Slaughter happened … whether it was “genocide” or not is semantics, but “genocide” carries an awful potent meaning.

Whatever happened, it was done by the Ottoman Turks around the end (1915-1918) of the 1st World War, Almost 100 years ago!

The Ottomans were overthrown by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in 1923, from whom the modern nation takes its name. (Please read the reference; it is a tribute from an enemy he defeated.)

Today’s Turkish government has not been Ottoman for over eighty years. They HAVE been a member of NATO for over fifty years, and are an American ally. They still provide the US with an airbase, and did many things for us during the Cold War.

Turkey was the first Islamic nation to recognize Israel … in 1949!

I suppose Obama might wish to cater to his vast Armenian constituency (I know some of them, and respect their passion), but a claim of “genocide” at this late date is not a good idea; nor is it fair.

Turkey is one of the oldest democracies in the Middle East ( much as their Army has had to step in a few times, and pretty quickly held elections).

As Turkey has been trying to join the EU (and they have made a significant case for it), but has been thwarted by some frankly racist opposition, this is no time to “add fuel to the fire.”

Neither the President nor the Congress seem to be able to deal with current “slaughters” in Darfur, Rwanda, or the Congo. I’m not opposed to Obama back-stepping on his Armenian position … no declaration would be far better than any declaration at all.

Japan has been less than candid, shall we say, in acknowledging its past crimes during World War II against the Chinese, Philipinos, and many other peoples.

Until 1997, when Chirac apologized, France had never expressed official regret (nor much unofficial regret) over its complicity in sending scores of thousands of Jewish refugees and Jewish citizens (!) to the German murder factories.

While personally I oppose this reticence of the Japanese and the French, how does it affect American interests currently?

But my understanding is that, while hundreds of thousands of Armenians were killed by Turks, there is not sufficient evidence to conclude that it was a concerted policy by the government to eliminate the Armenians.

On the other hand, if “genocide” means nothing more than “mass slaughter of civilians,” then yes, there was a genocide. I believe that genocide is something more than mass slaughter, though.

I recommend looking at this letter in Commentary Magazine by the author of an article on the subject, responding to critics of his article. (I believe the article itself is available only for a fee.)

https://www.commentarymagazine.com/viewarticle.cfm/genocide–11140?page=3

This dangerous shift in U.S. policy is a betrayal of both U.S. and British interests that will threaten the long-term future of the Anglo-American Special Relationship, weaken the NATO alliance, and undermine the defence of British sovereignty in Europe. It will also undercut opposition across the EU to the Treaty of Lisbon, including in countries such as Ireland, Poland and the Czech Republic, and may set the scene for a major confrontation between the Obama White House and a future Conservative administration in London.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/5005351/Barack-Obama-will-back-a-federal-Europe.html

Thorugh it all, while bitter, the family was not hateful towards Turkey. The only time you could sense a real hint of anger was when they discussed the Turk’s unwillingness to be truthful about the episode.

Never in history has such deliberate, substantiated genocide been so egregiously ignored. This incident stands alone as the transcendent example of world political cowardice. There seems to be an overabundance of that quality in this administration.

Thorugh it all, while bitter, the family was not hateful towards Turkey. The only time you could sense a real hint of anger was when they discussed the Turk’s unwillingness to be truthful about the episode.

Never in history has such deliberate, substantiated genocide been so egregiously ignored. This incident stands alone as the transcendent example of world political cowardice. There seems to be an overabundance of that quality in this administration.

Armenia and Kurdistan will remain intractable issues for a long time.

Honestly, if Turkey had any brains, they would realize this could be done a diplomatic way that acknowledges historical reality while not jeopardizing modern relations. After all, look what happened to Germany after being forced to acknowledge their genocide (trust me, they would have avoided admitting complicitly and blamed it all on Hitler alone if they could have), they got the Marshall plan and lots of other cool prizes for playing.