Clinton Meeting with Armenian American Groups Postponed
WASHINGTON—Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s meeting with Armenian American groups, scheduled for Feb. 9, has been postponed, with the State Department citing the snow storm that blasted the nation’s capital as the primary reason. More than 20 inches of snow fell on Washington over the weekend, closing down the federal government on Mon., Feb. 8. No new meeting date has yet been announced.
The delay provides the State Department an opportunity to reconsider its initial invitation list for the meeting, which was widely criticized as both unbalanced and biased toward the leadership of the few groups that support the controversial Turkey-Armenia protocols, an initiative criticized by a clear majority of Armenian Americans.
Soon after being invited to the Feb. 9 meeting, and learning of the unfair composition of the proposed Armenian American delegation, Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) chairman Ken Hachikian asked Clinton to reconsider the invitation list, which initially included only the Armenian Assembly of America, the Western Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Armenian General Benevolent Union, Knights of Vartan, and the ANCA.
“Selectively choosing to meet with a few organizations, largely from one portion of [the Armenian American leadership] group, particularly when these leaders represent a markedly minority viewpoint on the current course of U.S. diplomacy, serves neither the administration’s aim of a frank, two-way communication, nor the community’s interest in seeing our collective viewpoint taken into account by our nation’s decision-makers,” explained Hachikian in the ANCA’s Jan. 11 letter.
The ANCA has followed up on this letter by reaching out to both the State Department and to a broad range of Armenian American organizations.
Failure of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to include The Armenian National Committee of America in its talks is a blow to the Armenian People. This goes to show the pressure the Turks are putting on the President & State Dept. All Armenian Organizations as well as our churches must put pressure on Hillary and the State Dept.
Hye, the U.S. State Department pulls blunders – and still continues to function as an ‘active’ organ of the U.S. government…. Over and over, we have learned (later/after fact) that these convoluted policies have been less than what the leading democracy of the world shall have purused.
Today, seeking to maintain the State Department’s stance in support of the Turkish leaderships,the State Department blundered, to put it mildly… in pursuit of the Protocols favoring a Turkey.
Hilary and cohorts, and some Armenians, issued an invitation to meet (Feb. 4th) to several Armenian entities, religious, political and more to attend. Mind, these were all the groups which have always been in support of the the State Departments blunders – actually anti Armenia… Yet, on the other side of the scales of justice, the lone oppostion ‘invited’ is the world renown Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA). Talk about democracy in action – at the highest levels of the government of the USA! The scales of justice tilted to ridiculous depths! Or, in this case – heights??
The State Department and those (of the other side of the page) Armenian Assembly (AAA) Diocese of the Armenian Church, the Knights of Vartan, the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) and others, shall have joined with Hilary et al to in making the selections as to whom shall/shall not be included. And then they make the Big Blunder! (Not the only one, to be sure).
These Armenians (except ANCA) revel in the fact that they are now in the so-called drivers’ seat – and will therefore, allow some of those who align with the ANCA to be ‘allowed’ to attend. Whoopee!
But the blunder: together with the State Department’s blessings these ‘bright/enlightened/intelligent?/qualified pro State Department Armenians (for want of a better title) insist – yes INSIST – the Armenian Relief Societ (ARS) shall be excluded!
ARS, recently celebrated their 100 years of existence. One hundred years of generations of Armenian women – volunteers – whose chapters join together to give aid and assistance to Armenians – the world over. These dedicated Armenian women – to be denied to give voice at Hilary’s gathering… Eliminating their voices – eliminated as the Turks did to the Armenian nation!
Further, the insistence by the AAA, AGBU et al, against these women was a slap in the face to all Armenians… AAA, AGBU et al appear to have reveled in their stance with the State Department! Thinking they were in charge – sillies – Hilary runs the show – not AAA, AGBU et al.
Take note: Women, the world over have found their voices – and to ‘eliminate’ the ARS, here in the USA – is an abomination, to say the least. As they say in Armenian, AMOT, and in plain English I say,
STUPID. AAA and AGBU are of the ‘monied’ but, obviously, Armenianess is lacking, too, politics is certainly not their ‘cup of tea’ either. Manooshag
Manooshag
P.S. Knights of Vartan and the Diocese seem to have ‘awakened’ and have stepped back from their original participation of this obvious ‘blunder’…
Gosh, just listen to you two whine!! You are truly quite entertaining! Tell me, do you do catering as well?
Hy Robert, your flip responses are obviously your ploy – denials, deceits, all part of the Turks’ ploys – in action – distractions to divert from the seriousness of the issue of Genocides – of which the Turks, from Ottomans to today are best known – by all the nations of the world.
Next in line is the Kurd, labelled as terrorists so that your leaderships shall have their reasons to perpetuate the next Genocide… to come. Manooshag