrants have thrived in the
United States and in many other countries, bringing extraordinary vitality
and achievement to communities across this nation and throughout the world.
By properly recognizing the atrocities committed against the Armenian
people as “genocide” in your statement, you will honor the many Americans
who helped launch our first international human rights campaign to end the
carnage and protect the survivors. The official U.S. response mirrored the
overwhelming reaction by the American public to this crime against
humanity, and as such, constitutes a proud, irrefutable and groundbreaking
chapter in U.S. diplomatic history.
Now more than ever as your administration seeks to bring an end to global
terrorism and to help establish democracies in Afghanistan and Iraq, the
memory of the genocide underscores our responsibility to help convey our
cherished tradition of respect for fundamental human rights and opposition
to mass slaughters. The victims of the Genocide deserve our remembrance
and their rightful place in history. It is in the best interests of our
nation and the entire global community to remember the past and learn from
these crimes against humanity to ensure that they are never repeated.
We look forward to your April 24 statement and stand ready to assist you in
this endeavor and in the many other matters of importance to our nation
related to Armenia and the South Caucasus region.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress