DESTABILIZING ALLIANCES OR TELLING THE TRUTH?
By Luke Gublo
Michigan Technological University Online Lode, MI
Oct 17 2007
This week brought about another foreign policy challenge for the
Bush Administration. They have plenty as it is, of course, with the
continuation of an Iraq policy that is overwhelmingly unpopular with
the American people. This week, the U.S. House Committee on Foreign
Affairs passed a bill that would end the United States’ complicity
in Turkey’s denial of what many feel was genocide committed against
Armenians by the Ottoman Empire in 1915. The vote was 27-21 in favor of
the bill, with Joe Wilson (R-SC) and Republican Presidential candidate
Ron Paul (R-TX) not voting.
This particular vote has raised some concern in Washington regarding
its relations with Turkey. The vote has quite literally brought
relations to a grinding halt, which is not a good thing for the Bush
Administration, since Turkey plays a vital role in the Middle East by
sharing a border with Iraq. Not only would a diplomatic shutdown close
this supply route for the military, but there’s always the possibility
that Turkey could send troops over the border and destabilize the
Kurdish region of Iraq. Undoubtedly, there is major reason to be
concerned over this.
Morally speaking, however, it really doesn’t say much for America as
a country to deny what is possibly one of the most ghastly events of
the 20th century. Over 750,000 Armenians lost their lives after being
forcibly deported to concentration camps. Many died along the way,
while many lost their lives after being poisoned, shot or burned
alive at the concentration camps.
Furthermore, it’s no secret that Adolf Hitler took some inspiration
from what the Ottoman Empire did to the Armenian people. In somewhat
of a moral justification for his plans for Europe and his belief that
he would not be held accountable for what he would do to the Jewish
people, Hitler famously uttered, "Who, after all, speaks today of
the annihilation of the Armenian People?"
Ultimately, this presents the Bush Administration with a moral
dilemma. Should America deny that this event was indeed genocide and
acquiesce to the desires of a strategic ally, or should we do what is
morally right and recognize the acts committed by the Ottoman Empire
for what they were?
Of course, realizing the need for good diplomatic ties with a
strategic ally, the Bush Administration has chosen to oppose the
Armenian Genocide Bill. I find this quite unfortunate. Although we
would indeed anger Turkey by signing this bill into law, it is morally
indefensible for America to deny the Armenian genocide.
Bush wasn’t always against the idea of genocide being committed
against the Armenian people. At a campaign stop in Chicago prior to his
election in 2000, Bush had many different feelings about this issue.
"The Armenians were subjected to a genocidal campaign that defies
comprehension and commands all decent people to remember and
acknowledge the facts and lessons of an awful crime in a century of
bloody crimes against humanity," said Bush. "If elected President, I
would ensure that our nation properly recognizes the tragic suffering
of the Armenian people."
What has changed so much since then that we must deny this gruesome
event? Undoubtedly, our standing in the Middle East will be hurt by
losing ties with Turkey, but America must take a moral stand here. If
America is to stand as a soldier in the fight against tyranny, it
must condemn tyranny when it is so painfully obvious.
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