ANCA OUTLINES BUSH ADMINISTRATION’S FAILING ON ARMENIA ISSUES
PanARMENIAN.Net
09.04.2008 20:00 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)
in a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, has outlined
the Armenian American community’s concerns regarding the Bush
Administration’s seven-year record of largely counterproductive,
frequently unfriendly, and, at times, antagonistic policies toward
Armenia and the Armenian American community.
The April 4th letter, signed by ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian, listed
thirteen areas in which the President and his Administration fell
short of both their own commitments and our nation’s basic human rights
standards, retreated from America’s historic commitment to Armenia, and
strained – through a series of ill-advised policies and often hostile
actions – the enduring ties that have long bound together the American
and Armenian peoples. The following points are covered in significant
detail in the 6-page letter, the full text of which is provided below:
1) The President’s broken campaign pledge to recognize the Armenian
Genocide 2) Opposition to the Congressional Genocide Resolution
3) The Evans firing and the Hoagland nominations 4) The waiver of
Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act 5) Reduction in aid to Armenia
6) Abandonment of the military aid parity agreement 7) Mistaken
listing of Armenia as a terrorist country 8) Lack of U.S.-Armenia
Presidential visitations 9) Failure to confront the desecration of the
Djulfa cemetery 10) Failure to maintain a balanced policy on Nagorno
Karabakh 11) Taxpayer financing of the Baku-Ceyhan bypass of Armenia
12) Failure to effectively pressure Turkey and Azerbaijan to end their
blockades 13) Neglect of relations with the Armenian American community
Over the course of the past seven years, the ANCA has repeatedly
requested, to no avail, the opportunity to meet with the President and
his Secretary of State to discuss these and other issues of concern
to Armenian Americans. This most recent ANCA letter, once again,
asks for such a meeting, inviting the Secretary of State to visit
with the collective leadership of the Armenian American community to
discuss U.S. foreign policy toward Armenia and the surrounding region
over the remaining months of the Bush Administration.