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US lawmakers pressure Obama on Armenian issue
Reuters ^ | March 11, 2009 | Susan Cornwell

Posted on 03/14/2009 5:55:08 AM PDT by Ravnagora

WASHINGTON, March 11 (Reuters) - Several U.S. lawmakers have written to President Barack Obama urging him to follow up on campaign statements and label the 1915 massacre of Armenians as genocide.

The pressure on Obama comes ahead of an expected presidential trip to Turkey, which has warned that such declarations by the United States would damage relations.

Turkey denies that up to 1.5 million Armenians suffered genocide at the hands of Ottoman Turks during World War One. Turkey accepts many Armenians were killed, but denies they were victims of a systematic genocide.

Ronald Reagan was the only U.S. president to publicly call the killings genocide. Others avoided the term out of concern for the sensitivities of Turkey, an important NATO ally.

(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 4cryingoutloud; armenia; armenians; dropit; genocide; goodgrief; letitgoalready; obama; turkey

1 posted on 03/14/2009 5:55:08 AM PDT by Ravnagora
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To: Ravnagora
Ronald Reagan was the only U.S. president to publicly call the killings genocide.

Oh I bet the state department loved that. /s

2 posted on 03/14/2009 5:56:50 AM PDT by mainepatsfan
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To: mainepatsfan

Most of the State Department hated Ronny R.

The “career” State Dept. employees subverted him when they had an opportunity.


3 posted on 03/14/2009 6:07:14 AM PDT by Texas Fossil
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To: Ravnagora
Others avoided the term out of concern for the sensitivities of Turkey political correctness


4 posted on 03/14/2009 6:07:52 AM PDT by libertylover (The problem with Obama is not that his skin is too black, it's that his ideas are too RED.)
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To: mainepatsfan

It was genocide. The Turks are slave-trading, Christian killing pigs.


5 posted on 03/14/2009 6:18:48 AM PDT by ZULU (Obamanation of Desolation is President. Non nobis, non nobis Domine, sed nomini tuo da gloriam.)
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To: Ravnagora

As a counter-proposal, an offer of $1M to every surviving Armenian who was directly involved in that event should be tendered. If none still live, than this is a moot issue, in that both all oppressors and all victims are gone.

Apologies and condemnations of guilt are meaningless beyond this, and Armenia should free itself for the future by stopping clinging to the past.

The Turks killed Armenians, and they know they killed Armenians, and despite, or because of their adamant denials, it only shows that they are still haunted by this. They are less free, individually or collectively, because of this. They punish themselves by forcing their children to pretend a fiction, that they know is a fiction, and by bitterly railing against and threatening those among them who tell them the truth.

This is the worst punishment that could be meted out to the Turks in any event. Admitting to the genocide would be an act of Turkey finally forgiving itself for its offense.

Armenia can move on, but Turkey cannot. Armenia should move on.


6 posted on 03/14/2009 6:40:07 AM PDT by yefragetuwrabrumuy
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To: yefragetuwrabrumuy

The Armenian story is very similar to the story of the native Americans it seems. Also, they were armed combatants in WW1. Furthermore, if killing them was wrong then the burning of Dresden and the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were also wrong. I’d kill anyone who threatens me in war. I’d also kill their kin. Just as you do.


7 posted on 03/14/2009 7:18:52 AM PDT by a_Turk (Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence, Justice)
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Jews Check Armenian Genocide Stance
Jerusalem Post | Allison Hoffman
Posted on 02/15/2009 1:00:09 PM PST by nickcarraway
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2186301/posts


8 posted on 03/27/2009 6:34:01 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/____________________ Profile updated Monday, January 12, 2009)
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Jews Check Armenian Genocide Stance
Jerusalem Post | Allison Hoffman
Posted on 02/15/2009 1:00:09 PM PST by nickcarraway
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2186301/posts


9 posted on 03/27/2009 6:34:43 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/____________________ Profile updated Monday, January 12, 2009)
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