Obama’s ambassador nominee sidesteps Armenian ‘genocide’ term
WASHINGTON D.C. – President Barack Obama’s nominee for the post of US ambassador to Armenia did not use the term "genocide" when he spoke about the alleged mass killings of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey during hearings in the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee.
In reply to pro-Armenian Senator Robert Menendez’s question regarding the World War I-era events, John Heffern said using the term would be a political decision.
"I agree with you that 1.5 million Armenians were killed in the Ottoman Empire in 1915, that there were mass killings and instances of ethnic cleansing and forced deportation. But the ‘genocide’ charachteristics would be a political decision," Heffern said.
Menendez, a New Jersey senator, in turn, claimed that delegating a diplomat who cannot use the term "genocide" to Armenia would be inappropriate.
Armenians have for many years been seeking passage of a "genocide" bill in US Congress and continue trying to muster international support on the issue.
Ankara dismisses the "genocide" claims and has repeatedly offered conducting joint historical research to establish the facts.
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