25.10.2000, MEDIAMAX, YEREVAN. “After the stabilization of situation in the Middle East the House of Representatives will undoubtedly return to consideration of the bill on Armenian Genocide if the Turkish Government and the Armenian Government have not found a satisfactory way to get the full truth of what happened during those troubled years, the special statement by the Speaker of the US House of Representatives Dennis Hastert reads.
On October 19 Speaker Hastert withdrew the resolution on recognition of the Armenian Genocide from the agenda of the House. He stressed the reason was the letter sent to him by the US President Bill Clinton where the President announced that adoption of the bill would “harm the interests of national security of the US as of the recent events in the Middle East.”
“Together with congressman Rogan I worked very hard for many weeks to get the bill out of committee, despite strong opposition form the Clinton Administration. I personally support the resolution and scheduled it for a floor vote last week. I believe it would have enjoyed the support of a bi-partisan majority of the House of Representatives. Despite the continued opposition of the Clinton Administration to Armenian Resolution, I was prepared to move forward. Regretfully, however, the recent violence in the Middle East raised very serious national security concerns, specifically concerns for the safety and security of American citizens, both military and civilian. Once President Clinton contacted me, and expressed his concern that American lives could be at stake in a time of crises, I believe I had no choice but to accede to president Clinton’s formal request that the resolution be withdrawn from the floor at this time,” Hastert said.
The statement also says that congressman Rogan and Hatert strongly urge the US State Department to aggressively seek cooperation from both the Turkish and Armenian governments to allow a full and fair investigation designed to seek the truth.–0–
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