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der Brucer

White House: Genocide resolution could hurt relations with key ally

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Bush administration Wednesday lobbied heavily against a House resolution that labels the killings of Armenians in Turkey during World War I as "genocide," saying it would hurt relations with a key U.S. ally.
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The nonbinding proposal, which is to be considered by the House Foreign Affairs Committee, acknowledges the "genocide" of Armenians in the early 20th century during the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, which preceded the creation of modern Turkey in 1923.

"In the case that Armenian allegations are accepted, there will be serious problems in the relations between the two countries," said President Abdullah Gul in a letter to President Bush, who staunchly opposes the resolution.

Nabi Sensoy, Turkey's ambassador to the United States, told CNN the resolution's passage would be a "very injurious move to the psyche of the Turkish people."
He predicted a "backlash" in the country, saying there will be setbacks on several fronts: Turkish-American relations, Turkish-Armenian relations and the normalization of relations between the nations of Turkey and Armenia.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said good relations with Turkey are vital because 70 percent of the air cargo intended for and 30 percent of the fuel consumed by the U.S. forces in Iraq flies through Turkey.

U.S. commanders, Gates said, "believe clearly that access to airfields and roads and so on in Turkey would very much be put at risk if this resolution passes and the Turks react as strongly as we believe they will."

"Our heavy dependence on the Turks for access is really the reason the commanders raised this and why we're so concerned about the resolution," Gates said.

1972 – A Bloody Day in Santa Barbara

On a sunny Santa Barbara day on January 27, 1972, 34 years ago, Gourgen Yanikian, a U.S. citizen of Armenian origin, murdered in cold blood the Los Angeles Turkish Consul General, Mehmet Baydar, and his Vice Consul, Bahadir Demir.  He invited the two diplomats to his hotel master suite to “gift an antique carpet to the Turkish Ministry of Culture as a symbol of his appreciation of Turkey.”  Baydar and Demir, having grown up with Turkish Armenians, and who often gathered with local Armenians in Los Angeles, had no reason to believe that the meeting would be nothing but a pleasant social event.  After seating his guests in the living room and exchanging niceties over cups of tea, Yanikian went to his bedroom to bring “the carpet”, but instead came out with a loaded weapon.  Yanikian proceeded to massacre the diplomats execution style.  Afterwards, Yanikian cleaned himself up, went down to the reception desk, and turned himself in to the authorities.  He was tried in the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Santa Barbara, convicted of first-degree murder, and sentenced to life imprisonment.

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Poor dear! Is it the valet's day off?

der Brucer

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DR MBARNUM is it the current FILMFAX that you are published in?

Phone has already rung three times since eight o'clock this morning.