Monterey County Herald (California)
October 18, 2007 Thursday
Pelosi says fate of Armenian genocide resolution ‘remains to be seen’
WASHINGTON (AP) House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday the
prospects of a vote on Armenian genocide were uncertain, after
several members pulled their support amid fears it would cripple U.S.
relations with Turkey.
"Whether it will come up or not, or what the action will be, remains
to be seen," Pelosi told reporters.
The House proposal, which would label as genocide the killing of
Armenians a century ago by Ottoman Turks, has inflamed U.S. tensions
with Turkey, which says the death toll has been inflated and was the
result of civil unrest, not genocide. Support for the nonbinding
resolution deteriorated this week after Turkey recalled its U.S.
ambassador to Ankara and several lawmakers spoke out against it.
A member of NATO, Turkey also is considered a rare Muslim ally to the
United States in its war on terrorism. A U.S.-run air base there has
facilitated the flow of most cargo to American troops fighting in
Iraq and Afghanistan.
Rep. John Murtha, a Pennsylvania Democrat considered influential on
military affairs, said his party’s leadership miscalculated support
for the resolution. He predicted that such a vote would easily fail.
"If it came to the floor today, it would not pass," with some 55 to
60 Democrats opposing the measure, Murtha told reporters. As of
today, House Democrats will hold a 233-200 majority.
Pelosi, D-San Francisco, is expected to hold off on a vote at least
until she gets a better idea of how many House members will support
it a task assumed behind the scenes by the resolution’s primary
co-sponsors, including Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank.
"While a few members have withdrawn their support for the resolution,
the truth is on our side, and support for the resolution remains
high," Schiff said in an e-mailed statement Tuesday. "As with almost
all legislation in Congress, there are many members who are not
listed as co-sponsors of the resolution but support the measure."
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
