ANCA CRITCIZES OBAMA ON GENOCIDE REVERSAL, CUTS TO ARMENIA
2009/05/19 | 13:49
diaspora
In a May 18 letter to the White House, Ken Hachikian, Chairman of
the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), expressed the
American-Armenian community’s disappointment with his administration’s
failure to honor his campaign pledges to recognize the Armenian
Genocide and to foster the growth and development of Armenia.
In the letter, Mr. Hachikian pointed to President Obama’s recent
proposal to cut aid to Armenia by 38% even as he increases overall
foreign aid spending and the level of assistance he seeks to the
regions of Europe, Eurasia, and South/Central Asia.
Regarding the Genocide issue, the letter reads in part:
Your broken pledge represents both a grave offense to Armenian
Americans and a disservice to all Americans who understand that our
nation’s leadership in confronting genocide should never be reduced
to a political issue that can be traded away, retreated from under
pressure, or used to advance a political agenda, of any kind. The
ongoing dialogue between Armenia and Turkey should have no bearing
on your willingness to speak the truth about the Armenian Genocide;
our stand against all instances of genocide should be unconditional.
On the proposed aid cuts to Armenia, the letter reads:
The Armenian American community is also troubled that, despite
your pledge to maintain aid to Armenia and to foster her growth
and development, you have called for a 38% cut in economic aid to
Armenia…Compounding this disappointment was your decision to breach
the Armenia-Azerbaijan military aid parity agreement in favor of Baku,
a move that tilts the regional military balance and sends a dangerous
signal to Azerbaijani leaders who have made no secret of their intent
to use force of arms to settle the Nagorno Karabakh issue.