LET’S SHOW SUPPORT FOR SENATOR MENENDEZ
By Nick Larigakis

Greek News
Feb 9 2009
New York

One of the strongest advocates that the Hellenic American community
has on Capitol Hill, Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), has come under
fire by the organization, Turkish Coalition of America (TCA), for
raising the issue of Cyprus to Senator Hillary Clinton during her
recent confirmation hearing for Secretary of State.

On its website, the TCA lists an article titled "Senator Robert
Menendez: Serving Ethnic Politics in Washington." The article attacks
Senator Menendez by stating: "Voicing support for the ʽbi-zonal,
bi-communal federationʼ solution on the island, Senator Menendez
seemed to be ignorant of the fact that this was precisely what 65% of
the Turkish Cypriots supported in a referendum in 2004, and which 75%
of the Greek Cypriots rejected. Based on obvious concern for the well
being of ALL Cypriots, we hope that Senator Menendez will now take
the lead in a congressional effort to lift the inhuman international
blockade on the Turkish Cypriots and provide an incentive for the
solution he so desires…it was politics as usual for Senator
Menendez…he faithfully continued to cater to ethnic politics
at home."

Far from "…cater[ing] to ethnic politics at home." Senator Menendez
needs to be congratulated for raising the issue of Cyprus because it
continues to be a text book example of invasion, occupation and in the
failure of U.S. foreign policy by the State Department and successive
administrations over the past three plus decades for support of the
rule of law, international law, U.S. law, and human rights. These
are the principles that President Obama has indicated will be the
cornerstone of his administration.

The TCA article also criticized Senator Menendez for raising the
recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

Members of Congress and especially Senators who serve on the very
important Senate Foreign Relations Committee do not take their
responsibilities lightly. No U.S. Senator will ever abdicate their
responsibility in support of what he or she feels is in the best
interests of the United States just to cow tow to "ethnic politics
at home."

However, it is important for constituents to educate lawmakers as to
our core issues and present them with the evidence that is needed
so that they can make well informed decisions. This is even more
important for issues like ours, which do not routinely register on
the main stream foreign policy radar.

Our community needs to understand that unfortunately, like it or not,
as U.S. foreign policy priorities are concerned, our issues might
rank as secondary –at best, and probably tertiary in reality. The
case, however, can be made that our core issues are important to
U.S. interests in the Eastern Mediterranean, Cyprus included. It is
because of this point that Senator Menendez was compelled to address
the issue with Senator Clinton. Basically, he was upholding his oath
to protect the interests of the people of the United States-he was
doing his job!

Many forget that Senator Biden in 1974 did not view the Cyprus issue
in the way he has since. It was due to the Hellenic American community
in Delaware, his constituents, that took the time to educate Senator
Biden as to the egregious violations of the rule of law and U.S. law
that were perpetrated on Cyprus by Turkey with the illegal use of
U.S.-supplied arms and how that ultimately compromised U.S. interests
in the region.

Turkeyʼs continuing occupation of Cyprus is an affront to the
international legal order and a continuing threat to regional
stability. Cyprus is an important nation for U.S. interests in
the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East. The so-called "Sovereign
British Bases" on Cyprus and the British listening posts on Cyprus are
on Cypriot territory and have been of significant importance to the
U.S. Cyprus is a member of the European Union and a western-oriented
country. It is important to U.S. interests that it remain so.

Additionally, the government of Cyprus and the Greek Cypriots, under
the leadership of the late former President Papadopoulos, played an
exceptional role in evacuating 14,000 Americans from Lebanon during
the Israeli-Lebanon conflict in 2006.

The TCAʼs article stating that the Greek Cypriots voted against a
bi-zonal, bi-communal federation solution is simply false! They voted
against the Annan Plan that was stacked against them. They exposed it
for what it was: undemocratic, unworkable, not financially viable and
not compatible with democratic norms, the EUʼs acquis-communautaire,
UN resolutions and the European Convention on Human Rights. Further,
the plan was harmful to U.S. efforts to build and facilitate democratic
efforts in other areas around the world, like Iraq. The U.S. should,
and Senator Menendez understands this, in its own best interests be
the champion of democratic norms throughout the world, not obvious
undemocratic constitutions like the one proposed in the Annan Plan.

Senator Menendez supports a settlement of the Cyprus problem through
negotiations based on a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation in a single
sovereignty and international personality. A position that was also
advocated by candidate Barack Obama in October 2008 when he stated:

"As president, [I] will show U.S. leadership in seeking to negotiate
a political settlement on Cyprus. [I] believe strongly that Cyprus
remain a single, sovereign country…within a bi-zonal, bi-communal
federation…A negotiated political settlement on Cyprus would end the
Turkish occupation of northern Cyprus and repairs the islandʼs tragic
division while paving the way to prosperity and peace throughout the
entire region."

This will, of course, also best serve U.S. interests in the region.

The reference to "the inhuman international blockade on the Turkish
Cypriots" is another blatant falsehood! The international isolation
of the Turkish Cypriots is imposed by Turkey by the virtue of the
barbed wire fence that cuts across the face of Cyprus and supported
by the 43,000 illegal Turkish troops who continue to occupy illegally
nearly 40% of Cyprus today. Remove the troops and take down the fence,
and whatever isolation exists in the occupied area of the north will
vanish overnight.

Senator Menendez is man of great integrity and moral values. His
actions as an esteemed member of the U.S. Senate are consistent with
his obligation to support and defend the constitution of the United
States and his constituents. And as a member of the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee he never acts in way that might compromise the
interests or jeopardize the security of the United States.

Let us all stand up and applaud him for serving our interests as
Americans.

If you too wish to send a message expressing your support for Senator
Menendez, please go to:
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