U.S. AMBASSADORIAL NOMINEE RESPONDS TO OBAMA INQUIRIES ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE POLICY
armradio.am
11.07.2008 11:02
Senator Barack Obama has received written responses to the four written
questions he submitted to U.S. Ambassador Designate Marie Yovanovitch
as part of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s ongoing review
of her nomination to serve as the next U.S. Ambassador to Armenia,
reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
Asked to characterize the events surrounding the Armenian Genocide,
Marie Yovanovitch responded: "The US Government acknowledges the and
mourns the mass killings, ethnic cleansing and forces deportation that
devastated over one and a half million Armenians at the end of the
Ottoman Empire. The United States recognizes these events as one of the
greatest tragedies of the20th century, the "Medz Yeghern," or Great
Calamity, as many Armenians refer to it. That is why every April the
President honours the victims and expresses American solidarity with
the Armenian people on Rememberance Day. As the child of refugees –
at a different time and place – I do feel very strongly about great
sufferings experiences by the Armenian people both at that time and
today as they remember this dark chapter of their history. I too
mourn the loss of so many innocent lives and fully respect that the
Armenian-American community and the Armenian people want their pain
and loss t o be acknowledged."
The Ambassador Designate assured that if elected, she will continue
the tradition of participating in the official memorial event held
in Yerevan every April. "I will refer to this historic catastrophe
as the "Medz Yeghern," the term often used within Armenia to refer
to that dark chapter of history. If confirmed, I also would make it
a priority to promote understanding and reconciliation between the
peoples and governments of Armenia and Turkey. It is important for
the US to do everything that it can to encourage dialogue between
Armenia and Turkey, and to encourage Turkey in particular to examine
the terrible events of that time openly. This was a tragedy that we
and the world must never forget, so that it is never repeated."
"We remain troubled by Ambassador Yovanovitch’s evasive answers,
her outright non responses, and her refusal, in her replies to
Senator Obama and other Senators, to offer anything approaching
a reasonable or factually supportable explanation of the reasons
behind Administration’s misguided policy on the Armenian Genocide,"
said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA. "This being said,
it appears as though Ambassador Yovanovitch and her colleagues have
learned from the disastrous Hoagland experience and are coming to
understand that the U.S. Senate will not accept – and the Armenian
American community will never allow – an Ambassador to Armenia=2 0who
denies the Armenian Genocide."
Ambassador Yovanovitch appeared as a witness before the Committee
on June 19th. During this appearance, she faced a series of
pointed questions from Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) regarding
the Bush Administration’s policy to mischaracterize the Armenian
Genocide. Afterwards, as many as eight Senators, including Senator
Menendez, submitted a series of written inquiries to the nominee.
Concerned that Senators had not been given enough time to review Ms.
Yovanovitch’s responses, with many submitted less than 24 hours
before the impending Committee vote, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
called for a delay in Senate consideration, until Senators had a
clearer picture of the nominee’s position. A Committee decision on
this posting is expected in mid-July.
The ANCA has thanked Senator Boxer for providing Senators, the Armenian
American community, and all citizens who care about ending genocide
with the opportunity to meaningfully review the responses of a public
servant nominated to fill a diplomatic posting that has been the center
of national attention since the Administration’s firing of Ambassador
John Evans over his truthful remarks on the Armenian Genocide.
"We compromise our standing as a nation when we require that our
Foreign Service officers either lie or conceal the truth in the conduct
of our foreign affairs. This exercise of euphemisms and evasion
in relation to the Armenian Genocide, which every one knows is the
result of Turkish government pressure, undermines our credibility,"
added Hamparian. "Our diplomats should be sent abroad with a clear
message: speak the truth and America will stand with you
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
