Turkey cannot be isolated from the West because the West needs Turkey. It needs it because of the importance of its geopolitics and its secular regime. However, Turkey isolated itself, by its own choice, from the Moslem World. The Aataturk did the act of severing Turkey from its Moslem roots. The fact that Islam and its values and the Moslem"East" is considered a symbol of backwardness is part of Modern Turks' belief system.

I don't think Turks consider the Armenian genocide claim a historical wound. If one looks at Jane Harman's article in latimes.com and how she explained the withdrawal of her vote to her Armenian friends and the waning support for the vote itself, one would see that the Armenians don't take this seriously. If the congress withdraws or vote against the resolution, Armenians won't be outraged and their relationship with Jewish-Americans won't be hurt. Pretty much like the old days, the days of Karasu and Aram and the Ottomans.

The real bleeding wound is the Kurdish problem. This problem hits deep into the Turkish pride. If the Kurds get their state, then the wound would just get bigger and bloodier. Turks have been trying to shove Turkish nationalism down the throats of the Kurds form more than 80 years and they failed. There are many people who say we are not Turks and we are not happy in South East Anatolia!

I enjoyed this post very much and couldn't agree more with the point-of-view of many of the respondents as well. I believe the following:

1. American foreign policy should consistently promote the interests of the United States, not a foreign born lobby with money and a political agenda. Insulting allies for alleged war crimes that occurred in another time and actually another Government (the Ottoman Empire) is neither wise nor our responsibility.
2. It is in American interests that Turkey and Armenia (not the Armenian diaspora) resolve their differences and learn to live together in peace. Let the real Armenia and Turks confront their past together. It may not be easy for them and may take time but it would certainly be relevant. The resolution is neither relevant nor responsible.
3. If the Armenian diaspora really wanted to help the country of Armenia and the homeland Armenians they would spend more of their fortune on promoting something more than a genocide business back home and work to improve the lives of the people.

Kudos to all Americans and American institutions (newspapers, commentators, radio show hosts, comics, etc.) who easily saw through the thinly disguised California special interest promotion in the form of the vote on the resolution in the House Foreign Affairs Committee. This resolution is clearly not in America's interest or for that matter in the interest of Armenia either.

I enjoyed this post very much and couldn't agree more with the point-of-view of many of the respondents as well. I believe the following:

1. American foreign policy should consistently promote the interests of the United States, not a foreign born lobby with money and a political agenda. Insulting allies for alleged war crimes that occurred in another time and actually another Government (the Ottoman Empire) is neither wise nor our responsibility.
2. It is in American interests that Turkey and Armenia (not the Armenian diaspora) resolve their differences and learn to live together in peace. Let the real Armenia and Turks confront their past together. It may not be easy for them and may take time but it would certainly be relevant. The resolution is neither relevant nor responsible.
3. If the Armenian diaspora really wanted to help the country of Armenia and the home-land Armenians they would spend more of their fortune on promoting something more than a genocide business back home and work to improve the lives of the people.

Kudos to all Americans and American institutions (newspapers, commentators, radio show hosts, comics, etc.) who easily saw through the thinly disguised California special interest promotion in the form of the vote on the resolution in the House Foreign Affairs Committee. This resolution is clearly not in America's interest or for that matter in the interest of Armenia either.

Hello World folks!

Why this planet earth has had quite a few of the very worst human-crimes as: mass-murdering, massacres, genocides in several continents, spreading from all world corners as: asia, europe, east europe, middle east, to american continent! Many many genocides have known and recorded! While misters Allah, Jesus Christ, Budha, and all the alikes could only prove to themselves and all mankind as the so-called the "n'existe plus!" (means no longer exist in English)!

Who on earth can believe that the so-called: "God" (if exists? in term of human self-misconcepted) can help this sinful and treacherous and murderous human being?
While these human-being folks or human-erectuses are definitely in love with their everyday treachery-of-all-sorts and murdering-of-all-sorts and born-to-count-money-and-enjoy-sex-and-lie-only mostly! and only very few of them are living like saints or angels in this filthy and odorous world! (i.e., few are good and too many are bad as proven)
It is quite funny as while seeing Billions of world folks have pointed their asses relentlessly into the sky to pray their god everyday!!! but funnily, this world can only have only one way to head into its own destiny is the destination of destructions of all sorts and murdering of all sorts each others as all seen in the world corners everyday!
Sad! sad! sad! this rotten world! that we all have to live in and smell this bad-smell!
It seems to be that this sinful world can only be taught by few asteroids heading in from the heaven as did before to cleanup this dirty world!

For sure! This world citizens do need to come back to live with their valuable conscience that has been lost for a long time ago!

Thanks

The current menace in the region which is the threat of Turkish miltary intervension in Kurdistan shows the insecurity of Turkish junta. They want to be the bully of neighberhood...Kurdistan wants peace but is prepared to defend against the criinal manuvers of a criminal junta. Kurdistan has defended itself against invaders..just look at the graveyards of the previous occupiers.....A great Kurdish poet, Abdulla Pashew once wrote anout the huge sacrifices of Kurdistan this way:
Unknown Soldier

When a delegation goes to a country
they lay wreath of flowers on the unknown soldier,
if tomorrow
a delegation comes to our country
and asks me where is the grave of unknown soldier?
I say Sir!
on the banks of any river,
on the rocks of any mountain,
under the tree of any garden,
on the benches of any mosque and any church
under any piece of any sky
over any piece of any land,
in this country of Kurdistan,
do not be scared
just lay your head down
and place your wreath....

The current menace in the region which is the threat of Turkish miltary intervension in Kurdistan shows the insecurity of Turkish junta. They want to be the bully of neighberhood...Kurdistan wants peace but is prepared to defend against the criinal manuvers of a criminal junta. Kurdistan has defended itself against invaders..just look at the graveyards of the previous occupiers.....A great Kurdish poet, Abdulla Pashew once wrote anout the huge sacrifices of Kurdistan this way:
Unknown Soldier

When a delegation goes to a country
they lay wreath of flowers on the unknown soldier,
if tomorrow
a delegation comes to our country
and asks me where is the grave of unknown soldier?
I say Sir!
on the banks of any river,
on the rocks of any mountain,
under the tree of any garden,
on the benches of any mosque and any church
under any piece of any sky
over any piece of any land,
in this country of Kurdistan,
do not be scared
just lay your head down
and place your wreath....

Hello World!

In this case, it is so simple to make correct conclusion even millions with biased minds could react agains you as following the truthful and scientific format/procedure as below:

No any early "PRO" or "CON"! no any early "CONDONE" or "CONDEMN" or fallen into a naive "BEING BIASED FOR PERSONAL REASONS"! but a conclusion or a judgement or a comdemn or condone should be based scientifically and truthfuly and unbiasedly then you with your clear and unbiased mind just go ahead and sticking with your CONSCIENCE to judge a fact, a real problem, a crime, a world mistake, or a human sin, etc., and comfortably conclude clearly as it is Right or Wrong!. This is simply a scientific way for judging anything such as a problem or fact without making dumb mistake at all and also should forget all sorts of crying fooled that may be on the way! to cheer you! or even ripping you aparts! by human behaviour as usual!

For simplity, the answer as "YES" or "No" to the question: "The U.S Congress is going to pass one of those resolutions condemning another country for its pasts: this time, Turkey for Armenian massacres" that it can be frankly and correctly and precisely to answer as:

1/ During the past, if Turkey did commit its world criminal as massacred en-mass Armenians, or genocide, then Turkey must be treated as the criminal state as the answer is: "YES" for complying with the world conscience and world justices and laws and orders and fairness!
2/ Otherwise, if Turkey didn't commit a such very serious human crime as massacre or mass-murdering or genocide, then no one on earth has any reason to condemn Turkey at all!
And that's all! and it's 100% fair to all concerned folks! including Turkey and Armenia and all these concerned folks!
Watchout! Pls. do not condone crimes of any reasons! and all world folks must be fair and frank to each others and you guys must behave as civilized citizens and civilized nations no matter what!
Also, it should remember that no one should spend or have enough times to think back and forth! such as with this issue! due to this world has many more bigger problems and are much much more urgent! as world problems than this one!

Make senses? world folks? And all should always simplify things or problems more than to make a problem becoming too complicated to solve! and it is no more than a wasting of time!

Thanks to all! ./.

conscience-to-the-world

Dedicated to the never-ending, chaos world and all of its unfortunate victims of all sorts of man-made (excluded natural) violence!
Dedicated also to the U.N and the "valuable" U.N.S.C and its "meaningless rules, regulations, principles and useless processes)

Hello Zoo! (1)

Hello Zoo!
While knowing all of YOU!
Sitting in there! while can only POO!
In an unfortunate place
Infested by all sorts of world “CRUs” (2)
While all wishing to see or make a better ZOO!
But none as a "hopeless" can DOO!
Then finally, can only come back and POO!
(Like “me TOO”!)

Hello ZOO!
A place now has too much POO!
But what? and how? can we (all) “DOO”?
To clean up all these mountainous POO!!!
To lessen the bad smell in the entire ZOO!
Welcomed (as usual) by these mountains of POO!
And makes all (of us) turned into all FOOs! (3)
In the “Monkeys-DOO”!
Human-ZOO!
Full with these mountainous and monkey-like POO!
Ugly but deadly as the viral "bird-flu-POO!...

Notes:
(1) or the World
(2) or cruel
(3) or fools or crazies

P.S: Fool-cries and blames will never end as predicted in this rotten world!
(this created and made "funned" by: conscience-to-the-world to the world and its "irrelevances" and "nonesenses" that all mankind can never be able to be escaped from! due to these are parts of the Physics Laws!: "no physical objects can escape from the Physical Laws")

THANK U

name of brother of Nancy Pelosi is Ronald. her name is Nancy. she is in an italian family. her parents have appreciated Ronald Nancy Reagan.

i heard her say "we are all White House", so the Congress has been united into White House. Dick Cheney is relative of Barack Obama.

has Nancy Pelosi been initiated in any service, like Swords, Hammers or Axes?

being in service is different than having being initiated in service. being in the church is different than being in the chorus.

listening to music is different than singing. singing is different than reading from a book.

"It’s increasingly clear that the enormous challenge the world faces with militant Islam can only be solved within Islam itself"

For how long Moslems will have to be told by Christians,Jews,...etc how to live and how to reach modernity and enlightment?! And how to treat their women and what to teach their children...

"The example of a modern, democratic, Muslim country would be a great way to start –probably the only way to start – such an Enlightenment period"

How did you reach this conclusion.Just because westerners can hook a Turkish Girl from the internet before they visit Turkey. Then Travel to Turkey. Attend a consert. Have a good time. And then say oh what a modern democratic country?!

If these Christians and Jews reach this conclusion are they so ignorant to think that people in the moslem world will follow the Turkish loathed way of life.

Is enlighment reached by having night clubs, porn industry, gay and lesbian clubs, relations with the Israeli killers of Palestinian people?

To: “The endless troubled World”:
As always seen, the world we are living in which is full with all sorts of nations that these have all tried best to arm themselves in order to destroy others! More than enough weapons have been relentlessly made than the entire world population needed! or can "digest" with!
All sorts of wars, such as: big wars, small wars, local wars, global wars, political-based wars, influence-based wars, religious-based wars, terrorist-based wars, economics-based wars, technology-based wars, environments-based wars, lands-swapping-based wars, diseases-based wars, space-based wars, conventional wars, non-conventional wars, total-destructive wars, lie-based wars, conscience-based wars, "money-first"-based wars, "animals-first"-based wars, "human-first"-based wars, "homosexual"-based wars, "patriot-based" wars, "drugs-and-money-first"-based war, "anti-drug"-based wars, "immigrants-infested"-based wars, "anti-immigrants-flooding"-based wars, "domestic-fighting"-based wars, "president-seat-fighting"-based wars, "votes-gaining-for-earning"-based wars, etc, from all corners of the world have sprung up more and more like mushrooms after the rain!
At the same time, in the UN and UNSC bad guys and good guys have played all sorts of conceivable, good-bad-and-ugly, civilized, uncivilized to dirtiest/filthiest, and/or most-barbaric games to confront each others, to exploit all valuable sorts of weaknesses of these organizations and systems to gain all sorts of benefits and controls of some parts of the world or even the entire the world as always intended!
The deceiving tactics/strategies and tricks suddenly fool up and foul up the entire world souls! and with that results these let no man/men on earth who can now feel self-confidently as how to believe on himself or themselves to truly and confidently that who is/are the good guy(s)? and who else is/are bad guy(s)?. Due to all of good-guys and bad-guys are all wise enough to all behave as all "good guys"! and no one can afford to make himself or themselves to look like a bad-guy (s)!, and sometimes, suddenly all of these good-guys and bad-guys they also seem to look alike” and to “behave alike” as all bad-guys as well! in the world community where all bad-guys and good-guys are all show up side-by-side as usually!, and therefore this syndrome is confusing the world populace that normally naively and easily trust all good-guys and including bad-guys are all "good-guys", or "good friends" or "best friends" for own-gaining, and "trouble-free-based earning" benefits during global close contacts, occasions, while sweet talks are well cheered and well mixed into all good-deeds and bad-deeds to happen!
Unfortunately, this world is definitely a very risky world for all peace-lovers, democracy-believers! and liberty-dreamers and civilized nations to live in! due to countless nations have tried destroys other nations with all conceivable reasons and all sorts of man-made conflicts- driven deeds that have led to more kinds of conflicts to show up!, to mushroom up! than to be able can be gradually solved or being absorbed! Therefore, for that reasons, this world is to seem definitely to be no more than a "conscience-less" world! as usual!
A world of "big-fishes-eat-smaller-fishes"!, a world of "big-fishes-threatens-smaller-fishes", a world of "all-devils-and-angels-all-look-alike", etc., a world "human-conscience-has-no-place-to-stay", and in fact, and in many times, the so-called "human-beings" never failed to treat each other far-worst than any most dangerous animals treating themselves!
For example: The world where "human-beings" are living in where have seen in our naked eyes, these folks or self-calling themselves as "human-beings" can kill other human-beings as their own folks for making "good money" but "very bloody" from the mass-executed deaths' body-parts!, while comparing with other animals! all animals in this world seem never kill their own friends for self-gaining! unless they are too hungry!
In essence, I only wish that all human-beings in this planet earth should or have to knee on all earth's animals to learn from them as the more civilized creatures, more self-respectful creatures or well-trusted "conscience-based" teachers on their know-how and how again to behave and be able again to be nice to each others with the using of these animals friends' truth and sincere and compassion and care!
Sad! sad world! an unfortunate place! full with man-made garbage of all sorts, odorous man-made dirty tricks and treacheries of all sorts! that where it exists all sorts of “human-like” devils and man-made devils, vampires than innocents and angels and all the alike!, and obviously there are more killers and thieves and pirates of all sorts than good and civilized men!
Unfortunately, and sadly to say, the so-called: "Education" that will never turn this world into a better and more civilized world! Why?? due to most killers, murderers, thieves, pirates, world-trouble-makers of all sorts in this world generally are well educated folks! and having solid knowledge in all conceivable aspects! including knowing and realizing the value of "right-and-wrong", "lawful-and-lawless", "do-and-do-not", but they commonly have no interest in recognizing the "conscience" and the "code-of-ethics"!, or the "code-of-conducts"!.... why? because these folks do not wish to lose their valuable time as dedicated to be used in counting-money or gathering-benefits of all sorts for themselves!
Bad guys with their massively destructive weapons in hands are as an example that these folks are always ready to bring this world to a lasting end! or "doom" without think-twice ! as it could happen at anytime in the future if a mad-man decided to create or initiate a world great havoc! and unfortunately, no one can predict for the worst moment to happen as when? or why? that will lead to end or terminate all good and bad ones in this world all together in a couple hours or so!
Pls. take few minutes to think about the world "human behaviour" today! and all might soon will sadly realize that this world will never have a good chance to have a good time at all in the coming future!
For example:
Bad-guys like red China and Russia that these folks have always arrogantly instinctively threaten the rest of the world nations, no matter big or small with nuclear weapons and all sorts of MDWs for a world massive destruction moment! while these bad folks definitely knowing-by-heart realize that they will also disappear as quickly as well in no more than a couple of hours or so and obviously all turning into vapour-and-ash as predicted! and obviously, all 1.3 billions Chinese and all Russians will altogether disappear at the same time and no more than few hours if an one-time-only great war will take place! And unfortunately, all the rest of the world will also follow the same path of destiny!. And obviously, this world will again begin a new chapter of recreate new lives and will require a long time to be able to reappear new forms of lives in the heavily radioactive-contaminated planet!
Obviously, at the last moment of this world! no Allah can magically to save you the world Muslims who always spend more times to pray than do anything else! no Jesus Christ can use his power to protect you the Christians who always carry the bible with them everyday! no Buddha can bring heavenly peaceful calmness to assist you the world Buddhists at all!. And at that time, the only someone who will be lucky enough to wander around and enjoy himself in the red planet Mars or on the moon that he might have a better chance to survive than all the rest of human being on this planet earth combined!
So who has guts as "wisdom" to use the everyday-available massive destruction power in this world to gain controls of all others? or simply all become all losers?
It seems to be that this world won't have any or deserve any blessing from the heaven at all! Why? due to this world have been generated relentlessly with too many devils of all sorts who are too dangerous all others! and including the planet earth! and these world devils are always eager to destroy all others with all means and can only listen to their own killing-instinct. In other words, these devils are too dangerous than anything else as can be only compared with heaven asteroids versus planet earth!. Due to these bad-guys commonly believe in the philosophy of attacking and destroying all others to keep them unique and for self-benefitting only as always been shown in this planet for so long!
Finally, this world human-being seem to need conscience and good deeds first! that are more urgent than wealth, food, shelter, religion, physical demands, etc.

Thanks to all! and also wishing that less "world-fists-fights will occur".

Conscience-to-the-world
(created,revised by conscience-to-the-world, 2007/10/16)
(Ref: Some thoughts on the World Realities)

"...It is also true that, if it weren’t for Turkish inflexibility, the country could be on its way to European membership. ... But that doesn’t mean that the best way to deal with Turkey is to isolate it."

It seems tome that the only ones isolating Turkey are the Turks. I agree that you can be cognizant and at times understanding of someone's attitude. But there sometimes comes the time when a good, hard slap brings someone back to reality. It actually takes a friend to do that.

Congress sold it to the highest bidder, ARMENIANS … (Armenians have spent a fortune on this one.)
*** Next step… Q) How much money Armenians can compromise from Turks***

A) 0
B) Turks will fight for a penny
C) US will pay Armenians

** U pick the answer **

TOO LATE FOR US !!
INSTEAD TO OPEN OPORTUNITY WINDOW FOR THE WORLD!!!
!!! US CHOISE THE WAR AGAIN!!!..

++No matter what, Turks are coming..... You all remember last 6 months all of your politicians, people defending PKK to talk about taking over the Turkish city of DIYARBAKIR!!!....

Now is not time to cry. Turks always helped you guys, since Ottoman Empire, but you guys always choose to stabs the Turks in the back...

Just like PHALISTAIN did at the WW1. Look what’s happening inn PHLAISTAIN now!!!.... They were together with ISREAL in the time of beginning, look what’s happening now!!!...

Some KURDS are not friendly with Turks, forget the friendship PKK is terrorist organization... IF KURDS want they own land you have your own land Flags, military in Turkey, but if thinks different, Turks have no land for sale like ARAPS sold to ISREAL..... Plus all Turkey paid a big prize for the land of TURKEY even KURD fought and paid price land of TURKEY that does not give a right to take a part...

*WE ALL HOPE THEY DONT CROSS OVER*

**GOOD LUCK AND MAY GOD BLESS TURKISH ARMY ***

It is going nowhere from within, so it needs to be cracked from without. Theatrics and tantrums are desperate, panic-riddled measures. Expect more in the next few days. But Turkey needs a severe humbling. Pass this darn resolution already!

I totally agree with you Leon. We should try to engage muslim countries. Another important country that we need to engage is Iran. We should concede the fact that the Jewish holocaust might have never really happened and let the historians sort it out themselves. On the upside we would get a great ally on fighting a war in Iraq who would help us to control the Shia militias.

That's not your style? Oh my dear, unless you know your past, you are doomed to repeat it. And that's why passing this resolution is so important, even if Turkey refuses to accept it.

Isolate Turkey?
If Turkey turns in a huff, like a spoiled teenager, stalks off to its room, slams the door and threatens not to come out for dinner until we take our resolution back, then Turkey has isolated itself.
As Tom Lantos said, we believe that Turkey has the maturity to deal with the resolution, to consider it as wise adults, and to come to terms with its past, so that it can come out of its isolation (which, really, it has inflcted on itself for years since it has had to spin webs to cover up the genocides).
Come on Turkey. We want you to join us. Are you ready?

What people also need to realise is that when Raphael Lemkin coined the term genocide he was thinking of the Armenians. The Armenian Genocide is a fact. Stop bowing to Turkey's threats. Otherwise why should anyone not listen to Iran and their denials of the Jewish Genocide by the nazis?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raphael_Lemkin

Raphael Lemkin (June 24, 1900 – August 28, 1959) was a lawyer of Polish-Jewish descent. Before World War II, Lemkin was interested in the Armenian Genocide and campaigned in the League of Nations to ban what he called "barbarity" and "vandalism". He is best known for his work against genocide, a word he coined in 1943 from the root words genos (Greek for family, tribe or race) and -cide (Latin for killing). He first used the word in print in Axis Rule in Occupied Europe: Laws of Occupation - Analysis of Government - Proposals for Redress (1944).

After graduating from a local trade school in Białystok he began the study of linguistics at the John Casimir University in Lwów. It was there that Lemkin became interested in the concept of the crime, which later evolved into the idea of genocide, which was based mostly on the experience of Assyrians[1] massacred in Iraq during the 1933 Simele massacre and the Armenian Genocide during World War I.

Very thoughtful commentary by Leon Krauze. An interesting thread that someone in Central or South America might want to follow are all the "Turcos" in South America. The theory is that they were Armenians fleeing from Turkey and they were classified as Turks when they arrived in South America. This might explain some of the difference in numbers from various sources as to the number killed...sure, any number killed is too many, but so many people died in that time period.

This is great. I am reading these comments and the posts, and the only common themes I find are:

1) Nancy and her buddies are passing this bill to please her Armenian voters ...even if it means it will hurt the rest of the USA. After all, those hurt will not even know what caused it. Isn't that great? They will blame Turkey.

2) I am shocked that Armenians do not want this to be investigated. Do they actually believe Turks will accept Genocide without any recognition of the Turks that died in the hands of the Armenians.

If I was for the truth - I certainly would be open to any additional investigation and data...unless of course I had something to hide.

Let the world decide for itself! and evidently it has decided based on moral values, which some people are not able to understand.

A prime example of a one-sided interpretation of history which overlooks the immense suffering of millions of Turks, Kurds, Azeris and Muslims.

As recently as 15 years ago (not a century ago), Armenia invaded Azerbaijan, drove a million Azeris from their from their homes and massacring them in places like Khojaly and continues to occupy it to this day. What about them? Oh, because they are Muslims - we shouldn't care about them, right?

And trying to pretend that this is not politically motivated is lame. First of all, it is a backdoor attempt by Pelosi to have her way with Iraq. Many people want that war to end, but this is a very sleazy way of doing it - opening up century old history books and digging stuff up to have our way with politics today.

Besides, the elections are around the corner and the fact that the congressman who introduced this resolution has the biggest Armenian community in the US in his district. Not to mention the fact that Pelosi has a huge ethnic Armenian community in her district as well.

So - enough with demagogues. It is not the job of parliaments to make history. Let the historians debate what happened a century ago.

I'm glad they're makong this resolution against Turkey and genocide. That fact that it will annoy Bush is icing on the cake. If Republicans hadnt lost the congressin 2006, this wouldn't of happened.

If you are calling U.S. Congress's action a disservice to the entire world, I think you should say the same thing about Canadian Parliament, French parliament, or even 23 other countries approving the killings of Armenians as Genocide. We all including Turkey should thank U.S. Congress for approving this resolution because they are just about to prevent another genocide from taking place in Turkey against Kurdish population thus destabilizing IRAQ region further. We want U.S. troops back home. Moreover, the truth is that Turkey needs United States more than U.S. needs Turkey. Unfortunately, Turkey lost its geographic importance to United States after Iraq’s invasion. United States now has more state of the art air bases in IRAQ than Turkey can offer. So Turkey can forget about blackmailing United States.

It is astounding how many people throw morality out the window when US geopolitical strategy is at stake. Let us all forget that 1.5 million people were slaughtered so the US administration can keep this farce of a war going as long as possible.

Here's a link for you who still childishly deny that what happened was genocide.
This search is only for the years 1915-1916. You can broaden that search to include many more years and many more articles.

http://news.google.ca/archivesearch?as_ldate=1915&as_hdate=1916&q=armenian&lnav=od&btnG=Search

In case someone notices that the word "Genocide" is not used anywhere in those articles, that is because the term was only first used in 1944.

All politics are local - and the issues raised in the article relate more to the iron-clad grasp that foreign nationalist lobbies have on Congress than any historical or moral consistency.

On one hand, the Armenian lobbies are being supported in the West for what they suffered;

On the other hand, Greek organisations are being coddled because the coup the Greek military junta orchestrated, despute the presence of a UN Peace Keeping force, brought Turkish intervention.

"If Turkey had not intervened, I would not only have proclaimed ENOSIS (annexation to Greece) - I would have annihilated the Turks in Cyprus." Nicos Sampson, 1981.

Council of Europe adopted resolution 573 stating that Turkey’s intervention on Cyprus was a legitimate act emanating from the Treaty of Guarantee.

One can only assume that murder of Armenians is bad, and must be prevented - and the murder of Cypriot Turks is good, and must not be prevented.

Or - and I suspect this is the likelier answer - politicians just pander to whatever group serves their self-interest best and slap a gloss of morality on whatever that stance happens to be.

Nancy Pelosi is seeking to destroy a 50-year relationship with a critical ally to satisfy her Armenian constituency. Has she even considered what might be a priority and that the safety of our troops in Iraq and a continuing relationship with Turkey who has proven itself time and again to be a trusted ally might be more important than satisfying her needs and the Armenians refusal to move on. Congress certainly has more critical issues to consider than satisfying Armenians and keeping a good working relationship with Turkey is one of those issues. Forget the Armenians and lets try showing some loyalty to our allies, like Turkey, for once. Congress should not be for sale to the highest bidder, and the Armenians have spent a fortune on this one.

Nancy Pelosi is seeking to destroy a 50-year relationship with a critical ally to satisfy her Armenian constituency. Has she even considered what might be a priority and that the safety of our troops in Iraq and a continuing relationship with Turkey who has proven itself time and again to be a trusted ally might be more important than satisfying her needs and the Armenians refusal to move on. Congress certainly has more critical issues to consider than satisfying Armenians and keeping a good working relationship with Turkey is one of those issues. Forget the Armenians and lets try showing some loyalty to our allies, like Turkey, for once. Congress should not be for sale to the highest bidder, and the Armenians have spent a fortune on this one.

1.5 million Armanıans were killed/slaughtered ?!! Then who are the current Armanian people. Probably they came out of eggs..Entire Armenian population was 1.3 million at the time.

Some thousands were forced to migrate, and some of them died (not killed) on the way.

Consider this: if members of a minority attacked and slaughtered the citizen of US during, lets say 1915, they would probably be forced to some place. That's what happened.

Genocide..that'not our style...

Turkey says that the human tragedy of 1915 was unfortunate but not a genocide. The western sources (or shall we say "unbiased" Christian sources) say it was. The western ears and minds have been locked to the mantra of genocide over many decades.

Today, Turks are willing to discuss this on academic forums and no one from the Armenian side accepts that. If the label genocide for the mass killings were in fact accurate, why don't the Armenians force Turkish hands, overwhelm them with those historical facts, and expose the Turks to the World?

As we all know, history is not a positive science. It is always biased. Historical "facts" depend very much on who is writing them and whose voice is louder.

If you have any common sense, you should consider the possibility that it is at least possible that Turks were not blood-thirsty vampires who were addicted to Armenian blood but no one else's in an Empire where Armenians were a small ethnic group among many others.

Great post. This is the worst possible moment for the Congress to pass this resolution. What purpose does it serve at any time to condemn the actions of a government that ceased to exist almost 100 years ago?

At a time when the U.S. has few allies, we now apparently have gone out of our way to alienate Turkey, a country on which we heavily rely for our Iraq operations.

The resolution panders to the special interests of a small group of people, rather than considering the interests of the country as a whole. Then again, what should we expect from the Democrats?

I wonder if Nancy Pelosi is thinking that a breakdown in relations between the U.S. and Turkey would be a good thing in that the U.S. effort in Iraq would be made more difficult if Turkey denied the U.S. use of Incerclik (spelling?) air base and movement through Turkey? The woman is silly enough to act for that outcome.

Well, you can thank Speaker Pelosi and her constituents of Armenian-Americans for raising this issue up, when we need Turkey on our side as an important strategic ally for our operations in Iraq. Jon Stewart and his ilk can joke and mock at things, that can be appreciated by college kids and people with the maturity of college kids. But, in realpolitik, there is a very vital element called "timing", folks.

I am glad I read this blog. I google myself to this blog. I am happy that you have raised the inopportuneness of this measure. Guess the Speaker is more interested in raising money from her constituents for her relection bid, than the national interests that are paramount in that region.

I see no reason that Armenians seek US recognition to something that happened with an extinct Empire during a World War. Perhaps if we Americans and the Eurorpeans weren't always so gung ho about bombing libraries and museums, we might have a clearer picture of what happened.

Armenians should be seeking Turkish recognition, not US, Hello!

Why doesn't Pelosi recognize and apologize for Slavery, Indentured Servitude, treatment of the Chinese railroad workers, genocide of the Native Americans, and on and on and on?

There never will be a good time for this resolution. This bill has come up multiple times in the past. The answer to it has become a refrain: "Now is not a good time." It's been 95 years already? How much longer for an opportune time? Until the Turks stop battling the Kurds, as they have for decades? Until Iraq becomes peaceable? The Turks just this week convicted a citizen of Armenian extraction for publishing the final story of his assassinated father. Article 301 prevents Turks from discussing the genocide at all. I can't imagine Turkey is ready to confront their denial, not to mention the fact that the EU has expressly stated to Turkey that coming to terms with the genocide is NOT a precondition for membership.

I actually think this bill is more about denial in the USA. I've read many news articles this week, in the Washington Post, the Nation, NPR, etc., that relegate the genocide to a controversial historical issue which hasn't been decided. Turkey's importance as an ally has lead us to question this genocide in our national media. Microsoft Encarta bowed to Turkish pressure and whitewashed the genocide in its encyclopedia. Our best universities employ genocide deniers. It seems that American culture is at danger of denying this genocide ever happened, all because we are deferent to our denialist ally.

Genocide scholars hold that the last criminal act of genocide is the denial/forgetting. If congress buries this bill, and if the denialists continue to win the day in the US media, Americans may find themselves complicit in the actual act of genocide soon.

What about Armenia's deep historical wounds?

The US has not confronted Turkey in decades and Turkey has had well over 75 years to enter their "Enlightenment" period. 75+ years and they still can't form a stable government or establish economic security.

The problem they are having with the Kurds is their own doing. Turkey decided to settle the long-unfinished business of conquest with an act of genocide. The Turks lacked the resources to do so in the midst of war, and Turkey’s military leaders enlisted Kurdish tribes to do most of the actual killing in return for Armenian land. That is why Kurds dominate eastern Turkey, which used to be called, “Western Armenia”. The Armenian genocide, in short, gave rise to what today is Turkey’s Kurdish problem.