WASHINGTON, DC – Republican Presidential hopeful John McCain, in a letter sent today to the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), reached out to Armenian American voters by outlining his views on issues of special concern to the Armenian American community.

The Arizona Senator’s letter, while notably falling short of properly characterizing the Armenian Genocide, condemns the “the brutal murder of as many as one and a half million Armenians under the rule of the Ottoman Empire,” and praises the Armenian American community for “ensuring that one of the greatest tragedies of the 20th century is never forgotten.” The longtime legislator and Vietnam War veteran wrote that:

“It is fair to say that this tragedy, the brutal murder of as many as one and a half million Armenians under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, has also been one of the most neglected. The suffering endured by the Armenian people during that period represented the prologue to what has come to be known as humanity’s bloodiest century.”

Senator McCain described “the rise of independent Armenia from such painful experiences” as “extremely inspirational,” and praised “the vibrancy of the Armenian diaspora.” He went on to express his deep admiration for “both Armenia’s support of coalition operations in Iraq and NATO peacekeeping efforts in Kosovo, as well as the Armenian-American community’s great contributions to our nation. In my visits to Armenia, I have been deeply impressed by the tremendous progress made in very difficult circumstances.” He closed his letter by expressing that he “greatly appreciate[s] this opportunity and look forward to working with the Armenian-American community in my campaign and as the next President of the United States.”

As a Senator, John McCain has opposed the Armenian Genocide Resolution and has not generally been proactive in supporting other elements of the Armenian American legislative agenda. At a town hall meeting in New Hampshire on Sunday, January 6, 2008 Senator McCain was reported to have answered a question on the Armenian Genocide by noting that he recognizes the Armenian Genocide, but opposes the Armenian Genocide Resolution due to the Turkish government’s sensitivities. In correspondence with Arizona constituents he wrote, in October of 2007, that, “Condemning modern Turkey for the acts of the Ottoman Empire would serve only to harm relations with the Turkish people while injecting the Congress into the sensitive role of historian of a period clearly preceding the births of all but a very few congressmen. That is not a development I wish to help facilitate.”

In 1989, Senator McCain introduced legislation supporting a peaceful and fair settlement of the Nagorno Karabagh conflict and later supported Section 907 and the Humanitarian Aid Corridor Act. In 1999, however, he voted against maintaining Section 907.

In February of 2000, Senator McCain wrote, in an earlier campaign letter to the ANCA, that he condemned “the systematic murder of as many as one and a half million Armenians,” and welcomed “Armenia’s emergence as an independent nation and its growth as a democracy.” He also discussed his 1997 visit to Armenia, during which he “was fortunate to witness . . . the gains that country has made since it achieved independence from the former Soviet Union,” and noted his “sincere desire to continue to forge the closest relations between Armenia and the United States.”

The Romney for President campaign has shared with the ANCA copies of proclamations made by Gov. Romney during his tenure as Massachusetts governor. While the first three statements during his four years in office properly described the Armenian Genocide as genocide, his fourth and final statement refrained from using the accurate terminology. To date, the Romney for President campaign has not issued any statement on issues of concern to the Armenian American community.

The McCain campaign can be contacted at the following coordinates:

John McCain 2008
P.O. Box 16118
Arlington, VA 22215
Tel: 703-418-2008
Website: http://www.johnmccain.com/

The full text of Senator McCain’s letter is provided below.

The Romney campaign can be contacted at the following coordinates:

Romney for President
P.O. Box 55899
Boston, MA 02205-5899
Phone: (857) 288-6400
Website: http://www.mittromney.com/

As always, the ANCA welcomes feedback on its service to the Armenian American community. Please forward your thoughts and suggestions about the 2008 Presidential election by email to anca@anca.org.

February 1, 2008

Aram Hamparian
Executive Director
Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036

Thank you for contacting me regarding my views on issues of special concern to the Armenian-American community – a community which has contributed richly to the American fabric and has been instrumental in ensuring that one of the greatest tragedies of the 20th century is never forgotten.

It is fair to say that this tragedy, the brutal murder of as many as one and a half million Armenians under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, has also been one of the most neglected. The suffering endured by the Armenian people during that period represented the prologue to what has come to be known as humanity’s bloodiest century.

Therefore, the rise of independent Armenia from such painful experiences is extremely inspirational, as is the vibrancy of the Armenian diaspora. In particular, I deeply admire both Armenia’s support of coalition operations in Iraq and NATO peacekeeping efforts in Kosovo, as well as the Armenian-American community’s great contributions to our nation. In my visits to Armenia, I have been deeply impressed by the tremendous progress made in very difficult circumstances.

I greatly appreciate this opportunity and look forward to working with the Armenian-American community in my campaign and as the next President of the United States.

Sincerely,

John McCain