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This Speakout has not been edited.

By Vahe Christianian

When the House Foreign Affairs Committee took a vote last week on H.R. 106 condemning the atrocities of the Ottoman Turks in 1915 as a genocide of the Armenian people, wisely, not a single member of congress questioned it as irrevocable truth. You see, this resolution simply states that the systematic killing of the Armenian people in 1915 was genocide, and nothing less, and it should be coined as such. After all, 23 other countries around the world have done so — why not the United States? Instead, the opponents of the resolution used sound bites like “why now”, “we should not offend an ally”, and “this resolution will compromise our efforts in Iraq by offending Turkey — a key ally in our war against terror”. Since the passage of this resolution (27 to 21) there has been a flurry of articles and news clippings about geopolitical conditions in the region, and why as Americans, we should not pass resolutions that condemn atrocities of the past, especially during times of war, compromising our war effort in Iraq. Some Congressmen have faltered on their support of the resolution should it hit the floor. After all, northern Iraq is one of the most stable areas in the country and Turkey’s passage of a resolution last week opening the doors for a northern attack on Iraq to squelch separatist Kurds will be quite problematic in our efforts in Iraq to stabilize that government.

As an Armenian American, I am offended at the lowest common denominator in our collective thinking: A resolution condemning genocide, how on earth can the United States of America, the country established to protect liberty and justice for all, not take a strong stance on genocide? How can we stand for any human rights issues and not stand for the condemnation of genocide? What are we fighting for in Iraq anyway if not for bringing peace and the prevention of genocide? How do we help halt other genocides happening now in Darfur if we do not have the moral brow to recognize it when it happens? When will we stand for some inalienable truths, and stand together for our recognition of 1.5 million massacred savagely and systematically because of their Christian heritage?

Turkey has many issues today, some still stem from their ancestral doings. Current issues in Turkey include an over 11 percent unemployment rate, lack of support to get admitted into the European Union, and ... well, yes, the Kurdish issue. There are over 20 million Kurds living in the Middle East, mostly across current day Syria, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, and Turkey. Turkey’s biggest fear is that an independent Kurdish state in northern Iraq would encourage Turkey’s own Kurdish population to rise up and express solidarity with the new state of Kurdistan. There is an estimated 6-10 million Kurds living in Turkey today. No wonder Turkey is a strong advocate of our war in Iraq — as long as the Kurds do not get autonomy and stir Kurdish autonomy within Turkey.

Fast forward to 2007: We support the Kurds for their help in Iraq while we support Turkey for allowing us to use Incirlik Air Base and Turkish air space.

At the same time, The U.S. brought Turkey into NATO, significantly built up its military and consistently backed its membership in the European Union. Washington granted most-favored-nation trading status to Turkey, resulting in some $7 billion in annual trade between the two countries and $2 billion in U.S. investments there. Remember when Ankara turned down Washington’s request to use Turkish bases to launch the Iraq invasion? Ankara just recently ignored Washington’s protests by massing 60,000 troops at the Iraq border this month as a prelude to a widely expected attack in Iraqi Kurdistan. Ironically, the cyclical destructive element of genocide is too real. Many Kurds (acting in part as henchmen along side the Ottoman Turks in 1915) were awarded the lands and property of the murdered Armenians at the turn of the century, and now a pending genocide of the Kurds could be looming in the future on those same lands. Even Hitler used the Armenian genocide as a pretext to what he did to the Jews in World War II ... We have compromised our sound foreign policy, our economic stability, and even our integrity. At what cost do we compromise our own democracy? Over 40 states have consistently passed resolutions condemning the atrocities of the Ottoman Empire and calling the Armenian massacres “genocide” — shouldn’t our government? Call your congressmen today and ask them to support H.R. 106. There is no room to compromise on genocide, not ever — not at the cost of political posturing, not at the cost of America’s economic interests, and definitely not at the cost of tarnishing our reputation — or our souls.

Vahe Christianian is a resident of Boulder.

READER COMMENTS

Why now?
Genocide 92 years ago.. why wasn't this resolution passed in 1919, 1945, 1965, 1995? Why 2007 when our troops are being supplied through Turkey?

The Democrats own our so called "defeat" in Iraq.

They run on it in every election.. bring the troops home! That is their cry as it was in Vietnam.. where 3 million SouthEast Asians died after our withdrawal... something to be reeeally proud of.. . google General Giap about our illustrious media and Congress during that War ....

The Democratic leadership is gutless in not cutting funding for our troops in Iraq thus mandating a withdrawal which they posture for...

They are sneaky vermin that should be rejected totally by the Democratic Party voters with a "NO" vote this coming election.

When will the real Democrats get the nerve to buck the socialist mantra and anti American tirades of the extreme left??? Conservative thought isn't "that bad"...

But alas, there are too many Americans that vote Democrat no matter what. They, hating Bush at all costs. The even excuse the meddling in foreign diplomacy with our Allies during a war, comforting our real enemies in doing so.

This kills more of our soldiers and of course we are too "sophisticated" to call it treason and throw these foolish Representatives in jail.

Roosevelt would have shut them up and jailed them during World War II if they attempted the same shinanigans.

But no, America was a different country then.
We hadn't had 40 years of incremental socialism....
The Good Padre....

Maybe I just don't get it. But why on earth does it take a resolution to claim a genocide as a genocide. Wouldn't/shouldn't that be up to the historians and not the political leaders of any country?

Can I get an Amen.
You are absolutely correct in questioning the why now. And the 92 years later? Again this is up to the historians NOT the politicians. If a country wants to denounce historians then so be it. No political gain or fallout achieved.

If a country doesn't like what the historians, world wide, say about it then, well, tough. We all as individuals AND countries have made mistakes, some heinous, some just embarrassing. GET OVER IT. Even the great US of A practiced genocide. The American Indians were all but wiped out. Look at our slavery record that too was borderline genocide.

Turkey, GET OVER IT.

ALLY: Israel?? They murdered 34 US sailors on the USS Liberty and severely injured another 174. I don't want any more friends...........

So all of a sudden 92 years later ,when we are at war and Turkey is still an ally,helping us get supplies and air support to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan,The Congress led by Nancy Pelosi,out of the goodness of their hearts wants to denounce Turkey for A genocide that happened 92 years ago?

Wake up and smell the politics.

Ask youself why now?

Yes, it is a shame. But the thing is why hasn't congress passed a resolution about darfur which is in the present. DArfur doesn't have the lobby group that the armenians do nor does Sudan help us in Iraq. So my question is where is the resolution about the genocide there.

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