US Congress panel accuses Turkey of Armenian 'genocide'

US Congress panel accuses Turkey of Armenian 'genocide'

news.bbc.co.uk

A US congressional panel has described the killing of Armenians by Turkish forces during World War I as genocide, despite White House objections.

The resolution was narrowly approved by the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
online.wsj.com
www.panorama.am

Finally after 93 years the Armenian genocide is recognised. The only disturbing thing is how Obama administration was against recognising this and tried to stifle the process in spite the fact that he promised to recognise the Armenian genocide pre-election.

I believe this has to do with Turkey's warning

Turkey has warned that its relations with the United States will be damaged if the House of Representatives pass the measure.

Source: www.nowpublic.com...

also the above article states:

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton herself has interjected to voice her concern over the resolution that can increase the divide between Armenia and Turkey.

Turkey is an important strategic partner of the United States. President Obama made a campaign promise to recognize the killings of Armenians as genocide in 2008. But, this is not the first time that Washington turns its back on Armenian Genocide Resolution. Back in 2007, former U.S. President George W. Bush has strongly urged lawmakers to reject a resolution that recognizes Armenian Genocide as well.

news.bbc.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

Turkey ought to put together a panel and let it decide conclusively on the genocide perpetrated upon the native Indians of northern America too. L2.

It's about time!

But Drexl's right....US Congress is least worthy of casting the first stone!

reply to post by Drexl


Most Americans do not deny that bad things happened to the Native Americans. Most Americans know Native Americans were devastated by disease, warfare, and starvation. Most Americans know this was wrong. We may disagree on the implications of all this and what should be done, but we know a wrong has been done.

Turkey is denying it did anything wrong. It needs to get with the times. The Germans have come to terms with what they did during the Holocaust. Turkey should do the same.

reply to post by hotpinkurinalmint


Maybe it needs a little more than inner reflections of guilt , a little more than small nods to an acceptance of guilt . Maybe an international condemnation is in order ? , like your congress panel seems happy to do . Might as well as well get it written down in the history books as a documented internationally despised act of genocide .

Most countries have a sordid hsitory of murder and extermination including mine. I wonder, what does that say about us as citizens in these countries?

Cheers

reply to post by thebulldog


says alot about ManKind
throughout history we have Brutality after brutality

Just goes to show from the dawn of man all we have been doing is killing each other and most our sceincetific progress has been thanks to finidng ways of improving the methods of killing someone.

was watching Death machines. most those during the witch hunts and so on
are used in this day and age for good purposes.

reply to post by Drexl


This issue has real implications for the nation of Armenia and Armenian people living in places like Turkey. Armenians are like Jews, they have a long history of persecution and every few decades someone comes along and tries to wipe them off the face of the Earth. Many Armenians fear, and perhaps rightfully so, that history is going to repeat itself.

One way to stop the vicious cycle is for countries like Turkey to acknowledge past wrongs. If Turkey does not acknowledge the horrors it caused, it is doomed to repeat its history.

Originally posted by Drexl
Turkey ought to put together a panel and let it decide conclusively on the genocide perpetrated upon the native Indians of northern America too. L2.

Exactly.

Except why is it even necessary to stir up issues almost a hundred years old and more?

IMO a total waste of time and a good way to turn yet another possibly pivotal country against the U.S.

Interesting because Armenia has good relations with Iran, strong economic links with Georgia and while maintaining strong relations with Russia is leaning towards the West.
It's my understanding that Turkey seems to look for strenghtening partnerships with Russia in defavor of the West.

A major shift here ?
Is it really "despite White House objections" ? Or is that diplomatic talk ?
It will definitively harm reconciliation talks, Armenia-Turkey relations were improving. It further harms the whole region stability.

reply to post by hotpinkurinalmint


This is exactly why we should highlight and document acts of genocide committed by the USA . If such acts are carefully documented and made in the light of international condemnation , the people of this said nation would perhaps be less likely in the future to further commit such crimes , such as they have in Iraq , for example.

The USA of all people would benefit from this . They are the nation most leaning towards an indoctrinational mindset and slanted toward a national prescribed ideology and agenda . If that were compromised by a fully fledged international condemnation of the atrocities perpetrated by their nation , it may serve as a brake on the wanton warmongering and bellicose nature of many of it's citizens.

[edit on 4-3-2010 by Drexl]

About time. It only took them 93 years..jus for the Aermanian one.
I suppose by the time they will at least partly recognize all the rest and probably whatever will occur in the future, we might have already transitioned in to a type 3 interstellar civilization.

Originally posted by Drexl
Turkey ought to put together a panel and let it decide conclusively on the genocide perpetrated upon the native Indians of northern America too. L2.

Assyrian genocide
www.aina.org...

Greek genocide
en.wikipedia.org...
www.greek-genocide.org...

Thracian genocide
hellenicantidote.blogspot.com...

Konstantinople/Instanbul pogrom
en.wikipedia.org...

Turkish invasion of Cyprus
en.wikipedia.org...

European parliament: question about Turkey harassing FRONTEX operations in East Aegean

[edit on 4-3-2010 by spacebot]

its about time someone said something about this. Serj Tankian has been trying to raise awareness to for years. It is true that every country has done something like this. England with the Irish and Scotish, Us with the Native Americans, Germany and Russia are no brainers... The only country I cant think of one for is Canada unless the killed indians too.

Everyone does and Im not saying that makes it right but if you do it own up and do try and deny it.

peace

reply to post by centurion1211


so say if they failed recongnise the Holocaust as Genocide
and 100 Years later someone came along and said that time in German history should be recognised as Genocide, would it be wrong or right?

or do you have to be part of a special intrest group and be friends with a certain country to decide what denocide is and what quilifies?

Wow I just happen to be watching this documentary on the Armenian genocide -- recommended by Professor Christopher Simpson, the author of "Splendid Blond Beast" which details the Western complicity to the Armenian genocide (the Germans wanted the Turks to build a railroad)....

video.google.com...#

"Voices from the Lake"

Professor Simpson argues that US Secretary of State Robert Lansing (uncle of the Dulles Brothers) set the stage for the Nazi genocide -- since it was not covered under international law:

www.unr.edu...

On the occasion of the Paris Conferences, the Allies only reiterated what had been said in 1915 when they had warned the Ottoman government: “In an important departure from tradition, the (War Crimes) commission singled out Turkish massacres and deportations of Armenian civilians as being so grotesque that—although they had not been speciŽ cally banned by the Hague and Geneva conventions—these actions were inherently criminal under the most elementary norms of human behavior. This was, they said, a crime against humanity.”16 Although the commission was also to talk about “laws of humanity,” none of this wording was to be found in ofŽ cial treaties. American resistance, personiŽ ed in then secretary of state Robert Lansing, ensured that the new concept was put into cold storage until 1945.17

Christopher Simpson (1995) concerned himself with the development of international law following the Armenian Genocide. He, like Ternon, comes to conclude that there is a supremacy of great power politics over law. Not only is it that international law is insufŽ cient in Ž ghting genocide—it actually facilitates the crime and is an obstacle to relief action and humanitarian intervention. Law 57 UWE MAKINO and crime are in a relationship of mutual toleration and support. “Thus, the law and the crime became caught in a cycle in which the law facilitated the crime and the crime, in turn, helped institutionaliz e a form of law with which it could coexist.”40 During negotiations for the Se`vres peace treaty (August 1920) Armenia was at least on the agenda, whereas for the ultimately legally valid Treaty of Lausanne (July 1923) any mention of the genocide or the foundation of a new state has been deleted. “After expunging all references to Armenian massacres (and, indeed, to Armenia itself) from the draft version, they signed the Lausanne Peace Treaty, thus helping to codify impunity by ignoring the Armenian genocide. (…) A French jurist observed that the treaty was an ‘assurance’ for impunity for the crime of massacre; indeed, it was a ‘gloriŽ cation’ of the crime in which an entire race (…) was ‘systematically exterminated’.”41 The victorious powers in the end yielded to American resistance to an international tribunal and left the whole matter to a Turkish caretaker government. As long as it was deemed opportune the victors exploited the Armenian Genocide. When they set to work to share out the spoils, i.e. the non-Turkish territories of the defunct Ottoman Empire and oil concessions, and prepared for the Ž ght against Bolshevism, Armenia was utterly depreciated and not even worth a footnote.

[edit on 4-3-2010 by drew hempel]

[edit on 4-3-2010 by drew hempel]

My guess is that the US didn't want to classify the Turkish events as genocide, because it will open the doors up for Israel to be found guilty of genocide as well.

The Zionist lobby / infiltration was probably working hard to keep it from being classified as genocide because they are scared they will be next.

Originally posted by illusive man
reply to post by centurion1211

 

so say if they failed recongnise the Holocaust as Genocide
and 100 Years later someone came along and said that time in German history should be recognised as Genocide, would it be wrong or right?

or do you have to be part of a special intrest group and be friends with a certain country to decide what denocide is and what quilifies?

"denocide"? Bears that kill themselves while hibernating? What?

No, I'm just suggesting that we be pragmatic. Please explain exactly what will be accomplished by a "declaration of genocide". Some Armenians will get to say, "Yeah!" and some Turks will get to say, "Booo!". Exactly what else?

But Armenia is a small country right next to Russia - hmmm. But also, Turkey is and has been a major U.S. ally - hmmm.

Still sounds like an issue better left alone to me, and one we could have taken a pass on.

And hopefully your post doesn't mean you're one of those that immediately resorts to personal attacks on people that don't agree with you.



[edit on 3/4/2010 by centurion1211]

reply to post by centurion1211


happens when i type fast
i dont see any personal attack against you in my previous reply

what does this accomplish it?
well it shows the family or decendents of victims it matters and people recognise the seriousness of the crime.

reply to post by seattletruth


I cannot agree with you more... I hope it will open the door soon before the damage to the people is irreversible...

Magnum