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Wednesday, October 17, 2007

The Armenian Genocide Resolution-What Are They Thinking?

This Armenian Genocide Resolution that is going through Congress has yet to fully play out, but it sure does demonstrate why Nancy Pelosi and her cohorts in the Democratic Party have absolutely no clue. This resolution, with all due respect to Armenians, has already had a disastrous effect on out relationship with Turkey.

This resolution condemns Turkey for having committed genocide against Armenians in that country in 1915, during World War 1, when an estimated 1.5 million Armenians (suspected as a people of being against the regime) were rounded up, relocated and killed by Turkish troops. A couple of points should be kept in mind:

First, the Turkish Government disputes the actual details of what happened and the numbers killed. Thus, the present-day Turkish Government has, over the years, refused to acknowledge what happened as a deliberate genocide, rather that Armenians died under a variety of circumstances. What is the actual truth? I don't know. There are accounts from the era by outside observers who were present in Turkey in 1915 that confirm that massacres did in fact take place.

It should also be remembered that in 1915, it was a different country-to be exact, we are talking about the former Ottoman Empire, under a regime known as the "Young Turks". Subsequent to the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, Turkey came under the rule of Kemal Mustafa Ataturk, who instituted numerous reforms and secularized the nation. Today, Turkey is considered a democratic, moderate and secular nation with a majority Muslim population. Though far from perfect, it is considered a modal Islamic country which we hope others would emulate.

More importantly, Turkey has for decades, been a solid NATO ally to the US, one we don't want to lose, especially in these times. Yet, what has been the reaction to this resolution, which is symbolic in nature? Well, for one, the Turkish Ambassador to the US has been recalled. The Turkish Parliament in the last 24 hours has authorized its military to enter northern Iraq in pursuit of Kurdish rebels who threaten Turkey. Of course, that is the last thing that we need in Iraq, where we already have a host of problems. Now our US military base at Incirlik is in danger of being closed as well as the use of Turkish territory for any US military moves. This puts the lives of US soldiers at added peril. Of course, it goes without saying that public opinion among Turks (who have historically been pro-American), has taken a nose-dive. The fact is that the controversy over the Armenian genocide is a touchy subject for Turkey.

As I said above, I mean no disrespect to Armenians, both in the US and abroad, for whom this matter is an emotional issue, one they hope to keep alive around the world until Turkey acknowledges its culpability. There is a sizable Armenian population in the US, which obviously was a consideration in Congress. If Turkey did, in fact, carry out a planned genocide of 1.5 million Armenians in 1915, then they should own up to it and educate their younger generations about it-so as not to see it repeated. That is the course of action that the US has taken in regards to slavery and Germany has taken in regards to the Nazi era. If Turkey has refused to acknowledge the past, they are not the only ones guilty of that. Japan has never fully acknowledged their horrific crimes during the first half of the 20th century, when they occupied countries in Asia like Korea, China and the Philippines. Consequently, the younger generations of Japanese are not really aware of their history. Similarly, many Lithuanians who emigrated to escape Soviet Communism during World War 2, have refused to acknowledge the role many Lithuanian partisans played in massacring Jews when the Germans occupied their country. (Many Lithuanians were killing Jews even before the Germans began in their own systematic fashion. Jews were perceived, rightfully or wrongfully, as being Soviet sympathizers.)

So why have Pelosi and her colleagues come up with this resolution at this time? Some have accused them of deliberately attempting to sabotage our war effort in neighboring Iraq. Whether or not that is true, the results have been catastrophic-so bad, that now, several members of Congress, seeing the damage, are backing away from the resolution.

The hard fact is that this action has placed our entire relationship with a key ally in danger-a foreign policy disaster of the first order. Now, Bush, Secretary of State Rice and the State Department have to drop everything else and scramble around trying to clean up this mess and save our relationship with Turkey. Even if the resolution dies, severe damage has been done, which may not soon be repaired.

There may yet come a time when quiet diplomacy can achieve an agreeable resolution of what happened almost 100 years ago that will serve the cause of morality. Right now, however, is the time for geopolitical considerations to carry the day.

As for Nancy Pelosi, she has forfeited any credibility when she criticizes the foreign policy ineneptness of the Bush Administration. She is a joke, but she is not funny.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Pelosi has always pandered to her Armenian American constituency. See this 1998 report.

Linnea Hannigan said...

Gary, the only thing I disagree with is that the Turks, because of their geographical postitioning (which we benefit from) have literally gotten away with murder -they have never been held accountable for the blatant invasion and occupation of Greek Cyprus and the "disappearances" of thousands of Cypriot Greeks, nor for the heinous and brutal slaughter of Greeks in the burning of Smirni in 1922.

Just look at the headlines from the NY Times during that time period. It has to make you stop and wonder.


Greece Tells Turks to Stop Expulsions June 13 1914 p.3
Turks Slay 100 Greeks June 17 1914 p.6
Turks Deporting Greeks August 21 1916 p.2
1,000,000 Greeks Killed? January 1 1918 p.15
(Einstein, L.) Tells of Turkish Cruelty To Greeks August 26 1918 p.9
Turk Brutality Recorded: 3.290 Captured British Reported Dead and 2.222 Missing November 21 1918 p.2
Terrorize Greeks in Asia Minor March 15 1919 p.24
Turks Massacre Greeks March 21 1919 p.3
Murders in Asia Minor July 8 1919 p.6
Turks Parboiled 250,000 July 31 1919 p.2
Turks Slay 21 Boy Scouts August 15 1919 p.10
Turks Murdering Greeks September 23 1919 p.19
More Greeks Deported; Turkish Nationalists Now Expelling Them From Trebizond January 4 1922 p.2
300 Greeks Massacred (Samsounta, Pontos) February 1 1922 p.3
Senator King Urges Action Against Turks; Introduces Resolution to Stop Kemal Pasha’s Policy of Exterminating Christians February 3 1922 p.2
Turks Hem In Greeks; Nationalist Minister Leads Expedition in Pontus Region March 11 1922 p.19
Turks Burn 24 Greek Villages; Many People Perish In Flames (Pontos) March 30 1922 p.1
Killing By Turks Has Been Renewed; American Says They Plan To Exterminate the Christians in Asia Minor; They Have Deported Major Yowell and Associate From Harpoot May 6 1922 p.2
(Associated Press) Kemalist Agent Coming; Vice-President May Be Sent Here to Refute Charges of Atrocities May 25 1922 p.21
(Associated Press) Britain Awaits Our Reply; Near East Inquiry is Held Up Pending Receipt-Atrocities Continue June 2 1922 p.2
303,238 Massacred, Greek Minister Says June 2 1922 p.3
Assails Kemal Pasha; Mass Meeting Here Charges Atrocities on Christians (Meeting presided over by Bishop William T. Manning of the Episcopal Church) June 2 1922 p.17
America to Join European Powers in Turkish Inquiry[Secretary of State] Hughes Announces Acceptance of British Invitation to Investigate Atrocity Charges June 4 1922 p.1, 18
Predicts Greatest Massacre in History; Dr. Ward Says Turks Will Be Restrained Only By Power’s Concerted Action June 4 1922 Section 2 p.1
Murray, T. Turkish Barbarities (Letter to the Editor) June 5 1922 p.12
Turks Draft Christians: Formed into Labor Brigades in Cilicia to Dig Trenches at Front June 6 1922 p.21
(Associated Press) Quick Action Urged to get Atrocity Proof; Dr. Ward Fears Turks Will Remove Witnesses and Traces of Crimes June 6 1922 p.21
Says 22,000 Greeks Died on the March; Ward Declares Only Quick Action By Washington Can Stop Turkish Massacres; Christian Girls For Harem; Turks Forbade American Orphanages to Shelter Those Who Were More Than 15 June 7 1922 p.3
(Associated Press) Dr. Ward Sees Balfour: Latter Agrees that Turkish Atrocities Inquiry Should Be Expedited June 10 1922 p.3
Turks Massacre 15,000 More Greeks; Kemalist Troops Employed in Systematic Campaign of Murder and Starvation June 14 1922 p.4
Atrocities Enquiry Limited to Past Year; British Won’t Try to Punish the Guilty in View of Washington’s Attitude June 15 1922 p.40
(Associated Press) Massacres Up in Commons; Lloyd George Declines To Call Poincaré’s Attention to Turkish Outrages June 16 1922 p.36
(Associated Press) France Exacts an Apology for Outrages by Kemalists June 17 1922 p.1
Anatolia Deportee Here; Dr. Ruth Parmalee, Ousted by Kemalists, Says They Are All Corrupt June 17 1922 p.5
(Associated Press) Kemal Pasha Puts His Veto On the Atrocities Inquiry June 21 1922 p.1
Williams, T.W. War-Weary Greeks Now Expect Peace June 25 1922 Section 2 p.5
Starve Christians; Lay It To Allah; Turks Driving Helpless Greeks Before Them To Death, Says Relief Official June 25 1922 Section 2 p.5
Americans Quoted Against The Greeks July 2 1922 p.3
(Associated Press) Delay Asia Minor Inquiry July 6 1922 p.4
(Associated Press) Says Turks Killed Several Americans July 8 1922 p.4
(Associated Press) Doubt Greek Aggression July 11 1922 p.8
(Associated Press) Greeks Lose Ushak; Smyrna Menaced September 5 1922 p.3
Morgenthau Calls for Check on Turks; Says Their Devilish Scheme for Annihilation of Other Races Must Not Go On September 5 1922 p.3
(Associated Press) Europeans Begin To Leave Smyrna September 7 1922 p.4
Reports the Turks Killing Americans; Murders Every Day, Says S.R. Harlow, With Our Government Inactive; Wiping Out Our Missions; Deliberate Campaign is Making Rapid Progress, Says Professor of College in Smyrna September 7 1922 p.4
Armistice Sought by Greeks as Turks Press Near Smyrna September 8 1922 p.1, 3
(Associated Press) Greeks Hand Over Smyrna To Allies; Looting Reported Septembe 9 1922 p.1, 3
Greeks Surrender Smyrna to Turks After Shell Fire September 10 1922 p.1, 18
Morgenthau Warns France; Hints At Loss of American Sympathy Due to Her Backing of Turks September 10 1922 p.18
(Ass. Press) Greeks Returning Mutinous in Defeat; Cheer Venizelos; Hints of Massacre; Constantinople Celebrates With Riots September 11 1922 p.1, 3
James, E.L. Kemal Won’t Insure Against Massacres; His Message Disquiets League Officials, Who Fear Turks Have Begun The Slaughter September 11 1922 p.3
Russia Demands Straits Go To Turks; Cannon Calls For Force, if Necessary, to Avert More Massacres (Bishop Cannon, Chairman, Southern Methodist Advisory Committee of the American Near East Relief September 14 1922 p.1, 3
Smyrna Burning; 14 Americans Missing; 1,000 Massacred As Turks Fire City; Kemal Threatens March on Capital September 15 1922 p.1-2
(Associated Press) Bodies in Mudania Harbor; Americans Report Appalling Situation in Refugees’ Stampede September 15 1922 p.2
(Associated Press) Britain Prepares to Fight for Straits; Calls on Dominions to Send Troops; Smyrna Wiped Out, Killings Continue September 17 1922 p.1-2
Who Equipped Kemal? The Soviet, One Report September 17 1922 p.2
Prentiss, M.G. Eyewitness Story of Smyrna’s Horror; 200,000 Victims of Turks and Flames; Kemal Demands Greeks Quit Thrace September 18 1922 p.1-2
Turks Whet Sabres to Terrify Smyrna September 21 1922 p.3
Turk Atrocities Told By British September 21 1922 p.3
‘Nationalist Pact’ Key To Turks’ Policy October 1 1922 p.3
The Two Kemals. The Polished Aristocrat of European Circles in Contrast With the Ruthless Commander of Fanatical Turks October 1 1922 Section 8: Special Features p.3
Mahdesian, Arshag Numbers Massacred (Letter to the Editor) November 5 1922 Section IX p.8
James, E.L. Turks Proclaim Banishment Edict to 1,000,000 Greeks; New Light on Turkish Massacres; Dr. Nansen Reads His Report; A Million Greeks Wiped Out December 2 1922 p.1, 3

ASTOUNDING!

http://www.hellenicgenocide.org/alabama.html

http://www.hellenicgenocide.org/quotes/

You know why this hits a nerve with me. For ten years, I lived in "NEW Smirni" in Greece, where those who survived were taken and relocated. I have met survivors, I have seen the scars, talked to the mothers whose children were slaughtered and burned alive - one of whom carried a photo, so old, so torn, but a photo, of her baby, on the end of a sword held by a Turk. It was the only photo she had of her child, her only memory, ever. It had been taken by an American journalist who then helped her onto an awaiting ship, vowing justice for her. He tracked her down years later to giver her the photo.

I can see your point that the timing stinks, and Pelosi is an idiot, but how long are the Turks going to get away with murder just because it benefits us not to call them on it? How seriously hypocritical is that - we only condemn the atrocities of countries in which we have no vested interest?

Throughout history, the Turks have been an "attacking and occupying" people, no matter who was in charge,(and not just to the Greeks), so the claim that it "wasn't even the current government" that killed the Armenians, or the Pontiacs..how does that stand? Germany is still held responsible for the massacre of the Jews, yet Germany is not the same government now that it was then. So why then shouldn't the Turks be held responsible for their actions? Because of Incirlik?

I know I am no match for your age and wisdom, let alone your ability with the pen, but I just thought I'd say my piece in a forum of peace ;-))

L

Gary Fouse said...

Linnea,

Thanks for the input. I have to confess that while I have a basic knowledge of the Cyprus issue, i was unaware of the issue of Smirni in 1922.

It would be good if Turkey opened up about what happened in 1922 and everything else, if for no other reason than to educate their own youth.

I still think, however, that the present resolution is a bad idea.