Posted on 04/26/2009 10:56:30 AM PDT by Schnucki
Barack Obama broke a campaign pledge when he issued a statement yesterday that did not use the word -"genocide" in commemorating the massacre of up to 1.5m Armenians more than 90 years ago.
The US president's move, which will be seen as a sign of realpolitik, highlights the administration's emphasis on good relations with -Turkey and its encouragement of a diplomatic initiative in the Caucusus.
For many years Mr Obama has favoured describing the Ottoman Empire-era killings as genocide and during the campaign he promised to do so if elected president.
But in the statement issued by the White House yesterday, the day of Armenian remembrance observed each year, he said merely that his own view "of what occurred in 1915 . . . has not changed".
He described the killings as one of the "great atrocities of the 20th century" and referred to the "Meds Yeghern" - the Armenian term for the massacres.
Mr Obama's statement -follows similar side-steps by former presidents. George W. Bush shrank from -campaign promises and denounced the "forced exile and annihilation" of the Armenians. Bill Clinton also avoided the word genocide.
Expectations had in-creased in recent weeks that the president would pull back from his pledge to describe the killings as genocide, in spite of a campaign by many US lawmakers.
Turkey has long signalled that relations between Washington and Ankara could suffer if the US used the word and more recently suggested that efforts to establish normal relations with its neighbour Armenia could also be affected.
Turkey and Armenia this week declared they had made progress towards establishing diplomatic ties and opening their border, although no agreement has yet been signed.
During his trip to Turkey this month, Mr Obama said he did not wanted to focus on his own views of the
(Excerpt) Read more at ft.com ...
“which will be seen as a sign of realpolitik”
I’ll see it how I like, thanks. I see it like Just Another Lie.
The enemy is at the helm
It wasn't even a good enough lie for the Turks. ;)
Why is that word sooooooo important?
"[O]ur true demand is compensation for this injustice. The world must know about what happened, and we have to a great extent succeeded. The Turkish side is well aware that the step to follow the admission of the Armenian Genocide by Turkey will be a demand for compensation and return of the lands. This is the reason why Turkey will not admit the Armenian Genocide"
The government of the modern democratic republic of Turkey (founded 1923) admits the horrific things that happened during W.W.I and the years fighting for independence. To the best of my knowledge that is true.
The Armenians are after legal action to enforce their claim on eastern Turkey plus reparations. The thing is vis-a-vis eastern Turkey some Kurds want it also. Now what?
Personally, I say to the Armenian diaspora:
We have enough problems! Please go back to Armenia and fight your battles with Turkey. Good luck. Thank you.
The same goes for all them foreign-sponsored Congressional caucuses. You know, as a citizen I have two Senators and one Representative. Foreigners get 100 Senators and 435 Representatives! Tain't fair, McGee.
Yes, exactly. Obama has been going all over the world apologizing. And then leader after leader stands up and says, “OBama, that apology wasn’t good enough!”
I’d say, what a stupid jerk, if I didn’t think he was doing it on purpose.
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