SASSOUNIAN: OBAMA SHOULD FORFEIT HIS NOBEL PRIZE UNTIL HE TELLS THE TRUTH ON GENOCIDE
Yerkir
09.12.2009 15:17
In his Nov. 20 letter to Armenian American organizations, President
Obama once again played shameful word games with the term genocide. At
this point, one has to be incredibly naive to believe that he is
going to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide during the rest of his
term in office.
During the presidential campaign, when then-Senator Obama was making
repeated promises to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide, activists
were nervously following the Turkish government’s attempts to use the
false pretext of dialogue with Armenia to prevent him from fulfilling
his pledge after the election.
In early April, during a press conference in Ankara, when Obama was
asked about his views on the Armenian Genocide, he dodged the question
by stating: "My views are on the record and I have not changed views.
What I have been very encouraged by is news that under [Turkish]
President Gul’s leadership, you are seeing a series of negotiations,
a process in place between Armenia and Turkey to resolve a whole host
of longstanding issues, including this one."
Clearly, Presidents Obama and Gul, for their own reasons, were
scheming to undermine the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by
pushing forward the Armenia-Turkey negotiations. They were joined in
this unholy alliance by Russia and the European Union in pressuring
Armenia’s leaders, who were only too eager to comply.
This sinister deal was sealed when on the eve of April 24, Armenia
and Turkey issued a joint press release announcing a roadmap for
reconciliation!
Not surprisingly, in his first April 24 statement, Obama repeated
all the euphemisms and word games that he had strongly condemned when
they were used by his predecessor, President Bush.
Obama used the old and all too familiar denialist terminology of past
presidents, such as "atrocity," "massacre," "terrible events of 1915,"
and most incredibly, "Meds Yeghern"!
In that statement, Obama used the same evasive answer he gave in
Ankara: "I have consistently stated my own view of what occurred in
1915, and my view of that history has not changed." Yet, he adamantly
persisted in refusing to state what his actual views were.
Furthermore, Obama urged Armenians and Turks "to address the facts of
the past as a part of their efforts to move forward." He expressed his
strong support for their "courageous and important dialogue…to work
through this painful history…" and applauded the Armenian and Turkish
governments for accepting "a framework and roadmap for normalization."
Consequently, Obama left no doubt that he was going to sacrifice
the truth of the "Armenian Genocide" on the altar of an illusory
Armenian-Turkish reconciliation, using it as a fig leaf to conceal
his erstwhile pledge.
Last month, in a letter to Armenian American organizations, Obama
reconfirmed that his view on "one of the great atrocities of the 20th
century" had not changed. Once again, he failed to detail his views.
The president was responding to a letter from the AGBU, Armenian
Assembly, and Diocese of the Armenian Church of America. The
three Armenian organizations had expressed their support for the
Armenia-Turkey protocols and appealed to the White House to acknowledge
the Armenian Genocide.
In his response, Obama cleverly exploited the expression of support
by the Armenian organizations for the reconciliation process,
and downplayed his campaign pledge to acknowledge the genocide. He
reiterated that "the best way to advance…the just acknowledgment of
the facts" is for Armenians and Turks to address the past "as part of
their efforts to move forward." He pledged "to continue to vigorously
support the normalization effort in the months ahead." The president
was thus using the protocols to undermine all efforts to acknowledge
the genocide.
Keeping his pledge on the genocide is in Obama’s own interests,
as it would help rehabilitate his moral and political credibility
by joining President Reagan and scores of national parliaments,
international organizations, and Holocaust and genocide scholars who
are already on record confirming the facts of the Armenian Genocide.
Obama should not be surprised if Armenian Americans no longer trust
him, and do not support him for re-election. Those who play games
with genocide should not be rewarded.
Anyone who lacks the courage to stand up for the truth does not
deserve a Nobel Peace Prize.