LOS ANGELES—Newly-appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Tina Kaidanow, traveled to Capitol Hill Tuesday for a late afternoon emergency legislative briefing to address growing Congressional concerns regarding the controversial Turkey-Armenia protocols, sources in Washington told Asbarez.
Among the topics reportedly discussed at the closed-door gathering were Congressional sensitivity to the rapidly escalating and broad-based Armenian-American opposition to the protocols, and the increasing awareness of the intense pressure being applied upon Armenia by Turkey and its allies to approve the protocols.
The harried briefing took place less than 48 hours after a major 10,000-person rally against the protocols in Los Angeles and on the eve of President Serzh Sarkisian’s upcoming tour of Diaspora communities, which includes stops in New York and Los Angeles. It is anticipated that Sarkisian will be met with outrage over the protocols during his tour from an energetically unified cross-section of the community.
A similar concern was evident during a press briefing at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York Monday, when Assistant Secretary of State Philip Gordon was cautious to address the Turkey-Armenia protocols.
In response to a reporter’s question whether the State Department was “afraid it’s [the process] was going to slide” before the six-week deadline set by the protocols, Gordon conceded that there were bumps in the road.
“Look, this is a difficult process that faces some political opposition in both places, and it’s hard for both governments. If it wasn’t hard, they would have normalized relations a long time ago. And so when we say reasonable timeframe, we mean just that: that it’s not just the process that we want to see – we welcome the process; but we also want to see a conclusion to the process, and that’s what we’re underscoring when we say that,” said Gordon.
In reporting on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urging Turkey and Armenia to carry out plans to normalize relations, Reuters observed that her comments appeared to reflect uncertainty about whether the countries will stick to their plan to sign the pact restoring diplomatic ties and reopening their border by mid-October.
Serzh Sargsyan and Eduard Nalbandyan have already burnt all bridges behind them. Both are traitors of
our national interests and both must resign and leave Armenia for good.
I am hoping against hope that President Serzh Sargsyan, being a chess grand master, knows what he is doing.
Science of politiqes, specially in international level, is extremely risky. Turkey has almost eight hundred years of experience in this field. May I also remind my compatriots that after establishment of communism rules in Armenia during 1922, on February 28, (a national holiday for Armenians of diaspora), the Armenians rebelled and killed many government officials. While in the same time, on the occasion of arrival of lenin’s delegation to turkey, ataturk organized a spectacular reception with red banners and pro -communism slogans and pledged allegiance with the new government of russia. I leave the conclusion to the readers.
I personally do not understand the tactic behind our govt officials step toward this normalization nonsense.. Have we not experienced and learned that Turkey never ever had, has or will have good and pure intentions toward ARmenia and anything and anyone linked to her?
Have we not learned that govt body does not care about his people, but only for their own interests? I would not be surprised if US paid Serz and Eduard great deal of money to push this process.. otherwise no ARmenian in his right mind will give away his country and national interest for free like they are doing now.
Clinton? Obama? Captial HIll? US Govt? NONSENSE all the way.. they are not here to play the good guys, they are considered traitors as well by assisting this white Genocide yet again..
Hope God punishes those that took this in vein and put the Armenian nation on the brick of destruction.
G
Shame on the Eastern and Western Dioceses’ Archbishops for supporting the giveaway of our historic churches in Western Armenian to the Turks.
Both bishops, especially of the Eastern Diocese should concern themselves in producing qualified priests who can read and write Armenian at least at 5th grade level. Most of his priests advocate eradication of the Armenian language from our liturgy until today.
Obviously, we have a problem with our clergy leadership if they’re willing to give up our historic churches in Ani, Aghtamar etc… to Turkey.
Shame on you phony clergymen. Amot.