SEN. REID PRESSURES ADMINISTRATION OVER ARMENIA-TURKEY DEAL
By Kevin Bogardus
The Hill
-pressures-administration-on-armenia-turkey-deal
N ov 8 2009
DC
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has applied subtle pressure
on the Obama administration over a U.S.-brokered deal between Armenia
and Turkey.
In an Oct. 20 letter to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton,
Reid said she should meet with Armenian-American leaders to hear their
concerns about the agreement between the two countries. Activists are
particularly worried about one provision of the agreement that would
set up a historical commission to review the events surrounding the
massacre of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Turks
during World War I.
"I have received many letters from Nevadans who do not support the
creation of an international commission to examine the historical
record on the genocide and who believe that the agreements are unfair
to Armenia," Reid wrote to Clinton, including a sample letter from
one of his constituents.
"Given the serious nature of the community’s concerns, I felt it
was important to raise them directly with you. The commission is
particularly sensitive to the Armenian-American community since the
Armenian genocide has never been recognized by Turkey," Reid wrote.
The Democratic leader then encouraged Clinton to meet with activists
from the Armenian community.
Lawmakers are gathering co-sponsors for resolutions that would
recognize the early 19th century massacre as genocide. Last week, Rep.
Steven LaTourette (R-Ohio) signed onto the House resolution and Sen.
Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) added his name to the list of co-sponsors
to the Senate version.
The House resolution, sponsored by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.),
now has 135 co-sponsors while the Senate version, introduced by Sen.
Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) in late October, has six co-sponsors.
Reid is not listed as a co-sponsor yet of the Senate resolution. But
he said in a separate Oct. 30 letter to an Armenian-American activist
that he recognizes the killings as genocide.
"I have always, and will continue to, recognize the terrible atrocities
that took place in 1915 as genocide. As I said to those gathered
for the Armenian American Cultural Society of Las Vegas’ annual
commemoration on April 19, 2009, I believe that the United States
should acknowledge the Armenian Genocide," Reid wrote in the letter.
Despite the historic agreement reached between Armenia and Turkey
last month, both sides are preparing for a lobbying battle over the
resolutions. The Turkish government opposes the resolutions and has
threatened relations with the United States over the measures in the
past. Because of potential retaliation by Turkey, Speaker Nancy Pelosi
(D-Calif.) retreated from bringing the resolution up for a floor vote
in 2007.
The letters were released to reporters on Friday by the Armenian
National Committee of America.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
