Discussion of the Armenian Genocide bill in US Congress may be postponed till 2008

10.03.2007 14:05
Radiolur
By Marlena Hovsepyan

It is possible that the Armenian Genocide bill will not be included in the agenda of the US House of Representatives by April 24. Moreover, editor of the California Courier Harut Sasounsin told “Radiolur” that the discussions may be postponed by 2008. Why?

Currently the Armenian Genocide bill is being discussed in the House Foreign Relations Committee, after which it will be submitted to the vote of the members of the House of Representatives. However, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee Tom Lantos may prevent the vote on the Armenian resolution.

Ethnic Jew Tom Lantos, who escaped the Holocaust, had to be very sensitive to a genocide perpetrated against another people. However, he is known for his pro-Turkish position and has always been voting against the Armenian bill. The vote two years ago was not an exception, either. Then member of the Committee Lantos voted for the pro-Armenian documentl only in order to punish Turkey.

He said that Turkey rejected the attack of the American Army on Iraq from the Turkish side. “To teach a good lesson to Turkey I must say “yes” to the Armenian bill,” Harut Sasounian quotes Lantos as saying.

But now the situation is different: during his visit to Washington in February Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul met with Tom Lantos and threatening to jeopardize the interests of Israel, made him promise to prevent the adoption of the resolution. It’s worth mentioning that only the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee is eligible to decide the terms of discussion of this or that bill. Harut Sasounian says only late March it will become clear whether this information reported by Turkish sources is true or not.

Despite everything, it is obvious that the Turkish side is taking every effort to prevent the voting on the bill. The editor-in-chief of the California Courier is worried that the discussion of the resolution may be delayed until next year. The reason is the presidential and parliamentary elections expected in Turkey in 2007, and the objective of the Turkish authorities is to refrain from disappointing the electorate preceding the elections. “That is why they are taking extreme steps by threatening to both Israel and the United States,” says Harut Sasounian.

It is logical that the Turkish passions towards the Armenian Genocide bill will calm down after the elections. The importance of this bill should not be exaggerated, Harut Sasounian says. According to him, in reality its importance is not that big, since the Congress has already adopted two similar resolutions. “It should not be perceived as a question of life and death. In case the resolution is adopted, the Genocide will be recognized. The Genocide has been recognized long ago, it will just be another mark,” Mr. Sasounian told “Radiolur.”

! Reproduction on full or in part is prohibited without reference to Public Radio of Armenia

Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.