BILL THAT WOULD TERM ARMENIAN DEATHS A GENOCIDE IN JEOPARDY
Associated Press
WAND, IL
Oct 17 2007
CAPITOL HILL (AP) – A House vote to label the century-old deaths of
Armenians as genocide is now in jeopardy.
Several Democrats have withdrawn their support. They’re expressing
concern that the resolution could cripple U.S. relations with Turkey,
a key staging area for U.S. military supplies headed to Iraq.
The loss of support is a major setback for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
and other Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill. They have fiercely
defended the resolution that would condemn the World War I-era killings
of up to 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Turks.
Turkey denies the deaths constituted genocide, saying the number
has been inflated and that those killed were victims of civil war
and unrest.
President Bush has called Pelosi to ask her not to call for a House
vote on the resolution.