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PRESS RELEASE
June 18, 2008
Contact: Michael A Zachariades
Email: mzachariades@aaainc.org
Phone: (202) 393-3434

House Foreign Affairs Committee Holds Hearing on the South Caucasus
Region Chairman Berman Raises Strong Concerns about Turkey’s 15-year
Blockade of Armenia While Rep Watson Demands a Response on the
Administration’s Flawed Policy with Respect to Affirmation of the
Armenian Genocide

Washington, DC – Chairman Howard Berman (D-CA) raised strong concerns
about Turkey’s "punishing policy" of blockading its neighbor Armenia
during a hearing on the Caucasus today, reported the Armenian Assembly
of America (Assembly). In his opening remarks during a House Foreign
Affairs Committee hearing entitled "The Caucasus: Frozen Conflicts and
Closed Borders," Chairman Berman stated that "the land blockade is
also, quite possibly, illegal, as it seems to breach Turkey’s
undertaking in the 1922 Treaty of Kars to keep its border-crossings
with Armenia open. And it violates the spirit of the World Trade
Organization, of which both Turkey and Armenia are members." Berman
termed it "one of the most puzzling and problematic matters" that
holds the Armenian economy back and "enormously increases the cost of
much of Armenia’s trade with other nations."

During a question and answer session with Assistant Secretary of State
for European and Eurasian Affairs Daniel Fried, Members of Congress
raised key policy and funding issues, including the Turkish blockade,
Azerbaijan’s ongoing war rhetoric, increased military expenditures,
and the Armenian Genocide, among other issues.

In addition to Chairman Berman who correctly pointed out that progress
on Turkey’s lifting of the blockade should not be linked to the
Nagorno Karabakh peace process, Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) stated
that the blockade "violates U.S. policy." Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA),
while expressing support for the self-determination of the people of
Nagorno Karabakh, stated that we have to fight against the blockade
and that "there is no excuse for it." Sherman asked what pressure the
Administration was putting on Turkey to lift the blockade, of which
Assistant Secretary Fried responded that the Administration wants to
see lifted and has encouraged both sides to normalize relations.

Berman asked Assistant Secretary Fried to lay out the steps that the
government has taken to convince Turkey to end this
"counter-productive practice of closed borders," and "why hasn’t the
State Department – which opposes the land blockade – spoken out more
forcefully on this matter?" Rep. Schiff also echoed Berman’s request
for more specificity and upon listening to Fried’s response, concluded
that the Administration must do more in this regard.

In addition to the blockade issue, Members were also deeply concerned
about Azerbaijan’s ongoing warmongering and bellicose statements.
Rep. Ed Royce’s (R-CA) concerns were echoed by Armenian Caucus
Co-Chairs Frank Pallone, Jr (D-NJ) and Joseph Knollenberg
(R-MI). Rep. Knollenberg noted that Azerbaijan is a dictatorship that
continues its bellicose statements unabated and asked what the
Administration is doing to stop the Azeri war machine. Rep. Pallone
also raised this critically important issue and called upon the
Administration to ensure greater contact between the Nagorno Karabakh
government and the Azerbaijani government, as well as confidence
building measures. Rep. Pallone further noted his concerns about
Azerbaijan’s pressure on the State Department with respect to
U.S.-Nagorno Karabakh contacts. Fried for his part, responded that
bellicose statements are not helpful and added that the Azeris deny
that they have any intention of resuming hostilities. Fried also
believed that increased contacts overall were important and noted that
a solution to the peace process, which the U.S. and the parties are
working toward, will be the best way forward.

In perhaps the most intense exchange during the hearing, Rep. Diane
Watson (D-CA) focused her attention on the Armenian Genocide and
questioned the State Department’s policy on instructing its staff not
to use the term genocide. In his response, Secretary Fried said that
the Administration does not deny the historical events, but fell short
of employing the proper term. Stating that the Armenian Genocide,
with its "mass killings, murder, mass exile, brutality" is "beyond
denial," the Congresswoman asked "Why does the United States not
recognize that it was genocide?"

"Was it genocide? Yes or no?" Watson demanded. After several attempts
to receive an answer, Watson yielded back her limited time stating,
"it is clear that I am not going to get an answer to my question."

Reinforcing Watson, Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA) recalled the efforts and
reports of then Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Henry Morgenthau,
who described in great detail the horrors of 1915. Fried noted that
he was very familiar with Morgenthau’s reports stating that they were
"stark, stunning and sadly accurate and that the intent was not to
move people in a peaceful way."

Adding to questions in regard to genocide, Rep. Schiff asked Secretary
Fried, "Would you describe the mass killing during the holocaust as a
genocide?" "Yes," Fried responded. Schiff then asked, "Would you
describe the mass killing in Cambodia as a genocide?" Fried responded,
"I’d like to reserve only because I am not as familiar with that."
Schiff then asked, "Would you describe the mass killing in Rwanda as a
genocide?" Which Fried said "We have used that word, the
administration has used that word, yes." Moving on, Schiff asked
"Would you describe the mass killing in Darfur as a genocide?" "I’d
like to reserve on that but I believe we have used that word," Fried
responded. Schiff quickly added, that "You have used that word, I can
tell you have, and we should."

In closing his questions, Schiff then asked, "Would you describe the
mass killings of the Armenians as a genocide?" Fried responded "This
Administration and the President’s policy is not to use that word,
although I want to be clear, we have never denied the historical facts
of the mass killings, murders, forced exiles and brutality that
occurred in those years as a matter of historical fact."

On other policy matters, Rep. Sherman (D-CA) discussed Section 907,
calling it another part of the embarrassing history of the
administration in evading laws passed by Congress and then asked Fried
if the State Department counsels its employees to avoid using the term
genocide. And again, Secretary Fried reiterated that the State
Department follows the President’s policy, therefore, since the
President does not use the term, neither will the State Department.
Sherman also took the Secretary to task on the Administration’s
proposed assistance cut to Armenia, noting that it was more than fifty
percent, from fiscal year 2008. Sherman also sought clarification on
whether the Millennium Challenge Account funding served as a
replacement or supplement to the Freedom Support Act, of which Fried
indicated that it was supplemental.

Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny, who attended today’s
hearing along with Assembly Congressional Relations Associate Bianka
Dodov and Assembly Associate Director of Grassroots Taniel
Koushakjian, stated that "We applaud the leadership of Chairman Berman
in holding this important and timely hearing in which these critical
policy issues were raised. For too long, these issues have been on the
backburner and I want to thank the members of the Committee for
placing them in the forefront. In a region where the U.S. is facing
competition for influence, this hearing sends a clear message that the
U.S. is deeply interested in and concerned about developments in the
region."

Below, please find excerpts of Fried’s testimony:

Testifying on behalf of the Bush Administration, Daniel Fried,
Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, told
Members of Congress that Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia are "diverse
both in their histories and in the challenges that they face today"
adding that "America’s policy toward them has been steady, steadfast
and supportive."

"The policy of the United States is unambiguous: we want to help the
nations of this region travel along the same path toward freedom,
democracy and market-based economies that so many of their neighbors
to the West have traveled."

Fried painted a brief description of how in 1989, a wave of democracy
began sweeping eastward from its origins in Central Europe,
questioning how far "this wave of freedom and democracy" will reach,
asking, "Will it, and can it, extend to the easternmost reaches of
wider Europe?"

"Armenia can be a great success story, but its recent history has been
one of difficulties," Fried said. He was quick to add that "the
Armenian people have demonstrated extraordinary resilience through
their long history of hardship and tragedy."

"The last decade has witnessed an economic turnaround in Armenia, with
double-digit GDP growth year upon year coupled with, until recently,
low inflation. The Diaspora community around the world continues to
extend its hand to Armenia, in both humanitarian and philanthropic
giving and direct investment. Through their advocacy and indications
of a will to reform, Armenia in 2006 entered into a Millennium
Challenge Corporation compact worth $236 million."

Touching on integration in the region, Fried said "one major step
would be a peaceful, just, and lasting settlement of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," while another principle concern would be
in "achieving normal relations between Armenia and Turkey." Adding
that "the United States supports the opening of the Turkish-Armenian
border" because "the status quo is not helpful to anyone."

For information on Armenia or these hearings, visit the Assembly’s
website at

Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly is the largest
Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public
understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. It is a 501(c)(3)
tax-exempt membership organization.

###

NR#2008-056

Editor’s Note: Testimonies attached.

Secretary Fried
/Caucus_Hearing_Testimony/Testimony_-_Fried.pdf
Re p Berman
w/Caucus_Hearing_Testimony/HCFA_Chair-Berman_State ment_Caucasus_Hearing.pdf
Rep Royce
/Caucus_Hearing_Testimony/Testimony_-_Rep._Ed_Royc e.pdf
Rep Knollenberg
08_new/Caucus_Hearing_Testimony/HFAC_Statement_-_K nollenberg.pdf
Rep Pallone
ew/Caucus_Hearing_Testimony/Pallone_-_Foreign_Affa irs_Committee_Statement.6.18.08.pdf
Rep Ros-Lehtinen
008_new/Caucus_Hearing_Testimony/Ranking_Member_Ro s-Lehtinen_Opening_Statement_-_Caucus_Hearing.pdf

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress