Armenia’s President Serge Sarkisian has invited several world leaders to Yerevan on April 24 to commemorate the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide.
The presidents of France, Russia, Poland and Belarus have already accepted Sarkisian’s invitation. The White House has yet to make a public statement on whether President Barack Obama plans to travel to Armenia on this most solemn occasion.
A century ago, Henry Morgenthau, the U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, described the systematic annihilation of 1.5 million Armenians as “The Murder of a Nation.” Raphael Lemkin, a Polish-Jewish lawyer, told CBS that he coined the term “genocide” based on the mass crimes committed against Armenians during World War and against Jews during World War II.
Here are 10 reasons why Air Force One should make an auspicious landing in Yerevan’s Zvartnots International Airport on April 24:
- Obama would pay tribute to hundreds of thousands of compassionate American citizens for having raised over $117 million—today’s equivalent of over $2 billion—to aid destitute Armenians in the aftermath of the genocide. Initiated by Morgenthau and supported by President Woodrow Wilson, Near East Relief helped rescue and care for 132,000 Armenian orphans. This massive charitable effort was the first international humanitarian outreach in U.S. history.
- By visiting Armenia on this occasion, Obama would be reaffirming the longstanding U.S. acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide—a settled historical fact recognized as genocide by:
– the U.S. government in a document submitted to the World Court in 1951;
– the House of Representatives in 1975 and 1984;
– President Ronald Reagan in a Presidential Proclamation issued on April 22, 1981;
– 43 out of 50 U.S. states;
– two dozen countries, including France, Italy, Russia, Canada, Holland, Vatican, Switzerland, Sweden, Argentina, Lebanon, Greece, Cyprus, Poland, and Venezuela;
– several international organizations, including the UN Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities; the European Parliament; and the International Association of Genocide Scholars.
- The Centennial could well be Obama’s last opportunity to regain the trust of the Armenian-American community by honoring his solemn pledge as Senator and presidential candidate to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide.
- Obama could lay the foundation for improved Armenian-Turkish relations based on truth and justice, in line with a pending resolution in the House of Representatives, and his previous April 24 statements, declaring that “a full, frank, and just acknowledgement of the facts is in all of our interests.” Obama’s visit would also encourage Turkish human rights activists to continue their arduous task of assisting the government of Turkey to reckon with the darkest pages of its past.
- The U.S. president could take advantage of this visit to urge Turkey to lift the blockade of Armenia, while taking a glimpse at the biblical Mount Ararat just across the closed border.
- In response to mounting attacks by Azerbaijan on Nagorno-Karabagh (Artsakh), Obama could stress Washington’s strong support for a peaceful settlement of this thorny conflict.
- Obama’s visit would help balance Armenia’s relations with the West, particularly after its membership in the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union, and in view of Putin’s planned trip to Yerevan on April 24. Armenia has enjoyed close relations with Western Europe and the United States, and has participated in international peacekeeping forces in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, and Lebanon. More recently, the appointment of former Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan as Armenia’s Ambassador to Washington underscores the importance Yerevan attaches to its relations with the United States.
- Since Obama, due to the Ukraine crisis, is not planning to travel to Moscow to take part in the World War II Victory Day celebrations on May 9, he would have the opportunity to meet with President Vladimir Putin in Yerevan, in a less conspicuous atmosphere.
- Obama’s visit to Armenia would be a significant gesture of goodwill toward the Armenian-American community. Last week, 16 major Armenian-American organizations sent a joint letter to the president urging him to participate in the Armenian Genocide Centennial events in Armenia.
- Obama would be making a historic first U.S. presidential trip to Armenia, preceded by several high-ranking American officials: Secretary of State James Baker III in 1992; Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld in 2001; and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2010 and 2012, when she laid a wreath at the Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan, as all U.S. Ambassadors have done on every April 24, since the country’s independence in 1991.
Harut Sassounian
All President Obama needs is ONE reason.
ITS THE RIGHT THING TO DO!
Furthermore, he will earn the Nobel peace prize and silence the critics of his award.
or: he could visit an Armenian Church on the Sunday when the Martrs are comemmorated, and light a candle
No reason should be not to go and be there.
By visiting Yerevan on April 24th, He will silence his critics among us, and demonstrate that he is a man of integrity and can be trusted.
President Obama visiting Yerevan on April 24, will do the right thing as a man of integrity in front of God and the world.
Hope he does but don’t be surprised if he does not for obvious political reasons.
I wonder if the “political reasons” have not begun to point the other way, in FAVOUR of recognizing the genocide:
-Turkey has undercut American policy against ISIS
-Genocide recognition would be part of Obama’s “legacy”
-It will shore up Armenian-American support for the Democratic candidate in 2016
-Turkey has noticeably hardened its position over the past year. It is no longer dangling “reconciliation” in front of Armenia’s face, and therefore Obama can no longer use that excuse.
Probably not enough, but still, the above reflect some differences between this year and the past.
One reason why President Obama will not visit Yerevan on April 24th?
Because he does not care!!!
I voted for Mr. Obama and believe he has been good for people in this country. However, it is sad that he did and does lack the guts to honor his past positions on the Genocide. There is no excuse for putting politics over personal principles. He will be remember for many things. He should also be remembered for his lack of integrity on the matter of the Genocide
1,We the Armenian did support Obama to be the next President of USA because of the Pledge he maid to us.
2,No USA Presidents ever visit the Armenian this is a good time he will make a history by his visit to honor and recognize the Armenian Genocide.
3,Prresident Vladimir Putin will be in Armenia for Centennial visit this will bee good time for bout President to have a meeting about the Ukraine.
DEAR PRESIDENT OBAMA BY PARICIPATION IN ARMENIAN GENOCIDE CENTENIAL IN ARMENIA NOT ONLY YOU WILL CONQUER THE HEART AND THE SOUL OF ARMENIAN PEOPLE BUT ALSO YOUR FOOTSTEPS WILL REMAIN IN ARMENIAN HISTORY BOOKS FOREVER AS “HENRY MORGENTAU” THE US AMBASSADOR TO OTTOMAN EMPIRE AND THE OTHERS.
DEAR PRISIDENT ARMENIANS ARE VERY GREATFUL PEOPLE.
DR. I-BABAJANIAN
USA
Here is another legitimate reason for Obama to attend the Armenian Genocide centennial commemoration in Armenia:
Given the fact that he is in part an African-American and given the fact that his people faced discrimination, slavery and tyranny for several hundred years in the county where his mother and he himself were born, and given the fact he praised and commended one of his own heroes, Nelson Mandela, who practically scarified his entire life in defiance of the South African Apartheid, he should be true to his words and show his commitment to standing up to tyranny and call for justice for the Armenian victims of Turkish tyranny.
isis is a county away… He may be a dumb president but not that dumb
Yes, indeed, “a century ago, Henry Morgenthau, the U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, described the systematic annihilation of 1.5 million Armenians as ‘The Murder of a Nation’”, as well as “The Campaign of Race Annihilation” in his telegrams to Washington, DC.
After 100 years, instead of evolving to “Genocide”, particularly after 1943 when the term was coined, it degraded to “Medz Yeghern” during the Obama administration. No comments…
Yeah, you wish… Isn’t he too fast? I mean the president of the land of “the free” and the home of “the brave”?
Wishful thinking. That man will not travel to Yerevan. Sassounian has given us 10 reasons why he should travel; please can you now ( he is not travelling even if bolted) give 10 reasons as to why he is not going to travel ?
“That man will not travel to Yerevan”
In all fairness Ashirin, shouldn’t be you to give us the 10 reasons why that man will not travel to Yerevan?
I’m anxiously waiting to hear your 10 reasons. Thank you.