By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier
In recent days, thousands of articles were published on the
Armenian Genocide in newspapers around the world. In addition,
in dozens of countries, TV and radio stations provided extensive
coverage of the commemorative events for the 91st anniversary of
the Armenian Genocide.
This writer brought his share by delivering public remarks
and participating in several Armenian and non-Armenian TV
programs. Last year, the Los Angeles affiliate of FOX-TV (KTTV,
Channel 11) interviewed him on the eve of the 90th anniversary,
while airing live satellite pictures of the procession of
hundreds of thousands of Armenians at the Genocide Memorial
Monument in Yerevan.
This year, FOX-TV invited this writer again to their
studios on April 23rd, while airing live satellite footage of
the procession at the Genocide Monument in Armenia. An hour
later that night, he was interviewed by UPN (KCOP-TV, Channel
13). The transcript of that second interview will be provided at
a later date. Here is the transcript of the FOX-TV interview:
FOX-TV anchor 1: It's Monday morning in Armenia where an
entire nation is marking the 91st anniversary of the Armenian
Genocide.
FOX-TV anchor 2: The Los Angeles area is home to 350,000
people of Armenian descent. The Genocide, long denied by the
Turkey, is a very emotional issue for Armenians here and around
the world.
Anchor 1: And now you are looking at a live shot of
Yerevan, Armenia's capital, where ceremonies are underway
commemorating the start of the Genocide on April 24th, 1915.
It's estimated over one million Armenians were killed between
1915 and 1923.
Anchor 2: Joining us now in studio is Harut Sassounian of
the United Armenian Fund. It's nice to have you back. Thanks for
coming in. And yet, I feel that when we begin to ask you
questions in 2006, the questions don't differ a whole lot from
in 2005. Does that make you feel sad, to an extent that the
progress has not been as quick as you would like it to be?
Sassounian: It's frustrating because the facts of history
are clear, but for political reasons, people play games, and
that is what's frustrating to us -- because they know the truth,
and yet, they want to cover up the truth for political
considerations.
Anchor 1: Let's go back a step and be more precise here.
You would like the United States government to recognize that
there was an Armenian Genocide, in the first place, and the
Turkish government as well?
Sassounian: The United States government in the past has
had no problem recognizing it, but in recent years, because of
political considerations in the region, they have started
playing word games. They don't want to come out and flat out to
say it. There is a resolution in both the House and the Senate
which the administration is blocking from coming to a vote. If
it would come to a vote, it would pass with an overwhelming
majority.
Anchor 2: I would also like you to speak to the live
pictures that we are seeing in Yerevan.
Sassounian: Every year on April 24, it's already April 24
-- Armenia is 12 hours ahead of Los Angeles -- so already tens
of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of Armenians are
starting the solemn procession from early morning hours till
late at night. They pay their respects and they place flowers.
The government leaders are there as well as the ambassadors of
various countries.
Anchor 2: Speaking of ambassadors, you have been writing a
lot of editorial pieces, a lot of articles lately about the U.S.
Ambassador to Armenia, John Evans, talking about the U.S.
government calling him back to the United States after he said
what?
Sassounian: Amb. Evans was in Los Angeles last year, in
February 2005. He met a large number of Armenian groups and in
one of his meetings, he made a statement acknowledging the
Armenian Genocide, calling it "the first genocide of the 20th
Century." A few days later, when he got back, they [the State
Dept.] slapped his hands and told him, "that's a no-no! You're
not supposed to say that. Issue a clarification, saying that
that was your personal opinion as opposed to the policy of the
U.S. government." He issued that [clarification]. Then they made
him retract a part of his clarification. They did not like the
way he had clarified it. They made him make a second
clarification. Then the American Foreign Service Association
gave him a "Constructive Dissent" award. They gave him an award
for dissenting from policy. Right before getting the award, the
State Dept. forced the Association to rescind the award. So they
took the award away, and now they are firing him!
Anchor 1: Does this say more about politics of the word
genocide?
Sassounian: The facts are clear. There is no dispute about
the facts. Even the founder of the modern Turkish Republic,
Kemal Ataturk, recognized the Genocide in a 1926 interview.
Turkish tribunals tried and sentenced to death the masterminds
of the Genocide. The U.S. government...Pres. Reagan recognized it
in a Presidential Proclamation in 1981. The U.S. Congress -- the
House of Representatives, twice in 1975 and 1984, passed
resolutions recognizing it. There are millions of documents in
the U.S. national archives testifying to that fact. The U.S.
Ambassador back then in 1915...
Anchor 1: What the Turkish government says is that there
were casualties on both sides. That's why they are reluctant...
Sassounian: Even though they know better... The good news
this year, as opposed to last year, more and more Turkish
scholars are coming forward saying, "look, we started this, it
is genocide, and it is time for Turkey to face the facts of
history." So that's the new development.
Anchor 2: Which is what the U.S. State Dept. has said it is
encouraging. That's its position. It says that we believe we
want other countries, we encourage other countries to examine
themselves, examine their own issues. Why is that not good
enough for you?
Sassounian: It's not good enough because the U.S.
government, first of all, before the United States starts giving
a lecture about democracy to foreign countries, it has to
practice what it preaches itself, by recognizing a fact of
history that happened 91 years ago, And then, only then, when
you are on a solid ground, you can give a lecture about bringing
democracy to Iraq, Russia or China. Then, that would make it
more credible, if we practice what we preach ourselves.
Anchor 2: Is there concern, I am looking here at, from the
United Nations, there are adopted resolutions on what genocide
is and on what the ramifications are when signatory countries
dispute genocide, as they are right now? Is it possible that
this could end up in the International Court of Justice should
the United States make a wrong step? Is that actually what you
are concerned about?
Sassounian: We would not take the U.S. to court. But there
is a lot of conversation in the Armenian community worldwide,
consulting with international legal experts on possibly taking
Turkey to the international court.