Secretary of State Dismisses Genocide as “Historical Debate” in Public Comments to State Department Staff
WASHINGTON—The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) sharply criticized remarks by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who Thursday dismissed the murder of 1.5 million Armenians as a “historical debate,” and argued that U.S. affirmation of this crime would open a “dangerous door.”
“The Obama-Biden Administration – with Secretary Clinton’s latest remarks – continues to dig itself deeper and deeper into a hole of complicity in Turkey’s genocide denial,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.
“It’s a sad spectacle to see Secretary Clinton hiding behind cynical appeals to scholars – the overwhelming majority of whom have already spoken forcefully against Turkey’s denials of the Armenian Genocide – to divert attention from President Obama’s, Vice President Biden’s or her own promises to properly recognize this crime and, more broadly, to divert attention from the White House’s failure to meet its moral obligation to stand up against a foreign government’s veto of our defense of human rights,” continued Hamparian.
Secretary Clinton’s comments came in response to a question, posed at a January 26th “Town Hall Meeting on the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review,” regarding U.S. affirmation of the Armenian Genocide in the context of the recent French Senate adoption of anti-genocide denial legislation.
Secretary Clinton explained, “I think it’s fair to say that this has always been viewed, and I think properly so, as a matter of historical debate and conclusions rather than political. And I think that is the right posture for the United States Government to be in, because whatever the terrible event might be or the high emotions that it represents, to try to use government power to resolve historical issues, I think, opens a door that is a very dangerous one to go through.” Secretary Clinton argued that, “we need to encourage anyone on any side of any contentious historical debate to get out into the marketplace of ideas.”
“The Secretary’s unfounded and offensive reference to ‘historical debate’ in regards to the Armenian Genocide only emboldens the denials of the Turkish Government – which, just today, again took steps toward deporting Armenians,” continued Hamparian, referencing news emanating from Turkey of plans for a revisions to its immigration policy that would effectively target Armenian immigrants for expulsion from the country.
Senator Clinton: “As President, I will recognize the Armenian Genocide”
Secretary Clinton’s remarks are diametrically opposed to her statement issued almost four years ago, to the day, as a Senator. In this statement, she boasted that she was “alone among the Presidential candidates” to have been a cosponsor of the Armenian Genocide Resolution and pledged “as President, I will recognize the Armenian Genocide.” The statement went on to stress that: “Our common morality and our nation’s credibility as a voice for human rights challenge us to ensure that the Armenian Genocide be recognized and remembered by the Congress and the President of the United States.”
President Obama and Vice-President Biden made equally clear and unequivocal statements regarding the U.S. affirmation of the Armenian Genocide during their years in the Senate and as candidates for the White House. “America deserves a leader who speaks truthfully about the Armenian Genocide and responds forcefully to all genocides. I intend to be that President,” said President Obama in a January 19, 2008, campaign statement. Senator Biden explained his support for pending Armenian Genocide legislation to the LA Times Editorial Board in May 2007, as follows: “I support it, and the reason is simple: I have found in my experience that you cannot have a solid relationship with a country based on fiction. It occurred. It occurred.”
Secretary Clinton a Phone Call Away for the Turkish Lobby
During her tenure as Secretary of State, public records show that she has discussed State Department policy on Turkey and specifically on the Armenian Genocide on several occasions with former Democratic House Minority Leader and current Turkish Government lobbyist Richard Gephardt. According to the Department of Justice Foreign Agent Registration filings, Gephardt spoke to Secretary Clinton just days prior to a pending House vote on the Armenian Genocide Resolution on December 17, 2010, and had a series of calls with her as well as Vice-President Biden, Secretary of Defense Gates, and National Security Advisor James Jones on “U.S.-Turkey relations” and “Transcaucasus relations” on the days leading up President Obama’s trip to Turkey in 2009.
In September, 2011, former Minority Leader Gephardt, who supported Armenian Genocide affirmation during his years in the House, renewed a lucrative $1.3 million contract for continued representation of the Government of Turkey through July, 2012. That sum includes payment to subcontracting lobby firms including Dickstein Shapiro, which has former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert on staff representing Turkey’s concerns. In December, 2011, an additional $100,000 was added to the annual contract – the increase signed on the day of House approval of the “Return of Churches” resolution (H.Res.306), calling on Turkey to return thousands of confiscated Christian Churches to their rightful owners.
Secretary of State Clinton has not yet met with representatives of the Armenian American community, despite repeated calls by the ANCA and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) for her to meet with a broad-based and representative leadership group to discuss a range of community concerns, including affirmation of the Armenian Genocide.
No other US politician did fall this low before, as Hillary Clinton!
OBAMA, CLINTON, BIDEN.
SHAMLESS LIAR TRIO!
Don’t forget the Condi Rice, she loves Armenians
Clintons were always bhind closed doors pro Turkish. Beside this Secretary of State Clinton is too tired of her job and tired of being forced telling lies and looking for justifications etc. Beside this I don´t think she is really willing to help Obama to be re-elected …That is way the votes of American Armenians and Latinos together could help Reps to win CA and the next presidential elections!
Being a liar is part of doing business for a lawyer.
Hillary and her boss the liar Obama don’t even care what people think about them.
Armenians should not rely on American politicians to recognize the Genocide. Their interests trample the Genocide recognition. It is the sad truth. We, Armenians should not donate a penny to American politicians on both sides of the aisle. Every penny should go to the motherland to create jobs. The problem is the oligarchs will pocket that money and get away with it because they have the judiciary in their pockets.
In my humble opinion the oligarchs should be eliminated just like the mafia was eliminated in New York so businesses can breathe and invest and hire people. The next item on the agenda should be attacking Georgia with the help of Russia and Iran so Armenia can have access to the Black Sea. This way Iran and Armenia can have access to Europe without begging Georgia for every truck and for every train to pass their territory. I have no doubt in my mind that Russia will go along with us attacking Georgia. This way Georgia will stop having borders with Turkey, Baku-Tblisi-Jeyhan pipeline will be under full Armenian control and the planned railroad from Baku to Turkey via Georgia will stop ion its tracks.
Armenia will never be part of NATO and once and for all ALL Armenians should realize that our destiny is tied with Russia and Iran.
Long live Russia-Armenia-Iran friendship. To hell with U.S.-Turkey-Georgia-Azerbaijan axis of evil.
Zareh, I love your idea that Georgia must not have a border with Turkey… it is unnatural and is a result of the Armenian Genocide. No entity on this planet has a right to decide what the borders of Armenia are – the Armenians themselves must decide this. However, we must be careful with the US approach and I do not feel it is wise to make an enemy of the US. Armenia must first, as you say, clean up the filth from within, then get the support of both Russia and the US, because if the US is out of the picture, there would be no chance for Ararat, Van, etc. and to me those are an absolute must for the Armenian nation.
There needs to be a political price to pay for this … we must make sure of that! Truly shameless for the Obama Administration to stoop to new levels of denial. SS Condoleeze Rice and SS Hillary Clinton are more alike than one would think.
Hillary Clinton forces American Armenians to switch and vote for Republicans.
Remember, late former President Ronald Reagan – Senators Bob & Liz Dole and other higher authorities of Republican Party never denied or ignored the inhumane massacre (Genocide) of 1.1/2 mln. of innocent Armenians by Turks – So you American Armenians be wise think twice and in the future vote for Republicans.
I wonder how many Armenians that are US citizens, US born and foreign born, are registered Democrats.
My immigrant dad chose the Republican party when he came to the US in 1954, after listening to, reading about and comparing the 2 parties and their platforms, ideas, messages & goals for America. My dad was never looking for handouts, welfare, gov’t programs and he was always self sufficient for himself and our family till the day he died.
Now to the Armenian voters who do vote Democrat, you need to read this and see if the Democrats represent your interests and the best for America. Hillary Clinton, former First Lady for 8yrs and former NY Senator and former candidate for US President is not just “any” Democrat. You probably liked her and trusted her. Do you still feel that way?
Disgusting reversal of position. Our politicians are prostitutes of lobbyists. The biggest one is dick gephardt…
To have expected the Obama Clinton duo to follow the example of France is clearly a daydream…wake up my fellow Armeno-Americans ! America only follows it’s own selective path of justice….we can only rely on our own, history has taught us that much,n’est pas? Vive la France!
Apart from being a liar she is full of horse manure.
Why doesn’t she say the same about the Jewish genocide? because she wouldn’t last a minute in her office.
Hillary Clinton like a parrot keep repeating the same phrase of the Turks ” leave genocide debate to hisotrians” blah, blah, blah………
The Historians and the Scholars already spoken against the denial of Armenian Genocide. but the Turks and their parrots like Hillary Clinton keep repeating the same, like playing the same old and broken vinyl record on an old Phonograph.
The food already been cooked by the Chef ( like the Historians spoken about the Genocide ) and its time now for everyone to eat that food.
The food is something that everybody eats, not only the Chefs.
So, Mrs Clinton and The Turks has to eat that food too !
Bon appetit.
Dear friends:
I feel the anger and disappointment expressed in the comments posted here and I share them. But let us look at the issue dispasionately. What did you expect? How many times have various US officials, particularly those in the State Department, repeated the same mantra claiming some supranatural wisdom and ability to see the world in a different context than others, even though they were wrong every single time? Each and every presidential hopeful has betrayed his/her promise to the Armenian community and has found refuge behind claims of larger national interests and objectives to backtrack on their promises and thus betray the trust that Armenian citizens had placed in them .Mrs. Hilary Clinton is no different. While ANCA is doing great work on behalf of Armenians in the USA, we all know they have limited resources and limited reach. More Armenians should vie for and try to reach the upper echelons of the US government, all poisitions of influence in public and private life , so as to make our voice better heard. I often hear from my friends , whether they are called Keith, Fred or Martha, who invariably question me about our motives and objectives and tell me : why are you bothering our government with “your” problems with Turkey ? Why are you working so hard to poison our relations with an ally? So no matter how logical and rational my answers are, theirs is an attitude of “OK, we understand , but then what”? Essentially , the larger public is still unaware and ignorant of ALL the interelated aspects of the Armenian Genocide and as such they do not have either the inclination or the interest to participate in the larger debate and thus influence the attitude of US government officials in support of Armenian cause. The great thing Armenians in France have done that helped them to achieve the recent results consisted in a) getting together and forming a single Pan-Armenian body in France to pursue the Armenian cause; b) achieving and attaining through education and participation a larger role in the French national life ; c) using all the networks they had established with the main political parties to manage the intra-French debate and sensitize those who were indifferent before. By giving this example I do not have the intention to belittle our efforts here, but to suggest a different approach given the roadblocks we encounter on the American scene.
Her name will remain in world history as a Genocide denier. Just look at a person’s eyes and you can tell who she really is.. Shame on Hillary Clinton.
Mer hoghereh.
Erdoghans empty shouts and chest thumping, arrogant, threats against France, (over the Armenian Genocides anti-denial legislation of the French legislature) has rattled Hillary Clinton and Obama adminnistration and brought upon them overwhelming feelings of sudden sensation of acute, extreme, and unreasoning fear and anxiety which is so strong as to dominate or prevent reason and logical thinking by this gang…
In my opinion they should be rescued out of office by the Peuple of USA – if not impeach them…
VIVE LA FRANCE!
If Armenian Americans want to send a message, they need to come together in Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Ohio, and vote Republican in the November Presidential Election. You’ll see how fast the prostitutes change clothes.
THEY DO THIS BECAUSE WE’RE NOT UNITED AS ARMENIANS.We should all vote third party and let them know that we’re powerful.
Only a Presidential Declaration, or a Legislative Vote can bring fourth another Genocide declaration. I say another, because the US has, in the past, on two occasions, referred to the events in 1915 as Genocide. So why do we need a third proclamation? I just don’t know. I don’t know who decided to expand this largest share of Community funds on this particular issue. What about the day after? What will change? Perhaps in the struggle to keep the reparations issue alive? If thats the case, than other more productive strategies might benefit us more. In my humble opinion, the answer lies in the US Legal system. The US has not honored its obligation as the the Wilsonian Armenian Award. The fruitful solution lies in having the courts adress that issue and making decisions. That will garner far more propaganda advertisement than all our feeble efforts now. The answer lies not in the Legislative branch but the Judicial. To succeed in the Legislation, we need Congressional representatives. A well funded Armenian NGO dedicated to nationwide candidate monitoring, supporting friendly candidates and opposing hostile ones, placing the spotlight on “compromised Candidates” tainted by foreign money, particularly Turkey. Such an watch dog NGO would become more powerful than a million strong voting block. It would put a stop to Turkish government influence in the legislature. A union of like minded lawyers working on behalf of such an NGO (hopefully Pro Bono), would be devastating to the opponents of the Armenian Genocide. Remember Representative Gene Schmidt , after being sued by her Armenian opponent, she received free legal services worth $ 500,000. So now she has to pay the Turks back the money after loosing the trial. She is pretty much finished politically.
Zareh said the golden words
When the georgians were being beaten up by the russians, we should have done our bit and finished them off. Once you control the pipeline the entire equation changes and people start to become more cooperative in recognisisng the genocide including Turkey. What a shame and what a disaster that we have to lobby with either republican or democrat, for God’s sake do not spend a penny with these freemasons, they just want to abuse us and then they forget about us, send your money to armenia!!!!
Everyone talks about armenian and jewish lobby. in fact turkey has bought usa politicians thru military ties and holds a more powerful hand. time to expose their lobbying efforts. all we hear armenian lobby blablabla. usa military industry probably spends too much time in turkish baths and harems.