Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: (202) 775-1918
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PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 23, 2006
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
RADANOVICH LEADS CONGRESSIONAL EFFORT TO URGE
SECRETARY OF STATE TO RECONSIDER RECALL OF AMB. EVANS
— Fresno Congressman Joined by Rep. Adam Schiff and
Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Joe Knollenberg and Frank Pallone
WASHINGTON, DC – Four leading Congressional friends of Armenia,
George Radanovich (R-CA) and Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Congressional
Caucus Co-Chairmen Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI),
have strongly encouraged Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to
reconsider the recall of Ambassador Evans, reported the Armenian
National Committee of America (ANCA).
In a June 22nd letter, the legislators noted that "after months of
speculation," the recall of Ambassador Evans "was confirmed when
the President nominated Richard Hoagland to serve as the new United
States Ambassador to the Republic of Armenia on May 23. While
there has been no official acknowledgement that Ambassador Evans
removal was a result of his February 2005 statement that the
Armenian Genocide was the first genocide of the 20th Century, all
evidence points to that conclusion."
"We join with Armenian Americans across the country in thanking
Congressman Radanovich, Schiff, Pallone, and Knollenberg – the four
lead authors of the Armenian Genocide Resolution – for once again
taking the lead in challenging the State Department’s failed policy
of complicity in Turkey’s denial of this crime against all
humanity," said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA.
"We share their belief that Ambassador Evans’ recall should be
reversed and look forward, in the days ahead, to learning more
about the circumstances behind this ill-advised, morally
unjustifiable, and increasingly controversial action."
The Congressional letter closed with the four legislators
expressing their belief that "the United States must formally
recognize the Armenian Genocide, and we will continue to work
towards that goal. Allowing John Evans to continue as Ambassador
to Armenia sends a strong message on the necessity of Turkish
recognition, and will be an important step in establishing the U.S.
position on the Armenian Genocide."
The State Department, with the blessing of the White House, fired
Amb. Evans in response to his February 2005 statements at Armenian
American community functions, during which he properly
characterized the Armenian Genocide as "genocide." Following his
statements, Amb. Evans was forced to issue a statement clarifying
that his references to the Armenian Genocide were his personal
views and did not represent a change in U.S. policy. He
subsequently issued a correction to this statement, replacing a
reference to the genocide with the word "tragedy." The American
Foreign Service Association, which had decided to honor Amb. Evans
with the "Christian A. Herter Award," recognizing creative thinking
and intellectual courage within the Foreign Service, reportedly
rescinded the award following pressure from the State Department in
the days leading up to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan’s visit to Washington, DC to meet with President Bush.
The full text of the letter to Secretary Rice is provided below.
#####
The Honorable Condoleezza Rice
Secretary
United States Department of State
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20520
Dear Secretary Rice:
We are writing to reiterate our concern over the recall of U.S.
Ambassador to Armenia John Evans. After months of speculation,
this action was confirmed when the President nominated Richard
Hoagland to serve as the new United States Ambassador to the
Republic of Armenia on May 23. While there has been no official
acknowledgement that Ambassador Evans removal was a result of his
February 2005 statement that the Armenian Genocide was the first
genocide of the 20th Century, all evidence points to that
conclusion.
After acknowledging the Armenian Genocide last year, Ambassador
Evans quickly issued a clarification in which he reassured the
public that U.S. policy on the issue remains unchanged. In so
doing, he clarified that his Genocide acknowledgement did not
represent the views of the State Department or the White House.
Despite these clarifications, Evans tenure as Ambassador has been
scheduled for a premature end.
It has been consistent U.S. policy to acknowledge and rebuke the
Ottoman Empires attempted annihilation of the Armenian people
during World War I. As recently as this past April, President Bush
called it one of the great tragedies of history. We strongly
encourage you to reconsider the recall of Ambassador Evans.
Allowing the Ambassador to remain in his post and complete his
tenure will demonstrate to Turkey that the United States stands
firmly by this recognition, and that it wholly supports Turkish
recognition of the Genocide.
We believe that the United States must formally recognize the
Armenian Genocide, and we will continue to work towards that goal.
Allowing John Evans to continue as Ambassador to Armenia sends a
strong message on the necessity of Turkish recognition, and will be
an important step in establishing the U.S. position on the Armenian
Genocide.
Thank you for your attention to our concerns.
Sincerely,
George Radanovich (R-CA)
Adam Schiff (D-CA)
Frank Pallone (D-NJ)
Joe Knollenberg (R-MI)