DASHNAK REPRESENTATIVE CALLS HOAGLAND’S FAILURE ‘AN ARMENIAN VICTORY’
By Ruzanna Stepanian
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Aug 7 2007
A senior member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) has
called it a victory for the American-Armenian community that the
White House finally gave up its intention to appoint Richard Hoagland
U.S. ambassador to Armenia.
Giro Manoyan, the spokesman for the Armenian Revolutionary Federation’s
governing Bureau, on Tuesday praised the successful efforts of the
Armenian community in the United States to block the congressional
confirmation of George W. Bush’s nominee who questioned the fact of
the Armenian genocide in Ottoman Turkey.
The Bush administration withdrew Hoagland’s nomination late last week
after several abortive attempts to win congressional approval.
Career diplomat Richard Hoagland’s nomination had previously been
blocked by Democratic Party members of the Senate.
In explaining why the mass killings of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey did
not constitute a genocide, Hoagland once said that for such a crime
to be considered a genocide it should have had a premeditated nature.
According to Manoyan, Hoagland’s stance is not consonant even with
that of the U.S. government.
"According to Hoagland, the events were not of a premeditated nature
and therefore did not constitute a genocide. While the U.S. does not
use the word ‘genocide’ to describe the events, it still does not
question the fact of genocide," Manoyan explained.
At the same time, the senior Dashnaktsutyun representative said it
was essential for the future ambassador to Armenia to have a position
reflecting that of the U.S. government, which, he said, was not the
case with Hoagland.
According to Manoyan, while official Yerevan did not interfere with
the matter, the withdrawal of Hoagland’s nomination could also be
viewed as a success for Armenia’s diplomacy.
"I think that the White House wanted official Yerevan to put pressure
on the Armenian community in the United States not to block the
approval of Hoagland’s nomination, but fortunately official Yerevan
did not do that," Manoyan said.