OBAMA-BIDEN: THE BETTER TEAM FOR ARMENIANS, THE NATION, AND THE WORLD
By Harut Sassounian
AZG Armenian Daily
25/10/2008
Armenian-Americans – US presidential elections
The long and painful tenure of one of the most anti-Armenian
U.S. administrations is finally coming to an end. Armenian-Americans,
along with most Americans and the rest of the world, are fed up with
the Bush-Cheney team and their bellicose neo-con agenda.
The list of blunders committed by the Bush administration is very
long: the invasion of Iraq based on false premises, mismanaging the
U.S. economy with the national debt reaching ten trillion dollars,
and taking deeply offensive positions on key Armenian issues.
After promising to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide during his first
campaign, Pres. Bush failed to keep his word. In fact, when the House
of Representatives was considering a commemorative resolution on the
Armenian Genocide, Pres. Bush personally lobbied members of Congress
to block its consideration. Furthermore, he recalled U.S. Ambassador
John Evans from Armenia, simply because he had the courage to tell
the truth about the Armenian Genocide. Despite repeated requests by
Armenian-American organizations to meet and discuss these serious
issues, Pres. Bush refused to receive them even once in eight years!
Armenian-Americans have a clear choice. Do they want more of the
same anti-Armenian policies for the next four or eight years with
McCain-Palin or do they prefer to change the disastrous last eight
years by supporting Obama-Biden — the most pro-Armenian team in the
history of U.S. Presidential elections!
Sen. Obama, long before running for the Presidency, was making
supportive statements on Armenian issues. He called for Turkey’s
acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide and criticized the Secretary
of State for dismissing Amb. Evans. Sen. Obama declared: "The Armenian
Genocide is not an allegation, a personal opinion, or a point of view,
but rather a widely documented fact supported by an overwhelming body
of historical evidence. The facts are undeniable…. As a senator,
I strongly support passage of the Armenian Genocide Resolution, and as
President I will recognize the Armenian Genocide…. America deserves
a leader who speaks truthfully about the Armenian Genocide and responds
forcefully to all genocides. I intend to be that President."
Sen. Obama also pledged to seek "an end to the Turkish and Azerbaijani
blockades" of Armenia; to try to bring "a lasting and durable peace
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict that is agreeable to all
parties, and based upon America’s founding commitment to the principles
of democracy and self determination."; to expand "trade and targeted
aid" to Armenia; and to strengthen "commercial, political, military,
developmental, and cultural relationships between the U.S. and
Armenian governments."
Sen. Biden, who has served in the U.S. Senate since 1972, has
an even more extensive record of support for various Armenian
causes. Sen. Biden has co-sponsored every Armenian Genocide resolution
going back to 1984. He is one of the staunchest supporters of Armenia
and Armenians in the Senate.
Sen. McCain, on the other hand, has opposed all congressional
resolutions on the Armenian Genocide over the years and has remained
silent on the Artsakh (Karabagh) conflict, Turkish and Azerbaijani
blockades of Armenia, U.S. aid to Armenia, and U.S.-Armenia
relations. In other words, a vote for Sen. McCain is simply a vote
for the continuation of Pres. Bush’s anti-Armenian policies.
Even though most Armenian-Americans are justifiably skeptical,
given their many disappointments with promises made by previous
presidential candidates, they can take comfort from the fact that
Senators Obama and Biden have repeatedly acknowledged the Armenian
Genocide, while Sen. McCain has consistently and strongly opposed
this critical issue. If statements by presidential candidates are not
politically significant, why are then various Turkish and Azerbaijani
analysts angrily denouncing Senators Obama and Biden, while heaping
lavish praise on Sen. McCain? And why are Greeks and Greek Cypriots
pleased with Obama and Biden and not McCain and Palin?
Assuming that Obama-Biden are planning to keep their promises on the
Armenian Genocide, even then, Armenian-Americans must not sit on their
hands for the next six months waiting to see what Pres. Obama will
say on April 24. Instead, they need to immediately start preparing
for the inevitable onslaught by the Turkish government with the
help of its highly paid lobbyists in Washington. As in the past,
Turkey is expected to unleash a massive public relations campaign
and a steady barrage of threats against the United States trying to
convince American officials and the public at large that "now is not
the right time to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide!"
To defuse the Turkish threats and make the new administration less
apprehensive about any possible consequences of acknowledging the
Armenian Genocide, Armenian-American organizations should advise
the Obama-Biden team that they would be simply reconfirming what
Pres. Ronald Reagan recognized in his Presidential Proclamation
in 1981.
One of the reasons to secure such a repeat statement from the next
U.S. President is to undermine the joint historical commission that
has been proposed by the Turkish government, aiming to impede third
parties from acknowledging the Armenian Genocide.
The victory of the Obama-Biden ticket would obviously have a
far-reaching impact on many national and international issues. The
Obama administration would withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq, concentrate
on fighting terrorism in Afghanistan, and reverse the growing trend
of anti-Americanism around the globe by using a less confrontational
approach than Bush or McCain. The tens of billions of dollars saved
by staying out of unnecessary military engagements could be put
to better use by helping create new jobs, reduce taxes, and bring
economic prosperity to America and the world!