U.S. SENATE APPROVES JAMES JEFFREY AS NEW U.S. AMBASSADOR TO TURKEY

PanARMENIAN.Net
03.10.2008 15:12 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The United States Senate approved the appointment
of James Jeffrey as the new U.S. ambassador to Turkey on Thursday.

"I am pleased that the Senate confirmed Jim Jeffrey to be the United
States Ambassador to Turkey. Jim is a man of intellect, integrity,
and commitment. His work as my Deputy National Security Advisor, as
United States Ambassador to Albania, and in three previous assignments
to Turkey make him superbly qualified to represent the United States to
our friend and NATO ally. I thank Jim for his continued service to our
Nation and congratulate him and his family on today’s confirmation,"
Senate President Dick Cheney said his statement posted on the White
House’s website.

James Jeffrey, in response to questions from Senate Foreign
Relations Committee Chairman and Vice-Presidential candidate Joe Biden
(D-DE), affirmed that official U.S. diplomatic reports by Ambassadors
Morgenthau and Elkus and other Armenian Genocide-era U.S. diplomats in
the Ottoman Empire did, in fact, describe the attempted extermination
of the Armenian population.

"Although falling far short of a clear and proper recognition of the
Armenian Genocide, Ambassador Jeffrey, in his response to Senator
Biden’s questioning, moved U.S. policy in the right direction by
publicly agreeing – after long years of official disregard, disrespect,
and dismissal of Ambassador Henry Morgenthau’s proud legacy – that our
nation’s diplomatic representatives to the Ottoman Empire did, in fact,
document the Ottoman government’s clear intent and systematic campaign
to destroy its Armenian population," said ANCA Executive Director
Aram Hamparian. "We want to thank Chairman Biden for his thoughtful
inquiries that led to this reaffirmation of the American record,
and to, once again, express our appreciation to Senators Menendez
and Kerry for their incisive lines of questioning during the Foreign
Relations Committee’s confirmation hearing earlier this week."

In questions submitted to the Amb. Jeffrey, Sen. Biden asked: "Do
you dispute that U.S. diplomats serving in the Ottoman Empire during
the Armenian Genocide documented a systematic, government-sponsored
campaign ‘with intent to destroy, in whole or in part’ the Armenian
population?"

Ambassador-Designate Jeffrey provided the following response: No. I
have read many of the historical records from 1915-1916 related
to U.S. diplomatic reporting on these events in Turkey, and I do
not dispute that Ambassador Morgenthau, Ambassador Elkus, and other
diplomats during that time period reported on what they described as
an attempt to exterminate the Armenian population.