Bush replacing envoy to Armenia amid controversy

AP Worldstream; May 25, 2006

President George W. Bush is replacing the U.S. ambassador to Armenia,
who apparently misrepresented U.S. policy by classifying as “genocide”
deaths of large numbers of Armenians at Turkish hands in 1915.

The White House nominated Richard Hoagland, a career diplomat who
currently is ambassador to Tajikistan, to replace Ambassador John
Evans in Yerevan. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack did not
acknowledge that Evans’ comment about genocide was a contributing
factor to his replacement. McCormack, speaking to reporters, praised
Evans for what he said was a long and distinguished career in the
Foreign Service.

Earlier this week, 60 members of Congress sent a letter to Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice expressing concern that Evans was being
withdrawn as a result of his February 2005 comment declaring that “the
Armenian Genocide was the first genocide of the twentieth century.”

Rep. Ed Markey expressed hope that the “sudden action” by the
administration in withdrawing Evans was unrelated to the envoy’s
comments.

Evans received a “constructive dissent award” from the union of career
diplomats last year for the independent stand he took on the genocide
issue while speaking to an Armenian group in California.

The group later withdrew the award, the Washington Post said, on
grounds that Evans did not meet the selection criteria.

Following complaints from Turkey, Evans amended his remarks to say the
events of 1915 represented an “Armenian tragedy” but not a genocide,
the newspaper said.

It reported that Evans said he had used the term “genocide” in his
“personal capacity” during “informal meetings,” and “this was
inappropriate.”

Turkey vehemently denies that it committed genocide against Armenians,
saying many were killed as the Ottoman Empire fell but it was not part
of an organized genocidal campaign.

Armenians say Turks knowingly massacred 1.5 million of their ancestors.