Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic Genocide News

U.S. Panel Delays Vote on Armenian-genocide Charge
by Christopher Wilson
Posted: Sunday, October 01, 2000 09:16 pm CST

WASHINGTON, Sept 28 (Reuters) - After nearly four hours of rambling deliberations, a House of Representatives committee on Thursday delayed a vote to approve a politically explosive resolution giving U.S. recognition to
accusations that Turks carried out genocide against Armenians 85 years ago.

The influential House International Relations Committee was set to vote on the measure on Thursday, but opponents tried to remove the resolution's sting
by scrapping all references to the term ``genocide'' and then successfully used a series of manoeuvres to postpone the vote until next week.

``This legislation at this moment in U.S.-Turkish relations is singularly counterproductive to our national interest,'' said California Democratic Representative Tom Lantos, who led the effort to derail the resolution.

He said the resolution would ``humiliate and insult'' Turkey, a major NATO ally, and the ``unintended results would be devastating.''

The resolution, which drew a furious reaction from Turkey when it was approved by a House subcommittee last week, calls on President Bill Clinton to ``characterize the systematic and deliberate annihilation of 1,500,000 Armenians as genocide.''

Turkey, which is outraged, although it is not named in the resolution, has disputed the allegations, saying that the 1915 killings occurred during partisan fighting as the Ottoman Empire collapsed.

The resolution is a purely symbolic, nonbinding measure that does move on to the Senate or the president for approval.

House Republicans retrieved the resolution from legislative limbo, where it had been languishing for years, to help embattled Representative James Rogan win re-election on Nov. 7 from a Southern California district with a large Armenian-American population.

SOME STRONG SUPPORT

Some lawmakers have zealously embraced the issue, labeling the deaths the first genocide of the 20th century.

``Unfortunately, memories seem to have faded. The overwhelming body of evidence clearly points to a genocide,'' Republican Representative Christopher Smith of New Jersey said. ``We should not shrink from calling a genocide a genocide.''

Others seemed frustrated by the fuss as Congress rushed to to get through a crush of legislation before its planned adjournment in mid-October.

``This is an issue that historians should address, not members of Congress,''
Texas Republican Representative Kevin Brady said.

Although the resolution has some support among Democrats, Clinton administration officials warned that its passage would damage U.S.-Turkish relations and urged the House to drop it.

Secretary of State Madeleine Albright told the International Relations Committee on Wednesday that passage would not only affect relations with Turkey but also those between Turkey and Armenia and could complicate Greek-Turkish peace negotiations over Cyprus.

``It's very important that this resolution not go forward,'' she said. ``This
something that is of great concern to us because this resolution is not helpful.''

Ambassador Robert Pearson, who flew in from Ankara to attend the committee meeting, noted that U.S. warplanes used air bases in Turkey to police the no-fly zones in northern Iraq and that Turkey was a major U.S. trade partner,
particularly in arms, agriculture and other commodities.

``People in Turkey regard this (resolution) as directed against them. They view this as directed against the current state of Turkey,'' he warned. ``If this resolution passes, there will be a strong Turkish reaction.''

No specific date has been set for next week's vote.

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