Clinton Meeting Causes Row Among Armenian-American Groups

Tert.am
18:13 – 13.02.10

The Armenian Relief Society (ARS) on Friday issued an open letter to
the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) and the Armenian Assembly
calling for clarification over reports that the two organizations had
sought the exclusion of the ARS from a scheduled meeting about the
Armenia-Turkey Protocols with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
and a select group of Armenian American organizations, reports local
Armenian daily Asbarez daily.

`Two weeks ago, it was announced that the U.S. State Department had
invited a select group of Armenian-American organizations to a meeting
to discuss the Turkish-Armenian Protocols and related topics, leaving
out several other organizations. On many occasions, the Armenian
Relief Society, which will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its
humanitarian work this year, has participated in discussions with the
U.S. administration on matters of central importance to Armenians.
Therefore, the ARS wrote an official letter to the State Department
requesting, as the largest [Armenian] women’s organization in the U.S.
and the Armenian Diaspora, to participate in the meeting,’ reads the
letter.

The ARS also says that `in the past few days, ARS was surprised to
learn from the press that the AGBU leadership in the U.S. had
expressed its opposition to the participation of the ARS in that
meeting. The news was followed by a press release circulated by the
Armenian Assembly – and bearing the signature of the AGBU as well –
regarding the meeting with the State Department and Armenian-American
representation with convoluted language.’

`In our letter addressed to the U.S. State Department, we did not ask
to replace any organization and we did not make any allegations about
any organization. It is our sincere hope that the reports about the
position of the AGBU, the positions expressed on its behalf, and the
attributions made to the AGBU regarding the steps it has taken, are
untrue. We hope that it will become clear that this episode is nothing
more than an effort by non-Armenian circles to impose the ratification
of the protocols on the Armenians and Armenia, and to sow divisions
among Armenian-Americans on the eve of the 95th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide. We also hope that the necessary corrections will
ensue,’ conclude the authors.

Hillary Clinton was to meet with Armenian-American lobby groups on
February 9; however, the meeting has been postponed with no fixed
date. The State Department cited the snow storm that hit Washington,
D.C., as the primary reason.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress