STATEMENT FROM SENATOR BARACK OBAMA IN REMEMBRANCE OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

States News Service
April 29, 2008 Tuesday

The following information was released by Illinois Senator Barack
Obama:

U.S. Senator Barack Obama today released the following statement in
remembrance of the Armenian Genocide:

"Last week we paused in remembrance of the Armenian Genocide, which
was carried out by the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1923. Nearly 2
million Armenians were deported, and approximately 1.5 million of
those deported were killed.

"It is imperative that we recognize the horrific acts carried out
against the Armenian people as genocide and I will continue to stand
with the Armenian American community in calling for the government
of Turkey to acknowledge it as such. The occurrence of the Armenian
genocide is a widely documented fact supported by an overwhelming
collection of historical evidence.

"I was deeply disturbed two years ago when the U.S. Ambassador to
Armenia was fired after he used the term "genocide" to describe
the mass slaughter of Armenians. I called for Secretary Rice to
closely examine what I believe is an untenable position taken by the
U.S. government.

"I will continue to push for the acknowledgement of the Armenian
Genocide and I offer the Armenian people my condolences."