International Herald Tribune, France
Jan 30 2007
Congressional resolution on Armenian genocide to be introduced Tueday
The Associated Press
Published: January 30, 2007
WASHINGTON: Democratic and Republican lawmakers are introducing a
resolution Tuesday calling for U.S. recognition of the World War
I-era killings of Armenians as genocide. The move will likely anger
Turkey and is expected to be opposed by President George W. Bush.
The lead sponsors in the House of Representatives say they have
commitments from more than 150 other members, who want to add their
names as co-sponsors after the bill is introduced, a strong show of
support in the 435-member body.
The sponsors, who held a new conference Tuesday attended by two
Armenian survivors of the killings, say that the move to Democratic
control in Congress increases chances that the bill will reach the
House floor for a vote. Similar resolutions have been introduced in
the past, but were kept from a full vote by congressional leaders.
"We feel very strongly that this year is the year we’re going to get
this passed," said one of the co-sponsors, Democratic Rep. Frank
Pallone, Jr., a congressman from New Jersey, a state with a large
Armenian American community.
The bill, which will recognize the deaths of the 1.5 million
Armenians almost a century ago is likely to touch raw nerves in
Turkey. The Bush administration has warned that even congressional
debate on the genocide question could damage relations with a key
Muslim ally and NATO-member.
The resolution’s supporters say that the leader of the House, Speaker
Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, who has expressed support for the
resolution, is likely to come under pressure from the Bush
administration to keep the House from voting on the bill.
"Make no mistake, the speaker will get a call from the president
asking for no vote on the grounds of national security," said
Republican Rep. George Radanovich, a co-sponsor.
Turkey has adamantly denied claims by scholars that its predecessor
state, the Ottoman government, caused the Armenian deaths in a
planned genocide. The Turkish government has said the toll is wildly
inflated and that Armenians were killed or displaced in civil unrest
during the empire’s collapse.
After French lawmakers voted in October to make it a crime to deny
that the killings were a genocide, Turkey said it would suspend
military relations with France. Turkey provides key support to U.S.
military operations. Incirlik Air Force Base, a major base in
southern Turkey, has been used by the U.S. to launch operations into
Iraq and Afghanistan.
In Washington, Armenian-American groups have been pressing for years
for a resolution on the genocide issue. Last year, the House of
Representatives’ International Relations Committee endorsed two
resolutions classifying the killings as genocide. But the House
leadership, controlled by Bush’s Republican Party, prevented a vote
by the full chamber.
With a reference to the two survivors in the room, Rose Baboyan and
Sirarpi Khoyan, 100, supporters said that they feel an urgency to
pass a resolution this year.
"While there are still survivors among us, we have, I think, the
highest ethical obligation to recognize the losses of their
families," said Democrat Adam Schiff, a co-sponsor.
From: Baghdasarian