States News Service
April 24, 2009 Friday

PELOSI STATEMENT ON 94TH ANNIVERSARY OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

WASHINGTON

The following information was released by the office of Speaker Nancy
Pelosi:

Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement today to
commemorate the 94th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide:

Today, we commemorate the 94th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide
and pay tribute to the victims and survivors. We know from their
testimony and historical records that the Armenian genocide was
conceived and carried out by the rulers of the Ottoman Empire from
1915 to 1923.

It is estimated that more than 1.5 million Armenian men, women, and
children were killed and more than two million others were expelled
from their homeland. International observers and diplomats to the
Ottoman Empire, including U.S. Ambassador Henry Morgenthau, watched a
nightmare unfurl and provided detailed accounts about a campaign of
race extermination.

It is long past time for the U.S. Government to formally recognize the
Armenian Genocide. If we ignore history then we are destined to repeat
the mistakes of the past. The genocides in Rwanda and Darfur remind us
that we must do more to prevent this from ever happening again.

On this anniversary, we must remember the victims and survivors of the
Armenian Genocide. We must also provide the leadership to ensure that
this human tragedy is not repeated.