ARMENIAN DRAFTS IN US CONGRESS, EYES ON HASTERT

Zaman Online, Turkey

By Foreign News Desk
Published: Wednesday, September 14, 2005
zaman.com

Two drafts aiming at recognition of the so-called Armenian genocide
will be on the agenda of the US House of Representatives on Thursday.

Turks in America launched a message campaign over the draft expected
to be presented to the voting of the members after discussion in the
International Relations Committee.

Former National Security Adviser Ret. Gen. Brent Scowcroft called
the House Chair, Dennis Hastert, to “bring the drafts to the agenda.”

Scowcroft, also the chairman of the American Turkish Council, wrote a
letter to Hastert regarding that the drafts were against the interest
of the US as well, he warned that approval of the drafts would create
serious consequences.

Armenian President Robert Kocharian should response to the olive branch
offered by Turkish Prime Minster Recep Tayip Erdogan, said Scowcroft,
as he added that historians should find answers to such issues. Such
drafts encourage those who try to keep Turkey away from the West,
he added.

The House Chair, Hastert, has full authorization to bring the drafts
expected to be passed by International Relations Committee to the
general assembly.

Hastert previously prevented a similar draft from coming to
the agenda. However, the attitude that will be taken by the Bush
administration is also important at this point. The draft in question
is almost the same as the one presented five years ago.

With the intervention of the US President in term back then, Bill
Clinton, Hastert did not bring the draft to the general assembly at
the last moment.