Senator Reed presses Secretary of State for answers on Evans firing

ArmRadio.am
28.07.2006 11:55

Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) has indicated that he is not prepared to
support the nomination of Richard Hoagland as U.S. Ambassador to
Armenia until he receives meaningful responses to a series of
questions – including several specific inquiries concerning the firing
of the current Ambassador John Evans, reported the Armenian National
Committee of America (ANCA).

In a July 26th letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Senator
Reed explained that he is "concerned that Ambassador Evans is being
forced to resign prematurely." He stressed that he is "particularly
troubled" by reports that he is being recalled because he properly
characterized the Armenian Genocide as a genocide. "Had the term
genocide been coined in the early 1900s, it would have been used to
accurately describe the situation," added the senior Senator from
Rhode Island.

In closing, Senator Reed asserted that he would not be prepared to
support the nomination of a new ambassador to Armenia until he
understands the answers to the following questions:

1) Why is Ambassador Evans being replaced a year before the end of the
customary three-year ambassador term? If he resigned, why would the
State Department accept the resignation of a truly dedicated
individual who is highly respected by the Armenian community?

2) Has the President or State Department directed, either through
written or oral means, Executive Branch personnel not to use the word
‘genocide’ when referring to the atrocities waged against the Armenian
people by the Ottoman Empire? What is the justification for such a
policy?

3) If it is the policy of the United States to not characterize the
systematic killing of over 1.5 million Armenians as genocide, please
elaborate on why these events do not meet the definitions of the
Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

4) During Ambassador Richard Hoagland’s confirmation hearing before
the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, regarding the Armenian
genocide he stated "I simply have studied the president’s policy.
I’ve studied the background papers on the policy, and my
responsibility is to support the President." What do the background
papers say regarding the Armenian Genocide? I respectfully request a
copy of these background papers so I can better understand the
President’s policy. If that is not possible, I would like to know why.

5) A recent press report outlined Deputy Assistant Secretary of State
Matthew Bryza as saying the following regarding Ambassador Evans,
"Ambassadors serve the President and should follow his
policy. President George Bush’s policy on the mass killings of
Armenians is very clear, as he points out in his annual addresses. If
someone disagrees with it, they are at liberty to make their own
decisions, but these should not be divulged. Certainly, our job is
also to advise him, but we must support his policy when it comes to
public statements." This reporting indicates that Ambassador Evans was
asked to resign based on this prior statements regarding the Armenian
genocide. If this is not the case, would you explain the statement by
Mr. Bryza and mits relation to Ambassador Evans?"