TURKEY AND ITS NEO-CON U.S. ACCOMPLICES CONSPIRE TO FORCE ARMENIA INTO CAPITULATION
By Appo Jabarian
USA Armenian Life Magazine
Friday, May 1, 2009
The April 24 presidential statement by Pres. Obama caused a major
controversy in the American media.
Even though he used the words "Meds Yeghern" twice in his presidential
statement, a very large segment of the Armenian American community
felt betrayed for his failure to fulfill his campaign promise of
using the proper word, genocide.
According to a scorecard of more than 500 campaign pledges collated
on the Pulitzer Prize-winning website, PolitiFact.com, Obama has kept
27 promises and broken six.
Topping the list of presidential campaign promises that are broken
by Pres.
Obama is "US recognition of the Ottoman Empire’s genocide during
World War I against Armenians." Obama avoided the word during his
stay in Turkey and in a message on Armenian Remembrance Day.
Obama was criticized for following the Anti-Defamation League line
on the Armenian Genocide. Ciaran Dubhuidhe of cleveland.indymedia.org
wrote on Apr.
24, 2009: "One day after vowing to battle Holocaust Denial,
Pres. Obama publicly denied the Armenian Holocaust . In an exhibit
of hypocrisy matched only by the ‘Anti-Defamation9 9 League’s Abraham
Foxman’s denial of the Armenian Holocaust, Pres. Obama has dishonored
anniversary of the start of the genocide by releasing a statement
describing the Armenian Holocaust as an ‘atrocity.’"
Harry Koundakjian reported on April 25: "Ambassador John Marshall Evans
spoke at our commemoration last night. … Having read the actual
text of Pres. Obama’s statement, Evans indicated that although it
was a compromise statement, it was still more hopeful than previous
U.S. presidents have made. To him it was clear that this statement
was made by a committee, and not the heartfelt words of Obama. Using
a term that only Armenians know ("Medz Yeghern"), and twice at that,
seemed a bit out of place, even condescending, when the purpose of
the proclamation is to let those who don’t know about the history
become informed. He feels that Rahm Emanuel — AIPAC’s (America
Israel Political Action Committee’s) ‘Man in the White House’ —
probably had a strong hand in altering the language of the statement
to eliminate the word genocide."
Several members of the community questioned as to why Mr. Obama did not
properly use the word genocide. It was the so-called Armenian-Turkish
"rapproachement."
The Wall Street Journal featured an article on April 25 titled "In
Armenian Enclave, Turkish Deal Arouses Suspicion — Ethnic Leaders
in Glendale, Calif., See Detente Announcement as a Ploy on Day
Commemorating" the 1915 genocide."
The Wall Street’s NICHOLAS CASEY reported: "Andrew Kzirian, executive
director of the Armenian National Committee’s Western region sees the
latest development not so much as a detente between the countries, but
as another public-relations effort by the Turks to deflect attention"
from the genocide.
Casey continued: "At the Armenian cafe Urartu off Broadway, Appo
Jabarian, managing editor of USA Armenian Life, scans his email
inbox for news of what he dubs the recent ‘secret agreement.’ … For
Mr. Jabarian ‘Turkey is always trying to shortchange the Armenians.’"
In a strong rebuke of the the so-called "Roadmap," Aram I the
Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia stated on Saturday, April 25:
"Roadmaps and reopening of borders cannot and will not compromise
the Armenian people’s demand for the recognition of the 1915 Armenian
Genocide, and the claim for restorative justice."
His Holiness continued: "Turkey wanted to eliminate us as a country
and people. We are grateful to all those countries that recognized
the Armenian Genocide of 1915. However, we want to tell them that
recognition is not enough, we want justice. We are not asking
for mercy from the world; we are demanding justice. This is our
right. The Armenian nation is a victim of injustice; its human rights
are violated. We cannot remain silent in view of this prevailing
injustice. =0 D Our collective memory will not heal unless justice
is victorious. Neither roadmaps, nor reciprocal visits will restore
justice."
In an open letter, Harut Sassounian, Publisher of The California
Courier, criticized Pres. Obama: "You must have also known that
Turkey would not open its border with Armenia in the foreseeable
future, unless the Karabagh conflict was resolved to Azerbaijan’s
satisfaction. Using various carrots and sticks, with the connivance
of Russia, which pursues its own economic and political interests in
Turkey and Azerbaijan, U.S. officials succeeded in pressuring Armenia
into agreeing to issue a joint declaration with Turkey and Switzerland
as mediator on the eve of April 24. This declaration was a convenient
cover for you to duck the genocide issue in order to appease Turkey."
Mr. Sassounian stated: "Mr. President, by compelling Armenia to sign
such a declaration, you have managed to pit the Armenian Diaspora,
as well as the people in Armenia against the government in Yerevan. As
a direct result of that action, the ARF, one of Armenia’s influential
political parties, quit the ruling coalition this week. The ARF did
not wish to associate itself with a government, still reeling from
last year’s contentious presidential elections, which is negotiating
an agreement with Turkey that could compromise the country’s national
interests and historic rights.
The ARF also vehemently opposes Armenia’s announced intention to
participate in a bilateral historical commission that Turkey would
use to question the facts of the Armenian Genocide."
Sassounian foresaw: "Mr. President, in the coming days, as your
administration invites Armenia’s leaders to Washington in order to
squeeze more concessions from them, please realize that they can
only be pressured so much before they lose their authority. As was
the case with Armenia’s first president, crossing the red lines on
the Genocide and Karabagh issues could well jeopardize the tenuous
hold on power of the remaining ruling coalition, regardless of how
many promises are made and carrots extended to them by Washington."
Turkey’s continuous threats to Armenia’s existence as a viable state
and its persistent ploys to strip Armenia of its historic rights for
territorial claims from Turkey; to put the veracity of the Armenian
genocide to debate through the so-called joint historic commission; to
stop pursuing the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide;
to return the liberated Armenian territories of Artsakh make the
Armenian people in Armenia and the Diaspora further distrust Turkey.
By helping Turkey carry out its conniving machinations against Armenia,
the United States and Russia have re-fueled the Armenian political
will to resort to: 1) An international campaign to divest from Turkey;
and 2) Counterbalancing and even neutralizing the U.S.-based Neo-cons’
e fforts to shove Turkey’s EU membership at all cost down the throat
of Europeans.