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.