Ankara: Pro-Armenian Congressman Becomes Foreign Affairs Committee C

PRO-ARMENIAN CONGRESSMAN BECOMES FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE CHAIR

Today’s Zaman
Nov 29 2012
Turkey

A pro-Armenian Republican representative from California has been
elected to lead the House Foreign Affairs Committee in the next
congressional session.

Senior Republican lawmaker Ed Royce, a staunch supporter of former
US President George W. Bush’s war in Iraq, was elected to the top
position of the Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday.

He is also the co-chair of the Armenia Caucus, backed by the Armenian
lobby. His predecessor Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, whose positions on
various issues were welcomed by Turkey, had been leading the committee
since 2010.

Republicans currently control the House of Representatives and select
the House committee chairs.

Royce sponsored anti-Turkey bills such as H.Res.304, which blamed
the Ottoman Empire for “intentional destruction” of its Christian
population, and H.Res.306, which called on Turkey to “safeguard its
Christian heritage and to return confiscated church properties.”

The “Armenian genocide” bill Royce co-sponsored was introduced in
June of last year and is currently under review by a congressional
committee.