US and Turkey Thwart Armenian Genocide Bill

ny times ^ | 10/26/2007 | CARL HULSE

[Jet Jaguar]

WASHINGTON, Oct. 25 — With backing from more than half of the House this summer, proponents of a resolution condemning the Armenian genocide were confident that they would finally prevail in their quest for Congressional recognition.

Adding to their optimism, Speaker Nancy Pelosi was a longtime backer of the resolution, which had been pushed mainly by her fellow Californians, and was committed to bringing it to a House vote.

But supporters of the measure were not prepared for the vehement opposition of two powerful governments — Turkey, the successor state to the Ottoman Empire, which historians say conducted the genocide, and the United States, which needs Turkey’s help in Iraq. Their combined resistance caused the resolution to falter, embarrassing the speaker on a high-profile foreign policy front.

[Jet Jaguar]

Related.

Iraqi parliamentary speaker threatens to cut off oil to Turkey

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/25/africa/ME-GEN-Syria-Iraq-Turkey.php

[Jet Jaguar]

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/25/africa/ME-GEN-Syria-Iraq-Turkey.php

[evad]

..embarrassing the speaker on a high-profile foreign policy front.

This woman is not just ignorant, she is terminally stupid.

God save us from liberal democrats.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Democrats had two outcomes in mind, both duplicitous (as per usual). First, undermining our efforts in Iraq and the Middle East. Second, courting favor with the normally conservative California Armenian citizenry. Just once, I would like to see Democrats acting in national interests instead of theirs. But they are too far gone for that.

[Jet Jaguar]

Agreed.

[Jet Jaguar]

See post 5.

[G8 Diplomat]

Congress has already dealt with the Armenian genocide—in 1984 they passed a resolution marking a day of remembrance for the genocide, and in 1996 and 2004 they passed resolutions limiting aid to Turkey that was being used to fund Turkish lobbyists in the US. Reagan also recognized the genocide in a 1981 speech about the Holocaust.

Pelosi’s little ploy isn’t about condemning genocide (after all, she’s an abortion supporter), it’s a political stunt to damage our relations with Turkey at a critical time.

San Fran Nan—Pissed off Turkey, supported SCHIP, really jerky, and full of sh|t

[Jet Jaguar]

Yep

[nyyankeefan]

This woman is not just ignorant, she is terminally stupid....

worse...she is a f’n traitor to bring this crap up when our troops have boots on the ground in a fighting war!!!!