McCAIN RESPONDS TO ANCA POSTCARD CAMPAIGN BYOUTLINING POSITIONS ON ARMENIAN AMERICAN ISSUES

Condemns "Systematic Murder of as many as One and a Half Million Armenians," but Fails Again to Describe Armenian Genocide as a "Genocide"

February 24, 2000

Washington, DC —Republican presidential contender
Arizona Senator John McCain responded today to the Armenian National Committee
of America’s (ANCA) national postcard campaign with a letter outlining his views
on issues of concern to Armenian American voters.

Over the past four months, over 200,000 postcards addressed to Senator McCain
have highlighted his record of having voted “against the Armenian Genocide
resolution and failing to speak out against Turkey’s denials.” Through these
postcards, Armenians Americans from across the U.S. asked the Senator to explain
his vote in 1990 against Bob Dole’s Armenian Genocide resolution and, more
recently, his vote this past June to repeal the law imposing restrictions on
U.S. aid to Azerbaijan (Section 907). Similar postcards were also sent to the
other leading presidential candidates.

Most notable in McCain’s response was his failure to properly characterize as
“genocide” what he himself describes in his letter to the ANCA as the
“systematic murder of as many as one and a half million Armenians.” Nor does
McCain’s letter specifically address the issues raised in the postcards – namely
his Senate votes against Armenian American issues. He did, however, note that:


“A century that began with the systematic murder of as many as
one and a half million Armenians and ended with the brutal subjugation of
Chechnya should not be permitted to fade from our collective memory as we look
ahead into the 21st Century. In this respect, it was gratifying to witness
Armenia’s emergence as an independent nation and its growth as a democracy.
The Armenians-American community, a large and vibrant part of our society,
plays a vital role in ensuring that the scale of human suffering endured
during the 20th century is not repeated through its efforts at keeping alive
the memory of the horrible events of 1915-1923.”

Elsewhere in his letter, McCain voiced his commitment to “forge the closest
relations between Armenia and the United States,” and expressed his “strong
support for the Armenian American community.” He cited his 1997 visit to
Armenia, pledged to help Armenia continue building a strong democracy, and noted
his “strong support for more than $80 million per year in foreign aid” to
Armenia.

“While we welcome Senator McCain’s willingness to speak to the concerns of
Armenian American voters and value his commitment to strengthening U.S.-Armenian
relations, we remain troubled – particularly in light of his past record – by
his continued failure to properly characterize the Armenian Genocide as a
genocide,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “Down-playing or
dismissing – through euphemisms or evasive terminology – the deliberate campaign
by Turkey to annihilate the Armenian people serves neither American values nor
U.S. interests in preventing future genocides.”

Statements on Armenian American issues have been received from each of the
four leading presidential candidates – McCain, Texas Governor George Bush, Vice
President Al Gore, and former New Jersey Senator Bill Bradley. Among these, both
McCain’s and Al Gore’s statements stand out as failing to properly characterize
the Armenian Genocide.

“The ANCA is deeply gratified by the energetic response within the Armenian
American community to our million postcard campaign – a response which resulted
in statements on Armenian issues being released by each of the leading
candidates. We are confident that each of these candidates will want to build
upon this dialogue with Armenian American voters in the months ahead,” added
Hamparian.

Below is the text of Senator McCain’s letter to the ANCA.


#####


Statement by Republican Presidential Hopeful John McCain
on
Armenian American Concerns

February 22, 2000

Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th Street, NW Suite
904
Washington, DC 20006

Thank you for the opportunity to express my strong support for the Armenian
American community and for the continued development of relations between the
United States and Armenia.

A century that began with the systematic murder of as many as one and a half
million Armenians and ended with the brutal subjugation of Chechnya should not
be permitted to fade from our collective memory as we look ahead into the 21st
Century. In this respect, it was gratifying to witness Armenia’s emergence as an
independent nation and its growth as a democracy. The Armenians-American
community, a large and vibrant part of our society, plays a vital role in
ensuring that the scale of human suffering endured during the 20th century is
not repeated through its efforts at keeping alive the memory of the horrible
events of 1915-1923.

The Armenian diaspora serves as a model for the resurrection of people who
have endured enormous suffering to prosper through commitment to education, hard
work and charity. The Armenian- American community, a major component of that
diaspora, has proven a pillar of the very virtues that I seek to espouse in my
campaign for presidency.

During my 1997 visit to Armenia, I was fortunate to witness for myself the
gains that country has made since it achieved independence from the former
Soviet Union. Its recent political difficulties, including the tragic shooting
deaths of Prime Minister Sarkissian and Parliament Speaker Demirchian, should
not detract from the success Armenia has enjoyed in building democracy. For this
reason, I remain a strong supporter of the more than $80 million per year in
foreign aid the United States provides Armenia. The Armenian American community
can be justly proud of the accomplishments of the country of its heritage, and I
will always value the support I have received over the years from that
community.

Again, I appreciate the opportunity to convey my respect and admiration for
the Armenian-American community and my sincere desire to continue to forge the
closest relations between Armenia and the United States.

Sincerely,
[signed]
John McCain

For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Email / Tel: (202) 775-1918
Armenian National Committee of America
888 17th Street, NW, Suite 904, Washington, DC 20006
Tel. (202) 775-1918 * Fax. (202) 775-5648 * Email.anca@anca.org