Washington Times
May 27 2006
Embassy Row
By James Morrison
May 26, 2006
Genocide ‘victim’
The State Department yesterday confirmed that the U.S. ambassador
to Armenia has been dismissed and has resigned from the foreign
service, saying only that he “served at the pleasure of the president
and secretary” of state.
Ambassador John Evans, who is returning after only two years of
what is usually a three-year assignment, has been at the center of a
geopolitical firestorm since he bucked official U.S. policy last year
by referring to the “genocide” of 1.5 million Armenians in 1915 under
the Ottoman Turkish Empire.
Armenian-American organizations yesterday expressed outrage and
opened an e-mail and letter-writing campaign to Congress, where Mr.
Evans has significant support in the House.
“The U.S. ambassador to Armenia is being recalled for honestly
and accurately describing the Armenian Genocide as a clear case of
genocide,” the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) said
yesterday.
The committee, on its Web site (), called for
congressional hearings and questioned whether pressure from the
Turkish government had any role in the dismissal.
Word of the action began circulating on Capitol Hill on
Wednesday, when the White House notified the Senate that President
Bush intended to nominate Richard Hoagland to replace Mr. Evans. Mr.
Hoagland is currently ambassador to Tajikistan.
Rep. Edward J. Markey on Wednesday sent a letter to Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice signed by 60 House members, asking her to
explain the decision.
“I am seriously concerned at the early departure of Ambassador
Evans,” the Massachusetts Democrat said. “I hope this sudden action
by the State Department is not related to comments made by Mr. Evans
about the Armenian Genocide.”
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack yesterday responded to
a reporter who asked about the dismissal, saying, “Look, we, all
appointed officials – me, everybody who goes through Senate
confirmation – serve at the pleasure of the president and the
secretary.”
He added that Mr. Evans “should be congratulated for his long
career and distinguished service” for 35 years.
U.S. policy has been to refrain from using the word “genocide” to
describe the killings of Armenians during World War I to avoid
angering Turkey, a key ally and NATO member.
Mr. Bush recently called it “one of the great tragedies of history,”
although President Reagan called it genocide in a 1981 proclamation
on the Holocaust.
“Like the genocide of the Armenians before it … the lessons of
the Holocaust must never be forgotten,” Mr. Reagan said.
Mr. Evans first crossed the line in a Feb. 24, 2005, speech to
ANCA.
“I will today call it the Armenian Genocide,” he said. “I think
we, the U.S. government, owe you, our fellow citizens, a more frank
and honest way of discussing this problem. The Armenian Genocide was
the first genocide of the 20th century.”
Four days later, he issued a clarification, calling his remarks
“inappropriate” and noting that U.S. policy had not changed.