OBAMA TAPS SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS CHAIRMAN BIDEN AS HIS VICE PRESIDENTIAL RUNNING MATE

AZG Armenian Daily
26/08/2008

Armenian Genocide – USA

With the selection of the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee, Senator Joseph Biden, Jr. (D-DE), as his Vice-Presidential
running-mate, Presumptive Democratic Presidential Nominee Senator
Barack Obama has chosen a person with a long record of support on
Armenian-American issues, reported the Armenian Assembly of America
(Assembly).

Senator Joe Biden, now in his sixth term, has championed the cause
of freedom and human rights throughout his career. In 1987, Senator
Biden wrote to Assembly Board of Trustees Chairman Hirair Hovnanian
with respect to his support for S.J.Res. 43, declaring April 24th
as the National Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Armenian
Genocide. In the letter, Senator Biden agreed with Chairman Hovnanian’s
view "that we must not allow a revisionist rewriting of the history
of the terrible atrocities committed against the Armenian people."

In 1989, as Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Biden supported
S.J.Res. 212, which also affirmed the Armenian Genocide. During the
Committee hearing, Biden was sharply critical of revisionist scholars
supporting Turkey’s denial of the Armenian Genocide. Biden also
told the Armenian community that "it is particularly regrettable
that the Turkish government has chosen to make an issue of this
resolution and make an unprecedented lobbying campaign against it in
Congress. Nonetheless, we cannot cave into the pressure of an important
ally and rewrite history by denying the occurrence of the genocide."

"Chairman Biden has consistently demonstrated his leadership on foreign
policy issues, including as it pertains to acknowledging the historical
truth of the Armenian Genocide, as well as U.S. policy and funding
in the South Caucasus," said Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny.

Speaking about the right to self-determination during the early stages
of the Soviet Union’s disintegration, in 1990, Senator Biden said
that "We [United States] must place the right of self-determination
at its center. Nagorno Karabakh only reminds us of the need, and the
responsibility, of the United States to let it be known to the whole
world that we condemn the suppression of free speech and expression
everywhere, condemn the use of force to silence those who seek freedom,
and recognize the right of all peoples to decide for themselves the
form of government under which they choose to live."

Senator Biden also voted in support of Senator John Kerry’s (D-MA)
"Conditions on Assistance to Azerbaijan" amendment to the Freedom
Support Act in 1992, which became known as Section 907. Following the
devastating earthquake in Armenia in 1988, as well as Azerbaijan’s
ongoing assault against Armenians, in 1993, Biden joined in signing
a letter to then Secretary of State Warren Christopher calling for a
"stronger U.S. response to the crisis in the Republic of Armenia,"
as "the people of Armenia are experiencing winter without fuel or
adequate supplies of food as a result of the continued economic
blockade imposed by neighboring Azerbaijan and the sabotage of a
natural gas pipeline through Georgia."

Throughout the 1990s, Biden defended Section 907 of the Freedom Support
Act, which was adopted in response to Azerbaijan’s hostile actions
and blockade against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. In a critical vote
in 1999, when opponents, including oil companies tried to repeal
Section 907 to curry favor with Azerbaijan, Senator Biden stood by
his principles and voted to maintain this important provision of law.

In the 110th Congress, Chairman Biden continues to play a critical
leadership role, from his introduction of legislation honoring the
legacy of slain journalist Hrant Dink and calling upon Turkey to
repeal Article 301 of its penal code, which punishes discussion of the
Armenian Genocide, to his cosponsorship of S.Res. 106, which affirms
the Armenian Genocide, as well as taking the Administration to task
for its flawed policy with respect to the ability of Ambassadors to
acknowledge the Armenian Genocide.

The Assembly recently praised the efforts of Senator Biden along with
his Senate Foreign Relations Committee colleagues for ensuring that
U.S. reaffirmation of the Armenian Genocide remained at the forefront
during the nomination of Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch to serve as
the next U.S. Ambassador to Armenia.

Senator Obama is also on record with respect to Armenian issues
having stated "I have stood with the Armenian American community in
calling for Turkey’s acknowledgement of the Armenian Genocide." Obama
has also stated that he strongly supports passage of the Armenian
Genocide Resolution (H.Res.106 and S.Res.106).