FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jennifer Cannata
June 14, 2006
Andrew Souvall (202) 225-4671
PALLONE EXPRESSES DISAPPOINTMENT WITH DECISION TO WITHDRAWAL AWARD
FOR AMBASSADOR EVANS
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), co-chairman
of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, gave the following
speech on the House floor last night expressing his disappointment
with the American Foreign Service Association’s (AFSA) decision to
withdraw awarding a “Constructive Dissent” award to U.S. Armenian
Ambassador John Evans.
AFSA, a professional association made up of 13,000 members of the
U.S. Foreign Service, initially announced the award to recognize
Ambassador Evans’ use of the word “genocide” in describing the
atrocities committed against the Armenian people, but the award was
later withdrawn. Pallone believes the association had second thoughts
after receiving pressure from the Bush Administration.
“Ambassador Evans was due to receive the Christian A. Heter Award for
intellectual courage, initiative, and integrity later this week. The
award was a result of courageous statements he made regarding the
recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
“In a series of public statements, Ambassador Evans, who has
studied Russian history at Yale and Columbia and Ottoman history
at the Kennan Institute, stated, ‘I will today call it the Armenian
Genocide.’ Mr. Speaker, Ambassador Evans has studied the history of
Armenia, and based on his substantial studies of the issue, he was
willing to go on the record and define the actions taken against
Armenians as genocide.
“The Armenian Genocide was the systematic extermination— the
murder— of one-and-one-half million Armenian men, women and children.
“To this day, the Republic of Turkey refuses to acknowledge the fact
that this massive crime against humanity took place on soil under
its control, and in the name of Turkish nationalism.
“Unfortunately, some 90 years later, the U.S. State Department
continues to support Turkey’s denials despite all evidence to the
contrary. It’s not likely that the State Department was happy their
Ambassador to Armenia acknowledging the Armenian Genocide.
Therefore, Evans retracted his remarks after receiving substantial
pressure from the State Department.
“Well, now the selection committee at the American Foreign Service
Association has decided to withdraw the award with no reason
for its actions. I find the timing of the decision peculiar. The
sharp turnaround came right before Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Washington for a meeting with President
Bush. Based on past history, it’s clear that the State Department,
the Bush Administration, and the powerful pro-Turkish lobby pressured
A-F-S-A to withdraw Ambassador Evans Award.
“It is simply unacceptable for this administration to continue to
penalize the ambassador for his comments. Ambassador Evans did a
courageous thing; his statements did not contradict U.S. policy,
but rather articulated the same message that this Administration
has sent to the public. The only difference in this case is that
Ambassador Evans assigned a word to define the actions taken against
the Armenians.
“This was a refreshing break from a pattern on the part of the State
Department of using evasive and euphemistic terminology to obscure the
full reality of the Armenian Genocide, Ambassador Evans pointed out
that, “No American official has ever denied it,” and went on to say
that, “I think we, the U.S. government, owe you, our fellow citizens
a more frank and honest way of discussing this problem.”
“Ambassador Evans was merely recounting the historical record, which
has been attested to by over 120 Holocaust and genocide scholars from
around the world. By doing this, he earned a prestigious award that
was taken from him because of politics and denial.
“I want to add my voice to all those who, in Ambassador Evans’ own
words, ‘think it is unbecoming of us as Americans to play word games
here. I believe in calling things by their name.’ Evans was right,
and the American Foreign Services Association was correct in awarding
him the Christian A. Heter Award. We should encourage our Ambassadors
to speak the truth, and, more broadly, end, once and for all, our
complicity in Turkey’s campaign of genocide denial.
“Mr. Speaker, Ambassador Evans has been penalized for telling the
truth. The American Foreign Service Association has set a terrible
example by retracted Ambassador Evans’ award. I guess even in America
the Turkish Government is able to stifle debate.”
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Jennifer Karch Cannata
Press Secretary
Office of U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr.
420 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-4671 office
(202) 225-9665 fax
From: Baghdasarian