MARK UDALL CALLS ARMENIAN GENOCIDE WHAT IT WAS — "GENOCIDE"
Michael Roberts
Westword , Denver, CO
rk_udall_calls_armenian_geno.php
April 23 2010
In politics, a single word can get in the way — especially when that
word is "genocide."
During his presidential campaign, candidate Barack Obama left little
doubt where he stood when it came to the events of April 24, 1915, when
Turks exterminated somewhere north of one million Armenians. In 2008,
he said, "The Armenian genocide is not an allegation… but rather a
widely documented fact." But as president, Obama has avoided using
this term for fear it would sabotage a border deal between Turkey
and Armenia — one that appears to be collapsing anyhow.
Senator Mark Udall isn’t playing that game. In a statement about the
anniversary, he makes frequent use of the g-word while emphasizing
that this crime against humanity should never be forgotten. Here’s
what he had to say.
Udall: We Must Never Forget this Atrocity Washington, D.C. — Today,
U.S. Senator Mark Udall released the following statement regarding the
importance of commemorating the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide:
"Tomorrow marks the 95th anniversary of the campaign of genocide
against the Armenian people. In just eight years, beginning in 1915,
more than half of the Armenian population was murdered — one and
a half million men, women, and children — and a half million more
were forced into exile.
"Tomorrow, commemorations will be held in countries all over the
world, with all of them sending out a common message: ‘We shall never
forget this atrocity.’ It is because of the organized efforts of the
Armenian community that every year so many people come together to
remember those who suffered and to ensure that younger generations
draw lessons from this enormous tragedy.
"After the events of 1915, we said ‘never again.’ We haven’t kept faith
with those words in the years since — but we must keep faith with them
now. I thank all of those around the world, who continue to keep alive
the memory of the atrocities of 95 years ago and who remind us all
that by working together, we can make a difference in the world today."
From: Baghdasarian