HOUSE RESOLUTION AN ‘INSULT’ TO AMERICAN TAXPAYERS
news.az
March 11 2010
Azerbaijan
Javid Huseynov News.Az interviews Dr Javid Huseynov, general director
of the Azerbaijani-American Council (AAC).
How would you describe the US House Foreign Affairs Committee
resolution recognizing the killings of Armenians in 1915 as ‘genocide’?
House Resolution 252 is a repeated insult to the intelligence of
American taxpayers. We see this insult every year thanks to the efforts
of the Armenian lobby. And especially in 2010, when the US economy is
in recession, when tens of thousands of jobs are lost every month,
when the health care reform is in legislative limbo, when war is
raging in Afghanistan, coercive legislation on century-old history
is not something that the US Congress should be pursuing.
But House Resolution 252 is not only untimely, it is also prejudiced.
The Congressional committee, without any investigation of historical
facts or any independent tribunal, ‘determines’ a victim and a
perpetrator in the World War I era conflict, where Turks, Kurds and
Armenians equally perished. This ‘determination’ is based not on
legal grounds but on various folk stories of one side, sub-planted by
paid lobbying. The resolution on the ‘Armenian genocide’ thus became
not a way of addressing a human rights concern but only an effort to
outspend ‘the other side’. This obviously serves no justice for anyone
killed in World War I, whether Turk or Armenian, and most importantly,
it does not serve the ultimate objective of peace and reconciliation.
How strong is the Armenian diaspora to achieve the recognition of
the so-called ‘genocide’, and how strong and united are the Turkish
and Azerbaijani diasporas in resisting it?
Undoubtedly, the Armenian diaspora is influential, both financially
and politically. They have well established grassroots organizations
involved in lobbying, there are also a number of elected public
officials of Armenian heritage in the US federal and state governments
and legislatures. Turkic-Americans are new at this, although their
learning curve is also much steeper, Azeris and Turks must and do
adapt quickly to face the challenge. There are a number of Turkish-
and Azeri-American organizations conducting activities at various
levels, ranging from political grassroots to community advocacy. Last
year, for the first time, an Azeri-American ran for public office
in Virginia, and this year another Azeri-American is running to
be lieutenant governor in Nevada. These are major achievements for
Azerbaijani and Turkic communities in a relatively short period.
But the essence of the ‘genocide resolution’ is not only about
the strength of constituent communities. It is also a mechanism of
manipulation and influence in the policy of the United States towards
both Turkey and Armenia. Neither Armenian nor Turkic diasporas have
full control of this mechanism, as only the US policymakers do.
Therefore, I believe, this year that House Resolution 252 will again
fail to reach full Congressional approval. But it will remain active
on the US agenda as a card that can be played if Turkey becomes
‘uncooperative’. Ironically enough, however, both diasporas may have
some influence over how effectively this card can be played. And the
unprecedented margin of one vote in the 23-22 decision in the House
Foreign Affairs Committee is a reflection of the growing influence
of the Turkic-American grassroots.
Some Turkish news agencies reported that allegedly the Azerbaijani
diaspora in the US did not support Turkish efforts to stop House
Resolution 252. Are these claims right? If so, why didn’t the
Azerbaijani diaspora support their Turkish allies?
The article printed in Aksam newspaper claimed that the Azerbaijani
diaspora did not support the Turkish efforts against House
Resolution 252, speculating that this ‘change of heart’ allegedly
emanated from the ill-fated Turkish-Armenian protocols signed last
year. This information is obviously false, and in fact, yesterday,
the leading Turkish-American grassroots organization, the Assembly
of Turkish-American Associations (ATAA), issued a statement noting
the important role of the Azerbaijan Society of America (ASA), the
US Azeris Network (USAN) and the Pax Turcica Initiative (endorsed by
a number of Azerbaijani and Turkish groups) in the efforts to defeat
the resolution.
Yet the article in Aksam was subsequently picked up by Kaan Soyak,
a prominent lobbyist of Armenian interests in Turkey, who claimed that
Azeris ‘yet again did not support Turks’. Soyak’s misuse of the initial
Aksam article obviously aims to smear the image of Azeri-Americans
in the eyes of Turks and Turkey, and to justify the opening of the
Turkish-Armenian border despite Armenia’s ongoing occupation of
Azerbaijani territories.
Do the Azerbaijani and Turkish communities in California encounter
any problems, considering the substantial Armenian population in
this state?
First and foremost, the problem is the issue of anti-Turkic defamation
spread by some Armenians in California, both individually and in
groups. A Turkish kid going to school in Hollywood or Glendale is most
likely to face an accusation of being a ‘descendant of murderers’
at some point in his life. An Azeri kid going to the same school
in California will study in his curriculum that the 1988 Sumgayit
riots (where 26 Armenians and six Azeris were killed and the courts
identified and punished the perpetrators) were an ‘act of genocide
against poor Armenians’, while the 1992 Khojaly Massacre (where 613
Azeris were murdered and mutilated by Armenian forces without any
further investigation or tribunal) was a ‘lie made up by evil Azeris’.
This is the sort of defamation that the Turkic-American taxpayer has
to deal with today.
There is no consistent point of view on the Armenian side as to what
they want from Turkey or Azerbaijan. What is consistent though is the
passionate Turcophobia and inability to move beyond the historical
argument. The Armenian ideal is to have the region without Turkey and
Azerbaijan, their vision of peace and the future does not include
the existence of these two nations. And that is the essence of the
problem which manifests itself in California and elsewhere where
Turks and Azeris end up coexisting with Armenians.
Considering that the US Administration spoke against the recognition
of the ‘Armenian genocide’ by Congress, can we assume that President
Obama will not label the events of 1915 in Eastern Anatolia ‘genocide’?
As I’ve already said, I doubt this resolution will receive full
Congressional approval prior to 24 April 2010, simply because it
has to remain on the agenda as a pressure mechanism to implement
the protocols. Once it is adopted, it will no longer be useful for
pressuring Turkey. As for President Obama, he will not say the word
‘genocide’ on this particular case until Congress decides that he
must. This is what House Resolution 252 is all about.
Aliyah Fridman News.Az