Armenian genocide vote: A stinging blow to Turkish denialism

This Armenian boy was the only survivor of a family of 15 in the 1915-1923 genocide. (Shutterstock)
Updated 03 November 2019
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Armenian genocide vote: A stinging blow to Turkish denialism

  • US House adopted a resolution on Oct. 29 to acknowledge the 1915-1923 mass killings
  • Resolution seen as a rebuke to Trump as well as Turkey's military assault on Syrian Kurds

DUBAI: October 29, 2019, has become another significant date in the history of Armenians worldwide after the US House of Representatives recognized the systematic killing of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians from 1915 onwards in modern-day Turkey as a “genocide”.

The House voted 405-11 on that day, the first time a chamber of the US Congress officially labeled the slaughter as a genocide.

The measure was adopted at a time when Ankara’s military intervention in northern Syria has strained already tense relations between the US political establishment and the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The vote was widely seen as a stinging rebuke to President Donald Trump’s decision to pull American forces from northeastern Syria and the ensuing Turkish military onslaught on Kurdish-administered areas there.

“The adoption of House Resolution 296, which recognizes the Armenian genocide from 1915 to 1923, is first and foremost a victory for truth and justice,” said Levon Avedanian, coordinator of the Armenian National Committee of Lebanon (ANCL) and professor at Haigazian University in Beirut.

“October 29, 2019, is a historical day. This recognition is important for Armenia and Armenians, for Turkey and Turks, and also for the United States, since it places the US on the side of justice, which has, for far too long, been denied to the victims and surviving generations of the Armenian genocide.”

Avedanian described the recognition as a culmination of 35 years of efforts by Armenian Americans, led by the Armenian National Committee of America, to honor the memory of the 1.5 million victims of the genocide.

In addition to the House of Representatives, 49 US states have acknowledged the Armenian genocide, and a resolution in the Senate – Senate Resolution 150 – is currently gathering pace.

“It is our hope that the Senate resolution will also be adopted and, eventually, (lead to) the US government’s change in its complicity-in-denial policy,” Avedanian said.

“The adopted resolution also calls for educating generations about the Armenian genocide in order to prevent atrocities. As Armenians, we regard genocide recognition and condemnation as important factors in preventing future genocides.”

According to genocide scholars, denial of a genocide is its last stage.

“For Armenians, the denial of the Armenian genocide by Turkey is a continuation of the genocidal policies,” Avedanian said. “In that sense, recognition by Turkey and by members of the international community is an essential foundational step on the long path of restoring justice, which would inevitably also include, in addition to recognition, reparations and restitution.”

In response to the Turkish assault on the Pentagon’s Kurdish allies in Syria, the Trump administration slapped sanctions on Turkish defense and energy ministries, as well as several high-profile Turkish officials.

“The House recognition is a major blow to Ankara’s obstruction of justice for the Armenian genocide,” Avedanian said. “The House also adopted another resolution demanding that the US administration impose sanctions against Ankara due to the Turkish incursion in Syria. However, US foreign policy is devised by the State Department and the US administration, so one should not expect that these resolutions will have a lasting effect on US-Turkey ties.”

Although Turkey strongly condemned both resolutions passed by the House, Erdogan has an invitation to meet Trump on Nov. 13. Mevlut Cavusoglu, Turkey’s Foreign Minister, called the vote “null and void,” saying it was revenge for the offensive in Syria.

Many countries, including Lebanon, Germany and France, officially recognize the genocide, which for most Armenians is a deeply felt issue.

The violence began with the arrest of Armenian intellectuals in Constantinople in 1915 and continued with a centralized program of deportations, murder, pillage and rape until 1923.

Ordinary Armenians were then driven from their homes and sent on death marches through the Mesopotamian desert without food or water.

Ottoman death squads massacred Armenians, with only 388,000 left in the empire by 1922 — when the genocide ended — from 2 million in 1914. (Turkey estimates the total number of deaths to be 300,000.)

Many Armenians were deported to Syria and the Iraqi city of Mosul. Today descendents of the survivors are scattered across the world, with large diasporas in Russia, the US, France, Argentina and Lebanon.

“My great-grandmother was a child during the genocide and she never knew her family,” said Nayri Kechichian, a Lebanese-born Armenian who lived in Armenia for many years.

“She lost everyone she was related to and was orphaned at a young age. Seeing her pass away aged 92 was the most emotional thing I’ve encountered in my life.

“I hoped she would finally be reunited with her family and find peace knowing that what she went through had been recognized.”

Like many Armenians, Kechichian expressed excitement over the House of Representatives statement. “This is a step forward in realizing our dream of getting back our occupied lands and having closure,” she told Arab News.

“My next wish is to see the US as a country officially recognizing the Armenian genocide.

“We’ve been fighting for years to make our voice heard, and up to this day, governments and parliaments of 32 countries have recognized the first genocide of the 20th century.

“It is high time Armenians got recognition for what they’ve been through and what they have lost – 1.5 million lives and their lands.”

Kechichian said recognition of the genocide gives Armenians the chance to ask for their “occupied lands” back, adding “we have so much history there.”

“I personally would like to go and find my ancestral lands and homes, to finally know what it feels like to belong,” she told Arab News.

“I currently face identity issues because I am a foreigner in Lebanon despite being born here and holding citizenship. And I am a foreigner in Armenia, despite having lived there for nine years and being a citizen of that country. So, where is my home? It hurts to not know where you came from or who your ancestors are.”

Aline Khatchadourian, a Dubai-based Lebanese-French-Armenian, said the genocide is a very painful topic for the Armenian community. “Having this recognition gave me hope that maybe one day, it will not only be recognized by US Congress and 32 other countries, but also everywhere else in the world,” she said.

That “1.5 million Armenians were killed, slaughtered in cold blood should count for something and never be forgotten. This lack of recognition (from other countries) proves to me that, no matter how much people may suffer or endure, there is no justice in the world,” she said.

Avedanian pointed out that the House resolution clearly states that “the US government should reject efforts to associate itself with the denial of the Armenian genocide or any other genocide.”

“Hence, we expect that the US administration will strongly reflect these principles in its dealings with Turkey,” he said.

“It is also our hope that other states, including Arab states, will follow suit by rejecting political blackmail by Ankara and by siding with the truth about the Armenian genocide.”

 


WHAT CONGRESS MEMBERS SAID

The House of Represenatives voted 405-11 on Oct. 29 in favor of a resolution recognizing the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians between 1915 and 1923 as a genocide

 

We will not be party to genocide denial. We will not be silent. We will never forget. ... This is a vote I have fought for 19 years to make possible, and one that tens of thousands of my Armenian American constituents have worked, struggled, and prayed for decades to see.

Adam Schiff, House Intelligence Committee

 

Recent attacks by the Turkish military against the Kurdish people are a stark reminder of the danger in our own time. Today, let us clearly state the facts on the floor of this House to be etched forever into the Congressional Record: The barbarism committed against the Armenian people was a genocide.

Nancy Pelosi, Speaker, House of Representatives

 

This resolution not only honors and commemorates my ancestors who perished but all those who were lost in the first genocide of the 20th century.

Anna Eshoo, Representative from California

 

Recognition of genocide should not be used as cudgel in a political fight. It should be done based on academic consensus outside the push and pull of geopolitics. True acknowledgment of historical crimes against humanity must include ... earlier mass slaughters like the transatlantic slave trade and Native American genocide.

Ilhan Omar, Representative from Minnesota

 

I expect the Senate will ... let Turkey unequivocally know that the United States will not sit on the sidelines as they create problems for us and our allies.

Lindsey Graham, Senator from South Carolina

 



Prosecutors say Republican South Carolina lawmaker used ‘joebidennnn69’ to send child sex material

Updated 7 sec ago
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Prosecutors say Republican South Carolina lawmaker used ‘joebidennnn69’ to send child sex material

  • RJ May was arrested after a lengthy investigation and ordered by a federal judge to remain jailed until his trial
  • The three-term Republican helped create the Freedom Caucus, a group of the House’s most conservative members

COLUMBIA, South Carolina: A Republican member of the South Carolina House who prosecutors say used the screen name “joebidennnn69” has been arrested and charged with 10 counts of distributing sexual abuse material involving children.
RJ May was arrested at his Lexington County home after a lengthy investigation and was ordered Thursday by a federal judge to remain jailed until his trial.
The three-term Republican is accused of using “joebidennnn69” to exchange 220 different files of toddlers and young children involved in sex acts on the Kik social media network for about five days in spring 2024, according to court documents that graphically detailed the videos.
Each charge carries a five-to-20 year prison sentence upon conviction and prosecutors suggested May could spend over a decade in prison if found guilty.
The files were uploaded and downloaded using May’s home Wi-Fi network and his cellphone, prosecutors said. Some were hidden by the use of a private network but others were directly linked to his Internet addresses.
May says someone else could have used his Wi-Fi
At his arraignment, May’s lawyer suggested someone could have used the Wi-Fi password that was shown on a board behind a photo May’s wife may have posted online. Attorney Dayne Phillips also suggested investigators didn’t link each Kik message directly to May.
Prosecutors asked that May, 38, not be given bail because he lives at home with his wife and young children, and some of the files he is accused of sharing feature children of about the same age as his.
 

Statement of the South Carolina Freedom Caucus announcing that RJ May was expelled from the group last year. (X photo)

May investigated for paid sex in Colombia
Prosecutors said they also investigated whether May used a fake name to travel to Colombia three times after finding videos on his laptop of him allegedly having sex with three women. An agent from the Department of Homeland Security testified the women appeared to be underage and were paid. US agents have not been able to locate the women.
Prosecutors said May created a Facebook account with his fake name and his Internet history showed him switching between his real account and the fake one and even searching his primary opponent from the fake login.
Phillips, May’s lawyer, told the courtroom that no sexual images of toddlers or young children were found directly on his laptop or cellphone.
After spending the night in jail. May appeared in court Thursday in shorts and a T-shirt with his wrists and ankles in cuffs. After being ordered to stay in jail, he appeared to blow a kiss at his wife, who was at the hearing.
May’s political rise to the state House
After May’s election in 2020, he helped create the Freedom Caucus, a group of the House’s most conservative members who say mainstream House Republicans aren’t the true conservative heart of the GOP. He also helped the campaigns of Republicans running against GOP House incumbents.
“We as legislators have an obligation to insure that our children have no harm done to them,” May said in January 2024 on the House floor during a debate on transgender care for minors.
His son charmed the House in April 2021 when May brought him to visit for his third birthday and the boy practiced his parade wave around the chamber.
The Freedom Caucus released a statement Wednesday night saying they kicked May out of their group after his arrest.
May spent a quiet 2025 House session
Many of his onetime friends have distanced themselves from May as rumors of the investigation spread through the Statehouse. During the current session he could largely be seen at his corner desk in the back of the 124-seat chamber, mixing with very few colleagues.
The House Speaker suspended May from his seat after the indictment.
May’s lawyer suggested he could have been framed and asked the Homeland Security agent if she knew that May had a lot of political enemies.
“There are a fair amount of people who don’t like me either, Mr. Phillips,” agent Britton Lorenzen replied.


No. 2 US diplomat questions need for NATO in deleted social media post

Updated 13 June 2025
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No. 2 US diplomat questions need for NATO in deleted social media post

  • “NATO is still a solution in search of a problem,” Christopher Landau wrote in a social media thread
  • He was replying to a query by Matthew Whitaker, the US ambassador to NATO

WASHINGTON: The number two US diplomat questioned the need for NATO in a post on X — which he later deleted — as the alliance prepares for an annual summit expected to be dominated by a US demand for higher defense spending and Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau was replying to a social media thread by Matthew Whitaker, the US ambassador to NATO. Whitaker in his post said that what happened in the Indo-Pacific mattered for transatlantic security.
“He obviously didn’t get the memo our of our Deputies Committee meeting on this very issue,” Landau wrote at 6:56 p.m. on Wednesday, referring to Whitaker. “NATO is still a solution in search of a problem.”
It was not clear if Landau meant for his message to be public or if he intended to send Whitaker’s post to a third person.
“This was a casual, lighthearted remark intended for a brief, private exchange,” a State Department spokesperson said in emailed comments.
“The Deputy Secretary’s comment was in the context of his desire to improve NATO and ensure it remains focused on its mission,” the spokesperson said.
Landau’s post was later deleted. The Deputies Committee is subordinate to the National Security Council and composed of deputy secretaries of State, Defense and other agencies, according to the White House website.
The administration of former President Joe Biden had pushed the European allies to pay more attention to the threats in the Indo-Pacific, particularly from China, but the Trump administration has encouraged those allies to focus on their own security.
Landau’s post contrasts with views of most of NATO’s European members, who see Russia and its war on Ukraine as an existential threat, and the US-led alliance as their main means of defense.
His post came as NATO leaders prepare for a two-day summit in the Hague beginning on June 24, where they will consider US President Donald Trump’s demand that they boost defense spending to 5 percent of GDP.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to attend the meeting. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, he regularly has attended NATO summits, and alliance members have pledged billions in weapons and condemned Russia for an illegal war of conquest.
Trump has shifted US policy, partially accepting Moscow’s justifications for its full-scale invasion in February 2022 and disparaging Zelensky.
European allies have expressed concern about Trump’s commitment to the 32-member alliance and its support for Ukraine’s battle against Russia’s occupation forces.
 


US sees no immediate reason to ground Boeing 787 after Air India crash

Updated 13 June 2025
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US sees no immediate reason to ground Boeing 787 after Air India crash


WASHINGTON: US officials said on Thursday they have not seen any immediate safety data that would require halting Boeing 787 flights after a fatal Air India accident killed over 240 people.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Acting Federal Aviation Administration head Chris Rocheleau made the comments at a news conference and said they had seen videos of the crash in India.
Duffy said he had spoken to National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy. An NTSB and FAA team, with support from Boeing and engine manufacturer GE Aerospace, was going to India, Duffy said.
“They have to get on the ground and take a look. But again right now it’d be way too premature,” Duffy said. “People are looking at videos and trying to assess what happened, which is never a strong, smart way to make decisions on what took place.”
Duffy said the FAA was reviewing information with Boeing and GE as part of the investigation into the crash. Duffy also emphasized the US government “will not hesitate to implement any safety recommendations that may arise. We will follow the facts and put safety first.” Rocheleau said, “As we proceed down this road with the investigation itself, if there’s any information that becomes available to us regarding any risk, we will mitigate those risks.” Duffy said the FAA is “prepared to send additional resources to get the data we need to ensure the safety of the flying public.”


North Korea’s Kim Jong Un lauds restored destroyer, says more to be built

Updated 13 June 2025
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North Korea’s Kim Jong Un lauds restored destroyer, says more to be built

SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended on Thursday the launching ceremony of a warship that had been damaged upon its first attempt to launch, state media KCNA said on Friday.
Satellite images had shown ongoing repairs of the 5,000-ton destroyer that had partially capsized in May, after Kim called the accident a “criminal act” and ordered its restoration before a party meeting in June.
Kim said the restoration of the destroyer “had not delayed” North Korea’s attempts to enhance naval power, and said plans were in place “to build two more 5,000-ton destroyers next year,” KCNA said.
Kim called for the country to strengthen its maritime military presence in the Pacific Ocean in the face of what he said were provocations by the US and its allies, KCNA said.
“Soon, enemies will experience themselves how provocative and unpleasant it is to sit and watch the ships of an adversary run rampant on the fringes of sovereign waters,” Kim said in a speech at the ceremony, according to KCNA.
“I’m sure that in the near future, the routes of our battleships... will be opened on the Pacific Ocean toward the outposts of aggression.”


Hegseth says the Pentagon has contingency plans to invade Greenland if necessary

Updated 13 June 2025
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Hegseth says the Pentagon has contingency plans to invade Greenland if necessary

  • Hegseth made the statement during a hotly combative congressional hearing, with some of the toughest lines of questioning coming from military veterans

WASHINGTON: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared to acknowledge that the Pentagon has developed plans to take over Greenland and Panama by force if necessary but refused to answer repeated questions at a hotly combative congressional hearing Thursday about his use of Signal chats to discuss military operations.
Democratic members of the House Armed Services Committee repeatedly got into heated exchanges with Hegseth, with some of the toughest lines of questioning coming from military veterans as many demanded yes or no answers and he tried to avoid direct responses about his actions as Pentagon chief.
In one back-and-forth, Hegseth did provide an eyebrow-raising answer. Rep. Adam Smith, D-Washington, asked whether the Pentagon has developed plans to take Greenland or Panama by force if necessary.
“Our job at the Defense Department is to have plans for any contingency,” Hegseth said several times.
It is not unusual for the Pentagon to draw up contingency plans for conflicts that have not arisen, but his handling of the questions prompted a Republican lawmaker to step in a few minutes later.
“It is not your testimony today that there are plans at the Pentagon for taking by force or invading Greenland, correct?” said Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio.
As Hegseth started to repeat his answer about contingency plans, Turner added emphatically, “I sure as hell hope that is not your testimony.”
“We look forward to working with Greenland to ensure that it is secured from any potential threats,” Hegseth responded.
Time and again, lawmakers pressed Hegseth to answer questions he has avoided for months, including during the two previous days of hearings on Capitol Hill. And frustration boiled over.
“You’re an embarrassment to this country. You’re unfit to lead,” Rep. Salud Carbajal snapped, the California Democrat’s voice rising. “You should just get the hell out.”
GOP lawmakers on several occasions apologized to Hegseth for the Democrats’ sharp remarks, saying he should not be subject to such “flagrant disrespect.” Hegseth said he was “happy to take the arrows” to make tough calls and do what’s best.
 

Infographic with map showing Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory that the Trump administration covets. (AFP)

Questions emerge on Signal chats and if details Hegseth shared were classified
Hegseth’s use of two Signal chats to discuss details of the US plans to strike Houthi rebels in Yemen with other US leaders as well as members of his family prompted dizzying exchanges with lawmakers.
Hegseth was pressed multiple times over whether or not he shared classified information and if he should face accountability if he did.
Hegseth argued that the classification markings of any information about those military operations could not be discussed with lawmakers.
That became a quick trap, as Hegseth has asserted that nothing he posted — on strike times and munitions dropped in March — was classified. His questioner, Rep. Seth Moulton, a Massachusetts Democrat and Marine veteran, jumped on the disparity.
“You can very well disclose whether or not it was classified,” Moulton said.
“What’s not classified is that it was an incredible, successful mission,” Hegseth responded.
A Pentagon watchdog report on his Signal use is expected soon.
Moulton asked Hegseth whether he would hold himself accountable if the inspector general finds that he placed classified information on Signal, a commercially available app.
Hegseth would not directly say, only noting that he serves “at the pleasure of the president.”
He was asked if he would apologize to the mother of a pilot flying the strike mission for jeopardizing the operation and putting her son’s life at risk. Hegseth said, “I don’t apologize for success.”
Trump’s speech at Fort Bragg raises Democratic concerns about politics in the military
Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who appeared along Hegseth, was questioned about Trump’s speech at Fort Bragg this week and whether the military was becoming politicized.
The Defense Department has a doctrine that prohibits troops from participating in political activity while in uniform. Members of the 82nd Airborne Division were directed to stand behind Trump at Fort Bragg, and they booed and cheered during his incendiary remarks, including condemnation of his predecessor, Joe Biden.
There also was a pop-up MAGA merchandise stand selling souvenirs to troops in uniform.
Caine repeatedly said US service members must be apolitical but that he was unaware of anything that happened at Fort Bragg.
Hegseth is pressed about policies on women in uniform and transgender troops
Hegseth got into a sharp debate about whether women and transgender service members should serve in the military or combat jobs.
He said he has worked to remove diversity programs and political correctness from the military. He said he has not politicized the military but simply wants the most capable troops.
Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pennsylvania, demanded to know if Hegseth believes that both men and women can pull a trigger, cause death, operate a drone or launch a missile.
“It depends on the context,” Hegseth said, adding that “women carry equipment differently, a 155 round differently, a rucksack differently.”

Hegseth, who has previously said women “straight up” should not serve in combat, asserted that women have joined the military in record numbers under the Trump administration. He said the military “standards should be high and equal.”
He also was asked about three female service members — now being forced out as part of the Pentagon’s move to ban transgender troops.
Hegseth agreed that their accomplishments — which Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., read out — were to be celebrated, until he learned they were transgender.
Republican lawmakers jumped to his defense, criticizing any Pentagon spending on gender transition surgery.
Democrats ask about plans for action against Greenland and Panama
President Donald Trump has said multiple times that he wants to take control of Greenland, a strategic, mineral-rich island and long a US ally. Those remarks have been met with flat rejections from the leaders of Greenland, an autonomous territory that is part of Denmark.
“Greenland is not for sale,” Jacob Isbosethsen, Greenland’s representative to the U.S, said Thursday at a forum in Washington sponsored by the Arctic Institute.
In an effort not to show the Pentagon’s hand on its routine effort to have plans for everything, Hegseth danced around the direct question from Smith, leading to the confusion.
“Speaking on behalf of the American people, I don’t think the American people voted for President Trump because they were hoping we would invade Greenland,” Smith said.