SERJ TANKIAN WELCOMES HOAGLAND "HOLD"
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Oct 6 2006
Serj Tankian, lead singer for the Grammy Award-winning band System of a
Down, has welcomed the "hold" placed by Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
on the confirmation of Richard Hoagland as U.S. Ambassador to Armenia
until the Bush Administration ends its denial of the Armenian Genocide.
According to the information DE FACTO Information-Analytics agency
received at the ANCA, Serj Tankian stated, "I respect U.S. Senator
Bob Menendez’s decision to block the President’s nominee for U.S.
Ambassador to Armenia until the Bush Administration ends its cover-up
of the Armenian Genocide’~R. "His principled stand represents a
powerful contribution to the worldwide effort to end the denial
of justice for this crime, and break forever the worldwide cycle
of genocide."
This April, Tankian was joined by fellow System member John Dolmayan in
a three-day Armenian Genocide recognition advocacy tour of Washington,
DC, featuring meetings with Members of Congress, an anti-denial rally
outside the Turkish Embassy, and a Capitol Hill screening of the new
Genocide documentary "Screamers."
In announcing his decision last month to block the Hoagland nomination,
Sen. Menendez stressed that, "as a leader and defender of democracy,
it is our nation’s responsibility to speak out against injustice and
support equality and human rights. But if the Bush Administration
continues to refuse to acknowledge the atrocities of the Armenian
Genocide, then there is certainly cause for great alarm, which is
why I am placing a hold on this nominee."
He added that, "I will continue to work with my colleagues in the
United States Senate to make strides toward ensuring that all people,
regardless of race, religion, or ethnicity, receive protection from
policies of discrimination and hate that lead to genocide."
On September 7th, after more than forty minutes of intense debate,
the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved Ambassador-Designate
Hoagland’s nomination. Following the vote, the ANCA announced that
it would continue to urge Senators to place a hold on the Hoagland
nomination. On two previous occasions, June 28th and August 1st, the
panel delayed its consideration of the nomination due to bipartisan
concerns over a series of controversies. Among these points of
contention were the nominee’s written responses to Senator Boxer’s
inquiry, in which he questioned the genocidal intent of the Ottoman
Turkish government.
Also of concern to members of the panel was the State Department’s
firing of the current U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, John Marshal Evans.
His early recall from Yerevan is widely seen as retribution for his
public statements, in February of 2005, calling for an end to "word
games" by the U.S. government in avoiding the proper recognition of
the Armenian Genocide. Despite dozens of Congressional inquiries, the
Administration has yet to explain its reasons for firing Amb. Evans or
to reveal the communications it received from the Turkish government
on this matter.
In a September 1st letter, the ANCA urged Members of the Committee to
block the Hoagland nomination until: 1) Ambassador-designate Hoagland
provides a responsible and unambiguous public statement affirming
that he does not question the clear genocidal intent of the Ottoman
Turkish government against its Armenian population.
2) The State Department provides a full, honest, and public explanation
regarding the reasons for the controversial firing of the current
Ambassador, John Marshall Evans.
3) The Administration explains any and all communications, directly
or indirectly, between the U.S. government and the Turkish government
concerning Ambassador Evans.
Since February of this year, the ANCA has led nationwide efforts to
demand answers concerning the recall of Ambassador Evans and, later,
to educate Senators about the adverse impact of sending an envoy
to Armenia that has called into question the genocidal character of
Ottoman Turkey’s systematic destruction of its Armenian population.