Despite Defeat, Bush Administration Determined to Oppose Armenian Genocide
Bill
By Ali H. Aslan, Washington
Sunday, November 12, 2006
zaman.com
Matt Bryza, a top-level official from the U.S. State Department, asserted
that the George Bush Administration would strongly oppose any draft law on
the recognition of an Armenian genocide.
However, he added that given the complexity of the new political environment
since the midterm elections, it was hard for them to precisely foresee any
outcome.
Matt Bryza was speaking at the annual convention of the Assembly of
Turkish-American Associations (ATAA) and commented on the possibility of an
Armenian genocide bill introduced to the House of Representatives, where the
Democrats have recently gained control.
He described the new situation as a change in the political reality and said
that it was impossible for the administration to predict how the new
mechanism would operate with regards to the fate of any proposal for
recognition of the Armenian genocide.
Newly ensconced House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, promised the
Armenian lobby to support any bill regarding the genocide.
Asked whether President Bush would call Pelosi to ensure that any such draft
would not be put on the agenda, Bryza said that he would make his own
suggestion but was unable to know how the president would proceed.
The Armenian lobby is expected to submit genocide bills to both wings of
Congress following its inauguration.
Meanwhile, in his address at the meeting, Bryza, drew attention to Russian
attempts at being the sole energy supplier to the region and underlined the
importance of Turkish-American strategic cooperation.