Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Cites ‘Principled Position’ of UN Ambassador Nominee
WASHINGTON—Senator Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, opened his hearing on the confirmation of Samantha Power to serve as UN Ambassador by telling her that he is “incredibly appreciative of the principled position you’ve taken on the Armenian Genocide,” reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
At the start of the highly anticipated and widely broadcast hearing, Menendez noted, “You have been an unrelenting, principled voice when it comes to human rights and crimes against humanity, and I know that voice will be heard around the world should you be confirmed,” adding, “Personally, I am incredibly appreciative of the principled position you’ve taken on the Armenian Genocide. In 2007, you wrote in Time Magazine, ‘a stable, fruitful, 21st-century relationship’ [with Turkey] cannot be built on a lie,’ and I completely agree.”
The New Jersey Democrat also stressed, “Your belief that we should use the lessons of what clearly was an atrocity of historic proportions to prevent future crimes against humanity is a view consistent with my own and which is supported by your role on the President’s Atrocities Prevention Board. I agree that we must acknowledge and study the past, understand how and why atrocities happen, to put-into-practice and giving meaning to the phrase, “never again.”
The full text and video of the opening remarks by Menendez are available online at
www.foreign.senate.gov/press/chair/release/chairman-menenadez-opening-statement-at-nomination-hearing-for-samantha-power-to-serve-as-us-ambassador-to-the-united-nations.
The full hearing can be viewed on the website of the Foreign Relations Committee at www.foreign.senate.gov/hearings/nomination-07-17-2013.
The ANCA-Eastern Region honored Samantha Power at its 2008 banquet in New York City for her extensive academic, research, and advocacy work challenging the denial of the Armenian Genocide. During the 2008 presidential campaign, Power released a video urging Armenian Americans to support the candidacy of Senator Barack Obama; below is the video:
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Samantha Power has been a disappointment. She has not fulfilled her promises to Armenian Americans (not to mention many other Americans whom she has disappointed).
Letter: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/2/the-power-of-power/
Article: http://old.hetq.am/en/politics/10451/
It is my wish that you are nominated without question. I know President Obama is in a difficult place and to date has not acknowledged the Armenian Genocide as a genocide but perhaps you can make that happen so a dialogue can begin and people like myself can find some closure in the loss of so many Armenians. Thankyou.
Samantha Power can not be believed as her dismal track record proves it.
She has not fulfilled her promises to Armenian Americans.
I have no time for such liars such as her and Obama and people who praise her.
Samantha has long ago turned about face on the Armenian genocide after joining the Obama administration. Samantha has long ago traded human rights issues and genocide prevention with political and personal gains.
We Armenians should not alienate the few non-Armenian friends that we have. Samantha Power raised the awareness of the Armenian Genocide to a new level with her book. For that, she received much hate from the Turks. It would be immature to attack her just because she defended Obama. She does not owe anything to Armenians. No American does. If she has chosen to be on our (and truth’s) side, we need to be appreciative. Or else we shoot ourselves in the foot.