"YET ANOTHER DISGRACEFUL CAPITULATION": PRESIDENT OBAMA RETREATS FROM ARMENIAN GENOCIDE PLEDGE

Panorama.am
12:51 26/04/2010

In the world

In yet another disgraceful capitulation to Turkey’s threats, in
his April 24 address the US President Obama once again failed to
properly recognize the Armenian Genocide, offering euphemisms and
evasive terminology to characterize this crime against humanity,
reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

"Today we join with Armenians in the United States and around the
world in voicing our sharp disappointment with the President’s failure
to properly condemn and commemorate the Armenian Genocide," stated
ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian. "After more than a year of Turkey’s
manipulation of the Obama Administration’s policy on this core human
rights issue, and the collapse of even the pretense of progress of
any sort coming from Ankara, President Obama faced a stark choice:
to honor his conscience and commitment to recognize the Armenian
Genocide or to remain an accomplice to Turkey’s denial of truth and
justice for this crime. Sadly, for the U.S. and worldwide efforts to
end the cycle of genocide, he made the wrong choice, allowing Turkey
to tighten its gag-rule on American genocide policy."

As a Senator and presidential candidate, President Obama pledged
repeatedly to recognize the Armenian Genocide and promised "unstinting
resolve" to end the Darfur Genocide, stating, "America deserves a
leader who speaks truthfully about the Armenian Genocide and responds
forcefully to all genocides. I intend to be that President."

Since then, while stating that his personal views of the events of
1915 have not changed, President Obama has refrained from properly
characterizing this crime against humanity and going so far as to
oppose Congressional Armenian Genocide legislation (H.Res.252) –
which he had pledged to support during the 2008 Presidential campaign.