Fresno Bee – June 10, 2006
An old, sad story
Armenian genocide measure bottled up in Congress – again.

(Updated Saturday, June 10, 2006, 5:50 AM)

It’s as regular as clockwork: A bill comes before Congress that would
recognize the massacres by Turkish authorities against Armenians in the
days of World War I as what they were – a genocide.

The Turkish government objects strenuously. The White House and the
State Department pass the word: Don’t upset our Turkish allies. Congress
caves. The genocide remains unofficially recognized by this government
and by Turkey.

It happened again this week. House leaders refused to let a measure come
to the floor for a vote that it surely would have passed. It happens
nearly every year, in every administration, regardless of which party
controls the White House and Congress. It is an offense against the
strong sense of justice that animates Armenian Americans and others. And
it makes no sense.

This is the same valuable Turkish ally, remember, that wouldn’t let
American troops cross their land during the invasion of Iraq. In
hindsight, that didn’t hinder the quick advance of the American-led
coalition that ousted Saddam Hussein, but it could have.

This is also the same valuable Turkish ally that stands as a strong
bulwark against southern expansion by the dreaded Evil Empire of the
Soviet Union – which no longer exists.

This is the same valuable Turkish ally that wants desperately to join
the European Union, but can’t, because the Europeans rightly demand that
Turkey acknowledge the genocide first.

This is getting very old – like the remaining survivors of the
massacres who would like nothing better than some small measure of
justice all these years later.