Senator Schummer calls on president to withdraw Hoagland nomination

yerkir.am
January 19, 2007

Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY), a long-time friend of New York’s
Armenian community and senior member of the Senate leadership, has
joined Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Senator Robert Menendez
(D-NJ) in urging President George W. Bush to withdraw the controversial
nomination of Richard Hoagland to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Armenia,
reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

Citing the nominee’s denial of the Armenian Genocide, Senator Schumer,
who serves as Vice-Chairman of the Democratic Caucus, noted, a January
17th letter to the President, that the nominee’s confirmation would
undermine diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Armenia, and
offend the Armenian-American community.

The Empire State Senator has been sharply critical of the
Administration’s policy on the Armenian Genocide and its premature
replacement of the previous Ambassador, John M. Evans, after he spoke
truthfully in characterizing this crime as a genocide in speeches
last year to Armenian American civic groups.

"Genocide can not be neatly swept under the carpet. Armenian Americans
are justifiably up in arms over the potential nomination of Richard
Hoagland as the U.S. Ambassador to their native country," said
Senator Schumer.

"Hoagland’s reluctance to classify the Armenian Genocide as the 20th
century’s first genocide is a travesty, which leaves us to believe
that he will march lock and step with the administration’s politically
motivated stance of denial."

He added that, "In order for justice to prevail, for progress to be
realized and genuine reconciliation to be possible, there must first
be recognition of the facts of history. That must start with a simple,
unequivocal declaration that the Ottoman’s actions during the period
in question were tantamount to genocide.

I cannot support Mr. Hoagland, because, regrettably, he has not met
that standard." "We join with Armenians from New York and across
the nation in expressing our appreciation to Senator Schumer for his
principled stand against the Hoagland nomination," said ANCA Executive
Director Aram Hamparian.

"For more than three decades – going back to his early years in the
New York State Assembly, as a member of the U.S. House, and now as a
leader of the Senate – Chuck Schumer has always been a powerful voice
for justice and a great friend to the Armenian American community."

The Senate’s confirmation of the Hoagland nomination has been
the subject of growing Congressional controversy and Armenian
American community outrage, culminating in two "holds" placed on his
confirmation by Senator Robert Menendez – initially in September of
last year, during the 109th Congress, and again in the 110th Congress
after the President re-nominated him earlier this month.

The New Jersey legislator’s second hold came just two days after
the Bush Administration re-nominated Hoagland on January 9th. His
first hold was placed after the Ambassador-designate, in response
to questions posed to him during his confirmation hearing, went
far beyond the bounds of the Administration’s already deeply flawed
policy, actually calling into question the Armenian Genocide as a
historical fact.

Citing the opposition of the Armenian American community and the
growing controversy within Congress surrounding the nomination, Senator
Menendez was joined on December 1st by incoming Senate Majority Leader
Harry Reid (D-NV) in calling on President George W. Bush to withdraw
the Hoagland nomination and propose a new candidate to serve in this
important diplomatic post.

They stressed that, in light of the broad-based concerns within
Congress, the extensive media coverage this issue has received,
and the strong stand of the Armenian American community against the
nomination, "it would serve neither our national interests nor the
U.S.-Armenia relationship to expect Ambassador-designate Hoagland to
carry out his duties under these highly contentious and profoundly
troubling circumstances."

A recent poll of Armenian Americans found that 97% opposed the Hoagland
nomination. Ninety-four percent of the respondents said that they
"strongly agreed" with the Senate’s opposition to his nomination.

An additional 3% noted that they "somewhat agreed" with this
opposition. One percent reported that they "somewhat disagreed" with
opposing Hoagland, and 2% indicated that they "strongly disagreed"
with the opposition to his confirmation.

More than half of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and
more than 60 U.S. Representatives have raised concerns about the
Hoagland nomination and the State Department’s refusal to explain
the controversial firing of his predecessor, John Marshall Evans,
for speaking truthfully about the Armenian Genocide.

The Department of State has also failed to offer any meaningful
explanation of the role that the Turkish government played in the
dismissal of Ambassador Evans, a diplomat with over thirty years of
service at the Department of State.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress