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| DEMAND ANSWERS ABOUT THE FIRING OF AMB. EVANS |
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Current
Status |
Despite repeated Congressional inquiries, the Administration has yet to offer any meaningful explanation of its reasons for firing Ambassador John Evans.
According to unofficial sources in the State Department, the U.S. Embassy in Armenia, and the White House, he was fired over his February 2005 statements at Armenian American community events characterizing the Armenian Genocide as a clear case of genocide.
It does not make sense for the Senate to confirm a new Ambassador until it receives a full, on-the-record explanation from the Administration of the reasons it fired its current Ambassador.
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Last Updated: 2006-07-06 |
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What
You Can Do |
| Call your two U.S. Senators and urge them to demand answers about the firing of Ambassador Evans.
CLICK HERE and simply type in your ZIP Code to get their phone numbers and see sample phone scripts. For your convenience, phone scripts are also provided below.
Phone Script #1 -- for Senators in the Foreign Relations Committee
My name is [NAME] and I am calling from [CITY, STATE] to ask the Senator to press for honest answers during the upcoming Foreign Relations Committee hearing for the next ambassador to Armenia.
It does not make sense to confirm a new Ambassador when the reasons for the current Ambassador's recall have not yet been explained. This is especially true given that reports from inside the State Department indicate that Ambassador Evans was fired, at the urging of the Turkish Government, for speaking truthfully about the Armenian Genocide.
Despite repeated Congressional inquiries over the past four months, the White House and State Department have yet to provide any meaningful explanation for their actions.
If you don't receive a full explanation, please oppose the confirmation until the White House clearly explains its policies and actions. My request is no reflection on the ambassador-designate, but rather a demonstration of my belief in civic accountability.
Please contact the Armenian National Committee of America - (202) 775-1918 or anca@anca.org - for a series of suggested questions for the hearing.
If possible, I would appreciate a written update on your actions on this matter. I can be reached at [ADDRESS, CITY, STATE, ZIP].
PHONE SCRIPT #2
For Members NOT on the Foreign Relations Committee
My name is [NAME] and I am calling from [CITY, STATE] to ask the Senator to demand a full investigation into the firing of our country's Ambassador to Armenia, John Evans, because of his truthful statements about the Armenian Genocide.
Despite repeated Congressional inquiries over the past four months, the White House and State Department have yet to provide any meaningful explanation for their actions.
It doesn't make sense to confirm a new ambassador when the circumstances of the current Ambassador's recall have yet to be explained, including the role that Turkey played.
I respectfully ask the Senator to delay the Senate's confirmation of the new ambassador until the Administration clearly explains its policies and actions on this matter. My request is no reflection on the ambassador-designate, but rather a demonstration of my belief in government accountability.
Please contact the Armenian National Committee of America - (202) 775-1918 or anca@anca.org - for a series of suggested questions for the hearing.
If possible, I would appreciate a written update on your actions on this matter. I can be reached at [ADDRESS, CITY, STATE, ZIP].
Background:The Firing of Ambassador John Mashall Evans
According to sources in the State Department, the U.S. Embassy in Armenia, and the White House, the firing of Amb. Evans was the result of his February 2005 statements at Armenian American community functions characterizing the Armenian Genocide as a clear case of genocide.
Following his statements, Amb. Evans was forced to issue a statement clarifying that his references to the Armenian Genocide were his personal views and did not represent a change in US policy. He subsequently issued a correction to this statement, replacing a reference to the genocide with the word “tragedy.”
The American Foreign Service Association, which had planned to honor Amb. Evans with the “Christian A. Herter Award,” recognizing creative thinking and intellectual courage within the Foreign Service, reportedly rescinded the award following pressure from the State Department a few days before Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan traveled to Washington, DC to meet with President Bush.
Congressional reaction to the Evans firing:
* Sixty Members of Congress, led by Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA), have sent a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice asking for clarification of the reasons behind Amb. Evans’ recall.
* Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-CA) have each officially called on Secretary Rice for a clarification of the State Department’s position on this issue. This past week, Senators Edward (D-MA) and John Kerry (D-MA) requested an explanation of Evans' recall. They have yet to receive any response to their inquiries.
Media reaction to the Evans firing:
The Los Angeles Times, in a strongly worded March 22nd editorial, made direct reference to Amb. Evans’ impending dismissal, calling on the Turkish Government and U.S. State Department to end their policies of Armenian Genocide denial. The Fresno Bee published a similarly strong editorial. Harut Sassounian, editor of the California Courier, has called on Senators to place a "hold" on the new ambassador's confirmation until the circumstances of the current ambassador's dismissal are fully explained.
* Armenian American reaction to the Evans firing:
As early as March 8th, ANCA Chairman Ken Hachikian expressed grave disappointment over reports that Ambassador Evans would be penalized for speaking the truth about the Armenian Genocide. In a letter to Secretary Rice, Hachikian wrote that, "the prospect that a U.S. envoy's posting - and possibly his career - has been cut short due to his honest and accurate description of a genocide is profoundly offensive to American values and U.S. standing abroad - particularly in light of President Bush's call for moral clarity in the conduct of our international affairs."
ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian responded to the formal news of the firing last month by noting that, "Ambassador Evans has been recalled for doing nothing more than honoring the forsaken pledge of his President." President Bush has been widely criticized for failing to keep his promise, made as the Governor of Texas and a Presidential candidate in February of 2000, to properly recognize the Armenian Genocide.
The Firing of U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, John Marshall Evans: Suggested Questions for the Secretary of State
* What is the policy of the United States regarding the characterization of the Armenian Genocide as an instance of genocide?
* Does the Department of State instruct its employees not to use the word genocide in connection with the Armenian Genocide?
* Why has the Administration refused to provide any meaningful explanation of its reasons for recalling Ambassador Evans, despite a series of formal Congressional inquiries dating back more than four months?
* How can the U.S. Senate confirm a new Ambassador to Armenia when the reasons for the current Ambassador's controversial recall have yet to be explained?
* Ambassador Evans' remarks are consistent with President Ronald Reagan's April 22, 1981 statement on the Armenian Genocide, as well as with the promise made by our current President, George W. Bush, as a candidate on February 19, 2000, to properly recognize the genocidal campaign committed against the Armenian people. Why is Ambassador Evans being fired for doing nothing more than reaffirming the U.S. archival record on the Armenian Genocide - as articulated by past and current presidents?
* If the policy of the United States is not to characterize the Armenian Genocide as an instance of genocide, please explain why the Department of State believes that the systematic massacre of 1.5 million Armenians does not meet ANY of the five definitions in the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
* The firing of Ambassador Evans, a senior U.S. diplomat, signals a truly unfortunate "outsourcing" of our diplomacy - even our morality - to a Turkish government known for its genocide denial, free-speech restrictions, and human rights abuses. The U.S. Congress deserves to know what role a foreign nation played in the personnel decisions of the U.S. Department of State. What communications - written, electronic, or spoken - took place between the U.S. and Turkish governments on this matter?
* What are the implications for the future of the Foreign Service of the White House recalling a senior diplomat for making a truthful statement about genocide?
* Did any Department of State employee, directly or indirectly, communicate with the American Foreign Service Association concerning the "Christian Herter" dissent award to Ambassador John Evans? If so, please describe the content and manner of these communications.
* Please describe in detail the Department of State's training and education regarding the Armenian Genocide, including a listing of course materials, books, lecturers, and lesson plans.
The Firing of U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, John Marshall Evans: Suggested Questions for the Ambassador to Armenia-Designate
* What guidance has the Department of State given you concerning your public statements on the Armenian Genocide?
* Has the Department of State instructed you not use the word genocide in characterizing the Armenian Genocide?
* Has the Department of State instructed other Department of State employees or government officials not use the word genocide in characterizing the Armenian Genocide? If your answer is yes, was this instruction given in writing?
* What instructions do you intend to give your Embassy staff concerning statements about the Armenian Genocide?
* What, in your opinion, is the impact on U.S.-Armenia relations of having an Ambassador in Yerevan who fails to properly recognize the genocidal crime that destroyed the majority of the Armenian people, exiled a nation from its historic homeland, and continues to severely impact the future of the Republic of Armenia?
* What is your understanding about the recall of your predecessor? Specifically, can you describe the events, policies, and process that led to his recall; explain the reasons for his replacement, and; share your views on the implications of this action on the U.S. Embassy in Armenia?
* What training and education have you received from the Department of State on the Armenian Genocide?
* What are your thoughts about the Armenian Genocide - as a historical event, a moral issue, a subject of denial, and a matter of ongoing geopolitical significance?
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