ADAM SCHIFF: DEPARTMENT OF STATE CALLS TO APPLY ARTICLE 301 IN AMERICA
ArmRadio.am
30.03.2007 17:05
During his speech on Capitol Hill in the framework of the two-day
anti-genocide advocacy campaign Armenian Genocide Resolution author
Adam Schiff (D-CA) described his recent exchange with Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice during a House Appropriations Subcommittee on
Foreign Operations hearing held on March 21st. Rep. Schiff questioned
Secretary Rice regarding a recent letter, cosigned by the Secretaries
of Defense and State, urging Congressional leaders not to adopt the
Armenian Genocide resolution (H.Res.106/S.Res.106).
"I thought that it was important to call her [Secretary Rice] to
answer for the views that were stated in that letter and not simply
to allow the Administration in the dead of night or otherwise to send
a letter without having to defend it. And something really struck me
during the course of this dialogue.
I began by asking if she had any question, if she had any doubt, that
the death of a million and a half Armenians constituted ‘genocide’
– did she have any personal doubt about that.’ Well she would not
answer that question.’"
"And I said, ‘are you aware of any reputable historian outside of
Turkey who has any question about the Armenian Genocide’ and she
wouldn’t answer that."
"And I said ‘you come out of academia’ – because she said, ‘well, this
is for the historians to decide and it’s not in Turkey’s interest to
have us pushing them and we ought to pushing the parties together’,
etc. – was she aware of any reputable historians. She came out of
academia, she was the president’ s advisor during his campaign when
he said he would recognize the Armenian Genocide – was she aware of
anyone on academia, and she said ‘I was in academia before, but now
I am the secretary of State.’ So I guess that means to imply that
you have a different standard of historical integrity when you are
a diplomat than when you have academic freedom."
"But what really struck me in this little debate that we had was that
what the Secretary was really asking of us is that we apply Turkish
law in America – that we apply Article 301 right here at home. That
it should be a violation of our policy, to insult Turkishness. The
irony was so striking to me that here the Foreign Minister of Turkey
is encouraging the repeal of Article 301, but let us make sure that
we apply it here at home."
"I don’t know how we have the credibility to call on Turkey to come
clean on is past, if we are not willing to. I don’t know how we can
have the moral standing that we need to have on the genocide going
in Darfur, if the Sudanese government can say ‘sure, you’re calling
this genocide because we are not powerful, we are not your ally,
– but when it comes to your allies, we won’t call the murder of a
million and a half people genocide.’"
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
