Obama silent ahead of vote on Armenian genocide

[Sanket]

Obama silent ahead of vote on Armenian genocide

Saturday, February 27, 2010; 8:45 AM

From news article:

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama is in a bind as a House committee prepares to vote on a resolution that would recognize the World War I-era killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks as genocide.

While a White House candidate, then-Sen. Obama said he believed the killings were genocide. A congressional resolution to that effect could alienate Turkey, a NATO ally and traditional friend of the United States that is crucial to America's foreign policy goals.

Past administrations have defeated similar resolutions through public cajoling about national security interests and with behind-the-scenes lobbying.

So far, however, the Obama administration has taken no public position on the measure, set for a vote Thursday by the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Aides to senior lawmakers on the committee say there has been no pressure against the resolution from the White House. The administration was informed ahead of time that the committee would be scheduling the vote, according to Lynne Weil, spokeswoman for the committee's chairman, Rep. Howard Berman, D-Calif.


Turkey long has made clear that the issue could affect relations with the U.S

[Kachah]

It's interesting to which extent Turkey is prepared to lessen its alignment with the US knowing all too well that Russia is an eternal threat to its hold of the Bosphorus. Regardless, time will heal this wound quickly. Turkish leaders are pragmatic, secular or clergymen, they despise Russia equally.
But the issue itself remains controversial. I think it was a genocide after all though not ideologically motivated as the Holocaust was. Some Armenians were members of the Turkish Parliament right when the genocide was carried out - quite different picture from the Nazi Germany. Let's see.

[bararallu]

The Iranians are bridging this divide.