MANOYAN: WITHDRAW OF HOAGLAND’S NOMINATION IS THE ARMENIAN COMMUNITY’S VICTORY
Yerkir
07.08.2007 13:43
YEREVAN (YERKIR) – This solution of Richard Hoagland’s appointment
is the American Armenian community’s victory, Kiro Manoyan, the
director of the ARF Bureau’s Hay Dat and Political Affairs Office,
told a news conference today.
He said it was a victory because with the help of political figures
the community managed to stop a process that would have resulted in
appointing a diplomat who was questioning the Armenian genocide. Unlike
Hoagland, the official US position is that while the word genocide
is not used, it, however, is not questioned.
"This was a success of Armenians and the Armenian diplomacy although
Armenia did not do anything directly. I think this was important
too because the White House wanted Yerevan to pressure the Armenian
community but Yerevan fortunately did not do that," Manoyan said.
Manoyan said that one of Hoagland’s letters was the main reason: when
he was asked which cases can be characterized by the US as genocide and
why the US did not recognize the 1915 events as genocide, Hoagland,
going a step further from the official position of the US, had said
that the US should clarify whether the events were premeditated.
Manoyan said that the White House dropped Hoagland’s nomination
following Hoagland’s letter asking to be replaced because he would
never be confirmed due to the Senate’s procedure, according to which
any senator can delay the appointment.
As for the position of the next candidate in the Armenian genocide
issue, Manoyan said that the prospective candidate should have the
right stance.
"In this case, the right stance should be the right stance of the US
executive power. I said already that Hoagland was one step further,"
Manoyan said.