NTV MSNBC, Turkey
Aug 4 2007

White House bows to Senate pressure on naming envoy to Armenia

The White House gave in to Democratic objections and on Friday
withdrew the nomination of a career diplomat to be ambassador to
Armenia.

WASHINGTON – Sen. Robert Menendez placed a hold on the nomination of
Richard Hoagland for the second time in January because of Hoagland’s
refusal to call the World War I-era killings of Armenians a genocide.

A hold is a parliamentary privilege accorded to senators that
prevents a nomination from going forward to a confirmation hearing.

Hoagland’s confirmation was blocked by Senate Democrats in the last
Congress and the Bush administration resubmitted his name in January
when the new Congress convened.

Hoagland’s predecessor, John Evans, reportedly had his tour of duty
in Armenia cut short because, in a social setting, he referred to the
killings as genocide.