Obama won't use the word 'genocide' when commemorating the 100th anniversary of the massacre of Armenians
President's decision not to use the word 'genocide' in referring to Armenian massacres angers activists
White House officials have decided that President Obama will not use the word “genocide” to describe the killings of more than 1 million Armenians at the hands of Ottoman Turks when he commemorates the deaths Friday, the 100th anniversary of the massacres.
The decision, revealed Tuesday in a meeting with Armenian American groups, backs down from a previous Obama pledge.
“As president I will recognize the Armenian Genocide,” Obama said while running for president in 2008.
His decision not to do so now sparked anger from activists.
“The president’s surrender represents a national disgrace,” said Aram S. Hamparian, executive director of the Washington-based Armenian National Committee of America. “It is a betrayal of the truth, and it is a betrayal of trust.”
White House officials defended the decision as necessary to preserve the chance of cooperation with Turkey, a NATO ally, on Middle Eastern conflicts.
The Turkish Embassy, which has spent millions lobbying Congress on the issue, did not respond to a request for comment. the Turkish government has said that the mass killings do not meet the legal definition of genocide and that it would be a mistake for the U.S. to use the term. Some members of Congress have also warned that a shift in official U.S. references could hurt American foreign policy.
California has the country's largest population of people of Armenian descent, with more than 200,000 living in Los Angeles County, according to U.S. Census data.
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