ROSS, BERRY BACK OFF ‘GENOCIDE’ BILL
By Aaron Sadler
Arkansas News Bureau
Oct 18 2007
WASHINGTON – Two Arkansas lawmakers withdrew their support this
week from controversial legislation that would declare as "genocide"
the mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks almost a century ago.
Reps. Marion Berry, D-Gillett, and Mike Ross, D-Prescott, had been
co-sponsors of a resolution to condemn the World War I-era deaths of
about 1.5 million Armenians as genocide.
But Ross, Berry and eight others backed away earlier this week under
growing pressure from the White House and the Turkish government.
The Bush administration fears House action would fracture a fragile
relationship with a critical ally in the Middle East. Turkey maintains
that deaths of Armenians and others were not organized genocide but
a result of mass chaos during the fall of the Ottoman Empire.
"I think it’s a good resolution but the timing is horrible," Ross said
Wednesday. "Now is not the time to stick our finger in the eye of an
important ally over something that happened almost a century ago."
About 70 percent of supplies and equipment used by U.S. troops in
Iraq pass through Turkey, Ross said.
"I see this as members of Congress recognizing that Turkey is an
important ally. I support our troops," he added.
The measure initially had 236 co-sponsors, mostly Democrats, but as
support peels away House leaders have said they may not bring it to
the floor for a vote.
The nonbinding resolution was approved by the House Foreign Affairs
Committee last week. Rep. John Boozman, R-Rogers, voted against it
in committee.
Boozman said he spoke to the commander of a U.S. military base in
Turkey, who said he was concerned a House vote might jeopardize
U.S. operations there.
Turkey has threatened to restrict U.S. access to its airspace and
military bases and said the resolution may further harm the country’s
diplomatic efforts in the Middle East.
"It’s just something that I don’t feel like we should be interfering
with right now," Boozman said, not discounting that the actions by
Ottoman Turks could have been considered genocide.
"It’s a significant incident," he said. "Where I have problems is
the Ottoman Empire and what was going on at that time in history is
totally different than at this time in history."
Boozman said he would support appointing a commission to study
the issue.
"I’m not minimizing at all what happened, but I feel like when you
weigh everything right now, it’s not in our interest to go forward
with this," Boozman said.
Berry, in a statement, said the House should be attending to other
legislation.
"(The resolution) is well intentioned, but in light of other issues
we are addressing in Congress, I do not believe this is the right
time to address this matter," Berry said.
Rep. Vic Snyder, D-Little Rock, said he would vote against the
resolution.
The Armenian National Committee of America has lobbied Congress in
favor of the resolution.
Leo Stepanian of Fort Smith is a member of the committee who has
fought to have the mass deaths recognized as genocide in Arkansas.
Then-Gov. Mike Huckabee, now a GOP presidential candidate, signed a
proclamation condemning the killings in 2001.
Stepanian said he was surprised, but pleased, to see the House measure
pass the committee.
"The Turks exerted a lot of pressure back then and they still do,"
he said. "I’m not blaming the present Turkish government, but they
continually deny the Ottoman Turks did something like this."
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