RADANOVICH LEADS CONGRESSIONAL EFFORT TO URGE SECRETARY OF STATE TO RECONSIDER RECALL OF AMB. EVANS

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Jun 26 2006

WASHINGTON, JUNE 26, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Four leading
Congressional friends of Armenia, George Radanovich (R-CA) and Adam
Schiff (D-CA), and Congressional Caucus Co-Chairmen Frank Pallone
(D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), have strongly encouraged Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice to reconsider the recall of Ambassador Evans,
reported the Armenian National Committee of America.

In a June 22nd letter, the legislators noted that "after months of
speculation," the recall of Ambassador Evans "was confirmed when the
President nominated Richard Hoagland to serve as the new United States
Ambassador to the Republic of Armenia on May 23. While there has been
no official acknowledgement that Ambassador Evans removal was a result
of his February 2005 statement that the Armenian Genocide was the first
genocide of the 20th Century, all evidence points to that conclusion."

"We join with Armenian Americans across the country in thanking
Congressman Radanovich, Schiff, Pallone, and Knollenberg – the four
lead authors of the Armenian Genocide Resolution – for once again
taking the lead in challenging the State Department’s failed policy
of complicity in Turkey’s denial of this crime against all humanity,"
said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA. "We share their
belief that Ambassador Evans’ recall should be reversed and look
forward, in the days ahead, to learning more about the circumstances
behind this ill-advised, morally unjustifiable, and increasingly
controversial action."

The Congressional letter closed with the four legislators expressing
their belief that "the United States must formally recognize
the Armenian Genocide, and we will continue to work towards that
goal. Allowing John Evans to continue as Ambassador to Armenia sends
a strong message on the necessity of Turkish recognition, and will be
an important step in establishing the U.S. position on the Armenian
Genocide."