Armenian National Committee of America
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PRESS RELEASE
January 17, 2007
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
(202) 775-1918

SENATOR SCHUMER CALLS ON PRESIDENT
TO WITHDRAW HOAGLAND NOMINATION

— Senior Member of Senate Leadership Sharply Criticizes
Nominee’s Denial of the Armenian Genocide

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY), a long-time friend
of New York’s Armenian community and senior member of the Senate
leadership, has joined Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and
Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) in urging President George W. Bush
to withdraw the controversial nomination of Richard Hoagland to
serve as U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, reported the Armenian National
Committee of America (ANCA).

Citing the nominee’s denial of the Armenian Genocide, Senator
Schumer, who serves as Vice-Chairman of the Democratic Caucus,
noted, a January 17th letter to the President, that the nominee’s
confirmation would undermine diplomatic relations between the U.S.
and Armenia, and offend the Armenian-American community. The
Empire State Senator has been sharply critical of the
Administration’s policy on the Armenian Genocide and its premature
replacement of the previous Ambassador, John M. Evans, after he
spoke truthfully in characterizing this crime as a genocide in
speeches last year to Armenian American civic groups.

"Genocide can not be neatly swept under the carpet. Armenian
Americans are justifiably up in arms over the potential nomination
of Richard Hoagland as the U.S. Ambassador to their native
country," said Senator Schumer. "Hoagland’s reluctance to classify
the Armenian Genocide as the 20th century’s first genocide is a
travesty, which leaves us to believe that he will march lock and
step with the administration’s politically motivated stance of
denial." He added that, "In order for justice to prevail, for
progress to be realized and genuine reconciliation to be possible,
there must first be recognition of the facts of history. That must
start with a simple, unequivocal declaration that the Ottoman’s
actions during the period in question were tantamount to genocide.
I cannot support Mr. Hoagland, because, regrettably, he has not met
that standard."

"We join with Armenians from New York and across the nation in
expressing our appreciation to Senator Schumer for his principled
stand against the Hoagland nomination," said ANCA Executive
Director Aram Hamparian. "For more than three decades – going back
to his early years in the New York State Assembly, as a member of
the U.S. House, and now as a leader of the Senate – Chuck Schumer
has always been a powerful voice for justice and a great friend to
the Armenian American community."

The Senate’s confirmation of the Hoagland nomination has been the
subject of growing Congressional controversy and Armenian American
community outrage, culminating in two "holds" placed on his
confirmation by Senator Robert Menendez – initially in September of
last year, during the 109th Congress, and again in the 110th
Congress after the President re-nominated him earlier this month.

The New Jersey legislator’s second hold came just two days after
the Bush Administration re-nominated Hoagland on January 9th. His
first hold was placed after the Ambassador-designate, in response
to questions posed to him during his confirmation hearing, went far
beyond the bounds of the Administration’s already deeply flawed
policy, actually calling into question the Armenian Genocide as a
historical fact. Citing the opposition of the Armenian American
community and the growing controversy within Congress surrounding
the nomination, Senator Menendez was joined on December 1st by
incoming Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) in calling on
President George W. Bush to withdraw the Hoagland nomination and
propose a new candidate to serve in this important diplomatic post.
They stressed that, in light of the broad-based concerns within
Congress, the extensive media coverage this issue has received, and
the strong stand of the Armenian American community against the
nomination, "it would serve neither our national interests nor the
U.S.-Armenia relationship to expect Ambassador-designate Hoagland
to carry out his duties under these highly contentious and
profoundly troubling circumstances."

A recent poll of Armenian Americans found that 97% opposed the
Hoagland nomination. Ninety-four percent of the respondents said
that they "strongly agreed" with the Senate’s opposition to his
nomination. An additional 3% noted that they "somewhat agreed"
with this opposition. One percent reported that they "somewhat
disagreed" with opposing Hoagland, and 2% indicated that they
"strongly disagreed" with the opposition to his confirmation.

More than half of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and more
than 60 U.S. Representatives have raised concerns about the
Hoagland nomination and the State Department’s refusal to explain
the controversial firing of his predecessor, John Marshall Evans,
for speaking truthfully about the Armenian Genocide. The
Department of State has also failed to offer any meaningful
explanation of the role that the Turkish government played in the
dismissal of Ambassador Evans, a diplomat with over thirty years of
service at the Department of State

The full text of Senator Schumer’s letter is provided below.

#####

January 17, 2007

President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

I write regarding your re-nomination of Richard E. Hoagland to
serve as United States Ambassador to the Republic of Armenia. I am
deeply concerned that Mr. Hoagland’s nomination is not in the best
interest of the US-Armenia relationship, nor in the best interest
of our relationship with the Armenian-American community.

As you are well aware, an estimated 1.5 million Armenians were
killed and forced into exile by the government of Turkey between
1915-1923. Armenians, including women and children, were driven
over mountains and deserts, while being deprived of food and water
during the march. Others were deported to relocation centers in
Syria and Mesopotamia. The Armenian people were practically
eliminated from their homeland, which they had occupied for almost
3,000 years, and shrunk Armenia to less than one-fourth of its
original size. On July 24, 1915, US Consul Leslie Davis wrote to
Ambassador Henry Morgenthau, "It has been no secret that the plan
was to destroy the Armenian race as a race. . . " The history and
facts surrounding the events between 1915 and 1923 clearly show
that the Armenian Genocide was the first genocide of the 20th
century. I am concerned that the United States’ official position,
and the position of Mr. Hoagland, does not reflect these facts.

In 1998, a group of 150 scholars and writers, many of whom were
professors of history, theology, and law, including a Nobel
Laureate, honored the 50th anniversary of the UN Genocide
Convention by encouraging their government officials to officially
recognize the Armenian Genocide as such.

In Mr. Hoagland’s written testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee from June 2006, he wrote that "This tragedy is of such
enormous human significance that its historical assessment should
be determined not on the basis of politics, but through heartfelt
introspection among civic leaders, scholars and the societies at
large." Yet, his position, along with the Administration’s, fails
to recognize opinions of world scholars and human rights groups.

While I am cognizant of the realpolitik that perpetuates this
position, genocide is not something that can just be swept neatly
under the rug and forgotten. The evil at its core impels peoples,
leaders and nations to recognize it, and decry it. Indeed, no
progress or reconciliation is possible without forthright
recognition of the facts of history.

Since 1923, the Turkish government has worked tirelessly to deny
the Armenian Genocide, and force its citizens to remain silent on
the issue. Turkey instituted Article 301 in the Turkish penal
code, which took effect on June 1, 2005. This article makes it
punishable by imprisonment any person who denigrates "Turkishness"
of the Republic of Turkey. Under Article 301, Orhan Pamuk, a Nobel
Prize-winning Turkish novelist, was retroactively charged with
violating the article for statements regarding the death of a
million Armenians and thirty thousand Kurds, made to a Swiss
magazine in February 2005. In October 2006, France passed a law
making it a crime to deny the Armenian Genocide. Turkey’s Prime
Minister Tayyip Erdogan stated that Turkey was studying retaliatory
measures against France for passing such a law.

Specifically because of his refusal to directly declare the true
nature of the Armenian Genocide, Mr. Hoagland’s nomination faced
significant problems during his confirmation hearings last session.
In fact, more than half of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
and over 60 members of the United States House of Representatives
raised questions over the nomination. Considering these
circumstances, and in the interest of justice and international
relations, I respectfully urge you to withdraw his nomination.

Thank you for your attention to this matter, and I look forward to
your response.

Sincerely,

[signed]
Charles E. Schumer
United States Senator