ANC PAC
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PRESS RELEASE
ANC-PAC Discusses Withdrawal of Hoagland Nomination With Senator Biden
Urges Incoming Foreign Relations Committee Chairman to Call on
White House to Propose a New Candidate to Serve as
U.S. Ambassador to Armenia
November 28, 2006
LOS ANGELES, CA — Armenian National Committee-Political Action Committee
(ANC-PAC) Chairman Leonard Manoukian and former Clinton Administration
official Michael Mahdesian engaged in a discussion with Senator Joe Biden
(D-DE), the incoming Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, regarding
the increasingly controversial nomination of Dick Hoagland to serve as U.S.
Ambassador to Armenia.
The meeting was held in connection with a November 17th fundraising
reception in Santa Monica, California honoring the Senator in advance of his
anticipated bid for the U.S. Presidency in 2008.
During the course of the evening, Manoukian discussed the Armenian
American community’s opposition to the nomination of Richard Hoagland, noting
that the nominee had, by denying the Armenian Genocide, disqualified himself
from serving as an effective U.S. Ambassador in Yerevan. In light of the
major liabilities that Ambassador-designate Hoagland has imposed upon himself
– and the subsequent "hold" on his nomination placed by Senator Bob Menendez
(D-NJ) – Manoukian discussed with Senator Biden the need for the White House
to move this process forward by proposing a new candidate for this important
diplomatic post.
Hoagland was nominated earlier this year to replace U.S. Ambassador to
Armenia, John Marshall Evans, who was relieved of his ambassadorial duties as
the result of his remarks to the Armenian American community in February 2005
in which he openly and accurately referred to the Armenian Genocide. During
his confirmation process, Ambassador-designate Hoagland went far beyond the
bounds of the Administration’s already deeply flawed policy on the Armenian
Genocide, actually calling into question the reality of this crime against
humanity. His denials prompted bipartisan opposition to his confirmation
within the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and ultimately resulted in his
nomination being blocked by a "hold" place by New Jersey Senator Bob
Menendez.
On November 8th, the day after the Congressional elections, the ANCA
restated its opposition to Hoagland’s confirmation and called on members of
the Senate to seek the withdrawal of his nomination.
"We welcomed this opportunity to support Senator Biden’s presidential
aspirations, to thank him for his many years of friendship, and to exchange
views with him about the status of the Hoagland nomination," said Manoukian.
"We left our conversation secure in the knowledge that the Senator, who has
spoken eloquently on the need for U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide,
shares our view that respect for the truth serves as the foundation of all
good governance – both at home and abroad."
The ANC-PAC is a non-partisan federally registered political action
committee established to support campaign committees for Members of Congress
who share the values of the Armenian American community. The ANC-PAC is at
the forefront of efforts to ensure that the voice of the Armenian American
community is clearly heard in our nation’s capital. The ANC-PAC continues a
century old tradition of Armenian Americans engagement on the public policy
issues facing national political leaders, both in the U.S. Congress and the
White House.