HOLLYWOOD--More
than
a
thousand
Armenian
American's
and
human
rights
Saturday October 27, 2007
Armenian-Americans to Rally for Genocide Resolution
LOS ANGELES--Armenian-Americans and human rights supporters across the nation will hold several large-scale rallies on November 4, 2007 calling
for
the
passage
of
the
Armenian
Genocide
Resolution
(H.
Res.106).
The
mass
gatherings,
entitled
"Rally
106:
United
Voices
for
the
Armenian
Genocide
Resolution"
will
be
held
in
Los
Angeles,
Phoenix,
Houston,
San
Francisco,
and
Washington
DC
and
are
expected
to
draw
thousands
of
community
members
and
human
rights
advocates.
"We
are
excited
that
a
broad
cross
section
of
Americans
will
be
on
hand
for
Rally
106,"
said
Ishkhan
Boghossian,
the
director
of
the
Los
Angeles
area
rally.
"By
supporting
the
passage
of
the
resolution
we
are
supporting
human
rights
and
justice,
two
fundamental
American
values.
"We
are
also
going
to
stand
firmly
against
an
attempt
by a
foreign
government,
Turkey,
to
silence
the
voice
of
the
American
People,"
he
said,
adding, "The Republic of Turkey is funneling millions to Washington in a bid to strangle America's commitment to human rights. That is immoral
and
we
will
be
gathering
to
reject
Turkey's
foreign
interference."
"Rally
106"
comes
at a
time
when
the
government
of
Turkey
is
increasing
its
efforts
to
prevent
the
passage
of
the
Armenian
Genocide
Resolution.
Turkey has hired public relations and lobbying firms such as the Livingston Group, Fleishman Hillard, and DLA Piper to lobby Members of Congress
and
persuade
them
to
vote
against
the
Armenian
Genocide
resolution.
"Contrary
to
what
Turkey
says,
the
passage
of
the
Armenian
Genocide
Resolution
has
nothing
to
do
with
the
reality
that
the
Turks
may
move
forward with their threat to cut critical supply routes to our troops in Iraq," said Caspar Jivalagian, chairman of the Armenian Youth Federation.
"They were the cause of much hardship and strain on our troops at the start of the war at which time there was no Armenian Genocide Resolution
pending
in
congress,"
he
added.
"The
reason
Turkey
makes
threats
against
our
country
is
quite
simple;
they
are
an
inconsistent
ally
and
surely
not
a
friend
of
ours."
Thousands
are
expected
to
gather
at
the
rallies
in
support
of
the
Armenian
Genocide
Resolution,
where
various
elected
officials
and
dignitaries
will voice their support as well. The Los Angeles area Rally 106 will be held in the Little Armenia area of Hollywood near the intersection of
Hollywood Blvd. and Alexandria on Sunday, November 4, 2007 at 3pm.
Friday October 26, 2007
Los Angeles Mayor and City Council Call On Congress to Adopt Genocide Resolution
LOS ANGELES--The Armenian National Committee - Western Region, joined by members of the Los Angeles area Armenian American community,
attended a special session of the Los Angeles City Council last Tuesday, where the City Council unanimously approved a resolution in support of
passage of H. Res. 106, the Congressional measure affirming America's historical record on the Armenian Genocide. The Council's resolution was
offered
jointly
by
Councilmember
Wendy
Greuel
and
Council
President
Eric
Garcetti.
In
her
remarks
to
the
Los
Angeles
City
Council,
ANC-WR
Board
Member
Souzi
Zerounian-Khanzadian
noted
“This
City
Council
resolution
reminds
us that it is always appropriate as individuals and representative bodies to speak out against Genocide and its cover-up.” Zerounian-Khanzadian,
who served as the community spokesperson at the event was joined by Genocide survivors Hrant Zeitountzian and Ghazaros Kademian as well as
ANC
activist
Armen
Donigian.
Reverend
Muron
Aznikian
and
Father
Khoren
Baboshian
from
the
Western
Prelacy
were
also
present
and
opened
the
Council
session
with
a
prayer
asking
for
continued
spiritual
guidance
for
the
Council
as
they
deliberate
on
issues
of
concern
to
the
City
of
Los
Angeles.
During
a
thirty
minute
discussion
of
the
Armenian
Genocide
resolution,
several
members
of
the
City
Council
as
well
as
Mayor
Antonio
Villaraigosa
voiced
their
support
for
swift
passage
of
the
Congressional
measure.
“Some
are
resisting
the
call
to
recognize
the
Armenian
Genocide
on
the
grounds
that
it
may
upset
sensitive
relations
with
an
ally
in
the
Middle
East,” said Villaraigosa, adding that “while our relationship with modern Turkey is strategically vital, our national interest will always be more
fundamentally aligned with the cause of human rights.” The Mayor added, “With recent mass killings documented in Darfur and Kosovo, it
remains our continuing responsibility as Americans to condemn genocide whenever and wherever it occurs... Congress must vote yes on House Bill
106.”
Councilmember
Bill
Rosendahl,
added
“The
reality
is
that
this
genocide
happened,
1.5
million
Armenians
were
killed
and
people
today
are
still
suffering because of it.” Rosendahl concluded his remarks by calling on Congress to “show some backbone and courage and support this
resolution.”
In a particularly magnanimous gesture toward the Armenian Genocide survivors in attendance, Councilmember Tom LeBonge asked that the
survivors
rise
and
be
recognized
for
their
continuing
courage
in
the
face
of
Turkish
denials.
Councilmember
Janice
Hahn
noted,
“It's
always
the
right
time
to
do
the
right
thing”
while
her
colleague,
Wendy
Greuel
added,
it's
time
to
stand
up and say it was genocide and it was wrong.” Councilmember Greuel also encouraged those in attendance to “call their congressmen today and
tell
them
that
it
does
matter
to
remember
the
Armenian
genocide.”
In
voicing
his
unwavering
support
for
the
resolution,
Council
President
Eric
Garcetti
stated
“this
entire
body
understands
what
is
at
stake.
"He added, “If we don't do it now there will never be a right time to do it.” Also, making statements in favor of the resolution were
Councilmember
Ed
Reyes
and
Dennis
Zine.
H.R.
106
calls
upon
the
President
to
ensure
that
the
foreign
policy
of
the
United
States
reflects
appropriate
understanding
and
sensitivity
concerning issues related to human rights, ethnic cleansing, and genocide documented in the United States record relating to the Armenian
Genocide. It further urges the Republic of Turkey to end its decades long campaign of denial. The resolution, authored by Rep. Adam Schiff,
D-Pasadena, was approved earlier this month by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs over the objections of President Bush, who said the
action could endanger relations with Turkey, a key ally. Since the committee vote, Turkey has ferociously pursued a policy to coerce Congress to
prevent
the
resolution
from
being
voted
on
in
the
House
of
Representatives.
The
ANCA
is
the
largest
and
most
influential
Armenian
American
grassroots
political
organization.
Working
in
coordination
with
a
network
of
offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the United States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA actively advances the
concerns of the Armenian-American community on a broad range of issues.
Text
of
Mayor
Antonio
Villaraigosa's
speech:
In
1896,
during
one
of
his
last
speeches,
the
legendary
William
Gladstone,
who
served
three
terms
as
Prime
Minister
of
England,
Said
that
a
failure to stop Turkish massacres of the Armenian people would leave Europe “disgraced in the face of the world.”A century ago, crimes against
the Armenian people were a widely-known and acknowledged truth. The genocide against Armenians reached its tragic zenith between 1915 and
1923, when an estimated 1.5 million Armenians were brutally killed in their historic homeland by Ottoman Turkey. Not surprisingly, the name
Gladstone
came
to
be
reviled
in
Turkey.
While
our
relationship
with
modern
Turkey
is
strategically
vital,
our
national
interest
will
always
be
more
fundamentally
aligned
with
the
cause
of
human
rights.
As
Mayor
of
the
city
with
the
largest
Armenian
population
outside
of
Armenia,
I
say
it's
time
to
end
the
tradition
of
holocaust
denial
that
has
only
deepened the pain of those whose parents and grandparents suffered the unspeakable horrors of ethnic cleansing. Before casting their deciding
votes, I hope every member of Congress will keep in mind one of Mr. Gladstone's most famous phrases, which was a favorite of Martin Luther
King Jr: "Justice delayed is justice denied."
Some are resisting the call to recognize the Armenian Genocide on the grounds that it may upset sensitive relations with an ally in the Middle
East and this is "not the right time" to approve such a resolution. I think we can all get behind the latter sentiment: this is not the right time to
acknowledge
the
fact
of
the
genocide,
because
we
should
have
done
so
long
before
now.
The
tragic
outcome
of
the
world's
silence
and
inaction
in
the
face
of
the
Armenian
Genocide
is
one
of
the
darkest
chapters
of
the
20th
Century.
With recent mass killings documented in Darfur and Kosovo, it remains our continuing responsibility as Americans to condemn genocide whenever
and
wherever
it
occurs.
When
we
turn
a
blind
eye
to
holocaust,
we
lend
it a
legitimacy
that
makes
us
all
complicit.
Truth
should
never
be
subjugated
to
prevailing
political
winds.
Genocide
is
genocide,
torture
is
torture
and
truth
is
truth.
When
words
to
lose
their
meaning,
when
the
horrors
of
history
are
buried
under
layers
of
diplomatic
euphemism,
we
invite
future
tragedies.
With
this
resolution
we
have
an
opportunity
to
reclaim
America's
moral
leadership
in
the
21st
century.
The
whole
world
is
watching.
Congress
must
vote
yes
on
House
Bill
106.
Armenian Genocide resolution vote delayed
Article Last Updated: 10/25/2007 11:59:32 PM PDT
|
WASHINGTON - A resolution declaring the massacres of Armenians by Ottoman Turks a genocide will not be put to a House vote this year
after an international furor forced the bill's Southern California supporters to seek a delay.
In a letter Thursday to House Speaker Nancy Pelsoi, the bill's lead sponsor, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Pasadena, asked her to postpone
a vote, possibly until 2008.
"We want to make sure that when we take up the resolution that we have the votes to succeed," Schiff said. "I think we will. I think it's only
a question of timing."
Vicken Papazian, spokesman for the Armenian National Committee in Glendale, said he respects the lawmakers' strategy decisions
and remains confident it will come to a vote. "The Armenian community is in no way discouraged," Papazian said. "Armenians are
a resilient people."
The resolution at one time had a record number of backers. Support eroded rapidly, however, after a key committee approved it last month.
With Pelosi supporting the bill, its arrival on the House floor became, for the first time in decades, a likely scenario.
Turkey recalled its ambassador in protest, and threatened to block vital supply routes to Iraq if the bill passed. About 70 percent of air
cargo headed to Iraq goes through Turkey.
Meanwhile, tensions raged between the U.S. and Turkey over northern Iraq, where Kurdish insurgents had staged several attacks on Turkish troops.
Turkey had held back from invading in response to appeals from the Bush administration. But last week the Turkish parliament overwhelmingly
granted the government permission to invade.
"It's pretty clear that they stumbled into a hornet's nest greater than Adam Schiff or Nancy Pelosi probably ever anticipated," said congressional
scholar Norman Ornstein.
"Clearly, the support was slipping away," added Bulent Aliriza, director of the Turkey Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies,
a Washington, D.C., think tank.
But, he added, "I don't think the issue is going to go away."
Schiff said he doesn't think it will either. He contended the measure is likely to regain support once the immediate crisis in Northern Iraq is
under control.
Both he and Papazian dismissed the possibility that Congress will grow weary of the issue and the battles it inevitably provokes between
lawmakers and the administration.
"Genocide never loses its relevancy," Papazian said.
The resolution declares that 1.5 million Armenians were killed, forcefully deported and displaced between 1915 and 1923 in a systematic genocide.
Turks acknowledge committing atrocities against Armenians, but object to the word "genocide." They say Armenians were killed when they
joined forces with French and Russians to attack Turks and attempt to take control of Ottoman lands.
More than 20 other countries have recognized the massacres of Armenians as genocide. Meanwhile, Republicans who in past years
blocked consideration of the resolution, on Thursday ridiculed Pelosi for agreeing to delay it.
Monday October 22, 2007
Jerusalem Armenians Protest Israeli Stand on HR106.
Jerusalem, 22nd October 2007
To: Her Excellency
Tzipi Luvni
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Israel
As in the coming days we approach the crucial vote in the Congress, we are saddened to learn that the Israeli Foreign Ministry is engaged in
heavy lobbying to influence the votes of the congressmen specifically to convince them to withdraw their support from the Armenian Genocide
Resolution bill. Are we witnessing again the repetition of an old pattern with Israeli Foreign Ministry openly interfered in the Congress vote in
1989 and 2000?
We wish to point that many Jewish organizations in America and many Israelis do not approve of these shameful acts.
It is unbecoming of the Foreign ministry of a people who underwent through a horrible Holocaust to adopt such a position.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry since 30 years has meddled rudely in multiple issues related to the Armenian Genocide. Since 1976, it has pressured
Israel TV from showing documentaries on the Armenian Genocide. It has lobbied to prevent teaching the Armenian Genocide in Israeli schools.
It has tried to stop the discussion of the Armenian Genocide in the Knesset, and specially it has lent its help to the Turkish denial campaign in
international forums. It has gone far enough to come up with an original interpretation of the Armenian Genocide in its official documents.
It has almost adopted the Turkish official line seeing the solution of the Armenian Genocide through an international commission, where we would
come to know after 92 years how many were killed, by whom and why. Is it permitted to pose the same question for the Holocaust?!
The Armenian Community of Jerusalem representing the Armenian Diaspora requests the Foreign Ministry not to meddle in the affairs of the
victims of our Genocide. If Israel considers itself an ally of Turkey, it would best serve Turkey by convincing her to come to terms with its past!
-Armenian United Committee of Jerusalem
PRESS RELEASE
Last week the European Union and the Armenians marked the passage of 20 years for the adoption of the Armenian Genocide Resolution.
Coincidentally, also last week, the U.S. Congress Foreign Affairs Committee recognized the Armenian Genocide.
In November, the Armenian Genocide will come to the vote. Turkey; the heir to the perpetrator state, is threatening and blackmailing America.
The U.S. administration as in the past is exerting massive pressure on legislators to remove the Armenian issue from the congressional agenda.
We understand American zeal to protect the so-called American interests which are at stake. Despite past bitter experience, it is hard
to explain Israeli diplomatic and lobbying activity on Capitol Hill. Why does the Turkish Foreign Minister choose to come to Israel to seek Israeli
help to undermine the Genocide resolution?
Israel is jeopardizing its claim to moral high ground on the Holocaust issue. Many Jewish organizations in America have rebelled and do not carry
out Israeli Foreign Ministry instructions to lobby against the Armenian Genocide Resolution. On the other hand, we are equally surprised at the
long silence of Israeli intellectuals.
This is the third time Israel is openly engaged in torpedoing the Armenian Genocide bill in the Congress. Fortunately, this does not reflect the
attitude of the majority of Israelis as recent polls indicate. The appropriate response to all these shameful acts is to bring the Armenian Genocide
issue to the Knesset, as MK Ran Cohen suggested last week.
This is the moral challenge facing the Israeli public! The Armenian Genocide and the Holocaust both happened in the 20th century, nobody can
erase and undo the facts. The Armenian community of Jerusalem cherishes the memory of Ambassador Henry Morgenthau and Franz Werfel and
salutes the author of the Genocide bill, Congressman Schiff and the American Jewish congressmen who support the bill.
It is our ardent wish to see their memory honored in Israel. We await the day when Israel will follow in the footsteps of these noble
and
courageous men of principle.
If Israel chooses the old course of action, we-Armenians of Jerusalem- have one request:
“Do not disturb the tormented sleep of our dead.”
The Armenian United Committee of Jerusalem
Jerusalem. Monday, 22nd October 2007
Wednesday October 17, 2007
MEDIA RELEASE:
Armenian Relief Society – Australia
259 Penshurst Street, Willoughby NSW 2068 ~ PO Box 768 , Willoughby NSW 2068
Tel : (02) 9413 3784 ~ Fax : (02) 9411 8898
$1.4 MILLION SECURED FOR ARMENIAN RELIEF SOCIETY HEALTHCARE PROJECT
SYDNEY: Australian Prime Minister John Howard has approved $1.432million ($1.25million USD) in funding to the Armenian Relief Society's
Gyumri Mother and Child Health Care Centre project. The announcement was read by Federal Cabinet Minister Joe Hockey before 2000
Armenian-Australians attending Armenian Family Day – Rally for Genocide Recognition at Eastwood Park on Sunday.
The Prime Minister's statement read: "I am pleased to announce that, in response to a request from the Armenian National Committee
of Australia, the Government will provide up to $1.4 million to the Armenian Relief Society (ARS) for support to the Gyumri Mother and
Child Health Care Centre."
It continued: "The centre was established in 1997 and provides maternal and child health services in the Shirak province of Armenia ,
serving approximately 50,000 people. Australian assistance will be used to update surgical equipment, renovate and expand the main Health
Centre building and finance the purchase of an ambulance and other specialist equipment for the newly established Diagnostic Centre."
ARS Australia Chairperson, Ms Suzy Sarafian welcomed the announcement, stating: "On behalf of 22,000 ARS members worldwide and the
Armenian-Australian community, I would like to extend our sincere gratitude for this significant funding announcement."
She added: "The aid will help further reduce the infant mortality rate in the Armenian region, as well as provide medical assistance to mothers
away from the city centre."
Mr. Varant Meguerditchian, President of the Armenian National Committee of Australia, joined the ARS in thanking Minister Hockey after the
announcement.
He said: "The Australian Government's commitment to provide humanitarian aid to the people of Armenia pays tribute to the generosity of
the Australian people and almost a century on, echoes Australian efforts to assist Armenian refugees in the years immediately following the
Armenian Genocide."
The Armenian Relief Society is the oldest Armenian women's organisation, established in 1910 in New York City . Since its foundation, the ARS has
provided educational and humanitarian assistance to Armenians everywhere. Today, the ARS has entities in 24 countries including Australia where members
of the Society contribute to their communities and the larger world for the betterment of all humankind.
Armenian National Committee of Australia
259 Penshurst Street , Willoughby NSW 2068
PO Box 768, Willoughby NSW 2068
T: (02) 9419 8264 | F: (02) 9411 8898
E: info@anc.org.au | W: www.anc.org.au
The Armenian National Committee of Australia is the peak public affairs body of the Armenian-Australian community.
ANC Australia advances the concerns of the Armenian-Australian community.
|
Bipartisan Armenian Genocide Resolution will Ensure United States Remains a Moral Leader Around the World
WASHINGTON--Today, U.S. Reps. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and George Radanovich (R-CA), lead sponsors of the Armenian Genocide Resolution; Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), co-chairmen of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues; and Brad Sherman (D-CA) and Ed Royce (R-CA), senior members of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs highlighted the importance of recognizing the murder of a million and a half Armenians between 1915-1923 as genocide. Today, Congress rightly honored the Dalai Lama with the Congressional Gold Medal at a ceremony in the Capitol, despite the ardent objections of the Chinese government. In this demonstration of moral virtue, Congress today stood up for what is right and would not be intimidated by threats from another nation. In awarding the Dalai Lama the highest civilian honor Congress can bestow, Congress showed its commitment to promoting peace around the world. We will not let another country impede our efforts to speak out against inhumanity. Genocide. If we as a nation are to be a moral leader around the world we must have the courage to recognize genocide whenever and wherever it occurs. This resolution is consistent with the record of the U.S. House of Representatives in speaking out against genocides ? past and present. The House has passed resolutions on the Holocaust and the genocides in Cambodia, Darfur, Ukraine and Bosnia.
EDITORS NOTE: Visit the Action Alert portion of www.asbarez.com and take action to ensure the passage of the resolution and thank these and other representatives whose decisive leadership and support has guided this process. |
Bush blasts Congress on several fronts
Bush said congressional Democrats are wasting time with proposed legislation calling
the actions of Ottoman Turks against Armenians during World War I "genocide."
WASHINGTON -- President Bush attacked Congress on Wednesday, ripping the new Democratic leadership for failing to achieve much
in their first nine months of power.
Bush used his opening statement to list areas where he said "Congress has work to do": health care; security; the budget; education; housing;
trade; help for military veterans; law enforcement and the judiciary.
He complained about progress on a number of bills before Congress, including children's health insurance, spending plans and internal surveillance
legislation, saying Congress has wasted much of the past nine months.
"Now the clock is winding down. In some key areas, Congress is just getting started," Bush said."One of Congress' basic duties is to fund the
day-to-day operations of the federal government. Yet Congress has not sent me a single appropriations bill," Bush said.
Bush said congressional Democrats are wasting time with proposed legislation calling the actions of Ottoman Turks against Armenians during
World War I "genocide."
"With all these pressing responsibilities, one thing Congress should not be doing is sorting out the historical record of the Ottoman Empire,
" Bush said. "The resolution on the mass killings of Armenians beginning in 1915 is counterproductive. ...
"Congress has more important work to do than antagonizing a democratic ally in the Muslim world, especially one that's providing vital support
for our military every day," Bush said.
U.S.-Turkey relations were strained further Wednesday as the Turkish parliament overwhelmingly approved military action against Kurdish
separatists based in Iraq. Turkey has massed 60,000 troops along its border with Iraq.
Bush said the U.S. is asking the Turkish government for restraint.
"We are making it very clear to Turkey that we don't think it is in their interests to send troops into Iraq,
" he said while acknowledging that some Turkish troops have crossed the border.
Armenian proposal's fate uncertain: House speaker
The future of a U.S. House resolution calling the 1915 massacre of Armenians by Ottoman Turks genocide appeared in doubt on Wednesday
after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said whether it would come to the floor for a vote "remains to be seen."
Support for the resolution has eroded sharply since it was passed by the House Foreign Affairs Committee last week. Critical Iraq war ally Turkey
warned it would damage relations with the United States and President George W. Bush condemned it.
"Whether it will come up or not, what the action will be, remains to be seen," Pelosi, a California Democrat, told reporters on Wednesday.
She previously had vowed it would get a vote of the full chamber sometime this year.
Pelosi said on Wednesday she had always supported the nonbinding, largely symbolic resolution, but she would be working with other advocates
to see what they wanted to do now.
Lawmakers from both political parties have been withdrawing their names from the resolution in recent days in the face of criticism from Turkey
and Bush. Some key Democrats as well as Republicans oppose it.
Turkey calls the resolution insulting and rejects the Armenian position, backed by many Western historians, that up to 1.5 million Armenians
suffered genocide at the hands of Ottoman Turks during World War One.
The United States is highly dependent on Turkey's Incirlik air base. About 70 percent of the U.S. military air cargo into Iraq transits that base,
according to the Defense Department.
Speaker Pelosi hedges on genocide resolution vote
WASHINGTON -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Wednesday said it "remains to be seen" whether a House resolution labeling as genocide the
mass killings of Armenians by what is now Turkey will get a vote on the House floor.
The issue has split Democrats.
"There is reason to bring this to the floor," Pelosi, D-California, said. "Whether those who have been advocating it want to go to that place
remains to be seen."
The resolution is vehemently opposed by key U.S. military ally Turkey. The administration and critics of the resolution argue that any damage
to U.S.-Turkish relations could endanger supply routes to U.S. forces deployed in Iraq.
By a 27-21 vote last week, the House Foreign Affairs Committee adopted the resolution, which formally identifies the killings as genocide.
Turkish officials acknowledge the killings of Armenians during World War I but vehemently object to the designation "genocide."
On Sunday, Pelosi told ABC's "This Week" that she intended to move ahead with a vote on the resolution, which she called "one that is
consistent with what our government has always said about ... what happened at that time."
Asked about criticism that it could harm relations with Turkey -- a fellow member of NATO -- Pelosi said, "There's never been a good time,"
adding that it is important to pass the resolution now "because many of the survivors are very old."
"I have always supported it, [the resolution] as did the previous leader of the Democrats in the Congress, Congressman [Richard] Gephardt,
" Pelosi said. "Almost everybody supports this, because they know it is right. Whether it will come up or not, or what the action will be,
remains to be seen."
Pelosi said, however, "other matters on the agenda that have to be dealt with first" -- issues such as modifying the Foreign Intelligence
Surveillance Act and overriding the president's veto of a bill expanding the State Children's Health Insurance Program.
On Tuesday, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, the No. 2 House Democrat, also appeared to hedge his pledge to bring it to a full vote
before November's holiday recess.
"I said I thought we would bring this up prior to us leaving here," said Hoyer. "I have not changed on that, although I would be less than
candid [not] to say that there are a number of people who are revisiting their own positions."
President Bush also called on House leaders to abandon the measure.
"Congress has more important work to do than antagonizing a democratic ally in the Muslim world, especially one that's providing vital support
for our military every day."
Bush also said at a Wednesday news conference that "... one thing Congress should not be doing is sorting out the historical record of the
Ottoman Empire," the predecessor of modern Turkey.
Pelosi's comments come as five House Democrats on Wednesday underscored their strong opposition to the resolution, citing the militarily
strategic importance of Turkey.
Reps. John Murtha of Pennsylvania, Alcee Hastings and Robert Wexler of Florida and John Tanner and Steve Cohen of Tennessee urged
House Democratic leadership to stop the resolution, which passed the House Foreign Affairs Committee last week and is slated to go to the
House floor for a vote.
"We believe that this resolution at this time takes away or impedes our ability to bring the most swift rapid resolution of this situation in Iraq
to a conclusion that is beneficial to our country," Tanner said.
Hastings and Tanner, both of whom serve on the House delegation to NATO, also expressed their opposition to the resolution in a letter
from the delegation to Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The measure would "threaten our operations and our troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan," the letter said.
The U.S. and Iraqi governments fear the proposed resolution could harm Washington's influence with Turkish officials who want to launch
military raids against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq. Washington officials are concerned the Turkish raids would further destabilize the region.
Six former co-sponsors have abandoned the measure since last week, leaving it with 218 co-sponsors, said lead sponsor Rep. Adam Schiff.
If more members remove their names from the resolution, Hastings predicted that "it will signal that it's not the right thing at this time."
The nation is critical to U.S. war supply routes, said U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates last week. About a third of American fuel supplies
pass through Turkey, he said, as does about 70 percent of American air freight and 95 percent of mine-resistant armored military vehicles
set for delivery to Iraq.
Eight former U.S. secretaries of state also oppose the resolution: Alexander M. Haig, Jr.; Henry A. Kissinger; George P. Shultz;
James A. Baker III; Lawrence S. Eagleburger; Warren Christopher; Madeleine K. Albright; and Colin L. Powell. They sent a letter to Pelosi
last month urging her not to let the resolution reach the House floor.
"Passage of the resolution would harm our foreign policy objectives to promote reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia," said the letter.
"It would also strain our relations with Turkey, and would endanger our national security interests in the region, including the safety of our
troops in Iraq and Afghanistan."
Although the former secretaries of state emphasized they were not minimizing or denying the "horrible tragedy" faced by Armenians during
the period, they also stressed Turkey's "geo-political importance" as an "indispensable partner" in the fight against terrorism.
