Hye Sharzhoom Armenian Action
Staff Report
Republican Presidential candidate Sen. John McCain sparked controversy on Tuesday, February 29 when he said that he would not support a congressional resolution calling on the government of Turkey to acknowledge the 1915 Armenian Genocide. His remarks came at a town-hall meeting held in the North Gym on the California State University, Fresno campus. Many Armenian students and community members were in the estimated audience of over 1,500.
McCain’s comments prompted a front-page article in the Fresno Bee on Wednesday March 1. He was quoted in the story as saying, “I will not support that resolution. I think that it is terrible what happened. I condemn it.” He later added, “It was not under this government in Turkey. I don’t see what this resolution does to improve the situation one iota.”
The resolution referred to is House Resolution 398 (on the Armenian Genocide), introduced by Fresno Congressman George Radanovich (R-CA) and Minority Whip David Bonior (D-M), which establishes the U.S. record on the Armenian Genocide and calls upon the President to 1) ensure that U.S. diplomats dealing with human rights are educated about the Armenian Genocide and 2) to properly characterize the Armenian Genocide as a “genocide” in the President’s annual April 24th address.
Richard Sanikian, a member of the Armenian National Committee of Fresno, posed the question regarding the Genocide to McCain. Sanikian noted that Senator McCain had failed to make his position clear on the Armenian Genocide. McCain’s response rejected support for passage of the Armenian Genocide resolution but did call for reparations for the victims.
Later on Tuesday, at a press conference following the talk, McCain expanded on his response earlier in the day to a question on the Armenian Genocide, characterizing – for the first time – the crime against humanity as an act of “genocide,” but again voicing his opposition to Congressional Armenian Genocide legislation, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). McCain fielded questions from the media on the Armenian Genocide. His response, broadcast on the 11:00 p.m. newscast on KJEO Channel 47 in Fresno, was that: “It was not carried out by the present Turkish government. It was carried out by other people. And I am in deep sympathy for one of the greatest acts of genocide ever committed by a previous Turkish government against innocent people. It’s one of the most terrible tragedies in history. I will not support this resolution which is condemning the present Turkish government.”
Senator McCain’s history of opposing legislation commemorating the Armenian Genocide dates back to his days as a U.S. Representative. Through his years in the House, he worked against successive legislative initiatives to mark April 24th as a day of remembrance for the victims of the Armenian Genocide. As a U.S. Senator, he voted in 1990 against Senator Bob Dole’s Armenian Genocide resolution.
The Armenian Assembly earlier in the week reported that in a strongly-worded letter to two prominent Armenian-American supporters, Republican Presidential candidate George W. Bush recognized the Armenian Genocide, called on “all decent people” to “remember and acknowledge” this event, and pledged to ensure that the United States “properly recognizes the tragic suffering of the Armenian people” if elected President. Also, Bush cited the Armenian Diaspora and the independent Republic of Armenia as examples of the “resiliency of the Armenian people.” He called on the United States to back the independence of the Caucasus nations by supporting the peaceful resolution of regional disputes and regional economic development. He said that although the US can act as a mediator, clearly, a lasting peace in the Caucasus region must be negotiated by the parties involved. Bush expressed his full support for American assistance to Armenia, the promotion of democracy, the rule of law and a free and open society.