Support Wanes in House for Genocide Vote

[babylonsister]

Support Wanes in House for Genocide Vote

By CARL HULSE
Published: October 17, 2007


WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 — Worried about antagonizing Turkish leaders, House members from both parties have begun to withdraw their support from a resolution backed by the Democratic leadership that would condemn as genocide the mass killings of Armenians nearly a century ago.

Almost a dozen lawmakers had shifted against the measure in a 24-hour period ending Tuesday night, accelerating a sudden exodus that has cast deep doubt over the measure’s prospects. Some made clear that they were heeding warnings from the White House, which has called the measure dangerously provocative, and from the Turkish government, which has said House passage would prompt Turkey to reconsider its ties to the United States, including logistical support for the Iraq war.

Until Tuesday, the measure appeared on a path to House passage, with strong support from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. It was approved last week by the House Foreign Affairs Committee. But by Tuesday evening, a group of senior House Democrats had made it known that they were planning to ask the leadership to drop plans for a vote on the measure.

“Turkey obviously feels they are getting poked in the eye over something that happened a century ago and maybe this isn’t a good time to be doing that,” said Representative Allen Boyd, a Florida Democrat who dropped his sponsorship of the resolution on Monday night.

Others who took the same action said that, while they deplored the mass killings of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire, the modern-day consequences in the Middle East could not be overlooked.

more...

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/17/washington/17cong.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1192616210-BLCuSIPMWGm6ZjP4tRbAsw

[dipsydoodle]

1. I find it to be extemely odd

that anyone can make actual reference to the genocide without attributing blame. The Holocaust cannot be denied and neither should this earlier equivalent.

edit to add :

This is from an Americian magazine dated 1916 : http://www.cilicia.com/armo10c-nyt191611b.html Suggest it's read in full.

I found that by searching Armenian genocide cannabilism in Google. I was told about the cannabalism back in the fifties - my best friend was Armenian and his father told me the history of those events during WW1.

[denidem]

2. Pure propaganda--

American missionaries had been very active in Anatolia and the surrounding areas and had an agenda to promote the Christian Armenians over the Muslim Turks, Kurds, etc who were the majority population in the region. The most outlandish stories were circulated which (all real academic study aside), had the power to turn a populace already mistrustful of "the Turk" into one that could believe Turks capable of committing any atrocity. What happened at the end of the 19th century into the early 20th century could be called a prelude to a war of independence, could be called treasonous attacks during a time of war, could be called a regional civil war precipitating a selective ethnic classing of a sensitive area during time of war, or could be called a misguided and ill fated protective action which resulted in the death of many who supposed to be protected...all depending on one's point of view. As the Turks and a lot of thoughtful historians have said, let the archives on all sides be opened and let historians decide this issue.

[babylonsister]

4. I agree, the genocide shouldn't be denied. I don't quite understand why

the Turks are so intent on covering this up. It's not a reflection on the current generation, just as the Holocaust isn't on Germans.
And I find it odd this admin was so quick to chastise those that wanted this to pass originally, but has no such qualms about ticking off the Chinese in relation to the Dali Llama. China may not be immediately dangerous, but can we afford to annoy anyone at this point?

I know they're two different issues, but I wish the Dems wouldn't feel so compelled to ask 'how high' when * tells them to jump.

[Junkdrawer]

3. Betcha this means that there were successful back-channel negoetiations...

to get Turkey to wait on their attacks on the PKK guerrillas.