03 November 2007, 12:30
Gambaryan: USA yielded to Turkey's blackmail in the issue of genocide against Armenians
Aram Gambaryan, Executive Director of the Committee "Ay Data" (Armenian Issue) in America, is confident that the US Administration of the USA "has conceded to Turkish blackmail" in the issue of recognition of the genocide against Armenians, in order not to endanger its primary strategic interests.
"The consent with the rules on the issue of the genocide of Armenians, which are imposed by the Turkish government, is creating a dangerous precedent that encourages threats of other countries against America. The USA is publicly receding from their values under the unjustified pressure of a foreign government," runs Aram Gambaryan's letter directed to the members of the US House.
We remind you that on October 10, the Foreign Relations Committee of the House of the US Congress, with the vote ratio of 27 votes for and 21 votes against, passed Resolution No. 106 on recognition of the genocide of Armenians.
According to the existing procedure, once adopted the resolution should be put into the agenda of the session of the House. During the discussion of this resolution draft the congressmen's opinions differed. Part of the congressmen called on to vote for the resolution by referring to historic facts.
The other part of the legislators, while not denying the historic fact of the genocide against Armenians in the Ottoman Empire early in the 20th centuries, nevertheless, voiced against the resolution, justifying their position by the fact that the adoption thereof will endanger the US national security and American-Turkish relations, since supplies of American troops deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq go via the territory of Turkey.
Author: Ashot Ter-Grigorian, CK correspondent