Aspen Daily News, CO
May 15 2010
Armenians question Udall’s opposition to genocide bill
by David Frey, Aspen Daily News Correspondent
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Colorado Armenians are criticizing Sen. Mark Udall for backing away
from his past support for a resolution that would acknowledge as
genocide the 95-year-old massacre of ethnic Armenians living in
Turkey.
Udall had supported similar resolutions in the past ‘ a stance that
won him endorsements and campaign contributions from Armenian
political groups. But as senator, he has refused to co-sponsor or vote
for the latest version.
`That’s a double standard from our perspective,’ said Stephan
Isberian, owner of Isberian Rugs, and a vocal member of a sizeable
Roaring Fork Valley Armenian community. About 20 local Armenian
families took out an ad in area newspapers calling on Congress to
recognize the killings as a genocide.
Udall said he still believes the atrocity amounted to genocide, but he
worries Turkey, which staunchly opposes the resolution, would block
U.S. access to a Turkish airbase, putting at risk troops in
Afghanistan who may need access to the base.
`So many of us did support him,’ said Boulder resident Pamela Barsam
Brown, who is editor of a newsletter that serves the Colorado Armenian
community. `It feels like we’ve been stabbed in the back. He’s taking
positions now as senator against issues that he had taken strong
stands on as a congressman.’
On the 95th anniversary of the World War I-era massacres in Turkey on
April 24, Udall issued a statement `commemorating the anniversary of
the Armenian Genocide,’ but it fell short of endorsing the resolution.
`As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I have a special
responsibility to listen to those in our armed forces and the national
security community who have raised concerns about threats ‘ however
irrational and unreasonable you and I may find them ‘ from the Turkish
government to close our airbase at Incirlik or retaliate in other
irresponsible ways should this resolution move forward,’ Udall wrote
in a Feb. 4 letter to Barsam Brown.
Udall, a Democrat, said losing the airbase could jeopardize supply
routes for troops in Afghanistan.
Udall is among several legislators who have been reluctant to vote for
the resolution out of fear of alienating Turkey, which has actively
lobbied against it and similar resolutions.
When a House committee voted in March to approve a nonbinding
resolution calling the killings genocide, Turkey removed its U.S.
ambassador for a month.
President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, both of
whom called the killings genocide as senators, pushed to quash the
resolution.
Others though, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, have
supported the resolution, but Udall said he couldn’t, `given the
national security implications for our soldiers in Iraq and
Afghanistan of any reckless Turkish retaliation.’
Local Armenians said they are disappointed in Udall’s stance. Six
years ago, he was the only member of Colorado’s congressional
delegation to support an Armenian genocide resolution. In 2008, it got
support from every member.
The current bill is stalled because of a lack of co-sponsors.
Historians estimate as many as 1.5 million Armenians were killed
between 1915 and 1923 amid the collapsing Ottoman Empire, in what some
say was the first genocide of the 20th century.
`Our families are calling from the graves,’ said Isberian, whose
grandparents were among those killed. `They’re saying, `what did you
do about this?’ A long time has passed.’
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