Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic Genocide News

Turks Alarmed by Bush's Nomination of Sen. Abraham as Energy Secretary
by Harut Sassounian - California Courier Online, 01/11/2001
Posted: Monday, January 15, 2001 02:18 am CST

Commentary

Senator Spencer Abraham's (R-MI) narrow defeat in last November's elections was a major blow to the Armenian-American community. As the grandson of Lebanese Christian Arab immigrants, he was an ardent supporter of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide and a leader in the fight to retain Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act which restricts direct U.S. aid to Azerbaijan.

Earlier this month, when President-elect George W. Bush nominated Spencer Abraham to be his Secretary of Energy, Armenian-Americans were pleased that their loss in the Senate had been converted into a gain in the Cabinet.

The Turkish and Azeri media, fully aware of Sen. Abraham's statements on issues important to them, immediately labeled him "an enemy of Turkey and Azerbaijan."

In 1995, Sen. Abraham voted for the reduction of aid to Turkey in response to that country's blockade of humanitarian aid to Armenia, its continued occupation of Cyprus, and other human rights violations. Last year, in a speech on the Senate floor, he firmly criticized the government of Turkey for denying the Armenian Genocide. "In the 85 years since the massacre of Armenians began, another great crime has been committed-- the crime of keeping the truth from the world," he said.

He was equally forceful in his efforts to maintain Section 907 which the Clinton administration was continuously attempting to remove. In June of 1999, he and Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) sponsored an amendment to thwart the efforts of those who were bent on lifting the restrictions on U.S. aid to Azerbaijan. After several hours of heated debate, the Senate approved the amendment by a vote of 53 to 45.

Upon hearing the announcement of his nomination as Secretary of Energy, the Turkish media called him "an active member of the Armenian lobby who has always held an anti-Turkish point of view." The Turks expressed the concern that he would oppose the proposed pipeline that is to carry oil from Baku, Azerbaijan to Ceyhan, Turkey.

Turkish newspapers reminded their readers that Sen. Abraham had called oil from the Caspian region "an illusion." Indeed, in a speech on the Senate floor, he had said: "We must not allow the lure of cheap oil from the Caspian, an illusion, really, to lead us away from the path of truth and justice." The Turks speculated that Secretary Abraham might permit the realization of the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline only if it were to pass through Armenia.

Not to be outdone, the Azeri newspaper, Yeni Musavat, published an article on January 4, headlined: "A person backed by the Armenian lobby is to be appointed energy minister." The article stated that Sen. Abraham "is known to be close to the Armenian lobby. He delivered anti-Turkish and anti-Azerbaijani speeches over the past five years." Despite opposition from Turkey and Azerbaijan, Sen. Abraham's confirmation as Secretary of Energy seems to be a foregone conclusion. According to the Washington Post, he enjoys the full support of Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-MS). Even though he is of Arab origin, Jewish-Americans are also backing Sen. Abraham's nomination.

The Jerusalem Post reported that Abraham "had a solid pro-Israel voting record during his six years in the Senate.... He enjoys strong ties with the Jewish and Arab-American communities. Among his strongest supporters in Michigan is the 92-year-old Max Fisher, one of the most well-known Republican Jewish leaders in the U.S. Fisher told the Jerusalem Post in September that he thinks 'very highly' of Abraham, whom he has supported financially in his election bids. In 1999, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, which has provided essential lifesaving services to world Jewry, honored Abraham with an award for furtherance of peace and freedom. Sen. Carl Levin, a Jewish Democratic Senator from Michigan, called Abraham's selection an 'excellent nomination.'"

To make matters worse for Turkey and Azerbaijan, two recent independent reports by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Cato Institute called on the incoming Bush administration to reconsider U.S. policy on Caspian oil. They urged Washington not to place undue reliance on the Caspian energy resources, as they constituted merely 2% of the world's proven oil reserves. They also suggested that the U.S. should cooperate with rather than antagonize Russia and Iran on energy matters. They stated that the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline was not in America's interest, as it was not economically feasible. They indicated their preference for either the line from Baku to Supsa, Georgia, or the Iranian route.

I suspect that the leaders of Turkey and Azerbaijan will have very animated conversations with Mr. Abraham during his first trip as Secretary of Energy to the Caspian region. I am sure that he will have a much more pleasant visit to Armenia.

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