OBAMA BRANDS ARMENIAN KILLINGS ‘GREAT ATROCITIES’
By Desmond Butler And Ben Feller

Associated Press
24 April 09

President Barack Obama on Friday refrained from branding the massacre
of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians in Turkey a "genocide," breaking
a campaign promise while contending his views about the 20th century
slaughter had not changed.

The phrasing of Obama’s written statement attracted heightened scrutiny
because of the sensitivity of the issue and because Turkey and Armenia
are nearing a historic reconciliation after years of tension. The
Obama administration is wary of disturbing that settlement.

Marking the grim anniversary of the start of the killings, the
president referred to them as "one of the great atrocities of the
20th century."

"I have consistently stated my own view of what occurred in 1915, and
my view of that history has not changed," Obama said. "My interest
remains the achievement of a full, frank and just acknowledgment of
the facts."

"The best way to advance that goal right now," Obama said, "is for
the Armenian and Turkish people to address the facts of the past as
a part of their efforts to move forward."

For Obama, referring to the killings as genocide could have upended
recent pledges of a closer partnership with Turkey, a vital ally in
a critical region. Steering around the word, however, put him at odds
with his own pledges to recognize the slaughter as genocide.

Obama said the Armenians who were massacred in the final days of the
Ottoman Empire "must live on in our memories." He said unresolved
history can be a heavy weight. "Reckoning with the past holds out
the powerful promise of reconciliation," he said.

"I strongly support efforts by the Turkish and Armenian people to
work through this painful history in a way that is honest, open,
and constructive," he said.

The administration closely coordinated its statement about the apparent
breakthrough with the Turkish government and Swiss mediators. Turkey
and Armenia announced on Wednesday they were closing in on some kind
of reconciliation.

At least one Armenian-American group said it felt let down by Obama.

"Today’s statement does not reflect the change the president promised,"
said Bryan Ardouny, executive director of the Armenian Assembly of
America. He said Obama "has needlessly delayed the cause of genocide
affirmation and diminishes U.S. credibility with regard to genocide
prevention."

To Lincoln McCurdy, president of the Turkish Coalition of America,
which advocates close U.S.-Turkish ties, Obama sent "a clear message
to America and the world that his administration will not sacrifice
long-term strategic allies for short-term political gains."

The dispute involves what scholars widely view as the first genocide of
the 20th century. Turkey denies that the deaths constituted genocide,
contending the toll has been inflated and that the casualties were
victims of civil war and unrest.

During a trip to Turkey this month, Obama emphasized U.S. support for
the reconciliation efforts and avoided the term genocide in a speech
to the Turkish parliament.

Turkey and Armenia agreed Wednesday on a road map for normalizing
relations and reaching reconciliation. But it was not immediately
clear how they would tackle the bitter dispute over the Ottoman-era
killings of ethnic Armenians.

On Thursday, Vice President Joe Biden spoke by telephone with Armenian
President Serge Sarkisian and welcomed that announcement.

Turkey and Armenia have no diplomatic ties, and their border has been
closed since 1993 because of a Turkish protest of Armenia’s occupation
of land claimed by Azerbaijan.

In September, Turkish President Abdullah Gul became the first
Turkish leader to visit Armenia, where he and Sarkisian watched their
countries’ soccer teams play a World Cup qualifying match. The Armenian
government appears to be interested in further talks.

Armenian-American groups and supporters in Congress are focused on
passing a resolution that describes the killings as genocide and
argue that it should not undermine diplomatic efforts.

Gul said Friday in Ankara that he expected Obama to deliver a
statement that would reinforce the reconciliation talks. "I believe
that (Obama’s statement) should be one that is supportive of our good
intentioned efforts," Gul told reporters.