RICE, GATES OPPOSE PROPOSED RESOLUTION

Associated Press
NDTV.com, India
March 15 2007

The US secretaries of state and defence contend that the security of
the United States is at risk from a proposed legislation that would
declare up to 1.5 million Armenians victims of genocide on Turkish
soil almost a century ago.

In joint identical letters, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and
Defence Secretary Robert Gates said the resolution also could inflict
significant damage on US efforts to reconcile the long-standing
dispute between the West Asian neighbours.

The appeals went to Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi; Rep John
Boehner, leader of the House’s Republican minority; and Rep Tom Lantos,
the Democrat who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

A Foreign Affairs subcommittee is holding a hearing on Thursday on
US-Turkish relations.