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October 16, 2007
Armenia and Realpolitik
House Democrats decide that maybe alienating Turkey in a time of war isn't a good idea.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Key Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday joined Republicans to warn that a resolution calling the 1915 massacre of Armenians by Ottoman Turks genocide could harm U.S. strategic interests.Okay, first things first - Turkey's attempts to rewrite history are kind of lame. The genocide happened. Admission is the first step to recovery, folks.But despite the rebuff, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, did not back away from plans to hold a full House vote sometime this year.
The nonbinding, largely symbolic resolution passed the House Foreign Affairs Committee last week, despite strong opposition from the White House. It infuriated NATO ally Turkey, which hinted it might halt logistic support to U.S. troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan if the bill passes.
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. Turkey has recalled its ambassador for consultations over the matter.
My friend Joe pointed out to me that this resolution isn't a new idea, so I was wrong about this being a deliberate attempt to sabotage the war effort. Turns out Bush and Pelosi have both expressed support for this resolution in the past. The fact that it would irritate Turkey and harm the war effort may be gravy, but it's not the intention. Mea maxima culpa.
Of course, this being politics, other considerations might be at play here as well.
What it comes down to for me is what good will this do for the Armenians who were victims of that genocide? What's the point of alienating an ally at a crucial time to make a relatively small group of people feel better? I really wish Congress would stop wasting its time on useless resolutions.
If they want to make a difference in the world, how about doing something to stop an ongoing genocide?
Posted by slublog at October 16, 2007 11:20 PM
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