ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY URGES CONGRESSMEN TO REJECT "BLACKMAIL" BY TURKEY
armradio.am
18.10.2007 10:34
The Armenian Assembly of America today called upon House Members
not to give in to pressure from the government of Turkey, which
is opposed to an important and bi-partisan resolution that affirms
the Armenian Genocide. The call from the Assembly came as Congress
and President Bush met today with the Dali Lama – despite intense
political and diplomatic pressure from China, which opposes the US
having any relationship with Tibet.
"I truly hope that no Member of Congress is persuaded to jump ship
on such a critical vote as this simply because of some threats by a
foreign government," said Armenian Assembly Executive Director Bryan
Ardouny. "The government of Turkey and its million-dollar lobbyists
are effectively blackmailing the Congress and the government of the
United States. We should stand up to the threats and demand that
Turkey immediately cease its campaign of misinformation and threats."
Ardouny noted that the Bush Administration has decided to meet with
the Dali Lama today in a ceremony at the US Capitol, despite threats
and intense diplomatic and political pressure from the government
of China. "If we can stand up to China why on earth we are afraid of
standing up to Turkey," Ardouny said.
"The community commends House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for standing
strong in the face of such threats and for her willingness to bring
this long-delayed resolution to a vote before the full House. As she
said over the weekend, this resolution is long overdue and it’s time
for Congress to stand up and speak out forcefully on a human rights
issue that will reverberate for generations," added Ardouny.
The resolution, H.R. 106, is non-binding and has been introduced in
several previous sessions of Congress. It was approved 27-21 last
week by the House Foreign Affairs Committee.